hey, I'm EMILY!
how I live and lead
I built a six-figure fitness business before transitioning into online work
I love fitness and believe a healthy body = productivity with clear thoughts
I’m big on structure, a well-organised calendar is the glue to my life
I don’t overcomplicate things. I simplify, prioritise, and do it.
I love coaching mindset hacks that help others make positive changes in their lives
I’m known for helping women get out of their head and actually take action
my STORY
From as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been drawn to challenge.
At school, I loved sport. I was the kid who actually wanted to do cross country. At the time I didn’t realise it, but it was the challenge that pulled me in, and that mindset has stayed with me.
In high school, I competed in rowing, consistently making A finals and finishing on the podium. In 2009, I was selected for the New Zealand Youth Olympic rowing team, which led into several years competing at an elite level. Those years shaped my understanding of discipline, and pushing beyond what you think you’re capable of.
When my rowing career ended, I naturally moved into personal training. Fitness had become second nature. I returned home and began working in a gym, but it didn’t take long to realise I wanted more. I was earning minimum wage, living week to week, and knew I was capable of building something bigger.
At 23 I made a decision that changed everything.
I moved cities with $1,000, a bed and a suitcase to start my own personal training business.
Within 4 months I had built a full client base and was finally earning good money doing something I loved. That business gave me my first taste of independence, travel and entrepreneurship.
Around this time I also competed in my first bikini competition on my 24th birthday. The experience taught me far more than just physical discipline. It forced me to completely rethink my relationship with food, health and mindset.
By my mid-twenties I had purchased my first home and travelled to places like South Africa, America, Rarotonga and Australia. I had built a lifestyle that I was proud of.
but, BEHIND THE SCENCES
IT CAME AT A COST
After several years of long hours and early mornings, burnout eventually caught up with me.
I was working constantly just to maintain the lifestyle I had created, and it was impacting my own health.
So I pivoted.
I transitioned my personal training business into a group fitness model, which grew into a six-figure business and allowed me to step back from constant one-on-one sessions. While the business was successful, the behind-the-scenes workload was still relentless.
Then in 2020 the pandemic hit, and like many small businesses, mine took a significant hit.
Shortly after, I fell pregnant with my first son, Jackson. The early months of pregnancy were incredibly challenging and it became clear that the lifestyle required to run my fitness business no longer aligned with the kind of mother I wanted to be.
I became a mum in February 2021
I knew I still wanted to build something meaningful, but I also wanted flexibility with my family. I didn’t want to miss school drop-offs, pick-ups or slow mornings after sleepless nights. At the same time, I wasn’t willing to give up on my ambition.
Like many women navigating motherhood and business, I found myself in a season of questioning who I was and what came next. I knew I wanted to continue building something of my own, but I wasn’t sure what that looked like.
When Jackson was five months old, I was introduced to an online opportunity that aligned with the lifestyle I was searching for.
It allowed me to work around nap times, evenings and the always changing routines of a family with small kids, all while still building something meaningful for our future.
For me, business has never just been about income. It’s about creating freedom, the freedom to design life intentionally, pursue growth, and build a future that reflects your values.
That philosophy is what continues to guide everything I build today.
As my boys grew older
I felt the pull for something else.
Not because what I had wasn’t good
but because I was ready to pivot my skills and creates something I felt was missing, and to serve existing high performing women in their respective fields.
And this is what led me to create
24 JULY 2026
HER STANDARD
© EMILY JANE ORR
All rights reserved.