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Bikinis After Babies is the one and only podcast where real moms talk about their bodybuilding contest experiences. We are sharing the inside scoop, the nitty-gritty, the hardships and the victories as we navigate the rigors of competition prep while juggling family and careers. We’ll be joined by IFBB bikini pros who share their incredible stories of managing many responsibilities as athletes while defying stereotypes as women who compete in bikinis after babies!
Whether you’re a new mom thinking about stepping on stage for the first time, or a mom looking for inspo and insight on how to manage contest prep as a busy mom, this podcast offers helpful tips and inspiring stories for moms with big goals!!
Make sure to rate, subscribe, and leave us reviews on how much this podcast has helped you
Ready to embark on your fitness journey? We would love to help you reach any fitness goal from getting the baby weight off to crushing your competition goals! Click on this link to schedule a discovery call with one of our team members and learn how Momshell Method Fitness can provide you with the tools you need to be successful from customized nutrition plans, training programs, as well as motivation, accountability and support on your fitness journey! → Coaching by Momshell Method Fitness
Contact your hosts:
Mandy Rochon
Instagram: @ mandyrochonfitness
Facebook: @ Mandy Rochon
Gillian Hughes
Instagram: @ stl_momshell
Facebook: Gillian Hughes
Momshell Method Fitness Supplements → momshell-method-fitness.myshopify.com Use code “BAB” to save 15% off your order
Toxic Angelz Bikinis → toxicangelzbikinis.com Use code “GILLIAN” to save 15% off your order
Squeeze Me Skinny Waist Trainers → squeezmeskinny.com Use code “MOMSHELL” to save 10% off your order
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MuscleEgg Discount Code→ Use code “MandyRochon”
Mandy (00:00)
Hello everyone and welcome back to Bikinis After Babies. Thank you so much for joining us today. I am one of your hosts, Mandy Rashawn, here with your other beautiful blonde host.
Gillian (00:13)
Hey everybody, thank you so much for tuning in. This is Gillian Hughes and welcome to another episode of Bikinis After Babies. We have a very special episode for you today. We are actually bringing on one of our clients who recently competed in her very first bikini competition. She had a wonderful experience and she got a really great placing and made quite an impression. So we thought it would be really great to bring on a true novice competitor.
who can share her experience. So we have Josie Kloppenberg today. She is a mama, she's a wife, and fun fact, her husband actually did this competition with her. This is now a week and a half, two weeks ago that she competed for the very first time. So welcome to Bikinis After Babies Josie. Thank you for joining us today.
Josie (01:03)
Thanks guys, thanks so much for having me, this is awesome.
Gillian (01:08)
Yeah, we're just really excited to have you share your experience. It's not typical for a mom to just be like, I think I'd like to do a bikini competition. But we talk to those women all the time. And I just thought it would be really fun for you to kind of share the experience of your competition journey and your first competition and maybe some surprising fun things that happened around that experience that our listeners will enjoy. But I always kind of like to start with your background and where you're from.
you got started in fitness.
Josie (01:40)
Yeah. So, I mean, I've been going to the gym probably now going on, gosh, it's almost been 20 years. So I've always, you know, just worked out maybe two or three times a week, just kind of here and there, like keeping up with it. And for a while I'd get into it a little bit more and then I'd, you know, stop for a little bit. So kind of all on and off for a long time. And, you know, it's something I've always thought about was competing. but, you know, I had become a mom and.
you know, things get busy and everything. And it just kind of, you know, I just kind of forgot about it or I thought, maybe, you know, maybe someday I'll do it. But kind of how it all started for me was, you know, I had some dietary issues and some, you know, GI issues that I had to get worked out. And I, you know, came to the point where I wasn't eating a whole, you know, wasn't able to eat a whole lot, like, you know, and I had to cut down to basically all clean foods.
and so I started to get really lean and then I was like, well, this is kind of nice, you know? And, so I started building some muscle and I was like, okay, well, if I'm eating clean now, like maybe I could actually, you know, do this. So, you know, that's when I reached out to you all and, you kind of helped me get right on track for my first competition. So. Yeah.
Gillian (03:02)
I think we can all like speak to like that moment that we like first saw a competitor and I think like the reaction is like similar. It's either like, wow, that's cool. I want to do it or like that's not for me, which we didn't have that reaction obviously. So like when is the first time that you like learned about competitions and thought like that might be something that you'd like to do?
Josie (03:15)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
I mean, I think it was probably, it was almost going back 10, 15 years. it would have been Jamie Eason, which I actually don't, I haven't looked her up in quite a bit. you know, I don't know if she was actually in, you know, in the bodybuilding or if she was just like a sports model, but I kept seeing her and I bought her protein powder, you know, going back ages ago. And like, I was like, I want to look like her someday. And like, I just, I don't think I had the tools to, to do it.
Gillian (03:33)
Yes.
Yeah.
Josie (03:52)
I know the internet was around. I just, you know, would just do the workouts online and everything, but I never really dove too, too far into it. So it was kind of always just like a someday, you know, kind of thing. And, and when, you know, my husband and I started really getting into the gym, we were like, okay, let's, you know, we should actually do this.
Gillian (04:06)
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, definitely. I remember seeing her for the first time as well and just being like, my God, like her, her shape, like, and she is like, honestly, she's actually, I think, I think we follow each other on Instagram. I don't even know how she followed me back, but she's still fit. She's a mom. She's still really fit. At least she's competed in a really long time. But it was that signature blonde Bob and she had just like a great look. And, and I think she, yeah, she was a bikini competitor like,
Josie (04:19)
Mm -hmm.
Okay. There you go.
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Gillian (04:45)
before the NPC had bikini. So I mean, I'm the bikini dinosaur. That's kind of my role here to give you all the history lesson of the sport. But anyways, yeah, I mean, I was very similar for me. Like I saw her and Jennifer Nicole Lee. I don't know if you remember her, but she was like another one that I had seen. And I was like, I want to do that, too. And I think Jennifer Nicole Lee had babies. And I was like, well, that's really neat. I had started competing before kids. But but did you ever think that you'd be doing your first bikini competition like in your 30s? Because you're you're still under 40, right?
Josie (04:47)
Mm -hmm.
No, I am. I'm pushing 40, 40 August 1st. So, you know, I'm still there, but no, I, I didn't set it out to be like a bucket list type of thing, like, before you're 40, but now it's almost like, I feel like I could just make a bucket list and I can already just check it off. So, no, but I mean, it's, it's, it's been a long time, you know, in, in the works, I guess you could say, but.
Mandy (05:17)
haha
Gillian (05:33)
Yeah, no, it's so empowering.
Mandy (05:34)
It's a good thing to check off.
Josie (05:41)
I had a great experience and hopefully this is just the beginning for me in the sport.
Mandy (05:50)
yeah, absolutely.
Gillian (05:50)
Yeah, definitely. Yeah, so what was it like preparing for a competition, not only a competition, but your first competition with your husband?
Josie (05:59)
Yeah, I mean, it was definitely interesting. There was a lot of preparation involved. So, but it was cool to have somebody on my team going through the process with me. you know, we didn't set out to, to compete on the same day. but that's kind of what ended up happening. and we just kind of were like, all right, we're doing this, a lot of time in the kitchen together. He was always my little helper with, with prepping, you know, we'd have all our containers out and he'd help me.
Chop stuff up and I'd be cooking and he'd be bagging up oatmeal and everything. So it worked out to have somebody that's in it with you that understands the work behind it and just kind of understands everything that you're going through during the process.
Mandy (06:35)
Hahaha.
Gillian (06:35)
Yeah.
Mandy (06:47)
It's really nice to have somebody like that. You just never know when you have a partner that you're prepping with, a roommate, somebody you're living with, how it's gonna go. But to have your husband, that's such a good bonding time to be able to do that together and do it every week or every so many days and just be able to go through the process together. It's really neat.
Josie (07:00)
Yeah.
Yeah, it was fun. And so I don't know if we'll end up doing the same competition again at some point, but it was definitely cool to kind of do our first shows together. It was pretty special.
Gillian (07:22)
Yeah, well I think that's great too because you were both beginners at the same time. I think it'd be a different experience if you're like, I've been doing this for years. And you had that experience, but the fact that you're both doing it together. Was there ever a point where he was getting more food than you, or you had more cardio, or vice versa, where it was sort of just butting heads a little bit about whose diet was harder?
Josie (07:28)
Mm -hmm.
Mandy (07:33)
I'm gonna go.
Josie (07:45)
I think it was more like, I don't think it was butting heads. It was more like a friendly kind of like banter. Like he didn't have to do cardio at all because he burned so much at his job that, you know, is basically his cardio was getting 10 ,000 steps a day. And, you know, I am not a lover of cardio. Luckily there wasn't like a whole lot of that in my plan anyway. But so we joke about that a little bit, but yeah, of course everybody's different. So he had a completely different plan than I did. He was getting
Mandy (07:55)
Ugh.
that's so good.
Josie (08:15)
you know, 2800 to 3000 calories a day, you know, 300 grams of carbs a day and everything. So he was definitely on a different plan. So he would be over there, you know, eating his, you know, three tablespoons of peanut butter. And I'm like over here with my one little rice cake and a tablespoon of peanut butter. So we got some good laughs for sure, but eventually the tables kind of turned, you know,
Mandy (08:42)
Be too funny.
Josie (08:43)
Peek week, you know, he was, you know, he was hungry a little bit and I was like, see, you know what it's like, but it was all in good fun for sure. Right.
Mandy (08:51)
It's not a good feeling, is it?
Gillian (08:54)
that's awesome. Because I think it's hard if like, you know, you're the one that's doing the prep and you feel tired and the other person is like maybe just not on the same page as far as, you know, I mean, my husband and I juggle it pretty well. He's has no interest in competing and he's very, very supportive. But, you know, there's social things going on and I'm like in prep. I'm like.
Josie (09:11)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (09:14)
I'm probably not going to stay very long. And so it's nice that the two of you were in that together. So I think that's really cool. And then you've got three kids together, right? You have one and he has two. So what was it like juggling the household and all the kid activities? Because that's a lot.
Josie (09:21)
It is. Yeah.
Mm hmm. Yeah.
It is a lot. They weren't really in sports over the winter. I'd won in volleyball, which it snowed half the time and we didn't have to go out to practices anyway, so that worked out. But no, it's a lot. I mean, anytime you're balancing three kids just on a normal day is a lot. But I think it was just a lot of preparation. And if.
time management was really important for us to be able to spend time with the kids and we had them on our weekends, you know, and not, you know, be in the kitchen all day. So we would kind of plan accordingly. But, you know, they eat different foods than us. So that's, you know, always kind of a juggling act is, you know, our food is already prepped and made and it's like, now we got to feed them too. So.
Yeah, it's definitely a lot of work, but I think, you know, I'm a list writer, so write your list, decide what's for dinner every day, and you just got to make it happen. Just go, go, go.
Gillian (10:42)
Yeah.
I feel like a lot of moms tell me that like after the show, the thing that they like crave the most or they miss the most about prep was like the structure because it kind of just keeps things in line and you don't really have to think about what you're eating because you just eat what's on your plan. And then when you have so much choice and a little bit more freedom, it's kind of like this missing that structure piece of prep. So even though there are, you know, the sides, they're like, I wish I just a little more energy and maybe a little more calories and, you know, I could take a rest day. It's sort of like, well, I actually was.
Josie (10:52)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (11:13)
thriving and doing really well with all that on my plate.
Josie (11:14)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean, even that. huh. Yeah.
Mandy (11:17)
That's the same with lifestyle clients.
Yeah, we have a lot of clients that have come back to us that are previous competitors and they miss that they miss it so much and because they don't know how to balance all of it they miss the structure and how to do it so a lot of even competitors that decide they don't want to compete anymore and they just want to learn how to have the lifestyle like they have to they need to be coached to learn how to be able to have a lifestyle and structure themselves without like, you know giving into temptation all the time and never succeeding and feeling overwhelmed.
Josie (11:27)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Mandy (11:51)
and chaotic, but just how simple it is to just have your food and eat it. It's so simple.
Josie (11:56)
Yeah, yeah, even so, even the day after the show, I felt like a little bit out of sorts, because I knew like, okay, well, this is a day that I can like, eat what I want. And, and I'm just like, but I don't know what to do. Like, I had no meals planned. I'm like, I have no food ready. So like, what do I do? But luckily we kind of hopped. Yeah, we hopped right back on the train on Monday and
Mandy (12:11)
Hahaha!
I feel like that's so common.
Josie (12:24)
I had got my reverse diet plan already situated, so I was like, okay, this is, now, yeah, I'm like you, Gillian, I could use the structure and yeah, it feels good to be on track.
Gillian (12:38)
Yeah, definitely. And I think that's definitely the personality that does really well with the...
prep lifestyle. And I think a lot of us have kind of moved away from even using the word prep because it's all prep, like all parts of it. Like right now you're in your like improvement season. And but I mean, the structure needs to exist in order to be successful. And, you know, it doesn't even matter how far you want to take this. Like you could your goal could be to win an overall. Your goal could be to go to nationals. Your goal could be a pro card. But like, I think if you're investing your time and your money in this and you have a family like you owe it to yourself and your family to like put your
Josie (12:50)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (13:14)
whole ass into it and not your half ass right and so I think that the you know it's all important right like you can't you know dick around and then be like I wish I would have worked harder like the six months leaning into like you know getting ready for the show so so your journey was I think you started was it in the it was in the winter that you got started preparing for the April competition right?
Josie (13:16)
Right.
Yeah, we started the week after Thanksgiving, so end of November and yeah, all through Christmas, which was interesting with my work schedule. I work a lot during the month of December. So it was a lot to take on, but I was like, this is my time. And you pump yourself up for that date, that April 27th, it's always in your head. And...
Gillian (13:43)
Yeah.
Josie (14:04)
So I was pretty pumped the whole time. I didn't have a whole lot of worry or apprehension or anything. I was just excited more than anything.
Gillian (14:16)
Yeah, I could definitely see that on stage. You worked really, really hard on your posing with us and then with your mom shell coach, Erica, who's one of our coaches on our team. Was the posing the part that maybe you found to be surprisingly challenging or was it something that came easy for you?
Josie (14:26)
Mm -hmm.
You know, I was a cheerleader. So I think that helped a little bit just as far as being able to hit certain motions. But it was definitely a lot harder than I realized just to become kind of more natural looking at it. I think it's difficult for the that type of posing to be natural for somebody. So, yeah, and holding the poses, you know.
Gillian (15:00)
Yeah.
Josie (15:02)
was a lot, you know, come show day, you know, that was pretty intense having to hold for that long. And, you know, it was a lot of stamina involved and hurting feet. So it is.
Gillian (15:15)
more than you expect right like I always tell people like that is that is a very surprising part of show day like how exhausting and just how long you are on stage because I think with one of the classes you were in there was like 15 or 16 girls and you guys were all on the sides and like coming out one by one and doing your routine which meant that while the other 15 girls were doing their routine you were standing on the side on your front pose and that happens a lot so so yeah so that part was
Josie (15:30)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Yeah, yeah, because nobody had posed yet. Yeah, because it was like the one of the first classes that came up. So yeah, it was definitely up there a while. So and I'm sure I was shaking a little bit at some point. But yeah, I think that's super important if you know somebody goes into this, you know, being a novice to know like that's something you probably want to work on ahead of time, you know, pretty, pretty early and frequently and even, you know, going into.
Gillian (15:46)
Yeah.
Josie (16:10)
a second show eventually for me. I know that that's something that I'll probably still, you know, definitely still want to work on more, even put more time into.
Gillian (16:22)
Yeah, it's tough. I mean, after like a long peak week and a long prep and then you've you think, like, showdown, I don't have to like train that day, but like to stand there and hold your pose and like look normal and natural and, you know, be able to like stay in a contorted position. It does take a lot of.
Josie (16:33)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Gillian (16:39)
I always tell my clients to like in the month leading into the show when they're practicing their posing every day to hold the front pose for like five minutes and just put a timer on and just to get used to it and so that it feels natural.
But yeah, I think I could see it in the in the show, you know, because we had so many different categories, lots of beginners at that show. You could see that there was girls that they had beautiful posing, but they hadn't practiced holding it for a long time. And they're on the side and like their hips are starting to drop and their tummies are kind of not staying where they are and their shoulders are moving and or like the trembling to, you know, which that happens just with nerves. But.
Josie (17:08)
Yeah.
Mandy (17:17)
I see the trembling quite a bit. Even as you become more seasoned, people still tremble like a lot. It's something that's just so hard to get over after a while. But I do know like the classes that you were in, especially the true novice classes, they were large. They had a lot of women in there. And so I can win, because I expedited the show. So for all you listeners, I was at the show, but I was expediting moving everybody around, being a great person yelling,
Gillian (17:33)
Yes.
Mandy (17:47)
at everybody but I still kept my voice yes
Gillian (17:48)
Screaming. Keeping the show organized because I've heard so much feedback from the show and everybody said how organized it was. So you did a good job.
Mandy (17:59)
Thank you. I got a lot of compliments about the show. So I was very happy about it. You just, there's so many people like you have to scream, but it's like, you guys know you use that mom voice. And that's what I always tell the people because a lot of the, a lot of the guys will kind of look at me and like, they will just be like, yes ma 'am, yes ma 'am, yes ma 'am. And I'm like, they will be a 200 pound giant, like hovering over me. I'm like, you go here right now. And they'll be like, yes ma 'am. And they won't move. And it's, it's that mom voice.
Josie (18:17)
You
Gillian (18:25)
Yes, ma 'am.
Mandy (18:28)
though because it's still nice like I'm not mad at you but you have to listen otherwise this will not work but now when we lined up those classes it was so many true novice and knowing that you have to be on stage for that long that is hard that is hard and unexpected.
Gillian (18:32)
Right.
And multiple classes too, like, because Josie, you competed in four different classes, right?
Josie (18:50)
I did, yeah, and I didn't think I was, I didn't know what to expect. So, you know, I didn't know I was gonna be on stage for, it seemed like it was at least five minutes up there with waiting for, with all the girls, you know, in that first class.
Gillian (19:02)
It was long.
Mandy (19:05)
You know.
It easily could have been because each of those girls can take, you know, 15 to 30 seconds. And if they're not, you know, if they're even taking longer to walk, like, and there's so many of them. So I think it's like 17, I think, is one of them. So yeah, that's a long time. And then they call you back for first call outs, move you around, second call outs, move you around.
Josie (19:21)
Yeah.
Gillian (19:24)
Yeah.
Josie (19:24)
Yeah, it was.
Mm -hmm. Yeah, they worked us pretty good. So that's something to remember for next time. Just be prepared to hold for sure. But yeah, I competed in four classes. So I think that would probably be the max that I would want to do. And I'm sure I think you tell your clients that that's about as many as you'd want to. -huh.
Gillian (19:40)
Yeah.
Yeah, that's my advice.
I think Mandy's like, do them all sign up for six, but I'm like, no girl. Like I think three or four is the max, but because of your placing, I think you are no longer eligible for novice or true novice because you did get a first place at your competition. So congratulations. That's amazing. So now I think that means you're, you'll be able to do 35. You can do open and then after August, you can do the forties.
Josie (19:56)
Hahaha.
Thank you.
Gillian (20:23)
And you'll be a 40 shorty like me, because I'm the 40, 40 A class, 40 shorties.
Josie (20:24)
Yeah. Okay.
Mandy (20:25)
Oh my goodness, you short people. I have to tell you, I have to tell you, I'm actually a little mad at Gillian for being a little short petite person because quick little story, she has these pair of shoes that I really want and I was like, hey, what are those shoes? They're kid sizes. I'm like, okay, that's fine. I'll buy the adult size. Not only are the adult size double the price, I can't find them anywhere. And I'm like, that's not fair.
Josie (20:28)
Shorty shorty, I like it.
Gillian (20:50)
Yep, that's right. That's right.
Mandy (20:53)
Like, why do you have to be so tiny? And I'm like, five -seven. I went on a tangent about this. Yeah.
Gillian (20:59)
I mean it works towards and against.
Josie (20:59)
See, I'm like 5 '2", but my feet are like normal size. I guess big. I don't have child -sized feet.
Mandy (21:10)
You save money when you have child -sized feet. It's ridiculous, Gillian.
Josie (21:13)
Right.
Gillian (21:14)
You do, yeah. And there's like less tax, less tax on kids' shoes as well. So yeah, I'm a five youth.
Mandy (21:19)
We have.
I like to always recommend, kind of like you were saying, I do always recommend try as many classes as you can, but it's kind of just the way I say it because with true novice, for MPC and IFBB, or MPC, they have this true novice category, which is a fantastic category because what it's for is for anybody that has never competed in the MPC before has the ability to only compete in this category one time and one time only. After you've stepped on an MPC,
stage you are no longer a true novice and you can't compete in that category. After you win after that you you can't compete there but you can do novice and then from novice if you win your novice class you can't compete in novice anymore you would only be able to do open and then the masters ages of course but it's I love that they have it because if you're a novice and you haven't won your novice class you can still do novice multiple times so you're you'd still be up against girls that have been on stage multiple times whereas true novice it's everybody's first.
Nobody's done it before. Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
Josie (22:22)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (22:23)
It is. And it's all ages too, like it's...
teen open masters and I think it's comforting for competitors who've never competed before to know that this category exists because in particular like this show, the St. Louis show is always like a really big show and then you know if you're a competitor in Texas or in California where they have these big shows that bring out like national level competitors it might stray some people away from thinking that they should compete at that particular show but with the true novice category what that means is you have beginners right in that show and sometimes there's even pro
pro shows attached to it, and you can be on stage at that competition and have an even playing field. So I think that's great. I mean, years ago, again,
bikini historian over here. They used to have like levels of shows and it was like, that's a level one show and that's a level two show. And you would have like, you know, if you were a beginner, you would just do that show and they would be short. It like wasn't really worth it to have them. I don't think they made very much money. It was a lot better to do them condensed like that. But then there's no reason why if you're ready and you've prepped and you're got your suit, you are there like do more than one category. Like don't only stick yourself in that category because I've had before where I've put a girl in a show and she
Mandy (23:07)
you
Gillian (23:35)
She's like, no, I only want to do novice and true novice and she would have won in the open. It was a figure girl actually we had last year and she only did the master's categories. She was like very intimidated and just like, no, I don't want to. And she the girl that was in open that won, she actually beat in the master's category. I'm like, you would have won the whole show. So I always say like, you know, you don't want to do seven categories, but you know, throw your hat in the ring for a few more and just, you know, the more time on stage is more.
Josie (23:40)
Mm -hmm.
man.
Gillian (24:04)
experience. So I think four is a lot, but also, you know, just, you know, get it out there. And I could see for you because I watched you very closely and was taking videos of all of our clients. But by that third or fourth time you came out on stage, you really had your groove. Like you'd kind of been, you know, put in first call it a couple of times and you had a lot more confidence. So it's kind of nice to have more than like one or two times on stage to be able to just like, okay, I'm not as nervous anymore. I know what I'm doing. I know what it all looks like. So do you think that it felt more comfortable as the
Josie (24:33)
Yeah. absolutely. I mean, the first time up, I was pretty nervous. I was one of the ones that was trembling, you know, during my solo routine and everything. But yeah, the second, third, fourth time I came out, I was like, okay, my nerves are pretty much, you know, shaken out a lot. So I liked doing that many. I will say like,
Gillian (24:34)
went on.
Josie (24:59)
behind the scenes, it got a little dicey as far as myself. The expeditors were fantastic, but I couldn't remember which categories I had signed up for, and I didn't know the order of them. So when I got backstage from after being on stage, I was like, wait, who are they calling now? Who are they lining up? And I was freaking out. I'm like, what did I sign up for? Where's my number? So I guess that's one thing where I would give advice is like,
just remember what categories you're in, because you've got to look out for yourself back there. The expeditors are great, but it's, you know, you got to know when you're getting called up next so you don't miss it. And sometimes they're pretty close, you know, where they're, you know, you're, you come backstage and you're immediately lined up again. And sometimes you have to wait a little bit, which is fine, but that would be one piece of advice I would give.
Gillian (25:54)
Yeah.
One thing I thought about too with that show.
is like, you know, they had you guys in the pump up area and then you went like kind of like through the atrium and then to the backstage area. And then once you were there, you couldn't leave. Like, it's OK to take like a water, your phone, your rice cake, your pump up bands. Like people were just walking like empty handed. And like me and Kate were like running back and forth with water bottles and phones and stuff just to get you guys like stuff to pump up because you were back there for a while. And I know that in other shows, competitors will like leave that pump up area to go grab something because they need
Josie (26:09)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (26:30)
carbs or something and they miss their class. So I think like just staying close by the expeditors, but also being prepared, like just take a couple things back there. It's totally fine to have that back there if you need it.
Josie (26:33)
Yeah.
Yeah, and I didn't realize that with the setup of the show either. Yeah.
Mandy (26:41)
We always told, yeah, we said that. Like, your coach can go with you. Mm -hmm. Yeah.
Every show will be set up different but usually like the expeditors will try to be like, yeah You can do that. You can you can bring this or that's why we always like there's always for the NPC Midwest show We will hover around like that is our job to hover and that way anybody and everybody can ask us questions of like what to do Where to go what to bring and I will tell you the number one thing we will always say is do not leave this area Do not I don't care if the show starts and you are the last
Gillian (26:49)
Yeah, totally.
Yeah.
Josie (27:14)
I'm sorry.
Mandy (27:18)
in the last category of the entire show. Don't leave. Don't leave. Don't go to your hotel room. Just hang out here. Watch a show on your phone. Like, don't. But, it happens.
Josie (27:26)
I'm sorry.
Gillian (27:33)
What was like the most like surprising thing about Show Day, Josie?
Josie (27:40)
You know, probably, it was just a lot of, it was a lot of rushing around kind of, and then, you know, it was a lot of waiting as well. So I wasn't sure how the show was necessarily set up. I thought I'd have a little bit more downtime, you know, between the, the morning show and the evening show. so that was surprising when I could, you know, just basically have time to go eat.
rest for a couple minutes and then I was, you know, before I knew it I was touching up my hair and makeup and headed back downstairs. So yeah, I'd say as quick as the day went by I would say that was pretty surprising.
Gillian (28:27)
from like an early hair and makeup time to like.
Josie (28:27)
And how long? Long and exhausting too. Yeah.
Gillian (28:32)
Well, you were there super late, too, because you were still there and I was like still packing up everything because your husband was in like the last category. So Bikini was like long done and he was still on stage. But worth it to stick around and get those photos. Yeah, no, it was totally worth it because I mean.
Mandy (28:32)
Ha ha ha.
Josie (28:40)
He was... Yup. Yeah, so I guess that did make it longer for me. Yeah, for sure. No, it was a good day, but long.
Gillian (28:54)
Yeah, I'm sure your kids are like, wow, mom and dad are super hot. Like those pictures of you guys. And I actually am going to include, I'm going to put a picture of the two of you on the thumbnail for this episode, because like it's a really good picture of you guys, like all tanned up and you know, it's awesome. It's such an accomplishment. And I think people who've never done this or that don't have a desire to do this might think that we do this for vanity and that's not it. That would not be enough to motivate us to do the things that we do to get on stage. But it's just such a huge accomplishment.
Mandy (28:59)
right?
Josie (29:05)
Okay, yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (29:21)
Yeah.
Gillian (29:24)
for you know people with a family to be able to juggle it all and make those sacrifices so you know congratulations to you this was not only like a huge accomplishment but also to like get the placing that you did because you took first in was it your 35 a 35 novice right yeah which is awesome I always tell like
Josie (29:38)
Thanks.
Novis 35. Mm -hmm. Yep. Yeah. And then, yeah, and then I got second and two.
Gillian (29:47)
First time competitors. Yeah, yeah, you got a first and a second. You placed in three of your categories, right? Yeah, so that's awesome.
Josie (29:54)
so I placed fifth out of five and my other one, but you know, we won't talk about that one. Right. Right.
Gillian (30:01)
It's still a medal. That's okay. No, but that's amazing. And you know, that's not common. Like I tell my new clients all the time, like, you know, we don't, we're not, we can't predict a placing. If you place it your first show, it's like, you know, unprecedented. It doesn't always happen. So, you know, to not only, you know, place and take them all that hardware, but also to get first is like a really bright start for you. So congratulations.
Josie (30:24)
Thank you. No, I was definitely super excited. You know, there's a lot of great girls, you know, in the whole thing. And, you know, I competed against a lot of other true novices in their first time. So that was, it was fun. And yeah, no, I just had, I had a really good time. Great experience.
Gillian (30:47)
So.
Mandy (30:48)
question Josie because something that gets kind of brought up almost every single new athlete we have I've noticed this so when you got your bikini when you got your bikini and it got to you when you got your bikini I'm sure you were excited you were really happy when you know you got that package in the mail and you opened it what was your first reaction how did you feel?
Josie (30:49)
Yeah.
Gillian (31:00)
Yeah, this is a good question.
Josie (31:14)
Well, I have a video of it, so I should share that with you sometime. But yeah, my husband videotaped me, but I just, I just, my jaw dropped and I was like, my gosh, it's so beautiful. Like the color was perfect. You know, it's hard to tell from a little sample they send you and then, you know, you know, picking your, your crystals and everything that go on it, what it is actually going to turn out like. And I was just like, wow, the color was just.
perfect for me. It's exactly what I wanted. And I know you guys work with toxic angels too. So that's who did my suit and I was super, super happy. Yeah, it was, it's beautiful.
Mandy (31:50)
Yeah.
Gillian (31:56)
Did you think like, wow, this thing is really tiny?
Mandy (31:59)
Hahaha.
Josie (31:59)
I did, yeah. The top fit like a glove and then the bottoms were a little tight. I was thinking, okay, well maybe during peak week this will fit perfect. And yeah, and of course I send pictures to my parents and my dad's like, that could use a little bit more fabric. But it was supportive nonetheless. But no, it was definitely small. So.
Gillian (32:08)
And they're like, what are these?
Mandy (32:23)
That's... That's so funny.
Gillian (32:28)
That's awesome. What was the reaction of like your coworkers and friends and other people that follow your journey?
Mandy (32:29)
My dad and my brother always support me.
Josie (32:36)
Well, first of all, with the suit, my coworkers like helped me a whole lot. Like I even had ex coworkers coming in like the day that I happened to have my little samples with me at work and like everybody came in, we were looking at it under lights and we were, you know, analyzing it. And so everybody had their little votes and everything. So everybody at work loves food. So it's a little bit difficult for them to wrap their head around me kind of being very, you know, selective and everything being regimented and everything.
But yeah, they're like, I can't I can't believe you do this. I don't know how you do it. And I'm like, it's just it's what I want to do. And I have a goal and I know what I have to do to make that goal. And it's not eat that candy, not eat that cake. So, you know, but yeah, family, friends have all been super supportive. And, you know, I haven't seen a whole lot of we kind of hibernated during the winter. It was kind of a good time just to, you know, focus on our prep and our gym going and resting and.
You know, of course we don't drink and we're not going out, so there was no, you know, parties and stuff like that. So, you know, we didn't see a whole lot of everybody over the winter. So maybe this summer we'll try to, you know, get out more, do some more social stuff while we're kind of just in a building session. So.
Gillian (33:58)
Yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
Mandy (33:59)
be fun. That's cool your co -workers supported you. That's really cool. Like even if they don't do it, they don't understand it, but they're like, it makes you happy. So they're there for you. And that's really, that's awesome you had that support around you. And that's fun they picked the suit with you.
Josie (34:03)
Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely. I know, right? And then they also came at, you know, on show day. A few of them did. So that was super cool. The ones that could get, you know, off work that day. But yeah, it was, they're like, we're so proud of you. And it felt really good to have have everybody in my corner and showing up for me.
Gillian (34:19)
nice.
Awesome. Yeah, that means a lot. You know, it's all positive, which is good. Yeah.
Josie (34:34)
Yeah.
It is. Yeah. I mean, I can't, I can't say that there's been any real negative, you know, energy around it. So, and if there was then, you know, I was oblivious to it or, you know, you can't care about what everybody else is doing. So, it's something that both, you know, my husband and I wanted to do and we're, we had our goal set and we were just like all about making it happen.
Mandy (34:53)
That's good. That's good.
Gillian (34:54)
Yeah.
Yeah, that's so awesome.
Mandy (35:09)
awesome. What do you, so with your husband, what do you think throughout the whole prep that you guys did together, what do you feel was probably the hardest, like the most, the hardest thing you guys struggled with as new athletes?
Josie (35:25)
as new athletes, you know, I guess I would probably just say like, just time management, you know, having a family and everything, you know, just kind of the, the balancing of all that was, was pretty hard, but, you know, getting up early mornings was pretty tough, you know, to start with, but we, we became morning people, which helped.
Mandy (35:55)
But those are the best kinds of people I'm just saying I'm just saying the morning people are the best people
Josie (35:59)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (36:00)
Mm -hmm.
Josie (36:02)
Yeah, yeah, no, I...
Gillian (36:03)
But you learn, I think, as you go through, like, you have to like have like, you know, those like, shit moments and like things are chaotic and just to learn and build new skills. Because I feel like for me, like over the years, it's gotten easier to juggle it. I think like, if I were to just start now, I think I'd feel really overwhelmed. But because I've been doing it all this time, you know, it's it's just a skill like that you learn. And women are like just kick ass.
Josie (36:19)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (36:30)
humans that can figure it out and troubleshoot and so you know that's that's what you did right you just roll with it and learn as you go.
Josie (36:36)
Yeah, I can imagine it becomes second nature eventually to do it all. But yeah, you've had a lot of experience, so that's awesome.
Mandy (36:51)
bikini dinosaur over there. I'm totally gonna get you like a dinosaur necklace with like a dinosaur wearing a bikini or something like...
Gillian (36:51)
Well, you did amazing. Dinosaur!
Josie (36:52)
Yeah.
you
Gillian (37:00)
Wearing a bikini. my gosh, that's so funny.
It is crazy. But but yeah, well, it was just awesome to get that experience from you and to share kind of like all the little tips and tricks. And so what we always like to ask people and I'll ask you this as well is what would be your piece of advice for somebody who is a mama that is a master's competitor that is like looking to compete? Like what would you tell them about going after that goal?
Josie (37:28)
Mm.
I'd say just do it. I mean, I don't think there's any better time than now. I mean, there's always going to be some reason not to, and you're always going to be busy. It's kind of like deciding to have a kid. There's no good time. You just do it, and you take it a day at a time, and just make sure you're prepared. Yeah, I would just go after it. Everybody has it within them, I think, to do this.
Gillian (37:46)
Yeah.
Josie (38:01)
and I think you develop to, you know, you become stronger mentally because of it, which, you know, is a skill that translates to other things in life, just beyond, you know, the sport.
Gillian (38:19)
Great, I love that. Yeah, awesome.
Mandy (38:19)
That's really good advice.
Josie (38:21)
Yeah.
Mandy (38:22)
Because there's never gonna be a perfect time. It's just, you gotta do it. So, yeah.
Gillian (38:27)
Mm -mm. He's gotta go for it and he can't keep putting it off. Might as well just jump in.
Josie (38:28)
Yeah, there are enough hours in the day. You just gotta get up early and if it's something you truly want, then you're gonna make it happen.
Gillian (38:41)
Yeah, exactly.
Mandy (38:44)
Well thank you so much for joining us today and giving us some insight because like we've kind of seen, you know, Gillian and I have been doing this for a little bit now. So it's really nice to be able to kind of hear your perspective and be able to share it with our listeners so you know they can relate to you and we'll have all of your information in the show notes so if you they'll be able to reach it. Yeah.
Josie (38:47)
Yeah, of course.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (39:01)
Yeah, so they can follow your journey as you continue on your fitness journey. And we can't wait to see you on stage again. And congratulations on an amazing prep, an amazing first show. And we're just excited to see what you do next.
Josie (39:04)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Aw, thank you guys so much for having me. This has been really fun and I'm honored to be on. Appreciate it.
Mandy (39:23)
Absolutely. Well thank you guys for listening. We'll see you next time.
Gillian (39:27)
Bye everyone, thanks for tuning in.