This week we dive into the multifaceted life of juggling the roles of a military spouse, graphic designer, fitness entrepreneur, and new motherhood with Leanne Thomas. In this insightful conversation, Leanne shares her approach to balancing motherhood with a thriving career and personal health. Discover her strategies for managing life's responsibilities, from staying fit with her company Daily Fuel online fitness to nurturing genuine connections over social media. Tune in for practical tips on quick and nutritious meal prep, redefining health goals postpartum, and the importance of creating a harmonious rhythm in household routines. Whether you're a busy mom seeking inspiration or looking to enhance your own health journey, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Subscribe, listen, and learn how to Work Like A Mother with the wisdom of Leanne Thomas!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Habits of the Household - Justin Whitmel Earley, Troy and Ruth Simons

Leanne Thomas

https://dailyfuel.online/

IG: @dailyfuel.online

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@dailyfuel.online

Marina Tolentino

https://www.marinatolentino.com/

IG: @marinattolentino_

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@marinatolentino

Subscribe to my newsletter for more behind-the-scenes and encouragement from me! https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/worklikeamother

Transcript:

All right, today on the work like a mother podcast, I have someone super special. Her name is Leanne Thomas, and we actually just got to know each other this last summer when they moved back to Hawaii. I actually helped her buy her house. But we're actually to talk about motherhood today. A little bit different than the real estate side. A little bit of health and wellness, a little bit of mother. But you are full time on staff employee for Inspire Church, which is the one we go to, which is not just a local church, but actually a global church. You do graphic design for them.

You also are the founder of Daily Fuel online fitness. You're an army wife, which is another, like, three full time jobs, basically, right there, you've got a little eight month old. He's like the cutest little chub. And you're a mom dog to an english bulldog, too. So welcome to the show, Leanne.

Thank you.

Absolutely. So I want to start to talk about, how do you freaking juggle it all? You're one of those people that I feel like are just go, go, but in a good way. You're a go getter. You're a high achiever. Tell me how you're balancing everything right now. What does that look like?

Well, I will come right out and start off and say that I am not doing it all perfectly. And I think that's one of the. I think misconceptions sometimes that we have is like, we see somebody from the outside and they're like, oh, wow. Well, they're doing it all. And I'm like, actually, everyone has their days. But I will say that I think my focus has really been on one step at a time, even for the full on. Last eight months have been the busiest eight months of my life, not only having a son, we moved to Hawaii when he was five weeks old. I went from working remotely to jumping back into working in person.

And that totally shifted the time change that I was working at, because we used to be on the east coast, so, so much shifted, and I just had to stop and take a few days where I took major inventory, and I was like, okay, how do we replan? Because I felt like I was starting over. So it's definitely a work in progress. I feel like it always will be, though. I don't really have an end goal that I'm trying to get to, except I just feel like I want my hands in all of it because I feel passionate about all of it. I'm like, well, I'm not willing to give it up.

Yeah. And that's great. You recognize the season that you're in, and you're like, I don't want to let go, so let's just make it work right now. Right? Yeah. Talk to me about the transition from just pregnancy and before a baby to now. What have you experienced? I mean, a whole ton of things, but let's talk career specific. Is there anything that you're like, this is a big transition?

Well, I definitely feel like so I have had my full time job with the church for almost five years now, and I absolutely feel like I'm supposed to be in that. But I have always felt, pre baby, that design and that creative element was like a must have for me. I needed that creative outlet, but then when I would sit at my computer all day, I would feel so sluggish and then be like, okay, what's my other outlet? Because I always felt like I was very active, and then I was literally jumping from the inside of, like, I have to move.

I need to go.

And so that's what kind of led me to get into fitness.

Okay.

And so juggling the two was always the goal. It was never like, oh, I'm doing this to stepstone me to get out of one or into another or something. And so juggling those two when I didn't have a kid was like, daily fuel was my baby, fitness was my baby. That was all where I spent my extra time. And so once we added a real baby into the mix, I was like, okay, so now I feel like I have multiple children almost, and it's like, where are you going to put your time and your effort? And so I really recognize that little pockets of time in each one. Each day is really all I need. And I think it's a realistic expectation of, we're not going to spend 8 hours on this and 8 hours on that when baby's crying and everything else is going on, too, but a little bit. Each day is still feeling like I'm moving forward and fulfilling rather than being like, okay, well, I just got to drop it because I'm busy.

It's like, I hate that word, busy. I'm full, I'm fulfilled, but I'm not giving it up.

Yeah, I love that you're full and you're fulfilled, but you're not giving it up. One of the things you mentioned was taking inventory. What does that look like for you when you're like, everything's overboiling, like, it's too much. I'm overwhelmed. What does inventory look like for you? Yeah.

So I have this visual image. I'm not sure how much you ever listen to Christine Kane. She's great christian speaker, and she talked about how she did it all. And I remember hearing it, like, years ago and actually came back to it in the past couple of months because I was like, what did she say she did? She's like one of those people who does it all. She's also a mom. And she had this visual of spokes on a wheel, like an old school wheel, and you've got all the spokes going out. And so she was like, in order to keep the wheel moving, each spoke is like a different element of who you are as a person, basically. And so they keep rolling together, but you're not trying to be all of them at once.

You're kind of focusing on one at a time, and they keep coming in rotation. And so literally, I'm such a visual person, I drew out my wheel, and so I was like, okay, obviously family is one. But I felt like that was kind of generalized. So I put down like, elijah is one and then my marriage is another, my dog is another. Because any dog moms out there that have a baby, they're like, oh, wait, that was my first born. So I just kind of listed them all out. And then I really noticed, like, okay, this is all the areas I'm trying to put my time, like, wow, really kind of ambitious here. But I realized that I don't have to put a lot of time in each one.

So when I was able to take that inventory with that visual, it was like, okay, are there any that can actually get cut out? And there weren't. I actually had to add in self care because I was, like, realized how many other areas I was trying to pour out, and I was like, well, if I don't include that one on the wheel, we're all just going to crash and burn. But, yeah, I think that kind of visual is.

That's really good to add to that. It's a Tony Robbins thing, too, but it's like you have all these spokes on the wheel, but it can't be, like, all the way level ten success and then, like a level one personal health, because your wheel is going to be super bumpy and break. Yeah. So it has to still roll, but not necessarily be even. And so I love how you explained, well, we can just take it down a notch. Like, maybe instead of a level ten and a level eight over here, it can just be all threes, right? And then we're still kind of doing it all. But also in recognizing the season you're in and you're willing to take a sacrifice to do the other one. Absolutely.

That's something I have always, I fall into really heavy on the success side, and then my personal life is like, right. And you're like, wait, let's readjust here. Yeah, inventory is great. Always just do a check in. Body being balanced. What is it being balanced? Body and business. Those are the four that we talk about. Yeah, love that, too.

You talk about, you're doing the juggle right now. We're doing hubby stuff, too. You're fitting it all in. It's a very busy season. And is he walking it? Is he really walking it?

Almost. Yeah, he's really thinking about it.

Yeah, you're almost going to enter that one, I think. How are you prioritizing health in this season? And you mentioned it can be many things. It can be 30 minutes here, 30 minutes there. What does that look like for you on the daily?

Yeah, well, definitely say fitness and having daily fuel established before having baby and everything was crucial. Like, more crucial than I ever realized how much I would need it for myself. I felt like I became my own client in a way. And I stopped teaching workouts for a little while. I just started taking them and I was like, okay, I actually need this. Which felt amazing. But a big part of it is just like a few minutes for me, like, starting the day, and then I'll notice times where I'll start feeling that kind of spike of like, okay, there's stress or something, and there's nothing wrong with stress. I kind of have that visual of, like, a stress bell curve that's like, it's good, but when you start hitting your tipping point and you know you're going too far, exercise for me is like, that's what brings me back to the high point of like, okay, we're stressed, but we're hype about it.

We want to be there. We can kind of exert the extra and get rid of the excess. But I've realized. So I started teaching workout classes, like, over eight years ago, and it used to be an hour long workout, which I could do six times a day. And I was doing it as a full time job and I could easily handle it physically, but now it's just not even if I could handle it physically, I can't handle it in the time. So I've realized how much can I cut back, how much can I cut down, and how much can I continue to shave to get to the meat of the best parts? That are the most beneficial. And honestly, anywhere from ten to 20 is more than enough.

Cool.

There's even times I spend less than ten minutes and I'm like, it still was able to make a bigger shift than anyone would expect or realize. And I think that's one thing that I've started noticing in my own clients as well, that they're like, I really didn't have time to work out today and never did I expect that seven minutes would have kicked my butt or been actually that beneficial, but it was. So I think the health part of it is always going back to the workouts for me. But sometimes they're so short.

Yeah, but you're doing it and you're making it a priority in your life. And you're not saying, I'm willing to let the busy be busy, but this is actually really important, and it's a pillar in my lifestyle. I think for me, one of the big benefits of working out is just being present. You can't be worried about your clients and then your instagram, dms and all this. If you're focusing about how many reps.

You'Re doing, it just doesn't work.

Your brain cannot. You have to mono focus. And just being present, I think, is a huge gift that we don't give ourselves enough. And so that's a huge part of it. Talk to me about your definition of health. What does that healthy lifestyle look like right now? Are you taking supplements? Like, what's your daily routine? Do you have any of that?

I'm actually very simple when it comes to all of that, and I obviously prioritize the movement. Strength is always my number one go to. And I don't mean like lifting super heavy or doing anything over the top, because I have noticed that when your body is already experiencing a lot of stress and you already have your hands in so many things, adding that additional stress physically sometimes can make you topple in the bad direction and not build you back up in the best way. So I focus a lot on body weight and really lightweight stuff. Cardio is like a bonus. If we've got time for it, great. But if we don't, we don't. And then mobility stuff is crucial for me right now.

You mean just stretching and moving your body? It's stretching.

So I have two different types that I really focus on. One is called resistance stretching, and it's really just making sure that your muscles can move completely, they can shorten all the way, they can lengthen all the way, and then the other is more mobility focused. That's focused on healthy joints. So making sure your joint can move completely through its entire range of motion without pain. And doing both of those, along with strength, has been the game changer in making sure that I feel like myself and I feel like I'm capable of doing everything that I need to throughout my day. And then if I can up it and go a little bit harder one day or whatever, then it's like, I do that because I enjoy it, not because I feel like I have to and then diet. So I've actually paired up with a dietitian that has been a really good friend of mine all the way through high school, and she has given some of the best tips of busy mom on the go stuff, and I will happily share and speak her praises. She talks a lot about, just, like, the snacks that you can get on the go to actually meet your needs for proteins and carbs and fats and all that type of stuff.

And so I took a look at all these snack ideas that she had and just scoured Costco.

Like, this is my weekly list. Yes.

And so right now, everything in our house is, like, the easiest quick grab and go. And I think she really helped me understand that there are becoming better options out there that are grab and go that are still good for you, that aren't packed with preservatives and all these things that you worry about. We have this association that if you think that it's easy, then immediately it must be bad for you.

Oh, absolutely.

And that's not necessarily the case. You do have to do your research. You do have to look at the label, but it doesn't necessarily mean you can't have quick solutions. So there's, like, really random things. Like, I mean, I can call them all out chobani yogurts and different things, but it's like, what do you feel.

Like top five grab and gos are right now?

There's, like, this dark blue bottle of chobani yogurts. They're kind of pricey, but they have literally 20 grams of protein.

It's a drink.

Yeah, it's a drink. And they even make one that's oreo flavored.

Yeah.

And it's 20 grams of protein in one drink, no added sugar. And it has all the probiotics you need for a day.

Cool. Yeah.

And it's like, I can taste like oreos.

Yeah.

And, I mean, they have fruity ones, too and stuff, but they're not, like, overwhelmingly sweet. Okay. That's definitely the go to. There's also a lot of good soups that are packed with all the protein and all the veggies that are just heat up and go.

And you're finding at Costco.

Yeah, they're all at Costco. They're like chicken tortilla soup. And you can add in like a pack of heat up rice and it's like, yes, soup. Like, that soup doesn't require preservatives, guys. No, some do.

Look at the label.

But they really, I'm just not a habit soup eater.

But I think if it was there, I would eat it.

Yeah, but if you pack it with a lot of veggies, a lot of meat, and like a carb, like rice or something to actually make it filling, it's a good meal. Otherwise you're just like, wow, it had liquid. What's next? And so I'm realizing a lot of them are liquid, but I feel like it is an easy way to be sure that it's being filled with a lot of the stuff that we need. Um, I would have to look back at my grocery list to give you three more.

Yeah, you're good. That's amazing. I will ask you, what's your go to breakfast? Because that's usually my struggle is I could just have coffee until like 02:00 p.m. And then I'm like, oh, yeah, I didn't eat. Are you eating breakfast? Are you heavy on breakfast?

I have to have breakfast. And that was actually one thing that Sarah, the dietitian, she straight scolded me. She was like, you used to coffee and work out on an empty stomach and do all of these things. And she was like, you cannot do that anymore. It's so bad. And so the chobani yogurt is always like the first go to. And then I've switched from coffee and I now do matcha. Okay.

And I find that that is a much more sustainable, light level of caffeine. That gives me a lot of focus, but not just like the coffee. And it also decreases my need to feel like I need to go to Starbucks.

Oh, yeah, for sure.

That's funny. But the other one is oatmeal. Oatmeal doesn't excite many people, but when done well and when added with things that you like, it's very sustainable and is really easy to do on the go. And all you need is water. Those are my good job.

Yes. Great to rack your brain.

They're on, and half the time they're like, in the cup of the car. I don't even need them at home, but I know I can at least eat it.

And at least you're going to get good fuel on your way there, on your way back, or whatever it is in between your pit stops. What happens is I'll forget to pack or I'll be in a bind, and then I'm like, well, all I have is fast food. And that's not true. We just think that. But there's probably stuff we can get at a 711. It's just not drive there or something. You just have to know before you go, I want to get into a little bit that we've grown up with. So how old are you now?

31.

Okay, I'm going to be 36. And so we grew up through this era of 90s skinny. Right. Like, that was it diet. Culture was at its peak. Right. And then we went through the low carb diet, then the Atkins diet. We've been through it all and watched.

Our moms and grandmas go through it, too.

Yeah. So it's, like, well, ingrained in our brain that to lose weight, we have to increase cardio and decrease. Right. Like, that's what's stuck. What's the reprogramming that you're having people do or that you've gone through personally? And what is it now to be healthy? Yeah.

All of that stuff makes me cringe, and I feel like it's still lingering. We feel like it's in this place where it's gone, and it's not gone at all. So deep rooted. I think it's just actually evolving and shifting to new bad habits, which is really unfortunate. But I definitely think that health wise strength should be the foundation. Cardio, while it is beneficial, and it is a necessary pillar. Like, if I had a spoke on a wheel of strictly fitness stuff, cardio would 100% be a pillar. But cardio can be split into two pillars of intentional cardio.

Going on that run, taking the cardio class, doing cycling or something like that, and then neat, which is like the stuff that you do in your day to day, choosing to take the stairs rather than the elevator, choosing to park a little bit further away. The extra things that you do that are not necessarily exercise focused, but they keep you active throughout the day. That deserves a pillar in and of itself. That could be a smart choice that you make that does not require you taking more than that 30 seconds.

You don't have to have a 30 minutes jog. Yeah.

But as far as food, I think that there's just been such a misconception that exercise is what's going to help you lose weight. Diet is going to be your focus if you really want weight loss. But I think also when people want to be slimmer, thinner, or they want to feel like they can see muscle definition and toned and all these buzwords that come with it, it's not necessarily weight loss that they're after. And everyone thinks, well, I just need to lose weight. I just need to lose ten pounds. And it's like, there's actually nothing wrong with the number that's sitting on your scale right now. And especially if the doctor, no one's telling you that there's anything wrong with the number on your scale. Why did you define it as unhealthy? Because the number that's on my scale now is way different, especially after having my baby than it ever was before.

But my body is stronger in many ways than I've ever been. And so I'm like, since when did that become my gauge of health? So I think weight loss, while it does have its place and certain people really do need to make that their priority at a certain time, I think body recompositioning is a better phrase and a term that's more what people are going for than they realize, 100%. And that the number really doesn't matter. It's like throwing a scale. Don't let that be what's holding you to a level of success, because personally, I don't see that as defining success. I don't own a scale. And when people come to me and ask about weight loss, I direct them to a dietitian, and then I'm like, let me know when you're ready to move and when you want to feel really good in your body, because my exercises are not here to help you deplete your body to the point where you will eventually lose weight. That's kind of what exercise does.

When it's. That's what we do. As women, though, we, like, self sabotage ourselves over and over and over, and then we yoyo, and then we're just, like, so frazzled. And I think, especially for high career women, we always prioritize work over ourselves. And so it's just got to stop. We've just got to get clear that health is wealth, not necessarily everything else. And I think strength is the new sexy. I think that's really where it's at.

And I've seen this kind of change in influencers, too, where they're focusing on the heavy weights, per se, but it's just being self confident. It doesn't need to mean you need to be sculpted and have this cinched waist and big butt, but instead it's like just feeling healthy and feeling strong. I can tell you I cannot do a pull up, but I would love to do one. Let's get to that position. And that be the new goal instead of the number on the.

I think that's such a good point of like. So I do tend to hit goals for myself of things that I want to be capable of. If I notice myself, especially just freshly postpartum, I felt like in a lot of ways, I was starting from scratch, and I was like, okay, I want to get back to the point where I can easily do 20 push ups on my toes. I want to feel capable of that and not feel like I'm dying. I want to feel like I can carry my son, who's growing. He's 20 pounds now. The car seat weighs twelve pounds, and then the stroller is an additional 17. And if I put all three of them together and I need to pick it up, I don't want to be huffing and puffing.

That's so good.

That's my goal.

Yes.

And so being able to realize, okay, if I do these squats, I do these lunges, I do these things, I will have the strength to be able to lift the 40 to 50 pounds or whatever that number was. And so it really tries to kind a pullback of like, oh, how much weight can you lift in the gym? Because that's not really what we're focused on. But it's like, okay, but if I can hit this weight, then I can do this thing that I actually care about. I think that's the difference.

That's so good. And I think one of the things I'm victim of is just sitting for too long. And so do you have a recommendation of like, how often should you get up? What should you do during that break? Is it 2 hours, 1 hour? What do you think?

Well, so because I do sit at a computer, like nine to five, at least three days a week. A lot of the other days I am moving around. I personally have an alarm every 2 hours.

Okay.

And a big part of it for me actually came from my eye doctor because of the screen time, more so than even the moving, because I was like, oh, I'd work out before, and then I'd get up and move at lunch or whatever. I was like, I would be okay to not get up, but every 2 hours I have to go outside and look in natural light rather than the indoor, the screen light, all that type of stuff. And so that was definitely a shift for me that I have an alarm on my phone, and when I cut it off and I ignore it, I have a backup and then I'll actually do it. But I have noticed it does make a big difference.

Yeah, absolutely.

And I think also it's a good reminder mentally that we think we're so in the zone of what we're doing. There's nothing like the refresh of stepping away from what you're doing and then coming back into it and looking at.

It and being like, yes, especially in creative design. Yeah, you go into graphic design and.

You get started, and then I come back after, like two minutes of being outside and I'm like, actually not looking its best or, okay, that one was really great. Why didn't I go with that direction? So the refresh has multiple benefits, and I think that's what's helped me stick with it because I realized that it helps me actually do my job better.

Yeah, love that. Love that. Okay, good stuff. You recently went viral, my dear. Congratulations. I want to talk about it a little bit because I think there's so many myths still and there's still this viral on a pedestal for so many content creators. What was your experience like?

So I did work with a social media coach who was really helping me take a look at Instagram from a business perspective because I felt clueless. I really didn't know what I wanted my Instagram to be like, but I knew it was an opportunity to bring in clients and to meet new people because my business is always going to be, I can pick it up and move it anywhere that we go because of the army, and I'm building it that way intentionally. And so I was like, there's no reason why I can't have clients in Italy and clients in Hawaii and know anywhere that we would maybe move. They can come with me. And so I used that foundation and started working with her, and she kind of helped build different pillars of educational content to really help people, but also content to help kind of have sales focus. And then my third one was really just mainly about encouragement because that was kind of my focus within fitness rather than, I don't know, weight loss or what somebody else might, would pick as their priority. And so just starting to have that rhythm and that routine, I think, created a level of, I'm not sure the right word. I felt like I was in sync with the Instagram algorithm, to be honest, because of her knowledge of how the algorithm actually works.

And then that eventually led to finally being shown to the right people. But honestly, the one reel that got so much traction and went so viral was the stupidest, most obnoxious. You hear it, that kind of thing, and you're like, why that one? It makes you really think everything you post, because you're like, but if this one goes viral, this one's going to be crazy. But I think the misconception is that viral engagement is going to create viral sales. It's a lie. And I didn't necessarily expect it. I ended up with, I think, 12 million or 13 million views over a course of about 14 days. And then it kept rolling.

Like, it continued to snowball and it would have times where it would pick up again and I'd get, like, another 100,000 and then another 100,000 or something, and it just kind of, like, would come in these waves. And that led to, I think, 1.112,000 new followers. I started at about 700 followers, and.

You went to over 100,000.

At over 100,000. That's insane. But I also didn't know what to do with it once it came. And so I was just like, nice.

To meet you all. I mean, walk me through your mindset every time you checked your app, like, what were you thinking?

So I ended up cutting off my phone because I was starting to get really overwhelmed by it, but mainly because I wasn't exactly sure how to keep it personal at that point. I was looking at, I mean, and a lot of the followers, like, they were spam things, bot things, whatever. Not all of them, but a good bit of that was coming in. And so my social media coach's advice course, she went out on maternity leave.

And I was like, no, I don't.

Know what to do now. And she's like, look at you.

And I was like, yeah, look at me. Help me.

But she was like, go through. And she was like, be willing to get rid of followers. I think that was the most beneficial thing that she told me because she was like, the number doesn't matter unless there's someone that you actually care to connect with. Don't ever keep the creepy guy, first of all, because they will keep showing up. So went through, did a ton of blocks, continued to cut down the number, which I never thought I would be doing, but I was so focused on that to not ruin the type of audience that I had created that I do think I was kind of like, I only have so much time in a day. I can't spend all day on Instagram. And so I did have some messages that I would put out that I would send people that showed that they were interested in my product and stuff, so I would start conversations with them. But Instagram actually flags you if you start too many conversations with people.

So I was, like, trying to pace myself and not go overboard and talk to too many new followers.

Almost like, you have to take them off the platform to engage with them. All right, then. That's just crazy. Yeah.

So really the best move that I did make was converting the majority of them to my email subscriber list. Very smart. And so that became my new priority of, like, I'm not going to keep posting on Instagram all the time. I'm going to try to get them into my email subscriber list. That way I can actually have a conversation and they can actually learn what daily fuel is about. Because the one reel that did go viral was talking about core that you can do standing and things that you can do quickly and stuff. And I was like, I mean, this is my bread and butter. I absolutely have these videos available, but until you try them again, I'm just another reel.

Yeah.

And so I think it was also important to realize that one viral post, and while it did even blow up an Instagram account, it's just an account, you know? And so it took some time to kind of figure out what to do with it. But don't get caught up in it because it's not worth it.

Sounds like a lot of chaos, to be honest. I'm like, holy moly.

Yeah, there was good and bad to it. I did meet a lot of new great people and get my business in front of a lot of eyes that we're actually interested. And it did pay off in the long run, but it takes time to actually convert clients and get to know people because I care more about that than I do the number on my Instagram account. I actually would care to get to know someone more.

Yes. That's so good. And that's the focus, is the relationship. And I think that should be for every entrepreneur, it's not about the sell, it's about the relationship. Because even if you can't help that person, they probably know somebody or whatever, it's just this whole ripple effect, right? Yeah. And I do want to say your feed is very inspirational. Every time I go, I just am smiling. I'm like, yes, just spread the love.

It's so good. And I think there's so much grace and permission you provide for women because we just beat ourselves down all the time and we put all these crazy expectations on ourselves, and it's like, no, just take care of yourself a little bit. A little bit goes a long way. Yeah.

I think specifically, the fitness industry has just been, like, this breeding ground of, like, tear yourself down. Tear yourself down to build yourself back up. But you're like, but where's the building back up?

Yeah. Where's just.

So that part's missing. And so everyone just feels exhausted in their workouts, and you're like, this was never supposed to be the end goal.

Yeah. So action steps for someone who's like, I love everything you're saying. Like, what the heck do I do? Is it just connect with you first, then the nutritionist, then decide to come back full circle. What's the roadmap of working with you?

Yeah, so I do have a website and an app where I put all the workouts that I've filmed over the course of three years, and I keep adding more. And so the easiest way to get started is definitely on my website. And if you want to directly communicate with me, Instagram, absolutely. My dms are just a way to have a personal conversation. It's just me. I'm a one woman show, not a va. Yeah. So that's definitely the best way to chat if you have specific questions.

But I have just started in 2024 as a part of doing things well in motherhood and dialing back a little bit. I've cut back on a few things and kind of revamped the membership, so I now have a 24 day free trial.

Oh, yeah, that's a lot.

24 days to try it for free, and then it's $24 a month for the entire year. We're not doing sales.

Call your assistant.

We don't have time for any of that. So I was like, we're just going to set it at something that is really beneficial for everybody to get started and to decide whether or not they feel like it's a fit for them. Because I remember signing up for stuff prior to becoming a fitness instructor and feeling like, okay, I just gave you my money and I really didn't even like it. We're not here for that, so try it for free. Absolutely. I just want to get to know you, and then once you're inside the membership, there is access to all of the dietitian information.

Cool.

So she filmed videos that are specifically about diet. All the plans. She doesn't really do necessarily meal plans because she wants you to feel like you can incorporate it as you're busy and meal plans don't work for everybody, so love that about her. And then she has a special rate for daily fuel members. If you ever want to do one on one coaching with her, you can schedule that as well, because not everyone really is focused on weight loss or they feel like they've got their diet kind of in a good track. So not everybody is using it, but it's an available resource if they need it.

Yeah, that's super good. And I think just learning those principles about diet are huge for me. I'm in this exploration phase of just accepting how toxic american food culture is and how, again, deep ingrained it is in all of us. So you have to totally reprogram yourself. But it's awareness, it's checking labels. It's looking at where food is coming from. Right. And eating more things that grow in the earth than our process.

That's the biggest one. Super good. So any last advice you have for a woman who's maybe new to motherhood? Same like you. And they're in the struggle. They haven't bought off the baby weight. They're feeling beat down. They're overwhelmed trying to get back into career. What's your advice for them?

I think for me, the biggest thing that's been helpful, that even I was struggling to do for a little while, especially newly postpartum, was to move, because we are immediately targeted with this concept that we're supposed to drop baby weight, that we're supposed to do all these things, that we need to get our body back, we need to bounce back, blah, blah, blah. And don't move for any of those reasons. Move for your mental health. Move for feeling like yourself again. Move for feeling strong enough so that you can be like the mom that you want to be, because you want to feel really good and enjoy this part of your life. And for me, movement has been crucial for that. But it's honestly been more for my mental health than anything else. And the last element of it, it's not even in my mind or in my vocabulary is the diet or the weight loss.

Yeah. Yeah. So good. Okay, well, every episode, we wrap it up with something fun. So what is your go to? Starbucks order?

Starbucks order. This just started with pregnancy, and I think it's forever long. Is a chai latte okay? I used to always be black coffee, 100% always. But, yeah, it's chai latte, and now it's slowly evolving into a dirty chai.

Okay. Love it. That's my go to is the dirty try. What do you make for dinner? If it's last minute? And you're in a bind.

Last minute and I'm in a bind is usually a Rachel Ray recipe. It's called chicken under a brick.

Okay.

And it's incredible. So you do Dijon mustard and olive oil and crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. That's it's five ingredients. And you coat that in your chicken. You put it in the pan and then you weigh it down. So that's the brick part of, like, you put an extra pan on top. I usually put our kettle sitting on the top with some tinfoil so it doesn't make an extra mess. And you cook it on either side.

And it's incredible.

Oh, I'm going to try it.

That's fun. I don't even think I'm telling you the whole recipe right because I don't use the recipe anymore.

This is my version. Super simple. Love it. Just dump and go. Okay, name a book. Oh, wait, did I skip one? Favorite department of Target do you have.

Actually, I avoid target at all costs because I know I'm weak. But yeah, baby section for sure has been my weakness. I'm just like, oh, but target's got it.

Oh, target. Do you have a favorite line at Target for baby section?

All the cat and jack stuff is like, super cute.

Yeah, it's only $3. I got to have it. I know. Name a book or a podcast you'd recommend.

Okay. Currently reading a book that I'm obsessed with. It's called Habits of the households and Justin Whitmer early, I believe, is his name as author. And it's been really interesting. My husband and I have both been going through it, and it's really leaning into habits and rituals that you want to have in your day to day life. It is a christian founded focus.

Is it the dad writing it? I think I read it. Yeah. Good.

And he has multiple. And so we're kind of diving into other things that he's written about. But I think it's just helping me understand even more of as busy as we are and as much as I hate that word, we only have a few moments to fit in all of the things that we want to fit in in a day. And so he's like, make them habitual because otherwise they will fall and they will drop. And I'm just like, yes, I need that. And I need that again and again.

And, like, understanding what is the rhythm of your family and what are the core things we have to hit every single. Yeah, yeah.

And then also find out the ones that don't work and cut them absolutely.

Again, the inventory. What's working? What's not working? Let's try it again. I'm a big fan of the Jefferson Bethke family. Are you familiar with them on. Okay, I'll share with you after. But I have another podcast on it. But they talk about how earth was created in seven days. Right.

And then he rested. And so everything is a seven day ritual. So Sabbath, it's a seven day ritual. And so we wipe the slate clean every single week. It's not like we have to do this in a year or in six months or a month. It's like, no, if we messed up last week, we didn't get a date night, we'd get to try again next week. Yeah, I love that permission.

I need that.

Yeah.

And also just the shorter timeline to have a realistic focus because I'll forget what I said I was going to do three months from now.

Yeah.

I mean, my brain capacity is not there at the moment.

And if you're thinking, like, this big thing, it's too big and it's too scary and too intimidating, and then it's not going to work. Yeah. Permission to try? Every seven days we get a new one. Yeah. TikTok or Instagram?

Instagram.

Yeah.

I'm just too old.

Connection. Why? I mean, I find I'm not dming anyone on TikTok, but in Instagram, I've constantly got ten to 15 dms going at all times. Yeah.

I think for me, it feels more personal. I don't know if it's just a comfort level thing, but I just feel like I've been able to have real, genuine conversations and get to know people through Instagram.

Instagram is a little bit slower. In a good way. Yeah.

I think I appreciate the slower speed on it.

Yes, absolutely. And then where can they find you? Online? What's your Insta handle?

Insta handle is dailyfuel online. And, yeah, that's where I hang out.

Yay. And we'll drop the website in the description. Thank you so much.

That's the website, too. It's all the same.

Yeah. So good. I think you're just so inspirational. I can't say it. And doing a great job as a new mom, so keep up the good work. I really do. I love watching you seeing along the journey, the whole thing. New Hawai’i chapter 2024 is going to be a good year.

So thank you, my dear. Absolutely.

Thanks for having me.