Reena Vokoun - Passion Fit (Episode #004)
“It's that inner confidence, that inner gratitude, that deep sense of, ‘You know what, I'm happy with who I am. And yes, I might have areas that I want to improve on. And yes, I want to grow and learn, but that's life.’
And that's something to be celebrated, that you are going to keep growing and evolving as a person, but who you are today and who you are now is every bit as lovely.”
— Reena Vokoun
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Reena Vokoun is the Founder and CEO of Passion Fit™.
Reena’s lifelong passion for health, wellness and fitness and her desire to help others is what led Reena to follow her heart, make a bold move and leave corporate America and her amazing job at Google to become an entrepreneur and start Passion Fit.
Reena has 18 years of experience working in the digital media industry in sales, marketing and business development roles for companies such as Google, Reebok, Yahoo and more. She has a BBA in Marketing and Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MS in Advertising and Communications from Boston University.
Reena has over ten years of experience as a fitness and dance instructor; and she was a U.S. silver medalist in the ESPN Fitness Championships.
Reena is the youngest of four siblings, daughter of immigrant parents and a first generation born Indian-American, who grew up in the Midwest, has lived on the East and West Coasts and is a Californian at heart. Reena currently resides in Silicon Valley with her husband and their two sons.
Episode Notes
This episode features Reena Vokoun (@passionfitllc), founder and CEO of Passion Fit.
Reena’s lifelong passion for health, wellness and fitness and her desire to help others is what led Reena to follow her heart, make a bold move and leave corporate America and her amazing job at Google to become an entrepreneur and start Passion Fit.
In this episode, Reena and I have a candid and heartfelt discussion about:
Reena’s personal experience with burnout and the catalyst for building Passion Fit.
What is burnout? What signs and symptoms to look out for.
The challenges and rewards of being a working mom and entrepreneur.
What self-love and self-care mean and how to practice both.
Passion Fit Retreats and the benefits of taking time away to reflect and celebrate who you are.
Inspiring mothers and women to be bold and take a chance on themselves.
Reena’s conversations with her family and her team at Google about leaving a corporate job that she loved to follow her dream.
3 Things I Learned From Reena
Practicing self-love can lead to long-lasting inner gratitude and happiness.
Self-love is the ability to appreciate yourself and your own worth. It takes time and practice to learn to love yourself. Sometimes we can be our biggest critic or feel like we don’t deserve to be celebrated. But making the time to self-reflect, to remind yourself that you are worthy, that you are happy and confident with who you are, and that you are growing and evolving is invaluable. You can practice self-love through journaling, mindfulness, giving yourself some positive self-talk, and chatting with family and friends or a professional. Being empathetic to yourself and learning to love yourself unconditionally can go a long way toward feeling inner gratitude and happiness.
We are worth it, we are appreciated, and we are valued for being exactly who we are.
It’s easy to get lost in the everyday tasks of being a mom, a partner, a professional, and the many other roles that we are. And because we’re on autopilot so often, it’s even more important to hit the pause button to reconnect with family and friends in a meaningful way. Pick up the phone and call someone. Get a group together for a leisurely hike. Host a fire night. These get-togethers give people the opportunity to be vulnerable, to talk about what’s going on in their lives, and to share their feelings in a space where they are validated and supported for being exactly who they are. We owe it to ourselves to be proud of who we are and to remind each other that we are worth it, we are appreciated, and we are valued.
There is no age limit for building something that brings you joy.
No matter where you are in life or how old you are, you are capable of building something that brings you joy and that inspires others to do the same. The unknown can feel scary, because you don’t know what to expect. But at the same time, the unknown can feel exciting, because you don’t know what to expect.
For me, I’m thirty-three years old, I have two children, my husband and I are talking about having a third. I’ve been a stay-at-home-mom for four years . . . I was scared to start Moms Who Build. But here I am, two long-form interviews and four episodes later; pumped and excited for Episode 5. I’m here because I’m surrounded by extraordinary, brave, bold, beautiful women and moms, most of whom I’ve yet to meet, who took a chance on themselves and are building remarkable things.
Learn more about Reena Vokoun and Passion Fit
Learn more about Reena Vokoun and Passion Fit:
Website: passionfit.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/passionfitllc
Instagram: instagram.com/passionfitllc
YouTube: youtube.com/passionfitllc
Twitter: twitter.com/passionfitllc
Linked In: linkedin.com/in/reenavokoun/
Articles and Blog Posts by Reena Vokoun
Below are some articles and blog posts, written by Reena, that she and I referred to in Episode 004:
Working Motherhood:
When You’re a Working Mom, Change Is the Only Constant
4 Tips for Better Sleep for Working Moms
Lessons on Entrepreneurship and Life from My Dad
4 Lessons I’m Teaching My Kids as an Entrepreneurial Working Mom
5 Ways Working Moms Get in Our Own Heads and How to Stop It
Positive Mindset:
Be Your Authentic Self – No Excuses, Apologies or Regrets
Pursue Your Passions, Be Fit and the Rest Will Follow…
Five Life Lessons I’ve Learned As a Woman from My Mom
My Personal Vision and Mission Statement
Take a Chance and Try Because You Never Know What Might Happen…
Self-Care:
Self-Love vs. Self-Care and Why We Need Both
Tips Aim to Help Busy Moms Claim Some 'Me Time'
Family and Community:
Wellness Communities Offer Motivation to Stay Healthy
Nutritious Meal Planning Benefits Busy Families
Corporate Wellness:
5 Ways You Can Have Higher Performing Employees by Adopting a Wellness-Centric Culture
Mindfulness:
Turn Inward When Navigating Through Change
Importance of Mindfulness for Children and Teens for Battling Stress
Mindfulness Broken Down into Four Concepts
Meditation Apps
For Kids: My Light Shines Bright
More About Reena Vokoun
Reena Vokoun
Reena is a writer, public speaker, activewear designer, online course creator, media spokesperson and award-winning fitness champion. She's a certified health and wellness expert in the areas of fitness, nutrition and behavior change coaching through the American Council on Exercise, Athletics and Fitness Association of America, American Heart Association and IDEA Fitness.
Reena graduated with a B.B.A. in Marketing and Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.S. in Advertising and Communications from Boston University. She spent 18 years in corporate America working in marketing, sales and business development roles for companies such as Google, Reebok, Yahoo and more.
In addition to running Passion Fit, she's a Women in Management Facilitator for Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and an Alumni Board Member for the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.
Her own experiences and witnessing others, have shown her how much overwork and stress can impact your health and life. Therefore, she's passionate about educating others, especially professional women and moms and helping them take control of their lives in these areas.
Today, she serves companies, nonprofits, universities, schools and the media through wellness education and training in the areas of fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, work-life balance, productivity and healthy lifestyles. Her Passion Fit products, services and content include online courses, wellness consulting/coaching, local fitness and dance classes, an activewear line, wellness retreats, workshops and speaking engagements, a YouTube channel of online videos, a blog and more.
She's featured regularly as a health contributor on the Fox KTVU news morning show, speaks to hundreds of people within various organizations and companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Intuit and Juniper Networks, shares her perspective on podcast interviews, writes a monthly health column for the Los Altos Town Crier and also writes for Thrive Global, Shape and Working Mother in addition to her own Passion Fit blog. Finally, as a mom, wife and first-generation-born Indian-American, she has a unique and holistic perspective to help others balance it
