Overcoming Life Challenges By Getting Outdoors with Abbey Edwards

Hi, and welcome to another episode of the Real Life Momz podcast. I'm your host, Lisa Foster, and Real Life Momz is all about connecting moms through meaningful conversations and powerful stories. I believe that moms are so much more than just moms. We each have our own unique strengths and superpowers, and my strength is inspiring others in this podcast. We wanna help empower you to tap into your unique strengths and become the best version of yourself while teaching your kids to do the same. You will hear real-life stories of moms just like you, who have unlocked their potential and now wanna share their wisdom with you. 

So let's get started on this week's episode.

 Hi Abbey. Welcome back to our show because you were on season two and now we're on season five. So it's been a while, but I'm really excited to have you back cuz you do so much for kids, which we know you have a great program called RADKidz, but you've expanded yourself a little bit and that's what I wanna touch on today, which is you're helping moms get more outside and in nature. So I'm really excited about our topic. 

Yeah. Aw, thank you, Lisa, I appreciate it. 

I really would like the listeners to get to know you a little bit better on a personal level. Sure. So maybe you can just tell us a little bit about yourself and then maybe what really inspired you to get moms kind of connected with the outdoors. 

Yeah, no problem. Um, okay. Well, my name is Abbey Edwards, and, um, I mean, just a brief background about myself in terms of my outdoor connection. I grew up in, um, sort of the Lake Tahoe Truckee area initially, and then my family moved up to Yosemite when I was in elementary school. And that was like a huge part of my foundation for being an outdoor enthusiast and just having a passion for, you know, getting, um, moms and kids and families outdoors. 

So that's been really important. But I've been in Southern California now for, gosh, 20 years. So, you know, I, I also bring that love of outdoors to SoCal. Um, and so I've also been in education for close to 20 years now, and I've taught every grade at every possible school you can imagine from public to private, to charter. Um, and then during Covid, I left my teaching job at the time to start my own company called RADKidz, which has been around for about three and a half years now. 

And RAD stands for, uh, resilient, adventurous, and determined. And the intention behind it was to get kids outdoors and sort of having a very, you know, normal childhood that revolves around being in nature and just being off screens and being connected. Um, and so, you know, the, the beauty of the program is that I've connected with a lot of different families and, um, communities and particularly moms. Uh, moms are a huge part of my program because they are sort of the lifeblood of families often, and they keep their kids, you know, they, most moms are what keep their kids going. 

And so on top of, you know, connecting with kids, I started connecting with moms a lot and that's how I got inspired to really start getting moms involved more, just because I know for myself that's so important, important for my physical and my health to be outdoors and moving my body mm-hmm. 

<affirmative>. And so, yeah. So then, you know, with RadKidz, it was really easy for me to connect to the moms and sort of find out what they were kind of going through the juggle. And you know what, uh, some moms unable to make time for themselves. Some moms better at it than others. And, um, I think just by being a good role model, by showing moms that it's, it's okay to put yourself first. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> just modeling it, not even talking about it, just modeling it, you know, it sort of caught on like a little bit <laugh>. 

Yeah. Well, and you do that so well because I'm always thank so impressed, like, if you go to your Instagram, I'm gonna tell the listeners, go your Instagram. Yeah. You are running up multiple hills in nature. You are hiking, you're talking, you're in the water, picking up mud and talking about, I don't know, different things in there. But yeah, you are so impressive on your Instagram. You are just everywhere, just hiking and doing things and I think that's so great. And I mean, I have to ask you though, because you're, you're just out there by yourself. 

Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, how, how, how does that feel? Cuz that's inspiring to me that you're, I mean, it seems like you're out there by yourself pretty deep in there. How do you even do that <laugh>? 

Oh, I'm glad you actually asked that, Lisa, because I think that is something that's passion, a passion of mine and something that I've, I've had to work on myself. And then for me, I want it to become an inspiration for other women to not be afraid to get out there on their own too. Of course, you know, safety comes first and you have to do what's comfortable for you. It's taken me many years to sort of feel comfortable and confident enough in myself to get out there on my own. And it was just baby steps. Like, I just started really small steps of going around trails around my house that I felt comfortable on. 

Um, and little by little venturing out more and more onto bigger, you know, bigger mountains, bigger terrain. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, I do have a dog. I have a German Shepherd, and she goes with me when I am by myself and I go far out and I take a lot of safety precautions in terms of making sure where people know where I am, that I have enough food and water. 

Um, because I have gotten myself into predicaments before and I've, you know, really had to like wise wisen up. So, you know, but it, it, it can be done. And I just want women to not be afraid to get out there with, with proper understanding of how nature works, how to sort of read the signs of nature, how to understand the wilderness and what's out there. Um, you know, it, it can be done. I know for women, you know, we always have this sort of underlying fear because we're women that someone could hurt us or something could, you know. 

And so I think to note the chances of that are so slim and not feeding into any fear, I think is really important. It's helped me overcome so many other things in my life. Like, if I could go out into nature and conquer a mountain, I'm like, I can conquer any of this other stuff, you know? So, 

So true. I mean, I, I mean, I was just hiking before coming on this podcast. Nice. And thank goodness, it's, it's thunderstorming. We, we beat the rain and that was part of our goal was <laugh> get off the trail before this came to hit. But yes, I was with my son, I go with him most of the time and I did turn to him cuz I was like, uh, thinking about our podcast today. And I was like, there's no one on this trail now. I do not do what you do. You're like out. And I don't know where I'm on trails. They're like, safe. But not a lot of people are on this particular one. 

And it's not far. It's about four miles. I turned him. I was like, would you feel comfortable coming by yourself? Cause he's like a teen, he's a big guy. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And he is like, no. And I'm like, me neither, you know, because like, no one's around and it just would freak me out. So my question to you is not that we're promoting people to go by themselves, but no, right where to start, where to actually start. For someone who's maybe new to the outdoors and wants to start getting out there. What, what do you start with? 

I mean, I would start with going with a friend because for me, I, you know, it's, especially as women, it's great to meet other women who want to get out there and go, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and I actually formed a pretty big hiking group here just in my community alone. And it can be done really easily with Facebook. Like, you just start a group and you, you know, reach out to other women and ask people, or maybe you have a friend who's interested. I say, go with a group of people that you feel comfortable with to start, um mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know, if you don't feel like going on your own, don't go on your own. 

Certainly, you know, it's not for everybody. Um, for me it's like a, it's like a meditation. It's peaceful for me. It gives me space for my mind. 

So sometimes I like to go with people and sometimes I don't. It just kind of depends on the person. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And like I said, just start small. Start with a trail like that you said you were on and mm-hmm. <affirmative>, go with someone you feel comfortable with. And then if you decide you wanna go on your own, just take, you know, a small trek out. Um, some tools that I've used, uh, really important would be obviously like, keep your headphones off if you don't feel comfortable. So you know, your surroundings also, you know, it's, it's also just so much about what's in our head, right? 

Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and what we hear and what we think is really true. I mean, the, the, the reality of how many incidences I've had of running into anybody dangerous or anything dangerous is nothing, is really nothing. Honestly, I feel safer on the trails than I do on the freeways sometimes. 

So I think it's perspective. And then I would say, you know, tools, like, there's an app called Strava that I use a lot. And you wanna, you know, you can send a GPS signal to someone in your family so they can track you and know where you are and it will be working no matter if you have reception or not once it's started. So there's lots of tools. It's just a matter of, I think, perspective, mindset and comfortability, you know? 

Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, just start small. Don't put pressure on yourself. Don't compare yourself to anybody else either. I mean, I, I know people who go farther than I do and I'm not willing to do that answer. So it's ok. You know, just where you're at is great. 

I think the word hiking is used very loosely, right? Because I know where I live, it's like, Hey, do you wanna go for a hike? And that can mean, do you want, do I wanna go on a fourteener? Which is like, no, I don't want to do that. Or do I just wanna walk on a flat path? And people call that hiking as well. Sure. So, yeah. Yeah. So know that there's a lot of options. And what I find comforting is there are a lot of trails that are very, very, um, packed Yes. Full with people. 

And that feels really good for me. Yeah. Because I think my fear is more the animal life than, than people at this point. Yes, yes. Yeah. 

You live in a different climate too. 

<laugh>. Yeah. So I'm in Colorado and it's very funny cuz I, I used to live in New York and so it's, I'd always say in New York, I was always looking over my shoulder, you know, who's behind me looking at people behind me, right? Right. And in Colorado I'm always looking over my shoulder to see if there's a bear. 

Yeah. Have bears, bears are different, 

Different things to be scared of. Yeah, for sure. Just, but once again, your your point is right, like, these are stories. Like I've been in Colorado for 20 years and I've never actually seen a bear, but one did pass me in a parking lot that I didn't see, but someone said, oh, there's a bear right behind you. Be careful. And then I was like, was that what the wrestling was behind me? Yeah. So I'm glad I didn't see it cuz I wouldn't really, I would've freaked out, but Right. Um, but yeah, but Right. 20 years and no, no bears. 

I haven't seen any bears, so Yeah. So it's true. 

And same with me, like with people always talk about mountain lions out here and yeah, they're there, but they're not really interested in us truthfully, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and, and I haven't seen one and I don't intend on seeing any, you know, and people will always say, aren't you scared? And like, yeah. But I use my head, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I don't go out when it's like dusk and I don't go out when it's dawn. If it's feel, and if I get a creepy feeling, I turn around. And again, that's why a dog is important. Um, the app, all trails. I'm not sure if you're familiar with 

It. I am, yes. 

Yeah. I think a lot of people are now, that's a great app. But I agree with you. Like going on a trail that's more populated, like in Southern California, there's a good mix of trails that have a lot of people on them, and then there's trails that have no one on them. So it really just kind of depends on, again, your comfortability. And there are groups of women out there growing like crazy for trail running, for hiking, and it's so beautiful. It makes my heart happy to see that mm-hmm. <affirmative>, because you can join a group and, and get in a, you know, get in a hike and different levels of hiking and, you know, we're in a beautiful time where women are, some of the best trail runners in the world are women, you know? 

Yeah. Some of the best hikers and adventures. So it's pretty awesome. 

Now you had mentioned that, you know, if you can climb a mountain, then you could do anything. So what are some ways that being outdoors has kind of changed you? 

Well, I think first and foremost, it's a mindset thing. I mean, I've done a few ultra marathons now, and those are 32 miles, you know, and those are long, those are all day, like eight hours of running and hiking. And it's more, it's physical. You have to train, but it is more mental than anything. And for me it's, it's almost just a, it's like a, not a battle within myself, but a, a a coming to peace with myself. 

You know? Like, I'm not going to, uh, compare myself to anybody else on the trail. I'm, it's, it's your own, it's your own game that you play. You know, I think being outdoors, for me personally, it's just the, the most peace that I feel in my life. Like, when everything else feels a little bit chaotic, I can always get into the outdoors and feel, uh, like I know where I'm going. 

You know, it's a metaphor for life. Like, the path is windy, we don't always see where it's going, but we know that it's, it's leading us somewhere. And, um, it's even when the path is bumpy, you know mm-hmm. <affirmative>, eventually we'll get to where we need to be and, um, you know, lead to the next trail. It's just simple <laugh>. It's just a simple way of unwinding and disconnecting. And I don't, I don't think I've met anybody that I've taken on a hike, even people who've never hiked in their whole life. And I've met women who, you know, just start hiking. 

And when they first get out there, it's like, you just see everybody's body relax, you see their mind relax, because we're meant to be outdoors, you know, we really are. 

It's so true. I mean, there are some real physiological changes in our bodies, right? Mm-hmm. When we go outside mm-hmm. <affirmative>, right? The sunlight itself and is very healing just in general. Right. Um, and even like, there's something called tree bathing, right? Mm-hmm. Isn't that a thing that people actually do for healing? 

Yeah. 

So just being outside. Um, yeah, I think it's all those things of just that mental game. Um, but also there are some real physiological changes within our bodies that we do need to be outside the fresh air, the sun, the trees, the life, everything to make us feel heal and whole. Yeah. Now the women you take, cuz you said you, you do some wellness retreats mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you do some of these hikes. Yeah. Um, what do you see are their biggest obstacles, um, that they need to kind of overcome when getting outside? 

I've had women who've never, like I said, never had never stepped outside in terms of they've been outside, but they've never been on trails, you know? And oftentimes it can kind of get in their heads like, oh, it's so rocky and it's so steep and it's so bumpy and it's so kind of just uncomfortable, you know? So, but again, it comes down to that sort of mindset piece and that perspective. This feels hard. This hill feels steep and it, you know, I can't believe I can't even catch my breath, you know? And, um, it's, it's almost like overcoming yourself, you know? 

Like the things that hold us back in our own lives sometimes, which are simple things. Like, again, comparing ourselves to other people. I know for a lot of women, like when when we have children, our bodies change, you know? And I, I know for me, I remember after having my my fourth son, I was just super, my body just felt different. And I, I remember feeling frustrated and like, oh, I can't, I can't get back in the shape I was. And then I just, instead of focusing on that, I focused on just getting outdoors and feeling good every day, you know? 

Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I think for a lot of women, because we, we criticize our bodies so much that, that's why I love outdoor fitness is because it just sort of takes away, like at a gym, you're always surrounded by mirrors, <laugh>, 

Right? 

You're surrounded by other people mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And when you're outdoors, you're not looking at that, you're not thinking about that. You're not thinking about what does my body look like? You're just out there doing it, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And it takes away all of that pressure. And I've seen women completely transform their minds and their bodies because of being outdoors. It's just a, it feels better to work out outdoors. You know? 

It's interesting that, because I like the way you said it's uncomfortable, like the Yeah. You know, the rockiness or this is hard or the, you know, because in life I think when things get uncomfortable, we don't move forward. We Right. We tracked, we don't wanna push through. Yes. We don't wanna go to that place. Yes. Right. That's uncomfortable. Yeah. And when you're outdoors and you meet something, it's like you have to overcome it because otherwise you're not getting home. Right, <laugh>. 

Exactly. Yeah. Totally. I have no choice but to get on this trail and get all the way back home. Exactly right. 

But that feels good. Like for instance, today we were trying to beat the thunderstorm. Yeah. And it was, I'm outside with my son and I, you know, feel guilty if there's a lightning storm and we're in this path. I mean, that doesn't seem like the safest thing <laugh> yet. It was my choice to go in the afternoon and ask. Right. Like I did. I check the weather. I did not, these are things you probably should prepare, but it feels guilty. But, so we like, you know, we booked it, it was the fastest time ever. 

Nice. 

And granted, my feet have blisters now, but I feel really good. Right. Cause I overcame something that honestly felt a little scary in the moment. Right. Yeah, for sure. Um, and not to say that that should be <laugh> what you're doing out there, but it is true. It's like you feel when you're done, like, wow, I accomplished that. Yes. Yes. And, and it's nice. And exactly what you said before, it's like, if I can do that mm-hmm. <affirmative>, then maybe taking that step forward to meet that client, open that business. 

Yep. Start something new maybe isn't as scary. 

Oh yeah, for sure. And I mean, so a good, a good story I have is I, couple years ago when I turned 40, you know, from some people like, Ooh, I'm going to Vegas. And I was like, no, I wanna go backpacking, <laugh>. Cause that's how I am. And I convinced a bunch of women friends to go backpacking with me. And none of them had actually ever gone before. And they trusted me to take them backpacking deep into the wilderness of the Sierra Nevadas. And we were out there, you know, with no reception. 

And it wasn't a real long backpacking trip, but it was their first time really being out there. And when you're backpack, you, you know, you're, you're sleeping in a very small tent on the ground. You're eating, you know, dehydrated food. Like you're really truly cut off from everything. Um, and you know, for women who have never done that before, it was very scary. 

And, but, but what was, what was so beautiful? And it was hard cause we were carrying like 40, 50 pound packs, you know, and the beautiful part was then, you know, that the trail was really hard. We had, the trees had all fallen over onto the path because of recent, you know, um, storms and, and beetles. And so there were just trees everywhere. So it made the, the path really hard to climb over trees with a 40 pound pack mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So, and then we had mosquitoes. 

We had every element you could possibly think of. And, um, but when we got to our destination with her, these beautiful lakes, they just to see how accomplished they felt and how happy they were. And when we got to swim in the lake and enjoy the beauty of the nature, and that they felt, wow, I really overcame this. You know, and I, I mean, of course, like, it's uncomfortable. Like you don't really sleep. You, you have to go to the bathroom in a hole, you 

Know, <laugh> 

The whole thing. So, but, uh, it was just really rewarding for me to see like, okay, number one, that I can lead a group of women into deep nature and they trust me mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but also that they trust themselves to like, get through that, to overcome these pretty difficult obstacles. And I will tell you, like, a lot of us were changed after that trip, and I think it really made an impact on, on all of us. And we all had to pitch in and work as a team and mm-hmm. 

<affirmative>, um, yeah, it was just really a beautiful trip. And I think that a lot of times it's about the story we tell ourselves, right? And I see this a lot, and I know this true to be true for myself. It's like, about the story I tell myself. So the story that I tell myself is, I'm strong, I'm capable. I can accomplish anything that I want to accomplish in this lifetime. Like, I'm a mom, but I'm so much more, you know mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I think that's a lot of times for human beings, it's the stories that we repeat to ourselves that aren't true, that hold us back. 

And when you're outdoors, you kind of gotta drop that story and just get real and be like, no, I'm mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I'm bigger than this. You know? So for me, I think that's really special. 

I love that story. And I have a trip similar that came to my mind where, yeah, it was in Australia and I went with, I think it was two other three friends That's right. That were there. And they, if they hear this podcast, they could been like, Lisa, that was the worst thing ever. <laugh>. Um, because we ended up with, I'm gonna make it really short, but we ended up with leeches that were in our shoes the whole time. Like you had to pick them out periodically, which actually don't hurt. I'm gonna just put that out there. 

Yeah. Ok. Gross. But don't hurt. Yeah. Right. Um, but they were just on the trail the whole time. And then we had to sleep in hammocks. It was a guided tour, thank goodness. Wow. Um, which I had no problem sleeping in. I don't know. I am a really good sleeper, so that's awesome. But, but apparently in the middle of the night, there were also wild boar that would go under our hammocks that I amazingly slept through, so Wow. Lisa. That's incredible. I came outta that rainforest and I was like, that was awesome. Wow. 

Like taking pictures of my bloody feet. My friends no longer let me choose the activities that we were doing on that trip, but sounds 

Familiar, 

<laugh>. And I'm not that outdoorsy. Like I really am not. Um, but, but that was something that, once again, I can remember I did that in my twenties. I am 50 now, and I can still remember every part of that in, in a good way. So yeah, I think when you challenge yourself, it is pretty amazing in any way, whether it's outside or just in day-to-day life. Totally. That's awesome. And I do wanna say awesome that like, okay, you can also, so these are extremes, right? 

Yes, yes. 

No, yeah. You 

Don't have to 

Do these, these are very extreme cases. Yes. 

<laugh>. But I have to say, I also have realized as I'm getting older is that I like just being outside as a spectator. Like, and what I mean about that, like, I enjoy sitting by the water, sitting out in nature and watching other people mm-hmm. Do the activities. Mm-hmm. So I do think there should be something called like, I don't know, like Outdoor Spectator or something like that. 

Yeah, sure. I like that. I like that a lot. Absolutely. And you know what's interesting is like, I think too, you know, as for as extreme as I seem like I'm really pretty mellow. Like I, I go through phases where I really, I'll go real big and I'll like, all right, I'm gonna train for this thing and I'll put my head down. And that's what I do. And I focus really hard and, you know, I'll train and get, accomplish something big. But then there's other times, you know, like at this moment right now in my life, I don't, I'm not really necessarily motivated to train for anything. 

So I'm just kind of enjoying running when I can, hiking when I can. But yeah, I like the spectating part too. And I, I like admiring other people who are so passionate, you know, I will say like, I don't wanna encourage anybody that you have to be extreme about anything. 

Cuz it does seem like sometimes it's like we always have to one up everything. Like, okay, not only now do we have to run like trail riding's kind of like this where, oh you, you did a 50 K, well when are you gonna do a hundred k? I'm like, no, I'm not doing a hundred <laugh>. Like, I don't wanna run that far. Like, I'm good. Thanks. You know? So this idea that you have to keep like push, push, push to the next thing, it's a little, it can get a little obsessive mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So I think it's just okay to just be like, do what feels right for you. 

It feels good for you. And just don't even, yeah. Spectating is great. It's great to observe. 

Spectating is great. I'm gonna take my son fishing. Oh cool. Um, which I am not, I don't fish, but he really wants to fish. Aww. And, and this is one area where I'm like always waiting like, oh, maybe my husband can come too. Maybe my husband's gonna come too. But yeah, you know, life just keeps passing by and just like you going outside on your own, which I really admire and inspired me to say, Hey, we're gonna go tomorrow cause I actually have the day off and after an appointment I'm just gonna take you. And you know what, when you catch something we'll figure out how to get it off. 

I mean, it's gonna come off eventually <laugh>. It might not be pretty. Yeah. It might be a little, yeah. Upsetting initially, but we'll get there and <laugh> and I think it's a challenge that we can figure out together. So I, I like the feeling of not having to feel like I have to rely on somebody else and that I can also be the one to take him. 

Yes. I love that. And I think, you know, I love that you mentioned the mom piece about taking your son fishing, even if fishing isn't your thing. I mean, I don't necessarily like love fishing either. I've done it with my kids and it is kind of meditative in a way. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, but that does kind of bring a good point up, which is something I'm also very passionate about as a mom is like, I think it's really special and important for moms to be able to take their kids to go do adventures too. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And, um, that's a big passion of mine. 

I enjoy taking my son's, you know, skiing, I've taken them hiking, mountain biking, fishing, done some surfing, um, you know, just getting them outdoors and doing it. Even taking road trips, just myself and them. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I think that's really empowering because um, it gives me the confidence as a mom that I can do it on my own, but it also shows them as my children that, wow, mom, mom's got this, you know, because mm-hmm. <affirmative> and then I'm not scared to travel by myself. 

I don't feel, you know, nervous to stay at a hotel or camp somewhere, just showing them that it, it can be done. So recently my best friend and I, we grew up together. We were both very outdoorsy and we, we both have kids and we took our kids, um, tubing down a river recently and it was just so much fun, you know, and it was just us two moms and the kids <laugh> having a good time, 

But so great and so important because I know I have felt that I can't do something without my husband cuz he's good at it and I'm not. Right. And I realize, honestly, you inspired me cuz I watched him, I watched, I'm telling you people watch the Instagram 

<laugh>. Thank you. 

I watched an Instagram and you were like, it's okay to do this by yourself. And you were doing something like incredible, like somewhere outdoors, I can't remember. But I was like, I don't look, what am I waiting for? 

Yeah. I think that's so important. But I will say like, I think that as a woman, you know, it, it's sometimes just more comfortable to kind of rely on someone. And not that there's anything wrong with that, but I think you can take little steps to kind of show yourself that you're capable of more, you know, and that as a mom, it's okay. Like a lot of moms that are stay at home moms are amazing to me because I know a lot of moms that do everything when their husbands are gone working for hours. And to me that's, that's adventure on its own. 

Yeah, totally. 

So there's a lot of admiration I have for that. Um, but at the same time, you know, I see, I have seen over the years I've seen women where after they kind of have children, they will lose themselves a little bit, you know, and sort of forget who they really are and how strong they are. And I, for me, I just want to show them like, you don't have to be superhuman, you just have to be yourself and like, just don't. Yeah. Don't wait. Cuz one day you just kind of wake up and time has passed you by, you know, and these are the moments. And being able to take your kids somewhere is so cool because you get to see the world through their eyes and, and it's almost like having a new adventure every time, you know? 

So it's pretty great. 

Oh, I love it. And you keep inspiring me. My head is spinning with ideas now. 

Aw, good. 

So where can the listeners find you? 

Yeah, I mean, I guess my Instagram's probably the best place to go and anybody's welcome to follow me there and message me. Um, my Instagram is at Radkidzincorp, and that's the best way to just get in touch with me. And that's like where most of the videos are for my program. And I have held retreats for women too. And, uh, recently where we've done hiking and yoga, we did a self-defense course. Um, so yeah, I'm all about, you know, however I can help, um, you know, women, I've helped a lot of other small businesses, especially women who are trying to get started. 

Um, so yeah, I'm, I, I love any collaboration and I like, I just like being a big supporter of moms and women for sure. 

And that's why you're so amazing. 

Aw, thanks Lisa. 

What message would you like moms to hear today? 

I would just say that no matter what, no matter what age, no matter how many kids, no matter if you're a mom, if you're not a mom, you know, you're amazing. You're, you're enough, you're everything. You're beautiful, you're strong. And just go for it. Like, don't be afraid to, to start over again. You know, you can restart every day as far as I'm concerned, you know? And when you have those little setbacks, just know that those setbacks are leading you to a better and bigger, brighter future ahead. 

And just, just be rad. You know, be resilient, be adventurous, be determined. And just also one of the biggest things that has helped me in my life every day is just my mantra is to have fun, <laugh>. Mm. And it sounds so funny, but if you think about it, when you're a kid, you basically live to have fun, you know? 

And somewhere along the line, when you grow up a little bit, you kind of forget that, that that really is kind of the goal of life is to have fun, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, we think it's to be accomplished and to be all these things, but really it should be to build in fun every day. And it's kind of a weird thing for a mom to be like, wait, so how do I do that again? And for everybody it's different, you know? Like I, I don't know. Some, for some women it might be, you know, dancing or maybe going, you know, with friends somewhere going outdoors. 

But just have, find some way to have fun for yourself, you know? Because I think a fun, a fun life is a good life. That's my mm-hmm. <affirmative>, that's my feeling. <laugh>. 

Oh my gosh, yes. And fun. I feel like fun is where success will, will be. Yes. You know, you'll find it there in the fun, so. Exactly. Exactly. Oh, I love that. Yeah. 

Thanks Lisa. I love you. You're awesome. 

<laugh>. Well, thank you. Thank you for coming on. Just 

Thank you, Lisa, 

Always, you're always inspiring to me and to pretty much everyone that you encounter, so I appreciate it. 

Well, thank you. I appreciate you and you inspire me too. 

Thank you for tuning into this week's episode of Real Life Momz. Spending Time Outdoors is not only beneficial for our physical and mental health, but it also helps us gain strength to overcome any challenges we may face in our everyday lives. Real Life Momz is committed to inspiring 10,000 women to unlock their unique strengths, and we need your help to do this. So please share this episode with two of your friends and help us reach this goal.