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Karen Fultz-Robinson: A Healthy Life Starts with a Bold Purpose · The Bold Lounge

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Open Podcast.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: My name is everyone.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Get ready to be.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Bold Lounge.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Today I have Karen Fultz Robertson.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: She is the founder, owner, designer, and manufacturer of Observer May.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: And it's really important to name all of those because she really does fulfill all those pieces and parts to her brand.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: And it is definitely a distinction for her as well.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: How are you doing?
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm wonderful and thank you for having me on today.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: I would love for you to introduce yourself to the audience who may not know you or know about your brand.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Karen Foltz Robinson, as you introduced, I am an attorney by trade, born in Detroit, Michigan, and moved to Atlanta to start my practice of law back in the early nor mid-90s and transition into academia when I moved to Florida in 2013.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: And then I became a marathoner.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: And my passion for running came out of a necessity to beat back obesity that was starting to loom in my life and recognized that running was something that I began to love and develop a passion for.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: And it created the benefits that I needed to keep obesity down in my life as well as eliminate any potential chronic illnesses that plagued our family.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: So as a marathoner, I ran around the country, ran around the world, and discovered that there was a need in the athletic industry for us to measure our metrics to avoid any obstacles to our optimal performance and patent a design called Watch Opening.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: It allows for you to see your fitness tracker through the sleeve of your athletic wear.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: And we are in Tampa Bay, Florida, manufacturing our designs here as a full athletic line now.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's awesome.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: I know if anyone's run, and we were just talking before we got on about running in the fall and running in the winter months, especially in New Hampshire, it gets a little chilly.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: So being able to, and I have layers on then, but being able to see your arm and not have to like unhook your thumb from your shirt and then be able to see it.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited to kind of learn about obviously you how do you create that and what do you do?
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: And how do you get to this point where you're able to do the actual designing, not only owning and founding your company, but you're designing, then you're actually manufacturing here in the United States.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Is that accurate?
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: That is accurate.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: We are manufacturing in our own facility here in Tampa.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And that is not easy.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I just have this little thing called the bold store, which I don't have to do any of that.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: But I mean, it is not even that easy in the sense of finding the right place and who to help you and all that.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll I will love to get into that with you.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: So you've done some bold things.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, you're a lawyer, turned founder, owner, designer, manufacturer.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a story in there somewhere, but would love to know what your definition of bold is.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: I believe bold for me means badass, optimistic leader who's determined to reach all of her goals through dreaming and keep dreaming again.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Nice, nice.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: And that's an acronym, too, right there.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: A couple of my guests have done that, been able to take it and like make it there.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I love that.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: So when do you remember being that bold?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: What was the first recollection of that for you?
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Oh gosh, how far back do you want me to go?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: I am the number eight out of eight children of a family in the Midwest part of the country.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: And my mom, there were two girls at the end.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: So six boys at the beginning, two at the end.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: And as they say, mom loved their boys and they raised their girls.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: And she raised us to be such independent beings that our boldness was developed by her nurturing.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: And she loved on us, don't get me wrong, but she really instilled in us the importance of making our own opportunities come to fruition and not wait for others to do it.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: So it was from that leadership that I developed the capability to know that in everything that I do, starting from the very beginning, had to be taking on, taken on with an independent flair to it and with the aggressiveness that was needed to see it to its ending or beginning.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: So that's where it all originated.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: I have to give credit to my mom and say that she said, this is what you have to do to achieve your goals.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: And in everything that I do, that's how I approach it.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, a lot of tenacity there and not giving up and probably trying some new things.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, your mom obviously is a great model of bold as well, just in the sense of being able to do what she did for your family, instill those values in you and your brothers and sisters, and you know, being able to, you know, be as successful as you are today.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: And you're the youngest.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: I am, and the youngest of eight.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: So what does that feel like in a family of eight?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: That's bold in itself, being the youngest in a family of eight.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what did you learn through that?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: Oh gosh, in all honesty, it starts out being pretty lonely because the age gap between myself and my oldest brother is 20 years.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: So the first portion of the family, in terms of siblings, are out of the home because they are 18, 19, 20 years of age.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: So you create this imaginary world because you learn how to develop the ability to be successful in social relationships as you are by yourself.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Until you, of course, go outside during those days.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: You actually went outside, knocked on a door, found a friend, and we made up games.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: And ironically, my next door neighbor, there were six girls, two boys, and the youngest son of the family was my best friend or is my best friend and still is to this day.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: We would just find things to do, but it it starts out lonely, but it creates that person who learns to again be bold, be independent, be capable of developing social relationships, finding the right resources so they don't wither away inside of a closet somewhere, that you can still get out there and find games to play and find things to do and be excited about where you are.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: And then the big familiness, I would always tell people that is so critical.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: And having a big family, it was always that loving the relationships, the dinner, the big dinners, and all the ideas that would come from that.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: And then I had the benefit of all the different generations and all of the experiences of those generations that were that were shared with me.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I could pick up all the things that I needed from each of those stories to help create who I am today.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Sounds like, you know, my daughter is an only child, not on purpose.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: It just ended up that way.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, she's been creative and innovative of like creating friendships.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: And she's super, super close with my littlest sister, who's 18 years different from me.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: And they're like sisters more than, you know, aunt and niece.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it creates like this ability, like your creative and innovative muscle gets really it's really strengthened by that.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: And you're also, you're maybe just pushed a little out of your shell because you have to, you can just be quiet and together and do things like read and things like that.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean you have to always be with someone, but it gives you the ability to maybe do both.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: That if you have a house full of brothers and sisters, that there is no peace, you know.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: So there's some pros and cons there, I guess.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: So as you like set out on your journey, and you're a lawyer, so had you always wanted to be a lawyer, or what made that come out in your path and in your journey?
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: I did always want to be an attorney, but again, it came from my mother telling me that that was one of the points.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, going back to your daughter and being an only child, because as the the youngest of a large family, you are somewhat an only child because of that generational gap.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: But your daughter, it sounds like similar to what I did, you become intentional with the relationships that you create.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: And that's the benefit of being an only child is you have those intentional relationships as well.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: So my development as an attorney, my mom wanted me to be a professional because a little bit of background, my family's from Montgomery, Alabama, and my dad did not have an education, but he worked in the factoring industry, and they wanted their kids to have an education, a higher education, professional careers.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, coming along in their time period, you're either a doctor, you're a lawyer, you're a teacher, you're a police officer.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: So those were the careers that you were pushed into.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, it was lawyering.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: So from age 16, I've worked in law firms.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_01: I started out as a runner, became a paralegal, worked as a secretary, did paralegal work, and graduated throughout the entire span of legal work and went to law school and became an attorney.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: But my personality seemed to have been created specifically for that mindset and for that training.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: Because of course, it's linear thinking, it's logical thinking, it's it's the black and white with a little bit of gray in between.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I find that that is my personality type.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, over the years, I've practiced for over 20 years.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: It was honed a little bit more and developed a lot more.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: But the basic primary personality type and skill base is something I have to say was genetic, if you will, inherited, if you will, from my family structure.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: And the independent that was instilled in me also helped foster the great career that I had as an attorney, because it creates this person who wants to always research and know and be prepared when you enter into a space.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: And similar when you're an only child, you always want to enter into a space prepared to engage.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what attorneying is like.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: And similar into my transition into the design world, it was intimidating because that was one world that I did not have a base in and did not have any idea what to expect going in.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I have to say, the independence and the self-learning, all of that helped catapult me into a different field and create the dream that I have now.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, which is awesome.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: And you're claiming it and you're living it.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's the cool thing about being bold is your journey's like waiting for you.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: And it's sometimes you're like taking this really wacky path to get there.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: But like once you meet what you're intended to do, like you're just so surprised how things just keep going and keep going and keep clicking.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I don't mean it's a perfect world.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: I just mean it's like you feel like you're in the right lane.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, when you're not in the right lane, you do feel it.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: You have these moments of like, I like this, I'm good at this, but I don't know if it's aligned with like me, my joy, my happiness, my intention, my purpose.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and as you get older, I guess that becomes more heightened.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I would say, you know.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Cause I didn't think about my purpose when I was 20.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: I always wanted to do good, but I think I was more intentional about my role, my level, my title, you know, about because I thought, you know, based on how I was raised, those are very important things and stability and all that stuff that, you know, is important.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: And our parents were raised that those are non-negotiables.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I can definitely understand the where our parents want us to go and how we're we're destined really for our path.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes we do take a different path to get to where we are today.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: So when you made that transition, how did that feel to you, to your family?
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's a bold move saying I'm going to found my own company, I'm not only going to design it, all the items within it, I'm going to manufacture it and I'm going to be the one owning all of those processes because that is that's powerful right there.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: What was that like when you made that decision for you and for your family?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: It's funny because I did not take the entire bite on at one time.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, which is probably very smart.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I don't know if it was even strategic, quite frankly.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: It was more like I entered into this with such ignorance that it served me well.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I can I can relate.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: Because if you have too much knowledge, if I knew what I know now before I started, I probably would not have gone along as quickly as I would, as I did, because it would have created fear.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: So I have been fearless because I did not know what was on the other side of each door that I was embarking on to open.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_01: So I started out with in 2016 just an idea.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_01: I was on a 15-mile run.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: I said, hey guys, why why we keep tugging at our shirt?
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think it was like five or five ladies.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: We were out there all training for different marathons, and I was complaining, and everybody else was like, Yeah, why is it that we have to tie this on our on our top of our jackets?
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: Or and I said, Why is it that we don't have a watch opening?
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I started putting pen and paper, contacted, and I was fortunate enough to have a friend who does patent work, and he's put the idea in my head.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: He was like, Well, what are you gonna do?
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: What aren't you gonna make this?
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I thought, well, surely you're not talking to me.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a great lawyer, I'm just lawyering.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: And he says, try it.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_01: And I thought, why not?
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: And it was making the phone calls, and like you were saying earlier, when it started the snowball effect, one call turned into another call, putting me in contact with a seamstress, a pattern maker, a manufacturer.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: Because I met a young lady in Florida who had her own facility.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: She's the one who actually started making them for me.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: And so I was third-party vendoring everything.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: But it was again other people saying to me, Well, why is it that you're not making them?
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: So once my manufacturer went out of business, I called her and says, Hey, can I buy all of your equipment that you use to make my clothing?
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_01: And she says, Okay, why not?
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that was another why not?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: Went and found a space.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_01: So it was this momentum that was moving me instead of me moving it.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because once I made a commitment to make the clothing, then I had to figure out how I was going to actually make it.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: So then I found a facility, got the equipment in there, and then I thought, oh, wait a minute, I need people who can actually sew and people who can cut the fabric and get the fabric delivered.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: So out of necessity, in terms of all the steps that have to be followed in order to put a product to market, because of necessity created my drive to figure it all out.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: And it's luckily the resources and relationships that have come along the way have pushed me and taught me those things.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: And then, of course, my research.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: I go out, I have to read a lot, and I'm constantly reading because the learning curve in this industry is so huge that you can create a level of fear in yourself to want to walk away.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: But I have to dig into my background and my desire to succeed in order to keep pushing forward and overcome those fears, overcome the naysayers, because there are people out there that will say to you, Well, why are you doing this?
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: What do you think you're gonna get out of it?
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_01: And and try to challenge and question your skill, capability, and future success.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: And you have to silence a lot of the naysayers and know that you have a purpose.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: I want to go back to the word that you said because you're right.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: We get to a point in our lives where it's no longer about money, it's no longer about status, title, it's about what is it that I am trying to do and create a legacy or create an opportunity for others who can benefit from what I'm doing and what I've learned to do.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: And it's my passion to help people live healthy because healthy living can help you in your personal goals as well as your professional goals.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: You can't be unhealthy and expect to work eight hours or long hours, whatever you choose to do.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: So it's my commitment to teach people what I learned when I decided to become a healthier person.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: Then I said, well, what is it that we need to arm ourselves with that first?
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: And statistically, and even my own personal experience, you will be shocked to learn it.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: Clothing is what the first thing people will point to to say, that's why I don't work out.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_01: I don't have the right clothes, or I don't know what to wear, I don't know how to wear it.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: And those are the things that will stop us is if we find one excuse, we won't get up and we won't get out.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's why I said there's got to be a purpose behind this.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: And we have to make sure that it's quality, that it's functioning in the way that it should function.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: And at the end of the day, we we are going to give people a style that they can appreciate and wake up and be happy to see.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: So there's so much in that.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: Like I've been wrapping notes.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: No, I love it.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: I want to go back to a few of the things that you said because they're extremely powerful.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: So you started off with saying ignorant, meaning not knowing, as you stepped into it.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: And as an entrepreneur, I don't know anyone who knows it all when they do it.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: And and I will say I was probably on the lower end of you know doing it.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: And even, you know, I I launched an S-corp, and it's you don't know what you're doing half the time, at least when you start out.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe like that half goes to a quarter as you get into a little bit more.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: But you're usually trial and error in something.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: You have enough research, you've read enough, you know enough, but there's still some unknown there.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so I usually don't use the word fearless, but in this case, I would because you don't even know to be fearful, right?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: You're just like, I'm going.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: This is good.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna try it.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna keep going.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: And then you'll have a bump or two bumps or three or whatever it may be, but you like you keep going.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the other thing that you talked about was the naysayers.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not sure they go away, honestly.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm in year two, you're much further ahead than me.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: But I thought in the beginning, that's the only place I would see them, you know, like when I'm making this transition from the corporate world to something entrepreneurial, still in the same vein, but just doing things differently and on my own terms, which is extremely powerful, I think.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: Liberating.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but people aren't always happy for you, right?
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: So, but I thought that would go away.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: And what I'm finding is the more success you have, there's pop-ups of that.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so when you think about the naysayers, did you experience that too?
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think they go away?
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: Or like, what's your advice to like someone who's newer in this world?
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh, you're so right.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_01: They don't go away.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: You think that you have silenced them by putting some positive energy out there and giving your explanation for your purpose and your explanation for what you're trying to achieve, but you're always going to find someone who wish they could be you.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: And the way that they can bring you down is to try to insult you, embarrass you, or make you feel as if what you're doing is wrong.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: So, what I've tried to do, one, I stay within prayer, I stay within meditation to make sure that I stay grounded within my own spirit and understanding, hey, there is a purpose, right?
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing I do is I absorb what they're saying, but I don't take it and leave it within me.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: I I then use it to say, let me reinforce why I'm doing this.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I use their challenging words to educate the other listeners because they don't hear you.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_01: You they they've already come to their conclusions, but the people who are around you who you can possibly convince that this person is wrong or that what you're doing is in your best interest, because I'm not trying to convince people that what I'm doing is in their best interest.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: What I'm doing, I believe, is in my best interest to help others, and either you're on board or you're not.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: But I try to speak to those who are listening and explain to them that what they're doing, trying to be openly negative, will only work to my good because I'm going to show them using their words how what they're saying is wrong and how what I'm doing is going to benefit someone, maybe not them and maybe not now, nor will they ever admit it if when it does benefit them.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: But someone who is listening is going to benefit from it.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: When I was a professor, you had it in the classroom where you're always going to have that student that wants to come out and challenge you and to and convince the class that the professor is just don't know what they're doing.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: And what I learned is I'm not talking.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: You and I'm not teaching you, I'm teaching everybody else who's actually there to learn and listen.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: And I think as a side byproduct, the negative naysayer is going to learn and listen.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_01: They will just never admit it to the crowd that they were trying to embarrass you in front of.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_01: And later on in life, later on down the years, you'll get this random email from that naysayer to say to you, hey, you know, I apologize, I was wrong.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_01: And by the way, can I get a job?
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think for me it was just a little bit off-putting initially.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: And then for me, my rebound factor was much higher than it would have been when I first started.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: Because when I first started, I was kind of like just very raw.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: And like, I just did something big, very unknown, quit a job, not having a job.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm figuring my way out, but I'm really happy and I'm really excited.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm, I really feel aligned with my family and my job and everything, which was just not a normal thing.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: So, like having it happen, you know, almost a year and a half later.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: And it for me was like it was very quickly, like I was happening, and but I was like, whoa, like this isn't about me.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this isn't, you know, and I couldn't have done that probably as easily earlier on.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's just good for people to know when they're trying new things or they're, you know, doing even the micro steps to maybe see or try something out, to just know, like, really go with your feeling, your gut, your purpose, because no one else understands what you're doing, why you're doing it, and they're not, it's not their job to.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's your job to figure out how do I navigate the world, not them to figure out how to place you in their world.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's really powerful words that you said there.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: And it's something that comes up, I think, as people are thinking about should I do this or should I try this or should I even think about it?
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know, my gosh, that's so risky.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I just think, you know, just, you know, don't let that negativity from the outside come in.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's key.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: And don't think too long about it.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: As women, we tend to want to cross Ts dot I's before we get started.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_01: And then we allow that person to come in and put that negativity into the atmosphere, feeding our doubt.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: And then that doubt becomes more a fear.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: And to me, fear is false expectations appearing real.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: Don't allow it to get in there.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_01: Just go for it.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_01: Just get in there and just do it.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: Cross the T's and dot the I's later.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: Know that people with your best interests in mind are in your corner.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: Tap into that resource.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: Don't tap into the resource that's going to work against you and does not want you to win in the first place.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: Go find those that are on your team and they are there, believe it or not.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing I would tell people is talk out loud about what you're doing.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: Many times we feel like we need to hold everything in and everything needs to be a secret because we don't want to be judged.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_01: But you can't find the resources that you need to be successful if you don't let the world know what you're doing.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_01: And believe it or not, someone in that room or someone at that table, maybe quietly on your team and they'll shoot you an email later.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: They'll call you later.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's they come out and then you find your people, which is what you know, you're talking about of the ones that are in your corner.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_00: And don't let it knock you.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I think just, you know, I think just be kind.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we see the shirts, we see the bumper stickers, and you know, like I always laugh sometimes because the guy with the bee kind sticker is out there like in traffic, like giving someone the finger and things like that.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just like, wow, like live your bumper sticker, man.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's or you know what, maybe you borrowed that car.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's not your bumper sticker.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's it.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: But like, you know, be aligned with who you are and you know, don't worry about anyone else.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: And it's easier said than done at times, you know.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: But I just thought it gets that's an important part because I feel like every entrepreneur has some type of moment, and you don't even have to be an entrepreneur to have that moment.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I think just remember that, and it's it's really important.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: I think the other thing that you talked about was being an example and the power of your purpose and what you're doing and connecting it to something that's extremely meaningful to you for your personal reasons, for your health reasons, for your family's reasons.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_00: Like, like it's really to your core.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like you're a marathon runner, and the primary reason you do that is to be healthy.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: And so connecting all those things together is something that people don't always get to do.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_00: So, how does that feel for you?
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like your purpose, it's really your power unit of your health and which drives everything else in our lives.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: So, how does that feel for you?
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: It feels wonderful that I was finally able at 50, just turned 50 this year, to be able to be my authentic self.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: I believe wholeheartedly that we go through life many times being someone who we are not going to invest in in the long term.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: We are individuals who are satisfying a job requirement.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_01: We're individuals satisfying a school requirement.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_01: We are, I don't want to say impostors because that term is utilized differently about the imposter syndrome.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_01: But sometimes we do walk through life as impostors until we become independent enough to say, I want to be my authentic self.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: And what does that look like?
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, my authentic self was embracing help and eating healthy.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: Many times culturally, different cultures, you have certain dishes that you will eat and they require high fat content and et cetera and so forth.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: And traditionally, that's what we did in my family.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: We had a lot of great meals, but when I look back at the dinner table and I see the pictures of what was on the table, everything was filled with fat, butter, et cetera, and so forth.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_01: And if you come to the table with a salad, you might be criticized.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: So you have to be that imposter and eat those things so you don't feel that criticism or get those side-eyed looks.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: Once I reached a point in my life where I said, that doesn't matter to me anymore.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: I want to live my authentic self and be healthy.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: And then by the way, I want to teach other people how to do it because when I started my journey, I didn't know a lot of things.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: When I got up off my couch literally to go run to the corner, I grabbed a pair of shoes out of my closet, not running shoes, just a pair of gym shoes.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: And ended up damaging my big toe because I had the wrong running shoes on.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_01: So then I had to get a trainer and learn what are the proper things to wear.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_01: I was burning my skin.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_01: I get in the shower and be like, oh my God, why is this burning?
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: Because I didn't have on moisture absorption clothing.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: So my cotton clothes was rubbing in it and causing abrasions.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: So those are the things, little things.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: Now I was in my almost in my 40s and didn't know that these are the things you needed to start your journey.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: So I said, I started writing notes and said, if I don't know, I can only imagine other people don't know.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_01: So it's incumbent upon me if people only need knowledge in order for them to live a healthier life, then I want to share what I learned because that's all I needed to keep going in my journey.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_01: And so it start with it starts with education, wanting to live your authentic life, and your commitment to just being who you want to be.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_01: And that is a huge obstacle to overcome in many ways, culturally, gender-wise, you name it.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_01: It sounds easy to do, but it's very difficult to achieve in many ways, depending on, and even economically, if you look at the cost to live healthy, it's very, very expensive.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_01: So there are many challenges that come about.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why I tell people start with learning who you want to be and live that authentic person and start that journey, and things will begin to fall into your lap easier than you think once you decide that's who you want to be, because that's where your focus will begin to go.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: And and fitness is an action and health is an action, right?
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like it doesn't just happen by being inactive and sitting in your chair, right?
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_00: I also think fitness is a feeling.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_00: And what I mean by that is like when I run, I like to run with people.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: I really hate solo runs.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: I don't like to be alone, but I'm an introvert, so there are times I do like to be alone, but not when I'm running, you know what I mean?
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's interesting, like what can happen, the power of that too.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_00: And who doesn't want to be fashionable when they're running?
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_00: So, like, in that sense, like looking your best.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like that just I mean, what I mean by that is like it always makes me stand up straighter, like feel better.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like if I look good, you know, I love a hoodie, trust me.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: I you know, but I don't always want to be wearing a hoodie.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think that's where I love kind of your mission and what you're doing and your purpose.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's it has function, I think it has purpose.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I think obviously it's a mission of a healthier world that that leads to.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_00: And like your clothes do matter.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like you said, like sometimes they could actually hurt you, or you know, you don't even know you're doing something you shouldn't.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it kind of encompasses a lot of things, and you think, oh, it's a shirt, but oh no, it's actually more than that.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's what I love about your brand and what you're doing and how you're running your business too, which is also an example, I think, for others to see in the sense of you know what you're doing and the power that you have by being able to do those multiple areas of your business.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: Would you agree it's a feeling?
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, absolutely.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: I think it is a feeling because you what I have learned to tell people is don't look at your health journey as a job, look at it as a benefit and an opportunity for you to better yourself.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_01: And it is a feeling.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I want to feel good, I want to look good.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_01: And how can I achieve those feelings and those emotions is by getting out and starting moving.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: You have to go for a walk, even if it's just for 10 minutes or go for a run, because it creates these endorphins and it starts to generate these positive thoughts and these positive feelings.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_01: And from there, you begin to make wonderful decisions and better decisions, believe it or not, that will impact many, many corners of your life.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: So it starts with being intentional with what you want to do with your physical health and what feelings do you want to achieve?
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: Do I want to have a positive feeling?
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_01: Do I want to have a feel-good emotion?
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_01: Many of the times that will start with how do you start your day?
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_01: Do you start your day with meditation and movement, or do you start your day with a complaint and anger?
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_01: I think, for example, I woke up this morning and was like, oh my God, honey, why'd you leave the light on?
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_01: And then I checked myself and said, Why would you wake up the first thing you say is something negative?
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_01: Check yourself.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_01: And you want to wake up in a positive mood because that dictates how the rest of your day will go.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_01: So I agree with you.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_01: It comes with a feeling and you get out there and you move, and then you start to see the transformation and how you look, and then that makes you feel good.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_01: And then you get the compliments that makes you feel good.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_01: And then they just keep feeding you and feeding you, and it's not an eagle thing.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's it really isn't.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's really just about a confidence builder, a self-esteem builder, because we do generate those emotions based on outside influences, and those outside influences are people we don't know and people we do know who give us that positive energy and feedback.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_01: And it all comes from starting within you and what you exude outward.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: And your self-talk to yourself.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I've struggled with my weight off and on.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: There's days where I'm not as disciplined.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_00: And so, but then I get down on myself.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_00: And so I just insert this of just like the self-talk we have with ourselves and what we name ourselves and how we talk about ourselves.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_00: It's really, really important because there's enough out on the outside that might not be positive.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like, don't tear yourself down on the inside.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I think, you know, and I don't know if you ever felt like that or had moments of that, but like the quicker you turn your own thing around, like you said, check yourself.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: So check yourself too when it comes to like your health and your fitness and what you're doing.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_00: And just legitimately try and I think get into that habit discipline, and then it just starts to roll, like you said, like things happen and you hear things, and then you also feel things inside.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: So I think make sure that your own self-talk is positive as well.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_01: And congratulations to you on all of your journeys, right?
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: Because you have to continue to pat yourself on the back.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_01: I would constantly, if I was you, always celebrate every loss, even though you might gain weight, but you got back on that bike, you know, if you will, and you got back into that hustle in order to make sure you got the feelings that you like to feel when you look a certain way or when you have a certain amount of weight on your body, because it does make us feel different when we carry more weight.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I do have I have weight problems too.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: Many people will look at me and say, Oh my god, you're thin.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_01: You don't have weight problems.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I do.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_01: I literally just lost 20 pounds because when I went to the doctor, stepped on the scale, I looked behind me to see if somebody's foot was on it.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, wait a minute.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_01: So I said to the lady, let me put my purse down because this is right.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_01: And it's taking this scarf off.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I it's funny because it happens so quickly.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_01: You know it's happening because you see a little bit of this is stretching a little bit different than it used to, or I can't get into this outfit.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_01: But then I said, then I have to make a decision to make a change in order to see the difference in the scale.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_01: And so I started cutting back and pushing back and not something as as wonderful as picking up the sugar because I'm not a big dessert person, but I love carbs.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_01: I had to push back on the bread.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_01: I had to stop asking for the bread at the table.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, everything was cooked with rice or cooked with pasta.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_01: So you start to imagine, or I look at old pictures and say, wow, that's what I looked at in my wedding dress.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: Let me see if I can get at least back to that.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so you have these benchmarks and these type of aspirational journey marks that I put on the wall, almost like a vision board.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: But it does stem from how did I feel when I looked this way, or how did I feel when I engaged in this activity and I wore this particular outfit?
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: Because for me, I've always been a shopper and I love the way clothes make me feel.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_01: And they hang a certain way when I'm at a certain weight, or if my body structure looks a certain way.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because of course, also as we age as women, we start to gain weight differently.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_01: It sits on us differently.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_01: All of that makes a difference.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, that's why when I design all of our clothing for our company, I keep in mind what is it that I would like as a woman, as a person, as an athlete?
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_01: What is it that I want to see?
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_01: And when I see others running down the road, passing me or coming up behind me, I always look at their gear.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: And what is it that I liked about it or what would inspire me to go and purchase that?
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I incorporate that into our designs because that's what I want people to say when they think about Observame is, hey, you know, they have a couple pockets on their pants, so I can put my phone there and listen to my podcast or my inspirational word for the day, whatever the case may be.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_01: But that's what I did to incorporate in our designs is as a shopper, as a consumer, as an athlete, what is it that I wanted to see?
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_01: What was going to take away my excuse to say, I'm not gonna get out there and run today?
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_01: What can I put in the clothes to eliminate that and get you closer to what you want to do with your life?
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's awesome.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_00: And definitely just a note, always pockets.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: Favorite pairs I can put my phone in or my AirPods or whatever it is, you know.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it has been such a joy to speak with you.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_00: All the information around Observer May and finding the products and more information around Karen is below for everyone to log into and see more and learn more about her mission.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for being on the Bold Lounge.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, thank you for having me, and congratulations to you with all of your endeavors.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so excited to know more about you.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: I've heard your podcast with the entrepreneistas, and that was exciting to listen to.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to the Bold Lounge Podcast.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_00: Through the continuum of bold stories, vulnerability to taking the leap, you will meet more extraordinary people making a positive impact for others through their unique and important story.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_00: By highlighting these stories, we hope to inspire others and share the journey of the end of the day.
• 39:18
  SPEAKER_00: We hope you've enjoyed this important journey.