The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast - Mona Vand On Learning To Meditate, Disconnecting From Social Media, Wellness, & Dating

Episode Date: January 9, 2023

#533: On today's episode we are joined by Mona Vand. Mona is a pharmacist who believes in the power of food and natural healing as a first choice, and medicine as the last resort. Mona returns to the show to discuss the power of disconnecting and taking time to reflect on what you really want out of life. We also discuss the power of meditation and how it can help you discover inner peace. We round out the show by discussing wellness tactics and dating. To connect with Mona Vand click HERE To connect with Lauryn Evarts click HERE To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE For Detailed Show Notes visit TSCPODCAST.COM To Call the Him & Her Hotline call: 1-833-SKINNYS (754-6697) This episode is brought to you by The Skinny Confidential This episode is brought to you by Squarespace From websites and online stores to marketing tools and analytics, Squarespace is the all-in-one platform to build a beautiful online presence and run your business. Go to squarespace.com/skinny for a free trial & use code SKINNY for 10% off your first purchase of a website domain. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp If you’re thinking of giving therapy a try, BetterHelp is a great option. It's convenient, flexible, affordable, and entirely online. Visit betterhelp.com/skinny to get 10% off your first month. This episode is brought to you by Hiya Health Hiya Health fills in the most common gaps in modern children's diet to provide full-body nourishment our kids need with a yummy taste they love. Go to hiyahealth.com/skinny to receive 50% off your first order. This episode is brought to you by Malk MALK is a premium, plant-based milk made with simple, high-quality ingredients that you can always count on one hand. Go to malkorganics.com to find Malk near you & DM code SKINNY to @malkorganics Instagram to enter a giveaway for a gift pack of Malk products. This episode is brought to you by AG1 AG1 is way more than greens. It's all of your key multi-vitamins, minerals, pre-and probiotics, and more, working together as one. Go to athleticgreens.com/SKINNY to get a free 1 year supply of vitamin D and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. This episode is brought to you by Perfect Bar Made with freshly-ground nut butter, organic honey and 20 organic superfoods, Perfect Bar has a variety of products that are good to eat and good for you. Go to perfectsnacks.com/skinny to learn how you can receive a perfect bar for free. Produced by Dear Media

The following podcast is a Dear Media production. She's a lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. Fantastic. And he's a serial entrepreneur. A very smart cookie. And now Lauren Everts and Michael Bostic are bringing you along for the ride. Get ready for some major realness. Welcome to The Skinny Confidential, him and her.

Aha. Confidential. Him and her. Let's say I'm like, I want to start a podcast and it has to be top 10 and then I'm going to have kids and then I'm going to and I have this whole idea. Maybe something is going in a different direction, but just being open to the way that life is flowing and what the universe is bringing you instead of pulling at this thing that you think you have to have. Maybe if I go in that direction, I'm going to have a hit TV show. Obviously having your goals, but not pulling at one thing so hard if it's not working, like when a new opportunity arises, being open to it. Hello, everybody. Lauren says I'm not allowed to say welcome back to the Skinny Confidential, him and her show, because she's sick of hearing me say welcome back. But welcome back anyways, because I like to do what I like to do and I don't want to be told what to do. That clip was from our guest of the show today, Mona Vand.

Lauren, how do you like that intro? Did I spice it up a little bit? Is that okay for you? It's okay. I just feel like we need to maybe do a refresh of your intro. I heard Taylor laughing back there. Taylor didn't expect that. He thought, okay, Michael's going to be submissive. Lauren's bitching in the corner. Taylor's laughing because Taylor laughs at everything you do. Taylor and I had a long talk about this in the car yesterday. Have you ever thought that everything I do is just fucking hilarious? Taylor, it's not that funny. I just don't find it funny.

You were laughing too. Everyone was laughing. I bet even some of the listeners were laughing. I am fresh off a flight from Vegas. I literally got on a 7 a.m. flight from Vegas. I was there at CES yesterday working my face off because people don't realize that I'm multifaceted talent. What I do is just incredible. I get on a mic here. I do three interviews and then boom, jump on a plane to Vegas, do some business meetings, get a bunch of shit done, get on a plane, come back. But yeah,

I'm still maybe a little drunk from last night, actually. You know what's gnarlier than what you did? I was dealing with a sick baby. And let me tell you, if you're a mother out there and you're listening right now, it is not a joke to have a sick baby. Why do you have to do this? Why? We were just having fun and now you got to go down the sick baby route? No, he just wasn't feeling good. He had a fever. And like when babies get fevers, the fever is so intense. It's not like a normal fever. And so I was dealing with that while you were at CSW or whatever you were at. Taylor, do you have any of the medals of first mother to ever take care of a sick child back there? No, it's like, I just want to like talk about it for a second. Cause it was really intense

that you weren't there. Cause I couldn't like poke you to wake up. I had to wake up. Taylor, let me tell you something about my wife, Lauren. Lauren, my problem with you is that you weren't there because I couldn't like poke you to wake up. I had to wake up. Taylor, let me tell you something about my wife, Lauren. Lauren, my problem with you is that you act like the most independent person in the world when I'm with you. And as soon as I leave for two seconds, you complain and say like, pretend you're helpless. And I know you're not helpless because you're always proclaiming about how not helpless you are. I just, I just like when you're around to help. Yeah, I know. But that's what I'm saying is you act like you need no help. I need no man. And then I leave for two seconds and you act like I went to the Mojave Desert and left you for two years.

And I was gone for literally maybe 18 hours. I was telling your mom this morning. I was like, I think that I would divorce your son if he didn't pick up 50% of the slack in every area. Or like in some areas, like maybe like 70. But I get it. All right. All right. So that's a little that's a little uh tangent for you let's talk about mona van okay mona van has been on the podcast before michael you are so graciously looking at the episode as we speak we wanted

to have her back on the show because she's really evolved her career and her life it's very impressive how she started as a blogger and a wellness influencer and she's really evolved her career and her life. It's very impressive how she started as a blogger and a wellness influencer. And she's really taken that and brought it to 2023. I feel like she has a fresh perspective. Her brand feels fresh. She also is dating Gary Vee, who Michael and I respect very much in the industry. And we just wanted to have her on to get a life update. So that's what this podcast is. It's kind of all the things in one. We talk about meditation. We talk about the power of going silent on social media and being absent. She took a year break. So we get into that. And we talk about her love life a little bit,

get excited. And then she just tells us where she's at now and how she's changed. If you want to listen to her first episode on our podcast, it's number 94, So Vintage, and she talks therapy, relationships, stress, and plant-based diets. On this episode, it's going to be different. With that, let's welcome Mona Vann to the Skinny Confidential Him and Her Show. This is the Skinny Confidential, him and her. Mona is in the studio. And before we get into the interview, I just have to acknowledge you because you and I filmed content together, like I want to say four years ago, five years ago and four years ago, both. Yes. And you're such a dream to work with. You and I have a lot of similarities, which we'll get into. And I look up to you so much in the

creator space. And we also interviewed you on the podcast, which you guys should go and listen to five years ago. I think it was episode 97. Might've been 96, but five years ago. It's been a long time. I'm so honored. You've been hiding from us for forever. I love that I was one of the first hundred. You were one of the first hundred and you were in my book i mean yes there's a lot of different layers we really got along well in la like we i feel like we really collaborated well yes and we both got out of la yes happily yeah the thing that i really wanted to have you on here for was you decided to take a break from social media which is so interesting to me because number one you're dating one of the most well-known internet personalities in the world and number two you had so much momentum and

traction and attention and number three I'm curious for my own self. Why did you decide to do that? Like walk me through when you even first had the epiphany to do that. Lauren, it's interesting you mentioned this. Since you were an hour late, we already covered all this. I was an hour. It was 40 minutes and it's New York. I'm just kidding.

No, we actually saved it. I said, I want to hear it on the show. Well, here we are. We're on the show, Michael. The past is in the past. So leading up to it, I was actually like I moved to New York and I was working with a new team and I was actually really doing everything best practice, right? Because I was like, I want to grow more on social. I want to get, you know, just not the wrong reasons, but I was really focused

on like numbers and metrics and growing and business. So I was doing all the right things in that way, but I just was not liking it anymore. And I was starting to, I was like, okay, why am I just exhausted after every day? I'm not happy. I left a job at the pharmacy to do this. And this was my dream career. And then I just felt like it wasn't inspiring anymore. Even my YouTube channel, I was like, I don't I was just like looking up topics to talk about. I felt like I was just at this weird crossroads. And then I was talking to Gary about it. And he was the one who first was like, just take a month off. Just take two months off. And I was like, are you kidding? Everyone's going to forget about me. Like this is my whole career. And he's like, I promise

you nothing will happen. You could take, I promise you nothing will happen. You could take two years off and nothing will happen. You could come right back and it won't be that big of a deal. So I kind of timed it where I was like, all right, I'm going to take a month or two off in November, December. My plan was really to take two months. But the way I posted it was like, I'm going to take three or four weeks or so off just to leave it alone so I got a little taste of it it was during the holidays and it was so cozy there was just something about like I didn't even go on social media during that time didn't open Instagram like didn't open TikTok I was like I just need a mental break no checking DM nothing

nothing literally nothing I had batched all my YouTube content for the year I had someone like I was like, I just need a mental break. No checking DMs. Nothing. Nothing. Literally nothing. I had batched all my YouTube content for the year. I had someone like my team posting it for me. And, you know, I was signed with DBA still at the time. So I was like, hey, I'm not going to be doing brand deals like nothing. And the first like four to six weeks was so good. I was enjoying it so much.

And I was just it number one got me this like detachment from my phone where like now I mean, I'm the most annoying with my team. Like I never answer texts because I just don't like being on my I'm in this space, but I want to work and then put my phone away. I don't want to be on it. I want to be present. So that was huge for me. And then we rolled around to like December and New Year's and I was like, okay, I'm going to come back. And I just like wasn't feeling ready, but I was like, oh, I have to come back. So I came back in January and it was like two months in or so. And I've never actually shared this, but I got COVID in March and that just set me on this like anxiety, like tailspin where I was like, and there was something in that time period between that where I was like, I just need more of a break. And that just

triggered the whole year. So I wasn't planning on taking a year. I was planning on taking two months. And then I just took the rest of the year off. It was probably one of the best years to take off. I mean, that period of time on the internet was dicey. Was it? I don't even know. I missed everything. Well, I think like during that COVID March period, it was just like a lot of negativity online. This was a year. So this was 2020 or 2021 technically or the end of 2020. So it wasn't the right at COVID. It was a year after. Yeah, but still.

But still. Yeah. What were the anxieties from not being on social media? Did you really truly not think about it? Did you really truly not think about it? Did you really truly not? You said you didn't check it. Like, did you completely just detach from it? Like, what were your anxieties when you're going through this?

COVID, you're in such a bubble anyway. So it was just me and Gary. And it was like, I loved, I kind of loved the quarantine year. You know, like just being home and like cooking dinner and going to bed early. And even though it's what he does, he's not he's not like consuming and like scrolling. So it was just never talked about in our little bubble. Like I was just so present and happy. And then I would honestly, you think you're going to be so anxious and you get really used to it and really happy and comfortable. And then there was that whole

year where I was like, do I even like this? Is this what I even want to do with my life? I started questioning the whole career. And every time I'd go to like, okay, I'm going to get back on social because I'd hang out with friends and everyone's talking about it and posting. And sometimes they'd be like, okay, do I care? Do I want to get back into it? I was like, do I want to start a nonprofit? Do I want to go in a totally different direction? And every time I'd go to post, I just had this like, I was like forcing myself. It was pulling teeth until it wasn't. And then I came back. Do you feel like too, maybe that you had to step outside of it to take a beat so you didn't burn out? Yes. Yes. I would like for you to speak on that because because sometimes I have

to like take a weekend or take a week off because I feel like I want to protect myself from burning out. Yes. And I remember before that I would take I took a week off once and I did this whole dramatic post about like I'm going to take a week off. I thought it was the biggest deal. Then a year off and it wasn't. I was feeling really uninspired. So I mean, I know you asked me about Joe Dispenza before we even got into this, but I was intrigued by his posts and stuff before COVID, but never really got into his work. That summer when I was taking a break, I started getting into his work. So I've never asked Gary for a favor in terms of like, can you introduce me to so-and-so? I don't care. Like I don't, I mean, we live in LA. I feel like you don't really get starstruck at this point,

but I was like, I need to talk to this guy. I just feel like he was connecting with me on a way where I've always kind of been intrigued by spirituality, but people make it so woo-woo when he was making it hard facts and science. And that's what I can relate to I'm like okay so we like pulled all these strings and I got a phone call with him and it's actually so funny because I was waiting for like a month for this phone call and like the day it happened and like waiting by my phone and he never called and then like it was this whole thing where he said I didn't answer but ended up he had the wrong number so it was I was just I was in the Hamptons pulled over on the side of the road like I can't lose service. I'm waiting for this phone call. So I spoke to him. He was so generous and so kind. And he was like,

you need to actually come to the week long. This is where you're going to learn the most work. And and I was like, OK, maybe because his meditations at first are weird. That's what I told Michaelael i said they're weird they're weird but you're so right that's why i like him too because i feel like you and i like like the logical part i need a lot my brain can relate on a lot but i feel like maybe you and i are more like i have a rough time with someone in my head like that it sounds like he's talking to me from outer space yes exactly i swear they were even even when i got I had the phone call with him before that I'm trying to do, I would like dread these meditations.

I'm like, I don't want to hear this first thing in the morning. This is weird. Until the week long. And so what do you do with the week long? So it's this week long event. Does he come and talk in that voice in your ear? Well, all his meditations are in that voice, but something transformed. I mean, honestly, it changed my life completely.

And I feel like I don't usually believe in these week long, not, I mean, I don't know, events like that sometimes are a little fluff, right? Where you're like paying to go to this thing and what are you really going to learn? And I was so, I'm so intrigued by the work. You know, I have that science brain where I just love research because I just get excited. I'm like, this is proven. Like this is a fact. And you go there and he basically, it's like lecture meditation, lecture meditation. That's like the whole process. And he's just up there with like UCSD research team, MDs, PhDs, hard facts, studies just showing you how real energy is.

And it's not, this is, I mean, this is proven science. And I'm like like why isn't the whole world talking about this do we not understand i've never denied it i've just said it's been hard for me to get into like oh you would you know i never was into meditation at all melissa wood came on for part four or whatever and she's like lauren you have to meditate you have to just try it trust me by the way your hair looks fab i just have to say the it. Trust me. By the way, your hair looks fab. I just have to say. The color. I like the color.

I want to go back a second before we move on and talk about this time off. So yes. So this was during my time off still. Okay. You're on your week-long retreat. I don't know if it's a retreat. Yeah. Whatever you want to call it.

So I still had that every time. Basically, we get through. I had the call with him in August. I'm still on my time off. And what's the call? You have to tell me the specifics of the call. I just told him I was like, I have wanted to be very respectful of his time because I guess he doesn't take calls like this often. So I did his whole, he has a progressive online course that you can do. I did it in a week. I was like all day just listening. So I was like, I want to make sure I know what I'm talking about. And I ask him my questions I have.

So I had like five questions written down. And like, when you say this, what do you mean? Like, I'm struggling with this. And honestly, he was like, I'm going to mentor you a little bit, like call me again in a month. But I want you to start doing the walking meditations, too, because I want you to practice this with your eyes open. If you're just doing this. Oh, he has walking meditations. And he's and he's like, if you close your eyes, if you're just doing this oh he has walking meditations and he's and he's like if you close your eyes you're in this peaceful state and then you open and you just live your life the same way you're not actually getting the experience huh so the walking meditation probably teaches you how to be teaches you how to actually live it so his whole thing is when people manifest you just you say i am i am, I am peaceful. I am peaceful. I am abundant,

but you're not actually feeling the emotion. And he was like, you have to, you have to have the thought and feel the emotion at the same time. If your body isn't at a high vibration, you're not actually believing it because you're what you feel is what you really are. So it's like a positive thought and a positive emotion. So he teaches you. So he even said to me on the phone, I don't care what gets you to that positive emotion. You could think about shopping. You could think about a future baby. You want to have a puppy, feel love inside of you, and then think about what you want to manifest. And you have to combine those two. And there's science that is, I mean, mean his research team there's like these test tubes inside this glass case and they tried both one just thought one just emotion the people outside

and then with both the temperature actually raised inside like they have real facts showing that when you combine these two things it's like the science of manifesting it's really cool and he doesn't look woo-woo and he's cool and normal so quote unquote normal he almost though is like the gary v of meditation because it's interesting that you said you didn't want to waste his time yes and he does he does give you logic behind the meditation which is why i cannot stop talking to michael about him but michael is a little bit weary careful careful no he's a little bit weary of of the voice the voice and the you know you you know the part where he says you're in space imagine you're in so i have to have it can you explain yes behind this so we can do you

do you know deepox like okay sure when i first listened to deepak chopra i was like what is this guy talking about this was like eight nine years ago in LA. The whole concept of energy and meditation really is that you can be everywhere at every time. Honestly, even the concept they hone in on, which is like there is no time and there is no space. I haven't been able to logically grasp this yet. I think that as I go, I'll understand more. But anyone spiritual you talk to says that like time is an illusion. So I know he gets into that and it's a little bit confusing, but this guy is genuinely the real deal. Like so he tells me, do these walking meditations come to the week long? I'm going to I'm going to send you a ticket. And I'm like, OK. So obviously he's not trying to sell me anything. You know, he's he what he invited me. I didn't even have to, you know, so.

So I go to this week. I'll actually me and Melissa went together. That's nice that you guys went together, too. And you guys are on the same page. Well, funny enough, we went together. But then I had to I couldn't go last minute because I was exposed to COVID. And I was afraid I was going to be in Mexico and have COVID. Not I didn't end up having it.

But she went. I got it for her as a birthday gift. I was like, you go. And she was fine. I went the next month again in January. So you went, maybe that's supposed to happen. I agree. So I went, I made Gary come with me. It was like in the middle of somewhere in Florida. He just like sat in the hotel working on Zoom the whole day. Because I was like, I don't want to sleep alone for a week while I'm doing this interesting experience. So he just like came, such a trooper.oper hold on hold on is gary gary's not doing drugs just spend some

money no no gary doesn't want to meditate at all because he's so good and so at peace he doesn't want to mess anything up i mean listen that's my that's been my okay no michael you're not michael v no no no listen i think i i know here's think. I, nothing is like falling apart, right? I mean, knock on wood at the moment. And I, and so I'm like, okay, how deep do I want to go and unravel whatever the hell I've buried beneath to, you know, unleash and, and, you know, potentially fuck my, you know, family life's good. Kid life's good.

I don't think it's about unraveling. I think it's about being the best version of yourself and what that looks like in your head and feeling it. And what I try to explain to men, because men are always like to me, they're always like asking about meditation. I try to say it's like a strategy session with yourself on how you want your future to look. Yes. It's like, well, the kind of meditation we do, we're actually envisioning our future. There's different meditations, right? I used to do TM before that. And I was like, always thought guided meditations weren't like the real deal. But Joe's me in life, is to be genuinely happy in your life. And I'm genuinely happy in my life, meaning I'm happy with my family. I'm happy with my business. I'm happy with myself. I'm happy. And so I haven't felt the need to alter much about my mindset

because I'm happy. Yeah, there's days that are harder and ups and downs and stresses and anxiety. Everybody has that. But I'm genuinely waking up each day happy. Okay. That is a Gary vibe. I feel like. It is. I honestly, I feel like the whole point of meditation is to connect you to your true self and to your soul and to make you wake up feeling at ease.

And if someone has that, don't. I also think that there's no one form of meditation. You don't need to do it. One thing Joe taught me too was that if you're just waking up and doing it to like run through the list and the checklist, it's not, you're not doing it for the right reasons. And sometimes I catch myself doing that.

I know what you're saying. Like, you're like, okay, I need to meditate today to get to the next. So I feel like I did it. I want to actually go back to where this started. So I think there's a lot of people that listen to, not just listen to this podcast, just people in general that feel this incessant need to be connected all the time. And personally, I believe that drives a lot of unhappiness, right? Because you feel like if you aren't participating on these platforms, you're missing out on something or somebody's passing you.

Social media you mean? Yes. We're so hyper- right and i think people maybe look at you at the time when you're creating lauren at the time gary for sure and say like these people are always connected they're always on they're always doing something and they think that's the blueprint but i think you are an example and and what you're saying is gary's also example like people are you guys disconnect yeah you took a long time to disconnect i think if people were to look at someone like gary from the outside they may not understand that he does disconnect so i wonder you know when he gave you the advice and said hey take some time off like that's not

advice i think a lot of people would think would come from him no i know sorry i segued a little bit yeah i want to know like from his point of view and what he told you like why was he so confident that taking time off would actually be a good thing because i think that's something a lot of people should hear he he could see that i wasn't happy doing it anymore he could see it wasn't it like it wasn't inspiring and i felt like i was just going through the motions and he's so big on like doing it with intention and authenticity and i just i was like it just wasn't fun for me and I he was hearing me honestly he's so intuitive I feel like sometimes he knows something about me before I even know it like he'll like for example I never realized how private I am and we joke about it I'm like no

and that and he I'm like you know I don't I really don't like people knowing anything about and he's like really like shocker like he could tell from the beginning that I was going to be more private even about our relationship and I think that's probably something he likes about you though yeah well in the beginning it was like you know I share a lot about my life you don't share a lot about your personal life how are we going to find this balance and he was like I think you're more private than you realize you are and then as we went I'm like no he's right I am that's interesting that you say he's intuitive so it's like you guys are both intuitive just on different very different yeah he's yeah I want to get to your question I mean I could go on so much with that but so he was like take it and then I think as the year was going he could just see that I needed it and his whole thing is like just to not worry like to just

listen to yourself in that moment and like there's a lot of people that need it which is why I ask and people feel they can't disconnect from whether they're going to miss something or they're going to lose out on business or they're going to not evolve, or there's going to be a platform that takes off and they're going to miss that wave. Exactly. And I think to your point and to his point, it's like, you're not really missing anything if you don't like what you're doing in the first place. No, exactly. And he's like, and it's all moments in time. Like there could be the next platform. Like you could come back in five years and like that moment in time could just be when something hits for you. So I

think he's never, there's never like a concern about like having to do it right now. And he's like, and of course there's like, oh, catch this moment here, but not in a stressful way. Like take advantage of this. If not, the next thing will come and it's okay. Yeah, I have all these people. So with what we do now, obviously Lauren's like drives a ton of social channels, right? Like she's on, she actually likes creating. The queen of it.

I mean, I love it. When I have all these people now with what we're doing here on the podcast and what I'm doing at Dear Media, like all these different like consultants, quote unquote, come and say, you got to do this on your social channel or this on TikTok.

I know I'm probably leaving dollars on the table regularly by not engaging on those platforms regularly but i don't find that i will find happiness there and so i don't do it and so like i think this is another thing people need to hear so you don't have to do everything just like if it's not something you would enjoy doing why would you do it he said sometimes like i'll ask him advice on something and he'll be like, you should be doing, and I'm like, I don't want to do that. He's like, then don't, like don't do something you don't want to do. It's not going to be sustainable. If he's have everything he does, he's happy doing and likes doing and can do that's his personality.

And then even like working with his social team a little bit, they were like, here are best practices. And part of that was what was giving me the burnout where I was like, okay, this is what I have to be doing to grow the most. But it just wasn't connecting to my authentic self, to my soul. I think I was so used to being in this hosty kind of like, Dr. Mona, I'm teaching you. And what I realized was happening was I just wanted to exist and be me. I don, you know, I don't know if it was like I didn't think I was good enough or my only value was my degree. So if I wasn't talking from that angle and that energy, people weren't going to care what I had to say. And he really pushed me to be like, take the doctor off your name. Just be what you can be enough on your own.

Just share it as your opinion versus like this is my professional advice. And so I think that was giving me a lot of the burnout. I just didn't want to turn on this like thing all the time. It's so interesting when you say this because when what I'm most attracted to about your content as a consumer is like when I look at your wellness highlight and you talk about like a tea that your mom made you when you were little yes like culturally yeah it's yes it's with that's when you I didn't think about that until you just said that but I'm more attracted to seeing a voyeuristic aspect of your life of what lights you up about the tea or the you know there's something about honey that you said and like

warms your body yeah instead of you being like more of the like expert, if that makes sense. Yes. I want to see more of the like behind. Exactly. And that's what I wanted. And I don't know why I didn't think it was enough. And the whole Joe Dispenza thing, the reason I even got into that, that week long, I swear, like I'm even like my heart's pounding talking about it.

I would never believe someone if they told me this. Quick break to talk about Squarespace. If you are living in 2023, you are so lucky. And here's one of the reasons why. Back in the day, not to date myself, when this world of the internet first came about, if you wanted a website, it was such a pain in the ass. I mean, a real pain in the ass. It was almost impossible. At least it was for me. I had no clue what I was doing. You had to find someone to build it for you and it was always breaking.

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get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash skinny. There is one thing that I can count on every single day. I'm not talking about Michael. I'm talking about Zaza asking me for her vitamin. I am not going to get away with not giving her her vitamin. She loves it so much that I have to train her that it's only one. She can only have one. So here was my predicament. I wanted to give her a great vitamin, but I didn't want to train her that it's only one. She can only have one. So here was my predicament. I wanted to give her a great vitamin, but I didn't want to give her candy in disguise filled with a bunch of sugar and bullshit chemicals and just like that gummy junk.

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week-long retreat is because I had seen both you and Melissa have this transformation on social media afterwards. You guys went on and talked about it. Yeah. So everything leading up to it was I was already like, OK, I'm enjoying being more connected to people and and not stuck on my phone all the time. Like my mom, like, you know, or anyone will text me and like be worried that I won't respond in hours. It could be in the other room the entire day and I don't care. And it is so refreshing. Can we do a sidebar of the text messages? You are the one who first inspired me on that years ago.

Guys, everyone, this is a public service announcement. Again, a text message, you are coming into someone else's space asking for their time on your time. Thank you. So here's the deal. If someone texts me on a Monday and I don't have any time, I might not respond until two Mondays later. I respond when I have the time to respond. It's nothing personal against anyone, even like a family member. It's nothing personal. It's just if you're responding to every text message that

you're getting, you're living in a react. Where's my day? I remember telling someone, maybe it was my best friend Erica years ago. I was like, Lauren has created an expectation now where I don't expect her to text me back. And I love that. And I need to create. And I remember it really inspired me. And now people know.

They laugh because I just don't respond. I'll respond a week or two later or maybe that day. But I need to respect my own space and boundaries because I don't want to be on my phone. I don't even go on my phone. Brianna knows she's here, my assistant. I don't go on my phone after like 8.30 p.m. and then until 9 a.m. It's on airplane. It doesn't do good for me and my body. The problem with this device in mind is going off like 85 times.

And I'm the worst on text, by the way. Worse than Lauren, probably. But it creates this environment where you constantly have to react. And so you can't create and you can't be thoughtful and you can't focus because it's impossible to focus by constantly picking this thing up and checking 80 different apps before you can actually get to whatever it is you need to work on or whatever you need to create or focus on. And we've created this culture where people feel obligated to this

device. If someone doesn't respond to me for a month, I don't take it personally. Because you know. It's just like do what you can do. We're all trying to keep our head above water with everything that's going on. There's so many notifications on every single platform for everyone. I'm not unique. No one's unique here. We're all trying to do our best. The text message thing, if you expect a response from someone right away, I feel like you need to go back to the drawing board with your strategy. I agree. I agree. And also knowing like, it's like, look, I obviously you have work and you have responsibilities. So during the day, like when it's something I need to respond to, I will, but it's, I'm not going to die. Like someone that needs to text me a question, like I'll get back to it at the end of the day, like when it's something I need to respond to, I will, but it's, I'm not going to

die. Like someone that needs to text me a question, like I'll get back to it at the end of the day when I can, when I'm, especially if you're a creative and you're trying to create. And as the process was going, I started respecting what I need and like what's authentic to me and like what will work for me. Because if I do it that way, it it's I'm not going to sustain it and if you do it the way that feels right it's it's you're you're not going to have the burnout that you were experiencing exactly I also think another myth that people aren't going to agree with me on is I don't respond to emails I don't I don't live in my inbox sorry I'm same I'm connecting I'm working I'm interviewing I'm creating content I'm connecting. I'm working. I'm interviewing. I'm creating content. I'm connecting with my audience. I don't check my email. I check it maybe once every two weeks. One of my biggest things with having an admin is like being in my inbox. If something's important,

tell me. But I'm like people on my team will be like, did you see the email? Like when? Like 15 minutes ago. I'm like, you're joking, right? I might see that in two days. Maybe that's not where I'm living. You know, we just interviewed Paige from Aviator Nation, and she's obviously one of the most successful women in the world. I mean, she's just built a huge business and she goes, I don't check email. See, you don't have to do it the way everyone does it. And like you, I don't know. I just think if it doesn't actually resonate with you, you're not going to be successful because it won't last. A hundred percent. Okay. We have to go back. So you arrive the first night we do like kind of, first of all, I'm not the person that likes to go to conferences. I can be an introvert in that way. Like I'm not going to go.

I just, I want to keep to myself. I'm wearing like triple masks at the time. Cause it's like COVID was spiking and I have a baseball cap on. I'm wearing like triple masks at the time because it's like COVID was spiking and I have a baseball cap on. I'm just in the corner. The first night he does a little intro talk and an evening meditation, like group meditation, we go. And the first meditation was nice.

I like being in a room with people while you meditate will help you because all of their energy is resonating. I don't know. I'm lost now. I don't know if I can go in a room with a lot of people. No, I would hate a room with a lot of people,

but I would like that because she's right. There's a vibration. There is. There's a vibration in the room. Oh, first of all, he gives everyone eye mask. Well,

you can buy them, but now I only meditate with a blindfold because it really helps shut you off. And I would take my chair and pull it to the corner of the room by myself, put on my thing. Like I just felt like I was hidden in my little space. So the next day we go in in the morning and he starts lecturing and teaching. And I was just enthralled by this information.

I feel like it was just, it was opening up my mind to spirituality in such a scientific, relatable way, where I was like, this is actually real. And I didn't grow up religious at all. So I've never had faith, I guess. And I knew there was, I believe in God, but I can understand why people like religion

because it gives you a sense of faith that someone's got your back. And in terms of spirituality, it's more just like the universe has your back. There's a higher force that's there for you and it's always just like the universe has your back there's there's a higher force that's that's there for you and it's always working for you so as we do the group meditations i think it was two days in i would come back and tell gary i'm like you don't even understand what i just learned and he believes in all of it he's extremely spiritual he just if you listen to his content a

hundred percent you know you don't know you if you know what he's saying gratitude like all of it is the same it's the same it's literally he i like he said i'd be like you've been saying this and he's like i know like i didn't know what you've been saying this the whole time every time i learn more i realize it's what he's saying he's also manifested i think a lot of what he is like i feel like the reason he is what he is is because of the thoughts that he's thought. Yes. Because he's so positive and happy that he, because he believes it.

Like, the Joe teaches you, if you don't really believe it, it's not going to happen. And the problem, like, that's what his meditations are. Like they,

I mean, he has things on your brain, like little, whatever they're called, like little headsets. And they're watching your brainwaves while he does does his meditations are very intentional to get your brain waves into this very relaxed state so that you actually can get into your subconscious and whatever you want in your life whatever you want michael bostick this is the key well i don't want to

say i have it all figured out because i don't for sure but what i guess inherently in some kind of way this is kind of how I yeah this is kind of how I operate you might be there more naturally than me and Lauren are which is you know and I'm like I have to like that sounds like a very arrogant statement no no I'm careful to say it but no it's okay if you are you are more it's great it does come naturally I see him I see him talk about something that we don't have like years before we have it yeah I have to work to get there. I get in trouble because I think like it's very important to live in the state of the

present state. I live, I don't think about the past at all. Like nothing. I don't, I just don't, I've never found any, like the whole life growing up, my dad's, you can't drive a car looking in the rear view. And I, and I believe that I think it's, it's nice to acknowledge your past and have, and remember things that happened in the past and learn lessons. But I move on quickly. If I make a mistake-

Oh, so you're going to move on from me being late. No, no, no. But where I get in trouble sometimes is I live in the future, but I don't just live in the future. I actually believe it's already happening. Well, you're there then. You're really there on your own. That's amazing. So for my relationship with my wife like i saw myself marrying her and being with her long before we even got back together and having children doing all these things and i'm not saying that to like win brownie points my wife it was like it's it's true or what we're doing here when we did this podcast like to me

what we're doing i haven't even i haven't got to where I actually already am. Does that make sense? Like I see where this is going. You're co-creating, you know, like you really believed it. I mean, you lived it, you believed it as if it was already happening. I'll go back even to, so it's a funny story. The first public thing I ever did, I told you it was on Gary's show actually. And I wasn't supposed to be on the show. Maybe Gary will remember this.

Lauren was, but I knew we were launching this podcast. Like, okay, this is a great platform to like kind of get some visibility. He was doing the Ask Gary Vee show. He had no social presence, Mona. This is like a boyfriend of mine. Not even Instagram. No, he didn't have a social. And you just went on the podcast.

That's great. But in my mind. He bulldozed his way on. I'm like, what is this guy doing? But in my mind, this was going to happen. Like this thing. And then in addition to that, like this thing that we're doing with DuraMeat. Like it was already like that's what and the reason i've been able to kind of

like stay focused on this and not waver himself and do this for so long is because i feel like it's like what i'm trying to do with it i've already done but it just hasn't happened and manifested physically yet does that make sense yes but agree with everything you're saying but i do think with the tool of what you're saying, you would be unstoppable. That's true. Maybe he would get even higher. Like you're naturally there more than we are. Yes.

I think we, I mean, I had a lot of, we have anxiety a little more naturally, right? Yeah. So I've had to work. You and I are the same wavelength. Yes. Unraveling it. I just believe if you have, like you have to, in anything in life, it could be a relationship, could be a business, could be, you know, know personally could be you know fitness whatever if you don't have a vision of

where you're going to go then there's no way to get there like you have to have you you have to have yes an idea or else you're just blindly going through or else you're like it's the random randomization of the universe just throwing stuff it's like somebody says i want to get in shape but if they don't actually see themselves as an in shape person a healthy person that's that's eating right and going to the gym and taking care of themselves. It's not going to happen. You can't just be like, I'm healthy. You sound pretty spiritual.

Well, I think maybe you just don't know it. You know, that's why I'm not opposed to this stuff you're talking about. I'm just saying I've had a hard time figuring out the right person to kind of like maybe go deeper. He even I will say the first he does these like you know you've heard of kundalini breathwork yeah he doesn't call it kundalini he calls it energy centers because he does he doesn't want to polarize p like have it sound i guess unrelatable to people so he doesn't use spiritual words he does it and i love that and he talks about being a car he's like there's this fluid that goes up and down your spine he gives you the science and then that i mean so just to tell you i don't want to like take up the whole thing

talking about joy i feel bad but please he the third day in the meditation we're doing this energy center meditation you go up and when you get to your third center which is like your stomach it was like this like gut punch. Like I was, I had groaned out loud. Like some, it was as if someone was like punching my stomach and I could feel a physical block. And, and, and I was like, okay, that's interesting. We get through that one. And then I go back to the hotel that night. Also, we're doing these coherence healings. People are moving off the floor. We're not touching them. Like it's wild. So I go back that night and I touching them like it's wild so I go

back that night and I'm just like in awe and I just like really wanted to listen to music I took a shower I put on music and I'm just like in the mood to dance I it's I'm like okay this is interesting and I felt like I was moving my body in a different way because I've always been a little unless I had drinks in me I was self-conscious like I've always like not I wouldn't go out and like start dancing at a club I'd need to have a little buzz I don't know what just and then I just felt like I was moving in a different way and like the rest of the week I just felt this like lightness and like joy and like I think just belief in something bigger so that night we go we spend one night in Miami we drove to Miami for the night before

we went back to New York. And the next morning I did the walking meditation and I'm like walking on the beach. And after I put music on, I was like, could not stop myself from dancing. Wow. It is something opened up in me. And now every morning, I mean, not every morning, but I'd say like four or five days out of the week after I meditate, I put on music and I'm like dancing around my kitchen. But, you know, like Melissa style when she turns on her phone and she did or when I'm like, how does this girl have this like confidence to do it? I always like couldn't I would never do that. And now it's and I remember Gary walked in. He was like, I love how you dance. And he's never said that to me. I swear something opened up that was blocked and there was just like a lightness to me.

And you believe, and this is what I believe and tell me if you think it's wrong, that the meditation unlocked a blockage of energy that you were blocking. Yes. And I didn't know where it was, but it was like I would do. And it happened a couple of times when we go up the center. As soon as I got to my third center, it was like, like I was like making these noises. And, and then during other things now, when I meditate, like it just keeps getting weirder and weirder. I bet you go to, it's like the surrender experiment. My body moves, like sometimes I'll make a weird noise. Like I have our apartment and our spare room is my

meditation room because I need to be by myself. I'm like, I don't know what's going to happen when I meditate. It's, I think it's the one time now where I surrender and I'm present. It's not like I'm in a trance, but my body might move around. I might make a noise. Even my hands sometimes will move up and just stop somewhere on my body. I'm just literally letting it do what it knows to do. I think that the reason that people are getting so into meditation like this is because we've been so cock-blocked by our phone. I think our phone has cock-blocked our ability to connect with ourself in an introspective way. And I have a feeling that in the next 10 years,

you're going to see people having very similar experiences to what you've experienced or they're going to go the other way and be on a completely different vibration. Yes. Which is not 5D. I think that I think you're going to see people go. I think we've been too stifled by this phone. And I think it's not human nature for what we've been what we've I put in quotes endured with the phone it's not just the phone I feel like just people have stopped listening to themselves yes right they've lost the ability to be introspective and to and to think without something distracting them and I don't yeah I don't mean that to to diminish anyone I mean

people don't like to be alone with their own thoughts it's my favorite thing right like as soon as you get alone with your thoughts and you hear that voice in your head you're like oh my god i better like distract myself with twitter or facebook or instagram or or tiktok because i don't want to hear what's going on in my brain i first of all i have like a couple like little micro questions when you're meditating in your meditation room is gary like hey guys it's gary me like in the other room like how do you guys manage the differences in personalities? It's the same vibration. I get what you're saying.

But like, it's just how do you do that? Well, because he's a, he's a. He's go, go, go. And Gary, I mean this in a nice way. He's a high octane, high energy individual. I'm so glad you asked this because this is the biggest misconception about Gary. He is the most zen, calm, grounded. Wow.

Like he when he's on. OK, when he's on Zoom meetings and he's working, he does not stop. It's 12 hours. He doesn't even take a lunch break. He's like talking, you know, loud voice. But when he's when it's just and first of all, I meditate between like 6 and 7 a.m. and it's other side of the apartment and like, you know, we're not starting work yet. when it's just and first of all, I meditate between like 6 and 7 a.m. And it's other side of the apartment. And like, you know, we're not starting work yet.

So it's fine. I think he just had he gets fired up when he's in his content. But when he's just like at home, he is so calm. He's recharging probably. Yeah. And it's just I don't I can't like it's it's just so funny because everyone's like, how do you I'm like, oh, my God, he grounds me. It's not the other way around.

That makes actually a lot of sense. He's he has to perform and has the capacity to perform like that because he's able when he's off to go inward and be calm. And that's maybe his meditative situation. Yes. Ed Milet just talked about this. I'm reading his book, The Power of One More. And he says that what he does is he squeezes three days into one.

Like he does three blocks. So if you are doing three days, he puts it all in one day. Well, basically it's a good point about like the concept of time. He's like, most people think the workday is an eight hour day or that like the day begins, it ends at nine to five from work perspective.

But he was saying, if you look at it as like three blocks of 24 hours or however many blocks, like you can bend time to how it fits you. Gary takes five minute five minute meetings 10 minute meetings he taught me that where i'm like wait a 30 minute meeting or 45 is very long are you kidding like and he gets it done 30 minute meetings right we gotta we gotta retire that i agree we gotta retire it's a 30 minute meeting it's like get to the point say what you need to say and like i think because he likes what he does he just has a natural he's like he always says like you're not lazy you're just not interested in what you're

doing let me ask you this so it's good advice you know i think you're you're a relatively private person right and like lauren and i know you personally so you hear rumblings about your dating life before but when when you guys officially come out and announce that you're together and there's 8 000000 people commenting their opinion like how how do you handle that the reason we even announced it was just because it was getting to a point where I'm like I just want I want it to be known and then not talk about it that much because it was you know it was awkward for me to like go on these like when I'm traveling or doing things and just block that one part of my life. Yeah. We were very prepared for anything and everything.

And, you know, people, obviously, everyone's going to have their opinion on anything. And I think it was just expected. So I was really mentally prepared for it, that it's going to be good and bad and in between. And then just like, you know, moved on from it the next day. I think that's smart. It's like you got ahead of any kind of narrative. You owned it.

And then you can just move on with how you see fit on your own terms. I'm like, I don't want anyone's opinions on it. I don't need anyone's like nothing could ever come in between us. It's fine. But I don't even care to know or see or get the likes on it. It's just not, I'm not interested in it. I mean, I think that's the way to do it. Yeah. That's what I would tell you as a friend. I think the way you're doing it is beautiful. Yeah. I think if as soon as you start taking social chat or public opinion, when it comes to your personal life, whether it's your dating life, marriage, parenting, any like that you get into it i think that's when people get into a really dicey place because yes you know i'm sure people have notions and ideas about lauren and i's relationship and about our parenting styles and all that like that's the one area where we're not like at request for coaching or taking feedback i was gonna ask because you guys i mean

just do you guys get comments and whatever about your relationship, about your marriage? I mean, just from being on the podcast together, do people have opinions? This is what I would say. And this is you and I, I swear to God, have so many similarities. I'm also a very private person. You share it in a lighthearted way. You're not getting deep about your relationship. I noticed that. Yeah. And like here and there, I'll throw like an Easter egg in because we're doing a podcast. But I'm not like I don't need to expose every single facet of my entire life, even with my kids. I'm very, very thoughtful with how I share my children. I can tell. I'll share a picture here and there maybe a couple of times a week, but I'm not filming my daughter while she's doing everything do you

know what I mean like it's little tiny snippets yes and I think that I really relate to what you're saying it's like you don't want outside opinion to penetrate something so special that you have but also you know people are obviously curious but I wanted to ask you when you guys are out people must come up to both of you because you guys both have a social presence. How the fuck do you guys go out to eat? Both of you. To be honest, I mean, I get I get people like, you know, once in a while, I feel like it's, you know, maybe a couple times a week or something. It's nothing as crazy for me. I mean, with him, we can't especially like walking down the street. Yeah. I mean, and the thing about him is people are so touched by what he's done for them

that they really come up so emotional and he's so sweet and he stands and he listens and he talks and he's, and it's not even that he's doing it to be nice. He genuinely likes it. And he's like, bitch, you got five minutes. Right. And we actually talked about this recently where I was like, bitch, you got five minutes. Right? And we actually talked about this recently where I was like, I don't love, like, I don't have the personality for like talking to a ton of people all the time out in public, whereas he has it. So he can do it and it doesn't drain him where it would drain me more. So, yeah, people definitely come up. I'll say one time we were having breakfast outside of a hotel, Cipriani, something like that. And this guy from across coming down the hotel stairs was like, was like, oh, man, Gary V. And he was Russian. He was speaking Russian to him. We're sitting across from each other. He sits down, just plops down next to Gary at the table, hands me his phone. He's like, will you take a picture like breakfast on the table and everything? I was like, it intrusive but you know of course Gary's like you know it's fine that it was alarming that's a lot yeah it was a lot I'm sure you guys could write a book on all the scenarios that you experience especially in New York City because it's such a exact it's you know it's a lot

of people but to be honest like he's in the office all day I'm working from home so it's not like we're just like walking around the city a lot. Like we're kind of like in our zones. I want to talk about you working from home after you had this transformation. What is what does it look like? What what did it look like? And what does it look like now? I want to know the differences between that.

After the retreat, I just felt like I guess I was excited almost to get back. I felt re-inspired. I wanted to come back and just like be me and just share, really just share what I was feeling, what I was thinking. And ever since I came back, I started noticing numerous people coming up to me, like being like, I really like your content now. There's something different about it. I just feel like it's a little more natural and raw. And no one would ever say that to me before. So I think when you're just like really being your authentic self, it really resonates more with people. So it took me a minute. I had like, I would say just

maybe two months ago, I've started to really maybe even recently got my team together. I was I had to regroup in New York and find new editors and what direction I was going to take it in. So I work from home most days of the week. I am actually just starting a podcast that I'm launching probably in January, February. We go into a studio to do that. And I film my YouTube videos. I'm relaunching that in December because I don't like filming that much at home. I try to keep it separate, but I work from home. That makes sense. Yeah. So when you do your content now, you're getting a more like a real behind the scenes of you as opposed to something that,

by the way, was popular, more curated. Yes. When you and I filmed it, it was more curated. It's different now. And YouTube will be more curated. That's like, I feel like where that lies. A hundred percent. But do you guys both, this is different, like as creators, did you feel there was a certain period of time where like you kind of

get swept away and like this is the formula that works for everybody and so like that's the formula I have to, people do it in podcasting too. It's like, oh, I've seen this show do this

and so they start trying to maybe do it but it's not authentic to them. Is that kind of what you saw where it's like you're just doing things that you thought were going to perform? Down to like, I would fight myself on like, okay, I shouldn't care about the fonts or the way it's edited or whatever. I should just do what's best practice. And now I'm just like, I respect that I

like aesthetic. It makes me feel good. I don't care. Honestly, if you were to tell me like, do it this way and make it look this way because it will do better, I wouldn't do it. And I think when I finally respected that about myself, you know, because you'd think like, you'd almost think like people care about aesthetic because they think it's going to do better. No, it's actually just makes me happy to see beautiful things. Every single morning for the last four years, I wake up and I have a matcha, a ginger tea, or a coffee. And one thing I am very specific about, as you know, is the milk that I use.

So I use Malk. It's certified organic. All their products are certified organic. It's a premium plant-based milk made with simple, high-quality ingredients. It's organic almonds, filtered water, and Himalayan pink salt. And I seriously use this for everything. I'll put it in cereal. I'll put it in smoothies. I put it in Zaza's eggs sometimes to give it a little fluff. I even make a delicious matcha foam with it that is so good with cinnamon. But I know when I'm reaching for an almond milk, it's always milk. If you're not

into almond milk, by the way, they also have vanilla almond, original oat, vanilla oat, and chocolate oats. I mean, hello. So here's my advice to you. If you're at home, turn around your bottle or your package of anything that's in your fridge or your pantry and read the ingredient labels, especially with your almond milk. You're going to be so surprised at what you guys find. And I'm telling you, this just takes all of the hassle out of it. Turn around Malk and you'll find simple, clean ingredients, which we love. All right, you're going to head over to MalkOrganics.com to find Malk near you. Special offer for Skinny Confidential, him and her listeners, DM code SKINNY to at MalkOrganics on Instagram, and they're going to pick 10 winners to gift you guys a pack of products from Malk. I mean, hello, you have to try

the unsweetened almond. Do you feel a little slow? Do you feel a little sickly? Do you feel like you got some under eye bags? Feel like the skin tone's not quite right? Feel like you're undernourished, under mineralized? Maybe you don't have the right prebiotics and probiotics. That's probably because you're not taking athletic greens like me. I take athletic greens every day and I am feeling and looking incredible. Everyone that looks at me these days over the past few years, they're like, wow, look at this guy. What a perfect specimen. And it's because I'm on Athletic Greens. We talk about a lot of different supplements, a lot of different services on this show. If I could only strip it down and dumb it down to one

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So just doing this, one, it gets you in the habit of drinking water in the morning, which you should be doing anyway. And two, it just gets all of these great nourishment into your system, into your body, which have so many great effects, which I listed previously. So if you want to take ownership of your health,

today is a good time to start. Athletic Greens is giving you a free one-year supply of vitamin D in five free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com slash skinny. That's athleticgreens.com slash skinny. Check it out. Recently, I redid my whole fridge. And one of the things that I put in there is like this little acrylic holder. And in it, I stocked Perfect Bar. I did the snack size. They have these little mini ones and they're filled with six grams of protein. And all their bars are like freshly ground nut butter, organic honey, and they have 20 organic

superfoods. So when Zaza grabs something, I feel like she's getting something sweet that feels like a treat, but it's actually nutritious too because it has that protein in it. She is absolutely obsessed. This is her curation, the dark chocolate chip peanut butter with sea salt. Anyways, I stocked our fridge with these. I did a little snack bar, and then I also pack the big ones when we're going on vacation because they have 17 grams of protein. So when Michael's in a bad mood because he's hangry because he forgot to eat, I am stocked with my dark chocolate chip peanut butter protein bar. All right. So here's the deal. If you want something that's non-GMO,

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It sounds like to you, it's not about, you know, just making the money and getting it and getting the views. It's like more of just self-expression. Yeah, self-expression. And like, I think now when I create content, it's literally all day, any day. Like I'll, I'll walk in the grocery store videos. I do. I'll just walk in and I'll see something and I'm like, Oh, I want to talk about this. It's never like, what am I going to go into the grocery store and film? I just see it and get inspired. Or

if we're in the car on the way home, I'll be like, Oh, let me just film this quick video. And I find that that just, when you're feeling it in the moment you say it versus like let me write it down put up a camera you know it's like you can't fake that energy as well you know who's doing a great job of that Bethany Frankel yeah oh my god yeah she's talking yeah she's getting she's getting on and she's just talking like she's putting on makeup and she's like this is what I'm using this is what i'm doing she's done a really good job i think also julia fox yes yes she's killing it yeah they both have done a good job of just getting on when they have a thought and i respect that i mean i think that's very very smart then then having all this stuff planned let me ask you this too you you mentioned you wanted to take the doctor out of your name. And we were talking

about this before we started the show. Lauren and I will catch flack because we're not doctors, quote unquote, or experts, quote unquote. And so people get mad. You can't give an opinion because you don't have a credential, even though it's just our opinion. But for you, it was the opposite. You actually had the credential and you wanted to remove it. What was the reasoning? I didn't want any more misconceptions about me trying to trick anyone that I was an MD. Even though I have my doctorate, I worked really hard for that. I was like, you know what? Let's just remove this for that reason.

And then on top of that, I felt like it was kind of pigeonholing me into like only creating wellness content. And when I went through this whole experience, I was like, I do like fashion and I do like food and I do like interior design. And I was so focused on staying in my lane that I think part of meditation in this whole process of the year was like, this is my life and these are the things I care about. Why can't I share them? Like, I don't want to just live in this lane in this box. If you think about it, like I spent six years of my life in pharmacy school, right?

I hope I have 94 other years of life. So because of that six years, that's what I have to do my whole life. I can't ever shift. And that's insane. So I just, right? Like pull that clip. That's a great clip that you're 100% right. And I think the misconception with the word stay in your lane, bethany frankel actually told me that advice it's not stay in your lane of what you're good at and what you can do it's stay in your lane meaning putting your blinders on to what other people are doing oh two very different i think people are confusing that whenever i say stay in my lane i mean i'm putting my blinders on i'm not watching 400 Instagram stories and

consuming tons of content. I'm just really focused on what I'm doing. It doesn't mean that you can't be multifaceted and an onion. Exactly. We are. We're humans. We're always evolving and changing. What are we supposed to say? The exact same. You learn and you grow from different experiences and your interests change. And I remember thinking, I've gotten so into interior design. I don't know. It's really just, and I'm like, anything that I love, I'm going to explore. Yeah. I think we're at a time in culture where people, like some people are having a difficult time understanding that you may do eight different things throughout your life. Like our parents' generation and the generation before, it's like, if you became a doctor or a lawyer, it's like like that was the thing you did. There wasn't a lot

of optionality, right? Or like you went and worked in a certain space. There wasn't a lot of options, especially because you didn't have the internet and you had to most likely commute to a place. Thinking about my personal career, there's not one linear path. It's like been so many different things and I'm only 36, right? And I'm imagining there'd be so many other things that are going to happen in my life that I'm not anticipating now right? And I'm imagining there'd be so many other things that are going to happen in my life that I'm not anticipating now. And I think people are still struggling with the idea that you might do different things throughout your life and shift focus or expertise or whatever. Joe dispends a promo. I'm not even trying. One thing his meditations and spirituality in general

teach you is that if you think you can predict everything that's going to happen, like that's very boring. Like if you open up your mind to like anything could happen, like your life could go in so many more directions and it actually becomes fun. Like if you're so fixated on like, no, it has to go this way. Like that's not fun at all. So meaning like if I wake up and I'm like, oh, I have to go, you know, film this content today. I really don't want to. Instead of me predicting how the content filming is going to go, wake up and be open to a lot of different things could happen than what I expect. Maybe. Or here's what I'm trying to say. Like, let's say I'm like, I have to, I want to start a podcast and it has to be like top 10 and then I'm going to have kids

and then I'm going to, and I have this whole idea. Maybe something is going in a different direction, but just being open to the way that life is flowing and what the universe is bringing you instead of pulling at this thing that you think you have to have. Maybe if I go in that direction, I'm going to have a hit TV show or whatever, like it will go and, you know, be like obviously having your goals, but not pulling at one thing so hard if it's not working, like when a new opportunity arises, being open to it. Like if the idea was only we're going to do these podcasts for the rest of our life and that's all this is ever going to be, or you switch out and say, we're going to do these podcasts and maybe

we meet someone like Mona or someone else and then it takes your life in a whole different direction and opens up a whole not another possibility for a career or whatever. Like that, I think where people get in trouble is or where they get burnt out is they think their life is only ever going to be

like this one thing and nothing else. This one thing and you kind of put yourself into this box where like it could be even bigger than you ever imagined. Like sometimes when I meditate,

I'm like, what if I'm in a movie one day? Could happen. Like I really go in that direction now where I'm like, I'm just open to whatever life has in store for me. It's why I always had such a difficult time in school because school teaches you. I mean, listen, I know some people love school, but it teaches you like, follow these rules,

do these things, then this set path will be set for you and that's all you'll have to focus on, right? I always struggle with that because I think that life can be so much more interesting if you're open to other experiences. I agree. There's a lot going on with Iran right now. And I got really passionate about it. Obviously, it's my culture. But I'm like, oh, I never knew that activism would spark something inside me. Maybe I'm going to get more into this work. Something can happen in life that just kind of puts you in one direction like you know when you see who's the actor that was a doctor what's his name and now he's like one of the biggest comedy actors he was in um i can't remember i know who you're talking you know who i'm talking about but i can't oh he

was in the hangover yeah do you think after medical he was thinking like i'm gonna be an a-list actor yeah i know who you're talking about yeah i just think it's interesting i think if you're open to life and not trying to hold on to this image that you have, that it's going to be like maybe, you know, you could be open to other things. I wanted to ask you that. I saw your TikTok where you opened up about Iran. Can you talk about that to everyone? I mean, maybe even you kind of explained it in layman's terms to people that don't understand or need a simpler explanation. I think growing up, you know, I grew up Persian. My parents were divorced when I was really young, so I didn't grow up with any other culture around me. And I think

one thing about Iran is that it's kind of always been forgotten. Like even if you look at like language lists on something, it'll be like Arabic and Farsi is never on there. People just kind of lump us into like Arabic. You assume we're Arabic, speak Arabic. It's a completely different country, different language. So I think when all of this happened with the protests, some people were just like, wait, what's Iran? Like what's like no one even really knew anything. And definitely one thing it's taught me, I would say, is I've never been that loud about other things because I was like, I don't really want to go there politically. I don't want to. I just tried to like not bring that on to social. And this is no judgment to anyone who does or doesn't. But when something so deeply personal affects you, you realize like how much it means when other people speak up about it. And I think it's just opened my eyes to wanting to

be louder for other people, too. I love that, love that TikTok from you. Yeah, thank you. It was something I didn't expect from you. The one where I was crying? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I was like, wow, this is different content. But I felt that you were feeling so deeply about this. Because it was close to your heart.

Yeah. I still have family that lives there. We're trying to get them all to move to Canada. But I never was able to visit growing up because of the government. Now, even having social media, I was always like, that small chance that they put me in jail, no one can help me. So it's that scary. I was never willing to risk going because me wearing this low-cut shirt

is already anti-Islamic regime or Islamic Republic. This is not Islam either. They're like a pathetic excuse of religion. But when it was all happening, I just felt this over. I actually was on the phone with Gary when I was crying in that video and my team was over and they just like filmed it. I didn't even know they were filming it. But I was like, I want to say something. I just don't know what to say and what can make the biggest impact. It was really like a heavy few weeks at first. And it's still going on. And I think it's hard when you don't know why other people aren't like media isn't covering it, whatever

the political reasons are. I'm not a political person. I don't even like speaking on it that much because I don't feel like I know enough to say But this has given me honestly confidence to just be like anything I get out anything I can bring awareness to I'd rather have Someone judge me and say that I'm saying it wrong or someone get mad at me versus like actually doing the right thing Honestly, you can't say anything right though Difficult because again going back to this expertise like sometimes we say things on this show and people say, stay in your lane. You're not an expert. Shut the fuck up. And then maybe something that's going on is politically charged.

You go, well, why didn't you say anything? And it's like, well, which way is it? Do you want us to be experts or do you not want us? These things are so touchy. And I feel the same way you feel about it. If something's really coming from the heart and it's sparking, you feel this need to say something, then you should. But I think people get in trouble where they just jump into whatever issue is happening. A repost. Yeah, exactly.

Because the intention is not in the right place. Like, oh, maybe I got to do this because I got to make sure that I'm doing what everyone else is doing. But I think those have the least amount of impact and it makes people listen the least amount, right? But if something like what you posted that's that close, it gets people to be like, huh, and listen because they can tell you actually care. Agree. I think people can sniff out authenticity all the time now. And I think, honestly, I go back to imposter syndrome so much. It's so real. Whereas I'm like, I'm not qualified to talk about Iran. I'm not qualified to talk about this. I'm like, what do you mean? Like anyone can talk about anything.

Like we all have it. We're all fully capable. And I think that just has stopped me a lot in the past. And one thing I've been trying to get past in this whole journey I've had. The journey that you've had is unreal. Yeah, the meditation journey is unreal. I did a theta meditation last night. Michael, so loud getting in the bed. It's like he has to take the cup of water and slam it down

and the pillows have to be ruffled and the light you turned on 65 times as bright as it could go. I'm just like, is this, but that's part of meditation, right? Letting things go. I have these darker eyes that's harder to see. And Lauren has these really bright blue sensitive eyes. And so she turns the light down to nothing. So I'm just stumbling around and smashing it. Your kids have the same eyes. So you got to adjust. I can't see is what I'm saying.

I can't see anything. I would love to know the contrast of... And I know we kind of talked about this a little bit. What your morning routine is just for my own selfish self. And what Gary's morning routine is just for my own selfish self and what Gary's morning routine is. And like I picture Gary waking up and chugging a huge cup of coffee and like, like I would love to know what the contrasting routines are and how you guys make it work with each other just for me and Michael's benefit. Because Michael's definitely more like Gary and

I'm more like you. How do you know? It sounds like he's pretty zen. He's pretty zen. So he, I know all my morning, this is another example, whereas all my like night routine and morning routine stuff that I believe in and I think he should do, he doesn't need. I really believe that everyone's wired so differently and some people need it and some people don't. And I'm like, you know what? He's doing pretty well mentally. So I'm not even going to bother with that. Like he can just get up and go.

He gets up. He gets up. Yeah. And goes pretty much just goes, goes right into his, he works out. Who wakes up first? Depends on the day. So different sometimes. Yeah.

One thing taking a break and like the whole quarantine thing got me into was sleep because I feel like before I wasn't, I would like, like pride myself on getting five or six hours of sleep and going. And now I just know how good it is. So if I go to bed late, I'd rather sleep in a little bit later. Also, when you said that you get off your phone now, I get off my phone early too. If you're getting off your phone early,

you're getting more sleep because you're not stimulated. The blue light, exactly. Do you know all about like the flicker too and light bulbs? There's just like this whole thing. I need to get back on, flicker's where it turns your phone red light bulbs? No. There's like this whole thing. I need to get back on. A flicker is where it turns your phone red, right?

It's like even light bulbs. You know when you hold your phone up to a light and then like it's flashing on your phone, but there's like a flicker and you can look up low flicker bulbs. So I have these like red low flicker bulbs in our light in our bedroom because it doesn't stimulate you as much. Love. So one of you doesn't stimulate you as much love so so which one one of you doesn't wake up first before the other it's different it's different it honestly depends on the day okay so we're not mainlining caffeine into our vein the second we

wake up i'll tell you one thing about gary too he has like a few sips like he'll have a coffee this size and drink this much and then like forget about it and then a couple hours later he just likes to have it next to him he really doesn't need the caffeine i'm telling you he just has this natural energy so do you leave him do you wake up immediately and leave him to go meditate in your room i i'd like to wake up i prefer to wake up before him i have this thing where i want to be awake before anyone else because it's peaceful to me but if i don't get enough sleep then i won't do it. What's the sex life like? Is he like, we're at the Gary Vee show now. That's where the privacy is coming in.

Welcome to the Gary Vee show. Moving on. That no comment. She'll tell me off air. How to throw that in there. So you wake up, you go to your meditation room. I go to my meditation room. I meditate.

The 24 minute one? Sometimes I do like an hour and 20 minutes. Sometimes I do 24 minutes. Hour and 20 minutes? Which one's an hour and 20 minutes? I don't know that one. Most of his, well, the morning, most of his are about an hour. I just use the one on YouTube.

Are you using it on his app? That's why you don't have it downloaded. No, on his website, you have to pay for his meditations oh i just used the 24 minute one there's probably one on youtube yeah i'd have them down you go on his website you pay like 30 bucks now he's never coming on you've been bootlegging all his stuff okay um and most of them and especially one thing at the week long i remember like i'm like an hour meditation are you crazy you think it goes by in like 15 minutes i don't think it's crazy anymore i swear we did a four hour meditation. Are you crazy? You think it goes by in like 15 minutes. I don't think it's crazy anymore. I swear.

We did a four hour meditation one morning and like you didn't even know it's four hours. Like you open your eyes and he's like, it's 10 a.m. We're all like, you're just four hours. Wow. But he guides you through the whole thing. Like he's guiding you through it at the event. I need to get his app. So you do.

Sometimes I do an hour and a half. Sometimes I do 25 minutes. The 24 minutes, like the short one. That's like my, you know, I'm like rushing. That's like you're like, that's like my easy one. Yeah, that's like making out. But it's so weird. It's like as soon as sometimes like I'll drag myself there. And then as soon as I sit down and close my eyes and it starts, I'm like, I don't want to get up. It's the most relaxing, enjoyable process, which I never believed before. Mona, have you tried it on a PEMF mat? I have a PEMF machine. It's like a professional. Honestly, I probably shouldn't have this. It's

professional grade. Lauren, I'll make you a deal. I'll do this for an hour and 20 minutes. You got to text me that link. If you get up early with the kids and deal with the kids in the morning. No comment. Wait, is Michael getting up with the kids? Yeah. That's amazing. I carried him for 10 months each. You can get up with the kids.

It's fine. And I like getting up. It's like our time. I literally, I don't feel bad about that. No, no, I don't feel bad. That's really sweet. Yeah, he's sweet. He's a sweet guy.

Yeah. Well, I like that time because, you know, I'll get going, run around. I'm glad you like that time. It makes sense because you like waking up earlier. You like that time because you know i'll get going run around and so it makes sense because you like waking up earlier you like that you get that time it's nice embrace it and when you can carry a kid for 10 months every day then i'll wake up with the kids no comment no changing social norms look at us what are some other important morning routine things that you do and I have to ask you that before you go and maybe nighttime too because you're so known for routine things so just give us a couple of things that have really been life-changing in your toolbox so I it's funny I

love audiobooks but I don't like reading I know you guys love to read that's okay audiobooks are great so I like listening so either like a really inspiring like audiobook or podcast, but it's always something I would say it's usually along the like spiritual realm because that's what I like in the morning. Okay. I don't want I'm not like into like funny content or something in the morning. So I'm listening to a book. I like to work out, have a little music shower. And then by the time I'm done with all that, then I'll turn on my phone.

So I don't like to like text message or do anything before that. I agree. I have my phone. It's on airplane or if I have to use it for something, I'll put on do not disturb. So I'm not getting any notifications. I'm going to use the, I don't use the airplane mode and do not disturb enough. It's really good. Even like Gary knows sometimes now, like if we wake up at the same time, like I don't like to talk before I meditate because i want my mind as clear as possible am i am i just speaking your language i'm a little bit of a chatter so like i just need because they'll let they'll you know meditating

really early in the morning or late at night you're going to get more benefit out of it if before your mind's on like you're in your subconscious more before you had a bunch of stuff coming yes like there's something that jd i'm just gonna call him jd djd yeah god said that said that he wakes up at 4 30 in the morning to meditate because he likes to be in that theta state with because when you just what you said when you're when you go about your day you get in a different state where you're like stressed when you meditate. But if you're in the theta state, your brain's doing less work. It's this meditation he has where one of the days, the four-hour meditation, we have to get there at four. We do the meditation from like four to eight or whatever it is,

because your melatonin is highest between like 12 and 4 or 12 and there's some like something there did you ever fall asleep in those you you know you're laying down and you might go in and out because his voice and he's like that's okay like it's okay you're almost like teetering on that wavelength where you want to be in and out but it's so nice because it's like this was like one big manipulation to get me into this because you guys talked before last time melissa came on she got me to not drink for like seven months, which was good. So now you come on.

I haven't had a drink in two years either. Now I'll get into JD's meditation because you came on. You have not had a drink in two years. Yes. I'll tell you why. It's because of my gut health. I've been,

I've really been, so I won't get into this too long. I know we're almost wrapped, but like the gut health stuff has been like a four-year journey for me. And that's also what got me interested because you cause you do all the Western stuff and all, and it doesn't work. And then you, your last resort is going into the deeper work, which probably should be the first thing you look at. And when I got into functional medicine doctors, they were like,

this is really like a mind, you know, your vagus nerve, your, your gut brain connection. And that's, you know, that's something I've really been working on. And then when I was like, mind, you know, your vagus nerve, your gut brain connection. And that's, you know, that's something I've really been working on. And then when I was like, okay, I'm really trying to work on my gut health, alcohol is definitely one of the worst things I could do. So I stopped. Not only has it given me like, it's given me such a confidence to go out without alcohol, because, you know, I felt, I told you you i felt between the meditation and no alcohol i feel like i have the time of my life and don't need anything and i was never that girl i'm noticing a lot more people not wanting alcohol yeah and my reason was wasn't because i was uh what is it sober you're sober curious i wasn't sober curious i just did it for gut health but now i'm like oh i'm very intrigued by this i

miss wine that's it yeah what do you do when gary's drinking his wine i don't i sometimes i'll have like a tiny sip to taste it and then i just you're so right what it did for me and like i'll partake here and there but the levels now at which i partake are so much lower than before and i feel like people use it as such a social crutch yes And that seven months, to your point, gave me also the confidence to just be like, okay, I can go out and use or not use. Yeah, you don't need it. And now I don't also don't really need or want as much. I think it's really beneficial for everyone to do a resell because we use it as, like I said, such a crutch and depend on it so much for social settings. And you don't realize, you adjust to things. You think it's a huge deal. Oh, I did a two-year sober.

Two years. I don't know about two. 10 months plus 10 months. What's that? I wonder if it was different because I mean, you were pregnant. Maybe you weren't going out as much. I don't know. I think it's different because you're kind of in that situation.

Oh my God. Here it is. You're in that situation you're kind of forced to because you have a child growing in your right your body versus like really experimenting with like going out and yeah and like making the conscious effort to be like i just don't want to do this right now like you're kind of forced to not okay all right i wish you could get pregnant i really do not to discount i have a funny story that i don't think i've ever told you in person. And I just thought, when did I first meet Mona? And Michael doesn't even know this. I was looking through a scrapbook the other day.

What? And you were in a picture with me at when I was probably 18. No. You don't even know this. I couldn't believe it. You're in the photo. And I put probably 18. No. You don't even know this. I couldn't believe it. You're in the photo. And I put two and two together. The first time I met you

was at Stingery in San Diego with Jade Nicole at her birthday the day that that car accident happened in front of Stingery. And I was at the table. And Jade had... Maybe you must have been 20 because I was back then okay maybe i was

20 jade had she was a modeling agency appearance or something yes yes she reached out to me in san diego i think we found each other through my space no way she had me come to dinner and i was seated across from you you're kidding that's the first time i met you. And I have a picture of us. And I'm like, oh my God. I kind of when I first met you, I was like, I know her from somewhere. I think we were older because I met Jade when I was like 25. So it was like. Maybe we were old. Yeah.

You might have been 24 when I was 25 because I met her when I finished school. Yeah, it must have been because I didn't come back until later. have a picture in my scrapbook of us so young at stingery sounds like you guys made a hell of an impression on each other wait oh my god wait wait no she did make an impression on me because I was like how do I know this person she was with her boyfriend at the time right yes yes because they were trying to set me up with this guy there I remember this was it not Gerald I don't He had a shaved head. He was Persian, actually, I think. He might have been Persian. I don't remember. I'm going to look at the picture because it's a bunch of us in the picture. It's Sarah Underwood. Yes. All the

Playboy girls and me. Another brunette, but I can't remember who the brunette was. Anyway, I just had to tell you that because I think that's so funny that now you're sober. Would you call yourself sober? I mean, it's such a funny term because it makes it sound like you just you don't indulge in drinking i don't indulge no no don't indulge but we met at a club yeah i mean oh i've used to go out all the time in my 20s you did yeah and i feel like once i finished pharmacy school i was like let out of the cage because i didn't get to go out when i was in school i was so busy studying and then i then I was new to Hollywood and I loved going out. You forgot to tell us how you and Gary met. We met literally in like 2014 or 15 in a business meeting. It was nothing. I was just starting my

brand and I was working with this marketing company. And they were like, you should meet this guy. Maybe he would. It's so fun. This is the best story because so LA, they were like, this guy, Gary V, he's one of the owners of Dove. And was it like love at first sight when you guys went on your first date? For him.

For him? You know what though? That's how it should be. So honestly, honestly, like a beautiful couple. It's, I've never been more sure of anything.

And it's just like, you know, when you know, I always tell my friends who are still single, like, you will know. Don't settle. You do not settle. Thank God nothing else ever worked out. Thank God I was single for so long. This is a perfect example of that. You are incredible. I also have to tell you, since I haven't seen you for a little bit, I can tell your vibe, your meditation is like you can just tell that you're letting life take you. You're surrendering. Thank you. Yeah. Where can everyone

find you? Where can they follow you? Where should they start? Tell us about your podcast, everything you're doing. The podcast will be launching January, February. It's with one of my best friends, Chloe Flower. She's this amazing pianist, so we're doing it together. It's called Core Self, so that's coming up. And then on everything else, just Mona Vand. Okay. Not doctor, guys. Not doctor, just Mona Vand. I am very inspired by this conversation. I hope Michael's even more inspired. Wait a minute. Joe Dispenza's been drilled into my head. Don't wait five years to come back again next time. Yeah, don't wait five years to come back. Come back anytime. Let me know when you're in Austin or LA.

I love that. I text you my new number. Got it. I decided that's just like a real quick. That's like an off thing that I did is I just decided just kind of like how you stopped a social media. I just changed my number. That's so smart.

That's a great refresh. I just gave it to like 30 family members and a couple friends and then i thought whoever i want to have this number moving forward i have control to give it to them i might do that yeah it was so nice and so like when someone will like ask me for my number i have the optionality of giving it to them what is so not to like close this with a question on you but but what do you do when someone asks and you don't want

to give them your number? Are you like, oh, actually, it's better for you to email me? She gives them my number. I give them my email. I don't even give it.

So if they say, what's your number? You'll say, oh, email me? No, she'll just email me. Okay. And it's not that I don't want them to have my number

because I'm trying to be like this. No, it's your personal space. I just want my phone to be on text message to be my personal space. She's lying. There's some people

she doesn't want to have the number yeah there's obviously a couple people for sure of course but it's it's your thing i love that yeah that was and it's nice for me to be able to choose when i want to give it out so i didn't like i just will give it out sparingly i feel really honored that i have it you have it i feel i feel great you have it i don't harass you. No, you never harass me. Let me know when you're in Austin and LA. Mona, thank you for coming on. Thank you, Mona.

Thank you. You're amazing. Wait, don't go. We are always doing the most incredible giveaways. Like, let me give you an example. We just did one with the ring concierge for three diamond tennis bracelets. To make sure you're entered in these giveaways,

make sure you rate it and review the podcast on iTunes. It takes two seconds. And of course, make sure you're following along on Instagram at Lauren Bostic and on TikTok at Lauren Bostic. You can follow Michael if you want. It's a personal decision. Cheers.