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April 15, 2026 39 mins

We explore how a 15-minute movement method helped Carly navigate triple negative breast cancer, build resilience, and reimagine strength as consistent, compassionate action. From a chemo-chair podcast to a book born of courage, the tools are small, practical, and deeply human.

• redefining fitness as 15-minute wins
• perimenopause as a shared, open conversation
• the diagnosis, treatment choices, and fear
• movement as medicine for fatigue and nausea
• momentum before motivation and the plus one idea
• Chemo Coffee Talk evolving to Fit and Fitness
• Pray For The Bear and finding purpose in pain
• simple starter habits like coffee-squat rituals
• building a lifelong fitness foundation
• where to find Carly’s programs, book, and podcast

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Connect with Carly!

Website
 https://www.fitfuncarly.com

Podcast
 Fit in Fitness Podcast

Book
 Pray for the Bear

Instagram & LinkedIn
 @fitfuncarly

Facebook Group
Fitness Can Be Fun

Free 15-minute conversation Available through her website

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SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
There are moments in life when everything changes.
A diagnosis, a loss, a momentwhen the future you thought you
were walking towards suddenlylooks completely different.
And in that moment, you discoversomething about yourself that
you may have never seen before.
Strength, resilience, andsometimes purpose.

(00:24):
Today's guest embodies that in aremarkable way.

(00:47):
She believes fitness doesn'thave to be overwhelming or time
consuming.
Sometimes meaningful changebegins with something as simple
as a 15 intentional minute a dayworkout.
But Carly's mission took on anentirely new depth in February
of 2024 when she was diagnosedwith triple negative breast

(01:11):
cancer, y'all.
While many people understandablyretreat inward during treatment,
Carly chose somethingextraordinary.
She started a podcast, not aftertreatment and not when life
became easier, but from thechemotherapy chair at the uh the
Dana Farber Cancer Institute inBoston.

(01:34):
That podcast, Fit and Fitness,became a place of connection,
encouragement, and hope forpeople navigating their own
challenges.
And during that same time, Carlyalso wrote a book titled Pray
for the Bear.
Can't wait to hear about that.
Sharing what it means to facelife's hardest moments with
courage, faith, and resilience.

(01:57):
Today we're talking aboutmovement, mindset, resilience,
and what happens when lifeplaces something in front of you
that you never ask for.
But choose to face anyway.
Carly, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 (02:11):
Thank you.
What an introduction, Pam.
That was like the nicestintroduction I've ever received.
I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 (02:17):
Thanks for having me.
I've just been so blown away.
You're amazing, and I can't waitto just dig deep.
So, but before we do get intoyour story, I'd like to start
with you right now.
So, what season of life are youin today?
And what are you most excitedabout in your work and mission
at this moment?

SPEAKER_00 (02:37):
Um, so I'm a cancer survivor, and I'm almost two
years um out of my cancertreatment.
So that is something tocelebrate.
Every day is something tocelebrate.
I think everybody should becelebrating every day, no matter
if you've had a cancer diagnosisor not.
Um, I'm heading intoperimenopause, which is like
which is like that is the seasonof life I'm in, Pam.

(02:58):
Um you'll get through it.
I've been there through it.
And I feel like a lot of myclients, most of my clients, are
are dealing with the same thing.
So that's always top of mind.
It's not that bad yet, but Ifeel like the way that I have
dealt with a lot of the thingsthat have kind of landed in my
lap in my life, I think I canuse some of those principles
that I used to get through thosetimes to get through something

(03:19):
like this.
And at the end of the day, I'mglad I'm here to be able to go
through perimenopause.
Well, and we meet each other,you know, when we're going
through.
We need to talk about it.
Yeah, I feel like before no onewas really talking about it.
So there was all this like, isthis normal?
And doctors didn't really know.
Yeah.
And now everybody is able tolike that's all anybody wants to
talk about.
So I feel like that's definitelya a good thing is to just things

(03:43):
things feel better when we canbe open and honest about them.

SPEAKER_01 (03:46):
Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (03:47):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (03:48):
So, well, I got through it and and I did need
support.
I didn't have it when I wentthrough it, and it was tough to
go do it by yourself, you know?

SPEAKER_00 (03:57):
Yeah, it is.
It's a lot, it's a lot.
It's a change.
Changes are hard.

SPEAKER_01 (04:02):
So um before your diagnosis, I know I'm gonna dive
right in there.
Yeah, go ahead, dive right in.
Okay.
Before your diagnosis, you werealready deeply committed to
helping people move their bodiesand build strength.
So tell us about the work youwere doing and the mission
behind FitFun Carly.

SPEAKER_00 (04:23):
Yeah, so I had I had started out with fitness as a
side hustle.
So I had a I had a real job.
I had a whole bunch of differentreal jobs and marketing, PR,
advertising.
And then fitness was something Ikind of developed on the side,
and I really liked it.
But as the years went by, Istarted to kind of think about
like why, what, what is it aboutteaching fitness that seems to

(04:45):
resonate with me and my teachingstyle seems to resonate with so
many people because my followingwas growing.
And I realized it really wasn'tthe things I was teaching.
So I started with a barcertification and bar as of like
a, yeah, I'm not a balletdancer.
I really, to be honest with you,don't even like bar that much,
but I got the certification so Icould teach it at a studio that

(05:07):
needed to bring it to their umservices.
So that's why I did it.
And then I was like, it isn'treally about the bar, it's about
the connection to students andseeing how I can make this
something that feels good intheir bodies and watching people
connect to the things I wasteaching.
So it could have been anything.
I mean, Zumba I don't love, butI could have been a Zumba
teacher and love to see peopleconnect to Zumba.

(05:28):
So I started to kind of thinkmore about that, and then I
realized that maybe it wasn't,maybe it was time for me to
develop something other thanjust being a fitness instructor.
So I came up with my own method,which I had uh used for a lot of
my clients who are busy moms,busy professionals who were
telling me that they had no timeto exercise.
And I said, You do, you have 15minutes.

(05:50):
And they're like, Do I?
I'm like, Yeah, think about it.
You could wake up 15 minutesearlier or go to bed 15 minutes
later, and it's not going todisrupt your day.
So they started to use this15-minute workout formula and it
started to really work for them.
So I thought, let me make thisinto a like the Fitfon Carly
method.
So I came up with my own15-minute method and started
pushing it out there.

(06:11):
Um, it was going really well.
I made fitness my full-time job.
I got rid of the other real jobsand made fitness my real job.
And then I was diagnosed withbreast cancer.
So I was just on the upswing.
And it for me, I never thoughtI'd own my own business.
I never thought I'd be anentrepreneur.
It's not something that comeseasy or natural to me.
It's a it is a big um stepoutside my comfort zone.

(06:35):
So I thought, how am I gonna dothis?
It's just me that teaches theseclasses and they're all virtual,
so I had to do them.
It's not like I just tell peoplewhat to do.
And I thought I have no idea howthis cancer thing is gonna shake
out.
I didn't know what chemo wasgonna look like.
All I knew is what I thought Iknew.
And then I started to do some umresearch into the importance of

(06:55):
exercise during cancer treatmentjust for my own benefit.
I asked my oncologist.
She didn't really know that muchabout it, but she gave me a book
called Moving Through Cancer.
So I read that book and I waslike, I can do this.
I'm gonna work out every day andteach my classes, and I'm gonna
use my 15-minute method to getme through cancer.
And so knowing that chemo eatsmuscle for breakfast, lunch, and

(07:17):
dinner, and that the chemo couldaffect my heart because it was
very aggressive chemo.
So, long story short, I ended upachieving my goal.
And through that, I realized howpowerful my method was for
helping people, not only withcancer, but fighting anything,
grief, um, transitions, likeanything.
This 15-minute is 15 minutes isjust easy to wrap your brain

(07:40):
around.
And most of the time, if you do15, get you going, you could do
15 minutes more, 15 minutesmore.
It's just easy for the brain tounderstand.
So I was really proud of myselfthat I did that.
And then when I was done, Istarted thinking about it more
as this idea of really trying tohelp people get through hard
times with movement andredefining exercise.
So it's not, it's not alwayssomething you have to think

(08:03):
about going to the gym for andadding another thing on your
to-do list.
It's something that truly makesyou feel better.
So let's start there first.
And then once you get the winsfrom feeling good because they
come fast, then you can starttalking about progression and
building muscle and working onwhatever it is you want to work
on.
But we have to start at the verybasic level to get people on

(08:25):
board with exercise.
So that is what how I've kind oftransitioned the 15-minute fit
and fist fit fit in fitnessmethod um up until this point.
So it's it's been exciting and Ilove what I do, and I just love
being able to meet so manypeople, strong people.
We're going through hard times.

SPEAKER_01 (08:44):
Yes, yes.
And I find that a lot of yourprinciples um blend with mine so
well.
I have something called the plusone theory, which is doing your
best plus one more in smallincremental steps.

SPEAKER_00 (08:58):
Yes.

SPEAKER_01 (08:59):
And and it really is key.
And I've been doing a lot ofresearch on the neuroscience of
all of that.
Because the brain literallyneeds to bring this frontal part
of your brain back onlinebecause the lower part of the
brain's in charge, which is thecaveman, making you do bad
things.
But, you know, that's just myway of explaining it.

(09:20):
But 15 minutes, I mean, thatjust gives the brain ch a chance
to get back online and to reallyreason with you about why this
is important, why we need tomove our bodies, even if it's
just in small little pieces.

SPEAKER_00 (09:33):
Yeah, I think it's outdated to think of.
Like, I mean, I think of likeeven how we growing up, people
didn't know any better.
So it was all like no fat andjust the snack well generation
where we stuff our faces withsnack wells, and that like
that's probably why I got breastcancer.
But I I think I would eat thewhole box before I'd get to the
grocery store checkout.

(09:54):
Yeah, and I thought I was beingso healthy.
So I think that we need toevolve our way of thinking about
things as more research comesout and um how we understand the
brain more.
It does not have to look like ithas always looked, nor should
it.
Everybody is different with howthey do things.
So it's I think it's key toreally try to understand what
works for each individual.

SPEAKER_01 (10:15):
Oh, gosh, that's so important.
I mean, I've been through such ajourney on myself with with
medical issues, and I foundthat, you know, doctor after
doctor would say, I don't knowwhat's wrong.
So you have to get curious andtry to figure out what your
unique situation is, you know,what's going to help you move
beyond what's happening to you,you know, to your health.

(10:37):
And so I love I love what you'redoing with all of that because,
you know, we just need to giveourselves a little grace and a
little time.
And I think that we can can moveinto that healthy zone.

SPEAKER_00 (10:49):
Mm-hmm.
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 (10:52):
So let me help my listeners relate to how amazing
you are and resilient.

SPEAKER_00 (10:58):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 (10:58):
So February of 2024 arrives and you're diagnosed
with triple negative breastcancer.
I mean, I'm trying to beempathetic and put myself in
inside of you right when youwhen you learn this.
So can you take us into thatmoment?
Like, where were you when youheard the diagnosis and what

(11:20):
went through your mind?

SPEAKER_00 (11:22):
Yeah.
Well, I had found, I think Imust, my guardian angel must
have been looking out for mebecause I didn't, I didn't check
myself.
I just didn't.
But I was in the shower and Iwas um washing my armpit and I
felt like a teeny little bump.
And I like checked the otherside and I was like, is that is
that on the other side?
And it wasn't.
So I let it go for about a weekand then I was like, I should

(11:42):
get this check.
So I went to my doctor.
She didn't think it wasanything, so she didn't rush the
biopsy.
But no, first it was anultrasound.
She didn't rush the ultrasound.
So about I guess 10 days later,I went for the ultrasound.
I went in there thinking it waslike, I was in a great mood.
I was chatting everybody up.
And then you know when theultrasound technician stops and
her face drops, and then shejams it in your armpit, and

(12:04):
you're just like, what?
And then the doctor comes in andthey're like, we need you to
come back for a biopsy.
I didn't know, like, I was outof my mind, scared.
I th I came home, I fell on thefloor.
My dog must have been like, Whatthe heck is going on?
I just sobbed.
I was, I was so, it hit me likean it hit me like a Mac truck.

(12:26):
I was able to get myself likepulled together, so I went back
for the biopsy.
And I mean, I think at thatpoint my instincts were telling
me that it was something.
And then, I mean, my thebeginning of my journey was
filled with frustration becausetests weren't coming back.
The ultrasound machine brokewhen I was in it, and then I had
to wait to get another.

(12:46):
It was like one thing after.
Then they found some shadow inthe ultra sound machine that
wasn't me, but they thought itwas me, and they thought I had a
like a big two tumors.
It was like, it was sostressful.
But then when I did get the callthat it was um trip, that it was
breast cancer.
Um, my doctor didn't really readthe report fully.

(13:06):
And it stages don't reallymatter anymore, but I I was
still in my own head, in my ownzone of what I knew, thought I
knew about cancer.
And she told me that it wasstage three, but it wasn't, it
was stage one.
But then I had to go through thewhole, I mean, it was like, it
was pretty traumatic.

SPEAKER_01 (13:21):
And then some of us would be like, what is stage
one, two, or three, or four?
What does that mean?
What is that?

SPEAKER_00 (13:26):
But you uh you hear the later stages, the worse it
is.
Like that is what I had beenbrought up knowing.
I know better now that stagesdon't really, they're stage four
survivors that do that thriveand go on.
But um, and then I found out itwas triple negative.
I didn't even know that therewere different kinds of breast
cancer.
So triple negative is a breastcancer that is not
hormone-driven.
So it is a more aggressive formof cancer.

(13:48):
So if I had let it go longer, itwould have been a disaster.
It spreads quickly.
Um, rate of recurrence can behigh, but I did have a double
nosectomy.
I chose to go flat and then Iwent the most aggressive route
with chemo.
I didn't have to have radiationbecause once I got past that
beginning part of all thesemistakes happening and the
scariest part, once I got aplan, then I felt like

(14:11):
everything happened like in myfavor and it hadn't spread to my
lymph nodes and the surgery wentwell and the chemo worked.
So the thing with triplenegative cancer is most cancers
that are hormone-driven, afteryou're done with your treatment,
you can take a hormonesuppressant, which will help
which will prevent the cancerfrom coming back.

(14:31):
Um, but mine, I can't takeanything for it.
So I because it's hormonenegative.
So I just try to live my best.
There's there's like you adjust.
I adjust and I live my bestlife, and I get scared
sometimes, and then I get overit, and then I make sure that
I'm exercising and eating well,but I'm not, I don't go nuts.
I live my life.
I want to enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 (14:53):
Well, and and too, it makes you appreciate things a
little better, right?

SPEAKER_00 (14:56):
Oh, 100%.
But but like I think there'sthis misconception that you have
a diagnosis like that, and thenevery morning you wake up and
you look out the window andyou're just like, this is great.
And that is not the case.
I wake up and I'm like, uh, andI go to bed and I'm like, uh, I
mean, we still you still useyou're a human.
So but you know, like you cancheck it back into place and be

(15:18):
like, oh, it's what are what arethe alternatives to this, not
being here.

SPEAKER_01 (15:22):
Well, and we actually use what we're telling
everyone else they need.
Yes, exactly.
I mean, that's how we came upwith it, right, in the first
place.

SPEAKER_00 (15:28):
Yes, yes, exactly.
So it's it's been a journey.

SPEAKER_01 (15:32):
Right.
I I and yes, but an importantone that has led you to the
place that you're at now.
I mean, your your whole messageuh is around movement.
Yes.
But during cancer treatment,movement takes on an entirely
different meaning.
Yes.
Yes.
But did it did it play uhmovement play a uh a big role in

(15:56):
your chemotherapy?

SPEAKER_00 (15:57):
Oh, 100%.
And help me deal with the sideeffects.
Um, every single time I feltnauseous or tired, and trust me,
there were days where I couldbarely get out of bed.
I knew that I could trustmyself.
All I had to do was do it onceto see how like going out for a
15-minute walk reduced thenausea symptoms.
If you are going throughchemotherapy and you feel
miserable and there is somethingthat you can do to relieve your

(16:19):
symptoms, you are going to doit.
It's not always a pill.
I knew that I wouldn't feel likeit, but if I if I worked, if I
got up and I and I moved mybody, I could reduce the
fatigue.
I could feel better mentally.
Like I wouldn't go down thatmental rabbit hole of fear and
depression and wallowing.
Not that, I mean, it's okay tohave a pity party, but pity

(16:41):
party, but you have to staypositive.
You have to stay on the sunnyside of the street.
So that is what really helpedme.
And it was just eye-opening tosee the connection to the brain
when you're moving your body.
And if you would take theassociations of having to like
sweat or having to like push sohard that you're collapsed on
the floor and you can just takeit back a notch and understand

(17:05):
how much movement helps you feelbetter and also appreciate your
body.
I knew when I went out for mySaturday morning runs, I had a
six-mile loop.
And I every time I went out, Iwas like, I'm gonna run as much
of it as I can.
And there were some days I couldrun the whole thing, and some
days I had to run walk.
But I was like, this is like medoing this with a 20-pound
weight on my back.

(17:25):
And good for me.
Like it's an at a girl momentwhere you could get, you could
like, I don't know, have alittle swagger with my bald head
and flat chest.
I was like, I am so I'm crushingthis on the good days.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (17:40):
Yes, and and it's tools, right?
We all rely on all kinds oftools, expecting the tool to do
it for us, but it's the mindsetthat helps us utilize the tool
full fully.
And I look at movement, movementlike a tool.
And and it's my, I'll have toconfess to you, it's my least
favorite thing to do.
Yeah, exercise.

(18:00):
Working out, yeah, walking.
But I have to make myself do it.
And then for some reason, that'swhen the motivation happens, is
after I'm Oh, that makes sense.
Make myself do it.

SPEAKER_00 (18:10):
Momentum is the thing that builds motivation.
You will never want to do ituntil you do it.
And then momentum is the thingthat creates that motivation.
You can't just all of us, you'renot going to feel mo if you're
sitting here being like, I'mjust gonna wait till I feel like
doing it or I enjoy it, it'snever gonna happen.
You have to take the action.
Then you get the reward, but yougotta move, you gotta do it.

(18:31):
There's no magic wand.

SPEAKER_01 (18:33):
Well, that makes a lot of sense.
And you talk about um fittingand fitness, even when life's
overwhelming, and thatphilosophy must have taken on a
deeper meaning during yourtreatment.

SPEAKER_00 (18:48):
100%.
I mean, I was doing um burpeesfrom my chemo room.
Um, I had I did like a burpee aday until I beat cancer.
That was my thing.
Um and yeah, I it didn'texercise did not look like it
always had for me.
Like I was I was that girl whodidn't think it was a good

(19:08):
workout until I was like dyingand like sweating, and like I I
lived on that release, and Iused exercise as a way to kind
of escape my problems to tuneout.
All of a sudden I was usingexercise to tune in.
I was like walking with noheadphones and listening to the
birds.
Like my sensory, my sensoryperception or my senses, I feel

(19:31):
like they heightened during thatexperience.
I was really connected to birds.
I don't I didn't even like birdsbefore my whole journey, but
then all of a sudden I was likelistening to the birds chirping
and it was bringing me peace.
So um, yeah, I still really likebirds now.

SPEAKER_01 (19:46):
Birds are like the most resilient animal on the
planet, I think, because theyare they can find food anywhere.
They are.

SPEAKER_00 (19:54):
So maybe that's why I bonded with the birds, but
yeah, now I like birds.

SPEAKER_01 (19:59):
Um I think that one of the most powerful parts of
your story is that you startedthis podcast.
You I don't know about you, Ican relate to that because it
really helps me heal when I'mhelping others heal.

SPEAKER_00 (20:15):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (20:16):
You know, so fit and fitness from your chemotherapy
chair at the Dana Farber is tellus about that moment, like when
you thought it's gonna reallyhelp me to help others.
I mean, how tell me about thatmoment when you've realized I'm
gonna do a podcast.

SPEAKER_00 (20:33):
Yeah, so it started Fit in Fitness, it expanded to
Fit in Fitness.
I rebranded the podcast after mycaves or journey.
When it started, it was calledChemo Coffee Talk.
So that's how so I was I was ona podcast, a friend had a
podcast, um, and she invited meover to be on it, and we like
sat in her living room and shehad a cell phone with two little
microphones, and that's how werecorded.

(20:54):
So I was like, and it was theweek before I was going in for
chemo.
And there was just this thoughtthat hit me like, I should do a
podcast from my chemo chair.
And then I started thinkingabout it more.
I'm like, you know, I would haveloved to have somebody tell me
what chemo was like.
I mean, you go to the chemotalks with a nurse, but that's
still that gives you like theygo over the drugs and they go

(21:15):
over like what happens, but theydon't go over like what it's
going to feel like and look likeand um the the emotions that go
along with chemo because a lotof the doctors have never had
cancer.
So they're looking at it from adifferent perspective.
But I was like, I want to see Iwant to talk to somebody who's
been through it.
And I could talk to somebody,but I wanted like a first row, I

(21:36):
I wanted to see it.
So I was like, I'm just gonnalet people in.
Now I knew that if I walked intoDana Farber with um and asked to
film that that probably wouldhave gotten me shut down because
of privacy loss.
Obviously, I'm not an idiot, butthen I thought if I come in with
these little baby microphones,like number one, who's gonna
even know that I'm doing it?

(21:56):
But number two, like, how couldthey have a problem with it?
So I walked.
In the first day to my chemonurse, and I was like, okay, so
I'm just so you know, I'm doinga podcast.
And she was like, For what?
And I think I caused like amajor ruckus, but they didn't
stop me.
And I thought, you know what?
I'm gonna show them how good itis, and then then they're not
gonna want to stop me.
I even had an on an on-air signfrom my door.

(22:18):
So like the doctors would seeand they'd be like, Can I come
in?
Like, yes, you work here.
But I just I needed, I think Ifor the idea was to help other
people, but um I will be 100%honest, it was more to help
myself because I was so scaredand I do not like to be scared,
and I do not like to admit thatI'm scared, but I was so afraid

(22:39):
and I thought, how can I turnthis into something that's going
to make me get through it andmaybe even have purpose and make
me feel like I'm almost excitedfor chemo day to come.
So then I thought, I'm justgonna say that chemo day is
podcast day, and I'm going toDana Farber, but I'm going to my
podcast studio.
So that's why I got the on-airsign and I would interview all

(23:02):
my chemo buddies who wanted tocome to chemo with me.
So you can bring two people in,at least at Dana Farber and
Milford.
Um, so my husband went with methe first time, and then each
week I had two guests come andthey would, and the thing was,
you could come to chemo with me,but you have to be a guest on my
podcast.
And the whole premise was thatthese people that came were all
these like great people in mylife that have all taught me

(23:23):
something, and they all gave mesome tool or nugget of wisdom
that was helping me get throughthis cancer experience.
So this was my way of likethanking them in a public
setting, of pointing out thething that I admire about them
and then asking them about it.
Like, how did that start?
So it could be a like a therewas always like a takeaway for
the audience members to havefrom my friends who are so

(23:45):
wonderful.
Um, so those episodes I didn'tedit them because I didn't know
how.
I would literally just publishit from my chemo room.
You hear the beeps of the chemomachine.
I gave an update on how I wasdoing.
And yeah, it was probably thebest thing I ever did for myself
in regards to my cancertreatment.

SPEAKER_01 (24:01):
Well, and I just want to go back for a moment
because no one can reallyprepare you for what your
experience is going to be.
I mean, I've my big the bigthing in my life is the
procedure I had done wasbariatric surgery.
Yeah.
And it's very different, I'msure, than cancer because it's a
little more urgency there.
Yep.

(24:21):
But you prepare for an entireyear just because insurance
wants you to get, you know, uhbehavioral health, uh, mental
health support.
They teach they teach you aboutnutrition.
They prepare you for this newlife that you're going to be
living, but that one criticalcomponent that they do not tell

(24:41):
you or teach you is aboutmaintenance.
Is like, okay, let's say you doreach your goal, all right, and
and you do transition into thisnew way of eating.
How do you maintain that?
Because guess what?
This is a tool.
What's really messed up is up inhere that brought you to that
place to that place for in thefirst place, you know?

(25:02):
Yep.
And so no amount of preparationcan really prepare you for what
you will experience.
And I'm sure there were a lot ofsurprises for you in your
experience.
There was for me, I know, butit's completely different
worlds.

SPEAKER_00 (25:19):
But it's the same feeling.
I find I say all the timebecause people are always like,
well, I don't want to tell youabout this problem because your
problem is so much bigger thanmine.
I'm like, take away the problem.
It's the same feeling.
It's that we're all humanbeings, it's the same feelings
we're having about theexperience we're having.
It doesn't really matter whatthe thing is.
Fear, um, it's all the same.
Fear, exhaustion, sadness, likeit's all the same.

(25:43):
It's all the same.

unknown (25:44):
Wow.

SPEAKER_00 (25:44):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (25:45):
I really, I really want to talk about.
I mean, I'm I'm just amazed.
Here you are in chemotherapy andtreatment, and you're coming up
with all these amazing ways tohelp others that, you know, are
going through the same type ofthing.
And you wrote a book during thisseason called Pray for the Bear.
Yep.

(26:05):
And it's a powerful title, and Ilove it.
Can you explain what it meansthough?
What's the meaning behind it?

SPEAKER_00 (26:13):
Yeah.
So uh people seem to think it'sa religious book, obviously,
because the word pray, but it'snot.
It's based on a Kobe Bryantquote.
If you see me in a fight with abear, pray for the bear.
Um Yeah.
So a friend of mine sent me anInstagram reel um right when I
was starting chemo, and it wasKobe Bryant talking about a
hamstring injury or an Achillesinjury.
And um, he was saying how hardit was for him to come back and

(26:35):
he worked so hard and all thisstuff.
And then he was like, But if yousee me in a fight with a bear,
pray for the bear because I'mgonna win and I'm gonna have
this comeback.
So I was and she was like, Thisis you, and I'm like, Yes, it
is.
So prayer for the bear kind ofbecame my rallying cry.
So when I wrote the book, Icouldn't think of anything else
to name it because that I didn'twant it to be a cancer book.

(26:55):
There's so many books out there,and and it's lovely when people
write about their cancerexperience because some people
really love that type of bookand it's important, especially
for the person writing it.
I think it's very therapeutic.
But for me, I wanted it to bemore than just cancer because I
was learning through that wholeexperience, similar to what I
just said to you, is that itdoesn't really matter.
Like cancer, that's my bear.

(27:16):
It jumped out and it wanted toattack me.
But your bear may is bariatricsurgery.
Somebody else's bear may be lossof a child.
It's the same, same kinds ofawful feeling.
So, what are you gonna do?
There's always in every awfulsituation, I don't care how
awful it is, and there are somereally awful situations, there

(27:36):
is always a nugget there, but ittakes a lot of courage to see it
that you can use to help empoweryou or other people moving
forward.
Whether or not you grab hold ofit, that's your choice.
But there is always, and Ipurpose seems too big of a word
because I don't like to think oflike someone losing a child,
that there's purpose in that.
But in order for you to continueyour life and not completely

(28:00):
want to throw in the towel,there has to be something
worthwhile that you can use as atool to go on with your life.
Otherwise, I just could notstand that like cancer.
I didn't choose to have this.
Like, how dare this cancer comeinto my life?
It was almost like I was in thislike very competitive situation
with cancer.

(28:20):
Like, you think you're gonnaderail me?
I don't think so.
I'm gonna show you.
I'm gonna show you how much Ican do with this to show you
that you picked the wrong boob.
That was my whole thing.
So I was like, I'm gonna write abook.
It was a great way to spend mytime when I didn't really feel
like doing anything else.
I had a lot of thoughts goingthrough my head, and I just
wrote, wrote, wrote, wrote,wrote and turned it into a book.

unknown (28:40):
Wow.

SPEAKER_01 (28:41):
We call it a brain dump, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 (28:43):
It is a brain dump.

SPEAKER_01 (28:44):
It was a huge brain dump, but something people could
can use and grow from.
You know, the one I've onlywritten one book and it's a
memoir about uh an abusive,dysfunctional childhood and then
what it does to you as an adult.
And I was going through a lot ofintense therapy.
And so my journal notes areevery few chapters.

(29:05):
And journaling literally, Ididn't want to do it at first,
but then I started realizing,wow, this is this is helping me.
It's helping me see patterns.
It's helping me, and that's likeyou, I've heard you say this
before, like you, I turned, Iturned it into a book.

SPEAKER_00 (29:21):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, I always think thatwe're given these situations to
help other people deal withsimilar situations.
Like how can we help othersmoving forward?
That's a big thing of I think ofwho I am is how I how I how can
I help?

SPEAKER_01 (29:35):
Yes, and looking outside of ourselves.
Yeah.
I used to think I was the onlyperson that went through such a
traumatic childhood, but I amone of many.

SPEAKER_00 (29:42):
One of many.
And the more it just like wetalked about perimenopause and
menopause, the more you allowyourself to talk about it and be
honest, the more comfortableother people are gonna feel
about talking about it.

SPEAKER_01 (29:54):
Yes, so much.
And facing that bear, I justlove it.
Well, actually, you're the bear.

SPEAKER_00 (30:01):
Some people get confused.
They're like, they they didn'tget quite get the title and
they're they like use the theword bear a little wrong.
I don't care how people use it,but yeah, I'm just like there'll
be other bears, but I likerefuse to let the bear win.
Like I will win.
I don't care how tough the bearis.

SPEAKER_01 (30:19):
Yes, and uh just just seeking clarity, you know,
being curious, and and just I Idon't know about you, but I
literally glean.
I always use the word glean, andI use that with chat GPT too.
I've trained it to learn gleanbecause like if I put any
information in there, I'm like,can you just glean everything

(30:40):
you can from this?
Yeah.
So I just put glean and then itgives me a summary.

SPEAKER_00 (30:43):
It's a great word.
It's a great word.

SPEAKER_01 (30:45):
Yeah, yeah.
And and that's what we're reallyall doing.
Yep.
We're just gleaning information,sitting around the fire and and
hopefully educating ourselvesenough to grow and thrive.
So um last question.
Uh what can you tell us about alittle bit of your work and
where we can find it?

SPEAKER_00 (31:06):
Yeah.
So I have a website,fitfuncarly.com.
Um, I work with clients threeways.
I work one-on-one.
I have a Fitfun community, whichI started based on my 15-minute
method.
So I teach live 15-minuteclasses and a 30-minute class
daily, where people cansubscribe and join live.
And I have an on-demand libraryof like 4,000 classes of

(31:29):
everything, um, and one-on-onesupport there too.
And then I just launched the15-minute club.
And the 15-minute club is alittle different because it's a
lot of mindset work.
We do move, but we start withwhat I talked about before.
Like, let's give you the toolsup here to actually want to
exercise.
So, how can we break this downin a way for you to feel the

(31:50):
feel good feelings fromexercise?
So, you want to build from thereand you're gonna want to do it.
How can we build this into yourday and redefine exercise in a
way that's meaningful for you?
And that's a six-week cohort.
And I have one that's startingin April.
Uh kind of removes theintimidation, it does.
And it's and it also deals withlike sometimes we are in a stage

(32:10):
of our life where we're likewe're achieving goals and
running marathons and doing allthe things and playing sports,
and then you reach the age wherethings don't feel the same way
as they used to.
It's not a reason to quit.
There's just a new way of doingthings that is just as good as
the old way.
It's just different.
Like, how can we get you movingforward to reach your goals,
rethinking things, which I it'show can we evolve?

(32:33):
Um, and then I'm on Instagram,FitFunCarly, a lot of FitFun
Carly.
Um, and my book is available onAmazon and the podcast is called
Fit and Fitness.
The chemo coffee talks are underthe Fit and Fitness profile, but
you have to scroll down, andthat's on Spotify and YouTube.

SPEAKER_01 (32:50):
Well, and why let me ask you this real quick.
Why is starting small sopowerful?
You know, why do peopleunderestimate the impact of
consistency?

SPEAKER_00 (33:03):
So consistency is so important because you think of
it like a building block.
You think about it as like thefoundation of your house.
If you have a weak foundation,the everything on top of it is
gonna fall.
And if you are thinking of likeintensity and trying to, I work
with people all the time who Isay, well, how many, how many
days a week do you think youwould like to exercise in this
plan that I'm gonna put togetherfor you?

(33:23):
And they're like, I'm going allin, I'm seven.
I'm like, no, because that's notsustainable.
So small is small and beingconsistent is sustainable.
And if you are looking to behealthy for the rest of your
life, that's what you need tofind is that base, that
foundation that you never gobelow.
You can grow from.
There may be some times in yourlife where you're training for

(33:45):
something and you're risingabove and doing all the things,
but when you stop, you neverstop.
You just come back to yourfitness foundation.
And I think that is the key instaying consistent and staying
strong mentally and physicallyfor the rest of your life.

SPEAKER_01 (33:59):
That is so powerful.
And I just hope that everyone atleast gives it a shot because
they'll see.
Yeah, they'll see that the smallsteps bring them to a new place.

SPEAKER_00 (34:08):
100%.

SPEAKER_01 (34:09):
Yeah.
So so when you look back at thewoman you were before February
of 2024 and the woman you aretoday, what what have you
discovered about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 (34:22):
Um, I think I've discovered that I think it's
just reaffirmed who I thought Iwas before, deep down in my
tippy toes.
I always knew this Carly wasthere, but I was a little, I
didn't know how to let her out.
I was still a pee way more of apeople pleaser.
Um I didn't really understandhow I would react if something

(34:44):
like this came my way, likewould I crumble?
Deep down I knew I wouldn't, butthis is kind of a test for me to
show like how strong I am andalso my values in who I am and
know that like the outward stuffdoesn't matter.
It's the inside that matters.

(35:04):
And when you're stripped of yourhair and your eyebrows and your
eyelashes and you're wearing amask in a grocery store and you
feel invisible, but you canstill hold on to your sense of
self, especially as a woman, Ithink that's really empowering.
Like nothing can get to the truecore of who I am.
Nothing.
Because that's not gonna nothingcan change that.

SPEAKER_01 (35:22):
Yeah, nothing at all.
And that is so true.
And I have found that too, justto to look inward.
And and what we a lot of us dois we just refuse to look.
You know, we don't want to lookinward.

SPEAKER_00 (35:33):
Yeah, no one wants to look under the hood.

SPEAKER_01 (35:35):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (35:36):
I love that.

SPEAKER_01 (35:36):
Yeah no one wants to look under their hood.
Well, if anyone listening todayfeels discouraged, overwhelmed,
what's the one small step theycould take today to move
forward?

SPEAKER_00 (35:52):
Think of the next thing that you do in your day
daily.
So a ritual, so a habit.
So let's just say like I alwayslike to have an afternoon cup of
coffee.
Start today, start now.
Go make your cup of coffee, andas your coffee is brewing, do 10
squats.
Start there.
That's it.
I love that.
That's it.
Start there.
You gotta start somewhere.

(36:13):
Every little bit counts.
See how you feel after you dothose 10 squats.
Notice.
Look under the hood.

SPEAKER_01 (36:18):
Yes, yes.
And and I've seen elderly peoplethat can barely walk in the like
in the grocery store.
Yep.
And that is the last thing Iwant.
I don't want to be disabled likethat.
I want to be strong and fit.

SPEAKER_00 (36:31):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (36:31):
But the only way you can do it is if you do the work.

SPEAKER_00 (36:33):
You gotta do it.
There's no magic wand.
And it does not have to bepainful.
It doesn't have to be a drag.

SPEAKER_01 (36:39):
Gosh, I'm so excited, Carly, about all of
this.
I'm I'm gonna be like yournumber one fan.
Oh, Pam, thanks.

SPEAKER_00 (36:44):
I'll be your number one fan too.

SPEAKER_01 (36:48):
So remember, I I intentionally asked for all of
her contact information earlierto give you a chance to note it,
write it down.
But if you didn't, I'm gonna putit in the show notes.
That's exactly how you can findher and just pick the best thing
that works for you.
Carly, your story is verypowerful.

(37:08):
It's a powerful reminder thatstrength doesn't always look
dramatic.
Sometimes strength looks likeshowing up, moving your body for
just 15 minutes, y'all.

SPEAKER_00 (37:21):
Or 10 starts when you're making your coffee.
That's how that's what's strong.
Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 (37:26):
I'm so gonna do that.
Do it, Pam.
Starting a podcast from a chemochair and simply choosing hope
one day, one day at a time.
The book, Pray for the Bear.
I'm I'm buying it today, y'all.
Maybe we can have like adiscussion on it during a
podcast.

(37:46):
I love it.
I love that.
I love reading it.
And then I I always want I, as awriter, I try to visit with
anyone that has read my book.
Because who better to talk toyou about the story than the
author?

SPEAKER_00 (38:00):
Mm-hmm.
I agree.

SPEAKER_01 (38:01):
You know, so Pray for the Bear would be a great
one to discuss with you.
Carly, thank you so much forsharing your story with us
today.
Your courage, your honesty, andyour commitment to helping
others through movement andmindset is truly inspiring.
And for everyone listeningtoday, I hope Carly's story

(38:22):
reminds you of somethingimportant.
Sometimes, strength doesn't looklike a giant leap forward.
Sometimes it looks like showingup, moving your body for 15
minutes, choosing hope on a daywhen things feel uncertain, or
simply taking the next smallstep when life puts something

(38:44):
difficult in front of you.
That's really what this show isall about.
It's not perfection, it's notwillpower, but it's learning to
pause long enough to choosesomething that actually serves
you.
So wherever you are today, ifsomething in this conversation
resonates with you, I encourageyou to take a small moment and

(39:07):
ask yourself, what's the nextright move for me today?
Thank you for being here.
And if this episode encouragedyou, please share it with
someone who might need to hearit.
Because sometimes the rightstory at the right moment can
change everything.
Till next time, remember, youdon't have to fix everything

(39:30):
today.
Just pause and choose the nextright move.
See you next week.
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