The Bite Size Podcast with Lorayne Michaels
A podcast for anyone wanting to become a better human! We'll discuss everything from faith, to life, to business, mental health and healing. Everyone has a story and a journey. I have created this space for you to come and learn. Hear from other amazing humans and how their mess became their message! We all go through trials and tests but only some surrender and let it be their TESTimony! Welcome to the BITE SIZE Podcast Friends!
The Bite Size Podcast with Lorayne Michaels
Breath by Breath: A Journey to Emotional Healing with Brenda
After losing her husband unexpectedly in 2021, Miss Brenda found herself on a journey to emotional healing through the powerful practice of breathwork. Initially skeptical, Brenda discovered this transformative modality through podcasts and a five-day challenge by her mentor, Brian Kelly. Listen to her inspiring story as she describes the profound emotional release and newfound peace she experienced, shedding light on how breathwork became a crucial tool in fostering inner harmony and wellness.
We explore the versatile nature of breathwork, which offers a path to healing from past traumas, whether major or minor. Accessible both in person and online, this practice provides a lifeline for those grappling with emotional challenges. Through heartwarming personal narratives, including aiding hurricane victims, we illustrate the importance of gratitude and reflection in processing difficult emotions. These stories remind us of the essential lessons gained from facing loss and disaster, as we uncover what truly matters in life.
Our conversation expands to encompass the holistic integration of mind, body, and spirit, exemplified by the Radiant Living Roadmap—a 12-week program designed to address stress, trauma, and grief. We discuss the powerful impact of combining coaching, journaling, and breathwork, alongside physical movement like kickboxing, as part of a comprehensive approach to personal development. Additionally, listen to a compelling segment on embracing discomfort in public speaking, as we share insights from a session with funeral directors and the growth that follows stepping outside one’s comfort zone. Join us for an episode filled with heartfelt stories, practical advice, and the promise of transformation.
CONNECT WITH BRENDA:
Where you can find me:
LinkedIn
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Email Me: LorayneMichaels22@gmail.com
Welcome to the Bite Size Podcast. I'm your host, lorraine Michaels, former EMT and nursing assistant, now business owner and wild entrepreneur. I walked away from over 15 years in medicine to pursue my passion and my God-given talents. Now I get the honor of helping other women discover their passions and purpose. If you're feeling stuck in life, unsure where to go or what to do, welcome. If you're exactly where you want to be great, you're welcome here too. If you have faced any kind of hardship or setback, you have found a safe place here. In other words, no matter who you are or what you've been through or what you're going through, this is the space for you. On the Bite Size podcast, we'll discuss life, business and faith. There's something for everyone. So grab a cup of coffee and something to take notes with, because there will definitely be things you won't want to forget.
Speaker 1:Welcome back to the Bite Size Podcast. I'm your host, lorraine Michaels, and today we have Miss Brenda. She specializes in all things that I love, which is emotional healing, breath work, natural practices. I think we can all benefit from that and I love that. The world society is becoming more and more popular, if you will, but there's an awareness that is all around these natural practices right. So we have this ability to heal within and I think the more that we talk about it, the more that we learn about it and the more people that are comfortable teaching and talking about it, the more we can all live in a harmonious place, right.
Speaker 1:So, Brenda, welcome. I cannot wait to dive into all of this with you. How are you? Yes?
Speaker 2:I do fabulous and I'm so glad to have this conversation with you because, yes, we align on many things.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I would love to hear your take on breathwork. How did you find it, how did you hear about it and how did you start implementing breathwork into your everyday life?
Speaker 2:For me, for breathwork I had because I mean, I listened to a lot of podcasts, you know more inspirational, motivational, personal development type podcasts, and I had heard people talking about it and you know how beneficial it was. And this was like a long time ago and I'm like, huh, I wonder what that's all about. Never took the time to dabble into it at all, and in September of 21, I unexpectedly lost my husband, and so I've been on a healing journey. That was like the second modality, the second tool in my, my toolbox that I came across to try. It like okay, so it kind of came across my feed. You know, once in a while, you know how technology is like when you happen to you feel like you're thinking about it or something like wow, this just happened to show up in my feed. It's like, okay, that's kind of scary. But so it came across as sold.
Speaker 2:Who is now my mentor? Brian Kelly, who is one of the founders of Breathmasters Academy and who was one of the founders of Breathmasters Academy, and so I'm like okay, I'm like, so we have this five, a free five day challenge. So I did the five day challenge I'm like, which was just kind of going through different breathing techniques. And so I'm like, okay, I'm intrigued, and so that I bought their. He had a 90 day, a 30 day program, so I bought the 30 day program, went through that and which went a little bit deeper into it. But part of that 30 day program we he offered he had one, what we refer to as a transformational breathwork journey, which is like an hour hour and a half long.
Speaker 2:And so when I finally got the courage up to do that because I had seen online, you know what, some of the people that were doing this and their reaction and everything and I'm just like, oh my God, I was like scared. I'm like, yeah, they look like they're possessed, you know. Yeah, so I had finally decided, ok, I'm like, girl, you just need to set a date to do this and commit to it and just be done with it and get through that that first one, you know. And so when I did it, I have a group, a group chat with my sisters, and so I texted them. I'm like, hey, and I'm like, I'm like doing this breathwork thing tomorrow morning. And I'm like, if you don't hear from me by noon, I'm like, can you like maybe check on me?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Needless to say, I was absolutely fine, but when I, when I did that first transformational breathwork journey, oh my God, I had so many emotions that came pouring out of me, just, you know, from a lot of it, all surrounded, you know the loss of my husband and um. But when I got done, when I got off cause I just laid on my bed kind of went through all the emotions that breathwork does. You know all the, the cramping, the tetany, the wanting to clench up, the spasms, the numbness and everything. Lots of crying, lots of crying. And the breathwork journeys that I do, a lot of them have screams built into them and whole man was that felt good to just kind of unload that and just scream it like no tomorrow.
Speaker 2:And then when I got done, I just I lay there and I'm like holy shit, but in a good way it was like, oh my God, that was absolutely incredible and I'm like everybody should be doing this. Yeah, it was just so therapeutic, so healing, and I felt so, so much at peace. It's so much lighter and and normally I know it's like I have my, you know my Sunday routine where I kind of get ready for the week, yada, yada, yada, like it was a holiday weekend. I'm like, no, I'm like I don't have to do any of that right now and I just for me. It's like I want to be out in nature by water, like water's my happy place, yeah.
Speaker 2:And so I got myself situated and I jumped in the car and I drove down to a like a nature's preserve where they have a walking trail, and it takes you down to like Michigan here in Wisconsin, and and it was just my whole morning. I just it felt so peaceful. It was like the best thing for my soul and, yeah, I did that one breathwork journey. I was. That was it. I was all in, yeah, like people doing this and this is just yeah, yeah, that's incredible.
Speaker 1:After that experience, I should say that session, because in that session you did something a little different, correct?
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, that was a really a deep, a really deep active breath work. Yes, okay, it was much different than the daily practices that I was doing prior.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so how often do you advise or suggest that people do those deep work sessions versus the everyday maintenance it's part of?
Speaker 2:what they're going through. So, if they're going through a lot of stuff. I would definitely recommend it more often. So, like when I was actually doing my training, they recommended us to do it every week, which was intense but.
Speaker 1:I did.
Speaker 2:And it was difficult, it was challenging and all that, but it was so very worth it. I would definitely say more needed. Do it more often, like every week, every 10 days or at least every two weeks, depending upon what you're going through, once you kind of get to a point where you feel like you're. I don't want to use the word balance, I'm just going to use the word balance. I'm still not the right word to use, but not feeling this heavy. Let's just put it that way, then.
Speaker 2:I would say definitely at least once a month. Do one, because I mean your life is hard, life throws us challenges all the time. Yeah, I mean you recently were through your own challenge with you know where you're located, dealing with all the hurricanes.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Right yeah definitely yeah, that would be. Yeah, that was traumatic, and going in and helping people that I can't even imagine living in that and experiencing it. I've just been going up and helping and even that you have to decompress from that because you see some things that you definitely wouldn't expect to see. I mean it looks like a third world country. I can only imagine the severity of the emotional weight of someone that is living in it. And they lost everything, let alone myself, who gets to come home to my warm house with water and food and I have all my belongings right. So I can imagine the weightiness of actually losing everything. Are you supposed to move during it at all, or are you supposed to be still?
Speaker 2:Be still so when I guide people through the breathwork journey is they're lying down?
Speaker 2:and they'll maybe like put something under their knees so they're more comfortable. We don't want anything under the head too much because we don't want to block off their airway, so we want to make sure that their airway is nice and open. I've had some people will like maybe roll on their side. I've had people like maybe roll onto their belly because they feel they can breathe better that way because it's a very active, deep type of breathing. I did have one gal who actually got up and went into like a higher child's pose type position because that was easier for her to get those nice deep breaths and then when she actually did that, she actually had more of a breakthrough then because she was actually able to get more deep into her breath to kind of really start moving some of those emotions.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I mean for people's bodies, I mean you'll just, you'll see them. You know you'll see their arms going or their hands. You know they'll be up in the air, they'll be wiggling their fingers because they're feeling that tingling and that numbness which I warn everybody about that they possibly might feel. Or you can see them shifting their legs around and stuff like that. But yeah, they definitely when they're going through the breathwork journey, because I know there's different types of breathwork, but the transformational stuff that I guide people through, we definitely do not want them to get up and walk around, cause they're just not in that right mental state right Off like into, like the subconscious land, and they're not just like where they normally are sitting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, my goodness. So when you can anyone work with you from anywhere, or do they need to be local?
Speaker 2:No, that's the one. That's. The one amazing thing about the type of work that I do is that it can be done in person and online.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That's awesome, amazing, yeah, yeah I know, emotional healing has been a big part of my journey and a big part of my healing itself, which I'm sure you can say the same thing, having lost your husband and a lot of times we don't realize that big T trauma, little T trauma, a lot of times we don't work through it, we suppress it and we stuff it in our subconscious and we don't realize that that is having such a heavy part of who we are, how we act, how we show up in the world.
Speaker 1:And so I know emotional healing is needed for everyone, because everyone has experienced some level of trauma. And so I just love that. This is a natural thing. Anyone could do it. You don't need equipment, you just need to be coached, take a course, learn how to do it and it's, like you said, one more tool in your tool belt in how to be a better human and how to live in harmony. Right, yeah, because that is needed, especially in this day and age, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so like so when you were. So you didn't have to with the hurricanes and all that. You weren't living in it directly, but you were around the people and helping those. So how did you navigate that and deal with your emotions, and also to help others handle it emotionally as well?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was pretty difficult being there. I had no idea what to expect the first time I showed up so first saw the destruction, it hit me and when I was moving the stuff so we had to like do different various things. It's called a mud out because this particular home that we went in to help the water went all the way to the roof. The water went all the way to the roof like shingles roof, so they lost absolutely everything in the house. Everything in the house was demolished and so you have to remove the mud first and then, once you can see things, then you start removing items and then, once all the items are out of the house, then you start demoing the house, taking out drywall, everything down to the studs, and I mean insulation, everything. And so, as I'm moving out belongings and pictures pictures that are framed that you can't see because they're covered in mud and you're wiping the mud and muck off and you're showing the owner and you're asking them do you want to try to salvage this or do?
Speaker 1:you want to put this in the area outside you have to be careful of what you say. You can't say trash, you have to treat everything as though it's your own right, and so seeing the emotion of these people who have literally lost everything, At one point, I started to get teared up and I'm like no, no, no, no, no you can't do that right now.
Speaker 1:This is not your mess, this is not your loss. You cannot do this right now. So I literally had to suppress my feelings while I was there because it's not about me and help them and just whatever they need, if it's praying with them, if it's hugging them, if it's just trying to salvage whatever it is that you have in your hand, or just taking a moment to honor them and grieve with them as you put that item in the debris pile, right? So that was there, trying to process it, but just driving home honestly, praying, journaling, getting in a state of gratitude and being grateful for what I do have, like I said, food, water, shelter all my belongings. Like I said, food, water, shelter all my belongings.
Speaker 1:And it also puts into perspective how much junk we accumulate, right? You see people that literally have lost everything and you're thinking to yourself do I need all the things that I have? Because you can't take it with you, because, god forbid, a flood or a fire or some other natural disaster comes and you lose everything in your house, you start to think what matters most? Right, and that helped me.
Speaker 1:It helped me process what I saw and also reframe it and remain in a state of gratitude, remain in a state of gratitude, because if we're not in that state and this is all aspects you start to lose focus of what's important and you start to become jaded Right.
Speaker 2:So remaining in that positive state, that state of gratitude, I think has helped a lot. Yeah, so now when you have people, that I mean including yourself, because you were in the thick of it and helping others. So I feel like, when life really hits us, that people often have a tendency to let certain things fall at the wayside of taking care of themselves, whether it be eating healthy, you know, getting in some type of workout, maybe nothing intense because you're doing all the cleanup and all that, but just something, maybe like more Pilates or like a yoga type thing, or just stretching. So what are your? I mean, how did that play into? Like, I mean, even yourself, because you were out there helping others but how?
Speaker 2:do you think that impacts like those that are like directly impacted?
Speaker 1:I would say for the ones that are directly impacted, to honor yourself. So, um, if you were previously into fitness and working out, obviously, like you said, you can't do it anymore because either you lost everything or there's nowhere to go. But really being in touch or in tune with what is bringing you joy.
Speaker 1:And if that's connecting with someone, just honoring your body and honoring what your body is telling you that you need. Is it connection? Is it journaling? Is it taking a walk? Is it just being still? Or is it like doubling down and helping other people and doing the hard work heavy lifting, deconstructing of other houses? Just being mindful of that and I know it's so hard to do and slow down and ask yourself what am I feeling right now? What is my body telling me right now? That honestly helps calm your nervous system, because when you start to feel anxious, where do you feel it? In your body?
Speaker 1:When you start to feel uneasy. What is it that you are wanting at that time? And just honoring your body in a healthy way, right, because a lot of times we don't realize that we have unhealthy coping mechanisms and when you hear like, oh, I just need a drink, okay, no, you don't. You don't need a drink, friend. So, like healthy ways to cope and healthy ways like what your body really truly needs, is it the stillness, is it connection? So, yeah, that would be. My biggest advice is to be patient with yourself and to honor yourself and not to suppress the feelings but to feel them. Does that come up? A lot with the breath work. So, whatever emotion is coming out whether it's sadness letting yourself cry, whether it's anger letting yourself scream does that come up? Do you coach people through that in your session or beforehand of allowing that emotion, whatever it is to come out? Yeah, so before.
Speaker 2:I start guiding them through a breath work journey. There's certain things that I go through. So when I when I before I started guiding them through a breathwork journey, there's like certain things that I go through, like the physical, the mental and the emotional pieces that could potentially come up and more than likely will come up and like on the emotions part of it, I just I let them know this, like when I do the in-person ones or even online. You're in a safe space. Whatever happens here stays here if you choose to share it.
Speaker 2:That's fine, but I'm not going to and but I let them know. It's like this is your space, to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. It's okay to be vulnerable because you are here to help yourself and to heal, and I'm and I stress it like whatever emotions come up, let them come up, just don't stuff them down, because if you stuff them down, you're not helping yourself any. So whatever your body wants to, wants to feel, let it feel it. If you, if you're at any point in time, you want to cry, cry it's okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know. So we build up in the journey where we lead into this scream, and I'm like. You know what I'm like. If you need to scream before that, have at her scream let it out.
Speaker 2:You need to pound your fist into the floor. If you're doing it online, you're laying in your bed and you need to pound your fist into the bed. By all means, definitely do that, cause Lord knows I have yeah, yeah, I bet stomped my feet into the, into the bed to feel like I felt like I was a little kid having a temper tantrum you know yeah. But yeah, that's one thing I definitely stress with them is just like, just cause it boils down to it's like we need to feel to heal.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, that's huge.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I so agree. I tell people that all the time, because when you don't, you're just suppressing it and it's going to show up in other ways. It's going to come out in other ways, yes, and a lot of times it comes out in sickness.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:When you suppress all of that, it turns into anger, rage, bitterness, all of that yuck and then you internalize it. It will manifest in disease, dis-ease, because you are out of whack. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean just even some of our. I mean not that all aches and pains are from that, but it's like some of the aches and pains, like when you have, you know, when your neck starts bothering you or something like, oh, it's like, oh, my neck, it's like, well, how much tension have you been under you know, how much stress have you been dealing with that you have. How much stress you have been going with going through that you haven't been dealing with. And that's where all this, you know, all the crunchiness and everything comes into play and I mean I'm still guilty of it. It's kind of like, okay, you need to decompress. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I always love to shout from the rooftops once in a while. I'm like it's okay to cry. It really is Male or female child or adult, it's okay to cry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I know that. Yeah, that is very healthy. So right now you're currently how do you, how do people work with you?
Speaker 2:A lot of people will connect with me through either social, I mean and I'm usually from there, it's on social and then I lead them into my website. You know where I have all my programs that I offer and everything. And and I'm just recent, in November I will be doing a beta launch of my 12 week program, awesome Radiant Living Roadmap, which is each week we have a theme that builds one on top of the other, so there'll be like a kind of like a teaching coaching component to it and then they'll have like their homework or piece of it will be, which is more like prompts to do, help them do some journaling, to kind of start bringing some of that stuff to the surface, okay, and then then each week we do a breathwork journey that relates to the theme for the week and, uh, so then they go through that it. It's 12 weeks of fairly intense emotions.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:But the goal at the end is for them to help, you know, relieve some of the stress, pull up some of the trauma. The grief whatever they've been dealing with and to help them start living a radiant life and move forward from all the crap that they've been dealing with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what would you suggest they could do to ease into that? Like, if they're unsure, they're not ready to make that 12 week, what maybe can they do or try beforehand so that they feel comfortable and confident taking that step and making that investment with you?
Speaker 2:That I would say, at least when I and making that investment with you, that that I would say at least, at least when I to try just a breathwork journey on its own. Yeah, you know, just to have that experience, cause a lot of times I was actually talking to a small group last night and and it's hard to, it's hard to kind of describe breathwork, I mean what it does and what you kind of go through and all that and and how you feel about it, because, for one thing, what everybody experiences is different.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:What I experience is completely different than what others experience that they share with me. So, it's like I just really like people to be open enough to be able to try it, to experience it, to find out if it is something that is for them or not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I think to start out slowly, I would say definitely. You know, try a breathwork journey. I know I offer different themes where some are more calmer and some are real, more active and more deeper, and for somebody that's new to it, I definitely would introduce something more calming and just kind of bring them into it gradually so they can kind of somewhat experience but know that it gets better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's better, it gets deeper, it gets you know. There's more healing there.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, oh, that's awesome, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So what are some of the offerings? Cause you're all about the whole the. I mean everything the mind, body, the soul, all of that which I just love, love, love, love, love. So what are some of the things that you offer? Because I know you hold workshops, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I, I mean I do either a keynote or workshops, um, or one-on-one coaching or group coaching. Those are all the options, but um, so it's where would I start? So my methodology is mind, body, spirit, and I incorporate all three of those when I'm working with someone because, from my experience, you have to have a piece of each of these. And so, briefly, like for the mind aspect, I help them break through mindset barriers, limiting beliefs, if they're dealing with, you know, these subconscious blocks that they don't realize is a subconscious block. So, breaking through, like this, the confidence thing, if they're lacking confidence because something happened to them or they did something right and so they're holding on to that guilt and shame, and so we work through that, getting the mind right, working on your mindset, reframing negative thoughts.
Speaker 1:Body I talk about how important your health is, your mental health, your physical health, and so we walk through. What does your daily life look like? What are you consuming? What are you eating? Are you moving your body? I have a saying that I say move your body, move your mood. If you are struggling with your mood and you're feeling in a funk, go move your body. Jump on a trampoline, walk outside, get in nature Grounding I absolutely love. I love, love, love, grounding.
Speaker 1:I know it sounds crunchy, but there's science behind it. Yes, getting your bare feet on the earth is amazing.
Speaker 1:So the body aspect of it, and I can help with exercises, I help with your diet, I also practice functional nutrition. So that's the body aspect of it. And then spirit you have to be connected to spirit, because everything came from that I'm a Christian. From that I'm a Christian. I make sure that I spend my time in the word, in the Bible, praying and meditating. Staying connected to my creator grounds me and gives me peace and it helps me find my purpose, because I'm not living for the world, I'm living for eternity. And so with those three mind, body, spirit and as you are working on all three pillars, you will start to find healing, you will start to find your purpose, you will start to find your passion and your joy again. And so that's what I really walk women through. Focusing on their mess right, the mess that they have been through, is a message that their story matters and that your past doesn't define you, and that you were created for more.
Speaker 1:You were created for greatness. There's a reason why you exist.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and I feel like so many people don't either don't think about that or believe that. Yeah, I mean, at least for me, I, so many people that I'm around and that I know it's just like they're, they're just living and I, you know, they're just here, like, well, ok, I'm here.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, and I had gotten a short conversation with somebody that I work with and and he was kind of coming across all doom and gloom and all that I'm like, I'm like, but I'm like you, I'm like you have choices. Well, no, I don't. Well, no, I'm like you really do have choices. Yeah, what is something that brings you joy? And it was just a hard he's kind of, he was just just like on his breakout work and all that. He's like this could be a really long conversation. I'm like, yeah, it could be. Yeah, it saddens me when, when I talk to people that have that kind of thought process or in that place where it's just like no, this is just the way it is, and I guess this is just the way life is going to be until the good Lord decides to take me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, right, yeah, that is literally like what propelled me so much into doing this work is because that's what I kept seeing is, you know, these women that are like I have to do this, I don't have a choice.
Speaker 1:These are the cards that I've been dealt and I'm like no, like you, 100% have a choice. You get to choose what that's called free. Will you get to choose what you do? So you get to choose whether you're going to play a victim and think that you have no choice and that this is what you have to deal with, or you get to choose to empower yourself and heal through it. You know, feel it so you can heal it and and make a better life for yourself because you, you don't have to live this way like you have the power to change it. So I yeah, it was so discouraging, well, it wasn't it kind of like lit a fire under me, but just to empower these people, you know that, hey, you don't have to live this way. Like it sucks to just get up, go to work, hate your job, be miserable, go home, eat, sleep, do it all over again Like ew.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, yeah. You're put on this earth to more than just exist. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Everybody has a gift. It's a matter of pulling that out and finding that, and unfortunately, some people just haven't had anyone in their life to pull it out or to encourage them, to tell them hey, like you're gifted in this, this is something that you're really good at and you should do it more, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I love pulling that out of people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, we're just so in alignment with what we do, right? I have a question for you. So you're John Maxwell certified, yep. So I've heard of John Maxwell. Don't know a whole lot about him, so what? Can you elaborate on that or explain it a little bit more?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so he's amazing leadership expert and I started following him and listening to him years ago I mean, we're talking like 10, 20 years ago and I had always implemented like his thoughts and his ways and teaching and I was reading leadership books and that's how I started progressing when I was in my nine to five, just with leadership stuff.
Speaker 1:And then I learned it was when I moved from California to South Carolina. I learned that there was a growth day in Florida and so I signed up for that. I went to that and it was amazing. It was a bunch of coaches, speakers, and that's how I learned about getting certified through the John Maxwell program. And so the certification is you are, after you complete it, you're a certified speaker, coach or trainer, and I did all three paths and they provide you with a plethora of resources higher level coaching you can do other speaking you can get certified to speak at your organization. So if you are with a company, you can become a speaker or a trainer within your company using some of his teachings and methodology, with some of his books that he teaches. Yeah, it's just been amazing. He's just a huge thought leader and a profound human. He's a really cool guy.
Speaker 2:So you said you said growth day in Florida. Is that like Brendan Bouchard's growth day or something?
Speaker 1:else Not really. I mean, yeah, not really. I mean like same thing, because it's personal development, but it's like a two day. Well, if you're not certified, it's a one day event, but if you are certified, um, it is like a two or three day event.
Speaker 1:And um yeah, it's the international IMC international. I don't remember it's IMC, but anyways it happens twice a year in Florida, um, is it international Maxwell conference? I don't know so, um, but they have. They have phenomenal speakers come out and talk and it's just a powerful, powerful event equipping leaders and equipping speakers and coaches, and you get to meet a lot of amazing people doing amazing things. And it's not just for coaches or speakers. I mean there's business people there, ceos, people that want to be better leaders within their organization. I mean teachers, everything you can imagine, everybody, it's for everybody and it's incredible.
Speaker 2:Oh, awesome. How did you get started in doing everything that you're doing?
Speaker 1:you get started in doing everything that you're doing I so I have 20 years medicine and um it just.
Speaker 1:I was leading people and I was seeing that common thread of people being miserable in their job and not doing what they love to do and either had lost the passion and had no idea what they love to do anymore, and I was helping them figure that out while I was working, or people would come to me for fitness related things and I was helping them with that.
Speaker 1:So when I was working my nine to five job, I was realizing that I was coaching people, whether it be through work or outside, and people would reach out to me via social media, and I was like, hmm, maybe I should lean into this. You know this like coaching speaking thing, and I had no qualms about being on camera or talking to people or being up on stage. Like none of that bothered me. That's actually one of like the top three fears that people have is public speaking. And I was like, no, I don't care, put me up in front of anyone, I don't care. So, anyways, yeah, that's what led me to it, because I was doing it unintentionally on the side and I was like this is kind of fun. And then so when I heard about the IMC conference, I was like I'm going to that for sure fun.
Speaker 2:And then so when I heard about the IMC conference, I was like I'm going to that for sure. So I was, uh, uh. This morning I shared with you that I had a podcast interview with somebody else and uh, and we were talking. So, like last night I had a meeting with, uh, a small group of funeral directors to share what I do between the group and method, program and breath work.
Speaker 2:And uh, and even just I'm talking like eight people you know lousy eight people and I felt I felt so uncomfortable and so nervous inside and I just I tried to do the best that I could after I got done talking and I, I just I felt like I had totally sucked Cause. I think I felt that way just cause I'm I. There were some things, questions that they asked and they caught me off guard and it wasn't prepared, and I, you know stumbling on my words and everything, and and I'm like okay, I'm like well, if nothing comes of it, anything, I got to practice and and so that was definitely worth it alone, and then also to be prepared for next time. You know, make note of the questions that they did ask and in the event that maybe next time I speak that they'll.
Speaker 2:I get asked some of the same questions, but right before I left I was, you know, was saying my goodbyes and thanking them for having me and their time and whatnot, and and then also they're like well, hey, do you have some more information? You know some of your flyers, your business card, all that because I would like to pass this along to so-and-so, because I didn't really think they'd be interested in the breath work. I'm like, yeah, I got a bunch of extra stuff. Here you go. And then one of the other guys had asked me if I would be as far as, how far I would travel.
Speaker 2:I'm in Westbound, wisconsin, and this guy that I was speaking to was up in Fond du Lac, which is about 40, 45 minutes away, maybe something like that. If I would be willing to drive that distance to speak to another group, I'm like, yeah, absolutely, I've driven up to that area before to guide some ladies through a breathwork journey, not a problem. And so he came up and he said, okay, he said I'll be in touch. I'm like, oh, okay. Then I got up to the car and I'm like, well, okay, maybe I didn't suck as bad as what I thought I did See.
Speaker 1:We're our own worst critic, for sure. I mean, after every time I speak, I'm like, oh, why did I say that? But that's good, because obviously we're wanting to learn and grow and be better, right? I don't want to ever not be nervous speaking beforehand and I don't want to ever get off and be like killed it, like I should always want to be like how can I be better? What can I do? Stay different? How can I connect more? That's just the growth, that's the mindset that you have to have of I'm evolving, I'm growing. I always want to be better, do better.
Speaker 1:Not in a critical, self-condemning kind of way, but just a way of evolving making sure that you're doing better, right yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Well, I hope something comes of that and there's more referrals and more connections. That'd be awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I said, if it doesn't then I'm still be it, but it was definitely a good experience. Yeah and um, and hopefully, yeah, hopefully, down the road I'll have another opportunity. And what's funny is cause it's like I. So Monday nights, I teach a kickboxing class, and when I first started it, however, like over 10 years ago, I was nervous at first. I'm like, oh my God, I'm like I do this all the time, you know, but I mean I hadn't taught in a while. I taught a class in a while, but then, once I got in there and got started, all that I was fine. So it's like you put me in that arena. You know what I'm teaching and going through a class and all that.
Speaker 2:I'm very comfortable you know, and then it's kind of like kind of changing gears and kind of going to this other world where it's it's different, and then it's like then I kind of get all caught up in myself and in my head and all that silly stuff yeah, you gotta suck at things before you're an expert at things, right. Oh gosh, yes.
Speaker 1:It's all learning. I love it. What was I going to ask? Oh, when you're working with people, do you recommend afterwards any type of movement to help release? So, like you had said, you instruct kickboxing. I know also that a lot of emotion is stored in your hips, so doing you know, certain exercises or stretches that are hip openers can help with emotional healing. So do you recommend any of that to any of your clients? What?
Speaker 2:I what I'm doing like the emotional healing side of things. Um, I have not, um, but I had been. Even like, with my 12 week program I thought about that, adding that component in there and kind of like, but I thought it was going to be like too overwhelming. I see, yeah, you know so, um, but it's definitely. I'm glad that you actually brought that up, Cause it's definitely something that I've been pondering. Yeah, but when it comes to my kickboxing class and all that, I just I let them know. You know, like, if you're sore, go sit in the Epsom bath, stretch, move, continue moving. Like if you're sore, don't just not move, you need to get up and get that lactic acid moving, get those muscles warmed up.
Speaker 2:So I mean, I do do that type of thing when it comes to my class that I teach, but like an emotional healing side of things, Um, I just ask them to kind of give themselves the space to process everything that they've gone through and not to rush into anything really mentally stimulating.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. That's good I I think that would be a good idea to offer, maybe as a free resource, or find articles that you obviously are in alignment with and agree with, so that if, in the event that they're like this was really great, what more can I do to help this? Then they have that resource of the movement aspect of it and not just in couple that with the breathing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, no, I like that, I like that. So I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well. So I actually have a question for you. Yeah, yeah, If you're willing to go there. Oh, for sure you had. You had went through some stuff in September of 2020 that your life kind of fell apart. Yeah, Would you kind of? Are you comfortable elaborating on that and how you got yourself out of that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. That's a huge part of my story. So in 2020, that was the year that not just COVID, but my second marriage ended, and that marriage that taught me a lot about myself.
Speaker 1:It taught me how important it is to make sure that you are emotionally healed before you enter into another relationship, healed before you enter into another relationship. And, looking back and reflecting, I definitely was not only attracted but because of where I was at mentally and emotionally in my healing, what I thought was safe was not safe and what I needed but it was for my unhealed self, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2:So where.
Speaker 1:I was mentally and emotionally, I was attracted to and I connected with what I was basically reflecting and it was unhealthy and unhealed.
Speaker 1:Now, that's not to say that if you go through a healing journey with your partner, it can't be something beautiful. That was not my case. So this was a very unhealthy, abusive marriage and it ended. It ended because he cheated on me with his ex-wife, which was the mother of his kids, so it wasn't something that we could just eliminate from our lives. She was going to be in our lives forever, and it was a traumatic ending to a relationship that I held onto very tightly for unhealthy reasons, and I ended up moving across the country. I I ended up doing like a rapid healing, um, but also like meeting another human, and um, it was. It was kind of crazy. I mean, in hindsight, I did jump into this relationship way too fast. Um, I would have loved to have spent some more time healing, but this is a perfect example, though, of how, like, you can still heal with a partner, with a partner doing your healing, their healing, and it can be a beautiful relationship Like the relationship I'm in now is a beautiful example of that.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, but yeah, like huge changes and ending of a marriage moving across the country. That's awesome. I had to go through a lot of deep work and it took a lot of deep work and realization and self-reflection and doing all the things, all the things that I coach about. I have been through. So it's not just I read a book and I'm like, hey, I'm an expert on it. I read a book, I did the work, I got certified and I've walked through it, so I definitely can teach you how to do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I definitely can teach you how to do it. Yeah, I think it means a lot when I mean I think, anyway, when you're working with somebody, that you know that they're actually they're walking the talk, you know, and that they've kind of been through and they can somewhat relate to what you're going through and like I said not to shortchange people that haven't, you know, not by any means of shortchanging them, but I just I think it just takes on a different meaning and you can connect better with the person that has gone through something similar.
Speaker 2:That can relate better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I agree, I agree. There's another. There's a level of vulnerability and connectedness that people appreciate and and they see, you know. They definitely they're attracted to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm glad you're in a relationship now. That's beautiful and is working through that. You guys work together through your healing process, so that's amazing, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:It takes work, that's for damn sure. It's not a walk in the park, yeah, All relationships take work right.
Speaker 2:Some might be more than others, depending upon what everybody's going through.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, for sure, Brenda. Thank you so much for this time for talking to and teaching about what it is that you do. I love hearing about that and allowing me to share exactly what I do as well.
Speaker 2:This has been so fun. Yes, yes, I'm thinking about that as well. Sharing, because, like I said, I love that we're in alignment and that we share a lot of the same passions, so it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:Yes, awesome. Well, I can't wait for everybody your audience, my audience to hear this and, hopefully, if this resonated with anyone, please tag us and share it Let us know. All right guys. Thanks for tuning in and we will see you on the next episode. Have a great day.