Ep 86. Start Before You’re Ready in Real Life: How Jen Newman Turned Talent, Grit, and Joy into a Thriving Event Business

Ep 86. Start Before You’re Ready in Real Life: How Jen Newman Turned Talent, Grit, and Joy into a Thriving Event Business

This episode of Start Before You’re Ready is a heartfelt, funny, and deeply inspiring conversation with one of the biggest gifts of my life, my dear friend since high school, event planner and creative powerhouse, Jen (Rivera) Newman. We go all the way back to where it started, from basketball, big hair, and being mistaken for each other in college, and trace Jen’s journey from ad agency prodigy working on iconic campaigns and helping launch a major digital firm to co-founding The Joy Standard, a thriving boutique event company built on rolling up your sleeves, serving others, and intentionally creating joy. Jen shares how she helped name both Kelly’s Bootcamp and Start Before You’re Ready, why “everything is figure-outable” has become a family mantra, and the simple questions she wants you to ask before you overspend or over-stress on any big celebration. We also go into the hardest chapters of Jen’s story, including a terrifying health crisis and rare biliary condition that led to massive surgery and a long, humbling recovery. This conversation is packed with honest wisdom, laugh-til-you-cry memories, and a powerful reminder to seek joy, lean on your people, and start before you feel ready. -- Let’s connect! IG: @kellys_bootcamp [https://www.instagram.com/kellys_bootcamp?igsh=MWMxZ3ptZmd5NDRwOQ==] My website: https://kellysbootcamp.net/ [https://kellysbootcamp.net/]

Ep 85. From Half Marathon at 19 Weeks to Her Baby’s Heart Surgery: The Transformation You Don’t See Coming with Anneli Connell

In this episode of Start Before You’re Ready, Kelly sits down with longtime boot camper Anneli Connell, whose fitness journey has carried her from casual college runner to accomplished athlete, working mom, and powerful example of resilience. Anneli opens up about training through pregnancy, discovering the real impact of strength and variety on her running, and how fitness became her anchor during her son’s diagnosis and open-heart surgery as a newborn. She also shares candidly about slipping into a nightly wine habit and how KBC’s goal-setting and accountability helped her radically cut back and reclaim her energy, clarity, and confidence. If you’ve ever used workouts to cope, felt stuck repeating the same goal without progress, or wondered whether change is still possible in the busiest seasons of life, Anneli’s story will make you feel seen and ready to take your next small step. -- Let’s connect! IG: @kellys_bootcamp [https://www.instagram.com/kellys_bootcamp?igsh=MWMxZ3ptZmd5NDRwOQ==] My website: https://kellysbootcamp.net/ [https://kellysbootcamp.net/]

Ep 84. Stop Quitting Your Goals: The Accountability Shift You Need

This episode is all about building goals that actually matter, finishing what you start, and giving yourself enough wiggle room to handle real life. Kelly walks through the “Summer Strong Society” challenge she built for her 20-something boot campers, why smaller groups create safer accountability, and how simple systems like a one-minute weekly Google Form can keep people engaged and honest about their progress. She shares her own 10,000-step experiment, what she’d tweak next time, and why meaningful goals must move the needle in your life instead of just adding pressure. Kelly also opens up about the emotional side of showing up: a member who almost quit before starting, how radical honesty changed their plan, and why having someone to talk to can be as powerful as any workout plan. She reflects on supporting a close friend through grief, the importance of saying struggles out loud, and how conversation creates mutual healing. To wrap up, she previews a new “summer camp” series of accountability programs and growth-focused offerings some free, some paid designed to help members connect, expand, and actually finish what they commit to this summer. -- Let’s connect! IG: @kellys_bootcamp [https://www.instagram.com/kellys_bootcamp?igsh=MWMxZ3ptZmd5NDRwOQ==] My website: https://kellysbootcamp.net/ [https://kellysbootcamp.net/]

Ep 83. From Isolation to Inergy: How Fitness Became Lisa Glasgow’s Lifeline as a Caregiver

This episode features KBC member and mom Lisa Glasgow, who shares her path to motherhood through international adoption of her two children from Russia, including her daughter, Anzella, who has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and her son, Sasha. She talks about the hard early years, the confusion before diagnosis, and how both kids have changed her life and pushed her into becoming a stronger advocate and more patient, grounded parent. Lisa also opens up about being a caregiver for both her daughter and her 92 year old father, how that led to isolation, and why joining Kelly’s Bootcamp became essential for her mental health. She explains how movement, strength training, and the KBC community help her feel better emotionally, stay strong in her 60s, and stay connected through Level Up, barre, and other classes that support both her body and mind. -- Let’s connect! IG: @kellys_bootcamp [https://www.instagram.com/kellys_bootcamp?igsh=MWMxZ3ptZmd5NDRwOQ==] My website: https://kellysbootcamp.net/ [https://kellysbootcamp.net/]

Ep 82. Turning Barriers Into Bridges with Carrie Armacost

In this episode of Start Before You’re Ready, I’m talking with my friend Carrie Armacost, founder of CareFit and Barriers Into Bridges Coaching. Carrie has spent more than two decades in the fitness industry helping people move better, understand their bodies, and build strength from the inside out. We talk about functional fitness, rotational training, mindset, rebuilding after major life transitions, and why movement is often the first step toward clarity. Carrie’s story is such a powerful reminder that you are not broken, you are not lazy, and sometimes what you really need is a system that works for your life. -- Let’s connect! IG: @kellys_bootcamp [https://www.instagram.com/kellys_bootcamp?igsh=MWMxZ3ptZmd5NDRwOQ==] My website: https://kellysbootcamp.net/ [https://kellysbootcamp.net/]