We were lucky to catch up with Liz Bustle recently and have shared our conversation below.
Liz, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
May I answer a question with another question? Is that something cool people do? I’m doing it. Here goes. What if the first step to finding your purpose is to stop searching for one and embrace where you currently are? I had plenty of expectations about where I should be in my career at certain points and some of those lined up with reality, but a lot of them didn’t. I had to disconnect those expectations with the high-stakes, pre-scripted idea of a purpose that I had in my head and replace it with a much more fluid idea, a lens through which I could encounter each day. My definition of my purpose morphed from a self-centered, career-focused thing, to something more generous, more easily applicable to the place I’d find myself at any given moment.
I suppose some context would be helpful here. In my twenties, I was a professional dancer. I went into the field carrying all the most noble intentions, telling myself that my work would bring joy to others and that story telling is not just important but vital. I still believe those things to be true, and I admire anyone driven purely by those beliefs, but it wasn’t me. If I’m being honest, I just wanted to do what I loved because I loved it. I cared more about being on stage than the story telling. Inspiring someone else came after doing what made me feel good and important. My purpose was achieving a glorious career that made my life enviable. I got good at making it seem like I was in the hustle just for the purity of art-making, but that was only part of it.
Now a couple of years out of show business, I’m looking back at younger Liz with kind eyes, but grateful to have a more open understanding of The Purpose. It’s not tied to any particular gig anymore and it’s not tied to how I’m feeling about myself either; my purpose is now about how I can make each person I encounter feel like a loved child of God. I don’t always do this well (understatement of the year), but I can tell you right now that there’s a lot less pressure going down this road because it can be adapted to wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, whoever you’re with. I imagine this will look drastically different over time, but if I can make someone feel like a million bucks, I can be flexible with the method.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
The closing of one door lead to the opening of another: opening Studio Glow Fitness in Columbus, Ohio. Offering dance cardio, barre, and trampoline cardio, I’ve created a method that presents exercise as a celebration of all that our bodies can do, it’s not a punishment or a chore to dread.
Opening its doors in 2022, Studio Glow is a culmination of years working in the fitness and dance industries, a passion for creating a beautiful in-person community, and a desire to make fitness fun and accessible for all. I believe that any desired change in the physical body must begin with an internal shift so I’ve committed to bringing a holistic approach to health and wellness to the studio in whatever way I can. Come through and workout with us!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Flexibility: for every one thing that’s in your control there are three things that aren’t. I’m of the mindset that “say yes and figure it out later” isn’t always the wisest piece of advice, but honestly it’s never let me down before. Roll with it.
Preparation: stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. Make sure that one thing that is in your control is in fact fully in your control. Do your research, know the details like the back of your hand, and move forward with confidence.
Don’t burn bridges: you’ll make mistakes for sure, but how you respond to those mistakes matters. As someone who’s had a couple very awkward encounters with blasts from the past, just trust me. Future you will thank you.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
The past year has been an elaborate dance around boundary-setting. Being a business owner has meant saying “no” more than any other time in my life, and I’m honestly struggling with how that can unintentionally hurt people. Any fellow people-pleasers out there? I see you. I’m with you. But along with learning about the intricacies of healthy boss/client/friend/employee boundaries, I’ve also learned that I can’t read people’s minds. Conversations played out in my head that end with “they’re going to hate me” have never actually ended with someone hating me! Wild! I have yet to have a difficult conversation with someone that’s completely tanked my business or permanently severed a business relationship. You’d think after enough of those instances that I’d learn to not freak out so much, but this area of improvement still has a journey ahead. Onward.
Contact Info:
- Website: studioglowfitness.com
- Instagram: @studioglowcbus
- Facebook: studioglowcbus
- Other: Personal IG: @heyitsriz
Image Credits
Headshots by Jennifer Zmuda
