SoulCycle & Why I Don't Hate It

You may have seen over the last few weeks that I've "checked in" to SoulCycle & while it's a bit out of my normal routine, I want to chat in a bit more detail about my experience.

Let's first address the elephant in the room. $30 for a spin class is ridiculous, like really ridiculous. Now that that's been addressed we can get to the nitty gritty.

I have found over the last 8 years of being engrossed in fitness that many people who are in to fitness are the most picky and judgmental people around in regards to what kind of training is best. The people who don't love to workout hard love barre, the hippie vegans love their flow classes, skinny people who used to play sports love to run, people who hate lifting love to cycle, and gym rats love to lift. Well all these assumptions are quite close minded, and in my opinion BS. All types of people like different types of exercise for different reasons. Most people have a bit of crossover and like a few different types of workouts, but what I've come to find is that most people find that one activity they love and they do a lot of it. 

I think people love to hate SoulCycle, they love to hate Crossfit, and the list goes on.

1. Paying for workouts

I luckily don't lack the motivation to workout, but many do. Paying for a class likely ensures your commitment to showing up. Once your there, having guidance and an instructor guarantees you get more bang for your buck than just showing up to a gym and hopping on an elliptical. It's also nice to do something nice for yourself every once in a while giving back to your body. From a budget perspective, I don't mind spending the money on fitness. Fitness is the one non-negotiable for me, did you read about my musties or listen to my musties? 

2. From an exercise physiology perspective 

Many people in fitness are up in arms over the fact that SoulCycle is more choreographed and less about the actual cycle. People say it's a bit "dancey" and also way too "fake" for them. In every single class I've taken the instructors focus on proper set up, form, and let you know modifications. I also love the dancey feel, it makes the class more fun!

3. Dark rooms, loud music, too hot 

Yes. The rooms are dark, loud, and warm. I don't mind it. I think that's my favorite part. I am 100% in the zone & the music is so loud I don't have the distractions of my own head saying "I can't". It is quite warm, but this is to ensure you get warm fast and stay warm, remember the class is only 45 minutes. 

4. Not that different from other spin classes

Well, it actually is a whole lot different. I honestly don't enjoy spin nearly as much when I go to a class at Crunch or 24 hour fitness. I love the dark rooms, loud music, motivating instructors, and riding to the beat. That doesn't exist at many other spin studios. I leave here seriously pumped on life. 

5. Not something you can do everyday

True. I don't go to SoulCycle everyday. Lately, I have been going more often due to being away from home & the gym I belong to. To ensure I get my workouts in while not staying at home I have been running, doing home workouts, and going to SoulCycle. 

Not sure if this will inspire you to try a class, but I'm hoping this will open your mind to why people might take SoulCycle. If you put down your guard for a second, you mind discover something you really enjoy! 

My Beauty Philosophy: Where I Save and Spend

I have enjoyed reading up on some of my favorite bloggers social media posts on how much they spend on their beauty services and which they prioritize. Let's face it, we ALL have a routine. Some may spend less & others spend more, but everyone spends on maintenance. It's usually fun, we enjoy the pampering, and we love to feel great about ourselves. However, it can get super pricey. I like to splurge on certain things, and save on others. Here's my current beauty breakdown.

SPLURGE: Hair color
I spend more than I like to admit on hair color. To me this is my biggest spend. I was tired of hating my hair and having to spend a lot getting it done every 6 weeks, so after doing some research I found a solution. I found someone amazing and get my hair done less often (2-3x a year instead of going 6-8x a year which meant getting it done every 6-8 weeks). After doing the math I spend about the same, but now I LOVE my hair and before I was impartial to it. I see Johnny Ramirez from Ramirez|Tran Salon. He is the King of Color and I suggest EVERYONE see him once in their life.

SAVE: Eyebrows
I don't get my eyebrows done as often as I used to. I can't believe salons in SF can charge as much as they do. Instead of going every 2 weeks, I go every 4-6. In between going, I pluck and trim at my house. This saves me a lot :)

SPEND: Haircuts
Hair is everything to me. As I mentioned earlier, I have gotten so many bad dye jobs and cuts I don't mind spending on amazing color or cuts. I see Anh Co Tran from Ramirez|Tran Salon. He is a sweetheart and amazing at what he does. It doesn't hurt that he has a rolodex of celebrity clientele, see it for yourself.

SAVE: Spray Tans
I LOVE a good spray tan, but I only get them for special occasions. I have girlfriends who love getting them regularly and I don't blame them. It's just not a must for me. I have used some great self-tanning products that keep me a decent color year round. My favorite is St. Tropez bronzing mousse. Make sure you wear a glove with this one. I also really like this lotion.

SPEND: Gel Manicure's
I am someone who just loves having my nails done. I don't know why, but I love a gel manicure. I think this started when I was a personal trainer. Wearing workout clothes all the time sometimes made me feel less feminine, so I made sure to always have my nails done. I don't mind spending the money as this is a little "me time" I look forward to.

SAVE: Waxing
OK. This one depends on the person FOR SURE. I don't mind going to the cheaper salon I've been going to for years. There are other salons that cost 2-3x the price, that I personally am not willing to go broke over.

SPEND: Blowouts
I love a good blowout. I am VERY particular with what I like, but every time I tell drybar exactly what I'm looking for they deliver! I splurge a little on this as it is $65 a month for 2 blowouts. With this, I can get a 20% discount on everything in store & I can also gift blowouts to friends.

SAVE: Massages
I don't get frequent massages. Since I workout a ton, I do sometimes feel like I need to get a massage. I make this happen on a budget by going to an affordable foot spa down the street. It's way more affordable than a nice spa and another bonus is I can usually just walk in when I feel like I need a massage.

SAVE: Facials
I love a good facial, but I don't frequent to the esthetician. I try to go 2x a year, rather than a monthly visit. Over time, this may change.

I'd love to hear where you spend and save, please share!

Starting Over: My transition in to a new career

I am the first to admit. I don’t have it all figured out when it comes to my career. Does anyone though? Even if you’re satisfied where you’re at now. Are you on the path to continuously grow your role? The cool thing about work is, well a few things.

You can do whatever you want. Seriously, it’s like the… what do you want to be when you grow up question we are asked time and time again at a young age. If you decide you want to do one thing and decide to change your mind, YOU CAN! That’s one of the many blessings we have living in the USA.

I recently made a really tough decision & changed my career. Ever since I was in college I knew Kinesiology, health and fitness were my passions.  I knew I wanted to incorporate these passions in to my life & set out to start my career in fitness.

I started working in a physical therapy clinic & after about a year of doing that (knowing I wanted to branch out in to corporate fitness) I moved back to the Bay Area for my “dream job”. I started working for Plus One Health Management helping run fitness and wellness programs at a HUGE tech company. Over the 3.5 years I was there I got about 5 promotions, learned a ton, and truly met the most inspiring people. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by individuals who motivated me to be the best version of myself. Over time I sort of became unchallenged and bored. I was still super happy, but not inspired. I missed being inspired and excited about work. I enjoyed it, had fun, but wasn’t learning anything or anywhere near the compensation I wanted to be making. I discovered that I am the type of person who needs to be constantly learning to be happy at work. So what did that mean for me? I had to get a new job.

I decided to start hunting for a new role & explored many options. I landed on moving in to either sales or recruiting. Sales is sales and recruiting is people sales. My passion in health and fitness stemmed from helping people get fit & healthy. Recruiting was just that, but helping people in their career. Once I made this decision to transition in to recruiting the hunt began.

I worked with a few agencies & also applied online. Many people asked, “why the switch” & my response was that I felt ready to gain knowledge and skills in something outside of fitness. I started at GoPro & learned SO much over the next 4 months. I got used to a different schedule. Actually having my mornings to myself. Being able to in a sense disconnect my passion from my life. My manager was what I like to call a BAB (Badass Bitch). This is a compliment of course. She is motivated, hard-working, intense, and someone I learned a whole lot from. I felt like I was in boot camp some days, but wouldn’t take that experience back for anything. GoPro started feeling really weird. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there. The communication style for lack of better words sucked & the amount of change in such a short amount of time raised some red flags for me. Peoples demeanor changed & everyone seemed to start to feel like there was “weird stuff” going on. My gut was telling me to start looking for a new job.

I had a problem with what my gut was telling me at first. One was because I just started there, and two was for the reason that I wanted to make sure it was legitimate and me not just feeling like there was too much change. I reflected for a while and realized it wasn’t the change, it was how things were being handled and communicated that made it so shady. I quickly started looking for a new job. I interviewed a bunch of places & the most frequent question I was asked was why I was looking for the change. I had to be honest, but with my honesty I think some people could’ve mistaken it for someone leaving WAY too early after just starting a job. That didn’t bother me.

I interviewed a bunch of places, and was nervous to get an offer somewhere. You see I didn’t hate GoPro, I just knew in my gut I needed to leave. After a very promising onsite interview at a company in SF on a Wednesday night, I headed to work back at GoPro. The news was broken to me on Thursday that Friday would be my last day at GoPro. Yep, I was laid off. Me, a 26-year-old passionate capable and qualified employee. I was in shock. I also, oddly enough, felt a sense of comfort. I know its weird to say, but I then knew and trusted my intuition more than ever. There was shady stuff going on, and I had a pulse on it. I wasn’t sad like many of my other co-workers, but I was a bit stressed. I was stressed on money & wanted to make sure I had an income. I talked to my mom, my boyfriend, and a few friends & I felt good. I felt supported and I felt blessed to be moving to a new company. By Friday, I had already scheduled 3 more interviews.

The next Monday I had 5 interviews, Wednesday rolled around & I already had a job offer (I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work there). By the next week I had finalized my last interviews and by that next Wednesday I had an offer. I believe all this opportunity came about for a few reasons. One, I believe God has a plan for you even if you aren’t aware of it. Two, I truly believe life gives you exactly what you need practice in. Three, if you work really hard and are kind and amazing things will happen. Four, trust your gut.

I then got connected with my old company. Not Plus One, but the tech company we contracted with. They interviewed me via phone & then asked me onsite. I was ecstatic, because something felt right. Out of all the amazing companies I interviewed with, this one was the best. However, I had to get back to another company who extended me an offer. I had to accept or decline without having all my options laid out in front of me. I asked for more time & got it. A few days later I got an offer at Facebook. I couldn’t have been more excited. I realized at that moment that’s what it should feel like when accepting a job. You shouldn’t just be inspired by money as money won’t make you want to show up to work everyday. It’s much better to make your choice based on opportunity, growth potential, company values, impact, and culture. Facebook was the company who checked all those boxes for me. I immediately accepted and my new chapter began.

Over the last few months, I haven’t posted much. I was going through so many transitions in my career I didn’t know where to start when thinking about posting and blogging. I do believe this post is very important, especially now, because much like myself I’m sure there are others out there dealing with comparable situations. Whether you’re interested in leaving your job, trying something new,  have recently started something new. Know that it will all work out. It doesn’t mean it will be easy, but you will know when you find the right fit.

Chia Pudding Recipe

Chia pudding is all the rave right now. I love it sooo much. It's tasty, healthy & is super affordable to make!

Here's my new favorite recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup almond coconut milk

3 tbsp chia seeds

2 shakes cinnamon

1 shake nutmeg 

1 shake allspice 

1 packet Truvia (or you can use honey/agave)

Fresh fruit (today I went with Blackberries)

1. Put 3 tbsp of chia seeds I n small mason jar or cup that has a lid

2. Pour (while mixing with a spoon) in almond milk.

3. Add spices and stevia & mix with spoon.

4. Put the lid on and vigorously shake (shake it like a Polaroid pictureee🎶)

5. Let this sit for a few hours, I usually let it sit overnight

6. Shake again before opening

7. Top with fresh fruit

Girl Talk: Time Management

Last week I spoke to you all about learning what your "musties" are & how to make time for them. This week, I want to chat with you about managing your time to create the schedule you love.

Girl Talk: What are your Musties?

After hearing about my non-negotiables or "musties", I want to know what yours are in the comments below!

Girl Talk: Weekly Podcast for Ladies

Girl Talk. Girl talk is defined by Urban Dictionary as "Deep conversation between members of the female sex. Contrary to popular believe, it is not always about boys." Wow. Women can talk about things deeper than clothes, boys, and juice cleanses? Who'da thought!

The honest truth is all those things are super fun to talk about, but I can't wait to open a forum to discuss so much more than just that. My podcast will be posted weekly and I will be chatting about my thoughts as well as answering your questions. Don't forget to post your questions in the comment section of my blog, instagram, or Youtube.

Working On Yourself: Why this time will always be the most valuable in your life

Do you find that the more caught up in life you, the less you have the chance to work on yourself? Maybe you haven’t thought about it much. Perhaps you are someone who plans out the logistics of your day and as the day goes on check things off the list. You go to meetings or work, you respond to emails, go to the gym, and catch up with an old friend. If you think of it these things are work (or to you a task). You are expending energy planning, coordinating, and doing. Now it’s time to ask yourself; What are you doing to recharge yourself or fill up that energy tank?

Working on yourself is the most important thing you can do to better your life. What would you do if you had zero responsibility for a day. I like to think of this as “free time”. The free time we had in preschool where we got to do whatever we wanted for 30 minutes. You could play house, read, color, listen to music, take a nap, etc. It’s super important for you to plan out “free time” in your busy schedule. This time can be 20 minutes to 6 hours. It’s totally your call, but just be in tune with yourself to know how much you need to allot for yourself. You can go on a walk and listen to music, sit in a bath drinking wine, watch a movie, go get a mani/pedi, or whatever else you feel like doing. Be sure during this free time you aren’t working on anything. No instagram posts, no emailing, no taking calls, no texting friends; this is YOUR time. Once you take this time for yourself recharge, you will be full of energy to do the things you love doing all week/weekend long. 

I encourage you to plan out some interruption-free free time in to your weekly plans. Tell me what you plan on doing, and how you felt afterwards. It’s truly a great way to reset and recharge.

Cheers to the weekend.

You Think You're Fit? Try this!

I killed myself in the gym yesterday and thought I'd share what I did. Who is ready for a challenge?

Warm up:

0 incline

1 min 4.0 side shuffle

1 min 6.0 run

1 min 4.0 side shuffle

1 min 7.0 run

1 min 4.0 side shuffle

1 min 8.0 run

1 min 4.0 side shuffle

1 min 9.0 run

1 min 4.0 side shuffle

1 min 10.0 run

1 min 4.0 side shuffle

1 min 11.0 run

1 min 4.0 side shuffle

1 min 12.0 run

Workout:

CIRCUIT 1- complete 3 exercises then rest 60-90 seconds after all 3, then repeat 2 more times

15 Sumo squats

15 Leg or Hamstring curls

30 Pop squats (good video demo here)
CIRCUIT 2- complete 3 exercises then rest 60-90 seconds after all 3, then repeat 2 more times
15 Leg press (1 leg)
15 Leg press (other leg)
15 reverse lunges (1 leg)
15 reverse lunges (other leg)
30 ice skaters
CIRCUIT 3- complete 3 exercises then rest 60-90 seconds after all 3, then repeat 2 more times
15 Dumbbell deadlifts
15 glute kickbacks (1 leg)
15 glute kickbacks (other leg)
15 squat jumps

CIRCUIT 4- complete 3 exercises then rest 60-90 seconds after all 3, then repeat 2 more times
15 Leg extensions
15 Air squats (squats without weight)
30 jump lunges

Cardio finisher:

0 incline

1 min 5.0 

1 min 6.0 run

1 min 5.0 

1 min 7.0 run

1 min 5.0

1 min 8.0 run

1 min 5.0 

1 min 9.0 run

1 min 5.0 

1 min 10.0 run

1 min 5.0 

1 min 11.0 run

1 min 5.0 

1 min 12.0 run

Finding The Right Personal Trainer For You

I've been meaning to write about this topic for a while, and it's taken me longer than expected to finish. A lot goes in to finding a personal trainer. There are a few super important factors that go in to choosing the right fit, so before you get one make sure you read through these.

1. Availability

You would think it's weird that I put this as #1. The most important thing when it comes to finding a trainer is finding someone who can train you at the times you're available (choose a realistic time where you aren't cutting it too close). You might fall in love with a trainer, but if your schedules don't match up it won't be a good fit,

2. Personality

This person isn't only your trainer/coach, this is someone who you are comfortable talking candidly about insecurities, goals, sometimes work stress or relationship issues. They may become your friend, so pick a trainer who seems "cool" and someone you truly vibe with off the bat.

3. Training style

Before finding a trainer, try to make a list of what you're looking for. Do they have a degree in exercise science? What about specific certifications (TRX, CrossFit, Olympic Lifting, HIIT). What's the trainers background (bodybuilder, college basketball player, or lost a lot of weight in their past). Do you have an old injury and need someone with a physical therapy background? Be ready to ask these questions.

You need to also chat with them about what type of coach they are. Are you someone who wants a drill Sargent, someone completely focused on form and movement, someone bubbly and fun, or someone who is more calm and understanding after you've had a long day. These are all things to think about.

4. Price

Trainers aren't cheap. 9 times out of 10 what you are paying the trainer is no where near what the gym pays them. That being said, make sure you budget for a trainer and if you want a specific number of sessions to let the trainer know/prep so they know how to program workouts accordingly. In SF Bay Area anywhere between $80-$120/hour is normal. 

5. Goals

After chatting with your trainer about your goals, make sure they understand them. A great trainer will know what you need to do to get there. A lot of time homework is given out. It's on the client to make sure they are doing what's asked of them to achieve this goal. For example, if you're a basketball player, but you never practice your shot on your own time then a lot of your time that would be used to progress you to new things will be wasted since your shot is so off. 

My Hair Regimen & Favorite Hair Products

I have a new regimen for my hair and I am seriously loving it. My hair is blonder than it's been in a while, therefore, I assume it will be more damaged due to the bleach. Well these new products I'm using are saving the day. 

To be honest, the real reason I wasn't using these products before was the price. They are on the higher range of price on the hair product spectrum. However, I feel like if you don't spend he money you will be spending a lot more down the line. 

Now that I use great product I only have to cut my hair every 5-6 months, when before I had to every 6-7 weeks. It's saving me money on haircuts, and also is allowing me to grow my hair out.

My favorite products at the moment are:

oribe : Beautiful color shampoo (here)

oribe : Gold lust transformitive masque (here)

oribe : Gold lust hair oil (here)

oribe : Split end sealer (here)

R&co : Death Valley dry shampoo (here)
thedrybar : Money maker hairspray (here)

thedrybar : 1" curling wand (here)

Step 1: Wash your hair with oribe beautiful color shampoo & rinse.

Step 2: Use a small amount of gold lust conditioner (mostly on ends of hair) and let it sit for 2-5 minutes. Rinse out with cold water as this will help seal in moisture. 

Step 3: Pump some hair oil and split end seal in to the Palm of your hand. Run these products through on damp or wet hair.

Step 4: Blowdry your hair.

Step 5: For a little bit of texture use the R&co dry shampoo throughout hair.

Step 6: Starting with the bottom section of your hair use your hair wand to curl. Move your way up (I like to curl away from the face). 

Step 7: Set your curls with money maker.

This is the routine that works best for me. I'm loving my hair and how healthy it is. Try these products out and see if they work as well you as they do me! 

Sunday Reflection: How To Release Stress

What a week. Do you ever look back on your week and realize it went by too fast, you're totally exhausted, or you wish some things panned out differently? Well, you aren't alone. It's totally normal to have so much to do and think about, that it's almost debilitating. Whether it be looking at a calendar full of commitments, an inbox full of emails, or getting screwed over by a significant other or friend. All of these things are somewhat out of our control. They are what they are. They are things you can't fully control. I am not telling you they don't happen to me, but what I am telling you is I've gotten a lot better at dealing with these things in a more calm manner to where they don't stress me out as much.

The nature of my work often has me listening to people complain about their job, relationships, or schedule. I used to be overwhelmed by hearing all this information, but now I totally know how to deal with it. In fact, I feel like I can help people with it. When you become stressed or perceive something as stressful, you typically put a negative label on whatever that stressor is. If it's work you then start to rant about not just that one thing stressing you out, but continue on to talk about the people at work who stress you out & all the little tasks at work that add to your stress. What I've learned is to do a little "exercise" to help my clients and myself perceive that stress for what it is before it escalates. I have them write down everything they are stressed about on a piece of paper and then we chat about it for no more than 5 minutes. Once you write all those things down you then look at them and come up with a plan of attack. For example, one thing that has stressed me out before is a lack of communication with my boss. Once I read it out loud (after telling numerous people) I decided to attack it and stop talking about it. What did I do? I drafted an email to my boss asking for a meeting and vocalized my needs. Right after that email was sent, I became much less stressed. I became at ease, because this was now no longer in my control. I did what I needed to do. Once you do everything in your control to fix a messy situation, you have to release it. You have to move on. Worrying about every little thing you can't control will eat you up inside. It will negatively effect your mood for days; is it really worth it? 

Next time you are sad, stressed, or upset make sure to write it down and work through it ASAP. It just takes a bit of reflection before you can stop feeling sorry for yourself and move on. Don't let it eat you up for weeks and ruin all the positive times you could be experiencing.

Try this exercise. We all have something we haven't released. It's an amazing feeling.

Thoughts From A Personal Trainer (or a coach)

The précis of me writing this post is so that maybe just a few people can step away from reading this with a different mindset of what it takes to be a personal trainer. If you're a trainer you already know this, if you want to be a trainer hopefully this will prepare you, and if you are a client I just hope this helps you understand.

Let's start with me expressing how much I love my job. It is super rad that I get to coach people everyday to become more fit and confident that they ever thought, but this line of work isn't easy.

Some things you might not know.

1. We put a TON of our energy in to our clients:

As a trainer, you would think your job is to plan your clients workouts. Yes, but there's so much more to it. It's your job to make someone happy when they are sad. Talk them through their stress at work. Be their sounding voice when they have family or relationship issues. Make sure you work extra on emailing them the workouts they should do on the weekend if they as for it, and even be "on call" when they have a meltdown and need you to talk them off the ledge of eating something bad. I have many clients who message me at 11pm on both weeknights and weekends asking for my advice on things, and of course I love all my clients and reply when they need me. I'm just saying at the end of the day it can be emotionally exhausting.

2. Even with a degree in Exercise Science and obtaining numerous (expensive) certifications, the pay is mediocre:

Clients think that if they are paying a lot for their sessions that the trainer must be making a lot! WRONG, most trainers get less than 50% of whatever the client pays and then get taxed on that!

3. It's exhausting:

As I mentioned earlier it takes up a lot of your energy emotionally. It also takes up a lot of your energy physically. We stand all day, move to demonstrate exercises, and of course we force ourselves to workout before/after work. 

4. It's not a 9-5 job, it's stressful:

My clients assume my job isn't stressful since I'm happy and truly love training. It's seriously such a fun job, but I also have so much work to do before and after I see my clients. I wake up at 5am and usually get home around 5 or 6pm, then I go to the gym, and am on email from 9-11pm. Sending calendar invites, sending numerous emails to clients, programming workouts for the week, redeeming clients sessions online, and working on our time sheets are just a few more duties we have. 

5. It's not guaranteed $$, so most trainers have numerous jobs:

What happens when a client is traveling, sick, or can't make it? We don't get paid. There is no set amount for when you aren't training, so you truly have to hustle and get clients. I train some weekends at a bootcamp, as well as an added 10+ hours a week doing personal styling on the side to be able to afford my lifestyle. It's crazy that 75% of the trainers at my gym have more than 1 job.

6. We have a ton of pressure on us to look a certain way:

No one wants to train with an out of shape trainer. We love exercise, that's one main reason we do what we do. After standing all day I personally need the release is to go workout, but I totally understand that some trainers would just be super burnt out by the end of the day. We need to practice what we preach and because of this many trainers put added pressure on themselves.

7. Takes a toll on you when clients don't get results: 

You try everything you can as a trainer to coach change, but sometimes when the client isn't putting in the work on their own it's nearly impossible. I've caught clients eating pizza and burritos directly after training them (which would be fine in they were looking for GAINZ, but they were looking to lose weight). Seeing that truly makes me feel like what we just spoke about prior was a waste of time and energy. Another example is when your client only works out the days they see you (1-2x a week) but want quick results. Rome wasn't built in a day, nor can you change your physique without putting in the seriously hard work.

Now, I want to finish with one last thing. You would think after reading this that I am on edge and ready to leave this field. Nope, I truly have passion for this job and love what I do. If I didn't love it I wouldn't be doing it. I am lucky I get to help people and get paid for it even if it isn't for a ton. If I wanted to make a butt load of money I would be working in a different field. My main goals in life don't include making tons of money. My goal is to help people, connect with individuals, and help people unveil their best selves. It's just important for me to share some of what it takes to be a trainer, and if you have a trainer just let them know that you appreciate the energy they give to you.

For The Girls: My Hair Cut & Color

I am frequently asked where I get my hair cut and colored. People stop me on the street to ask me. Most people say "I can't find someone who does great color in SF". I have personally tried a ton of different colorists and to be honest haven't fallen in love with my hair after leaving the salon. People either made the ombre way too drastic where they died my roots a dark brown and bleached my tips. Others did it and it ended up super BRASSY (which I can't stand). I've also gone places where they make sure to tone it so it is more ASHY, but over time it would oxidize in the sun and change colors. I was going to the hair salon every six weeks and spending around $200 each time coming out of the salon not even liking what I just spent a fortune on.

One of my clients I do styling for was having similar experiences at SF salons, so I suggested she go to LA to get her hair done by one of the best. We ended up going together and she insisted I try them out. We went to Ramirez|Tran Salon in Beverly Hills while on a girls trip. Ever since we went there and got the best haircut and color of my life, I am hooked. 

The process took about 7 hours, and no I am not exaggerating. They really put in work, and make sure your hair is the perfect color. Johnny Ramirez is the hair color god and Anh Co Tran is the hair cutting god. Both guys are super awesome, and the best of the best. Their clientele include Jessica Alba, Faith Hill, Anne Hathaway, Ginnifer Goodwin, Alessandra Ambrosia, Gwenyth Paltrow, Selma Blair, Whitney Port, and Victoria Beckham (to name a few). This is the most expensive haircut and color I've ever gotten, which totaled to about $600. The thing is you only need to go every 6 months. When you add up the total of this celebrity cut and color, it actually is CHEAPER than getting my hair done in SF every 6 weeks. It also looks 300x better. The best part about the whole thing, is they now come to SF every few months!

If you have been wanting a change in your hair cut or color I couldn't recommend Ramirez|Tran more highly. You will LOVE your hair. Hurry & book this week, because they still have openings in SF!

Here's some press articles if you aren't sold yet Refinery29, NYMag, Vogue, & The Coveteur.

Check out their pics on Instagram @johnnyramirez1 @anhcotran @ramireztransalon

What Does Success Look Like To You?

Success is defined as "the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame." It's a funny definition, because I totally disagree that success is defined by just those things. 

In my opinion each persons idea of success is much different. Wealth to me may mean $75,000 and wealth to another person might mean $500,000. I've thought a lot about what success means to me over the last few weeks and I've decided it's totally subjective. 

Personally, success isn't just financially driven. It means I am able to live a comfortable life making enough money to 

• have spending cash to do the simple things I love like buying coffee in the morning, eating out every now and then, affording a gym membership.
• travel to a new place twice a year (and splurge while I'm there)
• pay for rent and bills 
• have a growing savings, and retirement account
• enjoy my free time after work and am able to workout, not take my workload home or stress home
• have time to take up new hobbies
• don't resent going to work every day 

I don't personally think being rich would necessarily make me that much happier than making enough to just do what I love and enjoy life. 

I don't think success is working 80 hours a week with no time to see your friends and family. Yes, you may have a great job title; are you truly living if you don't have the time or energy to enjoy? A happy balanced life doesn't mean making X amount of dollars or having a certain car. Once you find what success looks like to you and what your goals are I think you'll change the way you approach life. Now I ask you, what does a successful life look like to you? What does your day look like? I'm curious! Please share.

Healthy Is The New Skinny

Healthy is the new skinny. Rocking my favorite sweatshirt today and feeling like I need to write a little more about what it means to me. 
The reason I am posting this to social media, is because I think women need to hear this. We have become so caught up with what the media thinks is beautiful (myself included). Most girls I know either don't eat gluten, or don't eat carbs, are on a meal plan, count their calories, or are trying some new diet. I am not here to bash any diet or tell you what is right or wrong for your personal lifestyle. I am, however, here to tell you that being healthy doesn't always mean being skinny or having defined muscles. Even a lot of the fitness models you follow on Instagram have disordered eating habits (I know because I used to be one of them). It's time to spend some time on learning to find what works for you. Find a workout, diet, and lifestyle that is balanced and manageable for YOU. Not for your girlfriend or your sisters mom, find a routine that works for you and fond one you like! There is no one size fits all to anything in life. Find your own happy, healthy, & balanced life.
Support Healthy is the new Skinny& Katie H. Willcox Healthy is the New Skinny Founder by empowering yourself and the women around you to find their health and happiness. 

Outdoor No Equipment Workout

Yesterday we got a crew together to raise money for the ALC LifeCycle Ride. Here was our amazing workout.

1. Cardio

12 min AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

10 squats 

10 pushups 

10 sit-ups 

1 hill sprint (~75 meters)

2. Strength (complete all 3 for 45 sec, next round for 35 sec, the last round for 25 sec)

A)

Pike pushup

Plank walk out with shoulder tap

Half burpee

B)

Reverse crunch

Bicycle crunch

Toe touches (legs in air)

C)

Reverse lunges 

Sumo squat

Pop squats 

3. Challenge

One partner works while the other rests

3 rounds 30 seconds each partner

A) 3 Side shuffle each direction with a full burpee 

B) plank jack with knee tuck

Have fun! 

Coachella Pt. 5: Accessorize

Sunglasses: quay Australia 

Sunglasses: quay Australia 

Ring: Free people 

Necklace: Revolve clothing

Tats: Flashtats 

Nose ring: Vidakush

Bracelets: Samantha Willis

Blanket: Bohemian spirit collective 

Arm band: Free people 

Coachella Part 4: Makeup

When you head to a festival you want to hit the ground running. You want to look like a movie star, drink like a rockstar, and stay model flawless throughout the day.

In my experience, in order to stay flawless in the desert you can't cake it on (or it will melt off). There is no time to touch up, redo, or wash off. Take note from some of these looks for inspiration.

You need:

Tinted moisture with SPF (my favorite here)

SPF setting powder (my favorite here)

Concealer (my favorite here)

Bronzer (my favorite here)

Blush (my favorite here)
Highlighter (my favorite here)

Waterproof Mascara (my favorite here)

Gold eyeshadow (my favorite here)

Liner (my favorite here)

Face & Body Paint (my favorite here)

Coachella Part 3: Hair

These photos inspire some amazing hairstyles. If you are going to coachella maybe you should try something different. Throw in a top know, some braids, a bandanna, or headband to accessorize.