An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
I believe “consistency is key” is an extremely powerful phrase. Consistency is the key to success when it comes to anything. Whether that is building the body of your dreams or building a business or having a healthy relationship, consistency is key! It’s the little things that you do day in and day out that give you the bigger picture results that everybody is looking for.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rapha Araujo.
Fafa Araujo also known as @Fafafitness11 on social media has become an Internet sensation known for her crazy physique and life story. Fafa was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is now currently living in Miami, FL pursuing her career as a Fitness celebrity!
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Of course! And thank you very much for having me on the interview, I appreciate it!
So I was born and raised in Brazil and fitness has always played a key role in my life. My mother was in great shape and went to the gym all the time. When I was a little child I would go there and watch her and could not wait until it was my day to start!
I moved to the United States 10 years ago and was a part owner of a gym where I would train clients and help with whatever was needed. Right when it started is also the exact time that Nick (my boyfriend) and I started dating! Nick has always been very into social media and encouraged me to start an Instagram page and told me he would help me with everything because he saw a lot of potential in me and all of the fitness knowledge that I provided got him! So we started a page and within a week the page gained thousands and thousands of followers! So we both decided this was what we were going to pursue and put all of our time and energy into. Fast forward two years and here I am today doing what I love and motivating people through my social media platforms on Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube and Twitter.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
I think the aspect that I don’t compete is very disruptive in the fitness industry. One of the first things people ask me when they meet me is “do you compete?” And “what do you take?” Well the answer is I don’t compete and I have no aspirations to compete. I just love being in shape and motivating other people to get in the gym and achieve the best version of themselves. And as far as taking enhancements I don’t use any steroids or performance-enhancing drugs. I use a natural muscle building product that I created, it is called Brazilian Shredz. The thing people don’t understand is that performance enhancing drugs will not make you a new person. To achieve a top tier level physique requires hard work and dedication over a long period of time. I have been consistent with exercising and eating properly for over 20 years!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh this is definitely a funny question! I’ve made more mistakes in my life than you can imagine. And that’s normal, we were all brought onto this world to make mistakes and find solutions to make the world a better place. When it comes to the gym almost anything you can think of has happened to me. I have dropped weights, I have fallen to the ground while working out, I have almost passed out, but what I learned from it is that to reach my dreams and goals I had to just keep pushing forward and stay focused on what is important.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I believe we all need help when it comes to reaching our goals! Even as little as somebody believing in you or telling you you can do it goes a long way. When it comes to business my mentor for sure is my boyfriend Nick! He has been the most supportive person throughout this journey helping me with everything that I do! None of this would be possible without him. If it wasn’t for him motivating me to start a page I would not be here today.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Sure! So what I believe is that publicity is publicity. But with that being said you don’t want to spread negativity to the world. Energy is one of the most powerful and influential things out there and I do believe that you are what you attract! If you are a very negative person always looking at the glass half empty then that is probably what your life is going to reflect. If you are a positive and optimistic person that has a good head on their shoulders and will put in the work that is necessary to achieve their goals, I believe you can do anything you set your mind to! But remember at the end of the day we are all humans, we all make mistakes. So I do believe in second chances, nobody is perfect especially when it comes to social media there are tons of eyes on you at once and eventually you will make a mistake and I believe if you prove to yourself and other people that you deserve a second chance and you are a good impact to society then you will be gifted that second chance! At the end of the day love wins and nobody wants to be around negativity. Look at the glass half full instead of half empty. and be the best version of yourself every day and nothing will be able to stop you!
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
I believe “consistency is key” is an extremely powerful phrase. Consistency is the key to success when it comes to anything. Whether that is building the body of your dreams or building a business or having a healthy relationship, consistency is key! It’s the little things that you do day in and day out that give you the bigger picture results that everybody is looking for. A perfect example is me building my physique! Most people would say it can’t be done unless you take performance-enhancing drugs or that it’s genetics. But the reality is it is possible to not use performance-enhancing drugs and instead use a little tool called consistency. I’ve been dedicated to this lifestyle for 20 years. And the problem with social media nowadays is everybody wants instant gratification. They want to be famous overnight, they want to have an amazing physique overnight, they want to make a bunch of money, but the reality is the world does not work like that. Consistency is the key to life
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Oh no I’m not done at all… We are actually just getting started! The focus was to move out of Chicago and into Miami Florida to take everything to the next level! The focus of this year and next year is to continue creating high-quality content for my supporters and helping and motivating as many people as I possibly can! As far as what’s coming next. I can’t fully talk about that right now because it is in the beginning stages, but just know that it is going to be big! and if you are interested in hearing more about it check out my social media platforms on Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube and Twitter because I will be announcing it there sometime next year!
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I think it really depends on what industry you are in. I can’t speak for others but something I have noticed in the fitness industry is “fit shaming.” I don’t believe in shaming anyone whether they are fit or not. Everybody was brought on this earth to be happy and find happiness. I have gotten tons of support over the last two years but I have also gotten a lot of hate simply for the way I look. People don’t even know me and will comment mean things on my pictures and videos simply because of the physique that I have built. But thankfully the support has been positive for the most part and that holds so much more value than the negative comments! So just remember if you got into the social media industry you are going to have love and hate from other people but at the end of the day you have to just stay focused and stay consistent and do what makes you happy.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
To be honest not really. I am actually not a huge content consumer. I am an old soul. I was raised by my mother and my grandmother in Brazil and I love the way they raised me I always try to be a great person and help others and live a very simple life believe it or not. Just recently I have started consuming more Content but it’s not much fitness related stuff, it is more motivational stuff and business advice as I get more into my career and build my brand
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would say getting out of your comfort zone and trying things that you want to try! And what I mean by that is I have tons and tons of people that tell me they want to start creating content and they want to be a social media influencer and they look up to me And they wish they could do what I do but the reality is anyone could do what I do! Like I’ve said throughout this entire interview it comes down to consistency, if you want something bad enough you will make it happen! So try things, if you want to be a fitness influencer start posting content, start providing value to the world and spreading positive energy and do this time and time again and I’m sure you will see traction. Same thing comes to building a physique, so many people say they wish they look like me, etc. the reality is you can look like me if not a lot better! just focus on what makes you happy and what your goals are and go after them! There are a lot of distractions in today’s society that drag people down but find things that motivate you and keep you pushing forward and that will ultimately bring you happiness and success throughout your life.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Together we are stronger” for those of you that know me and have been a part of this journey since the start know that this is the quote that I live by! I say it all the time and I mean it from the bottom of my heart! Together we are stronger, I would not be here if it wasn’t for the support I get day in and day out. Count on me because together we are stronger!
How can our readers follow you online?
You can find me on all of the social media platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube and Twitter @Fafafitness11
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Female Disruptors: Rapha Araujo On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.