Athletes in Motion

Ep 003 Dani Dyer

April 12, 2021 Tom Regal and Kenny Bailey Season 1 Episode 3
Athletes in Motion
Ep 003 Dani Dyer
Show Notes Transcript

We talk with Dani Dyer, owner of Dani D Fitness, about overcoming her insecurities, what women can do to reclaim their self-worth, and what she did to get over 9 million TikTok views! 

Make sure you check out her podcast as well: Love Your Body streaming now.
and her MoveFit popup event May 8th 2021  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/movefit-party-nashville-tn-tickets-144782001865

 http://www.danidfitness.com
http://www.therecoverylounge.co
http://www.tritomrendurance.com

On the Web:
www.athletesinmotionpodcast.com

On YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@AthletesinMotionPodcast

Episodes Sponsored by:
TriTomR Endurance LLC
www.tritomrendurance.com

Narrator:

Welcome to the Athletes in Motion Podcast, from Race to Recovery. With your hosts, Tom Regal and Kenny Bailey.

Tom Regal:

All right. Hey, Kenny. How you doing today?

Kenny Bailey<br>:

I'm doing well. Tom, how are you?

Tom Regal:

I'm fantastic. Really excited about today's show.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Me too. I want to introduce you to Dani Dyer.

Dani Dyer:

Hello.

Tom Regal:

Hey, Danny.

Dani Dyer:

Hey guys. How are you?

Tom Regal:

Welcome, welcome.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Dani is the owner of Dani D. Fitness and also a body positive influencer and apparently blowing up on the tiktoks with how many, now?

Dani Dyer:

It's like 9.5 million

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Not to brag!! But 9.5 and I'm counting, I'll see what exactly Well, congratulations on that. That's crazy.

Dani Dyer:

Yeah, it was very, just so random, like so random. And I don't even really know how to use the TIC Tock and, um, so just put that video out there on a whim kind of feeling positive and wanted to love myself that day a little bit, you know, harder, you know. And yeah, and it just took off was an

Tom Regal:

Awesome, awesome video, I saw myself picking, tons of strength. So that was impressive.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

I clicked on it. 163,000

Dani Dyer:

Thank you.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

So you went. So here you're flipping a 500 pound tire. Is that right?

Dani Dyer:

Yes.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

But you started out as a dancer.

Dani Dyer:

Yeah.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

So how does a dancer go from dancing to flipping a 500 pound tire?

Dani Dyer:

Yeah, it's it's kind of I mean, crazy. Because I basically was doing dance every day, I took every class possible that I could I competed with all over for regionals, nationals, all the way up until I was you know, 17 and graduated high school, got into a dance college ended up not going, just went to UT stop dancing. So stop movement completely right. And basically, I didn't do anything I put on weight, I got depressed. And from there, it was one of those things where I was like, You know what, I really want to do this, I want to do some type of fitness. So I actually auditioned to be a group fitness instructor. And so got that. And I could use the private studio by myself. So I started like working out on my own. So I wouldn't feel self conscious in this huge gym full of like, you know, college kids, right. And so then I became a personal trainer that next year, because I saw a need for it. There were no female personal trainers. And then while in school, and then after that ended up being at a healthy living resort in Vermont. So that was really crazy and random, but super fun. And.......

Kenny Bailey<br>:

what's a healthy living resource? basically, like, when you hear people go to like, there's one

Dani Dyer:

So like in Arizona, California, like very like high end.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Oh, yeah yeah yeah, okay.

Dani Dyer:

you know what I mean, and and yeah, and so we're women just come to get away, they come to focus on themselves. Most moms, you know, young girls, but learned about body positivity, binge eating all those things. I didn't get here, right? Because everybody here it seemed like in Tennessee was just like fitness workout fitness workout, you know, that didn't, you know, diet, diet diet. And so up, there was a very holistic approach. So after I left there, actually started a job in Franklin, you know, and then, you know, one of those things where I was accustomed to, like, I had the equipment there, you know, so I could use it kind of in learned about, like weightlifting and stuff like that. But I ended up started taking a class like three days a week and tell me about like strength training a little bit. And then it wasn't until I started my own business in 2017. Actually, by that time, I was 2018, that I ended up getting a personal trainer, because I realized that owning a business I didn't have time, you guys probably understand.

Tom Regal:

Totally, yeah,

Dani Dyer:

You have to make the time to work out and get your movement in, and I just wasn't doing that. I was overwhelmed. I was stressed out. I was commuting back from Murfreesboro to Franklin every day. And so finally I got this trainer. And he was awesome. Matt mcquistan mukluk fitness, and they're really known for like, rugged, you know, weightlifting stuff. And I'm like, hey, I want to do like endurance grind because I was doing half marathons at the time and HIIT training. And literally the first day that I get out there, he put the ladder down. He's like, do this ladder drill. And I took two steps and got a calf cramp. And I was so embarrassed. I was like, dude, I can't I don't know what's happening. Like, I can't Yeah, you know, and at this point, I'm about 20 pounds heavier, and like 20% more body fat, I would say maybe a little bit less. But, you know, it was one of those things where I was being, you know, healthier minded like that. But just with running a business, it's like that I started to get back into old

Tom Regal:

That's not right. ways and not eating as properly. Anyways. So he basically was like, well, we try something else. Then he handed me some like dumbbells and was like, let's do some farmer carries. And so I did some I was like, he's like, Oh, is that not? You know, it's it's not heavy, right? And I was like, No, he said, Okay, so we kept going up, going up going up, you know, and to this point, he's like, this is crazy, you know. And so finally, after about a month of working out, he said, You know, you're really strong, right? And I said, Yeah, I mean, I thought

Dani Dyer:

Yeah. And so I was just kind of like, okay, and I I was but anytime I had gone to Nashville classes or Franklin classes, they always looked at my body. And they were like, Here, take some five pound weights. And it was really unfortunate. was very, you know, I had the endurance and things like that. And I was doing these really cool things, but nobody really saw that. And so for me, having somebody that believed in me was the catalyst that started all of this. So he said, hey, I've actually done a strongman competition before. You know if you want to go, here's this coach. His name is Music City Strongman, which his name is Blake Harris. And I was like, yeah, let me reach out to him. We talked on the phone for two hours. He's like, by the way, there's competition this weekend. So me and Matt ended up going to the competition, and we won. And so it was awesome. And so basically Blake was like, Oh my gosh, like let's let's keep doing this. So then I went to another competition A month later, and one and remind you you strongman is like old school, heavy lifting. You know, you're doing medleys, you're lifting up stones. I mean, you're doing these crazy things that like I had never prepared for I had just done like, you know, I've done some deadlifts and planes. It's about that, but like, at functional...

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Go pick up a stone, right?

Dani Dyer:

Yeah. But I was just naturally strong. Plus, like, having that trainer, you know, helped me was great. And then Blake to coach us, so basically started out with us three, and then ended up me and Matt went to Nationals, Blake came to support, watch us that. Did really well, 15th in North America, for me, and when they were....

Tom Regal:

That's outstanding.

Dani Dyer:

Thank you. And that was just out of like, doing it for like three months. I had to lift up 485, you know, four times and stuff like that. So I mean, it was just very kind of crazy, right? And then we started the year over, you know,

Tom Regal:

Great! starting in 2019. Went to a competition, and we both qualify for nationals again, you know, so we're doing trauma practice every Sunday, all this stuff. And yeah, and then went to

Dani Dyer:

Yeah. So I know, it's kind of it's weird how it came Nationals. And that competition was in July, The one at V nderbilt and Blake put that on, nd I sponsored it. And Natural it actually was the host of the xpo. So super cool event. And o you know, we were like, yeah, e'll come and sponsor, but e'll do the competition as ell. So it was like the perfect ay. It was the first time my arents got to come, you know, o watch me at a strongman ompetition. My friends were here. They made signs. I had elpers and ambassadors like tell ng people about Dani D. Fitn ss. Like, it was such an epic ay, about. But yeah, it really just came down to someone believing in me after going to like, I probably had gone to 100 different classes in Nashville over that year. And nobody, everyone's the female way. You know, I tried CrossFit. I tried. I tried a lot of different things.

Tom Regal:

You had all the base fitness and base strength and all those years of dancing.

Dani Dyer:

Yep.

Tom Regal:

And you just needed the right person to point you in the right direction.

Dani Dyer:

Exactly. Yes.

Tom Regal:

Fantastic.

Dani Dyer:

Thank you.

Tom Regal:

That's what we need.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah. And I think that what's what's interesting about that, too, is I'm assuming there was a lot of confidence when you were dancing, right?

Dani Dyer:

Yeah,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

doing well dancing. And then all of a sudden, you hit this rut during college and other things where you're trying to figure out the confidence. Right? And you were questioning yourself on that? Yeah. And I'm assuming that once you started, really getting in to powerlifting, and strongman competitions, that that confidence kind of came back. Did you feel that spark kind of come back?

Dani Dyer:

Yes,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Once you started doing it?

Dani Dyer:

Oh, 100% from the first competition I went to a strongman, literally, I mean, I'm over there when a Dani Fitness shirt, you know, booty shorts, whatever, rockin it out. And, and, and I'm just like, this girl there that nobody knows and stuff like that. And it felt like I was back on stage. And that's what I loved about dance. Because what I hated was the practices of people would be like,

Tom Regal:

Most people do....

Dani Dyer:

you know? Yeah. And where people would be like, you know, with me, I was always a larger body. So I didn't really fit the type. So I kind of I learned insecurities at a young age, where, like, for me, I was always confident, but then other people kept putting their insecurities and their thoughts and their stereotypes on me. So then I thought, well, maybe if everyone thinks this way, maybe I am that way. You know, and I was trying to fit in this box. And I didn't, I never fit. So for me, it was one of those things where, you know, getting into a sport. I don't know anything about like, I'm just there, right? And to do well, it was just this like rush of endorphins that it was, it made me feel like, wow, I looked strong, I looked sexy. I you know, I can lift all this way I can do all these things. And it was fun.

Tom Regal:

Yeah.

Dani Dyer:

And that was just an amazing feeling.

Tom Regal:

And we see that a lot of talking with Copernicus was the same way that people get into a new sport. The brand new to it. Yeah, right. You don't know better? Yeah. you succeed.

Dani Dyer:

Yeah.

Tom Regal:

Once you overthink it and start having other people put their ideas on you. And yes, through that is when you start to fail. Right? You start to question yourself. So

Kenny Bailey<br>:

and that's a theme, right, which is, the good news is you are strong enough mentally to be able to say, look, this is this is this is going to be the thing like I'm getting the feedback that I want. And, Oh, you're doing you're doing heavy. You're a woman, you're not supposed to do heavy.

Dani Dyer:

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

And then and now you're at 9 million views on Tick tock, because it's pretty damn empowering.

Dani Dyer:

Yeah, exactly. I think that I think the biggest part of that, too, was a lot of because there's no way I could read the comments. You know, I started, I was so funny when it when it blew up. I didn't even realize I posted and had meetings all day. So when I looked at my phone, I called Blake because Blake Harris is now my lead trainer for daily fitness. So he actually works with me, and which is so cool. But you know, because he saw all this progress and saw like he believed in me as well. And so it's just been a super cool thing to have him on board. But basically, you know, it was like I said, I called him like, hey, what does it mean? We have 1 million views on tik tok. And he was like, I don't know. We're googling to try to figure it out. And about the next day it was at 5.5 and I'm like, What? So basically, you know, everyone's reposting it on Her Turf. You know, Just Women Sports, House of Highlights, you know, trending on Reddit. So, it was so cool, because, you know, I believe in when you put out positivity, you'll receive that back. Okay. And with this past year, and just everything that had happened, you know, it was very hard for me to find even me being very positive, just naturally, that like, will to stay positive here. I mean, and so when I had that great day, which I always tell my clients, when you capitalize on a great day, you don't waste it, you know what I mean? So I was, you know, I was going out, I got my hair done, got a spray tan, and I was feeling good. And I was actually posting the video while I get my hair done that my hairdresser kind of looked at it was like, oh, like, that's, that's cool video, you know. And so I and then posted it. And then literally, just to my meetings, had a good day. I was like, Man, it's been awesome day, and open that back up and see all that I'm like, this is so cool. And it just meant the world to me. Because all like as we start look at the comments, I start replying and then I realized, there's like, 2000 comments. I can't reply. So yeah. Yeah. It's when I looked at the comments, there's women, like, you know, I'm crying at TJ Maxx parking lot. Like, this is so empowering. This is so you know, or they're like, someone, they're like, finally, someone that looks like me, doing cool stuff.

Tom Regal:

That's awesome.

Dani Dyer:

And that was what was the biggest thing was that I think that, you know, when you think about a lot of strong women athletes, a lot of them do steroids, I do not. And, you know, they look a certain type of way, and they expect you people expect me do that, oh, no need to be like ripped and all this stuff. Never. So to see me in the build that I am. And in the frame, they were just like, wow, like, you look sharp, but you also are, you know, you have this positive body, you know, this this aura about you? And I think that really resonated with a lot of them. Um, and so that's where it was super powerful, completely.

Tom Regal:

And did you ever think that you could have this big of an impact on people?

Dani Dyer:

So I have, I was basically that person that's like, you know, that kid on the bench in football, right? That's like, hey, put me in coach, like, put me on I will show you that I can do this. Right. You know, like, I just like now like, we're not seeing practice and we're not doing it right. Or, or doubts them or, or doesn't believe in them. And that's how I felt this whole journey with everything that I've done from starting from my business, starting to strongman competitions, even from dance at a young age. I've always felt that kind of like barrier. And so to then have, you know, me post that and just like get that confirmation that like for me, it was that I knew that I could have an impact if I was put in the game. Yeah, he said I mean, yeah, and and so if so random that was tik tok as the platform, but like, you know what I mean, but, but to then get put in the game and people finally see it. Yeah, that was what I was, like, this is what I've been waiting for. Because I can handle it at that level. It's just that like, you know, I never was given that opportunity. Because of all the barriers. I felt like

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah. And you know, we've known each other for a little bit. Not a terribly long time, but theres,... no one's going to, no one's ever gonna say you don't have hustle. Right and no one's ever gonna say that. You don't throw positivity out every every opportunity that you get, right. And at some point in time, you get to harvest that Yeah, and what's neat is you get to harvest that now so that kind of brings us to our next sort of segment around sort of our title of our podcast is Athletes in Motion. We were a little nervous about doing that title because we didn't want to box ourselves into athlete because there's a connotation on athlete that may be a little you know, if you're not sponsored, if you don't, you know, don't have a bib on your, you know, bid number on you somehow you're not an athlete, right? What do you when you hear that word athlete? And when you talk to people, what do we need to do to sort of help break that kind of definition? Or that old definition? I guess,

Dani Dyer:

right? Yeah. And I totally get that. I from personally experiencing that, because you know, doing half marathons at my heaviest right and and doing, you know, events and Spartan races, it's like that, it was always deemed as, okay, well, you're not an athlete, you know. And so I put it out in existence. Like, I would tell people like, I'm like, I am an athlete. Like, I believe in myself, the things I do a very challenging very hard, whatever. But it wasn't that I was sponsored or that any, any like, things like that, it was just that I was putting in the work. And so for me, I tell my clients, I'm like, you all are athletes, no matter if you're on your beginning phase, intermediate, you know, your advanced, it doesn't matter. Because at the end of the day, you're out here, sweating, you're out here work, and you're fighting for what you want, which is one of my main slogans, and you're doing the things that are hard and challenging in your life. So instead of comparing to an Olympian, or comparing to somebody in the NBA, or whatever it is, you know, that's not the life that you want to live because you're always gonna be set up for failure. You know what I mean? Yeah, and I'm sorry to admire those people and to look up to those people. But I have never compared myself in that sense. And just focused on like, for me, like half marathons, for example, I just wanted to be better like for example, like I kept doing like three hours like I think the first one I did was like, three hours like 20 minutes, right? super slow a lot of hills and then then I went to like....

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Damn those hills....

Dani Dyer:

and then I went to like, 2:50, 2:45, 2:30, 2:20,

2:

12 just kept going. And that was like the competition within myself. Yeah. Not other people, you know, because again, I can't compare to someone that's been running since the age of three, you know, whatever. And then me, you know, not having that same journey. Or even if I did have that same journey, it still shouldn't be this competition of, I need to be this athlete that's, you know, world renowned, but just being that athlete for setting an example for, you know, family, for your friends, for those people and showing them that anyone can be this, anyone can do it.

Tom Regal:

It's always been the success for like lifetime activity, is if you compare against yourself and not against other other people, right? You're not a one and done, you're not just going to run out and do a half marathon and then call it a day. Yeah, this is a lifestyle. Yes, is something and the only way to sustain that lifestyle is to compete against yourself.

Dani Dyer:

Exactly.

Tom Regal:

You can have friendly competitions with other friends. And ultimately, you just need to look at what you can do. Right? And then try to improve that and try to challenge yourself enough to go that route, which is what you're doing.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, and to give yourself a break, too. Yeah. I'm not competing against my 35 year old self anymore. Yeah, I'm a little north of 35. So that's, that can be difficult to is, if you've been someone that's been active before. And then, to your point, you were active before, kind of stopped for a while and came back as you don't try to compete with the like, if you try to do and a half marathon today, you don't

compete with the 2:

10 half marathon.

Dani Dyer:

Exactly.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Right. Yeah, sort of make sure you reset your reality. And that can be really, really hard, especially for type A personalities.

Tom Regal:

Definitely one of the first things you sit down with a coach and the coach should say, so what are your expectations? You tell him and then you just go Okay, now really, what are your expectations? Because that's really great. But where you're at right now, right? How can you do

Dani Dyer:

and that's why I try to tell my clients and I and they all know this is that, you know, I just want them to be real with themselves, you know, be real with me be real themselves about what the expectations are, you know, if someone comes in and tells me they want to lose 30 pounds in a month, I'm like, that's not going to happen. You know what I mean? And so how about we scale it back, let's actually be realistic about this, what can fit in your healthy lifestyle regimen, and then excel you to where you can do this on your own eventually, like you can, you can feel confident in yourself, you know, that's the biggest thing. And even with the tire flip, you know, I didn't want to post that video for a very long time. Because, you know, even on tik tok and stuff, cuz I kept thinking about, like, I have all these great videos, we do an awesome stuff, lifted up Atlas stones and stone over steel, you know, we're so steel and whatever. And it's just one of those things where I'm like, man, I want to put these out there, but I'm not that person right now. Because, you know, I've been dealing with an injury that I've had for a long time. And so for me, it was like, I'm not that person anymore. So why would I put that out there? It's fake. It's not real, because I try to be very, like, in real time, my Instagram, my Facebook, like, this is me today, you know? So I was like, Well, you know, why would I put that out there? So then when I was having that positive day, I had different outlook, a different perspective on myself. It was like, No, I am, you know, an awesome person. I do great, cool things, even though I'm not doing it right now, at this moment. It's still happened, it still was a lot of work and determination. You know what I mean? There's so many things that went into it. So I should celebrate that, and that's why I put it up on a Thursday as like a Throwback Thursday, you know, and not that that's the thing on Tick Tock. I don't know.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

The Tick Tock.....we're still on a formal basis. Yeah.

Dani Dyer:

Oh, yeah. We're not that close yet. You know, but, uh, so I don't know. So it just, it's just kind of interesting to look at it and not compare yourself back to that. Because, you know, I think a lot of people right now are like, Oh, did you have that tire? Like last week? Yeah, right now, that was like, almost, you know, two years ago. It's like, a year and a half or whatever. So no, I didn't but but you know, there's been cool things ever since then, too. Yeah.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah. In what I heard, I think is a world exclusive that we're gonna hear that there's gonna be a sequel on Tick Tock. Right. That's, that's what I heard. That's what I heard. I heard a sequel. I heard it here first, folks. Breaking News.

Dani Dyer:

Right, right.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Somebody.......

Tom Regal:

follow Dani D., Follow Danny D.....

Kenny Bailey<br>:

you never know, when the second one's coming out.

Dani Dyer:

You're never Yeah, you always gotta be right here

Kenny Bailey<br>:

exclusive. You know, it's interesting, because here the recovery lounge, we have people coming in, you know, they look around, they look at the place and they go, wow, this is really cool. Is this, you know, do I have to be an athlete to be here? Or do I have to? And it's, it's one of these? Again, I like what you said, and I wrote it down to make sure I got it. And I gotta find my glasses now. You know, as long as you're putting in the work, and that's what's interesting is was is people come in and yeah, we have, we have pro athletes that come in here. We have people that are, you know, six days a week on CrossFit. We have a lot of, you know, soccer players, all that sort of stuff. But we also have people that are just looking to feel better.

Dani Dyer:

Yes.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Right. And they're like, well, I don't know if I earned it this week and earned it right. It's like, you know, no matter if it's in, we tell everybody I don't care if you're doing a couch to 5k or you're doing an Olympic event. If if it's, you're putting in the work yes, you deserved kinda to be that you know, to get that sort of recovery You deserve it. It's it's not you don't have to have.....

Tom Regal:

It's part of your training. It's it's totally part of your training. In order to continue on you have to incorporate some of this into your, into your your schedule,

Dani Dyer:

and That's exactly what I tell my clients and stuff. And we talked about this on my podcast as well about, it's really not about even deserving something Exactly. It's this is part of your regimen like you can't expect to work out even though if you're not running, you know, five miles and you're not doing 100 burpees, you're still working out, you're still doing movement, you know, let's say you're doing it even just two days a week, but you haven't done movement in 20 years, it doesn't matter. Because at the end of the day, that movement that you're doing, your body is going to I mean, your muscles are going to tighten up, you know, things are gonna happen, some might shape out, whatever, you may feel great. But, you know, with every high, there's a low, so you if you don't take care of yourself throughout that journey, and I learned that the hard way, essentially in strongman because I mean, I didn't warm up before it. I was like, let's pick up 200 pounds, I was just going with the guys, you know. And like I remember the very first time I read anything, I put a 400 pound yoke on my back and like it would know with no belt, nothing. I think I had done something to warm up maybe a little bit. But like Yeah, yeah, exactly. And so and did it and that was not proper and and, and then it finally got to a point where a man, it took everything out of you lifting that heavy weight. So I was going to different workout, you know, The Recovery Lounge, and different places to get the cryo therapy, the sauna. And I had to do that to operate at that level. And so it was one of the things that even before that, even now like with me being not as active, I still do that stuff.

Tom Regal:

I mean, yeah, sitting in a chair, cramped you up and everything, getting the recovery, you know, getting some cryo, and getting the compression or compression stuff that helps that Yeah, and that helps the desk, the desk part of the day for us, and then the movement just makes that just better.

Dani Dyer:

Exactly.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

yeah, getting back to the athlete thing too. I mean, putting in the work is sort of like if you're putting in the work, it doesn't matter if that works. 500 steps that day, if the work is whatever, you know, you're an athlete, you're moving.

Tom Regal:

It's a mindset, it's totally a mindset and what you what you need to believe in yourself at that point, and allowing yourself that thought

Kenny Bailey<br>:

and that has to be reminded, I think in your what's interesting is you've you've been down this road a few times, but you can still be like even I mean today when I show up to a race, I'm pretty intimidated. Right? I look around, especially triathlon is terrible. Or you show up to an ironman, Oh my god, these people like 6% body fat. Yeah, what am I doing here? Right? Yeah.

Tom Regal:

Oh,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

so I'm gonna go ahead and be in the back here. And right. So you have to know that body positivity and just having a positive mindset. It's like, Look, I'm going to race my race.

Dani Dyer:

Yes,

Kenny Bailey<br>:

...and I do a lousy job of that. I will tell you right now I suck at that, I do!

Tom Regal:

And you put yourself in a wetsuit, there's like, less than 1% of people look good in a wetsuit, even good looking people don't look good in a wetsuit. It just exposes everything.

Dani Dyer:

Right?!

Tom Regal:

It's just like, you have to be comfortable with that. That's tough.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

yeah. So you have people that that come in, obviously. So Danny D.'s, you know, your your program is, is attracting a lot of folks, when people come in, they're going to have that why, right? Help us understand kind of what are the ways that you get when when people come in, like, Hey, I just want to I want to...... is it? Is it Hey, I better lose 30 pounds in a month? Or is it you try to help reframe that Why?

Dani Dyer:

Yes, I have a language about my business. So we don't say f, a, t. We don't say s, k, i, n ,n, y, you know, we really just focus on, you know, that if you are a larger body frame, you know, I mean for like, basically helping them to understand that, you know, you may be a larger body frame, but you still have a strong frame, you know what I mean? You still have great leg muscle, you still have something, you know something positive about their body. That's the first thing right? And to help them see that this will be a healthy lifestyle regimen, because I don't train that way. I don't train for people to just lose weight. And then like seeya, you know, I mean, that's not how this is because the weight will come back, I've lived in my life, you know, with everything. And so I basically just try to help them reshape the mindset. And when they come in. I think that now because the brand has gotten bigger, people are understanding that when they come they know they're dealing with a body positive, you know, influencer, they're in there, and they know me well enough to know that, like, I'm not gonna settle with, you know, you can continually talking negatively about yourself. And I've had men and women do it. It's not just women. You know, a lot of times people try to blame this on just the women being emotional or sensitive or whatever. I have a males who sit there and just, like, just tear themselves down in front of me. And I'm like, Guys are brutal, sometimes to themselves.... Right? Yeah. And I'm like, Hey, you know what, first off what's going on. But second, you know, we're not gonna do this here. you know what I mean, Like, this is like, I mean serio sly, like this is I mean, yo can have your outlet and whatev r. But at the end of the day, li e, You're here to do somethin, like you showed up, and 90% of life is to just showing up. So you showed up. So let's capi alize on this. Love ourselves hrough it. You know what I mea? Because this is the time becau e you're doing something hat's actually benefiting your b dy versus just sitting at hom being sad and depressed. Yea, you know. So for me, I jus really try to enforce that w th them that I want you t start to love yourself. And e en if you have to take a pictu e of yourself, you know, when ou first start out, you kinda wa t to have that that base, right? And like, even if you know y u have to have your husband, you partner, your boyfriend, who ver, like take the picture of ou, it doesn't matter. You know, like, like, do it and then ke p it somewhere stored or whate er. But then I would encourage y u to every day start to look ourself in the mirror, make your elf do it, and find that one positive about yourself. D n't wait until you've lost wei ht. Don't wait until you're re lly into self, you know wha I mean? Like, start now. And t at way you can appreciate it. An

Tom Regal:

And that opens up the door..... that's what I did. I literally ook in college a picture of my elf every day, you know, I would't post all of them or whatev r, but I would have t up there. So accountabili y. And I would start to see, o my gosh, like my waist is comin in, like, Oh, my legs are star ing shape. But like, this is so ool. versus if I would have ept being on a scale. I only ould have seen negativi y, negativity, negativity. Yeah. And I wouldn't have seen that. And I wouldn't have been posit ve. So I would start out with ike, you know, as a man, I ust, I love my hair. Yeah. I m an, that's it. And then lik the next day, right, and the ext thing, I'd be like th next day that I loved my eyes you need to start with the fa e, wherever and, and that's what led to that nofilter proj ct I did where I literally a ked, you know, I had, I think I ad 70 women. And every single ne of them had a very hard time inding what they loved abou themselves. And they, but th n they found one thing that the loved, and they took a picture and then we

Dani Dyer:

Exactly.

Tom Regal:

To get you to think more about that.

Dani Dyer:

Yes. And in that 70 women, only me and one other and the other one lives around here, she runs all the time, just great, great Mom, you know, great person. And only me and her, were the only two that said that we love our body completely well. And that took us a long time he took a journey took me on my journey. But I was hoping that it would inspire people to know that like, you may only like two things about your body right now. But like you will get to that point. If you can let down the comparisons. If you can let down all the stigmas and all the expectations and unrealistic timelines and just do the work and just focus on like, loving yourself throughout it, you will get to that point.

Tom Regal:

Do the work and love the journey.

Dani Dyer:

Exactly.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah. And I think that sometimes that's hard, right?

Tom Regal:

It's very hard.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

So when people are, you know, you're you're three, four weeks into this thing. You you're hoping to have some sort of light. I love the fact you're doing it daily, like you're trying to find one thing. If we used to do this, our kids when they were younger, we noticed at the dinner table, we would talk about everything that went wrong for the day. Right. And so we start doing three good things like you had to do three good things.

Dani Dyer:

Yes.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

And if their day was lousy, it was like dinner's good. You know, I'm alive. Yeah, kind of thing. Yeah. Right.

Dani Dyer:

But it still made them do it.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

But I think it's really great. Because what you're doing the same thing, which is I don't you know, yeah, you can find 18 things wrong with yourself. Yes, easily. Anybody can Yeah. Right. And you're like, Look, if it's, you know what, I had a good hair day. And that's, that's my thing. Yep. That's the thing. Right?

Dani Dyer:

Exactly.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

So when they're four or five weeks into this, and they're sore, and they're tired, and they're hoping to get these gains, that that, you know, I'm going to be this, I'm going to be that and it's coming slower than expected. How do you how do you get them to kind of get back to their why what's are there different motivators for different people?

Dani Dyer:

So really, and it's funny, you say this, because one of my clients had just, like, did a whole thing in our group about it, like explaining that she finally understood, it finally clicked for her, the Dani D. fitness process, right? And, you know, for me, it is different, you have to get different approaches on different people, right? Yes. Because for example, you know, when people like start running, right, you know, you have people that have to walk, you know, people that can jog, you have people that can actually run get people to go faster, slower, everyone's on a different, different journey. And so I kind of take them for where they're at, and learn about the personality, learn about how they respond to different things and whatnot. Because I studied Actually, I studied Communication Studies in college. So the research and the background of people. And so, you know, that has helped me a lot, you know, and, and from there, it makes me feel like I can get to know this person and know what their weaknesses are. And mentally, physically, all of that and their strengths as well. And so when they get to that point, they asked me, I just tell them, I say straight up, I'm real with them. I'm like, hey, how long did you go without movement? And they're like, oh, like, 20 years or something? Okay, so we've been doing for three weeks............ Yeah, you

Kenny Bailey<br>:

know, yeah, exactly.

Tom Regal:

There's a reframe....

Dani Dyer:

Not to be a jerk about it. It's just to be real about it. And it's like, so like, so, you know, and I'll tell them personally about my story. I'll say that, you know, I eliminated everything. And I worked hard. I worked out like five hours a day. And ate and I decided to not cheat one time and didn't have a chip, didn't have alchohol. And this is not the proper way for all this.

Tom Regal:

By the way that doesn't work.......

Dani Dyer:

Yeah, but literally, I lost weight, but I lost muscle too. I didn't look like I wanted to, I didn't feel good. So anyway, but when I did that, it took nine months for me just to see any change. Okay, because, again, I'm hurting my adrenals there were so many things a thyroid, there's so many things that just like just tanked everything right? Because I went too hard too quickly. So I'm like, this is a process. So if you're here to be on the process, and the journey from Let me help you, but if you can't get past that, like, Oh, you didn't change your whole body in three weeks, or a month or a month and a half. You know what I mean? Then then really, like, that's not gonna, it's, this isn't gonna work for you. So I just instead of letting them go and be like, okay, I can't help you. I try to reframe their mind and reshape how they look at everything. So that's why I take this seriously when I when people are like, Oh, you're a personal trainer. I'm like, Yes, but I own a business and I own you know, I'm doing this brand that is trying to help you be a better person. You know what I mean......

Tom Regal:

It's a lifestyle.

Dani Dyer:

Exactly.

Tom Regal:

It's lifestyle, more than just just weight loss or something short.

Dani Dyer:

Exactly.

Tom Regal:

It's a big time thing.

Dani Dyer:

Yeah.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Are there people that you just, you know, you meet him a couple of times, you're like, Look, this isn't gonna work. So I had, I wish I could help you, but you're not ready yet?

Dani Dyer:

right, I've had those experiences. And it really like it is only happened maybe like, twice in my whole time, you know, I'm going on almost four years of business, you know, and, and so I've been very fortunate to have people that believed in themselves. And when I have people ask me that they're like, how long do people used to train with you? And truthfully, you know, if someone stays over a month, that I have them for a very long time? Yeah, you know, it just comes down to the moving or something happening or whatever. And so my clients I've had for four years and everything like that, and, and they're great, but they know the value in it, they know, the the lifestyle of it, they want to be they want to have that person to have that accountability, but to have that, like, you know, even if it's once a week to reassure them about loving themselves, you know, throughout this, because everybody needs that reminder. Sure, you know, so yeah, so I don't know, I think that, for me, having those couple of people that happened, it wouldn't have worked. It's kind of like a relationship, right? You know, the first day, it's like, an idea to convince yourself or kind of make up these stories to tell your friends like, yeah, it was great........ But like, it really wasn't. Then like, why you know what I mean? Like, then Then why don't we just be real, cut it off, you know, and that's hard to say, but I've actually had people that have, you know, not it hasn't the right time for them, but they've come back, you know, many months later or a year later. And they're like, I'm ready now. But they realize that.

Tom Regal:

It's key that it might not be the right time, right? in your life, what you're dealing with all the other mental things that are pulling on you, this might not be the time for you to focus here, or it is for your time to put them away and focus on this and the rest of it takes care of itself. So that's key. I think that's that's a big, big point

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, you know, when with my sort of workouts, what's weird is, you know, here, a lot of people saying, well, you should just go work out, it helps relieve stress. And I'm like, you know, if I have something going on, where my anchor My my, you know, somethings funky with the business or something's funky going on, I can't work out, I get my brain. I can't, I can't wait, I have to get this like straightened out before that goes. And to your point, you kn w, it could be three, four mon hs before that. Okay, now I an focus on this thing, now I c n figure out how to do this. And and what I like about what you re talking about is it's not it' not just body positivity, but then it's positivity that swi ches on everything, it's on work on how you treat rel tionships, how you do that, bec use now you start looking for those positives.

Dani Dyer:

Exactly. And it sets you up for success for all the elements in your life. Like I kind of have always looked at, like, you know, finances, relationships, you know, family, all these things, kind of like a pie chart, you know, and that, you know, basically, is everything in the green, you know, and usually it's not as like, red, red, red, red red.... oh that one's in the green. Yay, like, I got that one thing, you know.

Tom Regal:

All yellow..........

Dani Dyer:

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And so that's where it's like, you know, I want to help people get to that, that full circle, and even myself help to get to that full circle, you know, and not say that, I want them to be perfect. I just want them to be able to have that mindset that will allow them to even get the chance to have that kind of positivity about every aspect in their life.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

So someone's listening, this podcast, they're, they're ready to make..... ready to make a move, what would you recommend is kind of the two or three things that they need to, they need to start either change from mindset standpoint, or do they just need to get doing something? I guess, would be the question,

Dani Dyer:

Right? I think if they are the ones that are deciding it, not their, you know, partners, or their husbands that someone's telling them that........

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Excellent point by the way...,

Tom Regal:

And that's good. That's the experimentation that

Dani Dyer:

you know, that's telling them, they should do this, that they truly want to do it. Because that's what happened to me, I had to make a decision, no one else could do it for me. And once you have done that, it does not matter what you do, right, you could go for a walk, you could do some hip thrusts at night, you could start with some planks, you could go take a you find the thing that you want to do that you're good at, or class, you could you know, whatever is gonna make sense for you that makes sense with your lifestyle. Try it, go do it. Because nine times out of 10, whatever you start with is not what you're going finish with, you know what I mean? I mea, I started with, like I said, HIIT classes and things like hat, like after even dance and tuff like that. But it just it that that led me that I had o go through all of that to get e to where I wa you enjoy. But I think that so many people put so much pressure on themselves. Like I have to find the exact regimen and the exact food and the exact thing that's going to make sense. And then I'll do it for the rest of my life.

Tom Regal:

Yeah. And that changes constantly as we get older.... that constantly changes. You have to modify, you have back off.....

Dani Dyer:

Different seasons of life.....

Tom Regal:

Yeah, totally. Yeah. And you should never go full gas all the time.

Dani Dyer:

Right,

Tom Regal:

right. Yeah, we talked about that. Okay, that that's not going to be sustainable. You have to have it where you roll with the seasons, change things up, mix it up, cross train, do other things, make it fresh,

Dani Dyer:

Right !

Tom Regal:

keep that going.....

Dani Dyer:

I definitely believe to and things like listening to podcast, I believe in, you know, writing in journals. And that's why over the course of the you know, pandemic, I started the my Love Your Body podcast and then started the 30 Day Challenge journal, which the 30 Day Challenge journal literally is in there it says that if you can find this journal every day, and you can use the prompts where it's like, did I love my body today? Rate your positivity, did I step out of my comfort zone, did I fight for what I want? You know, how do I get my movement in? If you can do this for 30 days in a row, then I'm going to reward you by having like a free training session. And so that's what the what the journal says. Yeah. And so again, it's that like that reward type system, whatever. But just again, by the end of it, everyone's like, Hey, you know, I missed a couple days, what do you think people be mad about, but like that, man, I learned so much about myself. And that was what was cool. And I'd have men and women doing it. And because I think there's that stereotype of like, Oh, well, women journal and things like that, but men should definitely journal, especially if you are trying to be this athlete and trying to be this healthy lifestyle regimen, you know, person to write down your thoughts, write down those things and see why, Oh, I haven't been working out for three months, because the business is like that.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah.

Dani Dyer:

You see what I mean....?

Kenny Bailey<br>:

yeah.

Dani Dyer:

And so that way, you can kind of know like, Oh, I definitely am. Like, these are my triggers. These are the things..........

Kenny Bailey<br>:

exactly.

Dani Dyer:

You know what I mean?

Tom Regal:

and and it, it's one of those things where it helps with your sleep, it clears your mind.

Dani Dyer:

Yeah.

Tom Regal:

And then all of a sudden, you get to sleep better. And then that that starts the cycle, right? You're fresh the next morning, you can look at what you had, you can pick up where you left off in your thoughts. And then it kind of goes from that it's all of these things, these little things that snowball into good stuff. Just as much as the bad stuff snowballs into really bad things. Go down the right path......

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah. And I think that the key takeaway to what I really liked at the beginning of this was you entered into a sport that that traditionally women don't get into and you didn't care, right, they made you feel good, and one of the things. So the I think the, to me, one of the big takeaways is, to your point, find that sport, but if it's a traditionally male or traditionally female sport, who gives a crap, right? If it's something that Oh, for a joke,

Dani Dyer:

yeah, if it's stop trying to fit into a stereotype that, you know,

Tom Regal:

Don't let other people put labels on you, or what you should or shouldn't do,

Dani Dyer:

Because there's always people that were defiant, or they're gonna say to you, No, you shouldn't do that you shouldn't do this. I mean, it's so many people said that, and it's one of those things where as long as it makes you happy, then I'm gonna be supportive. You know, if you want to go run 30 or 30 miles today, like cool, I'm not gonna come with you. But like, do your thing, man thing. And it shouldn't be based on what I think or what someone thinks or even loved ones think. It should be what makes you happy, because then you're going to be a better person for those people around you.

Tom Regal:

And we could do a whole podcast on relationships and like, what's supportive versus non supportive,

Dani Dyer:

and I've seen it all man......

Tom Regal:

and people trying to make these big changes in their lives for the better. And then having that negative reaction from their family and loved ones who feel very, very threatened by it.

Dani Dyer:

But at the end of the day, even me at a young age, I had to put it on myself. That did not matter.

Tom Regal:

Yep,

Dani Dyer:

it didn't matter. I have to be that person. I have to be an adult. I had to make the decision to not eat pizza every day, I have to make a decision. Not that pizza is bad. Just not every day....... nott in my regimen.

Tom Regal:

Put some veggies on it........

Dani Dyer:

Right! Exactly! But it's just again, it just was me having to look at myself and not blaming anyone else. I'm blaming my genetics, not blaming, you know, because for example, with this body that I have, that was you know, made fun of, talked about, you know, just made me, people made me feel so bad about it, you know, whatever. The thing is, is that, like, with that body, I am able to do incredible things. Right? And, and I wouldn't have known that if I would have stayed in that circle of people or like, you know, and just always listen to them. Yeah. So it wasn't until I had to get away, push the negativity, Stop the nonsense and turn the negative into a positive where it's like, oh, yeah, I have this really, you know, this large frame or whatever. But like, I still can. I'm doing these amazing things. And I'm constantly surprising myself.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Yeah, yeah. That I think is a great place. That's awesome. So yeah, take what is going on. What do you want people to know about what's going on with you over the next few months?......

Tom Regal:

And what's your Podcast?

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Oh, yeah.

Tom Regal:

Which I subscribe to. I actually enjoy your podcast.

Dani Dyer:

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

You.....actually enjoy it???

Tom Regal:

No, I actually I Really enjoy it. Sorry about that!

Dani Dyer:

We're surprised about it too!

Tom Regal:

I actually enjoy it. I guess that sounded really bad. Sorry about that! Yeah. I really enjoy it.

Dani Dyer:

Thank you! Yeah, it's the Love Your Body podcast. It's on Apple, Spotify, and now on iHeartRadio. It's, it's really cool. And Blake Harris, my co host, you know, my lead trainer. So we have fun on there. You know, just talk about anything and everything. And yeah, I actually have my first Move Fit pop up of 2021. And that's May 8th, Yeah, it's a Mother's Day weekend. So bring your mom's you know, bring your daughter, sisters everybody come out for but it'll be at Yeehaw Brewing Company. The tickets around $20. And yeah, you'll get a free beer afterwards. So everybody loves that. I'll actually have sponsors as well. So they'll be given out snacks, you know protein. You know things supplements, all that good stuff. So that way, you can just kind of have a normal day outside, you know, and it will be spread out. And so it'll be really nice, but we'll have a DJ, it's just gonna be epic. So I'm super excited about that. And then besides that, I mean, I think it's, you know, we're in the, we're in the pre planning stages of Find Your Fit. So my Find Your Fit Festival, I told you about that when I first you know, we first got into town, but that one is where I have like seven different fitness formats come out, they do all these different classes. There's all these different sponsors, like, you know, I've had like 60 sponsors before, and people come and literally find their fit. So they find so if you've been looking for how to start this or what to do, that would be such a great festival for you to come out.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

So make sure to put the link on

Tom Regal:

We will definitely have the link on. So what's the social media?.......

Dani Dyer:

every on everything. It's DaniDFitness1 DaniDFitness1. Go check out the TikTok If you haven't yet. We want to get that to what 100 million? Yeah, exactly!

Tom Regal:

Is that the number?

Dani Dyer:

Yeah!

Tom Regal:

And and thank you, everybody for listening. If you if you enjoyed the podcast, give us five stars, we'd really appreciate that, that helps the algorithms and more people will get access to it. Check out Dani D's podcast as well, Love Your Body and give us any thoughts, comments, feedback, we'll try to respond to everything as best as possible. So thank you all.

Kenny Bailey<br>:

Thanks!