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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.
Confidence Takes Reps
We’ve been talking a lot about confidence inside the gyms. What confidence feels like, how we build it, and how we transfer these beliefs from fitness to our everyday lives.
Repetition creates familiarity which helps the unknown become less overwhelming. The more familiar we become with our environment and our abilities, we begin to trust. Our first day at camp feels very different to our 100th. We leverage those proven experiences of success to later trust future experiences that are unknown. We develop a mindset that can see beyond what may be in front of us at that given moment. We know that we are equipped to overcome.
Say “Yes” this time.
The first day I walked into Burn Boot Camp, I was exhausted and smelled like crusty breast milk. I was a new mom all over again. I was carrying extra baby weight and was reminded of it every time the fold of my butt cheeks would stick to the top of my legs. I was conflicted with emotion. My children gave me so much joy, yet I felt so disconnected from myself. My body quickly became a vessel for feeding, and all the hobbies and interests that once made me “me,” started to gather dust.
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.
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: 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.
Don’t ignore your stepping stones.
I started working wedding banquets when I was 13 years old. I saved every paycheck and bought my first car in cash. I learned the only way to have money is to save money...and that driving in the summer with no AC sucks.
The decisions you make are shaping the quality of your life
We make 35,000 decisions every day. We make more decisions than we take breaths in a 24-hour period. The decisions we make give our breath purpose. We move from a life of merely existing to a life of intentionality; a life that serves us.
