Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Beth Vazquez of Recess & Results
Make every effort to leave each room you enter a little better than how you found it. This can be done with a simple smile, by picking up trash, a word of encouragement, a compliment, buying someone’s coffee, bringing a gift, lending a helping hand to someone in need…. There are a million ways to do this and if everyone committed to this small gesture, imagine the impact it would have on the world.
As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Beth Vazquez. Beth is a wife, “boymom” of 3 (2 birth + 1 bonus, ages 17, 4, and 2), and Christian entrepreneur learning to balance it all imperfectly with the grace of God. Founder of Recess & Results, Beth is passionate about faith, family, and fitness (in that order) and works to “save the world, one recess at a time” offering a worshiping workplace for others who also feel called to impact the minds, bodies, and spirits of children and families through entertaining exercise. Recessandresults.com
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?
Born #5 of 6 kids on a small farm in Nebraska, I have always been a dreamer and have always had this “gut” feeling I was made for more. As I was worked relentlessly (and successfully) to climb the corporate ladder in the fitness industry and then the MLM industry, God worked just as tirelessly to draw me closer to His purpose for my life. An entrepreneur at heart, I always had a “side-hustle” working in the background.
After having my first baby and feeling my vibrant new relationship with Christ quieted in corporate America, I realized God was calling me to offer my faith-based, purpose-driven side hustle to other moms like me. Still, I was earning a cushy, 6-figure paycheck and it took God pushing me in unavoidable ways to really go after the 2-fold mission He gave me to 1) “redefine work for the modern Christian with passions for faith + family + fitness” and to 2) “save the world, one recess at a time”. Today Recess & Results has a growing team of independent owners across the nation, running their own plug+ play Recess business in their communities and earning a praiseworthy paycheck while building stronger disciples. RecessandResults.com
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
90% of moms today feel like they are not enough. At Recess & Results we are redefining “work” for the modern Christian mom, offering the balance they desire and deserve with a wage that matches their worth!
By becoming an independent Recess & Results owner, Moms link arms with like-minded Christians across the country who are working together to “save the world, one recess at a time” while keeping their own priorities for Faith + Family + Fitness in check and earning a flexible income for their families.
We help moms understand the truth about the plan God has for their life (they are MORE than enough), building confidence and purpose in them through Christ-centered entrepreneurship as they in-turn build healthier + happier tomorrows in kids + families through the Recess programs they lead. In short — we are building stronger disciples, starting with our independent owners and spreading into the communities they serve.
In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?
The Children’s Activity industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy and the $30 billion health + wellness industry has been growing steadily for the last 10 years with no signs of slowing down. There is no shortage of employment opportunities nor programs for participants in either of these areas, yet no one has combined both to fill a needed niche in the Christian market.
Many Christian parents are terrified by the world their kids are growing up in and are searching for faith-based programs that help cultivate Godly confidence, Godly character, and Godly friendships in an entertaining way that their kids enjoy. Moreover, Christian moms are searching for ways to make money on their own terms without sacrificing time needed for faith and family. We offer a simultaneous solution for both.
Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?
So many times!!! Respected fitness professionals would laugh and tell me there is no money in kids fitness anytime I would share my Recess & Results idea. As I worked to “perfect” the business model, influential business leaders told me that if I kept Christ at the center of marketing messages, it will fail before we even get started.
I have tried business both ways and it was not until I ignored those naysayers and forged ahead with Christ-centered confidence and conviction that we were able to gain traction in business. It took me connecting with other Christian business mentors, spending serious time in prayer, and working to gain control over my mind to overcome those voices that played in my head.
In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂
Today we have a team of 35 independent owners in 14 states and we are growing quickly after being featured on Season 5 of Entrepreneur’s hit series, Elevator Pitch. Stay tuned — we are just getting started!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
First is God. He answers prayers in miraculous ways, consistently showing me He is alive and working in my life and this business.
Second is my family, specifically my husband and kids, for supporting the ups and downs of chasing God-sized dreams.
Candace Cameron Bure has been an inspiration to me for the way she has always put her faith and family first in her life, and yet still managed to have a successful career. God answered a prayer that allowed me to meet her this past year at Mary & Martha’s national gathering, and I believe it was the start of a great partnership to come.
It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?
Growing up my father was an alcoholic, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, it resulted in a lot of chaos at home. I suppose I gained resilience as a byproduct of that environment. Starting at a young age I felt like I had to prove to others that I could do great things. I remember having crazy ideas and “dreaming big” and those surrounding me sort of laughing it off as “Beth with another silly idea”.
As I grew older and the life I wanted to live become more clear, I simply refused to settle for less, pretended to not care what others thought (“fake it till you make it”) and set out to chase my dreams determined to prove everyone wrong along the way. In that journey Jesus pursued me and my newfound relationship with Him revealed truths to me that drastically change the way I chase dreams. I now realize that I don’t have anything to prove to anyone and the dreams I chase are for His glory. What a freeing reality to live in!
Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)
- Manage the influences of your mind. For me this means flooding my mind with the truth of God’s word and making sure the things I hear, read, and consume are life-giving and motivating. This goes for everything from music, to social media, to food.
- Surround yourself with those who empower and challenge you (in a healthy way). My dad always told me to be careful who I hang around — you become like them even if you don’t realize it. It is so true. If you are the smartest person in the room, find a new room.
- Take responsibility for your success or lack of. If something isn’t working, make a change. Don’t play the victim and don’t linger in a pity party. Realize it and take action to change it.
- Check your intention and make sure you are doing something for the right reasons, then stay committed. The difference between those who succeed and those who do not is mere perseverance.
- Make the conscious decision to choose faith over fear. It’s ok to go scared as long as you keep moving.
What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?
My personal philosophy is this: If you shoot for the moon, hit the moon! Don’t allow yourself the comfort of landing among the stars if that is not your dream. Celebrate the stars — but don’t stay there.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Make every effort to leave each room you enter a little better than how you found it. This can be done with a simple smile, by picking up trash, a word of encouragement, a compliment, buying someone’s coffee, bringing a gift, lending a helping hand to someone in need…. There are a million ways to do this and if everyone committed to this small gesture, imagine the impact it would have on the world.
Can our readers follow you on social media?
https://www.instagram.com/bethvazquez00/
https://www.facebook.com/beth.mueller.98
https://www.facebook.com/recessandresults/
Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!
Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Beth Vazquez of Recess &… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.