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Day in the Life as a Nutritionist and Mom of Three with Tessa Florio
96 Plays2 years ago
This week we’re chatting with Tessa Florio of Tessa Florio Wellness. She shares the details of her journey to becoming a mom to her three daughters. From the loss of her mom while pregnant with her first daughter, to discovering her passion for nutrition and ultimately earning her masters degree, to now starting her own business, all while raising her daughters with her husband Frank, Tessa's journey is truly an inspiring one.
EPISODE NOTES:
1. Follow @tessafloriowellness on Instagram and visit Tessa’s website: https://www.tessafloriowellness.com/ to learn more about her one-on-one nutrition coaching!
2. Tessa’s website designer and social media team: Yes Ma’am Creative Agency (yesmaamagency.com)
3. Pelvic Floor Program: The Fourth Trimester Reconnect (https://www.armoniamama.com/the-fourth-trimester-reconnect)
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Transcript
Introduction of Tessa Florio
00:00:13
Speaker
All right. Hey everyone. Welcome to Best Mom Ever. Today we have an awesome guest who I'm really excited. I'm always excited, but I'm really excited about this one. Today we have Tessa Florio. She is the owner and founder of Tessa Florio Wellness. I'm really excited to have her here to talk to you guys because she has really
00:00:32
Speaker
done a lot. She has three girls and I'll let her get into all that. But since having three girls, she's also gone back to school and gotten her master's degree and started her own business.
Family and Life Challenges
00:00:43
Speaker
And so I thought that she would be a really great person to talk to you guys, not only about being a mom, but about going back to school while doing that and starting a business. So Tessa, thanks so much for coming today.
00:00:54
Speaker
Of course, I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me. Yeah, sure. Okay, so I want to jump right in and I want to hear about your family and kind of how your journey to motherhood started, where it all began back in the beginning. Yeah.
00:01:10
Speaker
Yeah. So, um, just to give you a background on my family. So I am married to my husband and we have three little girls ages four, almost three. Um, she'll be three in a couple of weeks and then five months. So we are busy with them. It's always fun and they, they definitely keep us on the go and on our toes and
00:01:38
Speaker
my journey to motherhood started in 2019. That's when I had my first daughter. And I would say it was, you know, a little bit of a rough ride, not in the sense of, I guess both in the sense of pregnancy and then what was going on in my personal life at the time. So I,
00:02:03
Speaker
Just to take it back there, in January of 2019 is when my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first daughter.
00:02:12
Speaker
And at the time we didn't know so we didn't find out. We didn't want to find out the gender and we wanted to keep it a surprise. So that was exciting. And then unfortunately in that same month is when my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. So that was kind of happening simultaneously. You know, we found out we were pregnant with our first daughter. My mom, we found out my mom had pancreatic cancer. So,
00:02:41
Speaker
there was a lot of back and forth going from where we live to going to be with her. And luckily at the time my job allowed me to work there as well. So I would go there pretty much every month to see her. She was doing treatment, things like that, you know, the many doctors appointments and it was a little bit back and forth with that. And then
00:03:06
Speaker
in June of that year is when things kind of took a turn for the worst with her. We got the call my husband and I down here that we found out she would be put on hospice and
00:03:21
Speaker
After that, I was six months pregnant at the time. So we wanted to obviously go back to be with her. So my husband was here and he said, you know, let's just go to the doctor, make sure everything's okay. Check on you, check on the baby. You've obviously been under a lot of stress lately. So let's just go make sure everything's okay. So we went to the doctor's appointment, they did an ultrasound, checked everything out and
00:03:46
Speaker
That's when they actually found out what they call it. It's such a weird name, but they call it an incompetent cervix. So basically my cervix was shortening and it was, I was high risk for preterm labor. So I was hospitalized immediately after that appointment. Um, I was placed in the hospital for.
00:04:07
Speaker
probably about a week and then you know there was many things said during that time like you're going to be on bed rest the rest of your pregnancy you're going to be in the hospital the rest of your pregnancy um well obviously simultaneously this is going on with my mom at home and we are
Reflections on Motherhood and Loss
00:04:23
Speaker
you know 18 hours away driving so it's not really easy in an easy way to get there um
00:04:32
Speaker
So yeah, I was hospitalized for about a week. Luckily, I was able to go home. They determined that, you know, I would go home, I would just have to be placed on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I was around, yeah, like I said, like 28 weeks pregnant at the time. So I went home to my apartment here and I was able to be home, just be on bed rest and not really,
00:05:00
Speaker
do much, you know, bed rest is such a weird thing because it's like, they don't really know, but they just want to take the most precaution as possible. Right. And you know, obviously you're pregnant, so, um, they have to be as safe as possible. And then unfortunately, I think it was probably like two days or three days after I had gotten out of the hospital, my mom passed away and that was like,
00:05:27
Speaker
Oh man. Yeah. That a lot of, a lot of emotions. It was a crazy time because I wanted to go home and see her. Of course. Like I wanted to go home to be with my family, be there for the funeral. And I wasn't even able to do that. I mean, I remember my husband calling my doctor, telling him everything that was going on. And it was
Career Transition and Education
00:05:49
Speaker
basically, I mean, a situation where he was like,
00:05:52
Speaker
Does your wife want to lose, you know, her mother and the baby in the same week, you know, so, and again, you know, they have to be, you know, they have to tell you like worst case scenario. Of course, you know, I understand that, but that, you know, kind of stopped me in my tracks and put it into perspective, like, okay, I can't be there. You know, I'm not going to be able to be there with my family during this time. So.
00:06:15
Speaker
Of course, that was really tough. And it's kind of crazy because I'm, you know, a very active person. So bed rest, you would think everyone would, when I tell them I was on bed rest, my first pregnancy is always like, Oh my gosh, that must have been so hard. And I'm like, honestly, it wasn't as hard as it should have been because I didn't want to do anything. You know, I had just lost my mother. She was
00:06:40
Speaker
you know, very much my best friend. Like we were so close, me, her and my sister growing up, it was always us doing everything together. So we were very, very close. And, um, you know, like I said, it was like, I honestly, it didn't bother me that much because I didn't want to be doing anything at all. So it wasn't as hard being on bed rest as it probably would have been at any other time in my life.
00:07:06
Speaker
Right. And then that was in July. So she passed away in July. And then we welcomed our daughter in September of that year. So which that was, you know, that was a pretty amazing thing. Like I said, we didn't want to find out the gender before. So then when she was born, obviously we found out and
00:07:26
Speaker
she was a girl. So that was really special to me because it was, you know, yeah, of course I did want that bond like I had with my mom. So it was just, you know, kind of special that she was a girl and, and that was amazing. So yeah, that was, that was with our first and that was definitely, um, a very rare, I would say introduction into motherhood, but it kind of, you know,
00:07:55
Speaker
set the tone, I think I have also have such a unique perspective because that happened. You know, they always say, there's good things that come out of every situation, which it's very, very, very difficult to find good things. And this situation, of course, I still find it hard, you know, but I will say, you know, in retrospect now, it'll be five years in July that she passed away.
00:08:18
Speaker
One of the one of the good things that I do see is that I have I feel like I have this unique perspective of motherhood to where it's like, you know, I realize what's truly important and it, it really did change my whole perspective like having our first daughter and
00:08:36
Speaker
then my husband and I realizing so many things about parenthood and we want more kids, we want a big family. And like that to us is truly what is most important is having this family and I'm one of three. So we definitely always knew that we wanted a bigger family. And then, yeah, after that, my other two, our second daughter was born in 2021 and that was
00:09:05
Speaker
That was even a different experience as well. I didn't have to be placed on bed rest, which was nice, but I still had the issues. So I've always been high risk in all of my pregnancies because of that. And then fast forward to this pregnancy. I just had my daughter in November of 2023, and I was technically considered high risk, but I didn't have any issues the whole time. I was able to do my normal routine for the first time in any pregnancy.
00:09:34
Speaker
able to work out and yeah, so I would say each pregnancy and child has definitely been very different. I can only imagine and first I want to say I'm so sorry about the loss of your mom and I truly can't imagine going through that and I think you're probably one of the strongest people I know that has gone through that. And of course now you have three beautiful daughters and they're healthy thank God and everything
00:10:03
Speaker
You know, and that department worked out, but I can only imagine the emotional effects of that. And I guess I'm curious when you, so after your first pregnancy, were you, because of the experience you had had with that, were you apprehensive at all to do it again? Or like you said, you guys had had a total perspective shift, you and your husband, and you said, now we know, or now we are
00:10:28
Speaker
solidified in our feeling that family is all that matters. We want a big family. We want all the babies running around and there was no apprehension at all. Or were you a little bit nervous about it? Um, I definitely, I feel like I wasn't nervous. It's kind of weird, you know, even when I had, when we had our second daughter, like looking back
00:10:51
Speaker
I had come you know such a long way in my grief journey because that was obviously a big part of it like when we had our first I didn't I just wanted to be like in the apartment with her and
Balancing Family and Business
00:11:03
Speaker
with my husband you know it was hard to it really was like that has definitely been a journey um and I was like you know I kind of wanted to be in our little bubble anyways and then
00:11:15
Speaker
with the second, it was obviously started to change because I had come such a long way with everything and working through my own grief journey. But I don't think I ever really had any apprehensions. Actually, I just like, like I said before, we just knew we wanted a big family. I didn't really think twice about it. I knew if I prepared, you know, myself in the best way possible and took care of myself that maybe it could look a little different. And I knew
00:11:44
Speaker
you know, the stress that was on my body and all of that probably played a role in some things that happened, of course, but I kind of just, you know, I was ready for it no matter what. And I was, you know, ready to, we were ready to have a second. So. Yeah. And now your husband, husband is like surrounded by all the girls.
00:12:05
Speaker
Surrounded by all the girls. Yeah, that's yeah, that's my favorite question. Are you guys gonna go for the boy? I'm like if I had a dollar for every time somebody said that to me I'm sure but there's so special like it just a gang of girls my mom is one of three sisters and I know they were all super close growing up and like I Don't know. I think a bunch of girls seems great
00:12:29
Speaker
Of course, I love that. And I'm obviously biased because that's all I have. And that's all I know. But I knew, you know, and I have a sister as well that I'm very, very close to. So after we had our first girl with, with the second, we did find out with her early on. And I was, you know, I was very excited because again, you know, I wanted that bond for my oldest to have with a sister, like I had with my sister and I still have with my sister to this day. So that was very special. And then
00:12:59
Speaker
you know, throw a third one in there. And my husband says all the time, like, I hope because our two, the two older ones are very close. And he's always like, I hope the little one I hope she, I hope they like, she joins in and they accept her too. And they play with her. I'm like, they will. It's fine. Don't worry. Just because they're so close now. And obviously she's so little. I'm like, it'll happen. Don't worry. Yeah. So
00:13:27
Speaker
did the loss of your mom kind of, and that perspective shift you were talking about, which I think happens at least a little bit for everyone. I think there's a big perspective shift for women when they become moms. I definitely experienced that for sure. And you kind of realize more what's important. Maybe things used to be really important to you aren't anymore, but especially with the loss of your mom, I mean, that's just a real,
00:13:53
Speaker
I can understand like a real reality check about what, what matters in this world, you know? Um, but did that kind of inform your decision to go back to school? Yes, a hundred
Daily Life and Support Networks
00:14:08
Speaker
percent. And just to your point that, you know, everyone has a little bit of a change and they become a mother. I think that's actually scientifically proven that you do change when you become a mother.
00:14:19
Speaker
Um, so that's very interesting. Like, yeah, I, I'm sure 100%. Yeah. Yeah. And that the, the influence to go back to school or the decision to go back to school rather a hundred percent was influenced by my mother because I knew, I think, you know, I, I have a bit of a unique perspective too of like, that I had a career before.
00:14:49
Speaker
this one and I retired from that. And then, you know, later in my life, I was going back to decide what I really wanted to do long-term for a career. So having, you know, being able to make that decision a little bit later in my life and essentially after I already had a child, I think helped me in ways because I figured out what I really wanted to do. And I knew after having my first child and after seeing my mom, my mom was
00:15:17
Speaker
you know, a business woman, she ran her own social service agency. She started a school as well, which is now named in her honor. She had three different master's degrees. So she was very much a working woman that was also very dedicated to her family. So I knew, you know, when I became a mother that I wanted to have that as well. I wanted to have a career that I could kind of mold around my children, but I still wanted to have my own thing. So I think that was,
00:15:45
Speaker
you know that definitely has worked in my favor that I went back to school later on in my life and because I knew I really wanted to again have a career myself but I also want to be able to make it to all my kids events and after school activities and things like that so that's why having you know now my own business is very beneficial and I love how that worked out and I that's
00:16:14
Speaker
I definitely wanted wanted it to work out that way. And going back to school, I knew it was it was the year after one year after my mom had passed because it was my daughter's first birthday actually when I when I took my first exam in my master's program.
00:16:35
Speaker
I mean, I just knew that I had to decide what I really wanted from my life. And I had to decide what would bring me joy and what would make me happy. And, you know, after a year of losing her, it was like, okay, now is the time
Starting a Career Later and Conclusion
00:16:51
Speaker
you have to do this. And, you know, luckily I found
00:16:55
Speaker
the pathway I wanted to go on, the master's program I wanted to do, it was the only master's program I applied to because I knew that was the one I wanted and I was like, I'm doing this one. And yeah, she 100% influenced that and still very much so influences everything I do to this day from my schooling and into my business now. Yeah. And so just for the listeners, what exactly did you get your master's degree in?
00:17:21
Speaker
My master's is in nutrition, so master's in human nutrition. And before that, you were a professional soccer player, right? For a time. Yes. Yeah. So I was a professional soccer player, so I played
00:17:35
Speaker
probably for, it ended up being six years. So I played overseas for the majority of that time in Sweden and in Finland. And I was kind of back and forth because I suffered multiple injuries with my knee. So I was kind of back and forth in that time, but for the majority, you know, pretty much the better half of four years I was there. And then I came to the US and played one season in Houston.
00:18:01
Speaker
And then I went to preseason in Washington, DC and preseason. I got released in DC from the team. And after that, I was like, okay, I'm done. My husband and I were married for two years already at the time. And I was like, okay, that's it. I don't even want to try, you know, talk to my agent to find another team. I'm done. I want to go be with my husband and start our life. So.
00:18:26
Speaker
Just for the listeners, the way we met is actually through your husband because he and I went to law school together. Was he already in law school when you were still playing and you guys were long distance? I don't think I remember that. Yeah. So we actually did long distance for seven years.
00:18:46
Speaker
So yeah, we met an undergrad. And then shortly after we started dating, he actually transferred to another school for baseball. So he we stayed dating that whole time. And then we're the same age, but I graduated a year before him because he transferred. So he took a red shirt year. So the year I graduated, I ended up going overseas to play and that was in 2011. And then
00:19:14
Speaker
the following years when he graduated, he actually played independent baseball professionally for a couple years as well before he went back to law school. So we got married in 2015 and three days after we got married, I went back to Sweden to finish out my season.
00:19:36
Speaker
Yeah, I went back to Sweden and finished out my season and then I came back in December of that year and then that's when we took our honeymoon and did all that when he was because he had started law school that same that same year he started he started we got married a week into him starting law school as well.
00:19:55
Speaker
My gosh, I don't remember that. That is wild. And the first year of law school, really the first semester, but the first year is quite rough. So I'm sure. I'm sure. I saw second-handedly, obviously. But yeah, you guys are amazing. And it takes a lot of hard work.
00:20:11
Speaker
Yeah, yeah Okay, so that I can imagine that I mean you've always obviously been athletic you've been a healthy person in general So did that kind of inform what you wanted to go back to school for? At least have some sort of influence I'm sure you always had to at least think about what you were putting in your body and kind of what was Providing the energy you needed to play soccer well
00:20:34
Speaker
Yeah. So the crazy thing is I never really thought about that until I had my first injury, which was when I was playing professionally. So my first major injury was when I was playing in Sweden, I blew out my knee completely. I tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus. And it was really not until after that is when I started even in college, you know, I
00:21:01
Speaker
Don't be fooled. I ate whenever I had fast food all the time. I, you know, I was not healthy by any means and even growing up, you know, I wouldn't say it was a healthy household where we, we would eat fast food a lot. Yeah. So, um, it was after that, that injury that I kind of took a step back and thought like, okay, I really should probably be more aware of how I'm feeling my body when I'm putting into my body and take better care of it.
00:21:28
Speaker
And it was kind of little by little is when I started to get into nutrition a little more and just started to become more aware of the things I was eating. And when I would come back home in the off season, I started to think of things and kind of just slowly changed the way that I was eating. And it was just.
00:21:52
Speaker
again being more aware of ingredients and how I was fueling my body instead of eating essentially a lot of processed foods. And then when I fully decided to go back to school, I knew I wanted to do, I always knew I wanted to do something kind of in the healthcare field, science. My undergrad degree is integrative health science.
00:22:15
Speaker
You know, I always kind of had that foundation of science in me. So I knew it was something in that realm. And I kind of went back and forth with what I wanted to do until really I found this program that exactly lined up with everything I wanted and took more of a functional approach. And after that, it was just the rest is history.
00:22:36
Speaker
So for anyone out there who's maybe thinking of doing that, how did you, I guess, logistically, how did you do it? Classes, exams, while also having, you said you started a year after your oldest daughter was born. So you had one young daughter and then added a second one. And then, so how did you like logistically do that? Cause I can't even, I can, you know, barely do my job and have my one child. So how did you go back to school? I think it,
00:23:07
Speaker
It really, it's definitely been a team effort and, you know, they say it takes a village and that's true.
00:23:15
Speaker
We don't have family here with us where we live, but we're so blessed that family is always willing to help and like literally jump on a plane at any time. You know, whether that's my mother-in-law or my sister, they are just kind of always ready, ready to help. So definitely that. And then, I mean, my husband, like we always say, you know, we, we are a good team and it, it was basically,
00:23:44
Speaker
first off, I couldn't do it unless I did the program that I did because it was fully online. So the program is specifically designed for those who are working another job or raising a family. So that in itself, you know, was I couldn't have done it unless the program was designed like that. And then basically how it would work is during the week, I would have at that time, you know, just
00:24:08
Speaker
my one daughter and then the weekend is when I would get all my work done. So the way the classes were scheduled is that you would have a week to finish the coursework. So new coursework would pretty much be released every Sunday. You'd have that full week and then anything was due, maybe midweek there'd be one thing due on Wednesday and then Sunday everything for that week was due and then it would kind of restart again and then all of your exams
00:24:36
Speaker
are online as well. You're, you know, you're on video, you have to show your ID, you have to take a picture, you have to do the room scan, all that stuff. And then you have from Friday to Sunday to take the exams on the weekends. So it was really just that, that roundabout way of like, I would always work, I would always be with my daughter during the week and my husband would be working and then the weekends we would switch, I would do all my schoolwork. He would be with my daughter on the weekend.
00:25:05
Speaker
And that's kind of how we worked it out. I mean, like I said, it's very, it's very much been a team effort. And I, there's no possible way I could have done it without him. And then I think just, it's like you kind of just do what, you know, it's, it's like, okay, this is what I want to do. And I'm going to figure out a way to do it. And.
00:25:27
Speaker
I remember when I got pregnant with my second, you know, people were like, you're crazy. You already have one daughter and you're trying to do school. How are you going to do this with another? And it's just like, you know, you kind of, you work through it and you figure it out and you kind of figure out what works best for you. I'm not saying it wasn't hard because a hundred percent, there were times it was super hard and like, you know, similar to what you said about law school that first semester.
00:25:50
Speaker
It was kind of like that because it's a year round program. So kind of the start of every new semester, I had two classes each trimester, I guess. So two classes, you know, there'd be that week or two where I'm like, I can't do this. I don't know if I can do this. What's happening? You know, where you kind of freak out because you are in pretty intensive classes. I mean, this is you're taking
00:26:15
Speaker
all your science courses we had I believe it was four different biochemistry courses and at the start of those I would be like oh my gosh there's no way I can do this so I'm not saying there wasn't any self-doubt in there but you know you kind of just work with what you have and you figure it out and
00:26:34
Speaker
I think a little bit of is a little bit of it is that mentality that I have from being an athlete and from being at sports that it's just like, we're going to figure this out and we're going to do it if I want to do this. And also again, you know, for my mom, because I'm, I always think that now, you know, it is really tough. That's the toughest thing. And I want to ask her so many questions all the time, but also I just kind of like dig down deep and I'm like, okay,
00:27:01
Speaker
My mom did this, you know, my dad as well, but my mom did this. Come on, you can do it. Just suck it up. It'll be okay. Yeah. That's serious props to you. I get PTSD even hearing the word biochem because I, in undergrad, could be pre-med at first and I very quickly realized it was not for me.
00:27:21
Speaker
Not that is not how my brain works So I am very impressed that you could do it not only by yourself, but also caring for two babies Did you I think you had told me this before but did you take any time off after you had your second daughter? Or were you kind of just like in that go-go-go mode and you didn't want to take any time off or were you able to?
00:27:41
Speaker
Yeah, so after I had my second, I actually, you know, and that was the other thing I really do feel like at so many times, the timing with things just really worked in my favor and lined up and in so many ways. So after I had my second,
00:27:56
Speaker
I think that semester had ended maybe like a week or two before I had her. So then I ended up taking that next, you know, three or yeah, three months off. I had her in May and then I went back to school in August and started the program up again in August. So it's the program in total is 26 months and then obviously it took a little longer because I took time off. Yeah. And then, yeah.
00:28:21
Speaker
That's so I took time off after that. That's really impressive. And so you graduated recently, right? Yeah. So I graduated in August. I officially, I ended the classes in August of 2023, and then I ended up taking, we have to take a comp exam. So that's just, you know, an accumulation of all the courses you've had in the program. So I think there were 10 different courses, like the core, the core classes that I had.
00:28:51
Speaker
you had to take a comp exam over each one of those classes. And that was all on one day. This was also another thing because I took it like two weeks before I had our third daughter. Um, and that was like, I remember, you know, trying to figure out and coordinate it with my doctors because with my other two pregnancies, I had always gone early. So I had my first at 36 weeks and then the second I had at 38 weeks. So.
00:29:21
Speaker
When we factored that in, my due date was November 15th, which that was actually the day she ended up being born. I was like, oh my gosh, I've always went two weeks early at least. That's exactly when my comp exam is. So I'm going to have to figure this out. Like, am I going to have to take it early?
00:29:37
Speaker
So it ended up working out and I took it like two weeks before she was born and then she came right on her due date and I actually got the results of the exam the day that she was born and found out that I had passed. That's a great day then. Yeah, it was definitely an amazing day. I just went into labor and just delivered her.
00:30:00
Speaker
finally checked my phone three hours later. And I see a message from the director of our program. Like she had messaged us to tell us, I'm like, Oh my God, like trying to get into my account. And I'm like, Okay, wait, just enjoy the moment. Enjoy the moment. I'm like, No, I have to check right now. So now that you're done with your program, tell us about the business that you started Tessa for wellness.
00:30:23
Speaker
Yeah, so I like I like I said before, you know, I knew that I kind of always wanted to have something to wear.
00:30:32
Speaker
I could be available to my kids at any time and be able to go to all their activities and things like that. So that is why I finally, you know, ultimately decided that I wanted to start my own business. And with the degree that I had and then the license that I take my licensure exam actually in June with that license, it's pretty common that most people will go and start their own private practice.
00:30:57
Speaker
whether that is on your own virtually, you could work in a doctor's office, a different healthcare professional, which maybe eventually I will partner with an OBGYN or something like that. But I knew that I wanted to have my own business and
00:31:19
Speaker
right now, it's, you know, everything's just getting up and going. It's been really exciting lately. You know, I had somebody do my website, I got new photos and headshots as well for the website, my social media as well. So all of that is just really now in
00:31:37
Speaker
the infancy of getting up and running. And it's been super exciting to do that. And again, the help that I've had through, you know, this agency that I hired to do my website, my social media, I definitely could not have done it without them. They they've been amazing. So
00:31:52
Speaker
That's been super helpful. And again, my husband helping me with the business side of it, getting everything filed for my LLC, things like that. Helpful to have a lawyer as a husband. Yeah, actually in, in the internship that I'm in now, you know, that's one of the things they say, like an accountant and a lawyer. I'm like, okay, we got the lawyer covered. We're good. You know, he's definitely, he's very organized as well. And I typically am not only really,
00:32:20
Speaker
you know with schedules for my kids but he's very organized with like keeping things where they should go so he's been super helpful with in that regard and that's been amazing. That's great and I everything that you've posted on social media I've been following on looks incredible so definitely testament to your social media team and the website looks awesome so I'll link all of that in our show notes for any listeners who want to check it out. I know you've
00:32:45
Speaker
you're just starting up but you do consults and you're taking on clients, right? Yeah, so I'm starting to take on clients one on one and then I also do some group as well. So that could just be coming and speaking to
00:33:03
Speaker
a group because I need to also accumulate hours to get my license so in Florida specifically we need a thousand hours so I'm working my way towards accumulating all those hours and that's through one on work with my clients and we also have it's called clinical rounds and grand rounds so that's where we meet with our cohort you know every say it's twice a month and you discuss different cases and clients and you know
00:33:31
Speaker
what you can do and it's medical nutrition therapy is our scope of practice. So that's kind of how you define it.
00:33:42
Speaker
a medical nutrition diagnosis, obviously, as opposed to a medical diagnosis that you would get from a doctor. So it's from a nutrition perspective. And yes, I'm taking one on one clients through my website or through my social media. And like you said, I definitely can give all the credit to my social media team and designing my website as well, because they're just amazing. And there's no way I could do it without them.
00:34:12
Speaker
Is there a specific like client base that you're kind of geared towards and that you kind of, that's your expertise? Yeah. So I, that was another thing I feel like through becoming a mom and through my pregnancies and I feel like I'm kind of weird in that way. Even though I have, you know, a little bit of a tough pregnancy with my first, I,
00:34:39
Speaker
actually love being pregnant. And like, I just, I think it's such a beautiful thing in general, and I love it. So that played a big role in deciding the clientele that I wanted to work with, which is pretty much the fertility space. So fertility, prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum nutrition, because through my pregnancy, I had a lot of experience, you know, with that, obviously, and then
00:35:06
Speaker
I realized there's such a gap specifically in postpartum care. So that was kind of what geared me towards that decision. And I'm actually currently doing a specialization for prenatal pregnancy and postpartum nutrition. So that's definitely my niche and the population I will work with, but also a little bit of female athletes because of my background and then just women's health in general. So that can consist of
00:35:36
Speaker
you know, perimenopause, postmenopausal women, but mostly my target audience is that fertility, prenatal pregnancy, and postpartum. I love that. I think that'll be so, so useful to so many people. I also kind of am weird and pretty, I liked being pregnant. I, you know, thank God had a relatively uneventful pregnancy, but one thing that was hard is that I, before getting pregnant, I,
00:36:05
Speaker
was mostly pescatarian. So when I got pregnant, my doctor was basically like, you need to up your protein. You need to make sure you're getting enough protein. So I imagine if I had someone like you to talk to, I feel like you could have really helped me figure out some healthy ways to do that because how I ended up doing it was just eating a lot of chicken tenders. And I feel like that was fine.
00:36:28
Speaker
what she meant when she said. I like this doctor though. She's definitely on the right track. We need more like her. That's great. Yeah. I mean, she, she was great. She actually was, was wonderful. But I think she was saying, you know, like I, because I was pescatarian and I was pretty conscious about trying to get protein. I ate a lot of like tuna and salmon, you know, when you're pregnant kind of
00:36:51
Speaker
should limit some tuna because of the, and I was, I mean, when I say I was, I was having it like every day for lunch, I'd have like a tuna salad wrap. And so she was like, yeah, you can't do that, but you need protein in other ways. And I just went to like, BurgerFi and got chicken tenders, like almost every day. So I do open your protein. And I definitely, I feel like having someone like you that would have been really helpful. And so like I said, I've been following along your social media. I know you've been, um,
00:37:20
Speaker
post a lot of really helpful content for that. So even if someone isn't, you know, able to do a one on one, they can get a lot of useful tips just from following you on social media. So yeah, definitely. Yeah. And you know, eventually it'll be built up more and I'll have hopefully a blog as well. But that that's definitely my plan is just I want to through my social media, you know, I want to provide as much information and knowledge to
00:37:46
Speaker
women in general but you know people that are looking to conceive new moms and postpartum and just just give them that knowledge and information because it's there's so many things and so many gaps I feel like that are lacking for women in general but specifically you know women that are trying to conceive and new moms that
00:38:10
Speaker
It's just, it's honestly, you know, a lack of information that's out there. So that's what I hope to bring through social media is just to reach a broader audience and let them know little things that I feel like we aren't told or that, like I said, it's just such a gap in our healthcare system because a lot of, you know, recommendations that are made are just kind of like rolled over and rolled over and rolled over and there's not,
00:38:39
Speaker
you know, new research that's coming out. And it's like, okay, this is what we did before. Like, this is what we should just continue doing, you know, instead of finding that, hey, maybe that's not really the case. And we need to find out some new ways to do this and get a little more up to date with the research. Yeah. Yeah. I totally agree. And I think it's going to be a really helpful thing for so many people. So I'm very proud of you.
00:39:07
Speaker
Thank you. Thank you. It's exciting and I love it. And every time I have, you know, it's getting exciting now as I'm getting more into it. And like every time I have a call with the client, it just, it just, you know, lights a spark inside of me and I love it. And I love, you know, having found what I really want to do because it's, you know, on this backend now it seems so easy and like, okay, but like, you know, it obviously took a lot of time to figure this out. And you know, it was tough at times because
00:39:38
Speaker
My husband and I both, like I said, because we played sports and we played professionally after school, we, you know, quote unquote, got a later start to our careers. Like I'm just now starting my career and I'm going to be 35. I always forget how long I am, but I'm going to be 35, you know? So that just to say like, it's obviously never too late to find out what you love and what you want to do. But it was hard in the sense we'd be like, you know,
00:40:08
Speaker
all of our friends are, you know, doing this and doing that. And it's like, we're kind of just getting started, you know, so we may have done things a little backwards in some ways, getting married younger, and then, you know, going back to school and starting my career after having three kids. But, you know, I think it all works out in the end. And I'm just excited to have found what I really love and a passion and
00:40:35
Speaker
Like I said, because I, I love being pregnant and I love being a mom, you know, don't get me wrong. It's hard. I know a disclaimer, of course, but I want to be able to contribute in some way to other people who want to become a mother as well and like want to have that same journey. So I love being able to do that through the power of nutrition and teaching people that.
00:41:01
Speaker
You can make these changes and it's not, you know, your, your genetics are always, you know, your destiny. And there's a lot of things you can do to, to change the course of that. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Um, and since you brought up the three girls, how, I guess so logistically, how do you, how does your, since you now are starting this business and you're kind of embarking on this path too, and this working mom thing, um, and business owner, how does your,
00:41:29
Speaker
what does your day or week look like in terms of having the girls and starting up the business and childcare and obviously I know your husband works too. So how do you guys structure that? Yeah. So I think it kind of looks different. It definitely looks different every day and maybe really depending on the week, um, the two older girls are in school. So they're in school for the day and then
00:41:58
Speaker
Pretty much when I ended school, though, even though they're in school, then, you know, we had our third. So then I had another one with me at all times. So up until this point, really, I've been home with one of our daughters at all times. And whether that was, you know, through doing school and starting to see clients and starting my internship as well. So.
00:42:21
Speaker
We actually just hired help for our littlest one, our five month old. So we have that two days a week. So pretty much those two days are when I get, you know, the majority of my work done. I do this stuff for my internship. I see clients, um, during my specialization course. So those are kind of two days out of the week. I know I'll have to take a chunk of time out and actually get stuff done because before, you know,
00:42:50
Speaker
coming back from maternity leave, starting up again, it was a little tough finding, you know, the times were so sporadic and obviously she was so little. So it's like, she's waking up, she's napping every hour, she's waking up, she's napping. So there was not really a set time, but now things are kind of starting to fall into place. So where we have more of a routine, you know, we'll wake up in the morning and my husband and I get up before then, if it's a good day and you know, maybe we'll get, I definitely always like to get,
00:43:20
Speaker
breakfast and for myself is at least that's always a priority for me is getting a high protein quality breakfast. And so I can fuel myself for the day and be ready for them. And they wake up and we get the big girls ready for school. And most of the time, depending on my husband's schedule, he can take them to school and then I'll go on a walk with my little one. And then depending on the day, if we have the nanny coming or not.
00:43:46
Speaker
She'll take over after her first nap and then I'll have that chunk of time during the day to get my work done. But if not, then I'll just have her with me for the day. But she also takes two, you know, longer naps during the day. So I have that set time. And then I always pick up the girls from school. So usually I'll pick them up. And again, depending on the day, we'll
00:44:11
Speaker
I like to do I like to be on the go a lot, which is I feel like a blessing and a curse because I always feel like I have to be doing something and be going somewhere. It's like I have to remind myself like it's okay to just go home and like
00:44:25
Speaker
be home, you know, but I love to like pick them up and like, I'll have snacks in the car. It's like, okay, we're going to go to, we named the parks by the color. So it's like, we're going to go to the green park today. Yeah. Yeah. And then, or we'll go to the blue park today. So we usually do that. I mean, I like to spend a lot of time outside as well. And lucky, luckily we're in a place where we can do that pretty much year round. So I love that.
00:44:52
Speaker
And then at night, again, it really just depends on the day and my husband's schedule. But if he's home, you know, he'll put the big girls to bed because he always tells his nightly stories. He always tells them a story at night. And they'll ask me for a story. And I'm like, I don't know. I can't think of one. I'll just read. I'll read books. But he tells these like elaborate stories. And I'm like, mommy, mommy can't do that. Sorry. But he'll tell. Yes.
00:45:22
Speaker
very creative so he'll tell them a story and put them to bed and then I'll put the little one to bed and then if not it's you know if he is happens to be at work late then I'll put all three of them down and that's when I take my time I'm very like adamant my the the number one thing that I love to do to decompress and I'm
00:45:45
Speaker
I've done this like my whole life, even since I was little, I love to take baths. So that is, yes, I'm like a huge bath person, which just some people are like, what, but I swear my bath, it's just like my time to like decompress, you know, a lot of times I'll put my magnesium salts in the bath as well and just relax and
00:46:07
Speaker
Um, that's kind of like a non-negotiable for me. It's not every night, but it's honestly most nights I'll have my tea as well and just kind of wind down a little bit and then. You know, do stuff I need to do for the next day, whether that's prepping the girls' lunches. I like to pack those ahead of time, have everything kind of ready for the next day, have their uniforms laid out, things like that. Yeah. And get ready to be able to wake up, wake up the next day and go, go at it again. Yeah.
00:46:38
Speaker
mom, friends, and I call that like the nightly reset, like the house reset, the everything like you need to make the next morning kind of run a little more smoothly. So I agree, like I pack him it's lunch the night before for that same reason, because I know the next morning, like I'm running around like a chicken with no head and to try to sit and like think of a good lunch to pack him and yeah,
00:47:01
Speaker
So I agree doing everything the night before is helpful. But then I, it's always a balance, right? Cause then it, sometimes it can eat into like your, that's your time to finally relax. Um, so yeah, it's kind of hard to give that up to, to prep for the next day and do more mom things, but it does make the next day easier. Yeah. A hundred percent. Like you said, it's such a balance of like, I want this time. And then, you know, if my husband's home, I want that time with him. I want to.
00:47:29
Speaker
Kind of talk, finally talk to him, you know, for the day and check in and see how things are going and have that time with him as well. So it's definitely a balance and it doesn't always work out that way. Like this morning, I think I was packing their lunch this morning because I didn't get to it last night. That's just the way it is. I just kind of know in my head, okay, I need to probably get up a little bit earlier the next morning if I didn't pack their lunch already. So yeah.
00:47:56
Speaker
And how about, okay, so since you are, you've always been into fitness and things like that, like, do you find time? Is that something that you try to work into your day? And if so, like, how do you find time to do that with the girls? If you do want to, yeah, that's gotten or something. That's definitely, I would say another kind of like non negotiable for me is getting some type of movement in whether that and that's changed over the years significantly, you know, because I
00:48:24
Speaker
Having been a professional athlete, I think I've been so used to kind of like running my body into the ground. You have to do these intense workouts and then over time, the more, you know, the older I've got, the more I've learned about health. It's like, okay, maybe that's not the right way to do it. You know, find out what works for your body. I know after I retired from soccer, I got really into Pilates.
00:48:47
Speaker
I love doing that because it was just such a change of pace for me. I was so used to the sprinting and you know, the plyometrics, all the jumping and that stuff that I started doing Pilates and I was like, wait, I like this. You know, it's kind of slowed down a little bit. These small muscle groups that I wasn't necessarily used to working before. So I really got into that. But then once I had kids, it was hard to get to a studio and work out. Yeah. And especially since we moved, there's not as much to get to.
00:49:17
Speaker
where we are now because it is more suburbs. But I have the Peloton. We have a Peloton here. And then we also have free weights in our garage. We kind of have a little gym set up in the garage. And I mostly just use the Peloton app to do different programs or different strength workouts. So I like to lift probably two or three times a week. And then right now it's really like,
00:49:46
Speaker
those because I am breastfeeding as well. It's like, I'll lift maybe two or three times a week. And then those other days if I don't, I pretty much always get a walk in as well. So if I just get the walk in for the day, that's what I get in and I'm okay with that. Um, I'm pretty much moving at all times of the day anyway. So I don't worry about worry about that too much. I just, I like to get my lift in those couple of days just to feel good and like feel strong, especially
00:50:16
Speaker
five months postpartum, you know, I didn't start doing anything for a while. And I slowly worked back into it, you know, doing pelvic floor training program with my friend, like through my friend through her program, I did that slowly, slowly worked my way back into increasing the weights and things like that. And yeah, now now it's, you know, a little bit more intense than it was. But walking is really,
00:50:43
Speaker
I would say that's my main form of doing anything because I make sure I walk every day and I get outside, especially with my little one. Yeah. Walking, I think I definitely have done more walking now. I mean, definitely when I was pregnant, because I used to run a lot, but then when I was pregnant, I still ran a little bit, but you know, at the very end of pregnancy, it was, yeah, it got harder and harder to run long distances. And so I was walking a lot and I found that I like really, really loved it.
00:51:11
Speaker
Um, and then after I had Emmett, that became like the main, my, my, the best part of my day was going on a walk with him. Um, and still today, like that's something I love to do. I agree. Like it's, it's a great form of exercise. Uh, but not only that, but it gets you outside. It's good for your mental health. It gets, if you take, you know, it's something you can do with your baby or toddler, you can put them in the stroller if they'll, you know, now as Emmett's getting.
00:51:38
Speaker
the more defiant toddler stage, it's harder and harder. It's harder. But when he will do it, it's great because we both get outside. We get some fresh air. I get a little movement and we all feel great. So I feel like walking is just something I never thought I'd be that into, but it's my favorite thing now. Yeah. And like you said, it checks so many boxes for me because of course I'm always thinking about the full picture of health. It's like, you're getting outside and you're getting your vitamin D.
00:52:05
Speaker
Uh, oftentimes, you know, sometimes it'll just be me and my little one, but other times, you know, like Sundays, my friend where we live now, she started kind of like a mom group. So she leads a workout once a week, but then also every Sunday, there's a group of us that get together and go walk the park or some mornings, you know, there's a couple of moms before school that will text each other like, Hey, I'm going to go walk today if you want to join. So.
00:52:31
Speaker
Also, then you bring in the social aspect of it, which is so important for overall health too. And you're getting the vitamin D, you're moving your body, and you're getting the social interaction as well. So I love that it checks so many boxes too.
00:52:45
Speaker
That is awesome. And since you brought up the social aspect, that was such a good segue into mom friends. Um, how did you guys meet or like, how did that all start? Because I feel like you guys have a great group. Um, you're actually really close with our first guest, Amy. And so, um, your husbands were, I know really, they were close growing up or in college. How did they meet? Yeah. So Dami and I go back. So our husbands were actually roommates in college. So
00:53:14
Speaker
The college that my husband and I met at, so the first one he went to before he transferred. So they were roommates before that.
00:53:24
Speaker
You know, so all three of us were at that school down. He was at a different school, but obviously her, her and her husband have been together. So she was visiting all the time. You know, they played a big, they played a big role in my husband and I getting together actually. And, you know, the army will argue over whether it was her, her husband, but I'll give the credit to dams, but.
00:53:46
Speaker
Yeah, so we go back and from college, there were roommates. And then honestly, a big part of my husband deciding where to go to law school was through down his husband, because they're, you know, they're from here. And yeah, it was like, okay, that's, you know, that he wanted to apply there. So that was a huge part. And when he was deciding after he got accepted to a couple different schools, it was like, Hey, where do we want to start our lives? You know, let's, and that's,
00:54:14
Speaker
ultimately, what made us end up deciding to come here and start our lives here, you know, we could have stayed. I always loved Florida, you know, we could have stayed and went by family, but which was, you know, it's harder now, of course, with kids, but ultimately, we decided to come here. And yeah, we we've been friends for a while. So we have
00:54:42
Speaker
them down here that are kind of, you know, they're pretty much our family here and they're so amazing. And then we have a group of moms, Dayami and I, and then two other moms that were texting each other at all times. It's our little mama tribe that we call it. And so I have them. And then I also have my, actually my best friend from childhood that I grew up playing soccer with and, um,
00:55:09
Speaker
We lived, you know, a town away from each other. Our moms were very close growing up because we played on the same travel team. She actually lives here as well with her husband and her family. She's in the same town. So her and I as well, like we're text. I mean, the amount of times we text is just crazy, but also we'll meet up and go to the park and do different things together. It's like, you know, you see those memes on social media that's like,
00:55:38
Speaker
why not just add like three more kids and more coffee to the chaos and just go, go hang out with your best friend, you know? So I definitely, we're, we're blessed in that regard to where we have a solid, you know, not just moms, but like friend, friend group in general around us to support us and help us out. You know, now friends who I've met through the girls being in school as well. And it's so crucial. Like, you know, one of the moms and our mom,
00:56:05
Speaker
mom group texts, like she was the first to have a kid. So it's like, you know, then you kind of fall. And then it was like down me and then me and our other friends. So you kind of like, yeah, follow them and ask them for advice. You always ask, you know, the moms who went before you and it just kind of like trickles down. Then you keep giving it to other moms and to other moms. And that is so important to have that group because it, like we've said, and like, you know, Jordan, it's hard, you know, it's not easy at all. And
00:56:35
Speaker
You need to rely on those other moms and just knowing that you're not alone in like different, different aspects, whatever's happening at the time with your kids, like my kid's acting this way. Like, is this normal? Or did you guys go through this? Um, different things like that are just needing solidarity to it all and other things that come up, whether that is, you know,
00:57:01
Speaker
developmentally or like your breastfeeding journey or different things like that. It's just so nice to have someone and like, when you reach out to a friend, likely, you know, they've gone through the same thing or they're going through it. So, you know, I can't stress that enough, like how important it is to have that group and just to have friends that you can reach out to. Yeah, I think especially
00:57:26
Speaker
Like in your situation when you don't have family living nearby too, it's so crucial to have friends who are, like you said, are like family. Just, yeah, not only just to be able to text, but to call on, like if you're in a situation where you gotta get somewhere with your other kids and you, like I definitely can see the benefit of that. And it's so nice that you guys have such a good
00:57:54
Speaker
friend groups, support group there. So much of motherhood, I think, as I've realized, can be very isolating. And so when you have other moms who are going through it and going through it at the same time as you, or maybe they're just a step or two ahead, it could kind of get you through it and say, no, it gets better, it gets better, or give you advice. It's so helpful. I don't know how anyone would do it without having somebody, one person at least,
00:58:24
Speaker
Um, so it's great that you had that. And so lucky that like your childhood friend moved there and obviously you've got other friends there. It's just like, it's kind of an ideal situation. So that's awesome. Yeah, it is. And it's truly, it's crazy how everything does work out because, you know, my childhood best friend this year, like, you know, she had come down to visit me and ended up meeting her now husband who's from here. So then, you know, obviously she moved down here and like.
00:58:53
Speaker
It's, it's crazy how it works out. And like you said, because we don't have family here, we, and like I said, our family is amazing and they, that's, that is a good part about being where we are. Everybody wants to come visit us and they very much want to be involved in the girls' lives. And you know, they're the first, um, yeah, the, the first grandkids. So it's like even more, um, you know, my,
00:59:21
Speaker
my husband's side, like they love, they love to come down and see, see the girls whenever they can. They'll literally like fly down for one day for grandparents day. So we're so lucky for that. And then, but because we don't have them here, like having those friends, like I have a friend that I've met through the girls being in school who she has one daughter, but like,
00:59:42
Speaker
she's so, cause she knows, you know, I have three. So she'll literally be like, Hey, I'll take, you know, the two big girls today. And like, we'll go to the park. And like, she's so amazing. So the people you meet along the way and along the journey to, or, or so special when you find, you know, those really great people, you definitely have to hold on to them. Yeah, for sure. For sure. And, um, I know that like with Naomi too, you guys have really, um, it's nice that you guys have been able to lean on each other too. And you're, I think you're, we're,
01:00:13
Speaker
her daughter and your middle daughter were born like super close together within days of each other. And so that's because you could, in the middle of the night, I'm sure you could like text each other like, are you up because I'm up. Yeah, yeah, that yeah, our that was wild to have that, that all panned out. And our yes, our my middle and her youngest were born a day after each other. And I know I had mentioned to you before, like she was
01:00:37
Speaker
literally watching our oldest daughter the day she went into labor. She handed her over to my mother-in-law and then went into labor and had her daughter that night. So it's really crazy how things work out. And now it's so fun because we always have that. We always celebrate their birthdays together. So that's definitely not that we needed another reason to stay connected, but it's just something even more special. We have a picture of
01:01:03
Speaker
you know, my husband and her husband in the hospital, like holding the girls and it's like, you know, they have, they have like the same picture of like in their dorms when they were like moved in together. So it's just pretty crazy how things work out. Yeah. And that's a perfect example of like friends who become family. Like they were watching your daughter while you guys went to have your second baby and then they had their, it's just, it's like, it's so nice. It's so nice. Yeah, it's amazing. They very much are our family here and you know, her,
01:01:33
Speaker
her husband's mom is like, been a realtor and she's, she's like family as well and his dad too. So they're, they all welcome, you know, when we can't go home for like family events, it's like we either go with the Ames family or my other best friend's family. It's like, we always have somewhere to go or someone to be with. And we're so, again, we're so lucky in that regard. Yeah. Yeah. Well, this has been great. Um, I want to know where,
01:02:00
Speaker
as the moms will appreciate we're recording during the halftime so I want to make sure we finish up in time because as you as I'm sure you know and I've experienced like at least my son was never
01:02:14
Speaker
perfect sleeper, he was okay. But like, I never knew exactly how long he was gonna sleep. And some days he would sleep like 45 minutes and some days he'd sleep like two and a half hours. And it was just always so hard to plan my life because I never knew how long he was gonna sleep. Yes, of course. Yeah. So we appreciate you so much coming on the show and taking the time out of your really busy schedule. And I will, like I said, make sure
01:02:36
Speaker
to put in the show notes, um, your social media and your website so that anybody who's interested can, can follow you and maybe reach out for consultation because I think that would be really, really great and really helpful. Yeah, definitely. I'm here and I'm accepting new clients. So everybody please reach out and follow me. I would love it. And thank you so much, Jordan, for having me. This has been great. And it's just great to talk to someone else mom to mom, regardless. So thank you so much for having me.
01:03:08
Speaker
That's a wrap for today's episode. We hope you enjoyed it. If you liked what you heard, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. It really does help us out. We also love nothing more than hearing from you guys. So be sure to connect with us on social media. You can find us on Instagram at bestmomeverpod. Share your thoughts, suggestions, or just come by to vent about the insane thing your child did today. Because let's be honest, we all feel better knowing we're not alone.
01:03:35
Speaker
And if you have an idea for a topic you'd love for us to discuss in future episodes, or if you even want to be a guest to tell others how you do it all, email us at BestMomEverPod at Gmail.com. That's BestMomEverPod at Gmail.com. Big thanks to our amazing listeners for joining us today. We appreciate each and every one of you. As always, stay tuned for more Best Mom Ever goodness delivered to you weekly. And until next time, remember, you're not just a mom, you're like the best mom ever.
01:04:05
Speaker
you