The Energy Behind High Performance | Chris Ryan on Strength, Leadership & Longevity

The Energy Behind High Performance | Chris Ryan on Strength, Leadership & Longevity

What does real performance actually look like as you get older? In this episode of The FitZen Project, Rachel sits down with nationally recognized performance coach, entrepreneur, and founder of the Chris Ryan Fitness app, Chris Ryan, for a conversation that goes far beyond workouts and aesthetics. Together, they unpack the intersection of fitness, leadership, longevity, parenting, entrepreneurship, and the energy it takes to truly show up in life. Chris shares his journey from Division I track athlete to NBC’s STRONG trainer and connected fitness pioneer with MIRROR (lululemon Studio), while also diving into the mindset shifts that separate sustainable health from hustle culture extremes. This conversation explores: * Why health directly impacts leadership and executive presence * The connection between fitness, confidence, and career growth * Building strength and longevity without obsessive dieting * Why mobility and recovery matter more than most people realize * Parenting, presence, and creating healthy family culture * How successful leaders prioritize themselves without guilt * The role of discipline, consistency, and energy management * Why “being in the business of yourself” changes everything Chris also opens up about balancing ambition with family life as a husband, father of three, entrepreneur, and coach — proving that high performance doesn’t have to come at the expense of connection. Whether you’re a corporate leader, entrepreneur, parent, athlete, or simply someone trying to feel better in your body and life, this episode is a reminder that your health isn’t separate from your success — it’s carrying it. Connect with Chris: Website: ChrisRyanFitness.com Instagram: @ChrisRyanFitness If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs the reminder that taking care of themselves is not selfish — it’s leadership. And remember: You are your most important project. Lotus and Luna [https://www.lotusandluna.com/discount/Fitzen] Use promo code Fitzen at checkout for 20% off (sale items not included) Liforme Yoga Mats [https://liforme.com/?ref=rzydftvz] Use code FitZen at checkout for a discount! RageCreate | Affirmations|Oracles & more [https://ragecreate.com/?sca_ref=10449592.g7H3EtfitJ] There are over 1 million of our affirmation cards floating around the world. Use Code FITZEN 20% of Tabatha Debruyn 9D Breathwork [https://fitzenrachel--tabatha.thrivecart.com/online-somatic-breathwork-journeys-2026/] Active Breathwork is a powerful tool for self-exploration and emotional healing. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6YVFN7KPYRFAE] Sign up for the FitZen Newsletter! [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Get your FREE Guide: FitZen to Prioritize [https://fitzenyoga.com/fitzen-to-prioritize/] Join the FitZen Revolution Waitlist! [https://fitzenyoga.com/the-fitzen-revolution-waitlist/] Instagram: thefitzenproject [https://www.instagram.com/thefitzenproject/] Website: fitzenyoga.com [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Music provided by: Purple Planet Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home Follow my Blog on Substack! [https://substack.com/@thefitzenproject?utm_source=user-menu] 💖 Love the Show? Help me Keep the Magic Going! If The FitZen Project has ever made you laugh, cry, or feel a little more connected—consider supporting the podcast! Your support helps me: * Bring on more incredible guests  * Share powerful stories of healing, humor, and heart * Keep the podcast ad-free and community-focused 🎧 Become a supporter today [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469815/supporters/new] and help me keep the soul in storytelling. Every dollar, share, and kind word means the world. Thank you for being part of the FitZen journey. 💫

How to Stop Chasing More: Self-Awareness, Peace, and the Power of Subtraction

What if the thing keeping you stuck… is everything you keep trying to add? In this powerful conversation, Rachel sits down with author, inventor, Ironman athlete, military veteran, and storyteller Scott Lackey to unpack what it really means to wake up to your life instead of slowly giving pieces of yourself away. This conversation goes deep into self-awareness, identity, resilience, failure, personal reinvention, and the uncomfortable truth that sometimes peace comes through subtraction—not addition. Scott shares the story behind his upcoming book Wake Up to Die Again, including the lightning strike moments that changed his life forever—from business success and devastating loss to discovering the difference between ownership vs stewardship, surrender vs control, and external achievement vs internal peace. Together, Rachel and Scott explore: ✨ Why authenticity is becoming a survival skill ✨ The danger of constantly chasing “the next thing” ✨ How failure teaches what success never can ✨ The question that changed Scott’s life: What are you willing to sacrifice? ✨ Stewardship vs ownership in business, parenting, relationships, and identity ✨ The two voices in your head—and which one wins ✨ How self-awareness requires radical honesty ✨ Why subtraction may be the fastest path to peace ✨ What it means to “wake up to die again” vs waking up fully alive This is one of those conversations that will likely stop you in your tracks and make you ask yourself harder questions. And honestly? That’s the point. If you’ve been feeling stuck, chasing, disconnected, over-performing, or quietly craving something more aligned… this one’s for you. Lotus and Luna [https://www.lotusandluna.com/discount/Fitzen] Use promo code Fitzen at checkout for 20% off (sale items not included) Liforme Yoga Mats [https://liforme.com/?ref=rzydftvz] Use code FitZen at checkout for a discount! RageCreate | Affirmations|Oracles & more [https://ragecreate.com/?sca_ref=10449592.g7H3EtfitJ] There are over 1 million of our affirmation cards floating around the world. Use Code FITZEN 20% of Tabatha Debruyn 9D Breathwork [https://fitzenrachel--tabatha.thrivecart.com/online-somatic-breathwork-journeys-2026/] Active Breathwork is a powerful tool for self-exploration and emotional healing. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6YVFN7KPYRFAE] Sign up for the FitZen Newsletter! [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Get your FREE Guide: FitZen to Prioritize [https://fitzenyoga.com/fitzen-to-prioritize/] Join the FitZen Revolution Waitlist! [https://fitzenyoga.com/the-fitzen-revolution-waitlist/] Instagram: thefitzenproject [https://www.instagram.com/thefitzenproject/] Website: fitzenyoga.com [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Music provided by: Purple Planet Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home Follow my Blog on Substack! [https://substack.com/@thefitzenproject?utm_source=user-menu] 💖 Love the Show? Help me Keep the Magic Going! If The FitZen Project has ever made you laugh, cry, or feel a little more connected—consider supporting the podcast! Your support helps me: * Bring on more incredible guests  * Share powerful stories of healing, humor, and heart * Keep the podcast ad-free and community-focused 🎧 Become a supporter today [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469815/supporters/new] and help me keep the soul in storytelling. Every dollar, share, and kind word means the world. Thank you for being part of the FitZen journey. 💫

You’re Not Broken. You’re Patterned. | Dr. Meher Chahal

What if the problem isn’t that you’re broken… but that you’ve been living inside inherited patterns you never consciously chose? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with psychiatrist and author Dr. Meher Chahal, author of Unlicensed Medicine, to explore healing beyond conventional frameworks. We talk about trauma, identity, inherited emotional patterns, nervous system awareness, self-leadership, and the tension so many high-achievers feel when they’ve done everything “right”… yet still feel disconnected. This conversation bridges science and self-awareness, medicine and meaning, structure and something deeper. If you’ve ever questioned why success doesn’t automatically equal peace… this one’s for you. In this episode, we explore: ✨ Trauma and inherited emotional programming  ✨ Nervous system awareness and healing  ✨ Identity, conditioning, and subconscious patterns  ✨ The gap between achievement and fulfillment  ✨ Conventional psychiatry vs deeper healing conversations  ✨ Self-awareness as a path to transformation  ✨ What it really means to “come home” to yourself Healing isn’t linear.  Self-leadership isn’t passive.  And sometimes the most important medicine isn’t what comes in a prescription bottle. 🎙 Love this episode?  Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs this conversation. Lotus and Luna [https://www.lotusandluna.com/discount/Fitzen] Use promo code Fitzen at checkout for 20% off (sale items not included) Liforme Yoga Mats [https://liforme.com/?ref=rzydftvz] Use code FitZen at checkout for a discount! RageCreate | Affirmations|Oracles & more [https://ragecreate.com/?sca_ref=10449592.g7H3EtfitJ] There are over 1 million of our affirmation cards floating around the world. Use Code FITZEN 20% of Tabatha Debruyn 9D Breathwork [https://fitzenrachel--tabatha.thrivecart.com/online-somatic-breathwork-journeys-2026/] Active Breathwork is a powerful tool for self-exploration and emotional healing. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6YVFN7KPYRFAE] Sign up for the FitZen Newsletter! [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Get your FREE Guide: FitZen to Prioritize [https://fitzenyoga.com/fitzen-to-prioritize/] Join the FitZen Revolution Waitlist! [https://fitzenyoga.com/the-fitzen-revolution-waitlist/] Instagram: thefitzenproject [https://www.instagram.com/thefitzenproject/] Website: fitzenyoga.com [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Music provided by: Purple Planet Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home Follow my Blog on Substack! [https://substack.com/@thefitzenproject?utm_source=user-menu] 💖 Love the Show? Help me Keep the Magic Going! If The FitZen Project has ever made you laugh, cry, or feel a little more connected—consider supporting the podcast! Your support helps me: * Bring on more incredible guests  * Share powerful stories of healing, humor, and heart * Keep the podcast ad-free and community-focused 🎧 Become a supporter today [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469815/supporters/new] and help me keep the soul in storytelling. Every dollar, share, and kind word means the world. Thank you for being part of the FitZen journey. 💫

Self-Leadership Starts Where Victimhood Ends

Functioning isn’t freedom. That line? It changed everything for me. In this raw solo episode, I’m taking you into one of the most personal frameworks that completely shifted how I see self-leadership, energy management, relationships, motherhood, and radical ownership: The Victim Triangle. And before you tune out thinking, “I’m not a victim…” — stay with me. Because victimhood doesn’t always look like helplessness. Sometimes it looks like:  ✨ high performance  ✨ over-functioning  ✨ rescuing everyone around you  ✨ burnout  ✨ control issues  ✨ perfectionism  ✨ harsh self-talk  ✨ “if I don’t do it, no one will” energy In this episode, I’m sharing my real story—from 2018 awareness cracks… to the massive life shift that came with pregnancy, motherhood, leaving an unsafe relationship, rebuilding my life, and finally understanding the patterns that had been quietly running me. We unpack: *  What the Victim Triangle actually is  *  Victim energy (powerlessness)  *  Rescuer energy (over-responsibility)  *  Persecutor energy (force, criticism, perfectionism)  *  Why high achievers get trapped here all the time  *  How motherhood became my mirror  *  The difference between functioning and actual freedom  *  How to shift from victim → creator  *  rescuer → coach/supporter  *  persecutor → challenger with compassion  Journal Questions from this episode: Where am I giving my power away? What am I making someo Lotus and Luna [https://www.lotusandluna.com/discount/Fitzen] Use promo code Fitzen at checkout for 20% off (sale items not included) Liforme Yoga Mats [https://liforme.com/?ref=rzydftvz] Use code FitZen at checkout for a discount! RageCreate | Affirmations|Oracles & more [https://ragecreate.com/?sca_ref=10449592.g7H3EtfitJ] There are over 1 million of our affirmation cards floating around the world. Use Code FITZEN 20% of Tabatha Debruyn 9D Breathwork [https://fitzenrachel--tabatha.thrivecart.com/online-somatic-breathwork-journeys-2026/] Active Breathwork is a powerful tool for self-exploration and emotional healing. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6YVFN7KPYRFAE] Sign up for the FitZen Newsletter! [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Get your FREE Guide: FitZen to Prioritize [https://fitzenyoga.com/fitzen-to-prioritize/] Join the FitZen Revolution Waitlist! [https://fitzenyoga.com/the-fitzen-revolution-waitlist/] Instagram: thefitzenproject [https://www.instagram.com/thefitzenproject/] Website: fitzenyoga.com [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Music provided by: Purple Planet Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home Follow my Blog on Substack! [https://substack.com/@thefitzenproject?utm_source=user-menu] 💖 Love the Show? Help me Keep the Magic Going! If The FitZen Project has ever made you laugh, cry, or feel a little more connected—consider supporting the podcast! Your support helps me: * Bring on more incredible guests  * Share powerful stories of healing, humor, and heart * Keep the podcast ad-free and community-focused 🎧 Become a supporter today [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469815/supporters/new] and help me keep the soul in storytelling. Every dollar, share, and kind word means the world. Thank you for being part of the FitZen journey. 💫

You Don’t Pass the Test—You Become the Person Who Does

Lucy passed. And no—it wasn’t luck. Somewhere along the way, she stopped studying for a test… and started becoming the kind of person who doesn’t miss. This episode is about that shift. Because this isn’t just about passing an exam—it’s about identity. It’s about discipline. It’s about the quiet reps no one sees and the moments no one claps for… that change everything. I’m walking you through two real stories that prove the point:  → The transformation of the Centre College Softball Team and what happens when a team decides who they are before they ever step on the field  → Lucy’s journey from not knowing PMP terminology… to passing one of the toughest exams in her field And here’s what both of those stories have in common: It wasn’t talent. It wasn’t luck. It was identity. In this episode, we get into: *  Why you don’t rise to the occasion—you fall to your identity  *  How discipline creates self-trust (and why that matters more than confidence)  *  The role your nervous system plays in performance  *  Why perfection is actually the thing holding you back  *  What it really means to be “in the business of yourself”  Because when you reach the point where you can honestly say,  “There’s nothing more I could have done…” That’s when the outcome doesn’t own you anymore. That’s when you know. Lotus and Luna [https://www.lotusandluna.com/discount/Fitzen] Use promo code Fitzen at checkout for 20% off (sale items not included) Liforme Yoga Mats [https://liforme.com/?ref=rzydftvz] Use code FitZen at checkout for a discount! RageCreate | Affirmations|Oracles & more [https://ragecreate.com/?sca_ref=10449592.g7H3EtfitJ] There are over 1 million of our affirmation cards floating around the world. Use Code FITZEN 20% of Personal Financial Planning [https://www.skool.com/personalfinancialplanning/about?ref=ff8a986446944ebcb6c7f67d5b0cd24f] Money mindsets for conscious living. Tabatha Debruyn 9D Breathwork [https://fitzenrachel--tabatha.thrivecart.com/online-somatic-breathwork-journeys-2026/] Active Breathwork is a powerful tool for self-exploration and emotional healing. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show [https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=6YVFN7KPYRFAE] Sign up for the FitZen Newsletter! [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Get your FREE Guide: FitZen to Prioritize [https://fitzenyoga.com/fitzen-to-prioritize/] Join the FitZen Revolution Waitlist! [https://fitzenyoga.com/the-fitzen-revolution-waitlist/] Instagram: thefitzenproject [https://www.instagram.com/thefitzenproject/] Website: fitzenyoga.com [https://fitzenyoga.com/] Music provided by: Purple Planet Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home Follow my Blog on Substack! [https://substack.com/@thefitzenproject?utm_source=user-menu] 💖 Love the Show? Help me Keep the Magic Going! If The FitZen Project has ever made you laugh, cry, or feel a little more connected—consider supporting the podcast! Your support helps me: * Bring on more incredible guests  * Share powerful stories of healing, humor, and heart * Keep the podcast ad-free and community-focused 🎧 Become a supporter today [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469815/supporters/new] and help me keep the soul in storytelling. Every dollar, share, and kind word means the world. Thank you for being part of the FitZen journey. 💫