The Trailblazers Experience Podcast

EP45: Diane Randall Crafting a Life of Health , Wellness & Success :How to Jumpstart your Life

• Ntola • Season 3 • Episode 45

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EP45 My next Guest is Diane Randall ,who has a wealth of experience in the wellness industry as an author of Jumpstart your Life , consultant, college instructor, professional speaker and host of the Plant Based Curious Podcast
Embarking on a transformational journey often begins with a single step, and for Diane Randall, that step was a leap into the holistic wellness realm. From the chaos of her past—a story fraught with stress, divorce, and loss—she emerged as an empowering voice in the wellness industry. Our latest Trailblazers Experience Podcast episode brings this incredible narrative to the forefront, as Diane shares not just her trials but also the triumphs that have shaped her into a sought-after wellness consultant and speaker. Her insights on the interconnectivity of our physical, mental, and spiritual health are not just theoretical musings; they're the scaffolding of her life's work.

Navigating the labyrinth of wellness and business is no mean feat, especially when confronted with the hidden adversaries in our food. The episode takes an unexpected turn as a retired chemist pulls back the curtain on additives that escape our notice, underscoring the often overlooked impact of corporate interests on our plates. But amid these revelations, we find a beacon of hope in the Yuka app, which promises a clearer path toward healthy consumption. Diane's narrative continues, weaving in tales of aligning career goals with personal health values—proving that the journey toward wellness is as much about community as it is about individual determination.

The crescendo of our conversation arrives as we map out the actionable steps toward crafting the life you yearn for, with Diane's story as our compass. Picture a corporate culture where personal development isn't just a buzzword but the bedrock of productivity and fulfillment—a vision made more tangible in the aftermath of a world grappling with pandemic-induced shifts. As Diane's presence leaves us invigorated, we close the episode with a call to our listeners to share their own steps toward transformation. Your feedback is the next layer in our ongoing dialogue, and as your host, I'm eager to explore these strategies with you as we continue to journey together.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
01:16 Early Years and Career Journey
05:25 Working on Personal Development
08:00 Becoming a Wellness Expert
10:42 Starting the Plant-Based Curious Podcast
15:41 Impactful Conversations on the Podcast
25:17 Discovering What's Important
26:15 Work-Life Balance and Boundaries
26:48 Making Yourself a Priority
28:24 Self-Love and Self-Care
29:53 Motivation to Write 'Jumpstart Your Life'
30:56 Creating a Plan for Life Improvement
33:10 Taking Responsibility for Personal Growth
35:18 Work-Life Balance in Corporate Culture
37:06 The Positive Impact of Remote Work
39:11 Embracing Change and Empowerment
40:03 Diane's Experience on the Oprah Winfrey Show
44:01 Incorporating Wellness Practices into Daily Life
46:23 Trailblazer Takeaway Tips

Watch YT Episode  https://youtu.be/ZVtGCa6bVa
Find Diane here 
https://www.dianerandallconsults.com/about-diane-randall/
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianerandallconsults/
Instagram : http://www.instagram.com/dianerandallconsults
Podcast :https://www.dianerandallconsults.com/podcast-2/

Listen : to the audio version Apple Spotify .Amazon Music Google Podcasts
Watch and subscribe to my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Thetrailblazersexperience
Follow Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thetrailblazersexperience/

The Trailblazers Experience :

Welcome to another episode of the Trailblazers Experience podcast, where we have candid conversations with women sharing their amazing career journeys. My next guest is Diane Randall, and Diane has a wealth of experience in the wellness industry as an author, consultant, college instructor, professional speaker and host of the Plant-Based Curious podcast. She has a strong online community. Her articles have been published in notable publications such as the New York Times, consulting magazines and the American Holistic Health Association, ahha. She's also appeared on television, including a guest appearance on my icon Oprah, to discuss successful relationships, and she's written a book called Jumpstart your Life. Welcome, diane.

Diane Randall :

Thank you so much for having me.

The Trailblazers Experience :

This is such an honor. In order to understand you, the woman who's passionate and dedicated to promoting wellness and balance in life, talk to me about your background and the early years and your career journey.

Diane Randall :

Wow, the early years. Well, the early years weren't that great at all in terms of wellness and portraying what I do now. I was a divorced mom with two children. I had a career that was really starting to kick off. With all that said, I was totally stressed out, overwhelmed, having to be a mom, having to navigate a career which took me away from my kids, not knowing even how to begin to take care of myself. So, even though life was looking good for me, I knew that just having a career was not going to sustain me. It just wasn't. If I didn't know anything, I knew that.

Diane Randall :

And then, being a mom, a divorced mom, with two small children, so fast forward, I just started investigating and just trying to figure out how can I take care of myself and not just take care of myself. What does that even mean? You know, at the time I had high blood pressure, I had gut issues, I had high cholesterol and I was really young, but I didn't know about the bad eating habits. You know what I mean? Not at that time. I didn't know that. Not taking care of myself, even at that age, because somehow, when you're young, you think you have a past right, but it just wasn't so.

Diane Randall :

So fast forward through really trying to understand what does it even mean to be well, to be happy and to thrive in my life? I had to do a lot of digging and at that time there was no internet, but I read books. Books led me to different types of teachers, whether they were physical, mental or spiritual teachers. So I always say one thing leads to another. So once I started doing the soul searching and really understanding what does it mean for me, diane Randall, to be whole, and then just starting to figure those things out, I never dreamed that I would be in wellness. That wasn't my intention at the time. I was just trying to figure out how can I stay healthy so that I can experience this life. I was trying to create and career and business.

The Trailblazers Experience :

That's so interesting. I mean, what you've described is probably what even a lot of women are going through right now, where they find themselves in a personal circumstance. They're working really hard, trying to provide but it's not enough, whether it's financially, mentally, physically, spiritually and they're trying to navigate just to do something else. Because you were a systems engineer, which requires a different skill set and dedication and attention to detail and you've sort of gone full circle, where you're right, you know nutrition wasn't really talked about. They were fat diets out there. So you know, yeah, but then you say how do I manage that while I'm raising the kids, while I have to go to work? Was it really talked about? There were fad diets out there, you know yes, but then you say how do I manage that while I'm raising the kids, while I have to go to work?

The Trailblazers Experience :

And I think you've probably pivoted into an industry where we know wellness and health is at the forefront of every blog, every podcast. You know it's an industry now that sectors want to invest in. So what came first? Because obviously I described you at the beginning having so many careers, so many hats, but what came first for you where you said you've done all the research, where you said right, this is something I can sink my teeth into was the mental piece of it.

Diane Randall :

Fast forward 10 years before that, I had a sister that died, that got murdered, died, so I hadn't even dealt with those issues. So as I was trying to navigate okay, what do I need the first personal development course that I was in, those memories came back, so that was the first thing that showed up for me to deal with, in a way. So I went, did lots of therapy off and on over the years, because without therapy, when you're stuck, you can't move forward. And that's the one commitment I made to myself and for your listeners is if you're stuck, get the help you need, because 10, 20 years later you can still be in that place.

The Trailblazers Experience :

So the first step was working on you, really Working on me.

Diane Randall :

And here's the thing it was about me in the first place, okay, yes, it was about me in the first place. Okay, it was about me in the first place, even though it manifested as a whole lot of different things outside of me exercising, taking care of myself, really going to a lot of workshops and lectures, because I was hungry for understanding, hungry Not to say that everybody I listened to, I just did what they told me. I do what resonates with me. That's how I chose which step to take. So the physical, the mental, I started looking at that. I started looking at. The spiritual part came when I recognized that, oh, this is about me taking care of myself. So that part was phenomenal. So for many years it was a process phenomenal. So for many years it was a process. And when I started taking care of myself, the business just kind of evolved out of it, because, keep in mind, I'm a techie, I'm in a technological. So how do I become this wellness person? Well, I became the person that I wish I would have had when I was younger and when I didn't understand what to do. Because, as you said, there's a lot of people out there and what I do is. I work with the whole person. It's about you on the inside out, so I'm not selling you a template of someone else. This is about you wanting to be your best self and really digging into okay. So what does that mean for me? Not a template that I have already picked out for you to try on. So that's the difference and the commitment to helping people just understand that you can create the life you want. It's all possible. It's all possible. So, getting that buy-in and belief that you matter, that you can change your life it doesn't matter how much money you have, who you're married to, what school you go to, what degrees you have we can all create the life that we truly want. The key is that I had to believe it and you have to believe what's true for you, and then we knock down any barriers that might be in the way. So that's how I learned what courses to teach, because, as I went through my process of the barriers that I ran into and even creating those wonderful goals, okay, now I need to know how to set boundaries around what I say I want. So it is really navigating through all those difficult challenges to come out on the other side. And here's the thing I don't know.

Diane Randall :

I think there's always something new to learn. Whether I'm working with people, speaking or teaching, I always learn something or pick up something that I can learn and use for myself. So that's the beauty of it. Nobody ever reaches perfection. There's no perfection in this. There is a feeling of completion, though. You know, like when I, when I started out, I I, you know, I love the personal development, so I became a life coach. Then I became a behavior change coach. Then I went to the Institute of Nutrition and I got that holistic coaching certification. Then I got a master's in spiritual psychology, which I'm not advocating, that that's what people have to do For my journey. I just did it because I just wanted to really dig in and learn not only how to help myself, but how can I share this with people. So that's how that happened.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I mean amazing. You've just, in such a colorful way, just demonstrated how this journey of yours has come about, and even when I look at your website and your platforms, it has that 360 approach where one can see there's a lot of lived experience. However, you have educated yourself and gotten the knowledge. So you're not just talking from lived experience, but you know the facts, the research, the data to help you guide the different templates of your clientele and the audience that you're speaking to, and I think that's a valuable lesson in whatever career journey a woman is trying to get into, to think about okay, what does this mean to me? How can I be consistent, how can I be disciplined, but also how can I add value to myself, but as well as you know the people who I'm providing the service to.

Diane Randall :

So it's absolutely interesting. Yeah, yeah, it's, it's. It's incredible, it's. It's been a process, it's, it's been a journey, and what I love now is I'm just at a place where I enjoy, I love it, and and then I didn't even know that I would become plant-based and vegan. I mean, that wasn't something I planned, but I always feel that one thing leads to another, and at first I did my coaching without even talking about food. But here's what I recognized that food is an integral part of everything that we do our mood, our health. So that's what made me included into my wealth of services and information that I provide and share.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I mean, our health is 80% food and 20% fitness, isn't it, as they say? It's true, food is also the most legal drug out there. It is. So it's navigating. What do I need to be cognizant and be clear, but also to function in the various areas of life? I am intrigued. Now Talk to me about what inspired you to start the Plant-Based Curious podcast.

Diane Randall :

Well, this world we live in. I kicked it off last year on March the 20th because I felt this is what I could do and be of service because of all the illnesses I mean every time I hear about process, you know, people dying unnecessarily, heart disease when there's no truthful mostly truthful information. You have to really dig to find the science and the information on what do I need to do to be healthy, and not only that watching my own family members become ill, become seriously ill on diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, on things that if we really knew and understood what we were eating, then we could take a different approach. Now my podcast is for the curious. I'm not advocating that you become plant-based, but if you're interested, I talk about topics that you can easily explore and embrace. I mean you could be a experts all over the world, not just in the US.

Diane Randall :

So it's, it's very it's a, it's an educational podcast. It's not something you know beating you over the head. It's. I'm very open. I'm not trying to tell you to do one thing over the other, because we are at a critical mass with our food. It's killing us in the corporate greed in the corporate I don't even know what to call it. The corporate greed of let's make as much money as possible is literally killing us with the food companies.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I've listened to a few episodes. It's really enlightening because you take the approach of right. I'm going to provide you with as much information as possible, whether it's eating plan based on a budget you know, we all have a budget so right let's debunk the myth that eating healthy is expensive. Um, understanding the medicine behind food and the nutritional value. You've had some really great guests on there. Share a memorable moment or impactful conversation from your podcast that you think resonated really with your audience, because you've had quite a few episodes now.

Diane Randall :

I've had quite a few episodes, but I'll tell you one that just really not only took me back, that, that's pretty, pretty mind blowing. I had a chemist on my podcast, a retired chemist and I talk about this man all the time because I felt like he really shed some light that I didn't even understand. So we know that we're told to read the back of packages, the ingredients right? He opened me up to all the additives that are also put in food that are not listed on any package. We see the ingredients and he told me he wrote a book, he did research and he couldn't even find the definition of a lot of those ingredients. And this man has been in this business. He retired from it. So it really like, let's say, a pickle for example. He said a pickle has different additives and I never knew that. I'm thinking it's a pickle.

Diane Randall :

Vinegar, some sugar, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, but he said it has a lot of additives and I tell you it. Really, before we got to the end, I felt a little defeated, to be honest with you. But he told me about this app called a Yuga app. But he told me about this app called a Yuga app and this app you can scan if you do packaging food.

Diane Randall :

I don't do a lot of packaging food, but I'm able to scan not just packaging food, packaged food, but your beauty products in your bathroom and things you use for your hair and your body.

Diane Randall :

You can scan those to see if they're healthy or not for your hair and your body. You can scan those to see if they're healthy or not and they get rated poor, poor, good and excellent. And then not only does this app tell you if it's poor, it will recommend a healthier version and it lists all the ingredients, why they're bad and the additives that are in the different products. So that gave me a glimmer of hope and I'll tell you, for the last three months, I've literally been using this app and I feel like I have a tool now to combat all the misinformation, all the ultra-processed ingredients that people say are good. This app will give you tell you okay, this is too much salt, this is too fatty, and here's why, you know, here's why we rated it this way. And the people who founded this are not in America, they're in Paris, so that was a good thing, and they're not funded by any corporations that is always a good start.

The Trailblazers Experience :

It's a good start. It's a good start. It's a good start. It's a good start. It's a good start. It's a good start. It's a good start. It's a good start. It's a good start. It's a good start.

Diane Randall :

It's a good start.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I'm just sharing my excitement I will be putting in the show notes because I think, like you said, sometimes it's that first step. How do I educate myself, how do I if I'm not informed about nutrition? You need to have a starting point, and if that first catalyst is scanning products to understand what the products are made of, then that's already a first step in the right direction.

Diane Randall :

Are made of, then that's already a first step in the right direction. It's an easy step because it's a free version and the paid version is just 13 bucks a year, and you're always with your phone anyway so you might as well, use it for something useful no-transcript.

The Trailblazers Experience :

And my intention is to weed through the chaos and really try to pull out what could be helped. I think it's important really, even so commending you for even starting the podcast and focusing on the subject matter, because there has been research done to show that consistency, discipline in your health and your nutrition, wellness does directly lead to better performance in your career, et cetera. So, on one hand, if that's your catalyst, how can I be the best I can be in my career journey? If you've got that bucket of health and wellness, then that's a good thing to have in your arsenal as well. Talk to me about some of the biggest challenges you've faced while juggling multiple roles, and now you've I think you've sort of come full circle. You're established into what your beliefs are, and wellness and health is your focus. But what are the challenges you faced in your career.

Diane Randall :

The challenges is being being aware of people are not going to want to hear what you have to say. They are not going to jump on your bandwagon because you've turned over this new leaf. So it was recognizing that this is my journey and the beautiful thing is there are people in the world like-minded people who are interested in what I love and what I want to say. So it is being open and attracting those people. Having your family and friends, but recognizing that this is your thing. They love you no matter what. But don't try to get them to come on board with you, because we also talk about wellness and whole living and people. I feel the challenge has been to get people to understand that it's all one thing. It's the mind, the body and the spirit. It's all one thing because society has divvied it up for individual things, so you don't know what's connected to what. So I feel that that's been a challenge. You cannot sell wellness. That's been a challenge from a business perspective over the years. That is a challenge because everybody's not interested. You know we've been taught and conditioned to get the quick fix, the pill, the 28 day vegan program, you know something really quick, instead of recognizing that it's a process and just being on this journey and being open to wherever it's going to take me.

Diane Randall :

That wasn't always easy. It wasn't always easy because there have been I've had clients in the past this was years ago that really thought, when they came on board, that I was going to just do it all for them. You know what I mean Just tell them everything they needed to do, you know, but it just doesn't work that hard. So the building this business was a challenge in the beginning. It was a real challenge. And then just sticking with it and changing things that don't work and coming up trying new things I mean I've always had to do that and never give up because there's been times where it's like, oh, nobody's interested. So I mean, what am I doing this for? But fast forward, it is just being open and recognizing that there are challenges, even trying to balance having projects and doing my business. The boundaries thing has always I have to revisit that. The life balance I have to revisit that. Even since COVID, because we're online, I've had clients to think that because I'm online, I'm going to work more.

The Trailblazers Experience :

That's a big one globally, I think, isn't it? Yeah, you're now accessible 24-7.

Diane Randall :

And really working with people with kindness and care, but setting those boundaries. I'm not available 24-7 because we're online and that can be difficult and that can be challenging, especially if you're new to setting boundaries. So it's really creating that space that I need in order to navigate what I'm trying to do, and that is not easy and I have to revisit it. I may have a challenge over here that I have to deal with, but that's just life, you know, and really coming to terms with it and being empowered. That can be a challenge as well being empowered in my life and recognizing that what I have to do is important too, but also conveying it, communicating in a way with kindness and just letting people know this is who I am, this is what I need and I'm here to serve, but I need to do it around this space, and you know, however those words come out, Oprah talked about.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I think someone asked her how do you know that you're going to be successful or something around the lines of what direction you're going to take? And she says you will know once you discover what's important to you, what empowers you, what your self-belief is. That will be the catalyst to pull you in that direction for success. And a lot of the times when she said that, I said what is she even talking about? Until? I think, maturity time, life lessons. You know, you have that pivotal moment where you just sort of say to your point about boundaries, learning to say no to the things that don't enhance you and yes to the opportunities that will bring you closer to your passion, your project, whatever it is that you're working on.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Is there a thing when people talk about having a balanced lifestyle? So work-life balance does it even exist? Is it a combination of finding out who you are, what your drivers are, what you're passionate about, but also, to your point, boundaries and that's what my book is about Jumpstart your life.

Diane Randall :

It's going through your life, looking at all the things you do, that take up your time and just going through that list to see okay, because there's another thing that I want to add to what you said what did I used to do that no longer serves me. That's taken up a few hours a month or a week, so that it's that, and it's really making yourself a priority, not being selfish but being self-honoring about what we need. I know, as women especially, we're taught to look outside of ourself and nurture everybody else except ourselves. What I advocate is you looking at yourself and what matters to you, because if you can go inward and figure out what do you value, what your priorities are, it doesn't matter if you have a significant other, a partner, a husband, a wife, children, whatever you have you show up better for these people and it is delegating.

Diane Randall :

If you can't do it, how can it get done? Can someone else support you in that? Or, like I said before, the biggest thing that we have. We've been in this on autopilot for so long and we find ourselves going to meetings and doing things not for ourselves but for someone else Work. I'm going to look bad. My friend told me about this and if I quit, it's really focusing on me, not worrying about how someone else is going to feel, just really looking at this particular thing that I'm spending my time on and saying is this something that's going to serve me? Because when you serve yourself in terms of giving yourself what you need, you can show up stronger, better and move yourself forward in an awesome way.

The Trailblazers Experience :

They always talk about the four love languages. Actually, you need to use those fallout languages on yourself first, isn't it? Yeah, acts of service, serving yourself, words of affirmation to yourself first, because how can you spill your cup you know outwards, if you haven't even filled it up for yourself?

Diane Randall :

And once you, know who you are and what you need for yourself and what you want. Who you are and what you need for yourself and what you want. That's how you can feel that pull to a certain direction, because you know who you are. You're so clear about that. You're so clear about that and that is how I would say I created the podcast. I'm so clear about what I feel I need to do to be of service in this moment, and that was one thing, even though the podcast is just not about food, it's about whole living, behavior change, veganism, just educating the world on what's going to serve us not just me, but serve us as human beings on this planet. That's the big picture of what I do and it brings me happiness. I'm full of joy. I mean, that's what I want to help you create, because we don't think about life like that. We just don't. Too many of us don't. I'll just say that. Interesting.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Let's talk about the book Jumpstart your Life. What motivated you to say I'm going to now write, put pen to paper. What was that moment for you?

Diane Randall :

Well, at first it was a presentation. No, it was a article. I was asked to write a story about being a single mom and my journey to moving to Chicago without any family and the steps I took to get the career that I got when I first moved here. So it was an article. Then it was a presentation. I was asked to speak about being the same thing being a single mom and having a career and then I started teaching at a local college and I taught it over 10 years. It was called Stepping Out of your Comfort Zone and it's evolved since then and the students really helped me to shape it. But it was really looking at your life, looking at all areas of your life, like we've been talking about, and picking two areas that you want to move forward or improve, and then taking those two areas and looking at the priorities of your life, looking at how those two priorities can fit in. It's writing action items around those priorities and they have to be at least 60, believable and it's writing affirmations about those two areas of your life, because affirmations allow us to take things from our and bring them into reality. And then it's about posting those affirmations like on your closet when you get up, maybe in the corner of the bathroom mirror, so that you can read those affirmations and integrate it into your being, so that it becomes a part of what you do and what you speak.

Diane Randall :

And then part of the book is writing a plan. How can I make this plan a reality? For example, let's say you want to go back to school, you want to get your master's or your bachelor's Okay, so what action items can you create in the class or in the book? And then next week you can act on those action steps. For example, call admissions, do my research on the internet, figure out, okay, what am I going to school for? So it's making the things you want a reality in your life. Making the things you want a reality in your life. And then it's celebrating that success, small things that you accomplish. So I taught that for so many years. Then I said, ok, I'm just going to turn this into a book, and that's what I did. It's really a guide that steps you through how to create the life that you want, that success around that, and what do you call success? It's also documenting that as well.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I mean, I've had fun reading the book because I've been had to then take some notes and step changes to oh, what am I doing now?

The Trailblazers Experience :

Oh, pat myself on the back for actually implementing a lot of those steps unknowingly. But moving away from, as a culture or people in general tend to you know, I'm not speaking about everyone blame culture is a very big thing oh, this bad thing happened. Well, this job didn't work out. But actually you need to go within and say, in order for me to take myself out of a negative situation or move my career forward, or move my business forward or my relationships, what are the steps, like you said, creating action items, practical ones to get me in that direction. And there's so much to be said about consistency with words of affirmation and, you know, igniting that part of the brain for positive energies and positive affirmations. They do, over time, sort of ignite and are a catalyst for everything that you're doing. So the fact that you've now documented it and put it into a book, a tool, a toolkit that can be used, is just amazing.

Diane Randall :

Yeah, and I forgot to mention one more thing, not just the affirmation, but to write an essay, a visit, a visual plan. I mean a visualization of what does your life look like? Who's in your life, who are you, who would you be if you were living this life? You write it as if it's happening right now. So the book is to integrate that, so that it really becomes a part of you and things that you want to take from the paper and bring out in the world.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Are you seeing that a lot of corporates or businesses are now engaging with people such as yourself in terms of expertise, to come into teams and teach, to help them either solidify a vision, a mission statement, or just to get them working differently?

Diane Randall :

I'm kind of mixed about that. I'm going to be honest.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Yeah.

Diane Randall :

Tell me why, Diane? Because it is a great. Productivity is a big thing, and I'm not being negative. It's how do you balance people being productive and life balanced? Because I was in the consulting world, okay, and I'll just speak from my early experience and the partner would say you can be have life, work-life balance around the client, around your responsibilities to the client. I feel some companies have really embraced it but too many still haven't in a way that literally supports the employee, that literally supports the employee. And I must say people have started different portions of it. But has it been truly embraced? And you guys get a day off? Now I've heard of some companies really embracing it, giving their employees an extra day off for one thing or another, embracing it, giving their employees an extra day off for one thing or another, but as a whole, especially since COVID, that is not the case. What should I say is there's still work to do. Yeah, yeah, there's still work to do.

The Trailblazers Experience :

And you're right, isn't it? It's like you said about, they've been positives of hybrid working, remote working, Whereas, you know, when I was raising my kids, I could not have thought to have even said oh, I'm leaving work early to go and pick up my kids from school.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I just felt like my heart was going to sink. Everyone was going to judge me. That's right and that shouldn't be the case. You know, it should be embraced that people have children and responsibilities outside of work, but we still have a long way to go to get us to a stage where there's productivity but there's also work-life balance, but also people are empowered to to the fact that my well-being impacts my productivity in a positive way, because there's been a lot of studies where people working from home have been more productive.

Diane Randall :

Yes, yeah, More productive because they're working from home and they don't have to commute two hours, hour and a half in traffic, you know, back and forth, and they don't have to be away from their children. It has really created a better environment. But there's also that okay, what does it mean to this C-suite manager if you're not coming in? You know? So there's that balance too, but a lot of companies are on board with that. So I think that's a wonderful thing. That's happened because we most of us were going into work five days a week since the Industrial Revolution.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Yes.

Diane Randall :

Yeah, exactly. Industrial revolution. Yes, yeah, exactly that. I think the changes have been beautiful in line with life, work-life balance and whole living.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I mean, all I can say is that it's afforded me the opportunity to connect with people globally that I potentially may not have been able to connect with, because not every company has a travel budget for you to go and meet clients, or even the podcast connecting us I'm.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I'm in europe, you're in the us and we're having this conversation. So, um, the acceleration of technology is another revolution itself, yes, and empowering women to come out of themselves and say right, okay, I've got now other tools in my toolkit once again to help me accelerate in my business, whether I'm working from home or working for a company that promotes that as well. So it's a beautiful thing, but a lot of work to do.

Diane Randall :

It's a beautiful thing, but these times are calling on us are calling on us to really step up and be empowered to make this world a place that we all want to be. I feel the time has come for that in every aspect. So we need that balance, that mind, body, spirit, care, to allow us to show up in these challenging places that we have to be in this moment. So it's a good time for us.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Definitely. So. Circling back, I have to talk about you appearing on Oprah. How did you get the call? And how did you get the call? Okay, tell me.

Diane Randall :

It was such a random thing and I'm being honest, I live in Chicago, so she, her office, was in Chicago in the West Loop. So I was just invited to a cocktail party one evening, you know, by a friend. So we go to this really nice cocktail party and I didn't know it was a stage party, really, I think. I think it was staged because there were producers there asking us questions about relationships. You know, or would you date someone younger? And you know, so I was like I'm going to tell you like talked about relationships, whether someone's younger. It's about the life, the lived experience and just being able to connect. At that time there was no, you know, dating online and all that stuff, but it was just being able to connect and communicate. Able to connect and communicate and how do you know you're in the right age group is I said I want somebody with some lived experience. So they like that.

Diane Randall :

And the next thing, I know I get a call. She wanted to talk to me on the show, so they had somebody literally pick me up, went to the greening room and when the show started she asked me about that. It was like surreal kind of. You know what I mean, because I just never saw that coming, and that's what I love about clearing your life, where you have a lot of peace coming in, so that you don't miss those opportunities. You know that the universe can produce for you If you're peaceful inside, if you're calm inside not to say that my life is calm and perfect, but I was able to pick up on that and be in the moment of that happening, because I had no idea that that producer was asking me that question for a reason. I thought I was just having a conversation.

The Trailblazers Experience :

That's amazing, I mean, there's something to be said about. You were comfortable in your skin, you were saying yes to opportunities, and it sort of led to this full circle moment, isn't it, of imparting wisdom. On the Oprah Winfrey show.

Diane Randall :

So, yeah, that I didn't know I had really you know what I mean. That wasn't my intention, but yeah, it happened like that. So that was beautiful and it really helped me with my growth. The different experiences not just that one has helped me to evolve to where I am now, and now I feel my goal and mission is to support, to impart my experiences and whatever wisdom I can share with someone to help them not go through what we went through trying to figure things out for ourselves. So I hope I can streamline the process for people listening.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I'm loving that. So, diane, what do you do then? To unwind and to? You're managing, in my opinion, a successful business in an interesting area wellness and nutrition and an advocate for embracing your mental health and your physical health. How do you unwind when you're not doing this?

Diane Randall :

Well, it's also my work is like. In the morning I wake up, I do 15 minutes of a yoga practice. Three days a week I will go to the recreation center, the gym that's like two blocks away. Or, in the summertime, I walk three days a week. I do my strength training, whether at home or the rec center, because COVID taught me a lot.

Diane Randall :

Covid taught me that I really didn't need a gym to be physically active. So I've created practices at home that I do even more than I do when I go to the gym. And it's really looking at what I eat. How does the food make me feel? It's learning as much as I can so that I can share with others. So my process is integrated into my life, into my day. Now I don't work out every day. Now I do less and less the older I get, because three days a week I have full throttle. But I do my yoga practice every day because that allows me to have the flexibility to walk around to do the things that I need to do. So it's just built into my lifestyle.

The Trailblazers Experience :

There's really something to be said about incorporating, like you said, the practices of mindfulness and self-care into your lifestyle, your daily your daily, daily, I think that's right.

Diane Randall :

Daily, daily, yes, and that was a. That was I evolved into this person. Okay, over time I've always worked out, I've always done things, but now I have it to where it just easily flows. It's not about two hours in the gym or 90 minutes on the mat every day. I do as much as I need to release my body in a way that's going to allow me to get through my day. That's really what I've pared it down to.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Love that Circling back trailblazer takeaway tips. You have shared so much of your life and your story and how you've evolved into the career space and journey that you're in now. But if you were to impart three tips for our audience, what would they be?

Diane Randall :

The first tip would be just be honest about what you want and what you need, because that is the first thing, is to acknowledge that and be clear about that. The second thing is how do you take those things and really make, turn them into something that's going to serve you in your life? And the third thing is know that you matter, you deserve to be at peace mentally, physically and spiritually and know that it is a process, diane.

The Trailblazers Experience :

It's been such an honor, such a pleasure I am certain I'm going to get lots of feedback questions following the podcast and it's been a pleasure having you. I'm so honored to have learned about your journey and taken a few tips as to how I can embark, or at least add more value to, the personal journey that I'm embarking on as well for myself in my professional and personal career. So, thank you so much, diane. Thank you. This has been the Trailblazers Experience Podcast. Tell the other woman about the podcast and look forward to seeing you next time. Thank you, thank you.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Thank you.