Made for More
Made for More
Making Space For Joy, Fitness, and Personal Growth: Embracing New Hobbies, Overcoming Gym Anxiety, and Empowering Women w Tayler Jordan
What happens when fitness becomes more than just a passion? Join us as we explore the importance of rest and recovery, personal growth, and the transformative power of joy with our AMAZING guest, Tayler Jordan.
Feeling gym anxiety? You're not alone. Tune in to hear Tayler's first-hand experiences with overcoming fitness fears and the value of one-on-one training. We also dive into the joy of untracked activities like rollerblading and dancing, and how revisiting childhood passions can enhance well-being. Tayler and I emphasize the importance of balancing work and personal interests to maintain overall happiness and productivity.
Tayler shares her journey from aspiring bodybuilder to faith-driven fitness coach, speaking on the power of community and personal growth. This episode promises to uplift your spirit and inspire you to embrace joy in all aspects of life :)
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Essential's University
Hello, hello, happy Tuesday or whenever you are listening. Welcome to this week's episode of Made for More. My name is Regan and I, as always, am just so grateful that you are tuning in and I just wanna say thank you so much for the love on last week's podcast on the recap of my 50 mile race. I literally sat in my bed, had no outline for it and just talked for 30 minutes and it was a little ADHD and all over the place. But, um, some of the messages and texts and calls that I got about it were so sweet and so special, so thank you for just all the kind words. Inside of that it means the absolute world and if you haven't listened to it, there's been some great episodes recently that you should totally get caught up on, been some great episodes recently that you should totally get caught up on. Um, and if you feel led, please leave a review, um on Spotify or Apple just a little five-star review so we can meet or, um, reach new people, which would be so cool and it's so fun.
Speaker 1:So this week, uh, getting back into the swing of things, I took a week off after my race and it was very nice, like it was nice to not have the pressure to work out. I just went, excuse me, I just went on walks and stretched and did what I felt like doing and we are back at it today and back on track with things. So it really makes you appreciate your health and just trusting your body and honoring your body. When you rest right, like you, you need rest, especially after a big, intense race like that and volume is raised like that, your, your body needs rest. So, um, I yeah it feels good to get back into the swing of things. I'm currently have high rocks scheduled back to back in November uh, chicago singles and then a doubles Dallas race with my friend Kelsey. So now we are hopping back into high rocks training and building some strength back up, because your girl has lost a little bit of strength with running so much. So very excited, I guess, to build back up strength. Obviously the process of it, but I just I've been enjoying running a lot more than strength training. So definitely going to have to just do it, even when I don't want to on some days, because that's what you do, right, you just do it and you keep and make the promises to yourself and that's how you get better and you get stronger. So we're going to go with that.
Speaker 1:But the next two weeks are going to be a pretty busy, have some life changes happening which I will probably do a podcast on, but not really in the space to talk about it right now because I will definitely cry. I think I've cried like four or five times today and it is three o'clock on a Monday. So, yeah, but just trusting the Lord in things and obeying him when he is calling me to do something, which can be hard sometimes, but I can feel the tears coming Okay, well, we'll do another podcast episode on this. Uh, we'll follow up on this later. When, when full circle and things, you know when, when things settle down, um, emotionally for me, but this week's podcast episode is absolutely incredible.
Speaker 1:Listening back to it episode is absolutely incredible.
Speaker 1:Listening back to it, it just makes me smile the whole time. This is with one of my sweet friends, taylor Jordan. I actually met her when I lived in Nashville a few years ago and when I tell you, when you think of just joy and sunshine and the color yellow and just bright and bubbly and happiness, this is who you think of. You can hear it in her voice, you can see it in her smile in person on Instagram. She truly just radiates light and radiates the joy of the Lord. She is one of the most kind, sweet, precious humans ever and this conversation is it's amazing. It's amazing. You're going to love it and if you do love it, feel free to send her or I, or both of us, a message or share it on your story. I would appreciate it so much. But you're you're going to feel so encouraged and you're going to catch yourself smiling a lot during this episode, and you're going to catch yourself smiling a lot during this episode. So enjoy it and, yeah, let's get into it. Hello, taylor, welcome to Made for More.
Speaker 2:Hello, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've been so excited about this. For those of you listening, I met Taylor when I lived in Nashville and she is just the most bubbly, joyful person Like. When I think of you, I think of sunshine and yellow.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. I miss having you here. I know that you're thriving, but Nashville is not quite the same without you.
Speaker 1:I know I wish, the more I think about it. I'm like I wish I would have given Nashville a little bit more. Oh no, you're right where you need to be, I'm so thankful for the year that I was there, though that I got to meet all of you.
Speaker 2:That is just such a blessing, yeah, no, absolutely yeah, so tell us for the people listening.
Speaker 1:Um, I know a lot of people that listen and that follow me and a lot of my clients do follow you because we've talked about you before and they're like, oh, taylor's so cute. Um, but tell for the people listening, tell us a little bit about you and kind of what you do.
Speaker 2:Well, my start, in kind of like my start in fitness, is that more along the lines.
Speaker 1:That's like it's such a hard question. Tell me about yourself. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I turned 31 a couple of weeks ago. I'm like, oh, where do I begin? But specifically in fitness, I played sports in high school and sort of always had this desire to teach and coach and help other people. I gave pitching lessons when I was in high school to younger girls. I always had a heart for coaching and teaching and my first job in college was a fitness attendant at the gym on campus and then shortly after I got certified to teach group fitness training and then it got my personal training certification and so that was. That was like 10 years ago now, a little over, so, oh man, almost years ago now.
Speaker 2:And then in my senior year of college I actually started competing in bodybuilding and ended up moving to Tampa after my college graduation and worked at a private gym there and pursued my bodybuilding career as a professional and then ended up starting my own personal training company in Tampa. And then one of my clients, um, decided she was moving to Austin and asked me to come live with her. So I lived with her and trained her in Austin for a year. And then COVID hit and I'm from Alabama, um, and I really desired to be a little bit closer to home, and Southern hospitality is in my blood through and through. So I wanted somewhere. I was praying so diligently to be somewhere resourceful, for a great place for entrepreneurs, but yet filled with Southern hospitality. And I ended up getting an Airbnb in Nashville for one month and I was like Lord, if this is where I need to be, you'll confirm it. And it was like. 10 days later I had signed a lease and decided that this was going to be home, which I was so grateful for. So, yeah, now I still live in Nashville.
Speaker 2:This is my fourth year being here, which has flown by, but also so much has changed since I've gotten here. And, yeah, I'm still personal training. I got my degree certification this year, so I've been starting, yeah, so I've been starting incorporating that. I feel like it's one of those beautiful compliments to weight training which I absolutely love, and I get to lead some community events here. That incorporates fitness and well-being, and it's my favorite, incorporates fitness and well-being, and it's my favorite. And so, yeah, between community events in the fitness industry and teaching Legree and personal training clients, it's been a really yeah, so much to be grateful for and yeah, I just love it so much.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I I totally forgot you lived in Tampa and you've been all over the past.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I don't feel 31, but when I start explaining like the course of my life I've been around the around the world a little bit.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Okay, tell me about LaGree, because I know you were going to Trueform in Nashville. I always saw your stuff. Is that LaGree, or is that Pilates?
Speaker 2:That is LaGree. Yeah, so the Mega Reformer. I am a weight training girly through and through. I went to college for exercise science. I've taught and coached weight training for the last 12 years, and I will be the little 90-year-old woman, by the grace of God, still lifting weights. I think it is so important for every human on the earth and so beneficial on many levels, and for a while, I was doing yoga to complement weight training. I would weight training every day if I could, but I really like having something more restorative and just a little bit of a change of pace to incorporate in between weight training. Excuse me, and I was doing yoga, but what I noticed is that a lot of yoga takes you into passive ranges of motion, and so I was noticing that I was actually feeling more aches and pains than normal when I was doing yoga.
Speaker 2:And so then I started trying reformer Pilates, and I really love that. You spend a lot of time in extreme ranges of motion, but not passively. You can only take the movements as far as you can actively contract them, and so you put a lot of strength in areas where you're weakest, and it has been the most beautiful. I've been doing that for weight training with Legree for the last two years and it has just been one of the most beautiful compliments of types of exercise even mentally, as far as stimulus goes as well like it's just been the coolest thing.
Speaker 2:And so I was really intrigued with learning more, and I love having as many tools as possible to offer my clients, and there's just I'm very much so like when it comes to exercise, you have to find something that you love. You have to find something that you can stick with consistently and that you get excited for, and so having as many tools as I possibly can have to offer my clients. And then also, I'm such a nerd when it comes to exercise in the body, and so it was originally a continuing education aspect of like I just feel like this would be really helpful to know, and then I totally got too nerdy in it and it was like oh yeah, we're totally going to start coaching this dude. So it's been fun, a good new challenge for me as well.
Speaker 1:Do you feel that with adding it in that your strength training has improved?
Speaker 2:Oh, 1000%. Um yeah, like, have you tried to agree at all?
Speaker 1:I know I've been to like two or three Pilates classes and I keep meaning to sign up on class pass and I just get nervous, like I get nervous. That is so weird, I'm nervous, I'm like hesitant.
Speaker 2:So it's so funny that you mentioned that I am not going to teach Liguri classes.
Speaker 2:I'm going to do privates because I feel like a lot of people are intimidated to try a class and, to be honest, the classes like if you've never done it and you go to a class, like it can be a little overwhelming, like the spring, like the machine in and of itself is like learning to drive a spaceship, like it's kind of a lot and I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to wanting to correct every little thing.
Speaker 2:I really love one-on-one. I'm such a relationship girl and so my heart truly with agree is to be able to for that one-on-one connection, but also for people who are intimidated by it, like, let me give you an intro like if you were here, I'd 1000% be like let's go through two or three sessions one-on-one and then you'd be fine to take a class. But yeah, I really have a heart for doing one-on-one, especially for what like, for example, just like you shared feeling intimidated by trying a class, and it's so funny to hear you say that because you are a fitness girly, so you know, if you're feeling that way, everyone else is too.
Speaker 1:I know and then it puts things in a different perspective too of people that are super new to fitness, that are nervous just to go in a gym like I never, that's like my confident place. But people yeah, I've never been in that space before Like it's valid, it's fair, it makes sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 1000%. I remember specifically my mom. I love her with my whole heart. When I was competing, she would go everywhere with me, like we would go to my shows, like she would just there no matter what, no questions asked. But it's so crazy. She wouldn't go in the gym with me when I would need to like get a pump in before a show. And I would ask her why, and she was like it's almost like church, where you some people feel like they can't go until they have their lives put together, which is so not the truth. She felt like that about going to the gym. She was like she didn't feel fit enough to be qualified to go to the gym and it's just like such a skew perspective, and so that really opened my eyes to be more empathetic toward people who don't go to the gym because they're a little intimidated.
Speaker 1:That's amazing that you're doing that. You're you're a busy girl.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, you catch yourself single in 31.
Speaker 1:you catch yourself single in 31, and I love, too, though, that you. I love seeing all your stories on Instagram. I love that you have new hobbies. I want, I want to know, because obviously your life has very much been, um, like I've totally forgot you played softball too, but like softball, sports, like fitness, has kind of been a lot of your life. I want to hear about your new hobbies that you have, because I know I struggle with hobbies and then I know other people do too because I'm like I can't do this because it doesn't help me grow, like physically or business wise, so it's so hard to make time to commit to that.
Speaker 2:Hey, this is such a fun question when you sent over, like our kind of an outline of the direction we want to go for today's conversation. One of the questions says have you ever wanted to quit fitness? And I've always had a heart for working out, like even when I was in kindergarten. I asked for a Barbie workout DVD when I was for Christmas. Like I've always had a heart for working out, like even when I was in kindergarten, I asked for a Barbie workout DVD when I was for Christmas. Like I've always had a heart for fitness, cross country. Truly Like I've loved it.
Speaker 2:But then somebody in college told me, when it came to a career, you find what you love doing and then you find somebody to pay you to do it. And so I was like, oh, I love the gym, I'm gonna make money being in the gym because I love it so much. What happened was I turned my hobby into my career. Then there was no outlet. I've never wanted to quit fitness. However, personal training I was just always in the gym. I remember my life coach when I was living in Tampa. He asked me me he was like so what do you do for fun? And I was like well, I go to work at the gym and then I work out and then I meal prep my meals and like I didn't really have hobbies and so that kind of opened my eyes to being more interested in hobbies. And so rollerblading was like my first outdoor, like untracked fitness outlet, like activity that I knew that I couldn't turn into a job. And it's so funny because Legree was that at one point and I was like I don't want to teach it because I want to keep it as a hobby. And here we are.
Speaker 2:So I'm not saying I'm perfect at this, but this year my word of the year is dance and I tend to be a bit of a worrier. I'm working through it. You know my tendency is to worry and we're getting better. But one of the most visual like pictures that the Lord has taught me is dancing with him. Lord has taught me is dancing with him. And at the end of last year I really felt he was saying Taylor, keep your eyes fixed on me and let's just dance and I'm going to take the lead and life's a beautiful dance. Just keep your eyes focused on me. And I've got you. And I felt like I really needed like a tangible experience to remember, to just keep my eyes fixed on him and to just dance. And life is beautiful and it's always going to work out and it can be beautiful and fun and come what may.
Speaker 2:And so I signed up for bar and dancing lessons and, reagan, when I tell you like it has been one of the most life-giving things I've ever done in my whole life, the little girl in me has always like desired to dance freely, and that piece of me is like come alive and like originally I needed, I also needed a winter hobby. We were talking about this before we started recording. But winter in Nashville was a little rough for me, especially after living in Florida, and I needed a winter hobby. And I started crocheting and that was fun, but I didn't want to just be sitting on my couch all the time. I wanted something to get me moving as well.
Speaker 2:And so these ballroom dancing lessons. It's like, oh my gosh, it's been the most life-giving investment that I've ever decided to work toward. And on my birthday two weeks ago, I have never really like practiced socially. And there's this place in Nashville called Plaza Mariachi and we went salsa dancing the night of my birthday and when I tell you, I danced for two hours straight. There's this precious older man named Juan. He is probably 85, didn't speak one word of English, and we danced all night.
Speaker 2:And I had a moment when I was like, oh my gosh, this is what it feels like to feel free and just like I've never danced like that in my life and like that was amazing.
Speaker 2:And so dance has been one of the most life-giving decisions I've ever made. And then tennis has also been one, and I was trying to think of things that I can like do when I'm older and do with my kids, and I was like tennis sounds great, um, dancing will be fun, and just um, thinking about skills that I will couldn't invest in now, that would pay dividends for the rest of my life. And so tennis and dance have been the top two. And then, obviously, I started crocheting at Christmas with my mom, and that was another fun hobby. But I'm learning different ways of like. I absolutely love working out, like working out doing a new class with a friend is my love language, but also having these other things that are outside of my comfort zone and move it in ways that are much less calculated have been like really game changing for me. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:I love. That, encourages me and it makes me want to sign up for something because it is an investment, but it's something. Clearly it brings you so much joy and so much happiness and value life and to like you get I mean me hearing that I'm like you get to have other community outside of just seeing your clients and having conversation and things all the time totally, and it's interesting to having a broader perspective of health and I realized like even I walked through this with my life coaching clients of like, how much are you playing?
Speaker 2:And I love my job so much like to a fault, I love what I do and I realized that I didn't have a ton of things that I was doing outside of work that were just fun, and play is such an essential part of well-being. Brene Brown has a book called Gifts of Imperfection and there's a whole chapter that talks about play and that in and of itself has contributed so much to my well-being. So it's so much more than just diet and exercise. There's like such a bigger picture to hobbies and play and that was really an area of my life that was on the struggle bus.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like how you said it is your inner child to like. The little girl inside of you just lights up. Um, yeah, I forgot that you do life coaching as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, so for someone listening that really struggles with having other hobbies or creating space for that, what would you say? Just a tip or how you can find something to add?
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, that's such a good question. Um, obviously, my number one default is always gonna be prayer. Um, I had the biggest revelations in my quiet time and the Lord puts these things on my heart through a worship song. Like, specifically, I was driving and there's a song. I play it on repeat all the time. It's called dancing and it's a worship song and it was. It started playing in my car and I started crying and it was like, totally, holy spirit breeds of. Like you need to sign up for a dancing class. So that night I went home, googled where I could find boring dancing classes and signed up.
Speaker 2:And so I am a huge believer of like ask the Lord to reveal to you some hobbies that maybe you've loved to do as a kid and you haven't done in a long time, and pray about it. And he always comes through. Like, if you ask a request like that he delights in. Like he delights in us being joyful and doing things that bring us joy. It brings him joy. And so praying about it, obviously, joy, it brings him joy.
Speaker 2:And so praying about it, obviously, and then really reflecting, or even asking your parents or your siblings like, what made you come alive as a kid and I come from a very competitive family and that's kind of the tennis aspect for me I needed something to challenge me as far as something I wasn't good at, but something I could be competitive for, because I know that like that's just the roots of my family is, we are competitive people and so even asking, like siblings or grandparents or parents, of what, what were you like as a kid?
Speaker 2:And just trying something like also there's so many like trial classes or consultations, and so that was the thing with dance is like I'm going to go for a consultation and see if I love or hate it and go from there. And I went and I was like, oh my gosh, I'm never leaving. And you could just tell to like when you walk into a place, you either come alive or you don't. And so I'd say a pray about it be, just do some first time classes, just go for it, especially if you've got nothing to lose if you're trying a first time class.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's. I love that. I'm so inspired by that. I mean, I'm gonna start looking at some things after.
Speaker 2:Yes, girl.
Speaker 1:But I think it's so easy to get in the routine, like for me, I work remote and my schedule's very flexible, but sometimes I still find myself in this mindset, um, mindset of, like you know, monday through Thursday really hard work and get all my work done for the week and then maybe work a little bit Friday, Saturday, sunday Um well, I don't work Saturdays, I take that as my Sabbath but, um, I like to do a little work on Sunday just to clear my head for the week. But yeah, for me it's like I feel that I can't because I'm in work mode Monday through Thursday, and then it's easy to get caught in a trap of almost loneliness, like I don't have anything that I'm filling my cup or anything that brings me joy, like you, said Right, yeah, yeah, and there's a balance obviously, like you're very successful in your career for a reason and I like to use it.
Speaker 2:It is more motivating to be like, okay, I'm not going to work past five and my dance lesson, I'll eat dinner my dance lessons at seven, and it honestly helps me to stay a little bit more focused around what I need to get done, because I have these boundaries of like, okay, I'm going to work really hard from this time to this time and then have this time to play and turn my brain off. And what I've also learned is that I show up so much better for my clients, Like I think I'm way more enjoyable to be around a week that I've had a dance lesson or a tennis lesson than I am weeks that I've just grinded it out. And so, as much as I love that like because I know that we're a lot similar in a lot of ways when it comes to work I've learned that it actually honors the people in my life and my clients way more when I have that balance than when I don't.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you for sharing that. That's really encouraging. Yeah, yeah, did you dance when you were little at all, or you just enjoyed it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I did Um in it never like salsa or bachata or anything like this.
Speaker 1:I it has been the coolest thing it forces me to have a growth mindset too, I'm sure, because, like you're, I mean, I would be terrible at it at first, yeah, and too, it's just like, um, you're introduced to different cultures and like it's just been the coolest thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm from such a small town in Alabama where I wasn't exposed to much different like you, like it's just a very small town and so it's been really cool to open my eyes to see, like, how uniquely the Lord's created so many different people so I want to ask on so you did bodybuilding.
Speaker 1:How long ago did you compete with bodybuilding?
Speaker 2:I turned pro in 2017, so what does that make it seven?
Speaker 1:years ago, seven years, pro card as well yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I started competing my senior year of college in 2015 and I can competed in one local show, and then I did a national qualifier and qualified for nationals.
Speaker 2:And then I did my first like national NPC show where I could have turned pro and I placed second, and so it was only my third show ever of bodybuilding and I played and I was one place away from winning my pro card, and so my bodybuilding career was very expedited. I really didn't know a ton about the industry. All I knew is that I loved pageants and I loved working out, and this was kind of like both and and. So it was only my fourth show that I did. I didn't even plan to do this show, but I was like, oh my gosh. I competed in 2015, qualified for national, so 2016, I did my first national show place and I was like, oh my gosh, we got to go for it. There was one another national show in Chicago two weeks later, and so I scrambled, and meanwhile my family is so supportive, but my dad, my parents, were like, if you want to do that, like I was in college, I was grown. They're like if you want to do that like I was in college I was grown. They're like you want to do this, you can work and do it and we'll support you, but like you're paying your way. And so I was grinding but I didn't care, I loved it so much I was paying for I was working at the gym on campus, a local um vitamin store family owned in my college town, like then. So I scurried and booked another fight and ended up competing in Chicago at NBC Nationals Junior Nationals, and I ended up winning my pro card at that show in 2016. And so I am such a shrimp and so going into the pro circuit and competing, I just I was teeny compared to these grown women, like I was what 22? I was young, to say the least.
Speaker 2:And so I in 2017, I made my pro debut in the fall of 2016. And then 2017, I did my first run of pro shows 2016. And then 2017 I did my first run of pro shows and um.
Speaker 2:So my bodybuilding career is very short-lived because I turned pro so quickly and many people they spend years competing just to get qualified to go to nationals, and so the Lord was so gracious and I truly believed that every step I took in that industry was like, on purpose to be a light in the industry, because it's so self-absorbed and, um, looking back now, the Lord's grace and his kindness is just beyond anything that I can explain, because, looking back, I'm like I don't knowing what I know now I don't know if I could ever walk on stage in a bikini like that. I truly believed in my, with my whole heart, that he was using me in that season and I believe that he did now and said yes, so much I'm grateful for that piece of my story. I think there was a period of time that I was embarrassed to say that I competed in bodybuilding just because, like you, are half naked on stage and I love the Lord my whole heart.
Speaker 1:Um, and so now I'm like I truly am so grateful for that part of my story yeah, I'm sure do you feel that it's given you a different approach to how you see health and honest now, and then also how you coach people too.
Speaker 2:Oh, 1000%. Like um, discipline and and being rid. I don't love this word, but being rigid and regimented is like to a fault. I thrive in an environment like that. Um, and what I thought was healthy then it was very talk about wellbeing. There was, no, there is nothing. Wellbeing isish about competing.
Speaker 2:Like I didn't eat at a restaurant I want to say four years, and I was fine with that. Like I would just take a baggie of chicken to a restaurant. My dad would get so frustrated. Yeah, like I just excellence and perfection. Like I just loved it so much I wanted to be the best and I loved it. I didn't really like I didn't feel deprived or restricted, like I loved what I was doing. But in hindsight, man, I didn't really have friends outside of what I was doing with work. Um, there was no balance to my life whatsoever. There was no such thing as play. Like everything was calculated, every. It was like I was so stressed um, and didn't know it at the time, but yeah, it knowing what I know now versus then. Like my community and my friends and my life now it looks very, very different than when it did then because it's such a an isolated, calculated, like regimented sport and I'm thankful for it. It taught me a lot. It's definitely not the way that I want to live my life now coming off of the show.
Speaker 1:Obviously, bodybuilding is very physique focused. Do you find that it was hard to be okay with gaining weight back and seeing your body change Like? Is that something that you struggled with at all?
Speaker 2:It's interesting when I what they're like, you'll notice that what is normal in the bodybuilding industry is that a lot of people will go through these extremes where they'll like diet really really hard into the show and then it's like all really really hard into the show and then it's like all bets are off after the show and it's this huge binge you just go back to like this unhinged way of eating and thankfully that was never my story. I was already eating healthy and training hard and had a regimented lifestyle before I decided that I wanted to do a show, and I'm really thankful for that, because I wasn't doing those things just for a show day. And so the most like my mom and I, one of our sweetest traditions after a show at night we would get a box of Special K and cups and eat cereal in the hotel room like Like that is special K, fruit and yogurt. That was like my favorite treat. Or like I would get a black and blue salad at TGI Fridays with sweet potato fries, or like I never, thankfully, because I think that that is something that a lot of people who compete struggle with and it's truly a reason why I don't recommend it for people. It's very unhealthy as far as like bodybuilding can almost be like a glorified slash, socially acceptable version of an eating disorder. Like it, just there's not really anything healthy about it. But thankfully it was hard for me to wrap my mind around like it's not normal nor healthy to be stage lean all the time and so being okay with gaining body fat back was definitely mentally challenging.
Speaker 2:I think as I've gotten older and the desire to have a family has grown more because I was competing in my early 20s and I think what's really shifted for me in the last several years has been this deep desire to want to be a mom and really analyzing my behaviors and habits through the lens of.
Speaker 2:Would I model this for my daughter or my niece? She's seven and she is like she soaks up everything. Like I was wearing a crop top two years ago and she was like wearing the other day her shirt pulled up showing her stomach, and my brother was like what are you doing? She's like Lance, he does it. And I was like, oh no, I'm like no more crop tops noted. So just like understanding the example that I'm setting, it makes me so much more reverent of wanting to steward my body even better, so I feel like that's been the biggest shift mentally around looking a certain way Like it's much. I'm so much less attached to the way that my body looks versus what I model this behavior for my niece or my my future kids.
Speaker 1:That's a really good, that's a really sweet way to look at it, because, yeah, kids are like sponges. But I think that's something I need to begin to model is because it's like when you have kids, things aren't just going to, you know, do a 180. It's like you do have to start practicing that now. Yeah, I was, I was literally thinking about this today. That would like what I word at the gym. Um, I was like I don't feel like I'm 27. I'm like I feel like I'm still 22,. Just going to the gym can wear whatever and not having conviction about it because, like, my intentions aren't bad around it or anything, but more so like, oh, I like want to have kids in the next few years and that's something that's going to have to shift. So that's so funny that you said that, because I literally thought about that this morning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and, too, it's like my brother. I love my brother with my whole heart. He is like one of the best examples for me and probably the reason that I'm still single, because he is at a whole different standard when it comes to my expectation of what a man should be like, but he does such a good job of exemplifying for his kids what he would want his daughters to choose in a husband, or what he wants his son to be like, and that has really encouraged me. Like I'm not dating or married or even have kids yet, but I want to become that person now and I think I try my best to think through the lens of does this behavior and this action align with the mom that I want to be and the wife that I want to be? And that has really helped my perspective.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is that something that you naturally just came about, or is it something that you prayed about?
Speaker 2:I definitely prayed about it a lot and I think too, I never really imagined being 31 and single, you know, and so obviously there's some reflection that comes with that, and my biggest prayer most often is that the Lord would teach me and help me to steward everything that I have well. And I think a lot of times when people hear that they think finances and they're like spending their money in a wise way. But I think, think about that. I have been last couple of years, especially last year, been praying that the Lord would help me to steward my time well, because I know I'm not going to be single forever. I believe that in the name of Jesus and I really want to steward this season of singleness well. And every day I'm like Lord.
Speaker 2:If I met my husband today, I want to be able to look at yesterday and say, dang, I gave that my best shot when it comes to help. I know I'm going to be an older mom, Like I'm not going to, I'm not going to have kids in my twenties. Those days are not an option for me anymore and I really want to be able to take care of, steward my body well so that I no one knows that I'm an older mom, when that time comes, and my gifts and my talents and when it comes to serving my clients and what I'm doing with my work, my biggest prayers that the Lord would teach me to steward everything that I have to honor him, and so I think that the fruit of that prayer has this has been a translation of that, but yeah, it's just. It has been really cool to see that manifest and then also having really incredible people in my life as examples, like my brother and his family, have definitely been transformative too.
Speaker 1:You've always been really strong in your faith. Is that something that you feel like you ever went through a low season with that?
Speaker 2:It's so interesting. I truly am so grateful for the Lord's call on my life. It will make me emotional, but from being a young kid I've always felt a little bit different, like when kids were saying cuss words on the school bus. If I would say a cuss word, like I just didn't feel right, like I just have always felt set apart.
Speaker 2:In high school I drank two Smirnoffs when I was 15 and I got drunk and I literally repented. I was like Lord, I'm so sorry. Like I just have always felt this strong desire to want to please the Lord, and my heart for the Lord has been from such a young age and there's never been a moment that I've been mad at him or questioned his love for me. I have, at this point in my life, been through some things that I would consider very difficult and some traumatic. But yeah, I feel like from such a young age that the Lord's had a special call on my life and I won't say that that's been easy, but I will say that I'm very grateful for that and to get to know him more and more every day is the sweetest gift.
Speaker 1:You can. You just have a different. You're just, you just exemplify like joy and you can see that the Lord is in you and just it shines through everything that you do. So, um, it's encouraging and I know that people that follow you on social media even myself and that know you in person, like just talking to you it. I, I desire to have that relationship with the Lord and like be that passionate and just that relationship with him, even just talking to you. So I know people that are listening to this are going to feel the same way, cause it's it's different, you can tell.
Speaker 2:I hope so. Thanks so much.
Speaker 1:Um, I want to talk about with clients. Um, did you ever think that, just with kind of your job now, did you ever think that you would be a leader in the fitness space? I know that you said that it's always kind of been your passion, but did you think that you'd be doing this at 31 full-time?
Speaker 2:You know it's funny, when I was in college studying exercise science, I wanted to be one of the girls who works the booth at fitness expos Like that was my dream. I was like I just want to be one of those girls that works the booth. And then when I started I was I mean, I still work for PE science, but that was my first job was like my first opportunity to work a booth at an expo was for PE science and it's funny being on the other side of it. You realize you don't really make that much money doing that, but as far as like a dream, when it came to what I wanted to do, that was like the extent of that, except when it comes to relationship, like I am such a one-on-one girly. That's kind of why in college when I first started teaching group fitness, I started personal training so much because I just wanted to know all the girls that were coming to my class. I wanted to like know them more and I wanted to help them more specifically with their goals.
Speaker 2:And my heart is to teach women to steward their bodies well so that they can be all that the Lord's called them to be and created them to be. And so, less than desiring a certain title, my heart has been for opportunity to help women fully step into their full potential so that they can be all the Lord's called them to be. And nothing makes me more excited than to see someone learn what works best for their body and to find things that they get really excited about, and to see them honor the Lord through the way that they're taking care of their body. And so I think that's translated in to being a leader in the fitness industry, which I'm so grateful for, to being a leader in the fitness industry, which I'm so grateful for. But I think, more than anything, the heart is to just want to see women really become all that they've been created for.
Speaker 1:With your goals. Do you have any other big goals for yourself? If you could just have the finances needed, what would your dream job be in the fitness space? Oh my gosh, that is such a good question Hosting fitness events in Nashville, like. Would you want to do that on a bigger scale?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so there are some things in the works actually but yeah wellness days are one of my favorite things, so one of my close friends, kenzie. We actually have some things in the pipeline coming that we'll actually we'll announce this month, but it's been really cool to find a friend who enjoys it as much as I do. But I love doing these wellness days and you were here for several of them, but we the first one was called tour day, sweat, and so we would do um, like a weight training class and then acai, and then a spin class and then something more restorative. After, like different versions of that hosted a couple of these and um. I would love to do that in different cities, not not just for Nashville, but to get to travel and cultivate an experience like that, for it's almost like the health and wellness version of bar hopping, except it's like just a fun. You bond with everyone, it's fun You're taking care of yourself, and so these wellness days, that's definitely a dream. To host them not only in Nashville, but to see that translate to other cities would be amazing.
Speaker 2:I would love to host more retreats. I did that with B3 and B3 integrated faith and fitness and that's still such a huge part of what I do in my ministry, and so retreats are definitely still a dream. I'm such a one on one girl. I know I've said that several times. However, it is my heart to see every woman in the world learn how to steward their body well, and so it's a constant prayer for the Lord to give me opportunities to help more women on a bigger scale, which is I just launched Sozo University, which is a small group of 10. And then Essentials U, the workout program to help more people, and so, even though I can't be one-on-one on that scale, I'm still praying through other ways and other opportunities to get to help people learn how to steward their bodies well that'd be incredible with the wellness.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 2:I mean, I feel like there's really nothing like that and it too is just like such a cool thing to do in a city to even connect other studios here. The last one we did was D1, le Gris and then Sauna and Cold Plunge, and we did Acai in between and then True Food after, and it's just like it's so life-giving, and maybe I'm weird and that's not everyone's version of fun, but for the other two guys I think it's just like it's so life-giving and maybe I'm weird and that's not everyone's version of fun, but for the other two guys I think it's great.
Speaker 1:That's a good deal day. I mean seriously having that community aspect of it too yeah, I'm glad you're on board.
Speaker 2:At least I know there's more than one of us I, I will so support you and come to all of them.
Speaker 1:I have always said there needs to be some sort of like TV show or something where you go to different cities and you try out like different studios or like the best gyms in the US. Oh, I love that. I mean, your wellness days could turn into a whole thing.
Speaker 2:Look who knows, sign me up, I'm here for it.
Speaker 1:That would be awesome. You, I feel like you think of something and you implement it fairly well and quickly. Do you struggle with like getting started on things or procrastination when you have?
Speaker 2:And since I closed B3, I prayed. So I closed B3 in October of last year, so it's been a year and a half and I've been so hesitant to it's so funny that you asked this I've been hesitant to start anything new or launch anything new out of reverence, of not wanting it to be me, of wanting it to be fully the Lord. And so I've been like, lord, I'm not going to do a thing until you make it so clear that that's exactly what you want me to do. And so, almost like fearful of doing it, just because I didn't want it to be a selfish ambition.
Speaker 2:And so, with Sozo University and the Essentials Workout Program, which both launched in March and both launched in March, this last month, I really, if it weren't for the nudges of my two best friends, jamie and Cece, we were it was Valentine's Day, so February 13th, we were sitting at Cece's and she made us dinner and it wasn't until that night and their encouragement that I was like, okay, lord, I feel like this is confirmation that I can.
Speaker 2:I can let this go and I can release it into the world, cause I had been sitting on this curriculum for the past year just waiting for the Lord to give me that like, okay, you can go for it. So from that February 13th, the night that I decided to go for it to launch day, I launched it as a university two weeks later and then I launched the workout program one month later. And so those, once I had remission from the Lord, I was like we are going for it and so it's totally his strength and confidence that. But yeah. So since I closed V3, that's like the first thing. This has been the first time that I've been like okay, lord, I think that this is you being like you're ready.
Speaker 1:Can you tell us what Sozo University is, and then we'll talk about the essentials program?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So last year, my word of the year was SOZO, which means wholeness in my body and spirit, and I really wanted to use the year to be my healthiest, most the home, the most whole version of me in every aspect of my life, because I want to be the best me when I do meet my husband. And I wanted to make these investments for my future family, and I invested in counseling. My counselor is freaking incredible. I haven't had to see her in a while, praise God. But there were just several things that I knew that my future family would be thankful for, and so that was my word of the year, and it's so cool to have a word of the year like that and to see how it translates and comes up throughout the year.
Speaker 2:And so this sozo university was birthed through wanting to teach women how to learn these habits and these pillars of health so that they could be their most whole version of themselves. It's a very much so like wanting to teach from the place of like. I have experiences for myself. Everyone needs to know how to do this, and so I wanted to take a small group of women and do this in a small, because the power of community is unmatched, like it's just unmatched, and so I didn't want to do this curriculum one-on-one. I really wanted to be able to do it through with a group of women and it had. We just did our week five call last night and we've covered your why, your exercise regimen, nutrition, morning and night routine, like it has been so life-giving, and so the curriculum is eight weeks long and it walks through a pillar of health each week and helps you to learn where to start and like just one new habit every week to implement and so that I don't know what will come of that like it's. Obviously when you have something like that as an entrepreneur, you have to start somewhere and it's a scary step because it's not perfected, and but it's been the sweetest experience and these women like I got a message from one of them this morning made me cry, like, which obviously doesn't take much, as you can tell, but it's just really cool to see how the Lord has moved through it and it's just the simple obedience of it's okay that you don't know exactly if you'll ever do this again. Maybe it was just for this group of women, I don't know but that's worth it to me to see that the Lord's moving through it in this simple act of obedience, and so that's a university.
Speaker 2:And then because two, it just brings back to the basics. Like, there's so much information on social media of like do this and do that, and I just want to help women to simplify it again and to come back to the basic of what actually matters and how to create something that works best for you, rather than you trying to mimic what works best for someone else. And that's also under the same wing of how the workout program came to be essentials, the essentials workout program. Coming back to the basics, where I feel like everything's been over complicated, and to so to with two people in mind first, the girl who's intimidated by weight training and doesn't know where to start. I wanted to create it for her. But then also for the woman who's been weight training for a freaking long time and feels like she's plateaued.
Speaker 2:Coming back to the basics and focusing on the quality of what you're doing no one really wants to go back to the foundation, but, oh my gosh, it's so transformative to just come back, reevaluate how you're doing, what you're doing and reset. And it's only eight weeks to take a moment to reset and really focus and be intentional on how you're doing what you're doing so that you can build and grow from there. Foundational things, because even with personal training clients, a lot of the initial process is teaching how to execute properly and how to execute like so that you're getting maximum results. And so essentials. University was birthed from the branch of sozo university in the exercise portion, to want to be able to provide a resource of like. If you've never weight trained before, this is for you. If you're not seeing results, this is also for you.
Speaker 1:That's incredible. I remember when we did talk last year, you were in the works on it and it's so cool. Yeah, yeah, I think, after the eight weeks with Sozo university, that you'll do another with Sozo University, that you'll do another launch of it, or another round of it?
Speaker 2:I'm not sure. Yeah, right now, like I'm praying so diligently that the Lord will help me to just fully invest in the women that are there, and I'm excited to hear their feedback on what they would do different and what they enjoyed about it and what maybe I could not do again. And also there's a workbook portion that I give them every week like a worksheet of how they can reflect on resources, and so it may not be immediately that I offer it to another small group, but maybe some form of being able to offer the resource for people to have to do it on their own. I'm not sure if any of your listeners have requests or feedback or anything. I am open to it, but honestly, just open-handed and seeking the Lord in showing me what the next step is and how I can serve women in a bigger capacity.
Speaker 1:I love that you said that, because, with stewarding what's in front of you, well, because, as I mean, there's so much freedom inside of owning your own business and having your own thing that it's so easy to be like, okay, I have this group done. And like, okay, let's just make it through the eight weeks and then I'm going to start this. And then, like you, look at finances and it really can be a way that you're always looking for the next thing to start, or the next thing to work on, or this next. It's always next, like what's new, what's next, how can I add on? It's so like I pray that I never don't steward well what's in front of me, especially the people, because, like you, you don't forget. But it's so easy in this space that I could see where it'd be. Like you're working with people that have feelings and that deserve grace and deserve love and deserve your full attention.
Speaker 1:Like it's not just someone messes up and it's just annoying and they're just a number, and it's like on time you're working with real people and real oh yeah hearts and souls yeah, and I'm constantly like lord, change their freaking lives through me.
Speaker 2:Like, is this changing their lives? Like, will their children be different because of them investing in this program? And I'm constantly like Lord, like last time before the call, I was like may this call change their lives for generations to come. Can I please play a tiny role, being commissioned with you in this to change the health and the trajectory of their family for generations to come? And that is the depth of what I really want. And so it's more about like launching another program. I'm like Lord and everyone that buys essential is the essentials workout program. Like Lord, may they open this pdf and freaking be transformed just by reading it. Like I'm just pray for the wonder working power of the Lord to move through it. And that's my heart. I'm like I'm going to create things that change lives.
Speaker 1:That's so special and I'm so glad that you just listened to the calling on your life in the fitness space, because you are changing lives and it's so encouraging to just hear what you're doing and how you really are taking every step and everything that you do through the Lord first.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I hope that that always remains the same.
Speaker 1:No, what? So, for those of you listening, I am going to link Taylor's all of her Instagram and the essentials guide. So that's something that, once you download it, they have it forever, right, yeah, forever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and two for your listeners. For you guys, Reagan has a special discount. It will be made for more. That's what we decided, right? Yeah, and you can just put that at checkout. In the there's a little spot for a discount code and that'll save you $5 for anyone who's listening to this episode.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm excited because it's always. I'm always looking to refer people to to training programs as well, not that just focus on here's a lifting program, but something that is excuse me, that really is full circle as well.
Speaker 2:That really is full circle as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, body and spirit, like everything, because you can have the perfect workout and you can just kill yourself in the gym, but it's like if your spirit or your mental space is not where it needs to be or your intentions behind it aren't pure, it's you're not going to optimize. One, your physique inside of it, um, if that's the goal, but two, just your overall health. So I love that. It's very full circle yeah yeah, thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Um, okay, what is something that is um, what's something that you're looking forward to in life right now?
Speaker 2:you're looking forward to in life right now, man, I'm looking forward to my allergies not being as bad. In Nashville I'm actually so excited and my brother and sister are having baby number four in June, and so yes, yes, and so that right now is like the biggest thing on my radar of like. What I'm most excited about is I am working really hard in April and May to hopefully be able to go home for a week in June, and so that is like my ammo of like Taylor, keep your head down, work hard, and just to be able to have a week home to spend time with my family in June is I'm so excited.
Speaker 1:That's a sweet motivation to work hard. Yeah, are you taking new one on one clients, like if someone is listening to this and they wanted to work with you more intentionally? Are you taking more one on one clients?
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you so much for asking. Here in local to Nashville, I am taking in-person personal training clients and private training clients, and then it is live coaching, but I like to call it accountability coaching. It's more of a holistic approach. It is Sozo university one-on-one um and that's virtual, and so I also another way that you can work with me if you're not in nashville is virtual one-on-one accountability coaching or virtual training. I do have um online training clients that have home gyms and I train them in their home gyms, and then also another way to work with me indirectly is the essentials workout program.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. I am so glad that you did your life coaching too. I feel like that is just. It really encompasses all of everything, because I'm sure what you use in live coaching, like you use with your one-on-one in person- yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's one thing I'm so thankful for COVID. That was my COVID education of choice. I got my live coaching certification in 2020 during COVID how long did that take you that certification? A couple months, yeah it was virtual, but and then obviously there was not anything else to do and so, yeah, I'm that I honestly some good things came out of COVID.
Speaker 1:If we're all being honest, what a blessing yeah well, this was so fun. Thank you for being.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, thank you so much for having me. This always brings me so much joy no, like I.
Speaker 1:just I look up to you so much and just who you are in your spirit and I know that people listening can just see the Lord through everything that you do and everything that you speak and through your smile. So I'm so grateful that you took the time today to do this and everyone for listening. You'll have to let us know if you listen and share it on your story and all the good things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all right?
Speaker 1:Well, thanks for listening everyone and we will catch you next time.
