I walked into a room of 250 female physicians expecting to teach, and I walked out realizing how much I had stopped noticing about my own baseline.
I just got back from the Brave Enough medical conference in Arizona, an event built for women physicians and female C-suite leaders in healthcare, where I spoke about getting fit and healthy without burning out. I had never attended before, I am healthcare adjacent rather than a physician, and I had no idea what to expect from a room full of some of the sharpest women I have ever met.
What I found were five lessons that have nothing to do with medicine and everything to do with how you show up for your body, your goals, and your life. A few of them made me look at my own habits differently, and I think they will do the same for you, whether you run a hospital department, a household, or both.
In this episode, we talk about:
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Why the energy of a room can change your mindset faster than willpower
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What shifting baseline syndrome is and how it quietly shapes the way you see your body
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Why brilliant people still get stuck on fitness and nutrition
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How too much information turns into paralysis by analysis
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What happened when I said yes to a stage I did not feel ready for
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Why scared and ready can exist at the same time
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How to handle friends and family who doubt your goals
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What investing in yourself really means beyond money
If you have been putting off a goal until you feel more ready, more prepared, or more in shape, this episode is for you. Press play, then tell me which lesson hit you hardest. And if you want support turning these ideas into a plan that fits your real life, I would love to talk with you about the Powerhouse Academy.
Ever wish you had a fit and straightforward BFF with over 15 years of experience to help you filter through all the information regarding fitness, nutrition, and life? That's exactly what you'll get when you listen to the Unfiltered Fit Life Podcast.
Join Former Bikini Olympia Champion, mom of 2, and fitness coach Nathalia Melo each week as she shares fitness, nutrition, and life tips to help busy working moms simplify their fitness journey so they can learn easy and simple strategies on how to lose weight and feel sexy AF.
After helping over 5000 busy working moms, Nathalia has found the blueprint to fitness, nutrition, and life success, which she will be sharing in this podcast: actionable tips that will help busy working moms be more present at work and at home.
This show is for you if you realize that nothing good comes from your comfort zone and are ready to challenge yourself to achieve great things. Follow Unfiltered Fit Life wherever you are listening to join us each week for a splash of sass, humor, and a whole lotta truth.
READ THE EPISODEPodcast Transcript▼
5 Life Lessons From 250 Female Physicians
INTRO AND THE BRAVE ENOUGH CONFERENCE
I open by sharing that I just returned from the Brave Enough medical conference in Arizona, where I spoke to female physicians and female C-suite healthcare leaders about getting fit and healthy without burning out. I explain that I went in with no expectations, that the organizer, Sasha, has been a guest on the podcast, and that the experience left my heart full.
LESSON 1: YOU BECOME A PRODUCT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT
The energy in that room was positive, curious, and generous, and I realized how much my own outlook had slipped without me noticing. I explain shifting baseline syndrome, using the example of generations of fishermen who accepted smaller catches as normal, and connect it to how gradually we lose sight of what is happening with our bodies. This is also why community matters so much inside the Powerhouse Academy.
LESSON 2: NOBODY IS SO SMART THAT THEY CANNOT LEARN
I was surrounded by some of the most brilliant women I have ever met, and many of them had forgotten to take care of their own health while caring for everyone else. The issue was never a lack of knowledge. It was knowing how to simplify, because too much information creates paralysis by analysis, and I see the same pattern in attorneys, pharmacists, physical therapists, and executives who make huge decisions but struggle with meal prep.
LESSON 3: SAY YES BEFORE YOU FEEL READY
I share how Sasha invited me to speak, how I said yes before I understood the size of the event, and how I low-key freaked out once I did. I had to triple check every piece of data for an audience that would call out anything unsupported, and I remind you that the discomfort is the growth and that scared and ready show up together.
LESSON 4: PEOPLE WILL NOT ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOU
I tell the story of a friend who told me I would never be good enough to speak to medical conferences, law firms, or Fortune 500 executives without a PhD, and I explain why I now see that as a reflection of her own limitations. I talk about how the same passive aggressive comments show up on a fitness journey, and why someone has to believe first, even when that someone is only you.
LESSON 5: BE WILLING TO INVEST IN YOURSELF
I explain that I did not end up on that stage by accident. I invested in events, coaching, and certifications that put me in the right rooms, and I compare the return on investing in yourself to the roughly ten percent annual return of the stock market. I also point out how willing we are to invest in our kids, and I remind you that investing is time and attention as well as money.
CLOSING
I wrap up the five lessons from Brave Enough, share that I am heading to another conference on the East Coast in a couple of days, and tease that the next episode may be about that experience.
