Stay Tranquilo - How To Network Effectively, Balancing Life Through the "Chaos", & The Power of Yoga w/ Alexandra Blanco Founder of Rayna Social

Episode Date: April 25, 2023

In this episode of the Stay Tranquilo Podcast, hosted by Andre Dunand, (The Tranquilo Guy) we explore the transformative power of yoga, networking, and balance for a better life. Our special guest, Alexandra Blanco, shares her experience with yoga and finding balance, along with insights on the importance of networking in today's society. Here are the key takeaways from this episode: _ Yoga can help you find balance in life and promote mindfulness. Networking is crucial for personal growth and success in today's society. Rayna Social, a popular networking platform exclusively for women, can help you expand your professional network. Balancing social life and work life can be challenging, but incorporating mindfulness practices such as meditation and yoga can help. Alexandra shares tips for making time for self-care and mindfulness in a busy schedule. Tune in to this episode for valuable insights and strategies to achieve balance and mindfulness in your personal and professional life. Join us in our exploration of yoga, networking, and balance for a better life. #StayTranquilo #Yoga #networking #podcast #balance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What is up, everybody? We're here on another episode of the State Tranquilo podcast. I'm here with Alex Blanco. Of course, showmaker intro. But before we get started, I just wanted to let you guys know that this episode is sponsored by Stella Rosa. They have an assortment of different products from non-alcoholic wines to canned wines to rosés. It's a great product, easy drinking, tons of flavor. I mean, you can never go wrong with some canned wine. So they got their grapefruit flavor. They got their blueberry flavor that Alex is drinking. So check them out whenever you get the chance, but great product. So before we get started, I wanted to just kind of like give a little rundown about Alex and some of the things that she's working on.

She's doing some awesome things. She's got her own company and Raina Social, so she'll definitely touch on that. But a bunch of different projects that I think she could bring a lot of. of value today. So I hope you guys enjoy this episode, but yeah, I'll toss it to you, let them know a little bit about yourself. Well, thank you for having me. I am so excited to be here and appreciate the platform. So Raina Social Club is an all-female networking group. It's a community where we really promote the professional and personal development of all women. So really just prioritizing, expanding your network, making genuine connections, and empowering women to lean in

to their talents, lean into their skills, and share those gifts with the world. And so everything that we do is highly intentional, highly curated. So everything in our events and every part of our community is highlighting and supporting a local female-owned business. So our venue, our videographer, our photographer, our food, our beverages, our raffle prizes, our vendors. Literally every aspect of the event is supporting a local female-owned company, so we really try to stay true to our mission and creating that community of female founders, creatives, and just

sharing resources with each other through everything that you go through on a personal and professional level. I love that. That's awesome. And to kind of rewind, right, what was it that made you want to start something like Raina, right? Where is there something in the market that you're like, hey, there's not enough of this out there?

What was it for you that was like, hey, you know what? I want to start this. Yeah. So on a personal level, I, first of all, just come from a big family. Lots of, I have a sister. I have lots of female cousins. And my family has always been very supportive, very encouraging. You know, you can do whatever you set your mind to.

And then I went to an all-girl high school here in Miami. And that, again, was just very empowering. You know, they teach you that you can do whatever you put your mind to. You just have to work hard, make connections. And then I went to college and I was part of a sorority. And there, again, it's like a little government. Like when you're in a sorority, yes, there's a social aspect, but there's a huge leadership aspect behind it if you choose to lean into it.

And that was so empowering, so inspiring. It really gave me a lot of drive. Like I felt that like groove and that rhythm when I was in that. And then I went to the workforce and COVID hit. So then it's like there's no community. There's no empowerment. And I realized that that was something that once you left the education system, and once you left your family unit, you know, you're not with your family every day,

how do you get that empowerment? Where do you get that source? And I started talking to other women who were students, employees, employers, creatives, and they all felt that lack. Like there was a need for a space to just talk about things that, you know, back in our parents' generation would be considered taboo. you know like back in the 80s for a woman to admit that she was overwhelmed with work and child care like that that was frowned upon whereas today that's something that we can talk about and then share resources of how do you overcome that challenge and also just to feel like you're not crazy like you feel understood like you know everyone knows that sense of relief when you just feel like related to and you're like okay like there's someone else out there like that I'm not crazy I'm not the only one um So I realized that we needed to build this community, and I started just bringing in friends that I knew could help me build this company, build this mission.

And it's grown so much since that initial event. Like, I thought it was just going to be a one-time event during COVID. I was like, let's just empower people, get people together. Like, we've all been in quarantine. And then it ended up growing. And we're two years later and still just continuing to innovate the type of. events that we do so that they're constantly progressing. Yeah, and there's something that I think you touched on that.

I think it's extremely important. It's the aspect of not doing it alone, right? You said that you brought in friends, you brought in other people, because you knew you couldn't do it yourself, right? And, you know, for me, that's something that I've always struggled with, right? Because it's like your little baby and you want to really take care of it, but you know that there's other people that could provide value outside of the things that maybe you can do, right, that ultimately can help you get to, you know, where you want it to go.

So can you touch on a little bit about how that process was of like who you decided that you wanted to bring on board, you know, why that person and some of the things that they were able to provide for you? Yeah, definitely. So you hit the nail on the head. Like your company is your baby. So it can be really hard to kind of let go and relinquish that control and delegate. But I really try to think, I'm kind of crazy. Like I think of Raina as her own being. Like, it's not about me, it's about Raina.

And Raina is essentially our community. So you have to release your ego. You know, what is best for the company? What is best for the community? Not what's best for me. And so if as a company, we're promoting collaboration, we're promoting networking. We're promoting shining your light and sharing your gifts. How can we not do that internally?

Right. So I essentially evaluated my gifts, my skill set, my talents, what I enjoy. doing and then what do I dislike doing? What am I bad at? You know, for example, for me finances. Like I can budget, you know, very simple, earning, savings, spending, but other than that, like running a company, I don't know how to do that. So bringing in someone for that. And then, like, automation with social media, I don't know how to do that. So bringing in someone for that. And, you know, just really identifying your skills and your weaknesses and then identifying those and others and bringing it all together because at the end of the day, it takes a village, right?

Rome wasn't built in a day. It takes a village. So, like, you need to bring in other people to continue growing because if it's just your perspective, if it's just your insight, it's very easy to plateau and kind of just remain complacent in how you've been doing things and not innovate and not move forward. But that's what you need to do to develop as a company and develop as a community. So I am very blessed that a lot of my friends and a lot of actually Raina members that I met at Raina events have ended up coming on board as part of the team because they believe in the mission.

They believe in the impact and the value of these events and what we're doing. So I also just feel very blessed that people see what we're doing and they know it matters. Yeah, definitely. And Raina obviously was never, didn't start off as Raina, right? Yeah. So tell him a little bit about like when you first started it, like the, name that you had there and then how it kind of evolved into into reina yes so when we hosted our first event we didn't even have a name we were just like oh we're hosting a female empowerment event

this is alex's blanco's female empowerment yeah and so and then it was crazy so we hosted it at rhythm and vine which is a female owned company by no heart hospitality and we've actually hosted a few other events with their other venues but it was a hit literally we had like seven 80 women show up. We had a ton of walk-ins. And everyone's asking, like, what do we tag you on Instagram? When's your next event? What's your website? And I'm like, ah, we don't have any of this. So I spoke with my right-hand girl, Danny, she's my partner. And I was like, Danny, we need a name. We need a website. We need an Instagram. So literally within like a week, I created our website, created our Instagram. And we were originally called Corporate Connection by women for women,

which it's crazy. It feels so like that doesn't even feel like that was ever our name. Like Raina feels like it was our name. That's a great name. Thank you. And so with corporate connection, my idea was like, we're going to bridge the gap between like corporate life and creatives and like connecting women.

And then it was by women for women so that people knew it was all female. And then funny enough, maybe like a year in, we have had really successful events or communities growing at a very, rapid rate organically. And so I was like, you know what? I'm going to trademark this just to like protect our intellectual property. I don't want to run into any hiccups down the road.

And then when I go to trademark, I see that it's already been trademarked. So I'm like, oh my God. And it wasn't in the state of Florida, but it was like a national trademark. So that's why I had never realized it. We were able to register as an LLC under that name because the company wasn't

registered in Florida. So like I thought it was all good. And then when I go to register this, I'm like, they're a national court thing. So I was like, man, okay, we need to rebrand. And this was, it's so funny because when hiccups happen, you think it's the end of the world. You're like, how am I ever going to move past this? And then a year later, it's like, oh, I forgot that happens.

Exactly. It gravitated you exactly where you needed to be. Yeah. Or supposed to be at least. And so it's funny because I spent, I kid you not two months, every night, I was on dictionary.com, DeSaurus.com, reading books from female authors,

trying to pool words. I was like, how am, are we going to rebrand? And I just couldn't find it. I was like looking for synonyms that were similar to our old name. And then one night,

it just like, like a train hit me. I was like, it needs to be one word. Corporate connection, by women, for women. That's a slogan.

That's a description. That's not a brand. That's not a name. So I started thinking of like Panera. Panera. Do you know what Panera means? I have no idea. It means pan era.

So bread forever is literally what it means. So I was like, okay, we need to get like more creative. And then I was like Apple, Dell, Advil, like any big brand. It is a lot of one word brands. Yeah. And I think, I forget where I saw it, but that was the whole component. They're like, everyone tries to do too much with the name. and you just look at some of the largest brands in the world.

They're all one word and it's simple. There's a lot behind it and the brand identity and kind of what they stand for and the meaning of the name, but it's not essentially like all about the name. It's more about what the brand means and how the name kind of ties into it. Exactly. Like Nike isn't called Just Do It Apparel. Right.

You know, it's like Just Do It is their slogan, it's their tagline, but Nike is the brand. It's the identity. And so once I was able to shift my mindset, which let me tell you, It was very difficult. Like I was self-sabotaging. I was like, I was so stuck in the synonyms and something similar to what we already have that I wasn't seeing the bigger picture. And it wasn't until I took a step back, but then I was like, duh, you know?

And so it's just so funny. Like, I laugh at the journey of life and how we are as humans. It's so interesting. But so then I walked in, I was walking in Coral Gables and I saw a sign that said La Reina. But it was like spelled rena, like, cool. Queen in Spanish. And I was like, I like this, but I don't. Like, reina spelled like queen is too basic, but I like the idea.

Like, it's, first of all, encompasses women already. So there is getting our one mission. And then, like, we're trying to elevate each other, raise each other up. So, you know, Queen is perfect for that. Yeah. But then I was like, there's something missing. And then I thought back to our mission. And our mission is to highlight female businesses and encourage women to shine.

So I was like, okay, a ray of light, R-A-Y. So then that's how Raina, R-A-Y-N-A, came to be. And then Social Club for her is kind of our tagline. So I really just call it Raina, but we're Raina Social Club. Rinal Social Club for her. And that was one of the biggest challenges I thought we had, and then it ended up being a huge blessing. I think Raina has allowed us to identify ourselves to the right market.

People get it. And so, yeah, very interesting. And I'm like, I'm like, here sitting here, I'm like laughing because when I was, when I was going through the state trantilo process, right? Like, and like thinking about the name, I had for like a short time had called it like, it's a vibe, right? Oh, yeah. And that's just like it's a vibe. Like that's like what I want to promote, right? But again, I was never married to it.

Like I didn't love it. But it was what built attraction in the beginning, right? But I'm like, I'm not in love with this. So kind of same thing. I was like kind of sitting on names and like thinking. thinking about it and then just like one day kind of hit me I'm like tranquil like we all want to like be tranquil right yeah so I'm like whatever so I sat on it I wasn't even married to it but I liked it kind of like the same same thing with you

and I'll never forget I'm at my brother's baseball game and he's probably like in fifth fourth grade fifth grade at the time and there was this little kid sitting in front of me and he goes to his mom you know mom you know what makes me tranquil and I go I'm like the kid I had heard a kid say one Spanish word the whole time and he's just running around He's like, and he goes to his mom and he says that. He's just right in front of me. I'm like, I just like looked at the kid. I'm like, okay, that was weird.

And like that was when. Like a sign. Yeah, it's a sign. Like so many like subtle little things that, and you kind of touched on it about like the whole, you know, getting your mind right and getting into a place. When you put yourself in that space of like receiving and like being open minded, the universe is going to give you some crazy signs like that. And you're going to think, oh, that's crazy. But it's true. Like you put it out there saying like, hey, I'm searching for this.

Give me an answer. right and that's the universe giving you an answer right there yeah and you know it's funny because I didn't explicitly say that but you picked up on it and it's true during that process I was like God like please I was like make it so obvious that I can't miss this sign like I need to rebrand like now it's already been two months of me thinking like I have a list of 300 alternate names and I hate all of them like please just guide me and he did and so it's awesome everything lined up right the name was available Yes, the name was available.

We ended up trademarking that. Like, all good. Because, like, there was a bunch of Tranquilo kind of brands out there, something. You know, there's like a Tranquilo mat. For, like, babies. There was, like, a Taranquilo, I don't know, a pair. It wasn't even an apparel. I forget what it was.

But there was a couple things that had, but there was nothing that was, like, stay Tranquilo, right? Yeah. And the website was available. The trademark was available. The LLC in the state of Florida was available. So I was like, this is it. And then as you start doing it, you're like, damn, okay, people like the name too. So it's receptive to the market.

And then from there, that's where the magic, I guess, begins. Yeah, it really does. And again, I felt like it was a blessing because, like I mentioned, like, I was just planning on hosting one event. So when it grew into something more, it was almost unintentional. So rebranding allowed us the opportunity to really get granular on what we wanted our brand to be. So even just what I ended up doing was we hired a branding team. They no longer do branding. They only do interior design now.

But girls who do interior, shout out to them. They're amazing. And so we hired them. And basically what I did is I picked my favorite photos from our previous events. And I like started highlighting colors from our actual people and from our actual venues. And I was like, this is our brand. Like the community is our brand. And so we picked our color palette from actual pictures from our events.

which was so awesome. And same with like our fun. Like the whole creative process just became so much more intentional. And like you mentioned, like after you rebrand or once you decided to go all in on stay tranquil, people resonate with that brand. They can sense the meaning behind it. Yeah. You need, and you guys do an amazing job with that.

You need people to feel connected with what you're trying to preach. And whatever that is, you know, everyone preaches something differently and kind of. and kind of has their own brand identity, but you're not a brand unless people resonate with it. And whether it's for good or for bad, but that's the reality of it. And that's how you build a community. And community is a place where people can kind of feel like themselves

without feeling judged or anything like that. So you guys are doing an awesome job. And I think it's really cool to see. But one of the things that we talked about prior was kind of the whole balance aspect of things, right? So Raina is something that you do, but you also have a full-time job as well, right? So, you know, we were kind of touching on it before. Like, how do you balance all of that, right?

You got the full-time job. You hang out with your friends. You go to weddings, right? You run Raina. How does that whole process of balance work for you? It's a constant effort. I think it's something that we all struggle with, right? How do we get more time in our day?

How do we maximize the time in our day? So I think, first of all, it's something I'm constantly struggling with. Like, most people in my life know I suck at balancing, honestly. I feel like I'm either feast or famine. Like, I'm either working crazy hard or I'm like, chilling. You know, so it's like, it's kind of hard. It's kind of a, and I don't know if this is the word, but it is the word. It's like it's a battle a little bit, you know.

It's a battle. When do I let off the pedal? One do I put down the pedal? And maybe that is the balance, you know? It's like kind of a stop and go, but it's like, I don't know if you want to be like on cruise control almost, but you kind of almost do want to be on cruise control because then when you're on cruise control, that's when you're more focused, you're a little bit more clear, you're not like thinking. But there's also a lot of good that comes in the chaos, and there's a lot of good that comes in like the peace, right?

Yeah. I love that you said the word chaos because my friends are always like, hey, how are you? I'm like living through the chaos. It's chaos. It's chaos. through the chaos because it's like, it's just nonstop. So to be practical, I do think I have a pretty good idea of how to balance. So first is time blocking.

Like when I'm working my 9 to 5, and a lot of people ask me, they're like, why do you still work in 9 to 5? I'm like, I love my company. I love what I do. I love the people I work with. So I do want to take rain a full time eventually. But right now I'm not in a rush. I enjoy contributing.

I enjoy serving. I enjoy learning from really just awesome people. Like I love the people I work with and I learn so much and I'm challenged so much. So when I'm at work, I'm at work. Yeah. And then when I'm doing renal work, like I'm doing renal work. So just making sure to commit to whatever time blocks you have. And then I have a daily checklist and I've been following it for like almost nine years now.

And essentially it's a pre-made list of my favorite things to do. So and things that you forget to do if you don't remind yourself why they're important. So like making your bed. I literally have a to-do list that has that. And people are like, oh, but that's so simple. Yeah, but watch, once you get into a depressive episode or you're feeling down or you're feeling stuck, that's going to be the first habit to go is making your bed. Same with opening your blinds.

Sometimes we just want to wallow in the darkness. And it's like, no, get that sunlight, breathe the fresh air, breathe in oxygen. And so I have these daily things. You know, I keep track of my water. I make sure I have to call, like a friend or a family member every day, listen to music, stretch. see sunlight, like there's a bunch of things that I do daily, but you don't have to do them every day. It's just a checklist there to hold yourself accountable because you need to audit yourself. And so it's like, okay, it's been a week, and I haven't read a book, or it's been a week,

and I haven't listened to a podcast, and I haven't done anything for personal development. Like, wow, I should really check that off today. Or some days you get it all done, and you're like, oh, my God, I'm killing it. And then essentially aside from that, those are not non-negotiables. Those are just nice to have things that keep you in that rhythm, keep you good. But then I have a slot where you write in my priorities every day. So it's like your priorities are your non-negotiable. Like, okay, I have to record this podcast.

I have to do groceries. I have to take my dog to the vet. I have to go to yoga and whatever. So like that I feel helps because we honestly, like society is just, made it that you have a never-ending to-do list like I have a wedding in two weeks I have to go to the tailor I have to go to do this like it's like something just when you think things are coming down the next thing comes up exactly whether it was intentioned planned or not but there's always something and you know a lot of the podcasts that I listen to it's like a common thing you have to be

comfortable with the uncomfortable right because if you're not then the uncomfortable is the inevitable right you're gonna you're gonna face it at some point and if you're not able to kind of like deal with it in a certain way. However, that way works for you, but that's effective, that's efficient, that's healthy, right? Then, you know, you're going to continue to evolve because you just got through that one obstacle and then you're going to get through the next and the next and the next and the next. And that's where the growth really comes. But a lot of people become like, I don't know what the word is.

It's not complacent, but it's like almost like comfortable with just what is. But then they realize that it actually creates more discomfort. Yeah. It's like you're fighting so hard to keep this comfort. and you're actually creating more discomfort in that process. Yeah, and I think that's because change and challenges are guaranteed in life. Like, there's no way around it. So even if you think, like, you're cruising, you're not.

You're not. It's going to come around the corner. The moment you get comfortable, you actually might start going backwards, right? And it's not to say, like, create discomfort, but it's like learn how to utilize it as, like, a leverage, right? and almost like as something powerful because like to your point you're going to you're going to deal with it at some capacity in your life and you could choose to do something about it or you could choose to just kind of like sit in it and like let it affect you and you can't you can't you got to be proactive you got to take action and i always say like actions speak louder than words and they do because

it shows a lot more about your character when you kind of like are proactive in doing things because I'm one of these people that, like, I hate to make excuses, right? And if I catch myself making excuses, that's, like, me, like, giving up my power almost kind of thing, right? Where I'm like, you know, I'll do it tomorrow or, like, you know what, like, I don't need to do that. You know, like, just that kind of what you were saying, like, that chat or that you have in your head and you can. And, like, self, like, you literally self-sabotage yourself. Yeah, you do. Yeah, so, like, my, basically, like, to bring it all together is prioritize an execution.

So like those priorities, those non-negotiables, don't worry about all the other noise. Like, yes, you have other things on your to-do list, but if they're not time-sensitive, if they're not urgent, if they're not needed to get done today, leave it to tomorrow. Do your five priorities and then, you know, hop on FaceTime with a loved one, go to a yoga class, whatever it is. Yeah. But just trying not to get so caught up in it because like at the end of the day, everyone has a to-do list that is never ending. the minute you check off five things, ten other things get added. So it's like kind of just know like everything will get done, right? Like you've already survived up to this point.

Like you know things, the world is going to keep on turning. A good thing too to do. And I do it a lot too is like look back at what you've been able to accomplish. Because sometimes you look so much of like what's going on right now and you feel so far away from maybe where you want to be. But you're like, damn, look where I was actually able to get to. And like where I was two years ago, three years ago. whatever that timeframe is, but be like, hey, I was able to accomplish all this, you know. And if you feel like you haven't actually accomplished anything in those X amount of years, months,

whatever that may be, then you also have to have like a realistic conversation with yourself and be like, hey, you know what, maybe I do got to change this. Maybe I got to see what my priorities are. And the non-negotiables is the way to kind of do that. It's like, today I have to do this. Like it's not an option. I have to make sure if I get done. Obviously things happen throughout the day that may alter that.

But you at least made it a priority and you can't make it a pattern to not take care of your non-negotiables, essentially. Exactly. And like I used to have this mindset. It's like a popular phrase, but I had this mindset like why put off for tomorrow, what can be done today. And at first I loved it because I was hyperproductive. But then I was so burnt out. And it's like, well, actually I can put, if it can be put off tomorrow, why not? Like, just focus on today's priorities.

Like, what is urgent? And so there's actually this phrase in yoga called loving awareness. And for the longest time, I would hear it and, like, thought it sounded beautiful, but I didn't really understand what it meant. And then a couple weeks ago, I was listening to this podcast, completely unrelated to yoga. And the guy mentioned loving awareness. And he's like, loving awareness is being in love with everything you're aware about. So it doesn't mean I have to love the struggle, but I should love an understanding.

admire and appreciate the fact that I'm even aware that I'm struggling, that I'm in a rut, that I'm feeling stuck, or vice versa. Like, being aware, like, we were just smiling talking about our biggest challenges, you know, because it's like you, we're awake, we're alive, we're conscious, and life is not guaranteed to be easy. So there's this quote by Peter Haggurty. I literally post it all the time because it's just such a good reminder and it's life is a journey. And if you want to be in love forever, you have to fall in love with the journey.

So like embrace the highs, embrace the lows. Because they're always coming. They're always around the corner, right? It's kind of Matthew McConaug, he has this great book, Green Lights. And how he refers it to is Green Lights and Red Lights. It's like sometimes you have all this momentum. Everything's going great. You're catching all the green lights.

And then boom, you have to slam on your brakes for this sudden red light. But when you're there, like, take a look around. What's the view? What's the scenery? What do the billboards say? What do the bumper stickers say? And see what you can learn to take that into your next, you know, up. 100%. Yeah. And I'm glad that you brought up the whole yoga thing, right? Because obviously, it's a big part of your practice. What has yoga kind of taught you? And how is it something that's kind of, I guess, like, helped you evolve over the last few years? Yoga is amazing. Guys, get into it. If you have not found a yoga. yoga studio or yoga practice that you like keep discovering there's so many different ones out there

but it has it seems like it is difficult for people to start it yeah yeah and i really believe it just goes back to like finding the people and like the community that's meant for you like i don't think reina's going to be for every woman i think most women would enjoy it but you know people have different tastes people have different backgrounds people are looking for different things so same thing goes with yoga. Different studios have different vibes. And there's multiple types of yoga. So maybe you don't like binyasa, but you like hatha, but you like hatha. Or maybe you don't like Hatha, but you like yin. So, you know, doing that kind of self-discovery of what you like. But yoga has helped me so much. I, everyone who has masculine and feminine energy in them. But I feel like ever since

a very young age, I've always been like very extreme, like very in my masculine or very in my feminine. Like when I'm working Raina, even though it's a female empowerment company, like, I'm in my masculine. Like, I'm, I really am. And then, like, at home and in yoga and with my family and, like, settings like this, like, definitely my feminine comes out. And so yoga has kind of helped me just, like, be more balanced, more aware, more, honestly, so many things. Like, people think yoga is just an exercise, but it's like this whole way. of being and I was raised Roman Catholic but more of like a spiritual Roman Catholic not like a go to church every Sunday Roman Catholic and I studied science and undergrad so like yoga really tied in my like Catholic face with my spirituality and science and so yoga has multiple pillars and one is the movement Asana so like you know the actual physical movements or whatever and then there's pranayama which is your breathwork so I'm going to start there

breath work has helped me so much. I think pretty much everyone has anxiety. There's just so much stimulation, so much temptation. It's like noise overload. And, you know, we suffer from self-doubt, from imposter syndrome, all these things. And just getting back to your breath, it is scientifically a way to immediately change your biochemistry. And so it just calms you down. So I just feel like yoga in of itself has helped me a lot with my anxiety. And just being in the present moment, be where your feet are. Don't be in the past. Don't be in the future.

I'm a firm believer that as you continue walking, the path reveals itself. So you don't have to get caught up in the details of the future. You don't have to be so hard on yourself from the past. Like, it's what brought you to where you are now, right? So yoga has helped me tremendously in that aspect. And then also there's a bunch of other pillars about, like, detachment. You know, think of things objectively. so attached, don't be so possessive.

Self-reflection is huge, going kind of back to that loving awareness. Like, have grace with yourself, but be aware enough to call yourself out when you're being lazy, or maybe you're holding yourself back, or if you maybe did something that wasn't

really aligned with your higher self. So just reflection, introspection, and that detachment and non-judgment is so huge. Like, you view the world so different. when you're just observing. I'm just here to observe.

I'm just here to acknowledge. I'm not here to pass judgment. Judgment takes up so much energy. And we do it all the time. Like a girl doesn't have her nails painted or a guy is short and like automatically we have judgments. And it's like, why? It's external stigmas that have been built.

And we're so externally stimulated that we don't take enough time to look internally and really figure out, okay, what am I even processing right now? you know, what am I thinking? What am I feeling? We don't give ourselves that time. So we're just, we don't even realize we might be angry. You know, we may not, we may not realize people, you know, you're treating people poorly because you haven't taken that time to kind of just like look at yourself and turn it and be like, you know what? And maybe I'm holding on to some past anger or past judgments that I have been caring for the last five, six, seven years from some sort of trauma maybe, you know, or whatever that was, a situation in your life that created that. And then

you carry that with you for some people carry it to their grave right because they just never and then they wonder why you know they have certain aches why they have certain moods that are up and down all the time and that's because you've allowed the external to control the internal and like to kind of like what you were saying you kind of have to get control of the internal and then the external kind of is just just there you know and you kind of control it without trying to control it almost yeah yeah you got kind of just are able to grow with the flow as it goes. And it's funny that you mentioned, like you may not have even realized

you were treating people you care about poorly just because you're like so not. It's consuming. And it's just interesting because basically in yoga, like the end goal is called Samadhi. It's kind of like Nirvana. And what it translates to is peace and harmony, which I think we all want peace and harmony in our life, right?

Just to be in that flow, an intentional flow, right? But it's basically categorized as peace, tranquility, or peace, harmony, and tranquility. And so I thought about that. I was like, stay tranquil, is literally just trying to guide people to be at their higher self, like be content, be at peace. And I think a lot of that even just comes from being honest. So, like, hey, going back to like I was treating.

people poorly, I didn't even realize it, like, going, hey, I'm so sorry I overreacted. And, like, the way I spoke to you was not okay. That is very vulnerable to say. It's powerful, too. But I've never, very rarely has anyone ever said that to me after treating me poorly. But I go out of my way to, like, try to acknowledge it because it is powerful. And once you share that vulnerability with someone else, they will be vulnerable right back. And then as a collective, we start moving, like, more towards our authentic self.

And going back to what I was saying with Raina, like, like just saying, talking about things that matter. Like so many of the things that our generation is like bringing to conversation and bringing to light was taboo, was unspoken. You know, you just brush it under the rug. And so I think that even just going back to personal accountability and personal ownership and saying, hey, I'm sorry. I don't even know why I acted that way.

I was not being aware. You know, you don't deserve to be spoken to like that. I hope you can accept my apology. Like that goes such a long way in building. unbreakable relationships, you know, and just helping other people feel comfortable being themselves. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, for me, and it's funny because when I started to say, Tranquil, I was in a very, like, meditative state. I would like to say it. Like I was probably peak in terms of like my meditation practice, just really taking the time to do it. And it's crazy

how much clarity it brought into my life. It allowed me to kind of like handle past traumas in a way where I was just like able to let them go, you know. But the first step in that whole process was me just becoming aware that they existed, right? What was some of like the sensations that were going on in my body? What was some of the thoughts that were going on in my body? Why did they, why were they there? Why did they exist? But I didn't ever look at them with judgment as I continued to grow through my meditation practice.

The more they kept coming up, the more I was able to just kind of let them be and let them kind of naturally, what I call like disappear almost, right? Like they just dissipate. And that was a place where I had to be vulnerable with myself, right? Like, I had to, like, sit with myself and actually, you know what? Yeah, there's no perfection, right? You're not this perfect person. No one's perfect, and you're never going to have those expectations of a perfect person.

And you need to be able to let that go. Like, there's going to be good. There's going to be ugly. And you have to be okay with both of them and not be married to either one of them. They just, they're there. They exist. You appreciate those moments, kind of like how you were saying. and it provides a it's a freedom almost it's liberating yes it's a it's a liberation and it's

powerful when you're able to get into that state because you become so detached to everything else like you're not married to any results any outcomes expectations all that's out the door like it's it's powerful it is so powerful and to your point it's liberating like it like it just feels like a ton of weight has been lifted off your chest. Like you feel content. You feel at peace and it makes life almost like a game because it's like I already know I'm going to fail. So I don't have to stress about being this like pillar of perfection because that's just

not going to happen. So looking at yourself without judgment and kind of just letting things go and again, acknowledging so that you can grow better and get better and, you know, eliminate the amount of times that you're not being like your best self. But it's just like like failing is the only way to grow. And that's kind of what we're like here on earth for. Like perfection is for like the afterlife, you know, whether you're Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish. Like that's like.

It's not here. Leave that. Yeah. You're not meant to be perfect. So stop trying. Stop making other people feel like they have to be perfect. And just like enjoy the journey of life. Like embrace it.

And I think it, like, I think we all take it a little too seriously. Like, and it is serious. Like, obviously. It is serious. And I always, I always live in that battle of, like, serious versus non-serious. Like, I got to be serious, but do I really have to be serious? Like, how much of this really matters, you know? I know.

It's perspective at the end of the day. You choose to make things important at the end of the day. And, you know, you're going to value what's important to you, but there is a level of, like, it's really not that important. but cool so let me see where we're at um before we kind of wrap up i like to do like kind of like rapid questions fine you know however but um it's just something that i think is always cool to get like get to know the guest and and give people a little bit of like something to engage with um so you've probably seen them i always do these polls on instagram are you a sushi person or a pizza person

sushi what's the best sushi spot um okay so honestly blunt has the best sushi. Blanta and the Grove. Yeah. Blatha and the Grove or the South Beach. Best. Yeah. Best sushi, honestly.

So random, but Earl's Dayland, I think has great sushi. Really? I haven't been there in a while. Sushi mas also. But I have to disclaim, I don't eat fish. So I'm talking about, like, the best veggie sushi bowl. But these are amazing. Like, they have mango. They have guava.

They have, like, peach, like, their pear. Plenty of flavor. Yeah. creative with the recipes and the crunch and the texture because like I don't eat bad food don't get me wrong so like the texture the flavor it's all there nice nice cool um I think I know the answer to this question but beach or mountains beach I love the mountains to vacation but the beach honestly it makes me realize it's not that serious when you look at this giant piece of ocean and you're like okay it's just God it's the abyss like it just goes on forever

Yeah, I could be in the most stubborn state of mine, like, life sucks, this is so unfair, this is so hard, when does it end? And then I look at the ocean, I'm like, ah, okay. Yeah, no, I'm with you. I'm 100% of each person. Like, I do love the mountains. I think the mountains offer a level of tranquility as well. It's very peaceful up there. But there's just something about, like, being able to be in the sand and, like, soak up the sun and, like, go in the water.

There's nothing like it. Yeah, I'm a sucker for sunshine. shine. Yeah, me too. I just soak that shit up. Let's see. Oh, movies. Are you like rom-com, uh, action, comedy? I love action movies. Scary movies. No, no, scary. Nothing scary. Okay. I like action and I like like old school rom-coms, like, how to lose a guy in 10 days,

like that type of style. And I honestly love comedy, like anything that will just make you laugh. Life is stressful, so it's like... Like the stupid or the better, honestly. Yeah. Yes, literally I'm like, just have me laugh. I don't care. I'm not trying to... I'm not trying to learn anything new.

I'm not trying to be here for personal development. Like, I'm just trying to laugh and, like, release the tension. Like, Office for me was, like, one of those shows that I would just put on just because I just wanted to be entertained. Yeah. I didn't want to think. I didn't want to, like, be so immersed. I mean, don't get me wrong. Like, there's very well-made shows and movies out there that.

like the production is like next level right yeah it's stimulating and you're immersed in it but to me comedy just will always always win agreed um and then last question uh what does it mean uh to stay tranquil it means to honestly just like roll with the punches like I can't even tell you like I'll give you an example I was at the airport the other day actually recently like multiple airport experiences where like just everything was going wrong and like the people behind me were freaking out and they're like how are you not freaking out and I'm like I'm like we're going to get on the flight don't worry and they're like we don't have seats I'm like they'll have seats don't worry like just kind of roll with the punches like and be just be present when you're working work hard

be focused and that that groove that rhythm that when you're in the zone like that feels good so that can be a sense of being tranquil or tranquil you know when it feels you're feels good. And then same with taking a step back. Like when you just need a beach day or you just need to like lay on your couch and do nothing or you need to take a vacation, do that. So just being present and being in tune with what your needs are, I think that will keep you tranquilla because there's really just no one way to do it. You're constantly evolving. Every day looks different. So just kind of asking yourself what is going to make me tranquilla today. You know, don't focus on the past, don't focus on the future just today.

What will make me tranquill, and that'll look different every time. But if you tune in with yourself, you'll start strengthening that intuition and that relationship with your inner needs. I love that. And what are some books or podcasts that you would recommend for someone to listen to or read? Some books. I would recommend Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. He kind of talks all about this. He was in the monkhood and left

to teach us all how to have more balance and more mindfulness and awareness. So that's a great book about kind of everything we've been talking about. Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey, I swear, is one of my favorites. I read it twice. He's awesome.

He really is. He's such a down-to-earth dude. I was not expecting that. He's exactly what I idolized to be. Yeah, seriously. And then my last book would be extreme ownership by Jocka Willink. Even if you're not a founder

or like anything, like you are a leader in your daily life. We all lead by example, whether it's you returning your shopping cart at the grocery store or maybe you lead a club. But like, you're always a leader in every room you step into and you're the leader of your life. No one else is

in charge of your life except you. So a lot of people when I recommend extreme ownership they're like, oh no, but like I'm not a founder or like, oh, I'm not a boss. And it's like, it doesn't matter. You're your boss. Like, so extreme ownership by Jocco Willink is amazing. It's black and white. Like, he puts it so simply put that you can't deny it.

So that message is amazing. Cool. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. It was a pleasure having you on. Thank you for having me. I know we've been trying to do this for a while, but it was awesome. It really was. Thank you.

I definitely appreciate it. And I hope you guys enjoyed it as well. So thanks, guys. Stay tranquil again. We'll see you guys soon.