Kris Schill - Losing 100+ pounds and building a Freedom Business

Buddy: All right, and welcome to the BAM School podcast. I'm here with my, I don't wanna say old friend, but friend Kris Schill: Thank Buddy: from Kris Schill: you. Buddy: way back in the 90s when we were at Clark Summit University together as students. Chris was my first barber. Are you a barber or a hairdresser? I'm not sure, but she cut my hair way back in the day at college, and yeah, we connected that first semester. got to know each other a bit, and now reconnected. I don't think we've talked since the 90s, have we? Kris Schill: I don't think so. Maybe a little bit on Facebook. Buddy: Yeah, maybe a few messages here and there, but actually talking, we went from the 90s to the 2023 year and so super fun to reconnect. I love stories of people that have their own business, doing their own thing, pursuing a little bit of freedom and been following some of your journey the last couple years online and so I thought it would be super fun to have a conversation about that. So Chris, welcome to the BAM School podcast. Kris Schill: Thank you buddy. I'm so excited to be here and I'm so excited that we got to reconnect. And your hair looks great by the way. Buddy: Thank you, you know so Since the time that you cut my hair I think I lived in America another four or five years and then the last 20-something years all I say is number two on the side and a little bit shorter up top So no matter what country I'm in they get it while I move back to America And I always just think oh, it'll be so fun to be able to tell them exactly what I want But I actually didn't like going to barbers that spoke English, so I found like a Spanish barbershop. It's like a party, music's loud, I can't talk to anyone. I just say number two short. It's funny, now I actually like, I don't know what it is, but I just like not being able to talk to people that cut my hair Kris Schill: That's Buddy: after Kris Schill: awesome. Buddy: all those years. So, cool. So, tell me a little bit of your journey since graduating CSU, and yeah, just a bit of your story. Kris Schill: Well, I graduated in the 90s, as you mentioned. You ratted me out. And after that, I actually taught for 19 years, some in South Jersey and some in Southwest Florida, all at Christian schools. And then after that, God redirected my life to go up to CSU, back to our stomping ground, and I was a resident director in a girl's dorm, super exciting, super stretching, and I worked in admissions during my time there. And then since then, I moved back to South Jersey and that's when I... I started getting really frustrated even more with my health. And, um, I can give you more about how that ended up, but because of that, um, and losing weight and working with a health coach, that's what changed the trajectory of my life into becoming a health coach. So then after working up there, um, I had a little hiatus where I wasn't sure what God had for me. And I proofread pharmaceuticals outside of Kensington, Philadelphia. So if you know Buddy: Hehehehe Kris Schill: anything about that area, it was a very interesting and scary experience, but I knew that that's what God had for me. And while I was there was when I started working with a health coach. And so then I quit that job and now I health coach full time. Buddy: Cool. So did you have like any entrepreneurial, you know, background, your family or leanings, or you just kind of fell into it because it worked out really well for you? Kris Schill: I started a Mary Kay business Buddy: Okay. Kris Schill: years and years ago because I was using Mary Kay and you get your products Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: at 50% off. Buddy: right. Kris Schill: And I love doing that but it wasn't something that I ever saw myself doing full time. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So other than that... Buddy: I mean, you cut hair in college, which was way more profitable than, you know, making ten bucks an hour, doing whatever the rest of us were doing. Actually, Kris Schill: Absolutely. Buddy: I only did that for a year or so too and found more profitable gigs Kris Schill: And that's the Buddy: as Kris Schill: only Buddy: well. Kris Schill: thing I did during college to make money was I cut hair. Which Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: is funny, I will tell you this, boys were way pickier than girls were about having their hair cut. Buddy: funny. Kris Schill: What about this? What about this? This little Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: area here? Whereas girls were like, eh, it'll grow out in a month. Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: So that was pretty funny. Buddy: well and girls, I guess like back in the 90s was the era of bangs and Kris Schill: Bangs and big Buddy: perms, Kris Schill: hair. Yeah. Buddy: big hair, so now I feel like, you know, it's like you cut it, it's a little bit shorter or whatever, so who Kris Schill: And Buddy: knows. Kris Schill: I do occasionally I'll cut like my great nieces and nephews hair or I cut my mom's hair or Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: there's some friends that will find out that I have that skill and I'll cut hair but it's rare that I cut anybody's hair and I certainly don't cut my own. I pay someone Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: well to do that. Buddy: yeah, nice. Well, so what have been some of the adventures, the highs and lows over the years for you? Kris Schill: Um, well the highs I would say have just been watching God orchestrate things. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: He led me to Florida and then he, which I was able to be near my sister's family during that time, and then he led me to CSU. I was able to be near my sister's family during that time. So that was just an amazing gift and that was a really big high for me to be close with them because I'm super close with my sister and then her four kids. They're the closest thing that I have to my own children. So Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and they call me Aunt Dish the way. My nephew couldn't say, Chris, it came out dish, so I'm Aunt Dish. Buddy: Ha ha ha ha! Kris Schill: So that was the, I heard the phrase once, God's clock keeps perfect time. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And I think about that as I look back on my life, how God orchestrated things that I could not have orchestrated myself or planned myself. Whereas the lows, I think having to trust God on my own has been hard. Struggling with fear has been hard as a single person. The sole breadwinner for myself, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: knowing that I have to completely and fully depend on God. Those are what are... the hardest parts. Deaths have been difficult too, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: but nothing compares to what started my health journey was in 1998 when I had a car accident. And that's when I started gaining and gaining and gaining. So that would be the biggest low I would say, because that changed initially the trajectory of my life. Buddy: Yeah, so what happened in the car accident? Like, was it just hard to, you know, what led to that after the car accident? Kris Schill: Well, I was stopped at a light and rear ended, so Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I hit the back of my head on a headrest and that Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: freaked out my back. So after that, it left injuries to my neck and my back Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and I couldn't be the active person that I was, like you knew me Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: in college. I didn't play basketball on the team, but I played intramural basketball Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and was super active. And at the time I was a basketball coach. So that really devastated my life and I missed four months of school, out on disability. And just after that, I could not, as I said to you before, my fork. I couldn't get ahead of my weight Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and it became a huge burden for me. Buddy, I just was so frustrated all the time and I was doing the math and it was 21 years. So for the first 27 years of my life I was thin and then I had this car accident and I couldn't stop gaining weight, gaining weight, gaining weight because I couldn't lead the active lifestyle that I had and for Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: 21 and frustrated on the inside because, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: you know, my joy doesn't come from how I look and that kind of thing. My joy comes from my purpose. But it just was, I often wondered and had many conversations even with professors when I was back up at CSU, am I a poor testimony because of how overweight I am? And all the things Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: that I don't do and just all those things that you're searching Scripture for and why isn't God answering this prayer? And why Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: can't I conquer this? What's the issue? What's the problem? What's the sin in my life Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: that I can't get over this thing that I'm struggling with so hard? Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So now I look back and I just had this revelation the other day and I was talking with a potential client who only knew me as heavy Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: because I had taught her kids and I said to her, I now know why I had my car accident. Buddy: Cool. Kris Schill: Because if I hadn't gained all that weight, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: why would I have looked for something? Why would I have struggled with something? Why would I have, when I had that conversation with the health coach, why would I have been like, this is the piece that I'm missing, this is what I'm searching for? Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: That wouldn't even have been an issue for me, because I probably still would have been thin my whole life. Buddy: Right. Yeah. Wow. That's really cool. And you I don't think you said it on the podcast, but you said earlier that you lost 100 pounds in a year, which Kris Schill: In Buddy: is Kris Schill: less than a year, buddy, in less Buddy: It Kris Schill: than Buddy: less Kris Schill: a year. Buddy: than a year. Kris Schill: And Buddy: Yes. Kris Schill: I still have about 20 more pounds that I wanna get off. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So yeah, the program that my coach recommended for me worked unbelievably well. And I'll give Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: you this little snippet of information. My first week on plan, I lost 16 pounds. Buddy: Wow. Kris Schill: My second week I lost seven pounds. Buddy, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I was only gonna do the plan for six months to see if it would work because Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I had tried everything else under the sun, exercise, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: classes, blah, blah, blah. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and had failed at everything and gained Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: more weight and got more frustrated. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So I, in my mind, I don't remember if I said to her or if it was what I thought in my head, but I was gonna do for six months this program Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and if I could just lose 50 pounds, I'll be thrilled. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And do you know what 26 and, or 16 and seven are? Buddy: Uh, 23. Kris Schill: it's like 23. So I was Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: almost halfway to my goal and I thought, holy smokes, this is unbelievable. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: that was so crazy that I could even lose that much weight. And really in two months, I lost 43 pounds, Buddy: Wow. Kris Schill: which is why I talked to my health coach and said, uh, I wanna do what you do and Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: I wanna help the whole planet. Buddy: right, right. Yeah, I know, yeah, just people that work in different aspects of the health industry. One of the guys I was connected to, Jeff Reckonator's brother-in-law, was a chiropractor and then he got into like, you know. health kind of things and now he has a business that's all like the high-end health things like infrared lights and all those different things but it's like his Kris Schill: NEED! Buddy: whole life has been around you know just helping people have better health or whatever. Is there any verse or like quote that kind of was an encouragement to you along the way or kind of yeah just that you think about and keeps you going? Kris Schill: Well my life verse is Colossians 1.10, that you walk worthy of the Lord and all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. So Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: that's something that always keeps me focused, grounded and driven. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: But I would say one thing I heard years and years ago, it's a little tricky so you gotta listen closely, okay? Buddy: Alright, I'm leaning Kris Schill: Your Buddy: in. Kris Schill: walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks. Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: And Buddy: nice. Kris Schill: so that has always stuck with me and trying to make your walk match up with your talk. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: But people are going to watch what you do. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So living a life that honors God and everything is paramount and doing Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: the best we can to live to please the Lord. And then the verse that God gave me for my health coaching business, I wanted something that I could sign on my cards and write because I'm a letter writer. I write a lot of cards to my clients. is 3rd John chapter 1 verse 2 and I love it in the New Living Translation. You probably Buddy: Okay. Kris Schill: noticed I quoted out of King James because you know Buddy: Ha ha. Kris Schill: I learned all my scripture from Awana Buddy: As a kid, Kris Schill: and church and camp and Buddy: yes. Kris Schill: all that in Christian school. So in the New Living Translation the verse says, Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. Buddy: Yeah, nice. Kris Schill: So that's something that for me, as I'm checking with clients and talking with them and just having regular conversations with people about where they are in their health, because health really encompasses so much more than weight. Buddy: Right, yeah, Kris Schill: So Buddy: for Kris Schill: those Buddy: sure. Kris Schill: are things that are the driving forces for me is basically scripture, but then Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: those little quippy quotes that you hear and you know, togers you know, AW toger, um, his Buddy: Yes. Kris Schill: quote, it says what comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you, Buddy: Yeah. Yeah. Kris Schill: which is always a fascinating quote to me and something to really think about because I think that changes depending on what season of life you're in. Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: Would you agree? Buddy: I would. I had Jen and I actually were invited to work at the school that he started in California, which slips my mind at the moment. Kris Schill: Really? Buddy: Way back in the day, we actually got invited to two different schools and we said no to both of those. And I always think like, what would happen if we did college stuff our whole lives, you know? And yeah, but Kris Schill: Living on a college campus is super fun. Buddy: yeah. Yeah, I was just back at CSU last week and super fun to see, you know, students and profs and conversations and just the energy of young people and the excitement and all of that kind of thing. And I actually like working like I thought my schools for entrepreneurship would be like, I don't know, like 22 to. you know, 26 year olds, but really it's been like, I had one kid come at 17 once, he got, we had to like, you know, do paperwork so I could be his power of attorney if anything happened to him because he was in a different country. And, but then all the way up into like the forties, like just, you know, this, I think the potential to make a living doing something that you love has never been greater than it is right now. And the only time that it will be greater is tomorrow, and then tomorrow. It's like, Kris Schill: I agree. Buddy: it's such a cool age that we live in. So, I mean, the hard thing is there's like a million paths, and it's like, Kris Schill: Right. Buddy: do I do this or that? What direction do I go? And yeah, just being... Yeah, being aware of that. So that was part of the reason I wanted to have you on was just your own, like the business side of it for you. Tell me just about what your experience is like having your own business versus being a school teacher. Kris Schill: Oh, that's very different, huh? Buddy: Hahaha Kris Schill: Whereas I would say working in an elementary school and working at a college, not so different. Buddy: Right, right. Kris Schill: Ha ha ha. Um. I love working for myself. Somebody Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: had said once, would you work as hard for yourself as you work for someone else? And that's Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: always in the back of my mind as well because Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I think I work even harder for myself and I'm a loyal employee. Like Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I show up early, I stay and do what needs to be done. Whereas now working for myself full time. I feel like I lived in fear for so many years, Buddy: Hmm. Kris Schill: under so many things, fear of Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: multiple things in different seasons of my life, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: that now I knew God directed me to do this. And He's always clearly directed me. But Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: the business side of things, I have to trust God every step Buddy: Yeah. Yeah. Kris Schill: because I'm... I'm not the best with numbers, so I check and double check and reach out to my wise counsel people and get some background with people, some assurance with people who are strong in that area. But I really have to trust God, who are my next clients going to be? Who's Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: another coach that's going to join me? What does that look Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: like? Because Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: you don't know where those people are going to come from. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So one of the blessings has been all the people that have reached out to me. me from my past that I've been Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: able to reconnect with from when I lived in Florida down in Naples, when I was at CSU as a student, when it was back called Baptist Bible College, when I was at CSU as a resident director working in admissions, when I was a teacher in South Jersey both times because I taught went to Florida then taught again. So sometimes Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: when I start conversations with I'll say, okay, so you knew me thin, so let me pick up at my car accident and then I tell them my story. And Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: then other people, I'm like, oh, you've only known me heavy. Okay, so let me back up. I was thin for 27 years. And they're like, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: oh, because they only knew me over 300 pounds. They Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: had no idea. I mean, they didn't know my weight, but they knew that I was a very large, joyful woman. Buddy: Yeah, yeah. Kris Schill: So the business aspect is really trusting God and knowing that he's going to provide because he led me here. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And if I didn't think he led me here, then I think I would have fear. What's next, what's next, what's next? But I sit in on a lot of training with other health coaches. I'm supported by business coaches. So I have the skill because I think of my elementary education degree, my Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: master's in organizational leadership, who God has made me to be has all merged. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: to being a health coach, because it's really mentoring Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: people and helping them reach their goals. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And then all of the training that I get helps me know how to minister to people and to serve them whether they're believers or not. I have some Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: that are not believers. but it helps me to know I'm doing the tasks that need to be done, I'm planting the seeds that need to be planted, so Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: if they join me on a health journey, yes, great, and if they say no, it's a not now, because Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: chances are they're gonna reach out to me sometime because they're Buddy: Right, Kris Schill: gonna need something. Buddy: right, when they get desperate. So a couple things I wanna go back to. First is you said your group of wise counsel or something like that. Do you have specific people in your life that you go to for different decisions or Kris Schill: Oh Buddy: at Kris Schill: yeah. Buddy: different places? Yeah. Kris Schill: I know a lot of people that are married have their husband to bounce things off of, but since I Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: have always been single, I don't have that Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: option. And Buddy: right. Kris Schill: since I take everything to the Lord, I Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: still need some people in skin Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: that can talk to me. So I talk a lot with my mom and my sister, who both Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: love the Lord and are super grounded. My sister is a pastor's wife out in Michigan in the Three Rivers Portage area. Buddy: Okay. Kris Schill: have people like Sherri Holloway at Buddy: Yep. Kris Schill: CSU and I'm on the Life Women's Conference Committee. So Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I have that whole group of people that I can bounce ideas off and I have some lifelong friends that are around me Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and they do say you become like the five people you spend the most time with. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So I try to be really careful with who I surround myself with. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And I look and see where are they in their life and Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: do I want to be there. And that's kind Buddy: Right. Kris Schill: of how I choose my wise counsel people. But I would Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: say all of the people basically are believers. And then in Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: the health coaching world, I'm blessed with a lot of people that I'm connected with through health coaching that are believers. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And so we filter everything through scripture and we can bounce ideas around and we support each other and we encourage each other even though we all have our own individual business. If Buddy: Right. Kris Schill: I can't reach out to a client one day I can call one of my friends and say hey could you you know do a health progress call with this person or I just started to launch a new coach and I need to help her get going but I'm super busy on this day and it's things I can't move Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: can any benefit from that but because they love the Lord and they understand that it's overall health and overall ministry to people they jump right in and help. Buddy: Yeah, it's really cool to have. I'm in a group like that with a marketing group and one of the guys, it was his first time in the group last night and he was like, I can't believe how helpful people are in the group and it's like, you know, and part of it is the guy who started it is generous with his time and you know, he kind of sets the Kris Schill: Thank Buddy: tone Kris Schill: you. Buddy: but Yeah, there's just people that are like, hey, here's the last contract I wrote, here's my marketing material, here's how I do this, here's how I do that. And celebrating wins and it's just cool when you have that kind of environment where it's like, yeah, I have people or whatever. And then, yeah, I think having, yeah, like my wife and I talk every day about stuff. But there's a proverb that says that I'm gonna butcher right now off the top of my head, but with much counsel comes victory or something like that. But just the fact that you need wise counsel for to do well, to be successful, to whatever you're doing, whether it's health, marriage, business, job, whatever. And... Yeah, when you have groups and people and all those kind of things, it's Kris Schill: And Buddy: pretty Kris Schill: you need Buddy: awesome. Kris Schill: people who think differently than you. Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: Because Buddy: yeah, Kris Schill: sometimes you Buddy: for Kris Schill: only Buddy: sure. Kris Schill: see a situation from your own perspective, and you need somebody Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: who can see outside of the forest and outside of the trees and can look in and say, oh, you know what you should do here? Or can speak from their own experience and say, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: here's what I've learned. Maybe this will help you. Buddy: Yeah, for sure. So what have been some of your biggest challenges in building your own business? Kris Schill: Um, I, wow, I haven't really had any challenges yet. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: Things have been going so fast, buddy, and so unbelievably well that that's Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: why I actually had to quit my job. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I couldn't keep up with supporting all my clients. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I mean, I posted for the first time. the end of December 28th Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and I had my first client by the beginning of the year, January 3rd I think it was, and Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: it has just, there's times where I don't post on Facebook because so many Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: people contact me that I can't keep up with it. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So I guess the only challenge I can think of is just the fear of... having to depend on where my next clients are going to come from. And even Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: at the beginning of the month, I'm always praying for five new clients. That's just Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: something I pray in my head. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: Um, and I'm like, okay, the beginning of April, all right, Lauren, I don't know where my clients are coming from, you know, this, this month. And then it was like, bam, bam, bam, three already. And Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: one of them came because I, I ran into a father of a student in the Wegmans and I said, and two days later his wife texts me and she's like Buddy: Nice. Kris Schill: Chris I need to do whatever nutrition plan you're doing Buddy: Ha Kris Schill: and Buddy: ha Kris Schill: I Buddy: ha Kris Schill: was like Buddy: ha. Kris Schill: oh did your husband tell you he saw me yeah he said you were so kind and buddy I wrote back and I said at laughing face He said I was so kind, he didn't say I lost a lot of weight. Buddy: Hahaha! Kris Schill: And she said, well, he did say that. He said you looked great, but that you were super kind. And I was like, oh, OK. Because I thought, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: holy smokes, you can't lose over 100 pounds and people not notice. Buddy: Right, right. Kris Schill: But the challenges, I don't know. It's. I'm a disciplined person. I think for some people, if you're not self-disciplined, running your own business can be difficult. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: But I'm a disciplined person. So Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: like I have my schedule for the morning, I have my to-do list, I have client support calls, I lead to Bible studies, so I have study time for those. There's just different things that I plan throughout my day and now that I work for myself, I can go shopping at any time. I can make doctor's Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: appointments at any time. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So even that isn't a challenge. I found life was more challenging when I was working for somebody else because there were time restraints. Buddy: Right. Kris Schill: And I was locked into a schedule and I had to take off work to go Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: here, take off work to go there, or how can I get to the post office? I can't on a Buddy: Right. Kris Schill: weekday. I can only go Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: on a Saturday Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and even to the bank. But I don't have those challenges now because I work for myself. Buddy: Yeah, yeah, that freedom is huge. I've, I mean, I've always, I actually have tried not to do this in the last few years, but always worked, you know, well over 40 hours. But I have always had a lot of freedom, even when we were in corporate America in the 90s, I was in IT and we just seemed to have a little bit more freedom than other departments. especially with the bosses that I had. But yeah, that freedom to do what you want, when you want. When we were moving back to the States, my wife was like. you know, let's just get jobs. And I'm just like, no way I would die. Like my soul would just shrivel up and die to go somewhere Kris Schill: Yep. Buddy: for like eight to five, you know, 48 weeks out of a year or something like that. And that's not everyone. Like some people, like I look at my life and go, I always, I kind of choose the harder path, but I like the results of that. Like I just was thinking that yesterday. I'm like picking up sticks out of my yard because the bottom. like acre we didn't mow when we mowed the part next to our house. And it's like, yeah, I have to care for, you know, I have seven acres and hundreds of trees and all this lawn and stuff. But I would rather work a little bit harder and get to enjoy that every day of my life. You know, so I appreciate the harder path that comes with, you know, a lot more freedom and a lot Kris Schill: Well, Buddy: more. Kris Schill: ambibically, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: we're supposed to work. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: You know, and God has given us the ability to work. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And so what are we gonna do with our time and how are we gonna use that and how are we gonna impact lives? Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And wherever we are, even those three years that I spent working in the world, my first job outside of college that was not in ministry Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: was very difficult for me. I Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: told people I worked in a rated R movie because of Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: the language of the people there, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: not heard people spoken or had Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: not heard spoken from people in Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: like real life in my sphere of Buddy: Right. Kris Schill: influence Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: and yet I knew God took me there for the people and Buddy: Right. Kris Schill: to be in communication with them and to walk my faith out loud Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: which some some of them didn't understand and I got to share the gospel many times and I loved that because I'm the type of person that will you know talk to anybody which I think is the same with my friend Buddy you know we've never I've never met a stranger and Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I love that because... Reaching out to people, one of the things I heard years ago from Mary Kay Ash was to imagine that every person has a sign around them that says, make me feel special or make me feel important. And Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: so I really tried to do that with every person that I'm in touch with, that I'm communicating with, that everybody is important and everybody is special. We know that as believers because they have value. Buddy: Yeah, Kris Schill: But Buddy: yeah. Kris Schill: I don't... trying to get anything from you. I'm not trying to sell you anything. I have nothing to sell you Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: unless I'm a hope dealer. I'm a support Buddy: Right. Kris Schill: giver. Okay then that Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: yes. But I want people to know that I care about them and so Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: whenever I'm in conversation with somebody or I'm reaching out to them I'm looking for ways to connect with them. What do we have Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: in common? How can I encourage you today? What Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: can I do even in texting? Like how can I encourage you today? Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: Can I send you? I'm sending people verses. I'm sending people on positive things. I want my posts online to be encouraged. Not, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this. It's, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: here's what you can do. There's hope. Because Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: that's what we get to do with our time is invest in people. And I'm Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: all about investing in people, however that is. If I can help them with their health, if I can help them in their walk with the Lord, then I'm all in. Buddy: Yeah, so that's really what I'm trying to do with the BAM school and forbam.com is help people make like a good living in you know 20 to 25 hours a week but to really have time to do whatever it is they feel like God has called them to do to serve and I just find in my own life when I have like margin like things just got go a lot better. I'm able to like hear God's voice more clearly or respond when there's no margin, you know, it's like, yeah, I don't know what happens, but it's like stress comes overwhelm all these kind of things. Kris Schill: which is not good for your health. Buddy: Yes, it's not good for your health. And Yeah, and just thinking about, okay, how do I, how can I earn my living in a reasonable amount of time with a reasonable amount of freedom? And sometimes people's business and what they bring to the world are the same, but I think it's always good when you have some measure of time to be able to do something out of that. And like I was talking to a couple of few weeks ago, they have... you know their company they have like 60 employees multiple millions of dollars very missional but they're going okay how do we transition you know like i think what you were talking about earlier like all your life has converged which is very common for people in their like 40s and 50s that god kind of brings a convergence of like my skills my experience my gifts Kris Schill: Yes. Buddy: is kind of coming together so um last week when i was at csu i was talking about spiritual gifts and how god uses us are the ways that you see God use you most frequently in other people's lives. Kris Schill: Well, I have the gift of encouragement, so it's natural for me to support and encourage people. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I also know that God has gifted me in the area of teaching. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: So if you talk to my mom, sometimes she says, I can't believe you're not teaching. But Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: one of the things health coaching has freed me up to do is I've offered to be on the sub list at a local Christian school. Buddy: Cool. Kris Schill: So I get to do that. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: But that's what working for yourself does. Like you said, it can Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: open you up for ministry. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I love teaching the Bible, I love speaking at things, I've been asked to speak at different women's events. The women's conference that I work at, or work for, that is actually up at Clark Summit University, the women's conference is called LIFE, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: L-Y-F-E, live your faith Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: every day, and I've been able to be a breakout session speaker there. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I'm trying not to squander what God has given me. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And when He gives me opportunities, even though I might be hesitant or fearful, Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: sometimes I'm like, of course I would do that, but let Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: me just pray it through and make sure it's what God has for me. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: Because I want to serve in every possible way that I can, but Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I also want to make wise choices in those decisions. Buddy: Right. Yeah, I think, I don't think of like encouragement being one of my gifts, but in a sense like Adam Holtzstrand, I don't know if you remember him, Kris Schill: Yes? Buddy: he said like last year he was like, you have the gift of faith for others. And I think of it like, if somebody is like 80% of the way to something. that I can help push them over the edge, push them over the hump to kind of do whatever it is they want to do. And that's something that I've been looking for lately. And I also know in general, I like to connect with leaders and people that are gonna maybe impact 10 people or whatever. And I especially love helping those, a lot of my former students have started businesses or they've done cool things. And I love being able to do that, you're right here, yeah you can do this. Like just take this step, this step, and this step, and you're there, you know, like you've got the rest of the way. And I can see you doing that in the health aspect of like, yeah, you can do this. Like here's the steps, it's simple. If you get, you know, if you get stuck, give me a call or whatever. I don't know, I don't even know the name of your business or how the whole process works. But if someone was curious about... you know, they wanted to jump in and the house journey. You should throw up your pictures that you've never posted online. Do you want to do that for the video? Kris Schill: I can't. Buddy: Ha ha Kris Schill: I'll Buddy: ha. Kris Schill: do that. Yeah, when I started with my health coach, she said to take a picture from the front, from the side, from the side, and take Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: it in tight fitting clothes. So the Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: reason I've never posted them is because I'm like in a tank top. So some of it I feel like, is Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: it a modest? And then part of it is, I'm also embarrassed as to how heavy I got. When I Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: showed these pictures to my mom buddy, she said, you were never that heavy. And I said, mom, I just dressed really well. So Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I will show them to you. So Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: this is my starting picture. I started the day after my 50th birthday. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: And then that's a year after. Buddy: Nice. Kris Schill: So Buddy: Well done. Kris Schill: You're the Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: only one who has seen these that's like gonna now be forever on your site. AHHHH! Buddy: on YouTube. Kris Schill: Well, I can't say you're the only one who... Oh great! Buddy: Ha ha Kris Schill: Um, Buddy: ha ha! Kris Schill: I guess then they're out there. I show them to people on my phone all the time or if I'm Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: meeting with a potential client, I show them Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: to them. I actually had it put in a placemat. Ha ha. Buddy: Yeah, that's Kris Schill: because Buddy: great. Kris Schill: I'm okay with showing people them. I just Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: haven't worked up the courage to post it Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: on my Facebook page. And it's just my personal Facebook page. Buddy: Great. Kris Schill: I don't say like health coach, Chris Schill. I Buddy: Right. Kris Schill: just, I want people to seek out because health coaching is, you know, healthy mind, healthy weight management, healthy surroundings, healthy finances. Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: All the programs that I coach are about being healthy but they have a weight loss component. I'm Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: actually speaking with somebody today who struggles with weight and needs to gain weight. So Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: I'm gonna talk with her about a program. But the way Buddy: Yeah. Kris Schill: people reach out to me is just my phone number, my email, or through Facebook. And I did make Buddy: Okay. Kris Schill: my Facebook page public. Buddy: Okay, so some people will be able to see it in YouTube, but if people are just listening to the podcast, why don't you give them your phone number and your email that they could write that down. Yeah. Kris Schill: Sure. So my phone number because I'm a South Jersey girl is 856-304-2893. Buddy: and email. Kris Schill: And my email is my first and last name squished together and my birthday. K-R-I-S-S-C-H-I-L-L Buddy: Khris Schill. Okay, good. Kris Schill: 1016 at gmail.com. Buddy: Cool, well thanks so much Chris, it was great having you on and fun following your journey on Facebook the last couple years and best of luck to you and God's blessings on you as you continue to help others and make a living doing it. Kris Schill: Thanks so much buddy and it was so fun reconnecting with you. I love connecting with people from my past, especially getting to talk about what the Lord is doing in our lives and seeing where we are now. That's such a blessing. So thanks for your time and thanks for inviting me.