Hey y’all, welcome to More Lovin, the podcast that brings more laughter, light, and love into everyday life. I’m your host LeAnn Austin, and together we’ll rediscover the beauty of connection to your body, your mind, your spirit, and the people you love.
Today’s episode #232: Leave People Better Than You Found Them with Colleen Rou
I love observing and connecting with people who bring more lovin into their lives and relationships. It’s so inspiring to see how each person does this in their own way.
We have the incredible Colleen sharing some beautiful love and relationship insights with us today. All right Colleen, tell us a little bit about you.
Oh my goodness LeAnn, thank you for having me today. A little bit about me. I am a professional host, announcer, race announcer, and MC. I work predominantly in endurance events, so I announce for Ironman, marathons, half-marathons, and 29029 Everesting, where we met. What you just completed.
29029’s a little bit different than Ironman and other things. And so I have the privilege of using my voice in a way to connect with people and connect people to big experiences that they’re doing.
It’s really unique when people ask my kids, “What does your mom do?” It’s this odd job, where I get to talk to people for a living. And I get to tell their stories and narrate a journey that they’re going through. So it’s a privileged place to be.
Well, and you are beyond amazing at it! It’s been so tender to experience a couple meetings with you, and then to realize that a few years ago my family realized, “Wait, she was the one doing our half-marathon too.”
So oh my goodness, you are so great at it! And just how you make people feel that just love and connection. And for me, coming off of Snowbasin and you giving me a big hug, and it didn’t matter that I was sweaty and stinky and all the things. I mean, you’re so compassionate and loving, and I love that. So thank you.
I think I’m just immune to sweaty people and I’m just immune to all that stuff. And I just love people, and I love being in a place to have this front row seat of people doing great things. I always say that I’m with the best of the best. Like when I go to work, I’m seeing people at their very best or striving for their very best.
They go through a lot of hard things when I see them as well, but really, I’m seeing the best part of this human existence that we have together, and it’s incredible. I absolutely love it. And I’m an athlete myself, so I get the whole stinky, sweaty thing. It just doesn’t bother me. Well, you are amazing at it, so thank you.
All right. So tell me, how do you bring more lovin into your life and business, and how has that impacted your relationships?
I love that question because it’s bringing light. I always think about that, bringing light into the world. And I feel like we have an opportunity every time we engage with another person to leave them better than we found them in some way.
And whether that’s at a grocery store or a bank or it’s your children or it’s a stranger that you meet, can you just do something to make the world a little bit lighter and to share that love that’s out there? ‘Cause there is so much. The world can seem so dark and so lonely and so scary sometimes, but when you really get down to it, we’re just a bunch of humans doing the very best that we can.
And I’ve learned a lot as I’ve sat at different events, and especially at finish lines. And what I’ve learned is, the power of saying somebody’s name and looking them in the eye and just recognizing them, that can change people. I know it changes me when someone does that to me, when someone looks at me and acknowledges me. And I just feel like that’s how we can bring more light into this world.
I’m not perfect at it. I am by far not a perfect parent. I am by far not a perfect person. A lot of people think I’m a very extroverted person, which I am, but I’m also very introverted. So it’s easy for me to just kind of walk around and be in my own space and be happy there.
But I think that when we try to connect with others in just simple ways, it truly can just make it feel lighter and bring light to people. We have that ability, and it changes our experience with them. It changes their experience with others, and it just trickles out into the world. Oh, I love that so much because it is that light. It is sharing that light and that love, and you can feel it, you know. Oh my goodness, that’s beautiful.
Well, tell me, what is something you love about you and why? Something I love about me. I don’t love talking about me. I love talking about other people. I don’t love talking about me. You know, I get asked a lot, “How do you do what you do?” And I don’t know the answer to that question, and so I lean on the people around me to answer that question a lot of times.
And my husband, Adam, he’s actually my sound guy, and he is with me all the time. He was at Snowbasin. He does all the sound on the mountain at 29029. So he’s the guy in the tent making me sound good and doing everything. So he sees me in all of these places with all of these people. And he said to me, and he announces as well, but he’s like, “I can’t do what you do. You have this ability to see people.” He’s like, “I don’t have that.”
And I think maybe that’s my little tiny superpower. Again, I hate to talk about myself ’cause I don’t want anybody to think that… I’m not saying I’m better than anybody. I think there’s a lot of people with this gift out there. But I do feel like it is, in a way, a gift to be able to just see people and see a need.
Or I can be standing at a busy, busy finish line with thousands of spectators, and I can see that an athlete needs something. Like, whether it’s medical or whether it’s a hand, what they need to hear. I feel like I can see that. And so I love that about myself.
I wish I was better at seeing it in my children and the people really close to me. But I do feel like it might be a little superpower that I have that I’m so grateful for because it allows me to see a little bit differently and a little bit deeper, even if there’s not a lot of context there.
Yes. That’s kind of weird. Not weird at all. And I love Colleen, that you see that as a superpower, because it is. And it just, oh my goodness, it brings up so much for me because I was blessed to watch you throughout this event, at different times, and see how well you connected, ’cause not very many people are able to do that.
And so to know that you are, that is your superpower, and it’s such a blessing. And no, it doesn’t make us better per se, but it’s something that you’re taking and you’re magnifying and you’re using to help the world, which man, what an incredible thing. So I love that you see that, and I love that you share that with everyone. Thank you.
It makes, whew, it makes me emotional too. It’s a very emotional thing. It really is. I think ’cause I did not start in this world. Anybody who knows my like, origin stories, I never sought to do this. This was not my career path. It just kind of happened.
And I do remember the very first time, oh well, I guess it was the second event I was at for 29029. And I remember waking up on the Sunday morning, so the event was over, and I remember waking up, I was just by myself, and I walked outside, and I was in Stratton, Vermont. And I thought, I just had this feeling like, “Yeah, this is why you’re here. Like, this is what you’re good at.” And that’s always been something that I lean on where I believe everybody has gifts. We all are given gifts to bring light and to bring love to the world around us. And when we find those gifts, if we can use it in a way to lift up and make the world a little bit better and leave people better, that’s pretty powerful.
Oh, 100, 100%. Yep. Wow, so beautiful. All right, so when you think about connection with others or with yourself, what comes to mind? What do you think about?
I love the word connection. I love it. Like, to me, that’s why we’re here. And when I get to watch people connect themselves into a community or connect themselves into an experience, like isn’t that why we’re here?
Yeah. If we just wake up every day and we just go and do our thing, but we don’t actually engage and connect in that world, we’re just leaving so much out there; so much feeling, so much of the joy of why we’re here on the table. And so connection to me is humanity at its finest. We were made to connect to each other.
Yeah. We were made to give sweaty hugs. We were made for high fives. We were, that’s why it feels so good to be in a community, and whether that community is your local neighborhood or maybe it’s a church or maybe it’s a 29029 community or the Ironman community. No matter what it is, when you plug into that and you see people connect, even if they don’t have other things in common, that truly is what makes them happy and satisfied and supported.
And all of the things come from connection. If we don’t have connection, man, it’s a sad state of affairs. Absolutely, I’m with you. That is one of my very favorite words. And there’s this awesome song called Choose Connection that I love. Like, it’s a choice. We get to choose to connect, and sometimes we don’t wanna connect, but when we’re choosing, I mean, scientifically, that’s one of the basics, you know?
Sleep, nutrition, sunlight, connection. You know, that’s one of them. Like, connection matters, so I love that. It does. It’s a great word. Yes. And we need to use it more. Yes. All right, so anything else that you want to share, and where can our listeners go to learn more about you?
You know, I think the only message to share is that plug in, connect. Don’t be afraid of people. Don’t be afraid to speak somebody’s name. You know, so many people walk around with name tags on, and how often do we just look at that name tag and don’t do anything with that information?
It’s like when you were on the mountain at Snowbasin. Everybody’s name is on the front and the back of their bib. Why? Because that’s a connection point. Yeah. It’s as simple as speaking someone’s name, and I think I would challenge anybody listening, just try it for a day. If you’re at the grocery store and Pam is helping you check out, “Hi, Pam. How are you today?” Like, instead of saying, “How are you today?” Actually speak their name and see how that changes.
So maybe a little challenge there to connect a little bit deeper. And just try. I know it’s uncomfortable for some people, but sometimes that discomfort is only for that half second, and then you step into it, and Pam lights up, and she needed to hear her name, and she needed to hear that she was more than just the lady at Walmart checking you out, you know? And it can bring a lot of joy.
I’m so glad you guys put names on the front and backs. Because, I have people calling out my name that I’m like, “Wait, they don’t know who I am?” Or I was able to call out theirs. And it really does create a connection because you know their name, you get to say their name, and what a beautiful challenge, 100%.
Well, and tell us, where they can find you where? And I’ll put this in the show notes too, but you tell us any places they can find you. Yeah, absolutely. I’m on Instagram. You can follow @voiceofcolleen. I share all sorts of random content. I’m not great at social media, but you’ll see just little snippets of people who inspire me, things that I’m inspired by, and I also love chickens and marmots and baking and things like that.
So follow along because I get to have a front row seat to some pretty incredible things and some pretty incredible people, so hopefully you’ll be a little bit inspired by that too. So @voiceofcolleen on Instagram. @Voiceofcolleen. Yeah. And I love your Instagram. It’s so fun to see what you’re up to. So yeah, highly recommend that. Awesome.
All right, last question: What’s your favorite quote about love, and how has it shaped your life and relationships? This is a good question for me. You know, there’s so many. I have quotes all around. When I look at my studio here, I have quotes all the way, all around.
But I was gifted a pillow with a quote on it, and it was gifted to me by someone who was a 29029 participant, and she actually suffers from a very rare form of cancer that makes it very difficult for her to be out in the sun. And I just have watched her struggle so many times to find her, quote-unquote, Everest at 29029.
And she would have to be under a heavy umbrella or all covered up, and she would just keep climbing, and she just had this smile. And she’d go at night if she had to go at night, and had to avoid the sun. Like, she would just always step into this discomfort, and her story was just amazing. And she sent me this gift, which meant so much to me because knowing who she is and what she struggles with.
She said, “People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said. But they will remember how you made them feel.” And it’s a quote by Maya Angelou. And that’s really what it’s about. I think I say a lot of words when I do my job, but it’s not the words that we say as much as how we make people feel around us.
And I just love that quote. It just reminds me that, you know, just be present, be connected, because we feel that as humans. And I feel that when she is on the mountain, I felt her spirit and her love and her tenacity and grit, and it left me a better person. I don’t remember all the conversations we had, but I remember how she makes me feel, and I hope that I can live up to that quote as well. And leave people better because they felt something different.
Ah, I love that. Be present and be connected, and so many other things. Hmm, something to think about. I love that. Thank you Colleen, for your love, for your insights, for sharing this with us. It is an honor and a privilege to be with you, so thank you. Thanks LeAnn, I appreciate it.
All right, here’s to leaving people better than you found them and more lovin. Have a good one y’all.
Thanks for tuning in. If you’re ready to take what we talk about here and make it personal, let’s work together one-on-one. I’ll help you calm your nervous system, strengthen your relationships, and create more lovin, laughter, and calm in your life. You can find all the details at LeAnnAustin.com
Until next time, keep choosing fun, connection, and a whole lot more lovin. Have a good one y’all.