Be Powerful with Liz & Lee

Pilates is trending. Protein is trending. Two-week abs are trending. And we have thoughts. In this episode, we break down the "Pilates wars," what Pilates actually is (and why real certification matters), and how social media has turned fitness into something performative instead of powerful. We talk about Megaformers, weekend certifications, protein without obsession, and why chasing numbers – on the scale, in your macros, or in your workout streak – is exhausting your brain more than building your body. The truth? Consistency beats intensity. Every time. Whether it's strength training, nutrition, or relationships, going to your edge without jumping off the cliff is where real change happens. If you're overwhelmed by fitness noise and ready to simplify, this one's your reset.
 
Resources mentioned:
ABsolute Pilates

Iron Butterfly

 
3 Ways to Calm the Fitness Noise:
Choose consistency over intensity. You don't need two-a-days, free-week marathons, or a 14-day body reset. Move your body most days. Lift something heavy. Break a sweat. Then come back tomorrow. Real strength is built in rhythm, not in extremes.

Stop turning your health into a math problem. If macros, scale weight, protein grams, and calorie counts are running through your head all day, that's noise. Eat real food. Add protein at your meals. Hydrate. Sleep. Repeat. Simple works.

Go to your edge, not off the cliff. Challenge yourself, but keep your agency. Some days are heavier weights and extra push-ups. Some days are lighter and slower. Listening to your body isn't weakness. It's power.

 
🔥SWTHZ South Park is a contrast therapy experience for wellness lovers who want the biohacking benefits of saunas and cold plunges in a luxurious, private environment. Get $10 off your first session with code LKSWT10, or use code LKSWT when purchasing a membership!
 
☕️MUD/WTR is a coffee alternative consisting of 100% organic cacao, ayurvedic herbs and functional mushrooms. With just a fraction of caffeine found in coffee, you get energy, focus and immune support without the crash! Use this link for 15% off your purchase, or $20 off PLUS a 15% discount if you subscribe!
 
Hilliard Studio Method takes working out to the next level to produce results that are nothing short of a total mind-body transformation. If you're ready to get in incredible shape, you can work out with us in-person at our Charlotte studio, join classes from home via Zoom, or sign up for our on-demand streaming service!
HSM In-Person Classes

HSM At Home (Via Zoom)

HSM Streaming

 
Be Powerful with Liz & Lee is focused on helping you find your inner power and for us to share our thoughts on society, culture, and current events. As the team behind Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, North Carolina, we love all things wellness and will also share info on how to live your healthiest life mentally, physically, and emotionally.
 
Podcast contact info:
Liz's Instagram 

Lee's Instagram

Hilliard Studio Method

HSM Facebook

Liz & Lee's YouTube

Eighteen years in, and we're still in the middle of reinvention. From starting Hilliard Studio Method in borrowed spaces to navigating real estate pressure and big-city change, this conversation gets honest about what it takes to build a business rooted in community; not ego or profit. We talk about aging without apology, trusting yourself when the noise gets loud, and why protecting the people who make your business what it is will always come first. If you're building something from the heart and refusing to let fear run the show, this one's for you.
 
Local Charlotte Businesses You Can Support:
Supperland – A Plaza Midwood restaurant in a restored church, run by Jeff Tonidandel & Jamie Brown, who invest in community and historic preservation

Laurel Market – A beloved neighborhood deli and market with decades of Charlotte history, now entering a new chapter as it relocates after 35+ years

Bond Street Wines – A local wine shop and tasting room that brings people together over thoughtfully curated bottles and community events

 
3 Truths About Building a Community-Driven Business:
Lead with impact first, and let the money catch up. The strongest businesses aren't built by chasing profit; they're built by solving real problems for real people. When your work genuinely improves lives, financial success becomes a byproduct, not the goal.

Reinvention is part of longevity, not a sign of failure. Every long-lasting business will be forced to evolve, by aging, markets, or circumstances beyond your control. The key isn't avoiding change, but adapting without abandoning the values that made your business matter in the first place.

Community doesn't live in a building, it lives in trust. Spaces may change and platforms may shift, but people stay where they feel seen! Whether in person or online, consistency, care, and connection are what turn customers into a community.

 
🔥SWTHZ South Park is a contrast therapy experience for wellness lovers who want the biohacking benefits of saunas and cold plunges in a luxurious, private environment. Get $10 off your first session with code LKSWT10, or use code LKSWT when purchasing a membership!
 
☕️MUD/WTR is a coffee alternative consisting of 100% organic cacao, ayurvedic herbs and functional mushrooms. With just a fraction of caffeine found in coffee, you get energy, focus and immune support without the crash! Use this link for 15% off your purchase, or $20 off PLUS a 15% discount if you subscribe!
 
Hilliard Studio Method takes working out to the next level to produce results that are nothing short of a total mind-body transformation. If you're ready to get in incredible shape, you can work out with us in-person at our Charlotte studio, join classes from home via Zoom, or sign up for our on-demand streaming service!
HSM In-Person Classes

HSM At Home (Via Zoom)

HSM Streaming

 
Be Powerful with Liz & Lee is focused on helping you find your inner power and for us to share our thoughts on society, culture, and current events. As the team behind Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, North Carolina, we love all things wellness and will also share info on how to live your healthiest life mentally, physically, and emotionally.
 
Podcast contact info:
Liz's Instagram 

Lee's Instagram

Hilliard Studio Method

HSM Facebook

Liz & Lee's YouTube

You've heard "self-care" a million times, but what does it actually mean to put yourself first when the world feels heavy, everyone needs something from you, and burnout is practically a badge of honor? In this episode, we flip the script: self-care isn't a luxury, a mani-pedi, or something you "earn." It's the foundation of presence, emotional resilience, and the only way to sustainably show up for others. We share what real self-care looks like (from morning silence to intuitive breaks), why boundaries matter, and how vulnerability, not perfection, builds trust, health, and connection. This one's both a reminder and a call to action: take care of you first, so everything else has meaning and energy behind it.
 
Some key takeaways from this episode:
Self-care fuels everything else. Putting yourself first is what lets you show up for everyone else. It's not about facials or free time, it's about what actually recharges you so you don't burn out trying to hold it all together.

There's no one-size-fits-all. Whether it's a quiet morning or simply knowing when to pause, the point isn't perfection, it's presence. Tune in, check in, and adjust as you go.

Support should feel like support. A few people who honor your boundaries and show up when it counts will always matter more than a crowd. Community is quality, not quantity.

 
🔥SWTHZ South Park is a contrast therapy experience for wellness lovers who want the biohacking benefits of saunas and cold plunges in a luxurious, private environment. Get $10 off your first session with code LKSWT10, or use code LKSWT when purchasing a membership!
 
☕️MUD/WTR is a coffee alternative consisting of 100% organic cacao, ayurvedic herbs and functional mushrooms. With just a fraction of caffeine found in coffee, you get energy, focus and immune support without the crash! Use this link for 15% off your purchase, or $20 off PLUS a 15% discount if you subscribe!
 
Hilliard Studio Method takes working out to the next level to produce results that are nothing short of a total mind-body transformation. If you're ready to get in incredible shape, you can work out with us in-person at our Charlotte studio, join classes from home via Zoom, or sign up for our on-demand streaming service!
HSM In-Person Classes

HSM At Home (Via Zoom)

HSM Streaming

 
Be Powerful with Liz & Lee is focused on helping you find your inner power and for us to share our thoughts on society, culture, and current events. As the team behind Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, North Carolina, we love all things wellness and will also share info on how to live your healthiest life mentally, physically, and emotionally.
 
Podcast contact info:
Liz's Instagram 

Lee's Instagram

Hilliard Studio Method

HSM Facebook

Liz & Lee's YouTube

Strength is in… so is softness, and so is listening to your body. In this episode, we talk about rewriting the rules of movement: from dopamine workouts and heavy weights to inflammation, burnout, and why "long and lean" isn't the goal anymore (if it ever was). Liz gets honest about choosing ease over intensity on the Reformer, Lee talks rest, and we both share why resistance training is about remembering how powerful you already are – not punishing your body to become someone else.
 
Resources mentioned:
Ep. 200. Beyond the Shot: GLP‑1s, Muscle & True Wellness | A Live Panel with SPMJ Aesthetics

Ep. 201. Why Women Need to Feel Really Good (and How to Get There) with Sarah Wragge

 
Some key takeaways from this episode:
Your body is already powerful, movement just reveals it. You don't need to earn your strength or punish yourself into progress. Picking up heavier weights, at your own level, helps you build resilience in both body and mind.

If a workout leaves you exhausted, it's not working. Movement should energize, not deplete. If you're constantly sore, tired, or irritable, it's time to look at your relationship with exercise and make room for fuel, hydration, rest, and joy.

Healing your mindset around fitness starts with letting go of perfection. You're not supposed to "do it all" in a workout. Pushing through every class at full speed isn't the flex. Knowing when to scale back, rest, or walk instead is real strength.

 
🔥SWTHZ South Park is a contrast therapy experience for wellness lovers who want the biohacking benefits of saunas and cold plunges in a luxurious, private environment. Get $10 off your first session with code LKSWT10, or use code LKSWT when purchasing a membership!
 
☕️MUD/WTR is a coffee alternative consisting of 100% organic cacao, ayurvedic herbs and functional mushrooms. With just a fraction of caffeine found in coffee, you get energy, focus and immune support without the crash! Use this link for 15% off your purchase, or $20 off PLUS a 15% discount if you subscribe!
 
Hilliard Studio Method takes working out to the next level to produce results that are nothing short of a total mind-body transformation. If you're ready to get in incredible shape, you can work out with us in-person at our Charlotte studio, join classes from home via Zoom, or sign up for our on-demand streaming service!
HSM In-Person Classes

HSM At Home (Via Zoom)

HSM Streaming

 
Be Powerful with Liz & Lee is focused on helping you find your inner power and for us to share our thoughts on society, culture, and current events. As the team behind Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, North Carolina, we love all things wellness and will also share info on how to live your healthiest life mentally, physically, and emotionally.
 
Podcast contact info:
Liz's Instagram 

Lee's Instagram

Hilliard Studio Method

HSM Facebook

Liz & Lee's YouTube

2026 is here, and we are galloping into it with clarity, humor, and a few dragons. We are kicking off the year by sharing what we're letting go of from 2025 (comparison, pressure, scarcity) and what we're calling for in 2026 (creativity, presence, joy, money, and more).
 
Expect Celine Dion skating routines, Stranger Things finale tears, birthday reflections, and a reminder that the blessing of age is knowing what lights you up, and where to give that light back. From travel plans and business expansions to confidence, calendars, and career shifts, this is a joyfully honest look at growth, aging, and the power of knowing yourself.
 
🌎Ready to book your next vacation? Contact Lee Kennelly at [email protected] to get started!
 
Resources mentioned:
The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

The Big A** Calendar

SmartFlyer Travel | Contact: [email protected]

 
Some key takeaways from this episode:
Aging brings clarity, not limitation. Liz shares why her 72nd birthday feels powerful, not limiting. With age comes the deep freedom of knowing who you are, what turns you on, and how to give that power back to the world. Aging is not about sitting down. It's about standing even more firmly in your moment.

Resolutions don't work when they're rooted in comparison. Lee reminds us that you don't need five books on your nightstand or 18 goals in motion to feel worthy. Stop measuring your life against someone else's checklist. Define success by what lights you up… and then go do more of that.

You can reinvent at any age (and you should). Whether it's public speaking, writing a book, launching a travel business, or planning your year with a giant-ass wall calendar, 2026 is about trusting your next step even if it looks different from the last one. The dragon is back. Let's ride.

 
🔥SWTHZ South Park is a contrast therapy experience for wellness lovers who want the biohacking benefits of saunas and cold plunges in a luxurious, private environment. Get $10 off your first session with code LKSWT10, or use code LKSWT when purchasing a membership!
 
☕️MUD/WTR is a coffee alternative consisting of 100% organic cacao, ayurvedic herbs and functional mushrooms. With just a fraction of caffeine found in coffee, you get energy, focus and immune support without the crash! Use this link for 15% off your purchase, or $20 off PLUS a 15% discount if you subscribe!
 
Hilliard Studio Method takes working out to the next level to produce results that are nothing short of a total mind-body transformation. If you're ready to get in incredible shape, you can work out with us in-person at our Charlotte studio, join classes from home via Zoom, or sign up for our on-demand streaming service!
HSM In-Person Classes

HSM At Home (Via Zoom)

HSM Streaming

 
Be Powerful with Liz & Lee is focused on helping you find your inner power and for us to share our thoughts on society, culture, and current events. As the team behind Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, North Carolina, we love all things wellness and will also share info on how to live your healthiest life mentally, physically, and emotionally.
 
Podcast contact info:
Liz's Instagram 

Lee's Instagram

Hilliard Studio Method

HSM Facebook

Liz & Lee's YouTube