BINGELY TV/STREAMING

BLACK RABBIT

Netflix Originals

Netflix

After NYFW, our team was ready to binge a few shows just to get back to our normally scheduled program of sorts! We found ourselves enthralled in Black Rabbit which dropped this month! The brother duo we didn’t know we needed, drew us into restaurateurs, crime, and a dark and gritty series. When we meet Jake Friedken (Jude Law), we know that he is a rising restaurateur with a successful restaurant, plans to take on NYC’s dining scene and he knows all the right people. As the series continues, his need to help his brother Vince Friedken (Jason Bateman) we learn that he lives a completely different life that is not only dangerous but continues to generate more complications!

As they continue to work together, we learn about why they were estranged from one another and how far one will go to protect their family!

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

Hulu Original

Hulu

If you’re not currently watching S5 of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, we don’t know what to say! We return to the Arconia where murders continue to happen and we pick up right where S4 left off. We don’t want to give any spoilers away, but suffice it to say that a beloved character was killed last season. Our lovel true crime podcasters once again come together in order to find out who did it, why and how it is all connected. Of course, along the way, they find out more secrets of what has been taking place in the building practically in plain sight!

As they also increase their presence for their podcast, Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short), and Charles (Steve Martin) continues to find out how they can maintain their friendship as things continue to change around them! Make sure to also listen/watch the companion podcast as well.

THE CHINATOWN STING

Pushkin Industries

Spotify

We’ve been enjoying The Chinatown Sting where we are introduced to a group of women during the late 1980’s that enjoy playing mahjong in NYC’s Chinatown. Who knew this game amongst the community would lead to a massive undercover drug bust?

But this drug bust was not an isolated event. Host Lidia Jean Kott and co-reporter Shuyu Wang investigate the events that led to this as well as the repercussions that still exist to this day. The episodes have interview sources who have never talked before, but now are sharing on the record from witnesses, defendants, and federal prosecutors. This is definitely a true crime case that will have you putting the pieces together while you listen.

Read Athleisure Mag’s SEP ISSUE #117 and see BINGELY TV/STREAMING in mag.

9PLAYLIST MULTI | JEEZY

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST MULTI | Jeezy in mag.

DRINKS WITH BENEFITS | DAN ABRAMS + AMANDA PAUL-GARNIER

We caught up with The Daily Pour (formerly Bottle Raiders) Founder/Publisher, Dan Abrams, and VP Marketing, Amanda Paul-Garnier, to chat about the exciting Drinks With Benefits, the first Zero Proof Festival, coming to New York (Altman Building, September 27, 2025).

At Drinks With Benefits Festival guests will discover 50+ Non-Alc brands to sip and savor. Taste innovative and sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages, botanical spirits and functional elixirs in the Tasting Gallery, and meet and connect with industry innovators. Stroll through the Non-Alcoholic Beer Garden and Hemp Beverages with music. Experiment in the interactive Mixology Lab, with non-alcoholic cocktail mixing demos. Take in the immersive experience in the Drink Rhythms Lounge DJ Sets, Podcasting Lounge, and mindful experiences in the Meditation Tent. Pair your drinking journey with 3 Omakase-style courses by top chefs for VIP Ticket-holders. In the Cipriani Cafe, their Chef will serve up complimentary pasta tastings. Reknowned for pioneering the Bellini, Cipriani will pair these dishes with their Bellini Zero Cipriani! The Drinks With Benefits Festival will also feature the Zero Proof Choice Awards, crowning the best winners in Non-Alc and Functional beverages.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what led you to start the first Zero Proof Festival in NYC?

DAN ABRAMS: We had started a spirits media company that was initially focused on whiskey. And we were planning on expanding, and we did, to gin and rum and tequila. And as we were building out the business, we realized that functional beverages are becoming just an enormous part of spirits. And we can't really create a forward-thinking spirits business without making functional beverages a serious part of what we're doing.

And so as we came to that realization, we started talking about and thinking about events, in addition to doing content. Because we had acquired a company that was doing at the time 12 events around the country for whiskey and tequila. We've now expanded that to 15, so events were in the DNA of the business.

But now we were thinking, let's go big! We were stunned considering how significant a business non-alcohol and functional beverages have become, that there hasn't been a major awards in New York. There hasn't been a major event in conjunction with wellness in New York, almost anywhere. And so we thought, what a great opportunity to be on the forefront of this. And those were the seeds behind Drinks With Benefits.

AM: So what types of non-alcoholic or functional beverages would be showcased at this specific event?

AMANDA PAUL-GARNIER: So we have over 60 brands covering non-alcoholic wines, non-alcoholic beers, functional hemp and functional non-hemp products. Brands, probably, you know, like Ghia, Kin Euphorics, Athletic Brewing Company, Bero, But also brands you probably don't know that are very high quality, like Opius Elixirs, which is probably one of the best brands out there.

AM: Yeah, I would say on a personal note, I was diagnosed with gout in the middle of college. Beer is my kryptonite. So I've had to drink clear alcohol spirits or non-alcoholic beverages personally. So when I tried Ghia, for example, I couldn't believe the complexities that they put into a beverage like that.

So the space is growing. But in addition to growing, the formulations are getting better and better. Isn't that true?

APG: Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. We actually just talked with Melanie Masarin, from Ghia. And she was talking about her inspiration for starting the product. But just her integrity in terms of the quality of the ingredients she uses, she's very inspired from the Mediterranean, but she's also French and Italian. So nothing in Ghia is fake or superficial. But she also teases the whole concept that, you know, of like fake ingredients or say, people concerned about the sugar content with non-alcoholic beverages. But she was like, there's a difference between synthetic sugar and actual real sugar. And, you know, what she's trying to create and she believes the next forefront of the frontier for non-alcoholic beverage will be with people seeing those quality ingredients, real ingredients over anything processed. And I think that's one of the driving forces behind this, is that we're seeing in the non-alcoholic spirits industry that people are clamoring for an evaluation of quality. And they're basically the industry folks are saying we care about quality.

DA: This isn't just non-alcoholic wine. We want people to be thinking about what are our ingredients? How are we doing this? How are we distilling this? The same way people do with spirits. And I think that's why both our awards and Drinks With Benefits are really resonating.

AM: And, you know, in preparing for discussing the event, so I came up with the notion of things need to be tasty, but also things need to be useful or new and exciting also. So what kind of categories or different types of vendors or drinks are there available at this Drinks With Benefits Festival as this is new to a lot of communities.

APG: The festival is tiered as far as different categories with the space laid out exactly to respond to that, as for a lot of consumers, this is new and we wanted to kind of guide them through the experience.

So upon arrival, they'll get a consumer discovery map where all the non-alcoholic wines are in one area, all the non-alcoholic spirits and bitters are in one area. And then as you go downstairs, you will find the alcohol-free beer garden and then the hemp and functional space. So we've set this up so that they can discover it by category.

AM: That's great. And then there's also immersive wellness experiences as well, right?

APG: Yes. So we partnered with Sage and Sound, whose Upper East Side wellness studio has a meditation experience. And that will be led by Dara Hart, who's a Reiki master and spiritual guide. So we wanted to have, you know, something wellness adjacent within the experience to really bring to life that, you know, drinking less but better is about overall wellness. It's not just about drinks, even though they're a huge part. It's an overarching thing.

And additionally, we will have live podcasting with Samantha Feher from the podcast Caps Lock, who will be covering different topics on wellness; helping educate the consumer on different aspects of wellness; and transparency and ingredients.

AM: And what types of attendees do you foresee coming?

DA: You know, we see it being a mix. This is not an industry event, but we certainly expect some industry folks will be there. But this is primarily a consumer event. We're targeting a bit of a younger demographic. I mean, that's part of it. We just did a big redesign for our website and our app, now called The Daily Pour. And part of the reason for that is our doubling down in the Non-Alc space, but also the fact that we really are trying to target the 25 to 40 year old demo of people, who have expendable income but who care about health and wellness.

And by the way, it doesn't mean that they don't drink alcohol. Right. It just means that for a lot of them, they do drink alcohol. They just are trying to drink less.

AM: That actually leads me into my next question about Gen Z and millennials in particular and whether they're seeing this as a specific intentional choice versus a substitute. So as people are looking to what to imbibe or include in their lifestyle routines, how do you see the difference if there are between different types of consumers that some are just looking for this and others maybe are moderating alcohol consumption?

DA: So we think the targeting is the same. Which is, it's about quality beverages. Whether you are trying to drink less; whether you don't drink at all; whether you are moving from alcohol to hemp; whatever the case may be - we think that the piece that's been missing is focusing on the quality. And that's how we started this business.

We started this as a consumer facing business to say to people, we're going to help you drink whiskey and tequila and rum smarter and better. All we're doing is applying that same philosophy to non-alcohol and functional beverages. So it applies to all of them with regard to and again, that's why I think it's so important that I keep emphasizing that we're doing these awards in conjunction with the event. Because it's the same focus, which is quality. What is the quality? What are the ingredients? Because that's what drinking fine spirits is all about.

AM: And you guys are having a Omakase Food Hall at the event, which I think would get us to go to most events. What's involved with that?

APG: So we wanted to recreate experiences for consumers where they would normally have alcohol, but really show them they could have fun with non-alcoholic and alternative beverages. So we created a pairing experience with well-known restaurants in New York, including the Butcher's Daughter, Ado Lei, and Seatopia. Basically with that VIP ticket, consumers will get to go to two different counters and have a pairing experience where they have a light bite paired with an alternative beverage.

AM: There's also a mixology area for the Drinks With Benefit Festival. What kinds of things would guests be able to mix?

APG: So yes, we have the mixology lab. And we really wanted to bring to life, have a space within the event that made education fun. So The Pathfinder, For Bitter For Worse, FLUÈRE, those are some of the brands that have taken over the space. And they'll be doing education, cocktail making sessions, guided tastings.

The Alchemist Kitchen, which is in Soho, they will do a lot of elixirs, and a guided education with how to make cocktails with different plants and herbs and things like that. It'll be a really fun space for consumers to have a hands-on education or edutainment experience.

AM: For non-alcoholic consumers, are they generally narrow-minded towards the areas they're focused on? Or are they very open-minded, where they would like to try the different categories from beer, to a CBD, to maybe a sparkling spritz or something?

DA: So look, yeah, obviously, it completely depends on the person. There are some people who simply don't want anything that is in any way mind-altering, right? So they don't want functional alternatives. They don't want alcohol. That's one. And that's probably a much smaller base of consumers. There's still people we're appealing to, but they are a much smaller group. The much larger group are the people who drink a little.

They also try functional beverages. They try non-alcohol. They're interested in different areas. There are some folks who only want functional beverages and not alcohol. So it really depends. But what we're finding, based on the studies, is that most of the people who drink these non-alcohol and functional beverages also drink alcohol.

AM: That's super interesting. The space is definitely booming as consumers are finding multiple winners, in multiple categories, as open-minded in trying new things. And there might even be new categories that come out in the future. What are some untapped areas you could see now? Or do you think pretty much we're hitting where we would be for several years to come?

DA: I'd say the untapped is really the increase in the quality and the focus on ingredients. In a way that’s 10 years, 15 years ago, it was, ‘oh it's just a non-alcoholic wine.’ Or hey, I mean, ‘you probably know this from it as a non-alcoholic beer or whatever it is.’ And it's like, ‘OK, is it good? What is it made from?’ So that's the difference.

And I think that's the future in terms of where people are going, which is why we're trying to ride that wave of particularly younger people who have been brought up, focused on quality in a world where the evaluation of quality hasn't been so focused on non-alcoholic spirits.

AM: Sure. And do you see that a lot of these consumers are somewhat sophisticated where the benefits will be worth the price points?

DA: They're becoming more sophisticated. And I think that is the whole philosophy behind what we're doing, is that we're trying to help them become more sophisticated. We're the place that can say to them, we know you want to be more sophisticated. Now let us help you get there in a really accessible way.

AM: Yeah. Master edutainer, Dan. I see that totally. I learn stuff from all your other groundbreaking shows, I just know a couple of things what to do, not to do now because of you.

DA: My strengths are condensing complicated information into a pretty simple and accessible way to say it. We're kind of doing the same thing here with drinks. We are taking a confusing world of drinks and trying to make it a lot more understandable and to help them make choices.

And that's not completely dissimilar from what I do in my TV world. Sure. And then also some humor here and there.

AM: Totally. So and then after New York, are there other cities you're looking to take this festival to?

DA: Yeah, we haven't figured it out. I mean, we definitely are thinking about doing more. We want to first get this one under our belts before we start actively planning the next one. We want to see what went right, what went wrong, where could we improve? And that will help us determine, should we do another one in New York? Should we think about one in a different city? Our whiskey and tequila events, we're seeing great success recently in launches in some smaller cities like Scottsdale, Arizona or Austin, Texas and places like that. And so would that be our next? I don't know yet.

New York is a big swing. You know, and honestly, if we weren't kind of first to market on this, we probably wouldn't have started in New York. But I think that's why we felt comfortable starting in New York, because we were stunned that this hasn't existed yet.

AM: Tell us more about The Daily Pour, the organizers of the Drinks With Benefits Festival.

DA: Yeah, it's a consumer guide to drinking better. And so it has what we do - we have an app that aggregates reviews and ratings, some of which we do, some of which is from other places. But it allows it to be a kind of one stop shop to tell you, is this any good? I mean, I use it all the time when I'm thinking about buying a whiskey or something, because it allows me to see numerous aggregated reviews. And a lot of these are enthusiasts who've done reviews who might not have put a number on it. And we translate it into a number.

So the app is very useful. The website covers different issues in the spirits industry. We've recently been focusing on one particular beverage in a particular week or a particular month, which is another new thing we've done.

But, you know, the Daily Pour literally went live two days ago (formerly Bottle Raiders). And it's just a fundamentally different vibe. Bottle Raiders was initially designed based on a whiskey drinker.. And now you're in a much brighter, more vibrant place because we want it to be more inclusive of the non-alcoholic and wellness community as well.

APG: I think The Daily Pour is meeting the consumer where they are today, covering cross categories. So it's covering ‘I do still want to drink, but I want to drink better.’ So it's covering spirits. Also, it’s ‘I want to have that great margarita, but I don't want to have that during the week.’ Additionally it’s covering functional beverages, ‘and I want to learn about Non-Alc.” So I think that a lot of the other websites treat Non-Alc and alternative beverages like a footnote. Like it's really hard to find them. If you go to certain websites, they have it hidden under culture. I'm like, I don't know how anyone would find that. So we don't want to treat it like that.

I think about the scoring. I think that's extremely helpful to have this kind of meta score, our signature rating system that aggregates everyone's point of view and just gives space that is sometimes hard to understand.

AM: And the app is free. Are there premium plans to it or features?

APG: Yes, and then if you get the premium subscription, that's like $5 a month. And what are the benefits of that, so it saves your taste list. You get access to certain events and kind of discounts on certain things that we offer, exclusive content, things like that.

AM: That's terrific. And I also wanted to ask about Ev & Em Vineyards, Dan.

DA: So Ev & Em is a winery that I acquired in early 2021. It was right in the heart of COVID and the winery owners had kind of given up in COVID. And I had a friend who is one of the pioneers of the North Fork wine scene who called me and said, hey, you mentioned that you were interested in buying a winery. Were you serious? And I said, yeah, I was serious. Because I told you if I ever saw something really interesting that I would let you know.

And this is really interesting. It has one of the oldest planted vineyards on the North Fork. It has a beautiful location. It just needs some love. It needs some new thoughts about how to do the winemaking. And you could have an A-list vineyard.

And he was right. Even by the ‘22 Vintage, which was released in some of it in ‘23, some of it only now for the Reds, we're creating luxury wines in Long Island. So these are wines that we think can compete with California, Oregon, Washington, et cetera, in really all varietals. And so that's been super exciting!

AM: And there are multiple offerings. There's a Reserve, correct?

DA: There is. Yeah, we're making everything from Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris. I mean, we've got a whole range of offerings.

And in some of those, we have a Reserve. So depending on the year, for example in ‘22, we had a number of Reserve wines on the Reds, some of which actually haven't even been released yet. But our Reserve Red ‘22, super proud of that.

‘23 was a tougher year for us, but ‘24 was amazing. So we're very confident about that ‘24 Vintage that's coming out. And ‘25 looks great as well.

 You can find out more about Drinks with Benefits Festival and get your ticket (General Admission is still available as VIP is sold out) by visiting their site. In our SEP ISSUE #117 which drops on Sep 30th, we will also recap this event as well.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE AUDIO FILES | CHARLIE WEBSTER, UNICORN GIRL

When you have a genre of podcast that you enjoy it may be about the subject or the host/investigator. We came to know about Charlie Webster when we listened to Surving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord. She served as creator, writer, and producer of this show which she developed with Lionsgate Sound and Co-hosted and Co-Executive Produced with 50 Cent Jackson (POWER franchise, Expend4bles, Den of Thieves franchise). For the first time ever, we heard from Chicago identical twins Jay and Peter Flores who worked with and brought down El Chapo.

From there, we continued on with another Lionsgate Sound podcast, Scamanda which followed a woman who pretended that she had cancer. Now she is back with Unicorn Girl an Apple Original! We wanted to know more about the subject, how she came to it, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We became familiar with your work with the podcast Surviving El Chapo and most recently Scamanda which we enjoyed. Before we delve into Unicorn Girl, you spent a number of years as a broadcaster and journalist with sports. How did you get into the industry?

CHARLIE WEBSTER: I feel like from a real young age, I loved storytelling and I was so curious about people, and it has impacted my own life and it provided escapism and I felt so connected to how people got to where they did, and I loved books as well. I read all of the time. You mentioned sports in sports broadcasting and again, this was an escape for me. It gave me so much as a teenager in a very difficult background. So I feel like I went into Sportsbroadcast because I wanted to be an athlete and I didn’t end up being an athlete professionally and so then I thought, if I could tell people’s stories, of the amazing human endurance, the things people go through, their endurance and people’s backgrounds from where people get to where they are. That inspired and influenced me and then I just wanted to make documentaries and I wanted to share people’s stories and to give them a voice. That has been a passion of mine. That has been my journey with journalism and my career – whether it’s sports or you mentioned Surviving El Chapo – it’s all about human connection and our life experiences really and it’s that human experience throughout no matter what topic we are talking about.

AM: What led you to include podcasts in your body of work and what stories are you drawn to?

CW: I started in television, but I did do television and radio. Radio is not so dissimilar to podcasts and I feel that since I have had both visual and audio experience, I combine that because even Scamanda turned into a TV show and even with making Unicorn Girl, there’s elements of visual that I play in so that you can hear it and it paints a picture. So I feel like the fact that I have experience in it all – I have even written a book and Unicorn Girl listens like a Summer thriller read so I feel like I have combined all of my skills into making a podcast. But making podcasts is hard because you can’t rely on a visual thing. You can’t see anything. I love the challenge of being able to put you in that situation and to take you along the journey. I love podcasts as a fan too. I feel like it was a really in teresting way to tell stories. I remember wanting to make a story about domestic abuse and I wanted to I don’t know to create a rethinking about what you hear about it. I thought it would be powerful to do it in audio because of the risk that there may be for people in telling their stories. So that is what built my podcast experience. You can create so much intimacy in podcasts which I absolutely love.

AM: Both Surviving El Chapo and Scamanda are deep explorations into 2 very different kinds of stories and Unicorn Girl seems to be the same. When you decided to do an investigative serialized podcast, where do you start in terms of research and deciding how you will allow the story to unfold?

CW: That’s a really good question because Surviving El Chapo and Scamanda and Unicorn Girl are all very different, but at the end of the day, they have very similar themes about human connection, relationships, purpose, and trying to live our lives really and I think that is something that we can all relate to. They are all different and the starting point was different, but I feel like in Surviving El Chapo, I got very close to and spent a lot of time with the Flores twins and I feel that there could be and definitely is a judgment about them because they were drug traffickers. But they were groomed by a very young age by their drug trafficking father and I think that that is something that I love to get underneath the story.

Then again with Scamanda, the top line is Amanda was a woman who faked cancer and there are so many layers to that story. It is so deep because she didn’t just fake cancer and lie about it, she acted as if she actually had it – did she really believe it herself, was it about seeking attention, was it about addiction because she got a lot of adoration for that.

Then you go to Unicorn Girl and with Candace again, there is a headline that you see if you Google Candace Rivera, and it’s embezzlement but that’s not the story – the story is so much deeper and harder to describe with the journey that she went on. And again, she based it on things in truth so was there good in the bad that she did? It brings up such moral complexities and links because life is not black and white.

So when I first go into a story, that is to me what hooks me. Life is messy, we are complicated people and what drives them to do it and so – I don’t know – a lot of it is connected to myself and my lived experience. I love to tell powerful stories which are empowering and help people. It’s about understanding your own pain and trauma and I feel that is across all three.

AM: You talked a bit about what drew you to Unicorn Girl, for those that may not have heard the trailer, what is this podcast about?

CW: I laugh because it is hard to describe! That is the theme of Unicorn Girl. I think what drew me to it was that there were so many things that I couldn’t believe what Candace was doing! Sometimes there were more questions than answers, but don’t worry there are answers and you will definitely go on a wild journey and for me, the fact that I wondered was this a lie, was it not a lie, was it good or was this bad. The people she surrounded herself by and because of the way that I entered and came into the story, I didn’t investigate Candace retrospectively – she hadn’t gone on the journey that she has and the police and the law weren’t involved. I came in very early and got to know her as a fantastical character that people just loved to be around. She was so overt on what she put out there and when the suspicion came around her and after Scamanda, I was really inspired to tell another story about female friendships and messiness and that was everything that Candace was the epitome of! But I could never imagine what it ended up actually being which you will see by the end of the episode.

AM: What do you want listeners to get out of this podcast?

CW: I hope that firstly, they get an empowering kind of inspiring listen and also just going on a compelling journey that captivates you, that engages you, and I feel that no matter walk of life you have been through or I don’t know your present life, there will be something that you connect to and I feel this story has every emotion on the rainbow possible! I think we will pull you in in different ways depending on your own lived in experience. I hope that by the end of it there will be some justice through what Candace did, the group of people, the journey they went on and how they connected with each other to come together and to stop her and to bring that into your own life. But also understand that being hurt, how you were portrayed by somebody that it will hopefully feel very validating that it’s not your fault and I think that is important. We ask so many questions like how can people fall for this? It’s really important that we don’t simplify it because things aren’t black and white and I think you will see this in Unicorn Girl because there was so much truth and so much credibility in what she did and you’ll learn a lot along the way about manipulative techniques.

AM: What did you learn most after researching and telling this story?

CW: That’s a good question – what did I learn – question everything. For people that know me, I’m a super duper detailed and can be very hyper focused. I spend a lot of time with people and I like to listen to every single detail. For me, I learned that I need to question everything because there were some things where I thought that couldn’t be real and it was real. I think that challenged me and it made me think on whether I was telling the story in the right way and to get every single perspective that I could possibly get to make sure that I was telling this right. Some people have different perspectives that you will hear in the end on whether she did good or bad. I think it affirms that I was really careful of this in Scamanda and here as well – to never judge and it also brought about a personal complication in this story because it affected me – something happened to me along the way when I was making this story that Candace also said had happened to her and that really challenged me emotionally to care for myself and to also care for other people. A lot of things that I do is to hold space for other people that have been through so much and have been abused I suppose and have had so much betrayal and trauma from what other people do and that challenged me as well. I learned a lot – they are my personal learnings and not those of Unicorn Girl. But I think again, in terms of Unicorn Girl, I learned that I don’t know – it’s really hard to spot when people are manipulating and lying so it was really important to really show that nuance because it is not so obvious at all sometimes. I don’t know, sometimes there aren’t red flags and I learned that in this story – maybe they weren’t, maybe they weren’t obvious at the time, probably not.

AM: From research, interviewing, recording, and post-production, how long have you worked on this podcast?

CW: Probably around 2 years!

AM: When you’re not working on the next podcast, how do you take time for yourself?

CW: I tell you what, Unicorn Girl has totally consumed me! I feel like I have just come out from a rock after 2 years! What am I doing? That’s just who I am as well. It’s something that I am aware of because I just give everything. At the same time, I don’t feel that I could bring these stories to light in this way if I didn’t live it and breathe it. I literally did just that for every single second of my day. I didn’t just pop in and do a few interviews. I spent so much time in this community with the people that were impacted by Candace. It took me to many different places, I even flew to Spain to find one person.

What I like to do is running and it’s a huge outlet for me and I take myself up a mountain. I feel like I was a mountain goat in another life, but if gives me the headspace and helps me think about things and process things and work things out. I’m able to give my mind a little break and to not be embroiled into a story and I love dancing as well! I snuck out to Glastonbury Festival in the UK. If I can run and dance, I am the happiest person in the world!

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to tell us about that we should keep an eye out for?

CW: I think that I have had Unicorn Girl as a secret for ages and I couldn’t tell anybody about it and I am excited to be able to share that with everyone! I feel I was so inspired by the incredible viewers and listeners from Scamanda so now it’s great to share! There are other things in the midst, but I can’t talk about those – but I am desperate to talk about this!

IG @charliewebster

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 122 Laura Ribatallada | PG 125 Apple Original |

Read the AUG ISSUE #116 of Athleisure Mag and see AUDIO FILES | Charlie Webster, Unicorn Girl in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | LINDSAY GRAHAM

Read the AUG ISSUE #116 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Lindsay Graham in mag.

9PLAYLIST MULTI | LINDSAY GRAHAM

Read the AUG ISSUE #116 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST MULTI | Lindsay Graham in mag.

THE POWER OF YOUR HOME | HGTV'S EGYPT SHERROD + MIKE JACKSON

The beginning of the year makes us think about new projects we're taking on, our goals, and it's that time of year that you begin about getting your home in order for upcoming events and gatherings as Spring is on the way! We caught up with power couple Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson who we know from an array of HGTV shows including Married to Real Estate and Property Virgins. They talk with us on how they got into Real Estate, Interior Design, and construction. They also talk about how they work with one another, aesthetics in design for our homes and how they have partnered with TurboTax to keep their business flow on track.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so great to meet both of you!

EGYPT SHERROD: You as well!

MIKE JACKSON: How are you?

AM: I am very good! I have been a fan of yours Egypt since your WBLS days.

ES: Oh wow! Thank you!

AM: Of course I have enjoyed seeing you on HGTV as well Mike.

It's great to see you guys on, Married to Real Estate to see your power coupleship, navigating properties, and projects. How did both of you come to working in real estate, home renovation, and design?

MJ: Okay. Well, for me, mine is pretty simple as it pertains to real estate. My wife said, “get your license or I'm not going to be your friend.” – no haha!

ES: It kind of went like that!

MJ: So you know, proximity, for me!

AM: Right!

MJ: On a serious note, you know, she came to me one day. We were having lunch, and she mentioned, “babe, I'm giving a lot of referrals away. Why don’t you get your license? This way, we can keep it all in-house and it will save us a lot of money and garner us a lot of money. So, in that moment, I thought about it. And the next day, I was right at it, you know, taking the classes getting the material and got my license to be a Real Estate Agent. My wife’s a Broker Agent, but however, at this moment, my license is parked so at any moment, I can unpark it and actually practice, right?

AM: Wow!

ES: But, he's so busy running the construction and that part of the business, that I think that that only allows all of us to super serve our clients.

MJ: Yeah, that's right.

I'm sorry. I got into all of that and looked at her and got flabbergasted.

ES: Whatever ha! Stop flirting, stay focused!

MJ: What was the rest of that question?

AM: Well, how well, just how both of you came to this because it's amazing?

ES: Yeah, well, you said, you remembered me from WBLS. I think that's a perfect example of how we don't have to be a one trick pony at all.

AM: Exactly.

ES: I was obviously a radio personality, but developed a passion and love for Real Estate investing so much that I got my license and became an agent, and I had a dual career which, is then, what led me to television because, as I would talk about on the radio all of my exciting exploits in real estate and making it funny for people, HGTV heard and came calling. That started Property Virgins and then Flipping Virgins and then together Married to Real Estate! Actually, it started on Mike's phone during the Covid years – Married to Real Estate did.

AM: Oh wow!

ES: Many people don't know that story, but you know, it was a natural evolution that really developed through a passion and a thirst for building and leaving a legacy for our family.

MJ: That’s right!

And for me as it pertains to, you know, because you asked for Real Estate, construction, and design, I have always been doing construction with my grandfather and uncle since I was a kid.

AM: Oh wow.

ES: They have their own construction company and they would pull me in and bring me on because they sat aside and saw that I was able to do this stuff without being asked to do it. They saw something in me and said, "listen, come along with us and follow suit,” which I did. And I'm so glad I did. I've always been a creative. I enjoy seeing something, start from nothing, and become something. And in construction, that's what we do all day, you know. We tear it down, and we build it back up. And it was, it was inevitable because I was doing construction while I was touring around the world as a DJ.

AM: Ok, now.

ES: It was like I was DJing at 4am and then at 7am, I'm on somebody’s construction site. It was always there for me and then in New York City, working with the Local 28 Trade and then coming to Georgia and owning my own company, it was like, inevitable.

AM: Well, are there 3 key design elements that are going to be trends in 2025? Whether you know you're here in New York and looking to renovate your space or maybe you're buying home. What are 3 trends that we should be keeping an eye out for?

ES: So number one, as a designer, I'm the principal of a design firm as well at Indigo Road. The one thing I tell all my designers is to be classic. Really embrace the client's aesthetic. Don't follow the trend. Why? Because trends come and go, and if we start designing our home based on trends, you're going to lose money fast every year, every 2 years you're going to want to redesign. But if you do something classic and timeless, then, you can change things up with art and pillows, which you know are a lot more affordable!

So what I will tell you that some of the things that I think are going to be timeless: #1 is, you can change a space, and this is becoming even more popular - you can change the space just with a can of paint. It's inexpensive, you can do it as many times as you want to and you can give the space a totally different feel. So, doing color drenches – color drenches are when the moldings, the walls, the ceiling, everything is the same color, and so you have this amazing, beautiful, colorful canvas to furnish. We're bringing color back, because we went through the years where everything was beige and everything was gray. Now, everybody is embracing color again. So you’re gonna see a lot more of that in 2025!

Arches. We’re bringing arches back (singing it to the melody of Justin Timberlake’s SexyBack).

AM: Nice!

ES: Yes beautiful arches are coming back and that’s coming back in with the wabi-sabi aesthetic (Editor’s Note: Wabi-Sabi is a Japanese aesthetic that embraces imperfection and transience. It’s a philosophy that encourages people to find beauty in imperfection and accept the natural cycle of life. In interior design, it focuses on natural and weathered materials. It often has a rustic and organic feel).

We're also bringing more of the outdoors in with organic luxe and I truly think and this is classic, right? When we were all locked inside for a few years, everybody wanted to get out, to feel nature, and touch.

AM: Yes.

ES: So now, this is being reflected in design where everybody's, like, open my house up. No, I don't mean open floor plan, I mean, open the entire house up. I want just a courtyard of plants in my house.

I want you to knock out the entire back of my house and make it a door that just opens up to the backyard, you know?

AM: Yeah!

ES: Let the outdoors in because I want to feel nature. So, organic luxe as an aesthetic I think it's here to stay, bringing plants and using natural wood.

AM: I love that.

Tell me a bit about the Marriage and Money podcast you guys have. I love this.

MJ: Oh wow, where do we start with that? So, the Marriage and Money podcast is exactly what you hear – we deal with marriage and we talk about money and everything in between. We've had a plethora of guests that have been amazing. It's another idea where you know, in the midst of nowhere I said, “babe, I think we need to reach a different audience, you know, let's create this podcast because we have more to say.”

ES: And I said, no. I said, do not give me another job. Please don’t put anything else on the plate.

AM: Yeah.

ES: Mike is full of ideas! He’s totally the idea guy. I’m the – what do you call me, the Wide Receiver or the Running Back?

MJ: Wide Receiver.

ES: Yeah, and he’ll get me on board with it and I’ll just start running it and working with it!

But no, I'll say this, he was right yet, again. It's fun. It's a catharsis for us and it’s where we let our hair down, because even though our guests and we're talking money, and we're getting into marriage - we have so much freaking fun on the show!

MJ: Yes!

ES: So, we’re very excited!

MJ: And our audience and our fans and our fams – F-A-M-S - fams that’s what we call them because they're more like family. They get to see a different side of us that they may not be used to to get familiar with, right? And one of the things that I love about the podcast is that, you know, it causes others to think and to look at each other when they're listening or watching the podcast because I can't tell you how many times folks have come up to us and say, “listen, I sat down with my husband or my wife and we worked it out because of that particular episode.”

ES: Yeah, or even you know what it allows us to do is teach people through the schools of hard knocks that we had to learn from. Be it in marriage, you know, but also in business, we have made a lot of mistakes, and we're very transparent about it. We could have done things easier and faster, but now we have resources and tools, whereas before we didn't.

MJ: Right.

ES: So on our podcast, we opened Pandora's Box by providing education and resources as well.

AM: You guys have partnered with TurboTax. So, in thinking of like, how important is transparency, especially in couples, you know when you're doing your taxes together? Why did you guys want to work with the brand? I mean transparency and finances is key!

ES: People often ask, how have y'all been together for over 21 years like you seem so perfect!

AM: Yup!

ES: The first thing that we do is chuckle because we've had our hard moments and a lot of them have evolved around business and money.

MJ: Mmm hmm.

ES: It's revolved around taxes. He's the doer, right? And then I'm the organizer. I’d be sitting at the kitchen table with receipts falling out of my ears and my hair just trying to dig us out and to make sense of it all.

MJ: We literally just said a few months ago, when we were doing taxes, that we need to let someone else do this for us from now on. And it made perfect sense for us to partner with TurboTax you know, moving forward.

ES: Then, when you learn, you're like, wait a minute? What have we been doing, all of our lives right? Like, why didn’t we know? So, for us, obviously, we are a champion for the spirit of entrepreneurship. We want people to step out, you know, step on faith and go after the life and careers of their dreams. We want them so we don't want to scare them, which is why we said, you know, what? Let's go out and let everybody know what tools are available. And so, what we loved about this partnership with TurboTax is that number one, they are experts, and they literally have folks who specialize in business taxes. TurboTax Business provides small business owners and solopreneurs access to unlimited live expert help to get your taxes prepared and filed.

That's not what many of us went to school for. We don't want to sit around here doing this. We don't know either. We don’t know all of the deductions that are available for us. So then we lose money because we simply didn't know, trying to save money and not wanting to pay somebody else. They're affordable so, even if you're smaller, just starting out and then they also offer year-round tracking. So, they give you that support year around, because you know with business, you have to file taxes more than once! They provides unlimited year-round expert support at no extra cost, and provides 100% audit protection and accuracy guaranteed. Businesses are matched with a small business tax expert who will securely prepare, sign, and file their taxes virtually.

AM: Exactly.

ES: These are some of the incredible tools that we found value in for our lives and for our business to help us simplify. In short, to get accuracy and peace of mind.

AM: That part.

MJ: I also love how they have the option of integrating their platforms between MailChimp. Turbotax and QuickBooks.

ES: Many people don't even know that they're the same company. But again, that's a business solution. That's an all-in-one package for you to be able to really level up your game and simplify.

I’d love to just kind of encourage everybody as my middle name is Bargain Value and I love giving value to others! So there's something going on that everybody needs to know about. So if you get your business taxes done with TurboTax, you can also get 20% off of your personal taxes right now. So you need to go to turbotax.com/business for more details on that.

AM: Are there any other projects coming up that we should keep an eye out for because I'm always seeing you guys doing tons of stuff?

ES: As far as what we have coming up – we’re talking about March 12th S4 Married to Real Estate is coming at you so put that on your calendar! The podcast.

MJ: The podcast, we’re getting ready to do more episodes of that!

A Thousand Women.

ES: A Thousand Women Owned is my non-profit that we were about to do the formal launch of next month! Our goal is to help, support, provide resources for, and encouragement for a thousand women-owned businesses.

AM: Wow!

MJ: Yes yes

ES: BY 2030, We want to help a thousand women own businesses level up to get the grants that they need to start or to continue running as well.

MJ: And then you can catch somebody I know on, HGTV's Smart Home 2025, as the host!

AM: Ok Mike!

ES: Mike is hosting!

AM: Oh nice, that's amazing. Well, it's always good to see you guys anf I look forward in seeing your upcoming projects.

IG @egyptsherrod

@djfadelf

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 113 PG Egypt Sherrod + Mike Jackson | PG 114 TurboTax

Read the FEB ISSUE #110 of Athleisure Mag and see THE POWER OF YOUR HOME | HGTV’s Egypt Sherrod + Mike Jackson in mag.

BINGELY TV/STREAMING

THE NIGHT AGENT S2

Netflix Originals

Netflix

Over the winter holidays, we decided to catch up on our favorite shows (hello Squid Games) as well as watch series and films that were new to us (such as Black Doves, Carry-On, and Subservience to name a few). The platform suggested that we watch The Night Agent and we enjoyed S1 which takes us into the world of espionage and shows us what happens when a phone call changes the lives of so many people as well as to see the innerworkings of complicated connections. With a satisfying S1, we're excited that we can now watch S2 to see how Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) navigates his new role as he gets deeper into the Night Action program. Who will be his allies and who are the adversaries this season? What happened to those that we met last season? We're excited to find out and know that these episodes will be full of twists and turns!

THE PITT

Max Original

Max

We love a good medical drama and if we're honest, it was programs like ER that let us see the inner workings of a hospital and the staff that makes everything roll along! It created our love for shows such as Grey's Anatomy, The Resident, and so much more.

In The Pitt, we meet Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) in a hospital in Pittsburgh. Over the course of 15 episodes we get to see a shift - so essentially, all of the shows this season are seen in "real time" hour by hour! We're met with a range of patients, understanding the dynamics of staff as they navigate their personal lives as well as their working relationship, and so much more.

The Pitt is a progressive build where you're very invested in the residents, patients that span over a series of episodes, and the flashbacks that we continue to be privy to of Dr. Robby who is dealing with the angst that took place during the pandemic. We're excitd to see what this shift will look like and we hope that they are renewed for another season so we can see what new topics will be tackled.

THE PRESTIGE TV PODCAST

A Spotify Original + The Ringer

Spotify

A number of the series we watch has companion podcasts which tend to be in partnership with the show or network that they are on. We listen to them in our feed, but we also enjoy checking in with The Prestige TV Podcast. We're able to hear their thoughts on Severance, The Agency, Yellow Jackets and more. Depending on the show, it will either be broken out with an episode per podcast show or they will be groups.

The hosts will talk about what took place in the show, how it ties into source material if it is adapted from a book or a movie, fan theories, what they expect to see in upcoming issues, and they stay away from spoilers. We suggest listening to the episodes after you have watched the show to get the most out of them and to prep for the next episode of your favorite series.

Read the JAN ISSUE #109 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY TV/STREAMING in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

MUSIC BOX: YACHT ROCK: A DOCUMENTARY

Max

HBO

Who doesn't love Yacht Rock? We all have our favorite songs and artists within in this genre. The team at Music Box tells us the ins and outs of this style of music in Yacht Rock: A Documentary. We learn how the term was coined, who is in and out of the genre, it's rise as well as decline and its enduring impact on the music industry as other artists sampled it such as Hip-Hop artists Warren G featuring Nate Dogg's Regulate which came from Michael McDonald's I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).

NO GOOD DEED

Netflix Series

Netflix

Netflix's No Good Deed is a perfectly twisty series that continues to unfold like an onion as we see the intersectionality between a diverse series of characters that have interesting connections with one another that you continue to learn about. For those that love perusing real estate with a side of sardonic comedy crime, this is for you. We meet Paul (Ray Romano) and Lydia (Lisa Kudrow) who are looking to sell their home. We also meet the potential buyers who have their own backstories.

Over the course of 8 episodes we learn about the trauma, suspense, and hopes that bring the characters and the communities that they are intertwined into. We also solve a mystery that has loomed over specific character's lives while also having a resolution that places other characters into the exact place that they want to be in!

With a number of shows vying for attention over the holiday season, we can't say enough about how good this series is. It's even worth watching again with those that may not have seen it as you ended up bingeing ahead to know what took place. We're definitely hoping that there will be a second season as we feel that there is plenty of room for other storylines!

TRUTHLESS

A Spotify Podcast + The Ringer

Spotify

We enjoy a number of podcasts in The Ringer universe as they tend to be our go-to when it comes to delving into some of our favorite prestige shows. A few weeks back, we happened to catch an episode of Truthless which explores a story that involves a lie with a central figure which could be an everyday person or a celeb. This person tells the story and host Brian Phillips examines these stories, why they took place, what insecurity it highlights, and what drove the guest to do it. We truly enjoyed hearing Jesse Tyler Ferguson's (Ugly Betty, Modern Family, Cocaine Bear) episode where he shared his struggles when he was a young and unknown actor in New York who gets a life-changing audition. At that time he realized that he would need to create a new resume in order to secure the role that would take him to the next level.

Read the DEC ISSUE #108 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

WOMAN OF THE HOUR

Netflix Original

Netflix

In Woman of the Hour, this Netflix movie shares the true crime story of serial killer of Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) who appeared on The Dating Game in 1978 in the midst of a killing spree that he did across the country! We're introduced to those who were his victims, those related to victims and a potential victim, Cheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick who also directs this true story). We meet Cheryl, a struggling actress whose agent suggests that she appears on the show so that she could potentially book jobs.

As she interacts with her 3 possible suitors, we realize through flashbacks that Rodney has already murdered 5 people prior to taping the show. Even one of the fellow contestants realizes that something is off by him and when he realizes that she selects the serial killer for a potential date, he lets her know that she needs to be careful!

This movie depicts Rodney's life and what happened to him prior to the show and after.

LA MÁQUINA

Hulu Original

Hulu

We've enjoyed watching Hulu's La Máquina which follows a noted boxer, Esteban (Gael Garcia Bernal) who is towards the end of a phenomenal boxing career; however, time has started to take its toll on him as he continues to fight. Although he is looking to retire and to do the next phase of his life, his friend and manager, Andy (Diego Luna) always finds ways to keep him fighting and to secure his title.

He realizes that just when he is looking to end his career on a high note, there are a lot of entanglements involved in the last fight as well as an underworld that makes him see everything that he has done, accomplished, and been involved within in a new light!

While he figures that out, he also sees the possibilities of another life that could include a new love, a new focus on his health and whatever comes next.

CANDYMAN: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE BATHROOM MIRROR MURDER

CBS News

Spotify

Growing up, there was a horror movie called Candyman that focused on murders that took place in a public housing development based on urban folklore and legends.

In Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder, this investigative podcast reveals that the inspiration of the movie comes from a very real murder that took place in a Chicago housing

project. It looks at the strange events that took place around her death. The podcast looks at the racial injustice, housing inequalities and mental health issues that surrounded this case.

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

THE PENGUIN

HBO Original

HBO + MAX

We always love watching a good DC Comics and this limited series of The Pengiun definitely had us enthralled from the ffirst episode as we get to see Oswald "Oz" Cobb (Colin Farrell) who is navigating his current role and takes the next steps into his destiny to control Gotham City. We see the city in a bit of a state with seawall's collapse that Joker implemented. With a power vacuum that took place when Carmine Falcone died he must figure out to deal with his childrenSofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) and Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) as well as dealing with the Maroni family who is helmed by Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown) who is in prison!

We also watch as he puts his empire together and we get to know more about his origin story! We're excited to enjoy the remainder of the season and we also enjoyed the companion podcast, The Penguin Official Podcast which drops new episodes every week immediately following the release of the TV series.

THE CIRCLE

Netflix Original

Netflix

Alert! S7 of The Circle, a social media competition is out now - send message! We have loved every episodes where we meet an array of contestants who come to the game without seeing one another and that only have the ability to communicate via Circle Chats. Whether they play as themselves, are catfish or are a hybrid of the two, they must interact with one another, build alliances, figure out how to navigate the game, rate one another, and eventually make it to he final round where one winner will be awarded $100,000 for their efforts! As is the case each season, we see our favorites, we enjoy seeing who connects with who, and it's always fun when they come together for their reunion to see the players put a face to the name of the people that they have interacted with.

THE PRESTIGE TV PODCAST

The Ringer

Spotify

We watch a number of shows and we love when it's prestige - these are shows of high quality that are known for their high production value as well as complex plots. Shows such as The Bear, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and more would be examples. What we love about The Prestige TV Podcast by the team at The Ringer is that they have a number of episodes where they break down some of the hottest shows to talk about what is taking place in the show, fan theories, interviews that include actors or creative teams that are involved and more! It's a great way to ensure that you're on track with what is going on in the series. It's always great to see if the show you're watching is being covered by their ever growing team.

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

9PLAYLIST MULTI | ALYSIA REINER

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST MULTI | Alysia Reiner in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

STEVIE VAN ZANDT: DISCIPLE

HBO Original

Max

In Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple, this documentary takes us through the career of producer, musician, songwriter, activist, actor, and more. We see him throughout Jersey in Asbury Park clubs and arena stadiums with Bruce Springsteen as well as to the Bada Bing Club with James Gandolfini! There are interviews from an array of notables that we love, including The Boss himself, Darlene Love, Eddie Vedder, Paul McCartney, and Bono. This film looks at his influence as well as his legacy and how he champions rock ‘n’ roll and social justice.

PACK ONE BAG

Lemonada

Spotify

In this podcast, documentarian David Modigliani shares his family history with us which includes his grandfather Franco won a Nobel Prize. He became interested in the love story that made it possible even when he was on the run in Fascist Italy. As he learns about his story, he finds many dark truths that took place that showed how a family member was left behind and how his family had a connection to Benito Mussolini.

Pack One Bag allows David to go to Italy and to take a look at his families' past and what one would do when they are faced with predicaments. He hears from his family about what took place, he looks at spy documents, diary entries and more. With everything he found, he enlists Stanley Tucci (Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia, The King's Man) to tell this story and to bring it to life so that we can understand the importance of history, perserverance and the human spirit despite obstacles that could be in your way.

CLIPPED

FX

Hulu

In Clipped: The Scandalous Story of LA's Other Basketball Team, we take an in depth look on what took place with the LA Clippers and the notorious NBA owner Don Sterling who was known for his racist and problematic remarks which were recorded. Once they were aired, it was the tape heard around the world! This miniseries is based on ESPN 30 for 30 Podcast, The Sterling Affairs.

Both the podcast and the Hulu series looks at the collision between the dysfunction basketball organization, Sterling's marriage, and the impact that the tape and the statements made on them while the team is trying to win a Championship with Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) as the coach and a team that has the building blocks to potentially win their first championship ring.

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

DONYALE LUNA SUPERMODEL

HBO Original

Max

When we look back at the first Black Supermodel, many of us think of Beverly Johnson; however, in HBO's Donyale Luna Supermodel, we are introduced to the first, who covered Harper's Bazaar Magazine, was in a number of campaigns, shot by leading photographers, and jetsetted throughout Europe when she realized that making it here in the US as a Black woman from Detroit wouldn't be a reality for her.

She lives a life as a model and creative who simply wanted to find a place that she could call home, be accepted, and shine in her own skin. Throughout the documentary we learn about her life, her iconic poses, and luminaries in the industry talk about those who opened doors for her as well as those that kept it shut. The importance in reclaiming this history so that more can be aware of her story is one that we truly enjoyed in this documentary.

LOVE IS BLIND

Netflix Series

Netflix

We love a good social experiment and we're back in the pods for the 5th season of Netflix's Love is Blind, we see another round of those who are looking to find their match without seeing one another. They're able to date in pods, talk about their interests, and what a life would be like together, and then if they get engaged, they only see each other when they accept!

Afterwards, they go on a vacation where all the couples are able to begin their lives and then they go

home so that they can see whether they can continue to be with one another as well as to meet their families. In the end, they will see if love is blind if they end up getting married and avid viewers of the show always like seeing the after show as well as another episode that shows what happened with those involved! It kicks off on Sept 22nd with initial episodes and over the 3 week period, additional episodes will be available on Fri.

EXPOSED: COVER UP AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Wondery

Spotify

When you go to a trusted OB-GYN at Columbia University, you expect a higher level of care. But hundreds and possibly thousands of women were allegedly assaulted by Dr. Robert Hadden and although many tried to be heard, it seemed like he wouldn't be held accountable until the survivors engaged in a decade-long fight for justice.

In Wondery’s Exposed: Cover Up at Columbia University, medical journalist Laura Beil shares their stories, what they endured, the cover-up, and how the women got their power back.

Read the SEP ISSUE #92 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

BLACK MIRROR

Netflix Series

Netflix

It's been awhile but Black Mirror is back with 5 new episodes that let you think about connectivity, technology, interpersonal relationships and so much more! This season we're left with wondering about the extent of privacy and how by giving it out, we may be allowing more access to who we are then we ever thought! We also look at how much our love for True Crime may uncover secrets and behaviors that we never thought that those who we know have! It also makes us think about how the act of assisting someone or giving time to others can have adverse affects. We found that we were able to binge all the episodes in one weekend day and left our screens wondering about these themes as well as hoping that there would be another season to keep us pondering soon!

AND JUST LIKE THAT

Max Original

HBO/Max + Spotify

Fans of Sex and the City were treated to And Just Like That last year which picked up with the our favorite ladies of NYC. We returned to them last year in new circumstances as well as bringing in new friends to shake up what we knew about them and to diversify their lives!

This month, the second season is back with more stories to tell, more challenges to take on, and to to continue to strive to live their best lives with an array of nuances!

As you know, this show also has a podcast companion series which takes us into the writer's room to talk in depth about each episode as well as to talk about how they approached writing the episode, whose personal experiences it was based on and how it ties into art, styling and more. Episodes of this spin-off series drop weekly and if you missed anything, you can catch up on Max for this series as well as Sex and the City. Also listen to the podcast show on your favorite platforms.

HIDDEN SIGNAL:EVERGREEN

QCODE

Spotify

We're enjoying another immersive audio drama from QCODE has been released and it takes us to the end and possible beginning of the world in Hidden Signal: Evergreen. Hidden Signal is an Anthology for QCODE and Evergreen focuses on a hand selected team of the world's greatest minds who are trapped in a subterranean biosphere. They realize that on Earth, an asteroid has destroyed the surface and that they are tasked to create a new society. Mistrust abounds among the group and the line between hero and villain is not easily seen in this fictional podcast. With so much uncertainty, can they come together and trust one another?

Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

RESPECT THE PROCESS | CHEF KRISTEN KISH

Over the past few months, we have caught up with Chef Kristen Kish to talk about TRU TV's Fast Foodies as well as her partnership with Jongga Kimchi. We love how she enjoys exploring food and the stories that it tells for those that also have taken care to share their experiences through it.

This month, she hosts National Geographic's Restaurants At the End of the World that takes her to exotic locales and showcases how people bring their visions to life, creating meals that pull from items that are local to their area and learning about how she can apply these lessons to her personal life; how she navigates her kitchen; and how she approaches food.

In this interview, we are talking about the 4 episodes that will drop each week on Nat Geo as well as streaming on Disney+. We talk about how the show took place, the process of selecting those that are featured and her feedback on dishes that were created during the episodes.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of chatting with you a few months ago so we got to hear about your latest show and I just saw the 4 screeners in prep for chatting with you and I really enjoyed it! Why did you want to be part of this show and how did you get attached to it?

CHEF KRISTEN KISH: It started back in 2019 with conversations of this idea from a woman named Julia, and it was a scene of food, self-exploration and journey kind of show. Then 2020 happened and things went to a screeching halt and then we were able to pick it up back again. As we started to develop this treatment, the pitches come and when it got pitched, Nat Geo was like, we like this, but also, we’re Nat Geo and we can do something like this! I was like, yes whatever this is I’m totally in for it too! So although they’re very different, it started with this original idea that the core and the heart of this show is very similar to the 2 projects. I love Nat Geo.

AM: It was so good! Watching you immerse yourself in so many different situations, I had anxiety for you!

I saw the 4 screeners, but how many episodes will there be in total?

CHEF KK: We did the 4 and we filmed them over the summer. With any new series, we have a trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t and I can only just hope that we can continue exploring parts of the world.

AM: What was the criteria in terms of the locales you went to and the people that you featured? Everyone was so different and yet there was a common throughline as well.

CHEF KK: We have Missy, who is one of our Executive Producers and she was part of the creative and Nat Geo of course, has their resources obviously. As you can imagine, there are a lot of moving pieces. There were 100s of locations and subjects that were a potential. You know, it’s coming down to scheduling with them, especially with this first 4 and how we develop them, that we are able to communicate with them in English. I wish that I was able to speak another language and that I could speak all of their languages, but I can’t. It also came down to whether they had a real life thing that they were working towards. Like Chef Rolando wanted to cook for Charlie. Chef Gisela had these important guests that were coming into town – things like that were real. So they needed to have the story already happening in order for us to come in. There were so many that were a possibility and I just hope that we will be able to tap into them one day.

AM: What was your favorite dish to create? I know you didn’t create this, but I loved the Kimchi Sorbet, that blew my mind.

CHEF KK: Same! That blew my mind and I wish that I could take the credit for that one but I mean, he just dreamed that up in his head and I was just like, how is this going to work? I said, it’s not going to work, there’s no way that this is frickin’ going to happen and then I tasted it and I was like, “oh my God!” It makes sense, it’s actually, a really well balanced dish! I think that the best part of this series for me was that I got to go in, especially for this first 4 and some I created dishes on my own and others I didn’t. I got to go in with a place and to say, I’m your sous chef and I’m so happy doing that! I gave my 2 cents when they asked for it or asked my advice for things – no judgment or hard feelings. If they didn’t take it, I didn’t care, it was about the bigger experience not what I could give to them and what they could give to me in return. It was like this overall experience that we were working towards.

I think that the feeding bag cocktail challenged –

AM: I was going to ask you about that!

CHEF KK: Mind over matter on that one because it didn’t taste great, but it wasn’t awful. It was the color, the idea of what it was and it kind of throws your brain for a loop. Sometimes, you have to work your way through these. But I did find it incredibly impressive because I thought, who thinks of something like that?

AM: Yeah seeing it –

CHEF KK: Oh I know! The brown on the bottom – I was like, oh God!

AM: Just watching your face I thought, nope!

CHEF KK: But I will say that all of them as adventurous as it all was and as different as they each were, they had this care about what they were cooking. They genuinely wanted to show you and they cared for the product and they were excited about it. So that’s all you can really ask for when it comes to food!

AM: Yeah and I actually liked what you just spoke to, that you were happy being the sous chef. In other circumstances, I can see someone wanting to jump in and I could see the thrill that you had taking on something new and seeing through your eyes the sweet scallops! I would totally want to try that as it looked so amazing.

CHEF KK: Those! It was a wave of sugar! Normally, you’re judging scallops on their brininess and the sweet, salty, salinity and all of that good stuff. These were pure sugar and they were crazy!

AM: That is insane!

CHEF KK: It was absolutely wild! We got to go and I don’t know if it showed in the episode as there’s so much that happens in a week’s time to film this episode. Not everything can make it in. We go to go down and I went diving into it and I swam in between all of the scallops nests and oh my God, it was amazing!

AM: That sounds insane!

What is your biggest takeaway from doing this experience?

CHEF KK: There’s a lot! Professionally, I need to leave more room for experimentation and play without judgment. Whether I’m judging myself or having to serve it to someone that is going to judge me. I think personally, it was continuously layering in this empathy! I cared so much for these people. I cried in every episode for their kindness because these people were so nice to me! We’re often jaded and I think that the state of the world often jades us because reality sucks sometimes. There are a lot of things that are wrong. But when I got to meet these people and to spend so much time with them on camera and off camera with them and they were exactly the same kind of person – they were just so excited to show you who they are. That shit got me and I cried every time!

AM: That is beautiful! What would be the next places that you would like to go to should this continue? I hope it does because it is so beautifully done and I love the format.

CHEF KK: There are so many places that I know of and I don’t know of! There are pockets in this world that I don’t even know the name of! Things that were being tossed around during these first few episodes in trying to figure out where we could go, Mongolia was a place, different parts of Peru, there were places in Africa and I was like yes! Get me there! I want to go and I want to feel all of this stuff. There’s countless places that we can go, I just have to find the time and all the things need to align!

AM: Exactly! Well it was amazing to see it come together and of course, it always takes a community for things to thrive. In these stories, you really saw how those with different roles in the culinary community come together for sourcing, transportation etc and I feel like you really brought that out. I’m sure we’ll be talking soon about whatever amazing project you have going on whether it’s additional seasons/episodes of this show or something else!

CHEF KK: Oh yes! I’ll be talking to you soon and I appreciate you watching it!

IG @kristenlkish

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 56 + 62 National Geographic/Autumn Sonichsen | PG 59 + 60 National Geographic/Missy Bania |

Read the MAR ISSUE #87 of Athleisure Mag and see RESPECT THE PROCESS | Chef Kristen Kish in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

EMILY IN PARIS

Netflix Series

Netflix

We were late to the Emily in Paris party; however, we watched both seasons last year and couldn't wait until the 3rd season which dropped on Dec 21st! We make our way back to Paris to catch up with Emily (Lily Collins) as we know that she was caught between Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), so it will be interesting to see what happens from the love triangle as there were major plot twists here!

Outside of Emily's love life, we're excited to see one of the best friendships that we've seen in awhile with Mindy (Ashley Park) as we can't wait to see how she navigates the current season as we learn more about her life, family and embracing her singing career.

Of course, Emily was sent to Paris to work and we know that this has also been an interesting twist in her life as well with Sylvie's (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) resignation of Savoir and taking the staff with her to start her new agency, Emily is told that she can have a promotion if she goes back to Chicago with Madeline (Kate Walsh), but will she stay in Paris?

1923: A YELLOWSTONE ORIGIN STORY

Paramount Network

Paramount+

We have been fans of Yellowstone and the worlds that it has started to introduce us to in terms of the Dutton family. In the flagship series, we see the modern day family navigating their way of life as well as modernity that continues to invade their ranch.

In 1893, we get to see how the original Duttons found a way to come to Yellowstone in this prequel. This month, 1923 releases weekly episodes that show us another portion of the family tree in how they continue to live and extend their legacy. We see them as they navigate WW1, US industrialization and the Great Depression with Harrison Ford (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Fugitive) and Helen Mirren (Red, The Good Liar, The Queen) leading the cast!

THE HERON

Realm

Spotify

If you want to listen to a podcast where it looks at the darker side of sport and how one would do anything to advance, you'll be interested in listening to The Heron. We find ourselves at a sports boarding school where students train to be the best as they get ready to go the professional route.

We learn about a dispute between 2 students that causes one to be displaced and the other grappling with how they continue to advance with the pressures that they have on the court, with their family and those who claim to assist them! This 6 part psychological thriller is one that you can enjoy in an afternoon for a proper binge!

Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

S1. E1. | VOT3D IO: 2022 & AWARDS FOR BRANDS DEMONSTRATING EXCELLENCE

We live in a time where we get a lot of information and sometimes, it would be great to just hear about the highlights, why we should want to know about it and some takeaways that we can walk away with when we're talking to friends, family and colleagues! I'm your host Paul Farkas, Co-Founder/Publisher and Artistic Director of Athleisure Media and co-executive producer of Athleisure Studio our podcast network and I am your other co-host Kimmie Smith, Co-Founder/Creative and Style Director of Athleisure Media and the co-executive producer and host of a number of our podcast shows on Athleisure Studio. Each episode we'll delve into VOT3D IO, a social intro and dating portal that features parties, newsletters and our video podcast TV show for pop culture news and luxury lifestyle! Each episode will allow you to be informed, discover and to share with others! 

On today's episode of VOT3D IO, we're taking a look at 2022 and talking about some key topics and stories that gripped us this year! Today's co-host will be the Co-Founder/Creative + Style Dir of Athleisure Media and Co-Exec Producer and host of a number of our podcast shows on Athleisure Studio, Kimmie Smith. 

We're going to delve into this year to talk about current events, pop culture, beauty, fitness, sports, travel, politics, wellness, style and luxury lifestyle. We'll also share some insights into major stories. We'll also talk about what we can expect to continue to be topics of interest as we navigate 2023. We’ll also share with you about our recent VOT3D IO Party: A Conversation with The Bachelorette’s Michelle Young!

Sometimes I'll be joined by my Co-Founder of Athleisure Media and other times, there will be friends of this brand that will join me in talking about an array of topics which includes: current events, pop culture, beauty, fitness, sports, travel, politics, wellness, style and luxury lifestyle. So when it comes to breaking it down and keeping it simple, I'll be with you to guide you in a new way to see and hear the world via VOT3D IO!

If you’re looking up or interested in connecting with VOT3D IO, make sure that you spell it with – v-o-t-3-d-i-o. I'm your host, Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. VOT3D IO is part of Athleisure Studio's podcast network and is a member of Athleisure Media. VOT3D IO is co-executive produced by me as well as Kimmie Smith and is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is Neo Business by Winnie the Moog.

S2. E12. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH KATIE LEE BIEGEL

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, It's all about the approach to food whether you're making it or enjoying it. We've been fans of Katie Lee Biegel for a number of years as we love how she simply enjoys telling her story through food. With a hectic holiday season upon us, we wanted to chat with her to talk about her love of food, being a co-host on Food Network's The Kitchen, partaking in Kitchen Therapy as a form of self-care and her thoughts on her bestselling book, Groundswell, being turned into a film on the Hallmark Channel!

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

S1. E0. | VOT3D IO TEASER

We live in a time where we get a lot of information and sometimes, it would be great to just hear about the highlights, why we should want to know about it and some takeaways that we can walk away with when we're talking to friends, family and colleagues! I'm your host Paul Farkas, Co-Founder/Publisher and Artistic Director of Athleisure Media and co-executive producer of Athleisure Studio our podcast network and I am your other co-host Kimmie Smith, Co-Founder/Creative and Style Director of Athleisure Media and the co-executive producer and host of a number of our podcast shows on Athleisure Studio. Each episode we'll delve into VOT3D IO, a social intro and dating portal that features parties, newsletters and our video podcast TV show for pop culture news and luxury lifestyle! Each episode will allow you to be informed, discover and to share with others! 

Sometimes I'll be joined by my Co-Founder of Athleisure Media and other times, there will be friends of this brand that will join me in talking about an array of topics which includes: current events, pop culture, beauty, fitness, sports, travel, politics, wellness, style and luxury lifestyle. So when it comes to breaking it down and keeping it simple, I'll be with you to guide you in a new way to see and hear the world via VOT3D IO!

If you’re looking up or interested in connecting with VOT3D IO, make sure that you spell it with – v-o-t-3-d-i-o. I'm your host, Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. VOT3D IO is part of Athleisure Studio's podcast network and is a member of Athleisure Media. VOT3D IO is co-executive produced by me as well as Kimmie Smith and is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is Neo Business by Winnie the Moog.