Robin Arzón, STRONG MAMA
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[2:03]Robin Arzon is the author of the picture book Strong Mama.
[2:08]Robin graduated magna cum laude from New York University and Villanova University School of Law.
[2:13]And is the New York Times best-selling author of Shut Up and Run.
[2:16]As vice president of fitness programming and head instructor at Peloton, she believes that sweat transforms lives.
[2:23]And her story is Living Proof.
[2:25]In 2020, she was named one of the most influential people on Fortune magazine's 40 under 40 list.
[2:31]Enjoy.
[2:32]Welcome, Robin.
[2:33]Thank you so much for coming.
[2:34]And moms don't have time to read books to discuss Strong Mama, your children's book.
[2:39]Thanks for having me.
[2:41]Oh my gosh, it's my pleasure.
[2:43]Please tell listeners how you decided to write this children's book, the whole inspiration for it and all the good stuff.
[2:50]Well, I wrote the children's book on my baby moon.
[2:54]My husband and I had rented a cabin and we were taking some amazing times decompressed after the holidays last year.
[3:04]And I was just really called to write this.
[3:09]It was a love letter to my baby girl.
[3:12]We didn't know actually what we were having at the time.
[3:14]And I really felt like the baby and I were training partners.
[3:19]I was very active throughout my entire pregnancy.
[3:22]I taught at Peloton until I was nine months pregnant on the bike, on the tread and as well as our strength classes.
[3:28]And it was really a pretty magical time.
[3:31]And I wanted to kind of memorialize that as well as write something that allowed parents to model self care and show that self care is not
[3:42]selfish and that movement is medicine and that little people can also develop their own relationships with movement.
[3:48]And really, really sending the message, especially to moms that when we take moments for our workouts for our whatever bubble bath breath work, whatever it is, it's not selfish.
[3:59]We can't take care of them if we don't take care of ourselves.
[4:02]And that was really the inspiration behind strong mom.
[4:05]And then once you had your daughter, did you find that you had time to do those self care things or not?
[4:10]You make the time, if it matters, you make it happen and that's just the truth.
[4:16]And so your career, of course, includes all this movement and all of this inspiring stuff for other women and men everywhere.
[4:24]So you have that part taken care of, like that's a yes, definitely.
[4:28]Do you find that the, I feel like there are all these different buckets of self care, right?
[4:32]So do you do it and what works best for you, right?
[4:35]For me, like reading is more self care for me than working out, although I should work out more.
[4:39]And I do do the pale time, I've taken your classes and everything.
[4:43]Do you feel like sometimes you get sort of sectioned into one area versus another?
[4:48]Yeah, I mean, I think that we have to pay attention to what we find is we are, we need our mind and spirits need, right?
[4:56]So there is no one version of self care.
[4:59]And certainly we don't want to get into the stumbling block of feeling like self cares yet another thing.
[5:05]that is stressing us out, right?
[5:08]It's totally not the point exactly.
[5:10]So for me, it's definitely movement.
[5:12]And although I do work out for a living professionally, I live my life as a professional athlete,
[5:17]I do my own workout every single day in addition to the classes that I teach.
[5:21]And my own workout is sacred and it's prioritized and it's literally my entire family,
[5:26]you know, kind of organizes to make sure that I get that workout because I'm not functioning if I don't.
[5:32]So yes, strength training, running, cycling or my main modalities for me, self care isn't as much, you know,
[5:39]the bubble bath and those kind of moments, although I totally understand how those can be very necessary, you know,
[5:45]depending on what are again, what our mind and spirits need.
[5:49]And tell me about you growing up was movement always a huge part of your life.
[5:53]Like, did you know immediately that this is your thing?
[5:55]No, not at all.
[5:56]I was not an athlete as a kid.
[5:59]I really started running and getting active when I was an adult.
[6:02]So you only started running as an adult.
[6:04]Yes, yes, that's fascinating for me to hear.
[6:07]What did you, what were you into as a child?
[6:09]I was, I loved school.
[6:11]I was the straight A student.
[6:12]I liked arts and crafts.
[6:13]I loved, I mean, I was truly like a voracious.
[6:16]I was the book kid, anything that involved really school.
[6:20]I mean, even up until even through college in law school, I was the kid who ordered the books on the syllabus
[6:24]and started reading them in this during the summer.
[6:28]Oh my gosh.
[6:29]Yeah, so I mean, that was how I really identified.
[6:33]That was really like my identity, right?
[6:35]If we are the stories that we tell ourselves and I really,
[6:39]I told myself I was not the kid who was going to get picked in gym class.
[6:43]I wasn't going to run and wasn't going to go to swimming and it was as an adult that during law school,
[6:49]that I really started started to lace up and discover movement.
[6:53]Wow.
[6:54]You would never know from your children's book.
[6:55]It seems though, and obviously I know you more than that,
[6:58]but you would think that like this was your calling that you woke,
[7:02]you know, I read a children's book by Simone Biles or something like that.
[7:06]And she was like turning around, like doing cartwheels off the bed and like sitting there watching gymnastics
[7:12]and then going out and flipping around.
[7:14]You know, it's funny how people come to their, how people discover their calling.
[7:18]Yes.
[7:19]So how did you end up at Peloton?
[7:22]Like, so what happened after take me back through your, do like the quick version.
[7:27]Law school, then when I was in law school, I packed a slot in New York for a number of years and then I decided,
[7:33]gosh, I was, I was really counting down the hours in the day until I could work out and go running or go to spin class.
[7:39]And I thought, how do I make that my life rather than counting down just for like 30 minutes a day and that was on a good day,
[7:45]you know, that I had time to work out.
[7:47]So they made time to work out.
[7:49]And actually, I try to, I'm trying to condition myself not to say, I don't have time.
[7:54]Because frankly, if you say you don't have time, just replace it with, it doesn't matter.
[7:58]And that's, if that feels okay, then that, then fine, then it doesn't matter.
[8:02]But I don't believe it.
[8:03]I'm not conversant in excuses.
[8:05]So you think saying that people don't have time is just an excuse.
[8:08]Yes.
[8:09]Absolutely.
[8:10]Okay.
[8:11]So I'm, I'm taking my own medicine because I was just saying I didn't have time, but I made what I made this time,
[8:16]but I only would make 30 minutes, you know, max.
[8:19]And the joy that I had in running was really something that I wanted to infuse into other areas of my life professionally.
[8:26]And two weeks before the London Olympics, I decided to leave my law firm job and try.
[8:32]I was, I think I had already created my book proposal, my first book proposal for shut up and run.
[8:38]And yeah, I bought a plane ticket to the London Olympic games and I was just writing for my blog from the games and meeting athletes and just getting totally inspired by, by these incredible humans participating in the Olympics.
[8:51]And then I read about Peloton and I reached out to the company and yeah, I would say about a year, a year after leaving my law firm job is when I joined the Peloton team.
[9:02]Wow. And what has that felt like for you sort of becoming this superstar in the Peloton world and the, I mean the outside world too, but you know, just having like this cult following.
[9:13]Well, I mean it's all about our community and it happened very gradually.
[9:16]So for us, you know, we just keep showing up and doing the work and creating something that we love.
[9:22]And thankfully, you know, folks are joining and participating and for me, the crux of it is all our community, seeing people like either whether they're novice athletes
[9:31]or have never worked out or professional athletes, you know, we have, we have Olympians who join us.
[9:36]I love seeing that moment when they turn where they really catalyze like what they can't do and what they can do.
[9:42]So for people who haven't taken your class, but maybe they've gotten your book or something. What were, what are some of the main, I feel like, but are some of the main messages, some of the main saying some of the main takeaways that you're known for.
[9:56]I think that as a whole, we are, you know, working.
[10:00]I did fitness company and we provide folks access to movement
[10:03]and of running cycling meditation yoga
[10:06]from wherever they're, wherever screen
[10:08]they can access us on with whether it's the app,
[10:10]the bike, or the tread.
[10:12]And yeah, my classes are definitely,
[10:14]they're challenging classes.
[10:16]I believe that discomfort is a way for us to find confidence
[10:20]and I think confidence is a sign effect of hustle
[10:22]and that's really the philosophy
[10:24]that I am fusing to my classes.
[10:25]Peloton is actually a sponsor of this podcast.
[10:27]Oh, okay, I had no idea.
[10:28]That's true, yes.
[10:31]One of my latest sponsors
[10:32]and I have been involved with the Peloton Moms book club.
[10:35]I loved, oh, cool.
[10:36]I wasn't aware that they had a book club.
[10:38]That's so neat.
[10:38]They have a book club.
[10:39]Yes, I have to put you in touch.
[10:41]I'll put you in touch with the founder of that.
[10:42]So fun.
[10:44]I'll talk to those ladies who are amazing.
[10:46]And I have my own Peloton experience
[10:49]through the pandemic and before and beyond.
[10:51]My Peloton was a gift when I had my third kid
[10:53]and I had a fourth kid and it was kind of offended
[10:56]by the gift to be honest.
[10:58]I was like, what are you saying about me?
[10:59]You're like, here's your baby gift, I'm kidding.
[11:02]But anyway, I have seen the power
[11:05]of these amazing intense workouts
[11:07]and it's just so awesome.
[11:09]In fact, a girlfriend of mine who is at like
[11:11]the school Moms night recently got divorced
[11:14]and she said to be honest with you,
[11:16]she's like, it's because of my Peloton classes.
[11:19]They were telling me, this is your life
[11:21]and like take charge of your life and this is it
[11:23]and go do it and she's like,
[11:24]this is not what I wanted my life to be.
[11:26]Oh my gosh, that's so powerful, wow.
[11:29]Yeah.
[11:30]So waiting for an essay from her when she can write it
[11:33]but she loves, she said she took so many of your classes.
[11:36]So you were like a whole part of changing her life.
[11:38]Wow, that's incredible to hear.
[11:39]That's astounding to hear.
[11:42]Yeah, that's true.
[11:43]Peloton changes.
[11:44]The whole thing, you and I think Cody Rigsby
[11:46]was her other guy.
[11:47]Oh, I love it.
[11:48]And actually in my, I have this anthology that just came out
[11:51]and this author, Richie Jackson read a whole essay
[11:54]called Peloton and On and On and On.
[11:56]In the anthology because he spent the whole pandemic
[12:00]and completely redid his whole body and philosophy
[12:03]in mind with Cody and so anyway, just FYI.
[12:07]So what is it like marketing and dealing
[12:11]with the publicity of a children's book?
[12:12]Are you going to be reading to groups of kids?
[12:15]Are you excited about this?
[12:16]Like tell me about that aspect of it.
[12:18]Oh my gosh, I love it.
[12:19]I don't know exactly what it's gonna look like.
[12:21]I'm still waiting to hear from my team
[12:23]but that's gonna look like and especially,
[12:24]because we're seeing what can be safe to do
[12:26]and what formats and all that.
[12:28]But I love it.
[12:30]I love it.
[12:31]I mean, as a new mom, it's so,
[12:31]it's such a joy to revisit children's books in general.
[12:35]So I love, I mean, my daughter, thankfully, is all about books
[12:39]and the Scholastic Book Fair was like the highlight
[12:42]of my entire childhood every year.
[12:44]So I just wanna, I just really wanna impart
[12:46]a love of reading to her and kids pick up on
[12:49]what we're excited about.
[12:50]And if parents are excited about reading,
[12:53]I think that we can pass that energy on.
[12:56]So, and anything, any kind of way that I can create community
[13:00]around this, around Strong Mama is very exciting to me.
[13:03]So does that mean you have some other plans in mind?
[13:05]Yes, we have quite a bit of plans in the works.
[13:08]Nothing specific that I can reveal now,
[13:10]but of course we'll disclose it publicly
[13:13]when the time is right.
[13:15]Amazing.
[13:16]Well, whatever I can do through this, you know,
[13:18]platform, not that you need the help,
[13:20]but let me know, I love it.
[13:21]I really, I love it.
[13:23]And it's so true.
[13:24]I mean, moving your body is like my mother, 73 this weekend
[13:28]was like, that is the one thing to longevity is movement.
[13:31]Just gotta stay moving.
[13:33]I mean, while she's like a whirling derby,
[13:34]like never since that.
[13:35]So I'm like, you don't have a problem with this, you know.
[13:38]I love it.
[13:38]Tips for mom, that's so cool.
[13:40]Right.
[13:41]So how is it working with your illustrator
[13:43]and everything on the book?
[13:45]It was, it was amazing.
[13:46]It was, that was, first time I've worked with an illustrator
[13:48]and I fell in love with Addie's,
[13:52]it's just the spirit of her, of her illustrations
[13:55]were so fun to me.
[13:56]And I knew it was the right illustrator
[13:59]because, you know, my daughter was only a few weeks old,
[14:02]but I would show her some of the mock-ups
[14:04]and her, you know, she was, I think,
[14:06]she wasn't even seeing colors yet, right?
[14:07]But she, she, her eyes would, you know,
[14:09]get wide when I showed her some of these pictures
[14:11]and I thought, okay, this is the right,
[14:13]this is the right one.
[14:15]Aw, that's so cute.
[14:17]I have a children's pet coming out too.
[14:18]Oh, congrats.
[14:20]Yeah, thank you.
[14:21]So I know my kids are so excited.
[14:23]Actually, one of my four, I think I just said
[14:25]and I dedicated it to one of them,
[14:27]which is like the biggest mistake of my life.
[14:28]Oh, only, so now you have to write a few more.
[14:31]That's what they said.
[14:32]Yeah, I mean, I'm like, okay, then my other daughter's like,
[14:35]well, I want the next one and then my son's like,
[14:37]and then me, and I'm like, okay,
[14:39]how many of these am I gonna write?
[14:40]I don't know.
[14:41]I gotta talk to my publisher about this,
[14:43]but I went to the series.
[14:45]That's serious, yeah.
[14:46]Amazing.
[14:47]What advice would you have?
[14:48]Okay, two advice questions to people
[14:52]who feel like they don't have time to work out.
[14:55]Actually, that was my first question.
[14:56]What do you say that that's BS?
[14:57]I'm sorry, but it's BS.
[14:59]If you might not have time for your dream idea
[15:04]of the workout, right?
[15:05]So we have this idea that if it's not X amount of minutes
[15:08]or a certain amount of intensity, then it doesn't count.
[15:11]And I realized, especially as a new mom,
[15:14]that like peel away 10 minutes
[15:17]and you're gonna feel a little better.
[15:19]And the consistency of very small acts of movement
[15:23]actually in terms of longevity goes further
[15:26]than 60 minutes, going super intense once a month.
[15:29]So I would say to someone, if you make it matter,
[15:34]you will make it happen.
[15:35]Prioritize it for yourself, let your family
[15:38]and hopefully you have a support system
[15:40]who can help take some of the restraints around your time
[15:45]and claims at least 10 minutes a day of your power back.
[15:48]Love it, okay.
[15:50]And what about, well, if you only have 10 minutes a day,
[15:53]if you only have 10 minutes a day, let's say you,
[15:55]okay fine, you're giving the 10 minutes a day
[15:56]that you're working at, there's so many different things.
[15:59]Like with so much advice, do you hop on a peloton,
[16:02]do you why?
[16:03]I think that the movement, I think it depends.
[16:05]If you're a true beginner, like never worked out of day
[16:07]in your life, you know, you're deconditioned, steps,
[16:12]I mean, movement is literally walking
[16:14]is the most basic and intentional thing
[16:16]I think someone can do.
[16:17]And then of course there's body weight strength
[16:19]and things like that.
[16:20]If you do have access to peloton,
[16:21]in my opinion, the most efficient workout
[16:24]is a 10 minute interval ride or a climb.
[16:27]I believe 10 minutes of intervals would literally like
[16:32]amp up your system for the entire day.
[16:35]Again, that's an intense workout.
[16:36]So I wouldn't necessarily recommend
[16:38]that somebody on day one.
[16:39]But yeah, that intervals make athletes.
[16:44]Okay.
[16:45]And what about people who want to ride a children's bag?
[16:48]Oh, you know, I mean, I'm still a novice myself.
[16:50]So I would like.
[16:51]I know, but still, I can.
[16:53]I don't really have advice except for
[16:56]have it come from a place of love.
[16:58]You know, I think like there's such a beautiful
[17:00]energetic exchange when someone sits down
[17:01]with a kid to read a book.
[17:03]And the ones that I think are most heartwarming
[17:06]and heartfelt are land the best.
[17:10]Very true.
[17:11]And are you reading anything great lately?
[17:12]Do you still love to read?
[17:13]Oh, oh, yeah.
[17:14]What am I reading right now?
[17:15]I just picked up, it's actually an unfiction book.
[17:18]Relent, winning by Tim Grover.
[17:20]Relentless is his first book.
[17:21]And winning is his, I think it's a second,
[17:24]at least it's his most recent.
[17:25]And I was trying to get myself into the head space
[17:27]for the marathon.
[17:28]So I started that book.
[17:29]Awesome.
[17:31]Have you read Limitless by Mallory Wegman?
[17:33]No.
[17:34]You're a Paralympic athlete.
[17:36]She just won in Tokyo.
[17:38]Again, the gold and silver medal.
[17:39]Oh, yeah.
[17:40]I love reading like athletes.
[17:42]I feel like it was like that one.
[17:44]Yeah.
[17:44]I finished Abby Wombag's second,
[17:46]but why guess it was like a tiny,
[17:47]it was such a short book.
[17:48]It was her speech about the wolf back.
[17:50]Yeah, I love that stuff.
[17:51]I love Lolo Jones that she also read great.
[17:54]Oh, no, I follow her on social media,
[17:55]but I didn't realize she wrote a book.
[17:56]Cool.
[17:57]She wrote a book in the last six months or so.
[18:00]I think it's called Over It.
[18:01]Okay.
[18:02]And I know the over it.
[18:03]I think is coming up with a book.
[18:04]I know he just recently launched a master class.
[18:07]Lots of athletes that we,
[18:08]I love athlete books.
[18:09]I love athlete books.
[18:11]I love athlete movies.
[18:12]I'm a better watch King Richard.
[18:13]Yeah, I watched it last night.
[18:15]You did.
[18:16]It was a good.
[18:16]Yeah, it was.
[18:17]And I will Smith, I thought was so excellent.
[18:18]I forgot it was Will Smith, which is a feat, you know,
[18:20]because he's obviously so recognizable.
[18:23]Well, I'm really excited for that.
[18:25]And I'm trying to think of other athlete books.
[18:27]Open Under Agacy.
[18:28]Did you read that?
[18:28]No.
[18:29]Oh my gosh.
[18:30]That's like my favorite memoirs of all time.
[18:32]Okay, Andre Agacy.
[18:33]I got to make my way through the tennis folks.
[18:36]Okay.
[18:37]Well, awesome.
[18:40]All right.
[18:40]Well, Robin, thank you so much.
[18:42]Thanks.
[18:43]It's just so nice to meet you.
[18:44]You're such a powerhouse.
[18:46]And so just like intense and focused
[18:48]and helping so many people.
[18:50]And it's just really cool.
[18:51]Oh, thank you.
[18:52]Keep doing what you're doing.
[18:53]It's really awesome.
[18:54]So nice to see you today and best of luck with your books.
[18:57]Thank you, Richard.
[18:59]Bye bye.
[19:01]Thanks for listening to this episode of Moms.
[19:03]Don't have time to read books.
[19:05]Don't forget to follow me on Instagram at zebi Owens
[19:08]and at Moms Don't have time to read books.
[19:10]Also, sign up for my newsletter at zebiowens.com
[19:12]and sign up for my virtual book club
[19:14]and meet lots of authors on Zoom every other week.
[19:16]Thanks so much to Steve and Ryan,
[19:18]at Textures Sound for the Sound Editing.
[19:20]And thank you to Morning Moon Productions
[19:22]for providing this fantastic intro and now trim music.