May 10, 2024 • 51 mins
As we gather around the metaphorical table with Jessica, the life force of Grind Society, we're reminded of the special brew that coffee and community blend into. Amidst the familiar espresso hum of Grind Coffee Shop in Jersey City, Jessica recounts her evolution from a fitness fanatic to the matriarch of a movement that's far more than a morning cuppa. She's here to spill the beans on how Grind Society is redefining community wellness, her brainchild project Soul Therapy, and the dreamy details of an upcoming wellness retreat in Spain that promises to be an unmissable rejuvenation rendezvous.
Our conversation takes us on a sprint through the origin story of Grind Society's run club and the 5K training program, a seasonal highlight that’s running circles around traditional fitness programs. Jessica shares the sweat equity involved in nurturing a community that values every step and celebrates each other's small victories. We unpack the vitality of accountability and how it transforms fitness from a solitary slog to a shared triumph. Jessica's journey from a post-vacation spark in Costa Rica to a flourishing fitness commune in Jersey City is nothing short of a marathon of passion and perseverance.
As our chat winds down, the awe of baby yoga and the serenity of a Maldives yoga retreat leave us longing for our mats. Jessica paints a vivid picture of the upcoming Spanish getaway, tempting us with the enchanting potential of wellness retreats to recalibrate our souls. We close with musings on planning these life-altering experiences, sharing anecdotes that highlight the shared human connection found in yoga's embrace, whether on a sunny beach or amidst Europe's charm. Stay tuned for this episode, where we go beyond the mat and into the heart of what makes our pulses race and our spirits soar.
Your hosts: @lynnhazan_ and @tonydoesknow
follow us on social @ltkpod!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, welcome to the Lynn and Tony Know podcast.
I'm your host, Lynn.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And I'm Tony.
We are both wellness coachesand married with kids.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Join us as we talk about all things health,
wellness, relationships, lifehacks, parenting and everything
in between, unfiltered.
Thanks for listening and let'sget into it.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome back.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I feel like it's been a while now since we recorded.
I'm a little rusty, has it?
Yeah, I think it's been a whilenow, since we recorded.
I'm a little rusty, has it yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I think it's been a week.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Man this week has been a month.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
This week has been a month.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, I think that's what it is.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
What I love about this podcast is that we have the
opportunity to chat with peoplethat I really like.
Now, in this case, I didn'treally know this person, like I
just followed the socials and soif you live in Jersey City, you
for sure know this place GrindCoffee Shop.
They've been around for acouple of years Awesome coffee.
(00:57):
They're in the Bergen-Lafayettearea.
Like I was there when theyfirst opened.
Like it's a great spot.
I've had meetings.
Now I don't leave the house.
Like if I left the house Iwould probably hang out there,
uh.
And then they have a grocerystore and they're just like
really cool people.
And I know I know the owners uh, they're actually they used to
have kids in Mia's school, solike I know them like personally
(01:17):
and they're just great people.
And yeah, the staff, everyone'sso cool.
You walk in there andeveryone's like cool as fuck,
like stylish and like I feellike old and I'm like walking in
there asking for my latte andI'm like are they going to judge
me for my you know, oat milk,whatever thing?
And, um, yeah, I just coolpeople.
And they also started, uh, thegrind society, which is an
(01:41):
extension of grind coffee shop,where it's a fitness oriented,
but it brings bringing peopletogether to, you know, for like
healthy lifestyle, which we loveRight.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
And.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I just love their approach and they always show
love and I'm like who's thisperson behind the grind, like on
social media, like just beingsuper supportive and and just
doing all this cool stuff forthe community?
And they did like baby yoga andlike they do like events and
they're just cool as fuck, youknow.
And so I met Jess.
So she's our guest on the show,which I'm really excited to get
(02:15):
to know.
So meet Jessica.
She's a true force ofinspiration in Jersey City.
She's a resident in Jersey Cityand a personal trainer for
seven years.
Jessica is the mastermind behindGrind Society, an extension of
the beloved Grind Coffee Shop,aiming to rejuvenate community
bonds post-COVID.
But her journey doesn't stopthere.
Captivated by thetransformative power, her first
(02:35):
Costa Rican yoga retreat, shebirthed Soul Therapy, a
sanctuary where spirituality andwellness dance in harmony.
And Jessica's taking soultherapy global, with her next
upcoming retreat in Mallorca,Spain.
Wow, Set for May 2024.
Join us as we unravel thethreads of Jessica's incredible
journey, weaving a narrative ofcommunity wellness and the
(02:57):
soulful tapestry she continuesto craft.
What a beautiful bio.
Wow, Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Jess welcome to the show.
Thank you so much, thank you,thank you, thank you.
Well, I do want to say first,the grind is like not one person
.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
It's multiple people.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yes, and we really do a do a intentional job of
reaching out to people thatsupport us, and it's it's just,
it's not one person, it's theconnect.
There's like a connector that,or I could even say it's like a
force.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
It's not even like one thing that we can like put
our finger on, there's just anenergy and it feels like a
creative energy A hundredpercent and, like I was
mentioning in the intro, likeevery time you get in there
there's just like cool peopleLike you're just seeing, like
like like the baristas like lookcool and everyone's like really
friendly and it's just like acool environment.
And I know you guys work with alot of creatives that kind of
(03:52):
work part time and and you guysdo like fun.
Really you're really crushingon social media and, as like a
social media manager, like likeI love what you guys do because
everyone's really involved andyou really create community and
you're welcoming and justsupportive of people in the
community.
So I'm excited to hear yourstory.
So okay, so you're the one partof the Grind Society.
(04:16):
Okay, so what is Grind Society?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Grind Society is a wellness community.
I keep it broad.
I keep it very broad becauseit's still like an infant.
I can't say the infant's goingto be um a CEO yet.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Right, how did you guys get from like coffee shop
and like grocery store to likefitness?
It's a little bit you knowexactly.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
So I was a personal trainer for a really long time.
I worked at base for a while.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Oh, I used to teach him up at base.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yes, we like, we like , just missed each other, that's
crazy Like just yes.
So I was at base as a personaltrainer for a while and then I
managed a boxing gym in Hobokenand Everlast.
So I was there for a while.
So I had always been in fitness, always been kind of like
(05:08):
figuring myself out in thatspace.
And so then I lived in Bergen,lafayette.
I lived near the grind.
I had the same feeling you hadsuch a cool place, like I just
want to be involved inwhatever's going on.
So I just wasn't.
I didn't know in what capacityI was going to be a part of it.
So in 2021, I hosted my firstyoga retreat.
(05:30):
So I went to, I brought like 10people to Costa Rica and we had
seven days and it was sobeautiful and it was like my
first entrepreneurial step intodoing something that I'm my own
boss.
So it was my first entranceinto it.
I stayed in Costa Rica for liketwo months and then when I came
back, I was walking downcommunity and Mike had said,
(05:54):
like I have a outdoor space, youshould come do yoga there.
I was like absolutely Likelet's figure it out.
And then I did yoga fair,playing around.
My own personal brand is soultherapy, so I called it like
soul therapy x grind and it justdidn't sit right.
It just like wasn't the rightthing.
(06:16):
And I came back from Costa Ricalike feeling like I want to
follow my intuition and I'm like, okay, what, what is right, it
doesn't have to be my name, likeI am who I am and I create a
thing.
So the season ended cause it'scold and it's an outdoor space.
(06:36):
So once we finished there, Ilike thought about it for a
while.
I was like what could this be?
And I had just came back and Iwasn't working out as much and I
wasn't running and I wasn'tstaying active like I used to do
because I was a personaltrainer.
I kind of like shifted myperception of what my body means
to me.
So then I said one day I waslike what about growing society?
(07:01):
And he was like, okay, like, asan entrepreneur, you have to
make the decisions yourself.
Like no one's gonna.
If I say, how about grindsociety?
There's no one around me that'sgonna say, okay, let's do this,
let's do that, let's do this.
Like I have to start it fromthe isn't it annoying so?
(07:25):
it's annoying, but once you likelean into it, it's kind of
beautiful.
You feel the power wait 10years I know you know that
though yeah, no, it's beautiful.
It's so true, though ideas arecheap, execution is expensive
exactly exactly when I thoughtabout like what I would call
(07:47):
myself.
I was like a creative and anexecutioner.
That's a thousand percent whatit is Like.
That's a thousand percent.
I'm going to do what I said.
I'm going to do so.
With that being said, there's amoment in my life where I'm like
I'm not really working out, letme.
There's a moment in my life I'mlike I'm not really working out
, let me, and I don't reallylike I want to reinvent, I want
(08:08):
to like create a thing, and thecreative energy is spiraling
around me.
It's just.
It's just the creative energy.
I can almost call it likeintention, or that's the best
way I can explain it.
So I said grind society.
He said cool, what does thatmean?
I said let's do a run club andlet's see how that goes.
(08:30):
So we started doing a run clubin April.
So there was a few months thereof like figuring out what was
going on.
So we did, april started therun club, and I noticed that
they would talk to each otherbut it wasn't building actual
connections, like they weren'tactually talking to each other.
But it wasn't building actualconnections, like they weren't
actually talking to each other.
So then I said, okay, what canwe do?
(08:51):
So we did a 12, a 12 week 5ktraining program Cause I knew
that if we, if we gave them timeto meet each other and a start
and end date, it'll be fine,like they'll build, something
will happen, they'll get to knoweach other and it'll keep them
(09:12):
feeling connected.
So that 12, 12 people signed upfor that, just 12.
I was like that's amazing it'sreally good what I mean.
It's a small wins.
It's really good what I mean,it's a small wins.
And I feel that often, when I'mthinking about the goal of
something and I'm saying whatwe're doing, I feel like you say
(09:32):
12 and it's like but it's only12.
But from zero, 12 is a lot 12people.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
To get to commit to going out to dinner is difficult
, let alone training for a 5K.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That's wonderful, yes , so it turned out to be a
success.
They still, to this day, showup, and it's two years later and
we're coming into our thirdseason of the 5k training
program.
So it's been a beautifuljourney.
So that's how it started.
That's like what grind societystarted to be Um, and now it's.
(10:04):
Now it's become a 40 person runclub.
We have a third 5k trainingprogram coming up and we have
visions for 50 plus, becausewe've doubled, like last year we
had 26.
So we're just thinking about,like, the growth of that and
what it actually means to bedisciplined.
(10:24):
Right, I call it wellnessbecause like, yeah, it's fitness
, but truly, truly, at the coreof it, we're finding discipline
and we're finding true wellnesswithin ourselves.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
And I love this concept because a lot of people
struggle with you know,especially when they're
beginners.
They struggle getting to thegym or they struggle going to
the class because there's likeno accountability factor.
What you offer is like, okay,you're in a part of a group, you
have to be accountable, youdon't want to let your team down
.
You know what I mean.
Like it kind of becomes likeyou're creating this, like sense
(10:58):
of responsibility to yourselfand to the people that you run
with.
You know what I mean and Ithink that's a beautiful thing
and that's something that'sdefinitely missing in, like the
fitness world.
So that's why, when I see allthe stuff that you guys do, I'm
like, even though I don't part,I just don't have like I work
out in here in this room, likeyou don't, on the other side of
the screen there's literally allthe weights on the floor.
(11:18):
That's as much as I could do.
But I look at what you guys doand I'm like, wow, that's really
beautiful.
Like if I was, you know, singleand just you know, like doing
my thing, I would a hundredpercent join something like that
to meet people and like connectwith people and and also keep
myself accountable.
So what I see that is, it'sreally cool.
Talk to me about, like theother, so you could do the run
club.
(11:39):
What other uh events do you?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
do so.
We have the run club that meetsWednesday nights at the track,
thursday morning 6am for sunriserun 5k and then we do Sundays
long run.
Right now we're training forthe Jersey city half marathon,
so the run club does that.
Then we also have the five keytraining program, which happens
in may and then it'll be tillmay, june.
(12:03):
July happens in May and thenit'll be till May, june, july.
It'll be like three monthsthere and then, since it's, we
have the in Barry Lane Park.
There's a little outpost thatthe grind has and it's an
outdoor studio.
It's like outdoor.
I call it a studio because youknow I'm like creating that, but
it's an outdoor studio and it'sseasonal.
I can't, we can't like do it'sseasonal.
I can't, we can't like do it'scold out.
(12:24):
You know what I mean.
And I love, I love a start andstop.
I love a start and stop.
I love when something starts andan end, so our outdoor classes
will start in the summer andthat's kind of what we have.
I don't think we have anythingelse Like.
We do social events here andthere just to like play.
(12:45):
But I don't think we haveanything else play Like.
We do social events here andthere just to like play.
But I don't like to encouragedrinking, I don't like tell them
that they can't like.
But I don't like to create theevents that, like you come here
and we drink and then we do this.
I like to create special eventsof like accomplishment.
We're like we're going to go to902.
We're going to go to Corgi's oryou know, we're going to do
(13:09):
certain things to just let loose.
But the most the reason why Ido that mostly and I think just
to clarify cause, not to shameanybody that likes to do that
it's just when you get to knowsomebody sober just like hey,
this is me.
And they show up in that wayconstantly.
(13:30):
It makes it easier, when yousee them and they're letting
loose and having a drink, to notlet them feel like they have to
reevaluate if they said theright thing or the wrong thing.
You're like I know you're agood person because I've seen
you and I've ran with you andI've got to know you on a level
where you're vulnerable already.
So it's fine if we experience anight where we're drinking
(13:55):
because, like, I know you and Ithink you're a great person,
naturally, yeah, I mean you'repreaching to the choir.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Tony's been sober for eight years.
Also, like I don't likenecessarily.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
You know the certain gyms like planet fitness or
whatever, like they like putlike pizza out and like bagels
and it's like, but that defeatsthe purpose.
Like not that there's anythingwrong with eating pizza and
bagels, but you're like work outbut like undo all this hard
work by eating pizza.
Like I don't.
Like, I don't believe it.
I personally don't believe indiets and restriction at all.
(14:31):
Like I eat pizza, everything,but at the same time I'm going
to the gym and like I want to,like I'd be, I'd be happy if,
like they gave like littleyogurt bowls or like I don't
know, like what's a cute, likehealthy treat.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Smoothie, like a protein smoothie?
Speaker 1 (14:48):
I don't know like little mini protein smoothies,
like give me that, like that'scute, you know why?
Pizza Like, why are?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
we doing that.
You just reminded me I stillhave a Planet Fitness membership
.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I thought you canceled that.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
You can't Listen.
At Planet Fitness, not only dothey give you pizza and bagels
every week, they force you toeither come in person to cancel
your membership or you have tomail them a letter.
That's crazy.
They make it so hard to cancelthe membership, but it's so
cheap that if you forget aboutit, it's like oh, there's $11.
When am I going to get out toRidgewood Queens to cancel my
(15:23):
membership when I don't evenlive there anymore?
It's wild.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
I'm sure Grind Society doesn't do that though.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
No, we don't do that, Although we tried to initiate a
member fee where you can getexclusive merch.
You can get a discount at allthe locations.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
So we do have that Memberships are fine, but it's
free to attend Theirs ispredatory, it's free to attend.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
It's predatory.
It is predatory, you know.
I think LA Fitness is like thattoo.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
I mean they might not have started the model, but I'm
sure it's something that's atrend.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
What kind of advice for somebody listening and I
asked this to any fitnessprofessional that comes on the
show Like a lot of the questionsI have from people is like I
don't know how to start.
I don't know where to start andit's like really overwhelming.
Like every time I started thegym I don't know what I'm doing.
What kind of advice could yougive people who want to work out
, just don't know how to goabout it?
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, I would first say why?
What's your intention, what'syour reason for saying that?
Like, what are you actuallyrooted in?
Like, when you say that, areyou just saying I want to change
my physical body, or are yousaying that you're saying I want
(16:38):
to be able to run with my kids,I want to be able to spend time
with my family and feel, feel,okay, I want to walk up two
flights of stairs and be okay,like where are we at with it?
So I would say figure out yourwhy.
Because it's what I learned as apersonal trainer and it was
like a struggle really, becausehe would see my body and they'd
(17:03):
be like, yeah, her, I want herto train me.
And it's like, ok, valid, mybody is my marketing and I
understood that that point.
But the reason why my body islike this is because, first of
all, I'm in the gym from 6 amuntil 7 pm and I'm lifting
weights for my clients everyhour.
(17:26):
Like, I'm lifting weights atall times.
Like if you want to look likeme, maybe be a personal trainer.
But the most important thing islike understand that your body
isn't the only thing that has tochange.
When you decide to do that, youhave to change your mind.
Then your body will change.
(17:48):
So you can come to the gym,hire a personal trainer and not
change your mind and your bodywill stay the same.
Change your mind and say I amstrong, I am flexible, I am
healthy, and use the strength ofyour mind to say I got this and
this person's teaching meversus this person's going to
(18:09):
put me in this place to do thisthing and change my body.
Like, take the responsibilityonto yourself and I think that
y'all do that with the coldplunging.
You know it takes you sayinglet's go outside and you can say
no instantly, but if this saysno, more than like if your mind
(18:31):
says no, you're not going in,tony might say, come on, let's
do it.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
He says no all the time before I go in that thing
and he's like no, you're notgoing in.
Tony might say come on, let'sdo it.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
My brain says no all the time before I go in that
thing and he's like, no, you gotit Always, come on, let's do it
.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
He always puts like some mornings are definitely
harder than others, but hehonors me.
He's like is it your brain oris it your body?
Because if it's my body, thenobviously, like I have to listen
to my body.
If I'm feeling sick or if Ihave my period, like you know,
we're women like like dumpingmyself in a cold plunge when I'm
, like, you know, my body isgoing through some crazy shit,
like not not the best idea, buta lot of times it's like I'm
(19:03):
more of a mental thing and heknows the difference well, you
know the difference, first ofall.
But you know, but you could tellwhen it's like a mental thing
or more of like.
No, my body is like not feelingwell for sure.
Can you tell?
I'm curious?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
It's an energy thing.
Like I can tell when it's likeI don't want to versus I
shouldn't, like there's adifference in your energy
between those two answers andwhat you're talking about too.
Find just as important is, like, once you have your first why,
(19:39):
then you blow it up as big aspossible, like to a dramatic
degree.
Like, okay, I want to bephysically fit.
Why?
Well, you know, I don't want torun out of breath when I do X,
y, z.
Why?
Well, because I don't want todie when I'm 80, I want to live
to 100.
Like you, really, you make itso dramatic and so massive that
(20:02):
the consequences to notfollowing through on your
commitment literally becomeinsane.
Like, if you can build that,why so huge?
That failure is not an option.
Then you're forced to win.
So it's really going to thatnext, third, fourth level of the
why and finding out how big youcan make it.
(20:22):
And the second part always seemsto be the like, fundamental
skill of building a habit, likesimply building a habit.
Like have you read JamesClear's book Atomic Habits?
Yes, so he talks about in thebook when you're building that
routine, even if you start withliterally going to the gym for
(20:43):
five minutes and walking around.
All of a sudden, now you're aperson that goes to the gym
every day.
You haven't touched a weight,but you are a person that goes
to the gym.
You're reframing what it is tobe, who you are in that moment,
and I think that's such anawesome, simple way to look at
it.
That really resonates is youjust build on that and the next
time you go for 10 minutes,maybe you work out on one
machine and then by the end of amonth you're there for 30
(21:04):
minutes and now you literallyare a person that works out
every day.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Yes, and so number one is find your why.
Number two is build a routine.
And then number three is be astudent.
Like, care about what you'redoing.
Like, why do you think youshould do a squat?
What's your thought processbehind that Like?
Are you just doing a squatbecause you were told to do a
(21:30):
squat?
Or are you doing it because youcan feel your quads and you can
feel your glutes?
What are your feet doing?
How are you holding the weight?
Like, what's your upper bodydoing?
But if you just go like, so youhave to also have a desire to
learn your body.
You have to want to learn it.
And I could, if I could, segueinto how I kind of transitioned
(21:53):
out of fitness now more than Idid yoga.
So I found yoga and I foundthat same thing you're talking
about.
Like, once you find your whyand in yoga they encourage you
to set an intention.
At least my teacher encouragedme to set an intention and when
you set your intention, well,first of all, if you don't know
what intention is and you'venever actually dove into what
(22:15):
that means, you kind of standthere like intention.
What are you talking about?
I came here to work out Right,like if you walk into yoga class
I came here to get flexible orstretch.
But once you take a moment tothink like, oh, intention is the
energy that I put into what I'mdoing, so intention is the
energy that I put into what I'mdoing.
So the moment my teacher said,okay, set intention.
(22:38):
And then he said maybe it'sunconditional love, I remember
being like what's unconditionallove?
Unconditional love, like whatare you talking?
Like how do you do I?
Do I look for that in somebodyelse?
Do I give it?
Like what is that?
And then from there it's like acuriosity that has to happen.
(22:58):
Like, okay, the beginning ofpractice.
I'm told to set an intention.
So I then say, okay,unconditional love.
And then now I have to learnand educate myself on what does
that mean?
And so the self study comes indoes that mean?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
and so the self-study comes in.
Yeah, uh, the.
The curiosity part is is huge.
Whether you're doing yoga,whether you're doing working out
or or breath work or literallyanything, I think the cute like
having a curiosity about it willpay off, because it allows you
to receive new information allthe time and work with it like
it's the.
It's a matter of, like, peopleget bored doing the same workout
(23:42):
all the time, but they stickwith it because the certainty of
it is I know what I'm doingwith this thing.
If you stay curious and you andyou're open to doing different
ways of working out, then you'remuch more likely to stay
engaged and keep it consistent,because now you're not stuck and
locked in this thing where it'slike well, I know how to do
these three exercises, that'sall I want to do.
So curiosity for me is amassive piece of that puzzle as
(24:04):
well.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Yeah, I totally agree .
And, Lynn, I know, you know, Isaw your transformation photos,
you know I worked my ass.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
I mean I've all.
The thing thing is it's not new, you know.
People are like, oh, how didyou do it?
I'm like, no, I've been activesince I'm 17, like there's, like
it's working hard, it's reallybeing since.
Since I'm seven I was apersonal trainer, like in my
early 20s as well, like I wasinto my.
I remember my first time goingto the gym I was 16.
My sister's like I'm going tothe gym, you want to come, and
(24:34):
like you know, like she's likeolder sister's, like I'm going
to the gym, you want to come.
And like you know, like she'slike older sister energy, like
if she finally wants to hang outwith me.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
I was like, yeah, like I'll go.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
You know what I mean.
Like she was like, let's go tothe gym.
I was like, okay, I'll go tothe gym, you know.
And I and I'm just I was doinglike body and I was hooked.
I was like I was hooked and Ilike, literally a week later I
joined the gym and I evenremember, like you know, seeing
(25:02):
people like lift weights andstuff and I'm 16.
I've never like thought aboutlifting.
My brother lifted weights athome, like I've seen him.
But like I was like I'm goingto go try to lift weights and I
didn't know what the fuck I wasdoing.
I remember standing at, youknow, the bench press, like, um,
I was sitting laying on thebench and I was about to like
bench press and I didn't knowhow heavy it was.
(25:25):
I hold the weight and it likefalls on me and I was stuck, it
was so embarrassing and like onelike this meathead had to like
save me.
He's like are you okay?
I'm like oh yeah, I'm okay,just too heavy for me.
You know like it was and I justremember it was like that and
that and that happening justgave me the motivation to learn
(25:49):
about working out and to learnabout lifting weights and and
and that's how I like got intoit and you know.
So now I'm 40 years old.
This is habits that are likeingrained.
Even you know my whole family,my father.
He's in his.
How old is he?
My father is 74 and he's insuch good shape and he just
walks every day.
You know what I mean.
My whole family is into fitness.
(26:10):
Like it's just part of life.
It's like so when people ask me,how do you do it?
It's like it's part, part oflife.
It's like so when people ask me, how do you do it, it's like
it's part of my life.
Like I, it's like brushing myteeth.
Brushing teeth, it's like youknow drinking water.
It's like if I don't work out aweek, I go nuts.
I don't feel good.
I don't feel like I.
Like I personally, I likefeeling in shape.
(26:33):
Like that's that's my like, howI feel.
Like I like eating nutritiouslybut I also enjoy myself too.
Like it's it's like finding that, that balance, you know, but
it's part, it has to be part, ofyour life.
It's not.
It's not even like do I ordon't, it's there's no, it's
like it's like a not in thisfamily.
It's like a non-negotiable,negotiable.
(26:56):
And there's some times where we, you know, drop off a little
bit or don't have time or we'resick or whatever, and that's
life.
But you just jump back, it's a,you just jump back on the horse
and you start over and you juststart.
You know I hadn't, no, andobviously I couldn't work out
for the first six weeks, but Itried to like be active and I
walked and I showed myself grace, but and I tried to do whatever
I could, and as soon as thedoctor said, okay, you can work
out, I went right back.
(27:17):
It was like, yeah, I'm sleepdeprived, I'm exhausted, but
like I need to do this formyself.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
You, know, yep, yep, I totally agree.
And that's where that's wherethe I just feel like the gym
culture is gym culture andthat's what it is.
But the thing that I feel likeis looming like the wellness
umbrella.
The wellness word is that is,it's part of your lifestyle.
(27:43):
It's not let me go to the gym,it's I do this thing and this is
what it looks like it doesn't.
I currently make it runningbecause it's the easiest thing
for me to do as a startup, likestarting something.
But if we didn't have a weeklymeetup, chances are half those
people wouldn't be running, andI would even say not even half,
(28:06):
more than half.
So it's just to get you moving,it's just to give you a reason
to get up, and it's so simpleand it's just building that.
Come, stand at the coffee shopat 6am on a Thursday and get rid
of seasonal depression, becausewe're going to run throughout
the winter and you're going towake up and you're going to see
(28:26):
this, see that it's dark out,and be like laying in bed at
first, like oh gosh, I don'twant to get up.
Get up, realize that it's notas bad as you think and you're
actually going to have a goodday.
And then here comes spring.
You're like, wow, I wasn'tdepressed at all.
How did that happen?
Cause you woke up one day everyweek and saw the sun and like,
(28:48):
maybe saw the sunrise.
It's a little dark but you don'treally see it.
But you know, it's just a habit.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
And it's also like it doesn't need to be like an hour
every day.
I like I tell people like do a,do a YouTube video for 15
minutes, you know, go for a walkoutside.
Like it doesn't need to besomething like a serious, like
you know sprinting and likecrazy deadlifts.
Like it's not, that's not foreverybody.
You know what I mean.
Like that's cool, but it's notfor everybody.
Like start small, just moveyour body.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Yeah, start somewhere .
Yeah, start somewhere.
So that's our advice.
Um, maybe I'll name them again,if I can remember.
Yeah, we said, um, we saidintention find your why find
your?
Why?
Then we said, um, find yourroutine.
And then we said, uh, learn it,educate yourself within it,
(29:39):
like care, it's a great tip.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
I like that, even though we went on a tangent and
I told you my story about my 16year old self yeah, you also
brought up.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Brought up the example of curiosity also kills
the cat.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Like you took your curiosity a little too far yeah,
but my curiosity like yes, itembarrassed me, but it also
motivated me to learn what right?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
no, I get that, but it also could have decapitated
you it also could have wentreally bad.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Don't do that.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
It was very embarrassing like like for a
while I was like I don't know ifI could show myself, but like I
was determined to go back andsee that guy and have him see me
actually bench press you knowokay I don't think I ever did,
but like I was, like you knowthe thing, the.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Thing about this what makes it even funnier is the
fact that, like at 16, youprobably looked 13, like 10.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
You must have looked like a child on the bench press.
Oh my god, a tiny.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Screw it around with Kendi, who might have even
looked like your mom at thatpoint.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
And my sister is a cardio queen.
She literally would only docardio.
And I was like aren't you bored, Don't you want to throw shit
around?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Pick some things up.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
I had a question that came from from Lynn's
introduction and I know it mightnot be part of your current
scope, but, um, what is babyyoga?
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Oh, yes, so.
So part of the summer classesthat we have, we have JC bumping
baby michelle.
She's wonderful.
She teaches baby yoga, so shedoes a mommy and me, or she
calls it baby and me where youbring the baby and she doesn't
say mommy, because it could bedad, caregiver, yep.
So she does that andfacilitates that in the summer.
(31:31):
It's so cute and it's so cutesounds adorable yeah, I've been.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I've been meaning to take Noah to like a baby yoga
class, but like the thing is,like Noah is, she's like a boy,
you know.
She's just like can't sit still.
I just don't see her likestretching and like staying,
staying still.
You know what I'm saying.
Like she's going to just likeshe's going to like go annoy the
other babies and like you knowwhat I mean, just walk around,
do her own thing.
(31:55):
Like I take her to my gym.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
And she just goes rogue Like all the kids are
sitting like nicely in a circleand then my kid just goes in the
middle and just stands and juststares at everybody judges
everybody Right.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Where did she get that from?
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Are you?
Are you saying she gets thatfrom me?
Speaker 2 (32:14):
I just asked the question, excuse me, sir, she's
your child, but yeah, so itsounds really cute.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Though it does sound cute.
Yeah, it is cute, it is cute,you should when we do it.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
I'll just remind you, okay so tell us a little bit
more about this retreat in inspain yes, um it, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
So creating a retreat is something I'm like grabbing
out of the air.
I'm like let's have this, let'sdo this, and it's kind of scary
and it's very nerve wrackingbut it's so rewarding.
So the reason why I starteddoing it, I had one on my first
yoga retreat with a Naira.
I don't know if you know Anaira.
She was a yoga teacher in, like, hoboken, jersey City area.
(32:57):
Like 2019 time, like beforeCOVID.
We went to the Maldives and itwas incredible.
I mean, it changed my entirelife.
It was so beautiful Becausewhen I went there, I didn't
really know what I was gettinginto, cause I didn't practice
(33:18):
yoga seriously.
I like got into yoga because Iwas in fitness and it was like,
did we do this because we wantto stretch?
And I didn't understand whatwas happening.
But she would say talk aboutbreathing.
And so we went to the Maldives.
There was one night when, well,the Maldives is like a 24 hours
(33:39):
flight, like you're in, you'rein travel for 24 hours, so just
understanding, like getting tothat point, where am I?
I don't know where I am, what'sgoing on, but we did yin yoga,
full moon with a gong itcompletely.
I was a changed person in thatmoment.
(33:59):
I was out of my body.
I don't know where I was.
It was incredible and Iremember saying to myself I have
to facilitate something likethis for people Like it's just
something I have to do to saythank you to this.
Whatever I just experienced, Idon't really have words for it.
I don't really know what wasgoing on.
(34:21):
We didn't take anything, likethere was no mushroom, like
ayahuasca.
Yeah, there wasn't any of that,but it was so beautiful and I
think that's what made it evenmore beautiful, because it was
like we weren't on anything andit and it that thing and it did
a thing so hosted my firstretreat to Costa Rica just
(34:45):
because I was like I need toheal myself, like I felt like I
was just a little bit too hardon myself, my physical body, and
too like into it, like I don'tthink I was able to.
I just was in a space where Ineeded to heal, like, if I could
just broadly say that, and inthe oceans of costa rica have
(35:07):
you ever been?
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I've been to costa rica, yeah, so you know?
Speaker 3 (35:11):
no, you haven't, tony , you gotta go it's so beautiful
.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
We were talking about maybe the next November.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Yes, I'll show you where, where and how to do it,
If and just see if that worksfor you.
It's so beautiful.
So I was gone for like twomonths.
They were there for a week.
I arrived like a week earlierjust to like ground myself, and
then everybody came for a weekand it was beautiful.
They're like Jess, this was thebest thing ever.
I'm so happy.
And it was the first time I feltconnected to a higher power,
(35:48):
Like I felt connected tosomething.
And it's really where I gotinto intention and okay, I feel
like I closed my eyes and justlike fell backwards and was like
is there anything there that'sgoing to support me?
Is there anything that's goingto hold me?
So then, fast forward.
Um, that was a successfulretreat.
(36:10):
Then I was like, well, maybe Ijust do retreats all the time,
Right Cause I'm kind of likefloating.
I don't have, I'm trying tobecome an entrepreneur and I'm
looking for the thing that I'mgoing to create.
So I was like I don't have, I'mtrying to become an
entrepreneur and I'm looking forthe thing that I'm going to
create.
So I was like maybe I do aretreat business and I just do
retreats constantly.
And then I was like, ah, thatfeels so forced.
So then I waited a while, didthe grind society thing, and
(36:33):
then I was like, okay, it's time.
So then I hosted.
I was like we're going toMallorca.
I love Spain.
I had practiced Spanish forlike 600 days on Duolingo Shout
out to Duolingo.
I kept my account up 600 days.
I did a really long time.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
That's a long time.
Did you actually learn fromDuolingo?
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Yes, Like it actually works.
So here's the thing.
It's just like any other thingyou have to be disciplined.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
How long, how many times like, how long per day?
Speaker 3 (37:08):
Two minutes, two minutes, that's it Damn and so.
But here's also the thing asyou get further along it gets
harder, because you have to,because you have to start
learning conjugation, like youhave to start learning how to
speak the language.
So if you're not really likepaying attention, like might
(37:31):
take you six minutes to finishthe exercise that day, but it
definitely helps.
And if you talk out loud topeople throughout your day and
like actually use it, it works.
It works.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
Remember when I tried to learn Italian before our
honeymoon.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Yeah, but I think you gave yourself like 30 days.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
I'm going to learn Italian in a month before our
honeymoon.
Yeah, but I think you gaveyourself like 30 days.
I'm gonna learn italian in amonth before a honeymoon well,
you know what you did.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Good, though, but you know what's good about that.
You need something before yougo there you need to be nothing.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
It didn't do anything what did you use?
Don't let go, I did, I did do alingo like what was like.
Did I learn any words?
Speaker 2 (38:20):
No, I mean, maybe you did, but you certainly didn't
use any of them.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
I was like pizza, pasta, pizza, pasta.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
I didn't need to need to know any Italian, you just
were doing it for fun, yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Right To say you can do it.
I totally get it.
Anyway, so long story, verylong.
I decided that, okay, we'regoing to go to Mallorca and this
is what's going to look like.
I love how creating a retreatmakes me feel.
I love that.
I'm like, okay, we can doanything.
Where do I start?
Like it's so broad and it's soopen.
(38:59):
I'm like, okay, what is it?
Is it going to be at this place?
It's going to be at that place.
It kind of allows me to stand infaith a little bit, where I can
trust that I'm I'm being guidedin the right way and and it
will roll out the way it'ssupposed to.
And not everything requiresforce and not everything
(39:21):
requires, like me beating itdown.
It requires consistency and andpersistence, but it doesn't
require me like, okay, it has tobe this, it has to be that.
It actually requires me to like, sit back and like, think about
how does that feel?
So it lets me get curious aboutwhere I'm at and like what I
want to create, and like increation mode.
(39:44):
So I love the way it makes mefeel.
And when people sign up, I'mlike, oh my gosh, how Like, what
?
What is that Like?
I can't even believe it.
Like what is that?
Like, what makes someone sayyes to this feeling?
What have I exuded?
Is that, like, what makessomeone say yes to this feeling?
What have I exuded?
I don't know if it's me, butwhen I, when I've asked for
(40:06):
feedback from the first retreat,somebody said I had journaled
my perfect day a year ago,before I even knew about this
retreat, and it happened here.
That's not me.
You know what I mean.
Like that's not a thing that Idid, that's something beyond me.
So it's so beautiful andspecial that I know when I
(40:28):
facilitate a retreat, the rightpeople hear about it.
It's for them.
I'm just the vessel, exactlyhow Anaira did for me on the
retreat to the maldives.
It was just it's for you, like,this is for you to experience.
So that's where soul therapy,spain 2024 happened.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
That's how that happened sounds amazing sounds
like you've done yoga in somereally cool places.
Yes, I'm not going to lie, wedid yoga in a cool place
recently.
That's true.
My brother is a yoga teacher inSt Croix.
Oh, yes, I've been Okay.
His class, no, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
That's his class.
I did see your video and I didcheck it out because you know,
once you're in it, you're in it,and I did check it out and I
saw you had your phone outduring class.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
I knew the teacher.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Was he cool with that .
I mean, it's his brother.
He didn't care.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
It's my younger brother.
Okay, I can do whatever.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
I want.
It was very cool.
I was like take video.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
It was a proud older brother moment.
To be honest, I wanted to putmy brother on he.
It was a proud older brothermoment.
To be honest, I wanted to putmy brother on.
He led an amazing class.
Also, we're at the very front,so it's not like there wasn't
anybody around us to disturb,because we're right in front of
him.
So I was very cognizant of thatand I knew I was probably
breaking some yoga rules at thesame time, we're content
creators.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
This is what we do we're?
Content creators.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
You have to.
I totally agree with you.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
We can enjoy the yoga and also take two-second videos
at the same time.
Yeah, and also like we walk inand I'm glad you do.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Yeah, yeah, I walked in.
It was nice to see and this wasthe busiest class he's ever had
, tied for the most crowdedclass, which was amazing.
But what it meant was he's likeokay, so there's like I got two
spots set up for you, but theonly space left we have is under
the heat lamps, and I was likeoh, which I love.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
I love hot yoga.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
I was like we're already in a tropical island,
like I don't need to be underthe heat lamps, but yeah, it was
a good class it was amazing.
I love yoga, I love you.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
I wish I had more time for it.
That's like one thingdefinitely missing in my life,
like I used to be like a hotyoga, like bikram.
I was like obsessed with bikramyoga before like all the
sketchy stuff came out aboutabout bikram, but, um, yeah, I
love, I love yoga.
I really do it's.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
It's a how was saint cory, can I ask sorry, beautiful
?
Yeah, it's beautiful.
It's a beautiful place.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
It's got challenges.
To be honest, getting to StCroix from here is hard.
There's no direct flights,really.
St Thomas there's plenty.
St Thomas is more, I think, ofthe destination for most people
going to the US Virgin Islands,but St Croix is a little bit
tougher.
Um, but it's raw, like, it'sjust kind of a raw place.
It's not, there's not resorts,it's not like touristy, it is
(43:24):
just the island where peoplelive there and it's.
It's cool in that way.
It's beautiful, though.
The beaches are insane.
Uh, the milk is very expensive.
Uh, we spent a half gallon on,or $11 for a half gallon on, or
11 for a half gallon of organicwhole milk for noah.
It was like, wow, insanelyexpensive.
Um, but it was beautiful and itwas a.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
It was a welcomed, uh welcome break from the cold
yeah, from the cold and and lynngot some great content always
talk about it, always I did.
Are you serious?
It's the it's.
You know, when you like gosomewhere and you're like I know
what the picture is like beforeyou go, you already know, I
know I had like.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
I had like a vibe and like like I also wanted to tie
in like my, my, like, myjewishness.
You know, like my pride of likewho I am and like you know, I'm
sure you see like all thisstuff going on and you know a
rise in anti-Semitism, but Iwant it to be like.
I want to like just be like I'mfucking proud of who I am and
I'm going to show it off and Iworked hard and I'm in this
(44:29):
beautiful place and I'm going totie all that shit in together
and just be like in my power.
You know, and um, I wentoutside like before Noah like
woke up from and I've just likehad fun and that was it.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
Yeah, you found it.
You knew you had a, you had atime window of when this was
going to happen and you found it.
It's really a creative, it'sthat creative energy.
Like you, you go to a place,you visualize it and you're like
, okay, it's going to happen atsome point.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
And when it comes to me, I have to.
Yeah, I have to.
Yeah, it wasn't a force, itwasn't a forced moment.
I was like okay, I'm tan,everyone's asleep, the sun's
shining, tony's, you know like Idon't, I didn't even want to
bother tony to take my photos.
I just I hadn't I set up mywater bottle, I, as a tripod,
and I just like moved it aroundand that's it, you know know it
was perfect.
Thank you, I really appreciateit.
You're the best.
Can we hang out?
Let's be friends.
I'm going to come to your.
I'm going to come to a classicin the summer.
(45:25):
I'm going to do.
Keep me honest, just be likeLynn.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
You said you're coming to a class.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Uh, how do people find you follow you, all that
stuff?
Speaker 3 (45:41):
Plug away, yeah, plug away, okay.
So if you're interested in thegrind society, grind society,
jccom, that's where we justyou'll see everything there.
I make sure that our link inbio has like everything that
we're doing.
If you're interested in umrunning the drew city half
marathon or full marathon, it'sstill open you have a chance to
do that I hate running thoughit's I'm not a runner.
(46:02):
I mean maybe, yeah, youdefinitely should train for a
half, though yeah, yeah, shewould definitely.
Speaker 2 (46:09):
I mean, she came back from a three month I did 30
minutes 30 minutes the other day.
It's not that, it's not that I.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
It's not that I hate it, it's just my body hates it
yeah, I was gonna say you werewalking like you had a hip
replacement surgery like I'm I Idon know.
I think my age is getting to me.
I couldn't walk.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
Seriously, she was walking around Like she fell
down the stairs.
I was like what's wrong?
She's like I went running.
I'm like that's it.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
That's right.
Okay, so just I'm more of apower walker, like I like power,
like that's me now 40 like.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
Once you hit 40 it's like you can power walk a half
marathon.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
13 miles power walk.
I did a, I did a 10k a fewyears ago and I did it after a
full night of partying.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
I do not recommend that's like half a half marathon
.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Yeah.
That was rough, that was reallyrough, but I did it.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
That's still impressive.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
Okay, sorry, keep going, keep plugging.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
Um, okay, so that's the, so you can join our uh
grind society team and then, ifyou don't want to do that, the
Jersey city marathon like closesdown all the streets.
It's april 14th, so come outand cheer.
Okay, I love volunteers, likepeople can volunteer.
We want to make it at leastthis is our mission we want to
(47:29):
make it a party day.
The race starts at 7 am, soit's pretty early, but you know
how you said, the grind is cool.
We're trying to the whole likeit's going to.
They're going to run past theshop on Pacific and we want it
to be a party and we want it tobe the coolest thing ever.
Speaker 2 (47:48):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
So if anybody wants to come volunteer it's early but
it's worth it Like if you evercheered for the New York
marathon, you're going to know,like you, you know that vibe,
it's just so energetic.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
I love the sign, the signs that people have.
The signs are great.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
There's some awesome signs, yeah what do you know
about, like what time themarathon passes by the grind, or
when it starts people startpassing through there.
Speaker 3 (48:11):
Yes, the marathon route starts by staples down in
newport and then mile three,four.
They're gonna come down pacificoh so pretty quick.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
So it's pretty early.
Speaker 3 (48:24):
Yeah, yeah, it's pretty early and and then we're
gonna be, it's gonna, they'regonna run past the berry lane
park.
That's mile 10 okay and thenmile nine.
It should be like mile 19 forthe full marathon.
So we'll have two cheersections and once mile three,
four is done, we'll move up tothe park.
Um, so it's pretty early.
(48:45):
It's pretty early like 7 30.
They're gonna even earlierbecause they do have like some
elite runners.
So it'll be pretty fast in thebeginning.
But mile 10 is is a good.
I said like eight o'clock comeby mile 10.
You can like cheer on like oneof our um, one of the guys that
does the track night.
He said that like he should bearound mile 10 by like eight,
(49:10):
eight, 10 in the morning.
So you know, you can like gaugeit off of that anyway so that's
our society.
And then you can find me.
I have just Joseph is mypersonal handle where I'm still
navigating Like what is it?
What does she talk about there?
I kind of like throw everythingthere but working on refining
(49:30):
it.
And then I also havesoultherapyus.
That's where you can find moreretreat info and more about soul
therapy and like the wellbeingaspect of everything that I'm
doing.
That's kind of where I likecreate.
That's like my creative space.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
Amazing, awesome.
We'll tell everybody to followyou and thank you so much for
hanging out with us today.
And yeah, yeah, that was good.
I mean, we are actually in thesummer.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Oh, that's true, we are going to Mallorca.
We are, well, we're going on acruise.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Okay, amazing, a family cruise.
We'll only be there for like aday, but we'll get a peek at it.
Speaker 2 (50:12):
We'll get a little look.
And maybe we do a.
Speaker 3 (50:17):
Sorry, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
Maybe we do a sorry, no go ahead, maybe we do a
retreat when a wellness retreat?
Speaker 2 (50:26):
oh okay, we will talk , I'm down I'm always down.
Yeah, I'm always down for stuffand like, especially in europe.
I'm sure it's about what thatwould look like some cold
plunging we'll do some coldplunging.
Speaker 1 (50:38):
Yeah, I'm kind of down fitness okay, activities,
we'll talk about it there you go.
Speaker 2 (50:44):
Yeah, I like that cool thank you so much, jess
thank you, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Hey, welcome to the Lynn and Tony Know podcast.
I'm your host, Lynn.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And I'm Tony.
We are both wellness coachesand married with kids.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Join us as we talk about all things health,
wellness, relationships, lifehacks, parenting and everything
in between, unfiltered.
Thanks for listening and let'sget into it.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome back.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I feel like it's been a while now since we recorded.
I'm a little rusty, has it?
Yeah, I think it's been a whilenow, since we recorded.
I'm a little rusty, has it yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I think it's been a week.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Man this week has been a month.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
This week has been a month.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, I think that's what it is.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
What I love about this podcast is that we have the
opportunity to chat with peoplethat I really like.
Now, in this case, I didn'treally know this person, like I
just followed the socials and soif you live in Jersey City, you
for sure know this place GrindCoffee Shop.
They've been around for acouple of years Awesome coffee.
(00:57):
They're in the Bergen-Lafayettearea.
Like I was there when theyfirst opened.
Like it's a great spot.
I've had meetings.
Now I don't leave the house.
Like if I left the house Iwould probably hang out there,
uh.
And then they have a grocerystore and they're just like
really cool people.
And I know I know the owners uh, they're actually they used to
have kids in Mia's school, solike I know them like personally
(01:17):
and they're just great people.
And yeah, the staff, everyone'sso cool.
You walk in there andeveryone's like cool as fuck,
like stylish and like I feellike old and I'm like walking in
there asking for my latte andI'm like are they going to judge
me for my you know, oat milk,whatever thing?
And, um, yeah, I just coolpeople.
And they also started, uh, thegrind society, which is an
(01:41):
extension of grind coffee shop,where it's a fitness oriented,
but it brings bringing peopletogether to, you know, for like
healthy lifestyle, which we loveRight.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
And.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I just love their approach and they always show
love and I'm like who's thisperson behind the grind, like on
social media, like just beingsuper supportive and and just
doing all this cool stuff forthe community?
And they did like baby yoga andlike they do like events and
they're just cool as fuck, youknow.
And so I met Jess.
So she's our guest on the show,which I'm really excited to get
(02:15):
to know.
So meet Jessica.
She's a true force ofinspiration in Jersey City.
She's a resident in Jersey Cityand a personal trainer for
seven years.
Jessica is the mastermind behindGrind Society, an extension of
the beloved Grind Coffee Shop,aiming to rejuvenate community
bonds post-COVID.
But her journey doesn't stopthere.
Captivated by thetransformative power, her first
(02:35):
Costa Rican yoga retreat, shebirthed Soul Therapy, a
sanctuary where spirituality andwellness dance in harmony.
And Jessica's taking soultherapy global, with her next
upcoming retreat in Mallorca,Spain.
Wow, Set for May 2024.
Join us as we unravel thethreads of Jessica's incredible
journey, weaving a narrative ofcommunity wellness and the
(02:57):
soulful tapestry she continuesto craft.
What a beautiful bio.
Wow, Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Jess welcome to the show.
Thank you so much, thank you,thank you, thank you.
Well, I do want to say first,the grind is like not one person
.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
It's multiple people.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yes, and we really do a do a intentional job of
reaching out to people thatsupport us, and it's it's just,
it's not one person, it's theconnect.
There's like a connector that,or I could even say it's like a
force.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
It's not even like one thing that we can like put
our finger on, there's just anenergy and it feels like a
creative energy A hundredpercent and, like I was
mentioning in the intro, likeevery time you get in there
there's just like cool peopleLike you're just seeing, like
like like the baristas like lookcool and everyone's like really
friendly and it's just like acool environment.
And I know you guys work with alot of creatives that kind of
(03:52):
work part time and and you guysdo like fun.
Really you're really crushingon social media and, as like a
social media manager, like likeI love what you guys do because
everyone's really involved andyou really create community and
you're welcoming and justsupportive of people in the
community.
So I'm excited to hear yourstory.
So okay, so you're the one partof the Grind Society.
(04:16):
Okay, so what is Grind Society?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Grind Society is a wellness community.
I keep it broad.
I keep it very broad becauseit's still like an infant.
I can't say the infant's goingto be um a CEO yet.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Right, how did you guys get from like coffee shop
and like grocery store to likefitness?
It's a little bit you knowexactly.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
So I was a personal trainer for a really long time.
I worked at base for a while.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Oh, I used to teach him up at base.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yes, we like, we like , just missed each other, that's
crazy Like just yes.
So I was at base as a personaltrainer for a while and then I
managed a boxing gym in Hobokenand Everlast.
So I was there for a while.
So I had always been in fitness, always been kind of like
(05:08):
figuring myself out in thatspace.
And so then I lived in Bergen,lafayette.
I lived near the grind.
I had the same feeling you hadsuch a cool place, like I just
want to be involved inwhatever's going on.
So I just wasn't.
I didn't know in what capacityI was going to be a part of it.
So in 2021, I hosted my firstyoga retreat.
(05:30):
So I went to, I brought like 10people to Costa Rica and we had
seven days and it was sobeautiful and it was like my
first entrepreneurial step intodoing something that I'm my own
boss.
So it was my first entranceinto it.
I stayed in Costa Rica for liketwo months and then when I came
back, I was walking downcommunity and Mike had said,
(05:54):
like I have a outdoor space, youshould come do yoga there.
I was like absolutely Likelet's figure it out.
And then I did yoga fair,playing around.
My own personal brand is soultherapy, so I called it like
soul therapy x grind and it justdidn't sit right.
It just like wasn't the rightthing.
(06:16):
And I came back from Costa Ricalike feeling like I want to
follow my intuition and I'm like, okay, what, what is right, it
doesn't have to be my name, likeI am who I am and I create a
thing.
So the season ended cause it'scold and it's an outdoor space.
(06:36):
So once we finished there, Ilike thought about it for a
while.
I was like what could this be?
And I had just came back and Iwasn't working out as much and I
wasn't running and I wasn'tstaying active like I used to do
because I was a personaltrainer.
I kind of like shifted myperception of what my body means
to me.
So then I said one day I waslike what about growing society?
(07:01):
And he was like, okay, like, asan entrepreneur, you have to
make the decisions yourself.
Like no one's gonna.
If I say, how about grindsociety?
There's no one around me that'sgonna say, okay, let's do this,
let's do that, let's do this.
Like I have to start it fromthe isn't it annoying so?
(07:25):
it's annoying, but once you likelean into it, it's kind of
beautiful.
You feel the power wait 10years I know you know that
though yeah, no, it's beautiful.
It's so true, though ideas arecheap, execution is expensive
exactly exactly when I thoughtabout like what I would call
(07:47):
myself.
I was like a creative and anexecutioner.
That's a thousand percent whatit is Like.
That's a thousand percent.
I'm going to do what I said.
I'm going to do so.
With that being said, there's amoment in my life where I'm like
I'm not really working out, letme.
There's a moment in my life I'mlike I'm not really working out
, let me, and I don't reallylike I want to reinvent, I want
(08:08):
to like create a thing, and thecreative energy is spiraling
around me.
It's just.
It's just the creative energy.
I can almost call it likeintention, or that's the best
way I can explain it.
So I said grind society.
He said cool, what does thatmean?
I said let's do a run club andlet's see how that goes.
(08:30):
So we started doing a run clubin April.
So there was a few months thereof like figuring out what was
going on.
So we did, april started therun club, and I noticed that
they would talk to each otherbut it wasn't building actual
connections, like they weren'tactually talking to each other.
But it wasn't building actualconnections, like they weren't
actually talking to each other.
So then I said, okay, what canwe do?
(08:51):
So we did a 12, a 12 week 5ktraining program Cause I knew
that if we, if we gave them timeto meet each other and a start
and end date, it'll be fine,like they'll build, something
will happen, they'll get to knoweach other and it'll keep them
(09:12):
feeling connected.
So that 12, 12 people signed upfor that, just 12.
I was like that's amazing it'sreally good what I mean.
It's a small wins.
It's really good what I mean,it's a small wins.
And I feel that often, when I'mthinking about the goal of
something and I'm saying whatwe're doing, I feel like you say
(09:32):
12 and it's like but it's only12.
But from zero, 12 is a lot 12people.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
To get to commit to going out to dinner is difficult
, let alone training for a 5K.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That's wonderful, yes , so it turned out to be a
success.
They still, to this day, showup, and it's two years later and
we're coming into our thirdseason of the 5k training
program.
So it's been a beautifuljourney.
So that's how it started.
That's like what grind societystarted to be Um, and now it's.
(10:04):
Now it's become a 40 person runclub.
We have a third 5k trainingprogram coming up and we have
visions for 50 plus, becausewe've doubled, like last year we
had 26.
So we're just thinking about,like, the growth of that and
what it actually means to bedisciplined.
(10:24):
Right, I call it wellnessbecause like, yeah, it's fitness
, but truly, truly, at the coreof it, we're finding discipline
and we're finding true wellnesswithin ourselves.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
And I love this concept because a lot of people
struggle with you know,especially when they're
beginners.
They struggle getting to thegym or they struggle going to
the class because there's likeno accountability factor.
What you offer is like, okay,you're in a part of a group, you
have to be accountable, youdon't want to let your team down
.
You know what I mean.
Like it kind of becomes likeyou're creating this, like sense
(10:58):
of responsibility to yourselfand to the people that you run
with.
You know what I mean and Ithink that's a beautiful thing
and that's something that'sdefinitely missing in, like the
fitness world.
So that's why, when I see allthe stuff that you guys do, I'm
like, even though I don't part,I just don't have like I work
out in here in this room, likeyou don't, on the other side of
the screen there's literally allthe weights on the floor.
(11:18):
That's as much as I could do.
But I look at what you guys doand I'm like, wow, that's really
beautiful.
Like if I was, you know, singleand just you know, like doing
my thing, I would a hundredpercent join something like that
to meet people and like connectwith people and and also keep
myself accountable.
So what I see that is, it'sreally cool.
Talk to me about, like theother, so you could do the run
club.
(11:39):
What other uh events do you?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
do so.
We have the run club that meetsWednesday nights at the track,
thursday morning 6am for sunriserun 5k and then we do Sundays
long run.
Right now we're training forthe Jersey city half marathon,
so the run club does that.
Then we also have the five keytraining program, which happens
in may and then it'll be tillmay, june.
(12:03):
July happens in May and thenit'll be till May, june, july.
It'll be like three monthsthere and then, since it's, we
have the in Barry Lane Park.
There's a little outpost thatthe grind has and it's an
outdoor studio.
It's like outdoor.
I call it a studio because youknow I'm like creating that, but
it's an outdoor studio and it'sseasonal.
I can't, we can't like do it'sseasonal.
I can't, we can't like do it'scold out.
(12:24):
You know what I mean.
And I love, I love a start andstop.
I love a start and stop.
I love when something starts andan end, so our outdoor classes
will start in the summer andthat's kind of what we have.
I don't think we have anythingelse Like.
We do social events here andthere just to like play.
(12:45):
But I don't think we haveanything else play Like.
We do social events here andthere just to like play.
But I don't like to encouragedrinking, I don't like tell them
that they can't like.
But I don't like to create theevents that, like you come here
and we drink and then we do this.
I like to create special eventsof like accomplishment.
We're like we're going to go to902.
We're going to go to Corgi's oryou know, we're going to do
(13:09):
certain things to just let loose.
But the most the reason why Ido that mostly and I think just
to clarify cause, not to shameanybody that likes to do that
it's just when you get to knowsomebody sober just like hey,
this is me.
And they show up in that wayconstantly.
(13:30):
It makes it easier, when yousee them and they're letting
loose and having a drink, to notlet them feel like they have to
reevaluate if they said theright thing or the wrong thing.
You're like I know you're agood person because I've seen
you and I've ran with you andI've got to know you on a level
where you're vulnerable already.
So it's fine if we experience anight where we're drinking
(13:55):
because, like, I know you and Ithink you're a great person,
naturally, yeah, I mean you'repreaching to the choir.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Tony's been sober for eight years.
Also, like I don't likenecessarily.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
You know the certain gyms like planet fitness or
whatever, like they like putlike pizza out and like bagels
and it's like, but that defeatsthe purpose.
Like not that there's anythingwrong with eating pizza and
bagels, but you're like work outbut like undo all this hard
work by eating pizza.
Like I don't.
Like, I don't believe it.
I personally don't believe indiets and restriction at all.
(14:31):
Like I eat pizza, everything,but at the same time I'm going
to the gym and like I want to,like I'd be, I'd be happy if,
like they gave like littleyogurt bowls or like I don't
know, like what's a cute, likehealthy treat.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Smoothie, like a protein smoothie?
Speaker 1 (14:48):
I don't know like little mini protein smoothies,
like give me that, like that'scute, you know why?
Pizza Like, why are?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
we doing that.
You just reminded me I stillhave a Planet Fitness membership
.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I thought you canceled that.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
You can't Listen.
At Planet Fitness, not only dothey give you pizza and bagels
every week, they force you toeither come in person to cancel
your membership or you have tomail them a letter.
That's crazy.
They make it so hard to cancelthe membership, but it's so
cheap that if you forget aboutit, it's like oh, there's $11.
When am I going to get out toRidgewood Queens to cancel my
(15:23):
membership when I don't evenlive there anymore?
It's wild.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
I'm sure Grind Society doesn't do that though.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
No, we don't do that, Although we tried to initiate a
member fee where you can getexclusive merch.
You can get a discount at allthe locations.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
So we do have that Memberships are fine, but it's
free to attend Theirs ispredatory, it's free to attend.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
It's predatory.
It is predatory, you know.
I think LA Fitness is like thattoo.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
I mean they might not have started the model, but I'm
sure it's something that's atrend.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
What kind of advice for somebody listening and I
asked this to any fitnessprofessional that comes on the
show Like a lot of the questionsI have from people is like I
don't know how to start.
I don't know where to start andit's like really overwhelming.
Like every time I started thegym I don't know what I'm doing.
What kind of advice could yougive people who want to work out
, just don't know how to goabout it?
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, I would first say why?
What's your intention, what'syour reason for saying that?
Like, what are you actuallyrooted in?
Like, when you say that, areyou just saying I want to change
my physical body, or are yousaying that you're saying I want
(16:38):
to be able to run with my kids,I want to be able to spend time
with my family and feel, feel,okay, I want to walk up two
flights of stairs and be okay,like where are we at with it?
So I would say figure out yourwhy.
Because it's what I learned as apersonal trainer and it was
like a struggle really, becausehe would see my body and they'd
(17:03):
be like, yeah, her, I want herto train me.
And it's like, ok, valid, mybody is my marketing and I
understood that that point.
But the reason why my body islike this is because, first of
all, I'm in the gym from 6 amuntil 7 pm and I'm lifting
weights for my clients everyhour.
(17:26):
Like, I'm lifting weights atall times.
Like if you want to look likeme, maybe be a personal trainer.
But the most important thing islike understand that your body
isn't the only thing that has tochange.
When you decide to do that, youhave to change your mind.
Then your body will change.
(17:48):
So you can come to the gym,hire a personal trainer and not
change your mind and your bodywill stay the same.
Change your mind and say I amstrong, I am flexible, I am
healthy, and use the strength ofyour mind to say I got this and
this person's teaching meversus this person's going to
(18:09):
put me in this place to do thisthing and change my body.
Like, take the responsibilityonto yourself and I think that
y'all do that with the coldplunging.
You know it takes you sayinglet's go outside and you can say
no instantly, but if this saysno, more than like if your mind
(18:31):
says no, you're not going in,tony might say, come on, let's
do it.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
He says no all the time before I go in that thing
and he's like no, you're notgoing in.
Tony might say come on, let'sdo it.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
My brain says no all the time before I go in that
thing and he's like, no, you gotit Always, come on, let's do it
.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
He always puts like some mornings are definitely
harder than others, but hehonors me.
He's like is it your brain oris it your body?
Because if it's my body, thenobviously, like I have to listen
to my body.
If I'm feeling sick or if Ihave my period, like you know,
we're women like like dumpingmyself in a cold plunge when I'm
, like, you know, my body isgoing through some crazy shit,
like not not the best idea, buta lot of times it's like I'm
(19:03):
more of a mental thing and heknows the difference well, you
know the difference, first ofall.
But you know, but you could tellwhen it's like a mental thing
or more of like.
No, my body is like not feelingwell for sure.
Can you tell?
I'm curious?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
It's an energy thing.
Like I can tell when it's likeI don't want to versus I
shouldn't, like there's adifference in your energy
between those two answers andwhat you're talking about too.
Find just as important is, like, once you have your first why,
(19:39):
then you blow it up as big aspossible, like to a dramatic
degree.
Like, okay, I want to bephysically fit.
Why?
Well, you know, I don't want torun out of breath when I do X,
y, z.
Why?
Well, because I don't want todie when I'm 80, I want to live
to 100.
Like you, really, you make itso dramatic and so massive that
(20:02):
the consequences to notfollowing through on your
commitment literally becomeinsane.
Like, if you can build that,why so huge?
That failure is not an option.
Then you're forced to win.
So it's really going to thatnext, third, fourth level of the
why and finding out how big youcan make it.
(20:22):
And the second part always seemsto be the like, fundamental
skill of building a habit, likesimply building a habit.
Like have you read JamesClear's book Atomic Habits?
Yes, so he talks about in thebook when you're building that
routine, even if you start withliterally going to the gym for
(20:43):
five minutes and walking around.
All of a sudden, now you're aperson that goes to the gym
every day.
You haven't touched a weight,but you are a person that goes
to the gym.
You're reframing what it is tobe, who you are in that moment,
and I think that's such anawesome, simple way to look at
it.
That really resonates is youjust build on that and the next
time you go for 10 minutes,maybe you work out on one
machine and then by the end of amonth you're there for 30
(21:04):
minutes and now you literallyare a person that works out
every day.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Yes, and so number one is find your why.
Number two is build a routine.
And then number three is be astudent.
Like, care about what you'redoing.
Like, why do you think youshould do a squat?
What's your thought processbehind that Like?
Are you just doing a squatbecause you were told to do a
(21:30):
squat?
Or are you doing it because youcan feel your quads and you can
feel your glutes?
What are your feet doing?
How are you holding the weight?
Like, what's your upper bodydoing?
But if you just go like, so youhave to also have a desire to
learn your body.
You have to want to learn it.
And I could, if I could, segueinto how I kind of transitioned
(21:53):
out of fitness now more than Idid yoga.
So I found yoga and I foundthat same thing you're talking
about.
Like, once you find your whyand in yoga they encourage you
to set an intention.
At least my teacher encouragedme to set an intention and when
you set your intention, well,first of all, if you don't know
what intention is and you'venever actually dove into what
(22:15):
that means, you kind of standthere like intention.
What are you talking about?
I came here to work out Right,like if you walk into yoga class
I came here to get flexible orstretch.
But once you take a moment tothink like, oh, intention is the
energy that I put into what I'mdoing, so intention is the
energy that I put into what I'mdoing.
So the moment my teacher said,okay, set intention.
(22:38):
And then he said maybe it'sunconditional love, I remember
being like what's unconditionallove?
Unconditional love, like whatare you talking?
Like how do you do I?
Do I look for that in somebodyelse?
Do I give it?
Like what is that?
And then from there it's like acuriosity that has to happen.
(22:58):
Like, okay, the beginning ofpractice.
I'm told to set an intention.
So I then say, okay,unconditional love.
And then now I have to learnand educate myself on what does
that mean?
And so the self study comes indoes that mean?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
and so the self-study comes in.
Yeah, uh, the.
The curiosity part is is huge.
Whether you're doing yoga,whether you're doing working out
or or breath work or literallyanything, I think the cute like
having a curiosity about it willpay off, because it allows you
to receive new information allthe time and work with it like
it's the.
It's a matter of, like, peopleget bored doing the same workout
(23:42):
all the time, but they stickwith it because the certainty of
it is I know what I'm doingwith this thing.
If you stay curious and you andyou're open to doing different
ways of working out, then you'remuch more likely to stay
engaged and keep it consistent,because now you're not stuck and
locked in this thing where it'slike well, I know how to do
these three exercises, that'sall I want to do.
So curiosity for me is amassive piece of that puzzle as
(24:04):
well.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Yeah, I totally agree .
And, Lynn, I know, you know, Isaw your transformation photos,
you know I worked my ass.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
I mean I've all.
The thing thing is it's not new, you know.
People are like, oh, how didyou do it?
I'm like, no, I've been activesince I'm 17, like there's, like
it's working hard, it's reallybeing since.
Since I'm seven I was apersonal trainer, like in my
early 20s as well, like I wasinto my.
I remember my first time goingto the gym I was 16.
My sister's like I'm going tothe gym, you want to come, and
(24:34):
like you know, like she's likeolder sister's, like I'm going
to the gym, you want to come.
And like you know, like she'slike older sister energy, like
if she finally wants to hang outwith me.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
I was like, yeah, like I'll go.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
You know what I mean.
Like she was like, let's go tothe gym.
I was like, okay, I'll go tothe gym, you know.
And I and I'm just I was doinglike body and I was hooked.
I was like I was hooked and Ilike, literally a week later I
joined the gym and I evenremember, like you know, seeing
(25:02):
people like lift weights andstuff and I'm 16.
I've never like thought aboutlifting.
My brother lifted weights athome, like I've seen him.
But like I was like I'm goingto go try to lift weights and I
didn't know what the fuck I wasdoing.
I remember standing at, youknow, the bench press, like, um,
I was sitting laying on thebench and I was about to like
bench press and I didn't knowhow heavy it was.
(25:25):
I hold the weight and it likefalls on me and I was stuck, it
was so embarrassing and like onelike this meathead had to like
save me.
He's like are you okay?
I'm like oh yeah, I'm okay,just too heavy for me.
You know like it was and I justremember it was like that and
that and that happening justgave me the motivation to learn
(25:49):
about working out and to learnabout lifting weights and and
and that's how I like got intoit and you know.
So now I'm 40 years old.
This is habits that are likeingrained.
Even you know my whole family,my father.
He's in his.
How old is he?
My father is 74 and he's insuch good shape and he just
walks every day.
You know what I mean.
My whole family is into fitness.
(26:10):
Like it's just part of life.
It's like so when people ask me,how do you do it?
It's like it's part, part oflife.
It's like so when people ask me, how do you do it, it's like
it's part of my life.
Like I, it's like brushing myteeth.
Brushing teeth, it's like youknow drinking water.
It's like if I don't work out aweek, I go nuts.
I don't feel good.
I don't feel like I.
Like I personally, I likefeeling in shape.
(26:33):
Like that's that's my like, howI feel.
Like I like eating nutritiouslybut I also enjoy myself too.
Like it's it's like finding that, that balance, you know, but
it's part, it has to be part, ofyour life.
It's not.
It's not even like do I ordon't, it's there's no, it's
like it's like a not in thisfamily.
It's like a non-negotiable,negotiable.
(26:56):
And there's some times where we, you know, drop off a little
bit or don't have time or we'resick or whatever, and that's
life.
But you just jump back, it's a,you just jump back on the horse
and you start over and you juststart.
You know I hadn't, no, andobviously I couldn't work out
for the first six weeks, but Itried to like be active and I
walked and I showed myself grace, but and I tried to do whatever
I could, and as soon as thedoctor said, okay, you can work
out, I went right back.
(27:17):
It was like, yeah, I'm sleepdeprived, I'm exhausted, but
like I need to do this formyself.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
You, know, yep, yep, I totally agree.
And that's where that's wherethe I just feel like the gym
culture is gym culture andthat's what it is.
But the thing that I feel likeis looming like the wellness
umbrella.
The wellness word is that is,it's part of your lifestyle.
(27:43):
It's not let me go to the gym,it's I do this thing and this is
what it looks like it doesn't.
I currently make it runningbecause it's the easiest thing
for me to do as a startup, likestarting something.
But if we didn't have a weeklymeetup, chances are half those
people wouldn't be running, andI would even say not even half,
(28:06):
more than half.
So it's just to get you moving,it's just to give you a reason
to get up, and it's so simpleand it's just building that.
Come, stand at the coffee shopat 6am on a Thursday and get rid
of seasonal depression, becausewe're going to run throughout
the winter and you're going towake up and you're going to see
(28:26):
this, see that it's dark out,and be like laying in bed at
first, like oh gosh, I don'twant to get up.
Get up, realize that it's notas bad as you think and you're
actually going to have a goodday.
And then here comes spring.
You're like, wow, I wasn'tdepressed at all.
How did that happen?
Cause you woke up one day everyweek and saw the sun and like,
(28:48):
maybe saw the sunrise.
It's a little dark but you don'treally see it.
But you know, it's just a habit.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
And it's also like it doesn't need to be like an hour
every day.
I like I tell people like do a,do a YouTube video for 15
minutes, you know, go for a walkoutside.
Like it doesn't need to besomething like a serious, like
you know sprinting and likecrazy deadlifts.
Like it's not, that's not foreverybody.
You know what I mean.
Like that's cool, but it's notfor everybody.
Like start small, just moveyour body.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Yeah, start somewhere .
Yeah, start somewhere.
So that's our advice.
Um, maybe I'll name them again,if I can remember.
Yeah, we said, um, we saidintention find your why find
your?
Why?
Then we said, um, find yourroutine.
And then we said, uh, learn it,educate yourself within it,
(29:39):
like care, it's a great tip.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
I like that, even though we went on a tangent and
I told you my story about my 16year old self yeah, you also
brought up.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Brought up the example of curiosity also kills
the cat.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Like you took your curiosity a little too far yeah,
but my curiosity like yes, itembarrassed me, but it also
motivated me to learn what right?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
no, I get that, but it also could have decapitated
you it also could have wentreally bad.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Don't do that.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
It was very embarrassing like like for a
while I was like I don't know ifI could show myself, but like I
was determined to go back andsee that guy and have him see me
actually bench press you knowokay I don't think I ever did,
but like I was, like you knowthe thing, the.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Thing about this what makes it even funnier is the
fact that, like at 16, youprobably looked 13, like 10.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
You must have looked like a child on the bench press.
Oh my god, a tiny.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Screw it around with Kendi, who might have even
looked like your mom at thatpoint.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
And my sister is a cardio queen.
She literally would only docardio.
And I was like aren't you bored, Don't you want to throw shit
around?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Pick some things up.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
I had a question that came from from Lynn's
introduction and I know it mightnot be part of your current
scope, but, um, what is babyyoga?
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Oh, yes, so.
So part of the summer classesthat we have, we have JC bumping
baby michelle.
She's wonderful.
She teaches baby yoga, so shedoes a mommy and me, or she
calls it baby and me where youbring the baby and she doesn't
say mommy, because it could bedad, caregiver, yep.
So she does that andfacilitates that in the summer.
(31:31):
It's so cute and it's so cutesounds adorable yeah, I've been.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I've been meaning to take Noah to like a baby yoga
class, but like the thing is,like Noah is, she's like a boy,
you know.
She's just like can't sit still.
I just don't see her likestretching and like staying,
staying still.
You know what I'm saying.
Like she's going to just likeshe's going to like go annoy the
other babies and like you knowwhat I mean, just walk around,
do her own thing.
(31:55):
Like I take her to my gym.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
And she just goes rogue Like all the kids are
sitting like nicely in a circleand then my kid just goes in the
middle and just stands and juststares at everybody judges
everybody Right.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Where did she get that from?
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Are you?
Are you saying she gets thatfrom me?
Speaker 2 (32:14):
I just asked the question, excuse me, sir, she's
your child, but yeah, so itsounds really cute.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Though it does sound cute.
Yeah, it is cute, it is cute,you should when we do it.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
I'll just remind you, okay so tell us a little bit
more about this retreat in inspain yes, um it, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
So creating a retreat is something I'm like grabbing
out of the air.
I'm like let's have this, let'sdo this, and it's kind of scary
and it's very nerve wrackingbut it's so rewarding.
So the reason why I starteddoing it, I had one on my first
yoga retreat with a Naira.
I don't know if you know Anaira.
She was a yoga teacher in, like, hoboken, jersey City area.
(32:57):
Like 2019 time, like beforeCOVID.
We went to the Maldives and itwas incredible.
I mean, it changed my entirelife.
It was so beautiful Becausewhen I went there, I didn't
really know what I was gettinginto, cause I didn't practice
(33:18):
yoga seriously.
I like got into yoga because Iwas in fitness and it was like,
did we do this because we wantto stretch?
And I didn't understand whatwas happening.
But she would say talk aboutbreathing.
And so we went to the Maldives.
There was one night when, well,the Maldives is like a 24 hours
(33:39):
flight, like you're in, you'rein travel for 24 hours, so just
understanding, like getting tothat point, where am I?
I don't know where I am, what'sgoing on, but we did yin yoga,
full moon with a gong itcompletely.
I was a changed person in thatmoment.
(33:59):
I was out of my body.
I don't know where I was.
It was incredible and Iremember saying to myself I have
to facilitate something likethis for people Like it's just
something I have to do to saythank you to this.
Whatever I just experienced, Idon't really have words for it.
I don't really know what wasgoing on.
(34:21):
We didn't take anything, likethere was no mushroom, like
ayahuasca.
Yeah, there wasn't any of that,but it was so beautiful and I
think that's what made it evenmore beautiful, because it was
like we weren't on anything andit and it that thing and it did
a thing so hosted my firstretreat to Costa Rica just
(34:45):
because I was like I need toheal myself, like I felt like I
was just a little bit too hardon myself, my physical body, and
too like into it, like I don'tthink I was able to.
I just was in a space where Ineeded to heal, like, if I could
just broadly say that, and inthe oceans of costa rica have
(35:07):
you ever been?
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I've been to costa rica, yeah, so you know?
Speaker 3 (35:11):
no, you haven't, tony , you gotta go it's so beautiful
.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
We were talking about maybe the next November.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Yes, I'll show you where, where and how to do it,
If and just see if that worksfor you.
It's so beautiful.
So I was gone for like twomonths.
They were there for a week.
I arrived like a week earlierjust to like ground myself, and
then everybody came for a weekand it was beautiful.
They're like Jess, this was thebest thing ever.
I'm so happy.
And it was the first time I feltconnected to a higher power,
(35:48):
Like I felt connected tosomething.
And it's really where I gotinto intention and okay, I feel
like I closed my eyes and justlike fell backwards and was like
is there anything there that'sgoing to support me?
Is there anything that's goingto hold me?
So then, fast forward.
Um, that was a successfulretreat.
(36:10):
Then I was like, well, maybe Ijust do retreats all the time,
Right Cause I'm kind of likefloating.
I don't have, I'm trying tobecome an entrepreneur and I'm
looking for the thing that I'mgoing to create.
So I was like I don't have, I'mtrying to become an
entrepreneur and I'm looking forthe thing that I'm going to
create.
So I was like maybe I do aretreat business and I just do
retreats constantly.
And then I was like, ah, thatfeels so forced.
So then I waited a while, didthe grind society thing, and
(36:33):
then I was like, okay, it's time.
So then I hosted.
I was like we're going toMallorca.
I love Spain.
I had practiced Spanish forlike 600 days on Duolingo Shout
out to Duolingo.
I kept my account up 600 days.
I did a really long time.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
That's a long time.
Did you actually learn fromDuolingo?
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Yes, Like it actually works.
So here's the thing.
It's just like any other thingyou have to be disciplined.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
How long, how many times like, how long per day?
Speaker 3 (37:08):
Two minutes, two minutes, that's it Damn and so.
But here's also the thing asyou get further along it gets
harder, because you have to,because you have to start
learning conjugation, like youhave to start learning how to
speak the language.
So if you're not really likepaying attention, like might
(37:31):
take you six minutes to finishthe exercise that day, but it
definitely helps.
And if you talk out loud topeople throughout your day and
like actually use it, it works.
It works.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
Remember when I tried to learn Italian before our
honeymoon.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Yeah, but I think you gave yourself like 30 days.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
I'm going to learn Italian in a month before our
honeymoon.
Yeah, but I think you gaveyourself like 30 days.
I'm gonna learn italian in amonth before a honeymoon well,
you know what you did.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Good, though, but you know what's good about that.
You need something before yougo there you need to be nothing.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
It didn't do anything what did you use?
Don't let go, I did, I did do alingo like what was like.
Did I learn any words?
Speaker 2 (38:20):
No, I mean, maybe you did, but you certainly didn't
use any of them.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
I was like pizza, pasta, pizza, pasta.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
I didn't need to need to know any Italian, you just
were doing it for fun, yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Right To say you can do it.
I totally get it.
Anyway, so long story, verylong.
I decided that, okay, we'regoing to go to Mallorca and this
is what's going to look like.
I love how creating a retreatmakes me feel.
I love that.
I'm like, okay, we can doanything.
Where do I start?
Like it's so broad and it's soopen.
(38:59):
I'm like, okay, what is it?
Is it going to be at this place?
It's going to be at that place.
It kind of allows me to stand infaith a little bit, where I can
trust that I'm I'm being guidedin the right way and and it
will roll out the way it'ssupposed to.
And not everything requiresforce and not everything
(39:21):
requires, like me beating itdown.
It requires consistency and andpersistence, but it doesn't
require me like, okay, it has tobe this, it has to be that.
It actually requires me to like, sit back and like, think about
how does that feel?
So it lets me get curious aboutwhere I'm at and like what I
want to create, and like increation mode.
(39:44):
So I love the way it makes mefeel.
And when people sign up, I'mlike, oh my gosh, how Like, what
?
What is that Like?
I can't even believe it.
Like what is that?
Like, what makes someone sayyes to this feeling?
What have I exuded?
Is that, like, what makessomeone say yes to this feeling?
What have I exuded?
I don't know if it's me, butwhen I, when I've asked for
(40:06):
feedback from the first retreat,somebody said I had journaled
my perfect day a year ago,before I even knew about this
retreat, and it happened here.
That's not me.
You know what I mean.
Like that's not a thing that Idid, that's something beyond me.
So it's so beautiful andspecial that I know when I
(40:28):
facilitate a retreat, the rightpeople hear about it.
It's for them.
I'm just the vessel, exactlyhow Anaira did for me on the
retreat to the maldives.
It was just it's for you, like,this is for you to experience.
So that's where soul therapy,spain 2024 happened.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
That's how that happened sounds amazing sounds
like you've done yoga in somereally cool places.
Yes, I'm not going to lie, wedid yoga in a cool place
recently.
That's true.
My brother is a yoga teacher inSt Croix.
Oh, yes, I've been Okay.
His class, no, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
That's his class.
I did see your video and I didcheck it out because you know,
once you're in it, you're in it,and I did check it out and I
saw you had your phone outduring class.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
I knew the teacher.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Was he cool with that .
I mean, it's his brother.
He didn't care.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
It's my younger brother.
Okay, I can do whatever.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
I want.
It was very cool.
I was like take video.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
It was a proud older brother moment.
To be honest, I wanted to putmy brother on he.
It was a proud older brothermoment.
To be honest, I wanted to putmy brother on.
He led an amazing class.
Also, we're at the very front,so it's not like there wasn't
anybody around us to disturb,because we're right in front of
him.
So I was very cognizant of thatand I knew I was probably
breaking some yoga rules at thesame time, we're content
creators.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
This is what we do we're?
Content creators.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
You have to.
I totally agree with you.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
We can enjoy the yoga and also take two-second videos
at the same time.
Yeah, and also like we walk inand I'm glad you do.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Yeah, yeah, I walked in.
It was nice to see and this wasthe busiest class he's ever had
, tied for the most crowdedclass, which was amazing.
But what it meant was he's likeokay, so there's like I got two
spots set up for you, but theonly space left we have is under
the heat lamps, and I was likeoh, which I love.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
I love hot yoga.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
I was like we're already in a tropical island,
like I don't need to be underthe heat lamps, but yeah, it was
a good class it was amazing.
I love yoga, I love you.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
I wish I had more time for it.
That's like one thingdefinitely missing in my life,
like I used to be like a hotyoga, like bikram.
I was like obsessed with bikramyoga before like all the
sketchy stuff came out aboutabout bikram, but, um, yeah, I
love, I love yoga.
I really do it's.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
It's a how was saint cory, can I ask sorry, beautiful
?
Yeah, it's beautiful.
It's a beautiful place.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
It's got challenges.
To be honest, getting to StCroix from here is hard.
There's no direct flights,really.
St Thomas there's plenty.
St Thomas is more, I think, ofthe destination for most people
going to the US Virgin Islands,but St Croix is a little bit
tougher.
Um, but it's raw, like, it'sjust kind of a raw place.
It's not, there's not resorts,it's not like touristy, it is
(43:24):
just the island where peoplelive there and it's.
It's cool in that way.
It's beautiful, though.
The beaches are insane.
Uh, the milk is very expensive.
Uh, we spent a half gallon on,or $11 for a half gallon on, or
11 for a half gallon of organicwhole milk for noah.
It was like, wow, insanelyexpensive.
Um, but it was beautiful and itwas a.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
It was a welcomed, uh welcome break from the cold
yeah, from the cold and and lynngot some great content always
talk about it, always I did.
Are you serious?
It's the it's.
You know, when you like gosomewhere and you're like I know
what the picture is like beforeyou go, you already know, I
know I had like.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
I had like a vibe and like like I also wanted to tie
in like my, my, like, myjewishness.
You know, like my pride of likewho I am and like you know, I'm
sure you see like all thisstuff going on and you know a
rise in anti-Semitism, but Iwant it to be like.
I want to like just be like I'mfucking proud of who I am and
I'm going to show it off and Iworked hard and I'm in this
(44:29):
beautiful place and I'm going totie all that shit in together
and just be like in my power.
You know, and um, I wentoutside like before Noah like
woke up from and I've just likehad fun and that was it.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
Yeah, you found it.
You knew you had a, you had atime window of when this was
going to happen and you found it.
It's really a creative, it'sthat creative energy.
Like you, you go to a place,you visualize it and you're like
, okay, it's going to happen atsome point.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
And when it comes to me, I have to.
Yeah, I have to.
Yeah, it wasn't a force, itwasn't a forced moment.
I was like okay, I'm tan,everyone's asleep, the sun's
shining, tony's, you know like Idon't, I didn't even want to
bother tony to take my photos.
I just I hadn't I set up mywater bottle, I, as a tripod,
and I just like moved it aroundand that's it, you know know it
was perfect.
Thank you, I really appreciateit.
You're the best.
Can we hang out?
Let's be friends.
I'm going to come to your.
I'm going to come to a classicin the summer.
(45:25):
I'm going to do.
Keep me honest, just be likeLynn.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
You said you're coming to a class.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Uh, how do people find you follow you, all that
stuff?
Speaker 3 (45:41):
Plug away, yeah, plug away, okay.
So if you're interested in thegrind society, grind society,
jccom, that's where we justyou'll see everything there.
I make sure that our link inbio has like everything that
we're doing.
If you're interested in umrunning the drew city half
marathon or full marathon, it'sstill open you have a chance to
do that I hate running thoughit's I'm not a runner.
(46:02):
I mean maybe, yeah, youdefinitely should train for a
half, though yeah, yeah, shewould definitely.
Speaker 2 (46:09):
I mean, she came back from a three month I did 30
minutes 30 minutes the other day.
It's not that, it's not that I.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
It's not that I hate it, it's just my body hates it
yeah, I was gonna say you werewalking like you had a hip
replacement surgery like I'm I Idon know.
I think my age is getting to me.
I couldn't walk.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
Seriously, she was walking around Like she fell
down the stairs.
I was like what's wrong?
She's like I went running.
I'm like that's it.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
That's right.
Okay, so just I'm more of apower walker, like I like power,
like that's me now 40 like.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
Once you hit 40 it's like you can power walk a half
marathon.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
13 miles power walk.
I did a, I did a 10k a fewyears ago and I did it after a
full night of partying.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
I do not recommend that's like half a half marathon
.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Yeah.
That was rough, that was reallyrough, but I did it.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
That's still impressive.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
Okay, sorry, keep going, keep plugging.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
Um, okay, so that's the, so you can join our uh
grind society team and then, ifyou don't want to do that, the
Jersey city marathon like closesdown all the streets.
It's april 14th, so come outand cheer.
Okay, I love volunteers, likepeople can volunteer.
We want to make it at leastthis is our mission we want to
(47:29):
make it a party day.
The race starts at 7 am, soit's pretty early, but you know
how you said, the grind is cool.
We're trying to the whole likeit's going to.
They're going to run past theshop on Pacific and we want it
to be a party and we want it tobe the coolest thing ever.
Speaker 2 (47:48):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
So if anybody wants to come volunteer it's early but
it's worth it Like if you evercheered for the New York
marathon, you're going to know,like you, you know that vibe,
it's just so energetic.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
I love the sign, the signs that people have.
The signs are great.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
There's some awesome signs, yeah what do you know
about, like what time themarathon passes by the grind, or
when it starts people startpassing through there.
Speaker 3 (48:11):
Yes, the marathon route starts by staples down in
newport and then mile three,four.
They're gonna come down pacificoh so pretty quick.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
So it's pretty early.
Speaker 3 (48:24):
Yeah, yeah, it's pretty early and and then we're
gonna be, it's gonna, they'regonna run past the berry lane
park.
That's mile 10 okay and thenmile nine.
It should be like mile 19 forthe full marathon.
So we'll have two cheersections and once mile three,
four is done, we'll move up tothe park.
Um, so it's pretty early.
(48:45):
It's pretty early like 7 30.
They're gonna even earlierbecause they do have like some
elite runners.
So it'll be pretty fast in thebeginning.
But mile 10 is is a good.
I said like eight o'clock comeby mile 10.
You can like cheer on like oneof our um, one of the guys that
does the track night.
He said that like he should bearound mile 10 by like eight,
(49:10):
eight, 10 in the morning.
So you know, you can like gaugeit off of that anyway so that's
our society.
And then you can find me.
I have just Joseph is mypersonal handle where I'm still
navigating Like what is it?
What does she talk about there?
I kind of like throw everythingthere but working on refining
(49:30):
it.
And then I also havesoultherapyus.
That's where you can find moreretreat info and more about soul
therapy and like the wellbeingaspect of everything that I'm
doing.
That's kind of where I likecreate.
That's like my creative space.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
Amazing, awesome.
We'll tell everybody to followyou and thank you so much for
hanging out with us today.
And yeah, yeah, that was good.
I mean, we are actually in thesummer.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Oh, that's true, we are going to Mallorca.
We are, well, we're going on acruise.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Okay, amazing, a family cruise.
We'll only be there for like aday, but we'll get a peek at it.
Speaker 2 (50:12):
We'll get a little look.
And maybe we do a.
Speaker 3 (50:17):
Sorry, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
Maybe we do a sorry, no go ahead, maybe we do a
retreat when a wellness retreat?
Speaker 2 (50:26):
oh okay, we will talk , I'm down I'm always down.
Yeah, I'm always down for stuffand like, especially in europe.
I'm sure it's about what thatwould look like some cold
plunging we'll do some coldplunging.
Speaker 1 (50:38):
Yeah, I'm kind of down fitness okay, activities,
we'll talk about it there you go.
Speaker 2 (50:44):
Yeah, I like that cool thank you so much, jess
thank you, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.