Hurdle

At age 15, Juice Press founder Marcus Antebi entered a 3-month drug rehab program, and he’s been sober ever since. In episode 41, the Brooklyn native tells me about how he leaned into athletic interests like skydiving and Muay Thai in his young adulthood and became really focused on the quality of the foods he was putting into his body. In 2010, the vegetarian opened up the first Juice Press in the East Village—arguably the world’s largest organic, plant-based grab-and-go health food provider. Today, Marcus and Juice Press CEO Michael Karsch have 89 locations in seven different states. We chat about how scary it was expanding beyond that first shop, the one thing you need to cut out from your diet today, and how they decide what stays and goes on the 120+ item menu. SOCIAL @juicepress @marcusantebi @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. Headspace | Head to heaspace.com/hurdle to get 30-day free trial of the entire Headspace library, no code necessary.

Forty. Episodes (!!!). This live pod comes from a discussion I had last week in collaboration with WeWork Labs, featuring past Hurdlers Adam Kallen of Jane Motorcycles, Jessy Dover of Dagne Dover, and Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi of Shine. We laughed a lot, and we talked about a lot of great stuff—from what it means to live a balanced lifestyle (and what that looks like for busy entrepreneurs) to really rad book suggestions and what “joy” is all about. SOCIAL @wework @shinetext @janemotorcycles @adam_janemoto @dagnedover @jessydover @hurdlepodcast OFFERS SHINE | Head to shinetext.com/hurdle to get 50 percent off a premium plan. DAGNER DOVER | Head to dagnedover.com and use the code “HURDLE20” at checkout for 20 percent off your purchase, now through February 31, 2019.

To say that Carolyn Kylstra has had an impressive career path as a journalist would be a total understatement. From stints at Men’s Health and Cosmopolitan to Women’s Health and BuzzFeed, now she’s the editor-in-chief of SELF at Condé Nast. But her rise to the top wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. In her #hurdlemoment, the new mom shares that she found out she was pregnant around the same time her entire career was about to shift, and how she managed to keep it together despite abundant—sometimes overwhelming—amounts of responsibility (plus, morning sickness). In episode 39, we talk about everything from the scary climate of the publishing industry to how she manages to take time for herself. She also tells me an insane story about how she almost died from a tick bite and offers up a ton of insight about what it means to be “healthy,” no matter what size you are. SOCIAL @carolynkylstra @selfmagazine @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.

When we feel like we’re waiting for instructions (gimme a sign!) we can forget our power. That’s just one example of the you-got-this texts that more than 2 million Shine users receive on a daily basis. App co-founders Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi met working at a non-profit just over 8 years ago, and they immediately hit it off. Becoming fast friends, the duo leaned into each other to get through #hurdlemoments like speed bumps in their relationships and hard-to-have conversations at the office. In 2016, they left their jobs to focus on Shine full-time, raised millions of dollars in funding, and began to grow their team. In episode 38, we talk about the challenges they’ve faced as women of color co-founders and they offer-up best-practice tips on how to silence your inner critic. SOCIAL@shinetext@hurdlepodcast@emilyabbate OFFERSAthletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.

Special episode alert! Live from the Tory Burch store on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, I’m sitting down with Nichelle Hines—the chief ride officer at Cycle House—and Sarah Larson Levey, the founder and CEO of Y7 Studio. This conversation is about as real as it gets. Hines shares how the writer’s strike of 2008 turned her life upside down and lead her down a path she never expected, and Sarah dishes on what it was like in the early days of creating her hip-hop yoga empire alongside her husband. In episode 37, talk about everything from our worst days as entrepreneurs (negative Yelp reviews, anyone?) to the best lessons we’ve learned with a side of sweat, sharing a bunch of laughs and a few tears along the way. This is one you don’t want to miss. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @sarah_ayako @nichelle @y7studio @cyclehouse @torysport OFFERS TORY SPORT | Head to torysport.com/ and get 20 percent off your purchase using the code “HURDLE20” at checkout.

In 2013, the now-CEO was working as a consultant — tired, traveling constantly, and 40 pounds overweight. Fitness wasn’t a priority for him because—in his words—it was hard to make it a priority. The catch: he wanted to be healthier. In his #hurdlemoment, Ethan dropped 40 pounds by building the first version of Aaptiv, which brings top-level digital-only, audio-based training sessions with personal trainers right to your headphones. In episode 36, the founder tells me hilarious stories about the early days of Aaptiv, posing as a surveyor at the gym asking strangers for feedback. He offers essential advice for anyone trying to adopt a new fitness routine and gives the lowdown on his 6 a.m. habit that makes him more productive throughout his entire day. SOCIAL @ethanagarwal @aaptiv @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS Headspace | Head to headspace.com/hurdle to get 30 days of the entire Headspace library for free. Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. Aaptiv | Enter code “HURDLE” at checkout for a 7-day free trial, then 30 percent off an annual Aaptiv membership ($99.99 to $69.99).

Ever since she was a young girl, Ali Feller had her heart set on working in the publishing industry. Not just any job in publishing, though: Editor-in-chief of a teen dance magazine, perfect for someone who grew up on stage. By 25 (!!) she landed it. Right off the bat, she was working crazy hours, in endless meetings, on set at photoshoot after photoshoot living that New York City grind life that I know oh so well myself. Around that same time, she fell in love with running, tackling her first marathon. But soon, the stress became too much. Battling Crohn’s disease, Ali realized in her #hurdlemoment that she needed to step away from her dream job to get better and rediscover her purpose. In episode 35, we talk all about the transition that lead her to creating the Ali on the Run Show podcast, how Crohn’s has impacted her life, what it’s like to be a new mom to her beautiful babygirl Annie, and commiserate over the self-inflicted pressures (and benefits!) of being your own boss. SOCIAL @aliontherun1 @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HURDLE! Exactly one year ago today, Hurdle hit iTunes. In this combo anniversary/year-end episode, I’m giddily recapping eight of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from 365 days behind the microphone, including some gems from fan-favorites including Hayden Slater, Kirsty Godso, Robin Arzon, and more. A huge, huge thank you to all of the listeners, guests, and everyone else who helped to make my first year as a podcaster one for the charts (literally). SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate I mention a ton of past episodes in today’s. Check them out, here: Episode 28: Robin Arzon, VP Fitness Programming & Head Instructor Peloton Episode 16: Amy Purdy, Snowboarder & Paralympic Medalist Episode 20: Hayden Slater, Founder Pressed Juicery Episode 27: Kirsty Godso, Nike Master Trainer Episode Three: Fred Santarpia, CDO Conde Nast Episode 14: Deena Kastor, Marathoner & American Record Holder Episode 7: Liz Plosser, Editor-in-Chief Women’s Health Episode 18: Dr. Jason Wersland, Creator TheraGun

In his early 20s, Mark Hunter was known as a thriving photographer nicknamed “The Cobra Snake”. He was a fixture in the New York and L.A. party scenes, traveling all over the country and world to snap everyone from Kings of Leon to Lindsay Lohan. Known for his wacky outfits and great aesthetic, his #hurdlemoment coincided with the rise of Instagram. With social media—as he puts it—everyone’s a photographer in their own right. Mark knew he needed to pivot if he wanted to stay relevant and continue to build his brand. He stopped going to so many parties, began advertising free group hikes on a new Instagram account (@cobrafitnessclub), and now he’s making friends and having fun taking photos with a side of sweat. In episode 33, he shares how hiking Runyon Canyon has changed his life forever, his super approachable, all-inclusive view on fitness, and what it’s like to be good friends with Steve Aoki. SOCIAL @thecobrasnake @cobrafitnessclub @hurdlepodcast OFFERS Kaari Foods | Head to kaarifoods.com/ to get 15 percent off your purchase using the code “HURDLE” at checkout.

Ryan Flaherty’s got, from my point of view, one of the most awesome jobs in the world. The Senior Director of Performance at Nike spends his days doing everything from crafting content for the Nike Training Club app, editing scripts for Nike’s podcast Trained, programming workouts for big-name athletes including Serena Williams, sitting on the Nike Performance Council, and so much more. It’s crazy that a much younger Ryan never envisioned this for himself. Growing up as an athlete, he had the opportunity to play football professionally when his third ACL injury sidelined him for good. What he learned through the rehab process was that he could’ve prevented what happened if he trained smarter. At that point, a #hurdlemoment for sure, he felt a calling to help other athletes avoid injuries like his. In episode 32, Ryan’s shares essential tips for building a better body, improving speed, and finding career success. We also dive into the importance of saying no and having grit. — SOCIAL @ryanjflaherty @nike @hurdlepodcast OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.

Break-ups suck. Arguably, break-ups suck even more when you’re an entrepreneur working tirelessly to launch your own business. Jessy Dover was grinding long days with her two Dagne Dover co-founders, when she returned one night from a trip to the apartment she shared with her then-boyfriend of more than 3 years to see her stuff packed up in the corner and him asking her to leave. It was a #hurdlemoment that rocked her world. Immediately, she moved in with her best friend and leaned into working out, teary-eyed rides at SoulCycle, and eating better to slowly get through the emotional fog. Today, her functional bag company is thriving at just over 5 years old, largely in part because of her indomitable will to push forward when the going gets tough. In episode 31, we swap stories about relationships past, Jessy admits to a time when she was working out too much, and she offers great, actionable advice to anyone hoping to build a brand from scratch." — SOCIAL @jessy_dover @dagnedover @hurdlepodcast OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. Dagne Dover | Use code HURDLE20 for 20 percent off your purchase at dagnedover.com through January 31, 2019.

It was only a matter of time until Hurdle had a hurdler (of sorts) on the podcast. Colleen Quigley didn’t grow up dreaming of going to the Olympics to compete in the steeple chase. After joining the track team her freshman year of high school and finding her fast, the St. Louis native geared up for a collegiate running career at Florida State University that would eventually lead her to turn pro as a Nike-sponsored athlete. In the year prior to the 2016 Summer Games, Quigley dealt with a major #hurdlemoment—a nasty hamstring injury—that almost derailed her from hitting the track in Rio. In episode 30, I sit down with the Bowerman Babe to chat her ever-evolving dreams, a brief stint in modeling, and how it feels to be a role model for young athletes around the world. — @steeple_squigs @bowermantc @hurdlepodcast

A Christmas morning car accident was the #hurdlemoment that changed Andy Puddicombe’s life forever. Looking to process sudden loss, he went to Asia to study as a Buddhist monk. After 10 years of practice, Puddicombe wanted to help others understand the benefits of meditation. That’s when he met co-founder Rich Pierson, and Headspace was born. What once started as an events company, Headspace now has more than 30 million users and 1 million paid subscribers. In episode 30, we dive into the endless benefits of meditation, how to shift our perspective on failure in life, the exciting newly developed Headspace Health programming coming in 2020, and finish things off with an easy, quick meditation perfect for beginners. — @headspace @andypuddicombe @hurdlepodcast

Take a quick peak at Robin Arzon’s Instagram, @robinnyc. It’s hard to imagine a time when activity wasn’t a part of her everyday life. After a near-death experience at age 20 when Arzon was held hostage at gunpoint in New York City’s East Village, she leaned into movement and running for the first time to help her process the trauma. Soon enough, the then-lawyer turned away from her conventional 9-to-5 with hopes to turn her passion for sweat into her career. That’s when she found Peloton. Today, she’s the brand’s Vice President of Fitness Programing and Head Instructor, also author of the 2016 book Shut Up and Run, and a 26-time marathoner. In episode 28, the Adidas global brand ambassador gets honest about how tough times have shaped her perspective and helped her home in on her inner swagger. She also offers essential, actionable advice for runners of all levels on race day best practices and tips on how to take their stride to a whole new level. — @robinnyc @onepeloton @hurdlepodcast

Listening to Kirsty Godso talk will ignite something awesome in you. Appropriate, since the Nike Master Trainer calls herself (and others who are willing to work hard to elevate the energy of everyone around them) a “pyro girl.” In episode 27 we talk about the #hurdlemoments she’s faced building her personal brand, including having to leave behind a major fitness project she created with Les Mills to put her faith in the swoosh. Also, how an injury brought her to tears inside an acupuncturists office, a red flag telling her she needed to temporarily turn down the intensity of her workouts and chill out. Godso offers beautiful insight on the importance of supporting others, a snapshot of her training style, and we laugh about how she’s going to hold ME accountable to my 2019 affirmations. — @kirstygodso @pyrogirls @madeof_____ @hurdlepodcast