Pursuit of Wellness - Advice From My CEO Husband: Marriage, Career, Discipline, Parenthood & Leadership

Episode Date: June 27, 2024

Ep. #111 Join us for a special episode as we sit down with Greg LaVecchia, 2024 entrepreneur of the year and Forbes 30 under 30 member, who also happens to be my husband and co-founder of Bloom Nutrit...ion. We're covering everything our audience has been curious about, from our secrets to career success and business growth, to maintaining a healthy relationship and supporting each other's goals. Greg shares his daily routines for peak productivity, insights into managing Bloom alongside parenthood, and even tips on handling online criticism. Whether you're looking for entrepreneurial inspiration or advice on balancing work and personal life, this episode has it all. Leave Me a Message - click here! For Mari’s Instagram click here! For Pursuit of Wellness Podcast’s Instagram click here! For Mari’s Newsletter click here! For Greg’s Instagram click here! For Bloom’s Website click here! For POW Brand Promo Codes click here! Sponsored By:  Visit clearstemskincare.com and use code POW at checkout for 20% off your first purchase. If you want to take the next step in improving your health, go to lumen.me and use code POW to get $100 off your Lumen. Use code POW15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order at www.vionicshoes.com when you log into your account. 1 time use only. Vionic Shoes. Wearable well-being for your feet.  Show Links: Bloom Colostrum  EP. 84 - Dr. Amen Pt. 2: ADHD, Borderline Personality Disorder, Raising Mentally Tough Kids & How To Fight Negative Thinking Topics Discussed 02:23 - Greg’s daily routine for optimal function  05:10 - Sleep routine 07:32 - The benefits of colostrum and Greg’s routine 09:45 - Greg and Mari’s H Pylori journey 14:13 - Managing Bloom and parenthood 15:40 - Starting a business together 18:40 - Mari and Greg’s work dynamic 20:20 - Staying motivated 21:20 - Advice for those struggling academically 24:17 - Advice for being a supportive partner  29:14 - Expansion of Bloom an enjoying the ride 30:59 - Managing health and fitness 34:30 - Pushing yourself while having a sedentary partner 39:05 - The beginning of Bloom 43:50 - Excitement for parenthood 46:52 - Being public about fertility journey and private life 53:18 - Cooking the perfect steak 56:00 - Second guessing yourself in business 01:00:45 - When to call it quits 01:03:35 - Staying lean  01:04:20 - Ideal amount of kids 01:04:50 - Lulu 01:05:29 - Dealing with online hate towards Mari 01:07:19 - Conflict resolution and marriage tips

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. Guys, today on the show, we have a highly, highly, highly requested guest. He is the 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year, Forbes 30 Under 30 winner, co-founder and CEO of Bloom Nutrition. Also, my husband of three years, Greg Levacchia. Thank you for having me. I would love to compare that intro to our first intro. We could make a side by side. I don't remember what the first one was like. I was probably like, welcome, I guess. But honestly, the excitement when I posted that you were coming on was pretty astounding. And I really am excited
Starting point is 00:00:46 to have you on. I think the only other episode you've ever done with me was our Story of Bloom episode, which was like the second episode I ever did of this show. So if you guys haven't listened to the Story of Bloom, it's a really, really good one if you want to go back. Today, I really want to have you on because you are someone I go to when I want advice on routine, discipline, career, goal setting. I feel like you have just become this incredible leader and I find you to be very motivational. I will say myself. I go to Mario for the same things. So no, you don't. You go to me when you're like, how do I have some life balance? Yeah, that's all right. So we have different skill sets. Sure. So today, we're going to take questions from the audience and kind of give them advice on
Starting point is 00:01:34 career business, how to have a healthy relationship, how to support each other's goals, how to have discipline, how to form a routine, and a lot more. So I have a ton of questions. I'll just give you a little sneak peek. The girls had... Are we trying to dive deep or do you want like rapid answers? No, I think we should dive deep. And I like want to give both of our opinions because I think we do have pretty different perspectives on things.
Starting point is 00:02:02 And kind of just hear from you of where you're at. I mean, I feel like so much has happened since a year ago, since we did the first episode together. So I can't wait to dive in. I think we should start. I have things categorized by business, routine, relationship, and bloom. So let's dive in. Okay. I want to start here because I think this is sort of an all-encompassing question about your life in general. What is your routine like in order to perform optimally in all aspects of life? Like what do you do every day that ensures that you're going to perform optimally at work, in our relationship,
Starting point is 00:02:40 and your goals in general? In 2024, I would say the thing that I'm really trying to prioritize is my, just calling my circadian rhythm. So my sleep, keeping that consistent, that has to, that's like a non-negotiable. I mean, any of my answers, no matter what category I'm trying to address, generally start with my physical health. So my first three things that I'm going to list for any of that would be related to my physical health. So like my sleep, my workouts, my nutrition.
Starting point is 00:03:17 But like why? Can you dive deep and tell us why that's the case? You know, it's crazy. Like this weekend we had a big party at the house as if we do that all the time but we had a big party at the house and there was a whole bunch of like cpg consumer packaged goods business people there was ex-professional boxers there i was talking with some business guys and some ex-pro athletes. You're making us sound way cooler. I know, right? And my first question to either of those categories of people was, how do you deal with the stress? Like that's all I'm ever trying to figure out is like, how do I increase my ability to tolerate
Starting point is 00:03:55 stress? And I have found that the only way I'm able to tolerate just life stresses, business stresses, relationship stresses, whatever they may be, is by keeping my physical health as high as I can. Which in 2024 is very different. I used to think that was like very like bodybuilder. I used to think that was like just related to like how strong I was and like very cosmetic. It was a very different form of fitness. Now it's, I think people are starting to call it like hybrid athlete vibes. Like how far are you able to run? What's your endurance? You know, higher rep, lower rep, overall strength, functional fitness. So that's what I've been prioritizing lately.
Starting point is 00:04:36 Yeah, I would agree. And I feel like just watching you, I can tell that exercise and staying healthy is like a form of therapy. Like anytime Greg is super stressed, he'll disappear into our basement for a couple hours. And I know he's training and that's really how he deals with things. And I support that. Like I think for you, even since I met you, exercise has been a really crucial part of your happiness. And I think it's how you offset the immense amount of stress that you have day to day. I would say in general, Greg and I definitely have a pretty, you know, strict routine, especially around bedtime. I think both of us perform optimally when we're well rested. So we are both in bed by 8.30. I mean.
Starting point is 00:05:25 I would say asleep 9.30, the latest on a weeknight. Yeah. 10.30, 11.30 for crazy on a weekend. And even if we are in a social setting and we're at a friend's house or at a dinner, Greg will be the first one to say, I'm leaving, goodbye. And he's not afraid to do that because you are not willing to give up. I mean, you kind of can't afford to. Well, because people in Austin socialize on weeknights.
Starting point is 00:05:50 This is like a new thing for me. So I like to say yes, I want to socialize as well. I'm trying to do more of that. But if it's a Wednesday night, I can't stay out past 8.30, which when we first moved here, I'd quote, bring you home with me. Like I'd be like, babe,
Starting point is 00:06:05 we got to go. Like, I have to go to sleep soon. As of late, we've successfully been leaving a party separately. I think it's good to talk about this because I think a lot of people will relate and be like, my partner wants to leave, but I don't or whatever it may be. And sometimes I want to stay because socializing is something i'm like is more important to me now and i think having community and connecting is maybe more of a value for me than it is for you and you just literally wake up later than me well by half an hour let's come on let's not have a tiff on the pod um let's not have a tiff on the pod um but yeah we like have been practicing you know greg will leave at a time he's comfortable with because otherwise you get anxious and you get
Starting point is 00:06:53 upset rightfully so because greg is in a position where he's the ceo he manages a lot of people i have my own responsibilities but it's not necessarily on the level that yours is. So, yeah, I think respecting that and having boundaries around that's really important. And, you know, feeling good, feeling energized from the food we eat, feeling, you know, the endorphins we feel from exercising, getting enough steps in every day, like showing up for yourself so you can show up for the team is crucial. And we'll definitely dive more into, you know, the role of a CEO and how you manage that. We got a question.
Starting point is 00:07:34 I'm loving the new colostrum. When do you both incorporate it into your routine? I started taking it when I started to lose my hair. Oh. And I started to take it when I just got obsessed with bone broth. And I started just trying to figure out like, okay, why am I obsessed with bone broth? Okay. It's because of collagen and colostrum like type ingredients started to go down the rabbit hole of hair loss, keeping my joints healthy as I got older. I've always had really bad shoulders. And just as I was kind of actually simplifying my
Starting point is 00:08:07 supplement regime, I decided, okay, what am I going to prioritize here? And it kind of boiled down to like some simple, I mean, like less than five supplements, one of which being these two, which we've now created as one. Which two? Collagen and colostrum. When I went to simplify my routine, I used to take like 20 different supplements. You remember what our pantry used to look like, especially over the years. It really boiled down to, okay, what do I really care about here? What do I actually feel like is doing anything? What do I know is doing something based off of when I start and stop it? And it boiled down to a few things, two of which being colostrum and collagen,
Starting point is 00:08:42 which we combined into one product right here. I feel like they're both crucial to take together. So why not have them as one supplement? And if we're able to have the highest quality collagen, the highest quality colostrum, you know, from a brand that's actually reputable, especially there's so many specifically colostrum brands that are popping up right now, we want to bring a good source. Yeah. So how do you, how do you incorporate it every day? Like what's the routine? Morning routine mixed in my iced coffee. Done. Two scoops. So I put it I think I've told my routine on here a few times but I make this electrolyte drink that I bring to the gym aka our basement and I just put my colostrum in with the electrolytes because you it's
Starting point is 00:09:22 unflavored you can't taste it and and you can legitimately put it in everything so yeah i think it's amazing for gut health and greg and i are very much on our gut health journey right now yeah if you want to call it a journey i feel like i'm in a gut health war i've told the i've told the girls about our h pylori it's out of control and our antibiotics and now we're on our parasite I want to call it a parasite cleanse, but that's not what it is. What we're taking is a second type of antibiotic that is generally used to kill parasites. Yes. So we're on a different antibiotic. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:09:55 It's technically an antibiotic, but... It is? Yeah. Yeah. I was doing some research on it last night. Obviously, after we started it, I started to do the research. Yeah. And it's just an
Starting point is 00:10:05 antibiotic generally used to kill parasites and stds so afterward is it yeah just happens to be i don't know no way yeah huh well after we're done with this we're then going to go into phase three which is the gut rebuild and we were literally told to take colostrum. So this couldn't have come at a better time. And you guys have heard me talk about the colostrum, but it's grass-fed cows, calves eat first, family dairy farms in the United States, like the best possibly sourced colostrum on the market. And this is coming from people who like,
Starting point is 00:10:39 you've seen me for the last few months make my own bone broth. Like I've taken it back to the farm to table and so try to figure out like okay does this need to come from real food can i do this as just a supplement is this the same thing as drinking raw milk for example and getting some benefits like that like so i feel like i feel like this is just the perfect world of convenience and efficacy that could exist. Period. You guys always ask me about skincare, probably because you know I've been through the gamut with my skin. I've had acne on and off for 10 years now, and it's very rare for me to trust a company
Starting point is 00:11:22 the way I trust ClearStem. ClearStem is the first skincare line that combines all three categories, anti-acne, anti-aging, and clean, meaning free of hormone disruptors and pore clogging fillers. ClearStem is founded by Danielle and Kaylee, two of my good friends who I trust so much. They've both dealt with acne as well, which means for me, they understand what I've been through and they know what to put in products that's actually going to work. I also love the fact that they have the acne lab test on their website, which is helping thousands of people get to the root cause of their acne through comprehensive lab testing and lifestyle-based recommendations. You guys know that Emily Morrow
Starting point is 00:11:58 has been a huge part of my acne journey and she was involved in this whole process and their lab testing, which makes me feel really, really safe and in their hands. My favorite products from ClearStem are the Gentle Cleanser. I also use their hair products, the body lotion. I love the hydrating moisturizer. I'm absolutely obsessed with the sunscreen. I bring it everywhere when I travel. I highly recommend you guys check out this brand. Visit clearstemskincare.com and use code POW at checkout for 20% off your first purchase. Again, that's code POW, P-O-W, for 20% off your first purchase on clearstemskincare.com. We talk a lot about metabolic health on the show. And people
Starting point is 00:12:38 always ask me back in the day when I was losing weight, how did I know what my metabolism was like? Like, how did I figure out how much I should be eating to be in a caloric deficit? And I didn't have this technology back then, but I think this is so fantastic. That's where Lumen comes in. Lumen is the world's first handheld metabolic coach. It's a device that measures your metabolism through breath. And on the app, it lets you know if you're burning fat or carbs and gives you tailored guidance to improve nutrition, workout, sleep, and even stress management. Your metabolism is your body's engine and it's how your body turns the food you eat into the fuel to keep you going. Because your metabolism is at the center of everything your
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Starting point is 00:14:04 Thank you, Lumenumen for sponsoring this episode. Will you and Greg be handing over responsibilities at Bloom once you start a family? Um, you know, it, it, off the, off the cuff hearing that question, I have no intention of walking away from blue many times soon. Um, obviously we have an intention of starting a family very soon. I would say that I think part of being a father is leading by example. And I would think that I would want daughter, son, whatever it may be, to look up to their father and or mother as somebody who works hard. So no, I have no intention of the family contributing to
Starting point is 00:14:52 me stepping away from Bloom. Yeah. But I think we are in a nice position where you will be able to take, you know, a week or two off with me. Of course. I mean, life is good. Yeah. Yeah. I fully plan on like being super mom. Yeah. Let her rip. Yeah. I'm I've worked too hard to get pregnant at this point. I'm going to be fully obsessed with this child. And, you know, of course, I'm going to want my own purpose and things outside of that. But I want to be a very involved parent. And we've kind of set ourselves up nicely for that. It's gonna be so funny. Like this kid's gonna have no idea like the last 10 years. It's gonna have no idea what we have to do.
Starting point is 00:15:37 Yeah. Lulu knows. That's all that matters. Speaking of which, can you answer this? Because a lot of people ask, like, how hard was it for us at the beginning to start a business together and be in a romantic relationship? People ask questions like this all the time. And it's like, there's a couple of things I don't know. I don't know what it's like to be single. When all of our friends ask, like, single advice or dating advice. I've been with you for a decade. I don't remember what it was like without you. Two, I've only ever been with you when we were basically working together.
Starting point is 00:16:13 Yeah. So, you know, there was obviously a two-year span when we were in university, but when we were just dating. But I really don't know any other way. Yeah. I wouldn't want to know any other way. And there was definitely some bumps along to like where we are now. But I love this.
Starting point is 00:16:30 But we are in such a different position now than we were. Like now I come here and record my show and I have my own work life and you have your own work life. And we come together in the evening and ask each other what we did every day. We used to be hip to hip and every meeting together every day. So I personally feel like it's very different. And I'd say for like two or three years, we were like colleagues fully, you know, true co-founders and we made every decision together. And I think we are uniquely positioned to work incredibly well together. Like I think we have the opposite skill sets. I think we complement each other perfectly in a professional setting. I think we were like supposed to start a business together.
Starting point is 00:17:16 But it's also like one of the hardest things I think I've ever done. And I can say confidently, I don't think there are many people who would have survived what we did. In terms of a relationship, not like life or death. And just to close that, I think the other day we were saying like, what if we had to do this again right now at 30 years old, you're 30, I'm 29. If we had to do it again right now, I don't think we could. I couldn't do it. So I guess I kind of too long didn't read. That's my feelings on it. I couldn't do it again, but I wouldn't, I wouldn't change it for anything. That's how I feel. But I would tell someone else, you know, if they were at that point in their life, whether or not their biological age was their lower 20s, that they should do it. I agree.
Starting point is 00:17:53 Like, we had the energy to do it back then. And we had the like, fuck it. What else do we have going on? You know, like, we had nothing to lose back then. Now I'm tired. I don't want to do it again. Like even, you know, we've been having a lot of conversations about this podcast and how much it's grown far beyond what I could have imagined. And then all of a sudden I woke up and realized, oh, I started a second company or a third company even.
Starting point is 00:18:16 And I'm drowning. So we've had that realization. And now I am kind of doing it all over again. So, yeah, that's very much without me. Well, you give me advice here. I dinner advice. Yeah, I'm not involved. Yeah. I don't think that the community realizes how. Skilled you are at business, and this is a question I saw a lot as well. You know, we both just won entrepreneur of the year for the Los Angeles area, which was a peak moment in our careers.
Starting point is 00:18:50 I mean, like we were both crying, we were like holding each other. It was crazy. But, you know, I mentioned on the podcast, like I am the public facing person of Bloom, like that, you know, it's my story. I'm the face of the company but you are behind the scenes really growing this thing and managing the whole team people were asking do you ever get jealous of me being the one who gets more recognition or are you comfortable with your spot no i i feel like i have it's funny i i said that in the ey speech yeah i said you know this is a this is a journey that rarely gets any recognition i do feel like in 2024 for whatever reason we're getting a lot of recognition from like you know a public facing front but i never did it for any like public recognition I don't even think I've posted on
Starting point is 00:19:48 Instagram in 2024 like that's just not really my thing um at Greg's love life um so no I've never really thought of that and I and I also just feel like such a an accomplishment if you get the recognition that I don't really care if it goes to Greg uh you know I look at us as such a unit anyway yeah so no that's not that doesn't even cross my mind yeah a question I saw that I think is relevant here is someone asked how do you stay motivated when no one's telling you i mean i guess i guess i have goals i mean i was showing you my goals for 2024 yesterday because we were trying to think of how to my bloom goals my like career goals i was showing them yesterday like i have quantitative goals that if i hit i probably get a very similar feeling as like public recognition
Starting point is 00:20:38 which like those are what i'm chasing i don't have goals on there that were like i want this x award those things just come and are like I don't have goals on there that were like, I want this X award. Those things just come and are like this incredible cherry on top of you hitting those like quantitative goals that you're chasing. Yeah, I feel like you are not someone motivated by public recognition. I think the system as a whole, you know, call it the education system, call it like award system,
Starting point is 00:21:04 call it the recognition system. Generally, like award system, call it the recognition system. Generally, I have felt let down by it. And at this point in my life, at this age of my life, I don't rely on that to give me happiness. What would you say to someone listening who could maybe relate to you that they struggled academically and maybe they still haven't found their thing? Like what would you encourage them to do? I think there's so many people that are in academia, you know, whether they're in high school, they're in college, whatever it may be, who have not found their thing. And I think that's the big issue with it is that the majority of
Starting point is 00:21:41 people feel out of place. I felt incredibly out of place. I mean, this is coming from the perspective of somebody who I very much struggle to read. Anything more than like a paragraph is pretty overwhelming for me on an attention level, on like a physical ability to get through it. I'll leave any more details out of it. But with that said, academia is like trying to create this system that casts a wide enough net for as many people as they can. So if you feel unique and out of place in that, I would just head right to the internet, right? Because the internet's this weird thing where you can find a niche amongst the whole globe, whether that's on YouTube or Instagram or TikTok, you can
Starting point is 00:22:25 find 100 people that would feel like a community, yet it's one person in each state and then one person in a couple of countries. You know what I'm saying? So you could find these niches that are globalized or just nationalized that when you were even just our era of growing up, you know, we didn't have Instagram until college. You felt so weird in just your little physical region and like such a unique person in a negative way. I mean, we went to a school that was very much high achievers and a very successful town. And both of us had, what, 2.5 GPAs. Like we were atrocious at school. You know, I can read and write like that's, that's my skillset, but I cannot read numbers for the life of me. If people even start speaking to me about numbers, I dissociate.
Starting point is 00:23:16 You get overwhelmed. I actually cry sometimes. Yeah. No. If Greg brings up numbers to me, I straight up just cry. Give me like a landscaping bill. Yeah, I can't talk about it. I actually cannot talk about it. So if this gives any motivation and you're listening and you're like, how could I possibly start a business? I can't read numbers. I can't write. I feel inexperienced.
Starting point is 00:23:38 You're looking at the two most inexperienced people of all time. You just figure it out, you know? And it's pretty incredible what you can do when you find something that you love so much that it doesn't feel like work, you know? Yeah. But like it just, just as like a tangible example, you going into the fitness industry originally, there's no one else that we grew up with that are at all involved in the fitness industry that I can think of at least, right? Like that was an incredible niche that you could have never turned into a career unless you tapped into social. Yeah. Right. Yeah. There was a question that I kind of wanted to
Starting point is 00:24:15 answer for the girls that said best advice for being a supportive and encouraging wife while he's growing. And this has been a big one for me. And I've been through like, sort of like ups and downs with my journey of this. And someone who came on the podcast who really helped actually was Mark Sisson's wife, Carrie. And she's awesome. Because Mark, you know, the founder of Primal Kitchen has been through a similar journey to us, you know, like having a brand that explodes, selling, selling the business, going through different phases. And we haven't sold Bloom, obviously. But, you know, we did entrepreneurship. Yeah, we did a deal recently and just high stake, high stress scenarios. And although I am the co-founder of Bloom and I'm still very
Starting point is 00:25:02 involved, Greg steers the ship. Like he is the leader of Bloom Nutrition. And being married to a CEO and a co-founder is not for the faint-hearted. And it's definitely not easy for someone who, you know, used to struggle with borderline personality disorder. So it's been an interesting journey. And feel at the moment probably the most confident in it than I ever have and I feel like I've had the realization that I feel so grateful to have someone who's so career motivated and so dedicated to the mission because it allows me, you know, as we're talking about trying to conceive and having a family, like I know confidently that Greg will provide for me and this family no matter what. So like if tomorrow I decide, you know, I'm having this baby, I want to take a full year off. Let's just say that would never happen. But let's just say I know that Greg would carry us through that
Starting point is 00:26:02 and he would steer the ship. Same way that I really trust him and put a lot of faith in him with our finances because it's not my forte. And I also know that the sacrifice of not getting full quality time 24-7 in order to have the life we want like that's important do you know what I mean like I'm I see this as a temporary thing right now whether it be like five years whatever in order for us to have the life we want in the future do you know what I mean I know what you mean I mean I think years past we very much saw it as me. Let's be clear.
Starting point is 00:26:51 This is me wanting to pursue entrepreneurship. It's not like I have to do this. And I think that everyone needs to acknowledge that a lot of these goals that we have are wants and non-needs, especially when you take them to an extreme level. But we originally saw them, we originally saw my pursuit of entrepreneurship, our pursuit of entrepreneurship as something that was taking away from our relationship and that it was almost like an either or. And eventually, hopefully,
Starting point is 00:27:18 whatever journey you're pursuing, whether or not it's entrepreneurship, gets to some sort of climax where it actually enhances your relationship. So it's a, gets to some sort of climax where it actually enhances your relationship. So it's a step back for two forward. And I think we're just starting to experience that this year. You know, I think Austin was kind of like this fresh slate, new chapter where we moved
Starting point is 00:27:36 somewhere else and we were able to kind of not only harness all of these memories and wisdom that we gained from our journey, but also we were able to create a more balanced version of contributing to our goals and to our relationship. The weather is really warming up here in Austin, which means it's time for me to refresh my shoe wardrobe. And that's where Bionic Vals comes in the collection has the best essential styles for everyday wear to get you ready for the season i absolutely love the willis slip on flat i feel like flats are such a great go-to when you're traveling everyone's in europe right now you're walking a lot flats look great with jeans skirts dresses whatever it may whatever it may be. So I love this. It comes in over 12 colors to complement any outfit.
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Starting point is 00:28:45 and energized. They even have a 30-day guarantee. Wear them, love them, or return for a full refund within 30 days. Use code POW15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order at www.vionicshoes.com when you log into your account. One-time use only. Vionic Shoes, wearable well-being for your feet. We're kind of like, what do they say, like reaping the rewards of the hard work now? It feels like it's coming, so maybe we're just sensing a light at the end of the tunnel. Yeah. I don't know if we're there yet,
Starting point is 00:29:22 but... I mean, last year was like a really hard year yeah for us yeah um it hasn't always been rainbows and sunshines but i feel like we're getting the fruits of our labor now a little bit more um although greg is still it seems to be like pretty volatile lately like they'll be they'll be you know because as you guys know bloom's now in target walmart sam's club a few other retailers um it could be like target's going amazing but there's a disaster at walmart walmart's going amazing but there's a disaster at sam's club and it's like there's always a fire yeah that's going on there's never not a fire you and like things are going great, there's always a fire.
Starting point is 00:30:05 Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you travel a lot more now than you ever used to. I don't know what the hell I used to do. Well, something. Something. You were doing something. I guess because now we're in brick and mortar, I am on the road so often. But.
Starting point is 00:30:20 Brick and mortar means a physical store. Right. We used to just be on our website and Amazon. So now I'm traveling to a lot of those retailers a lot. And travel, quote, is fun when it's leisure and experiencing new cities. There's certain cities that business takes you that are not cities that anyone would ever go to otherwise. Which ones are you talking about? Hey, there are beautiful homes to some people,
Starting point is 00:30:46 but. Gregg leaves for Vegas tomorrow. For 24 hours. Yeah. But for GNC, shout out to GNC. But GNC is getting this soon. So how do you make time for health and fitness being as busy as you are? Like, as we just said, you're traveling all the time. You're on meetings all freaking day. How do you make sure that you check the boxes with your health and fitness? I mean, I simply put just like, don't allow for a margin of error. So if I'm traveling for 24 hours to Vegas, I will not do a very, very early flight. Like, I try not to let that flight disrupt my sleep too much. If it is going to disrupt my sleep like it is tomorrow, I'm literally walking into the
Starting point is 00:31:32 airport with a night mask on my forehead that I'll be lowering onto my eyes upon sitting on the plane. He's not kidding, guys. I've seen this in action. The second the eye mask's on, he's out. Oh, yeah. No, my body's used to it at this point. And like, you know, sleeping on a plane is not sleeping on your bed obviously, but it's better than nothing. And then finding a hotel that has a gym. I'm bringing a Tupperware of some food or bringing some good jerky shout to that Maui Nui, who's actually a sponsor of the show. I use your podcast code. Um, I'm bringing a bunch of those jerky sticks and I mean, shit, I'll eat. Can I curse on this bringing a bunch of those jerky sticks. And I mean, shit, I'll eat – can I curse on this? I'll eat 10 jerky sticks tomorrow at the show, which will be 90 grams of protein.
Starting point is 00:32:12 And then I'll take the team out to sushi afterwards. Like I'll be fine. And tough life. And then I'll just go to a gym on Wednesday when I wake up and then hit the airport and come home. How about when you're at home? Like what's the routine like at home to ensure that you're living the healthiest you can? One of the reasons I prioritize the health is because that's just what like helps me get through the day and feel like the most productive person. So like me getting X amount of steps a day, I don't have a chair at my desk. A lot of my, you of my calls I take walking.
Starting point is 00:32:46 I'm walking around the house, around the property all day long. I'm doing that because I just think better. I'm just a better person when I'm moving. So that happens. And likewise, I'm just a better person, better mood, better cognitive function when I'm eating clean. So I have been curious if I were to ever retire from entrepreneurship and I didn't need to operate as high cognitively, maybe I would blow up.
Starting point is 00:33:14 It's like, why not try that out? But for now, I do feel a pressure to stay in physical shape for my cognitive shape. I think you say that, but you're a pressure to like stay in physical shape for my cognitive shape. I think you say that, but you're going to be like a jack. Because I just get like sad. Yeah, you could. If I don't eat well. And I get, or just like, just like not as productive and then therefore sad or like grumpier. Like my anxiety takes over or whatever. I just also feel like you are such a like extreme individual.
Starting point is 00:33:43 And you could go so far on one end of the spectrum or the other. Like I think you need fitness. You know how sometimes you'll get annoyed that you're annoyed? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like sometimes it's like I'm in a bad mood. I'm in a bad mood. Like not that we get that fired up but like you'll like get annoyed that you're annoyed or you'll get in an even worse mood because you're not feeling great.
Starting point is 00:34:07 And so I try to avoid that at all costs by just not letting the initial trigger start. Yeah. But I think anyone who knows you in regular life knows that like you like need fitness. Yeah, it's a major outlet for me. Yeah. This was a good question. I saw how to push yourself when all your partner wants to do is sit on the couch. I mean, that used to be me. So how did you deal with that? How to push yourself when all your partner wants to do is sit on the couch? Like how do you function optimally when you have a partner who isn't motivating you
Starting point is 00:34:43 to be better? I think it's difficult for us to answer because we obviously, like, hold each other to very high standards. But I think you have to, like, function as an individual. Like, you really can't let someone else dictate your success. I mean, I would question whether that's the right person to be with. Yeah, I think I can never be with anyone that didn't have, you know, like close to my values being aligned in a couple categories, one of them being my health and how I prioritize it. But how about when I wasn't into health? I don't know because it's funny. I feel like just the last 12 months, we have been on different routines most days of the week. Whether you're horseback riding and I don't go horseback riding.
Starting point is 00:35:40 Obviously, whether you're doing certain workout classes or just doing your own work. We don't work out together anymore like we used to and it it doesn't really affect my movement and what i wanted during the day but then if you were on the couch at night i would join you on the couch at night like right greg but like i'm still motivated and fit and i still push myself i'm saying back in the day when you first met me i was the least motivated person of all time like what how do you deal with that? And how did you keep going to the gym? I guess it was just such a core piece of who you are.
Starting point is 00:36:09 Yeah, I think you have to figure out how high on your list that value is on your need for your partner. Like, I mean, I think... The reason I'm answering that way is because I feel strongly that you shouldn't try to change somebody. Yeah. That's the only reason I'm answering that way. Like, I don't want to, like, you know, I have people in my family who don't want to prioritize their health and, you know, you can give a suggestion, but, you know, I feel strongly that you shouldn't like force anything upon somebody. So that's the only reason why I'm
Starting point is 00:36:37 hesitating to answer. Yeah. And you never did that to me either. Like, I think a lot of people think because I say that you helped me that you like initiated it and you didn't. Like I came to you and said I want to lose weight. I mean shit even like back to the parenting question. I can't even think and how I lead a team. You know I just do – I just act a certain way and then generally people – Do that too. Do that too
Starting point is 00:37:05 or I'm no longer going to really be around that person. Like that, you know, I arrive early to work and then people on the team tend to kind of do that too. Right. Yeah, I think that's a great way of putting it. Like if you start taking care of yourself and you prioritize your health and living optimally
Starting point is 00:37:26 and pushing yourself, like your partner will usually follow suit. That's kind of what I did with you, right? Like, yeah, it's not, it's not lead by example in that scenario. It's just inspired by example, right? They're going to see you so happy and thriving and having all this energy. And I would imagine that would be a good inspiration and influence onto them. And if not, then so be it. Yeah. And you are a pretty influential person i think um i've just noticed even like your friends that you surround yourself with tend to you know follow suit with your dude i don't know there's some badass people here there are are like just out here running triathletes triathlons they're entrepreneurs themselves they're making
Starting point is 00:38:05 my travel look like i never travel they're like at least i travel domestically they're all a lot of them are traveling for business internationally and i'm over here complaining about three-hour flights like so there's been a lot of people austin's just filled with beasts but sure i would like to think that i rub off some of my you You do. Yeah. I think you are so strong-willed in what you do. And so, I don't know, you can't be wavered. Like, Greg is Greg. Like, you've never changed since I've met you. You've always been this.
Starting point is 00:38:37 I mean, you've grown a ton and evolved a ton. But I feel like you are so strong in what you want to do. And it ends up impacting positively the people around you. And you've never once told anyone to do anything. It's just inspirational. So I just want to hype you up for a second. Thanks, babe. I should come on the show more often.
Starting point is 00:38:56 Yeah. If you have a spot, I mean, we're kind of booked out like through October. What was your vision for scaling Bloom? And are you surprised by the success or is it on target with what you wanted? No pun intended. Shout out to Target. There was never a vision for Bloom. The vision for Bloom, and you know, I don't want to speak for you here, but I think I can speak for us. You know, our vision for Bloom, and I don't want to speak for you here, but I think I can speak for us. Our vision for Bloom was just create as many really good all-encompassing products as we can or large encompassing products that we can. So whether they're around performance or wellness, female health, whatever it is, we just wanted to make really good products and make them super available for people, accessible for people.
Starting point is 00:39:48 So no, I could have never fathom. I heard about businesses that were this large, you know, even just three or four years ago. And I was like, I couldn't even imagine, like, I couldn't even fathom having, having something that big or running something that big. So, um, no, we, we, we, this was never part of the goal. It's, it's become quite an overwhelming beast, which is funny because most of our business is really just one product. But, but so when you think of it that way, it's, it's, it's ironic, but shit, look at Tesla. They have like three different cars. Yeah. Right. Um,
Starting point is 00:40:22 yeah. What about you? I mean, no. Like I think, I always think about that day. Do you remember when we were at the Golden Horseshoe in Scarsdale and we were going to the Starbucks and we were looking at our little PayPal account and we made $100 that day from the guides, from the PDF guides? And we were like. The amount of stories that like,
Starting point is 00:40:41 I don't know if they would be appropriate to share on here about the first two years of us becoming entrepreneurs and like just having no idea what to do using student bank accounts. Oh, yeah. Not it's maybe we'll wait seven years to tell some of these stories just because we did something illegal. I don't know. I'm kidding. But this one we were like, oh, we could survive on $100 a day. Like this is fantastic.
Starting point is 00:41:04 Like we're set. Like, do you remember you, like, calculated it? Like, how much we'd make in a year if we made $100? Do you remember that? Yeah. And we were like, oh, my God, we made it. We're good. Like, that was the mindset, guys.
Starting point is 00:41:17 And now it's unfathomable where we're at. I mean, no, I didn't envision this. But at the same time, I don't want to say that we're surprised because anyone who would dedicate their life as much as we did for the amount of years we have, like I would expect that some success would come of it. Yeah. And I think just because we never really treated it as like, let's do this thing to make money. Right. We just did it to like, let's just, I mean, we definitely had dreams to make Bloom a big thing, but that was just because like, I think we just found that a really cool pursuit.
Starting point is 00:41:54 It was just exciting. It was just exciting to be like, let's just make this a really big product in brick and mortar. Let's make this a really big product on Amazon, on social media. And then, you know, things came as a result of that. But I guess just like my closing thought there is now that I've met other people at other companies, no, it doesn't surprise me because I see how they treat their business and how they treat their formulations and how they treat their products, which is what it is.
Starting point is 00:42:22 And there's many very reputable people out there. So I don't want to add like that's the entire industry. But we're on our fifth year of constant growth. There's no trend sitting here or trend word associated with this product that a lot of people assumed about Bloom earlier on, especially being associated with an influencer. So I think we really have built something permanent here. And I think that in the next few months after this podcast releases, you guys will see some new products and some new – I'll call it launches associated with Bloom Nutrition that kind of solidify us as like one of the biggest supplement brands that will be generation-proof. Period.
Starting point is 00:43:02 Yeah. Sly. all be generation proof. Period. Yeah. Slay. I think one of the biggest surprises to us is we were so isolated for so long. Like when we made Bloom, we pretty much shut ourselves inside the house and didn't leave. And very much like didn't, we didn't really network with other businesses. Like we had no idea how anyone else did anything. So we did it our own way. And now that we're in, you know, entrepreneur of the year and we're meeting all these huge entrepreneurs, they're amazing. Like these people are incredible, but so many of them went into it being like, we need to raise X amount of money in order to create this much money and then sell it. And it's like, we didn't even
Starting point is 00:43:40 freaking know you could sell a business. No, I had no idea. Like I didn't know that. No. You know, like we were so clueless. And this was a labor of love. And I think that's why it worked out. Yeah. Truly. What are you most excited about when it comes to parenting or being parents? You know, first and foremost, I love family. So the idea of experiencing the family and having family.
Starting point is 00:44:10 I think for both of us, our childhood, I need to say it was a very defining moment for who we become as adults. And the responsibility that comes with controlling a childhood seems like a really cool task to take on. Mm-hmm. And I think that it will bring us a lot of joy. Yeah. Yeah, it's a big task. It's a lot of responsibility.
Starting point is 00:44:39 I mean, I think it's, like, a huge piece of, like, my reason for being on Earth. You know, this puppy that we have arnold though it's really made me because it's like we have this one dog lulu who's the greatest thing on earth and i love her so much it's insane and then we have this dog arnold who i don't know if i has had the best trainers and we've trained him and like we're doing all these tactics to try to train this thing and i refuse to neuter him so maybe that's part of the reason but because they're huge and they're there and so i don't
Starting point is 00:45:23 know if it's a nurture or nature thing like so maybe what we contribute to this kid's life will have nothing to do with how it ends up but based off of these two different dogs i mean arnold is a full-blown nepo baby and lulu's fair lulu started out in the mud that's fair lulu lived in our studio apartment in philadelphia and know, was with us when we didn't leave the house and we were building Bloom. And she's reaping. She's also enjoying the fruits of her labor. And Arnold came in at a real convenient time. Maybe when, God willing, we have a healthy baby, we're living in Austin, things are good, we'll go move into a studio for a couple years.
Starting point is 00:46:01 Oh, teach him a lesson? Or her. Oh, the baby. Yeah, the baby. the baby see like i even had dr raymond on the show and i think you've probably seen the viral clip but um just kidding he said uh in order to raise emotionally mature kids or like resilient children in a successful family you can't do too much for them and i I can hear that advice and like be like, yeah, I agree. But I know myself and I want to give this kid everything that I didn't have.
Starting point is 00:46:34 Do you know what I mean? Like, of course. I want them to have Uggs. No Fuggs. No Fuggs. All right, we'll see. I know. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it um on that topic a lot of people asked um how you have been feeling on the trying to conceive
Starting point is 00:46:53 journey if you're comfortable to talk about it physically how i feel in general like how do you feel about it you know similar to like any challenge that we've taken on, everyone has advice. And I have found that very difficult. Do a lot of people reach out to you about it? No, even like when you tell me what somebody suggests. Oh, yeah. You know, it makes you rethink everything you've been doing and every way you've been trying to do it. What I would say is anyone, you know, who's had an easy journey conceiving, first of all, I wish we had a kid, you know, seven years ago.
Starting point is 00:47:32 I wish we had a kid at 21 and we had a seven-year-old with us in the studio right now. That'd be like epic. We wouldn't be here right now if that happened. That said, I'm very optimistic. Like, I know we're going to be able to get you pregnant in the coming months. But it tests your patience. I guess that's all I would say. It is definitely testing my patience for something that, like, can't rush it.
Starting point is 00:47:54 Yeah. You know, it's going to happen how it's going to happen. Yeah. I think we're still optimistic. Yeah. Yeah, of course. How do you feel about me, like like talking about it on here publicly? I mean, you know, at this point I've lived for years with you having a very large following.
Starting point is 00:48:16 I personally tend to stay out of it with, you know, just my Greg's personal things. Yeah. Which is probably clear to anyone who follows Mari. But I think it's great. Like I was just at the smoothie shop on yesterday. Getting myself a coffee and you a smoothie. I was going to bring it home. And the girl was like, are you married to Amari?
Starting point is 00:48:39 And I was like, yeah, I'm married to Amari. And also she said. Why are you saying Amari? Because I'm pretty sure that's how it was asked. You mean a-mari? No, I just like tipped on the iPad. I grabbed my coffee. I was turning away.
Starting point is 00:48:49 I was with some people. And she's like, are you married to Omari? And I was like, is Mari? I was confused. And then she was like, you know, I have the PDF. Give like the normal spiel, which is like, it's so incredible when you get that normal spiel. And so when I hear stories of like that, of like positive effects that you've had on people's lives, it's like, who am I to even have discomfort about you sharing things about our life um that's cool also as i've gotten older i've cared less and less about what people think i used to be very insecure about like everything
Starting point is 00:49:34 and like when you did speak about us like i was hoping it would come off in a way that like made us seem fucking cool or something maybe i don't feel that way anymore i don't think that i did i'm just trying to like think of like what greg 25 year old greg like wanted um i mean i've been an oversharer like yeah let's keep it real like but clearly that's why you've been able to connect to so many people so i think it is my superpower and unfortunately like greg married me and he knows that this is what i do but also i think that we're actually more private than people realize like i really don't film in the house anymore we're private but also like
Starting point is 00:50:10 even when i just interact with new friends in austin i'm an open book in person yeah you are very vulnerable yeah and very down to chat but i do think you have a very respectable like boundary um and we're not the type of couple we don't film ourselves crying we don't film ourselves kissing we don't prop up the camera when we're having a special moment oh yeah like we used to try to do that for youtube and it was not for us like that's not our vibe and I know, I think we very rarely get our alone intimate moments and I would rather die than put the camera up. And we just don't fuck with that, really. Hey, to each their own, but we don't fuck with that for us. No.
Starting point is 00:50:53 I think that's like, I can't even imagine how toxic that would be towards like anything. I mean, even when you're just traveling, you know, you see the Statue of Liberty for the first time, whatever it may be, like to not, to have to try to like document that moment. Just fake it afterwards. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, fake it afterwards if you really want to get that on camera. But like please don't let content creation ruin the real, you know, rewards of life. Like we didn't film our engagement, for example.
Starting point is 00:51:21 There's like been some big moments that we didn't film. And I'm glad that we didn't film and i'm glad that we didn't you know yeah and i think on just a micro level you barely even film like personal weekends or if you do you post it afterwards the best thing my favorite thing that that you do lately um is use a camera yes and so the problem that i find with content creation is that you have to pick up an iphone and so you could be in a special moment with your significant other let's just use that as an example and you're like oh let me take a picture of this delicious entree that just came to the table and who am i to stop someone from taking a picture of maybe a filet mignon that i
Starting point is 00:52:02 cooked and who am i to stop a photo being taken of this entree I just created? So let's say Mari wanted to take a photo of this delicious meal I just cooked. Relax. It would be such a shame for you to hypothetically pick up your iPhone and see notifications that the universe did not want you to see at that moment and therefore distract you from that moment. But a camera for some reason doesn't seem to do that. In fact, a camera almost helps you take a mental snapshot of what's going on.
Starting point is 00:52:37 So there's something about – and this does not need to be a fancy digital camera. In fact, it seems the shittier the camera, the older, the more analog, like, yeah, more vintage and the actual film that it is, the more it enhances your actual experience going on right there. So huge fan of the camera, huge hater of the iPhone in terms of content creation. Yeah, I agree. Although the camera on the iPhone is incredible. I agree. Especially while traveling. I like to leave the phone in the room.
Starting point is 00:53:11 Yeah. You mentioned steak and I saw an exuberant amount of questions asking how to cook the perfect steak, which I was like, why are they asking Greg when I'm the one that cooks the perfect steak in the house? But if you want to answer too, that's fine. That was crazy. I think we're huge fans of the grill because we both are disgusting and don't like to clean. So the grill seems to be the least amount of cleanup.
Starting point is 00:53:42 Also, we're like so anti- anti nonstick pans and stuff like that that the grill just seems to be like a very like ancestral way to cook your food that i feel like is clean although we do love caraway cookway our favorite way to cook a steak would either be the grill if for some reason it was a rainy day then it would be on caraway cookware stainless steel with maybe a little bit of you know call it tallow onto the. But even that's generally not necessary if the meat has some fat. I'm a huge fan of like instant read thermometers to make sure the meat's cooked properly. Some people need to use a thermometer.
Starting point is 00:54:18 Some people just know, you know. Okay. I've never in my life. On Saturday, I cooked literally 18 pounds of meat across various cuts. If Mari thinks that she can eyeball that through her soul on when everything's done cooking, maybe we'll test that out. I'll give it to you here. You're good at making quantity, right?
Starting point is 00:54:38 That's a real chef. I'm good at perfection. You're a one-hit wonder. First of all, I made a whole loaf of sourdough. Actually, two. Very good. Insanely good. Insanely good.
Starting point is 00:54:51 I make a steak every single morning for breakfast, so I think if anyone has perfected it, it's me. I want you to start putting stuff in the sourdough. Grass-fed filet mignon. Butterfly down the middle so it's a little more thin. Salt it on each side, ghee in the pan, make it hot, sear each side of the steak so it's like finished and a little bit of a crust. Then you put the lid on the pan, lower the heat, let it simmer. I'd say 12 minutes. Total. I get it to the most perfect pink every single time every single time and I'm not saying
Starting point is 00:55:29 that I could make like a pile of meat the way that you do like that would stress me out but I make a good steak I make a good salmon like I'm a good chef can you just tell them you're very good I know I'm good I've gotten really good I didn't used to be. You're very good. Great. No, you are. I mean, especially in all... You're a horrible podcaster. You've been stepping it up. Thank you. Let's get back to business here, literally. How do you stop second-guessing yourself in business?
Starting point is 00:55:58 One of the reasons Bloom didn't really create another product outside or after we made the greens powder it's because frankly we were paralyzed with fear from innovation right we had all these products that we wanted to make mario and i were always testing new products and new formulations on just like empty canisters from manufacturers like trying things out but we were always like what if this isn't as big of a product as greens like we want we have to try to catch lightning in a bottle twice and we were always so afraid to release a new product and so we've probably gone 18 plus months since like really releasing something outside of a variant of greens you know call it a new flavor a new size whatever it may be but so i i feel like i went through a couple chapters straight feeling this way and i think you just
Starting point is 00:56:53 need to one not let perfection be the enemy of progress to just just do it and what ended up happening when we released this colostrum it's been a massive hit since we launched it it's like the whole team's fired up everyone's so excited our retail partners are so excited our consumer base our community is so excited that i feel like so i don't want to say regretful but i feel so regretful that like we haven't released more innovation in the last 18 months yeah and you're saying it was because maybe you weren't. We were paralyzed with fear. Okay.
Starting point is 00:57:28 Literally, like we did not hit the go on any of our good ideas. And now we've hit go on everything. So in the next six months, you're going to see a lot of new stuff. But we were so paralyzed with fear to not have like this huge hit that we did not release something new for a while. I run into this confidence issue when it comes to hiring. I feel like I have a hard time like observing or just like having the self-value and knowing what I'm doing is big enough to deserve the team size that I need. I struggle
Starting point is 00:58:02 with that. And then I also think for a while we lacked confidence because we were so isolated. Like I think when you self-isolate and you don't put yourself out there, you kind of don't even realize like what you're doing is having an impact. Do you know what I mean? I know what you mean. And I also think that sometimes you need to call people who are doing what you're hoping to do. Be like, hey, how does this look for you? Like what does your team look like? And call five people and ask that you? What does your team look like? Call five people and ask that question. What does your new product innovation process look like?
Starting point is 00:58:30 Call five people and ask that. That doesn't even need to be somebody in the supplement space. That could be somebody who could be Christian Guzman or Alphalete. Not that I've ever spoken to him. That would be cool. I do. I know.
Starting point is 00:58:41 Ask people who are just in any sort of similar field how they handle that process and it will bring you a lot of comfort and confidence for you to pursue it. I also feel like something we always tell people is like no one's a freaking professional at this. Like I think a lot of the self-doubt comes from there are people who are more qualified than me. Like, who am I to start this business?
Starting point is 00:59:07 Like, who am I to walk away from my corporate job and do something crazy? Like, no one gave me permission. It's like, no one's going to. And no one out there has more qualifications than you. Yeah, no one's any better than you. And I think that you just need to go all in. And like, sometimes what I tell myself
Starting point is 00:59:24 is just build it and they will come right so we took some really big bets on a few recent moves that we've made and I just you know how would I plan this if I knew it was going to be a huge success and that's the plan that I've moved forward with with a few of these things. And so far, whenever I plan it that way, it works out. When I plan it scared and conservative, it fails. I agree. Like you have to act as the highest version of yourself, so to speak. As if you know it's going to – I'm going through that right now too in the podcast.
Starting point is 01:00:03 Like you guys heard me say I'm hiring. Like, that's scary for me. I don't really love hiring people. Yeah. I think you need to say, like, okay, what is the end goal? What would this look like? What would I have to build for this end goal to exist? Yeah.
Starting point is 01:00:16 And by the way, that's not because I don't love working with people. Like, I do love working on a team. I just get scared. It's a commitment, you know. I think you like working with a team, but that doesn't mean you necessarily want to lead and create a team. No, I hate managing people. I really do. It's not my skill set.
Starting point is 01:00:36 I'm the talent. Anyway. When should someone know to call it quits on a business or keep pushing? That's a tough one to answer. I think that the, you know, the, the e-commerce world today gives us a platform and a canvas to do a few pretty major tests before you're making a commitment and or start a company on a small scale before needing to dive all the way in. So all of the time, if I have a new idea, I mean, for this, for this Colossum product,
Starting point is 01:01:23 we were running Facebook ads for a product that didn't exist just to see if people would click it. Love doing that. You can spend $100 on Facebook ads for a product that doesn't exist and see if people will click it and then just take them to a page that says, hey, this product doesn't exist yet, but if it did, would you be interested in it looking like this, like this, like this, giving these attributes? So I think just like consumer surveys, for lack of a better word, are so easy to take now that they can really lead you in the right direction. Yeah. I love that. I mean, that's kind of what we did with the PDF guides, if you think about it. Like we accidentally tested out if people would want to buy things from us by making a PDF workout guide. Yeah. They did. So we made more stuff. Yeah. I still think PDF workout guides are sorry, PDF guides in general, like the best business model.
Starting point is 01:02:19 Just like downloadable content. Yeah. Sorry, downloadable product. Like if you're an expert at something, make a PDF and sell it for $5. Yeah. And make it accessible. Like people price things too high. Like make it accessible for people. We've always been a fan of that. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:02:35 Like wellness and fitness shouldn't be niche. It shouldn't be for the top 1%, right? Like if the goal is to make America healthier, should it not be more accessible? Like that really pisses me off. I like making a product, whether or not it's for health and fitness. I think I like the business model more that makes a product for millions of people and for mass America than I would want to make a product for like a very niche community. I mean, that does sound like a more successful business model for sure. Well, no, because the niche community, you could charge a lot more maybe.
Starting point is 01:03:06 Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know? They're different. Yeah. Because like Ferrari sells less cars, but. Like, I love an Erewhon moment. You know, I used to go there all the time. But something about it really makes me feel icky.
Starting point is 01:03:19 You know? Like a. The elitist health community. I think we never fit in those places. You and I, I don't know. Um, how do you stay so cut and lean and keep all that muscle? Who asked that? Is that my dogs?
Starting point is 01:03:40 Next question. Tell us. No, no, no, no. What's the secret? I've already gotten into my routine. What do you do? I mean, I weight lift. I weight lift five or six days a week.
Starting point is 01:03:54 I try to get like almost 20,000 steps a day. And I eat predominantly animal based. Yep. That's the too long to end read. Yep. Greg works his butt off. He's not saying it but i watch him all day and this guy is committed thanks the work ethic is there good to say that okay we should wrap up how many kids do you want i just as many as the universe is willing to give us i i
Starting point is 01:04:22 don't want to ask for anything more than one right now. I know. That's how I feel. So. But like ideal world, how many? I only know a family of two. Yeah. Two kids. Yeah. But.
Starting point is 01:04:37 I feel like three would be fun. I don't know. What? Arnold's a lot. It just keeps coming back to Arnold and how much you hate him. Do you have anything to say to the people who think we neglect Lulu? Yo, that's... Lulu?
Starting point is 01:04:53 You guys don't know about me and Lulu's life that isn't on camera. Like, she's nine years old. And when we walk by people in Austin, they think that she's like four. Her breakfast takes me 15 minutes to make every morning. Like this dog is out here thriving. The vet thought she was three. That's crazy that a professional thought that. She looks really young and healthy.
Starting point is 01:05:15 And guys like- In fact, Lulu, Lulu takes colostrum. Wait, what? Yeah, Lulu takes colostrum every morning. Oh, she drinks goat colostrum. How do you feel about hate and negative comments directed towards Mari? I really hate it.
Starting point is 01:05:29 Like there's a side of me that like hates that you're even on Instagram. Mm-hmm. I think that you are – I personally am affected by comments towards you. I'm definitely affected by comments towards me. It's one of the reasons I'm not active on social media. I can't imagine the youth dealing with this. Yeah. You seem to have developed a system to process it, but –
Starting point is 01:06:04 I don't process it. I know it's not ideal. Yeah, you just don't process it. I know it's not ideal. Yeah, you just don't process it. I know it's not ideal. I don't think that humankind is like meant for this type of feedback. So it's tough. I really like it really frustrates me. It doesn't really bother me at all.
Starting point is 01:06:21 Yeah. And it's like you and I would never have never left a negative comment in our lives. Oh my god. So it's just like, so it's just so funny to me to think that like someone would. No, I know. The only negative comment that ever bothers me is the one about Lulu,
Starting point is 01:06:34 which for some reason has caught wildfire. I don't understand. Just like people thinking because she's not in all of my content that we neglect her. Oh my god. Because she doesn't like to travel like that's that no it's that when i actually find funny because that that person clearly just has no idea what's going on but like obviously arnold just like runs in front of the camera and like you know because he's like a puppy he's an
Starting point is 01:07:00 attention whore but yeah that's crazy that people live no but i i it's so funny to me that i truly don't care anymore that's amazing it doesn't bother me bulletproof bulletproof wifey how do we resolve like a disagreement or an argument i think we've gotten pretty good about that i don't think we have like a strategy but i would say we try to address it as soon as possible. And I'm talking the day of. Yeah. And I think also speaking from,
Starting point is 01:07:31 instead of coming from an emotional place and saying like, you did this, you did this, you use I phrases. That's something my therapist taught me. I feel rejected because of X y and z that action made me feel this way because then you're not pointing the finger and saying you you you yeah it's just like this was my feeling based on what happened yeah and then if nothing works tell your significant other that you're gaslighting that That they're gaslighting you.
Starting point is 01:08:08 Generally, that results in a win. Because it can mean anything. If Arnold shits on the carpet, Arnold, you're gaslighting with that shit on the carpet. Why is Arnold such a threat? He must have pissed me off this morning. I don't know. You're so mad at him all the time. I'm so mad at him.
Starting point is 01:08:28 Men do tend to gaslight, though. You know? No, I don't know. Okay. Let's show them right now how we resolve a disagreement. Yeah. We used to not be great. Like, I used to be someone that would, like, hang up the phone and... I hate that.
Starting point is 01:08:42 I hate drama in any... Oh, yeah. I was like a little bit of a drama queen back in the day. But I really feel so much calmer now. It must be the progesterone. Anyway, top three marriage tips. Why don't we both give one? All right, what's yours?
Starting point is 01:09:01 Make rituals around quality time. So we have some sort of sacred quality time that we don't really sacrifice. Like we have dinner together almost every night, no phone at the table. And then we do a weekly date night. And I think those have really kept us strong. Yeah, I think having a hobby together,
Starting point is 01:09:22 you know, outside of just downtime like i i find that it's very easy to fall into like oh we're spending time together i'm tired from everything else going on in my life outside of you so let's spend any time that we are free together let's go sit in front of the tv or let's just go you know veg out and what's our hobby i think it's like fitness and taking care of the dogs and planning you know even like a trip a van trip um so i don't think it needs to be like we love ceramics i don't think it needs to be a traditional quote hobby but like just trying to actually do things together that you enjoy activities outside of just sitting on the couch together. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:10:08 I mean, we did a shooting class together and we loved it. That was freaking awesome. And you came horseback riding with me and I loved it. Mari's a fantastic gunsman. I am. It might shock some of you. Firesman? Gunsman?
Starting point is 01:10:23 Shooter? Shooter? Yeah. Shooter. Better than you. A hundred percent. No question. Third marriage tip.
Starting point is 01:10:31 I think, like, try to put yourself in the perspective of the other person. Like, I think I know you so well. Now, I don't know. Like, I could never imagine having the level of responsibility that you have every day so i try to imagine that in the stress wow you could never imagine being this talented no yeah i think just understand that like you guys are different people and you don't need to want what i want. Yeah. I think having individual like goals and hobbies like my horseback riding, you running with the boys or having your cars or whatever you do.
Starting point is 01:11:11 Like you're trying to slow down right now. Well. Even just like – not just work. I'm saying like travel and just like a chaotic lifestyle like you're trying to tone it down and be less – you're prioritizing wellness and not being stressed and not chaos i'm trying to get pregnant yeah and those are your steps to getting there and you're embracing it and encouraging it i'm embracing as a partner yeah but i can go be chaotic without you yeah as you do i look up from the pool the other day my husband's driving his van through the brush up back.
Starting point is 01:11:48 All right, let's wrap. Well, thank you for ending the show. Usually I do that. Greg, thank you so much for coming on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Please tell us where they can find you, if you would like them to find you, and where can they shop Bloom? You can find Bloom on our website, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Sam's Club,
Starting point is 01:12:13 HEB, GNC, Meijer, any Kroger-affiliated grocery store. Wegmans. There's a couple more that I feel awful that I can't remember. Amazon. I said that. Bloomnew.com. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:12:26 You can find Greg on Mari's story occasionally. You don't want them to follow you? You can find me. I'm tagged in the story here and there. LinkedIn. You can find me on LinkedIn. Oh, God. Greg, this was an honor and a privilege.
Starting point is 01:12:42 Thank you so much. The honor's mine. Thank you. Thanks for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast. To support this show, please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my favorites at marilowelland.com. It will be linked in the show notes. This is a Wellness
Starting point is 01:13:05 Out Loud production produced by Drake Peterson, Fiona Attucks, and Kelly Kyle. This show is edited by Mike Fry and our video is recorded by Louise Vargas. You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Mari Fitness. Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys. See you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.

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