PBWC Conference! The Next Genderation!

Donna Brazile

2 years ago I attended the Professional Business Women of California's annual conference.  It was life changing.  I got a chance to hear some of the most influential women in this country speak and I even got a chance to meet Donna Brazile.

For those that don't know, Donna Brazile was the first Black woman to ever lead a Presidential campaign.  She was Al Gore's campaign manager in his successful 2000 bid for the White House.

She is a powerhouse in the political world, and one of my heroes.

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

It was also during this first conference that I was first exposed to Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and author of the New York Times Bestselling book, Lean in.  Mark my words:  Sheryl Sandberg is going to be one of the most influential women of our time.  I loved her message of supporting ambition in women and also making sure that the people we choose as life partners are really our partners.  In her talk this year she talked about how we need more women leaders and that we need to get out of our own way!

The Next Genderation

This year the topic was: The Next Genderation.  As I embrace my new role of a leader, it was right on time for motivation, life application, and new insights on what it means to be a woman in leadership.  The Next Genderation is ambitious and we want career success, but we also acknowledge that we want families and we need to figure out how to balance both with our life partners or solo.

Pro Family/Pro Man

One of the reasons that I am a big fan of PBWC is because they are pro family and they are not anti-man.  I have never subscribed to the belief that women's sole ambition should be to become wives and mothers.   I've always been ambitious and always known that I wanted to be out in the workforce.  That said, I also knew that the greatest job and privilege that I will have is to be a life partner and a Mother.  It was REFRESHING to FINALLY hear women say, "YES!  You can do both...but here's how it needs to happen."  Women of my generation want to be successful at work, but we aren't as willing as the generation before us to give up having a family .

Men are not our enemy.  They are our biggest allies.  One of the main points that Sheryl Sanderg and many of the other workshop leaders discussed is that Marriage is your biggest career decision.  Who you decide to partner up with is going to be one of the main determining factors in your success.  If you're partnered with someone who has no ambition and doesn't support yours, forget it.  You're going to have a hard road to go.  On the other hand, if you have a partner who supports your ambition, he will jump in to help with household responsibilities and raising the kids.

I firmly believe that we need to teach boys that being a husband and father (if they choose to go this route) is the most important job they will EVER have.  Maybe if we drilled that idea into them instead of excusing responsibility, we wouldn't have so many absentee and uninvolved fathers.

Women of the PBWC conference

Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno

Legendary actress Rita Moreno who is 81 years young and is still as vibrant as ever came out dancing to the music, and let me tell you she can MOVE!  Further proof to me that age is all in your head.  As Ms. Moreno said, "There's no such thing as an old lady".  

My favorite quote from Ms Moreno  "I make sure my soul is nourished.  The insides are whole.  I don't hold on to old resentments.  If my soul is nourished then the bones will take care of themselves."


Talk about inspirational.  She spoke of her upbringing, facing discrimination in Hollywood, and she dished just a little bit about hot affairs with Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley.  

Gov. Jennifer Granholm

Another treat for me this year was to meet former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.  She led Michigan through their worst economic crisis in history.  The entire state was on the verge of fiscal ruin with the demise of the car companies and closing of numerous factories.   She spoke about how to lead in tough times, and those tough times are what make real leaders.  Gov. Granholm also spoke about the fact that her husband assumed the duties of primary parent while she was serving in public office.  He was fine with this arrangement and they have a wonderful family.

During her speech, Gov. Granholm implored more women to run for office.  I started getting excited that if Hillary decides to break our hearts and not run in 2016, this could be our next hope.  Sadly Governor Granholm was born in Canada which makes her ineligible.  Oh well, I hope she makes it to the Supreme Court.

I've been thinking about what I would like to do next in my career, and while I have contemplated a career in media and such, I often think about getting involved in public service.  Things in this country need to change, and our lawmakers aren't doing anything about important issues.  As part of the next genderation, I believe issues such as education, poverty, violence, and equal rights are the biggest problems my children and our society will face.  

Another political powerhouse!

Being exposed to such dynamic women leaders really got my blood flowing and got me fired up and ready to go!

As part of the next genderation, I have had enough of these vapid and pathetic women influencing our daughters to believe that the only job they should aspire to is to look pretty, sound stupid, and take any male attention that comes along..even if it's disrespectful.

I believe those of us who have embraced ambition and also family life have a duty to spread the news that just because you're smart and want more out of life, that does not mean you hate men or you want to be a man. 

I love being a woman and I acknowledge men and women have differences.  Let's celebrate and understand those differences, and let's work together to build strong and dynamic families.

As I mentioned, I have thought about a life in public service and after I read how Gov. Granholm signed my book....I just about fell on the floor.  A few years ago thanks to my friend Stefanie, I got a chance to spend a whole day on Capitol Hill in a Congressman's office.  I didn't want to leave because I was excited to just be in the building.  

Hmmmmmmmm.  Could she be on to something?

Functionally Fit

What is functional Training

When I first became a trainer, functional training was all the rage.  Anytime you went into gyms, you would see people doing balancing exercises, exercises on the stability balls, etc.

While sometimes things went too far, (see picture to the right) the initial concept was good.  Prior to this trend, most people came to the gym for traditional bodybuilding workouts where they worked different muscle groups on separate days.

Unless "body building" is your specific goal, those types of workouts do not make sense for the general public who simply want to keep fit.  I also don't believe these types of workouts make sense for people who want to lose body fat.

Why should people who sit down all day at work come to the gym and then sit down on machines?  

Many people come into the gym after years of inactivity, so the initial goal should be to get moving as much as possible.

Sitting on machines going through the motions (you know what I'm talking about) isn't really accomplishing much of anything.

That's why for many of my clients (especially more mature clients) we focus on functional movements to help with balance, coordination, and improving flexibility and strength where needed.

If the goal is fat loss, the goal is to expend as much energy (calories) as possible.  Therefore we get as many muscles involved in the workout as possible.  I'm a big believer in total body movements...that's the way we move right?   

For example: Squat and perform an overhead press, lunge and do a rotation, dynamic flexibility movements to get the heart rate up and improve range of motion.  The beauty of this is that even clients who have limited mobility and are de-conditioned can do many of these exercises.  We just start wherever their abilities are.

I don't use many machines for general fitness/fat loss clients except if they have very little strength, or their postural imbalances call for strengthening a specific body part.

Being Functionally Fit

One afternoon as I was jogging along San Francisco's beautiful waterfront, I started thinking about what it means to be functionally fit.  I see guys building their chests and arms all day long in the gym so they can take off their shirts for the summer. I bet if you ask those same guys to walk uphill, run a mile, or run for the bus they would struggle.  

Sidenote: These same guys don't train their legs much of the time giving them no foundation or stability base.  That is a whole other blog post, but the point is they have "bar bodies" or "mirror" bodies, but what about actual health?

I don't simply want to LOOK fit and awesome, I want to be FIT and AWESOME.  There is nothing like that feeling of accomplishment when your doctor tells you that your blood pressure is lower, your cholesterol is lower, and you no longer have to take various medications. 

One of my favorite clients loves to share fitness victories.  Her most recent was that she didn't fall down when she moved suddenly.  She attributed it to our focus on stabilization and agility training.  I was very excited because she was FUNCTIONALLY FIT.

Performance  & Lifestyle goals

In the past year I've lost about 15 pounds and dropped about 2 clothing sizes.  I won't lie and say that fitting into smaller clothes hasn't been motivating, but what is really motivating is how much stronger I've become.  I really get excited when I am able to reach for 30 and 35 lb dumbbells during my workout.  I couldn't do that before.

#Goals2013

I think it is really important to not focus cosmetic goals, but also performance goals.  I've shared this before, but my big performance goal is to be able to do a pullup.  Slowly but surely!

I have made a commitment to myself to be functionally fit for the rest of my life.  I spent the first half of my life on the other side of the spectrum and I have no intentions of going back.  I plan to still be teaching classes and exercising well into my 70's and 80's.  I see older folks every day who inspire me because they still exercise and they are still moving.

If you're in your 20's and 30's, you should be laying the foundation NOW and training smart to prevent injuries later on down the line.  Doing a lot of stupid exercises (see below) because you think it looks hardcore, ignoring form and technique, and neglecting flexibility will have dire consequences for the future.

*smh*

Fitness shouldn't be just about the way we look.  It should be about the way we function in every day life.  

You've got to move to grow!

Press Play.  This is the soundtrack for this blog post.  

It's been a while folks, but I've been productive during this time away.

 I accomplished my PUSH goal for 2013!  Only 6 months into the year and we've already crossed the big goal off the list that is going to bring everything else into fruition.  Does this mean that it's over and I can rest on my laurels?  

Absolutely not.  I've hit the goal, and now it is time to WORK.

Reviewing the process

1. Set Goals

2. Made Plans

3. Assessed my progress

4. Readjusted Plans

5. Made a Decision

The next step

I was listening to the Steve Harvey morning show the other day, and he said something that strongly resonated with me.

You've got to move to grow

Coincidentally, this is my next step and what stops many of us from accomplishing our goals.  We refuse to move from where we are because:

a) we are comfortable 

b) we are afraid of failure and the unknown

c) we've made mistakes before and don't want to try again

d) it would require letting go 

Being Comfortable and the danger of staying Stagnant

I've encountered belief systems that teach that you keep doing the same thing over and over because it is the only right way to do things.  Never mind if the results are unsuccessful and people are miserable. You aren't supposed to evolve, you don't change, and you never leave.  You stay on and try to make things better even if people aren't interested in changing.

Needless to say I soon discovered this was not the right way for me.  People become comfortable in being miserable and stagnant.

Stagnant literally means without flow.  Motionless.  Standstill.  After a flood, people are told not to drink the stagnant water because it is unsafe.  Water is crucial to survival, but when water becomes stagnant then it becomes dangerous.  It becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and insects.  

Stagnant Water

Using this illustration, something similar happens when we become stagnant in our lives.  When we stop growing and come to a standstill, we become a breeding ground for negativity.  I've noticed that when it is time for me to move on from a situation, I become extremely negative. I begin to major in the minors.  EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY gets on my nerves.  I become easily irritated and agitated.  

Fear of Failure and the Unknown: Take a Step

This year I am really challenging myself to take steps of faith in areas where I need to grow to improve my skill set and also areas of my life where I have not had much success.  

For example, I applied for a job just for the interview experience and to put my name out there, and ended up getting that very job! 

In other areas, I have opened myself up and while I may not be getting the results I want, I am no longer at a standstill.  I'm moving in a direction that is positive and keeps my integrity intact.  After each step of faith, I end up reviewing what I learned from the experience.  Each step of faith translates into more growth.

You do not have to make huge dramatic changes.  Just start with one step to move you forward.

Change your thought process/embrace new belief systems

Even though I do believe that moving is essential to growth, a change of scenery won't make that big of a difference if you're still clinging on to old belief systems.  

Growth means letting go of old belief systems, and embracing new ideas and processes.  When entering a new situation, don't get hung up on "This is how I've always done it".  

Isn't that the problem?

If the way you've always done it hasn't given you the results you've wanted, it is time to do a new thing.

It is also important to let go of past mis-takes.  That's all it was: A mis-take Take 2...start over.  Some mis-takes will take a long time to recover from, and you will have to endure that process. Make sure to get a support system to help you through that process.  Don't try to do it alone.

Message: You won't recover from your mis-takes long as you keep beating yourself about bad decisions or allowing others to rub them in your face.

The fear of moving and leaving others behind

One of the reasons I feel a lot of us do not move forward is because we are afraid to leave others behind. 

This is a touchy subject, but staying stagnant because you don't want to leave people behind will only backfire ON YOU in the long run. 

Years down the road when you are not where you want to be and you are looking for someone to blame, those people will be your target.

It won't be their fault you aren't where you want to be.  YOU made the choice to stay where you are.  Who knows?  Maybe the people in your life need some encouragement and inspiration and they will start to move forward right along with you.

If people love you they will come along for the journey or they will be there to cheer you on.  People are genuinely happy to see the people they care about do well and ascend to new levels in their lives.  If people love you, then they want to see you become your best self.

Make that move right now!

Like the song says, We let so many good things pass us by because we hold ourselves back.  

If you're feeling stagnant, you don't have to move with guns blazing.  Just take a step and then watch how the current begin to flow.

As Shalamar said,

"You only go around once in a lifetime!"