We had the good fortune of connecting with Cassie Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cassie, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Business ownership, like life, is rarely predicable and will challenge you in ways you could never foresee. Over time, I’ve learned that I feel most successful when I view my work life balance as a verb rather than a noun. It’s a never-ending pursuit; an everlasting experiment. A lifelong achiever, my greatest struggle has always been to give myself permission to just live; to enjoy special moments and cherish calm moments instead of always working toward a new accomplishment. After using my career to provide a distraction from the challenges in my personal life for too many years, (especially after my Dad was diagnosed with Leukemia), I eventually found myself completely empty and utterly exhausted. I let my desire to escape lead me instead of letting my values lead me and I was completely lost. As I’ve grown older and lived through more and more life-defining moments, I’ve realized that the toughest, most painful moments are also the moments that can offer clarity, so now I slow myself down and embrace them as an opportunity to learn what my nonnegotiables are. The more I prioritize my mental and physical wellness, the more in tune I am with my moral compass. And each time I make another decision that aligns with my values, even when it means making a difficult sacrifice for my business, I feel a little more fulfilled. So I nourish my body with my meals. I move my body throughout the day. I strength train at least 3x a week. I fuel my mind and soul with educational articles, books, documentaries and podcasts. I call family and friends. I let myself enjoy unplugged, quality time with my husband and my dogs. The formula is always changing, so I’m always adjusting, but anytime I neglect any of those nonnegotiables, I feel myself losing balance and know what I need to prioritize in order to get back on track.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Starting my own business offering online fitness programs through an app and virtual fitness classes through a private streaming platform has been the greatest challenge I’ve ever taken on. I’ve learned technical skills I never thought I’d need, trained myself to do things that larger companies pay massive fees for and I’ve become more adaptable than I’ve ever been in my life. At the end of the day, though, my mission always keeps me motivated. I want people to have access to high-quality, affordable fitness programs no matter where they live. Coming from a small, rural town, none of my family or friends who are still there have access to luxury gyms or boutique studios like I’ve worked at in urban settings, and, unfortunately, the classes and programs that they do have access to are often outdated or are not the best quality. The ability to care for our body, improve our quality of life and preserve our health is a human right, and I want everyone to have access to reliable information and programs that follow the latest research, not necessarily the latest trends. It’s also incredibly important to me to foster a healthy relationship between people and their bodies. We live in a world that encourages us to pick our body apart for the way that it looks, when it’s purpose is to provide us a vessel to move through life with. I want people to appreciate their body for what it allows them to experience instead of how it’s presented visually.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Whenever friends or family come to Southern California, I try to bring them to see the sea lions in La Jolla, followed by a tasty meal at Taste of Himalayas. A trip to the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park is often high on my guests’ bucket list so we usually go there, or sometimes Disneyland! Walking along Laguna Beach is a must and we love to treat them to Buddha’s Favorite sushi in Newport Beach.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to shoutout Freemotion Fitness! I’m a master trainer for the company that created the original cable machine and makes the best treadmills and cable machines in the industry. Their dedication to research and education of professionals has been revolutionary.

Website: www.cassiebstrong.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassiebstrong/?hl=en
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-brown-26640b64
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/CassieBStrong/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=0
Other: fitness.cassiebstrong.com