Speaker 1: 0:31

Tina Fraley, fit Minded Living, doing business as Powerhouse Studios, and I offer strategies for living life better, more effectively and in the present time. So it's everything from health physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, nutritionally and how to collaboratively pull all of that together individually, in your community and as it ripple effects out into your life.

Speaker 2: 0:54

Okay, and then could you tell me a little bit about your story, how you wound up in the industry that you're in and how that all came to be?

Speaker 1: 1:02

Yeah, so I'm a mom of seven and after I had my seventh one, I was about 300 pounds and I wanted my mind, my life and my body back is how I've summarized it and I went at what I thought was just going to be a weight loss journey and as I went through it I was discovering that there was actually a stronger necessity than just the scale moving, and that was my mind. I needed to be more present in my body and that required my mindset to really shift and transform alone and then being able to actually incorporate that more into my daily life and my business life and everything just being more balanced and congruent. I lost 150 pounds and I did a great deal of that at home, learning how to really look at my food from a different perspective, developing a different, more healthier, positive relationship with it and then just allowing myself to move again. I was active in high school. I played softball and basketball, field hockey for a little bit and I had a really bad car accident my junior year and it really took me back and I stopped moving.

Speaker 1: 2:16

I stopped allowing my body to do what it naturally wants to do and then, through seven kids and life, the grind, you kind of get lost. You wake up one day and want to know who that is looking back in the mirror, and so that was kind of the start of where what now is a lifestyle studio. It's a boutique gym so that people can feel comfortable and safe and just learn how to move in ways that they probably haven't before or didn't want to do quite alone, and then being able to really discover that nutrition and food can be fun. It can be something that's bonding and creative, and you just explore in your kitchen and your grocery store and then realizing how important it is to pull all of it together to really have an effective life.

Speaker 2: 3:03

Wow, okay, and now tell me a little bit about how that journey came to be for you. Losing all that weight Like? What things did you change? What did you realize that you were not doing right? A?

Speaker 1: 3:15

lot of changing my mind, realizing that if I was going to do all of the exercise on one end, that I had to balance it in the kitchen, that I could actually out eat my burpees, and then realizing that in order to really understand what my body was going through, I had to take the time to do the work and process past traumas. I'm a survivor of domestic violence and a lot of that was stored in my body and I didn't really understand that. Even as someone whose background is in counseling and mental health, I was not attending to that part of my own process and my own ownership of my life. And when I sat down and really started to do that, it was an unpacking of lies. It was realizing how intricate some of those things that we tell ourselves are and being able to face them and seeing that when you take that weight off of your heart, you're also taking the weight off of your shoulders and your body is able to feel freer, be freer and experience life from a different perspective.

Speaker 2: 4:22

Absolutely Wow. Talk to me a little bit about, I guess, the trauma that you went through. How did you find help and how were you able to overcome that? I know, with exercise and eating better, like I know, it's not an easy thing. How were you able to overcome that?

Speaker 1: 4:42

I think it's still something that's evolving. When I really look at everything that's transpired in my life, I don't think there's actually a point where I'm just I'm going to arrive and I'm like, oh okay, here is healed. But I think that's actually the misnomer. I at one point in my life really did look at all of the different things around me. If I lost weight, then I'd be better, feel better, look better, do better, heal better. If I could have more money in my bank account, then I could be more esteemed, I'd be more knowledged, I'd be more dot, dot, dot, fill in the blank If I could understand or have that degree or have that initial behind my name.

Speaker 1: 5:27

I was constantly in pursuit of external validation instead of actually doing the work on the inside. And that's probably the biggest difference that when you get through to that spot, it's acceptance from a radical perspective. You're looking at all of the different experiences that you've had in life and understanding who you are. Now, not from a well, this is what happened, and so this is just my lot in life, but this is what happened for me. This is what happened and how can I serve from this perspective. This is what took place, this was my experience and what have I learned and how can I give from that? And I think that evolves, so it's never an actual X marks the spot destination. At least that's my hope. So far, that's what I'm finding, and my hope is that the next 40, 50 years don't have as many of those more adverse experiences.

Speaker 2: 6:23

Yeah, gotcha, and now can you tell me a little bit about the community part where you hope that small businesses or any businesses at all can come together and help each other, and how you're doing that through your business, or any businesses at all, can come?

Speaker 1: 6:35

together and help each other, and how you're doing that through your business. Yeah, health is really one of those linchpin or cornerstone aspects to our life. Everyone needs health and we all wake up to it in a different spot in our lives. The journey is different for each of us individually, but when you really sit back and you look at everything from that eagle eye perspective, good health, collaboration and connection and community are all on the same page. So, from a business perspective, what I've been able to do with my powerhouse studios is open it up to every person that possibly could be of interest in the building and letting them see this is where you can start. This is where you don't have to know everything. You just have to allow yourself to move and change your mind and give yourself a chance to mess it up. Give yourself a chance to laugh at yourself, give yourself a chance to learn something new and then share it with your spouse, your kids, your family and just give of that part in your life so that you can receive, because you're making room inside of yourself when you do that.

Speaker 1: 7:43

From a business perspective, as every single one of the community health influencers from, I'm in Washington County in Hagerstown, maryland and we have this huge initiative to lose a million pounds by 2030. And so we have our roots into the community wide, asking for all of these different supports and individuals to step up and set the model, set the tone and literally walk to wellness and just be the example, be the change that we're all looking to see. And when you don't know exactly what to do, look to the neighbor, look to the business next to you, look to the person at that networking meeting or sitting just next to you in church or at school PTA meetings and ask how are you healthy today? Is there something that we can help you with? Is there something that you can help us with? Being able to really focus on the connection is where all of our amplification is going to be found.

Speaker 2: 8:42

Absolutely. And now in your business, do you have any like community events or anything for like businesses or clients of yours to come together or join?

Speaker 1: 8:51

in on. So we do a free Fitness Friday, so our boot camps are at 4.30 pm in the group room and then we do events all over Washington County. We actually later this evening at the Hagerstown Library we will be starting off our Qigong and yoga blend class and that will be at 6.30 pm and then we have a series of those going around the different libraries in Washington County. This starts our fitness pantry initiative, so we received a grant. Libraries in Washington County this starts our fitness pantry initiative. So we received a grant from Healthy Washington County and with that we have been able to collaborate with other organizations like Girls on the Run, primetime for Women, leatherman Healthcare, and they have helped to put into the fitness pantry different low-impact equipment, resources, handouts, workbooks, nutrition trackers, and my studio supplies the instructors and coordinates the different classes so that we can make it fun and adventurous and family oriented.

Speaker 2: 9:49

Absolutely. That is great. Wow, how do you get all those people to come together and help you, like, is it? You just like going to them and talking to them Like, hey, I'm doing this. Would you like to donate some of your time doing some of this? Talk to me a little bit about that, yeah.

Speaker 1: 10:04

It's, it's asking. Um, I think one of the biggest stigmas on business, small businesses and all of that in general, is that you you can't ask for help or that you have to just make it alone. And if you're going to open a business, you should know what you're doing. And I'm a Washington County Chamber of Commerce member and that's one of the things they drive home is you don't have to do it alone. Asking for help is a part of the small business process. So most of the individuals that I work with right now I know personally and so when they heard how I was putting this together, they were right there going how can I help? And that's how you know you're in the right room. That's how you know you're in the right environment, community, et cetera.

Speaker 1: 10:46

Leatherman Healthcare Gwen Leatherman is the nurse practitioner at that office and she and I actually went to high school together and came back around 25 years later. She's a current member and training client of mine and I'm a patient of hers at her office and we were literally on a treadmill conversation one day and I was just like we should do this in a more, just a farther reaching way. So the libraries are local hubs. We use them as kids. It's where we were taken so that we could learn and connect and grow ourselves. So why not do that from a health perspective purposefully?

Speaker 1: 11:22

So initially, the NOW program that is in the libraries was called Move to Improve and I had taken every aspect of my studio and given like a taste or sample of it. So we had a little bit of cardio kickboxing, we had a little bit of yoga, we had a little bit of nutrition. Gwen was coming in and doing blood pressure readings and talking about heart health, we had Reiki therapists, we had a sound vibroacoustic therapy bed showcase so that we could all see myself included how many different ways you can actually reach for healthy in your lives, because it's in my terms. I say healthy is where you are. So the more you can ask for help, the more you can open up your view and perspective to ways of that help coming to you, the healthier your life is going to be and the people around you.

Speaker 2: 12:18

Yeah, that's amazing. Is there an age range for these groups Like, is it kids? It is cross-generational.

Speaker 1: 12:27

So my youngest is 13 right now, but she has been doing this with me literally since she was in her car seat. So she's grown up in this world and has absolutely taken advantage of being able to be that kid in the room learning how to do all the different classes and reaching out to her own friend group. She's a soccer player now and just letting herself see that she can try some of those classes that maybe a kid wouldn't sign themselves up for. She's the first one to come into our pound class, which is the drumsticks rock and roll loudest workout in the world. She's always where's my mat, where are my drumsticks? They're neon green and it's just. It's a really good time.

Speaker 1: 13:10

And then we have walking to wellness opportunities. Primetime for Women is one of the organizations I work with. I'm on the board of their directors and every Wednesday at noon we meet at our local community college and we do a mile walk. We have a presenter from someone in the community again highlighting that connection and health benefit from it, and then, if you can walk, you walk. If you want to run, you run, and if you can't do more than a few steps, you showed up that day and that's what we're focusing on how you show up in your life is how you can change your life.

Speaker 2: 13:42

I absolutely love that Like no matter what level you're at, you're not going to feel embarrassed or anything Like. You're welcome and as long as you showed up and you're doing the thing like, we're proud of you. I love that. Thank you, absolutely. Love that.

Speaker 1: 14:04

And marketing goes for your business and getting the word out there about what you do and how you're helping the community. What do you like to do like? Are you on youtube, instagram? I live on facebook is what my daughter likes to put it as, but that's predominantly. Facebook has been the the one social media that I really fully feel like. I understand I'm able to more effectively get the messaging out, but we do event brightite as well. So different events in the community and then the library is also helping to create that reach. From the social media perspective. I have a YouTube channel, but I haven't done a whole lot with it yet. So Instagram as well, I am there, but Facebook's definitely the spot for me.

Speaker 2: 14:39

Absolutely. Yeah, everybody has different social medias that works best for them, like, some are not for some people, some are for some people. So it's just finding your people, finding the group and community that you like and sticking to what you like. So that's awesome, thank you. And now, when it comes to health, do you feel that you've had a big impact on your kids? Like seeing that she's like you know what I'm going to go do this Like. Do you think it's because of like the lifestyle that you have made for yourself that your kids are so influenced they're inspired to do that?

Speaker 1: 15:06

I definitely believe I've had an impact. I think as they've aged they might have different opinions on how that impact has been received. My oldest one is about to be 27 and then the one right under him is going to be 26. So those two I would say I've had the biggest impact from a. This is what's available Now. I'm going to take it and run with it.

Speaker 1: 15:31

My oldest is about to get his doctorate in physical therapy, so he took it from a more educational perspective. He started my business with me three years ago for the brick and mortar, so that personal training certificate that we both went in on together has really allowed him to see what different directions he could take it in. And then my second in line is now working full time with me at the studio and is our group training writer and our boot camp instructor also does personal training. So they've both found careers out of what originally was mom doesn't fit in her pants and I really don't like things. But it's also allowed me to see that I'm a different mom because I got healthier.

Speaker 1: 16:17

It wasn't just about the scale and the clothes, and those non-scale victories were more important is what I saw. So I didn't necessarily run around the park with my older ones the way I did with my younger ones, and so that was a huge difference. My daughter, my middle daughter, serenity, is actually looking at getting her yoga certification, so she may be walking into that. And currently she helps with one of our nonprofit initiatives as well, so we do help to teach fitness and mindful practices to marginalized populations. We're working with a program with Frostburg State University back home and we go in Wednesday afternoons and Monday mornings and offer classes on movement, how to eat and how to believe better, and Serenity is going to be helping with that process as well.

Speaker 2: 17:12

Wow, that is incredible. Your whole family is like a whole fitness team here, like the Brady Bunch of fitness. I love that, thank you. That is so impressive too, because you know sometimes it's and it's for all your kids. So far it looks like they're all into like that fitness and health and wealth, all that good stuff.

Speaker 1: 17:27

Yeah, we had some heels dug in the sand.

Speaker 1: 17:30

It wasn't all it's expected, yes, but I think that actually taught me a lot too, because one of the things that I really drive home as I'm working with my clients is they may be there for themselves, and that's what I want. We have those stages of change, and there's four of them acceptance, awareness, accountability and action. When they're coming in the door, it is for them, but when they go home, how does that support system meet them? What are all of the ripple effects going on around them, and what changes do they actually need to be asking support for? Because they're changing, which then makes stress in and of itself.

Speaker 1: 18:13

So if we can teach them, hey, when you come in and you're about to change your whole system of nutrition, your spouse, your kids, they're all going to look at you and go what did you do with my chicken nuggets? So instead of going home and going no more pizza, no more chicken nuggets we teach. How do you incorporate all of these parts that you're already doing in your life and slowly move them out by introducing positive foods, positive behavior, positive change. So then you're teaching the kids in the process of teaching yourself, which makes it something that'll last longer.

Speaker 2: 18:46

That's a good strategy right there, because usually it is like no, cut this off like boom, and then it makes you kind of a little bit resentful, like you know what I hate this. I don't want to do this anymore. So I think that method is wise. Thank you, resentful. Like you know what I hate this. I don't want to do this anymore, so I think that method is wise, thank you.

Speaker 1: 18:59

It's very good.

Speaker 2: 18:59

Lessons learned the hard way yeah, if you feel a little bit more in control, whereas opposed, it's like no, you're like yeah great.

Speaker 1: 19:05

It's teaching ownership and it's teaching positive mindset, because food isn't our enemy. We need it. You have to eat on a daily basis, you have to move in some way, shape or form, and then you believe in something. Why not believe in yourself? So the whole focus is helping them to see there's more to discover about who you are, and when you do that you can actually deliver it at home more effectively and raise the whole vibration of your house.

Speaker 2: 19:31

Absolutely. And now, is there anything that you would like to say that I have not touched on?

Speaker 1: 19:37

maybe to our audience, just if there is any part of the listener right now that is going. I resonate with something that has been said today and I'm ready to leap to make that change. But where do I start? Getting out a piece of paper and writing a letter to yourself and really focusing on who? Are you in this moment, acknowledging and releasing in every way you possibly can, all of the misperceptions, that messaging that many of us might walk through life and go? Wait a minute. That's not what I believe at all. Who told me that? Whose voice am I actually listening to? When you take out that piece of paper and you write, dear me, you are taking time for yourself, which can be hard. Yes, you are owning your present moment and the power that you have in the process and you're allowing, and that is the gift of evolution, that is the gift of amplification, and that is the gift of evolution. That is the gift of amplification and that is the gift of a life lived instead of one survived and just grinding away.

Speaker 2: 20:44

Absolutely. And now my last question is a little bit similar, but it can be on a different topic. Okay, if you could leave our listeners with one message, it could be in regards to health, family, music, anything that's in your heart what would that message be?

Speaker 1: 21:00

I would say to remember that you are your best asset. All the work starts inside, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 21:08

No, you're right about that, because no one else can do that for you. It's got to come from within, exactly. Yeah Well, thank you so much for being on our podcast today and sharing all of your wisdom and tips with us. Absolutely Appreciate it.