On today’s episode, I’m sharing the future of Fed & Fit.  We’ll be talking about where we’re headed, how we’re evolving and big changes for the Fed & Fit Podcast in the future.

episode 200

We’re back with our 200th episode of the Fed+Fit Podcast! Remember to check back every Monday for a new episode and be sure to subscribe on iTunes!

Find us HERE on iTunes and be sure to “subscribe.”

Episode 200 Sponsors and Featured Partners

  • Nutritional Therapy Association – The NTA trains and certifies Nutritional Therapy Practitioners and Consultants with a nutritional foundation that emphasizes the bodyโ€™s innate intelligence and bio-individuality, because they know that a โ€œone size fits allโ€ approach to nutrition does not exist.  Head HERE to learn more about becoming a NTP/NTC through this incredible program!

Episode 200 transcription

Cassy Joy: Todayโ€™s show is brought to you by the Nutritional Therapy Association! The NTA trains and certifies nutritional therapy practitioners and consultants with a nutritional foundation that emphasizes the bodyโ€™s innate intelligence and bioindividuality. Because they know that a one-size fits all approach to nutrition does not exist.

The NTA curriculum focuses on the importance of properly prepared, nutrient-dense whole foods, paired with a well balanced lifestyle. Sound familiar? I love this program so much. Throughout their program, students learn a wide range of educational tools and techniques to identify and correct nutritional imbalances and deficiencies. And students graduate with the education and skills needed to launch a successful career in holistic nutrition.

May enrollment for the NTAโ€™s nutritional therapy practitioner program, or their fully online nutritional therapy consultant program, is currently open through April 26. You can head to www.NutritionalTherapy.com to get more info. The NTAโ€™s annual conference, Roots, is also happening March 1st through the 3rd in Portland, Oregon. Iโ€™ve attended in the past, and can honestly say it was one of the most educational and inspirational nutrition conferences I have ever been to. No joke. You can go to the NutritionalTherapyConference.com to register. You do not have to be an NTP to go; all are welcome.

Cassy Joy: Welcome back to another episode of the Fed and Fit podcast. I am your host, Cassy Joy Garcia. Welcome! Thank you for being here today. Whether you are listening real time, or you’re listening at some point well into the future, it is an honor to speak with you. So todayโ€™s show is going to be a little bit different. And you will see very quickly why.

Iโ€™m going to go ahead; and this is episode number 200. Can you believe it? Episode number 200. I canโ€™t believe it. We started this podcast in January, the very first Monday in January 2015. And now weโ€™re well into 2019, 200 episodes in, and later. And gosh, it has been quite a ride. In this time, I got married. I married the man of my dreams in 2015, in October. I turned a blog into a business. Who knew? Man, when I started this thing I did not know. I had an idea, and a hope, and an inclination. But when you start something new, you just donโ€™t know all the time if itโ€™s actually going to work. Because I didnโ€™t know how to make it work. And I learned that as time went on. So I found a way to turn Fed and Fit into a profitable entity. So much so that I was able to leave my job.

I started the blog in 2011, in the summer of 2011, and that was; it feels like a million years ago and it feels just like yesterday. I vividly remember all of it. In fact, I wanted to start Fed and Fit about a year before I did because I didnโ€™t have a name nailed down. And also, I suffered from that imposter syndrome that so many of us still suffer with. Myself included, on occasion. Because I thought to myself; who am I? Who am I to start this thing, and put my voice out there? I had some schooling, and some knowledge under my belt, and some personal experience, but who am I?

And as time went on, I realized that the value isnโ€™t necessarily in the expertise I might have, but itโ€™s in just the ability to connect and resonate individually. And for those of you who have been listening for the past; gosh, four-plus years. Or around 200 episodes. Whether you jumped in later, or youโ€™ve been with us from the very beginning, Iโ€™m sure youโ€™ve definitely seen an evolution. I used to script out, for example, my entire show notes for the podcast. {laughing} It was a lot of work, and I still think back on it and wonder if it was {laughs}, you know, if that was my pride talking. My ego, that I wanted to have everything scripted, or just I didnโ€™t trust myself. I would write out essentially every word. Iโ€™d do all the research, write it all down, and then I would read my notes on the podcast.

And now, if itโ€™s just me chatting. Which it is today. Then I will make a couple of quick notes because I want to make sure I touch on the bullet-points that I have in mind for the show. But I definitely wing it. And I think Iโ€™ve definitely strengthened that confidence muscle. And just embracing the unknown, and jumping right in, off the cliff so to speak, with somewhat reckless abandon knowing that Iโ€™ll figure out how to fly before too long. So itโ€™s definitely been an evolution.

And for those of you who have been with the show for a short while, or from the very beginning, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But yes. A lot has happened in the last, gosh, since 2011, since I started the business. So 8 years ago. We will 8 years this summer. And in the shorter amount of time since the podcast has been going, a lot has happened.

Like I said; I got married 10 months after we started the podcast. My book, my first book, Fed and Fit, hit shelves shortly after that in 2016. We took the Fed and Fit Project; I was a certified nutrition consultant through the Bauman College program, and I had been working with folks one on one but Iโ€™d gotten to a point where I just couldnโ€™t scale.

And for those; my brothers and sisters who are also working as professional nutritionists or dieticians or nutrition therapy practitioners in whatever sect or schooling you went through, or specific certification you have, anybody who has worked in that industry or worked with folks one on one, you know what a heavy burden and a heavy load it is. And itโ€™s an important one to carry. But when you’re working with folks one on one, they become a part of your family and a part of your life, whether you’re working with them for 30 days, for 8 weeks, for 12 months. And I would work with folks in varying degrees and pathways while I was a nutrition consultant; a one on one nutrition consultant.

And Iโ€™d gotten to a point where I couldnโ€™t work with more than 8 people at a time. Because I just; that was my maximum capacity. That was my maximum load. And man, you guys. I definitely have a large capacity to do a lot of things and handle a lot of things. I think thatโ€™s something I was born with/developed very intentionally over time. Iโ€™ve worked to strengthen that muscle. But I had found that 8 clients was my maximum number of clients I could work with at a time because of just how vested I was in each one of them. The care, and the attention, and just the heart and the mind real estate that each client would take up in an important, good way. Thatโ€™s the most I could take.

And during the time of this podcast is when I also sat down with myself and I said; you know what? If I have it on my heart to try to share some of this information, this wellness, the four pillars of health and help folks find their path to wellness. Their perfect you plan. The healthy lifestyle that weโ€™ve all dreamt of living, but we didnโ€™t know exactly how to get there. If I want to help more folks get there, I need to figure out a way to scale. I need to figure out a way to get myself out of the way. Because I was the bottleneck. And the fact that I could only work with 8 people at a time was definitely standing in the way.

So, since starting the podcast, I also created the Fed and Fit Project. And some of you listening, Iโ€™m sure, are still some of the beta people who helped me launch that. There were 25 of you, and I still get teary eyed and a little gooey inside when I think about the monstrous; just an enormous amount of help and confidence you gave me in that period.

The beta testers came into the Project; talk about go ugly early. I started the Fed and Fit Project; yโ€™all, I did not have a website. {laughs} I did not have a PDF. I had in my brain how I had been working with clients for years, and what had been successful. But how to turn that into a program, I was really unsure about. Because I knew I didnโ€™t just want to publish a diet. Thatโ€™s definitely what I did not want to do. In fact, I wanted to publish the antithesis of a diet.

And it was; I started the project on a private Facebook group. Invited these incredible people, all women. It just happened to be all women. To the page. And I said; ok, hereโ€™s what weโ€™re going to do. Weโ€™re going to spend 28 days, and then three months on this thing, working together to figure it out. Iโ€™m going to share content, and then keep me posted; help me sharpen this sword. Help me figure out whatโ€™s going to be useful, and impactful, and unique and needed in the world. And those ladies did it. They showed up. They delivered. And theyโ€™re still; I still recognize your names when I see you comment and like on Instagram. You still have a very special place in my heart. We did it. We were on Facebook group as the beta round of the project.

I took all those lessons learned, digested them down. Figured out a way to open the project. I used a free online program template. It was not very slick, but it worked. Go ugly early, right? And we went up there, opened the doors. And since launching it online, which I then enrolled into the Fed and Fit book as diluted of a version as I could fit into a book. And it has since helped tens of thousands of people have gone through that program. And it still gives me chills to think about. Itโ€™s a community win. We did that together. So thank you for that. That has happened.

I hired my first person; so yes, turning Fed and Fit into a profitable entity, I also was able to open my doors and bring on additional team members. And let me tell you, that actually was part of my dream from the very beginning. I was actually really reluctant when I started Fed and Fit. I was reluctant to be the center of it. The focus of it.

Actually; when I first started. It took me 8 years, but weโ€™re circling back. When I first started Fed and Fit, I really actually just wanted it to be an online wellness magazine. Full of information that folks could trust. I wanted to sift through the noise, and put good stuff up there that people could use and trust and rely on and that be that. And I just got to be essentially an editor in the background.

And what I learned was; people arenโ€™t just going to trust a random girl on the internet from San Antonio, Texas, unless I actually share who I am and my story and a little bit about me. Right? If I think about it, I wouldnโ€™t have trusted just anybody that I didnโ€™t actually come to know. So I learned the hard way that I had to share more of myself, and thatโ€™s what I did. And in sharing more of my story online, and in work, and in social media, eventually, when social media became a thing. I realized that thatโ€™s where the connection and the one on one connection with you, the readers, and the listeners, is really where I got the most enjoyment out of my business. And in doing that, I was able to achieve this trusted advisor role that I had really craved and carved out for myself as my future job description.

And in doing that, I was able to then expand and bring on folks. Because like I said, my original ambition and intent with Fed and Fit was to create essentially an online magazine. And I wanted to be able to create incredible jobs for incredible people doing really important work that left them feeling very fulfilled. Hard work. Really hard work. We work really hard. But I wanted them to just; their head hit the pillow every night and just feel great about their contribution and what we are providing and bringing into the world. That was really important to me. And I wanted to compensate them really well. And I want to have incredible benefit program. I admire companies like Patagonia and their on-campus school, and the maternity leave thatโ€™s just admirable. I want to build that.

And so, weโ€™re not there yet, but weโ€™re working on it. And that is definitely where my heart and my eyes are set. So in that time, I was able to bring on folks. For example, Amber Golden. I donโ€™t know if sheโ€™s listening to this {laughs}. She might be too busy chasing all those other pieces of important work. But she came into the picture a little over two years ago, so about halfway through the podcast. Joined the team. And never looked back. And I thank my lucky stars that the lord and the universe connected us, depending on who you identify with out there. Sheโ€™s just been an incredible addition to the team, and I would not be where Iโ€™m at if it hadnโ€™t been for her consistency, and her devotion to excellence and thinking through things.

If yโ€™all are familiar with the Enneagram, I am an enneagram 3, Iโ€™m called the achiever. And like all true enneagram numbers; if youโ€™ve ever read your enneagram number, you found it and you identified with it. There are quizzes online, but really if you read or listened to what the descriptions are, you could probably figure out which one you are.

When I read the enneagram 3, I cringe a little bit; and I think; gosh, I donโ€™t wish that on anybody. Iโ€™m one of those people, I get to 80% done, and I say; good enough! Weโ€™re onto the next thing. And Amber Golden is a 1. Sheโ€™s an Enneagram 1. Theyโ€™re known as the perfectionists, or the reformers. The individualists. I think thatโ€™s; reformer for sure and perfectionist for sure. And essentially, the 1โ€™s of the world, theyโ€™re extremely; theyโ€™re just the moral pillars of society. Driven to excellence, and to making things happen.

And yโ€™all, I just have to say she makes me look good. She makes Fed and Fit look good. And itโ€™s an honor to be able to do this work with her. I believe sheโ€™s a unicorn of an individual, and I hope we have many more decades of working together, and expanding our team. Finding more unicorns. And just making the world a better place with whatever gifts and skills we have at our disposal.

So, we did that. And weโ€™ve had more folks join the team since then. She and I work together to spearhead the concept, Cook Once, Eat all Week. Which, as yโ€™all know, hit the blog, which was really truly then a blog, in 2018. Last January. As a mini-series; a meal-prep mini-series that we wanted to share. Because it was a question our readers had over and over again. We kept asking yโ€™all for your pain points. Whatโ€™s your biggest pain point in wellness? What is the thing that you find the most difficult? And the questions we have gotten over and over again was; itโ€™s too expensive. It takes too much time to eat well. I canโ€™t keep my family happy. I find myself cooking so many different meals. Iโ€™m exhausted. Iโ€™m burned out. When I cook all this stuff, and I plan all this stuff, and I buy all these things, and I have so much food waste. People were reaching burnout so fast and lacking motivation to really make it happen.

Amongst other pain points, which we have folded into the future of Fed and Fit, which Iโ€™ll go over in a second.

But we took our notes, put our heads together. And I had kind of roughly hacked my way into a meal prep method that worked for me, because I thought to myself; thereโ€™s got to be a better way than sitting at my kitchen table, spending hours planning. Coming up with all the recipes I think weโ€™re going to want for the week. Writing them all down. Putting together a grocery shopping list that was organized by sections in the store. And then figuring out prep day; usually a Sunday in my house, and in many peopleโ€™s homes. Figuring out on Sunday, on prep day, what do I need to do when?

Itโ€™s kind of like planning a Thanksgiving dinner. When do I need to put the turkey into the oven, and when does the stuffing need to go in, and when does the pie need to go in? I should probably do that the night before. I think I can do the cranberry sauce at the last minute. All of those mental gymnastics of figuring out what happens when.

So we were like; what if we reduce that burden, and we figure out a way to meal prep better? Because there has got to be a better way. And thatโ€™s where we came up with cook once, eat all week. And yโ€™all, Iโ€™m so dang proud of that concept and our soon to be book. Because when it hit the blog in 2018 as a mini-series, also as a way to warm up for my maternity leave, we were absolutely flabbergasted. Blown away by the feedback and the reception. You guys used it, and loved it, and begged for more. You were like; yes, finally! A meal prep method that makes sense. My family is happy. My grocery budget looks better. And Iโ€™m spending an hour in the kitchen prepping versus 6 to 8 hours prepping, only to eat leftovers that I have to reheat all week long that Iโ€™m bored of by Wednesday.

And so the feedback was incredible. And we decided that; well, weโ€™ll just entertain this thought and see if my publisher, who had published Fed and Fit, would be interested in turning this into a real deal print book. Called them up. And sure enough, they were game. Of course, this was literally the day before Grayson was born. And I was almost two full weeks past her due date. And I believe babies come on their birthdays. I wasnโ€™t in any kind of rush. I joked that I had reached the end of my to-do list; which was an aggressive to-do list before baby was born. And I was bored for 5 minutes, and so thatโ€™s when I pinged Amber and said; hey, letโ€™s set up a phone call with the publisher and see if they want to chat about Cook Once, Eat All Week. Because this is blowing my mind.

And they said, very kindly. {laughs} They said; Cass, you know, a lot is about to change in your life. So you just maybe take a minute. Have a baby. And if you still want to do this thing in a couple of months, then weโ€™ll definitely get the ball rolling. And of course, we were all in.

So, in this span of the podcast, I had baby girl Grayson Joy. She was born in January 2018. So healthy. We were so happy. And it couldnโ€™t have happened if it hadnโ€™t have been for my incredible husband. Austin and I had just, for as good of a postpartum experience can be. And itโ€™s definitely a big deal; itโ€™s a big thing. Your bodyโ€™s have gone through; ever since now having a baby, I find myself congratulating the mothers on the birthday of their children, because by golly that was a big moment in their lives. And we just had a great postpartum experience.

I had built myself three months of maternity leave. Amber ran the ship, and she did it wonderfully. And I was itching to come back and provide more content. We put our heads together and worked really hard on Cook Once, Eat All Week, the book. We expanded the concept into 26 weeksโ€™ worth of meal prep; 6 full months. And we wanted to include a variety of dietary considerations. Itโ€™s the same concept we had online, but we wanted to make it even better. We wanted the prep days to be even more logical. We tested them thoroughly.

If youโ€™re listening and you were a recipe tester for Cook Once, Eat All Week; thank you again from the bottom of my heart. The book is this incredible high-quality content because of you and your touch. So thank you so much. All of your questions you ever asked about freezer instructions, and whatโ€™s the best way to store it in the refrigerator and the freezer and how do I defrost it from frozen to refrigerator. For all these different kinds of dishes, we included that.

We included a portion compass, if you’re cooking for one. Or two. Or four. Or eight. Or if you want dinners for three nights, or you want dinners for 7 nights a week. We have an index, and a guide to help you figure out how to get that done. So that you have more time back in your day. You can have it all. We want you to have it all. I want you to be able to get a healthy meal on the table that your family is going to like that is friendly on the budget that is made with healthful, healing foods that didnโ€™t take all day to prepare, so youโ€™ve got more time to spend how you want. And that you can feel good about. Itโ€™s fresh dinner. Itโ€™s not necessarily just leftovers. I want you to have it all, and thatโ€™s what we set out to create with this book.

Confidence. More time back. A budget friendly meal plan. And something that your family will really enjoy. We set out to do it. It hits shelves officially on April 23rd, but the early feedback based on the preorder bonus eBook that we put together as a thank you for everybody who has preordered on Amazon, which makes a huge difference in the life and trajectory of a book. Thank you so much. There are almost 4000 of you, which was our goal of preorder. Push goal was 6000 until April 23rd, so weโ€™re trucking right along. And weโ€™re going to keep spoiling you with all the other assets we having coming your way. More gifts coming your way. But the early feedback has been phenomenal. So weโ€™re really optimistic. Thank you for grabbing that book. Thank you for supporting Fed and Fit the book, and the project, and everything else.

So thatโ€™s kind of whatโ€™s happened in Fed and Fit. Let me tell you about where we are going. Ok, so this episode; I donโ€™t want to say itโ€™s been overdue. A where weโ€™re going episode. But it has been a long time in the making.

So, just to give you a little bit of context, if I rewind the clock just a touch, and I go back to; again, right after I got back from my maternity leave in. Iโ€™d given myself a 3-month maternity leave, but after about 2 months, I had cabin fever and was ready to do some work. I had just too many Grayโ€™s Anatomy episodes later {laughs} because newborns sleep a lot, and I didnโ€™t quite know what to do with myself. And of course, I rested. But I was ready for something at that point in time.

We decided that we wanted to work with a brand manager. I needed somebody to work with that we could trust that could help us see the forest through the trees. Right? Because you know when you’re just so deep in and immersed in your own project, itโ€™s hard to see the landscape around it? I wanted someone to look at Fed and Fit the business and tell us; what donโ€™t we know that we donโ€™t know? Whatโ€™s in that blind spot? How can we take this; weโ€™re working our little tushies off. I felt like I was on the hamster wheel. Spinning, spinning, spinning. And weโ€™re providing great content for our readers, but can we be doing better for them, and more for them, with being a little bit more strategic.

So we brought in a brand manager to help us identify that. Help us really nail down what are the core pillars of Fed and Fit that are married and a soulmate to our readers biggest pain points? How can we really provide them incredible content on a consistent basis that answers questions? Maybe Iโ€™ll have before you really know that you have them. So it provides confidence and just quality when you really need. Maybe even before you know you need it.

And that was our goal. We started working with them about a year and a half ago. And in that process, we decided that we were going to relaunch Fed and Fit. Redesign. Same name. Different logo. Different colors. Slightly different content vertical. And a content vertical, for example, means if you think about a column in a magazine. We have a food column, and a fitness column, and a home column. Moving forward weโ€™re going to have a motherhood column, which will include baby, of course, and things for mama. Weโ€™re going to have a travel column; all of those things. But really get purposeful and intentional behind it, and figure out; how do we give you the best content possible.

So thatโ€™s what we developed. And part of that process, of course, was the new branding package. The new colors and the new logo and the new look. Which we will be releasing very soon. An initial release at the end of April, and then weโ€™ll be rolling out the full new website in June. And it is massive, you guys. Weโ€™re going to have a shop.

So many of yโ€™all have asked; what are your favorite kitchen tools? Or what are your favorite baby sunscreens out there? For those who are wondering, itโ€™s Badger Baby Balm is my favorite baby sunscreen. And when theyโ€™re a little bit older, I like Beautycounter sunscreen. By older, I mean older than a year old. Then I would transition to Beautycounter. But before that, Badger Baby Balm.

But all of these questions. And Iโ€™ve been thinking; wracking my brain. Because I hate having to send you to 100 different websites constantly. So weโ€™re going to put all of that on www.FedandFit.com. Weโ€™re going to give you a consolidated concise shop with all of the favorites. And all of the things that are the resources and the options that we have cultivated and have kind of passed our sniff test of quality and what really makes sense for our wellness; healthy lifestyle. So thatโ€™s coming. So many things. So weโ€™ll be launching that.

And with that, comes a slightly different approach in how Iโ€™m going to be showing up in the business. Iโ€™m still going to be me. Iโ€™m still going to be the major force on Instagram. Youโ€™re still going to be seeing me, exactly how you see me now, on stories and occasional in the actual feed. Youโ€™ll see my face. But also on the website, I will be offering you a look ahead on the month. So our content; weโ€™ve been working to get ahead as much as possible.

So weโ€™re studying the trends. Weโ€™re studying the biggest questions you’re asking. Like, right now, for example. Celery juice is very googled, and lots are folks are asking our opinion on it. So for example, weโ€™re going to look at those things out ahead of time. What are the questions yโ€™all are going to be looking for in May? The month of May. In summertime. In September. In November. In December. What are the questions you’re really going to be asking, and what are the resources that will really support you?

For those who have kids at home, and you’re going to be going through summer together, we want to give you things that are really going to be useful in the travel column. Like, what are 10 budget friendly things you can do in just about every city with your kids to entertain and enlighten them during the summer? Weโ€™re writing that article for you. And in order to write it, Iโ€™m bringing in subject matter experts. Iโ€™m bringing in my favorite people who I think are the dang smartest at these subjects. The most intelligent. The top of their field. Theyโ€™re going to work with us to provide this content on Fed and Fit. So weโ€™re going to raise the bar, and itโ€™s going to get better and better.

And then I will give you a letter and a video at the top of every month telling you whatโ€™s coming to get you excited. Iโ€™m going to tell you what recipes are coming that are my favorite. What articles, like those 10 budget-friendly things to do with your kids in every city. Those things Iโ€™ll be able to give you a roadmap of whatโ€™s coming up. So that will be on the website, when we relaunch, eventually.

And, we will also be working towards, at one point, a cooking show. And I believe that we will house it on YouTube. Of course, weโ€™ll also have it published on the website. But we are building, finally, a Fed and Fit office and studio. We all work somewhat remotely, and then we come together to my house in San Antonio, Texas. The team does. For our โ€œwork daysโ€. But weโ€™re building an actual office, and we get to break ground in just a short couple of months and hopefully move in by March of 2020. Itโ€™s so exciting, we canโ€™t wait for it. Weโ€™re going to have a real deal studio kitchen, and a living room to bring in guests, and offices, and Iโ€™m just so excited about it. So thatโ€™s coming.

And weโ€™re going to do this cooking show. And my dream with is it is to essentially have dinner with friends. Invite a friend. Letโ€™s say; gosh, Bethany McDaniel. You’re the first friend thatโ€™s come to mind. Again, I donโ€™t know if you’re listening to this show. Bethany is the incredible owner and founder of Primally Pure. Itโ€™s one of my favorite safer skincare companies out there. They create truly natural skincare products that are just lovely. Itโ€™s a spa-like experience with natural products. Iโ€™ve been obsessed since day one, and the products have only gotten better.

And sheโ€™s built an incredible impressive team. Her husband has a pastured farm that they work on together. Sheโ€™s just an amazing human, outside of that. And she has two incredible children, as well. So the idea for the show would be; invite Bethany to San Antonio. I invite her; Iโ€™ll fly her into San Antonio, and I cook her dinner, in the kitchen. And we film it. And we have dinner together. And maybe we open a bottle of wine, and we talk about kale, and my favorite ways to cook kale. We get to show recipes by creating a meal with a friend. And itโ€™s a way for me to interview her, and show you guys more about these incredible people that I have had the privilege of connecting with. And also nourish my friends, because itโ€™s my love language, and itโ€™s the thing I enjoy doing the most.

So keep your eyes peeled for that. Of course, we wonโ€™t be able to start filming until we move into the office in early to mid-2020. And then weโ€™ll film. And weโ€™ll publish them in actual seasons. So 8 episodes a season; weโ€™ll have a spring and a fall season is the plan. So thatโ€™s coming down the pipe.

And then my plan is; the thing Iโ€™ve enjoyed the most about the Fed and Fit podcast. And you may have seen the writing on the wall, since I started this episode. But, the thing Iโ€™ve enjoyed the most about the Fed and Fit podcast has been my ability to chat with you guys every week. When I started the blog; Iโ€™ve always known that Iโ€™m much more enjoyed talking. I have the gift of gab, as my family members would probably say. I have the gift of gab. I love chit-chatting. And Iโ€™m a much more gifted chatter; chit-chatter than I am necessarily a writer. I think Iโ€™m a begrudged writer, and I have some writing skill because Iโ€™ve just honed it for decades. But I much more enjoy; itโ€™s much easier for me to connect and show, I feel like my true self with the spoken word.

So that is really why Iโ€™ve enjoyed the podcast, and why I wanted to create it in the first place. To give us another landing page. Another opportunity to connect with you guys. And a way to chat through big topics. I wanted to be able to talk about; for example, white rice versus brown rice. Thatโ€™s probably one of our more downloaded podcast episodes. And I broke it down. Because itโ€™s a question I get all the time; why do you make white rice all the time? Why not brown rice? I thought brown rice was healthier. And I broke it down for you.

And I wanted to do that verbally, because I want you to hear with my words and hear the inflection behind the intention is; it doesnโ€™t really matter. Here are the facts; here are the reasons why I choose white rice. Hereโ€™s whatโ€™s going on with brown rice. And if you’re curious and you want to know more, pull up that episode. But, hereโ€™s whatโ€™s going on. But at the same time, you do you. Choose what makes you happier. And this is the reason why I choose white rice. You choose your own path. And I feel like you have to hear someoneโ€™s sincerity so that it doesnโ€™t just instill more panic in the world, right? Because thatโ€™s the last thing I want to do is have people freaking out on how they can perfect their plate even further.

So itโ€™s another reason why I enjoy the podcast. I enjoy the podcast also because I was able to do these reverse interviews. And you guys, that was like a happy accident, stumbling across this idea and inviting readers in to come onto the show and essentially interview me. But we get to have a 30-minute coaching call. Right? Mostly always mindset related. I love that more than anything. I love being able to have one on one conversations. I miss my one on one practice. And that really scratched the itch. And allows me, again, to connect on a deeper, more meaningful level with you. And I know that you listen to them, and Iโ€™ve gotten the feedback that yโ€™all love the reverse interviews as well.

So, I want to maintain that. I want to maintain it all. I want to maintain the voice of reason in nutrition and the wellness space and fitness. I want to maintain that voice of reason. I want to give you the nuggets; the pearls. Sift through all the noise and all the madness out there. Hereโ€™s what you actually need to know about celery juice. And Iโ€™m going to give it to you so that you can feel empowered to drink it or not drink it. Right? You make the decision thatโ€™s right for you. Weโ€™re going to boil away all the noise and give you the pearls. Right? Weโ€™re going to give it in a no-rules sort of perspective.

Weโ€™re still going to do that moving forward. Weโ€™re still going to do that. Youโ€™re going to find that on www.FedandFit.com. You’re going to find that in our newsletters that weโ€™re going to be sending to you. The free mini-courses that we have coming your way, if you are part of the meal-prep mini course. You know what phenomenal content that was, and that is just a taste of what is to come. We have so many more free mini-courses headed your way based on the content that you’re really curious about.

So, thatโ€™s going to have a place moving forward on the website. Weโ€™re going to present that information. The reverse interviews are going to have a place, because Iโ€™m going to start bringing some of that to social media. Stay tuned. Weโ€™re going to figure out exactly how to do it moving forward, and weโ€™re going to fine tune. Iโ€™m going to go ugly early, as I always do, and then weโ€™ll fine tune from there.

But I want to bring that to Instagram. Whether itโ€™s an Instagram live. But if you write in and you have a really great puzzling mindset question. And I think it would be a good fit, I might to schedule an Instagram live, and we get to have that conversation actually face to face. Not even on the phone. And open it up for others to watch, and listen, and potentially learn from. So thatโ€™s going to have a place moving forward.

The mindset topics that we talk about here, Iโ€™m also going to transition to social media. Because thatโ€™s where you are mostly anyway, and I want to give you one place to go and really be able to consume the best content. The television show is where weโ€™ll be able to really just kind of have the most fun together and the biggest picture. Have those interviews; bring in those expert interviews, and be able to converse with friends and colleagues and be able to introduce you to some wonderful people. That will have a place moving forward.

So, this brings me to the great big announcement; is that this episode. Sorry it took me so long to get here; itโ€™s a Band-Aid that Iโ€™ve been slowly ripping off because in a lot of ways I know Iโ€™m going to mourn the loss. But Iโ€™m also excited about where weโ€™re going. But this, episode number 200 of the Fed and Fit podcast, is our last episode here.

I will be keeping the entire bank of episodes up, so itโ€™s not going anywhere. If you are a brand new listener to the show; donโ€™t you worry. Itโ€™s all going to be there for you. Itโ€™s not going anywhere. The library will always be there. If you still want to refer your friends to that white versus brown rice episode. Or if the five unconventional ways to reduce stress episode is something that you want to listen to every once in a while, donโ€™t you worry. Itโ€™s not going anywhere. Itโ€™s always going to stay here.

And, I am going to take this content, and I am, in an effort to always figure out a way to do better for and by you, Iโ€™m going to take the energy that goes into this show and figure out a way to continue to do that. To do better for and by you. I am going to keep producing great content, and weโ€™re going to make sure weโ€™re delivering it in a way that really benefits you.

So with that, comes another mini-announcement. Iโ€™m not leave your podcast app entirely. I am; the details are still slightly under wraps, but weโ€™ll be able to announce it very soon. I will be launching a brand new show, a business related show. So itโ€™s something that Iโ€™ve not given you before. Todayโ€™s episode was kind of a taste of it. But a business show moving forward. Iโ€™ll be teaming up with a very dear friend on that podcast. And the two of us will be going at it together. Weโ€™re going to have some great conversations. Weโ€™re going to talk shop in your ear every week. And itโ€™s going to be a slightly different format. The nutrition, and the wellness, and the fitness, and the travel, and the mindset is a part of who I am so it will be a part in one way or fashion of the show. But itโ€™s going to be a place where we can really talk shop.

But thatโ€™s something that you have been asking me for that I have not really found a great way to deliver. Is business advice. Itโ€™s a question Iโ€™ve gotten a lot. So thatโ€™s going to be a really great avenue. And Iโ€™m going to be able to bring in one of my trusted friends and advisors; my own personal business pace partner into the picture. I bet so many of you can guess. Maybe you have an idea; maybe you donโ€™t have an idea, and youโ€™re scratching your head and puzzling who it is and what it is. But it will be announced very soon. Iโ€™m very excited about it. You can expect the first episode some time this summer. And heavy teasing before that.

So, to close. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here. I really believe that the Fed and Fit podcast and your listening to it, and your providing great feedback, and insights, and letting me know what resonated with you. The screenshots that youโ€™ve posted onto your Instagram stories, tagging me, telling me that you enjoyed an episode and why, and how it made an impact on your life. The fact that yโ€™all have been doing that for the last 200 episodes; several years.

I want to tell you that I really believe it was this show. This show gave me the confidence to pursue the business with even more gusto, and even more belief in what weโ€™re up to. I really do believe itโ€™s a community effort. And if it hadnโ€™t been for your support, and your listening, and your providing feedback, I really donโ€™t know that I would have pushed it. Maybe I would have; but I donโ€™t know that I would have done it at the pace that I did. And that I am. And will continue to pursue going forward.

So, thank you, so much for your support. Thank you for listening. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for leaving reviews. Thank you for following on Instagram. Fed and Fit, thatโ€™s where you can find me as you want to get more information moving forward. Be sure to check out www.FedandFit.com for all the information, and the new release of the website also coming late spring.

Thank you for preordering Cook Once, Eat All Week on Amazon. Itโ€™s available for a crazy discount right now, which is so great. Grab that preorder bonus so you can get started with the content sooner than later. Thank you for preordering that. And if you’re listening to this after that comes out on April 23, 2019, thank you for buying it. That is also a tremendous amount of support.

And for those who have been wondering, we will actually be hitting the road for a book tour. Iโ€™ll be announcing all of that information very soon. And I cannot wait to see you, if weโ€™re coming to an area at all near you. I would love to see you.

But thank you so much. This podcast opened up a world of possibilities, and the biggest, most important one that it opened up was belief in what weโ€™re up to, and the confidence that this is a community. Itโ€™s not just me. And thatโ€™s what I always wanted it to be. I always wanted it to be a community. I always wanted it to be a team effort. And itโ€™s because of you; because you showed up, that weโ€™re able to do this together.

So, with that, I sign off for the last time on the Fed and Fit podcast. And it has been my honor. I usually say weโ€™ll be back again next week. We will not be back again next week here, but I will be back on Instagram with a gusto, so you can catch me there. On the website. In print. And then, of course, in the upcoming television show, which will be housed on the website and on YouTube. And in the upcoming, very elusive, podcast that Iโ€™ve got coming out.

So thank you guys so much. Itโ€™s an honor working for, by, and with you. And I will talk to you very soon.



About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


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