The Rich Roll Podcast - Laila Ali’s Champion Mindset Begins With Self-Belief

Episode Date: September 23, 2019

How do you find your path in the vast shadow cast by one of history's most accomplished and beloved humans? For Laila Ali, the daughter of late global icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali (the 8th of his 9 children), it wasn't easy. It wasn't always pretty. But over time, she found her voice. Staked her claim in very the ring that propelled her father to god-like status. And transcended that shadow as a multi-faceted talent that honors her father and yet is hers alone. Although she was never an athlete growing up — and didn't take to the pugilistic arts until she was 18 — Laila would become the most successful female in the history of women’s boxing. A 4-time undefeated world champion, she racked up 24 wins, 21 knockouts and zero losses over the course of her storied career. Retirement was just the beginning. Today the mother of two is a fitness & wellness advocate, TV host, home chef, cookbook author, and founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand. A cultural icon in her own right, Laila currently hosts the Emmy Award Winning show Home Made Simple (which airs every Saturday on the Oprah Winfrey Network) and has appeared on everything from Celebrity Apprentice to Dancing With The Stars as well as Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America and many other national media outlets. This is a conversation about the interior experience of growing up as a daughter of ‘The Greatest' — and the pressures and expectations that held. It's about growing up in a broken household. The troubled youth that followed. Getting arrested. Meeting her bottom in a juvenile detention home. And the journey that followed to recreate herself. It's about her often misunderstood career as a professional boxer. The entrepreneurism that propels her success. And the legacy she is dedicated to emulating. But more than anything, this is a conversation about mindset. The cultivation of self-belief required to become a champion. Letting go of other's expectations. Developing the courage to fail. And the tools required to make your unique impact on the world. You can watch it all go down on YouTube.  I had a ton of fun with Laila. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange! Peace + Plants, Rich

I always was a fighter, like I said. For some reason, I always wanted to fight and prove that I was strong. This confidence that I have that I wish I could put it in a bottle is something I was born with. But I wish that for everyone that they had enough self-love, because I think that's what it really comes down to, is confidence starts with self-love. And you have to love yourself enough to know that you're not going to be perfect. You're going to make mistakes and that's okay. Like I was just saying a few minutes ago, my father being as amazing as he is, he wasn't nowhere near perfect. So as a kid, I watched that. I saw his mistakes. I know all the things about him that are like, what? Crazy, you know,

but he still is this amazing human being. So I'm like, if he's not perfect, nobody is, you know what I mean? So first you just have to know that because most people are afraid to go after the things they really want to do, to say the things they really feel, to really find their purpose because they're afraid of screwing up. You know, they're afraid of what people are going to say. And it's like, when you don't have that feeling, the possibilities are limitless. That's Layla Ali, this week on The Rich Roll Podcast. The Rich Roll Podcast. Greetings, human dwellers of planet Earth. My name is Rich Roll. I'm your host. This is my podcast. Welcome. My guest today is the great Leila Ali. She is the daughter of late beloved global icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali.

She is the eighth of his nine children. And Leila is quite the multifaceted talent. She's the most successful female in the history of women's boxing, a four-time undefeated world champion, racking up 24 wins, 21 knockouts, and zero losses over the course of her storied career. Now retired, Layla is a fitness and wellness advocate. She's a TV host, home chef, cookbook author, founder of the Layla Ali lifestyle brand, and a mother of two. She's appeared on everything from Celebrity Apprentice to Dancing with the Stars, as well as Rachel Ray, Dr. Oz, and many other national media outlets. And currently, she hosts the Emmy Award-winning show Home Made Simple, which airs every Saturday on the Oprah Winfrey Network. More on Layla in a sec, but first.

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Life in recovery is wonderful, and recovery.com is your partner in starting that journey. When you or a loved one need help, go to recovery.com and take the first step towards recovery. To find the best treatment option for you or a loved one, again, go to recovery.com. Okay, Layla, Layla Alley. So, she was a delight. We talked about a lot of things. What it was like growing up as a daughter of the greatest. We discussed her troubled youth, coming up in essentially a broken home, which most I'm sure would be surprised to hear. Getting arrested, going to juvie, and how she began to put the pieces back together her way by opening up a nail salon on her own before she even began boxing.

And then how she became this boxing phenom after not having been an athlete at all and not even starting the sport until she was 18. Plus, of course, some unique insight into the man himself, Muhammad Ali, and a bunch of really great takeaways that I think you're really going to relish and enjoy. Layla and I had a lot of fun with this. So, without further ado, this is me and Layla Ali. Yeah, you know, podcasting is super fun, but, you know, it's a job too. Yeah, and I knew going in, I wasn't one of those people who's like, oh, I'm just going to do it. Like, I did my research, I knew, but I thought, I'm the type of person, what I feel I need to do, I will do.

But then I was just kind of like, for me, with the setup that I had, it wasn't really giving me the return in terms of the audience and all the things. And it was going to take even more work to build it. And I was like, I think I'm going to put my energy. Well, you're doing like a million things. Right. So I was just like, I can't even keep track of all the things and it would it was going to take even more work to build it and i was like i think i'm gonna put my energy well you're doing like a million things right so i was just like i can't even keep track of all the things you're doing like you're on tv or i mean what what what's like top of mind right now like what i mean you got the tv show right on own so yeah i host a show on own i've been hosting since i stopped boxing you know i went on dancing with the stars right and that was that was a while was- That was a while ago, though.

That was a while ago, before I even had kids, yeah. I retired in 2007, and then I did that right afterwards. And that was a strategic move, you know, in terms of just opening myself to another audience. How was that? It was crazy. Yeah. Like, yeah.

It's a lot of work, right? Like, the people that do well train really hard, and you almost, I mean, you were like third or something like that, right? Like, You went all the way down to the end. Yeah. Everybody trains hard. You have to, in order to just get out there and perform. But I think that, you know, me being an athlete, it wasn't as hard physically as it was for everyone else. For a lot of people, it's physically hard. For me, it was more mental because working with a partner, when you're used to just going out there, I'm used to going to the ring like, I'm going to win this fight, period.

It's just me. Yeah, but I had to rely on my partner, dance with the partner. Then sometimes we weren't always getting along, but you don't want to show that on camera. So it was just like, ah, but I want to get to the end. So I did, so it was worth it. It was fun. How did the boxing experience and training inform how you approach dance?

I approach pretty much everything the same way, I would say. And it's just like I go, I first have to assess the situation. You know, what's it going to take of me? Because I'm one of those people that feels like I can pretty much do anything that I want to do. So first I had to say, okay, do I really want to do this? You know, I didn't at first. I was just like, I don't want to do this. No. And then I thought about, actually, this could be a really good platform. So I had to

get in my strategic mind. And then when I realized, oh, I need to do this, then I was like, okay, I want to do this. And I assessed how much work I thought it was going to take. And I just kind of put it in. And it's just like, I like to, like for fighting, for example, I know there's an end goal and I know I have, whether it's an eight week or a 10 week training camp. For these eight to 10 weeks, I'm going to go hard as hell, you know, and then there's an end. So with dancing, I kind of looked at it that way. Okay, how long do I need to do this? You know, this is what's going to come at the end.

And then, you know, if it's open ended, it's like, oh, for me. But I think coming from boxing, it would seem to me there's a lot of, I mean, they're very different, but there's still some similarities. Like, it's footwork, it's repetitive motions, it's kind of, you know, there's a sort of, there's a dance to boxing as well, right? Like, I feel like boxing is probably well-suited for making that kind of switch. No? I mean, when you have to really narrow it down to the pros and the cons and what you're bringing into it, because everyone's, that comes from whether you're an actor or a singer or a performer. I can look at the performers and be like, that's not fair. They're performers. This is nothing for them. Whereas as a boxer, then someone who was an

actress would say, oh no, but you have the footwork, but it's totally different. It's so different. Yeah. it's so different. Yeah. Like, I've seen other boxers go on there, and they didn't necessarily do as well. You know what I mean? So, it takes so much more than that. Yeah. Why do you think you got to all the way near the end then versus the other boxers?

No, I'm playing. What do you mean? I mean, I always get to the end where I win. I like the attitude. I'm just joking. I'm just joking. But I think it was a multitude of things. I think for one, the audience has to like you. You know, I'm moving. But I was out there doing my thing. Whereas in the dance world, you know, they're very strict, not for Dancing with the Stars, but in the real dance world.

It's just like you have to be a certain size. You have to be petite. You have to be shorter than the man. You know, all these different things. And I didn't really fit any of that. But I kind of made it my own and came out there and just did my thing. So I think that it's really just the feeling that people get when they see you and then they want to get behind you. And it's like, you know, I mean, that's my take on it. I mean, there's like 40 million people that watch that show, right? I mean, so that had to be kind

of a whirlwind crazy thing. I mean, in terms of like a strategic trajectory of saying, okay, I'm leaving boxing and now I want to set myself up for something else. Like, I mean, you certainly, you know, you succeeded in introducing yourself to America in a different way. Did it work? I assume it worked. Yeah. Fly buzzing around. Sorry about that.

I'm going to knock him out. No, I'm playing. No, it was fun because when I went into boxing, you know, I felt like I had to prove myself. I had to prove that I was tough. I had to prove that I just wanted to be a fighter. I had to really find my own lane. And I had spent so much time being serious and being, you know, hardcore all the time. Every time he saw me, I was talking about knocking somebody out. Now I'm kind of intimidating, unapproachable, kind of like,

you know, that's cool, but stay away. Yeah. So for me, but that's not who I am. That was who I am in the ring. So I, you. So I was so young too. So now I kind of felt like, you know what? This is going to be fun. I'm going to show people a different side of myself. And I was able to introduce people who didn't even know me or know anything about me. They just knew, okay, Muhammad Ali's daughter, she was a boxer, to see me for the first time. So it was just fun.

It was a fun transition for me. Yeah. So now you're doing the TV show, which is kind of like, it's like a home makeover kind of thing. You help people, you know, figure their shit out. Yeah, right, right, right. Well, Homemade Simple has been, it's going into its ninth season, and there's been different hosts, and I'm the host now. And when I became the host, it went from a half-hour show to an hour show. And we really get more into the stories of the individuals because these are people who are amazing. I mean, like you'd have a mom who is single, but she's taking on her sister's kids because her sister passed away, you know, or something like that.

And she just is like, I need a place where I can go to relax. So she'll want her master bedroom made over. So I'll come in with a team and, you know, we'll kind of take that on and do it. But then there's DIY projects and I get in the kitchen and I cook, you know, we'll kind of take that on and do it. But then there's DIY projects and I get in the kitchen and I cook, you know, recipes out of my cookbook for life. So that's fun for me. So I've hosted a lot of shows, but I really like this show in particular because I get to work with people and I get to do the things that I love, you know, cooking and decorating. I'm not the decorator. We have a designer, but I just, I've always loved it.

Yeah. It sounds like fun. Yeah, it is fun. So I just, just a couple of weeks ago, I went to the premiere of What's My Name? Oh, yeah. Were you there? I was. I figured you probably were. Yeah, in LA, downtown.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm friends with Billy Gerber, one of the producers on the movie, and he was gracious enough to give me an invite. And there were so many things about your father that I didn't know that I'd learned. I mean, there's a lot, look, there's so much film on your dad and a lot of documentaries and movies have been made, but this really took it back, way back, and all this footage of him when he,

and you just realize like, man, he was so young when all of this started. Can you imagine being that young? I can imagine. I know. His first boxing match, he's like 16, it's on TV, right? And he's almost fully formed at that point. Like you figure, I think there's this conventional wisdom that all the trash talk kind of started once he got big,

but it kind of starts way earlier than that. Yeah, I think that you just caught it on camera more when he got big, but it was always there, you know? Right. Yeah. And I was struck by, you know, just the beauty and the elegance with which he lived his life. And, you know, I want to get into it a little bit more, but kind of just stepping off of that, you know, as his daughter, you know, you mentioned earlier, like everybody knows you as his daughter, right?

And that's like one of the biggest shadows, you know, of all time to have to kind of live in. And I would imagine that there's great things about that. And there's also like a lot of challenges that you probably wish, you know, you could just whisk away. You know, it's crazy because that is, I'm definitely always going to be Muhammad Ali's daughter. But I don't feel uncomfortable with it. You know, it's like, I don't really feel like I'm in his shadow, even though to other people, I probably am. No, let me say that again. To other people, I am. Because I've always kind of woken up thinking like,

hmm, what's Layla going to do today? It's not like, hmm, I'm Muhammad Ali's daughter. What's that going to do for me today? You know what I'm saying? So me and my father are so alike, but so different. And we've always been like, people just assume. Button heads. Yes. People just assume that I'm daddy's girl and all that, and I'm so not. I'm the last.

You know, there's nine of us. I know. And, yeah. You're like, you're the eighth of nine, right? Yeah. So, I have a brother who was adopted when, you know, I forget how old I was when he was adopted, but I'm the youngest of my dad's natural children, and I'm the youngest girl, and then I'm like the feistiest, most challenging one for him. So, what did you guys butt heads over? Oh, my God. I always, you know, I do a lot of public speaking, and I always talk about the

three big meetings that we had. So, I remember, okay, first of all, I'm not Muslim. That was big. You saw how much, you watched the movie, if you didn't know before, you know, my dad's whole life is like based around his religion. And for me to be an eight-year-old at the time, and I'm estimating seven or eight, and I told my dad, I don't want to be Muslim. I mean, he's just like, what? You're not old enough to know what you want. And I was like, I'm old enough to know it's not in my heart. Like, you're not old enough to know what you want. And I was like, I'm old enough to know it's not in my heart. It's not in my heart.

So what can he say? Yeah. So then it was just kind of. He didn't like that. No, he didn't like that at all. So then everything from then on out was this happened because you're not Muslim or you're doing that because you're not Muslim. And everything's like, because I'm not Muslim. And I'm like, oh, really? So as I got older and then, you know, and I'd say, for example, I had on fitted jeans like I have on now.

It's like, he'd be staring at you. Why you got those jeans on? You know, men are going to look at your butt and they're just going to want to have sex with you. And then you go on this whole tangent. And I'm like, I don't want to hear you talking to me that way. You know, so then we kind of get into it all the time. And I'm like, I'm not going to come visit you when you come in town. If you're going to disrespect me, you know, we'd be back and forth.

So it was like that. Then when I was 18, I moved out the house and moved in with a boyfriend. Uh-huh. And it was like- I'm sure that went over well. Oh, yeah. But it wasn't so much the, you know, I'm worried about you and you're too young to be a guy. It was just, no, you're living in sin.

And it was a religious thing again. And I was like, I'm not Muslim. So then that became an issue. And I was like, wait a minute, I pay my own bills. Because I've always, I had a business when I was 18. I had a nail salon, I moved out, I was supporting myself. So, then I was kind of like, you're not gonna tell me what to do. And then, of course, in the boxing, that was another conversation. He tried to talk me out of that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that makes you your father's daughter. That spirit, that feistiness, that's fine. He has so much respect.

That's him, too, right? He has so much respect. Was he able to recognize that? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. At a certain point, that's what I'm saying. I remember when he told me not to box. You know, first he tried to talk me out of it indirectly.

Because I kind of started in secrecy because I was like, had to figure out for myself, is this what I really want to do? I understood everything that was going to come with it. But I was like, let me get in the gym, see if I even have the talent. Because I don't want to embarrass myself. Is this what I really want to do? I understood everything that was going to come with it, but I was like, let me get in the gym, see if I even have the talent because I don't want to embarrass myself. I don't want to embarrass my family and I just want to be good. So I trained for like six months without anyone knowing. Self-made. Yeah. It was kind of like, I'm just, I was like, oh, I'm just going to go lose some weight, work out. But I knew what my goal was. So when it got around to him and he asked me about it and

said, are you in the gym? And I'm like, am and he was just like well what are you gonna do like you know there's gonna be so much attention on you so much pressure on you and i'm like i'm i'm ready to deal with that i've thought that through well what if you get knocked down in the ring and the lights are on he builds this whole scene and you're on the canvas and everybody's watching i was like well you've been knocked down i'm gonna do what you did or you could just say well what you know what what would you have said if somebody said that to you back in the day well like i didn't even you know the end of the day, I wasn't even trying to talk him out or trying to talk me out of it. I was just going with his flow. I knew where he was going with it. And I was like, just answer him. I said, I'm going to do what you did. You got up, right? And then if he got so frustrated,

he finally was just like, it's not for you. It's not for women. It's too hard. It's not a woman's sport. And I just said, you know what, dad? Because I expected him to say something like that. And I just said, you know what? I understand how you feel, but this is what I'm going's sport. And I just said, you know what, Dad? Because I expected him to say something like that. And I just said, you know what? I understand how you feel, but this is what I'm going to do. And I've already made my mind up. So he just had to roll with it. Yeah, he came around. Oh, yeah.

And he apologized. I remember I won my second title. And he came to my dressing room after the fight. And he had tears. He used to cry all the time. Tears of joy, usually. But he had tears in his eyes. And I'm like, oh, God, what now?

And he says, you know, I want to apologize to you. I was wrong, and I'm sorry. Women can fight. You can fight. And then, of course, he starts trying to show me how to jab and trying to—I was like, now you want to teach me something? Like, I already got world titles. Like, what are you talking about? Well, let's step it back a little bit.

I mean, did you—first of all, were you an athlete, like, in high school? Not at all. You didn't do anything? Nope. Not even, like, basketball, volleyball, nothing? I was too busy being bad in school. I was always- Yeah, what were you into? Oh my God, ditching. I had a very dysfunctional childhood. You were born in Miami, but did you go to high school around here? I grew up, so I was born in Miami, literally just was there probably not even 30 days. My dad was training for a fight, and then we flew back here. So I grew up in L.A. all of my life.

Where did you go to high school? I went to multiple high schools because, like I said, I was bad. I went to Hamilton. I went to uni. I went to Venice. I went to Culver City. Like I used to get, yeah, I got kicked out a couple times, yeah, for fighting. So like I always tell people, no, I was always a fighter.

So I had a dysfunctional family being that my mom and dad got divorced. My stepdad was an asshole. And I remember moving from the Hancock Park area, which is adjacent to Beverly Hills where we lived. And then my mom getting remarried and said, we're moving to Malibu. And that was like, crushed me, like to go to a whole new place down the coast. I'm talking about 15 minutes past Pepperdine. Oh, North Malibu. Yeah, like far.

There's nothing going on up there. Nothing there, no friends, nobody. So that broke my heart. And then the whole dysfunction started happening. So I was an angry kid and just trying to find myself and trying to always get back to LA. So I was spending the night at a friend's house a lot and all that. And then I always had this tough exterior about me. And I was like a rebel without a cause. And I just got myself in trouble, hanging around the wrong crowd, ditching school. And then one day, I was with this young lady who shoplifted and then was like, oh, let's go. I don't pay for anything. And I'm like, oh, okay. I have money in my pocket. So I shoplifted with her, got caught, got in the system. That's how I ended up in the system. And now I'm on

probation. And then I got in trouble again. And then I got put in juvenile hall. So I went, that was like the end of my world. Because I had this attitude like, oh yeah, I'm gonna go to court today and I'll be home later. And then the judge actually locked me up and I was in juvenile hall for three months. Yeah, it was a long time. Yeah. And then after juvenile hall, I came out and had to go to a group home because they were like, something's not right at your house. And it wasn't.

My mom just really didn't know what was going on with me. She was like caught up in her marriage. And I ended up in a group home in a program that I had to graduate, which most people don't graduate. They say, you're gonna be here for at least a year. And I was like, I cannot be here for a year. So then I graduated in six months.

And then I got back on track because I'd already went to school and learned how to do nails. And then I got my license. I moved out the house and kind of never looked back on all that. Right. So Juvie was like, what were you, like 17 or something? No, no, I was 15. 15. Wow.

15. Yeah, I was 15. And it was like the best thing that ever happened to me. Yeah. But that was like to have your freedom taken you know yeah

to have your freedom taken away not for that long yeah yeah we're not talking about no overnight that's what I'm saying most of the time

when I say that people are like oh you got in trouble your parents came and got you it was like no and then when I got arrested I used the name Anderson which was my mom's name

at the time because I didn't want to say Ali and then yeah I was going to ask about that so yeah no one really knew. So no one knew. And that would have just exacerbated the whole thing. Well, it started to get around because you see kids come through that are like,

wait a minute, I know her from my school. And then it kind of got around. But I was always, my file was always under the name Anderson. And I never got sentenced to time. That's the crazy thing. The judge said, you're going to get two weeks, and I want to see you back here. And I was like, oh, my God. Two weeks seemed like two years.

And when I came back, I stayed behind the courtroom all day. He didn't see me. He sent me back again for another two weeks. He did that to me a few times that added up to three months. Because the judge was like, you're Muhammad Ali's daughter. What the heck is going on with you girls? He just wanted to teach me a lesson and get me on track. And where was dad throughout this whole thing?

You know what? He wasn't there. I'll tell you that. He knew what was going on, but I didn't want him to come visit me. I didn't want, you know, anyone to see my father there. So he kind of, everyone was just kind of like, what's going on with Layla? Like, so you would think that I was going to be the one that was going to amount to nothing, you know? But obviously that didn't happen. Yeah. So, all right. So you got kind of scared straight. I mean, was drugs and alcohol part of that at all or just behavior stuff? No, I never did.

I never drank. I never did drink. I smoked a little weed, you know, but never did any drugs. I always had a really good head on my shoulders. I was always strong, confident in myself. It's just the anger that I had is what really got me into trouble. Because I had this, like I said, just, I want to do my own thing. And I didn't want to be just, I'm just Muhammad Ali's daughter. So, all of our friends that were like our wealthy friends' kids and all that, I didn't really

want to hang out around them. But I went totally to the other side, to the hood. And then, of course, I didn't have the street smarts and things. and that's how I ended up getting myself in trouble. Yeah, but sometimes that flirtation with the darkness is what you need to get the needle sorted out and get straight. I wouldn't change anything. And I talk about it all the time. I wrote a book about it. My first book was Reach, Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power, because when people started speculating why am I a fighter, it was funny to me, because I'm like, these motherfuckers just don personal power. Because when people started speculating, why am I a fighter? It was funny to me because I'm like, these motherfuckers just don't know.

I've been fighting the whole time. Yeah, I've been fighting. I was fighting my stepdad when I was a kid. And that's why all of that started because I didn't accept him. I didn't accept the way he was treating my mom. I watched my mom be weak. I tried to stand up for her. Then I got mad at her. You're going to let this person do this to you and to us. And I had all this anger. I felt abandoned. You know, my dad lived in a different state.

He didn't really know what was going on. And so, it's like you understand that, you know, your father is the father to the world and he's helping all these people, but you still have to be a sacrifice. So, it's like that was something that I learned at an early age and I'm not upset. I understand. That's just the way the chips go. You didn't sign up for that. No. His energy is going out to everybody, and there's not so much left over for you.

Yeah, but I was actually okay. I wasn't that close to my dad, so I wasn't like, oh, where's daddy? It's just that this is what it was, and it's fine. So I understand that he had a calling to do certain things, but that's just a part of my story and why things kind of— How's your mom doing now? She's good. She's good. She's—

She with that guy still? No, no, no. No, no, no. He's out of there. I was planning his death. I was like, we're going to fix those brakes, and then the car's just going to roll down on the PCH. That never ended up happening because he got out of there. But, yeah, she's good.

She's—you know, I'm watching her journey. You know, she's still, we're just so different as women, you know? So, she's still on her journey, figuring things out for herself. But she's a psychologist. She went to school. You know, she's- That's good. Yeah, she's got her clients. So, she's great. So, what was the process of working through the anger? I mean, I assume boxing played some role in helping you get to the other side of that. You don't seem like an angry person.

I'm not. I'm not. You know, and it's funny because I never thought about the process of working through the anger. But just off of the top of my head, definitely boxing had something to do with it because it was a big outlet for me because I always was a fighter. Like I said, for some reason, I always wanted to fight and prove that I was strong. I took pride in that. I remember being a kid and, mom, I can help you move that, trying to pick up cabinets and just show how strong I was. I don't know what that was. It's got to be some weird genetic thing.

It's weird. It's very weird because some weird genetic thing. It's weird. It's very weird because I'm telling you, my husband now is like, why are y'all always talking about fighting? Did you ever ask your dad, like why did he decide to fight at the very beginning? Like, did you feel like he shared that same impulse? No, he's so different than me

in that my dad would never have a street fight. My dad would never want to go there. Whenever you saw him taunting his opponents, he was just playing. It was all for show. You know what I mean? But I'm a little different where I really have more of an evil, mean streak when it needs to come out. So he started fighting because somebody stole his bike. He was mad about it.

And the trainer was like, he's like, I'm going to get those guys. Like, well, do you know how to fight? Well, come in here, young man. I was like, oh. And then he kind of fell into it that way. Whereas I more so was angry and mad. And then I saw women's boxing on television for the first time and was like, oh, my God. I didn't even know women box.

I didn't know that it was a possibility. How did you not know that? Nobody knew. Because this female, Christy Martin, was on Mike Tyson's undercard back then. And it was the first time a lot of millions of people saw women's boxing, including myself. Was it the first televised women's boxing match? Yes, it was the first. I don't want to say 100% I'm sure on that, but I know it was the first big televised that anyone would have been watching. So she was the co-main event. So people were watching. I was watching, and I was like, I want to do that.

And then it took me about a year of contemplation to actually start. Yeah, as the story goes, you were with friends watching this, and it's this light bulb moment, right? And you're like, I'm going to do that. I remember like it was yesterday. I was like, oh my God. And you're like 18, right? At the time, I remember like it was yesterday. I was like, oh, my God. And you're like 18, right? At the time, I was probably 17. Yeah, 17-ish going on.

No, no, I was 18. I'm sorry. I was 18, yeah. Hadn't played any sports or anything like that. Never played sports. Was not in shape. I probably was about 30 pounds heavier than I needed to be because, you know, it's all about weight class and being at your best. Didn't know what it would take. So that night, I was like, I want to be because, you know, it's all about weight class and being at your best.

Didn't know what it would take. So that night I was like, I want to do that. I thought it through and everything. Then I went home and the fear and the doubt and the, what are you thinking? Because remember, I had already been through the whole juvenile hall stint and got myself back on track. I had a nail salon, had a business. I was in school. I was living on my own. I was like, I'm going to be an entrepreneur and I'm going to start all these businesses. And I was just at the beginning. So for me to, and then I'm a planner and I do what I say I'm going to do. So I had said, this is what I was going to do. So how am I going to change that? What's everyone going to think? That's crazy. I don't want to be famous. I don't want to be a public person. I never did. So that was just an inner conflict in itself. Yeah. I mean, it's impossible for you to step into that and not just attract the white hot

spotlight of everything. And that was going to be a requirement in order to be successful. So remember, I always think about what do I need to do in order to make this be successful? I didn't want to just box just to be doing for fun. Otherwise, I would have done it for a hobby. If I'm going to dedicate my life to this, I need to be successful at it, which means I need to be a winner. I need to be undefeated. I need to be successful at it, which means I need to be a winner. I need to be undefeated. I need to make money at it.

I need to think about, because that's just the smart way to approach anything. But the traditional trajectory would be, all right, you're going to do a few fights. You're going to figure out, like, you're going to make mistakes. Most people can anonymously work their way up to get to a certain point. But from day one, everybody's going to be paying attention to you and the criticism and everything that goes right well my pro debut put it like this was off television because you want to you know you want to definitely I didn't definitely don't want to fight on tv um and there was 80 different media outlets there just ready to report this is my first time ever stepping into a ring ever. And you go into it, your trainer,

your manager, your handlers, they're all like, okay, she says she's going to do this. She says she's going to knock this girl out. But what's she going to do when those lights come on and that crowd's there and her dad's in the audience with all this pressure you never know until you actually go out there and do it. So then I knocked the girl out in 54 seconds and I was like, bam, you're off to a good start here. Right. And then it's just off to the races with the whole thing. Yeah. Also, I think, you know, almost everybody would assume that, okay, you're going to get into boxing. So, first phone call, dad, who's the trainer, like, compile this team of people, the best people in the world to do this. But you did this completely without your dad's knowledge, right? Like, you're trying to find these people on your own.

Yeah, well, I did. And my father wasn't in the boxing business, so he wouldn't have been the best person to ask anyway. But if he didn't know, he would have known someone who knew. Right, of course. And then the thing is, is that with boxing, you have a lot of people, with anything, you have a lot of people who are supposedly the people who know and have the right answer, but they don't always, and they have agendas. So for me- A lot of that. Yeah, it's all that. So for me, it was like, I wasn't going to trust them anyway. It's like,

I'd rather make my own mistakes because I already know the game. So for me, luckily, I found my ex-husband, who was a former fighter, and we started dating. And he knew so much more than me. He had been a world champion. And I remember I was training with a guy who was like, first things first, we can't train with this guy. He's just not at the level of, you know, the trainer you need to be with skill wise and experience wise. So that was the first change. And then eventually I moved to Las Vegas. I started training with Roger Mayweather, who's Floyd Mayweather's uncle and Floyd senior. And then Buddy McGirt, these are all top trainers. So those throughout my career.

And then, you know, so I learned and upped my level as I needed to, you know, but the guy, Dub Huntley, who I had in LA was perfect for the beginning in terms of just not the one I originally had first, but the second one. You know, as far as getting my base. And then it was time to kind of step it up a notch, and that's when I moved. So from 17 or 18, when you first see this fight on TV to that first fight where you knocked this person out, how much time went by? Two years. Two years.

Yeah. So I saw her on TV. It took me about a year to start training. And then I trained for a whole year before I went pro. And I'm talking about after school, after work, eight o'clock at night, every night, and I look forward to it. And it was so grueling. My whole body changed. I had to change the way that I ate. I was like, what is it going to take to be a world champion? Because I wanted to be a world champion and my goal was to be undefeated. So, that-

How many female professional boxers were there at that time? Uh, I would say about 1,500. Uh-huh. That's more than I would have thought. Yeah, there's a lot. And there's a lot more now because women's boxing is now in the Olympics. Yeah. It wasn't when I was fighting.

But my weight class, which was 168 pounds, is big for a woman. Um, there wasn't a lot of females. So I, my whole career, I struggled with finding fights that were going to be, you know, give me a challenge, you know. And that's one of the reasons I retired. I just kind of, there was like the same three girls that I wanted to fight that wouldn't fight me, but then they said I wouldn't fight them. Yeah, there's a whole lot of back and forth about that. Oh, my God. I swear.

I've lost so much sleep over that. And I was just like, I'm tired of this, you know. So what can I do? I just retired. There's so many other things I wanted to do that I knew I could do well. Boxing was like, I got that out of my system. So it was like, time to move on.

Well, 24 and 0, you pretty much took every belt, right? Like every championship or whatever, retire on top. I mean, it's pretty good. Yeah, but I mean, I wasn't really done. What else was there to do? I mean, I don't like ever having people out there lingering to be, oh, she never fought this girl. Because I know eventually

there's gonna be documentaries made on me. So you were saying, I'll fight anyone. They're saying, she won't fight me, but it kind of boiled down to negotiations and people backing out over money and stuff like that. Yeah, definitely. The thing is that to fight me was I'm the big name, right? So everyone was like, that's going to be my payday.

So then what people didn't realize, I wasn't even making that much money. I was making a whole lot more than them. But in my mind, in my world, it wasn't a whole lot of money. I was making more money outside of boxing in terms of endorsements and things. But when they finally got their opportunity and they're like, $100,000, I thought I was going to get a million dollars. Then it's just like, wait a minute, I don't want to risk to get this ass whooping for that. Right. You see what I mean?

So then it was like, one girl in particular, she'd rather go down in history as the one I was afraid to fight opposed to actually get in there because she knew she died behind the scenes she knew who the top dog was like we me and her like the woman wouldn't even look me in the eye so it was just like she had this fear of me but then she's got this persona because when when someone looks mean and big and bad and oh the pretty girl must be the one who's afraid you know and so she just kind of rode that story into the sun sunset when you were fighting do you do, if you watch yourself on tape, are there similarities in style with your dad, or did you have a totally different? Oh, there's definitely similarities.

Similarities just naturally because of our build. So just the way kind of my weight and muscles distributed were built a lot alike. So when you're tall and you have long arms, you're going to use your jab, you're going to fight a certain way, you're going to move around the ring. And then the natural ability to be able to move and my speed, all was God given and like from my father. So that was what I would say we have most in common is the confidence for one, it's just like through the roof. Like I felt like I'm gonna win this fight with every

cell in my body for sure there was no doubt about it it was just and it wasn't something I said it's something I truly believed so it was like I knew that it's just a matter of can I go in here and do the things that I've been working on you know as an athlete the things that you know that you need to perfect I want to go in there and do and I don't know what round is going to happen but I know that I'm going to win this fight. So that I think is one thing. And even learning more about my dad and watching videos, he wasn't even as confident as I was. But it's because you have to take into consideration, he's fighting bigger, stronger men. I didn't have that situation. You see what I'm saying?

Yeah, the talent pool is a little different. Yeah, exactly. So I can't just say it's hard it's hard to say but i never felt like like i've heard him say like i was scared like and i never felt that um so but there was a difference there and once once the ball was rolling and you're you're winning all these fights does dad come in and say here try this do that like is he peppering you with like insights or he just let you do your thing no he didn't do that at all. The only thing he did was because his thing was a jab and that's what most fighters do. They'll try to show you what they did best.

So it was just like, you know, just you got to have your jab fast. He was just saying in general, not that it wasn't fast, but he was just like, you need to hit the bag and act like there's a fly on the bag and you're trying to hit it before it flies away. And I was like, okay, that's a good one. You know what I mean? So just that's how fast your jab needs to be. But not everyone can do it even if they want to do it. Right. You know, so yeah.

And was your training like, is it different for female boxers than it is for men? Is the training exactly the same? Not at all. Yeah. I mean, meeting is not different at all. It's the same. So it's just like, I don't know if it's different for running for women as it is for men. No, probably is not different at all it's the same so it's just like i don't know if it's different for running for women as it is for men no no not at all so um the thing is with women

especially larger women i have to i trained against men so i sparred against men right not that you always have to but for me that's what it ended up being because i'd bring in some you'd be like okay who can i spar with and bring this girl in from out of town and come to training camp for two weeks. After taking a beating day after day, they start wearing down and they're not a help to me anymore. So then it was like, okay, let me just start sparring with just guys. And it kind of just faded out the women altogether. And then you have to find the balance because men are always going to be stronger than women. So then it was like, okay, I'm going to spar with a 145-pounder,

even though I'm 168, and he still can't try to kill me. You know what I mean? So they have to find that balance. So you've got to find someone who's super skilled enough to where – because if you get a fighter that doesn't have a lot of experience, as soon as I crack them, they're going to get mad, and they're not going to be able to control themselves. You know what I mean?

Yeah, I had Frank Shamrock in here, MMA fighter. He has this rule. It's called plus minus zero, something like that, which basically means you have to spread your efforts with different kinds of people. So you spar with the person who's just a little bit better than you, and then you're with the person who's perfectly matched for you. And then you work with someone who's not as good as you,

like you're sort of paying it forward to that person. And when you have that blend of those three things, that's like his equation for progressing efficiently. That works. I mean, I haven't ever broke it down in that way, but for the most part, yeah, you do. So if I've been in there with people who weren't as good as me

and I'm going to take it easy on them, but at the same time, I'm going to try to take chances that I wouldn't normally take with somebody else. Yeah. You see, so in this, like, it's having discipline because you can say, I'm only going to jab no matter what, no matter how hard that other person's going.

And I, in the back of my mind, always have my right hand, which is hard, which is going to stop you. Like, if I want you to get off of me, I'm going to hit you with that. And then you're going to be like, whoa. But if I can't do that, now I got to move. I have to use my feet. I have to be smart. I have to do other things.

So yeah, it's a balance. And did you do the weight cut thing too, after the weigh-in and all that? I didn't. So you're just at 166 168 right just stay there 168 i'm not fat anymore i'm 200 pounds a day but 168 um was my weight and early on in my career i used to come in like 164 165 easy i didn't have to lose weight because i was a lean strong 164 you know but a lot of times say if you're a man and the lighter weights you fight at, you have less, not as much power to deal with. You want to try to come down as small as you can

because that's what everyone else is doing. So that's why they would cut weight. Whereas, because if you're walking around at 175 and you've tried to fight at 175 as a man, you're probably fighting guys who are really 215 and came down. So I didn't have to do that. I didn't really, now as I got older, I started coming around 175 because your body just changes, and it was harder for me to make 168. And I remember having weeks, the week of the fight, I had to lose 10 pounds. So it was just like, then at that point, yeah, you're like, it's water weight for the most part. Was it ever close?

I mean, 24 and 0? Did you just like waltz through all these people? No, I've had some tough fights. I had some tough fights, and especially I fought with the flu four times. And of course, while I was fighting, nobody knew. But I was like on death's door, you know, like when you have 102 temperature. And I was like, oh, that's- Full-on fever fighting?

Full-on fever. Oh, my God. Full-on fever, like just weak, like by the second round. I remember I fought Joe Frazier's daughter, Jackie Frazier. And I was sick for that fight. Might've been a little press about that. Yeah, I was sick and nobody knew. And it was funny because my husband,

our husbands were co-promoting the fight, my ex-husband. And I was in no way I was gonna pull out. And I was just like, okay, she's nothing. I'm gonna, this is gonna be an easy fight. So I was like, I can still fight her sick. So you get mentally ready. And I felt fine. And I got in there.

And by the third round, she was tougher than I thought she was going to be. I was weaker than I thought I was going to be. I literally, by the third round, was like, okay, this is jacked up. So then I would go back to my corner, and I wouldn't even sit down. I was like, if I sit down, I'm not going to get back up. So I was winning the fight, but I definitely would have stopped her like, you know, probably by the fourth round, but I didn't have the power. So that fight went the distance and I won. And then I regret not having a rematch though for that fight. Yeah. I would think that that would be a fight that

there'd be a lot of pressure to have a rematch. And I didn't. And it was because of me, because I didn't have a rematch clause. And I was kind of, I didn't want to fight her in the first place because it was right in that time when everyone wasn't really taking me serious. Why is she doing this? And then she, her career was inspired by mine. She started, and then it became like a side show thing. It's like a Rocky movie.

Yeah, and it just felt. It's like the kids are going to, yeah. Yeah, I was like, she's not serious. I'm serious. That's how I felt. And I was like, but I had to fight her because it was like, why wouldn't you? And then people wanted to see it. There was money there. But I was like, after that had to fight her because it was like, why wouldn't you? And then people wanted to see it. There was money there.

But I was like, after that fight, I said, I wanted to fight girls who have titles. I'm ready to start fighting real champions. So I was so adamant about that, that I was like, no, I'm not doing this again. But I wished that I would have because, you know, first of all, it would have just been smart business. I just, you know, like I said, I had something to prove and I let that get in the way. Well, having something to prove and then having all this press about like, oh, she's just the daughter and having to live in that shadow, I would imagine allowed you to kind of tap into that anger and unleash that in the ring. Oh, yeah. I mean, I didn't just use that.

I use like the anger that I feel for kids that are abused, for sex trafficking, whatever it is that just all these things are going on in our world that just chip away at you. Like when you're watching the news and you're just like, God, you know, it's just like, what can you do about it? Like, what can you really do about it? You just feel, I feel anyway, like, and I'm saying these are, I'm talking about now, but back then, whatever was going on back then. And during those times,

I would just kind of make this moment bigger than being just about myself. I'm going in here to fight for the world. So whatever you can do mentally, it really made me feel like a beast, like a monster. I'm going in here to fight this girl. I'm not going to face a war. Nobody's going to hit me from behind my head. I see her. She's right in front of me. She's got two hands just like me. And I'm going to be the winner, period. So it's just like when you're coming in there, like, you know what I mean? It was just like. Yeah.

Well, that speaks to the Ali legacy. I mean, the idea of making it about something more than you, right? something more than you, right? And I mean, nobody was better than that, than your dad, about really using his platform to call into question certain conventional wisdoms and to speak truth to power and to be as genuine and authentic and as honest as he possibly could be for the betterment of people and things that extended far beyond boxing. Absolutely. And he was in a position where he was forced to have to do it, you know, in terms of just everything he was up against, you know, with going to the war and fighting against going to the war and the civil rights movement, all these things that he had right

there at his doorstep that he had to face. So, I didn't have that situation. So, I never told anybody. Those are my secret things of what I take to get into my super girl suit, you know what I mean, to go in there and fight. I can talk about it now, but it was a little different. But yeah, that same thing that's in him is in me. And I think that anyone who does anything where they feel like they're doing it for other people and for a bigger cause understands that. People who are working for nonprofit organizations and all this hard work that isn't easy it's like if it was just you maybe if it's just for you maybe you would quit or give up but you're like i can't you know so yeah i mean in the movie he what i didn't realize or i didn't fully appreciate was just

how bold a move it was for him to um you know speak out against the war and opt out of that whole thing. And you see all the other African-American athletes who are hesitant about that. And there wasn't the solidarity that I think in my mind I thought was actually taking place during that time. There were certain athletes that finally stepped up. And I say this now. Certain athletes have finally stepped up. But I mean, and I say this now, it's like you can't expect everyone to be like Muhammad Ali. Because, you know, most people, not just athletes, don't want to put their livelihood on the line.

You know, they don't want to, at the time, you know, they don't want to put their safety, the safety of their family on the line. Especially if it's not something they feel, they truly feel they can make a difference. You have to first feel like this sacrifice is going to make a change because there's a lot of people that speak out and try to make sacrifices and they feel like it doesn't really change anything, but now they're out of a job and they're out of their money and their kids are in danger or whatever the case may be. So everyone's going to do things. My dad is special. He's a special human being. You know what I mean? He's not just, you know, it's like, you know what I mean? You can't expect anyone else to be like him, but there were certain athletes that got behind him, you know, which was great. So how do you kind of carry that mantle forward? Like how do you, you know, exude, you know, his legacy and try to, you know, continue to, you know, breathe life into it through the things and

the things you do and the choices that you make. It takes a balance for me. I mean, it's like now my father's passed away. He's not here anymore. I think about that more because before that, it was kind of like, hmm, what am I going to do, like I said, for me and my life? And a lot of it naturally happened, the things that I care about. I don't want it to be a burden on me because as great as my father was

and amazing, you know, all the changes he made in the world, I still have my life to live. Yeah. You know, the real guy when the cameras aren't on. Oh man. So come on. Like that's, that's what, that's what that, he shaped my view of, of people like, okay, this, these people are looking up to this guy. No, I'm just joking. But we're, none of us are perfect, but I'm just saying, I am really passionate about health and wellness and encouraging people to be the absolute best version of themselves, similar to what you're into doing. And this becomes very natural to me. I've done it myself. I'm still doing it myself. It's an ongoing process. And I try to, this confidence that I have that I wish I could put it in a bottle is something I was born with.

But I wish that for everyone that they had enough self-love, because I think that's what it really comes down to, is confidence starts with self-love. And you have to love yourself enough to know that you're not going to be perfect. You're going to make mistakes, and that's okay. Like I was just saying a few minutes ago, my father, being as amazing as he is, he wasn't nowhere near perfect. So as a kid, I watched that. I saw his mistakes. I know all the things about him that are like, what? Crazy. But he still is this amazing human being. So I'm like, if he's not perfect, nobody is. You know what I mean? So first you just have to know that because most people are afraid to go after the things they really want to do, to say the things they really want to feel,

to really, you know, find their purpose, because they're afraid of screwing up. You know, they're afraid of what people are going to say. And it's like, when you don't have that feeling, the possibilities are limitless. Yeah. It's hard. It's really hard, you know? And just looking at your dad as an example, like, he wasn't afraid to say, ever, he wasn't ever afraid to say what he thought, example. Like he wasn't afraid to say ever, he wasn't ever afraid to say what he thought, no matter what people thought. Like he was completely divorced from public opinion about his behavior and his actions. And that's, you know, what's so inspiring and empowering about his example. And I think most people walk around, myself included, you know, second-guessing myself. And I think there's an epidemic of people just feeling like

they're not enough. And there's a lot of pressure, especially in the digital Instagram age of measuring ourselves against other people or the public facing image of other people. And it's very easy to just feel like, what do I have to contribute? And I can't make a difference.

And how can I excel in all these different categories? There's all these expectations and pressures on me and it's impossible. So people just retreat into their self-loathing. I know, I know. And, I mean, I see it all the time and that's exactly what I'm talking about. It's like, I really, one of the things that I want to do, and when you ask me carrying on the torch, and I'm like, okay, so what can I do? Obviously, I'm already doing through my website, leylali.com, and through my speaking, and through my products. And just my whole Leylali lifestyle brand is empowering people to be the best they can be. Lali lifestyle brand is empowering people to be the best they can be. And I'm talking about, I start with nutrition and food, but it's about empowering your mindset, empowering your purpose,

empowering your health, replenishing, I'm sorry, replenishing all those things. But then I want to go deeper. So I actually want to do a process that people can download to kind of find that confidence. So that's something that I obviously wouldn't be able to do by myself right now. It's just an idea, but it's something that I obviously wouldn't be able to do by myself. Right now it's just an idea, but it's something that I really want to do. And I really want to start with young girls and women and then kind of just go from there. So it's just an idea that I have because I think that that is the basis of what you said is that self-love and really just accepting yourself

for who you are first. You have to do it before anybody else will. Then just kind of moving on from there. Yeah. So what does that process look like for you? For me? Yeah. I mean, if you were to like, I know it's just an idea at this point, but if you were to like hash out like, all right, here's how I would take somebody through a process of helping them to do that in their own life.

through a process of helping them to do that in their own life? I think that it definitely is going to be a series of, you know, items. I mean, things that you're going to read, things you're going to download, workbooks to work things out. Because you have to figure out a lot of things within yourself, you know, and people have to be ready to put that mirror in front of them. That's the one thing that you need to do first. So, I mean, working with other individuals who, you know, because the thing for me, my struggle is I'm naturally confident. Right. So, it's like, you just have that. Yeah. How can you just tell someone? But there are things that I'm not as confident about. So, you know, so I can relate to certain things. Like, people would think that, like I said,

when I go into the ring, I'm winning this fight. No question about it. But I'm not that way with everything else. So for now, I have to challenge myself because other opportunities always come up for me. And then I'll be like, for example, someone will say, oh, why don't you come speak at this college or whatever? And I'm like, oh, I didn't even finish school. What am I going to say to them? And I get a little insecure. Why would I go up there and talk? And then I'll be like, no, I don't want to do it. And then my business partner pushed me, no, you need to go do this. And I'm like, I have fear. I'm like, no, I don't want to go do it. I'm not, cause I'm not that smart when it comes to book smarts, you know? I'm like, so I have a insecurity

there. Like literally, like, I don't want to go on trivia, you know, shows or game shows or things like that. Cause I don't want people to know how much I don't fucking know. You know what I mean? Like really? Like I'm like, cause I missed out on a lot of school. So like that is an insecurity of mine. So, so what's the solution for you for that? To say yes to that stuff? Yeah. Not all of it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Not all of it. You're pretty smart here. Yeah. Yeah. But, um, but definitely to, I have to say, like I tell my friends, I'm like, F fear. Like, just do it. Just take a chance. So sometimes that's what I have to do.

I have to say, I'm just going to go for it. You know, I'm going to put it out there. And then once I've done it, I'll be like, oh, okay. You know, I can process it and say, I'm not going to do it again. Or at least I did it that one time. Or I learned something I didn't know about myself. So, yeah. So, yeah.

Self-love begins with self-acceptance. And I like what you said about the mirror. Like you gotta be able to look in the mirror and hold yourself accountable to yourself. And I think a big, I think it begins with understanding that fundamentally most people seek that through external inputs. Like if I can get that person to date me, or if I can get that car or that job or whatever,

that that's gonna solve the problem. And the truth is that's the wrong way to look at it. Like it begins with the inside. You have to turn that gaze inward and start to, you know, deconstruct whatever's going on inside of you and unpack like whatever, whether it's childhood trauma or whatever your repetitive, you know, behavior patterns that hold you back are just fully understanding those and accepting yourself for having those, I think is the beginning of trying to work through them to get to the other side. We're so complex as human beings. You know, it's like I can be watching this podcast and be inspired and go, man, I want to do that. You know, and then it's just like, it's really about working on certain things and being focused and consistent with it. You know, it's like you can't think of everything all at once or it just becomes overwhelming

and nothing gets done. You know, so it's just like... How about like just not going to Burger King for your next meal? Like, let's start there. Yes, start like, yeah. Well, I remember I met this gentleman on the airplane and he was like 400 pounds overweight and we just got to talking. I talked to him for the whole flight.

It's like a five-hour flight. By the end of the flight, you know, he talked about his struggles, his ups and downs and why he wasn't able to lose weight. And I said, look, so what are you going to go eat after you get off this plane? Let's just be honest. And he's like, I'm going to go get two quarter pounders, a large fry, and a large supersized drink. I was like, okay, can you go get one quarter pounder, a fry, and a medium drink? And he's like, I mean, do you really think you can do that?

He was like, yeah, I think I can do that. I said, then just start there. That's a win. Just start there. I said, and then get to where you get a small fry and then get to where can you eat a salad before you go get... A lot of times we think about all these things we need to stop doing. And my thing is like, okay, for those people who really just feel like they just keep failing all the time, it's almost like they subconsciously expect to fail because they haven't been able to get past certain things they're trying to do. So instead of thinking about all the things you have to take away, what can you add? Don't even think about taking anything away.

Just can you get a smoothie in for breakfast? And then if you're still hungry, go ahead and have that cinnamon roll, whatever. You know what I mean? And then can you just get a green salad before your meal? Can you drink a glass of water? Okay. Let's just start adding these things. Stop thinking about what we need to take away. Then they start, first of all, they're going to feel fuller. They're going to get some nutrients. They're going to start cutting out some of the other food that they eat. Let's just start with that. Because there's just so many things. Oh, you just need to do this to be healthy. You just need to do that. You need to do that. It's very overwhelming,

you know? So, that works well for a lot of people that I've, you know, worked with. Yeah, I think the more granular you can make it and you break these things down that are so overwhelming that it just prevents people from ever even beginning into the smallest, you know, little chunks, then it becomes digestible. And, you know, self-esteem comes with performing esteemable acts and that applies to, you know, service to others, but it also applies to service to ourselves, right? And so, you know, if that guy like, hey, can you take the stairs

and not the escalator when you get off the plane or just like one thing. And once you do that, you're like, oh, I did that. I can do that next time too. I feel a bit better than I would if I had done that other thing. So now you feel more energized and more emotionally connected to the process. And you're more likely to make that better choice the next time around as well. And then that stuff builds. Exactly. And I think, you know, I've said this many times before, but I think people overestimate the progress that they can make in a, you know, a month or six months. And they

wildly underestimate the progress that they can make in a year. So that guy on the plane, if he just did tiny little things, but he was consistent about it, like a year from now, you know, maybe he's lost a hundred pounds and he He's not done, but he's on his way. And he did it in a way where it didn't even feel that painful because it was so gradual. That's what I'm always saying. I'm like, six months from now, you're either going to be healthier and have lost weight, you're going to be the same,

or you're going to have gained weight. So it's like, just make these small changes and you're going to look up. Even for myself, I just, even for myself, I mean, I fall off the wagon sometimes because I was healthy 10 years ago and I'm healthier now, you know, because the obvious things I did, you know, when I first started boxing,

I was like, okay, you know, you got to eat healthier, but I still didn't really understand quality of food and organic food and non-GMOs and all those things. I wasn't at that level yet, but it was like, I was always on this quest to get better. You just want to make sure you're trying to get better and you're, you know, actually starting some sort of a process. There's going to be mistakes along the way. You know, you're going to, you know, find out new information. All these people that try all these different eating styles are trying to figure out what works for them, what they can

actually, you know, do for the rest of their life. But it's going to change even then. I can't eat the same way that I did five years ago even. As your body changes, as you get older, you just have different needs. I think the self-love applies to accepting yourself for making those mistakes too, because I think people set themselves up for long-term failure when they have a slip up or they make a mistake and then they just give up. They're like, well, it's too hard. It's like, no, that's just feedback.

Yeah, let's try to figure out why you made that choice. Maybe you don't make it next time and just be more gentle on yourself and a little bit more permissive of those mistakes and use it all as a learning experience as opposed to a cane to smack yourself with. I just love that there's so many resources people have now for help because it's like you can listen to this one conversation and try to go do this by yourself, and then you

don't have that voice and that support like what you just said. It's like people need to hear that on a regular basis because you're going to slip up and you're going to have issues. You're going to need to reset. You're going to need to remind yourself because then life happens. You know what I mean? It's like I start off like I'm going to do this, this, this, and that, and I'm doing it, and then at some point I stop.

And then months go by, I look back, oh, God, I stopped doing that. Because something happened that took my attention. Right. When you interrupt the momentum. Yeah. Just like, oh, wait. Oh, God, I got to get back on that. What do you think holds people back the most?

Fear. And that can be so many things. Fear and then probably just their habits. Like you just have a habit, things that they just can't let go of, you know? And like I just answered that off the top of my head. But that definitely holds people back from following their dreams, following their heart, taking chances, fear. And then in terms of just reaching their goals, and a lot of what you talk about is health and wellness goals, it's just their habits.

And we have to... It's like we want to be gentle, but at the same time, you need to give yourself a kick in the ass sometimes. I have to do it sometimes. When I fall off and I'm having more sugar than I need to have, it's just like, just you, girl, stop it. I have a coach it sometimes. Like when I'm, you know, when I fall off and I'm having more sugar than I need to have, it's just like, just you, girl, stop it. Like I have a coach in my own head though. Just stop. Like, I don't like feeling like I can't be in control of my own, myself and my own actions. So it's like, but that's the thing.

That's a my thing. Not everybody feels that way. But it's like, when I start feeling like, wait a minute, I just put that in my mouth. I didn't even think about it. It's just, and then I ate it and I was like, I didn't even want to eat that. But I was stressed out, you know, and I had a weak moment and it was around and I like it, you know. So then it was just like, boom. You know what I mean?

And then that's when I'm like, okay, you're not going to do that again. You know, and I like set a boundary for myself. But it's like- But you'll probably do it again. Are you kidding me? I mean, it's like we're human beings, you know? It's like, yes. The only thing that we have control over are our actions and our reactions, right? Right. But I think more often than not, that's like running on, you know,

our unconscious mind is controlling most of that most of the time. And the more mindful and kind of rooted in the present that we can be, then we're more aware of when we're reflexively like doing those kinds of things. But it's hard. And I think we have this sense that we can control our environments better than we actually can. We really can't. You know, there's people and variables and things happen.

And I think people sort of set these goals or begin these trajectories to, you know, improve themselves in some various way. And there'll be some interceding event that interferes with like their plan. And they're like, well, I can't do it. And it's like, but that's just the way the world works. Like you gotta learn how to roll with that shit if you wanna stay in it.

And staying in it is the is is is the winning strategy what i do is i expect that there's going to be some some kind of a disruptor not in a negative way like because you don't want to just be negative about everything but in terms of like i like to just know things are going to happen so when they happen it's not that big of a deal to me it's like you know i know, I'm going to jump over that. I'm going to swerve. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. I'm going to stay. It's like a game, you know? So it's just staying on track. So I know that everyone has a different way of thinking. But like you said, you can't control anyone else. You can only control your own actions and how you respond to certain situations. And I like to take responsibility for

my own actions. So when things don't go my way or something happens, I always think, what could I have done differently? Even if it comes down to something someone else did, and someone could say, well, no, that wasn't on you. That was on them. I'm like, but I might've chose to put that person in the picture in my life. Let me think why I did that and how I can prevent those, because those red flags were there. So I can still bring it back to the choice I made and just try to figure, that's how serious I am about it. Like, I try to figure out, okay, how can I just change things? But then again, I can't get too caught up in that also because I can't be in that much control all the time. So, that's the mind of a control freak, you know. But you can always do an inventory.

You can always, no matter, you know, how many people tell you you were right and they were wrong, I guarantee you that you contributed to whatever happened in some way. And the more skilled you can become at identifying what your part is, because I think that's another thing where our unconscious mind takes over and we're like, I didn't do anything wrong. And you need other people in your life to call you on that stuff and say, actually, here's what you keep doing all the time. And you're not even aware that you're doing it. And that's why you keep ending up in these shitty situations. Right. And if you don't want to call it wrong, just what can you do differently to have a different outcome?

You keep doing the same thing, you're going to have the same outcome. We hear it all the time. It's like, okay, why are you doing this? Don't you think maybe you should just try something? It's easy for you, Layla. It's easy for you. You're this and that and the other thing. You don't understand my problems.

Right. You know? And it's tough to break through out of that. You know, I'm sympathetic to that. But so, all right. So, you conclude your boxing career. And now you're like in this, you know, you're this like wellness entrepreneur. Like, how did that come about?

Like, how did you decide like this is the avenue I want to pursue? So, when I retired from boxing, I went through what most athletes go through when they retire. It's just kind of, hmm, what am I going to do now? Right? Because I did what I loved and what I was passionate about and I put my all into. And it took me about five or six years to really figure that out because I was, you know, I had all these opportunities with TV hosting and all that, but I wasn't really fulfilled. And I don't even love being on TV. It's like something I do because I know I need to do, but I'm not like that person like, I want to be on TV. It's just good for business. But I realize I'm really passionate about helping people with their health and their wellness. I'm writing out meal plans for friends and always

helping people. And I was like, how can I make this a business for myself or this something that I can really focus on? And that's when I started LayLolly Lif, how can I make this a business for myself or this something that I can really focus on? And that's when I started Layla Ali Lifestyle Brand. And I started my website and my blog. And, you know, I had a podcast at one time. And I came out with my cookbook, Food for Life. Now I have Layla Ali Spice Blends, which are like my baby. I brought some for you.

Yeah, no, I'm excited. I'm so excited about those. And then I have a nutrition line called You Plenish. And I'm also, you know, like, I don't like to wait on people. So when I want to answer, I'll get it for myself. So that's why I do most things myself. Cause like, I want to just pick up the phone and call right now. Not only that, there's no blueprint to what it is that I was, what I'm trying to do. So, you know, I, you know, when it came to the Spice Lens, even, it was just like was just like, I was like, who can I call that's done this before that can help me and not look at me as Layla Ali? You know, like look at me as just a regular female entrepreneur, you know, because then it's like, oh, we can put you with this person and they can, you know, then they want to be a part of the deal and then it becomes something it's not. And I was like, no, I don't want that.

I don't want to have to answer anyone. So that's been a fun quest for me because I'm making a lot of mistakes along the way. We talk about mistakes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. And it took me like five years to finally get my spice blends packaged and ready to sell.

So they're up online. And the spice blends were so important to me because ever since I was nine years old, I've been cooking. And when I told you we moved to Malibu and I had the dysfunctional childhood, we had a house that was a big house and it was a guest house and a house connected. So my sister and I lived in the guest house. We had our own kitchen. My mom didn't cook. And I learned to cook at an early age. And I was always really good at flavoring food, seasoning food. So that's really

what makes the difference between people's recipes, you know? So I had a real talent for that, balancing flavors. I've even competed on chopped. Oh, you did? Oh yeah. I've competed. Oh wow, twice back. I competed on chopped and won twice. You did? Oh yeah, I won twice. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, oh yeah. I'm a chopped champion. You're legit. I'm proud of that, yeah. And it was the flavors. It was the seasoning. And so I started the spice blends because I think that anyone can take plants, vegetables, and if you have a good seasoning, then you can make them taste amazing.

So I have organic, non-GMO spice blends, and I'm gonna add to the line. And yeah, so I feel it was a real accomplishment. That's cool. Did you teach yourself how to cook or how did you learn how to do that? I pretty much taught myself. I called my grandma a couple of times and said, grandma, my grandma's from Louisiana.

I was like, you know, I remember the first time I was making a gumball. I was like, how do you make roux? And she told me over the phone and, you know, I just perfected it from then on. So I've called her over the phone. I've learned a lot, just like a lot of people do watching, watching on TV, you know, as a kid. But yeah, most of the cooking is all on my own but i'm i'm not you know i'm definitely just a home cook like i'm not and i don't bake because that's something you really have to know what you're doing it's the science behind it yeah it's a specific thing yeah it's not really my thing um

but yeah cooking yeah i throw down you got your hands on a lot of stuff you're it reminds me do you know john sally i do. Yeah. He's like guys all over the place. Every time I see him, he's got some new business. He's got the vegan wines and he's got the cannabis company and he's got, I mean, it's crazy. Like he has so much energy and he's so passionate about so many different things and he has this entrepreneurial spirit and he keeps giving birth to like all these different, I mean, a lot of it's nutrition oriented, but like even other things as well. Yeah. I don't have that much going on. That's not me. I don't have that much. Yeah. I'm like, I got the spice blends. So I have Lay Lolly

lifestyle. And then I believe in, you know, with me, I've had shakes since I was boxing. I'd have a smoothie or a shake because it was just like, okay, how can I get all this nutrition in without actually having to eat, give my body a break from breaking the food down? So after I'd go running in the morning, I'd get up, run the mountains, come back, I'd have a shake. So after I did all that work, I'm not going to make my body work again to digest food. Then I'd go to sleep. Then I'd wake up and have my breakfast. And then I'd have another shake after I worked out again.

So I've been doing shakes so long. So even now I have a shake for breakfast because it's like, I don't want to have to think about my maca powder and my green powder, all these things and all these nutrients. I'd rather just get it all in my shake, know I got it in. One thing. Yeah. And then everything else is just on top of that. So that's why, for me, that's one of the easiest ways for people who aren't currently getting the nutrition they need is like, okay, why don't you just have a shake? Yeah.

And just make sure it's in there and that it's not so overwhelming and just make that part of your daily nutrition. And then just the basics like vitamins, you know, green powders. I have a 14-day cleanse for a lot of people just need to cleanse that, you know, all that out. That's not coming out. So, you know, the nutrition is one thing. But then the cooking is just teaching people that, you know, food doesn't have to be complicated, you know. It doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be complicated. It's just like, but we definitely want to have amazing flavors when we do eat.

We've lost our connection with cooking in so many ways. People are just busy, man. Our lives are so fast-paced now that people don't learn how to cook. And then it just becomes intimidating. And you just think, well, I never learned how to do that and i'm probably never will and the truth is most of it's pretty simple food pretty quick yeah they don't they don't know how and they a lot of time just don't want to take the time because like you said it seems so overwhelming but like literally you know it's like when you learn how easy it is especially if you just want to throw something in the oven and roast know, you can roast some veggies on a pan and season them up with a little bit of oil and you're done.

You know, it's like then they're like, oh, okay, I get it. You know, but even if for those who are aren't cooking, it's like at least when you do eat, you know, get your food from somewhere that, you know, has quality food, you know,, because some people just aren't going to stop and cook. I love to cook and I understand that food, the love that goes into cooking, the energy that goes into cooking. Like whenever you're at a restaurant, you don't know who's in the back of that kitchen cooking your food and what they're feeling

and they're mad and what's going on in their life and they're moving your food and giving it to you and you're eating that energy. Like when you think about it, that, yeah. And like you're out eating that. I believe in that. No, I do too. I do too. That's why like soul food, that's where that came about when all the women in, that, yeah, like you're out eating that. I believe in that. No, I do too. I do too.

That's why like soul food, that's where that came about when all the women in the kitchen, you know, and African American community and they're sitting around, they're sitting there and they're this family together

and you're chopping up the potatoes and you're, you know, you're peeling this and doing that and it's like all the love that goes into that is something,

you know? Yeah. So, and a lot of things have changed. We don't, we don't cook as much. We don't sit around the table and eat together. I know.

We're not as healthy as we used to be. You know, all this stuff is connected. Yeah. Meanwhile, we can sit around and talk about, you know, maca powder and green smoothies and things like that. But the real battlefield is trying to get people away from pulling into the drive-thru, you know? Oh, yeah. away from pulling into the drive-through, you know? Oh, yeah. And speaking to that, you know,

population of people that are suffering from diabetes and obesity and heart disease at just alarming rates, like that's, I feel like, you know, we need more solutions and focus on trying to provide healthy nutrition and education and affordable solutions to people who have a good argument when they say, listen, you know, I don't have time. I'm working two or three jobs and I don't

have the budget. You know, I can't go get all these healthy foods. And it's just, you know, I've got a kid screaming in the back. I'm just going to, I'm pulling through the drive-through, done. I've taken care of it. Yeah. And you're talking about, especially in the African-American community, which is one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about, you know, the, you know, educating that I do, because a lot of people, it's like, they don't know, they just don't know better. They don't even realize that what they're eating a lot of times, people know, obviously, burgers and fries and pizza aren't healthy, but I'm talking about just even when they think they are eating something that's healthier, you know, this process and has all these chemicals in it. And it's not even food. It's food-like, you know, and it's like somebody

sitting around an office trying to figure out what chemicals they can put in it to make you want it more and be addicted to it. You know what I mean? And it's like, you really want to educate people about that. And then also teach them ways that, so you have people who, they say to me all the time, well, I can't afford to eat that way. And it's like, okay, well, eater, but I have reduced the amount of meat that I eat for multiple reasons. But when I do eat, I eat, you know, organic GM, you know, GMO free, free range, you know, all the highest quality I can get. But I'm always telling people also, it's like, reduce the amount of animal foods that you eat, you know? And because not everybody, you know, is ready to go vegan, you know? So it's just like, but you can get to the point where, you know, 75% of the food on your plate is plant-based food. Yeah. I mean, setting the whole vegan thing aside, you know,

people, you know, meat began as like a delicacy side dish. And at some point we decided that that has to predominate our plates and we just eat insane amounts of meat right dish. And at some point we decided that that has to predominate our plates and we just eat insane amounts of meat right now. And I just think there's no question that it's contributing to a lot of the problems. I mean, certainly processed food and sugar and all, you know, I'm not dismissing any of that, but I think we could all benefit from reducing our intake. Definitely. I think, like I said, no matter, even if you're not a vegan or vegetarian, it's like, even if you're a meat eater like me, I think that you definitely need to reduce the amount. You don't need to be eating meat every single meal. You don't need to be eating it every

single day. And when you do eat it, it should be a very small portion of meat on your plate. How's the, what does the fitness workout routine look like for you these days? I mix it up. So right now, I'm really liking it. So I have a heavy bag. I have a home gym. I usually hit the heavy bag for like four rounds, 15 minutes. And then I will – that's like my warm-up.

Yeah. Then I will get on my – that's like my warm-up. And then I get on my elliptical stairs. And I get on my elliptical stairs, and I get on my elliptical stairs, and I have a treadmill, so I might do some high-intensity training, some sprinting on my treadmill. And then I have an infrared sauna. I like to incorporate that at the end of my workout. Like a clear light one? A sunlight one.

Oh, cool. And I get in there for like 30 minutes after my workout. But then I might do some free weights. I like to mix it up. But I also love to run, but my knees aren't that good. So I'm like, we all just are built different. So I've been told not to run, but I still run. And I ice my knees, and it's just like, it's really hard.

So if I run, I literally, I can have not ran for two years, but I can go out there and just do four or five miles because it's just still in me. But by the end of five miles, I'm like, oh, I'm looking like that last mile. I'm looking like, okay, when is this going to be over? And I love running around here. Like, I just go on Agoura Road and just run straight up, you know, right up to there. The trails, well, the trails at the end of Las Virginas, too, like all around. Oh, yeah. I don't like running in the mountains, though.

You don't? I'm a little funny about it. I'll take you out there. Yeah, yeah i'm like i'm good and my husband my husband's like don't go out there by yourself i've actually yeah no just just period just people out there and you know just you just never know and then i'm a recognizing person all the time oh well then i'd go i'd go with me i'd go with you i can't run as far as you though it's all right we don't have to go to those i call them the crazy runners. I did the New York City Triathlon. Oh, you did?

Yeah, and that was crazy. When did you do that? A couple years ago? I was the mom ambassador for Aquaphor. And no, this was like probably seven, six years ago. Where they do it in the Hudson? Yeah. And I've never done a triathlon.

I've never done anything. So I was just like, they asked me to do it. And I was like, yeah, I'm an athlete. I can do it. And so they put, yeah, I'm an athlete. I can do it. And so they put me with this trainer, triathlon trainer. She came out here for one, two days. And she was like, okay, we're going to get on the bike because I've never been on a bike to ride. So she's like, we're going to, we ran, we rode up a girl road, 25 miles.

So we went 12 miles one way and then came back or something like that. And then we ran. I got off that bike and just running a mile was so hard just because I was just so, you know, like just locked up. So long story short, I ended up taking on this show, didn't train like I was supposed to. So I did the one bike ride with her. That was it? The one 25 mile bike ride. And then I was swimming in the, at Calabasas Tennis Clinic for 45 minutes. I was like, I'm just going to swim for 45 minutes. I went to the open water one time to the beach, and I was so nervous about it.

My friends were like, come on. So we swam to the buoys, and I was afraid of sharks. I was like, I'm never doing that again. They were like, if you can get in this ocean, then you can go get in the Hudson. So when I got there, I was like, these people are crazy. They were up with their bikes at 4 a.m., like walking to the water. It's like they're so serious about it. It's a whole thing.

And everyone was like, if you do it one time, you're going to fall in love with it. You're going to do it again. I was like, we'll see. So I jumped in that Hudson, swam, did the run. I mean, I did the bike and I was afraid to switch gears because I didn't really, like, the track would come off. You literally only rode a bike one time. I literally rode it one time. So then you rode the triathlon in the same gear the whole time?

No, I changed. It was one side I was fooling with, but I wouldn't fool with the other side. So it was harder for me because I didn't know how to use a bike. Because I was like, if this chain comes off, I'm going to be on the side, and then it's going to be a whole thing. So I did it, but I finished in three hours and four minutes. Good for you. You did it. I did it. And when I came off, like when I came through the finish line, it was so crazy. All of a sudden I blacked out. My eyes were open, but I blacked out. And I told my guy that was with me, I was like, Daryl, I can't see. So he held my hand. He was like, you're so hot. I was so hot. I went to the tents where you lay down and

it took about 30 seconds for my vision to come back. And I was just laying there for like being worked on, you know, rubbed out and all that for like an hour. And then I got up and then all of a sudden I was super hungry and they had donuts and all these things. And I was just like pigging out. And I was like, I'm never doing that again. I was like, I'm never doing that. I almost died. You're going to fall in love. You're like, uh-uh. Uh-uh, I'm good. It's usually one or the other. It's either like, I can't wait to do it again, or like, I did it, it's over with. Oh my God, I look at you like-

It's different. I can't punch anyone, so- Yeah, but I'm like, you guys are crazy. I would never get in the ring. Like, you're running all these miles. Like, oh my God. Like, what makes you wanna do that? Well, you live, like, we were joking before the podcast.

Like, you're the first person who lives local to me who's come over here. And it's usually it's some gigantic drive out here. And you're like, yeah, down the street, you know? Oh, yeah. But this is where all the beautiful, I mean, the nature around here is insane. Like once you, and I lived out here for years before I got into this kind of stuff. And I didn't even realize it was like all going on around here until you start getting out there and exploring it. I saw your interview with, some of your interview with Lindsey Vonn.

And you were like, come out here with me. She's like, it's hot out here. I don't want to come out here. That's funny. That's so funny. Yeah, you have like, I was thinking about Lindsey because your trajectory is somewhat similar. Like retiring from this sport, you know,

having a certain level of like fame and notoriety and success and like trying to now translate your unique life experience into, you know, this wellness channel where you can be like, you know, a mentor and somebody who can provide, you know, products to support people. So she's done pretty cool. You know, she's doing cool things with that. Oh, that's great done a pretty cool, you know, she's, she's doing cool things with that. That's great. I think that, you know, and there's going to be those who've done and that's not their passion. You know, I just really believe in following your passion and I truly am passionate about and I, you know, we all have a different audience, right.

Of people and different levels of health and wellness that people are on. I like to really get those people who are just like, I'm healthy. I only drink clear soda. Right. You know, we got that. I remember the first time I heard that. I'm like, what? Clear soda. You just don't. So, you know, because I don't drink the dark soda. Right. Okay. You know, so I, though, because I can really speak to them in a way that they understand that's not over their head. Right. You know, so that is one thing, because I'm not over the top. Like, I'll still go get a glazed donut. There's a place called Blinky's in Woodland Hills. They got the best donuts ever.

Oh my God. Now look, I'm telling you, I'm that girl. Like I understand health and wellness and I understand that the fried donut and the refined sugar is not good for me. But guess what? If I love it that much, I'm going to live my life

and I'm going to have one every once in a while because I'm stronger than that's going to kill me having it that one time, but I'm not going to go do that every day. So, it's like, I can really relate to people because I have that person living inside me that's still like, I just want to go to Popeye's and get some fried chicken, but I'm not because that's not high quality chicken, all the kind of different things, but I still crave some of those things is what I'm saying. So, I can relate to those individuals. Yeah. And then you're relatable to those people. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

So, kind of like your conversation with the guy in the airplane, like what is, when you're confronted with somebody like that, like what do you say so that you keep it grounded and relatable and not over their head? First of all, that it's okay. I understand. Because a lot of times people are ashamed. But first of all, they're not even comfortable in their own skin. I mean, he had to get one of those, what do you call them? Belt extenders.

Oh, yeah. He's too big for the seat. And just to take the time to listen to someone. People wouldn't even think me as Layla Ali would sit there and talk to you for five hours. So it was like just to know that someone cares and that I'm not judging you. That's one thing. But let's try to figure out how we can make a change here. And everything that you have tried before hasn't worked.

Okay, let's do this a little differently. So a lot of times it's just like the comfort and the whole emotional thing behind the eating in the first place is there. This person's not as strong as me where they can just say, I'm just not going to do it. Boom. You know what I mean? Because of whatever it is they're dealing with that I can't relate to. But I do know that what really has worked well is just what can we add opposed to what we need to take away. And you got to take baby steps, baby steps in the right direction. So, and I told him, I was like, yeah, reach out to me and let me know how you're doing. He never did. He didn't? No, he never did. He might have lost my information.

He must have been thrilled to be sitting next to you though. He was so cool. I mean, he didn't act like he was like, oh my God. He kind of was just kind of down on himself, but we had this whole conversation, but he felt good by the end of the conversation. And I see a little spark in his eyes like, yeah, I think I can do that. I think I can go get a medium fry instead of a large fry. So I said, okay. But I just appreciated that he was honest with me about what he was going to go get. So I had hope for him. Well, the follow-up is the tough thing. It's like, he's probably thinking, I should reach out to her, but then, ah, she doesn't really want to hear. There's a self-defeating narrative that takes over that prevents him from reaching out.

Or he might be like me and just lost my information because I do it all the time. People give me something. I doubt that. I doubt he lost your information. And how does that work with trying to get somebody active for the first time? Same, you know, small chunks kind of advice? Yeah. I mean, it depends on the situation because a lot of people that I'm dealing with, I can't touch them and reach out to them and work with them individually. But I really encourage

people to get with a partner or get with a friend, get with someone who you guys can hold each other accountable because that's what we need. We need to be held accountable because when it's just yourself sometimes, I'm not getting out of bed and nobody's going to know. But if you have a friend, you're like, okay, I want to be there for her, you know, or I want to, I don't, you know, I want to have her back. So just being accountable, taking small steps, we just have this all or nothing attitude, you know, and we have this, I want to lose this much weight by this much time. It's like, just make progress each week, try to go and account for some setbacks. Well, changing habits that you can then sustain.

Because it's about changing your lifestyle. It's not about some goal with an end date. It's about behavioral change that you can live with for the rest of your life. Well, I tell people even, because I did a 14-day cleanse as part of my product. And yeah, you lose some weight, but you know, there's those people who just want to lose weight. Well, I'm going on this vacation.

It's like, okay, whatever. It's a business. If you're that person and that's why you want to do the cleanse, it's still good that you did a cleanse. But I always encourage people, after you're done with the cleanse, you need to go on to the meal planning guide

that I've provided because if you want to maintain those results, then that's what you need to do because it's a lifestyle change. It's like, don't go cleanse and then just go put the same old crap back in your body and all that type of thing. So if you really want to be on this journey

and that's what my whole, like I said, platform and website is about, then you need to start thinking differently about how you go into it and then your purpose. Because again, we all, a lot of people have had health scares and that's when they're like, oh, I want to change my life. And that's fine. I'm not going to judge you. I'm glad you're finally ready. But it has to be a lifestyle change. Because for me, what inspires

me is not to be a certain size. Yeah, I like to look good. Yeah, I like to feel fit. I don't like extra fat on my body. That's one thing that bothers me because I know I understand that it's probably also wrapped around your organs and it's extra weight and it's just I'm not at my best. And I know what it feels like to be at my best. So that's what I'm always chasing. Yeah. Right? But at the same time, what was I going to say? I lost my thought. I lost my thought not being not being knowing what it's like to be at your best

you know being connected to that feeling and not being perfect that's the boxer you know I'm a little

punchy sometimes I thought you never got punched you just you just doled out the beating no I was sparring with men I was taking a beating in the gym that's why the

that's why the fights were easy but that happens sometimes. Do you worry about that? Do you worry about TBI or any of that kind of stuff? I don't worry, but I literally just lost my train of thought. So, I always think, yeah, that has something to do. It has affected me because my memory sometimes would be... I've ran into people that are like, hey, Layla. And I'm like, you look familiar. Like, oh, God, I know I need to know this person. Yeah, but you probably meet a ton of people. No, but this can be a person that literally was like, we went to high school together, like we hung out together, like on a daily basis. And I'm like, I really don't... Which high school? Yeah. And I'm just like, dang. And then it might come to me later, oh yeah. But I'm like,

how could I not remember that? Crazy. Yeah. Philanthropy, like giving back service, these know, these are, these are big, these were big things with your dad and, and, you know, you do a lot of that as well. So how does like your dad's example inform like how you think about giving back? It comes natural to me. I naturally want to give, I naturally want to help people. I have certain organizations that I work with. I love working with Feeding America. I have a friend who has a- You've been doing that for a long time, right? Uh-huh. Yeah. I have a friend that has an organization called Peace for Kids, which is

smaller. It's here in LA and it's for kids in homes. So I'll donate a lot of times there and go down into Compton and work with them. So I get involved with organizations that I really feel like I can get behind. I've been involved with the Women's Sports Foundation for many years, empowering girls and women through sports. Because there's just so many causes. But most of what I do is just trying to give back through, like a lot of what I want to do with Leila Ali Spice Blends is donate a portion of the proceeds to various different organizations. So, because I believe that that's what we're all supposed to do. So, you know, it's just like, whether it's giving up

your time or your money or whatever it may be, like giving back in some sort of way. And you have two kids, parent, right? So, how you instill in your children this ethos that your dad represented and that you're exuding in your own life? What are the techniques by which you're raising these kids to try to ensure that they're healthy and happy and care about these things that your dad cared about and that you care about? I'm figuring it out along the way. How old are your kids? My son is 10 and my daughter's 8. And I do a lot. I let my spirit guide me a lot, my intuition guide me. So I have my general idea of what I want to do, but it's not like a set plan.

So because my son, you never know what you're going to get with your kids. You know, he's so like, you would think, I would think he was going to be like this strong, tough kind of boy. And he's got, he's got the kindest,

sweetest heart. And he's just like, Tim, he's, you know, he's just like, and I'm like, man,

my son, but he's strong. He's a leader, but he's a gentle, kind leader, but he's got the sweetest heart. And I worry about him like, oh God, you know, he's just so gentle and kind and sweet. I just wish he was a leader but he's a gentle kind leader but he's got the sweetest heart and i worry about him like oh god you know he's just so gentle and kind and sweet i just wish he was a little stronger but he is who he is he doesn't belong to me he came to this world through me and my

daughter is like this little feisty she's like just like me and i'm just like oh man i got my hands full with her so it's like they know who their grandfather is and they really got a real piece of it when we went out to louisville when he passed away and we went and they saw you know the processional and all the people in the streets and they're old enough to remember yeah and they were very overwhelmed by like oh my god because they didn't realize the magnitude um so they have a lot of pride there's certain things like i didn't take them to see the ali movie um because i knew there's things in there that I'm not ready to explain to them yet. Like my kids, obviously, when you're a parent, you're black and you have

kids, we have to raise our kids differently because it's like, the best way I can explain it is, it's like, as a parent, you think, okay, when am I going to teach my kids about sex? When am I going to teach my kids? We have to think, when are we going to teach our kids about how the world is going to be unfair to them and you're going to have to work harder and all these things. How do you tell your kids that? And what is the best age to tell them?

For me, my struggle is, what is the best age to tell them how things are and how people think of them and how they're not thought of as equal without them not feeling that way, without them feeling, well, why is that? It must be true because these are kids, right? So even with slavery, when you learn about that in school, it does something to you, because you see these pictures of slaves and chains, and you're that,

and you're like, well, are we less, or are we inferior? Well, why this and why that? And you don't understand, well, why did God let this happen? And there's all these things that go on inside of you. So for my kids, I'm trying to figure out what is going to be the best age for that where they can still stay strong without it chipping away at them like it does all of us. So, I didn't want them to see that because if they saw a lot of his story, then I have to deal with all that as well. So, I'm waiting to find that balance and I'm kind of... But at the same time, you don't want them to experience something for the first time and learn it from someone else than what you taught them. Right.

You want to be able to shepherd them through that. Yeah. I mean, you know, at some point, I mean, it's all, everything's online. Like, they can just spend, you know, forever. They're not looking for it, though. No, but at some point, you know, it's all there. Well, I tell them certain things. Like, for example, I'll say, well, some people are mean, you know, and they don't like certain people because of the color of their skin or whatever.

And, you know, and like they always say to me, because we live around here, well, my daughter's like, how come everyone's vanilla? She's like, or if I take her to go play soccer. It's pretty white out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really. So she was like, really. And I said, well, you know what? We live in an area where there's a lot of vanilla people.

I said, sometimes you go places and there's a lot of Mexican people or a lot of Asian people. And this is just where we live. And then you go places, a lot of chocolate people. So she was just like, oh, okay. And then like, when we go sign up for sports, she walks up and she's like, all the girls are vanilla. I'm like, it's okay. Yeah. To her it's vanilla. And I'm like, I didn't want to correct her. So I'm like, okay. You know, that's how she sees it. So it was just like, she's starting to- She call herself chocolate? Yeah. She's like chocolate. So she understood. Well, I think that has changed just now,

because now I've heard her actually say white and black. You know, they start learning from other people. But that was like a couple years ago. But it was so cute to me. They're just so, you know. But that was me as a parent, her first thought and her first time talking about it, how I respond to it and what I say is what was going to stick with her. So I just said, that's just. So then she just let it go.

Oh, okay. I said, it just depends. Different people live in different areas and it's fine. And they're nice girls. It doesn't matter. You know, that's just, so then I just, she just let it go. Oh, okay. I said, it just depends. Different people live in different areas and it's fine. And they're nice girls. It doesn't matter. You know, she's like, okay. You know, so. Yeah, that's a lot to shoulder.

Yeah. But I mean, it is what it is. So it's like, I believe everything happens for a reason. And just like when we talked about my father and him not necessarily always being there for me because what he was doing, it's like, I kind of like, okay, we'll all get the answers to this at some point, why things are the way they are and why history has happened the way that it did. And, you know, we don't always see the end of the tunnel, you know, and that's when you have that faith and knowing, then you just got to roll with it, you know? So. What do you think, other than just his innate, you know, humanness, like,

what do you think people miss or don't understand about your dad? Miss? I don't know. Because so many people... Well, life is so much more complicated and nuanced than what you see in a documentary or in a news clip. He was so that person, though. That's the thing about my dad, I would say. That's really who he was, that person though like that's the thing about my dad i would say um he that's really who he he was um what you saw um you know my father what we miss and people who know him miss it's

just his energy in terms of just he even with his parkinson's and he didn't he didn't talk anymore he just had this strong energy and this love you know and that's what i've seen so many people who just come around him and all of a sudden just start crying. And they didn't even know why. Like a guru. Yes. He's just like somebody, I mean, who could walk into a room and the entire room is transformed just by his presence. And that's just something special about that, you know? So, that's what I, you know, just I kind of

always used to hug him and just put my face up against his and the way he smelled and soft hair, to hug him and just put my face up against his and the way he smelled and soft hair. He was just like a big old sweet baby to me. So that's what I miss about him. But I think that a lot of people just miss this, that you see someone that great and wonderful that they respect and looked up so much to, and now he's gone. So it's like, we're watching history unfold in front of us. It's like, dang, there's never going to be another Muhammad Ali. So it's sad to let that go because people are just different now, you know, and people want more of that. And when I think about why my dad was so great and amazing and why people are just like, wow, it's just like, he just believed in himself. He was a little boy from Louisville,

Kentucky that thought he was the greatest and put his all into everything and loved himself. It's like, I wish we could just all be more like that. We all can be like Muhammad Ali. And he stood up for what he believed in. He did what was right. These are basic things that we all put on a pedestal because we can't do it ourselves a lot of the time. So it's just like, man, it just really shaped the way that I see people and I view the world. And it's just like, he didn't have an entourage of people around him. He didn't go around flaunting his money, you know, or put anybody down or step on anybody to, you know, make himself look better. He just was a real person, you know, real guy that loved people. Well, it definitely wasn't about money. No. You know.

He understood. I mean, everybody wants to have nice things, you know, but it wasn't like, he, trust me, my mom has told me stories of us being bankrupt a couple times of him giving his money away, writing blank checks. He'd do stupid stuff like that. He was like a kid when it came to certain things. He'd write his here and write a blank check. He was really gullible and naive when it came to... That's why I said we're so different with certain things, but he was just like a big kid. certain things, but he was just like a big kid. But yeah, he understood that having money also,

having the Rolex and the Rolls Royce would get people to listen. When you're talking about the African American community, because people are attracted to those things, how did you get what you have? I want that too. And then they would listen. The ability to say what you mean, do it in a very poetic, compelling, charismatic way. And just the honesty of it. I think it is really, the more I think about it, it really, everything that he kind of did with the exception of being the greatest boxer are things that we can do and learn from and incorporate into our own lives. Yeah, I mean, like I said,

there's only gonna be one Muhammad Ali, but a lot of those things we can do and learn from and incorporate into our own lives. Yeah. I mean, like I said, there's only going to be one Muhammad Ali, but a lot of those things we can do. We can incorporate into our own lives. And I think that a lot of people have. I hear stories all the time. I mean, you can imagine all the Muhammad Ali stories I've heard growing up. You must be like, oh, please. I get emails to my business.

I'm like, that's when you asked at the very beginning when you were like, there's got to be some things that you love and you wish could just, yeah, the things that I wish that could just go away. People telling you their encounter with your dad. Yeah, stop sending me, like, it's great. I mean, I don't want to sound mean, but I get everything that anyone creates that, you know, oh, it's for your, I just want to show you this painting that I drew. Okay. Thank you. That's nice. I've seen a million of them. It's beautiful. And then it's like, I was, I've been trying to get this to your dad for years, but I haven't been able to, can you help me? You know, it's like anything overflow. Yeah. And I'm just like, I can't help you. Or I want to start this line of t-shirts. Can you approve it for him? Oh, that's the thing.

Like they think I can approve. And I'm like, I don't have his name in life. like can you approve it for him oh that's the thing like they think i can approve and i'm like i don't have his name and like i can't approve so it just creates extra work on my end and for my folks you know but it's just like that's just part of that comes with it a small price to pay right you know i'm just like but that's the thing that's the only thing that is annoying about being muhammad ali's daughter to me it's just that kind of stuff like really so all right well let's land this plane um i think a good way to kind of close this is just, you know, final parting words to the person who's listening out there who feels stuck. You know, maybe it's that guy on the airplane or, you know, somebody who's just, you know, on a path that isn't serving them. They're not eating right. They're not taking care of themselves.

They're not fulfilled right. They're not taking care of themselves. They're not fulfilled in their job. Like, what is the advice or the wisdom or the inspiration that you can impart to that person to maybe help them look at things a little bit differently? That's a big question. I know. Solve that. I know, right? I'm like, dang. The world opens up to you. You know, I just really like to keep it simple.

And the thing is, is that God only created one of you. And I believe God doesn't make mistakes. And if you don't believe in God, you try to know there's only one of you on this planet, regardless of how you got here. Okay. There's only one. And you have one life to live is your life, nobody else's, you know? So it's just like really about figuring out, you know, what your purpose is and that can take a whole lifetime. And just trying to be on the quest to be the best version of yourself, that's it. And that's very vague, right? It's very vague. It's like whether it's nutrition or mindset or whatever it is in your relationships,

your finances or whatever, finding that balance, just being on the quest. So I believe in just surrounding yourself with like-minded people, people who are on that same quest as you, the tools that you need. Once you do that, because it can be overwhelming, but once you find these podcasts that you want to listen to, or these books, or these certain friends, or these people that are eating a certain way or that are exercising a certain way or whatever it is, just surround yourself with the right people and you will start to see changes happen. That's the most important thing. You don't have to do anything else other than that, but surround yourself with the people and the tools that you need and just make them a part of your daily life. Because guess what? If you keep making that other bullshit a part of your daily life, that's how your life is going to unfold that way. It's just the way that it is, right?

So it's like, that's pretty much it, you know, because it's like you are going to be the company you keep. You are going to be the things that you surround yourself with. You are going to be the food that you eat. So just start thinking, okay, how can I start to change these things around me, this circle around me, and start making it look like the way that I want to be or the life that I want to have. And then you're going to be able to pull from those things. Even without a real plan, other than just surrounding yourself with it, things are going to start to happen because those friends are going to say certain things to you. They're going to encourage you. They're going to challenge you. And those foods that you eat or those things, they're going to start giving you the nutrition that you need, the podcast that you hear. One day, you might just hear one person say

one thing that is going to stick with you, you know what I'm saying? And it's going to lead to something else. So it's like, that's pretty much it. Yeah. Raise the vibe across the board. Yeah, just raise that vibe, baby. All right. Preach it, girl. Awesome. Thank you. Thank you. So nice to talk to you. I loved it. And if you want to connect with Layla, thank you so nice to talk to you I loved it and if you want to connect with Layla

the best way to do that laylaali.com right and you're the real Layla what's the I am the real

I am the real Layla Ali because there were other Layla Alis really yes how is that I know it's crazy

it's an Arabic name so there was a lot of other Layla Ali so I had to make mine the real otherwise I've just been Layla Ali alright well you are the real one so good talking to you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thanks for having me. Come back and talk to me again sometime. For sure. Peace. I love it. So, that was me and Layla. What'd you guys think? Did you enjoy that? I really enjoyed her. She was delightful. For more on Layla, please check out the show notes on the episode page at richroll.com and let her know how this one landed for you by sharing your thoughts with

her directly on Twitter and Instagram at TheRealLaylaAli. Also, check out laylaali.com to catch up on the many things that she's involved in, her cookbooks, spice blends, TV appearances, and a bunch of other stuff. If you are struggling with your diet, if you're finally committed to mastering your plate once and for all, but feel like, I don't have that much skill in the kitchen. I don't have a lot of available time. My budget is pretty tight.

I cannot stress enough how much I think our Plant Power Meal Planner can help. It was devised with one goal in mind, to make healthy and delicious eating affordable and accessible for everybody. It really is an extraordinary product. We worked very hard to create and it's available to you for just $1.90 a week

when you sign up for a year. Go to meals.richroll.com and there you will find access to thousands of constantly updated, delicious, and easy to prepare plant-based recipes. It's all totally customized based on your personal preferences. We have unlimited grocery lists, grocery delivery in most metropolitan areas, and an incredible team of nutrition coaches at the ready to guide you

and answer all your questions seven days a week. Again, $1.90 a week, literally the price of a cup of coffee. So to learn more and sign up, go to meals.richroll.com or click on Meal Planner on the top menu on my website. If you'd like to support the work we do here on the show, subscribe, rate, and comment on the program on Apple Podcasts. That really helps new people discover the show. Tell your friends about your favorite episodes, share it on social media, subscribe to my YouTube channel, Spotify, Google Podcasts. And you can support us on Patreon at richroll.com forward slash donate. I appreciate my incredible team that helps me put on this show day in and day out. Jason Camiolo for audio engineering, production, show notes, interstitial music. Thank you.

Blake Curtis and Margo Lubin. They're the team that videos the show and puts it up on YouTube. They do a great job. Jessica Miranda for her graphics wizardry. Allie Rogers for her beautiful portraits. DK David Kahn makes this whole ship sail through his advertiser relationships and theme music, as always, by Annalima, which is essentially my sons, Tyler Trapper and my nephew, Harry. Thanks for the love, you guys. See you back here in a couple days with the return of Ryan Holiday. He's coming by to talk about his latest book, Stillness is the Key.

Here's a taste. Until then, believe in yourself. Keep fighting for you. Peace, plants, namaste. What I try to do in the books is apply ancient wisdom to life in a practical way. And I think the idea of stillness, that concept of stillness, it struck me as like when you remove ego, stillness emerges. You need stillness to overcome these kinds of obstacles. So it's sort of the glue that went unsaid in the other books. And I just kept coming back to this idea. in the other books. And I just kept coming back to this idea. And when you look at really great people, whether they're athletes or generals, or just like a wise person that you met, or your grandfather, what they all seem to have is that operating on a different plane. And what's

interesting is that basically, and this is what inspired the book, is that like, basically, is that basically, and this is what inspired the book, is that like basically any and all of the ancient schools talk about that idea, that concept of stillness in their own way as the sort of the end goal of what we're doing. Thank you.