Picking yourself up after a career-ending injury is one of the most challenging and daunting tasks for an athlete. Keyen Lage, a former football player, sustained an injury that effectively ended his football career. However, he managed to turn that into a positive and started on a new journey in his life. Lage, born in 1993 in South Dakota, was destined for greatness as a football player for the Kansas City Chiefs until the doctors told him that any more football would put him at risk of paralysis. As an athlete, Lage was heartbroken – football was his life. Stuck in his parents’ basement in South Dakota, Lage was trapped in a negative cycle for a while, not knowing how to start living again. He decided to start reading and spent a month and a half in the library. He eventually came across a book, The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton that completely changed his life.

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Joe Tebaldi is the founder of Flexx Co., a software company based in Charlotte, NC that specializes in custom websites with integrated customer relationship management tools. Flexx is also home to Joe's latest product, STUDIO, an on-demand video platform. STUDIO is a hub for creating, distributing and participating in on-demand fitness classes. If you're a fitness professional looking to bring all of your content and client interactions to one place, or a side hustlin' fitness instructor who wants to continue teaching classes without managing all of the back end operations, keep an eye on STUDIO because Joe has big plans for addressing your pain points. There is no cost to trainers for creating accounts [yet], so hit the links below to give it a go if you're ready to level your digital offering.  

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Meet Mo—average dude, family man, and an Indian-American corporate leader. Now meet Mo—Athletifreak: freakishly passionate about movement, triathlete, positivity junkie, and the energy behind Athletifreak.

With a core belief that Sport is the ultimate unifier and that we ALL have a Freak within us—Mo and wife, Noor, founded Athletifreak. Harnessing the power of diversity, their vision is to bring communities together by Inspiring Movement to Unleash positivity.

Featuring premium athletic apparel, the essence of their brand transcends what we see on the outside. It resonates with the intense passion, obsessive attention to detail and #EarnedPride of Athletes across every walk of life. Athletifreak represents the mentality that ignites us, the common pulse that unites us.

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Bryan Baia is an athlete, musician, full-time comic, former National Strongman Competitor, soccer player, and creative content producer all-in-one. Born in Upstate New York, Bryan says that his upbringing and interests had him involved with so many different types of people. Bryan may not look like your "stereotypical" artistic creative, but having played guitar in bands and on stage since age 14, and now today running a production company, he identifies first and foremost as an artsy guy: "The biggest difference is that I'm just one who has embraced adversity head on from a young age, and I've disciplined myself through fitness and nutrition my entire life--so I don't cry about shit."

Bryan began his personal training career Upstate in 2013 and moved to NYC in 2015 to go full-throttle in the fitness industry. During that time he also picked up a camera, and started exploring the world of photography, videography, and photoshop as a hobby--he quickly became addicted. Bryan currently runs a private training business in Manhattan, an online fitness & nutrition program with his business partner Calvin (Stepbrothers) and directs his production company, Bread Productions. In Bryan's own words: Life is a beautiful thing. 

Tune in to this episode to get the inside scoop on the making of Stepbrothers, which, like many online fitness businesses, was born out of a necessity and a shift in the coaching environment during COVID-19. What makes stepbrothers unique in its approach is the personality behind the brand. Bryan and Calvin's witty one-liners, dry humor, and all-around goofiness make for entertaining social media, straight up FUN workouts, and are the reminder we all need that it's not necessary to always take life so seriously.

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If you follow enough health and wellness accounts on social media, chances are you're no stranger to the rapidly evolving world of CBD. I'm sure I speak for lots of FYX listeners out there when I say that I see a new "CBD-infused" product almost daily—everything from tinctures, to gummies, candles, bath bombs, cookies and brownies. With all the hype, I figured it was time we bring the FYX family up to speed on where the heck CBD is going. I went right to the source and caught up with Mark Mangieri, Director of Sales and Product Development for Hemp Synergistics, a biotech company that develops THC-free hemp-based ingredients (CBD is just one of these) to talk about a few of the brands I've recently experimented with, and the industry as a whole.

Mark's products have made it to the shelves of GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Albertsons, Bodybuilding.com, dozens of regional health food and general grocery chains—totaling nearly 4,000 locations. His eye for market soft spots and intelligent design has created value though new category development and rising to the top of well-established genres.

Mark is now putting decades of research and design to work in the most dynamic new field of hemp cannabinoids. Already building on his hundreds of new product developments, Mark is adding intelligent design to this rapidly growing space. His biotech experience will propel the Hemp category into effective and affordable alternative medicines with the power and performance you would expect from legacy brands.

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I'm honored to welcome my friend, Tracey Croner, to The FYX podcast for a conversation on body image: it's a challenging, but seriously important topic in the health and wellness industry that year after year, only seems to become more complex for women. Tracey, who is currently the Charlotte Regional Marketing manager for Orange Theory Fitness, is a force on marketing side of the boutique fitness industry. She's spent the past six years with the Orange Theory brand, and has supported the Charlotte region's growth from just one studio to more than 10. But, there’s so much more to Tracey’s story than boutique fitness. 

While we could certainly have a fascinating conversation on what makes for engaging social media, how to effectively hit sales goals, and how to help brands differentiate their offerings, we're pushing the business aside for now. Tracey has spent the majority of adulthood battling anorexia and bulimia. In preparing this episode, Tracey and I agreed it was important to include a trigger warning on the conversation, as we did discuss her behavior and health risks she faced while undereating, overexercising, and continuing to play college basketball. 

On behalf of The FYX team and Tracey, we would like to note that this episode may be triggering if you or a loved one has been directly affected by an eating disorder. Out of respect for your mental health, we owe you a disclaimer and want to urge anyone who may be struggling with body image and self-esteem to seek help. There are many incredible, free resources available online, a few of which are listed at the bottom of these show notes.

In this episode you'll learn:

Have you ever gotten pulled over for a speeding ticket? Remember how angry and emotional you were in the moment when the lights went up in your rearview mirror? [Maybe you haven't been stopped--in which case, lucky you, can't say the same.] Have you ever thought about how, truthfully, that anger or frustration is a bit irrational? Today's podcast guest would challenge you to step back, observe the situation happening, and dissect it from a less emotional lens: Chances are it wasn't the first time you'd been speeding--it was probably the hundredth. In reality, it just so happened to be the first time you were actually caught. Most of us don't focus on the latter though. Instead, we get too close to the argument. According to Stu Brauer, the brains behind WTF Gym Talk--a brand dedicated to providing business education to micro gym owner--what we should do in these moments is zoom out. Become an observer of the circumstances and assess, in this case, the likelihood of whether you would've gotten pulled over at some point on the road. Answer? If you keep speeding, well, duh. 

It's with this skill and a sheer willingness to do the damn work, that the now 30-something has expanded his resume into quite a career. What started from exercise physiology and sociology degrees with CrossFit coaching experience ultimately became founder and licensor of strength and conditioning gym Urban MVMT in Charlotte, NC, fitness business consultant, real estate owner, podcaster, content creator, and Dad. Stu, a Cleveland native from a loud Irish family, is easily one of the most straightforward humans I know. He serves up REAL content without a bunch of bullshit.

Fill your coffee cup, sip away, and get your FYX of Coach Krysta on her new podcast. Get schooled in the business of fitness by following Stu on Instagram and YouTube: It's simple--search @wtfgymtalk and you're there. As an added plug to support Stu in rebuilding his YouTube following, be sure to hit the subscribe button on his latest and greatest channel.

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When founders start companies, they're often asked, what was the "Aha" moment? For Charlotte Keesler, it was more of a feeling and one that stumped her for several years. After graduating from Washington and Lee University in 2015, like a number of her classmates [mostly male classmates, we should note], Charlotte set out on the illustrious path of finance and investment banking--you know, the one that coined the term 'Boys' Club.' And within a few years, she made the highly coveted jump to the world of venture capital. But with each job change and a cross-country move from New York to California, Charlotte kept coming back to the same few questions: 

Who can I trust for sage advice? When can I ask questions that are specifically geared toward women--do I have to wait until the quarterly company-wide affiliate network event? More and more, she had this feeling that nothing really spoke to her: she actually loved the work (long hours included), but it was as though she was slowly losing herself, and becoming increasingly isolated with every additional situation in which she was the 'other.' Cue Per the Work Edit: a company for the next generation of women in the workforce--solely focused on creating value for this female often labeled as 'other.' Charlotte says that woman is, in many ways, a past version of herself. 

Today, Per the Work Edit is all about content and connection, but it's truly just the beginning. The Per team believes that women in the workforce deserve a company on a mission to improve every part of a woman's work life - from adding tools to her toolkit, to better understanding workplace dynamics, down to providing guides for the top workwear styles. Work is a huge part of our lives, and according to Per, it’s often not the “work” itself that needs improvement, but rather our relationship to work that needs to change.

On March 8, 2021--International Women's Day--Charlotte officially launched Per's online community and let me tell you, FYX fam, y'all NEED to get in on this. Thanks to our friends at Geneva [the coolest new community app that Charlotte kindly introduced me to!], Per's online community, The Forum, is officially accessible to gals everywhere. The Forum is a place where women across firms and industries can interact with each other throughout the day: it facilitates the seamless exchange of information, enabling women to ask/answer questions, give/receive advice, share resources & learnings, build relationships, and have a sense of belonging - all with the goal of making work better.

Meghan Trainor, born a certified trainer, is a former professional golfer, motivational fitness coach and lover of all things sequins and sparkles. Since mid-March 2020, Meghan has created and delivered a new and unique live workout on social media almost every single day, with Sunday as her only day off. Yes, you read that correctly: this fitness queen is fast approaching nearly 365 new workouts written and led via Instagram and the occasional ZOOM. In that time, Meghan has curated and cultivated the Body by Trainor experience (BBT, for short), which has grown her social media platform from just a few thousand Instagram followers to more than 28,000--virtually overnight. 

Meghan is the proud owner of 17 colored wigs, and reserves an entire storage unit for all of her dance costumes, which she proudly wears for her special edition Fireball Friday workouts. If these first two paragraphs haven't impressed you already, we've got more. All of THAT, is Meghan's part-time gig. Meghan is the BBT lead before 8 am EST and around lunchtime 6 days a week, but as for the other 20-something hours? She's a coffee sales gal. By now you've figured out why Coach Krysta HAD to have this female powerhouse on her show: fitness, caffeine, wigs, dancing... what more do we need!? 

Meghan is a regional business manager for La Colombe Coffee and has been responsible for placing La Colombe's cans in the hands of clients like UMass, home of the largest collegiate dining program in the U.S., and Elon University, her alma mater. She so kindly shared the 27-year-old brand's most famous product, the draft latte, with Coach Krysta during the recording of this episode. We talked all things fitness and inspiration as we sipped on some limited edition and new flavors of the draft latte--ICYMI: La Colombe literally invented and patented the technology for the latte--foam and all--in a can. Y'all KNOW we geeked out on this one for our first few minutes of the episode. 

Meghan's mission for her community, now named the BBT Clam Community, is simple: she is inspired to inspire through daily movement, spontaneous freestyle dancing, and thought-provoking motivational messages.

In this episode you'll learn:

Fill your coffee cup, sip away, and get your FYX of Coach Krysta on her podcast. We know you're curious about all those wigs, costumes, and funky dance moves after hearing from Meghan, why only take our word for it? Head over to Meghan's Instagram @bodybytrainor to see it all for yourself. Take a peek at her workout schedule, which she posts weekly, and find a time slot that allows you take less than an hour JUST FOR YOU. 

If you're interested in signing up for any of Meghan's monthly challenges within the Clam community, please visit her website: www.bodybytrainor.com.

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Visit Krysta’s website for nutrition, fitness, and business coaching services: www.thefitnessfyx.com

Meaghan B Murphy is a longtime magazine editor, writer, on-air lifestyle expert, podcaster, and certified trainer. Currently the content director at Woman's Day magazine, Meaghan Murphy is a media veteran who previously served as executive editor of Good Housekeeping. She lives with her husband and their three children and fur baby in Westfield, New Jersey.

Meaghan's very first book, Your Fully Charged Life, which hit shelves on Feb 23, is Meaghan's practical guide to bringing your best self to every moment--even when the pressures of daily life leave you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and wallowing in negative thoughts (and a pint of your favorite gelato). Spanning health, work, family time, and more, this book reveals small changes in outlook and habits that yield big results, without ever sacrificing who you are.

Visit Krysta’s website for nutrition, fitness, and business coaching services: www.thefitnessfyx.com