On a day that is built around love and loving others, I would like to take some time to remind you to love yourself today and everyday. I recently began journaling and noticed my tendency to reflect using negative self-talk: “I could have done this better” and “I could have done that better”. I then noticed how my negative self talk alters my ability to validate and defend myself. I started seeking validation from close friends and family. These people closest to me were always so puzzled as to why I needed them to reassure me that I am good and worth it. In turn, I started to wonder why I did not feel worth it and decided to write a journal entry that was simply a love note.

I must admit writing a love note to myself seemed rather pointless and silly, but once I was able to get over my initial hesitation, I was shocked at how good it made me feel to say nice things to myself. As someone who works with kids, I know the power of positive reinforcement and building up a child so they develop good self-esteem. In fact, I pride myself on taking the time to invest in all my kids (clients). Their well being and positive self-image is extremely important to me. I want my kids to feel strong inside and out so they can grow into solid individuals who believe they are worth it. I truly feel that if kids feel good about who they are, take pride in their fitness and nutrition, and use lessons in the gym to better them in the real world, they will be more likely to succeed. They will stand tall and proud next to themselves and they will not seek validation from anyone.

Like a lot of people, I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to be successful. Every time I set a goal and achieve it, I am already running toward the next challenge. Rarely do I stop and say “good job, Riss!”. I wonder how many of us actually take the time to stop and acknowledge our good deeds and hard work. Do you? Until I started journaling, I didn’t really notice how much I was under appreciating myself and was disappointed that after years of building up others, I had let myself fall to the wayside. Even more disappointing was seeing how difficult it was for me to write down my positive qualities and traits. I really struggled to praise myself.

After staring at the blank page for far too long, I started to think about what I say to my kids. How do I build them up? All of the sudden it was clear what I needed to hear! This is the note I wrote myself:

I think you are amazing! You have a gift - you are a light - you are a bright and powerful star. Keep doing you - no matter the mistakes you make along the way - I will always love you. I will love you forever. You are my heart, my favorite, and I promise to stand next to you, tall and proud. Live free from your negativity - you deserve to be happy - you deserve the best!

Yes, it is somewhat embarrassing to post this, but I feel like I gained so much from this exercise that I can put my fears aside in order to help others recognize how great they are and the importance of telling themselves exactly that. 

Happy Happiest Valentine’s Day! Please take some time on this day of love to rekindle your most important relationship - never forget to love yourself! 

For my birthday I received a brand new camera from Rog. It was the same camera I always had but this one was brand new, red, and awesome. Instead of using a new memory card, I took the old one from my broken camera and was shocked at what I found. I had pictures that dated back to 2009. One series of photos brought me back to the beginning of my Paleo journey.

Since I can remember, I have always had “bad” skin. I was always self-conscious and embarrassed. Even at my best, I struggled to muster up the confidence to fully feel good about myself. I remember being on job interviews, dates, or at special occasions consumed by my insecurities. I wondered what other people saw when they looked at me - could they even see me or did they only see my skin? I knew I only saw my skin and I had trouble accepting myself despite all the good I was doing in my life.

I went to the dermatologist, allergist, and my primary care physician. According to them nothing was wrong, I just had bad skin. Topical cream and pills would fix me. I took these photos originally to bring on my appointments to show how deep my zits were and I kept insisting that something was wrong inside me. I believed that no cream or pill could treat these breakouts. They were extremely painful and there was no way I should have ever been expected to live like this.

I was 28 years old in these photos and hoped that my acne would have already subsided, but it was only getting worse with no real solution in sight. My breakouts started when I was about 12 years old and proceeded for the next 16 years.You feel as if you have no control and you are at the mercy of your acne. I went to countless appointments seeking a treatment, but not one physician asked me what I was eating or any lifestyle questions for that matter. I would constantly say, “I feel like it’s coming from inside me, something is wrong inside my body”. My doctor’s approach to fix my acne was a medication that could possibly deform my future children or destroy my liver. This made me consider my alternatives. I took a break from everything and decided to just focus on my overall health.

Not long after these photos were taken, I began a paleo-ish lifestyle modeling the protocol Roger created for his Transformation program. I never thought it would have an impact on the quality of my skin, we didn’t even know the term “paleo” existed or what that meant! We removed all processed foods and refined sugars from our diet and with no time, the results were undeniable! I just wanted to get strong and fit looking, but in the end it was so much bigger and better than I could have ever imagined. In addition to looking, feeling, and preforming better - my skin cleared up 100%!

These photos are from 2010, 2011, and 2012. I still get some breakouts here and there, but I can always trace it back to my nutrition. It is amazing how far I have come and it’s easy to forget at times. The moral of the story is listen to your body - I knew something was happening inside me, but I didn’t know what or how to fix it. Something I never thought mattered ended up being the main factor - the cause of my acne. Finding these photos was an awesome birthday present and I couldn’t wait to share my story!

If everyone is dealt a hand in life, I was dealt pocket aces!

Over 2 years ago Roger and I set out to open a gym. He would train adults and I would train kids. It was a great business model that allowed each of us to do what we were passionate about while building a life for ourselves.

In my mind starting a business was going to be easy - I had been teaching for over 10 years, I had a ton of experience, and I was passionate about my work. The people would come and they would fast!

However, starting a business is not easy and the people don’t just come. It is a process and it takes time. Patience is a virtue and I didn’t have it (I’m still working on it). Starting this business challenged me in a way that forced me to grow and look outside myself for support and reassurance. Luckily, I had Rog (who knew that starting a business was not easy) and the BEST friends and family who really helped me through the initial start up phase.

Hindsight is 20/20 and if i knew then what I know now, I would have spent more time breathing and practicing patience instead of stressing and crying. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined where we would be today. We didn’t just build a business, but more importantly we built a family. Relentless has an energy that allows for a new kind of fitness culture, we are the anti-gym. Not only are we like a family, but we invite the whole family to be part of the experience. On any given day we have a kid, their parents, and possibly their grandparents. We have friends, neighbors, and coworkers. We have people from 18 months to 85 years old - they train in the same facility and they all interact with one another. We all come together to support each others goals in and out of the gym. We have an amazing community of folks who I would not trade for the world. Their never ending support and encouragement pushes us to be better than the day before.  

In addition to having amazing clients, our Relentless Team of trainers and our very own computer visionary are beyond fantastic. I LOVE everyone on our team and have 100% faith in all that they do - they represent Relentless while bringing their best qualities to the table. They use the platform to shine and their hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed by us or their clients!

Being a gym owner can be overwhelming at times, but just when I think I have had enough, something great happens. Someone thanks us for our facility, our work, or thanks us for helping them reach their goals. Those moments are priceless and I am so proud to have been a part of building a facility that allows people of all ages to grow strong, inside and out! 

Thank you Relentless Enthusiasts, I am forever grateful for all your positive energy and support - here’s to 100 more Relentless years!

This week marked the first week of my most recent Transformation.

My goal: to gain mental clarity while becoming a big scary monster. 

Being a business owner has really made me grow as a person and I am so fortunate for the experience. Sometimes I forget where I came from and to think back to the start of it all makes me so so proud of where I am today.

Although ultimately rewarding, starting from nothing and climbing the mountain of success has taken a toll on my stress and anxiety levels. I have very high expectations for myself and my program, but sometimes the weight of those exceptions crush me. I become so drained and depleted by the end of the week and once I recover it seems like such a waste of time. 

I long to channel that energy and use it positively - use it to make me better not worse. With perfect nutrition, proper workouts and rest I hope to focus on controlling my thoughts and emotions. I have been implementing a shut down routine that involves making a list of to do’s for the next day followed by a 10 minute meditation routine I found on youtube - it’s awesome!

I am finding that if things go as planned throughout the day, I am better than good. However, when a wrench is thrown into my plan - I panic and resort to my old ways. But…it sounds like a challenge I am ready to navigate. It boils down to the way I respond and because I have the best supports in the world - I know it will get easier with practice.

A great way to fix my response is to remember that it’s not always all about me (it hurts my feelings typing that sentence). The larger picture is really what it is all about. It’s about inspiring others to be great and hoping that my experiences makes it easier for others to follow. I have decided to really push myself to make it all about my clients and their experiences - motivating them to be the best they can be no matter their age or ability. I want every one of my clients to leave the studio a little better than the last time. After posting my pictures on the live site - I shouted myself out facebook. The response from everyone was really eye opening- it reinforced the message “it’s bigger than me”.

So here I am - committing to change yet again! I am so excited for this evolution of my transformation and I can’t wait to share everything I learn along the way. Here’s to working hard and breathing easy!