Delivering Stratusfaction in 2013 ... literally
Is 2013 really over already? Is it me or did this year fly by? It could be because I was fixated on my expanding girth for the most part of the year as a human being was growing inside of me. Or, the fact that the last 3 months of this year I've been in a baby bubble, in pure mama bliss.
So, I guess it's not surprising it feels like just yesterday I was standing at the podium at MSG, telling you the news that has changed my life. This has easily been one of my most memorable years ever.
At the beginning of 2013, as the world knows now, two things happened which pretty much shaped how the rest of the year would unfold…
First, we got the news that we were expecting! The baby in my dreams officially took up residency in my belly and we were ready to embrace the next chapter in our lives – parenthood. The arrival of our little guy has changed my life in so many ways, and not just in the last 3 months since he has joined us, but the beautiful journey through pregnancy is where I began to really see the blessing and wonder that is life. My outlook on the world, to acknowledge the consequences of one's actions in every move you make and to feel an indescribable love and joy are just some of the things that belong in a whole other blog!
Which, by the way, I hope to make that post eventually, somewhere between now and before Max is walking. But, seriously, things take me a little longer to complete nowadays so bear with me (as I write this New Year's Eve post as the clock creeps closer to midnight, while Max is finally sleeping and I'm working as hard as the breast pump on my left boob is!).
Then came the announcement that I was going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. And, of course the subsequent emergence of the quickest heel turn in WWE history, a man who got booed out of Madison Square Garden – my loving hubby #HeelRon!
The bling on my finger is now about 9 months old (appropriate, no?) and it still feels surreal to look at that ring and know what it symbolizes – that the goal I set to leave a mark in an industry and make an impression on my fans and colleagues was accomplished. That was quite the night! I couldn't have planned it more perfectly to be before the WWE Universe and use that opportunity to share my news with you! First of all, I'm so glad the story didn't get leaked as so much wrestling news does! Only a handful of people knew, namely Vince, HHH, Kevin Dunn and of course, Stephanie (and anyone who noticed the extra puff on that dress!).
Speaking of Stephanie, it was such an honor to be inducted by my good friend, and to be able to give thanks to everyone in one fell swoop alongside what many are calling the single best class of Hall of Famers in the history of WWE. I mean there were more championships on stage than there are in the Montreal Canadiens locker room! (KIDDING! You know I love you guys... ahem... Go Leafs Go!).
Oh and for those of you that are wondering, yes, I still have the scroll – and, I'm keeping it with me until WWE finally builds that Hall of Fame building! If you still haven't seen that list of thank-yous – check it out here.
But just as fun as that night was, the lead-up to it was crazy. The amount of interviews I did, looking back now, in just a couple months was astounding – especially being out of the WWE grind for a while at that point and then suddenly, it was full-on insanity right up until the night of the event. Ahh, the good ol' days! With all the media, I got the chance to chat with some new outlets, and also, check back in with old friends like Michael Landsberg, whose interview with me back in 1998 could quite possibly be looked at as the moment that started it all (check out this fun video of that interview here). I know some Superstars and Divas prefer that an interviewer's microphone not be in their face, but I have to say, that it's one of the parts of the business I love. I've always prided myself on being open with my fans, going back 15 years now to my fitness days. To me, each interview, every question is an opportunity to connect with my fans, and I feel that is how I've been able to form such a special bond with you guys.
Speaking of questions, I think one of the funnest things this year was starting the #fanforumfive feature on TrishStratus.com. It's been cool to see the feature being embraced – the questions I get are always amazing! And what's neat is to see how it has evolved – like our next round, the #Lita edition. After the success of our 8x10 release, this was something we thought would be a nice follow-up, especially as so many of Amy's fans were excited to finally hear from her! We're still taking questions, but if you are submitting one for her – make it a good one because there are a lot for my bestie, the Queen of Extreme! Look for that edition to be up in the New Year. And, if you have a juicy question for Amy aka Lita, you can leave it here.
From working in WWE, I've always appreciated what it means to work with a team. It takes two (sometimes ten) to tango. But this year with the pending arrival of Max, I depended on my team more than ever and let me tell you, they've been up to the challenge.
Whether you've taken a class at Stratusphere and experienced my amazing instructors – 15 of the best instructors in the GTA – or you've met my girls who run the front of the studio, doing things like standing by to ensure everyone knows that a power outage has cancelled our yoga classes, it has given me great comfort to be on mommy duty when I know my team is holding down the fort. You may have interacted with some of my Shop team this holiday season, where we saw the highest product sales we've had since we launched (lots of Stratusphere Living going on!) – we pride ourselves on leaving every customer stratusfied!
And, of course, you're number one source for all things Trish – where you are reading this blog right now – my team at TrishStratus.com – my lifeline to my fans. These guys stood by for hours while I was in labor, waiting to break the news to you on the arrival of little Max aka Baby Stratus! We're going on 15 years at this domain and ever since my retirement, we vowed to make this the place that will always tell you where the stratusfaction is being delivered. So, thank you to my team, and to all of you – some of you have been with me since my fitness days – to all of my Stratuspherians, I say thank you for the support.
Since those two announcements that kicked off my 2013 there have been so many awesome things that have personally meant a lot to me like appearing on Top Chef Canada (such a fan of that show!)… creeping my cover count closer to 100 (loved that I got to shoot the baby bump!)… a cameo in Mickie James' first music video (so proud of her and honored to be in her video!)… trading cards with Topps and a figure with Mattel (as a collector, these rank high in my book of awesome!). Also, working with my amazing partners like Met Con Blue, appearing in New Balance ads (after Miguel Cabrera and Jose Bautista, I'm looking forward to seeing who else they will pair me with!).
Most exciting is my recent deal I signed with The Treadmill Factory which will allow me to continue to develop fitness products so you can get your sweat on – and hopefully, that means for my Stratuspherians in the U.S. in the near future too! And, on a side note, the Leafs making the playoffs was a fun time too!
With everything that's happened, I really do owe all of you my gratitude. It made everything this year more meaningful to have you all along for the journey, visiting my website, chatting with me on social media or at personal appearances and sending my family some baby love (especially when Max was born – you crashed the site!). Your loyalty keeps me feeling connected – you've kept me strong and you've kept me hungry to keep going … to keep delivering Stratusfaction.
So here's to a great 2013, may 2014 be even more exciting!
RELATED STORIES
• TrishStratus.com's top 10 most read stories of 2013
So, I guess it's not surprising it feels like just yesterday I was standing at the podium at MSG, telling you the news that has changed my life. This has easily been one of my most memorable years ever.
At the beginning of 2013, as the world knows now, two things happened which pretty much shaped how the rest of the year would unfold…
First, we got the news that we were expecting! The baby in my dreams officially took up residency in my belly and we were ready to embrace the next chapter in our lives – parenthood. The arrival of our little guy has changed my life in so many ways, and not just in the last 3 months since he has joined us, but the beautiful journey through pregnancy is where I began to really see the blessing and wonder that is life. My outlook on the world, to acknowledge the consequences of one's actions in every move you make and to feel an indescribable love and joy are just some of the things that belong in a whole other blog! Which, by the way, I hope to make that post eventually, somewhere between now and before Max is walking. But, seriously, things take me a little longer to complete nowadays so bear with me (as I write this New Year's Eve post as the clock creeps closer to midnight, while Max is finally sleeping and I'm working as hard as the breast pump on my left boob is!).
The bling on my finger is now about 9 months old (appropriate, no?) and it still feels surreal to look at that ring and know what it symbolizes – that the goal I set to leave a mark in an industry and make an impression on my fans and colleagues was accomplished. That was quite the night! I couldn't have planned it more perfectly to be before the WWE Universe and use that opportunity to share my news with you! First of all, I'm so glad the story didn't get leaked as so much wrestling news does! Only a handful of people knew, namely Vince, HHH, Kevin Dunn and of course, Stephanie (and anyone who noticed the extra puff on that dress!).
Speaking of Stephanie, it was such an honor to be inducted by my good friend, and to be able to give thanks to everyone in one fell swoop alongside what many are calling the single best class of Hall of Famers in the history of WWE. I mean there were more championships on stage than there are in the Montreal Canadiens locker room! (KIDDING! You know I love you guys... ahem... Go Leafs Go!).
Oh and for those of you that are wondering, yes, I still have the scroll – and, I'm keeping it with me until WWE finally builds that Hall of Fame building! If you still haven't seen that list of thank-yous – check it out here.
But just as fun as that night was, the lead-up to it was crazy. The amount of interviews I did, looking back now, in just a couple months was astounding – especially being out of the WWE grind for a while at that point and then suddenly, it was full-on insanity right up until the night of the event. Ahh, the good ol' days! With all the media, I got the chance to chat with some new outlets, and also, check back in with old friends like Michael Landsberg, whose interview with me back in 1998 could quite possibly be looked at as the moment that started it all (check out this fun video of that interview here). I know some Superstars and Divas prefer that an interviewer's microphone not be in their face, but I have to say, that it's one of the parts of the business I love. I've always prided myself on being open with my fans, going back 15 years now to my fitness days. To me, each interview, every question is an opportunity to connect with my fans, and I feel that is how I've been able to form such a special bond with you guys. Speaking of questions, I think one of the funnest things this year was starting the #fanforumfive feature on TrishStratus.com. It's been cool to see the feature being embraced – the questions I get are always amazing! And what's neat is to see how it has evolved – like our next round, the #Lita edition. After the success of our 8x10 release, this was something we thought would be a nice follow-up, especially as so many of Amy's fans were excited to finally hear from her! We're still taking questions, but if you are submitting one for her – make it a good one because there are a lot for my bestie, the Queen of Extreme! Look for that edition to be up in the New Year. And, if you have a juicy question for Amy aka Lita, you can leave it here.
From working in WWE, I've always appreciated what it means to work with a team. It takes two (sometimes ten) to tango. But this year with the pending arrival of Max, I depended on my team more than ever and let me tell you, they've been up to the challenge. Whether you've taken a class at Stratusphere and experienced my amazing instructors – 15 of the best instructors in the GTA – or you've met my girls who run the front of the studio, doing things like standing by to ensure everyone knows that a power outage has cancelled our yoga classes, it has given me great comfort to be on mommy duty when I know my team is holding down the fort. You may have interacted with some of my Shop team this holiday season, where we saw the highest product sales we've had since we launched (lots of Stratusphere Living going on!) – we pride ourselves on leaving every customer stratusfied!
And, of course, you're number one source for all things Trish – where you are reading this blog right now – my team at TrishStratus.com – my lifeline to my fans. These guys stood by for hours while I was in labor, waiting to break the news to you on the arrival of little Max aka Baby Stratus! We're going on 15 years at this domain and ever since my retirement, we vowed to make this the place that will always tell you where the stratusfaction is being delivered. So, thank you to my team, and to all of you – some of you have been with me since my fitness days – to all of my Stratuspherians, I say thank you for the support.
Most exciting is my recent deal I signed with The Treadmill Factory which will allow me to continue to develop fitness products so you can get your sweat on – and hopefully, that means for my Stratuspherians in the U.S. in the near future too! And, on a side note, the Leafs making the playoffs was a fun time too!
With everything that's happened, I really do owe all of you my gratitude. It made everything this year more meaningful to have you all along for the journey, visiting my website, chatting with me on social media or at personal appearances and sending my family some baby love (especially when Max was born – you crashed the site!). Your loyalty keeps me feeling connected – you've kept me strong and you've kept me hungry to keep going … to keep delivering Stratusfaction.
So here's to a great 2013, may 2014 be even more exciting!
RELATED STORIES
• TrishStratus.com's top 10 most read stories of 2013
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