A wee bit about Andrea:
Andrea Ross, is an energetic, playful, multi-skilled athlete and action artist in the stunt performing industry. She’s basically turned being clumsy (or selectively coordinated as she likes to describe it) into a hirable and sought after skill. Her filmography can be found on her IMBD page.
Her jump off point is Squamish, BC where activity is the only lifestyle. Kiteboarding, hiking, mountain biking and skiing are part of her routine to unwind…often on the same day. Never afraid to have a laugh at her expense, time spent with Andrea is always a riot.
Andrea is also the founder of the Live Your Fierce (LYF) Project. LYF is a community and leadership platform for fierce women, led by fierce women.
Some of the projects / jobs / achievements that Andrea is most proud to have experienced or been a part of:
National Freestyle wrestling team member (2010 National Champion)
Graduated UofC with 2 degrees
Stunt performer in film & television for the past 5 years
Co-Founder of The LYF Project
New mom to a rad little dude
What does it mean to you to Live Your Fierce?
To me, living your fierce is identifying what your true passion is in life, working through the obstacles to get there and then unapologetically living it. To live your fierce is to have a deep appreciation for all of the work that went into getting there and for those who supported you to get there. To me, fierce includes a combination of confidence, resilience and vulnerability.
What were some of the obstacles / barriers to reaching your goals and living your fierce?
My biggest obstacles I faced in order to pursue living my fierce were of my own making. I was waiting for someone to believe in me more than I believed in myself. This caused a lot of waiting around for things to happen. I had connected my fear of failure to the belief that I should not try unless those in my peer group believed I would succeed. I had, and still have, so many incredibly supportive friends. During the times I was most doubtful, insecure and uncertain, I had let some family members, partners and toxic people dictate my path, based on what they thought I should do and be.
Later on, when I finally learned to build boundaries and surround myself with the right people, the barriers to living my fierce became much more extrinsic. Things like, living in a city where opportunities in film where scarce, not having any connections to people already in the film world and missing a few key skill sets to be hired for the jobs I wanted. I found these details much easier to navigate through and around. I had always been prepared to do the work I needed to (ie. Moving cities, networking and training like a mo-fo). The inner work has always been the toughest to tackle.
Describe 1-3 things which were instrumental to your overcoming these obstacles / barriers:
1) Trusting in a close group of loving supporters and paying minimal attention to the ney-sayers. These are not “yes” people in the sense of agreeing with everything that you do. They are “yes” people in the sense that they believe you will also achieve your goals and they are willing to help you troubleshoot through the challenges. They help you turn the "No's" into "not yets".
2) Knowing that doing just a little bit, instead of all of it goes a long way. It adds up, momentum builds and the progress is made.
3) Anticipate things not necessarily going according to plan and trust yourself to find options, ask for help, be resourceful when the plan hits a roadblock. Ask yourself is this actually a dealbreaker? The answer is usually no.
What are some of the attributes you look for when choosing your support system:
Honesty - support does not mean being surrounded by "yes people". It also does not mean being around pessimists and close minded people either. I chose to share my journey with those who help me identify proverbial potholes while sharing the enthusiasm to hit my end goal.
Independence - I love sharing in my support system's journeys just as much as I depend on their help for mine. I feed off of the communal energy and drive.
A solid sense of humour - cause life is too damn short to not laugh at the ridiculous situations we find ourselves in. Laughter is cathartic and best shared with those close to you.
Andrea's Words of Fierce:
Tough, even awful things happen to all of us. The ones who battle through the smoke of despair, hurt and tragedy, who leave the role of victim, become the driver of their own journey find happiness and fulfilment. Find the courage and the ways to turn no / can’t / fear into yes / can / fierce.
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