Austin Woman MAGAZINE | march 2017
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” —Coco Chanel
The average American spends 101 m
WHY ROGER BEASLEY MAZDA?
It’s ultimately about how we conduct business and take care of our customers. We’re definitely not like a typical traditional dealership. That’s why we’re confident saying we do things better. Serving the area since 1972, Roger Beasley Mazda has 4 locations operating in harmony with the same straight-forward transparent process, shared inventory for more selection and customer service always the priority. There’s a reason the Austin area is one of the largest Mazda markets in the country.
BEASLEY BENEFITS INCLUDE:
3-Day new and used vehicle return policy † If you don’t love it, you can bring it back.
Price peace of mind Kelley Blue Book® and TrueCar® pricing provided so you’ll know you’re getting a great deal.
Free loaner car
With scheduled service and warranty work.
Convenient delivery
We’ll bring your new Mazda to you.
PROUDLY SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY
*Based on Harvard Men’s Health Watch, dated May 2007. †Return vehicle and receive full purchase price credit valid towards any in stock vehicle of equal or greater value. One exchange per customer - Maximum mileage limit of 200 miles or 72 hours, whichever comes first.
17-S
minutes per day behind the wheel. *
In a Mazda it’s time well spent.
MAZDA NAMED
2017 Best Car Brand www.usnews.com - Nov. 15, 2016. 2017 Best Vehicle Brand Awards. The awards recognize the brands whose vehicles perform the best on an overall basis within four major categories of the U.S. News vehicle rankings: Cars, SUVs, Trucks and Luxury.
Mazda Ranked Most Fuel-efficient Automaker by the EPA for the Fourth Year in a Row. MAZDA’S 2015 FLEET OFFERS THE HIGHEST ADJUSTED MPG. Based on the EPA’s Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 - 2015 report on MY 2015 vehicles.
rogerbeasleymazda.com CENTRAL • SOUTH • GEORGETOWN • KILLEEN
866-779-8409
Locally owned & operated since 1972 | Mon - Sat 8:30AM - 8:00PM
direct connect to
Italy through
copenhagen
departures daily Come experience Italy at Copenhagen. We have assembled a wonderful collection of some of the best designs from Italy’s finest manufacturers. All these products display a sense of purpose and pride through intelligent design and caring craftsmanship. Selective use of practical materials and thoughtful engineering result in products that meet high quality standards while maintaining exceptional value. Come see why Italy has long been regarded as the center of today’s modern design world. Visit Copenhagen for an Italian design experience you won’t soon forget. You will be inspired.
inspired design from Italy
Featured item: The “Gordon Deep Wood” table designed by Giorgio Cattelan for Cattelan Italia. A wonderfully raw design combining the beauty and warmth of natural walnut with the cold brute strength of the steel rebar style base. Available from stock as shown in a generous size of 118” long by 47” wide. Other sizes and tops available. Shown with the very elegant “Arcadia” chair in natural leather. Direct import from Italy by Copenhagen.
Austin 2236 West Braker 512.451.1233
(just east of The Domain and Burnet Road next to Culver’s)
San Antonio 18603 Blanco Road 210.545.4366
(just north of 1604 in The Vineyard next to Whole Foods Market)
www.CopenhagenLiving.com
contemporary furniture & accessories
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Your care is right around the corner. You’ll find Baylor Scott & White Health primary care clinics everywhere you look. Each of our clinics is part of a large network of physicians, specialists and advanced technology. This gives you the care you need, when you need it.
Your care is close to home at one of our primary care clinics. Find a location near you. BSWDocs.com | 512.509.0200
Physicians are employees of Scott & White Clinics, an affiliate of Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2016 Baylor Scott & White Health. BSWCLINICS_110_2016 CE 11.16
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50
On the cover
BUILT TO SCALE BY shelley seale
58
feature
BARRE NONE
Photo by Annie Ray.
By APRIL CUMMING
Contents
Photo by Knoxy Knox.
MARCH
35 on the scene
GOURMET
22 SAVE THE DATE
64 r ecipe reveal Grapefruit-jalapeño Martini 66 girl walks into a bar Sipping Away 68 FOOD NEWS Stephanie McClenny, Confituras
Five Must-dos for March
savvy women 24 count us in Women in Numbers 26 B OTTOM LINE Time Management 101 28 F rom The desk of Laurie Gallardo 30 GIVE BACK Kammok’s Haley Robison 32 P ROFILES Stitch Texas’ Vesta Garcia 33 PROFILES EverlyWell’s Julia Cheek
MUST LIST 35 Discover Round Top, Texas 38 LITTLE LUXURIES Packed Party 40 r oundup March(ing) for Women
wellness 70 W AITING ROOM Gut Reaction 74 E AT THIS, NOT THAT What’s the Scoop? 76 H ER ROUTINE Regina Vatterott
POINT OF VIEW 78 mem o from JB Entrepreneurial Warning 80 i am austin woman Victoria Catt
on the cover
style + HOME
Photo by Annie Ray, annieraycreative.com Hair and makeup by Laura Martinez, bylauramartinez.com
42 trends Dress to Express 46 BEAUTY Stop and Stare 48 EntErtaining Build Your Own Party
Tibi Agathe layered off-the-shoulder corset top, $395; Paige Denim Verdugo ankle skinny jeans, $179; Aquazzura Roma lace-up suede pumps, $745; Alexis Bittar lucite drop earrings, $145, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
12 | Austin Woman | march 2017
EYELASH EXTENSIONS | LASH & BROW TINTS | THREADING | MICROBLADING
Round Rock Location 200 University Blvd suite 410 | Round Rock, 78665 512.868.5274 /ATXVolumeLashandBrowRR @ATXVolumeRoundRock Northwest Location 10601 RR-2222 | Austin, TX 78730 (512) 346-5274 /ATXVolumeLashandBrowNW @ATXVolumeLashandBrow
ESTABLISHED IN 1998
WWW.TOCMEDICALSPA.COM (512) 533-7317 • 3705 Medical Parkway, Suite 130, Austin, Texas 78705
Volume 15, issue 7 Co-Founder and Publisher Melinda Maine Garvey vice president and Co-Publisher Christopher Garvey associate publisher Cynthia Guajardo Shafer
EDITORIAL
.COM
Editor Emily C. Laskowski associate Editor April Cumming copy editor Chantal Rice contributing writers
Sarah E. Ashlock, Jill Case, Victoria Catt, JB Hager, Rachel Rascoe, Alessandra Rey, Kat Sampson, Gretchen M. Sanders, Shelley Seale, Morgan Stephanian, Emma Whalen
ART
Because our readers look to us to help them make informed choices, including which doctors to see, we have launched a powerful digital solution—ATXDOCTORS.COM.
CONTRIBUTE TO ATXDOCTORS.COM
CREATIVE Director Niki Jones
Become a part of our online directory featuring Austin’s leading doctors and health-care centers
ART DIRECTOR Stef Atkinson ART assistant Megan Bedford CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Rudy Arocha, John Carrico, Patty Carroll, Daniel Cavazos, Richard Cole, Whitney N. Devin, Kevin Garner, Jerry Hayes, Kara Henderson, Korey Howell, Knoxy Knox, Eliza Kennard, Ashley Kriegel, Brigitte Lacombe, Miguel Lecuona, Joan Marcus, Laura Martinez, Kristie Mays, Annie McArdle, Dustin Meyer, Courtney Pierce, Annie Ray, Morgan Stephanian, Alexa Gonzalez Wagner, Jessica Wetterer, Casey Woods
Answer our readers frequently asked health questions in an exclusive Ask An Expert article
ADVERTISING
Showcase your business and experience with an in-depth doctor profile page
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Katie Paschall
operations and marketing Director of marketing and engagement
Lisa Muñoz OFFICE MANAGER
Victoria Castle Interns
Monica Hand, Alessandra Rey, Emma Whalen
Emeritae Co-Founder Samantha Stevens Editors
Deborah Hamilton-Lynne, Mary Anne Connolly, Elizabeth Eckstein
Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc., and is available at more than 1,250 locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved. For submission requirements, visit awmediainc.com/contribute.
Physicians and healthcare providers, we welcome your participation.
No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission.
Please contact us at: sales@awmediainc.com or 512.328.2421
Visit us online at austinwomanmagazine.com. Email us at info@awmediainc.com. 512.328.2421 • 3921 Steck Ave., Suite A111, Austin, TX 78759
From the Editor
When Austin Woman, a small business itself, brought me on board as editor a little more than a year ago, it was truly a dream come true. Since then, it’s been my privilege to serve alongside a team of, give or take, 10 women who push themselves each day to produce a free monthly publication that exists solely to strengthen and support local women. As I recently told my current boss, our founder and publisher, Melinda Garvey, the woman who crafted this entrepreneurial vision nearly 15 years ago, “I thought I would be here forever!” However, the world has different plans in store for me, a native Austinite who has relocated to a certain Northern territory that, not to name names, is allegedly replete with big hair and blinding bling and an alarming absence of Birkenstocks. While I’ll miss this magazine, its meritorious mission and our stalwart readers, I’ll console myself by painting this personal journey as a noble sacrifice to my fellow Austinites. After all, I am voluntarily removing myself plus another human and one dog from these bursting city limits. In all seriousness though, I’m eternally grateful
Join the conversation @AustinWoman #TheEntrepreneurIssue
16 | Austin Woman | march 2017
to Melinda and Christopher Garvey for offering me the opportunity to work for their inimitable publication. And, speaking of gratitude, some additional thanks are in order. First, thank you to Creative Director Niki Jones, the most fabulous person I’ve ever met who imparted upon me the sorts of facts of life that one will never glean from a textbook. Second, thank you to April Cumming, our determined associate editor, who lives and breathes the spirit of respectable journalism. Third, thank you to our staff, old and new, including Deb, Katie, Lisa, Cynthia, Stef, Megan, Victoria, Maggie, Jessica and Lucy, who make offices everywhere better, funnier, smarter, stronger and a little bit nicer. Also, thank you to our contributors—stylists like Ashley, photographers like Rudy and Dustin and writers like Sarah and Rachel—who always made my job easy. Lastly, thank you to Chantal, our wondrous copy editor, who receives not nearly enough praise but who I will always credit for spoiling me with her consistency, graciousness, guidance, efficiency and, admirably, the most magnetizing proclivity for style, accuracy and industry standards I have ever witnessed. It takes a village.
Sincerely,
EMILY C. LASKOWSKI Editor
Photo by Dustin Meyer.
I
t’s never too late to do the right thing. My first boss, an entrepreneur, said that often to her staff, including me. Early on, when it was just a handful of us, we would huddle around a small, round table in the back corner of her office and hold each other accountable to making sh-t happen, no matter what. Small businesses are tenacious that way.
I AM A TEXAS MBA “While getting my Texas MBA, I not only learned from my professors, but also from my classmates. My Texas MBA didn’t just expand my network, it catapulted me into markets I had not imagined.”
BLANCA LESMES Co-founder and President, BB Imaging Diagnostic Ultrasound Mother of two Travel enthusiast Tequila aficionado Texas MBA 2011
Texas MBA Evening & Executive Programs
EXPAND YOUR NETWORK
Photo by Korey Howell.
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contributors
austiN symphoN y orchestra
This month, we asked our contributors: What talent would you most like to have?
ANNIE RAY
COVER Photographer, “built to scale,” page 50
Since 2005, Annie Ray has focused on bringing out the “real stuff” in everything she shoots. Her relationship with every subject will make 1,000 words say so much more. “I wish I was an amazing writer so that I could be a romance novelist.”
SHELLEY SEALE
COVER writer, “built to scale,” page 50; “Building blocks,” page 32; “Startup mode,” page 33
Shelley Seale is a freelance journalist and author in Austin who has written for National Geographic, USA Today, The Guardian and Texas Monthly, among other publications. She loves yoga, indie movies, wine and books, though not necessarily in that order. Shelley has performed a catch on the flying trapeze, boarded down a live volcano and was once robbed by a monkey in Nepal. But she doesn’t know how to whistle.
your perfect
“I wish I had musical talent. I would love to be able to play an instrument, just for my own pleasure.”
Date Night
LAURA MARTINEZ
HAIR AND MAKEUP, “built to scale,” Page 50; “Dress to express,” page 42; “Stop and Stare,” Page 46
starts here
upcomiNg eveNt: “Mahler in March” Gustav Mahler’s Symphony no. 6 March 24 & 25, 8:00 p.m. Long Center’s dell Hall C o n Ce rt S p o n S o r S Download the app:
Connect:
Download the app:
Connect:
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Connect:
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Connect:
æ
SeaSon Sp o nSo rS
Download the app:
Connect:
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Connect:
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Connect:
Sarah E. Ashlock
(512) 476-6064 or austinsymphony.org
M e d i a S p o n So r S
“The talent I would most like is to have the the ability to play the guitar and sing. My grandfather gave me a guitar when I was younger, and I have yet to pick it up or take the time to learn to play. I think being able to play music—and play it well—would be a beautiful creative outlet.”
writer, “time management 101,” Page 26
GuStav MaHLer
tickets/info
Laura Martinez was born in beautiful Austin, and has traveled from New York to L.A. for makeup work, but still calls Austin home. She is a freelance makeup artist who specializes in makeup for print, commercial and lifestyle photo shoots. She’s recently worked with L’Oreal, Marie Claire and Entertainment Weekly, to name a few. Follow her for beauty tips on Instagram @bylauramartinez.
All artists, programs, and dates subject to change.
Sarah E. Ashlock is a freelance writer and editor who is dedicated to telling women’s stories. She holds a master’s degree in English and a scholarly publishing certificate from Arizona State University. Sarah likes to explore Austin one happy hour at a time and share her discoveries on social media. Follow her on Twitter @Sarah_Ashlock. “To be able to twitch my nose to make things happen à la Samantha Stephens in the TV series Bewitched.”
Connect with us!
Can’t get enough of this issue?
Check us out at austinwomanmagazine.com. performing. Actress Julia Knitel tells us what it’s like to portray the inimitable ➥ More singer/songwriter Carole King in the Broadway hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical ahead of her performances March 21 through 26 at Bass Concert Hall.
➥ More artwork. Patty Carroll explores women’s personal and cultural
relationships with the home through photography. Read about the inspiration behind her latest exhibit, Anonymous Women, on display through March 16 at the Wright Gallery in College Station, Texas.
➥ More matchmaking. Learn why you should incorporate matchmaking ➥ More singing. Jane Ellen Bryant, the 25-year-old native Austinite and
Americana singer/songwriter, celebrated the release of her new single, “All in My Head,” Feb. 17. Ahead of her South By Southwest performance, the young musician chats about the road to carving out a successful career in the Austin music scene.
➥ More music. We’ve got your go-to playlist for when you’re ready to focus and tune out workplace distractions, not create more.
Win This!
Nina Berenato Jewelry Giveaway Since opening her first retail location inside a refurbished 1959 Airstream Bambi in 2016, Nina Berenato has become a fixture in Austin’s ever-evolving maker community. By employing a gifted group of local women, her jewelry store has quickly become a favorite among Austin shoppers. Don’t miss her pop-up shop within the South By Southwest marketplace March 16 through 18, where Berenato will debut her new spring collection, Lumiere.
GIVING Amplify Austin March 2, 6 p.m. Donations for this 24-hour online giving day are accepted online. amplifyatx.ilivehereigivehere.org
GIVING Celebration of Life Luncheon March 7, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. JW Marriott Austin, 110 E. Second St. celebration.austin.zetataualpha.org
empowerment
In the spirit of celebrating female entrepreneurs in our city, @NinaBerenatoJewelry is giving away the eyecatching Jauna earrings to one lucky AW reader. The earrings were inspired by Janus, considered by the Romans to be the god of beginnings. To enter, keep an eye on our Instagram account, @AustinWoman, for the giveaway announcement in March. Word to the wise: We like to be spontaneous. A winner will be chosen and notified at the end of the month.
Follow us
@austinwoman
20 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Don’t miss
like us
International Women’s Day Lightning Talks March 8, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. WeWork Congress, 600 Congress Ave., 14th floor generalassemb.ly/education/international-womens-day-lightning-talks
networking Polished Luncheon March 22, noon to 1 p.m. Uncle Julio’s, 301 Brazos St. polishedonline.org/austinevents//march-austin-luncheon
facebook.com/austinwoman
FOLLOW us
@ austinwoman
Julia Knitel photo by Joan Marcus. Anonymous Women exhibit photo by Patty Carroll. Jane Ellen Bryant photo by Daniel Cavazos. Win This photo by Annie McArdle.
techniques into your entrepreneurial business life with Tammy Shaklee, the founder of H4M, a website helping gay men and women make lasting connections that are strictly offline.
GIVE BACK TO THE CITY YOU LOVE!
FEMME FILM FRIDAYS
MARCH 2-3
CELEBRATING 5 YEARS OF AMPLIFY AUSTIN DAY 700 Nonprofits. 7 Counties. 24 hours to Give.
EnouGH SAID Screening & Conversation Nicole Holofcener and Julia LouisDreyfus shine in this Femme Film Fridays, one of a series highlighting the cinematic works of women.
March 31, 2017 6PM Reception + Cash Bar Featuring complimentary massages Do te
Fundra
7PM Screening w/Special Guests + Improv Dawn Johnson
Jill Chamberlain
Producer
Script Consultant, Author
VISIT AMPLIFYATX.ORG TO GIVE Support for the Bullock Museum’s exhibitions and education programs provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.
O
n the scene
save the date
save the date
Check out the March agenda from our favorite local insiders. African Diaspora Women Summit “Politics aside, the last few months have demonstrated the necessity and power of all women recognizing inter-sectionality, honoring our varied struggles and empowering one another. As such, I look forward to taking part in Counter Balance: ATX and the University of Texas’ African Diaspora Women Summit, offering time and space to explore gender politics and racial justice.”
Virginia Cumberbatch
@vacumberbatch
The Original Round Top Antiques Fair “This year, I’m going with a group of other designers. We chartered a bus and are having a dinner at Rancho Pillow, where we learned Chef Rene Ortiz will be cooking. But don’t forget to also dine at Royers!” March 27 to April 1, tents open at 9 a.m., GPS Location: 475 Texas Hwy. 237 South, Carmine, Texas roundtoptexasantiques.com | General admission is $10.
Katie Kime
@katie_kime
Get our Round Top travel tips on Page 35!
Tater Tots and Beer Festival “A festival celebrating tater tots and beer: I don’t think I could dream up a better combination.” March 25, 3 to 6 p.m., Palm Park, 711 E. Third St. tatertotfestival.com | General admission is $38.
Kristy Owen
@365thingsaustin
Yoga in the Galleries “I love teaching this class each month. It’s free and you get free admission into the art galleries too. Come take a break from South By Southwest to rejuvenate and restore.” March 16, noon to 1 p.m., Blanton Museum of Art, 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. blantonmuseum.org/event/yoga-in-the-galleries-7 | Admission is free.
Adriene Mishler @yogawithadriene
SouthBites Trailer Park “Whether you’re going to South By Southwest or not, Austin’s iconic food trailers will be in one convenient downtown Austin location: the SouthBites Trailer Park. My favorites, like Lick Ice Creams and Chi’Lantro BBQ, will be there. No badges required!” March 10 to 19, noon to 6 p.m., 604 Driskill St. sxsw.com/exhibitions/southbites | General admission is $45.
Jane Ko @atasteofkoko
22 | Austin Woman | march 2017
African diaspora photo by Kara Henderson. Rancho Pillow photo by Knoxy Knox. Yoga photo courtesy of Blanton Museum of Art. SouthBites photo by Alexa Gonzalez Wagner.
March 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Huston-Tillotson University, 900 Chicon St. eventbrite.com/e/african-diaspora-women-summit-tickets-30507289123 | General admission is free.
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avvy Women
count us in
women in numbers
Facts and figures on females from throughout the world. By EMMA WHALEN, illustrations by jessica wetterer
50 Panels That’s the total number of female-focused and -led panels, workshops and talks slated for South By Southwest 2017. Every March, celebrities and speakers flock from throughout the world to discuss their opinions on topics ranging from tech and health care to business diversity and ingenuity in the creative industry. SXSW is now in its 30th year, and this year’s lineup is a far cry from the music-only schedule created in 1987. The festival now spans nine days and features film and interactive conferences, as well as comedy and style-centric events. This year, attendees can learn about women’s contributions to the business world and beyond through events such as Women in Entrepreneurship, Improvisation Skills for Women and Empowering a Billion Women By 2020.
$4.5 Billion 64 Percent In 2016, the revenue for Temp Holdings, a humanresources company, grossed $4.5 billion. Yoshiko Shinohara, the company’s female founder, holds a 25 percent stake in the company, making her Japan’s first self-made woman billionaire. Shinohara, now 82, started out working as a secretary in her early 20s, living in England and Australia. In 1973, she returned to Tokyo and started a work agency out of her apartment with the goal of educating and employing women. Fast-forward four decades, and her company has managed to weather difficult economic climates, continuing to come out on top as a powerhouse in human-resource services.
27 Boss Ladies There are 27 female CEOs of S&P 500 companies, a stat that grew 22 percent from 2015 to 2016. Companies with female leaders working with C-suite status include Pepsico, Hewlett Packard, Campbell Soup, IBM and Lockheed Martin. The longest-serving CEO on the list is Debra Cafaro, who has successfully led Ventas Inc., a health-care and realestate investment trust, since 1999. For three years in a row, from 2014 to 2016, she was named one of the Best-performing CEOs in the World by Harvard Business Review. While the percentage of female CEOs of S&P 500 companies remains just below 5 percent, leaders like Cafaro continue to make an impact year after year.
24 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Rock-climbing gyms continue to soar in popularity, with the sport touted for physical benefits such as enhanced endurance, upper-body strength and mental agility. However, according to online women’s climbing community Flash Foxy, the discipline is not without its faults. A recent open survey found a huge genderequality gap in the sport. From the 1,500 responses received, 64 percent of women said they felt uncomfortable, insulted or dismissed at some point during their climbing-gym training, compared with only 29 percent of men who said the same. The most common complaints from female climbers were of microaggressions, such as unwanted staring and unsolicited advice from their fellow male climbers.
March 8 Mark your calendar to celebrate International Women’s Day March 8. According to The Telegraph, the holiday dates back to 1908. Two years later, a woman named Clara Zetkin, the leader of the women’s office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, proposed the idea of an International Women’s Day. Zetkin suggested that every country should celebrate women on one day every year and push for their demands. This day of recognition might take on special meaning this year, as it comes on the heels of the Women’s March on Washington, which galvanized hundreds of thousands of demonstrators from throughout the U.S. and the world in support of women’s rights.
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avvy Women
bottom line
Time Management 101
Expert Maura Thomas provides entrepreneurs with three tips for finding more hours in the day. by Sarah E. Ashlock “People think about productivity as just getting more done,” says Austin-based time-management expert Maura Thomas. “To me, it’s about getting more done that matters.” Thomas has spent the last two decades fine-tuning the best approach to mindful productivity and, before starting her own business, Regain Your Time, in 2003, Thomas worked for Time/ system, a company that sells paper-based planners. She latched onto the concept of personal efficiency as a way to “create a life of choice.” “I use a dictionary definition of productive, which is, ‘achieving or producing a significant amount or result,’ ” Thomas says. For her, cranking out subpar content isn’t synonymous with
productivity, and she demonstrates why in her most recent book, Work Without Walls. In the book, Thomas delves into how companies can create an environment in which their employees can implement productivity practices. One of Thomas’ local clients, the Sustainable Food Center, participated in her attention-management training. Employees identified their current processes and implemented more efficient ones. “It was instrumental in streamlining our work,” says Ronda Rutledge, executive director of the center. Seeking tips to streamline our own efficiencies, Austin Woman asked Thomas for a few pointers on how to make 2017 the most productive year yet.
“
It’s about getting more done that matters.
Create a Process
Read the Instructions
If there were a secret sauce to creating a more productive lifestyle, it would be to diligently observe how we spend our time. “Start paying attention,” Thomas says. “We don’t think about our workflow. We don’t think about how we do what we do.” Thomas says every person has the power to mold his or her day in whatever way they choose, but we often don’t make the time to truly examine that. “When you get to work in the morning, what’s the first thing you do?” Thomas asks. “And then what’s the next thing?” While counting down the workday with a watchful eye, notice where you keep your todo lists. Thomas says most clients have action items and notes in a variety of locations, such as on smartphones, work and home computers, in notebooks, on sticky notes and even in the world’s oldest note-taking device: the mind.
“Start paying attention to all those little components of your workflow, and that will illustrate where your problems are,” Thomas says. “Then you can seek a system.” She suggests identifying one problem in your workflow, finding a solution and repeating. This will allow you to test out a new, efficient process. For example, if one of your to-do lists takes the form of flagging emails but you hardly return to those flagged emails, this is a method that doesn’t work for you. If you act as a leader, observe your team’s processes as well, and brainstorm on solutions. “If your employees are responding to your email at 1 in the morning, that’s probably going to say something about the quality of their sleep, and therefore about the results they produce for you tomorrow,” Thomas says.
Some solutions might come in the form of tools. “There are two components when it comes to tools,” Thomas says. “If you have the system, then you know what you need in a tool. If you don’t have a system, then no tool is going to be the answer.” For example, Thomas observed she was wasting time scheduling meetings, so she adopted an appointment-scheduling software program called TimeTrade. However, don’t expect a tool to solve your productivity woes, at least not at first. “I can’t cook,” Thomas says as an example. “But if I went out and bought all of the gadgets and all of the pots and pans and knives that Rachael Ray has in her kitchen, that still doesn’t make me cook like Rachael Ray.”
26 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Photo by Korey Howell.
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FROM THE DESK OF
Laurie Gallardo
The KUTX DJ and host of Austin Music Minute shares her expert advice on artists to watch this South By Southwest. By Rachel Rascoe, photo by kevin garner
Her Notes: Listen to This “It’s just a magical time,” Laurie Gallardo says of South By Southwest’s jam-packed week of music, during which she will cohost the Austin Music Awards. “You never know at any given place, at any given time who you’re going to meet.” From her disc-jockey desk at the KUTX studios, Gallardo told Austin Woman which artists she’s got on her mustsee playlist for the upcoming festival and why you should have them on your musical radar. Lizzo: “Outstanding in performance, songwriting and attitude.” Death Valley Girls: “Badass rock ’n’ roll out of Los Angeles.” Madame Gandhi: “Cast aside any expectations of electronic artists and soak in the multiple textures, soundscapes and unapologetic passion of this bold collaboration.” The Regrettes: “This is garage rock with a feast of dry wit.” Savoy Motel: “Definitely a retro feel that appeals to the ’70s kid in me, but there is no mistaking them for a revivalist band.” Middle Kids: “So many great bands coming out of Australia, and this Sydney trio is one of them.” Las Kellies: “Argentinian post-punk awesomeness from this trio.”
Her Advice: Keep Austin Local “It’s a great problem to have that there’s so much talent,” Gallardo says. “I think what makes Austin a great place is the fact that the music community is very supportive of the people I love a great storyteller. in it. Our musicians lift each get blown away by people other up.”
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I who have a way of capturing very specific moments. It could be anything: being on the road or something weird about the weather. It kind of makes me pause or I literally have to stop in my car and pull aside and finish whatever I’m listening to. 28 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Gallardo recommends checking out local musicians such as Beth Chrisman, Carson McHone, Darkbird, Go Fever, Grace Park & the Deer, Jess Williamson, Moving Panoramas, Molly Burch, Sweet Spirit, Tameca Jones, The Ugly Beats, The Wheelwrights and The Wild Now.
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GIVE BACK
The Gift of Adventure
Haley Robison, the CEO of local hammock purveyor Kammok, takes the company’s philanthropic efforts outside. by KAT SAMPSON
After sharpening her business savvy as a management consultant for Bain & Company in Dallas, the 31-year-old backpacked through Wyoming and Colorado, completed a wilderness training program, studied theology in Maryland and led outdoor-education programs for young girls in Wyoming. Most recently, before her move back to Austin, Robison lived in San Francisco, where she earned joint master’s degrees in business and education at Stanford University. “I had a really fun 20s exploring all my interests and passions. But I’d say central themes were outdoor education, business and design,” Robison says. Throughout her time as an outdoor educator, Robison learned firsthand what it means to “give adventure,” the trademark phrase of Kammok, the Austin-based high-performance hammock company for which she currently serves as CEO. Today, the 7-yearold establishment is all about giving adventure right back to the Austin community. “I want to invite people into a depth of experience and fullness of life that maybe they didn’t imagine for themselves,” Robison says. “I’ve had some of my best conversations in a hammock, so how can we, as a brand, create that for other people?” Founded by Greg McEvilly, the company’s “chief inspiration officer,” Kammok is a certified benefit corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet. As a member of that organization, Kammok commits 1 percent of its revenue to that company’s nonprofit partners. In the past, Kammok has worked with Malaria No More, an organization committed to eradicating malaria-caused deaths by 2040, and the Ubuntu Foundation, which provides pediatric health care and education to communities in Kenya. In the past year, after its Give Adventure fund experienced double- and triple-digit growth, the Kammok team decided to partner with Explore Austin, an outdoor-education organization with a mission to change the lives of underserved youth through leadership, mentoring and adventure. Robison says the plan is to help fund two teams 30 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Photos courtesy of Kammok.
No one would call Haley Robison boring. In the 10 years since Robison graduated from the University of Texas, she’s moved eight times, taking her to almost every corner of the country.
You didn't wake up today
to be mediocre.
“We’re passionate about people and building a brand that is focused on the development of future leaders, and we believe the outdoors is an incredible environment for those skills to be developed.” of five mentors and 15 explorers in the next six years as they embark on monthly Saturday adventures, undergo leadership training and practice team building. “We’re passionate about people and building a brand that is focused on the development of future leaders, and we believe the outdoors is an incredible environment for those skills to be developed. We wanted to start local and tell that story of giving adventure to students and also the mentors and parents,” Robison says of the new partnership. Philanthropy is deeply woven into the company’s mission, thanks in large part to McEvilly’s original vision. The heart and mission behind Kammok, Robison confides, is being others-focused and Robison and her team are already focusing their energy on bolstering the success of young Austinites through the grace of the outdoors. “There’s a great body of research that supports benefits from time being outside,” Robison says. “Green is good for us, whether it’s the space we’re in or the food we’re eating. When we are outside climate-controlled boxes, I think we are more in touch with our vulnerability as people.” Robison has big plans for Kammok, and her excitement for the future is infectious. If the company grows as planned, its East Austin home will turn into an interactive storefront where customers can come to hang out and meet new people who love hammock camping and outdoor adventure as much as the next Austin resident. The future looks bright by Robison’s standards, and she’s on her way to making everyone she meets fall in love with the great outdoors. “We’re not in the business of selling hammocks,” Robison expounds. “We’re in the business of getting people outside, pushing people out of their comfort zones to experience new things and to build community. That’s our aim. Yes, we want to sell hammocks—and we want to do that really well—but it’s a means to something else.”
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Building Blocks
Stitch Texas Co-founder Vesta Garcia talks about the business of growing a business. By Shelley Seale “Launching new companies is always challenging financially. This one was no different,” Garcia says. “I am most interested in operations, processes and data analysis, so launching and growing a company is like a puzzle for me. As our company grows and we are able to hire more people, each one finds their place in the puzzle and we find a way for them to grow personally, as well as to contribute to the team goals. I know that we have put the puzzle together correctly when the company and team members are thriving.” Garcia’s personal ability to thrive has also been challenged. In 2014, at age 42 and at the height of the Ice Bucket Challenge, she was diagnosed “I found myself at home after my daughter’s birth and looking for with ALS. However, she tackled the disease the same way she did her a way to stay intellectually stimulated and contribute to the family business plan: with ferocity. She gets about in a wheelchair and a frisky, finances,” she says. hand-controlled Fiat, and hasn’t let her diagnosis prevent her from Garcia designed innovative baby carriers, and later worked for the continuing to lead her company forward. Stitch Texas has grown to 10 Baby Carrier Industry Alliance and Moby Wrap. She loved dresses so employees, and in 2015, moved from 500 square feet of space to 2,200. much that she and a colleague, Kristen DeRocha, started a fashion line “We are likely to have 20 employees by the end of the year,” says Garcia, called Little Day Dresses. Her manufacturing, production and regulawho adds the business is tory experience led expanding again, this time to other designers into a 4,500-square-foot recruiting her to space this month. “We have help manage their been limited by our operaown productions, tions rather than demand.” and Garcia began Despite her initial plans consulting with for an academic career, manufacturers. Garcia’s 15 years as an “My partner and entrepreneur have taught I both had extenher how to work out the sive experience balance between all the manufacturing facets of her life. domestically and “In the beginning, I overseas, so it was worked evenings and really easy to help weekends because the other folks in their business was in my home. It journey,” she says. probably took me five years The consultto pull back from that pace ing gigs grew into and claim my down time. a company called At this point, my husband Stitch Texas, which is semi-retired and my DeRocha and Gardaughter is in high school, cia, who had since so it’s easy for us to find that moved back to Ausbalance,” Garcia says. “Also, tin with her family, as the company grows, less launched in 2013. pressure is placed on any Stitch Texas one person, including me, provides fashion designers with asto go to heroic measures. If sistance producing people are working nights apparel and home and weekends, that’s a sure Vesta Garcia’s Advice for Entrepreneurs goods, guiding sign that we need to hire designers through more folks, which we are 3 “ Follow the opportunities. You may start out doing one thing, but if customers the product-develactively doing.” are asking you to do another, don’t get hung up on your vision.” opment process, At the end of the day, from an initial idea 3 “Hire smart people and pay them as well as you can afford to. Creating good Garcia loves to build busior sketch, to pattern jobs for your employees and yourself is the only good reason to keep doing this.” nesses. It’s rewarding, making and sample she says, and even after a 3 “ Pay your people first, the government second and all the rest is negotiable. creation, to digitizcareer of entrepreneurial That may sound terrible to someone who has never run a business, but the first is ing the patterns and ventures, she adds, “It’s your moral duty, the second is a game you will never win and the rest is business.” bulk production. just a wild ride.”
32 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Photo by Richard Cole.
Vesta Garcia never felt the burning desire to be an entrepreneur. She was, in her own words, “very much an academic.” After graduating in 1995 with two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Texas in her hometown of Austin, Garcia headed to the University of Washington in Seattle. There, she obtained her master’s degree in neurobiology and behavior. However, she felt balancing an academic career and a family was challenging for a woman.
Startup Mode
EverlyWell founder Julia Cheek looks back on her scientific venture’s results-driven year. by Shelley Seale
When Julia Cheek had some lab testing done in 2015, she assumed it would be straightforward. She would get the results, they would be clear and that would be that. The actual experience, however, was far from that simple. In addition to the testing being very expensive, Cheek received little explanation from her doctors. “I spent a ton of time Googling confusing results after I had already spent a lot of time and money getting these tests run,” she says. “I thought there had to be a better way.” The budding entrepreneur in Cheek raised its head. She had known since business school she wanted to start her own company, despite her traditional corporate background (She has a master’s degree from Harvard Business School and had an executive position in Dallas running strategy for MoneyGram, a large public company.), she knew since business school she wanted to start her own company. “I was just waiting for an idea that I was passionate about, and the right time to start it,” she says. Her frustrating lab experience brought both the concept and opportunity. Cheek did some research and discovered that direct-to-consumer testing is permitted in nearly every state, including Texas, as long as specific regulatory requirements are followed. There is no need for people to go to labs for expensive testing and receive complicated results that are difficult to decipher, sometimes with little clarification from medical professionals. “There’s a fast-growing, $250 billion industry around consumercentered care,” Cheek says. “I needed to take the risk. If it didn’t work out, I knew I could always find another job.” She believed people are now more comfortable with self-collecting data, thanks to companies like Fitbit and Doctor on Demand. Overall, however, lab testing remained virtually untouched in the consumer health revolution. “Consumers are now making market-based decisions about health, and evaluating what they are spending money on,” Cheek says. “Health-care costs are catching up to them, with deductibles increasing 70 percent in the last six years. I was super passionate about the idea and solution, but I also looked at the market forces and believed this could actually work.”
“
Cheek hired a chief medical officer to design test panels, build a technology platform and secure lab contracts. By March 2016, she had secured $2.5 million in seed capital for the beta launch of EverlyWell, and moved the company to Austin to take advantage of the capital city’s growing life-sciences industry and talent pool of people who had scaled startups before. In less than a year, the company had 10 employees, a team of investors, several lab partners and thousands of customers. EverlyWell announced its public launch at the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield competition in September 2016. “We are constantly adding new tests, new resources and new labs to bring more value to our customers, and have a lot of great announcements coming up this year,” Cheek says. “We recently passed $1 million in sales and are growing quickly every month.” With her recent business launch, Cheek admits that her personal life has been on the back burner. “The reality is that I do not have a work/life balance, and I do not have any goal to achieve it,” she says. “My business is a 24/7 job, and from every founder I’ve talked to, that does not get any better with time and scale. The challenges are just different.” Her husband, Carter, also works long hours and they both travel a lot, so they understand each other’s career needs. “I really love to work and have always prioritized work over personal life. Since that’s what I prefer, it doesn’t bother me,” Cheek says. “But I certainly believe that women should structure their lives in whatever way makes them fulfilled and happy, whether that’s part-time work, full-time work or raisinga-family work. Every path is different, and fortunately, there are many ways now to balance multiple priorities.” Though challenging, the experience of starting and growing a company has been rewarding. “I think one year at a startup is equivalent to five years in the corporate world,” Cheek says. “I’ve had to become an expert in every function and grow the company and team at a very fast pace. But I can’t imagine going back.”
I spent a ton of time Googling confusing results after I had already spent a lot of time and money getting these tests run. I thought there had to be a better way.
”
austinwomanmagazine.com | 33
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MUST LIST Shop Till You Drop in Round Top
From vintage neon signs to fine English china, you’ll find at least one souvenir on this trip. by April Cumming
Photo courtesy of The Distillery.
If you don’t see a white tent, chances are you’ve made a wrong turn. Each spring for the past 49 years, a temporary 10-mile stretch of white canvas tents has sprouted up in the flat fields just outside Round Top, Texas.
austinwomanmagazine.com | 35
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ust List
discover
Vintage vendors and antiques dealers descend from throughout the world, towing 18-wheelers full of curious finds, from high-priced collectors items to bottom-of-the-barrel junk treasures, in the hopes of negotiating a new home for their goods. For two weeks each year, during the Original Round Top Antiques Fair, the population of Round Top swells from not quite 100 to more than 30,000. The fair is a junker’s paradise, a world ready to transform you into an antiques addict, a universe you see first and understand second. There is no such thing as just one trip to this event. Once you’ve been one year, you’re guaranteed to go back the next.
> Getting There: Take the Highway 71 route out of Austin and traverse the hour-and-15-minute drive through Bastrop, Texas, past pastoral fields of wildflowers to La Grange, Texas. This is the last “big town” before Round Top, so be sure to use the bathroom and take advantage of an ATM and the functioning cell service. From La Grange, take Highway 159, a two-lane road that delivers you to the white, pockmarked fields of Warrenton, Texas, just outside of Round Top. Scout out a place to park by the “ex-cess field” sign.
Photo by Lisa Muñoz.
> Pit Stop No. 1: Once at ex-cess field, try not to freak out. Take a deep breath, hold on tight to your purse and start wandering the field. Here, you can find everything from lamps made of repurposed piano keys to wood pallets transformed into coffee tables and truck beds revamped into rustic wall art. This temporary, nomad-like outdoor market is built for the short-attention-span shoppers. Almost every curio gives pause to people walking through, igniting eager spurts of conversation between moms and daughters or a group of girlfriends about the many creative uses and theoretical functions of a particular item.
> Pit Stop No. 2: From the ex–cess field, mosey over to the Clutter Show tent, marked outside by a pale-rose-colored, Londonlike telephone booth. The Clutter Show tent is known for being highly organized, with the myriad curios grouped together by color. You’ll see everything from bathtubs filled with dollies to vintage lights and signs; old mannequins and freakishly weird dolls; vintage cameras with bellows and stacks upon stacks of old cowboy boots; typewriters and weathered American flags; taxidermy animals, alligator skulls and skeletons; old barber chairs and apothecary jars; chandeliers and linens; old stained glass, fine English dishes and pressed botanical prints. Perusing the wares and trinkets feels a lot like shopping at Anthropologie, except these items are truly authentic, one-of-a-kind originals.
36 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Before You Go, Be in the Know
> Pit Stop No. 3: A few hours of walking later and your stomach is bound to be grumbling and throwing a fit. Make a beeline to the epicenter of all the madness: Zapp Hall, a grayscale barn slightly reminiscent of Austin’s Broken Spoke. Inside, find Royers Round Top Café (the pop-up branch of the acclaimed Royers Pie Haven in Round Top). Charmingly, instead of a typical place card, a wildflower placed in a wine bottle serves as your order number. Order a shrimp po’boy and savor an ice-cold beer as you kick up your feet to the tune of some live music. > Celebrate: Junk Gypsy’s Junk-o-Rama Prom, March 30 at Zapp Hall The fair is just as notorious for its odd finds as it is for its celebrity watching. In years past, the festival has attracted everyone from the likes of country music stars Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves to Austin hotelier Liz Lambert and Waco, Texas, TV sensation Joanna Gaines. There’s no better place to practice the art of spectating than the Junk-o-Rama Prom. An ode to celebrating forgotten prom dresses, the event, hosted by Junk Gypsy sisters Amie and Jolie Sikes, is a night of playful dress up, dancing under chandelier-strung trees, livemusic performances and photo-booth fun. gypsyville.com/prom
Rancho Pillow photo by Knoxy Knox. Other photos courtesy of The Distillery.
> Stay: Rancho Pillow This former artists-only retreat and private recording studio opened to the public last March. The folk-art paradise is home to Owner and Designer Sheila Youngblood’s colorful finds and curiosities she’s collected from her years of travel and Round Top treasure hunting. Before bed, lounge in a hammock in the barn’s poetry library or take a moonlight swim in the property’s heated saltwater pool. Pro tip: Be sure to RSVP for one of the Feasts in the Field dinners, taking place March 27 through 31. ranchopillow.com
1. D on’t feel overwhelmed. Some people know how much they’re going to buy and bring big trucks to cart all their finds back home. To simplify things, choose instead to keep three specific items in mind that you’re looking for. Is it antique silverware? A vintage headboard? A salvaged sign? 2. M ake a shopping list. Bring color swatches and a tape measure to help ease the decision-making process, and don’t hesitate to buy an item you fall in love with at first sight. Trust your gut and don’t leave a special find up to chance. 3. K eep $150 to $250 cash on hand. Cash is king out here. While a few vendors run credit cards, the majority wheel and deal in green. 4. W i-Fi is spotty. And cellphone service is dicey, at best. 5. G o on a weekday. It’s the best time to beat the crowds. 6. Wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen and layers for walking in ease, avoiding a farmer’s tan and making the most of the ever-shifting spring weather.
Join Your Friends on a Personalized Tour Whether you’re gathering a group of girlfriends or setting sail solo, your first trip out to the Original Round Top Antiques Fair can be, in a word, intimidating. It’s a lot for a pair of novice eyes to take in. Our suggestion: Free yourself from any stressful planning by arranging a personalized day-trip tour of Round Top with Catelyn Silapachai, the owner and curator of Austin-based specialty-goods shop, The Distillery. Silapachai knows how to navigate through the rows and rows of tents like a pro and is offering tours from March 17 through April 2 for as many as four guests at a time. Each trip includes transportation to and from Round Top, morning coffee, a picnic lunch, individually customized itineraries, guided shopping and assistance with purchase and shipping negotiations. To learn more, visit thedistillerymarket.com/pages/round-top-trips.
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Jordan Jones’ charming entrepreneurial e-commerce gifting company proves that fun things come in small packages. by emily c. Laskowski Deliver to your dearest friend’s doorstep a delightful birthday surprise with the Birthday Beb Party Package. All packages are shipped to businesses and residences within two days of ordering. The Birthday Beb includes high-end headphone accessories, birthday-cake-flavored handmade marshmallows, a confetti push-pop, doughnut-themed socks, a Good Vibes Only desk bell and a custom letterpressed card signed with the sender’s name. Multiple packages are available, starting at $52. packedparty.com
“A handwritten note is an artifact of love when so much human communication now is ephemeral. In this high-tech century, receiving a handwritten note from a loved one gives us something tangible to treasure.” —Liz Sutherland, wedding invitation consultant, Paper Place
—Jordan Jones Founder, Packed Party
38 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Photo courtesy of Packed Party.
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March(ing) for Women
Are you badgeless and missing out on the 50 or so female-focused events at South By Southwest? Don’t worry, the AW staff found five empowering events this month and next that are badge-optional. by Emily C. Laskowski
What: Fran Lebowitz Where: The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive When: March 8, 7:30 p.m. Why: “No one mixes New York attitude with girl power quite like Fran Lebowitz. Seeing her work always makes me nostalgic for my many years in New York City, so her upcoming show at The Long Center, for me, is a don’t-miss.” — Niki Jones, creative director How: Tickets start at $39, thelongcenter.com
What: Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold Tour Where: Frank Erwin Center, 1701 Red River St. When: March 12, 7 p.m. Why: “Stevie Nicks is the legendary gold-dust woman. I would never miss a magical night with one of the original rock goddesses who, 40 years in, still maintains a female force to be reckoned with in the music industry.” — Lisa Muñoz, director of marketing and engagement How: Tickets start at $49, stevienicksofficial.com What: Ruthie Foster Album Release Show Where: Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave.
What: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
When: April 1, doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
When: March 21 to 26, times vary
Where: Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Drive
Why: “When I heard the Carole King musical was coming to Austin, I was flooded with memories from my childhood. I remember dancing with my dad—a huge Carole King fan—in front of the record player (yes, the turntable kind) while he played “I Feel the Earth Move” over and over again. It not only instilled a love of music in me, but a love of all things Carole King. Long live the king!” — Melinda Garvey, founder and publisher
Why: “Soulful vocals carry overwhelming power. Ruthie Foster is releasing her latest album, which is full of character, strength and talent, on April 1 at the Paramount Theatre. Aren’t we all ready to feel overwhelmingly empowered?” — Victoria Castle, office manager
How: Tickets start at $35, austin.broadway.com
How: Tickets start at $20, austintheatre.org What: Create + Cultivate SXSW Pop-up Where: 1102 E. Cesar Chavez St. When: March 12, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Why: “Create + Cultivate is a movement for women and they’re hosting a full (and free and open to the public) day of talks, panels and networking sessions led by more than 25 boss ladies, including some of Austin Woman’s former cover women. I can’t wait to start my day with their power breakfast and end it with a happy hour full of inspiring females.” — Stef Atkinson, art director How: Admission is free, however RSVP is required at createcultivate.com and does not guarantee entry. 40 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Fran Lebowitz photo by Brigitte Lacombe. Stevie Nicks photo courtesy of Liz Rosenberg Media. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical photo by Joan Marcus. Ruthie Foster photo by John Carrico. Create + Cultivate photo by Eliza Kennard.
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Dress to Express Revamp your wardrobe with feminine frills and radiant pops of color. PHOTOs BY rudy arocha hair and makeup by laura martinez modeled by Kristie mays, brown agency styled by Niki jones shot on location at grizzelda's
This page: Shoshanna sleeveless crepe mock-neck cocktail dress, $231; Oscar de la Renta impatiens flower drop earrings in white, $490, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com. Opposite page: Lela Rose floral fil coupe full-skirt dress, $1,995; Oscar de la Renta silk tassel drop earrings, $390; Dolce & Gabbana sleeveless florallace sheath dress, $2,795; Christian Louboutin Decoltish suede red-sole pumps, $675, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
42 |  Austin Woman |  march 2017
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GRIZZELDA'S Full of character and charm, Grizzelda’s transports guests to Central and coastal Mexico with its lush greenery, shades of pink and pops of floral wallpaper. From heirloom and traditional Central Mexican dishes and moles to fresh coastal crudos, the cuisine at Grizzelda’s runs the gamut of Mexican fare while holding true to Austin’s Tex-Mex roots. Grizzelda’s, located across the street from sister restaurant Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile, is the newly opened second project from the Jacoby Restaurant Group. 105 Tillery St., 512.366.5908, grizzeldas.com
This page: Rickie Freeman for Teri Jon cape-sleeve scuba sheath dress, $495; Alexis Bittar faceted chunky lucite bangle in green, $245, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com. Opposite page: Escada Eve macramé lace three-quarter-sleeve dress, $2,595; Valentino B-drape leather pumps, $895; Oscar de la Renta impatiens flower drop earrings in pink, $425, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
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stop and stare
Get serious with sultry shades of blue and pink.
PHOTO BY RUDY AROCHA | Hair and makeup by Laura martinez
Eyes MAC Cosmetics Paint Pot in Painterly, $22; MAC Cosmetics Eye Brows in brunette, $17; MAC Cosmetics Powerpoint eye pencil in navy stain, $17, available at maccosmetics.com. Natasha Denona eye shadow in Petroleum Blue, $29; Natasha Denona eye shadow in Steel Blue, $29; Natasha Denona eye shadow in smoke, available at natashadenona.com. Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder, $44, available at kevynaucoin.com. Ardell cluster lashes in medium, available at Target stores, target.com. Face Face Atelier Ultra Foundation, $52, available at faceatelier.com. Nars blush in Madly, $30; Nars blush in mocha, $30, available at narscosmetics.com.
modeled by kristie mays, brown agency 46 |  Austin Woman |  march 2017
Lips Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Kiss Me, $35, dior.com.
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ENTERTAINing
Build Your Own Party
Whether it’s a fete or a fiesta, here’s how to host an easy festivity for friends. Written and styled by Morgan Stephanian, photos by Ashley Kriegel
The best way to build a party is to start with a theme and let it inspire and flow through every detail of the event. For example, at my Italian panini party, I want to bring in as many layers of Italian flavor as possible. As friends arrive, I offer them an Italian beer, a glass of decadent red wine or a bubbly San Pellegrino to start. With taste buds primed, I unveil an antipasti platter filled with meats, cheeses and olives. Next, I invite guests to build their own panini, accompanied by a fresh bib salad that’s drizzled with my homemade vinaigrette. At the end of the night, we step outside to enjoy a delicious Italian dessert: affogato. The cold ice cream and warm, freshly brewed espresso create a mouthwatering finale to remember.
How to: Choose a Theme Choosing a theme is a process. For me, that process means thinking about who my guests are, what will work in my space and what kind of food will be appreciated. Simplified: Choose a theme that corresponds to one of your favorite restaurants. Serve takeout on your own dishes and make a fresh side or signature cocktail to go with it. Next level: Use an unexpected theme, like a classic movie, and do some research to find out what foods, drinks and decorations came from that time or place.
How to: Prepare As a hostess, I want to enjoy the party and pay attention to my guests. To make that happen, I find that it is important to have everything prepared, with refills ready to go that can be set out quickly. Simplified: For homemade paninis and pizzas, I buy presliced, fresh ingredients from my local grocer’s salad bar or prepared-food section. Next level: The day before a party, I plan to lay out the serving platters marked with what will go in them. This also helps with envisioning party flow and setup.
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THE MENU antipasti cheese board panini bar fresh bib salad with homemade Italian lemon vinaigrette affogato dessert
Italian Lemon Vinaigrette Combine 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the juice of half of a lemon in a closed jar and shake vigorously until the dressing looks cloudy and has a creamy texture.
How to: Involve the Guests Make a component of the party hands-on and customizable to get guests involved and having fun. It can be the appetizer, a signature drink or a station for the main course. It is important to have everything prepared with clear instructions. The size of your party can help determine what to make hands-on. A party with many guests will run more smoothly with a drink station, and a small dinner party works better for a hands-on main course. Simplified: Use things you already have. For example, make a panini press by placing the panini in a hot skillet on the stove and putting another heavy skillet on top. After a minute or two, flip the sandwich and replace the heavy skillet to brown the other side. Next level: Write out a few suggestions of creative ways or combinations for guests to use the panini ingredients.
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Communication—the human connection— is the key to personal and career success.
Tibi Orla Bloom off-the-shoulder silk top, $365; Paige Denim Jacqueline patch straight-leg jeans with raw hem, $299, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com. Jewelry, model’s own.
— Paul J. Meyer
50 | Austin Woman | march february 20172017
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BUILT TO Stephanie Breedlove fulfilled her entrepreneurial dream in a big way. Now she’s committed to growing her next venture—to support and mentor her fellow female entrepreneurs—to even greater heights. BY SHELLEY SEALE photos by annie ray hair and makeup by laura martinez styled by niki jones
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Iro gold-sequin jacket, $850; Vince Camuto royal-blue silk top, $79, available at Nordstrom, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.691.3500, nordstrom.com. Arsyn gold-and-black choker, $59, available at wanderlustandco.com. Jeans, the past 20 years of her life have been spent model’s own.
hough Stephanie Breedlove did not start out with the entrepreneurial bug, offroading, a term she uses to describe traveling a path that is not typically opted into by women. Breedlove, who successfully started, grew and then sold a business for $55 million, now mentors and invests in other entrepreneurs, and just released her first book, All In: How Women Entrepreneurs Can Think Bigger, Build Scalable Businesses, and Change the World. During all of this, she and her husband and co-founder, Bill, raised two children and maintained a happy and stable family life. Yet she hesitates to use the word that is often employed to describe such a feat: balance. For Breedlove, the idea of balancing these various facets of life means each part takes up no more than its allotted share on the scale, in order to maintain harmony, and that each aspect of life is aligned and cooperating without incident at all times. She describes balance as a scale that must be perfectly still in order to hold everything in place with no bumps along the way.
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“The probability of success is zero. Yet we keep chasing it, and then feel like a failure when we don’t attain it, which begets guilt, stress, fear and a lack of confidence,” Breedlove says. “It seems to me that the act of balancing, of keeping everything perfectly controlled and delicately placed to maintain harmony, prevents spontaneity. It removes chance, serendipitous happenings, new ideas, change and the possibility of growth. It removes the stuff that brings joy to living.” Instead, Breedlove embraces the concepts of integration to manage the peaks and valleys of real, everyday life. “It should be normal to give more attention to professional demands in one moment and personal demands in the next,” Breedlove says. “We can’t give everything equal amounts of our attention all of the time, and we can’t be singularly focused either. Life is constantly moving forward, and we are tasked with managing the roller-coaster ride over those peaks and valleys at an enjoyable and sometimes exhilarating level.” This thought by Breedlove is a liberating option for many women weighed down by expectations that they should be able to “do it all” and balance careers and personal lives equally at all times. It’s an approach that has worked extremely well for Breedlove in her journey through marriage, jobs, having children, a business startup, acquisition, angel investing and becoming a speaker and author.
Straight from the Source All In: How Women Entrepreneurs Can Think Bigger, Build Sustainable Businesses, and Change the World by Stephanie Breedlove Released Feb. 7, 2017 Available for $24.95 at stephaniebreedlove.com
52 | Austin Woman | march 2017
H ailing from coastal Texas, Breedlove moved around as a kid. Her father was the first in his family to attend college and her mother was a traditional
homemaker. As children, Breedlove and her two younger sisters crisscrossed the Midwest and Northeast and changed schools frequently due to their father’s corporate career, until he returned the family to the Lone Star State to pursue small-business ownership, buying a hardware store in Bryan-College Station, Texas. There, Breedlove worked summers in the family store, attended junior high and high school and graduated in 1983 as one of seven valedictorians. “I did not always know that I wanted to be an entrepreneur,” she says. “I was not that lucky or clear in my understanding of the path to finding my best talents.” Instead, she headed to Austin to obtain a degree in finance from the University of Texas. In her junior year, she reconnected with Bill Breedlove, who had been a friend since their teenage years. The two married after graduation and settled in Houston, where Bill Breedlove went to work for Tenneco and she completed her master’s degree at the University of Houston, in 1988. Once she was done with school, the couple decided to go on a life adventure and moved to Denver, where Breedlove landed a job at Accenture and gave birth to two sons. By then, entrepreneurial dreams had begun stirring inside her, which was somewhat uncharted territory for a woman in the late 1980s. “It required me to be my own hero, with very few women ahead to help me see what I could be,” Breedlove says of being stuck in the corporate world. “I had to spend time doing things that taught me who I am not.” As a top-down thinker who saw decision-making and problem-solving through a very broad lens, Breedlove was quickly constricted as an employee. She wanted more than the corporate box allowed for, at any point on the ladder. Being a parent as well contributed to her desire to be her own boss. She wanted her time and talents to make a bigger impact. If she was going to spend time away from her sons to build a career, that time needed to have maximum value. Her husband was beginning to feel the same way. “We began to talk regularly about the fact that we may just have the skill sets to be successful entrepreneurs,” Breedlove recalls. “We thought we would enjoy the challenges and ridiculously hard work that come with being the captain of your own ship.” Their business idea was born out of their personal experience, and they couldn’t get it out of their heads. After the birth of their first son, in 1991, the Breedloves, both working parents, hired a nanny to help. At that time, having a full-time nanny was not necessarily a common form of child care. “She was not a babysitter,” Breedlove says. “She was our third parent. We were a team, and we wanted to treat her professionally. We provided paid vacation, sick days, a health plan and annual reviews and raises. We also paid her legally, withholding taxes and paying employer taxes.” The couple muddled through this new process on their own, unable to find outside expertise in the form of nanny-placement firms or accountants. On the heels of this experience and many discussions about it, their confidence that the entrepreneurial life was a better path than the corporate one grew, and an idea began to percolate. “We believed that dual-income families would become much more common, that women would want to continue to pursue careers after having children. What if we started a company that helped families pay their in-home caregivers legally, offering payroll processing, tax remittance and HR services?” Breedlove remembers. “Our company could take care of the stuff we had been struggling through. As crazy as it sounded when we talked about it, it felt right. With the opportunity technology brought to business in the early 1990s (internet, email,
Alice + Olivia Nakia guipure-lace, short-sleeve dress, $440; Saint Laurent Tribute denim platform sandal, $925, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
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Milly off-the-shoulder, stretchsilk shift dress, $385; Akola long, single-strand agate necklace, $350; Akola two-strand pearl nugget, labradorite and quartz necklace, $495, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
54 |  Austin Woman |  march 2017
fax machines, cell service, affordable software, etc.), it became I be an entrepreneur, a good mother and a good wife? Did I have clear that there were now tools in the marketplace that allowed what it took? Was I ready to be uncomfortable? These are doubts startups to compete with larger companies to offer quality and questions shared by every woman entrepreneur. Realizing services that were cost-effective for the consumer. We began to you are not alone is an important part of the process for success.” feel that the timing was good for taking the leap.” She focused on being self-aware, staying optimistic and believing When Breedlove went on maternity leave from Accenture in her ability to start and operate a business single-handedly. after the birth of her second son, in 1993, it provided the perfect “I saw failures as beginnings of something better rather than opportunity to test the business concept in a low-risk way. The an ending and a loss. I listened but kept perspective, preventing couple built a “minimum viable product”—startup speak for a others from deterring me. Embracing my weaknesses allowed basic, stripped-down prototype—with them to be managed,” she says. “I quickly basic automation and simple, cost-effective learned that there is amazing power in Was it crazy hard marketing materials, and rolled out their doing really hard things.” nanny-hire services to families in three It all paid off. The company experienced work? Absolutely. states: Colorado, California and Texas. strong growth, and by 1998, necessitated Could I be an Breedlove & Associates was officially more high-level power. Breedlove knew launched. Though it only brought in a partner rather than upper management entrepreneur, a $3,000 that first year, in the second, the was the investment the business needed. good mother and revenue climbed to $17,000 without a Her husband quit his job and joined her in a good wife? Did I single penny or hour spent on additional the company full time. marketing. At that point, a decision had to Although it was scary putting all their have what it took? be made about moving forward with scale eggs in one basket, both as entrepreneurs Was I ready to be and intent. and for their family, the gamble paid off. uncomfortable? “Our entrepreneurial hobby began to During the next 15 years, Breedlove & kill us,” Breedlove recalls. “Doing it on Associates grew from a fledgling startup These are doubts the side was not a recipe for success for to having nearly $10 million in revenue. and questions the business, nor family life. Operating It served more than 40,000 clients and our test was no longer a few hours per became an integral player in enhancing shared by every week in the evening or on weekends; it professionalism and quality of inwoman entrepreneur. the was considerable time taking me away home care as the nation’s largest provider from my family. Our growing group of of household employment payroll, tax and clients deserved better.” human-resources services. Without personal wealth or a network to tap into for funding, “As the captain of my own endeavor, I found balance, flexibility, financing strategies were limited. Erring on the financially fulfillment and confidence,” Breedlove says. “This spilled over conservative side, it was decided that only Stephanie would into all areas of life, producing more happiness and enjoyment take the leap into the venture full time. She quit her job in 1995, in marriage and parenting. My boys were finding enjoyment and the family using her husband’s salary and $40,000 in savings unique experiences being with Bill when I traveled. This was to pay the bills. a strong reminder and a positive example that the traditional “Was it crazy hard work? Absolutely,” Breedlove says. “Could norm is not the only way to build a happy family.”
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Stephanie Breedlove’s Top Resources for Entrepreneurs rT he E-Myth by Michael Gerber “The value of business systems never goes out of style.” rW hen Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi “A wonderful example that we should do what we love until the end of our days.” rT he National Association of Women Business Owners, nawbo.org “Valuable umbrella trade organization with helpful resources.” rK auffman Foundation, kauffman.org “A true leader in the advancement of entrepreneurship. The depth of their tools is invaluable.”
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n 2012, Breedlove received a phone call from Sheila Lirio Marcelo, the founder and CEO of care.com. Breedlove & Associates had received interest from business suitors before, and Breedlove had been watching care.com very carefully. “While we weren’t actively looking for an acquisition, we were paying attention,” Breedlove says. “We wanted to be forward-thinking and prepared for any opportunities that came down the pipeline. We would have felt we were letting the company down if an opportunity came along and we weren’t able to take advantage of it.” After about 10 weeks of getting to know each other, care.com acquired Breedlove & Associates in August 2012. “We were ready for larger scale growth,” Breedlove says. “It felt natural and organic for us to join forces. For me, this was a true entrepreneurial dream: to build a company of scale and value, and then shepherd it into a relationship that would allow it to grow to new heights, bringing greater value to the industry and to clients— without its founders.” She and her husband spent the next two years working with care.com during the transition to make sure that their 20 years of industry experience were shared with the 7-year-old care.com. During that time, the team grew from 30 to more than 50, and revenue went from doubling every four years to doubling every two and a half years. “This transition time was incredibly valuable for all, and every founder that executes an exit should view this as absolutely necessary to ensure your entrepreneurial baby has the opportunity to move onward and upward with maximum success,” Breedlove says. It was finally time for some rest. In late 2014, the transition was complete and the Breedloves formally took their exit, along with a yearlong sabbatical. They visited family, traveled, played golf and read. At the time, Breedlove thought she would eventually start another business venture. Instead, she began to realize her value as a mentor. “I learned that although my story is not extraordinary, it is not common in today’s evolution of women in entrepreneurship,” she says. “This makes me a role model and an agent for change.” Research has shown women and men entrepreneurs share similar motivations, see the reasons for their successes largely the same way and face many of the same challenges. Studies have even proven that the willingness to take financial risk is largely the same for both sexes. Yet men are two times more likely to start businesses than women, and their businesses are three and a half times more likely to cross the $1 million threshold.
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“Although experts widely agree that women entrepreneurs often face unique challenges, it doesn’t seem they are often held back from success,” Breedlove says. “The main roadblock is simply getting women to start and then to choose to grow a business in the first place. People are three times more likely to make the leap into entrepreneurship if they have a mentor or role model. This is where women like me can be of real value.” Knowing this, and wanting to put her own experiences to use helping other women entrepreneurs, Breedlove spent the next year researching and writing a book. The goal was to fill the gap in female business role models, and to encourage women to start and build scalable companies. With the book, Breedlove wanted to give women an entrepreneurial roadmap to success, combining practical guidance with her own journey with research-based information. “When we first went into business, I had a lot of camaraderie,” she says. “I knew a lot of women starting and running small businesses. But as we began to scale and we crossed $1 million, then $5 million, then $10 million and bigger, I began to feel very alone. The path to building scalable businesses with sustained value should be traveled by many, many more women.” Her book, All In, was published February 7, 2017. Breedlove has also become an active angel investor through the Central Texas Angel Network, allowing her to stay active in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and encourage women to seek funding and become angel investors themselves. “In my opinion, the number one obstacle is having the financial knowledge and skill to go about obtaining funding,” she says. “Without these valuable skills, obtaining funding is incredibly difficult. Many entrepreneurs want to skip this critical step, as it is really hard work. I encourage them to make the commitment to growing financial knowledge and skills to increase their odds of getting funding, as well as for lifelong business success.” Finding a mentor is crucial for funding and growing a business. “Those of us who are good at this are happy to help,” Breedlove says. “As a part of this journey, I have become an active speaker and mentor, and I am thoroughly enjoying paying it forward.” As difficult and full of challenges as the journey can be, she asserts the rewards of entrepreneurship are great. “I wouldn’t trade the journey for anything,” Breedlove says. “I know entrepreneurship has given far more to me than I could ever give in return. I can say today that I am an entrepreneur by calling, talent and passion and that I have found who I am meant to be.”
Stephanie Breedlove’s Tips for Entrepreneurs Focus on the Financials “This sounds obvious, and yet almost 65 percent of business failures are due to financial mismanagement. Financial knowledge and focus is a key responsibility for every founder. You must look at your business with a skillful mindset and own it all. Focusing on growing the appropriate level of financial knowledge and skill may just be the difference between simply making it and grand-scale success.”
Always Grow Your Career “When you focus on growing your career as a business owner, the ripple effect is exponential. Your team gains the opportunity to grow skill and expertise, and this translates into strong company growth, all because you are focused on growing your own skills. And when these accomplishments occur, you naturally think big, confidently overcome obstacles and easily go all in. When you grow, everything and everyone you lead grows along with you. It’s a lifelong strategy for success.”
Failure is Fuel for Next “Good entrepreneurs are always learning as they go. This means we do not possess all skill, experience or expertise to guarantee that our efforts will be successful. In short, failure now and then is a given. We are also not reckless risk takers but masterful mitigators of risk. Our hope is that the impact of our failures will be minimized if we take calculated risk. Failure is inevitable, and it is a valuable learning experience that builds the skill, experience and expertise for a far more successful ‘next,’ a next that cannot be experienced without failure first.”
Confidence is Key to Thinking Big “Confidence is a trait that can be cultivated. It is also essential for thinking big and building businesses of scale and sustained value. When you consciously put strategies to work that grow and strengthen confidence, you create the opportunity to go everywhere you and your business are capable of going.”
Herve Leger zigzag-trim bandage dress, $1,890; Christian Louboutin Pijonina scalloped red-sole pump, $895; Alexis Bittar gold wire earrings, $195, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
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None As both a business entrepreneur and an enthusiastic leader in Austin’s fitness community, Rashanna Moss has found success by following her passion. Now she’s on a mission to inspire others to do the same by coaching women to love and relentlessly follow their inner muse. BY April cumming | PHOTOS by Dustin Meyer
58 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Dream Big A self-described “wild child” of the ’80s—an era when it was still common for kids to play outside and ride their bikes through the neighborhood— Rashanna Moss found her first calling at the age of 5. “Once I got my hands on a tennis racket, it was over. It was the love of my life and that’s what I pursued,” Moss says, reflecting. Moss, now 36, grew up in a Catholic, Creole family that split their time with one foot in Houston and the other rooted deeply in Louisiana. Intimate family gatherings, home-cooked meals from moms and grandmothers and church service on Sundays were tradition. Cousins were plenty and play was the rule, not the exception. Both of Moss’ parents came from athletic backgrounds—her dad played basketball and her mom ran track—so it was just a fact of fate that Moss’ skill as an athlete became apparent at a very young age. Two years prior to setting foot on a tennis court, she learned to ski. Her parents were a loving couple cut from the same cloth: both embodied detailed, type A personalities, her mom working as an architect and her dad as an offshore structural designer. “I denied all of that. I didn’t want anything to do with design,” Moss says, stifling a laugh. “Even sitting down and doing something meticulous was so...it made me so anxious because I just needed to be up and moving all the time. I played volleyball, basketball, swam and did track as well, but tennis was my focus.” Dedicating herself to the sport was an experience Moss attributes to helping her understand at a young age what it means to have a career. “It was one of those experiences that gave me a lot of life lessons early on. I was able to understand competition. I was able to understand what winning meant, what losing meant, strategy, physical strength, mental strength,” she says. “I think it made me really resilient because you have to understand what losing is. You have to get back up and you’ve got to do it again and you’ve got to understand what type of work it takes to get where you’re trying to go. I think it translated, in terms of setting me up, to just keep working and just keep grinding and not get distracted from the challenges, understanding that nothing is permanent. Change is what’s constant.” Moss’ mother, Renetta Moss, remembers her daughter was in middle school when she first confided she didn’t want to grow up to work a desk job. “It was after a psychology class in summer camp at Rice University that she decided she wanted a job that allowed her to work outside if she wanted and interact with people all the time,” Renetta Moss says, adding that her daughter also declared, “A desk job would shamefully confine [her] creative talents and interaction with people.”
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She courageously challenges herself and steps outside of her comfort zone to get results. Where most females would shy away from maledominated fields, Rashanna sees no barriers. Renetta Moss
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60 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Work Hard As an undergrad at Pennsylvania State University, Moss studied sports psychology, a major she first pondered in middle school. “I knew early on that I wanted to do sports, fitness, wellness. That was my thing. I didn’t know how it was going to happen. I think in about middle school, I was like, ‘All right, sports psychology is something that I’m really interested in.’ I actually came up with the phrase ‘sports psychology’ and thought that I created the term. I didn’t realize it already existed,” Moss says. While at Penn State, she wrote her thesis on athlete injuries, conducting concussion research on members of the Penn State football team, and went on to receive her master’s degree in kinesiology. “In the kinesiology department…it’s very intricate,” she says. “That was the first time that I was majorly challenged academically, to where I was out of my league. I was put around a lot of people that were 10 times smarter than I was, which was humbling, but it was also good to figure out how do I make it through this environment?” Moss says finding the right people and surrounding herself with the right mentors was key to helping her stay on track through college. “You really had to work. You had to figure out what are you going to write? You’ve also got to go to class. You’ve got to pass these tests, etc.,” she says. “Sleep was something that was a luxury. Even though I would tell people now that sleep is important in life, I also think there’s a value in learning how to function without it. There’s only 24 hours in a day and you’ve got to figure out what you’re going to do with those 24 hours.”
Seize Opportunities Moss was thrilled and admittedly a bit scared to start postgraduation life. She returned home to manage a spa in Houston and decided to persistently pursue open positions at Nike, checking the Nike career page every other day and applying for one job after the next. Denial and the word “no” started to become as familiar to Moss as the brand’s trademark slogan, “Just do it,” was to the rest of the world. When she heard a member of the Nike team would be making a trip to Penn State for a graduate school colloquium, Moss asked a favor from a former professor and got herself a seat at the lunch table—literally. Surrounded by a gaggle of biomechanics grad students, she sat next to the visiting Nike team member and patiently waited her turn to chime in on the conversation. “I was like, ‘I have no idea what they’re talking about,’ ” Moss says of the biomechanics students’ talking points. “I just kind of interrupted in the middle of lunch. I was like, ‘Excuse me. Look, I’m here because I’ve applied several times. It has not worked out. I am trying to understand what’s what.’ He just kind of looked at me like, ‘I can’t believe this kid is saying this.’ ” That boldness and fearlessness to clear her throat and assert herself is what, according to Renetta Moss, makes her daughter special. “Rashanna has always been one of those people who isn’t afraid to put herself forward, speak up and stand out from the crowd,” she says. “She courageously challenges herself and steps outside of her comfort zone to get results. Where most
females would shy away from male-dominated fields, Rashanna sees no barriers.” After listening to Moss that day, the visiting Nike team member took a breath and answered, guiding her to apply for a perception analyst position at the Nike Sport Research Lab. “He said, ‘Next time you apply, send your resume to me. I’ll get it over to HR.’ That’s exactly what I did,” she says. Three weeks later, Moss was called in for an interview and quickly found herself in a sea of Penn State alums. “The director of that department went to Penn State, and the guy that I would have been reporting directly to also went to Penn State. [Nike] was filled with Penn State people and I got the job,” she says. In September, Moss started working as a perception analyst at the Nike Sport Research Lab in Portland, Ore. “You have no idea what shoe you have on,” Moss says, describing the typical test she would administer. “It’s blind. I’m going to say, ‘I want you to run from here to there, then you’re going to come back. I want you to tell me, how was the ride? Did it feel smooth? How was the cushioning? How was the fit?’ things like that. That’s what a perception analyst does. It’s that psychology behind the product. “You know when you see those Gatorade commercials, where it looks like these people [are] hooked up to [machines]? It’s similar to that. It’s like this big lab with treadmills and all these different types of lights and cameras, different types of balance detectors as well, all these different points of analysis that they’re able to measure. It’s pretty intricate. It was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. [They were] some of the smartest people I’ve ever been around as well. It was amazing to see that translate to product and what you’re seeing in the stores.”
Find Your Passion, Then Pursue It Moss worked at Nike for about four and a half years, transitioning from Portland to Nashville, Tenn., away from the sports research lab and into a sports marketing and sales role. Then, in 2009, the layoffs started to happen and her job was cut. It was a change Moss saw coming like “a slow death,” much like how a wave slowly rolls to shore before picking up pace and crashing on land. “I was just trying to figure out, ‘OK, what is next?’ ” Moss says of the transition to unemployment. “I thought I was going to stay in a corporate realm. I was talking to all the big companies, like Reebok, Under Armour, Lululemon and Oakley.” About that time, at the encouragement of a friend, she decided to try a barre class. Barre is an activity that, just as it sounds, revolves around a bar mounted at hip height on a wall, like those in ballet studios. It’s a deceptively intense 55-minute workout, one known for its isometric movements and for activating muscles participants may not have known they had, all while rapidly burning fat and toning the inner thighs. “I really wasn’t excited about going because I was much more into CrossFit and running. I thought it looked like a really girly workout,” Moss says of her first class, adding that she was wrong; the class kicked her butt. “I was super impressed and became that client that signed up for the new-client special immediately. From there, it was a very quick process.” austinwomanmagazine.com | 61
Moss was hooked on the feeling she took away from the studio. She signed up for teacher training and, just two months after her first class, was interviewing with Pure Barre’s management team to open a studio in Austin. “I felt like I really believed in what the technique was, to the point that it made sense to explore it further [beyond] just teaching. I wanted a bigger piece of the pie,” Moss says. She felt called to Austin. It was a fit, health-conscious city, Moss reasoned, and a Pure Barre studio would do well there.
Embrace Change “Going from corporate into entrepreneurship when you weren’t planning on it is a shift,” Moss says of her career change. “It takes a long time to shift from that, ‘Hey, I’m in this corporate world and sport and fitness. That’s where I’m going to stay. That’s where I’m going to stay.’ You just kind of keep turning in that same circle and then you literally got to break things. You got to break so many of your thoughts and beliefs to completely open up to say, ‘Oh, I’m going to go open my own business.’ ” Moss was already commuting between Nashville and Austin when the 1,000-year Tennessee floods hit Nashville in May 2010, inundating Moss’ home with 5 feet of water and catalyzing her decision to make the move to Austin. “Seventeen days later, I packed up what was left in a U-Haul and drove down to Austin,” Moss says. The biggest obstacle she faced in starting a new business involved opening in a city in which she didn’t know anyone. “I knew a few people here and there, but I was about to start a business where I literally didn’t have a community, a foundation whatsoever,” Moss says. “That was challenging. Thank God I chose a city where people are so accepting and so open.”
Trust in Yourself In August 2010, just three months after her move and only eight months after receiving her teacher-training certificate, Moss opened Pure Barre’s first location in Austin. It was the first barre studio to appear in the city and the 20th studio opening for Pure Barre, which now has more than 400 studios spread throughout the U.S. “Somehow we hit the nail on the head, and next thing you know, within two weeks, our classes were full. I think that Austin is a city where females really embrace one another,” Moss adds, theorizing the studio’s immediate success. “I think females support each other here and are also very proud of each other here. I think that the fact that the city alone is very local and community-based really allows entrepreneurs to thrive.” Fast-forward seven years and Moss now owns two Pure Barre studios in the Austin area, in addition to one location in Houston, and is responsible for managing 40 instructors and staff members.
Rashanna Moss' Best Advice for Entrepreneurs:
Stay true to yourself. “I think a lot of people fall into the games of social expectations, corporate expectations, the politics and now, social media. Social media can skew someone so far right or so far left from where they actually are, from who they actually are. It’s very dangerous. You are who you are for a reason. Your vision, your inner spirit that’s talking is talking for a reason. Even though it may hurt a little bit to stay true to that, it’s what’s going to lead you to your path and your purpose in life.”
62 | Austin Woman | march 2017
The popularity of the low-impact, high-rewards workout continues to follow an upward trend, and Moss’ client base grows an estimated 25 percent each year. In addition to studio-enrollment stats, another number that continues to grow is that of Moss’ competition. “To still be standing here when there is as much competition as there is and to honestly not just be the first barre studio [in Austin], but to have started literally a category of fitness is just an awesome thing. We are blessed to be here. “There was something different about barre,” Moss says, reminiscing on the days when she was starting to familiarize herself with the workout. “It was the first thing that really started to change my body in ways that I really wanted it to change. It felt like, especially when I started in 2010, that this thing was going to be big. And that’s exactly what it became.” Moss’ close friend Ana Martinez Stapleton was one of the first students to step into the Pure Barre studio. “As an early customer there, I not only loved the workout, but immediately noticed her presence in the studio,” Martinez Stapleton says of Moss. “She exuded warmth, strength and happiness in that space and it created a real community for us. Years later, we are still all practicing together there, sharing our stories and joys and tears before and after class. It is rare that you feel that kind of bond and energy in your day-to-day routines, but that’s what Rashanna creates.” Renetta Moss says her daughter initially bought into Pure Barre because she was inspired by the technique, but that “she quickly realized the secondary reason: to inspire her clients and others.” “She seems to possess a knowing that sharing her knowledge and experiences are gifts to those she touches,” Renetta Moss says. “She loves her [Pure Barre instructors] and has an emotional connection with them. She considers them family.”
Be Creative, Try New Things True to Moss’ inability to sit still for long, she soon began to crave more. Something was tapping her on the shoulder. “It was just like, ‘Hey, there’s something else, there’s something else, there’s something else,’ ” Moss says of the voice in her head. Just about a year ago, Moss joined forces with her fellow Pure Barre instructor and business partner, Shannon Pike, to start her blog, Moderna Muse. It’s an inspirational hub focused on health and fashion, in addition to encouraging self-growth in women, coaching them to embrace their truest, most powerful sense of self. It’s the kind of website a woman visits to be reminded of her strength and the female support system surrounding her. “I think what spawned [the site] is...when you own a business for a while and you create the type of community that we’ve created at Pure Barre, where things are safe and tight knit, you start to have conversations that are beyond the workout,” Moss says. “I mean really deep conversations of what these women are going through and feeling. I wanted to create another avenue to bring this stuff to life and to reach a bigger set of people than just the one-on-one conversations I was having. That’s how Moderna Muse was born.” The goal, Moss says, is to become a household name for women, in terms of a resource of inspiration. In Martinez Stapleton’s words, Moderna Muse is “just a natural extension and embodiment of [Rashanna’s] spirit, [a resource] for those seeking a daily meditation or bright spot in their day.” Blog posts, all written by Moss or Pike, range from topics like “Challenge Your Excuses” to “The Urgency of Now” and “Five Languages of Self-Love.” “Most people are afraid to peel back the layers to discover who they are, but not Rashanna,” Renetta Moss says. “She has
“
I think females support each other here and are also very proud of each other here. I think that the fact that the city alone is very local and community- based really allows entrepreneurs to thrive.
”
RASHANNA Moss
discovered that is when you truly grow and heal. It’s the start of loving yourself and others more deeply. [Moderna Muse] is where she expresses her true thoughts, feelings and views from a place of love and, therefore, unapologetically.”
Live For Today It’s been seven years since the first Pure Barre location opened in Austin, and the studios continue to garner awards and recognition from the local fitness community. Moss is fluent in the practice of being her own boss and staying focused on the big picture, even though, she admits, she feels pulled in a million different directions every minute of the day. “You’re always being poked to do something else somewhere. It is really hard to focus and, even sometimes, to prioritize,” she says. “You have to understand that your to-do list is never going to be done and you have to be OK with that.” No matter how busy her schedule gets though, Moss is intent on staying close with the community of friends she’s made since moving to Austin. “On a personal level, she is an amazing friend. She is the friend who sends flowers, handwrites cards, sends the random ‘How are you?’ text at exactly the right time. She remembers what’s going on in your
life and takes your kids to the jumpy house when you are sick. She is the friend who shows up when you need her to and sees the very best in you,” Martinez Stapleton says. “Her energy is always uplifting and positive. I have never walked away from Rashanna feeling bummed out or depleted. It is the opposite: I feel energized, excited and ready for the next challenge.” A recent post on her Moderna Muse Instagram account professed the following caption: “Up and up and up. When you reach the top of one flight, it’s time to build another. Living your muse is magical that way. … The more you live it, the more you’ll want to keep climbing, and the more ready you’ll be to keep going.” In living her muse, Moss says she’s ready to start focusing more on love and, one day, starting a family. “My personal life is probably bigger on the goal setting than before,” she says. “Figuring out the relationship thing, the kids, all of that, that is hugely important to me. I am going to really work to kind of balance this career life with personal life. Then, from there, I think it is just figuring out how to continue following passions and diversifying and being open to whatever that is, creating it my way rather than a preconceived notion of how it should be. If I want to have 10 different businesses and be married and have kids, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” austinwomanmagazine.com | 63
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recipe reveal
Saved By the Belle
Celebrate spring with a cocktail worthy of Austin’s infamous safekeeper. by Emily C. Laskowski
Tom Brady could have used a woman like Angelina Belle Eberly protecting his Super Bowl jersey, the one that went missing after that comeback win in Houston last month. She is the woman, after all, who helped prevent another notable and, dare we say, more consequential, Houston theft back in 1842. Of course, that time, it was Sam Houston himself who tried to steal the capital of Texas away from Austin and to his own namesake town. Eberly went so far as to fire a six-pound cannonball across Congress Avenue to stall Houston’s cronies from succeeding—and it worked. Austin Woman asked the team at Cannon + Belle, Hilton Austin’s new downtown restaurant named for Eberly, to help us commemorate that feisty woman with a fiery libation befitting her legacy.
Grapefruit-Jalapeño Martini Fill a coupe glass with ice to chill. Muddle two slices of jalapeño and add them to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Add 2.5 ounces Deep Eddy Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka, half an ounce Ancho Reyes ancho chili liqueur, half an ounce simple syrup, half an ounce lime juice, and shake. Empty the ice from the coupe glass and strain the drink mixture into the chilled glass. Garnish as shown and serve.
Photo courtesy of Cannon + Belle.
Recipe courtesy of Cannon + Belle 500 E. Fourth St., 512.493.4900 cannonandbelle.com
64 | Austin Woman | march 2017
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Girl Walks into a Bar
Sipping Away
Segue from bustling city to bucolic Hill Country at these four wineries. by April Cumming
Stop 1: Infinite Monkey Theorem rM iles from downtown: 3.1 rE xpect: Canned wine, graffiti art on the walls and a menagerie of antique décor, including old filing cabinets, TV sets, 1970s-style couches and board games
rK now: One of the only “urban wineries” in Austin, the Denverbased Infinite Monkey Theorem is named for a mathematical theorem that implies there is beauty to be found in chaos, a nod to the challenging yet rewarding winemaking process.
r Look forward to: The winery’s first canned, dry-hopped sauvignon blanc, made with Citra hops, and the return of springtime wine slushies. Mark your calendar for the Infinite Monkey Music Showcase March 18, at which local musicians like Amanda Pearcy, Jenifer Jackson and Jenny Reynolds will perform.
Stop 2: Duchman Family Winery rE xpect: Sip wine alfresco, soak in views of the vineyards from beneath sprawling oak trees or take a self-guided tour of the winery’s windowed barrel room. Duchman Family Winery sources the majority of its fruit from the Texas High Plains, where cooler temperatures mimic the climate of the Italian countryside.
66 | Austin Woman | march 2017
r Know: The name is pronounced “Dookman.” The winery was founded on a love for unique Italian grape varietals, and the owners, Lisa and Stan Duchman, enjoy experimenting with making unique-to-Texas wines like vermentino—with tasting notes of pink grapefruit and lime zest—as well as sangiovese and dolcetto. The property was listed by HGTV as one of the 20 most picturesque wineries in the U.S.
r Look forward to: A spring movie screening, Easter brunch, Mother’s Day brunch and Memorial Day pig roast
Infinite Monkey Theorem photo by Courtney Pierce. Duchman Family Winery photo by Jerry Hayes.
rM iles from downtown: 26.4
William Chris Vineyards photo by Miguel Lecuona. Barons Creek Vineyards photo courtesy of Hill Country Light Photography.
Stop 3: William Chris Vineyards r Miles from downtown: 58 rE xpect: The nonchalance of visiting your grandma’s house—if your grandma lived in a rustic country cabin and loved nothing more than to sit outside on the deck as you sipped wine and snacked on morsels of prosciutto and pickles. Tucked away in the trees just outside the small town of Hye, Texas (population 105), the winery’s Hye Society Wine Club, which gives members access to intimate seated tastings, is so beloved it has a waiting list.
rK now: Grape growers and William Chris Vineyards founders William Blackmon and Chris Brundrett planted their first Texas vineyard in the mid-1980s. Approximately half of their grapes are sourced from William Chris vines, while the remainder are sourced from 14 family farms throughout Texas. The top-selling wine, a red-grape varietal, is mourvèdre.
rL ook forward to: The spring concert, featuring live music by Two Tons of Steel, March 25
Stop 4: Barons Creek Vineyards rM iles from downtown: 72.2 rE xpect: Modern country elegance in the form of a large, chalkwhite, Mediterranean-style tasting room flanked by fields growing grapes of sauvignon and cabernet. Barons Creek Vineyards is the newest winery in this roundup, opened in January 2016, and is also the best place to end your day trip. Rest up in one of the property’s two plush villas and wake up to in-room coffee service before making the return drive back to reality.
rK now: The family-owned vineyard, owned by brothers Chris and Marc Chase, is named for the well-known creek that runs through the nearby town of Fredericksburg, Texas.
rL ook forward to: March through May, listen to live music on the patio and arrange for a sunset Champagne toast in the winery tower, featuring gorgeous views of the undulating Texas Hill Country. Cap off the evening stargazing around the outdoor fire pit.
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food news
Jam Session
Confituras Founder Stephanie McClenny is taking her preserves company from a farmers-market booth to a brick-and-mortar location this spring. by Alessandra Rey From locally grown coffee to organic soaps, Austin farmers markets offer a weekend extravaganza. But with the city’s limited amount of shared kitchen space, some food-business owners are left with limited resources. Confituras Owner Stephanie McClenny wants to help.
Photos by Casey Woods.
McClenny, who opened shop in the summer of 2010, turned her love for food and cooking into her own jelly-and-preserves company with the help of internet video tutorials and a responsive online community. After six months of canning and preparing more than 100 products for her first market, McClenny sold out of Confituras jams in just two hours. This spring, McClenny plans to open Confituras’ first brick-and-mortar location off South Lamar Boulevard. The fast-growing company will serve as a community space known as Confituras Little Kitchen. “I collected all of my dreams and plans and am putting them under one roof,” McClenny says. “The community-kitchen space is not only for us to do our own production, but it’s going to be open to other folks in the food community to rent.” The kitchen will provide a retail space in which other homegrown-food producers can showcase their products alongside Confituras jams. Not only will having the kitchen enable McClenny to provide hand-selected biscuits and coffee to pair with her preserves, but it will also make it possible for her to establish an incubator program for other women working in the food industry. “We want to offer mentorship and talk to women about writing business plans, marketing and entering the wholesale world,” McClenny says. “I think it’s hard for a woman in this male-dominated industry and we want to give back for how much we’ve received over the last six years.” Customers will also be able to rent out the bright and airy community-kitchen space for private parties and dinners. By serving as a hub for the next big ideas in Austin’s food industry, Confituras Little Kitchen is sure to have a little something for everyone.
68 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Treat Yourself! Visit antonellischeese.com to purchase tickets to our cheese classes.
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WAITING ROOM
Gut Reaction
What you need to know about IBS, Crohn’s disease and celiac disease. by Jill Case Thanks to the internet, many people decide to diagnose their own digestive health problems. They assume their stomach pain or diarrhea is due to IBS, Crohn’s or even celiac disease, three conditions that share many similar symptoms. Gastroenterologist Dr. Sheila Reddy from Austin Gastroenterology helped us sort things out. IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome
“IBS is what we call a functional bowel disorder, which means it’s not a disease but a syndrome that encompasses a collection of different symptoms,” Reddy says. People may experience abdominal pain or cramps, constipation and diarrhea, or both. Patients also report one or more of the following symptoms: changes in bowel-movement frequency, type and appearance of stool or feeling symptom relief after a bowel movement. “Sometimes we say it’s a diagnosis of exclusion. It’s usually based on a patient’s symptoms,” Reddy says. “Good communication between the doctor and patient is always key because then we begin to learn the pattern of their symptoms.” While there is no definitive tool for diagnosing IBS, treatment may include simple dietary changes or involve over-the-counter and prescription medications. IBS is a chronic condition, but it does not increase the risk for colorectal cancer.
Warning Signs “Definitely come in if you are experiencing severe, debilitating abdominal pain, blood in your stool or abnormal weight loss,” Dr. Sheila Reddy says. “A lot of my practice involves women with IBS, and I feel like they’ve been suffering in silence on their own for months or even years with these symptoms.”
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease. Symptoms may appear gradually or suddenly and vary from mild to severe in intensity. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramping or pain, blood in the stool, fatigue, low-grade fever, weight loss and perianal disease. Reddy advises patients with Crohn’s symptoms be treated and followed by a doctor since Crohn’s increases the risk for colon cancer. Left untreated, Crohn’s can lead to serious complications. “We diagnose Crohn’s disease with lab work, colonoscopies and biopsies of the large and small intestines,” Reddy says. Doctors may also use imaging studies. Treatment involves various prescription medications, as well as dietary changes. In some cases, surgery may be necessary. Celiac Disease
“Celiac disease only exists in 1 to 2 percent of the population worldwide,” says Reddy, adding that it is also a genetic disorder that is diagnosed with genetic testing, bloodwork and biopsies of the small intestine. People with celiac disease experience a wide range of symptoms based on their individual circumstances. The most common symptoms are bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea, gas, stomach pain, nausea and/or vomiting and anemia. While celiac disease can often be controlled by eliminating all gluten from the diet, it is a serious condition that needs to be treated by a physician.
By the Numbers According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: • 1 0 to 15 percent of adults in the United States are affected by IBS, but only 5 to 7 percent have actually received a diagnosis from a physician. • In the U.S., it is estimated that more than 500,000 people have Crohn’s disease. • Research indicates that about one in 141 people in the United States have celiac disease. Beyond celiac, an awareness and advocacy group states, “Research estimates that 18 million Americans have gluten sensitivity. That’s six times the amount of Americans who have celiac disease.”
Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity Many people avoid gluten these days, even though only about 1 percent of the population has celiac disease. Dr. Sheila Reddy says the reason many people feel better when they avoid gluten is they may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. “Gluten sensitivity or intolerance is not celiac disease, but people can still develop symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating or diarrhea,” Reddy says. “If you have gluten sensitivity, your biopsy and lab work are normal, but that doesn’t mean that you are not being adversely affected by eating gluten because it can be an irritant for some people. Some people think they are gluten-intolerant, but that may only be the tip of the iceberg. They need to see a doctor for a diagnosis.”
70 | Austin Woman | march 2017
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DO YOU KNOW YOUR
TSH?
HORMONES AND ENDOCRINOLOGY
Endocrinology is the science of hormones, which affect every cell and every function in your body. The glands secreting these hormones form your endocrine system, a tightly interconnected system with thousands of feedback loops. It is far more complex than any supercomputer today. Hormones control everything in your body from birth to death. Without hormones, your body cannot function. Examples of hormones: estrogen, testosterone, insulin and hormones like thyroid, cortisol, adrenal and pituitary.
WHAT ARE ENDOCRINE DISEASES?
They are diseases caused by a malfunction of one or more endocrine glands in your body. Examples: thyroid, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome and obesity, hirsutism, menopause, low testosterone in males, andropause and impotence, polycystic ovaries, irregular or lack of menstrual periods, high and low calcium, and diabetes.
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT YOUR ENDOCRINE SYSTEM?
hypothyroidism. Thyroid ailments include Graves’ and Hashimoto disease, goiter, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. Thyroid problems require lifelong attention. Each person has a different genetic set point for TSH, the thyroid stimulation hormone.
WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Osteoporosis affects one in two women and one in four men over the age of 50 and is generally missed. Bone fracture is considered to be the heart attack of the bone and can have major consequences on your quality of life, from reduced mobility to potential loss of mobility altogether. A bone density test is the only way to test for osteoporosis. We perform such testing and provide consultation on bone metabolism and osteoporosis treatment.
HORMONE MYTHS DEBUNKED The facts about some hormone myths:
“Seek your optimal health, your ideal yet achievable health, and increase the quality of your life.”
Aging, other diseases, stress, environmental and genetic factors do influence your endocrine system. Aging changes how hormones are produced and absorbed by your body. Genetic factors and other diseases can do the same. Stress triggers a cascade of hormones that affect your heart, kidneys and other organs. Recent research identified endocrine disrupting chemicals in our environment.
WHY SEE AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST?
Hormone treatments must be followed by a hormone specialist (endocrinologist) the same way heart disease is followed by a heart specialist (cardiologist). An endocrinologist has years of special training in diagnosing and treating your hormone imbalances. Endocrine diseases are often missed, since symptoms are often subtle and easy to brush aside. An endocrinologist starts out with a thorough physical evaluation looking for these telltale sings, then follows up with a battery of blood and other lab tests. Often, additional highly specialized tests are involved to identify the root cause of your hormonal imbalance.
WHAT IS THYROID DISEASE?
Since hormones rule your body, have your hormonal balance assessed by an endocrinologist to optimize your health. Dr. Simone Scumpia of Austin Thyroid & Endocrinology outlines everything you need to know about hormones and their effect on the body.
Thyroid disease affects 30 million Americans, yet half of them do not know they have it. It is called the “silent disease.” One in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder in their life; women are five to eight times more likely than men to develop hyperthyroidism or
3 Bioidentical hormones are not human identical and may cause complications.
3 Fountain of youth hormones (otherwise known as human growth hormones) can cause serious side effects when used for anti-aging.
3 hCG diets (HCG) by themselves do not cause weight loss, but can cause irregular periods for women and breast enlargement for men.
3 Hormone treatment of fatigue, depression or anti-aging should be avoided due to many side effects it can cause. 3 Adrenal fatigue is not a real disease, but adrenal failure is a life threatening disease.
WHAT IS OPTIMAL HEALTH AND BIOLOGICAL AGE?
Medicine addresses disease treatment and prevention. Optimal health and biological age deal with your health before disease prevention or treatment. We focus on optimal health, the ideal yet achievable health of your body as you reach middle age and beyond. Our specialized equipment allows us to measure and evaluate your biological age, a measure of how well or poorly your body is functioning relative to your actual calendar age. Biological age is a composite of several “ages” such as brain age, bone age, heart age and vessel age. Optimal health focuses on your wellness before disease can be identified; it is a step before disease prevention and does improve the quality of your life.
AUSTIN THYROID & ENDOCRINOLOGY
2200 PARK BEND DRIVE BUILDING 3 SUITE 300 AUSTIN, TX 78758
(behind North Austin Medical Center) MON-FRI, 7 AM TO 4 PM 512.467.2727 | austinthyroid.com
Dr. Simone Scumpia treats all thyroid and endocrine (hormonal) ailments with emphasis on optimal health and biological age.
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Eat This, Not That
WHAT’S THE SCOOP?
Here’s the sweet truth behind two go-to creamy concoctions. by Emma Whalen
There are plenty of restaurants one can claim loyalty to in Austin. Are you a patron of Home Slice Pizza or East Side Pies? Do you get your ramen fix at Ramen Tatsu-Ya or Michi Ramen? What about burgers? Do you go for Hopdoddy or Hut’s? The potential matchups are endless and, even when the field is narrowed down to just desserts, you’re still faced with difficult decisions. We asked Francesca Silvestrini, gelato master and co-owner of Dolce Neve, and Laura Aidan, the female force in charge of Prohibition Creamery, to each state their case in the gelato versus ice cream debate.
Team Gelato:
Team ice cream:
r The contender: Francesca Silvestrini,
r The contender: Laura Aidan,
r Her favorite gelato flavors:
r Her favorite ice cream flavor:
r Why gelato? 3 “Ice cream usually has more than 15
r Why ice cream? 3 “Many people believe that ice cream is spun at a higher
co-owner of Dolce Neve
ricotta, honey and organic pistachio
percent fat—and some premium ice creams have more than 50 percent fat— while gelato only has between 6 and 8 percent fat.”
3 “Gelato has less air than ice cream, making gelato denser and more flavorful.”
3 “Gelato is served at a higher
tiramisu
speed than gelato and contains more air, but our ice creams—and other super-premium ice creams—are spun at a low speed, resulting in a denser and creamier product. The next time you are at the grocery store, try comparing the weight of a pint of premium-brand ice cream to an economy brand. You will feel the difference! The economy brand contains more air.”
3 “Our ice creams don’t contain any corn syrup, stabilizers or other additives.”
3 “Also, at Prohibition Creamery, we add top-shelf booze!”
Headshots courtesy of Dolce Neve and Prohibition Creamery.
temperature than ice cream, [causing] your palate to perceive the flavor a little more.”
owner of Prohibition Creamery
74 | Austin Woman | march 2017
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ellness
HER ROUTINE
Living Outside the Box
Entrepreneur Regina Vatterott makes it her business to stay in shape.
BY Gretchen M. Sanders For a healthy person, Regina Vatterott spends a good deal of time thinking about pillboxes. The 23-year-old entrepreneur is the co-founder and chief operations officer of EllieGrid, an Austin-based company that has overhauled the standard plastic pill organizer. Vatterott, along with three of her friends, started the business in 2015.
“I’m a vitamin junkie, and I wanted an easier way to remember which vitamins to take when,” says Vatterott, a former St. Edward’s University cross-country runner.
Vatterott set to work designing a pillbox that separates medications by type rather than by days of the week or by time. Lights on the lid of the smart-looking box correspond to the compartments holding each pill type, alerting users when to take a specified number of that medication. “I save so much time sorting supplements this way,” Vatterott says of her invention. Although the pillboxes won’t hit retail stores for a while, customers can order the EllieGrid online through indiegogo.com. Here’s how the young entrepreneur juggles fitness with building a business.
The A.M.
The Gear:
“I have a morning to-do list next to the sink in my bathroom. It reminds me to stretch, take my vitamins, put on sunscreen, read a few Bible verses, do a quick meditation and go. Everyone who comes over makes fun of me, but the list tells me exactly how to get ready for the day, and then I don’t waste time wandering around, wondering in my half-asleep mind what to do next.”
“I run in Brooks PureCadence shoes and Hotty Hot shorts from Lululemon. I love the lightness of these shorts. The inner lining isn’t as tight as in other brands, so I don’t even think about them when I run. On most workouts, I wear my Apple Watch and wireless headphones because they let me track my heart rate and get pumped. I don’t need to look fancy when I exercise, either. It makes no difference to me if I pair my running shorts with a sports bra or an old T-shirt. Shoes are key, though. I used to suffer shin splints before I started wearing Brooks. Now I’ll never go back.”
The Workout:
The Motivation:
“
The Diet:
“Watermelon and dark chocolate are my favorite foods in life. I’ll eat half a watermelon when it’s in season and call it lunch. To confess, I have no shame talking up the heart-healthy aspects of chocolate if it means I get to eat it every day. I suffer from low levels of vitamin D, so I also need to eat plenty of fish, mushrooms, nuts and kale. My former coach at St. Ed’s said that runners should consume lots of sweet potatoes, and I do!”
76 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Running is my quiet time, where all I focus on is putting one foot in front of the other.
Her playlist How Much More by the Go-Go’s On + Off by Maggie Rogers Carry Your Throne by Jon Bellion War Paint by Fletcher Tokyo Sunrise by LP Don’t Move by Phantogram Capsize by Frenship Hymn for the Weekend by Coldplay Lush Life by Zara Larsson Chantaje by Shakira
”
“I’m on my laptop all day long researching health conditions for my business. I really appreciate the fact that I even can run. Running is my quiet time, where all I focus on is putting one foot in front of the other. I always feel like I’m answering complex questions at work, so going for a run gives me a period when I don’t have to think about anything complicated. I unwind by getting outside and running as hard as I can.” The Mindset:
“Fitness, for me, goes back to family. I’m the oldest of four children, and my little siblings call me mom. If I’m healthy, then I can do a better job of taking care of the people I love, and I can set a good example for my little sisters. I do my best work when I take care of myself.” The P.M.:
“I’m sure it’s no surprise that before bed, I follow the nighttime to-do list posted in my bathroom. It reminds me of the basics: to take my vitamins, wash my face, etc. After that, I like to lay out my clothes for the next day and pack tomorrow’s bag. I live with my parents right now, so I try to spend a little quality time with them in the evening. Then I read for a while and pass out.”
Photo by Whitney N. Devin. Photos by Chris LeBlanc.
“I run and do yoga at least three times a week to stay in shape. I ran in high school before St. Edward’s and I still love pounding out miles around Lady Bird Lake at sunrise, the way we used to do on our training runs. My grandfather was a runner, and my dad played in the NFL, so athleticism seems to run in my blood (pun intended). Running makes me feel strong, which I think is a very important way for girls to feel. I’m also crazy about yoga at Wanderlust. It’s the absolute best because the classes incorporate cardio. If I can’t make a yoga class during the week, then I will practice poses on my own at home.”
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P
oint of view
memo from JB
Entrepreneurial Warning
Just remember, you become the IT person. By JB Hager, photo by rudy arocha
Throughout Austin, I’m mostly known for my 20-year run hosting a morning show on the radio, and for this Austin Woman column, of course. My entrepreneurial endeavors are far less known. I’ve been very lucky investing in some friends’ local bars and restaurants. I’m a founder at a motorsport complex in its 10th year. I built a musicseries media company (which would now fall into the “expensive hobby” category) and I am a founder of a mobile video app that was just acquired by the dating app Tinder. I still have a hard time calling myself an entrepreneur. It just kind of happened because these were passion projects. If you are thinking about making that leap to entrepreneurship because it seems so sexy, especially in Austin, I’ll share with you some things to consider before you make the jump. Your biological clock will get turned completely upside down. When you are working for yourself, there aren’t enough hours in the day, so you’ll find yourself burning the midnight oil, worrying about all the things you didn’t get to today. That, in effect, will make you want to sleep late when there really isn’t time for that. You will be tempted to stay in your pajamas all day until your friend or spouse tells you that you need to get your sh-t together! Force yourself to get up and shower first thing. If you are lucky enough to have a rented office, the first thing you will notice is that you are now responsible for furnishing the place, providing coffee and cleaning the darn place up. When the internet or the printer fails, guess who comes to the rescue as the IT person? You! All of a sudden, you miss that geek who used to be down the hall more than you could have ever imagined. When you are on your own dime to furnish your office, prepare yourself to be reminded of your college dorm, at best. That old corporate cube won’t seem so bad all of a sudden. Say goodbye to vacation. You’ll likely never see one of those again. It’s doubtful you’ll have a 401(k), and your taxes just got really complicated. When you start paying for your own health insurance, you will often point out that you could have a mortgage on a lake house for
the same amount. On top of that, the expensive insurance isn’t all that great. When you get the sniffles, prepare yourself to spend all day at a community clinic, where you will be the only one in the waiting area without a gunshot or knife wound. You will talk about your decks and pro forma as if they are your first-born children. You will brag about them even though you know they are subpar, just like your children. You will nod and smile all knowingly when someone brings up EBITA, even though you have no understanding of it whatsoever. To fake it, just ask, “Do you mean EBITA or EBITDA taking in depreciation?” The person you’re speaking with will nod and smile back, then just change the subject. You will have no co-workers or peers to whine and complain with, so you will often find yourself muttering to yourself like a homeless person. There will be no holiday party. At best, you’ll be drinking wine in your underwear while working on projections for investors. Especially if you are seeking outside investment, you will be bombarded with questions and doubts: “How do you monetize this?” “What is unique about your idea?” “Who are your key team members?” “How do you plan to scale?” “What is your competitive advantage/ disadvantage?” “What is the cost-per-customer acquisition?” “What is your liability risk?” “What proprietary intellectual property have you created?” “What is your go-to market strategy?” “Why do users care about your product or service?” “What is your burn rate?” “What is your projected return on investment?” “What is your pre-money valuation?” “What’s your exit strategy?” And then you will be told no and want to get into the fetal position and cry. Then you will get in front of the next person and go through all these questions again and again and again. You will then find yourself envious of the Wal-Mart greeter. When asked about his or her exit strategy, they point to the door. Finally, learn to spell “entrepreneur.” I was autocorrected no fewer than 100 times before I got it right. All of a sudden, that corporate gig working for The Man doesn’t seem so bad, eh?
All of a sudden, you miss that geek who used to be down the hall more than you could have ever imagined.
78 | Austin Woman | march 2017
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oint of view
I Am Austin Woman
Living in the Moment
2017 is the year I will live in the moment in anything and all I do. Why? Because it is just too much to control it all. I have it all, all that I have always dreamed of: the high-powered career with endless paths in front of me; the adoring husband, who is my partner in everything we do; my three boys, who are all I ever wanted. Yet, I find myself constantly trying to outdo myself for the career, my husband and our children, and in doing so, I feel like I am falling short—always. My boys love me for who I am and that is it. They don’t mind if I don’t cook their dinner and pick them up from school every day. We will remember the good times, the times when they read to me at night, when we lay side by side talking about our days or laughing about a shared family joke. They understand that Mama works and that makes her happy, and they thrive in their amazing schools. They love that I take that hour a day to better my health and workout. The escape from it all in that one hour makes it a better day for us all. My husband gets me. He loves me for the mom and the career woman I am. He cooks and cleans for our family,
I will no longer feel guilty for the time spent away or everything not being just right. I may not always be fully prepared for that important meeting or be able to take the boys to school, but I will no longer feel anxious about not having done things differently or thinking, “What if?”
allowing me to spend the few yet so precious hours with our boys. He is my partner in life and I am grateful for the 50/50 structure he provides in our household. We do it together. My urge to thrive in my career is a constant in our family and it is my career that makes me happy. The opportunities that it gives me and the sense of accomplishment are as much unnerving as they are thrilling. But at the end of each day, I can only give 100 percent rushing to the next level and constantly reaching for my goals. So, I will live in the moment. Our days are jam-packed from sunrise to night. Whatever the day brings, we will wake together, we will wish each other a good day and we will go about our days at work and school. When the night comes, we will regroup once again as a family and live in the moment. I will no longer feel guilty for the time spent away or everything not being just right. I may not always be fully prepared for that important meeting or be able to take the boys to school, but I will no longer feel anxious about not having done things differently or thinking, “What if?” That control, that angst, that is exactly what stops me from being the best version of me.
Austin Woman features a reader-submitted essay every month in the I Am Austin Woman column. To be considered for May’s I Am Austin Woman, email a 500-word submission on a topic of your choice by April 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com with the subject line “I Am Austin Woman.”
80 | Austin Woman | march 2017
Photo courtesy of AKD Photography.
Letting go is hard to do. As a working mom, Victoria Catt explains why she’s opting to loosen her grip.
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Austin Woman MAGAZINE | march 2017
In addition to Volvo’s XC90 T5 and T6 gas engine models, there’s also the range-topping T8 Twin Engine model that feels truly special behind the wheel. The XC90 T8 allows you to switch between 400hp AWD performance and pure electric driving at the touch of a button. With distinctive drive modes, including Pure Electric, Hybrid, and Power, it adapts to your every need. In fact, your all-new XC90 can be anything you want it to be – a silent-running pure electric city car, a smart plug-in-hybrid, a seven-seat SUV, or a high-performance luxury car, all without ever having to compromise. See the full range of XC90 models today at either Austin-area Volvo location.
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