SMOKING AND GRILLING WITH CHEF DAVID ROSE

It has been quite a year and yet, 2020 continues to roll on. In the midst of a lot of uncertainty, there have been things that remind us how life was prior to living in the pandemic that has taken place across the globe. This holiday season will be a bit different than what we have experienced with us socially distanced and not partaking in holiday parties and events that we have been used to in the past. We caught up with Chef David Rose to hear some tips on how we can tackle this year's season.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed seeing you as a finalist on Season 13's Food Network Star, being a Food Network personality and a number of shows. How do you define your cooking style?

CHEF DAVID ROSE: My cooking style is kind of a mix of a couple of different things. First off, my family is Jamaican and I am from the tri-state area so there is a huge cultural melting pot. I would say that I cut my teeth in terms of cooking in the South. So you see a lot of Southern influences and twists on my recipes. But I was also classically trained in the French arts at Le Cordon Bleu where I graduated summa cum laude back in 2006 – very proud of that one right there! I would say that my cooking style is elevated Southern with a Caribbean French Twist and a bit of international influences. So I'm sort of a man of mystery and a chef of mystery! I like to keep people on their toes and to keep them guessing.

AM: The Athleisure team throughout quarantine has enjoyed a number of the dishes from Omaha Steaks so we know that they are more than just steak and chicken as they have sides and desserts. As the Executive Chef for Omaha Steaks, what is the synergy between you and the brand and what can we expect to see between you and them in this partnership?

CHEF DR: Definitely. I am a huge smoking and grilling fan and fanatic! I have about 4 or 5 grills so I think that smoking and grilling unleashes the natural amazingness and flavors that you can find over at Omaha Steaks. From one of my favorites, the Tomahawk Ribeye that nice luscious bone eye and then there is the file as well as the strips and the T-bone. You also can’t go wrong with a lobster tail as well. I’m pretty sure when offered a surf and turf, nobody ever ever said no! A lot of those things go really well together. As far as being Jamaican, you know we eat everything. Whether it be chicken, it’s beef, turkey – whatever. We love everything and you can find so many assortments of proteins from ready to eat sides and ready to eat desserts. It’s all on the web-site and I’m excited to be able to bring my Southern influence and Caribbean influence to an incredible company known for their meat and protein portfolio in order to exude and explore and to showcase my style of cooking with Omaha Steaks.

AM:We’re in holiday mode and obviously celebrations look a little different this year with virtual get-togethers and gatherings. What tips do you have especially for veteran hosts that will be putting on dinners that are slightly scaled back then what they’re used to.

CHEF DR: I think that 2020 is a year that nobody has experienced and I’m pretty confident in saying that. According to a new Harris Poll, more than half of Americans are planning to celebrate with 5or less people and 1/3 of Americans are opting or are considering Zoomsgivingwhich is through the joy of Zoom whichI’m pretty sure that everyone has become acclimated with during quarantine. You can celebrate that experience of cooking and eating even if you’re not able to do it in person but can through the magic of Zoom or other virtual platforms.

The holidays can be very anxious especially if it is the first time that you have ever cooked a turkey. We have a 10lb pre-bast-ed turkey that gets shipped to your door-step. What I recommend is that the #1mistake that most rookies make when they are tackling a turkey is not allow-ing enough adequate time for the turkey to thaw. You always want to allow for at least 3 days for that turkey to thaw. If it’s a 10lb one, you want to give it the full 3 days and if you want the crispy skin that we all love and is indicative of a turkey, you want to uncover it in a roasting rack for an additional 24hours. By doing that, it’s going to dry the skin out and give you that golden brown crispy turkey skin every single time. As far as doing all of that. We also suggest making your turkey a day ahead of time. It allows you to have a stress free, anxiety reduced day on Thanksgiving. When you do that, you want to take the turkey out, remove the breast, the thighs, the legs and the wings. The key thing is to allow the turkey to rest and come to room temperature. What you do then is put it inside of the fridge. When you remove the turkey from the fridge on Thanksgiving day, you just need to reheat it and then you’re just focusing on the sides, the appetizers and my personal favorite – the desserts. Another way to shave some time from the prep is to buy some mix and match sides from the site as there are a lot of options. We also have a great partnership with Wine.com where we have some packages that can be purchased.

I always say, that being ready, being prepared and keeping your freezer stocked with a plethora of goodness means that you’re always going to be the hero at any Thanksgiving or Zoomsgiving table.

AM: What are your go to mains and sides that you enjoy having around?

CHEF DR: One of my favorite things is a Prime Rib Roast. I think that this reigns supreme at any holiday dinner table. I just love to eat that bone when I’m done. I’m a gnawer Athleisure, I’m a gnawer. If you have dogs, the dogs will appreciate that as well. The great thing about a Prime Rib Roast is that I can be shared with families, it’s great for leftovers – you can make a prime rib sand-wich the following day. To me, nothing screams celebrations, nothing screams holidays more than an amazing Prime RibRoast. We have an amazing selection of those as well.

AM: What are some recipes that we should keep in mind as well as we are navigating this holiday season?

CHEF DR: What I would recommend is that you want to go and brine the turkey to add additional flavor. These pre-basted turkeys are already pre-brined. They have their brown sugar, their honey and so it’s not just about the flavor but the color so it has that golden brown deliciousness. Now some of my personal flavor recipes is that I love doing compound butters. They're great for steaks, they’re great for roasts and I recommend if you want to get that juicy lush turkey breast, is make that. A compound butter is a fancy way to essentially say a butter with herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. To get that re-ally juicy and luscious turkey breast, you take that compound butter and you slide it under the skin and slather it all over the breast. Now what that does is that when that turkey slowly cooks and we know that that fat of the butter is where the flavor comes in – it just makes it taste amazing with great texture 10 out of 10 times.

AM: Like you said earlier, 2020 no one can say that we have ever seen anything like this! How do you plan on ringing in the New Year?

CHEF DR: I think everyone is looking for-ward to ringing in 2021 and what I’m planning on doing is having a nice Prime RibRoast, maybe a filet or Ribeye on the grill– one of these amazing food packages where you can’t forget about your libations! For me, a nice glass of bourbon and just enjoying one of my favorite pairings– steak and bourbon. You can’t go wrong with that.

IG @ChefDavidRose

PHOTOS COURTESY | OMAHA STEAKS

Hear Chef David Rose on our show, Athleisure Kitchen - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeart-Radio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, AmazonMusic, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Smoking and Grilling with Chef David Rose in mag.

STYLE FILES | SS21

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Style Files | SS21 in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | NORMANI

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Normani in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

SCAM GODDESS

Earwolf + Team Coco

Spotify

We've followed Scam Goddess for quite a while, but it was seeing the podcast's host Laci Mosley sharing her insight on scams on a recent episode of ABC's The Con which looks at scams that are known and unknown that intrigued us even more. After hearing her commentary of The Varsity Blues Con, we began listening to her show which breaks down a variety of cons in this true crime genre with her comedian guests that appear on the show.

Each week, she talks about the scam of the moment, digging deeply into the scam of the week and then looks at the historical ones and how they have manifested. They even share anecdotes of scams and rackets that they engaged in and the lessons that they learned and why they no longer doing them.

GHOST TAPE

QCode

Apple Podcast

As we have navigated quarantine, we got to know about the immersive audio-focused podcast network, QCode and have shared a few of their shows on previous Bingely Streaming inclusions. This month, their latest Ghost Tape dropped and we're hooked with-out a doubt.

If you enjoy military conspiracies with a sci-fi component, this show is something that you will enjoy. We are introduced to a cast that is in the throws of grief as well as being confused about the circumstances of how Tessa Dixon'sgrandfather died. Her desire to know more about his unexpected death sends her to signing up for the military to be able to under-stand more. Along the way, she comes across a tape that creates havoc on the lives of anyone that listens to it.

This tape takes over aspects of her life and puts her in a scenario of being accused of killing a fellow soldier. In addition, her psychiatrist in an attempt to help her listen to the tape and begins his own journey with it. He also realizes that not everything he is being told by military staff is in fact true. As we navigate the death of Tessa's grandfather and her charges - we get closer to what this podcast is all about.

DEAD EYES

Headgum

iHeart Radio

We've all been in an interview scenario where we thought we had the job, had to go back and maybe it didn't go as well as planned. In Dead Eyes, actor Connor Ratliff tells us about auditioning for HBO's Band of Brothers and his excitement for getting one of the minor roles. Although they had seen his tape, his agent calls him suddenly and asks him to come back into read in front of the director, TomHanks as there is a concern that he has "dead eyes." Although this audtion happened 2 decades ago, this podcast explores those who were connected to this show, Tom Hanks or, Connor. We get to hear his conversations with the actor who ended up playing his part - Adam Sims (Lost in Space), the actors he would have worked with Ron Livingston (Office Space and Sex in the City TV series) and Stephen McCole (Rushmore and Outlander) and friends Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs and Neighbors) and Bobby Moynihan (The Secret Life of Pets and Saturday Night Live). In the second season, we continue to delve into this story and to see if we ever get to hear Tom weigh in on what happened.

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

THE PICK ME UP

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see The Pick Me Up in mag.

UNSTOPPABLE WITH TRACY TUTOR

As our long time readers know, a number of our cover photoshoots have taken place in phenomenal luxury residences here in NYC as well as other locales around the country. So it's no surprise that we love reality shows that focus on luxury real estate. The OG of these programs includes BRAVO's, Million Dollar Listing. Both NY and LA focuses not only on the housing market in those cities but also follows the brokers to understand what their lives and interactions are like as they are closing multi-million dollar deals.

Tracy Tutor is the first female broker to join the cast of Million Dollar Listing LA. Her no-nonsense ability to wheel and deal, put her clients in check when needed and her belief in empowering those around her comes through the screen every week. In addition, her understanding of the industry due to her years of work within residential as well as her work with her father, Ronald Tutor of Tutor Perini on the commercial side of the business makes her someone you enjoy watching. While she has had successes in her career, and in the show, we saw her navigate divorcing her husband and being a mom of 2 daughters. We took some time to catch up with Tracy to talk about her work, balancing being a mom, how she has embraced fitness into her lifestyle and what she thinks about the current market in these times.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have enjoyed seeing you on BRAVO’s Million Dollar ListingLA by shaking it up as the show’s first female multi-million dollar real estate broker, with your industry know-how, business savvy, and amazing outfits! We know that your father is a noted civil and building contractor, Ronald Tutor, I’m sure that you were aware of the industry from a young age but, what was the moment when you realized that you wanted to work in real estate?

TRACY TUTOR: The truth is, that it was not at all what I had planned. I was an actor and had studied theatre in college. After a couple of years of auditioning post-graduation, I realized that I didn't want to wait around for someone to tell me I had gotten the part. I knew I was good at selling myself, so it wasn’t much of a stretch to sell houses. Candidly, I knew I could sell anything, so I’m glad I picked a product that happens to have the highest return on my investment.

AM: Prior to focusing on residential real estate, what was your path in this industry and what is it about residential that speaks to you?

TT: Residential sort of fell into my lap, after making the decision to stop pursuing being an actress. Residential is about an emotional connection but it’s still a business. I love the marrying of the two! As we know, emotion and business (one is not quite like the other) so when you are able to navigate between the two, that is what excites me.

AM: As one of the top agents at Douglas Elliman Beverly Hills within their Sports & Entertainment division. You’ve represented noteworthy brands, iconic architects, consulted for luxury five-star hotels as well as serving as a US Ambassador for the Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences in Dubai – just to name a few. How has it been juggling all of these roles, projects and opportunities?

TT: I always say if you are not striving for something new and pushing yourself, you are just surviving.

AM: What is your process when it comes to deciding on upcoming projects that you and your team will participate in?

TT: I rarely turn down a project, but when I do it will be about one of two things.

1. Unrealistic price expectation.

2. Ego. I think ego is the toughest to get beyond. I have learned how to get around unrealistic sellers and price, and have many have strategies to get around that in most cases, but ego....well, at my age, Idon’’t have time for it.

AM: Tell us about how you joined the cast of Million Dollar Listing LA and why you felt that this was something that you wanted to do with your brand?

TT: I was on season 9 showing a property of Josh Altman's and we were able to put a deal together on the listing. During the course of shooting, we had great chemistry on screen together. After the show aired, the producers approached me and asked if I had any interest in discussing joining the cast. The rest is history.

AM: What is it like filming each season with you and your team as well as with the other brokers that are also in the cast?

TT: It is a lot of work for all of us. Remember, we already have full-time careers and the show generally shoots for 12 months, so there are days where a normal 10 hour day becomes a 13 hour one. It is hard to juggle the clients and shooting, but we get out there and do it because it is the best marketing tool we could ask for and we are all grateful for it.

AM: One of the things that we have enjoyed watching you on the show is how you speak your mind, you demand more and how you’re not willing to settle. Have you always been this way and how can one get that mindset when they are in their boardrooms in their life?

TT: It really is about fear, isn’t it? That is what truly holds us all back from achieving our highest potential. I have always had the instinct to challenge the system and push back. But to be truly good in the proverbial “boardroom” you have to embrace fear every day, feel and acknowledge it and then put it away so that you can trust your instincts to guide you when you need it the most. If you can’t hear what your gut is telling you because there is so much noise and insecurity in the way, then you can’t win the room. It’s that simple.

AM: How important is it to you to empower women to own their space, handle ego and deflect power plays?

TT: I love women. I believe we are the stronger sex. Period. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually. We have unfortunately for centuries been told we are the weaker sex, so believing in our power, doesn’t come naturally to us. I love that discussion and reminding women that they are all lions, they maybe just haven’t heard their roar yet. We should listen to our intuition more. It’s our greatest gift and trusting it, learning how to use it to our advantage and giving it a real voice is what separates us from our male counterparts.

AM: What led you to creating your best-selling book, Fear is Just a Four-Letter Word: How to Develop the Unstoppable Confidence to Own Any Room?

TT: I knew that I was lucky to have the platform representing women on a show dominated by men. I was hyper-aware of my industry and felt particularly passionate about sharing my experience as a woman in this business.

AM: Do you think that you will continue to write additional books in this area?

TT: I think the next one might be a more personal journey. Who I am in business is greatly affected by my personal experiences. I want to take my own advice to be fearless enough to talk about it.

AM: What words of wisdom do you have for women who are navigating their careers?

TT: Read my book and don’t let anyone tell you what you are capable of. Only you can define that.

AM: How do you balance the demands of a full career, filming, being a mom of 2 girls and your personal life – how do you take time for yourself?

TT: I forgive myself every day for the lack of perfection and I am honest. I am stretched as most working moms are; add in a divorce and the desire to have love in your life again and you have to be forgiving. I schedule time to not do anything. I mean really. I will say I am booked on a Sunday so that I can have that time to do whatever I feel like doing and sometimes that is absolutely nothing and it is fantastic.

AM: We know through the show that you went through a divorce while still having a very full schedule. How did you take going through this process and putting those emotions into focusing on health, fitness, and wellness?

TT: I don’t think that divorce propelled me into health/wellness and fitness. I think owning my truth and finding happiness within myself propelled me there.

AM: What is your preferred method that you enjoy to do when working out?TT:I love to mix it up but what I have found with my body now is that I don’t try to kill myself with anything too high intensity. I love weight training because you have to be mentally strong to push up weight be-yond your comfort zone. I like that challenge. It’s a time where I don’t think about work or friends or family or stress. I focus on my goal for that hour and give it 100%.

AM: Our readers are always looking for routines to add into their workout. What are 3 workouts you do for arms, 3 for abs, and 3 for glutes that you do?

TT: Arms: when I am walking on the tread-mill (which I do 5 days a week for an average of 45 minutes,) I carry 3 lb weights and do arms. 4 sets of 30 reps of each exercise:

o Curls

o Tricep kick backs

o Bicep extensions

o Shoulder press over head

ABS: 3 sets of 30-45 seconds each – upper ab first:

o Slow bicycles

o Toe touch with 10 lb db

o Suitcases

o Then lower – grab a pilates ball and place under small of back

o Out an inch and in an inch

o Single leg toe taps with ankle weights

o Both legs toe taps

Glutes: 4 sets of 20

o Hip thrusts with band – warmup

o Hip thrusts with 20 lb ball on hips

o Barbell squats

o RDL’s

AM: 2020 has been quite a year to navigate from COVID-19, social justice and the election to name a few. How have you been dealing with this especially as a parent of children?

TT: Let’s just say that I am welcoming 2021 as are my children.

AM: In terms of the real estate market, what do you think the impact of COVID-19 will be as we close this year and transition to 2021?

TT: Despite a couple month shutdown, we have rebounded quickly and I anticipate a strong 2021.

AM: What is your advice for those that are debating on whether they should buy a personal home or even one for investment purposes?

TT: Interest rates are at an all-time low and that gives someone attempting to get into the market strong buying power. So my advice is get out there and speak to your banker or financial advisor and discuss your options.

IG @TracyTutor

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 119 + 120 Matt Sayles | PG 123 Tracy Tutor |

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Unstoppable with Tracy Tutor in mag.

GOOD VIBES ONLY WITH SOFI TUKKER

This month's cover story features 2 X GRAMMY-nominated musical duo that we have been a fan of for awhile now. SOFITUKKER's music can be heard in some of your favorite Apple commercials, TV shows and even when you're hopping on your Peleton. This group is known for their jungle pop vibes and continuing to expand their footprint in the world through their creativity. We talked with them about how they began working with one another, how they got into the industry, their body of work and what they have been doing as they have navigated this time of quarantine.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Prior to becoming the powerhouse duo that you are, when did you fall in love with just music in general?

TUCKER HALPERN: I have always been in love with music. I played the drums and I was in garage bands growing up. But it al-ways took a backseat to basketball. That was my whole life for such a long time until I was like 20 – 22. For me, I didn’t really fall in love until the way that I am today until I got sick in college. That’s when I started turning my attention to something else. I really just fell in love with dance music and house music and stuff.

SOPHIE HAWLEY-WELD: I can’t really point to a specific period in time where I fell in love with music. It’s always been something that I have enjoyed listening to and I have always been dancing. I would always dance and be in musical theater as a kid. I started writing as a means of music therapy actually in middle school. I would play the guitar and I would write about my feelings. I found it so therapeutic to honestly just write about my experiences as opposed to thinking about it. It was my primary way of getting through my angst.

I was really into jazz and I took jazz singing lessons. I started to realize that I liked Brazilian jazz more than any other kind of jazz. I started taking Portuguese and I said, “hey, if I love this music so much, I should probably start taking lessons in it."So I really started loving the music and moved to Brazil for a bit and I just kept it going. I think it’s a long story but music is just such an experience in the way that you fall in love with it.

AM: We’re big fans of jazz music in our team and our co-founder’s great uncle was Joe Henderson, tenor saxophonist.

SHW: Cool!

AM: We love bossa nova as a form as well, what is it about this genre of music that pulls you in?

SHW: I just find it so intimate and sexy and soothing. I think that the language is perfect for jazz and singing. I think that it’s very vowel-y. I think it’s perfect and when you’re listening to it, the singers are whispering into the microphone.

AM: Pretty much.

SHW: Yeah and I just really enjoy that whole vibe.

AM: How did you guys meet one another and was the moment when you realized that you wanted to work together and that you had those traits that would be really beneficial together?

TH: Well, I think that I had to convince Sophie to do that – that I had traits to add to her repertoire. But the story goes, I was DJing after my basketball life in college during my senior year. I was DJing tons of house parties – like college stuff, but it was cool under-ground stuff. One of my friends asked me to DJ after this art show. We went to Brown and it was at this show in Providence in downtown like at a warehouse thing. I went early to set up and Sophie was the acoustical per-former at the art show and I think that there was only 10 people there. But I was sort of setting up and watching her perform with a couple of friends that I knew from my music classes at school. She was amazing and she was only singing in Portuguese and it was really beautiful bossa nova music which I had never really heard much of before.I thought that it was really cool but it was really slow. Like REALLY slow – like 4BPMs – I swear! I was like, man this would be so much cooler if it was more upbeat and had a house beat behind it. When she sort of finished and it was supposed to be my turn to play, I actually said casually,“hey keep playing and I’m going to bringing a beat with it.” So like, looping the intro with a house music track and I put it really slow at the tempo that they were playing at and then I started speeding it up and I said, “just follow the tempo.” She start-ed singing the song at a faster beat that was behind it. So I said, “ok this is going to work.

After that, I think she stayed for my set – did she?

HW: I did.

TH: You must have – you had to. She was probably hitting on a guy that was there ha.

SHW: Of course haha.

TH: So the role reversed. I had to introduce myself to her after I played and I was like, what were you singing. She told me that they were original songs that she made. I asked her if I could do a remix of the last one that she was singing. She agreed but told me that there was no real recording of it. I said, “cool, come over to my apartment tomorrow – a dorm apartment and let’s rerecord it and I’ll make an electronic version of the song. She did come over and we did start making a different version of the song and –

SHW: We just started working every day and making new projects. It was so easy to work together. Were we even friends? We started working with each other for a long time but we weren’t hanging out socially. We just had a great work friendship.

AM: That’s mind-boggling! You’d think that the two of you started this as being best friends or at least really good acquaintances.

SHW: Yeah we didn’t even hang out with one another outside of making our music. We were just making music. Eventually, Tucker convinced me that I should come to NY. Then I thought, “wait, who is this guy?” I talked to people that I knew that we had in common and I was like, “do you vouch for him and should I move to NY with him to create a band with him?” They were like, “oh yeah, he’s a great guy – you should go with him.”

AM: What is your process like when you do sit down and create music together? Do you guys have designated roles?

SHW: Yeah. Every song is very different. But for the most part, Tucker is at the computer and I’m on the guitar and writing most of the lyrics. Now he’s singing a lot more which is cool. It’s also because as the band has evolved we have done the same as well.

AM: You guys have worked with so many artists over the past few years, what are you guys looking for when you are deciding on collaborating with people outside of yourselves?

TH: Honestly, I think that we’re just looking at people with good vibes. We love working with friends and people that we admire and look up to. That actually has a lot to do with the vibe that they are putting out into the world. We enjoy working together. One of the coolest things about collaboration is about putting out like a baby into the world that you created together and then being able to celebrate that together. Then being able to perform it together. You’re sort of bonded with that group forever. It will sort of always be a part of who you are. It’s just fun and it also gets you to have that opportunity for that music to have a little more freedom.

Because you’re able to work with another artist who has their musical sound, we don’t have to worry about whether that music has the SOFI TUKKER sound and if itis really in our world, having that aesthetic and that palette because it’s a collab-oration. So it can also live in Icona Pop’s world or someone else’s world. So it can have a little more risk and it can be a little more out there. Maybe not more out there as I think SOFI TUKKER songs are out there.

AM: Oh yes in the best possible way!

TH: Right I love out there. In a way – the collaboration has a way of being able to be out there – you know what I mean?

AM: Yeah. It’s about blending. When you have two collaborators that you know their work separately, come together it’s a hybrid that’s undefined and gives you the space to create. That’s so exciting when you see that come together.

TH: You get me.

AM: Yes! Our team has done fun projects outside of Athleisure Mag. Our Style Director had the opportunity to style Nile Rodgers a few years ago and her style has its signature and Nile is known for his. So the two coming together to create a look really took the pressure off of her as they both had a united vision without her wondering how it would go against her aesthetic. She could just sit back and enjoy the work and embrace his vibes and interests while adding in her touches.

TH: Exactly, it’s fun to have the other create fingerprints on it as well.

AM: Prior to COVID-19, you guys had a number of tours that you were on and creating a number of amazing shows. In prep for this interview, when we have told people that you guys are the cover, everyone would tell us about their show experience when jamming out with you guys and how it was the best night of their lives. So many people have painted a picture for us about your shows, but for those that have yet to go, what is it like for one of your in-person shows?

TH: I don’t remember.

AM: It feels like so long ago!

SHW: It’s like an electric orgasm!

TH: It’s all that energy coming together on one wavelength. It’s like losing your shit. You know when you’re like 13 with your friends and you’re listening to music on your boombox in your room and you’re like dancing on your bed – like losing it? I try to bring the adult back to that – to that primal nature.

AM: Do you guys have pre-show things that you do to get your mind ready for the show and then things that you do when the show is over? You guys are pushing through so much energy that it’s unimaginable how much you guys must hype yourselves up and then come down from that whole effect.

SHW: It is a p-r-o-c-e-s-s.

TH: We have different processes.

AM: Assumed!

TH: I’m going to let Sophie go as it’s such a process.

SHW: I’m really sensitive to stimulus as a person. I have to warm up to and then cool down from it or else I would never be able to survive. Basically, hours before the show my prep begins. 4 hours prior to the show, I will have my last meal. About an hour before the show, I start my vocal exercises. They are very physical and funny. That will go for about an hour and a half. Down to the hour, I know exactly what I am doing. After my vocal warm-up, I will do my physical warm-up. It’s about rolling out my body and it’s intricate. For the last 5 mins, we will dance around and psych each other up. You know, just jumping around with nervous energy.

After the show, then I have a vocal cooldown and then ideally, there’s a bathtub or a shower that also helps me to come down.

AM: Although that was an unexpected answer, love hearing this and knowing that there is such a thing as a vocal cool down is something new to us!

SHW: It doesn’t take that long. It’s just learning about putting the vocal in the right place in your mouth if that makes sense. That way you don’t get hoarse. When you talk right after singing, it can be really draining on the voice.

AM: Totally. Tucker?

TH: Mine is a little simpler. Before the show, we both pretty much treat it like a basketball game. It’s all about the warmup, being able to blast music – usually, dance music. It gets more intense as it goes. The first hour maybe a bit more chiller. By the end, it could be trance by the time we’re ready to go out so we're losing it. I’m really big into warming up because if we don’t do it or don’t do it long enough, my hamstrings will just bedone and then it’s all over. Right before we go out, we really hype each other up and Sophie gives me a 5-star on the back, like a really hard one. And it always hurts, but it stings and it gives me a little extra jolt which I like – but I don’t miss it that much haha!

SHW: What?

TH: I call it the 5-star. Sophie didn’t know that that’s what I call it until now! It’s a big slap on your back – it’s a 5-star. Afterwards, I ice up my knees and my feet with bags of ice or an ice bath type of situation.

AM: Um truly like a basketball player!

TH: Yeah, it’s very similar to my routine when I was a basketball player. We kind of run around and go nuts on stage. When I come off stage, my shirt is entirely dripping in sweat. It’s like a full hour and a half of going nuts. So I really have to ice but I don’t have to do the wind-down when we go back to the ho-tel after shows, I can just lie on the bed and fall asleep a minute after raving. Sophie has to do like a full 2-hour yoga wind down. When we used to share a hotel room for the first couple of years because we had smaller budgets, it was not ideal to share a room. I’d want to put the TV on so that I could watch SportsCenter and fall asleep to it and she could not have any light stimulation or noise or she would not be able to fall asleep. She has like earplugs and an eyemask. If I had the TV on even in silent, she’d be like, “nope the light flickering is fucking me up.” I was like, “this is ridiculous.

AM: You guys have had such a successful career, you have 2 GRAMMY nominations, you’ve played a number of festivals, I al-ways love hearing your music when it's an Apple (Best Friend) or Peleton (Purple Hat) commercial – we’re huge fans of HBO’s The New Pope. So when we heard, Good Time Girls the opening song –that was amazing. What does it mean to you guys to have so much of your music placed into so many pop culture areas?

SHW: I think that we feel really lucky to be able to be in that space! It’s a great way for people to be able to connect to our music and it’s just such a great opportunity.

AM: Even as we navigate COVID-19, you guys have continued to stay connected with your fans. How did your daily con-certs from home start and how impactful has it been to be able to provide this to your fans? Especially when we’re in a moment where you can’t really, travel, tour etc.?

SHW: It started very organically and by accident. Tucker was DJing and I was working out. Our friend came down and started live-streaming what was happening. People were watching and it was really fun and we said let’s do it again. I think on the 3rd day, Tucker was like, we’re going to do this every day until COVID-19 is over. Obviously, little did we know that we would still be at it. What we’re doing is different than our live shows as this is a DJ set and has been so much fun. Honestly, it’s been one of the most meaningful moments that I would say of my life. We're in this moment in time right now where people are feeling loneliness and are suffering and we are able to bring people together every single day. Everybody that is coming together are our friends and our community is now called the Freak Famand it’s grown to be this big community outside of ourselves. They have come together and they’re so inclusive and warm– it’s been great to see and gives us hope. This year, we’ve seen a lot of things about our world that hasn’t been great so to see that there are people like this has really been something that I have loved being able to be a part of.

AM: Are these shows thematic by genre, country or dedicated to specific portions of your fan base? Do you guys just freeflow every day?

TH: The Freak Fam is really so world wide that our music is really for everyone out there. It’s interesting because there are so many different time zones and languages that for those, it would feel odd to be specifically towards just one place because it's so diverse. We have done specific shows like an all Australia set for Australian radio where it live-streamed and it only featured artists from Australia. We’ve done some Mexico specific ones – we’ve done it. But for the daily streams, we just try to keep it inclusive for everyone.

AM: When you guys createdTreehouse, there are so many good songs on it. How long did it take you to make it and what was that like?

SHW: It’s so different now versus then.

When we madeTreehouse, we didnt have real time off. We basically used the time in between our tours. We would go to the studio, work on the songs, etc. Since it was done that way, it probably took a year to get that album out. There would be gaps where we couldn’t work on songs for a number of months as it would be a couple of days here and a couple of days there.

AM: Last month we interviewed you andIcona Pop about the release of SPA which we loved. We just caught the video recently as we have it on repeat. What was the thought behind having Jordan Firstman and Mia Khalifa also being included in this video and how did that come about?

SHW: I think it started out with Icona Pop as they were friends with him. We’re so lucky that we were able to have them in their as they are so iconic and I love their videos. They’re both so cool and iconic in their own way.

AM: You guys have the interactive e-con-cert coming up on Yoop on Mar 12, 2021 at- live from their eSPACE in Nashville. How did this come together and how are you working in terms of being prepared for that one?

TH: We’re so excited about this one. We’ve been waiting for the right kind of virtual experience that would fit what we would want that would be really unique and would be different from going and watching one of our live shows from YouTube or something. We were looking for a platform that had a real two-way traction. One of the main parts about our show is the connection between us and the fans and the real give and take and not just for our enjoyment although we definitely do have that. But the shows have a real live effect as it gets everyone on the same wavelength which is an important part about our show. To try to do that in a virtual world through technology, we thought that this platform would be a great way to do that. It has no lag between communication. People can clap at the end of shows or scream and we can hear that. There are these 3 big movie like screens in front of us where the crowd would normally be and there’s the ability to scroll through thousands of people who are listening in from their house. We can even pick them out and hear them with no lag time.

It’s the first thing that we have seen that is close to a real show and being able to get that real energy. We watched a couple of them as they were getting their plat-form going and just watching the kinds of interaction between the artist and their fans, talking through the songs and see-ing everyone interacts – it was such a cool experience. It made me really thing that you were there in that experience altogether. You know it’s live. I’ve seen some live streams and it looks like it was just pre-recorded shows that you’re watching. That’s cool, but for us we want to try to really have that live feel.

AM: In these times that we’re living in right now, how are you spending your time in quarantine when you’re not doing your daily shows? Are you working on your next album or finding new hobbies that you didn’t know that you had?

SHW: We’ve never had this much time be-fore ever! It’s really interesting. We have been working on a lot of new music. I'm not going to announce anything specific.

AM: Thought so.

SHW: But, there is a body of work!

AM: Nice.

SHW: But we have never had this amount of time where we could work on songs like this. So we’re really excited about that process. I mean, we try to get outside a lot. I’ve been DJing every day. I wasn’t really DJing before this time. So I spend a lot of time practicing DJing now and I spend a lot of time doing tutorials. I take guitar lessons as well to take the time to work on my craft. I love being able to do that and I also play things in our DJ set of things that our Freak Fam is doing. It could be poetry or things that they are doing and so I will work on that. There’s a ton to do!

AM: How do you guys stay inspired?

SHW: I’d say that the DJ sets that we're doing right now are really inspired. It’s energizing and it’s fun to try out a set or song and see how it works. Then we can go back and work on it more and then try it out on a set again. It’s really cool to be able to have that feedback when we're working on something. We can go directly from studio to set to play it.

AM: A lot of people are thinking about what next year will look like in terms of returning to IRL events and things of that nature. Have you guys begun to sketch out what plans to doing something like that will look like? Or are you looking at circling that date in hopes that you can actually do that show or particular event?

SHW: I would say that we’re trying not to get our hopes up!

AM: Same!

SHW: I think that we actually haven’t even gone there. Like obviously our team is there creating plans, but in our hearts, we just believe that today is what today is and tomorrow is what tomorrow is. But it’s really hard mentally to go past anything like a month. I mean how the world is right now and what it will be, we know it’s really unpredictable right now and that’s all we can predict!

AM: We’ve literally had the same conversations on this end. When can we do IRL shoots, attend events etc. To be able to think about that and to think about the safety around those elements is just a lot to take in because the plans become so fluid and it’s definitely hard to predict. It’s too soon!

SHW: Yeah.

AM: What do you guys think about the fact that because you have had so much virtual/digital engagement and even hearing about this new platform that your show on the 4th will be on, everyone regardless of their vertical has embraced these concepts. When things at some point in life do get back to being in person, will you guys maintain some of these virtual nuggets that you have been playing around with and that people have enjoyed even when they can move around more freely?

TH: For sure! I think that he whole world has definitely embraced the virtual element in all industries. I’m sure a lot of companies are saying, “you know, we don’t really need that office space. We can do it from home and save all of this money.” I think that it will be the same in the music industry. We can’t get everywhere and there are still places that we have never been able to go. We have played in a lot of places but there are so many places that we haven’t been able to play for many reasons. Sometimes it’s just as simple as the currency of that country as doing it would mean that we would financially lose money and people can’t afford the show. I think there is such a good use of virtual shows and our DJ sets whether it’s geotargeted or geo-locked and can only be seen in certain places, I think it’s going to be really useful.

You can have people watching you from all over the world and be united and that doesn’t have when we have our in person shows. Only people in that space/that town get to be in that moment. It can accomplish something sometimes bigger and sometimes more broad. Because it’s free (not the Yoop show,) but what we have been doing is, hopefully, it’s just a 1-click for free mouse move as the barrier into entry. Those who may not have known us well enough to pay for a ticket or two to make a plan in their week to see us can do it now because of this platform when they wouldn’t have prior to. So there is always a good use for something like this and I think it will get creative when the world is back to the new normal or whatever it is.

AM: What do you guys see as being next in terms of the SOFI TUKKER brand? Launching a fashion line, getting into acting – are there other areas that you want to be able to embrace in addition to your successful music career?

SHW: Tucker is a thespian!

TH: No not really! Haha

SHW: Haha I don’t think my sarcasm translates well to print haha!

AM: Haha we caught it!

SHW: So we have our body of work that we are working on right now and I don’t think that we have ever been so proud of the music that we are making. We definitely are interested in launching projects of course.

TH: If you have anything in mind, we’re around!

AM: Of course!

SHW: We don’t have any booking plans right now to get in the way of that.

TH: We want to be able to continue to do what we’re doing and to grow the FreakFam as well! When live shows return, we want to be able to do it in a hopefully big-ger and more exciting place than where we left off. It’s exciting and we’ve loved being able to find ways to keep growing and to work with so many great people.

SHW: It’s been a really tough time as I’m really far away from my family. So that’s tough so to have the work that we do –our music and our purpose and to have a community that is so vibrant it really helps. It takes a time that is really tough and difficult and helps me and others get through it. It makes it a lot easier to focus on things and to be able to be excited about them.

AM: Clearly you guys inspire people with everything that you do. So we always like asking people who are 3 people that you know or admire from afar that have in-spired who you are today?

TH: There are so many people and I think when you think about the people that we have learned from – when we started the group or band or duo – still don’t know what to call it 5 years later ha! We start-ed, we were really uncomfortable taking photos, being on social media and we wouldn’t take selfies because we thought it was lame. Then something as simple as seeing other friends of ours do what they did and were amazing at social media, that was inspiring to us.

For me in short, it would be Larry Bird.

AM: Yes! Our Co-Founder loves Larry Bird!

TH: Is she from French Lick?

AM: No, Indianapolis but she’s all about him and you can never say anything wrong about him – his work ethic and focus is amazing.

TH: Exactly. I’m from Boston and as a sports guy, I grew up idolizing his work ethic, how hard he played and how hard he practiced. When I watched him play, that was always instilled in me and I learned it from sports. I knew that if you’re not working, someone else is getting better. It’s not like everything is a competition but it is competitive and that is motivating for me.

AM: In our Style Director’s home state, they believe in Life is Sports and Sports is life. How you are in sports is how you're going to go about life. So it is a competition and in many ways, that competition will be with yourself. And the reality is that someone else is also doing what you are doing so you need to be ready to perform. It’s a great point!

TH: A lot of what I learned there, we have brought into our world here. Being a captain on a college basketball team and working together – a lot of those skills are also applicable in what we do now and it was great to bring it in here.

SH: I’m going to give you an emotional answer because my grandfather passed away recently. I would say that he is one of the reasons why I am who I am today and he inspired me. A – he always treated me like I was the most special person in the world. The thing about him is that I think he actually treated a lot of people that way so it wasn’t just about me. That’s how he was with people and when he interacted with them, he made them feel that way. Feeling seen and having that kind of love in my life made me believe in myself and made me want to give that back to other people so that others could be seen and feel special. The other thing is that he was always jolly and I never heard him complain and I think that that value is something that we have also brought into the community and the band.

IG @SOFITUKKER

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

Athleisure Mag's virtual cover shoot was shot by Co-Founder + Celebrity Photographer Paul Farkas. Throughout this shoot, Paul used an iPhone 11 Pro, iPad Air 2, Facetime and Clos.

STYLE CREDITS

Athleisure Mag's Celeb Fashion Stylist, Co-Founder, Creative + Style Director Kimmie Smith shares what she used to create the cover editorial with SOFI TUK-KER for a number of fun vibrant looks.

LOOK I | LOUNGE STYLE

FRONT COVER, PG 16 + 19 | SOPHIE: DIPPIN' DAISY'S Show Off Bralette + Friday Night Pant | MAISON MIRU Halo Oval Hoop Earrings in Sterling | EXPERIMENTAL JEWELLERY CLUB Gold Pyramid Stud Bracelet | NIKE Sneakers | TUCKER: RUSSELL ATHLETIC Tie Dye French Terry Hoodie + Short | PUMA RS-2K Messaging Sneakers | SOFI TUKKER Yellow Choker Chain |

LOOK II | SPORTY STYLE

BACK COVER + PG 20 - 25 | SOPHIE: L'OEUFPOCHE Cloud 9 Crop Pullover | L'ETOILE SPORT A-Line Skort | MAISON MIRU Halo Oval Hoop Earrings in Sterling | Nike Sneakers | BABOLAT Pure Aero Tennis Racket | TUCKER: ALO YOGA Idol Hooded Runner + Chill Short | MATADOR MEGGINGS Cubed Meggings | PUMA RS-2K Messaging Sneakers | SOFI TUKKER Yellow Choker Chain |

LOOK III | WEEKEND STYLE

PG 27 - 32 | SOPHIE: BALANCE ATHLETICA Tie Dye Hoodie | PANGAIA Lightweight Recycled Cotton Track Pants | MAISON MIRU Halo Oval Hoop Earrings in Sterling | PUMA RS-Fast Sneaker |TUCKER: MUNICIPAL Standard Issue 300 Hoodie | PUMA X KIDSUPER STUDIOS Track Pants | Nike Sneakers | SOFI TUKKER Yellow Choker Chain |

LOOK IV | STUDIO STYLE

PG 35 - 39 | MUNICIPAL Sport Utility Hoodie + Jogger |

LOOK V | CASUAL STYLE

PG 40 + 41 | KALORE Ivory Satin Top + Stretch Pants | MAISON MIRU Halo Oval Hoop Earrings in Sterling | STELLA MCCARTNEY Holographic Sneakers |

LOOK VI | CHILL STYLE

PG 42 + 43 | BALANCE ATHLETICA Tie Dye Hoodie | MUNICIPAL Crossover Short |

IG @PVFarkas

@Shes.Kimmie

Hear EDM musical duo SOFI TUKKER on our show, #TRIBEGOALS - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see SOFI TUKKER in mag as well as their 9PLAYLIST 9MIX.

9PLAYLIST | SOFI TUKKER

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | SOFI TUKKER in mag.

9PLAYLIST 9MIX | SOFI TUKKER

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag #59 and see 9PLAYLIST 9MIX in mag as well as see them on our YouTube channel.

ATHLEISURE LIST | PERSONA NUTRITION

We all know the saying, "health is wealth." Now more than ever, we know the importance of staying healthy and taking vitamins and supplements so that we stay on top of it. When you're looking at what's the right vitamin, it can be confusing to know what we need, if what we're taking is right for us or if we are consuming the right amount.

Persona Nutrition is a personalized supplement subscription service that allows you to have 2 packets a day for morning and night that are based on what your needs are. To get started, you fill out a questionnaire about your age, health goals, lifestyle, diet, allergies and even the medication that you are currently taking. This information is compiled to create a map of your specific needs.

The doctor-designed algorithm then creates a wellness supplement plan with you in mind. It's based on the latest research and is customizable. Each month, you will receive daily supplements that are delivered to your door without having to worry about refills, picking them up from your pharmacy, etc. Should you decide to stop taking them, you can stop the subscription at any time.

We love the ease of taking these supplements as everything can be done through the app as well as having a nutrition team available to you. Whether you have questions on what you're taking or would like to talk about other concerns, their staff is there to ensure that your needs are met. Access to them is free of charge.

For those that are on medications, the doctors with Persona Nutrition are connected to expertise from their Medical Advisory Board as well as insight from peer-reviewed research which has created a database of over2,500 drugs that may interact with your nutrients. This has been built into the algorithm as well as a solution against adverse reactions.

If you're focused on key areas such as prenatal, mens, womens, bariatric, fitness, sleep, energy, stress and anxiety, weight support, immune defense, healthy aging, digestion, detox and joint health - they have programs targeted specifically towards these goals.

It's easily portable that you can ripoff each day and night that are clearly marked with your name - this is the essential way to ensure that your body is getting what it needs.

PHOTOS COURTESY | PERSONA NUTRITION

PERSONA NUTRITION

www.personanutrition.com
IG @personanutrition

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Persona Nutrition in mag.

BINGELY BOOKS

THE GOOD LORD BIRD

Riverhead Books

James McBride

If you enjoyed watching Showtime's limited series, The Good Lord Bird starring Ethan Hawke (Training Day and The Purge) as John Brown and Daveed Diggs (Hamilton and Snowpiercer TV series) as Frederick Douglass, you will enjoy the novel that it is adapted from.

We meet Henry Shackleford who lives in the Kansas Territory in 1856 - a battleground between those that are pro and anti-slavery. Henry is a slave and meets the infamous abolitionist, John Brown, and ends up joining him in his vision of freeing slaves - doing so as a girl. Their exploits result in working with one another leading up to the events of the historic raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859 which is a catalyst in the start of the Civil War.

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MODERN CIDER

Ten Speed Press

Emma Christensen

The concept of drinking and creating cider has had a renewed interest over the past couple of years. Back in the 1700's cider was considered a medicinal beverage that people consumed. Today, there are restaurants that are creating menus around this and a big growing movement to even make these at home as opposed to buying subscriptions to have them on hand.

Homebrew guru Emma Christensen created this book to talk about this movement, sourcing the fruits and juices as well as instructing us on bottling these beverages.

This book includes an array of recipes along with pictures. In addition, she looks at the world of cider by also sharing the cousins which include perry. In addition, she shares techniques that beer brewers use that are perfect for those working with cider.

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PIE FOR EVERYONE

Harry N. Abrams

Petra "Petee" Paredez

If you have yet to enjoy pies from Petee's Pie Company and/or Petee's Café, then her new cookbook, Pie For Everyone has 80+ recipes that you can enjoy learning to make. She breaks down how to make her sweet treats and focuses on her prime goal - creating the perfect crust that's tender and flaky. Once you have the crust down, it's about making the perfect balance of filling so that each bite has the intended textures together.

She creates an easy to follow cookbook with a focus on using locally sourced ingredients. In addition, her step-by-step instructions take the stress out of making her creations. Recipes include pies that are made from fruit, custard and cream. She even has savory pies which is perfect as we continue to go through the upcoming winter season.

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Books in mag.

SHE EMPOWERS WITH CHESLIE KRYST

We enjoyed talking to Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst who recently crowned Miss USA 2020 Asya Branch. During her reign, she competed at the Miss Universe 2019 competition and finished in the top 10 repre- senting the United States. She was also a part of a historic period where for the first time, all 4 major US based pagent holders were black women including Miss Universe 2019's Zozibini Tuni of South Africa, Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin and Miss Teen USA 2019 Kaliegh Garris.

We talked to the longest reigning Miss USA on how she got into the pageant world, her platform, being an attorney and her work as a correspondent on EXTRA.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what drew you to wanting to be in the pageants?

CHESLIE KRYST: My mom actually was Mrs North Carolina US 2002. She won this pageant for married women and I was 10 or 11 years old. I just remember feeling like my mom was famous. There were kids in my middle school who would ask me for my autograph. People who didn’t know my name before or who I was – I just remember saying that there was something cool about this. I knew at some point that I would compete.

AM: What drew you into wanting to stay in the pageant system in terms of initially competing and whether you plan on still being involved in activities that took place during your reign after the crown?

CK: Yeah! I think what kept me involved was seeing that pageantry could be a springboard into other places and that it could be a platform that you wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. I remember seeing photos of Halle Berry for years competing and she was the first runners up and then she was Miss USA and I was like, “oh my God. She’s an Academy Award-winning actress, I want to be that one day. How cool would that be?" Or seeing careers that people like Kenya Moore has had and to see how people who have been in this system, competed and how they have gone on to be these incredible public figures and I wanted that. I continue to compete not only because I wanted to reap the benefits, but because I was reaping the benefits. You prepare for interviews so your skills in that area are sharpened. You're thinking about what to wear on stage so you’re constantly thinking about styling so you have that more than someone else who may not be focused on what they’re wearing like that. It’s a big high-level goal that even if you don’t win you don’t lose either.

AM: You were recently the co-host of the Miss USA Competition as well as being able to crown the winner, what was that like especially as we’re navigating things in this time of COVID-19 that you were still able to put on a great show that people enjoy watching – especially with it being Graceland in Nashville as well as knowing your reign was over as you passed the baton?

CK: It was so much fun and it was a great transition out of my role into what my new life would be. For the final Miss USA Competition, I was an analyst and it was really cool to be able to go back and forth between the co-host interviewing me on stage and then back of house to talk about what we just saw on stage as well as to hear who I thought would continue to advance. It was so much fun and it was a literal translation of what my transition would be from being on stage and being a titleholder to being the person who assesses what is happening on stage guiding the viewers through what is happening. That was incredible for me and it took away those feelings of what would be sadness for the end of my reign.

AM: You have had the longest reign. What was the platform that you focused on during your time that you wanted people to be aware of?

CK: I focused on Social Justice and also became the Global Impact Ambassador for Dress for Success. I talked about on one hand as Dress for Success as an organization and on the other hand, criminal justice reform as a topic and continuing to advance on this issue obviously on the criminal federal level as well as the state level. Both of these topics were important to me. For Dress for Success, I got to go on a nationwide tour where I would meet with local affiliates and their clients, talk to professional women and to attendees about how important this organization is and how they could continue to support it. I got to see first hand the people that were being benefited by it and that was really important to me.

AM: Clearly you had a lot on your plate. How were you able to do the duties of Miss USA, you’re an attorney as well and also being a correspondent on Extra! How were you able to do all of that at the same time? Doing the prep for this interview, busy for you was an understatement!

CK: I was busy and it was quite a year and a half. Lucky for me, Miss USA is a full time job. So as soon as I won, I took a leave of absence from my law firm so I wasn’t actively practicing law while I was fulfilling my duties as Miss USA. I think that if I had been doing both, it would have been impossible for me to do both well. I did take the time away and now that I have ended my reign, I have decided to refocus on my career as a correspondent in working with EXTRA full time and have been placed on inactive status in North and South Carolina where my licenses were previously active so I’m not practicing law right now.

I mean, it was craziness when I was trying to go from appearances for Miss USA and then sprinting to red carpets to cover for celebrities for EXTRA like Gayle King.

AM: How did EXTRA come about as that’s such a fun show and you’ve been there for over a year!

CS: One of the producers for the show saw me win and she saw some of my interviews and had formed a close relationship with the President of the Miss Universe Organization, Paula Shugart as well as knowing others in the organization and she had served as a judge for us as well. She talked to them about being able to meet me and we talked about being able to do special correspondence. My first 3 interviews were Zendaya, Lizzo and Millie Bobby Brown. I just remember thinking, “wow you guys couldn’t start me off with someone that was less famous?” But Iike that they had confidence and me and in those interviews, they went well and kept bringing me on for assignments and eventually brought me on as a regular correspondent.

AM: What have been some of the most engaging things that you have done in your time as an EXTRA correspondent?

CK: There’s so many! Some of the red carpets have been really cool with actors and celebrities. I think it can be overwhelming sometimes when it’s your first one. I remember my first red carpet it was for a television show that had been turned into a movie. I just remember that there were so many celebrities and I remember Martha Stewart being on the carpet and she was randomly taking a picture on her phone in my direction while I was interviewing someone and I thought, “Martha Stewart is aware of my existence possibly.” That was a cool moment. I have been able to interview some great people like Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Henry Golding a couple of times and he was so sweet. I remember asking him who he was wearing and he said, “my wife dressed me.” She was literally standing behind me and I said, “thank you, you did a great job.” I’ve learned that the celebrities that I meet, they’re just real people and a lot of them are so kind and giving of their time and cool to talk to.

AM: How is it for you to prepare when it’s a one on one interview where you have a set period of time with someone versus something like a red carpet scenario where it’s one right after the other?

CK: For sure. You still try to research on the red carpet and to be aware of celebrities who could possibly be on the red carpet from background information, the movie that they are involved in etc. If it’s an event or a release, you want to know that as well so that you have that general knowledge. For smaller one on one interviews, I have more time to just focus on that person which I like. You don’t have to worry about having that publicist who grabs their client to get them into the next interview or that they’re really really tired after doing 7 interviews on a red carpet. It’s always great when you get a relaxed environment and people feel that they can take their guard down to talk to you. There’s also junkets where they are more like to red carpet and you have that back to back. So you just always have to do that prep.

AM: Tell us about White Collar Glam. It’s such an interesting concept and our readers would love to know more.

CK: It’s a blog that I started years ago as workwear fashion for women. I started it because I remember being in law school and there was a competition that I was preparing for trial bar. We made it through our regional competition and made it to nationals. I made it to nationals for this multiday competition and I brought 3 suits with me and one by one they were ruined while I was there. There was no air conditioning in one court room so I sweated through my suit and you could see the sweat marks from the outside.

The next day, I wore a different suit and it ripped while I walked to the court! So I was left with my last suit which was a little too big for me and it was drowning me. I remember just being frustrated and I was like, “I have this important competition and I need to focus on that, but I’m thinking about this suit and I don’t even know where to get another one.” My trial coach offered to take me to Brooks Brothers to get another one. I didn’t know a lot about it at the time except that it was expensive. My coach offered to buy it for me and I was like, “you can’t buy me a $600 suit.”

Luckily, my fellow competitors who were on my team from my school had banded together and fixed my first suit and we ended up winning the competition. After law school, I wanted to think of a way to create a resource to other women who may have been in my situation. You ruined a suit and didn’t know where to shop, you didn’t know where to get a suit that was affordable, accessories questions etc – I researched this and started to put together my blog. I wrote articles to answer questions that I think every woman has had at some time.

AM: It’s very cool – unfortunate that you ruined your 3 suits!

CK: Right? But it had a happy ending!

AM: Right and it’s something that people definitely could use!

What do you look at in terms of the legacy that you want to leave behind not just with your involvement in the Miss Universe Organization but also just what you’re doing with people?

CK: I hope that people remember that women are multidimensional. This can’t be hammered into society enough! We constantly have to be reminded that just because a woman is beautiful doesn’t mean that they can’t be smart and have an interest to do business ventures. For some people they look at Kim Kardashian who is a beautiful woman and a reality TV star and she built from that but she is incredibly business savvy. She has built this empire because she is driven, works hard and wants to provide for her family. Women are these beautiful creatures who have varied interests and it shouldn’t be limited because society can’t broaden their own perspective! That’s what I hope people will remember about me. I am an attorney but I also like walking around in swimsuits and competing in pageants. It’s one of my favorite areas of competition but in my free time, I will advocate for Dress for Success and love spending time with my family. Women are multidimensional and shouldn’t be limited.

AM: Are there other projects that you have going on that you are able to share?

CK: For sure! Besides working with EXTRA, I have also signed with a few Speaker’s Bureaus that I really love doing. With Miss USA, I loved speaking on women’s empowerment and social justice issues which continue to be important to me. I will continue to do this traveling – well not traveling so much now, but talking largely virtually now about this. Beyond that, I’m also a Diversity Advisor for the law firm that I previously worked for as an attorney. I knew that in the immediate future, I didn’t want to practice law but I connected to my firm in this new capacity so that I could work on inclusion and diversity plans with the firm and helping them to make sure that they are achieving that especially in an industry that lacks diversity and needs help. I’m talking about the entire legal industry as a whole in terms of inclusion, diversity and equity.

IG @CheslieKryst

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 55 Sage Media Group Photography | PG 56 Miss Universe Organization | PG 60 Blue Method Films | Editors Note: Photos in She Empowers with Cheslie Kryst were taken prior to COVID-19

Hear Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst on our show, Bungalow SK - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeart Radio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see She Empowers with Cheslie Kryst in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | STICKY'S FINGER JOINT

During the summer of 2019, Athleisure Mag's team headed to the Liberty National Golf Course for The Northern Trust tournament. The night before the tournament launched we were treated to a fun party at the course and got our first taste of Sticky's Finger Joint which is known for their sauces and chicken.

Since 2012, this eatery has grown from it's Greenwich Village location and now includes 13 locations between NorthJersey and an array of neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn. They have also been featured on Food Network's 3 Days to Open with Bobby Flay. This month, they will be opening their 14th location in Philadelphia.

It’s worth noting that their fried fingers, grilled fingers and bite-sized poppers are made from farm-raised, antibiotic and hormone-free chicken (and their mushroom poppers are made from crimini mushrooms, vegan tempura batter and panko breadcrumbs). They use local ingredients to make their 18 different homemade sauces inspired by cuisines from around the world. Between all those choices, plus sandwiches, wraps, salads, nachos and French fry baskets, there are literally quadrillions of different theoretical options on the menu.

SFJ also offers vegetarian fingers that are made with a mushroom-based protein. They have the following sauces that are vegan: Nashville Numb, SalsaVerde, and Thai Sweet Chili.

SFJ is available for delivery and takeout at all our locations.

Earlier this year, SFJ started RandomActofStickys where they donated individually packaged meals to first responders. In addition to sending meals on behalf of their own guests' inquiries and local hospitals, they partnered with NoshesforNurses, led by Jill Zarin and Ally Shapiro to send meals to nurses and first responders that were nominated by their fans. From this initiative, they donated over 800 meals.

For their most recent store opening, they ran a campaign called Basket4Basket and matched the number of small baskets sold in partnership with Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. They donated over 300 meals to kids going back to school

STICKY'S FINGER JOINT

Visit Sticky's Finger Joint for locations.

www.stickys.com

IG @stickysfingerjoint

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Sticky’s Finger Joint in mag.

IN OUR BAG | WHEN DINING AL FRESCO AT HOME

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see In Our Bag | When Dining Al Fresco at Home in mag.

9LIST

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST in mag.

HOW TO DRESS | WHEN YOU'RE HOMEGATING

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see HOW TO DRESS | When You’re Homegating in mag.

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure Beauty in mag.

CAVIAR BEAUTY

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Caviar Beauty in mag.

#TRIBEGOALS

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.

ROCK THIS WHEN CREATING SPA AT HOME VIBES

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Rock This When Creating Spa at Home Vibes in the magazine.