BING3WATCH | WESTWORLD

Read the Jun Issue #54 of Athleisure Mag and see BING3WATCH | WESTWORLD in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #54 JUN 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is NBA Champion Matt Barnes. Our cover shoot editorial – Authentically Matt Barnes, talks about Matt’s career, transitioning from the game, his skincare brand HUE For Every Man, the NBA season resuming and upcoming playoffs, cannabis, the importance of social justice, voting (local, state and national) and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. His interview will also be in an upcoming #TRIBEGOALS podcast episode. We also have an interview with 4 X NBA Champion John Salley in our monthly feature, Something You Should Know, as we talk about gifting for Father’s Day as well as graduating students, his appearance in ESPN’s The Last Dance and words of wisdom as we navigate COVID-19 with its quarantine as well as #BlackLivesMatter. His interview will also be in an upcoming podcast episode of #TRIBEGOALS. Charlotte Tilbury has been a brand that has been included in a number of our features as well as an interview with the namesake herself. In this month’s issue, we talk to Sofia Tilbury, her niece, who is a Brand Ambassador and Product & Content Creator at the brand. She talks about her work as a makeup artist, her work with the brand, recent product launches and her favorite products.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into one of our favorite actresses, Laura Dern. This month’s 9PLAYLIST includes International EDM DJ/Producer Diplo who shares his favorite songs with us. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Fhitting Room and Maple Leaf Farms), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This Look While You’re Working From Home in Style, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Coconut Beauty. 

Read June Issue #54 here.

THAT CALIFORNIA GIRL LIFE WITH GABY DALKIN

Food has always been a great way to bring people together, explore cultures and even to give insight into who you are and your creativity. This month, we talk with cookbook author, founder of What’s Gaby Cooking culinary creator, and who has created a line of seasonings, sauces and cocktail mixers that you can purchase at Williams Sonoma for a number of years – Gaby Dalkin. She shares how she created her culinary universe, her focus of California Girl Living, being inspired through travel and lifestyle as she approaches creating her dishes. We also talk about her popular site and how she grew it as well as her newest cookbook that’s out now, What's Gaby Cooking, Eat What You Want. She even tells us how we can enhance our movie nights in with her dishes as we all do our part to flatten the curve!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with food and realize that you wanted to work in the industry?

GABY DALKIN: So I fell in love with food really when I was in high school. I used to come home from school everyday and watch the Food Network and I just loved watching them cook. It was mesmerizing to me. I would watch it everyday for a couple of hours when I would do my homework. Then when I got to college, I started cooking for my tennis team. I played tennis in college and I met my husband, he was my boyfriend at the time. He was on the men’s team and I would cook for everyone – we have both not picked up our rackets in years. I would cook for the men’s and women’s teams right before matches. I loved getting people around the table. It brought me so much joy for me to be able to feed them and just watch the conversation happen when you bring people to a table and include food.

After college, I got a job in the fashion and marketing/PR industry for a couple of months. The whole company folded and then instead of getting another job, I decided to go to culinary school – just for fun. I had no intention of going into the culinary world fulltime. I ended up loving it and falling in love with food. I got a job as a private chef and I started my blog and it just snowballed and that was a little over 10 years ago.

AM: That’s a great story and one of the things that we enjoyed reading about you is that you’re all about the California Girl Life. We’re based in NY and we wanted to know how you define the California Girl Life?

GD: To me, the California Girl Life is not about being in California. It’s more the state of mind as opposed to an actual place. I think it’s all about living your life in balance, being your own sunshine and making sure you’re happy and all of that. I think that that is what my definition of California is. I can have a beautiful salad with all of these incredible vegetables and I can also indulge in pizza, pasta and cookies – that’s the balance part of it. I mean, we’re very fortunate in California to have incredible weather most of the year. Whether or not, you can experience that or not, I think that we can all bring a bit of sunshine into our kitchens via food.

AM: Would you define that as your style of cooking or since you went to culinary school, do you have a specific way that you like to cook?

GD: I would say that I am very California focused, but I would say that I was trained in French cuisine, but I wouldn’t say or even qualify myself to say that I am a French trained chef. I like to say that the way I cook is very carefree, I like to do simple ingredients – I would say that I am a Mediterranean style cook and that really resonates with California. I also grew up in Tucson, Arizona so there is definitely some South West and Mexican influence in my food.

AM: We can definitely see that. You are a recipe developer. What does that mean and what does it involve?

GD: A recipe developer is someone who has an idea and takes it from an idea to a finished recipe. Normally, it takes anywhere from 3-6 tries to get a recipe perfect before it gets up on my website or one of my cookbooks. For me, it’s important for me to stay continuously inspired. Pre COVID-19, it came from traveling and being able to eat at restaurants and all of that kind of stuff. Now, I’m finding inspiration from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Boxes and things that I’m doing because before, I had access to Farmer’s Markets and now I get these things delivered once a week and I’m like, “what do I do with this and this?” It’s creating so many ideas because I’m being forced to cook with things that I normally would not get on my home. It’s been cool to recipe develop during this period of time when things have been more limited.

AM: Can you tell us more about the website, What’s Gaby Cooking?

GD: What’s Gaby Cooking is my website that I started back in 2009. It was originally a blog that I was able to put up things that I was cooking in culinary school and beyond on it. It has now been turned into more of a hub that houses all the What’s Gaby Cooking things. So we have recipes on there, meal plans on there, we feature companies, we do travel guides, menu planning for Memorial Day or Mother’s Day, our podcast is on there now and we just recently launched a culinary school on there as well.

AM: Which is awesome.

GD: I’m basically reliving my culinary days and turning it into videos so that people can get the same education I got A. for free and B. done in quick snippet videos. While everyone is cooking more at home right now, you have access to some cool how to videos.

AM: When we looked at it, we loved seeing how you had all the different ways that you could make eggs because there are some that you know how to do, but then there are others that are a bit more challenging and it was cool to see the one on poached eggs. It’s great how easily bite sized that it is where you can just start from there, do it and then you just roll into other videos. Couldn’t agree more that especially during this time, you may not have cooked a lot but you find yourself doing it a lot more now and you’re looking for fun places that you can kind of make it fun for yourself to do it. Especially since we’re all at home!

GD: I think it’s important to make things accessible. Yes cooking can be complicated, but at its core, it’s not. I’m enjoying being able to dispel some people’s fears around cooking while doing culinary school.

AM: Your husband works with you as well, how is that in your coupleship? As our co-founders are a couple, it’s interesting to see all the roles and those that spill over work between them as well as finding that balance with them.

GD: Thomas came on fulltime about a year ago. The first couple of weeks were rocky because we were so used to – I mean I have a team that helps me but I wasn’t used to having someone in my space every day. It was really interesting getting Thomas and I into a groove. Now a month in, we’ve been smooth sailing. He runs the whole production, tech and design side – he does all the video editing, the website design – all that and creating all the graphics and things. I do all of the recipes and camera facing work. He’s also been apart of What’s Gaby Cooking from the beginning. He wasn’t getting paid as he had an other job, but he knows my business inside and out. It’s hard to find someone who cares about the company as much as I do. So, it’s really cool to have him involved full time now and to have someone who is as equally invested in it every waking moment of every day.

AM: You have so many aspects to your business. What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to include a cookbook within your ecosystem? We were fans of Absolutely Avocados – we’re a fan of the fruit. What was the process like when you decided that you were going to do your first cookbook and how long do you spend doing your cookbooks?

GD: When you write a cookbook, it normally takes you 2-2.5 years start to finish. But when I did my first cookbook which was 8 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing and I walked into it very blind and it was an incredible learning experience for me. I LOVED Absolutely Avocados. It was my first child if you will. I’m very proud of it, but it also came with so many lessons about what kind of person I wanted as my agent, my editor, how I was going to be pushed and did I need someone to be my best friend who would hold my hand the entire time or did I need someone that would push me to make it an incredible book and to make it even better.

From my first book to my second and third book, I actually switched both agents and publishers. What I learned was, I can have both. My editor now, is someone who is going to push me to be a better writer, a better thinker and all of these things. She has now turned into a friend, but at first I was just looking for a friend. I wasn’t looking for anyone to push me because I thought that I was doing it so well to begin with. But we all need to be pushed and I think it’s important to have someone that keeps me accountable. I’m lucky that I have thatwith this team. But the first book, was a really great learning lesson for me.

AM: You just released your third book, What’s Gaby Cooking, Eat What You Want. It has such a great conversational tone as well as pictures. What inspired you to creating this particular book?

GD: Thank you! I get asked all the time, “Yeah you post all of these pizzas, pastas, cookies and salads. But what do you really eat Gaby?” I was like, “this is what I really eat.” I just wanted to really drive the home that you could do it all, you could do it in balance and you really have a great life. I think in today’s world, there is a lot of noise in food. You’re not supposed to have bananas in your smoothie and all of these things that aren’t necessarily true and it’s because of the diet industry that is rebranding as part wellness industry basically. I wanted people to get rid of the noise. Food makes you happy. It’s supposed to nourish your body, make you happy and bring people around your table. I wanted to create a book that was going to celebrate all of that.

AM: To have the section on the sauces, the splurge foods, you have the foods that are definitely the healthy ones – having the balance and destigmatizing it as opposed to saying what should and shouldn’t be really rang true to when we created Athleisure Mag. We wanted to present the options and allow people to decide if they wanted to do something in the manner that works for them. To have it in a succinct and awesomely packaged way, it made us want to make a number of the recipes because there are so many fun things that are in there. The flow and the way that it is broken out is conversational which makes it super approachable which is exactly on point with your brand.

GD: Thank you! That’s exactly what I wanted people to feel when they are reading it. I wanted them to feel like they were in my kitchen with me and they were just hanging out with their friends. I hope that everyone else feels that way as well.

AM: With all of us staying in. We have been doing movie nights 3-4 times a week. We have our projector that goes up, we have our snacks and things together. What are 3 dishes in your book that we should be making when we do our movie nights?

GD: Definitely the Parmesan Pizza Popcorn. It is made for movie night. I would say the brownies in the back – The Caramel Marshmallow, Chocolate Chunk Brownies – it’s a very nice decadent treat to watch a movie to. And then, while it’s not exactly good food to eat on your couch as they’re a little messy. The Chipotle Wings in the appetizer section are such a gamechanger. They’re so good and they’re not – punch you in the face spicy, they’re smokey and they leave you with a nice heat. I think that that is really fun also.

AM: That sounds amazing. Are you already making plans for your next cookbook and what it is going to be?

GD: Oh my gosh, yes! I just talked to my team the other day and they said, “so what’s book number 4?” I was like, “I don’t know.” Give me a few months to think about it. I would love to continue to do cookbooks. It’s so much fun to see people use them in their kitchens, tagging me in their recipes, hearing how food is effecting their lives and making them better. Right now with the quarantine and people being home with their children and homeschooling them, so many moms have been messaging me and saying that they are using my book as a textbook to teach their kids fractions, how to read and colors. I think that that is just the coolest thing and I never would have thought of that and I think it’s just really cool.

AM: That’s huge! You’re really synced into your social media! You were just talking about how people let you know how they are using your books and recipes. It’s awesome to hear that as busy as you are with so many things going on that you’re able to stay engaged with them.

GD: It’s my favorite part of my job! One of my favorite things to do it to talk to my whole audience they’re my family and friends. I have had the opportunity to meet some of these people on book tours and hosted events. I’m with them every day in my kitchens so it’s so much fun to be able to communicate with them via Instagram, Twitter or the blog. I can answer their questions, hear their stories – hands down one of the favorite parts of my job.

AM: With your new podcast, What’s Gaby Cooking… In Quarantine, it focuses on the quarantine and different dishes that you can make, how do you decide what dishes are going to go on the podcast?

GD: So the podcast is all user generated content. So I have a hotline. Remember back in the day when there was, 1-800-Jenny-Craig from back in the day?

AM: YES!

GD: I have one of those numbers now and so people call in and ask questions based on quarantine. How do I cook x y z in my pantry, how do I clean this and how do I this? It’s been so cool to listen to everyone’s voicemails and then to listen for things that are fairly common themes across everyone’s questions and to answer those on the podcast. It’s helping people to get even more comfortable in the kitchen. We just started having guests! My mom was my first guest and we talked about food noise, food shaming, raising children in today’s world and how we shouldn’t pay attention to the crazy food noise as well as how she did that she she was raising me and my sister. It’s going to be cool to see everyone’s response to that.

AM: Looking at Williams-Sonoma, how did that partnership come about and what is it like to create all of these amazing seasonings with them and what’s it like working with them?

GD: Williams-Sonoma came about a few years ago back in 2016. I had decided that the next iteration of What’s Gaby Cooking would be for people to have something tangible that they could use in their kitchens that felt like I was there with them. I knew that they were cooking the recipes and they were watching us on YouTube and all of that kind of stuff. I wanted them to have something that they could literally put in their recipes. I cold called a number of companies and told them my idea. Everyone that you can imagine that sells food products, and a couple of them wrote me and asked me to fly to their headquarters to take a meeting. Williams-Sonoma did not call me back right away, but I knew people there and I knew that everything that they’re about made sense for my brand. I went ahead and went to the meetings for the brands that reached out – they said, let’s get this rolling. I felt that it just wasn’t right yet. 24 hours later, the head food buyer of Williams- Sonoma emailed me and asked me to come up to San Francisco and to cook for the whole team and tell them my story. So, I dropped everything that I was doing and I hopped on a plane, flew up there a couple of days later, cooked for everyone, told them my story and we talked about my social, my website and culinary school.

I didn’t know this at the time, but salsa was not their best SKU. So they said, “let’s try a line of salsas.” I was like, “ok cool.” I’m from Arizona, I love salsa – let’s do it. We crushed it. We developed 3 salsas that came out that were also able to be used as multiuse sauces as well. It did so well and outperformed all their salsas. I think that that was their way of testing me. From there, we expanded into seasonings, oil, perishable products and cocktail mixes. It’s been such an incredible partnerships for the last few years and I feel incredible lucky to work with people that have become like family and friends to me. To be part of a company that has such strong messaging and goals – I feel fortunate to be apart of the WS Fam!

AM: So each season, do you have a particular focus on foods that you want to attack and then create those items that would go under that particular assortment?

GD: They do that for the catalog. A couple of years ago, they did a Mexico vibe and that’s when the salsas went into it. Now, they do have priorities like brunch was a focus for them this spring and we introduced our cocktail mixed with that as well as the All Things Eggs Seasonings. That plays into it. But at this point, they know that I know what will resonate with my audience. So we have collaborative brainstorm seasons where I say, “I think that we need to do this or we need to do that.” Then, we can make that happen.

AM: What in the culinary world have you yet to do, but want to embrace that and bring it into your empire – or even outside of it as you are a lifestyle brand?

GD: Interesting question. I haven’t done any travel to Asia and I’m dying to explore the different cultures and food – everything. I want to cook with people for a month or two when we’re able to travel again and to learn all about that. I would love to learn from someone that is an expert or multiple experts and then bring that back to share that knowledge. We have dabbled in it at What’s Gaby Cooking but I really would love to immerse myself in something like that. That is high on my priority list in terms of growing the brand. But it changes so much. What’s Gaby Cooking Culinary School came about because so many people were messaging me on how to prep vegetables. It wasn’t something that we thought about doing until we were like, we should start this. Being a small company and being nimble is so important because you’re able to pivot and adapt to make changes really quickly. Who knows? Whatever we do when we’re over with COVID – it will be interesting to see how we change our business to accommodate that.

AM: What are 3 items that you always have in your fridge?

GD: I always have mozzarella in the fridge, I have fresh tortillas and salsa. I think those are things that I can’t live without.

AM: With someone that is so busy and now with having a number of the issues that we have all dealt with regarding COVID and staying at home. How are you taking time for yourself as well as your husband to taking down the noise and still being able to do the self-care that you need to be a calm and normal person?

GD: It’s really interesting. I do struggle with this and I am attached to my phone for most of the day. When we wind down at night, I leave my phone in the kitchen plugged in and I don’t take it with me to bed because I don’t want to be responding to DM’s until 11pm which I could easily be doing. I try not to. So that’s been helpful. We have been going out for walks every night after dinner - again without my phone to decompress from the day. That’s also been helpful. We also have been using FaceTime and Zoom dates with all of our friends. Honestly, we have talked to and seen them more now then we did before COVID. Because, they all live in different parts of the country. Some of our best friends in Portland, we FaceTime with them and their little daughter, multiple times a week which we didn’t do before all of this and it’s been so fun to be able to hang with them because we wouldn’t have been able to see them in person anyways because they live in a different state. It’s been nice to do that and to pay attention to the conversation rather than what’s going on around us.

IG @WhatsGabyCookin

PHOTO CREDIT | Matt Armendariz

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see That California Girl Life with Gaby Dalkin in mag.

SHE'S SUPERBAD WITH SENIESA ESTRADA

We're all settling into new routines and we caught up with WBA's 18-0 flyweight champion, Seniesa "Superbad" Estrada who is taking the boxing world by storm by breaking barriers one fight at a time! We took some time with Golden Boy Promotions' boxer as she is in the midst of training for her July match. She shared her journey through the sport, her passion that began for it when she watched with her father as well as how she stayed focus despite obstacles that stood in her way. We also talked about her partnerships as well as having the support of Danny Trejo noted actor of Machete and Predators as well as restaurateur of Trejos Tacos. She even shared how she wants to give back to her community and those with an interest in boxing. Finally, she shares how she has set up her training as we continue to live in these uncertain times.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When was the moment that you realized that you loved this sport and that you wanted to be involved in it?

SENIESA ESTRADA: When I was about 6 years old, I believe. I would watch boxing fights with my dad. My parents divorced when I was 1. The only time that I would see my dad was on the weekends and I would go over to his house. Every weekend, there would be a big Pay-Per-View fight that was on. He would order it for us to watch or we would just watch a classic boxing fight from an old tape that he had – Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson – all the great fighters. The first moment that I watched the fight, it would intrigue me and everything just made sense to me and I knew that that was what I wanted to do.

AM: When did you actually start and who was your coach?

SE: I started when I was 8. From the age of 6 that’s when I watched it and I really wanted to box. I spent 6-8 months just asking him if we could go to the gym and start boxing. But he was totally against it. I remember when I would ask that he would tell me that boxing was for boys and I could do cheerleading or something like that. I remember thinking, “cheerleading – that’s so boring.” My brothers played baseball from t-ball all the way to high school. I was always at the park with them and I loved baseball, it is my second favorite sport. Even for baseball, he was against that too as he felt that that was for boys.

The very first gym that I went to was just a little outside of East LA and my dad walked into the gym and the trainer said, “oh she’s too young and we usually work with people who are 13. Bring her back when she is 13 – plus she’s a girl and we don’t really train girls.” My dad got in the car and he told me what the trainer had said and I started crying. At that point, my dad realized how much I really wanted to start boxing and he took me to a local gym in the neighborhood that he grew up in at the Colmbacke center and it’s a great place with a boxing program free for all kids and it was an awesome place. The very first trainer that I had when I walked into the gym, I remember that he said, “you want to box?” The gym was filled with little boys and I was the only girl in there. He said, “ok I’m going to train you, but I’m going to tell you right now that I am going to treat you just like one of the boys. I’m not going to treat you any different.” I said, “ok” and we started from there and I haven’t stopped since.

AM: That’s a great story and at what point did you decide that you were going to go pro and what led to that decision?

SE: I would say when I was 16, I won the USA National Championship which ranked me #1 in the US. The first Women’s Olympic Boxing was going to be in 2012 which was 3 years later. At that point, I had had over 100 amateur fights already. I wasn’t sure - I didn’t want to wait another 3 years. I was tired as I had been doing a lot of traveling for tournaments. I also fractured my toe – I dropped a weight in the gym on it. The toe kind of kept me from being able to compete and there was just a lot going on from the injury as well as waiting 3 years so I decided to turn pro. Turning pro, I didn’t realize how the transition was different. When you’re in the amateurs, there is pretty much a tournament every month and you’re fighting constantly. When you turn pro, it’s not like that. Especially for women, now it’s great, but back then it was different. It was difficult to get a fight, it was difficult to get signed by a big promoter. I was fighting every 7 months and sometimes, every 8 months. So I didn’t realize how different the transition was and how dead women’s boxing was. Just to see the change now – the difference, that change has only taken place in the last 2 years. It’s insane to see the difference of where boxing was 5 years ago vs. today. It’s only getting bigger and better now which is something that I am looking forward to in the future.

AM: To know that it has only been in the last few years that these changes have taken place is really interesting. In doing our research of you as a female fighter, being Mexican-American, winning the women’s Golden Gloves match, being signed under Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions – you have had so many firsts that you have broken through. What was your motivation to continue to play the sport with all of these things that could have impeded you from breaking through?

SE: My motivation, I would say that there were so many times that I wanted to give up. I knew that I didn’t want to live my life wondering if I could have done it if I gave up. That was the biggest motivator for me and kept me going.

AM: What is a typical training session like for you normally and since we’re all staying in due to COVID-19, how have you modified those kinds of things to stay fit?

SE: Typical training, I would do strength and conditioning for 1 hour to an hour and a half. Then I would go to the boxing gym and I would be there for about 3 hours. But now, it’s been a little different of course. We have been running at the parkas well as training there. I have also trained in my dad’s backyard. We got as much equipment as we could out of the gym to the backyard. So we’ve been doing that. It’s a lot different not having a boxing ring and easy access to everything, but I was talking about it with my trainer. We’re getting ready for a fight that is supposed to take place in July – what we’re getting ready fo. We’re not able to spar but I have been through so many training camps where I couldn’t get any sparring and I only sparred 6 rounds during the whole training camp which is insane. So all of the little obstacles that I have dealt with throughout my career this isn’t difficult because I have been through this before as it comes to training. We actually didn’t have a gym for awhile years back. So we trained at the park so I have done this before.

AM: What is it like on fight day for you? Are there certain routines that you have leading up to the fight?

SE: I would say that he day of the fight, I just like to be left alone. I don’t really like to have friends or family around me. I don’t like to talk. I just want to stay focused and be by myself on the day leading up to the fight. I get very nervous. So many people are surprised to hear that I get so nervous because it doesn’t show especially when I get into the ring – it doesn’t show.

Having so much amateur experience and just being as good as I am, people don’t expect that from me. But I do, my hands are just dripping in sweat and I don’t eat. I mean, you’re supposed to eat a good breakfast of course which is good for the body and to have lunch if you can, but I get so nervous that I can’t eat that much the morning of or anything.

AM: Who have been your mentors in this sport?

SE: I would say, my dad. Because he’s been through so much personally and has overcome so much. As far as him being in and out of prison, addicted to drugs and changing his life. He’s been my number 1 supporter and has always made sure that I have never gave up and I always continue to have faith in myself and faith in God. He is the one person that no matter how down I’m feeling or no matter what it is that he is there to lift me up and to put my head in the right place.

AM: You have had a phenomenal career, you’re 18-0. What do you think about that and what are your goals that you want to do in the sport as you have such a dynamic career?

SE: In the sport, I just want to continue to elevate the sport of women’s boxing to be better. It won’t be easy for all female fighters, but all I can do is continue to accomplish my goals and for people to see me and recognize me so that they can be more open minded to watching women’s boxing and supporting other women in the sport. Of course, my goal is to win multiple titles in 3 different weight divisions – which is definitely something that I want.

AM: We know that you signed with RVCA the SoCal sportswearbrand, you have partnerships with Ladder – why are these great fits for your brand and are there others that you will be apart of as well?

SE: RVCA is a great fit for me because, it’s difficult to find a brand that really supports you no matter what during the ups and the downs. I feel that there are a lot of sponsors and brands that will only want to work with you when you’re at the top and winning. RVCA has been with me even before I had a deal with them. They supported me and have always been there. Pat, who is the owner of RVCA, the way he’s so genuine and that’s what really got my attention. It was the kind of brand that I wanted to work with and the kind of relationship that I wanted to have. I didn’t just want to wear the clothing and represent them. i wanted a relationship and to have a feeling of loyalty. That’s what stood out to me about RVCA and why I liked the brand, the people, the athletes and those who work for them. Everyone is just really good people and that’s what I appreciate about RVCA. Ladder is a great company and they have been great to work with and I love the products. I have always had a hard time finding supplements that I liked. Supplements that are actually working – I have never really felt that until I found Ladder and everything tastes good which is very important and it works.

AM: That is the perfect combo. You also have a sponsorship or partnership with Danny Trejos? We love his taco destination, Trejos Tacos, his movies and his personality. How did that happen and has he given you any advice on staying motivated?

SE: He’s great! Daniel my publicist, actually worked with him when he was at the LA Rams and introduced me to him as they became close friends. He’s amazing and super supportive. He is someone that is just great to have and genuine as he cares for his close friends and his family. I am grateful to know him. I would tell people – because they ask me, “how is Danny?” I always tell them an example. If he is doing an interview, he would invite me to come along with him so that we could talk about me. Every week, I will get a random call from him on a Mon or a Wed. I would say, “hey what’s up.” I would wonder what he needed. He was like, “nothing just checking up on you.” A call to check up and not because he wants to say something or wants something specifically. I don’t even have friends or family that do those calls that are just to check up! Everytime I tell people that, they find it interesting. No matter what he has going on or movies that he’s in, he still takes the time to think about people that he cares about.

AM: When you look at goals as a brand or things that you want to be involved in to add to that – what do you envision for yourself whether it’s in the sport or an adjacent area?

SE: As far as outside of the ring, I’d like to motivate those that are in the inner city and communities that I grew up in. I’d like to open up a gym in a community like where I grew up in. I know that a lot of gyms are expensive now. Being able to start boxing back at home in the community center that was a free program. My parents couldn’t have afforded being at a gym where there was a monthly fee and I know how important that is. Especially when there is a family that 3 or 4 kids that want to box – it’s not easy to pay $125 for each kid for a gym fee. I’d like to open a gym close to my community, have it affordable and classes for counseling. That way, everyday that you’re going to the gym, it’s a place where you can feel comfortable to talk about what is going on in your life and around you.

AM: I think that it’s awesome that you would want to create that in order to merge that balance between athleticism and mental health!

SE: I think it’s really important for kids and the community to find someone or a place where they are really comfortable speaking about these things going on in their life. AM: You were saying that you are training for the fight taking place in July. Is there a place that we should keep an eye out for on your social? SE: Yes! We’re looking at July. I think Golden Boy hasn’t said a date but I know their first boxing fight will be then. So I’m just preparing for that on any date in July.

IG @Seniesa_Superbad

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Seniesa "Superbad" Estrada

Hear 18-0 WBC boxer, Seniesa "Superbad" Estrada on our show, Bungalow SK - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see She’s Superbad with Seniesa Estrada in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #53 MAY 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is April Ross, 2 X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Medalist. Our cover shoot editorial – To the Beach, talks about April’s career, the difference between indoor and beach volleyball, her relationship with KT Tape and how she is staying fit at home while she waits for the return of the AVP Tour and Olympic Games in 2021. We will also have this interview as an upcoming podcast for #TRIBEGOALS. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we chat with Emily Skye, Celebrity Fitness Expert about staying fit, being a wife and mom with baby #2 on the way and a great workout we should incorporate into our routine. This month, we chatted with Seniesa Estrada, WBA’s 18-0 flyweight title holder. She talks about her career, how she is training during this time and what it’s like to have Danny Trejo in her corner. We also talk with International CrossFit star, actress and Resident Tagger on FOX’s Ultimate Tag, Brooke Ence. She talks about CrossFit, being in Justice League and Wonder Woman as well as her new show.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into tennis powerhouse, Rafael Nadal. This month’s 9PLAYLIST includes Supermodel and Fashion Icon EDM DJ Naomi Campbell who shares her favorite songs with us. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Peleton and Purple Carrot), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This For Your Virtual Happy Hours, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Papaya Beauty. 

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

MAKING THE CUT

Amazon Originals

Amazon Prime Video

We have always loved the chemistry between Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn and in this new fashion competition, they take the concept behind finding the next designer who truly is a brand, to the next level. Viewers travel from NY, Paris and Tokyo to embark upon a number of challenges that are judged by fashion's icons.

MRS AMERICA

FX Originals for Hulu

Hulu

This month as we continue to #stayathome to #flattenthecurve, we have definitely increased how much we have been bingeing. When you think about the Women's Equality movement and the players that were involved, the second wave during the 70's focuses on the efforts by Shirley Chisholm, Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan and more. The measures and stances taken here gave rise to the Moral Majority which shifted the political landscape. We see how this movement took place from their points of views from overall struggles to those that were specific issues that they wanted to push forward as well.

FX Original Series' Mrs. America tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). We see how these figures blazed the trail in this movement, how they interacted with one another, their own individuality and the opposition they faced with their male counterparts, one another and the unexpected backlash that was led by conservative, Phyllis Schlafly, "the sweetheart" of the silent majority.

THE LAST DANCE

ESPN

ESPN + Netflix

We may not be able to watch the current season of our favorite sports teams; however, since April 19th, we've loved seeing 2 episodes each week in this 10 episode documentary of The Last Dance. This docuseries looks at the impact of Phil Jackson's 2 X 3-peat World Champion Chicago Bulls which included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr. We delve into how each 3-peat came about, the childhoods of a number of the players that began their journey to this team, rivals, management's involvement in shaping the team and more.

In addition, we see these players and coaches with footage from those moments in time as well as hearing from them in the present day. Additional voices from former President Barack Obama, Nas, journalists and more also weigh in on this historic period in time. It's the fix that we needed as we continine to stay at home and wait for games to continue again.

Read the April Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW RBG WORKOUT

We've all seen the videos of Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg working out and showing us that regardless of who you are, you must make time for your health. This month. we sat down with Bryant Johnson, RBG's personal trainer to find out about his military service, his ability to keep Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court Justices fit as well as his book, The RBG Workout. He also shares what we can do to maintain our fitness goals as well as power foods that we should incorporate.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You served in the US Army for 30 years with 12 of those years being in the Special Forces Airborne Unit! When did you realize that you wanted to work in the fitness industry as well as become a trainer?

BRYANT JOHNSON: I am still serving in the Army Reserves as an Equal Opportunity Advisor (EOA) where I educate and assist soldiers about the military’s equal opportunity program as it relates to race, religion, color, gender, national origin and or sexual orientation. It wasn’t long after jumping out of my first plane that I realized that I need to keep my body in the best possible shape if I am required to perform in any situation the military may put me in. As a result, people would ask me about how to keep in shape. I aspired to lead by example, but I soon realized that the military had programs and people that assist soldiers in getting in shape that they called the Master Fitness Trainers (MFT). That’s when I realized that I could help people to help themselves.

AM: Tell us about your approach to fitness and the kinds of modalities that you provide in your workouts?

BJ: When it comes to the modalities every client is different, but I provide workouts that will focus on the needs of the client that will have forms of strength training, flexibility and cardiovascular mixed throughout the workout.

AM: For nearly 2 decades, you have trained a number of people as well as those in the military, judges, attorneys, clerks – did you specifically pick this niche?

BJ: I did not pick this niche—the niche picked me. I have never solicited my services as a personal trainer. Every client has found me by way of referral and most importantly word of mouth. Which in my opinion is the best advertisement.

AM: You are the trainer for the Notorious RBG and created the RBG workout which is also a best seller book on Amazon. Tell us more about the workout and what it’s like to train the Supreme Court Justice.

BJ: The workout covers all the modalities that I believe should be in a workout (strength training, flexibility and cardiovascular). It is not age or gender specific. It provides you with options that you can do at home or in a gym, with equipment or without.

AM: What are 3 lessons that you have taken away from your work with RBG that are great lessons in life that anyone can apply to their lives in terms of her approach to fitness?

BJ: There are 3 lessons that I have learned from the Justice that actually make up the foundation of all my training. The foundation of any successful long-term fitness plan is motivation. And the key to getting and staying motivated actually has 3 components: AWARENESS, ABILITY, and CONTROL. A person has to have a strong awareness about the importance of their fitness and how it impacts their own life journey, as well as those around them. This awareness drives a person and is the constant and strong reminder of why they want to be consistently dedicated to their well-being. Secondly, a person has to have some basic abilities to facilitate their growth. Whether, it’s being able to move their body according to the exercises or having the time or access to certain tools, a person has to have some basic abilities to facilitate their growth. Whether, it’s being able to move their body according to the exercises or having the time or access to certain tools, a person has to have the means to move toward their goals. Thirdly, after a person understands their abilities, they can translate those abilities into the skills needed to have control over their fitness progress. These 3 components give a person the power to choose wisely and to change effectively. I call this combination Choice-Fullness, and it is the most important and most overlooked part of fitness. Justice Ginsburg has these three components of Choice-Fullness and that is why she is so driven and able to stick to goals. It’s why she has such a powerful attitude towards her health.

AM: You are a member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council, what is it and what is your role on this council?

BJ: I am a proud member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council. The Vitamin Shoppe and I align on some of the most important health-related ideas, so it made sense to create a partnership between us. I believe that fitness is about more than physical “wellness." Our goal should be "well-being:” working to attain the best physical, mental/emotional, and social health that we can. The Vitamin Shoppe believes in this too and together we promote healthy ideas, products, and lifestyles.

AM: We have always talked about how fitness is something that can be done anywhere. Frequently, we have talked about the challenges that one has when they’re traveling to keep it up and now as we live in a time where we are staying home, what are ROUTIN3S that we can do at home – can you share 3 that are for your arms, 3 for your abs and 3 for your legs that we can do.

BJ: I recommend the following 3-Exercise Full Body Circuit (3 rounds 1-minute rest between rounds) using only a kettlebell, that targets all three areas.

Two-Hand Swing - 20 reps.

Stand with feet shoulder or hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Place a kettlebell on the floor about a foot in front between the feet.

Do a quarter squat and hinge forward at the hips to lean down and grip the kettlebell with both hands, elbow fully extended with a palms-down grip.

Keep the back in a neutral spine or as straight as possible as you begin to pull the kettlebell back between the legs.

Push the hips forward and pull the knees back to generate the forward momentum to swing the kettlebell forward and up in front of the body, keep eyes looking forward with hands holding the kettlebell between the thighs with the elbows fully extended. Remember the power and momentum is generated from the hips and legs not the shoulders.

The quick explosive extension of the hips will propel the kettlebell up to chest or shoulder height.

Once the kettlebell reaches the top of the move, allow the kettlebell to drop into the downswing and flex the hips and knees to absorb the weight of the kettlebell back down between the legs for the next repetition.

Clean and Press - 10 reps per side.

Stand with the feet hip-width apart and grip the kettlebell tightly in one hand.

Keep the back straight while sinking slightly into the hips to allow the kettlebell to swing back under the hips between the legs.

Drive the hips forward to swing the kettlebell forward, and as the kettlebell gains forward momentum in front of the body, quickly pull it up to the chest and immediately drop the elbow towards the rib cage and sink back into the hips to catch the kettlebell up by the shoulder.

From this racked position, sink back into the hips, explosively push the feet into the floor, and snap the hips forward while punching the left arm straight into the air to complete the press.

Lower the kettlebell by pulling the left elbow down towards the rib cage, sinking back into the hips, and after the kettlebell has lowered to shoulder-height, letting it drop down between the legs. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions before switching sides.

Front Goblet Squat 10 reps.

Begin the goblet squat by holding the kettlebell at chest height with both hands. Keep your elbows tucked in close to your body and eyes looking forwards.

Feet should be a little wider than shoulder width apart with the toes pointing naturally outwards at 5 – 10 degrees.

Start the squat by pushing your hips backwards as if sitting back into a chair or sitting down as if with ski boots on.

Ensure your bodyweight is back on your heels and they do not lift off the floor during the complete exercise.

Keep your chest up and facing forwards as if your ribcage is being lifted.

As you sit back and down into the squat, weak buttocks and hips may cause the knees to fall inwards, you must force the knees outwards and prevent this from happening.

Continue descending down into the squat until your thighs become parallel with the floor. This is important to achieve maximum activation of the buttock muscles.

Pause at the bottom of the squat position for 1 – 3 seconds and then drive back up to standing by pushing the floor away from you. Stay on your heels.

Once you get to the top position, stand tall, squeeze your buttocks tightly together and avoid leaning backwards.

If you find sitting back into the squat difficult, try opening your legs wider to create a little more room for the squat.

You can also refer to my book “The RBG Workout: How she stays strong and you can too!” There is something for everyone that can help you be a better you.

AM: What are 3 go to foods that we can use to support our workout in terms of giving us energy?

BJ: Before a workout, I find that something with carbs and that can digest easy is best. (Fruit, small sandwich, half a bagel with your favorite spread). My go to is bananas or apples with a little peanut butter and or boiled eggs.

After the workout I will add protein and more carbs (sweet potatoes, quinoa fruit) for energy.

AM: Do you offer On Demand/Virtual/App based training or will this be something that you would offer in the future?

BJ: I'm excited about a new virtual product that I’ll be launching this spring. I can’t unveil it just yet, but it will definitely help people to really create some breakthroughs in their journey towards well-being. Stay tuned!

IG @RBGWorkout

@BdyJustice

Read the April Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know RBG Workout in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #52 APR 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is Daria Berenato WWE Superstar and E! Total Divas’ Sonya Deville. Our cover shoot editorial – From the Ring to the World talks with the first lesbian WWE Superstar, we talk about how she is an activist for the LGBTQ community, how she uses her platform for mental health awareness as well as extending her empire into fashion and acting. We will also have this interview as an upcoming podcast for #TRIBEGOALS. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we chat with Bryant Johnson fitness trainer to Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg who talks about how he got into the industry, how we can maintain our workouts as well as the RBG Workout. This month, we chatted with Maria Menounos about the upcoming Beverly Hills Dog Show presented by Purina. She shares what she loves about this event, how covering this red carpet is different than those that she does during Awards Season and more. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to the west coast and talk with Tabu Shabu about signature dishes and sake as well as how they are offering meal kits through their pickup and delivery options.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into Celebrity Fitness Expert and entrepreneur, Emily Skye. This month’s 9PLAYLIST includes EDM DJ Carl Cox who shares his favorite songs with us. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Adidas Runtastic and Barba Men’s Grooming Boutique Quarancuts), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, We Salute Our Healthcare Workers On the Frontlines, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Charcoal Beauty. 

Read the April Issue here.

FUELING THE CULINARY ARTS WITH RICHARD GRAUSMAN

A few weeks ago, we headed to Chelsea Piers to the Careers Through Culinary Arts Program's 30th Anniversary Benefit to enjoy a staggering amount of top chefs that included David Bouley, Marcus Samuelsson, Jonathan Waxman, Eric Ripert, Maria Loi and Sarabeth Levine. They were joined by students from C-CAP who showcased their skills to guests who enjoyed some of the top restaurants in NYC.

We wanted to know more about C-CAP and the founder, Richard Grausman who took classes with James Beard. He trained and graduated with the Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu, Ecole de Cuisine. He was also the first exclusive representative of the school who trained people across the US and Canada in order to make them proficient.

We headed to the offices of C-CAP to find out about how his career, how this organization was created, the programs that were launched and how he works with chefs and other partners.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have had the pleasure in talking with various voices in the culinary community from Chef Marcus Samuelsson to Will Blunt of StarChefs who have shared their work and support of C-CAP. We were so pleased to see how you have ensured that the culinary community continues to thrive by attending your 30th annual event a few weeks ago and it’s so fitting that we finally get to chat with you to find out more.

RICHARD GRAUSMAN: It was a wonderful event and we have had 21 events and that was an unusual one. 2 years ago, Jose Andres was our honoree and that was unique in its style because the room was filled with appreciation for what he has done philanthropically around the world. At our benefit this year, I felt the love and warmth for the program and the guests that were coming up with appreciation when my daughter’s video (PRESSURE COOKER Directed by Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker, an Emmy nominated documentary about one of the C-CAP teachers Wilma Stephenson) ran and with the alumni expressing themselves. And after that video, there were alumni that were in the room that I have known for years. I know what the program has done for them, but they had never expressed it to me and they came up to me empowered by what they had seen and they just opened up to me. It was just so heartwarming.

AM: You have had a phenomenal background and prior to launching C-CAP, can you tell us what you were doing prior to launching this organization?

RG: I had been the representative of Le Cordon Bleu Paris for 15 years. I had originally gone to Paris to study cooking and become a chef – hopefully in a small mountain restaurant as I love to ski. I’ve always enjoyed skiing and cooking in my life. But I found while I was in Paris that I was too slow to become a chef and I was single-minded. I wasn’t a multitasker. In the process, I taught myself skills that I saw that chefs needed and I realized that I could teach others. I told that to the school that instead of being a chef of a restaurant, I wanted to teach.

Timing is everything and when I came back from a ski trip, I was almost finished with the program and Madame Elizabeth Brassart (owner of Le Cordon Bleu) asked me if I wanted to go to Cleveland to teach a course for her. This was because the Vice President of the Higbee department store had asked for them to send a chef; however, they couldn’t send one since the chef didn’t speak English and she knew I was interested in teaching and the chef thought that I was very good. It started 15 years of teaching French cooking around the country and Canada. I never thought that I wanted to do anything else. It was so gratifying to teach and to have students – men and women, come up to me saying that their spouse loved them more because of their tartar tine or their kids ate carrots for the first time. But then I left the school and wrote a cookbook and I was traveling around the country promoting the book and a vision of what America ate, really hit me. It was fried chicken, hamburgers and pizza. I thought that I could perhaps expand that palette and thinking about the best way to do it, I felt that I had to get in with the schools and get children while they were young and to broaden their palettes, broaden their minds. Because if they leave school, I found that the average adult that if they didn’t like something, they wouldn’t try it.

I wanted to start in elementary school, and I wanted to teach sensory evaluation, and nothing is better to do that with than food, because you use all of your senses. Once you start doing that, you can teach nutrition, then in middle school I thought that you could use foods from around the world to teach geography, history and social studies and in high school, if you had a student with a palette and a passion, it would be easy to train them for the industry. I had a book that I thought was readable at the high school level and I knew that Home Economics was in terrible shape and I thought that by teaching the teachers some of the recipes in my book, to expose their students before they left high school that that would be my goal before I went into my first classroom.

I went to the Board of Education, they liked my idea and they said, “we don’t have any money.” I asked if I could go into one of their classes and they said certainly. I went into one of the classes and that day I saw that half the class was making bread and the other half were Haitian students learning English. I went around the classroom opening drawers and cabinets and they were empty. So I knew it was what the school system had said, they didn’t have any money. I talked to the teacher and said that I had been teaching French cooking for the last 15 years and asked if there was something that I could do for them, what it would be? He laughed and said, “I spent my own money just to buy the flour today for the bread.” So I knew that they needed a lot of help. That day, I went home and I called up many of the manufacturers that I had been dealing with for 15 years. I let them know that I wanted to help the schools and asked if they could help me and they said yes. They donated products, pots and pans, spices – all sorts of things.

I brought the teachers together and I taught them in the morning and then I watched them cook in the afternoon. It showed me the level of proficiency of the teachers. A few were quite competent, but the majority were not. I went to the French Culinary Institute which is now the International Culinary Center and I asked them if they would provide a training program for the teachers, which they did. I went into the classroom and started to demonstrate for the students and when I saw looking at the students – some of them were sleeping, zoning out and there were a couple of people who were bright eyed, attentive and watching me. I watched them cook and a few were very excited and would come up with their tart asking me how I liked it. I let them know it was good, asked how their parents liked it (they did) and then I would ask them what they wanted to do after they graduated and that’s when I found out that the students who were in these classes were the students that the system had failed. Most of them had D’s and F’s at best. They had no preparation for college or a career. I asked them if they had ever thought about cooking and they said, “no – can I?”. I went to a dinner at a small French restaurant on Lexington Ave and I asked the owner about jobs for high school graduates and what the opportunity would be. He laughed at me and told me to look at his kitchen. He was importing labor from South America and Asia and he’d much prefer to have a NY kid that spoke English. I asked what he needed. He said that he needed people that showed up on time and that he would teach them. I asked about knife skills. He said that if he had knife skills, he wouldn’t have to start him on the dishwasher. So that was the beginning of C-CAP.

Within the next 3 years, during the summer time, I would send a student out and a chef would say, “yes the student shows up on time, but when he gets through what I have asked to do, he goes out for a smoke and sits down. I need him to come up to me and say, ‘what’s next chef?’” They needed them to be eager to work. So I built that into the program. Then I would hear, “yes, they show up on time, they are very eager and asks what’s next, but they’re not thinking. He’s got to be inquisitive and to ask why I am using one thing versus another – he has to want to learn.” So I built that into the program. Third year, we were in Chicago. I always went to the competitions that we would have. We would have chefs as the judges and I would take them out to dinner. One night, I took out one chef that was a judge with a director from the high school program and Martha said to Richard, “why don’t you take our kids as you used to take them in the summer?” and he said, “well you’re teaching them the wrong things.” He explained that he had a boy the previous summer that there was a mess and he asked him to get a mop to clean it up. The student said that he didn’t do floors and Martha said, that he shouldn’t have to. That’s when I saw the disconnect between the school and the industry.

The next day, I was handing out scholarships and I was saying that one of the biggest complaints in the industry was that people were coming out of Culinary Institute of America and Johnson & Wales University and they didn’t want to peel carrots or chop onions – they just wanted to be a chef. I let the students know that I knew that they wanted to be Executive Chefs and own their own restaurants and even chains. I told them that if you have your own restaurant and the dishwasher doesn’t show up, then you will be doing the dishes. If your janitor doesn’t show up, you will be cleaning toilets. I let them know that if they didn’t know how to wash dishes or clean toilets, that they needed to go home that night and have their parents show them how. I wanted them to be able to be prepared for anything that would come up. Well, I was shocked that a school board member, a minister, a parent and a teacher all came to me after the scholarship breakfast and thanking me for telling the kids what I did. I asked them what they were talking about and they said, “you are telling them what life is about.” I asked why they didn’t do that. They said they were afraid to. I didn’t know what they were afraid of and I investigated it. Because of the drop out rate in Chicago and DC at that time was so high, parents and administrators were telling their kids that if they stayed in high school, they wouldn’t have to do what they did. The administration would agree with this line of thinking and tell them that they would be paid more. So students were coming out – and this is still true today as I heard about this in Chicago, they’re telling and expecting students that come from their culinary programs to have managerial jobs and not entry-level jobs. Students come out saying that they’re not going to take minimum wage, don’t want to wash dishes or chop vegetables. They want to manage. If you’re not prepared to enter the industry, you’re not going to go anywhere. So that’s the essence of what we do. We work with the teachers to train them in the few skills necessary to get started. Where the school system wants them to teach A-Z, lobster, steak, fish, eggs, salad – everything. They only need to know how to chop, dice, slice, keep things clean and neat, be safe at the workplace, show up on time, want to work, want to learn and have basic knowledge of ingredients and equipment. We try to get the teachers focused on that. They have the students from 1 – 3 years so they can work on that. They can reinforce wearing your apron, watching your hands and other things that take time for them to learn.

We see them when they come to our competitions or for our job training for summer jobs, job shadows to expose them to the industry. We have a student that is already eager, interested and inquisitive. When they leave us and go into the industry, the industry is saying wow – send us more. When Marcus came in and I encouraged him to take on the Co-Chairmanship of the program of the organization. His view was to expand upon what I started and he wanted to reach and train more students as the industry is in need of this. That’s where we are now. We’re trying to figure out how to expand on what we already do and we do well.

AM: How many people are currently in this program?

RG: It depends on how you look at it. I look at it as we have 200 teachers, each teacher has 50 students. That’s 10,000 students. I think the organization uses the number of 17,000 which may be when we’re thinking of the upper level including the 4 years. Those are 10,000 students that the teachers have and the teachers range from poor to excellent so the effect that they have on their student varies. But they all have an effect on their students. Out of that, we see the students that have expressed an interest in knowing more beyond the classroom – shadows, summer training, internships, college advice or our competitions. You go from 10,000 down to a couple of thousand to a couple hundred that get scholarships. There are many hundreds that go into the industry for summer jobs. It’s on the level of interest, focus – but we have worked with over 300,000 students in the 30 years and probably have given $60 million dollars in scholarships and then an untold number of jobs! Then we follow those students if they stay in touch with us, if they have a problem and want to change jobs or they haven’t had a raise in 3 years – what do I do? They tell us if they want to go to Spain and learn something. All of those things, we have the ability to help them with.

AM: How do you assess which high schools you go into?

RG: Initially, I had 3 areas that I was interested in. NY, Chicago and San Francisco. I started in NY and then people heard about what we were doing. I was on NBC for the first time about our program and the next night, I got a call from Washington, DC from the head of Home Economics and they wanted the program. I asked them how many schools that they had and I was looking to go to a community with at least 14-15 schools. For the manufacturers to be able to give the equipment, one school wouldn’t be enough. I went to DC next and then I heard from a teacher in Arizona and another in Norfolk, VA who had been at a teacher’s conference and had heard about it. They wanted it. As long as the school number was sufficient, I went and taught the teachers, I brought the chefs in local areas in and we started the program. It was very easy within 5 years. I had 7 programs, but it was very hard to maintain and grow the program because when I put it all together it worked. To keep it going, I needed volunteers and eventually to keep it going, the volunteers needed to be paid and then we needed a staff and then needed an office. So, the numbers that we effect year after year didn’t change much, the scholarships grew – the degree that we worked with the students improved. The level of services that we gave them grew. Initially, I thought that if I gave a scholarship to a student to CIA would change their lives. In some cases it didn’t change it for the better. I took a student out of their community and threw them into a new community, they had no way to adjust, understand, they didn’t know how to get help with their schoolwork – they’re grades dropped and they lost their scholarship. I had to find ways to mitigate that. I had students going to community college before going to the CIA because their reading and math was at a level that they couldn’t do the work easily.

I’ve had people on campus where they were the only black student that walked onto the campus. So once I had a number of students that were on campus, I got them to form a club to greet the others to work with the campus. So C-CAP students got a name and they were proud to be C-CAP students. Finding what the problem is and finding a solution for it is how my mind worked. The program has grown organically because of that. I saw a problem, I would address it and try to solve it and by solving it, I was able to move people.

AM: So who are groups or services that you work or partner with frequently?

RG: There are a number of organizations that do similar work. We’re not actively working with them. I did work with the American Culinary Federation for a number of years in the beginning because their chefs and association needed credits for them to continue in that group. One of the ways that they were able to get that credit was to provide their time in their schools and I took advantage of that and their members loved it as they were able to be judges. The organization itself, I tried to work with and I became their School to Work Chairman – I wasn’t able to get them to move in the direction that I saw necessary. So I haven’t been active with the organization for 15 years. The National Restaurant Association also wanted to work with us years ago, but they wanted us to work for them. The partnership wasn’t in the way that they saw things. They saw it their way and wanted us to work with them. They did a lot of good, their programs both the ACF and the NRA affect schools and students, but I don’t see them working with the populations that we work with. Many of them saw how effective competitions were so they did it too. When you offer nationwide competitions and you have affluent schools and affluent students in those areas, they’re competing against our students from poor schools and poor backgrounds, our students don’t make it to the top. In our competitions, our students make it to the top and beyond. We can focus on a certain population to what I think is doing important work and I don’t concern myself with the whole country, where they do.

AM: It’s an interesting point about how C-CAP focuses on the skills needed and that you serve a specific community in order to have them excel in the culinary industry. When we were at your 30th Anniversary Benefit, it was a pleasure to see C-CAP students working side by side with some of the most esteemed chefs who own their restaurants as well as being food TV personalities. Seeing the pride and how inspired they were was amazing. It had to be a boost to their confidence to see people enjoying their food and being in that environment. That’s a resume builder.

RG: Yes, I learned very early when I was teaching. The importance of teaching is to empower others. I found ways to empower housewives so that they could talk to their butcher and all of a sudden relationships were being built! They would come to me and say, “oh Mr. Grausman, what you told me about that leg of lamb – I went to my butcher and told him and he looks at me like I am a professional!” I told them just a few words and it made all the difference! That’s the same thing that I did at C-CAP. By teaching the students certain techniques, that when a professional chef saw them accomplish those things, they were impressed at their capability.

One example at a competition was that I had the Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Hotel in NY as a judge and she came to me and said, “Richard, that young man is really great! Do you think that I can have him work for me?” I told her to give me her card and we gave him a scholarship to go to the French Culinary and she hired him. He would call me everyday and say, “Mr. Grausman, I have to make a salad today and I don’t know how to do it.” I told him that in my book, there are 3 great salads and to make one of those. This went on for months and then the chef called me up and said that she had to let him go. Since they had a union, other people were complaining that he wasn’t doing what everyone else was and that was because when I knew Damien in highs school, he was taking care of 2 younger siblings and one parent had died and one was ill. He was working at Kentucky Fried Chicken closing it at 2am and mopping the floors and his teacher had taught him the skills that were involved in our competitions and he was spectacular at it. That’s why the chef wanted him and I empowered our students to impress these chefs to get into the kitchens with the exception of him because of the unions.

Every kitchen that our kids went into even though they weren’t up to the standards that the chefs thought they were after seeing them. They were capable of learning and being trained. I got them into the kitchen. Those were the little secrets that I used to focus on because you want teachers to be able to effectively teach their students these skills. You can’t ask them to do more than what is realistically achievable and that is what is the problem with our education today.

They set goals and standards that aren’t achievable because what happened before they got into the 9th, 10th and 11th grade wasn’t achieved. So, if you are reading at a 3rd grade level in the 9th grade and you’re supposed to be reading at a 10th grade by the time you’re out – kids drop out because they can’t do it.

AM: It becomes frustrating!

RG: Exactly, unless you go back down, and solve those problems at the time, you’re not going to reach them. The first year that I was doing this, I was asked to be on a council as an advisor for the Board of Ed and I ran into a situation where a student in their junior year was given a scholarship to the Natural Gourmet School here in NY. I followed up in the summer and asked how he was doing. I was told, “Richard it was very strange. In the first class, he was fantastic. I had him come up because his knife skills were so good that I had him demonstrate for the rest of the class. But then he didn’t show up the next day.” I asked what she said to the rest of the class when she let them go. She explained that she had asked them to read chapters 1-5 and that they would work on it the next day. I called his high school teacher and asked why she thought that the student didn’t show and relayed what happen at the NGS and she said, “oh that’s it. He doesn’t read.” A junior in high school doesn’t read. I wanted to know how he was able to be a junior unable to read. His teacher explained that he was able to maneuver around reading by opting out. So as I sat on this council, I asked how they could allow a student to get that far and not read. They explained that I didn’t understand how they have kids attending the schools who have various language problems and they have to move them on. I believe that after 3rd grade, if they don’t read, then before they move on you have to make sure that they do. Those on the council said that that is tough because you have to keep them with their age group and they felt that because they have to teach them math and history, it was better to continue with them moving on from grade to grade. But the answer is if they can’t read you need to keep them reading, reading, reading because they can’t learn anything regardless of the subject. I don’t know what the situation is like today – if they’re still dropping out because they can’t read. But this was back in 1990 and to me, that’s the major problem and you solve it. How do you solve it? You find all different ways that you can teach them – there’s Sesame Street – education is something that I am very interested and passionate about. I am frustrated because I don’t often see the imagination and creativity in solving problems. They identify problems and identify solutions but when those solutions don’t work, they will find another solution – find out the root of the problem and why those solutions don’t work.

Hopefully, one of the reasons why I established competitions was that teachers weren’t teaching the skills necessary to get the jobs. The curriculum was so vast, they couldn’t repeat something. You can’t learn knife skills without repeating. You can’t learn how to make a sauce properly without repeating it. There are certain things that you need in cooking competitions. Teachers that go through our competitions will tell me, “Richard, thank you so much. I never thought that I could get one of my kids a scholarship to Johnson and Wales and you gave me the other opportunity – but it was hard. I had to work with them after school." I asked why they didn’t work with them during class, and why don’t you work with all of your students and not just 1 or 2 of them? They explained that they couldn’t give knives to some of the students or that they weren’t interested. So they take the ones that are and train them. For years, I have worked on ways to get teachers to be able to focus on hard skills and soft skills. The only way that I could get them to do it is through the competitions. I have now been working on something that I called, C-CAP Approved. It’s an assessment, skills that I first gave to the teachers that they should work on. I have found that the teachers would like to do that, but the administration won’t let them. So we’re working on NY now and we’ve evaluated their benchmarks and in doing that, we cut down the things that students need to learn. Now they want us to do an assessment test and if that goes through, we’ll have the piece that I’ve been visualizing for 15 years which will be mandated to the teachers as what has to be taught. These few skills that will be meaningful to the industry. If I can pull that in NY, I can roll that out. When I look at the students that are in those classrooms now, if the teachers said we’re all chopping and who will be the fastest and to develop a bit of the sport of it by getting them excited to perfect their knife skills. Americans in today’s youth, if they don’t get it right away, they drop it. If you come to a competition, we do a dish that has turned potatoes. Chefs would ask me why I would teach it because they don’t do that anymore and if they do, they get them from Mexico. I said it was there because the average teenager will try to do something and then quit. But if they stick with it long enough to turn a potato, there is nothing that you can give them that will take more time and patience so I’m not afraid of them quitting on you. They will work. It’s a vehicle to achieve a certain result. It’s to teach repetition and willingness to do something. I have been using the same recipes for competition for a while. We changed from salmon and beurre blanc to poached chicken to a sautéed chicken that we use now. The dessert was always crepes pastry cream and chocolate sauce – it still is. The teachers will say, “Oh Richard, can’t we change the competition recipes. We’re so sick of it.” I tell them that you can’t get sick of it because the students can’t get sick of it. If they’re a chef in a restaurant and they’re making this chicken dish on their menu, It has to be made good or better each time that they make it. They can’t get tired of making it and they have to find something in it that drives them on.

When all of your students are making the chicken perfectly or the crepes perfectly, I will consider changing it. Some years the teachers focus on the crepes and they come out thin and beautiful and I’ll begin to think about changing it and then the next year, they’re coming out thick. The chefs that come to judge they see the techniques that the students have to do to create these dishes and they appreciate it. They say, “you’re old-time but it’s good because they are learning their basics.” In time, I won’t be here and somebody else will come and the skills may change because the industry is changing all the time. There may be skills that we should be teaching for those that are going into Fast Casual to other ends of the business. I want to know what those are and if they are teachable at the high school level then we should do that. Basically, what we’re doing is teaching discipline, attention, focus, sanitation safety and you can’t teach this overnight.

AM: It has to be a habit and routine.

RG: Exactly! Knock on wood, we've been lucky and our kids who have those basics and put them in the hands of a good chef who is interested in mentoring, they go from dishwasher to sous chef very quickly. Some chefs just told me that they have some of our kids and one of them is the youngest female sous chef and their corporation. They learn quickly and they’re not interested in looking at their watch. Even when they’re leaving, they’re asking if there is anything that they can do as they’re eager. That attitude and interest is golden.

AM: Clearly, you have been a mentor to a number of chefs, who are 3 people that you feel were your mentors that have shaped you?

RG: Well, I think of 2 or 3 people that come to mind and there are a lot of chefs that I respect in this industry. But Jacques Pépin when I was a teacher, he was a teacher also who taught all over the country. We would teach in the same cities, but never met each other until 10 years later. When I got to see him work and saw his books, he is one of the finest teachers that I have ever met. His ability to make things look easy is something that I use and learn to pass onto my students.

Daniel Boulud is a chef that is very dedicated to French cooking but he has adapted techniques to American tastes but has kept a level of excellence that in my mind is very important. He is a wonderful mentor. What he has done with Ment’or a non profit organization of chefs to help younger chefs – I commend him immensely on that. We have worked with him and Ment’or on a number of their projects and many of our students have gotten scholarships.

Marcus – when I first met Marcus, I saw a potential as a role model for many of our students mainly because he is African Swedish, but he has the ability to be a mentor to a number of people. He has a personality and way to inspire young people. I am hopeful that as he gets more time to focus on this that that will translate immensely.

I am on Facebook until 2 o’clock at night and my wife gets upset and will ask if I’m still on it. I let her know that I am talking to a student that I haven’t spoken to in 20 years. I have a relationship where they talk to me as an equal. I sort of try to advise them on a level that is meaningful to them and they open up to me. I am white and they may be black or Hispanic and I know what they have gone through because I read their essays and I hear about the difficult childhood that they have had and the way that they have been mistreated in their lives. I understand what they have gone through but I can’t understand exactly what they have gone through. I can picture it, I can see it many many times in many ways. I don’t know if I could have gone through what they went through. For them it was life, they survived life and when I have been able to open the door, make an introduction or point them in the right direction – it has been life-changing to them and easy for me. They have gone through the hard things and I am using things that are easy for me to do for them and it changes lives. That’s a great combination. When I thought that there was nothing else that I could do in life but to teach and get enjoyment there, what I have been doing for the last 30 years has been life-changing and is really powerful. I wish more people who get wealthy and retire would not retire from life but would use their expertise to find a way to give back. At all levels – banking, stocks, football – mentorship can change lives and if you have gone through it yourself, you have a lot to give and it’s not hard for you to do. You’re an expert at it. It’s hard to get people to that point sometimes.

I was fortunate to win the President’s Service Award and I met a lot of people and I saw a lot of people who aren’t doing much with their expertise and their money besides playing golf and that’s a shame. The gratification that one gets is better to help then to take. It’s a simple truth. But unless you do it, you won’t know.

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

IG @RGrausman

@CCAPinc

Read the March Issue of Athleisure Mag and read Fueling the Culinary Arts with Richard Grausman in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | KATY PERRY

Read the March issue of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Katy Perry in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #51 MAR 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is ESPN’s Host of The Jump, Rachel Nichols. Our cover shoot editorial – Bank Shot with Rachel Nichols took place at Moxy Time Square in Tao Group Hospitality’s Magic Hour. We talked with Rachel about her career, being at ESPN, the NBA and a number of the stories that she has covered while at the network. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we chat with Roxanne Dennant of Fruit Slabs who talks about the cannabis industry, starting her company and what they are working on. This month, we chatted with the founder of Careers Through Culinary Arts Programs founder, Richard Grausman, who shares more information on C-CAP, who it serves and his partnerships with chefs. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to Astoria, Queens to VIA VAI. We talk with Ladder, a premium supplement brand to find out more from their scientist about the formulation of this nutritious drink. We talk fragrances with the founder of Hope Fragrances, Audrey Gruss to find out more about her perfumes, availability in Bergdorf Goodman and how she provides funds for the awareness and research for depression.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into American Idol Judge and Pop Icon, Katy Perry. This month’s 9PLAYLIST includes Instagram Club Quarantine DJ D-Nice who shares his favorite songs with us that you have also enjoyed in his sets that we have been jamming (along with 100K+ people when he spins via Instagram).  As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Alo Moves and Technogym), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This Look When You Need to Stay Comfortable, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Aloe Beauty. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | FASHION AS A PLATFORM

It's been a busy series of weeks with the first round of Awards Season coming to an end, being in the midst of Fashion Month with a number of the runways in global cities showcasing FW20 designs. With many of us enjoying a mild winter, we're already envisioning SS20 looks that will be enhanced with warmer weather. We're transported back to NYFW for SS20 when we enjoyed an intimate presentation of NONIE which took place on the rooftop of the NoMad Hotel and included a lunch as well as panel with influential women including the Co-Founder of Venus et Fleur as they talked about the importance of their creativity as well as the need to focus on issues such as bullying.

NONIE's founder, Nina Kharey is a Canadian based designer who has had a number of celebrities including Meghan Markle, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Jessica Mulroney. We took a moment to chat about her line as well as her focus on #EndingBullying.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Prior to launching NONIE how did you get your start in the fashion industry?

NINA KHAREY: My love of fashion and design began at an early age. I worked with my parents a lot. My mom was a seamstress for menswear and my dad managed a knit factory. I learned everything from them and becoming a designer seemed like the natural next step, but watching my brother fall into gang violence at an early age forced me to follow a more traditional path, and I eventually got my degree in Engineering.

Halfway through my career in engineering after the tragic loss of my brother, I launched NONIE to live my life to the fullest in his honour and teach my daughter to believe in her dreams and work hard.

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to launch your own line?

NK: I was always sewing and exploring different designs. It was something I dreamt of from the time I was a little girl, watching my parents create garments out of fabric – like magic. It wasn’t until I lost my brother and started to focus on what was actually bringing me peace that I decided to just go for it.

AM: What is the ethos behind NONIE?

NK: We are very holistic and keep humanity at the forefront. We’re also always focused on environmental sustainability - we want to be able to give back to our planet while creating. The women who wear NONIE should feel like they are contributing in a positive way to the world, rather than taking away. We work very closely with our clients to grow and learn from their needs and experiences.

AM: Is there a significance to the name of the brand?

NK: Nonie is my nickname. I got it when I was born. Everyone close to me calls me Nonie.

AM: What celebrities have worn the brand?

NK: NONIE has been worn by Meghan Markle, Jessica Mulroney, Chantal Kreviazuk, Jessi Cruickshank, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.

AM: How would you describe the assortment that one would find within NONIE’s collections?

NK: Everything I design works very well together and with other designers. The line in minimal and clean so it can easily be paired with a statement piece to tone it down. Everything is easily worn during the day as well for the working woman. I want her to feel at ease going into her closet and quickly finding something that instantly contributes to her personal style and comfort.

AM: What are you excited about for Spring 2020 and what was the inspiration for this season of NONIE’s collection?

NK: Spring 2020 was a fun collection to design. I was aiming to bring a little more personality and interest into the designs. There’s a lot of edge and fun in this one. It has the youth in it that sometimes can be intimidating for women to explore but is kept subtle and minimal. The inspiration was community and how we can all make room for one another to grow. We can have a stronger impact together. As for the designs, I also go back to my roots in India and this time I was really enjoying the wrapping and tying of the designs.

AM: We attended your SS20 presentation lunch last NYFW with influential attendees. It was a great way to see the brand as well as guests that were on the panel with you? Why was this format during NYFW and select panelists chosen to be involved to share their stories?

NK: There’s so much that goes into designing clothing. It’s not always about the clothes, and in fact, there’s always a creative process that goes into each collection. Sometimes that process can really bring discussions that inspire others and bring people together. I think it’s important to share that. Art should bring inspiration and discussion as well. I was really moved by the women in my heritage that were pushing forward and making room for themselves. It shows that anything is possible if you’re willing to put the hard work and sacrifices into it. Rupi Kaur (writer) and Seema Bansal Chadha (Co-Founder of Venus et Fleur) are both people who went against the system of what’s expected of them and made their dreams come true. They kept pushing and disrupting the norm. Also, it’s nice to see everyone come together and support one another. That’s the true form of women helping other women - encouraging each other to live their best life.

AM: You’re focused on a campaign known as #EndBullying. Why is this a platform you are interested in educating others on and why is this important to you? Also, tell us about the Love Gives Freedom T Shirt.

NK: I lost my older brother to violence so when the chance came up to design something that would be used to inspire others, I jumped on it. I’ve met with so many kids who have been bullied or are getting recruited into gangs. It’s so important for these kids to hear my story and learn from the pain my family and I have gone through. I never want a family to experience our loss and pain. I try to lead everything I do with love and that’s what I tell them as well. I could have held onto the anger I felt towards the people who did this to my family, but I chose to let that go. I chose to focus on spreading love and living in forgiveness. It gave me the freedom to live a good and healthy life.

AM: We're sure you’re already planning SS21, what can we expect from the line and will you do another event here in NYC?

NK: I absolutely will do another event in NYC! After the last one, I made some great friends out there and the support was beautiful; it brought so many likeminded people together and was such an inspiring afternoon. SS21 will be completely sustainable fabric wise, and I’m working on some great designs that can easily be worn to work and out in the evening. SS21 will be luxurious and inspiring to the women wearing it.

AM: As someone who travels, what are 3 items in your carry on that you like to bring with you in order to make traveling easier for you?

NK: Wet wipes, Air Pods and face masks.

IG @Nonie.Official

PHOTOS COURTESY | NONIE

Read the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Fashion as a Platform in mag.

WHEN WOMEN SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER WITH WHITNEY PORT

One of our faves that we enjoy chatting with is Whitney Port. In addition to being someone that is positive, continues to grow her business interests and more, she truly enjoys reaching out to women and ensuring that they are connected with those that can assist them in their journey. We catch up with Whitney right before she starts filming for the second season of MTV's The Hills: New Beginnings. We talk with her about her upcoming projects, balancing her busy life as well as taking time for herself.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We talked to you last fall and touched on The Hills: New Beginnings and how we loved seeing you back on that show again! What can you tell us about the second season?

WHITNEY PORT: We haven’t started filming yet but I am eager to start back up and connect with everyone again! The show will dive deeper into our lives as parents and our relationships with each other.

AM: We have also become fans of your podcast and love how you share people that you are a fan of or talking with your husband to get to know more about you. Who are some upcoming guests that we should get excited about hearing?

WP: Well, last week I put out one of my favorite episodes ever! It was with BJ Fogg, a professor at Stanford. We talked all about how we can train our brains to be happier and more fulfilled by learning small habits to incorporate into our daily lives. We will also be having some fun peeps on soon like Kaitlyn Bristowe and Rosie Huntington Whiteley.

AM: Tell us about your partnership with Chloe Wine and Dress for Success?

WP: I’ve teamed up with Chloe Wine Collection to raise a glass to hardworking women everywhere this International Women’s Day. Together, we’re also raising awareness for ‘Your Hour Her Power,’ Dress for Success’ signature giving campaign, which encourages supporters to donate one hour of their pay to help women reach their full potential. I recently stopped by the Dress for Success LA boutique to style some of their clients in preparation for upcoming job interviews.

AM: Why does this partnership mean so much to you?

WP: As a business owner, I know how the right outfit can arm you with the confidence and charisma to make a great first impression, and how important it is to have a network of support cheering you on. I wouldn’t be where I am without the strong women in my life, so I’m proud to join Chloe Wine Collection in paying it forward.

AM: Many women are looking to live their best whether it’s starting a new business, delving into their communities and networks or just changing it up to go to a new city. What are your tips for women to optimize themselves through networking, putting their best foot forward as well as to establish themselves in a new city?

WP: Take advantage of social media apps like Bumble Bizz, Meetup and Facebook groups to make connections with likeminded women in industries you are interested in. Keep your eyes peeled for networking events or other fun after-work activities and make it a goal to go to at least one per week. If you work in a big office, send out an all-company slack message to see if anyone is free to grab lunch or a happy hour. It might sound intimidating to put yourself out there, but people are more willing to help than you think!

AM: How do you balance the needs of being a woman with a career, being present as a wife and being a mom?

WP: It’s definitely a challenge but I try to be ok with the imbalance as opposed to striving for perfect balance because that is just not very attainable. Some days may be very work heavy and there’s little time for Sonny or some days may be ALL about Sonny and my inbox might be flooded. It is all about being ok with this, being present in the moment you are in and almost most importantly, making sure your needs are being fulfilled so you can be present for your family and your career. For instance, to feel like a whole human, I need to work out a couple times a week so I make this a priority. It is ok to have needs. I make a working to-do list in a google doc and make sure my needs being met is something scheduled in.

AM: How do you support and motivate the women in your life?

WP: I try to always lend an ear when someone is in need. I try to listen without judgment and not just give advice. I try to hear where they are coming from and work through situations as opposed to just telling them what has worked for me. It is also important just to send random messages or quotes or words of inspiration to those you know need it! But really, just make it known that you are always there to work through tough situations.

AM: What are your 3 go-to power foods that you enjoy to keep your energy up when you’re constantly on the go?

WP: Sunflower seeds, almonds or pumpkin seeds, the Tranquility Smoothie from Kreation, and if I am running out the door but haven’t eaten I will toast some sourdough and slather on some peanut butter for a snack in the car!

IG @WhitneyEvePort

Read the Feb Issue of Athleisure Mag and see When Women Support One Another with Whitney Port in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #50 FEB 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is NBC Law & Order: SVU’s, Jamie Gray Hyder. Our cover shoot editorial – Finding the Through Line with Jamie Gray Hyder took place at the Dream Downtown Hotel in Tao Group Hospitality’s PHD Rooftop Lounge and Winter Rose Garden Lobby Bar. In addition, she will kick off season 2 of our podcast, #TRIBEGOALS later on this month. We talked with Jamie about her career in entertainment, being on the longest running drama that just got renewed for an additional 3 seasons and how she prepares for her roles. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we chat with Nina Kharey of NONIE who talks about fashion as a platform, celebs who have worn her clothing and how she went about launching her line. This month, we chatted with one of our faves Whitney Port about her upcoming season for MTV’s The Hills: New Beginnings season 2, her work with Dress for Success in partnership with Chloe Wines and how she keeps everything going with her busy life. We also share highlights from this season’s R3DCARP3T, by sharing how an array of looks were created by the celebs’ fashion stylists, MUA and hairstylists. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to the East Village and check out GNOCCO which has been in business for 20 years and serves an array of Italian dishes that are the ultimate in comfort food.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into Celebrity MUA Rea Ann Silva, the Founder of BeautyBlender. This month’s 9PLAYLIST includes wrestling’s All Elite Wrestling’s Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes who shares her favorite songs with us.  As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Studs and The Wonderbon Chocolate Co), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, He Rocks This When He Is Out and About, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Pineapple Beauty.

Read the latest issue here.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | HYUN

FOR THE ULTIMATE MEAL

We enjoyed a fantastic A5 Wagyu experience here in NYC at HYUN. Whether you're enjoying their fantastic meat selection, cocktails or just the overall ambiance, we suggest making your way to this culinary destination.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about HYUN and what guests can expect when they come in to dine?

HYUN: Hyun specializes in Japanese A5 Wagyu, offering high quality ingredients such as S-grade sea urchin and seasonal truffle mushroom. Our menu is well balanced and focuses on specific pairings with the A5 Wagyu, so our guests can get the best flavors of the beef.

AM: Can you tell us the background of Chef Jae Kim?

H: The name of our chef is Jae Kim. He is from South Korea and has three businesses in Korea including K-BBQ restaurant. Chef Kim moved to New York City from Korea three years ago to finish his PhD, but when he became homesick, he decided to bring a piece of home to New Yorkers, crafting the idea for HYUN to showcase the traditional time-honored Korean flavors of his homeland.

AM: Can you tell our readers what Wagyu is, what A5 means and the kinds that you offer?

H: Wagyu is Japanese cattle. Japan has a strict rule to grade A5 Wagyu. Wagyu can be graded by A (highest) to C and 5 (highest) to 1. “A to C” is the yield grade (A is above standard, B is standard, and C is below standard). How to grade “5 to 1” depends on marbling scale, color and the brightness and texture of the meat. So A5 is the highest grade given only to the finest Japanese cattle.

AM: The tasting menu that we had was amazing and a great way to enjoy the progression of tastes, seasoning, Wagyu and vegetables – can you share with us 3 signature dishes that you would suggest that we enjoy on our next visit.

H: We have three signature dishes which are A5 Chef’s Cuts, Sot-bap and Chadol-jjim. We have whole A5 cattle shipped from Japan, butchered and trimmed in house. So, we can have these special cuts that you cannot see in the regular market and different BBQ restaurants. We pick the best part of the cattle and serve it as Chef’s Cut. For example, we can divide Ribeye cap, Ribeye roll and Ribeye side strap in Rib loin. Even though we call it ribeye, every cut has a different texture and flavor. We want our guests to experi ence another level of the BBQ experience with Chef’s Cut. Our second dish is Sot-bap, which is clay pot cooked rice with seasonal truffle mushroom and S-grade sea urchin from Japan Hokkaido. It is one of our best-selling dishes. We always use the best selection of sea urchin and truffle mushroom. Sot-bap has well-balanced flavors and great umami taste. Our third one is Chadol-jjim, which is our signature appetizer that comes with a wooden box. It is all steamed A5 beef brisket with perilla leaf and enoki mushrooms with a side of shitake mushroom and king oyster mushroom. We have three different dipping sauces (1. Yuzu ponzu: soy sauce, dashi, dried fish skin, lemon and orange. 2. Honey Soybean: honey, soybean paste. 3. Chili grape: White grape, serrano pepper, and apple vinegar.)

AM: The salts, soy, wasabi and various sauces that you offered really allowed you to taste the dishes in a different way. We’re major fans of the wine salt – what are 3 seasonings that you suggest that those dining should try?

H: We are trying to serve sauces or salts that pair best with each dish, especially the A5 wagyu. As you know, Japanese A5 wagyu is expensive. We want our guests to experience the best flavor of the A5 wagyu with our house made salts. I will suggest a sauce or salt for A5 wagyu such as wild wasabi and house made wine salt.

For lean beef, I would suggest black truffle salt. For any beefy flavor cuts, I will recommend our house made chaya sauce which has cabbage, chive, and soy sauce.

AM: The cocktail menu had a number of sweet and savory options, what are 3 beverages that you suggest that we should try.

H: We have three cocktails that are best sellers. The first one is called “From Jeju.” We use orange from Jeju island in Korea, and it has a refreshing and fruity flavor. The second is called “Mountain Water.” We use Hakkaisan ginjo sake and its flavor is citrusy and pairs well with our food. The third one is called “Cloud Remedy.” It is a smoky and earthy cocktail and has a little bit of citrus flavor. I personally think that it pairs very well with A5 wagyu beef.

AM: We were told that you have plans to include an Omakase within your offerings. When will that take place and what can we expect to see offered?

H: We are launching an A5 Wagyu Omakase soon. Like I mentioned, we get the whole A5 cattle from Japan so we can have main cuts and also secondary cuts. We are going to offer one appetizer soup, wagyu tartare, 11 different cuts of Japanese A5 wagyu, a savory accompaniment (rice bowl and soup) and a homemade dessert. We are also trying to give a new upscale Asian cultural experience to our guests with the Omakase service.

AM: With Valentine’s Day taking place next month, are there any specials you will be offering that our readers should know about?

H: We are going to have a Valentine’s Day special tasting menu with Rose pairing.

We also have a few private dining rooms, which are cozy and romantic. It should be a truly special Valentine’s Day experience at HYUN this year!

IG @_HYUNNYC

Read the Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | HYUN in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | RITUALS > RESOLUTIONS

When you're focused on working out, it's important to optimize your hard work with your method of choice, recovery and proper nutrition. Ladders is a sports nutrition brand that offers premium supplements that is co-founded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ladder's Chief Nutrition Officer, Adam Bornstein tells us about Ladder and their new challenge Rituals>Resolutions.

ATHLEISURE MAG: LeBron James, his trainer Mike Mancias and Arnold Schwarzenegger coming together to create Ladder is a powerful combination. What led you to Ladder?

ADAM BORNSTEIN: Ladder was one of those opportunities you get where you have no idea what it will become but it's worth all of the time and effort. I was a part of Ladder long before it was ever a brand and growing business. Years ago, after LeBron's cramping game - and Mike’s quest to find better supplements - I was contacted by Arnold Schwarzenegger to help formulate the initial Ladder products that were designed for LeBron. I’d known Arnold for years, and he had seen my approach to nutrition, which is one backed by quality, safety, and results. So, when the opportunity came to formulate something for LeBron, it was one of those projects that are incredibly exciting. When someone puts faith in you to create a supplement that will be used by one of the greatest athletes ever, you not only have to rise to the occasion, but you need to go above and beyond and make what you create so much better than anyone’s expectations. That was the original mission and continues to be what drives me every day at Ladder.

AM: Tell us Ladder’s leading shakes and products? What’s the science behind it?

AB: One of the best aspects of Ladder is we only create products that we know work. So, every single ingredient and every amount needs to be backed up by numerous studies (on people, not animals), to say with confidence that it delivers results for the people that use the products. That means we don't have many products because only a few ingredients are undeniably effective. We have 2 protein powders (whey and plant), a Superfood Greens, and our Pre-workout (energy) product.

With the protein, we tried to examine what makes protein effective, which is the amino acids. In order to unlock all of the benefits of protein - everything from muscle gain and fat loss, to even qualities like better hair, skin, and nails - you need a complete protein that is high in essential amino acids and BCAAs. Many proteins might look good on a label with how much protein it has, but it's using a low-grade protein that won’t deliver all of those benefits.

For our Pre-Workout, we were very interested in a position paper by the International Olympic Committee that examined the most powerful performance supplements. Three ingredients stood out: caffeine, beta-alanine, and creatine. So, we built a product around that core and then added elements to help improve focus and ensure that the caffeine would cause a crash or jitters.

And our Superfood Greens focuses more on the essential nutrients in your body - things like magnesium or Vitamin D - that are very hard to get in your diet.

AM: The Rituals>Resolutions Campaign sounds exciting and productive! What does it emphasize and focus on?

AB: The Rituals>Resolutions campaign is designed to solve the age-old question of why it’s so hard for people to stick to their resolutions and see success. It's not that a resolution is a bad intention, but - by design - it’s set up to fail. Goals without systems can’t succeed. And the best way to build a system is to have a habit. And the best way to create habits that stick is to create a ritual that makes it easier for you to repeatedly do behaviors that will lead to desired outcomes.

Instead of having people do the same thing over and over again, we wanted to celebrate the rituals that create habits. Our goal at Ladder is to help anyone level up and better their best, and this is an important component of sharing how so many successful people are able to experience success at the highest level.

AM: Tell us about the featured Challenge led by master trainer Mike Mancias.

AB: We’re lucky at Ladder to have access to some of the best fitness pros in the world. And for the challenge, Mike Mancias worked with Alex Toussaint - a senior instructor at Peloton - to design a challenge that will improve all aspects of fitness. Together, Mike and Alex designed a workout that is a combination of strength and cardiovascular conditioning, requires minimal equipment, and is flexible so that anyone can fit the plan into their busy schedule. We know that after January, people start falling off with their goals. We wanted to make sure that we provided a challenging workout to keep people on track and offer the support of Mike and Alex to keep people motivated, working hard, and seeing results.

AM: What’s the hashtag to get involved, support and follow along?

AB: The Ladder Challenge really is for everyone. A big part of what Ladder does is it brings people together and builds a community so that people are not alone in their pursuit of living healthier and being more active. And the best part is it is driven by one of the best trainers in the world – who has worked with two of the most successful athletes in history – who are sharing insights and access to a wealth of information with anyone that wants it. Everyone can join the Ladder Challenge and engage with others taking the challenge socially using #LadderChallenge.

@LadderSport

Read the Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Rituals > Resolutions in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #49 JAN 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is CNBC’s Global Markets Reporter, Seema Mody. Our cover shoot took place in the LES at Lamia’s Fish Market. We talked with Seema about her career, how she got into the industry and stories she has enjoyed covering. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we found out premium supplement nutrition brand, Ladder and their Results>Revolution challenge. We also share highlights from FRIENDSHIP, an EDM festival that took place earlier this year on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to HYUN which is known for their A5 Wagyu beef and the unique ambiance that they provide for those who dine there.

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into MMA’s Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Body Roll Studio and EVEN Hotels), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, He Rocks This When He Is Out and About, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and CBD Beauty.

Read the Jan Issue of Athleisure Mag, Issue #49

THE WHISKEY EXPERIENCE WITH TOMMY TARDIE & DARRON FOY

As the holiday season means that we have a lot more on our plates than usual, the need to find a place to take a moment is key! We made our way to NYC's whiskey destination, The Flatiron Room which is known for its staggering amount of whiskeys that are available, cocktails, entertainment and an experience that's not to be missed. We sat down with Tommy Tardie the founder of the Goodnight Group LLC which is comprised of The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare to talk about what led to creating these spaces, the importance of cultivating these environments as well as how he stays inspired in the hospitality industry. We also took some time to chat with his head bartender, Darron Foy who lets us know about cocktails that we should try there, his interest in working in this space as well as what we need to have on hand when we try our hand on making cocktails at home.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So before The Flatiron Room, what was your background?

TOMMY TARDIE: My real background and what I went to school for was advertising. I used to be the Creative Director in advertising before I got into hospitality and once I ventured into hospitality, I started with a small lounge, had moderate success with the first lounge. I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if I could charge even more for the same drink and that’s when I went into the nightclub scene. I opened up a couple of different nightclubs and they were very profitable. Margins in nightclubs are pretty high, but it wasn’t a lifestyle that I really enjoyed and I decided that I wanted to stay in hospitality. But if I stayed in hospitality, I wanted to stay in a place that I enjoyed going to. A place that kind of put me as the demographic and that was kind of the genesis of The Flatiron Room. I looked at it and rather than doing field research, I said that I would build a place that I would want to hang out and that I would want to take my friends to.

AM: For those that have not come here, let our readers know what they can expect.

TT: I think the key word is an experience. We want guests to have an experience when they come here. We want there to be theater in the overall experience. When I say theater, people that come here equate that to the music that we have here on stage. The theater is really the whole dynamic of the room! When you walk through the room, of course you’ll see people that are on the stage – that’s part of the theater. But the way that our servers are trained and even the way that they pour their drinks at the table, the way that they climb up and down the ladders, the way that they crush ice from a 1920’s ice crusher – that’s all part of the theater and the choreography of the room.

AM: How many whiskeys do you have here?

TT: Well, that’s a great question and I can’t give you an accurate answer, but I would say around 1,200 – 1,500 unique expressions and that was a journey in and of itself. When I first opened, I thought 250 would be a respectable number. I wanted to have that amount and thought having that would be great. At the time, I thought that I knew a lot about whiskey and over time, I realized that I knew nothing about whiskey! As I started purchasing them, I got into conversations with those that were engaged and knew about the whiskeys and that’s when I went down the route of needing to get more indepth into the knowledge of the whskeys. Prior to working in hospitality, I was a creative director and I tend to be visually oriented – very right brained. So I traveled around a lot to learn about whiskeys and I went a fair amount to Scotland and just met with the distillers and saw how it was made. It really helped with my knowledge a lot. Coming back from these trips, I would come with new whiskeys and 250, turned into 300, which turned into 400, and then 500. What I quickly realized was that once you became known for whiskey, you have a responsibility to guests to have all the new whiskey when it comes in. It wasn’t something that I had factored into my algorithm. The more people came in – I had an obligation. They would say, “oh you haven’t gotten the new release from Glenmorangie?” I’d say, “oh we have to get it.” Then we breached 1,000 and there was no turning back!

AM: Just looking at this room, it’s amazing to see all of these cabinets where people can store their own whiskey – tell us about this.

TT: The idea behind this – I call it Bottle Keep. Before moving to NYC I lived in Hawaii and when I was there, I was into surfing a lot and a lot of my buddies were Japanese. We would travel to Japan quite a few times and I was younger then and we would go to this nightclub district known as Roppongi. I remember that it was such a cool concept that they had these bottles that were stored. At the time I just thought it was really cool and it must have stuck in my longterm memory. So when I opened this, I thought that having been in the nightclub business that I understood Bottle Service. Bottle Service wasn’t something that I wanted to do, but I thought if there was a way to take that concept and maturing it which made me think about my trips to Japan and I thought it would be cool. Also, bottles look cool when they’re displayed and when you hit them with the light as you’re a visual person so you uplight them and they look stunning. Also, in NYC, space is a commodity and I wanted to incorporate the bottles into the architecture. I allocated all this space for the bottles and it was a hard road initially because we had all this space. The first night we sold 3 with friends and family that purchased them. I was like, “wow we have like 800 more to go before this place looks legit.” Over the years, it grew and now, we have more demand than supply. In the manager’s office, we have an actual room where we store extra bottles.

AM: What are your favorite go to whiskeys?

TT: Oh gosh. They change, but I think that anybody that knows whiskey – I mean I could throw it back to you and you’d probably have a hard time answering because it’s very situational. Whiskey is based on the season, time of day, the mood – fortunately I have over 1,000 to choose from for my many moods. I will say that some of my hands down favorites that I tend to revert back to are: Glendronach 18 as my go-to favorite. I love a good Bowmore – if I go with peat then I like to go with something that has a nice balance of Sherry to get that smoky sweet elements and because I’m American, I have to throw in a bourbon. I tend to like bourbon’s cask strength E.H. Taylor is a full proof whiskey. Bourbon – I love Michter’s, Buffalo Trace – some of the Buffalo Trace antique collections are always good. It’s not as affordable as it used to be.

AM: What cocktail do you suggest that our readers should make sure to ask for when they come by?

TT: The one that we’re drinking now is called our Smoking Old Fashioned. We talked earlier about being theatrical and this is one of those kinds of cocktails, but it’s not all fluff. The smoke that’s put in the cocktail – the phenols that are attached to the liquor it gives a residual smoke in the flavor. I like this cocktail because being a visual person, I say that the first drink is with the eyes, the second drink is with the nose and the third drink is with the mouth. So this delivers on all three and when it comes across the room you see the smoke in it. You lift off the cap and it has that wow moment so that when people smell it they say, "wow what is that?" But it delivers on the final product because it happens to taste as good as it looks and as good as it smells.

AM: In terms of pairing whiskeys with various items offered on your menu, what do you suggest?

TT: It’s somewhat of a subjective question. I have been to a lot of tastings where they have paired items with things that people would not normally expect to pair with whiskey. For me, I like to pair cheese with whiskey. It has this creaminess and richness and it coats your mouth first. Having the alcohol interact with the viscosity in your mouth – it does something really special and brings out flavors that you normally wouldn’t expect. I will say that if I am drinking something really old and really fine, and I just want to focus on that, then I don’t want to complicate my palette at all. I don’t want to introduce other flavors in there. If it is something that is moderately priced sure I can experiment with it. But if someone is pouring me a 25-year or a 35-year whiskey – then I just want to enjoy every aspect of that from every subtle nuance. For me, a good whiskey is something that develops on your palette. A lot of people think that you have a sip of whiskey and that’s it. But if you really go in deep on the flavor of whiskey – it evolves – what initially hits your mouth when the alcohol starts to burn off and new flavors will appear, grow and resonate on your palette. I think that’s why it’s such a great sipping drink. You take a sip and sit back and let it have its way across your palette and you just enjoy it.

AM: We know that The Flatiron Room is a great place to come to and with the holiday season upon us, what events can guests come to?

TT: The 4th quarter for us – the holiday season, we have a lot of guests that come in from out of town. Unfortunately, they see that we are closed for private events – it’s the season and many times we’re closed for that. I always recommend that people call in advance to make sure that we are open. With that said, we do have some events that are open during this time where guests can come in and bring their friends and family from out of town so that they can get a taste of old New York. During Thanksgiving we had a great feast which was a prix-fixe dinner. On Christmas Day we have another event. For NYE, we’re throwing a great party and we have a tremendous band – Carte Blanche that will be performing live here. We have a number of great things taking place if you have guests that are in from out of town.

AM: Do you still do inspirational travel when you're looking for new whiskeys?

TT: Yes! It’s one of the best things about the job and getting inspired. I get to go to Scotland quite a bit when I’m over there meeting with people, the distillers, learning about new expressions when they come out. It’s funny because my knowledge base has developed so much and every year, I think that I know a decent amount about whiskey, but then the following year I look back and I think, “gosh I didn’t really know much.” Today if you asked me if I knew a bit about whiskey, I would confidently say yes. If we had the same conversation next year, I’d probably look back and say, “oh wow I knew nothing.” But it’s fun and it’s a fun journey and I love learning as well as traveling and it works out.

AM: What are 3 things that you put in your carry-on when you’re traveling to make the flight easier, or to feel that you’re at home or when you’re relaxing after having copious whiskey tastes?

TT: Great! Headphones for sure, Melatonin is my go to because if I’m traveling to Scotland it tends to be an overnight flight and that gets me there. Also a flask - they're always fun and of course when I come back, I tend to come back with one as well!

AM: You can’t have them get lonely! Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers to let them know about The Flatiron Room?

TT: If you haven’t experienced us yet, please come down and experience us! I think it’s a unique experience especially if you’re a New Yorker and people love those New York Moments. If you haven’t checked out my other property, it’s called Fine & Rare (9 East 37th St NY, NY 10016) and I recommend going there to try that out as well. It’s a similar vibe that is a little more food focused, we also have a large dynamic selection of whiskey!

IG @TheFlatironRoom

@FineAndRareNYC

@GoodNightGroup

@TommyTardie

We find out more about this incredible space from Head Bartender, Darron Foy.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you know you wanted to be a bartender?

DARRON FOY: I think it’s when I came to NY. I bartended for 8 or 9 years before that in Scotland where I’m from. It was admittingly more for financial gain as I was studying at University and I needed extra cash. I very quickly fell in love with the kind of interaction that you can have with the public. It wasn’t so much about the drinks or the crafting of the cocktails. It was actually the interaction and the evolving communication that I had with the public that grasped my love. When I moved to NY, I just noticed that the bartenders in NY – it was cool and you felt like almost important when you are working behind the bar. It was your fortress. So, I really started to delve into cocktails. As a Scotsman, we’re much more happy with a single dram, a gin and tonic or a vodka. But I started to notice very quickly with my background in music and in art that I really enjoyed crafting cocktails. So when I finally applied to come to The Flatiron Room, I had learned the NY basics of cocktails from the Manhattan, Sazeracs etc. I came here and I was immersed into the cocktails that we did at this bar. When I came to NY, I knew this was what I wanted to do to be in engaged with the public, to learn more and to educate. I wanted to perform and it’s a constant back and forth with the public.

AM: What is a shift like here?

DF: It can be anything. Tommy mentioned the word subjective in your interview a few times which I think is the perfect word to use when talking about the hospitality sector! We can have a beautifully nice relaxed night here with fantastic cocktails and great music. We can be slammed to the rafters. You can spend an entire evening not talking to your fellow bartender because you’re flying cocktails out. It’s constantly changing and by being in this – it keeps you on your toes. No day is the same; therefore, you have to be prepared for whatever comes. You may have a great customer, you may have a slightly argumentative customer. You may spend 20 minutes making a simple cocktail and they praise it to the heavens. So everyday in my opinion is a new day! I think again going back to the fact of why I like being a bartender. It’s not monotonous.

AM: What are your 3 favorite cocktails that we should have when we come to the The Flatiron Room?

DF: Normally when customers ask this, I do say whiskey as we have a fantastic collection and as a whiskey lover myself. We showcased the Smoking Old Fashioned – visually again, it’s just a fantastic cocktail. As Tommy said, you drink with your eyes and your senses and we’re trying to create a sensory enjoyment. I believe that Rye Old Fashioned with the Smoking Old Fashioned is just being elevated. Your adding the savory wood tones with the Rye Old Fashioned itself and it becomes a lot more than a simple cocktail.

One that is on the menu right now that I crafted is called the Cardamom Blossom. I’m very proud of this cocktail. It’s a link to my wife’s family and my Scottish background. It’s using cachaça, my wife’s family spent some years in Brazil and once I moved to NY we all met up finally. One of the first gifts that I got was a bottle of cachaça – I was very interested in the flavor. It has a sugar cane note and my wife’s brothers and cousins would make me Caipirinhas – a classic cocktail. I wanted to change it and I noticed that we never had a cachaça cocktail in the bar. So it's a mix of blended scotch whiskey, cachaça, and using orgeat syrup which is an almond syrup which has a nice baking taste to it. We added lemon juice, bitters, some honey and adding cardamom. It’s an egg white cocktail that I love to make – I adore egg cocktails because I like the viscosity of it and the way it looks. But it’s also very light and very plain. I’m proud of it because I think that it is a very elegant drink.

Finally, I personally feel that a very well made Manhattan is such an easy cocktail to create and very easy to muck it up. One of the things that I like to do when I go to a new bar is to order a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned because I want to see how they make it. I’ve had Old Fashioned filled with chunks of orange, cherries and I just like to go back to the classics because to me, that’s not what it is. A well made Manhattan which I think in my opinion, we do well we do well here is just an elegant and standard classic cocktail.

AM: You just shared the Cardamom Blossom that you crafted. How do you go about obtaining inspirations for creating other drinks?

DF: I think that that goes back to communication. Talking with the public, your fellow bartenders and servers. I have a music and artistic background so I feel that I have been creating from the second I could see over the stove, my mother in Scotland had me cooking. I love to cook and I love creating things. I think that I have that artistic ability where I take great pleasure in creating things. I think that people tend to be cautious when trying new things and I hope that people realize that that’s not the way to be. You have to dive into trying new things. So a lot of my experience comes from bar diving with my wife and trying new things from receiving a new whiskey at the bar and smelling it and trying new flavors and what would work with it and it’s a constantly evolving process.

Communication is great and when you talk to fellow industry professionals and why they chose certain bitters or garnishes, it helps to evolve your own personal ability. Communication is key in terms of creating new cocktails.

AM: So for the people who want to make whiskey cocktails at home, what are the things that they should have on hand as many may be a bit hesitant to do this at home?

DF: First of all having the correct tools – strainers, cocktail shakers and stirrers. Even things like good ice. You go back to the very basics when you’re crafting a cocktail. If you’re using broken up ice and it’s breaking into the cocktail, it’s diluting it too much. If you’re wanting to present it a certain way, are you using crushed ice, blazened ice, ice rocks? In terms of experimenting, you know your own palette – again maybe step away from that. If you know that you like a certain flavor and you know you can craft a good cocktail, why not remove that entirely and try something new. You might not like it, but it may open your eyes and head to more ideas and more experimentation. I think good mixers, good bitters can help the process and having a variety of good scotches, whiskeys, ryes, and bourbons etc all promote different flavors and therefore reacts with the palette differently. I love the classics such as the Angostura Bitters and the Peychaud’s Bitters. I mean, 20 years ago especially when it came to Angostura, any recipe that required a bitter would come from this brand! Nowadays, we have a fantastic array of companies, different bitters – the Fee Brothers have a fantastic range with Cherry Blossom, Aztec Chocolate, Almond Bitters and really amazing flavors. You have to experiment! You have to try these things and it’s the same as cooking. You’re not going to know unless you try. So good tills, proper ice and an open mind. You have to go in there with no prejudice and try something new. You may fail, but just pick yourself up and try it again. You can tweak it here and there and then become more confident in your ability. Once that confident grows, it’s easier for you to continue to experiment.

AM: You’re here working with so many different people that come to The Flatiron Room and being so creative. What do you do to take time for yourself when you’re not here?

DF: My wife and I are big foodies. We’re here in NY, we live in Brooklyn and where I live, we have German Beer and where I live, we have German Beer Halls, Japanese joints, I have everything there. We tend to try to find new places for food. I experiment quite a lot on my wife, she’s my biggest critic. I ask her about the cocktails if they are too strong or too sweet. When it comes to down time, it’s probably walking my dog. He’s a little pain, but I do love the little guy. Generally, just relaxing because you’re in a high strung environment. So you need to take time to recharge and I laugh at this, but as bartenders, our time off tends to be in bars because that is where we are comfortable. Even in the house, my wife laughs because she says that I’m stir crazy if I’m sitting down for more than 20 minutes not doing something and I will head to the bar. Maybe it’s the Scottish in me that is more comfortable sitting in a place with alcohol around me, but I feel that bartenders are hermits, we like what we like. We try new things but we gravitate back to the bars that we like. I mean I do go to the gym from time to time but – good food, good drink and just generally recharging your batteries so that you can come back and do your job which is important!

IG @TheLiquidArtist

Hear The Flatiron Room's Owner/ Restaurateur Tommy Tardie and Head Bartender, Darron Foy on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Whiskey Experience with Tommy Tardie & Darron Foy in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | TSISMIS NYC

FOR THE FLAVOR SEEKER

We swung by TSISMIS NYC for dinner and enjoyed a number of savory dishes, cocktails and chill vibes only. Executive Chef Jappy Afzelius, took time to fine out more about this eclectic restaurant.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your culinary background, where you trained and restaurants you worked in and a bit about TSISMIS NYC!

CHEF JAPPY AFZELIUS: I'm Filipino born and I learned the fundamentals of French cooking under Alain Ducasse at Chez Allard Bistro in Paris and Benoit Bistro in New York. From there I worked at David Burke Fabrick and the Michelin Bib Gourmand Manila Social Club. Then, I went to Italy, studying the "Slow Food Movement", a grassroots organization devoted to preventing the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, and in 2018 received my Master's in Food Culture and Communications from the University of Gastronomic Science in Piedmont, Italy. I traveled extensively throughout Europe as well as Japan to further discover global cuisines. At TSISMIS NYC, I deliver a unique menu developed in collaboration with the restaurant's owners and the culinary team, from home-grown recipes with influences from Spanish, Mediterranean and other Asian cuisines.

AM: How do you define the style of cooking that can be enjoyed here?

CHEF JA: Our style of cooking at TSISMIS NYC is eclectic. We use a lot of different techniques that I’ve learned throughout the years and also apply basic science like fermentation and pickling as well. We blend and balance a lot of different flavors together.

AM: What are 3 signature dishes that you suggest?

CHEF JA: The 3 signature dishes from TSISMIS NYC that your readers should know about our Kale Laing, Tinapa Croquetas and Aligue Pasta. I feel that these 3 dishes are what represent TSISMIS NYC as a restaurant and they are crowd favorites as well.

AM: What are 3 signature cocktails that you suggest our readers should enjoy?

CHEF JA: Our cocktails are definitely a must try and the Pickle Pepper Punch, A la Bira and Tsismosa are our signature cocktails that guests love to pair with our food most often.

AM: With the holiday season in full swing, are there any special events or meals that we should keep on our radar?

CHEF JA: We just launched our Boodle Yan special, which I believe you'll enjoy:

Boodle-Yan is a unique dining experience that showcases the rich culinary culture of the Philippines, combining a boodle fight’s military camp style of eating on long tables with the kamayan practice of eating with your hands. The traditional meal celebrates camaraderie and inspires festivity.

This Filipino feast will include a plethora of traditional items with creative touches including chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, fish, fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits and rice, artfully arranged across a bed of banana leaves. All items can be adjusted upon request to fit dietary restrictions and allergies.

To fully submerge in the cultural adventure, guests will dine without any utensils, using only their hands to eat the feast before them.

Boodle-Yan is available only on Sundays from 11am to 8pm through reservation only. There is a six person minimum to reserve. The experience is priced at $45 per person and includes a complimentary glass of sangria.

IG @TSISMISNYC

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Art of the Snack | TSISMIS NYC in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #48 DEC 2019

This month’s cover and back cover is the first female Iron Chef, Restaurateur and TV Personality Chef Cat Cora. Our shoot (as well as the interview which you can hear right now on Athleisure Kitchen) was photographed and recorded at 498 West End Ave #12A, a Louise Phillips Forbes Team property. We talked with Chef Cat Core about her phenomenal career, Cat Cora Inc, her caviar partnership and the phenomenal mentors that she has met along the way. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we sit down with Vello Virkhaus of Xite Labs to talk about his work as a visual designer for amazing EDM, pop artists and more at some of your favorite festivals. We talk about his upcoming project with Bad Bunny for his Puerto Rico concert as well as a number of iconic concerts he created visuals from. Another feature which can also be heard right now on Athleisure Kitchen is the owner of The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare, Tommy Tardie who talks about his love of whiskey, creating an experience when coming to his venues as well as how he goes about selecting the whiskeys that are offered at his destinations. The Flatiron Room’s head bartender, Darron Foy also talks about cocktails that we should enjoy as well as what we need to know when we are making them at home.

In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we head to TSISMIS NYC to enjoy a twist to Filipino dishes as well as crafted cocktails. We also have our 2nd Holiday Gift Guide for this year for those that are still doing gift exchanges into the new year. 

As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into the People’s Court Judge Marilyn Milian. This month’s 9PLAYLIST (9 songs that our celebs are loving this month) comes from, Actress (Pretty Little Liars, YOU, Dollface) YouTube and Founder of BEIS – Shay Mitchell. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List ([solidcore] and Caffe Napoli and Napoli Pastry Co.), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This When the Ball Drops at Midnight on NYE, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Cacoa Beauty. We have a new pull out feature that we just launched in Athleisure Mag known as Bleisure Mag. Each month, you will see a hotel, restaurant, enjoying an array of experiences in that city and an airport lounge that’s worth checking out for your next flight.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag here.