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Surviving the Side Hustle
Welcome to "Surviving the Side Hustle," the ultimate podcast for balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with maintaining mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
Hosted by Coach Rob Tracz, an expert in helping driven professionals achieve 'personal development for professional success,' this show is more than just storytelling—it's a masterclass in thriving amidst the entrepreneurial grind. Each episode features candid conversations with leaders who are rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship, sharing their unique stories, the creative solutions they're offering, and the everyday challenges they’re overcoming.
Whether you’re a side hustler looking for your big break or an established entrepreneur seeking fresh perspectives, "Surviving the Side Hustle" provides valuable insights that resonate with the movers, the shakers, and everyone in between.
Feeling burnt out and sidelining your own health? This podcast empowers you to overcome stagnation, build resilience, and optimize your life and business. We dive deep into your goals, identify obstacles, and share strategies to boost your energy, improve your strength, and keep the entrepreneurial grind enjoyable.
Join us for inspiring stories, expert insights, and practical advice to help you look good, feel good, and do great things at every stage of your entrepreneurial journey. Let’s not just survive the side hustle—let's master it.
Surviving the Side Hustle
E132 - Lessons from Maria Garcia: Blink Twice for "Comeback Mode"
What if the moment that felt like the end was actually the start of your purpose? We sit down with nutrition coach Maria Garcia, who survived a devastating stroke at 25 that left her paralyzed from the nose down and unable to speak. Years of grueling rehab rebuilt the basics, but her true turning point came much later: a strategic shift in nutrition and hydration that unlocked another 20% of her function—and a mission to help others reclaim their health with awareness, intention, and a powerful why.
We unpack three pillars that make change stick. First, awareness before action: Maria explains how food psychology—your triggers, stories, and patterns—decides whether any plan works. Second, fuel for function: the simple, non-dogmatic nutrition habits that move the body from survival to progress—hydration, protein-forward meals, mineral balance, and fewer ultra-processed foods. Third, resilience with a big why: how discipline and systems outlast motivation and how a clear purpose turns daily choices into a straight line toward strength.
Along the way, we explore digital nutrition and my JEEP framework—Goals, Energy, Environment, Purpose—to show how inputs beyond food influence focus, sleep, and performance. You’ll leave with practical steps: hydrate with intention, audit your patterns, align your environment, and choose one habit that brings you closer to the person you’re becoming. Maria’s story is extreme, but the playbook is universal—start small, stay consistent, and let your purpose power the hard days.
If this conversation moved you, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more people can find these tools. Then tell us: what’s your big why, and what’s the first step you’re taking today?
What's up, what's up, what's up? Quick question. What if the very thing you thought was the end of your story turned out to be just the beginning of your purpose? That's what I walked away with after my conversation with Maria Garcia, a nutrition coach, with one of the most inspiring, resilient stories I've ever heard. At just 25 years old, Maria suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed from the nose down. She spent weeks unable to speak or move, trapped in her own body, communicating only through blinking. Her recovery was painfully slow. She had to relearn how to swallow, to move her limbs, and eventually to walk again, thanks to relentless persistence and the support of her family. But here's what makes her story powerful. Fifteen years later, when she thought she had plateaued forever, nutrition became the catalyst for her comeback. Within six months of changing her approach to diet and hydration, she regained another 20%, 20% of her function, and with it her independence and purpose. Now, she coaches others to reclaim their health through proper nutrition, mindset, and awareness. From our conversation, the three biggest takeaways that I had was number one being awareness is the foundation of change. Maria says nutrition isn't just about food lists, it starts with food psychology, why you eat what you eat and what patterns keep you stuck. Because without awareness, every diet becomes another failed attempt. So what I want you to think about from this takeaway is where in your life are you trying to fix the surface without digging into the root cause? And while you think about that, I'll share that my second takeaway that I got was optimal fuel creates optimal function. Just like every species thrives on its natural diet, humans have a way of eating that allows us to function at our best. For Maria, hydration and reintroducing animal products shifted her body from survival mode to thriving. And I want you to ask yourself, how intentional are you about the fuel you're putting into your body? And is it helping you perform at your highest level or is it holding you back? This talks to me, and I share this a lot with my clients, and principle number two of prime performance coaching, where we really look at the intentionality around what you're consuming. My Jeep framework that I use teaches not only to look at your goals and the purpose behind them, but to also assess the fuels that you're consuming. Not just your dietary nutrition, but also your digital nutrition as well. Making sure that you're fueling yourself the best so that you can really show up your best and continue to make the impact that you're trying to create in this world. The third takeaway that I had from my conversation with Maria was that resilience requires a big why. See, Maria lived through diapers at 25. She had years of rehab and staring at ceilings for weeks at a time. Her why was simple. Never go back. That clarity fuels her choices daily. And for you, I want you to think about what's your big why? What's the reason you'll stay disciplined when motivation runs out? If you've been following the podcast for a while, or if you know me personally, you know that I'm constantly talking about how motivation is like the weather. Some days it's sunny and energizing and you're excited to go, and then other days it just happens the rain and you just don't have the motivation. But what constantly shows up is discipline. And discipline is what gets you out and gets you moving. And if you want to take it a step further than that as well, is your systems, things that you set up to keep you disciplined so that you stay motivated and get your goals done. See, this conversation with Maria reminded me of why resilience and intentional living are such cornerstones of prime performance coaching. They're essentially principles number one and two from what I teach with people when they first come into my coaching realm. Maria's story is an extreme example, but the principles are universal. And when you choose to face discomfort and you build awareness and fuel yourself with intention, you give yourself the chance to grow past limits you thought that were permanent. So if you've been feeling stuck with your health, your business, or life, Maria Story is proof that it's never too late to reclaim your momentum. Start small, hydrate better, check in with your patterns, and reconnect with your why. And if you want a guide, Maria runs both one on one and group coaching programs that I'd highly recommend checking out. Because at the end of the day, success isn't about grinding yourself into burnout. It's about building a body and mind that can sustain your goals for the long haul. Alright, guys, I'll talk to you next time. Peace, peace, peace.