He's the man in the back of the room. He's told US presidents where to sit, CEOs where to go, and stars when to shine. But as he likes to point out Who cares? I care. It's true. She cares, and so does he. He's entertainment and production agency owner and meeting and event master, Anthony Bellotta. She's his agent 99, and you're about to be Bellatified. Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode of Ballotified, the one and only pod about events, entertainment, and engagement. I'm Anthony Bellada, and I'm here as I am every single week with the always delicious, always optimistic, Alexia Christina Postalides, Opa Alex. Aww. How are you feeling today, Precious? I'm feeling well. I'm feeling a little accomplished. So that's a good thing. Pray tell? Well, I had a term paper to write, and I picked a very tough subject. It's not something there's a lot of research on, and I kinda had to pivot, which I did. But I'm a little excited about it. It's, I entitled it Vibrational Gastronomy. Oh, it sounds like the Bellata family. It it it yeah. It's all about how music and, words and visual cues affect the food that we are eating. It can actually vibration can actually change the perception of the food you were eating. Certain vibrations can make things taste make you think things are sweeter and lower vibrations can have, you know, affect it to be more bitter and sour. The tempo can affect what you're eating and how fast you eat, whether or not you order a second cocktail. Your visual surroundings can have a, an impact on the food you eat. So now I'm just finishing up the PowerPoint for the presentation tomorrow. Wow. What an interesting subject to be studying, especially in light of the work that you do with us. Because, of course, I I'm thinking of a of a million questions about how we can then enhance the flavor of our foods and our events by creating certain rhythms, within the context of an event in such a way that it makes sense, helps to propel the event along, but, you know, also has this underlying impact of making the food taste better, maybe more savory, maybe more flavorful, maybe, you know, more, delicate on the palate. Right? Interesting, interesting work. Is this the, this is within the current class that you're taking? Yeah. It's the within the certification program. And we had to write I I forgot, and I apologize as we have a great guest on who was talking about how sometimes limitation actually gives you more options. And that really hits home with this because we could write on anything with regards to vibration resonance. Well, that is a huge subject. And my original idea, which I really wanted to do, was just gonna be too costly, and I couldn't do it right now. I will do it another time. So then I went I put in my PowerPoint. It was 12 rounds in the boxing arena of my mind without a knockout until I finally got to what I wanted to write on. And all because I was at a restaurant, took a bite of soup that I had waited a year and a half to have again, and went, this is what love tastes like. And then it hit me. And that's my top top. Inspiration comes, when we least expect it and in the most intriguing of moments, doesn't it? And so we value those moments for sure. For sure. Okay. Before we get started, if you're a new listener, please take this time to like and subscribe. Go ahead. We'll give you a sec. Why thank you. You said something that makes me think about today's tipsy. Let's get tipsy. And it's the idea of movement and, keeping yourself moving, if you will. And I'm inspired to give this tip, especially by today's guests, who, is going to talk, I hope, I hope a little bit about fitness. My tipsy today is exactly realized the importance of a consistent fitness regimen at that event. See, I was watching Jane Fonda, who was serving as a speaker. Yeah, ask that Jane Fonda, the Oscar winning Jane Fonda, the same Jane who in the 19 eighties, shared her workout routine by way of 22 self titled videos that combined sold 17,000,000 copies. In each of them, she is front center illustrating every move with agility and stamina while encouraging viewers to keep up. Those workouts were phenomenally popular. These days, albeit at a slower pace and with less weight, Fonda still does those routines daily, which is at least partly why at 86 years old, she looks marvelous and spry. And as the physical evidence suggests, is no doubt enjoying a higher quality of life than her contemporaries who don't buy into the mantra, move it or lose it. Now at 61, I do buy into that mantra, and like Jane, I maintain the daily regimen of movement. I'd like to encourage and today, I would like to encourage all of you to do the same. That's right. I didn't I didn't say exercise. I said movement. The movement doesn't have to be intense, and the routine doesn't have to be long. Start wherever you are today and engage as much of the body as you can. Dance, jiggle, bounce, pump, strut, twirl. Get your heart rate up and sweat a little bit. That's the point. You don't have to be an athlete or even feel like one, because who cares? It's far more productive and beneficial to move in a way that gives you joy or at least retains your interest. Think of the effort as an investment in your self, in the future of you, in the you that wants to continue to unquestionably rely on the bones and muscles, the tissues and joints, the appendages and digits that keep you upright, sturdy, and balanced today. In other words, please don't lose it. Move it. And that is Medipsy. So Lovely. Thank you. I took some notes from you as well to put this tipsy together because I think it's important that. People understand it's just about starting someplace, having some fun with the movement, engaging yourself fully, working up a sweat. And that's all it is. Mm-mm. I have to tell you, I was a staunch follower of her workout videos with the complete eighties gear leg warmers and all in my little step aerobics that I would do at home. Oh, yeah, those were so popular. I was too. I mean, I didn't follow the workouts, but I knew of them. And I in the eighties, I remember distinctly taking a jazzercise. I think it was called jazzercise. It wasn't jazzercise, actually. It was aerobics at a little studio in the Skylake Mall. To it's raining men. I just remember that vividly in my head, that routine, It's Raining Men, because that beat is like, I don't know, it's like 256. It sits it's nonstop, and you're pumping and pumping. Anyway, those were the days. And then we used to do Step. I I don't know if you ever did step. I did step. That's what I had. I had her step aerobics, and I had the 3 tier and got up to that 3rd tier with weights and, you know, would sometimes do it twice a day, morning and night. I found step to be fun. It is fun. It was fun. Yeah, I should get back into that. I've been looking for something like that. Let's bring on our our guest today because because I think she could slide right into this conversation. Okeydoke. Let's do it. Our guest today is truly an inspiration for those of us looking to change our lives. She woke up one day and decided to make a list of things that made her happy. Everything on her list pointed to a life and career in San Diego, and there was no stopping her. With tourism being a top industry in San Diego, she knew it was the perfect city for people to stay active and make memories. She created and designed a business that plans unique experiences on land and sea. From leisure, active, and adventure packages, they work with partners in fitness, health, wellness, and adventures in San Diego County. Please welcome the founder and chief experience officer of Fit City Adventures, the incredible Angela Menardi. Hey. Hey. Hi. Wow. What an introduction. Isn't that something? Can you follow me around in daily life? I can. I can. I just have to do it with the mic and the headphones. So, you know, the right we have the right voice. Although I have to I have to be honest with you, Angela, you're not the first to ask, and she's not. It's not the first time she said yes. Okay. All right. I'll take you part time. Hey, you know what? It's attention. I just I love it. So that's awesome. Thank you. Well, it's great to have you on this podcast. We have a little something in common that I found out just by doing some stalking of you. You are a Syracuse University grad. Correct. And raves the cold. Yes. I have a new house grad. Orange woman. Yes. Yes. Yes. Orange man means something very different today than it did when we were in school. So we I have a harder time saying the word. But yes, I'm an orange man, too. Absolutely. Cool. So we'd like to start this podcast with a little fun and the way to give the audience a little, better way to get to know you, if you don't mind, something we've got 10 quick questions. Ten quick questions. Ten quick questions? Questions we made up just before you came on this call. You ready to go? Let's do it. First thing that comes to your mind, do not overthink. That's the only rule in this game. 2 minutes on the clock. And we go with question number 1, Angela Minardi. Italian name. So I have to assume you love a pasta. What's your favorite pasta dish? Gnocchi. Gnocchi. Okay. Then gnocchi. Okay. Number 2. And to burn off those calories, what is your cardio routine of choice? Oh, I do everything. Let's say spin class. Spin cardio. Yeah. But everything that is very impressive. I do a different class every day. Yeah. Wow. See, that's good. That's good. Okay. 3. That's a good thing. You keep it though. You keep it mix mixing it up. Number 3, what color do you wear when you want to feel powerful? Oh. I'm gonna say turquoise. Oh. That's perfect. Unexpected? Yeah. It's just a bright happy color, and it is unexpected. I get a lot of comp comments on it. Yeah. I bet. Yeah. Okay. You know that peach fuzz is Pantone's 2024 color of the year. Didn't know that. But But, well, that's actually true. Do you have any peach fuzz? I don't know what peach fuzz is. I don't think I want peach fuzz, but I do have a lot of pink. I have a I have a pink power suit that I wear to a lot of industry events as well. Yeah. Peach fuzz feels a little drab, doesn't it? I don't know. What is that? Is that just the color peach like your hat? Like that? Like oh, peach. It's actually a very muted peach. Okay. It's it's not pink, but it's peach without much tone in it, if you if you will. Wow. It's not a great color if you ask me. It's very bland, but it's also a fun fun word. So it's 2 words, but okay. Charisma. This is number 5. Charisma, uniqueness, nerve or talent, Which has served you most in your career? Oh, well, I wanna say talent, but definitely nerve. Yeah. I'm the first generation daughter of an immigrant just from Boston. I get my place into play get myself into places however I can, and I'm not afraid to take risks and, you know, change my whole life and move to California and start a business. So Good for you. Yeah. Or like Taliano? I don't know. Not a lot anymore, unfortunately. I know. It gets lost. I know. Yeah. I know. I'm trying to learn myself. Okay. Number 6. What's the last thing you got in trouble for doing or saying? Boy. In trouble by whom? Probably my mom. I went on a family vacation a couple weeks ago and I forgot my passport. I was going on a trip to Europe the next day and so I got a little stressed out. And my mom and I got in a little tiff because I had to go home and book a flight from Boston to LA to get my passport and then fly from LA to Helsinki. I was supposed to go Boston, Helsinki, and I had to go back across the US and back again. Oh my goodness. Yeah. That's traumatic. That's that that's traumatic. Yeah. So we, you know, little little mom died. Now you laugh. Now you laugh. Right? Yeah. Alright. What's your favorite workout champ? Music. I love Avicii. Avicii. I don't know if you know who Avicii is. He's a DJ, who's no longer with us, but, amazing beats. And I actually went to his museum when I went to Sweden recently when I was on that vacation. Neat. Highly recommend. With your passport in hand? With my passport. Yes. Number 8. Assuming you have at least one of these like the rest of us human beings, what is your guiltiest pleasure? Okay. Cali cream ice cream. I did I order 4 different kinds, 4 different scoops. I get 2 waffle cones. I break them up, and I like using my chips. That is awesome. Yes. Yeah. It's like a buffet of ice cream. Yes. It is. Well, and it also kinda matches if you if you're like maybe you like more savory, then you get the illusion of chips and dip. Correct. You're still craving, you know, say satiating that, sweet desire. It's like an ice cream nachos. Yes. Correct. I could get down with that. I love that. We have to try that at our next party. Small party. Small party. Okay. What's better, baked beans or refried beans? Oh, man. I'm from Boston. I eat a lot of bean baked beans. I'm gonna say, I like the refried. I mean, I think they're fattening with the lard and everything, but the flavor can't go wrong. Right. Okay. So welcome to Southern Cal then. Yeah. I'm just gonna give you I because I was a vegetarian for so long, you can get good, vegetarian refried beans, and they have just enough fat in them to keep them creamy. Mhmm. So that's that's my staple in my house. K. Good. Let's have a bean off. Come with your beans. And we have our little, precious toe beans, of course, you know, from from our little dogs. They call this little toe beans or balls. Anyway, number 10, Can you give us the name of one of the dorms you lived in while you were at Syracuse? Yes. I can give you the names of all of them. Do it. Do it. Brewster Bolen. So Me too. Brew 8. I was on I was oh, see. I was in Brewster 2. And when I was there, it was all male and Bolen was all female. Oh, wow. And it's all coed. Right. Okay. Yes. Cool. So okay. Yeah. That was the freshman year. And then I lived my sophomore year in Del Plain. Okay. I was in day ball. Okay. Okay. Yep. And then my junior year, I lived in my sorority house, GammaPhy Beta. Go GammaPhy. GammaPhy. My senior year, I lived off campus in an apartment. So did I. My senior year, it was like time to get off campus. Correct. There we go. I'm like, cool. I was in Genesis. I think we're on campus the same time, but if we were No. I'm a little bit older than you. Just like a tad. Yeah. I graduated in 84. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. 20 years. 20 years. Yeah. So, and I just funny, I looked up some of those buildings just before this interview because I forgotten Shaw Hall. I couldn't remember. At the time, it was like an interdisciplinary hall. I was an RA for 2 years. Wow. Yeah. And and Shaw was one of my halls. And so I had a lot of artistic kids because it was a lot of, art students and and drama students who didn't necessarily fit in other in other places. So they Yeah. The Michelle Hall. I don't think they do that anymore there. I don't think it's the same. I don't think so. I don't know. I was there when we won the national championship with Carmelo Anthony and basketball. So that and there were lots of riots. Made. And there were lots of riots and couches being thrown on fire outside of fraternity houses. Wow. It was a party. Yeah. So I was there with Vanessa Williams. Mhmm. She won Miss America. Oh. And then unfortunately lost her crown, which was shameful of them. But, yes, through all of that Cool. In our department, there's always history at Syracuse. There's always some history. You know, a lot of people went there. So but you are here now in SoCal, and it just seems like it fits the right place for you to be. Am I wrong in making that assumption? No. You're 100% right. Yeah. And I did do the thing with the list. I woke up and wrote a list of 10 things I wanted in life. It was sunshine, happy people, beaches, activities. And I had only been to California once before that. Then I said, I think it's in California. So I took 2 trips out here, and I and I did basically LA South. I drove in a Mustang convertible as one does. As one does. It has stopped at every beach and ended at Shore Club and PB. And I said, people live here full time. I'm doing this in a year. And so a year to that day, I sold my house, got divorced, packed my car, drove out. Didn't know anyone. Just change change my life. Wow. Wouldn't regret it for a second. I absolutely love it here. Yeah. No, the change. Go ahead. I just have such admiration because I mean, you're young. So changing your life, it's such a scary thing to do and especially as you start getting older. But wow, that is all that at once. Yeah. That's a TED talk in the making. Let's, yeah, let's let's unpack that for a moment because some people would be really, really put off by all of that and having to do all of those things in order to change their life. So it takes a certain kind of, will, right, and tenacity. So and I imagine you you well, tell us about getting to that point. Would you share that with My soul was telling me I had to do it because I was at a point where I had you know, I think what what people would consider panic attacks, I couldn't get out of bed. I was having some, like, serious issues deciding, making decisions. And so that's why it was as simple as all I can do is write a list and try to clear my head and figure out what is because I had it all on paper. I was married. I had built a house. I worked at CVS Pharmacy in their corporate headquarters. I had a really high paying job in marketing. I was I had just gotten my MBA at BC. I, you know, I had a great job, and I had a great great, you know, relationship for what it was, but it wasn't as fulfilling to me. I knew I wanted to travel and do all these things, and my husband didn't wanna do that at the time. So and and I just hated the cold. That's like, what am I doing in the snow? I went to Syracuse, and now I'm living in Boston, and it's dark and people are sports and bars, and that's it. So I yeah. I mean, I think my my soul was like, it's it's not here. And I just listened. And I wrote that list, and it was like sunny, somewhere, some California. I think you should check it out. And I remember sitting on the beach in Laguna getting full body chills, and I still have the picture that I look at to remind myself, like, this is it. I know it's not gonna be easy, but you have to do it. This is the path. And then just one thing kinda led to another, when I moved out here, who I met, the experiences I had. And that's you know, and then starting my company really opened the doors for so many things. So it all happens for a reason. Yeah. It it seems just it seems to. Would you say that putting it out there and making the list really helped it to come to be? I think so. I was doing a lot of, yoga and yoga retreats at the time because I was pretty unhappy, and I wasn't sure if it was me, if my job, my relationship. I, you know, I I couldn't really understand at all, but simplifying it really helped. I did a silent retreat, at a place called Kripalu in Massachusetts, which is an amazing yogi center. And I would go there quite often, actually. And if there it's a wild place where, like, at lunchtime, they have bongo drums and everyone's dancing like crazy, and you have a silent eating and hiking. It's beautiful, but it's a time for you to really listen and kinda get internal. So I think a lot came out of that and I, yeah. And I I knew that I wanted to kind of just start over and listen to myself and not what everyone thinks I should be doing. Right? With the the job and all the things. So when I moved to California within the 1st 2 years, I went to 20 countries because I knew I had I wanted to travel and see the world. I didn't really do that so much on the East Coast, and that opened my eyes to a lot of things as well. And that's actually where I got the business idea for Fit City. I was on a bus in Morocco Wow. When I came up with the idea. On a bus in Morocco. Yeah. And we want to be. Right. And there's just now there's more to unpack. Yes. And so what what happened on that bus that made you think of Fitzsimmons? Yeah. I mean, I was doing these trips by myself, and I would do them in tour groups. So I didn't really know all all the places I was going. I knew the countries. It was Spain, Morocco, Portugal on a bus with 50 strangers from around the world. And it was super cool, but I still wanted to stay healthy and I still I was always been into fitness and health. And so I was, you know, I kept saying on the bus, like, jeez, I wanna see the cities, but I wanna see them in a fun fit way. Like, I don't know the tours or where to go or what to do and running in Morocco by yourself as a woman, not very safe. I was talking with, like, my bus mates and that we kinda came we came up with this idea together. So, you know, the name just like was it yeah. Like, Fit City. Like, a city that's fit and Fit City Adventures. And there wasn't really anything out there doing this, especially for groups, corporate groups. Right. But said, you know, I'm gonna start this in San Diego. And there that's why I moved there. I love the activities. I, you know, I have a background in PR, marketing, business. So I'm gonna do it. And and I did. I literally started it from my home printer printing out. I created my website and all my marketing materials. And I would go from hotel to hotel and say, we're the new lifestyle concierge in town, and it just took off. My first client was Taco Bell, which was really cool because they're still a client today. Excellent. That's awesome. That's, that definitely is a testament to your service and and what you do. I think there's just a huge need for it. Right? Not just in San Diego. Now we're in 25 cities, and especially in the event space where everyone in the industry is so work hard, play hard. And, you know, then there's a lot of, like, partying and drinking, and you're tired, and you're working long hours. We need the wellness, and we need the bonding time. So, yeah, it's it's important. May I make an observation? The fact that you made this happen, you brought it to fruition, you had the vision, and you committed to it says a lot about who you are. And there is so so much to be learned from that because many of us are afraid to even express what we want or write it down or commit to it. But you can't even begin the journey until you make that first step of committing yourself. And then, you'll see that like in Angela's case, it sounds glamorous, but she said it herself. She was having panic attacks at home. It wasn't easy, this process, and she stuck with it. And it's never easy, so don't let that be a deterrent how difficult it's going to be or the discomfort that you're going to feel because that goes away eventually. And, eventually, you reach something that's much more, valuable to you and much more, something that you can continue to do for a long time. Yeah. You know? Yeah. I feel like I was when I was working on Fit City, I was in a flow. They really do stay that like your flow state. I was super excited. I lost track of time for hours because I still had a full time job. So I was working 1 Monday through Thursday, traveling, consulting, and then Friday, I would open up my Fit City laptop, and that's where I would kinda lose myself. And I'm like, I gotta stop doing the corporate stuff and do this more. Right. And I quit my corporate job right before COVID, so that was awesome. So you moved did you move to San Diego still employed? Yeah. So I was working for CVS doing the remote thing, but then they went through rounds of layoffs, and they didn't really like the whole remote work piece. As a pharmacy, they really wanted people in house. So I ended up working for Accenture, which is a consulting company in technology and health. And I got to work at really cool companies like Google and Kaiser and, I traveled, but I was traveling outside of San Diego every week. And I was getting kinda burnt out from that too. And and so that that's where I thought, okay. I've just I really gotta jump jump ship here. I've really gotta really go all in on Fit City, take a risk. And my dad started his company from our garage when I was 2 years old. And so I kind of had that entrepreneurial spirit, and I called him. I remember the day and exactly where I was. I was on Ingram Street at the stoplight, called my dad because I was crying, thinking I don't know what to do. Like, I'm nervous and worried, but I can't. Physically got ill when I opened my corporate computer. And so he said, just do it, Angela. You have 2 degrees. You have a family that loves you. You're gonna be okay. It what's the worst that can happen? And that's the question that I ask myself, like, almost daily. What are the worst that can happen? You're gonna be fine. You'll get another job if it doesn't work out. Big deal. At least you tried. Right. For someone else. Right. So, yeah, that was a pivotal moment. And what you didn't realize then probably is that there was no way in hell that you would do this without it working out. You are going to make it work out. It's going to work out. It's going to be successful because you're driven that way. Right? It's going to work. And and I assume you approach it that way, too. You know, not a fatalist by any means thinking you're gonna fail before you even give yourself a chance to try. Oh, no. I never that doesn't that thought doesn't even cross my mind. I just like, okay, what's next? Okay. What bit of ideas? Who do you know? How can we I enjoy that part of it all. So it's fun. It's really fun for me. So tell us what Fitcity does. Yeah. And, you know, just give us the give us the elevator pitch. Yeah. So Fitcity, I said mention we're a lifestyle concierge. We have over 100 activities in our menu. Everything we do is, based in health and wellness. So we're really all about connecting people in a fun and fit way, and a majority of it is done with hotel properties. So we're really focused in the industry for conference groups, so conferences and conventions. And it could be groups of 25, you know, more smaller incentive groups, or those really large citywide conventions where we may do yoga boot camps and 5 k's in the morning, and then in the afternoons, we're we're running their beach Olympics or their bike tours and hiking tours. We that's our tagline is really to see the city in a fun fit way. So now, like I said, we expanded West Coast to East Coast. We're doing a 500 person 5 k on the Rocky steps in Philly next week and a big field day in UC Denver. So we're we're all over and really focusing, if my focus right now is is is on bringing wellness in a bigger way into events, and creating those Zen Dens and those spaces even bringing in puppies for puppy yoga, as a way to give people that mindful moment and mindfulness and, also and when we can give back. So community service is a piece of what we do. So we have an element of nonprofits work. In 2 weeks, we're doing a big event here at the Hotel Dell where we're partnering with, a one of our clients who's bringing in the Challenged Athlete Foundation. And with the tide of the Olympics, which, by the way, opening ceremonies, I think, are on. Been watching. Yes. We're bringing in the Challenged Athlete Foundation and Paralympic athletes to play volleyball with, able-bodied athletes and do an amazing 100 person volleyball tournament and then give back to the Challenged Athlete Foundation. So that's what we'd love to do. Yeah. I mean, it really does seem like soup to nuts. Anything that's physical that involves getting around the city or not being on a hotel property Yeah. But it involves wellness. You can handle it. Is has that menu of services grown since you started the business? Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, we we vet all of our partners. We have over 250 now, I think, just given all the cities that we're in. But we we started more so with, you know, obviously, in here in San Diego, with the active adventures. So a lot lots of things on the beaches and hiking and biking. But then now just beats due to demand, it's really it's really even just as simple as arranging massage and reflexology and things within the conference space because people are busy and we're working within certain breaks and things, and we wanna meet people where they're at. Absolutely. I have a question for you because I have been noticing a trend in the wellness and some of the asks that we've been getting, everything from massage to Reiki. And when did you notice that starting to trend for you? Yeah. Post COVID, for sure. I mean, it was really hard. Obviously, during COVID, we did a lot of virtual and and virtual wellness as much as we could. It was bringing, you know, sound baths online to people and, doing a lot of the guided meditation, Tai Chi, ergonomics, things like to get your body moving, what you could do at home to stay healthy. But, the level of, ADHD in adults, So onset, I I know that I self diagnosed after post COVID where we now have all of these tools and resources and everything's at a hyper speed. Mindfulness is so important. And so that's I think people, you know, it used to be it is still a sustainability as a key trend in hospitality. Now we see, really, every conference wanting to have some element of wellness. And it's expected. It it needs to be there in the mornings, especially at conferences. Yeah. Yes. I agree. So you're seeing the the need and, come from all industries, or are you seeing there's a specific industry or 2 that seem to be I mean, I think in general, yeah, health care and wellness. So pharma, you know, life sciences, those companies have always really done it really well, I think. But now you're seeing even, like, the associations come on board to offer that because especially people that are in the nonprofit sector, they're working long hard hard hours, and, they definitely need the support. But I think it's really industry agnostic. It's just, you know, you've got you've got a good big group of people you're bringing together. Yes. It's important to have that opening night happy hour, but let's bring in a boot camp or a or, you know, a harbor walk so that we can get these people to see the city outside of the conference room. Yes. And and, you know, I'm one of those people that when I ever I go to a conference, I'm trying to figure out when I'm gonna get to the gym for an hour just to feel like myself. Energized. Right? Reenergized. Preenergized. And, you know, when you're going from west to east, as you know, you lose 3 hours in the morning, and then the conference starts at 8 o'clock, and you're like, There's no way you're going to do that, so you're trying to figure out sometime in the middle of the day. And having it be part of the conference makes it so much easier on those of us who want to stay fit and don't want to fall into bad routines, and conferences do that. And when you're living on the road like that and you do a couple of conferences, you'd be surprised how quickly you could fall out of a regimen. It's just too easy to not do it. So I love this concept, and I hope to see more of it. It also makes sense because, you know, value proposition is is always on the minds of conference throwers, and especially in the in the, association world where people pay their own way to get there. These kinds of things can differentiate their conference and make them more appealing to people and make them more experiential. Sure. Yeah. And that's right. So we we we did the PCMA conference was here in January, the Association of Large Association Conference, and we held a a sound bath, and that was one of the most popular events. And you don't have to get sweaty for it. You can go right to the conference, but it is something that they're remembering and putting on those feedback forms. And most people had never done it before, and one woman came out saying, wow. I just feel so light and, like, I released so much emotion, and I'm ready to tackle the day, and I'm excited to meet new people. And so there's so many reasons why this is important for attendees. It's it's just, you know, it's almost necessary at this point. It's necessary. Yeah. Yeah. It's very important. Yeah. We need to keep our our bodies fit next. I'm no argument there, but people forget that our souls need to be stay fit too. So, like, meditation is it's keeping your mind fit right now. Those spiritual, those sound baths, the Reiki, all of it. It's important, especially in an ever increasing lifestyle of where everything is rapid fire. Right. That balance is harder and harder. And when you are at a conference, whenever I, you know, have the opportunity to go away, love it. But at the end of the day, can I meditate? Forget about it in the morning because I'm just too tired because they're early mornings. And at the, you know, in evening, can I can I sit there and meditate and journal? No. I'm falling asleep. And, again, to Anthony's point, to have that within the body of the conference. Yes. We speak that opportunity. The number one request right now is a Zen Den. So creating a space, a wellness zone where people can go and take a minute mindful moment for themselves. We have mandala coloring books. We've got stretch areas. We have headsets that are preloaded with meditation sounds, and people, yeah, people are going in there because one of the staffs to throw out you, maybe maybe maybe, you know, how many pieces of information can your mind process in one second? In one second. How many? Mhmm. I feel like I just read the stat somewhere, I think, in class, and I can't. It's not coming to me. I don't even think one, to be honest. That's exactly my response. It's it's but it's 126. So is you're thinking about all the sensory things around you that your brain is protecting you from, and then you've got your social media and all of the everything that's in front of you. Right? So it your brain needs a break. It's like any other organ, your heart, your lungs. We work them out, but then we rest. And so people nowadays right? We have our phones by our beds. We're on all the time. We're not resting. And in order you need to go from that sympathetic fight or flight, which is the stress, sympathetic s, to parasympathetic, which is p c. To get to get you there, right, to take that break and to have your body reset and renourish, you need some of that downtime. So interestingly enough, the research I was just doing is that when you are cooking or eating in a joyful experience, it does, activate your parasympathetic and everything becomes more enjoyable and the food tastes better because you are calmer, more joyful and more relaxed. So what's the goal? I mean, obviously, it'd be nice to be in that state for long periods of time, but are are is it a is it is it personal? Is it is it individual or is it 15 minutes For the parasympathetic? Yes. And You know what I tell people, because they all they all wanna know. Okay. Great. Give me the fix. What's the hack? Right? Of course. That's why I'm asking. Right? Yeah. Exactly. Simple answer. Right? There's never a simple answer. The what I tell people is you don't need to pay for anything. Everyone has their own personal journey around this, but for me, it's breathing. Breathing is free. Breathing and breath work is the fastest way to get into parasympathetic to have your nervous system in that state. By taking simply 3 deep breaths, you can change your nervous system and move it into that space from stress to peace. There's different types of breaths you can do. One's called the 4, 7, 8 breath. So you breathe in for 4, you hold for 7, and you breathe out for 8. Really, the goal is to breathe out for longer than you're breathing in and to use your diaphragm. So that way, you can maximize oxygen in your body, and you can slow your, you know, your heart rate down. I remember Robin Roberts talking about that on Good Morning America probably 10 years ago, and I couldn't remember exactly what it was. 478. 478. Yeah. But I do. But I do know that when I try that some variation of that at night in when I'm trying to sleep, it helps. Mhmm. Yeah. And that's that's all meditation is, is actually connecting your body and your breath. People think, oh, I need to clear my head. I need to do all these things. No. You just need to focus on your breathing even if it's just for a few seconds. So people don't realize that meditation, you can have active meditation. So you are engaging your mind and your body physically at the same time. And those for me are the most wonderful meditation. Me too. That's how I meditate yoga and walking for sure. Yeah. Mhmm. Oh, I like that too. Yeah. Yeah. Moving meditation, Tai Chi is a wonderful one, which I have a hard time with because it's slow. Mhmm. Yes. Boot camp. I have to sweat. Yes. Yes. What I need is Tai Chi. Well, my next certification is gonna be Qigong. I'll call you. Oh, there you go. I mean, it's only been around for 3000 years, so, clearly, it is working. So, yeah, very cool that we do offer that too. We really try to just get people trying a variety of things to find what works for them. Yeah. So Wonderful. So what are the biggest challenges you face as a solopreneur? Every day. They're they're endless. Right? Yeah. Of course. The fact that, you know, it it never ends. Yeah. That's the biggest. Right? It's yeah. The work life balance, it never ends. Right? So I'm I'm leading the sales still. I'm still the sales piece piece face of the company, and I I'm very ambitious. And so traveling everywhere and just getting awareness out there is is hard. I don't I'm it's a bootstrap business. I don't have investors. So the funding is organic, and that's how I chose to grow the company and grow my my team. So that's been hard because, you know, to to scale and to know your as you know, and as an industry, it fluctuates every month is highs and lows. Right? Right. Like, June's a little bit slower, but then July is very busy. And then August is a little slower, and then September is really busy. So it's hard to staff, like the staffing model's been I've learned a lot about that. I mean, for me, my background is not hospitality. It's it's marketing at corporate companies. So I've learned a lot about hospitality, which has been fun. I love the people. I love the industry. So, yeah, it's it's really just scaling and growth and and doing it by myself has been tricky. And but but there's especially in San Diego, everyone is extremely helpful, great mentors. Actually, one of my mentors said to say, hi to you, Anthony. Mandy Graziano. I was just talking to Oh, you mean she's been on this program? She's Yeah. Yeah. Smart lady. Lovable. Very, very, very, very in touch and smart, sales coach for me. So she yeah. I just have great people like that around me, and then it's definitely helping. Well, it seems like you're doing all the right things too when you wanna run a business, and that is to surround yourself with people who can help you. Right? To, you know, tackle the problems as they come. Don't let things pile up. Right. Put your face out there. Sell. Which, how did that feel for you? My own experience with having started my own business was I never considered myself a salesperson, and I still really don't. I just felt like, you know, I was vested in what I was doing, and that made it easy. Do you feel the same way? I do. I mean, I live what I preach. Right? Like, I'm I'm doing these activities, and I started it because I wanted it and know there's a need for it. So it's more about solvings and, like, helping find solutions to people's needs. And and we are creating new programs and customizing stuff all the time based off of different phone calls and things. So that's what's cool about the entrepreneur journey is I can make the programs whatever we want. So it is it isn't yeah. It's it's not so much a hard sell as as it is like, well, yeah. What what do you envision? Like, let's cocreate this together. But then I also get myself down a rabbit hole of, usually, you can't keep customizing. You gotta reel it. Right? Well, I don't know. I I have to be honest about the fact that there is probably never been a show that I've produced that I've done again. Yeah. Because I just want once it's done, I'm just not. I just don't wanna do it again. So my new that that Yeah. I think the the creative outlet for me now is, stand up comedy and writing and writing song lyrics. And that was the thing you you I know you're gonna ask about, like, learning something new. So I'm trying to keep the creative outlets if I can, maybe to to those personal things and then really trying to focus the business on growth. And so I'm I'm trying. It's hard. It's always gonna be hard, and it's always gonna be a balance. You know? But I think, you know, I I started my own business in 1994. And I and and I think you're much further along than I was in the short time that that you've been in business. But I I will say the journey is better now than it's ever been. So the longer you hang on and the longer you do it, the more you're going to enjoy it and love it and and sink right into it and revel in everything that it gives you and that you can give it because it's your own baby. Right. Yeah. You know, very passionate about health and wellness. I've always worked in health and wellness. And yeah. And I'm my team is awesome. And we have a small team, but I would love to grow it. So I'm always out there looking for great people too to join us, to join our like, it's if we have a sports analogy, like, where I'm the captain and this is my team because, you know, we're in fit city. And so especially in different cities. That's the thing now. It's just as I travel meeting people, and and if that's what I love about this this work. So I I have a I have a a recommendation for you, and that is to check out the people who work for Choose Fitness in San Diego. Yeah. Because, I find them to be really hospitable Okay. And warm, and, they all do their jobs really well. It's probably the cleanest gym I've ever I've ever belonged to. Okay. They're still cleaning off that. After 10 years, 12 years, it's been open in Mission Valley. They've redone the the water the the wet areas more than once. And they're really they're the kind of people that would would translate well in your business. So not to poach them, but maybe if you happen to, you know, look around and find some of them, I think you'd be happy with their their attitudes because it's really at the end of the day, that's part of what we do. Right? Being hospitable, you have to bring a certain presence to what you do. Right? Wow. Amazing. Amazing. I I had a question for you, but now I can't remember what it is because I'm just so I'm just so enthralled Aw. With all that you do and what you've done. How long have you been here? Yeah. So I started, the company. My first event was in 2019 in June, and then, of course, you know, COVID was March of 2020. So I I that was a crazy time. I had just quit my job, and then I went on unemployment. And I thought Oh, great. Now this. Yeah. I thought I was gonna be a Lyft or an Uber driver. I applied for that, and I thought, great. I have my MBA, and here I am. Right. So I decided to partner with local. Again, local friends kinda saved me. At the time, it was, we worked with, CRG. Is it CRG Group? The the restaurant phone. Yeah. Phone. Yeah. Yeah. And we created kits for Mother's Day, and we just started hand delivering food kits during prime COVID. And we were, you know, just doing these, like, experiences online with foods and beverages, and that grew to all of our virtual events, which by December, I think we had 300 holiday parties that we were. Wow. So I think it's month for Fit City yet was actually during COVID. Isn't that something? And that's that that is about I hate to use the word because, you know, in it, you're a wet. Yes. That's exactly what that's about. And can you just describe what that was for you? Like, you know, you're. Just a few things. A few steps. You know? How did you handle that? You did what? From from when I heard this was happening to that pivot? Yeah. Yeah. From when you realize, okay, this is really gonna happen. I, started sending out newsletters because I said, just keep communicating and remaining in contact with your networks. And so I started sending out newsletters, and, Tracy Amernick responded from Kone and said, hey. Let's let's yeah. We're we're starting to do this too. Let's come up with some options. And so then we brainstormed some ideas and a couple other people started coming in like magicians, and I created a a show with the dueling piano crew at the Shout House. We did a dueling piano show with those guys that was really popular for the holiday parties, and we just started building with all of our friends. And once I started to get momentum, it was great. But that 1st month, I'm like, okay. Guess I'm gonna be I'm always solution oriented. I'm like, well, my car is ready to go. I'm driving Uber. And there you said it. You're solution oriented. That's right. That's the difference between people who make it work and people who don't is, you know, you gotta think there's a way out. There's a way this can work. There's a way that we can solve this. Always. What are your strengths? What are you good at? Who who do you know who can help you? And yeah. What what do you like to do? What's your passion? Like, for me, it's health and wellness for for you guys that made, you know, music and entertainment. Alright? It's like it's something. So do what you love. Don't try to force a square peg in a round hole. Right. Yeah. And and use your resources to the best of your ability. In in the case of of, COVID, I can't speak for you, but I can say for us, the value proposition to do virtual work was much lower than to do live work, And so we were not making as much on that virtual work, but we still were making something, and we still did it because at the end of the day, it was better to have some income Totally. Than none. Totally. Then people needed it. Well, they people needed team building way more than than they do now. They were so disconnected. Yeah. Them together on Zoom in an engaging way, not just like a happy hour cocktail, but doing a full on dueling piano show on Zoom, seeing people smiles and bringing in their kids and their pets and super cool way to meet your new work colleagues that you've never met before. So I was pretty proud of that, what we did, but I my heart and soul is, like, in person events. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. You know, there's been so much, upheaval in employment, in in in the world of employment, people quitting their job, the mass exodus, you know, the silent quitter, all of that Yeah. Those terms we heard. What do you do to keep your employees? How do you keep them happy and engaged? Oh, we're trying another thing to put on your Journey. Yeah. It's a journey. It's part of the start up. I I'm learning from just as much as they're learning from me. I you know, I think we, like, live what we preach. Right? So if we're if we're doing our quarterly team meetings, we're going out to a farm, and we're donating in our time, and we're trying to stay connected. We're you know, I know my employees work hard and they work long hours. If there's a way that I can we can give them extra benefits and time time off, extra days off on the Fridays, right, to do that, that's important. But it's yeah. It's there's no one solution. And, actually, that's what Mandy and I were just talking about, because I'm always trying to be a better I don't wanna say manager, because I don't like that word, team leader or captain, is to learn from them. So ask them. What is your need? What is your incentive? What's gonna motivate you? How do you wanna be recognized? Some people wanna be recognized, you know, with a, like, go get go get them, but others want the day off or the wellness massage. Right? So it's it's honestly, it's super personalized now, and that's why I think everyone should be treated. It's not a cookie cutter approach anymore. May have been 40 years ago, but it certainly isn't today. People don't think of themselves as living in boxes with other, molded eggs. Everybody thinks of themselves as an individual, and I found that the rules, the policies and procedures that you put in place are a guide. They're not written in black stone, and they're not anointed by God. They're a guide by which you So the flexibility and the authenticity that you bring to what you do, I think, is really going to help you to be even more successful because you do. You live your brand. And, there's no faking it. There's no, well, what's behind this door? You know? You are, I think, what you offer, and I think I imagine that when you first meet a client, what they see at that first meeting is the same Angela Menardi they see a year later after they've worked with you. It's the same person. Yeah. It doesn't change. It's Oh. Yeah. Yeah. And, it it's good to have great to have a team around me because I'm I'm, you know, really good with the, in person interactions and, like, the, you know, the business development piece and the creativity piece. But then I have people with 20 years of event DMC experience who know the operations in and out, and they think of every little thing. And so that's where, you know, I we're all about making memories and creating experiences. So, yeah, I need those people. We need both sides of it. Yeah. For sure. Especially since it's so subjective, as you know. Yes. So subjective. That's funny. Today, I got a a directive from a client. I'm trying to start work on a video for an opening, And his one comment was, it needs to be compelling. And all I could say back was, but that is so subjective. Yes, I get compelling. But, you know, we still need some content text here. Alright. Look, we're gonna let you go soon. But just if you don't mind, just 5 more questions. The 5 we have, the modified 5 that gets sorted to the heart of who you are and how you operate. Yep. The bloodified 5. Angela Menardi. Hey. Hey. What is your golden rule? So I thought about this. I've I have 2. The first is smile. It's free to strangers, to anyone. You never know how it's gonna change their day. And the second is if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. Whether that's life or business, always surround yourself with people you that you can learn from. Love it. Sage advice, folks. I just want to tie that back to your Tipsy and Jane Fonda too, because that's her philosophy. Never stop learning. Never stop learning. Always see people that know more. And she was so spry. I mean, so what I didn't say was that I love them both, but she was with Lily Tomlin, and they were speaking together. And Jane was spry and nimble and quick on her feet, and Lily was having a hard time walking and moving. And so, it was just right there in front of me, so ever present, the miraculousness of just keeping it moving and having a routine. So that's what hit me so, so strongly that day anyway. Question number 3. Okay. When no one is listening. Well, question number 2. But yeah, first, I should ask question number 2. Oh, it's been a rough week. What is one daily habit you have you strongly believe contributes to your success? Yeah. Laughter. So I listen to stand up comedy in my car, and I or or I watch it on TV. I notice as a human that if I am not laughing, then I feel heavy, heavier. And that's my number 1. Number 2 is some type of movement, whether that's working out yoga, dog walks. But, like, that isn't like you were saying, Alex, is my meditation for me. Mhmm. Beautiful. And when no one is listening, what do you tell yourself? Your self talk. I say nothing is this big of a deal. You are a speck of dust on a moving, swirling planet and a huge solar system. Which is so true. Which is so true. Right. It's so true. An inspirational speck of dust. I'm just Yes. I'm a sparkling sparkling star. It's like a Yeah. Perspective. Perspective. Perspective. But also just to be grateful. Right? The second half of that is you have so much. You really don't need more. You have everything you need, and to just be really grateful for what you have. Yes. And it's important to focus on what it is you have and what it is you don't have. Big lesson for me in my life. It does change the way you think about things in yourself. When, what is one change you'd like to see in the world? Oh, this is a new one. I didn't see this on the list. One change I'd like to see, I think for everyone to just be open minded and kind, right? It's it's so simple to just listen to perspectives. But I don't know. How do we make that happen? Baby steps. If I knew I wouldn't have a black eye. Oh, I'll tell you that much. And finally, what is your why? What gets you going? Leaving this world a better place than when I came into it. I don't know the answer to that yet. I don't know my full purpose, but I think it does have something to do with connecting community and keeping people healthy. Yeah. I think I'm still in the beginning of my journey and in terms of inspiring people. I don't know if what that if that's speaking, if that's what book writing. I don't know. But, well, sometimes it's it's in the it's in the small interactions that you make day to day, day to day that just they amalgamate and grow into something much bigger than this moment. So it could even just be the constant work that you're doing. I think yeah. And I think we have so much impact on the people around us and we don't realize it. So just like like I said, the smile, it's free. You can seriously change someone's day by being so kind. This woman had a beautiful smile at TSA the other day. No one talks to TSA. Nobody likes TSA. Right? When I said that to her, I said, you have such a beautiful smile. It makes me wanna smile, and she you could tell it. She's just changed her energy when you give give someone a compliment. It's free. I love that perspective. I love it. That's definitely my m o two. Absolutely. Give those compliments away. Smile on the street. Somebody said once, if you smile, they don't know they don't know what you're up to. And so it always made me think it's kind of fun to smile because people are either going to think you're crazy or they're gonna smile with you. And either way, I won. Well, you only use I think it's, like, 5 muscles to smile and you use, like, 30 smiles to muscles to frown. Brown. And it changes your physiology when you smile because your brain thinks you're happy. So even if you're faking it, you're you're making it. Yeah. Absolutely true. Absolutely true. In the voice over booth, you always have a smile no matter what you're reading. You have a smile on your face because it brightens, especially if it's something heavy that you're There you go. So, Angela, how do people find you? Fitcityadventures.com? Yes. Fitcityadventures.com, and the same on Instagram and Facebook. Yeah. We would and I would love to connect with people and chat with them. I'm I'm on LinkedIn as well. And every city is a fit city. Let's keep that in mind. It's not just San Diego. It's not just Southern California. It's wherever you go. Mhmm. That's correct. We're expanding every day. That's right. Yeah. I expect I expect to see you, you know, working some of the conferences that we're involved in, coming up soon. I expect there needs to be some synergy there soon. I hope so. Yes. We're we're at all the biggies now, and IMEX is a big one coming up too. So if you're there, look for us, Fit City. Sheryl, are you going to have a booth at IMEX? We're not sure yet. To be TBD. Yeah. Maybe part of the San Diego, tourism authority? We were last year. We were. Yeah. We were in the booth last year, and then we did some, mobile sound baths, which was really cool. Yeah. And did that work out well for you? Did that bring intriguing interest and maybe some business? It did. Yeah. It formed a lot of solid partnerships and reinforced those ones with our DMC partners and our hotels. It just let when people experience what we do, then they're more apt to sell it. Right? They can under they can feel it. So yeah. Yeah. That feels like the right it was the right move for you to go in that way. Maybe you can do that again this year with SDTA. They yes. They're such a great partnership. It's really great to have them They are. We're actually doing a sound map for their sales team on Tuesday at Estancia dotco. I love that. And then to promote one last thing, we will be at the all industry cruise on the top deck doing all hands on deck. We're doing hand massage and palm reading. We're coming. We're we're coming. We'll be there. We'll get our Yeah. Our yes. We'll have the whole chibogie. You'll give us give it all to us. We can't wait. Yeah. So we're we're getting a vibe on this. Right? We might even be providing music for one of those decks. It might even be that maybe that's a different deck than the one From the top deck. Different deck. Different deck. Okay. Cool. Well, thank you so much. Yeah. Angela Minardi. Fitcityadventures.com. Fitcityadventures.fitcityadventures.com, if you'd like to get in touch with her. And keep it moving, and thank you for joining us today. Thank you. Thank you. So much fun. Thanks, guys. Thank you. Hey. Thank you for listening to Bolada fied. If you haven't already, please like and subscribe. And remember to leave us your questions or comments atbolada.com backslash podcast. Bolada fied is Volada Entertainment. Hey, that's a lot of Volada. Stay engaging.