Margs and Mindset

Unbecoming and Becoming w/ Sarah Napoli

• Barlyssa Lopez • Season 1 • Episode 122

Share episode

Send us a text

A margarita, a mic, and a moment of truth: that’s where our conversation with leadership coach and community-builder Sarah Napoli really begins. Sarah opens up about the “pretzel twist” of corporate life—how chasing targets and fitting into someone else’s values can tighten you into a smaller version of yourself—and the surprising freedom that came when she loosened her grip on timelines and held the vision instead.

Meet Sarah:

With over 25 years of leadership experience across retail, beauty, med-tech, and healthcare, Sarah has always been driven by more than results. She found her greatest fulfillment in developing people - mentoring leaders, building culture, and helping others step into their potential.

Today, she is a personal and professional leadership coach, supporting individuals, leaders, and teams who are ready to evolve. Her work centers on creating space for growth and empowering people to lead with clarity, confidence, heart, and strategy.

We trace Sarah’s arc from retail floors to multi-unit leadership and into coaching, where she now supports women founders and executives through clear audits, belief work, and culture change that actually sticks. She shares how rejection becomes redirection, why the best leaders stand with one foot in vision and one in operations, and how empowerment beats push tactics when you want results that last. 

Expect practical tools: a simple life audit to spot misalignment, future-self thinking to guide habits, and the power of “borrowed belief” when fear blocks the first step. Along the way, we talk consistency over intensity, health choices that serve you decades from now, and the underrated celebration of a deep breath to integrate wins.

If you’ve felt wound tight by a role, a title, or a timeline, this conversation offers language, frameworks, and community to help you uncurl. You’ll leave with mantras worth screenshotting, questions that sharpen your next move, and a reminder that unbecoming and becoming can happen at the same time. 

Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s on the edge of a big move, and leave a review with your top takeaway—what’s one grip you’re ready to loosen this week?

If your’re anything like us, you’ll want to be friends with Sarah after this episode! You can follow her journey on Instagram: @sarahnapoli.



Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Barb:

Episode 122.

Lyssa:

We came back again. And we brought a friend this time. So much fun.

Barb:

I can't wait for everyone to listen to this one because it's like so cute.

Lyssa:

It is. There are so many little isms, so many things that I think people are going to like hear and kind of unlock or make it their new screensaver. Uh I think that there were just a lot of little itty bitty nuggets. And I think that Sarah's story is very relatable. So I think that there's gonna be a lot of that happening too in this episode. So I'm excited for everyone to listen to this interview. Yeah, let's jump into it. Let's do it. All right, well, we have a very special guest on the pod today, and we're really excited to have this conversation and to share her with the rest of you. Um so would you like to take this moment and introduce yourself to our audience?

Sarah Napoli:

Sure. Well, first of all, before I say anything, I am also honored to be in your presence. So thanks, ladies. Um, my name is Sarah Napoli, and I am a founder and coach of my own coaching business where I focus on leadership development, both personally and professionally. Um, it's a new journey for me, so it's always fun to see how that comes out every time I say it. Um, but really excited to be on that journey. And also, you know, I'm just here to have a good time with you two, so I can't wait to see what happens with microphones, margs, and conversation with the three of us. Exactly. Where this journey is gonna take us. I know, right?

Lyssa:

Yes. Well, we do start off with what's in your cup. Oh, it's a marg! It's a margarita. This is a fun one.

Barb:

So we're getting closer to Valentine's Day, so it's very pinky, very cutesy. Okay. Because you are very cutesy. I wanted to match the vibes. Um, so yeah, we're drinking margs and we're having a really cool conversation because I feel like we've known you for a few years now. Yeah. But this last year is where our friendship and our relationship has really like blossomed into something very, very, very beautiful. So I want to talk about that journey. And I want to talk about your journey because you are filled with lots of nuggets. Oh, yeah.

Sarah Napoli:

Yep, Pub. You know, there's they always say, you know, those that wander aren't necessarily lost. So I think that that's all been a part of the journey to lead me here in this chair, which is kind of cool. Um, yeah. So what where do you want me to start? Do you want me to start when I was five? Somewhere back. I know, right? Where do you want me to start?

Lyssa:

Um, I guess we met you through the next level collective. That is definitely our first introduction to you. And I would say when we first met, I think maybe at that time we were both kind of shyer than we are now. We were new to the game. We met both of us. Yes, yes. Networking, yeah, and all that. Um so yeah, so we'd seen each other, you know, at these events and stuff, but again, we didn't really like connect, but I think it's because we were both just kind of like still in our shells. Um, so maybe like starting there, were were you in your shell the way we were in our shell in the beginning? Or yes.

Sarah Napoli:

So um, for so long, and for a majority of my career, I was in corporate positions. So it was never local to Rochester, right? Um and I never did any of those type of networking events locally. So I was very much in my shell. Um, and I have to give credit to Maria Cast, who is a mentor of mine and who brought me into the coaching world in a completely different way. And she told me I needed to be in with the next level. So when I came in, I was so excited to meet them. But you're right, especially within this last year, it's been a lot of uncocooning, um, out of the shell, and truly just owning and becoming who I am and who I've always known I was. But for the most part, I would cocoon because I wasn't around women like yourselves or the next level that are aligned with we're here together and we're in this together. Show up however you are, and we're gonna grow together. So that's that's really been the start of the journey. And I've been honored to partner with Aubrey on some different things, and it's amazing what can happen in a year. You know, I was just there to support, I was leading some CEO circles, I was helping at the retreats where I could, and now I've inserted myself, if you will. Um, but you know, with her permission and, you know, with her partnership, you know, now I'm leading the icons, which is the highest level that you can be at with our next level collective community. Um, and it's a small mastermind group of six and seven figure earners or business owners with that type of volume. Um, and it's been remarkable. So I just love being able to be a part of that and and working with you know kick ass women like Aubrey and yourselves and seeing you guys at more and more things. And it's led to some pretty awesome stuff that I know we'll probably get into here.

Barb:

I love so you like you gave us a timeline essentially. I'd love to like go back further and talk about this corporate version of you because a lot of our listeners are still right, they're not always entrepreneurs. Yeah, and it's crazy how a job can teach you how to be a certain way, yes, or teach you how to be an entrepreneur, yes, you know both are true, yeah.

Sarah Napoli:

Um, that was always a high-ranking thing on any any review that I had, entrepreneurial spirit was always high ranking. People were already telling you this. Uh-huh. Okay. And I just took it as like a well, yeah, I I know I'm uh, but as I've become more self-aware of what I am and what my gifts are, I'm like, oh, that's what that meant. Okay, all directions pointing towards today, where I am right now. Yeah. Um, so I guess corporate version of me. When did it start? Um, uh, we'll go back that far. I was Valentine's Day help at a Victoria's Secret Beauty. Okay. I didn't have a boyfriend. My friend was a guy who worked next door at the shoe store, and he's like, all the girls have dates and they don't want to miss their dates. Can you just help the store manager cover the store? And I was like, sure. And this was at the time when bare mineral, or sorry, when Victoria's Secret Beauty was um big enough where they had like 17 different fragrances. Love spell was a hot one. They had their makeup line, they had they were launching skincare. So I stepped into that pink, shiny room, and I was like, oh, I think I found my home. Um so I grew up, you know, there and I just loved putting makeup on people because I didn't work in the lingerie side. Um, I worked in a standalone store, and I just loved when the women would come in and I'd be like, Let me, you know, it was always about touching their hand and feel the lotion and oh my gosh, let's try this red lipstick on you, or let's try this one, or and I learned a lot about business there and I worked my way up um from part-time Valentine's Day help, um, all the way up to a store manager role in five years. So that was kind of the journey there. Um, this is where I like to say when I turned 22, I moved to New York City as a key holder. Fun things. Um and I worked there and worked my way up and then came back to Rochester with my then boyfriend, who's my now husband. So I should, you know, share that too. Shout out to him. Okay, go DJ Naps. Okay, okay. So um, so yeah, so I was with them for a little while. Um, they didn't have a store manager position when I first came back. So I was like, I'll figure out a plan B, but I don't want to not work here. Um, I had a mentor at that time who got me the job in New York City and was like, you're coming home, thank God. And brought me back. And then she was just like, turn of events, there's gonna be a store manager position in a couple of weeks. I'm promoting you to store manager, whatever. So that journey happened. Um, I worked at Ann Taylor Loft for five years, so that was that was a hot topic too. Um, that was when I wore color. Yeah, I wore color back then back in the day. And then I got the job that changed everything for me. And that was when I went and worked for bare minerals, and I worked there for almost a decade. And that's where I started as a store manager and worked my way up to multi-unit leadership, worked my way up to a mid-senior level multi-unit manager where I was managing 25 locations in the Northeast. Um, you know, created a district manager and training program. I had two people under me, you know, teaching them how to be a multi-unit leader. Um then I went on to work at Smile Direct Club. They're no longer here, but I worked in Teeth. But I love to make people smile. Um, so there was that. I mean, I could go on and on like with that experience, but I think when you talk about how they teach you how to be, it's because they have the core values and where they have their vision and their expectations. And then you get measured on that. You know, are you meeting your sales expectations? Are you meeting the, you know, hiring goals? So you I will steal this from a from a former colleague, you pretzel twist yourself into what their expectations are. Isn't that good? That's a good visual of what is actually happening. And for me, I thought that was climbing the corporate ladder.

Lyssa:

Yeah.

Sarah Napoli:

Yeah. I was clinging so tight to that that I was losing pieces of myself at the same time I was becoming something. Yeah. Um, and I know you guys have been in the presence when I've said this unbecoming and becoming can happen at the same time, and that's the most beautiful thing. Because that's where I I was at even less than a year ago. Because it's about evolving to who you are next.

Barb:

Yeah.

Sarah Napoli:

Pretzel twisting into something new. Yeah. I love that. I love I'm gonna steal that one. Untwisting to then become who you naturally are, because it shouldn't feel tight, it shouldn't feel unnatural. And there were a lot of things that didn't feel natural to me. I have always been a person who serves, not a person who's gonna tell you what to do. Yeah. How can I help you? How can I support you? What can I help you with? How can I help you grow? Because I know that that's gonna help me grow too, right? Because you're gonna teach me something in that journey. And a lot of my leaders didn't look at that as a way of getting the results. And I was like, it takes a little longer, but when the people are empowered to do the thing we're asking them to do, they do it better.

Lyssa:

Yeah.

Sarah Napoli:

So, you know, I think that's why while I still am very connected to that retail and that corporate world, you know, because I still have a day job. Um, I took a step back because I wanted to truly focus on what I'm doing now, which is that coaching and consulting work.

Lyssa:

Yeah. So I I see the connection. I knew about Victoria's. It makes so much sense. It makes so much sense. I knew about Victoria's. I didn't know about Ann Taylor or or Bare Minerals, but from the very beginning, you have always worked in women-led and women-focused spaces. Yeah. And I I think that just makes complete sense as to to who you are as a person and and the rooms that you are in now, which are very much the same. But now, like you said, there's alignment, right? You used to be in rooms full of women still, but they there was not the alignment that there is now when we step into rooms like we do with next level. Exactly. And when we have the calls like the icon call and and and all of that. But yeah, from the very beginning, it it was in you to serve women. You've been, I mean, you've been doing it this whole time.

Barb:

Yeah, you've been learning the whole time. And we share that, right? We come from retail, we come from corporate, all the things. We that's where I learned how to become an entrepreneur. That's where I learned how to grow a business. That's where I learned how to train and be trained. And there's so many skills that we take from our past lives and use in this job, in this thing that we have created.

Lyssa:

And I feel like that that pretzel moment, right? Where you said, like it just feels so tight. You're so wound up in their mission that you just you lose yourself. I had that moment. That that moment actually happened. I feel like it was right before the business, in a way, because I it was a catalyst. It was it really was my catalyst to be like, no, we have to do something. I need to make a move. I have to do something different because life can't be this way. And it was because, you know, in my corporate job at that point, I reached this level of awareness that I cared more about this company than the C-suites above me. And I was like, how does that make sense? I'm at the bottom of the ladder. You know what I mean? I'm not this special person in this company. Yet I'm the only one working here to try and get these things accomplished. And as I push things up and I need things approved, and all these things are happening, I'm just getting completely dismissed from above. And I'm like, why do I care about this place more than you? Why am I so wound up and pretzeled tight? Because I want to make your mission and your vision come true. You're not even trying to do that. Right. So what am I doing here? And it really was where I went to her and I was like, something's gotta give. I'm not meant to do this. I have a purpose. I knew deep down inside of me that I was here to serve a purpose on this world, and it was not to sell printers. Like it just was not, you know, it was like a like that. You gotta get out. I gotta, I gotta get out. I have to, I have to bring purpose in this world. I need to find meaning. I need to know that I'm waking up every day and I'm making some sort of difference in the world. Yes, and it is not gonna happen through printers. So, like, let's get that rolling. And I yeah, I I feel that connection now, like seeing what you're talking about in that journey you went through, where you're like, yeah, no, I'm doing the things, but like I'm really not. Where's my purpose? Where's my fulfillment? Where is me in all of this?

Sarah Napoli:

And it's so funny that you say it like that, because even when I was at those higher levels, my purpose was making sure that the women I was leading and the few men that I was leading understood what their potential was, what their purpose was. That yes, we are here to do that, but also make sure you're fulfilled. Make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. And there were times where even again, I would question myself in those moments, and rejection is redirection, and that's all I'll say about that. Rejection is alignment, that's my new one for 2026. And that's also very true. Because it leads you to a place of rediscovering yourself or discovering things you didn't know. But I am also a firm believer that what is destined for you, as long as you put in the work, it's already yours. Yeah. What what I have learned is that I used to hold on so tight to what the outcome was and how to do it and and the timeline to get there, that what you guys have seen in the last year is me letting go of that. Surrender. Uh-huh. And it is amazing when you do that, all of the things that open up. You know, because I was in a really down low place and I was applying to all of the jobs, and I was like, this, I'm just applying to jobs to do whatever. Found a really great opportunity, and also launched my business consecutively, and that was 2025. Yeah. So I say 2025, I'm I made this up on the fly the other day. 2025, I was lining it up. 2026, I'm locking it up. Ooh, that's sexy. I love it.

Barb:

So let's talk about that, I guess, right? You've gone through this transformative journey. So everyone has a journey. Everyone transforms. What advice? What lessons did you learn to get to where you were in 2025, where you were finally making the plunge to be sitting here in the beginning of 2026 claiming that this is it. I'm locked in here. Yeah.

Sarah Napoli:

The biggest thing is the self-awareness piece. So it's to know thyself is really where the journey begins. So I did an audit that you two know about, and I looked at how low everything really was. And I was like, this is a product of my choices. This is a result of my choices, how I'm thinking about it, and how I've been behaving. There's like a results cycle loop.

Barb:

Yep.

Sarah Napoli:

And I knew I needed to go all the way back to not just how I was thinking and acting, but what were my beliefs? So unlocking and getting rid of beliefs that no longer served me, beliefs that were embedded in me that I didn't believe anymore, and owning it. And there also comes a point where you're sick of your own excuses. Yeah. Yeah, you're tired of my your own shit.

Lyssa:

Right? Yep. That's where cheat happens. Growth comes when you get tired of your own shit. Yes.

Sarah Napoli:

And that's you getting out of your comfort zones. I say two things grow in comfort zones. Nothing and muffin tops. We're gonna have to put like a combination of all your little things all together because they're all flapping. Nothing and muffin top. Yeah, the same thing, which is not growth, which listen, if there's consistency, that's frequency. Consistency and frequency, right? That's like the the time. It's not the duration of something, but like it's like building a muscle. You never lifted a weight before. You're not gonna go lift 50 pounds. Yeah. Start and then continue to be consistent. And it for me, it was the health journey. So on when I turned 40, I turned 40 in quarantine. And I said, I am lucky to be alive. We don't know what's happening here. Um and I'm gonna I'm gonna start on a healthcare journey. I'm gonna work out. I don't know when I'm going back to work. So I might as well be useful with my time. Yeah. And that's kind of when that all started. Um, and then it just grew from there. Like the personal development journey that I have for myself. Um, I'm very regimented in that. That again is more of that consistency, and and that's really helping to expand how I view things for myself. But then again, realizing my gifts, I'm here to support women, like men too. But you know, the women in my lives, like I want to mentor those that are asking for mentorship. I want to lead those that want to be led. And I really want to change the landscape of the corporate culture because you nailed it on the head. When you're working harder than what you're seeing, because they're seeing what's in front of them. And the one thing I've learned through coaching, you know, senior level executives, because that's been an experience, because I'm like, oh, okay, let's talk about it.

Barb:

You're up here. Yeah, let me bring you a different vantage point. Let me help you.

Sarah Napoli:

Um, it's because I always say they have to have two feet in the pond, one in the vision. And are they actually holding that vision? And then one in the operations of are we doing what we need to do? And I it's about bringing clarity to both of those two positions that they have to be in and not having them be stuck in this is how we always do it, this is how we have always done it. So that's again been very enlightening for me because I'm like, oh, okay. It's been a while since I've sat at these tables, but also like I have a different perspective now. Yeah. I'm not a part of your culture, I'm not a part of your mission, vision, and values. I now have my own. So how do I make sure you're in alignment with yours? Because they can't just be something that's on the wall.

Lyssa:

Yeah.

Sarah Napoli:

Because that's where what happens in most places. I want you to embody those. How are you embodying them? How are you envisioning them? How are you living them day to day? Do your people see that? Best CEO I ever um was led by was Leslie Blodgett at Bare Minerals. She was a kick ass. I love that. So, like, I still think about her, like she's like, I never wanted to be be a CEO. Yeah. But I got there because I knew the landscape needed to be different. Yeah. And then I hired the people around me who knew how to do all this. Stuff so I could still play with the makeup. And then one of my favorite pictures of her is she got bored in a meeting. So she took her shoes off and started to do yoga poses on the top of the table because it was getting too stuffy and it was getting too numbers driven. And I was like, and that is the kind of woman that I want to be someday. Yeah. And that's just her owning who she is, you know? So I love that. Guideposts. I know.

Lyssa:

I love that you're trying to make a difference though. For me, I'm like, you know, guns are placing, I'm out. Done, you know, but like you, you know, you did. You gave so much of yourself to that, to that space. And, you know, now you're like, okay, now that I have this perspective and this knowledge in this way, I want to share that knowledge with them and try to truly make a difference in the corporate culture because I I feel like it it gets a bad rep and it doesn't have to, right? They're not all bad. Um, but the bad ones are. And and unfortunately, you know, the bad apples can spoil the bunch sometimes. And so I love that you're trying to make that difference.

Sarah Napoli:

I didn't know that. People have to be open to it and have to have the desire to want to do that. Yeah. There's so much in here. The brain is fascinating. But I'm I've got lots of ideas. But you know, I'm I'm not clutching to those things and I'm not, oh, I should do this, I should do that. I'm I'm done shitting all over myself. There's another one that's from that's from my girl Brene Brown. Um but really I I am not there yet, or I'm not in a place. So I'm gonna continue to to incubate these ideas because when I am at a capacity that I can, I will be able to execute even better because I'm gonna have more knowledge.

Barb:

So I love your it's the way that you perceive things, the way that you choose to intake is so fucking cool because it's always I'm choosing the positive. I'm choosing to say, okay, not right now. It's not that I'm never, but it's just like not right now. So I'm gonna put you in my pocket and like I'll pull you out later when I'm ready. Yeah, that's a yet statement. That is it's so powerful. Thank you. It's just so powerful. We have had the opportunity to have close community members reach out to us for help. Hey, I have this idea and I think I can start a business, but like I don't know. I'd love to talk to you, I'd love to pick your brain. Um, my sister-in-law that came with us to the networking event. She thought it was your sister-in-law. Yes. She is, you know, she's she's ready to bet on herself. She is ready to go all in. And as someone that has been there, that has been on that precipice of like, okay, no, I think I can do it. I I know I can do it. And I'm getting distracted by like other things. And she's there. And it's amazing and so rewarding to just sit here and just just have conversations with people. And we can do that because of you, because of Rayanne, because of all of these people that we have brought into our network that you believe in me. I know that we've known each other for a short amount of time. If you look at the whole grand scheme of things, but I know that you believe in me 110%. There's no questions, there's no doubt. If we needed something, if we had something, you'd be there. Absolutely. And that is so powerful. I'm not alone. Yeah. You're not alone.

Lyssa:

We're not doing this alone. And we want to share that. We want to be that now that we have we're able to recognize those in our community, and now we're like, okay, I want to be like that. I want to be that for someone else. And, you know, just even saying it and thinking it, it it kind of just happened. We had two people, or sister-in-law and another friend, reach out just recently and be like, you're inspiring, you're doing the things that I want to do. I'm ready to chase my dream. I'm just not sure what that first step is. And like, would you be willing to talk to me? And I'm like, open book. Let's go. Open book. I want to do anything and everything that I can. And if it means that I just have to tell you that I believe you can make it, then guess what? I believe you can make it. Yep. Because that's all you need.

Sarah Napoli:

At sometimes you need to borrow somebody else's belief to know that you can do it. And there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with that. Don't borrow it for forever. No. You have to have the belief in yourself. It's in there, they just don't know it yet.

Lyssa:

Yeah. Right? And if you give it to them, then they go and they do the thing. And once they accomplish it, once their brain can see the evidence of like, oh wait, that worked. Then all of a sudden you don't need my belief anymore.

Sarah Napoli:

You're collecting the evidence to show you that you can do it. And it's and it's that borrowed belief in that I'm gonna hold your hand through the fear. Because that's the only thing you're worried about is what's on the other side. Yeah. I know I was afraid to start my own thing, right? I was working with Maria. I was helping execute some of her things. Um, and she's just like, just do it, Sarah. You are made for this. And I was like, I know, but I'm scared. She held my hand through the whole thing. Yeah. We went to lunch and she was like, You have this thing about you. And I was like, It's because I just um launched my own business today. I rushed down to City Hall and got the paperwork to make it official. And she's like, There she is, you know what I mean? And like, and I just that was just a magical moment for for Maria and I and it was wonderful. But that's what brought me to places like next level and Ray Ann, right? Ray Ann and I were connecting at CEO circles, and then we went for coffee and it's history since. Yeah, you know, like again, she believes in what I what I have to offer and how how I can support her, but she's also championing me building my own business. I just love that about her. She's just amazing. I mean, come on, we could talk about her. I mean, yeah, we could take a whole other podcast. I love you. I love you.

Barb:

Okay, it's fine. But anyway, but yes, like those are. I mean, look at that progression, right? Last year you were developing this relationship, and now this year you are on the crew. You are part of the integrated entrepreneur crew. And fuck yeah, man. We shouldn't allude to that.

Lyssa:

We haven't taken any sips of this, Mark. I feel like we should. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you, thank you.

Sarah Napoli:

Oh, interesting. That's good. Oh, it is good. I told you to go late on the tequila, though. It's fine.

Barb:

Um, but yeah, so how tell us everything. Tell us everything about that. That's loaded in. That's lovely. What do you want to know? How did it come? How did you feel? What was how did you celebrate? Let's talk about how you celebrated this accomplishment. Oh, okay.

Sarah Napoli:

Honestly, I celebrated by taking a deep breath.

Lyssa:

Yeah.

Sarah Napoli:

I know that that's it's not something big or flashy, but it's recognizing that my someday, one day dreams are coming true. Beautiful. Like it's my, these are my moments. These are the things I've wanted. I know you guys told me I had to wait till I got a microphone in my hand to talk about my certification, but that's something I've wanted since I read my first leadership book. I was 22. I am 45. Things happen when they're supposed to, and they arrive right on time, but when you're ready to hold the responsibility. So, like, that's how I celebrated. I'm here to be recognized as a coach. I'm here to be recognized to help people find their potential, achieve their dreams, see things that they don't see because they have blocks. I'm here to remove those blocks because everybody has limitless potential. We just have to get out of our own way. And now I get to be that for someone. And in the next six months, it's just gonna continue to elevate because I know I'm going to learn so much more about myself in this journey, but then I'm gonna be be able to bring even more tools to those that will allow me to coach them and help them evolve and grow themselves.

Barb:

I can't believe it. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Um, I love the idea of the pause and the deep breath because it has to integrate. Right. You just got this really cool thing, and we're working on celebrating. That is this huge 2026 focus, and we got it from you because I was like, I remember this conversation. Yes, yes, because you coached us in the moment when we were tired and we were low, but we were telling you, I don't want to not do all these things. And you're like, okay, but are you celebrating? Are you having fun? And we realized, oh no, we've just been going and going and getting everything we want, but feeling not connected. And it takes a minute of pause to connect. Yes. So I think I want to steal that one. Pause and I'm gonna take a deep breath because like that that's powerful.

Sarah Napoli:

And and you can do it in the little things. I know you girls are starting at your your gym journey, you're posting and you're doing it and you're staying consistent, which is good because remember it's about consistency. That's gonna build the that's gonna build the habit and that's gonna build just a part of your everyday. But celebrate that, right? You finished it. You finished an extra rep. You did it again. You got up, you didn't want to go, but you did it. That was me this morning.

Lyssa:

I think I think I posted that yesterday. I was like, oh, even when you don't want to. And a little tangent on that, because it was super sweet. I didn't post that part like on social media, but I did. I I posted up the picture of us at the gym and I was like, go, like, even when you don't want to, like, it's so important that you just go, show up for yourself, do the thing. And we were literally on one side with we were kind of doing some dumbo rests. We were like in front of the mirror, and there was um an older lady, probably like in her 70s, um, and she was with a personal trainer and they were like doing their own thing on the other side. And in our, we were kind of like talking and we were pulling the reps and we were just like, we said it to ourselves. We're like, this is why we're here, right? Like we have to be here because like look at you know, this woman is here with a personal trainer, and she's struggling and she's she's trying and like you know, giving her their credit, but it was hard. And the whole time she was saying that too, right? She was like, This is hard, and I need a minute, and like all these things. And we said it to ourselves, and then at one point we were both kind of like in our rest periods, and she turned around to us and she said, Keep it up, ladies. She said, Keep doing what you're doing because if you work hard now where you're at, you won't have to work as hard as I'm working right now where I'm at. And it hit, it hit full body chills right now. It did, yes, because it was it was somebody 40 years ahead of us telling us, do what you're doing right now because it is so important. And it, you know, for us to kind of like say it to ourselves, and we were doing it in a joking way because that's what we do. So for her to turn around and say the words to us, it was like, no, pause, take a deep breath, integrate this moment, understand that you are in this gym for not just you today, right? You are in this gym for the you 40 years from now. Yes, and that changed the way that we finished the workout.

Sarah Napoli:

It really did. And when you can operate in that mentality of what will my future self thank me for? And then I also have another thing that I I do too, because you really only have this present moment right now. Exactly. So it's a little notice, optimize, and win framework. I think but but I now have flipped that mindset of, and this again could be another whole podcast. I don't need to be skinny, I don't need to look like her, I don't I need to look like me, but I need to be healthy. I want to be able to be 70 and be able to walk up and down stairs, carry my own groceries, tie my shoes. That is why I work out now for my future self. That is why I've honed it in and why I'm on a weight loss journey so that I can put beautiful, healthy food inside of my body versus just whatever's around. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I still like Doritos or whatever. Yeah, but now it's about better nourishment because I know that that's gonna help my mind, it's gonna help my heart, it's gonna help my body. It's a totally different mindset when you can think in future self.

Lyssa:

Yes.

Sarah Napoli:

How would my future self thank me today? You know that exercise they have us do when you're like, look to your younger self, she'd be proud of who you are. Make sure your future self is proud of who you are today.

Barb:

Okay. So many awesomes that you've given us. I can't wait.

Sarah Napoli:

I can't wait to listen back to them and absorb them all over again. Well, thanks for being ears that want to listen because I've got more, and I'm just kidding.

Lyssa:

She said, Ayah, I believe you. You're so funny. Um, is there is there anything else that you feel like you want to share with the audience? Or anything else that you feel called to share to those listening?

Sarah Napoli:

You know, you said something about those that are listening, and I think that it it is okay to be where you are right now, but take an audit. Are you where you want to be? And if you're not, how are you gonna get there? Yes. Think about what needs to change in order to get where you want to grow to and where you want to evolve to, and know that you are perfect as you are, but in order to get where you want to grow to and what your end goal is, what do you need to do and who do you need to become to be able to hold that space? Because who you are now and a goal you have are not the same right now because you're not doing those things, right? So I think it's all about taking stock and inventory of of where you currently are, casting the vision, holding the vision and being flexible with how you get there because I feel that God or the universe, whichever one you choose, places things in your heart and in your soul. And it is your job to find out how to make those things come to fruition because that's when you're in true alignment with yourself, and it's a journey, it's not always pretty, it's not always, you know, fun, but you have to be real and honest with yourself in order to make sure that you can evolve to where you want to be.

Barb:

I love that. That was beautiful, the questions were amazing, and that's just the taste, like the tip of the iceberg to Sarah Napoli because there's so much more underneath. We've been coached by you, so like we've seen it firsthand. Thank you both for being open to it.

Sarah Napoli:

I know, I remember the moment where I was like, I don't know if you're open to this. You asked.

Lyssa:

I loved that. Yeah, you did. You got it. We were in a moment. You were you were like, are you open to receiving some coaching?

Barb:

We're like, okay, okay.

Lyssa:

Sure. We know where this is going. It wasn't painful though. It wasn't painful. Not at all. It was the clarity that we needed and the clarity that truly set up what is going to be this intentional year of celebration. Absolutely.

Sarah Napoli:

And I think that's also something I would share. If you're white knuckling something, let it just release it. And it doesn't have to be all the way, because I know how hard that is. Yeah. But just lighten the grip a little and figure out why you're white knuckling it so hard. Because what would happen if you surrendered even just a little bit? Yeah. Let let loose a little bit, and then found some mentors or found someone who's done it before, found somebody safe to ask those questions to to be able to see where is my capacity now and what does it need to be? How can I continue to open that up and expand and be more? Because for me, when I say be more, it's never coming from a place of lack because you are enough right now, right? So it's more to expand who you are, evolve where you want to get to, be excited about where you are right now, and then what are the steps to get to next?

Barb:

Yeah.

Lyssa:

Mic draw. I love it. Mic draw. All right. Well, where can our friends find you?

Sarah Napoli:

Oh, well, under construction, because we know we're in the building stages, Sarah NapoliCoaching.com. I hope to have that launching soon. So under construction now. Um Instagram underscore Sarah Napoli. That is where I post lots of things that motivate me and inspire me. And really just about where I am connecting. I really want to be um a lead her ship hub, if you will. TM. No one steal that. Again, I got big plans for that one. Um, but I again I love to collect the ladies. So if I'm if I'm at an event with you guys, I'm gonna tag you guys. It's it, you know, if I'm at an event we were just at, she means business rock. Shout out to the ladies who just had their first event, you know, I want to be posting those things that I'm doing. Um where I'm headed, you know, after this, I you're gonna see a lot of, you know, me on this next evolution of my coaching journey where I'm getting certified. So I'll have my professional certification soon. Um, so like those types of things are gonna be on the Instagram page. So again, had to wait for the right timing, but intentional posting. Um, so you'll find me there. And then I'm, of course, I'm on LinkedIn for all my professional peeps.

Lyssa:

I love it. We'll make sure that we keep all of that information into our show notes so that way all everybody can find you. Fantastic. Come find me. I love it. All right. Well, this is the part where you guys are gonna do all the things. You're gonna like and follow and subscribe. You can follow us on Instagram and YouTube at Marks and Mindset Podcast. And if you're local to the ROC and you want to party with us at Homemade Events ROC. Until next time. Bye.

Speaker 4:

Bye. Like I found my people. I love you guys. You're not gonna be able to do it.

Head Shot

Alyssa Lopez

Host
Head Shot

Barbara DeSantis

Host
Head Shot

Sarah Napoli

Guest