Everyday Endorphins

There's nothing more calming than the feeling of a big bear hug or cuddling with your favorite blanket, and there's a science behind that. This week I had the chance to sit down with Marina Khidekel, founder of Hugimals World, which is a collection of weighted stuffed animals to help you live with less stress and more joy. Marina previously had a career as a health and wellness journalist, and formerly worked at Thrive Global as the Chief Content Officer. In this episode, Marina shares her perspective on how the coverage of mental health / wellness in the media landscape has evolved over the past few years, her inspiration for starting Hugimals, the benefits behind weighted pressure, and how she navigates the challenges of the entrepreneurial lifestyle.

This week I am thrilled to have writer, editor, and thought leader Julia Bainbridge, onto the podcast. Julia is the author of Good Drinks, a book that celebrates innovation in the non-alcohol space, and is also a recipient of the Research Society on Alcoholism's Media Award (2021). She was featured as one of Food & Wine magazine's 25 first-ever “Game Changers” for being "a pivotal voice in normalizing not drinking alcohol" and hosts a podcast called The Lonely Hour to explore social disconnection and other forms of loneliness. In this episode, Julia and I chat about the non-alcohol space, social connection, and making loneliness less taboo as it pertains to our health / wellbeing / and happiness. 

What is an alcohol-free discovery platform, and how can we slowly begin to re-evaluate our own relationship to alcohol? Check out this week's interview with Brianda Gonzalez, founder of The New Bar, to learn more about how The New Bar is creating the space for alcohol-free exploration. In this episode, Brianda and I discuss her inspiration to start The New Bar, the biggest challenges she's faced in the non-alcohol space, how she defines health / wellness, and what brings her endorphins.

This week I'm thrilled to have celebrity fitness trainer, Isaac Boots, onto the podcast to discuss all things related to happiness, overcoming hardship, and building a fitness empire. Isaac is the founder of Torch'd, which is a vigorous flow of body resistance, dance conditioning and intense targeted repetition to fire up and transform your body. In this episode, Isaac and I chat about his inspiration to develop Torch'd, the relationship between exercise and endorphins, how he overcame challenges during childhood, the importance of staying true to yourself, and ultimately, what brings him endorphins.

This week I'm thrilled to have my friend and neighbor, Patrick Janelle, on the podcast to discuss the power in creating community, and the experience of being an influencer. In this episode, Patrick shares his perspective on the culture of the influencer economy, and the relationship between wellness, happiness, and building community. We also chat about Patrick's favorite wellness spots in NYC, how he stays healthy, and what brings Patrick endorphins.

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Amina Taha, Alo Yoga instructor and founder of The Amina Taha Method. In our interview, Amina and I talk about the science of flexibility, how Amina developed a passion for yoga, and ways to translate the lessons of yoga off the mat. On September 10th, Amina and I are hosting a live podcast event and rooftop yoga class at Alo Yoga in New York City. Details for the event are linked here - make sure to secure your spot by purchasing tickets on Mindbody. Hope to see you all there!

This week I had the honor of chatting with Kyle Hodge, Associate Commerce Director at GQ Magazine, about the intersection between streetwear, creativity and happiness, and the portrayal of men's mental health at GQ. In this episode, Kyle shares his journey into fashion / journalism, what the future of streetwear looks like, why its important to normalize conversations around mental health (especially as a man), and how he takes care of himself.