A Mid-Year Reflection

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Transcript: A Mid-Year Reflection

Season 6, Episode 23  | June 13, 2023

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Welcome back to another episode of Life Time Talks. I’m David Freeman.

And I’m Jaime Martin.

And we are recapping Season 6. We had so many great episodes throughout this season. And we got a special episode, too, because we ended up hitting a little benchmark, didn’t we, Jamie?

We did. We hit our 100th episode this season, which is pretty exciting. And it just is– I think it’s just a start for us. I think we’ve got a lot more in us. What do you think?

I would think so. I mean, that’s just the alpha in me and the alpha in you. We got to keep going, right?

Absolutely. We’ve got a lot more– and we’ve just got so much to cover the health and wellness space, as you know, David. It’s like there’s always something new to be talking about. And we’re so lucky to have the resources and the people that we have at Lifetime, the performers who are so smart on so many of these topics to be able to bring them on.

This season was a really good reflection on just the breadth of expertise that we have at Lifetime and the people that are in our community and our network outside of Lifetime. So with that in mind, what are your thoughts? What were some of your best memories from the season, favorite episodes? That type of thing. If you can pick a favorite. I know that’s a little challenging.

Yeah. I mean, obviously I would be biased and say Alpha. But I would say the self-care, I think it’s something that isn’t done enough. And even prior to coming into today, we kicked off behind the scenes of speaking of just giving back to self and knowing how to be aware of looking at yourself, knowing who you are, and bringing that true self to life each and every day.

And we get lost sometimes in that. So the reason why self-care is so key is because it goes back to knowing who you are. And if you can operate in your true self, you’re going to give so much back to the world that it needs. So that would be mine, is self-care was one that definitely stood out to me. What about you?

Yeah, that was an– I mean, there were so many great episodes. That one, I remember just thinking how they reframed self-care as a little bit like performance. How did they call it? I’m trying to remember right now. Performance coaching almost for ourselves, right? To keep us going.

So that one was great. I mean, obviously, I really loved one of our more recent episodes with Jessie Syfko, who is the founder of the MB360 signature group training program, that is the newest signature group training program to Lifetime, has not been rolled out widely across the organization. But just really the talk and conversation around the mind-body connection and bringing that in into the space. And that connects back to self-care, because that had a lot of elements that were very related. Those are integrated so much.

I mean, there are so many. But the other one that comes to mind for me, and some of this is from behind the scenes, too. I loved the inflammation episode with Dr. Greg Plotnikoff.

Yeah.

Just he’s so smart on just the role of inflammation in our body, the wide ranging effects it has. And also offering some solutions for how we can take care of ourselves and trying to minimize inflammation. But I think a funny story from that recording day that I remember. Before we hit record, I just know David, you and Dr. Plotnikoff were going back and forth with dad jokes. Which was hilarious. So recording that one was a highlight for me, because I couldn’t stop laughing.

The photos we have of that are all these different expressions.

Yeah.

And it’s hilarious. It’s just so funny to think back on we were at the very end of our Season 6 recording day. And we were a little punchy, and it was funny. It was a good day.

Yeah. I mean, any time we can all get together is good. And then when you incorporate laughing, makes it even that much better, right? So you hit on something with Jessie and the rollout of one of our newest signature brands. And we were able to also bring awareness to a lot of the ones that are making noise with GTX, Ultra Fit, and Alpha.

Yes.

And a lot of times, they might see the branding but not understand what it is or what the purpose is behind it. So I think that was also powerful in the sense that our listeners were able to understand what each brand stood for and the why behind it. So to speak to Alpha, to speak to GTX and also Ultra Fit, that grounding was so key, in my opinion, as well.

Absolutely. And a couple more I just want to shout out. We were able to partner with our athletic events partners at Lifetime and talk a little bit about gravel racing and the rise of that. And I will add, David, you and I were both supposed to be out at the sea otter event that was one of Lifetime’s– it’s a kickoff to Lifetime’s Grand Prix Race series that runs from typically April through October with– I think this year it’s seven gravel and mountain bike racing events.

And it was really fun to get to hear from that team about gravel racing and the rise of that sport, but also the important work that they’re doing in the space of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how they’re making athletic events more inclusive for more people. And I just, I found that really inspiring. And like, ooh, we got to do more of that. And to highlight that more.

Yeah. I mean, the community when you think of those athletic events, it makes me think of the episode we did also with Danny King of competitions why get into them? Why challenge yourself? So to be at that event, I can only imagine a lot of the mindset that where they were at some point in time. And then they got across and said, all right, let’s actually challenge ourself. We’ve been training, we’ve been doing these things. Let’s just see where we’re at and just have some fun with it.

So you were able to witness and see a lot of that real time. But I think even yourself. We talked about getting into one that we got coming up, a little Alpha showdown. Are you goin to jump in still and do it, or what?

I’m working on finding a partner right now. I had a conversation with one person yesterday who’s not sure that they’ll be in town. So I am. Actually it’s on my list of things that I’m working on, David. And that’s one that I’m trying to figure out. But I do have another race that– I signed up for a 10-mile race. That’s got me pushing back into that space again it’s been a really long time. It’s been since 2013, 2014 since I did a longer distance race. So 10 miles for me is a lot.

But yeah, it’s seeing where I’m at. What’s my current baseline, and what can I do for myself? So.

Well, kick back. Let’s go back to earlier this week, because I got a chance, obviously, to connect with you while being here in Minnesota, right? And you were able to go through a workout. And what did it feel like? It had that competitive edge, but still just fun, right? And you got through the workout, I’m pretty sure. I don’t want to speak for you. But the hour pretty much probably flew by.

Yeah.

But just walk us through your experience in that setting.

Yeah. So I was able to join you, David. You were in town here in Minnesota, where I am all the time. Coaching, you’re here for your coach elevations. And it was great. You had brought us all together. Several of Lifetime team members. Some in the fitness division, some of us in the brain and communications group. And it did have that competitive edge. It was really fun. But it was cool that we were all partnered up and able to push each other.

What I loved about it is everybody was cheering for each other. No matter where we were on the fitness spectrum, it was like, let’s all do this together. And that was awesome. But that metcon of at the end is what always gets me. You know? I love the push. I love how you coach. I think you’re so good at like the little tweaks that make a difference.

Even when I was rowing at one point, you’re like, Jamie, here’s how to have your legs here. And that makes a difference. So it’s the little cues with those– the coaching matters. If you have that there, and that really was helpful. But yeah, the metcon of at the end is always where you get sweating. So I was really grateful for that it was a you go, I go type thing.

You know what stood out to me? The thing that was– I mean, it was a lot of great highlights from that day. But the one thing that was magical, that we were all able to witness. If you remember, Amber in the beginning was like, I’m not a partner person. And then by the end of the workout, she had a different mindset around being with a partner.

And that was awesome to see, because some of us might want to come in and have our own platform, get our workout in and do our thing and not want to talk or necessarily just do anything with anybody else. Let me get my workout in and go from point A to point B. And for her to evolve throughout that hour to being like cheering other people on as well as her partner, that was dope to see.

Yeah, it was so fun. The entire group that was there was doing that for each other. And you were also giving that little competitive edge. This group’s got one more round.

[LAUGHS]

Pushing us a little bit more. But that was good. And I left there feeling like I need to do this more. And I’m really excited, because my home club of White Bear Lake here in Minnesota, shout out to that group, just had a new Alpha studio and GTX studio open. So it’s really fun to have been in that space this week as well. And I want to do more of that.

So I’m pretty pumped. That’s going to be my new Tuesday morning routine. 5:30 AM Alpha strength. So there we go. Adding that in. But yeah, so I mean, we did so– I mean, I’m just looking back at the– I have the website up. We have all the things we did. We covered why working with a trainer is helpful. We brought on a member and a team member to talk about that. We talked about why massage, why lunges. We talked about supplementation.

So really, I mean, our intent here with the podcast is wherever you are in the health and wellness spectrum, we’re covering all the topics, whether it’s fitness, nutrition, quality of life, transformations, and change that people are experiencing, it’s a lot. And it’s so exciting to see the breadth of what we’ve done so far and just, I’m really excited knowing, very soon, you and I are going back in studio to start Season 7, which is going to be pretty exciting.

Yeah. I mean, I’m pretty sure we’re going to have once again an all-star lineup. So the feedback that I’ve received, because I have the blessing to be able to work with so many different athletes when I’m back in Texas. And I always send out our episodes to a group of 1,000 plus people. And it’s not that I’m looking for a response from all thousands of those people.

But the ones who actually dial in and listen to it, it’s just these a-ha moments. Oh, I didn’t think of massage like that. Or I didn’t know that is what inflammation meant or what self-care is. And it’s just so many of these a-ha moments. And I like it because they are now taking time once again to pour into self and listen, right.

All the noise that we have going on in our life, we just take a little bit of time out. Let me go ahead– it’s a form of self-care, because you’re educating yourself, you’re finding out a little bit more about what you’re pretty much doing, how it can help complement that.

Absolutely.

One way or another. So it was another great reflection of just, we’re doing this. Obviously we’re talking about all these different topics. And then we want to know, how is it impacting? How is it influencing the audience out there? So to hear the feedback and understand how many people are being impacted by this is also super rewarding.

Yeah. And I know Molly, our producer, who is behind the scenes always with us, she manages our inbox. And I know there’s listeners who are sending ideas. And we are absolutely listening and wanting to make sure as we go into the next season that we’re considering what you want to know about. Because that’s what matters.

Where are you feeling success? Where are you having challenges? What do you just want to know more about? So again, we have a little shout out at the end for where you can email us with ideas. But know that we’re listening and we’re excited to do more of those episodes. So with that, I want to take– one thing that you and I did early in Season 6 is we had a touch base with just and I about where we were. And that was at the beginning of the year. It was early in the year.

We’re now almost halfway through the year right now. So taking a few minutes for each of us to just talk about some of our personal reflections. What we’ve learned, what we struggled with. Where we’ve had challenges. And what are the successes, too? Where are we at? So I’m going to pass it over to you. How about you? Where are you at with all these things.

Well, I’m going to do it very similar to how I did in the coach elevation, is I’m going to start with the things that are going well. And then I’ll speak to the things that I’m excited about. And I frame it up excited about– because we usually say the areas of opportunity. We can still say that. But what I’m excited about to continue to evolve in, right, will be the second piece.

So the strengths. I think for so long, one of the things I love to do as far as even going back to strength finders is maximizer is my number one. And that’s being able to pour into people and bring the most out of them. And I pour so much and I give so much to so many. And I love that. I love that feeling. And to be able to do now I want to say over 20 coach elevations across US and Canada. Well over 1,000 plus coaches, to just know some of the feedback of how they now look at coaching differently or how they look at life differently.

Because I tell them it’s so much more than just the coaching piece. It’s about you first. And once you know who you are, you can start to pour into whatever brand that you shall be representing. If it’s Alpha, GTX, Ultra Fit, MB360. Lifetime as a whole. It’s you elevate the brand because of what you bring to the brand. Your unique skill set.

So I would say me continuing to pour into people and love up on people is something that I feel like it’s going well.

Yeah.

And then what I’m excited about is more self-care, right?

Yes. I know that.

Yeah, we had a mental pop-up for our Inclusion Council. We just opened up what we call these pop-up seminars. And we did mental health. Just be awareness for the month. And it was time to just– any and everybody was super vulnerable. And in a sense, that’s a superpower. If you go back to that conversation that we had with Barbara and team. And hearing everybody’s story.

And when we got to me, I was just talking about how I was just exhausted, dehydrated. You witnessed me getting sick as far as the sea otter event. So it was just– I was drained. And I didn’t go back to recharge. I’m just running on E. So the area that I know I have work to do is literally pressing pause.

And someone who works off of the words of affirmation and the pouring into and all that, it’s hard to do. It’s hard to step away from. So that’s something that I know that I got to get better at. And those people around me, like yourself and my wife and my colleagues, if they can help with that, David, don’t answer this, or go away, turn your inbox off, I think that helps, right? And people don’t know what they don’t know. So when you put it out there, they can help assist in that space. So that’s where my area of opportunity is.

Yeah. I think just to talk a little bit about what you went through just back around the sea otter event, which we keep referring to. Just for context for everybody, David and I were invited to go and co-host the Sea Otter Summit, which is an event for some outdoor executives. And it’s informing the rise in the cycling industry and opportunities for change and growth and all of that. And the weekend leading into that, I know, David, I got a text from you that’s like, I don’t think I’m going to make it. I don’t think I’m going to make it. And you explained me what was going on.

And I remember texting you and saying, you need to take care of yourself. You need to do this. I’ve got us covered. I can represent. Which I was a little nervous about, because I always feel like, where’s my wingman? He’s gone.

Yeah.

I remember just checking in with you throughout that week and knowing that you were taking the time to rest and recover and hopefully set yourself up to move forward. But it’s always that’s the easiest thing, is to put ourselves on the back burner to keep everybody– everything else moving, right? But it can come at a cost.

Yes, yes. Now I got to flip it, though. All right, that was me. You tell me you know obviously the area that you feel like you’re thriving in, doing well in. And then your area of opportunity that you’re excited to start getting better at.

Yeah. So I wrote down a couple of notes, because I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget anything. I had a couple of a-ha moments about myself over the last few months. I edited a really interesting article in Experience Life. It’s in the June issue on body neutrality. And it was this whole piece about how it’s different from body positivity. And just body neutrality is essentially like meeting yourself where you are today. Which is different than the you of yesterday and the you of you tomorrow.

And ever since I edited that article, and this was a couple months ago now, I cannot get that out of my mind. And I’ve really been applying the lessons about, how do I embrace my body for what it is today, what it can do today, versus what it looks like? Because I think so often, we get so stuck on the aesthetics of things. And that doesn’t mean I don’t care about aesthetics. Right, I do care.

But I found that my whole perception of myself has started to shift just as a result of editing that article and reading it and talking about it more and sharing that. And so I’ve had this really like– it’s been a sense of freedom almost in how I’m thinking about myself and that self-talk that has been really refreshing. And I feel like as a result, I’m also feeling like, I’m so much stronger than I thought I was.

The things that I can do with my body, the way I’m willing to push myself and see what’s possible and be really proud of that. Instead of, oh, I could have done more 10 years ago, right? I’m trying to drop that comparison piece of where I was and what I should be. If you’re listening, I’m air quoting the word “should” right now. Because I just feel like our bodies are constantly changing. I’m changing as a human. My circumstances are changing. And if I can embrace where I am right now, that’s awesome.

And I just have felt like that’s been a constant thing in my head that I just am consistently have come back to. And I felt a sense of freedom and a lightness without feeling that pressure to always feel like, I’ve got to be body positive. Or I’m being really the opposite and I’m being really body negative and hard on myself. And that doesn’t mean those things don’t happen from time to time.

But it’s like this middle ground of like, OK, here’s where I am today. And that’s been huge for me in the last few months.

Wow. That’s awesome. Because I know you’re going to go into the thing that you’re excited to get better at. But it came to me when you were saying. It was like, being present– and a play on that word now. Let’s play on words here. Being present in the moment allows you to deliver the gift in the future. Your gift.

And I speak on your purpose and your why. Once you find out what that is, that is the gift that you are able to deliver to everybody that you come in contact with so that’s awesome that you’re aware of that.

Yeah. So the other thing that I had a wake up call– this is another positive thing, I will say, is I went on a little trip to Sedona recently. And we were doing all these hikes and all these things and–

Beautiful place.

Beautiful. It was just like– I was blown away by the beauty of that place. But we were on this hike. And it was a 2,000-foot incline hike. It was steep. There were dropoffs, there were all sorts of things. And I had this realization going up a scramble, like, I’m not scared. I’m not scared of this. And for people who know me, I tend to be a risk averse person when it comes to anything that could cause bodily harm, right?

So I avoid things. I get scared. I’m like, I don’t want to risk anything. But over the last few years, my family has really– and with friends, we’ve taken– made a point of doing things that push us out of our comfort zone. And I realized on that hike that I have gotten so much more comfortable and also confident in that. And I’m like, wow. This is a transformation for me, because I used to hold myself back and not let myself do things out of fear. And now I’m more willing. Because I’ve been doing it more– as I’ve been practicing it, as we talk about so often on here, there’s more of a willingness for myself to do those things and enjoy it at the same time.

And so that’s been a really– that was like– I’m like, oh my gosh, I can do more of this. And I can push myself out of this comfort zone with other things, not just big outdoor travel adventures. But just in life. What am I willing to do? So.

That’s awesome. When you think about that experience– and obviously we’re both parents. Your daughters, my son and daughter, when we are able to speak from experience, it allows them to have a better understanding. Now, they have their own life, right? And they obviously have to go through their experiences for them to shape whatever it is that they see and what their reality is.

But it’s almost like when you now have gone through what you’ve gone through at the tender age of 21 that you now discovered this, right. Like, I did that.

Oh, that’s such wishful thinking.

Yeah. But you see where I’m going at with it. It’s like, it took however long it took at the current age that you’re at for you to discover that. And that beautiful part is, and I know Sarah and Molly prior to jumping on this conversation is like, you’re continuing to evolve.

Yes.

As a human being. So whoever you were at 22 is different at 42. And these experiences that you continue to learn, you get to share them and bring perspective to them. And what you once feared you now can conquer. And you can speak from that place. And that’s awesome to be able to share. So I love that you were able to reflect and see that.

Yeah. And that’s been the theme for my year, is this reflection. And then the last thing. The thing that excites me is delving into something that you talked about, is the whole like, who am I? Learning more about that. I tend to be– if anybody’s familiar with the enneagram, I’m a two, which tends to be a dominant helper. And you pour yourself into others, similar to you, David.

OK, yep, yep.

And so it’s often I sometimes don’t take the time to, what do I really want? I’m discovering things about myself all the time, as I’ve shared to this point in this episode. But I do think there are times I’m like, wait, what do I really want in this moment? And that means, how do I sit with that and figure that out? And that, again, to your point is just the more I can do that, the more I can show up more fully and authentically and give my best gifts.

So that’s my opportunity. I’ve had a couple little moments throughout this year so far where I’ve been like, ooh, I need to do the work here. And that’s where I want to go. So a lot of mine have been personal. But in some ways, it’s so interesting– personal and internal, right? It’s not things that you can really see happening. But I am also seeing that how I’m showing up in the world physically.

It’s like the confidence I have in my body when I take the time to do these things. And so I know it’s an important practice and thing to be working on.

That’s awesome.

Yeah.

I love it. I love it.

Anything else, though, before we preview what we’ve got coming for Season 7?

Nothing comes to the top of mind. I would say before we transition into what we got coming up next, the word “failure,” I’m going to go back to that. I know that we’ve talked about it in past. But just a reminder, if you will, failure and what it means to you. And being that we were talking about how experiences have shaped us, when I ask you this question– not rhetorical, but I’m going to throw it at you– what does failure mean to you? And I want to see your response here. And then I’m going to go a little bit deeper after that.

So failure, what’s that mean to you?

When I think of failure, the first thing that’s coming to mind for me is it’s an opportunity to learn. Right? It’s an opportunity to discover something about myself, the circumstances around me, and to apply that for the next time. Whatever the next time is.

I love it. I love it. And everybody, just know this was not pre-rehearsed. I’m glad she answered it the way she did. But I mean, there’s no wrong answer. Because once again, your experiences have allowed you to now answer it in that way. So most of the time, people look at failure as maybe quitting. Giving up, right? And the reality is failure is part of the process. It’s a form of growth. And to give everybody that little nostalgia vibe.

Remember when you were learning how to ride that bike for the first time. How many times did you fall off? And what happened through that experience and that pain is you started to correct little by little whatever it was for you to start pedaling, making sure you can steer the steering bar. And just balance yourself out. So whenever that parent let go of that back seat in those handlebars and you’re on your way, you had to go through failure to get to that point.

And that’s why I think– or it’s essential. Failure is essential.

Yeah.

I mean, you ask anybody in life, have you ever failed, their answer’s going to be yes. And look at you. You’re still here. Right?

Yeah.

So how that all manifests and you matriculate how to get through all that is a beautiful thing. And that’s why I just want to ground everybody again with, failure is part of the process.

Yeah. And I think as this mid-year check-in, it’s meet yourself where you are. Take the time to reflect and give yourself some grace and understanding and the time to learn. Because we often put so much stock at the start of a year and the goals we set for ourselves. And the reality is that life is going to throw us unexpected hurdles and things that happen. So meet yourself where you are.

And know that it’s never too late to start again. You can always continue whatever the next goal is. If the goal changes, if the ambitions change, we can go from wherever we are and continue to start again. Always.

It is. Yeah. All right. So what we at in the hopper now? What we got going on here?

Oh my gosh. Well, we are going to be recording Season 7, which we will probably be launching I would say late summer. So we’re taking a little break this summer to really get some new episodes going. We have a lot of different conversations. We’re bringing back some of our favorite experts about a variety of topics. And honestly, I don’t even know what they all are. But I know they’re health, fitness, nutrition. We’re covering the gamut of different things.

As you can expect, it’s going to be a wide range. There’ll be some quality of life topics. Some outside guests as well who we’re excited to talk to. So I can’t go into a ton of detail, because we’re still finalizing some of the details. But know that if you’ve come to expect different– whether it’s about a specific move, like lunges. Or if it’s about a specific nutrient, like magnesium. We’re planning along those lines again.

Love it. Love it. Bring it on. It’s always going to speak to those pillars, right? It’s always good to speak to them. So that’s a good thing. So I’m excited. As always, we to get back in the studio and connect and have some more fun moments and laugh again. All right, so that’s what I’m excited about. And then once again, just being able to pour into our listeners, viewers. To continue to help them evolve within their journey.

Yeah. So with that in mind, we want to thank everybody who’s been listening consistently to the podcast. To anybody who’s new to the podcast, thank you for tuning in. And watch for Season 7 coming later this summer. In the meantime, enjoy the summer. Make the most of it. And we’ll talk to you soon.

Catch you all on the flip. Be good.

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