The 2020 pandemic caused many Arkansans to branch out and try new jobs and hobbies. This series will help readers better understand a day in the life of certain career fields, based on an interview with someone in that field.
For this segment of “A Day In the Life,” AY About You sits down with Jennifer Bannon, a Martial Arts Instructor and Marketing Director for Conway Toe2Toe.
How did you end up working in this position?
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in May 2004, and I literally could not walk from my couch to my front door. With the fear of me going to a nursing home, my mother came over and walked me every day. That’s how I got into race-walking. I kept going and never quit. I met Curtiss Robinson in 2019 and saw he did personal training and asked if he could train me. There was a lady at the gym who said he couldn’t train me there and that no one should train me because I had a diagnosis — I should just be resting in bed. I felt like I had lost my will to live, and I figured Curtiss would give up on me, and he didn’t.
When I went to college, I went for marketing because I wanted to take over my grandfather’s lumber yard. However, he ended up selling the business during the boom in Cabot, so I changed my career to nursing. I had to quit nursing due to MS because it was a liability at that time for me to continue working. I didn’t work for a long time until I met Curtiss. I started doing marketing for Curtiss shortly after I started training with him. I asked if he would give me a chance, and he did.
How did your road to recovery begin?
After that lady at the gym said that, I decided that I wanted to become an Iron Runner in 2019. I had never had a desire to do a full marathon. Curtiss trained me and I completed it all. I finished all of the marathons within the time allotted with his help. I continued to train with him and did kickboxing and jui jitsu. The people who motivated me the most have been the ones who told me that I couldn’t do it. A lot of people said that I hadn’t earned my rank and that Curtiss was just taking pity on me, and that I should fight to prove it. Despite not winning, I fought and lasted through every round. Since then, I’ve become a first degree black belt in kick boxing and I’m working on jui jitsu. Today, I’m letting people know that it doesn’t matter what you’re dealing with as well as you’re willing to put the time and work in for it.
What does a normal day look like for you in this position?
Visiting businesses to talk about self defense and social media work, visiting schools to talk about anti-bullying, and lots of training.
What are some skills that someone might need to be good at this job?
You need to love talking to people; not everyone is going to like you or want to talk to you, so you need a thick skin. Also, know how to work computer programs to build successful ads and have a creative mind.
What are some life lessons you’ve learned while in this position?
Self-defense is something everyone should take the time to learn. You may think nothing will ever happen to you, but wouldn’t it be great to know what to do and have a plan than to need it and not have a plan?
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in doing the kind of work that you do?
Make sure you are a great speaker and love what you do. Those two things will set you up for success in this field.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I hope I’m still here creating new and inventive content, so they will visit the school and learn self-defense.
Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share?
Find something you love doing, and who knows, that just might be what you were meant to do.
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