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The Power of Resilience: Lessons from Carly Fouth's Inspiring Journey
Embracing the Unexpected
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
In early February of this year, Carly’s life took a sudden, dramatic turn when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. "As a fitness instructor and someone who has lived a very healthy lifestyle, it was shocking," Carly recalls. With no family history of breast cancer, the diagnosis was a bolt from the blue. It threw her into a world of uncertainty and fear. Even more daunting was the timing—she had just transitioned her fitness side hustle into a full-time business venture.
Rising to the Challenge
Instead of letting the diagnosis derail her ambitions, Carly decided to meet it head-on. She underwent a double mastectomy in March and started aggressive chemotherapy in May. Despite these life-altering challenges, she continued to abide by her 15-minute fitness method—a routine she had crafted prior to her diagnosis, designed to make fitness manageable for busy individuals. "I used my method during chemo and continued teaching," Carly explains. "Movement became a way to get through the journey."
The Mental Battle: It’s All About Mindset
The Strength of Community
A critical element of Carly's successful navigation through her cancer journey was the strength of her community. From close friends to complete strangers, Carly's network rallied around her in ways she had not anticipated. Her friend Amy, who was a major supporter, even discovered her own breast cancer diagnosis shortly after Carly's. Despite this, the two women continued to lean on each other for support.
Transparency and Vulnerability
Carly didn't shy away from sharing her pain and struggles. "There were days where you're like, I don't feel good today," she says. This transparency resonated deeply with her community, encouraging many to seek screenings and take their health seriously. Carly’s raw honesty gave people permission to acknowledge their own hardships, demystifying the resilience required to navigate tough times.
Pushing the Boundaries: Burpees for Awareness
A Simple Idea with a Huge Impact
In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Carly decided to do a burpee every day to raise awareness for breast cancer. "It became kind of like a rallying cry," she recalls. The impact was staggering. People—from neighbors to schools—began joining her in this simple yet powerful act. This initiative demonstrated how small, consistent actions could create ripples of change and inspire others to take action in their own lives.
Keeping the Commitment
Even post-surgery, Carly didn't falter in her commitment. She adapted her exercises to accommodate her limitations, showing that perseverance could take many forms. "It was a commitment that no matter what life was throwing at you, you were committed to the outcome," she says. This lesson is valuable for entrepreneurs and individuals alike—life will throw curveballs, and staying committed to your goals is crucial.
The Therapeutic Power of Writing
Turning Pain into Purpose
Amidst her treatment, Carly decided to write a book. "I always wanted to write a book," she admits. This endeavor was not just a way to share her story but also a form of therapy. Writing allowed her to process her experiences and offer valuable insights to others facing their own battles. "I thought, I should write this down because I still love to write, and it’s therapeutic," she explains.
Lessons Shared
Carly’s book is structured as a series of vignettes, each story offering a life lesson derived from her journey. From the importance of movement to the strength found in community, Carly’s stories are designed to be easily digestible and deeply resonant. "I wanted it to be something that you didn’t have to worry about putting down and picking up again and losing your place," she says.
Conclusion: Choosing Resilience
Carly Fouth's journey underscores a powerful lesson: resilience is a choice. Whether battling cancer or navigating the unpredictable waters of entrepreneurship, the commitment to push forward, to lean on your community, and to find strength in vulnerability can make all the difference. Carly’s story is not just about overcoming a personal health crisis; it's a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for growth and inspiration.
As Carly puts it, "If you believe you can do something, you can. It’s going to be hard, but the commitment you can make to yourself is so important."
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Transcript for Episode 368. How to Keep Your Business Moving Forward Through Challenges with Carly Fauth
Amy [00:00:02]:
In life, nothing is guaranteed. Absolutely nothing. And one of those things we take for granted all too often is our health. And navigating something like that as an entrepreneur can really set us back. It can really make us pull back and hide and really cause a lot of damage to our business. But at the end of the day, we can use this as a beautiful opportunity. And that is what today's guest did. Carly Fouth is a fitness mentor and breast cancer survivor.
Amy [00:00:39]:
She helps busy people get physically and mentally healthy in 15 minutes a day. She used her own method to stay fit throughout her chemo journey and even started a podcast directly from her chemo chair and wrote a book, like any of those are amazing on their own. And she did all of the things. Carly, I am so excited to speak with you on the podcast today because you are truly exemplifying what grit and resilience and perseverance are. I was so inspired watching your journey, and I'm just. I feel blessed to be here, here talking with you today. So welcome into the podcast.
Carly Fouth [00:01:24]:
Thank you, Amy. I feel blessed to be here talking to you. It's been quite a journey. So I'm really excited that you asked me to come on your show.
Amy [00:01:31]:
Oh, my gosh. Absolutely. So, for those that aren't familiar with your journey, tell us a little bit about this whole journey to where you are right now, you know, from the diagnosis, bring us up to speed.
Carly Fouth [00:01:48]:
Yeah. So it's been quite a year, early February of this year, I found out that I had breast cancer. And as a fitness instructor and somebody that has lived a very healthy lifestyle for my whole life, it was shocking. Breast cancer does not run in my family. So when I got the news, it was kind of like, what? Like, it took a long time for it to settle. I went through all the stages of panic because I had just started my fitness business for real. It had been a side hustle for so long. So I was just about.
Carly Fouth [00:02:20]:
It wasn't even a year that I had actually started an official business. And I thought, how the heck am I going to be a fitness instructor while having breast cancer? So, March, March 22, I had a double mastectomy. And then I started very aggressive chemo in May, May 1. I'll never forget those dates. But I really found that the method that I had created before my cancer diagnosis helped me get through what I was going through. So I knew my method worked because I'd worked with clients for so long. But it's different when you have to depend on it yourself so that the 15 minutes of fitness is a safe amount. It's easy to wrap your brain around.
Carly Fouth [00:03:02]:
So when I was recovering from my double mastectomy, I was able to get stronger just by those little bits of fitness. And then during chemo. Chemo affects everyone differently, but I went into it with a mindset that I am going to persevere. My quote was, it's actually a Kobe Bryant quote, and that comes into play with stuff we'll talk about later. But if you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear, because I was not going to let it get me down. So I made a commitment that I was going to use my method during chemo and continue teaching and use movement as a way to get through the journey. And I kind of used myself as an. And it paid off because I really was able to maintain strength and mental health as well, which is hugely important.
Carly Fouth [00:03:47]:
So I finished chemo August 7, and thankfully, that's all I had to do. And now I'm just continuing on this new journey of a new normal and kind of coming back. And again, the fact that I stayed so healthy during my journey and I stayed so connected to my clients really has helped me now coming back from that journey. So I'm very, very happy to be. I say every morning, I'm just happy to be here.
Amy [00:04:12]:
Yeah. And what I really appreciate, too, with your journey is just how transparent and vulnerable you were. I mean, there were days where you're like, I don't feel good today. Like, I am not doing okay. You know? And this is not just impacting me, it's impacting my family. You know, it's the toll and ripple effect beyond just us. But that transparency and the bravery you had a to be open about that journey really impacted so many lives and something you started when you received your diagnosis. You're like, you know what? I'm gonna do a burpee every single day for breast cancer awareness.
Amy [00:04:47]:
But, I mean, that itself had a huge ripple effect because didn't you even have, because of your diagnosis, you really were advocating for others to get their screenings done, and you had a close friend then that ended up getting a breast cancer diagnosis as well, didn't you? Yeah.
Carly Fouth [00:05:05]:
My friend Amy, she was one of my biggest supporters, especially when I first got diagnosed. And then two weeks later, I think she called me and she was like, you're not going to believe this, but I have breast cancer. And I was just like, are you kidding me? And since then, people have been reaching out and telling me that they've been diagnosed and it seems to be a lot of people in the same boat as me, people who have lived a healthy lifestyle, who, I mean, I'm not a spring chicken, but I'm not old. Like, I'm not super old. And it's just a younger demographic that it's hitting. So I thought that, I thought the burpee was a great way to connect with other people and to bring awareness to breast cancer. But it also became kind of like a rallying cry, too, that, like, I'm still here, I can still do a burpee. And I thought to myself, as long, you know what? I don't, I didn't know what chemo was going to be like for me.
Carly Fouth [00:05:53]:
I had no idea. I'd never been through cancer before. But I thought you had. You know what? My minimum is going to be that I'm going to get a burpee in each day. And as long as I can do that, I think it'll be good for my kids because there'll be a sense of normalcy and the chaos. So I'm going to, I'm going to try to do that and I'm going to try to recruit as many people as I can to do burpees. So I had people come into my driveway, I had people I didn't even know, schools, doing burpees. It was, it was so touching.
Carly Fouth [00:06:18]:
And I'm happy that I, it was, it wasn't really it. I thought of it in a split second and just put it out there and then it kind of grew. So I'm happy that it, it did what I wanted it to do.
Amy [00:06:28]:
Absolutely. And it does, it took that bravery for you to be like, you know what? Let's just do this. Let's just go for it. Let's not overthink this. Sit in it. No. By putting yourself out there and going, hey, I'm going to do a burpee every single day. The impact you created is just beautiful.
Amy [00:06:47]:
And what I love, too, was even post op, like, it was like, what, two, three days afterwards? I'm like, how's she going to do a burpee? I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, Carly, this is not okay. Like, girlfriend, are you gonna be okay doing this? And I saw you, you were sitting in the chair and it was just your hands going up and your little march, like, like, oh, my gosh, I'm like sitting there sobbing. But something that you said, you made that commitment. You made that commitment that no matter what life was throwing at you, you were committed to the outcome, and as entrepreneurs, that's something that's so important, is really having that commitment. Commitment, because life is going to life, and we don't know what it's going to throw our way, but all too often, we push our health to the back burner because things like cancer, that doesn't happen to me, that happens to everyone else. Were you ever in that situation where you're like, oh, that's not going to happen to me because I'm healthy, I'm young, I don't have risk factors in my family. Where were you prior to this diagnosis?
Carly Fouth [00:07:51]:
So I think I always had, I'm not a hypochondriac, but I tend to. I'm a worrier. I have anxiety over things. Most of it is worrying about other people getting sick around me. So I think I always knew it was a possibility, but most of my anxiety was spent on worrying about somebody else. So, yes, and I like that you brought up that point with the like, when you start a business, you have to have that attitude of persevering through anything that comes your way. Even if it's not a cancer diagnosis, it could be something else. So, yes, even now, post cancer, I have to remind myself, I think it's a good lesson of what I went through.
Carly Fouth [00:08:31]:
Like, I continued my business with the cancer diagnosis. So now when things get frustrating, I have to remember that I did that. And it helps me push forward because there's always something, like you said, whether it be cancer or something, the road is never easy, and you have a choice to stay in it or give up. And I think that's why most people give up. And there's nothing wrong if all of a sudden you decide it's not your path. There's nothing wrong with that at all. But it does take lots of courage and hard work, and it's a rollercoaster frustration. So, yeah, it's very similar.
Carly Fouth [00:09:07]:
And I let, and I don't want to say I'll never thank, thank cancer for anything, but I feel grateful for the lessons I've learned from it that I can apply to other areas of my life.
Amy [00:09:18]:
Oh, my gosh. Yes, absolutely. Excuse me. So when you were going through a chemo, you decided, not only am I going to start a podcast, I'm going to write a book. Now, either one of those things, those are both huge, huge undertakings, and you did both. I want to dive into that book. So at what point when you're sitting there going through this whole experience, you're like, you know what, it's a good idea to write a book. What in the world? Like, tell me all about that.
Amy [00:09:52]:
What crossed your mind?
Carly Fouth [00:09:54]:
So I think I always wanted to write a book because I did. Like, my first thing that I ever wanted to be when I was little was an author. So I used to write all the time. But then, you know, life happens and you think, you can't have a career as a writer. At least I did. So you have to do other things. So I kind of, like, pushed it back, and I didn't major in English or anything, so I thought, like, I'm too far. I'm too far behind.
Carly Fouth [00:10:14]:
I can't write anything anymore. But what was happening when I went, when I had the double mastectomy, that's when the idea started to go through my head, because I had all these thoughts and all these things like you're saying about things that were helping me get through, and I thought, I should write this down because I still do love to write and it's therapeutic. So I came up with the idea after the surgery, but then during chemo, I thought to myself, I got to get these things out of my head. So I'm just going to start. Everyone says to journal, and for some reason, I couldn't connect with the journaling. But as soon as I said, you know, I'm going to write and turn it into a book, then it became something that I did throughout. And I'm so happy I did it because it was therapeutic to get those things out of my head. So I did it because I wanted to write a book, but I did it for my mental health as well.
Carly Fouth [00:11:01]:
And I really thought that I had a lot to share with people about how, like, my challenge is cancer. Your challenge, like we said before, could be something completely different, but you can use the same principles that I use to battle my cancer diagnosis, to battle whatever bear is in your way.
Amy [00:11:18]:
So tell us more about the book. What can we expect? Unpack it for us.
Carly Fouth [00:11:24]:
So it's vignettes. I wanted it to be easy to read, and I wanted it to be something, especially knowing how it is when you have chemo, your brain that does something to your brain. Like, I'm still coming back from that. So I wanted it to be something that, like, you didn't have to worry about putting down and picking up again and losing your place. So it's short stories. It's all based on pretty much three things that I found saved me through my journey. So that is movement. So fitness.
Carly Fouth [00:11:50]:
It's not all about fitness, but there is a lot of that in there. It's about pulling on your past experience experiences to help get you through what you're going through now. So I talk a lot about the little things in my life that may have seemed really hard at the time, lessons I learned from people and how that got me through. And then the other part, which kind of all ties into it as well, is this community. So really paying attention to the people you're surrounding yourself with. There's nothing wrong with if somebody isn't helping you be the best person that you can be. If someone's toxic, there's nothing wrong with letting that person go, because when you face the tough times, you're going to need the best people around you to have their hand on your back. So it's based on that.
Carly Fouth [00:12:34]:
And like I said, I do talk about my cancer journey, but it's not all about, it's not like, oh, on March 22, I had my surgery and this is what happened. It's not that I pulled little stories from all aspects of my life, hopefully with things that other people can relate to. And there's a lesson after every story about how people can use whatever it is that I learned. They can use that in their lives. So I hope, I didn't want it to be a workbook either, but I wanted it to just help people connect and think and know that nothing you go through is for no reason. But it is up to you to make the choice to pull the reason out.
Amy [00:13:14]:
Yes. That is so good. And speaking of lessons learned, you know, in every situation, we can come away from it with something. What would you say that the biggest lesson that you learned through this crazy, wild journey? What was the biggest lesson for you? It's hard to choose just one.
Carly Fouth [00:13:37]:
Yeah, it is. There's so many lessons. But I think the biggest lesson is just how important mental strength is in conjunction with physical strength. And also, don't let somebody tell you how it's going to be, because actually, I'll tell you what the biggest lesson was. And it actually was brought out to me by someone that I met over the summer. It was this, like, 80 year old lady from South Africa who I had the pleasure of meeting. And we were, and I was in a pretty low point after I finished my treatment and I was having a hard time. And she had, she went through some medical challenges herself and she said, carly, you have to remember, when you get a diagnosis or somebody tells you something bad, that's only 10% of the story.
Carly Fouth [00:14:22]:
The 90% is up to you to make the rest of the story, like, you can turn it around. So don't believe, don't take whatever the doctors say at face value. Like, there's so much more to the story. So kind of like, believe in yourself and know that if you believe you can do something, you can. It's going to be hard, but the commitment you can make to yourself, so important. It's so important to believe in yourself.
Amy [00:14:47]:
Yeah, yeah. And it's easier said than done. And it takes practice. Like you said, it's a rollercoaster of highs and lows and celebrations and tears and just all of the emotions. So what I want to know too is how did you persevere through those low times, through those times when it was like, I can't do this anymore. I mean, you just kept showing up. Was it sheer willpower or how did you persevere during those low times?
Carly Fouth [00:15:15]:
It was willpower. I think I put blinders on too. I just refused to see in my periphery. So it was like I had my eye on what I wanted to do and I didn't allow anyone or anything to take me off course. I think that's one of my strong points. I'm weak in other areas, but like, I'm the type of person, if you. If I say I'm going to do something, there's nothing that can stop me. But if I don't want to do it, there's no one that's going to make me.
Carly Fouth [00:15:39]:
To make me do it. I have a kid like that, which is annoying.
Amy [00:15:43]:
Yes, I do too.
Carly Fouth [00:15:45]:
Drives me crazy. But it works in your favor in a situation like this. So, yeah, it's. I. Some days I was thinking about this yesterday on some of my worst, painful days that are almost too bad to look back on and I refuse to believe. I think I was actually. I always thought it could be worse. I think that's what it was.
Carly Fouth [00:16:10]:
I was like, I always thought, well, at least it's not that. And that helped me.
Amy [00:16:15]:
Yeah, it's mindset is that mental resilience and even what you just said, you know, I was just. I had those blinders on. You stayed focused on that outcome you were working towards. It's like, no, I am going to beat this, I am going to give cancer the middle finger and be like, no, I don't have time for this. Like, I have a family, I have a life, I've got things to do, I don't have time for this. And you stayed focused and that's the same in business. We need to stay focused and I think that's why it is so crucial for business owners to know their why. Because things are going to happen.
Amy [00:16:52]:
Yes, it might not be to the extreme of getting a cancer diagnosis, but like you said, challenges, obstacles, life happens every single day. We just went through something over the summer with my daughter, and it was life changing, and it's just crazy. You know, how we think we're immune to that, we're exempt from that, that our business should just be effortless and carefree. But that's not the reality. We are living our lives, and that is the beauty of it. Like you said, these challenges are 10%. But if we can really focus on that other 90%, like, look at how much good came out of this. Look how many people's lives you have impacted by just being resilient, by showing up every single day and taking people along on that journey.
Carly Fouth [00:17:49]:
Yeah, no, it. Again, it's a choice. And I think that's where the mental strength comes in. You have a choice every day. And I think a lot of times, people fall into the trap of looking at other people and being like, they don't have to go through this, and everything's so easy for them, but you don't know what that person's going through, because where we are with social media and everything, you get to show people only what you want to show them. So there could be a lot of junk going on behind the scenes, but you're presenting in a way, and that's not always the full story. So knowing that every. No one escapes, like, that's my biggest message, too.
Carly Fouth [00:18:23]:
If you're a human, you're going to face hard times, and it's up to you to use all the little experiences up until the big crises, crises, crises. There's my chemo brain going on in your life to use that to help you get through the big stuff. So another thing for parents, too, which I always, and I have to tell myself this, too, is that's why you shouldn't cushion your kids falls all the time. That's the biggest problem, is we want to make it so easy for our kids. We don't want them to feel any pain. We want them to glide through life. But if that happens, then they're going to be an adult, and they're not going to know how to handle the rough stuff. So building grit when you're young and letting your kids fail is super important.
Amy [00:19:04]:
Yeah. Even giving ourselves permission to fail.
Carly Fouth [00:19:06]:
Oh, 100%.
Amy [00:19:08]:
I mean, honestly, failure has taught me way more than any, all of my successes combined I have learned far more through failure. But, you know, society, over time has taught us to fear failure. But in reality, it's so full of amazing lessons. And we learn. That is literally how we learn through the developmental process, and we've become afraid of it. But if we can take something away from it, is it really failure? No, it's just a lesson we're learning. We're constantly learning. No matter if we're 880.
Amy [00:19:41]:
You know, it doesn't matter if we can take something away from it, just like you did from this wild and crazy journey that you've been on. Look at the impact that it can make. Because, Carly, you created a far bigger impact than you even realize, girl. Like, seriously, you should take that step back and just celebrate. Celebrate just what a difference you made for so many people that you haven't even met.
Carly Fouth [00:20:11]:
Oh, thank you. Thank you.
Amy [00:20:13]:
Absolutely. Carly, thank you so much for being here, for taking the time. I encourage everyone to go check out your book on Amazon. We will link Carly's book up in the show notes. Click on it. She is amazing. You need to go follow her on Instagram. She's just a burst of positivity amongst all the chaos and noise on social media.
Amy [00:20:40]:
So thank you, Carly, for being such an inspiration to me, for really reminding me, like, just to keep showing up, to have that grit, to have that resilience when life knocks you down. Take that lesson away from it.
Carly Fouth [00:20:54]:
Thank you so much. This was so much fun. I could talk to you for. For hours.
Amy [00:20:58]:
I know. Same. All right, until next time, cheers to making the money you want so you can create the impact you desire.
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