The moment is still vivid in my mind. Competing on American Ninja Warrior, focused and ready, then suddenlyâpain. My ACL torn, my athletic identity shattered in an instant.
I found myself in what I now call "the hallway"âthat dark, uncertain space between a door that's closed behind you and the next one that hasn't yet appeared. It felt like my world had collapsed.
But in that hallway, I discovered something powerful: the CTFAR method. This simple framework completely transformed how I processed my injury and ultimately helped me rebuild not just my knee, but my entire mindset.
The CTFAR method stands for:
Here's how it worked for me. Initially, my framework looked like this:
Circumstance: I tore my ACL on national television. Thought: My athletic career is ove
...The moment is still vivid in my mind. Competing on American Ninja Warrior, focused and ready, then suddenlyâpain. My ACL torn, my athletic identity shattered in an instant.
I found myself in what I now call "the hallway"âthat dark, uncertain space between a door that's closed behind you and the next one that hasn't yet appeared. It felt like my world had collapsed.
But in that hallway, I discovered something powerful: the CTFAR method. This simple framework completely transformed how I processed my injury and ultimately helped me rebuild not just my knee, but my entire mindset.
The CTFAR method stands for:
Here's how it worked for me. Initially, my framework looked like this:
Circumstance: I tore my ACL on national television. Thought: My athletic career is ove
...That hallway between a closed door and one yet to openâit's where most people quit.
I still remember the moment it happened. On national television, in front of millions of viewers, my ACL tore. The pain was excruciating, but nothing compared to the doctor's words: "This is a career-ending injury."
Those words echoed in my head for days. This wasn't even my first ACL tearâI'd already been through this in college with my other knee. I was devastated, angry, and completely lost in that dark hallway of uncertainty.
But here's what I've learned about those hallway moments: they don't mean you're failing. They mean you're in transition. You're growing. You're stepping into something new.
When faced with my doctor's grim prognosis, I didn't accept it as my final answer. Instead, I went online and searched for proofâstories of athletes who came back from ACL tears. I found football players and other athletes who not only returned to their sports but had their strongest seasons post-inj...
Thereâs a quote I heard this week that stopped me in my tracks:
âMake sure youâre making decisions from your dreamsânot from your fears.â
I donât know who said it first, but wow⌠it hit me.
Because most of the time, the fear thatâs holding us back? Itâs not even real.
Itâs a story. A pattern. A loop in your brain trying to keep you safe.
But safety isnât growth. Comfort zones donât build courage. And every version of ourselves that weâre trying to grow into? She lives just outside the lines weâve drawn.
So if youâve been navigating uncertainty⌠if youâre trying to do something bold or new or uncomfortable⌠this is for you.
Letâs be real: that fear youâre feeling? Itâs normal. Even the most successful people in the world feel it. But they act anyway.
They ask, âWhatâs actually true here?â And then they move from that truthânot the story.
So Iâll ask you the same:Â Who would you be if you didnât believe that fearful thought?
When I find myself in the messy middle of evolv...
Have you ever felt like you have a thousand tabs open in your brain? That was me last monthâdrowning in to-dos, struggling to focus, and feeling like I was getting absolutely nowhere in my business and personal goals.
Then I discovered the 15-minute brain dump, and everything changed.
Looking back, it's clear what was happening. I was trying to hold everything in my headâclient deadlines, content ideas, personal goals, household tasks, relationship stuffâyou name it. My brain was cluttered, and I couldn't see what actually mattered.
The most frustrating part? I could successfully tackle other challenges in my life (including recovering from a major injury to compete in a fitness competition), but somehow my daily workflow felt impossible to manage.
One morning, feeling particularly overwhelmed, I grabbed a notebook and set a timer for 15 minutes. I wrote down every single thing in my headâno filter, no organization, no judgm...
Have you ever been so stuck in your head that you couldn't even begin to picture what "right" looks like? I recently had someone message me saying she was having a panic attack, and in that moment, she remembered something I said: "What if it all goes right?" That one thought helped her push through the panic, reset her state, and regain control. That's how powerful our mindset truly is.
But sometimes, just thinking isn't enough. When we're deep in anxiety and fogged up with negativity, we have to physically move through it.
Have you ever noticed how animals shake their bodies after a stressful situation? My dog Pepper does this all the time. When she gets overwhelmed, she shakes it out. As her trainer explained, she's resetting her nervous systemâshaking off the stress and returning to the present moment.
We humans can do the same thing. It's called somatic release, a technique used in therapy and trauma work to help the body release buil...
Let me tell you about a conversation that cracked me wide open this week.
I was chatting with my friend Katie Wells, founder of the @WellnessMama podcast, and I was telling her about everything happening in my world right now:
âĄď¸ Stepping fully into motivational speaking
âĄď¸ Growing the podcast (and hopefully starting/ finishing a book and finding a publisher.
âĄď¸ Feeling excited⌠but if Iâm honest, also scared
The same voice thatâs helped thousands of women get their first pull-up? Itâs been whispering things like:
What if I fail?
What if no one gets it?
What if I canât make this work?
Thatâs when she said something Iâll never forget:
âSometimes the fear of whatâs next isnât whatâs actually holding us backâŚ
Itâs the fear of letting go of whatâs known.â
Mic. Drop.
That hit me right in the chest.
Because the truth is, Iâve spent years helping women do the impossible. Getting their first pull-up. Reclaiming their confidence. Overcoming fear and self-doubt.
But now? Iâm evolving ...
I recently recorded a special episode for my podcast that included a five-minute walking meditation designed to shift energy, clear the mind, and connect with our highest selves. I wanted to share why this practice has been so transformative for me and could be for you too.Today I'm walking you through a transformative walking meditation designed to shift energy, clear the mind, and connect with one's highest self. The meditation emphasizes the importance of affirmations, self-empowerment, and visualizing success, encouraging listeners to embrace your best self and reflect on your journey towards personal growth.
We all get caught in spirals of stress, overthinking, and worst-case scenario thinking. I've found that one of the most powerful questions I can ask myself is "What if it all goes right?" This simple shift in perspective can instantly transport me from anxiety to possibility.
The meditation I created co...
Recently, I found myself stuck â unable to even imagine my perfect day. My mind was frozen, trapped in survival mode, constantly fixating on what could go wrong. Sound familiar?
I discovered a powerful approach to reconnecting with my potential. It starts with a simple walk and a profound question: "What if it all goes right?"
During my walk, I began a mindfulness technique. I named what I saw around me â "tree," "sky," "bird" â grounding myself in the present moment. This isn't just random talking; it's a proven method to calm your nervous system and shift out of stress mode.
The real magic happened when I started to imagine my ideal life without constraints. No money worries, no self-doubt â just pure possibility. I challenged myself to picture:
It started with a stormâliterally.
Someone had warned me to move my car inside because hail was coming to Austin. I ignored it. No big deal, I thought.
But when I walked outside to finally move it I had realized I had left my sunroof open đł and opened my car door, it was like opening the door to a fish tank, with some hail sprinkled in. My seats were soaked. Everything was flooded.
I honestly laughed for a second as I drove my car to the underground lot....def a bit frustrated with myself..
Just when I thought I had shaken it off, I got into my (still-damp) car the next day⌠and realized one of my tires was flat.
And then.. I honestly let it ruin my day..
Not just the moment.
Not just the morning.
But the whole damn day.
Because I had plans. I had a to-do list. I had energy. And then life interrupted.
And the truth? I let the flat tire and flooded seats dictate how I felt. I gave away my power. I spiraled into irritation and disappointment.
But he...