Tag: Grind

Staying physically healthy is an essential component of being a successful athlete. To ensure their performance remains at a high level, many teams/athletes have a designated strength and conditioning coach/specialist to help them keep in tip-top shape. Haseeb Fasihi has been a go-to trainer/player development specialist for many teams and athletes since 2010, working with some of the NBA’s brightest stars including Jae Crowder, Miles Bridges, and Robert Covington to name a few. Fasihi has been the strength and conditioning specialist for the Lakeland Magic (the NBA G League team for the Orlando Magic) the past three years and played a critical role this past season in making sure the players stayed healthy during a shortened campaign that saw the team winning the 2021 G League championship.

Taking a well-deserved break to relax and recoup, Fasihi will soon be back in action, and he caught up with ONE37pm’s Jael Rucker to discuss this past season with Lakeland, how he started his training career, and advice for young college students who also aspire to achieve a career in conditioning and player development.

Jael: Let’s take it back. When did you start training?

Fasihi: I started doing player development around 20 or 21. I had just gotten done playing overseas, and I wanted to get into injury prevention because I started going to UCF for exercise physiology. I was 21 when I worked with my first NBA player on the development side—that is my bread and butter. Over time I’ve had mentors along the way that have really helped me. There was a time where ESPN had an article that featured me.

I would forward that article to my mentors and people that I knew. One of my mentors at the time was the strength coach of the Orlando Magic; his name is Bill Burgos. He saw my progress, and then in 2017, the Orlando Magic invested in the G League team, and he asked me if I wanted the opportunity to work at the G League level. That was also when I started my strength and conditioning career. Everything prior to 2017 was player development, so now I have both roles, and players trust me on both sides.

Jael: Final question. What is your plan for the future?

Fasihi: Right now, I’m still up-to-date with what Lakeland has going on performance-wise, specifically with their injury and medical prevention staff. The draft process will happen this summer, so God-willing I will be a part of that by helping the players work out before they get drafted. I will also have my off-season workouts in Miami—that is the new hotbed for NBA players to come train and hang out. I have a program/bubble situation here in Miami where players can come get their workout in and feel safe. That’s what the plan is, but still moving along the chain and making myself available for anybody, whether it is the NBA or working independently.

I have flexibility, and that is what I wanted. Learning from people who have worked in strength and conditioning for years has also been one of my biggest goals, and getting my masters remains one of my biggest priorities. I want to keep my clientele running independently.

The season will be back before we know it, so make sure you keep up with Haseeb on Instagram and Twitter.

On this week’s episode of The Tartare Project hosted by Phil Toronto, Emily Schildt, founder and CEO of Pop Up Grocer, joined the show to discuss her meteoric journey in entrepreneurship. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhodes College in 2009, Schildt has built a loaded resume over the past decade, which includes a stint at Chobani as the director of digital engagement and a role as the project food director at Fohr Card. Prior to starting Pop Up Grocer, Schildt created a consulting company called Sourdough in December 2013 to bring new products to the market by telling their stories, and from time to time offers a tech-free event series called ‘Things of Wonder’ to promote human connection in our ‘phone-addicted culture.’ Between all of her businesses, Schildt truly has her hands full and spoke with Toronto about her path to success with Pop Up Grocer.

When we last spoke to Jamia Fields in September, 2020, she was in the midst of her season with the Houston Dash, and we primarily chatted about her life-long love of fashion. Frequently recognized for her dope fits (which she regularly showcases on social media), Fields made it clear that she was determined to make big waves in the fashion industry and hinted that she was working on an upcoming fashion line. Fast forward seven months later, that line has finally come to fruition, officially launching online today. Named Stoic Los Angeles (which is a testimony to anybody who has had to power through tough times and situations), Stoic L.A. is a luxury streetwear brand that is ‘street but sweet.’ 

Working on Stoic primarily by herself, Fields has been completely hands-on in all the elements of her company, pulling from her experiences in fashion, life, and sports to create a brand that encompasses what it truly means to be a warrior. Ahead of its release, Fields spoke with ONE37pm’s Jael Rucker to give a full background on how Stoic Los Angeles came to be and what the line means to her.

Rucker: Obviously you are going to have the online site, but are there plans for a Stoic Los Angeles store?

Fields: Yes, it is definitely part of the vision that I have for Stoic with different pop-up shops in the future. So online for right now, but building towards that for sure.

Rucker: What is it like starting an athleisure brand?

Fields: For me, when I’m looking to shop, I look for good material. I knew I wanted to start a luxury streetwear brand where the clothes that I am making may cost a little bit more but are great material and a great message that people can relate to when they are buying clothes. They can see their story in what they are wearing, and that has a lot of meaning behind the name Stoic.

I’ve tried it all—I’ve been a ‘bargain shopper’ my whole life. I like to find the best prices, but I also enjoy high-end things as well. I have felt and worn different fabrics, and for me I’ve seen how the cheaper fabrics wash and wear over time. I tried to create something in the middle of that, but still high-end luxury. 

Rucker: You are pretty much a one-man band with this right?

Fields: It has been very challenging but rewarding at the same time because I put a vision out there, and I would go to sleep thinking about it, and wake up to write something down because I am that passionate. Obviously I’ve had help here and there with the creative part of it, the website, etc., but with the complete vision and having to find every piece, as well as getting the licensing—you know you could start it within a month, but I didn’t want that to be the case with me. I wanted to put all my time into it because I want the brand to sustain for years to come.

Stoic Los Angeles officially launches today. You browse the website here, and follow Jamia for more updates on Instagram and Twitter.

On this week’s episode of The Tartare Project, host Phil Toronto welcomes Annabel Lawee, founder of Breeze. Breeze is a company that serves specialized airport food packages for those that may not be interested in eating actual airport food.

Pulling from her experiences of flying with Celiac disease, Lawee’s mission was to create a company that would provide airport travelers with convenient access to healthy meals instead of standard restaurant food. Noting the stress and inconvenience that can come from meal planning while trying to make your flight, Breeze provides different meal options made straight from scratch with high-quality ingredients. The menu also accommodates those with dietary preferences and restrictions such as gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan, and you can plan your meals up to 24 hours in advance through the Breeze App.

The conversation then takes several steps back, with Toronto asking Lawee about her childhood experiences growing up in Montreal, attending the Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario, and moving to New York after graduation. After moving to New York, Lawee joined Echo, a tech startup, and worked there for five years in sales and partnerships, learning many essential skills along the way that would ultimately help with the development of her own company.

Pivoting the conversation towards the early stages of Breeze, Lawee describes what the ideation process was like. “I started ideating about Breeze around 2017. I went on a trip to Cabo, and I remember feeling so bloated and disgusting because I overdosed on almonds since I couldn’t find anything else to eat. It was something that kept happening when I would go on business trips,” Lawee says as she recalls the difficulty of finding quality foods to eat while traveling.

Toronto and Lawee had an incredible conversation full of many valuable gems. You can catch the full episode above and follow all of the latest updates from Breeze on Instagram and Twitter.

When we last spoke with Calyann Barnett in January 2020, the celebrity stylist was in the midst of launching her newest venture, The Shop In Pop Up Shop, a place for brands trying to enter the Miami market that didn’t have a traditional brick and mortar presence. Inspired by companies such as Airbnb and Uber, The Shop In Pop Up Shop was designated to be an outlet that clients could use to essentially outsource their products. The company was experiencing a lot of success, but like many other businesses, suffered a setback due to Covid-19.

You know what they say, ‘A setback is a setup for a comeback,’ and after going back to the drawing board, Barnett is ready for round two. Now named The Shop Miami, Barnett will officially be re-launching this June with 20 individually designed spaces, making it a must-shop destination in Miami. Barnett sat down with ONE37pm’s Jael Rucker to discuss the revamp, how a trip to Africa has further inspired her creativity, styling Dwyane Wade, and what she is doing to create more opportunities in fashion for Black designers.

The summer of 2020 was a trying and sensitive time for everyone; the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent worldwide protests, along with the attempt to bring the cases of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery to the forefront, the country saw massive protests in the name of racial equality that it had not seen for some time.

There was also a nationwide blackout in which businesses and consumers halted their buying activities for one day as a way to further take a stance and bring awareness. It reshaped our perspectives, and for Barnett, the desire to use her talents, platforms, and connections as a way to provide even more opportunities for Black people began to fuel her even more.

“It was taking what we learned from George Floyd, the blackout, the blackout amongst Black designers, etc., and realizing that Black people lead the charge.” 

As Barnett began the process of relaunching, those ideals alongside the changing landscape of consumerism have been a part of the day-to-day motions. The pandemic has completely changed the way we shop. Major brands have seen the loss of many physical retail locations (Barnett points to Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom as examples.) The process of leasing a building was already difficult. Now, especially with the pandemic, designers sometimes have challenges literally trying to find a ‘space’ for their work, which has also played a part in their ability to build a stable clientele.

And that is where Barnett is coming to help. Having been in this business for fifteen years, Barnett knows the challenges involved in this business. The entrepreneur has been working hard to execute her vision.

“We started back outreach to brands. The Shop Miami has 20 individually designed spaces,” she states when asked about her upcoming relaunch. “We are looking to open in June, and we are fortunate to be in a place where the weather is always beautiful. This June is a great time to be opening because normally people travel to Europe during the summer, and Europe is completely shut down right now.” 

And the creativity is especially on ten for Barnett after a recent trip to Africa. Showing off an interesting take on Kente cloth she recently received, Barnett was inspired on an eleven-day trip that saw her mixing business and pleasure. “Going to Africa was an infusion of inspiration, colors, patterns, and designers. When you look at Ghana tailors—their goal is to make a suit that fits.” Barnett then lifts the piece to show the juxtaposition of a Kente cloth with cooler tones as opposed to the brighter, warmer colors we are used to seeing. “You look at it and automatically think it’s couture!”

Last but not least, we had to ask her again about working with Dwyane Wade. Barnett has been with Wade for fourteen years, and in that time, we’ve seen the style evolution of him going from a 25-year-old a few years into the league to the more suave, mature looks he’s been showing off on Inside The NBA.

Between styling clients, building her business and raising 2 boys, Barnett has her hands full. You can continue to keep up with her on Instagram. Go to www.TheShopMiami.com to sign up to receive info about the grand opening.

The week’s episode of The Tartare Project hosted by Phil Toronto welcomes special guest Aishwarya Iyer, founder and CEO of Brightland, a modern pantry essentials company that launched in the summer of 2018. Offering an assortment of authentic oils and vinegars, Brightland sources their products from a California-ran family farm, assuring customers that they will only be consuming products straight from the Earth with no fillers or artificial preservatives.

Prior to founding Brightland, Iyer was the co-founder of Elephant Partners, a communications consultancy for technology companies, and served stints as the head of communications for Whisper and ffVC. Iver also worked as a public affairs manager at Second Market for over three years and started her career in public relations at Lancôme after obtaining a Bachelors in Arts from NYU.

Born in India and growing up in Houston, Toronto and Iyer chatted about Iyer’s childhood, balancing both American and Indian customs and her awakening from being a party student at UT Austin to finding her calling at NYU. “I found a little more of my purpose because I joined the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU,” Iyer says as she recalls her final two years of undergrad. “Gallatin is a school within the university where you create your own major, and it is very entrepreneurial. No two people have the same major, and you have to bring something together that makes sense while also knowing that you are charting your own path. I had a blast with it!”

At that particular time, Iyer didn’t necessarily have her sights set on starting a business. The idea of Brightland was one that came gradually over time. “I wasn’t seeking out an entrepreneurial endeavor’ Iyer tells Phil. “That wasn’t a part of my thinking, and you start automatically thinking about what you don’t have. It took me about two-and-a-half years to wrap my head around the concept that I could do this.”

We certainly don’t want to spoil this conversation, so be sure to check out the full episode of The Tartare Project above. You can follow Brightland on Instagram and check out their products on the company’s official website.

The week’s episode of The Tartare Project hosted by Phil Toronto features Catharine Dockery, founder of Vice Ventures. Created in 2018, Vice Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital fund with the mission of conquering stigmas and striving towards superior returns by investing in ‘good companies operating in bad industries.’ In their 30-minute conversation, Toronto and Dockery dove into the early stages of her career, some of the obstacles she faced along the way, and the history behind the development of Vice Ventures. 

Toronto then takes several steps back, asking Dockery to describe her childhood. The entrepreneur grew up in West Village with her bartender father, who, through his job, unknowingly introduced her to the business side of those ‘vices’ that have become such an integral part of her company. “With my dad being a bartender, I spent so much time around alcohol to the point where I was the only seven-year-old who knew what Louis XIII Cognac was! That was definitely my childhood—which was pretty funny because I ended up going to NYU, which was maybe six blocks or so from where I grew up.”

Naturally the conversation transitions into Dockery’s time after Citigroup, which also included a stint as the Chief of Staff at Bonobos. Bonobos was later acquired by Walmart, which in-turn led to Dockery leaving the company. Her experiences of interviewing with different funds and learning about the negative stigmas associated with ‘vice clauses’ (selling of alcohol, tobacco, etc.), ultimately led to the decision of starting Vice Ventures. If other companies couldn’t understand the importance of vice investing, then Dockery was going to set out to change the narrative through her own company.

“It was bananas to me that somebody would allow their fate to be determined through institutions. Being that my dad was a bartender, I didn’t think that making money by serving alcohol was bad. I didn’t understand why it was stigmatized—it paid for dinner. At that point I was like, if nobody wants to understand why vice investing is important culturally and economically, then I don’t want to work for them. I’ll just do it myself.”

Be sure to catch the full interview above so you can hear more about Dockery’s journey with Vice Ventures. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest updates with Vice. 

The week’s episode of The Tartare Project hosted by Phil Toronto welcomes Daniel Soares, founder of Alimentari Flâneur. Soares, a fourth-generation Balducci, was inspired to open Alimentari Flâneur after a six-week pop-up project in Little Italy during the summer of 2019 that offered an assortment of rare fruits and vegetables alongside a selection of pastas, cheeses, and oils.

During the course of their 30-minute conversation, Toronto and Soares discussed the brand’s history, he inspiration behind Alimentari Flâneur, and what Soares hopes to build with his company. “Alimentari Flâneur is really about connecting people to the intimacy of everyday. I started this produce market a few months ago, and I wanted to connect people to the intimacy of shopping in a charming curated market that serves seasonal fresh produce, while also giving the simplicity of enjoying the traditional shopping experience. The third and most important thing is the closeness and connection at the store. Whether it’s meeting me, or bringing your produce home and sharing a meal with your family, it’s about understanding that there is a real intentionality and connection happening.”

Toronto and Soares continue to chat, discussing Soares childhood and how he viewed education, having entrepreneurial parents, traveling to Europe for the first time and how it changed his life, and the lessons learned from his first business venture—which was an attempt to sell clothes through being able to click on Instagram pictures. Naturally the conversation headed  towards the beginning chapters of Alimentari Flâneur, as Toronto asks Soares the idea behind selling obscure produce. “I’ve had a weird career and life so far—After I failed my app I told my parents that I didn’t want to go back to NYU and that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. They told me to try out real estate since I loved finance, math, and people.” Soares goes on to recap his real estate days, and how his experiences with closing a record sale eventually led to him owning his own market. “Every single choice I’ve made since the day that I closed on that sale, has been to really understand how to build a sustainable retail business.”

Be sure to check out the full interview above to learn more about Soares and Alimentari Flâneur. You can follow the company on Instagram.