Do you have an idea that you want to turn into a business? Maybe it has been on your mind for years and you do not know where to start?If so, get ready to get inspired & take some action to make your dream a reality!

Today on the Fit and Flow Podcast – I am talking to Cait Khosla who only a few years ago had the spark of an idea for her company, Botany Box, that now it is a full fledged business. 

Botany Box began as an idea after Cait moved from Virgina to New York.  Growing up with plants and nature all around her, there just weren't enough plants around her in NYC. She figured out that this was an untapped space and wanted to make it easy for people to have house plants in their lives. She started an Instagram page featuring plants and asked "who is with me?". In fact, many people were with her and that is how Botany Box was born! 

Botany Box currently sells succulents & delivers them to your door. The company is planning to expand into house plants this year. Check out Botany Box and Cait at the social handles and website below:

Website: https://www.botanybox.co/

Instagram: @botanybox and @caitkhosla

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Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

[6:00] How Cait Changed the Plant Business Model

After discovering the idea to start Botany Box, Cait sprung into action (which is they key on how to go from an idea to a business). She went to local plant shops to understand their business model and to see how the plants were being sourced and bought. She knew millennials love convenience. As a result, Cait began to build an online business model to ship plants right to your door.

[13:00] The Biggest Obstacle in Starting a Business

Above all, the biggest obstacle for Cait in the beginning was networking. She slowly built her confidence in her idea that felt small but believed in the potential to be big! Every single business started as a spark of an idea and Cait knew this. She learned to come out of her shell and network with others and not be afraid.

Additionally, Cait shared another tip on how to go from an idea to a business, working on your elevator pitch. If you haven't heard of an elevator pitch – it is a short and concise explanation of your business and what you do. Going to networking events to meet new people is key to grow your business and you need to have your pitch down pat and let your confidence shine through.Believe in your business and yourself by crafting a strong and concise elevator pitch!

[15:00] The First Step on How to Go From an Idea to a Business

Firstly, start by writing your idea down. Seriously – get it out of your head. What do you want your business to look like in the details? Cait created a blue print of what her business would look like down to the details. Therefore, she was able to use the blue print as a road map to take inspired action everyday.

After you've gotten it written down – start sharing the plan with others. Do other people like this idea? Do some market research to refine and tweak the idea you have.

[18:00]  Tips for Growing Your Brand on Instagram

The secret to Cait growing her Botany Box platform on Instagram was simply creating connections. The plant community online is strong and Cait used her in-person strategy of putting herself out there and talking to people. This strategy helped the company to grow to over 16k followers on Instagram!

If you want to grow your Instagram - download the free worksheet to Build a Better Instagram Bio today!

Continue the conversation over in the Fit and Flow Podcast Insiders Group

 

 

I'm breaking it down to the basics – exactly what manifesting is and how to manifest anything you want.

You can manifest anything from a business to a job to a relationship. There are a few simple steps! Listen to this podcast episode and you'll be on your way to manifesting anything you want!

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Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

[4:00] The Definition of Manifesting

Manifesting is quite simply "something theoretical made real". An easy way to think of this is manifesting tacos for dinner for example. You start thinking about how you'd really like tacos but it is theoretical you don't have them yet. Then you find a way to get tacos – make them, order, etc. What was once theoretical was then made real. Once you've gotten that down you can start applying it to bigger goals in your life.

[7:15] The First Step in to Manifest Anything You Want

The first step to manifest anything you want is to visualize exactly what it is you want. Get really clear with this – don't just say "I want a business". What type of business is it? Where do you work? How often do you work? How much money do you make?

The details are so important because the universe needs to know exactly what you want to make sure you get back what you need. If you are too wishy washy with it – you may get something inadvertently that you didn't want in the first place. On the flip side if you get really clear – as the details start falling into place for you, you can determine that you're on you way to your goals! For example if you want to travel for work and you start traveling for work – then your dream is starting to come true.

[10:00] Step #2 is Inspired Action

Now that you are really clear – we have to put in a bit of work. We need to put energy out into the universe to signal that we are ready for this big goal. If you are starting something new like starting your own business – some inspired action could be listening to business podcasts, hiring a mentor or coach, building your social presence and email list, or create a website. You need to put this energy out in order to get your big goal back. Even if you do not know every single step to get there – starting with inspired action will get you towards your goal.

[13:45] Step #3 – Trust that the Energy You Put Out Will Come Back

This third step is trusting that if you show up – you are going to get back what you want. This part is why it is SO important to get clear on what you want and what it looks like. If you aren't specific – the universe will not know exactly how to give you what you want. It may not show up exactly how you expect or all at once which is okay! If you are really clear – you can start noticing the signals that your goals are starting to come to fruition.

You need to feel that you can do this down to your core. If there is even a seed of doubt – it won't happen. So you need to keep believing and showing up in your goal – and it will come to you! This is where you will hit blocks to manifest anything you want. That little nagging voice that tells us all we aren't good enough – needs to take a backseat. Trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now & if you keep showing up – it will happen.

Let's talk astrology! Today on the podcast is Karina Blackwood who is a NY based yoga instructor and deeply knowledgeable in astrology. She has been studying under an astrologist for years and has implemented astrology into her life.

If you are curious about astrology even if you don't know much about it beyond your horoscope- listen in to hear more about how to incorporate in your life as a tool for more success and happiness in your life.

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Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

 

[6:50] How to use the moon to set intentions - The new and full moon are times to set goals for the month using the energy of the moon. Each time we pass through these phases we can use the moon to release what is not working for us and set new dreams. It helps work as a time clock because we check in monthly and can make changes as we go.

 

[13:00] What's a birth chart and how to use it in your life - When you were born - the earth was in a particular place near the sun. The energy of where the planets were at that moment in time are in your body your entire life. So you need to learn how to deal with that energy (good and bad) throughout your life. A birth chart can help you understand that energy and learn how to either increase this energy or calm it down.

A birth chart includes the energy of all of the planets you received when you were born. It can also tell you why you have the family you have or why you attracted people into your life. Astrology can tell you why and what you have to learn. You can also look at the future of your life in your birth chart - see what energy is coming your way. You can look at things like when you'll get married or buy a house etc.

 

[19:45] Where is religion when you believe in astrology? - Being open minded & believing that the more you know the better- you can use astrology as a tool. All religions go towards giving yourself to a bigger purpose and driving to love. If we look at it this way - we can find a lot of similarities between different religions. If it helps you be more energetic, loving person than why not use it. You can still identify with your religion.

 

[21:30] How to Get Started Using Astrology - Find a teacher or a guru and spend as much time with them as you can. It could be listening to their videos or podcasts. Karina shares a lot of information about astrology on her Instagram @blissedhappiness.

 

[22:00] Add energies you are missing in your chart into your life - For example - if you feel down and tired, you may not have enough water in your chart. You can take a shower or drink more water or you can even eat more seafood or salt. This is individualized for your individual chart.

 

Continue the conversation over in the Fit and Flow Podcast Insiders Group

Today on the podcast - we're talking how you can increase your productivity with less hustle and more flow by stepping into your inner goddess.  This concept changed how I structured my weeks by giving myself permission to not always be in hustle mode that was leaving me tired & burnt out.

I'll walk through the different goddesses that you can move through to tap into your feminine energy and create flow in your week to actually make yourself even MORE productive than if you hustled all week long.  When we create space - we make room for more good things to come our way. I've used this by time blocking in my week when I would be in my different goddesses to create more balance and flow. 

Here's what you'll learn in this episode: 

 

[6:50] Athena  The Goddess of Hustle - this goddess is the warrior goddess. She is the one who is hustling and chasing your dreams. If we never put away our Athena goddess - we are ALWAYS running after our dreams and don't put the laptop away until 10pm, wake up early, and jump in again.  If we are always in our Athena - we are pushing and if we come up against resistance, it can make us feel stuck and burnt out.  

 

[7:45] Demitier the Mother Goddess - she is nourishing and nurturing to herself and others.  Maybe you are nurturing your friends or clients.  If you're doing this too much - you will be neglecting yourself and giving all of your energy to others. 

 

[9:00] Aphrodite The Goddess of Love - this is the goddess of your creativity, desires, and your relationships.  If you feel that you're not having enough time with your significant other - you can pull in this goddess to connect and be with your partner.  Alternatively if you're not feeling creative - you can tap into this goddess and your second chakra to stir up your creativity. 

 

[10:31] Hestia The Goddess of Home - This is the nesting goddess of decor, plants, feng shui.  Your space can affect your entire perspective so maybe you take some time to declutter or move the furniture around maybe buy a new plant? 

 

Today we're talking about all about sound bath meditations with Leslie McDonald.  If you've never heard of a sound bath meditation – this is a must listen! As a meditation teacher – I was so intrigued when I met Leslie & I needed to learn more about sound bath and how it differed from my meditation practice.

Leslie is a certified health coach, Sound Practitioner, and Wellness Blogger.  After a health issue in 2013 – Leslie turned to holistic medicine to help her heal.  Working in a 9-5 for a pharmacy brand no longer aligned with who she was and what she wanted – Leslie became a health coach and quit her job knowing that there was more out there for her. Now she is a health coach, shares sound bath for so many in NYC, and is sharing amazing recipes & wellness info through her brand @balanced_life_leslie

We talk all about sound bath meditations and how you can relax and focus – even if you struggle with traditional meditation.

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Here's what you'll learn in this episode: 

[12:45] Why Sound Bath Meditation is for those who can't meditate 

When listening to a sound bath – the sounds and vibrations wash over you enveloping you in the sound. There is not much to concentrate on – you just let the sound wash over you and bring you into a deep relaxation state. Because there is no focusing of a breath or voice – some people may find this to be a solution when they though they couldn't meditate before!

[17:00] How to Experience Sound Bath Online if You Don't Have it In Your Area

If you're thinking – I have no idea where I can experience this not to worry! You can listen to sound baths online. Leslie creates personalized sound baths on her website that are available for download. While live is always best as the sound moves through your body – it can also be amazing to listen to a sound bath while falling asleep.

[19:45] How Leslie transitioned from her 9-5 to pursue her passions

Listening to all the cues that the life she was living professionally was not for her – Leslie made a decision to pursue her passions full time.

[26:00] Bringing Wellness into the Workplace

Leslie gives tips to make the workplace a little bit healthier physically and mentally. She highlights some of the challenges she had when working in a corporate environment that did not work with the healthy lifestyle she was trying to live.

Continue the conversation over in the Fit and Flow Podcast Insiders Group

In this episode, I talk to Olivia DeFilippo who is a blogger and a nurse who is diving in with me today on the physical triggers and signs of stress as well as ways to relieve stress. We talk aboutinto relationships and how stress can impact your relationships negatively and how to deal.

If you have a lot of stress during your week or if it just pops up here and there – this episode will help you release stress and blocks that come up to achieve your goals

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Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

[9:30] – The Physical Signs of Stress

When stress starts to come on – it manifests physically in headaches, overwhelm, irritability, etc. In those times – we often keep pushing past when we need to game plan and decide what we're going to do and how we're going to fix this.

[11:00] Why You Can't Be Anxious and Grateful 

at the Same Time

It is impossible to be in the moment being grateful and anxious about the future at the exact same time. So when you feel stress or anxiety come on – take a few moments to write down 5 things your grateful for. Repeat as needed if the stress creeps back up.

[15:00] The Correlation Between Reducing Your Phone Time to Reduce Stress

Being instantly available at all times can raise our stress levels. Setting boundaries with our phone time to not always be instantly available can help with our stress levels. One way to do this is use an app to track your screen time or you can turn all of your notifications off on your phone.

[19:30] – How Stress Can Impact Your Relationship with Others

We usually deal with stress two ways in relationships. One is either to retreat back and shut everyone out of your life. In this scenario you cannot get help or work it through with others.

On the other side – some people drop all of their stress on someone else by using them as a therapist. This actually increases stress in the other person as they internalize this stress.

[22:30] Ways to Relieve Stress On Your Own

Journaling can be so therapeutic for people to work through their feelings or stress as long as they are a person who does is able to release tension that way. Some people prefer to move through running or yoga.

Try both to see which works for you when you're feeling stressed.

[24:45] Cognitive Restructuring of Your Thoughts

We are in control to frame our own reality. Think about it – there is an internal dialogue going on in your mind all day long. Instead of focusing on the negative – you can restructure thoughts to the positive. For example – if we have a failure in our day – it does not mean that we are a failure.

The more changes we can make to reframe what is holding us back – the less stressed and the more successful we'll be.

Continue the conversation over in the Fit and Flow Podcast Insiders Group

Today on the podcast we're diving into personal branding and why you need one whether or not you're an entrepreneur. A strong personal brand can make the difference between an average career and one that is really successful whether you are in a corporate role or have you own business.

I'm outlining 5 easy wins that you can do TODAY to start creating or growing your personal brand.

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Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

[3:30] – What is a Know, Like, and Trust Factor

Growing your know, like, and trust factor is HUGE. We buy from & want to work with those who we know, like, and trust. But it takes time to build these three factors in for our audience.

A personal brand can grow your know, like, and trust factor. The more we write about the same topic over and over – we show that we have a wealth of knowledge on this topic and position us as an expert in the industry. This allows people to trust me before they even meet me which is what we want!

[7:20] Be authentic

In your personal brand – you are packaging yourself to help people grow that know, like, and trust factor. You want to feel proud of your brand and make it consistent because it feels really good to you.

There's nothing worse than thinking you know someone online & you meet them in person and they are TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Don't catfish anyone. Just let you authentic self shine through.

[10:45] Become a Master Storyteller

From now on – every single post online is purposeful and is building your overall brand.

Think of a story – a beginning, a build in the middle, and the end. You want to add interesting hooks, connect to past posts, and connect on what you want to talk about next. You want people to keep coming back fore more to hear what YOU have to say. The better we get at telling stories – the more people want to stick around and listen to us.

[8:30] – Give, Give, Give, Give to Receive

Before you start thinking about your online brand – we think we give something and we receive back. When it's an online brand – you give, give, give, give and then receive.

This is true for your business – you often have to give away a lot of free content before people will pay to be in your program. People want an idea of what they can expect from you before they put money out there. And also unfortunately we expect to receive things for free because of the wealth of internet information. The trick is – that your audience will want what is uniquely you and the results you can give them! So keep showing up to show that you do have that value.

For someone in the corporate world – don't expect to write one post and have your dream jobs rolling in. You need to keep writing & connecting to position yourself as that expert in your field and at the same time start reaching out to those dream companies to create connections.

[10:00] Be Consistent

Being consistent while building your personal brand is key especially as you try to grow. Posting something every single day whether it's a post or an IG story is important to keep your engagement high. Real talk – some days I don't but usually I do post something. But do not be that person who posts once a week.

People want to know what to expect from you.

[10:40] – Start Yesterday Unrealistic Expectations

Don't wait. Seriously. Do not wait until it's perfect. Do not wait until you are 100% crystal clear on your message or maybe you are but you think "perhaps I'll change it in the future" . That's okay! Our memories are short and no one is paying that close attention to you. We all have busy lives so just start building now & you can tweak and change as you go.

I think the biggest thing that happens to people is that they get scared. What if they fail or what will people think of them – that they wait and wait. But what if you started RIGHT NOW. What could you accomplish in a few months from now, or a year?!?!

 

Continue the conversation over in the Fit and Flow Podcast Insiders Group

Today on the podcast - we are talking to Dr. Mel, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Speaker, Educator, Health and Wellness Enthusiast. On this episode we talk about the Power of Vulnerability. Dr. Mel works with women who are going through big changes in their lives like not being happy in their current job. She encourages them get real and vulnerable with what they really want & make the changes necessary to become badasses professionally all while balancing their relationships.

Dr. Mel shares how to tap in to what you love to do and have the confidence to go after it. To keep making those choices that go towards what lights you up. She reminds us that we need to accept that choice first.

If you are looking for a change - this is going to help you dig deep to get clear on what you really want.

Here's where you can find Dr. Mel on social:

• IG: @fitphdmomma
• Twitter: @fitphdmomma
• FB: @drmelphd
• LinkedIn: @drmelphd

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Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

[5:30] - How to Be a Badass Boss at Work 

Women have a job but they have a lot of unhappiness about the current situation & feel that they are undervalued at work or overlooked. They are unfulfilled at work which can make life feel miserable as we spend so much time at work.

To fix this - you can take time to look at your career and reflect what you really want and what will make you happy. The next step is speaking up and asking what we want as women without feeling like we are being aggressive. We deserve to have what we want.

[10:45] - How to Quiet Your Negative Self Talk of Yourself and Others

Remember to be in a place of abundance vs. scarcity and understand that there is plenty to go around for everyone. If someone else is succeeds - it does not mean that I am not going to. We can exist in the same place & collaborate with one another to grow and do not have to be mad at that person who is doing well.

[13:00] - The Beauty of Vulnerability and Accepting Who You Are

Being able to accept who you are and exactly what you bring to the table is so powerful. Sometimes we hide from that because we think we should do something and are not honest with ourselves to set our life up the way we want to function.

For example - if we are anxious, we may not necessarily want to be in a high pressured or anxious job. So many people career switch once they actually dig into their desires.

The beauty of Vulnerability is that it breeds connection

[10:40] - How Your Relationships Can Shape Your Path

Sometimes people have supportive partners but critical friends and family. And likely they don't understand it and are concerned. People are so worried because their journey has been so linear that they do not know you can have success. People make these comments out of worry often and fear. It is all about educating the other people on the entrepreneurial path.

[25:50] - How Social Media has Created Unrealistic Expectations

We feel obligated to respond instantly because of the expectation that we should not wait longer than a few minutes to respond. This causes anxiety that what if someone is ghosting us or if they don't like us.

This instant gratification ties to everything. We want things to happen so quickly so we forget that we need to go through the process because we don't want to do it. This actually spends so much time and brings us nowhere. What if we accepted it is a process and started process. This same thing happens with careers and fitness.

[29:15] - How Dr. Mel Balances her Business with Her Family and the Power of Choice

Having her own business gave her a choice of how much time she should spend with her family vs. fitness. There was no obligation to show up to a job that she hated & that brought so much value to her job and life.

You can still have choice in a full time job but you may have to advocate for choice for yourself. Maybe your choice is working one day a week from home or if not - feel empowered to find a job that has that flexibility. Know that you're worth it that it is okay to go looking for that.

[35:00] - Dr. Mel's recommendation for the first step to make a change

Start with journaling to write down what is going around in your head to make it real and give you a visual to review. Secondly - start to map out what your change looks like. It is to decide what it would look like and how it would happen.

Continue the conversation over in the Fit and Flow Podcast Insiders Group

Today on the podcast we are diving into mindfulness, what it is and how you can implement it into your daily life. I live by the concept of mindfulness being in the exact moment that I am in all of the time. It has helped me manage my stress, anxiety, and build my personal brand and dream business. It helps us to be intentional with our time and increase productivity because we are focusing on each task and completely being in that space vs. creating scenarios or replaying past memories. There is so much power in experiencing the present with curiosity. Mindfulness has allowed me to make more money, have more time, and grow my tribe on social media.

Here are the five things that mindful people do differently and how you can add them into your week to level up your productivity and happiness.

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[4:00] - #1 - Mindful People Do Not Multitask

They focus on one task at the time and even batch tasks. Batching tasks & doing the same tasks over and over get you into a flow and make you much more efficient.

[6:30] - #2 - Mindful People Focus on the Positive

We used to need to have a negative outlook thousands of years ago for our safety. Now we don't need this but we're prone to be a bit negative. We can shift our mindset into positivity to impact our behavior and show up confidently.

[8:45] - #3 Mindful People Pause Before Reacting in an Argument & Are Great Listeners

We often are thinking about what to say next before someone finishes a sentence. Mindfulness creates the space for us to take in and digest what someone is saying before we respond. This makes us less reactive and works especially well in the office environment to improve communication.

[10:40] - #4 Mindful People Practice Self Care

Those who practice mindfulness can tell when they are off balance and intervene in self care. When I get stressed or burnt out - it shows up in a headache. If I start getting that dull headache - I don't push through it. Instead - I back off and rest. Being mindful helps you notice your stress responses and cues that your body gives you to check in and see what your body needs.

[12:25] - #5 Mindful People Pay Attention to Their Breath

If there are any tight spaces in your body - you can use your breath to soften those muscles. If you feel stressed or anxious - breath is an awesome tool to relieve any stress and bring you into a rest and digest state. This brings our cortisol down and our melatonin up.

Continue the conversation over in the Fit and Flow Podcast Insiders Group

Today on the podcast is Ali Bonar from Kween food brand & online brand @avokween. Ali build the brand avokween after healing her own issues with food & sharing healthy recipes with others.  After realizing her audience loved nut butters as much as she does - Ali launched a better for you butter that also tastes like teddy grahams! Kween is a granola butter that people love. Ali took her business full time last fall and talks about the successes, failures, and challenges of building your own business.  This conversation is inspiring whether you want to build a personal brand, launch a product, or even just love nut butters and want to try something new.  

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[5:00] - Journey on leaving her full time job to pursue Kween full time   [9:15] - Ali's struggle with an eating disorder & how she asked for help   [13:00]- How She Came Up with Nut Free Butter (that tastes like teddy grams)   [18:30] How A Personal Brand Helps with Market Research to Launch   [23:00] Building a community online through recipes & body image   [24:45] - Biggest Lessons Ali' has learned in her entrepreneur journey - have a back up plan for a back up plan" & asking crazy questions   [30:00] - Typical Day as an Entrepreneur Working for Yourself   Social @avokween & @kweenandco www.kween.com   Continue the conversation in the Fit and Flow Podcast Insiders Group   ===============================