Ep. 175 Boosting Confidence through Dance Fitness and Embracing Challenges with guest Marianna Santos
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Sara Mayer: [00:00:00] Welcome to the bold goal crusher podcast for anyone looking to stop letting life get in the way and start crushing bold goals. I'm your host, Sarah Mayer, and I'm thrilled to navigate this journey with you because it's time to start boldly achieving without working double time. Let's dive in.
Sara Mayer: Hello, bold, goal crushers. I am super excited about this conversation today. I think you're really going to enjoy my guest. She has an interesting story, but she does some really cool stuff to help people boost their confidence so that they can truly chase their dreams. Mariana Santos was introduced to the Brazilian approach to dance fitness and a lifestyle when she moved to Brazil as a teenager.
Sara Mayer: And this experience propelled her into a career in fitness as a personal trainer. [00:01:00] And a group fitness instructor for the past 19 years. She's the co founder and CEO of Brazili fitness, which aims to help fitness instructors advance their careers and transform more lives from the inside out through the magic of music, dance, fitness, and lifestyle.
Sara Mayer: I'm so excited to have you on the show. I just love what you do.
Mariana Santos: Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Sara Mayer: Yay. Let's jump in. So how did you get into this? You just showed up in Brazil and then what happened?
Mariana Santos: Yeah my parents are Brazilian, but I was born and raised here in Ottawa, Canada.
Mariana Santos: But my dad actually got a job in Sao Paulo, Brazil when I was So we had no choice. We had to move there. So that was my first, introduction to Portuguese. That's when I had to learn Portuguese. I had to finish high school in Brazil and in Portuguese. So that was quite the challenge and it was quite the culture shock, right?
Mariana Santos: It's a [00:02:00] very different approach to life and they take fitness a little bit more seriously, at least back in the day. When I was there and I was a very self conscious, very shy teenager, right? So it really, be introduced to fitness and dance really helped to break me out of my shell.
Mariana Santos: And I was also that kid in high school who hated gym class, right? So I was like, the last one chosen for teams. Like to this day, I'm not like a big, like sports person. Like I'm more into dance and strength training and that kind of stuff. So it's like where I found a way for me to be active. In a way that I enjoyed, right?
Mariana Santos: So it's really what led me into my career in fitness. Wow.
Sara Mayer: Okay. So you move when you were 14. Oh, wow. What a transition. And you had to learn a new language. That
Mariana Santos: is, I wasn't happy about the situation. Let's put it that way. But now I realize that, it had to happen and it really shaped me as a person.
Mariana Santos: When you're young, you don't realize those things. [00:03:00]
Sara Mayer: Yeah. And I. I read somewhere, and I don't know if this is accurate, but that way, if you try and learn a new language or you move after 11, after the age of 11, you won't, your accent won't change. But if you move before you're 11, like if you move from Chicago to the South, before you're 11, you will.
Sara Mayer: So I always find that really interesting in language because you can, people say they can tell when somebody moved to a different state or country based on whether or not their accent changed.
Mariana Santos: Yeah, and it's funny because I moved to Sao Paulo, right? So the way that they pronounce their R's is very similar to.
Mariana Santos: R's in English, right? But then when I was 25, I moved back to Brazil by myself this time. And I ended up in Rio and in Rio, the way that they pronounce their R's is more similar to our H. So I couldn't forget the Rio accent. So most people in Rio, they [00:04:00] would ask me like, are you from Sao Paulo? And I'm like, no, I'm from Canada.
Mariana Santos: Yeah. Oh yeah. So it's exactly that. And I try, like I lived in Rio for six years and I still cannot get that accent.
Sara Mayer: It's so interesting to me. Yeah. Actors do it all the time. So there's that. Yes. So you moved over there, you found your passion and then now you've turned that into a business. So tell me a little bit more about that.
Sara Mayer: How did you move into that area?
Mariana Santos: Yeah. Like I said, I moved back to Brazil on my own when I was 25. So that helped me to get, even deeper into the culture, into dance. I started taking a lot more dance classes, really fell in love with the music, and actually met my husband, who is also a dance fitness instructor.
Mariana Santos: I met him taking one of his classes, actually. And then about almost 5 years ago, I decided to come back to Canada because we wanted to start a family. So I brought him to come live in the cold with me here. And it's just always been, this calling that I felt in my heart [00:05:00] to share this experience that I've had with the rest of the world.
Mariana Santos: And it's not just about. The fun and everything is just like the overall approach to living, right? Just living more day by day showing more gratitude, focusing on 1 step at a time. And that's really what I felt like is my mission. So that's why Brazilian fitness was born and about a year ago.
Mariana Santos: We decided to go all in and our 1st program that we launched is Brazilian dance, which is the 1 that's closest to our heart. Because, of course we were, united by dance. So it uses the hottest Brazilian music and dance moves and it's all about boosting confidence through dance for us. It's more important like that confidence boosting effect that dance can give you when you don't focus just on calorie burning during a class.
Sara Mayer: Yeah. And I love that you talked about how. You can build confidence through dance. I think there are so many things that we do out there [00:06:00] that allow us to, maybe not be confident. Like we try new things and we're like, Oh, I'm not good at that. So how do you actually build confidence through dance?
Sara Mayer: Cause I am not. Dancer. So I'm like, Ooh, I'm not sure I would feel really confident dancing. So how does that actually work?
Mariana Santos: Yeah. One thing that you just touched on is really important. I think that nowadays, like technology has helped us a lot. It's also helped us it's caused us to really.
Mariana Santos: Expect instant gratification for everything. So just use, like you just said, Oh, I try people try things once and they're like, I'm not good at that. And they give up. And that's literally the worst thing you can do for your wellbeing, for your mental state. You need to be able to prove to yourself that you can do hard things because we are all capable, but most of the time we just give up too soon.
Mariana Santos: And with dance as long as you're in a welcoming environment and a safe space to learn from your mistakes. It's the best way to boost confidence, but you also have to go into [00:07:00] it, understanding that you're not going to get all the moves down right away. And that's not even the goal, right? The goal is for you to just have fun, let loose, get in touch with your sensuality, reconnect with yourself from class to class.
Mariana Santos: And it's not just about oh, my God, I'm going to take this class to be a professional dancer. That's the least important thing that you should be focusing on. And so just approach it in a way, like I'm doing this for me and the confidence builds over time because then you start to get to know people in the class.
Mariana Santos: That social connection is huge. And you start to notice that everyone's there just working on themselves. They've been teaching for about 19 years. Like I always hear people like, Oh, I don't know. Like people are just going to watch me in class. And I guarantee you, they are not. They don't have time to look at anyone else, right?
Mariana Santos: Because they're so focused on watching the instructor and then watching themselves. Like they're there for them, right? So as long as you go into it with that mentality of this is my time. And even if someone is watching, like who cares, there's always going to be one person or another who, who's always looking to [00:08:00] criticize.
Mariana Santos: But that's just life. And you have to know how to deal with that.
Sara Mayer: Yeah. And I love that you talk about this. In more of an individualized approach, like you're not talking about it as a group. So how do you connect with the individual people? Cause I think that's unique.
Mariana Santos: Yeah. I make a point of always talking before the class, after the class, we connect on social media.
Mariana Santos: It's also something that like I mentioned a lot, while I'm teaching Hey, this is your time. This if someone doesn't get the move down that's okay. Or when they find again, I'm like, yeah just pointing out their progress, don't notice it. And and just paying attention to little things that they tell you.
Mariana Santos: So like I had one. one participant recently, like she's had some plantar fasciitis. So I make a point of always asking, I'm like, is it feeling better today? Like those little things like that really show that you're paying attention to them as an individual and not just, the whole
Sara Mayer: group.
Sara Mayer: Yeah. And I think that's unique because I've gotten to many classes. I don't even know the [00:09:00] instructor. They didn't say, maybe they said hi, but they didn't really do any type of. Assuring me that I'm on the right track or I should continue or anything like that. So I love that you really made that more individual.
Sara Mayer: I think that's so cool as far as what you're doing.
Mariana Santos: And the way that our formula is set up it's interesting because in my opinion the best way, like I mentioned to boost confidence is to do hard things, right? Means that our choreography is intentionally not as easy as some other dance fitness classes, right?
Mariana Santos: And that's because we want you to feel like you're progressing from class to class. The idea is not for you to get it all down the 1st time, right? So that means that, some of our songs are, yes, a little bit easier to follow. And then there are some in. In there that are purposely there to make you think and for those tracks specifically, the instructor stops and previews hey, let's work on this chorus together without the music.
Mariana Santos: And if anyone has any [00:10:00] questions, you can ask them now, right? And then do it with the music. All that does is takes away that fear aspect, right? So like, when the song starts, you know what to expect, right? Yeah. Even though our choreography is a little bit, more complex, even though it's not, nothing crazy, you're not doing headstands or, backflips or anything like that.
Mariana Santos: But we've had a lot of feedback from people who tell us that because we stop to preview and we explain, our class is a lot less intimidating than some other programs that don't say anything, don't give you any advanced notice of what's coming. So I find that really interesting too.
Sara Mayer: Yeah. And you said something really key there.
Sara Mayer: You said that in order to boost confidence, you need to do hard, hard things. Can you talk a little bit more
Mariana Santos: about that? Yeah. That's something I'm very passionate about. I think it's like the whole, the heart of what I'm doing because I think, going back to that instant gratification, we just want things at a snap of a finger and we forget that what makes life meaningful is when we overcome our [00:11:00] challenges, right?
Mariana Santos: I think that, in my case if I hadn't started dancing in Brazil, I wouldn't have built up the confidence to start this company by myself, and most days I feel like I'm in over my head, but somehow I make it work. I'm taking it 1 step at a time and I'm growing and I'm learning.
Mariana Santos: I'm connecting with people. I'm getting help. And that happens when you believe in yourself. So the best way to believe in yourself is to prove to yourself that you can do hard things and keep promises to yourself. So if you say something simple Hey, I'm going to start drinking two liters of water every day.
Mariana Santos: And you do that's like you proving to your, and that's, let's say that was like really difficult for you in the past. Like as soon as you start doing it, you're signaling to your brain that you can do things that you once thought were impossible. And that's the beauty of dance, right? Because so many people, say oh, I can't dance.
Mariana Santos: I can't dance, but just try. Just try and give it some time and go with the flow, get comfortable with the, and yeah. And things end up happening, right? And that transfers into all other areas of your life, which I think is [00:12:00] incredible.
Sara Mayer: Yeah I also think that, many of us have been really good at things.
Sara Mayer: We get a job, we're really successful, we're being promoted, doing all these things, and then we decide we wanna go a different route and maybe we start a business. And it is really difficult to go from being an expert to a complete beginner. Oh yeah. So there's this art or science of really creating. Or cultivating a way where you are putting yourself in experiences that make you be a beginner again.
Sara Mayer: So I love this idea of picking up dance or something else that allows you to build that muscle of what it's like to start overcoming those things when things are maybe not going to be as easy.
Mariana Santos: Yeah. And I'm a firm believer that one of the worst things we could do is to stay in our comfort zone.
Mariana Santos: So I think we need to learn to be uncomfortable being uncomfortable. We need to do more things [00:13:00] that challenge us. And like you were saying if you're really good at one thing, like a lot of times, like people start to feel like I have this great job. Like I have a great salary.
Mariana Santos: I have a great family, but they feel like something's missing. And that's when depression starts to happen and they feel like I shouldn't be feeling depressed because I have all these awesome things. But they haven't focused on doing things that actually fulfill them. Tends to lead to, a lot of mental health issues down the road.
Mariana Santos: So it's just sometimes a matter of like you finding things that, make your heart, feel more alive, beat faster, and maybe it's something that you do alongside it doesn't have to be like you. Place your job. Something extra that you can add that just makes you like feel more alive.
Mariana Santos: I think that a lot of people forget that life is made for living, right? Just like we need to feel alive and not just feel like we're waking up, going to bed and, going through the motions every day.
Sara Mayer: Yeah. And even if you're not a business owner or doing something completely different, if you're managing people so often, I work with leaders [00:14:00] who have.
Sara Mayer: Pretty much forgotten what it was like to be a beginner or new to the job. And one of the things they always tell us to listen for is the just language. Like when a leader saying to somebody you just do this. It's they're saying you should know how to do this. This is easy. And so I think it's a great way to also train people who are maybe sticking with their career to get out of their comfort zone, try something new and also remember what it's like to be a beginner.
Mariana Santos: Yes, exactly. And that empathy as a leader is super important, right? Like you need to be able to meet people where they're at, right? Yes. Yes. And it's something that I've learned so much over the years as an instructor, but I'm not going to expect that the instructors who are starting with us now have all the experience I have.
Mariana Santos: I need to meet them where they're at, help them with things that make obvious for me, but there aren't obvious for them yet. And that's okay. They'll build up those skills over time.
Sara Mayer: Yeah. [00:15:00] So when somebody first starts with you, do you have a plan for them or a journey or do you just let it ebb and flow?
Sara Mayer: How do you strategically mastermind that behind the scenes?
Mariana Santos: Right now so we're just like, getting started with our course. So we have an online course for the instructors. So you can take our course and become certified in Brazili dance, and then you can start teaching wherever you want and run your own business.
Mariana Santos: So every month once you. Are certified, because there is a process that you have to submit a video of yourself teaching and everything like that. Once you are certified, then you get into our monthly membership, or you get constant new choreography and music and education and we're going to have, month.
Mariana Santos: Or biweekly calls, I'm still going to see, what people prefer just to give that extra support on things that they need. But I always just make I make sure to send out emails. They like, Hey, if because it's a prerecorded course I feel like sometimes that's that connection is [00:16:00] missing.
Mariana Santos: So I try to stay. Stay in touch with people and make sure that they know that my door is always open like I have an instructor in training here in Ottawa and because we're in the same city, I'm like, hey come to my classes. So you can get hands on training with me. Of course, I can't do that for every instructor around the world, but my hope is that the instructors who join us now they become the leaders in their areas.
Mariana Santos: And as a. Starts to grow, then they'll have that leader to support them along the way.
Sara Mayer: I love that. So if somebody is listening to this and they're like, I just love this and I want to work with you, how would they find you? And what might they expect?
Mariana Santos: Yeah. So you can follow us social media. If you type in Brazili fitness, pretty much everywhere, Facebook, Instagram, Tik TOK so it's Brazil with a Y at the ends of Brazili fitness all together and also our website.
Mariana Santos: So brazilifitness. com and you can find out about our Brazili dance course that's online. And right now too, if you have. If any gym [00:17:00] owners are out there dance studio owners or managers, we are looking for gyms that want to pilot our program. So we have a really awesome deal going on right now.
Mariana Santos: So no licensing fees or anything like that. Our goal is really to get as many people trying our program as possible. So there's a form there's actually a calendar that you can book a time with me if you're interested in joining our pilot program.
Sara Mayer: Ooh, that's great. I just love this conversation and I love the whole concept of gaining confidence through doing hard things.
Sara Mayer: So I challenge our listeners, even if you're not into dance, try something that takes you out of your comfort zone, takes you from being the expert to the beginner, because that's truly how you will build your confidence and that muscle for being able to overcome obstacles. I completely
Mariana Santos: agree.
Sara Mayer: Awesome.
Sara Mayer: It was great having you on the show. Thank you so much. And remember bold goal crushers. You [00:18:00] can crush your goals and everything that gets in the way without working double time. So take a break.
Sara Mayer: Thank you for tuning into the bold goal crusher podcast where we crush goals and everything that gets in the way. I always love to support my community. I look forward to seeing you crush your goals this year.
