Hello, my name is Leslie and I am the host of the Why Not Today podcast.
This is a podcast to celebrate people who have been courageous and said, why not today?
I started this podcast in honor of my father, Patrick Cain, who often said, why not today?
I'm based in Reston, Virginia, a planned community right outside of Washington, DC.
Thanks for joining us today.
So I'm excited.
We are officially this week starting a, instead of twice a month, we're going to every week
podcast, which is kind of fun and exciting.
Except for saying that, I think we're skipping next week.
That's okay.
Starting in January, officially.
So and so my guest today is somebody I've known for several years, Liz Kemp, and she
has a spin studio here where I live, but I found something new about her the other day.
And so she's here to share about her courageous moments with her studio, but also we're going
to talk about the one word and intentions as we start the new year.
So I always talk about how we met, where we connected.
So Liz lives in Reston, but I didn't meet you until you opened the spin studio at Lake
Ann and met you through that when you just probably met you before you opened and then
went to a couple of sessions, but then really got to know you better or you got to know
me better because I put out on social media one day that I was looking for somebody to
help work with my younger sister as down sender with some exercise and you reached out, you
have a nephew that's down down the center.
And so Liz works with Amanda every week and walks around the lake and does exercises.
So and I'm sure I'll show you everything I don't want you to think about our family
hanging out with Amanda.
So I love that connection and that, you know, we become like become like family through
connections of business.
So and I had no idea you did the my intention thing training.
So you know, it's funny, you know, things about people who don't know everything about
them.
So introduce yourself, Liz, just a quick bio with a fun fact and then we'll encourage
and your courage stories.
Sounds good.
Yeah, thank you for having me.
So I'm Liz Camp and I'm the founder of new trail as Leslie mentioned.
And yeah, I feel like we've known each other forever, even though we haven't.
But yeah, the studio has now been open for about five years and I have lived and rest
in for about 15 years, almost 15 years now.
And I, we love living here.
And we have three kids and a dog and just thoroughly enjoy, you know, the rest in life
and being not far from Lake Ann.
That was a priority for us when we bought our house.
So yeah, we love this area.
And I'm originally from upstate New York.
And I like to say that I went to college in Baltimore and when I realized that the sun
could shine and there could be snow on the ground at the same time, then I realized I
wouldn't be going north farther north in the mid Atlantic again.
And so I'm definitely one of those people who's hoping for snow though this winter.
I do love the snow.
Can't be fun, but we don't want to like you up there.
Yeah, true, true.
Yeah, well, I'm excited.
I know you'd lived and rested not long, but yeah, yeah, we're coming up on 15 years.
Crazy.
I've lived in rest since I was two.
So yeah, well, a little different there.
So Liz, what does courage mean to you?
Start there.
Yeah.
To me, I think it just means acting when you don't know what the outcome is going to be.
I think I am very much type A. A lot of people would say I'm very type A and I like to know
what's coming and I like to see what's coming down the path.
And so for me personally, courage is definitely acting on the unknown.
And yeah, but love that.
So you started, you opened new trail five years ago.
So let's talk about that courageous move and starting that and what motivated you and was
it scary knowing and then you probably open, were you open a year and then COVID?
Just yeah, a year and a couple of months before COVID started.
So yeah, I mean it was, in a lot of ways, it was a really long road to open new trail
because I worked in the fitness industry.
I started in college teaching classes and had worked in the industry.
It worked for the town of Herndon running their fitness programming.
So that experience between the town of Herndon working for a YWCA, a couple other fitness
facilities realized that I really wanted to do it my own way.
And I couldn't really do that unless I really branched out on my own.
So I knew that I wanted to stay home, be a stay at home mom with our kids when they
were little.
So it kind of was put on the back burner intentionally just sort of like got to wait until the time
is right.
And so during that time, we had our three babies and I taught some classes with my mom's group
and still sort of kept my foot in the door fitness.
We were working another job where you just not just but we're home with the kids.
Just home with the kids.
Yeah.
Home with the kids.
Just is not a good word.
Yeah, just is not a good word for that.
That is very true.
But still kind of continued my fitness journey in terms of teaching classes to my mom's group
and being involved in running and walking groups and things like that.
But really new trail in the iteration of Lake Ann once the pharmacy closed at Lake Ann.
So for those of you who aren't familiar with Lake Ann Plaza and Reston, we have a beautiful
lakefront mixed use area.
And there was an original pharmacy that was also a little cafe and the post office all
wrapped into one.
And when that candy store with the main lady when we were kids, I forget the candy store.
So when that closed down, let's see, I was not even pregnant with my youngest.
I think that timing is about right.
And I remember saying to my husband, like, that's the spot.
I just I'm not ready to do it right now.
But oh my gosh, that's my space.
Like that is where I need to do this.
Yes.
And then, you know, but I, I knew truly that I, I didn't, I couldn't take it on in that
moment.
So I could just kind of waited and the space stayed vacant and stayed vacant.
And I kept watching it and kept saying, oh, I just did.
I'm going to be so upset if somebody else goes in there.
And I still can vividly remember the day sitting with my two sister-in-laws at Calypso's, a
restaurant across the way, and saying, I think I just need to do it.
Like I just, it feels like that's my space.
I think I just need to do it.
And why not today?
Why not today?
Why not today moment?
Yeah.
And it just kind of felt like this overwhelming sense of like, yeah, I have to do it.
And if I don't act, I'm going to regret it.
And I don't want to regret not just trying.
And then it just kind of spiraled from there.
I reached out to the landlord, got in touch with the broker and started the very long
process of negotiating and was able to secure the space.
So my daughter, our youngest was a year and a couple months when we, no, more than that,
maybe two, two and a couple months when we first started really the process.
So yeah, it was one of those, I don't want to look back and regret it.
Yeah.
So which is what her does, just doing the things and it wasn't perfect.
And we had to spread a lot of stuff in between.
Yeah.
Putting the things on the wall, right?
Yeah.
All of it.
Lots of, lots of learning curve there.
But I think too, when you believe in what you're doing, it's easier to be courageous.
And I feel like I just so deeply believed that the service I wanted to provide people
was worth pursuing, excuse me, worth pursuing that, that also is what really pushed me to
do it.
And when we were talking the other day, like you're a spin studio, but you do other things
and other exercise and when you work with me as a personal trainer, but what you said,
I loved and so aligned with the why not today message and what I'm trying to do with this
podcast is why do women come to new trial?
Right.
Yeah.
I think that to me, it's always been deeper than just a workout.
You know, my degree is in psychology and for me in high school, fitness became an outlet.
It became a way to improve my mental health.
It was a way for me to connect with other people.
And so new trail to me, so, you know, I named new trail new trail because it's a new trail
and rest in it's a new way again for the listeners who aren't here in town.
New trail was founded by Bob Simon and the community is connected by trails.
There are 55 miles of trails and Bob said his vision was for people to meet on the trails
and connect on the trails.
And so when I was trying to figure out what to call the studio new trail is what came out
because I thought, well, my whole goal is people to connect people to feel seen people
to, you know, be there to work out for more than just burning calories.
It's about feeling good, making connections, being a human as having that human connection
is just so big.
And so for me, yeah, I think all women in particular just want to feel seen and they
want that human connection.
And so we try to provide that.
That's awesome.
And you know, I never heard that side of it and it makes so much sense.
And I taught water rubrics for 13 years and the same thing.
People came for the community and it goes back to Lake Ann too, that Lake Ann was designed
and all the original shopping centers and rest of you had to get out of your car and
walk and build a tree and living.
I live right here, right?
Probably if I had a really good arm for a rock at the studio, but you know, it is connection
and you I can't walk out of my door and walk to new trail without probably running to three
or 10 people that I know.
And that's what I love about this community.
So it's not just about working out.
Yeah.
So much more.
I mean, you talk about one word which you'd never heard of, but you talk teach classes
on something else.
Is it my intent?
Yeah, my intent is.
Let's talk about that and what that is.
How people come about doing it.
Yeah.
So my intent.
Gosh, I should.
Yeah, I was going to say, how did I first stumble upon my intent?
I think actually it was at a fitness conference.
And they, they were just starting out and my intent, if you're not familiar, it's a company
that does, they do workshops, but they do it.
It's all about finding your word, your inspiration for the year or this particular time in your
life.
And then you hand stamp it into a bracelet or a necklace.
Which is funny.
I have it and I don't have it on today, but I do have a my intent bracelet, but I have
made.
Okay.
It says why not today?
There you go.
And that's kind of how I got introduced to it at a conference and, and I just thought,
wow, I love the idea of living with intention.
I mean, that's the whole point of it is we are all rushing through life.
And so how can we be intentional with the choices that we're making day to day with
our goal for any particular time or year in life?
And for me, it really fits in line with the goal for the studio, which is to go deeper.
Right.
So again, it's not just the workout.
It's the how do you feel and your overall well being.
And so my intent to me is along those same lines.
How do we live with intention?
And so I also love using it on the, at the studio because I do think people particularly
around this time of year, when we're looking at New Year's resolutions and we think, okay,
yes, here's my goal for next year.
I'm going to lose 20 pounds.
And it's really hard to just say, I'm going to lose 20 pounds and have that motivate you
all year long.
And so to me, I really like flipping it for people and saying, okay, so I understand that's
your goal, but why is it your goal?
So is it that you want to lose 20 pounds because you want to be healthier so that you can run
around with your kids or grandkids or you want to be able to travel next year and you
know that it will be easier for you to travel health wise if you're in better condition.
So then you kind of go deeper from there.
Right.
So is it the, you know, the time?
Is it how you feel?
What is that then going to allow you to do?
So I think I really enjoy the layers, peeling back the layers, right, to see what truly is
motivating someone to either add to their life or also potentially remove things from their
life.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
So in your workshops, I love the digging deeper with the why and totally relate a friend of
mine the other day, text me because I think my word is going to be health, which can encompass
the lose whatever, how much weight or and talking about the grandparents or one play
with your kids.
My niece just had a baby and my brother-in-law is lifting weights and wants to get healthier
so we can throw the baby up in the air.
There you go.
You know, what a visual.
So how do you help people feel back?
The why?
What are you doing the workshop for?
Yeah.
So people, you know, we're doing a one word painting event January 4th and I know your
workshops at the end of January.
So some tips and ideas of how do you figure out that word?
Yeah.
So usually our workshops start with a little bit of meditation to just kind of open people
up to allowing words to come to them.
You know, I think you and I were chatting about our own words and saying things like,
oh, yeah, and then this one word just kind of kept coming to me.
And I think once you get used to doing this process, that does start to happen.
Right.
You just start feeling like once tapping you on the shoulder over and over again.
And so for us, I think in the workshop setting where you're limited on time, I think it's
helpful to start with a little meditation and just breathing and open up some ideas
of questions, right?
And then we're starting to think about what do I want to be doing, what do I want to be
doing, questions to start letting people think about what do I want more of in my life?
What do I want less of in my life?
What do I want to feel like next year?
What do you know?
What, what change do I want to see?
And then we talk a little bit deeper and I tend to share stories of sort of passwords
of mine and how I reached them.
And then we kind of brainstorm a little bit in the group setting for people if they want
to share and talk about what their words are.
And they might come up with something and I might then respond with a question, asking
them again, just sort of that searching question to get a little deeper to what they're looking
for.
And how long, how long are your workshops and determine your life?
It's about depends on the number of people, but usually about 60 minutes.
Okay.
Yeah.
Love that.
So do you have a word that, that you've had in the past?
How many, I don't know how many years you've been doing this, but you have a word that
was just super memorable?
I mean, probably my most memorable is last year's but or 2020 had a lot of, and it's
interesting how it kind of twists, like I probably shared this on the last podcast, but
2020, my word was connect and my friend was father and we kind of laughed about it in
March, but we're like, all right, it's an invitation to figure out how to connect and
gather in different ways.
Yeah.
So it totally can unfold in totally different ways.
So do you have a story of a word or intention?
Last year mine was feel the, but the year before that mine was here, H-E-R-E.
And what I found helpful about that one was wearing it on my bracelet on my wrist, because
my goal for that year, my intention was to be more present.
And so to me, that meant here, wherever that wrist is with that bracelet, just be here,
be present.
I think the, as a mom, the balance between work and kids, I mean, balance again, I don't
think it really exists, but try in the world of constant cell phone and constant connection,
right?
When I'm here in this moment, I want my attention to be here.
And so to me that year in particular, it was so helpful to have it on my wrist because
I literally would start to multitask, see my wrist reach for something and go, nope,
just stop, just be here.
You can get to that in a minute.
So it was helpful in a different way that year, I think, being such an actual physical
reminder that I would see on my wrist.
Where last year I didn't even, I actually didn't wear my bracelet as much as I normally
did because I think I had really just encompassed it so much that I didn't need to see the reminder
to focus on it.
So yeah, you need different things in different years.
My bracelet says why not today, but I think I'm going to need to get my word to remind
me because I put it around my house.
I paint it with our one word event.
It's there, but then it's, you know, and I actually have my graphic person a lot of times
use a fun graphic and give me a graphic and I print it just on a photo paper and put it
around my house so it's there.
But I think the wrist thing, because mine this year was space and a lot of it was being
present in my space with who I was.
But we forget and, you know, we're multitasking as you said or doing the other things.
Yeah, and I've had people take so the, you know, you put your word into a metal ring
and it's already on a bracelet, but I know a lot of people who cut them off the bracelet
put it on a necklace, which I think is a nice way to do it.
And I may do that this year.
I like the idea of, you know, as you're sitting and thinking or working, you might pick up
the necklace and just sort of fold it in your fingertips and remind yourself of the word,
feel the word with your hands because it is stamped in there.
So there are lots of different ways of doing it that I think.
Well, and I wear a lot of times a starfish necklace and we'll talk about it because of
the story of the starfish, you know, the story of the starfish.
I don't know.
So this guy was walking down the beach and picking up starfish and throwing it in the
ocean and somebody walked up an older man walked.
He's like, what are you doing?
Because I'm saving the starfish.
He's like, how could you possibly save the starfish?
There's thousands on this beach.
And he picked one up and threw it in the ocean and goes, I saved that one.
And so I really try to live by that motto.
Like you don't know who, what one person's life you're going to influence or how one
person can make a difference in your life or just pouring into one person.
Like you just never know who needs you that moment.
Yeah.
I love that.
And that ties into being present with people.
But yeah, the necklace thing, I often wear it and I touch it and feel it and talk about
it.
Yeah.
I kind of like that idea of maybe making a necklace out of the word.
Yeah.
Well, you can come to the studio and do it.
And I found somebody else that does stickers.
She does handwriting.
And I found her a couple of years ago.
I was just scrolling on social media, mindlessly not being present probably.
And she had this thing for like $5, you get your word on the sticker.
And so I did it.
And I happened to be out of town and had it sent to where I was, well, completely forgot
about it.
And my friend sent it to me and I'm like, what is this?
And she does an amazing job with her packaging and marketing with the word and all kinds
of a fun envelope.
And it's a fun experience just to get your word, which is now on my laptop all the time.
Yeah, which reminds me of another thing that you could do.
And I did this one year with goals and I gave it to someone to mail to me like a few months
later.
So, and you know, you could do that with your word too.
That's a good idea.
Have someone mail it to you.
And it was such a sort of a reminder moment of like, okay, you said this was going to
be your goal for the year.
Are you really doing it?
Yeah.
Let's check in.
I think sometimes just check in.
Sorry.
Yeah, because I talked to a friend of mine about her word for this year and she's like,
I don't remember what my word is last year.
Yeah.
And so I literally take my, we do the painting and I leave the painting in my bathroom.
So I see it every morning when I get it.
Every day.
It reminds me.
Yeah, I like that.
Yeah.
So any other tips or ideas on helping people come up with their intention word?
I think if you have the time to let yourself sit with it a little bit.
I think that is always good.
And maybe that just means, you know, spending an extra couple of minutes being open to it
morphing into something different.
Yeah, I think, I think just being open to suggesting, to suggestions that, that your,
your brain and body will, will give you.
I know it sounds weird.
I've got two, I'm toying between.
I'm just kind of looking and watching.
And last year I knew what my word was going to be.
And then all of a sudden it wasn't.
It was like, Oh, it's not it.
This is it.
Yeah.
So we're going to talk about how to encourage people before we do that.
We started on the podcast having sponsorships.
So new trails like Frank is our sponsor for this podcast this week.
It says it's located in Lake N.
Pause in Reston, Virginia.
And they offer group indoor cycling, strength and yoga classes, as well as personal training.
New trails mission is to make fitness successful for everybody through their challenging yet
achievable workouts where all levels are welcome.
And she has special for anybody listens to why not today.
You can get a free class by just going to, and we'll put this in the show notes too,
www.NewTrailCycling.com slash free class.
So a good way to end your year, start your year right, or, and we can also share about
your intention workshop.
And for those of you listening, and if you're local and want to join us, we are doing the
one wine women in one word painting on January 4th at Pino's palette in Herndon.
And it's another way to have your word present for you.
So I always ask my guests, how would you encourage somebody else to be courageous?
I just think it's always so much better to look back with no regrets.
I so rarely regret the things that I try.
So if you're on the fence about something, you know, I do think it's not wise to go into
things blindly, right?
So look in all directions, but trust yourself.
I think deep down, we all kind of know the right path.
And so, yeah, no one wants regrets.
So it's worth taking the leap.
Absolutely.
And it's interesting.
There's something I've been toying with trying to make a decision on and it has to do with
the word be seen.
And after you said that the other day and it keeps popping up, I'm like, I just need to
do it because it just doesn't come off.
I just can't stop thinking about it.
And I often share in this podcast and talk about Daniel Page.
Do you know who that is?
He's an author who actually lives in Northern Virginia, but he wrote a book about regrets.
I don't remember exactly the title, but one of the things he said is we rarely regret the
things we didn't do or that we do.
We rarely regret things that we do.
So let's just do those things.
And that's really the why not today message, the little things, you know, and some days
it's getting out of bed or going to the lot or, you know, starting businesses or just
sitting at a restaurant looking at a space going, I know in my gut, that's mine and going,
right?
Aren't you glad you didn't?
Yes.
And timing is never right.
No, you know, I just think there's no such thing.
I don't really know anyone who said, Oh yeah, you know, things just perfectly lined up and
slowed down and life was so easy.
So I decided that was the perfect time.
No, it just that doesn't happen.
We are in a fast paced life and us living in Northern Virginia.
It's a fast paced area.
And so yeah, if you keep thinking to yourself, I might regret not doing this.
Then there's your answer.
Yeah, we just, you just have to take that stuff and do it.
Yeah, there's always there are always lessons in things that don't work out.
Right.
So you still have the lessons and you're further ahead because of that.
Right.
Well, I always try to connect back to my dad and people always say, well, I never met your
dad, which did you ever meet my dad?
Probably not.
No, no.
Never saw him floating around resting.
Everybody wants to explain them.
They're like, Oh, I know who that is.
But so couple of things.
One, I didn't know you worked with the town of Herndon.
I don't know if you knew this, but my dad worked for the town of Herndon.
I didn't know that.
I'm planning it years and years and years ago.
He was a city planner and he actually did the redevelopment of Rochester.
I don't know if you knew that.
No, I don't think I did know.
Yeah, he did that.
I was born in Buffalo, but he worked all over the country.
So I was actually born in New York, too.
And his first office was at Lake Ann.
Oh, you know, his office was at the townhouses, you know, where the coffee shop is.
He was over at the aunt.
Amazing.
Yeah, so lots of points.
Little connection.
I know, and it feels like I should have met him at some point, just feeling like I know
your mom so well now and your sister.
So.
Well, it's funny when I, as I said, when I meet people and they're like, Oh, I know
who your dad is.
Or I actually had a new customer come in here that I knew through the chamber and she came
into my house and I had a picture of my dad.
They're just like, how do you know Pat came?
And then she thought, Oh, wait a minute.
I never thought about that.
That's hysterical.
Yes.
Well, Amanda and I often go and walk down to the bench that has his name.
We need to get that redone because you can't really read it anymore.
It seems to be polished up a little bit.
Yes, exactly.
So, well, this was a pleasure.
I'm so excited that we thank you and acted and people recommended you.
And you know what?
Christmas is this like in a few days and our next episode is the weekend of Christmas.
So we are every week.
I thought there was an extra weekend there.
I was trying to give you an extra week of a mom with three kids.
Yeah, I need another week.
So I really appreciate you doing that this episode this week before Christmas.
And this will come out Saturday the 23rd will be when everybody can officially listen to
it.
So, and I will share in the show notes how everybody can find you miss Liz and your intention
work, be intentional.
My intent, my intent, our workshop is January 27th.
Yeah, Saturday at 11 in the morning.
I might have to come join you.
Yeah, I hope so.
Definitely promote it here on the podcast and I'll have all your contact information
and don't forget if you're listening and you look here and want to try out a class that
just go to new trail.
What is it?
New trial cycling.com slash free class.
You got it.
I'm going to show that.
So thanks again.
Thank you so much.
Can't wait to hear what your word is.
You have to pay.
Sounds good.
Thanks.
All right.
Thanks.
Oh, and I forgot to say, if anybody wants to connect on why not today, we have the why
not today podcast.
If you just go to the podcast, you can get on our email list.
I'm going to start having some newsletter with some fun content.
If you do want to sign up for the one word event on January 4th, I'm thinking of some
gifts I'm going to provide for everybody that signs up.
So we're going to add some fun things to that.
So don't forget, say why not today.
She just never know.
Thanks again, Liz.
You're welcome.