Podcast Summary:

The Determined Society with Shawn French
Episode: Olivia Mock Shares The Truth About Self-Love, Fitness & Discipline
Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Shawn French
Guest: Olivia Mock (Founder & CEO, Check In Club)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on how self-love, discipline, and authentic community are the foundations of sustainable fitness and personal growth. Shawn French and Olivia Mock unpack the deeper motivations behind health journeys, the pitfalls of shame-based change, and the importance of community-driven accountability. They delve into Olivia’s origin story, the philosophy behind her app, “Check In Club,” and share practical advice on building habits without succumbing to societal pressures or toxic perfectionism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Root of Sustainable Change: Self-Love vs. Shame

• Motivation Matters:
  Both Shawn and Olivia stress that starting a health or self-improvement journey out of shame ("I’m doing this because I hate myself") leads to cycles of failure and discouragement, while embracing self-love fosters lasting transformation.

  • Quote (Shawn, 26:54):
    "You cannot start a fitness journey being the best self out of shame. You will always fail all day and twice on Sunday. Like you. You cannot be the best version of yourself leading out of shame. It has to be out of self love."

• Personal Reflection:
  Olivia and Shawn both share how negative self-perception, particularly rooted in childhood and adolescent experiences with body image, created hurdles. True change began only when they shifted their mindset to one of compassionate self-care.

  • Quote (Olivia, 29:39):
    "When you start from a place of, like, I'm doing this because I hate myself, your mind hears that and feels that and it's going to produce a result that ultimately doesn't last."

2. The Check In Club: A Community-Driven Approach to Wellness

• Building Authentic Community (No Filters, No Pressure):
  Olivia’s app, the “Check In Club,” is designed to provide accountability and support without the toxicity and performative nature of traditional social media. The focus is on celebrating real people at every stage of their journey—no influencers pushing sales, no comparison traps, no “likes” scoreboard.

  • Quote (Olivia, 3:22):
    "It really does give people a place to show up as they are. And we say that all the time... The reality is social media doesn't give us the opportunity to actually do that because of all the opinions surrounding it."

• Inclusivity and Accessibility:
  With a diverse user base (from new mothers to seasoned athletes), the app is about showing up, not leveling up. Users are encouraged to set their own attainable goals, regardless of ability or background.

• Gamification and Community Groups:
  The app features not only encourage daily check-ins but also enable users to form or join niche communities—Pilates groups, running clubs, beginners, moms, and more.

  • Quote (Olivia, 42:27):
    "We started the app with seven core communities... but you can also create communities... We have pickleball people, Pilates powerhouses, Iron Tribe, Average Joe's... Football coaches' wives doing walking competitions..."

3. Discipline, Consistency, and Mindset

• Start Small, Start Real:
  Both speakers highlight that fitness journeys are built on tiny, consistent wins—whether that’s a daily walk or five push-ups for busy moms. Society’s obsession with drastic, rapid transformation is often counterproductive.

  • Quote (Shawn, 23:02):
    "Don't succumb to what you think society wants of you. You don’t work out. You never work out. You haven't had a healthy meal in 17 freaking years. Go for two walks that week. It’s two more than you did the last 17 years."

• Redefining Exercise:
  Walking, in particular, is championed as valid exercise for anyone regardless of starting point. The speakers challenge the notion that workouts only “count” if they’re grueling or Instagram-worthy.

  • Quote (Olivia, 11:46):
    "There's no only, like, you go for a walk. And I think we like, bully people into thinking that your efforts aren't enough... Everybody has a day one."

• Practical Habits:
  Rituals—like Shawn’s alarm reminder ("I love you, Shawn") and morning gym time—are discussed as concrete habits that anchor self-worth and discipline.

  • Memorable Moment (27:32):
    "I changed my alarm from 'get up, bitch'... I did. I changed it to 'I love you, Shawn.' My wife saw that alarm. She goes, 'Who the hell wrote that?' I go, 'I did.'"

4. The Interplay of Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health

• Mental Health & Movement:
  Olivia shares her struggle with anxiety and credits simple consistency in movement and nutrition—not just therapy or faith—with improving her mental wellbeing.

  • Quote (Olivia, 8:52):
    "I didn't see a true change physically and mentally until I started to put, you know, nutrition in my health and fitness first. Like, people are sleeping on what a simple walk can do for your mental."

• The Ripple Effect on Relationships & Parenting:
  Discipline and self-care, especially for parents, creates a positive impact on the family—better mood, better presence, a healthier model for kids.

  • Quote (Shawn, 24:28):
    "It's not good for your relationship either. Right. You're married... When I'm not on track... I started noticing the change in my speech pattern. I was slower. I'm feeling more anxiety, I'm pressing more, right, instead of pushing."

5. Navigating Societal & Social Media Pressures

• Rejecting Toxic Comparison:
  The episode repeatedly returns to the danger of comparing oneself to unrealistic or filtered images from traditional fitness influencers. Both host and guest underscore the need to define success individually.

  • Quote (Shawn, 21:37):
    "Don’t base your goals on what you think society expects of you."

• The Dangers of Cancel Culture:
  Olivia talks candidly about the hesitation to share nutritional journeys publicly due to fear of being “canceled” for saying the “wrong” thing—yet emphasizes the need for honest, non-judgmental spaces (16:02).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Shawn, on the secret to real change (26:54):

  "You cannot start a fitness journey being the best self out of shame. You will always fail all day and twice on Sunday. Like you. You cannot be the best version of yourself leading out of shame. It has to be out of self love."

• Olivia, on authentic journey beginnings (29:39):

  "When you start from a place of, like, I'm doing this because I hate myself, your mind hears that and feels that and it's going to produce a result that ultimately doesn't last."

• Shawn, on walking as exercise (10:35):

  "If you are overweight... if I'm walking for 45 minutes around the block, it takes energy to move that vessel. No matter how much you weigh, you’re still using gas, right? It burns calories. It’s not rocket science."

• Olivia, on incremental goals and self-permission (20:53):

  "Tell yourself two days. Regardless of what the week presents, I am showing up for myself those two days, regardless, no matter what."

• Shawn, on the key to community (48:47):

  "A lot of times in this journey of health and wellness, you need community, you need it badly."

• Olivia, on the power of seeing others’ struggles and wins (25:25):

  "You have no idea what everybody’s carrying... I’m just so proud. I’m proud of everybody for showing up. Some people, I know their struggles. Other people, I don’t even know their name. It is beautiful..."

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – 04:11
  Introduction to Olivia Mock and the Check In Club; discussion on the app’s unique, supportive culture.
• 08:17 – 10:54
  Conversation on nutrition’s role in mental well-being; small choices vs. perfection.
• 14:45 – 17:11
  Encouraging broader definitions of “checking in” (food, walk, mental health) without judgment or toxic comparison.
• 23:02 – 26:10
  The power of small wins, ignoring societal pressure, and setting realistic, personal goals.
• 26:54 – 30:15
  Moving from shame to self-love as motivation; personal stories of self-image and transformation.
• 42:27 – 47:54
  In-depth look at Check In Club’s community features and the power of group accountability.
• 49:17 – End
  Future plans for the app, widgets, new features, and closing thoughts on showing up for oneself.

Conclusion

Tone & Takeaway:
The conversation is raw, motivating, and often humorous, but always grounded in a “real talk” approach. Listeners are urged to let go of shame, start with what’s achievable, and seek out community for encouragement. The Check In Club is lauded as a non-judgmental space celebrating every effort—reminding everyone that authentic self-love, not external validation, builds lasting confidence and health.

Final Call to Action (Shawn, 50:11):

"Download [Check In Club]. Right? Just download it. It's literally free... Join the community and just show up for yourselves."

For listeners:

If you’re struggling to start or restart your health journey, this episode reminds you that loving yourself enough to show up—even imperfectly and amid struggle—is the only “perfection” that matters. The win is in the showing up.