How to Turn Your Trials into Triumphs with Fitz Koehler

Courtney Elmer - 00:00

When you're going through a tough season in your life or business, it's so easy to fall into automatic survival mode, where you wake up in the morning with this tight feeling in your chest like you can't breathe. Where you're so busy in the course of your day that you're eating on the go, you're not hydrating or taking care of yourself like you know you should, you're yelling at your kids for no good reason, you're snippy with your spouse, and you complain about your clients being needy whenever they ask you simple questions because you just don't have the energy to give anymore.

And if this resonates with you, then listen closely because my guest here today is going to help you explore the mental frameworks that are causing you to feel trapped within your situation in life right now. And what you need to do to get out of survival mode and reclaim your mental health and get back in the driver's seat of your life.

Courtney Elmer - 00:57

Globally ranked among the top shows in business and education, we are known for helping overworked online business owners navigate the ups and downs on the way to seven figures. Each week you are going to learn how to get the right systems, structure, and support in place so you can build a self-sustaining business that thrives in a rapidly changing digital environment and grow through what you go through to create greater income, influence, and impact you deserve. This is AntiFragile Entrepreneurship.

Courtney Elmer - 01:29

Welcome back. You're listening to AntiFragile Entrepreneurship™. This is episode 175, and if you're a longtime listener, then chances are you've heard my story about what it was like to get diagnosed with cancer at 25 years old as a newlywed and what it was like to go through that experience.

And the mindsets that helped me and mindsets that were not helpful during the season in my life. Because when it comes to antifragility, the very definition of that means growing as a human, as a person, because of what you go through. So this idea of growing through what we go through sounds great on the surface, but it can feel really hard at the moment.

Courtney Elmer- 02:21

And this is why I've invited Fitz Kohler here on the show with me today. Fitz is a fellow cancer survivor who knows first-hand what it is like to face unexpected obstacles and come out stronger on the other side. She is also an accomplished keynote speaker, a fitness expert, and a professional announcer for races across the country. And today, she's here to share with you her incredible wisdom on how to face adversity head-on. On how to maintain a positive outlook, even in the darkest of times, even in those most difficult moments, and how to not let the difficulties you face stop you from doing what you've been put on this earth to do.

Fitz, welcome! Thanks for being here today.

Fitz Koehler  - 03:18

Aw, thanks, Courtney. Very excited to have this discussion with you.

Courtney Elmer - 03:24

Likewise, you know, I've been reading about you and learning about your story and all that you have been through. And solidarity, sister. I mean, just knowing someone who has walked the cancer journey. I just resonate with your story and your mission so much. I relate so much.

And that's where I'd really love to start with you today because I'm curious to know how you would say that your experience in going through Cancer and having that diagnosis changed your approach to fitness, health, and mindset and how you have leveraged that experience to come back stronger and better than before?

Fitz Koehler  - 04:02

Yeah, so it's interesting. Quite often, when people hit a fork in the road, such as cancer, they think, oh, I need to change this thing. I need to do something differently because time is short. Life is sweet, right? Instead of cancer, and instead for me, cancer just solidified the foundation I had already built. So I am more of me thanks to cancer. I haven't pivoted at all.

Fitz Koehler - 04:24

In fact, I've gone full steam ahead, very aggressively on fitness & mindset. Even more so now, it's interesting, even though I suffered greatly at some point during my treatment. I had 15 months of chemo, which I think is a very long time to have chemo, and I had some surgery and radiation built into that, but at some point, when things had really deteriorated for me because my chemo was so nasty, my doctor said he goes Fitz you are doing great.

And I was a little bit of a basket case that day. I was bald and grey, and everything was wrong. I was violently exploding every day for five months at that point, so sick. Fingernails were ripping off and all this stuff.

Fitz Koehler - 05:01

And I said, why are you saying that? I am not doing great. I am a mess. He said, no, Fitz, you're doing so well. And I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I said, Dr. Gordon, why would you look at me and say I was doing great?

Fitz Koehler - 05:14

He said, Fitz, you are suffering. That is true. He said, however, because you are so healthy and fit coming into this cancer nightmare and you're committed to health and fitness throughout it, you have been able to get on dozens of planes flying all over the country, corporate speaking, race announcing. You have done more than most healthy people do in a year.

With the nastiest concoction of chemo drugs I give anybody, he said, so I'm not saying you're suffering, but if you weren't so committed to health and fitness, you wouldn't have not only been able to travel, you would have been in the hospital for a month. You probably would have had a feeding tube, so yes, you're suffering, but all those things you are, the things that you are, have really gone a long way to keep you upright. And that really resonated in my mindset.

Fitz Koehler - 06:01

So not only was I passionate about fitness and my career and helping others live better and longer before I started the cancer nonsense, but that conversation right there was a real aha moment that, yes, this does matter, and I never had a doubt, but he reinforced it even more. So yeah, your question is, what did it change? It just made me more.

It made me more of who I am, and instead of taking a year and a half off and resting like many people would have suggested, I decided my career was worth fighting for, and my income was important, and those stages I stand on, I've earned, and I wasn't going to give them up, and so yeah I mean cancer has just made me double down, it's made me double down, and I'm so appreciative of life and joy and family and career; all of it is so important. 

Courtney Elmer - 06:53

That's incredible because you're right. Most people would be like, oh, I'm out. Okay, stop everything. I have cancer, you know, and it's very unexpected. None of us ever expect to get that kind of diagnosis, right? And it can really derail you.

And for me, there was a period where I took a little bit of time off, and I was just really questioning the path I was on in my life, and it caused me to really have a wake-up moment of this isn't the path I want to be on, so let me make some changes. For you, you are already on the path, and it is just further reinforced for you.
This is the path I need to be on, which is incredible. But what I'm curious to ask is, did you see that coming?

Courtney Elmer  - 07:37

And whenever you got that diagnosis, was it something that you were like, how? I'm fit, I'm healthy, how? Why me? How me? 

Fitz Koehler - 07:44

So I was living my best life. I was actually at a, so I announced races, but I was actually at a race running a race. So I'm very athletic, doing all the right things. But I never had a why me moment because I see babies with cancer, and I think, you know, they've done nothing wrong. They've done nothing to deserve it to earn it. So I've never had a why me moment. I think, why not me? And I think that has helped because I don't think self-pity has any benefit. Now was I sad and stressed? You betcha.

Fitz Koehler - 08:15

I had plenty of sad moments, and I probably cried every day of that entire year and a half. But I never basked in it. I never basked in grief, and I chose perspective, and pursuing my passion was really big. So, mental health, the fortitude was something thank god I walked into cancer with. Cancer just sharpened that knife. I'm even more deadly with my mental health & strong mindset now. It's hard to wipe the smile off my face.

Courtney Elmer- 08:45

I love it. I see your smile for those listening. You cannot see this, but Fitz has the most beautiful smile, gorgeous white teeth. She is radiant. And Fitz, mental fortitude, Gosh, I love that phrase. I'm curious. If cancer didn't help you develop that, where was it in your life that you really feel was a moment where you began to develop that mental health? Or is it something you've just always had and just always carried that optimism and that joy within you? 

Fitz Koehler  - 09:13

So I'm a joy addict. I was born happy, and joy is definitely on my side. I'm very fortunate for that. In fact, I feel very sad for people who err on the side of sadness. It's got to be really difficult. You know, I looked back to my high school days when my older siblings were elite athletes; they were on the state championship team and offered scholarships in various sports. As for me, I liked to play, but I wasn't naturally very good at that point. And so I kept trying out for things, and I kept getting cut.

Fitz Koehler - 09:43

I think I probably got cut from almost every team in my high school; before I made a few, I would come home crying after not making cheerleading or softball or volleyball. I had never even played volleyball. Why would they choose me? But I came home very sad. I just wanted to be on the team and wear the uniform, and my mom would say, this is building character. I would say I'm enough of a character for crying out loud. I just want to be on the team.

Fitz Koehler - 10:08

Yeah, those early rejections where at that point they seemed like the end of the world, they sharpened my knife; they sharpened my ability to be resilient. Early on in my career, people told me no a lot, nobody likes to hear no, but I could have taken those nos for answers and sat back and done something else, or I could have said, okay, buddy. I'm going to figure out a way to make it a yes, and I did.

Perseverance goes a long way, so yeah, I'm a bit of a handful sometimes. I want what I want, and God forbids somebody or something my cancer gets in my way. I will stomp all over it. Thankfully, everything I want is good for everybody. It's all health and happiness and so forth mindset, but yeah, I'm happy to stomp on cancer if it gets in my way.

Courtney Elmer - 10:52

Yes, one of the things that you are known for is just being noisy and compelling and even bossy, but I'm curious to know, how would you say that these unique gifts and qualities have really worked to your advantage to build the career that you've built? You mentioned getting told no a lot in the early days and encountering that rejection. You mentioned, okay, I kept going; I didn't let it stop me.

I thought it almost; it almost made you; it almost drove you to continue going, right? Because I was like, no, what's going to tell me no, which is such a beautiful quality. I'm sure listeners are envious of it right now, and I'm even thinking to myself, gosh, I only had a little bit more of that, right? A little bit more of that drive.

So I'm curious to know, Fitz, how would you say that those unique characteristics of YOU, your YOUness, have really advanced your career and helped you continually improve and grow? And my follow-up question to that would be, how can someone listening start to recognize the gifts they have within themselves and begin to use them to their advantage in that same way?

Fitz Koehler - 11:54

Yeah, so that's a lot to unpack. So I found this passion for teaching fitness very early on. I started about the day I turned 15. I was hired to work at a women's gym and teach classes, fell in love with it; not only the practice of teaching fitness, but I loved helping people. And so, you know, a passion goes a long way, right? And then, I pursued excellence and expertise.

I went and got my master's degree in exercise and sports sciences. And, you know, it's interesting in fitness because People will come to you asking for advice. They call them to ask holes. They ask for advice, and then they don't take it, right? They eat up 30 minutes of your time. Offer guidance, and they don't take it.

Fitz Koehler - 12:32

But this thing really matters. You know, it's not like you ask for guidance on what color to paint your house. This is literally life and death. This is quality of life or terrible life, and we only get one. So I am really passionate about fitness. Now, I never give unsolicited advice. So I would certainly never walk up to somebody and say, hey buddy, you need to lose some weight.

Fitz Koehler - 12:51

Let me tell you how. However, those who come to me for advice always get the truth, so I'm never selling a diet, pill, powder, supplement, weight loss supplement, and snake oil. Hey folks, if you're listening and there's someone trying to sell you a weight loss XYZ, you know they're fraudulent, like stiff-arm them and walk away. They're not your friend; they just want your money.

But yeah, so people will come to me and say, Fitz, my back really hurts, and I'm really overweight, and I need to make a change. I don't want to have a heart attack, and they say, okay XYZ, and then what they do is they'll pelt me with excuses, well, I have kids, I can't eat healthy, well I have a job, I can't exercise.

Fitz Koehler - 13:30

And then it's my obligation to lean in, look I'm dead in the eye and poke them in the chest, and that's where that bossy and that's when that noisy and hopefully the compelling skill of being compelling comes out because It matters, right?

So I'm not afraid to lean in on people and shake them, rattle them, roll them, poke them in the chest, and tell them why they need this and what the dire consequences may be without it. And yeah, the kindest feedback I ever get is, and I get it all the time as people come over and say, Fitz, thank you for the brutal honesty. I needed that.

And so if I become rambi rambi about fitness, then I don't know, I might not Grab people and convince them to do better. So I think those skills are important. Sometimes I think my delivery is a little blunt force, and maybe somebody might not like it, but that's okay.

I'm not here to please everybody. I do my best, and if I'm not your cup of tea, fine. Go talk to somebody else who's a fitness professional.

Courtney Elmer - 14:27

Well, the fact that you take full ownership of that is such an inspiration because, for so many people out today, building businesses, we've got more competition we're up against than ever. And there's a lot of saturated industries, right?

Fitness might be one of those where it's like, you know, fitness coaches are a dime a dozen, but you stand out because you embrace who you are. And I think there's so much to be said about that, and I want to unpack that with you because I think a lot of people listening, myself included, have had moments where we struggle to embrace who we are, first of all, to recognize our voice has power, to recognize our unique gifts and qualities actually, matter and actually are valuable to people.

There are people out there who need them. So for someone listening right now who's here going, oh my gosh, I wish I could have the gumption and just the presence that Fitz has. If I could just have half of that, my goodness, what would you say to them?

Fitz Koehler  - 15:22

I think having the knowledge backs it up. It's got to start with actual expertise and experience. So before you start hitting people over the head with your content or your ideas, make sure they're accurate, right? Go learn the most. Practice as much as you can. Be the best.

You're right about fitness. There's a bunch of people with some sort of certification out of a crackerjack box. It means nothing. Perhaps there's someone with a hot body who got this crackerjack box certification, and then they're not someone I'm trying to compete with; I don't look at them for guidance at all, but hopefully, if they're looking at professionals, not only myself, there are others that are highly credentialed and great at what they do, hopefully, they're looking, saying, okay, how to do I up the ante?

So if you want to be able to be the foremost authority and a voice of reason, a trustworthy voice, You just gotta put in the time, and follow your passion, whether it's a college degree or there's a trade school or an internship program. There's an opportunity for you to learn as much as possible. At some point, I felt like I had surpassed all the information in the fitness industry. I know this stuff. So where did I go? I started reading journals for physical therapy and journals for cardiologists.

Fitz Koehler  - 16:37

I just wanted to know more about the human body. I stand in my lane, I never pretend to be a doctor or a physical therapist, but sometimes it's really beneficial to have all of this extra information in my head, so I think it really is your personal pursuit of excellence that will make you that trusted resource that when you speak, people will listen and hopefully they will thrive because of it.

Courtney Elmer - 17:01

Yes, and then to follow up with that, then what would you say to those people who get stuck in the knowledge base? I think that's an easy place to hide. It's one thing to have the knowledge, but it's not a thing to have the knowledge and then go act with it. There can be a tendency, and I've seen this a lot. I see this with my clients often, is that they want to consume all the information, but as I always say, if you're filling your mindset with too much information, then you don't have any room for your own ideas to come through.

Courtney Elmer - 17:30

And we see that happening a lot, especially when I work with a lot of coaches and consultants who kind of get stuck in that piece. But what I'm hearing you say is it's both. It's having the knowledge and the expertise and also doing something with it. So what would your advice be to those people who just say, I love to learn. Sure, I could do that for the rest of my career, but I still hide because of it.

Fitz Koehler - 17:48

Right, so if somebody is in the coaching, and I don't consider myself a coach per se, but if somebody is in that type of work, well, you have to hone your skills in communication. And maybe if you don't know who you are, maybe you're going to practice some different skills. So my delivery is very straightforward. My mission is to make fitness understandable, attainable, and fun. So all my books, all my presentations, it's all in very layman's terms.

I talk to somebody who's Let's pretend they've never exercised the day in their life, which is impossible because we're born doing that, right? But, you know, I try to talk to maybe an eighth-grade level, someone who can understand the concepts and understand that they're attainable, and then make them fun. So, communication is what I do, and if you're a coach or a leader in some regard, that's got to be yours; I highly recommend Practicing your style, seeing what feels comfortable with you, but then Toastmasters, for example. It's no fun!

Fitz Koehler - 18:48

To speak with a professional who's going to stammer constantly, umm, and ah, and like. If I were on television saying things like push-ups or like really good for like your pics and like your back and like your biceps, they would throw me off the set and never invite me back. And so it's about getting the information from your head into theirs in an understandable way that's eloquent and enjoyable. So those things come with practice.

Courtney Elmer  - 19:16

Yes, so it's the learning and the practice, the implementation too, which it is so important. And I'm sure, you know, I'd be curious to find out actually in your experience as a keynote speaker, race announcer, right? You've had a lot of these opportunities to communicate.

Courtney Elmer  - 19:33

And I'm sure being in the fitness industry, you know, you've seen a lot of changes. A lot of challenges within the industry. I'm just curious to know, speaking professionally for a moment, how have you adapted to those challenges or changes, and more specifically, what strategies have you used to make sure that you're staying cutting edge and that the work that you do is always relevant?

Fitz Koehler  - 20:00

Yeah, so I'll say the biggest pivot I ever had to make was during the COVID nonsense, and a lot of people had that same thing. For me, it was appalling to hear a government, all these government people who quote-unquote, We're worried about our health, yet they said things like, "Don't go to the gym and exercise, right? Don't go into public parks and exercise; stay home, hunker down, and order fried food."

It was crazy to me, and what happened is I had about 45 live events booked. Most of the work I do is live in front of an audience or a group of athletes, and I was basically fired 45 times in one week. It was canceled, canceled, canceled, canceled, which was infuriating.

And so my big pivot was to say, if that, I'm going to create an online business too. So I instantly got online and started with video production. I turned my audio podcast into a video podcast and then let people start giving me money for it. That was a big pivot for me. As far as staying cutting edge, you know, it's interesting.

Fitz Koehler  - 21:06

The information and fitness don't change. Right? Our human body is what it is, no matter what people try to tell us. The biceps are the biceps. There's only one way to work them, and that's by bending your arm and so try to keep them up to date on the new equipment and the new tools and innovative things coming out, and you know that's not really the bread and butter of what I do.

I Look for a little more humor in the situations I find. When I show up at the start line of, say, the Los Angeles Marathon, my job is to get those people engaged and informed but then also entertained. Sometimes you could get stuck with a shtick where you're saying the same stupid jokes over and over. Well, guess what? The same stupid athletes are coming to hear your same stupid jokes. They are going to get bored, right? I say stupid athletes; I love them all so much.

So, I'm constantly looking at what else we can talk about in the same scenario. What kind of addition can I bring to make them laugh to calm them down? There are 22,000 people, and some of them are pumped up and ready to go; they want to win or have personal records, so I have to figure out how am I going to drag the best out of these people right now. How I'm going to set them up for as much success, and then those people that are scared to death and they're super nervous and have a weak mindset, how do I get to them and calm them down?

So as far as cutting edge, for me, it really is about trying to be thoughtful and just connecting with people on different levels.

Courtney Elmer  - 22:34

You know, there's so much value in that Fitz because in a world where we're always looking for the silver bullet, the next strategy, the next secret hack that we can apply to get a million followers, whatever it is, all these silly things that people are out there, I consider that as the snake oil, the snake oil tactics.

And being in the business space, I see this happening a lot, and people chase these shiny objects because they're looking for the fastest, easiest way to succeed. They might not go about it saying, oh, I'm looking for the fastest way, right? But because they're in so much pain, suffering, and frustration of it not working, they're willing to do whatever in order to succeed.

It's a lot like fitness in the sense that you can't just go do one workout and expect to have six-pack abs and like this amazing bikini body. It's consistency. It's every day, and I know people harp on consistency all the time.

Courtney Elmer  - 23:29

But where I'm going with this is what you said at the very end, where I really just try to be thoughtful about and think about what people want. That's right; there is knowing your audience and then bringing your unique gifts to the table. To say, here's how I can make an impact on these people. Not the world, but just these people that I'm here to impact. And let that be your cutting edge. That is your cutting edge.

Fitz Koehler  - 23:57

Well, I hope so. I hope so. It's interesting, and I think in most of our professions, there's a lot of repetition.
We're good at this thing, so we go and continue doing that thing, but at some point, it will get stale if you don't update it. For some people making underwear, okay, you're going to add some new fringe to those panties, and if you're making makeup, you're going to change the colors.

And for me, I have to change my words, I have to change my tactics, and yet, there are some consistent things. When I get on the microphone every single time, there's always a big joy, there's a clear delivery of the information, and there's this connection. I get out at the finish line when people are coming through, and many of them all wait, and they give me hugs, and I'll run them through the finish line. That's something I'm not planning on changing anytime sooner. 

Let's say I break both of my legs. I'm going to continue these recordings for people to listen through. That's a Fitz Koehler specialty, and it works for me. And, whoever you are, know that there's the thing that people are coming to you for. I just saw Mcdonald's changed up their burger today. It's supposed to have more melty cheese and softer buns. And okay, but don't you dare touch our french fries, right? And, of course, I'm a fitness pro saying it. I know McDonald's fries are delicious, so you might be able to change the cheese at McDonald's. But don't touch those french fries, so know what your french fries are and stay committed to them.

Courtney Elmer - 25:20

Yeah, so important, so good, so simple, and something that so many people will walk away from this episode and fail to do.

Fitz Koehler - 25:26

I hope not.

Courtney Elmer - 25:28

I hope not, either. And for you listening, I'm not calling you out, right? I'm challenging you. I'm challenging you. Don't just let this be another podcast episode that you listen to and that essentially goes in one ear and out the other and that you walk away from and do nothing with. Fitz has already given you some very practical things that you can apply today, right? Figure out what your french fries are. You know, for a lot of us listening, you might not know what that thing is. Go start asking; get curious.

Courtney Elmer - 25:57

Do an assessment of what it is that you value, what your unique gifts are, and what you bring to the table. That's so important, and it's the work that we have to slow down to do in order to go fast. How's that saying? I think a famous athlete said this, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.

Fitz Koehler  - 26:16

Oh my gosh, I was just with the Coast Guard. I hosted Coast Guard Marathon, and they were talking about being drowned in the water virtually. The Coast Guard puts them in these fake, plain cockpits and dumps them in the water, and they have to free themselves. They have to get out with all the equipment, and they said slow is fast, fast is smooth, you know, whatever. So I've actually heard that when they say it, and I do try to move a little slower to get things down a little more quickly sometimes. That is very good advice.

Courtney Elmer  - 26:44

Yeah, when I think in a world where things move so quickly, we try to keep up, which really just creates pressure and stress. At least, it does for me. I don't know. Maybe that's not a general statement. Maybe it doesn't work for everybody. But I feel like that's where I know I resist, whether it's in my fitness training. Whether it's with my macros, whether it's with sending an email to my list, or recording a podcast episode, right? Sometimes at the moment, it can feel so slow.

Courtney Elmer  - 27:12

It can feel like we're not making much progress at all, but it's those little deposits that we make every day that pay out over the long run, as it certainly has for you in your career, just hearing you share your story here today. So I'm curious then, can you tell us in your overall journey As an entrepreneur, as a fitness professional, and as a cancer survivor, what has been one of the biggest lessons that you've learned that has helped you stay in the game? 

Fitz Koehler  - 27:44

One of the biggest lessons I learned was how to get past that fear of rejection. And that was a big thing for me, and I'm going to go back a lot of years, but I was maybe 20, 22, and I was competitively kickboxing. I fought for almost 10 years in a ring. That was my sport.

And at that time, many national magazines in combat sports and martial arts those guys wanted to do articles on me, which was really very lovely. And so they would sometimes fly me to Los Angeles from Florida, they would take all these beautiful pictures, and then I'd be at home, and I'd go to the bookstore, pick up the magazine, and the pictures were beautiful, but then the article was terrible. They'd butcher my name, which I think is, You know, reporting 101, get the person's name right, right? But then they would have worse makeup quotes.

Fitz Koehler - 28:37

So I, at that time, was not only a fighter, but I was getting my master's and ESS, and I wanted to have that exercise for sciences. I wanted to be seen as an expert. You know, when they were interviewing me, I was giving guidance and tips, and sometimes they would just make up tips that made me look like a moron. And so every time I'd go to the bookstore to get this magazine, I would get more and more frustrated. All the articles were terrible. And what I really wanted to do was write the article. I was afraid to ask, much like I was afraid to ask for a lot of other things.

And then, one day, while I was training, it was maybe two weeks after the fight. So, things were pretty intense in the gym. It was me versus four or five opponents. I leave, I get my gym bag, I go to a bookstore, I get that 8-page magazine spread on me, and I leave it. And again, garbage. Garbage information, and I just think, Oh my Gosh! I wish I could just write the article.

Fitz Koehler - 29:28

And then, it turned on me; I had that lightbulb moment where I find, you dummy, you go and stand in a ring surrounded by thousands of people with an opponent who wants to knock you clear and conscious mindset, and you are afraid to ask if you can write an article? What's wrong with you? It just dawned on me after two years of suffering, so I went back to the gym, and I picked up the phone, and I called I don't know Bob with XYZ magazine.

I said, Hey Bob, It's Fitz Koehler. "Hey Fitz, how are you doing?" I said I'm great, Bob. I've got a question for you. He said okay. I said I would like to write an article for you, and he said, oh yeah, that'd be great. And then he followed up by saying, how much money do you need? And I thought he said yes, and he is going to give me money. I'm so excited, but then I also thought, oh, what a buffoon I have been to prevent myself. I stripped myself of opportunity and joy, and money because I was fearful.

Fitz Koehler  - 30:25

I'm fearful of what? Hearing the word No? From that point on, my philosophy has been, and it's stuck with me hard; if it does not cause bleeding, bruising, or broken bones, I'm going for it. And so that really has changed the direction of my career because I've put my hand out to introduce myself to everybody I wanted. I've picked up the phone every time I want it. I've written the emails, and getting past fear will probably be the most important thing any professional can do.

Courtney Elmer - 30:54

I love that. Put that on a sticky note, and paste it on your computer where you see it every day. It's so practical, and sometimes we just have to get out of our own way. That's really what it is and how often we sit in our own way because we're comfortable there, but we don't realize it's become a comfort zone of sorts, and we live there.

But we got to just take the wool off of our eyes and see our life for what it is because we get one life, and this brings us back to where we started this conversation Fitz and where I'd love to end it. You know, you're an inspiration. There's so much that you have accomplished and conquered and overcome in your life.

For you listening right now, if you're going through something that you're struggling with in your life, whether it's personal, Whether it's health-related, mindset, financially related, maybe your relationship, maybe your business, take what Fitz just said to heart.

Courtney Elmer  - 31:51

What can you do? And I think sometimes it's these simple small perspective shifts that really open up the doors for us to not let those things get in the way. To not let those things stop us from doing the work and being the person who we're really here to be and helping the people who are here to help. So Fitz, thank you for being here today to share your story with us. For our listeners who just resonate with you, and your energy, they want to follow you; they want to connect with you and learn from you; where can they connect with you? And you have a few books, too as well, right?

Fitz Koehler - 32:39

I do. I do. Thank you. Fitzness.com is my homepage for everything that's F-I-T, Zebra, and N-E-S-S.com.
So the word fitness with my Z is in the middle, and there are all sorts of free resources and an online training course. If you want to get into the weeds of fitness and get all of your questions answered, and be sent off on your way for a lifetime of a healthy fit body that fits in your life with a Fitness course. But I do have 3 books. And there The Cancer Comeback Series, My Noisy Cancer Comeback, is a memoir that's something anybody can enjoy. And I think there we talk a lot about mental fortitude. And then there's this healthy cancer come back. Your Healthy Cancer Comeback Sick to Strong. That one's a guidebook.

Fitz Koehler - 33:13

So what I'm hoping, Courtney, is that none of your listeners have cancer. I hope none of them do. But I'm confident every last one of your listeners loves somebody with cancer. And so Your Healthy Cancer Comeback is a blueprint. It's the guidebook that will hold their hand through their diagnosis of any sort of cancer and help them utilize nutrition, exercise, quality risk, and complimentary care to get them through their cancer battle while preventing decline because that's a big deal; it's slowing the decline. How do you keep your strength and flexibility and mobility, stamina, and strong mindset? That's a big deal.

Fitz Koehler - 33:49

So that's in there, and it will help bring your favorite cancer patient out of the hell they're in and get them to fit and vibrant and even athletic again. And then there's also the Healthy Cancer Comeback Journal. These books are helping a lot of people, and I'm very proud because neither one of us could help the fact that we've got cancer. Okay, we had it. This was really an obligation I had because when I hit rock bottom after treatment brutalized me, I never had a doubt that I would return to physical greatness and athletic adventure.

I never doubted why because I'm a fitness expert, and I knew exactly how to set the strategy to rebuild my body, but at the same time, man, I felt agony for my peers. All of those millions of cancer patients and recent survivors who had been Brutalized and had absolutely no clue how to get back to any sense of normalcy.

Fitz Koehler - 34:44

So Your Healthy Cancer Comeback. My goal, as you know in the book, is what to expect when you're expecting. Pretty much every pregnant woman on earth gets that book. What I'm hoping moving forward is every cancer patient on earth will end up with Your Healthy Cancer Comeback in their hands, and we can get them into remission and prevent recurrence with good habits.

Courtney Elmer - 35:04

Well, let me just say thank you for writing those and for just sharing from your heart so openly to help and impact and inspire other people. It's amazing; thank you for being here today. It's truly been an honour.

Fitz Koehler - 35:17

Thanks, Courtney.

Courtney Elmer - 35:18

And thank you so much for joining us today on another episode of AntiFragile Entrepreneurship™. Now if you want to connect with Fitz, then make sure you head to the show notes so you can follow her online and get a copy of her book for maybe for yourself, maybe send copies to a friend; we've linked all that in the show notes for you so you can go and connect with her and continue to learn from her.

Courtney Elmer - 35:40

And if you liked this episode or if you know someone who this episode would really be meaningful for right now, It would mean a lot to me if you would hit the share button and send it to a friend. And if you've been a longtime listener and you haven't left a review, scroll down in your Apple app, tap the 5 stars, write a sentence or two, and let me know what you love most about the show. And as always, if you want to connect with me personally, come hang out with me on Instagram. I'm there @thecourtneyelmer, and I would love to see your face in my feed, and I'd love to see you in my DMs.

Courtney Elmer- 36:14

Next week on the show, we're talking about the surprising secrets to building a binge-worthy brand. What does it mean to be binge-worthy? What are the steps that you can take right now to stand out in this increasingly competitive online space? We're talking about all of that and more next week here on the show, so join me right back here, and until then, let's go out and grow through what we go through together.