Woman Evolve with Sarah Jakes Roberts - The Healing You Can't Skip with Kirsten Ferguson

Episode Date: August 5, 2026

We’re tossing the mic to one of the most recognizable voices in wellness. Before the Peloton classes, the bestselling children’s book, and becoming everyone’s favorite source of motivation, Kirsten Ferguson was navigating infertility, profound loss, divorce, and a purpose she never saw coming. Plot twist: The woman inspiring millions to run...used to hate running. Turns out, God has a sense of humor. In Part 1 of this special two-part episode, Kirsten positions faith as a framework for resilience and shows that identity evolves over time. If you’ve only met Kirsten through a workout, this is your invitation to meet her heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's up family? This is Sarah Jakes Roberts and you are listening to the Woman Evolve podcast. How are you? What is going on in your world? It is August. That means August, September, October, November, December. You understand what I'm saying? August, September, October, November, December, December. This thing is easing on down the road. Okay? This year went rogue for me. I don't know if the world. has gone rogue for you, but it went rogue for me. And I am adjusting and I am coming back and I am in this August reset mentality. I don't know if it's because the kids are going back to school. And I know that that rhythm and routine is going to provide structure that summer doesn't provide. But I feel like it is time for us to just start reexamining what's happened this year. What can we do with what's left over and begin to start turning our face in that direction? And so this month, we're going to be talking all about what it means to reset. I am looking forward to sharing with you some conversations that I believe are going to help you,

that are going to meet you right where you are and perhaps inspire you that turning this thing around or continuing to progress is not going to be as challenging or as difficult as you believe. I've had some great conversations this month that I believe are really going to bless you. I am I'm I'm easing on down the road I am excited about a few things we finally have dates

for WomneyVolve 2027 and so many of you all have kept your tickets and you're going to come and be with us next year we've got a few tickets available for people who just needed a refund or wanted to wait to see what our plan was

and so I'm excited about those who are continuing the journey with us and who are going to be joining us next year. So I'm excited about that. I'm beginning to plan out, like, can we go to a few cities this fall since we didn't get to have conference this year, just figuring out what it looks like for me to re-engage in my purpose in a way that still honors my recovery and my development. And, you know, I actually started this. A few weeks into my recovery, I can remember wrestling with like a lot of different questions about like, God, why has this happened to me?

Did I do something wrong? Are you punishing me? Is everything falling apart? Like, just asking all kind of questions. Like, maybe I'm dramatic. Maybe I'm human. Who knows? But those were my real questions.

And I was trying to honor God with my truth so that I could experience whatever. transformation was necessary. And I have these moments where I am reminded that my relationship with God has drifted from the place of mutual, not mutual, that's not the right word at all. But it's drifted from the place of just like strictly honor and reverence for who God is versus like thanking God for what he's done. And sometimes we can get into this rhythm without even knowing it because so many things are happening in our life and we're giving God the praise for it and we're giving God the glory for it that when things don't go our way, we kind of don't know what to do with God anymore. And I feel like at the time that I had the accident, I was in that stage. And so I started this going back to the

beginning. I have these scriptures that I lean on for like different seasons, different scenarios, different insecurities, fears. And my Bible's got like all of this. these tabs for all of these different moments. But I felt challenged to really go back through and just remember who God is. Not what he's done, not what he can do, not what he will do, but like just God, who are you? And so I've started this substack where I'm taking the journal entries that I've written during this season and showing you what God has revealed to me about who he is. So if you're on substack or you've thought about getting on substack, you should check out the blog that I'm working on.

It's called The Name Project. I'm calling it The Name Project because I started back at Genesis and I'm constantly asking that question, God, who are you? God, who are you? And I will not leave a chapter or a story until I have uncovered something about the character of God, the attributes of God and who he is.

And so starting next week, I'll release them each week like a name for each chapter. but then I'm challenging you to read it and do the same and then like tell me the name that you have about who God is based off of what you read. And I feel like the more that we bear witness to who God has been in our lives, the more comfort and intimacy we will have in our relationship with God because we know him for him and not just for what he's done. So that's my head on over to subsection so you can experience the name project. outside of that I get my x-rays next week so I'm excited to see how my body is healing the kids are starting school all of the things are happening but you know before I mind your business I like to let you mind mine so oh let me tell you this and then I will really zip it and mind your business so we would have been having WAM and Evolve the weekend like this past weekend I don't know when you're going to hear this I think on Wednesday so last weekend would have been WOMENEEEEVOLV Evolve weekend. And we launched the documentary where we got to like revisit moments from Woman Evolve 2024. And I got on YouTube live and I talked to so many of you all who have been

plugged into Wom and Evolve. But there has, I was hurting. I was hurting this weekend. It feels like this accident has taken so much from me. And I'm grateful to be alive and I'm grateful for everything that God has done. And I also acknowledge that this has been an intense season of grief. and Sunday Pastor Cheryl Brady preached at the Potter's House, which just happened by coincidence because my husband was supposed to be out of town. He ended up not having to take the trip he thought he was going to have to take, but then he started a series in Los Angeles. And so it was just like all of this divine orchestration and things that should have could have would have that led to Pastor Cheryl being there on that Sunday. And she preached a message that was so powerful. The content of the message itself was so beautiful because she talked about the difference between like just church worship and singing songs and having real worship and how real

worship shifts things for us. And the message itself was beautiful. But the anointing that fell in the room when she was preaching the message felt so familiar to what we experience at WOMNEvolve, where it's just this momentum, this hunger, it builds. And then there's just this outpouring. of God's presence and spirit. And I felt like God was loving on me so intensely and just showing me that like he brought Woman Evolve to me. Because even Pastor Shero, who came to Woman Evolve 23, it was just like all of these things where God was like,

I'm still with you, I still got you. I think the hardest part of this accident when I think about like the things that feel like they've been taken from me in this process is just feeling like I've lost so many things. about my identity, about in my actual world, that I like wonder like how much of me is left and who am I and just all these things. But I just felt God telling me like you're, you still in there. I still got you. I love you. And I'm taking care of you through it all. And I needed that

reminder. And I cried my lashes off. And much to my disappointment, my sister in love in love came over to help me take my lashes off, then she threw them away. If you're not reusing your lashes, I don't know what time you're on, but there are some lashes that can be reused, but this is what I mean by the season, taking things from me. It even took my lashes, but God. Okay, now that you have fully minded my business, let me mind yours. I want to hop into this week's question. If you've ever wondered, like, hey, I would love Sarah's perspective or opinion on something that's happening in my world, drop me a message.

You can send me a message at 214-790-8871. I want to hear what's happening in your world. Now, let's get to this week's question. I'm Sarah. My bad, past Sarah. I just want to acknowledge you for who you are. This is Kenya. I am fairly new to Dallas.

I've been here about six years. I do it's in the Potter House. But my question for you is, how do you get over the past humiliation, hurt, and pain that comes with being a teen mother? I too was a teen mother at the age of 14. I'm not sure of how your parents and your church handled when you became pregnant. but when I became pregnant, I was made to stand before the congregation and apologize to over 2,300 people. And I feel like from that day to even this day at the age of 45, I am still looking for people approval of me. So with a bunch of therapy, I stay in my word.

It seems as if it's a prison, a mental prison that I cannot escape, and I am trying, but it is a battle. So I know your parents, I believe your parents were very supportive of you. I did not have that from my parents. So what would be your advice to me of how to get out this mental prison? Love you back. Oh, I feel this question so deeply. Thank you for trusting me with that vulnerability. I can give you some context for my situation because it's going to inform.

the advice that I offer. There were a lot of people who were supportive within the church and then there were other people who were not supportive. The negative always stands out because I think it echoes like an insecurity or a fear. And I think that that amplifies negative and unfortunately drowns out any of those positive voices. I did not have to stand up in front of the church to apologize, though there were people who felt like that would have been appropriate. My parents were supportive and disappointed, you know, and so they were supportive and I also could see that they were disappointed,

and so that was hard to. And 14 is just so, so young. I, it sounds, young, but I can remember, I mean, I got pregnant at 13. I had my kid at 14. And I can remember, like, I couldn't wait to turn 16 and not for a sweet 16, but being a 16 year old team mother sounded so much better than being a 14 year old team mother. That shame is so real. And if I can just add another layer of why teen pregnancy is so hard, is that like there are things that happen in church that, like, are only a big deal in church. that only church people care about, the length of your skirt or drinking or smoking. Like, you can go on the corner and other people be okay with that.

Team pregnancy carries such a difficult stigma because no matter where you are, whether you're in the grocery store or on the church pew, people look at you differently when you have a baby at a young age. And so you didn't make up the shame. You didn't make up the disappointment. Like, it really is hard. to have that as a part of your identity, right? Because motherhood becomes a part of your identity.

And it's something that you can't hide, like some of the other things that people go through. And it's hard. And I've had people tell me, like, you know, this happened when you were 14. Stop talking about it. You should be over it. But it changes you at such a time

in your life where you're trying to figure out who you are and your self-esteem that is difficult for you to formulate. a healthy identity and it be not seen through the lens of all of those different disappointments, context, and shame. I want to tell you that one of the things that I had to do is separate my need for people's approval from my desire for God's approval because I think I wanted to be, and this is why it's very dangerous. I think the role that I'm in right now is because I can experience a lot of approval from people, a lot of acceptance

from people because of just being exposed to so many people and people having appreciation for what God is doing in my life. And sometimes it feeds the insecurity of that little girl. But then that little girl is also the girl who reads the hate comments. And so there have been moments where it feels like myself say, oh, I'm fine. Everybody likes me. That message went viral. But then also, now I'm down to the ground because I'm being tossed around on the internet. So I've had to work really hard and sometimes still have to work hard depending on where I am emotionally and spiritually to reclaim myself, to reclaim my identity from other people's opinions and perspectives and to get to a place, one, where I can be okay with me, where I can understand

my story. When we talk about getting over humiliation, it's not like how do I prove people wrong and that'll get me over this shame and humiliation. It's not how can I get them to accept me? Because that's the journey that I took from there. It's like, I'm just going to work super hard to make people accept me and to show people that I'm smart and that I have value. And it never really worked. I had to get to a place where I was okay with me. And so I think the first question I would ask you was like, are you okay? with the fact that you're a teen mother. Like, have you reconciled that that is a part of your story?

And I don't know how you were in a position where you became pregnant. For me, I made a choice, and that choice became pregnancy, but other people became pregnant and they were violated. Whatever your story is, I would question whether or not you've gotten to a place where you can hold that truth and to not see it as something to be a real. ashamed of. I got there by realizing that I was hating myself, frustrated with myself because of this choice that I made in getting pregnant, but I only, I didn't see the choice within context. And when I saw the choice within context, I realized that I wasn't just a girl who got pregnant.

I was a girl who was hurting, who was lonely, who felt rejected, abandoned, lost. and I was looking for someone to make me feel better, someone to make me feel loved, and someone who would make me feel valued. And that wasn't just my responsibility, that there were other, and my mother's talked about feeling like she didn't keep us close when we moved to Dallas, that they weren't as present as maybe they could have been. And so that is how I was trying to fix a legitimate need and a legitimate hunger that wasn't being fed appropriately. And when I look back at who I was in the moment when I made the choice, I can't feel shame because I feel so much compassion for her. And I believe that when God looks at us, that he doesn't just look at that isolated incident, he looks at the entire heart that made the choice. the entire situation that produced the thing that we're ashamed of. And God sees it through the lens of compassion, through a broken world, through sin entering in the world and hurting the creation that he loves so much.

And when I'm able to see it through that lens, I'm able to love myself in the place where I once had shame. And I'm able to hold myself in the place where I once rejected myself. And the more that I made that my practice, the less I had to be ashamed of because I'm human and humans have needs and humans make mistakes and humans get hurt and people fail us and we fail ourselves. And I'm not ashamed of being human. And I have a God who knew that I was human, who knew that I was broken, who knew that I would make mistakes and sent his son to die so that I could live again. And so in honor of the death that produced life from me, I choose to live past the humiliation. And I am fortunate enough to know that not everyone had a teen pregnancy, but everyone has experienced something that made them unworthy of love, unworthy of praise, unworthy of admiration.

And yet God still says, I love you. God still says, I have a place for you. God still says, I think you're beautiful. I see your scars. I see your wounds and I still think you're worth dying for. And so I live on not because it's easy, not because I did everything perfectly, but because who am I to deny what God has called beautiful? And if God looks at my life and says I can still see beauty in it, then I'm on a scavenger hunt to see what God sees. And so that's me in my highest self. You know, I have moments where I still experience. embarrassment and humiliation, but I just remind myself that I'm here to need God, not become

them. And that means that I haven't had a perfect life. I don't do things well all of the time, but I get up and I try again and I strive towards righteousness. And anyone who's on that type of journey respects that process. And so I want to say that I honor you. I know that you're in your 40s now. And sometimes we still feel like those 14-year-old girls who had those babies. But baby, I promise you that you are more than just a teen pregnancy, that you are more than what happened to you and the experiences that you may have faced. You are a gift from God. And that gift is still alive and well. And I know that because I can still hear life in your voice. And if I can still hear life in your voice, then God's got something in this world that is better because you exist. So dare to believe that better. is available to you. Thank you for trust me with this question. I hope that I've said something to help you

because I get it. I really, really get it. And God got me, and I know that he's got you too. This episode of Woman Evolve is brought to you by Alloy Health. For something that every woman will experience, there are too many of us who are navigating menopause feeling confused, dismissed, or like we're just supposed to figure it out on our own.

The reality is that menopause happens, but suffering through it isn't something that you have to do on your own. I've had conversations with women in every season of life, and one thing I've learned is that so many women spend years believing that they just have to push through the hot flashes, the sleepless nights, or feeling like they don't quite recognize themselves anymore. Some ask for help and feel dismissed. others don't even know where to begin.

That's why I love what Alloy is doing. It's an all-in-one platform that connects you with board-certified menopause specialized physicians who create a personalized treatment plan based on your symptoms, your health history, and your lifestyle. And instead of waiting weeks for an appointment, care can begin in hours. Treatment is available in the format that works best for you, whether that's a patch, pill, spray, or jail. What I also appreciate is that you're not left to figure it all out on your own. You have unlimited messaging with your doctor and your prescription is delivered right to your door. No pharmacy, no extra hassle. Join the 95% of women who tried alloy and saw relief in the first two

weeks. Head to myalloy.com and use the code evolve. Your menopause specialized doctor will tailor your treatment to your exact needs. Plus, you get unlimited messaging with your doctor. Head to M-Y-A-L-L-O-Y dot com and use code evolve to get $20 off. I am so excited for us to get into today's conversation. I started using my Peloton, but started with the bike before the pandemic. Then the pandemic happened and I got the treadmill. and I would never have considered myself much of a runner. I haven't been released to run yet, but it's one of the things I can't wait to do. But what I love about Peloton is that you don't just have to be a runner.

You can be a walker. You can be a stretcher. You can just be someone who needs to meditate. Strength training. They've got all of the things. But when I first took my class with Kirsten Ferguson, I was like, this is a woman who understands that I am out of breath, but I'm still pressing forward. This is a woman who understands that after having these children and all of these struggles that I've gone through, that I still want to push my body to its limit so that it can become all of it, all that it can be that I can walk in strength and courage and confidence.

She is a certified personal trainer. She is a Peloton instructor, but she's a run coach, a motivational speaker, and she is the co-author who has inspired millions through her testimony of faith and resilience. I am so excited that we get to talk to her about wellness because you know what? Some of us are summer bodies were not delivered the way they were supposed to. Some of us have a summer body, but it's getting ready to be sweater weather. And when it's sweater weather, we begin to believe that we don't need summer bodies anymore. Some of us have not seen the summer body since the summer that we got out of middle school. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Everybody's summer body is in different stages than phases of life. but we cannot talk about an August reset without taking the time to consider what that means for our health, our wellness, and our fitness. I want you to begin taking better care of yourself. And sometimes that comes with receiving a little bit of perspective and motivation on the reasons why it's been difficult, challenging, but also why we can start no matter where we are. So maybe you should go on a walk while listening to this or if you eat in a snack. Maybe you're eating a snack so that it can marinate more fully.

Who am I to judge? Nobody. You understand what I'm saying? All I know is that I believe that this week's episode is going to bless you tremendously. So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, grab your journal and let's hear from our girl, Kirsten Ferguson. What is up, everyone? My name is Kirsten Ferguson, and what an honor it is to be on here the Evolve podcast, truly, truly an honor. First and foremost, I want to let Pastor Sarah know we are praying for you, and we know that you are going to come back strong. I went through a really tough injury a few years ago, and I called it my pause season, and, man, was God working during that season for me? And so we are very excited to have you back.

But in the meantime, I, for those of you who do not know me, um, again, Again, my name is Kirsten Ferguson. I am a Peloton instructor, a motivational speaker. I am now a co-author. My daughters and I just co-authored a children's book, which we are very proud of. So I can add that to my title. And I am a certified personal trainer, a certified run coach. And lastly, which I think, is one that I really pride myself in is I'm a professional mood booster, okay? And, you know, it's really an honor to be here to talk about health and wellness. But I wanted to give you just a little backstory. If you don't know me or know my story, I just wanted to share a little bit about me,

and then we will get into the check-in. So I am a girl from Connecticut. I was born and raised by a single mom. I wasn't always an athlete. I played basketball, you know, growing up, but running certainly was not my first calling. I have asthma, and so for a long time, I allowed asthma to be my excuse not to run.

I never ran the mile in high school, in basketball. I would always say, oh, I can't do any of the speed drills because I have asthma. And so I always kind of got out of having to deal or do any sort of thing that had to involve running. And so for a long time, I just said that running was, I hated it and it wasn't for me. And so God works in a lot of mysterious ways. And so it's really interesting that now I am a certified run coach. And so how I got there was not an easy journey, but I moved from Connecticut to New York City to go to college.

I studied fashion. I thought I wanted to be in the fashion industry. I just loved everything about fashion. And I thought it was going to be so fun and, you know, shop for a living. And who wouldn't want to do that? And I learned very early on. It was a lot of buyers' math and all these things and was not for me. So I took a little bit of a pivot. I graduated at college and I ended up studying advertising and got a job with the NFL. I worked at the NFL in sponsorship marketing for seven years.

It's so interesting also because when I got the job in the NFL, I said I wanted to be in public relations. But they had no jobs in PR at the time. And so I went in for just a little bit of an informational interview. And they were like, well, we do have a temp assistant position in sponsorship. And I was like, really? Oh my gosh, I love sponsorship. The woman walked out of the room. And I sat there and Googled what is sponsorship.

So Faget's Who You Make it was definitely in my bloodline ever since getting out of college. And so I really enjoyed my time at the NFL. I worked on a lot of really interesting projects, but kind of after working on the Beyonce Super Bowl halftime show, it was kind of like a mic drop. Okay, what's next for me? But also at the time, you know, while I was working at the NFL, I met my then husband, and we had been married for three years, and we were ready to start a family. and so I just, I decided to step away from my job at the NFL and really focus on family.

And, you know, I thought that this was the perfect timing for me. You know, I have a knack for trying to really control everything that I put my mind to. And so I thought, like, hey, I can control this. And unfortunately, that just wasn't. our story. We tried to have kids and it took a little bit of time. And then once we got pregnant, we had an early on miscarriage that led to months of navigating different issues medically. And then I had to to have surgery. And so it was just a really tough, tough, dark time in my life. And the only place where I felt like I could find peace was working out in a dark room. And so I always say fitness kind of saved me.

And where church used to be my happy place and where I would find a lot of peace, you know, it was also a place where you were constantly reminded that babies were happening for everybody else around me and it wasn't happening for me. I remember after I lost my first baby, we went to church and it was Mother's Day. And they had us all stand up, or they had all the mothers stand up. And so I remember and gave every mother a rose. And I remember having to stay seated. It was probably one of the hardest days.

And I remember crying and a woman came up to me who I had never met before and I never saw her again. But she came up to me and she said, I don't know what you're walking through. But I want to let you know God has not forgotten you. And that instantly in that moment was like, okay. God, I hear you. I'm going to release control of this and I'm going to let you take over. And so, again, working out started to be my happy place. You know, everyone around me was having children. It just was really hard. And so after almost a year and a half of going through that, we were able to start trying again and I got pregnant and it was very exciting. We saw a heart

and it was, I just knew, God, that was going to be my testimony. And it was a really happy, exciting time. And we were preparing to go on a trip to Israel. And my doctor was like, you know what? Why don't you just come in for a quick scan before you go on your trip just to make sure all is going well? And so I went for a scan. And the baby was lying at the bottom of the sack with no heartbeat.

And that was really hard. That was really hard. And, you know, again, just navigating really tough, difficult time for me. And I literally left the doctor's appointment and I went straight to the cycling studio that I would always go. And I just rode on that bike for 60 minutes and sobbed. And that was really my place of peace. And so it's just so interesting how, you know, fitness ended up being a safe place for me. And there's a happy ending to this story, though, after going through all of that, you know, two months later, I ended up getting pregnant and having Eden Grace Ferguson.

And then six months later, I found out I was pregnant again. with Emory Faith Ferguson and they are the loves of my life. And I just knew that being a mom was going to fulfill me and be my purpose in life and was very excited. And though I love being a mom, it is one of the most challenging but fulfilling jobs I have. I still felt like something was missing. And I felt really guilty about that because I prayed for so, long for my beautiful babies, but there was still this piece of me that felt like something was missing. And so someone once said to me, they were like, hey, why don't you just become an instructor? And I was like, what?

Oh, I'm a stay-at-home mom. I have two young kids. And I'm in my mid-30s. Like, what are you talking about? There's no way. But I went home at night, and I googled auditions for the cycling company. that I was obsessed with, and they had auditions literally within the next few weeks. And so it's like, you know what? This seems like, God is just pushing me in this direction.

And so I signed up to audition. I went to this audition. There was 400 people there. I was probably the oldest one. And I remember just putting the mic on my face and looking in the mirror. And I was like, whoa, this is what I'm called to do. And so fast forward two years later, I'm teaching cycling. And I'm really sharing, I learned really early on the more authentic I could be about sharing my story, about sharing my pain, sharing what I went through. The more relatable it became for everyone that was taking my classes. And so my classes got bigger and bigger and bigger. I taught cycling for two years and then the pandemic hit.

And then it was like, okay, here's another challenging season that I'm going to have to walk through. And so at that time, I was walking through a divorce during the pandemic. I find out I have COVID. I have to send my babies away. And I was like, wow, this, this is, this, this feels like rock bottom. This feels like rock bottom. But I also knew, okay, you have two choices. You can either stay here and sit in this dark space,

or you can do what you know best to do, and that has been movement for me. And so I had a Peloton bike at home. I popped on Instagram Live. I had never been on Instagram Live, ever in my life. I popped on Instagram Live. And I just started teaching on my Peloton bike. And I also created this space in my closet that I like to call the war room.

You know, and my girls would sit there with me and I would write all these prayers that I have on post-it notes. And I would just put it up. And I had candles and I had pictures of my babies. And I would go there two times a day and I would just write different things that I was praying for. And one day, you know, this was a time where Pelopel's, Peloton was blowing up. Everybody wanted a Peloton tread or a bike or, you know, everyone's at home and they want to work out, but they can't go to the gym. And so I wrote on a Post-a-note, I want to be a Peloton instructor. And I put it on my wall and I left it. And then six months later, I got a DM on Instagram from Peloton asking me to audition. And so I audition. At first, I was like, is this fraud or like, is this really, you know, what I think it is, and it was. And so I auditioned and I learned that sometimes when you ask God for things, you need to be a little more specific because though I was auditioning, they were like, we don't have any room in cycling for you, but what do you think about the tread and running?

And remember when I first started speaking, I hated running my entire life. So now God was taking the thing that I hated most in life and said, I am going to make this your life's purpose. And it's still wild to me. Fast forward five and a half years later, I teach running. I had to literally teach myself how to talk and run at the same time. and I now motivate and inspire people to move through running and walking and taking the thing that I thought I hated the most in life and that I could never do. I now do every single day. And it really does feel like it's my life purpose.

And, you know, though I've been through a lot in my life. I wouldn't change any of it because it's brought me to this season of my life where I just feel like I am my most powerful self. Like I am finally moving in the place that I've been always called to go. And though I skipped a lot of pieces, you know, to get to this point today where I'm at and teaching people around the world about movement has been really just incredible. And when I speak about movement, it's not just the physical for me. It's the mental, emotional, spiritual side of it that is also a real benefit to moving. So that's my why. That's who I am. Again, I also wrote a children's book with my daughters. It's an affirmations book for young girls. And so, things are just, doors are just opening for me in this season that have just really been beautiful. It could have gone two ways. And I think in life, you always have choice. And I'm just really so grateful that,

life has unfolded like this for me. You know, one thing I've been learning is that having more doesn't always mean having better. I think sometimes we spend so much time chasing the next thing that we overlook the value of investing in pieces that are timeless, pieces that make getting dressed feel effortless. That's one of the reasons I've been enjoying quince. They specialize in beautifully made essentials from ultra-soft organic and premium Mongolia. in cashmere to premium stretch denim. Everything is thoughtfully designed to last and transition with you throughout your day, whether you're headed into a meeting or out to dinner. What surprised

me the most is that Quince is able to offer luxury quality pieces without that luxury markup. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middleman so you're getting incredible quality at prices that are 50 to 80% less than similar brands. Quince isn't just about having items for when you are out and about, though. One of the things that I order from Quince are these slippers that are literally my favorite. They're nice and warm on the inside, but they also have a thick, supportive soul for when I'm walking around the house doing housework. And it's not just clothing. Quince also has beautiful home essentials.

From hotel quality bedding and bath to kitchen staples and thoughtfully designed furniture, you can bring that same quality into every part. of your home. Upgrade your every day. Go to quince.com slash evolve for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available in Canada and the UK too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com slash evolve for free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash evolve. Let's get to the check-in. Let's get to this check. And I love this question. It says, Kirsten, can we ask you something that I don't think enough people ask leaders? How are you really doing?

I love this question because you can meet someone and the first thing you say is, oh, how are you? And the answer is always like, oh, I'm good. How are you? And then that's it. But like, how are you really doing? And me and my friends, my best friend, Jess Sims, who's also a Peloton instructor, what we actually ask is, instead of how are you doing, how's your heart? How is your heart today? And that kind of stops you in your tracks because you can easily just think, oh, I'm good. But like,

how's your heart? How are you really feeling emotionally? It's almost like a deeper question. And so I'll answer that question. How is my heart today? And my heart is full. My heart is full. My youngest daughter just celebrated her 10th birthday. And she has had a few challenges throughout the years. And just to see her so happy and healthy and growing into, I think, a world changer has been exciting. My heart is in a really great place. I've found a new meaning for love. and I thought love only looked and felt a certain way.

And, you know, I, in this season of my life, I feel love from not only my partner, but I feel love from my friends, from my family, from Peloton community, from just the world in general. And that is big for me. So I'm really good. And a lot of people are like, you've got a certain glow about you. And it's choosing happiness and not to say that everything in my life is perfect.

No, my days are challenging. My days are hard. My days navigating life as a single mom was also chasing her dreams and her career. that is public facing, it's not easy. It's not easy. And I'd be lying if I sat here and said I had it all figured out and that, you know, there's a one-size-fits-all to every single day and that would be a lie. It is challenging. But what I've learned is within the heart, within the challenging, to always choose joy. There's always a piece apart within that hard that you can find joy.

And I also think that when she's really start to do the work on you and really stand in who you are and what you want for your life, joy just starts to unfold for you. And so that's just been my story right now. and in this season. And though I navigate difficult days and difficult times, I'm choosing joy. And that feels good.

So that is how my heart is today. And then the next check-in question is, what are you praying for in the next season of life? And I think what I'm praying for in this next season of life, is for God to move in miraculous ways. I have learned that his ways are better than my ways and his plans are always better than my plans. If you would have told me five years ago

that I would be speaking on stages and teaching, running, to thousands of people every day, I would never believe you. I would probably just start laughing. Like, yeah, okay. One, because I've always hated public speaking, hated it, terrified of it.

Two, I told you, I already hate, I hated running. And now this is literally what I do on a daily basis. And I think it was a battle between sitting in fear or letting it help fuel you to where you're meant to go. And so everything that has unfolded for me, I could have never planned or thought of. And so, though I have an idea of where I want to go in this season and what I want to keep doing and the brand that I want to keep building and the books that I want to write and my war room, I'm still out there, right?

And my prayers on Post-it notes, God knows what I'm feeling and where I feel like. he's calling me to go. And some of them are big and some of them are scary, right? But I've learned that he also moves in ways and opens doors that I could have never imagined or he thinks of ways that, things that I could never even think of. And so in this season, I'm praying for the miraculous to just unfold and to continue to really sit in this joyful season of my life, of choosing. joy instead of just sitting in the heart because you're going to go through hard.

Everyone goes through hard. But you have a choice to make. Do you want to sit in it or do you want to use it? Do you want to share it? Do you want to also say, hey, y'all, this is how I'm feeling today. I am not perfect by any means. And I'm trying to figure this out. And we're going to go through it together.

You know, that's one of the things I love about Peloton. is, you know, I have the mic for the class. And so what you may hear for me is exactly what I'm probably going through or how I'm feeling for the day. And a lot of times I just share my truth. I share my truth in the hopes that it can help others navigate their challenges as well. One thing I've learned over the years is that consistency is what changes our lives. We spend so much time looking for the next big big.

breakthrough, but more often than not, it's the small decisions we make every day that have the biggest impact. That's why I try to be intentional about what I make a part of my daily routine, and one of those things is making sure that I'm getting enough omega-3s. Aqua Omega stood out to me because they don't believe you should have to choose between quality and affordability. Most of us aren't getting enough omega-3s through our diet alone, and omega-3s support heart health, function, mood, healthy aging, and overall wellness. If there's one thing worth being consistent with, this is definitely one of them. What also gave me confidence is knowing that every batch is independently tested for purity, potency, and freshness. It's made exclusively from anchovies,

which naturally have lower contaminant levels than larger fish, and it delivers a high concentration of EPA and DHA without the premium price. One thing I've learned is that taking care of your isn't always about making huge changes. Sometimes it's the small decisions you make every day that really add up. That's how I've started looking at Aqua Omega. It's become an easy part of my routine. I love that I don't have to worry about a fishy aftertaste or fish burps, and I feel good knowing I'm choosing something that's been thoughtfully made with quality in mind. One of my favorite things about Aqua Omega is that every bottle sold removes one pound of plastic and debris from oceans and coastlines. I love supporting companies that care about people and the planet. It feels good

knowing that while I'm investing in my own health, I'm also helping improve the health of our world. For your daily dose of omega-3s, go to MyAqua Omega.com slash evolve and use code evolve for 20% off. That's MyAqua Omega.com slash evolve and use code evolve for 20% off. Also available in thousands of health food stores nationwide. So I have gotten a lot of questions from y'all. I put it in this bowl here. And so we're going to see where God wants to take five questions. We're going to see where God wants to lead us in these questions that are all surrounded around health and wellness. Why do you believe consistency will always take you further than motivation? Fantastic question. I'm currently training for a marathon, but even when you are just starting working out,

eventually there's going to come a time where motivation is going to run out, where you are not going to want to do it, where it doesn't matter how many motivational quotes I give you or how many affirmations I give you in a day, in a class, that motivation is going to run out. but showing up consistently, you are going to really find real results. If you only work out when you have the motivation, there's always going to be excuse why you can't. There's always going to be a reason why it didn't work. And also, it's just a reality.

You're not going to want to do it every single time. You know, I'm training for a marathon. and I'm a runner now, and there are days where I'm like, I do not want to do this run. But what I have learned is always have your outfit ready. Always have the plan of what you're going to do, what class you're going to take, where you're going to work out, how many miles you're going to do, always have that set the day before. number two, even if you don't feel like doing it, or even if there's reasons popping up why you need to be pulled up, just put your shoes on and start going. Put your shoes on start going. The hardest part of any workout is the first five minutes. Once you start, you're good. You're good. And I promise you, at the end of a workout, you're never like, oh, I'm so mad I did that workout. It never happens.

It never happens. And so if you really take those three things and set a plan, always have a plan, you know, always have a plan and you take those three things, consistency will always get you to where you want to go. Motivation is going to run out. The motivation is going to run out. It doesn't matter how many pictures of who you have on your wall that you want to look like or motivational quotes you have around your. wall or, you know, whatever it is. You need a plan. You need consistency. Do it. Just get up and go. First five minutes, once you start, you're not going to stop. It does need to look perfect. I've had to learn this. I always thought, like, oh, in order to be a runner, you need to hit a

certain pace and you need to look a certain way and all these things wrong. You can't walk. Yes, you can. Recovery doesn't make you weak. It makes you smart. Just showing up consistently. Like, even if it is not your best workout you've ever done in your life, you're still doing more than what you would have done if you didn't show up and do it, right? Have a plan, have the outfit, and just go. So that is why I believe consistency will always out. be motivation. Number three, let's see, let's find a good one here. Have you ever had to redefine what success looks like in your health journey and what led to that shift? Wow, that's a fantastic question. You know, it's interesting. When, like I mentioned, when I first

started running, I thought in order to be a runner, you had to run a certain pace that it, I had to look a certain way. You had to run a certain distance. And that couldn't mean further from the truth. Some of my favorite classes to teach are walk plus runs. I love a good walk plus run. You know, I have a New York City marathon medal, and I walk ran that thing. Okay?

I did not run 26.2 miles. I walk, I ran. I walk, I ran. And at the end of that marathon, I got the same medal, the same person that ran the whole thing got, right? So once I let go of the idea of every workout needs to be look perfect, I've really found success. And even when I started training for different races, which, again, it took me two years working at Peloton to even say, hey, I want to run a race. I never did it for time.

I just did it to prove to myself that I could get to the end. You know, I had been coaching at Peloton for two years, and I said, I'm going to run a half marathon. I couldn't even envision running 13 miles. That sounded so wild to me. But I said, you know what, if I'm coaching people every single day and they are running all these races, how cool would it be to be able to speak to them from an authentic perspective? and I could also feel God just kind of pushing me. He's kind of pushing me.

And whenever I feel a little bit of fear, I feel God is kind of like, you got this. I got you, I got you. And so I started training for a half marathon. And then I had to stop and go into my pause season because I had a hip surgery. And that was really hard because I worked really hard to even get to the point

where I said I was going to run a half marathon. And now God's saying, stop. he still had some work to do on me, which is interesting. And he still had a lot of, I had to heal not only physically, but I had to heal from a lot of things emotionally, spiritually and mentally, that I had been masking with fitness. Because like I told you, fitness was always the place I would go in hard times, in hard seasons.

And he said, no, no, we're going to take that away. And we're going to dig a little deeper. We're going to take a little deeper. And I had a lot of things to heal, you know, coming out of the pandemic and walking through a divorce and just going to the next thing and then taking on this new career, I didn't have any time to heal. I just went full force into this new world that had opened up for me, that I didn't do any healing. And so I had to step back and sit in my pause season, which was really,

really hard because I felt like I worked so hard to get to that point where I thought I was finally a runner and things were feeling good and this was going to be, you know, the next chapter of my life. And now I have to have hip surgery and I don't even know if I'm going to be able to run again. And now I'm also starting from step one. Like when I first started running again after hip surgery, the fastest I could go was 1.0 on the tread. I had to go so slow, and I was starting again from beginning, from the beginning. But now also I'm moving a little lighter, a little fresher.

I'm not moving in pain, and I'm a truly healed version of myself. And so I had to go through that. And so that's what I had to redefine what success looked like, because I thought, like, I was on my own path. Again, I like to control things. And God said, we got some more things to heal here for you. We have some more work to do. And so then once I got back to Reading and back to teaching again, I had to be off

the platform for four months, came back. I was worried. Is anybody going to like me anymore? They're going to know who I am. And of course, the community was so supportive. And it actually gave people the permission to also listen to their bodies and heal and say, oh, I've been moving in hip pain for the last two years. Maybe I should get mine check too.

Because now I run and I'm not in any pain, you know, and I had to learn, you know, there were things I was skipping. I was skipping the warm up and not strength training, all these things. I had to learn so much. And so in that season, I had a redefine success was not just crossing the finish line of a half marathon. It was like, no, no, no. You have some things to heal before you go and do that. And then you also need to learn how to take care of your body.

You know, I was just used to get up and going, right? But you had running into getting a little bit older. I'm in my 40s and I feel fathous. I think the 40s is the best decade yet. But things are changing and shifting and you really need to learn how to take care of your body, especially if you're going to be putting the demand that I was putting on it, how to learn all that. And so now when I look back, success to me was healing physically, spiritually, mentally,

learning how to take care of my body. I promised my body that I would never put it through what I was putting it through, that I would take care of it, that would never skip the warm up, that I was strength, that I would recover, that I would listen to it. all of these things I had to learn. So that, to me, was success on that health journey. And I had to step back in order to step forward. And from that point on where I took that step back,

I have now run five half marathons, a full marathon, a 10K. This year, I have another half marathon and a full marathon in three months. I had to take a step back in order to step forward. That is how I had to redefine what success looked like. I had some healing to do. And a lot of us want to skip the steps because we want to get to the finish line. And we want to get to the finish line quick. But I had to learn, no, no, no.

We got to take a step back in order to go forward. So that's how I had to redefine what success looks like in my health journey for me. One thing that I have learned is that self-care isn't always about doing something extravagant. Sometimes it's literally just creating little moments in your day when you're taking care of yourself that feel purposeful and intentional. For me, one of those moments is after I get out of the shower. I've realized that my face isn't the only thing that deserves good skin care. The rest of my skin needs that same attention, especially when it's going through a season where it's feeling a little dry or just needs a little extra hydration. That's

why I've been using Ocea's hyaluronic body serum, and I honestly love how it feels on my skin. It's lightweight, absorbs almost instantly, and doesn't leave that sticky feeling behind. My skin just feels hydrated, refreshed, and incredibly soft. It's become one of those products I find myself reaching for because I can actually tell the difference in how my skin looks and feels. One of my favorite things is I appreciate that it's powered by five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid. So it delivers deep, multi-layer hydration while supporting your skin's moisture barrier. It's clinically proven to provide 24-hour hydration and instantly boost

hydration after just one use. It's become such an easy step in my everyday routine. I love that Osea has stayed true to who they are. For 30 years, they've been creating clinically tested skincare inspired by the sea, and you can really feel the quality the moment you use it. Osea's hyaluronic body serum is multi-layer, hyaluronic powered hydration for the entire body, and right now, we have a special discount just for you. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with Code Evolve at Ocea Malibu.com. That's code evolve at OSEA Malibu.com. I always say if you're in a pause season, I know it's hard, but open your eyes.

God is trying to show you some things. God is trying to open your eyes to some things. Open them. Listen, be open, heart open. There's things that you need to heal in that season. Okay. That was three. Okay.

Two more. I'm a talker. Sorry. How has your relationship with God shaped the way you care for your body? Wow. Great question. I think I kind of just answered it a little bit in this last question on a redefining success. But I think my relationship with God has really been tied with movement for me because it's interesting. People can hear God in different places, right? And for me, as I look back on all the things that I've been through,

He has shown up for me in movement. And I know that a lot of the things where I felt like God wasn't hearing my prayers or I was going through something really hard. And, you know, I would just go to movement. I know he was in it. I know he was in it with me. And he was hearing my tears. And he was with me through the storm and helped me. navigate how to get out, you know, even with my hip surgery, after all that I worked through

to get to where I was at, I was then in this pause season where he kind of took movement away a bit and said, no, let's reconnect here. And now I know that this body I've been given is also the tool that I use to motivate and inspire people around the world. And so I will never not take care of this body that I've been given. I know that in order to do the job I've been called to do right now, I have to take care of my body. I have to eat properly. I have to strength train.

I have to do mobility work and PT and have to listen to my body and give it grace when it needs to rest. I need time to sleep. You know, also being a single mom and navigating that world while doing my job that is very physical and can be training at times. It's not only taking care of my physical body, but like, also my mental space. And I think movement is such an amazing tool for that. And, you know, I, in addition, I talked a lot about running today, but I also teach walking. And I think people underestimate the power of a walk of just taking 10 minutes and getting away from your desk, going outside for a walk, putting on gospel music, or maybe just kind of

walking in silence, but it's so good for cardiovascular health to get your body moving. It's good for your digestion. And it's also good for your mental space. And you may come back to sit at your table and be like, okay, I'm ready to tackle the day, you know? And so I think with movement, it's both physical and mental. And, you know, God isn't at all with me. And it's wild how he's really used this as my tool to reach and motivate people throughout the world. All right. Last one. We often hear people say, listen to your body.

How do you learn to recognize what your body was trying to tell you? Fantastic question. Because it is a balance, right? you know, there's listening to your body, but also not listening to the gremlin. I call mine the gremlin in my head that's telling me to quit, you know. And so, you know if you're moving your body and you feel pain, if you feel extreme discomfort, if you feel depleted, if you feel like you're not hydrated, these are all. all warning signs. They're all signs telling you your body's your body will warn you before it gets

too late that you're going to doing too much. And so I've learned that getting to the point of exhaustion is not the real win. You know, like I said with the first question, like every workout doesn't need to be full on hit run exhaustion. It could be something as simple as a walk. It could be something as simple as a hike. It could be something as simple as, you know, any sort of kind of gin yoga. You know, some yoga is intense, but, you know, it doesn't always need to be go, go, go, go, go, hard, hard, hard, hard. And so listening to your body and listening to what it needs.

Also, knowing that sleep is so important. I know that now at my young age of 42. It's kind of a non-negotiable for me right now and listening to what my body needs. You know, I think how I got to have needing hip surgery is I wasn't listening to my body. My body was constantly throwing out warning signs. And I just thought, oh, running's hard,

so it's supposed to hurt, and your hip is supposed to hurt, and you're supposed to have all these, you know, injuries. And this is just a part of the job. Well, that wasn't really the case. You know, I needed to listen to my body. My body needed to heal and I was not listening and I was not recovering properly and I was not warming up the way I should. I was not strength training and there's all these things that it just wasn't listening to.

Your body will tell you what it can handle. And I think a lot of people also, they want to start a fitness journey and they will just go hard in the pain right out the gate instead of progressively getting there. You need a progressive plan. to build to where you want to go. And I think that is really key as well. All right, we'll do one more. One more. One more. One more. One more. One more. One more. If a woman listening feels completely overwhelmed trying to take care of everyone else, what would you encourage her to do first? This is one of my favorite questions. Because I understand it. I understand it. For a long time, I have had.

the battle of being a people pleaser to the point of depletion, to the point of exhaustion. I also, you know, I am the type of person that feels like I need to be able to handle it all. I chose to be a mom, so I got to handle it all, you know, or I feel like I have to do everything perfect, or I need to do and start a yes to everything because I want everyone to like me. I want to be a good friend. I want to be a good partner. I want to be a good mother.

I want to be a good daughter. I want to be a good... The list can go on and on and on and on and on. But I realized very early on a couple of things. After I had my daughters, I knew very early on that I needed to take care of Kirsten. So every day, I have one hour that is me time. And if I'm in training, it's whatever my long run is for that Saturday. But every single day, I have my time for me.

And it needs to be at minimum one hour. And I will be very intentional about where I place that one hour. Maybe it's early in the morning if I have a crazy day or maybe it needs to be midday or maybe it's at night. that's typically when I do my workout. Not every workout when I'm teaching is my workout. And so I make sure I have me time. And so sometimes it's movement.

Sometimes it's being really intentional with journal work. Sometimes it is just sitting in silence and not being needed anywhere else. But in order for me to really move from a place of overflow for other people, I know that I must fill my cup first. And it's a non-negotiable for me. My kids know it. I'm going downstairs to work out. I will get to you, but I have to take care of me first.

And that is just what has worked for me from a mental and physical space. And it helps me not feel so overwhelmed when I, I need to be everything for everyone. But I've also learned that everybody and everything does not need to be on the priority list. I have my items on my priority list. And I've also learned I just don't have to say yes to everything. And I know FOMO is real and you want to be at all the things and you want to do all the things. But if it is not going to help you get all the things on the private,

list on that it needs to be a no. And at this day and age, a lot of times, there's a lot of noes more than yes. And when I say yes, it's because it's a real hard yes. And it means that you're on the priority list for me when I say yes. And also knowing when even if you said yes, I'm so sorry, but I can't make it today.

I know I said yes. and I really don't like disappointing people, but I know that I can also not move from a place of depletion. You are not going to get the best version of Kirsten if I say yes and I'm depleted or I'm exhausted or I'm overwhelmed or, you know, the list can go on and on and on. And so in order for you to get the best version of me, I need to have it fill my cup. And so I think really being okay with that. And I think the people that you surround yourself with in your life, if you put it in that way, they'll understand. And if they don't,

they may not be your people. You know, my people really understand. Like, hey, if I have to say no, because you are a big yes in my life, if I have to say no, it must be a real reason why I'm saying no. And so take care of you. Take care of you. This world can be really tough. And so I think taking care of your mental, physical, and emotional space is really important. So, well, y'all, it has been a complete honor speaking with you and taking time with you today. I am really so grateful to sit here and have this conversation with you about mental health, about physical, well-being and health.

Again, my name is Kirsten Ferguson. I can be found on Instagram and I am Kirsten Ferguson. I'm also at Peloton and I hope to see you on Lead Award sometime. Thank you so much. God bless you and we'll talk to you soon. It is my prayer that you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. I am looking forward. It's hard for me to say I'm looking forward. Let me tell you, it's hard for me to say I'm looking forward to what's going to happen in August,

because there's a part of me that's like, girl, don't look forward because you may end up looking down. But you know what? I'm looking forward to it because now that I'm, I believe that I'm coming on the other side of this journey, I'm better. I'm better on the inside. I'm better in a lot of ways. And so I'm looking forward to what August holds so that I can apply the better that I have acquired through the difficulty. and if August has difficulty, it also will have better connected to it. So I'm looking forward to that as well. Do not forget to join me on Substack for the Name Project. I want to hear what you're learning about God. I want to show you what I'm learning about God.

And I want to help you discover a more intimate relationship with him. As we reset everything, not just our bodies, but our spiritual walk. I want to pray with you. God, thank you for this opportunity to reset. thank you for this motivation to reconsider and to re-engage mind, body, and strength. God, I pray that we would honor like never before that we are a temple, the dwelling place where you reside. May we honor that with intentionality. May we honor it with care, with rest, with love, with tenderness.

May we be reminded that we cannot condemn our. ourselves into change, but through loving conviction, we can be transformed. God, I pray that this reset is like no other, that it would take us back to what you originally had in mind when you formed us in our mother's womb. And may we release that identity in everything that we do. In Jesus' name, amen. I love you, and I'll see you next week.