Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa Touzinsky . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lisa , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I have taken significant risks throughout my life; personally and professionally. One of my favorite risks came when I was a young 21 years old. I traveled very little as child, but visited the central coast of California with my mom, sister, and aunt when I was 20. I decided, when walking along Cannery Row, that I would live there someday. Little did I know, my impatience and thirst for adventure would translate into me moving the following year. I had one year left of undergrad and realized if I busted my butt, I could graduate early and move to California for six months before starting grad school. And so I did. I committed to extra time and effort at school, worked more hours at the grocery store to save money, and hatched a plan to drive across the country a few weeks after graduation. I had $1,000 in the bank, no job and nowhere to live. (Bless my parents. We didn’t have cells phones or gps trackers.) I hit the road with a paper rand-mcnally map and a pure, starry-eyed love for freedom, independence, and adventure. I had figured out I needed to make $5.75/hr to afford a cheap apartment. I ended up landing a job as the social services director at a nursing home ($14.50/hr!), used boxes from the grocery store as furniture, and slept in my sleeping bag on the floor. I fell in love with the misty, foggy air of the central coast, the constant sound of seagulls and waves, the rugged coastline and mountains of Monterey, scuba diving in the dark of night, sitting on the beach reading and drinking slurpees, and the overall feeling of living a life that soaked up experience and nature.

I never think of my risks as risks. Conversely, I think of not taking risks as risky. The idea of being confined and just going through the motions of life terrifies me. It makes me feel suffocated.

I headed to grad school a different person. One who knew that exploring and really submerging myself into my desired way of living was my path. To this day, I love the freedom and peace that come with my life choices. I tend to live life in a way that might be slightly unconventional. And I love it. I prioritize the “risks” because the alternative isn’t the life for me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started off as a social worker, specializing in working with people with chronic and persistent mental illness. I have a great passion for mental health in general and believe mental wellness is evident in everything we do. After having children, I transitioned to a career as a personal trainer. I created content for my clients that married physical and mental well being. I always employed a direct and honest approach to my training programming for clients. Eventually, I landed in the field of nursing. This career allowed me to focus on science: biology, psychology, physiology, kinesiology, pathology, and sociology. No matter what career I was pursuing, I have always approached life in a very transparent and real way. I’ve never been into gimmicks or small/vapid talk. I hope that over the years, the people I have worked with would say that the honest and real relationships I tried to create were helpful to their lives. In general, I am so grateful for my current path. It was born of passion, hard work, and intuition.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I am me. For better or for worse. I am honest, direct, and a straight-shooter. I found that the people/clients who were meant for me, found me. I give 100% to my clients and because of my passion for life, I have a passion for helping my clients tap into their passions as well. Outside of my innate passion, I work hard to educate myself and believe that I give a quality offering to my clients. I believe a solid reputation is built on authenticity. I was fortunate enough to build a business in which I trained clients at Nite Ize, a fantastic company in Boulder, as well as training clients at Customized Nutrition and Exercise, a gym in Boulder where I rent space. I capped my client numbers and had a waitlist for the majority of my training career. When I began working as a nurse full time, I held onto five clients whom I’d trained for over 10 years. I worked hard for my reputation in the wellness community, and I am forever grateful for the trust people placed in me.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I believe that people respond to authenticity. It is so important to be real and to help people navigate all of the life/work experiences. Not just the fun and easy ones. Life is full of ups and downs. Nothing is permanent. We can count on riding the high waves and dragging in the trenches. All of it is part of the process. I think it’s important to frame our life experience in reality. Things aren’t always sunny. Sometimes we feel really crappy. Sometimes life sucks. It’s important to have access to people who fill us up and breathe life into us. I spent a number of years with someone whom I likened to a person who is hired to break the spirit of wild horses. I was not able to see, while in the relationship, how damaging it was. I am now acutely aware of the energy and the attributes that people bring to my life. I have taken this with me as I manage a team and work to keep spirits high while doing work that can be very hard and draining. One of the most important things I can share with people who are given the honor of managing people, is to choose your team wisely. Do your own work, and then put people in your circle who reflect forward movement. Again, life will be a little bit of everything, but framing the life experience in a way that encourages individual and team growth will always yield positive things. Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to look stupid. Don’t be afraid to start over. Be SUPER afraid to be stagnate. High morale is bred in an environment where the experience is valued and people are supported.

And one word about goals… It’s important to chip away at our goals. Take on life one day at a time versus being overwhelmed by the big picture. Small steps lead us to big changes. And some times hard work and small steps lead up to disappointment. It doesn’t always go the way we want it to go. And that’s ok. It’s actually exciting. Imagine if everything went exactly how you thought you wanted it to go. Boring!

It is so salient to accept that morale will ebb and flow… so goes life. Respect the process and have in your toolbox, the activities, people, personal character traits, and visions that bring hope and keep you on a path of wellness.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: LisaTouzinsky
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