Latest / Between The Rounds Official / Between the Rounds | Stacia Suttles: The Business of Boxing & The Amateur-to-Pro Pathway
Transcript
- Sarah: And I'm so excited to have her on the podcast today to share some of her insights having lived through both experiences. Stacia, welcome, and thank you for joining me on Between the Rounds. Stacia The Natural: Thank you, Sarah, so much for having me. I'm really happy to be here, honestly. I'm proud of you for making this platform. Sarah: Stacia has lived the full amateur to pro pathway and now she's helping to redesign it from the inside. She's an athlete, an advocate, a coach and a founder. ⁓ amazing. Thank you. So listen, you were a four time Team USA athlete. Walk me through what that pathway actually looked like and how do you go about making the team? And I created Between the Rounds to share insights into the strategies that shape champions, the decisions, the transitions and the work that nobody fully sees. Stacia The Natural: Yeah, so when I first made the team, it's a little different than what it is now. You know, I made the team back in 2016. I won my national championships then and made the 2017 team. ⁓ at that point, it was just you win national championships, you're on the team. Now it's a little bit different where you win national championships and now you have to still go in camp ⁓ and yourself to be the number one fighter in the ⁓ country. ⁓ Sarah: Stacia Suttles is one of the most decorated amateur boxers from the US. Her amateur career includes being a four-time Team USA boxer, a nine-time national and international medalist. She competed in two US Olympic trials and was the 2024 Olympic alternate. She's now 2-0 as a professional, on the USA boxing board of directors as athlete rep, And has built a boxing academy from scratch. Stacia The Natural: So it is a little bit different now, but overall, mean, the path is similar in the way that you have to sacrifice a lot. You have to work really, really hard. And once you get to the top, now target's on your back now. So it's really hard to keep that spot. So then versus now, it is slightly different to ⁓ that spot on the team, but overall, it's ⁓ process is the same. Sarah: And do you feel like that was just based on the level of skill that was coming into the national tournaments and things like that, that they wanted to just really ensure that the development was there for fighters coming in? Stacia The Natural: Uh, yes and no. Um, I think the biggest reason why they did it was because, know, sometimes you could have a fighter that competes really, really well at the international level and, know, they come and fight here at national championships and the judges aren't really seeing what's required for an international competitor or an Olympic level competitor. Um, so that's one reason. Another reason is because we may have a comp- predator that is dominating at the world stage and then gets injured on the first night of a national championship. So, you know, there's many different reasons as to why they did what they did. So, yeah. Sarah: Okay. ⁓ you were just obviously in Colorado at the Olympic trial center at OTC. So can you give us a little bit of insight into what brought you back and what did it feel like being in a different role? Stacia The Natural: Yeah, mean, honestly, it just felt really full circle for me instead of going there as an athlete competing for the spot that, you know, everyone wants. You know, I was there really just to support the athletes. I'm there as an athlete representative to just support the athletes, be there for them. I'm kind of the middle person between the athletes and ⁓ USA or Team USA in a way. So it just felt really good to just be there, support them, speak up when needed, but just to really build a relationship with lot of the athletes that I either hadn't met before or rebuild a relationship with the athletes that I had been on the team with before. So it was nice. Sarah: I think that's bad. That's awesome. And there's some amazing talent coming through the ranks right now, right? Stacia The Natural: Yes, yes, a lot of talent. ⁓ Actually, most of the, well, not most of the team, but a good amount of the team is they were youth last year. So they just came up to Elite they dominated in the youth. Now they're doing their thing in the Elite. So it's really, really cool to see like the talent over the years and now they're coming into the Elite. So I'm really excited about this year to come, not just because I'm in the position that I'm in, but also just to see, hopefully we can get on top of these podiums and show the world like, all right, we're here. Yeah. Sarah: We're here and we're ready. And they're just gone to Stranger, right? And that was a big moment for you too in your amateur career. Stacia The Natural: Yeah, exactly. So they actually just started competition today. We already got two wins. Woohoo. Yeah, so I'm excited. I'm excited for them. Yeah, I mean, Ireland's got a great team, man. They are like a powerhouse, honestly. yeah, you know, I actually won Strangia in 2017. It was my first international tournament. I won it. I got gold ⁓ and I got best female boxer of the tournament. So definitely a pivotal moment for me as a boxer. And also it just showed me Sarah: Yeah. Hey, good stuff. I'm keeping an eye on Ireland too on the side. listen. Stacia The Natural: Um, cause at that point I didn't really have a goal of going to the Olympics. It was just a, I'm just having fun doing what I'm doing. Um, but when I won that tournament, it really showed me like, okay, I can kind of step up and be part of the world stage and maybe go to the Olympics one day. Sarah: That's amazing. yeah, talk us through that transition in your mindset, right? Of like, you're here competing, you're almost like participating, you're recognizing the skill that you're developing. And then all of a sudden it's like, ⁓ wait a second, I do have what it takes. Like, talk me through a little bit of that transition. Stacia The Natural: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, for better or for worse, right? Because I feel like in the beginning, it was just for fun. It was just me having fun, going with the flow, fight to fight and, you know, kind of just one step in front of the other. And then you realize, ⁓ wait, you can run, like, you know? So ⁓ kind of shifted into, I kind of put a little bit more pressure on myself to perform well. And I think that was like the downside of that realization. Um, but all in all, just pushed me to, you know, now I'm a two-time Olympic trialist. became an Olympic, uh, alternate in 2024. So if it wasn't for those beginning stages and all that it went through, then I wouldn't have been able to realize all of that. But yeah. Sarah: That's awesome. I do want to touch a little bit on, I saw you mention this in another interview about the 2018 Nationals being a breaking point for you, right? And you went through a really dark time and, you talk about depression in that moment. Six years later, became the 2024 Olympic alternate. What did that journey between those two moments actually look like? Can you kind of give us a little bit of insight into how you navigated that? Stacia The Natural: Yeah, I feel like it was kind of a two phase thing that happened. yeah, know, 2018 national championships happened. ⁓ did not, didn't, I don't even think I made it to the finals in that tournament. So I was completely out and I knew that 2019 was a big year in terms ⁓ just to the Olympic trials, you know, being on team USA, they had some big international tournaments coming up. So losing that tournament really, really shifted my perspective because at that point it was like, okay, I'm winning, I'm a champion. I put so much into my boxing that now I've lost. I'm not invited to the Olympic training center. I'm not training with the teammates that I had been training with. So it really shifted things for me, but I mean, Sarah: That's really tough. Stacia The Natural: I think for me, it also just showed me that there's more important things outside of boxing. So when I lost, ⁓ into a depression, luckily I had a really good support system. And through that depression, realized like, ⁓ man, let me, you know, I appreciate the support system that I have. And one of those people being ⁓ Coach Reeve Scott out of New York, she was a huge mentor. Yeah, she's a great friend of mine. And ⁓ really helped me to beat that depression at that time. Sarah: And we'll see you next time. Amazing. ⁓ Stacia The Natural: ⁓ she actually showed me a book called the four agreements that completely, ⁓ man. Yeah. Sarah: ⁓ love it, love it Stacia. I back to that every year. I'm like, yes, life can be this simple if we just follow these four agreements. Stacia The Natural: Yes, exactly. that book, literally once I read it, it was like I was looking at my life from up above and life completely shifted for me after reading that book. And it was like depressed, no longer. I mean, it feels crazy, but it really was that simple. Obviously, it still took work, but that book really helped me. So yeah, I competed in the 2019 Olympic trials for 2020. I didn't go as far as I wanted to go in that tournament. Sarah: Of course. Enjoy. Stacia The Natural: But then kind of the world stopped ⁓ it kind of helped ⁓ in a way because I was like, okay, let me take a break from boxing. Let me just figure out what I want to kind of do in life. And, you know, it was kind of like a bittersweet moment for me because obviously you don't want the world to end or anything crazy to happen. But it helped me to just figure out who I am outside of boxing ⁓ what I really value outside of boxing. Sarah: I ⁓ Stacia The Natural: which was super helpful in when I returned in 2022 to boxing. kind of returned as a different person in a way. Like I had the same goals. I was ⁓ driven and motivated, but I came into it with a a more mature mindset, I would say. Sarah: Okay. I think that's what the first sort of survival hours are. That's awesome. Were there certain things that you, within that kind of learning moment or, within those couple of years of like taking a step back from boxing, what were some of those values that really aligned to you that you were like, yes? So regardless of like the evolution of what your journey in boxing becomes, what are some of those values that you want to ensure stay true to you and the people that you keep close in your circle? Stacia The Natural: Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing for me is just doing my best. think before I was so worried about being perfect, about winning, about, you know, proving anything, you know? But then I realized, like, if I'm just doing my best, that's really all that matters. And if I go into the ring and I do my best and I know that I did my best leading up to that moment, it doesn't matter what the judges ⁓ because I know that I did my best, you know? And an example of that is... You know, you can go into a fight and you did everything possible to win that fight and the judges still decide that the other person won that fight. So I think that's happened. You know, I've been on the losing end of so many three, two split decisions and I let those decisions either get me real down low or if I win, I'm real up high, but ⁓ Sarah: But the question is, how can we make sure that don't have to have a person that's not there? So how can we make that happens? How can we make happens? There's no way we can do in this. Stacia The Natural: At the end of the day, really just matters how well you feel like you did, how well you performed. And that's my biggest thing now. I just worry about doing my best, being my best self, and hopefully that's good enough to win. I know that's good enough to win, but you can't, you just do your best. Sarah: You can only control what you can control. yeah, I completely agree, Stacey. I went through a similar kind of mindset shift when I was back in Ireland for Stacia The Natural: Yes, yes. Sarah: the elite national tournament where I used to find coming into sparring sessions, right, where obviously you're in there with more experienced people and you'd be thinking, ⁓ my God, I did so bad in that sparring session. And you'd be beating yourself up like, why am I even doing this? And I shifted my perspective on making it task-based sparring of like, here's three things I wanna accomplish in this session. And it's not about winning the rounds. It's not about getting one up on the opponent. It's like, did I do the things that I wanted to accomplish in those rounds? And that's truly what matters, right? Because you're seeing the development, you're seeing the ability to grow and adapt. Stacia The Natural: Yeah, exactly. I would much rather lose a fight knowing that I did my best and everything that I know that I do well at, like my jab or keeping my distance or my footwork, things like that, than winning a fight. And I just didn't perform well, didn't do my best, didn't do the things that I know that I do well. So yeah, it's just, it's definitely a perspective shift. And like you said, controlling what you can control and literally letting go of everything else. Sarah: Yeah, I love that. Before we move on to kind of more of the professional side of things, I did want to just maybe touch on in terms of your role as athlete rep, are there things that you'd like to see change or improve for the current team USA Boxers? Are the things that you're trying to push on the board? Stacia The Natural: in particular, to be honest. I'm, I'm, this is a very new role for me, ⁓ in particular. ⁓ looking forward to just, just building a relationship with the team and ⁓ doing best to support them as much as possible. The athletes specifically, like, for example, I'm sending them emails at least once a month, just to, just to keep that communication flowing. you know, there, there are a lot of changes ⁓ happening, like number two ⁓ team members the. Sarah: that pathway. Yep. Stacia The Natural: Number two ranked, yeah, the number two ranked boxers. They're getting opportunities to compete internationally now, which has never happened before. It was always just the number ones. So that's a super exciting thing to happen and it should help with the development of the boxers as well. Sarah: awesome. That's awesome. ⁓ And I do hear that there's potentially some additions to the coaching side of things too, which will be exciting for ⁓ USA. I'm a bit jealous on our side, but it'll good. Stacia The Natural: there are some new coaches. ⁓ You know, they're always looking at the pool of boxers or pool of ⁓ that want to be there. So it's exciting to see, you know, I was just there and it was really, really ⁓ intense. All the boxers were happy with everything that was happening. Even boxers that have been there for years, they were like, ⁓ we a difference. We see a difference here. So, you know, I'm hopeful that the changes that are happening will be for the better. Sarah: Stacia. That's really awesome. And no better person to be in that role. So I appreciate all that you're doing. So let's talk about the internal decision to turn pro, right? Not the actual announcement. What was the real conversation that you had with yourself to kind of get to that moment? Stacia The Natural: Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, it was a tough one. It was a really, really hard one because the Olympics have been ⁓ goal for ⁓ long, you know, since 2017. So to turn pro, ⁓ knew that it would be me turning, turning a page on the amateurs, you know, turning my back on a goal that I had for a really long time. Ultimately, it came down to like me making a pros and cons list. ⁓ Sarah: Right. Stacia The Natural: After the 2024 Olympic trials or 2023 is when it happened, but after the Olympic trials, I was still set on going for another Olympic cycle. It wasn't until I was approached by someone talking to me about the professional game that I was like, okay, this might be a lane that I could go into, but again, let me make a pros and cons list. So I made that pros and cons list and really I just considered all the things that are important to me. Sarah: Yeah. Stacia The Natural: I'm 31 years old right now. was 30 at the time that I made the decision. I don't want to fight or compete for that much longer. You know, I have my boxing academy. It's not a brick and mortar at the moment, but one day I do want to have an actual academy or a brick and mortar. And also I don't really want to live at the Olympic Training Center for nine months out of the year. You know, when I have a family that I live a couple hours from that I Sarah: Right. Yeah. ⁓ Stacia The Natural: want to see very often because they are getting older. I have my partner that we live together. We're getting married soon, actually. So I have things outside of my competing life that I value wholeheartedly that really helped me to see, what do I value and which decision do I want to make? ultimately, going professional at the time felt like the best decision for me. Sarah: Amazing. That's awesome. Great that you were able to kind of get to that point of like the pros and cons list, thinking about the things that you learned from maybe that time off as well from boxing of like what you truly valued to help make that informed decision. I love that. talk a little bit about ⁓ Stacia The Natural: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Sarah: Eric Harding, right? How did that relationship come together? What made you choose Philadelphia, as the destination for your pro side ⁓ and what made you choose him? And for listeners, Eric Harding is a former pro light heavyweight from Philadelphia. He 20 and 0 before fighting Roy Jones Jr. ⁓ for the unified title. And Jones had called this the hardest fight in his career. So Stacia, tell us a little about that decision to go with Eric Stacia The Natural: Yeah, I mean, my relationship with Eric, I could not be any more grateful. I, I wholeheartedly believe in God's plan. And I feel like our, our relationship coach and athlete came together because of that wholeheartedly. believe that. Um, so when I first decided to start, you know, get back into boxing again in 2022, I came up with an entire plan, like, okay, I'm going to train, you know, myself, and then I'll go to a couple of different gyms every you know, every week or so I'll train with a couple of different coaches, see how I like it, things of that nature. So when I was getting ready for national championships, I was training with one coach, was going great, but her gym had closed downs ⁓ and was in Jersey. So I ended up, okay, let me just stay in So I'm in I'm training with actually ⁓ Mark Robertson. So he's the mad scientist on Sarah: Thank you. Okay. Okay. ⁓ Stacia The Natural: on Instagram and I was training with him. were training together at team chaos. while we're training and I'm the type of person that like, I know what I need as an athlete and going to be vocal. And if I'm not getting it, you know, it's, it's going to be, gotta, I gotta do what I gotta do. I gotta do what's best for me. ⁓ so, you know, long story short, we, ⁓ didn't out to where Mark was my main coach. Sarah: Yep, 100%. Yep. Stacia The Natural: but he's still helping me now. And Eric Harding was in the gym training my now teammate Christian Ortiz. Him and I had a conversation and it's been a good relationship ever since. We've been training together since January, 2024. ⁓ so it's only been two years now, but it honestly feels like a lifetime. He's improved me tremendously. Sarah: ⁓ lovely. Okay. Stacia The Natural: You know, it's a great relationship. And like I said, you know, I was training with Mark as my head coach, but he's still there helping me. call it the 6PM crew because ⁓ Eric as the coach in there, Mark also as the coach. And then we've got all these boxers in there just training hard, working hard, ⁓ just to be world champion. So it's good. Sarah: That's amazing. So what does a coach with that kind of lived experience bring for preparation for you that you feel like you can't get anywhere else? are there specifics that you can share? Stacia The Natural: Yeah, I mean, he's been in the ring. He's been in there. He knows what it takes. He's literally done all the things that we're trying to do as boxers or that I'm trying to do as a boxer. And not only that, I can call him right now and we could have a regular conversation. Or if something's going on with my family, I can call him and be like, hey, something's going on with my dad or something's going on with my mom. And he's there for me. He's like, let me know what you need. let me know how long you're gonna be out the gym, it's okay. He's there for me as a person and as an athlete, which I couldn't ask for a better relationship, because that's the type of person that I am. I want relationships that actually mean something, not just, oh yeah, you're my boxer, or oh yeah, you're winning world titles. He cares about me as a person, which is great. And he knows what it takes to be a world champion. Sarah: Yeah. the first wrestling fight in the world. That's awesome. And I agree on that in terms of the bond between a coach and a fighter is so special. And when you get it right, the chemistry that plays out is, it's just unmatched. And a lot of people can't quite understand that. And I think it can be tough when you're with a coach who it's a very transactional kind of process they don't necessarily care about the holistic aspect of everything going on in your life. It's not that you're trying to bring drama to the situation, but I think it's just, understanding what you're processing and what you're going through and for a coach to have that type of connection and care about their fighter I think is really, really special. So it sounds like you got something really good there. Stacia The Natural: Yeah, yeah, I wholeheartedly appreciate him and he's kind of like my Philly dad in a way. He'll watch out for me no matter what and he's always asking about my parents so it's great. Sarah: that was. That's awesome, So Chanel Butler is training alongside you under her harding, right? She had an amazing win last night as well. What do you see in her and what does it do for your own preparation training with someone ⁓ on the Stacia The Natural: Yes. Yes. Yeah, it's awesome. She actually just came into boxing like two or three years ago. So it's awesome. Yeah. So she actually came from MMA and so that was her main sport. She only came and transitioned into boxing because she had a knee injury so she couldn't compete or do MMA. So it's again, it's like God's plan again, just showing sometimes negative things happen for a positive to come out of it. Sarah: No way! That's amazing! or. ⁓ Stacia The Natural: ⁓ And it's just awesome to see. I'm really proud of her, really happy for her. And it's just a sign to show like our whole team is going to be on the up and up very, very soon. Sarah: And I can, can tell I've seen some clips of you and it's a real genuine connection and bond there Now that you've lived kind of amateur and pro, what you wish had told you about the business side before you turned pro? Stacia The Natural: ⁓ man. Okay, so the business side of boxing is, mean, just it. The professional boxing is completely a business and your skills mean literally nothing in professional boxing. And I people can say, no, you're just being a hater or that's not true. You're just not doing it right. I mean, I completely feel that's what it is. Skills don't matter. Sarah: Yep. ⁓ Stacia The Natural: It really just matters. I want to say how marketable you are, but I don't even think that's it. I just think it's who you know. and how much money they can make off you really. You know, from what I've noticed, because I'm the type of person that I'm an intelligent person, you know, I know what I'm I'm not going to let anybody just walk over me. ⁓ And I'm also ⁓ Like you gotta build trust with me, especially when it comes to like me signing a contract. And I think in the boxing world, they don't really like that. They want people that are young, easily impressionable ⁓ people that they can kind of walk all over ⁓ take advantage of. And I'm not afraid to say it. I feel like that's really how this professional boxing is, unfortunately. Sarah: I I got. ⁓ Stacia The Natural: Yeah, so that I feel like that's I wish someone told me. I mean, all in all, and I'll say this, if I had known then what I know now about professional boxing, I would have stayed amateur. ⁓ But, know, I think everything happens for a reason. ⁓ I be in the athlete role that I am, ⁓ the representative role that I am if I stayed amateur, I believe. So I think everything happens for a reason. You know, maybe I can be the voice to Sarah: Okay. I'm actually representing their daughter. Yeah. Stacia The Natural: tell people, stay amateur a little bit longer, or just to caution people. Don't be so quick to turn professional. Like I said, I made the best decision knowing all the information that I had at the time. But I think people are really, really quick to go professional and aren't aware that the pro game ⁓ not for the weak, ⁓ for sure. Sarah: It's a different ball game and I agree in that you've got so many young, hungry kids wanting to become the next world champion and they'll sign anything. They're not reading the detail. They don't know what they're truly signing up for. there are a lot of, you know, and I would say on the female side where they've questioned some of the contracts that are being put in front of them and they've said no to things because again, it's not to suit them long term. and that's a big risk to take in the early stages of your career. When we look someone like an MVP promotion, they've obviously made huge on women's boxing, they drew big numbers for the US for the Taylor Serrano trilogy, but on the flip side we've seen other promoters and investors neglect women's boxing. As a fighter who's obviously trying to build her pro career right now, what do you make of that landscape and does that change what's possible for you? Stacia The Natural: I mean, I wish more promoters were investing in women. ⁓ kind of feels like when it's convenient to them, then they'll invest. But at the same time, know, women have been fighting, you know, for years to ⁓ that equal, equal anything, equal view, equal pay, equal something, you know. It feels like we're scratching at the wall here. You know, I think women's boxing is definitely on the rise. It's certainly bigger than when I first started boxing. I kind of feel like I'm in that in-between stage. So maybe it's just a, maybe it's just a me problem, right? Cause I feel like in amateur boxing now it's really, it's pretty big. Whereas when I first started, it was kind of small and now professional boxing, it's like growing and I'm like, ⁓ happening? So I don't know, you know, I think I'm optimistic for women's boxing. Sarah: Okay. ⁓ Yeah. ⁓ Stacia The Natural: As for me and my professional boxing career, I'm wholeheartedly trusting in whatever God's plan is for my professional boxing career. And I'm doing my best every single day. I'm taking it day by day. And if the opportunity arises for me to ⁓ that door open, then I'll take it. ⁓ if it doesn't, then I've got life to live, you know? Sarah: I love that perspective because at the end of the day, again, you're being smart about what's being put in front of you from contracts and what is being offered, but then also controlling what you can control and focusing in on what your skill and your development looks like with your coach and all of that. So let's talk about TCL, right? Because you made an unconventional decision with that. but it's about equal pay. There is televised moments. There's a team format. What drew you to it? And what does it teach about your own market value? Stacia The Natural: Yeah, good question. So I'm grateful to Team Combat League. You know, when I first heard about it in, I think, 2022, the New York team wanted me to join and I was like, nope, I'm still focused on the Olympics. So I said no to it. And at that point, I was like, ah, this is kind of dumb. Like, just going for one round feels like really risky for no reason. You know, just go the traditional boxing route. Like, why wouldn't boxers do that? Now that I'm a professional boxer, I'm like, I get why Sarah: Yeah. Stacia The Natural: professional boxers wouldn't go the traditional boxing route or can or aren't So I'm grateful to team ⁓ they call it team boxing league ⁓ I'm grateful to team boxing league and and I'm actually I'm be doing a second season with them and what drew me to to doing it was just the opportunity to stay busy. You know, I turned professional Sarah: Okay. Stacia The Natural: for multiple reasons and one of the reasons was because I wanted to fight, you know, I like fighting. I don't want to go to... Sarah: And you're a good, I was gonna say you've got versatility in your skill set, in your toolbox, which is beautiful, beautiful to see. Stacia The Natural: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You know, and that's what I love. You know, I love boxing. I love fighting. I've loved combat sports since I was five years old. You know, I've been doing this a very, very long time. You know, so I love just training hard, competing, showing my skills in the ring, and ultimately getting my hand raised in victory. You know, that's what I truly love. And you know, when I turned pro, the opportunities to compete were very, very slim. And team boxing league gave me the opportunity to compete often and get paid for it, which I was like, yeah, let's do it. And I had some pretty good teammates, which was awesome. Sarah: Mm. That's awesome. And then you're able to obviously run parallel, your boxing academy Stacia The Natural: Yeah, I mean, difficult, but it's easy in a way because they all are kind of intertwined and I love doing all the things that I am doing. ⁓ far as teaching goes, you know, I created my academy because I noticed that in myself, I was lacking emotional maturity. And over the three year break from boxing, I developed that for myself. But I that I I was lacking it because I wasn't taught it. And I know that there are a lot of other people in the world, especially children that are in the same boat. Maybe their parents are lacking emotional maturity or just adults around them or lacking that in general. So I like, okay, what can do? And ⁓ I these skills, but I also have other skills and let me see how I can bring them all together to create this program for people. Sarah: Awesome. Bye bye. Okay. ⁓ Stacia The Natural: So, you know, that's what I do year round. I teach in afterschool programs and summer camps. taken a little bit of a break from doing private coaching. So right now I am focused on the afterschool program and the summer camp as well. So it kind of eases things for me. It takes a little bit of the pressure away from the private coaching and everything that I was doing, but it'll be picking up very soon or in the near future. yeah. Sarah: No, that's awesome, Stacia. And I can just imagine all the young kids from the program having your little fan base, you know, and just being such an inspiration to them and the journey that you've had. cannot. Beautiful. Stacia The Natural: Yeah, yeah, they love it. Like ⁓ over this past summer, actually. I went to camp, I taught my classes and then I I midway or midday so that I can go way in for my fight the next day. And then the following, yeah, and then the following week I showed them the fight and they were like all hyped about it. So it's, it's, it's awesome. You know, just to, it's good to see that they're like, okay. Sarah: ⁓ my gosh. Stacia The Natural: Yeah, she's teaching us the jab and the cross, but she's actually doing the jab and the cross in the ring. Yeah, exactly. Sarah: She's a badass in the ring too. Yes, yes. I love it. I've heard you say that you fight for a little Stacia. So this six year old version of yourself who couldn't imagine this world. What does she need to see from you in the next 12 months? Stacia The Natural: ⁓ man, I think little Stacia needs to see me just continuing to me and staying true to myself. I think it's very easy for me to say, okay, yeah, I'll sign with you ⁓ or yeah, on, work with me, you know? But it's important for me to just ⁓ hold true my values, what's truly important. And you know, I said, Sarah: That's it. Stacia The Natural: God's plan is really, really important to me. So I really just don't want to turn away from little Stacia in hopes of whatever anyone else is shining at me or offering me. Really just holding true to my truest values and my most authentic self is what's important for me. And I think little Stacia will be happy no matter what. Sarah: Thanks. Right. Absolutely. Love it. Stacia, thank you so much for sharing such words of wisdom and insights into your journey. I truly, truly appreciate you joining us. For those who don't currently follow you, can they find you? Where can they kind of figure out more about you? Stacia The Natural: Yeah, well first off, thank you again for just having me and just building this platform. I appreciate it and I'm sure other boxers and athletes will as well. you can find me is ⁓ Stacia the Natural on pretty much every single social media platform. So my name is Stacia the Natural and then I also have a website, Staciathenatural.com. Sarah: amazing. Thank you so, much. Appreciate you. Stacia The Natural: Yes, thank you.