How to leave it all behind and create a life that's right for you – with Kristin Lee Geiger

Ever felt like what you're doing isn't quite cutting it for your soul? Join us as Kristin Lee Geiger, former fashion designer turned yoga and fitness guru, shares her story of swapping fashion industry accolades for inner peace.

Imagine your dream job - now imagine walking away from it.

That's precisely what Kristin did, and today we unwrap the guilt, the glory, and the guts it took for her to redefine her own success. She shares her story about building her "dream career" and how a moment on a New York City subway in the middle of the night was the awakening she needed to leave it all behind.

Kristin left her highly-sought dream career and hit her yoga mat, eventually founding FLOFICIENT, an online fitness program that helps people find the most rewarding workout possible.

Kristin's story is more than just a career change: it's a permission slip for all who are searching for a life of joy and authenticity.

Kristin's steps from yoga teacher to entrepreneur took cutting a few tethers! Creating something that resonates personally and professionally isn't always easy – but the fulfillment is worth it.

If your heart's beating for change, this episode might be what you need to take your own courageous leap. Let Kristin's story uplift and inspire your next big (or small!) move toward an untethered life.

MEET KRISTIN LEE GEIGER
Kristin is a certified yoga and fitness instructor, mindfulness teacher, and course creator who’s a little obsessed with helping you find the exact right balance of things that makes for your best, most rewarding workout routine possible…one that does A LOT MORE than just help you sweat.

w: kristinleegeiger.com
w: floficient.com
IG: @kristinleegeiger 

Chapters

• 0:05 Finding Joy and Creating Your Path
• 8:09 Discovering Joy Beyond Career Expectations
• 12:19 Quitter's Guilt and Finding Peace
• 20:26 Navigating Career Transition With Self-Discovery
• 24:45 Embracing Individuality and Vulnerability
• 29:05 Navigating Personal Identity in Career
• 33:02 Journey From Yoga Teacher to Entrepreneur
• 37:05 Finding Joy in Personalized Fitness Journeys

Transcript

Jen Liss: 0:05

Hi and welcome to Untethered with Jen Liss, the podcast that's here to help you break free, be you and unleash your inner brilliance. I'm your host, Jen, and in this episode we're going to talk about why the only right way is your way and how to create your life from a place of joy. Let's dive in. Hey there, Unicorn, it's Jen. Welcome back to the podcast for this fabulous episode with Kristen Lee Geiger. Our guest today is a certified yoga and fitness instructor, mindfulness teacher and course creator who's just a little bit obsessed with helping you find the exact right balance of things that makes your best, most rewarding workout routine possible. And not only that she's really all about helping you find the joy in life and crafting a life and not just a workout program, but really a life that works for you. She shares her story, which is a very relatable story for many of us.

Jen Liss: 1:09

This is such a good episode for anybody who's ever been burnt out in your job. Maybe you're burnt out now. Maybe you followed a path that felt like this is the path, this is it, this is it, and then, all of a sudden, maybe it doesn't feel right anymore. If you've ever had that experience, or you're having that experience right now. This is a great conversation for you. So many good things that Kristen shares along her journey that I know you're going to get a lot from. So, without further ado, welcoming to the podcast, Kristen Lee Geiger. Hi Kristen.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 1:40

Hi, hi, jen, how are you?

Jen Liss: 1:43

So good. I'm so glad to have you on the podcast and to come and share your journey. So you have an amazing business. It's beautiful, by the way everybody go follow her on Instagram. If the link is in the show notes, it's. It's so beautiful. I I appreciate a gorgeous aesthetic to people's videos and visuals. That's's not me. I don't put together the most perfect, beautiful videos, but with what you do, it's so important and it's so beautiful. So I just have to say that.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 2:11

Oh, thank you. At least it's one way I can put my degree to work right.

Jen Liss: 2:14

It's like there's still some design in there somewhere which is so perfect, because the skills that we have, that we have been developing over time we forget this sometimes that those skills it was there for a reason, because it's serving you today, which really takes us to your journey.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 2:33

Yeah, I guess there it is, because you weren't a yoga instructor.

Jen Liss: 2:37

This is the perfect intro. You're a yoga instructor. Now you have your own business that puts together meditation and yoga, and we'll get to talking about exactly what that is. But how did you get to this point? Was this something you've always been into yoga? When you were a kid, you were like you were really into movement and that kind of thing itself never Like that was never part of the plan.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 3:03

I was in sports as a kid, so I like to move, you know I love gymnastics and swimming and that kind of stuff, so that was like more of my vein. But I didn't even know what yoga was till I was like at least 16, probably, and I went to a class I will never forget. I went to my very first class. Like it was a city program, it was at the city hall and I just remember walking in and the instructor was like okay, take off your shoes. And I was like who takes off their shoes to work out, you know? And then she was like socks too and I was like well, why would I want to like put my bare feet on this gross mat? And like I just I just had like the worst experience. We were just like holding poses and like not moving and I was like I'm sorry, you're supposed to move when you work out, like what is happening here, you know. So my first experience with yoga was not great Feet on the floor.

Jen Liss: 3:48

I just have to say that was the first time that I went to a yoga class too. I was just looking around at everybody's feet. I'm like, oh, we're all just. It's so funny, this American culture, we don't go barefoot very often Right, right, no-transcript.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 4:26

College, of course, was a fashion design and that was like I was be all end, all like ride or die. You know, doing that. I think I made that decision when I was like 10. And from then on it was just like this is what we're going to do, you know, and I had an edge like I knew how to sew, like I knew how to sketch, I started taking classes for college credit before I even graduated high school, so I had a full semesters of credits going in. So I was pretty serious about it and I was pretty motivated and determined. So I was just all in all the time. There was no other option. It was just that and, to be honest, I never questioned it. I never even thought that there would be another way to live my life. That was just it. Until I think it was the last summer.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 5:11

Yeah, right before I graduated, I had one last semester to go back and finish and I had kind of caught in the travel bug studying abroad, and so there was a study tour to go to India and it was not related to my major at all, but I found a way to like sneak it in and I was like, yeah, sure, this relates, it's fine, you know, so it counts. And so I went and we spent a lot of time in India like going around to different farmers in very rural, remote areas, and it was actually cool because for me, like as a fashion major, it was like, okay, well, now we get to see like organic cotton production and we get to see like sericulture or silk production. So there was like raw good material, you know use to it for sure. So it applied there and I I like supply chain stuff. I think that's interesting. So like I was all about that, but anyway, I'll never forget, I went to as part of our group.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 6:00

We ended up at this farm in the middle of nowhere and it was a multi-generational farm. So there was probably 15 people, I suppose, living in this relatively small house and by our Western standards, this family, this farming community, was very poor, right, but nonetheless they're welcoming us into their home. They're so excited to have visitors from halfway across the world. They're offering us their rice, their tea, all their whatever. Their hospitality is through the roof and they have this look on their face of completely unbridled joy that I will never forget, like I've never seen someone smile like that, before you know, or it's just like beaming out of them and you're wondering, like how are you so happy when, like by our standards, like you don't have anything that would make you successful? Right, you know, and it was just so wild to me, but I remember that.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 7:03

And then, as soon as I finished that trip, I ended up in New York for my internship and here I am, like smack dab in the middle of a city where everybody has everything at their fingertips. The level of wealth in that city is unfathomable, sometimes, right, and people were so miserable, you know, like they're busy all the time, they're like drowning themselves in work and they're miserable. So, like, what is the point? You know, it's kind of like the thing, you know that that I was, you know, going through, I guess, at the time.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 7:33

So it was just that juxtaposition of like being halfway across the world in this place where, technically, these people don't have anything but they're so happy, and then landing in this place where everybody has everything and they're not happy, and so that kind of stuck in the back of my head and going back to finish my degree, I was all of a sudden just like I don't want to do this anymore. I don't know what it is, but I just don't want to do this. But what am I supposed to do? I'm like three months from finishing college and this is all I've ever wanted to do, so, like, why don't I want to do it now? You?

Jen Liss: 8:03

know Right, you start to feel like there's something, feels like there's something wrong with me that all of a sudden this is happening.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 8:09

Yeah, like I thought like somehow, like I had done something wrong, like, and I almost regretted going on that trip. I remember thinking like if I just hadn't gone, if I just hadn't had that experience, like I'd still be motivated, I'd still be driven, I'd still be on that track, you know, and that's like kind of awful to have to be like well, wait a second, I had this life-changing experience, but I actually hate it. I wish it didn't exist.

Jen Liss: 8:32

So anyway, I think that's pretty relatable. We'll get to that, but I think that might be more relatable than we think. This is interesting.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 8:39

I suppose so Right, it's like I think it's one of those things. Like, so right, it's like I think it's one of those things. Like I suppose I was an autopilot. I was just like so driven. I had like such tunnel vision. I wasn't willing to look at anything else and all of a sudden I was looking at the world differently and it was like, well, wait a second, if I see this differently, well, what else am I going to see differently? Like how else am I going to think differently? Like opened up this can of worms that I at the time was not ready for.

Jen Liss: 9:02

How dare my joy screw up all of my plans?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 9:06

Right, exactly. And how dare I think that joy could go beyond having a successful career? You know what I mean. How dare I put away this quote unquote talent that I have, or this mission that I've been on to go pursue something else? And God forbid, if I do that, well, what is the other thing even going to be? I didn't have an answer for that and that's terrifying, right.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 9:31

When you're like no, no, this was it, like this was going to check all the boxes, well, why isn't it working? All of a sudden, you know, and so you kind of feel like a little bit broken, you know, or like something's just off with you. Anyway, I made it about three years and then I think my breaking point was I kept trying to fix it. I kept trying to think like, well, maybe if I try harder, or maybe if I'm more dedicated, or maybe if I work at a different company, or maybe if I shift gears and I do more corporate responsibility and I try to improve working conditions, maybe that'll make me feel better.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 10:04

Or I don't know, it's New York, so maybe I'll go into the theater region, I'll do costume design, like I tried, like all of these different ways to like, salvage it find that place where, okay, I felt good about what I was doing and I was still using my, my degree and my skills, you know, but the end of the day, I mean, it just was never going to be there. So, um, yeah, I think the last straw for me was right before fashion fashion week, excuse me, which is a big deal in New York.

Jen Liss: 10:32

Yeah, A little bit of a big deal a little bit of a big deal.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 10:37

Yeah, so, and I was working for like a women's wear collection, um, and so we had this big presentation and we were a very small, small team, so it was like all hands on deck all the time. You know no weekends like always in the office late, and we were a couple weeks out and I was trying to get everything ready for the show and it was like at least 2 am and I was looking at the train schedule and I was trying to figure out if I was gonna like close up shop real fast, run to the train station, make it to the 2.30 train so I could go home or work for another hour, make it on the 3.30 train and then go home. And I was sitting there thinking to myself why am I debating between a 2.30 am train anda 3.30 am train? That is not the question I should be asking myself here.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 11:25

Wrong question why the hell are you in this office? Anyway, I got through Fashion Week and, yeah, a couple months after that, I just walked into the office one day and the CEO happened to be there and I just quit.

Jen Liss: 11:40

So, there we go, wow and that, okay, I I mean, that is such a powerful moment and there were probably many moments before that 2 am, 3 am moments that went ignored, that it's like there were probably many other nudges that you were experiencing, that you even said it's like that's the straw, that was the the one that finally broke it. Why do you think that was the moment? Do you have any idea, like what led to that? Just, it just piled on and it was just time, or were there any other signs for you?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 12:14

that's a good question. Um, I think it's definitely that it was just a pile on. For sure. It was also like I don't know if you have this like there are moments of clarity at 2 am, right, like if you can't sleep or like you're up alone. It's quiet, like the city is quiet, like sometimes that's when you have like your biggest truths with yourself, I guess, or when you're like really honest about things.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 12:35

So I think there was something telling about the fact that it was just like that time of day and there was also no one else in the office at the time I was the last one there to be like we got to get this done. This needs to happen, cause there was always that pressure, like it was always like this Right and like everything was a crisis all the time. So you were just always like so inundated and slammed with work and busy, like there wasn't really time to think about it, like it was like every day was like a life-threatening situation, if that makes sense, you know. So you're almost kind of in survival mode, so you don't have time to worry about whether or not you like it right or whether or not it's serving you. It's like you have a job to do, and there's 27,000 things on that list that have to get done today, so I think a lot of it. I was just like so stuck in that grind all the time it's unfortunately quite relatable.

Jen Liss: 13:22

It's unfortunately quite relatable. I'm sure other people who are listening have either been there, maybe they are there, maybe they're catching it before they're quite there, which is amazing. If you're hearing this and you're like, oh, there's something I could learn here. So you had previously. This was your dream. You were 10 years old and you're like this is what I'm going to do. You did it. You're in New York. You're living the project runway dream. I'm a person of Bravo TV basically raised me through my teens and twenties. You're living that beautiful dream and now you just quit it. What happened next?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 13:59

Oh well, a lot of weird things, so I love the weird things.

Jen Liss: 14:05

Tell us about the weird things.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 14:07

Well, it was just like as you were, like saying that, and you're talking about this, living the dream. I think one of the hardest things I had to get over as I was making this transition was like the guilt, Because what you're describing is a lot of people's quote unquote dreams, right, and so I was occupying this space in this quote unquote glamorous industry that everybody was supposed to want to work in and work hard in, you know, and I wasn't enjoying it and I left it and it just, I don't know it, kind of felt icky. You know what I mean. Like this thing that people aspired to do, that I aspired to do, and then I was rejecting it.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 14:40

Or like this thing that you know, my parents supported me, you know it. Or like this thing that you know my parents supported me, you know, when I was younger and that was, you know, that was a big deal to me because it was like me being an artist, I think. And so to have that support and for them to say, yeah, move to New York, go after it, you know, like they very could have easily said that doesn't seem safe or that doesn't seem, you know, whatever, Like it is kind of a little whimsical, you might think when you grow up in Iowa.

Jen Liss: 15:00

Oh, you're a Midwestern girl. Yeah, from Kansas, are you? Yes, where are you from Kansas? Wichita, kansas, so not so different.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 15:15

Yeah. So you know, like when you grow up in the Midwest, I mean like New York is far away, Like you don't have those examples Right, so that's kind of a big leap. So, anyway, that was just weird to leave all of that behind. Definitely kind of went through an identity crisis with that. But what my saving grace was in all of this was yoga, Because when I was in New York and I was working those crazy hours, the one thing I would try to do for myself was escape to yoga class every once in a while. I did not get there as often as I should have. Like I was lucky if I made the 9pm class. You know, like that was a big day for me to make it to 9 pm yoga.

Jen Liss: 15:44

Because there was no 3 am yoga.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 15:47

I mean, if there had been 3 am yoga, I would have been there every time.

Jen Liss: 15:52

And you'd obviously gotten over the bare feet situation and you were all in on yoga.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 15:57

Yeah, I think I had accepted it at that point. It was a slow transition, like I was a person that wore socks and yoga for a while, so anyway, but yeah, it was my saving grace, so like it was like my escape, and it was just like such a contrast to being in a design office where everybody wanted everything all the time. There was no appreciation, like it was just like it was really kind of a toxic work environment, right, which I think we can understand, like just thinking about how the fashion industry works. So I would go to yoga and everyone was so happy and joyful and loving and that same smile that I saw most people's faces in India. I would see it on the yoga instructor's faces and I would be like, wait a second, like these guys are onto something because they show up to class and they're in a good mood, and I'm here just wanting a tiny smidget of that for an hour to make my life bearable, and so that was something that kind of always lived in my brain People are happy here, good things happen here. This is a supportive environment, not a toxic one, and one of the things that bothered me about working in the fashion industry was just like I felt like I was contributing to a lot of negative things and, in addition to the fact that, like the culture was a little bit toxic, like I'm working with factories halfway across the world and I'm pushing them on price when I shouldn't be pushing them on price because it's already super low, you know, I'm asking them to make impossible deadlines. Their workers are working way more hours than they should be. Who knows what they're pumping into the rivers, like I mean, it was just like this, like on and on, and on and on, and all of the icky stuff that you don't see, that I knew was happening, even if it wasn't happening in the design office. It stemmed from the design office, right, where were the ones responsible? Because we're at the top, and so that really bothered me.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 17:39

Being in the yoga space, like I wasn't having to do any of that, like me being in the yoga space Like I wasn't having to do any of that, like it seemed so positive. So, anyway, there was this teacher training flyer at the studio that I went to and I, when I was in New York, I just I always wanted to do the teacher training because I didn't realize it was something I could even do you know? I was like wait a second, like they have trainings for this, like I could actually teach this, like no way, and I just thought it was going to be like a Saturday thing for me to like counteract all the icky stuff I felt like I was doing, right. Anyway, fast forward to my now. Husband wanted to go back to school. He was moving to California. I was like, screw it, I'm going to go to. Never had time to get the teacher training in New York because I just my work schedule was too unpredictable, like I couldn't commit to 6 to 9 PM on a Thursday. There was just no way.

Jen Liss: 18:26

No, 3 AM teacher training, either yeah exactly.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 18:29

Again, where's the 3 AM session? I'm ready for that session. So anyway, when I knew that life was going to shift that way, I kind of just you know, said, screw it. And I, the first thing I did the very first day that we moved to California was start my teacher training. I guess I never looked back after that.

Jen Liss: 18:50

Here's the thing. Your story has so many relatable moments that I myself have lived, and I know that a lot of people have lived. Thank you for sharing it in that detail, because I think it also helps to see the little moments when you were really courageous, where you did listen to yourself.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 19:09

And not insane.

Jen Liss: 19:12

I think that those are like two sides of the same coin, right, I agree, I agree, yeah, like anxiety and excitedness and anxiousness are two sides of the same coin, probably.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 19:21

Yes, yes.

Jen Liss: 19:22

Courageousness and insanity are probably also two sides of the same coin. Probably, courageousness and insanity are probably also two sides of the same coin. But what you talked about, I think is a really important thing, that nobody's ever coined it quite like this. Because you talked about the guilt of quitting and the phrase that came into my mind was quitter's guilt. We have this and, as somebody also Midwest, I'm like I'm doing a cool job. I should appreciate that I'm doing this really cool. Oh yeah, this nudge to do something so different, and we'll talk ourselves out of it time and time again. We'll keep talking ourselves out of it. So is there anything that you have experienced along this path that you would like to share with people, any nuggets of wisdom that you would say to somebody else who might be in that hopping? On which train do I get on at 2 or 3 am? If they're in that moment for themselves, what would you share with them?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 20:25

You know, I think, what it is for me. What I had to learn the hard way is that you can't wish that feeling away, like it's not going to go anywhere. I mean, you can switch jobs and you'll be distracted by the fact that your new job is different and it might be better, it might be an improvement, right, but that feeling is going to come back, you know. And it might be better, it might be an improvement, right, but that feeling is going to come back. You could distract yourself with a new hobby, with working out, with whatever the case might be, you could try like 27 different versions of what your job is, but at the end of the day, if it's not working for you, that nagging feeling is going to come back at 3 am or 2 am every single time. And it sucks to stare at the ceiling or stare at your computer and just be like, oh my God, I can't do this anymore, but also like not know exactly what the next step is. But I think that's also the beauty of it, you know, because I think the one thing I understood was that if I stayed and tried to figure it out behind the scenes, I was never going to right, because I was never going to have enough time, I was never going to have enough headspace to actually work through it, because I kept thinking like, well, maybe I can just do something different on Saturdays, or maybe I can. But it was like no like for me, and that's not for everyone, but for me it was like I had to do a clean break, like I had to leave the environment that was creating the problem, because there was just no headspace to think about what else could fill that area of my life. And I think I also had to leave New York because I knew that even if I had quit my job, I would get sucked back in. It would be too easy. The industry is right there. I'd maybe be on my own for three to six months and I'd be like, well, this is not paying the rent, so I'm going to go back and get a real job. You know what I mean. So it's just like I think, yeah, the feeling is it's going to be there, like, no matter what you try to do to pretend that it's not or convince yourself otherwise, if that's really like what your gut is telling you, listen to it, you know, and even if it's ugly in the moment and it kind of sucks like.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 22:22

At this point, I cannot imagine who I would be right now if I had stayed. I don't want to know, you know. And so I think that's important to like think about yourself 10 years from now. Are you going to like the version of you that you're going to become if you stay? For me, the answer was absolutely not. So, you know, has this road been perfect? Of course not. It's been messy and like filled with failure and all kinds of whatever, but like I'm so glad.

Jen Liss: 22:46

I did it, yeah, and what you said about the beauty of not knowing that is it's such a hard thing to accept because there's so much trust that is. That is in that. However, one step will make such a huge difference. Sometimes it means completely untethering. It could mean completely quitting and moving and getting yourself out of it, and there's a lot to that. I myself have had that experience too, where you just completely leave something and start fresh, because you gain this whole new experience and all of a sudden you're in a completely different environment. But we can also do this in tiny micro ways, and I think it's always checking in with yourself and really, what is it that's needed? Because sometimes it is that big ass move like you made.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 23:28

So yeah, for me. Again, for me, that's what worked. I know for a lot of people it doesn't. And you know you have to take into account the other things going on in your life. Like we all have bills and responsibilities and it is super scary to be like, well, I'm is going to come from, you know. Like we have to think about, like we live in a world where, where money exists, you know, and so that's a big part of it too.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 23:48

Um, but yeah, I think the biggest part is just like giving yourself the space, whatever it is, wherever you can find it, to just like sit and think and explore and remember, to dream again and just see where that takes you, you know. And also like, maybe not to be ashamed. That takes you, you know. And also like, maybe not to be ashamed of what comes up, you know. Like, who cares?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 24:10

You want to weave baskets Awesome, weave baskets. Like there's no, there shouldn't be judgment around that, but there often is. You know what I mean, because we feel like we need to be this like perfect professional person that has everything figured out, or we have to have this like sought after job or this job title, you know. But no, you want to like make pickles like potter, it doesn't matter, you know, just like go after it and do it, you know if it makes you happy, like it's so worth it. And I think as long as you follow that, that, like through thread of joy, we're like, yeah, like this feels right, this feels good. You'll figure the rest out slowly but surely.

Jen Liss: 24:43

It's so true. I saw a video last night that I just shared on Instagram today of a lady who does videos with possums, like how to take care of your possums. How funny If this lady can follow her joy and make a living from teaching people how to take care of their possums, then you can do anything. You can live your most untethered life we can.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 25:08

You can do anything. You can live your most untethered life. Yes, there's hope for all of us Like have no fear, and I think that's part of it too. It's like I think a lot of us are like kind of afraid to like let our internal selves out, and part of like doing what I did required that, and I think that was terrifying because I was really buttoned up. You know, like I showed up in the world in a certain way and I was a go-getter and I took no prisoners and like that's just how it was going to be. You know, like I didn't have emotion, like we didn't talk about those things, like, and I really had to like peel back the layers on that if I was going to be an effective teacher, you know, and I also just had to be willing to like show up in the world in a way where I'm a little bit vulnerable sometimes.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 25:50

You know, I don't always have it figured out, and I think that was scary for me to like show up and just like, yeah, I don't know everything and that's okay, you know. So it's like kind of accepting your own little freak flag a little bit, you know, and like letting it fly, but that's a big deal, you know, for us to do that, because there's a reason we keep all that stuff locked in, right, you know? I mean there's a, it's a protectionary measure. There's a reason that we that we, you know have those extra layers, you know, in front of us. So that's a big part of it too, like, I think, being OK with just being who you are, you know, even if it's not a box that somebody else can check or it's not the way you thought your life was going to go.

Jen Liss: 26:31

If you can't do it for yourself right now, do it for other people, Because by you waving your weird sparkly unicorn magic I would call it flag you're showing your true self. You're showing that beauty that's inside of yourself. You're encouraging other people to do it too, and so often we're looking around and saying nobody else is doing it. It's like, well, they will do it if you do.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 26:52

Exactly, and that's, I think, what I had to learn through teaching. It's, like you know, unfortunately, like those first few years were a little rough because, no, I can't show up in a yoga studio the way I showed up in the design office, like it does not work that way. And if I want somebody to learn and grow, then I have to be willing to learn and grow, and if I want them to feel safe, then I have to make sure that I create an environment that makes them feel safe and I can't have any barriers when I do that or it doesn't work. But that took a lot of on-the-job learning to figure that out.

Jen Liss: 27:25

I'm laughing at the visual of people in business suits attempting to do yoga. And then it brought into mind I'd never been to physical therapy in my life, but I go. I was a hairstylist for many years and I go to work this office job and I was in actual physical pain, sitting in a chair all day, because I'd previously done a job that had a lot of movement, so sitting in a chair was so painful. I go into physical therapy and I am in a pencil skirt black pencil skirt, my shirt tucked into my pencil skirt, and a jacket a black jacket on, because I decided to be this very corporate persona.

Jen Liss: 27:55

If I'm going to be in corporate, I'm going to do the corporate thing. And the lady looks at me and she's like we're going to have you get on a treadmill today. You're going to do that in your black flats and your pencil skirt. I was like nobody told me. Nobody told me the rules of physical therapy. I had no idea what she was going to have me do oh, totally she's like you're gonna have to not wear that.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 28:20

So anyway, it just brought to mind that visual of people trying to do office clothes yoga it it's not a good idea totally, yeah, yeah, but like, especially too, if you think about, like you know, you go back I'm sure you experienced this too like, whatever the expectation was, you know how you showed up to work in that office, like there was a certain way you had to present yourself, right, and so it took me a while to shed that, I think in a different arena, because I had just been so used to like. This is how you show up, this is how you're professional, this is how you get the job done. You know what I mean and you know teaching yoga it's so much more human right. We have to relate to each other.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 28:54

So a lot of those barriers that we put into place in a corporate setting on purpose, we have to let go of. But it takes a while because, I mean, those are just so ingrained in us at a certain point. So how did you deal with that? Because you weren't a hairstylist and then you were in the corporate space for a while, right, and now you're doing all of this good stuff. So did you ever feel like you had to kind of work through some of that when you were starting on this?

Jen Liss: 29:19

road? Yeah, great question. Thanks for turning that back around on me. Yeah. So going into corporate, I felt like I needed to be a certain kind of way. I had bright blue hair, though I walked in in all black with my bright ass blue hair. I'm in a beige office building. But at the same time, it was because people reached out to me and said you gave me the courage to show my tattoo at work, you gave me the courage to leave my nose piercing in, or you did give me the courage to put a couple of little pink pieces in my hair. So that was just such a beautiful reminder to me.

Jen Liss: 30:03

But in terms of the clothes, I eventually started being more myself, because I had that question of like, do I actually need to wear this and do I like this? But sometimes I did. Sometimes I was like, oh, it kind of feels cool to be in that power outfit and I still sometimes enjoy it. So now I just wear whatever feels good. Today I'm wearing a sweatshirt to talk to you, but I might wear something fancy, for Sometimes I change clothes six times a day. So I'm just following my heart at this point, which is like the best way right To answer your question at this point. It's like I think sometimes we try on enough suits to realize that all of those suits feel good. They all kind of feel good in certain scenarios and then in other scenarios they don't feel good. So you know, I just get to put on various different suits whenever I feel like it, because at the core I'm a sparkly ball of light who is here having this cool human experience, and so it's just fun. It gets to be fun.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 31:01

Yeah, and I think, not taking ourselves too seriously. That's a big part of it, right, which is certainly was something I had to work through too, because I was serious, you know. Like I was, you know I was there with purpose, like, so it's just, you know, to be able to like sit back and laugh, you know, and just be okay with it, you know, and like just be like today's not a good hair day, you know, but yet here I am teaching shame at this point. It wouldn't work, but it's just like whatever. Like if this is for them, it gets the job done. Like it's not about me, you know so, like I just have to do whatever I have to do to serve them, and if I, in any way, shape or form, I'm concerned about me, then it doesn't work, you know so yeah, a lot of people have taken and these are things that I used to care about and now I'm just like, whatever you want, like go for it.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 31:53

Like you know, if this helps you learn fine, okay, yoga.

Jen Liss: 32:05

I've recently picked up a yoga practice again and it is so funny. Sometimes I have that thought If somebody only had ever experienced corporate life or the life, the structure that we have created, and they walked into a yoga class, they would be like what is happening in here, but it's wonderful. So let's talk about your pivot to entrepreneurship. And even if you consider it a pivot, what got you to the point of starting your business? Where were you at that point? Because when you trained, were you thinking I'm going to start a business? Where were you at with that?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 32:34

No, I think that was an interesting part for me. I didn't really know what going down this road was going to mean. I just figured I would figure it out eventually. If yoga was the end goal, great, if it was something else, great. But going through this was going to help me figure out what the next step was and I just fell in love with teaching and I just I loved learning and there was. It was just like opened up this whole world for me. That didn't exist before, so I just stuck with it.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 33:02

And, of course, like in the beginning man, it was a challenge to get one class at a studio. You know, like in Southern California, teachers are a dime a dozen and most of them had a lot more experience than me. And you know, at that time too, like they wanted to know, like are people going to follow you if you change studios? Like they want to know what your clientele is. I'm like I didn't have any of that. I was like I have a 200 hour teacher training certificate. I just finished. You want to hire me? You know anything helps.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 33:29

So it was a battle just to get one class, you know. And then it was a battle to get another class. And it was a battle to get another class and like slowly start building my teaching portfolio. So I mean that was a couple of years deep right there, just like getting to a place where I even had classes to teach and serving those studios and you studios and whatever the class was, and trying to figure out how to manage all the balls in the air. Because I thought teaching yoga would be easy and at least in the beginning it certainly was not, because there's a lot going on in that short frame of time. So I did that.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 34:01

And then, because of my experience in fashion and working for companies, I really wanted to change the status quo. That was a lot of kind of what was driving me. So I started going into companies a little bit more, which was kind of a futile effort. I think I got the door slammed in my face more than I actually got in, but nonetheless, like I did a decent amount of corporate teaching and so that was interesting, like bringing you know that practice into a place that was so very, you know, rigid and different. But also it was rewarding for me because at least it was like well, at least there's an hour in their day where they get to do something that's, you know, not so serious, right, and they get to decompress a little bit and manage stress. So anyway, I did that for quite a few years. Like you know, one class at a time, one client at a time. Like you know, one event at a time. I mean, if there was a place that offered a class, I probably taught in it, right, because I was just like I want to have my hands in all the pots, you know, and I want to be able to have as much experience as a teacher as possible. And for me that meant a lot of breadth in terms of what I was doing. And while I was doing doing graphic design. So I was still kind of using my degree a little bit, which fed my ego, I suppose, right, because I hadn't like completely gone off the bandwagon yet. I was still like kind of in it, you know.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 35:19

So, anyway, I did that for a while and I worked myself up to a point where I finally had made more money doing that than I ever made in New York and I was like awesome, great, and then it was just kind of like crickets where it was like, but when? Now? What, this is great, this is such an improvement compared to where I was before. But now, where is this leading me? I kind of reached that first plateau.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 35:44

I've been climbing, climbing, climbing, climbing and I was finally like where I could kind of see the layout and it was like, okay, well, now I need to think bigger, or I need to think about what that next step is going to be so that this can sustain me for, you know, whatever length I want my career to be, you know. And so it was just kind of taking all the things that I observed in teaching and a lot of things that people struggled with, with just trying to get themselves to class, you know, or when they're in class, or especially like in the corporate area, you know, like people trying to juggle like work and life, and that's hard, you know. And so just distilling all of that into a program that allowed me to kind of put all my expertise to work and also, hopefully, you know, give me an opportunity to explore, you know, new things like writing and this, that and the other you know to like, really take it to the next level, I guess. So for me it was, I guess it was.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 36:33

It was about growth. You know, like I got myself to a point that was awesome and I could have just stayed there, but I'm not a coaster, you know, like there's always going to be something else, and so, anyway, that's. That's I guess, how, how I made this transition, and so, anyway, that's I guess how I made this transition. And, yeah, now I'm working on Flowficient and managing an online program and it's a lot of work, but man, has it been a good and worthwhile journey.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 36:55

So, yeah, tell us about Flowficient what have you created and what are you excited about with it? So it's interesting. You know, the creative process is so organic. So when I started down this road, I was thinking more about the classes and helping people create like a nice little like workout schedule that like help ebb and flow right, because yoga is fantastic, but so is cardio, so is weightlifting, so is spinning. There's no one right way. And what I was finding, you know, I had the best success with clients that were doing a little bit of a lot of things Right, and so it was kind of combining that and be like oh yeah, these things work really well together, like these things, you know, help you build a ton of strength and save you time. And so it was creating that perfect little like jigsaw puzzle of like here's ways to get it all in puzzle of like here's ways to like get it all in Cause.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 37:49

I was also a person like to run and do other kinds of things and I always struggled with like, okay, well, I want to run today, but I also want to do yoga. That's a two and a half hour commitment. I don't have two and a half hours, so like, how do I get it all in? You know what I mean. Sometimes we wonder like, well, what is the right way to work out, you know? Or like, what's the best workout that I can do? And so, anyway, I was trying to solve all those problems with Fulfition.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 38:09

So that's where I started. What it's kind of grown into in addition to that because all of that stuff is there is just helping people create their best routine possible, not one that's dictated by me or by somebody else, but one that they create for themselves. That comes from joy, really, you know, because working out should be fun and working out should be fulfilling and rewarding. That goes, you know, so much beyond like a perfect six pack or like trying to sweat. I think that's what gets us stuck a lot. Right, and we, I think, you know, especially in this podcast, you talk about like getting stuck, and I think one of the places in our lives that we get stuck the most is with exercise.

Jen Liss: 38:51

So true, so true. I a lot of what you're describing. So I'm somebody who's also run marathons and I also started doing yoga to take care of all of the problems from running marathons. So I I follow your journey too, and I think a lot of people are in that. It's like, well, how do I do this and do that? And so what you're creating is a solution to something that you really wanted and needed. Something that you said and I'm probably going to title this episode anybody who's listening knows that by now is that there's no one right way. There's no one right way, and that's the journey that you have been on. It feels like your life, and now you're turning around and you're creating that. It's like how to create from this place of joy, because that's your way that you get, to create your way. I guess the one right way would be your way.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 39:37

That's the thing. The only right way is your way, and it's important to remember that your only right way might change over time, Because I saw over and over again people would get stuck. I'm just going to use spinning as an example. If you love to spin, by all means keep spinning. There's nothing wrong with it.

Jen Liss: 39:53

But I just felt like Intense biking for anybody. Intense biking, yes. Before I went to a spinning class, I didn't know what it was.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 39:59

But it still is popular. But it went through a wave a few years ago where it was just ballooning, right, and everybody was spinning all the time and it's like man, you can burn 800 calories in a class and whatever. So that's fantastic if you love spinning, but if you don't like it and you feel like you have to go because that's what everyone else is doing or that's the most effective way to burn calories, like it's only going to last for so long, or if your friend runs, so you feel like you should be running too, but you actually hate running, well then, why? You know, try to put yourself through that. But we do that with exercise, we do that with fitness, right, because, man, you scroll through Instagram and this person has a six pack and this person says to do this, and this celebrity, well, they're doing this. So that must be effective, you know. Or we think about, like well, what we could do at like 16. Well, I could bench press, whatever when I was 16, I should be able to do it at 35. Well, yes, maybe, yes, maybe no, you know, but there's just, there's all these inputs, right, and so I think that happens with fitness.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 41:00

So so much as we just feel like we have to adhere ourselves to a certain standard, we have to work out in a certain way. We a certain standard, we have to work out in a certain way. We've never had to ask the question well, what would I do if it was completely up to me? You know, because we rely on classes and trainers. Same question I had to ask myself a long time ago like, well, what would I do, you know, if the sky was the limit?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 41:21

So I think that's really cool, because when we can get into a place with exercise where we're not worried about the expectation, we're not worried about how many calories we burn, we're doing it because it makes us happy, because it serves a broader purpose, because it feels good.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 41:41

It's a whole different experience with exercise and it's so much easier for it to be part of our lives because it's not this thing that we dread, it's not this thing that's in conflict with the other parts of our life, it's just this thing that we do. And I think that's pretty cool when people can get there and they have that experience and it's like oh, this doesn't have to be so hard, right, this doesn't have to be a grind, it can be this thing that like supports me and everything else that I do and yeah, that's, that's pretty cool that's a big shift in perspective that you're sharing here in terms of exercise is, you know, we're not just running, because that's the thing that's going to get me healthy, but asking your question like what would feel really fun to me right now?

Jen Liss: 42:24

what would bring me joy right now? What would bring my body joy right now? Oh, it's actually to do a little bit of running and then some walking and then some yoga. What is it that would feel good? So I love that you're creating something that is enabling people to do that and from this very conscious space that you are in and I'm reflecting this back to listeners too, because what you're saying this is about fitness and it is really, really applicable to fitness and you're also looking at it from this broader perspective of that question, which was what would I do if it was completely up to me? Exactly, that goes into your workout and that goes into everything what would I do right now if it was completely up to me?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 43:05

Untethered, yeah, exactly, that's so. Untethered, exactly, yeah. And on top of that, if I do that thing, if that's completely up to me, is it going to help me get to wherever it is I want to go? That's the other piece of the puzzle. It's like, okay, if I could pick any candy in the candy store, what would it be? But that's awesome. I picked a candy Butterscotch, exactly, butterscotch, okay. But if your goal is to win the Nobel Prize which I know is not related to butterscotch, but let's pretend is that butterscotch candy going to get you to the Nobel Prize or wherever it is you're going? Maybe it is, I don't know.

Jen Liss: 43:41

Maybe it's probably more of that giant jawbreaker, if you want to get to the. Nobel Prize. Let's be honest.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 43:46

Or win the Guinness book here. That's a better example. If you want to win the Guinness book of world records record for sucking on a jawbreaker, you're going to have to pick the jawbreaker right. But you know, if your goal is something else, then you know, pick a different candy. So I think that's part of it. What do you want to do? How is that going to get you to where you want to go? And then, how does that fit into, like the broader aspects of your life? Because I mean, we have, you know, physical health is just the base of mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, all of that stuff, right? So, like, how does that all stack together in a place where you can sit back and go? Yeah, like, this is right, this is good, you know.

Jen Liss: 44:20

Yeah, such powerful questions. Thank you for sharing those. And one final question for you before we leave this conversation today Kristen, where do you see the magic in the world.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 44:30

Where do I see the magic in the world? That is an excellent question. I think I see it when I work with people and there's this moment when I'm teaching, where you know, I'm kind of leading them to a certain place. They're not quite sure what it is yet, but you know, they're going with the flow and all of a sudden they're doing something they didn't expect. You know, all of a sudden they're holding a pose, or they're balancing, or they're reaching their foot for the first time, or whatever it might be.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 45:06

And you just see, like this kind of little, like dazed and confused, look on their face where they're reaching their foot for the first time, or whatever it might be.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 45:11

And you just see, like this kind of little, like dazed and confused, look on their face where they're like, oh my God, like I just did, you know, like I just did this thing, you know. And then that's usually followed by, not like a full, outright smile, but like just this kind of like subtle shift and like you can tell they're happy about it. Right, it's that discovery. And then it's like the little bit of joy that follows, and that's always pretty cool to me because I mean, we're all capable of so many amazing things, right, but oftentimes we just don't have the opportunity or the space to even realize it. So when they realize that in this tiny little moment in yoga class, like I know, they're going to leave class feeling lighter, and I know that if that happens enough times, they're going to start to think, well, what else can I do, you know, and so that's pretty cool, that's like, it's like the gateway drug, if you will Like those little micro moments that leads to even bigger moments.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 46:03

Yeah, and the best part is like it doesn't just it happens to someone at any age. And I think it's even cooler when it's like someone who's like in their seventies or eighties and they're like I just did what you know, like they're just like shocked that they did this thing, that they were convinced that they were not flexible, that they couldn't do it, that it was like out of the realm of possibility. They just did it and they nailed it. You know that's pretty cool.

Jen Liss: 46:28

That's so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that, Kristen. Where can people connect with you? Where can they find Flowficient if they're interested in checking it out?

Kristin Lee Geiger: 46:32

Yeah, sure, so they can connect with me. My website is kristenleegeigercom. My whole name, flowficient, is my fitness app and program, so that's appflowficientcom.

Jen Liss: 46:43

And then I'm on LinkedIn and I'm on Instagram under those those same names, so I should be pretty easy to find all those links are in the show notes too, if you want to go and check her out, which I know you're going to want to. So thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing your story today yeah, thank you for having me, jen.

Kristin Lee Geiger: 46:58

It's been so much fun to talk to you and, yeah, I mean you've been doing so much cool stuff. So, like I mean, you're a joy to talk to with everything you've been doing and inspiring for all of us too. So keep it up.

Jen Liss: 47:08

Thank you Huge thank you to Kristen for coming on the podcast and sharing her story. I cannot wait for Thursday to dive into some of these topics in the Thursday Thread episode. I'm going to pull out a couple of strings from this episode and go in a little bit deeper, so stay tuned for Thursday's episode, where that is going to happen. If there's something that you loved about this episode, I encourage you to share it with a friend. Go check out all of Kristen's links that are in the show notes. Go follow her if you're interested in checking out her fitness program.

Jen Liss: 47:42

If you enjoyed this episode, I encourage you to share it with a friend. If you really liked it. If there was something really powerful for you, share it with all your. If you really liked it, if there was something really powerful for you, share it with all your friends. You can take a little screenshot of it. Put it on social media. Tag me, tag Kristen. Her link, again, is in the show notes and so is mine. I'm untetheredjen on Instagram. If you tag us, we will reshare your posts. It would really mean the world to me if you did. Thank you again so much for listening. You just keep shining your magical unicorn light out there for all to see. I'll see you next time. Bye.