Unlock the golden rule of entrepreneurship with a twist on relationship management that goes beyond the basics. This season on Cashflows, we're not just talking about nurturing client connections; we're redefining it with personalized strategies like birthday cards—a simple yet profound touch. Join me, Cash Matthews, and the ever-inspiring Jeanna Crawford from Ponytail Grit, as we share the secrets that will expand your business and personal growth.
Jeanna's formidable health journey and the inception of Ponytail Grit are at the forefront of our discussion, showcasing the transformative power of exercise and a balanced diet in combating diseases like type 2 diabetes. My own revelations about nutrition and wellbeing underscore the episode, offering an intimate look at the small, sustainable steps you can take towards a healthier lifestyle. It's an exploration of the bond between personal evolution and entrepreneurial success, all while being deeply grounded in authenticity and the lessons learned from mentors who have shaped our paths.
We wrap up our conversation with a heart-to-heart on the less-discussed aspects of running your own venture—the after-hours grind and the emotional rollercoasters with clients—and I'll spill some productivity hacks that keep me laser-focused. But perhaps most importantly, we examine the profound impact of forgiveness, not just for those around us, but for our inner peace and happiness. Tune in to an episode packed with actionable advice, heartfelt stories, and a journey through entrepreneurship that's as real as it gets—with Cashflows, where every stream tells a story.
Produced by Kenneth Baucum Boost your business with our expert photo, video, and audio production services.
MFP - My Financial Plan Manage all assets securely with My Financial Plan's tools and daily updates.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Get connected with this incredible group of Tulsa-area business owners and entrepreneurs by joining us for free at the Tulsa B.O.N.G. at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tulsabong or TulsaBONG.com. We can't wait to meet you!
Unlock the golden rule of entrepreneurship with a twist on relationship management that goes beyond the basics. This season on Cashflows, we're not just talking about nurturing client connections; we're redefining it with personalized strategies like birthday cards—a simple yet profound touch. Join me, Cash Matthews, and the ever-inspiring Jeanna Crawford from Ponytail Grit, as we share the secrets that will expand your business and personal growth.
Jeanna's formidable health journey and the inception of Ponytail Grit are at the forefront of our discussion, showcasing the transformative power of exercise and a balanced diet in combating diseases like type 2 diabetes. My own revelations about nutrition and wellbeing underscore the episode, offering an intimate look at the small, sustainable steps you can take towards a healthier lifestyle. It's an exploration of the bond between personal evolution and entrepreneurial success, all while being deeply grounded in authenticity and the lessons learned from mentors who have shaped our paths.
We wrap up our conversation with a heart-to-heart on the less-discussed aspects of running your own venture—the after-hours grind and the emotional rollercoasters with clients—and I'll spill some productivity hacks that keep me laser-focused. But perhaps most importantly, we examine the profound impact of forgiveness, not just for those around us, but for our inner peace and happiness. Tune in to an episode packed with actionable advice, heartfelt stories, and a journey through entrepreneurship that's as real as it gets—with Cashflows, where every stream tells a story.
Produced by Kenneth Baucum Boost your business with our expert photo, video, and audio production services.
MFP - My Financial Plan Manage all assets securely with My Financial Plan's tools and daily updates.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Get connected with this incredible group of Tulsa-area business owners and entrepreneurs by joining us for free at the Tulsa B.O.N.G. at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tulsabong or TulsaBONG.com. We can't wait to meet you!
Speaker 1:
Hello, entrepreneurs, dreamers, business owners and happy people with high hopes. Welcome to Cashf lows with your host, Cash MAtthews.
Speaker 2:
Matthews.
Speaker 3:
All right, good morning, mr Kenneth. We are here in beautiful Tulsa, oklahoma, and this show is called Cashf lows and our show is designed to help entrepreneurs and happy people, or maybe even some unhappy people, find a little traction, a little motivation to move forward in life, business or other pursuits, and we're very glad you're here. We have a guest we'll introduce in just a moment, but first let's say hi to Mr Kenneth Baucum, the executive producer of Cashf lows. Well, hey, how's it going, cash? It's going very well. With 107 episodes under your belt, how do you think things are going?
Speaker 1:
Oh, I think they're going to be fantastic. Looking forward to kicking off season two with you today.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, here we go, Season two. Man, it's like they called us back and said hey, Netflix renewed, or whoever it was renewed us.
Speaker 1:
It was not Netflix, not Netflix. They're similar to Netflix, that's right.
Speaker 3:
Anyway, we're glad to be here working in the community with people that are making a difference and, kenneth, certainly you've been one of those. And before we get going on our show, you know, there's a little thing we like to do where we just give our little nugget to entrepreneurs.
Speaker 1:
Oh, I think you mean Biz Bites, biz Bites, biz Bites yeah.
Speaker 3:
Awesome. What do you have for us today, cash? You know, as a 42-year veteran, god, that just makes me sound so old, but so does my age. Well, I mean, you know, I've been an entrepreneur since I was age 20, and one of the things that took me a while to learn is what do you do with all of the information you gather about prospects and clients and friends and we would just call that a database and managing your database correctly is one of the single most effective, least expensive things that you can do on a daily basis to make sure your business is growing continually. And so when I meet with people now, we have lots of events and people come in, and you know I'm not a business card guy on any level.
Speaker 3:
But what I do like to gather from clients, I call them the five points of business, and point number one is their name.
Speaker 3:
I think that's pretty basic.
Speaker 3:
Number two, I like to get their date of birth, their cell phone, their email, and now here's the biggie for me I like to get their address as well, and a lot of you know so far we haven't had too many people freak out over me asking for their address, but one of the things that I do with my database is I send out birthday cards, and if you want to build a business quickly, just stay in touch with the people that you're already, that you've already met one-on-one and you know.
Speaker 3:
If you don't like them, you don't have to do that. But if you meet people that you like and could envision having a friendship or a client relationship within the next five years, what do five birthday cards cost over the course of five years? You know, 15, 20 bucks. Yeah, a little bit of effort, and so I think managing your database is the single most important thing you can do. That's basically free, and if you don't have one man, I'd share with you how we do it and it's worked very well for us. I actually like to send out a card on my birthday from time to time.
Speaker 2:
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, and I know that sounds funny, but I'll send out a card to certain clients. It'll go hey, it's my birthday and I wanted you to know that the best gift I could ever have is a friend like you. Thanks for being part of my life. Sincerely, cash Matthews. I love that no business, just hey, it's my birthday and I thought it would be weird to send you a birthday card and we've done.
Speaker 3:
Groundhog Day and everybody does Christmas cards, but then your card's one of you know whatever, 50 or 60. So anyway, hand signed birthday card for and we do that with our client base and our database and I think that's a good definition of the Biz Byte, awesome, all right, we ready to get on with this.
Speaker 1:
I certainly am. Let's do it.
Speaker 3:
This is going to be a great show today. We have our friend Jeanna Crawford in today, and her business is Ponytail Grit. What a cool name, thanks. How'd you come up with that?
Speaker 2:
I just I wanted the grit, and my hair is always in a ponytail when I'm getting serious, so it made sense.
Speaker 3:
All right. Well, you know there's a book called Grit, and when I heard your name I was like, ah, I don't know if you've read that book or not, but what a tremendous book. And you know we actually have a Grit Award at our annual awards ceremony, so this is going to be a topic I think everybody relates to Ponytail Grit PonytailGritcom If you want to look up Gina Crawford today and get to know her a little bit and you know the starting point for her company is to help ladies lose weight. Get moving, and things like this can help reverse type 2 diabetes, and you know not being able to see your feet and other things that go along with. You know not being in the form of health that you'd really rather be, and I love that phrase, though. Get people moving, and I think that applies to that's not just applies to women, that applies to men.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 3:
Not everybody's as physically fit as you and I are, but Well, I mean, you mean, you know anyway. So time to get people moving, and uh, so we're here with gina crawford today and we're thankful to spend some time with you, sure, yeah, thanks for having me all right, welcome to cash flow. So I want to start with just I want to get a little bit of your history, how you got in, because what do you call yourself in the health and wellness industry? Is that, yes, the industry?
Speaker 2:
tell us about getting in the health and wellness industry and what you did before and how you ended up here okay, well, um, what I did before was claims adjusting and I worked with injured workers and over time you realize that those who have really taken care of themselves, those who eat right, they heal, heal faster, they heal better and they're more motivated to go back to what they're doing. And other people. When you have health issues that interfere with an injury, it takes a lot longer, and the longer that healing takes it takes a toll on the person, it takes a mental toll on them. So I started seeing early in my career that keeping control of your health, taking care of it, is really going to help you in the long run. Right and through the years, I've always been interested in working out. I've worked out with the wrestling team in high school.
Speaker 2:
Did not want to wrestle, it was just cool to have 28 older brothers running around. So, I was well protected, that's kind of cool wrestle. It was just cool to have 28 older brothers running around, so I was well protected and loved working out, really appreciated the ladies who went forward in the health and fitness industry. I will forever be a Denise Austin fan. She paved the way for us Old school.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yes, so the exercise piece of it is something I've always enjoyed. The nutrition piece did not really become a reality to me until I was sitting in a doctor's office hearing that I was pre-diabetic. I had heart disease markers lit up like Vegas and I was inflamed and I was in trouble and I knew that. First of all, I knew better.
Speaker 3:
Right.
Speaker 2:
Or at least I thought I did. I knew how to lose weight. I'd done it before. But getting the nutrition right, getting your body right, get everything back in sync. Once you get your health right, your size, your shape, that's going to take care of itself Right. So that's what started that path and that journey. And once I had that information, I can't keep that to myself. That was a gift from from God. He allowed me to do that, to find that, and I know going through it myself it was pretty lonely and I was like and I just you know why go through it yourself yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 3:
So did you go from a traditional full-time job and into the health and wellness industry?
Speaker 2:
I am actually still working a full-time.
Speaker 3:
Oh, you are okay, and so this, this is sort of your passion project then.
Speaker 2:
This is my love and what I want to do full-time.
Speaker 3:
What a beautiful story, yeah, so when you have a full-time job, it makes it less scary when you bridge over into the thing that you really love to do.
Speaker 2:
In theory.
Speaker 3:
In theory right, Is it still kind of scary?
Speaker 2:
It is scary but it also creates the drive, because there's a big difference in helping people who have to be helped and helping people who want to be helped.
Speaker 3:
True that. So how long have you been doing Ponytail Grit?
Speaker 2:
Ponytail Grit's been up and running since 2020, September 2020.
Speaker 3:
Wow, so this is not a brand new thing.
Speaker 2:
No.
Speaker 3:
Now, do you do this in a one-on-one way or do you do this as a group? How do people find you? And besides the website, but what's going on when they come and visit with you? Is that a group thing? Individual thing?
Speaker 2:
Most of my coaching is done group style. I have a Facebook group also called ponytail grit. I try to make it easy to find me and I do live weekly training on different topics where ladies can get information on just little things that they can do. Just little things, little improvements. And then I do challenges. In my group we just had a lose the sugar challenge. I'm blown away. One of my girls lost four pounds this week in this challenge.
Speaker 3:
Wow, just by giving up sugar. Yes, yeah, wow.
Speaker 2:
And not even giving up all of it. We just reduced it and swapped some things out.
Speaker 3:
Good for you. Yeah, so you're on the nutrition side. This is one of the things that I find challenging is sugar's everywhere.
Speaker 2:
It is. It has over 100 names.
Speaker 3:
Wow, okay, it has over 100 names. Wow, okay, that ought to make you all mad, all of those dextrose and anything with os in the end of it is kind of sugar, yes. So on the nutrition side then I mean, do you have like a nutrition plan that you prescribe or subscribe for people that they would follow?
Speaker 2:
I don't tell them exactly what to eat. Here's part of the problem. When people start to get a hold of their diet and their nutrition, they want to overhaul everything all at once. Well, now you've got a mad husband and kids that won't eat, and you can start working with the foods that you like and put them in the right order. You can pair them. Now, obviously, we're not going to eat Twinkies all day, but we're going to put some good food on the table, stuff that everybody likes, and we're going to work from there and then we're going to build our plate right and we're going to start where we are. It doesn't have to be perfect. We're going to get going and we are going to take the steps that we need to take and build one thing at a time instead of taking off like the Boston Marathon.
Speaker 3:
Right, right.
Speaker 2:
It's because it is a marathon and you have to do it step by step, otherwise you're, you stress yourself out. When you stress yourself, you add the cortisol. That's fine that your body's going to fight you.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, you're not going to, so that's, I mean, that's great advice, kenneth, start where you are. I like that.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 3:
You know that's. I think that's something that the average person could take and go. Okay, I'm not going to run the Boston marathon today, but I might walk to the corner of the block and back and then get involved in an activity that, on a regular interval, keeps me kind of busy. That that's great advice. Start where you are. I love that. I think they could be. I think that's a biz bite just in and of itself well, yeah, it could be.
Speaker 1:
I mean, we do have sound effects for those things too. Oh money, big money right there.
Speaker 3:
Okay, very cool. So how did you learn about nutrition? Because that's a giant topic. It's amazing how many people have an opinion on it, but obviously you've done lots of research. Tell us about that.
Speaker 2:
Okay, my nutrition journey started a couple years after my mom died. I was cleaning out her office and I found a book called Beating Cancer with Nutrition. Okay, it was a heartbreaking moment because I knew then that my mom probably knew she had cancer and didn't mention that. And that's okay. She was doing what she could for us. I found this book and I had just been to the doctor. I realized I was having some problems. Why don't we start here? This was it literally just landed in my hand. So that's where I started. I've never read the book in its entirety. It is a hard book to read. It's college level stuff Not that I can't read college level stuff, but it's a hard read. But it did connect me to different doctors and I read their books and I followed them for years I still do and that started me down the path to nutrition and I was just blown away with what you could do with your food. So once I got that far into it, I went and got a nutrition certification so that I could be a nutrition coach.
Speaker 3:
So you are a certified nutrition coach and you went through the steps to learn Well how good is that?
Speaker 1:
Yes?
Speaker 3:
And I don't know that a lot of physical trainers and this is not cast on any one person, but I mean most trainer type people they do. They have nutrition counseling certificates, or is that that kind of makes you unique? Some do some don't?
Speaker 2:
Here's a fun fact nutrition counseling certificates, or is that that kind of makes you unique? I think some do, some, some don't. Here here's a fun fact. So in order to get through medical school, doctors only have to have one to three hours of nutrition right oh wow, and this is the person who's telling you how to eat yeah, that's uh, that's interesting so some, some personal trainers and some programs offer a course on nutrition.
Speaker 2:
I wanted the full-blown nutrition which, interestingly enough, this course also had some physical fitness in it as well so to understand the chemical reactions and what it's doing for the body and things like that.
Speaker 3:
So when people join your group, do they have online access to some of these ideas?
Speaker 2:
Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 3:
That's part of PonytailGritcom.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 3:
They can go there and find out a little bit of information.
Speaker 2:
Well, they're going to find it in the group.
Speaker 3:
Right.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, but there's a route through the website to the group and I keep all of my training in the guides section. So if you just want to look at blood sugar, you can go through those trainings. If you want to look at exercise, I've got a section for that. I have. I have a section with recipes and these girls last week wow, some recipes really popped out.
Speaker 3:
They're really yeah I would think that that would be like. One of the great value adds is the community. Hey, here's, here's something I found that's low sugar or low carb or whatever Help ladies lose weight, reduce and reverse diabetes and get moving again. We're here today with Gina Crawford, with Ponytail Grit, ponytailgritcom, and we're learning about nutrition and exercise and really just living a longer, better, happier, healthy life.
Speaker 2:
Vitality.
Speaker 3:
Vitality. I like that word. That's what I want.
Speaker 2:
I want to go out like I'm stealing a home plate, and I want the rest of you all to do the same.
Speaker 3:
Awesome, I like that. So let's talk about some of the people in your life. I know you've had lots of people influence you, yes, and we want to hear about some of those people. What could you tell us about the influential friends, family or whoever that influenced you during your career up to now?
Speaker 2:
Sure, the first one I want to mention is my dad. My dad just never quits. I've watched him learn a trade and go into a different career and start his own business with a broken back and he did that because, as his back was healing, that way he could work on the days when he could work, and that has always stuck with me, instead of just laying there saying I can't. He found what he could and he kept going and he did that and he is retired and he still works.
Speaker 3:
Wow, how old is your dad now?
Speaker 2:
My dad is 72. Wow, he's still going. Wow, yeah, how old is your dad now? My dad is 72.
Speaker 3:
Wow, and he's still going. That's great.
Speaker 2:
Still going swapping out car parts.
Speaker 3:
Wow, okay, right, so who else?
Speaker 2:
So another one was a high school teacher that I had. I had her three out of four years and that was on purpose after the first year. It was an honors class and, unlike other honors classes, you could do all of your homework. You could ace every test, every quiz. You could do all the things and the best you were going to get was a C.
Speaker 3:
Wow.
Speaker 2:
Because C is average and if you've done all those things okay, you're average. If you wanted a B, here's the list of work you had to do to get a B. If you want an A, you will do the C, the B and the A work. Wow. So the bar was high in this lady's class and she was tough, but she was fair. She was an excellent teacher and, again, I submitted myself to three years. It was an elective class, I didn't have to have her.
Speaker 3:
Do you want to say her name?
Speaker 2:
Her name is Catherine Flusche.
Speaker 3:
Okay, and so Catherine Flusche you had a profound impact on one person here today.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely, she did.
Speaker 3:
Very cool, and that was high school right, mm-hmm. Okay, anybody else that you want to talk about who's had an impact on you? Just my mom, obviously. Yeah, yeah, great lady, and she never quit either. How serendipitous to find that book as you're cleaning out her office. Yes, and now that one book is parlayed into this cool career for you.
Speaker 2:
Yes, and I know she's just like. Well, what she would say is heck of a deal.
Speaker 3:
That is a heck of a deal. Yeah, so a about you. So you an extrovert, an introvert. What does it take to do what you do? Because you're in front of the world right I am absolutely positively an introvert that's what I thought you might say absolutely, but you live in front of the world I do.
Speaker 2:
I do most introverts, most most people you see in front of the cameras, on the stages. A lot of them are introverts and I learned through my mentor, darren Hardy, that in order to make that happen. I know you guys are sitting here thinking do you teach Zuba? What are you talking about? An introvert? Right, there's just a part of the process getting ready, and once that music goes on, or once that Bluetooth hooks up to the speakers, once that moment it's showtime.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
Beyonce does the same thing when she's getting ready. Once they're to a certain point and those eyelashes go on, it's showtime and that.
Speaker 3:
It's another thing Beyonce and I have in common.
Speaker 2:
Right Kind of an introvert until the lashes go on. That's right, that's right.
Speaker 3:
Or the blue blazer.
Speaker 2:
I believe it. We all have our thing that says, okay, it's time to quit. Do you find?
Speaker 3:
more people that are in public. Like you, have a tendency towards being an introvert.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 3:
I have this people think I'm an extrovert because I speak in front of a room, but 90% of the time I'm hidden out in my car trying to prep for it and not throw up.
Speaker 2:
Yes, I understand To this day. I occasionally will get nervous before a Zumba class.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, yes, so I meant to ask this and I left it off. So how big is a Zumba class? How many people show up for these? Oh man, Is it comfortable for people to show up?
Speaker 2:
That's the introvert in me asking that question. So in my class it's absolutely comfortable and it is by design, and I remind my girls all the time. Some of them have been in Zuma a long time, they know what to do. I've got my front row divas and I have my quiet Susies in the back and that's fine. Everybody has a different level. If you can't do the whole class, I tell people take a break, sit down, get some water, do what you need to do. Don't worry about anybody else in this room, because they've all been where you are at and they're here to support you and they're here to get their work out too. Everybody's pretty much focused on themselves. Sometimes we're playing together, but my girls are inclusive, even if somebody's sitting down and we're going around doing high fives or something we catch. Whoever's sitting down, I mean, they're part of the class too.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, start where you are, absolutely.
Speaker 2:
That is beautiful, absolutely Very cool.
Speaker 3:
All right. So you mentioned having a favorite color and that it had some impact on you. I don't normally ask these questions, yeah, but I want to hear how your favorite color has impacted you.
Speaker 2:
Well, my favorite color is my hero color in my brand. I have four colors in my brand and it is the hero color, so you will see more royal blue in my branding than anything because it is to me. For one thing, if you look at the color definition, it provides a sense of security and confidence, and first of all not everybody can wear this color, and I can, so that's cool.
Speaker 2:
It looks great, thank you, so I feel good in it. I love the color and it's also a symbol of reliability, responsibility and trustworthiness, and that's what I want to be to my people, right.
Speaker 3:
And to yourself, I think to be to my people Right, and to yourself, I think it sounds like that you're kind of walking the walk here.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 3:
I think that's awesome, do you like? I love this color. You ever wear a jacket that looks I mean, I've been a blue blazer guy my whole life. I've been afraid to stand out.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I mean, two out of the three schools I went to as a kid had royal blue as a color. So I have my collection home as well.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so I'm all about some royal blue, it's a great color and now, since starting Ponytail Grit in conjunction with Zumba, I can do an entire load of laundry in highlighter yellow.
Speaker 3:
Okay, okay. I admire people who can wear colors like I'm my life. I am so beige it's embarrassing.
Speaker 3:
So what? Um, let's talk about personality traits and what people need to. Uh, you like to work in your industry, what? What does it take from a personality standpoint to do what you do? Because I, I, I imagined on some level it's frustrating when you have somebody who's so capable and they want it and they do maybe have the time. They just need to make a couple of adjustments, but don't like. How do you tell me about your personality traits that allow you to not punch people?
Speaker 1:
Can I say it that way? I mean that with all the love in the world, of course.
Speaker 2:
Right right Now. There are times you can tell somebody and you know, and they will ask you the same question. As you know, we've covered this, but that's what you need in order to be able to do that is empathy.
Speaker 3:
Right.
Speaker 2:
And if you have been in their shoes which I have then you understand. It's not that they don't get it, it's not that they don't want to. There's a fear, there's something else going on there and you, your job at that point as a coach is to help them figure that out so that they can communicate that to you. Once you know what that is, then you start working on that fear, or what's holding them back, or why somebody might be self-sabotaging themselves. You have to get to that root problem. So at that point you become an unqualified psychologist. At that point you become an unqualified psychologist. And that's just part of coaching is you bring out the best in people when they don't think they can bring out the best in themselves.
Speaker 2:
You know how we watch the sports movies. And this team is crappy and there's no way they're going all the way.
Speaker 2:
And the next thing you know, we're cheering them on at the end of the movie for the championship. Humans are the same way the best is in there and they want it. And when they sign up with you, even if it seems like they don't get it, they're hearing you. They're afraid to move beyond the point where they're at. So you've got to find that fear, grab their hand and say, hey, I got you, let's take this step.
Speaker 3:
Let's take it together. So that's why, then, the start, where you are is really based in empathy and not hey, you don't have to come in and run the Boston. That's such a great example. Instead of running the Boston Marathon, let's do 10 minutes of Zumba or walk to the end of the block and back. I think that is brilliant.
Speaker 3:
I say it differently God loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to leave you that way, and we all need a little bit of encouragement along the way, and I've certainly benefited from that a great deal. Well, we're going to take a quick break and we're going to say thank you to one of our important sponsors who make cash flows. Come to life, kenneth, what you got.
Speaker 1:
This episode is sponsored by Kenneth Bauckham Photography. Hi, my name is Kenneth Bauckham and I'm here to help you bring your awesome ideas to life. I specialize in helping businesses explode their online presence through professional photography, video and virtual event production with a rapid turnaround. It's commercial photo and video services with a personal touch.
Speaker 3:
Learn more at KennethBauckhamcom. All right, mr Kenneth, thank you for that, and thank you for all that you do to make Cash Flows look so beautiful.
Speaker 3:
You're quite welcome Both on the podcast I have a face for radio but we're also out there on the YouTube under Ca lows Cash flows with Cash Matthews. So we're here today with Jeanna Crawford and she is the founder, owner and director of PonytailGritcom. She teaches exercise through Zumba. She helps women get started and to me, I think that's true not just in health, I think it's true in everything. It is Just getting started. Just take a little bit of, just take a step of some sort. You know, if you're an author or a wannabe, write down 10 words Like just get started. And I think that is. I think that's about the best advice.
Speaker 2:
Well, you got the author part down, because that's how my book started. I just sat down and started.
Speaker 3:
Well, tell us about your book real quick. Okay, yeah, I want to hear about that.
Speaker 2:
Okay. So I never set out to write a book. In fact, my little brother was supposed to be the author in the family and I ended up. I was in a ladies group, a ladies entrepreneur group, and they had a scholarship to do this book and I said, well, tell me about it. And we start talking Long story short. I said yes. I wasn't sure why I said yes, but I said yes. And I started mulling this thing over and I thought what a great way to tell my story and not just tell my story but explain it, because most times you know, in front of people I've only got 10 to 15 seconds and if they're willing to read the book, then they they can get the full story and be able to do some of the things that I did to turn my health around. So the book is called these Genes Don't Fit. Genes is G-E-N-E-S.
Speaker 3:
These genes don't fit Genes with a G.
Speaker 2:
Yes, like our genetics Right, and what I wanted people to know through this book is that just because something runs in your family, specifically in my case, type 2 diabetes- and heart disease. You absolutely have control over that. Just because Grandma had it, aunt Susie and your brother does not mean that you have to have it. You do have some control. You can avoid it. You're going to have to put some work into it, but you can absolutely turn that around and I just wrote a book on it.
Speaker 3:
Have you found that sometimes these habits that we have as an adult, or even these diseases, do you feel like some of that is cultural, just because that's how we learn to eat? Do you feel like there's a cultural part, not just a genetic part?
Speaker 2:
Yes, I do. I think part of what runs in the family isn't necessarily the disease itself, but it's the diet.
Speaker 3:
Right.
Speaker 2:
My family has a lot of heart disease and they talk about the holly heart and I finally, once I got through my nutrition course and really started studying, I said, guys, our problem is just the Holly diet and I don't mean to be disrespectful to even my parents or my family or anything. You grow up eating a certain way. Food is not just fuel, it's not just energy, it's occasions, it's celebrations.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, it's very cultural.
Speaker 2:
It's part of life, it's family, it's celebration, it's very cultural. I mean, it's part of life, it's it's family, it's so many emotional things. So you grow up eating a certain way. Then you grow up, fall in love and you've got their way of eating and their way of eating and we merge that and then that evolves and not a lot of people really sit down to say, hey know, this is great, we have some great food on the table, but we don't have nutrients, we don't have this, we don't.
Speaker 3:
People aren't living that way yeah, and it's hard to figure out at a certain age why you do what you do. A lot of it's just habitual and, like you said that, it's learned, learned behavior. And how do you unlearn a behavior? Well, I mean, that's a tough one, which is why I'm no longer eating chicken fried butter for breakfast.
Speaker 2:
Great family recipe. Some families have dessert after every meal.
Speaker 3:
Right.
Speaker 2:
And we weren't really designed to have dessert after every meal, or, if you want that, you know, let's have some fruit instead of cake, right, right.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, cool, all right. So while we're talking about books, let's talk about. You know, we've got people listening out there today that are trying to build their business. Darren Hardy yeah, one of the great books. It's incredible and it's just small daily decisions small daily movements executed over time.
Speaker 2:
It's going to give you big results.
Speaker 3:
I'm writing that down. I'm going to reread it.
Speaker 2:
That's an annual read for me.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, you just triggered me on that one.
Speaker 2:
Okay, what's?
Speaker 3:
another one, darren Hardy's great.
Speaker 2:
Yes, well, I'm going to plug Darren Hardy again. Oh, however, it works. Okay, so the and I'm not getting paid for this, folks, but the Entrepreneur Roller Coaster is an excellent book by him and it really lays out. I mean, some people get into business thinking, oh, this is going to be great. And you know, you see what's on commercials and you see people driving around in their wrapped vehicles and you think, man, that's just so cool.
Speaker 2:
And what you don't see is the night you had to stay up until one o'clock in the morning to get something done. Or when you, you know, maybe something didn't go right with the client and you're both sitting there in tears and you've got to fix that. And or you know, oh my gosh, what do you taxes? There's so many components and it's rough. So if you don't really love what you're doing and you know the roller coaster analogy is, it was great because you're right Sometimes you're riding this thing and you're on a high and then the next thing you're taking a turn at 80 miles an hour and your teeth are back there and your head is in front of you, right, just trying to hang on.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yes. So it's a great book. It not only paints the picture, but it gives you tips on what to do and how to handle that and go through those phases.
Speaker 3:
Got it Any more for us? Any more books you'd recommend?
Speaker 2:
I do. I would recommend a book by Dr Tom O'Brien called you Can Fix your Brain.
Speaker 3:
Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:
A lot of people don't realize. Not only do we have problems with, you know, over-processed food, things like that but there's a lot of toxins in our society and our environments that we don't have a lot of control over, or we do have, but we don't really realize they're there. Fumes from the gas pump. If you ever watch me pump gas, I'm trying to figure out the wind direction and which side to stand on to avoid that, although I love the smell of gas, isn't that?
Speaker 3:
weird. It is weird. So bad for you, I know.
Speaker 2:
I know there are things in your home that you know. Emf is a hot topic right now and they're finding out. It really is a big deal and you know, shut that Wi-Fi off.
Speaker 3:
Would you call his name out again? You Can Fix your Brain by Dr.
Speaker 2:
Dr Tom O'Brien. Okay, and O'Brien is O-B-R-Y-A-N.
Speaker 3:
Got it, we'll look him up. I just had brain surgery a few weeks ago, so I probably need to. Maybe they fixed my brain you could do some training. Well, I was just excited they found one, so that was good news to me, hey, he's still there. So, as an entrepreneur, you read a lot, then yes. Yeah, yes, do you have any more you want to add? Because these are all great. You could go for a while. I could go on all day, yeah.
Speaker 2:
But I would recommend the 75 hard book too.
Speaker 3:
Andy Frisella. Yeah, that guy's intense.
Speaker 2:
I book too. Yeah, we andy frisella.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, that guy's intense.
Speaker 2:
I'm on phase three, oh wow, congratulations okay, you made it through the cold showers and all that. I'm still doing cold showers, yeah, I kind of got.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, that was I did the first phase and like, yeah, I'm good october cold showers piece of cake.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. March cold showers yeah, different story?
Speaker 3:
not so much. Yeah. Well, let's talk about productivity and being an entrepreneur. You know, we all kind of learn our way as we go. Oh, if I do this, I get this. The cause and effect of life. What kind of productivity hacks have you learned, you know, in your journey here?
Speaker 2:
I'll give you my number one.
Speaker 3:
Okay.
Speaker 2:
Because people have asked me how did you work a full-time job, nutrition, teach Zumba and write a book? And I will. The number one is shut everything down. You work on one thing at a time, so if you're trying to produce something, you're you need to be in your creative space and you really need to let your message flow. Turn the phones off, shut everything on the computer off. If you can handwrite it, that's even better, because you don't have to be in front of the computer. But when I was doing my book writing, I had Microsoft Word open and I had a blank Google document so I could quickly search for things for my references.
Speaker 3:
Right.
Speaker 2:
Unless I had, and I also had a pile of books beside me, but there was no notifications going off. I didn't know what was going on in my inbox. I didn't, the phones weren't. No distractions Shut down the distractions and focus on what you do to make it rain.
Speaker 3:
Beautiful. You ever do anything like that. Just get totally off the grid and work on what you're working on.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, I've done that some. I finally figured out how to use the what is it called? The focus status or something like that, in my Apple iPhone, and it connects automatically across my devices. So I can say do not disturb. And now everything is silent immediately.
Speaker 3:
Wow.
Speaker 1:
Just from that side.
Speaker 3:
So that's always nice to to do that as an entrepreneur that we're challenged because there's a lot of things coming at us and when you're self-employed and you're at home and you have dogs and I still have a 15 year old at home and a and a wife, katie's, at home, like it there are a lot of distractions, and that's actually why we live in this building is so I could get away and have my own private cubby hole, and that's good for you for figuring that out. I think that's probably some of the best advice.
Speaker 3:
Just get absolutely, totally, 100% focused on this one thing until you're done with it or until you reach a stopping point. All right, money, I like it. Okay, so tell us in your I mean, we all have these moments that we would consider like a big moment. Have you had a pivotal moment in your life that like that was your moment? I've had a couple. What are yours?
Speaker 2:
mine was finding the book in my mom's office yeah, imagine and it has circled around to writing my own book. Right, because I knew once I wrote that book there was no turning back. Because now everybody's got my web address, my facebook, everything, and I put I put out to the world, hey, I'm here to help you. So, y'all, I'm here to help well, it sounds like.
Speaker 3:
It sounds like you're doing a good job. Um, so let's talk about we call this kind of your business nugget and share with us a little bit. You know, and a business nugget can be about life or business, or however you want to phrase it, and you know, some are short and some are long, but what would you tell our listeners and your fans would be a great thing to know.
Speaker 2:
Okay, this is, this is what I want you guys to know. The thing that you love to do, that thing that makes you lose track of time, that's a smile on your face from ear to ear. Do it, do it often, and if that love for that thing does not go away, find a way to make it your livelihood. That was God's gift to you. It's your talent, your drive, your ability and your fire. You don't have to know how. It doesn't have to be perfect, you just need to get started.
Speaker 1:
I love that man right out of the gate. We're killing it on season two.
Speaker 3:
I think we just had our best show of the season.
Speaker 1:
It's our best show of the season. Well, Gina, have our best show of the season. It's our best.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, it's our best show of the season. Wow. Well, Gina, that is really wonderful. And once again, back to start where you are. Yes, you know, and I think that's sage advice. So well, Mr Kenneth, how are we doing here? On show one, season two.
Speaker 1:
We're doing great.
Speaker 3:
I loved it, this one up and say thank you. We're with Gina Crawford today, ponytailgritcom. Gina works with women and helps them get started and reverse type 2 diabetes and lose weight and feel better. And you know, I think there is a scale of health that we don't talk about. A lot of people think they're healthy because they're not sick, and I don't believe that's how it works. I imagine a scale beginning at zero and having a negative side and a positive side, and when you're sick you're obviously in the negative. But I think there's something up the positive scale that is rendered not just by being not sick but by being healthy, and I think that sounds like the path you're on.
Speaker 2:
Yes, and the reason I market to women? Gentlemen, I can help you too. If you need some help, I will help. I market to women because most women are preparing the meals or doing the planning, or at least are heavily involved. I know that some you know. For instance, my husband does most of the cooking.
Speaker 2:
now, but I'm still involved in the process, and ladies have a way of persuading. Involved in the process, and ladies have a way of persuading. And you know what I? What I really want is for these ladies to get their nutrition down. I want them to share that with their husbands and I want them to raise their kids that way, because I really want the next generation yeah if you.
Speaker 3:
If you look at the statistics for diabetes, it is heartbreaking absolutely epidemic proportions, and it doesn't have to be and I'm speaking to type two and the health care system seems to want to just give you a pill, or a shot or whatever yes, yeah, I don't.
Speaker 2:
I don't think that's the way to go so I was very grateful for a doctor who did not do that with me yeah and that was another component. You've got to find the right doctor.
Speaker 3:
True that. All right, we're with Gina Crawford and the founder of Ponytailgritcom and Kenneth. I think we're about ready to wrap this up. Before we go, let me say a couple of things about life and beauty, and we're glad you're here on the Cash Flows podcast show, also on YouTube as well. And you know life is short, business is hard, but if you can find that one encouragement to keep you going, man, that's the best thing that we could help with, just to give you that little shove. If you know a friend that needs to be encouraged, you know what we all need to be encouraged. The opposite of encourage is to discourage, and you know, often that happens. You rise up and you're ready and you just get discouraged a little bit. So we mean this show to encourage you and hope you'll share it with your friends.
Speaker 3:
And here's a good thing you can do today to make your life just a little bit better. You know, forgiveness is something you don't do for the other person, you do it for yourself. And today would be a great day to go find somebody that you have something against and just forgive them. And we've all fallen short so many times, I know in my life. That's absolutely the case, but it's so beautiful when you can go to somebody and go. You know what. We had an issue and I forgive you. Life is short. Death is certain. Let's go make the most out of today and see what happens. Thank you for being here with cash flows. We're glad you showed up and hope to see you next time.
Speaker 1:
That's our show for today. Stay tuned for another riveting edition of cash flows.
