223: Functional Fitness for the Health of your Body and Business
Michele 00:00
Hello, my name is Michele, and you're listening to Profit is a Choice. Joining us on the podcast today is Barbi Burris. Barbi is the owner of Full Well fitness and has a signature program the Well Stretched Life. She is a Christ follower, a flight attendant, a certified fitness instructor - she does all the things. She knows what it's like to have a very busy life and to try to work in being fit at the same time. And you know, that's the life that many of us have, we're really, really busy. We need to take care of ourselves. Our conversation today is going to be centered on how we can take fitness and put it into our life in doable doses and why that's so important. Welcome to the podcast.
Michele 00:51
Every day, empowered entrepreneurs are taking ownership of their company financial health, and enjoying the rewards of reduced stress and more creativity. With my background as a financial software developer, owner of multiple businesses and the interior design, industry, educator and speaker, I coach women in the interior design industry to increase their profits regain ownership of their bottom line, and to have fun again in their business. Welcome to Profit is a Choice.
Michele 01:26
Hey, Barbi, welcome to the podcast.
Barbi Burris 01:28
Hello, thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here, Michele.
Michele 01:31
So Barbi in the intro, I told everybody about you and a little bit about your company, you know what's in the bio, all the good things. But what I haven't also told them is that you and I are super dear friends, we have been friends for gosh, getting close to 30 years now, which is very weird to even think about. I know because we're only 32.
Barbi Burris 01:51
I don't know how that happens.
Michele 01:54
And one of the things that I think I've told you this before, but one of the things that when so we were neighbors we moved in beside each other years ago when we were both before we even had started our families. Right? Yeah, before we even started. Yeah, I remember then just really being impressed that you were always looking at your diet and nutrition not in a weird way not in one of those diet fad ways. But you always like you prioritized health and you prioritized physical wellness. And I think I've shared with you before growing up, that wasn't something, you know, honestly, I'm in my mid 50s. And so it just wasn't the thing that was Yeah, it wasn't the big thing. I mean, we may have had, we had track and field and we had I think women's basketball, but we really didn't have a lot of other sports for women back in the day. And it just was not heavily prioritized. And I It has always struck me that you prioritize that. And I've watched you until you
Barbi Burris 03:04
Especially when I would just come over to eat your cakes. Is that what really just
Michele 03:08
yeah, you're over here having fruits and whole grains. And I'm like baking a cake wanna come over and it it? But tell us a little bit about even how you got into fitness as a young child, and how those early days have informed the life you've lived in the business you've created.
Barbi Burris 03:29
Yeah, I'd be happy to. Thank you first of all, for having me, I have had the privilege of not only your friendship, but also been mentored by you as a coach, you are one of the most influential people that helped me start this whole business and track that I'm on now. So thank you for that. I've always watched you do what you do and is just impressed me beyond belief. So thank you, and thank you for having me. So my background is what really brought me to this place. Like you said, I've always been in the fitness world. I grew up as a gymnast from age 10 competed through college, I studied exercise science, physical education, anything that had to do with a body. I worked in the old Nautilus fitness clubs, I always knew that I wanted to kind of go in that direction is just what interested me I'm not a math girl not have the profit which comes easy for you is statistically Not that side of the brain. So it's just been a part of my world. And growing up in one specific sport taught me all the other things that go along with it, the discipline, the consistency, learning about your body, how to do different things rather than just one particular movement. So that just kind of led me into wanting to delve a little bit deeper, although it's taken me about 35 years And I've graduated from college to do that. But that's, that's kind of how I kind of moved into this realm.
Michele 05:09
So you know, what's been interesting, coaching you having a friendship, and then you, you come to all of my elite retreats and you help us focus on our physical wellness at our retreats, which has been a blessing. But it's also been interesting to have a seat to watch you experience what it feels like to have a desk job, because you're, you're a flight attendant for Delta. So you're up and you're moving. And that's a very physically demanding job, maybe more than some of us realize. There's a lot of long hours and on your feet, so you're used to, for all the years, we've known each other, you're like, up and moving and you know, doing things and I'm like, and I'm sitting and my butt's getting flatter, and my back hurts and my shoulders are hunched. And I'm over here complaining about all of that. And I've changed my desk and change my chair, and I've got a, you know, stool under my feet. And I can remember us going back and forth and you giving me information about Michele, well, then get up and walk over there, do this and do this. And I would say some days I can but some days, like I forget to eat meals. And what's been interesting is watching it flip, you call me and go, I can't even move from my desk today. I've just been sitting for eight hours, and I didn't even realize what I was doing. Yeah, and so my body hurts. And now I ache. And I think what's been, I mean good and bad. Certainly I'm not looking over, you're hoping to be my own client, you've had to become your own client. And, you know, in the design world, we do the same thing. The minute we have to become our own client, you know, I told them, we're looking at a kitchen, reno, like oh, gosh, to be on the side of it the last time we painted the house, or we did the bathroom off beyond that side of it. But they're always good reminders of what the people that we're serving feel like but tell us a little bit just from how you've been having to you're sitting and the changing of your, you know, your work space, how it's impacted you.
Barbi Burris 07:08
Yeah, it's very interesting that you brought that up, because even though so after I graduated, I became a Delta flight, and I'm still flying. So that's 35 years plus. And like you said, you may be having this on your feet and doing different things. But whether you're sitting or you're standing, we all have jobs or lifestyle factors that we're doing repeated movements. So my struggles as being on your feet, or wearing heels or lifting bins or pulling luggage, or pouring coffee or holding trays. Those are all repeated movement patterns that still very stressful on the body. Just like sitting typing, hunching all the things that are happening as business women that were at a desk, it's just the repeated patterns and not changing them not being aware that that one thing that you do all the time, needs to shift, whether it's a sitting or whether it's a standing or whether it's the bending for your kids, or whether it's whatever your lifestyle is, becoming aware that those patterns that are very repetitive, become ingrained. And before long, your body hurts because it doesn't know anything different. And it's develop these neural pathways in these muscular pathways as well, that they don't serve us well as we get older. So experiencing that from a different vantage point. Of now it's the sitting and the typing and issues with my arm and the shoulder hunching in the scapula training. I'm doing all of the things that I'm helping my clients with, that are the centers and I also have the flight attendants who I can relate to as well. So overall, it's just been a huge experience, which is how I kind of niche down into this market I looked at when I first started training women, I was training kids, I was training men, I was training adults. And I really realized that my own experience and expertise is where I can serve the best. And so I saw a real need for women, our age who our bodies don't function the same way maybe we could sit and serve our clients well before and then all of a sudden, we can't. And knowing that people our age need that and they need to have that shift is how I kind of ended up in this market of women over 50 and really focusing on the foundational movement patterns to help them get out of their pain and just become the best that they can be to serve the people that they serve.
Michele 09:47
I remember when you I don't know if you remember this in December of 19 the new Pilates studio had opened. Were at Avalon and you had been going and you invited me to go, I listened, and I listened. Here's the thing, I don't love working out, I enjoy it if I'm with somebody, or if somebody's telling me what to do, which I know for those who know me, you're like, Wow, you like people telling you what to do, I really do. And I think that's part of what you've also created. We'll get to that in a minute. But I'm so exhausted from making decisions all day long. And that's, that's what I hear from my clients. Like, Michele, by the end of the day, by the time I go home, I've made 5000 decisions. I don't want to make any more just I'm looking for somebody to, to make it easy, make this digestible, make that make this where I can actually do it. And anyway, so you invited me to a Pilates you're like, Michele, come try this out. I think you'll really like it. You knew my injuries. You've been with me through all of that. I've worked with Colleen, another personal trainer on work, the weightlifting, and I'll connect, she's awesome. And I'll connect her podcast in the show notes if you want to listen to that. But I was looking for something I told you. I just felt tight and crunched up all the time. Even with weightlifting, all of it just made my muscles still so contracted. And I felt like I needed to do both. And what was interesting was, the first thing in the Pilates would was it's that opposite movement, right? You're strengthening and stretching at the same time. And then when you came over to our house, and we're helping create a program for me here, you talked a lot about push and pull, push and pull, which is those opposites of what you're talking about. So if you're sitting hunched over, we need to, you know, open it up the other direction and vice versa. And I had never really thought of movement, and a strengthen and stretch, push and pull. I guess it may be that had been always my struggle with keeping up with anything for an extended period of time. Because even at some point that felt like an over movement in one direction. And just the knowledge of if I'm going to strengthen I can also stretch rolling out was a new concept to me until Colleen showed it to me and then you enforced it. But talk about why the push and the pull and the strength and the stretch. Getting both sides there is I mean, you've kind of touched on it. But why is that so important?
Barbi Burris 09:47
Yeah. So and I'm so glad that you you went because I know how much you love Pilates now. And it really is that connecting your brain and body that makes the difference in seeing results much faster than just following a workout. It's where that thinking does come in. But you can still just follow along, but really be internally understanding what's going on in your body. And that's what I love about Pilates. But it's that same concept. In the science world, we call it inhibited muscles are under activated or over activated. So when we talk about being tight, like your hamstrings being tight, they aren't necessarily tight. Because they're short, they can be tight because they're too long. So if you think of a rubber band being pulled, it's under tension when it's pulled. But it's lengthened, it's over long gated, so we actually have to strengthen it by contracting it. So when everything happens, opposites, God made our body so wonderfully and fearfully that everything works. Together, it's a kinetic chain, one thing is going to change another so if you extend your arm, you're lengthening one side, you bend it, you're contracting the other. So it has to be reciprocal. And we don't have to know the science behind that. But we do have to understand how it works in our bodies. Because I love how you talk about we don't want to think and we just want to follow along, there are so many workouts available online, there's amazing mirror that you can, you know, follow along. But it gets to the point where we it's like a GPS system, consider it. If you're going to a destination, you're following your GPS, you get there safely, you get there quickly, it's all great. But next time you go, you're like, Oh, well, I got to put it back in the GPS. Versus what I try to teach clients is, this is about you. Making those new neural pathways memorizing and letting your body learn. What do I need? What's it like what feels good, did this hurt does that tight, and then knowing how to self correct it so you don't always have to go wait for that class, you can correct it. Little bits and pieces throughout the day, you can get up and do that extension and flexion. So same thing that you're talking about opening up and closing it and you can do your rotations if your upper body is tight. So it's instead of following the GPS all the time, although I love going to classes to and being told what to do. I also want clients to learn how to read their own signals, so that they can do it on their own. And it's a lifetime of fitness and feeling better versus a I have to go change and go to the gym for an hour and you know, adding that to your routine is great. We all need the strength training and the extra stuff but it the day to day movement patterns, building that foundation is so essential to be able to do those other things without getting hurt or getting burned out.
Michele 15:10
That was one of the things Colleen and I spoke about on her podcast was that core building the core. And I know that you put a lot of focus there, you know, but you just made me think of something Barbi, I made the comment that I want to go and not have to think about it. The truth of the matter is, I'm still thinking, and that's what Pilates and you have taught me is that I'm not going to make you think Michele in this moment about the movement, but I want you to be reconnected to your body, I want you to think about your body. And I will say just from, you know, working with counselors and health professionals and others all over the last few years, one of the things that they talk about a lot is that being disconnected from our body, it's almost like we get so used to that pain, that we just almost try to disconnect from it instead of stopping and recognizing it. And I think that's been one of the best gifts of working with you. And doing Pilates and you know, kind of re energizing my health is stopping and thinking and the same at teach the same thing on the financial side or in the business side. You may not know all the calculations, but let me show you how to recognize when something's off. And now what do we do to solve it? Right? So it's the same kind of thing. It's that awareness that something's not the way it should be.
Barbi Burris 16:27
Yeah, you're always looking at your end goal, right as business women were go getters, your your clients and the people that you serve, they're busy, they're on the go, they don't have time to think they don't have time to kind of pay attention to themselves. And basically, as women, we do a little bit of that anyway. And as we get older, and we're in that menopause stage, we might have parents who are caring for we might have younger children we're still caring for. And younger, I mean, grandkids, and our kids are out of the house and they're getting married, I know you're dealing with all that. So there's so much on our plate. So that ability to just kind of step back and be aware and take care of yourself. And look at that end goal. You look at the financial angle, right? What's my profit going to be? What are what are the big numbers? How do I make a plan to get there, it's the same thing with health. In order to get to where you want to go, you have to be able to change in the moment, what you're doing to meet that angle. And they change as we get older because our bodies change. So it's, it's that awareness factor. And I do teach that and that then I call it ABCs awareness before change. And is that connecting brain and body and being aware so that you can get to that profit line that you need, so that you can do more of what you love.
Michele 17:43
So kind of the overriding idea behind our conversation today. And one of the reasons I wanted to have it on air and on the podcast was we really can't separate our physical health from the profit in our company. Because it's not just about the money, profit, right, we use profit in a much bigger way, but feeling good and serving our clients. While I know when I physically ache when my body is diminished and capacity in some way,
Barbi Burris 18:11
We call each other and moan and complain.
Michele 18:15
But it's really hard to serve well. And to have your mind there and to be at ease and to be fully attuned to the other person because of an ache or a pull or a headache. I mean, we all know we've had headaches before try to go in and you know, these designers are you lifting 45 books of samples and walking in while your head's pounding and they're on a you're on a construction site with kids miserable. And so there is a profit component in the company, and how we talk to other people. Like it's easy to be snippy snappy with people when we don't feel well. And so when we're looking at our communication patterns, when we're looking at our work, when we're looking at how our bodies feel, taking care of our health is a big deal. It also is my word of the year focusing on health and all the ways. But why is it that as women in particular, we find it so difficult to make space for our own wellness?
Barbi Burris 19:11
Yeah, I think it's kind of like what you're just saying, We're servers, especially in the industry that you're serving, we are more givers than we are takers. And that means that we go on the back burner very often. But when we go on the back burner we burn out and we we can't serve well. So that is part of the whole idea of not waiting until we're in that place where we hurt so much or we're so grumpy or we get that migraines because we're not helping anybody once we get to that point, but if we can catch it and make little adjustments, and I call them doable doses you fit in, you know setting that alarm on your desk and doing your stretches in your chair. You don't even have to get out of your chair for a lot of them. It's just small little bits and pieces so that you don't let it catch up to you to the point that you can't function and you're out and your clients aren't getting what they need either. So that foundation, like you said, it's bringing in all the factors. It's, it's a holistic way, which is also the approach that it gets your mind connections, making those neural pathways speaking the right things to yourself, because a lot of people don't even like the word exercise. And if you didn't grow up in the, I love fitness world like I did, it's hard to shift that mindset. So we all know that if our thoughts and will align with our behaviors, everything is much easier and faster. So I coach from that inside out transformation. And for me, that main foundation is faith. So I bring in that component of your soul training into your physical realm, your mental training into it, because they work together to make us whole people who can serve our purpose.
Michele 21:01
I think that is so true. Because there's not just a piece and a part of us, right? We're not just a body, we're not just, you know, we all hear that you're like what your spirit and your soul and your mind and your body. Like we're all we're all of those things. And so when which is why helped for me this year, I said in all ways, it's not just a one or the other, I can be in peak performance physically, and have a mental challenge, or an emotional challenge or a spiritual challenge that knocks me off my rocker and vice versa, right? We cannot we've all if we've lived any amount of time, every single one of us has experienced that. And so being able to think of it, that's why I love how you think of wellness, because you think of it holistically. When I look at coaching businesses, we're looking at it holistically. For some reason, some people will have an idea that I only am like the financial guru, and I am a financial guru. But financials are really like when you see the pain that has been compounding. Yeah, it's the bigger picture. So then we have to go all the way back to go. What were the decisions? What were the postures that you were in, that created this financial picture? is like when I say to you, I'm hurting here. Okay, show me what you're doing. You've said to me, show me how you're sitting. How are you moving? How are you stooping down? What are you picking up? I think it's, um, it's hard to see ourselves aging sometimes, right. And we're still very, very young, like, I'm not like, over here whining about being in my 50s,
Barbi Burris 22:32
it's a great place to be,
Michele 22:34
it's a great place to be. But I can say that there are things that happened in my 30s and 40s, with how I physically cared for my body, or didn't care for my body that show up later, just like when our kids get injured, you know, as, as young athletes or as young people, my son broke his collarbone and dislocated his shoulder in the third grade. And he still has challenges with it, you know, today in his 20s, these things carry along. And so the choices that we're making about our body now are going to the 30 year old woman listening today is going to impact her 50 year old self, for the 50 year old women, it's going to impact our 70 year old self, and so on and so forth. So these habits have to be learned and they have to be embraced. I know one of the books you and I both really enjoyed was Atomic Habits. And I can remember because I've always had that mindset of I'm not an athlete, Babri’s, an athlete, I'm not an athlete, right, that was just kind of just a statement that I made. But that statement then held me back. So when we talk about mental training and mental strength and bringing it into kind of a holistic realm, it informed how I saw what I was doing, I couldn't remember a day off, I wanted to go lay down, you're going on a bike, ride down the path or go climbing up a mountain, and I'm like, Oh my gosh, like, that's just not me. But it is me because I do love that and I enjoy it. And then Atomic Habits, what it made me realize was I am an athlete, and this is what athletes do. And so then it became more of a I can do it, I may not do it as extreme as somebody else. But I can move my body. And that is an athletic movement. And therefore it doesn't mean I've got to be on a big team, you know, doing all these big things. It's the movement, but even by seeing myself that way, it changed my perception, with movement with activity with getting up and going out and doing and it.
Barbi Burris 24:35
That makes me so happy because it is changing that mindset to start. And I have watched you go through that transformation and falling in love with even when you go out and take that walk with Joel or yeah, I'm so glad I do that or I'm noticing this I'm ticking this off. I'm sitting up straighter. I know how to activate my lower core. Now it took, you know, a long time to figure out. Those are just processes and like you said it's not letting them build upon each other. So you get to that point where it's much harder to go back. Yes, I love that book because it talks about systems and having a system in place to make it so that you're not thinking about it, it becomes just part of who you are. And that's what I really want to impress on people is, it's a lifestyle. You can call it exercise, you can call it fitness, you can call it movement, it's just taking, it's stored in your body. Well, you teach people how to store your money and stored your finances and, and handling that well. And I focus more on storing your body well, because God's made us to serve has given us all a purpose and a calling. And we have to take care of our physical bodies not saying that if something catastrophic happens, and you end up in a wheelchair, or whatever, that you can't serve your purpose. But we all have a responsibility to take care of what we have. So another good book, it's Caroline leaf, it's switch on your brain. Oh, peeking my bookcase? Yes, that's a great one for in our integrates the faith in the fitness in the same type of way. So it's usually using scripture and science to re frame and retrain your brain. And I that when I read that book, it just made me so happy because I was like, I'm not crazy. This is this is a real thing that that people talk about and can do.
Michele 26:28
What does it mean? Just the term functional fitness. I know that, that we've kind of mentioned it in our conversation, and I'm certain that people have heard it. But what does it mean?
Barbi Burris 26:39
Yeah, that's a great question, because it does mean different things to different people. But basically, it's just everyday fitness for everyday living. We only have seven movement patterns, every human being only has seven ways that we move. And there's different terms for them. I call them the seven magical moves, because it's easier than this scientific term. But those seven movement patterns are squat, lunge, hinge, push, pull, rotate, and gait, which is just your walk. And every fitness program, whether you go to a personal trainer in a gym, or Pilates, or yoga, you're only using those seven different movement patterns in everything that you do. So if you can learn how to do those functional movements well, and really kind of ingrain them in your brain and in your muscle memory, you can modify them and make your own programs and do your own things at home, as well as in the gym. without overloading I have to know all these scientific facts, and I have to know what ligament attaches to what and where all the bones and muscles. You don't have to know all that. But you do have to know how to correctly do those seven different movement patterns, so that you can improve and keep going on improving your fitness level. Basically, functional fitness.
Michele 28:07
Okay, so I know that. I mean, we all know that I sit a lot behind a computer, right? And even yesterday, yesterday was a very long day for me. And I found myself, I had 15 minutes to eat something for lunch. And it was just one of those days that was planned to be a very quiet day. But there were a lot of external needs.
Barbi Burris 28:27
that isn't it funny how that happens. That's life like that, right?
Michele 28:31
It just it wasn't the day that was on my calendar, it did not represent that day. There were just a lot of needs a lot of phone calls a lot of clients. You know, that's the beautiful thing about the coaching program that I have is it's very personalized. So I've got I had people calling me Voxer, during and doing all the things. And I just found myself at my desk a lot. So by the end of the day, we were I was supposed to be done at 4:30. I didn't get done until probably 6:45. And when I was done, I realized I'd been sitting too long, and my body hurts so badly. And so Joel came in and I walked to the kitchen and we were starting to talk and so it could just hold on for a second. And I just started doing my stretches and my lunges and my you know my movements and I'm like, probably you would be so proud of me. He's like you're in the middle of a kitchen. What are you doing? I said, I need to counter stretch. I've got to stretch the other side because I'm standing here aching, and I'm recognizing it. And I'm not even willing to keep going until I just give me five minutes. And I think that's what I love about the doable doses is number one is that awareness factor. And if I could beg anybody listening, it's be aware of how your body feels. Be aware of the thoughts. We were told even in Scripture to take every thought captive. There isn't awareness should probably be my word, but awareness of what's happening around us awareness of how we feel awareness of our team, right just that awareness. And then gives us such information and input to make the next decision.
Barbi Burris 30:05
And we're so usually make time for that because we are serving and go getters and busy and we don't make to step back. And that's the hard part.
Michele 30:15
Yeah. And to hear our own thoughts or to, like, for me that was the big thing is, what did what does my body feel right now? Where do I hurt, and I love that in, you know, you've made the comment, they've made it in Pilates, like you, all you have today is the body you walked in with today. And today's body may feel differently and react differently than yesterday's body, as a type one diabetic, I see that I can eat the same darn thing every single day. And based on my exercise, based on my emotions, based on a whole list of other things that are hitting my metabolic system, I could have a different outcome. And I am constantly learning to manage, and to try to have an awareness that says anything, even in our businesses on the financial side, and awareness of what numbers we're trying to hit so that when we don't hit them, we can do something about it, just being aware of our surroundings. And I think is that we don't give ourselves time to even process. Yes, we're busy. But maybe people think of it like this, I don't have time to think about that. Or, or that it's selfish. Somehow we've been told that that's selfish. And we hear a lot about self care. And we hear about self care with the whole, go get your nails done, go to the spa. But what if self care was really listening to our bodies, because that's what it is, is caring for our physical, mental, emotional selves, so that we can then continue to show up. So talk about how you teach doable doses. And then even with the program, I think you've built that into your program as well. What does doable doses mean? And how do we use that?
Barbi Burris 31:53
Yeah, it's doable. That's just my way of instead of saying, you know, have you taken your daily meds or have you done your daily habits is just working in in small amounts. So it's kind of from the Atomic Habits idea of building upon each other, and not thinking that it's, I have to go, if I want to run a marathon, I need to start my five miles and I need it's, it's the same idea. It's just a different word for small habit changes that build upon each other. And like you said, that awareness of what doable does do I need to do right now. So that's the difference between following a program because you might wake up that day, and you didn't sleep well. Or you slept in a crunch position, and you're all jacked up, and your shoulder hurts and you can't do overhead presses today. It's okay, well, what other things can I do in small amounts, well, then maybe I'll just work on stretching the front activating the back today, but I'll work on my lower body. So doable doses is just my word, my idea for working in small amounts based on what you need in that moment in that day.
Michele 33:01
Awesome. So one of the things that you have made me super aware of is that I don't have to do it all at one time. And I think sometimes for many of us, because we are busy. And I know a lot of the moms that are in just a slight season behind where I am, they are working all day. And then they are carpooling like crazy. You remember those days? days, they Yeah, it was fun. we'd learned a lot about our kids and their friends are listening to those conversations. There's a lot of Go, go go, you know, they're getting up getting everybody off to school jumping into the office, then they're working their rear ends off all day. And then they're running into the next pattern of running out their kids playing chauffeur, and they don't know, I've been there. And I thought I don't know how to sit down and do a 45 minute program right now, I don't know how to fit that in. Even like a day like yesterday, I had a Pilates class and had to cancel it because of everything that was happening. But what I did do in the morning, at least afternoon I kind of got my own self jacked up. But I was doing my rotations, I was doing my stretches, I have a cervical, like neck pillow kind of thing that I could lay on the floor and kind of, you know, fix my neck up. I've kept Pilates pads or yoga pads, whatever in my office so that I could stretch out and
Barbi Burris 34:18
dance on my chair. Yeah, do do little,
Michele 34:21
just five minute things throughout the day. Isn't that I mean, that's a doable dose that's a lie that we tell ourselves is that it's got to all be done perfectly at one time. 45 minutes. And so we can't crunch that out of our calendar. But we can't crunch a two minute movement here and there as we start.
Barbi Burris 34:43
And I don't want to limit because it is important as we age to get in some really good strength training. So that is going to take longer, right so I don't want to poopoo going to the gym and doing those classes because they're great and the community is also what we are made for and thrive on. So I do want to encourage you able to find something that they enjoy, whether it's outdoors with your friends or with a trainer in the gym, or whatever. But in terms of this doable does is yes, for example, in the car yesterday, I knew I was going to be driving quite a bit. And I'm supposed to be doing my therapy for my shoulder. So I brought my bands in the car, I hooked it around the emergency brake, and then every stop, I would work on my external rotation and it takes just that stop sign or that that red light, and I burned out my scapula, it's, it's doing what I need to do in the little bit of time I have it are activating your glutes while you're sitting in the chair and your body. Suddenly, everything straighten up, I'm working on my quorum tightening my booty, like being aware of those things that you don't even know it. I'll have people just when I'm working on the airplane, I'll be in the back alley. And I'll be sitting in a squat against the wall while I'm chatting with them. And they're like, What are you doing? I'm like, I'm making the use of law. I'm just sitting here talking to you. Or I'll just move and kind of stretch and like a you okay, I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm just, I'm just chuck, you know, it becomes part of who you are. And of course, you don't want to always be that person, like, Oh, there she goes again, which I am kind of that. But you you just learn how to make that part of who you are.
Michele 36:13
I like that. So for you, I know the lens of faith is very important to getting fit staying fit. How does that fit in with what you do?
Barbi Burris 36:25
Yeah, it's such a common question because you're like functional fitness through the lens of faith. What is what does that tagline mean? So we've already talked about the functional fitness through the lens of faith is because everything flows for me from inside. So my faith Foundation, which is Christ centered, and everything that I do, say, people I serve, should flow from that it should be an extension of myself. So I wanted to bring that into how we retrain our brains, how we retain our bodies, how we give out what we have been given, and learning through the study that we're doing. It's great study by Christy McClellan, Jesus and women. And one of the things, the metaphor she uses, which I just love, because I'm a visual, is to be a river, instead of the Dead Sea, or a body of water that's not living, because what come close into us we should be, it should be flowing my back out. And that's a responsibility that all of us have. So for me, that foundation of hope, is what I want to give to everybody is the hope of Christ is the hope that this there's nothing that you cannot do, that you are not walking this path alone, that somebody loves and cares for you that you are worthy that you do have a purpose and a calling. And you can put that into everything you do, stored in your body well stored in your business while taking care of your family. Well. So that's how I use the lens of faith aspect of it, is to just really bring it all together. So that you're we're not made to be separate people, like you said, We're holistic. And when one part we're psychosomatic issues when one parts not working well, it's going to affect everything else. I also kind of niche down into that, because when I was going through a lot of the business training, developing the business, there was so much that didn't align with my beliefs. And there was so much that just triggered me. And I had to really think about what that meant, and why. And I thought, well, there's another way to approach that. Why don't I share that and it might not be for everybody, I realized that I've been told by many coaches and friends like this, why just open it up more or, and I will have opportunities for that I am building other courses that will just be for physical. But this is what I wanted to share as my gift when God puts a calling on your heart. I feel it's like our responsibility. And I don't know where it will lead. I know that I'm going to follow until it goes down another path. And he's got me by the hand if I just keep my eyes on him. So that path is where I'm going. And I can't wait to see how its builds from there. What are the paths will open up?
Michele 39:18
I know that I had shared with you years ago and you have so just as Christie says, you eaten it and taking it in was the Simon Sinek find your why. And really this listening to what is your why. And it's interesting because I would tell you that everything that I do comes from a center of Christ as well. While my coaching is not Christian based and Christian centered, everybody has a worldview. We all have a way that we see things where we interpret data, the way that we take information in and give information out. Every person listening today has some way that they are feeling to serve their clients. That is an extension of who they are and what they believe and how they believe it, even if it's that, I believe that there's no place for shiplap, or I believe that every house deserves a little shiplap, like
Barbi Burris 40:10
whatever that believe our stories make us see things from different perspectives.
Michele 40:15
Yeah, that's right. And so being honest about our story, being honest about that really creates, you know, we hear a lot about being authentic and being intentional. And not saying, I wish I had known that just, you know, it doesn't mean again, that everybody has to have some all the same views and all the same approaches. But just knowing that we can use what's in us to create the next thing, and that's actually a gifting. That's what we've all been given, and talents in many, many ways. So it's, it's sweet to see you go down the path that's right for you, you know, we talk all the time, there's riches in the niches is what we hear. And it just means that you've heard it too, because we've talked about it just from a business standpoint, the more you niche down, the more focused, it's really about being focused, right. And so I think that's important for all of us, which just means whether we're starting a business in design, whether we're starting a business, in architecture as a work room, or even as a fitness professional, creating that niche space, that really is an area that we feel like we can speak into, and that we can be an authority in is so much helpful, much more helpful than trying to just reach the masses with something.
Barbi Burris 41:30
Yeah. Well, it's also thank you for that, first of all, it's also very scary, right? When you become very personal, you're going to get pushed, you're going to get pushed back. And I've had that and when you not everybody agrees, and not everybody in this world sees things the same way. So it does take courage and bravery to say it's okay, that this isn't for you, or that you don't align with what I'm saying or believing. Or it may trigger you in a way that something else triggered me. That's okay. And I have to learn personally, not to take it personally. And just to go with what I feel that I'm called to do, and somebody else goes in their way. And if that's not like me, I can give you plenty of people, I have wonderful references, that you can still do the things you want to do physically, emotionally, spiritually, that may not be served well by me, but I may know somebody else. So it's bravery in what you do. It's what these your clients do. And it's also thinking about what your clients want, right? What you like in a room may not be what your client wants, and you have to put yourself in their shoes, you have to put yourself in their place and say, Okay, this is not about me, this is about you, what do you need, what is going to serve you well. And if I can do that for you, I'm going to be honest and say I can, if it's not aligning, then I am going to say this program is not great for you. I don't think this is down the path that you want to go try this one.
Michele 43:08
Tell us a little bit about the program that you have out right now the one that I'm in and enjoying. Tell us about that little baby.
Barbi Burris 43:15
Yes, the well stretch life is I call it my signature program. It is a work with you. program, it's 12 weeks of online. So it's you're doing online, I've set it up into a learning module course platform, where you're learning and doing that's kind of my big thing. It's not just follow it's learn, listen, and then do. And so you're following videos, you're listening to audio lessons. And then you're working with me on the coaching calls during the week. And then there's a Facebook community right now, where you can interact with the other people in the community and in the group to ask questions, get feedback, I have some accountability, which is very different for switching from that one on one to more of a group program so that I can serve more and really reach people with that foundation. Because I was doing the same thing with most clients one on one. And even though they wanted to start here, I knew safely they needed to start here. So I thought let me start more people here and then we can build upon that. So yeah, the program, it's a huge stress on the stretching and strengthening aspect. So it is not here's a 15 minute hit workout. Follow it, do it, click it off, go on. It's a very structured progressive course that you go through that brings in the spiritual aspects. So there's a devotional each week brings in what I call the temple training, which is the physical movement each week. And then it also brings in the brain training on Fridays, which puts together scripture and science to kind of make that new neural pathway that you're talking about of saying, Hey, I am an athlete and saying I get Do this, I don't have to do this, I get to do this. So I've tried to combine everything. And this is the first launch of it. So we've got a group of women going through the 12 weeks. And it's just exciting. And it's a lot of work. And there's a lot of learning on both of our parts. And, yeah, it's exciting to finally have it come to the world. And I'm already in my brain, as a visionary, have ideas how to go from there. So you are a huge part of that. So thank you, you have pushed me over the last two years to just keep going and keep going. Because obstacles get in our way, just like in your business. And just like when you're trying to uplevel your fitness, there's going to be obstacles. And if we can just go back to that foundation and go back to building it. Little by little by little, all of a sudden, you're Michele go into Pilates class and loving it.
Michele 45:55
Right. As opposed to complaining about having to do something. No, no, here we are four years later, I'm still going. And I remember even when we were shut down through the pandemic, I went along line and bought all kinds of Pilates stuff. And like I had Joel screwing, you know, springboards into the wall in the basement. So, definitely a training that I have appreciated. And I really appreciate the way that you have supported me as well, right? And being able to say, Okay, here's where I'm hurting, what is it that I need to do? So give me because you have that information. That's what I think is so important. You know, our clients call us because we have studied in a certain area we understand. We know, just like I'm working with professionals on the kitchen, because even though I'm in the industry, I don't keep up with all of that all the time. It's not what I do all day, other people do, and having that professional that understands fitness and functional movement. And okay, so if you're hurting here, it may not be what you think I remember. When everybody said that good student, I would say oh my gosh, I'm hurting here. And they're like, Michele, it's not what you think it's hot. It's coming from here like this is because you've been sitting so much your lower core is not activated or your core shot. Michele haven't heard that so many times or your booty you you're sitting so much, you're not flexing, you're not working out that muscle, it's the largest muscle that you have Michele. So just all those things I can tell it's in my brain. But it's all those things that are helpful that I wouldn't have thought that was where it stemmed from. Just like when people have trouble in their business. They don't always know where it stems from, we just see the results, but we don't know where it came from. So working with the right professional that helps us go in the right order, I think is important. You know, even in coaching people will call me and they think that we can solve something, and I'm having to walk back all the way back. You know, it's so true. I know that the designers listening, get people call them and they're wanting to worry about the pink color and not even worry about the fact that sheet rats got to come down and go.
Barbi Burris 48:04
Like you did it with me. When I came to you. I was like I can't I got this idea. And when this and you're like, Whoa, but back it up? What are we going to name your company? How is it incorporated? Did you do this? Like what are you talking about? I mean, completely clueless, right, we had to go so far back?
Michele 48:22
That's right, we focused on one piece we know. And I was like you can do all that. But we really need to build these underlying pieces, or it's going to fall apart the minute you start, like if we go paint the walls right now. And then we rip down the sheet rock, it doesn't make any sense. Like we're just going to do it, it's going to redo it. So just hold on for a bit. And let's go through the process. And I think it's true, whether it's design, whether it's building our home, whether it's building our life, our family, taking care of our body, working out, whatever. It's starting with that core, starting with that foundation, and really building it.
Barbi Burris 48:57
It takes an intentional decision to get somebody to help you do that. Right. I couldn't I hired coaches. I've hired different coaches, some guess that's great. No, that doesn't lie with me. It takes patience, and it takes time. And going through this process, you have helped me like just keep going, it's okay, this is going to happen, this is going to happen. take that next step. Same thing in fitness, it's not going to happen right away, whether you're looking to lose weight, or gain, mobility, gain, flexibility, gain, strength, whatever that goal is, you have to be patient with it. And that's part of why you need a coach to kind of slow you down, bring you back into that awareness to keep you going because a lot of people just lose motivation and stop doing it because they don't see the results right away. Because we're go getters gets get to it. Let's get on it. I want to move great, but if you do that you're going to get hurt and you're going to come back and then you can't do any of it. So is trying to teach people, it's okay to slow down and take a breath. I just got off a call a client yesterday. And I said, because people don't realize how much stress affects you. And just learning to breathe is a huge factor to breathe, learning how to breathe well diaphragmatic breathing, where you're breathing like an alligator in all four directions. And I said, I want you to do this to get out of them. Go lay down, put your feet straight up against the wall, relax your upper body and take five alligator breaths and connect with your body and then get up and go back to your seat. Just go do it. Being aware and taking that time having somebody tell you to do that. We all need somebody who is a couple steps ahead of us. I always thought you had to be 10 miles ahead. But you don't you only need to be finding somebody who's a few steps that can give you what you need. And I think like you asked me in the very beginning wrapping it up. What led me here is, I'm a preacher's daughter, I was a gymnast, I applied to temper 35 years, those experiences and that expertise and what I studied what I did, brought together, talking to people being able to listen, well, we call it jump seat therapy, you're talking to somebody you've never met for three days. You're hearing their story, you're feeding back your counseling, the education that I've received the trainings and certifications, the growing up in the Christian home leading Bible says all of that. God uses all of our stories, and I put them all together and said, Okay, I think this is where I need to be going with this.
Michele 51:39
I love that. And nothing's wasted, right? For all of us. If we look
Barbi Burris 51:43
Even the really bad stuff.
Michele 51:44
Even the really bad stuff, I think about and I did not coined this phrase. So you've probably all heard it before a but perfectly imperfect action. And I think sometimes we believe that we cannot act perfectly. And we shouldn't do it right? Or even if I can't perfectly do it. We all are. Everybody is where sometimes I think it's more often it's just the just move forward, take the next right step. And then and then figure out what you're going to do from there. But to take no step is to take no action. We're never going to get there. So Perfectly Imperfect Action is totally okay.
Barbi Burris 52:26
Okay, sure. Okay, I'm still learning I'm working on I'm working on it.
Michele 52:31
So Barbi, tell everybody you have a free Facebook group that people can jump into. Tell us a little bit about that. And then tell us where you're hanging out online.
Barbi Burris 52:41
Yes, yes. So the whole social media, love hate relationship. I do have a Facebook group that I love. It is full well to community of faith and fitness for women over 50 or midlife and beyond in that realm where we just have to do things a little differently. And that is on Facebook, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram under Barbi Burris or Barbi Callahan Burris and I have dropped, I think you're going to put in the show notes, I do have a free Rise and Shine Guide, which is just, it's a quick little booklet to help you learn how to get up in the morning with just a sense of energy and learning how to just do a few stretches and strengthening moves to get your body, your mind and your soul just ready for the day. So that's a free resource I offer and the site where I spend most of my time and I'll be doing some more blogs and starting that whole thing up is full of fitness.com. And that is where you can sign up for my newsletters, get on our mailing list and get all the information about when I open up the program again, and future course offerings.
Michele 53:48
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for letting me have
Barbi Burris 53:52
this is so surreal to come full circle with you like this and I am just I'm it's such a privilege in apt to be your friend and to have you as my mentor and being a guest on this podcast. So thank you so much.
Michele 54:06
Oh, you're so welcome. You know, I think sometimes too, we often can can believe that. Different businesses. And not to say that every business doesn't have its own complexity or its own thing that makes it super special. But building business is building business. And that's the part that I've been able to encourage you with right is I've built so many businesses let me just help people the business when it comes down to the fine art of functional fitness. Clearly you didn't come to me. So you went to all the other coaches for that and that that makes sense. But I want to encourage others listening that if there's some other business you want to start really just think about the foundation of business the same way you think about the foundation of our health or the foundation of our movement. So it's been sweet to have a front row seat to watching you come in to all that I saw that that you could do I can remember for years confer RV, RV. I think there have something for you here. I think there's a year. And so just being able to sit on my back porch with you and scheme and dream and then see it is super, super sweet. So thank you for letting me be part of the program. And part of watching and I hope others listening today will jump in there and participate as well.
Barbi Burris 55:19
Awesome. Thank you so much. Have a good day. All right, I'll talk to you soon. Okay.
Michele 55:23
Thank you, Barbi for joining us today. Always fun to have a conversation with a good friend. And I'm just so thankful for the program that you've created in the way that you have spoken truth into my life, with fitness and with movement and body health, because it does impact the way that I serve my clients. And so thank you for that. I want to encourage you to check out the download that she has and then to follow for more information. If you need the same thing for your business, a doable dose in your financials or in your strategy. I would love an opportunity to serve you head over to scarletthreadconsulting.com and sign up for a discovery call. And you can also check us out at MetriqueSolutions.com, where we give you a doable dose of your finances and metric based every single month so we would be honored to help you be more profitable and all things because profit doesn't happen by accident. Profit is a Choice is proud to be part of the designnetwork.org where you can discover more design media reaching creative listeners. Thanks for listening, and stay creative and business minded.