Member Spotlight: Jennifer Spaziano from Yoga and Pilates Passport

Member Spotlight: Jennifer Spaziano from Yoga and Pilates Passport

Jennifer Spaziano is the co-founder of the Yoga and Pilates Passport.

Jennifer is the next Member Spotlight of 2013- a few times a month; we’ll chat with one of our members and give you a behind-the-scenes look at their business. 

How did you get the idea for your business?

According to Jennifer Spaziano, co-founder of the Yoga and Pilates Passport, it’s often times daunting – and expensive – to decide where to start, or grow, your practice. A locally-grown project, the Yoga and Pilates Passport, connects yoga enthusiasts with hundreds of hours of
yoga and Pilates at numerous studios statewide at an affordable price.
“As a yoga teacher, I’ve heard from students that the hardest class to attend is the first one,” explains Ms. Spaziano. “And with so many different styles and levels, it’s confusing to know what’s best for each individual. Our mission is to reduce those barriers – time, money,
confusion – and get people to take the first step.

Additionally, the Passport seeks to support the growing, yet fragile, wellness industry in the State.” Joining forces with another friend and yoga teacher, Jenn Thomas, the two embarked on the
Passport project to overcome these barriers while building camaraderie among local wellness businesses. The Passport is available on line at www.yogaandpilatespassport.com.

“What we saw was an opportunity to create a platform that supports
an individual’s personal ‘Rhode to Wellness’”, Thomas said, alluding
to the parent company launching the Passport. “The Passport
inspires people to explore all that yoga and Pilates has to offer
locally – even for the current student who may be stuck in a rut and
needs motivation to explore new styles and teachers.”

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Member Spotlight: Alyson & Esther from Women’s Health in Emergency Care

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Alyson McGregor and Esther Choo developed a new division within the Department of Emergency Medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University called Women’s Health in Emergency Care (WHEC). 

Alyson is the next Member Spotlight of 2013- a few times a month, we’ll chat with one of our members and give you a behind-the-scenes look at their business. 

How did you get the idea for your business?

Sex and gender matter when it comes to health and disease. Until recently, everything about American health care from research protocols to public health policies reflected an intellectual assumption that men and women are so alike that it’s not important to study women directly. Men have been used as the model for research to limit the uncertainty of fluctuating hormones. This is referred to as a “one size fits all” medicine. This resulted in the notion that “women’s health“was limited to issues surrounding reproduction and breast health as though her heart, brain, and every other part of her body were identical to those of a man. This view has been termed “Bikini Medicine.” Science is now showing us that gender is much more than an add on.

We developed a new division within the Department of Emergency Medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University called Women’s Health in Emergency Care (WHEC). The division aims to advance and promote gender-specific research pertaining to acute health conditions; to increase advocacy and awareness for gender-based health topics; and to create educational resources and opportunities so that gender medicine may be systematically included in medical training. We came up with this concept because the Emergency Department (ED) has become a primary point of contact for health care in the United States with encounters that reflect acute presentation of a spectrum of diseases. It is the perfect setting to embrace the concept that differences between women and men will ultimately improve the precision and quality of healthcare for everyone.

What has been the most challenging part of your business? What’s the best part?

Most physicians are not used to incorporating sex and gender considerations into their thought processes when they learn and practice medicine. So we have been challenged to raise awareness, understanding, and acceptance of what we do. The best part is knowing that we are exploring uncharted territory and thus have an amazing opportunity to contribute to the practice of emergency medicine.

How did you get the idea for the name of your business?

Our aim is to focus on women’s health from the emergency department perspective. Although gender specific medicine is not just about women’s health, there is some catching up that needs to be done on the unique health care needs of women in all aspects of medical care, not just reproductive areas. We are creating a campaign “We Know the Difference” when it comes to Sex, Gender and Health. “Your Emergency is as Unique as You are!”

Tell us about your background- where you grew up, past jobs, where you went to school, hobbies, etc.

Alyson: I am a native of RI. Born in Coventry and graduated LaSalle Academy High School in Providence. After making the New England Rounds: University of New Hampshire for Undergraduate and Boston University for Medical School, I headed right back to Providence to complete my Emergency Medicine Residency at Brown Medical School. Needless to say, I have stayed ever since. My academic interests are in women’s health and gender-specific medicine. I fill my free time with organic farming, cooking and yoga.

Esther: I grew up just outside of Cleveland, OH and came east for college and medical school at Yale. From there, I completed residency at Boston Medical Center and a health services research fellowship at Oregon Health & Sciences University. I came to Providence to join the Emergency Medicine faculty at Brown in 2009. My research involves prevention of violence and substance use. When not working, I pretty much just hang out with my husband and our three young kids.

What do you love about being a PVD Lady Project Member?

We love being a part of something that is meant to connect, inspire and showcase awesome women doing amazing things! How could we not love that!

 

Member Spotlight: Lynn Goodwin of Rooted in Radiant Health

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Lynn Goodwin from Rooted in Radiant Health cultivates a  lasting peace with food and your body through a nourishing diet and self-care. 

Lynn is the next Member Spotlight of 2013- a few times a month, we’ll chat with one of our members and give you a behind-the-scenes look at their business. 

How did you get the idea for your business?

When I changed my diet and lifestyle in 2009, I realized how food can be the foundation for leading a balanced and purposeful life. I wanted to share this with everyone so I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a wellness and lifestyle coach. I believe that through the appropriate diet and lifestyle, one can completely transform how they feel and act in the world.

What has been the most challenging part of your business? What’s the best part?

I’m passionate about my work and love working with my amazing clients as they progress along their personal journey. I also love that I’m constantly learning as both a coach and student of Ayurveda. The challenging part for me is the marketing; it’s definitely been a learning process. Our ‘mistakes’ are definitely our best teachers.

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Member Spotlight: Ewe Have Me In Stitches

Member Spotlight: Tara Coogan from Ewe Have Me in Stitches

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Tara from Ewe Have Me in Stitches creates gorgeous quilts, accessories and more- all handmade! 

Tara is the first Member Spotlight of 2013- a few times a month, we’ll chat with one of our members and give you a behind-the-scenes look at their business. 

How did you get the idea for your business?

As a kid I was glued to my grandmother’s sewing machine and spent summers sewing pillows. (Seriously, my family got them for Christmas gifts every year!). A few years ago my mom got me a sewing machine for Christmas. I was really excited because I missed sewing and crafting, but working full-time and being in graduate school kept me pretty busy, so the sewing machine gathered dust for a few months. My first quilt was a weekend project for a friend who had a new baby, and then I made one for my sister’s birthday, and next thing I know, I made 10 more by Christmas (every member of my family got a quilt customized especially for them). My friends and family encouraged/insisted that I start an online store. I was a little terrified that no one would be interested in my quilts, they are my babies and I would be crushed if the store flopped, but it really took off and now I have a steady flow of custom orders! 

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Member Spotlight- Melinda & Zane from They’re Using Tools

We chatted with Melinda and Zane of They’re Using Tools for our latest Member Spotlight. Melinda founded They’re Using Tools in 2006 and they’ve been rocking ever since. Zane is They’re Using Tools’ Special Projects Manager.image

Tell us about They’re Using Tools and the idea behind it.

Melinda:  They’re Using Tools! was founded by myself in 2006 as a way to unite all the creative folks and disciplines that were available to me. Resourceful creativity is the base of our unique style. They’re Using Tools’ work specializes in what we like to call “web media”: photography, web design, commercial animation and experimental video. Basically, the cool stuff you find on the internet.

What’s a typical day like for you running your business?

Melinda: Though the projects we make our exciting and interesting, my typical day is sitting in front of the computer planning shooting schedules, writing scripts, and coordinating with clients. In video/animation/web design production, there’s a lot of planning, so that the creative parts can flow smoothly and quickly. The rest of the time, I’m on set coordinating actors/props/food for shoots. I was one of those kids that loved alphabetizing things and planning fun stuff to do with my friends, and that hasn’t really changed as I get older.

What inspires you? What inspires you in Providence?

Melinda: Scientific stuff and cheesy horror/scifi movies are really inspiring to me. I love finding about some new kind of dinosaur or what sleep schedules were like before the industrial revolution. (People used to wake up at midnight and hang out, it’s awesome). I love a horror/scifi movie or book where the core idea was really well thought out. RI is the home of H.P. Lovecraft, who’s considered very influential to modern horror and scifi—King, Bradbury, Barker, Del Toro, Mignola, Gaiman, Carpenter, Giger, etc. He created the “it’s so terrifying, I can’t describe it” genre. It all goes back to RI being a place for original ideas. He inspired what scares us today, back in the 1920’s. He’s also considered one of the most prolific letter writers ever, around 30,000 and second to Voltaire. And he barely left Providence! Science and the whole “what if” area of thinking is very intriguing to me. When I can’t think of something, I’ll go to old short stories and try to dig out the core of an idea.

Zane: Providence is such a close knit city I am always fortunate when I go out somewhere to have really wonderful conversations with people in all areas. I am also really inspired by music, when I’m listening to the right song sometimes I tap back into memories I haven’t thought of or people who pushed me to do things creatively.

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dearkates: When it comes to running Roisin McGettigan knows what she’s talking about. A native of Ireland, Ro ran track in the Beijing Olympics and in true Wonder Woman fashion, she didn’t stop there. She joined forces with USA Champion runner Lauren Fleshman to create the website “Believe I Am,” which seeks to encourage fellow runners through different inspirational tools. Ro recently stopped by to talk to us about her life as an Olympian, a motivator, and a new mom. *DK: When did your passion for running begin? RM: I guess I had a natural talent for it when I was a kid. I used to win little local races. So I joined the club, and luckily I had a really great coach and she helped me develop my passion. It was definitely for fun as a kid, but when I became a teenager I got a bit more serious and into the sport. Because of my great guidance I was able to get a scholarship to come to America and run on the track team there. It’s had different roles in my life, but it’s always been something I love. *DK: So you’re an Irish Olympian- impressive to say the least. Can you tell us about one of your favorite races? RM: Definitely when I went to the Olympics in Bejing. Even making it there was a life-long goal. I hadn’t made it the four years before so getting everything right to make it there was huge and I really wanted to make the final. So I had this vision of the race, I really wanted to run and just kind of experiencing it all being in the big stadium. I was able to qualify for the final and it had been the race I had imagined in my head, the stadium, the people, how I felt, it was just the perfect race, it felt easy and it was so fun. It was amazing I enjoyed every second of it, I felt on top of the world. *DK: In addition to training, you started the website “Believe I Am.” Can you tell us how you came up with the name? RM: My friend and business partner Lauren Fleshman, approached my husband and I. She had this concept that she wanted to share positive affirmations and mantras with the running community. People were always asking her how to improve their running. We talked about how we have both used sports visual cues to help to be most successful at our sport—for me qualifying for the Olympic final and for her qualifying for the World Championship final. We thought people weren’t aware of the visual cues we were using. For Lauren her strategy was to write out positive statements, like “I am prepared,” “I am competitive,” or “I am good enough.” That was her tool to deal with nerves, so she really wanted a name with “I am…” with different words after it, so we knew that was important part of the name and luckily we were able to find a web address that was “Believe I Am.” We thought, wait this is actually perfect, because you want to say inspiring statements but you want to get to the point where you actually believe what you’re saying. And when you get there, that’s where the magic happens. *DK: What do you hope “Believe I Am” will bring women? RM: I want it to open conversation and to share how everyone can overcome obstacles in their life. I want people to feel good about themselves and to share that with the community. I want to provide that sisterhood that we have through running. The site is where you can express yourself and get the most out of yourself. *DK: What is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life?  RM: I think for me it’s overcoming that feeling of unworthiness and overcoming your own limitations is one of the hardest constant battles that I’ve had to face. I feel like getting to that place where you actually believe that you are good enough is not that easy to do! I’m more of an unconfident person, even though I know all these things it’s a constant exercise. But, it can be very limiting if you let it. *DK: That idea is definitely something all women can apply to life. Just from perusing your website, the butterfly symbol is everywhere. Is there any meaning behind it? RM: We came up the mantras and visual cues and we used metaphors—particularly one that compares your mind to a garden. We had been using flowers as our muse; we used them as a way to plant positive words in your mind. If you have enough positive words in your mind then you don’t have room for weeds, which are the negative words. If you don’t plant flowers then the weeds are going to just take over. As I was doing research on flowers I noticed the pictures of butterflies and I thought wow these are really, really cool-looking. We were trying to find a flower that said I am and we couldn’t find one, we came up with the “I am” butterfly. We thought it was a perfect combination. The butterfly itself is it’s own little mantra, within the butterfly there are three little hearts and these symbolize our definitions of the heart—fitness, courage to follow your dreams, and, most obviously, love for yourself and others.   *DK: You sell clothing on your website. How do you think this will help women? RM: We actually originally started off trying to make some shirts and we looked for the meaning behind that and it’s kind of the power of clothing. We found this whole body of research that what you wear actually affects how you feel. We wanted to connect our shirts to “Superhero” costumes. You put on your racing uniform and you kind of get nervous or you put on your superhero costume and you act like superman – we wanted our shirts to have that power or magic. When you put the shirt on we want you to embody the word, so if you put on the strong shirt you’re kind of like “Okay, I’m going to be strong today, you know I’m going to go to the gym and lift like a million pounds!” That was the philosophy. *DK: On a different note, what is it like being a new mom? RM: It’s way better than anything I expected to be honest. It helps to have a really good baby! You know I always told myself while running, push your body, push your body. I thought running was what it should be doing, but then when I was having the baby I realized, wow this is what my body should be doing! It made me feel really good about myself, it’s hard to find the words. It’s such a cool experience. *DK: Tell us about a normal day. RM: It changes! But my routine, is wake up with the baby and just play with the baby until she goes down for a nap and then it’s go time for me! It’s work, work, work! When the baby wakes up we just hang out for the rest of the day. I’ll go training in the afternoon and then my husband comes home and we do dinner and the baby goes to bed, then we work. We spend a lot of our evenings doing work for “Believe I Am” that’s just the way it works for us. PVD Lady Project member, Ro, on the Dear Kate blog!
Zoom Info
dearkates: When it comes to running Roisin McGettigan knows what she’s talking about. A native of Ireland, Ro ran track in the Beijing Olympics and in true Wonder Woman fashion, she didn’t stop there. She joined forces with USA Champion runner Lauren Fleshman to create the website “Believe I Am,” which seeks to encourage fellow runners through different inspirational tools. Ro recently stopped by to talk to us about her life as an Olympian, a motivator, and a new mom. *DK: When did your passion for running begin? RM: I guess I had a natural talent for it when I was a kid. I used to win little local races. So I joined the club, and luckily I had a really great coach and she helped me develop my passion. It was definitely for fun as a kid, but when I became a teenager I got a bit more serious and into the sport. Because of my great guidance I was able to get a scholarship to come to America and run on the track team there. It’s had different roles in my life, but it’s always been something I love. *DK: So you’re an Irish Olympian- impressive to say the least. Can you tell us about one of your favorite races? RM: Definitely when I went to the Olympics in Bejing. Even making it there was a life-long goal. I hadn’t made it the four years before so getting everything right to make it there was huge and I really wanted to make the final. So I had this vision of the race, I really wanted to run and just kind of experiencing it all being in the big stadium. I was able to qualify for the final and it had been the race I had imagined in my head, the stadium, the people, how I felt, it was just the perfect race, it felt easy and it was so fun. It was amazing I enjoyed every second of it, I felt on top of the world. *DK: In addition to training, you started the website “Believe I Am.” Can you tell us how you came up with the name? RM: My friend and business partner Lauren Fleshman, approached my husband and I. She had this concept that she wanted to share positive affirmations and mantras with the running community. People were always asking her how to improve their running. We talked about how we have both used sports visual cues to help to be most successful at our sport—for me qualifying for the Olympic final and for her qualifying for the World Championship final. We thought people weren’t aware of the visual cues we were using. For Lauren her strategy was to write out positive statements, like “I am prepared,” “I am competitive,” or “I am good enough.” That was her tool to deal with nerves, so she really wanted a name with “I am…” with different words after it, so we knew that was important part of the name and luckily we were able to find a web address that was “Believe I Am.” We thought, wait this is actually perfect, because you want to say inspiring statements but you want to get to the point where you actually believe what you’re saying. And when you get there, that’s where the magic happens. *DK: What do you hope “Believe I Am” will bring women? RM: I want it to open conversation and to share how everyone can overcome obstacles in their life. I want people to feel good about themselves and to share that with the community. I want to provide that sisterhood that we have through running. The site is where you can express yourself and get the most out of yourself. *DK: What is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life?  RM: I think for me it’s overcoming that feeling of unworthiness and overcoming your own limitations is one of the hardest constant battles that I’ve had to face. I feel like getting to that place where you actually believe that you are good enough is not that easy to do! I’m more of an unconfident person, even though I know all these things it’s a constant exercise. But, it can be very limiting if you let it. *DK: That idea is definitely something all women can apply to life. Just from perusing your website, the butterfly symbol is everywhere. Is there any meaning behind it? RM: We came up the mantras and visual cues and we used metaphors—particularly one that compares your mind to a garden. We had been using flowers as our muse; we used them as a way to plant positive words in your mind. If you have enough positive words in your mind then you don’t have room for weeds, which are the negative words. If you don’t plant flowers then the weeds are going to just take over. As I was doing research on flowers I noticed the pictures of butterflies and I thought wow these are really, really cool-looking. We were trying to find a flower that said I am and we couldn’t find one, we came up with the “I am” butterfly. We thought it was a perfect combination. The butterfly itself is it’s own little mantra, within the butterfly there are three little hearts and these symbolize our definitions of the heart—fitness, courage to follow your dreams, and, most obviously, love for yourself and others.   *DK: You sell clothing on your website. How do you think this will help women? RM: We actually originally started off trying to make some shirts and we looked for the meaning behind that and it’s kind of the power of clothing. We found this whole body of research that what you wear actually affects how you feel. We wanted to connect our shirts to “Superhero” costumes. You put on your racing uniform and you kind of get nervous or you put on your superhero costume and you act like superman – we wanted our shirts to have that power or magic. When you put the shirt on we want you to embody the word, so if you put on the strong shirt you’re kind of like “Okay, I’m going to be strong today, you know I’m going to go to the gym and lift like a million pounds!” That was the philosophy. *DK: On a different note, what is it like being a new mom? RM: It’s way better than anything I expected to be honest. It helps to have a really good baby! You know I always told myself while running, push your body, push your body. I thought running was what it should be doing, but then when I was having the baby I realized, wow this is what my body should be doing! It made me feel really good about myself, it’s hard to find the words. It’s such a cool experience. *DK: Tell us about a normal day. RM: It changes! But my routine, is wake up with the baby and just play with the baby until she goes down for a nap and then it’s go time for me! It’s work, work, work! When the baby wakes up we just hang out for the rest of the day. I’ll go training in the afternoon and then my husband comes home and we do dinner and the baby goes to bed, then we work. We spend a lot of our evenings doing work for “Believe I Am” that’s just the way it works for us. PVD Lady Project member, Ro, on the Dear Kate blog!
Zoom Info
dearkates: When it comes to running Roisin McGettigan knows what she’s talking about. A native of Ireland, Ro ran track in the Beijing Olympics and in true Wonder Woman fashion, she didn’t stop there. She joined forces with USA Champion runner Lauren Fleshman to create the website “Believe I Am,” which seeks to encourage fellow runners through different inspirational tools. Ro recently stopped by to talk to us about her life as an Olympian, a motivator, and a new mom. *DK: When did your passion for running begin? RM: I guess I had a natural talent for it when I was a kid. I used to win little local races. So I joined the club, and luckily I had a really great coach and she helped me develop my passion. It was definitely for fun as a kid, but when I became a teenager I got a bit more serious and into the sport. Because of my great guidance I was able to get a scholarship to come to America and run on the track team there. It’s had different roles in my life, but it’s always been something I love. *DK: So you’re an Irish Olympian- impressive to say the least. Can you tell us about one of your favorite races? RM: Definitely when I went to the Olympics in Bejing. Even making it there was a life-long goal. I hadn’t made it the four years before so getting everything right to make it there was huge and I really wanted to make the final. So I had this vision of the race, I really wanted to run and just kind of experiencing it all being in the big stadium. I was able to qualify for the final and it had been the race I had imagined in my head, the stadium, the people, how I felt, it was just the perfect race, it felt easy and it was so fun. It was amazing I enjoyed every second of it, I felt on top of the world. *DK: In addition to training, you started the website “Believe I Am.” Can you tell us how you came up with the name? RM: My friend and business partner Lauren Fleshman, approached my husband and I. She had this concept that she wanted to share positive affirmations and mantras with the running community. People were always asking her how to improve their running. We talked about how we have both used sports visual cues to help to be most successful at our sport—for me qualifying for the Olympic final and for her qualifying for the World Championship final. We thought people weren’t aware of the visual cues we were using. For Lauren her strategy was to write out positive statements, like “I am prepared,” “I am competitive,” or “I am good enough.” That was her tool to deal with nerves, so she really wanted a name with “I am…” with different words after it, so we knew that was important part of the name and luckily we were able to find a web address that was “Believe I Am.” We thought, wait this is actually perfect, because you want to say inspiring statements but you want to get to the point where you actually believe what you’re saying. And when you get there, that’s where the magic happens. *DK: What do you hope “Believe I Am” will bring women? RM: I want it to open conversation and to share how everyone can overcome obstacles in their life. I want people to feel good about themselves and to share that with the community. I want to provide that sisterhood that we have through running. The site is where you can express yourself and get the most out of yourself. *DK: What is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life?  RM: I think for me it’s overcoming that feeling of unworthiness and overcoming your own limitations is one of the hardest constant battles that I’ve had to face. I feel like getting to that place where you actually believe that you are good enough is not that easy to do! I’m more of an unconfident person, even though I know all these things it’s a constant exercise. But, it can be very limiting if you let it. *DK: That idea is definitely something all women can apply to life. Just from perusing your website, the butterfly symbol is everywhere. Is there any meaning behind it? RM: We came up the mantras and visual cues and we used metaphors—particularly one that compares your mind to a garden. We had been using flowers as our muse; we used them as a way to plant positive words in your mind. If you have enough positive words in your mind then you don’t have room for weeds, which are the negative words. If you don’t plant flowers then the weeds are going to just take over. As I was doing research on flowers I noticed the pictures of butterflies and I thought wow these are really, really cool-looking. We were trying to find a flower that said I am and we couldn’t find one, we came up with the “I am” butterfly. We thought it was a perfect combination. The butterfly itself is it’s own little mantra, within the butterfly there are three little hearts and these symbolize our definitions of the heart—fitness, courage to follow your dreams, and, most obviously, love for yourself and others.   *DK: You sell clothing on your website. How do you think this will help women? RM: We actually originally started off trying to make some shirts and we looked for the meaning behind that and it’s kind of the power of clothing. We found this whole body of research that what you wear actually affects how you feel. We wanted to connect our shirts to “Superhero” costumes. You put on your racing uniform and you kind of get nervous or you put on your superhero costume and you act like superman – we wanted our shirts to have that power or magic. When you put the shirt on we want you to embody the word, so if you put on the strong shirt you’re kind of like “Okay, I’m going to be strong today, you know I’m going to go to the gym and lift like a million pounds!” That was the philosophy. *DK: On a different note, what is it like being a new mom? RM: It’s way better than anything I expected to be honest. It helps to have a really good baby! You know I always told myself while running, push your body, push your body. I thought running was what it should be doing, but then when I was having the baby I realized, wow this is what my body should be doing! It made me feel really good about myself, it’s hard to find the words. It’s such a cool experience. *DK: Tell us about a normal day. RM: It changes! But my routine, is wake up with the baby and just play with the baby until she goes down for a nap and then it’s go time for me! It’s work, work, work! When the baby wakes up we just hang out for the rest of the day. I’ll go training in the afternoon and then my husband comes home and we do dinner and the baby goes to bed, then we work. We spend a lot of our evenings doing work for “Believe I Am” that’s just the way it works for us. PVD Lady Project member, Ro, on the Dear Kate blog!
Zoom Info
dearkates: When it comes to running Roisin McGettigan knows what she’s talking about. A native of Ireland, Ro ran track in the Beijing Olympics and in true Wonder Woman fashion, she didn’t stop there. She joined forces with USA Champion runner Lauren Fleshman to create the website “Believe I Am,” which seeks to encourage fellow runners through different inspirational tools. Ro recently stopped by to talk to us about her life as an Olympian, a motivator, and a new mom. *DK: When did your passion for running begin? RM: I guess I had a natural talent for it when I was a kid. I used to win little local races. So I joined the club, and luckily I had a really great coach and she helped me develop my passion. It was definitely for fun as a kid, but when I became a teenager I got a bit more serious and into the sport. Because of my great guidance I was able to get a scholarship to come to America and run on the track team there. It’s had different roles in my life, but it’s always been something I love. *DK: So you’re an Irish Olympian- impressive to say the least. Can you tell us about one of your favorite races? RM: Definitely when I went to the Olympics in Bejing. Even making it there was a life-long goal. I hadn’t made it the four years before so getting everything right to make it there was huge and I really wanted to make the final. So I had this vision of the race, I really wanted to run and just kind of experiencing it all being in the big stadium. I was able to qualify for the final and it had been the race I had imagined in my head, the stadium, the people, how I felt, it was just the perfect race, it felt easy and it was so fun. It was amazing I enjoyed every second of it, I felt on top of the world. *DK: In addition to training, you started the website “Believe I Am.” Can you tell us how you came up with the name? RM: My friend and business partner Lauren Fleshman, approached my husband and I. She had this concept that she wanted to share positive affirmations and mantras with the running community. People were always asking her how to improve their running. We talked about how we have both used sports visual cues to help to be most successful at our sport—for me qualifying for the Olympic final and for her qualifying for the World Championship final. We thought people weren’t aware of the visual cues we were using. For Lauren her strategy was to write out positive statements, like “I am prepared,” “I am competitive,” or “I am good enough.” That was her tool to deal with nerves, so she really wanted a name with “I am…” with different words after it, so we knew that was important part of the name and luckily we were able to find a web address that was “Believe I Am.” We thought, wait this is actually perfect, because you want to say inspiring statements but you want to get to the point where you actually believe what you’re saying. And when you get there, that’s where the magic happens. *DK: What do you hope “Believe I Am” will bring women? RM: I want it to open conversation and to share how everyone can overcome obstacles in their life. I want people to feel good about themselves and to share that with the community. I want to provide that sisterhood that we have through running. The site is where you can express yourself and get the most out of yourself. *DK: What is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life?  RM: I think for me it’s overcoming that feeling of unworthiness and overcoming your own limitations is one of the hardest constant battles that I’ve had to face. I feel like getting to that place where you actually believe that you are good enough is not that easy to do! I’m more of an unconfident person, even though I know all these things it’s a constant exercise. But, it can be very limiting if you let it. *DK: That idea is definitely something all women can apply to life. Just from perusing your website, the butterfly symbol is everywhere. Is there any meaning behind it? RM: We came up the mantras and visual cues and we used metaphors—particularly one that compares your mind to a garden. We had been using flowers as our muse; we used them as a way to plant positive words in your mind. If you have enough positive words in your mind then you don’t have room for weeds, which are the negative words. If you don’t plant flowers then the weeds are going to just take over. As I was doing research on flowers I noticed the pictures of butterflies and I thought wow these are really, really cool-looking. We were trying to find a flower that said I am and we couldn’t find one, we came up with the “I am” butterfly. We thought it was a perfect combination. The butterfly itself is it’s own little mantra, within the butterfly there are three little hearts and these symbolize our definitions of the heart—fitness, courage to follow your dreams, and, most obviously, love for yourself and others.   *DK: You sell clothing on your website. How do you think this will help women? RM: We actually originally started off trying to make some shirts and we looked for the meaning behind that and it’s kind of the power of clothing. We found this whole body of research that what you wear actually affects how you feel. We wanted to connect our shirts to “Superhero” costumes. You put on your racing uniform and you kind of get nervous or you put on your superhero costume and you act like superman – we wanted our shirts to have that power or magic. When you put the shirt on we want you to embody the word, so if you put on the strong shirt you’re kind of like “Okay, I’m going to be strong today, you know I’m going to go to the gym and lift like a million pounds!” That was the philosophy. *DK: On a different note, what is it like being a new mom? RM: It’s way better than anything I expected to be honest. It helps to have a really good baby! You know I always told myself while running, push your body, push your body. I thought running was what it should be doing, but then when I was having the baby I realized, wow this is what my body should be doing! It made me feel really good about myself, it’s hard to find the words. It’s such a cool experience. *DK: Tell us about a normal day. RM: It changes! But my routine, is wake up with the baby and just play with the baby until she goes down for a nap and then it’s go time for me! It’s work, work, work! When the baby wakes up we just hang out for the rest of the day. I’ll go training in the afternoon and then my husband comes home and we do dinner and the baby goes to bed, then we work. We spend a lot of our evenings doing work for “Believe I Am” that’s just the way it works for us. PVD Lady Project member, Ro, on the Dear Kate blog!
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dearkates:

When it comes to running Roisin McGettigan knows what she’s talking about. A native of Ireland, Ro ran track in the Beijing Olympics and in true Wonder Woman fashion, she didn’t stop there. She joined forces with USA Champion runner Lauren Fleshman to create the website “Believe I Am,” which seeks to encourage fellow runners through different inspirational tools. Ro recently stopped by to talk to us about her life as an Olympian, a motivator, and a new mom.

*DK: When did your passion for running begin?

RM: I guess I had a natural talent for it when I was a kid. I used to win little local races. So I joined the club, and luckily I had a really great coach and she helped me develop my passion. It was definitely for fun as a kid, but when I became a teenager I got a bit more serious and into the sport. Because of my great guidance I was able to get a scholarship to come to America and run on the track team there. It’s had different roles in my life, but it’s always been something I love.

*DK: So you’re an Irish Olympian- impressive to say the least. Can you tell us about one of your favorite races?

RM: Definitely when I went to the Olympics in Bejing. Even making it there was a life-long goal. I hadn’t made it the four years before so getting everything right to make it there was huge and I really wanted to make the final. So I had this vision of the race, I really wanted to run and just kind of experiencing it all being in the big stadium. I was able to qualify for the final and it had been the race I had imagined in my head, the stadium, the people, how I felt, it was just the perfect race, it felt easy and it was so fun. It was amazing I enjoyed every second of it, I felt on top of the world.

*DK: In addition to training, you started the website “Believe I Am.” Can you tell us how you came up with the name?

RM: My friend and business partner Lauren Fleshman, approached my husband and I. She had this concept that she wanted to share positive affirmations and mantras with the running community. People were always asking her how to improve their running. We talked about how we have both used sports visual cues to help to be most successful at our sport—for me qualifying for the Olympic final and for her qualifying for the World Championship final. We thought people weren’t aware of the visual cues we were using. For Lauren her strategy was to write out positive statements, like “I am prepared,” “I am competitive,” or “I am good enough.” That was her tool to deal with nerves, so she really wanted a name with “I am…” with different words after it, so we knew that was important part of the name and luckily we were able to find a web address that was “Believe I Am.” We thought, wait this is actually perfect, because you want to say inspiring statements but you want to get to the point where you actually believe what you’re saying. And when you get there, that’s where the magic happens.

*DK: What do you hope “Believe I Am” will bring women?

RM: I want it to open conversation and to share how everyone can overcome obstacles in their life. I want people to feel good about themselves and to share that with the community. I want to provide that sisterhood that we have through running. The site is where you can express yourself and get the most out of yourself.

*DK: What is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? 

RM: I think for me it’s overcoming that feeling of unworthiness and overcoming your own limitations is one of the hardest constant battles that I’ve had to face. I feel like getting to that place where you actually believe that you are good enough is not that easy to do! I’m more of an unconfident person, even though I know all these things it’s a constant exercise. But, it can be very limiting if you let it.

*DK: That idea is definitely something all women can apply to life. Just from perusing your website, the butterfly symbol is everywhere. Is there any meaning behind it?

RM: We came up the mantras and visual cues and we used metaphors—particularly one that compares your mind to a garden. We had been using flowers as our muse; we used them as a way to plant positive words in your mind. If you have enough positive words in your mind then you don’t have room for weeds, which are the negative words. If you don’t plant flowers then the weeds are going to just take over.

As I was doing research on flowers I noticed the pictures of butterflies and I thought wow these are really, really cool-looking. We were trying to find a flower that said I am and we couldn’t find one, we came up with the “I am” butterfly. We thought it was a perfect combination. The butterfly itself is it’s own little mantra, within the butterfly there are three little hearts and these symbolize our definitions of the heart—fitness, courage to follow your dreams, and, most obviously, love for yourself and others.  

*DK: You sell clothing on your website. How do you think this will help women?

RM: We actually originally started off trying to make some shirts and we looked for the meaning behind that and it’s kind of the power of clothing. We found this whole body of research that what you wear actually affects how you feel. We wanted to connect our shirts to “Superhero” costumes. You put on your racing uniform and you kind of get nervous or you put on your superhero costume and you act like superman – we wanted our shirts to have that power or magic. When you put the shirt on we want you to embody the word, so if you put on the strong shirt you’re kind of like “Okay, I’m going to be strong today, you know I’m going to go to the gym and lift like a million pounds!” That was the philosophy.

*DK: On a different note, what is it like being a new mom?

RM: It’s way better than anything I expected to be honest. It helps to have a really good baby! You know I always told myself while running, push your body, push your body. I thought running was what it should be doing, but then when I was having the baby I realized, wow this is what my body should be doing! It made me feel really good about myself, it’s hard to find the words. It’s such a cool experience.

*DK: Tell us about a normal day.

RM: It changes! But my routine, is wake up with the baby and just play with the baby until she goes down for a nap and then it’s go time for me! It’s work, work, work! When the baby wakes up we just hang out for the rest of the day. I’ll go training in the afternoon and then my husband comes home and we do dinner and the baby goes to bed, then we work. We spend a lot of our evenings doing work for “Believe I Am” that’s just the way it works for us.

PVD Lady Project member, Ro, on the Dear Kate blog!

Big things!

Last night’s Tis the Season to Sparkle at J. Crew was fabulous! Our speakers; Corey from Corey Grayhorse Photography, Rosanna from StyleWeek and Vicki from J. Crew were amazing and inspiring. We networked, shopped and sipped sparkling cider to the spins of DJ La Rochelle- the perfect soundtrack to our style night. 

We announced some big plans and save-the-dates for 2013 last night, too. Here’s a run down in case you missed something:

  • Ladies go to the Theater: Wednesday, December 19 at Trinity Rep (stay tuned for more details!) to see “The How and the Why”
  • Yoga Brunch: Saturday, January 26, 2013 at Providence Power Yoga & Cav with goal setting for the new year with Ro from Believe I Am
  • First Birthday Celebration: Friday, February 22 at The Dorrance, come celebrate our first birthday!
  • 2013 Memberships- enrollment begins January 1, 2013! Members will get fun benefits like access to members-only events, a member directory and your business logo or name on the new website.

Stay tuned for more details!

xo

sierra + julie