Mahri Relin

The Best Way to Celebrate Mom — And You!

Words & photos by Kathleen O’Neill

Mahri Relin

Mothers, daughters, sisters & friends jumping with Mahri Relin!

In the spirit of Mother’s Day, we teamed up with Randi Zinn of Beyond Mom to celebrate female relationships on Sunday, May 1st at 10:00 AM.

Randi Zinn

Randi Zinn of Beyond Mom getting her BoCo on!

Guests brought their mothers, sisters and/or girlfriends for a morning of fitness and empowerment at Athleta’s Flatiron studio.

Erin West Body Conceptions

BoCo Trainer Erin West helping out the back row

Mahri taught a killer BoCo class that got everyone sweating and smiling together, followed by a discussion led by Randi about the importance of women in our lives.

Mahri Relin

Our Raffle Winner!

To top it all off, guests got to mingle and browse the Athleta racks while enjoying gifts from our partners: Vrou water, Go Macro bars, Bare Snacks, and Just Salad.

Mahri Relin

Bare Snacks Apple Chips!

There were even masseuses from SOOTHE App present to provide massages, and a representative from Julie Lindh Skin Fitness signing people up for free skin consultations!

Mahri Relin

SOOTHE Massage

Overall, it was the perfect affair that allowed guests to take a step back from their busy lives and appreciate the value of the special women in their lives.

Beyond Mom Body Conceptions

Randi Zinn and Mahri Relin

 

Introducing New Instructor and True Gem: Julia Neto

Julia is the nicest person. When you meet her, you feel instantly comfortable and happy to be around her. This is a quality I seek in all of my instructors, and I felt so lucky to have found this in Julia. What most people don’t realize, however, is that she teaches an extremely challenging and exciting class. She will push you hard and give you something different each time you step into her classroom. In addition to her talent as a teacher, Julia has a keen understanding of the body and how to challenge it safely – even during pregnancy – which makes her such a strong trainer.

I am extremely proud to welcome Julia to our Body Conceptions team and to introduce her to you here. (You’ll learn lots of things you might have never expected.) Be sure to try one of her wonderful classes, and get to know her a bit, too — she’s fantastic!

~ Mahri

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Julia headshot

Full name: Julia Catherine Neto

Where did you grow up?  Attleboro, MA

What’s your biggest passion?  Dancing and choreographing

Julia leap

Tell me about your career. Have you changed directions? If so, why? I’m still in the beginning phases of my career, but starting a career in fitness was not something I originally intended. I had always planned to focus on dancing first, but as my passion for fitness grew, I discovered Body Conceptions and it was the perfect blend of both! My work with Body Conceptions is definitely my focus right now, but I am lucky to be able to keep up my dancing at the same time.

Julia stag leap with weights

What do you wish you knew when you were younger? I wish that I knew that people are generally nicer and more accepting than you might think, and you don’t have to be afraid to be yourself and show who you really are.

What’s your fitness fashion style? I tend to go for form fitting clothes that I feel accentuate my best features. I also like to look neat and put together, because I believe the better you look, the better you feel!

Julia's fashion

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten? One of my favorite pieces of advice was actually a quote that hung on the wall of the studio I grew up dancing in, that read, “Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to.” This quote has stuck with me through so many phases of my life, because it reminds me that dedication and determination are all that you need to achieve your dreams.

Julia performance

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? That would have to be nachos! My friends know me as a nacho connoisseur, and they are definitely my favorite treat!

What quality do you really cherish about yourself?  I think that I am a very driven person, and I am always pushing myself to take on new challenges and accomplish new goals. I try to encourage the people around me to be the same way, and I support them as best I can.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)? One thing people should probably know about me is that I am obsessed with my cat named Jimi! I am always sharing photos of him and other cats, and I’m just a major cat person in general.

Anything else about you that I missed? My family is absolutely everything to me. I am super close with my parents and I know that I would be nowhere without their endless love and support.

Julia's Family

Challenge Partner Dana Campbell on Her Life Journey – and How We Can Find Balance

I’m so excited about the upcoming Valentine’s challenge. It’s always a great opportunity to focus on our goals, to give ourselves the time and opportunity to achieve them, and to see some remarkable change in our bodies and our perspectives. This time around, we are adding another layer — introducing meditation, mindfulness tips, and intention. I have recently come to understand the importance of mindfulness and meditation in my own life, and I am realizing that so many of us need these things in such an intense and high-powered city!

I have known Dana Campbell’s work for a while, so she immediately came to mind as one of the figureheads of this challenge.  She helps others find their true calling, reduce stress, and live life more mindfully and happily. I am thrilled that Dana will be providing meditations and mindfulness tips for our challengers and helping me lead a Slow Sculpt and Meditation class. I’m telling all challengers that they’re in for a treat!!

I have sat down with Dana and asked her some questions about her life and work. She is such an interesting and insightful person — check her out!!

~Mahri

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Where did you grow up? I grew up outside Chicago.

I know you took some twists and turns to get where you are today. Could you tell us a little bit about that journey? My dream was to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and an ultra-marathoner by the time I was 40. I thought consulting was the best path to achieve the former, and training my butt off was how I’d achieve the other. I was off on both accounts.

I loved consulting for the first four or so years- and I was pretty great at it. I excelled at problem solving and helping my clients. Unfortunately I also naturally absorbed a lot of the stress and drama that big meaty transition projects carry and a tendency of pushing beyond what was good for me. I was placed on several projects where I was literally working around the clock and the stress became hard to justify because I no longer believed in what I was doing. And so the dream of becoming a CEO began to fade. At the same time my tendency of pushing myself too hard kept causing ridiculous running injuries- who fractures their femur from running???

These two things collided in 2007- and I burned out- I just didn’t know it at the time. During that period I recommitted to yoga, became a teacher and kept working and teaching always looking for a way to combine the two. In 2014 I finally left my full time job to become a certified coach. I help stressed-out professionals get unstuck, create more space and ease in their lives and build fulfilling careers.

As a professional coach, yoga instructor, and former management consultant, I would love to hear how you combine your varied backgrounds and practices in your work today. Or do you try to keep them separate? I completely combine them! The irony is that we spend so much time trying to compartmentalize our lives- which is futile. We are living, breathing, integrated beings- everything impacts everything. Connection heals- disconnection breaks.

I actually spend less time teaching yoga now, because I believe coaching is a part of my practice. I meditate with a lot of my clients and use mindfulness and conscious relaxation a lot as well. So everything is very blended- which I love! It also makes me feel like I have the most creative job ever!

A big theme of this challenge is learning to love yourself and your body from the inside out. Related to this is recognizing and honoring your inner voice. Why do you think we have such a hard time doing that? I mentioned disconnection before. I think it relates in two ways.

The first is that we are taught from a young age to figure out what we want to be not who we want to be. So most of us show up in our formative years chasing something that is misaligned to who we are and what we believe. As a result we spend a hell of a lot of energy seeking approval from outside ourselves. When you know what your core values are and live in accordance with them- the need for approval goes away.

The second is more obvious- technology. We spend so much time buried in our devices, which means we aren’t really living in our bodies. Its so hard to love yourself from the inside out when you don’t spend much time being embodied, connecting to all the amazing aspects of you.

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So many of us balance so many things in our lives at once. Could you give us a few tips on how to find balance when we’re feeling stressed? So most of us mistakenly think that balance means everything being equal. But true balance comes from aligning how you spend your time with what is most important to you. So I would start there. Make sure you are spending your time only on what is most important to you.

Next I would suggest building time into your day to consciously relax. The normal reply here is that there is no time to add anything else into your schedule. My argument is that you can’t afford not to. And its pretty easy to swap out 5-10 minutes of TV, Instagram or Twitter for a hot bath, meditation or literally just laying down with nothing to do.

Lastly, I would recommend touch. So whether that be really paying attention to how you put lotion on your body, getting a massage or a mani/pedi or intentionally engaging in intimacy with your partner – be touched – regularly. Its very grounding and can quell stress.

In your work, what are the biggest concerns people express to you? What would a person experience with you if they decided to go to you for coaching?  The top two concerns I hear are about careers devoid of purpose or meaning and the impact that chronic stress has had on their health. Through coaching we tackle both of these concerns head on and my clients report increased clarity around their goals, confidence to pursue the next chapter of their lives, a letting go of unhealthy coping habits and improved health.

You seem to really embrace change in life when it’s right, and you’ve had some really interesting chapters in your own life. What’s next for you? Thanks Mahri – I’m not sure I actually embrace change, but I crave it deeply so that’s why I bring a lot of it into my life. This year my focus is on continuing to develop new programs that meet my clients needs and overcoming my own perfectionist tendencies.

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You Have to Meet Our Challenge Winner: Lauren Burbank

From the beginning to the end of our Spring Into Summer Challenge, it has been an honor getting to know Lauren Burbank.  She is an incredibly talented, focused and sweet person who won the challenge in a group that was our largest to date.  (She lost an incredible 9.5 inches, 3.5 inches off her waist alone!) As you can see, it wasn’t easy!  But she did an amazing job and became such a great part of the BoCo community in the process.

Learn more about Lauren here, and read all about her life and background as a performer.  We love Lauren and can’t wait to keep seeing her in our classes!

~Mahri

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Lauren headshot

Where did you grow up?

I was very lucky to grow up in New Hampshire! It’s a small but beautiful state that offers the ocean, gorgeous lakes and mountains and all four seasons. I’m definitely a New England girl at heart ☺

Tell us a little bit about your background as a performer. What is it like to have that kind of life in the city?

I started singing at a very young age, my Mom is a beautiful singer and some of my earliest memories are of us belting it out with recordings of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey in the living room together. I come from a very musical family, my brother Chris Burbank is an incredibly talented and accomplished trumpet player and we were lucky to have so much music in our day-to-day lives growing up. I fell in love with musicals in 4th grade when I learned about Phantom of the Opera and was hooked! I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Musical Theatre and moved to New York right after finishing up a season of summer stock.

The life of a performer in New York can be exhausting when you’re running from one class to the next class to a meeting to your survival job to who knows what other responsibility BUT when it’s good, it’s phenomenal. I’ve had the pleasure of singing with Essential Voices USA and The New York Pops under the direction of Judith Clurman over the past year and was honored to have shared the stage with Kelli O’Hara last December at Carnegie Hall. It was dream come true!

You were such a superstar in our challenge! Why did you decide to do it, and what was your experience like?

Lauren Before After

Thank you so much! I came to Body Conceptions for the first time in February to Erin’s Monday morning class. The class left me sweating buckets and sore in muscles that I pretty much never knew I had, ha! The fact that each class ends with a really fun dance portion was also right up my alley; it’s one of my favorite parts of class to this day. Erin’s uplifting energy, passion for teaching and willingness to listen struck a chord with me. I shared some of my physical struggles with her and she recommended trying the BoCo Challenge the next time the opportunity came around and I’m so happy I did it!

I decided to do it for my career (to have a more competitive edge physically) but more importantly because I was tired of being upset over certain parts of my body. It is sad to admit that since about high school I have been unhappy physically and I was ready to make a conscious effort to make things different.

My experience overall was life changing. It was so good not to be in it alone by having a community of other women who were also looking to achieve their fitness goals. Attending a class where you actually know the other class members makes for a great sense of camaraderie and having weekly measurements kept me accountable, which made all the difference for me.

There were times when it was extremely difficult, about 2 and a half weeks in it was particularly tough because I wanted to see the results of my hard work right away and I didn’t feel like I was seeing any big progress. This is when I would usually give up on a new workout routine. I’ve given up at this point in the past and the Body Conceptions challenge helped me to break that mold. Even on the days that I didn’t push as hard as I could have or eaten as cleanly as I originally intended there was still going to be another measurement session of my body on Monday and there were still going to be my fellow teammates the following morning sweating it out in class. The sense of community in BoCo had a huge effect on my progress. I am closer to attaining my fitness goals now than I ever have been!

Have you noticed any changes in the way you think about fitness after the challenge? And how has it affected your approach to your career?

Absolutely. I came into the challenge trying to do something for my body for my career and I’m leaving it with an entirely new way of thinking. Instead of only wanting a better looking body for casting directors to see I’m much more interested in being a stronger person for myself and that has been a huge shift. I find that on days that I don’t work out I feel sluggish. I really crave getting a morning sweat on before I attack my day.

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you,” was something I heard from an instructor and it stuck with me. When you push yourself to go beyond what you think you can do there is an incredible sense of accomplishment and confidence you gain that I hadn’t felt before the challenge and it is addictive!

“Why isn’t anyone smiling? You guys, it’s just exercise!” This was another great idea from an instructor that made a shift in my thought process about fitness. Working out is a gift, not a chore. It is your opportunity to check all the other crap you have going on in your life at the door and focus on your incredible body. It is also so important to find a workout that you love and inspires you! BoCo is hands down the most fun workout I have ever done and it keeps me coming back to challenge myself. I can’t wait to see how the whole process will effect my audition season which is about a month away from now!

If you could only pick 3 things to tell them, what would you say to young aspiring performers moving to the city for the first time?

Lauren performing

1- Make friends and a strong sense of community for yourself! When I first moved to the city I was so gung-ho about auditioning and doing all the things I was “supposed” to do right after undergrad that I didn’t take care of myself as well emotionally which leaked into my career process. It is going to be tough but if you have a group of positive people with similar goals that you surround yourself with it will make a HUGE difference.

2- “Don’t forget your art” is something one of my professors in college, Dr. Santore used to tell us before we would be off for the summer. He didn’t want us to become so distracted in our “time off” that we didn’t prioritize our singing or dancing or playing of an instrument or acting. The city can sweep you up in distractions. Don’t let your survival job or your other responsibilities stop you from investing in yourself and your art. Yes, auditioning is important but don’t let it be the only place you practice your art. Find a positive creative outlet that allows you to remember why you do what you do in the first place.

3- Get familiar fast and take advantage of this place! Use apps on your smartphone to get cheap Broadway tickets and see everything you can! Nothing is more inspiring than watching people do exactly what it is you want to do. NYC offers so much art, go see as much of it as you can and stay inspired!

Ok, time for fun! What is something funny or unusual about you that most people don’t know?

I really enjoy making hideous faces. Sometimes I put grapes underneath my upper lip and attempt to sing a la Cindy Loo Who, “Fah-who for-aze, Dah who dor-aze, welcome Christmas, Christmas Day!” Basically any time there are grapes around, it happens. My Dad never takes himself too seriously and is one of the funniest men I know and always embraces silliness, it was such an awesome way to grow up.

What are your favorite things to do in the city?

I love going to see live performances! I try to take advantage of having Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters, the Metropolitan Opera, City Center and many other performance venues in my city as often as I possibly can. I also love trying out new restaurants with my boyfriend and watching him perform with his band, Della Grove. I am so blessed to have his support, he really understands what it is like to be a performer here and is an all-around crazy talented person and the kindest man. There is so much to experience in NYC! Getting my nails done is another favorite, which sounds silly but I absolutely love it when I’m not in a show and I can take advantage of being able to paint my nails bright colors again, ha!

Lauren library

Are you overdoing it already? Stop!!

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Are You Overdoing It Already? Stop!!

Ok – you’re in it. Full-fledged. Back from your vacations and New Year’s parties and fully engulfed in your resolution activities. High-impact daily exercise, no carbs, no alcohol, full-restriction/maximum pain. Full-on!!

Are you seeing results? Chances are you’ve already seen some change. Are you sore, starving, craving sweets, a little bit cranky? Probably yes. Give yourself another few weeks of this pace, and something will need to give. And chances are that more will go with it.

I am not a naturally pessimistic person, and I truly believe in the power of will and conviction in most people. It’s great to commit to healthy change, especially after an especially indulgent holiday season.

The pitfall here, though, is the sheer intensity and breadth of the changes that many people try to make this time of year. It’s all about doing everything at peak intensity. All at once. And once one thing begins to crumble – maybe one or two little cupcakes at work look way too wonderful to resist – the thoughts creep in…”I might as well abandon this whole crazy thing.”

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Photo Credit

“I’m an all or nothing person.”

If you are the kind of person who needs to jump headlong into change to make it happen, take a minute to ask – “Am I the kind of person who needs to be strict with myself to get anything done?” “Will I feel like a failure if I cheat or miss one day of my new exercise schedule?”

If you say yes to either of these questions, you are likely in danger of halting everything if one thing goes wrong. Is this your pattern? Going full-on and then finding a month or two later that it all went by the wayside eventually?

You can do this!

Research has proven that habits don’t become habits until they have been repeated for enough time to become automatic. And your thought process is a major factor in your ability to overcome obstacles and stick with change for the long-term. If you’re in the midst of desperately trying to change but know it will eventually derail, don’t give up!! There are ways to adjust your approach and make this a New Year, New You for real!!

1) Pick a schedule that’s realistic. Chances are you can’t keep exercising 2 hours every day if that wasn’t your previous routine. Look at the week ahead, chart your exercise routine, and give yourself days of rest. See whether the schedule you set is something you would actually look forward to continuing every week.

2) Ask yourself whether your exercise and nutrition regimen makes you happy.  Do you look forward to your new routine? How do you feel afterwards? Soreness and physical struggle during the exercise and soreness can turn people away from their exercise routines before they see the positive benefits. Make sure you are taking classes or doing exercise that actually feels fun. Perhaps add amazing music to your running playlist. Look for instructors that inspire you. Choose classes that engage you and make you feel energized and happy when you leave!

3) Embrace failure.  Instead of berating yourself for “falling off the wagon,” welcome these moments as chances to learn more about yourself. Do you have the worst will-power in the middle of the day? Make sure you bring your own snacks for those 3pm cravings. Maybe re-examine your sleep schedule if you notice that you’re most hungry when you haven’t had enough sleep. And do you really hate eating salads every day? Stop forcing them down and look for other, tastier ways to get a healthy fix for lunch. The goal is to help you stay more health- focused in a way that truly works for you and no one else.

4) Plan ahead – and don’t forget the rewards!  All work and no play is a recipe for disaster. You need to build benchmarks and rewards for yourself that keep you motivated and help you see and measure your progress. Have trouble being consistent? Give yourself a spa day if you have managed to stick with your fitness schedule for two weeks. Finally kept process food out of your diet all week? Buy yourself a great fitness outfit. You don’t necessarily need to spend money — Even just allow yourself to relax or do an activity you absolutely love to do to celebrate all of your focus and dedication. After a while, the results of your dedication will become incentive enough!

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In light of resolution season, we are so excited to be offering a New Year, New a You 6-week challenge this month. Our last challenge was an amazing success with some incredible results (think average 6.5 inches lost!) and we’re offering even more perks for our challengers this time around.

Since it’s clear that fulfilling your resolutions can be tricky, we believe that our challenge program provides a great way for our challengers to get into the habit of exercising regularly, see amazing results, and have fun in the process. Challengers also make great friends and connections within the Body Conceptions community.

Check us out, and sign up for the challenge at www.bodyconceptions.com. When you get to the scheduling program, click on the Events tab.

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Meet Our Newest – and Fantastic – Trainer, Allie!

When you meet Allie, you can’t help but instantly like her.  She is a very genuine, kind person with a great sense of humor and a fun personality.  But don’t let that fool you.  She’s a tough trainer!!   In one of her classes, she somehow manages to make you laugh and have a great time while simultaneously challenging EVERY muscle beyond your limit.

I recommend trying one of Allie’s classes – and also getting to know her.  Allie is a fantastic addition to our BoCo team, and we are honored to have her!

~Mahri

Read more about Allie here…

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Full Name:  Alexandra Marie Harris

Where were you born?  Colorado Springs, Colorado

Where did you grow up?  Saline, Michigan

What’s your biggest passion?  Navigating the world around me and continuing to question/learn. (and moving n’ grooving, shimmying n’ shaking!)

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Tell me about your career. Have you changed direction? If so, why?
I have trained as a dancer since I was just a youngster. I am currently performing with various companies and choreographers and presenting my own choreography. While I feel fortunate to be following my dreams, I also understand the difficult reality of dance as my livelihood and the need to prioritize my health and well-being. With a love for movement, teaching, and community, fitness was an obvious pathway for me. I am so excited to have found a sustainable direction that allows me to use all that I have learned and am passionate about.

Allie gymnastics

What do you wish you knew when you were younger?  I’m still figuring that out!!! But maybe that’s what I’ve learned- that it’s OK to be uncertain and it’s never too late to try something new. That, and peanut butter is not a food group.

What’s your fitness style?  Down-to-earth hardcore! I love to push and be pushed but I really appreciate honesty and humility. I also love mixing grace and poise with serious power moves to fully test myself physically and mentally.

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What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten?  Listen to your body! This sounds so simple but it’s so important to be in tune with your body in terms of what it needs – rest, nourishment, challenges, etc. And not every body needs the same things!

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little
funny or weird)?  I once dressed up as Gollum from The Lord of The Rings and it was the best Halloween I’ve ever had. I also love board games and have a dream of starting/joining a weekly club- any takers? Lastly, in college I had a reputation for falling onstage during dance performances- so much so that my friends started an “Allie Tally” of all the times I wiped out! Graceful much?!!

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?  Peanut butter- ugh, why is that stuff so good?

What quality do you really cherish about yourself?  My openness to understanding others and my willingness to question and challenge myself.

Anything else about you that I missed?  Did I say that I liked peanut butter?

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Meet Randi Zinn – A Community Leader and Amazing Woman!

Randi recently came to us to do an event together, and I was overjoyed. “Yes!” couldn’t have come faster from my mouth.

I have known Randi for a while, and she is one of those people I admire so much for her integrity, depth, thoughtfulness, and intelligence – both personally and in business.  As a writer, Randi has so many interesting thoughts about the intersection of career and motherhood for women in the city.  She has created a supportive community of women  through her brainchild, Beyond Mom, and this community has grown exponentially.  Her emphasis on the importance of health and wellness for “Mom-preneurs” is especially exciting to me.  I am always looking for ways to help and support women in all stages of their lives, especially if I can do that with Randi!

Randi and I will be co-hosting a fitness and wellness event at Athleta on Saturday morning, October 25th, from 8-10am.  I will be teaching a Body Conceptions class with a live DJ.  Randi will follow with a talk encouraging women to cultivate a life “Beyond Mom,” finding their individuality while embracing the gift of motherhood.  You can learn more about this event at www.randizinn.com.  And look out for more events we do together down the road!

I had a chance to ask Randi more about herself and her background here, and I hope you enjoy hearing from her as much as I did.  We need more like her who can help inspire us as women and mothers, and lead by example!!

~Mahri

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1)   Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your business?  How do you describe your work to people?

In many ways I’m a Renaissance woman- I’ve always been involved in the arts (dance, theater, film, writing) and in the recent decade I’ve assumed the role of businesswoman- at first, by random, un-chosen events in my life, and now, by choice. I was a yoga instructor prior having my son and I wanted to take my desire to help people to a new level- from there, I created Beyond Mom- a community for NYC Moms who seek an elevated community of women also growing who they are as individuals, not just Moms. I definitely attract MomPreneurs but also connect with women who are in transition and figuring out what’s next for themselves professionally and personally. Without a doubt, these women all need community, support, and connections so they can best grow themselves professionally and personally.

2)   What made you decide to start your business?  What kinds of professional and life changes brought you here?

I built this community because I saw a need! Women struggle to hold onto who they were pre-baby and to discover who they’ve become post. They battle to find the time to take care of their body and spiritual selves. I also started meeting so many brilliant driven women in places like the playground and I thought to myself, “these women need to know one another!” So I create events that bring women together in a way that is meaningful and inspiring. It’s definitely my own desires to be a healthy, balanced, accomplished woman who is also a Mother that made me realize how many other women also crave this balance- they just don’t always know how to find it. I realized that I have a set of tools that come rather naturally to me- the ways that I keep myself in one solid piece- to me, these practices come fairly naturally but they don’t to many women- I want to share these techniques and concepts so women have a better chance of being happy and therefore better, moms, partners, friends etc. The simple tools to becoming a Beyond Mom make sense for living a happy, balanced life.

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3)   Why do you think it’s important for mom’s to have a community, and why have you focused on “Mommy-preneurs” specifically? Moms share a common understanding- there are certain experiences and dichotomies in the experience that only another Mom can understand- how can you love so intensely and yet so desperately need alone time? How can you be so committed to developing a little child and yet feel totally compelled to build a business? There are certain unspoken understandings that can help a woman not feel crazy as well as feel supported. Women (despite some ancient rumors) are incredibly generous to one another and generally feel very motivated to help one another- if we champion one another, we are a pretty powerful community. Why Mompreneurs? I guess because I am one, so I get it. But also because I think it’s the new feminist movement. We can’t have it all- at least every single day, but I think we can experience it all, maybe different days of the week. Mompreneurs test those boundaries and see how much they can manage. Inherently, we are all a little crazy, a little exhausted, but so very inspiring.

4)  How has your own personal/family life come into all of this?

My personal life is the entire story! My father taught me how to be a visionary, my husband motivated me to own my story and my gifts, and my son reveals our evolving story each day. I think it’s my karma for the men in my life to help me see the woman I am. This makes me very, very blessed.

5)  What is your ultimate professional goal? I imagine the Beyond Mom Movement as a national (and perhaps international) force. Next level events online and offline, product that is reliable and loved, and a mission that supports women to grow, reinvent, and rediscover their own mission. I view myself as the visionary and voice for the movement.

6)   Ok, now let’s talk fitness!  How does fitness fit into your life, both personally and professionally? I have been and always will be a mover! It’s my medicine! Personally, I need my muscles to work and my blood to move to feel grounded and strong, physically and mentally. I’ve really enjoyed developing my repertoire post baby to find activities that feel good, don’t hurt me, and have developed my strength. As I’ve become more toned and strong, my confidence has built. Body Conceptions has been an awesome part of that- Thanks Mahri Relin and Erin West! Professionally, I take it upon myself to not only be a resource for women looking for fitness that works for them, but to encourage Beyond Moms to find movement that they love. I’m convinced that if you don’t move your body, you can’t feel sound in your mind. There’s no rules, only that you find what works for you. I love to inspire women to rediscover their fitness truth post baby- it’s an empowering process.

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7)   How do you choose your workouts?  What advice would you give new, busy mothers on fitting fitness into their lives – and making it part of their lifestyle? Choosing my workouts has been a process! I’ve tried things for a week or even a few months at a time to see how they feel to me and I’ve allowed myself to let something go for something that feels better. I’ve discovered that variety is key for me- if I do weight training one day, I love doing yoga the next. If I do cardio dance one day, I like to spin the next. I think variety challenges your body and your mind, and that’s what keeps it fun.

Without a doubt, it can be tough to fit in your workout but I always tell Beyond Moms- make your workout an indispensible part of your day- calendar it in like you would a conference call. Use the time you have a babysitter or your husband on duty. Moms often feel guilty for taking time out for themselves (yes, I still have those emotions from time to time- so I know how real it is), but I also understand that I am better at everything I do, if I take care of me. So make it important and stick to it.

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8)   What’s one quality about you that very few people know?  It can be anything! I’m pretty honest so I feel like the people that know me, know me pretty well- but let’s see…I’m pretty silly I think. I have a zany, sometimes perverse, sense of humor, but it runs in my family. My son points at me and says, “Mommy, you funny!” and he usually tells me the truth.

9)   Have I missed anything here? And how can women find and become involved with you??

Women can find me in a handful of ways!

My site is www.randizinn.com we have daily content to remind you how to continue going beyond in your own journey of motherhood.

Find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @randizinn

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