Health & Wellness In Business - Felicia Romero

SPEAKER_01 0:04

This is the Beyond the Story Podcast, a show that goes way beyond the story. Felicia Romero, what's up, girl?

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Hello, so happy to be here.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

So great to have you here. Another TikTok new friend. I absolutely love the platform just based on wow, there's just, I don't know about you, but every time I get on TikTok, I just think to myself, humans are so awesome. Because there's just, I mean, it's either, it's either comedy, it's either food, it's travel, it's breakups, it's it's it's something on there to to show that uh there's just some really cool stuff being created out there. Uh I was immediately attracted to your content and what you were doing. Uh, you can spot a bad hat, you can spot a badass when you see one. So um being one, a badass knows a badass. So yeah, uh, of course, the the natural progression of going from TikTok over to Instagram and then being able to connect further uh and engage with your content here and then say, hey, let's uh let's get you on the show and chat about you know what what you've been up to and and and what your brand is all about. This show's all about telling people stories. I like to go back to the to the beginning of the story. I know you've got quite the story based on just following you for the past few months, been able to at least get a glimpse into your life and and and and and what your what your interests have been and part of your journey on there. So I'd love to start there if we can just back up to the beginning of the story and what's brought us to present day.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Absolutely. Now, gosh, now stories are so fun and I love storytelling, but it's like we live this life now, and I know me being 39, there's so many different stories. I am 39, yes, just turned 39 in June. And I am loving it because I have felt the best I've ever felt uh in my late 30s, or actually just in my 30s in general, have been so much better than my 20s. But, you know, the story, we can go different routes because gosh, there's so many levels to my story, but I'm just gonna bring it back to like growing up here in Arizona, super athletic, always been into sports, played softball, played volleyball. And, you know, I remember this pivotal moment when I was a kid. You know, my I went through a my parents went through divorce. So I was raised by a single parent. And I remember being, gosh, 14 or 15, and my mom saying, you know, you're gonna be the first to graduate in our family from when, you know, go to college. Uh, and you need to go, like, college is no exception. Like you're going to college, but guess what? We can't afford it, you know. And I remember having this conversation with my mom. She's like, you're gonna have to either get an athletic scholarship or get an academic scholarship. Like, this is like the pressure, right? And I was firstborn, and a lot of my life has been that way, just that pressure. Not only that, you know, uh again, getting it as a kid, but pressure I put on myself throughout the years of just always striving for success. And so success, you know, to me now at 30 n looks far different than it did at 15, at 20, at 30. So, you know, I ended up going to college, going, uh, getting an athletic scholarship to Arizona State University. I played softball for Arizona State. And during that time, I was actually studying law and took my LSAT for law school. I have a bachelor's in political science. But during those pivotal college years is when I truly found my passion. And that is fitness. Started training people throughout college. I got certified NASM, it's the National Association of Sports Medicine, and I just fell in love with it. I am a natural coach, Sebastian, and that is something that is so ingrained in me. And I couldn't deny it. Like it's just so natural for me. And so when it came down to that like crossroads of like putting together my essay to go to law school or going down this path of fitness, it was hard because of again, my family, my mom especially, of the pressure she put on me. But I was like, yeah, I was, I thought to myself, I don't want to go down that road. So I ended up actually, you know, getting my bachelor's in political science, but I ended up going back to school, got my master's in exercise and wellness from Arizona State. And I opened up my first gym around the age of 22, 23. It's a little 1,500 square foot studio. I knew the the owner of the studio or the the complex. It was 15. So he he charged me a dollar a square foot, which is unheard of nowadays. So $1,500 in rent, and then obviously the utilities. And I was like, I was so excited. I was coasting, and that really set me up for the next 10 years of owning gyms and selling gyms. So over the course of that 10 years, I had owned three gyms over that time and just selling my last gym in 2017. So that's what really, that's where my spark for fitness really came, came forth. It was in my early 20s when I started training people because it came natural and also it allowed me to keep my schedule while still going to school. But I just fell in love with it. And I, it's a true story of like not knowing where you're gonna go with it, but following your passion. And the passion became the purpose. And I continued with it and I never gave up. I had no idea where it was gonna take me. Now, there's a lot of different avenues we can hit along that road because I was a fitness competitor. So I competed at the biggest, you know, competition, you know, think of Super Bowl for fitness competitions, think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the IFBB pro. I was a figure pro for nine years. So that again opened up opportunities to do the, you know, fitness modeling. So I was a fitness cover model. I've been on uh Flex magazine, muscle and fitness hers, oxygen magazine, all of these amazing, you know, publications to reality TV, to, you know, obstacles, heartbreak, struggle to losing a gym because of a bad partnership. So there's a lot of different avenues we can go, but through all of that, I I always, you know, any obstacle or any struggle that I came upon knocked me down. And then I would just find a way to get back up. And that's where I'm at now. And I would say I'm doing so much more now in my 30s, uh late 30s, almost 40, but so much less stress. And that is such a sweet thing to say because I'm doing more, but it's because everything I'm doing is aligned with a strong core value in what I want to create in my life and less stress. I want no drama, less stress, but I'm doing so much more and it feels so good. And that's what I'm doing now.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

I love it. Doing what you love. I did see a picture of a gym with your name on it, and I was like, she's got gyms too. Of course she does.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Of course she does.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

So you said you sold the last one in in 2017?

SPEAKER_00 7:17

2017, yeah. So it's been what, five years now. And at first I was, it was such a tough decision because I knew I wasn't happy. Um, I was married to the gym. I was working so many 60 plus hours. I didn't really have time for a social life. And also, I was just my my motivations for having that gym became clouded, meaning it was tied to ego and the ego of having this gym and your name's on this gym. And uh again, perpetual people pleaser over here. So, what are people gonna think when if I sell the gym or if I get rid of it? Like always worried about what others were gonna think and like, no, wait, actually, Felicia, like, are you happy? Like, is this what you want to do for the rest of your life? Now it's a great accomplishment. Yay, you did it, but do you consider, do you do you, you know, see yourself continuing to do this? And I really, you know, over the years, my core values have changed. And a core value that really started to come in super strong was time freedom and fun. And I was doing neither of those. So that's when I made the choice to sell. And it was the hardest decision because it again, it's like an ego death. You know, I've had all of these moments in my life where I was defined as a certain thing. Well, Felicia's the athlete, you know, she's obviously gonna go to college. And so when I quit that after my sophomore year, it was this ego death of like, who am I? And then competing for nine years and seeing and people seeing Felicia as, oh, this competitor who is on the cover of magazines, but not feeling great about myself because I was so subjected by my body and judged by my body that it left me broken. It left me not feeling great about myself and also like not really valuing my voice or who I was. And I only define myself by my physical look. So I'm like, when I when I stopped competing, that was another ego death of who am I? So, you know, what I've learned through the years is we aren't what we do, right? That doesn't what we do isn't who we are. And to be able to come back home to who I am, regardless of how much money is in my bank account, regardless of the accomplishments, regardless of any of it, like that is where you find your true self, your your most authentic self, without any of that. And that has been my journey these last couple of years.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

Love it. Absolutely love it. It's a journey to arriving where where you want to be, where you are authentically happy and truly loving what you do. Because none of it, it does it, it's all irrelevant. Otherwise, it just it's all smoke and mirrors and it's all a show. It is, it's it's a big giant ego stroke. It's great. And I'm I'm just I'm so so happy to hear that you were able to arrive at that space and realize that even every step of the journey has been a great learning experience. But you say, you know, the death of the ego, if you can go through those experiences and be open and willing enough to let your ego die, I really believe that creates so much margin for us to grow uh into who we are, who are who we are currently becoming. Because, well, we've only got a lifetime to figure it out, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:35

Right, right, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

So let's switch gears for a second here. You said that you reconnected with your fiance after 17 years. Let's chat about that for a minute. That's wild.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

Yes. Oh, this is such an amazing story. Yeah. So it was uh 2017, and it was around, it was, I was still owning the gym at that time. And uh the crazy thing is uh he knew that I had this gym. He still lived in Gilbert, which is this area in the city in Arizona, and I never once crossed paths with him in the 17 years that I had lived in Gilbert. So it's just crazy to think that we never crossed paths. And a family member of his actually joined my gym. She became a member. And when I was signing her up, she was like, Hey, do you remember Keith Price? This is, you know, my my fiance. And I'm like, oh my gosh, yeah. Like, how is he doing? He was my first boyfriend. So think high school, the year 1998, 1999, 2000, wearing the Puka Shell necklaces and the Tommy Hill figure sweaters. Like that was me. We have pictures wearing the Puka Shell. And we, he was my first love. He was my my first boyfriend ever. My mom didn't allow me to date until I was 16. And we like literally, like the day of my birthday started dating. And it was, you know, we didn't break, there was no drama when we broke up. It's truly just you're 20, 21. I remember going to college and you just didn't want to be in a relationship anymore. Right. So so fast forward 17 years, Marie's like, hey, this is the cousin. She's like, hey, my cousin Keith, you know, uh, you know, I should reconnect you guys. And so when she said reconnect, I didn't really think like boy, you know, dating or anything like that. I was like, yeah, I'd love to reconnect, like as a friend. Now I wasn't dating at that time. I'd actually just been so focused on my gym. And I didn't really have time for it because, like I told you, my schedule was just all work. Like I, 60 hours a week, I didn't really make time. And also I'd gone through some major heartbreak. So I finally I got to this place in my life where I'm like, you know what? I don't need to date. Like I'm fine. I need to, you know, work on myself and not keep making the same mistakes in men that I had been making, which is like dating the wrong people, dating basically, not to have T too too much information, TMI, but basically dating my dad. You know, I had some issues growing up with like not having a father, and I kept attracting men like my dad, who, you know, cheated on my mom. He left at a young age, just you know, emotionally abusive. And so I was repeating the cycle. And so when Keith came into the picture back again, my high school sweetheart, I had already, I was single for a couple of years. I was like, I was totally fine being alone. I found my groove and I felt good. And we started texting. She shared the number. We started texting and it's like, hey, let's meet up. Let's just do like a you know dinner. And I completely went in with no expectation, no thoughts of even dating. I didn't know where he was in his, you know, I didn't know if he, you know, what was going on with him at all. And we went to dinner. And I remember at that dinner, we spent five hours, like we closed the place down. And from that moment, we were back together. Now he had been married before. He was married for a short time and he had a son. And I came into the picture when his son was two. So he's gonna be, he's six now, gonna be seven in November. So, so yeah, it was um, and we were inseparable ever since we moved in together a couple months later, and we got engaged in 2019. We had to postpone our wedding um last year. It was supposed to happen last year during the pandemic. We had to postpone. So, you know, we're working that out now. But but yeah, that is our story. And it was like this knowing Sebastian. Like it was this, this is meant to be like this is, and I know it sounds so cliche, but it truly is when you least expect it. And there was just this knowing. And I had dated, I had dated, you know, I I remember after some of my bad breakups, going on this like dating, you know, for a year. And you, it's like you know when it's not gonna be, you know, when you're not clicking. And when Keith came back in the picture, it was like boom, this is it. And you just knew. And I know that sounds so cliche for those that are listening who might be single, thinking, like, what is it gonna happen? And it's like, don't expect it to happen. Just be happy and live your life. And the right person will come. And uh that's that's what it was for us.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Yeah, I was gonna say, you you said I was happy, I was too busy, heartbroken, I wasn't dating, you know, all of the things we we we like to tell ourselves on here, and then it's you know, cue the blind side, you know. And out of out of nowhere, our our head is completely spun. But I think we've all been there with relationships. I I quickly arrived at a place um I decided I was single for four years from 2016 up until the beginning of of of this year. And I did that for a good reason because I realized that the common denominator in all of my failed relationships was me. So I was gonna figure out what that looked like, and that all came back with, you know, cleaning up your, you know, just cleaning up your your past mess and trauma and childhood and and and any challenges and hangups that we've had to really embrace and lean into self-love and true self-love is being able to say, if I meet the person of my dreams, awesome. And if I don't, awesome. And once you arrive at that space, I'm 42 and I say that daily. I don't know if that's dangerous or or or or adding or contributing to my to to my situation on here. But I I said that to a friend I was playing tennis with on Monday morning. I said, you know, the thing is is that I'm just really happy, single, like in my own space. Relationships are work and they are a commitment, and it's another project. And I'm an entrepreneur and I get craziness and I get in all of that. But just like you said, we spent five hours at the restaurant and it was just this knowing. I believe that that that God creates the desires of our heart, and then he also makes it explicitly clear when we're supposed to act upon those things. And it sounds like you you had such a beautiful experience there for for for that to go and happen. But um, yeah, it uh you never know the timing. There is no timing. It's like everything else. There's there's not gonna be any perfect timing. There's you never know, you never know what's gonna happen. Just stay open.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

Yeah. And it has, I mean, it actually, you know, when you mentioned commitment and sacrifice, and yeah, I mean, relationships are hard work. I was coming into a situation where someone had a child and I I don't, I do not have any kids. And I had fur babies, which I have one right next to me, but you know, that was a lot of learning. I actually just talked about this on my podcast a couple of weeks ago about the five things I learned being a stepparent and especially stepmom, which can have some other connotations. And so I I had a lot of learning to do because again, coming from someone who always had her own space, like like Sebastian, I was single for a couple of years that I forgot what it was like to be in a relationship. And I'll I'll share a story. Like, even in our first year of being together, I had booked a trip with my friend to Italy. And I forgot to tell him, like, until like three weeks before the trip. Oh, by the way, I've got to Italy. He's like, wait, what? Yeah. And I was like, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Like, I didn't even think to talk to you about it. Right. And that is a learning lesson that I've had to really like be considerate of that you're in a relationship. And not that he would have said, no, you can't go, but just to at least let him know that this was on my mind and my my traveling partner, my friend, who we've gone on trips every single year. This was like on our bucket list, that I just forgot I booked the trip, but I didn't tell him right away because it was in my nature. I was so independent up at that point. So that's something that I've had to learn is to like be considerate of time and to be able to have those conversations and communicate. And um, you know, coming from a place of living by myself and having my own space to all of a sudden there's a child in the mix. I've had to learn a lot. And so there was been some, you know, learning curves and growing pains and all of all of that. So it definitely hasn't been, you know, easy, but never once have I not wanted to keep working on it, right? And so that's when you know it's like this is this is this is my life. I need to work through all the things, and you mentioned trauma, you know, the things that I've been through, maybe the red flags, and we've gone to counseling before, and it only helps us, it doesn't hurt us. So, so yeah, it's you know, it's always gonna be work and it's gonna be a commitment and a sacrifice, but is it gonna be worth it for you? And for me, it absolutely is.

SPEAKER_01 19:44

It seems like you guys have built pretty incredible life so far. I mean, again, the internet tells us one thing, but then I get into an opportunity to have an actual conversation with you after following, and it just seems that you know, you you're doing life right. And it's not for any badge of courage or like, hey, look what I've got. It's just what you've actually created and where you've arrived, which I think is is so because somebody said this on Clubhouse this morning, you know, don't get too caught up on someone's highlight reel.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

For sure. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

When it's that's not the actual movie. I mean, we've got about, you know, the majority of your people only post the good stuff, you know, uh, which you know, that's just the world uh that that we're living in. I try to try to change all that a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

I often be and this is just coming from personal experience of like actually knowing people, but I I kind of feel like the more that you try to show this like perfect relationship online, and for people that I know, like personally, the more that I would see them post about their husbands and the more that they showed all of this perfectness that actually it was quite different behind the scenes. You know, and so a lot of people, you know, will reach out to me. Well, I haven't seen Keith and where is he? And it's like we have a really healthy private life, you know, and it's not something, and plus he doesn't have social media. Whenever I pull out the phone, he's like, please don't film me. Like he just doesn't like it. So I respect that, you know. And um, I often think that the more you share, and this isn't true for everyone, it's very anecdotal, but you know, it's you might want to be leery about how much they're talking about how perfect their life is, because it might just be a facade, which is like you mentioned, it might just be the highlight reel or what they want people to see their life as. Um, you know, like let's take, for instance, you know, the divorce a couple of years ago. And I analyzed, I think I talked about it on my podcast before, but like the Rachel Hollis, Dave Hollis divorce, right? I don't know if you know Rachel Hollis, who wrote Girl Wash Your face. They went through a divorce a couple years ago and they got huge backlash because they had done, you know, marriage uh couple type retreats up until a couple weeks before their announcement of the divorce, right? So people were like blindsided, like, wait, what? I just went to your couple's retreat and I've learned, you know, about marriage and all these things from you. And it's like they you never knew that they were having problems up until boom, we're getting a divorce. So you never know, you know. So you never know what's going on behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Ever, ever. And whatever you're reading online, don't let it shape your opinion because nine times out of ten, it's bullshit. So, well, I have so much enjoyed our conversation and getting to know you better. I know that we've scheduled some time for me to be on your show too, and I really look forward to being able to connect further. Um, that's what this whole that's the blessing of this whole digital landscape is our opportunity to be able to connect with other awesome human beings and put our heads together and do awesome things uh together. So I'm in uh as as we talked about before uh the interview, I'm in uh I'm in Phoenix often because my 20-year-old is a junior at Grand Canyon University. So one of these trips out, I I would love to link up with you and uh we'll do a workout. Get a workout.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

Yes, I would love that. That would be so fun.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Absolutely. Hey, listen, if you're listening right now, you're thinking I gotta get in touch with Felicia. She sounds awesome. She totally is, and you need to connect with her. So all of her links are gonna be available in the show notes. The show notes are the description of this podcast episode in case you're wondering what the heck is a show note. Thanks so much, Felicia. I really appreciate it. Come back to the show sometime, will you?

SPEAKER_00 23:24

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

It's my pleasure. Until next time, friends. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the Beyond the Story Podcast. Be sure to appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you're subscribed to the show. This way you'll get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review. Be sure to appreciate it. Signing off from the podcast, launchlab.com studios. We'll talk to you next time.