THE BACHELOR S24. E1. | LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Tonight is the night - 3 hours of just focusing on those looking to win The Bachelor’s heart, Hannah Brown and of course Peter! Moments ago, we just finished tweeting the season premier of ABC’s The Bachelor which you can join in show (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns if we were choosing right now! We will also say who we think should take it all.

We also suggest a podcast that we’re newly obsessed with, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay (contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) and co-hosted by Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) talking about the 30 women for this upcoming season as they had just received the imagery as well as the bios!

---

LAST EPISODE

We were all about Courtney, Eunice, Natasha and Tammy. We had Eunice as the winner of Peter’s heart! Eunice will take it all.

WEEK 1

This week, we continue with Natasha from our initial post and added Hannah Ann, Kelley and Lauren. We think that Lauren could definitely take it all.

OUR HOMETOWN PICKS

HANNAH ANN

KELLEY

NATASHA

LAUREN

---

ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Colmbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL;

TAMMY, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

GOLDEN GLOBES 2020 | NOMINEES + WINNERS

The 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards took place last night to kick off the official Awards Season. Check out the winners below.

As usual our predictions (bold), winners (italicized) and predictions that became awards winners (bold italicized).

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

1917

The Irishman

Joker

Marriage Story

The Two Popes

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Dolemite is My Name

Jojo Rabbit

Knives Out

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Rocketman

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Cynthia Erivo, Harriet

Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story

Saoirse Ronan, Little Woman

Charlize Theron, Bombshell

Renée Zellweger, Judy

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Christian Bale, Ford v. Ferrari

Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory

Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Awkwafina, The Farewell

Cafe Blanchett, Where’d You Go Bernadette?

Ana de Armas, Knives Out

Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart

Emma Thompson, Late Night

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Daniel Craig, Knives Out

Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit

Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Taron Egerton, Rocketman

Eddie Murphy, Dolemite is My Name

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE

Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Sam Mendes, 1917

Todd Phillps, Joker

Martin Scorsese, The Irishman

Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE

Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story

Bong Joon Ho and Jin Won Han, Parasite

Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes

Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Steven Zaillian, the Irishman

BEST FOREIGN - LANGUAGE FILM

The Farewell

Les Miserables

Pain and Glory

Parasite

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Frozen 2

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

The Lion King

Missing Link

Toy Story 4

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE

Alexandre Desplat, Little Women

Hildur Guonadottir, Joker

Randy Newman, Marriage Story

Thomas Newman, 1917

Daniel Pemberton, Motherless Brooklyn

BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE

“Beautiful Ghosts” (Cats) - Taylor Swift + Andrew Lloyd Webber

“I’m Gonna Love Me Again” (Rocketman) - Elton John + Bernie Taupin

“Into the Unknown” (Frozen 2) - Robert Lopez + Kristen Anderson-Lopez

“Spirit” (The Lion King) - Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Timothy McKenzie + Ilya Salmanzadeh

“Stand Up” (Harriet) - Joshuah Brian Campbell + Cynthia Erivo

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell

Annette Benning, The Report

Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers

Margot Robbie, Bombshell

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Al Pacino, The Irishman

Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

Big Little Lives

The Crown

Killing Eve

The Morning Show

Succession

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show

Olivia Colman, The Crown

Jodie Comer, Killing Eve

Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies

Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

Brian Cox, Succession

Kit Harington, Game of Thrones

Rami Malek, Mr. Robot

Tobias Menzies, The Crown

Billy Porter, Pose

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Barry

Fleabag

The Kominsky Method

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Politician

BEST PERFORMANCES BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Christina Applegate, Dead to Me

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Kirsten Dunst, On Becoming a God in Central Florida

Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method

Bill Hader, Barry

Ben Platt, The Politician

Paul Rudd, Living with Yourself

Ramy Youssef, Ramy

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Catch-22

Chernobyl

Fosse/Verdon

The Loudest Voice

Unbelievable

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Christopher Abbott, Catch-22

Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice

Jarred Harris, Chernobyl

Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon

Sacha Baron Cohen, The Spy

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Kaitlyn Denver, Unbelievable

Joey King, The Act

Helen Mirren, Catherine the Great

Merritt Wever, Unbelievable

Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Patricia Arquette, The Act

Toni Collette, Unbelievable

Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies

Emily Watson, Chernobyl
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Andrew Scott, Fleabag

Stellan Skarsgard, Chernobyl

Henry Winkler, Barry

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

MASTER OF SOUND WITH MARSHMELLO

As we look to close the decade, there are a number of phenomenons that have marked significant changes, pushing an array of industries forward. When you talk about the music industry and how people are connecting and inspiring fans, landing hits, distributing their music, collaborating with people and finding ways to engage with their communities in an enhanced way. Marshmello has become a larger than life figure in music as a collaborator and producer across genres, a streamer and gamer - his in game concert on Fortnight made him the most listened to DJ without a doubt. His ability to cut across a number of age groups who enjoy his music is easily seen when you're able to see the energy that hits any room that he walks into. We hung out with Marshmello and his manager, Moe Shalizi to toast a new business venture with his partnership with Stuffed Puffs who will open a large factory in Bethlehem, PA. The Philidelphia born DJ and producer sat with us to talk about some of their achievements this year, working across industries, their favorite collaborations and about artists that they would have loved to have collaborated with in this cover story.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you guys realized that Marshmello as a brand was something that you wanted to focus on?

MARSHMELLO + MOE SHALIZI: We always wanted to focus on it, but I think that when we saw things like what you’re seeing right now, kids wearing the costume as such an early thing – we realized that it transcended audiences and demographics of people and things like that. It’s just that the music resonated globally with people which is very different. So we knew that we had something on our hands.

AM: How would you define the Marshmello sound?

M + MS: I always like to say that he is the modern-day Timbaland. He’s someone that can hit every genre. We have a whole Number 1 country song with Kane Brown, 'One Thing Right'. We just put a single out that’s an alternative rock single 'Rescue Me' with A Day to Remember, the song with Bastille, 'Happier' hit 3 different categories (editor’s note: it’s worth noting that in 2018, 'Happier' spent an entire year at No 1. on the Billboard Dance Chart – which had never happened before). So the sound is everywhere. He’s a producer at the end of the day.

AM: What are a couple of highlights from being on tour or awards shows that are some of your favorite moments?

M + MS: I think that Fortnite was really one of the biggest things that he had ever done. It was something that no one had ever done before and the impact that it had was insane.

AM: How do you go about deciding on the types of collaborations that you do?

M + MS: We just try to be innovative the same way that Stuffed Puffs is in its category – we try to be as innovative as possible with our collaborations. It’s really easy for us to go and get collaborations with the normal people. But for us, it’s about finding that next top person and to work with them.

AM: Clearly the travel schedule is hectic and you’re always on the go, what are 3 things in your carry-on that you have when you’re about to hop on that next flight? M + MS: Probably headphones, Tylenol and gum – a lot of gum. AM: Who are 3 people that are living or dead that you would like to collaborate with?

M + MS: Prince, TuPac – he’d be dope and I wish we had done something with Nipsy - that would have been amazing - he was the man.

As someone who has been trailblazing in the industry, Marshmello pushes the boundaries on what it means to lea in a number of fields and how he likes to present himself. When you think about Marshmello, it's hard to not think of actual marshmallows and if you're familiar with his fun YouTube show, Cooking with Marshmello, you know that he shares how to cook an array of cool treats - some of them being marshmallows. It's not a surprise to see that he has now partnered with Stuffed Puffs, an innovative approach to making it easier to take your S'mores game to the next level. Each marshmallow has chocolate inside and is ready to eat right out of the package or heated. As is the case with many things that are all about serendipity, Marshmello crossed paths with the founder of Stuffed Puffs, Michael Tierney and the rest was history. We took a moment to chat with Michael to find out how this partnership took place as well as more about how he came up with the idea of his company.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Prior to launching Stuffed Puffs, what was your background before creating this company?

MICHAEL TIERNEY: Prior to founding Stuffed Puffs, I was in the fine dining world working in the kitchens of The French Laundry and Eleven Madison Park. Since founding Stuffed Puffs, but before bringing it to life this year, I also founded the better for you baking brand, Mikey’s.

AM: Where did the idea for Stuffed Puffs come from?

MT: Not surprisingly, sitting around a campfire. I have always been a foodie but never found traditional s’mores to be appealing. My issue, the chocolate never melted. As I am sure many others have, I carefully pulled apart a marshmallow and inserted a piece of chocolate before carefully seaming the marshmallow back together. Roasted over the fire, the chocolate melted perfectly from the inside out. The idea was the easy part. The execution, however, took much longer. I was laughed out of most candy manufacturers I tried to partner with who said that Stuffed Puffs were impossible to make. Eventually, we did it ourselves and built our own plant to prove up the innovative manufacturing processes we developed.

AM: When did you launch Stuffed Puffs and when did you know that you had a hit on your hands?

MT: Stuffed Puffs has been seven years in the making and we finally launched at retail with Walmart just before Memorial Day this year. We knew we had a hit by July 4th, only roughly five weeks later, when we had gone from zero to the number two item in the category by dollars sold.

AM: We're fans of Marshmello, you've been working with him for a bit now - how did this collaboration come about?

MT: In September of 2018, I was invited to the U.S. Forbes “30 Under 30” conference in Boston, along with Marshmello, who made the cover, and other honorees. I arrived late in the evening Marshmello was performing and got locked out of the packed outdoor venue. However, I lingered by the gate, loved the music, and marveled at his ability to mesmerize an audience. Returning to my hotel, I researched the name of his manager, Moe Shalizi, and sent him a note telling him about my marshmallow. I had zero expectation that I would get a response, which ended up arriving just minutes later. The next day, I met Moe in Boston and pitched him the idea. Two months later, Marshmello and Moe joined as my equity partners. They have been phenomenal partners and are always promoting and otherwise supporting the brand.

AM: What can we expect to see with your partnership between Stuffed Puffs and Marshmello?

MT: Our partnership will only continue to grow through a number of different avenues as we increase our retail footprint and portfolio of items throughout 2020 and beyond. Stay tuned!

AM: What are 3 ways that you like to enjoy eating Stuffed Puffs?

MT: Roasted over the fire is the obvious choice, but they are also phenomenal in the microwave for seven seconds if you want to enjoy S’mores indoors. For me though, they are best just popped in your mouth right out of the bag!

IG: @MarshmelloMusic

@StuffedPuffs

@JMTierny3

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Master of Sound with Marshmello in mag.

BACK TO THE HILLS WITH WHITNEY PORT

This summer, many of us enjoyed seeing The Hills: New Beginnings which brought back our favorite reality stars from The Hills as well as new castmembers to continue this MTV classic. One of our faves that we have interviewed previously on Athleisure Mag is back on the show, Whitney Port. We wanted to know more about her decision to bring her personal life back to the screen, projects she's working on and how she continues to lead a normal and full life even when a migraine hits!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Like many, we were glad to see you in the reboot of MTV The Hills Beginnings. We were fans of the original and loved you on this current season. What was it like for you to come back and what was your decision to do so?

WHITNEY PORT: I honestly wasn’t so sure about it at first. I was nervous to come back and to put my life and everything going on with my family back on TV. Then I just thought, it sounds fun, I’m in a good place with everybody and why not reconnect and give people something that’s nostalgic and something that they enjoyed watching. I do think that I had some nervousness about not knowing what people were going to be like or to start – you never know with Reality TV people. Are they just going to start drama out of nowhere? You have to be nervous and you have to have your guard up a little bit. But ultimately, I felt that the show was a huge part of my life and that it was a platform that allowed me to do everything that I do now so I thought, “why not?”

AM: Well it was so fun to see you again and are there other projects that you have going on that we should keep an eye out for?

WP: Yes for sure! Today, I’m talking about Excedrin Migraine – not that it’s a project, but this condition is something that I have suffered with for quite awhile. I feel that it’s my duty to talk about Excedrin because it’s the one thing that I can do to make them go away so that I can be present and can take care of all the things that I want to do and am passionate about, you know? It can be hard, especially as a mom, when you’re hit by one. Recording my podcast or my collection with Rent the Runway coming out in April – so there all these exciting things that I want to do that are dreams, goals and passions and keeping myself healthy and that I’m migraine free is really important to me.

AM: There are a lot of people that suffer with them. Do you have certain kinds of triggers that kick in with you that you know that it’s going to happen? What makes a migraine so different then a regular headache?

WP: I mean a migraine is all consuming. I start to not be able to see straight, I get sweaty palms, a lack of energy, I just get a pounding pain in my head and when these things start to happen – I know it’s coming. If I can drink a full glass of water, take my Excedrin and get a little protein in me those are usually the things that help them to go away before it gets to a place where I just can’t handle it.

AM: Why did you decide to partner with Excedrin and why is it so good for migraine conditions?

WP: I decided to partner because it’s what I was taking. I talk about my migraine issues on my podcast and on my social. I would talk about Excedrin and that it was something that helped. Naturally, they reached out and said that they wanted to work together because they saw that it was something that was a part of my life in a big way. In terms of what is in it – I’m not a doctor. But I know that what is in there with its ingredients that when it comes together it’s combined strength allows me to function!

AM: In terms of your partnership with Excedrin, what does your partnership look like with them whether they are things on your social, events etc?

WP: You can read my blog post on WhitneyPort.com to find out how I use it and how other people should use it as well.

AM: As someone who is so busy, as a mom, wife, entrepreneur and Reality Star, what are 3 things that you like to do to take time for yourself?

WP: A couple of things I do for myself are: I take a hot yoga class. It changes my whole mood and it’s an hour to myself where I am sweating out so much – I’m energized and I’m ready to get back to the grind on my career as well as being a mom! I am a huge proponent of massages! I know that they are a luxury, but I use the App Soothe which comes to your house. Once I put Sonny down for the night, I will order a massage and it’s pretty affordable and I don’t have to leave the house and can do it while Sonny is sleeping. You can tell the therapist that you have a migraine issue and they can work on certain areas to help like around the jaw, head or neck. Then, another thing is just trying my best to fill my body with things that are going to be good fuel for it instead of just empty calories. I drink these really good smoothies from Kreation that have turmeric, Kreation Juice, coconut and all of these good anti-inflammatory type things. I try not to eat a lot of processed sugar and I try to have a healthy dose of greens everyday and definitely meat, protein etc. My husband in the morning before my yoga will scramble me 2 eggs with a little grated cheddar in there for some extra protein. I think that physical activity, something luxurious and feeding your body with good stuff will set you up for success. Also taking time to just listen to good music and taking some deep breaths can make a big difference. A lot of us have a commute whether it’s in cars or buses – putting in my earpods, listening to some calming music and taking some deep breaths can really ground me and put me back into a present mind space.

IG @WhitneyPort

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Back to the Hills with Whitney Port in mag.

THE BACHELOR | MEET THE CAST

Next month on Jan 6th, ABC’s The Bachelor kicks off where Peter Weber looks for love with a number of amazing women. We’re still a few days away from being able to see how this plays out and if Hannah G (last year’s Bachelorette) will come back. Either way, we’ll be live tweeting (@AthleisureMag) each episode with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith (@ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place! For now, you can check out each of the ladies, think about the 4 women that you can envision will be going to Hometowns and click their names to get their bios from ABC and we’ll see you at 8pm EST!

Right now if we had to make our favorites for Hometowns, we’re thinking Courtney, Eunice, Natasha and Tammy. Right now, we think Peter and Eunice would be a great couple! Each week, we will share who has been eliminated, and who our 4 pics at the moment for HOMETOWNS are. We’ll also keep you in the loop on a number of other news that we come across as well as our favorite tweets during the night as we chat along with a number of people each week!

We also suggest a podcast that is new to us, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour which is hosted by Rachel Lindsay one of our faves hands down - contestant on The Bachelor Season 21; The Bachelorette Season 13) who shares with their listeners all things Bachelor and Bachelor related! Earlier today, we listened to a new episode that was co-hosted with Becca Kufrin (contestant on The Bachelor Season 22; The Bachelorette Season 14) talking about the 30 women for this upcoming season as they had just received the imagery as well as the bios! They gave their first impressions and insight on what it’s like to be in the house as well! We’ll definitely be checking into this podcast to get more information as well as to see if there are other things that they will be able to let us know what’s taking place!

OUR HOMETOWN PICKS

COURTNEY

EUNICE

NATASHA

TAMMY

---

ALAYAH, 24 - Miss Texas 2019; San Antonio, TX

ALEXA, 27 - Esthetician; Chicago, IL

AVONLEA, 27 - Cattle Rancher; Fort Worth, TX

COURTNEY, 26 - COSMETOLOGIST; Venice, FL

DEANDRA, 23 - Home Care Coord; Plano, TX

EUNICE, 23 - Flight Attendant; Chicago, IL

HANNAH ANN, 23 - Model; Knoxville, TN

JADE, 26 - Flight Attendant; Mesa, AZ

JASMINE, 25 - Client Relations Mgr; Houston, TX

JENNA, 22 - Nursing Student; New Lennox, IL

KATRINA, 28 - Pro Sports Dancer; Chicago, IL

KELLEY, 27 - Attorney; Chicago, IL

KELSEY, 28 - Professional Clothier; Des Moines, IA

KIARRA, 23 - Nanny; Kennesaw, GA

KYLIE, 26 - Ent Sales Assoc; Santa Monica, CA

LAUREN, 26 - Marketing Executive; Glendale, CA

LEXI, 26 - Marketing Coordinator; NY, NY

MADISON, 23 - Foster Parent Recruiter; Auburn, AL

MAURISSA, 23 - Patient Care Coord; Atlanta, GA

MEGAN, 26 - Flight Attendant; San Francisco, CA

MYKENNA, 22 - Fashion Blogger; Langley, British Colmbia, Canada

NATASHA, 31 - Event Planner; NY, NY

PAYTON, 23 - Biz Dev Rep; Wellesley, MA

SARAH, 24 - Medical Radiographer; Knoxville, TN

SAVANNAH, 27 - Realtor; Houston, TX

SHIANN, 27 - Admin Asst; Las Vegas, NV

SYDNEY, 24 - Retail Mktg Mgr; Birmingham, AL;

Tammy, 24 - House Flipper; Syracuse, NY

VICTORIA F., 25 - Med Sales Rep; Virgina Beach, VA

VICTORIA P., Nurse; Alexandria, LA

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW WITH NO KID HUNGRY'S JENNY DIRKSEN AND CHEF ELIZABETH FALKNER

Over the past few years, we have enjoyed sharing initiatives that No Kid Hungry creates in order to ensure that childhood hunger is not an issue that has to be a concern in this country. We caught up with No Kid Hungry's Jenny Dirksen who is the National Director of Champion Engagement and Chef Elizabeth Falkner and talked about No Kid Hungry, their initiatives throughout the year and with Thanksgiving and Holiday festivities underway, what we can find on their dinner tables this year! We held this in-depth conversation at The Flatiron Room in NYC.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited to have both of you here as we have worked with No Kid Hungry for a number of years and sharing your chef’s stories as well as your initiatives with our readers. We’ve also been fans of your storytelling through food as well Chef Falkner so having both of you here during the holiday season is a treat!

Chef, we’ve seen you on a number of TV shows whether you’re competing, judging, or culinary events such as StarChefs which we just saw you at a few weekends ago in Brooklyn, can you tell us the moment that you realized that you wanted to cook?

CHEF ELIZABETH FALKNER: I never thought about cooking as a culinary profession until I was out living in San Francisco going to art school and working at Williams-Sonoma part-time. Really because what we now call the California Food Revolution was happening all around me. So it felt like an art and political and everything kind of movement. A handful of mostly female chefs were getting all of the agriculture sort of more exciting and most interesting product with more farm to table kind of stuff almost 30 years ago. So it kind of swooped me up. AM: What was the moment for you when you realized you wanted to work within the culinary industry. You have an amazing background as a chef and then being in a managerial role.

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas (L: Chef ELizabeth Falkner; R: No Kid Hungry’s Jenny Dirksen)

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas

PHOTO CREDIT | Paul Farkas (L: Athleisure Mag Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director and Co-Exec Producer and Host of Athleisure Kitchen podcast, Kimmie Smith)

JENNY DIRKSEN: I grew up loving food and loving mostly to eat! I took on self-imposed vegetarianism and really educated myself on nutrition and making my own meals. I don’t think that I understood until college that that could make a profession out of that. I was working as a barista at Heyday which is no more, but is like a Dean and Deluca which is also no more and I watched the folks working which were all dudes in the prepared foods part and I thought, “how do you get to do that?” That was the beginning for me and I did get to cook for a few years and I chickened out and went to the office side of the world.

CHEF EF: I wouldn’t call it chickening out, you probably said, “that’s not for me – I want to do something else.”

JD: I think that I had actually injured my back and I said, “I’m not capable of standing up at my station right now chef.” And I had the opportunity to work in the office of the restaurant and not realizing how much fun that would be in supporting everyone that was delighting the guests all day long. Through that, I had the opportunity to move into the executive office where I spent a good chunk of my time and learned that restaurants and chefs can create social change and that was the coolest to me.

AM: How do you define your style of cooking as I know you do sweet and savory and you’re so versatile.

CHEF EF: Well first of all, I don’t like to be stereotyped at all which is just a part of who I am. I love exploring everything through the medium of food. To me, food is a lot like learning languages and I am just really interested in storytelling as food evolves into different places at different times. I think of my style as much more explorative as opposed to a specific genre or ethnicity. I really like exploring everything and the more things that I don’t know, I like to know more about them.

AM: As the National Director of Champion Engagement at No Kid Hungry, tell us about the role you have in this position?

JD: I’m really fortunate as I work alongside our entire team that engages with chefs. So all of the ways that chefs help us to fundraise for the work itself - Taste of the Nation a broad scale tasting event, No Kid Hungry dinners – sometimes they’re intimate sometimes they’re galas, Chefs Cycle and we’re able to take all of these culinary professionals that have worked with us to help us fundraise and we say, “hey do you want to come to Capitol Hill and actually meet with your legislatures and talk to them about what you are fundraising for and ask them for legislative change or appropriations to support legislation that we’re really enthusiastic about? Would you like to lend your voice to media and tell others what we’re doing. Come see the work up close and bring them into schools to see how what we do works up close. I also am in regular touch with some of our most engaged culinary professionals to let them know what we are up to. There is so much nitty gritty in the work and those that say that they really want to know what we are up to, we get that message out to them. What we really want to do is to create a community of caring individuals who are passionate about ending childhood hunger and through doing that, they allow us to grow new fundraising platforms and also new ways of getting the actual work done.

PHOTO COURTESY | The Flatiron Room

AM: How did you decide that you wanted to be a part of this?

CHEF EF: Well a couple of things. First, I’ve been cooking for a long time and I have done events with No Kid Hungry and Share Our Strength many years ago when it first started on the cooking side of things. I do a lot of charity events still even though I don’t work in kitchens full time and that’s just because chefs have this power to influence and to just cook and raise dollars as well as awareness for a lot of things such as No Kid Hungry.

Chefs Cycle has been something that I have been wanting to do. I was running half marathons and the NY Marathon in 2016 and I was like, “how am I going to do both?” I was raising money for Team for Kids because I like for kids to exercise too! Then after last year when I was running 3 marathons, my doctor said, “I don’t think that you should run as much.” I was like, “Great! I’ll sign up for Chefs Cycle.” So I started to do cycling and that’s how it started! Because of that, that it’s not this simple thing to train for. Riding for 300 miles is no joke and training for that is no joke. So I just like the idea that I still like to cook for these kinds of events, but to also be able to do something athletic that’s way out of my comfort zone is also such a good message to show how important it is, but also a great message for chefs to do something like that.

I’m kind of one of those people that are always telling other cooks and people in general that being aware of what you’re eating and ultimately what you’re physically doing is going to help you in the longevity of your career.

AM: How do you train for that? I mean, it’s 300 miles!

CHEF EF: I mean what’s really cool about it is that this year, when we do the ride in Bend, Oregon next June – we’ve formed a team. Adele Nelson, Director, Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry, connected me with Jess Cerra a professional cyclist who just retired. So we just decided to form a team, Team Themyscira because that is where Wonder Woman is from. It’s not exclusively a team for women, but the focus is to get more women riding. Stephanie Izard (first female chef to win BRAVO’s Top Chef Season 4, Chef/Co-Owner of Girl and the Goat, Little Goat and Duck, Duck Goat in Chicago (and James Beard Foundation Award Winner) is also riding and actually just texted me last night asking if men could participate in this. Obviously, we’re not sexist, but it’s a team of really great women. Some have done this race before and Hillary Sterling (Executive Chef at Vic’s in NYC) said, “Hey I am going to be riding” and I told her she had to join my team! Duskie Estes (Food Network food personality as a contestant and judge as well as Chef/Co-Owner of The Black Piglet and Black Pig Meat Co) are also going to ride as well. It’s a bunch of really cool people.

What’s cool is we have a couple of professional cyclists on our team.

JD: Oh yeah, across the board! The cyclists are like, “Cool, we get to hang out with these chefs!”

CHEF EF: They’re already giving us tips and training if we want it. Like, I didn’t know that you’re not supposed to wear underwear underneath your shorts.

AM: Yup, you learn that real quick!

CHEF EF: I was like thanks, I needed to know that this year!

PHOTO COURTESY | The Flatiron Room

AM: When you have completed this race, what do you do after that? Does your body just feel incapacitated for like 2 days?

CHEF EF: By the time you have trained for it, you’re so amped for it. This year in Santa Rosa it was nice the first day and then it rained the last two days. I had never ridden in the rain before so I was a little scared about that as it was something that I hadn’t really done. I was like, I will try it, but if it feels scary, then I will stop. We ended up riding the whole day except for when I met this women from Canada who had a flat about half way in the day which is fine and we came back which I was fine with because it was freezing. Then we got rain gear and on the 3rd day, we were maniacs and we just didn’t really care and we were riding around in the pouring rain. But the camaraderie was just so much fun and everyone was so supportive and it’s a really great event and it raises a lot of money too!

AM: We were just going to ask how much did you raise?

JD: I don’t know the year by year count, but since we have started, we have raised $2.5 million just in the rides and we have about 4 or 5 under our belt.

CHEF EF: Like I raised, $8,500 last year and I’m shooting for at least that this year.

AM: How do you decide on your end what chef goes into what program and what is that process like?

JD: Again, I’m fortunate to have started at this organization which was 20 years in. There were a wealth of chefs that were already taking part. My old boss, Danny Meyer (Founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group) had been on their board for years and years. Knowing people through No Kid Hungry had already been a connection point for me professionally. We’re very lucky that people come to us and that a number of people come through other chefs like when Elizabeth will say, “I did this crazy ride and you have to come do it too.” Sometimes we’re branching into a market that we haven’t been in before and I’ll ask the chefs who we work with who they know. We’ll do some reading. We’re thrilled to have chefs who have been reviewed and have received rewards, but that is not the starting line. I want people who are passionate about food and feeding others and wanting to make a difference. Those are our people.

AM: So non-chefs can also participate?

JD: Everyone has a role in ending childhood hunger! For my specific work, we talk about engaging culinary professionals because there is front of house, beverage folks, office types and those that are involved in making restaurants exciting places for eating and a lot of fun. We want all of those people working with us!

AM: With Thanksgiving, knowing that you guys do things year around, what are initiatives that are taking place during this season that we should know about?

JD: The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday and it’s a very big day for charitable giving whether doing it in person or online. That’s Dec 3rd this year. You can go to NoKidHungry.org to see everything that we are doing or following us online @NoKidHungry. I think that 2 things that are especially interesting are the generous community at Food52 is benefitting us in our work through their Food52 Holiday Swap which has gone on for years. You bake something and send to someone else and they kind of match make between the bakers and everyone makes a contribution to be involved. That is happening at Food52.com.

This year, we’re benefitting from a fun holiday auction that Bon Appétit is doing they issue a bunch of different covers to go with the Nov issue and you can collect them all. To do that, you can go to Ebay for Charity for No Kid Hungry on that page.

AM: As we head into the Christmas season, are there specific ones for that as well?

JD: I think that end of year giving is the big push at that point. Throughout the year we have these incredible culinary events that we have mentioned: Taste of the Nation, our No Kid Hungry dinners and you can find out more about this through our events page on NoKidHungry.org. Of course there is also Chefs Cycle and we look for folks to make a contribution and to support their favorite chefs at ChefsCycle.org.

CHEF EF: Yeah, you can just support a rider on the website or a team – like Team Themyscira.

AM: Just in case you wanted to know about one team in particular ha!

As someone who is out there whether you’re cooking to raise funds, being at events, charitable functions being on social media etc – how important is it for chefs to do this kind of visibility and activity in terms of their culinary careers?

CHEF EF: I don’t think that a chef has to do things like that. Some people may think that you have to in order to be more successful. I think it depends on where you are. I know a lot of chefs who work in their kitchens and they don’t have time to do stuff like that and I don’t think it’s a negative and you can probably see it in their food. You put that much more work into your food, it’s going to show! I think it’s great when people are showing stuff and the power of social media where people are able to show their food and what they are doing – I think that that is amazing and how that can go around the world.

AM: Will there be another restaurant?

CHEF EF: It’s not my goal to open another restaurant. I have already done that for a good chunk of my life. It’s not that it’s too hard work for me. It’s just that I’m so involved in food policy, food waste and I talk a lot about helping kids, teaching kids and speaking a lot more on all of these different issues. I’m constantly doing recipe development. I don’t even know how I would have another restaurant at this point in my life because I’m so busy!

JD: Well that’s a nice thing!

CHEF EF: Well there’s a lot to do!

AM: We enjoy seeing your social and seeing you do all of the things that you have mentioned and really just getting in there and doing the work.

CHEF EF: I learned a lot from the food business too and if you can do that in what I like to call a theater – the restaurant, but you can also take it on the road these days. I ended up cooking in China this year and I ended up cooking in so many places this year at all of these different places and I actually like cooking with ingredients from different parts of the world too because it helps me change it up.

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients to have on hand?

CHEF EF: Oh my goodness. I have to have Olive Oil, that’s a critical one. It changes, but I’m in love with some of the things that I experienced in Asia. I came back loving this fermented Broad Bean Paste which is slightly like fermented Chinese Black Beans which is more like a Fava Bean. It’s a fermented spicy Chinese Sichuan specialty that’s in Mapo Doufu for example. I have this obsession with Chinese food that makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Then I think having Meyer Lemons is kind of one of my favorite ingredients. I’m from California and I need that zest and I love citrus. I still try to sprinkle into my food whenever I can.

AM: What are your 3 favorite ingredients to have on hand?

JD: I’m a big stock person. My slow cooker is always going with chicken stock – I feel that it boosts us. Ginger so good – it’s great for external and internal. Cardamom is another one. It's so holiday to me.

AM: What’s for Thanksgiving this year?

CHEF EF: It’s so funny. I’m making breakfast for my brother and girlfriend for this Thanksgiving. Then they’re going to go to her parents house which I love going to. Her mom is Korean American and I enjoyed going there as she is a really good cook. It’s a cross between classic Thanksgiving dishes and a number of Korean ones and I think that I like all of the Korean ones better! So then I am working on a project right now so I don’t have time to really spend around Thanksgiving so much – so I think that I will just spend time making more Chinese food!

JD: I’m actually getting together with my neighbor and we’re going to brainstorm our menu as we are cooking together. Lots of things happening at the Green Market right now. I have one of those mega Brussel Sprout branches right now. The top sprouts are so huge it looks like Choi and the farmer told me that he actually had people taking it and slow roasting it whole with the stalk in the oven – I’m very curious and may have to go there. Lots of squash – love a red curry squash. There will still be turkey, there will still be pie.

CHEF EF: I feel like, unfortunately, that it’s put all on one day which is not how I really think about this time of year. I think Thanksgiving lasts from Oct – Dec because it’s all about this harvest.

AM: Is there anything else that you want to share with us?

JD: I want everyone to know that everyone has a Strength to Share in the fight against hunger. There are so many ways to get involved and make a difference. You can certainly donate online, host a bake sale, a personal bake sale that you do on your own, attend our events and find an opportunity to speak up on behalf of kids to your elected officials. Once again, all of that can be found on No Kid Hungry.org.

CHEF EF: I just want to say that every dollar helps and I don’t think that any kid should be hungry when they’re going to school or summer programs. How are you going to be able to think or do all the things you need to be a kid at school if you’re hungry?

JD: Elizabeth is right. Every dollar that No Kid Hungry receives, we can connect a kid with up to 10 meals so it’s really impactful!

IG: @NoKidHungry

@ChefFalkner

Hear No Kid Hungry's Jennifer Dirken and Chef Elizabeth Falkner this month 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 Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know with No Kid Hungry’s Jenny Dirksen and Chef Elizabeth Falkner in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | HARLEY PASTERNAK

Read the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S with Harley Pasternak in Mag. If you’ve missed previous 9LIST STORI3S or other 9PLAYLIST - see them here.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | MIGRAINE WITH DR. ELIZABETH SENG + LALA ANTHONY

When a headache hits, it makes doing the most rudimentary of tasks so difficult! All you can think about is the pounding in your head. For those that suffer from migraines, the affects are even more apparent and can really alter their day to day lives. Whether you or someone that you know is affected by this, we sat down and talked with Dr. Elizabeth Seng to find out about what migraines are, how they are started and why they are so problematic. In addition, we sat down with STARZ's Power and FOX's BH90210's LaLa Anthony to find out how she works through migraines and how she is able to cope when they take place!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is a headache and what are the symptoms when one is coming up?

DR. ELIZABETH SENG: A headache is a neurological attack characterized by head pain. Depending on the headache type, there may be other neurological symptoms as well. Depending on headache type, the head pain can be caused by pain receptors in head and neck muscles or in the membrane around the brain and blood vessels. There are many different triggers for headaches and symptoms can vary from person to person.

AM: What is the difference between a headache and a migraine?

DR. ES: There are many different types of headache disorders. Tension-type headache, the most common type of headache, is typically a pressing pain on both sides of the head. A migraine attack typically includes a pulsing pain on one side of the head and is accompanied by a variety of additional symptoms from your average headache including pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light, sound, and/or smell. Anyone can suffer from migraine, but they are more likely to occur in women, ages 20 to 45. Three out of every four migraine sufferers are women, and roughly 39 million Americans suffer from migraine.

AM: What are the symptoms of a migraine and how do you know when one is coming on?

DR. ES: A migraine attack typically includes a pulsing pain on one side of the head and is accompanied by a variety of additional symptoms from your average headache including pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light, sound, and/or smell. For both tension-type headache and migraine, the factors that trigger attacks vary widely from person to person. Determining what triggers your migraine attacks can help you better manage them. Regular stress management and keeping a consistent sleep and eating schedule can help sufferers avoid a migraine attack. You should also keep an acute medication on you, such as Excedrin Migraine, to take at the first sign of a migraine attack could do that.

Migraine should always be diagnosed by a doctor, so if you think you are experiencing a migraine, talk to your doctor to get the proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

AM: What is it about a migraine that makes people have to miss events or even to change aspects of their lives?

DR. ES: Most of my professional research has a focus on head pain and specifically, migraines, and most people don’t realize that migraines can disrupt a person’s everyday life and pull them away from important moments. Some days my patients are completely bedridden due to a migraine and other days they’ll power through an event but won’t truly feel present even if they are physically there. That’s because while on the outside they may “look fine,” on the inside they are managing much more which pulls them away from being mentally present in the moment.

While not often discussed, unfortunately, this is very common. A recent survey from Excedrin found that nearly 9 in 10 migraine sufferers have had to miss an important event, like a wedding or graduation, due to a migraine, and 91% of people with migraines would like a second chance at all of the moments they’ve missed.

That’s why I’m excited to partner with Excedrin on Excedrin Take Two (Oct 7th - Oct 18th) to help shine a light on the physical and emotional toll that migraines can take, and to help sufferers relive the moments they’ve missed – this time without the migraine.

AM: In the category of migraines, are their varying levels?

DR. ES: Yes. The biggest category of migraine is different frequencies. About 10% of people have migraine that we consider episodic, which occurs on fewer than half of the days of the month. However, about 2% of people have chronic migraine, or migraine on which headache attacks occur on 15 or more days per month. Chronic migraine is particularly disabling. There are also different symptoms you can get with migraine: some people experience an aura prior to the head pain onset, which often manifests as visual symptoms like geometric patterns, flashing lights or possibly a shimmering effect (sort of like heat waves). If you think you have migraine, be sure to talk to a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

AM: Is there a number of migraines that one may have where a person suffering from them may feel that they need to visit their doctor to ensure that there isn’t something else that is going on?

DR. ES: We consider a person to have the disease of migraine if they have experienced five or more attacks in their lifetime. If you have experienced several headache attacks you think might be migraine, it is a good time to go to your doctor to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. There are two typed of migraine treatment: acute treatments are used at the moment of the attack to reduce the attack severity. Some people may use over the counter medication, like Excedrin Migraine, whereas others may use prescription medication acutely to treat the attack. All people with migraine, of any frequency, should have an acute migraine treatment plan. Preventive treatments are taken routinely to reduce migraine frequency, such as daily medications, injections every three months, or lifestyle changes. People with migraine who are experiencing 4 or more attacks per month should talk to their doctor about prevention options.

AM: What is it about Excedrin that helps those that suffer from migraines?

DR. ES: Excedrin Migraine is a combination of three components: acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. Excedrin Migraine is an FDA-approved over-the-counter medication for migraine.

After chatting with Dr. Seng to find out about the differences between a headache and a migraine, how they start and the need to diagnose this condition, we sat down with LaLa Anthony to give us more information on how she handles this while living a busy life as a mom, actress and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We've enjoyed watching you in Power and I loved that you were in Beverly Hills 90210 Revival and hope that you and the show will be back for another season - what's your process like when you go about selecting shows that you will be apart of?

LALA ANTHONY: I like to pick characters that I’m drawn to and feel like I can bring to life. I try to look for different roles so I’m not always playing the same type of character. 90210 was definitely something that was different for me and I had a great time doing it.

AM: Being a busy mom and always having a number of shows and appearances you're a part of have migraines affected those experiences?

LA: Migraines have definitely affected many experiences and caused me to not feel present for certain moments. I always power through for work or to shoot – you have to because when you’re on set there is a whole production crew relying on you to show up. But there have been other days I can’t function or get out of bed.

I get really upset when a migraine impacts moments with my family. There have been events at my son’s school that I couldn’t go to because of a migraine and I had to rest in bed all day. Kiayn is in middle school now and with school, basketball practice and hanging out with friends, family moments are even more important. It's frustrating that migraines can get in the way.

Luckily, I’ve learned my triggers and to treat my migraine as soon as I feel it coming with Excedrin Migraine. It’s a brand that has really helped me get my life back.

AM: Many battle issues with migraines, what are your triggers when you know that it's coming on and what are you able to do to alleviate it?

LA: I know immediately when a migraine is coming. Changes to my routine including not sleeping, eating certain foods and stress will trigger a migraine and I'll be on edge all day. It starts off feeling like a mild headache but gets rapidly worse. I try to catch it and treat it right away with Excedrin Migraine so it doesn’t disrupt the rest of my day and I can continue to be present.

AM: Do migraines create situations where you're not able to participate in something or be at a 100%?

LA: All the time. I get a migraine about once a week and unfortunately, migraines can really leave me exhausted and with no energy. Even if I’m having a great day, a migraine can come on suddenly and make it difficult to feel in the moment. I was struggling with a migraine at a family reunion once and it was so hard to feel present. It was really disappointing since family reunions only happen once every couple of years and it’s something I was really looking forward to.

AM: What is the Excedrin Take Two program?

LA: This partnership with Excedrin was so authentic for me because, like I’ve said, it’s a brand that really does help me get back to myself when a migraine is trying to sideline me. And I’m not alone at all in that – in fact, almost 9 in 10 migraine sufferers say they have had to miss an important life event due to a migraine and 91% of them would like a second chance at their missed moments. So that’s what Excedrin Take Two is all about! Excedrin is giving migraine sufferers a second chance to relive and enjoy a moment missed by a migraine. All you have to do is share your story at for a chance to win a “Take Two!”

AM: As someone who spends a lot of time traveling, what are 3 things that are in your carryon or maybe a kit that you keep on set that you have at the ready to either make you comfortable or to feel like you have a bit of home with you.

LA: I always like to pack a candle and I always keep my favorite snacks (like trail mix / Crunch bars), and Excedrin Migrane, just in case!

PHOTOS COURTESY | LaLa Collection NY

IG @LaLa

Read the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Migraine with Dr. Elizabeth Seng and LaLa Anthony in mag.

A MOMENT WITH TV LAND'S YOUNGER - SUTTON FOSTER

We’re excited to share our recent conversation with TV Land’s Younger, Sutton Foster who plays Liza. Her character plays a woman who has been out of college, volunteering in India and landing her first big job in publishing. But in reality, she is a 40 year old mother who is recently divorced who due to life’s situations had a large gap in her resume from a career in publishing and finds that she has to relive her 20’s in order to be eligible for work! In season 6 the charade continues as we watch her character balance her faux life with her real one and building as well as maintaining both aspects of her life. Sutton is a multi-talented entertainer who has been successful on TV as well as on Broadway, We took some time to find out more about how she chose her career, what inspires her about it, finding out about what’s going to happen in season 7 and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Clearly, you’re so talented from being a dancer, a TV star and being on Broadway! What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be an entertainer?

SUTTON FOSTER: Haha! I think I was probably 7 or 8 years old doing a dance recital that was basically a Christmas Pageant at a dance studio in Augusta, Georgia. It was The Augusta West Dance Academy and I got to play an elf. It was my job to open up the toy box to let the toy soldiers out. I realized that it was the first time that I made an audience laugh because I was being a ham or doing something ridiculous every time I would open up the toy box. I think that that was the moment when I was like, “ooo there’s gold in them there hills!” I knew that I liked this and I think that that was the beginning of the end.  

AM: That’s the best! What was that feeling like when you booked that first gig that you ever got?

SF: Oh my gosh. My very first professional job, I was cast as a dancer in the first national tour of The Will Rogers Follies which was back in ’92. I was 17 years old, I was still a senior in high school and I went to a call back here in NYC and I got cast! I just remembered being stunned and it was my first professional job! It was my first big break, I got my equity card and it was just this big big deal. I remember that my first thought was, “I have to tell my mom.” I was there at the audition and they were like, “yes you got it.” It’s wild and it’s still wild for me to think about it now. I’m still sort of amazed. I grew up watching and listening to cast recordings and the Tony Awards. I did shows in community theaters and high schools for fun. I never thought that people got paid to do that and then you could make a living out of it. I still feel like that 15 year old kid that’s still dreaming and that I get to do this and paid – which is really cool.

AM: Which is amazing and means that the magic is still there for you.

SF: It’s really awesome to be able to do this for a living and I feel that way every time I have a new job!

AM: A lot of our readers love you in Younger and love tweeting about it when the show is on. With you guys being in the 6th season and getting renewed for the 7th, what is it about your character that originally drew you to wanting to be apart of the show? What are you looking forward to in terms of prepping for the upcoming season as well?

SF: When I first read the script, I knew it was Darren Star and I thought, “I want to work with Darren Star.” I have reached a place in my career where I want to work with people that are inspiring. When I read the script, I was like, “oh I could play this character.” I loved the fact that she was reinventing herself at 40 years old and that there was this idea of going backwards while being able to stay where you are. A lot of people ask me, “would you go back to your 20s?” and I say no! I would never go back, I love my maturity and I love where I have evolved to but, I like the fact that this character can relive or experience a part of her life again in a fun way.

The show has evolved so much. The show was initially about Eliza’s – my character’s lie and what she had to do to be in the workplace. The show has evolved into what women have to do in order to navigate their professional jobs and relationships within workplaces and also outside of them. I’m excited to see where season 7 will go! I have no idea and I don’t know if the writers even know. I’m always asking what will happen, but they go back into the Writer’s Room in November. I’m really curious and I don’t know if there will be an additional season or anything else that is going on. I feel like all of the characters – especially last season – they all evolved. They’re so much fun to play because they all have so much history and stuff. The relationships with the characters have grown so deep and all of us have grown so much off screen as well. I don’t know how it will all end up. I don’t know if Liza will be walking off into the sunset with a man. I have a feeling that she will walk off into the sunset with herself or her girlfriends. We’ll see!

PHOTO COURTESY | LACTAID

AM: Ahhh no spoilers here! Do have 3 things you do as morning rituals or routines that you get you through your day?

SF: Morning rituals - the first thing I do every day is to make my coffee every morning. I’m a big time coffee maker and I have partnered with LACTAID which is my go to for that coffee in the morning. I grew up in the south so whole milk was what I had growing up and then I sort of veered off from it with alternative milk like almond or coconut milk. My daughter is 2 and a half and she drinks whole milk and I started getting milk envy! That’s what’s great about LACTIAD it’s 100% real milk, it just doesn’t have lactose in it so it’s been really awesome for me and especially as a performer to be able to have milk back in the house. I’ll make coffee and sometimes in the morning, I’ll make smoothies with it. Once I have my coffee, the second thing I do is I go and wake up my daughter – now that school has started, she gets up at 7am (I wake up at 6:55am). The third ritual of the morning is that we sit together and read a book – me with my coffee and her with her milk and we ALWAYS cheers!

AM: How did this partnership happen between you and LACTAID?

SF: It just felt like an organic fit. To be honest, what I love about LACTAID is that it’s about having the benefits of real milk in the house for everybody no matter what people’s tolerance is to dairy. LACTAID also partnered with Sesame Street and obviously they are a big part of my life right now as well so it all came together – Sesame Street, LACTAID and milk! It was a perfect bullseye!

AM: I’m sure that you’re constantly traveling whether you’re going to set or flying off to a premier. What are 3 things that tend to be in your carryon that gets you through your flight or makes you feel at like you’re at home?  

SF: Oh wow! I always travel with my pillow. I probably have an unhealthy relationship with my pillow – I’ve got it with me right now! When I was a kid, I used to take my pillowcases off of my pillow and carry them around like it was my blanket. I would even put them in the refrigerator to keep them cool. It’s still like a security blanket. I have the same pillowcase that I had as a kid. It’s from the 70’s it’s from Cannon and it’s called Monticello and is vintage with little pink hearts on it. I go on Etsy and Ebay like 2 times a year and look for the pillowcases and I order them! I mean the pillowcase I have now is so see through that you can barely see the roses on it. But I have a backup ready to go – so if anyone finds pink roses by Cannon from the Monticello set from the 70s – let me know! I’m addicted to it and they’re so soft. I always fly with earplugs because I’m not a great airplane traveler. But when I have them in, I don’;t hear the sounds and stuff so that helps me out. I always travel with this little thing that I actually crocheted – this little bag which is always in my bag (literally pulling it out now). It has my sleep bag, Zicam, Benadryl, PURELL, a charger, hair ties, a pen and 2 items that I have always carried with me when I traveled. They are my travel beads which someone made for me as a necklace over 20 years ago as they know I don’t like to fly and a pair of my favorite socks! I mean is this some serious details or what?

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

9LIST STORI3S | NGHTMRE

Read the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | NGHTMRE in mag.

LEAVING HER MARK WITH BOBBI BROWN

In the beauty industry, Bobbi Brown reigns as a woman that took her passion as a makeup artist to building a celebrity brand of cosmetics that would eventually be acquired by Estée Lauder. At the time, her appearances on TV shows illustrating her work as well as being a fixture in the backstages of NYFW paved the way for Celebrity Makeup Artists and other talents in the beauty industry. We took a moment with Bobbi to talk about her career, the moves she made in the industry and how she continues to be a trailblazer.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you realized that you wanted to work in the beauty industry?

BOBBI BROWN: I had just left my second college, and was feeling very confused because I didn’t really like school and I wasn’t happy where I had been. I was speaking with my mother and she said to me, “If it was your birthday and you could do anything in the world, what would you do?” and I told her “I’d go to Marshall Field’s and I’d play with makeup.” So my mom said to me “Then go to school to be a makeup artist.” I found Emerson College and they allowed me to create my own major, which was theatrical makeup, and I fell in love.

AM: You started as a makeup artist, what projects did you work on during that time prior to creating Bobbi Brown Cosmetics?

BB: After graduating college, I moved to NYC and went through the yellow pages calling every photographer, makeup artist, and hair stylist I could find, offering my assistance for free. I would travel wherever I was needed offering my services and learning as much as I could. Some of my favorite projects that I did during that time were my first Vogue cover shoot with Naomi Campbell (it was Naomi’s first Vogue cover as well,) working with designers like Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger, and doing makeup for Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones.

AM: What inspired you to create Bobbi Brown Cosmetics?

BB: After being on all of these sets, I found I could not do the makeup that was in style correctly. I didn’t want to cover and hide women’s features and there was no skin tone correct makeup available at the time. I would mix together what colors I could to try to create a formula that accentuated rather than disguised how the women looked. It was at that time that I met a chemist in an elevator and was telling her what I wanted to do, and she said, “I’ll make the colors for you.” That relationship started the creation of my original 10 lipstick shades.

AM: You were known for a natural aesthetic with an array of amazing pink shades of lipsticks, why was that look important to you and the brand?

BB: They weren’t pink shades as much as they were pink, brown, orange, red – those colors that naturally exist within a woman’s lip. All of them natural looking because I believe that makeup should make a woman look and feel her best. That was my intention when I created Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and still is today.

AM: How did you incorporate being a Beauty Expert on the Today Show as another portion of your brand as a MUA and a founder of a cosmetic line?

BB: At a public appearance I was at, I took a question from a woman in the audience. She later told me that she was the grandmother of Jeff Zucker, the Executive Producer of The Today Show at the time. It had been my dream to be on The Today Show, and when she introduced me to Jeff, he and I created monthly segments that allowed me to teach women the correct products to use and the right way to apply them, allowing each woman to essentially become her own makeup artist. It was an amazing time in my life and I truly believe it catapulted the business of the brand to where it is now.

AM: Estée Lauder acquired Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and you stayed on with the brand, what was the transition like for you and as many of our readers own their own brands, can you share the process you went through in terms of coming to the decision that this was right for your brand and yourself?

BB: In 1995, I met with Leonard Lauder and he quickly became one of the greatest mentors in my life. He promised me that the integrity of the brand and its purpose would never be lost with me at the helm. I remained in complete creative control, while being lucky enough to benefit from the resources that the Estée Lauder companies provided. I stayed on as Chief Creative Officer until 2016, where I made the tough decision to leave the company to start another.

AM: Being a multifaceted person, we have enjoyed seeing you wear a number of hats such as being the Editor in Chief of Yahoo Beauty from 2014-2016, how have you been able to maintain your hat in various spaces while continuing to expand your platform in the beauty industry?

BB: I have an insatiable curiosity and love to learn and discover new things. Ultimately, I am a creative at heart and love to develop content across a multitude of platforms in order to share what I know. I make it a priority to hire really great people who can help me translate my vision across these platforms to the best of my ability.

AM: We loved when you partnered with Safilo to release a line of eyewear, what initiated this venture and do you foresee doing something like this again?

BB: I am a glasses person. I wear prescription glasses and sunglasses on a daily basis. I find that eyewear is an extension of makeup to a degree, in that the style and color you choose says a lot about yourself and what look you are trying to convey. It was a natural fit for me. I’d love to explore doing this again in the future.

AM: You have written 9 books on makeup and beauty, what was it like writing your first book and what is the process like in general from concept to release?

BB: My first book was very cathartic for me. It was taking all of the knowledge that I had learned and perfected over the years, and articulating that as best I could for everyone to read. Even though I have written 9 books, I still don’t know how to type. My process varies but consists of lots of handwritten notes in the back of cars, and swatches of color done on paper. I work very closely with my writers and my publisher from start to finish. I have been very fortunate to work with the best of the best in that regard.

AM: Will there be another book that we can expect to see from you?

BB: Never say never. I don’t know if it will be a traditional book or one that has a digital component to it. We’ll see what’s in store.

AM: We’re fans of JustBobbi.com as well as EVOLUTION_18 as we love your approach to beauty from the inside out. Why did you launch the site as well as the beauty brand and what can we expect to see from them as we continue throughout the remainder of the year?

BB: My lifelong philosophy has always been that beauty, and confidence, starts with what you put inside your body. The launch of my lifestyle inspired wellness line, EVOLUTION_18, is a natural extension of beauty from inside out. After spending 25+ years talking to women about their health and wellness challenges, I became a certified health coach and learned what it is women need to know in order to look and feel our best. EVOLUTION_18 is a collection of highly effective simple formulas that target a wide range of beauty concerns. They are made with clean, high quality ingredients that give you everything you need for a beauty boost from within. Justbobbi.com is a modern lifestyle platform for all things wellness, beauty, and everything in between. It’s a platform that aims to educate and inspire how you live your life through never-ending exploration and storytelling.

AM: With so many successes in the beauty world, you launched another amazing venture in a new vertical – hospitality. Tell us about The George and why did you want to do this?

BB: The day I left Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, my husband called me and asked if I wanted to be a part of a new project – The George Hotel. It is a historic property that he completely restored into a 32-room boutique hotel. I became the Creative Director of the hotel, and it was my mission to create a design-minded boutique hotel in the heart of Montclair where we live, that offered guests a unique and one of a kind experience.

AM: In addition to Athleisure Mag, we have a podcast network – Athleisure Studio which has 4 shows and we know that you have a podcast show, Long Story Short with Bobbi Brown – what can we expect on this show and who have been 3 of your favorite guests on this show?

BB: Long Story Short allows me to talk to some of the most accomplished people in the world who are true masters of their craft. The podcast offers a glimpse into their journeys, discussing both their highs and lows in order to get the essential takeaways of a life well lived. Everyone has a story and I love finding out what that story is. Three of my favorites are Mickey Drexler, my mentor, Elvis Duran, one of my best friends, and Jen Atkin.

AM: What philanthropic efforts are you involved in that you would like for us to know about?

BB: I am on the board of Reaching Out Montclair, in my hometown, which provides essential needs for underserved children and their families in our community.

AM: What are 3 beauty musts that you think that we should have with us when we travel?

BB: First, a good moisturizer – preferably one that contains an SPF. Protecting your skin from the sun is of the utmost importance. And when you’re traveling, especially on a plane, your skin can dry out easily, so make sure to keep skin moisturized in order to keep it looking hydrated and plump. Second, a probiotic beauty starts in your gut. Taking a probiotic daily will help with your digestion which in turn helps keep your microbiome balanced and your skin clear. Third, a cream blush – I like to travel with multipurpose products. A cream blush is perfect to give you a nice healthy glow and can be used on your lips as well.

AM: When it comes to your legacy, what do you want people to take away in terms of your impact on the beauty industry and just embracing life’s opportunities?

BB: Be a sponge, be kind, and work hard.

IG @JustBobbi

Read the August issue of Athleisure Mag and see Leaving Her Mark with Bobbi Brown in mag.

IT'S ELECTRIC

We headed to Randall's Island here in NYC to attend Electric Zoo Evolved which had 40+ hours of EDM DJs, 4 stages, an array of food and beverage options and more. Our Labor Day Weekend was jam packed with a number of sets from some of our faves that included Kaskade, Oliver Heldens, Diplo, Good Times Ahead and more. We also checked out acts that we were less familiar with. In the midst of getting in on the good vibes, we sat down with 5 acclaimed EDM DJs to catch up with them on what they're working on, hearing about their sound and more.

We caught up with DJ/Producer SayMyName who is also this month's cover. Known as the Godfather of Hard Trap, when it comes to style - he definitely has it. We found out about his style of music, his latest collaboration with Riot Ten and what he does when he's outside of the stage and studio.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So you are known as the Godfather of Hard Trap. What is that and what is it about this genre of music that you love so much?

SAYMYNAME: Ok so Hard Trap is a genre that I started in 2012. It’s basically a fusion between Hard Style and Trap or like Hip Hop and it’s the best of both worlds. My favorite part about Hard Trap is basically the energy and uniqueness of the sound that it brings to every set no matter whether it’s a festival or a club – it stands up.

AM: Does it change for you whether you’re in a massive venue like here at Electric Zoo or if you’re in an intimate club? How does that work for you in terms of vibe?

SMN: The vibe or the energy is always there. Whether it’s a 100 or 10,000 – like there’s always this raw energy that matches the music. I don’t like to go to a smaller room and change the setup because I still want to see that same energy.

AM: So you just collaborated with Riot Ten with Glocks which is pretty exciting. How did that come about and how excited are you to finally release this?

SMN: Oh I’m excited it’s finally out. Riot Ten and I, we go back and this is something that we have talked about for a minute. He’s done the harder music like more of the Dubstep stuff and just basically using the Dubstep and the Hard Trap and just giving something that our fan base wanted. I’m excited that we got to do it.

AM: We love the new magenta color. How do you love the fact that you can express yourself with your hair color?

SMN: I love that it’s like varied on the season or my mood. So I have done blue, red, orange and now I’m on magenta. I feel like when I go in I just say, “ok I’m going to do yellow.” I think that the louder and the brighter the color, it’s just a bigger representation of the style and that energy. When you see that color and you’re on stage – it’s just in your face!

AM: What other collaborations do you have going on that we should keep an eye out for?

SMN: Right now, I just finished a collaboration with Afrojack. So we’re working on a release for that so keep an eye out for that. R3HAB and I, Timmy Trumpet – there has been a lot of music that I have been working on during the summer so I’m just taking some time off.

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

AM: You’re a busy guy and you have been at a lot of festivals this season. How do you keep yourself relaxed and focused on what’s happening?

SMN: For me, it’s all about balance. When I’m not on the road, I’m in the gym when I’m not in the studio. I feel that the gym it’s not like I’m coming down because I’m working out, but it’s about really staying healthy physically and mentally. It keeps the creative flow going and the energy. Festival season – the festivals that I have played this year, it’s been insane.

AM: We’re excited to see you perform tomorrow!

SMN: I’m so excited! It’s my first Electric Zoo and this has been a bucket list festival. I think I caught a Hardwell festival clip in 2012 or 2013 and I was like, “what is this Electric Zoo – it’s crazy!”

AM: As someone who travels so much, what are 3 items that are in your carry on to feel like you’re at home and centered?

SMN: I feel like with my carry on, that’s a good question. This is going to sound super cliché, but my laptop. I can take my music with me on it when I want to work from the road. I have books on my phone. I think that the books and the music that I have on my phone keeps the connection between everything. Then just essential hygiene products – my skincare routine is a big one.

AM: You need to be fresh!

SMN: I’m trying, I’m trying – I have to stay on top of that.

IG @SayMyNameMusic

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

We sat down with 2019 Grammy Nominated DJ/Producer EDX moments before he hit the stage. He had just arrived after performing in Montreal to kick off Labor Day Weekend and was in NYC just long enough to play a set at Electric Zoo. We talked about being #1 on Spotify's Dance Rising Charts, musicality and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You’ve been known as a genius for all the amazing music production you've done. What is the symbiosis between musicality and production to you in terms of making the great sound that you do?

EDX: Well you know, I think that there first, there is always a good song, a nice chord progression and if it’s a vocal song, there is a meaningful vocal. Then you add to it your signature sound and like the high end production. I think that you can have the best production possible if the musicality is there. It’s very hard to touch people when that’s not there. I’m always focusing on touching people with my music and when I have been doing this for so many years, the quality today shouldn’t even be an issue anymore.

AM: So STAY is on the Dance Rising Charts on Spotify. How excited are you about that?

EDX: It’s awesome because it has actually been the #1 track on Dance Rising. That’s something that is so special each time. It’s like making you a Sir for music – every once in awhile when this happens! For me, I’m just a kid living in Switzerland in a neighborhood next to Zurich and just exposed to music and trying to reach the world. This achievement is like a big achievement in my point of view because you actually reach so many people all over the world with this and it’s a good opportunity to be on that Dance Rising once in awhile.

AM: What are your 3 favorite remixes that you have done?

EDX: Haha it’s a hard question! I think that I have done more than 50 or 100 remixes. I don’t know and I’m still counting. It’s hard to pick just 3. I like the remix to the Janelle Monae (‘Make Me Feel’) record because it was just a cool song and I liked the whole vibe from it in the original. All the others are like in themselves, are something special because they all have this collaboration with some other songwriter, singer, artist and being able to get influenced by the original version and to add your own vibe to it to make it your own. It’s something that’s a blessing if you get this opportunity and it’s hard to just pick my favorite ones. But the Janelle Monae remix from last year has really given me the challenge that I wanted once in awhile.

I just started a remix for the new single of Loud Luxury. Which was just sent recently to Sirius XM before the release for their playlist at BPM so it is coming out in 2 weeks. It ended up being an effective remix and I was very excited to tease it and play it out like right now.

AM: We love your remix with Kaskade for ‘Angel on My Shoulder’.

EDX: Oh yes, that was a good one.

AM: Labor Day Weekend has been very busy for you. You were in Montreal on Fri, you are here today in NYC at Electric Zoo and tomorrow you will be in Dallas, how do you keep all that energy going and feeding all of these people your music?

EDX: Well, it’s like a very rewarding industry that we are in. Being able to play out your own music in front of so many people that give you such great feedback each time. It’s actually cool. I’m actually flying out tonight to Dallas because I’m playing tonight and tomorrow I will be out back to Europe!

IG @EDXmusic

PHOTO COURTESY | aLIVE Coverage for ElectricZoo.com

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

Talking with the NJ based trio, Cash Cash, we defintiely got their vibe of just giving a great show that is filled with an array of genres that are just about having a good time. We sat down with them right before their show to find out about what they've been working on, how they work with one another and some of the tools of their trade.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So how do you define the Cash Cash sound?

CASH CASH: We’re a mix of a lot of different things. We’re kind of like a buffet. You get everything with us. You get chicken, beef, vegetables, carbs, salad, dessert – we do it all. We work with Hip Hop artists, we work with pop artists, rock artists, alternative artists. We love it all and we’re always mixing electronic music with different feels and styles of music. Even with just instruments or singers.

AM: How does that work to have 3 of you working together in terms of being on stage or in the studio? How do you deal with those dynamics?

CC: We run a majority rules kind of thing. So if 2 people agree on something, then that’s how it goes. If one person cries enough and pleads their case …

AM: Oh nice so the minority vote can come forward and win!

CC: Yeah if they can convince us yeah – haha the minority vote could win that’s funny!

AM: So the song with P!nk, ‘Can We Pretend’ – it’s amazing! How did it come about and how excited were you for that?

CC: Really excited. We did a remix for her in the last month of 2017 and the remix did really well. She was happy with it, the team was happy with it and we have been trying to send her songs for a long time and finally she sent us the acapella and we were like, “this is great, we can do something with this.” So we built a song around that and it came together that way. It was great to finally make that happen because artists are so busy these days. She’s out doing world tours and we’re in the club every night. It was great to finally make it happen.

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

AM: With you guys having so much club time, how do you take time for yourself?

CC: It’s minimal I guess! We’re used to it though. We’ve been doing this for awhile so we’re used to the up and go lifestyle. We’ve been going and you get time off when you get to come home and we love traveling to see the world. It’s always cool to go to new places and then to be able to go back and return.

AM: When you guys are recording, what are your 3 favorite pieces of equipment that you love to use?

CC: Probably the computers – it’s like a love hate thing. Because you think it sucks sometimes, but you couldn’t make music without it. You could have a tape machine, but the computer is better. I feel that it switches – you’ll love a certain synth or something and then you’ll get sick of it, move on and then you’ll look at the wall and there’s your acoustic guitar and you’re like – this is the best!

IG @CashCash

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

Around Athleisure Mag's office, we've been playing DRIP by Boombox Cartel, Dillon Francis featuring Desiigner on loop since it dropped a few days ago. During Electric Zoo, we took some time to hang out with the man himself to find out how he experiments with his sound to make distinctive music while continuing to express himself with his collabs as well as his clothing brand.

ATHLEISURE MAG: How do you define the Boombox Cartel sound?

BOOMBOX CARTEL: I define it as breaking the rules and doing everything wrong. Stuff that’s not supposed to be done and trying to make it work. I try to come up with original ideas and there is a lot of research and development.

AM: What's that like?

BC: Putting a lot of time in the studio and making a lot of weird demos. It’s like evil scientist vibes, but I think that that’s what it is. Then just staying true to the underground and staying true to where we all came from.

AM: How do you get inspired and where does that come from?

BC: Well just influences from when I was a kid. Indie bands, synth rock bands to like Hip Hop to Trap, to Houston stuff to just a big mix. I lived in Monterrey, Mexico for half of my life. I was born in Laredo, Texas in South Texas and I went to music school in Minneapolis. So it’s just kind of like gathering cultures and gathering styles and sounds and just putting it all together.

AM: We’re loving DRIP with you, Dillon Francis and featuring Desiigner from an Athleisure Mag perspective, amazing song to workout to! How did that come about?

BC: Thank you so much and that’s what we wanted! Dillon is one of the most happiest human beings that I know. He’s always really enthusiastic and we tried to make something that meets in the middle. Something euphoric, something happy, something bright, something really colorful and that’s what came to be. And also, with Desiigner, he’s one of the most down to Earth rappers. I work with so many rappers and I think that Desiigner is the only rapper that I can say he is like a genuinely good person that is down to work and to do it for the people. He was there and we were in the studio until 7am like coming up with ideas – smoking weed and my whole house smelled like weed for the next week.

AM: But it was worth it!

BC: But it was worth it! We made a really positive and happy song and we’re all happy to put it out.

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

AM: It’s a hot song. We can’t say how many times we’ve had it on loop.

BC: Thank you so much!

AM: So your FC custom jerseys – those are really cool! Where did that come from?

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

BC: That came from living in Monterrey, Mexico and just going to soccer games every week. I see a lot of baseball jerseys in the EDM community and there’s isn’t enough love for the soccer community. Soccer is just as big or I think bigger! So just playing soccer, every show I go to I ask for a soccer ball and collect a university ball or something like that. I’m a huge fan. So working on those from scratch with a friend in Downtown LA – right now we’re working on a brand partnership with a big company. We did it all from scratch. One of my good friends Colby, helped us out. He has a beautiful warehouse – cut and sew, he created the patches from scratch and they will be back in stock this next week!

AM: Exciting – eventually you can have a whole line!

BC: We have some shorts coming up, socks, the whole kit for the kids.

AM: What are 3 things that you do being so busy and spreading yourself in so many places – to just get back to you?

BC: Yeah, I grew up in Texas with my dad grilling twice a week. So me and my homies barbecue twice a week – or at least once a week. I have a Harley Davidson back at home and I take it out on the 1 highway to go get some fried shrimp and then I come back home and just head to the studio.

IG @BoomBoxCartel

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

One of our favorite remixes is 'Red Lips' by Good Times Ahead as it's been earcandy on our playlist for nearly a decade. So sitting down with this duo talking about a number of exciting changes taking place in the group was a lot of fun. In addition to hearing about their new label, their rebrand and what they've been up to this year, we also found out about where we should be eating the next time we're in Miami.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You guys have had a lot of going on lately – you have the rebrand of your name and your own label. Can you tell us about this?

GOOD TIMES AHEAD: The label is called Good Times/Bad Times and I think that one of our favorite things about having our own label is being able to put out our own music whenever we want. It’s kind of like the main reason. At the same time, it’s also a good platform for us to showcase the Latin influence we have in our music and a lot of the people that we play in our sets and just showcasing that to everyone. Kind of bringing a new thing to the game.

AM: When it came to introducing us to some of his favorite music, our Co-Founder Paul, introduced us to your music. We covered the Fold Festival and we saw you there as well. What is it about your free of genre music and just really bringing together good music?

GTA: For us, it’s mostly just about the energy that music has and the type of energy that makes you feel the way that you do. That’s why whenever we play music, any music that we play either hand selecting it or making it – it, has a certain kind of energy to it. It’s kind of what lets people just have fun as it’s such a fun sound to it. That’s pretty much what attracts us to music in general. It’s about having a good energy about it.

AM: Once again you guys have been super busy with so many festivals. How many have you done just this summer alone?

GTA: This summer probably like 4, but that’s light for us. We still played a lot of festivals and shows, but this year, we took it a little easier because we were focusing on finishing up so much music. 2 or 3 weeks ago we put out our album. We had the record label launch and the whole rebranding of everything. We have been working a lot behind the scenes and just taking this year kind of slow to just work on that. We’ve been doing this now for 8 or 9 years so it’s kind of nice to have a little easy period.

AM: You guys also have a clothing line as well – tell us about that.

GTA: Oh yeah, so it’s kind of something that we dabbled in a little bit. I’m personally a fan of fashion and that kind of thing and street brands. Shout out to Jay of Triple 7 – he hooked us up with so much knowledge on just how to make your own label and your own kind of style. We just kind of wanted to bring that to the festivals that we went to and the parties that we go to and it’s been cool. It’s kind of the same thing that we do with our music. We kind of let the clothes speak for themselves – they’re just really cool and really good quality. They’re good to wear and you can wear them at a festival or just to go out in. It’s kind of in line with our same kind of style as well.

AM: What are you working on right now in terms of collabs?

GTA: We’re definitely doing a lot of stuff as far as on our own with our own label and stuff. We have a lot of collabs. We’ve been playing this one thing we did with this group called Fight Club which they’re actually from here. We have a couple of other ones too. A lot of club music a lot of Latin music. We have been working with a lot of Latin artists. We've had some writing camps last year and this year in Mexico and playing in Brazil and stuff. We’re working with a lot of up and coming people and it’s really exciting especially now that we’re about to launch the label. All of that was for the label and now it’s about being able to put it out and being able to show everyone.

AM: What are 3 restaurants that you guys love eating at in Miami?

GTA: In Miami? Crab Man 305 that’s our number 1! Shout out to Crab Man 305. We’ll also say that there are many many Cuban restaurants, but Sergio’s is a very good restaurant - it’s classic Miami. And then I’d say that obviously Joe’s Stone Crab is a good one – it’s a fancy one but one to go to!

IG @GoodTimesAhead

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

This past Electric Zoo not only included DJ/producer NGHTMRE performing, but he had a stage for the artists on his label Gud Vibrations which he cofounded with SLANDER. We talked with him about his sound, the responsibilities of running his labels, his current tour and of course being at this year's EZoo.

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

ATHLEISURE MAG: How do you define the NGHTMRE sound?

NGHTMRE: I like to just call it bass music. I try to incorporate and tempos and various styles of electronic music in my records and live shows. It’s a mixture of melodic and heavy. I focus on keeping everything high-energy!

AM: In addition to working on your music, you’re also the Co-Founder of your own label along with SLANDER. How is it juggling those responsibilities and needs?

N: It’s great actually. We have a great team helping us and it really allows us to focus on the music rather than having to worry about small details and infrastructure building. It’s only just getting started in our eyes.

AM: You’re back at EZoo and not only are you performing but you have an entire stage with Gud Vibrations artists – how did this come about and how exciting is it to have this going on this going on this year?

N: I think the Gud Vibrations label and brand in general works so well because it came about organically. Me and the Slander boys are great friends and our tastes align so well that we eventually started our own events and parties. We’re extremely grateful for Electric Zoo for inviting us to bring the Gud Vibrations energy to New York.

AM: Gud Vibrations also has its own clothing line – the Bomber Jackets are definitely something cool that we would include in a future shoot – how do you go about deciding what goes into the line and how it feeds the ethos of your label?

N: Gud Vibrations in general is an outlet for us to put out what we think is cool into the world. We don’t have any specific method to deciding what goes out, but if there’s something we particularly love or feel is cool we take our time developing it to make sure it’s exactly how we like it, then share it!

AM: Tell us about The Alchemy Tour.

N: For this tour I’m doing a b2b set with Slander for each show and this is the first time we’ve been able to bring our stage “The Atom” on the road with us! To top it off we’ve been looking up to Seven Lions and The Glitch Mob for years so to be performing alongside them is amazing!

AM: Tell us about collabs and projects that you have dropping within your music as well as things that we should know about regarding the label.

N: Earlier this year I released a record with ASAP Ferg called Redlight! He’s another person I’ve looked up to for a long time so being able to work together and create a full music video together was a special experience. I have a new track with “Zhu” called Man’s First Inhibition that just dropped and is a bit different from my other stuff. I am always collaborating on new music!

PHOTO COURTESY | aLIVE Coverage for ElectricZoo.com

AM: You’re constantly on the road going from one gig to the next. Do you have 3 things that you do prior to a gig to get in the right mindset to perform in front of your fans?

N: Nothing usually actually. I spend time in Rekordbox on my computer before each show. Its a software that allows me to plan out and organize my music a bit better so when I’m in stage it’s easier to switch things up.

AM: In addition to traveling, I’m sure you workout, what are 3 workouts that you feel are the core of your fitness routine?

N: I actually only just started doing this recently but I got a personal trailer to help me while I was home for a bit and this is my “on the road” routine.

STRETCHES | Samson Lunge, Worlds Greatest Stretch, Downdog, Frog Stretch and Pigeon | CORE WORK @ 3 Rounds | (Rotation) Russian Twist x30, (Flexion) Leg Raise x30, (Static hold) Plank 30 sec | @ 4 Rounds | Squats x40, SIT UPS x30, Push Up x20 |

IG @NGHTMRE

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

PHOTO | Paul Farkas

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 26, 52 + 54 aLIVE Coverage for ElectricZoo.com | This editorial contains elements of images, courtesy Dreamstime.com: PG 16 Richochet69, PG 19 Rolffimages, PG 29 Nadezda Mikusova, PG 30 Philip Openshaw, PG 34 Golfxx, PG 36 Steve Ford, PG 41 Alisbab, PG 42 Tatiana Kuklina, PG 46 Alphonse99 + Back Cover Santi Ri |

Read the August Issue of Athleisure Mag and see It’s Electric in mag.

CATCHING UP WITH VANESSA WILLIAMS FOR STORY TIME

Last month, we had the chance to catch up with Vanessa Williams who partnered with Kellogg’s and Penguin Random House for Kellogg’s Feeding Reading Program, encouraging childhood reading at Kellogg’s NYC. Vanessa read to the kids through her support with Kellogg’s Feeding Reading program with Penguin Random House. She read one of our favorite books growing up, The Pokey Little Puppy. We took a moment to ask her a few questions as we are inspired by the first African American Miss America, recording artist, Broadway star and actress.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be this triple threat from being the First African American to be Miss America, being a recording artist as well as an actress – was it always a plan to showcase your talents across various verticals?

VANESSA WILLIAMS: Growing up music was a requirement in my household. The arts were revered and my parents who were music educators never told me to get a “real job”. They supported my love for the arts and to major in musical theater that combined my talents.   A Broadway career was the goal. All the rest of my career has been a huge blessing that I never dreamed of. 

AM: Looking back on the legacy that you have created, what is the takeaway that want others to have in looking at what you have accomplished throughout your career?

VW: My career has been an example of being brave to take unexpected opportunities when they arise and then being prepared to do your best when given those opportunities. You can plan all you want but life always gives you challenges that you that force you to grow and change your path 

AM: The Pokey Little Puppy is a book that we enjoyed growing up – how did this partnership with you and Kellogg’s as well as Penguin Random House come about and why did you want to participate in this?

VW: As an author, mother of 4 and the daughter of two teachers, I know the importance of reading in order to  fuel kids. It helps you think and learn and grow your imagination. I read to my kids as they were growing up and The Pokey Little Puppy was one of our favorites. I also showed the kids the picture of my new Great Dane puppy Roscoe Rider that I just got this week. Plus, I’m also working on a children’s book so when Kellogg’s reached out it was a no-brainer.

AM: Can you tell us about Feeding Reading Program and why this is so important to you? 

VW: The Kellogg’s Reading Feeding program gets   books into kids hands to fuel their minds and bodies, which is so important to me. Last year alone, more than 400,000 books were distributed to kids and families across the country.

It’s easy for parents to participate, too. Buy a specially marked Kellogg’s product to earn a credit for one of 125 Penguin Random House books across multiple reading levels. Books also can be donated to a school or library. Visit www.FeedingReading.com to  learn more about the program.

AM: What was it like to be with your mom and reading to the children yesterday and what do you hope that the children got from being able to participate?

VW: I came alone to read to the enthusiastic kids entering 2nd grade next fall. I asked lots of questions of course about puppies , pets and the many creatures that are featured in the book. The highlight was hearing  the children ooh and aah about my new puppy 

AM: What projects are you working on that we can share with our readers to keep an eye out for?

VW: I have a new children’s book coming out soon by Sterling Publishing called “Bubble Kisses”, just launched a fashion line on HSN, recording a new album for BMG records and have a few scripts in the works for future projects that I’m producing 

AM: You always look phenomenal, what are 3 beauty/skincare products that you swear by that you can share with us?

VW: Ziip microcurrent portable device helps keeps my skin toned. I use it before any appearances on camera.  Eye lash extensions are my new favorite go to for instant killer eyes and the HydraFacial does wonders for pore cleansing and rejuvenation.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE 9 LIST WITH TRINITY FATU

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag and The 9 List with Trinity Fatu in mag.

PROPEL CO:LABS 2019

Astute readers know that this time last year, Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival had one of its stops here in NYC along with LA and Chicago. We had a great time working out beside Gunnar Peterson, Harley Pasternak, Akin's Army and more. We talked with them about a number of fitness tips, focuses and more. This month, the event took place in LA with the same energy with a number of new and old friends. We're sharing a few conversations with Gunnar Peterson, Harley Pasternak, Casey Ho, Simone de la Rue and Angela Manuel-Davis.

We kicked off with Gunnar Peterson.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What tips do you have for those just beginning their fitness journey?

GUNNAR PETERSON: Enjoy the process. Obviously short- and long-term goals are great, but if you can find a way to enjoy what you’re doing in the moment, you’re going to be so much better off throughout the whole thing – not to mention, your goals will be there sooner than you know.

AM: What advice would you have for those struggling to find motivation?

GP: The motivation comes from inside. I’m not a big believer that the trainer motivates – I don’t know what I can say to you if you’ve decided you’re not doing something. And I also don’t think that’s incumbent upon the trainer. People decide for themselves. They have their own reasons and get after it because they’ve decided to make that change. It can be family, job, tired of feeling low energy – whatever it is, just draw on that from the inside and don’t deny it.

AM: What is the Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival all about?

GP: To me, the Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival is all about bringing a relatively disjointed fitness community together and on even ground. Even when you’re here, you’ll notice people who are yoga people, weight people, and people who are way more cardio-intensive – and there’s such a great comradery and feeling here. This is what fitness should be. Propel makes this what fitness should be about – community. Here, people are sharing information and also being receptive to other fitness professionals, which is why it’s such a great event.

AM: Tell us about the class you’ll be leading with Luke Milton?

GP: I can’t tell you – it’s totally top secret. Actually, Luke and I have a similar philosophy in terms of peripheral action and planes of motion. The environment created in the workout is all because of how the movements are sequenced. So, when we developed this, it was so fun and totally logical. For us, the goal is up-down-up-down, switching it up the whole time, upper-body, lower-body, core. And moving people in that way, very specifically and thought out, helps them get the most out of the workout.

AM: Why are electrolytes important?

GP: We lose electrolytes when we sweat, and with Propel, you replenish them. You can workout harder and longer. Propel is helping everyone here do more – their bodies are ready to go sooner and to keep pushing – and that’s really what it’s all about.

One of the exciting things about attending a festival of this nature is that you're able to try out a number of methods that allow you to enhance what you already do. You also have the opportunity to hear about the methods and the reason why these celebrity fitness trainers do them. Last year, we enjoyed connecting with Harley Pasternak and once again, he didn't disappoint.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about the class you’ll be leading at the Propel Co:Labs fitness festival.

HARLEY PASTERNAK: We are doing a really exciting class today that will require no equipment whatsoever – just absolutely tons of energy and a high pain threshold. We will be focusing on the lower body, and the class is called ‘Butt my legs hurt’ – get it? All kinds of iso-lateral (one side at a time) lower body movements. Variations of lunges from regular lunges, skater lunges, reverse lunges, lateral lunges and jump lunges. Then during the rest in between, we’ll be doing hip thrusts and pike planks. So a little bit abs, a little bit of glutes as your rest period, which is kind of insane. Let’s just say, I will be everyone’s pain in the butt today.

AM: Are lunges enough for a lower body workout?

HP: If you were to have one lower body workout, lunges would be one of my favorites. But, it does not train your upper body. It will elevate your heart rate, so I like variations, and with the addition of the hip thrust we’re getting the posterior chain.

AM: What would you add to balance out the upper body?

HP: I really focus on the posterior chain, so a back row of some kind with a TRX or dumbbell – something for your rhomboids. I’d put in a triceps movement, maybe a laying dumbbell triceps extension with a hip thrust together – I call those a Harley. It’s butt and back with your arms at the same time. Those moves, combined with the lunge variations, as well as a stiff leg deadlift for your hamstrings and lower back.

AM: With your busy schedule, how do you manage to fit workouts into your schedule?

GP: It's the other way around. I build my schedule around my workouts - they're a priority to me. It’s that old analogy of – if you fill a fish tank full of rocks, and it looks full, there’s still room for small rocks, gravel, sand, and water. But if you do it in any other order, it won't work. So you have to decide in your life, what are those big rocks? What are the small rocks, the gravel, the sand, and what’s the water? And for me, staying in shape and exercising is definitely one of the larger of this, and not something to try and jam in at the end of the day.

AM: What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?

HP: Make the process the goal. It’s not about the number on the scale or having a certain aesthetic. You have indirect control over those, but not direct. So focus on the things you have control over. How many steps did you take today? Did you workout today? How did you eat today? Those things you can control. So focusing on the process, not the end goal.

Also, understand that we only have one set of joints. As I get older, focus on what do you need to do, not what you can do. What’s the least you need to do to get the most results.

AM: What’s your favorite workout song at the moment?

HP: There’s something about the cadence of ‘Love Lock Down’ from Kanye’s 808 Heartbeats. Cause that’s how I teach people to do resistance training – that cadence is timeless.

AM: Why is being strong important beyond appearance?

HP: There’s a confidence that spills into every other aspect of your life when you feel strong. That confidence just oozes everywhere. You’re staying functional in everyday tasks and less likely to get hurt.

AM: Tell us what its like training your celebrity clientele?

HP: I’m very lucky, cause having clients who make a living off how they look instills a motivation that is unrivaled by any other population. They’re as motivated as can be. They’re a minute early and putting in everything they can, cause they know their identity and their profession is very much tied to looking great.

AM: What is the biggest health and or wellness myth you’d like to bust?

HP: Celery juice! Go away! It’s not harmful and it won’t hurt you, but it’s totally pointless and does nothing positive for you. Juicing in itself is pretty pointless, but juicing one of the least nutritionally dense vegetables that exists in nature today, and throwing out the fiber to drink it with water and the dye that comes in the vegetable, and people thinking it’s going to fix their autoimmune diseases and cancer and weight management – it’s just really pointless.

As is the case of our previous celebrity fitness trainers, Simone de la Rue is someone that we have enjoyed doing her method. She has also been in Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian on E! As a new mom, we looked forward to finding out how she prioritizes what's important as well as her fitness.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What are you doing here at Propel Co:Labs today?

SIMONE DE LA RUE: I am here to share my love of fitness and encourage people to hydrate with Propel! Hydration and your water intake is a huge assistance in weight loss, so drink, drink, drink!

I am here at Propel Co:Labs to share my brand which is Body By Simone, which is all about dance-based fitness. I taught class this morning in the festival hanger with my team to an amazing crowd of people that came out to sweat. [Propel Co: Labs] is really building a community in an inclusive ego free environment where we all come together to sweat.

AM: As a new mom how do you find time to keep fitness a priority in your life?

SDLR: It’s all about juggling. The most important thing is that you have to have a schedule, which is difficult with a child. Meal prep is a massive thing. If you prepare all your food and then put it in the freezer, that’s setting you up for the week where you’ll make great decisions and won’t order takeout. Secondly, as a new mum, finding time exercise. You don’t have to do an hour straight—you can choose to do 10 minutes in the morning or half an hour in the morning and possible another 30 minutes at night, but it's just finding that time for you that is so important.

AM: What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?

SDLR: Set realistic goals. When you say to yourself I’m going to work out for two hours today and completely change your diet you set yourself up for failure because that's unrealistic. Set achievable goals and on day one just try and stay in the room, or gym, or class. And then the next day improve on that—add another 10 or 20 minutes to your workout or eliminate one item from your diet, whether that be sugar, caffeine alcohol. If you go cold turkey on day one, it’s likely you’re going to binge or give up.

AM: What is the biggest health and or wellness myth you’d like to bust?

SDLR: Just get up and do something. Just get your butt off the couch. There’s not one workout that’s going to give you your dream body so the most important thing is to find something that you connect with and will motivate you. So, the myth is that there is one workout that is the best for you.

AM: What keeps you motivated?

SDLR: My business has always kept me motivated because I have so many staff that I have to take care of. My clients also motivate me! They usually come in with a different goal whether that’s a Grammy appearance or Oscar red-carpet or film—which is exciting. Now, my biggest motivation is my son! I want to get up and be the best version of myself for him, I want to be a great role model for him so that he can see me in the best light.

We have interviewed Casey Ho previously as we love her 30 day challenges, fun fitness YouTube videos and her perky attitude as the founder of Popilates. With her first time joining this fitness festival, we wanted to find out about what her session involved, her favorite movements during her workout and how she stays motivated.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about the class you’ll be leading at the Propel Co:Labs fitness festival.

CASEY HO: It’s called Abs of Envy by PIIT 28. So obviously it’s going to be an abs focused class because I’m a Pilates instructor—it’s going to be core crazy! PIIT stands for Pilates intense interval training, it’s a 30-minute class which has cardio intervals with the toning aspects of Pilates with abs—so basically prepare to die!

AM: Why did you decide to partner with Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival?

CH: I love that Propel is putting on a live fitness event to bring people together and also bringing together the best fitness studios in LA because I’m a big class pass user so I’ve been to a lot of these studios, so it’s really cool see all these amazing trainers get together in this environment. I love that Propel is doing this because yes [teaching classes] online is a big deal, but [teaching] in person is an even bigger deal because real in-person relationships are being built.

AM: With your busy schedule, how do you manage to fit workouts into your schedule?

CH: I always workout in the morning. 7:15 is my time and I don’t miss is unless I’m feeling tired or traveling. I set aside time in my schedule like a set anything, I make it a date in my calendar so I don’t miss it.

AM: What keeps you motivated?

CH: What keeps me motivated is keeping this happiness level inside me—just feeling whole and healthy. There have been points where I have not been happy with myself and it’s taken a lot to get to this stage so that keeps me motivated staying balanced and harmonious. Also, my husband and my dog!

AM: Favorite workout/movement at the moment?

CH: Of the moment, I’m super into deep stretching and I’m not talking about yoga! I mean I’m in a split and someone is pushing on me to the point that you’re almost crying—but after your splits are even lower! I’m taking this new class as SM Stretching in Beverly Hills and its run by a rhyme gymnast and she’s kind of hard on you and I love it!

AM: What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?

CH: Find the joy in working out. Don’t keep doing the thing that feels like a chore. For a while I felt like I had to do the hardest thing and feel like I was dying every time I finished a class or I wasn’t pushing myself enough, but that wasn’t true. It’s the [workout] you can stick to that will make you happy.

AM: Why is being strong important beyond appearance?

CH: It’s important to be strong so you don’t break later, so you can live longer, so you’re able to carry 17 grocery bags from your car to the house in one trip! Obviously, strength is what matters, vanity is just a side effect

AM: What is the biggest health and or wellness myth you’d like to bust?

CH: No one diet or workout program is going to work for everyone. Everyone needs to realize that your fitness journey is entirely individual in your self-discovery.

AM: What is your mantra you like to live by?

CH: Give yourself the 100% chance to succeed because you’ll never know if you don’t. Whether you give your 100 and you fail or you give yourself 100 and you don’t fail—you’ve got to go 100 every time or you’ll live a life of regret.

A fitness festival of this nature is all about taking in the positivity, workouts that are offered and sampling what makes the most sense for you. We took a few moments to chat with Angela Manuel-Davis to find out how she was energized by the participation, her approach to working out and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what are you doing a Propel Co:Labs today?

ANGELA MANUEL-DAVIS: So today at Propel Co:Labs I am leading a class on AMDIO method, which is Angela Manuel-Davis changed from the inside out. So, I’m going to be pushing and challenging everyone that shows up to close the gap between where they are and where they dream to be in their life!

AM: What was it like on the Co:labs festival stage?

AMD: It was incredible being on the Co:Labs festival stage! People really came open and ready to receive—the energy was high and I really feel like every single person that walked in walked out different.

AM: How do you fit time in your busy schedule?

AMD: You have to make it a priority. Life can take over and there’s always going to be a number of things that seem more important but if you do not make it a priority to take care of yourself you won't be able to take care of anything else or anyone else. So, it's about making yourself a priority and understanding that the stronger you are, the stronger you are for others.

AM: What keeps you motivated?

AMD: Living a purpose driven life keeps me motivated. Every single day I wake up and I’m really interested in operating in my gifts and talents that’ve been given to me personally and encouraging others to do the same—that’s my purpose in life. So, living a purpose driven life for sure.

AM: What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?

AMD: Best fitness advice I’ve ever received is that the recovery time is just as valuable as the time I put in the workout. Sometimes we get so caught up in the workout and we go super hard and we don’t remember that the recovery is when the benefits of the workout find their rightful places.

AM: What is the biggest health and or wellness myth you’d like to bust?

AMD: Spinning doesn’t give you big legs.

PHOTOS COURTESY | Jessica Nash for Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Propel Co:LABS 2019 in mag.

THE FITNESS ICON WITH DENISE AUSTIN

Growing up, many of us may remember our moms, aunts, babysitters etc having VHS and eventually DVD's of Denise Austin! You may have even started your day working out with her. When it comes to a fitness icon, she is one of them and we loved sitting down with her last week to talk about how she came into the fitness industry, her success with her VHS, DVD and daily TV Show on ESPN - Get Fit with Denise Austin. We talk about her impact in the fitness industry and serving 2 terms of the President's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports and working alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. We also talk about her fitness focuses as well as her work with her daughter, Katie Austin!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be in the fitness industry?

DENISE AUSTIN: Well, I was a gymnast since I was a little girl and got a full athletic scholarship to college and I went to the University of Arizona and and then I got my degree in exercise physiology and aerobics was just beginning. It was the early 80’s and I moved back to California where I’m from and I met Jack LaLanne, the godfather of fitness and he gave me my first start on television. I loved it so much! I was teaching aerobic classes all over LA at the time and of course at that time, we only had little rooms to teach. There weren’t any big gyms. I taught in racquet ball courts and things like that. We really enjoyed the TV part and I got my own show on KABC LA. I got married and then I moved to Washington DC and started on the Today Show. I then had my own show on ESPN and Lifetime – everything just kept going.

When I was in college, I knew that I could teach some type of fitness with music because that’s gymnastics anyhow. So I just parlayed it into a career!

AM: Wow! Thinking back to a number of us who were growing up when you were starting, we did it with our moms – you had TV shows, VHS and DVDs, you were literally everywhere! Did you consciously think to yourself that you were going to have this brand and it’s going to be something where people are going to say, “oh Denise Austin – that’s a thing?”

DA: Well, not really! I didn’t know the name brand back in the day, 35 years ago! But I loved what I was doing because I was getting letters from people telling me that I was making a difference in what I was doing in their lives. It’s such a fulfilling job and to this day, I do it because I love hearing that it changes them and it changes the way that they feel. They have said that I have saved them, their marriage and I have had people cry and thank me. To know that you are out there helping people just made me want to keep being out there and doing more! I figured out how to keep going and it was kind of a “learn as I go” and I helped create some of this stuff!

I was learning as I was going along and I’d say, “oh yes, I can do a monthly segment on the Today Show – yes I can on fitness!” Then it was like, “yes, I can do VHS.” So it just kept going and I work very hard and persistence did pay off. I’d work on weekends and make appearances. I constantly love what I do so I’m a hard worker so that helped!

AM: Well, that’s an understatement! What was the first time like when you created your first video? You knew you were on a set and its production time. What was that like?

DA: Oh it was a dream come true! I was 27 and it was my first VHS. I was able to film it at the first MTV Studios and they were just kind of starting and I used their sets and I was right here in NYC. I had top makeup people for the very first time and I was like ok – I just did it. I had my routine, but I went for it and I was who I was. It was Rock Hard Abs and Rock Aerobics, I had two VHSs out of it and they were hits at the same time that my friend, Jane Fonda was coming out with her VHS tapes. It was a vary exciting time for the industry because aerobics was just starting in the early 80s.

AM: Did you come up with the outfits yourself? As a young girl doing the workouts, the fun part was seeing the style involved. To this day, there are photoshoots that have appeared in the magazine that have taken concepts off of looks that you wore then and then bringing them into present day shoots!

DA: What I did for Rock Aerobics is that I had a unitard and I said to myself, “this is all about the abs – I’m going to do a cutout.” So I cut out my material around the belly button and I used my pair of scissors to cut out the whole around my stomach so that they could see my abs while I was doing my workout. That’s one of the biggest pictures that I had and I saved all of those items. Now my daughter has fallen into the fitness footsteps now. Thank God I saved so many leggings, high cut up the butt leotards and hot pinks and hot lime green! It’s fun because it’s now all coming back – “let’s get physical.”

AM: How do you keep your energy?

DA: You know what? I’m like this. I wake up like this! Everyone asks my kids, “does your mom wake up like this?” I’m like, “yeah if you spend the night with me, you’ll see! Good morning!”

AM: Your a morning person clearly – what’s your flow like during the day?

DA: Yes! It changes if I’m traveling but mostly I get up, I do like my cup of coffee in the morning. I squeeze in my workout on most days for 30 mintues in the morning. I try to get in my workout. I do lots of online, post, my social media, I answer all my messages, do my email and then I make appearances, give speeches. I eat lunch, I eat dinner – I never skip a meal. I just love food and I eat well. 80% of the time, I eat well and have my treats 20% of the time. Evening time, I'm ready to have my glass of red wine - that is my treat and I enjoy that. I have lots of girlfriends, a great husband, 2 daughters and a huge family. Family means a lot to me and so do my girlfriends. So I do many things with friends!

AM: It’s so important to be balanced!

DA: Yes, I eat most everything just all in small bites as it’s all about moderation.

AM: You served 2 terms on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, can you tell us about the council, how you came to joining it and what were your roles and responsibilities by being apart of it?

DA: It was years ago when President Bush appointed me and Arnold Schwarzenegger was the chairman of it. The appointment was made by President Bush 41, God rest his soul as he was the sweetest man in the world and very fit. I was under Arnold as our chairman and we went to schools all over the nation. It was a volunteer job and we were trying to get kids into physical education at the schools which was really hard and we did appearances and Arnold paid out of his own money in every state we went to. I would lead aerobics to young kids and it was the beginnings of this grass roots for the President’s Council. It was a really fun time because we were trying to get fitness out there during the 90’s so it was a very important time you know. We were trying to change people’s eating habits. We were trying to get rid of some of the sugars in people’s cereals. So we lobbied on The Hill in front of Congress and pleaded with them to make changes for the school to get kids moving more and to get physical education back into the schools. We worked hard!

AM: That council was so huge. I graduated in 1997 from High School and starting in my Sophomore year, in addition to the traditional gym classes, you could have aerobics as an entire class. We also had potato and salad bars at our school. Our school system was seen as progressive and a lot of times, we talked about the fact that because of the council, it allowed our school system to understand that this was so important. I appreciate the efforts that you guys did to make this happen!

DA: Your school system was progressive and it was a lot of work, but I’m glad you had that opportunity available to you! We also made recommendations and guidelines with top doctors which was years of work and I learned so much to be around the brilliant minds of medical, health and wellness. I learned a lot which helped me to grow to teach other people especially women and to this day, I still get on the phone and talk to these top doctors all over the country! I use them as great resources to this day. It was a wonderful time and good networking.

AM: Amazing and you also helped launched the Food Pyramid System as well! How was that and what was it like as this is huge!

DA: I sure did! Well, they worked with nutritionists all over the country to come up with this pyramid guide making sure that the sugars were low and that the whole grains and fruits and vegetables that were at the bottom, took up a lot of our plate. They asked me to be the one to kick it off at The Department of Agriculture in Washington DC in this whole glorious building and it was a huge honor!

AM: It’s amazing to hear so many things that you have done and been apart of that you didn’t even think about, but that is the cornerstone of what we know today. How are you so humble about that?

DA: I almost forget that I did it! I’m moving ahead so much that I don’t really think about it!

AM: When you think about how you, Jack LaLanne and Jane Fonda laid the ground work for what fitness videos are, various programs etc. They were the precursor to today’s studio and boutique fitness locations.

DA: Oh I just love what I do! I keep going and I just feel that I do look ahead and my focus now is looking at women that are over 40. I have a Stop the Clock Guide – which is a nutrition and fitness guide for women because this age group has women that aren’t really seen anymore. I truly believe that those in this group - we want to be healthy, we want to be attractive, we want to look good and we want to do everything. That’s why I’m here and I want to tell them, yes we can. I have the best exercises to do away with belly fat after menopause. I know how to firm up your arms so that we look good when we wave goodbye. Muscles work wonders on your metabolism and I know through research that it does work. I believe in it so much because fitness is the best preventative medicine that there is. I preach it and I want my women over 40 to hear me, to learn and to not give up! They need to have a positive attitude about it as many women get clogged down with stress in this age in our life but there is so much to look forward to because we live longer now and we want to feel better.

AM: When you look at ages from 40-50 etc the way you work out when you are in those ages is different then when you’re in your 20’s and 30’s – what are the focuses in these age groups?

DA: Well in your 40’s, I still think that women need a lot of cardio to burn the fat. In the 50’s I focus mainly on target toning exercises because that’s when you start to have your metabolism drop during this age. One of the reasons is because you lack good muscle tone. The more muscle cells in your body, they’re active at rest. So the second you start losing muscle tone, that’s when you gain weight and that’s why the correlation between this in your 50’s is so important. I want to save women right away before it gets away from them. That’s why they need to focus on muscle condition which is what the guide is all about. Then in your 60’s, I hit this age group which is why I do more toning of course, but then I also turned it into stability exercises more core, strength training, stretching and balance.

AM: How important is recover to you in terms of working out?

DA: Very important! I take very good care of myself. I do Epson Salt baths now, I do foam rollers in my workouts, I believe in smoothing out my muscles for less stress. I try to once a month get a full body massage and those are just some of the little things that I do for wellness and recovery. I’m a big believer in eating healthy too! I’ve added in my nutrition guide, new recipes that have a lot to do with Omega-3’s as we need those as we age. Also some great healthy fats to make our skin still look supple and our hair looking fresh. So beauty plays a key role in what you are eating. I add a lot of different elements into the recipes that I make. Everything that I make is quick and easy, because if it isn’t easy in the kitchen, I won’t do it!

AM: What are 3 workouts that you think that everyone should be doing regardless of their age or wherever they are in life that are great for their abs, butts and legs?

DA: Absolutely. Always the simple rule of thumb is something for your upper body – a push up. If you don’t want to do it on the ground, you can do it against your kitchen counter or the office desk. It gets the arms and it gets your chest – so that takes care of your upper body. Mid Section, the old fashioned plank or sit-up it takes care of your belly and that whole core. I like to hold it up to a minute or change it up and do different things like bicycles or anything for your abs. For the lower body, squats and lunges for your hips, thighs and butt. If your knees hurt you, just go half way and do many squats. You can hold onto a chair or a countertop to use it for extra support. So you get something for your upper body, your mid section and your lower body.

AM: How many books have you written?

DA: Oh 12 books and I'm writing a book as we speak!

AM: What is that process like for you?

DA: Oh I’m terrible. It’s the worst job of my life because I talk so much that I would rather talk it, then write it. I feel like I am giving a speech to help women and then, that’s how I write my book – exactly like how I would talk it. Then I have to have an editor for English and then it’s a process.

AM: So what projects are you working on?

DA: Well on my DeniseAustin.com site, I bought back all of my TV shows that everyone used to watch and that they have missed. They now have Denise on Demand for their workouts just like they used to! You can time it so that even at 7am you can go to my website and bam it’s there so that you can stream it. Now I’m working on focusing all of my energies on Stop the Clock because it is so popular. We’re doing challenges on that. Recently, we had a 4 day arm challenge so that you could get sexy arms for the summer. So we’ll be doing some new challenges for the month of July so come back to DeniseAustin.com to see that. All of the challenges are free and I do have an online membership that is under $100 for the entire year. Everything that you want from me from my old workouts, new workouts, old shows, new shows, new challenges and an eating plan. If you need a focus on your meal plans I have this for you and if you need to focus on the way that I eat, vegetarian, gluten-free, heart healthy etc. – we have something for everybody!

AM: Do you and Katie workout together?

DA: Yes! That’s another focus I have! Katie Austin is my little daughter – well she is 25 but we do mother-daughter workouts together. She is doing a tour and I am joining her in some of the cities. I’m very excited about that. This is really fun being able to work with my daughter. She teaches me things about Social Media. She’s the one that got me on Instagram – I had Facebook, but now I have this. And then I try to help her on what I have learned in my industry, focusing on good form and little details. You know, I have 2 daughters. My oldest Kelly, is in the music industry, when I would film my TV Show when they were younger, Katie would stand there by the camera and do it with me. Kelly would be out there looking for shells or who knows what! Katie was always watching and I had no idea after college that that was what she wanted to do. So it was so fun that she loved it, is a natural and she learned from years of being there. Everyday – she was even in a workout video that I did years ago when she was 7 for Fit Kids. She had already filmed videos and been on shows for years.

AM: There is something about when you have parents that are in a business that you can see or be around and how it ends up being a part of your career!

DA: Yes so true! My oldest daughter is a Music Supervisor. She picks songs for movies. My husband is a sports lawyer, but he is a music nut! When she was little, they used to put playlists together so it’s like one focused on what his passion was and one focused on what mine was. It’s kind of fun!

AM: In LA, where can we find you grabbing a bite, shopping and working out?

DA: Yes we had been based in Washington DC for 32 years and now we’re in LA – back home! In LA I like Earth Café for food and coffee, it’s one of my favorite stops in Santa Monica. For dinner, I love Scopa, I just went there in Venice it was delicious and it’s Italian! I do eat pasta, but only from good places – why not? Oh gosh, you’ll see me walking on the beach a lot. You’ll see me doing the Strand Walk which is a 5 mile walk on the strand which is like a boardwalk. You’ll see my husband and I play tennis a lot and we go on bike rides a lot too! We bike ride to Happy Hour as I only have one glass!

I love walking in NY and Chicago. The second that I land, I throw my bags in the hotel and I get out and walk. I don't care what time it is, I get out and walk for 30 minutes. It's a great thing to get out and stretch.

AM: We’re all about #TRIBEGOALS. Who are 3 people that inspire you?

DA: I would say my daughters. They inspire me to work harder to be a good person. They’re watching and as a mom that means the world to me – as my family means everything! I would also say my husband – his loyalty and his integrity to people. I look up to him. In business there are so many, I can’t even just pick one in my industry. There was Jack LaLanne and now I also look up to writers that are really cool like Tim Farris and Dave Asprey.

PHOTO CREDIT | PG 143, 147 + 148 Denise Austin | PG 144 Jaguarps | PG 151 Featureflash |

IG @DeniseAustin

Read the June Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Fitness Icon with Denise Austin in mag.

You can hear Denise Austin's interview later this month on our show, #TRIBEGOALS 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, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

PRIDE ISLAND 2019

This month marked Athleisure Mag's 3rd year of being media sponsors for NYC PRIDE! In addition, this year WorldPride took place throughout the month here in NYC. WorldPride has been in existence for 20 years and has had 6 times that it has been showcased; however, this year was the first time that it has taken place in the US. It came to NYC as a means to honor the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising Commemorating the historic event where the modern movement began in 1969.

This year's theme, "Millions of Moments of Pride" included events ranging from panels, parties, movie nights, brunches and more. Being able to share the events as they took place as well as attending them is part of the fun of celebrating during this time of year while also supporting and being an ally to our LGBTQI+ community. The events culminated in one of our favorites - Pride Island. This event takes place over the last 2 days of pride and includes a number of performances from an array of entertainers. This year included Grace Jones, Teyana Taylor, Kim Petras, Amara La Negra and Madonna! Check out amazing moments from PRIDE ISLAND.

PHOTO CREDITS FOR NYC PRIDE + WORLD PRIDE | THIS PG - 67 Mary Kang | PG 68 -71 Sansho Scott | PG 72 - 79 Benjamin Lozovsky |

Read the June Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Pride Island 2019 in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #42 JUN 2019

This month, our cover is graced by Michelin starred Chef and Restaurateur, George Mendes. We talk about his restaurant Aldea as well as his pop up concept currently at Chefs Club Counter in NYC. In addition, we interview 4 x NBA Champion, John Salley to talk about how he came to basketball, his forray into the wellness and health industry as an investor and gifting for Father's Day. We also interviewed Celebrity Fashion Stylist, Brad Goreski to talk about his style inspirations, summer's perfect accessory, being a Co-Host on E! Live from the Red Carpet and his thoughts on the Met Gala! We also interviewed, fitness icon, Denise Austin about being an innovative in the industry, her success with her shows and what she is currently focused on. In addition, as our third year of being media sponsors for PRIDE, we included imagery from PRIDE ISLAND with performances by Madonna, Amara La Negra, Teyana Taylor, Grace Jones and more. In addition, we have a number of our monthly features showcasing athleisure culture.

Read the June Issue of Athleisure Mag.

CHATTING WITH COUNTRY STAR, JOHN KING

With a busy summer ahead, we took some time to talk with country star, John King while he was prepping for CMA Fest. We talk about his newest single “Try Saying Goodbye”, performing at the Grand Ole Opry, the importance of family and where he goes in Nashville.

 ATHLEISURE MAG: Your newest single “Try Saying Goodbye” is quite a hit. What inspired you to create this song?

JOHN KING: “Try Saying Goodbye” is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever released. I’ve been blown away by the reaction so far. I feel like what makes it special is everybody can relate. The inspiration for this song came from my relationship with my wife, Hannah. We started dating when we were 15 and grew up together. There were moments in our relationship, where we could have gone different ways but instead we decided to work through the hard times. When we wrote this song, I started thinking about everything I would have missed out on if we had chosen a different path – our love for each other, this wonderful life we’ve built together and our precious baby girl Scarlett.

 AM: You’re juggling a lot between your career, family and Scarlett – how do you ensure that you’re present when you are with your family and that they get the time that they need?

JK: There is nothing more important to me than family. Luckily, my wife and baby girl get to join me on the road a lot! When they can’t, we’re always sharing photos, texting and video chatting. My partnership with Straight Talk Wireless makes it really easy to stay connected on the road with their new Ultimate Unlimited 2-line plan.

 AM: A fanbase is essential, how do you interact with your fans and make it feel fresh to them?

JK: I’m fortunate enough to have amazing fans who have been following me for years. Recently we had the idea to give my cell phone number out so they could text me directly anytime they want. So far, I’ve literally received thousands of texts – anything from people reaching out about “Try Saying Goodbye” to folks who are in disbelief that it’s actually me texting them back! The support has been overwhelming and exciting!

AM: You’ve partnered with Straight Talk Wireless. Why is this a synergistic partnership and why is it important to find the best ways to communicate in order to stay on track professionally and personally?

 JK: One of the most important things to me as an artist is communicating with my fans on a personal level. I’m a Straight Talk Wireless user myself and I can attest to the affordable and reliable service, so this partnership was a no brainer. For more info on Straight Talk, visit www.StraightTalk.com.

AM:  When did you know that you wanted to be a musician and specifically wanted to be a country artist?

JK: It’s really been my passion since I was a kid. I grew up singing in church, school talent shows, county fairs, you name it. I’ve always loved getting up on that stage and entertaining a crowd. It’s one of the best feelings in the world!

AM: How do you get inspired when you are creating your songs?

 JK: Writing a song is such a fun process for me because there really is no formula for how it’s done. It can happen a million different ways at unexpected times. Sometimes the inspiration can be triggered from a melody, a conversation or something I’ve lived firsthand, so I use my smartphone to easily keep track of all my ideas when I’m on-the-go. It’s different every time and always exciting.

AM: You recently played at CMA Fest, you’re on a national tour and you’re returning to the Grand Ole Opry stage – what excited you about doing this and what are you looking forward to?

 JK: Touring is one of my favorite parts of what I do. I love every aspect of being an artist – writing songs, recording and releasing music but there really is something special about performing for a crowd that paid their hard earned money to come see a show. CMA Fest is always such an exciting experience because the whole week is about the fans. This year was especially great because we got to play The CMA Spotlight and Spotify Hot Country stages and the energy was unreal! To top off an amazing month, I’m so honored to be playing the Grand Ole Opry. Just doesn’t get any better than that!

AM: What are your goals this year in terms of awards, those you wish to collaborate or play with etc.?

JK: My goal this year is to continue the success we’re already having with touring, writing and releasing new music. So far it’s been my biggest year to date with the impact of “Try Saying Goodbye.” I’m just excited for as many people to hear this song as possible!

AM: As someone who is on the road quite a bit, what are 3 things that you always have on your carryon that make you feel at home?

JK: I’d say my go tos are 1. My Bible 2. My smartphone, so I can look at family photos at all times 3. My band (don’t wanna forget them haha)

 AM: In Nashville, where can we find you grabbing a meal/cocktail, working out and shopping?

JK: Nashville is such a great town with limitless options, but my go to place is Blake Shelton’s bar Ole Red! I do my daily workout routine using my smartphone at the house with Baby Scarlett! She loves to work out with Dad so that’s our time together.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE UNDEFEATED WITH LAILA ALI

We sat down with Laila Ali, who continued Muhammad Ali, her father’s legacy in the sport, as well as trailblazing outside of it. As a professional boxer who went undefeated in her career, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female super middleweight titles and the IWBF light heavyweight title. She is a TV personality and host of OWN’s Home Made Simple, participating in Dancing with the Stars, Food Network’s Chopped as well as Celebrity Apprentice. In our interview, we took time to talk with her about the importance of fitness, nutrition and how we can focus on spring cleaning this time of year.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us the moment when you realized that you wanted to be a boxer and eventually parlaying that into TV hosting, nutrition and wellness?

LAILA ALI: So I first saw women’s boxing on television when I was about 17 years old and that was when I first had the idea and desire to become a professional boxer myself. So it wasn’t right away that I took the leap because I was at school full time and I had a business at the time and it took me about a year to start training and once I did, that was it – end of story. Of course I ended with 24-0, 21 KOs and 4 world titles.

So boxing was my first love and I focused so much time and energy on it for about 9 years and then I decided I wanted to retire and to start a family, then I started to think about what I wanted to do next. Right around that time, Dancing With the Stars called and I decided to do the show as it was a great platform for me to show other sides of myself. From there, I just went onto TV hosting and different opportunities. During that 5 year period I began to think about what I was passionate about, what I wanted to do next, and that was really when I came to the conclusion that I really wanted to be able to help other people live their best life. I wanted to help them make healthy lifestyle choices and then I started doing shows such as Home Made Simple which I host, now which comes on OWN every Saturday. I’m able to work with families, make their living spaces amazing, also cook healthy recipes with them out of my cookbook Food For Life and now we’re launching our own product line which is simple plantbased cleaning products. They are available at select Walmart stores and Walmart.com.

So, things have really come full circle, but it was all about really encouraging people to make healthy lifestyle choices and live their best life.

AM: Can you tell us a little more about Home Made Simple’s product extension of cleaning products and why you enjoy using them?

LA: So we have hand soap, we have dish soap, we’ve got laundry detergent, fabric softener, multipurpose spray. It comes in lemon, lavender and rosemary. All of these products are not only safe and affordable, but they are effective and that is the most important thing. I’m all about using products that are good for my family, the environment and Home Made Simple’s products are amazing in that they actually work as well.

AM: We know that you have a number of tips about cleaning your home – especially in a way that keeps it simple, can you share 3 with us?

LA: Now is the time that everyone is thinking about spring cleaning right? We are in my household as well! Some of the things that I like to do is to get my kids involved and what I do is give them a series of chores on a chart. When they have done everything that they need to do, then I reward them. Whatever they are asking me for, I tell them that they can get it once they have gotten all of their stars on their chart. One of the other things that works out really well for me is not to wait for things to pile up. I like to take 10-15 minutes out of everyday to put things in their place. Another tip I have is that whenever you have things that you want to give away or get rid of, clothes that don’t fit anymore – put them in a big bin. I leave mine in the garage and remove them quarterly as it keeps clutter down. Every time you buy things – when you bring something into the household, you take something else out. We all have things in our kitchens and other rooms of the house that can be placed in a bin. I think that when you do that, you’re encouraged to donate items and I think that it’s really good to be able to help those in need or to be able to repurpose those items. That’s how it keeps everything nice and organized. Of course, it's all about using products that you love and that work and Home Made Simple really makes that easy to do with their new plant-based cleaning products.

AM: With it being the Spring and people needing ways to spruce up food options when it comes to supporting their workout, what smoothies and power foods should we think about incorporating into our day to day?

LA: I think it’s very important to be consistent first of all and make sure that you are getting enough rest so that you can do your best workout. Staying hydrated is key! A lot of people don’t realize how important it is to drink water as it enhances your performance, effects the way that you think and it’s really important to do. I like to have a protein shake after I workout. I don’t want to eat and put my body through having to digest food which is more work. I like to have a protein shake and just kind of get everything in and then eat a couple of hours after which is what my routine is.

AM: As someone who I’m sure travels a lot, what are 3 skincare products that you swear by that you enjoy using in your routine?

LA: I don’t think that it’s so much products or about a routine. I make sure that I clean my skin really well every night. I wash my face and I use a good moisturizer before I go to bed. In the morning I like to clean my face in the shower after my pores have opened up with the hot steam and then I will clean my face. I like to use my Clarisonic because it really gets into those pores really well. So those are tips that I have. Water and sweating are actually amazing for your skin. Sweating out toxins and that comes from working out and drinking water. Beauty comes from within.

AM: We’re all about #Tribegoals and the power of tribes which are the source of inspiration. Who are 3 people that you are inspired by?

LA: Well I definitely have a tribe of people that are around me. I think that every successful person does. It takes a team and nobody is doing it by themselves. My husband is part of my tribe and is my best friend, my confidant. One of my best girlfriends is like my person my go to who will keep it real with me and be honest. I don’t want to have yes people around me. Of course I would also include my business associates as well.

IG @TheRealLailaAli

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Undefeated with Laila Ali in mag.

You can hear Laila Ali's interview now on our show, #TRIBEGOALS which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.