Intro

📍 Welcome to The Corvus Effect, where we take you behind the scenes to explore integrated self leadership and help ambitious family men build lasting legacies for themselves, their tribe, and their community. I'm Scott Raven, and together we'll discover how successful leaders master a delicate balance of career advancement, personal health, financial growth, and meaningful relationships. Get ready to soar.  

Meet Bianca Carbone and Her Father Sal

📍 And Hey, again, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Corvus Effect. I'm Scott. I am thrilled that we are joined today by Bianca Carbone, a wellness coach who transformed her own health struggles into a mission To help women achieve sustainable wellness. And I'm so honored that she is joined today by her father, Sal, who's entrepreneurial spirit really helped shape her path and helped her.

Overcome personal challenges and really drive after her professional purpose . We We will definitely talk about her background, her certifications, and a lot of things that she has developed in terms of producing her comprehensive wellness approach. And a lot of it is going to come from the core values that got passed down from her father, Sal.

with the large immigrant household that he grew up and the lessons that he learned from that, not only does he apply to his life, but to his children as well. So Bianca and Sal, welcome to the podcast.

Thanks, Scott.

You know, my pleasure, my pleasure.

Bianca's Journey During the Pandemic

And you know, Bianca, let's just get started with you in terms of really, I think the starting point of where you truly started to pursue your purpose was facing a challenge in that you were coming out of university right at the height of COVID. And that you had to pick the alternate path because you didn't have a choice in the matter.

And I'd love for you to explore that with our listening audience a little bit. Mm hmm.

so graduating and having your senior year in the middle of the pandemic was definitely not a fun experience. And a lot of what I was supposed to be doing related to my major couldn't happen because it had to be in a hospital, and obviously, You can't be in a hospital when the pandemic is happening.

So , I decided to pursue some things like adjacent to what I was studying health and sports , which I've always had a passion for, but I started creating online clients in 2020 and then it just started growing and growing and growing and it felt right, so I've stuck with it ever since.

That's fantastic.

Sal's Influence and Entrepreneurial Spirit

And, you know, Sal, I know that part of where Bianca got that charge from was some of the earlier influences that she had in her life. Seeing you pursue your entrepreneurial journey. I'd love for you to, elaborate on that a little bit. Mm

Well, when I was in college, before that, I, played a lot of soccer. So I practiced. Often, you my number one thing to do. It was my number one priority was to play soccer. so my dedication to that was enormous. and I went to UNLV on a full scholarship

hmm.

I was always athletic in everything I did, track, wrestling, soccer, I was, you know, the top, state and all American and on the U S national team.

So I think that drive and constantly , you Being fit my entire life, I think helped her with possibly the training aspect of it. Her work ethic, I think, comes from me, probably myself and my mom and dad,

we always worked hard. You know, we always got up early. We always went to the job first.

got things done, work late. And, you know, if you want to be successful in anything that you do, you have to put in a lot of hours.

Amen. Amen.

Facing Health Challenges Head-On

You have to do those reps. And you know, Bianca, you and I always talk about that in terms of the work that you're having me do on my health. But a lot of that is born from, you also had to face. Your own direct health challenges and do the reps to face them head on and pivot your approach.

That's right. Yeah. sometimes life is going to challenges that you don't necessarily ask for, but it's to your tools to overcome it.

Mm hmm. Absolutely.

Sustainable Wellness with Blix Fitness

And, you know, part of what I want to explore with that, Bianca, is that you really as a core mantra of your company, Blix Fitness, is an approach to sustainable wellness. Now, those are very aspirational words, but I don't think in common practice we really teach that, preach that, act upon that, and I want to understand what that means to you and how you want that to manifest it into the people you help.

Mm

Yeah, that's a great question. I think just too often you see people on, both sides of the spectrum, either they go too restrictive and they're not happy, or they go the other way and they don't care enough, where I think the middle ground of having a little bit of everything is the only way to have a sustainable lifestyle.

So, It's not fun when you're too restrictive and you're experiencing, maybe under eating, you're having headaches, migraines, you're just not enjoying life. there's the opposite side of the spectrum where you're overweight, you don't like the way you feel in your clothes, you're not sleeping well, you're self conscious, like both ends of the spectrum are not healthy for you.

So finding a way to be in the middle and sustainable so you can avoid either end of the spectrum is one, uh, an approach that I take because no one deserves to be on either end. I

right. Right. And it's interesting that you bring that up because there are so many.

Balancing Extremes in Fitness

aspirational programs out there that talk about the extremes. You have 75 Hard, you have CrossFit, you have the people who I knew do 29029 to mimic climbing the tallest mountain in the world, right? And I guess my question to you is, how do you view those styles of programs?

Versus your own core values as it relates to health.

think there's definitely a time and a place to pursue something like that. Like even right now, I'm training for something at the end of March with my brother, which is totally new to us. And we're doing a lot of running, which is a good thing, but it's not something that I do every two months, if that makes sense.

So I think. if there's a short spurt within your life where you're training for something specific, or you have a specific deadline and goal in mind, if that's okay, but I kind of come in where it's everything in between. I can get you marathon ready. Like I've helped you with, I can help train for a 30 mile ruck competition if that's what your goal is, but where I thrive is in the everyday, the mundane, the random Tuesday night, where you have a choice between eating a chocolate bar or a cup of strawberries.

That's why I come in and help you with the daily, the

Absolutely. Absolutely. And as a side note, that running thing, you know, you can ask me any questions. I think I that down. I'll put it that way. But, you know, it's very important that you're talking about the mundane day to day, which is what we all live.

The Importance of Hormonal Health

Because your approach is not just about Physical health.

It's also about the internal health and particularly the hormonal health, and this is something that I think is fairly rare. You don't see this combination, demonstrated in the health space, and why this passion to bring these two worlds together?

I think it's just, there's lack of awareness for women's health. Now men definitely have their own battles, but me being a woman myself and going through my own struggles is where I'd like to voice, this. like I think growing up I've had problems related to my menstruation that I didn't know were a problem at the time.

And I had a lot of coaches, a lot of male coaches who just like didn't understand. And even my dad coached like teenage girls before for soccer. And he was like, Oh yeah, like I forgot that. Girls go through that, like that's why they're not playing their best today. Like, yeah, no, duh. But I think it's just not at the forefront of people's and coaches and teachers minds.

And it be because it impacts every single day. And unfortunately there's a lot of like physical pain that can come with that. So right now what's fueling my passion is I feel like I've reached out for help. Growing up and I never got the help needed because no one knew about it and now I'm in my mid 20s, now I'm dealing with it head on and it sucks.

so I'm just trying to amplify

So, I'm curious, as somebody who has, coached, young women, and been there, and needing them to athletically perform, but not having any sort of answers for them, Right, and now hearing this from your daughter and the way that she's approaching this and being the protagonist, right? Does it take you back a little bit and does it be like, hmm?

Yeah, I remember those days and what I wish I knew back then.

Absolutely. I mean, it's, it's difficult to have, 14 year old girls, perform on a weekly basis and you're going to get the effort, but it's not going to be the same every week. And need to understand that. And it's not a place for me as a, a boy, a man, to ask these questions. But, you know, hopefully, you know, like with something I'm so proud of her as somebody like Bianca who can help with that issue, I think is, enormous.

Absolutely.

Family Values and Building Relationships

And I think a lot of it, Sal, just sticking with you in terms of that tenacity to take something that needs to be addressed and face it head on, comes from you and we're talking about your family background. And do I have this right? You had 12 children in the household? My goodness, that's a lot of mouths to

We could, we could feel us feel the soccer team.

Okay. Excellent. Now wouldn't goalie on that soccer team? That's, that's my question. So,

Well, you know, my dad was a goalie, but I think everybody, would mostly would not want to be a goalkeeper. we had some defenders, mostly midfielders and strikers. So

yeah, but the family, the family is, was large. It's great to have everybody there, you know, but, uh, it gets tight, tight on, uh, bed space tight on, uh, food.

Yep.

But, you know, when when it gets crowded, you go outside and play.

Mm hmm. So, you know, you're growing up in this. very large family, all sorts of different personalities, you know, not everybody's going to get along all the time and everybody's going to be grabbing for the food the moment that it hits the table, right? But at the same time, I've got to believe that because you have such a rich set of memories with so many people around you that it had core values that your entire family got instilled that had been passed down from generation to generation.

Would that be fair?

Sure. I think my parents were a great example. And then you have older siblings who are 10, 12 years older than you, who've through it. And so when when you start to play, any sport or even going through school and life, they've been through it. So yeah, you have more than sometimes you have more than one parent.

Yeah. You have brothers and sisters who, have been, who have been passed down all their, all their life stories and life experiences. happenings, you know,

Yeah. And particularly in your case, right? Because we're talking about something where You've got different languages going on, different cultures going on, whatnot, all into this rich tapestry of family, and I'm curious, from that, what are the favorite lessons you've that you felt the need to pass down to Bianca and your other children in terms of, if you take anything away from the family experience I went through, I want you to remember these things.

Mm

so with my life is a little different since I am, first generation in America. I think the language barrier could have, you know, was a little difficult in the, in the beginning of my, my younger years because, you know, going through school, I had both languages, English and Italian and, and my mom and dad were learning English.

While I was learning English, you know, I was, first one born here. I was, they were here six months. I think more, more of the worldly things in America is where they were deficient in. They didn't understand, you know, America. Uh, I can't, my, my parents came from a very primitive background in Italy where, where they used their hands and worked the fields and they, they heard cattle.

And, and, you know, my mom didn't have a bathroom in her house. So, you know, very primitive. You have an outhouse. they didn't have, the worldly know how like for coaching and, you know, I, I did everything with my parents.

hmm.

But my, dad, I think I was the closest with, you know, myself because we went hunting all the soccer games and all my state team practices.

And, and, I signed my letter of intent at UNLV 17. I flew out to, to UNLV myself, my parents. So that one thing is, you know, they, they understand the world more. they understand. business better. and I learned how to just work hard and, I had it in my mind to be, you know, soccer player.

First I was drafted professionally. and then the fallback was to be a builder, which is what I did next. And then I had to fall back to use my degree, but that I didn't have to ever do that. So

There you

I stayed.

always good to have options in life. And, you know, Bianca, looking at you and your business, which it's online, you know, everything is done mainly through the Digiverse, in terms of various things, right? But the need to build relationships. remains strong, even in this online. What do you feel growing up in that?

second generation where a lot of these lessons in terms of how these two worlds have integrated and now I'm passing them down to you. How do you feel that that helped you in terms of building relationships as it relates to your business?

Well, I have very strong family values, and I would say, unfortunately, in America, like, a lot of that is getting diminished, like, generation after generation, with people moving further away from their homes, and, there being kind of shame on living in multi generational households, and I'm not sure why that is shameful, but, it shouldn't be.

It shouldn't, my wife's family is, in a multi generational, home and we see them all the time and it's a beautiful home and

it's full of love. Absolutely.

Yeah, the best, but I think that because I value my family so much and those close connections, that's where I thrive. So when I talk to my community online, whether they're a paid client, a prospect, or even just one of my followers who just likes my content, I treat them the way that I would treat my family.

my family and community here. Like I'm very warm. I'm friendly. I remember things about them and what they say to me and keep following up with them. So it's almost like I build a relationship and I try to take that core value to my business. And I think that that's what people, enjoy about my presence.

Yeah. And, you know, to a certain extent, you've got to rekindle that. connection.

Reconnecting with Roots in Italy

I know that y'all recently went back to Italy for a huge family reunion. And Bianca, I'll start with you first, right? How did that remind you of everything which was sacred and warm and true in terms of, hey, this is where we came from.

We grew up and this is what we are meant to give to the world. Mm

Well, that was an amazing experience beyond words. Like I don't even have the capacity to even express how meaningful that trip was. And I think. Well, first of all, my mama was with us too, which was really special, but were able to see her reunite with her brother and sister who I don't even know how long it was since she saw them, but she left her hometown when she was younger than me with kids.

And I can't even fathom doing that to my family here. Not that it's a bad thing. It was a great thing that she did, but like I just can't even imagine how hard that must've been for her. Seeing how like the love that she had for her family never died out, even when they were in different countries, and this was majority of their relationship apart, they didn't have phones and FaceTime, you know.

Social media to connect with each other like we do now. So like I can FaceTime my cousin there, no problem. Like, it's almost like we never stopped being in each other's presence, but they did stop,

but got to it, it was like, no time has passed. So I think, just being reminded about, you can still maintain relationships in other countries and it can be global and it can, you know, it can be fruitful if the effort in .

those are values that I bring into my business as well.

And then Sal, from your perspective on that trip and seeing the broader family come together, a lot of special moments. You obviously. First generation are seeing how your foray into this new world, and I put it in quotes, is the launching pad from the homeland that had to stir up some memories for you.

Sure. Well, you, since I was first one born here, my parents went back maybe two times in their lifetime.

expensive. They have a lot of kids at home. You can't leave the house. And, and I never made the trip and this was my first trip back to Italy. And we had a, dinner there and I had 47 first cousins

at the dinner.

And they are, cause my mom's one of 12 as well. And, that wasn't even everybody I have found in Canada, France. in Connecticut, those people weren't in Italy, but the majority of my mom's family is still in, in Italy. Her brother's sisters are passed, but there's two remaining.

and then my dad's side is in Montella, and that was a treat in itself. And, they're 25 minutes, from Amalfi Coast. And

hmm.

so many more times.

too late. You can go back. I'll put it that way,

You know, ever since we left, we get, I get a FaceTime call from them on a weekly basis, still, and there's a number of my first cousins, not just one, and they want to know, you know, what's going on, and they recently came here to Pennsylvania and stayed with us, so yeah, that family tie and heritage, and the big thing is, my mom grew up on a farm, and there they call it Etrus, which is three acres, and So they have over a hundred acres in one location, another hundred acres, another, and they grow olives and artichokes and grapes.

Wow.

so I got to see that firsthand and everything. So, it's, amazing. you feel like you've been part of their family your whole life. You know,

you know, I'm thinking to that picture, if you will, of hundreds and hundreds of acres of land that has to be worked by hand, but that everybody's more than happy to do it.

Lessons from a Large Family

And Sal, I'll start with you because you brought up that it was from that enviroment. That a lot of your discipline on work ethic evolved and then obviously passed down to your daughter Bianca and your other children.

if somebody were to randomly visit there, and be able to see the land in all its glory, see the people working the land, right? What would you hope they take away that would make their life better? What is the lesson by being there that you would hope they would instill going forward? Right.

It's the family environment. Everyone's so close. Every party, everyone's invited. And it's not just, you know, a family and a few cousins. It's, everyone. And, they have their, condos and houses in the city of Chirignola. And my mom's generation though, they lived on the farm and they all had their own space.

and they all have like these wood burning stoves. And they cook the bread and the pizzas and the steaks. Everything is outside being cooked inside. I'll have those convention, you know, the, regular ovens that we have here in America, but the close knit environment and the culture of music and song and dance and comradery and loving and kissing, I mean, you can't, once you go into a party, you're, you're, you know, you're kissing everybody you're hugging. And, it's so comforting and, love is, is amazing it's not only just your family, it's anybody you meet, it's, it's everywhere. It's just same culture is everywhere. It's so, so rich. And, and the food and everything's, you know, farm to table, especially in that region because it's the Puya region.

You know, we went to other, other locations, but this is like the agricultural, capital of Italy.

right. And Bianca, as you kind of reflect on that, I know that you had such strong and powerful memories from that experience. And like your dad said, just the love that that brought, right. As I look at the way that you run your business and pursue your purpose, it's the same trait, bringing the love to what you do and who you invite into your world.

And I'd love for you to go deeper on that.

Yeah, I think That's probably where I thrive the most. Like I don't do well in like superficial, environments. That's, that's part of the reason why you usually see me showing up like this. Like, I don't try to pretend to be somebody I'm not. And I feel like going back to that, those people.

They didn't really know who we were, they just knew that because we were an extension of someone else that they loved, then they love us, and then they accepted us with big open arms and they, there was no judgment, there was, they gave us everything, they gave us a place to sleep, they gave us food, they gave us gifts, so many gifts, they are very generous people, and I think that, I learned just to be myself and then they will come and vice versa.

So I just think with my community and with fitness, I just want people to feel accepted the way that they accept me. Um, so that's the way that I try to draw everything together.

And then Sal, you know, father of father, because I have both a son and a daughter, right? I, with my daughter, hope. That I set her on the right path where she is successful by just standing on her own two feet and that she doesn't feel like she has to contort herself into what society expects for her.

And I would imagine hearing that response from Bianca that that was a hope of yours to say, find your own damn way. Don't. Let others tell you what way you got to go find your own damn way.

Yeah. I mean, she finds her own way for sure. Uh, we, we always talk, you you treat everybody with respect. You know, everyone, has their problems. Um, you, you just make sure. You meet somebody, you're always cordial, you're always generous. she does a great job. I think, you know, it is hard to find your way and, you know, it's hard to teach what's going to happen.

And I think when it happens is the perfect moment. You know, when, when it happens, but when she has to learn how to change her windshield on the car, her own insurance, you know, like you learn, you learn those life, those life tasks as they come. it's not like you're going to learn those things where sometimes you might have to never have to deal with it.

And my son, he'll say, I'll just hire somebody to cut the grass, you know? So, but he's got to try, he's got a lawnmower now, he pushes it and he's got a snowblower and he's got to do his own thing. It's not.

If you,

you would have racked me silly since, uh, you know, I've lived in areas that have HOA for God knows how Yeah. I've never had to, uh, Have that kind of, uh, fun. And I don't think my, my son is gonna have that kind of fun either, although I did. Although, although I did make him shovel the, driveway, when we had a recent snow down here in Atlanta, rare,

so. Yes. Well, you know, as we close out this. I always do a little tip of the cap to, Randy Posh and his book, The Last Lecture. And he talks about the head fake that what his book was about was intended for a very specific message in his case, his kids. So Bianca, I'll start with you on this podcast. If we have.

young entrepreneurs. If we have women who are seeking wellness in their lives, what's the biggest message you want them to take away?

I would say, stay close to your roots and be authentically yourself. Like, don't agree to something, if it's gonna mean that it's gonna, Crisscross with your values because it's never going to last like my fitness business is super easy for me Because it feels like it's just an extension of myself.

Like it's just it's come so natural to me obviously I asked my dad a lot of questions about running the actual business and I think by The fourth try, I think I finally can do my taxes by myself. So that's good.

Took a couple of years, but, you know, I ask a ton of questions, for that. And I even use my own community.

I ask you questions, business wise, I ask my other clients. So I think for women, entrepreneurs in general, just don't be afraid to ask, like, no question is a stupid question. and in terms of your health and hormones, especially just, you know, Keep searching and digging and find someone that will listen to you because they are out there.

and you're not crazy. It's not in your head. It's definitely a real thing. So

Hmm.

just keep going. Don't stop.

There you go. And Sal, from your perspective, and I know we're just focusing on Bianca, there are, yeah, you have other kids as well, but looking at what wisdom you would impart on fathers of children. in terms of how to be supportive and properly directional in their pursuit of their dreams, their pursuit of them becoming the successful adults that they aspire to be.

Balancing Work and Family

So I always say, you know,

you have to find your balance between work and family. You can't just do all work and then work, especially in a new business that you're running yourself. You have to give it a chance. So. I think when Bianca started, she says, you know, I'm just going to try this for a year.

I said well lets make it two years, you know, so like, let's just, put everything you got into it in the beginning and, you know, all the hard work will pay off. So. It's a matter of finding that balance between, working hard and, and making sure you have time for your family and your kids.

That's, more importantly. I had a restaurant, so, Natalie, our oldest daughter, was a senior, and we were missing her Friday night cheerleading, And I said, you know, Friday and Saturdays are busy nights. And I said, I'm not working Friday night anymore. That settles it We're going to go to cheerleading games. And, and that's what we did, you know? So you have to just find that balance. I think

Amen. Great lesson as so many, you know, men on this podcast struggle with that in terms of the professional commitments and then the personal engagements they miss as a result and it's not worth it. It, you know, in most cases, it's not worth it. The work is still going to be there at the end.

So thank you for that message, Sal. Bianca, how can people find out about you and if they would like to consider working with you in a coaching engagement for their health.

Final Thoughts and Takeaways

How can they do that?

the best place is probably LinkedIn. it's just my name, Bianca Carbone. I should be the first one that pops up, but, my page is the best place to find me. and there's some links on there as well. I

And we'll make sure to put that into the show notes that, people can reach out to you. Any final words, you guys, before we close this episode out.

think stay true to yourself. and, as long as you know, you have a vision, keep a track. Don't, throw all your money at it. You know, keep, on the right track and let it play out. And eventually the hard work I think is, would pay off run. Thanks for having

for both of you, you guys are both shining examples of that. And my hope is that my listening audience. Follows y'all's lead because it's an incredible lead that you guys have laid out. Bianca, Sal, thank you guys so much for being on the podcast. Truly appreciate you both. for my listening audience, I hope that you enjoyed this episode.

If you did, please make sure that you subscribe and share with those people who can learn little things from this episode and take care and we'll see you next time on the Corvus Effect. Buh bye.  

Outro

📍 Thank you for joining me on The Corvus Effect. To access today's show notes, resources, and links mentioned in this episode, visit www.thecorvuseffect.com While you're there, you'll find links to our free tools and resources to evaluate where you currently stand versus your aspirations with personalized recommendations for action. If you found value in today's episode, Please take a moment to subscribe wherever you get your podcast and share with those who may benefit from it. You won't want to miss future conversations that could transform your approach to leadership and life. Join me next episode as we continue our journey towards building lasting legacies that matter. Remember, it's time to soar towards your legacy.