mindset Archives - VFit Studio

What is YOUR Zihuantanejo?

February 21, 2020 by Rachele at VFit Studio 2 Comments

Always take the trip, a reminder I was in need of. It isn’t easy to step away from the hustle of everyday life, but we must remember to always take the trip!

Sometimes that may be simply unplugging down the street from your house, maybe that will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, or going away to a retreat that lights you up.

Earlier this month was an experience of a lifetime when I stepped away from work and family to attend a 3 day Mastermind Retreat in Coronado, CA.

I was in the company of 100 passion driven Fit Pro’s and there was some serious magic to take away from this experience.

Last year, I made the decision to up-level my professional career and joined a Mastermind Group, under one of the most influential mentor’s out there – Todd Durkin. And I finally I had the opportunity to come together with this group in real life. I had to take the trip!

“The only person who can put limits on you, is you!”

It has taken some time to process this experience. I was surrounded by some of the most heart centered, passionate and down right purpose driven people on the planet.

I am excited to share some of my top takeaways from this retreat in hopes that it inspires even one person to keep growing outside your comfort zone.

In no particular order, my top inspo bombs from the TD 2020 Beach Retreat:

Lesson 1: “Being Uncomfortable Pushes You to Be Better.”

It is one of my favorite quotes to remind myself of. And as much as we know this concept to be true, it takes A LOT of effort to keep pushing outside your comfort zone.

Heading off to this retreat was WAY outside my comfort zone. I was leaving all 3 kids for the first time, travelling alone and spending the weekend with people I had never met before.

Getting outside my comfort zone is what got me to SHOW UP!

Lesson 2 : “Success is small wins each day.”

I always say, “beat the sun up and you already won the day”. Meaning that when you wake up and start your day with purpose and a workout, you tend to do better at life.

Look at any successful mentor out there (and I don’t measure success by money in the bank, but rather purpose, impact and happiness), and they all have a strong morning routine, which includes some form of movement to get your mind up and ready for the day.

This was proven to me again by my fellow masterminder’s.

Here we were on “retreat” and yet 90%+ of us CHOSE to wake up before the sun was up each morning to get in a killer workout together.

Rise and shine, literally! Above is a picture of our day 2 workout watching the sun rise over Coronado Bay…. more to come on that magical morning in #7.

Lesson 3 – “If you are not growing, you are dying.”

Humans are the most complex species on earth. It is our innate desire to continue to grow and flourish, yet we tend to be our own worst enemy when it comes to letting fear, comfort and doubt take the wheel.

Investing in yourself to be around the right people and events is always a good idea!

Most of your personal and professional growth will happen outside of your “office”.

It is through the people and experiences that we put ourselves out there for, that we grow the most toward our full potential and purpose.

Lesson 4 – “What is your Zihuantanejo?”

One thing that I loved most about this Retreat was there was an overall “theme” and that was “What is your Zihuantanejo?”

Now just like most of you reading this, I had no idea what the heck that meant at first, but as we dove into the meat of the retreat this concept was the heart of everything.

Yes, Zihuantanejo is a place in Mexico, but what it symbolizes is so much more. The value of this concept is to center your life, work and the things you are “doing”; around creating experiences that light you up from the inside.

You know…….those moments where you heart is literally smiling!? We ALL need to focus more on creating lives filled with THESE kind of moments.

The tragedy of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and the others aboard that tragic helicopter flight are a prime example that nothing in life in more important than right now and who you spend you time with.

As a mom of 3 young kids, trying to run a business is quite the juggling act most days. This theme was a HUGE reminder of the truly important things in life and where to place more of my time and energy.

Lesson 5 – “Be the Coffee Bean.”

Damon West, Author of “The Change Agent” and co-author of “The Coffee Bean” hung out with our group for a day and also gave one of THE most powerful presentations I have ever heard.

Damon grew up in a nice middle class family, was a star quarterback, who had everything going for him, when he let addiction take over his life and landed himself with a life sentence in prison.

I’ll let you read the story or listen to his podcast with Todd Durkin, but Damon is an incredible person and has one of the most powerful lessons to share.

I have been sharing the “coffee bean theory” left and right with my members, kids and anyone who wants to listen!

You have 3 choices in life: be a carrot, be an egg, or be a coffee bean.

When placed in a pot of boiling water, aka “the world”, a carrot will become soft and weak. The carrot lets the hot water break it down and take it’s strength and grit away. Don’t be a carrot!

What happens to an egg when it is placed in this same pot? It becomes hard (and stinky as my kids reminded me!). The egg lets that hot water harden its shell and insides. The world has way too many eggs. Angry, resentful and negative people. Don’t be the egg!

Be the coffee bean! Be that bean who when placed in a pot of water, changes the water into coffee! The coffee bean doesn’t let that water change it, IT changes the water.

We have the power to change our surroundings and make a positive impact in this world.

Smile more at strangers, walk into a room ready to light it up, laugh more, live more, compliment more. Be the coffee bean!

Lesson 6 – “The power of a team”.

That is what a mastermind is. A TEAM!

It is the belief that being part of a team with others of like minded values, passion and purpose; brings more value to your life than any one person can do alone.

I found my people this weekend! People who believe in lifting each other up, not climbing on top of each other to get to the top.

People who believe so deeply that we are on the FRONT lines of healthcare and that is is going to take all of us working together , to have a chance at changing this world for the better.

Each one of us wake in the morning driven to spread positive IMPACT around us. Let me tell you, being in the company of such passionate, fun and amazing people was a true honor.

Lesson 7: “Regret and excuses take a lot more time and energy, than ACTION does.”

I talked above about the importance of a strong morning routine. Does that mean it is easy to bounce out of bed each day? No way!

The second day at retreat, I didn’t want to wake up and work out. I was tired…. I didn’t have my kids…. We had blackout curtains in the room…. I had every excuse in my head why I could miss this workout. It was optional after all.

But I know better! As usual, I had already put out my workout clothes the night before. I couldn’t let them go home fresh!

I knew if I missed that workout, I would spend FAR more time regretting it, than if I just got my tired booty out of bed and in action.

How often do you get to workout on THE BEACH with a bunch of other amazing, driven and FIT beasts?!?!

I’m never one to sugar coat that being healthy and feeling good takes effort. “You aren’t always going to feel like it, but you must always be disciplined.” I tell my team that ALL the time.

I am so glad I woke up and went to that workout! We ran on the beach, there was so much laughter and bonding, I taught a segment of the workout to a group of peers (back to getting uncomfortable!), we watched the sun rise over the day and we laughed some more.

THAT workout was a highlight of my weekend and PURE MAGIC! So many “aha” moments were had during that beach workout. Much more magic than any sleep would have been.

Lesson 8 – “Polar Bear Plunge” – the power of a motivated LEADER

This picture above SAYS it all – united and stronger together! Let fear fuel you and rely on the power of a team to push you outside your comfort zone.

It was actually really cold in San Diego this day, and if you have ever been in the Pacific Ocean in CA, it’s pretty dang cold in general.

I had told myself I wasn’t getting in the water. Thank goodness my heart knew better and I put my swim suit on “just in case”.

But when our fearless leader, Todd Durkin led us through a sunset pep talk and encouraged us to link arms, to go run into that water together and to release anything that is holding us back – you bet we knew we had to take this once in a lifetime opportunity!

That is what a good leader does. They motivate, inspire and push you to be a better version of yourself. And it was 100% worth the plunge!

Being around some of the best leaders out there over the course of the weekend was infectious. From that “plunge”, I came out of the water a stronger leader myself.

Lesson 9 – “Chase more sunrises and sunsets.”

This one needs no further explanation.

It’s simple – you either can get busy living or get busy dying.

Go out there and chase as many sunrises and sunsets as you possibly can!

In health,

Rachele, VFit Owner

10 Lessons Learned from the BIGGEST Challenge Ever Thrown At VFit

February 5, 2020 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

Watch the full REPLAY of Rachele’s inspo talk where she goes through the top 10 lessons learned from VFit Studio running it’s biggest challenge to date.

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Last year, VFit Studio embarked on it’s biggest challenge we’ve ever run. We had all 8 VFit trainers lead our teammates through a 6 month LONG challenge, focused on goal setting.

The goal of this challenge was to get each member to hit a consistent class total for six straight months – from July to December.

A SIX MONTH fitness challenge that over half our studio signed up for and took part of. We had never heard of such a program, but felt it was important to find ways to work more closely with our members and help them stay consistent through the second half of the year.

As a recap, we came to find 10 top learnings from the challenge.

By sharing these lessons, we believe you can gain some added inspiration in your life and they can easily translate to all areas of life.

We have them summed up below, or you can hit play and watch the REPLAY of Rachele leading her talk.

1) The best inspiration and ideas come from when you step away from your “normal.”

True creativity comes from stepping away. Getting yourself out in nature with some fresh air and scenery. Whether its at a retreat or convention, or perhaps by water. Getting out of your norm can foster new ideas and innovation.

For us, four members of the VFit Trainer team were attending the fitness industry’s largest convention last June called IDEA WORLD and were all sitting around a fountain brainstorming about ideas to help members stay consistent with their workouts all year long. That’s when we created the #6monthsmatters challenge. Six months – from July through December – of consistent workouts, accountability, coaching and team building.

2) Embrace the power of a mastermind.

Create an environment where people are encouraged and feel empowered to share ideas and contribute. Gone are the days when one person has to have all the ideas.

The biggest ideas come from a collective. It took all 8 VFit Studio trainers working together to come up with the complete six month program.

By including all members of our trainer team with idea sharing, our ideas built off of one another and the end result was a program unlike anything any one of us singly would have dreamed up on our own.

3) RISK in going big.

Six months is a long time. This was far longer than any other wellness program we had created in our studio. Before the six month challenge, the next longest program we had spanned just one month. This was FIVE more months of teamwork, programming, consistency.

Would members get discouraged? How would we keep them motivated? What if one of our own VFit trainers fell off the wagon?

But, the risk of NOT pushing our team to do this was an even greater risk. The upside was just too incredible for us not to go for it. The fact that we could truly change some lives and habits was a risk we had to take.

4) Power of being part of a team.

People are okay with letting ourselves down at times. But put us on a team, there’s no way we would want to let an entire team down.

Having a team to compete with and where your goals and stats were public was huge reason why this program was successful for six straight months.

Members could have individual goals, but it took everyone holding up to their personal goal to advance together with the full team in tact.

5) The beauty of written goals.

Putting your goal on paper and out into the world is HUGE. Doing so, you have a tangible number to strive for and track.

We used goal setting as a major theme that held the entire of the challenge together. Each member committed to a personal class goal at the start of the challenge that they commited to hitting each of the six months of the challenge.

Miss a month? You were out of the challenge. Simple as that.

We had these goals literally ON OUR BACKS with team shirts that members wore with their class goal on the back. The goals were also on made public (to those in the challenge, that is) on a google drive that was shared by all members of the challenge. If you didn’t hit your goal, everyone on your team saw it. Talk about accountability.

6) Coaching to success.

We set each team up with a VFit trainer to serve as a coach each month. This extra bit of coaching from a VFit trainer helped the team stay connected, motivated, and loaded up with fresh inspiration.

Beyond being led by a coach, many teams had natural leaders arise in the team.

Do not underestimate the power of a coach. It’s always a good idea to have a coach to help push you and keep you accountable.

“You won’t always be motivated, but you must always be disciplined,” and good coaches help teach you the art of discipline and building healthy habits.

7) A shiny trophy at the end.

When was the last time you earned yourself a trophy? For most adults, it hasn’t been since we were children.

A fun part of this challenge was putting in some serious effort and EARNING a very real trophy at the end for all that completed the full challenge.

Who doesn’t love a fun prize or earning a trophy for hard work?

There was so much pride shared by our members once they received their trophy mugs. This was priceless. With every sip they take all year long, they will forever remember their six month commitment.

8) Building a community.

Why not have every person in the challenge (127 total members) be in one large supergroup? While we considered this, what really made this challenge special is breaking down the members into small groups.

With a smaller group of about 15 members, teams formed new bonds getting to know members and seeing themselves in some of the obstacles they had in reaching their goals. We had members bond over being new moms, rennovating homes, getting the flu. You name it, there were so many shared experiences for our members. Yet, through it all they forged through all six months and made it to the end of the chalelnge.

9) A few who didn’t meet their goal, silently faded out.

As a society, we put so much pressure to be perfect and when we don’t achieve this we feel shame. This perfection or failure black and white way to view the world is limiting.

We don’t believe this is how shit should be, but unfortunately that kind of fixed mindset is something many of us grew up with .

Sometimes, when you set high goals for yourself, you may not always reach them. Especially when a long time frame is in from of you.

But, reaching and stretching yourself is ALWAYS better than not trying at all.

Life is about improving yourself and focusing on incremental changes each and every day. We believe in working to adopt a growth mindset where you stretch and evolve and work to increase the size of your comfort zone.

We are so proud of the few members who may not have finished the challenge, but they have recommitted to VFit and their health and they believe they are ALWAYS worthy of another comeback.

If you fall down 99 times, the only number that matters is that you get up 100.

10) Heather’s Story – better late than never.

We call it “Heather’s story”, but this is a story that will resonate with all of us at one time or another in life.

Heather was 5 1/2 months into the 6 month challenge, on a team that had not lost a single teammate, she was 4 classes away from earning her trophy and crossing the finish life, when life rocked her world upside down.

She is a mom to 4 young kids, and her youngest baby was sent down 6 hours from home, to CHLA, where she ended up spending 2 weeks in the hospital with him (he is doing great now, thankfully).

During this time, her husband was travelling back and forth, as they were trying to keep a sense of normal going for the other 3 kids, and it truly became impossible for her to get her final few classes in. She did try logging in a few times from the hospital even!

So instead of skirting out quietly and ending the challenge for herself, Heather opened up to her team, asked for forgiveness and admitted that she was not going to make it – feeling she let them all down.

Her team was SO supportive of her and only cared that her baby and family were going to be ok and get through this tough experience. They were there to cheer her on and push her back up when she needed it most.

Heather didn’t get her final classes in by the deadline, but the trainers agreed to give her 2 more weeks to complete the mission and earn her trophy. That was enough to FIRE her up, so that when she got back home and into her “normal” again, she had the support to get back at it and she EARNED that mug in 4 days.

Sometimes you need to rely on our team and others to push you up and believe in you, when you don’t have it in you at the moment. We will all fall on tough times and letting others help you is so critical.

Heather may have earned that trophy 2 weeks late, but still earned it. She didn’t give up and so we didn’t give up on her.

In health,

Rachele & Maria

Don’t Wish For It, Work For It

January 13, 2020 by Maria Sogard 2 Comments

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

At the VFit Studio, we like to set a studio-wide intention for the year. With so many of our members working towards becoming a better version of themselves each time they log in and focus on self care, we chose this mantra for 2020:

DON’T WISH FOR IT, WORK FOR IT

Now that’s powerful!

It’s a little bit of tough love, and a bit of a dare.

Today we are releasing the latest tool to help YOU work for reaching your fitness goals.

Are you willing to WORK for your goals?

Goals, goals, goals … everyone has them, right?

There are no shortage of goals to be set and there are no shortage of tools and resources out there to help you achieve those goals.

But how many actually hit their goals consistently? Sadly, over 50% of people give up on their goals because they forget to set the most important part – the foundation.

What is the secret to those that continue to achieve success?

We believe that people spend too much time in the “wishing” stage of setting goals, and they are forgetting the part that matters most – ACTION!

We are here today to share a very simple, yet life changing approach to making your goals a reality. A tool that will take your goals from wishes to reality.

There is study after study about how much more likely you are to achieve your goals if you WRITE them down – like 7 times more likely!

I don’t know about you, but if the simple act of writing my goal down will make me 7 times more likely to achieve it, I am going to arm myself with those odds no doubt.

Then, if you SHARE your written goals with others and build in accountability, your success rate jumps up to 95%!

It really is that simple! Of course next comes the actual work that you will need to put in to reach that goal, but setting a strong foundation for which this goal actually has a shot of becoming successful is a KEY STEP!

Want to work out more this year? Let’s start with this goal. Just thinking and saying you want to exercise more is not a goal, it is a wish.

We are now going to turn it into a goal.

How many times do you want to workout this year? 150? Perfect, that is a substantial and powerful amount of exercise.

So write that out. “I WILL workout 150 times this year”.

Then under that line, write 5 action steps you WILL take over the year that will get you to this goal.

We like to reverse engineer our goals, but you can work through in whatever direction feels comfortable to you.

150 workouts a year sounds like a lot, especially if you are starting from 50 or less, but watch just how DOABLE it is.

150 workouts a year means just 2-3 workouts a week, 12-13 workouts per month. EVERYONE has that it them and deserves to hit that goal.

Then you stick that written statement and action you wrote down and put it somewhere you will see EVERY DARN DAY and you commit to reading what you WROTE! Every. Single. Day.

But since we are human and we tend to be our own worst enemy, you need to take this a step further. YOU NEED to tell others about this goal you set.

We tend to be ok letting ourselves down, but I promise you, you aren’t the type of person who will want to let others down.

By telling your goals to your family, your fit tribe, your co-workers, kids, boss and anyone else, you are now making them part of your team.

And THEY ALL want you to succeed, and if they don’t, that is a whole nother blog on who you are surrounding yourself with.

I know that if I tell my family it is important to me that I get in 2-3 workouts a week, and to please help keep me accountable to that, they will! Same goes to my fellow VFit members, they want the best for me, now I owe it to all of us to make it happen.

Goal setting is a skill, it is something that takes time and focus and practice.

The number one reason I see many short change themselves in life, is that they aren’t setting any tangible goals and they have no action plan on how to achieve the goal.

If you know anything about VFit values, you know the number that we track and that matters most is how many times you SHOWED UP! No heart rate, calorie, or pant size number matter more than that stat.

Because we love you and we want to give you every opportunity to put what we are sharing into action, we have created a WORKPAGE Goal Sheet just for YOU!

Simply download this one page worksheet and state your Annual Workout Goal on the top. Then think through 5 action steps you can take each day/week/month to get you to this goal.

Below the action steps, we have a grid for you to fill in monthly with the number of workouts you showed up for.

Put this simple piece of paper in a place you will look at DAILY, and watch the magic start to add up.

But don’t forget, to make your chance of success shoot up to 95%, you can’t keep this to yourself.

Share with your friends, fam and the VFit team. We would love nothing more than to see what stats you are aiming for and then we vow to do our share of the job to help keep you accountable and on-track.

We believe if everyone embraces the motto of Don’t Wish for It, Work for it, then you are unstoppable. You will work to build in more healthy habits and create less space for the ones that are deterring you from reaching their goals.

We hope you enjoy this free download and really put it to use. Whether it becomes your inspiration to join us for a free week of classes, or helps towards reaching another fitness/life goal, we hope this concept is one that you work to embrace in your own lives.

Goal + Action = Success

In health,

Rachele & Maria

4 Years Celebrated with a Record Breaking Week

October 28, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

4 years of VFit celebrated with a 90 minute Fit Fest on October 26th, raising money for the Susan G Komen Foundation to raise awareness for breast cancer research

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

VFit is the ultimate start up story. We began four years ago by forging our own path in online fitness.

What makes us a start up? We started!

We had an idea for a need that was not being met out there and we crafted to the best of our ability a platform to deliver this idea to the world.

With that first week, we started something that had never been done before: an online fitness studio that maintains the personal connection of a real life gym by using a two way platform to connect trainers with members across the country.

Did we have a Business Plan? Nope!

Did we have investors and funding on hand to get up and running? Nope!

Did we have an idea and a whole lot of passion? You bet!

And that purpose and passion has been the fuel we place our feet on the ground with each morning, knowing that what we are doing is making a difference in so many lives, our own included!

When VFit opened, we started with 0 members, a free week of classes, 15 classes on the schedule and ended week 1 with 65 check in’s.

Fast forward through the journey and we now have close to 300 active members, 60+ classes a week and nearly 1,000 check in’s a week.

Our platform isn’t built on the fanciest lighting, clothes, or equipment.

We are a platform built on REAL lives. On taking every barrier away as to why you can’t make exercise consistent in your life, and delivering it to our team in a way that is fun, effective, relateable and uplifting.

Each class is a personalized workout, handwritten by our world class trainer team.

A full array of classes, many VFit exclusives, that pack functional fitness in for our members – in 30 minutes or less.

We’ve been celebrating all month long as VFit turns 4 because this is a HUGE milestone.

On Saturday, October 26th, we threw the ultimate birthday party called Fit Fest.

From owner Rachele moments after Fit Fest was over:

It’s hard to sum up what today’s party meant, but it was amazing! 86 rockstars coming together to sweat and smile and raise some money.
At the end, the kids started singing VFit happy birthday! VFit is such a big part of our kids lives.
They are often there watching (or joining) us in action as we show up to take care of ourselves. I’ve watched babies turn to toddlers, kids turn to teenagers, babies in the tummy to the real world and beyond.
I’m so proud to have a platform where we can be the real life super heroes for our kids. Where they want to take care of themselves, and be active, and exercise because they see mom or grandma or auntie loving it so much.
And the fact I’m probably MOST proud of… that in the 4 years of VFit we have never asked our team to track a calorie, a pound, an inch or a heart rate.
Sure some do this on their own, but to this day, THE only number VFit tracks is how many times you SHOW UP! Because at the end of the day, that’s the number that matters.
Rachele Jaegers, VFit owner

VFit has run 364 days a year since we opened our online doors four years ago.

In that time, VFit has made some serious IMPACT.

In just four years, nearly 5,000 VFit classes have been held online.

In just four years, 111,000 personal visits have been made to VFit’s live online classes.

That’s 111,000 times a mood was improved and a VFit member became healthier and happier! We may not be brain surgeons, but we sure are fighting for health on the front lines.

4 years ago when we created VFit, we had no idea what we were doing or where it would go. What VFit has become to so many of us is way beyond our wildest dreams.

VFit has truly become a way of live for hundreds. Simply the word ‘VFit’ means something.

VFit means taking your self care personally.

VFit means making your self care a priority.

VFit means taking on a no excuses mindset and finding a way to fit it in.

VFit is real life.

VFit means not waiting for the perfect conditions because there is NO perfect.

And VFit means, that’s okay!

VFit’s mission is “To break the barriers of time and space, making self care attainable for any person willing to commit to workout and improve their wellness.”

What better way to do that than to deliver world class workouts directly to our members? We strip away every barrier there is to fitness so that it only comes down to YOU.

Your will to step into class and take time out of your day for self care.

Last week, we broke a VFit Studio record with 909 check ins.

Imagine that … 909 times VFit delivered on our mission to improve wellness and making self care attainable for ANY person willing to commit to workout and improve their wellness.

This number far surpasses our first MONTH of check ins when we started out just 4 years ago. And we know this number is set to continue to grow as we spread our mission with the world.

Can’t stop, won’t stop. That’s a big motto around here, and we’ve only just begun.

Thank you all for being part of this MAGIC!! Here is to living your dream, reaching for the stars and surrounding yourself with the most incredible team to take the journey with!

In health,

Rachele, Maria, and the VFit Team

Take 10 – Notice Your Thoughts and Spaces Between Your Thoughts

October 14, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

There may never be ‘that perfect time’ for you take for yourself. You have to find those moments, steal them from the day, and give yourself clarity in thoughts and mind. In just 10 minutes with this guided meditation with Trainer Shari, you’ll be refreshed, rejuvenated, and at peace with a focus on taking you away to your own beach paradise.

From Shari:

“Positive thinking is a powerful tool.

Every time we have a positive thought, we build stronger neural connections to more positive thoughts. The reverse is also true—negative thoughts lead to more negative thoughts.

The cool facts is that we can control our thoughts.

Try this 10ish minute mindfulness activity to retrain your way of thinking.”

Where will you take 10?

About Shari

Shari is VFit’s resident miracle worker from Texas! She leads an “Unwind” class, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. But don’t let her zen like ways fool you. She can deliver just as Yang of a high intensity class and leave your muscles “good” sore for days to come.

“Born and raised in Texas, I was a competitive gymnast in grade school and went on to be a competitive twirler in High School.

I attended college at The University of Texas in Austin, majoring in English and Kinesiology.

Having always had a love for physical fitness, I taught group fitness throughout college, and upon graduating was hired to teach public school.With the demands of a new job and a new husband, exercise became my time to unwind.

With my 3 children now in school, I returned to my first career as a group exercise instructor.

Yoga is one of my favorite styles to teach because it has something for everyone. It is healing and strengthening all in one. It truly is the complete package.

When not in the gym teaching, I enjoying spending time outdoors hiking and exploring with my husband and 3 children.

We are avid travelers who enjoy each new adventure that we encounter. All three of my children are very active in competitive sports.”

Favorite Fitness Quote: “Fitness is a journey not a destination”

Credentials:

RYT 500 Yoga Therapist
ACSM CPT
Senior Fit Specialist

Mobility Specialist

Yin Yoga Specialist

From Passion to Business – 10 Lessons I’ve Learned from my Journey

October 3, 2019 by Maria Sogard 1 Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Taking my passion for wellness and building a business has been an incredible journey over the past four years. One that has transpired into something so much more than I ever expected.

I recently accepted the opportunity to speak to a local group of Lady Bosses about my experience building VFit and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. While this kind of speaking engagement is a bit out of my comfort zone, I know that when we push ourselves beyond our comfort level, that’s where all the growth happens, so I had to say YES!

You can watch the full talk (link here) and of course we will outline the key highlights below. If you do watch the video, you can print and use this PDF to print notes.

This top 10 lessons list can translate to each of you for any task or dream you are working towards. In building a business from my true passion in life, I have learned to adapt and grow, learn from my mistakes, and continue to challenge myself each and every day.

Lesson 1: When opportunity knocks, be prepared to open the door.

Action is the foundational key to all success.

We each have a deep desire to do more of what we love, so when the universe brings new opportunities to you, you have to go for it.

Listen for those knocks in life. Sometimes they are so quiet, other times they are pounding you over the head. And sometimes those knocks come when it is time to close one door and open another.

While you may not always feel you are ready, the more you can say yes to what you know you truly want to do, you’ll bring more of that into your life and get closer to living the life of your dreams.

Lesson 2: NOT KNOWING what you are getting into is sometimes better than over analyzing every detail.

The key to success is to start before you are ready.

You’ll never know all the answers! None of us do. Think about it, having a child, getting married. Prep all you want and can, each and every experience will be unique and challenge you to grow from.

I joke often that I thank my lucky stars I had NO idea what I was getting into. But there is so much truth in that. I had a 2 ½ year old and 6 month baby when I started VFit. And a few years later another baby blessing was delivered to us!

If I knew all this journey would have entailed, I probably would have gotten overwhelmed and not have taken that first step.

You will always be learning and evolving, don’t be afraid to just take ACTION. Get out of your own mind of being perfect. Perfection will hold you back from greatness.

Fear of the unknown can paralyze you and you have to just take that leap of faith and learn as you go.

Lesson 3: There is no greater power than that of a well-connected TEAM.

The dream is in the team.

If you take one tip, take this one! Do not go it alone.

Your actual professional team, your family team, your friend team, your customer team! Have as many teams in your life as you can.

Heck, I consider my housekeeper my teammate because she saves my sanity every 2 weeks by helping unload some of my house work.

There’s so much more you can do and create with a team alongside you. Finding a group that shares your mission and vision is the key to success. Each person brings their own unique skills and expertise.

You learn from each other, support each other through the tough times and as the next lesson states………..

Lesson 4: You can’t do EVERYTHING. Know where you bring the most and least value – outsource as needed.

The steps you take don’t have to be big, they just have to move you in the right direction.

Find your lane and what you know you have locked down and work to find help in areas that are weighing you down.

While you should know how to do everything in your business to some extent, you can’t do everything for the long term.

I know we can’t afford to outsource or bring on help for all tasks, but if one is seriously draining your time/energy, work hard to shift that task off your plate.

While it may be a challenge initially to lean on others and take those steps, once you leave yourself free to do what you are good at and save the rest for others who can help, you’ll have more focus and energy to move your project along in the right direction.

Lesson 5: Have open lines of COMMUNICATION with your clients/team, be willing to ask questions and make changes.

Choose change before change chooses you.

COMMUNICATE and do it often. Most misunderstandings are simply a lack of communication both in personal and professional life.

It is important to focus on communication, to listen, be proactive, and when necessary, reactive when things do not work out as planned.

Your clients and team like to be heard. Their input is valuable and you should treat it like gold.

You need to be observant, analyze the results, and be quick to adapt when needed.

Lesson 6: Have SYSTEMS in place!!

This one isn’t as fun, but it is necessary. Have systems, automate some tasks, have funnels, get some structure in your life.

By definition, a system is: ‘a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network’ and ‘a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method.

Systems are meant to make getting things done possible in an efficient, and repeatable way.

DECISION FATIGUE is a real syndrome. Having to make thousands of decisions in a day, no matter how big or small, can be overwhelming. And that often time leads to burn out and falling back on less than desirable choices or habits.

Lesson 7: Know your CORE values – live, sleep, and breathe them in everything you offer.

Fit is not a destination, it’s a way of life.

To enjoy the journey and to attract the type of people you want to be around, you can not waiver on this one! And it’s tough in the big ol world of business and opinions.

Hold true to what you believe in in everything you do with your project.

Live, breathe, and dream with your core values and you will feel good laying your head to bed each night.

Sometimes that takes making the tougher decision or taking the road less travelled.

Keep in mind that what grows from your passion will be reflected in how you do each and every step along the way. What is important to you? Walk the walk, be a living example of what you wish to achieve, and it will fall in line with your core values.

Lesson 8: You can’t be EVERYONE’S cup of tea and you don’t want to be.

Always being comfortable won’t get you to where you want to be, real change happens when you let yourself be uncomfortable.

Learn to be okay with negative feedback. You cannot please everyone, that is not your goal.

Hold true to your true focus and mission, find your target, and keep steadfast faith that if you do your best, you’ll reach those you are looking to serve with a high quality solution that you 100% stand behind.

Lesson 9: Fill YOUR tank as often as needed. Invest in yourself.

Make yourself a priority. At the end of the day, you are your longest commitment.

You cannot pour from an empty cup. Be mindful that you need to continue your own self care and remain strong as a leader in whatever you do.

Continue to take time to learn from mentors, be inspired, continue education, take breaks and vacations. Know when you are neglecting yourself and dial back in to what’s important to you.

It is not the quantity of time, but the quality of that time you put in.

Lesson 10: Be willing to work hard and not afraid to SUCCEED. There is no such thing as failure.

Don’t be upset by the result you didn’t get with the work you didn’t do.

There will be challenges along the way, fall forward and lean into mistakes as you take them as opportunities to learn and grow.

Even the greatest of basketball players Michael Jordan missed half the shots he took! But you have to take the shots. The only failure in this life is not doing what you are meant to do, not taking the risk, and not serving your purpose.

You cannot succeed if you do not start!

In health,

Rachele, Maria, and the VFit Team

Run the Day or the Day Will Run You

August 19, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

At VFit, we believe there’s two ways to live your life.

One is being REACTIVE.

We have all been reactive at times, it happens to us ALL! But if you find that more of your time is spent being reactive, it’s time to change the script in your mind.

Letting situations outside of you control, run your emotions, mood and actions. Being reactive leads to high levels of stress, regret and takes A LOT of energy to live in that state. It is exhausting to constantly be reacting to people and situations when life doesn’t go as planned……. Which if you are living in the same world we are, happens EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Spending time around reactive people is quite exhausting as well, and can leave you in that state of being.

Being reactive takes so much time and energy, that most living this way become stuck and can never quite move forward toward their true life potential. Being reactive runs your tank down to empty and leaves very little energy left to chase dreams.

But good news if you are currently finding yourself stuck in this “world” – YOU CAN CHANGE! Like anything, having the will, commitment and discipline to better yourself, can change your relationship with your own thoughts and actions.

At VFit, we work really dang hard to spread the tools to the world, so that we can all live a PROACTIVE life!

We have a big saying at the end of our classes that we tell ourselves and our members, “By taking this time to exercise and take care of yourself for 15-30 short minutes, you now RUN the day, the day doesn’t need to run you!”.

Self-care is not a luxury only reserved for those with excess time, money and means. It is critical care that each and every person deserves and needs!

By taking the 15-60 minutes a day to care for YOU, you give yourself the power and control to run your days, not have your days run you!

For us, exercise and slowing down are the 2 best ways to set ourselves us to be PROACTIVE.

They may be on the yin and yang side of the spectrum, but both forms of self-care are incredibly powerful.

You know that feeling after a great workout? The one where endorphins are rushing through your entire body and you feel on top of the world? Like you can go out and accomplish anything you set your mind to? Because you can!

Through the act of showing up, working hard, and filling your body with fresh blood/oxygen, you empowered your entire day! YOU are unstoppable.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, reacting at my kids, getting nothing productive done, stressing out over my to-do list and then I stop, log into my workout and BAM – I turn into a patient, productivity machine!

That time I just spent on ME, actually created more productivity, happiness and life in my days!

My workout didn’t “take up” my precious time, it got me in alignment to enjoy and be more present in my day.

Another surefire way to turn from REACTIVE to PROACTIVE, is to actually slow down and tune in! To journal, to stretch, to meditate or take some conscious rest.

In this high tech and fast world, many wear being “busy” as a badge of honor. But it really isn’t about the quantity of things you have on your plate, but the quality of how you fill those minutes in life.

If meditating and slowing down are foreign concepts to you. Guess what? That right there is where you need to start if you are going to lead a more proactive life and be led by your dreams.

Even taking just 5 to 10 minutes to slow down each day can have a significant impact on your mind, body, and spirit. From our VFit Take 10 blog by Trainer Shari, to our 15 minute Stretch it Out EXPRESS series, to our nightly Unwind classes and various yoga formats we offer – these are all tools that will help you slow down, tune in, and settle with your own thoughts.

These days with media coming at you from every direction, from your phone, computer and car radio, it’s so easy to get distracted and zone out.

We challenge you this week to take at the minimum five minutes and instead of zone out, zone IN. To see just how powerful a 5 minute break in your day can be for you to listen to your heart and find what may lead you to a more proactive life.

In health,

PS If the sound of adding more mindfulness is appealing, or even the opposite, if it’s TERRIFYING to you, we encourage you to sign up for our September program called Mindful Moments brought to you by VFit trainers Steff and Shari. This program will run the full month and help you each day to create more space for you.

You Aren’t a Tree, if Something Isn’t Working, Change Your Conditions

July 22, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Being outside and connecting with nature is such a huge part of wellness that is often overlooked these days. The fanciest, most high tech studios are coming out on every corner. Many having the feel more like a nightclub, than a fitness studio. And why that is all good by us, we love reaching beyond the norm of a traditional gym, there is a big piece of health that we feel MANY are missing out on these days………

Getting outside!

And we aren’t talking purely for the benefits you get with Vitamin D coming from the sun. We believe when you get outside and soak in different sites, sounds and levels of energy, you are doing a huge benefit to your physical and mental well being.

At a time when most of us have jobs that keep us indoors, a long commute, then head home to make dinner, eat indoors, then go to bed, where’s the outdoor time? You can literally navigate 90%+ of your life these days without having to step foot outside. Drive-thru’s, grocery delivery, Amazon (guilty as charged here!), food delivery, etc.

But as humans, it is crucial that we get fresh air and time to unplug every single day if possible. This is an area that even a few minutes of effort on can reap a huge return on your time investment.

At VFit, we live by 7 Pillars of health and getting outside is one of them. That means, our core values on what makes a well rounded and healthy person, getting outside ranks as important to us as exercise and food! GASP, we said it and we mean it.

Even a few minutes outside can bring you a huge host of benefits such as: increased mental clarity, boosted immunity, a greater sense of being, grounding to your true self and a moment to UNPLUG.

In this tech driven world, even taking a few minutes to step outside and listen to the birds chirping, or to take a walk all alone, can do more to your health and well being than a 30 minute workout. Or you can even multi-task and do a workout outside!

We can get so stuck in a routine and stuck in our box, that we can forget the joys of being outside.

We chose this image and yoga pose (“tree pose” for those who are not familiar) to bring a strong visual to this week’s inspirational message:

“You are not a tree. If things are not working for you, change your conditions.”

We invite everyone to find 10 minutes this week to head outside and take a couple moments with each sense with our VFIT 10 Minutes with the Senses Outside:

Sight – Look up at the sky and colors and shades above you, whether blue, or shades of grey with clouds. Check out the landscape around you, the shades of green, brown, maybe the flora around you is in bloom.

Touch – Now walk around and focus on the feeling of your foot as you step onto the earth. Gravity’s pull bringing you to the ground. If you can, even take off your shoes and practice the art of ‘grounding’ – walking barefoot in a mindful state. At a chemical level, the ions between you and the ground are shared when you do this. How does the air feel around you? Is it humid? Run your hands through the grass, along some tree bark, along the warm stones in your driveaway.

Hearing – Get yourself into a safe area to do so, and then close your eyes. Settle in a comfortable position, then use a few moments to listen. Quiet your mind and focus on the sounds around you. The blue jays, buzzing bees, passing cars, waves crashing, distant sounds of lawn mowers or construction down the road.

Smell – This one is likely the easiest, as our olfactory sense never turn off. Even when we run around busy as can be, you’ll ALWAYS be able to smell the spray of a skunk or the blooming of your peonies in the yard. Take a moment while outside and see what else you can smell. The smell of the ocean or a salt marsh? Perhaps you smell your garden mulch, or lavender from your garden.

Taste – Finally we come to taste. While we do not advocate too much on this one outdoors unless you KNOW it’s something safe to eat such as a fresh strawberry from your strawberry patch, another way to do this one outdoors is to practice mindful eating. Grab something to eat, take it outside, and before you put in your mouth, truly focus on it then take a bite and chew at least 20 times before you swallow. As you focus on chewing and the enzymes in your saliva break down the food, notice the subtle differences in taste. Mindfulness while eating helps promote healthier digestion.

Now that was just 10 minutes of not doing anything in particular, but just being outside. How did that feel for you?

Imagine now, letting in more mindfulness of the senses while you are outside AND then adding in more outdoor activity on top of that.

A big complaint that many have about keeping up with their exercise routines is that they are bored. They feel stuck. That they lack the motivation to want to go to the gym anymore. And to be honest, we can’t blame them! Going to the same exact space each time, with the same equipment, stale indoor air, maybe even the same playlist of music. There’s NOTHING fresh there. There’s no heightening of the senses, no variation.

We encourage our members to take their workouts outside whenever possible. Whether its logging in with their device anywhere they can find service – and we’ve seen it all, from ponds, beaches, backyards, to playgrounds! – or simply hiking or a jog, we know that there’s just so much good that comes from spending more time outdoors.

Getting yourself outside more will bring your more happiness, boost your energy, increase the ever popular Vitamin D level, build mental abilities by helping you think more clearly, and again, boost that immunity and shake things up.

We challenge each of you to work to add in more outdoor time this week and see how you feel by week’s end. Start with the VFIT 10 Minutes with the Senses Outside and see where that takes you!

Rachele, Maria and the VFit dream team!

Take 10 – Find Your Beach

July 16, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

From Shari:

“Even when on vacation with our favorite people on Earth, we may need to take 10. If you have never felt the need for a little alone time on vacation, my guess is that you are not traveling with teenagers. Kidding—not kidding!

Directions:

1. Find a comfortable place.

2. Press play.

3. Close your eyes.

4. Transport to your own beach paradise.

5. Let yourself let go and breathe for 10 minutes.”

Where will you take 10?

About Shari

“Born and raised in Texas, I was a competitive gymnast in grade school and went on to be a competitive twirler in High School.

I attended college at The University of Texas in Austin, majoring in English and Kinesiology.

With my 3 children now in school, I returned to my first career as a group exercise instructor.

Yoga is one of my favorite styles to teach because it has something for everyone. It is healing and strengthening all in one. It truly is the complete package.

When not in the gym teaching, I enjoying spending time outdoors hiking and exploring with my husband and 3 children.

We are avid travelers who enjoy each new adventure that we encounter. All three of my children are very active in competitive sports.”

Favorite Fitness Quote: “Fitness is a journey not a destination”

Credentials:

RYT 500 Yoga Therapist
ACSM CPT
Senior Fit Specialist

Mobility Specialist

Yin Yoga Specialist

Opportunity Will Knock, Prepare to Let it In

July 15, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

We are so amped up after our full house classes all morning long and are ready for some serious straight talk with you all today. The VFit studio was SO BUSY this morning, we actually had to double check our calendar that is was JULY and not January. But that is just yet another testament to this amazing team and platform. Being fit and healthy is possible ALL year long.

So now on to some straight talk, because to be honest, there are plenty of you reading this right now that truly need to soak this lesson in and than to take ACTION on what we are so passionate about, and that is…..

Each and every day, opportunity comes to you.

Today’s theme: “Opportunity will knock, prepare to let it in.”

There’s many many ways to live your life. There’s the route of comfort, doing the same thing – whether it’s working or not

– OR –

There’s the less traveled path with more unknowns, but with a huge upside! Living your life, spending time outside of your comfort zone.

Living in the growth mindset of wanting to do better for yourself, your family, this world. Rising up to things that scare you or make your arm hair stand up. Being able to make big changes in your life, when you know they are necessary. Knowing when it is time for a change!

Are you going on today, much like you did yesterday and the day before? Going through the motions of life, but living in the safe place where your pendulum is always in the middle? Never quite challenging yourself or changing yourself?

Feeling totally stuck at a job, in a relationship, with your own health? Lacking results? Wishing there was more to your day, but you just are not making any changes ?

So many of us stick with the above because of the fear of unknown. Yes, we may not be quite happy with where we are at, but we are comfortable with it, because we’ve been living in it for so long.

But what if, what if you started going about your days prepared to do one thing that scares you EVERY SINGLE DAY? Prepared to let opportunity in when it comes knocking to you. When we talk about something that scares you, we don’t mean you need to go sky diving or bungee jumping every day.

But what we do mean is that to thrive in this life, to enjoy the ride and to continue to grow as a person, you must get outside your comfort zone and let opportunity in when it is knocking! Sometime the knock is so whisper quiet, but it’s still there.

Maybe it is sitting down and having that talk you need with your boss, maybe it is asking your spouse for more help in an area, maybe it is saying NO to another event for your kids, maybe it is not doing the dishes before bed, maybe it is trying a new workout you are intimidated by, maybe it is actually scheduling YOUR SELF CARE………

Doing something every day that is out of your comfort zone truly is POWERFUL! Don’t believe us? Try it each day for a week and see how empowered you feel.

Life is going to be hard sometimes, it can be downright brutal in fact. But when you take the time during your everyday life, to train for the unknown, to continue to grow as a person, to get uncomfortable, to let opportunities in – you realize that most of the magic in this world comes from the journey and not the destination we all think we should be striving for.

What if you let go of waiting for ‘the perfect time’ to make changes or start a new exercise routine?

If you really think about it, every single day opportunity is coming to you. Your friend is asking you to meet up after work for a walk. Your husband is asking if you’d like to take time off from kid duty and have some me time. Your neighbor is telling you all about her new exercise routine that’s pushing her limits and making her feel so good and youthful again!

Are you listening to things like the above thinking about how it’s just not the right time for YOU to do it?

Guess what?! There’s never going to be a perfect time. You’ll always run into bumps along the way. There will be weeks when your workouts will be spot on and then you’ll get a stomach bug that may floor you for 5 days. It happens! But you know what, you continue on.. You don’t just stop working on yourself when you fall down. You get back, up. Even it’s not pretty, or the same it was when you were in your 20s. You do the best you can do today – for you.

Opportunities to take care of yourself come to you all the time, you can only change your life if you let them in. You are in control of your life, right here and right now.

Any excuse you plug into for why you aren’t taking care of yourself is just that. It’s an excuse. You have every right “not” to take care of yourself, but that is exactly what it is, your right, no one else’s. Life isn’t too busy that your own well being doesn’t matter – ever. We have a member going through her second round of CHEMOTHERAPY and she still shows up to 2-3 classes a week and does what she can. I can’t think of many stories more inspiring than that.

If you are ready to stop making excuses and take your own health into your own hands, you have to let opportunity in. You have to just COMMIT and go all in. You can’t half “arse” your health, you just can’t. You need to be consistent, dedicated, and give yourself a realistic amount of time to reap the rewards that come along with self-care.

If you let your health slide for the past 5-10 years, do you really think in a month or 2 you are going to be in peak shape? No! But you will be 2 months further in your journey, rather than 2 more months behind if you keep putting it off.

If there’s no time in the day, you set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier and get it done while the rest of the world is sleeping and hit the sack a few minutes earlier. Yes, it may sting to get up earlier, but NOTHING beats that top of the world feeling you get once that workout is done first thing in the morning!

Even breaking up workouts into smaller chunks, as small as 5 minutes, ADDS up. Every single time we checked, 5 is greater than 0. Every time. Start carving it out and let it build up. You’ll start feeling better moving that body and seek out more time.

Believe in yourself. Know that you are worthy of the time you take each day for self care. Say yes to your own success. Find your team that will support you.

Rachele, Maria and the VFit dream team!