The Women Behind it all: End Goal Podcast

What is YOUR end goal? This is the question that has been posed by the women who created the End Goal podcast, Raylene Allen and Kristen Bold. Bonding over shared passions regarding mental and physical health, the two recently decided to start a podcast in order to encourage women everywhere to join them on their journey with self-love, self-image, and fitness. 

With Raylene recently graduating from Cal Poly SLO and Kristen currently in her third year, the rest of us Cal Poly girls have the opportunity to listen to two women coming from the same spot. They want their platform to be a little bit less intimidating than some other fitness influencer accounts seen all over TikTok and other forms of media to form a more welcoming environment. This is because they, alongside their listeners, are also just women sharing their experiences and advice as they go through ups and downs with their mental and physical health. It allows for the podcast to be more relatable–more comforting than some of the others online. 

Raylene and Kristen met at Headstrong once they had both been lifting seriously for a few years– Raylene having been an athlete her whole life, while Kristen had been lifting–and came to realize they had similar focuses. 

Kristen’s favorite part about the gym has been “embracing clear focus.” Every time she is in the gym she proves to herself how strong she is, so in return, she is able to “leave every time a winner.” Raylene has always loved the gym because “it has always been a rock in [her] life,” and “something to rely on for consistency and peace and structure.” But, of course with benefits, come challenges. While the most challenging part in the gym for Kristen has been “dealing with the negativity that comes up if expectations aren’t met,” the most challenging part for Raylene has been “the comparison game, sometimes feeling behind or not in the same space as others around [her].” Preparing to actually start the podcast has had its challenges as well, from technology aspects to “figuring out how to make things sound inviting and not intimidating.” Nonetheless, End Goal is up and running. 

The two feel that there are not enough honest and open conversations occurring about what it’s actually like to lead a healthy lifestyle, so that is exactly what they want to discuss. 

These types of conversation are especially beneficial for women, as Raylene and Kristen understand the struggles that come with being women in the gym. When speaking with the two about their journey with self-image over the years, Raylene shared a more personal note in regards to the stigmatization of muscular women that society has enforced. Looking back on her high school years previous to lifting, she realized she had never taken a step back to focus on when she herself felt most beautiful, but instead had spent those years following fad diets in order to fit the mold of the female body type that had been deemed most beautiful at the time. Eventually, she realized that she needed to do what made her feel the best, regardless of outside opinions. This is one of the main priorities for Kristen and Raylene–to focus on when they feel most beautiful. Something that they have both learned to do during their time in the gym has been to find their confidence in embracing their femininity while in such a male-dominated place. Lifting for yourself and finding confidence in that strength is empowering– especially as a woman. 

“I think that through lifting, it’s been really empowering because it makes me feel really confident in what I’m capable of besides how I look; but then the confidence in my looks ended up coming along with that.” 

Both Kristen and Raylene understand that fitness is potentially a very intimidating thing for women, but Kristen strongly believes “fitness can teach you how to love yourself better, especially when you start honoring YOU.” An important message that she tries to remember is to “Lead the way. There are a lot of moments where I don’t feel strong enough, but at the end of the day, who’s going to lead? I am.” Raylene wants to encourage women who begin lifting to let go and embrace a little selfishness for once. “It is very common that we [women] are raised as people pleasers. We are chronically stuck in this state of service to other people, but when you workout, the only benefit is for you. Pushing women to start doing something that might feel a little selfish is one of the most empowering things a woman can do.” Make lifting YOURS. Allow yourself to work on your physical health, your mental health, your self love, and your self image with no regrets or apologies–be selfish. 

When it comes to the name of the podcast, it reflects exactly what Raylene and Kristen preach– the fact that there isn’t necessarily an end goal. They want to promote “an endless pursuit of growth towards an end goal you won’t ever meet.” In turn, this will hopefully create a community of listeners who “all have unified goals of improving themselves,” as they find support in the End Goal podcast listening to Kristen and Raylene “growing and struggling alongside them.” You are not alone, and they are there to remind you of exactly that. 

Tune into Raylene and Kristen’s upcoming podcast episodes to get inspired and join them on their journey– chase the end goal! 

• gym
• mental health
• physical health
• self love
• women empowerment
• working out