Tough Cookie Talks

Tough Cookie Talks

By Jenna JozefowskiHealth & Fitness
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Tough Cookie Talks episodes

  • When You're a Badass but You're Tired: The Conversation We Almost Cancelled with Holly Myers (Best of Season 2 Replay)

    This week I'm talking Holly Myers--again! If you're on Instagram, you might know her as the barbell pistol squatting queen, and half of the strength coaching duo ⁠@liftwithhollyandarryn⁠. Our first episode together, "Balancing Strength, Softness, and Silliness" was one of my most downloaded ever, and today she's back. Over the past few years I've gotten to know her as a client and as a friend and today we're talking about training & life in a more friendly kinda way!

    Holly is an ambitious, creative, multifaceted lady. Aside from heavy kettlebell ballistics, she enjoys writing, photographing on film, and being a genuinely curious person. She is notably obsessed with pastries and used to make ice cream for a living (for real). The practice of becoming stronger has empowered her to keep questioning her own limits, and in turn the narrow societal limitations imposed upon us all. Building strength helps her show up more authentically herself every day. Each time someone she is coaching breaks through a perceived limitation, she is deeply moved.

    On this episode we talk about:

    • What we've both been up to lately & how we almost didn't record this at all.
    • The lie that is social media and what it's actually like to be a human with an online business and a following.
    • What lifting looks like for her when she's just not feeling it.
    • The shift we've noticed in our clients in the past few years.
    • ADHD and each of our unique experiences with it.
    • Why we all need to stop trying to fit ourselves into a box that doesn't make sense for us.
    • Lots of other fun stuff!

      • ⁠Work With Holly

      ⁠⁠Holly & Arryn's Store⁠⁠

      Follow Holly on Instagram⁠⁠

      Work with me⁠⁠

      Follow & tag me on Instagram⁠


      1 hr 18 min
    • What Does Fitness Without Diet Culture Look Like for YOU? With Ashantis Jones (Best of Season 2 Replay)

      This week I am thrilled to be interviewing Ashantis Jones, who is not only a kick ass HAES aligned personal trainer, but my social media assistant! This interview was inspired by an old IG post that she suggested I re-share that blew up and sparked the question "What does fitness without diet culture look like for YOU?"

      Ashantis Jones is a trained Master’s level Counselor, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, and Coach that focuses on both the mind and body - both of which are equally important to one’s health. By using an intersectional approach, self-love becomes the tool that heals and educates. 

      On this episode we talk about: 

      • Ashantis' history with exercise, disordered eating, and diet culture and what drove them to start doing things differently.
      • What it was it like for her to let go of diet culture while working in an industry that was full of it. (Including several big name fitness chains.)
      • What fitness can look like when you're not doing it from a place of trying to shrink yourself from their perspective and mine.
      • Some hot takes on the way that the anti-diet movement portrays fitness vs. what it actually is.
      • The harsh reality of healing your relationship with your body/food/movement when you work in industries that sometimes require you to look a certain way to get hired.
      • Why body positivity needs to dig deeper into things like anti-racism and fat liberation.
      • How she's the best person to have in your corner if you need a trainer or coach, or are one yourself and want a virtual assistant who actually understands anti-diet culture.
      • So many other great things!

        • ⁠Follow Ashantis on Instagram⁠

        ⁠Follow Ashantis on TikTok⁠

        ⁠Work with Ashantis ⁠

        ⁠Work with me⁠

        ⁠Get my free mini push-up program⁠

        ⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram⁠

        ⁠Join me in the UNdiet Online Community

        1 hr 10 min
      • When You're Over the "New Year New Me" BS but Staying the Same Feels Blah (Season 2 Finale!)

        Welcome to the Season 2 Finale!!


        On this episode we talk about:

        • My reflections on the this year on the podcast and in my life which can be summed up by this Florence + the Machine Lyric: And I am freaking out in the middle of the street
          With the complete conviction of someone who's
          Never had anything actually really bad happen to them
        • What you can expect from Season 3.
        • Journaling prompts to use when you're over the "new year new me" BS, but are bored by the idea of staying stagnant.


          • These are the prompts:

          What went well this year? What didn't? With that in mind, what's repeatable? What are you already doing well in some areas of your life that could be applied to others?


          How do you want to feel this year? List a few emotions/sensations/states of being. What behaviors would help you feel those things more often?


          What do you need MORE of in your life? What do you want LESS of or not at all? How might saying "no" to some things make space for more "yes" to the things that really light you up?


          Are you following any arbitrary rules that are wasting your time and energy? How might letting go of rules that don't make sense for you make your life easier?


          Book a Lemonade Call!

          ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me-Kettlebell Social

          ⁠⁠Work with me 1:1⁠⁠

          ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram

          18 min
        • The Birthday Episode with Christina Montalvo (Crossover/Collab Bonus Episode)

          Christina and I are back talking all about our birthdays that are happening this month! This is a super fun episode where we talk about how we're celebrating our birthdays, how we view getting older, plus a whole bunch of other random stuff. Like the movie Home Alone, friendship, and more.

          Book a Lemonade Call

          Work with me!⁠⁠

          ⁠⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram⁠⁠

          ⁠⁠Work with Christina⁠⁠

          ⁠⁠Listen to Christina's podcast⁠⁠

          ⁠⁠Follow and tag Christina on Instagram

          58 min
        • Navigating Conflicting Thoughts About Working Out, Weight Loss, & Diet Culture: Internal Family Systems with My Client Steph

          Today my longtime client Steph is back with something new to share with us! She originally joined me on season 1, episode 15, and after some of the conversations we've been having in our 1:1 sessions lately, I knew I needed to invite her back to talk about Internal Family Systems. This is something that's been growing in popularity in mental health and coaching spaces, and I think a LOT of it applies to the topics we cover on this podcast.

          Steph is a long-term client and previous podcast guest who is a new mental health professional. While she went back to school and became a clinical social worker, our conversations during her training sessions with me would often land on topics that explored the intersection of mental health and exercise. This episode was born out of those conversations.

          Before we we jump in, she also wants to note that this is an informal discussion about mental health and it is intended to be used informational purposes only and shouldn’t be used for or considered mental health advice and/or treatment. 

          On this episode we talk about:

          • How and why she finds a particular therapeutic approach called Internal Family Systems useful in her work with clients.
          • How it has helped her better understand her own journey out of diet culture and develop a different relationship with exercise. 
          • All the ways it might come into play for many of you when it comes to navigating fitness from an anti-diet culture space.
          • How can we use it to understand ourselves better and get where we wanna go in life. 
          • Then I let Steph guide me through an IFS exercise in real time!

            • Learn more, purchase books, or find IFS certified professionals

            ⁠⁠Work with me⁠⁠

            ⁠⁠Get on the Kettlebell Social Interest List

            ⁠Work with me: Lemonade Calls! ⁠

            ⁠⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram/Threads

            1 hr 6 min
          • Catching Up, Slowing Down, and WTF??? with Christina Montalvo (Crossover/Collab Bonus Episode)

            Weeee'reeee baaacckkkk. After a short hiatus due to life being lifey, Christina and I finally recorded another episode together. If you missed the memo, Christina and I are each releasing these crossovers on our own podcasts on the same day and will continue to do it for as long as we feel like it and whenever we feel like it. We've got all sorts of things to talk about that aren't related to our work, but hopefully feel relatable to you and your life anyway.

            Today we're catching up, talking about slowing down, WTF is going on in the world and what we've each been up to since our last episode together a few months ago. This one is both lighthearted and deep. We talk about what's been bringing us joy and also the way's we've both been getting kinda philosophical lately.

            ⁠Book a Lemonade Call⁠

            ⁠Work with me!⁠⁠⁠

            ⁠⁠⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

            ⁠⁠⁠Work with Christina⁠⁠⁠

            ⁠⁠⁠Listen to Christina's podcast⁠⁠⁠

            ⁠⁠⁠Follow and tag Christina on Instagram⁠


            58 min
          • You're NOT Going Insane. Regulating Your Nervous System & Perimenopause with Diana May

            This conversation with Diana May left me feeling seen and understood in ways I didn't even realize I needed. I recently re-connected with Diana on Instagram as a result of my quest to clear out a lot of the noise on my feed. I unfollowed a LOT of big accounts and the result was me getting to see content from people in my real life who I had lost touch with. One of them being Diana--who was one for my first and favorite yoga teachers. After discovering that we were both talking about similar concepts in different contexts (same shit sandwich) I knew I needed to bring her on the podcast!

            Diana May is a life-long learner, yoga teacher, environmentalist, and somatic practitioner.  She has taught full-time for 14 years and since the pandemic has transitioned to being an entirely online yoga teacher.  She believes the big-scale shifts she wants to see in the world comes down to nervous system regulation, the ability to truly slow down, enjoy life in the present moment, and build a compassionate relationship with your full experience.  


            On this episode we talk about:

            • Diana's backstory and how she came to be doing the work she does today.
            • How the "nervous system" is a buzzword in fitness and wellness spaces and what we actually mean when we're talking about it.
            • The stages of menopause as it relates to the nervous system and how it applies to movement of all sorts.
            • How you might be getting into the late reproductive stage and stages of menopause earlier than you think and some symptoms to look out for. (AKA you're not going insane.)
            • Shifts you can make in your life to support yourself through it.
            • How different types of movement (yoga, strength training, and otherwise) can potentially support our nervous systems or push us into deeper disregulation?
            • How to tune in to know what our bodies actually need.
            • So many other mind blowing things!

              • Work with Diana

              ⁠Follow Diana on Instagram⁠

              ⁠Work with me⁠

              ⁠Get on the Kettlebell Social Interest List!⁠

              Work with me: Lemonade Calls!

              ⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram/Threads

              55 min
            • Stop Looking For Motivation. Finding Momentum When the World Is a Dumpster Fire.

              This week's episode is brought to you by. . .the fucking world. And also what my clients seem to need right now in terms of fitness. Here's one thing I've been telling almost everyone lately:

              If you don’t feel like working out because everything feels pointless right now, stop looking for motivation. You won’t find it. Instead see where you can find momentum to get yourself to do literally any kind of movement. I bet it’ll make you feel better.

              On this episode we talk about:

              • How current world events have been affecting how I show up as a coach, plus some things I've been thinking deeply about.
              • How even I don't feel like working out much of the time.
              • Alllllll of the different things me and my clients have been using to find momentum. Because motivation is clearly nowhere to be found.

                • ⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me-Kettlebell Social FAQ⁠

                ⁠Work with me 1:1⁠

                ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram

                25 min
              • Why I Coach Like Weird Barbie

                This episode is airing on Halloween and I decided to do something silly and fun. Because the world is a dumpster fire and while I posted something very heartfelt on Instagram, I decided to lean into something more trivial on here.


                On this episode we talk about Weird Barbie and all the reasons why I feel like I'm the Weird Barbie of coaches! And of course how that applies to you and your fitness because we all know I'm all about the analogies.

                ⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me-Kettlebell Social FAQ

                Work with me 1:1

                ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram⁠⁠


                23 min
              • Eating Disorder Recovery, Religious Trauma, and Reclaiming Your Power with Angel Casas

                Today I have my first ever male guest on the podcast! I vet my podcast guests carefully, and I know you're gonna love our conversation today. Angel and I originally connected over an Instagram post, and when I realized there was another anti-diet personal trainer in the Chicago area, we immediately decided we needed to meet up in real life. After hearing about his very unique story and having some really great conversations this summer, I knew he was a voice that I needed to share with you here.

                Angel Casas is a weight inclusive personal trainer and DEI activist in the fitness and health space. His professional background is in the real estate and insurance industry but when Covid hit he decided to start a fitness business dedicated to helping people lose weight. Since he himself had lost over 100 pounds, he wanted to teach others how to do it as well. However, helping people lose weight, brought to light his own disordered relationship with food and fitness. He admitted himself into an eating disorder treatment center which was where he learned all things about diet culture, fatphobia, white supremacy, and so many other systems of oppression. This eye-opening experience made him realize how harmful and racist diet culture is, particularly for BIPOC. He now teaches his clients about how to connect to their bodies through intuitive eating and joyful movement and therefore reclaiming the power that was originally robbed from them.

                On this episode we talk about:

                • Angel's experience with an eating disorder and recovery as a man of color.
                • Why we need to uplift BIPOC voices in both fitness and eating disorder recovery.
                • The intersection of eating disorders, being LGBTQIOA, and religious trauma.
                • Mental health and why we need to destigmatize it.
                • How his experiences with all of the above cause him to change the way he trains clients.
                • So much other good stuff!

                  • Work with Angel

                  Follow Angel on Instagram

                  Follow Angel on TikTok

                  Work with me

                  Get on the Kettlebell Social Interest List!

                  Follow & tag me on Instagram/Threads

                  1 hr 2 min

                About Tough Cookie Talks

                From the publisher's feed

                Tough Cookie Talks is a podcast we'll explore the intersection of fitness & anti-diet culture and all the gray areas in between. We'll let go of "shoulds" and judgment and dig into tough…