Ep. 112 with Lindsey Spitzer | Owner, Grow Strong Pilates Studio

From Chronic Pain To Grow Strong Pilates

Your body has been trying to tell you something, and you do not need to “push through” forever. We sit down with Lindsey, a registered nurse, lifelong caregiver, and the founder of Grow Strong Pilates, to talk about what happens when motherhood makes health non-negotiable and chronic pain forces you to get serious about root causes. Her story starts with post-baby symptoms and neck pain that linger for years, then turns into a surprising answer: Pilates becomes the practice that helps her feel better in her body and quieter in her mind. 

We unpack what “integrated health” really looks like beyond quick fixes, from core strength and mobility to posture cues you can use while driving, gardening, or unloading the dryer. Lindsey also shares how her environmental horticulture background shapes the studio experience itself: a boutique Pilates space designed to feel healing, welcoming, and grounded, with small class sizes and real modifications based on the body in front of her. If you have ever wondered how to find a Pilates instructor you can trust, we get into certification, continuing education, and why not all Pilates teaching is created equal. 

The conversation goes deeper into identity and entrepreneurship too. Lindsey speaks candidly about body confidence in the wellness space, building systems that protect family time, and why her goal is not necessarily to quit nursing but to grow a community of like-minded instructors. Faith, risk, and service show up in practical ways, including how she supports caregivers who need one hour a week to breathe. If you are navigating postpartum recovery, chronic pain, holistic wellness, or the tug-of-war between calling and capacity, you will walk away with language, tools, and permission to advocate for yourself. 

Subscribe for more stories like this, share the episode with a friend who needs a stronger body and a softer landing, and leave a review so more women can find the show. What part of your health needs your attention next?

Connect with Lindsey:

IG: @growstrongpilates

Facebook: Grow Strong Pilates Studio

Website: Grow Strong Pilates Studio

Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:

• Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com

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Credits:

• Editor: Joseph Kirk
• Music: Kristofer Tanke 

Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue! 

Transcript

Meeting In Person And Authenticity

Kelly 0:00

Good morning, Lindsay. Good morning, Kelly. How are you? Good. Good. Welcome. I'm very glad that you're here. I'm excited to be here. You should be. You have an incredible story to share. And I'm really thrilled for the listeners to get to know you and um what you're putting into the world, all of the amazing work that you're doing. And I mean, above and beyond that, just your story in general. So, first and foremost, I just want to say it's always so fun to officially meet people who you've either just had a phone call with or a Zoom. And it's like nothing is like meeting in person. So I'm really glad that you're here.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

I can agree more. As part of my work, I've been on Teams a lot over the last few years, virtual calls since COVID. And it's funny because you'll work like intimately with people and then you meet them in person. You're like, you're way taller than I thought, or or way shorter than I thought.

Kelly 1:00

Or this or that. Yeah, I know. It's really, it really is interesting. But um, did we do a zoom?

SPEAKER_00 1:06

I can't remember. We I think just connected over a phone call all voice, which is good. I mean, that's what we're at here today.

Kelly 1:14

Yeah, but I I I always like to do a little bit of research on my gals, just a little bit, like at least checking out what you've done on socials and stuff. So I I already had a mental image of exactly what you looked like based off of social media. So I'm curious if it matched up.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

100%.

Kelly 1:34

100%.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Yeah, that's good to hear as a business owner. What am I what I'm putting out there?

Kelly 1:39

Well, the authenticity, right? Like you want you want what you are putting out there to match like who you actually are as a person because there's so oh gosh, here we go. There's a little bit of smoke in mirror sometimes with social media.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Absolutely. And that's where you know, I want someone to walk into my studio because maybe they have seen me out there in social, they've heard about it, and they feel like I know you already and feel welcomed and connected, even before they've had to really engage.

Kelly 2:12

So okay, we gotta dive in. We gotta let the listeners know exactly what your business is about. But before we do that, I would love for you to share with them how it is that we initially got connected.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

Yeah. So actually, I have a client or students. I call my clients students as well because we come to learn and grow in my studio. Yeah. Um, Jess Evanson. Shout out to Jess. Shout out to Jess. Um, she actually shared with me about your podcast and thought that my story, my um environment that I'm trying to create at my studio was in alignment with the stories that you tell and the people that you have connected with and put out there. So she got me connected with you and I'm excited to talk more.

Connection Through Jess Evanson

Kelly 3:02

Well, and to just give a little bit more context for the listeners, um, Jeff Evanson, or oh my gosh, Jeff, Jess Evanson um is the wife of Ryan Evanson, who my husband and I know we go way, way, way, way back to um when we were all a part of uh the same networking group. And Ryan, Ryan is in the commercial space, commercial lending, and we just we hit it off. Love that. And then, sort of as a byproduct of that connection and like our families' um kiddos being around the same age, then our families were getting together, and I was sharing with Jess about the podcast, and she's she has just become an avid listener, but also an avid supporter too. And so when Jess is like connecting me with individuals, I know that she's like she understands the niche and the market here for the podcast. So shout out to you, Jess. Shout out to you. She's probably like, woo-hoo! Totally.

Motherhood, Caregiving, And Finding Pilates

Kelly 4:11

Well, Lindsay, what came first for you? Was it motherhood or was it entrepreneurship?

SPEAKER_00 4:17

It was motherhood. Okay. And this is where I'm I'm going to share that um motherhood is like the most important thing to me. I absolutely love my kids, and as moms, we know that we go to the end of the earth, right? To take care of our kids, to support them and be with them. And after my first was born, I actually started having some symptoms and things health-wise that we couldn't really put a finger on. Yeah. Couldn't really decide exactly what was causing it. And um I really went to the mat on it. So I'm a registered nurse as well. And I sought out different specialists to try to figure out what's going on and couldn't get a clear answer. And my physical therapist at the time wanted me to try Pilates. She explained how Pilates could really help um with the chronic pain that I was experiencing and um kind of helped me just feel better in my body. And so I dove in and tried it. And within about a month, month and a half, I did notice a huge difference in the way I was feeling. Um but I just circling back to the question about motherhood, it's like I was willing to do anything to feel good and to know that I could be there for my kids long term.

Kelly 5:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

And um something that I have as part of my past is my mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was 11.

Kelly 5:49

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

And so I knew what it was like to grow up to grow up with um that knowledge that your your parent could pass away.

Kelly 5:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:59

Or will. It's just a matter of when. And I became a really strong caregiver too, because I have five younger brothers. So I'm the oldest of six kids. Yeah. So I've been a caregiver my whole life. Um, but it's like I want my kids to have their mom, a healthy mom, be with them their entire life and like break that cycle of wishing they were there at your wedding day, or you know, they don't have a grandma that would have been the most amazing grandma. Yeah. So it's like my Pilates journey is rooted in my desire to be a healthy mom and to be there for my kiddos.

Kelly 6:39

Um, wow, you're just really hitting us across the head with a lot of the emotional heart string pulls right now. Wow. I think that they're, I mean, I know that I'm feeling this in like to my core and in every fiber of my body, that exactly what you're speaking to about how you want to be around, to be able to see them growing up and and vice versa, because I think it's easy to go, yes, I want, I want to be there for them, but to understand like what does that actually mean? Right? Like, what does that actually mean? And so it sort of points the finger back at you, like what is the work that I need to be doing in order for that to be a reality for it to be true. And so I think that that is important for you to share, like how you shared that is really getting to the core of the why behind why you have made the decisions that you have made, first starting with yourself, right? Like taking care of yourself, and then how that's blossomed into what you're doing now. And so I would love for you to share the name of your business and um how that came to fruition.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Yeah. So the name of my business is Grow Strong Pilates. And I picked that name because we can always be growing and improving. And when we think about the things that Pilates can help you with from a health standpoint, as an RN, that's super important to me that we're looking at our overall health and wellness. Um, I think about, you know, growing our core strength, your balance, your mobility, and honestly, self-awareness. Oftentimes we're so busy in our day working, taking care of others that, like, when's the last time you got a drink of water or you went to the bathroom?

unknown 8:41

Right.

Kelly 8:42

This is something that I have like really had to actively work on. It's interesting. I want to just inject here for a minute, if I might. And maybe as an RN, you can give me some like details on why this is the case. But literally, I after Maddie was born, uh, I started drinking way more coffee. I like way more coffee. And yeah, I think not even in the physical sense, I think just emotionally, I was tired. Like I was so, so excited about this. There it is. It was more than one look, right? Yeah. But like now it's all, I mean, it it is a very addictive beverage. And so it has literally, it's literally switched from like, I don't actually need it because if you noticed, I went like when you got here, I filled up my water, but I was like, I want a little bit more coffee. Lindsay, I have been up since 5 30 in the morning. Yeah. I didn't need any more coffee. And thank goodness there wasn't any coffee. God was telling me, you don't need any more coffee. But like this is something where just those little shifts where you go, okay, instead of this, let's have some water.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Yep, let's kind of flush that.

Kelly 10:00

And the importance of water, yes, yes, yes, yes. The just healing capabilities of water itself, like, and it's literally right there in front of your face. Yeah. This is free. This is free. Well, sort of. Don't go down that rabbit hole, Kelly. Don't, don't. So, anyways, I um just if you have any insight into like why that is the case, or maybe I just need to peel back the onion layers and go, why do you feel like you need to have coffee? I mean, there's fix me, Lindsay. I'm kidding, don't fix me. Um, okay, so I am I'm curious because you mentioned that you an

RN Work And Integrated Health

Kelly 10:43

are an RN. Yes. And are you still doing that?

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Yes, I am. All right. So that has been very important to me. And I will share that I'm a Christian too. And so I'm always prayerfully considering the things that I take on, the way that I spend my time. And I've definitely um feel that I am supposed to continue to do both. And I am able to work, you know, a point six. So for people out there who know the healthcare field, they'll be like, yep, I know exactly what that means. But I'm blessed because I have I'm part of an amazing clinical practice educator team that, you know, we span the metro and support onboarding staff and new clinics, and we get to help impact patient care at the system level. So we help create workflows that are standardizing when if you're a patient and you come in to get a breathing test in our clinic, it's gonna be the same workflow at Woodbury as Maple Grove and so on. So I just I feel incredibly um honored to be able to be part of influencing care at that level. Um, you know, after going through being a caregiver for my mom and standing in the space as a caregiver, as a family member, as a daughter, that I can now turn around and have that same like push towards patient advocacy and also ensuring that clinical staff have the tools that they need to give the care that's best.

Kelly 12:18

That's amazing. I am curious, and I think that I asked you this question when we were on the phone, just in regards to any sort of like friction points that you are or have encountered when it comes to working in um like the traditional healthcare system versus what you're doing in the Pilates area.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

Yeah. I think the part that I would want to highlight with that is that there is the integrated health side of things. So everybody out there who's going to be listening to this, please have a primary care provider. Please have someone you establish care with that knows you, knows your story, because then they can help you get connected with others that can help drive the things you need for your care. So that's my push as an RN. But then I also like to highlight that you know, your health is about more than just taking a pill or having a procedure done. And I know we've all heard this hey, like American society's fast. We want the fix, we want the thing that we can just do quickly and be done, but but your health is worth your investment in your uh your daily movement, right? And Pilates is something that meets everybody where they're at.

Kelly 13:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

So if you're someone who's rehabbing from an injury or maybe you haven't been moving your body regularly, it can meet you where you're at. If you're an athlete, it can help you perform better and do better. But the part that I call out every time is boy, you sure feel good. Yes. After you've been doing this, and you know, core strength and who doesn't need that, mamas, like after we've had babies.

Kelly 14:08

Oh, I'm starting to feel that for sure. And I'm three years post you know, delivery of Maddie, and it's I'm starting to see the the shifts in my body, and maybe it's turning 40 as well. It's so funny when I when we when you got here and I was telling you about um turning 40 and you know, like just the birthday party that went along with it, and you're like, welcome to the 40s, and I'm like, Yes, and I totally went into it with this like mindset, which isn't a bad, bad mindset. It was I refuse to let the perceptions of what turning 40 looks like become me. And then I started to actually feel some of those shifts happening, and I'm like, oh maybe they're not like some of what I've heard about turning 40 isn't all incorrect. Yeah, nothing. But to your point, and just to bring this full circle, Lindsay, is to your very point about, you know, like understanding your body and then also investing the time, frankly, to peel back the onion layers vers onion layers of self versus like this quick fix that our society ultimately pushes on us so that it like it's a money grab, right? Like how much money can they get from the average consumer in order to, you know, make a profit?

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Well, and versus and I would say like for the what about getting to the root of it? It's so 100%. Yeah, like thinking about you know, if you have high blood pressure or you're having some chronic pain in an area, um what what's at the root of it? Like what caused it? And then what's in your power to help yourself feel better? And that's where that integrated side again, it's like connecting with a provider that can help you. You keep saying peel back the layers of the onion, but look at like holistically your whole self. Are you sleeping enough? Yes, are you moving enough? Yeah, what other components of your life could be feeding into this? Right.

Kelly 16:38

Like what are you consuming for food? What are you doing? Beverages because and like how are you how are you having intentional like downtime as well? And that's not necessarily just in the form of sleep, like true downtime.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

So what does that look like for you? Because some people need to connect with others to fill their cup, and then other people are like, please let me in a room, no sound, no noise. I'm gonna hang out, read my book, whatever it is.

Kelly 17:08

Yes, don't talk to me. Or sometimes it's like it's getting out in nature and or working in the garden, or I mean, the the I can't say enough about that. So that's like another area. Let's

Horticulture Roots And Healing Studio

Kelly 17:20

go down this route. Let's go down this route because you mentioned this, and I want the listeners to have a better understanding of like the name of the Pilates studio and just what that like the the love that you have for that name.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

Yeah. So I have an undergrad in environmental horticulture, so fancy words for really loving plants. Yeah. Went to school, got a bachelor's degree in it, and I loved the public garden side of things. So creating spaces again for people to come be in nature, yeah, unplug, connect, and there's a lot of research out there that shows that it is an effective way to relieve stress and to have a reconnection with yourself and just kind of unwind. And we know that um being out in nature is is healthy for you. So I love this. Yeah. And so much. You know, it's like I am working to create a space at my studio that does feel healing. So it's not just the class, but it's also the space that you're in. Okay. Tell us more. Yeah. Tell us more. So my goal is to bring plants into the studio, um, have that environment where you feel like you're getting that little bit of connection with nature while you're in class. Right now, I have nice big windows in there in the space that I'm um renting, which is really nice.

Kelly 18:54

It's conducive to plants. Yeah. Because you know, plants need light. So, how conducive is that?

SPEAKER_00 19:01

What does it currently look like? So, right now, the studio it's got like 12-foot ceilings, which I love. Okay. Um, because we we stand on top of the reformers and do all kinds of fun things. Yeah. So we gotta have room for that. And then um, you know, it's got the nice hardwood floors, big mirrors, and the main thing is like the big windows, the sun can come in, and I just I want it to feel inviting.

SPEAKER_03 19:25

So I love it.

SPEAKER_00 19:27

Um, yeah, that horticulture background is where I definitely wanted to name the studio Grow Strong Pilates, and then have everyone just realize like I'm coming here to connect and to grow in my personal way. What are my goals? Where do I need to grow? What things do I want to?

Kelly 19:45

I love it. Now, here's here's something that you um after we finished up our phone conversation and got you scheduled for the podcast, you sent a lovely email. And um, I think also that you were in our phone call, I might have asked, like, what's the tie with like doing the horticulture stuff and then becoming an RN? And now you have a Pilates studio. And so for some people, this is where we went with this. Okay, so I you were like, some people can't make this connection on like why all of this actually flows together and makes sense. And I go, Oh, Lindsay, I do, I totally understand and and see how all of it is very interconnected. But for somebody who's listening who is literally maybe scratching their heads, and it's you're not dumb. I promise you, like it's okay, but like let's explain, let's walk them through the interconnectivity of these three things. And then I would also um to like bridge the gap between when you got your bachelor's to like getting the like becoming an RN, how that happened too.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

Yeah, no, this is so great, and and I absolutely could see where someone would be like, she's crazy, she's doing this, and then she's doing that. And in the end, like I see that my path has truly been led the entire time, and things are coming

Listening To A Calling

SPEAKER_00 21:19

together now. But to go back to when I got my horticulture degree, that four-year degree, right? Invested in it, it was also at that same time, right after I graduated and started working, that my mom got really, really sick. Oh, so she lived for about 14 years with cancer. And when she got really sick, I became a primary caregiver along with my dad and my aunt.

SPEAKER_03 21:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 21:44

And she was down at Mayo and had to live there. So we took turns staying with her, and I was just so impressed by her nurses. All I could think was those doctors come by in the morning, they're amazing. Yeah, they have a plan, but then they go. And it's the nurse that's taking care of her all day.

Kelly 22:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

Noticing when things change, advocating for what she needs, yes, ensuring that she's getting the care she's supposed to have. So it was at that point that I really felt called to go into nursing. Okay. So I was working in horticulture, definitely creating these beautiful environments. If you know the Como Conservatory in St. Paul, that's where I worked. So I was taking care of the palm dome. It was. And I was growing the water gardens out front. That was my baby project. Oh my gosh, those giant Victoria water lilies that we see babies laying on, you know, those big Ann Giddy's photos. Like that's what I was doing. That's so cool. I was feeling called to go into nursing and to advocate.

Kelly 22:48

Can I have you pause for just a second? Because I want to talk through this like feeling called and what that means to you and explain to the listeners. Because here's here's the deal. You understand the niche of this audience, which is primarily mothers who are entrepreneurs. Now there's a bunch of other individuals that listen, and I would, I'd be willing to bet that there is somebody who's listening right now that maybe is considering something else. Or they're they they don't they might think like something isn't right. I feel like I'm out of alignment right now. And to be watchful of this very thing that you're talking about, Lindsay, feeling called. And I understand that this has not this transition, this pivot from horticulture to RN has nothing to do with the entrepreneur piece yet. Yet. Yet. But I think there's so many of us that have had those moments where we can look back and go, oh yeah, that was like all of the breadcrumbs were there. But I want you to talk through the feeling and emotion that was going through you when all of a sudden you were like, oh my gosh, I should become an RN.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Yeah. And I wouldn't say it was like this like light bulb thing. It was absolutely a process and a constant conversation.

Kelly 24:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

So I, as being a caregiver, you know, would go work at the conservatory, work that job, and then I would go care for my mom for a few days at a time. Yeah. And it was like I mentioned earlier, I was admiring of her nurses and the care that they provided, and the fact that they were so smart, yeah, and they had that autonomy and that impact. And I think, you know, when you get that nudge that, huh, there's this other thing that I'm seeing I could impact that I could influence, that that I feel like I'm being asked into a space that I would have never considered before. In fact, I will tell you that as a young girl with five younger brothers and a big family and always taking care of others, I swore to God, literally, I will never be a nurse. I do not want to do that. That was literally, I was like, nope, that's not an option for me when I was looking at where I wanted to go to school, the things I wanted to do. And then God has a sense of humor. And you know, um, I started to see through that experience that I was stronger than I thought, that I could support people in their worst times. I think that was a fear that I had was how do you walk into these tough situations and help people when they're this is literally the worst day of their life? You know? How do you be present in a way that's authentic but not take it on yourself? Oh yeah. And that's something that I started to see. I can I can do this. And not only can I do it, but I can do it in a way that that I'm advocating and that I'm improving. And so it's it's listening to that nudge, but then exploring it further. Take your time to research. Like, I don't think it needs to be click, it clicked, and I was like, this is what I'm supposed to do. I think it can be a process and it can be about you maturing too into what that next thing is supposed to be. If I had chosen to be a nurse right away out of the gate, probably wouldn't have gone well. Probably wouldn't have.

Kelly 26:49

I love this. There's so much fruitful information, and I 100% wholeheartedly agree with you that there this isn't something that's gonna happen in the snap of a finger or or the blink of an eye, or even overnight. I mean, there's there may be some people where that could have been the case, but I do think that you just brought up such a valid point about how growing into that person that you need to be in order to like go to that next level. Yes, it is really important.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

And God knew that about me. He knew what I needed to live through. So painful, so hard. Yeah, but also it it helped me become who I am in my space as a nurse.

Kelly 27:47

It's wild. It's so wild. You're right. God has such a funny sense of humor when it comes to what we think that we should be doing with our lives versus the reality of like what he he knows to be true, right? And um it works all things for good too. Totally. And I do think that there's something that's so special that happens when you you really start to like lean into your God-given skills, yes, and how things can just find themselves to be so much more in alignment, and I'm sure that you feel like I've made an impact in this space, you know, being an RN and will continue to do that. And there is also a space here where I can take the skills that God nudged me to in the RN space and bring it over into the Pilates space as well. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

And so if we want to go there, we can go wherever you want to go. Yeah. I mean, that's where you know I shared at the beginning like why I started doing Pilates and the root of that. But yes, as a nurse, as someone who's been caring for people my whole life, creating the space in my studio, I want it to be different in that I know you when you come in and I know what your goals are, and I know what's going on with your body so that I can modify or challenge you. So that's why um my space is different.

Kelly 29:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

And I have small classes, I have five to six people max, so that we can have that room to kind of adjust and and make things work. Um, and have everyone feel included and supported because it's about more than just a workout, it's about that mental piece of like, you know, maybe you've been struggling at work or at home, or there's a lot going on. And it's like, how do you come here and kind of lay that down? Yeah. And focus just on you and reconnect with you and feel like you accomplished something good. Yes. And it's for your overall health. And so, there again, that's the caregiver in me. It's like total, and as a nurse, I mean, I will say, Do I know it all? No, I'm the I'll be the first one to say I don't know it all. And if you come tell me something funky, I'm gonna go research it and and find out more so I can support you. But the thing of it is, I'm also not gonna bat an eyelash. If you come in and you're like, I've got this going on with my back, this going on with my knee, yeah, this weird thing, it's like, okay, well, let's partner together on this. Yeah, let's try to figure this out, you know. Um, and that's what I offer. I love it.

Kelly 30:46

So you had explained, Lindsay, how your PT had suggested that Pilates be incorporated into your your movement and um as a as an alter alternative to maybe other routes to alleve pain. And so you start Pilates, and then what comes next? Like talk myself and the listeners through the evolution of doing Pilates, what that meant for you, and how it it shifted your mindset to I wanna I wanna do this, I want to have my own studio.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

Yeah, yeah, I love that because sometimes I'm like, how did I no, just kidding?

Kelly 31:35

No, I feel like you know it pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

I do, I do. Um so let me just give you some more context though. Perfect.

COVID Stress And Teacher Training

SPEAKER_00 31:43

So COVID, right? Like that was raging. I had gone from a 0.6 FTE to a 1.0. So that means working full-time plus. We were running hubs where we were injecting people with you know these immunizations and seeing up to a thousand people a day at one of the places that I was supporting. I had shifted to an evening shift, and so that meant I was not getting home until you know 7:30 at night sometimes. And I had little kids at the time. Yeah, so you know, stress at an all-time high in the world, like this is a pandemic, yeah, and we're in healthcare, and so we're it. Yes, and started to have some like blood pressure issues at the time too, and just like stress, you know, and so it was the combo of the pain and this that got me into Pilates. And as I was doing Pilates, I was realizing that an hour would go by in class and I hadn't thought about any of that other stuff. And I was starting to sleep a little better at night instead of waking up with that pain in my neck, and I was starting to just see these benefits come through, and that's when I was like, more people need to know about this. Most people think of like on Instagram the reformer, right? And and that is absolutely a part of Pilates, but it's an entire system of exercises, there's a whole bunch of different things that happen there, and um, I wanted to learn how to teach it. So I went and figured out okay, what are my options? Yeah, what can I do as a mom, as a nurse? Not let any of these other things be sacrificed, but let's enhance and let's make it all come together. And so I started with Peak Pilates, which is a major um nationally, internationally recognized uh group that does uh equipment and teaching. So, like all of your lifetime uh gyms in the area, if you know that chain, most of their instructors they'll help support put through that program. So I went through that program with a bunch of um fitness instructors, and I'm over here in my little nurse outfit, like, hi guys. I just really love Plotties and I just really want to learn more.

SPEAKER_03 34:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:02

Um, so totally stuck out, but made some really good friends along the way. And after I did the initial like level one, I started teaching and I just knew I needed more. I wanted to know more. I wanted to teach on all the equipment, I wanted to be able to teach advanced clients and people who are just beginning the whole spectrum.

Kelly 34:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:25

So I went back and did a whole year-long program and spent like 500 hours in this program learning more. Okay. And then I realized after going through all of that and teaching at studios, learning more about the way Pilates is marketed out there that I wanted to do it my way. And that's where I live in the North Metro. I'm up in like the Fries South Coon Rapids area. Yeah. It's um a little bit of a Pilates desert up there. Like you can go, there's a couple places you can go up there, but not like a small boutique studio where you know it's a small class size, and you don't have to pay to be a member of a gym as well in order to go, which is a barrier for some people. And I want my goal is for people to be able to afford Pilates, sure and be able to come and do Pilates, like just to make it more accessible to people. So um, that's where I was like, I I want to offer this in my area and make people aware that we're here and of all the health benefits of doing Pilates. Like, you know, you can have goals of wanting to get ripped and be thin and all of those things. But in the end, like I'm I'm like more how about we look at your core strength and your mobility and your balance and your sense of self.

Kelly 36:04

I think it's interesting um that those are some of the key components that you focus on. It is very much in line with like when you are working with a physical therapist, they are talking through these things, right? Yeah, you know, uh like how do you feel about your core strength? And let's work through some mobility exercises and stuff. And the reason that I even know this is because I too also have my own physical therapist who is prescribing me, and the and I mean that word in the best way possible, these exercises that focus on that core strength and the mobility piece so that I can feel good about the right side of my body. Those that are avid listeners here of this podcast have heard me time and time again talk about some of the like issues that I have had with my right side. And so there have been a few occasions where I've implemented Pilates into what my like workout regimen looks like. And so I'm like, maybe I should, because I really love strength training. Like that's sort of been my go-to. And you should do both.

SPEAKER_00 37:16

Yes. That's the thing I always like Pilates is not the one final answer to everything. It is not, it is a complement to strength training and cardio.

Kelly 37:26

Great way to put it, Lindsay. Like, that's such a great way to put it, and it's affirming for me. So thank you for saying that because I think all too often people make an assumption like if I'm gonna do strength training, it's gotta be, it's gotta be that. Like it has to be just strength training. Or if I'm gonna do Pilates, it's gotta be just Pilates or yoga or whatever, versus going, well, how like evaluate your week, right? I'm giggling, I'm giggling too for a couple of different reasons. One, I'm giggling at myself and just like how silly it has been sometimes for me, like kind of getting into these like routines, like this is exactly what I need to do, versus going like, what does my body actually need? But the other reason I was giggling is because I do think that there is, and and maybe we can spend just a little bit of time in this area. Um, if you've got knowledge and expertise around it, but like your flow, you know what I mean? Wink wink, your flow. Yes. And like when you're going through your luteal versus your ovulate, like all of those things and how the movement of your body can be adjusted as well. But I this is sort of a a conversation I think that I ultimately ultimately needed to hear in the sense on a personal note of incorporation of the strength training, the walking, that sort of movement, and then also Pilates, which is a beautiful form of movement. It really is. It is very challenging for me. It is very, very challenging for me. But I also think that it's like when you finish up with it, I think any sort of exercise, when you finish up with it, and you're like, I did that. Yeah, feel a little energized. You do feel a little bit more energized. So thank you for sharing that. I really, I really appreciate that you added that note on top of all of this. Incredible information. Like it Pilates isn't the end all be all. So thank you. I am very curious because I know without a shadow of a doubt, just the little bit that I know of you in the phone conversation and now having this interview. What do you think makes you stand out versus like what's the club Pilates of the world? We might have talked about this. I think I don't think we and frankly, the the like the last thing that I just want to share is I have never been to a club Pilates. I have literally only ever done Pilates, like phoned a few people on YouTube and gone, okay, I'm gonna like I'm gonna do this 25, 30 minute Pilates session and get my butt kicked. So I let me just preface this by saying I've never been to a Club Pilates and I have not had the opportunity yet to see like be in your studio and experience that. But I am curious because I know if you are the researcher that you say you are, you have done your research on what makes you stand out versus the club Pilates.

SPEAKER_00 40:43

Yeah, and first I just want to preface and say I never want to make it sound like I'm like trying to make myself sound better because I think there is a place and a space for all of us out there teaching Pilates. Yes. Like there's a budget point, there's a community point, there's there's a reason for all of it, and there's room for all of us. But but you also want to pimp yourself.

Kelly 41:08

Well, pardon my French by using a word like that, but you also like there is that component you want to sell yourself.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Yeah. And so I mean, really, what sets me apart is my background as a nurse, the fact that I do dig in and try to understand what's going on with you as an individual. And my classes are smaller, yeah. So I have the smaller class size, I have the ability to tailor to the people that are in the room. Like if I know that I've got a couple gals coming in that have knee stuff and they aren't going to be kneeling, like we won't go there, or I'll give them a modification so that we can all still do and get into the muscles that we want to work, but we're not making you feel like you're having to hurt yourself to do it, right? And and not to say that they wouldn't do that, but it's my smaller class sizes that really give that space for me to do that. And then I also offer one-to-ones and I offer small group sessions where if you're someone that says, you know what, I have these things going on and I just want some one-on-one attention so we can dig into my right side of my body and figure out what's happening. Yeah, and I love you. Yeah. So, you know, there's room for that too. And then, like, say you have a friend and you're like, I just don't want to come into a group class and try this for the first time. I want my best friend to come with me and we're gonna do it together, or you know, I'm gonna have my spouse or partner come with me. Um, so just trying to create room again for people to show up who they are and feel known.

Kelly 42:40

I am the one thing that is really catching me right now, Lindsay, is the fact that you are you're running this business and it's a business model too. So I want to get to that too, like how you did how you came to this decision of like having classes and then one-on-one and maybe smaller group sessions as well. There's something there to that that I want to talk through so that the listeners understand. Yeah, because it's unique. Um, but you are where I'm going with all of this is like you are you're working in the RN space 0.6.

Boutique Pilates And Accessibility

Kelly 43:21

What does that mean in context of hours?

SPEAKER_00 43:23

Yeah. So what that means is I work Monday through Thursday, but I work shorter days. So a point six is 24 hours a week. Okay. And so normally people would work three days, yeah, three eight-hour days, but instead I work for like 6.25 hours. You've you've designed that yourself. Well, I have amazing leaders who are able to see that from a business standpoint in my clinic side, I can get to more clinics, I can support more people by being there that extra day. But then also I can run my business mornings and evenings. Evenings and then I have one full day a week on Fridays that I can see people individually. Um, and I can, you know, see people individually or in small groups around the class times that I have.

Kelly 44:13

So it's so wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 44:14

Yeah. Okay.

Kelly 44:16

Where I am going with all of this is we're gonna start to piece in the motherhood component. That's super important. And that is that's that's like up here above listeners. Can't see me right now, but like I'm motioning up, like you know, God, family, everything else. You and I are in alignment with that. Yep. How are you? How do you feel harmonization looks like with all of this? Do you feel like it is there's a really beautiful harmony with all of it, or has it stretched you?

SPEAKER_00 44:57

I'm gonna be completely honest, I am stretched, but it's also absolutely beautiful music. Like I in fact, my husband said this the other night when we were both just kind of like processing through what do we have to do this week? What do the kids have going on? You're teaching then, I'm doing this because he's a director in his role, and he oversees a school district, and so he's facilitating things there too. And so it's like, okay, what all do we have to accomplish? And then we were kind of saying, like, are we doing a good job? Like, are we doing a good job? Like reevaluating. And he's like, But you know what? Our kids have the opportunity to see us both working hard, building something and doing it with purpose. And amen, sister, yeah, and so it's like there are ugly days. I am not gonna lie. We've had a couple lately, yeah. You know, it's not perfect, but but our boys, I have a an 11-year-old, okay, which that age I mentioned earlier, too. So it's very bittersweet there. And I have a seven almost eight-year-old. Okay. And they're both, they're such dudes. And dude, I get it.

Kelly 46:11

I'm literally gonna say that because we have you didn't get a chance to meet the boys, I don't think, right? No, they weren't getting to meet them. Well, they they must have been downstairs. Usually they come up and keep um greet guests. Okay. Um, but I know that they were like busy, like helping to clean up around the space so that you could walk into a clean house. I was impressed.

SPEAKER_00 46:32

I honestly was impressed how clean it is.

Kelly 46:36

It's been this has been a touchy point for me because I like I want the listeners and I want you to understand that it is not always like that. We have three kids total. Yeah, you dogs, and it's a lived-in house. Yep. And I I like I do also on the other side of that coin want my guests. If if you're here for the podcast or if you're coming to have dinner, to be able to walk into a space where it is it's clean and it smells fresh and it smells nice, and you know, maybe you get a little undertone of like spilled milk or dogs because it's a lived-in hub life. Yeah, that's life. So uh there's only so much you can mask, but um, I feel you like the they're dudes, like I we have an 11-year-old also gonna be 12 this year, and a nine-year-old going to be 10 this year. So you're right in this space totally in sports and everything. Sports activities, you know, and it's um my hundredth episode. I had two individuals on who we just talked through this like season of life that a lot of us as moms and parents go through where you're you're harmonizing being a woman, you're harmonizing being a business owner, and you're also harmonizing your kids' activities in the midst of all of that and just how absolutely bonkers it can be sometimes and it's a story for another day, but like I'm sure you get it.

SPEAKER_00 48:12

Oh, a hundred percent. In fact, I can tell you a story. We had our baseball championship playoff game on Monday night, and my son's house team has been undefeated all season, except for one game by one run, which we believe we all believe was a bad call, but that's it. It was it was it was bittersweet because this team that they played on Monday night, one of the young boys on that team um was on their travel team all season, and so they all played together.

Kelly 48:42

Oh, sure.

SPEAKER_00 48:42

So just want to make sure I'm painting the picture here that these boys on my son's team played with this other boy all season, but then he was on a different house team. Okay, they played for the championship Monday night, and this kiddo struck out our players. He's a fabulous pitcher, fabulous player. Yeah, but you could just see the hearts being ripped out, like you know, trying to felt that way too.

Kelly 49:09

But then at the same time, like they're boys, they're so come like if you have the competitive gene in you, like you're gonna just totally want to win.

SPEAKER_00 49:17

Yes, but all the parents, we were so I mean, we were so good about you know, you guys played so hard, you did so well, like congrats to this other team, and we all just acknowledge though how hard that was, and to be able to, you know, walk our kids through this, right? These are 11 and 12-year-old boys who wanted to win so bad, and they did, but just not first place, yeah, right? Second in the league is still really good, it's still good, yeah. But it's so but it wasn't first place, no, and so it's like as parents, we're growing together too. Yeah. Like, how do we walk through things like this and teach them to navigate? And and it's all just a lot. It sure is, yeah.

Kelly 50:07

All right, we're gonna just do a little spin here. Okay. I want to know what's the anniversary of your business?

SPEAKER_00 50:13

Yeah, so I'm gonna give you two answers. One is when I officially started teaching, which is which was in March a year ago. Like I started teaching. So it was a year here in March of 2026, and I was just doing math classes because I didn't have equipment yet. So that's like the the growth of my business, too, is um, I was able to order, you know, my reformers and my other equipment and start that in June. So it's officially been a year as of last month. Okay. So still a baby business, but yeah, like having so much fun. I have found the most amazing, or maybe they've found me. Maybe I should say it like that. I've had the most amazing clients, students, find me. Yes, and this group of people that are dedicated and respectful and fun. Yeah. And I just I've been meeting these amazing people, it's amazing souls.

Kelly 51:12

You can tell that it's like filled your cup on up in a very different way, and it's always fun when that is the case because I feel that when it comes to how this podcast community is growing, and just all of the women that I get what like an incredible opportunity to learn from, first and foremost, because frankly, it doesn't matter if you are year one in your business or year five or year 20. I'm always learning something. Totally. And I think like so many of the listeners understand that themselves

Systems For Time And Growth

Kelly 51:54

as well. So, okay, so the other thing that I have written down that I want to talk through, and I think that this can this can be applicable to both house hold and also your business, but systems. Like, talk to me about what systems look like for you to be able to push the needle forward. Cause I do think like you have to, you should I shouldn't say have to, but it's almost a necessary component to be able to allow the business and the household to grow the way that they need to. What do systems look like for you?

SPEAKER_00 52:33

Yeah, good question. And really, it's about organization and our family. I mean, my husband and I have to communicate really well with each other. And a few years ago, um, we took the whiteboard off the wall and put everything in Google Calendar, like in our calendars so that we can see what's going on with the other. Um, you have to get comfy with technology and you just have to be in a place. Yeah, totally. And then with my business, same thing. Like I use an app for people to book. Okay. Because I think we all need autonomy too, right? We need the ability to arrange our own lives. And so if you know you can't be in class tomorrow, cancel yourself out, find a different day that works for you. Yeah, so it's it's about that piece of me not having to sit there and get 10 texts at night about what people need, and then just giving people the room and the space to do what they need to do. Yep.

Kelly 53:29

And talk me through what that process looked like for you a year ago. Were these components that you had been thinking through leading into opening the business, opening the studio, or was it something that you you just uh like you dove in and then you were like, Oh, I need about this in the scheduling arena.

SPEAKER_00 53:59

Let's implement an app. Thankfully, I had been working at a different studio as as a teacher, a sub-teacher. Okay, and I would get like literally 10 texts, and people would be trying to switch things. And I just remember making this mental note of like, I just spent an hour texting back and forth with these different people to help them find a different spot that would work for them and make sure that things would work for them, and I it's it was actually not time I was getting paid for. Um, because I would only get taught for the time or paid for the time that I was teaching for the hour that I taught class. And so it's like, this isn't working, and so that's where I made the mental note of you know, it's not just for me, but it's also for that other person to give them that ability. Yeah.

Kelly 54:52

So what else do you feel is important when it comes to some of the learnings that you have encountered in starting the business and having a, you know, you're here, you've had you have a year under your belt.

SPEAKER_00 55:08

Yeah.

Kelly 55:09

What do you think is important for the listeners to understand that you felt like you have learned and grown through in building this baby business?

SPEAKER_00 55:18

Yeah, I love that question. And honestly, I've been reflecting a lot on it lately because just like we talked about earlier, Pilates is a complement to other things, and I truly believe it's part of that integrative health space.

SPEAKER_03 55:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 55:33

So the thing that I've been working on growing through this past year and want to continue to grow is finding connections with other professionals, such as physical therapists, such as chiropractors, such as providers who are willing to see the potential benefits of Pilates and or maybe they're already aware and they want someone to work with. So that's what I've been really thinking about is who's my village, right? Like as a professional. And then the other thing is, you know, I don't do the strength training piece, but I know that people need it. And it can be the magic combo sometimes that makes their goals come true, kind of thing. Like when you're doing both Plotties and strength training. So who are my people in the community that I trust to refer my clients to that are going to listen to them, that are gonna tailor to them what is needed and help support them. Um, so that's what I've been really processing through and love it, and also just that awareness of like when you build a relationship with another professional, you know, there's a balance between okay, here's who you are at home and like your personal life, and then here's who you are as a professional and the things you offer, and like just you know, finding those people where the way we operate in business is similar or same, like same values, yes.

Kelly 57:09

So yeah, yeah, what do you feel like is or has been the hardest challenge for you in starting the business and sort of a realization of self? Does that make sense? Like I think that there is such a uh like a growth opportunity that we go through as business owners, yeah, where we become more and more self-aware of areas where we're like, yeah, we shine in this area, but perhaps we do not shine in some of these other areas.

SPEAKER_00 57:47

Yeah.

Kelly 57:47

The reason I asked this question is because my husband and I in the real estate business are literally going through this right now. It's understanding that, you know, we're husband and wife, right? First and foremost, but then we're business partners as well. And there's skill sets that each one of us bring to the table, but then there's also skills like skills that neither of us are really good at. And what does that mean in terms of like a future higher for ourselves, right? Or implementing um a virtual component where you've got like AI pieced in to sort of help support those areas where you're like, I suck at this, I need help. So, where do you feel some of those areas might be for you and how you've sort of overcome that as well?

SPEAKER_00 58:39

Yeah. So I really need another teacher or more that are like-minded and have a similar approach. Um, but I'm at the point where I can't take on more, you know, people want to take class in the evenings, right? After work. Yeah. And I have my children that I want to see after work. And so I teach two nights a week, but that's all I'm really willing to give up right now. Yeah. So that's fair. In order for my business to grow, to and and it's not about growth per se, as it's about how do I offer people more options so that this fits into their lives.

SPEAKER_03 59:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:22

And I am not going to be able to do that unless I can find another instructor or a couple that have like a similar approach. Yeah. And so putting that out there, people know anybody. Um, I love it. Would love to connect. And I especially love when you know, people are just willing to learn as an educator as an RN. It's like, I don't expect you to know everything, but I want you to be willing to learn and I want you to dig into Pilates in a way that is um the fundamentals. And so we're offering people quality, yes, um, quality service and just being ready to grow in that way.

Kelly 1:00:08

One of the questions that I um I do like to ask of the listeners is like, who would be a good connection for you? And you've already answered that. Like, that's a that's a really great ask. Let's go deeper. Okay, and let's stretch this. What would the qualifications of that individual in the most ideal manner look like for you to feel comfortable to pull the trigger and hire them?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:32

Yeah, that's a great question because that's something I've wrestled with over the last year, and when I've talked with others, and what it comes down to is I would want that person to have their national plotties certification, whomever they would choose to go to for a program. Okay, it is okay with me because it's a one final like test at the end that they take, but that's not it. You have to still be willing to keep learning and growing because after you do that program, you're still a baby instructor. Yeah, like you're still learning, like you can learn how to teach people exercises, but I'll fully admit too, I'm still learning. How do I look at the body in front of me and see what they're doing and and modify and help them find those connections that they need? And it's an it's a lifelong practice. So I would want someone who's willing to pursue that certification, but is is hungry for knowledge and like a forever learner.

Kelly 1:01:35

Forever learner, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:37

And as long as you've got that, everything else comes into alignment.

Kelly 1:01:42

Do you this might be a silly question, but I know on our end, as real estate advisors, we need to keep up with continuing education. And that happens on an annual basis, and we need to have it completed by the end of June every single year. Is that the same case in the world of Pilates or just health and wellness? Uh I know the answer is yes for some of some of the other individuals that I've had on the podcast that are in that health and wellness space. They probably have like their NASA and certification or with what you're speaking to, is there that sort of additional ongoing continuing education to keep up with the certification that you have in place?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:31

Yes. So with this national Pilates certification, it's every two years you have to have completed a certain number of credits of continuing education in order to renew that. But here's what I'll just put out there is not everybody has their certification.

unknown 1:02:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:48

And they say they teach Pilates.

Kelly 1:02:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:50

So Pilates is super popular right now.

Kelly 1:02:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:53

It's something that you know most people want to try because they've heard about it and so it's in its era, right? We're in our Pilates era. But as a result, there are people who are taking a weekend-long class or have like looked at things on YouTube and now they're teaching Pilates. And that's not the same as someone who has spent an entire year underneath a master instructor learning Pilates and then continues to do ongoing education and go deeper into the practice.

Kelly 1:03:28

This is so good. This is so, so good. And I think that you are speaking to and not to discredit some of these people because um we don't know, we don't know what their background is, and um, but at the same time, the importance of doing your research before, like as a consumer, right? Yes, the importance of understanding, and this is sort of like a like I'm sort of pointing the thumb back at myself because uh some of these YouTube channels that I've found, they're YouTube channels, and I'm like, I don't know, do they actually have a certification or not?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:10

I don't know, and that's where, like, I mean, you doing Pilates at home, that's great. You know, I encourage people to come to the studio though, come to class once, twice a week, somewhere around there, a couple times, maybe even three times is like ideal. But most people financially, whatever, they come in once a week. It's there that I'm able to apply what I've learned and see what you're doing while you move and correct like shoulders down and out of your ears, you know. Like so many of us are walking around with our shoulders and our ears.

Kelly 1:04:41

You know, I have to remind myself of that constantly.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:44

Yeah, or even like check yourself now. Anyone who's listening, like, think about this. When you bend over to take stuff out of the dryer, is your belly hanging down?

Posture And Core For Aging Well

SPEAKER_00 1:04:53

If you're putting something in the oven, yeah, is your belly in and up? Like, what are you doing with your core while you're doing these things? Guarantee you're just letting it all hang out, friend.

Kelly 1:05:03

Sit here, sit here with me for a minute. So the I like this. This is a nice, like, tangible gold nugget of information that listeners like in addition to everything else, but like tell myself and the listeners what you mean by that and what's a way to overcome something as as simple as like you're doing laundry or you're doing, you know, getting stuff in and out of the oven, and how you can be focused on your core.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:33

Yeah. So it's that idea again that are we lifting in and up and supporting our spine and keeping things engaged while we are bending over and picking something up off the floor or you know, doing things around the house and in the garden. It it all applies, or even my favorite one, you guys, is when you're driving and you're in traffic, because we are a lot around here. Are your shoulders in your Ears, are you clenching? Are you sitting slumped forward? Or are you sitting up? And is there length in the back of your neck? And are your shoulders down and back? And yeah. So just finding that translation into day-to-day life of how we're holding ourselves in alignment.

Kelly 1:06:18

I love this. I literally probably 10-15 minutes before you got here, Lindsay. I was in here just getting everything prepped in this space. And I hear Joe out there with the boys. And it's not the first time that he has said this to them, but he's like, You guys, sit up straight. Yes. Like, sit up straight. You are hunched over. Like, do you see this? And he literally like went back behind both of them and he goes, Um, I want you to sit up straight. I'm literally gonna show you how hunched over you are.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:56

I could hear all of this as I was prepping in here, and I'm like, this is exactly what I'm talking about because we form these habits, you know, and our kids are in school.

Kelly 1:07:07

They're they have iPads and they're oh, they're like they're like Han will be down in his in his um bedroom space and he'll be on his iPad, hunched over like this in the dark, and I'm like, dude. There's more eyes too, dude. But yeah, seriously, like and and I get the eye roll and stuff, you know, because this is like they're at that age where it's like, oh but what do you know?

SPEAKER_00 1:07:33

It applies to all ages though, too. So in my studio, I have some 70-some-year-olds that come and take class.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:41

Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:42

It's so great. And the thing about it, and they laugh too, it's like the art of lying down. Like, try laying on a flat floor once and see if you can get your upper back all the way flat, your head down, yeah, your pelvis heavy, and there's just that little gap between your low back, but like just being able to lay flat like that is hard for people as they age. And we need to be able to do that. We need to be able to get down on the floor, get off again. And then how high can you lift your arms overhead? You know, can you reach and get things out of the pantry or put things up in your closet and like maintain that over your lifetime? Yeah, because people get restricted. So that was really good.

Kelly 1:08:25

Yeah. How did we get on that?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:27

I don't know. I feel like we were talking about something and we maybe left that hanging a little. So apologize to everyone on that.

Kelly 1:08:34

We totally didn't. And then we went down this path, but I think for me, I'm just so amazed at the our bodies, right? They are they're incredible, and they can heal, like they can. Yeah, this is a nice little segue into talking about your healing journey.

Getting Answers On Chronic Pain

SPEAKER_00 1:08:52

Yeah, let's talk about it. So, um, I know I had shared with you when I first got here today that I had actually finally gotten some answers about what was going on with my neck pain. Yeah. And um, so just to give context for the people who are listening again, you know, this was something I mentioned after my first baby I started to deal with. So we're talking about he's 11 now, so about 11 years ago. Yeah. So we're talking a really long time to be kind of trying to figure out what's going on, what's causing it. I mean, I didn't have like a known, oh, you were in a car accident or you had some sort of trauma that happened. It's like, why does my neck keep hurting like this? Yeah. Um, long story short, I saw an integrated provider, waited a year to see her, and so grateful I did because there's such a backlog of people who want to see these providers, and there just aren't enough of them out there. So if anyone's feeling a nudge to become an integrated provider, look into that because you're looking at the whole person and how everything fits together. You're not just drilling in on one body system, yeah, it's the whole thing. So she got the ball rolling for me, and we were able to figure out that it has something to do with my parathyroid, which we always talk about our thyroid. Yeah. But the parathyroid are these little glands behind the thyroid. And long story short, minor are hyperactive and have been for many years. And so what that can cause is muscle aches, bone pain, joint pain. And you know, it flares up a little for me and gets bad, and then it gets manageable again. And I've been living this way for a very long time, and I'm just so grateful to have finally gotten some answers and be on a path where we can hopefully get this solved. Sure. Um, but what it's really taught me as well is you know, when you let people in and let them see what you're going through, and not everyone is going to be believe you. Yeah. Not everyone is going to really, you know, take the time.

Kelly 1:11:18

Yeah. I think the I think what you're probably speaking to, and what so many women who have been on the podcast have spoken to is, you know, shifting from like I I encountered this problem, right? Whether it was pre-baby, post-baby, most of the time it's post-baby. And there's something that's coming up because our bodies are absolutely incredible as women, what we go through birthing babies. Yeah. But it also comes with sacrifice. And sometimes the sacrifice is like what's happening to our bodies after the fact. I know this to be true with my body right now, like after Maddie came. Like things changed, fundamentally changed, and you know, chronic issues come up, and we're like, who do we talk to? And you feel like the natural path is to talk to a primary giver, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:12:20

Um, what I just primary caregiver, and that's a place to start. Yes. They are the place to start. And actually, when I had gone back to my primary doctor just a week ago for my yearly physical, she's like, So, how things are going? Because she had referred me out. Beautiful, and we were in tears together because of the fact that we finally figured this out and it's been going on for so long. And honestly, I was grateful that she saw the human side of it of like this has been my life, and you know, there's so much that maybe could have been a little bit different, too, yeah, as a result of that. But that's where it's coming full circle for me totally that I am able to create this space where people can come and do a kind of movement that might help, yeah, when they're experiencing pain or wanting to heal from something. Um it's fantastic. Yeah, I'm just grateful.

Kelly 1:13:20

Where do you feel you talked a little bit about creating that village of support around you? I like to call it like your A team, right? Like the A-team people that you have around you. Um, my husband and I talk about this when it comes to the real estate business, like having an A plus plus bookkeeper and A plus A plus plus CPA, A financial advisor, like that's our A plus team, right? And I also think that when it comes to how we're operating in in the business, like that is important too in terms of like who are our A plus vendors that we know, like I can have a conversation with you, and I've got somebody who I have as a client, and I can I can literally refer them to you because I know without a shadow of a doubt that you're gonna take care of them. And vice versa, right? Because I think of it like bread and butter, like who's your bread and butter? Yeah. So when you're when you're thinking about this, it sounds like physical therap physical therapists, potentially chiropractors, primary caregivers.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:33

Yeah. And also I the other types of movement too, where it's like being able to send someone to a really great strength trainer. Yeah. Um, which there's a gym that I've been working with, and totally trust them with clients. But people live all over, right? And so having those connections and there's the specialty aspect of it too, like pelvic floor therapy. I mean, yeah, when I have women come into class and it's like sometimes they'll share things with me because they know I'm an RN and and I'll hear what's going on. And it's like if you're having some of those uncomfortable symptoms, you know, that mamas sometimes do, it's like okay, where can I send you to get you connected with someone that's going to listen and help you get what you need from a pelvic floor therapy system?

Kelly 1:15:27

I have three individuals that are coming to mind that we can talk about after the fact that would be a really great connection for you. Great. And I know it like since you are um you're up in that Coon Rapids um Ramsey area, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:15:41

Ramsey. So Ramsey's north of there. Okay. But yeah, Coon Rapids, Fridley. Fridley, sorry. Oh, you're good down. Yeah. Okay. We have a big Twin Cities area.

Kelly 1:15:55

All right. Yeah, I definitely have three individuals that I think are gonna be great connections for you when it comes to um being able to look at the holistic component for a woman that's coming into your studio. So I always like to ask

Identity, Hue, And Body Confidence

Kelly 1:16:14

this question. So it's been sort of a relatively new question on the docket. So forgive me if it wasn't on the uh uh prep email list of questions. Um, but I'm curious. The name of this podcast is called Reclaiming Your Hue for a reason. Um, it's it really boils down to like identity shifts that we go through as women, as mothers, as business owners. And I started the podcast because I was experiencing an identity shift for myself, and it wasn't a good one, but it has led to such a beautiful shedding of self and reformation of a new kind of identity. And I think of it in terms of like colors of pink, right? The flamingo that loses its color when it has its babies and then starts to regain these beautiful pink, the pink coloring back. What do you feel like your hue is right now?

SPEAKER_00 1:17:20

And so are you speaking in terms of like color?

Kelly 1:17:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:24

Like what sort of shade of pink do you think that you are right now? I would say that I'm somewhere around darker than blush pink. Okay. And I say that because I'm not pale, I'm not totally gone, like a mama who's just had her baby, the flamingo that you're talking about. But I'm I'm re- I'm gaining my strength and I'm connecting everything that I've done so far together. And this is the first time I've been able to do that and really show how being a caregiver, creating a healing space, and offering something that is complementary is possible in one business and with a purpose.

Kelly 1:18:19

So that's really good. I like that. P. S. You can see there's so much blush pink around here. I love it. And for the for the longest time, like that was it was a color that I gravitated towards, and then I got my colors done and realized like pastelli colors are not very complementary for me. Or if I'm going to wear like a lighter pink color, it has to be offset with a complementary color for me to sort of like balance that out.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:53

So but there's many shades of pink out there, so many, more of a jewel tone is probably where you would go, right?

Kelly 1:19:01

Yes, yep, yeah, out there, yeah, for sure. Um, it was just having this stark realization that the your favorite colors one of the favorite colors, and also having a lot of that in the wardrobe. You're like, oh I need to revamp this a little bit. Yeah, yeah, and it's all good. It's okay. Um, that's a different kind of like um identity shift, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:30

Like you said, it's an evolution for sure. It was rooted in some more self-awareness, right? Like, oh, actually. Yeah. But then how do I continue to work with this?

Kelly 1:19:41

I couldn't agree more. Lindsay, I'm curious if you maybe you have already touched on this, but I think that there's moments in time that we as women go through when it comes to parenting and then also managing sort of the day-to-day operations of a business as well, where we sort of hit a rock bottom. And I realize that you are in, you know, like you've got year one underneath your belt. And um, maybe you haven't experienced this at when you know these intersections are happening together, but um, maybe it was before. And again, maybe you've already talked about it because I know that your your journey with um healing and stuff has been challenging to stays, to say the least. So I don't want to put words in your mouth. I'm just curious if there's something different that we haven't talked about that you'd like to speak to and how you've moved and worked through that.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:44

I mean, when we're talking about, you know, sense of identity, the thing that that I'll just call out, the folks on this call, they can't see me, but I'm not like a skinny mini person. I'm not. I am I am someone, I'm a size 14 mama. And I would say the thing personally that I've had to work through and think through as I've started this business and put myself out there is you know, are people gonna think I'm not a good Pilates instructor because I'm a size 14?

Kelly 1:21:18

You're not real thin.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:19

Yep. This is the or Pilates isn't actually gonna help me because, you know, she doesn't look the way I want to look.

Kelly 1:21:26

Oh, okay. And so tell me more about this.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:29

Yeah. So, you know, that's my own issue to work through. And I've I'd say I've really grown a lot over the last few years with that because it was something when I started with my training that I was like, oh, am I gonna look like an imposter? Like I mentioned, I started with all these fitness buff people in this peak Pilates program.

Kelly 1:21:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:51

And, you know, they're these like people that are able to spend time in the gym every day and get super buff. And I'm a mom that's working as a nurse. Yeah. And now I'm running a business and I have my own personal practice. Like I do Pilates regularly, I see an instructor, but I'm not gonna be that person that you pick out of the lineup that you're like, oh yeah, she's you know, she's got the body I want, kind of thing. And what it comes down to though is like I've got more to offer than just looks. Like I'm gonna get to know you and get to know what's going on. And it's about being strong, not being skinny.

Kelly 1:22:38

You're creating a like a um, how do I how do I say this? It's like a you're creating a glitch in what like the the taboo um fabric looks like when people think of Pilates, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:22:54

I think that's empowering, and that's what I want it to be. I want people to come into my studio and be like, if she's doing Pilates, I can do Pilates and people feel empowered by that and not feel intimidated by that. Because let me tell you, if I had a dollar for every time someone said, I can't do Pilates, that's too hard. Like I've seen that, I've seen what those people do, and there's no way I'm doing that.

Kelly 1:23:22

It is hard, but everything worth living for is hard. Being a mom is hard, being a business owner is hard, but there's so much beauty when you're going through some of these challenging circumstances. Like, I I won't sugarcoat what it looks like to be a mom ever, or what it looks like to be a business owner ever, or what it looks like to incorporate a workout routine into your life. Oh my gosh. It's gonna be hard. But you just have to just decide and discern like how much hard do you want to have in your life? If you want to have the easy button pressed all the time, you're gonna coast through life and you're not gonna see really incredible, impactful breakthroughs. Wow, I just got really passionate about that.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:12

But I couldn't agree with you more. And I I appreciate that we're on the same page with that too, because that's definitely, you know, been a challenge for me in this business. Because when you teach Pilates, it's not just about teaching, it's about doing it too, and being able to do it yourself. And that all takes time, right? You have to be able to integrate that into all the other things, being a mom. Yeah. And, you know, I'm also working as a nurse. And yeah, and also I can't leave my husband out of this. Like for sure. There's that too, right? Because you work with your husband. I admire that. Thank you. He and I have already discussed that that's not an option.

Kelly 1:24:51

But it's okay. Never say never.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:55

Never say never.

Kelly 1:24:56

There definitely is a sense of humor around that in my life there, but yeah, I mean, but truly like never say never, because you just never know what sort of evolution of what your business could look like. And I know we touched on this a little bit when we spoke on the phone in preparation of getting you onto the podcast lens, but that actually leads me into a nice little segue of a question that I wanted to ask you. Is like, what would first and foremost, like what would need to be true? And sorry for like, you know, individuals who are listening right now that potentially work with you in that RN space, but like, what would need to be true for you to say, okay, it's time to set down this beautiful journey of being in the RN space and go full on in into what you're building with the Pilates studio.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:48

Or do you not want that? I love that you also asked that because one thing that I am continuously up against is the assumption that that is my ultimate goal, is to quit nursing and to run a studio. And I'm not feeling called to do that right now. I'm really feeling the need to continue to do both for a lot of reasons. And that's where I'm looking for like-minded instructors. I want to create a community of teachers too, yeah, and then see where that evolves. That's what it would have to happen, is I would have to see a community of teachers start to grow.

Kelly 1:26:38

Yeah, I think that there's when it comes to having a business, right? And deciding, you know, sometimes the decision is made for you, or sometimes you make the decision, right? In terms of building this bigger than what you ever had anticipated. And there comes a point of like that scale and what what needs to be true, right? And sometimes that means like uh it it needs more of me in the business. Or I have been in the business, which is something like my husband is starting to realize, like, I've been in the business. I have built this real estate business, and it may call for bringing somebody else on that can take over some of the duties that I otherwise have taken on to build something incredible, you know? And so I think it's just a matter of like one discerning the path of God for you, right? Like we can absolutely agree to this. Yes, whatever he desires. And just being open to receive, right? Like open to receiving whatever that might actually look like. Because if there's anything that I've learned, I wonder what you might say about this as well. Is the path that we think it's gonna go versus the reality of what it is. Sometimes looks a little bit different. So I do I I love I love that I and I don't know why I text that as like, or do you want to actually grow the business, you know, further and be able to say it's time to put this season of being an RN to rest and go full on in. So I'm grateful that I did ask that question because I for some reason got a sense like it doesn't have to be that way for you. No, and that's not what a beautiful thing. Yeah, that's really amazing. I am curious though, if you have thought about, because you've got the studio up in that Coon Rapids Fridley area, what what it could look like to have a couple different locations.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:50

Well, that would definitely require me to not be an RN anymore. And what I'm gonna say is like right now I'm working on fine-tuning what I offer and wanting to build, like I mentioned, yeah, a community of teachers, have that sort of foundation, and then see where I'm led. Okay. And because I'm approaching this from the health benefits of it and wanting to connect with providers, I would like to see how that could potentially look as well and evolve.

Kelly 1:29:33

Um I feel like you have a couple different pathways that it could it could like expand into, which is really cool. Yeah. But again, wherever God leads us, right? Right. Totally.

Faith, Risk, And Caregiver Boundaries

Kelly 1:29:48

Talk to me about what faith has looked like through you for this because you've brought it up a few times, but I'm curious if you can delve a little bit further into it.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:55

Yeah, I mentioned that I prayerfully consider before I do things, and it was a big leap of faith to decide to open this studio when I think about the timing of it. I have two young kids. Yeah, I have a fabulous job that is a day job. It's not like I'm in, I started in critical care and I was working overnights, I was working weekends, I was I don't have to do that. Yeah. So it looks nuts on all levels to be like, yeah, I'm gonna start working mornings and evenings to teach Pilates. So there was that piece of it, and then there's the financial piece of it too, right? Like, you know, we're at a stage of life where we're um almost able to pay off all of our debt, and we've worked hard for that. And then I'm like, so husband, should we start a business? And I'm gonna take out a loan and buy all this equipment and do all these things, and you know, you're taking a leap there as well. And yeah, so it it looks nuts. Sometimes I'm like, am I nuts? But then I get these amazing affirmations from people who come to my studio and they share about how good a particular class made them feel, or they share their story with me. I had a client whose husband was diagnosed with throat cancer last year. Oh, right after she started coming to the studio. And we had this long discussion about whether she should continue to do Pilates because it was something for her during this time, or if she should just pause and wait until they were done with his treatments, not knowing what his schedule was gonna be, all of that, because she's the primary caregiver. And in the end, we decided that she was she wanted to continue and that I would be flexible with her as a Christian business owner. I was like, I want to be flexible with you. Yeah, you let me know, and we'll find a different class time if you need to make a shift. Like we'll work on it. So we did. And she said that that's the fact that she knew she was coming for one hour a week and could just lay all the rest down and spend time connecting with herself. She's like, That saved me. Like, that was my time, and so it's like affirmations like that. It's like, okay, this is why you asked me to do this. This is why I'm here. So it's so beautiful, yeah.

Kelly 1:32:28

Think about that impact and how that can have I think of the domino effect that that creates, right? Um, both on uh like the positive side and and like negatively as well. And let me explain. Okay, positively you are literally you could have said sorry, yeah, and how that could have created this negative domino effect for this woman where she wasn't prioritizing sometime for herself um in conjunction to being a care grip caregiver. Because I think all a lot of times when that's the case, that does go to the wayside. And it actually is super important to be maintaining that mental health and like in a positive way.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:21

You're so right. I feel like I'm hitting a nerve. Sorry, no, but you're so right. I mean, I've been a nurse for 14 years, yeah. And I can't say enough about how important it is for caregivers to have boundaries and to also care for themselves. And it sounds logical, right? Like you're gonna say that to someone and they know it, but when you're in the reality of the throes of all the appointments and the heartache and the emotion, it's so hard to do. But then that's where having your your outlets, yeah, village, positive outlets, too.

Kelly 1:34:00

Positive outlets, that's kind of the key. And so on the positive side of that, because I think that we sort of like end this portion of that conversation with that, like you were flex, you allowed flexibility and grace for this woman and what she had been going through, and that positive impact that it had on her life, and conversely on me too.

SPEAKER_00 1:34:26

I mean, her sharing with me how that felt for her, and just in the sessions, me being able to see her release and relax and move and connect, like yeah, so healing for me too.

Kelly 1:34:44

So yeah, talk to me about what your village of support has looked like.

SPEAKER_00 1:34:49

Yeah. Honestly, it's a little spotty at times. My husband is my best friend, we do everything together and we partner together, and we're our circle of two, and then from there we have um parents that we of friends of our kids that we have gotten to be really close with over the years, and so we'll we'll swap kids. We'll be like, Hey, can you grab them and take them to school or can you pick up and go to baseball practice? And then we try to do the same.

Kelly 1:35:22

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:23

Because the thing of it is, you know, my husband's parents live way not near here, they're in Florida half the year and they're like six hours away.

Kelly 1:35:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:33

And my, you know, my mom, as I shared, passed away, and my dad is, you know, up in northern Minnesota. And so we don't have like your and not everybody does, but we don't have grandparents around. We don't have family around that we can, you know, reach out to if we have a sick kid or um, you know, you have to work late or something like that. So it's definitely uh a thing that we've had to work hard to figure out who do we trust to let in. And um who can we reach out to when we need help?

Kelly 1:36:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:36:11

And how do we do the same? How do we show up the same way for them? And so we have really close friends who um they have three kids, and their oldest is was born two days before my youngest. Oh, cute. And so, yeah, so cute. So they love that. Friends that are family. We say they're friends that are family, and so we show up for each other. I love that. And I'm so grateful for that. So yeah.

Kelly 1:36:40

I'm uh I'm curious. I don't know why this just came to me, but I'm I'm wondering like, what do the bookends of your day look like? How do you start your morning and how do you like end your evening? What are they what do they look like?

SPEAKER_00 1:36:53

Um my mornings, you know, I'm up and going. I'm someone where when that alarm goes off, I don't lay around, I'm a click and go kind of person. But let me tell you, when it's time to go to bed at night, like don't mess with me.

Kelly 1:37:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:08

A different version of Lindsay comes out. Yeah. But I always I I like to have reflection. I like to have some time to reflect on, you know, what happened that day, what am I planning for the next? And I need creativity in my life, so that's weird. So interestingly enough, like people always complain about having to post on social media and how it's like, oh my gosh, I'm posting on social like I'm a 16-year-old, so adults find my business and can come to it. But like I've kind of enjoyed it, like interesting. I don't get to be as creative as an RN, like yeah, have that artistic side come through, and so it's really filled my cup to be able to, you know, think about what I want to put out there and create. And I just wish I had more time to do it, and that's where that push-pull again of running a business and still working as an RN comes into play. It's like I don't always have the time that I want to be as creative as I want, but that's definitely something that I enjoy, and I have to get in somehow on a daily basis. So are you posting daily? No, I have a goal of once a week. Okay, you gotta start somewhere, and that's really all I have time for. Yeah. So, but I have all kinds of ideas. I have a one-note on my phone where I I jot down ideas, and I bet you I got a hundred in there. I just don't have time to make them come to life. So there's that. Maybe maybe hiring a social media manager. Well, I have a uh someone in mind that just graduated actually, and she's pretty creative, and so maybe she can build her portfolio and help me operate a little bit. Yes. We'll see.

Kelly 1:38:57

Yeah, yeah. No, that's that's a really great place to start. I was literally talking about that with my husband. Like, hey, there's all of these like Edina high schoolers that they know social media more equipped with technology and social media than we ever will be, even though we've grown up with it. Maybe we just go over and like ask, is there somebody that wants to, to your point, build a portfolio for themselves and can say that this is what they've done, you know, for a specific business? So I love that that's something that you're considering. Well, we have covered a lot of ground. Oh my gosh, yeah, a lot of bases. Can you believe that we're starting to land the plane? No, we're here. We're here, and you did it, Lindsay. Yeah, I was a little nervous. I know you were, I know you were, and it's look, it's like I always say, and it's so it's like on repeat in my head. Well, like nobody knows your story better than you do. And it's just, you know, part of my my job as the host, the in the host seat to like kind of massage that out. Yeah, pull it out, go go places, or maybe we don't explore places. So it just, you know, it just depends. But I think we're we're ready to start landing the plane. And you've you've shared so many really beautiful testaments and um dropped some really really incredible gold nuggets of information for the listeners. I know I personally have some incredible takeaways, so thank you for affirming a lot of things that I've already thought and maybe just need to like implement and become more consistent with. So I appreciate you. Um, a few more questions and then we'll wrap up.

Books, Advice, And Ways To Connect

Kelly 1:40:47

I am curious, is there a as somebody who is a forever learner? Yeah, is there a book or podcast or perhaps TV series that you are obsessing over right now?

SPEAKER_00 1:41:04

So when I'm not researching more about Pilates, yeah, yeah, because I am constantly digging into that. I really love me some Brene Brown. I love her so tell me about it. Yeah, she's she's amazing. She actually has put words to things that I've like observed and known and felt my whole life, and then it's like, oh, there's actually a science behind this, and there's like a word for that, like there's a thing for that, and so it's like okay, this is amazing. And have you read any of her books or I have the Atlas of the Heart, and so I'll go in and pull things out and read from that. Um, what first got me into her actually was on Netflix. There, this is years ago now, but there was a recording of her like speaking on stage and sharing her thoughts and her views in front of a live audience. And my husband and I watched it together, and I was just like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. I'll have to drop that into the show notes for the listeners.

Kelly 1:42:09

Do you do you recollect the name of it? I don't, but I bet we could Google it because that's okay. I'll I'll find I'll find it out.

SPEAKER_00 1:42:16

That's my way of researching it. Yeah. Um, and one of the things I'm grateful for with my my CPE team, my clinical practice educator team that I'm on is we all love to read and share with each other. And so we do uh book club every month. Cool, and yeah, we'll do podcasts, we'll do magazines, we'll do whatever we're covering at the time. And we've done Brene Brown in the past too. Love it. Chatted through.

Kelly 1:42:43

So I haven't read that book. I don't know if I actually had heard of Atlas of the Heart, but yeah, I'll have to, I'll have to check it out. Yeah, listen, Lindsay. I like so many guests on this podcast that you know, there's there are a lot of like the recurring um books that people read that are like, yep, I've I've got that one. Like Atomic Habits, Atomic Habits, Traction, Um uh Start with Why, Simon Sinic, which actually prompts like I was gonna share this with you. I actually on Instagram stumbled across a um like a podcast thing that Brene Brown was doing with Simon Sinek and one other individual that I didn't know, like I didn't recognize him. Um, but they were kind of like, you know, half moon table, the three of them, and it's bouncing back and forth, and they're just speaking wisdom into, you know, I don't know, I like I don't know what the purpose of it is, but might be something to look up. I have no idea. Like it literally was just like one little clip that came up, and I'm like, oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:43:47

Because it's it's so nice to be able to just pop something on and listen for a short while and yeah, come away with nuggets of as you've said, and feel chew on it than when you're doing other things.

Kelly 1:43:59

Oh my husband and I like will send stuff to each other all the time. It's like, hey, check this out, hey, check this out. It's just like it's like it's like mic drop moments, like mic drop moments, mic drop moments, whether it's you know, within faith and Christianity or it's within business and just like leveling up, it's like all the time he's sending me stuff. And I'm like, he's like, Hey, did you see that reel I sent you? And I'm like, which one? Because literally you've sent me like five, and I haven't I've been doing an in interview with you know a woman. I'm like, I have no idea which one you're talking about, which one? So um, so my husband and I, as you know, are in real estate, and we have such amazing opportunities to tour through houses with our our buyers and um sit down with individuals that are looking to list their property. And I've I've come to find out that there's usually always a favorite place in the house, a favorite room or favorite spot. And I'm curious what that is for you, Lindsay, in your home.

SPEAKER_00 1:45:01

I love that you asked that. And here's my current favorite spot. It's the end of the kitchen table closest to the deck door because all the sun comes in and there's this giant fig tree that is in the corner of the room that has such a presence that if I'm forget, sometimes I think there's a person standing there and I'm like, oh wait, it's the fig. It's the fig. But like I'll sit there and work on things for my business or for my RN work, and it just feels so relaxing.

Kelly 1:45:37

I love it and cozy. That's incredible. Yeah, I've learned a lot about you. Like, you love natural light, yes, the sun, plants. Yes. I'll have to show you our outdoor space here before you leave because I've created like um an a little oasis for ourselves out there with you know potted plants and stuff, and it's still a work in progress, but it definitely we were all sitting out there yesterday, and my husband's like, You've done a really nice job with this. And I'm like, Thank you. Matter of fact, obviously, I was already thinking about you because you were coming here today, but I was pulling weeds, and I was like, Oh, you had a tidy in the house and in the garden for me today. Oh no, no, no, no, no. Trust me, this was like this was like, I'm not even joking you, it was like 9:30 at night because it was still light out. And we had been sitting out there and I had been staring at these flower buds with weeds in them. And I have asked, like, we've got our skylight calendar, and I have on there for tasks like up for grabs. Good things about those skylight calendars. It's amazing. I think Jess uses it too. Yeah, it's amazing. Um, but it was it's been up for grabs for one of the kids, one of the boys to get out there and clear out the beds with you know, pulling the weeds. Nobody's done it. I'm like, I'm doing it. But I was thinking about you just in your horticulture experience and background and just the importance of metaphorically speaking, pulling out the weeds in your flower bed. I literally was thinking about this.

SPEAKER_00 1:47:20

No, that is such a good metaphor. And like honestly, doing it before they get too rooted, too big, take over all of that. Yep. Yeah.

Kelly 1:47:28

No, we're gonna have to spray out there too. Bring it out. Oh my gosh. We're bringing it out. The only challenge that I had like had to think through is we've got the two dogs, and it's like I have to be very careful and conscious of what's being sprayed back there because they're out there all the time. All the time. It's a fenced in backyard, like all the time. So, anyways, I digress. Um, I thought you would get a little giggle out of that though, because definitely, and I'm excited to see it. Yeah, thank you. Um, what's a piece of advice you would give a younger version of yourself, knowing all that you know now?

SPEAKER_00 1:48:07

I would say don't doubt yourself when you are feeling a certain way or believe something's true, like even though it's not coming up on paper or on a lab or on someone else's professional opinion. I know myself better than anyone else.

Kelly 1:48:27

That's so true. And then sometimes it just takes the professional to like nail it home for you. Yep. I love it. Or make the right thing happen next. What's a piece of advice you would give a woman listening right now that is just trying to discern between maybe those breadcrumbs that have been laid out for her and if it's the right path or not?

SPEAKER_00 1:48:52

Yeah, so dig in and talk to others that you love and trust about it, do the research on it. I mean, I know we're told like if God's asking you to do this, he'll make it happen. But we also live in a world where financially it has to work, it has to fit into your time, you have to have the right resources in place. So take your time and process through that and you will be able to figure it out. It just takes time and sometimes it's maturity to make that final decision. So that was really great advice.

Kelly 1:49:33

I love it. I'm a woman that's listening right now, and I am so appreciative of the wisdom that you have dropped. How can I get connected to you, Lindsay?

SPEAKER_00 1:49:45

I would absolutely love if you would follow me on Instagram and Facebook at Grow Strong Pilates because you never know when something I put out there will be inspiring or encouraging or make you seek something in your circle that makes a difference. And then also if you're wanting to connect in person or come check out the studio, that's where on my website I have a contact page that you can fill out. I answer it directly. I'm a one-one show here. So if you reach out, it'll be me that you're getting.

Kelly 1:50:22

That's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 1:50:24

Yeah, and we can figure out how to connect, Lindsay.

Kelly 1:50:29

This is best, it has really been an honor and so thrilling to like hear more of your story and how you are harmonizing really three key important areas of life. Being a mom, I'll start there first. Yes, it is first. Being an RN and then growing a business, and not only just growing a business, but like growing it in a very short period of time. So hats off to you. I'm glad that we got to officially meet in person. And I'll I'll just say one more thing, and I suppose it's another question, but like, is there anything that we didn't touch on that you would like to sort of nail nail in the coffin? Maybe that's not the best way to put it, but yeah, that's the first thing that came in.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:25

I mean, I would say going back to you know, your question about the breadcrumbs and knowing when to make a shift and yeah, and for me, being at this point and seeing the landscape of my life up to this point and how everything is starting to connect together, wait for that sometimes too. Like it's not that you have to make a drastic change, maybe everything's going to start to come together at some point too. So just know that God works things in more than one pattern or story arc, as we put out there in the world. Like sometimes He connects the dots later after you've matured into what he's asking you to do.

Kelly 1:52:12

Mic drop. Nail in the coffin. Yes. I know I went a little morbid there for a second. So sorry, listeners, that's not normally the flavor of this podcast, but I'm I'm so appreciative of you, Lindsay. Thank you for carving out the time to travel here to be Dinah, have this conversation, spit some amazing wisdom to the listeners. And um, I really have appreciated your your journey and your story. So thank you. Thank you. Have a great rest of the day, and I'll leave you with this. Welcome to the flamboyance. Woo! Love it.