Going Beyond with Randi Zinn Randi Zinn

The Going Beyond Movement is about stepping into your power, so it only felt right to create a merchandise collection filled with mantras to remind us that we are Beyond our limits. This year, I finally did it! In this episode, I’m joined by my dear friend and founder of Go To Market, Amanda Hofman, who made my vision for the Going Beyond Shop a reality (0:17).
Go To Market thinks deeply about how merchandise can support a company's brand and marketing, and then designs their products. They seamlessly set up eco-friendly, print on-demand, digital shopping experiences for brands without the need to ship packages from home, deal with postage stamps, and anything else that would normally make me break a sweat at the thought of creating merch! Amanda is here to share what led her to create Go To Market and share her advice for brands interested in creating their own shop.
Amanda was the original founder and CEO of Urban Girl Squad - a premiere social networking group for women in their 20s and 30s in NYC - and made the decision to sell the company right before welcoming her second child. But once the kids grew older, her CEO itch returned, and she had to scratch it.  It took a slew of different career paths (including making lamps!) and accidentally signing up to run the creation of merchandise for her children’s school that she learned about print on-demand and gained the confidence to launch Go To Market (12:30).
We then discuss the process of creating the Going Beyond Shop and everything that went into it. Amanda helped me decide which items would resonate with my audience, whether that be inward-facing items like a mug or a laptop case, or outward-facing items like a t-shirt or a beanie. We both agree that the Beyond bracelet is our favorite!  Then, we walk through the creation of the phrases “Above and Beyond”, “I Am Beyond”, and “Beyond Limits” etched on every item in addition to the look and feel of each item - all which encapsulate the Going Beyond lifestyle (17:28).
Amanda leaves us with some advice for brands looking to create their own shop: you know you’re ready if you have an established brand identity. Amanda suggests starting by setting up a store and sending merchandise to key partners and influencers to test and share the items (28:44).
If you’re considering launching your own shop, I hope this episode inspires you to do so! Go to https://www.gotomarket.studio/ to get started. To grab your cute, cozy items for working out, running errands, or finding moments for yourself, check out the Going Beyond Shop at https://goingbeyondmovement.com/shop/.

*Looking for another podcast to love on? Check out The Third Place podcast. It is an invitation to the grey space - a space that is safe where deeper connections are fostered through challenging, empowering, and engaging dialogue. Take a listen at The Third Place.

As you may know, I recently launched my 1:1 Going Beyond Mentorship Program! I’m overjoyed to share this next-level work with you, and I thought, what better way to do this than to directly share the experience of those that I’ve mentored?  In this episode, you will meet Cathy and Meredith Pazol, a mother and daughter duo, who approached me with an idea for a platform to change how humanity processes and integrates grief, now called The Sacred Wound (2:06).
Both women experienced a string of  grief and traumatic loss in many forms, from losing loved ones too soon, and in some cases, having little time to process (Cathy was given two bereavement days from her employer after her mother died of a sudden heart attack), and moving after 16 years of living in the same house.  We walk through why they decided to create The Sacred Wound now, which stemmed from this realization: while they were lucky to have the support of each other through heavy loss, how do others process grief when they’re alone, especially amid COVID-19 (5:02)?
Cathy reveals that The Sacred Wound began as a book she started writing in 1991 after the sudden loss of her first husband, but fast forward 30 years, she and Meredith lacked a pathway to manifesting their heartfelt calling. When I became their mentor, we identified how their vision needed to shift in 2021, not only amid the global grief brought on by COVID-19, but to ensure it felt inclusive to people of all backgrounds (18:24).
Cathy and Meredith leave us with the results of their successful mentorship work with Randi: an upcoming website, a blog, social media platforms, and a four-week workshop. If you’ve experienced grief that has transformed your life, share your story at thesacredwound@gmail.com, or follow The Sacred Wound on Instagram and Facebook to learn more (33:38).
 If you’re curious about my 1:1 Going Beyond Mentorship Program, check out my page at goingbeyondmovement.com/mentorship/ to learn more, or if you’re ready to take the next step to bring your vision to life, fill out my intake form and I will be in touch from there (34:31)!

Welcome to a special Inauguration Day bonus episode of The Going Beyond Podcast! I know there is still a lot of uncertainty around what could happen, and even more could unfold by the time this episode releases, but I felt the need to share several voices of hope on this day and in the days following. The theme of this episode is leadership, specifically what it means to have not only a woman, but a woman of color and a mother sitting in the Vice President’s chair. To help me gain perspective on what this powerful moment means amid a challenging time, I’ve tapped into my circle of women who inspire me, all of whom come from a variety of backgrounds, to share with us what it means to have Kamala Harris in the White house from a personal, professional, political, and humanitarian perspective.
First, you’ll hear a bit from me about my reaction to the storming of Capitol Hill in addition to what it means to have woman like Kamala Harris in the White House, and then you’ll hear from these four incredible women:
Jenny Greenstein - Founder of Your Soul Style, which fuses style and mindfulness to empower women to live in full alignment while creating their own personal authentic style.Melanie Chandra - Actress, writer and producer who creates stories about powerful women. She is also an advocate for women of all colors in the entertainment industry.Niurka Maldonado - Founder of Connected Kindred, a practice that helps caretakers, especially mothers, by working through their past traumas and limiting thought patterns to create an om environment.Stacy Igel - Founder and Creative Director of young contemporary athleisure brand Boy Meets Girl, her blog “Behind the Scenes with Stacy Igel”, and the Moms Got This Podcast.  Confession, I originally recorded this conversation prior to the events of Capitol Hill, and I decided to re-record my piece on January 12th to add additional perspective after the devastating events of that day.
 On this momentous day, I hope this episode sparks a light of optimism and understanding that while hate certainly exists in our country today, there’s hope for compassion and humanity to win in the days, months, and years ahead. 

I’m absolutely thrilled to be joined by renowned Wellness Consultant, host of “hey, girl” podcast and Best-Selling Author, Alex Elle.  Alex has made it her mission to help people find their voice and build self-trust, self-worth and self-validation through the power of writing. Through her workshops and retreats, she helps people go deep and explore their inner selves in a safe, collaborative community (1:08).
 Alex opens our conversation by explaining the incredible value writing can have, not only for expressing our own stories and experiences, but also as a therapeutic tool to help us gain clarity about feelings we so often let fester and to build an understanding of how to take action and heal.  In Alex’s words, this process allows us to get in tune with our own “inner expert” by giving us the power to find our own answers, curbing the pressures to seek validation in others (2:42). 
Alex also shares the value of writing within a community setting to understand we’re not alone in our struggle and we can work to overcome these challenges together.  Fostering this type of community is a crucial part of Alex’s work, and she strives to empower others through her own authenticity and vulnerability as a Black woman representing this type of healing (12:04). 
Alex explains that the journey of self-care starts with gaining introspection which allows us to show up fully in our roles as mothers, partners, and people in society. While showing up for ourselves and for others this year feels more difficult than ever, Alex believes that we have the opportunity to rise from our collective grief and form a bond that will bring us all together for the betterment of society (13:16).
For more of Alex, visit her website http://www.alexelle.com/ ,where you can find resources including free writing practices. You can also join her email list and follow her on Instagram @alex_elle to stay tuned for upcoming writing courses!

If you’re looking for something a bit more than your standard notebook to inspire your journaling journey, shop Alex’s collection of beautiful journals HERE   

Another option: Use our discount code: GOINGBEYOND for 20% Discount: https://thescribes.co/



 

I am so honored to have Chrissy King on the podcast with me today! Chrissy is a strength coach, as well as a writer, speaker and coach for anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion in the wellness industry. Using her degree in Social Justice and Sociology combined with her work as a strength trainer, Chrissy fuses social justice with fitness and wellness to empower individuals to stop shrinking and start taking up space and learn how to use their energy to create their specific magic in the world (3:52).  
Our conversation begins with Chrissy’s personal journey in the fitness industry, which she began with one goal only: to lose weight and be skinny. It took years of obsessing about her weight and never missing workouts, that when she finally reached her “goal weight”, it wasn’t enough. That’s when she turned to powerlifting, and realized that fitness wasn’t about body image, but rather about feeling strong, empowered and energized. This realization in the gym began to shift in other areas of her life, and today, she preaches “body liberation” to the clients she trains - the idea that who we are is not about what we look like on the outside, but how we feel on the inside. Chrissy mentions the importance of approaching fitness and wellness holistically as not only a tool to improve physical health, but mental and emotional health as well. (4:57). 
We then talk about the other side of Chrissy’s work: anti-racism, diversity and inclusivity in the wellness industry. Organizations often ask Chrissy to assess what steps they can take to be more diverse and inclusive, but what she sees is very consistent: most companies want a quick fix to the problem. Instead, Chrissy explains companies should, on both an individual and collective level, learn how to become anti-racist, and then incorporate ways to make their environment more diverse and inclusive (14:36).
 Chrissy leaves us with some really impactful advice to helping all of us become anti-racist. Chrissy and Randi agree that white women in particular have a harder time doing this work because of our inherent need to seek perfectionism and avoid saying or doing the wrong things. Chrissy encourages us to instead, sit in this discomfort because this work individually will spark greater change in the world (22:10). And it’s so important not to do it alone! There are fantastic books, films and articles to consume individually, but having tough conversations with a variety of people (including a variety of people of color), is what will take your work to the next level, as well as allow you the support you might need as you feel intense emotions from these conversations (32:58).

You all know how much I enjoy exploring topics that fuse the body and mind, and I think my guest today will help give you insight into the way our bodies are affected by stress, particularly during this challenging time.
Today I’m honored to be joined by trained Physical Therapist, Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, and Certified Athletic Trainer, Melanie Weller. Melanie is a medical visionary, specializing in decompressing the vagus nerve, a nerve responsible for bridging our stories and our physical experience in the body, and for countering our fight or flight response. Her work involves weaving a combination of science and ancient wisdom together using the vagus nerve as the pathway to help heal patients from chronic stress and trauma, empower and optimize their voice, and recognize the signs of vagus nerve compression that most of us are all too familiar with: sweaty palms, a racing heart, digestive issues, feeling like you have a lump your throat, and stifled vocal chords (4:10).
 Vocal dysfunction happens to be the basis of Melanie’s own story and the inspiration for her work. Growing up, Melanie never felt like she had a voice at home, and on top of that, her choir teacher at school insisted she lip sync rather than sing. From then on into adulthood, she believed that her voice had no value and she became a master at repressing her emotions, which she proved each time her husband deployed with the navy for months at a time. Finally, when he retired 20 years later, she broke down and the stress she bottled up all her life, in addition to the new stress of facing a crumbling marriage and a lawsuit, showed itself in extreme foot pain and high blood pressure (15:22). The combination of her story, her career as a physical therapist, and the knowledge that 75-90% of illness is stress-induced inspired Melanie to help others realign and recognize stress both in their body and mind to ultimately live a healthier, fuller life.
 We then talk about this challenging year and the undeniable stress it’s caused us.  Melanie reminds us that “2020” is also a term that means “perfect vision”, coinciding with how dramatically different we now view our lives and the effect we can have on others. In her opinion, 2020 is offering us an expanded vision for finally choosing to pick apart the root of our issues - something that is directly mirrored in the work that she does (26:51). Before Melanie leaves us, she gives us some much-needed advice on how we can better handle the stress we’re all experiencing, and that is understanding your unique body language, because while your mind will often play tricks on you, your body never will (33:20).