Read the MAR ISSUE #87 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Tetiana Gaidar in mag.
9LIST R3DCARP3T
S3. E3. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH RESTAURATEUR, HOST OF NAT GEO'S RESTAURANTS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, CHEF KRISTEN KISH
On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, over the past few months, we have caught up with Chef Kristen Kish to talk about TRU TV's Fast Foodies as well as her partnership with Jongga Kimchi. We love how she enjoys exploring food and the stories that it tells for those that also have taken care to share their experiences through it.
This month, she hosts National Geographic's Restaurants At the End of the World that takes her to exotic locales and showcases how people bring their visions to life, creating meals that pull from items that are local to their area and learning about how she can apply these lessons to her personal life; how she navigates her kitchen; and how she approaches food.
We talk about the 4 episodes that will drop each week on Nat Geo as well as streaming on Disney+. She tells us about how the show came together, the process of selecting those that are featured and her feedback on dishes that were created during the episodes.
You can also read this episode and see images from this show in the MAR ISSUE #87 of Athleisure Mag.
Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | Charity Lawson
THE BACHELORETTE S. 20 E. 0 | WE'RE GETTING READY FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON!
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
On Jun 26th, ABC’s The Bachelorette Season 20 will kick off as we follow Charity Lawson and her journey! Since we still have a few weeks to go, here’s our sneak peek on the men that are slated to be on her season.
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
THE BACHELORETTE SNEAK PEAK CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S. 27 E. 10 | THIS IS WHERE WE ARE
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
Tonight is the night! We will have all of our answers given to us to see what Zach Shallcross ends up doing on tonight’s final episode of the season for ABC’s The Bachelor. Jesse Palmer kicks it off by telling us that we will see portions of The Bachelorette, Charity Lawson’s journey! The fact that she is on this right now is pretty amazing to hear.
He also sits down with Ariel where we get to find out her thoughts on last wee'k’s drama as she didn’t know that he had in fact slept with Gabi and that Kaity was even aware about this. She said that she felt blindsided by not knowing and hearing about this when everyone else in the country heard!
When we’re back from commercial, Zach joins Ariel to talk about their experience. She lets him know that she was happy to see him, but wondered why she was not given the respect to know about the fact that he slept with one of the women. He says looking back that he can understand why she felt that way and that he owed her more that how he treated her. She tells him that by saying that sex was off the table, he made it more of a focus. They resolve what happened and we head back to Krabi, Thailand.
Kaity and Gaby will be able to meet Zach’s family. He lets his family know that this is a big next few days. He also tells them about Gabi and notes that she has no reservations on whether she will be there at the end. Gabi feels like he does feel regret over sleeping with her. So she feels that she needs to talk with him before meeting his family and if she doesn’t hear what she needs to know, she will not be meeting his family. Gabi asks him if his negative feelings that he shared last week has spilled over into how he sees her. She feels guilty and says that she feels like an accessory to a crime and that she has a Scarlet Letter. He tells her that that’s not at all what happened and reassures her. Zach’s family seemsto embrace Gabi and she gets along with them as well.
Now we see that Kaity is in her head about Zach, meeting his parents and having the knowledge that he slept with Gabi. She is being cautious with her heart. Once again, the family embraces Kaity and she vibes with them as well. It’s definitely going to be a tough decision between the two and Zach now knows that both women love him.
With only 1 day left, now he really needs to focus on who will be his fiance. Kaity goes on a hike with Zach. They continue into the evening and continue to talk about where they are at. She loves the date but wonders what he has told Gabi and the things that he will tell her.
Wben he has his date with Gabi, it goes well until she asks himabout how he is feeling. He lets her know that he has a big decision and he’s calm as he knows he’s going in the right direction. This upsets her as she feels that she knows she will not be the one chosen. When they meet again later on that night, Gabi looks for clarity and doesn’t really receive it. He knows that it’s a tough spot and that he’s being pulled in two different directions.
Sean and Catherine are back on the live show talking about what it’s like to be in this unique situation. It’s always great when they share previous contestants who have been in this process.
Gabi arrives and tells the driver that the spot he chose was bad as it’s muddy and not to do that when he brings in Kaity. When she sees Jesse she lets him know that her gut is telling her exactly what will happen. She feels that he will not ask her to marry him. He tells her all the things that he loves about her and says - but. She tells him to stop and that she knew. She wishes that he would have said sooner and he said that he didn’t know. She tells him that Kaity is a great girl, but there is no apology that is needed. She lets him know it’s heartbreaking and she’sready to move on.
In the car, she says that she should have trusted her gut as it said what would happen to her. In the studio, Gabi tells the audience that watching it back is worse then when she went through it. She’s hurt because she had hope going into that day because he told her that he was falling in love with her - why would he makeher go through that? She also feels violated that Zach shared that they slept together.
Zach joins Gabi on the couch and she lets him know that she is still hurting and even moreso in watching their story end. She explained that they were going to keep their intimacy between themselves and he ended up sharing it and she didn’t even realize how it all went down until she saw the show. She said that ultimately, something so beautiful has been a moment of shame for her. She also wishes that he had sent her home as opposed to seeing it now from a different perspective. She thought it was love and now she’s a narrative. He admits that how he handles things was wrong.
We’re back in Thailand and in Zach’s confessional we hear him say that he had to break up with Gabi to make room for Kaity. Kaity arrives and sees hom waiting for her. She tells him if it’s not him, she doesn’t want anyone. He tells her that he loves her and that she is his world. He asks her to marry him, she accepts and is given the final rose.
We see Charity about to meet the men and Jesse letsher know that the first man she is going to meet is someone that she already knew - it was her brother! He lets her know that he will be Undercover Brother to see what the men are up to that she’s meeting. We’ll be able to see all the drama on Jun 26th when her season starts!
It’s definitely been a zany season! We can’t wait to start with Charity’s season to see what takesplace withher!
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
THIS SEASON’S HOMETOWNS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
CHEF'S PLAYBOOK | CHEF TOM COLICCHIO
We've enjoyed eating at Tom Colicchio's restaurants in NY as well as hearing his wisdom as the Executive Producer, host and judge of BRAVO's Top Chef. Our favorite episodes are when he creates a dish to share with the chefs. Right before the Big Game, we took some time to talk about how you can prepare your dishes, how we can include sustainable brands within our menu and getting the scoop on Season 20 of Top Chef: World All-Stars that premiers on Mar 9th!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we get into the Big Game and all of the good food that we’re going to talk about. When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?
CHEF TOM COLICCHIO: Oh, when I was about 15, I always cooked at home and my dad suggested that I become a chef. Actually, if you look in my yearbook, circa 1980, on the bottom of my photo, it says, “plan to be a chef.”
AM: Love that!
Clearly we’re all excited for the Big Game coming up on Sunday. It’s all about people coming together and the foods that we’re all going to eat. What are you excited about when it comes to watching the game and who are you cheering for?
CHEF TC: I’m an NFC guy so I guess I’m cheering for the Eagles. Also, the owner of the Eagles, Jeffrey Lurie, did us a great favor, he and his ex-wife at the time, they were our first investors in a film that my wife made about hunger in America, so I have a soft spot for the Lurie family.
AM: Noted!
CHEF TC: Yeah, we’re just going to enjoy the day with kids, some family and maybe some friends will pop by. We keep it pretty simple around our house and you know, it's the typical stuff that you would want to find around game day – nachos. There is this little steak dish that I do that’s almost like a salad and of course, there's wings. They're a favorite in my household almost every night and not just reserved for game day.
AM: Same!
CHEF TC: This particular recipe has a barbecue sauce that’s a little bit different which has sour cherries. So there is some garlic and some ginger, there’s onion, serrano chilies for some spice, lime juice and a little bit of vinegar for some acid and then the sour cherries provide a little bit of sweetness. Since it’s sour cherries, there’s a little bit of tartness as well. So it’s really well balanced.
More importantly, is the chicken that we’re actually using. This is a new company called, Do Good Chicken and it’s in your market, you can find it. What we do is that we take food from supermarkets that would normally go in the garbage and end up in a landfill and create methane, which then creates greenhouse gases and hurts our environment, we take all that surplus food on a massive scale, process it and turn it into an odorless, flavorless powder that we then turn into pellets and in turn, feed our chickens. We give them to our growers who are growing our chickens for us. So you can actually help save the environment by simply just buying a different chicken. So when you’re in the supermarket, you have a lot of different choices that you can make in chickens. You can just buy Do Good Chicken knowing that you can help the environment. So people, I think that they want to be able to do things whether they’re buying electric cars or maybe something else. But this is very simple, buy a different chicken! You can help save the environment! In fact, every chicken that you purchase from Do Good Chicken, takes about 4 pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere.
AM: Oh wow!
So obviously, you just shared with us this chicken recipe that looks amazing. What tips do you have for people that are entertaining their friends or family for the Big Game and how they can make it easy for them and enjoyable as well.
CHEF TC: Yeah, you have to start a couple of days in advance. Make sure that your shopping is done by Thursday. Make sure that your prep, you’ve started on Sat at least! Don’t wait until Sunday morning where you’re running around. Get all of that chopping out of the way. So if you’re doing this sauce, you can make it on Thursday or on Friday – it’s going to hold. Get your chicken wings. This is really important when you’re making chicken, you want it to be really really dry. So buy it a couple of days in advance, take it out of the package, keep it open, do not cover it in your refrigerator so it dries out. That’s how you get crispy crispy chicken. So that’s really important. But anything that you’re chopping, if you’re making salsas and things like that, just do it ahead of time. You don’t have to wait until the last second. Typically, when I’m cooking, if I’m making a dinner party at home, I want to get all of the chopping, the cutting and the prepping out of the way early. When I’m cooking, I’m not using a knife anymore, I’m just cooking and you can really just focus on that. Also, you want to keep this really simple because you want to spend time with your friends. The worst thing that you can do is have a bunch of people at your house and you’re stuck in the kitchen the entire time. You want to get out there and to enjoy the game as well.
AM: We couldn’t agree more and those are great tips! It’s kind of like Thanksgiving – prepping in advance!
CHEF TC: Absolutely! You’ve got to prep in advance and sometimes, a couple of days in advance! I think the other thing is that too often, I don’t think that we think about what we’re doing ahead of time. By now you should have your plays written out, you should know what your moves are going to be. You don’t want to call an audible the day of!
AM: Well, we’re sure that you have an awesome playbook coach!
CHEF TC: Haha you’ve got to read the defense too!
AM: Without a doubt!
We’re so excited for Top Chef to come out next month! It’s always exciting and we love when we get to talk to people that have been part of that universe. We’ve talked with Gail Simmons, Chef Justin Sutherland, Chef Kristen Kish and other people that have been cheftestants and Chef Nyesha Arrington is our cover for the JAN ISSUE #85.
CHEF TC: Oh yeah, she’s great!
AM: We love her to pieces!
So what can we expect for the All Stars, next month in London?
CHEF TC: Well, what’s really cool about this one is that it’s International All Stars. So, there are Top Chef productions all over the globe and so we’re taking the best over those regions – either winners or runners ups and bringing them all together. So we have contestants from Poland, Germany, Thailand, France, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and of course, the United States. It’s a great competition, it was a lot of fun shooting in London and it’s going to be fantastic!
AM: We’re definitely looking forward to that! Are there any other things that we should keep an eye out for because you’re always doing so many positive things and using your platform to let people know what you think about the state of things.
CHEF TC: Yes, I will continue to work on things for issues that revolve around hunger. There is the Farm Bill which is where all the hunger policies are contained. That’s happening and every 5 years, it’s debated so that’s coming up and I’m focusing on that and I am working on a new restaurant in Washington, D.C. that will hopefully open around Nov.
AM: That’s exciting, I always love when I go by Craft as we’re based here in NY. It’s amazing to be able to connect with you and to see what you’re doing and to watch Top Chef as well as to try out this chicken recipe.
SOUR CHERRY BBQ WINGS
• 4 lbs Do Good Chicken Party Wings
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• ¾ cup sour cherry preserves
• 1/3 cup lime juice about 2 limes
• 1 lime, zested
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• Salt and Pepper
• Flavorless oil, such as avocado or vegetable
Preheat the over to 450F and Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings in 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the wings to the baking sheets skin side up and bake for 45 minutes, until cooked through and crisp.
While the wings are baking, make your BBQ sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of the minced serrano pepper and smashed garlic and cook for 1 minute, until softened and garlic is fragrant.
Add the onion and pepper mixture to a blender along with the sour cherry preserves, lime juice, and ketchup. Blend until smooth.
Return the cherry BBQ sauce back and to the pan and stir in the remaining serrano pepper. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the BBQ sauce to a bowl.
Remove the wings from the oven when finishing baking and add them to a large bowl. Toss with one third of the cherry BBQ sauce.
Return the tossed wings back to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes until sticky and caramelized.
Transfer the glazed wings to a serving dish, sprinkle with lime zest, and serve with the remaining glaze on the side.
If you’re looking for a sauce to cool you down, mix some cherry glaze with mayo for a cooler dipping sauce!
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Tom Colicchio
Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see CHEF’S PLAYBOOK | Chef Tom Colicchio in mag.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S. 27 E. 10 | FANTASY SUITES?
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
Tonight is a big episode! We’re in Thailand and we watch Zach Shallcross navigate the beautiful landscape as he talks about how he feels about the remaining women in tonight’s ABC’s The Bachelor. It’s Fantasy Suites week and we all know what tends to be involved during this portion of the show.
We can’t wait to see which relationship with Kaity, Ariel and Gabi will advance. Jesse Palmer and Zach talk about what is taking place over the next few days. He lets Jesse know that there will be no sex in the Fantasy Suites! We’ll have to see how he navigates that.
His first date is with Ariel who is excited to take things to the next level! They take a tour through the town as they head to where their date will be as what they’re doing only happens at night.
Gabi will be up next as she’s waiting for her date to begin. She sees Ariel and Zach on their way to the next portion of their date.
At dinner, Ariel talks about where she has a moment when she retreats when she really likes someone. She lets him know that she is falling in love with him and had even told her mom this by accident. Zach says he feels that and he takes it seriously. He lets her know that he can see himself with her and that he will only say that he loves someone one when it’s just the one person. He gives her the Fantasy Suite card and tells her that he came to the decision that he will not have sex this week. He knows that he could enjoy that with her, but he wants to save it for the person that he is engaged to. She lets him know that respects his choice, but she is not one to make a plan as whenever you do, it changes. They head to the suite where they have their personal tool and there are heavy vibes between the two of them.
Gabi and Zach have their date on a private island. It seemed like it was a great date, but Gabi got upset as she got in her own head. Zach talked with her through it and they had a great rest of the day. They talk at dinner and connect more and she receives the Fantasy Suite card. Zach shares his rule that he’s doing for the week. She takes it well and is happy that he will not be “test driving” anything. They have a great night and wake up cuddling. Gabi feels secure in where they are and she knows that she is falling in love with him.
Zach catches up with Jesse and tells him that being with Gabi was great. He had sex with Gabi! He lets him know that he feels that all the women need to know about this so that there are no secrets. He feels that even though he didn’t do what he said he would, he knows that what he did with Gabi was special.
Kaity preps for her date and she is so excited. Zach goes over to Gabi’s house and although she is happy to see him, she wonders why she wasn’t on his date yet. He lets her know that he wants to be honest with the women as he doesn’t want secrets. He also told her that he’s falling in love with her.
Zach goes on the date with Kaity and they have a fun time, but he knows he wants to tell her. He lets her know about his no sex except for Gabi and Kaity is absorbing hearing everything. You definitely feel for her as they’re in the middle of a jungle on a log and she can’t even get up to have a moment to herself. They leave the area and we see Kaity talking with production as she asks how she is supposed to continue the date knowing everything that she knows now. Kaity ends up going on the next portion of the date. We’re also thinking about her Hometown where she had him putting up things in her apartment. Walking back into her home, she’ll be thinking about Zach’s presence when he was there. Somehow, Kaity has gotten on board and she feels like she got clarity.
The women assemble for the final rose ceremony. Each woman is coming to the table in their own headspace - Gabi feels that he trust is broken, Kaity wonders if their relationship is strong enough and Ariel is also figuring out what their relationship is. He talks with Jesse to get prepared for his next round of decisions. The first rose goes to Kaity and the last one goes to Gabi.
Zach sits with Ariel and lets her know it was a hard decision. Ariel is such a class act and leaves Zach. Kaity lets her know that she is aware that he slept with Gabi. Gabi feelsthat she has a letterA on her chest and still feels that she lost her trust in him.
ZACH GAVE ROSES TO | Gabi, Kaity
ZACH SENT HOME | Ariel
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
THIS SEASON’S HOMETOWNS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
ENJOYING THE HOLIDAYS | WHITNEY CUMMINGS
We love a good laugh and Whitney Cummings has been giving us that in front of and behind the camera as a creator, writer and comedian. She created and wrote 2 Broke Girls, Executive Produced the Roseanne reboot and appeared in Crashing, Made of Honor, The Wedding Ringer and more. We talked about her partnership with Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, how she will celebrate St. Patrick's Day and upcoming projects.
ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you knew you wanted to be a comedian?
WHITNEY CUMMINGS: Oh wow, woo. You know what? It’s interesting that you say that because I could answer this a lot of different ways, but I truly because I am doing this partnership with Baileys, this actually folds into it! I found myself as a child, always fighting very hard to get my parents attention. They were watching TV, they were always doing other things. So I had to fight really hard, I was not planned, my sister is 13 months older than me. So sometimes when you’re the youngest or not planned, you’re trying to fit into an already established system and I was always trying to get their attention. My dad and my mom, they loved comedy and they would watch TV and I would see what they laughed at and I would try to make them laugh!
I was just talking to the Baileys people and I was like, this is kind of blowing my mind, because as soon as I posted that I was partnering with Baileys, a lot of my family members reached out and said, “oh my gosh you’re working with them? We're a Baileys family!” I was like, “we are?” They were like, “what do you mean? All we do is drink Baileys.” I didn’t remember that and didn’t know what they were talking about. Then I realized that that’s what was in all of the mugs that they wouldn’t let me have! I remember that I was competing with mugs of coffee and I would tell them that I was going to drink coffee and they’d say no – no coffee! So I wasn’t allowed to drink coffee, but that’s not what was in there! So I started putting it together that I became funny competing with Baileys as a kid and here we are and now me and my childhood nemesis are now partnering up! Now that I have incorporated Baileys into my life, I get now why they would have rather done that as opposed to talking to me!
AM: Well, it is a tasty beverage!
WC: I just remember in my brain as a kid, that coffee was supposed to make you have energy, be jittery – you know jump off the walls like a Tasmanian Devil. But when my mom and dad would drink coffee when they would come home from work, they enjoyed it.
As you get older, you sort of put all of the pieces together and this was one of the missing pieces. I always wondered why they would want to drink gross coffee instead of hanging out with me. But nope, that’s not what was happening!
I also come from a Virginia/DC area where every part of the world has their own unique set of circumstances that provides a little bit of adversity and looking at things in a different way. I think that I get a lot of it inherited from my family. I found out that I am half Jewish and part of me is Irish. I always knew that I was Irish and that I am the only brunette that will dance on a bar, I have to wear so much sunscreen and I’m not afraid of snakes! Do you know that Ireland doesn’t have snakes?
AM: Really?
WC: Nope, no snakes! They never introduced snakes to the island and I’m obsessed with this and this is part of the reason that they’re able to have such a good time and to chill. Baileys is made in Ireland and now, my only bucket list item for me to do now is to go to Ireland and to try to meet with my relatives.
AM: Why do you think that everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day?
WC: I’m a little Irish on every other holiday because I Irish Goodbye all the time. Every holiday I show up for 5 mins and then I leave. Everyone is like, “Irish Goodbye Whitney,” it’s my thing.
Every other holiday, there is so much pressure. It’s about finding gifts, crazy schedules and cooking all day. To me, St. Patrick’s Day is the only holiday that doesn’t make you feel guilty, go broke and you can actually enjoy it! I love the thematics of it where it’s about luck, it’s about fortune, gratitude and celebrating about just being alive. As someone who has been called a saint and someone who does have a few exes named Patrick, I feel like there is something magical about it and that this day brings out the best in everyone. It didn’t always bring out the best in me in college, but now that I have figured out a way to do it, it’s fun and a little bit glamorous. It’s delicious! I have never been the type that when I drink, it’s like oysters. They bring them out and then they have all of these sauces and people say, oh just eat them. But if you have to do that much, it’s just too much and it doesn’t taste good! You shouldn’t need so many sauces to be able to do it and then just the way that you have to eat them by swallowing and doing it as quickly as possible – no. I like things that I can savor. So for me, adult beverages you have to figure it out. There are those that burn, you then have to shake it with a lemon, add lime, put sugar in it – it’s too much. The Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake was a game changer for me because I can just enjoy it! For me it’s the perfect element to add to the magical and whimsical warmth of St. Patrick’s Day. It’s like, if a Leprechaun had a blender, this is what he would make.
AM: How are you going to celebrate this year? Obviously we know that you’ll enjoy the Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake, but is there an outfit situation?
WC: Well yes. So Baileys and I worked on getting the perfect outfit. To me, it’s like I'm always struggling the GRWM videos, I don't really dress up to do stand up too much. I’m in sneakers, I jump around, I don’t dress up that much. So this is the holiday where I really want to go for it. I do look amazing in green, it’s weird. But I have never really put it together. Do you know why? I wanna say that when I was 15 or 16, I didn’t have a Halloween costume one year and I just panicked. We had to dress up as something for school. What I did was that I just dressed in a green turtleneck and green pants and I went as jealousy. I thought it would be easier to go as a concept and no one got it and it was very dramatic! I guess it has taken me 20 years to get back into the green wardrobe phase! I really want to go out and to make it a fashion moment because I’m a Virgo and green is my color. I want to celebrate and I tour. We were inside for 2 years straight and then we had to make up all of my tour dates so I have been out on the road for like a year in 80 cities so I haven’t really gotten to be a person! I’m probably going to have people at my house and we’re going to do sort of a cocktail party, hang out and do a hot tub and just fun stuff at my house! I’m a dork! On Etsy, I bought a bunch of puzzles and we’re just going to do Baileys and do some puzzles.
AM: That totally seems like such a fun way to spend the evening!
What projects do you have coming up as you mentioned that you’re still touring, but we know that there are other things that you’re doing as well!
WC: Oh yeah! There’s this show on FOX called Accused.
AM: LOVE THAT SHOW!
WC: Oh my gosh, I’m so happy to hear you say that! It’s intense right?
AM: Yeah it is!
WC: My episode, thankfully the Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake will be out when my episode airs. You’ll sort of need to take the edge off when you watch it. My episode comes out in a few weeks. It’s very dramatic! I have been very careful about doing drama and when I was going to do drama. With comedians, there is a very tall order with us where no one ever gives us a chance to do dramatic acting, but when they do you know, it’s always a Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I'm Dying Up Here, Kidding) or a Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society, Jumanji, A.I. Artificial Intelligence). We’re kind of cut out to do it, so I was very picky but Howard Gordon (The X Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tyrant) who made the show who did Homeland and 24, he was the first person that I could trust doing this incredibly traumatic subject matter. It was wild to shoot so I’m just bracing myself for that.
In addition, what the roasts used to be, the Friars Roasts where it evolved into the Comedy Central Roast, and I’m bringing those back on OnlyFans TV. We’re doing the roast for Bert Kreischer (This is Not Happening, Something's Burning, Go Big Show), we already shot it, it’s going to air on April 1st and the roast of me is going to air on Mother’s Day, May 14th and I’m in post on those. Then, I’m working on an animated movie and more info to come on there. It’s about making up those tour dates and I’m going to get back into digging into more scripted stuff and of course, there’s the podcast that I do every week that people are really enjoying that. I’m glad they like it even though I have no idea what I’m doing!
BAILEYS VANILLA MINT SHAKE COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS
3.5oz Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake
PREPARATION
1. Pour Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.
2. Strain into a coupe glass.
3. Garnish with chocolate shavings
4. Enjoy!
Garnish
Chocolate shavings
PHOTO CREDITS | Angela Pham
Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see ENJOYING THE HOLIDAYS | Whitney Cummings in mag.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S. 27 E. 9 | WOMEN TELL ALL
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
Tonight The Women Tell All is on! It’s always fun to hear from those who competed and to rehash things that may not have been fully flushed out. Tonight’s episode kicked off with Zach Shallcross who popped into Watch Parties that people had for ABC’s The Bachelor. Seeing Jesse Palmer and Zach popping in and out of the parties was a light-hearted portion of the show. But of course, it’s always about seeing what everyone has to say about the season and getting in the hot seat. It’s also nice to see those that we may have forgotten during the season. The episode kicks off with a number of the issues that took place.
Jess hops in the hot seat and she was someone that we could see as a fit for Zach, but she always read a little young in terms of being a fit for this competition show. Jess really articulated what she wanted and why she said what she said. But we can support that she is happy that she stood up for herself.
Greer hops in the hot seat talking about her relationship with Zach. Then they talk about her social media posts and deletion in relation to her friend who was in blackface. Interestingly enough, they also brought on Dr. Kira Banks who talked about how important it is to understand when you are engaging in behaviors that are racist. Jesse even stated that the show as a whole has not done a great job of addressing these instances and wanted to make sure that they did. There should always be a Diversity, Education & Inclusivity (DEI) on staff.
Charity hops into the hot seat. She was just sent home on yesterday’s episode. Jesse asks who thought that her and Zach would make it and a number of people on the set and audience raised their hands.
Scenes that didn’t make the episode are aired for a bit of levity and then Zach comes out. Jesse mentions how he makes decisions quickly and he lets him know that he thinks about how he feel when he goes to bed at night and wants to make the best possible decisions. He begins chatting with Katherine which we heard from earlier. She wants to get clarity on what happened. Charity then asks him about what his process is. Jesse also loops in Jess to give her the chance to ask her questions as well.
We have a few bloopers and we get insight into what he next few episodes will be. Once everyone raps, Jesse goes to a room to play a game with Charity and through a game of This or That, he lets her know that she will be The Bachelorette! It will be great to have her center stage!
We can’t wait to see what takes place over the next episodes to see the twists and turns that will conclude Zach’s season!
LAST NIGHT, ZACH GAVE ROSES TO | Ariel, Gabi and Kaity
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
THIS SEASON’S HOMETOWNS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
CREATING SPACES | ELAINE WELTEROTH
When we hear the name Elaine Welteroth, we think of someone who continues to place herself in spaces where she leaves the door open for others that also want to have a presence in. When she took the position of Editor in Chief at Teen Vogue in 2016, she was the 2nd Black person to have held this position in the 107 years of Condé Nast's history! This journalist, editor, New York Times Bestselling Author of More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), BRAVO's Project Runway host continues to inspire others. We connected with her right after the Big Game to find out about hosting CÎROC Stands For Black Excellence which was held at the NFL House, the importance of representation and upcoming projects that she has coming up.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You just came off of a panel for CÎROC Stands For Black Excellence which took place during Super Bowl Weekend at the NFL House. Can you tell me about this event and why you wanted to be part of it?
ELAINE WELTEROTH: The event was amazing! For me, it was an easy yes! Being able to go and spend time with some influential Black women in sports media during Super Bowl Weekend in Phoenix where the sun was always shining – we were surrounded by the local chapter of National Association of Black Journalists. I just felt like I was around my people. I didn’t know any of the people prior to being there, but it felt like a homecoming in a sense because we have all walked similar paths professionally and we all in some way, shape or form understand what it means to be what I say in my book, first, only and different. So FOD which is a Shonda Rhimes term from her book, but I really felt this kinship and I think everyone did. It was really necessary because we’re all doing this work and in different spaces as journalists and it can be isolating to be the only one that looks like you and navigating those worlds. I think that it was very nourishing and energizing for everyone that was there. I have to give a lot of credit to the panelists because they brought it! I can bring my juicy and hard-hitting questions, but if I’m not met with openness, vulnerability, and transparency, it can just be a run of the mill event. This was anything but, I went really deep and there were tears. I joked that people came for the Super Bowl, but they got Super Soul conversations instead. It was like testimony time, it was incredible.
AM: You were also able to highlight the next generation of Black sports journalists, what was your biggest takeaway from the event as a whole?
EW: My biggest takeaway is that we all share so much in common no matter where we’re working or what side of the business we are in. There are some commonalities to our struggles and our triumphs. I think that the major takeaways were how important community is along the journey and I think that we definitely cultivated a deeper sense of community with at least 1 other person. My charge to them before they left, because the last question that came up from somebody in the audience which by the way I have to say, ain’t no Q+A session like a Q+A session with NABJ folks in the audience because every single question that came up was hard-hitting, thought provoking, complex or even beautifully simplistic! The last question was that – how is your heart? It left us in this really kind of reflective and heart filled space. My charge to everybody was to find somebody at that event that they did not know walking in and ask them, how is their heart?
We’re trained to ask the right questions and to be really buttoned up and to be focused on being very professional, but I think that when we’re with each other and in a safe space, we need to gear shift and learn how to ask the questions that open up our humanity and allow us the safe space to be just human and to show ourselves the softer side of each other. We need to cultivate that sense of community. That felt really good and I would say that that was a standout moment from the event.
AM: It’s great that this took place obviously during Black History Month, how can we continue to support and celebrate these objectives not only this month, but year around?
EW: Absolutely! Well one of the things that I loved about partnering with CÎROC is that they have made a financial commitment to NABJ to help fund the important work throughout the year. I know that NABJ is such a worthwhile organization that we rely on their work in terms of scholarship, mentorship, career advancement opportunities to keep the pipeline alive for the next generation of Black journalists. I just really love that CÎROC is taking a stand and making sure that they are supporting an organization like NABJ which is keeping Black journalists in the jobs. NABJ really does place young or emerging journalists in jobs. So we need them to stay funded, to stay supported and for me that was the most important connection. It’s not that Cîroc was just doing that one off event, they’re putting their support where their mouths are by really investing in NABJ in this way.
AM: What’s your go-to CÎROC cocktail?
EW: Ok so, I’m a terrible bartender, I don’t know how to make a cocktail myself, full transparency. I know how to do a lot of other things ok?
AM: You do all the things! But there is that one.
EW: Exactly! I wear a lot of hats, I do a lot of jobs – bartending ain’t one! But I will say that I do love a minty, cucumbery, light refreshing drink.
AM: Oh, the CÎROC Thyme Spritz.
EW: Yes, they had them at the event and it was so refreshing! It was perfect for a sweltering day in Phoenix right before the Super Bowl. I think most of us, but I definitely descended from a much colder climate so I was still thawing out and needed some refreshment! It was bomb and you should get the recipe because it was great.
AM: I have been a fan of yours of years. I remember when you became the Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue, my mouth literally dropped open and all the barriers that you have broken as a co-host on BRAVOS’s Project Runway, your best selling book and all of these accomplishments. What does it mean to you to not only be able to break barriers, but to unapologetically be you in these different spaces that we’re still making our presence known in those places?
EW: Well thank you first of all, I appreciate that so much. I think that it means nothing to break a barrier if you’re not doing so as your authentic self. I think that that’s what keeps the door open for the next Black woman to come through those doors as herself. We are not a monolith and I think that while we do represent for our community, we also represent the individuality of our community. I think that it’s important that we understand. You can feel the pressure as someone who is the first to blaze a certain trail. You might feel the pressure to be a certain way and to fit a mold or to break it in some kind of radical way. It’s important for you to be able to figure out how to be authentically you and how to tell the stories, those stories, if you’re journalist in only the way that you can tell. I think that by doing that, you are giving the permission to others to do the same.
AM: You are always so busy doing a number of projects. I know that you have an advice column with The Washington Post. What are things that we should keep an eye out for that you’re doing? I know that every time I see you taking on something that it will be amazing.
EW: That’s so nice! I am shooting a new show that I can’t fully talk about yet, but that’s why I’m in NY this month. But it’s going to be really good in terms of the conversations that it’s bringing to the table proverbial and literally. I’ll leave it at that, but I am excited about that. I feel that everything that I do, it may seem like I am doing a lot of things, but to me it is the same mission and the same spirit that I bring to everything. I always say that purpose can be multiplatform. You can find a way to work in your purpose across many mediums, especially as a journalist and storyteller in this era. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be able to explore different mediums and going deeper into television. Also, finding a way to use my skill set as a journalist to raise awareness to issues that matter to our community and to me a lot as well personally.
Recently, I have been getting very involved with raising awareness and working towards hopefully, reform around the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis and trying to recontextualize that conversation because it can be so heavy. It’s just hearing that term, Black Maternal Mortality Crisis sometimes people just turn off. There’s so much going on in the world and there’s so much trauma, I can’t handle one more thing. But I think that if we reframe the conversation around celebrating the joy around childbirth and reminding us that we deserve to have joyful, safe births, then it opens up the conversation to how we go about achieving that! What are the different options that we have that we didn’t even know about? I want to come at it with this kind of fix it spirit; with this optimistic lens that’s very much so solution oriented and it’s really about showcasing these choices that we have along this birth journey that we really don’t know about and sometimes when it’s too late. So before we become another sad statistic, how do we get the right information to the right people and especially to Black women who are disproportionally affected by this crisis in this country. So that's my passion project in the non-profit space. I think that because it’s Black History Month, it’s worth mentioning!
You can support NABJ as well as Black owned business in a number of ways!
To stay informed on all NABJ related news you can register for their newsletter here.
Making a habit of supporting Black owned businesses all the time.
Share information online/engage in conversation surrounding pro-black efforts.
Finding your local NABJ chapter online to become a mentor, get involved and more.
Making a donation to NABJ through their website to help further their mission.
Registering for the NABJ newsletter to stay informed on all NABJ related news and future events.
CÎROC THYME SPRITZ
INGREDIENTS
1.2 oz CÎROC Vodka
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz Thyme Syrup
1 oz Fresh-Pressed Cucumber Juice
GLASSWARE
Footed Spritz Glass
GARNISH
Cucumber Ribbon and Thyme Sprig
PREPARATION
Add CÎROC Vodka, fresh lime juice, thyme syrup, and fresh-pressed cucumber juice into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Serve in a footed spritz glass. Garnish with cucumber ribbon and thyme sprig.
PHOTGRAPHY CREDITS | Bre Johnson
Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see CREATING SPACES | Elaine Welteroth in mag.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S.27 E.8 | WELCOME TO HOMETOWNS
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
It’s been an interesting season watching Zach Shallcross navigate ABC’s The Bachelor. With it being Hometowns today and the Women’s Tell All tomorrow, we know that there will be some drama without a doubt! Hometowns will have Gabi, Charity, Ariel and Kaity. He walks us through the women with yet another show season opener.
We start off in Vermont with Gabi for a full maple experience. They tap a maple tree for liquid gold. They also sample an array of maple syrups and Zach picks the pancake grocery store brand which shocks Gabi! They continue immersing themselves in Vermont and she jokes that she got a cabin for them so that Fantasy Suites can come early as they come after Hometowns.
The night portion of their date takes place and Zach meets Gabi’s sister, brothers, mother and father. He gets along with them well and they seem to like him, but everyone has that underlining feeling of “only time will tell.” Gabi is upset that she knows it will be a week before she sees him and that there will be 3 other women that he will also have experiences with and notes that selfishly she wants more time with him. She asks him to not forget about her, which he says how could he? Shockingly, her vulnerability with him doesn’t cause him to have misgivings and to reassess being with her. We have seen that when women get emotional and ask for any form of validation so that they feel secure about their position with him, he tends to tell them that he doesn’t see a future.
Zach is in our town, NY to meet up with Ariel who he always saw was very mysterious and now he realizes that he really likes her. He meets up with her in Washington Park to tour some of her favorite places. They head to the West Village and grab a slice of pizza at Ben’s. She also takes him to Sarge’s Deli which is one of our favorite spots when it’s comes to a classic NY deli. She takes him to a Speakeasy (they initially walk into a coffee shop with a door to a very cool spot). She lets him know that it’s not her parents that will be an issue, but her older brother is protective!
They meet her family at a Brooklyn winery which has such a great vibe. Bobby wastes no time and lets us know that he is the first line of defense when it comes to his sister. He gets to the heart of the matter and Zach really didn’t have great answers and transitioning from her brother to her father, we think he understands that her family is not just going to let him in without proving himself. For someone who is so close to her family, I don’t see how Zach and Ariel will work.
He continues onto Columbus,GA with Charity. He’s meeting her family first at aFamily Tailgate that includes her family and friends. It’s a lot to walk into without even having a pre-date with Charity. Charity’s brother chats with Zach to find out more information about what sets her apart from the other women that are also competing for his heart. Although Zach’s answers are better than they were with Bobby, he is wondering what will happen if she is not chosen and how she will feel about that? Herfamily and friends seemed to like him and they went off to their date to go line dancing with one another. She let him know that she is falling in love with him.
The final Hometown takes place in Austin which Kaity moved there a few weeks ago and Zach lives there as well. She asks him if he wants to help her settle in and they go and run errands! After picking up items, she asks if he would like to go to her house. She puts him to work by having him build a bookshelf. She lets him know that he will meet her family later on that night.
They meet up with her family and they are also receptive to Zach. They let her know that she needs to be vulnerable to let him know what she is thinking. She lets him know that she is falling in love with him.
Back in LA, Zach is pondering what he should do now after Hometowns. Sean Lowe swings by to hear about how everything went down. He knows he needs to make decisions as the rose ceremony is later on tonight.
At the Rose Ceremony, Jesse Palmer welcomes each of the women and find out where each of the women are at. All of the women have arrived and feel confident; however, only 3 roses will be given out. Jesse catches up with Zach as they haven’t seen each other for about a week or so. Zach says this will be the hardest decision that he will have to make and Jesse acknowledges that this won’t be easy.
ZACH GIVES ROSES TO | Ariel, Gabi and Kaity
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Charity
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
THIS SEASON’S HOMETOWNS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
S3. E1. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH RESTAURATEUR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, HOST + FOOD ACTIVIST CHEF TOM COLICCHIO
On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we kick off our 3rd season with Restaurateur/Executive Producer + Host of BRAVO's Top Chef and Food Activist, Chef Tom Colicchio! We've enjoyed eating at his restaurants in NY as well as hearing his wisdom on Top Chef. Our favorite episodes are when he creates a dish to share with the chefs and we see what drives him to bring your senses together on a plate. Right before the Big Game, we took some time to talk about how you can prepare your dishes ahead of an event you're hosting at home, how we can include sustainable options such as Do Good Chicken which he partnered with in our menu and getting the scoop on Season 20 of Top Chef: World All-Stars that premiers on Mar 9th! You can also see him in the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag.
Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S.27 E.7 | WELCOME TO HUNGARY
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross this week in Hungary, Budapest. Jesse Palmer lets him know that Grier is on her way as she has finished her time in quarantine. With Hometowns being around the corner, we know that things will be getting very real quickly on ABC’s The Bachelor.
The Date Card arrives with Kaity getting the 1-on-1. They are going to explore the city and see the views of the city. They see the sites and have fun experiences that are indicative of Hungary.
The next date card arrives and Ariel, Charity, Gabi and Kat will be on the group date. That means that Brooklyn will get the 1-on-1 date which is the last one before Hometowns is decided. Kat is very upset, but it feels like she took so many moments last week that were annoying, that we’re not surprised that she is not on a 1-on-1 date.
As Kaity and Zach have dinner, they dig a bit deeper and we hear about her backstory and how she didn’t have a great consistent male figure in her life. She explains who he would meet if he was meeting her family. Her heartfelt story garners her a date night rose. They end the evening at a bath house that they have all to themselves.
Well, Greer is preparing to come back so that she can tell Zach all of the things that she has wanted to say over the past 6 days. Before that, the group date is beginning. They’re in a theater that’s giving haunted vibes. Apparently, Budapest is the birthplace of magic and they play some games. The magician is also a mentalist so he reads the women and pulls various words from them to share things about them. Unfortunately, the women feel a little iffy after this date which exposed some cracks.
The women debrief after the group date as they all talk about how it broke them down. They all hope to have a better conversation during this portion of the cocktail party. Somehow the women need to pull through and continue to connect with Zach to get over the odd emotions from the first part of the date.
Once again, even when there were large group dates, Zach makes a great effort at giving 1-on-1 time with everyone. So the fact after such a vulnerable group date that he is making sure to give that time is something that we can appreciate that he does.
The group date rose goes to Gabi! He’s definitely meeting her parents. So far 2 people that we have known for awhile would go to Hometowns are locked in! Greer meets him and looks to reconnect after so much time and finds that Zach feels that there is no way that he can give her a rose heading into Hometowns.
We finally see the 1-on-1 date with Zach and Brooklyn. She is another person (along with Charity) that we have rooted for in terms of going to Hometowns. We love that she always stands for what’s right, isn’t afraid to put people in their place when they have overstepped and is the hype girl that you want to have all while being able to rock it at your next rodeo!
They enjoy a tethered hot air balloon, they go to an outdoor public bath house and we hope that things will continue to go well as we’d love to see her at Hometowns and can only imagine what her family would be like.
After a number of activities throughout the day, they sit down for dinner where she talks more about her family and who he will meet - her mother and her grandfather. Zach steps away to collect his thoughts and we know what happens when he does this - he sends her home. WE hope to see her for The Bachelorette.
The remaining ladies head to the rose ceremony as Gabi and Kaity are locked. This is an epic night as we all know how important it is to make it to Hometowns. He gives roses to Ariel and Charity!
Next week we will have Ariel, Charity, Gabi and Kaity which is a great group for Hometowns.
ZACH GIVES ROSES TO | Ariel, Charity, Gabi and Kaity
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Brooklyn, Greer and Kat
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
THIS SEASON’S HOMETOWNS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS, SHAWNE MERRIMAN + ANTONIO GATES/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S.27 E.6 | CONTINUING TO ESTONIA
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross for tonight’s latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. Thankfully he’s back after being out of quarantine in Tallinn, Estonia. We learn that Greer is now in quarantine. The women cheers that they hope he has a negative COVID test. He wishes Greer well as he just came off of that experience. He talks with Jesse Palmer to let him know about what he thinks of each of the women. The date card arrives - we know that Charity didn’t get her date in London, but we find out that she does get it!
He meets all of the women to get Charity, but it was nice that he had a mini-moment with all of them. This marks his first day out of quarantine. They go on a horse-drawn carriage ride through the town and watch various games that are taking place in the town. Kat talks with Ariel and continues to stick to the fact that it was ok to pull Zach before the delayed 1-on-1 date with Charity. The second portion of the date takes place as they get to know one another better. She talks about a vulnerable time when she realized that she was in a situation that wasn’t for her and how she found her way back to who she is as a person. Zach lets her know that there is something between the two of them and he gives her the date night rose. They leave their date with a night carriage ride through the city.
The next date card arrives, Brooklyn, Kaity, Kat, Gabi, Aly, and Jess will go out as a group. Ariel will receive the 1-on-1. Jess has a moment as she realizes that she is the last one to not have a 1-on-1 (although Greer doesn’t either, but she is currently in quarantine). Kat continues to irk the women especially when she said she wants to have a clear headspace going into the group date - but kissing him before Charity’s date wasn’t an issue.
The group date involves a healing witch and Jess’ candle went out which made all the women cringe for her. This is the smallest 1-on-1 date that they have been on and Gabi says she hopes that they can all get time in. Zach arrives to chat with the women in the small group and lets them know that he is making sure that he wants to make the most of the moments that they will have. He asks for Kaity first (as she gave him the basket when he was in quarantine) and they connect and he chats with Gabi as well as she was the only one to have a 1-on-1 date before he got COVID.
Jess decides that she’s going to chat with him to tell him how she feels. Because she doesn’t have a 1-on-1 she lets him know that she is not going beg for him and she decides that she will leave. He lets the ladies know that after him and Jesse talked, that he sent her home as they had a disconnect. They are also surprised that that happened and they realized that they have to get their relationships in order. A group date rose wasn’t given either.
WIth a fresh day ahead, he has his date with Ariel which we’re all starting to get to know a lot more about her! Their date is at a nudist sauna. While they’re chatting in the sauna, a couple comes in who are completely nude and they offer insight into what they need for a good relationship. They have a great time on the date and then they have their own time - and then that couple comes back! Now that they’re truly alone, they think back to their date over champagne and a charcuterie board. He gives her the rose.
At the cocktail party, he chats with the women to let them know that their support and kind words pulled him through after sending Jess home. Aly pulls him aside to make sure that they’re still good. Only 2 women have roses at this point as the group date didn’t get one. Kat says that she knows she needs to talk with Zach because her time was taken away on the group date. Charity pulls Kat away to talk about what she felt. They have barely chatted and Brooklyn pops in to talk with Kat while she is talking to Charity. Zach asks Kat if something felt weird or a little off. He asks her about it and she says that she is trying to go about it the best way that she can. They have more conversations and head into the rose ceremony. It will be interesting to see if Greer will come back next week or if she will no longer be on the show?
ZACH GIVES ROSES TO | Ariel, Brooklyn, Charity, Gabi, Kaity and Kat
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Aly, Jess,
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
OUR HOMETOWN PREDICTIONS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
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STORYTELLING EXPLORED | NYESHA ARRINGTON
When we think of a live well lived, it's one where you take on opportunities that align with where you ultimately see yourself personally and professionally as well as those that are unexpected that create a full 360 experience to roads less traveled. Along the way of our travels in life, we meet others that continue to infuse and inspire us as there isn't a personalized rule book that shows us how we can get from Point A to Point B, but it's the moment of feeling that spark that can initiate an enhanced path that can take us to unimaginable destinations.
This month, our cover editorial is with Chef Nyesha Arrington. She utilizes food as a way to tell stories and brings her passion and intention to each plate that she creates. As a Co-Host and Mentor for FOX's Next Level Chef alongside Chef Gordon Ramsay and Chef Richard Blais, she inspires those in the culinary industry and provides expertise, intel and techniques that they can continue to use as they navigate the industry.
When we last talked with her in 2021 for our JUL ISSUE #67, we talked about how she got into her career and her passion for putting her soul on the plate she was in the midst of production for the first season of Next Level Chef and we talked about identity.
Since then, Nyesha continues to do what she does best, exploring the world through travel, and participating in a number of pop-ups and multi-day food events around the world, she is currently on Next Level Chef UK airing on ITV and she'll be back for the second season of Next Level Chef here in the US on FOX that starts immediately following Super Bowl LVII on Feb Sun 12th!
We talked about her recent TEDx talk where she shared her life recipe, the importance of mentorship and being in spaces that fuel your fire and allow learning about others and about yourself. Of course, we talk about the success of Next Level Chef and what makes it a perfect fit as well as Native by Nyesha Arrington which is at LAX's Delta Terminal 3!
ATHLEISURE MAG: You know we’re always cheering for you from the sidelines! It’s always fun to see what you’re up to and we’re chatting on IG off an on and we’re so excited to have you as cover for the JAN ISSUE #85!
CHEF NYESHA ARRINGTON: It’s an incredible time. I’m 22 years into this business and now that I am charting the course, I wish I could have been able to tell 10 year old Nyesha that it was going to be ok!
Oh my gosh! It’s been an exciting journey thus far and I am just grateful to be able to put back in to the field that raised me. It’s a completely different time now and stories are being told and celebrated and that’s all part of it. So you know, I’m really grateful!
AM: In the last interview we did with you, we talked about heritage, identity and many of the things that you’re involved in and I happened to watch your TEDx Berkely talk which was about Identity, Through the Lens of a Chef which I think was amazing. So in this talk, you focused on identity, being Afro-Korean, exploration of self and creating a life recipe. What was it like to be able to share this powerful message?
CHEF NA: First of all, when they reached out to me, I was like, "um what? Do you have the right person?” Because it was a pinch me moment. I don’t know, I always kind of saw myself being in my purpose being able to share the message of life. I’m living and learning simultaneously. So, the person I am today, isn’t the person I was 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago. So to be able to kind of - honestly, it was the first time in my journey that I was able to stomp down and look at the database and collect it. You know, I do network television, I’ve done digital stuff and I meet a lot of people and have traveled the world. I would say that in true honesty, that was the most vulnerable that I have had the opportunity to share sort of my life message with. Because, it’s truly from an authentic and lived place. The first day when I go to Berkely and I did my trial talk, there was one person in the audience and after I finished, he clapped and came to back stage and had tears in his eyes. He said, “you know, that message is really going to resonate with people.” I didn’t have a lot of time to write it, maybe a month and I didn’t have any coaches. I learned after that people have all of these coaches and do all of these things. I didn’t know that.
It was hard like any creative process. You just kind of get the first draft down. I read it mostly to my family, my dad who’s my best bud and to my close friends. I was able to distill it down to the parameters set for the TED talk in terms of time and implementing the Power Point tools and things like that. It’s hard! It’s a really hard thing, but girl it was seriously so rewarding because I cried so many times through it and I think that it was just a really cathartic process. I came up in the early 2000’s when there weren’t a lot of chefs that were of color. I never really had that kind of opportunity to work next to women of color and I never really thought about it in all honesty. I was like, ok, I’m going to culinary school and this is what you have to do and this is the path. White tablecloths and fine dining is the pinnacle of excellence and I was like, bet that’s what I’m going to do. You know, and I did it! I never took inventory along the way. I was grinding head down. Lots of tears and lots of trial and error period and going along the come up. When I wrote that, I felt like ok, what’s my message for myself as a time piece? I will look at this 10 years from now and I will probably be a completely different human and also simultaneously, what is the message or life recipe that I can give to people to have that same resilience. Shit's not easy you know? So, especially when you have the opportunity to do Next Level Chef. Sure, it’s a television show, but honestly, it’s literally the best for me, because I can reach a vast audience and now globally after season 1 and like now, the DMs blow up. Not because, “oh we’re a fan of you,” but it’s, “hey can you mentor me” or they’re having this situation. By now, I’ve pretty much seen a lot of shit and so now to be able to have time piece, I thought what is the recipe? It’s sort of a macro/micro lens to look through. When I took that inventory, it was the first time that I stopped and looked at how did I get here? Because that’s what a lot of people ask. Even I say it and that’s what it was. That was seriously one of the most rewarding things that I have been able to do and to be able to share that. It’s true. It’s like this analogy of actually creating a real recipe in the kitchen, but also taking those tools and applying it to everyday life.
AM: In listening to this, it’s only 14 minutes, but it is such a profound 14 minutes. It made me think of a quote that Muhammad Ali said, “If you’re 50 years old and you think the same way at 50 as you did at 20, you have wasted 30 years.” He encouraged people to take inventory and to tweak as you navigate life. Hearing you do it, it sent chills and I had no idea that you didn’t have a coach – I assumed you did as all of the friends that I know who have done it, told me about how they prepared for it. It was beautiful, succinct and so applicable regardless of what your vertical is that you work in.
CHEF NA: That’s the thing!
AM: I love that!
Coming off of that, I know that you believe in sustainability and eliminating food waste. Why are these so important to you in your cooking? I know that this is a huge conversation that people are having in this area.
CHEF NA: Well, oh my gosh, I love this question! It shouldn’t be seen as a fad right or an “on brand lens” to look through. I think it’s freaking really empowering. The term "sustainability" can actually mean so many things – there are so many facets to that term sustainability if you’re talking about growing your own produce, having chickens, upcycling right? Using non-single use plastics and if you are going to, know that you don’t have to throw that resealable bag away. I am not ashamed to wash a Ziplock bag. Those are the terms that I mean when I say sustainable because in a consumer driven world where we are constantly being marketed to on billboards, ads, our phones and emails and website pop-ups, we just get immersed. I will say that I have had really and truly incredible opportunities to travel. When I go to other countries, it really widens my perspective because I don’t feel as bombarded by being marketed to if you will. I want to share that message because I don’t know if everybody gets to see and have that opportunity to go to where people live in the countryside of Bali ever. It’s like, no, we grow our rice, we collect the rainwater and it gives back to us. That idea can be exercised in different ways. Like last week when it rained a lot, I put 3 buckets out, I got all the rainwater and I watered all my plants with it this week. It’s like, those are the things that I mean by sustainable. Mother Nature, without sounding to woo woo about it – it gives us all the things that we freaking need. Yes, I have a compost pile and literally, it’s so easy to get dirt, put earthworms in it and put food waste in it and grow vegetables. I have 3 little avocado trees that grew from eating the avocado. Those are regenerative practices that are also in the lens of sustainability.
Yes, there are those conversations of thngs being greenwashed and it’s on brand to be sustainable, but there are things that you can do everyday and I think that in terms of biproduct use, for me when it comes to scallions or things that have regenerative and natural capabilities, whenever I use them, I keep the bottom 2” and I throw them in dirt and in a week or two, I have brand new scallions shooting up. Those types of things are doable for people whether you live in a NY high rise or you live on lots of land in Southern
Southern California. Those practices are really important to me on the smaller scale and also on the larger scale when you’re buying for events and aligning yourself with different brands. I think that being intentional with who you are buying from is another sustainable practice for the economy. So I think it ultimately distills down to intentionality. I will say this, it has been a journey for me as well. Coming up, I was in fine dining a lot. We would legitimately fly in a particular kind of aluminum foil from Italy because it had certain qualities to it. I just feel that the 1% who gets to enjoy those $1,000 meals, it’s cool. It’s a craft, I get it. But also, after years and years of that, how can I actually take this inexpensive cut of meat and just by understanding the anatomy and the make up of and knowing what that animal ate, and what can I make that is really bomb by spending a little more intentionality and time with it. Point and case, I think there are a number of different ways to look at the term sustainability. When I was traveling through Morocco, I went to this family’s home in Marrakesh and they literally lived in a mountain range and the whole family lives there – the grandmothers, aunts and cousins. They grow all of their own stuff. They have chickens and they have cows and they built their kitchen which was like a cave and they made these hearth fires. They burnt live fire to cook that way. There was zero electricity and that is a way to be sustainable. It’s about harnessing the life tools that we already possess. I get that that’s not for everyone and it’s not practical in some ways, but those ideas can definitely carry over in other ways.
AM: You’ve said that food is energy transfer. What do you mean by that as I love that phrase.
CHEF NA: Oh my gosh, I love that too!
AM: You know we ask great questions!
CHEF NA: You really do! You’re really speaking to me!
It is. For an example, there was this woman and she was sitting and eating my food. I had never met her before and I walked right by her and she kind of looked despondent – a little in her feelings you know. I walked by and then I circled back around and said, “how are you miss? Everything good? Thanks for joining.” She said, “Chef Nyesha, I flew here to have this meal and I have not been able to escape the intention in this.” She recognized and felt everything from the plate that the food was on – which was handmade by a friend of mine who made the plates for me. The food was sourced from local farmers who I don’t think could care more as it’s their livelihood and they generational legacy and they tend to the soil, they pull up the crop and they share this with me being the conduit who gets to apply my creative process to it through my culinary journey onto the cooks who prep it – the chefs who get to create this dish and ultimately the servers that get to tell that story that I shared with them. All for that person to enjoy a work of art in that moment, right? It gets to live in the soul and it becomes food data for that person to reflect on for years and years and it lives there. When I say it’s an energy transfer, it’s like a kinetic energy that’s almost like a static buildup that lives in that and it’s a life force. It’s something that for me, I’m grateful that I am able to travel based on that sort of mindset to go to a new land if you will and to understand that terroir and celebrate that and then apply my culinary knowledge. I feel like I am living in my purpose on why I am on this planet. It means that much to me!
AM: What is the best bite that you have ever had?
CHEF NA: Wow, wonderful question. I will say this and all I can go with is the most memorable. I would say that when I was working with a Chef Monsieur Joël Robuchon, he was dubbed the Chef of the Century and he has this dish which was called, the Caille or quail in English. That dish, I didn’t understand how such a simple, elegant dish could have so much phenomenal flavor. Then I learned how to make it and I was basically visiting a friend and then I ended up working at that restaurant. The whole entire plate, the way that the herbs were picked, they were so fresh and so lightly dressed with this sort of mild vinegar sort of flavor on the greens that didn’t over power it, but just accentuated it. The quail was cooked so perfectly and the jus – I’m such a sauce person.
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: The jus from the natural reduction of the bones and the trim and that’s another sustainable practice – nothing is going to waste. It was stuffed with duck liver and the truffles. He has this dish where picture a potato purée, and it’s making my mouth water as I talk about it.
AM: Same, because I love potatoes.
CHEF NA: Girl, I mastered that technique to learn how to make them. I think that ultimately, to be honest to sidebar for just a second, I think that that’s what got me on the show to be able to mentor on Next Level Chef, because I actually made those potatoes for Gordon Ramsay on Master Chef and that’s when they called me a couple of weeks later. They said, “hey, we have this concept that we’re working on.” Because I didn’t even know that Gordon and I had worked for the same chef. That probably was one of the most memorable dishes that I have ever had, the Robuchon Quail dish with the Potato Purée – incredible – truly!
AM: If we were at your home, what are foods or spices that you tend to always have on hand in your kitchen?
CHEF NA: Wow, I love this question, I’m such a spice girl!
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: Same! Yeah, right? It’s a really easy way to add lots of depth of flavor. Well, I would say that the spices that I always have on hand – I love cumin. I always have cumin, paprika, coriander, fennel seed and also cardamon!
AM: Ooo I love that too!
CHEF NA: Girl, I love it! I feel like it is such an under used spice!
AM: With the Big Game coming up, people get to hangout with one another and they’re watching the game. There is always an array of food and beverages. If we were hanging out with you, what would we have on football’s biggest night, especially since season 2 of Next Level Chef will be premiering immediately after!
CHEF NA: So football was my dad and I’s thing! We used to watch the Super Bowl a lot – like every year before I started traveling more. So snacks was always the thing. I actually love these little things called Pigs in a Blanket.
AM: Oh yes, I’m from the Midwest so that’s the thing.
CHEF NA: Yes! So it’s like how do I add veggies to these things? So get this and it’s a really incredible dish actually. It’s kind of like – you don’t have to sweat it! I feel like, football snacks don’t always have to be these opulent you’re in the kitchen cooking Thanksgiving kind of things. It just has to hit, so basically, these Pigs in a Blanket, I like to dip them in mustard.
AM: Same! I’m not a ketchup girl.
CHEF NA: SAME! That’s a no no! So, ok get this, I basically braised down mustard greens and then I basically fold it into some Dijon mustard and then inside the dough, I put the little smokey and a little bit of the braised mustard greens and chop it up and then roll it up. I put egg wash on the top and then I put sautéed or popped mustard seeds on top with a little flaky sauce and then bake them. So you get these crunch elements, a bit like poppy seeds and then these flaky salt bites and then you get this bit of a dip inside so you get a bit of that moisture element to it. You kind of feel like you’re eating healthy, but you’re not really. I also do this Dijonnaise with Kewpie mayo which is this Japanese mayo!
AM: Love Kewpie!
CHEF NA: I love a Kewpie moment! So that with Dijon mustard and fresh chives. You dip that in there and it’s like the best bite ever!
AM: Oh my God. Between what you just told me and I interviewed Chef Kristin Kish a few months ago and she had a kimchi Pigs in a Blanket version – so this Super Bowl, I need to do something different to incorporate these things.
CHEF NA: Mmm, yes!
AM: You were talking about Morocco earlier and I saw it on your IG and I remember when you were doing it that I thought it was so amazing. You’re known for storytelling through food. Why did you want to go to Morocco and what was that like for you?
CHEF NA: Oh my gosh! Well first of all, I just wanted to be able to get to the continent of Africa and that was my first taste at it and I can’t wait to get back! I want to travel to Ghana and Nigeria next.
I just have had some amazing opportunities to storytell through food. It started the first year in Belize and that was in 2019 and then I did Morocco, I did Bali and I did Hong Kong.
I think for me, it was an opportunity to connect. I traveled with 12 people and basically, led them on a culinary journey where I took them through the markets! Oh my God, the most beautiful thing is that we traveled through Marrakesh, Fez and the Ourika Valley and I was collecting ingredients along the way and then we cooked an amazing huge dinner. I think that for me, to have perspective on other places from where I was born, I think it really just adds to my repertoire. I have a very unique perspective on cooking because I don’t want to just know one style. I learned French fine dining because I feel that the technique – right, which is different from the ingredients and the cultural influence is the mother of cooking right? How to braise, how to make a sauce, how to chiffonade, how to cut a brunoise – all those things are applicable to the ingredients or the terroir of where I am. So if I can go to a new place in the world and learn about a particular thread of saffron or a way to cook couscous which is such an art to learn those things. Like, bread making first hand from the matriarchs – I get to weave that through my tapestry which becomes a personal approach to cooking, right? I did it in my TED talk, I believe that we as human beings are simply the bridge and gateway from the past to the future. So, it is something that I wear with a badge of honor, so that’s really why I try to travel as much as possible and I’ll actually be doing another pop-up in Q2 of 2023 in Hong Kong.
AM: Oh wow!
CHEF NA: I know! People are so excited! They don’t want me to cook food and give them my take on Chinese food, they want to feel who am I on a plate. That’s what I feel what my super power is – to storytell through my food.
AM: You participated in Kwame Onwuachi’s The Family Reunion at the inaugural launch in 2021. You moderated Stories From the Matriarchs: Then vs. Now which included Virginia Ali of the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl, Chef Tiffany Derry and Chef Mashama Bailey as panelists. The Family Reunion was held at the beautiful Salamander Resort & Spa which we’d love to check out later this year. Can you tell me a bit about this multi-day event and why did you want to do it?
CHEF NA: Well, I’ll see you there! He reached out. Kwame’s a long time friend and colleague and we came up together. When he asked me to do one of the closing ceremonies which was to pay respects to the founder of Ben’s Chili Bowl.
AM: Which is insane!
CHEF NA: I mean, I was like, what? I moderated this panel which focused on matriarchs past, present and future. It was just a vibe. I don’t even know how to articulate it – it was truly a vibe. I did that the first year and then the second year, I cooked and I’m not trying to talk big headed, but people said it was probably the dish of the whole event and it was so bomb! It was braised short rib but I had this Afro-Korean influence with it and this sweet potato grits. People lost their shit and you know, you make dishes and you’re like this hits, this is great, but this was one of those dishes where I was like, “dang, I put my whole foot in this dish.” Seriously, for weeks, people were hitting me up on IG and even at the event saying dang! It was just one of those things. That’s that love transfer from conception to the menu articulation to people making the dish. You have to inspire constantly, and you have to inspire to be inspired truly. It’s a full circle of like!
The Family Reunion, I’m always grateful to be invited to it and every time I leave that event, I just feel that my cup is full.
AM: It looks amazing!
CHEF NA: It is a vibe. I don’t even know what else to say! From the playlist that’s playing throughout the Salamander to the conversations. We’re all out here pushing and then you get this moment to kind of stop and connect. You can share ideas, it’s really cool.
AM: So will you be at this year’s?
CHEF NA: I will!
AM: Amazing! I was talking to my Co-Founder who is also my boyfriend and we happened to catch Kwame at StarChefs International Chefs Congress back in 2019 and talk about rice and the impact of the diaspora as it went from West Africa to the US and I was like, we definitely need to check out The Family Reunion, see the resort and be able to hang with you as well as other chefs and to enjoy the culinary experience!
CHEF NA: Love it!
AM: You’re also going to be at the Mohegan Sun the last weekend of Jan for the Sun Wine and Food Fest. Why did you want to be at this food festival, what is happening and what will you be doing there?
CHEF NA: So, I’ll start with my dish. I’m going to be doing a Toasted Rise Porridge with a Chicken Ai-Soon Meatball which is my grandmother’s name on my mom’s side. It has this crispy garlic and scallions. I’ve been playing with this idea of Afro-Korean cuisine and this is kind of a dish that will reflect that. I chose this because it is an opportunity for me to connect with my peers, to connect with a part of the states that I don’t really get access to. I like to do these events, because I don’t necessarily have a restaurant where people can come patron so it’s important for me to take my food out on the road and to be on tour if you will! So, I do a lot of private events in LA, but this is my way to do public dinners. It’s kind of amazing and hits all the touchpoints for me because I get to connect with my colleagues and then I get to share the message of food. I’ll be able to do the dine around where people will get to meet all of the chefs and then also I'll get to demo a dish.
The demos are my favorite part. For me, I get to demystify cooking because I am up there and I am showing it. Anyone can find a recipe, but if I am showing you how to do it, it makes people feel more empowered and maybe they can make the recipe at home. So this year, it may sound simple, but these are the kinds of things that people should know how to make to really up their game. A freaking salad dressing! Last year, I showed people how to make ramen noodles. I like showing people about things that they generally go out and buy so this year, I’m going to show people how to make a signature thing that I make which is called a Shatter Batter. This batter stays crispy for forever and really it’s a game to see how you can capture the most amount of bubbles in the batter as possible. So I show people the techniques, but also the science behind it. When to fold in your egg whites, when to use baking powder, baking soda and what do these do scientifically? Once you have those elements of chemistry, people can take that and apply it to their cooking. I’m basically going to show people how to make this Shatter Batter, I’m going to be deep frying things and generally, everyone has these ingredients at home. I’ll be demoing that and then doing the dine around event with the Chicken Meatball and it should be a fun time!
AM: I love that you’re always doing different types of events that show different types of facets. I know that you have the one that’s coming up with the St Louis Community College – Falling in Love ... In the 5 Courses Gala at the Four Seasons and the fact that students who are culinary artists will be able to get to work with you as well, it’s really cool to see how you’re always giving of yourself and doing things in a different way. Why did you want to be included in that event?
CHEF NA: Oh my God, I love it – you know all of the things!
AM: I love you as a person, but I also think it's important that when a person has a signature and they have a throughline, I love seeing how true it is – which yours obviously is. But you’re always doing different things and infusing mentorship through food and you’re raising people up that are making their way and I think that’s cool that you do that consistently.
CHEF NA: I agree because it feeds my soul as much as I hope that it feeds theirs. This one, I’m really excited about it because I didn’t have the bandwidth in my schedule to do it last year. This year, having time to circle back around, it’s going to be exciting because I was talking with the chefs and these culinary students, I always have to say that the first day that I sat in culinary school, I knew that I never wanted to do anything else. I was going to see it through to the end and now to have the opportunity to give back to these young minds and nurture - is a part of me in creating that legacy in our field. It’s a vertical – it’s either going to grow or not and it takes tilling the land to make it grow and be fruitful and this is my way of doing that! It’s also really cool because I came up literally in the best kitchens that you could work in in the world. To be able to wear that hat for a day without having to tend to it every single day if I had a fine dining restaurant, selfishly, it’s kind of a way for me to be able to wear that hat for a minute. It’s what I’m good at. I really love that part of it. 5 courses for 500 people is no small feat. The amount of pre-production that goes into such an amazing gala like that is very challenging. It’s very rewarding and I don’t ever want to be like, “oh, I’m a celebrity chef and I’m too big to do the things.” I’m a worker first and foremost and that’s how I got to where I am today. To be able to do that, I want to make sure that I am actually doing the things.
AM: Looping back to Next Level Chef and looking at the first season, when I interviewed you last time, you weren’t able to tell me all the things, but after watching the first season I was so hooked. I loved the fact that you had these different levels that had these different resources. You don’t always get to be at the tip top and you have to do a lot with less and still make it look amazing. Being able to figure things out individually as well as being able to do so as a team – what did you walk away from as someone who was a mentor, having a person who won from your team and working alongside Gordon and Richard?
CHEF NA: That’s a great question! Truly, I don’t think that I could be more grateful to be on this type of program because ultimately, I’m a blip on these chefs life radar. Yes, it’s cool that I’m on a show blah blah blah, but it’s not about me, it’s about them! For me, not being that far from cooking competitions myself, I can completely relate to how they feel. To be tasked with putting a dish together in 45 minutes, you haven’t seen all the ingredients, you don’t know what level you will be on – it’s a gauntlet. You really start to see after the 3rd cook that they may have had the opportunity to be on all 3 levels. So they’ve kind of had the opportunity to take inventory and they can strategize and game plan. But it’s really hard! To be able to be a voice of reason sometimes, I get it. Once that light turns green, you’re like go and your mind is on a bullet train to be like, “ok, I need to grab all of these different ingredients, not freaking cut myself, but I’m also on TV so maybe I should smile!” It’s a lot and I get it! I feel like I’m that ghost teammate. Yes, I’m their mentor, but I’m part of their brand and part of their hands. I don’t feel like there is this hierarchy where I’m on top of you, I’m with you! Just to be able to be that voice of reason for those chefs – that may need less salt or that needs a pop of acid and then they win, those are the most rewarding moments. You can see the gratitude that they have for the entire journey, win or lose. Pyet DeSpain took it home last year and she put the work in, but it’s like – a lot of the magic actually happens outside of the program because these chefs get 4 months of mentorship between myself, Richard and Gordon outside of the show plus that $250,000 to seed their dreams. I mean, you have got to really freaking hand it to Gordon. In 2006, I remember working in this 2-star Michelin restaurant and feeling like dang, I was just 5 years into the game and for me, I was like, I want to work in harvest kitchens and that’s what I did. So I was like, ok and the more that I started to peel back the layers, I was like, “dang, I don’t know anything."
But what I did know was that I had work ethic and I was ready to take it on. But, I knew I needed to look at who was killing it and it was Gordon. He had the most Michelin stars, he was killing it in media to the point of watering the soil. To have a show like this where I get to dedicate this year's and years of ups and downs and the journey lived to these young minds, there is no other show like it. Yes, there is this competitive component but it’s rewarding for the mentors also.
To be able to work next to him every day, I can’t even tell you girl. I go to bed excited and I’m excited to wake up! No moment am I like, “Oh my God it’s hard waking up at 4am in the morning every day.” I go and I wake up, I go to the gym and I sit in the makeup chair for 2 hours and I’m ready to crush it every single freaking day. I love it! I would say that it is the most professional set that I have ever been on and it’s the most inspiring because he leads his sets like you’re in a kitchen. To be on a set led by a chef’s mind, is different then being on a set led by a production person. He has a production mind, so it’s like for me, it’s the best of both worlds. I’ve had the opportunity to do a good amount of TV by now, but most of my life lived has been in kitchens. So, I feel like I’m grateful because I’m in the best place for me.
AM: What was your favorite challenge from season 1?
CHEF NA: Ooo my favorite challenge from season 1 was the cultural mash-up challenge. The chefs were tasked to take two
different countries and create a synonymous dish and that’s not easy! It’s not just like this term that people loved using in the 90’s – fusion. For me, it’s a mild trigger work. It’s not fusing 2 continents together, it’s like what we spoke about earlier. For me, the best way to articulate storytelling in a dish is to use techniques from one part of the world and ingredients from another.
The elements that make up a dish – so if you say this is a protein an Ibérico ham from Spain and I want to do it with some sort of a citrus element. Maybe you’re not using a particular orange from that region, but you’re using a lemon from a different part of the world, but it’s still an acid. It makes sense. It’s not just about shoving a square peg into a round hole to put two different parts together. That’s part of the journey to get those chefs to understand how to build and storytell through a dish. I would say that that was definitely one of the most memorable!
AM: I remember when I watched that episode and I thought, “ooo that could go really well or it could be really bad!”
CHEF NA: 100%! You really have to be able to understand ingredients.
AM: So how did you get onto Next Level Chef UK which is currently running right now, right?
CHEF NA: Yes ma’am! How did I get onto Next Level Chef UK, I just tried really hard during season 1 and I think that that is something that you just can’t fake. I genuinely in full transparency, some sleepless nights thinking about how I can be the best mentor to these chefs. When they don’t win, I take it personally. How could you not? I think that that resonated with the antithesis of the show. The ethos of the show is rooted in mentorship and it is something that I don’t take lightly, win or lose. It’s not even about losing, it’s about the opportunity for growth. I think that that really resonated with the team and they asked me if I wanted to be part of the team for the UK version and without question, I was honored. That was something that was unexpected, I didn’t anticipate that at all. It’s currently running and it was really cool for me. To be able to see how different people cook, especially, the most surprising thing for me was the range. They’re all British, so seeing the range, I was like, “what am I going to get?” I got a pretty wide range from Indian, Asian, Jamaican and traditional British cuisine. For me, I was a little nervous to see how an American chef would be received.
AM: That’s what I wondered!
CHEF NA: Girl, like learning the verbiage, but it was actually all second nature because in fine dining, a lot of French brigade style kitchens use those terms anyways. It’s just part of the European culture, like rocket for arugula or aubergine for eggplant and coriander for cilantro, so it came natural to me. I think that part of it is just the ability to communicate. At the end of the day, 2 human beings from 2 different parts of the world, we were able to connect over food and it was just some of the most enjoyable experiences that I have had being over there.
AM: To know that in a few days, we have the 2nd season that will be here. Last fall we were talking with Richard and he was like, “oh yeah the 2nd season starts right after Super Bowl Sunday!” I was so excited! How excited are you to be back here again and what are you looking forward to?
CHEF NA: Wow! Well, I can’t believe it. What am I looking forward to? You know what I love? We spent a lot of time vetting our teams prior to the launch of the show which makes sense for the progression of the show. This season, instead of episode 1 with us picking our teams, we’re just going to get straight into it!
AM: Oh wow!
CHEF NA: I know! I love that because we have now built the base and people know the concept of the show. There’s a lot more opportunity for people to follow along with the actual competition and they really love that part of it. I’m really excited to have more episodes. We’re actually coming back with more episodes this season. I don’t know if there is a better opportunity of a slot to be airing right after the Super Bowl, it’s kind of a big deal!
AM: For sure, I was talking with Richard about chili and he just slipped it in there and I was like, “wait, right after the Super Bowl?” I was like, “oh crap!”
CHEF NA: Girl, the fact that Rhianna is playing at halftime, I’m so here for it!
AM: Coming from the Midwest, I love the Super Bowl. I like to get up and watch all of the pre-coverage and hear the stories etc early in the day!
CHEF NA: Me too!
AM: By the time it’s the actual game, I’ve been up for hours and so ready for it! This is so exciting. So to be able to end all of that by watching another form of competition, with their grit and know how, that’s so cool and I’m happy to hear it.
Do you think that you will be attached to additional seasons whether here or other global versions?
NA: I don’t know! When I first met Gordon and was a guest chef on Master Chef for his finale, my parting words to those chefs were to look at the kitchen like a playing field. You have to have an athlete mindset to win. It’s not just one component or the other to excel in it. It’s a team sport and you have to approach it every day with a competitive mindset to not also ask but to demand excellence from yourself. I think that that is 1 super cool thing that will be a synonymous dialogue through all of the parts and wherever this show goes. There are so many layers to it, so many facets and to have that spot after the Super Bowl is incredible. I’m excited to be on the UK version. I’m not sure about what the future holds, but we’ll see. I’m just excited that in this moment, I can’t express enough gratitude to the FOX people, the Studio Ramsey people – it’s incredible. Words can’t explain actually how incredible it is to be on that show. If it ended tomorrow, I will feel glad about what I had to offer and if it went on for 10 years and I was part of it, that would be amazing too.
Regardless I will say that when I was looking at who was killing it in the game and it was Gordon, for me to be able to have so much time to spend time with him so far, has been a dream! I couldn’t ask for more actually.
AM: As a viewer, it looks so natural. Sometimes when you have certain kinds of pairings regardless of the show or the vertical, you can see that someone was pulling to make that happen or that an advertiser got their way and there is no connection. But when I see the 2 of you, it feels natural, and it’s a blessing because sometimes you have to make a mountain out of a mole hill and this, it’s just what it is.
CHEF NA: Girl, I’m saying! When we had the launch party in the UK, a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t ready for it. They brought us up on stage. We were in front of the producers, culinary, press, culinary students, friends and all of these people in the building. He thanked everyone for coming and passed me the microphone and told me to say some words.
I started speaking and I was so overwhelmed with so much emotion and gratitude and started to tear up. I pushed on through my words, I said my things tearfully and after people kept coming up to me and said that they were balling their eyes out listening to me speak. To your point, it comes from a very authentic place. Point being, after I spoke, Gordon spoke and he said he was so grateful to work next to me also and said that the thing about it and the thing about this show is that it always comes back to the food. No matter what, good days or bad days. We will never not have that part. That’s what makes it the most authentic. That will never falter. Every day, we have team meetings and we think about the concept of the day. These challenges – we think about it. What would we make with this? We really treat it like it’s a kitchen and that’s where all of that comes from and it’s a root system. It’s not just produced by these freelancers and producers that come in just to try and build a storyline. It is a true chef show. So it’s cool!
AM: Since you’re always on the go, what do you do for your own self-care so that you can reset and be ready for your next adventure? You literally could be anywhere.
CHEF NA: Yeah, it’s very true. I look at it like a very big grid system and I think about it like that. I have been conditioned and I grew up playing team sports and I look at it the same way. I grew up working those 10 and 12 hours days. If I know that I am in London next week, the few days leading up, you know I might do a juice cleanse, I might workout a little extra harder so that I can sleep a little better. I might negate sleeping a little the night before so I can sleep on the plane. It’s all about managing time ultimately and being intentional about how it is being spent in terms of your time lived. I think that that is the most important thing.
I will say that 2019 was a huge growth year for me. I think before I was managing my stress differently whether it was a few glasses of wine, over indulging in food – I have turned that around drastically, where I have put that same energy into my gym routine. That for me, was a life game changer, not just for my career, but also my regular life. I sauna a lot, I ice bath, I do a lot of CrossFit – those things - functional fitness, it makes me function in my regular life. I have way more bandwidth to take on these larger feats you know! I will say that that is my main thing and how I am able to maneuver. I will be honest, I would not be able to do it alone. I have a team that keeps me on track and manages my calendar and helps me! I don’t like to come from a reactionary state, I’m a very proactive person. So that is the only way that I am able to manage such a demanding schedule. I would say that it’s a lot of self-care girl, it’s a lot of meditating and I wear my Oura ring and it tells me when I am not doing things properly and I adjust. I do IV's - I do the IV game and we talked about this last time. I do redlight therapy.
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: I get my B vitamins, I’m very very intentional with my body.
AM: Philanthropically, how do you give back to your community and those in the culinary arts?
CHEF NA: Well, I think that things like this Gala event, we’re raising a lot of funds to go towards this culinary school. I mentor outside of these hosted events as much as possible. I do a ton of private dinners all over LA and I always make it my business to hire the team - the next generation coming up and specifically, women of color if I can because it’s just good to be intentional with where the dollars are going. Knowledge is power and we know that. The more that I can show the next generation, the better. I think that it’s ultimately through mentorship as much as possible.
AM: Are there other projects that you have coming up that you are able to share?
CHEF NA: I just opened a restaurant, Native, a couple of months ago in the Delta Terminal in LAX.
AM: Nice, that I didn’t know!
CHEF NA: Really? I’m working on that project with potentially more to come! I would say that definitely if people are interested to check me out in my Hong Kong pop-up, that’s a really cool time to connect! Yeah, the restaurant in LAX at Delta Terminal is killing it right now! It is very exciting! Those are the things that I can talk about now, there are other things swirling around, but I think that it is too early to tell.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be?
CHEF NA: Wow! I love these questions! What do I want my legacy to be? You know what I want it to be? I want people to feel that they can be more vulnerable and open to conversation. I think that for me to be able to storytell through my food is a way to connect with people and to break down these walls that have been so systemically ingrained within us especially in culture and in race. I want my legacy to be the glue that bonds humanity.
IG @nyeshajoyce
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT COVER, PG 16, 20 - 23, 26 FOX | PG 19 + 9LIST STORI3S PG 48, 51 Brian Parillo | PG 25 Michael Becker/FOX | PG 29 Nyesha Arrington | PG 30 Pedro Cardoso | 9LIST STORI3S PG |
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see STORYTELLING EXPLORED | Nyesha Arrington in mag.
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PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS, SHAWNE MERRIMAN + ANTONIO GATES/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S.27 E.5 | MAKING OUR WAY TO LONDON
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross for tonight’s latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. The ladies and Zach have made their way to London and they’re all taking in the sights! The date card arrives and Gabi gets a 1-on-1 with him. Greer is shocked as she has a tea cup tattooed on her arm and wants to go to high tea. A butler takes her to meet with Zach and definitely provides all the British vibes that you could imagine. Their date involves a ride through London as they sip on champagne and get to know one another. They’re going on the ultimate royal experience by going to Floris which makes fragrances for the royals, Winston Churchill and more. They get a tour of this 300-year tradition and they will also get their own perfumes made as well. They continue to get the royal treatment with a stylist as well as a butler who has worked with the royal family. Even the Corgis from the royal bloodline make an appearance. She tries on a number of gowns that give her that queenly feeling. As the women sit and chat, Gabi comes in and she brings her bags from her royal treatment day, but she is also hopping back out to the date/. She shows all of her gifts to the women as they all ooh and aah.
The next date card arrives announcing the next portion of Gabi’s date - along with the dress that Zach picked out for her. Greer walks out and Charity goes to chat with her.
Gabi’s date continues as they go to dinner with one another and take time to get to know one another more. She becomes vulnerable with him and lets her guard down. The women are back in the hotel and Greer is still mad about not having the date that fit her personality best.
The next date card arrives for Brooklyn, Kat, Aly, Kaity, Ariel, Kylee, Jess, Mercedes and Greer. That means that Charity gets the 1-on-1 date. Mercedes leaves crying and upset that she is not on the intimate date. Back on the date, Gabi accepts the rose and feels that the experience has been so special. They are seranaded by UB40 as they dance the night away.
The girls prepare for their group date and a card arrives. He lets them know that he is feeling under the weather, but still wants them to have a good time and wants them to spend time without him. They board the double-decker bus to have a tour.
Back at the hotel. Zach says he’s jetlagged and exhausted and doesn’t want to get them sick. He hopes that he can rally and meet up with them for the cocktail party. Greer decides that since you can’t control what happens when someone is sick, you can still try and have a good time. The ladies end up having a good time considering that they didn’t want to waste the day.
The ladies dress up to catch up with him in hopes of seeing him. They are given a message from Zach that he will not be there.
The women let Charity and Gabi know about what happened and whether the other 1-on-1 date happens is a question. Jesse Palmer arrives and tells Charity that the date will not take place as he tested positive for COVID. Kaity leaves him a basket and chats with him through the door. We can all sit there and think about the obvious questions like why isn’t anyone asking about Gabi being quarantined since she was with Zach for an entire day and night or the fact that Kaity decides to talk to him through a door?
Zach decides to do a virtual cocktail party and he will also do a virtual rose ceremony. Charity is in first and gets a gift and is reassured that he wants to spend time with her and that they will have another opportunity. She definitely feels acknowledged. Zach interacts with each one so that they have time. Greer ends up having an awkward moment by comparing him having COVID while trying to find his person to when she had it when she was closing a quarter at her job as a marketer. He let her know that that wasn’t the same and she realizes that she made a mistake. She hopes that that won’t send her home.
Zach feels that the week was robbed and he wishes that he could have had the dates in person and kept things the way that he had intended for them to be. Zach and Jesse talk and they prepare for the virtual rose ceremony which feels a bit odd.
The women assemble in front of the screen and they see the roses to the side. Zach appears and lets them know his thoughts. Each woman will pick up the rose when he gives it and he fave virtual air hugs to them.
ZACH GIVES ROSES TO | Aly, Ariel, Brooklyn, Charity, Gabi, Greer, Jess, Kaity and Kat
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Kylee and Mercedes
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
OUR HOMETOWN PREDICTIONS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS, SHAWNE MERRIMAN + ANTONIO GATES/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S.27 E. 4 | WE'RE OFF TO THE BAHAMAS
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross for tonight’s latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. Jesse Palmer tells the women that there won’t be a date and that they will make their way to the Bahamas where their journeys will continue. The date card arrives and Katherine is given a 1-on-1 date.
Katherine and Zach head out for their date on a boat to get to know more about one another. They practice safe sun, awkwardly date and continue to dig deeper to know more about one another.
Back at the Baha Mar, the rest of the women are talking about where they are in relation to others and trying to see how to navigate the week as there is still another 1-on-1 as well as a group date.
The next date card arrives and Aly, Kaity, Ariel, Davia, Genevie, Anastasia, Kylee, Mercedes, Charity, Gabi, Jess and Greer will be on a date that involves heat. Brooklyn will be on the 1-on-1 date.
At Zach and Kat’s date night, she lets him know that the family dynamics that she comes from is not the same as his. She lets him know that the relationship between her and her mom wasn’t great for a period of time and she didn’t live at home. After their heart-to-heart, Zach gives her the date night rose and she accepts.
The women back at the suite see the fireworks that are set off and they know that she had a great date and will be coming back.
The group date gets underway and Zach lets them know that they will be eating and drinking and relaxing a bit. In the group settings, Zach tends to interact with each person and the women agreed that they would all give each other time. When Anastasia says that she wants to talk with Zach the women feel like she overstepped. When Kylee approached her comment of wanting to steal Zach and not wanting to “fight her over it,” is blown out of proportion as Anastasia tells all the women that Kylee wants to fight her. Most of the women understand what was said and Zach even heard Kylee say it in real time - how this will resolve itself will definitely come up at the cocktail party for the group date.
Although he spends time with each one, he finds out that Anastasia may be there for the wrong reason as she has been overheard saying that she is there to increase her Instagram followers. Zach gets the information, talks with those that heard and then brings it up to her. He lets her know that he will need to think about it and will get back to her. When she comes back to the women, Kylee says she wants to talk about the elephant in the room and she wanted to make sure she was honest that although she didn’t hear it, she was told about it. Anastasia says that those words were taken out of context (meanwhile, she has no problem taking words out of context in terms of Kylee).
He gives the group date rose to Ariel and Anastasia continues to cry and be shocked.
Brooklyn finally goes on her 1-on-1 date. We’ve grown to like Brooklyn as she always lets people know what she’s thinking and on her watch, she won’t allow someone to walk over others. Zach is excited and notes that he realizes that she still comes off as slightly anxious.
Back at the resort, we hear the women talking and of course they’re talking about the drama about IG followers and Anastasia.
Brooklyn and Zach ride ATVs as well as hang out on a secluded beach. He lets us know that he is intrigued by her, but she will need to open up and he wants to peel back more layers so that he can see if there is something that is really there. Hopefully, she does as we love what Brooklyn has brought to this season so far as she’s authentic, genuine and down to Earth.
With the disclaimer that kicks off this segment of the episode, we know that Brooklyn is going to share something traumatic. She shares her experiences with domestic violence and Zach feels upset that this happened. Brooklyn is happy that she shared this with him and says that she is ready to have love for someone that deserves it and will give it back. He gives her a rose. As they connect, they are serenaded as they dance the night away.
The rose ceremony is taking place and everyone is getting ready. There are a few women at the group date who didn’t get a chance to talk with him, so people are preparing to take that time. Zach arrives to see all of the women and to kick off the cocktail party so that last conversations can be had. He lets them know that he likes honesty and vulnerability. He shares that he is going to follow his heart in all of the things that he does. He pulls Anastasia aside so that they can talk. He asks her what she’s feeling as he knows it was a tough conversation. We don’t hear him say the words but we see as he escorts her out and we now know that she is not going forward.
Zach comes back and lets the women know what happened. Kylee cries about what happened; however, if you started a series of activities which caused someone to go home, you do need to take ownership and continue as the fact that you shared it, you know that that could be a possibility. Zach is definitely about being drama free and reducing that for the women as well. It’s obvious that he has shown this over the past few weeks.
Kylee wanted to chat with him to talk about big issues, but right when she did, Jesse let them know that it was time for the rose ceremony. Kylee says she wants to go home as she can’t stand up there and not hear her name called. Her friend tells her that you at least have to wait to hear what happens before making a decision as calling someone else out doesn’t mean that she will be punished for it and sent home.
The rose ceremony begins.
ZACH GIVES ROSES TO | Aly, Ariel, Brooklyn, Charity, Gabi, Greer, Jess, Kaity, Kat, Kylee, Mercedes
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Anastasia, Davia, Genevie
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
OUR HOMETOWN PREDICTIONS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH SHALLCROSS, SHAWNE MERRIMAN + ANTONIO GATES/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S.27 E.3 | THE BACHELOR BOWL
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross for tonight’s latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. Zach catches up with Sean Loew on the phone to hear about how he should continue forward with his upcoming dates. We even get a peek at Catherine and his kids as well.
Jesse Palmer walks in with the women and lets them know that there will be 3 dates - 2 1-on-1s as well as a group date. Kaity will get the date.
Kaity’s date is at night with him and they make their way to the museum where they can explore it alone while they’re glammed up for the evening. They connect with one another so that they can dig deeper and see where they align. She opens up to him and he realizes that she hasn’t been treated the way that she should be. She gets the date night rose. He asks her if she would like to spend the night with him there. They have a setup in one of the areas of the museum which has a glamping feel to it.
While they are on their date, the group date card arrives which will include: Anastasia, Ariel, Bailey, Brianna, Brooklyn, Catherine Mandrell, Charity, Davia, Gabi, Genevie, Greer, Jess, Katherine, Kylee and Mercedes. That means that Aly will have the 1-on-1 date.
Back at the house, the women realize that since the date started at night, she will be out pretty late. As the ladies get up, they walk by the suitcase and see that it is still there and it’s 7am and she is still not there.
Kaity comes back to the mansion and talks about her date and the women see her in her PJ’s with the rose. She lets them know that he asked her to stay and she didn’t get any sleep! Thankfully she kept the fact that they pushed the single beds together.
The women arrive for their group date on the football field. Zach played for 9 years and the women feel that they need to bring it as they’re all there minus those that are on the 1-on-1 date. LA Chargers Antonio Gates and Shawne Merriman are on hand as the 5th Annual Bachelor Bowl will take place. The wining team will get to go to the after party. They go through the paces and get ready for the event. Hannah Storm (we covered her previously in OCT ISSUE #22 for The Hannah Storm Foundation event which was held at the Athletic Club in - Jesse was also at this event which is when we first met him) and Jesse Palmer will be commentators for this game.
The ladies battle it out as they play the game. and the blue team won and they get the after-party. Christina continues to talk about the fact that she had the 1st 1-on-1 date. It gets to the point that no one wants to hear about it, especially after she says that your relationship is real when you have had one. That makes the women sitting with her feel a certain way when they hear it. Zach tells Charity that he feels very comfortable with her.
Back at the mansion, the women who played football chat with one another as the recoup from the game, bumps and bruises. Aly gets a gift from Zach for her date which is a wedding dress. Once again, there is a shift in the mood.
On the group date, Christina is finally called out by mentioning her 1-on-1 and the fact that she has never been on a group date. The women tell her to stop oversharing. Bailey tries to get some clarity and validation and walks away feeling more uneasy than she was before talking to him. Circling back with him and asking him point blank, he tells her that he doesn’t think that they can get to her. He sends Bailey home.
Christina was rooming with Bailey and her lackluster response to her leaving puts the women off. Zach lets the women know and says that she sought validation and wasn’t going to lead her on. He gives the group date rose to Charity and the women hype her up; however, Christina says that she is mad that she didn’t get it. She feels that she’s confused that it didn’t make sense for her to not get it. The women shut it down. Clearly, this will be an issue.
Charity arrives at her date. He’s in a suit and she is wearing a fun bridal pantsuit with a train. They skydive and although both are nervous, they do it and have a great time! They also spend some time at a winery in a hot tub to allow their bodies to feel like they have come back down to Earth! Zach can’t wait to sit with her at dinner to find out more about her. He finds out how she has her insecurities even though she comes off as put together. This connects them and she receives the rose as well as gets to dance to singer/songwriter, Griffen Palmers’ performance.
With the rose ceremony being tonight, Jesse lets them know that there won’t be a cocktail party that evening, but there will be a pool party and he is on the way. He likes that hey don’t have a stuffy party and people can just have a good time. The ladies find a way to connect with him so that they can get time with him so that they stand a better chance for the rose ceremony.
Brianna talks with Zach and lets her know that she is leaving and that it’s important for her to know that Christina is not authentic and she’s creating havoc in the house. Zach feels shocked and now wants to know as he doesn’t want the environment to be anything but a safe space.
Zach connects with the remaining women and lets them know that Brianna has decided to leave and let him know that Christina was an issue. He asks to speak with Christina. She tells him it would be a bummer to let her go and Zach has a no-drama policy that he strictly adheres to. After speaking to Christina, he talks with Brooklyn and Charity to find out what happened. Jesse swings by and lets them know that the pool party is over and that they will go to the rose ceremony as he doesn’t want to continue with this segment of the day. Christina feels that everything is a misunderstanding and that she isn’t stopping connections from happening. Catherine Mandrell doesn’t receive a rose as he said that no matter the connection, he can’t forget what happened in the house and how he made the others feel.
Next week, they’re moving onto the Bahamas and he can focus more time on the women with him. Of course, we know that there will be more drama that’s happening in the group.
ZACH GIVES ROSES TO | Aly, Anastasia, Ariel, Brooklyn, Charity, Davia, Gabi, Genevie, Greer, Jess, Kaity, Katherine, Kylee and Mercedes.
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Bailey, Brianna, Catherine Mandrell
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
OUR HOMETOWN PREDICTIONS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ZACH + LATTO/ABC/Craig Sjodin | CONTESTANTS ABC/Ricky Middlesworth |
THE BACHELOR S.27 E.2 | SETTLING INTO THE BACHELOR
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back with Zach Shallcross for tonight’s latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. The ladies have all moved in and Jesse Palmer is checking in with everyone to see how they feel. Since Zach didn’t get to talk with everyone, he is making sure that everyone gets a date. There will be 2 group dates and a 1-on-1 date so that everyone will get a chance to hang out with them.
Brianna, Brooklyn, Katherine, Mercedes, Bailey, Davia, Cat, Genevie and Kylee make their way and meet Latto who lets them know that they will be focusing on giving their Bad Bitch Energy for the date. She asks them to dance. After having some fun, they learn that there will be more women arriving and it’s Victoria, Tahzjuan and Courtney - part of the Bad Bitch Alumni! They’re going to help him find his lady and to bring in the attention of the person that they want. The women come in and make their way down the catwalk with props… Then they share a bit about themselves and how they have had a Bad Bitch Moment.
At the after-party, he gets to know those on the date a bit more. Katherine is clear that she doesn’t just want to be his friend and she is there for more. Brianna gets to talk with him and expresses a concern over really being seen by Zach because she came in with a rose as opposed to being chosen by him. It seems like he assures her that he does see something that.
Back at the house, another date card arrives. Christina Mandrell is given the 1-on-1 date. While Zach is chatting with Cat, Tahzjuan pops in to chat with him, so we now know that she is really trying to get on the show! She lets him know that she likes him and would like to see if there is a possibility that she can be added into the mix. Zach lets her know that he will have to think about it. The women come over to see why Tahzjuan is there. She lets them know that she found them to be weak and not a match for him. She said if they feel a certain kind of way, that says something about them and not her.
After their conversation, he pulls her aside to talk with her. He comes back to the women and lets them know that he couldn’t say yes to her request. He appreciated her shooting her shot, but he wanted to stay with those that he is building relationships with. The date night rose goes to Katherine.
While the women have a pool party, Christina Mandrell is having her 1-on-1 date which is starting off with a luxury helicopter. They head to his childhood home where she gets to meet his family and friends at his mom’s birthday party! When she sees pictures of him as a baby, she knows that she really needs to tell him about her child. As they head to their dinner, we know that there are going to be serious conversations that will be had.
She lets him know that she has a baby and as she tells him this, we know that he is processing this information. He lets her know that he has a lot to think about, but that he will be giving her the rose and has to know more about her and what he things about it. He doesn’t want her to think that her having a child is an automatic exit with him. She lets him know that she understands and that if he didn’t have a lot of hesitancy, then that would be a lie and she liked that he would be honest with her.
The remainder of the ladies goes on a second group date. It seems like he wants to keep it very chill by getting to have time with each woman so that he can find out more about them. He gets to talk with each one, prior to giving the rose, he shouted out some people that he enjoyed talking to and he gives the date night rose to Jess.
The rose ceremony is coming up and Zach happens to mention that Christina was on a date with him to his family. The other women didn’t know this and of course it created a bit of an emotion with the women. Although Gabi spoke with Zach in the group date, she’s glad she can talk with him again. She appreciates that he talked with everyone as it shows something about how he is. Instead of giving him a gift that could be awkward, she gives him peanut butter cups and they eat it Lady and the Tramp style and she receives a kiss. He talks again with Brianna and lets her know that he doesn’t feel like they have fun when they talk with one another. He also lets her know that although she wanted to share an issue that she had, if she resolved it with the other woman, then he doesn’t need to hear about it. The rose ceremony begins and one thing we’ll say is that Zach is pretty swift when it comes to letting each of the women go home. It does feel like he really thinks about who really fits with him best or that he attempts to understand why a person could be a fit, just in case he doesn’t see it just yet.
ZACH GAVE A ROSE TO | Aly, Anastasia, Ariel, Bailey, Brianna, Brooklyn, Catherine Mandrell, Charity, Davia, Gabi, Genevie, Greer, Jess, Katherine, Kaytie, Kylee, Mercedes,
ZACH DOESN’T GIVE A ROSE TO | Cat, Kimberly and Victoria J
Each night during the season, we tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
OUR HOMETOWN PREDICTIONS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
BEYOND THE ROSE | MICHELLE YOUNG
Earlier this month, we had a fun virtual event for VOT3D IO: A Conversation with Michelle Young! We talked with on of our favorite The Bachelorette leads to talk about her time on the show, self-care and what she's up to as she continues to use her platform to bring awareness and education to topics that she cares about.After our conversation with Michelle Young, guests were given some time to discuss and connect over the party chat box and also answer questions in the live treasure hunt for prizes
We also wanted to share this interview here in this issue as we know how many people are fans of the franchise and want to get to know her more beyond the show!
ATHLEISURE MAG: I’ve seen every season of The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise. One of the favorite things that I enjoy, is seeing those that will be competing in The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. Getting to see what they look like, who they are, their backstory, etc. When I saw you on The Bachelor, I called it immediately! Michelle is beautiful, she’s from the Midwest, just like me and even if she doesn’t get married to The Bachelor, she can definitely helm her own season as The Bachelorette and I hope that they give her the chance to do that.
What drew you to wanting to be on the show?
MICHELLE YOUNG: I feel like that it is a huge question! Ok, well in order to see me come on The Bachelor, you would have to wait until week 3 or week 4!
AM: Right?
MY: That was not part of the plan, I will say that! Honestly, I was never like, “ I really want to be on this show.” It’s something that I watched with my mom for a little bit and I always felt like I could do that, but I never thought that the opportunity would come across my plate. I typically was always interested in how do people get on the show. Do they get nominated?
I knew that there was an application process. I didn’t apply, I was nominated and to this day, I have no idea who nominated me. Nobody has owned up to it. I know my friends really really well and I remember when I was chosen as The Bachelorette, I asked if they could please look into this. I wanted a name and I wanted to know who was lying to me and they were literally like, “no, your Instagram profile got sent in anonymously and no one has ever come forward with it.” It seems kind of weird because if you know me, I got on Instagram literally like 2 years ago and there weren’t really any pictures when they nominated me – I had 2 pictures and I didn’t like any photos – it looked like it was a fake account!
I don’t know. I was nominated and I thought it was kind of a scam! I got emails and eventually, I messaged back and they were kind of at the end of that whole process. They put me on a Zoom really quickly and on phone calls. It was a pretty long process and they expedited me through it and then I remember sitting there with the contract in front of my family saying, “ok, so –
AM: This is happening!
MY: Yeah, we went through the pros and cons and it just kind of happened and it was like this thing that just kept knocking on my door. It was honestly the most perfect opportunity where I was able to teach long distance for a little bit before I was actually on the show, so I didn’t have to miss as much teaching as I would have had to before. It was a mistake that I ended up being on the show, but here we are!
AM: I’m leaning towards, that it is definitely someone you know and they they don’t want to say, “yup I’m the one that started all of this!”
MY: I know right? Oh my gosh!
AM: It could be a family member, a puppy – somebody in your world was in the mix!
MY: I don’t know! I have no idea, but here I am!
AM: In learning about your background, we got to know that you were a Division I basketball player, you’re also a teacher and someone that is really straight forward and is never afraid to speak your truth and to be very honest. How did you prepare yourself to engage and interact in this very unique environment?
MY: Honestly, Division I Athletics is kind of dog-eat-dog on its own. I was always in competitive basketball, participating and in competition of some sorts. When you’re in the room, constructive criticism, unconstructive criticism – people can be mean. Women can be mean at times too, especially in basketball when you’re playing and you take a Senior’s playing time and that doesn’t go over particularly well. A lot of not so nice things were said at times. You kind of just build tough skin and you really do rely on who you are and who you are as a person and using your family as support. So, I kind of feel like and I don’t know if this is a strength or weakness, but going through the Division I Basketball experience that I went through, I went through a lot. I kind of feel like that I can handle anything that is coming my way. I know that I will be able to get through it and to have the tools that I will be able to need to get through it.
So, that was the same thing with this and I didn’t really know the Reality TV world or the social media world as much as I do now. So that wasn’t at the forefront part of my mind. I can tell you that it was brought to the forefront of my mind when I got into that bubble that I did when I came in late and with everything that was thrown at me. It definitely has come in handy and now on social media, there are a lot of haters out there!
AM: I love how you said that sports prepared you. Being from Indiana myself, going to IU, we believe that life is sport and sport is life. The way you are in sports says a lot about how you are in life and how you will navigate it. So when I came here to NY, I knew that if I could handle what I did then, I’d be able to do this as well. So that totally rings true to me.
When you went from The Bachelor to The Bachelorette, what was your process in terms of deciding how you were going to helm your own season and to make it your own?
MY: I think that my biggest focus was that it was a show. It’s a show where the leads have not typically looked like me in the past. I had a lot of conversations very up front with Executive Producers – even during The Bachelorette interview process with things that were non-negotiables for me. Things that I didn’t want it to be as it’s not a one size fits all situation. I had other things that I wanted to be able to speak about. I had Black stories specifically that I wanted told and it was really important to me that there were certain things that were not cut out where my season wend through the editing process. Those were things that I was definitely thinking about. For me, personally on my end, really asking hard questions about race, about experiences up front and not having producers trying to control my conversations and just being up front as you said, I’m a very blunt person. I’m going to ask these things because I need to know these things up front because I’m not going to spend energy on certain people that do not align with certain things as a Black female.
I set those boundaries very clearly and said, “if I’m going to sign on this dotted line, you’re going to know these things about me,” and there was respect at that time going both ways. So that’s how I was able to move forward. I definitely came guns a blazing and I came ready to throw those questions out there regardless.
AM: As someone who is just a fan of the show but was also rooting you on. There were times personally, when I would just tear up because I was so excited that you were able to have certain conversations and that you didn’t try to hem and haw. You let it be known what it was, what the reality is and if that person didn’t see it that way, there was the door.
MY: Yeah absolutely! It is a Reality TV show and I get that and it comes with a lot of different things. But at the same time, if you want us to have real relationships and real feelings, then there is also that part where we have to have real conversations. Those were my real conversations for sure.
AM: We have all dated at some point, but few of us have done it on TV in front of millions of households. What are tips that you learned that benefited your mental health and kept you grounded in this process?
MY: I will honestly say that when you’re dating in the public eye, it’s really weird because when you go through your experience of dating, it’s not first in the public eye. It’s being filmed and it feels very public, but you’re not actually dealing with the reactions of the public quite yet until after that certain experience is over.
So for me, there was always that sense of fear of what kind of edit am I going to get? I will say that anyone going into that kind of position, if you do not waver from who you are, you will be fine. Because, you’re going to navigate just like who you would navigate around in life. You might make mistakes, but those would be mistakes that you would make in the real world as well. But for me, it was like, if everyone is doing one thing and I don’t learn from that or it doesn’t go with who I am as a person, I’m not going to do it. There’s power of suggestion and it may seem like you’re forced to do this, but no. There is nothing that says that you have to do this, that you have to say that or that you have to gravitate towards that. It’s put out there and you can either take it or leave it.
A lot of that was me leaving a lot of those things in the first season of The Bachelor and saying, that’s not who I am. It’s not who I am, I can’t speak to that or I won’t/can’t say that or I won’t bandwagon hop! I think that a lot of people get caught up in that and that really hurts afterwards as it’s a huge learning experience because 1, you come off as a really mean or nasty person which is not who you are and you have these regrets. But if you’re consciously thinking through that, then it’s you and you can handle that.
AM: There are a number of people who are single and dating. So when you were navigating that on your dates whether they were 1-on-1 or group dates, what were qualities that you were looking for that were red flags that you wanted to avoid?
MY: I think it was really that you were in a situation that’s not normal. I think a lot of people when they get into a weird situation, it’s awkward and that can be a huge turnoff. Honestly and typically, in the normal world, that would probably have been a red flag for me. But in this situation, it’s more like – at the end of the day, you need to be able to relax in order to be able to get to know somebody. But if you’re too smooth in front of the camera, if you’re too comfortable with 50 people watching you kiss – then I’m thinking, why are you here? So, that was my red flags. The people who would be too smooth with things. I always messed up. I tripped, I fell half the time, I stumbled over my words, I could laugh at myself – it was uncomfortable to be in the situation at times because again, there were cameras and random people staring at you with everything that you do and sometimes, I’m standing there by myself. Somebody who would come into that and be awkward with me in that and just grow into it, but be real – that’s what I was looking for.
AM: For fans of the show, we all have our favorites from Hometowns. I always like it when Franco Lacosta is there for an episode. He’s a very good friend who I adore who has shot me before so shout out to him. What were your favorite moments in your season of The Bachelorette?
MY: Oh gosh! Honestly night 1! Night 1 is just something that I will always remember because it never kicks in that you are The Bachelor/Bachelorette or the lead until you’re standing there and then you’re like, “oh shit, there are the limos” and they’re starting to pull up and you’re there. You’re there in the way that you don’t have your phone, you don’t have your family to talk to, you don’t have your friends – it’s just you. You’re sitting in your own emotions and I had this moment when it just dawned on me that I was The Bachelorette – what am I doing? It really was a magical night and it was all about excitement. You know that there is going to be drama, but none of it emotionally affected me and it was just something that I embraced every second even though it was a really long night!
AM: How long is that night?
MY: I started at 3pm where I was actually in my dress – so hair, makeup everything was done. So that means I was in the makeup chair at 12pm. I got to bed finally at 11:45am the next morning. So that’s what the producers would tell the guys the next night. Because they would say that they were so tired and we took our group picture at 9:30am for you guys, but Michelle had to recap all of you. It’s a long night!
AM: I had no idea. I thought it was like 6 hours!
MY: No, you can’t start filming until it gets dark and then there are a lot of guys that you have to go through. Everyone is learning the ropes of everything so it’s a long one!
AM: Wow! That’s a new nugget for me!
Well, you filmed over the course of a number of weeks and participated in a lot of activities and had a lot of conversations. How did you incorporate self-care so that you could achieve some sort of a balance and feel like yourself?
MY: Ohh. Honestly, I would say that that was one of the hardest things for the leads. I went off of 3 hours of sleep for the first few weeks. For me, I do fairly well with no sleep and I just went back to that athletic mindset that I just had to push through and I had to keep grinding, keep a smile on your face or whatever you’re feeling. But it’s tricky. You don’t get time alone, you don’t get time to yourself unless you’re looking at the inside of your eyelids completely sleeping.
AM: Oh wow. That leads me to the next question that when you weren’t filming, how did you pass the time? But you’re saying that you didn’t have time alone!
MY: When I was the lead, you’re with someone 24/7. When I was a contestant on The Bachelor, when you get further out and there is less women there, you don’t have the cocktail parties, you go straight to the ceremonies and so you do have a little more downtime. I will say that as a contestant, I did find down time fairly frequently, because I learned that instead of just asking if I could go take a nap, I would just take a nap and because I was one of the people that wasn’t participating in drama, it would take them a minute to realize that I was gone. They would look for me and it gave me an extra 20 mins. I would sleep in other places like under a table, behind the couch.
AM: It’s like a hide-and-go-seek!
MY: Yeah! A little TLC.
AM: From a Bachelor Nation perspective, there are a number of commitments that you had from The Tell All and After The Final Rose. What has been your favorite part of this whole experience?
MY: It was very much being able to bring my family and friends along for the ride. You get to do a lot of really cool things. There are a lot of perks to it and most perks don’t come free. They definitely come with stresses on your mental health by being in the public, but being able to travel to different places and being able to go and do things like Jingle Ball – I got to bring my parents to Jingle Ball. I got to take my friends on a really cool excursion and trip and there are a lot of fun experiences that you typically wouldn’t get. I’ve been in this role and it’s cool to see them and their faces light up and to have them be apart of it.
AM: Who are your go-to’s in terms of chatting with people in The Bachelor universe? I know that there is the Bachelor Chat that you guys have, but do you have your core people there?
MY: I have my girls that I’m very close with. I’m close with Ryan Claytor from Matt’s season, Bri Springs, Serena Pitt, Becca Kuffrin – I think that you just find people that you really align with and even though you haven’t known them for as long as some of your other friends, you just get so close so quickly when you’re in a similar situation and you’ve all dated the same person or just different things that the public with pressures that they put on you. I definitely have so many group chats going on and I keep in touch with all of those people.
AM: What are some dating tips that you would suggest to those that may just be getting out there?
MY: It’s so hard! Getting back out there! I used to be a very closed off person. I would give a lot, I loved very hard, but when it came to talking about emotions and feelings, whether it was friends, family, relationships – I was very comfortable with someone else sharing, I created a safe space for them with me, but it was hard for me to share that back. This show truly taught me how relationships and even friendships can flourish when you're ttruly vulnerable and when yourself. It’s about being honest from the get go and it really does help things blossom and it’s scary because you’re scared about rejection and you’re scared about somebody not liking what you’re putting forward, but if that’s the case, yeah – it might sting initially. But essentially, you don’t want someone that doesn’t love you to your complete naked form. So that’s what I would say, be vulnerable and truthful right up front. If they don’t like it, they’re not your person.
AM: Absolutely! You can exit!
MY: The door is right here!
AM: One of the things that I enjoyed during the season as you navigated the journey, was that you focused on talking about your identity, the pressures around it and the importance of acceptance. Why was that so important to you to drive that awareness to people?
MY: For me, it was just a huge part of who I was. I grew up in Minnesota and I grew up in an environment for a very long time where I was the only person of color. That created a lot of different awareness’s for me. It was something that I also battled with in my relationships going forward. There were certain debates that were happening in a relationship where I didn’t want to have to explain those things and I shouldn’t have to explain those things. In order to make sure that that didn’t happen again, I had to have those conversations. I didn’t realize how much it was going to connect with people to see that side. I’m very happy that I was able to show that.
AM: I remember when I was watching it and I kept saying thank you. Whether it’s based on race or just to be accepted as a person, to be that vulnerable was so touching. It was like, inspirational Michelle and every episode had that in it.
MY: Aww thank you!
AM: With the conclusion of the season and after breaking up with Nayte earlier this year, how did you take care of yourself and heal from that relationship so that you could move on?
MY: For me, dating in the public eye – getting in the public eye is one thing and breaking up in the public eye are really difficult. With that relationship, I think that what pushed me and challenged me to move on as I did was that I was continuously being hurt by the actions of this other person and so that really forced me to make sure I did my healing very much so up front and that I healed fully, that I was creating a healthy thought process in my mind and I was responding to different things in a healthy manner because that was the moment that I realized that your emotions could get very out of control and it could be at the expense of what somebody else is doing or what the public is doing. I knew that I would have to see this person dating somebody else – physically see it which you might not have to do when you’re dating somebody normally. People are going to speculate, it’s going to be constant talk, you’re going to be constantly attached to that person. So I just really took that in and realized that I needed to give myself closure. I needed to make sure that I was confident in myself and that I’m fully healed in myself and self-talk was a huge piece of that – of reassuring and really sorting through my thoughts as they were coming through that breakup so that I had control of my emotions, I had control of my pain and that I wasn’t just receiving pain from outside sources.
AM: As a whole, what did you learn about yourself?
MY: I learned that I can truly give myself closure without getting it from somebody else. I didn’t realize how powerful that would be. But I think that in relationships, when you go through a break up, especially if it’s not how you thought that things would go or maybe you’re on the receiving end of it, you want to look at the other person – we talk about that closure part of the conversation – you want it from the other person and there are times when that just isn’t going to happen or it’s just not possible. So what are you supposed to do? Leave it unclosed for the rest of your life? For me, the biggest thing that I learned or showed myself was that no matter what situation happened, I could give myself closure. I don’t have to have all the answers and I can give myself the answers enough to be able to move forward. That right there was something that if that was the only answer I could take away from 2022, I’m 100% content with that.
AM: I know that you’re in LA right now. Why did you decide to take a break away from teaching?
MY: With teaching, the last 2 years teaching through a pandemic – the things that teachers had to go through and even nurses! There were so many things that were impacted by COVID and with teaching, yes being The Bachelorette and teaching at the same time as my season was airing, that was stressful and maybe expedited things a little bit more than just in teaching. I was getting to the point that I was so burnt out. I knew that that summer I was not going to be able to recharge fully to where I needed to get to. To be honest, the school year before hand, I felt and a lot of teachers alongside me, felt that they were going into that 2021/2022 school year not fully charged after COVID because we just weren’t taken care of by the school system or the education system. I just needed a break and I needed to take a breather and I honestly know that it was the best decision that I could have made. It was not an easy decision because I left college so passionate about teaching and that whole entire profession is built on passion. When that cracks, if we don’t take care of that, then we’re going to continue to have bigger and bigger issues. So for me, it was me looking at myself in the mirror and saying, “I need to acknowledge that I need a break, right now.” It is something that I want to be able to come back to or it is something that I want to be able to do a passion around, but I couldn’t return that next school year because I needed that breather. There were a lot of teachers right next to me that had to do the same thing. It’s sad because it’s like another breakup. You don’t want to break up with one of your passions! It’s been tricky!
AM: I think that checking in with yourself and finding that balance whatever that means to each person and being able to recognize when you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out is so important! Although it may not be for everyone, what were some of the things that you noticed that were signs that you needed to take the time?
MY: I would say that feeling of waking up and knowing that you’re not yourself. I’m an early riser, a get up at 5am, hit the gym, respond back to my friends and family fairly quickly, organizing different activities – I’m a very upbeat and bubbly person. I was just exhausted and I was able to still do those things and I was able to keep up those things, but I wasn’t happy doing them necessarily all of the time. I was just definitely run down. I could feel it and I was getting sick all of the time. For me, my stress tends to show in my physical health before it does in my mental emotional side.
AM: Well you’re adamant about using your platform to educate others. Why is being an advocate for mental health so important to you?
MY: For me, it’s really about making sure that youth, especially, youth of color understand that it is ok to ask for health. It’s ok to talk about your emotions. I used to be this former athlete that was taught to have thick skin and to rub some dirt on it. Yes, there is completely a point that when you fall down, you should bounce back up, but if you are hurting, it’s ok to talk about it.
AM: That’s something that I talk a lot about whether it’s my sister or a friend, that it’s ok if we’re saying ouch. We can be strong and we can trailblaze and be unicorns, but we still bleed and we still get bumps!
What have you been doing post The Bachelorette since you’re in LA and living your best life as we see your awesome pictures on IG.
MY: I’m laughing at that because this is the biggest question that people ask me. If you look at all of the haters, they think that I schedule random photoshoots and take pictures of myself! I promise you that I am doing more things then just that!
AM: You’re a whole person!
MY: I know right? Believe it or not, if it’s not on social media, it didn’t happen apparently! Oh gosh! Right now, I’m finding that next piece of how I can fulfill my passion of giving back to others, working with children, helping the youth, motivational speaking – all of these different things and kind of figuring out that brand of who this next Michelle Young is. I do have a lot of very exciting things that are in the works that haven’t come out yet and so I can’t say too much, but you will definitely see my speaking, I will leave it at that for now.
AM: Because I’m envisioning that I would see you acting, films/videos, collaborations –
MY: Honestly, I’m going to do it all! I’ll say that!
AM: Ok!
MY: You’re going to see me walking the red carpet, see me motivationally speaking, you might see me in and out of some schools, You’re going to see me everywhere!
AM: One of the things that I liked is when you were in that transition from teaching to all of the things that you will be doing in the future, you shared that you would do some influencer work and that a percentage of what you would make would go towards to various charities or organizations that were selected by your followers. Why did you want to be accountable and share that with people? You didn’t have to and why did you want to do it in this way?
MY: For me, anytime someone says that word influencer, everybody cringes. You know what that words casts on some people and there is such a thing as positive influencing. Influencing is such a tricky game to play and coming out of the ABC The Bachelor/Bachelorette in general, a lot of people tend to go the influencer route. What that has meant in the past is that you’re working with brands, you’re going to these carpets and doing all of these different things. For me, there are products that I would 100% recommend whether I’m being paid or not, but I want to change the influencing game. You do have a platform, you do have a voice and you can encourage these products and these brands that are working with you to give back as well. You can bring your viewers in with it and you can create an entire message that goes with it. Like the Ice Bucket Challenge and all these things that were started! Social media has so many negative negative things about it and this can be a positive one! So that’s why. I want to be able to challenge not only people who follow me and supporters, but I also want to challenge the brands that work with me to also give back. Ultimately, we’re doing a really good thing.
AM: Now that you’re in LA for awhile, what are 3 places that you enjoy grabbing a bite or a cocktail, where are 3 places that you like to shop at and what are 3 places you like to workout at?
MY: Oh wow! So these may not be as great as you think because I have really been bouncing back and forth between LA and Minnesota quite a bit. Then I got done with this period of time where I got really sick, then I was healthy and then I was sick again. Whoever had that mysterious illness where it’s not COVID but it’s influenza – that knocked me on my butt! It’s not great and you’re turning the corner for what feels like forever.
One of my favorite places to eat honestly, is Catch. I went there with Kaitlyn Bristowe and it was a really awesome spot. Where else have I been? Elephante – I feel like everybody says that one and so I have to ay it! My third one I’m going to keep to myself because it’s a hole in the wall place and I feel like…
AM: If you say it, you’re never going to get a seat in there again because people will want to check it out!
MY: Exactly, or people will go looking, you know?
When it comes to shopping, anywhere at The Grove. I’m a Nike girl – I love getting some sneakers. I haven’t done that much shopping recently actually. But oh Target! I’m a Target girl. You ask me how I take care of my mental health, Target!
AM: Oh yeah, you go in and say you need lip balm and then 100 and some dollars later, you have all of these things!
MY: Exactly and then you leave without the lip balm! And you have to go back!
AM: You have to go back for sure!
MY: That’s why we forget it so that we have to go back!
I have not been to too many fitness studios yet. I’ve avoided Equinox – no shade on Equinox, I’m sure that I will check it out eventually. I literally went to LA Fitness the other day. I’m a runner. I go outside and run. I haven’t done too much here. I’ve done a lot of at home stuff. I have dumbbells and weights here. When I’m at home, Lifetime Fitness is my go-to.
AM: I love Lifetime Fitness. They have an awesome facility here in NY.
MY: I’m so jealous! The nearest one here is 30 mins away. I don’t know, shout them out and maybe they can build one across the street!
AM: We know you like staying active and that you like to run, are there 2 other things that you like to do in your fitness routine?
MY: I’m trying to get back into a pickup basketball game. That cardio, running up and down the basketball court, that humbles me real quick especially when you get back to it. Honestly that and swimming. I grew up with a pool and I love swimming laps as it’s just such great cardio. Anything where I can go out and about. I’ll play tennis with my parents, they’re amazing tennis players. Winter sports, I’ll ski a little bit.
AM: I love snowboarding!
MY: I’m jealous! Honestly, I want to learn how to snowboard. I never have up to this point. In athletics, coaches wouldn’t let us snowboard because so many people would get hurt.
AM: Oh yeah, you could break an ankle.
MY: Now I can flail down the diamond all day! I might just end up on TMZ or something ha! My hats over here my gloves are over there!
AM: What do you want your legacy to be in terms of the impact that you’ve left?
MY: I think it’s incredibly important for people to not stop learning about how others around them work or think. It’s about being open minded to learn and I think that’s a huge part of coming through the experience of what I just came through where you really are a rare breed which is sad to say. But as a woman of color and just being from Minnesota with everything happening with George Floyd, cultivating young minds to accept those around them to think outside the box to not always go about life the exact way that everyone has in the past – to challenge things. Ultimately, to be a kind person and to just give back. Once you make it to the top, you want to be able to extend your arm back and pull others up and show them the route to be able to give back to them. So when I’m no longer here, someone that I impacted is now making it their mission to impact someone that is below them. That’s what I call a legend or leaving a mark so that the cycle doesn’t stop with them.
AM: Are there projects that you are thinking about being part of that you can share whether it’s a specific one or a vertical that you want to tackle?
MY: I’ve worked a lot with kids and I will say that I will definitely be around students, around young minds very soon in the near future. I’ve done a lot with Be the Match and giving back to that. I wish I could name a few others, but I can’t quite yet, but it’s coming. Keep an eye out for sure on social media as it’s coming! You’ll definitely see some new and inspirational things coming.
AM: We’ll be keeping a look out for sure on what you have going on next and it’s been great to watch your journey, seeing what you have going on and being able to see what those next steps will be as well!
MY: Well I appreciate you having me and I embrace what you are doing as well. Being able to help me extend that platform with my voice and with my message and what I’m saying and all of that circles back to you for amplifying that as well!
AM: Aww thank you!
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 40 - 44 ABC Photography @abc | PG 47 - 48 Film Digitals @filmdigitals |
Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see BEYOND THE ROSE | Michelle Young in mag.
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