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Introduction to Danielle Gray

00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome back.
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome back.
00:00:02
Speaker
Baby Talks, IG Live edition.
00:00:04
Speaker
I have a new episode with a new guest, Danielle Gray.
00:00:08
Speaker
Danielle Gray Fit.
00:00:10
Speaker
She's an entrepreneur, the founder of Train Like a Gymnast.
00:00:14
Speaker
She's a coach and a trainer and also a fitness model.
00:00:18
Speaker
So

Why Pursue Passion?

00:00:19
Speaker
she's going to come on.
00:00:19
Speaker
We're going to discuss.
00:00:20
Speaker
We're going to talk about life, opportunity, why she quit her job.
00:00:24
Speaker
We're going to pursue her passion.
00:00:26
Speaker
It's going to be a great discussion.
00:00:28
Speaker
Join us, listen in, and we'll be right with you.
00:00:31
Speaker
Oh, there she is.
00:00:32
Speaker
Hey.
00:00:32
Speaker
Hey.
00:00:34
Speaker
Hey.
00:00:35
Speaker
Good afternoon.
00:00:36
Speaker
How are you?
00:00:36
Speaker
Good afternoon.
00:00:37
Speaker
I'm good.
00:00:38
Speaker
How are you?
00:00:39
Speaker
I'm phenomenal.
00:00:40
Speaker
Happy Monday.
00:00:41
Speaker
Thank you for coming on Bigger Talks, IG Live Edition.
00:00:45
Speaker
Yeah, welcome.
00:00:46
Speaker
So Danielle Gray, Danielle Gray, fit, the founder of Train Like a Gymnast, entrepreneur, fitness trainer, coach.

Gymnastics Journey and Retirement

00:00:57
Speaker
Can you just give the people listening and people who will watch just a background on who you are and what you're all about?
00:01:06
Speaker
Yeah.
00:01:07
Speaker
So I've been a gymnast since I was four and throughout, you know, my, my competitive career, I was like, I wanted to go to college and the Olympics for it and everything.
00:01:18
Speaker
But I had a bad attitude, you know, so it was, it was, it was a lot of just kind of emotional maturity that got me to where I am now.
00:01:29
Speaker
And I, you know, retired from gymnastics because it wasn't the right environment for like with coaches and teammates and all of that.
00:01:36
Speaker
And I dove into like acting and voiceover and dance and all that fun stuff and learned a lot about myself.
00:01:43
Speaker
Focused on college when I was in college and kind of stumbled into pole fitness and aerial arts.
00:01:49
Speaker
And I realized I can use my gymnastics background to do other things, which was really like,
00:01:56
Speaker
Mind blowing because I guess we're not taught that when we're in sports like yes, it applies to other things.

Transitioning Careers: Desk Job to Fitness

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And then, you know, I had a desk job after college and I was still doing, you know, aerial arts and pole fitness.
00:02:10
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And I was getting so stressed out.
00:02:13
Speaker
I was realizing that why am I stressing so much about my clients' accounts?
00:02:21
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And I'm like crying in the bathroom and I'm, you know, it's not that important in the grand scheme of life, but it's like blowing my mind.
00:02:31
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So when they offered me a promotion, I was like, I don't want to lead them on like that.
00:02:37
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This is what I want to do with my life.
00:02:39
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And, you know, I was forgetting to pick up my checks at the gymnastics gym and forgetting that I was getting paid to train people.
00:02:47
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I was like, OK, this is probably my passion.
00:02:50
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So I should follow it.
00:02:52
Speaker
And I turned down that promotion.
00:02:54
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And I dove headfirst into the fitness industry.
00:02:58
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And I was like, Oh, okay, I don't have a strategy.
00:03:02
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I'm just hopefully not going to be homeless like this is what I'm going to do.
00:03:06
Speaker
And that was six years ago, five, six years ago.
00:03:11
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And it's
00:03:12
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Turned out pretty good.

Modeling Success with Top Brands

00:03:15
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I signed with one of the top modeling agencies in the country in their fitness division at only five foot four.
00:03:20
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So I'm like- Oh, really?
00:03:22
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Yeah.
00:03:23
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I'm wrapping the room.
00:03:23
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You seem taller.
00:03:24
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You seem about what, five, seven, five, eight.
00:03:26
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Interesting.
00:03:26
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Good.
00:03:27
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That's what I'm trying to photograph as.
00:03:31
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But yeah, so I've worked with brands like Reebok and Nike and Fabletics and Lorna Jane and all that fun stuff.
00:03:41
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And yeah, I started my own company and I'm showing people how they can use, for me, it's gymnastics, right?
00:03:47
Speaker
Train like a gymnast.
00:03:48
Speaker
Using gymnastics, conditioning, flexibility to stay in shape, to have fun, to keep

Philosophy of Fitness through Gymnastics

00:03:53
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moving.
00:03:53
Speaker
You don't have to just go to a gym or just run outside.
00:03:56
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Like there's so much more you can do to stay fit physically, but also mentally.
00:04:01
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Because there's a whole...
00:04:04
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Jamie Tworkowski It can be complex.
00:04:07
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But first of all, congratulations on a six year departure from, you know, the old life to the new life.
00:04:14
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And I think that says a lot in the world of people who want to chase their dreams, who have aspirations to become something and do something.
00:04:23
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And I think what I've experienced with people is that they want all the information or they want all the money or they want everything to make sense before they make a decision.
00:04:32
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You felt something and you made a decision and then the universe aligned to what you needed at the time.
00:04:39
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Right.
00:04:39
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So I think, you know, training like a gymnast could also be something that you can compare like
00:04:47
Speaker
Or how can you compare training like a gymnast, being a gymnast from four years old to now to life?
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How when you started out right as a gymnast, as a young child, like you were learning, you probably had pitfalls and failures and setbacks and hardships.
00:05:02
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But then it became so natural, right?
00:05:05
Speaker
become a passion, it becomes something effortless, something magnificent that you love without even trying to love it.
00:05:13
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Right?
00:05:13
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Yeah, yeah.
00:05:14
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You're just doing it.
00:05:15
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You're in it.
00:05:16
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You're the it of gymnastics.
00:05:18
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And I think we put so much value on like what we want for our success relationship and we forget what is it that I'm great at?

Recognizing Talents and Living Fully

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What is it that we're good at?
00:05:28
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That's huge.
00:05:29
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Like I also do business mentoring with like people who want to turn a side passion into their like career or their life.
00:05:37
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And so often, it's and especially for women, it's really hard when I ask the question, what are you good at?
00:05:45
Speaker
What are your gifts?
00:05:45
Speaker
What are your talents?
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They're like,
00:05:49
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I don't know.
00:05:50
Speaker
I'm like, I'm organized.
00:05:53
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I, you know, know how to do this.
00:05:54
Speaker
Like, there is so much that you can figure out because we all have gifts and talents.
00:05:59
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But I want everyone to imagine a world, right, where everybody is living their best self.
00:06:05
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They are super like pumped to wake up every day because they get to do what they love.
00:06:11
Speaker
And it's, I think it's possible.
00:06:13
Speaker
There just has to be a lot of like reorganization and restructuring in the world.

Taking Risks and New Experiences

00:06:19
Speaker
Like there are people who love driving.
00:06:21
Speaker
I don't like driving, but if you love driving, then maybe like trucking is free.
00:06:25
Speaker
I just saw a truck.
00:06:25
Speaker
So I was thinking like, you know, there are things that, you know, people love cleaning.
00:06:29
Speaker
There's some people that hate cleaning.
00:06:30
Speaker
And if we're all doing the things that we do,
00:06:33
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love to do or we can experiment and figure out even with train like a gymnast like oh i didn't even know that this is i love moving my body this way i love being able to do a handstand or be upside down it blows my mind that there are some people in this world who live their entire life and die without ever have going upside down
00:06:55
Speaker
Like to me that's just like what?
00:06:57
Speaker
Like you're constantly upright.
00:06:58
Speaker
Hold on.
00:06:58
Speaker
Elaborate on that terminology because that could be a metaphor, it could be an analogy.
00:07:03
Speaker
So live their life without being upside down.
00:07:06
Speaker
Can you kind of like elaborate on that from a literal perspective and just from a universal perspective?
00:07:12
Speaker
Please.
00:07:12
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Yeah.
00:07:13
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So literal perspective, I mean, you've literally never had your feet over your head, right?
00:07:19
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On purpose or accidentally.
00:07:23
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Right?
00:07:24
Speaker
So there's that.
00:07:25
Speaker
It's crazy, right?
00:07:27
Speaker
But you can turn that into there are some people in this world who will...
00:07:32
Speaker
And it's interesting because I travel a lot to Utah and I've talked a lot with people and the cultural differences there too.
00:07:39
Speaker
Just there are people in this world who will live their entire lives on this planet in this form of ourselves who have never, you know, tried to start a business or who have never been
00:07:55
Speaker
well, just done something because they thought they couldn't do it.
00:08:01
Speaker
They thought it, you know, it wasn't possible in their

Societal Barriers and Trying New Things

00:08:05
Speaker
environment.
00:08:05
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They thought they wouldn't be supported.
00:08:09
Speaker
You know, even LGBTQ, we could think about like, there are people who never fully came out, like, because they thought they wouldn't be accepted.
00:08:17
Speaker
There's so many different, like, ways to make it a metaphor for
00:08:25
Speaker
Living your life and not ever experiencing something like that.
00:08:29
Speaker
So for me, I'm just turning it into a handstands, but I show people like, oh, I can teach you a backflip in a couple of hours.
00:08:38
Speaker
And people are like, whoa, if I can learn a backflip in a day, what else can I do?
00:08:43
Speaker
that's my... Yeah, and it's so important to know that to move forward, sometimes you might have to be upside down or you have to go backwards, right?
00:08:54
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
00:08:55
Speaker
And sometimes backwards is like a new start, a rebirth to something greater, to something new to shift your paradigm and say, you know what?
00:09:04
Speaker
I'll make you money over here or I like this relationship, but I'm not really happy.
00:09:08
Speaker
So what is life about?
00:09:10
Speaker
And I believe, like what you said, I think life is about going after something you know you can do, even if you don't have the plan in mind or the assets or resources to make it make sense monetary, right?
00:09:23
Speaker
Because we always say, I've got to have money, I've got to eat, I've got to survive.
00:09:27
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Yes, we understand that.
00:09:28
Speaker
And I think the underlying thing to kind of keep that that passion going is the faith you have, right?
00:09:35
Speaker
Because I know, for instance, if you know, I invited you to an event and I asked you to do some gymnastic things, you wouldn't think twice, right?
00:09:43
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:44
Speaker
But you know, if somebody who's not comfortable
00:09:48
Speaker
They might, you know, hesitate to do it.
00:09:52
Speaker
And that's okay.
00:09:53
Speaker
Because when you start a business, when you start your passion in a new area, you're not supposed to have the answer,

Following Passion without Certainty

00:09:59
Speaker
right?
00:09:59
Speaker
You're not supposed to have it all figured out.
00:10:02
Speaker
There's a process.
00:10:03
Speaker
So I think what you're doing and what you're amplifying for others is say, listen, guys, I know you want to make money.
00:10:10
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I know there's something inside of you.
00:10:12
Speaker
Because it wasn't me.
00:10:14
Speaker
I started my own company.
00:10:15
Speaker
I signed with one of the biggest model agencies.
00:10:17
Speaker
in the world and I'm with big brands doing the things I love because I'm a decision.
00:10:24
Speaker
That was it.
00:10:25
Speaker
I had a feeling I made a decision and it got me this far and you're six years removed from your corporate job.
00:10:32
Speaker
So what I want to ask you, like growing up, who or what was your inspiration to be who you are today?
00:10:37
Speaker
Was it like your father, your mother, an athlete, an entertainer?
00:10:42
Speaker
Like who inspired you to be great and to be this powerful, multi-passionate entrepreneur?
00:10:49
Speaker
Yeah.
00:10:50
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Well, I grew up only child single parent.
00:10:53
Speaker
So my mom was always like, very, very
00:10:58
Speaker
Right, I idolized her and I saw that she could do it on her own.
00:11:03
Speaker
So I always had that kind of level of independence.
00:11:06
Speaker
And I always knew that like if I want to get something done, it's up to me, like I got to do it.
00:11:11
Speaker
And she taught me that and she also introduced me to travel.
00:11:14
Speaker
So I got like the concept of different cultures and just had a worldly perspective, even though where I grew up was kind of like a little bubble.
00:11:23
Speaker
Where are you from, by the way?
00:11:25
Speaker
I'm from Manhattan Beach, California.
00:11:27
Speaker
Okay.
00:11:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:11:29
Speaker
Yeah.
00:11:30
Speaker
Yeah.
00:11:31
Speaker
It's really nice.
00:11:34
Speaker
Yeah.
00:11:35
Speaker
And I just, it's, we didn't even talk about like diversity.
00:11:38
Speaker
That's a whole different conversation, but yeah, she was, she was my inspiration for like independence.
00:11:44
Speaker
Right.
00:11:44
Speaker
And then in the athletic sense, it was a lot of, you know, just Olympians and high level gymnasts.
00:11:49
Speaker
I was like, okay, like I would watch the Olympics before I'd go to, um,
00:11:54
Speaker
practice, like I'd have it recorded on VHS and I'd just play it and then watch it and go and pretend like I was them and all that kind of stuff.
00:12:02
Speaker
But in an entrepreneurial sense, I didn't have any
00:12:07
Speaker
real example.
00:12:09
Speaker
So it was, it was very interesting.
00:12:11
Speaker
I only started getting into it.
00:12:14
Speaker
Like honestly, a few years ago when I started my business and I've just learned kind of on my own and I've tried to find mentors and I do a lot of personal development and that is what kind of has gotten me to grow because as I grow, the business can grow.

Authority Issues and Perfectionism

00:12:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:12:29
Speaker
But yeah, it's interesting.
00:12:30
Speaker
Cause I did not, I never pictured myself being entrepreneurial.
00:12:36
Speaker
I have a problem with authority, which is probably why I have a problem.
00:12:40
Speaker
Let's talk about that.
00:12:41
Speaker
Let's kind of pull the onion back on that because you spoke on attitude and authority.
00:12:46
Speaker
What do you think that comes from and why for you?
00:12:51
Speaker
I honestly am still like trying to figure this out because I never, I don't know if it comes from like being sensitive, but I never really liked people telling me that I was doing something wrong.
00:13:02
Speaker
Not in the sense of like, oh, I'm always right.
00:13:04
Speaker
But if someone would tell me I'm doing something wrong, I would like cry.
00:13:08
Speaker
And it was just like, it was, I think the perfectionism that comes from gymnastics and everything.
00:13:16
Speaker
Ah, that makes sense.
00:13:17
Speaker
but i also wanted to be understood like oh danny's not trying hard enough so everyone do 10 push-ups that kind of fun coaching um turns into it's not that i'm not trying hard enough i want it to be understood like i literally need help to be able to
00:13:33
Speaker
Like lift up higher.
00:13:35
Speaker
Like, I need you to understand, help me be better.
00:13:37
Speaker
I'm not doing this on purpose.
00:13:39
Speaker
So a lot of it kind of came from that athletic background.
00:13:42
Speaker
And I know people listening who, you know, maybe we're soccer players or basketball players and their coaches.
00:13:49
Speaker
Conditioning them in different ways.
00:13:51
Speaker
And it's maybe not exact as gymnastics, but especially dancers and cheerleaders, they understand the perfectionism that comes along with it.
00:13:59
Speaker
And that translates into how you learn in school.
00:14:03
Speaker
That translates how do you work in your job.
00:14:05
Speaker
That translates into your relationships.
00:14:08
Speaker
It's a very, very important foundation.
00:14:12
Speaker
So I think it came from there.
00:14:17
Speaker
in a good and a tricky way.
00:14:21
Speaker
Was your mom like critical of everything you did as a child?
00:14:23
Speaker
Was she hard on you?
00:14:24
Speaker
Did she held you to a standard that she thought you should live?
00:14:27
Speaker
And you always felt like there was never enough for her?
00:14:31
Speaker
And you're like, damn, I just did a cartwheel.
00:14:33
Speaker
Like, you know, like, you're going to do it.
00:14:37
Speaker
She had high standards.
00:14:38
Speaker
She had high expectations.
00:14:40
Speaker
But it wasn't that I was like never enough.
00:14:43
Speaker
It was, it was like, you're doing this take pride in your work like integrity.
00:14:49
Speaker
So I think that's kind of where it came from.
00:14:51
Speaker
The never enough.
00:14:54
Speaker
might have honestly come from my dad I'm not entirely sure.
00:14:57
Speaker
What was your relationship with your dad growing up?
00:14:59
Speaker
Were you guys close?
00:15:00
Speaker
Was he there?
00:15:01
Speaker
Did he you know?
00:15:02
Speaker
We saw each other like every couple of months maybe and he was always like a friend like it's like fun dad type of thing you know.
00:15:12
Speaker
So I think you know it just kind of turned into
00:15:17
Speaker
I just want I never wanted people to be disappointed in me because that was the ultimate letdown.
00:15:23
Speaker
You know, like, I'm trying my hardest for this or I want to be good at this like I wanted I want to make people happy.
00:15:32
Speaker
Yes, but not in a people pleasing way.
00:15:35
Speaker
It was more for
00:15:37
Speaker
it's never my intention to hurt someone or make someone feel disappointed.
00:15:43
Speaker
So then I would take that personally.
00:15:44
Speaker
And that kind of is what turned my whole kind of mental health journey into what it is.
00:15:52
Speaker
And I recently got this tattoo to remind me to hold my darkness in my light.
00:15:58
Speaker
It's an avocado.
00:16:00
Speaker
Hey, avocado.
00:16:01
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:02
Speaker
to hold

Mental Health Struggles and Support

00:16:03
Speaker
my darkness in my light because I just went through like one of the darkest times in my life recently.
00:16:08
Speaker
And I've always kind of had depression or kind of started when I was like 11.
00:16:17
Speaker
Self harm and stuff like that.
00:16:18
Speaker
And it goes in waves.
00:16:21
Speaker
and i was on medication like 2015 and then um i was like i don't want to be on this i need to figure it out myself but then come like august september it was really bad this year and i had suicidal ideation i had a plan i was i was literally just sitting on the floor not doing anything for days and it just spiraled
00:16:44
Speaker
And then I texted my mom.
00:16:45
Speaker
I was like, hey, can you come over here and make sure I don't kill myself today?
00:16:48
Speaker
So she came over, stayed with me the whole day.
00:16:51
Speaker
My dad came for a couple of hours.
00:16:53
Speaker
And she just, like, made sure that I was like, okay, go shower.
00:16:57
Speaker
Go do this.
00:16:58
Speaker
You know, here's food.
00:17:00
Speaker
And it was crazy to have to text her that because...
00:17:07
Speaker
You know, I had just finished hosting a retreat.
00:17:10
Speaker
I had, you know, I have so many great opportunities that are going on right now.
00:17:15
Speaker
You know, and then it's still like, why are you feeling this way?
00:17:17
Speaker
You shouldn't be feeling this way.
00:17:18
Speaker
All those fun thoughts.
00:17:22
Speaker
But when I was starting to come out of it and I was getting help and I, you know, I'm back on medication to kind of regulate.
00:17:29
Speaker
When I was trying to draw my emotions, like how I was feeling,
00:17:34
Speaker
One of the things, I was trying to draw an avocado, but it ended up looking like
00:17:39
Speaker
a woman holding her machine, but I was like, I'm not trying to go for the shadow effect here.
00:17:47
Speaker
And so ultimately, it was that like, you're human, you're allowed to have these thoughts and these feelings.
00:17:55
Speaker
So you, you want to hold almost embrace your negative, dark thoughts and love and light, instead of letting the darkness suppress the light.
00:18:07
Speaker
That makes sense.
00:18:09
Speaker
And as you know, I mean, God is great.
00:18:12
Speaker
Timing is everything.
00:18:12
Speaker
I believe in the timing of the universe.
00:18:16
Speaker
I think we were opposed to connect and do an interview probably two weeks ago.
00:18:20
Speaker
And I was like, look, I'm busy.
00:18:21
Speaker
I have a lot going on.
00:18:23
Speaker
Let's do two weeks after.
00:18:24
Speaker
But I wasn't really paying attention to the dates.
00:18:26
Speaker
So it's interesting that you said that because yesterday I was at Exposition Park for Suicide Prevention and we spoke on these topics and we spoke on, you know, suicide audiation and I had a friend who, you know, a few months ago I got a call that he was contemplating and having a crisis struggle with suicidal thoughts.
00:18:48
Speaker
you know, in this space for me, you know, having a platform, having a voice.
00:18:54
Speaker
Some people know me on the show, I want to use my platform to give light to the dark.
00:18:59
Speaker
Someone spoke yesterday, I said, I believe that I'm chosen to be in the light, to put light into the dark spaces of our life.
00:19:06
Speaker
Because everyone can look good and be good and have followers and make money, but how do you feel?
00:19:12
Speaker
Right?
00:19:13
Speaker
And where do our feelings come from?
00:19:14
Speaker
Where do these emotions come from?
00:19:16
Speaker
Who gives us our thinking?
00:19:17
Speaker
Who gives us our thoughts?
00:19:18
Speaker
What is our DNA?
00:19:19
Speaker
What does our ancestors say about the energy and spirit and DNA that we were born in?
00:19:26
Speaker
And I'm so happy and thankful that you spoke about that and you were vulnerable and you are authentic.
00:19:31
Speaker
So I'm going to say thank you for doing that because that's powerful.
00:19:34
Speaker
And that's a form of you healing, right?
00:19:38
Speaker
You know, I always say the more
00:19:39
Speaker
feel we the more we heal and I think you know as performers right as a gymnast as you know a model you have to perform you have to show up and sometimes I tell my manager I'm like yeah I would love that deal and I'd love to do that but I remember
00:19:55
Speaker
I have to show up.

Pressure and Mental Health in Public Eye

00:19:59
Speaker
And I think sometimes when you're always showing up, right?
00:20:03
Speaker
And you're always doing things about what it takes to show up.
00:20:06
Speaker
They just say, oh, yeah, but you're beautiful.
00:20:09
Speaker
You're attractive.
00:20:10
Speaker
Like, you're strong.
00:20:11
Speaker
You're talented.
00:20:12
Speaker
You're an entrepreneur.
00:20:14
Speaker
You make decent money or whatever it is.
00:20:16
Speaker
And they don't take it.
00:20:18
Speaker
that you're human.
00:20:19
Speaker
I mean, you have thoughts and emotions.
00:20:21
Speaker
So with all that being said.
00:20:23
Speaker
I'm super proud of like Simone Biles this year.
00:20:25
Speaker
I mean, honestly, a lot of people.
00:20:27
Speaker
You relate, right?
00:20:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:20:29
Speaker
In the beginning, I was like, oh my gosh, she's laying down her team.
00:20:31
Speaker
Like, why is she doing this?
00:20:32
Speaker
But then when you think about it, like, yeah.
00:20:35
Speaker
I mean, can you imagine being the face of the Olympics?
00:20:39
Speaker
Yeah.
00:20:40
Speaker
Like,
00:20:42
Speaker
how much pressure was on her and you know it's still just like a gymnastics team but her other teammates don't have that same pressure you know and if you're on four inches it's still four inches for you it's still four inches for her and it's the fact that it was international like literal world attention on her it can break you down it can
00:21:03
Speaker
I mean, no matter who you are, you're still seeing things and reading things.
00:21:08
Speaker
Like even in this conversation, the comments for some reason froze for me.
00:21:11
Speaker
But you know, I'm seeing things go by like shut up, blah, blah.
00:21:14
Speaker
And I'm just like, okay, then go away.
00:21:17
Speaker
You don't have to listen.
00:21:17
Speaker
I'm not like forcing your phone to be on here.
00:21:21
Speaker
You know?
00:21:22
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:21:22
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:23
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:25
Speaker
When you go through like your mental challenges or things that are tough or adverse, what do you do, you know, and how do you get through it or how do you get over it?
00:21:34
Speaker
What are you doing to try to get over it and try to get through it?
00:21:37
Speaker
Because for some of us it's different and everybody has a different approach to mental challenges or just life challenges.
00:21:43
Speaker
Like what is your go-to to kind of like either heal it or, you know, dissolve it so you can be in a better space?
00:21:50
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:51
Speaker
When...
00:21:53
Speaker
When I was in my like really dark place a few months ago, I know meditation helps me.
00:22:00
Speaker
So I found a really good shifting out of depression playlist.
00:22:08
Speaker
So it played a bunch of different meditations on Insight Timer.
00:22:13
Speaker
So I had been, you know, Insight Timer was recommended to me.
00:22:16
Speaker
So I hopped on there and I found, I found one.
00:22:19
Speaker
And I actually ended up finding the girl who did one of the meditations that I really liked, found her on Instagram.
00:22:25
Speaker
I was like, you're literally saving my life right now.
00:22:27
Speaker
Thank you.
00:22:29
Speaker
And it was hours long.
00:22:32
Speaker
So I just played it to sleep just, you know, trying to absorb things over over time.
00:22:36
Speaker
So meditation is really helpful for me.
00:22:38
Speaker
I was trying to draw how it felt, even though I'm a terrible artist, sometimes just pen on paper, it can be scribbles, it can be words, it can be bullets, it can be writing, it can be, you know, artwork, whatever.
00:22:51
Speaker
you know, whatever some kind of expression is to you.
00:22:54
Speaker
Some people, like for my mom, it's music, right?
00:22:56
Speaker
Songwriting, playing piano.
00:22:58
Speaker
I have a, you know, I'm pole fitness, so I can, you know, do a pole freestyle dance or something.
00:23:03
Speaker
Whatever can help you emote is really good to let it out in some other way.
00:23:12
Speaker
Also, honestly, sunlight.
00:23:16
Speaker
And if you live in a place where it's really hard to get sunlight, it is top.
00:23:22
Speaker
So you can get one of those like little happy lights that has the right, you know, color of the sunlight.
00:23:30
Speaker
But getting outside to putting your feet on the earth, like standing in grass, standing in dirt, standing in sand, to ground yourself, remind you that you're human, you're here, you're not alone.
00:23:41
Speaker
But I think what holds me or keeps me from really, really going is
00:23:48
Speaker
and acting because I've lost two friends in the past year to suicide.
00:23:54
Speaker
One is yeah, it's, it's interesting to think about that because they actually did it and they're gone, you know, so that's something that reminds me.
00:24:03
Speaker
It's like, I can't text him like he followed through.
00:24:07
Speaker
And I wish I could have
00:24:09
Speaker
I wish I could have helped them talk to them in some way and let them know that they're not alone.
00:24:14
Speaker
So the big thing for me is like, okay, they did it because they felt alone.
00:24:17
Speaker
Like no one else would understand, but I feel like I understood, which means that there are other people who understand.
00:24:25
Speaker
Um, so, um,
00:24:27
Speaker
Reminding my brain logically when it's in that place that this is not my own thought.
00:24:33
Speaker
I did not create this thought.
00:24:36
Speaker
I heard this thought.
00:24:37
Speaker
This is the thought of the human mind.
00:24:39
Speaker
There are others who feel this too.
00:24:41
Speaker
It's not that their problems are worse or less than, but I'm not alone in this feeling.
00:24:46
Speaker
Maybe my scenario or situation, people can't physically understand, but or mentally understand, but it is the emotion that
00:24:55
Speaker
that we're feeling unites us.
00:24:57
Speaker
And then when I actually post on Instagram about that, the support and the relatability and the stories that I got was incredible.
00:25:09
Speaker
And I was like, well, what if brands see this, you know, are they gonna, you know, not, not bring me on because they think I can't handle it or overwhelm me.
00:25:18
Speaker
I don't want to lose money or have, you know, my career suffer by just being honest.
00:25:23
Speaker
Yeah.
00:25:25
Speaker
opportunities like this to talk about it because it's relatable.
00:25:30
Speaker
You never know like I had a buddy when I posted my promotion for the event yesterday and for 11 years and he said he had five attempts.
00:25:40
Speaker
And you probably didn't know right?
00:25:42
Speaker
Didn't even know he was like thank you so much for speaking up and stepping up and I'm like yeah and I didn't know how to respond I was just like
00:25:51
Speaker
And so for me, because I'm in a psychological self-help NLP, Neurologistic Program, I'm always trying to study life and study the human mind.
00:26:02
Speaker
I'm into numerology, I'm into astrology.
00:26:05
Speaker
I'm into like deep stuff that doesn't show us the information we need to kind of understand us, right?
00:26:10
Speaker
Because sometimes we have things about us that are natural, but we don't understand it because even the information is not there or no one, there's no blueprint to make it make sense.
00:26:21
Speaker
And one thing that stood out to me is the Kanye West interview he had on Drink Chance.
00:26:27
Speaker
And I've realized something about him.
00:26:28
Speaker
He, you know, he's a musical genius.
00:26:31
Speaker
He says things that offend people and you know, that's the Spike thing.
00:26:35
Speaker
What I realized was that he said something that I knew.
00:26:37
Speaker
I said, listen, Kanye West is not crazy.
00:26:40
Speaker
We got to stop calling man crazy.
00:26:43
Speaker
He knows what's going on.
00:26:45
Speaker
And he said in the interview, he's like, you're not going to silence me.
00:26:48
Speaker
You're not going to counsel me.
00:26:50
Speaker
I'm not crazy.
00:26:51
Speaker
He's like, I'm worth 9 billion.
00:26:53
Speaker
Like he was talking trash, but it's like the guy is a genius, you know?
00:26:57
Speaker
But we like to, I was telling a friend this the other day, we like to label people because we don't have the information to make their existence make sense.
00:27:05
Speaker
But we don't understand what that labeling does to their mind or their body.
00:27:10
Speaker
We have to stop it.
00:27:12
Speaker
Just because you don't understand, you know, Danielle Great Fit and how she gets down and how she doesn't, like, doesn't mean you can label her so it can make sense for you so you can stay comfortable.
00:27:22
Speaker
That's not fair.
00:27:23
Speaker
Sometimes you're not meant to understand a person because sometimes that person don't even understand themselves.
00:27:29
Speaker
They just know they don't give or thing that vibrates through their soul to put out in the universe.
00:27:35
Speaker
Right.
00:27:35
Speaker
Right.
00:27:36
Speaker
Like you knew that you had to leave this desk job.
00:27:39
Speaker
You had for you to think the way you thought about like, hold up, I'm crying about my clients.
00:27:45
Speaker
Yeah.
00:27:46
Speaker
Leaving checks at the gym for my other clients for the gymnastics.

Importance of Supportive Networks

00:27:54
Speaker
The fact that you can even
00:27:55
Speaker
Put that together and have that opinion.
00:27:58
Speaker
There's a lot about how you do think about yourself and how you do think about life and what you want to bring.
00:28:03
Speaker
So that was just like, you know, a channel in time, right, that came through, you know, you channeled it to make you make a decision.
00:28:12
Speaker
Right, to act.
00:28:12
Speaker
Yeah.
00:28:13
Speaker
To act.
00:28:14
Speaker
And I think people like you and I, you know, and especially you, like we need people around us who love us for us, right?
00:28:22
Speaker
But not what we can do for them, not because how we make them feel, not because we can make them look good.
00:28:26
Speaker
Like, you know what, Danielle, I don't care what you, you can have a fit, you can cry today, you can just sit there and do nothing.
00:28:32
Speaker
I'm going to still love you and be with you.
00:28:34
Speaker
I'm going to still have faith, pray with you.
00:28:36
Speaker
What do you need?
00:28:37
Speaker
I'm here.
00:28:38
Speaker
I'm showing up.
00:28:39
Speaker
Fuck that, sit down, don't do nothing today.
00:28:43
Speaker
We need that support.
00:28:45
Speaker
When you're a performer, you need it.
00:28:48
Speaker
But people don't- Yeah, and you need others that understand that kind of burnout too.
00:28:52
Speaker
And it's not to say like, oh, you're not a performer, you're not an entrepreneur, you don't get it, you can't be around me.
00:28:57
Speaker
It's just, especially when we're going through those times,
00:29:01
Speaker
That's also why you see so many actors marrying other actors, because they get it too.
00:29:06
Speaker
It's not that they don't like non-actors, but they might have had an experience.
00:29:11
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I was in a relationship in the past where he was like, oh, if you had to kiss somebody else on screen, we wouldn't be together.
00:29:17
Speaker
I was like, well, that's literally a job, but okay.
00:29:21
Speaker
So like things like that, you know, there are certain values and certain perspectives that you just, you want there when you're going through a rough time.
00:29:32
Speaker
there are certain people that you would want around you and there are certain people that you wouldn't.
00:29:35
Speaker
Like I have two best friends and I was like, one of them, yes, please come be with me.
00:29:39
Speaker
The other one, no, that's not, I know that's not gonna work right now.
00:29:44
Speaker
That's how you have to think about it.
00:29:46
Speaker
And it's important to know that, right, that awareness, because other people can bring your energy down or amplify it.
00:29:53
Speaker
So right now in your life, in your career, what is your intentions and what is the next two months, month left in a year hold for you?
00:30:03
Speaker
Where is your, what's your big picture for you?

Global Impact Vision with Train Like a Gymnast

00:30:07
Speaker
My big picture is really trying to change as many lives globally as possible, like creating an impact, creating a movement through Train Like a Gymnast, almost like Pilates or Bar or CrossFit type of thing, like showing people you can show up to if I've
00:30:25
Speaker
you know, have an event at a stadium, you can show up to a stadium with your friends with just a yoga mat or whatever, just or a blanket.
00:30:33
Speaker
And you can train like a gymnast for an hour or two with barely any space.
00:30:38
Speaker
Like there's so much you can do.
00:30:40
Speaker
Yeah, people think, oh, I have to flip I have to be bendy.
00:30:42
Speaker
Yeah.
00:30:44
Speaker
Right.
00:30:46
Speaker
You don't.
00:30:47
Speaker
It's flexible.
00:30:49
Speaker
Yeah, we can we can work on stretching but like everybody in the stadium or the room is going to be at a different like if I put you in a lunge and I put someone else in a lunge, everyone's still doing a lunge.
00:31:00
Speaker
But it's going to look different.
00:31:02
Speaker
You're going to engage the same muscles, everything.
00:31:05
Speaker
You're a human.
00:31:06
Speaker
So if you see if you see Simone Biles doing a Biles on whatever event, you know, she has five million of them, right?
00:31:13
Speaker
She's still a human and you're still a human.
00:31:14
Speaker
That means you have the capability to do that as well.
00:31:18
Speaker
You just don't have the training.
00:31:21
Speaker
Like that's literally it.
00:31:23
Speaker
Like you see someone doing the splits.
00:31:24
Speaker
Oh, I can't do the splits.
00:31:25
Speaker
I never could.
00:31:26
Speaker
Technically you can because you're a human and you have two legs that can split.
00:31:30
Speaker
You're just, maybe you don't have the time to stretch, but if you stretch and you train the same way as someone else who has the splits, you can do the splits.
00:31:38
Speaker
Yes, there are more naturally flexible people.
00:31:40
Speaker
Yes, there are people who are built differently, but every sport has like a similar body type, but they're all different.
00:31:47
Speaker
So that's what I'm trying to show people is, okay, I want to create this movement of people realizing, oh, I can train like a gymnast.
00:31:55
Speaker
I don't have to compete.
00:31:56
Speaker
I don't have to be a gymnast.
00:31:56
Speaker
I don't have to wear a leotard.
00:31:58
Speaker
But I can still do stuff because I have a body and I'm human.
00:32:02
Speaker
So we have an app right now.
00:32:05
Speaker
And it's like a dollar for the first month and $14.99 after that.
00:32:08
Speaker
And what I'm doing in that app is I'm putting in different beginner programs.
00:32:11
Speaker
I'm putting in like skill-focused programs, like if you want a pistol squat.
00:32:15
Speaker
This is how you're going to build strength for a pistol squat.
00:32:18
Speaker
There are stretching videos.
00:32:19
Speaker
There's also a mindfulness portion where I'm putting in meditations and productivity and all that kind of stuff.
00:32:26
Speaker
So it's a very holistic training behind Train Like a Gymnast because there's Think Like a Gymnast, Stretch Like a Gymnast, all that kind of stuff.
00:32:33
Speaker
you know, all those different angles, eat like a gymnast, nutritional stuff.
00:32:37
Speaker
So that's kind of my big vision.
00:32:39
Speaker
I'm really wanting to grow that to get as many people in there as possible, trying a new, you know, way to move.
00:32:48
Speaker
And I'm excited about it.
00:32:50
Speaker
Obviously, I want to continue to help people in all the different ways I can.
00:32:52
Speaker
I'm an iFit trainer, so I teach live treadmill classes.
00:32:55
Speaker
Like, just move your body,
00:32:58
Speaker
Find what you do best.
00:33:00
Speaker
Live your life to the fullest.
00:33:01
Speaker
If you know you are good at something or you enjoy something, do more of that.
00:33:07
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's special because I always tell people, say, look, someone's like, oh, I'm just busy running around.
00:33:15
Speaker
I said, well, look, at least you have something to look forward to, right?
00:33:19
Speaker
Have something that's natural.
00:33:20
Speaker
It could be baking.
00:33:21
Speaker
It could be training.
00:33:22
Speaker
It could be speaking.
00:33:23
Speaker
It could be running.
00:33:24
Speaker
Do that.
00:33:26
Speaker
And maybe you can add value to someone else and show them and teach them.
00:33:29
Speaker
But sometimes we just need something to look forward to.
00:33:32
Speaker
That's why I have a job.
00:33:34
Speaker
Having a career gives you life, right?
00:33:35
Speaker
Because you have something to look forward to, you have goals to hit, you have things that you want to get to.
00:33:40
Speaker
But more importantly, I think for what you're doing, you're showing people because you're showing up, but then you're showing them how you show up and you're being vulnerable to make them understand like, look, I wasn't always here, but I had to get here.
00:33:53
Speaker
You can do it as well.
00:33:55
Speaker
And we think it's not a me think, right?
00:33:58
Speaker
Not about I, it's about we because if I know you and you're struggling with something, you know, suffering in silence, how can I help you?
00:34:08
Speaker
So if something happens, I'm affected.
00:34:11
Speaker
And I think fitness, just like gymnast, when I ask you a question about
00:34:15
Speaker
doesn't get enough acknowledgement because it has a general perception.
00:34:19
Speaker
Fitness is looking good, working out, moving.
00:34:22
Speaker
It's like, yeah, it's not so much about how you look, it's more about how you feel.
00:34:29
Speaker
Motion, right?
00:34:30
Speaker
Motion is emotion.
00:34:32
Speaker
So you're opening people's body to expand their mind.
00:34:36
Speaker
So for definition, what is a gymnast?
00:34:38
Speaker
Because I have my interpretation or perception, one who's flexible, who can do flips and do all these crazy things on a bar.
00:34:46
Speaker
That's dangerous, scary.
00:34:48
Speaker
That's my perception.
00:34:49
Speaker
Right?
00:34:49
Speaker
Right.
00:34:50
Speaker
Right.
00:34:51
Speaker
I would say that gymnasts are anyone who is using their body in, in doing calisthenics.
00:34:59
Speaker
They're stretching, they're working on their strength, they're, they're working on their balance, their proprioception.
00:35:04
Speaker
And that's honestly it.
00:35:07
Speaker
It's you use your body with, you know, you can do equipment or you can do body weight.
00:35:11
Speaker
It's just somebody who does calisthenic movement.
00:35:15
Speaker
So even, you know, down at Venice Beach, Santa Monica on the rings and the bars and everything, you know,
00:35:20
Speaker
I consider them like gymnasts slash calisthenics athletes.
00:35:23
Speaker
Not in the like gymnast, but you know, like that is what a gymnast is.
00:35:30
Speaker
And I think a lot of times people also have the perception when you think of the word gymnast, you think of a young girl and a leotard.
00:35:40
Speaker
Yep.
00:35:41
Speaker
Yes, you do.
00:35:41
Speaker
That is in my visual internal representation.
00:35:46
Speaker
That's exactly what it is.
00:35:48
Speaker
That's crazy.
00:35:49
Speaker
Yeah, because that's my eye.
00:35:51
Speaker
Yeah, it's a little girl with no boobs.
00:35:53
Speaker
She's very like, strong and kind of a little bit like this shaped and very defined hair in a bun or a ponytail.
00:36:01
Speaker
Like that's what we envision.
00:36:04
Speaker
And a lot of that came from the Carolis, which as we've seen the gymnastics world has like completely blown up.
00:36:12
Speaker
Since everything has come out with all the abuse and the communistic approach.
00:36:18
Speaker
Yeah.
00:36:20
Speaker
But when you look back at Olympians from like the forties and fifties, they're women.
00:36:26
Speaker
They're like,
00:36:27
Speaker
full grown women who look like women.
00:36:30
Speaker
And then you notice kind of after Nadia Comaneach, that's when it turned into what we visualize now.
00:36:36
Speaker
So there's a big shift and a lot of gymnasts are speaking out about their own abuse, about how the sport needs to change, the people in charge need to change because like the same concept, just because you turn 18 or 21 and you're done with college, that doesn't mean you have to stop gymnastics.
00:36:55
Speaker
And that's why,
00:36:57
Speaker
part of train like a gymnast is we're trying to get a lot of gyms to open adult gymnastics classes because why why can't you go and try to learn a flip if you've always wanted to flip like
00:37:08
Speaker
I always wanted to do a backflip.
00:37:09
Speaker
Yeah.
00:37:10
Speaker
Oh, I could teach you easy.
00:37:11
Speaker
Flipping off of monkey bars and I'm like, I'm too scared.
00:37:14
Speaker
I'm going to do a round off.
00:37:15
Speaker
And then I'm like, I'm trying to go through the backflip.
00:37:17
Speaker
No.
00:37:19
Speaker
Guys are so easy to teach backflips too.
00:37:22
Speaker
Yeah.
00:37:22
Speaker
Yeah.
00:37:23
Speaker
That was totally possible.
00:37:24
Speaker
I think it's like, you got to have faith.
00:37:26
Speaker
Yeah.
00:37:26
Speaker
Like you got to trust yourself.
00:37:29
Speaker
Yeah.
00:37:29
Speaker
Or trust another person who's going to help lead you to the flip because it says a lot about life.
00:37:34
Speaker
And I think,
00:37:35
Speaker
That's the whole way to look at a gymnast.
00:37:37
Speaker
Like they have phenomenal faith in themselves when they're out there.
00:37:41
Speaker
And it's you need a coach to help you.
00:37:42
Speaker
Because a lot of times, you know, you'll just be scared on the beam, like wiping your sweat and your coach is like, go!
00:37:47
Speaker
And you're like, but if I do this wrong, like I'm going to be paralyzed.
00:37:51
Speaker
So I have to do it right.
00:37:52
Speaker
Like your brain is thinking that.
00:37:54
Speaker
It's that level.
00:37:54
Speaker
And that's why Simone, like with the twisties, it's literally life or death.
00:37:59
Speaker
Like if she landed wrong on her neck, like she's done.
00:38:02
Speaker
I didn't even process that thought.
00:38:06
Speaker
Right?
00:38:07
Speaker
It's crazy because like, okay, if you're doing soccer, playing soccer and like you could spray an ankle or you get a concussion,
00:38:15
Speaker
But it's really, really hard to break your neck in soccer.
00:38:19
Speaker
Like you have to be actively trying to break your neck in soccer.
00:38:24
Speaker
So it's that level of seriousness and these little girls brains, right?
00:38:30
Speaker
And we're telling them, okay, well, when you get older, you're heavier, you're higher risk, coaches can't help you.
00:38:35
Speaker
So it's more dangerous and you should probably stop.
00:38:37
Speaker
Which is no, that's wrong.
00:38:39
Speaker
We need to maintain, we need to continue moving for our entire lives.
00:38:42
Speaker
And adult master classes are a perfect way to do that.
00:38:46
Speaker
And it's kind of in demand too ever since we saw Chelsea Memel, who was a 2008 Olympian and she made a comeback after having two kids.
00:38:53
Speaker
And she was competing at a national level.
00:38:56
Speaker
Well, yeah, national level.
00:38:58
Speaker
And it inspired so many people to get back into it this summer, which was really exciting to see.
00:39:04
Speaker
So.
00:39:06
Speaker
I don't even remember your question, but I just got like on a roll.
00:39:10
Speaker
Like I've I won't say the reporter's name, but he spoke highly on Simone and what's the young lady who played tennis?
00:39:18
Speaker
What's her name?
00:39:20
Speaker
Wimbledon or Olympics?
00:39:21
Speaker
Yes, I know who you're talking about.
00:39:23
Speaker
Like from his perspective, I was like, okay, he's like, no, you can't just use mental health as a cop out.
00:39:29
Speaker
Like you got to show up and when you show up, you got to perform.
00:39:32
Speaker
And that's just what it is because I was a professional athlete.
00:39:35
Speaker
And I was like, yeah, you know, you know, you just got to do.
00:39:37
Speaker
But then when you get new information, right, and you understand what really goes on in that process, and you understand what's going through a person's body and mind, you learn to have more compassion and grace for a person because you don't know what it's like to be that because you wasn't doing that sport.
00:39:50
Speaker
Even if you were, I can't force you to do something because I feel like you should have enough guts or will to keep going because you don't know what I'm going through.
00:40:01
Speaker
And that was yesterday, I knew it was someone there
00:40:06
Speaker
who was there by themselves, right?
00:40:09
Speaker
And I made sure that everyone like hugged each other or hugged themselves.
00:40:13
Speaker
And the young lady came up, she lost her daughter 10 years ago, right?
00:40:17
Speaker
I saw it.
00:40:18
Speaker
I heard herself in the light of supporting the life of her daughter.
00:40:23
Speaker
And it made me think like, by just showing up like we do on this live right now, you don't know who's watching.
00:40:30
Speaker
You don't know who's gonna be listening.
00:40:33
Speaker
But show up the best way we know to be authentic and to be vulnerable and to be open brings a lot of light and a lot of dark spaces that we have no clue about.
00:40:42
Speaker
So what you're doing and the route you're on your path, like keep it up.
00:40:47
Speaker
And I always say progress equals happiness.
00:40:51
Speaker
On another note, in your career, in your business, what's working for you and what you think is your greatest challenge right now?

Rebuilding Business Post-COVID

00:40:59
Speaker
Greatest challenge is rebuilding after COVID because I was really smart at the end of 2019.
00:41:06
Speaker
And it was kind of getting harder to like retain people in our virtual program.
00:41:11
Speaker
And I was like, all right, 2020 is the year of all in-person events.
00:41:14
Speaker
We're going to have retreats.
00:41:14
Speaker
We're going to do workshops.
00:41:15
Speaker
Let's go.
00:41:16
Speaker
So I dissolved the virtual program and...
00:41:19
Speaker
Boom!
00:41:20
Speaker
So that was stupid.
00:41:22
Speaker
But I couldn't have known, you know?
00:41:24
Speaker
So now it's kind of just rebuilding that, getting people back into the virtual side because it was so cool.
00:41:32
Speaker
We had people across the world.
00:41:34
Speaker
We had people sending gifts to each other across the country for like Secret Santa and Galentine's Day, whatever it was, right?
00:41:40
Speaker
And I miss that camaraderie.
00:41:42
Speaker
And the in-person events were good.
00:41:44
Speaker
But as I was just explaining in another interview this morning,
00:41:47
Speaker
At the end of last year for our second retreat, it was tough because we didn't, we had, I think, two paying retreaters.
00:41:56
Speaker
And it's hard because retreats are a lot of upfront costs.
00:41:59
Speaker
You have to have a place to be able to market it to get people to want to sign up.
00:42:03
Speaker
You can't just be like, hey, come somewhere, you know.
00:42:06
Speaker
So there's a lot of upfront costs and you're just hoping that it works, but it was really hard to get people
00:42:12
Speaker
to one, want to travel, two, be with a bunch of strangers, and then three, spending a lot of money when people are saving.
00:42:19
Speaker
So those kind of challenges are tough right now business-wise.
00:42:24
Speaker
So that's why the app is super accessible, and I'm really pushing that because I want that to be where I just put all of my energy, and anybody who wants to get stronger, more flexible.
00:42:34
Speaker
How do you find the app?
00:42:35
Speaker
Is it in your link, in your bio?
00:42:38
Speaker
Is it a website?
00:42:39
Speaker
Yeah.
00:42:40
Speaker
Link in my bio or train like a gymnast app.com.
00:42:43
Speaker
Either way, train like a gymnast.com.
00:42:44
Speaker
You can find it too.
00:42:46
Speaker
But it's, it's me.
00:42:48
Speaker
And right now we have two other coaches, Andrea and Megan, who are, are stretched like a gymnast instructors.
00:42:55
Speaker
So that's, that's on there until December 1st.
00:42:58
Speaker
Just to kind of give people like,
00:43:00
Speaker
extra stretching fun stuff.
00:43:02
Speaker
So that's, that's the way to really, to really focus.
00:43:06
Speaker
That's our main thing.
00:43:07
Speaker
We will still do retreats and workshops, but it's kind of on hold right now.
00:43:11
Speaker
The retreats, what does that consist of?
00:43:12
Speaker
Do you do that like once a month?
00:43:14
Speaker
You do it every quarter?
00:43:15
Speaker
No, these are big retreats.
00:43:17
Speaker
So last year we did two.
00:43:19
Speaker
My goal is three a year.
00:43:21
Speaker
But we do five day, four night retreats in like we did Hawaii in 2020.
00:43:27
Speaker
We did like Tahoe last year.
00:43:29
Speaker
This year we did Park City.
00:43:32
Speaker
So a bunch of different places.
00:43:33
Speaker
I'm trying to go somewhere warmer for this next one, hopefully in 2022.
00:43:39
Speaker
So yeah, it's personal development.
00:43:41
Speaker
It is training and gymnastics.
00:43:43
Speaker
It's stretching.
00:43:44
Speaker
It's doing a lot of mindfulness, meditation, journaling, human connection.
00:43:49
Speaker
It's incredible.
00:43:50
Speaker
People are breaking through traumas.
00:43:52
Speaker
We've had people sign with their dream agency.
00:43:55
Speaker
We've had people having difficult conversations with their
00:43:58
Speaker
with their parents.
00:43:59
Speaker
We've had people starting businesses.
00:44:03
Speaker
We've had people leaving jobs.
00:44:05
Speaker
We've had people just getting back in touch with themselves.
00:44:10
Speaker
It's incredible, the kind of transformations that happen at these
00:44:14
Speaker
retreats it's so much more than gymnastics but you're around people who have gymnastics either background they you know like to do that kind of stuff but it's people who like personal development too that's a beautiful business model because as human beings what do we want human connection and when you people that can relate to a subject or topic
00:44:40
Speaker
and then you kind of get in the nuts and bolts of the machine or the system, you open up Pandora's box to so many different ideas, you know, ideologies, pains, hardships,
00:44:56
Speaker
you thought that as well?
00:44:57
Speaker
I thought I was the only one.
00:44:59
Speaker
Or you know, I was talking to a friend yesterday and he's like, man, I should be in the Hall of Fame.
00:45:04
Speaker
I sacrificed so much blood, sweat and tears.
00:45:06
Speaker
I averaged like 20 points in my career.
00:45:08
Speaker
Like, I don't get it.
00:45:09
Speaker
You know, and I'm just like, and in my mind, I'm like, I can't tell him not to be that way because I don't understand what that feels like.
00:45:14
Speaker
Right?
00:45:15
Speaker
to go to a D1 college, get a scholarship to sacrifice so much of your time, your energy, and your mind for sport to make the people and the boosters, the organization, whoever happy.
00:45:28
Speaker
Where are you like, where's my just due, where's my acknowledgement?
00:45:31
Speaker
Can I get some
00:45:33
Speaker
you know, get some love I put in and I think people don't care.
00:45:37
Speaker
They just want you to perform and I think what it takes to be you but I would love to know more about those retreats by the way.
00:45:43
Speaker
Do you guys have like a video or like some

Personal Development Journey

00:45:45
Speaker
information?
00:45:45
Speaker
Because I had an idea.
00:45:47
Speaker
creating a retreat but I like that you know mindfulness, meditation and just the whole culture of gymnastics.
00:45:59
Speaker
What people do you study from a self development space or what books are you reading or courses you've taken or like what's what got you into like you know self development.
00:46:08
Speaker
I've been in it for a long time and I love it so I'm just curious like what you're reading what you're into.
00:46:13
Speaker
it's funny i really think back to i think i was 14 when i first watched the secret like and then i mean there's so much more now but like that's what i when i first started like visualization and everything but that was right at the end of like right before i stopped um gymnastics so it just transitioned or yeah it transferred into the rest of my life so uh the secret i read like the magic power all of those different ones focusing on intention setting
00:46:42
Speaker
And then I've always just kind of loved reading self-help, self-develop, personal development, all that kind of stuff.
00:46:48
Speaker
Just how can I get better?
00:46:50
Speaker
How can I continue to grow?
00:46:52
Speaker
And then I watched, I've always heard of Tony Robbins, but I watched...
00:46:59
Speaker
I'm not your guru.
00:46:59
Speaker
Yeah.
00:46:59
Speaker
Oh, my God.
00:47:01
Speaker
I was crying.
00:47:02
Speaker
Yeah.
00:47:02
Speaker
Yeah.
00:47:03
Speaker
Exactly.
00:47:04
Speaker
So I had a difficult conversation with my dad after watching that.
00:47:09
Speaker
And then that kind of started my interest in like, OK, what else is out there?
00:47:13
Speaker
There's Dean Graziosi.
00:47:14
Speaker
There's Joseph McClendon III.
00:47:17
Speaker
I was on his podcast.
00:47:19
Speaker
I went to Unleash the Power Within.
00:47:22
Speaker
So I walked across fire.
00:47:23
Speaker
That was fun.
00:47:24
Speaker
Yeah.
00:47:26
Speaker
Yeah.
00:47:31
Speaker
But that, I think of my life almost as like a pre-2019 and a post-2019 because of like how it changed how I view things.
00:47:40
Speaker
And then I went to my friend's retreat in Hawaii and then that's kind of what started.
00:47:45
Speaker
And I was like, okay, I've been on one now.
00:47:47
Speaker
Now I can lead one.
00:47:48
Speaker
I know what to expect.
00:47:51
Speaker
And then I've just been to a bunch of different, like through Boss Babe, through...
00:47:58
Speaker
Yeah, I've done a lot of different seminars.
00:48:02
Speaker
Oh, yeah.
00:48:03
Speaker
What sign are you, by the way?
00:48:04
Speaker
I'm a Libra.
00:48:06
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:48:07
Speaker
Lucky Libras.
00:48:08
Speaker
Happy belated.
00:48:09
Speaker
Good birthday.
00:48:09
Speaker
Thank you.
00:48:10
Speaker
September 26th.
00:48:12
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:48:12
Speaker
Okay.
00:48:12
Speaker
September Libras.
00:48:13
Speaker
Libras are great.
00:48:14
Speaker
I love Libras.
00:48:14
Speaker
They're very observant and very balanced.
00:48:18
Speaker
at scale and pace, you know.
00:48:20
Speaker
Yeah, which drives some people crazy.
00:48:22
Speaker
They're like, make a decision.
00:48:23
Speaker
Is it this or that?
00:48:24
Speaker
Well, it depends because if it's this, then it's this, then it's that.
00:48:27
Speaker
Right.
00:48:27
Speaker
It's so terrible when you're a lever.
00:48:31
Speaker
Yeah.
00:48:31
Speaker
You know, I don't know.
00:48:35
Speaker
It didn't keep indecisive like my manager's a leader.
00:48:37
Speaker
Accountant lawyers are a leader.
00:48:39
Speaker
So it's like I love leaders like get up like it's interesting.
00:48:43
Speaker
What are you?
00:48:43
Speaker
I'm a Pisces.
00:48:45
Speaker
You're Pisces.
00:48:46
Speaker
Yeah.
00:48:46
Speaker
So we know intuitive, you know, we feel all the feels.
00:48:50
Speaker
Yep.
00:48:52
Speaker
Wow, done a lot of work, a lot of research.
00:48:55
Speaker
So, Brenรฉ Brown, too.
00:48:57
Speaker
I totally forgot about her.
00:48:58
Speaker
Oh, my God.
00:48:59
Speaker
Brenรฉ Brown.
00:49:00
Speaker
Oh, yeah.
00:49:02
Speaker
I love her.
00:49:04
Speaker
Yeah.
00:49:06
Speaker
So what's the goal of yours?
00:49:08
Speaker
Like, if the next five years, if you have any or something you will want to accomplish other than impacting millions and millions of people like for you, per se, as an individual?
00:49:21
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I guess the impact is like five, 10 years.
00:49:23
Speaker
I want to host like big events with people.
00:49:26
Speaker
But for me as a person, I guess I really personal.
00:49:32
Speaker
I want to buy a house in Vegas because I'm in LA.
00:49:36
Speaker
Yeah.
00:49:39
Speaker
Um, I, I would like to, um, get to a point, you know, where, and of course I feel like this is everybody's goal, but I want the financial independence where, um,
00:49:53
Speaker
there's more than enough to cover all the basics and then I can live more.
00:49:59
Speaker
I want to take more classes.
00:50:01
Speaker
I don't wanna think, oh, well, if I wanna go here, then I have to, I want to just be like, I am fine.
00:50:07
Speaker
And there's no really specific number for that.
00:50:10
Speaker
It's more of a feeling because I find when we focus on numbers, it's limiting, right?
00:50:17
Speaker
And then the universe is like, okay, here's like $1 more because you wanted more money.
00:50:22
Speaker
$1 more money, you know?
00:50:24
Speaker
So it's, it's that emotion.
00:50:26
Speaker
You want a vortex.
00:50:28
Speaker
Abraham Hicks talks about the vortex, the feel and the frequency of, you can't really put a number on it because then you'll limit yourself.
00:50:35
Speaker
It could be a billion dollars.
00:50:36
Speaker
It could be a hundred thousand dollars.
00:50:38
Speaker
Right.
00:50:39
Speaker
You know, 10, you know, who knows?
00:50:41
Speaker
But I think the, uh,
00:50:43
Speaker
that intention and that thought those thoughts are just powerful that you even like understand that that's what I'm saying like I feel like I don't know if you have an analytical mind but the way you break down the information to make it make sense because you can't cap yourself out I want to make six figures a year okay you want to make okay a hundred thousand yeah or do you make seven hundred thousand
00:51:04
Speaker
It's a big difference.
00:51:07
Speaker
Right.
00:51:07
Speaker
So it's, I just think it's vital for people to kind of like, open up, believe in themselves, like you said, but go after that.
00:51:15
Speaker
I think the thing that I take away from this interview is that you're willing to do the work, you're willing to show up, but more importantly, you're following what you feel and what you felt to be where you are.
00:51:25
Speaker
And I think anyone listening, anyone who's going to see this,
00:51:29
Speaker
If you feel it and it's strong, I think you should go for it.
00:51:32
Speaker
And don't try to make sense for you not to do it.
00:51:35
Speaker
Right.
00:51:36
Speaker
And there are a couple of things like, I mean, honestly, I decided to turn down that promotion because I would rather fall flat on my face trying than be like 20, 40 years in the future.
00:51:48
Speaker
And I'm like, what if I had done that?
00:51:50
Speaker
So that was a big one for me too.
00:51:54
Speaker
And just...
00:51:58
Speaker
Yeah, it's, it's, yeah.
00:52:03
Speaker
I mean, you did it, you're doing it, and I think,
00:52:06
Speaker
that's just a celebration within itself for you because as people who work on ourselves and work for ourselves, it's constant like, okay, what's next?

Insights on Entrepreneurship and Risk-taking

00:52:16
Speaker
When does the next gig come in?
00:52:17
Speaker
What is the next opportunity?
00:52:19
Speaker
And then you start realizing, hey, I am the gig, I am the opportunity.
00:52:22
Speaker
How do I become more of a value in the space to attract, right?
00:52:26
Speaker
How do I be on that frequency to get that big gig or big thing?
00:52:29
Speaker
Or what is that big, big, big, big deal or big gig?
00:52:33
Speaker
you know like what is it and it's constant work and you know showing up for yourself and being available for others so i just want to see
00:52:42
Speaker
Yeah, thank you.
00:52:44
Speaker
And something I just realized recently was that, oh, when I was working a desk job, like at this salary per year, I was like buying lunch for people because I was good.
00:52:54
Speaker
And I was like, oh, yeah, come over for this, you know, and I just felt like I could because there was that stability.
00:52:59
Speaker
And interestingly enough, I'm making over double of what I was making there now.
00:53:04
Speaker
And I feel like, oh, no, can I afford that?
00:53:06
Speaker
Because there's a little, and I'm still working on it, a little bit of scarcity because you're an entrepreneur.
00:53:12
Speaker
It's like, it's up to you.
00:53:13
Speaker
And you don't know if you're going to get another job.
00:53:16
Speaker
Like, you're just hoping.
00:53:17
Speaker
And there's less stability.
00:53:19
Speaker
So I totally understand for people that I was like, I want to know how much I'm making so I can live this life that I want to.
00:53:26
Speaker
And so entrepreneurship is not for everybody.
00:53:28
Speaker
Right.
00:53:28
Speaker
But for those of you who are like, I want this, I'm willing, I like risk, I like variety, then you definitely need to follow it at some point in your life.
00:53:39
Speaker
Give it a go.
00:53:40
Speaker
because you can always make more.
00:53:42
Speaker
Give it a go.
00:53:44
Speaker
Danielle, you've been great.
00:53:45
Speaker
This has been an awesome interview.
00:53:48
Speaker
Thank you for your energy, your time, and your word, inspiration, and wisdom.
00:53:53
Speaker
Where can people find you?
00:53:54
Speaker
Where can people sort you out?
00:53:56
Speaker
I know Instagram, you're here, but have you any other places where people can follow and find out more information?
00:54:02
Speaker
Yeah, so Instagram at Danielle Gray Fit is my main home.
00:54:07
Speaker
That's where I'm most active in my stories and posting.
00:54:12
Speaker
Of course, I'm on TikTok, not as often.
00:54:15
Speaker
I'm on Facebook.
00:54:16
Speaker
I know.
00:54:20
Speaker
And YouTube.
00:54:21
Speaker
I'm trying to vlog more stuff.
00:54:24
Speaker
I know I need to do it.
00:54:25
Speaker
So hold me to it, peoples, okay?
00:54:28
Speaker
I'm...
00:54:30
Speaker
Oh, you can't fit.
00:54:34
Speaker
And it's all the same Danielle Gray fit pretty much everywhere.
00:54:38
Speaker
I think you can find me so Twitter.
00:54:41
Speaker
Oh, yeah, I'm on Twitter too.
00:54:42
Speaker
But I literally just post like from my Instagram to Twitter.
00:54:45
Speaker
Facebook.
00:54:47
Speaker
I'm on Facebook.
00:54:48
Speaker
Yeah.
00:54:50
Speaker
Yeah.
00:54:53
Speaker
Everywhere.
00:54:54
Speaker
Just learn.
00:54:54
Speaker
Look.
00:54:56
Speaker
She's there.
00:54:57
Speaker
Daniel Brie Fit.
00:54:58
Speaker
I did mention that she was a Ninja Warrior and she also is an iFit trainer.
00:55:04
Speaker
Are you still on those platforms?
00:55:06
Speaker
Can people find you on those platforms?
00:55:08
Speaker
They didn't hear my run on Ninja Warrior, but it's fine.
00:55:12
Speaker
But iFit, yes.
00:55:14
Speaker
I'm still doing live travel classes on
00:55:16
Speaker
iFit, my Fabletics Fit workouts will be going live on their app soon.
00:55:23
Speaker
And then, of course, my own Train Like a Gymnast app.
00:55:26
Speaker
Yeah, I'm on a bunch of different, like, fitness platforms.
00:55:31
Speaker
So there are ways to work out with me.
00:55:32
Speaker
There are ways to train.
00:55:33
Speaker
If you're not on, like, our email list, that's kind of how we keep people up to date.
00:55:38
Speaker
So trainlikeagymnast.com is the best place if you're interested in learning more about that to get started.
00:55:45
Speaker
Yeah.
00:55:46
Speaker
Danielle, I just want to say thank you once again.
00:55:49
Speaker
Continue to spread and share your light and wisdom.
00:55:51
Speaker
We need more people like you in this space.
00:55:54
Speaker
And thank you for coming up to Bigger Talks podcast today.
00:55:58
Speaker
Yes.
00:56:00
Speaker
Thank you so much.
00:56:01
Speaker
That was so fun.
00:56:02
Speaker
I appreciate being on here and have a wonderful rest of your day.
00:56:04
Speaker
Thank you to everyone who's listening as well.
00:56:06
Speaker
Yeah.
00:56:06
Speaker
Be safe.
00:56:06
Speaker
Talk soon.
00:56:07
Speaker
Bye.
00:56:09
Speaker
Yeah, so Danielle Gray Fit.
00:56:13
Speaker
Go follow her right now.
00:56:15
Speaker
She's amazing.
00:56:16
Speaker
You heard her story.
00:56:17
Speaker
She's inspirational.
00:56:18
Speaker
She's also vulnerable and authentic.
00:56:21
Speaker
She shows up.
00:56:22
Speaker
She showed up today.
00:56:23
Speaker
So follow her and find her on all her platforms, YouTube, iFit, everything else, trainlikeagymnist.com, and get some more insight and info on her.
00:56:35
Speaker
Guys, that's it.
00:56:36
Speaker
I'm out.
00:56:37
Speaker
I'm Eric Bigger.
00:56:38
Speaker
This is another episode of Bigger Talks, IG Live Edition.
00:56:42
Speaker
You guys have a phenomenal day.
00:56:44
Speaker
Be safe.