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I share it all because the highlights divide us and the struggles unite us.
Through these candid confessions and reflections, you will understand that we are all connected. We are united by similar fears, self-doubt, and pressures.
We each hold a key to unlocking our fullest potential through inspired action.
Is Your Vision Board a Waste of Time?
Like anything, what you put in is what you’ll get out. It’s a fun process to dream and visually create goals on a piece of paper, but your success is determined by three key factors:
A Year in Review.
I went into 2023 ready to listen. I’ve lived an entire lifetime living in a noise maker, although that’s no complaint. I love being surrounded by people, bright lights, and big energy. I’m learning that I also love being in solitude. I dedicated this year to strengthening the voice of my own intuition to continue guiding me in the direction of true fulfillment.
Growth Happens.
Manchester turned six today! I was humbled to be in the gym early this morning and surrounded by our members who have joined this community from various points in time. Day one, year one, today. I take none of this for granted. I know the fitness journey is chock full of ups and downs, peaks and valleys, PRs and failures. To be a consistent anchor in anyone’s journey fuels me with an even deeper purpose because I know what it takes to hang on, trust the process, and grow through transformation.
We often look to fitness as our gateway to happiness, and for short periods of time - it absolutely is. But it’s not our source of happiness. We are. It begins within each of us. This is exactly what Kira (Nolen) talked about today in her cooldowns.
We are fortunate to have so many members who have been with us for YEARS. It’s a true gift. Being a multi-year member myself, I know it comes with challenges, though. When motivation runs dry, we often look for new inspiration or shiny objects to keep our attention span. To keep what once was, we rely on the things that once were. Yet, we are the ones that are designed to change.
But that’s where Burn Boot Camp excels. We don’t just have an interest in your motivation levels, but who you are as a person and how you are evolving. We want to peel back those layers with you.
Event Recap: Elevate Your Potential
I invite YOU to make the most out of your life and take action toward your dreams with me at an upcoming workshop. Together, we take the time to find stillness through a visualization meditation, and we pause to listen to what our desires truly are. This clarity begins to paint a picture of what is important to us. We step outside of the expectations of others and our own mental clutter that’s been holding us back and into the authenticity of our hearts. We create without judgment and boundaries in our relationships, well-being, spirituality, career, community, and lifestyle.
10 Things I’ve Learned as a Small Business Owner
There is a Burn Boot Camp Franchise Partner, or heck, any small business owner, that needs to be reminded of this. Yes, you.
Last November, I celebrated five years in business and in the next five weeks, I’ll be opening my fifth Burn Boot Camp. The five-year milestone is one typically only half survive, yet there is so much more to survival than an “OPEN” sign.
Here are a few heavy lessons I’ve learned along the way:
1. Your business is only as strong as your own health. If you’re not prioritizing yourself, your business is a ticking time bomb. Your business needs YOU to think clearly and strategically to advance. Cloudy thoughts do not create a clear vision. Anxiety-ridden decisions do not create a stable environment. Exhausted leaders do not inspire energized employees. Your people need YOU to set the example of expectations and direction. If you’re not performing to your fullest potential, neither will your people.
Take it off.
I used to have anxiety about wearing a bathing suit. I would be the one glued to the chair and careful to slither into my clothes to walk a few steps. I was self-conscious, insecure and gave far too many F’s what others thought of me. I cared so much, I lost sight of the one voice that mattered. Mine. Even as a “skinny girl,” I wished for more. I had what others wanted and so I never felt like I had permission to feel the way I felt; instead, I felt shame and a growing discomfort in my own skin. I had placed my value in the hands of beauty standards. It was never enough. My own standards had become buried and the lens in which I saw myself chipped away at my self-confidence.
To my sister and brother.
Your eyes are swollen and heavy. They have wept and kept tears in moments of solitude and in strength, I know. A balance of letting go, holding on, and holding back. Rejecting the realities of loss, and praying for it all to be a dream. But it never is. You are reawakened each morning with the same weight on your chest. Your sadness consumes you. Your mind is full of trickery, giving you glimpses of normalcy and false hope for old habits. It’s a silent phone that isn’t going to ring, but your mind still holds hope that he will call again, just as he always did.
Love is in the (salty) air
This time, I come to you from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The past few weeks have been a marathon of travel. The disorganization of work and absence from being inside the gyms has felt overwhelming at times, but I'm proud that I've been able to stay flexible and present wherever my two feet have been planted. Currently, they are planted on the deck of cabin room 622. I am met with salty air and the sound of the ocean splashing against the ship. A cruise ship. Ted and I are joined by 12 other couples from the St. Louis chapter of EO (Entrepreneur's Organization). I feel so grateful for this opportunity. The chemistry and bond of this organization is special. There's an inherent understanding and loyalty that runs deep. As a first-time entrepreneur, I learn so much and am often reminded to slow down. So, I guess I am.
Reminders & Building Blocks
If you follow me on social you may have seen my stories of my time here in Charlotte, North Carolina. I arrived on Sunday afternoon for a weeklong training, Burn University, hosted by Burn Boot Camp HQ. Every five years (upon franchise renewal), I am required to return although it doesn't take much begging. Charlotte was HOME for me for 14 years. I moved here when I was 18 years old for college and met Ted three months later. Fun fact: Ted and I have been together since the day we met on November 15th, 2003. I almost transferred to Virginia Tech for an Interior Design degree and completed all my paperwork to study abroad in Ireland for a semester but declined both opportunities at the final hour. Had I said “yes," my life would look very different today. I'm thankful. (Plus, it turns out I suck at picking paint colors.)
Six Habits I’m Currently Mastering
As we near the end of January, whatever action or goal you set out to accomplish is either starting to stick or is slowly unraveling. If you’re not paying attention, it’s likely unraveling. To make progress in any area of your life, you MUST dedicate your energy there. “Wanting” without effort yields zero results. Dreaming without discomfort is just a dream. Real change requires commitment and focus.
Naked & Completely Free in 2023
I first started swimming as an avenue to share a common hobby with Ted. I dreaded the idea. I grew up afraid of water on Lake Ontario and the older I got, the more I fed this fear. Sharks are in swimming pools; didn’t you know that? I was afraid to even sit in a hot tub alone. But my desire for a deeper connection with my husband became stronger than the fear of imaginary fish swallowing me whole. So, I jumped in. Swimming together validated this effort and therefore I needed Ted to swim with me. I swam for him. I swam for us. We swam consistently every Tuesday and Thursday for almost two years. During this time, I created a healthier relationship with water. I panicked less. I stepped into the ocean chest-high twice and even tasted salt water for the first time in my entire life. When I swam laps, I started to pretend I was a sea turtle (feels normal, right?) and felt a semblance of peace under the cold (pool) water.
Event Recap: Love The Skin You’re In
I had the opportunity to highlight four Burn Boot Camp members from each of my gyms to learn about their fitness transformation. During our time together at lululemon, not only did I become even more inspired by each of them, but I was able to draw common themes that surfaced in their stories and journey to self-love; a practice that requires consistency, positive-self-talk, and a shift in mindset. To love the skin we’re in is much less about our physical appearance as it is our entire being. It’s knowing that we are far more than a number on a scale or the length of our jeans. Each of these members has progressed in unique ways and reflects various stages of a fitness journey, yet they are united by healthy embodiment and pride in who they are.
Event Recap: Hustle Smarter, Not Harder with Maria Granados
She is kind, genuine, and full of life. Maria also knows how to hustle. We sat down together at lululemon to talk about how to hustle smarter, not harder.
We’re finally home
In October 2018, I was invited to a lululemon event. I practiced yoga in the driveway of a home that overlooked pure beauty. Everything was meticulously maintained, and the trees were tall and healthy. The grass was greener, here…literally. The rolling hills were in all directions and created so much depth and scenic interest. I was in awe of my surroundings and thought to myself, “Someday, I’m going to live here, too.”
Event Recap: Joy in Marriage & Motherhood
I recently hosted a live event alongside my very own Marriage Therapist & Relationship Coach, Mika Ross. I spent years avoiding conversations and allowing resentment to build that by the time Ted and I walked into Mika’s office together, our message was, “Save us because we can’t.” We still shared the same North Star, but we were so disconnected that we couldn’t navigate there on our own. We were speaking two completely different languages and running everything through our own filters that were muddied with our own biases, insecurities, and fears.
Event Recap: You are NOT fine with Heath Norton
What is the one thing Heath wants you to know?
“It’s OK to not be OK. There is power in community to help others feel seen and heard. That, our shared experiences are available as testimonials to others experiencing similar things.”
Event Recap: Your Relationship with F-O-O-D
Meet Jillian. If you were at my live event last week, you did. You already know that she is fun, energetic, witty, humble, smart and passionate. Best of all, she’s been cooking for me since 2017 through her local empire, fit-flavors, and for thousands of others since 2009. Thirteen years ago, she started meal prepping for others out of her kitchen.
Event Recap: GIVE MORE BE MORE
If we’re pursuing a dream, is it really sacrifice? He argues that if he were committed to school dances and late-night parties, that would be the ultimate sacrifice. He would have sacrificed a career in professional hockey instead.
With everything you do, you sacrifice. Whether or not it’s worth it is solely up to you.
8 Ways to Simplify Healthy Eating
There will always be a million reasons why RIGHT NOW is not the best time to eat healthy. Don’t create false barriers. Life is one giant distraction. Learning how to eat well through distractions is what makes you successful.
Stop drifting, start paddling.
Our lives are being shaped every day through action – and inaction. I recently read a quote that I loved: “What you don’t change, you are choosing.” Action requires discomfort and discipline which often leads to inaction. We become paralyzed by the journey in front of us when in reality, all we need is to take one step. When we opt for inaction, we surrender. When we opt for action, we take the wheel.
