Ep. 96: The mindset for making moves with Samantha Flaherty
[20 MIN LISTEN]
In this episode, I sat down with Samantha Flaherty, the founder of Built Babe® Fitness, to talk about the mindset women truly need to build momentum, not burnout. Samantha is a certified trainer, nutrition coach, and the powerhouse behind a growing community of women who are learning how to fuel their bodies, lift confidently, and build habits that actually last.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why January isn’t the best time to start new routines
• The difference between motion vs action
• How to stop “starting over” every few weeks
• Why strength training matters for women at every age
• How to build confidence walking into a gym
• How to make consistent progress without burnout
• The power of community in women’s wellness
• Why flexible nutrition always wins long-term
• Why messy action is the secret to staying consistent
• How Samantha is building an empowering fitness community online and locally
Why Sustainability Matters More Than Perfection
One of the first things Samantha emphasizes is this: Most women don’t need more discipline, they need more compassion and better systems.
The old “all or nothing” model isn’t sustainable. You don’t need to overhaul your life, track every gram perfectly, or exercise seven days a week. In fact, Samantha explains that trying to do everything at once almost guarantees you’ll burn out.
Instead, success comes from understanding your season, life stage, capacity and energy.
And then building habits that support that, not someone else’s routine.
Strength Training: Why It Matters at Every Age
Samantha is passionate about helping women understand that strength training isn’t about aesthetics, it’s about longevity. As we age, muscle mass naturally declines, especially through perimenopause and menopause. Resistance training helps protect bone density, hormonal health, mobility, and daily functional strength.
That means being able to:
lift your kids
climb stairs without getting winded
feel stable and strong
age with confidence
As Samantha says, “Even if you’re 80 years old, do some chair squats. Hold a book. It all matters.”
Consistency Isn’t What You Think It Is
Many women hear the word “consistency” and think it means rigid routines. But Samantha reframes it beautifully: Consistency means doing something, not everything.
Walking counts.
Stretching counts.
A 15-minute workout counts.
Eating enough protein counts.
Drinking more water counts.
You don’t need a 90-minute gym session to be consistent, you need repeatable habits that feel aligned with your real life.
The Power of Messy Action
Instead of planning a “perfect” routine for the new year, Samantha encourages women to take one small action today. Not after the holidays. Not after Monday. Not after you buy new leggings.
Messy action is where confidence comes from, not waiting for the “right” moment.
In fact, Samantha explains that many of her clients don’t struggle with the workouts. They struggle with not giving up when things get messy. If life happens, it’s not a failure. It’s just a moment. And you can begin again the next day.
Why Community Changes Everything
As women, we thrive in community.
We heal in community.
We feel motivated in community.
Whether it’s an in-person class, a virtual group, or a supportive program, connection makes everything easier. Samantha’s Blueprint community is built on exactly that — real women supporting each other, sharing wins, celebrating progress, and learning how to build stronger bodies without comparison or pressure.
If you’re tired of starting over, chasing shiny fitness trends, or feeling overwhelmed by the noise online, this conversation is your reminder that all you need is a mindset that supports who you are today and the courage to take one small step at a time.
Episode transcript:
This is an auto-generated, unedited episode transcript. Please excuse any tyops.
Welcome to The Life with Liz Podcast, the place to be if you wanna go from invisible to vibrant in your life, and embrace the power you didn't know you had inside of you. I'm your host, Liz Fleming, business owner, mom, military spouse, entrepreneur, founder, CEO, and life coach, who is passionate about helping ambitious women like you step into their power and their purpose on purpose so they can experience as much joy, success, satisfaction, and abundance as humanly possible.
Now without further ado, let's dive right into this episode.
Liz Fleming: Sam Flaherty, welcome to the Life With Liz podcast, friend! So happy to have you.
Samantha Flaherty: Yay! Thank you, I am so excited to be here.
Liz Fleming: This is a really special episode, everyone, because Sam and I actually live in the same area. We've been connected through our businesses and personally for many years now, and we finally are taking the next step in this relationship — to the podcast. We're so excited. Sam is doing some amazing work with women in our community and beyond, and I'm gonna have her tell you all about who she is and what she does. But first, Sam, I’m just so excited that we're finally doing this.
Samantha Flaherty: I am too! And you've been such a huge part of my journey — being a client, being a friend, and helping push my business forward with GlowCon, Small Town Social… you've always been a cheerleader in my corner, and I appreciate that so much.
Liz Fleming: Aww, of course. I love women supporting women — that’s how I roll. So why don’t you tell the listeners a bit more about you and Built Babe Fitness?
Samantha Flaherty: As Liz said, my name is Samantha Flaherty, and I’m a personal trainer and online nutrition and fitness coach. I’ve been doing this almost ten years now, which is wild. I work predominantly with women — though in the past I worked with men exclusively — but I’ve found my passion is empowering women. I help women understand strength, body composition, and nutrition. I help them learn how to fuel their bodies, build confidence, and feel comfortable in their own skin. And it’s grown into an amazing community of “Built Babes,” both online and in-person locally.
Liz Fleming: Your content is so good, and you're so smart about how you approach this. It’s incredible. We’re so lucky to have you as a resource. And the timing of this episode is perfect — it’s mid-December, the holidays, and such a notorious time for women to body-shame themselves and “wait until the new year” to be healthy. What are your thoughts on that?
Samantha Flaherty: Yeah… deep breath… I mean, as a fitness coach, I love January — I always get an influx of sales. But honestly? I don’t want that anymore. My goal is to help women find balance every day and every month so they stop starting over. The “new year, new me” energy is powerful, but it also creates all-or-nothing patterns. I’m trying to outwork my job in that sense — helping women stop associating holidays, wine night, treats, or dinners with guilt. Enjoying your life is part of living. Yes, I’ll be tough on a client if they have a specific goal and are repeatedly making choices misaligned with that goal — but overall, I'm here to support women in living healthy, long-term, aligned lives. If you're beating yourself up over Christmas dinner or a glass of eggnog… stop it, girl. Enjoy the holiday. Enjoy the treats that come once a year. Maybe balance it with some movement or intentional choices — but you don’t need guilt.
Liz Fleming: That “starting over” pattern resonates with me so much. As a mom of two toddlers, I’ll get on a roll — walking daily, lifting, tracking — then I miss a day, then another, and suddenly it feels like I’m starting from scratch again.
Samantha Flaherty: Yes! And this is why I focus on process over goals. Goals are great — they’re motivating — but they also create “success or failure” energy. Like: “I wanted to lose five pounds by this date and I didn’t… so I failed.” And then women give up. Instead, it’s about knowing your season. You’re an entrepreneur, a mom, a wife, a military spouse… your capacity fluctuates. So it’s about what you can do today that feels good physically and emotionally. Sometimes that’s the gym. Sometimes it’s yoga. Sometimes it’s spin. And sometimes it’s going to a Small Town Social event instead of working out — because that community connection matters too. It’s about daily things that make you feel good and still move you toward who you want to become.
Liz Fleming: And we’ve worked a lot on the nutrition piece. Some days just knowing I nourished myself matters more than the workout.
Samantha Flaherty: Yes — and you crushed that! Especially postpartum. Nutrition becomes such a grounding force when your body is different after kids. And nothing I do is cookie-cutter — even in group programs, I personalize. Not all women want the “bro-style” fitness approach. Most want to feel strong, supported, and capable.
Liz Fleming: And the hormonal shifts… oh my gosh.
Samantha Flaherty: Yes — and this is why strength training is not about aesthetics. It’s about bones, joints, and longevity. Women lose muscle faster as we age, so the earlier you build strength, the better you’ll move through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. Even if you’re 80 — do chair squats, hold a book. Strength is life-giving.
Liz Fleming: A lot of women get tripped up by shiny-object syndrome. Start-stop cycles. Seasonal motivation. How do you coach consistency?
Samantha Flaherty: Oh, I love this topic. Humans crave quick fixes. But the truth is: people don’t give their programs enough time to work. Muscle, habits, and metabolic changes take months, not weeks. Before I understood training, I did CrossFit, spin, kettlebells, Olympic lifting… and never progressed because I never stuck with anything long enough. It wasn’t until I got boring — two leg days, two upper body days, week after week, year after year — that I saw real change. Coaching clients through the boredom is honestly half my job. Consistency isn’t doing something seven days a week. It’s doing something repeatable.
Samantha Flaherty: Everyone should resistance train, yes — but pair it with something you love: Pilates, spin, walking. Fitness doesn’t have to feel like punishment. And stop drinking from the fire hose. You don’t need to implement every tip you see on Instagram. If life happens — your kid breaks their arm, dinner becomes Chick-fil-A — it’s fine. Get back to it tomorrow. Progress is messy. And there will be growing pains. But there are also so many yeses you can choose.
Liz Fleming: And community matters so much.
Samantha Flaherty: Absolutely. That’s why I go to spin weekly. Being told what to do, loud music, high energy — it fills my cup. It’s also why I built my Blueprint community. Women share tips, hacks, encouragement… it’s supportive without the overwhelm of social media.
Liz Fleming: For listeners who want to work with you, what do you offer?
Samantha Flaherty: If you’re local, I offer in-person classes and community events. Online, I offer custom fitness and nutrition coaching, bodybuilding prep, and two Blueprint community rounds each year — February and August. I also launch pop-up programs and collaborations throughout the year. And I have new offerings coming in the new year — they’ll be in the show notes once they’re ready.
Liz Fleming: Amazing. Everyone go connect with Samantha — she’s wise, thoughtful, and so genuine. Sam, thank you for this conversation.
Samantha Flaherty: Thank you so much for having me!
Liz Fleming: Local listeners — you can meet her at the January Small Town Social! Thanks again, Sam
Did that go by too fast? No worries. You can always find me over at elisabethfleming.com for more information about my programs, events, and how you can take your learning further with me. If you loved this episode, leave a review. It helps more than you know.
Thank you so much for tuning in. I'll catch you next time.
Connect with Jillian:
Instagram: @built.babe
Website: builtbabefitness.com
Connect with Liz:
Watch Liz's FREE Workshop, The Self-Help Trap:
If you’re ready for a gentler way to grow, watch my free 25-minute workshop, The Self-Help Trap. It’ll show you the mindset shift that helps you stop fixing yourself and start feeling like you again. Watch now at elisabethfleming.com/free-workshop.
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Resources:
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