Run This World with Nicole DeBoom Podcast
Episodes
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Monday Oct 26, 2020
I met Kerttu when I was winding down Skirt Sports and needed to find a subtenant to take over our lease on our Pearl Street store. In walked this woman with the excitement and determination that you only see in someone with true vision. She was looking to open her first pilates studio. She had been teaching for years and after countless suggestions that she start her own business, she finally decided to do it.
Kerttu grew up in Estonia. She was introduced to a very unusual line of work very early by her aunt who owned a circus - she became a contortionist - traveling to shows throughout her young years. In her teens she decided to focus on becoming an actress and eventually moved to the USA to pursue this dream.
One day in her early 20s when she was working out at a gym in New York, she was suddenly struck by partial paralysis. It was a mystery - no one could figure out why this happened. After years of struggle, as Kerttu was starting to look at wheelchairs and resigning herself to a life of immobility, she discovered pilates.
Her life changed forever and she was able to start knitting her body back together. She found that pilates had both physical and emotional magical effects. She started to move again. She became strong again. And she fell in love with pilates.
Kerttu shares this story and more. You will understand her "Why Not Today?" philosophy after you listen. And you will definitely want to visit her studio if you are in Colorado.
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
It was August 2019 and I couldn't sleep. I had just received word that our biggest account had decided with no notice to simply "not take" the inventory they had committed to that season. My thigh was twitching. It didn't stop for 3 months. I couldn't stop the negative thought cycle. I'd been here before. Not this exact place, but I'd been in a position with Skirt Sports where I wasn't sure how we would get through a tough time. But never before did I question if I could actually pull us out of it.
I went from gearing up to sell my business with 3 strong, profitable growth years behind me, to losing more in one year than we had lost combined in ten years. There was no way I would find a buyer for my business and I definitely wouldn't get my dream exit.
So I did what I've learned to do over 15 years. I took action one mile at a time. One aid station at a time.
In April I realized that the COVID-era had put a stamp on our difficulties and the best decision was to close our doors. All the while I held out hope that a new owner may present herself. I know I had created something special and I hoped that there was a woman out there who had the vision, resources and guts to carry it forward.
Enter Sarah Ratzlaff. In late April 2020, she replied to a 6 month old email I had sent her and said, "I know this is pretty late, but do you still want to do a cross promotion?" I replied back, "No, I don't want to do a cross promo, but if you want to buy my company, let's talk!"
Four months later the ink is dry. Sarah Ratzlaff of the ZOOMA Women's Race Series is the new owner of Skirt Sports!
The most important question is: Who is this woman?
Sarah is a brilliant visionary. She spent her childhood in rural Kansas and her adulthood honing her craft and her passion by helping develop the RunDisney race series. She later became an entrepreneur by purchasing the ZOOMA Women's Race Series and infusing it with the new energy it needed to thrive.
She's a mom of two young kids. She loves helping women find happiness. And she is driven to make this world an equal playing field for women.
I couldn't have found a better fit. I'm honored to help bring Sarah's story to the world - it's her turn to shine!
Sunday Sep 06, 2020
Sunday Sep 06, 2020
Diane Berberian is dying. She called me a month ago and said this, "I have cancer again. It's incurable. My doctor told me to get out my bucket list." The funny thing is that she told her doctor, "My entire life has been a bucket list!" But as she thought about the things she wants to do with the time she has left, she decided to have one more amazing conversation on the podcast. To share her story, to help people figure out how to better advocate for themselves, and to leave all the gems and wisdom she has learned in a medium that isn't going away - through the podcast.
I am emotional writing this. I was emotional during our conversation. You may be emotional listening. That's okay. That's normal. We are soon going to lose one of our bright lights and we don't want her to go. So today just let your emotions run and open your heart to Diane Berberian.
As a special gift to her, please go to her Iron Maven Facebook page. Take a minute to post what you loved most about this conversation. She wants to read it all - while she's still here.
And add this date to your calendar:
August 22 is Diane Berberian Day - #golongfordiane and wear red/yellow on that day!
Monday Aug 24, 2020
Monday Aug 24, 2020
I met Elizabeth Carr through running. Her involvement in the world of running is not what she was originally known for but if she hadn't found running I never would have stumbled across her, as her true claim to fame is not a world I've played in. On December 28, 1981, Elizabeth was the first baby born via In-vitro fertilization in the USA. Literally THE FIRST!
What comes with that title is an early life in the public eye, a huge amount of pressure to be "perfect" or else science has failed, and an early understanding of where babies come from! Elizabeth is currently in the midst of a career transition that has found her going back to her roots. She is building a community to be a resource for people navigating the fertility world. She is passionate about helping others and has recently created a private forum - The 1st Collective - where people can safely share and discover important information during their fertility journeys.
For more on Elizabeth, check out her website and definitely visit her wikipedia page - I don't know many people who have one!
Today we talk about:
Exploring trails you've never run (figuratively and literally)
Elizabeth's winding career path from the Boston Globe to Runner's World to the non-profit world to branching out on her own
Following her heart, gut and passion to discover the next right thing
Being 1st: literally the 1st In-vitro baby born in the USA
Media circus birth, frankenbabies, tampering with Mother Nature and Playing God
What it meant to grow up first
Perfection standards set early: If this baby was not perfect, then "science" would take a hit
Musings about Mistakes, Judgment, Fear and finally, Freedom
For more on Elizabeth and to join her community go here!
Her website
The First Collective
Contact her HERE
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Nancy Hogshead was one of my childhood heroes. She was an Olympic swimming star at the age when I was a rising star. She set her first American record at age 14, won 4 Olympic medals and countless titles along the way. She was a full-package powerhouse with brains, beauty and as she says in this interview, "Talent was dripping from my fingers."
Today Nancy is a civil rights attorney. Her focus mainly lies in two areas: Equal rights for women in sport and stopping the pervasive sexual abuse that continues to happen in sports today. Her story is incredible. Her experiences all lead her so perfectly to this place in life. That doesn't mean her experiences have all been rosy. Nancy was shunned as a young swimmer which taught her resilience. She had to deal with the frustration and heartbreak of missing the 1980 Olympics due to the USA boycott. And when she was at Duke University, she was brutally raped which led to major PTSD and a long emotional recovery. Despite all of this, she went on to be the most decorated athlete and one of America's sweethearts at the 1984 Olympics with three golds and a silver medal.
Nancy is fun, open, honest and shares the greatest stories. I was laughing so hard for much of this conversation. As you listen, you will want to support her efforts for equality. The most important thing you can do is add your signature to support greater protections for TEAM USA athletes here.
Today we talk about:
Growing up a swimmer
The LUCK involved in getting THE Eddie Reese as your first ever coach at age 7! Then Randy Reese when you move!
How hard should we push our kids
Aspen Institute - resource for parents in regards to youth sports
Taking the LONG TERM approach to sport and health (mental and physical)
Nancy's birth story (see pic below!)
Rambles about our own parenting philosophies
The Flow State: how Nancy discovered flow as a way to handle the pressure
Sex assault: Nancy was raped while running at Duke University: PTSD, recovery & what Duke did right
Nancy's path to becoming a champion of women: ChampionWomen.org
Nancy's causes today: Equal rights for women in sport and dismantling the culture of sex abuse in sports
Plus many references including:
Aspen Institute
Sally Roberts: Wrestle like a Girl
Pablo Morales
Eddie & Randy Reese
Athlete A
USOPU.info - help pass House Bill 7881 that was unanimously passed in the Senate Bill 2330
Nancy is a force. We could have talked for hours and gone down many more rabbit holes. I asked her after the interview what workout she did beforehand. We had both just come in from some exercise. Her answer is here and one of the reasons I adore her. All right then, that's it for today. You know what time it is. It's time to get out there and Run This World. Have a great workout and I'll see you next week.
Saturday Aug 01, 2020
Saturday Aug 01, 2020
I met Cindie Collins through the amazing Skirt Sports ambassador community. In 2019, she was one of the featured speakers at the Skirt Ambassador retreat. Her talk was called STROKE - Suffer The Results Or Kickass Everyday. When Cindie was 27 years old, she was pushing hard, working three jobs and striving for what she thought she needed to do to perform and succeed. Then she had a stroke. Because she was so young, it was not a quick or easy diagnosis.
Over the years, and through her recovery (which continues today), Cindie has found comfort in this concept: She has been guided through every stage of her life and everything has happened for a reason. It's such a simple concept, especially in a world where we want to have control (or at least believe that we control). When we step back and allow ourselves to be guided, we find more peace and true gratitude. That's my hope for you after listening today: May you find peace and gratitude for yourself and your circumstances.
More topics we cover:
Experiencing a stroke at 27: Signs, symptoms & how she was finally diagnosed
Put yourself on the list: give yourself as much love and attention as you give everyone else
This: "I didn't live in my body back then."
Support: Why your network is critical for healing
Becoming heart-centered: Changing career from hard-driving educator to massage therapist/healer
Running: the shift from driving/pushing/going to giving permission to simply move and appreciate
Appreciating YOUR Epic
The Sit Spot: Finding something that is Just For You
Skirt Sports Community: Even if the uniting product no longer exists, the community will because WE LIFT EACH OTHER UP
And so much more
Hang with Cindie on Facebook & shoot her a message - as she said, she doesn't need to impact the masses, just one person at a time. ❤️
Saturday Jul 18, 2020
Saturday Jul 18, 2020
Amanda McCracken is many things: award-winning writer, ultrarunner, massage therapist, daughter, wife, soon-to-be-mom, and more recently than you'd expect, no longer a virgin. I've known of Amanda for years; we run in the same athletic circles in Boulder, Colorado. What's funny is that she's a little more well-known for her outspoken writing about a topic that many consider taboo - virginity.
Amanda remained a virgin until well into her 40s. This is not to say that she didn't date or have sexual relations with men, but she simply continued to hold onto her virginity. Over time it became an empowering thing for her, but it also held her back in certain ways. The root of it was her development of relationship patterns early on. And once she fell into the patterns of chasing, being unavailable, and pushing people away, the more she formed an identity around it.
We have a great conversation around relationships, self-growth, forming and shedding identities, accepting change and allowing ourselves to open up and be vulnerable.
How we develop relationship patterns: The chase, the push away, the devastation
Overthinking: how to stop this pattern
Dealing with rejection when she said she was ready
How she learned to accept and allow herself to receive love
Why was she uninterested in guys who were fully available to her
The slow burn romance with her husband, Dave
Amanda's deep relationship with her grandma: how it was the catalyst for so many decisions in her life
Making important decisions: We all have our own processes
Running: she "ran the crazy out" over the years
Identity: How we wrap our identities around certain things that become important to us so it's harder to change them or let go of them
Longing: Keep your eyes out for her future book "How Longing Became My Lover"
Some parenting chatter: Amanda asked me questions about parenting - she's clearly a journalist!
And so much more
For more Amanda, follow her on social media @amandajmccracken and check out her website!
More articles here:
Huff Post: "I waited until I was 41 to lose my virginity. But was it worth It?"
NY Times: "Finally, a Wedding. It Was About Time."
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Maria Solis Belizaire is a powerhouse with a vision. In her early 30s, she found the life-altering power of running and wanted to share it with other people from her community. The problem is that she couldn't find them! She knew some Latinos who run, but they definitely didn't attend races in substantial numbers. And when she talked to people in her community, she realized that there was a preconception that Latinos are fat, lazy, don't like to exercise, and were definitely not runners.
The power of visibility is so important. Until you see someone who looks like you doing an activity, you may not realize that you can do it too. In 2016, she started Latinos Run (and now also Latinas Run) to bring awareness to the sport and to show Latinos that running can change their lives for the better. She's been on a mission ever since. Today we talk about:
Running: how she found the sport
Racial disparity in running
Latinos Run & Latinas Run: the genesis of these organizations
Her family: how important family is to her
Racism: With a mixed race background - her dad is Belizean/Mexican and her mom is Puerto Rican - she has darker skin than her siblings and experienced racism even within her own community
Her advice: how companies can show more representation and invest in more diverse communities
Visibility: the power of seeing people who look like you doing activities
Her magnetic appeal (especially to older white men!)
Her mindset in three chapters: 14-15 years old, 30 years old, now
Check out her TedX talk here!
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Monday Jun 22, 2020
I first met Darrietta in person at the 2018 Skirt Sports Ambassador Retreat in Boulder, Colorado. She stood out from the crowd as our only black muslim athlete but she also blended in so perfectly with her shared commitment to health and fitness that our ambassador community prioritizes. I knew I needed to have her on the podcast; I just wasn't sure when it would happen.
We actually got some dates on the calendar earlier this year - and then COVID hit. So we delayed. And then Ahmaud Arbery was murdered. And then Breonna Taylor. And then George Floyd. And our country erupted. Over the past month, Darrietta has been a bold, strong, courageous voice in the movement to FINALLY end racial injustice in our country. Something that may actually be possible - if we unite together to make it happen.
Even with the emotions flooding the country, we both knew this was exactly the time to get Darrietta on the show. To amplify her voice. To help us both understand and gain some direction to personally push the movement forward. You will definitely want to follow her on Instagram @concrete_rose_lifts
At the end of the interview I asked the meaning behind her handle and she said that it symbolizes that has risen from a tough, barren landscape and blossomed into something beautiful. Truth!
Today we talk about:
Growing up on the south side of Chicago
Her mother's drug addiction and how she started living a "double life" as she dealt with it
Turning to gangs for community and support
Finding the Nation of Islam & leaving gang life
Advocating for herself and other women as early as high school when she successfully petitioned her school to include Black History as a subject
Getting married at 18 and having her first of three kids at 19
The day her health became her priority (No, the day she decided to put herself first)
Her weight loss journey: both nutrition and running/fitness
Being a black muslim female athlete: resources and advice
Racial injustice: Her efforts & her advice to others
The small changes make a big difference
Be an ally and stand up when you hear something that isn't right
No matter what, put yourself first.
Darrietta is a force and her light is only getting brighter. Be sure to follow her as she attempts to become the first "older" black muslim women powerlifter to compete at a meet!
Other resources and shoutouts:
@liawearaction
@sistersofpowerlifting
@jogonsportswear
Sunday May 31, 2020
Sunday May 31, 2020
Kristen Horler is living an intentional life. She makes sh*t happen, not in a spastic, compulsive way, but with careful thought about the message she wants to put out in the world. Over 18 years ago, Kristen had a baby. It turns out that baby birthed a business. She found herself craving connection while attempting to regain her fitness and she couldn't find a program that catered to moms with babies. You either had to wait until the baby was older and bring them to a gym that had childcare or you had to get a babysitter so you could leave your baby at home to work on yourself.
One day she decided to grab some other new mom friends, bring her baby along, and do a workout together in a park. It was a massive hit. Not only did the moms get a productive workout, they didn't have to worry about leaving their babies behind. Pretty soon, there was a big group of women working out together with their babies, so Kristen started crafting stroller-inclusive exercises and moves that included baby-carrying. Then the idea became contagious and spread from northern California to Texas to cities all across the country and Baby Boot Camp was officially off and running.
Kristen went from being a fitness guru to a full-on entrepreneur with a thriving nation-wide franchise. The years went on and Kristen grew the business and honed her craft. She has experienced the ups and downs that come with almost two decades of owning a business. The celebrations and the doubts. And more recently, a rebirth to Momleta - a community of resources that serve the whole mom from health and fitness to nutrition and lifestyle guidance.
Kristen is a truly inspirational woman who is living her calling every single day. Today we talk about:
Kristen's path to entrepreneurship: She started as a pastry chef! (Did you know a pound cake is called a pound cake because it uses a pound of butter and a pound of sugar?)
Starting a business out of necessity
The difference between perceiving yourself as an athlete versus being athletic
How she rediscovered rowing decades after she stopped the sport
The key to staying positive
Why having fun with fitness is important
The power of helping women and creating a community of women with shared values
The Pause
It's what you do most of the time, not some of the time, that matters most
Her philosophy on nutrition: You should enjoy the food you eat
Vegan lentil loaf: This is a must-make recipe especially for a plant-based Thanksgiving, but really for anytime!
Focus on priorities, then set your values
And so much more
For more Kristen Horler and to get involved with Momleta check out these links!
http://www.kristenhorler.com/
https://www.momleta.com/ - Virtual classes are now available!
Social media: @momleta_hq & @kristenhorler
Check out this fun media clip :)