NEW YEAR N3W YOU

Read more from the Dec Issue and see NEW YEAR N3W YOU in mag.

IT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THE BREATH WITH POPPY JAMIE

This time of year, there are a number of activities that are pushing for our attention. There are notifications on our phones, making various appointments, checking that we're not missing studio time at yoga as well as getting our nails done. There are times where you forget to eat or even to breathe! Breathing is one of our most vital tasks and as much as we do it, many of us are not doing it right! We took a moment to chat with Poppy Jamie, Breathing Instructor and enthusiast, TV presenter, Co-Founder/Designer of Pop and Suki and Founder of Happy Not Perfect, a new app and lifestyle brand that recently launched to find out what a breathing workshop is, how we do it and what led her to this career!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Where did the year go? How is it almost Christmas.

POPPY JAMIE: I know right, I mean I was just telling myself, where did the year go and how can it be the end of the year already? At least we have the holidays to look forward to!

AM: You cover a number of areas so in looking at your background, how did you get into doing TV, have a successful line – Pop & Suki (accessory line created by best friends Poppy and actress and model Suki Waterhouse), your app/lifestyle brand, Happy Not Perfect as well as being a breath enthusiast?

PJ: Well really, I was inspired I suppose by my upbringing. My mum is a hypnotherapist and my dad is an entrepreneur. When we were growing up, we spoke about the mind at the age of 8 and it was so normal to talk about emotions, how you process them, how you manage your mind, meditation, breathing. These were all things that were just as normal as brushing your teeth, washing your face and going out for a walk. Mental health has been such a part of the way that I was brought up and in my DNA.

I always knew that I wanted to be a TV presenter. Ever since I knew I could talk, I wanted to be able to communicate with people because I just found it so incredible how you could share a conversation and storytelling and that really led me to my first career as a TV presenter and host. While I was a TV host, that was the thing that really gave me insight into this social setting and made me analyze what people were looking at and how they were reacting to things. When I launched my show on SnapChat, PillowTalk (the first show to air on SnapChat), I would see hundreds of thousands of messages of people just reacting about what they were thinking, feeling and going through. At that moment, it was my upbringing and where I was in my career that came together. I would start to call up my mum and I would ask her advice on how I should respond to these questions that included people that were struggling at work/school or feeling stressed about their relationship. In that moment I realized how little we know about the mind and how fortunate I was to have a mum that would teach me about the mind and these sort of things. I began to wonder how I could go about sharing my mum and putting her into an app and to give her to everyone. It wouldn’t matter where you were or what time of day it was – it’s about the thought process. It’s really what a great therapist does – they help you process your thoughts and find a new perspective by using different tools such as breathing and journaling. It’s funny that my career has gone in so many different directions, but it all happened to go into the creation of Happy Not Perfect.

At the time, I was living in LA with my best friend and that’s how the handbags started. My best friend and I are two of the most disorganized girls that you could ever meet as we’re always losing things and we thought that if we could design handbags, we’d be less disorganized. It’s been a really crazy 3 years and I couldn’t be happier working on these things that I now are really helping people. We have so many messages a day where people are like, “Oh my God this is really helping me.” People thanking us on teaching them how to breathe and those who were feeling low before Happy Not Perfect and n ow after using it they feel less anxious. I love how I am doing my part into what I should be doing.

AM: I love how connected it is and how the app also has an extension as a lifestyle brand with products that are attached to it as well – correct?

PJ: Exactly! We found that in our focus groups that people really struggled with dealing with things and that Millennials are some of the most stressed out people that ever lived. It showed through our qualitative research in America, Europe and Australia that we did. I wondered what we should do and how could we assist in managing their stress levels and people were silent about it. That’s when I learned that people weren’t so sure on what they could do to manage their mental well being. People wanted to know what they could use! This holds true for why there is product in Happy Not Perfect as well as why I was intrigued to work with Breathe Right Strips. Even a simple thing like putting the strip on your nose, you can sleep better because you are getting more air and it’s an upward spiral. Suddenly you have a clearer mind in the morning and it’s a simple thing that can help you feel better. We found that with the site and lifestyle components that everyone can benefit from these items.

AM: We were unable to attend the breath workshop which was unfortunate, but how did this partnership between yourself and Breathe Right Strips come about as we understand the natural synergy here.

PJ: I’ve been using Breathe Right for years and it has been a bit of my secret hack! When I trained as a breathing instructor and when I would do my classes in London, NY and LA afterwards I would say, if you guys are struggling with breathing at night when you’re trying to sleep, you should use these strips. Someone then said, “I know them – you should connect with them.” I was being their biggest advocate even before they knew me because I loved them. Then we were connected and I was so happy about that because I love the natural way that you can just be help yourself and be a little more relaxed and have a clearer mind. It’s about sometimes having the simplest thing like a breathing strip and learning how to breathe into your belly that will have a formative effect on your mental and your physical health.

AM: I heard that you have a 24kt gold Breathe Right Strip – is this true?

PJ: I do and I’m very excited about my it and honestly, it’s one of my favorite beautiful mantle pieces! I mean I never ever thought that I would have a 24kt gold basically nose statue! Now I do! I was traveling back from NY to London because my parents were so excited to see this and it is the coolest thing. I carried it in my hand luggage and when I went through security, nobody could believe my gold karat nose and it has now traveled halfway across the country and it is now very close to my heart.

AM: What’s it like going through a breathing workshop and how do you guide people through their proper breathe?

PJ: A breathing workshop begins with teaching people how to breathe. When I first started out as a breathing instructor under Dr. Belisa Vranich, who is one of the leading experts in the world, she is the author of Breathe and she is one of the most crucial women that I have ever met. I couldn’t believe it when she said that 9 out of 10 people breathe incorrectly! It’s unbelievable. We all breathe, but when you realize that we pick up bad breathing habits from the age of 5 because we go to school and begin to hunch over tables and we start breathing too much air and we start to do shallow mouth breathing. This is a forced habit from the central nervous system it pumps up our stress level and makes us feel like we’re in danger and we have that fight or flight feeling. But when you start engaging in belly breathing and slowly inhale through your nose and slowly exhale with lower body breath, it emulates your vega nerve and takes you out of that fight or flight state.

This is a calming breath that allows you to have a pretty instantaneous moment of clarity. You make better decisions and it reduces your nerves. So the breathing teaching and the breathing workshop teaches you the power of learning how to relax your nervous system when you need to and the best way to do that is through nose/belly breathing, and then once you kind of learn that, we can practice by putting weight on our bellies to practice bringing that weight up and bringing it back down, as that is helpful. A great trick to do this is to do so when you’re in bed and you can’t get yourself to sleep, you can put a heavy book on your belly to breathe the book up and to breathe it back down (editor’s note: this is an exercise to calm you down to be able to sleep as the book is only for the breathing practice). It’s a great trick and if you have friends who are a bit anxious or stressed out, teach them to lie down, put a book on their belly to breathe it up and down as it is really calming and relaxing. I really like to teach people tools that they can share with their friends and family. And then, we go into a kind of breath work meditation which uses the breath to sink into a meditative state and during the breath workshop that we did a few weeks back at the event, we did a Love and Kindness Meditation, which is one of the scientifically backed meditations that really help to nurture kindness and compassion not only for ourselves, but for those around us and after experiencing that, we come out of meditation which lasts at about half an hour or 45 minutes in terms of the education, the practicing and the meditation. Hopefully everyone leaves feeling a little bit happier and calmer and a lot less stressed.

AM: That sounds fantastic. With a new year coming up, there is a lot of stress and anxiety that people will have in wanting to do resolutions and things that are different, but also coming down from a busy holiday season – how can breath work help with this so that they can calm down and do what they need to during the day?

PJ: This is why I love breathing! It doesn’t mean that you have to meditate for 20 minutes if you don’t have time. The holidays are so busy and you have loads of family around. So the belly breath which I actually do this while I am talking with someone or perhaps in a stressful meeting, I lightly put my hands on my belly and I start breathing slowly into my nose and out through my nose into my belly. I consciously have this hack knowing that I have it whenever I need it is powerful.

Even if you want to just take a couple of moments in the morning to just lie down on your back and to just focus on your breathing through your nose and down for a couple of minutes as it really just sets your nervous system. During the holiday season, it’s so hectic because people are buying their presents and you need these short effective tricks for your nervous system and belly breathing is definitely one of them and anyone can do it which is fantastic!

AM: You’re based in NYC where would we find you grabbing a drink/meal and working out?

PJ: Oh my gosh my new favorite place is abcV the new vegan place that I am newly obsessed with that! I have to say that no one can't beat The Bowery Hotel! It's really magical and fun and I always have a lot of friends there. I like to think that wellness is a little bit of everything. It’s not only about looking after your mind, but it doesn’t mean depriving yourself of other things. It’s a bit of everything. My favorite yoga studio is Yoga Vida and I love this yoga instructor named Will Schneider who is my favorite. I also love dancing as it’s incredible for your mental health and great for a mood boost that makes you feel good. If I am in a really dedicated mood, I love SLT which is incredible, but dancing and yoga are really my thing as I find yoga is really great for the mind and to stretch the body, you need to relax the mind. This exercise incorporated meditation and I’m a big yoga fan.

IG @PoppyJamie

PHOTOS COURTESY | Poppy Jamie + Happy Not Perfect

Read more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see It Begins and Ends with the Breath with Poppy Jamie in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

VANITY FAIR

Amazon Prime

Season 1; Debuts 12.21.18

This classic novel created by William Thackeray comes to Prime Original as a 7-part miniseries that focuses on an orphan girl that climbs the social ladder of English society in the Georgian era.

Her mobility takes place in a post Napoleonic defeat. Becky Sharp is focused on rising above her station regardless of the consequences and social implications that may take place in doing so.

Every movement that drives her forward creates an entrance into King George IV's court as she breaks the hearts and fortunes of those that happen to fall between her and her ultimate ascension.

REMASTERED WHO KILLED JAM MASTER JAY

Netflix; Debuts 12.07.18

Musically speaking, there are a number of mysteries involving the deaths of great artists, musicians and performers. In 2002 at the age of 37, Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC) was added to this list. Friends and family of this artist have toiled over the DJ's unsolved murder. In Netflix's docu-series, ReMastered, each episode analyzes these deaths and in the latest installment (the first episode looks at Bob Marley's attempted assassination and the second looks at the political evolution of Johnny Cash) they investigate, "Who Killed Jam Master Jay?"

This show looks at his rise in the music industry in the 80s with Run-DMC along with interviews of those who were impressed and inspired by his work. But it all comes to a head when the series focuses on his murder when his individuals were buzzed into his Queens recording studio and moments later, they opened fire killing the hip-hop legend.

Theories of how this happened includes, looking at witnesses that were intimidated, security cameras that were tampered and more. As someone that was known as a peaceful force in the industry, the idea of having so many unanswered questions that have resulted in a lack of justice for his friends and family and no convictions is perplexing.

GLADIATOR

Spotify

Wondery

The Boston Globe's Spotlight Team sits down and investigates football's Aaron Hernandez as he climbed the ladder from high school sports in Bristol to playing with the New England Patriots and hitting the stage of the Super Bowl. But as quickly as he moved closer to his epic dream, he found himself a convicted murderer years later.

The investigative team looks at the story of Anthony Hernandez's life through the crimes he committed and how football via brain damage may have contributed to his violent behavior. Were his sexual interests in a masculine football culture also an element to how he approached his life? Did elite coach interests trump his needs when he wasn't ready to participate as a mature adult despite his skills? The podcast shares new documents as well as audio about his life, death and what has taken place since.

See more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and read Bingely Streaming in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW WITH LA LA ANTHONY

When it comes to someone who has a number of credits across verticals to her name in entertainment, La La Anthony is on that list. This powerhouse started in radio, went on to VJ on MTV's TRL, is a best selling author, a beauty mogul with her brand La La Anthony Motives, had a successful reality series and directs/produces. As an actress in a number of movies and shows, fans know her as LaKeisha in STARZ's Power. Currently she is taping the upcoming season of Power and with the year coming to a close, we wanted to to know about the importance of leaning into all of your talents - no matter how many there are, how she is able to multi-task and be present and to continue her success.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When you say La La Anthony, you are a legacy. Starting from radio and many of us first heard you as a VJ on MTV, to being someone who owns a beauty line and is an actress and best selling author. How important is it to establish yourself as a powerhouse not only for yourself, but for women and women of color?

LA LA ANTHONY: I think it’s important! You want to stand for something and be about something. For me, it’s always been about show people that you can do more than just one thing and be great at it. You can start in radio, be a VJ, have a reality show, be an actress, be an author, be a producer and be great at all of them! So many times people try to put us in these boxes and say, “if you’re a VJ, that’s all you’re going to be and if you’re a radio host, that’s all you’re going to be.” I’m just trying to continually break those misconceptions and those barriers down.

AM: We know that we’re busy and many of us are in a number of projects, but you are constantly on the move – how do you keep it together with your schedule, your family, a number of red carpets….

LA: I always say that I don't sleep! But no, you have to prioritize and I always say that my son comes before anything else. Being a mom is my most important job and I put him before anything. I have a great support system and am so fortunate to have a family that helps me out with Kiyan when I need it, friends that can help me out so if I’m at work at 4am in the morning or like a day like today that the alarm went off at 5:30am in the morning and I was like, ugh – I know that my mom is there to help and Melo is an amazing dad and has always stepped in and been a great father and partner for me when it comes to raising Kiyan. We just make it work!

AM: School is a large part of your focus with Kiyan and we’re in the midst of cold season, how do you go against that to make sure that your son is fine and you coming off of set with all the germs that are found in these areas?

LA: The first thing is to wash your hands and I’m constantly doing that! I’m shaking people’s hands all day, Kiyan’s hands and I’m always disinfecting and using Lysol disinfecting spray to take care of my kitchen, bathroom, video game console, and it brings me to the partnership that I have with them known as the One Less Sick Day Program. It’s all about reducing the number of sick days in school which starts at home. You have to make sure that you’re doing your part at home so that these kids aren’t coming into the school sick. When kids have sick days, not only are they not feeling well, but when you’re at work, it also throws your schedule off. They’re missing school or Kiyan’s missing school and basketball practice and it throws everything into disarray. We want to prevent that and one of the things that Lysol is doing is providing 10,000 schools with Kinsa thermometers which helps with early detection of cold and flu symptoms and viruses which is great because a lot of these schools don’t have the proper tools to help with this properly and it’s why I wanted to be a part of this program.

AM: How do you stay fit because you always look amazing.

LA: I do workout and I realize that you can’t cheat the gym no matter what you do! You always have to go back to the gym. I do traditional weights with my trainer, a FlyWheel Bike in my house that they gifted me which I am so grateful for that. So I do FlyWheel at home and boxing I love. You have to find things that you do that you love or you will never be able to stick to it. I’d be lying if I said that I loved working out, but I know that it is something that I have to do to stay in shape and be healthy. But I am not one of those people that are like, “hey I’m going to the gym today and I can’t wait to work out – it’s just not me!”

AM: We’re all about moments here so who are 3 people that inspired you in your career, where those were your key moments that you needed that little push to take it to the next level.

LA: I think that watching some of my mentors from Oprah to Mrs. Obama, just they embody everything I want to be as a woman as a successful career woman. Mrs. Obama as a successful career woman, wife and mom. Oprah Winfrey, building this entire legacy and everything that she stands for – so I just watch people that I love and watch what they navigate and if I can even get a piece of what they are doing correctly, then I would be very happy! For me in my day-to-day life, it has always been my mom. She hasn’t had this amazing career, but she has given me so much life common sense that has taken me further than a lot of the business advice that I have ever gotten. Because my mom always says that, “when it is all said and done – some of these answers are just common sense and you guys just make it so complicated.” That has really helped me throughout my journey as well.

IG @LaLa

Read more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know with La La Anthony.

BACK IN SEASON WITH PARVEEN KAUR

When the holiday season hits we tend to think about the umpteen events we are invited to and of course, closing out the year which means something a little different depending on what you do! We caught up with Parveen Kaur as she is in the midst of tapings for her hit show, Manifest which debuted this fall and will be back from its midseason break on Jan 7th! We have been fans of a number of her shows including Saving Hope, FX’s The Strain and Freeform's Beyond. We sat down with her to find out about what it’s like during Pilot Season, playing Saanvi on NBC’s hit show, what’s coming up for the remainder of the season and how she takes time for herself in the midst of such a crazy schedule!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you realized that you wanted to be an actor?

PARVEEN KAUR: Oh oh that’s a really good question! I don’t know if there was ever a particular moment, but I had always known that ever since I was really young that I was going to be in show business and I kind of went all over the place I remember at one point I was like, I am going to be a WWE wrestler and then I thought I wanted to be a stunt driver. Then I was like, I want to be a singer but it all kind of fell under this umbrella of wanting to be able to perform.

When I moved to Toronto when I was 18, I just had a friend that encouraged me to take some classes and it was something that felt natural and I had a lot of fun doing it. I think that was around the time when I felt like, yeah let’s do it – I was working at the mall and I wanted to figure out what I actually wanted to do with my life. The stars just kind of aligned in that way and then I was able to get an agent pretty quickly and then I just kind of kept at it. I mean I just really loved it and I still really just love it!

AM: That is a great story. What is Pilot Season and what is its duration as we always hear people refer to it, but it seems like there is so much that takes place within this.

PK: Yeah – so Pilot Season is typically from January to March. It’s a couple of months where studios are just trying to throw their scripts at the wall and seeing what sticks, making new projects and seeing what will be the next big thing in a condensed period of four months. All the studios are putting out their scripts and seeing what can be made and what will hopefully be their next big hit. Now Pilot Season isn’t just about being between January and March – I think that timeline has grown a little bit, but that is definitely the most. You’re going on like 4-5 auditions a day, you’re getting the script the night before and then you’re auditioning the next morning and it’s very fast.

If you are lucky to be booked for something, the Pilot gets made and then you also keep hoping that it gets turned into a series – because there are no guarantees that this will happen. Pilot Season is VERY stressful.

AM: That’s intense! So if you’re getting all of these scripts with different characters/personalities and going to the auditions, how do you prepare for all of them with so little time? What is the preparation for Pilot Season versus when you are working on a show like Manifest that you know has already been greenlit?

PK: Well you don’t prepare for it in Pilot Season. It’s like a marathon and your stamina has to be there, you go in and you just hope that whatever little time that you do get that people will see you potential! You’re right that it’s such a short period of time and you’re hoping that you go into the room and that the casting director is mindful of the fact that there is such little time and that they are looking strictly for whether I could be this person and not so much that this person is the one. It’s just not a lot of time to prepare. Now when I am on Manifest, or when you are on a show, it’s such a luxury!

AM: Knowing this, looking at you being on Manifest, how did you prepare for this role, what was the process like to be on this show and what was the audition like?

PK: So ok, I have the quintessential sad actor story for how I got into Manifest. So I was in Pilot Season and I was really close to getting on another show as I had not read the one for Manifest yet. This script fell into my lap and I fell in love with it and it doesn’t happen so often – like in every Pilot Season you may get 2 or 3 that you really love or connect with. It’s just that it’s such a high volume season that you’re reading so many of them – it may be only 1 that you really love. When I found out that I didn’t get the other project, I was really devastated and that one hit me really hard! It was my third year doing pilot season and it is really draining and you start thinking, “Oh my God it’s never going to happen.”

I was in this rut for a couple of days and then Manifest fell into my lap and then I read for Saanvi. I just took all that tension and weight that I was carrying from that rejection and I put it into my audition. It couldn’t have been more – I mean it’s that cliché of sometimes things are meant to be and happen in a certain way. Things were supposed to happen that way and I took that energy and put it into my Manifest audition and then the next day they were like, we’re going to have to fly you to NY to audition for David Frankel and I was still in kind of a funk because the same thing had happened to me for other shows. I’m based in Toronto, so you get that call and you’re being flown to LA or to NYC – where you are one step closer but it doesn’t turn into anything. So, I was still in that mind frame and when I went in to audition for David Frankel, I took the pressure off of myself and it ended up being the best audition that I have ever had in my life and it has forever changed the way that I now audition which is great!

AM: How do you describe Saanvi and what do you see as similarities or differences between you and her?

PK: Well Saanvi is a lot smarter than I am ha ha! When I had spoken to Jeff Rake showrunner and the creator of our show, he really described her to me as someone that is tough as nails, a fighter and someone that is really resilient. To me, that was very exciting to play someone like that. I feel that that part of her description is a common characteristic of her and I. Like, I have had an interesting upbringing and I have gone through a few things that made me resilient and maybe I have put up some walls and Saanvi has definitely done that as well – we haven’t seen her have any kind of breakdown like some of the other characters have had on the show. They are really struggling and Saanvi is really just pushing forward and just putting her head down and really just focusing on the work and looking at what happened. She just has this wall up and is guarded as well and I can understand that side of it. That will change as you will see when we get back to air as she has a huge turning point and I think fans will be excited to see this!

AM: We were wondering if there would be more about her backstory – does she have a love life? Her head down approach has been great, but it felt like there should be more about her and we know that you can’t give it away!

PK: No spoilers! I think that since the rest of the cast is so traumatized, not to say that she is not, but I think that she is a good balance and counterpart to the Stone family. I mean, they are really struggling as they have so much going on in their personal lives and she has been a good balance for them and the show. She is being shown as someone who has yet to absorb what has happened and she will! I’m so glad that the writers have waited to show this and I think that when people see what she is about to go through, I think that that will be really rewarding for the fans, everyone that watches and even for me as an actor. I have been patiently waiting for something to happen so when it does, I am really grateful.

AM: What’s great about the show is that you have two major pillars, obviously what has happened in terms of what took place on that flight and then it’s the Stone family. But the way that the other characters are integrated, you don’t feel that they are side people – they are just as important as the family. It’s like looking at a diamond with a number of facets and I think that’s what draws people in. You end up finishing the episode and talking with others about it and going online to read theories and it makes it a fun show to watch and to talk about.

PK: Do you have any theories?

AM: The show is maddening, in a good way as you guys are dropping these pieces where you see a connection and then something else happens and you realize that we’re still not figuring out what happened. Obviously the government is involved, but who and is there a secret arm and even the government agencies aren’t working together and are definitely not on the same page.

PK: Well, wait until Season 2 (knock on wood) because Jeff just came in to talk to me the other day and gave me kind of a vague idea of where the show would go as well as Saanvi’s character and it gave me goosebumps! It’s going to be really great and I am really excited. I think our show is still a baby too! In Season 1, we are figuring out our footing, what we are, who we are and that's really common. I mean the people that love this show will be rewarded and pleasantly surprised as they stick around for the back half of this season and as we continue into the next. We just started to get closer and closer and closer. We know the characters and we’re attached to them so we can really start finding out what’s happening. I’m excited for us to come back in the New Year.

AM: In addition to what we like about you as a person is the importance of representation for women as well as being a woman of color. How do you bring this into your roles and making sure that you’re amplifying this as much as possible in a situation where representation is still an issue?

PK: That’s definitely a complicated topic and issue because it doesn’t start with me – it starts in the writer’s room and it’s their responsibility to have representation in their room so that when they are writing the nuances of people from different walks of life, that those nuances are truthful and accurate. Also, as an actor, I can try to pick projects that reflect me as an actor as well as my community in an accurate way, but truth be told – it’s not like I get those opportunities all of the time to begin with. I’m still playing in the medical field which is very complicated and as grateful as I am to be working and on such a big show, I am still a South Asian woman playing a doctor. I would like to move away from that, but the difference with Manifest is that they have written her in a way that as we get to know her, she will be humanized and she’s not just an Indian doctor, she is someone with purpose and who you will get to know in a personal way. I think that that is why I was happy to be on the show and play someone in the medical field again. And I said that after this show I wouldn’t do it again and I hope that this show will lead to opportunities to play different characters. I think that that would be a blessing and all that I can do is to bring as much humanity to Saanvi as I can and as much nuance as I can and hope that people love her and appreciate her. There are a lot of people that watch and there are young people that are looking at who we are, who watch and are inspired by Saanvi, as well as my journey as an actor.

It’s a complicated question as far as how I deal with it and I think it really boils down to the writer’s room and asking them! I always find it to be counterproductive when people ask people of color what they think about diversity as I’m like, “you don’t have to ask me – I already know it.” I can talk about it for days – I understand it. It’s the people in power – those who are making the decisions they are the ones that need to be asked about diversity as they are the ones that need to start answering that question for themselves.

AM: You recently were in a film, are there additional areas in TV/Film that you would like to tackle – perhaps directing or producing?

PK: I would like to try to break into fashion!

AM: Oh!

PK: Yeah, it’s my first love. I would like to start breaking into that world in some way. I’m not sure into what capacity I could, but that is my heart. I like fashion, styling, creative directing. It gives me a lot of joy. I have been sewing since I was a kid and I was one of the people that would lock myself in my room coming home after school and by high school I was making the clothes that I made – it was therapeutic. It was a great expression for me and it took a lot of my frustrations and feelings that I felt as a child and it was put into clothing. So that’s a big passion of mine that I hope that I get the opportunity to work in, even if it’s just wearing the clothing.

I don’t know if I can get away with just making something at this point, but I am so inspired by fashion and the work that we do. Our costumes and wardrobing are a big part of our characters and it’s no small feat for our costuming departments to come up with something beautiful and accurate and that is a creativity that I know is acknowledged, but we can always do more! When we watch characters, what they are wearing is very important and I am one of those actors that you will find me in the Costume Department all of the time – just hanging out!

AM: How do you take time for yourself in the midst of your busy schedule – do you meditate or take inspiration walks?

PK: That’s a great question! I decompress in the shower and I need a hot shower before work and after work – that’s how I decompress. I like to just hang out with my dog. My mom gave me her Curry Chicken recipe for my 30th birthday and I am not a cooker and I don’t cook! She gave it to me and all of a sudden, I am enjoying cooking and trying to understand it. I like working with my hands as I find it very therapeutic and I’m sewing which is really nice so that’s how I wind down. I love spending time with my family and that’s great for me. I’m a pretty chill person. I love going to the movies – I go a couple of times a week. If there were enough movies, I’d go even more. I love escapism and the whole thing of going to the theater, grabbing snacks, the lights come down and I can escape and go somewhere new – it’s one of my favorite things to do! It’s so funny because I live in this particular area in Brooklyn where there are three different movie theaters and it’s really awesome!

AM: In Brooklyn, where can we find you grabbing a meal, drinks and working out?

PK: One of my favorite restaurants is Lucali's in Brooklyn - it has the best pizza in the world. People need to make their way there! I am a coffee snob and whenever I move to a new city, I need to find my coffee. If I don’t have my coffee place, I end up feeling very lost and don’t enjoy my time there. It’s such a big part of my routine because I get up and go get my coffee. So there are a few shops that I like to go and work from. In terms of working out, I love to do yoga and actually I haven’t been that good at doing it because my schedule has been so hectic! I do work with a personal trainer when I am in Toronto and I love doing hot yoga! I’m small and I like to stay toned. Being small and tiny, I want to have curves and there is this myth that if you workout, you will lose weight which I don’t want to do because if I lost weight, I’d look sick! Yoga and hot yoga was the perfect balance for me to practice mindfulness, working my body and exercising – that’s a good one for me as well.

IG @YoParveen

PHOTOS COURTESY | NBC Manifest + Parveen Kaur

Read more from the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Back in Season with Parveen Kaur in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | RICHARD BLAIS

Richard Blais trained under phenomenal chefs from Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, Daniel Boloud and Ferran Adria and then took the runner up spot on Top Chef's fourth season. Seasons later, he won Top Chef: All Stars. Richard continues to be a judge on Top Chef as well as a number of guest appearances on Food Network. In addition, his successful restaurants include: Juniper & Ivy and The Crack Shack.

With the holidays starting this month, we wanted to talk with Richard about what we should have on hand in our cabinets, how can we make great leftovers, and what he is up to that we should keep an eye out for.

ATHLEISURE MAG: With the holidays coming up, what are ingredients that are always good to have on hand regardless of whether we’re making our appetizers, mains, sides and desserts?

RICHARD BLAIS: Salt is a given! My personal favorite is Morton Fine Sea Salt as it gives any dish – appetizer, main, side or dessert – that additional flavor boost needed to upgrade your Thanksgiving meal.

AM: What is the key to proper planning when making our holiday meals?

RB: Getting ahead! Don’t be afraid to start the work a week ahead if possible! Stock, sauce, gravy, cutting vegetables, and getting as much done in advance of the day of eating!!!

AM: What are common ingredients that can be used for sweet and savory dishes that we may be surprised to know?

RB: Salt of course really wakes up any dessert! I love cinnamon in savory dishes as well!

AM: After an epic holiday meal, how can we breathe life back into our turkey in a new way for leftovers?

RB: I’m a big fan of upcycling your Thanksgiving leftovers. The go-to at my house is to take dinner’s leftover sweet potatoes and turn them into breakfast waffles. My kids are big fans of this too!

Leftover Sweet Potato Waffles

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp Morton® Fine Sea Salt

1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (recipe below)

1/2 cup melted butter

2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs, separated

1 cup Pomegranate seeds

1 cup toasted, Pumpkin seeds

1 cup your favorite granola (or recipe below)

1.5 cups crème fraiche, whipped (or whipped cream)

2 tsp apple pie spice

1 tsp Morton® Coarse Ground Sea Salt

Directions

· Preheat your waffle iron and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

· In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, Morton® Fine Sea Salt, sugar and cinnamon.

· Beat the egg whites in a mixer or with a whisk, until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

· In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, vanilla, melted butter and egg yolks.

· Add wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until fully incorporated.

· Fold in sweet potato and egg whites.

· Spray all sides of waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, pour batter into waffle iron so that it fills the shell completely.

· Close waffle iron lid and wait for notification that it is finished (likely, a beep)

· Open iron and remove hot waffle.

· Serve with a handful of pomegranate, pumpkin seeds, granola, and a dollop of crème fraiche, as desired.

· Finish with a dusting of apple pie spice and Morton® Coarse Sea Salt.

Mashed Potato Recipe

Ingredients

1 ea large sweet potato

1 tsp Morton Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

Directions

· Preheat oven to 350 F.

· Rub sweet potato with Morton Kosher Salt, black pepper and olive oil and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.

· Bake in a baking dish in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until fork tender.

· Remove from oven, peel once cool enough to touch, and mash with a fork.

Granola Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup slivered almonds

¼ cup honey

¾ tsp Morton® Coarse Sea Salt

1 tbsp browned butter

Directions

· Preheat oven to 250F.

· Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and pour into a baking dish.

· Cook for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to toast evenly.

· Remove from oven and let cool.

· Use handful of granola to top the waffle, as desired.

AM: What does a Richard Blais Thanksgiving meal look like?

RB: A few variations of turkey! A traditional roasted one and then something experimental for that year. This year I’m in Italy, so maybe porchetta for thanksgiving! And lots of sides! Mac and cheese, braised greens, homemade bread, but always CANNED cranberry jelly! Don’t judge!

AM: What tips do you have in making a moist turkey that guests will enjoy?

RB: The key to a moist, flavorful turkey – it’s all about the brine! Brining really helps to lock in the birds’ natural juices. My tips on bringing – ask Alexa. With the Alexa skill, Morton Brine Time, you simply call out for help and you get step-by-step answers to all your brining questions.

AM: We know that you enjoy truffle hunting – any tips that you can give us when we have the opportunity to do so?

RB: You need time, a good guide, and an amazing dog. I’m no expert, but I forage regularly in California for all sorts of wild foods, and I recommend it as a fun family hiking activity. Just know what you are grabbing and consult a field book, or expert always!

AM: We know that you are a busy guy with a number of restaurants, appearing on shows etc., but when you’re home, where would we find you grabbing a bite/cocktail, working out and doing a little shopping?

RB: I travel so much I feel like it’s hard to pin down a routine, but I call North County San Diego home. You can find me running a trail or foraging when I’m not in the restaurants.

PHOTOS COURTESY | RICHARD BLAIS

Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know with Richard Blais in mag.

GRAMMYS 2019 | NOMINEES + WINNERS

Who’s excited for the 61st Grammy Awards which airs on Feb 10th? The nominees came out earlier today and as always we picked out who we think we would win. We can’t wait for the show.

BOLD | Athleisure Mag’s Prediction

BOLD ITALICS | Winners predicted correctly by Athleisure Mag

ITALICS | Winners that we didn’t predict

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

H.E.R. - H.E.R.
Brandi Carlile - By the Way, I Forgive You
Drake - Scorpion
Various Artists - Black Panther: The Album
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys
Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Cardi B - I Like It
Brandi Carlile - The Joke
Childish Gambino - This Is America
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow
Drake - God's Plan
Kendrick Lamar & SZA - All the Stars
Post Malone & 21 Savage - Rockstar
Zedd & Maren Morris - The Middle

SONG OF THE YEAR

Kendrick Lamar & SZA - All the Stars
Ella Mai - Boo'd Up
Drake - God's Plan
Shawn Mendes - In My Blood
Brandi Carlile - The Joke
Zedd & Maren Morris - The Middle
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow
Childish Gambino - This Is America

BEST NEW ARTIST

Chloe x Halle
Luke Combs
Greta Van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith

POP

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE

Beck - Colors
Camila Cabello - Havana (Live)
Ariana Grande - God Is a Woman
Lady Gaga - Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)
Post Malone - Better Now

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE

Christina Aguilera ft. Demi Lovato - Fall In Line
Backstreet Boys - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - Shallow
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B - Girls Like You
Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton - Say Something
Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey - The Middle

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM

Camila Cabello - Camila
Kelly Clarkson - Meaning of Life
Ariana Grande - Sweetener
Shawn Mendes - Shawn Mendes
Pink - Beautiful Trauma
Taylor Swift - Reputation

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM

Tony Bennett & Diana Krall - Love Is Here to Stay
Willie Nelson - My Way
Gregory Porter - Nat "King" Cole & Me
Seal - Standards (Deluxe)
Barbra Streisand - The Music... The Mem'ries... The Magic!

RAP

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE

Cardi B - Be Careful
Drake - Nice for What
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake - King’s Dead
Anderson .Paak - Bubblin
Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, & Swae Lee - Sicko Mode

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION

Christina Aguilera ft. Goldlink - Like I Do
6LACK ft. J. Cole - Pretty Little Fears
Childish Gambino - This Is America
Kendrick Lamar & SZA - All the Stars
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage - Rockstar

BEST RAP SONG

Drake - God’s Plan
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future, & James Blake - King’s Dead
Eminem - Lucky You
Travis Scott, Drake, Big Hawk, & Swae Lee - Sicko Mode
Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar - Win

BEST RAP ALBUM

Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
Mac Miller- Swimming
Nipsey Hussle - Victory Lap
Pusha-T - Daytona
Travis Scott - Astroworld

ROCK

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE

Arctic Monkeys - Four Out of Five
Chris Cornell - When Bad Does Good
THE FEVER 333 - Made An America
Greta Van Fleet - Highway Tune
Halestorm - Uncomfortable

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE

Between the Buried and Me - Condemned to the Gallows
Deafheaven - Honeycomb
High on Fire - Electric Messiah
Trivium - Betrayer
Underoath - On My Teeth

BEST ROCK SONG

Greta Van Fleet - Black Smoke Rising
Twenty One Pilots - Jumpsuit
Bring Me the Horizon - MANTRA
St. Vincent - Masseduction
Ghost - Rats

BEST ROCK ALBUM

Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog
Fall Out Boy - M A N I A
Ghost - Prequelle
Greta Van Fleet - From the Fires
Weezer - Pacific Daydream

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM

Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Beck - Colors
Björk - Utopia
David Byrne - American Utopia
St. Vincent - Masseduction

R&B

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
Toni Braxton - Long As I Live
The Carters - Summer
Lalah Hathaway - Y O Y
H.E.R. - Best Part [ft. Daniel Caesar]
PJ Morton - First Began

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
Leon Bridges - Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand
Betty LaVette - Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight
MAJOR. - Honest
PJ Morton - How Deep Is Your Love [ft. Yebba]
Charlie Wilson - Made for Love [ft. Lalah Hathaway]

BEST R&B SONG
Ella Mai - Boo’d Up
Miguel - Come Through and Chill [ft. J. Cole and Salaam Remi]
Childish Gambino - Feels Like Summer
H.E.R. - Focus
Toni Braxton - Long As I Live

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
The Carters - Everything Is Love
Chloe x Halle - The Kids Are Alright
Chris Dave and the Drumhedz - Chris Dave and the Drumhedz
Miguel - War & Leisure
Meshell Ndegeocello - Ventriloquism

BEST R&B ALBUM
Toni Braxton - Sex & Cigarettes
Leon Bridges - Good Thing
Lalah Hathaway - Honestly
H.E.R. - H.E.R.
PJ Morton - Gumbo Unplugged (Live)

DANCE

BEST DANCE RECORDING
Above & Beyond - Northern Soul [ft. Richard Bedford]
Disclosure - Ultimatum [ft. Fatoumata Diawara]
Fisher - Losing It
Silk City & Dua Lipa - Electricity [ft. Diplo and Mark Ronson]
Virtual Self - Ghost Voices

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM
Jon Hopkins - Singularity
Justice - Woman
Sofi Tukker - Treehouse
SOPHIE - Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
TOKiMONSTA - Lune Rouge

COMEDY

BEST COMEDY ALBUM
Patton Oswalt - Annihilation
Dave Chappelle - Equanimity & the Bird Revelation
Jim Gaffigan - Noble Ape
Fred Armisen - Standup for Drummers
Chris Rock - Tamborine

REMIX

BEST REMIXED RECORDING
Labrinth, Sia & Diplo present LSD - Audio (CID Remix Official Dance Remix)
Charlie Puth - How Long (EDX's Dubai Skyline Remix)
Gabriel & Dresden feat. Sub Teal - Only Road (Cosmic Gate Remix)
Kygo, Justin Jesso - Stargazing [ft. Justin Jesso] (Kaskade Remix)
HAIM - Walking Away (Mura Masa remix)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Call Me by Your Name
Deadpool 2
The Greatest Showman
Lady Bird
Stranger Things

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Ludwig Göransson - Black Panther
Benjamin Wallfisch & Hans Zimmer - Blade Runner 2049
Michael Giacchino - Coco
Alexandre Desplat - The Shape of Water
John Williams - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Kendrick Lamar & SZA - All the Stars
Sufjan Stevens - Mystery of Love
Miguel - Remember Me [ft. Natalia Lafourcade]
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow
Keala Settle & the Greatest Showman Ensemble - This Is Me

PACKAGING

BEST RECORDING PACKAGE
Mitski - Be the Cowboy
BTS - Love Yourself: Tear
St. Vincent - Masseduction
The Chairman - The Offering
Foxhole - Well Kept Thing

BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (Locked N' Loaded)
The Decemberists - I’ll Be Your Girl
Grateful Dead - Pacific Northwest '73-74': The Complete Recordings
“Weird” Al Yankovic - Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic
Sarah Dodds and Shauna Dodds - Too Many Bad Habits

BEST ALBUM NOTES
Various Artists - Alpine Dreaming: The Helvetia Records Story, 1920-1924 (James P. Leary)
Charles A. Asbury - 4 Banjo Songs, 1891-1897: Foundational Recordings Of America’s Iconic Instrument (Richard Martin & Ted Olson)
Sonny Clark Trio - The 1960 Time Sessions (Ben Ratliff)
Various Artists - The Product Of Our Souls: The Sound And Sway Of James Reese Europe's Society Orchestra (David Gilbert)
Bob Dylan - Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 (Deluxe Edition) (Amanda Petrusich)
Various Artists - Voices Of Mississippi: Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris (David Evans)

PRODUCER

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
The Carters - Apes***
Childish Gambino - This Is America
Joyner Lucas - I’m Not Racist
Janelle Monáe - PYNK
Tierra Whack - MUMBO JUMBO

BEST MUSIC FILM
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
Whitney
Quincy
Itzhak
Elvis Presley: The King

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag

WHEN FANTASY IS REALITY WITH FIELD YATES

This month's cover is graced by Field Yates, an NFL Insider for ESPN who contributes analysis, breaking NFL news and fantasy football for the network. We enjoyed catching up with him to know more about how he got into the industry, shows he's on and more about Fantasy Football.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you realized you wanted to work in sports?

FIELD YATES: For as long as I can remember, I wished to work in sports. I often joke that I had an early realization that my future in sports was not going to be on the field forever - my college career at Wesleyan University on the football and lacrosse teams - was inglorious. But, without hesitation, I always knew that I wanted sports to be a foundational part of my life. So much of my life has revolved and will continue to circle around sports, which I'm grateful for everyday. So while pinpointing a specific moment is difficult, I'm hard pressed to remember a time when I didn't envision a career in sports.

AM: We know prior to coming to ESPN, you worked in the front office on the staff for scouting and coaching. Tell us about your background and how you transitioned your career into joining the ESPN family.

FY: My career at ESPN was, well, not by design. My desire growing up was to enter into the world of football coaching, and after spending several training camps working with the Patriots during my high school and college years, I was hired by the Chiefs in 2009 following my graduation from Wesleyan University. My summers with the Patriots were a combination of scouting and coaching duties, learning the ins and outs of each while contributing in any way that was asked of me. I draw the parallel to learning a new language: for me, training camps were my football Rosetta Stone. Learning from an organization with incredible success was my foundation and my time in Kansas City (2009-2011) provided me with a chance to put my football education into action. Both were truly remarkable opportunities.

AM: What shows on air as well as on the podcast are you a part of and tell us about these as well?

FY: My role at ESPN has some elements of a utility player, as my assignments span across almost anything tied to football. During the season, I serve as the co-host of the Fantasy Focus Football podcast with the amazing Matthew Berry and Stephania Bell. Our show is live-streamed daily on Twitter, making it a bit different than a traditional podcast -- it's TV-lite. On Sundays, I appear on our popular Fantasy Football Now show, with in-season work on NFL LIVE, SportsCenter and any other football-related segments on other shows. My work also includes extensive ESPN Radio opportunities and some writing for ESPN.com.

AM: What is an average week like for you as we know you are at ESPN HQ as well as work out of Boston?

FY: During the season, my week lays out as such: I depart Boston first thing Sunday morning, arriving to Bristol by about 7:30 AM in advance of our meeting for Fantasy Football Now. From then until Friday afternoon, I remain in Bristol (I'm familiar with all of the local hotels near Bristol by now!), as our podcast airs every Monday-Friday. It's a blitz from Sunday-to-Friday, but one that seemingly goes by at the speed of light. Between TV obligations, the podcast, developing our weekly rankings for those who play Fantasy Football and so much more, there is rarely a dull moment.

AM: How do you take time for yourself with such a busy schedule?

FY: My goal is to carve some time each day for myself to unwind from the ever-moving football news cycle. I'm a morning person - always have been - so my days begin with a workout every day. It's a chance to decompress and set the tone for the day ahead. As a creature of habit, I know that bypassing on a workout in the morning will inevitably result in it falling by the wayside later in the day. Get up and get going is my mindset.

AM: What is it about reporting about football, focusing on fantasy sports and giving fans analysis that resonates with you?

FY: I truly believe the advent of fantasy football has led to make the sport relatable in a way that is incomparable. Hardly a day goes by when I don't hear from someone who has a question about his or her fantasy lineup or favorite team. That connectivity to fans, readers, followers, listeners, viewers, etc. is something I am truly inspired by. The appetite for football is insatiable; from the 17 weeks of the regular season to the playoffs, the draft, free agency and so much more, everyone seemingly loves football!

AM: What is your personal style when you're on the air, when you're podcasting and when you’re at home with friends and family?

FY: I aim to be myself above all else. That's the starting point for how I approach my work, as it's easy to see others in the world of reporting or podcasting and try hard to emulate their style. But that is what works for them; it's important to be authentically yourself in any walk of life. Style-wise, specific to apparel, my goal is to always look sharp: an outfit that you aren't trying to draw attention to, but an outfit that when people see it, they understand there was thought put into pulling it together.

AM: How do you stay in shape? What are 3 of your go to workouts?

FY: My workouts do tend to go into phases: sometimes they involve more weightlifting, while other times I place more of an emphasis on cardiovascular activity. But three workouts that you can never go wrong with: a run around the Charles River in Boston, any sort of core workout and a full-body exercise.

“My desire growing up was to enter into the world of football coaching, and after spending several training camps working with the Patriots during my high school and college years, I was hired by the Chiefs in 2009 following my graduation from Wesleyan University.”

— Field Yates

AM: What's on your playlist when you're working out and what do you listen to when you're hanging out?

FY: The world of podcasting is not one I live in simply as a host; I'm a huge consumer of podcasts as well. Be it the other fantastic podcasts we have on our ESPN feed (Adam Schefter or Mina Kimes football-themed shows) or anything related to the NBA - I'm a hoops junkie - podcasts are a perfect workout soundtrack for me.

AM: In Boston, where would we find you grabbing a drink/getting a meal, working out and shopping?

FY: Boston has such a great mixture of culinary options and I'm fully convinced its on the rise. Our local seafood is as good as and deserves to be advertised and the next time I ever grow tired of eating lobster will be the first time. During the summer, the Seaport area has seen tremendous growth, becoming one of the best areas to spend time in its mixture of top restaurant options, activities and shopping make it a can't miss Boston spot. For my favorite sandwich in the city, 3 Little Figs in Somerville is hard to beat.

AM: Let's talk Fantasy Football. How important is the draft and what are some tips if you are with a group you know well versus venturing out into new waters?

FY: The draft is supremely important in fantasy football, but it is unquestionably just the first step in the process. I always remind people, the team you draft is not the team you finish your season with! It's essential to be active on the waiver wire and fielding/offering up trades. Along those lines, the most important thing to remem ber in the draft is to find value; even if you start your draft with a surplus of wide receivers, it won't be long before someone with a dearth of pass catchers comes calling with a compelling trade offer. While NFL teams often draft for need in the NFL draft, draft is based for value in fantasy football!

AM: What are some surprises you've seen for this season?

FY: While I had an extremely optimistic outlook for Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, his emergence into the best fantasy football wide receiver so far in the league has been tremendous to see. He does everything well, is consistent and represents one of the best values in this year's draft. On a non-fantasy side, the robust number of trades has been fun to see as well. NFL teams have often been hesitant to make trades when compared to what we see in other major sports league (i.e. NBA, MLB, NHL), but the spike in trades has been neat in the NFL. Teams are far more wheeling and dealing than we're typically accustomed to, as was evidenced leading up to the recent trade deadline (October 30th).

TWITTER @FieldYates

Read more from the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see When Fantasy is Reality with FIeld Yates in mag.

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH WHITNEY PORT

We fell in love with Whitney Port during her days on The Hills as well as The City on MTV! We watched the rise of the budding fashion and PR girl through her internships, love life and more. With the reboot of The Hills coming back, we took some time to chat with one of our fave girls to talk about the importance of fitness, coming back to the show and other projects that she's working on.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We fell in love with you on The Hills and then seeing you step into the next phase of your life with The City! How did you get on The Hills and what was it like for you to be on this reality show?

WHITNEY PORT: I got onto “The Hills” pretty organically. I was an intern at WWD, and I was starting college in the fall in LA. I wanted another fashion internship, and Teen Vogue, which was in the same offices as WWD, was looking for interns. I decided to go in and interview. They told me that they thought I was a great candidate, but asked if I was interested in being on TV because they were starting to film a TV show there. I was unsure at first. They suggested I do a casting tape and see what happens. The next thing I knew I was called back in for the next on-camera interview with Lisa Love at Teen Vogue. Lauren Conrad walked into the waiting room while I was waiting for my interview. I then realized I was auditioning for her spinoff show because I had watched “Laguna Beach” and knew who she was. I had no idea that they had already casted me on the show. The rest was history!

AM: What made you decide that you wanted to continue onto the spinoff and what lessons did you learn from both shows?

WP: I really wanted to start my clothing line, and I saw the power that the show could have in terms of exposure. I joined the cast of “The City” because I thought it would be the perfect platform for me to launch my clothing line. I looked at itcompletely from a business perspetive. I also always wanted to move to NYC and thought that this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

What I learned is that just saying “yes” to things is so powerful and even though you may be scared, just say yes to more things. We are only young once and these opportunities fade so quickly so just really take advantage of these random fun adventures as often as you can.

AM: What can you tell us about The Hills Reboot?

WP: I cannot necessarily share so much at this moment, but we just started filming and its been really fun reconnecting with everyone. I’m excited for fans to see what we are all up to. It’s very different from how we used to spend our time.

AM: Are you excited to be back on the show - how do you think it will be different and what are you most looking forward to?

WP: It’s been ten years since we first started, and we all have grown up so much since then. We all have families and careers, so I think hopefully it will show a different perspective from a career standpoint as well as the intricacies of more mature relationships. A lot of the people that have watched the show have grown up with us, so I think they will be in similar places and have similar situations going on in their lives.

AM: Since being on the reality shows, we have enjoyed seeing you take on a number of projects from your clothing line, TV hosting and more - what are you currently working on that we should know about and feel free to share launches etc.

WP: I’m the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Bundle Organics, which is a tea, snack and vitamin booster line for pregnant and nursing women. We are launching 24 new items in Buy Buy Baby in the beginning of November, so I’m really excited because the new items are really delicious. I’m really excited to be a trusted brand for pregnant and nursing women, who have so many questions about what to put in their bodies and what brands to trust. I’m just excited to be that brand that they can look to.

AM: Health and fitness is important to us as well as to you. Why have you partnered with LACTAID and what is it that you enjoy about it?

WP: I’ve partnered with LACTAID because living a healthy lifestyle is important to me and real dairy is part of my balanced diet, plus I love the taste. I started buying LACTAID Milk because my husband, Timmy, is lactose intolerant. It has become a staple in our home.

AM: We know you created a LACTAID smoothie recipe, what's in it?

WP: Yes, after a good workout, I make sure to refuel with a smoothie made with LACTAID Milk, which has all the good nutrients found in real dairy without the discomfort of the lactose, so my husband Timmy can enjoy it too. The protein and sugar are just what my body needs after a good sweat. Check out the recipe below:

Ingredients:

1 Tsp cacao nibs
3 dates
¼ cup almonds
1 ripe banana
1 cup LACTAID® 2% Milk

Directions: Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

AM: What is your favorite healthy fall meal that you enjoy eating for lunch or dinner and what's a splurge food that you enjoy eating?

WP: My favorite healthy fall meal is my favorite meal year-round. I love steak. It’s always been my favorite food. My husband recently got one of those Big Green Eggs, so he grills the most delicious NY steaks and then we like to make a side of roasted potatoes. I also like an arugula salad for a side. My favorite splurge is French fries!

AM: What are 3 workouts that you enjoy including in your workout routine?

WP: Hot yoga is my favorite because it always feels so refreshing. I also like spinning and Pilates. I love a good sweat. I feel like my workout was worth it if I sweat out a bunch. Pilates is good for strengthening and lengthening. Spinning is just a really good release…

AM: We know you are based in LA, where would we find you working out, grabbing a bite/cocktails for date night and where do you shop?

WP: My favorite workouts are at Core Power Yoga, SoulCycle and Pilates by Amanda! My fave spots to grab a bite to eat are La Scala, Katsuya in Studio City, South Beverly Grill and my new fave Tocaya Organica! I just went to this AMAZING store called Mohawk in Los Feliz that had the coolest stuff ever! I wanted everything! I also love Only Hearts in Santa Monica for lingerie and Barneys just for everything!

AM: How do you balance the demands of being a wife and mother, stepping back into the reality world, running your other businesses/projects as well as taking time for yourself?

WP: I really just try to be as organized as possible with a shared calendar with my husband and all my work comrades! I try my best to be in the moment and stay present at any given time but I find that the need to plan always seeps in. I don’t really find perfect balance, rather I try every day to just be ok with the imbalance. It is REALLY hard and if anyone else has suggestions, I’d love some!

IG @WhitneyEvePort

Read more from the Oct Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Hills Are Alive with Whitney Port in mag.

THE HITMAKER WITH NATHAN MORRIS

When you think about R&B you always come to Boyz II Men who had one hit after another with their cool sound, great sense of style and music videos that you remember when thinking about their songs. Although they are a phenomenal music group, we had the chance to hear about a project one of the founding members and Grammy winning artist, Nathan Morris is doing with the DIY Network in his new show, a four part series premiering on Oct 6th – Hit Properties with Nathan Morris. We had a moment to chat with him while he talked about the legacy of his group, his interest in real estate, how this show differs from a number of flipping programs and what we can find him doing when he is not touring and flipping houses!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we get into your new show on DIY Network, we know you kicked off this year’s NFL season with Boyz II Men at Lincoln Financial Field. We’ve been a fan of the group since Cooleyhighharmony. How have you guys continued to be an amazing group that has produced a number of hits, videos and more?

NATHAN MORRIS: I just feel that we are truly blessed to still be able to do what we love, to see our fans and for them to still find that after 27 years, our music is still relevant to them. Our fans are from all over the world and they give us so much love. When you hear fans say that the first song they slow danced to was, “I’ll Make Love to You” or they had a Boyz II Men baby – to know that we have been a part of people’s important moments is crazy!

AM: You guys have a residency at The Mirage in Las Vegas – how is it to prepare for these shows and is there a place that you have yet to perform that you would still like to do?

NM: We love that our fans know that 22 weekends out of the year, they can come see us at The Mirage – we have done this for the past 3 years. We know a number of our fans who have really enjoyed our music over the years may have never seen us in concert - so this is the venue to do it! We just signed an additional 3 years there.

I’d love to see us performing throughout South America and we’d love to be able to have the chance to go to the Middle East and to perform in Duabi. We’d also love to go to Africa as well.

AM: Clearly, we know you’ve been a powerhouse in the music business but how did this translate to real estate?

NM: I’ve had the pleasure of investing in some serious real estate deals on the business side and on the personal side, I’ve done some construction, renovation and designing.

AM: Tell us about your new show Hit Properties with Nathan Morris?

NM: I’m really excited about this show. I know that there are a lot of shows about flipping houses, but we really go in there to show you what it’s like. I take this old mansion in Orlando and I Nate-a-cize it – I love luxurious upgrades and I really like smart home upgrades, remote controlled toilettes and WiFi enabled lighting. In addition to showing the work of taking this 8,200 sq feet mansion from a decrepit place to a glamourous one, we also have humor in this show and you see my right hand man, Bryant Gipson working right along side with me as he has done in other projects that we have partnered on together.

AM: Why did you focus on Orlando?

NM: Mainly, the weather is ideal there as you can pretty much work year around and it just made sense to do it there.

AM: What do people who want to get into the flipping industry need to know about the business?

NM: If you’re a person who can’t be flexible and only has a plan if everything goes right – then this is not for you! You also have to remember that when you're flipping a house, you're not building it for you. You want to put finishes and touches that someone buying it could see for themselves. If you make it with amenities that you personally want, you may find that they are too much to your taste and not universal.

AM: What are areas that you suggest a flipper should focus on when doing a home?

NM: I believe that the kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms are essential. I spend the most time in these areas of my home after my bedroom. These are areas where you want to be able to relax. I don’t like small spaces so you’ll see in the show that I increased one of the rooms by 15 to 20 feet in order to be more spacious and inviting.

IG @NathanMorrisPHD

Make sure to check out this season this season of Hit Properties with Nathan Morris on DIY Network which debuts on Oct 6th at 10:30pm EST.

Listen to our conversation with Boyz II Men's Nathan Morris, on an upcoming episode of #TribeGoals on Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network.

Read more from the Sept Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Hitmaker with Nathan Morris in mag.

GET ORGANIZED WITH TIA MOWRY

The transition that takes place in August is always an interesting one as many are focusing on the last days of summer and getting ready for fall, some are going back to school (or are involved with little ones) and the clock begins to tick on planning for holiday. As we're all about preparation, we took some time to talk to Tia Mowry about the upcoming season as a working mom, her partnership with Office Depot and upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Back to School Season is like a moment in time where even those who may not be going to school are thinking about their home offices - how important is it to have the important tools to get your work done whether it's going back to school, setting up your home office or just doing a general refresh?

TIA MOWRY: As a working mother of two, you can imagine how chaotic life gets at times. The only way I accomplish all the tasks I need to get done during the day is by staying organized - and the best way to do that is to have fun with it. I usually have endless to-do lists laying around my house, however I just discovered my new favorite organization “tool” – Office Depot’s customizable TUL planner. It’s so cute and comes with a bunch of fun stickers and built-in accessories that make each to-do list fun to create and check off.

When Cree and I go back to school shopping, I can’t help but think about students and families who cannot afford the school supplies they need. I think that having the proper supplies helps students succeed in school and every student deserves a fair chance to succeed in the classroom. I love that Office Depot is committed to supporting education and makes it so easy to give back.

This year, Office Depot has two great ways that everyone can participate in giving back to the community. Their “Give Back to Schools” program lets you give 5% of your qualifying purchase back in credits towards supplies to a school of your choice, or the Office Depot School Supply Drive lets you purchase extra supplies at a local store that will go to a local Title 1 school at the beginning of the 2018 school year.

It’s a great feeling buying all Cree’s school supplies in one place, but it’s even more rewarding being able to give back to support local schools while shopping, and I am glad that Cree is getting that experience at such a young age.

AM: What tools should we always buy to make sure that we can replenish them without having to make another order?

TM: I’m all about pens! I think it is important to always have fresh pens on hand. Nothing is more annoying then writing a note or list or helping Cree out with a project and running out of ink. So for me, I have packs and packs of pens in every color and of course, my favorite – gel pens (especially Office Depot’s TUL retractable gel pens)! For back to school, Office Depot also has these adorable jewel top pencils and windmill pens and I am obsessed! They make writing anything much more fun.

AM: Why did you partner with Office Depot?

TM: Education and giving back to the community are two things I fully support and stand by. Office Depot has been committed to this for over 30 years, so partnering with the company was an easy decision for me.

Office Depot makes it easy for me and my family to send Cree to school with everything he needs, and I know I can rely on them to have exactly what we want –fun and stylish (what Cree wants!) and functional so I know he’ll be prepared for anything.

AM: How do you make lunches fun - do you change up the options, add special utensils?

TM: When I was in school, I used to love opening up my lunch and getting surprise notes from my mom. Every note would be different and would brighten my day. I make sure Cree has something (besides food) to look forward to at lunch, like a note or some cool stickers.

Kids get bored of things so easily, so I try my best to change up Cree’s lunches as much as possible. Whether it’s a different type of sandwich or fruit, I think it’s important to mix it up and provide a variety. It also helps to plan ahead for the week and of course I ask Cree if he has any preferences (this makes it easier on me). His favorite are these yummy turkey meatballs I make so I try to pack those often. The Bentology Bento Box Set from Office Depot makes packing lunches so easy and also fun, and since Cree is obsessed with the Slime lunch box and loves showing it off, I pack the bento box set in it and we’re both happy

AM: Tell us about Tia Mowry Quick Fix and what we can expect to find there.

TM: Tia Mowry’s Quick Fix is all about life hacks that make everyday things that we do easier! Hence the “Quick Fix”! You’ll find recipe hacks, beauty hacks, and Q&A's so my viewers can learn more about my life and family.

It’s really a community that I have created that helps people get through their day to day life easier.

AM: Tell us about projects that you are working on that we should keep an eye out for as we have been fans of your work for years?

TM: I am doing more tv/movies in the future, so keep an eye out for that! Look out for new episodes of Tia Mowry’s Quick Fix as well.

IG @TiaMowry

PHOTO COURTESY | Office Depot

Read more from the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Get Organized with Tia Mowry in mag.

AND SCENE WITH ELLEN ADAIR

There are shows that give us the chills because it draws you in, you're trying to figure out how it all comes together and when they're limited edition series, you hope it comes back again. That's  how we feel about USA Network's The Sinner which is back for its second season to show us a crime that you couldn't believe that took place and then retraces its steps to tell you why it went down and how people and experiences are a lot more connected than you can imagine.

The cult following of the show comes through based on actors who play characters that don't have clear lines on being either good or bad. Ellen Adair who you have seen on HBO's Veep, NBC's The Slap, Showtime's Homeland and Billions, and currently plays Bess McTeer in The Sinner. She sat down with us to talk about her process as an actor, the scene that had everyone shocked within the first 10 minutes of the first episode (the second scene if you haven't seen it spoilers - you've been warned), character island and the Phillies!

ATHLEISURE MAG: So excited to talk to you. I was obsessed with The Slap. When that came out -

ELLEN ADAIR: Oh wow! You’re the only person in America!

AM: Truly loved it. That show was just riveting and then, I’m just going to say it, the scene from The Sinner, was beyond!

EA: Oh thanks!

AM: Everyone who has watched that has been left with – what? So we’ll delve into that. There are scenes that are in cinema and TV and you think of the horse’s head in The Godfather, but you’re 10 minute situation was like that kind of scene in my opinion.

EA: Oh my goodness, thanks – I mean like, move over dead horse's head.

AM: I mean, you were still going.

EA: What a great compliment – thanks!

AM: Can you tell us about your background and how you got into acting. You’ve been in a lot of things, like Homeland.

EA: So I wanted to be an actress since I was like a tiny child which belies some type of personal development I guess. But it was just like children’s theater that I did. I wasn’t a professional child actor and I think that really my love was the theater and I think that that was partly because both of my parents were college professors and are staunchly (less so now, particularly my mom) anti-TV. So I didn’t have a TV growing up. So we would go out to see movies, but I think that my parents had this real thought about it being in the house as a source of a constant distraction. I read a lot and we went to theater and I saw TV at friends’ houses. When I was 10 years old, I said I wanted to be a stage actor and it wasn’t until I got into the professional world that I started working on camera a little bit and I was like, “oh I love this, I love this SO much.”

For me, I actually did Shakespeare at an early age. I did my first Shakespeare at the age of 12. My first professional/semi-professional thing when I was 15. That was also Shakespeare. What I love so much about Shakespeare is that there is so much that is technical about it that it allows my artist brain to just free up because there is this great sense of being like on a train, I don’t have to get on a boat, I just get on the train and take it to the end of the play. I just kind of say, ooo what I ride!

I feel kind of similarly about on camera stuff. In that there is so much stuff that is technical about it that part of my brain is able to be free and spontaneous about it. That way, I can be completely real about it.

AM: What is your process when you are looking at a character that you want to play? Once again, I loved you in Billions (Showtime) – especially when these characters are so different. You have played a number of characters across shows and although I know it’s you – you bring such a different approach to each one. Some people when they portray roles, still bring a lot of themselves into each one – do you get what we’re trying to say?

EA: Yes I do know what you are trying to say and I’m really touched that you say that because I think that is – it’s not a part of my mindful process so much as I guess, I don’t know coming from my sort of life reading a lot, and I was an English and Theater major in college and so I really love text. I love textual analysis so for me I guess, it all just comes from me really looking at the script and looking at what the writer is doing and then just imagining if I was that person in that place. So I don’t think about, “oh this is – I don’t judge my character in any sort of way" and I really feel that I am just playing myself, but if it were me and my entire life was different and my development was different and I did this thing and these were the words that I say or at least that is 100% of my process for on camera stuff.

For theater, it’s a little different. Sometimes I will mostly think about how would this character sort of hold themselves physically different or how their voice would be physically different then mine. So it’s also sort of like, technical things that show up. But, then there’s – I don’t know – why I do the thing as there is some kind of magical thing that happens and if I just put myself in the situation then I am just suddenly this totally different person. So on my – I remember on The Slap, one of the producers, because it was like the first big thing that I did for TV. I had done a couple of small reoccurring things before. But a producer came up
to me and we were in the middle of filming and really quickly he said, “I love your performance on this” and I thought, “I have a performance?” I mean I was just so focused on the thought of, what if I was a lawyer, a D.A. and got some wonderful thoughts from Ken Olin (Dir/Exec Producer - This is Us) – one of my favorite directors that I have ever worked with – I adore him. I incorporated those into thinking about what would be my life goals and what I would want to be. But I didn’t think of it as a performance and similarly, when I came in on my first day, I thought that I was just going to say the words and everybody was like, “oh I really love what you’re doing,” and I thought, “I’m doing something? Great, I’ll keep doing it.”

Working on The Sinner was just incredible – it was one of the greatest blessings on my life so far and part of what was so much fun about that was just that – the circumstance that Bess is in – it’s so extreme and different than the circumstance of other people that I have played. It was just that a whole new person just came out.

AM: Tell us about the process of getting on the show, what it was like working with Bill Pullman and the idea that The Sinner tells you what happens, but why did it happen and what are the circumstances around it that made it happen. Which reminds me of elements of The Slap.

EA: There’s so many wonderful things to unpack in what you just said! For me, a real comparison between the works The Sinner and The Slap is that we’re always talking in both cases, that there are sets of characters that have some sense of redeeming qualities and some less attractive qualities to put it politically. That’s my favorite kind of story, favorite kind of TV, favorite kind of movie, book whatever. I think that some people, it’s not their favorite.

They want it to be where this is the good guy and this is the bad guy. But I really enjoy digging into that kind of stuff. In terms of my experience with The Sinner, I had watched it because actually, a lot of the crew is the same from Billions – the genius Director of Photography Radium Cheung – some of the A.D.s that I knew from Billions said they were working on this and I watched it. But then I rewatched it when I was going in to audition for it, and having just done Homeland for 5 months, what I was struck with so much was how much everyone and all the characters take their time. How much space for human life is allowed versus the kind of person that I normally play that is very talky, journalists, lawyers, political animals – just be kind to Janet because she is so wonderful.

That was a conversation that I had with Bill at the very first Table Read. When I just sort of fangirled him and talked to him about how amazing his performance was in the first season.

What I loved about the show was that it is really populated with humans that are always saying something but not speaking. There is so much clearer speech that is not articulated in this show and it’s something a little more like indie film and Antonio Campos (Director + Executive Producer) one of the really big geniuses behind the first and second season has a background in indie film and he just brought that sensibility to the show. I found that also working on it that I am so hard wired to just pick up the pace and even though I knew that from watching the show not to do it - but ke kept reminding me that, no no - you can take it as long as it wants to take - if you want to say something else, just throw it in” and I thought, “oh this is a new fun thing to work on.”

AM: How long did you film this and are there any snippets that you may be able
to share with us for our readers at Athleisure Mag.

EA: We started filming in May.

AM: WOW!

EA: Yeah and we wrapped … my last day on set was a week before production wrapped. So the first 2 episodes were filmed in tandem which is the right phrase. Which sometimes there were tandem crews, 2 things filming at the same time, because the aesthetic of the show is to film a certain amount of coverage, but they also had to do it within a TV schedule. It was cross-boarded which is the phrase I was looking for because there were so many locations that were the same. That motel room was built on the stage so all of those shots were not on location, there were just a few things that we shot as the motel which includes the scene with the motel manager and things like that. So what can I tell you – I mean I can say I guess, that you will see more of Bess and that what’s really fun is that the flashbacks go back pretty far back. That was certainly fun to remember what human being I was in 2004 and what that meant. The mystery is really the whole thing so I can’t really …

AM: I know but we had to try! So the whole death scene with Bess – how many takes did it take. How much of it came from what the script stated and what part was what you added into it. It just seemed so raw and so much – but so good.

EA: There were many takes and we worked on that scene for a whole filming day.

AM: Woah

EA: Yes just the death scene. Not really much in terms of dialogue. Now that includes the stuff that Adam who plays Adam had to do, which includes the stunt stuff that he did which has the incredible shot of him falling out of the shower. That element will add more, but getting the shots from all the different angles and the special effects things – that still to me seemed fairly early in the process was indicative to me of the level of artistry in the production. So normally, an average filming day and you probably know this is 6-8 pages. So as a script page, the death scene is maybe a page or ¾ of a page but we spent a whole day working on it and we also actually had a day of rehearsal before we had even started filming so we could figure out basically what it was going to be and I talked with Antonio and I said, "you know, I have been watching everything that I can find of videos of film scenes where people are poisoned. Is there anything you can think of where this seems more of the thing and not this." I watched some ridiculous thing where a woman was throwing herself around to every piece of furniture in the room and I thought, “that doesn’t seem like something I should do.” He was like, “no, nothing really comes to mind,” but he said, “you might want to look at videos of people having seizures,” and I’m always dutiful about my homework and I went home and looked at a lot of people on YouTube who were having seizures at home – not film of this. It exists and it’s strange what people will put up on YouTube. In my life an as actor, my YouTube searches are so weird that whatever the computer thinks about me … “I don’t know what they should market to her” – I see a lot of weird ads.

I watched a lot of videos and I was interested in what people’s hands did and that violent convulsion thing is where we ultimately decided to take it. Then the rest of it, we sort of in rehearsal just old school rehearsed it to see what if I would fall to the bed and then the door of the bathroom and then try to save Adam – so it was basically being specific to what was happening in my body every single moment. Now I’m trying to save Adam and now I’m going to vomit and turn away and here’s the moment where I realize that Julian must have had something to do with this. It was a tough day of filming because 3 days before, for the first time in my life, I had developed Vertigo. So actually, it’s just Benign Positional Vertigo – it’s still with me when I lay down to go to sleep. Whenever I would change positions or elevations, I’d get really dizzy. So I thought on that day, I was lucky that it wasn’t a fight scene where I have to do this and look like I'm in control - I feel awful and I am dying so I guess I'll #useit which is what we said all day. And even by the end I would just lie down on the floor really quickly and then I would stand up to feel really awful.

AM: That is dedication!

EA: Well you know it’s just like, this is not a great situation and I wish I had felt well so that I could be in control of my body. As long as it was happening, I may as well take the roses along with the thorns or make lemons out of lemonade – whatever cliché term you’d like to use. It was a trying day, but at the end of the day I felt like I had died and come back to life.

AM: Is it easy for you when you’re done filming to come back to you the person? Some people are so into their characters that it takes them 2-3 months to leave that character. How is that for you and how do you keep that separation?

EA: Hmm it’s a really great question. I think it’s been more challenging for me in my life with theater where you're working on something every single day that’s probably also more of a challenge for people who are doing say a film that they are doing every single day. Whereas, I think that the most days in a week that I worked on the show was like 3 days in a week. So it wasn't every single day and then I wouldn't be working at all the following week. That said, I feel like I always miss my characters when they are not around anymore. Like a Quixotic small victimless tragedy for me as there is nothing that I can hug, there is no person that I can embrace. I really feel like there is this other person that I am in communication with when I am acting and it shows up for me the most very organically and this happened – where my characters have different gestures and little things that they do that that is a residue that will stick around. I’ll do that thing that that character did and I’m like, “oh” it feels like finding a loved one who has passed and seeing their shirt. It’s not that sad as I don’t want to compare it like that –

AM: Totally understand, as a fashion stylist, when I am working on clients or moodboards that it’s in your head so much much that when it’s done, I’ll see something and then have to remind myself that I don’t need it because it’s done and the project is done.

EA: I feel that as soon as I get a character, it’s the little piece of sand in like the oyster of my heart that I am always adding layers to that pearl that everything I see in the world is part of that person. When I don’t need it anymore, I still kind of keep adding to that pearl.
To a certain extent, one way in which characters will revisit is I will play a new one and I sort of feel – and this is a metaphor – that the angelic spirit of the other character will say, “let me lend you these things that were helpful for me” so that I can use them again. I am such a nerd. I have a book of poetry which will be published this fall and most of the poems I wrote are from awhile ago, but they’re about being an actor and a life in the theater and it is mostly about characters. Very much so about this thing that we’re talking about. The relationship between the actor and the character that are like this friend and what I have really come to love and have a relationship with them although we are sort of the same. And in one of them, I sort of create this metaphor where I am an island where all of my past characters live and that when a new character comes and sort of materializes, on the island and asks what this place is – all the other characters are like, “here you can use this” and that’s a poetic metaphor, but in a sense that’s all the people still living on that island.

AM: When is this book coming out and what is the name of it?

EA: The name of the book is Curtain Speech. I was trying to come up with a name that is actually sort of private – being backstage and that is where the conversation between the character and the actor takes place. Or it’s in your trailer or the moments before the take. When you step on stage or when filming starts, you’re one person and you can’t have that conversation again. Curtain Speech is actually the thing that someone will come out and say, “please turn off your cellphones, here are the exits and thank you for coming.” It’s the title I came up with and I don’t have an exact date when it will be coming out, but it might be available for pre-order on Amazon now – I can check with my publisher.

AM: What other projects do you have coming out that you can tell us about?

EA: Well, I will be in Season 7 of Chicago Fire! Other than that, I am working on writing a series like many an actor is. In terms of the little people of sand, it’s always around that series and that character and I developed the idea with a friend of mine, Chris Carfizzi from Billions who plays Rudy and so we wanted to work on something together. But he has a small baby and I sort of took the lead on writing it. We also want to – when our lives are sane enough – probably think about filming a scene so we can shop it around.

AM: So you’re based in NY, where do you love to eat, shop here, workout etc?

EA: So I love Vietnamese food and I can eat it everyday! Probably one of my favorite restaurants is probably OBAO in Hell’s Kitchen. Whenever anyone wants to get lunch, I’m like, “Oh do you like Vietnamese food?” I also really Asian food in general – I’m a big lover of sushi and a friend of mine have had a date for 3 months that we have kept moving to go to Nakazawa, but you have to make a reservation way in advance. Everytime we have made one, I always end up working on a show. I mean in this week, this is the one day that I am filming so that hasn't happened yet. I really love Koreatown because it's right in the middle of the city so it’s not like you have to go all the way down to Chinatown. I also live in Queens and I live in Jackson Heights and I love the Indian food there and Tibetan food, so good! There’s this place Faul. It’s impossible to find as there is no storefront and you go up a random staircase, but it is very close to the Jackson Heights stop. Lassa Fast Food is behind a cellphone store - if you didn't know it was there, you’d never see it. I love living so close to Flushing because my husband and I will just hop on a train and feel like we’re going to another country and that’s really how Flushing feels.

I tend to workout at my local gym and I can’t run outside anymore. I can run on a treadmill and that’s about it.

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“... my characters have different gestures and little things that they do that is a residue that will stick around. I’ll do that thing that that character did...”

— Ellen Adair

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AM: We know that you’re a huge Phillies fan as we have seen your Instagram - so are you from Philadelphia originally?

EA: Yes nobody chooses the Phillies. But I’m from there originally and neither of my parents are from Philadelphia actually, my mom’s from Virginia and my dad’s from Oregon – they were like, we’ll adopt the Phillies. I went to games in utero and then as a babe in arms. Someone asked me if I remembered my first baseball game and I was like, “no, I’ve been going for as long as I can remember.” They’re my life partner as I like to say.

AM: Do you have season tickets or do you go when they’re always here?

EA: I make sure I see them pretty much when I am here. Season tickets are not super practical living in NY, but I do try to see a couple of games in Philly every season. Last season I didn’t because I was doing an Off Broadway show that was basically all of baseball season and that was tough for me emotionally. There are a few Mon games I went to. So in 2016, I saw 16 games and so I knew that that would be my goal. And what I like about this is that I can move the goal post in a good way every year. This year, I have already seen 18 games and there is still a bit of the baseball season left and I am going to a Phillies game next week.

AM: Are you an Eagles fan too?

EA: Um, sure, is the most accurate answer and I was not raised on the religion of football at all. So definitely supported the Eagles this season and not in any sort of a bandwagon way. Did I want them to defeat the Patriots as they are the Yankees of football, absolutely I do. Actually, I watched the Super Bowl with Dylan Baker in Virginia as we were there shooting Homeland and he’s a big football fan. I know the marquee names of football – I definitely enjoy watching it with friends, it’s not something that I would sit down myself and do. I will sit down and watch baseball because it’s unhealthy but I really loved sitting down and watching it with Dylan. Everybody except for one table in this hotel bar was clearly rooting for the Eagles and that made it more delightful. I was wearing an Aaron Nola shirt because I was like, this is how I know how to support – just wear a Phillies shirt.

AM: So how do you give back in a philanthropic/charitable way?

EA: It’s more monetary than it is time. I would love to figure out how my time would be valuable to a particular organization but there are a lot of charities that I care about. One that I have supported for years is City Harvest – I’d like to give my time to them as well. But in the world that we’re living in right now, it feels like there are so many things to keep tabs on there is more then the hours in the day! But, I feel like if I am a monthly contributor to a cause it helps. I care a lot about the environment so I support the Natural Resources Defense Council. I traveled a lot as a child so I think I have a real appreciation for other countries and other cultures. If I had to say the most right now in terms of America, one thing that sticks out there, it’s protecting immigrants and Muslims. I spent a lot of time in Turkey and so like I grew up being like, these are some of the nicest people in the world – I support the Council For American Islamic Relations and National Immigration Forum and United We Dream – I got connected to them because they send text messages where if someone in your area is going to get deported, you can come and help. It’s a service that I guess I signed up for and I was like, I like what they do. The Center for Popular Democracy is also important to me. It’s 10 – 12 that I am monthly donors to and obviously the big ones, ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP – I’m forgetting somebody I’m sure.

Journalism is important. I have a subscription to the NY Times, Washington Post and I support NPR. Also that’s a service and for a little while, there was a grassroots organization of women that I was working for a friend who had founded it and she was trying to get it to expand across the country and she decided to start something different called Candidates and Coffee. So she interviews people for local elections because the information isn’t always there as it’s not in the national stream. You’re not going to see people in your local elections talking on CNN about stuff. There should be a way that millennials can connect so I was just meeting with her last night and I might end up and hope to help her work on that a little bit as well. Voting is super important! The 2016 election certainly taught us that.

I have been thinking about and I haven’t done this before – kind of getting on a bus from NY to PA a swing state close to the election to get out the vote. It’s close and I was registered to vote in PA for a long time.

AM: Is there a director or a role that you’d like to work with or be with?

EA: Such a great question wow. It’s easier for theater because the roles exist already. That's the great thing about TV/film - you don’t know who that person will be until you go off and really create what that is definitively. So, that’s hard to say on camera. I’ve done in theater, a lot of period stuff like old time timey people. It would be really fun to be able to get to do that on camera. I played Marie Antoinette in a play about Marie Antoinette and that was really fun to get to play a historical figure like that. In terms of a play that I read and really fell in love with and knew that that was what I wanted to do, there is this play called the Curious Case of the Watson Intelligence, by Madeleine George. It’s great. A dream role is the one that I am writing for myself.

AM: That’s what I was thinking!

EA: I know I’m sorry Erin for forgetting about you for a second! In terms of a director, I don’t think I have an answer because there are so many that I really admire their work. Sometimes your favorite ones are the ones that were unexpected, because it’s the chemistry between the two of you as people is really great. That’s hard to know, but I’d love to discover that. Note that if Paul Thomas Anderson wants me to – I mean we’d have great chemistry that would be awesome. Also, Antonio was one of my favorite directors to work with and part of the reason for that is that I felt like his eye is so meticulous that when he sees something he is willing to comm unicate that to the actor. So, I felt that absolutely my performance was 100 times better because I was working with him and it’s always going to be better when you work with the director then just doing it in a vac um. He so often had a thought for me like – this time try this or this is so small but I remember it so clearly that in the first episode there is a shot where I get up from the bed and I realize that Julian is missing and he’s at the breakfast bar and I go to the window. That was of course in the studio and when I was looking out the window, I wasn't looking at anything, it was just black. The first few times that we did the take, I said to myself, imagine what you’re seeing as we had not shot in the motel yet so I didn’t know what I was looking at. I had to just make it up and imagine I was seeing cars, whether I was seeing the kid – but I wasn’t, but then we did it so many times that I was doing the movement without doing anything. A couple of times after doing it, Antonio said, “oh it doesn’t look like you’re seeing anything.” I was like thank you because most directors would not give you a note that was that detailed and it has to do with your own internal process. I have a hard time remembering exactly what he said to me that day when we were filming the death scene, because I was going through it physically but I know that he was coaching me and saying we need a little of this and that or that I had this ball in the air, but I was also dealing with this. But he’s the greatest!

AM: I think what makes that scene so impactful is like in sex scenes you know that there are various movements that they do to create the illusion of the act which can come off as very technical looking. The arm is here and then there, 1-2-3. But when watching your scene it doesn’t look like Twister and technical, it falls seamlessly and makes you think it happened in one take when it in fact wasn't. It doesn't look like you're thinking, it's just a flawless flow. Which is why it has really stunned everyone.

EA: What you’re talking about is the whole deal. That the difference is just inhabiting it than just doing the things. I think that there were physical marks I had to hit but the freedom within the technicality I could experience “oh my gosh I’m losing control – I can’t talk, I’m feeling nauseated, where does that live in my body?" I feel it is very similar when you have dialogue and in my transition of doing more on camera stuff and not just theater, is that I learn text in a completely different way. In theater, I know that this is the text and then I have a rehearsal process and I want to spare myself the personalization so I can discover it in a room with other people so that it’s not totally stale when I get to performance. But the way I memorize things for on camera is I do the thought verse and then the words. If you look at someone and it looks like they are saying words not about anticipating – but if they are thinking words and not thoughts, you can see it. You can have very good competent acting where it’s obvious that the person is thinking of words and not a person’s thoughts but my goal is to just be thinking of the person’s thoughts rather than the technical thing whether that be my hand goes here, I stumble over here or I have this political or legal gobbly gook. I’m always like, what’s the thought behind this? That’s what makes it fun.

IG @ EllenAdairG

PHOTO COURTESY | PG 86 + 90 Peter Kramer/USA Network | PG 82, 85, 88, 93, 94 Ambi Williams |

Listen to our conversation with The Sinners, Ellen Adair on an upcoming episode of #TribeGoals on Athleisure Studio, our multimedia podcast network.

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Read more the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see And Scene with Ellen Adair in mag.

THE ADVENTURE CHEF - CHEF ADAM GLICK

If you're a BRAVO viewer, you're aware of Below Deck, their franchise that focuses on yachting and what takes place on luxury boats, from the craziness of the staff to those who book their trips. The show has a number of crew members and the chef is always a highlight worth noting from keeping up with guests' demands, transforming meals and keeping the crew balanced while they preside over their domain in the galley. We hung out with Chef Adam Glick of Below Deck Mediterranean to find out about how he got into yachting, what it means to be an Adventure Chef and what's next for him with his partnership with Jazz Apples.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have a number of questions as our readers are avid fans of the show. But first, can you tell us about your style of cooking as we have seen you as a yachting chef.

CHEF ADAM GLICK: I believe in a cooking style that is very simple and not over doing it. I’m not a big fan of over doing food. A lot of chefs kind of push the limit too far. I just don’t think that it’s good to do. I call myself an Adventure Chef. I believe in a rustic style of cooking that is the exact opposite of a yachting chef.

I want to live my life in a way that I am passionate about. I believe that it is inherent in our DNA to want to eat outdoors and to eat food that is cooked over a fire. We are the only species that have the ability to do that on the planet!

When you go to any other country and eat street food, which is 99.9% of what the world eats, it's not about sitting in a restaurant. It's about getting a stick, meat and fire! In all my travels that was when I was the most satisfied. When I'm in Hawaii, I grab a pineapple and chicken and I'm so pumped! I have the chills now because there is something about just talking and enjoying simple food! I don't want to have to have a team of employees to plate a dish and I want to take a stand for this style of cooking. I am convinced that there is a client for me in the way that I want to present my food.

AM: From the show, we would have never expected that. Can you go back and tell us how you got into yachting?

CAG: I was cooking in San Diego at a restaurant at a nice hotel and I was peeling a bag of 50 pound onions and got an email that said, "Hey Adam do you want to cook on a boat?" I quit my job that day. I put the onions down, walked to the chef and said I was done. I was 21, I interviewed and got the job and I have been on a boat ever since and have never looked back.

AM: With your years on the yacht, how did you get onto Below Deck Mediterranean?

CAG: During my 20’s it was the peak of yachting for me. I did get kicked around and beat up a bit, but the end of my 20's I was fired up. It was a Russian Charter that I was on that drove me - a grown ass man to the top of the deck crying as I hated my job. I kid you not, but the same way I got the yachting job initially is how the production crew of the show reached out to me. They had called me 2 years in a row and I turned them down because I didn't want to ruin my career. But on that day with everything going on and knowing that this was going to be the last time that they would call me, I said yes.

I don't yacht like I used to in terms of jobs. I may do 6 weeks a year. I have a few calls from time to time asking me to come back and right now it's about being the Adventure Chef and of course coming to Below Deck which is a different yachting experience.

AM: As someone working on the Below Deck Mediterranean cast, what is that like?

CAG: It's very different than traditional yachting. We sign our lives away for 45 days straight - that's 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and knowing that a camera is always there!

My role on the show is to show how I am able to adjust when the guests change their minds with food choices and how to interact with the rest of the crew. I learned to just keep my head down and make great food confidently that I can be proud of! I'm not the captain and I can't say no. I also know since I have been on for a few seasons, that the production team can be interesting and they can put together whole sentences that you never said and literally, put words in your mouth.

I called them out on one the other day and said, "I never said that – I know I didn’t." They sent me back an emoji. That was seriously the response that I got! On the opposite side, there are times when the storylines are going your way! This season, I didn’t give them a lot to jumble up, I kept it clean and I just cooked good food the whole time. I didn’t get involved with anyone. I should have watched my language better, but they wouldn’t hire me if I wasn’t going to say those things.

AM: What makes the show so successful?

CAG: People are curious about yachting. On a traditional boat, people will pay up to 1 million dollars for these kinds of trips. Most people are not booking these charters and they want to be able to behind the scenes which is why the ratings of this show on a Tues. night are doing so well!

AM: You definitely stayed out of the drama this season, but it seems that Conrad has really had a rough go of this season!

CAG: I remember the first day that Conrad started dating Hannah, I told him it was a bad idea and that he needed to nip it in the bud. I took him to an area where they weren't filming so I could just talk to him. I guess he's young and there's only so much you can tell people before they have to learn the hard way. You'll see that as you go through the season that it's a bad idea.

AM: As the Adventure Chef, does that mean we won't see you on Below Deck Mediterranean next season?

CAG: Oh no, I am actually going to fly to the South of France as the next season is filming soon - so that's another 6 weeks with the team.

AM: How big is the production crew?

CAG: Commonly when you watch, you’ll see a sailboat with 2 masts and looks very old school, it’s in all the shots - they're on that boat. Every morning they shuttle between the second boat and the hotels. There are 70 people in that crew. All on location at any time 20-30 are on the boat. Whatever union rules are, as they are union, you can only handle the camera for X amount of hours a day and then they swap.

They work as hard as we do for sure. They’re on the boat and it’s not a lot of room.

AM: The show has been a great spring board. Tell us about your Jazz Apples.

CAG: It's been a cool ride and there have been a lot of cool opportunities that have come out of it like the Jazz Apples. They called me and asked if I wanted to do a roadtrip. I was in as that’s what I do. I’m promoting myself as the Adventure Chef and these guys are promoting themselves as the Adventure Apple – it’s an apple that you would take a picture with on the side of the cliff and I like to be on the side of a cliff with my van. They gave me a case of
the apples to see what I would do with it. That’s how Jazz Apples and I came together through this great brand alignment.

AM: We can't wait to see more of you as the Adventure Chef.

CAG: Seeing brands like REI, Patagonia, Outdoor World etc. that are pushing for outdoor cooking - it's where it's headed and I'm thankful to be on the forefront of it.

IG @ChefAdamGlick

PHOTOS COURTESY | Zev Schmitz/BRAVO (Adam Glick + Hannah Ferrier)

Read more from the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Adventure Chef - Chef Adam Glick in mag.

THE FIT SET

A day in the life of Team Athleisure Mag can be in the studio for a session, on set for a shoot, and checking out new brands/products coming to market. Earlier this month we spent the day at Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival here in NYC at the Seaport District  (the next stop is Chicago on Aug. 11th) for an entire day of workouts, sessions and we took some time to chat with celebrity fitness trainers and personalities in between workouts.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’ve enjoyed seeing you over the past two seasons on E! Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian – how did you get involved in that show?

HARLEY PASTERNAK: I have been good friends with Kanye for about 15 years. So I’m inherited into the family. I’m good friends with Kim and Kanye, and with Kris, Khloe and the whole family. So when they were doing the show, Khloe reached out – I said let’s go!

AM: How long have you been with Propel and what was it that made you want to connect with the brand?

HP: That’s a good question. My background was originally in performance nutrition so I ran the performance lab/nutrition lab for the military for a number of years and most of the information on performance – a lot of it came from years ago from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. That was the go to place for us as scientists to get our information to use with the soldiers. So the importance of functional foods and functional beverages has always been a big part of what I do and I really have had an issue with sometimes the sugar content of some of these beverages, and I met the Propel team through some mutual friends and I learned more about what Propel was doing. It reminded me so much of what Gatorade did back in the day and establishing itself as the definitive sports performance information source. Propel has really done the same with fitness and it’s not about the beverage, it’s about the lifestyle, the networking, the fitness community sharing with one another and celebrating together. Then they started explaining to me about Propel Co:Labs and it was really about the future and the present. I got so excited that I became a terrible negotiator because I said, “I’m in”.

The Co:Labs have been really great. As a fitness professional, it's often very individual and almost a very lonely experience. Everyone is so competitive with one another – so competitive but they have created these environments where people are sharing ideas and thoughts and celebrating moving together. They're bringing in pop stars and giving the due and professional attention to the fitness industry that most brands haven’t even come close to.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Gunnar, can you tell us about your background?

GUNNAR PETERSON: I’ve been a personal trainer in Beverly Hills for 29 years. I started working with the LA Lakers last year as  the Director of Strength and Endurance and am reprising my role this year – should be a new challenge and a lot of fun. And I’ve been working with Propel for a number of years because I think that they do it better than anybody in bringing fitness and sports together by collaborating versus all the people that kind of horde information and don’t share and feel that their way is better. I think that Propel opens it up and makes it the way that it should be.

AM: What’s your method or the way that you like to work and train people?

GP: I do different workouts with people because everyone is different as they have different goals, perceptions weaknesses, injury histories, likes and dislikes – although that doesn’t play that much of a part. I'm strength based and I do a lot of cardio intervals to it, movement, mobility etc it’s pretty comprehensive. The one group that we don’t cater to or get asked to do something is body builders or those that are looking to put mass on – that’s not what we do.

AM: A lot of our readers loved seeing you in Khloe Kardashian’s Revenge Body on E! and wanted to know how you got involved in that!

GP: Well I’ve known Kris and the clan – I’ve known those guys for 20 years. I worked with Kris and Kim so when Khloe came to me to make a big change in her life, we got after it. She puts the work in like any athlete that I have worked with and she had her moment. She made huge changes into her body and I wrote the passage on fitness in her book and she created the show and asked me to be on it and there was no way that I was going to miss out on that opportunity to share a small part of what she did with other people and to put it out there for everyone to see. I mean I have had text messages from a lot of people that have had huge takeaways from this.

AM: So how excited are you to be here today for this event?

GP: This is terrific. I have done a number of these with Propel and they have exceeded expectations and they keep going above and beyond. I mean, every venue is great and this one with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background and this giant rooftop with no space constraints – this is going to be a great day today!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Rachel aka Yoga Girl, tell us about what you're doing at the Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival.

YOGA GIRL: I just taught a class on a rooftop overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s kind of insane. We have 300-400 people here, and it’s been super, super fun. I taught a class [at Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival] in L.A. and then taught a class here, and it’s been so community building and so great.

AM: What is the best way to get started in yoga practice?

YG: I always give the recommendation to go find a studio and go take an actual class. There’s so many things you can do online. There’s YouTube and there’s online yoga. But, having a teacher who you can ask questions to, especially if you’re a beginner, is great so you can learn the poses correctly and have someone to align you if you need help. It’s good to start off with a teacher and then transition a little bit more to home.

AM: What are several yoga postures you would recommend for stress relief?

YG: Anything forward folding or forward bending, especially seated, is really nurturing. Legs up the wall pose is a super distressing pose. A forward bend, legs up the wall, child’s pose and reclined bound angle are good poses.

AM: How do you maintain balance with your busy schedule?

YG: I try to find pockets of rest in my day. If I have a really busy day full of meetings and things, I’ll make sure that I have a whole hour to eat lunch and not do multiple things at the same time all day. I’ll take a bath with my baby in the morning, always. I keep that a super serious thing, and I rest in between all the hectic stuff. And then I find it’s easy to keep the energy up all day.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us what Akin’s Army is?

AKIN AKMAN: Well Akin’s Army is a mindset really. I like to say that it’s a higher standard with everyone that trains with me. The mindset is constant process. It’s a workout obviously but intended initially to tap into the athletes that didn’t have kind of training anymore. But then eventually it became more of a mindset.

AM: Can you tell us a little more about your fitness background?

AA: I grew up playing tennis and I went to IMG Academy which was known as Bollettieri when I went there at age 7. It was everyday except for Sundays which I had off haha. But now I train all day everyday – 7 days a week. So I started there and I got hurt around 16/17 and I was already coaching tennis at the time there too and was looking at playing pro and then when I got injured, I was out for a year and then in that time, I decided to go to college instead of trying to play tournaments. I thought that I would just go back to that when I fully healed. And then, it was tough to heal and when I came back and I was coaching at IMG, at 18, but I got hurt on my right wrist with bruising of the bone – so I moved on from playing tennis as much and started coaching. But it took me awhile before I started making coaching my everything.

I started coaching at Crunch Fitness in South Beach first in 2009. I was already teaching tennis at Flamingo Park in South Beach as well. Then I moved to NYC at the end of 2009/2010 and started teaching at Crunch here and then went onto SoulCycle in 2012 and then I really made it my everything and started teaching 40 classes a week.

AM: We have a number of friends who swear by your SoulCycle classes. How did you get connected with Propel and how did you get connected to Propel Co:Labs?

AA: Now you have to come! For Propel, I did a bootcamp with them awhile back through my sister who had a connection.

We did a roofdeck bootcamp around Chelsea – I don’t even remember the building! I met some of the head people that were putting this kind of a thing together – it was amazing and so much fun! Then we didn’t do anything until this year when they asked me to come back and we did LA and this – it’s been incredible!

AM: What are you doing today as we know you’re on the schedule of events?

AA: My class today is again, it’s a full body workout. The way that I teach, it’s tough but you do as much as you can and it’s more about the perspective and the approach that you come to with it. Staying positive and being in that mindset. I try to keep the people hyped up and just full of energy and to do whatever they can and to give everything that they have got! That’s the point of what today is about!

ATHLEISURE MAG: You train a number of celebs and have been on a number of tours! Can you give us a quick rundown on your background?

NICOLE WINHOFFER: I studied Kinesiology, Alexander Technique, collusive body, Eastern Philosophy of well being and after that, I went on tour with Madonna and started training her dancers. She had an audition after I met her at that, she asked me to be her trainer full time and I worked with her for 5 years and I was the head trainer on her MDNA World Tour and her Sticky and Sweet World Tour, and then after those tours, I started teaching underground classes in NY in the basement of my apartment building in 2013 and we  moved to the Standard Hotel on the 3rd floor of the Highline and I started to train trainers under me. I signed with Adidas by Stella McCartney as the first Global Brand Ambassador in 2014 and I partnered with Propel for the first time in 2016 when they did their first festival. Now we’re on our 3rd year and it has been such a great partnership!

and actresses, fashion designers and wealthy/affluent men and women) to bring my knowledge to people across all demographics across America and to be able to give them results and to instill in them that they have the power in them to achieve what they want. I really liked that process of being able to work with people in that way with those that didn’t really think that it was possible and were never felt to believe that way.  

AM: How cool was it to be able to do your session at Propel Co:Labs in LA with Ludacris performing on stage with you?

NW: It was amazing! I call myself a Fitness Artist because I believe in self expression and music and moving your body as there is no correct way. And when Propel told me that the artist that I was going to share the stage with was going to be Ludacris, I thought – wow! It was so exciting and amazing. We worked with the Ludacris team for 6 weeks to figure out the playlist, timing, and they were so great and we had a soundcheck and the Propel team was so supportive. There were a lot of fun moments – there was one moment on stage where I grabbed the Propel bottle and like landed on a split in the floor and Ludacris looked around like, “what is happening” and I was like “yeah that’s right – this is happening right now”. The crowd loved it because they were all sweating and they didn’t feel like a work out because it was so much fun!

AM: So what is the NW Method?

NW: The NW Method is a 55 minute experience that I take you through in order to free your spirit and to move deeper into your body and accentuate your curves. It’s a type of somatic training – there’s breath work, kundalini and it’s a bit more physical exertion like physical meditation – 20 songs that I match up the BPMs and I play songs that wake up your internal organs. Then it moves people past their brains to their bodies

AM: We saw you on Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian – what was the process like for you being on that show and what have you gotten from being a part of it?
 
NW: They found me on Instagram! The casting director told me that my moves were cool and different and how I encompass eastern movement and dance. So I flew to LA for the audition and got the job. I loved that the show took my message (which I train a lot of A-List actors so they can feel themselves and move into their personal truth.

AM: Why do you like working with Propel?

NW: They are a collaborative brand, they listen to my ideas, they support my ideas and they are always looking to stand behind myself and the other artists that they have. Their innovation and willingness to try something new is amazing. The first Propel festival was 3 years ago in LA and it was really different because it was the first time that different fitness people came together and they provided this great experience. The last thing is music – they did a song with Jessie J. last year and the first year they did this song that incorporated a music festival and I built my brand around music. They just really support music in general and it makes it really easy for me to work with them.

AM: We love the bodysuits and the cool legwear that you have – what are your favorite fitness items that you love wearing?

NW: Oooo I’m a dancer so I love wearing Capezio and Danskin. I have friends that are seamstresses and they make me personal outfits so that’s always fun. I love my unitards and wearing bathing suits and anything that’s just not too fitnessy.  

AM: You had this really cool look on your Instagram that was like chaps and a bikini bottom and embellished but it looked very cool!

NW: Yeah, yeah, yeah – that was from Patricia Field for the Propel festival. My friend who is a stylist came over and he sent them over for me to try, but they were way too heavy for me to dance in them haha!

AM: How do you give of your time?

NW: I am part of Girls Inc. which supports young girls in urban markets that don't have access to dance so I teach with them on tour and locally. I work with this group called Core Energetics which is a type of cognitive therapy and I work with some mental patients that don’t have things that healthy humans have through dance and time. I also volunteer once a week at an elderly hospital jut spending time, delivering food and playing games.

AM: Since music is so important to you and is so integral to your brand. What’s on your playlist right now?

NW: Well J Cole for sure – he’s my favorite he has a song called, Kevin’s Heart, I just downloaded the Carter’s album and I went ape shit! I love Rihanna – Needed Me, Ciara – Overdose, Disclosure's Latch featuring Sam Smith, those are my faves right now!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We're fans of Icona Pop as it's on a few of our playlists. You guys have a new album that you are working on – is there anything that you can tell us about that would be amazing!

CAROLINE HJELT: We’ve been writing on this album for quite a long time and we were just talking about it the other day saying, “how could it have taken us this long?” It’s just because we’re so bad at saying no to stuff! Like we love what we do and when we get fun things – we’re like, let’s squeeze it in and then we begin to go touring again. So it’s been taking a long time but we’re almost there and it feels amazing. I would say that I’m just as excited about this album as I am on the first one. It feels like when you're born. We've been working on it for so long and sharing situations and we’re very proud of it.

AM: That’s so exciting and your faces really show how much you’re pumped for this. Is there a drop date.

AINO JAWO: We don’t have a date, but the album will be done at the end of this year. It will be out earlier next year.

AM: So are you guys doing festivals right now?

AJ: Yes we’re doing a lot of festivals in Europe and a couple of shows as well here in the states. I think this is the last one here right?

CH: Yeah and then we move onto Europe.

AM: Did the Coppenhagen festival already happen – Soleima who is also on Big Beat was telling us about it.

CH: Oh yes, you're talking about Roskilde.

AM: Yes!

AJ: Yes Rosklide, we did that last year it was so AMAZING! We have big shows all over the place.

CH: It’s a lot of traveling but we love that!

AJ: We also just got a house in LA where we will have our studio in there as well.

AM: Do you guys also live together?

ICONA POP: YES!!!

AM: How cute is that?

AJ: It’s a big house so you get your space and we’re going to build everything – from a fitness center to a studio.

CH: So we’ll never have to leave and you’ll never see us again! But we’ll have everything that we’ll need haha.

AM: It’s like a glam compound – love it. So what workouts do you guys typically do or what are you building into your home to do?

CH: Well we bought our first thing – the Assault Bike, the first one an all retro one! It’s great for us to have all of those things. I think we’re also planning on putting in a mat so we can do different kinds of workouts.

AJ: Yeah like yoga and my boyfriend is our personal trainer – so he is taking care of all the lifting weights stuff there.

CH: We also love working outside so this gym will be outside. We spend so much time in our studios so it’s great to get that fresh air and to hang out with your friends outside. Meanwhile, we’re working out. We also love working out together and like sometimes you have a longer time and other times your schedule is crazy so it’s important to get it in when you can.

AJ: I like circuit training and that’s a good way to get strong with different types. We always say lift weights with cardio as a lot of women don’t lift weights and that’s stupid.

CH: Yeah and also you realize that it’s a thing that you slowly and slowly get better and that’s when you feel your body start to change. Your posture, you have so much more in your muscles.

AM: So how excited are you guys to be here today with Propel Co:Labs – how did that happen?

CH: I think that they reached out to us and we got super excited because we do work out so much and that’s a huge part of who we are and for us it’s important for us to jump on stage for 1.5 – 2 hours and not gasp for breath! We want to deliver to our fans and be in really good shape and that’s why we were so happy to be a part of this.  

AJ: I think that a lot of times, we do a lot of parties and people see us do shots on stage, but that's just a portion of what we do. There is another part!

CH: Yes, it’s just a part as we’re healthy and a lot of our fans say that they work out to our music. It lets them get over the hump and take their workout to the next level.

AJ: When you’re at the gym it just gives you that energy to say – yes! Sometimes I’m at the gym and I’m like “oh my gosh” this is us and I get a little embarrassed and then I sing along haha.

AM: What keeps you guys inspired when you’re making your music?

CH: I think traveling, hanging out with our friends which is so important to us but also what we’re trying to do right now is that every place we go to, we say what can we do here – what can we see? We really want to work on what we can see and to enjoy, experiencing etc. You can travel all over the world and just see a hotel room. But when you can go and taste the food that is special to that place or to meet the people from that region – that is really inspiring.

AJ: Then I feel like sometimes you need to get bored to like let things sink in. So take a little pause, get bored and then say hmm this is what I want to write. It works very well for us.

AM: Love that, it’s kind of like our belief in disconnecting to connect. So when you guys aren’t working, how do you relax and take time for yourself.

AJ: Mmmm Nature

CH: Yeah! It’s one of those things that’s so easy and sometimes you need a couple of days to say ok I can now breath and I’m not thinking about work too much. But when you come to nature, it happens instantly. Because you can look at water for hours and not feel stressed. You can look at the forest and animals and not feel stressed. This way you can connect with your body immediately as opposed to waiting to 5 days to come down.

AJ: I feel like a lot of times you don’t have that many days off. So we try to do mindfulness – just a couple of minutes a day and that usually helps a lot. It’s also about eating good food.

CH: Yeah just enjoying and appreciating eating really good food with people that you like. That’s also a luxury for me.

AJ: And exercise again. I mean you get so much endorphins from doing that. I don’t even see the workout as work as it’s just part of my routine. When I have a day off, I can do it longer and not be stressed about going someplace else. The worst thing is to be stressed in the gym as it breaks my heart.

AM: How do guys prepare before you hit the stage?

AJ: We drink coffee and listen to music.

CH: We usually, put on great music and get ready together as we have to be in sync. We talk about what we are going to focus on during the performance ….

AJ: Andwho we’re going to be on stage.

CH: Yeah like different personalities

AJ: Sometimes it’s David Bowie, sometimes it’s Prince, Michael Jackson – you name it and sometimes it’s just me haha!

PHOTOS COURTESY | Katie June Burton + Stephanie Noritz

Read more from the July Issue of Athleisure Mag and see The Fit Set in magazine.

ATHLEISURE MAG | JUL ISSUE

This month's celeb fitness editorial (front and back) is Corey Calliet, Celebrity Fitness Trainer who has A$SAP Rocky, Michael B. Jordan as clients. He also trains a number of actors who are in some of your favorite blockbuster action movies. He has also been a trainer on E!'s Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian. Our editorial focuses on what inspires him, explains the Calliet Way and his approach to training. Our July issue is focused on fitness which includes our day of training (as well as interviewing) along with Celebrity Fitness trainers Harley Pasternak, Gunnar Peterson, Akin Akman, Nicole Winhoffer and Swedish pop duo Icona Pop. We also talked with Hunter "The Sheriff" McIntyre who competed in the Tough Mudder X Championship presented by Kill Cliff.  

Within beauty and wellness, we have OB/GYN Dr. Sherry Ross with us sharing Part II of our conversation that we had with her. awareness of a number of issues. We talked with the Co-Founders of Australian cult beauty brand, Bali Body. Our second editorial, Bring it On has tips on how to look stylish from what you're wearing, beauty, hair, drinking and hanging out.

We have a number of features that are in each month's issues including The Art of the Snack - focusing on Kelvin Slush Co, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Something You Should Know with Emirates Airlines, Athleisure List, Athleisure Beauty and more roundups that focus on tennis style, 5 must have sports bras and more. 

Read the July Issue

HITTING THE STREETS WITH POOCH HALL

We've been hooked and fans of Showtime's Ray Donovan since day one! The storytelling, the family - the fixing. With season 6 currently filming here in NYC, we were beyond excited to have Pooch Hall, who plays Daryll Donovan as this month's cover! Our shoot focuses on how he enjoys his down time in the city as we shot in various locations in Flatiron as well as hanging out with him on set! From playing Derwin Davis on BET's The Game, his current role as Daryll Donovan in Ray Donovan and being Frank Alexander on USA's Unsolved The Murders ofTupac & Notorious B.I.G. - Pooch shares it all with us.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had such a great time shooting with you and then coming to your set! When did you realize that you wanted to be an actor and share with our readers about your journey as an actor and roles that you have appeared in?

POOCH HALL: I realized I wanted to become an actor, when I realized I could be a part of the world that entertains and influences, that I could be an influencer. I love entertaining and role playing.

AM: Regardless of our industries, we have had mentors that have really set the tone for our success - who has done that for you and what words of wisdom did they leave you?

PH: A few of the people who have been an inspiration to me are Jon Voight and Liev Schreiber. Jon with his caring and insight based on his experience and Liev based on pulling out my potential as an actor, whether we are acting together or he’s directing me. I have fun and I move based off what they give, or they share what is beneficial. Whatever they teach me, it’s always cherished and helpful.

AM: We've been fans of yours since "The Game" and when we saw that you had joined "Ray Donovan" we were so excited! As you're currently here in New York filming the 6th season, can you take us back to the audition process for being in this show and what have the past seasons been like in terms of being a part of this dynamic cast?

PH: The audition process was awesome it happened quickly. I was fresh off the end of season 5 of “The Game” and ready for the next move. I auditioned and then met with producers and we all connected. I’m blessed that they saw something in me to where I could be considered and recruited for the Ray Donovan star team.

AM: Do you find similarities and/or differences between yourself and Daryll and how do you prepare to play him on set?

PH: Daryll and I are different, but the same. Different because I’m in control of my life - where Daryll is still finding his way. Then the same because I play Daryll... and I want Daryll to be real and have qualities that people can relate to, an underdog trying to defy the odds and be someone who has a purpose...

AM: What if anything can you tell us about Season 6 and what are you excited about for the upcoming season?

PH: Daryll has finally come into his manhood and is exercising his independence as a man and as a Donovan.

AM: With filming being in NYC, how does this affect the show?

PH: Filming in NY is awesome. It’s different from LA. Their looks are different, their swag is different. New York offers a different energy and vibe. It makes people have to work and move differently.

AM: Watching the show there are so many dynamic personalities that interact with one another, we imagine that off camera, you guys are pretty close - how important is it to have that kind of camaraderie?

PH: Having a family camaraderie is amazing, but we have waited a long time to have a show like Ray Donovan and part of the show’s success is due to dynamics outside the show. We have been around Hollywood for a while and each one of us recognizes how important family is. And us being parents and having kids brought us together rather quickly. For example, my kids call Jon Voight "Papa Jon,” Eddie and my kids hang out and Liev fought for me to be in his movie "Chuck" where I played Muhammad Ali.

AM: Are you working on any projects that we should keep an eye out for in addition to the upcoming season of "Ray Donovan"?

PH: I’m working on writing my own story and I was recently in USA's “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.” where I played Frank Alexander, Tupac’s best friend and bodyguard. It’s now available on Netflix.

AM: In our shoot, we included a yoga session at Humming Puppy which is one of our Style Director's favorite places to work out. How do you stay in such great shape?

PH: I run, and I train with some great trainers. Boxing, Basketball and hot yoga are all a part of the regimen. I also try and eat as clean as possible.

AM: In LA, where can we find you working out, grabbing a bite/cocktails and where do you shop?

PH: I work out at 24hour Fitness & Wild Card West Boxing Club in Santa Monica. I love eating at Boa Steakhouse and shopping at Zara.

AM: As you have been in NYC for awhile, where do you work out here, where might we find you for drinks and where do you like to shop?

PH: I work out at Blink Gym and at Carmine Park & Rec where I used to work out back in the day. I also signed up my 10-yr. old son Djordan.

I love to go to Beauty and Essex and I spend a lot of time in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Wherever I can find a bar- gain... love me some Flight Club NY.

AM: We see you in front of the camera, but will we see you directing down the road as well?

PH: Yes like I said I’m writing and yes that’s the plan. You have to be a triple threat.

AM: How do you take time for yourself, especially when you are in the midst of filming for this role?

PH: When I’m sleeping lol and whenever I do have down time, I write or just explore the city.

AM: Philanthropically, how do you give of your time?

PH: I try and give my wife a hand by helping and supporting her fight in raising awareness for special needs. Our oldest daughter has cerebral palsy, and we are in a fight to give her and ones like her the best life possible.

AM: We know that your family man as we love seeing pictures of your wife and kids on your Instagram and we had the pleasure of hanging out with your son Djordan - how great is it to have him join you on set and to take him to the office with you?

PH: It was awesome having my son on set with me. He’s well behaved and constantly asking questions and to learn how Hollywood comes together. And I just love seeing my family, they are my everything.

Our photoshoot took place at a number of locations in Flatiron. We enjoyed including Patisserie Chanson and Humming Puppy NYC which is the sister location to their Sydney and Melbourne locations. Although they have only been open a few months in Flatiron, our team enjoys taking in some much needed zen! Jackie Alexander, one of the Co-Founders is not only in the shoot but took a moment to tell us about their newest studio!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We've been fans of Humming Puppy back when we included you in our Athleisure List a year ago for your locations in Sydney and in Melbourne and now you're in NYC! We've taken a few classes and are huge fans. Tell our readers about the ethos of Humming Puppy in general and specifically about your Flatiron location.

JACKIE ALEXANDER: At Humming Puppy we want our clients’ experience within the space to begin when they cross the threshold from the busy streets of NYC and enter our studio. There are gradual points of reveal as you move through the different zones within our space, transitioning into a space of relaxation before moving into the sublime – the shala/studio - and onto the mat.

In the reception and bathrooms our aim was to create a luxurious space with a spa-like atmosphere. In the shala, the aim is twofold; provide a sacred and beautiful space for your practice but also a practical space where there is ample room between each mat, where the teacher is visible (thanks to a tiered floor) and where our trademark hum resonates within the studio to enhance and deepen the experience of your practice.

Our Flatiron location was also specifically chosen due to its high ceilings and it’s beautiful arched windows, which let an enormous amount of natural light into our lounge/reception area. Finally, the columns within the space are a stunning reference to the buildings heritage and played a big role our design process.

One of the unique things about our studio is that we actually inject specific frequencies into the studio to help ‘tune’ you while you practice.  Our yoga space or ‘shala’ is injected with a combination of frequencies to enhance and deepen your experience and make the shala feel as if it is humming. More specifically we use a combination of 7.83hz and 40hz. Being submersed in these frequencies helps you to naturally produce matching frequencies through a process of entertainment. 7.83hz otherwise known as the Schumann Resonance is actually the frequency of the earth itself and helps to 'ground' you through your practice. 40hz is specifically associated with ‘Gamma’ brainwave activity, integral for achieving states of peak performance. Elite athletes, top-notch musicians and high achievers in all fields, typically produce far more gamma waves than average.  

And whilst all of that sounds quite serious and complicated, on a much simpler level the hum just feels good!

AM: Why did you want to bring Humming Puppy to the states and ultimately to NYC - are there other cities that you feel you'd be interested in having Humming Puppy in?

JA: NYC is just an amazing city that has always held a special place in our hearts and it has been our intention, since before even launching our first studio in Melbourne, to bring Humming Puppy to NYC. Apart from personally being in love with the city, we also felt that the calming and restorative nature of our studio would provide an urban sanctuary where you can relax and take time out from the high paced NYC lifestyle.

AM: If you haven't covered already, tell us about the classes offered at Humming Puppy and what once can expect when taking them.

JA: We don't prescribe to any specific style but rather draw our inspiration from all of the lineages from which our teachers have practiced and learnt.  We believe this gives our students a unified and holistic practice. We base our teachings on the principles of breath-pranayama, movement-asana and awareness-meditation. These principles are the foundation of our 3 class styles in which we welcome beginners through to the most experienced yogi.

These 3 class styles include our Mellow Hum which is a super chilled class that may include gentle slow flows and postures held for 3-5 minutes at a time.

Our Unified Hum which is a medium intensity class that gives students an opportunity to link breath to movement to calm the mind and strengthen the body.

And finally our Dynamic Hum, which is a high intensity class that can include stronger, longer holds, Vinyasa flows and advanced postures that will energize and challenge your practise.

In all of our these classes we welcome beginners through to the most advanced yogi and will always offer variations for beginners for any advanced postures that are being practiced.

AM: We have a number of things that we love about Humming Puppy can you tell us about the phenomenal quartz light?

JA: Our beautiful quartz crystal light is an original piece by Christopher Boots who is a phenomenal Melbourne based industrial designer. When we first saw the piece, we immediately fell in love with it, not just because of its breathtaking aesthetic, but also because we loved the idea of showcasing an artist from our home town. Finally, crystals actually act as a resonator and amplifier of frequency and as such the piece is a beautiful compliment to the Hum that we inject into our shala.

AM: The shala is amazing from hearing you playing the bowls in the space, the dark interiors and the stadium like setup. Can you tell us why the space is laid out like this and how this is beneficial to doing yoga there?

JA: We have come to learn that many students actually have their favorites spots within a yoga class. And as a result of this we have built a mat booking system that allows you to reserve the exact location that you want to be within each class. However, we also didn’t want to disadvantage those who like being in the back over those who prefer the front and so we have tiered our studio (similar to stadium seating) so that no matter where you are located within the class you can always see the teacher.

AM: What is the connection between yoga and sound?

JA: Whist there here are many connections between yoga and the use of sound (through singing or the use of various instruments such as singing bowls), one of the more commonly known examples is the chanting of Om within the practice. The actual meaning of Om has many different interpretations, from it being the “sound of universe” to it representing that which is "mysterious and inexhaustible”.

AM: Tell us about amenities that are offered at Humming Puppy from products in the bathroom and the use of the lounge?

JA: At Humming Puppy we like you travel light - emotionally and physically - so we provide absolutely everything from our home town. Finally, crystals actually act as a resonator and amplifier of frequency and as such the piece is a beautiful compliment to the Hum that we inject into our shala. We also provide hair ties and phone chargers complimentary as well.

Our bathrooms are fully stocked with towels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair dryers, straighteners and shower caps.

And finally in our lounge area, we serve complimentary herbal tea; coconut water and filtered water and students are welcome to make themselves at home before and after class!

AM: Being that you are in NYC now, tell us about where we can catch you grabbing after work drinks/meal, brunch on the weekends and shopping in NYC?

JA: I tend to be a creature of habit and go back to places I love a lot like Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, La Esquina, Café Dante and my local fav XYST but….. …..with that said I love exploring all the amazing food that New York has to offer and so you’ll find me trying out all that there is to offer most weekends. For shopping one of my favorite things to do is wandering through Barney’s on 7th Avenue and simply soak up the design aesthetic and creativity.

HUMMING PUPPY

119 W. 23rd St.
NY, NY 10011

www.HummingPuppy.com

IG @HummingPuppy

Read more from the June Issue in Athleisure Mag and see Hitting the Streets with Pooch Hall in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

GOLIATH
Season 2; June 15th
Amazon Prime Originals

If you haven't caught up on Goliath, we know you're marking your calendars to catch up as the new season will release on June 15th on Amazon Prime. Season 2 continues with Billy McBride (Billy Bob Thorton) continuing to fight new giants (just like last season)! He finds that the client he is meant to defend has an issue that involves a mayorial candidate. In addition, there is a new villain in town that makes the season interesting and creepy.

GLOW
Season 2; June 29th
Netflix Originals

You know that the team at Athleisure Mag is a fan of wrestling (just check out some of our previous covers) so of course when the first season of GLOW came our last year we were hooked! With it's 80's nostalgia as well as focusing on the beginnings of the "Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling", this dramedy is an easy one to binge if you need to catch up.

The second season focuses on the launch of GLOWs' late-night cable television show which was taped in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel and Casino (which was demolished in 2016).

This season focuses on activities that take place around the show from Debbie wanting to be a producer but finding it difficult to break through the boy's club, another wrestler has a flirtation with a camera man, another character has a sexual epiphany while another has their version of a #MeToo moment.

NO OFFENCE
Season 1
Acorn TV

From the creator of Shameless comes an exhilarating, ballsy and funny police comedy-drama with dynamic female characters and a unique take on police procedurals mixed with cutting edge humor. Joanna Scanlan and Elaine Cassidy star as Manchester detectives working in a crumbling cop shop who hunts for a serial killer. The series focuses on how these women got here on this side of town while also working to keep the

streets clean. This close knit teams works on the toughest cases given to them. If you enjoy this season, the second will air on Acorn TV this fall and the third season is currently in production.

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

HE GETS YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER WITH SIDNEY TORRES

We are fans of CNBC, especially their primetime programming. With the second season of The Deed launching on June 13th, we were excited to talk to developer, Sidney Torres on the show, his success at flipping houses, his advice, and his passion for the city of New Orleans which is still coming back from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We're excited for season 2 of The Deed. For our readers that may not be familiar with you, tell us about your background (would love to know more about SDT Waste and Debris Services) as well as (The Cove in the Bahamas), FQ Task Force, IV Capital and how you got into being a successful flipper.

SIDNEY TORRES: I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do when I got out of high school and I had to get a job to figure out what I wanted to do. I went to work in the music business, first working the graveyard shift at a radio station and then I got a job working for a musician, Lenny Kravitz, traveling the world for a year and a half. I got fired after living the rock and roll lifestyle and thinking that I was Lenny instead of working for Lenny. That pushed me into going and getting a job working at a construction company sweeping the floor and learning that whole thing. I really enjoyed architecture and I liked real estate I just didn’t know anything about it so I got a job starting from the bottom and worked my way up to a foreman and then I ended up getting my own general contractors license and started doing my own real estate flips. The success in real estate is what gave me the ability to take on other challenges in the community like the crime app and other charity type events.

When Hurricane Katrina hit and the city was in need of help and someone to clean it up, I ended up getting into the garbage business. There was a huge need and I ended up housing a

lot of the first responders. Because of that I became the hub and the place to come for things that needed to get done. I ended up renting a garbage truck and I started helping clean up the city but I wasn’t getting paid for it I did it because we needed to clean the streets from all the debris. That ended up turning into the largest hauling company in seven years in the state of Louisiana. I ended up selling it to a big public company afterwards.

Real estate is really what gave me the ability to do all the charity work, to help out and give back, and allowed me to get into all these businesses. My main passion and love was for restoring old properties and turning slighted houses and neighborhoods into livable communities.

AM: How did The Deed come about and how is this season different than last season?

ST: The Deed came about through CNBC’s executive vice-president, primetime alternative, Jim Ackerman. CNBC reached out to me because they were looking to do a show about real estate and they saw all the work that I was doing in New Orleans and they wanted to feature my company IV Capital, that lends money to up and coming developers as a hard money lender. On The Deed, not only am I providing my expertise, but this is my money that I am investing to aid struggling property investors. We go in and really show the full renovation process, from the financing, to determining and working within the budgets, to the sale of the home, and all of the deals being made from beginning to end.

This season is completely different becayse I am able to get in earlier on the process and affect change. I am able to give these flippers guidance and help them make good choices rather than help them fix mistakes. I am teaching them things like how to value the engineer. What’s also great about Season 2 is that whether you are looking to buy your first home or get into the flipping business, it gives you the lessons to do so.

AM: We don't want to spoil the premiere episode; however, we love that we are introduced to someone who has fallen in love with a flipped house - what are the common situations you find that flippers fall into that are bad habits that you look to break them of?

ST: You’ve got to separate your emotions from your flip. Even your first time home purchase when you are remodeling your house. You always have to keep your eye on your comps and know what things are selling for and what you can invest and what you shouldn’t invest. Always establish your budget on the front end and don’t let your emotions get in the middle of the renovation. It becomes very dangerous when your emotions get involved because you don’t keep the budget at the forefront, you start over investing and taking longer than you should and that is where you can get into a lot of trouble.

AM: What checklist would you suggest for someone who is thinking about flipping to assess whether they are the right person to engage in this investment?

ST: I always say try to mentor with someone you know that is a real estate agent or broker who is seasoned in the real estate business. That is what I did in the early stages. You can tap on the shoulder of a family member or friend to mentor with and kind of shadow for a while to understand whether or not that is what you want to do. I think it's really important for anyone trying to get into this business to really make sure because it’s not as easy as they make it look on TV and there's a lot of things that you have to know if this is the business you want to get into.

AM: Upon deciding that they want to enter the world of flipping what are some "rules of the business" that they should keep in mind when they are selecting a property?

ST: You always need to evaluate your comps. You always need to make sure you are looking at what is on the market, how long it’s been on the market, what are the finishes that they have in there, and understanding the area in which you’re going to develop in so you can always keep that on the forefront as the guidelines for value. What I call value engineering, engineering your development, your flip, to sit within the comp set that has been proven to work. It’s so important even if it’s your first time home purchase to make sure that you get all your pricing for your subcontractors and you know exactly what your budgets are so you’re not in a position when it’s all said and done that you’re over invested.

AM: How are the rules of flipping in terms of design and finishes different then what you would do for your own personal or vacation home?

ST: It all depends on the area you’re in, it all depends on what those comp sets show, and making sure that you understand that. The same principles apply wherever you go it’s just the content changes – the information changes. So the same processes and procedures that I would do in New Orleans or New York or Miami are the same it’s just making sure that you get the correct information from the MLS, from the online sites, from a real estate agent to make sure that you're staying in the guidelines of what actually sells and how much per square foot it sells for. So those are the things that I always tell new home buyers or new flippers.

As far as design and finishes if you’re flipping there are certain things you won’t do because you’re not personalizing it. You want to figure out what does the market research show as far as what you can put into this flip like what did you pay for it and how much can you invest in it with your budget based off of what the comps are showing. To me the same applies if you are doing your personal home because you want to make sure that you have equity in your personal home. Just because it’s your personal home, you don’t want to over invest in it so you’re upside down that if you had to sell it you can’t get out of it because you put too much money in it and you’ve got to take a loss. So I would say the same thing applies, but you have to be extra careful on a flip because of the fact that you’re flipping it and you’re doing it to make money.

AM: We love how throughout last season and based on the first episode of season 2, that we continue to see the rebuilding in a post Katrina era which makes New Orleans a character in the show as well. What is it about this city that you love so much and why is it important to continue to drive the point home that the effects of this devastating storm are still being felt today?

ST: Considering it was one of the largest natural disasters I think it’s important to constantly let people know that certain areas of the city are still recovering and they haven’t fully recovered.

What I love about the city of New Orleans is the history, the culture, the architecture, the music, and the food. When I look at other areas throughout the United States it’s hard to find the laid back kind of lifestyle that we have here with so much rich culture where you can just walk outside and have music on the street and see an artist painting. When you walk around the streets of New Orleans, you feel like you're in Europe as far a the architecture and the history and the beauty of it. It's different to me than any other area. I love New York and New York has a lot of great areas and history and culture, but it's so big and moving so fast that you know it will wear you down if you’re there for a certain period of time as beautiful as it is. New Orleans is more laid back the way that the people are here. You get a lot for the value of what you are buying here in real estate. I can live anywhere I want in the world and I always choose to keep this as my base.

AM: Looking through your social, we see that you are definitely an Athleisure kind of guy - how do you stay so fit and is there a fitness method that you are a fan of?

ST: I really just do cardio and use body weight for pullups, pushups and sit-ups. A big part of it is just eating healthy. Making sure that I eat healthy and trying to stay away from the sweets that I love. Just trying to stay consistent with that.

AM: When you're in New Orleans, where would we catch you grabbing a cocktail/bite to eat, where are you working out and where can we find you shopping?

ST: I mainly stay within the French Quarter, that’s where I live. When I do go out I have set spots that I go to, I go to Café Amelie, Irene’s, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop which is one of the oldest bars in America, right around the corner from my house. I like to walk down Royal Street and walk into the galleries there, some of the local stores. I like to take evening walks in the French Quarter and listen to music and really just enjoy the street noise and street performers.

AM: How do you give of your time?

ST: I am on the board of Junior Achievement teaching financial literacy to young kids. I also work with the Leukemia Foundation, to raise money. Additionally, I have a group called Voice PAC that gives everyone in the city the opportunity during election time to ask the tough questions and speak out by doing commercials on TV and other media.

AM: If there is anything else that you want to share that we have yet to cover, feel free to include!

ST: TUNE IN! The Deed airs Wednesdays on CNBC at 10pm ET/PT.

PHOTO CREDITS | PG 106 THE DEED - Pictured: (l-r) Sidney Torres -- (Photo by: Tyler Kaufman/CNBC) Wednesday, June 20 on CNBC (10pm ET/PT) | PG 109 THE DEED – Pictured: (l-r) Sidney Torres, Chelsea Dreyer -- (Photo by: Tyler Kaufman/CNBC) Wednesday, July 25 on CNBC (10pm ET/PT) | PG 110 THE DEED – Pictured: (l-r) Preston Tedesco, Sidney Torres -- (Photo by: Tyler Kaufman/CNBC) Wednesday, July 18 on CNBC (10pm ET/PT) | PG 112 THE DEED – Pictured: (l-r) John Brooks, Sidney Torres, Joan Brooks, James Brooks -- (Photo by: Patti Perret/CNBC) Wednesday, June 13 on CNBC (10pm ET/PT)

Read more from the June Issue of Athleisure Mag and see He Gets Your House in Order with Sidney Torres in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | JUN ISSUE

Our June Issue was just released and we're beyond excited to share our celebrity cover!

This month's celeb cover (front and back) is Pooch Hall of Showtime's Ray Donovan which is currently filming here in NYC! His son Djordan Hall is on the back cover. The shoot took place in Flatiron (Chanson, Humming Puppy and on the set of Ray Donovan). Our June issue is focused on awareness of a number of issues. We talked with Gabriel de Santino about how to read beauty labels when it comes to cruelty-free products. We chatted with Dr. Sherry Ross OBGYN/GYNO about women's health and to touch on a number of topics that you may have always wanted to know but never asked. We're fans of CNBC's The Deed and are excited to have developper, flipper and philanthropist, Sidney Torres about his second season and important tips on how you should approach your next project as well as how he got into the business. Our contributor, Dr. David Greuner, shares how we can get a great workout by taking it outside. We focus on 5 foods that blast fat with Eraldo Maglar as well as some fitness tips. We also talk with Celebrity Hair Stylist and Founder of Ouai, Jen Atkin to find out how she got into the business, how to ensure that our hair looks great this summer and her collabortion with Gurney's Resorts!

We have a number of features that are in each month's issues including The Art of the Snack - focusing on Monkey 47, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Something You Should Know, Athleisure List, Athleisure Beauty and more roundups that focus on 4th of July, 5 must have leggings and more. 

SET YOUR DVR | HOLMES + HOLMES 9PM EST/PST ON JULY 10TH

Set your DVR for Holmes + Holmes on DIY Network which premieres on Tuesday, July 10, at 9pm EST/PST. During the 12 episodes of the upcoming season, you watch Mike Holmes Sr. (professional contractor) and his son Mike Holmes Jr. (home renovation expert) "make it right" as they buy and transform three tiered properties into dream homes! Along the way, we also see wedding planning with Mike Jr. to his fiancée Lisa throughout the season.

“I’ve worked for my dad for well over a decade and now we’re teaming up and going into business together,” said Mike Jr. “This paired with planning my wedding is a new—and challenging—experience for me.”

Of course in addition to fixing homes, anticipation of an upcoming wedding - there is also the focus of the hardships that can take place when working with family. As they are officially business partners in a new venture, the first episode shows Mike Jr. being surprised to learn his dad had already purchased the house that will be their first project. After the shaky start, the duo agrees to work on the ground rules of their new partnership so they can get along and turn a profit.

“I’ve been in construction more than 35 years, and I’ve seen it all and fixed it all,” said Mike. “The best part is I’ve been able to teach my son everything I know along the way. And now getting to be business partners with him is something I always hoped would be in the cards for us.”

For exclusive photos and videos throughout the season, you can stay in the know by visiting DIYNetwork.com/Holmes-and-Holmes and interact on social media using #HolmesAndHolmes.