CrossFit Star & Big Brother All-Star Christmas Abbott on How to Find Yourself When Life Breaks You

CrossFit Star & Big Brother All-Star Christmas Abbott on How to Find Yourself When Life Breaks You

What happens when being “the strong one” becomes the identity you can no longer carry? In this episode of Harder Than Life, Kelly Siegel sits down with Christmas Abbott — CrossFit athlete, nationally ranked weightlifter, Big Brother All-Star, entrepreneur, author, and the first woman to work at the highest level of a NASCAR pit crew — for a raw conversation about survival, motherhood, faith, fitness, mental health, and reinvention. Christmas shares how a turbulent childhood and years of self-destructive behavior led to a life-changing decision to work in Baghdad during an active war. It was there that she discovered fitness, beginning a journey that would eventually take her into competitive weightlifting, CrossFit, NASCAR, and reality television. But when injury threatened her athletic identity and motherhood changed the direction of her life, Christmas was forced to confront a different kind of challenge: Who are you when strength and achievement can no longer protect you? She opens up about single motherhood, postpartum struggles, ADD/ADHD, therapy, custody battles, faith, surrender, and the emotional cost of always being the person everyone expects to stay strong. Kelly and Christmas also explore confidence, childhood wounds, generational patterns, fitness after 35, women’s health after 40, hormone health, blood work, peptides, supplements, and building a more sustainable approach to training and recovery. Key Topics: 🟥 From self-destruction to rebuilding in Baghdad 🟥 CrossFit, NASCAR, and Big Brother 🟥 Strength as identity and emotional armor 🟥 Motherhood, faith, and surrender 🟥 Therapy, confidence, and breaking generational patterns 🟥 Fitness after 35 and women’s health after 40 (00:00) Intro (01:25) NASCAR Pit Crew Origins (02:45) CrossFit Strength Proves It (04:44) Changing Perception and Belief (06:45) Baghdad Leap of Faith (10:44) Fitness Found in Warzone (13:25) Armor and Inner Pain (16:03) Masculine/Feminine Persona (18:14) Identity Break and Motherhood (23:05) Big Brother Reality Check (27:34) Support System (29:36) Custody Crisis and Survival (32:05) Being A Mother (33:21) Pitying Childhood and Worth (36:22) Unlooping Family Beliefs (38:56) Survival Mode Structure (40:34) Raising Kids With Standards (43:24) Confidence Built Daily (45:40) Therapy And Healing Tools (49:03) Finding Your Spark Again (50:12) Fitness After 35 Reality (52:02) Bloodwork Before Supplements (54:53) Can Active Program Breakdown (59:36) Rapid Fire Wrap-Up 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes that help you heal, lead, and live Harder Than Life. Harder Than Life: 🔴 Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harder-than-life/id1725989697] 🔴 Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/29NOnhItmCLkZ9sLswABKS?si=d81915ddabc0420a] 🔴 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCncVFeA5P2LrAovuofQQcDg] ⚫ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kelly.siegel.71/] ⚫ Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kelly.siegel.71] ⚫ LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-siegel-0146a3/] ⚫ TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@kellysiegel71] ⚫ Website [https://www.trustntm.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Your Triggers Are Old Information Wearing Today's Clothes—Here's How to Heal

What if the thing that keeps triggering you is actually trying to heal you? In this solo episode of Harder Than Life, Kelly explores the connection between emotional triggers, childhood wounds, self-awareness, and personal growth. Through a recent experience with a difficult client interaction, he reveals how quickly old patterns can take over — and what to do instead. This episode breaks down why certain situations create outsized emotional reactions, how unresolved experiences shape adult behavior, and why many of our recurring problems aren't happening to us—they're happening through us. Kelly introduces practical tools including the Sacred Pause, boundary-setting, and a simple four-step framework for transforming reactivity into self-awareness and personal power. If you've ever found yourself overreacting, shutting down, avoiding conflict, or repeating the same emotional patterns, this conversation offers a different perspective. Key Topics: 🟥 Emotional triggers and childhood conditioning 🟥 Conflict avoidance and self-worth 🟥 The Sacred Pause technique 🟥 Boundaries and personal standards 🟥 Emotional healing and integration 🟥 Reclaiming personal power (00:00) Intro (01:03) Why Triggers Happen (02:04) Vacation Email Story (04:06) Childhood Wounds at Work (07:47) Sacred Pause Practice (09:23) Boundaries and Standards (10:30) Four Steps to Respond (11:32) Healing Modalities and Homework (13:15) Wrap Up and Call to Action 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes that help you heal, lead, and live Harder Than Life. Harder Than Life: 🔴 Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harder-than-life/id1725989697] 🔴 Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/29NOnhItmCLkZ9sLswABKS?si=d81915ddabc0420a] 🔴 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCncVFeA5P2LrAovuofQQcDg] ⚫ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kelly.siegel.71/] ⚫ Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kelly.siegel.71] ⚫ LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-siegel-0146a3/] ⚫ TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@kellysiegel71] ⚫ Website [https://www.trustntm.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Joi+Blokes VP Adam Woolard on Optimizing Your Health & Feeling Your Best

What if your biggest health problem isn't showing up on a routine physical? In this episode of Harder Than Life, Kelly sits down with Adam Woolard, Vice President of Business Development at Joi+Blokes and health coach, to discuss why so many people feel exhausted, foggy, and unmotivated despite being told they're "healthy." Adam shares his personal journey of struggling with low energy, brain fog, and declining hormone levels in his early 30s, and how comprehensive blood testing helped uncover the root causes that traditional healthcare had overlooked. Together, Kelly and Adam explore hormone optimization, blood sugar, inflammation, nutrition, exercise, longevity, and practical ways to improve both physical and mental health. The conversation also expands into faith, personal reinvention, vulnerability, purpose, and building a life aligned with your values. Whether you're already focused on your health or you're simply tired of feeling "off," this episode offers practical insights to help you take control of your well-being. Key Topics: 🟥 Understanding optimal vs. normal lab results 🟥 Testosterone, hormones, and energy 🟥 Comprehensive blood testing and biomarkers 🟥 Blood sugar, inflammation, and metabolic health 🟥 Nutrition, fitness, and longevity 🟥 Faith, vulnerability, and personal growth 🟥 Reinvention, purpose, and living intentionally (00:00) Intro (01:44) Early 30s Warning Signs (04:35) Normal vs Optimal Labs (05:56) Finding Your Aha! Moment (09:11) Testosterone Wake Up Call (12:43) Common Lab Surprises (14:56) Hidden Blood Sugar Triggers (17:02) HRT Myths and Menopause (21:08) Comprehensive Panel Deep Dive (23:40) Gut Health and Fertility Plans (24:18) How Young to Start Testing (25:34) How Joi+Blokes Works (27:27) Adam's Career Backstory (29:35) Reinvention Mindset (31:32) Faith and Grounding (33:06) Letting Go of Control (38:12) Who This Work Helps (40:06) Daily Prayer Habit (41:38) Bloodwork First Step (43:09) Future of Health (45:07) Vulnerability and Connection (46:12) Rapid Fire Round (48:44) Final Sendoff 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes that help you heal, lead, and live Harder Than Life. Harder Than Life: 🔴 Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harder-than-life/id1725989697] 🔴 Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/29NOnhItmCLkZ9sLswABKS?si=d81915ddabc0420a] 🔴 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCncVFeA5P2LrAovuofQQcDg] ⚫ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kelly.siegel.71/] ⚫ Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kelly.siegel.71] ⚫ LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-siegel-0146a3/] ⚫ TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@kellysiegel71] ⚫ Website [https://www.trustntm.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

If You Say Yes To Everything, You're Saying No To Yourself

Why is it so hard to say one simple word? In this solo episode of Harder Than Life, Kelly explores why saying "no" feels impossible for so many people — and why the struggle often has less to do with boundaries and more to do with old emotional patterns. Using personal stories from both his relationships and business life, Kelly shares how people-pleasing, overcommitting, and avoiding conflict can quietly become forms of self-abandonment. This episode introduces a practical framework for identifying when your body is signaling "no," recognizing hidden costs behind every commitment, and creating healthier boundaries without guilt. If you've ever found yourself saying yes out of fear, obligation, or the desire to keep the peace, this conversation may explain why. Key Topics: 🟥 People-pleasing and childhood conditioning 🟥 Boundaries and self-respect 🟥 Business and relationship patterns 🟥 Listening to your body's signals 🟥 The Five-Step No Sequence 🟥 Protecting your energy without guilt (00:00) Why it feels impossible (01:42) Personal Story: First Yes (04:29) Business Story: Client Chaos (07:22) Discipline or Shame (09:30) Five Step No Sequence (13:24) Three Magic No-Scripts (15:29) Weekly Homework Challenge (17:47) Final Takeaways 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes that help you heal, lead, and live Harder Than Life. Harder Than Life: 🔴 Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harder-than-life/id1725989697] 🔴 Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/29NOnhItmCLkZ9sLswABKS?si=d81915ddabc0420a] 🔴 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCncVFeA5P2LrAovuofQQcDg] ⚫ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kelly.siegel.71/] ⚫ Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kelly.siegel.71] ⚫ LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-siegel-0146a3/] ⚫ TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@kellysiegel71] ⚫ Website [https://www.trustntm.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Your Fear Is Making Every Decision For You | Andy Stumpf

What if courage isn't the absence of fear... but learning how to move forward despite it? In this episode of Harder Than Life, Kelly sits down with former Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf for an unforgettable conversation about combat, resilience, discipline, mental health, leadership, and navigating life's hardest challenges. Andy shares stories from his 17-year career as a Navy SEAL, including being shot during combat operations, returning to duty, setting world records in wingsuit flying, and learning how to manage fear without allowing it to control his decisions. But beyond the stories of military service, this conversation explores something even more universal: how to handle adversity, self-doubt, failure, identity shifts, and the difficult seasons of life that test who we really are. Together, Kelly and Andy discuss discipline, motivation, mentorship, negative self-talk, purpose, relationships, veterans' issues, and the message that sits at the heart of Andy's new book: Drownproof. You are not alone. Key Topics: 🟥 Fear versus danger 🟥 Discipline as self-love 🟥 Mental resilience and emotional health 🟥 The power of mentorship 🟥 Negative self-talk and self-awareness 🟥 Identity after major life transitions 🟥 Leadership, purpose, and service 🟥 Staying afloat during life's toughest seasons (00:00) Intro (02:18) Why Andy Became a SEAL (11:02) Back in Six Months (15:50) Discipline Explained (21:26) BUDS Memories (27:17) Jumping at 36,500 Feet (28:42) Fast Confidence Through Mentors (32:42) Advice To Younger Self (40:20) Interrupting Negative Self-Talk (45:50) When Quitting is Right (47:54) Helping Veterans The Right Way (53:55) Fear After Survival 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes that help you heal, lead, and live Harder Than Life. Harder Than Life: 🔴 Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harder-than-life/id1725989697] 🔴 Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/29NOnhItmCLkZ9sLswABKS?si=d81915ddabc0420a] 🔴 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCncVFeA5P2LrAovuofQQcDg] ⚫ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kelly.siegel.71/] ⚫ Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kelly.siegel.71] ⚫ LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-siegel-0146a3/] ⚫ TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@kellysiegel71] ⚫ Website [https://www.trustntm.com] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]