In this episode, Jodi engages in a conversation with Natalie Holloway, the Co-Founder of Bala, who delves into the origins of their brand. The concept for Bala was born during a rather casual yoga session with her then-boyfriend, now-husband, Max. This lightbulb moment was captured on a napkin, which served as the initial blueprint. Subsequently, they transformed this vision into a tangible prototype, secured funding to bring it to market, garnered sales to validate their concept, and even made a compelling pitch on Shark Tank, all centered around their flagship product, the Bala Bangle – a versatile set of hand and ankle weights. Their pitch was convincing enough to secure investment from two of the Sharks. However, just two weeks after this exciting development, the world was thrown into a frenzy due to the global lockdown imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This unexpected turn of events led to a surge in demand for workout equipment as people sought ways to maintain their fitness routines at home. Bala, with its stylish and luxurious approach to fitness accessories, experienced a meteoric rise in popularity. Join us in this episode to listen to the remarkable journey of taking a simple idea, essentially an evolution of traditional ankle weights, and elevating them into beautiful, luxurious accessories that not only enhance workouts but are also a pleasure to wear and handle. Natalie is the cofounder of Bala, a Los Angeles-based movement company. Natalie – a certified yoga instructor – and her fellow cofounder / eventual husband shipped the first 75,000 units of their now infamous Bala Bangles from their garage before appearing on Shark Tank, where they secured an investment from Mark Cuban and Maria Sharapova. Bala has since been featured in the likes of Forbes, The New York Times, Esquire and was dubbed one of The 17 Items That Defined 2020 by Vogue.  Prior to Bala, Natalie worked at’ best-in-class’ ‘advertising agencies on marquee brands including Starbucks, Google and Jeep.  Natalie attended Fashion Institute of Technology before graduating from The University of Texas at Austin.  Natalie is a mother to Watson & Uma and dog-mom to Penny and Naomi.