Q&A with RADIANT REBEL | Lisa PIsano
I first met Lisa Pisano in the most fitting way possible: doing hot yoga. Not long after, Electric Lemonade was invited to sponsor one of her events, which somehow led to me building a giant floral arch and getting to see firsthand what Lisa has created around her. There’s something incredibly inspiring about being in her presence. She has this way of making people feel welcome, energized and like they belong.
But what drew me to Lisa’s story goes far beyond yoga. At 37, facing the end of a corporate career and navigating life as a separated mom of two, she made a massive pivot and began rebuilding her life on her own terms. Today, she’s a yoga instructor, retreat leader and community builder whose Yoga for Wishes event, co-created with her friend Pina Starnino, has grown from 15 people in a backyard to more than 200 participants, raising $72,500 for Make-A-Wish this year alone.
At 52, Lisa is open about beauty, Botox, getting stronger, protecting her peace and caring a whole lot less about what everyone else thinks. So I sat down with her to talk about reinvention, aging, confidence, purpose and what it really means to feel good in your own skin.
I love that you don’t shy away from saying your age. You’re 52, you own it, and you genuinely seem to be thriving in this chapter of your life. So many women have been taught that our age is something we’re supposed to hide or apologize for. Why do you think you’ve been able to embrace yours, and what do you love about the woman you are at 52 that maybe wasn’t there at 32?
LP: When I was younger I couldn't wait to get older...to be old enough to wear makeup, old enough to drive, old enough to stay out past midnight, old enough to get married...etc. etc. I feel like I spent the first half of my life wishing I was a different age. After having both my kids and being in my thirties, that began to change. I wanted things to slow down and stopped trying to rush time away. I started becoming more present and enjoying the moments that were in front of me. I work really hard on myself, from the inside out and I am proud of who I am today. I don't want to hide it. There is no shame in admitting your age. It's just a number. It truly is all about how you feel and I feel pretty damn good! I am way more confident and comfortable in my skin at 52 than I was at 32.
From the outside looking in, it feels like you had a real pivot somewhere along the way. You weren’t always Lisa the yoga teacher, retreat leader and Lululemon ambassador. Was there a moment when you thought, “I want my life to look different”? And where did you find the courage to actually follow that feeling?
LP: YES!! I was 37, separated with two young kids, and I was about to lose my corporate desk job which is all I had known since graduating university. I wasn't planning on making these huge pivotal life changes but the universe had a different plan for me. I had to decide whether I wanted to spend time looking for another job where I was helping other people's businesses do better or if I wanted to take the driver seat and create something for myself. I moved back in with my parents, took a 4-week intensive yoga teacher training once I was let go from my job and well...the rest is history.
Okay, give us the truth. How much yoga does Lisa Pisano actually do? Walk us through what movement and wellness look like in a normal week, not the perfect Instagram week.
LP: The truth is I am currently taking a step back from my regular yoga practice. I am dealing with a shoulder injury and some joint pain in my hips right now and having to admit that is more mentally painful than it is physical. In the height of my yoga practice, I was hitting my mat 5-6 days a week. I have switched my focus to strength training to get my muscles stronger so that they can support my bones and plan to get back into a 2-3 times per week yoga practice once my shoulder has healed. Yoga saved me during a time in my life when everything felt like it was falling apart so it's not something I intend to ever give up. It is more of a mental practice for me but until my physical body is ready to show up in a way that won't cause further damage...I need to listen to what she needs. Right now she needs to focus on building muscle.
If a woman came up to you tomorrow and said, “Lisa, I want to feel stronger and get back in shape, but I have absolutely no idea where to start,” what would you tell her?
LP: Hire a qualified personal trainer. Period.
Let’s talk beauty. Has your relationship with your appearance changed over the years? What makes you feel genuinely beautiful these days, and is it different from what made you feel beautiful when you were younger?
LP: My relationship with my appearance has definitely changed over the years. I have always been someone who cares deeply about the way I look. I am that girl that you'll never see leaving the house without at least a little bronzer, mascara and lipgloss. As I have aged, my focus has become more about anti-aging so treatments like facials and botox are something I do now that I didn't do in my 20's and 30's. But I have always had a great skincare routine and choose makeup that feels light and natural...I teach hot yoga for a living so I need to wear products on my face that aren't going to melt or damage my skin when I sweat. What makes me feel genuinely beautiful these days...some botox, tinted sunscreen and highlighter on my cheekbones with the perfect shade of shimmer lip gloss :)
What’s one thing you do for yourself that makes you feel good, beautiful or grounded that you can’t buy on a shelf? And you’re not allowed to say yoga.
LP: I start every single morning with meditation. Whether it's 5 or 15 minutes, I need it to help me feel grounded. It sets me up for the day, allowing me to get ahead of it before everyone else's needs start to take over.
We talk so much about the things we should add to our lives for wellness, but I’m becoming equally interested in what we choose to take away. For me right now, while I’m building Electric Lemonade, I’ve chosen not to drink because I love how clear-headed it makes me feel. Is there anything you’ve stopped doing, caring about, or saying yes to that has made your life noticeably better?
LP: It really is true what they say about giving fewer f*cks in your 50s. The things that used to consume me when I was younger just don’t take up the same space in my mind or my heart anymore. I don’t have the capacity for people who aren’t genuine, and I’ve learned that I don’t need to beg for a seat at a table I wasn’t invited to. So I built my own little table instead—and I surround myself with people who are kind, genuine, supportive, and who make me a better person. I have also learned to say “no” without guilt. My philosophy is simple: if my immediate reaction isn’t a “hell yes,” it’s a “no thank you.” There’s something incredibly freeing about getting older and finally realizing that protecting your peace is not selfish. It’s self-respect.
You started Yoga for Wishes with around 15 people in a backyard, and this year it raised $72,500 for Make-A-Wish. That’s wild. What has building that community taught you about purpose, and is there a moment from it that you’ll never forget?
LP: Yoga for Wishes was co-created with my beautiful friend, Pina Starnino. She is the reason this all began. She sits on the board of this incredible organization and during one of our private yoga sessions (she has been one of my clients for a couple of years) the subject came up about how we could try and raise money for this cause and that is how Yoga for Wishes was born. It started out with 15 people in her backyard and this year, just 2 years later, we had over 200 people participate in this incredible event. Building this community has taught me that sharing bloodlines is not what makes people family. Family are the people who show up for you, for each other, and for a cause greater than themselves. I spent most of my life feeling like I didn't belong in a lot of places but I can tell you with confidence that I belong in this community. I am doing what I was meant to do. As cliché as it might sound, I really do feel like I’ve found my purpose. And I want to spend the rest of my life leaning into it, growing with it, and continuing to do the things that make me feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
Let’s do past, present and future Lisa. What’s one thing you’d tell your younger self, what is bringing you the most joy right now, and what do you hope future Lisa never forgets?
LP: I would tell my younger self to slow down and let her know that everything is going to work out the way it's supposed to and that she needs to stop trying to control all the outcomes. What is bringing me the most joy right now is planning my next yoga retreat in Greece which is happening with my Soulfull Yoga & Wellness business partner Aneta next Spring! I hope future Lisa never forgets that when she puts her mind to something...there's no stopping her.
What makes you feel electric?
LP: Leading people in class, whether it's guiding them through their yoga practice or having them pulse in a sculpt/barre class is what makes me feel electric.
RAPID FIRE
Current favourite book? The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins
A quote you love? Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away
Your most-used phrase? Are you for real?
Morning ritual? My skin care routine, meditation, walks with the pups
Instant mood booster? Hearing my kids laugh and/or watching any Friends episode
Favourite way to sweat? Hot yoga
One thing you never leave home without? My phone and lip gloss
Something you’ll never outgrow? Fitness
Current obsession? Peptides
Your happy place? My home yoga studio in my loft
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Consider this your sign to book the class, wear the lip gloss, protect your peace, and maybe give fewer fucks. Thank you, Lisa Pisano, for being such a beautiful person inside and out and for inspiring us to keep evolving, getting stronger, and creating lives that actually feel like our own. If you’re in the Burlington area, keep an eye out for one of Lisa’s classes at Power Yoga Canada, and follow along on Instagram at @LisaPYoga
And now you know.
xo Shelley
