Confidence Classic: Build Unshakable Confidence Through Movement, Mindset, & Micro-Habits with Robin Arzón

Summary

Podcast Summary: Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan

Episode: Confidence Classic: Build Unshakable Confidence Through Movement, Mindset, & Micro-Habits with Robin Arzón
Date: December 2, 2025
Guest: Robin Arzón, VP of Fitness Programming & Head Instructor at Peloton, NYT Bestselling Author

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode spotlights Robin Arzón’s extraordinary journey from law to leadership at Peloton, weaving in themes of self-advocacy, movement as medicine, internal storytelling, and the power of micro-habits in building lasting confidence. Heather and Robin explore how confidence can be cultivated intentionally through hustle, routine, chasing discomfort, and community, also touching on overcoming trauma, vision boarding, and redefining possibility – all in the pursuit of helping listeners “create their confidence.”

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Robin’s Story: From Academia to Athletics

• Impressive Beginnings: Robin grew up a straight-A student from an immigrant family with parents in academia (doctor and law professor).
  • “School was kind of the easier part. What I realized later was…the story I told myself, that I was the straight A student, I didn’t tell myself the story that I could throw a ball or go to gym class.” (05:27)
• Limiting Labels: Early self-identity was shaped by academics, but Robin later challenged these internal labels.
  • “We really can become the stories that we tell ourselves…once we’re kind of labeled or even label ourselves as something…stepping into our various identities can be really powerful.” (06:01)
• Catalyst: Trauma and Transformation:
  • Robin’s life pivoted after surviving a hostage situation: “I was sitting in this wine bar and a man walked in…flailing a gun. In a matter of minutes…time slows down…my internal narrative was very focused but it was very loud. I just kept telling myself, ‘This is not the end of my story.’” (07:41)
  • Afterward, Robin took up running as self-therapy, not for sport or accolades.

2. Rebuilding Identity: Curiosity, Hustle, and Micro-Habits

• Curiosity Practice:
  • Ten minutes a day for two years, Robin would journal, research, and dream beyond law: “I set a calendar appointment for 10 minutes every single day…oftentimes I would journal, I would Google…I tried to develop a stickiness to that 10 minutes a day.” (12:07)
  • Micro-habits allowed the seeds of her eventual career to take root.
• Breaking Out Amid Doubt:
  • Despite external success in law, Robin prioritized freedom, agency, and values.
  • “The hardest conversation always starts with yourself…Doesn’t matter what your partner or your mom or your boss thinks. The first conversation you have to have is with yourself.” (12:07)
  • Family was ultimately supportive, and doubts from others were “turned into determination.”

3. Seizing Opportunity & The Power of Vision

• Vision Boarding as Guidance:
  • Robin creates vision boards, physically assembling images/words around personal quadrants (business, life, health):
    • “You have to name it to claim it. Vision boards help me crystallize…what I said I wanted, and now what I think I want, and they change…Freedom to evolve.” (22:29)
• Peloton’s Early Days:
  • Robin proactively cold-emailed Peloton, auditioned, and negotiated her contract in a matter of days:
    • “I had 72 hours…if you want me, I need a contract now. So I had a contract in my hands before I got on that plane [to India].” (18:01)

4. Defining (and Defending) Confidence

• Movement as Medicine:
  • “When I realized my ability to be my own inner advocate was through movement…That was when I realized that I am the director of this story. And that was really terrifying and exciting at the same time.” (25:47)
• Hustle & Self-Advocacy:
  • “Confidence is a side effect of hustle…this morning I was doing barbell work…you can't tell me none. If you don't think I'm going to ask for 10% more on that contract, you are delusional.” (25:47)

5. Avoiding Burnout & The Role of Micro-Habits

• Burnout Management:
  • Robin advocates for “basic but consistent” habits: hydration, sleep, breathwork, whole foods. Self-care is a “prevention strategy…not what you turn to when you’re at your wit’s end.” (27:37)
• Grace for Setbacks:
  • “Give yourself grace…sometimes weekends where I’ll go off the rails. I try not to let it go on more than 48 hours.” (30:43)

6. Parenting, Permission, and New Narratives

• Strong Mama:
  • Her children’s book is a “love letter” to her daughter and centers pregnant women in movement:
    • “Parents are superheroes…raising small humans is an Olympic sport…Movement is medicine and self-care is not selfish.” (32:29)
• Seeking Less Judgment, More Curiosity:
  • “I just want to invite less judgment and more curiosity about what we're capable of…focus on what you can do and use that to prop you up.” (34:48)

7. Multiplying Impact & Authentic Brand Integration

• “Preach What You Practice”:
  • Robin partners only with brands that align with her life and values (e.g., GSTQ, Athletic Greens, Happy Viking).
  • “I don’t really believe in practicing what you preach. I want to preach what I practice…First of all, I have to use the product and genuinely love it.” (36:51)

8. Looking Ahead: Swagger Society & Community

• Web3 Project ‘Swagger Society’:
  • Robin is building a health and wellness community in Web3 focused on “self-sustaining fire starters…a small, curated community really there for each other, engaging in conversation…midwifing each other’s dreams.” (39:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On internal storytelling and self-definition:

  • “We really can become the stories that we tell ourselves.” — Robin Arzón (06:01)

• On surviving trauma:

  • “This is not the end of my story. No freaking way is this it…there’s the fight innate to the human spirit that I hold onto to this day.” — Robin Arzón (07:41)

• On micro-habits and dreaming:

  • “Ten minutes a day…I tried to develop a stickiness to that ten minutes a day. It really was ten minutes…for like two years.” — Robin Arzón (12:07)

• On audacity and negotiation:

  • “I had 72 hours…if you want me, I need a contract now. So I had a contract in my hands before I got on that plane.” — Robin Arzón (18:01)
  • Heather: “That is so badass.”

• On confidence as “side effect” of hustle:

  • “If you don’t think I’m going to ask for 10% more on that contract, you are delusional. That gives me the confidence.” — Robin Arzón (25:47)

• On burnout and boundaries:

  • “Without…knowing your boundaries, you cannot set standards for yourself or someone else. Establishing boundaries creates higher standards. Higher standards makes us all money and success, period.” — Robin Arzón (27:37)

• On grace for setbacks:

  • “Give yourself grace when that happens…think about future Robin like a friend.” — Robin Arzón (30:43)

• On curiosity and judgment:

  • “Less judgment, more curiosity…Instead of, ‘What can’t I do?’ focus on what can you do.” — Robin Arzón (34:48)

• On reinvention and evolving identity:

  • “You are under no obligation to remain who you were just because it makes somebody else uncomfortable.” — Robin Arzón (22:29)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Robin’s early identity & storytelling: 05:27-07:05
• Hostage experience and post-trauma transformation: 07:41-10:59
• Developing curiosity habit & career pivot: 12:07-14:43
• Negotiating with Peloton & vision boarding: 18:01-22:29
• Defining and claiming confidence: 25:47-27:22
• Burnout, self-care, small habits: 27:37-30:43
• Parenting, Strong Mama, movement during pregnancy: 32:29-34:48
• Brand partnerships and authenticity: 36:37-39:27
• Swagger Society – building empowering communities: 39:39-40:52

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Tone and Takeaways

Heather and Robin’s conversation is bold, empowering, and filled with practical wisdom, realness, and swagger. Robin models self-determination, advocates for the audacious pursuit of big dreams, and underscores that confidence is built, not born — through hustle, micro-habits, and relentless self-belief. Both women share a mutual commitment to raising others—particularly women—encouraging listeners to step into their own stories and rewrite them as needed.

For those seeking unshakable confidence:

• Steer your narrative; get curious; take consistent micro-actions
• Movement transforms more than just your body — it rewires your mind
• Set clear values, boundaries, and only practice what you actually live
• Surround yourself with ambition; vision board your intentions
• Show yourself grace, sidestep judgment, and embrace reinvention at every chapter

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Find Robin: robinarzon.com | @RobinArzon on social | Peloton classes | Swagger Society (Web3 community)

Transcript

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[Robin Arzon]

Think confidence is a side effect of Hustle. I definitely had confidence growing up in certain areas. Oh, I see. I got an A on this test, so I must be good at xyz. There's the external validation points, which only go so far. When I realized my ability to be my own inner advocate was through movement, that was when I realized that I am the director of this story. And that was really terrifying and exciting at the same time. And the confidence that now really like buttresses. Like most areas of my life, it's a side effect of the Hustle.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Come on this journey with me each week. When you join me, you're going to chase down our goals, overcome adversity, and set you up for a better tomorrow.

[Robin Arzon]

I'm ready for my close up.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Tell me, have you been enjoying these new bonus Confidence classics episodes we've been dropping on you every week? We've literally hunted hundreds of episodes for you to listen to, so these bonuses.

[Podcast Host (Sponsor Announcer)]

Are a great way to help you.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Find the ones you may have already missed. I hope you love this one as much as I do. I'm so excited for you to meet my guest today. It's Robin Arzon, vice president of fitness programming and head instructor at Peloton, New York Times bestselling author. And wait till you hear the other things this woman is up to. She is a superwoman. Robin discovered her passion for athletics after healing from a traumatic experience through movement. She fearlessly left behind a successful law career to embark on a new adventure known as Peloton. What? She believes that sweat transforms lives. And her story is living proof. Today, Robyn has run 27 marathons.

[Podcast Host (Sponsor Announcer)]

P.S.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

I'Ve run none. And several ultramarathons, including five marathons in five days. This is insane. Her life's mission is to redefine, reform and rethink possibility through movement, which she is doing every day. Her powerful influence and undeniable swagger transcend the fitness space with major brands, partnerships, collaborations, and the intersection of wellness, lifestyle, and fashion, including gstq. Robin's first children's book, Strong Mama, was written as a love letter to her daughter Athena about the journey they took together. I can't wait to get into it. And just one more thing. In 2020, Robin was named one of the most influential people on Fortune magazine' 40 under 40. Unbelievable. 2021 became the first ever recipient of Glamour magazine's daring to disrupt. And today, right now, the COVID girl of Women's health magazine. Robyn, welcome to the show.

[Robin Arzon]

Thank you for having me. What an intro. I had to bring you everywhere to kind of be a hype woman. That was really great.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

I'm totally your hype woman. Listen, for a long time in my career, my listeners know this. I did not have women that would hype me up. They would, for whatever their reasons were. They wanted me to dim my light. They didn't want to celebrate things for me. And I used to think that was just the norm until I got out of that corporate environment, which I'm interested to find out that's similar for you. But then once you get around people that are for you and cheering you on, it's such a great feeling. And it just lets everybody say, oh, wait, when I shine my light, I'm inspiring someone else to shine theirs. Thank you. And that's what you're doing for us today.

[Robin Arzon]

No, thank you. Thanks for having me.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Oh, my gosh. Wait. So I do have to ask you this. Did you, years ago, ever think to yourself, yeah, for sure, one day I'll be on the COVID of a major magazine.

[Robin Arzon]

You know, it was a dream. It was definitely a dream. Not when I was a lawyer, but I didn't imagine. I didn't really aspire to be on the COVID of, like, the bar association, you know, magazine. But sure, it was a dream of mine. And it's really. It's kind of funny when you realize dreams that you kind of only wrote in your journal privately, you know, years and years later, I still have a little bit of disbelief.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

I think that's normal. I mean, that anytime something big happens for me, I feel the same way.

[Podcast Host (Sponsor Announcer)]

Like, is this.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Am I getting punked? I always think Ashton Kutcher is going to jump out of some somewhere and be like, no, you are getting punked. That was hilarious. But you definitely are not all right, let's get into it because I love your backstory. So many people, you know, I'm a peloton rider, just like I'm sure so many people listening. And when they see you on the bike and see you, you know, you're leading this huge company and, and you're blowing up, everyone thinks, oh my gosh, of course, that's so easy for her. And I want to get into how it hasn't been so easy for you. And I was so surprised in doing research on you that you grew up with immigrant parents and were performing incredibly well academically and really immersed in this academia world, which seems nothing like what you're doing now. What was it then for you?

[Robin Arzon]

I was always the straight A student. I was the kid who loved, like, I just loved books. And my mom really modeled that for me. My mom and my dad, my dad was a law professor, my mom is a physician. And the school was kind of the easier part. What I realized later was the story I told myself, the story that I was the straight A student, I didn't tell myself the story that I could throw a ball or go to gym class. And so that physical activity and movement was really kind of scary to me. And it's clearly I pivoted and iterated a lot for the life I've created for myself now. But I think the larger message is that we really can become the stories that we tell ourselves. And now I'm really aware of the story that I tell myself. And then in engaging with my daughter Athena, kind of watching what I. How I storytell around her experience. Because once we're kind of labeled or even label ourselves as something or are reticent to own a label. When I started running, I started running when I was in law school and for the longest time I was doing 10Ks half marathons. Marathons. I was like, oh, I'm not a runner. A runner is this or that. A runner is a five minute mile. A runner, you know, has been doing this for 20 years, you know, run. So stepping into our various identities I think can be really, really powerful and then also being aware of the stories that we're telling ourselves. But yeah, I had examples in my parents, my mother Cuban, my father born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx. And they really modeled for me self determination.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Well, that has come through crystal clear and I appreciate you sharing that because I definitely have told myself so many limiting stories. I've accepted labels and held onto them and had to get really clear and making an effort a conscious effort to say, I'm not going to allow myself. Me to label myself this anymore. I'm going to drop this label like you did with. With the academics and step. And step into something so different. So what was that moment like, or that experience like that you went through that really created that pivot in your life when you decided to step away from law and academia and branch into something completely different?

[Robin Arzon]

Well, there were lots of moments, I think. I don't think for most people there's sometimes there's one aha moment. But I think that we get thousands of signs and we choose to see them or not. So the reason I started running is because I had a pretty intense trauma occur when I was a senior at nyu, entering law school the following year. I had already been accepted to law school. And I mean, I was held at gunpoint in the East Village in New York City when I was meeting girlfriends on a Friday night after work. Just, you know, New York City in the summer can have, like, a magical feeling to it. And it was one of those nights that was that until it very much wasn't. And I was sitting in this wine bar and a man walked in and he was flailing a gun. And in a matter of minutes, I went from telling my girlfriend about, you know, probably the crush I had at the time to being a hostage negotiator with the nypd who are outside and time slows down. You become. That was actually one of the moments where I became really aware of story. Like, not in the moment, but when I reflect back on that experience. My internal narrative was very focused, but it was very loud. And I just kept telling myself, this is not the end of my story. Like, this is not. Like, no freaking way is this it. So there's a fight. I believe in every one of us. There's the fight innate to the human spirit that I hold onto till this day. So that was a moment of powerlessness for sure. And trauma, acute trauma. And over the years, I have been able to repackage that story as a source of strength. And I think that in a lot of our life's inflection points, we always have a choice whether we're going to be a victim to the circumstance or we're going to be victorious, no matter what the circumstance is. And so when I survived that experience, I thought, okay, am I going to just be someone who survived that or am I now going to thrive? Because, like, damn, I'm here. I'm here for a reason. So let's go. And it took a While, of course, for me to process all of that. I mean, I'm still, to a certain extent, processing a lot of that. But running helped me so much. I started running when I was in law school. So about the year after this hostage incident. And I don't even know why, like I said as a kid, I was not an athlete. Like, I really wasn't surrounded by runners. My mom's not a runner. I mean, I was a runner now, funnily enough, after having me supporting me in marathons. But I wasn't surrounded by it is my point. And I just saw a pair of dusty shoes that weren't even running shoes in my closet. And I thought, I'm just gonna jog, walk, nearly crawl to campus today on my way to law school. And I just started getting curious and really uncomfortable, but curious. And it provided me, like, a different focus. I had a lot of pain that I was carrying and I wasn't even aware of it. Highly ambitious, multifaceted, multi hyphenate people can just, like, get it done. But should we always have to, you know, with that heavy burden? And it was through the runs that I really started to use movement as medicine.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

And at that point in time, were you thinking, okay, this is. This is a calling for me, or at that point in time, you were just trying to get. Escape the pain and try to grow through that?

[Robin Arzon]

Yeah, definitely growth. I mean, I practiced law for almost eight years, so I, you know, I had a full, full law career as a corporate litigator. And like I said, it wasn't one aha moment. I think there were, like, lots of little moments where I was being called to something else.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

You might not know this about me. I had one aha moment that changed my whole life. Nothing like the PTSD situation that you had, which I can't even fathom. So grateful that you were able to get through that. I was fired when I was in the C suite in corporate America. And that was the moment I said, okay, I'm going a completely different route. And I. And to your point, there was lots of signs along the way in the background, but nothing that called to me like that moment. Since you didn't have a moment like that, how did you find, you know, the courage to. You were stepping away from a career you're very successful in. You weren't fired, you were doing great. You had this trajectory that was clearly set out in front of you. You had all of this time behind you that you had invested in the education and whatnot to get to that point. And your family, I would imagine, was signed up for that program that you were in. How did you find that courage to step out and say, I'm going to do something completely different?

[Robin Arzon]

Yeah, I mean, it's tough, especially when you have the external pressures and when you have, quote, unquote, the dream job. And the dream, you know, it was all like, young in New York City with an amazing income. I mean, my God, I'd never seen that much money in my life. You know, it was just unbelievable. Those are really difficult conversations to have with yourself. The conversation, the hardest conversation always starts with yourself. Like, you think it might be, oh, with your partner or your mom or your kid or your boss. The first conversation that, that you have to have is with yourself or the many conversations. So that's how it was for me. Once I started getting curious about, I was like, wow, I'm really passionate about this fitness thing. Like, I don't know how the heck I'm going to do this. But at first I was like, I'm just really passionate as a hobby. And then I realized, huh, maybe there's a way for me to monetize this. Like, can I pay my rent? Like, I don't know. So I started a 10 minute a day dreaming exercise. I set a calendar appointment for 10 minutes every single day. And oftentimes I would journal, I would Google, I'd be like, what does an editor at Women's Health do? You know? Like, and funnily enough, now I'm on the COVID But, like, those are the things that I just, I just got curious. And there were some days where I just sat pen to paper and I was like, this is so stupid. I should just go to my next meeting or I should just, you know. And I just, I tried to develop a stickiness to that 10 minutes a day. And it really was 10 minutes there for like two years. And I planted seeds. And then when I got a little bolder, I be like, all right, I'm going to send somebody an email or I'm going to like, you know, ask somebody to meet me for lunch, you know, and those were obviously the bigger asks. And I was told no a lot, but I was told yes, too. And the yeses were enough to kind of fuel my fire. And then ultimately I left my law firm two weeks before the London Olympics because I had an opportunity to kind of showcase my experience as a, as a blogger, I guess, on social media. And some brands were paying attention, like big athletic brands. And I thought, okay, this is my opportunity. Like, I have no idea what is going to be next, but this might be a scaffold to something else. So I took a chance and the risk was felt really massive. It was massive. But I knew who I wanted to feel in my day to day. I wanted freedom, I wanted agency. I wanted the feeling I have when I'm, you know, in a workout or talking about a workout. And I knew that those were the values and the standards I had to set for myself. Even if I potentially disappointed some folks. And ultimately my immediate family was incredibly supportive. There were definitely some doubters, but I think I turned their doubt into determination.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

You turned their doubt into something I'm sure they don't want to remember anymore that they gave you any shade on what you were doing Meet a Different Guest each week.

[Robin Arzon]

Confidence Clear.

[Podcast Host (Sponsor Announcer)]

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[Heather (Podcast Host)]

I asked you to try to find your passion. Everybody listening right now. This is brilliant. It might sound simplistic, but setting that reminder for 10 minutes a day and investigating is brilliant. I remember 15 years ago, I loved speaking, but I didn't know people got paid for it. I would get off stages and say, I feel like magic. Oh, well, I have to go back to work now. And I never thought like you did, hey, maybe I could investigate this a little bit. I think that's brilliant. And for anyone who isn't sure hasn't found your passion yet. When you are feeling great. Take that 10 minutes. And it took Robin two years. Don't give up after a month. I just, I love that you did that. It's so simple, yet so incredibly powerful. So now the opportunity comes up for peloton. And peloton was not what peloton is today. How did you know to take a chance on a brand that wasn't omnipresent like peloton is now?

[Robin Arzon]

I love vision boarding. I do vision boards a few times a year and on my vision board in my little business work quadrant. I think the majority of the vision board was probably business at that point because I was voraciously searching for ways to pay my rent. I thought I wanted to storytell and I wanted something that felt modernly disruptive. And I didn't know that meant technology. I didn't know what that meant. But I thought, I want to make waves and I want to do it in a way that is scalable more than I was teaching spin in a local New York City spin studio at the time, in addition to writing my book, in addition to coaching runners. And, you know, I was doing it all at that time and I thought, I need to scale this. I want to light people up more than 20 people at a time. And then I a blurb about then CEO John Foley, and I thought, oh, wow, this is it. This is it. And I don't think I would have even been aware or paying attention if I hadn't done that vision board because it kind of piqued my interest. And then I sent a cold email to the company and I was totally, I mean, really literally cold. They had no idea who I was they did not approach me. I approached them. And I think I sent that email, like, late on a Monday night. By Wednesday, I had an audition, you know, where I play some songs and I demonstrate my teaching style and things like that. And then I was leaving the following week for India to visit my sister, who was living in India at the time. And I said, I have 72 hours, so if you want me and you want me when I'm back in two weeks, I need a contract now. So I had a contract in my hands before I got on that plane. Oh, I love that you called it out like that.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

That is so badass. And good for you because they saw that you created a sense of urgency.

[Robin Arzon]

Right.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

It's scarcity. What if you moved on to do something else and you knew your worth? And when you know your worth, other people are going to see it as well. So congrats. I love how you handled that. That is so incredible. Okay, when you did sign with them, did you have this vision and was this on the vision board that you knew this brand was going to blow up or you. You were just working towards, how can I keep growing this?

[Robin Arzon]

You know, we definitely, I mean, the team then and now has really ambitious goals. I love it that we are, you know, we're dreamers who hustle. And I really align myself in every relationship, business relationship, and honestly, personal relationship that I have. There's an element of hustle and there's. There's an element of grit. And that's one of the reasons I love GSTQ and I love Danny Garcia, because that is definitely part of their value system. And certainly Peloton's right. And there were pie in the sky goals. Some of them we've realized. And then we keep building. We keep building. Like, I want to constantly live a life that is redefining possibilities. And in my toolkit, I call it a superhero toolkit, I've added, you know, breathwork, journaling, vision boarding, you know, movement, of course, and then I now get to share that with the world on a global platform. And when it was, we still have the same grit, honestly, that we had when it was like 10 people on the leaderboard, now that there's over 10,000 on an average class or something like that. So you have to anchor yourself in values and real talk and have people who are trusted, critics who are willing to tell you, like, hey, let's have a feedback loop here. Let's see. That's kind of break this down so we can build it back up even stronger. And then Also continue to dream so big that it makes small minds uncomfortable. Like I say kind of in jest, but not really that my dreams wake me up before my alarm clock goes off, like, I'm ready. And I'm so intoxicated by my dreams. The moment that I don't feel that, I know that I have to keep thinking bigger.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Oh, my gosh. It comes across so clearly in your energy. Like, you can feel it. Everyone can feel it. So it's so real, and it's just. It's so exciting to be around. A couple of things that I want to highlight that you said. One, that you're surrounded by people at work that have that same mindset that you do. Everybody's going for more. Everybody's pushing themselves. So critical, who you are spending your time with at work, day in and day out will affect the way that you're thinking, for sure. And I wanted to highlight again the vision boarding, because I actually don't vision board. I know so many people that do. Can you talk us through what that process looks like for you?

[Robin Arzon]

Yeah, I mean, like I said, I was an arts and crafts kid, so I love. Like, I will. Like, I like the pen and paper. I'm sure there's tons of virtual apps and ways to do this on your phone or on your computer. I literally will cut up things from magazines and newspapers sometimes, of course, I'll print stuff, you know, if I. If I want something really specific. But I usually do it in quadrants, so it'll be like personal life, business. It might be physical health. I was, you know, I bought an apartment with my husband two years ago, so there were part of the recent quadrants have been like, you know, money we want to invest in our home and renovations and things like that. And really, it's just dreaming. It's like putting specificity in visual form and in words so you can kind of focus your dreams a little bit. I always say you have to name it to claim it. So I find that vision boards help me create a pretty picture, but then it's kind of crystallizing a little bit more. What I said I wanted, and now what I think I want, and they change. And I look at old vision boards, and I'm like, yeah, I thought I wanted that, you know, so you have to give yourself freedom to play and freedom to evolve. Right. You are under no obligation to remain who you were just because it makes somebody else uncomfortable.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Ooh, that's so good and so incredibly true. Okay. I love that you are doing the vision boarding. You're inspiring me to start doing it. How did you get into. You just kind of glazed over. I was writing my first book. To me, that is like a major. That's major yet again, right? You went from law and then you were moving into, into the fitness industry and then you're writing a book. How did you make that leap and why did you want to do that?

[Robin Arzon]

Well, I was noticing, you know, I, I really wrote the book that I needed. I feel like a lot of the art that we create, a lot of the businesses that we start are because we need that. We need it ourselves. And I didn't feel like there was actionable training that was kind of talking to me. Someone who didn't grow up an athlete, someone who wasn't a five minute mile, someone who did. You know, I didn't even necessarily look like folks at races. You know, I would show up in like red lipstick, cat eye, four finger gold rings, like chains. I mean it was just like, I'm a rock how I am. I'm going to look good for victory as me and shut up and run. Really was. I wanted to marry like practical advice like, I will get you to the 5k finish line. I will get you all the way up to a 50 miler finish line actually, which is pretty unusual for running manuals. And I wanted to confuse my story so, not just not only my story of surviving trauma, but also, you know, as a Latina, as someone who believes that we can approach all stages, all chapters of our story with swagger, authenticity, and then also give folks permission to do that on their own terms, like redefine success. Redefine what? A quote runner with a capital R looks like or feels like or speaks like or walks like or dresses like or runs like. There's an abundance of information out there. So I kind of wanted to distill it into something that was pretty straightforward. But honestly, swaggy, I mean you literally.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Needed to be in that run like a girl campaign. If always is listening, they need to reach out to you immediately. Let's redo the campaign. Okay. So where does your confidence come from in your opinion? Across. I mean all of these big moments and all these big leaps you take and showing up with the red lipstick, where do you find that confidence within you?

[Robin Arzon]

I think confidence is a side effect of hustle. I definitely had confidence growing up in certain areas, right. It's like, oh, I see I got an A on this test, so I must be good at X, Y, Z. There's the external validation points which only go so far. When I realized my ability to be my own inner advocate was through movement. It was when I started lacing up for the marathon training. It was when I started lifting weights. It was when I started, you know, even slowing down in some regards, you know, doing yoga breath work. That was when I realized that I am like the director of this story. And that was really terrifying and exciting at the same time. And the confidence that now really like, buttresses, like, on most areas of my life. I mean, of course there are things that I'm just like, oh, gosh, I'm terrible at that. But. But it's a side effect of the hustle. And to put it simply, if I'm this morning, I was doing barbell work, hang power cleans, and I hit the heaviest weight I've ever done on a hang power clean. It's like, you can't tell me none. If you don't think I'm going to ask for 10% more on that contract, you are delusional. That gives me the confidence. And then I have more patience with my daughter. I can model things for her in every way. The workout is so much more than the 20, 30, 45 minutes, 60 minutes that you put into the work. How are you going to remember who you are in the other 23 hours a day? And I believe I always wake up with an invisible crown on my head and it's like, chin up, crown on, always.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Oh, I love that so much. How do you not get burnt out? Like, I'm exhausted thinking about what you're. When you were just describing your workout, I, I just go spin, right? I do my spin class and I'm done. But how do you do all of this in a day and not feel exhausted or not get burnt out?

[Robin Arzon]

Burnout is very real, you know, and as high. You know, it's. I delight in being high functioning. And I, and I, And I surround myself with folks like that, too. I have a feeling you do, too. So we have to be aware. And I'm glad that it's more part of the conversation, right? It's like all the work that Arianna Huffington has done, all the work. I mean, it's just part of now our working culture to be aware of burnout. But I also think that I kind of feel like hustle gets a bad rap now because it's like you absolutely should still be working your ass off, but you should also be prioritizing the conversation with yourself enough to know what your boundaries are, because without, you cannot set standards for yourself or someone Else if you do not know what your boundaries are, Establishing boundaries creates higher standards. Higher standards makes us all money and success, period. So the red line thing is, goes back to basics. I have a very basic but consistent way, I eat, way I sleep, I do breath work for a few minutes and you know, it's not always perfect, but it usually some semblance of that gets done. The sleep hygiene thing is really important. And listen, I know I have a young daughter. Like I know that you can't always, you know, you plan, plan, plan and life just happens. But most of the time are you doing your best to fill your own cup because that the energy that you have is ultimately currency. And when you're working in the elements of teams, right, and it's like kind of everybody's charging together, everybody's like burnt out together. You can do that for a period of time, right? Like if you're getting ready for launch, if you're really doing the thing, okay, but zoom out a little bit and ask yourself, is this sustainable for six months? Is this sustainable for a year? Probably not much more than that in really cortisol filled environments. So you have to establish and plan. Self care is a prevention strategy. Self care is not what you turn to when you're at your wit's end. It's what allows for that escape valve. It allows the pressure out a little bit of the balloon before the balloon pops. So the framework of our home is the health and wellness of my husband and myself. Because nothing else gets done, well or intentionally if we don't take care of ourselves. So it's scheduling my workout, scheduling his workout, delegating where we need to, making sure that we have good food in the fridge that makes us fuel amazingly and gives us the energy that ultimately becomes currency. So it's all the little things that we already know. It's like drink a glass of water and eat a vegetable. Honey, like we've been telling you all this, but when we're in those moments of crisis, it's hard to make the best choice.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Oh, thanks for highlighting this because last night I was in the worst mood because I had to get up at three in the morning to drive my son to school today for a school trip. And I was just so frustrated about it. And I ordered Mexican food and ate so much like, as if I was punishing somebody else and I couldn't fall asleep and I felt sick and I was like, why did I just do this? Do you ever have moments like that where you come off the rails or no? Oh, My gosh.

[Robin Arzon]

Yeah. I mean, that's so human, right? Like, it's. And I think that you have to give yourself grace when that happens. Like, it's like, okay, indulge in the. In the movie. Like, buy the thing. Like, don't give yourself so much grief. But I try to often think about future Robyn. Like, how can I? And I try to think of her like a friend, because then I think there's a. There's more effect. It's hard to befriend yourself. We're really. We're easier on our external relationships than we are internally. I make every effort to befriend myself, and I think about future Robin, and I'm like, damn, girl, what do you need? Like, what is it that is really gonna set you up to feel at the end of the day that when your head hits that pillow? Like, gosh, I did that. Like, that exhalation that. Yes. Comes from fatigue, also comes from pride. And I live for that exhalation. So, hell yeah. Of course, like, I have, like, days, sometimes weekends, entire weekends where I'll go off the rails. I try not to let it go on for more than two days. So it's like if you're skipping the workout, if you're doing the thing, if you're grabbing for the food that you know you're not supposed to grab, put a 48 hour lock on that, maybe even 24 hours, because then things just start to snowball and you're going to end up feeling so much worse.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Meet a different guest each week.

[Robin Arzon]

Confidence, Cleaver. Confidence, Cleaver.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

I ask you to try to find your passion. You were pregnant and decided to start writing a book about the importance of working out while pregnant, knowing that there's a lot of people out there that, you know, have their own opinions or whatever. I am like you. I worked out the entire time that I was pregnant, and it saved me. What inspired you to write that book?

[Robin Arzon]

Oh, well, so Strong Mama was really. It was a love letter to my little training partner who was my baby. My baby in utero at the time. And I wanted to send a message, actually, that centered the caregiver. Most kids books do not center the parents. Parents are superheroes. Like, raising small humans is an Olympic sport. And I know that now. But, you know, during pregnancy, I wanted to, you know, the two values that we really try to live and espouse in our home are that movement is medicine and that self care is not selfish. And those. Those were the two messages of the book that I wanted to make, of course, like, appropriately age. Age related, you know, age appropriate, but also fun. And center a pregnant woman. Like, show a pregnant woman in a book doing badass things. Because it happens all the time. And that is the reality of many people's experiences. And I wanted to really highlight and showcase that and then have a touchstone for parents to revisit these concepts. Maybe when time is getting hard or, you know, a child is saying, but why are you leaving to go do this thing? And why are you marathon training right now? And it's like, let's revisit this. And then, even better, the ultimate goal is, of course, for young folks to have their own relationship with these concepts and figure out, like, gosh, what do I do when I'm feeling crummy? Like, how do I move my body in ways that allow me to feel more powerful? And that actually, you know, ends up opening up things for future. Future books and stuff. But those were the. That that was where my head was at when I wrote Strong Mama.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Well, I'm grateful you wrote that book because I remember when I was pregnant, getting a lot of flack for. I was running a lot, you know, during my pregnancy, and. And people would give me a really hard time about the health and. And safety of my child. And it's almost like your book gives people permission. And oftentimes when you're new, you're gonna be a new parent. It's nice to have someone giving you that permission that's been there and did it and was successful at it. And it's nice because then you can begin to model that behavior and know that you're not alone, even if you don't have those people in your life. You know, it's that. It's like that community that you're building for these people to give them that permission. So I'm so grateful that you did that. I just wish you had done it 15 years ago so I could have read it.

[Robin Arzon]

Thank you for paving the way for pregnant athletes. I find it so frustrating, and honestly, I think that the paradigm is shifting a little bit. I hope it is. But I still got. I got flack, too. You know, it's like, you know, I'm teaching eight months pregnant at peloton, and I was physically capable of doing it. I felt really strong. I felt great. Thank goodness. But I just want to invite less judgment and more curiosity about what we're capable of. And instead of asking, what can I do? What can I do? What can I do? Focus on what can you do? It's A whole lot you can do a whole lot. So focus on what you can do and use that to prop you up.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

I love that line. Less judgment, more curiosity. Because here's what I've learned is the more you're judging other people, the more you're actually judging yourself. Even though you don't know it in the moment, it's hurting you. So instead approaching it from a place of curiosity, oh, I wonder how that works for her. You know, that's interesting. I had never thought about that. You know, I wonder what that feels like or how that makes her feel. That is such a powerful shift that everybody should deploy in their life no matter what. Because the minute you stop judging people, that's also the same minute you take others off a pedestal, that's also the same minute you see yourself as an equal to everyone. And to me, that's what this life is all about, that we all are equals. And in fact, let's be there to cheer each other on instead of trying to strip each other down. So thank you for that. So tell me one of the things I like that you've done. You approach fitness from a prior business law experience. So you're very different than the typical, what you would think, you know, a typical instructor. And that's why I love that you're looking at this business that you're building from the books, from, you know, from the brand and from leading as the VP of the brand, and then also through brand partnerships. Can you tell us a little bit about how that happened that evolved?

[Robin Arzon]

So I kind of look at it as, like, I'm. I'm the center of the wheel, and there are spokes of the wheel, and, like, one of them is peloton, one of them is my book writing, One of them is, you know, entrepreneurial things. And then the brand relationships that I have developed over the years with stuff that I'm naturally interested in.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Right.

[Robin Arzon]

Like, I love fashion. So GSTQ was an obvious partner for me when I approach, or whether it's something like, I'm a vegan athlete. So I partnered with a company, Athletic Greens, and I ended up investing in that company and investing in Venus's plant protein line, Viking Happy Viking. So those are natural extensions of how I live my life. I don't really believe in practicing what you preach. I want to preach what I practice, and then I want brands that do that as well. So that is always like, the internal gut check that I'm doing with my team. I now have agents at WME and, you know, a PR team. And when we're discussing this stuff, it's like, I would never. First of all, I have to use. Use the product and genuinely love it. But also, the messaging has to make sense, right? Like, I'm never just going to sign a deal just because the dollars are nice. In fact, I say no to most things, but when things like GST Q. So my relationship with Danny started a few years ago. Danny Garcia started GSTQ. And JCQ's event was actually one of the first events I went to after having Thena and when the world started opening up again after Covid and she had a launch event for her brand for her fashion line in New York City. And I just went as a fan and an admirer of Dani. And the clothes were so dope. I literally came home and I ordered, like, half. Half the collection. And then GSDQ reached out to my team and was like, hey, we want to work together. And this is. This is the, like, the ideal scenario where it's like, hey, I already spent my own money on the clothes. Of course, I'm happy to be paid, you know, to wear them. Now, it's interesting because I always say I traded my suits for spandex when I left law, and now it's such a treat to be able to, like, rock a blazer and a crop top with, like, some sporty track pants that are, like, elevated with platform. You know, it's like I can now mix. I thought I had to kind of park that part of my identity because I was like, okay, well, this is what a fitness instructor looks like or this is what somebody in fitness looks like. And it's like, no. Like, I can do it my own way. And so whether I'm rocking a red carpet or whether I'm going to teach a class, like, I'm. I might have, like, one foot in one world of high fashion and one foot in the other, and I make it my own. And that's definitely what DSTQ message is all about. And the clothes are just beautiful. I mean, I really. I literally feel like I could work out in the blazers. Like, that's how comfortable they are. I did eight. I did, like, 10 hours in D.C. the other day. It was, like a fast and furious trip. I got to go to the White House with this group of a nonpartisan group that was there doing amazing work and literally got on the. Got on the train that morning in the GST Q suit and like 14 hours later stumbled into the door wearing the same GSTQ suit. Honey, I still look Good.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

I love it. Well, Robin, with so much going on and literally your star is shining so bright you're exploding, what is next from you? What are you looking forward to next?

[Robin Arzon]

I want to continue creating platforms that allow people to step into their own power and become self sustaining fire starters. Like whether it's approaching self care with intention and boundary setting or. One of the projects I'm most excited about right now is the creation of the first health and Wellness Club in Web3. I founded Swagger Society a few weeks ago and we are going to be minting NFTs in early 2023 and it's going to be a self actualization swagger society. It's like if you want to be surrounded by folks who want more for themselves, who want to have conversations that light you up and have an environment where thousand or less folks, it's going to be a small, very curated community, are really there for each other, engaging in conversation, having book clubs, early access to all the things I'm working on that's really. I'm going to hold space for people's power and for them to broker connections and really midwife each other's dreams.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Oh so beautiful. Community is so important now more than ever after everybody had been isolated for so long. I love that you are doing this for everyone. Where can everyone find you? Where can they get the book? Where can they catch up with you?

[Robin Arzon]

I am Robin Arson and you can find [e-mail] I am on social media as Robin Arsan, Robin NYC on Twitter and you can follow Swagger Society as well on Twitter and that's where you're going to find news about my Web3 project. And of course I'm at Peloton head instructor teaching there many times a week.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

She's the most motivating instructor you will ever take. Definitely catch a class. Robyn, thank you so much for all the good that you're doing. Keep it up. We are here cheering you on.

[Robin Arzon]

Thank you all so much. Great to see you.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Heather. Guys, until next week. Keep creating your confidence. I decided to change that dynamic.

[Robin Arzon]

How do you like their map?

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

I couldn't be more excited for what you're gonna hear. Start learning and growing. Inevitably something will happen. No one succeeds alone.

[Robin Arzon]

You don't stop and look around once in a while. You could miss it.

[Heather (Podcast Host)]

Come on this journey with me.