Pilates, Listening to Your Body, and Small Business in Zumbrota | Trisha Miller, Ah Sirt #058

Hi everyone. I'm Karissa from Shining Light on Minnesota. I'm super excited. We are in Zumbrota, Minnesota. Today I have Trisha Miller here from Ah Sirt. Welcome Trisha. Thank you. Good to be here. Thanks for having me. Yeah. So, let's get started and let's tell all our viewers a little bit about Zumbrota and what got you here. Zumbrota got me here uh through my husband. Um he is born and raised here, a farmer, dairy farmer, and we met. I was living in Rochester at the time and we got married and I was traveling back and forth with um my job at the time and it just made more sense for me to settle in here with him and so we've been here for third well I've been here for 30 years with him so so what is assert and tell everybody about where we're actually at today. Yeah. So assert uh fitness and nail salon uh I've changed it a couple times over the years. Um it's really assert body beauty of balance and it's really about taking care of yourself, doing something for your body, doing something for your beauty. Um and that equals out to be balance. So do something for yourself. We are a salon and spa. We are a health and wellness uh studio as well as a fitness studio. What drove you to getting into this business? That's a good question, right? Yeah, good question. Um, well, I ran a tanning salon for 10 years and that was going to be my gig right out of high school and uh things took a turn and went a different way and I always thought I wanted to do nails if I didn't work at a tanning salon. So, um, and, uh, I've always been in fitness, always a dancer, and so I came across, uh, exercise science, and start and Pilates, um, and just kind of went head forth in that. So went and got my nail license and did that for a few years. Fell in love with Pilates and exercise and it just kind of branched into Zumba and kickboxing and cardio and strength and which is kind of funny because your family has a history in like the music and the back history in in Rochester and the ties to it. Tell a little bit about that. Yes. Well, my grandfather is Bernie Lusk. Yeah. So, uh, he was a broadcaster for, I mean, as long as I've known Bernie Lust, correct? Yeah. Yeah. So, big Lust family. My mom is his daughter, one and only daughter. Yeah. And, uh, he ran the cancer teleathon. He was with KTTC. Um, just big. And all my uncles and just they did a lot for the community. Absolutely. Yep. Yep. My one uncle is in a band and um all musically inclined um all dance inclined. We all can dance, right? Um hence hence the studio, right? Yes. Yes. And uh everybody can dance though. Everybody can dance. We just all dance differently. Very true. Very true. My sister got the singing jeans. I can sing but I just sing. Everybody can sing but they can sing differently. Differently. Not something you'd want me to hold a microphone and sing to you. Maybe in the car, in the shower, somewhere where you're alone or when I'm teaching. I sing a lot when I teach. But yeah. Yep. So, it's a lot of fun. Um, so who have been some of your mentors along the way that have really gotten you and driven you to do the independent things that you've done? Um, well, probably my relatives, the Lusk family, Verie. Um, go-getter. Yep. Um, fierce and strong. Yeah. You know, just if it can't, somebody says you can't do it, well, I'm going to figure out a way that I can. Just I'll do it. Yeah. My uncles, my mother, um my parents, all of them. But my cousin Wendy, Gary's, uh daughter has been a big influence on me. She owns a salon. And um that's really what enticed me to kind of really fall in love with doing nails, too. Um Yeah. Yeah. Just bosses along the way. Mh. Um maybe some teachers back in the day. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So, but probably Yeah. Probably it stems from grandparents and uncles family, right? First. Yeah. What have been some of the obstacles that you've seen? Obviously being in small town, small businesses that have made it a little more difficult. Um well, in a small community, you have, you know, a plethora of other um businesses that kind of run the same thing you do, but what makes you you and them them is you're not them and they aren't you. So, you're unique. Um style of doing things. Um but in a small town, it's it's not a lot of people. Competition isn't really there. Yeah. and um obstacles along the way. I mean just the way the the state works economy um co uh you know but you persevere through all the hard and the good and well look at all the growth as Zimro is starting to see male clinics coming out all the growth that the cities is coming down everything's starting to kind of come up so it'll be interesting to see what the next couple years bring for too so exciting yeah Zimroa is actually an amazing community um especially with business women business owners This whole main street is just um a a stop that you want to make. It's it's really And we're at we're kind of the hub between Rochester and the cities. Yep. Every every time I come I'm like I'm stopping in Zumbrota. That's that's where you stop to get the gas. That's where you stop to to meet everything and do everything. Stop by the shoe store and uh maybe grab a quick be a pair of shoes. Yeah. Right. Why not? Some really unique uh stuff going on in Zumbrota. The arts council is amazing. Um, uh, crossings is amazing. The cover bridge, uh, there's a new festival coming out. I heard about next weekend, the 20th and 21st, some covered bridge festival. Amazing. And if you're into arts or anything, it's a great community to to come to. But, uh, we're right off 52, so it's easy access. Um and and the you know just the people are just small town hometown you know Minnesota nice. Absolutely. In a small town. Yeah. And I mean it's it's close to Canon Falls. It's close to the Twin Cities. It's close to May Clinic. It's kind of just the heart and soul of Minnesota. Yeah. Yes. I mean you have the the farming side, you have the agricultural, but you also have the the businesses. You have the economy. You have a little bit of everything. Yeah. What do you think is going to come in the future? What do you what do you want to see with growth and with fitness and health and everything? Oh, with with assert or in general um assert uh where do I see us going? Um just uh more education I think on you know uh how to take care of your body. Um so many things changing in in that world, right? Yeah. how to fuel your body, how to eat right, how to move, how to move forward the way your body moves. Um, we all move differently. So, um, I'm going to get you on the reformer in a little bit, but y but, um, you know, some students are shouldn't do a push-up, right? but how can I strengthen your shoulders and your upper body and your core in a push-up style y for your body? So, it's really learning about your body and how your body moves and what you can do for movement because we have to move. You have to move. If you don't use it, you lose it. Yeah. So, so the beauty of what we do here is we have a plethora of exercises. We're small groups. So my studio here max I can have in the class depending on the class is 8 to 10 people. Nice. So I can really customize it per student and modify a student where I need to. The beauty of our studio too is our students are are mainly women. We have a few males but mainly women who are here for that same thing and they support each other. I have just an amazing You want that. You want that one-on-one, but you also want that team feeling like everybody can do it. You win if or we all win when we all win, right? Yep. So, and and the the the success stories that that are shared and it's like keep going, keep going. You got this. I was a beginner once at your your at one time just like you. And so seeing those people reach their goals too or just doing something they don't think they can do like even just getting to class and getting in the door and getting to the first class and then getting through the first week and just making those little leaps and bounds. Yeah. Yeah. It's so powerful. Um the Pilates in general, we teach a Pilates um chair. It's a machine with a pedal chair resistance. And I remember I'm going to use this one in particular student of mine. she started she very strong very very flexible but her balance she didn't have that core strength she had to use the wall she had to use um you know assistance to balancer and um over about six sessions she slowly came away from the wall came from the wall and then eventually she came away from that foam roller and then she started balancing on herself and you should she'd been with me for maybe a year and a half, two years. And uh she just wow I love watching her from where she started and where she is now. She's actually in advanced classes um that which take you to that just that challenge. Yeah. So uh it's it's beyond powerful. It's funny when people are like I'm stronger. I can do it and then they don't know the core strength. They don't know the balance strength. They don't know everything else that goes into it, right? Like hey I played contact sports all my life but I know I don't have balance. So, I know I don't have the coordination. I don't know have the There's different core strengths that you can have, right? It's so different. Your body is definitely a machine that is um uh there's parts to it. There's level one muscles, level two muscles, level three muscles. There's stabilization and tracking of the joints you want. So, form is huge um with any kind of movement. And that's really what we try to focus on here um with what we teach in all modalities. Let's tell I've heard a story. Now this might be secondhand story, but you've went and worked with your grandfather and who is also a veteran a little bit. When they get to an older stage, they start to lose their they lose their drive. They lose their motivation to kind of get up and move. Then you went and worked with him a little bit and now he's starting to kind of get back to moving more mobility wise, moving things like that. So you went and kind of worked with him a little bit from what I was told and now he's moving a little bit better and you kind of worked with him on some exercise and strength things like that too. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, we we get older and then we well um you know, injuries, ailments, whatever start to take over and um you know, you just kind of get in this discouraged state where you just don't want to move. You just want to just sit and be. Well, you lose atrophy sets in, right? And you lose that mobility. So, even just getting up and um um before you sit down to watch TV, it's do something, right? Yeah. It's maybe small little squats three times, four times, a bike, get a bike on the ground or something. Yeah. Yep. instead of um um in his case it was kind of um instead of putting your water by your water by your stand, put it on your dresser so that you have actually get up and go to the dresser. And um we've done stuff like with small weights with him and just even just standing when you're uh reading the paper, stand instead of sit. Um maybe as you're reading the paper, stand and do a leg lift here out to the side or um you know take your arm away and do some you know it's just those little mobility movements that will keep your mo body mobile which is even true with the younger generation with all the gaming. Like you don't notice that that that's the worst. Like the hunched over on your phone on the gaming doing that 247 like okay get outside and go do something like that's 100% what I tell my kids, I don't care if you do something, just go do something. Like get out of the room, go play sports, just go outside, go have fun, be kids, you know, get out there and do something. Yeah. Your body was made to move. Yep. We've got to move it. And you've got to find what you love for movement to do that movement. So if you love running, go run. If you love walking, go walk. If you like the bike, yeah, find what you like to do. and stick with that because I could put you in a boot camp class, but if it's not your gig, y you're not you're not going to want to come play golf the rest of your lives. It's you're still moving and doing it, right? Exactly. Exactly. So, find something you love to do and Yeah. Make it your passion. Yeah. What do you think has been one of your most successful moments being a business owner? Um, well, where I'm at today, having this studio, um, having my reformer studio and not having to move the reformers, um, I actually work with a woman, uh, with the SSI agency, who hires me out uh, for her retreats in Arizona and Colorado. That's a huge success for me to be able to uh for her to want to hire me out to teach. Yeah. For her. You learn and grow that way too. So getting out and about and seeing what the other cultures are like and what just even out of Minnesota and everywhere else too they're doing. Yeah. So where I'm at, but I I think most important is my students and their success. Yeah. and seeing and seeing somebody walk in and they're like first time or maybe just getting back into it or had an injury and you just depression sits in that mental health is just not positive and then to see them leave even after their first class and they're they can do it. I'm I'm here. H that's success to me. Yeah. What do you think has been one of the most difficult times that you've had? Uh co co um yeah probably co um you know getting started uh is always you know difficult because you just don't know it's a risk. Um I don't think I ever went into it as um thinking that I wouldn't make it. I was just I know I'm going to do this and I know I know it's going to work because of my passion for it. Um uh yeah, I'd say probably co we had a property um on the opposite of side of town behind the SA and uh subway um it's a little building that sits there. Yeah. And anyway, when that sold that was that was hard. Yeah, that was definitely like, okay, this is my separation. I've got to figure it out now. Yeah. Yeah. And that was right kind of at co, but otherwise, yeah, I mean, you have those off times. Um, yeah, we probably say co. Yeah. Right. I mean, it is a big time and it was a it was an up and down time. Just the unknown. Yeah. How do you think that your clients have changed since co? Do you think that they've pulled away more or they come back more now or what do you think's changed since then? More? Um, yeah. Let's see. I would probably say um some have pulled back. I've gotten more students virtually. Yep. So that's been a huge part of the positive absolutely the blessings of co 100% you know which you gota always look at those blessings but yeah we do um they're starting to get back to more in person which is good for get back into getting out there. Yeah. I think people you know went home and got cozy at home but now that they can do it at home. I think accessibility has changed. Definitely. And technology has changed. I mean, they're making things more accessible to do at your fingertips. Y um so many more options and apps and different things to do. What do you think healthwise will be coming in the future as far as the way bodies have changed and the way people have changed with their activities? Do you think that there's going to be more stressors obviously on the body with the hench hunched over atrophies with the way kids are gaming and the way bodies are changing. Is it going to be more stretching? Is it going to be more reflex reflectivity? Is it going to be more working out with muscles? Is it what do you think it'll be a little bit? I see the fitness industry um growing in mind body Pilates, yoga, taichi, gyroinesis, key kong um just more of those mindbody um modalities that help with not just the fitness, right? All of it, but the mindset. And uh you've seen a huge growth with Pilates um which is so great to see. Um but it's that education on those modalities because those mind body uh modalities are are created with principles. Um so do you think that people that are out there that are thinking that they can be an instructor or do it on their own and learn on their own are causing more damage than good? Yes and no. depending on their um their knowledge and their body awareness they want to learn and how Yeah. Yeah. But yes, I've seen I've had students come in who've done this this and this on their own and the way the internet says, "Hey, let's do it. Let's try it at home." Yeah. Might not try wall Pilates at home and I hurt my back. Uh because it's a wall workout, not Pilates and it's not made specifically for you. Yep. Yeah. Yes. So, everybody's body's different, right? Everybody's body is different. So, you know, it comes back to to learning anatomy can kinesiology and how your body moves, right? And where it shouldn't move? Yep. You know, what do you think is best for someone that's looking to start out? Do you spec or specifically tell them to come to somebody to figure out what's best for them first to come into you or to come into a go into a site that's near them or to reach out? What would be best? Yeah, I do recommend um reaching out to personal trainer or a group fitness class um a beginner class probably uh to really kind of get an idea of what you want, what your needs are, what you're looking to accomplish, what your goals are. Um so that they can help guide you. Right? So, I have some private clients who come and we meet, we put a plan together. Some see me once a week, some see me twice a week, some see me once a month. And if their body awareness is good, um, they only need to see me once a week. I mean, we connect in between if they have questions. Um, so that's what I would recommend is doing. Definitely see a professional with certifications who has the knowledge certified. The internet's not always correct. Yes. Don't do a wall Pilates workout without learning those Pilates principles first for you. Yes. Yeah. Don't go get bands on your own and just try things out. Yes. Right. Because you want to learn about your posture and where your posture at. And if you don't have that knowledge of where that posture should be for you, where overexertion? Yeah. If you're kyphosis, what should I be working on to get this rounded back? Right. And extension extension exercises for sure. So, how much is too much for the beginner to do? Probably depends on their body and where they're at, too. Yep. It depends on the person. Customize. Yep. Yep. And never do too much though. I always say less is better. Uh especially as you're building out because that's where you're going to learn how to not overdo, right? you know, you overdo, you're going to be sore and not want to come back, right? You know, so always a beginner class so that you can learn those basics and the fundamentals and the principles. What's important for someone when they're starting to get into the health and wellness, too? Obviously, the eating patterns, the how much they should drink, everything like that, too. Great question, right? Yes, great question. Um, and that's something where a beginner class or a private training session is going to be good for a new student is how do I feel my body? I go to eat quick drip uh three times a day. I'm in my car. I'm just going to go and snack some fast food non-stop and then I'm going to try to do Pilates right afterwards. Right. Right. Right. So, it's there's so many diets out there. So many, you know, get the injection and be good. Right. Yeah. No, don't do that. Don't don't do any of that GL stuff or any of those injection. Don't your body needs food, right? We need the right kind of food and the right kind of food. Not that you can't splurge a little here and there, but let's get your body uh fueled right with eating. I eat at least six to eight times a day. Um, and it's just amazing what changing my eating habits did for me by fueling my body every two to three hours. The correct stuff in Yes. And the healthy foods, you know? I mean, I don't know the difference that my body has made since I stopped drinking caffeine. I don't drink fluids with sugar. Like cutting out all that stuff. Everybody's like, "How do you get through it?" I'm like, "I feel so much better not having caffeine, not having sugar, not having any of that extra stuff." I'm like, I have so much more energy and it's just natural and it's it's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you'll feel it. You got to get through that sugar detox. Yep. I'm like, I don't have migraines anymore. I don't have any of the extra stuff that I used to have. Yeah. Awesome. That is awesome. It's one of those things that people don't realize. It's like, okay, you used to have the crashes and you used to have all the extra stuff and it's it's night and day difference. Yeah. Yep. What's next for you, do you think? like familywise, business-wise, do you see anything exciting coming up the road or do you have anything fun planned here? You've got the nails, the hair, the There's always something exciting in my life. Planning, right? Some things I can't tell you. We'll have you on again in a couple months and we'll be like, "Okay, here's here's Yeah. So, I'm I do a lot. I'm pretty busy and I love it. It's it's exciting. I teach here. Um we I'm a nail tech by trade and uh we have a health and wellness so we run tanning bed salt booth uh juv light therapy I would love and I've got call the guy but um there's uh cold um every morning the cold the cold plunge and the red light therapy both at home I'm like that's my ritual every morning. So that's I'm looking into getting that for our health and wellness studio. Um, I teach for the Mayo Clinic, uh, Dan and Abram Healthy Living Center. Y, so there's some exciting stuff that I hope to see. What do you teach there? Pilates, mainly Pilates. Um, but, uh, ever since co, they had this huge they had a huge shift and they they're getting back and the Potty studios open. So, that's really exciting to see that come back forth. Um, you know, just learning more modalities and just growing. We actually got more space in our studio here. Exciting. The growth is always good. It gives you more room. It's like, okay, now I can have an extra space for the nails and I can have the hair and I can have a whole room for the class and the Zumbas. Yeah. Yes. So, we're going to make that room uh treadmill and elliptical. perfect timing for the weather to get get cold and you know people too cold to walk outside and don't have a treadmill at home. So that's going to be super exciting for our members um as we move forward in this next year. Um yeah, you know, I'm big part of the farm. I don't do any of the milking or the chores, but I'm behind the scenes. So your husband has a farm. You did talk about that. Yes. Here in Zabroda. Yes. Yes. Dairy farm or what kind of farm? Dairy farm. Yep. And I'm a farmer's wife, not a farmer. Right. But we work. And that's a tough industry. Like we could have a whole segment on that. That is one of the most difficult but also most rewarding industries. Yes. It's been uh let's see. We've been together 30 years. So it's been a really because I'm a city girl. Yeah. Right. I'm a hair, skin, nail person. Yep. Yep. So, but it's been fun to watch that industry and watch him grow into taking over the farm. So, I do all the books um and scheduling and so I see it see the ups and downs. Yeah. And yeah, there's definitely difficult times with the farm, but Yep. the cattle and yeah, but it's very rewarding in the same sense uh uh just the hard work that goes into it. And we have right now at the farm we have oh gosh maybe eight eight 10 kids working for us right now. Amazing. Yeah. So and some of them are just at that ninth 8th grade ninth grade 10th grade year. Some of them seniors this year. But to see them grow in that industry of farming and the love they have for helping milk cows is just and they're good kids. So, it's been really fun to um especially in that young of age like a lot of times people are like kids don't want to work. I'm like it's how they're raised. Yeah, they do want to work and they do understand it and they do love it. They just have to find their niche and they have to find what they want to do and where their passion is, right? And they have to know how to do it and they'll be fine. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's so cool to see just and then their growth. So growth with um with people, growth with our students, growth with we just got uh the salon just added the hair designers used to be on Main Street. Okay. Yep. And uh they and just joined us, merged over here with us. She closed her salon on Main Street. So we've got Diane and Lindsay and Ashley here um now at this salon full service. I've got a gal, Mary, who does skin care. I'm lacking a massage therapist, though. So, if you know any massage therapist, I'm sure our viewers will. Absolutely. Send a massage therapist. By the way, um they all work independently. They're they run their own business. That's so fun to see. So growth with them, growth with uh seeing women uh succeed in their health, in their business, uh seeing these young kids grow up and yeah, be successful. Be successful. Um in just mind, body, heart, and soul. Yeah. Do what you want to do. Find your passion. Be there. Do it. Show up. Yeah. Showing up is a big step of it and making that first step. Yeah. I think a lot of times people don't realize progress is just taking a step no matter how big or small. Just just do it. Yep. And celebrate all wins. You know, every step is a success. Yep. And I work with I have the opportunity to get hired out with the SSI agency and just the growth that she has coming. So to be part of that amazing, you know, if anybody wants to hire, I'm for hire. I love going and and teaching for businesses and companies. um uh or retreats or whatever you got going on. So, how can people get a hold of you and what what would be the best way for them to say, "Hey, I want to hire her." Or, "Hey, I want to get in touch. I want I want to be a massage therapist there, or I want to I want to tie up and collaborate with her." Yeah. Um probably via text or phone or email. Okay. Or they can get a hold of us. But how can I email you? What's your email address? My email is assertfitnessgmail.com. And assert fitness is a hs i t. Perfect. It is my name spelled backwards. So assert yourself. Do something for yourself. Be assertive. Get out there. Yep. So assertfitness@gmail.com and my cell phone number is 507208004 or get a hold of us on here. We'll definitely be able to get you in touch with her. I'll shoot you over the messages. It'll be in our newsletter which will be out the very next day. So that's super exciting. We appreciate having you on. We're going to give you a tour. We're going to go look at your equipment. I guess I'm going to try out the reformer. Super excited. Let's do it. Let's get her moving. Let's go. See you guys later. Thank you for being here today. Thank you. [Music]