164. Bring Your Sh*t with Tevia Celli

Transcript: Intro: Welcome to Words That Move Me, the podcast where movers and shakers, like you, get the information and inspiration you need to navigate your creative career with clarity and confidence. I am your host, Dana Wilson, and I move people. I am all about the tools and techniques that empower tomorrow's leaders to make the work of their dreams and live a full life while doing it. So whether you're new to the game or transitioning to your next echelon of greatness, you're in the right place. … Dana: Can you or can you not hear the toilet flushing in the background right now? Hey, everybody. <laugh>, I'm Dana. Welcome to Words That Move Me. I'm stoked you're here. I'm really, really, really, really, really, really, really excited, um, about this episode when I was doing my like, end of 2022 kind of reflection wrap up. I was looking at words that moved me thinking about the podcast and asking myself what went well, and getting to talk to my heroes is one of the things that goes well time and time again with this podcast. I love getting to have conversations one-on-one, uninterrupted, not distracted, not like at a restaurant or in class, but like in a fricking virtual room <laugh>, where we're just looking at each other's faces on screen. Getting to talk with my heroes is the coolest fricking thing, and I want all of you to have a podcast someday so that you can experience this. Today, I am talking to one of my biggest heroes in my life, and I'm super stoked about her because I don't think most of you know her. She's not a dancer, she is not a choreographer. She is somehow in some sort of ways tethered to the entertainment industry. However, Tevia, my guest today was my first ever and best ever spin instructor who I met while I was, uh, working for Justin Timberlake way back in 2007, we think. I think that's how that chronology worked out. Anyways, you'll get to hear a great deal more in the episode about my introduction to spinning, my introduction to Tevia, who is now an absolute fitness industry mogul. She is an entrepreneur, she's a teacher, she is a mother. She's a great many things, but mostly she's a gift. This episode is a reminder to breathe. This episode is a reminder that nothing is forever. This episode is a reminder that we are all human, and in that we are capable of doing such great things. Um, thrilled to throw you to this conversation with Tevia, but first let's do some wins tonight. Today it's daytime. Today I am celebrating that. Last night I hung out with Riley Higgins, our executive assistant and editor of the podcast, to help her chip away at her list of movie musicals she has not seen. I told her I would be happy to do that as long as I also had not seen said movie musical, and I was shocked by the we, we select them randomly with this online software. And, uh, so you like, you kind of enter all of the titles and then software randomly selects and the title, what's Love Got to Do With It came up and I was like, is that the Whitney Biopic Embarrassed? What's Love got to do with it? Definitely 100% Tina Turner. And yes, it was the Tina Turner biopic starring Angela Bassett from 1993, Angela Bassett and Lawrence Fishburn plays Ike and whoa, it really rocked me. Wowed by the choreography, by Michael Peters and I, I think Angela Bassett did an exceptional job capturing the physicality of Tina Turner. It was, it was a treat and a terror to watch. So if that is something you are interested in celebrating, go get you some. What's Love got to do with it? I watched it on Amazon. Riley's list of movie musicals that she's watching will be up on her Instagram. I will tag that in the show notes. Um, but we also, little Plug, have a movie club channel in the words that Move Me Community, the words that Move Me Community is a online only coaching forum. Um, we have two tiers of membership, $5 a month at, at the moment today in 2023, $5 a month gets you daily creative prompts, monthly playlists, 24 7 access to the Slack, a monthly video lesson from me and, uh, a community event. Usually virtual, sometimes in person once every single month. But in that 24/7 access to Slack, you have this movie channel where we can keep up, comment, critique, and in general, you know, talk shop about dance on film, movie musicals, and just films in general. Sometimes it's really fun place to be. We also have a class dispatch so you can tell who is teaching in your area and when a wins channel where everybody celebrates their wins. And I guess that's probably a good time for me to wrap up this win celebrating the movie club, celebrating the movie with Riley and celebrating Wow, Tina Turner's resilience Ho Lee. Shit. Okay, that's it for me. That's my win. Now you go, what is going well in your world? (wins music) … All right, my friend. Congratulations. Keep on winning, keep on being resilient. I, I, resilience is not the theme of this conversation that I have with Tevye, although I do think of her as one of the most resilient people I know. And after this conversation, I have way more insight as to why. So without any further ado, I gift the the one and only Tevia Celli., … Dana: My friend, my long time friend and hero, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for being here. Tevia: Thank you, Dana. It's so great to be here. Thanks for having me. Dana: Oh, man, I'm stoked. I really, I'm not gonna lie, I woke up early today. I don't usually record this early because of the voice. I like for it to get to warm up. Uh, it's nine and I was up at seven to be on the bike to be channeling you <laugh>, your discipline, your power, your freaking godness. Um, so I've already worked out. I already went and got a coffee. I'm home. I'm having a human kind of day. I'm thrilled for you to whip me into shape right now. I'm ready to be inspired by you. I'm ready to shoot the shit with you talk shop, even though our shops are different, I'm pretty excited to talk more about that. But first, we'll just start with me stopping all of this blabber and yielding the floor to you. You can introduce yourself, tell us everything you want us to know about you. Tevia: Not everything, but a lot <laugh>. Uh, my name is Te Elli. Uh, I, uh, am in the fitness industry. I've been in the fitness industry for 25 years. Um, opened the first indoor cycling studio back in West Hollywood in 1998 before a lot of you youngins were even born and have really watched the evolution of indoor cycling and been a pioneer of it. And now, um, and vice president of experience for CycleBar, which is the largest indoor cycling franchise in the world. We have over, uh, 270 open studios, uh, by middle of this year will be about 320, um, in different countries. Uh, so, uh, I've been around a lot. Um, prior to indoor cycling, I was a private investigator. Love this, love this In front of you. I, I've, I've had some careers. I ha prior to that, um, I worked in finance for Rockwell, uh, pricing out bills and materials for the space station. Uh, I didn't know that. Didn't know that. Didn't, didn't know. Had a jour I've had a journey <laugh>. So, uh, that's it. It, I'm a mom, uh, two amazing kids. And I did not get up early and work out this morning. I got up early and, you know, made lunches for my kids' schools, Uhhuh, <affirmative>, got them fed and got them to school one by seven 30 in the other by 8:00 AM which Is to me sounds like a workout. That's a It was, it was, it's a little bit of a workout. So I have two kids, um, whom I love very, very much. I'm married to a powerhouse woman, uh, wife of mine. Uh, so, uh, life is good. Yes. Good. Did you jump in the sweat bag this morning or No, I didn't. No sweat bag. Okay. I did. I'm, but I do love my sweat bag. We'll get there. Fire nose. We'll get there. I, I wanna, I love a morning routine discussion, so we'll talk about that. But first, uh, let's start at like our beginning when we met. Yes. I think it, it must have been 2007 because I was either on or rehearsing for, or maybe it was, I think it was during my first tour with Justin Timberlake, uh, who at the time his personal assistant was his cousin Rachel Yarro. And Rachel was an avid spin student of yours. Do you call them students, clients? What is, what's the word? I, you know Yeah. Clients. Well, Rachel is like, certainly if, if she is still a student of yours. She's like one of my favorite teachers. I just love the way she does life. Um, and she agreed. Same. Yeah, right. Mine too. She nails it a hundred percent. She nails it and I've gotta have her on the pod. Um, so she dragged me along to I think a 6:00 AM class one day. I had never been on a stationary bike before ever in my life. It, uh, it definitely felt very intense in the room. The sun wasn't up yet. I was like, what am I getting into? I could tell it was about to be intense, but what actually happened? Tevia a shit. You not, I felt wind in my hair on that fucking stationary bike. You your words. The energy of that room. I genuinely felt a breeze. That wasn't the air conditioning, because I don't think you let that stay on. I don't remember. It's not a hot class, but it, anyways, I don't remember. I just remember being drenched in buckets at the end, but I felt like I was moving and I think it was you that was doing that. So, um, can you tell me a little bit about tho that chapter of your spin instructor career? There was a lot going on in your life. Um, yeah. And, and how did, where did you find your magic? What did you, what were you doing? I asked eight questions. I do this all the time. You can just choose anyone you asked me. Like I got, you can choose any one of those. I'm just excited. So I, I never set out to be a, a fitness instructor mm-hmm. <affirmative> ever. Um, even when we opened Body and Soul, we, um, ended up doing so, and I was the business person. Mm. Okay. I was not ever going to teach. Um, and I ended up, I mean, I loved indoor cycling so much. It was the one workout that I could lose myself in the music. I feel like I'm singing m and m song right now, but oh my God, I love <laugh>. It is, it is that moment where, you know, in that 45 minutes, it goes by like that. Especially if you love music. And for me, I, I remember I was never a gym person. I mm-hmm. <affirmative>, softball, uh, you know, athlete and, and so forth. But when, uh, the first time I took a indoor cycling class, I walked out and threw up. Yes. And I was like, never, never again. Oh, I've come close. I've come close. And then, yeah. And then, uh, my partner at the time was an a was gonna start teaching, and this is before we opened a studio, and she's like, comeback, just one more time. So I went back and this instructor, uh, it was in this makeshift room that had all sorts of stuff in it. It was a gym slash bar yoga, whatever. So it was like 10 bikes mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And she played Betterman by Pearl Jam. All right. And I'm, I'm, I was in, you plugged in, I'm in, I'm in. I can work out and hear that. Like, I was like, this is, and if you don't know this, that song, people go go, I know it's, it's like mom and dad and maybe grandma and grandpa play it, but it is, it hooked you. It hooked me. So I knew from that point on, it's something I loved. And so I randomly, uh, had an instructor, a sold out instructor who didn't show up for class, and it was a sold out class. And, um, I called Janet up and, you know, said, Hey, you gotta come down here and double because no one's there. And she goes, no, no, you do it. You know how to you, you've been doing, you can do this with your eyes closed. And I was always that person who never wanted to be in front of people. Mm. I was a pi. I mean, I like, you know, I like to the behind us Behind us behind us back. Yeah. And just kinda watch, I'm an observer and so for me to be up on a bike in front of people is so not me, but I just did it. I took Janet's playlist from the day before. It was a cd. This is back when you CDs, right? I was just talking about this with Riley the other day. Yeah. Now people, like, there's what is the use? Uh, like Yeah. Yeah. What is the use? Like it just, just excuse beyond. She used to, when she started, it was like tapes. Right. Right. So, um, it was cd I put the CD on, I just made it work. Uhhuh <affirmative>. And I think from that moment on, it was done. Right. My future was written. And I think think it was just being authentic. Uhhuh Right. It was like, I wasn't trying to be somebody. I wasn't, I wa I didn't learn how to do it. It was just everything that I felt every time I got on that bike just organically came out. Yeah. And then, you know, I think that's even what I tell instructors now when I see them or mentor them or talk to them is, is, is just be authentic. Yeah. Like, don't try and be someone else. Don't try and be spiritual. Don't try to be like, just be whoever you are. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> on a bike. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And then it'll be received. Cuz it won't be forced, it won't be faked, it won't be copying it, it it'll be you and you're gonna mess up mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And there are gonna be times where you're not your best self. Just like you're not your best self on certain days. Um, and that's just kind of how I approached it from that first point on. And I'm like, oh, I can do this. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And, um, and that, that's kind of how it started, you know? Man, it's wild to hear you tell that story because when I met you in 2007, question mark, you had been at it for quite some time, right? When did you start teaching? I didn't start teaching until 2000. Okay. So I met you in 2007 in my, in my eyes you were like the guru and it's possible that your not my best days of classes were probably my favorite classes because you were dealing with your human shit in front of me, inspiring me to deal with my human shit and like, literally put it in front of the bike. So it's funny you say like, you were up there in front of all those people, but there was two things in between you and the class, and that was your shit and our shit. And we were just poling through it, trying to like meet in the middle and Yeah. I, I, I was obsessed. I would go to your six o'clock class, which mean, which meant leaving the valley at five 30 and I would've been at class until midnight or like hanging at some house party until two in the morning. And it meant that much to me to have that place, to have you as an example and to have a community that was not my typical community. Like Yeah. These, I was, I was probably, me and my brother, my brother, I would pick up for a certain time. He wasn't here for this entire chapter, but I would pick him up on my way. He's three years younger than me. We were by quite a, a margin, the youngest people in the class getting roasted by the 40 plus year olds around us. Yeah. And that also is a great feeling. I love that feeling. Um, so, oh man, it's just, just like, take me back, take me back to my 20 year old nieces And my, that was a fun time. It was a great chapter. Right. That was a great, it was a great chapter. I mean, I, I look back at that chapter and that period where it was like, it just this, those people in that room. And I also, I often say this too, it's it, and I say this to, you know, we have I think 2,900 instructors. Uh, and so every once in a while I'll get on and do a all instructor call. I'll join it mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I always say to them, it's like a, at the end of the day, it's the people who are meant to be in that room. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> are meant to be in that room. So when, if I'm having a day where I'm not, I'm going through it. I don't necessarily need to pretend that life is fricking perfect and flawless when it isn't. Right. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, that's part of being authen authentic, but also part of trusting that everyone is meant to hear mm-hmm. <affirmative> whatever comes out at that moment, but the different types of people mm-hmm. <affirmative> in the room. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it's like the people like you might not have ever had a friendship with that you're friends with now. Right. That, you know, it's like I look back at like, you know, just this diverse group of friends and different walks of life Yeah. That I'm friends with different age groups Yeah. That I'm friends with. Um, and thank God it was all that 6:00 AM 8:00 AM on the weekend kind of crowd. Yeah. That we just walk through so much. And I think that, I think that when you are able to come together with people like that and you're there for your best days and your worst days, you could be going through the worst time of your life or the best time of your life. Yeah. But you're in a room and collectively you could be sobbing, but you feel safe sobbing next to the person that you don't really know. Right. But you see every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, um, and it's enough. Yeah. That energy holds space for you to let go of whatever you need to let go of and bring in what you need to bring in. It's So rich tev, it's the magic of being a teacher, especially of a discipline that is really tough. Um, like not gentle, uh, critical, difficult physically, mentally, and emotionally. Cuz Yeah, you're unpacking. Yeah. You're in there getting wicked vulnerable, like crazy unzipped and open. Um, because you need all of that in order to get through. Like I am telling you, you can't be a hard shell with no thoughts or feelings on, on a bike. Like, you have to call on your thoughts to, in order to, to get through. If you have nothing, no anchor, no. Um, like the human element I think is possible. Like, yes, sure, a robot could probably crush one of your spin classes, but I would not be able to get through it on, on a physical alone, like simply a technical ride. I like, it's, it requires the emotional element. So you get a really interesting group of people who is there for the physical, but prepared to get emotional. Um, and yeah. Of all different walks and all different things. Uh, and I had to come back cuz something that you said reminded me of one of my personal missions as a teacher, which is to remind myself going into every class that I am not a perfect human, but I am the perfect teacher for this group right now today. Like, I am here for you guys and you guys are here for me on this day because we are. Yes. And so here we are. Am I? That makes it perfect. That makes it, that makes us meant for each other. It gives you the freedom when you believe that and you go in knowing that to just let everything unfold. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you're not filtering, you're not editing, you're not mm-hmm. <affirmative> trying. It's just whatever it is Trying to please. There's also Yeah. In your class, there's no room for that. Where would you do that? No. At what point? I don't know. You can't, <laugh>, there's no, even in recovery, you don't, there's no time for that. There's no time for that. But I do take classes sometimes. Like, I've taken classes and you're like, oh, are you kidding? I saw that on Instagram too. I saw that quote on Instagram today too. Oh, that's like, really? Are you like, you know, like, don't, no <laugh>, like, no. Um, just beyond, do you think, do You think people are only allowed to bring their own words or their own their own shit? I Mean, no. I, I think you can, I think can, like if I saw something on Instagram or, or whatever that inspired me, I would say, oh my God, you know, I was on Instagram today, I read this quote and then it hit me. And then the why behind why it hit me, Hey, and here are my gar my gardeners are here. Everyone. I have gardeners. They're we're human beings. There we go with The government, human beings. I love it. Yes, we have gardeners. Um, but, uh, you know, it's like I would, I would bring it home to why mm-hmm. Why it felt resonated with me mm-hmm. <affirmative> and I wanted to talk about it, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I wouldn't just like, oh, I just made this shit up in my head when mm-hmm. <affirmative>, clearly half of America saw the same quote you saw mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, but that's where I think, you know, sometimes you can tell the difference Right, right. Between authenticity. Oh yeah. And not, I'm sure you see it in dance mm-hmm. <affirmative> as well. And it's, it's, it's interesting trying to get instructors, and I'm sure you feel the same, um, to get to that point of where they trust even the music that you choose to dance to Mm-hmm. <affirmative> tells the story, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it's, it writes it. So it's the same with like a playlist. So that playlist, you know, is, is similar mm-hmm. <affirmative> to everything you do brings it together. I always say it's like a, a a a a soundtrack. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> is what we're making. Every time I'm making a playlist, I'm gonna warm you up, I'm going to make you work hard. So you forget anything you brought into the room. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, uhhuh, <affirmative>, like, all you can be is present. I'm gonna work you that hard and then I'm gonna calm you down and play something that you feel. Cause then when you feel it's so feel manipulative What you do. It's so, it's just a, but it's just a heart. It's, it's a, like it's a soundtrack. That's how you Yeah. But it, but for me, it's, it's also a soundtrack. It was, I don't really teach anymore, but, uh, of my day. Cuz I would only make my music the day. So if I taught at 6:00 AM I was up at four 15 making music, doing the playlists because I wanted to, to be authentic to where I was and what I was feeling. And if something moved me that day, then again, when I got to that point where I no longer was thinking about what I had to do, what happened last night, what, what I'm, whatever that song would come on. And I knew that I would be where I was supposed to be insane what I needed to say. So again, um, that it's, it's almost like a dance. Yeah. You know, I was watching a dance this morning that my cousin's daughter did. Um, and I, I actually gotta tag you in it cuz you, she's young and you just, it was, um, unbelievable. But I was watching her part and the beginning was kind of crazy and then it just kind of started to flow and she just pulled you in. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> almost like, I think a good, any good teacher does mm-hmm. <affirmative> with anything that they're teaching. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I love thinking of, of like sculpting a class or sculpting a playlist as writing it. Like you wrote, like you, you scored it right. By collecting all these, these pieces. But you wrote the landscape, you wrote the ups and downs, you wrote the conflict, you wrote the push, you wrote the recovery. And I, I see choreographers as being people who write movement. We write Yes. Your visual experience of dance deliberately. Um, and I think probably that and music, a love of music is what made us lifelong friends. Yes. Because I haven't, I haven't spun with you in a long time. Um, but we still catch up. I still reach out. You're like a very important person in my life. And especially at that time, giving me something outside of dance and a community outside of dance in which I was so deeply emerged was really important timing-wise. Uh, you know, even for my body to show myself cross-training to teach myself. I think there's a lot of overlap. By the way, if you are spinning, that's one thing I really loved about your class and wanna talk about it. Alignment reminded me of classical ballet. Like if you are spinning correctly, tailbone and top of the head Yeah. Are pulled in opposition. Hips are quiet, shoulder like collarbones extended. There's a isolation, there's a anchor. The belly buttons. The belly buttons in. But you're not, not breathing, you're, yeah. I mean the, the posture of the way that you teach really reminded me of ballet. I got to find the back of my legs. Ballet never, I I was never able to, everybody in ballet all the time, they're like, use your inner thighs, use your hamstrings. And for my entire life of training as a dancer, my quads were like, nah, I got this. Speaker 0 00:27:43 You're fine. <laugh>, I can't chill out. It wasn't until I started spinning, I found my inner thighs, I found my fricking hamstrings and my awareness of my body improved. Therefore my dancing improved. Everybody cross trained, just do it. It's important. Um, okay, so I wanna talk now a little bit about like, oh, that's your, your, your teacher life that happened to you and for you and for us. But talk to me a little bit about this entrepreneurial side. The business brain that I'm assuming just doesn't ever stop thinking of ways things can be better and growing. And tell me a little bit about what you're doing now and what you hope to be doing in the near future. Ooh. Um, the business brain entrepreneur, my mom, it comes from my mom. My mom got lost. Her soul passed away, but, you know, when I was a kid, she, I think I was like eight years old, she opened a nail shop mm-hmm. <affirmative>, and this is like in the seventies. Uhhuh <affirmative>. Um, then, you know, her partner got really sick and, and, and, uh, she had, they had to close it. And then she really helped raise my, her my, her business partner's kids. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, uh, during that time while she was recovering, she had brain surgery. It was paralyzed, it was crazy. Um, for long time. And the dancer that I was talking about, my cousin, really not my cousin, but we call each other cousins cuz we mm-hmm. <affirmative>. My mom took care of these kids for so long. But, um, uh, then when Angie recovered, they opened another business like back in the earl like late seventies. And it was, uh, a consignment store for women's clothes and like, it was way ahead of themselves, these ladies. Yeah. And so my mom was always doing something sold that then got a real estate license. Like she just, anything. Like, and, and nothing had to be, and nothing had to be permanent. And I think that that was the greatest gift, um, for me to learn because, you know, you go to college, people go to college, you, you get this degree in something and you think you have to be whatever that degree is and you know, it, it is not always gonna be, if it doesn't feel good, it doesn't feel good. You don't have to live your life doing something you hate. Right. And, and so I knew that I was okay to move on and then become a private investigator cuz that just happened. Um, and then become whatever and have these, uh, evolution of my career happen again because of my mom who was always able to reinvent herself. Mm. So for me, um, obviously teaching was something I, I wasn't planning, never in the plan mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but it definitely defined me, um, for a very long period of time. And, uh, once I came, got the opportunity to do CycleBar. Um, it was, you know, they didn't have a product, they didn't have anything and they kept coming after me, come work for us, come do this job. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I was like, no, not interested. We're gonna franchise indoor cycling. I was like, yeah, good luck. Um, and I was kind of done and thinking about what am I gonna do next? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> at that point, I was like, I'm done. Don't really wanna teach anymore. I've done it for so long, I need to find something else. I had two young kids, I'm like, I gotta, I gotta, I can't rely on my body forever. And they just kept coming at me. Hmm. And so I thought about it, I was like, I'll do it for one year. I'll take this job, I'll build a program, I'll build a brand for them, and then I'll walk away. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And what it did is it gave me the opportunity to really create a, a, a business that what I saw was a really important in the f the foundation of what I believed would work, which was the ride method that I've always done. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but also, um, giving variety and offering, like wanting to fill a room with all different kinds of people because that's what I didn't worked mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so given being able to create different ride types, it didn't just have to be like the flywheels of the world and numbers driven. It didn't have to be like soul cycle and only dance driven. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Like why not have a place where everyone can come mm-hmm. <affirmative>, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> people who don't want numbers, people who want numbers, people who wanna be in the saddle, people who wanna be out doing crazy dance moves and whatever, have a place for everything. So I had this free reign to do it, but also push that why people come ends up or why people have not come, why people stay. Hmm. Is not because of the body or the workout, it's because of the experience and how they feel and the importance of building community. So that was like, just given that opportunity to do that. And then, um, obviously I stayed on and, you know, we opened like a hundred studios in two years and then, um, exponential bought us, um, if you don't know Exponential Fitness, they own Rumble Fitness, boxing, uh, club Pilates, pure Bar, um, rowhouse Stretch Lab, A K t a ton of Kind of a key player. <laugh>. Yeah. 10, 10 boutique fitness brands that are, you know, big names. Yeah. And so when they, um, came to us, you know, and bought us, you know, I remember sitting down with the, the Anthony Geiser who owns it, and uh, you know, I'm like, he's like, yeah, you gotta come down to Irvine five days a week, you should move here. I'm like, nah, so nice to meet you. Thank you so much. I'm, and he goes, oh, no, no, no, no, no. I don't want you to leave. You know, come in once a week. I was like, okay, I'm in, um, <laugh>. But I've been able to, you know, now I am, I don't teach anymore. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I taught for the first time in a, in a couple years on a cruise ship because we just did a deal with Princess Cruises and that was really fun. I was like, oh, do I beat Tom Brady and come back and do it every once in a while? Yes. But, uh, the answer is yes. You know, <laugh>, I dunno. Um, but I love what I get to do now. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> is, um, I get to do every part of the business. I get to work with some of my other brands mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know, that we have. And, um, I just, You also get to be a mom. You get to, and I get to be a mom, two kids out the door at seven in the morning. I do. And I get to do that. And that's important, you know, I mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I got to, I coached flag football for a couple years for Ryder before he went into tackle, and that was awesome to be able to have the time and space to do that. You, the only female things. You decide where you put your time and talent. I think what I'd like to know is, if you have a moment in my eyes, like from the outside end, you are a person who has absolute clarity. You see the world in black and white. You're like, either I'm 150% all in doing it, or fuck you. Um, that's how I see you. But I'm sure you have, you know, colors and moments of uncertainty. So I'm wondering if you could like, revisit one of the times you had to make one of those big decisions. Like, do I sign on with this company or do I not? Or do I continue to teach or do I move into, or do I not? Like big moments like that. What was it, what was the thought that helped you be certain enough to make that big decision? I think for, for CycleBar specifically, my hesitancy was like, how do you franchise indoor cycling? <laugh>, like mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I'm not sure mm-hmm. <affirmative> mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you can duplicate. I don't know how to do that. Right. And so I didn't wanna fail mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I didn't wanna take something on and fail mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but I don't, you know, then it, the, the, at the end of the day it was, it became that to why not. Right. Right. Okay. Right. If, if, because I don't wanna fail is the only reason why Not. Yeah. And, and if I do, it's, it's not necess it's an opportunity for me to learn, grow, and be better, Uhhuh <affirmative>, so that the next time if I did something similar or whatever, I have more information Got it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And it's, and use it as a lesson. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I was fortunate enough that at that time, um, I, I had come into to some, my mom had passed away and I had come into a good amount of money mm-hmm. <affirmative>, and I was able to, uh, not have to, if I failed, I failed financially, I was okay. Right. Um, and I obviously had a great partner, um, who also contributed. So I, it was okay at that moment. So I think that probably gave me like, I can fail. Mm-hmm. Perfect timing. I had to fail mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But I, again, I think it's again, realizing that we we're going to make mistakes. And even as a leader, I've made so many mistakes over the last eight years of being in my position at CycleBar. You make mistakes and you have humility, and you're, I'm sorry, I'm human and I'm gonna learn for that and file it away and the things never to fucking do again. Yes. Right? Yes. Or try not to do again, <laugh>. Um, and, and yeah. So I think for me it just was d my definition of failure mm-hmm. <affirmative> over the years has definitely changed as I've gotten older, because I look back at any time I have failed fail according to society. Um, and where it's gotten me. And it made you better. Yeah. If you, if you had to put your philosophy on failure into a bubble wrapped package and sell it, how would you do it? How, what, what would you tell me? Failure is what I, I I think it's a, it's, it's a stepping stone to your future. Right. It's the, it's the path to your future. There you go. Failure, you know, doesn't have to be the end of you. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it could be the beginning mm-hmm. <affirmative> of something new. Yeah. It's just an ending. Right. Yeah. And it doesn't, uh, endings don't define you Because nothing is permanent. Right. Or very, very, very few things are permanent. Yeah. Okay. Death. This is rich. I love it. I'm gonna go hard left. You ready? Okay. Okay. So, um, one of your many side hustles during the time that I knew you was, or you would occasionally come into class with these delicious vegan baked treats. I wanna know about your decision to be vegan, how it helped you in your, um, recovery slash Are you, do you, do you still have ms? What is your, your relationship? Yeah. How did I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, uh, it's, I'm in remission. Yeah. Yeah. So that's what I was searching for. Um, so I was diagnosed with ms. Uh, I went to, uh, a neurologist at Cedar's, and she came back and said, do you have ms, here's some pamphlets. Um, these are three different types of injectable drugs. You pick which one you want. One was once a week, one was three times a week, and once was every day you're gonna have flu-like symptoms. You gotta stop indoor cycling because getting your body temperature too high. Um, exacerbates symptoms. And basically my drive home, I remember calling my mom and saying, I can't do, I, I'm not walking away from what I do. I can't give this up. No, they're wrong. Um, so I decided a, I hate shots. I still do. Right. <laugh>, I'm in my fifties. I hate getting shots. Like every time they have to bl, you know, take blood, I'm like, oh God, I'm gonna pass out. Or I see the needle. You know, like I'm such a wimp. Um, but I thought I'm not gonna inject myself. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, there's no way I'm gonna do that. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, I don't want side effects. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, no, there's gotta be another way. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so in researching and researching and researching, uh, a good friend of mine, uh, was vegan and he encouraged me to go vegan and look into that. And he was like, eh, eh, I kept hearing it. And you know, when you hear that, you're kind of like, sh shut up. Yeah. Don't tell me like, oh, this is gonna change my life. True. Especially when you're a person with your own mind. You're like, I'm a rebel. I do it my way. I'm authentic to me, I'm not gonna join your club. And by the way, I, I worked out like eight times a week. I could eat whatever want whatever you want you wanted. So like driving through crispy cream donuts and grabbing like a half dozen, like, that was just to keep weight on. Right. So, um, I I was just like, yeah, whatever, whatever. And I didn't listen to 'em and dis didn't listen to 'em. And so finally I was having so many, uh, symptoms and blurred vision and a lot of like, uh, st felt like somebody was constantly stabbing, like nerve pain in my feet. Um, and I just at one point was like, I'm gonna start slowly. And I started taking out things. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I took out dairy, I took out, um, red meat, and I took certain things. I started to feel better. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and I kept eating chicken. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like, that was the one thing I was eating until, uh, I got food poisoning. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That'll do it. Yeah. We both, Emily and I both got food poisoning from eating like chicken teriyaki somewhere. And I literally that I was like, that's it, I'm done. I'm done. I'm not gonna eat anything that can make me that violently ill. Oof. And so, and not only that, like she was recovered in 24 hours. I wasn't recovered for like 72 hours. Wow. I, it was like, I, I'm done. I am done. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> so fully for me in that period, it was funny. It was all in about, uh, it was all in about a six week period where I started giving up everything mm-hmm. <affirmative>, and that was the last to go. And then it looks back like, oh, thank you universe for giving me the push to say done mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so I became vegan when it went on this plant-based diet. And lo and behold, everything, all my symptoms started going away. Um, wild. My digestion was better. Everything that, you know, I also had to make some tough dicisions and take some major stress out of my life. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And that was really hard. So in that process, there was those things happening behind the scenes, and then the diet mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And that started to change for me. That's huge. And so the baking, by the way, came because I loved my donuts. I loved my sweetss because again, I could eat whatever I wanted. Um, and I was like, I gotta duplicate, duplicate Reese's Peanut butter cups. How do I do peanut butter, butter <laugh>? And then it was like, how do I do cake? Like how do I do cupcakes and cakes? So I was able to figure that out. Um, and yeah, it was great. It saved me, it really did I say going vegan saved my life? Yeah. Um, on a lot of levels. And, and again, I'm not here to promote being vegan, but for me, I mean, I just turned 59, so I'm pretty freaking old. But I, you know, I, I feel good. I can out ride anyone. I can play. You're sharp is a tack man. One ball with my kids. I can play softball, I can play basketball, I can play all the things. Um, and you know, I don't do anything to my face. I haven't never have. And I think a lot of it is being vegan and being that, that kind of a lifestyle has made a difference along with, you know, other, Here’s the segue. Tell me about your morning. Tell me what you do in the mornings. Cause I'm fascinated. In the morning I like to do this hot, you know, I like to do my workout, um mm-hmm. <affirmative>, oftentimes it's on a bike. Okay. Uh, but I also do, you know, long, we live up in the hills, so some days it's just taking the dogs for a really long walk and doing these hills. And then I come home and I do my floor exercises. I'm big, I just hit 60 pushups, regular pushups. Nice. Tev. Yeah. That was my gold, uh, last year. That's right. I remember these things. I was like, I couldn't do pushups except on my knees. And I was like, I am going to be current. I'm gonna do 59 pushups not on my knees. And so I worked my way up, uh, over the full year. And now easily, I could probably do, honestly, I could probably do a hundred if I tried. I took breaks and I'll do like 25 way The way the human body works is wild to me. Yeah. All I love it. But the only thing stopping me all the time was fear. Right. Fear was the only thing I got in my way. When, when I someone go do that, I'd be like, oh no, I can't do it. Right. It's like the handstand like, sky will come, my daughter will do these, like cartwheels and handstands do it. No, I can't do it anymore, you know, but that'll be my next year. I'm gonna do a handstand, but I, I, so some days I'll do that, do my floor, but then I, I, I do this, uh, I, there's a sweat bag sauna, hot sauna. This is infrared sauna. This is, it's uh, it's called higher dose. By higher dose. They, they make the real do. There's a lot of knockoffs, but they are not, Not not a pain endorsement by the way, just specifically just, just humans talking about the things that they love. <laugh>. It has changed my life. Oh my God. So it is, uh, it's this infrared sauna bag. And I, after my workout, I've already sweat. I get in it and I do my meditation. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and I sweat. And some days I'll do it for 20 minutes. Some days I'll do it for 45. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, you know, I've been in there for an hour. Just depends on where I am. How much water do you have to drink in a day? Or not even just water at that point. A lot of electrolytes as well. Like Salt. I do, I do so much water anyway. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, so it voice. Um, yeah. But it is the, there's something to be said about doing that meditation in that sweat because, uh, it's that point of like losing your, you're so present, you're losing, you're that you, you're pushing things happen. You know, like I've had some pretty crazy experiences mm-hmm. <affirmative> in that. Um, but yeah, it is, it is a release and then I get up, I feel everything's out all my top, gotta try it, are out, gonna try it and start straight up in my day. Um, and I feel great. And the days that I don't get to do it, I am not myself. I do not feel as fascinating. Clear. Yeah. Yeah. And some, so usually I do, you know, work my hardest to do it, but I do do it like, uh, five days a week for sure. That's awesome. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> some really important lessons here about purging, getting rid of what doesn't work. Whether it's I, elements of your diet, whether it's stressful circumstances in your life, whether it's actual water from your body. Like we need to get out there and sweat or get in there and sweat and get it there. The, I guess meditation certainly isn't about like, purging more so clearing or allowing the clutter to pass and move through, which I think it's wild to have. Like this morning, I, I watched a pretty ooh, tough film last night. Ri and I watched What's Love Got to do with it, 1993, Tina Turner, Ike and Tina Turner biopic, uh, yep. And whoa, ouch. Hard to watch. And I had some pretty violent dreams and nasty. And I woke up this morning, I have a big day. I've got two podcast interviews. I have to read a script. I have to like, there's Oscar stuff going on for a Pinocchio and for Elvis, which is awesome and cool. But my, the brain chatter went from sleep and it wasn't even zero in sleep, it was brain chatter in sleep to awake and brain chatter at like, at like full volume at seven. And I got on that fricking bike and I, I was on a, I'm on a Peloton and I'm doing lane break now cuz sometimes the teachers, I'm not gonna lie, I love me some Cody Rigsbee. Cause I love to laugh and he always makes fun of Justin Timberlake. Sure. He loves him some JC Chaz. And so I, I always, I get a giggle all the time, but they have a, a kind of game version of Peloton, which is called Lane Break. There's no instructor, there's no voice. It's just music and kind of a super Mario cart lane in front of you. And you have to like, kind of get the coins, as it were. They're not coins, but there's like different colored bars on the track and you have to turn the resistance up or down to shift to get the points of the things. And it's just a visual thing that keeps my mind from getting out. Like, it, it keeps me from talking myself out of it. Yeah. And it keeps me pedaling forward. And the music is great. I had a 20 minute ride and a 20 minute yoga felt better, but I'm not cured like a, a fitness regimen or a morning routine will not cure you. You have to be looking at what's going on in that nugget of yours. And kind of, I, I, I think meditation is great. I do want to make it more a part of my daily practice, but the thought that I am not my thoughts, the thought that nothing is permanent, I can evolve, things can change all the time. That is such tremendous freedom that clears a lot of mental real estate. So thank you for that reminder. Thank you so much for that reminder. Yeah. I think it's funny, you know, the, the meditation is Yeah, I get it too. You get up, you get up here, you get up here and it's, how do I get free myself from here to find myself here? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And it is a battle all the time. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And that's even more Bre breathing, right? Yeah. Just bringing yourself back at any time. Oh, thanks for that. When you're in that moment of you're stressed or somebody's said something that has triggered something, Choose breath, Breathe for like two minutes mm-hmm. <affirmative> to slow it down and breathe. And it is a game changer. Okay. Because that those thoughts don't have to own you. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And that happens. We, we allow them to own us. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and then they start driving your day, they start driving your life Actions, your, your Life. They're, yeah. Everything that you do are these thoughts that really aren't even a part of you? No they are optional. And so, uh, they are so optional and it is, you know, again that breath man. Ooh, that's important. So important. So if you don't have the time to meditate, like even taking those time. But meditation is literally the best thing you can do, even if it's 10 minutes a day. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> five minutes a day, but just throughout the day mm-hmm. <affirmative> coming back to that breath and reminding yourself that you have a body, you have this heart, you have these every blood's going through your, this, you are a machine. Right. And, um, it's controlled. That gas, that breath is your gas pedal, man. You could slow down. Enjoy the scenery. Enjoy the moment. Oh, TEV, thank you so much for that reminder. I can't think of a better place to wrap things up than on that note. Um, but you know me, I'm gonna ruin it. Uh, I have to tell you a story. <laugh>. So <laugh>, it's not gonna be, it's a terrible way to end the episode. Cause it doesn't even have a plot or a, like, there's no <laugh>, there's no big reveal. I just have to, I need you to know that one day in your class, it was when we had been kind of displaced to that weird Yeah. Like church, like building on highlight. Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We didn't really have a studio. And it was a gorgeous facility actually. Was it a church? I think. I don't it might have been. It was like Windows Point. Yeah. Yeah. It was really pretty. Anyways, somehow my brother and I got positioned directly across from each other. So it's the, the, uh, the bikes are set up in a U-shape, like in a horseshoe facing the instructor bike, which is in the middle, which is yours. And, uh, that's on a big platform. So you can, like, you're raised and you can see the entire class. And my brother and I work in like the front row, which by the way, if you're a person who spins, you know that, that's typically reserved for people who are like really crushing it. So my brother and I somehow in, in the front row on opposite sides of the U and we're staring at each other and we started having a laugh attack. Like we used to get this when we were kids. Our dad kicked us out of the car once <laugh>, cuz he was like, if you two don't stop farting around back there, I'm gonna kick you outta the car, you're walking home <laugh>. And he said the word farting around and we lost it. Could not zip it back up. So he kicked us outta the car. We had to walk home. And this happened a lot. Like my brother and I are very close and I cannot tell you what started it, but I can tell you that both of us, I love that. I Revere you to be something, something more than human. Really, truly. Like I, I, I call you a hero and you are, but especially in that room, you're up on that platform. And I felt like if you caught us, you would kick us out of the car. And it was the craziest feeling of friction. Like to be laughing so hard, like on a deep level. And I didn't even understand, I couldn't even look at his face. But he was directly in front of me. So we're both like, trying to like kind of not look at each other. Every time we look at each other we're like spinning with laughter, terrified that you're gonna call us out or like, or do something. Anyways, it is one of, I think it might be one of our most bonding experiences ever. Oh my gosh. And so I wanted to like, thank you for turning it up on that situation cuz we've lost it. Yeah, yeah. But it was like your presence Yeah. Dialed it up and it turned it up. Just a tiny tap. So I love it. Thank you for that, <laugh>. That's awesome. Yes. That's awesome. I hope that we get to ride together again soon. I I don't know if ever you do teach again, you let me know. I we'll be in that front row. Oh, you're the best. Thanks again for having me. I, I love you so much. You know that I love you so much. It's been awesome to watch you grow and evolve as a human in what you do to inspire all these wonderful people listening to you right now. Um, it's, it's just warms. I'm like your second mom. So it does beautiful warms right. Hard and, and it, it's so awesome. I'm so proud of both of you and Taylor, if you do Listen. Oh, he's crushing it. Um, he's crushing it. I'm Just, oh, he 100% will be listening. He, yeah. I'm just proud of my baby, my baby Wilsons. Um, yeah. You know, it's, it's, it's awesome to see what you guys do and, and it's so, you know, you do every day to these young youngins that wanna dance and express themself like this. Mm-hmm. It's, it's such a gift. Um, it's pretty cool. It is a gift. And you know, it's like you give them a space to be able to do something and, and again, you've helped dancers across, I'm here, I'm roasting you now, but Yes. Uh, you know, you've given dancers, um, authenticity with, you know, the unions and the, all that work, like the, you know, that's so important because it's deserving, right? Oh my friends. There's validity to it. Validity to it. And um, again, uh, just giving these young kids all your knowledge and you're just so, you're a wonderful human. And I am, I'm, thank you. Blessed to be able to call you my friend. Thank you, Tev. Thank you for being a great example to me in how to do that. Which is like, sometimes shit's hard and you do it anyways because you think it really matters. And that's what, that's what this is. It really matters and nothing's forever. So like, work freaking hard, change your mind later and that's fine. Like, not, not to say that equity and, and, um, unity for dancers is something I will ever change my mind on. I'm pretty, pretty concrete on that for dancers and choreographers. But there is something that almost allows you to go harder, to push more fully in the direction of something, knowing that you can change your mind at any point. Yes. So thank you for that gift. That's huge. You're welcome. I love you. Love you so much. Thank you for coming. I'll talk to you soon. Bye. Bye. … Dana: All right, my friend. What did you think about that? I needed it. I needed it and I knew she was gonna bring it. I woke up this morning having that human day <laugh> those human thoughts. Um, and man, that conversation was the gentle kick in the butt that I needed the perfect reminder to breathe. The reminder that nothing is forever. That you can evolve, that you can change your mind about things and, and absolutely that you can get great results by being exactly you the way you are. That is, that is the gift that is Tevia Celli. I hope you enjoyed that episode as much as I did, and I hope you get out there in the world and keep it extra, extra funky. I'll talk to you later. … Outro: This podcast was produced by me with the help of many music by Max Winnie, logo and brand design by Bree Reetz, and big thanks to Riley Higgins, our executive assistant and editor also massive, thanks to you. The mover, who is no stranger to taking action. So go take action. I will not cannot stop you from downloading episodes or leaving a review into rating. I will not ban you from my online store for spending your hard earned money on the cool merch and awesome programs that await you. There. I will. 100% not stop you from visiting wordsthatmoveme.com. If you wanna talk with me, work with me and make moves with the rest of the words that move me community. Oh, and also I will not stop you from visiting thedanawilson.com. If you're curious about all the things that I do that are not words that move me related. all right, my friend, keep it funky. I'll talk to you soon.