This Pride Month, we’re joined by Yvette (she/her) and Crystal (she/her), the engaged couple behind CrossFit BLVD in Whittier, California, a fitness community built on inclusion, trauma-informed coaching, belonging, and lifelong wellness.

Before becoming entrepreneurs, Yvette spent 13 years working in public service and child welfare, while Crystal built a career in public health, health education, and disease prevention. Today, they bring those experiences into every corner of their business, creating a space where movement isn’t about shrinking yourself, it’s about healing, empowerment, connection, and learning to trust your body again.

Together, we explore what it really means to be queer business owners in a world that often reduces Pride to rainbow logos and marketing campaigns. We talk about the vulnerability of having to come out over and over again, why true safe spaces require more than good intentions, and what community-building actually is.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Why success means collecting stories of impact, not just hitting revenue goals
• The reality of being visibly queer in business and having to come out repeatedly
• What makes a space genuinely safe, inclusive, and affirming
• Rainbow-washing, performative allyship, and what real support looks like
• Why leaders should address difficult conversations instead of ignoring the elephant in the room
• The critical role LGBTQ+ community centers play beyond Pride Month
• The complicated emotions Pride can bring, from joy and celebration to grief, vulnerability, and rage
• Advice for queer entrepreneurs building businesses in spaces where representation is still limited

We also talk about Yvette’s Strong Path program supporting individuals in recovery and Crystal’s approach to movement through Pilates, body literacy, and helping people reconnect with themselves after experiencing chronic stress and trauma.

This conversation is part leadership lesson, part community conversation, and part reminder that Pride isn’t just a celebration; it’s also history, resistance, visibility, and the ongoing work of creating spaces where people can safely exist as themselves.

Guest Information

Yvette Martinez (she/her)

• Founder & Owner, CrossFit BLVD
• Creator of the Strong Path Program
• CrossFit Level 2 Coach & Trauma-Informed Weightlifting Coach
• Born and raised in Whittier, Yvette spent over a decade in child welfare and public service before founding CrossFit BLVD in 2023. Her work focuses on helping people discover strength both inside and outside the gym through fitness, connection, and community.

Crystal Martinez (she/her)

• Co-Owner, CrossFit BLVD
• Pilates Instructor, Public Health Professional & Trauma-Informed Movement Advocate
• With a background in Gender Studies and Public Health, Crystal spent more than ten years working in health education and disease prevention before bringing that expertise into movement and entrepreneurship. Their work centers on body literacy, autonomy, healing, and creating welcoming spaces for all bodies.

📍 CrossFit BLVD: 13300 Whittier Blvd, Whittier, CA 90602

🌐 https://www.crossfitblvd.com

📱 @crossfit_blvd

This week, we’re joined by the founders of Cabot & Main for a very honest conversation about leaving corporate life and building something of your own.

We get into the messy middle of entrepreneurship:

✱ quitting the stable paycheck

✱ redefining success

✱ building a business with your friend

✱ and whether entrepreneurship actually gives you more freedom… or just different problems

This episode feels like sitting at dinner with women who are finally saying the quiet parts out loud.

This week, we’re joined by the creative brain behind MiMo’s entire brand identity: Gracie of The Frog Studio. The woman responsible for the asterisk tattoo permanently living on all three of our bodies now. Casual.

We talk about what branding actually is and why prioritizing strategy and creativity matters more than ever in a world where everything is starting to look the same.

We also get into one of Gracie’s hottest takes: if you’re relying on AI for creativity, you’ve already missed the mark.

If your business feels visually meh, disconnected, forgettable, or unclear… this episode is for you.