Full Transcript: MOTM #587: When the World Says You're Too Much with Dr. Alyssa Olenick

[Transcript starts at 1:49]

Maestro: Hello, hello, hello, my podcast people. And thank you for joining me for yet another episode of my favorite podcast. Today, if you're watching, you can see we have a guest episode. Now, uh, this woman right here, I met her just a few months ago. I know folks I'm late to the party. I know. Cause I started bringing up her name and everyone was like, where you been?

Where you fucking been? Under a rock apparently, but either way she's now I'm on my radar. And since, uh, what was it? Raised the bar. Oh no, Real Coaches Summit. Uh, she was speaking and I sat in on her lecture and I was like, yo, this bitch is smart as hell. Like, wow. And I found someone that quite possibly speaks faster than both myself and Jill.

And I was like, this. She's super busy, which is like also why I was like, Hey, let me think. How can I talk to her? How can I just hear all the things from her, but not waste her time? And I was like, okay, podcasts. We're going to ask and pray and hope that she comes on. Uh, she is a PhD in what, I'm not actually really sure.

She just really fucking sucks. She can tell us if she wants. And, uh, she's an exercise physiologist and just, I've brought her on folks because you know, my whole shtick more you, I should've worn that shirt. I didn't, but my whole shtick is more you. And I brought her on because in my humble opinion, she is someone who.

Is too much. And I say that in the best way possible. And I think that that is her superpower. And I've brought her on because I listened to a podcast episode she did with Sean, we'll link that. And I was like, listening to her story and basically her whole life, she's been told you are too much. And then she leaned into that.

And I want you folks to hear what happens when you do that. I want you to hear a firsthand account of someone who has been told that their whole life and what that's been like, what that now looks like. And. Then you can take, you know, take it from there. So without further ado, welcome to the show. My new friend, Dr.

Alyssa Olenick. Welcome friend. How are you? 

Alyssa Olenick: Thank you. Thank you. What's so funny is like, I feel like I've been a big fan of the work that you've done for so long. And then when you were at the conference, I was like, Oh my gosh, I wonder if I like, can you connect with her? Cause she, like, you were like light years away of like my coolness realm.

And then I remember seeing you in the room and I'm speaking and I'm like. I kind of feel like, Oh, this is a big deal. Yeah. I was like, this is a big deal. So 

Maestro: it's so funny because like, I didn't honestly, Alyssa, I didn't really go to a lot of the sessions. Like I'm not in the fitness world. I'm like, kind of in it by proxy.

I wasn't so interested in the things and like, I'll go, but yours, I was specifically interested in. And then the two that I was there hanging, hanging out with, they were like, Oh no, we're going to this. And then I get in and I was like, Motherfucker. Now I got to go and ride this bike that you're talking about.

Alyssa Olenick: It's the Alyssa. It's the Alyssa effect. It's a curse. I will influence people. I, I, the number of people influenced to do cardio or run and then they like, enjoy it. I'm like, I just. It's because I gave it to you in a way that wasn't the most miserable thing in the world. It still is. You're choosing to do the airwaves.

Maestro: I can't like running. I'm like running's 

cool. Running. Yeah. That's like, I have a background with that. But I was like, in terms of what's going to carry over for me the most with volleyball, I was like, let me go do this, especially because the, so. You folks listening and we'll get into this though. We'll see how much, but we just, it presents information with a scientific background.

Like that is what she does. And so for me, y'all know, I'm like, give me the facts and then I'll decide from there. I don't need like necessarily people's opinion on it. And so she's laid this whole thing out and I was just like, you know, I've been playing beach volleyball for a bit. And one of the things that happens with beach volleyball is you kind of just like, it's kind of a stoner sport.

That's the best way to explain it. Like you can kind of like stand around a little bit. You're like at max running around for like 30 seconds. Maybe. Like, it's not this, like, get your heart rate up. And I was like, I need to do that. Like make a concerted effort. And then Alyssa gave a presentation and I was like, fuck, let me bust out that bike.

So now we're on the bike. 

Alyssa Olenick: Laid it 

all out on why you should do the thing. Oh, I'm proud of you for doing it. And then I have people tagging me because they see you doing cardio and it's this domino effect. They're like, Oh, I found you through, through you doing the air bike. And now they're doing the air bike.

And I'm like, I love this. 

Maestro: So do you like the kind of, uh, box that you're in? I don't know what the box you're in, but like you, People and the way you kind of just laid it out there of like, the cardio queen, the cardio person, the hybrid person, uh, the, what was the other word, the, what's the other word?

Concurrent training? I don't know. Do you like being in that box? 

Alyssa Olenick: Concurrent training. Kinda. Hey, there's dogs. So if you're listening to this podcast everyone, I apologize. My parents have two dogs and my dog that I just rehomed used to live with the one of them and they all know each other and they're crazy.

Hey. 

Maestro: Let me get this massive dog. 

Alyssa Olenick: So I love her so much. She's the love of my life. I'm so obsessed with her. Um, so, you know, what's funny is, and this is like probably a lesson you've I've seen you and me like bounce, like little things off in our stories too, about this is like, you know, when I came into the fitness industry and I started, I started preaching the cardio and hybrid training thing.

Like in 2017, 2018, far before it was cool. Right. I was just ahead of the trend and now everyone's doing it. And that's fine. Like, I think it's a great thing. Um, but what's funny is I was coming from the background of like a strength athlete. Like I deadlifted 400 pounds strong, won a strong man competition on a women college strong.

You know what I mean? Like I was like, you know what I mean? Like, like super fucking strong. I'm a type two muscle fiber beefcake. Nothing, but like, I'm literally. No, I made for power, like I made for feed, not for speed is the way I describe it. Like I am just like, I am not, but like I ran my whole life.

That's, you know, it's not true. I ran cross country into lacrosse my whole life. And I'm definitely like very prone and gifted to being muscular and strong. And so I came into the industry thinking, okay, you know. I'm going to start, I started training for trail and then my first ultra marathon and I was like, well, people take me seriously or listen to me if I'm running and I'm not like a strength coach who's only strength training, which is so funny because I ended up finding this niche so early on because I was just all of a sudden I started coaching.

I was like, wait, Other people want this. I'm the only one doing this. This is crazy. And so, you know, it was kind of, I kind of just followed the lead on like what people were asking for and what they wanted from me and what I could do that no one else was doing at the time. And so I kind of niched myself into that.

And I think it's funny though, that so many people recognize me as like the cardio person. Um, because I, by trade, like, I guess, you know, I am a runner, like I, I am a runner. It's not to say that I'm not, but by trade, like I am so much more a lifter and a strength athlete and a strength person, like, which is so funny though, because I'm known as the cardio girl.

And I'm like, I'm actually like not the best at cardio in the world, which, you know, your own personal fitness doesn't have to necessarily, but I just find it so funny. And now that people associate me as being a runner and I'm like, If, if you like racked up like my history of training and performance, like I'm so much more a meathead than anything else, but so I don't necessarily mind it, um, at all.

I think it's actually a lot of fun because I think for me, you know, I, I've also kind of like, I, I feel like I use that niche to convince people to actually do things that are fun and exciting and add to their life. And like, my mission has always been able to like, use fitness as a tool to help people like live bigger, bolder, better lives.

More powerful lives, be more themselves, learn about themselves. It's like all these tools. And so for me, I feel like that hybrid concurrent dynamic duo, functional fitness, whatever you want to word, you want to call it a word. You hate for it type training is like the best vehicle for doing that. And so I don't necessarily mind it, but I do find it funny that people so cheat me so much with cardio.

And I'm like, it's really just because I've been fighting an uphill battle in the industry, that running and cardio is like, not this terrible boogeyman that you need to be afraid of. So it's just like, now I've become known for that. And I think it's. So funny, cause I was like, I'm, I'm just, it's so, 

Maestro: it's so interesting to me.

I'm You meet her in person and you're like, Oh yeah, um, you are like, I get to see your size in person. I'm like, Oh yeah. Yeah. Social media is deceiving.

Alyssa Olenick: I, I'm both big, I'm both big and little at the same time. That's how my husband describes it. He goes, everything, everything's big about you except for you.

That's how my husband describes me, but just finished with his podcast episode today. Yeah. Um. So, yeah, I like it, because I think it allows me to like, give people the tools and like, I hate like, inspiring people. Because I really think that a lot of people have it all within them, like, the Empowerable body, we can rant about that.

But it gives people the tools they need to actually get what they're wanting a lot of the time out of things. So, I do, I do enjoy it, because it's, it's, um, It's my way of giving back the gift that I've been given to others. And I don't think I could do that with like just strength or just running. I think like what I can give people with, you know, hybrid training and concurrent training allows me to give the whole package to people so they can like live a whole ass life with the whole ass round round and fitness that they have from it.

So I like it. I think it's fun. I think it's great for me too. Cause I'm, I don't have a niche. I. I have a niche that's not a niche, right? I have a million niches, but it allows me to kind of like, well, my niche is the kind of everything. So then I can just talk about whatever I want. I have a lot of shit to say.

So it allows me to kind of just always be going from summoning mountains, altitude training, cardio, running, lifting, fitness, metabolic health, longevity. Like it all ties in. in and it's all related. Um, so it kind of also helps me not box myself in too much, which I think you can kind of get into that rabbit hole in the industry a lot of times too.

And then I feel too claustrophobic. And I 

Maestro: you listening on the edges, that's actually a great way to, and we're going to dive into this. It's a great way, cause I know the people listening to this are multi passionate. I will say though, you are really fucking good at what you do in both, all of these things, right?

And you are like, Tying into this whole thing, like doing the most, you're not just like I run and I also lift weights. You're like, I deadlifted 400 pounds. I love that. You were like, do you know what I mean? And I was like, no, Alyssa, I don't know what you mean. Deadlifting 400 pounds. Know what I mean? No, actually I don't.

But she's like, I'm deadlifting 400 pounds. I'm running a hundred miles. Like there's this, like, there's, I don't want to say extreme of it, but it's like, there is a, uh, it is right. So we have this, uh, I, I, I don't know how to not be extreme in the best way possible. And I will say that if that then becomes the niche of, uh, the one, like you said, like the, the fun she's having with it, but she's doing the most with it.

It's not like I kind of do this. I kind of, we're kind of like tepid with things is from a business perspective. Also, people are not inspired by that, right? Whether it's intentional or not, like they're not gonna be inspired by that. So there's something to be said about that. Can we take it back a second with your approach?

You are just. You have that super analytical brain. You can do both. Your brain can go back and forth. You, you are very skilled with that, but you bring the science to things. When you first started in the space, were you worried? Was that intentional? And if so, were you worried? Like, are people going to latch on to this?

Are they going to just like want. To see me lifting. Do they want to hear about the science behind it? Is that a thought? 

Alyssa Olenick: So I first started my page in my master's and it was mostly like just me documenting my powerlifting training and then like some very generic fitness tips. And so that I kind of grew my first like tiny following from just like kind of sharing my lifting and my training.

Um, and then I pivoted into sharing the science. And what's funny is my mindset was definitely that fixed mindset. A lot of coaches have where it's like, nobody wants to hear this. They just want to listen to the fitspo, the virality, the booty shots, the Oh my gosh, like nobody cares about my good information.

Then I was like, well, bitch, just make your information better. So I like, that's like my call out to myself. I was like, make it better. And like, I was like, how can you start, you know, displaying things in a way that makes people want to learn? And makes people interested and makes people care. And that's where, you know, that sounds so aggressive.

You guys don't have to be as harsh to yourselves as me, but I was gave myself the tough love. I was like, you can hate on the people recording, but shots, or you can just make better content. Like I just, and that was just like the tough love I gave myself. And I just, there's a lot of trial and error. And I was like, well, how can I share?

And the thing for me is I'm a nerd and I'm so excited and passionate and about knowledge and learning. And I kind of, Benefited from the fact that I was in my PhD while I was growing my social media platform. So everything was content to me all the time. I'm in the lab. I'm doing research. I'm studying for comps.

I was just firing off content after content and for me, I actually kind of use content creation as a way to double down on learning on my own. I actually Contribute my knowledge base and breath to the fact that I was cross posting so much to social media and doing industry work during my PhD because I read so much more and I also like it gave me a way to like reinforce my learning and my knowledge or double down or kind of, you have, if you can't teach and explain something, then you don't understand it.

And so it gave me a way to kind of practice with doing that. And so for me, it's like, I kind of. Got over the idea that it's like, okay, people aren't going to value science and knowledge as much as like these viral hacks and tricks, but people want it. But how do you get people to pay attention to it?

It's funny. I'm going to ACSM next week to talk about scientific communication and YouTube and Instagram to Like researchers and scientists and I think the biggest things that even researchers and scientists get stuck in their head. They're like, well, people should just value the science or they want to get too nitty gritty.

And it's a song and dance of like, how do I display this and present this in a way for people where they actually want to like, You know, consume it, right? So you have to take pieces of that virality and the trends and the things that are going on in the internet, but then use it in a way that is a little bit more sincere and has a little bit more integrity and figuring out your voice within that and give it people like the content they want to consume and the way they can want to consume it.

And then I sprinkle in the stuff that's like more science heavy. And I'm like, I want to post this cause I enjoy doing this. And if the 10 people who are here that want this, they're going to like it too. And then everyone else is going to just. Want me to give them a second, second reel. And that's okay.

Um, but for me, it was just like, I, I was excited to share and I like to share and teach. So I, you know, it was just like this, this balance of the two. And I just didn't, I don't know. I just, it was trial and error for years of like, okay, well, I want to share this stuff and this is exciting. And I, you know, when I was coming up in the industry, there wasn't, I mean, that's when the industry was like still starting to really grow, but like, I was like, there's no, there's no.

Female exercise physiologist professionals in this industry at all. And that's like, and I like want people to value science in research and have that information, but also everything we've talked about. This is like weight loss and fat loss or body composition changing. And I was like, nobody's talking about how to perform or how to train or how to exercise.

And that's the stuff that makes me excited, um, about exercise physiology and all that stuff. And so I just, I don't know. It was just like a. I think the reason it was really worked well for me is because I, I think I'm more of a teacher than I am a scientist, honestly, at the end of the day, like I think I'm a better teacher than I am a researcher.

Um, and it gave me an opportunity to express that and express creativity in a way that you don't always get to in science and research, but it also allowed me to. Just share the things that I thought were interesting and cool and eventually figure out the ways that they stick with others But also like other people want that information too.

They just don't they weren't being given it at the time So I think a lot of them, you know, I was coming up 2018 2019 in the industry for a lot of people It was like the first time people saw the things that I was talking about You know what I mean? So that that allowed me to kind of gain tractions with that Yeah, so that's like a non is not answer.

There's a lot of things that went on during that time Hacker So much, but, but, but yeah, it was just, it was just, you know, tough love on how to make it better. Cause I want it to grow mixed with throwing spaghetti at the wall, seeing what sticked and doing it again and refining and keep just, you know, I think my superpower more than being too much is that I can just keep going.

I can just keep going and keep going and keep going. And I don't take no for an answer. And I just figure it out. I think I have, I think I just had the. That you, I mean, I know you've talked about this, like that point where people quit and give up, I just did it. I just never, I just kept going. So I watched even some of my peers, they were doing the same things I was doing or trying to do it, and then they dropped off and I kept and am keeping going.

Right. So I think that, yeah. So that's, there's my like,

Maestro: I'm over here frantically writing things down for those of you listening, and one of the things that I want to pull out from there is document don't, don't create. Right. So I don't love making this podcast about like. Social media and also I think we share this in terms of like when people bring you on there's like I want to talk about Like some of the bigger things not like what's the algorithm doing like I don't fucking care But for those you listen around the edges because this is part of her story here right document don't create she Created content, excuse me, doc, yes, document, don't create.

Meaning she was able to make content because she was living it, right? She's like, I'm in school right now and I'm going to document this. I'm going to share this and I'm going to go, cause we are all concerned about that. Like what might someone say? So then we go and do more research to be like, can I teach this?

Do I really not going to understand this? And then share that. One of the, one of the kind of special sauces that she has is that. She loves this shit and she brings the excitement to it. I think that you could present the most quote unquote, traditionally boring information, but if you're like, I am fucking jazzed about this.

I love this stuff. I live this stuff. People are going to listen. Cause they're like, people just want to be around other happy people. They want to be around other people that are doing things that bring them joy. And so they're like, I'll listen, what I take from it and what I do from it may be different depending on like what my own interests are.

But when someone is fired up about the stuff they're talking about, You'll listen. So let's take a step back from that. You said you started this during your master's. What was your master's and why? What would you go into?

Alyssa Olenick: So my master's, yeah. So my master's was in exercise physiology, which is what my PhD is in.

So you're correct. I'm an exercise physiologist. So research niches, we can unpack that at another time. That's not important right now. Um, so there's two fold. One, everyone was like always in my life asking me fitness advice and stuff as one gets if they're in this industry. So I was like, okay, like I'll just like start posting some stuff.

But two, I actually started my Instagram to practice writing every single day to become a better writer because I wasn't good at writing. I struggled a lot with writing. So it gave me the opportunity to write something every single day. So I would write a caption or a post. And I, that, because my one, uh, Professor who I was talking to about, you know, I, it was some academically.

It's so funny. Cause actually Jason and Susie, when I got, I went out and got dinner with them and hung out, they were like, Jason's like, there's no fucking way you're a bad writer and you started writing. I'm like, actually really, really bad. Like that was the one thing that I worked on improving in my whole PhD.

But social media for me became this way for me to practice writing all the time. Which is so funny. Cause when I think about the most hate and backlash and mean comments I've ever gotten in my life, it's on my writing, my grammar, my spelling. And I'm like, actually I'm publicly putting out my biggest, Struggle to hundreds of thousands of people all the time and you're an anon so like great good for you Like thank you for emailing me and telling me how bad my telling me that I should be able to spell like like I'm like I'm pretty sure I've undiagnosed dyslexia and I'm publicly putting out the thing I struggle with but good for you for sending this email Thank you so much But it really was, it was like one to start sharing and documenting, kind of as you said.

I didn't have any intention to grow a business or start selling products. I just was just sharing my life. Um, my training, I was powerlifting at the time, but it was for me, I just could practice writing. It just was an opportunity to practice thing that I sucked at in some form. Why did, did you get every single day?

Maestro: Why did you go for your masters?

Alyssa Olenick: And that's why I started. So it was exercise physics, but why? Because I knew why, because I wanted my PhD. So I knew since my. Because I wanted to be a doctor of exercise. Like, why? Who, who, what drives someone to do that? So, I started, so, okay, so, okay, the long story short is, funny, the road I ran on today, I was like 13, 14 years old.

I started running, and I thought, this is the most amazing, magical shit ever. I swear to God, if someone shot me, went to shoot me with a bullet right now, would stop in front of me, drop to the ground, I'm invincible. Like, this is, like, me in my head at 14, thinking that, like, I'm a superhuman because I can run for an hour.

Um, I loved it. I just loved it. And I was like, oh my, in my, in my 90s state, I was like. I want everyone, everyone should know that this feeling and this, this thing and this existence. Granted, I didn't understand all the complexities of life and adulthood at this time. I'm 14 years old, running around in the back roads, just completely ignorant.

But I'm like, this is, this is. The best thing, this is the best drug in the world, right? Like I need to share this with everyone. And so I was like, I want to like learn as much as I can and share this with everyone. And like, this is amazing. I was always the girl who was working out after school and exercising and training and I was just too much all the time, too much.

Right. And so I went, I originally was going to go to college for business. Which is funny now looking back. And I switched my college six weeks before my freshman year started because the lacrosse coach at the school I was committed to got fired and it put my scholarship at risk and it was more expensive school.

And my parents were like, I don't think you should do this. Cause if you can't get that guaranteed higher scholarship your last two years, you're going to really regret the student debt plot twist paid off my student debt. I'm so glad I did that. I was so pissed at the time, 17 years old, telling them how I can do my life, this and that 18.

And now I'm like, thank God. Um, so I switched to the cheapest state school that you could go on and walked on the lacrosse team. And it was, if my mom was on the phone with like the guidance counselor, she's like, I was going to, so I was like, okay, well let's go for health science. Cause there's not as many lab fees and it's cheaper.

Cause I did want to go for exercise science at the other school. My parents were like, you can't afford all the lab fees to do a science degree. Sorry. Yeah. Like, I don't know anything at the time. I don't know shit. So I come into college freshman year and I'm like, I'm going to be an exercise physiologist.

I, in my head at the time, think this is an elite Nike trainer, like the Nike training app that you used to have back in the day. Yeah. Like Maria Purvis on Nike training app was my godsend hero. I'm like, I want to be this woman. And so my advisor at the time, he goes, you know, that like, you could just do like the sport and recreation and exercise.

It's like basically a glorified PT degree, like you don't have to be doing the science degree. I was like, wouldn't it make more sense for me to do the harder degree? Of course. If I want to do this thing. Like, wouldn't it make sense for me to do, which is so funny. Cause I'm in college and I think I'm stupid.

I don't think I'm smart. I'm scared. I'm going to fail every single class. I got nine tutors for, I, for the, for the first semester of college. I went to all three bio tutors. Plus a tutor for every single class I took. I was, I would study all the time. I was like socially rejected from my lacrosse team because everyone thought I was annoying.

I was like the worst one on the team. I walked on and I was like, well, if I'm not going to be an athlete, that's my entire identity. I'm going to be smart. So I just studied all of the fucking time. It's all I did was study, found out good at science, had no idea. But in my head I was like, okay, like I'm, Why would I not take the science degree?

And then I realized along the way in that first semester, I was like, Oh, I'm actually good at school. Never identified it, 

Maestro: which I was like an honors in high school, but couldn't understand that this, why did you, 

Alyssa Olenick: nobody, nobody, Nobody, like, I feel like all my friends in high school, which is the weirdest thing, is like, we were all like the, my high school was very big, so we were like popular and smart, but a popular smart group with the top cohort was like a ton of people, like it wasn't like this small like niche of people, it was like this huge variety of kids, and for some reason my year, everyone who was like kind of a good athlete and a smart kid and a good kid and a popular kid was like smart, like everyone was on as an AP, like, I had a few friends that were in just the regular classes, but like, Everyone around me was smart.

All of my friends were smart. And so everyone around me was like, I'm going to be a doctor. I'm going to be a lawyer. I'm going to be a physical therapist. I'm going to be all these things. And I was like taking architecture classes. Cause I wanted to design houses. Like I, like, I don't know. And I just never identified as smart.

So I dropped out of all my AP classes. Senior year, because I thought I was going to fail. I dropped out of them all in the first day of school. I was like, there's no way I can take calculus, physics, and history. I dropped out of them. I just never, I feel like I just never had anyone pick up that I was smart growing up.

Like I was a good student. I didn't do poorly. Like I was fine. And I always did fine in school. So my parents were like, Yeah, they just were never concerned. You know what I mean? Like there was like no one, but I just don't think they're smart yeah, that was just the smart kid who got their work done like I I was but I just never identified it because I feel Like everyone around me was like so so so like gifted Like I feel like so many of my friends were in the gifted classes and because I wasn't gifted I was just average and I just like Didn't care about school.

And I didn't, I like, I did enough work to like get A's and B's. And like, I did, I think I graduated like a three, eight or three, six or something like that. Like I wasn't like, I just didn't try. I cared about sports. I cared about sports and working out. I would stay after school for an hour every single day and work out.

What if I didn't have a sports team? I went to every optional practice for everything I did all the time. That's like, my whole identity was the cross in running and sports. And so, you know, I went to college and I just thought, oh, okay, I'm not smart. And so then I found out by accident. Oh, I'm kind of good at the science thing and I'm not as good at the lacrosse thing anymore.

Granted, I walked on like the top two teams in the division two NCAA at the time. So I was like, yeah. So anyway, yeah. So anyway, yeah. I get to college and I was like, yeah, I'm going to do the harder thing, duh, because that's just my nature. I'm like, I'm going to do the hardest thing. And then all of a sudden the floodgates open.

I'm like, Oh my God, there's so many other jobs and career opportunities that I can do, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And so I was like, should I become a nurse? Should I become a pharmacist? Should I become a PA? Should I become a PT? But luckily my advisor was an exercise physiologist, right? I was like, Oh my God, I should be doing all these things.

And he was, I'm so grateful. He like such a godsend in my life. And I took ex phys my first semester of sophomore year. Usually people wait until like junior, senior year to take it. And I took, took it that first semester. And I was like, That's it. I'm an exercise scientist. That's what I'm going to do. And so I decided to quit my lacrosse team after sophomore year of college.

I had the highest GPA, lowest playing time. The assistant coach was like verbally abusive to me. I said, I'm not taking this. I'm not doing this. Not worth it. Right. Like not worth it. Um, and so. That was really hard for me to do. And I remember going to Dr. Dixon's office and talking to him. I was like, okay, I came, I came in with 15 credits because remember terrible student high school, so stupid comes in, comes in with 15, comes in with 15, a whole semester worth of credits already.

Right. Whatever. Um, so I can graduate a semester early, but I technically was ahead in credits too, because of who I am. So I could have taken summer classes and graduated a year early. And he said, okay, let's, so what if instead of graduating a year early, you come back in the fall and you join me in the ex vis lab and we do a research project and you can start learning lab and things like that.

And so instead of graduating a semester early or a year early, I graduated a year early and I started to get into research my junior year. And at that point in time, a second exercise physiology professor was hired and he kind of like ended up taking me up under his wing. And so I just started going into the lab, doing some exercise testing, learning all these things.

And that's where, actually, I'm friends with her now. She's a couple years ahead of me. She had just gotten into a master's program in exercise science, um, in a college like an hour away. And I found out you can get your master's and your PhD paid for. So you can get paid. To become a doctor of exercise and then PT school and all these other schools cost money.

Right. And I was so excited about research. I thought it was so cool. I'm geeking out. Like, I love it. So I'm like, I just, I'm like, I just found out this was, I didn't know it was an option. I just found it was an option. I said, Oh, I'm going to do that. That's what I'm going to do. So from that point on junior year, on till when I graduated, my entire existence revolved around how much can I be fought my resume so I can get my master's paid for.

Thinking that it's like this high stakes, low chance opportunity. I got like an assistantship at everywhere. I applied to, this is a recurring story in my life until like the last few years, this, this self doubt, this like lack of confidence, this lack of assurance. And so I start doing research. I start teaching a group fitness.

I start working at the gym. I'm also tutoring. I'm also doing tours on campus. I'm working like five jobs now I'm working as a rehab assistant at the chiropractor downtown. So I quit lacrosse and then I got like a bajillion jobs. Um, And because I was trying to one make money at that point in time because and then two Like I was like I have to do everything In my power to get an assistantship because my parents were like we're not paying for grad school So I was like I have to do everything in my power to get an assistantship So that's what I did and then I graduated early got an internship at the pittsburgh neuromuscular research lab So I lived at home Um and would commute to pitt three days a week and then worked at like a francesca's clothing place in between again broke lacking self confidence Pulling myself like up to every opportunity and challenge I can make, and then I get my assistantship for my master's and I go.

So then I knew I wanted to get a PhD. So that was always the plan. I went into my master's knowing I wanted to get a PhD. So then I'm in the master's. My goal is academia, science, research, get a PhD. And so I just start the Instagram. Like after my first year, I think it was the, maybe the, I don't remember if I started my first year or my second year, it probably doesn't matter.

Um, but I just started posting random, horrendous, terrible stuff. Mostly me lifting and working out inspirational quotes and like dumb things in my beefcake power lifting type error, uh, back in the day. And then I just, it was mostly just documenting. It was kind of more of a personal fitness account with like some random fitness tricks and tips, like kind of mixed in very 2016 Instagram, like nothing like it is now.

And then, um, You know, I, I finished my master's, I started my PhD. I actually started my PhD at the Vanderbilt. I was going to go for molecular physiology, quit Vanderbilt halfway through the first semester. Cause the head of the program was an absolute a hole to me. And I was like, if I'm getting a PhD, I'm getting it on my terms.

And none of the research labs really had what I wanted to do anyway. So I was like, I'm going to go be on an exercise scientist. So I left Vanderbilt, restarted my PhD. But well, the week that I left Vanderbilt, I literally quit Vanderbilt, moved to Louisville with my now husband, and then. Went home did a photo shoot with my brother and now sister in law and said I'm starting my business and that was like it So it was just like this.

Yeah, it was just like this like I was like, well, I have this platform I have this page i'm starting my phd I'm training for my first ultra marathon and I am starting my business and I just like was like fired up and I was just like i'm gonna do this and everyone around you at the time was like Whatever.

So I kind of have my platform. I had sold like one little ebook thing that previous January. Literally, I sold a fitness plan to just to pay rent because I wasn't paid over winter break in my master's. So I just was like, Oh, well, would anyone want to do this? I made like 500 and paid my rent. I was like, this is amazing.

I can pay rent. So it was just like, yeah, it was just, I was just putting my shit out there.

Maestro: I have a few questions. 

Alyssa Olenick: And then that's where it all started to take off. 

Maestro: A few questions there. I got it. I'm sorry. That was a lot. This is the kind of conversations I love. When people speak slowly, I'm like, I literally can't deal with this.

So this is great. I got all of it. I wrote the things down that I want to tease out from there. And there's a recurring theme that I'm like, Ooh, we have to circle back to that. But first question, with the PhD, it sounds like that was the, like, was there an end goal besides like, I'm going to get my PhD and then do this thing with it?

Or you were like, I want to get my PhD, period. 

Alyssa Olenick: So I won. I wanted my PhD. Period. Two. But my plan all along, like once I saw that opportunity is like become a professor, become a researcher, like work at a university. Very much so. Like I was always on that track of like, that was kind of always my career end goal until I kind of created this entire web of opportunities for myself by accident.

Got it. So that was like always the goal. 

Maestro: And so the next thing I'm going to, that you said, and. I don't know if you realize you said it. One of the things we talked about a little bit earlier is that there's a point where people just, they give up. They're just like, ah, it's too fucking hard. You, on the other hand, you are able to just keep going, but you have no problem stopping and going in a different direction.

You've said it a few times. You're like, I left school the very first day I left these AP classes. I was like, I can't, I'm not gonna be able to do well with it. So you keep going, but you're also not afraid to stop. And keep going in a different direction. Can we talk about that? Do you realize you do that?

Is there thoughts around that? 

Alyssa Olenick: You know, I think, you know, it's funny. Cause I never thought about that in the high school regards of things. Um, but I guess that is true for some, cause I quit cheerleading in ninth grade. Cause I was like getting in trouble for stupid rules. I love it. This is dumb. I finished out the year.

And then I said, I'm stopping. And I was like, I'm gonna play lacrosse. That's going to be my main thing. That's fine. Um, and so, Yeah, I guess I didn't think about me doing that when I was younger and growing up. Um, but You know, I think it helped with like, you know, quitting my college lacrosse team was really like, when I think back to like my 20s, I think I was like 20 when I did it.

It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. That was my entire identity and everything who I was. But I think it was the best thing that ever happened for me. Because if I didn't do that, I don't think I'd be who I am right now, but I think it showed me that you can stop and pivot and things end up being okay.

And I, and it, I also think like, then the other pivotal thing was also. The leaving my first PhD program because that was like me taking ownership of my life and my outcome and what happened and I think the one thing that's unique to me more so than the the stopping is that I I'm confident enough to reroute.

Like I have a plan, a pivot and exit. That doesn't mean like, I don't want anyone here to think that I'm like, I'm just like, yep, I'm doing that. No, this is like me having a million phone calls with my parents and crying and freaking out. Like I have a pivotal moment with my relationship with my now husband that I will always value is I was like laying on my floor, crying, having a pity party for myself.

Cause I didn't want to study for this biochemistry exam. Cause I knew I wanted to quit Vandy and I knew I wasn't happy and it wasn't what I do. And he literally said, I'm leaving. Cause this is not the woman that I know that you are. And you can call me when you are. Like the person that I know that you are and he left because he was living in Louisville and he had to leave anyway, like he wasn't staying the night, but he was like, he was like, pick yourself off the floor.

Cause this is not who you are. He's like, this is absolutely not who you are. So I do always love and appreciate that. He's like, that seems harsh, but in the moment it was exactly what I needed. Cause he's like. Who is this? Like, I don't know this version of any human, let alone you. He's like, what is going on?

So it's not like I was like, yeah, I'm girl power. Let's do it. I'm like the most anxious, nervous Nancy crying all the time in a coffee shop to my parents on the phone about my life choices. Fascinating. Yeah, 

Maestro: this is fascinating. Yeah. I hope all the one that's listening, I, yeah. I hope you like maybe rewind and go listen, not to the heart crying on the floor, but you are holding multiple things at the same time where you didn't necessarily receive the support.

External validation of like, you're smart and clearly you are smart, but I can understand if everybody's smart, then no one is right. You feel like I, like I get that. So you have that. On the one hand, you also have this ability. To stop things that don't serve you. It's not willy nilly, like there's a whole process that I'm glad you gave us like, reprisal to of like, there's a lot of emotion and thought and planning that goes into it, but you're able to hold both of those things where there's like a, I don't want to, I don't want to use the word insecurity, but we'll just go use it cause I gotta give them another one.

Where there's this on this one hand, but there's also you being willing to be like, and the word happy has come up a few times when you said this, that you were like, it's not serving me. I'm not happy. I am stopping this thing. Whether it's leaving one of your teams when you're in high school, leaving, leaving a team when you're in college, switching programs, like how are you holding both?

Where did this come from? I want to hear more about this and your willingness to be like, does this serve me? Is it what I want? Did you question that ever? What is that? 

Alyssa Olenick: So I think that I talked a little bit of this on Sean's podcast. I think for me. One, I'm really, really stubborn and I'm sure people can detect that about me.

And I am also very like, you do not tell me what to do. You don't tell me who I am. You don't get to tell me my limits. You don't get to tell me what I can and cannot do. I will decide that for myself. Cause like, there's also this backstory of like me going to doctors growing up and then telling me my body's going to fall apart and I can't do sports.

And I need a back brace and to quit lacrosse because I have hypermobility and my spine didn't support itself and my shoulders popping out of place. And I'm like, so what? Screw you. And I got strong and I started lifting. So there's definitely this like part of me who was like, you do not get to tell me who I am.

I get to tell myself who I am. And I think a lot of that came from, and again, talked about that in Sean's podcast is people were just so horrifically terrible to me growing up my whole life. And just, just really like, especially like during vulnerable periods of my life. I mean, this followed me into my twenties, but eventually you become like old enough to kind of start working through it.

But like, you know, I just had so many adults and peers just be so like, Negative towards me about me or try to set my limits or try to tell me who I was or that I was too much like it was a bad thing and I just, I think that there was just this part of me Maybe it's innate, maybe it's nurture, maybe whatever it is where I just, I decided that instead of letting those people just define this of me and shrink to myself and not be myself, I just decided that I was my number one fan.

I'm on my side. If I'm not on my side, nobody else is. I believed in my dreams with full technicolor my entire life. I like, it's crazy to think like the things that I envisioned myself doing. At 14, 15, 16 years old on the runs, like I just did today at my parents house, are like the things that I'm doing in my life now.

I just, I really believed that I was, it was maybe delusion, but I really believed that I was capable of doing really, really big, incredible things and that I was special and that I could do whatever I wanted because I was me. And I think I just had that, like, just enough cheesy motivation and self belief and just enough people in my life resisting me and me keep going that eventually I got to a point where I was like, Okay, well, like, I don't need to be around people or in situations that aren't making me happy, aren't serving me, or like, truncating my growth, which is funny because when you think about, like, even leaving Vanderbilt, like, the best molecular physiology in, like, the country, people are like, that's crazy, because most, I remember I told someone recently, they're like, oh, you're smart, smart.

I was like, I'm still smart, smart, even though I didn't go to, go to Vandy, right? Um, but like, Technically, you might think that that's a down move or a lateral move or whatever it was, but I was like, this is the best choice for me, and I was always kind of willing to take that choice for my happiness. And I even did that, like, I left my postdoc last year, and luckily my advisors were really great and supportive of letting me stay and work remote, but I was like, I love Colorado.

I love the work that I'm doing, but I was doing distance with like, I got married last year. I was doing distance. I was also like just so stressed and alone and like Not not happy right and it was really it was it was a very hard choice for me to make but it's so funny because now i'm like i'm I, you know, I miss some of the stuff that I'm doing.

It was a hard choice to make, but I was like, I'm happier now, even living somewhere that isn't my ideal because I made the choice, the best choice for myself. So I think that I just learned at a young age how to make the best choices for myself and what was for me. And I think part of that is stubbornness.

I also think part of it is nurture. Like me and my mom talk about this a lot. Like. We're going to go all the way back. When I was born, I was like really sick and I was a NICU baby. And the doctors were like, she's going to like, have like learning disabilities and physical disabilities and mental disabilities and all these disabilities.

She might be blind or heart, like have loss of hearing. She might have, like, I might, they thought I might be in a wheelchair. I'll never be able to walk. I was told I'd never run normal, never walk normal. I went to like foot specialists my whole life growing up. Um, Yeah, this whole thing. I was like a miracle baby.

Like they did like a case study. I wish I had the paper of me when I was born. So I think I just like came out kicking and screaming. Yeah. I literally came into this world being too much. I'm telling you, I came in this world being too much. Like I literally was like, they like, I'm in this world first 24 hours.

And my parents are being told she might not make it through the night. She might die. If she makes it, it will be a miracle doing all these hearing tests. I'm literally days old and I'm working the wires out of my head. Cause I don't want them in my head for that. Like I'm just. I came out stubborn as all hell.

This is me. Like, so I think to some degree, like that's me. Um, but then even like growing up, like, I was just, that's just like, I was like the four year old who, yeah. And I was like four years old. I used to tell people life's amazing. I love life. This is incredible. And I had that before it got like squelched, but that was also kind of me.

But like, I had this, preschool teacher when I was five who like looked at my mother and she was like, she's a leader and I cannot wait to see what she's going to do when she grows up because something special about this girl. So I think like my mom took that to heart and you know, right, wrong, you're indifferent of anything else growing up.

Like my parents did a great job of like. Like they never try to make me shrink. So like when I had issues with like, I had a couple of issues, like late elementary school with like adults and teachers, like holding me in during recess or after Girl Scouts and like lecturing me about literally nothing. I just, whatever.

My mom would like call these teachers and parents and be like, who do you think you are to talk to my daughter like this? Like, what are you going to do? She has straight A's. She's a cheerleader. She worked to get her back handspring. So I think like, luckily my parents were like, they, they were like, Just kind of let me bloom, even if it was aggressive and it was too much and it was too crazy.

They were like, it's so funny. This is, it doesn't, this doesn't actually come out the way they mean it, but they used to tell me, don't make money with that mouth. Definitely doesn't come off the right way, but I was always don't make money. Don't make money with that mouth. But yeah, that, that was like, that was how, at least at home, my parents were like, you know what?

Screw everyone. You are going to be wildly successful one day because you are this way. And so they just kind of like, let me. Exist in my little tornado of myself and I think that that helped a lot and my mom You know, I was never pretty I was always smart. I was never, you know a princess I was I was camping the backyard and athletic and I got to pursue what I wanted and I did it with pink and i'm Wearing pink in a makeup bag, but they just let me Be me and I think that my mom just truly believes since I was young like for like I just really think she took that to heart because all my teachers growing up were like, she's she's a leader She leaves the classes.

She's this it's not and so my mom was like i'm gonna foster the shit out of this So I think I also like had a lot of self efficacy being being When I was younger. Two. This, um, this is, I don't know, I, it's like, I think it's a big, a bit of nature versus nurture versus just, I don't, like, I, I like to think like I created my success in myself and who I am, but I also think I just came out both a little, I mean, people listen to the podcast, say know, ‘

Maestro: cause it's a similar story that when people ask like, how are you confident?

And things like that. And I'm like, it's nature nurture. You, I do believe like you come out a certain way and then if you have that as parents or that parent that then fosters that, or, or doesn't, doesn't, uh, stifle it, then you end up with an Alyssa. Like I, it makes totally sense. Can we back it up for a second?

Also, like, we had not heard about The day one Alyssa, like literal day one that you were like in the NICU having like 

Alyssa Olenick: Emergency c section late term baby beta strep meningitis like From the get go I came into this world Like, in the most dramatic way possible. Are you a sibling? 

Maestro: The oldest, okay. Yeah, I'm the oldest of three.

Okay. Okay. 

Alyssa Olenick: Yeah, I'm the oldest daughter. Yeah, every oldest daughter. Check, check, check. 

Maestro: So, uh, a few minutes ago you had said about, this is gonna tie in, it ties into what we were talking about. A few minutes ago you said, you know, you're running, you're 14, you're 15, you're believing yourself, you have these dreams, these goals, and like, you're living them, you're, you're reaching them now.

What are they? What were they? What are they? Let's bring it into kind of present day. 

Alyssa Olenick: Yeah. So one, there was the whole, like, I am going to share this love of exercise with everyone that I can possibly spread it to. Like I was like, I need to share this with literally everyone. This should not be a secret.

Everyone needs to know about this. This is amazing. Like, I don't know. I just felt so alive and so human and so happy. And so like that magic that you do feel when you're fit and you're training and after exercise. And I know that. Some of us are probably biologically wired. To enjoy it more, and I'm probably one of those people, but like, I just, I felt like it was a gift that I needed to give with everyone.

Like, I needed to just tell everyone I knew about this thing that I found, and I did it. Um, and then there was also like, so a lot of the things that I think fostered me and helped me create myself and myself is like, I, As much as I'm an extrovert, I'm also like very introverted and introspective and in my head and very reflective.

And so when I was younger, like, I think people forget, like, yeah, I did sports and I was friends and I was always out doing things, but I just used to run alone all the time. So I'm like a teenage girl who's just running in her head for hours, listening to music, like, and just letting my mind wander and go after these things.

And so I spent a lot of time, I feel like at a very young age, really getting to know myself by just, Running around by myself all the time. And so, you know, I got to really, you know, learn a lot about myself and I used to just like have these dreams and visions or like, I would think about them in my head about like, I was like, I like would picture myself almost being like a motivational speaker.

Like I'm going to stand on stages and encourage people to like live their lives and be fit and be active and like go after things and not settle and like be their best selves. And I just like truly believed I was like, I'm visioning myself on stages. And I was like, I want to be a speaker someday. I'm going to speak to people.

I'm going to talk to people. I'm going to motivate people. I'm going to encourage them. Kind of cheesy at the time in the way a 15 year old brain totally works You know what I mean? but I even remember beyond like I used to have like visions of that and like I would practice like speeches and things that I would like write in an Instagram caption now or get on my stories and say like I would picture that stuff in In my head at 15.

And so I also remember I would go through these waves. Then it would get kind of squashed where I would be like, get like, be like, I'm going to be like, I just big and broad and change my life and make decisions. And I just like, I don't know. I just felt like I, I was like, I'm going to be big. I'm going to be successful.

I'm made for bigger things. I'm made to be great. I made it. And so I think I like self fulfilled my own prophecy. Cause I was like, I'm bigger than my hometown. I'm bigger than these people. I'm, I'm bigger than all of this stuff, and I just like, I didn't know how to get out or if I was gonna get out or do any of those things, but I just remember, I just knew, like, it's just like I had this feeling and this knowing, and like, I had great friends and a great community and a great high school experience, like, it wasn't like that, any of that was negative, I just felt like I You know, I remember, like, I used to watch things like, you know, I, I romanticized, like, the Into the Wild, that movie and book growing up because I was like, oh my god, this guy just, like, got away and went outdoors and, like, said screw it all and, like, lived on his terms and, like, now looking back, and it's funny.

Because that was like the book of the year when I went to college too. So we had to read it and write book reports by is very self fulfilling. But I just remember like being so enthralled with people who just like said, screw this, I'm going to do what I want. I'm going to go after what I want. And I like romanticize that and idolize that I used to have a playlist of Nike and other fitness inspirational videos on YouTube, saving a playlist that I used to watch before I would go for runs.

It was just like, I was too much. Right. But that's when I was safe to be too much with myself. Right. Like I. Didn't always share that stuff with others, but in my own bubble and my own self, I could be too much and do those things and just really believe that I was like, I just, I don't know. I don't know why I had the audacity to think that I was going to be great one day, but I just decided that one day I was going to be great.

So I did it. 

Maestro: Obviously when I do podcasts, folks, you know, I kind of go in with like a story, kind of like a direction I want to take things and this was, this was not like, I couldn't put it on the tip of my tongue. This wasn't like, you know, top of mind, but. Your story is such a, it's such a refreshing take on this concept that I think has really gotten just squashed or like pushed to the, it's tough to be alive right now.

It's really expensive and like, that's like what, like we just hear and like struggle and like everything is like fucking menopause in my world now, but it's like, everything is like hard. Everything is just like the hardest and the worst. Yeah. It is so refreshing to hear a story of I believed and then I did it.

Like that's at the heart of this and I know we have a lot of people that listen to this that have kids This is to me. I'm just like I don't have any kids I got a fucking cat and I'm like, whatever you want to do Rupert you could do it sleep all day great Be the best. Yeah, but there's something just so magical and refreshing in this story of just like I would love if Oh, could you imagine you listening to this?

If we watching this, could you imagine if the default was just to believe and do right? Cause it's interesting. The last sentence you said, you're like, I don't know who I was or thought I was to have the audacity to believe this stuff. And I'm just like, let's have that as the default because it's not like some, like, it's not a bad thought.

It sounded like an outrageous thing of like, I believe in myself. I believe I can do things, whatever those things look like. And I'm going to go and do everything I can to do it. Imagine if that was just the default and it's not anymore. It's not. And that's like, that sentence is so telling of like, who was I to have the audacity to believe in myself?

And that's where we're at. Right? That's where we're at in society, like in times. And I did not at all see the episode going this way. And I'm like, this is the word. This is, this is at the heart of you. Like, this. Can you imagine going back to that? Where it's just like, I I'm not even going back because I don't know if that was ever a default, but moving towards that where that's just the default where people believe in themselves and they go and do things and like they do what they can to achieve that and things can change and such as they go.

But that is, I'm just sitting here like, wow, yes. 

Alyssa Olenick: You know, it's funny that you say that because for a lot of years, especially in social media, obviously that's where I'm sharing myself. I like was hiding a lot of that side of myself because they felt very well. I don't have kids. Life's not hard. Now I have money.

I didn't have money before, but it doesn't matter that I didn't have money before because now I do. So now it's like not as valid. Oh, I'm successful now. So now it's not like inspirational because you're there. You arrived. And so I stopped sharing these like sides of myself because it's just like, Oh, well, like, Yeah, of course it's easy for you.

Of course, it's good for you. Of course, this and that your story is not inspiring anymore and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I squashed it. But like a big driver for this for me, the longest time is that I hate seeing that, especially in women, this self loathing, deprecating woe is me. I can't, everything's an obstacle.

Everything's in the way it's everyone else's problem. Fixed mindset. I'm the terrible, I hate myself. It's the worst. And I'm like, and I'm sure like, if you follow me or you've seen this, like I've showed before, I'm like, I need you to see what it looks like when you like yourself. When you believe in yourself, when, like, this is what happens when, and I just, I, I remember even meeting people growing up or having friends and I'd be like, just show up to the party by yourself.

You're fine. You don't need people to hide behind. Like, you're great as you are. Like, just walk in the door. And I know that's like my default wiring, but that was like my earliest sign of that growing up was like, you can't just walk into a party by yourself. Why? Like just go, like, you know, the people there, but that was just like my wiring of like, And so, yeah, but so much of this is for me is like, and it's like, yeah, it's fun to share my story, but it's like, at the end of the day, like, I don't want to share my story.

Cause I just want to be like, look how insane I am. It's like, okay. But like what if you recognize that this is available to you too? Right? Like, it's like, yeah, now it's easy for me to think and feel this way. But like, it's not like I got, I mean, I have a lot of things going for me and I'm very appreciative for that.

But like, I really just kind of like, Did my own thing to figure it out. It's not like people just handed these things to me. And so it's like, so much of it came down to just belief, not any of these other things that people, and I know people have kids and life's hard and life's expensive, but like, you know, you know, you know, but like, Yes.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Disclaimer, disclaimer. But like, I just wish more people realize like, you know, it isn't, and that's what I mean. Like, it's not unique to me. Maybe it is by my default wiring, but like believing in yourself is free, free 99. Get more of that. You can do it. And that's why I also like, I'm so passionate about fitness because I think that like, it's such a vehicle and tool for people to see for the first time in their life.

Cause cause I don't know if I wasn't running, if I would have realized these own things about myself, that invincibility that I felt out there running, if I would have recognized that. Existed inside of me. Like, I think that was a huge catalyst for me is I saw, I saw what was inside of me when I was out there running and I saw what I was capable of and doing and pushing my boundaries and I was scared and nervous and all that stuff.

And so that's why I also pushed so hard for that. Cause I think that that's like the first time people like, okay, well, if I can do this, well, what else can this, what else I 

Maestro: said a zillion times in this podcast, my background is in physical therapy. It's that, when people come in, and I always like leaning towards the performance side of things, because it's just like, people come in for the fucking back pain or whatever, and then suddenly they're just like, what else can I do, and they're like, leaving their shitty marriage, and you're like, well, I'm not responsible for that, but I'm glad that you've realized that, like, what else can you do, there's all these things, and simply because you, this physical capacity that you have, that you have gained, like.

I'm cognizant of time, I have like, two more questions and then I'm gonna let you go, okay? 

Alyssa Olenick: You're fine. I have, I have time. So as long as it's whatever fits your episode time, whatever fits your episode time. You're good. So, 

Maestro: okay. I'm gonna ask because I, when I was writing this down, I kind of brainstorming this.

I was like, I don't really want to go into the science of it. But I do have one question because you did a post and I was like, uh, So one of the things you talked about, uh, is And, and something that was big for a while is like doing, lifting weights fast is cardio. And then you did a post not too long ago and you talked about decoupling.

And I was like, can you talk more about that? And VO2 max heart rate decoupling, why we see, uh, lifting weights fast and what happens during like more of the traditional METCON isn't. What we're thinking in terms of cardio, please. 

Alyssa Olenick: Yeah. I'll try to even give the quickest, the quick response. So we don't linger this out to a whole nother episode.

Okay. So essentially for you guys listening to this, if you think about cardio lifting as circles and they become a Venn diagram in the middle is like Metcons, metabolic conditioning, functional fitness type stuff. And so there's overlap there where they're kind of stealing characteristics from each side of it, but they're never really a hundred percent cardio or a hundred percent lifting.

And you hear people all the time who are like, You know, your group fitness class isn't lifting. You need to do actual lifting, but it's funny on the contrary with cardio. Everyone's like, well, this is cardio. We accept it as is. And so because no one understands cardio is its own physiology, because we just think that fitness is lifting and then everything else, whatever, you know?

Um, and so when we think about that in the middle there, to some degree. Yeah. If you're only doing this Met Connie, CrossFit, functional fitness, whatever stuff for minimal health and longevity, minimal benefits and stuff, you're probably fine. Like you're not, it's not a huge deal. You're not going to like die because of you're only doing this.

Like I don't ever want to give that message, but essentially when you're doing like traditional cardio, if there is an X and Y access and heart rate and VO two max are. being plotted on this. There's a linear relationship between heart rate and VO2 max. If you were to go on a treadmill or a bike and gradually increase your intensity, either your speed or your incline or your resistance or some combination of those gradually over time until you couldn't go any longer, your heart rate would increase by pretty linearly with your VO2 max and so heart rate is related to VO2 max and that's why with zones and all that's trending right now we can use heart rates because with traditional cardio heart rates versus your VO2 versus like your minimal versus maximal intensity can be kind of plotted from each other or extrapolate what's going on in your body.

When you're lifting weights fast or doing crossfit y type things or Whatever functional fitness class that you're doing you have this thing called decoupling This can also happen in some other situations too for people where your heart rate and your vo2 max aren't related. So your heart rate will be artificially higher than the true VO2 max stress or stimulus that it's giving you in that given moment.

And so we see this sometimes in like cycling, um, and, or like people who have lower fitness status, their heart rate might decouple, like it might be higher because it's too physiological stressful for them versus like the true, like actual stress and stimulus that they're giving themselves, you know, or you can have drift over time.

So it's not like this is only happening during this stuff. Because it can happen other places. But when you're doing things like your Metcon or your functional fitnessy type stuff, essentially you have this drift where your heart rate will be higher because of the overall stress, central nervous system stimulation, like the actual workload that you're doing changes in blood pressure, your environment, all that stuff, it will be higher.

But that heart rate, just because it's high, doesn't mean you're getting And equally high cardiovascular stimulus. So there's some studies that have done this like kettlebell swinging and things like that. And so you might have a, say your heart rates. I can't remember the exact data from these studies.

It's like 180, but your, your VO two, you're only achieving at this point in time. Hang on girls. Hang on girls. It's like maybe 40, 50, 60 percent of your VO2 max rather than 80 percent of your VO2 max. So you're not getting the same. cardio stimulus. So I think there's this, people think like lifting weights fast or lifting weights at the high heart rate is cardio.

And that, that is more of a reflection of overall physiological stress and load and multiple systems being stimulated on your body rather than the specific cardiovascular stimulus that you get from like traditional cardio.

Maestro: I understand. 

Alyssa Olenick: So there's my, there's my concise packaged answer. 

Maestro: Top of the list.

And I was like, when she comes on, I need to ask her this. Cause I was like, I don't really understand. I read the post, but I didn't really understand. This makes so much sense. I love this. You folks got a little glimpse into her brain just then. And I'm not asking, going to ask any other questions like that, because she has a bunch of podcast episodes.

Uh, there's YouTube. We will link all of the things. She has a newsletter that goes out, uh, every Friday. So from the information side, I didn't want to use this podcast. It's all there. You can go search for it. Uh, if you want to talk about the 10, 000 steps, if you want to talk about, is walking cardio, all of those questions that maybe you have, she answers it.

Okay. That's literally all of the things. I got two more questions and then I'm leaving alone. First one is, uh, you had spoken, I think probably on Sean's episode, like I said, folks, we will link that you had spoken about, uh, and we had talked about this, you made a very intentional, um, Pivot, again, there's that word.

With your social media and, uh, in terms of how you were, um, interacting with your audience and just the, I do believe when we first started, especially there is the need to be more familiar with people and have that, like, we're going to talk and like, you know, you became like their best friend basically, but then you had to like, be like, Whoa, this has gone and done a little too much.

Can you just talk about that journey a little bit? Cause I think it's very interesting. And then you're like, I don't see your most recent pivot, but the, uh, rebrand and the intentional way that you set things up. So it's in a line with, you know, how you want people to treat you and your business and such.

Alyssa Olenick: Yeah, so for those of you who are like aren't on for or are more unfamiliar with me or more recently familiar with me like I have been Kind of really growing in the online space mostly from like 2018 to now and I've grown and blown up a lot more in the last Few years more so so there's like a few different phases of The trajectory of dockless fitness, whatever it is.

And so, yeah, when I first started, I mean, I did what you're supposed to do. I reply to every message, every comment I'm in my community. I'm doing all the things. I'm also like, I'm not a PhD yet. I'm not a professional. I'm in my PhD. I'm just still like a low mid twenties girl chasing the dream, doing her best, you know, and so I'm just, I'm documenting right as I go.

And so, you know, I think the. It was great for a while and it allowed me to really get in my community and grow and engage in all that stuff. But then, you know, 2020 happened. Everyone's on their phones. Everyone's very online and everyone then I've really grew a lot in 2020. I mean, I was growing consistently to this point in time, but I think.

2020 specifically, like everyone was freaking out and I was just doubling down because I was just like, okay, well, what else am I going to do right now? So like, I was like, so like, I just was like documenting all my home porch workouts and all these tips and everyone's panicking. And I was like, here's a post to dress your panic.

Like, here we go. And so, you know, it got to a point where I'm one point in time, like on walks, voice memos, four to six hours a week of direct messages, like absolutely wild. So much communication with my audience. And so, but I watched it turn into this, like. Kind of casual communication to like, then for me, it started adding negative to my mental stress and load because it started to get like very demanding.

Hey, like you can't say this, or you need to say this. You need to do this. You can't do this mixed with like big, almost like urgency of my products or my releases or the work that I was doing sooner and faster than what people wanted. And it wasn't really like an ask. It was like a demand. Like, Hey, you need to do this.

Hey, you got, you got to do this. And they just, I was like, Oh my God, I'm doing so much. I'm trying to do the most. Like I can't do anymore. Mixed with then mixed with then like. Everyone kind of just like expecting too much from me all the time. And it felt like it was being expected from me on this very personal level.

And so when I wasn't able to reply or give people what they wanted or all this stuff, like, it felt like I was like letting people down and like people like, like almost express that to me all the time. Like they were like almost let down if I gave them like a short or a concise or, and I still get this from time to time, but like, it was like, if.

I didn't meet the expectation of what they had for me and how I would reply or respond or what I gave them. They would be like, I could like, just tell in the reply or they were very clearly disappointed in me or annoyed with me or angry with me or like, I don't know. And it's like, I didn't always handle myself the best during this time.

But I also was just so overstimulated and overwhelmed all the time from just so much coming at me. Asks and demands and requests and questions and more and more. And it was just like, I felt like I was just being leeched. Dry and there was no left for me to give because everybody wanted so much of me.

Um, not just professionally, but also personally. And just like, it was just, it, it was, I also like, it was all the stress for my PhD and the pandemic and all this stuff. And then I'm on social media and it was like, it was like, either people were mad at me for every single thing that I was doing and existing and being.

Or they like needed me to be everything to them personally all of the time and this kind of turned in towards this like almost like It started to get weird I talked about this in sean's and I don't want people to think i'm going around acting like people are crazy stalkers to me but like people were just unknowingly innocently being this over stepping to me to the point they were like being creepy and weird and like it was just it started to make me like, I think people sometimes still think that I'm too much with how protective I am with like my privacy.

But I'm like, I have had too many people be too weird towards me that it's freaked me out. You're also allowed like to the point where you want like, yeah, yeah. Like crazy things. And so, you know, I, I. You know, I went on a trip with my friend Tatum, who's now actually relaunching like the third version of my website.

And I was like, okay, like we have this very bubbly, friendly, accessible fitness brand of me. And I was like, it's 2021 now. And I was like, okay, I'm graduating in a year, but instead of waiting to release my rebrand, when I graduate in a year, let's do it now. So I can start kind of shifting the way my audience views and looks at me and thinks about me.

So we took my like very, um. Orange and blue and green and fun and more bubbly rounded brand and made a more professional brand. That's still, and now it's funny now because we've just made it another step. We're about to release like my new website. It's even more like pulled back professional. Um, but that was because it was blending together my business and my professional thing.

And it was like, okay, like let's make this more. I don't want to say masculine. Cause I made it still, I still want it to be colorful and more fun than like your classic grow fitness brand. It's like red and blue and white. Um, but a little bit more like darker and like, cause you know, there's this whole perception with the brand personality on fonts and colors and how things are displayed.

Yeah. I, and I, that was for me, I don't want to be a. Hey, watching a paint dry bro of the industry. Like I have some personality, but you know, I, I started to be very heavy with boundaries for a while. I pulled back a lot in the online space. I rebranded, I pivoted, I changed the way that I share things, what I shared, how I share things, um, for a while.

Cause I, for me, I had, I, it was just, it was too much. It was just like, it was not good for me. Like it was for me as a person, it was terrible for my mental health and wellbeing. I was afraid to get online every day. I was deleting stories in the middle of the night. And I was like, just. Felt so overstimulated all the time.

And like, I can never do enough. Like it really felt like I could never do and be enough no matter what I was doing and being for people. And I give the most in the online space. I was like, and it just felt like this match of like ungratitude mixed with entitlement mixed with. Like, Holy shit. I'm a human being doing my absolute freaking best.

Like, and I'm also like in this season of my life where I'm not having a good time. I'm having a hard time. I'm in the middle of burnout. Like I'm, you know, and I, my PhD was on the fritz and I was vocal enough about this. Like not enough. Like I was always delayed. And when I was vocal about things, because I didn't want my audience to like, absolutely on to it at the time.

But I was like, Hey guys, like, I really like. When I'm like, I was like setting boundaries and people were getting, they were mad at me for a while for it. Cause I was reducing my accessibility or I was like a bitch. Or I was like, I'm like, I'm literally drowning here. Like looking back, my mental state and wellbeing during this time is horrific now looking back at it, but I was just doing my most.

And then people were just asking for more. And I was like, I do not have a drop in me. Left of me to possibly give. And so I was like, something has to change. Cause it, you know, people can be like, we'll just ignore messages or just ignore comments or just ignore emails. And I'm like your entire business at seeing this stuff and dealing with it, even if it's well intended, even in the volume, even in the nicest, most unwanted people, it's still like just seeing the ass all of the time.

It's just like, it's, it's, I was drowning in it. So, and I, again, My audience is fantastic. I have some loyal, amazing, fantastic people. Not all of this was ill intended. Yes, there's the jerks and the weirdos, but like most people meant well, but like, I was just like, it's just the 10th billionth ask of the week that I can't meet.

And people are letting me know that I'm letting them down. And it was too much. And I was like, there, if I'm going to continue to grow and finish my PhD and be a professional, I cannot give this much of myself to people. All of the time, like it has to be on my terms and what I can give and what I have the space for.

And so I pulled back massively, really shrunk myself down, really cut off a lot of access to me and cut off a lot of my personality, really kind of hit a hard reset. And it was good because I also moved and started my postdocs. I pulled back a lot on just like my business and social media a lot during the time I was reposting a lot, I wasn't as personal, I wasn't doing a lot of these things.

And so then I was like not having fun on social media. I was like, this isn't fun anymore. I. Can't not be myself. I, then I felt like I was suffocating because I was like, I can't hold in my personality. I can't not be myself. Um, I can't not do these things. And so I was like, okay, if I am going to be on social media, this is my job.

I have to do this. I have to be on here. There's no, just getting off, ignoring it. Like everyone says to do, cause you can't, it's your job. It's your business. It's like saying, don't go to work. And you're like, yeah, easy solution. Quit your job. Um, so I was like, I need to make. Social media, human, I need to make it human again, because also social media wasn't fun for everyone because everyone was like, I felt like all my peers were feeling the same thing and I was like, okay, like, I need to bring the humanist back of myself in this space and me because then I also started to feel like a human Google, like I was just this robotic information person.

I'm also a person. Person. So I like, I backed off too far where people like stopped thinking I was a person and I was just like this information vessel and I was like, and the way that they would talk to me, I'm like, Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. Like I'm that I'm, this isn't a Google search bar. Like I'm a human being.

Like, and that starts to get old too. Cause you're like, okay, like a great, I want to be known for my information, but like also just like, thank you human. A person like ask politely or say thank you back or just like be engaged respectfully or recognize like I'm just a human doing my best and this is my first time alive to like all of us, right?

And so I was like, okay, I want to make this more human again more myself again. So I started probably like a year. Or so ago, I was like, I was like, okay, like, let's make social media more human again. Let's bring the humanist back. So I brought back bits of myself. I started sharing a little bit more. I started writing more of my like personally inspirational, reflectivey captions.

I stopped that for a while. I don't like, it got so bad. I went through and deleted like every archive, just anything personal on my page back in three years. Cause I was like, nope. I hard cut off. Nope. You guys, like it was, you don't get it. You don't get it that you don't get it. Um, and then I was like, okay, like I need to come back, but I need to do it on my terms and what I want to share and what I want to be and what I am willing to.

But also became really clear. Like I, you know, fumbled with the boundary setting for a while there, but made it really clear, like, Hey, I'm busy and I'm busy and not in the way where you get to make me feel bad because I'm busy. I'm busy in the sense that I'm doing the most and I'm trying my best and I do not have unlimited hours to give to every single person all of the time.

And like, you're just going to have to be okay with that. Right. Like I, My business is too big now. My professional life is too big. Like every, like, I just, I, it was kind of like we circled back to earlier. It got to a point where I was like, I have to choose myself. I have to choose what's going to make me happiness.

Like, cause it got to the point where I was like, I can either reply to your DMs or Ignore my husband and I'm going to choose to not ignore my husband so I can reply to your DMs like that's what it was getting to like I was like I'm not going like this is I'm not going to do this like you just don't get to take away my life from me because you think that you get to have something from me because I can only give so much to so many people so I started thinking about more like how can I give to my community as a whole versus like Everyone individually and making it really clear.

Like, Hey guys, I'm busy. And I, I'm really good about like, it might seem annoying to people where I communicate with like, Hey, like I'm really busy right now, or I'm traveling like here, like, make sure, like, I kind of like try to make it seem like I'm going to be less responsive and I'm super sorry, but I appreciate you still being here.

I appreciate you still engaging. Sorry that I've been bad about replying to comments recently. Like life has been crazy. So I usually, and I'm really good about listening to my community. I engage with them. Like, it's not like I like don't, I see a lot of messages and a lot of comments. I'm like, even if I don't get to every single person, I'm like, well, how can I collectively address this?

So my community is still benefiting from what, like, I'm very aware of who's in my community and who's there and appreciative. But I was like, I, and that was something I had to give myself permission to. I don't have to reply to every DM. I don't have to reply to every comment. I don't have to. Help everybody out for free.

I don't have to give everyone a piece of me. And I think it's helped because it's allowed. Like, I think a lot of people now know they'll be, they'll be grateful. If I reply or grateful, if I respond or grateful, if I help, but they don't like, they don't expect it. And they're not as disappointed because they also know, like, you know, I am just one person and I've also, my page is really big now and I have a lot more of that stuff.

So I think that's helped a lot with the illusion of it too. Like I think, you know, and so it's like hard for me because I never, I don't want my audience to think like I hate them or they're bothersome and things like that, but it's just the volume of it. I don't think people realize in the back end the volume of it, right?

So I, now I just kind of rebranded myself to being, I just am being myself now. Like I'm just not hiding who I am, but I'm definitely hiding the things that I just don't want people to have. To infiltrate on everything in my life. Yeah, but I, I had to like reroute. So I had a hyper swing back and then bring it back on my terms.

And I really have learned that you can curate your experience on social media as a creator. Like you get us to have a say, so I don't let people who don't follow me, comment me. And I restrict a bunch of words that are related to anything. That's like. Inappropriate or negative or like, just like haterade filled.

I block a ton of words on things that I just think, and that's not to like censor my page, but like, I'm not going to let, like, I literally blocked the word typo. I was like, you, like, if you're going to come here and nag about my typos, like, I don't want you in my audience. Like, you're just like, I'm like, you, like, I blocked the word typo.

I was like. 

Maestro: Love this 

Alyssa Olenick: that I literally did for my aunt and you can't use like, like it's, and I, if people, if people are incessantly annoying or rude, I just remove their follow or you can restrict them so they can just comment and talk at themselves. And they're in your comment section, um, hide your stories.

If they're being inappropriate in your stories and over abusing that or drawing the line or being creepy, Oh, you don't get to see my day to day life anymore. And you know, I, I used to block a lot more. I don't block as much anymore. Cause at this point in time, it's just like. You can see my content so many other places, but I can restrict if you get to access me, essentially, is like what I'm doing.

Um, and I also can choose how I post things and how I portray them. Cause if you are smart about social media, you know, what kind of response you're going to get to certain things and how you say them and how you do them and what you do. So I just, I just changed the way that I interact and behaved. And then also like part of my podcast with Sean and Sean's thing is like, I stopped being as much of a bitch because I, cause I decided that I was like, okay.

You know, everybody was so mean to me for so long. It's so crazy. And I made me super defensive. And I was like, you have to stop assuming that everyone is being unintended to you. And I had to let that go because for a while there, everyone was kind of sometimes being the most towards me. And so I started like artificially unintentionally, like thinking that everybody had the worst intention.

Um, and I had to like, get up, kind of pull that back myself and just be like, okay, like I'm. Not going to always assume that sometimes I'm not perfect at it, but like, then let the people kind of filter themselves through and I D and like expose themselves here. And it's, I mean, it's tremendously better, like the amount of negative comments and rude DMS or random emails I get.

Ripping me a new one. Cause I had a typo. Is to decrease. Cause it's just like, I just I wish I had a roadmap for people perfectly how to do this. Like you're just gonna, you're gonna make banners and you're going to screw up and you got to figure out what works for you. And like, sometimes I push too far.

And sometimes I had to pull it back and you kind of land on what is right. For you. And you still have to make yourself. But then you don't have to share your entire life for you to do that, but you also don't have to make your whole self accessible. But you like in order for me to keep showing up and keep doing what I was doing, I had to like the online space.

And I loved it in 2018, 2019, early 2020, I was just having fun. And that's why it worked really well for me. And I was like, if I. Want to grow. And I want my business to succeed. I have to find a way to make social media fun for me again. So I curated my space and then I've talked to you about this. Like, I just don't follow these specific guidelines of what to post and how to post and how to do X, Y, and Z.

I just, I just have shit to say. And I say it and I do it and it, and I just make it. I, it's not like I'm just posting for myself, like again, I'm listening to my community, but I'm like, I'm not following this roadmap expect perfect exactly do this. I'm just like, I'm making it. So it makes me want to show up to work every single day.

Cause I, again, I get to have a say in my life and my happiness. 

Maestro: There's such a recurring theme, such a recurring theme. And this idea of, is it serving me? Can I keep showing up like this? Do I need to pivot? You always keep going. You never stop, right? You're just like, I'mma just do this other thing. You never stop and you did it.

You just nailed it. You just explained it rather with social media. And I love that you use that work that I had written down of curate your experience where you were just like, is this serving me? I'm fucking stressed out. I'm not happy. People are just take, take, take. And you're like, what do I have to do to make it so I enjoy it?

What do I have to do to figure out what I, what do I want? Right. And you're just like, I'm going to stop this part. I'm going to kind of change this and be very intentional with things. I. Fucking love that. And giving yourself permission that you don't, I don't have to respond to every message though, a very real trajectory for this is like when you first showed up, you did the most, and that is, this is the truth.

Right. When you're just trying to start something, do the fucking most, respond to everybody, do all the posts, comment on all the things, and then you start to learn along the way. What do I like? What don't I like? What is serving me? What is like, just actually crushing me. And like, I have anxiety and I'm waking up in the middle of the night, deleting things, like.

You knew you're like, I got to pump the brakes on this. I got to change this. And you, you did that like such a, it's such a theme and I love it so much. And I love that the audience gets to hear this. Cause I, I don't think women do this. They have some cause fallacy. They are told to just suck it up. And like, this is just how it is.

And you're just like, but also we have options and we can curate this. 

Alyssa Olenick: And I also think in the online space and business, and I think there's this unfair expectation that I think a lot of women have towards women, is like, it's, they expect these creators to be everything to them because they're looking for so much validation and like, community and support.

And like, everyone wants everyone online to understand. Recognize their experience for them. But like, no one's willing to show up in their own communities or friend circles or themselves and do the same. So it's like, don't put it on me that I need to be your form of validation because unless you're willing to talk about this to your best friend, then you shouldn't be, you should get offline and stop looking for that from like me.

Right. So I think that sometimes, you know, women, if you're a consumer and not a creator in this space, I think there's that, it was a lot of women having these unfair expectations of me all of the time. And I was like, And then when you fail and fumble, they're the most critical, right? And you're just, I was like, I'm not, I'm not playing your game.

I was like, I'm not doing this. I did it my whole life. I not doing this. I'm not, I'm not, I refuse to play this game in high school and college and my master's and my grad school, and I'm not going to do in the online space. And so, but I think there's also this idea that we have to be like, The givers and the, the, we are expect it's like, you know, there's those things that happen to professors too.

Like I was a professor, like you expect your female professor to be nurturing and caring and loving and giving. And I'm like, stop expecting other women to also do that for you in the online space, because you're, you're pissed when people do to you in your own life. So stop expecting people to do that for you.

It's unfair. Right. Versus like, are you in dude bro, red, black DMs getting mad at them? Cause they didn't tell you exactly how to live your life. No, you're not like, you're like. Right? Like, so I just, you know, I just decided to like, you know, be okay with disappointing people, which I know is so taboo for people, right?

Like, being okay with the idea that I might not be able to get back to people. And that's just okay. That's okay. Like, that's fine. Like, I don't have to give a hundred percent of myself because I don't have a hundred percent of myself. This is huge and super valuable to hear. Like, 

Maestro: I want to bring on people and have different, um, who have different experiences, different lived, lived experiences.

And like, just like people can hear from other people and like, that's not my experience in, in terms of social media, but I'm like, I know it's the truth. I know that that is a very common thing. And I'm like, I can't articulate that because I'm like, I don't have that experience. So. I try to coach people.

Let's say, you know, we stay in this kind of social media theme. Like I try to coach people on this, but I'm like, I haven't lived that. So to have someone like you come on and say these things and articulate these things so that people that, whether they are the consumer or they are the creator, like this is very real.

So thank you for that. Thank you for that. Yeah. I see. Yeah. This is all we want. Keeping it real. This is it. Since day one is day one, one more question and then we'd be done. Cause I wanted to talk like business for like a hot second, but I want to talk business from the zoomed out. So there's a thing called the BHAG.

I don't know if you've ever heard of it. Big, hairy, audacious goal. And I'm not really a goals person, but you are just doing the most always. Since day one, since NICU day one, doing the most. Your business is, is thriving. You are moving things and, and, and curating things so that it makes sense. You got a new website launch coming out.

You're splitting things apart. Is there something, not right now, but like, Five years, ten years. Is there a big thing that you're thinking about? Or were you just like, hey, do the most now? 

Alyssa Olenick: So it's funny, a lot of people have asked me this recently and it's, I think it's funny because I think in some part for me, I never knew what I'm doing would look like how it's doing.

I didn't actually know, like I didn't have this specific Specific dream. I just always, and I always tell this to people, like you don't have to know exactly what you want to do or what it's going to look like, but you have to know the direction that you want to go in. I think that's also why it helps me to keep going forward because I have the direction and the momentum and like, I'm still going forward even if I shift the route, right?

You don't have to stay on the same path or road or route or whatever, like you can take the different route, but I always have a direction that I'm going and I always make sure like are my choices and my decisions and my values. And what's making me happy in alignment with this long term thing. And so it's, what's funny is recently it's like, this sounds, you know, very arrogant, but I'm getting everything I ever wanted.

And I didn't know that was an option. I didn't know it was an option. I didn't know. My friend said to me the other day, she's like, it's crazy. When you work your entire life, you work your ass off and you don't, you don't know what to do when you actually start to get all of the things. You want it. And so it's crazy.

Cause it's like, You know, I'm 31. I'm young. I'm very successful at a very early age and I've done a lot of things and I'm like, fuck what? Oh my God, I can do so much more than I even thought was a possibility when I first started dreaming. So it's like, it's not that I dream too small. It's because I didn't even know.

I had no idea. So now I'm in this position where I'm like, kind of doing all the things and having all the things that I ever really wanted to do. And I'm like, And I, you know, I'm like, I feel like I'm at like a top of a mountain or a false summit and I'm looking out at the valley and I'm like, where do I want to go next with this kind of thing metaphorically?

And I think it's great now because I have the security of like, I'm, this has been the first year in my entire freaking working, studying adult life where I felt like I could exhale. Like I actually could just like, take a freaking exhale. And, and, and, and really regroup and reset. And so that's, I needed that.

Right. And so even though I'm still doing all the things and moving forward, I was just like, Oh my God, like, holy shit. Like, let me just be a person for a second. And that's felt really good. So I think part of that for me is to, to, you know, it's, I said that coming into this year and I'm still working like a banshee, but like, I really do want to make more space for my life.

In my work. I want to make more space for me in my life. Cause at the end of the day, I, I work for two reasons. I work to buy myself the freedom to live the life that I want to live. Right. I want to travel. I want to go play outside. I want to go on an adventure. I want to be able to financially be able to give me and my husband opportunities to live a life that are very different than what we thought going into grad school that we could have.

I've been able to support him and us a lot through that. Um, I want to inspire and catalyst. For others and their lives and give back in that way. And I think that for me, it's like, I want to find that better balance for myself. I hate the word balance, but that harmony, so to speak, where I let myself, I don't lose myself in the work ever again.

Like I had, I don't want to, I think I had to fly too close to the sun. I had to get burnt. I don't regret it. I don't regret it. I don't regret it for a second. I don't regret a single negative thing that came out of that because so much positive came out of that because I, I pushed myself harder than most people are willing to push themselves and I get, like, I'm not going to be the person who comes on here and is like, Oh, I'm going to live a slow life and take it easy.

Yeah. Because I benefited from all those years of pushing. Like that's hypocritical because I, you need the push. Right. So I think for me, it's about finding that. Ability to keep that humanness in myself and my life in what I do, especially as a worker and a passionate person and a pusher. And it's harder for me to do that.

It's harder for me to pull back, right? I go, go, go. But then also from a professional level, it's like. I just want to like take over the industry in a way is the best way I want to say it. Like I want, I want to be the known female physiology expert in 10 years. I want to be the person leading that front.

I want to be a known name in the industry. I want to be, but I want to do it with integrity and I want to do it on my terms and I want to do it in a way that. Still considers serving people. Like I want to do it. I feel like just a lot of people have modeled this well, not to say like, I'm going to be the first of my kind to do this.

Um, but it's like, I, you know, I am pushing to be the best at what I do and what I'm known for. And I am at the point now where like, I don't really know exactly what that looks like, but I know it's going to be big. And that's all I can ever say. And I just know I'm going to. I know that if I'm going to get there to whatever that version of me, that's 10 years from now, that's looking at me at 30, the way I'm looking at myself at 20, I'm going to just do the things that I know I'm going to head in direction.

I'm going to not take no for an answer. I'm going to just, you know, I don't, I don't know how to be successful with just strategy. I just know how to push. I know how to give and push and put out and produce. And, and figure it out. Cause the more you do that, the more feedback you get, not only about what you want, but what you don't want.

And that allows me, I think that's a reason I always know how to pivot. Cause I put myself out there and I figure out, I'm like, Oh, I don't like that. But you don't know that until you put yourself in the position of knowing. Like when I was going through grad school, people were like, how did you figure out what you wanted to research?

I said, I figured out what I didn't want to research. And that's how I figured out what I wanted to research. And so for me, I have this 10 year goal of like, I want to be the person that's known in the industry for my expertise and my knowledge and be that go to, I want to keep giving seminars and talks and being an invited speaker.

I want to be, you know, known for those things because personally, like I, I'm good at what I do and I worked really hard and I want that like I sound like that sounds arrogant, but I'm like, no, I, I, I think, I think I should be given those opportunities. So I think I'm going to keep pursuing them. Right. So it's like, so like, I want that.

I want the list method to be functioning, thriving, very successful without me having to run it. At that, that's a goal. It's, it sounds taboo to say, but I want, I have amazing people surrounding me that I want, that can do what I do things better than I can at this point in time. Cause I'm the visionary and I'm the leader and I am great.

And I know that. Um, and I want to, you know, I'm growing out a whole second wing of my business now, but the thing is like, I don't even know where all this is going. And it's like, I don't, I know I should, you know, everyone's like, you have some vision app or something. And I'm like, well, my 10 year plan is just to, to, to take over.

And that only way I'm going to do that is by like, like, it's like people joke, you know, you and you're like, I'm just getting started. And it's like, well, obviously I'm not just getting started, but like I, you know, it's like last November, I just like, I texted my friend and I was like, this is the catalyst of something really big.

And I just need to buckle up and get in because it's going to take off. And I'm seeing that happen. And I think for me now, it's not. I spent a decade or how many years of my life like hearing the no's and hearing the you can't be that, you can't do that, or we don't like you because of that, or the people trying to hold you back, or, you know, the trying to having that fuck you fire and trying to prove everyone wrong, whoever spited you or said you couldn't do it.

And now I feel like I'm going into this next decade of my life instead with just like immense, it's so cheesy and it's so tacky, but just gratitude, so much fucking gratitude. Like I'm thankful and I'm Grateful and I am I just have nobody to prove wrong anymore because it's like the people who Didn't want me to succeed aren't happy for me now They don't care They still probably resent me for some stupid fucking reason that I don't even know like I don't care And I was never doing it for them.

I was always doing it for me Um, but then you know for years I mean despite that like when you're actively fighting against that resistance It's always there. But now i'm like Okay. Well, you can't touch me. I'm literally done everything and more than I ever said I was going to do. And like, and I try not to get negative where I'm like, what are you doing with your life?

I'm like, and I hope you're happy with the choices that you've made with your life too. You know what I mean? Like not being this, like, look at me, like I'm better than you type thing. Although my gym playlist sometimes lets me get into that ego mode. That's my alternate ego where I'm like, yes, you are better than everyone.

Maestro: Oh, I love it. 

Alyssa Olenick: But, but for me, it's like, I'm leading with so much gratitude and like, it's cheesy, but it's like, I really am. Like. I feel like I'm giving these opportunities and I'm so thankful for people and they're like, why are you thanking me for what you're doing? I'm like, but you're opening a door for me that no one else has offered to open yet.

And I'm, I've always been extremely grateful for those people in my life that did that for me before I was somebody or before I thought I was something or when I was just a student or just a person. And so now I'm like, I'm just leaving with immense gratitude for the work I get to do and the people I get to help and the clients I get to serve.

Cause that was a pivot I did in my business too. I was so stressed over social media, my business, my growth that my. coach and one of my trainers, he was like, you just need to spend more time talking to your clients to remind yourself the work that you do and why you do it. And that was the best thing I ever did.

Cause I was like, Oh, this reminds me of my why and why I do things. And so, yeah, I think at this point in time, like I don't have this specific plan because I think. For me, I know that I'm going to be successful. I know I'm going to rock it. I know I'm going to, I'm going to just do, I don't know how to do things half ass.

I do everything I do really, really, really well. I all, I, it's all, and so much of that came from the insecurity of all that I'm going to fail, blah, blah, blah. But I just know the direction I want to go. I want to make it big. And I want to keep my values and who I am as a person to my core. I don't want to let it change me and be grateful for it every step of the way.

Um, and just never stop being excited about the work I do, right? Like that's huge for me. So it's like, yeah, I want to like, I want to be known for these things. I want to take over and do these great things. Like it would be silly for me to pretend like I'm not like kind of like a powerhouse. Like, yeah, I'm a fucking badass and I'm going to do these things.

And I do everything really well. And like. Screw you kind of attitude that I sometimes have to carry. Right. You don't know when he was successful. Doesn't have that edge of like edginess of cockiness that you have to have. But, um, I know, you know, so I don't know, like, that's just where I'm at now where I'm like, okay, like in 10 years, I.

I want to be known as a leader of this thing and I'm working towards that. It's funny because people say, well, you are known for that now. And I'm like, but not, but like, that's just starting. You know what I mean? Like that, that's just starting. I know. I know. I'm like, be happy and grateful along the way.

So that's, that's needed. 

Maestro: Like you folks listening to this, you hear, and then the last bit there, like why I brought her on here. And I. Hey. Hey. I was, as I'm looking at that question, I'm like, how do I phrase this? Cause like, I don't have a fucking like, what am I going to be in 10 years? And I'm like, how do I phrase this?

I'm just going to fucking say it. She'll give us the answer that we want to hear that we need to hear. And I love that it's you continuing to be you and all of the things that you've gone through, that you've leaned on, that you've learned moving forward with that. And I love that it is, yeah, you still have these, uh, you know, professional goals, if you will, but it's, You worked so hard that now I love that you're like, I can take a breath.

You're still, you know, if you call it like duck feet, like you're still fucking going, but you're good and you're like, I can take a breath on all this work that I've done and now I can continue to be like, what's serving me? What's the direction I want? And fucking go and crush. I love that. It is a both and.

Alyssa Olenick: And I just, I'm excited. I think the last thing I'll say too is like, I'm excited to see what happens with ten years of like, Having like, you know, like the next 10 years, right? Like that. That's a long time, right? Like what did I do last for 10 years? Like the next decade of my life? Like what if that's what I accomplished with like Resistance and self doubt and people against me and just challenges and obstacles like what do I get to accomplish now with and this is what really pivoted me is like I have so much love and support and friends and peers and mentors and like everybody for the first time in my life is a rooting for me like I never ever ever ever had that I had Very few select people.

And then myself. And I'm like, what do I get accomplished when it's like, people are on my side and want me to win and are rooting for me. And like, I believe in myself and I don't have this like debilitating lack of confidence that I can't do the things that I do. And like, I trusted myself and like, I'm grateful.

And like, if that's what I did in the state that I was in, when I was doing that in a fully developed brain, like, what do I get to do? Like, what, what do I, what, what happens when, Yeah, like I, I've only had a fully developed brain for five years, right? Like, you know, like you're like, but like, I just, for me now, it's like, what do I get to do when there's like, it's like the world is my oyster.

There's, I can just do whatever the hell, whatever I want. Right. Like, what do I get to do with this love and support and like space to breathe? And be a human like I just I'm excited for the I'm excited I just I have no idea what happens when you're not punching up at air all the time and pushing back and fighting And you're just like oh I've arrived and now I get to decide my next destination.

And that's really from that.

Maestro: I'm excited. I'm excited for him. Like I get to, because of that, Alyssa, you had said before, uh, Douglas, uh, method, uh, can you just tell people where they can find you, what they can get from you? I mean, by get, I mean, buy from you. And I think. You have a challenge coming and I'm not sure if this is going to be out before, but I also don't know when the challenge starts.

So let's say all the things so they know. 

Alyssa Olenick: Yeah. Okay. So dockless fitness is where I hang out on Instagram. That's where you'll find me all these things. I officially, as of yesterday, have two websites, dockless fitness. com and the list method. com. And the list method is my program's handle. If you want to learn more on Instagram, um, and then my YouTube is dockless fitness.

Those are all the places that you can learn all the things from me in those different places. Um, and then We have a full send summer challenge starting June 3rd, but technically people join at any point in summer We'll like let them in the challenge because it's not a challenge where it's like you have to have a certain start date and you Have to do certain things and like yeah all these rigid goals It's something that I started last year and my community really developed from it and it was great because I did like a strong summer challenge like back in 19.

And that was like how I bought it. Like I paid for the flight from a grandma's funeral, but that was like my whole life story, but it was great. Cause I got to see some, I just wanted like, let's be strong during the summer. And so I brought that back kind of in this own version last year called full sin summer challenge.

And it's all about like, let's do micro and macro adventures in our own communities and towns and lives. And it's not about who's the most Epic or whatever it is, but it's like, let's use fitness this summer. To allow us to have the physical capacity to do the things that we want to do, or maybe we don't do, or we won't make the time to do, or we avoid doing, or we wish we did every year at the end of the summer.

And like, let's make sure we have the physical capacity to do those things. And whatever that looks like for you. So the prizes aren't given out because someone hiked Kilimanjaro. They're given out because like you, you know what I mean? Like it's like your personal growth and your, what you're doing and whatever that looks like for you and hiking Kilimanjaro next year.

It's only appropriate but it's like everything in the summer is always like people like let's be our hottest, sexiest, skinniest selves for the summer And I'm like, what if we just go freaking summit some mountains or take our kids somewhere really cool or go to that place You never went to in your town Even though it's right there because you just never thought to do it and make the time to do it And so I just give out a bunch of free shit and gift cards for people who like go and do things and support each Other in the community and like Literally the challenge, like go, go, go do things that are fun and get yourself out there and then come back into the app and there's people there that are going to motivate and cheer you on and like, encourage you to do that and then have the resources and support that you need to do those things.

And that's literally the challenge. Like, it's like, there's no catch. There's no gimmick. There's no, like, that's just straight up. Like let's full send. Let's live our summer. Let's live our lives. Let's go after it. And just encouraging that and giving people the tool of fitness to do that. So that's my summer challenge.

Um, It's literally just like a community based social support group and some like little challenges and like prompts to reflect on like across the summer and then we give away gift cards and free programs and things like that. It's really simple. Um, and so the list method is my concurrent hybrid training program system.

I have lifting programs. I have running programs. I have a hiking program. And then. We have cardio programs that you can pair like with your lifting plan if you're in the app under lifting. Um, so you can sign up for those, um, all the things on my brand new website. So please go visit it cause it's so, so helpful and it's so beautiful.

Um, and then, um, on my doc list fitness side, I have eBooks on like cardio and sports nutrition and running and hybrid training and lifting. And then eventually I'll be coming out with webinars here, um, later this year. And so I have all of the things. So you can go learn, or you can, you know, find the resources or training tools to support if you want that further, or join us for the full summer challenge and just be encouraged to just go live your freaking life and celebrate your body for what it can do and what it is, it is this summer.

So that's kind of the, that's kind of the thing. Um, That that's kind of our schism, right? So that's all of the things, all the places. And this is my first podcast where I get to be like, I have two websites and you can find all the things, but don't be, don't be overwhelmed. It's, it's, it's good. It's a good thing.

Maestro: But everything will be in the show notes. Thank you, Courtney. Thank you, Joe. Everything will be, uh, listed out there so you can go and check her out, find the things, buy the things, join the things, do the things, celebrate the things, be grateful for the things. It will be There, Alyssa, you are too much and I fucking love it.

I'm so grateful you take the time. I know you're like a super busy time in your life right now and chick, like carrying a microphone around with her so we can do this, this episode, like, thank you, really. This is just, it means a lot to me that you took time to do this, like super, super, super grateful.

Yeah, absolutely. You folks listening. Well, it means a lot that you had me on, so thank you. My new friend, I was like, I gotta get her on. I mean, I'm in the fucking thing that's like taking all the notes. I don't even do that. It's not even me. I'm like, you know, I am taking pictures of shit. So thank you. And now I'm also going to go ride the bike today because it's Thursday.

So thank you. You folks listening. Thank you. We know you could have been doing anything and you chose to listen to us. And for that, we are both endlessly, endlessly grateful. I got one ask for you. If you like this episode, if you love this episode, do me a solid and go check out doc Alyssa's new website, help her out.

Go check out the things, go learn the things. You're probably going to end up fucking riding the assault bike. Don't say I didn't warn you. All right. All right. As always, endlessly, endlessly appreciative for every single one of you. Until next time, friends, Maestro and Doc Alyssa Olenick.

Links & Resources For this Episode:

Connect with Alyssa: @doclyssfitness
doclyssfitness.com
thelyssmethod.com

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