Setting the Pace: Chris Strong

Hello, I'm Dr. Lisa Bile, and today I have with me in the studio Chris Strong. Chris has been many things, um, an attorney, uh, mother, an owner of a gym, and she's now getting ready to, um, be a real estate appraiser. She's also a friend of mine from the wonderful town of Yarmouth, and I'm glad to have her here joining me today on Radio Main. Thank you for coming in. Thank you for having me, Lisa. Yeah, so you and I were just talking about our kind of, um, the weavings in and out of being high school students in the wonderful state of Maine. Yes. Over the years. Yes. And how much it's changed. So much has changed. Yeah. I grew up in the town of Thomaston and I went to George's Valley High School small school. I think I had 60 kids in my class, 300 and, you know, the entire school. And, um, over time, I mean the, the many towns in Maine have, I think, you know, decided to consolidate. And I'm not sure when George, uh, George's Valley and Rockland High School consolidated, but it's now Oceanside High School. So George's Valley no longer exists. And that's a weird thing to be, to contemplate. I think It is a weird thing. I mean, George's Valley, you know, it's a small town too, Thomason's. When I grew up there, it was 3000 people. Um, everyone knew everyone in the high school. Everyone knew everyone. Um, it was a great place to grow up, but, you know, you're part of that, you know, I was part of the sports teams there, you know, you, it's part of your identity. So it, it was a little strange when, um, it was, you know, usurped, um, into, you know, the, the bigger school of Oceanside. But it's, there's still, there's Facebook pages. You know, we still have connections with people there. And, um, yeah, a lot of great memories. It Seems like, um, sports in particular is really a mainstay for a lot of main kids, and particularly in the smaller communities, and it really does, I think, as you've alluded to, contribute to identity. Yes. And also town pride, I think for sure. Yeah. Uh, sports are a big part of my family. I mean, my dad coached boys basketball at George's Valley for years, and that's where I got into sports. I was a gym rat, um, and my brothers also. And, um, it's, it has definitely been a part of, you know, my life. It's, it's evolved and been a part of my children's lives. I do think, you know, if, if people are familiar with Yarmouth, I mean sports and, and soccer and lacrosse, I mean, very successful programs. Um, and a lot of, you know, town pride around that. Um, and I just think it's great for kids to participate in sports. You know, it's, it's great for a confidence building and teaching them how to relate to people and get along with others and, you know, learn how to deal with success and failure. Well, as you're talking about this, I'm thinking about, um, some of the work that I've done in my other job, and I'm work, I work in a leadership field, right. And when I talk to fellow leaders, and this is in healthcare, um, several of them mentioned the fact that they became interested in leadership through their time playing sports. Right. Even from their very earliest, um, Ages. Right. For sure. It's funny, when I, um, I went, I, I graduated from Georges Valley, went to Humane and played basketball there. And that was a tremendous experience and a lot of growth there. Went to law school. And when I was hired at the law firm that I worked for out of law school, one of the reasons they, um, I did intern there for the summer, but one of the reasons they wanted me to join the team was because I was a college athlete. And I think, you know, they know there's discipline in that you, you get to learn how to motivate yourself. You have to be a team player. Um, and they like that. And that is something that I think that in kind of where we are in the world where everybody has the opportunity to be an individual and go to their own private space and have everything kind of moderated in a way that they, like, when you're on a team, you, you actually have to interact with other people, and you have to do it in a way that yields some sort of outcome, hopefully success, maybe not. Exactly. And I, I did have the opportunity, which was so fantastic to coach girls basketball at Yarmouth for five years. And, um, I, one of my daughters was on the team at the time for four of those years. And, you know, taking that job, I mean, I obviously have a tremendous love for the game. Um, I was looking forward to sharing that love and the x and os and, and all of that. But what I realized was it was more about teaching the girls about, um, you know, how to get along with each other and, and also about having confidence, you know, not being fearful of making a mistake and learning how to, um, to kind of roll with the punches out there. And so really it was more about kind of building their, you know, their resiliency, I guess, um, versus teaching them how to make a layup. Do You think that girls and women have more of an issue with confidence than others? I Do. I think, you know, there's an early story that I actually don't tell very much, but, um, I say that I tell this story, or I think about this in terms of, you know, kind of where my confidence came from. And, and I definitely had, you know, my parents were instrumental in, you know, helping me become the person I am, obviously. And, um, I was, I grew up playing sports, or I grew up playing, um, community soccer. And at that age, you're playing with, you know, in the youth program you're playing with boys, right? The girls and the boys playing together. And I, I continued to do, to play soccer, um, with another girl in junior high. And we were the only girls on the team. And when I got to high school as a freshman, I wanted to play soccer still, and there was no girls team. Um, and again, that's the small town, small, you know, school. And, um, it just, they had field hockey across country in the fall, and I wanted to, to go out for the team. And there was some concern, you know, the coach there had been there for a long time. He is an an icon, um, in the soccer world in Maine, and definitely in Thomaston. Um, and he was worried about me getting hurt, and I was just like, gimme a chance. You know, let me, let me make this choice, but gimme the opportunity. And, and I did end up playing for four years, and I had the, you know, the opportunity to play with my brother who's a year younger than me, also on the team. We wanna state championship, um, his freshman year when he scored the winning goal. And I was a sophomore, and it was just, you know, that type of experience. While it was hard because I couldn't go into the locker room with the boys, um, the opposing team didn't like me. Oftentimes, you know, I'd get heckled. The parents on the other team didn't, you know, weren't in favor many times, but the boys that I played with and that coach that supported me were tremendous. And that's a big part of, you know, I think building my confidence. I felt like, you know, given the opportunity and the desire, you know, I'm gonna do it. And it was fantastic. Well, I love that you didn't just accept that somebody said no. Right. That you decided, well, this is important to me, and I I'm going to keep moving forward with this, and Right. How can we make this happen? Exactly. And that's what, like, I, you know, I go back to my family, and I think that's why, you know, the support you have around you as a kid is so important. Whether it comes from another relative or a coach or a teacher, um, if you are given the opportunity and the support, you know, they, they were like, yeah, if you wanna do this, go for it. You know, if it's really what you want. And, um, that was, it was a great experience. Well, my sister is an orthopedic surgeon with the va and she similarly was a high school athlete, and actually many of my siblings were, but I'm thinking of this particular one, right. And she went to the Air Force Academy. There weren't that many women, right? She worked her way up through, she became an orthopedic surgeon. There weren't that many women. And and I really think that I see in her this, this sort of sense like, no, I'm, I'm not gonna let other people tell me that this is what I should or shouldn't do. But she also had to have a really, um, she had to have a lot of inner strength, I think. Yes. In order to just keep going because I, it is easy to listen to other people, right. Tell you what they believe your path should be, rather than follow the path you think you should follow. Right. No, definitely. I do agree with that. I think there's something, there must be something internal that, you know, it, it, it makes you who you are and it kind of influences you in those kind of, those pivotal decisions that you make for yourself. I think probably one thing that was a part of, actually has probably been a big part of my love for activity and sports and fitness, is as a young child, I broke my leg, my lower leg had a compound fracture and an old oak tree. It was middle of the summer, um, beautiful day, beautiful, you know, blue sky. And it happened to be a dead oak tree that cracked and fell on my leg. And I was going in, I mean, the story's really kind of crazy, and, um, I'm fortunate to be here at all, but I was going into the home, um, open opening the door, and the tree hit my shoulder first. So it was that close to my head. And then the way I was standing, it came down and hit my lower right leg, and I suffered a compound fracture. And when my mom got to the hospital to meet the doctors there, and I heard this story later, obviously, but they told her that they thought they could save my leg. And so when you have a traumatic experience like that, it's, it's gonna change you, you know, it's gonna affect you. And I think I was going to do things because I could, you know, I could run, I could jump, I could play sports. And then when you develop a love for it, you know, you wanna share it with people. And I've just been blessed to be able to do that. It's, it's why I love what I do, you know, it's, I can share that and I see other people, like, it's contagious. There's just, I have this now, this image in my mind about like, sort of Chris against the tree Chris Against the old oak tree. That Right. Nobody can get Chris down. It's, it's wild. It is, it's a really wild story. And I don't remember it. It turns out all the oak trees on this property we're dead, you know, it was a disease. Um, but the fact that it just kind of cracked in half, um, yeah, it's a pretty wild story. Well, I'm glad you're still here. Yeah, thank you. Me too. That's, that's good. Yeah. I get a cool stuff, a cool scar from my Oh, my lower leg from it too. But, uh, we won't show that. Okay. , That, that'll be a different podcast program. Yes, exactly. Part two, maybe part two. . Yes. So tell me how you decided, I know you were at the University of Maine, you were a college athlete. Yes. You were an English major, right. And then you went to law school. Right. So kind of, uh, share the story of how that transpired. I always wanted to be a lawyer, so I knew I wanted to play Division one basketball, and then I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. And then once I lawyered for a while, I decided I didn't wanna be a lawyer. I loved law school, I loved the education. I'm kind of equal parts geek and jock, I think. And when people now find out that I practice law, they're like, what ? You know? Is that true? Um, but I do, like, I have this desire, and I think this has helped me in my training, you know, business also, is that I love to dig for answers. And one of my friends describes me of a dog, you know, in a loving way as a dog digging for a bone. Like, I'm just going to keep find, you know, trying to dig for the answer. And I think that's what appealed to me with regard to the law. I, I wanted to help people and make change and find answers. Um, and then, you know, life circumstances happen. I had my third child and I, um, I took a year off. So I was, I was in a, a small firm, and then I went in-house council. And in-house council was more conducive to having a family. You know, I could, my hours, I didn't have billable hours, so my weekends were at home. And, um, I took a year off, had my third child, and during that year, I would go to a gym, much like the y, the Y M C A where they have a childcare. And I would drop my kids there for an hour, go work out. And one of the other moms came up to me and she's like, can I work out with you? You know, can I just follow you around? And I thought, you know, as a light bulb moment, and maybe I can share, you know, my love, my passion here and, you know, make a, a career out of it. And so that's how strong Bodies was born. And This was the first gym in Yarmouth That was in Maryland, actually. That's where I got certified down there. And then came to Falmouth, moved up to, excuse me, moved up to Falmouth and had my gym in the garage of my home at the time. So I was the, you know, I was taking care of the three kids and, um, and started strong bodies in my garage. Then I, I had a few other temporary spaces. And then in 2010 I moved to Sparhawk Mill, and that's where I saw your name on the placard there. Yes. And then you had your space for a while. Yes, that's Right. Practicing acupuncture in this sparhawk mill right by the Royal River. Great spot. Yes. Beautiful building. Absolutely. Yeah. It was Very, well, for me, it was very healing for the patients that I was taking care of. Yeah. And for the people that I worked with in the office. Right. But also a great place to have a gym. Oh, Yeah. People loved it. It's beautiful space. And the building's just so historical. Yeah. So that's how I came to, uh, to training from the law. It, it is interesting that you, you describe kind of this intellectual and also physical, and I mean, there's something very, I don't know, Olympian, about the whole idea , sort of The Greek gods. Well, I mean, I think that we often tend to think of ourselves as going in one direction or another. Sure. But, um, more and more lately people recognize, well, you actually can be more than one thing and you probably will be more than one thing over the course of your lifetime. Right. So getting siloed into early Yes. Maybe sends us down a path that's just not, it's not realistic. I agree. I think Covid too, you know, I had to make some shifts when Covid, um, came around because my business was based on the business model as get as many people into this space as possible and work out together. I did do some personal training, but it was really more about the classes. So when that model went away, I really, you know, to overuse the word again, it's, you know, to pivot. And so I went online and had some classes online. I'm not a video person. I don't like selfies. You know, I don't, I don't want to be in front of the camera like this. Although I'm enjoying our time, Lisa, very much. Yeah. Thank you for having me. Um, but it was something I had to do. And, um, it was, it was a great learning experience. I mean, I really, and it, it made me appreciate my community even more. People were very supportive. They did show up on Zoom for the classes. Um, but I have found, you know, even with my kids at this point, like they're doing things differently now. They're not following the traditional path necessarily. Finished high school, you're going to college. I mean, they're making changes in decisions, you know, differently. And I'm so happy about that. I think it's important. I think it's gonna, it's more reflective of them, it's more individual personal. And for me also, you know, I turned 50 during Covid and so that year I was like, you know, this is my 50 and shifty. If I, I was gonna make a T-shirt, it'd be 50 and shifty. I'm gonna change things up. I mean, I love training and I don't want to leave it, but that's where I decided, you know, real estate appraisal, I want, it can use my mind. I can draw on my legal education and, um, mix things up. So what I'm enjoying about this conversation is, you know, oftentimes we bring artists in and we talk to people who have a connection to the art world. But really, I love this overarching theme that creativity exists in many spaces. Yes. So you can be creative when it comes to business. You can be creative when it comes to your educational approach. Yes. You can be creative when it comes to your life. And so you are really, um, kind of looking at, oh, well, here's a situation. How do I navigate the situation creatively? Right. Oh, I totally agree. I mean, I think in my business, I remember going to a, a training because we have to do continuing ed for personal training also. And I was listening to a speaker talk about putting a class together, uh, format. And there is a lot of creativity that goes into creating a circuit, because you don't wanna do all squats and, or all pushups, you know, you wanna make sure you're getting some pushing, some pulling. You're, you're using your muscles and you're mu using the opposing muscles, you know? So it's, it is, it is a and he described it as an art, you know, it's an art to put these programs together. But I do think, yeah, in life and, and everything we do, really, it's, can we be flexible? I mean, we know, you know, change is gonna happen. It, it's inevitable. Um, so as a parent too, I've just tried to embrace that with my kids and, and share that message with them and support them and let them know, Hey, listen, if you're not happy doing this, you can change. It's not the end of the world. You know what I mean? And, and it's, it's okay to do things differently, you know, if it feels good for you. Where Are your kids now? I Have three children. Um, my oldest is in Australia and she's playing soccer down there. Um, and my son is at SMCC in the trades program there. And my youngest is at CU Boulder and she's playing lacrosse. So this is a different phase of your life as well? Yes. That's part of my 50 and shifty. Yeah. Actually, yes. So yeah, it's, um, it is, it is, it's funny because there are, you know, evenings of the time where you realize how different your life is when the kids aren't there. Uh, cause I don't have sporting events to go to and meetings and theater productions or music, you know, whatever the case may be. Um, so I fortunately have a tremendous group of friends and, um, my activities with the appraisal and the, you know, fitness stuff is, it keeps me busy. Um, but I, yeah, it's a strange time. I, I hope to go to Australia and visit my toddler down there. That's, I'd love to do That. I always use my children as an excuse to travel . So, so I, I'm with you in that solidarity. You get that? Yeah. Yes, absolutely. A little traveling. See them. Yeah. Yeah. Why Real estate appraisal? Great question. Um, my brother has owned a real estate appraisal business for years, over 20 years. I, the idea is that I would be trained by him as an appraiser, uh, an a trainee, you know, you need, I think a thousand hours. Um, and you need a supervisor. And so the idea is that I would be supervised by him, but he subsequently, kinda in the, you know, I, I passed my initial exams and then I was starting to get ready to train with him, and he sold the business to a national company. Yay. So it was tremendous for him, but it was unfortunate for me, cuz he can't be my supervisor anymore. But I do have a fantastic, um, woman who's, who's helping me along. So, um, yeah, I, I just wanted to use my brain differently. Okay. I don't know that much about real estate appraisal. Yeah. So it sounds like there's some sort of a, a licensing certification process that you go through in addition to some education. Yes. So tell me about that. Yes, there are. So there are requirements to just become a trainee, you have to take some, like four exams. Um, it's like, uh, maybe a, a semester of college class, but, you know, condensed. Um, and then you have to have a supervisor and you have to, I think it's a thousand hours, but you have, you have to do it, you know, you can't do it less than six months. So you're doing it at least for six months, being supervised by someone else. Um, and then you take a licensing exam through the state and they have to review three of your appraisal, you know, your reports and make sure they're all tip top. So it's, I think the appraisal, um, industry, from my understanding, and this is talking to my brother, that it is, it's a business that's hard to get into because you need an appraiser who's equally busy to supervise you, and they have to go over the report, they have to sign the report. So to have, you know, someone take time out of their own career to supervise someone else is a big ask. Um, but that's, you know, that's, that's what I'm doing now. And it's, it's working out. It's, it's a, it's a steep learning curve for sure. But I've been here before, you know, the legal stuff. Yeah, Yeah. It does seem like you, you don't just pivot you, you actually move to a completely different set of train tracks, Right? It is definitely. So, I mean, I can definitely, there's some, uh, I have to review deeds and, you know, so there are some things that are connect to the law and the research part that I love is an aspect also. Um, but yeah, it's been a, there's a form and there's a lot of information you have to gather and put in that form. So it's been a, a lot to learn. So As you're doing these things that are more intellectual mm-hmm. , how are you continuing that physical aspect of things that's really important to you? Right. I, I did wanna make sure that I didn't leave fitness altogether. It, it wouldn't make me happy to leave that, you know, I really, I need people. I realized that it's, it's why I didn't stay in the firm ultimately because I was just researching all the time, typing on my computer. I needed people, which is why going in-house counsel was more appealing. You know, there were, you know, corporate world has a lot of meetings, probably too many meetings, but I was dealing more with people. So I knew when I went, excuse me, into the appraisal. It is, it can be isolating cuz you are on your computer a lot. Um, but the fitness stuff, I'm, I'm working at a place called Limber now doing classes. It's a new gem and Falmouth. So for anyone who's looking for a class, um, that space has been opened up by Casey Erickson. She's a chiropractor and she's brought in, um, a number of practitioners. There's some massage therapists, physical therapists, a doctor, uh, um, I'm trying to think there, yoga instructor. So a number of different, um, you know, fitness aspects and wellness aspects that are coming into this business, excuse me, called Limber. And it's on Route one in Falmouth. And so that's where I'm spending my mornings twice a week connecting with the people and a lot my clients that I've had for years that strong bodies are participating, which is great. Was it hard to give up your own business? Cause you had worked so hard to do this and then had your name on it and you had developed a group of people that you worked with, right. And then I know it was, must have been pretty significantly impacted by Covid. Right. But despite all that, was it hard to kind of kind of finally say, no, this isn't working for me anymore? Yeah, You know, I think when I made the decision is it was fairly, you know, I was fairly certain about it. So that part was, was fine. You know, it kind of dissolved and there was a transition. I was able to hand over, uh, the gym space and some clientele to another trainer, which was great because it was some consistency for people. And this trainer was starting out, um, and wanted her own space. So that was great. That made me feel good. But I suddenly had a lot less interaction with people and, you know, I wasn't in the gym space doing, you know, the exercise and the training with people. And that there was definitely a void for sure. There was, I, my identity was certainly tied up in strong bodies. Um, and I had to, I did have to go through a bit of a grieving process with that. I was very fortunate to hook up with a high school friend, Mark Holmes. He opened up a gym, um, called Health Coaches in Portland. So I'm doing a little bit of personal training there and kept some clients I've had for 10 years or, or more. And, um, and then I'm doing classes with the Casey, um, at Limber. And in both cases they've allowed me to keep the name, which is really nice. I mean, it's, it, I just think it's a really nice gesture on their, their part. It's a way to stay connected with that community that I built. And, um, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm grateful for that. I Think this idea that this idea of identity is something that's interesting to me because you're describing the identity being associated with the business that you built, right? There's also the identity of being the coach and the mentor and the teacher. And, and, and how that is, is morphed into the next aspect of your life, how you bring that along. And it, I don't, I don't know enough about appraising to say whether that's actually an element of it or not. Are you asking about the relationships that are built or the Well, I think it's more like who you consider yourself to be. Right? That is, that's a tough question, Lisa. I have to think on that one. I mean, you're A little bit, you're an attorney, so I, I least trained as one. Yes. I think, um, you know, this is, I I'm not unique in this. I mean, I think we all get to a point where something changes in our lives and we're, we're stuck with ourselves. You know, we kind of look at like, okay, who am I and what do I want? And I know bottom line that relationships are important to me. You know, I, I need my solo time, but it may not be in the gym setting. Ultimately. It may not be, you know, I think I rely on my family kind of to anchor me. And I wanna be that for my kids too. You know, I want to, to make sure that, you know, they know I'm here. But I think just being open to what comes, you know, ultimately that's, I think is where I am. I'm gonna be open to whatever comes my way and Embrace it. So it's interesting. I mean, I love this response because what you're saying is my identity is not as the owner of a business, the owner of a gym, um, a a coach, an instructor, a mentor. My identity is in its connection to other people, whatever that looks like. Yes. So not getting locked into having to be in a particular profession Right. Or playing a particular role. It's just knowing what you, yourself, um, feel passionate about. Exactly. And it's, my identity doesn't have to have a label, I don't think, you know, it's, if it's connection with people, you know, I'm gonna have, I mean, I have, one of my very good friends is 20 years older than me, and then I have a very good friend who's 20 years younger than me. So, you know, that's part of who I am. You know, I have a lot of relationships with a lot of different people. After this, I'm going to go have a client with an 84 year old coffee, rather with an 84 year old client of mine who I'm not training right now. So it's, you know, that, that's who I am. That's my identity, I think is just the connection, the people I have relationships with. And that's super fulfilling. And that's a much easier thing to bring along with you As time goes on. Yes, yes. Cuz it can change and, you know, it's, and it's less, um, I think if I were just to identify with strong bodies, you know, I'd be a pretty sad person right now because it's not, you know, it's not a, as big a part of my life as it was. And yet that's what a lot of people do. Yes. What people identify with, the person they've trained to be, the education they have, the degree they have. Right. The business they build. And I think it's incredibly difficult for people to, to give that up. Yeah, I agree. And I'm not sure what the answer to that is, but I think it's just self, you know, it's work that people need to do on themselves. I Agree. Yeah. It's hard. It's hard. It's hard being human. It Is hard being human. It's Hard being human, but, you know. Wow. It's so fantastic too. I love it. Yes. I learn. Yeah. I love the lessons. I learn a lot about humans every day. I bet you do. Including myself. Yes. Yes. I bet. Yes. So when you think about your own children, is there anything that you hope that they would kind of bring forward from the time you've spent with them? And any sort of life lessons that you hope that they've moved into their own adult lives with? Yeah, they've all had challenges. And, um, you know, I, I kind of, I like to embrace the challenges. So I, I like to help them embrace it. There's lessons to be learned and the hard times, and there are a lot of good times. I think, you know, if you look at Facebook and Instagram, it looks like it's all good times. You know, there are no hard times there. But there are, there are hard times and challenges. And I think ultimately, you know, and this is kind of overused also, but just teaching them self-worth, like to love themselves first, you know, is it's gonna, it's gonna dissolve a lot of other issues. You know, other things just won't matter as much. And they'll be maybe a little less angst and a little less pain, um, along the way if they can just love who they are, you know, and embrace things. Embrace the hard times. Be like, okay, there's something to be learned in this and, um, I'm gonna be better for going through this. Um, yeah, that's, that's what I hope for them. That's a good hope. Yeah. Thank you. I'm gonna dramatically change, um, scenes here, and I want you to tell me the story about, uh, Christina's world. Oh, Yes. And I'll tell you why. I want you to tell this. Okay. This story, because having myself not that much background in art, this was one of the early things that I learned about was Christina's world and the print that somebody once showed me when I was a youngster at Yarmouth High School, living on the coast, not that far away from the Wyatts. Okay. And it was one of my very early touch points to art. Okay. So when I saw that you had this story, I thought I would like to hear this. Yes. It also is my early touchpoint to art, and it was the singular print we had in our house growing up, and it was in a very prominent position in the living room, and it was always there. I mean, I can't remember a time where it wasn't there, um, until my parents moved from there, but it was, um, my mom always loved that print. And so they picked it up at a sto