Advice From My CEO Husband: Marriage, Career, Discipline, Parenthood & Leadership

Mari Llewelyn
This is the pursuit of wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewelyn.

Guys, today on the show, we have a highly, highly, highly requested guest. He is the 2024 Entrepreneur of the year, Forbes 30 under 30 winner, co founder and CEO of Bloom Nutrition. Also my husband of three years, Greg Lavakia. Thank you for having me. I would love to compare that intro to our first intro.

Greg Lavakia
We could make a side by side. I don't remember what the first one was like. I was probably like, ugh, welcome, I guess. But honestly, the excitement when I posted that you were coming on was pretty astounding. And I.

Mari Llewelyn
I really am excited to have you on. I think the only other episode you've ever done with me was our story of Bloom episode, which was, like, the second episode I ever did of this show. So if you guys haven't listened to the story of Bloom, it's a really, really good one. If you want to go back today, I really want to have you on because you are someone I go to when I want advice on routine, discipline, career, goal setting. I feel like you have just become this incredible leader, and I find you to be very motivational.

I will say myself, I go to. Mario for the same things. No, you don't. You go to me when you're like, how do I have some life balance? Yeah, we have different skill sets.

Greg Lavakia
Sure. So today we're going to take questions from the audience and kind of give them advice on career, business, how to have a healthy relationship, how to support each other's goals, how to have discipline, how to form a routine, and a lot more. So I have a ton of questions. I'll just give you a little sneak peek the girls had. Are we trying to dive deep, or do you want, like, rapid answers?

Mari Llewelyn
No, I think we should dive deep. And I, like, want to give both of our opinions, because I think we do have pretty different perspectives on things and kind of just hear from you of where you're at. I mean, I feel like so much has happened since a year ago, since we did the first episode together. So I can't wait to dive in. I think we should start.

I have things categorized by business, routine, relationship, and bloom. So let's dive in. Okay. I want to start here because I think this is sort of an all encompassing question about your life in general. What is your routine like in order to perform optimally in all aspects of life?

Like, what do you do every day that ensures that you're going to perform optimally at work in our relationship and. Your goals in general in 2024, I would say the thing that I'm really trying to prioritize is my. Just call it my circadian rhythm. So my sleep, keeping that consistent, that has to. That's like a non negotiable, is my.

Greg Lavakia
I mean, any of my answers, no matter what category I'm trying to address, generally start with my physical health. So, my first three things that I'm gonna list for any of that would be related to my physical health. So, like, my sleep, my workouts, my nutrition. But, like, why can you dive deep and tell us why that's the case? You know, it's crazy.

Like, this weekend, we had a big party at the house. As if we do that all the time, but we had a big party at the house, and there was a whole bunch of, like, CPG, consumer packaged goods, business people. There was ex professional boxers there. I was talking with some business guys and some ex pro athletes. You're making us sound way cooler.

I know, right? And my first question to either of those categories of people was, how do you deal with the stress? Like, that's all I'm ever trying to figure out, is, like, how do I increase my ability to tolerate stress? And I have found that the only way I'm able to tolerate just life stresses, business stresses, relationship stresses, whatever they may be, is by keeping my physical health as high as I can, which in 2024 is very different. I used to think that was, like, very, like, bodybuilder.

I used to think that was, like, just related to, like, how strong I was and, like, very cosmetic. It was a very different form of fitness. Now it's. I think people are starting to call it, like, hybrid athlete vibes. Like, how far are you able to run?

What's your endurance? You know, higher rep, lower rep, overall strength, functional fitness. So that's what I've been prioritizing lately. Yeah, I would agree. And I feel like, just watching you, I can tell that exercise and staying healthy is, like a form of therapy.

Mari Llewelyn
Like, anytime Greg is super stressed, he'll disappear into our basement for a couple hours. And I know he's training, and that's really how he deals with things, and I support that. Like, I think for you, even since I met you, exercise has been a really crucial part of your happiness. And I think it's how you offset the immense amount of stress that you have day to day. I would say, in general, Greg and I definitely have a pretty, you know, strict routine, especially around bedtime.

I think both of us perform optimally when we're well rested. So we are both in bed by 830. I mean, I would say asleep. 930. The latest on a weeknight.

Greg Lavakia
Yeah, 1030. 1130 for crazy on a weekend. And even if we are in a social setting and we're at a friend's house or at a dinner, Greg will be the first one to say, I'm leaving, goodbye. And he's not afraid to do that. Because you are not willing to give up.

Mari Llewelyn
I mean, you kind of can't afford to. Well. Cause people in Austin socialize on weeknights. This is like a new thing. So I like to say, yes, I want to socialize as well.

Greg Lavakia
I'm trying to do more of that. But if it's a Wednesday night, I can't stay out past 830, which, when we first moved here, I'd quote, bring you home with me. Like, I'd be like, babe, we gotta go. Like, I have to go to sleep soon. As of late, we've successfully been leaving a party separately.

Mari Llewelyn
I think it's good to talk about this because I think a lot of people will relate and be like, my partner wants to leave, but I don't, or whatever it may be. And sometimes I want to stay because socializing is something I'm like is more important to me now. And I think having community and connecting is maybe more of a value for me than it is for you. And you just literally wake up later than me. Well, by half an hour.

Come on. Let's not have a tiff on the pod.

Let's not have a tiff on the pod. But, yeah, we have been practicing. Greg will leave at a time he's comfortable with, because otherwise, you get anxious and you get upset. Rightfully so, because Greg is in a position where he's the CEO. He manages a lot of people.

I have my own responsibilities, but it's not necessarily on the level that yours is. So, yeah, I think respecting that and having boundaries around, that's really important. And, you know, feeling good, feeling energized from the food we eat, feeling, you know, the endorphins we feel from exercising, getting enough steps in every day, like, showing up for yourself so you can show up for the team, is crucial. And we'll definitely dive more into the role of a CEO and how you manage that. We got a question.

I'm loving the new colostrum. When do you both incorporate it into your routine? I started taking it when I started to lose my hair. Oh, and I started to take it when I just got obsessed with bone broth. And I started just trying to figure out, like, okay, why am I obsessed with bone broth?

Greg Lavakia
Okay, it's because of collagen and colostrum like type ingredients started to go down the rabbit hole of hair loss, keeping my joints healthy as I got older. I've always had really bad shoulders. And just as I was kind of actually simplifying my supplement regime, I decided, okay, what am I gonna prioritize here? And it kind of boiled down to, like, some simple, I mean, like, less than five supplements, one of which being these two, which we've now created as one, which two? Collagen and colostrum.

When I went to simplify my routine, I used to take, like, 20 different supplements. You remember what our pantry that used to look like, especially over the years, it really boiled down to, okay, what do I really care about here? What do I actually feel like is doing anything? What do I know is doing something based off of when I start and stop it? And it boiled down to a few things, two of which being colostrum and collagen, which we combined into one product right here.

I feel like they're both crucial to take together, so why not have them as one supplement? And if we're able to have the highest quality collagen, the highest quality colostrum, you know, from a brand that's actually reputable, especially. There's so many, specifically colostrum brands that are popping up right now. We want to bring a good source. Yeah.

Mari Llewelyn
And a month ago, how do you incorporate it every day? Like, what's the routine? Morning routine. Mixed in my iced coffee. Done.

Greg Lavakia
Two scoops. So I put it. I think I've told my routine on here a few times, but I make this electrolyte drink that I bring to the gym, aka our basement, and I just put my colostrum in with the electrolytes because you. It's unflavored, you can't taste it, and you can legitimately put it in everything. So, yeah, I think it's amazing for gut health, and Greg and I are very much on our gut health journey right now.

Yeah, if you want to call it a journey. I feel like I'm in a gut health war.

Mari Llewelyn
I've told the girls about our h. Pylori. It's out of control and our antibiotics, and now we're on our parasite. I want to call it a parasite cleanse, but that's not what it is. What we're taking is a second type of antibiotic that is generally used to kill parasites.

Yes. So we're on a different antibiotic. It's definitely an antibiotic. But it is. Yeah.

Greg Lavakia
Yeah. I was doing some research on it last night. Obviously, after we started, I started to do the research. Yeah. And it's just an antibiotic generally used to kill parasites and STD's.

Mari Llewelyn
So afterward, is it. Yeah. Just happens to be. I don't know. No way.

Greg Lavakia
Yeah. Huh. Well, after we're done with this, we're then gonna go into phase three, which is the gut rebuild. And we were literally told to take colostrum, so this couldn't have come at a better time. And you guys have heard me talk about the colostrum, but it's grass fed cows.

Mari Llewelyn
Calves eat first family dairy farms in the United States. Like, the best possibly sourced colostrum on the market. And this is coming from people who, like, you've seen me for the last few months, make my own bone broth. I've taken it back to the farm to table and tried to figure out, okay, does this need to come from real food? Can I do this as just a supplement?

Greg Lavakia
Is this the same thing as drinking raw milk, for example, and getting some benefits like that? Like, so I feel like. I feel like this is just the perfect world of convenience and efficacy that could exist, period.

Mari Llewelyn
You guys always ask me about skincare, probably because, you know, I've been through the gamut with my skin. I've had acne on and off for ten years now, and it's very rare for me to trust a company the way I trust clear stem. Clearstem is the first skincare line that combines all three categories, anti acne, anti aging, and clean, meaning free of hormone disruptors and pore clogging fillers. Clearstem is founded by Danielle and Kayleigh, two of my good friends who I trust so much. They've both dealt with acne as well, which means, for me, they understand what I've been through and they know what to put in products that's actually going to work.

I also love the fact that they have the Acne lab test on their website, which is helping thousands of people get to the root cause of their acne through comprehensive lab testing and lifestyle based recommendations. You guys know that Emily Morrow has been a huge part of my acne journey, and she was involved in this whole process and their lab testing, which makes me feel really, really safe and in their hands. My favorite products from Clearstem are the gentle cleanser. I also use their hair products, the body lotion. I love the hydrating moisturizer.

I'm absolutely obsessed with the sunscreen I bring it everywhere when I travel. I highly recommend you guys check out this brand. Visit clearstemskincare.com and use code Pow at checkout for 20% off your first purchase. Again, that's code pow pow for 20% off your first purchase on clearstemskincare.com. we talk a lot about metabolic health on the show, and people always ask me back in the day when I was losing weight, how did I know what my metabolism was like?

Like, how did I figure out how much I should be eating to be in a caloric deficit? And I didn't have this technology back then, but I think this is so fantastic. That's where Lumen comes in. Lumen is the world's first handheld metabolic coach. It's a device that measures your metabolism through breath, and on the app, it lets you know if you're burning fat or carbs and gives you tailored guidance to improve nutrition, workout, sleep, and even stress management.

Your metabolism is your body's engine, and it's how your body turns the food you eat into the fuel to keep you going. Because your metabolism is at the center of everything your body does, optimal metabolic health translates to a bunch of benefits, including easier weight management, improved energy levels, better fitness results, and better sleep, etcetera. I love the fact that Lumen gives you recommendations to improve your metabolic health with each breath. Lumens recommendations are designed to improve your pre and post workout, fueling for better performance and recovery. It's so great to have a tool like this in your toolkit when you're losing weight or you're on a fitness journey, because it can be so confusing to try to figure out the right amount of food for fuel.

So I highly recommend you guys check this out. If you want to take the next step in improving your health. Go to Lumen me and use code Pow to get $100 off your lumen. That is, Lumen dot me and use code Pow pow at checkout for dollar 100 off. Thank you, Lumen, for sponsoring this episode.

Will you and Greg be handing over responsibilities at Bloom once you start a family?

Greg Lavakia
You know, off the cuff hearing that question, I have no intention of walking away from bloom anytime soon. Obviously, we have an intention of starting a family very soon. I would say that I think part of being a father is leading by example, and I would think that I would want daughter, son, whatever it may be, to look up to their father and or mother as somebody who works hard. So, no, I have no intention of the family contributing to me. Stepping away from bloom?

Mari Llewelyn
Yeah. But I think we are in a nice position where you will be able to take, you know, a week or two off with me, of course. I mean, life is good. Yeah. Yeah.

I fully plan on, like, being super mom. Yeah, let her rip. Yeah. I'm. I've worked too hard to get pregnant at this point.

I'm gonna be fully obsessed with this child, and, you know, of course I'm gonna want my own purpose and things outside of that, but I want to be a very involved parent, and we've kind of set ourselves up nicely for that. It's gonna be so funny. Like, this kid's gonna have no idea, like, the last ten years. Oh. It's gonna have no idea what we had to do.

Greg Lavakia
Yeah. Lulu knows. That's all that matters. Speaking of which, can you answer this? Because a lot of people asked, like, how hard was it for us at the beginning to start a business together and be in a romantic relationship?

People ask questions like this all the time, and it's like, there's a couple things I don't know. I don't know what it's like to be single when all of her friends ask, like, single advice or dating advice. I've been with you for a decade. I don't remember what it was like without you two. I've only ever been with you when we were basically working together.

Mari Llewelyn
Yeah. So, you know, there was obviously a two year span when we were in university, but when we were just dating. But I really don't know any other way. Yeah, but I wouldn't want to know any other way. And there was definitely some bumps along to, like, where we are now.

Greg Lavakia
But I love this, but we are. In such a different position now than we were. Like, now I come here and record my show, and I have my own work life, and you have your own work life. When we come together in the evening and ask each other what we did every day, we used to be hip to hip and every meeting together every day, so I personally feel like it's very different. And I'd say for, like, two or three years, we were, like, colleagues fully, you know, true co founders, and we made every decision together.

Mari Llewelyn
And I think we are uniquely positioned to work incredibly well together. Like, I think we have the opposite skill sets. I think we complement each other perfectly in a professional setting. I think we were, like, supposed to start a business together, but it's also, like, one of the hardest things I think I've ever done. And I can say confidently, I don't think there are many people who would have survived what we did in terms of a relationship, not like life or death.

Greg Lavakia
And just to close that, I think the other day we were saying, like, what if we had to do this again right now at 30 years old? You're 30. I'm 29. If we had to do it again right now, I don't think we could. I couldn't do it.

So I guess I kind of too long didn't read that's my feelings on it. I couldn't do it again, but I wouldn't change it for anything. That's how I. But I would tell someone else, you know, if they were at that point in their life, whether or not their biological age was their lower twenties, that they should do it. I agree.

Mari Llewelyn
Like, we had the energy to do it back then, and we had the like, fuck it. What else do we have going on? You know? Like, we had nothing to lose back then. Now I'm tired.

I don't want to do it again. Like, even, you know, we've been having a lot of conversations about this podcast and how much it's grown far beyond what I could have imagined. And then all of a sudden, I woke up and realized, oh, I started a second company, or a third company, even, and I'm drowning. So we've had that realization, and now I am kind of doing it all over again. So, yeah, that's our very much.

Greg Lavakia
Without me. Well, you give me advice here and dinner advice. Yeah, I'm not involved. Yeah. I don't think that the community realizes how skilled you are at business.

Mari Llewelyn
And this is a question I saw a lot as well. We both just want entrepreneur of the year for the Los Angeles area, which was a peak moment in our careers. I mean, like, we were both crying. We were like, holding each other. It was crazy.

But, you know, I mentioned on the podcast, like, I am the public facing person of Bloom. Like that. You know, it's my story. I'm the face of the company. But you are behind the scenes really growing this thing and managing the whole team.

People were asking, do you ever get jealous of me being the one who gets more recognition, or are you comfortable with your spot? No, I feel like I have. It's funny I said that in the EY speech. Yeah. I said, this is a journey that rarely gets any recognition.

Greg Lavakia
I do feel like in 2024, for whatever reason, we're getting a lot of recognition from a public facing front. But I never did it for any public recognition. I don't even think I've posted on Instagram in 2024. Like, that's just not really my thing. Wreckslavlife.

So, no, I've never really thought of that. And I also just feel like such an accomplishment if you get the recognition that I don't really care if it goes to Greg, you know, I look at us as such a unit anyway, so. No, that's not. That doesn't even cross my mind. Yeah.

Mari Llewelyn
A question I saw that I think is relevant here is someone asked, how do you stay motivated when no one's telling you? I mean, I guess I have goals. I mean, I was showing you my goals for 2024 yesterday. Cause we were trying to think of how to. My bloom goals, my, like, career goals.

Greg Lavakia
I was showing them yesterday, like, I have quantitative goals that if I hit, I probably get a very similar feeling as, like, public recognition. Right. Which, like, those are what I'm chasing. I don't have goals on there that were like, I want this x award. Those things just come and are like, this incredible cherry on top of you hitting those, like, quantitative goals that you're chasing.

Mari Llewelyn
Yeah. I feel like you are not someone motivated by public recognition. I think the system as a whole, you know, call it the education system, call it, like, award system, call it the recognition system. Generally, I have felt let down by it. And at this point in my life, at this age of my life, I don't rely on that to give me happiness.

What would you say to someone listening who could maybe relate to you that they struggled academically and maybe they still haven't found their thing? Like, what would you encourage them to do? I think there's so many people that are in academia, you know, whether they're in high school, they're in college, whatever it may be, who have not found their thing. And I think that's the big issue with it, is that the majority of people feel out of place. I felt incredibly out of place.

Greg Lavakia
I mean, this is coming from the perspective of somebody who I very much struggle to read anything more than, like, a paragraph is pretty overwhelming for me on an attention level, on, like, a physical ability to get through it. I'll leave detail. Any more details out of it. But with that said, academia is like trying to create this system that casts a wide enough net for as many people as they can. So if you feel unique and out of place in that, I would just head right to the Internet.

Right. Because the Internet's this weird thing where you can find a niche amongst the whole globe, whether that's on YouTube or Instagram or TikTok. You can find 100 people that would feel like a community, yet it's one person in each state and then one person in a couple countries. You know what I'm saying? So you could find these niches that are globalized or just nationalized, that when you were even just.

Our era of growing up, we didn't have instagram until college. You felt so weird in just your little physical region and such a unique person in a negative way. I mean, we went to a school that was very much high achievers and a very successful town, and both of us had, what, 2.5 gpas? Like, we were atrocious at school. You know, I can read and write.

Mari Llewelyn
Like, that's. That's my skill set, but I cannot read numbers. For the life of me, if people even start speaking to me about numbers, I dissociate. You get overwhelmed. I actually cry sometimes.

Yeah. No, if Greg brings up numbers to me, I straight up just cry. Give me, like, a landscaping bill. Yeah. I can't talk about it.

I actually cannot talk about it. So if this gives any motivation and you're listening and you're like, how could I possibly start a business? I can't read numbers. I can't write. I feel inexperienced.

You're looking at the two most inexperienced people of all time. You just figure it out, you know? And it's pretty incredible what you can do when you find something that you love so much that it doesn't feel like work, you know? Yeah. But, like, it just.

Greg Lavakia
Just as. Like, a tangible example, you going into the fitness industry originally, there's no one else that we grew up with that are at all involved in the fitness industry that I can think of, at least. Right. Like, that was an incredible niche that you could have never turned into a career unless you tapped into social. Yeah.

Right. Yep. There was a question that I kind of wanted to answer for the girls that said, best advice for being a supportive and encouraging wife while he's growing. And this has been a big one for me. And I've been through, like, sort of, like, ups and downs with my journey of this.

Mari Llewelyn
And someone who came on the podcast who really helped, actually, was Mark Sisson's wife, Carrie. And she's awesome because Mark, you know, the founder of Primal Kitchen, has been through a similar journey to us. You know, like, having a brand that explodes, selling, selling the business, going through different phases. We haven't sold bloom, obviously, but, you know, we did entrepreneurship. Yeah.

We did a deal recently, and just high stake, high stress scenarios. And although I am the co founder of Bloom and I'm still very involved. Greg steers the ship like he is the leader of Bloom nutrition, and being married to a CEO and a co founder is not for the faint hearted. And it's definitely not easy for someone who, you know, used to struggle with borderline personality disorder. So it's been an interesting journey, and I feel at the moment, probably the most confident in it than I ever have.

And I feel like I've had the realization that I feel so grateful to have someone who's so career motivated and so dedicated to the mission because it allows me, you know, as we're talking about trying to conceive and having a family, like, I know confidently that Greg will provide for me and this family no matter what. So, like, if tomorrow I decide, you know, I'm having this baby, I want to take a full year off, let's just say that would never happen. But let's just say I know that Greg would carry us through that and he would steer the ship same way that I really trust him and put a lot of faith in him with our finances, because it's not my forte. Um, and I also know that the sacrifice of not getting full quality time 24/7 in order to have the life we want, like, that's important. Do you know what I mean?

Like, I'm. I see this as a temporary thing right now, whether it be like five years, whatever, in order for us to have the life we want in the future. Do you know what I mean? I know what you mean. I mean, I think years past, we very much saw it as me, let's be clear, this is me wanting to pursue entrepreneurship.

Greg Lavakia
It's not like I have to do this. And I think that everyone needs to acknowledge that a lot of these goals that we have are wants and non needs, especially when you take them to an extreme level. But we originally saw them. We originally saw my pursuit of entrepreneurship, our pursuit of entrepreneurship as something that was taking away from our relationship and that it was almost like an either or. And eventually, hopefully, whatever journey you're pursuing, whether or not it's entrepreneurship gets to some sort of climax where it actually enhances your relationship.

So it's a step back for two forward, and I think we're just starting to experience that this year. You know, I think Austin was kind of like this fresh slate new chapter where we moved somewhere else, and we were able to kind of not only harness all of these memories and wisdom that we gained from our journey, but also we were able to create a more balanced version of contributing to our goals and to our relationship.

Mari Llewelyn
The weather is really warming up here in Austin, which means it's time for me to refresh my shoe wardrobe, and that's where bionic vitals comes in. The collection has the best essential styles for everyday wear to get you ready for the season. I absolutely love the willow slip on flat. I feel like flats are such a great go to when you're traveling. Everyone's in Europe right now.

You're walking a lot. Flats look great with jeans, skirts, dresses, whatever it may be. So I love this. It comes in over twelve colors to complement any outfit. Vyonix Exclusive viomotion technology is what sets them apart.

They began by revolutionizing medical orthotics, and today they continue to use that science to engineer shoes that leave you feeling confident and energized all day long. I'm someone who's on my feet all day. I love walking, I love moving, and I want shoes that make me feel good and energized. They even have a 30 day guarantee. Wear them, love them, or return for a full refund within 30 days.

Use code pal 15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order at ww dot vyonicshoes.com. when you log into your account one time, use only vyonic shoes. Wearable well being for your feet.

We're kind of like, what do they say? Like, reaping the rewards of the hard work. Now it feels like it's coming, so maybe we're just sensing a light at the end of the tunnel. Yeah. I don't know if we're there yet.

But, I mean, last year was, like, a really hard year. Yeah. For us. Yeah. It hasn't always been rainbows and sunshines, but I feel like we're getting the fruits of our labor now a little bit more.

Although Greg is still. It seems to be, like, pretty volatile lately. Like, there'll be, you know, because, as you guys know, Bloom's now in Target, Walmart, Sam's club, a few other retailers.

Greg Lavakia
It could be like, target's going amazing, but there's a disaster at Walmart. Walmart's going amazing, but there's a disaster at Sam's club. And it's like, there's always a fire that's going on. There's never not a fire. You and, like, things are going great.

There's always a fire. Yeah. Yeah. And. And you travel a lot more now than you ever used to.

I don't know what the hell I used to do. Well, something, something. But you were doing something, I guess, because now we're in brick and mortar. I am on the road so often. But brick and mortar means a physical store, right?

We used to just be on our website and Amazon. So now I'm, like, traveling to a lot of those retailers. A lot. But. And travel, quote, is fun.

You know, when it's like leisure and experiencing new cities, there's certain cities that business takes you that are not cities that anyone would ever go to otherwise. Which ones are you talking about? Hey, they're beautiful homes to some people. But Greg leaves for Vegas tomorrow for 24 hours. Yeah, but for GNC, shout out to GNC.

But GNC is getting this soon. So how do you make time for health and fitness being as busy as you are? Like, as we just said, you're traveling all the time, you're on meetings all freaking day. How do you make sure that you check the boxes with your health and fitness? I mean, I simply put, just, like, don't allow for a margin of error.

So if I'm traveling for 24 hours to Vegas, I will not do a very, very early flight. Like, I try not to let that flight disrupt my sleep too much if it is going to disrupt my sleep like it is tomorrow. I'm literally walking into the airport with a night mask on my forehead that I'll be lowering onto my eyes upon sitting on the plane. He's not kidding, guys. Like, I've seen this in action.

Mari Llewelyn
The second eye masks on. He's out. Oh, yeah. No, my body's used to it at this point. And, like, you know, sleeping on a plane is not sleeping on your bed, obviously, but it's better than nothing.

Greg Lavakia
And then finding a hotel that has a gym. I'm bringing a tupperware of some food or bringing some good jerky shout out to that Maui Nui who's actually a sponsor of the show. I use your podcast code. I'm bringing a bunch of those jerky sticks, and I mean, shit, I'll eat. Can I curse on this?

I'll eat ten jerky sticks tomorrow at the show, which will be 90 grams of protein. And then I'll take the team out to sushi afterwards. Like, I'll be fine. And tough life. And then I'll just go to a gym on Wednesday when I wake up and then hit the airport and come home.

Mari Llewelyn
How about when you're at home? Like, what's the routine? Like, at home to ensure that you're living the healthiest you can? One of the reasons I prioritize the health is because that's just what, like, helps me get through the day and feel like the most productive person. So, like, me getting x amount of steps a day, I don't have a chair at my desk.

Greg Lavakia
A lot of my calls I take walking. I'm walking around the house, around the property, all day long. I'm doing that because I just think, better. I'm just a better person when I'm moving. So that happens.

And likewise, I'm just a better person. Better mood, better cognitive function when I'm eating clean. So I have been curious. If I were to ever retire from entrepreneurship and I didn't need to operate as high cognitively, maybe. Maybe I would blow up, just like, why not try that out?

But for now, I do feel a pressure to stay in physical shape for my cognitive shape. I think you say that, but you're going to be like a jack. Cause I just get sad. Yeah. You.

If I don't eat well and I get. Or just, like, just, like, not as productive and then therefore sad or, like, grumpy or, like, my anxiety takes over. Or whatever, I just also feel like you. You are such a, like, extreme individual, and you could go so far on one end of the spectrum or the other. Like, I think you need fitness.

You know how sometimes you'll get annoyed that you're annoyed? Uh, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, sometimes it is like, I'm in a bad mood. I'm in a bad mood.

Like. Like, not that we get that fired up, but, like, whoa. You'll, like, you'll get annoyed that you're annoyed, or you'll get in an even worse mood because you're not feeling great. And so I try to avoid that at all costs by just not letting the initial trigger start. Yeah.

Mari Llewelyn
But I think anyone who knows you in regular life knows that you need fitness. Yeah. It's a major outlet for me. Yeah, this was a good question. I saw how to push yourself when all your partner wants to do is sit on the couch.

I mean, that used to be me. So how did you deal with that? How to push yourself when all your partner wants to do, sit on the couch. Like, how do you function optimally when you have a partner who isn't motivating you to be better? I think it's difficult for us to answer because we obviously, like, hold each other to very high standards, but I think you have to function as an individual.

You really can't let someone else dictate your success. I mean, I would question whether that's the right person to be with. Yeah, I think I think I can never be with anyone that didn't have, you know, like close to my values being aligned in a couple categories, one of them being my health and how I prioritize it. But how about when I wasn't into health? I don't know.

Greg Lavakia
Because it's funny, like, I feel like just the last twelve months we have been on different routines most days of the week. Whether, you know, you're horseback riding and I don't go horseback riding, obviously, whether you're doing certain workout classes or just doing your own work. We don't work out together anymore like we used to. And it doesn't really affect my movement and what I wanted during the day. But then if you were on the couch at night, I would join you on the couch at night.

Mari Llewelyn
Right, Greg? But, like, I'm still motivated and fit and I still push myself. I'm saying back in the day when you first met me, I was the least motivated person of all time. Like, what? How do you deal with that?

And how did you keep going to the gym? I guess it was just such a core piece of who you are. Yeah. I think you have to figure out how high on your list that value is on your need for your partner. Like, I.

I mean, I think the. Reason I'm answering that way is because I feel strongly that you shouldn't try to change somebody. Yeah, that's the only reason I'm answering that way. Like, I don't want to, like, give. You know, I have people in my family who don't want to prioritize their health and, you know, you can give a suggestion, but, you know, I feel strongly that you shouldn't, like, force anything upon somebody.

Greg Lavakia
So that's the only reason why I'm hesitating to answer. Yeah, and you never did that to me either. Like, I think a lot of people think, because I say that you helped me, that you, like, initiated it and you didn't. Like, I came to you and said, I want to lose weight. I mean, shit, even, like, back to the parenting question.

I can't even think. And how I lead a team. You know, I just, I just do. I just act a certain way and then generally people do that too. Do that too, or I'm no longer going to really be around that person.

Like that. Yeah. You know, I arrive early to work and then people on the team tend to kind of do that too, right? Yeah, I think that's a great way of putting it. Like, if you start taking care of yourself and you prioritize your health and living optimally and pushing yourself, like your partner will usually follow suit.

Mari Llewelyn
That's kind of what I did with you, right? Yeah. It's not lead by example in that scenario. It's just inspire by example. Right.

Greg Lavakia
They're going to see you so happy and thriving and having all this energy, and I would imagine that would be a good inspiration and influence onto them. And if not, then so be it. Yeah. And you are a pretty influential person, I think. I've just noticed even, like, your friends that you surround yourself with tend to, you know, follow suit with your dude.

I don't know. There's some badass people here. There are, like, just out here running triathletes, triathlons. They're entrepreneurs themselves. They're making my travel look like I never travel.

They're like, at least I travel domestically. They're all. A lot of them are traveling for business internationally, and I'm over here complaining about three hour flights. So there's been a lot of people. Austin's just filled with beasts.

But sure, I would like to think that I rub off some of my. You do? Yeah. I think you are so strong willed in what you do, and so, I don't know, you can't be wavered like Greg is. Greg, like, you've never changed since I've met you.

Mari Llewelyn
You've always been this. I mean, you've grown a ton and evolved a ton, but I feel like you are so strong in what you want to do, and it ends up impacting positively the people around you. And you've never once told anyone to do anything. It's just inspirational. So.

Just want to hype you up for a second. Thanks, Ben. I should come on the show more often. Yeah, if you have a spot. I mean, we're kind of booked out through October, but what was your vision for scaling bloom?

And are you surprised by the success, or is it on target with what you wanted? No pun intended. Shout target.

Greg Lavakia
There was never a vision for bloom. The vision for bloom. And, you know, I don't want to speak for you here, but I think I can speak for us. You know, our vision for bloom was just create as many really good, all encompassing products as we CAn, or large encompassing products that we can. So whether they're around performance or wellness, female health, whatever it is, you know, we just wanted to make really good products and make them super available for people, accessible for people.

So, no, I could have never fathom. I heard about businesses that were this large, you know, even just three or four years ago. And I was like, I couldn't even imagine. LiKe, I couldn't even fathom having something that big or running something that big. So, no, this was never part of the goal.

It's become quite an overwhelming beast, which is funny, because most of our business is really just one product. So when you think of it that way, it's ironic. But shit, look at Tesla. They have, like, three different cars, right? Yeah.

What about you? I mean. No, I always think about that day. Do you remember when we were at the golden horseshoe in Scarsdale and we were going to the Starbucks and we were looking at our little PayPal account and we made $100 that day from the guides. From the PDF guides.

And we were like, the amount of stories that, like, I don't know if they would be appropriate to share on here about the first two years of us becoming entrepreneurs and, like, just having no idea what to do using student bank accounts. Oh, yeah, not. It's. Maybe we'll wait seven years to tell some of these stories just in case we did something illegal. I don't know.

I'm kidding. But. But this one, we were like, oh, we could survive on $100 a day. Like, this is fantastic. Like, we're set.

Mari Llewelyn
Like, do you remember you, like, calculated it? Like, how much we'd make in a year if we made 100? Do you remember that? Yeah. And we were like, oh, my God, we made it.

Greg Lavakia
We're good. Like, that was the mindset, guys. And now it's unfathomable where we're at. I mean, no, I didn't envision this, but at the same time, I don't want to say that we're surprised, because anyone who would dedicate their life as much as we did for the amount of years we have, like, I would expect that some success would come of it. Yeah.

And I think just because we never really treated it as, like, let's do this thing to make money. Right? We just did it to, like, let's just. I mean, we definitely had dreams to make bloom a big thing, but that was just because, like, I think we just found that a really cool pursuit. It was just exciting.

It was just exciting to be like, let's just make this a really big product in brick and mortar. Let's make this a really big product on Amazon, on social media. And then things came as a result of that. But I guess just like my closing thought, there is now that I've met other people at other companies. No, it doesn't surprise me because I see how they treat their business and how they treat their formulations and how they treat their products, which is what it is.

And there's many very reputable people out there, so I don't want to act like that's the entire industry. But, you know, we're on our fifth year of constant growth. There's no, like, trend sitting here or trend word associated with this product that a lot of people assumed about Bloom earlier on, especially being associated with an influencer. So I think we really have built something permanent here. And I think that in the next few months after this podcast releases, you guys will see some new products and some new, I'll call it, launches associated with blue nutrition that kind of solidify us as like, one of the biggest supplement brands that will be generation proof, period.

Mari Llewelyn
Yeah, slay. I think one of the biggest surprises to us is we were so isolated for so long. Like, when we made Bloom, we pretty much shut ourselves inside the house and didn't leave and very much like, didn't. We didn't really network with other businesses. We had no idea how anyone else did anything.

So we did it our own way. And now that we're in entrepreneur of the year and we're meeting all these huge entrepreneurs, they're amazing. These people are incredible. But so many of them went into it being like, we need to raise x amount of money in order to create this much money and then sell it. And it's like, we didn't even frickin know you could sell a business.

Greg Lavakia
No, we had no idea. Like, I didn't know that. No. You know, like, we were so clueless and this was a labor of love, and I think that's why it worked out. Yeah.

Mari Llewelyn
Truly, what are you most excited about when it comes to parenting or being parents? You know, first and foremost, I love family. So the idea of expanding the family and having family, I think for both of us, our childhood, needless to say, it was a very defining moment for who we become as adults. And the responsibility that comes with controlling a childhood seems like a really cool task to take on, and I think that will bring us a lot of joy. Yeah, yeah, it's a big task.

It's a lot of responsibility. I mean, I think it's like a huge piece of, like, my reason for being on earth. You know, this puppy that we have, Arnold, though, it's really made me because it's like we have this one dog, Lulu, who's the greatest thing on earth, and I love her so much, it's insane. And then we have this dog, Arnold, who I don't know if I would use the word love. And Lulu, we barely even trained.

No, I know. And then Arnold has had the best trainers, and we've trained him. And, like, we're doing all these tactics to try to train this thing, and I refuse to neuter him. So maybe that's part of the reason, but because they're huge and they're. And so I don't know if it's a nurturer nature thing.

Greg Lavakia
Like, so maybe what we contributed this kid's life will have nothing to do with how it ends up. But based off of these two different. Dogs, I mean, Arnold is a full blown nepo baby, and that's fair Lulu started out in the mud. That's fair Lulu lived in our studio apartment in Philadelphia and, you know, was with us when we didn't leave the house when we were building bloom. And she's reaping.

Mari Llewelyn
She's also enjoying the fruits of her labor. And Arnold came in at a real convenient time. Maybe when, God willing, we have a healthy baby, we're living in Austin, things are good. We'll go move into a studio for a couple years. Oh, teach him a lesson.

Greg Lavakia
Or her. Oh, the baby. Yeah, the baby. See, like, I even had doctor Ayman on the show, and I think you've probably seen the viral clip, but, um. Just kidding.

Mari Llewelyn
He said, uh, in order to raise emotionally mature kids or, like, resilient children in a successful family, you can't do too much for them. And I can hear that advice and, like, be like, yeah, I agree, but I know myself, and I want to give this kid everything that I didn't have. Do you know what I mean? Like, of course I want them to have uggs. No fugs.

No fugs. All right, we'll see. I know we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. On that topic, a lot of people asked how you have been feeling on the trying to conceive journey, if you're comfortable to talk about it physically, how I feel in general. Like, how do you feel about it?

Greg Lavakia
You know, similar to, like, any challenge that we've taken on. Everyone has advice, and I have found that very difficult.

Mari Llewelyn
Do a lot of people reach out to you about it? No. Even, like, when you tell me what somebody suggests. Oh, yeah. You know, it makes you rethink everything you've been doing in every way you've been trying to do it.

Greg Lavakia
What I would say is anyone who's had an easy journey conceiving, first of all, I wish we had a kid seven years ago. I wish we had a kid, 21, and we had a seven year old with us in the studio right now. That'd be epic. We wouldn't be here right now. That said, I'm very optimistic.

I know we're going to be able to get you pregnant in the coming months. It tests your patience. I guess that's all I would say. It is definitely testing my patience for something that, like, can't rush it. Yeah.

You know, it's gonna happen, how it's gonna happen. Yeah, I think we're still optimistic. Yeah, yeah, of course. How do you feel about me, like, talking about it on here publicly?

I mean, you know, at this point, I've lived for years with you having a very large following. I personally tend to stay out of it with, you know, just my Greg's personal things, which is probably clear to anyone who follows Mari, but I think it's great. Like, I was just at the smoothie shop on yesterday getting myself a coffee and you a smoothie. I was gonna bring it home, and the girl was like, are you married to Amari? And I was like, yeah, I'm married to Amari.

Mari Llewelyn
And also, why do you think Omari? Because I'm pretty sure that's how it was asked. As I was like, you mean, I just, like, tipped on the iPad. I grabbed my coffee. I was turning away.

Greg Lavakia
I was with some people, and she's like, are you married to Omari? And I was like, is Amari, like, I was confused. And then she was like, you know, I have the PDF, give, like, the normal spiel, which is like, what a. It's so incredible when you get that normal spiel. And so when I hear stories of, like, that, of, like, positive effects that you've had on people's lives, it's like, who am I to even have discomfort about you sharing things about our life?

Mari Llewelyn
That's cool. Also, as I've gotten older, I've cared less and less about what people think. I used to be very insecure about everything, and when you did speak about us, I was hoping it would come off in a way that made us seem fucking cool or something. Maybe I don't feel that way anymore. I don't think that I did.

Greg Lavakia
I'm just trying to, like, think of, like, what Greg, 25 year old Greg, like, wanted. I mean, I've been an oversharer. Like, let's keep it real. But clearly that's why you've been able to connect to so many people. So I think it is my superpower.

Mari Llewelyn
And unfortunately, like, Greg married me, and he knows that this is what I do. But also, I think that we're actually more private than people realize. Like, I really don't film in the house anymore. We're private. But also, like, even when I just interact with new friends in Austin, I'm.

An open book in person. You are very vulnerable and very down to chat, but I do think you have a very respectable boundary, and we're not the type of couple. We don't film ourselves crying. We don't film ourselves kissing. We don't prop up the camera when we're having a special moment.

Greg Lavakia
Oh, yeah. Like, we used to try to do that for YouTube, and it was not for us. Like, that's not our vibe. And, you know, I think we very rarely get our alone, intimate moments. And I would rather die than put the camera up.

Mari Llewelyn
And we just don't fuck with that, really. Hey, to each their own. But we don't fuck with that for us. No, I think that's, like, I can't even imagine how toxic that would be towards, like, anything. I mean, even when you're just traveling, you know, you see.

Greg Lavakia
You see the Statue of Liberty for the first time. Whatever it may be like to not to have to try to, like, document that moment, just fake it afterwards. Just. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, fake it afterwards if you really want to get that on camera.

But, like, please don't let content creation ruin the real, you know, rewards of life. Like, we didn't film our engagement, for example. There's, like, been some big moments that we didn't film, and I'm glad that we didn't, you know? Yeah. And I think on just a micro level, you barely even film, like, personal weekends, or if you do, you post it afterwards.

The best thing. My favorite thing that you do lately is use a camera. Yes. And so the problem that I find with content creation is that you have to pick up an iPhone, and so you could be in a special moment with your significant other. Let's just use that as an example.

And you're like, oh, let me take a picture of this delicious entree that just came to the table. And who am I to stop someone from taking a picture of? Maybe a filet mignon that I cooked? And who am I to stop a photo being taken of this entree I just created? So let's say Mario wanted to take a photo of this delicious meal I just cooked.

Mari Llewelyn
Relax. It would be such a shame for you to hypothetically pick up your iPhone and see notifications that the universe did not want you to see at that moment and therefore distract you from that moment. But a camera, for some reason, doesn't seem to do that. In fact, a camera almost helps you take a mental snapshot of what's going on. So there's something about.

Greg Lavakia
And this does not need to be a fancy digital camera. In fact, it seems the shittier the camera, the older, the more vintage analog like. Yeah, more vintage and actual film that it is, the mord enhances your actual experience going on right there. So huge fan of the camera, huge hater of the iPhone in terms of content creation. Yeah, I agree.

Although the camera on the iPhone's incredible. I agree. Especially while traveling. I like to leave the phone in the room. Yeah, you mentioned stake, and I saw an exuberant amount of questions asking how to cook the perfect steak, which I was like, why are they asking, Greg, when I'm the one that cooks the perfect steak in the house?

Mari Llewelyn
But if you want to answer too, that's fine. That's crazy. I think we're huge fans of the grill because we both are disgusting and don't like to clean. So the grill seems to be the least amount of cleanup. Also, we're so anti nonstick pans and stuff like that that the grill just seems to be, like, a very ancestral way to cook your food that I feel like is clean.

Although we do love caraway cookway, our. Favorite way to cook a steak would either be the grill. If for some reason, it was a rainy day, then it would be on caraway cookway or stainless steel with maybe a little bit of, call it tallow onto the pan. But even that's generally not necessary if the meat has some fat. I'm a huge fan of instant reed thermometers to make sure the meat's cooked properly.

Some people need to. Some people just know, you know? Okay. I've never in my life. Saturday, I cooked literally 18 pounds of meat across various cuts.

Greg Lavakia
If Mari thinks that she can eyeball that through her soul on when everything's done cooking, maybe we'll test that out. I'll give it to you here. You're good at making quantity, right? That's a real chef. I'm good at perfection.

You're a one hit wonder. First of all, I made a whole loaf of sourdough. Actually, two. Very good. Insanely good.

Insanely good. I make a steak every single morning for breakfast, so I think if anyone has perfected it, it's me. I want you to start putting stuff in the sourdough. Grass fed filet mignon, butterfly down the middle so it's a little more thin. Salt it on each side.

Mari Llewelyn
Ghee in the pan, make it hot. Sear each side of the steak so it's, like, finished in a little, little bit of a crust. Then you put the lid on the pan, lower the heat, let it simmer. I'd say twelve minutes total. I get it to the most perfect pink every single time.

Every single time. And I'm not saying that I could make, like, a pile of meat the way that you do. Like, that would stress me out. But I make a good steak. I make a good salmon.

Like, I'm a good chef. Can you just tell them you're very good? I know I'm good. I've gotten really good. I didn't used to be.

Greg Lavakia
You're very good. Great. No, you are. I mean, especially you're horrible podcast. You've been stepping it up.

Mari Llewelyn
Thank you. Let's get back to business here, literally. How do you stop second guessing yourself in business? One of the reasons Bloom didn't really create another product outside or after we made the greens powder, it's because, frankly, we were paralyzed with fear from innovation. Right.

Greg Lavakia
We had all these products that we wanted to make. Mari and I were always testing new products and new formulations on, just, like, empty canisters from manufacturers, like, trying things out. But we were always like, ah, what if this isn't as big of a product as greens? Like, we want? We have to try to catch lightning in a bottle twice.

And we were always so afraid to release a new product. And so we've probably gone 18 plus months since, like, really releasing something outside of a variant of greens, you know, call it a new flavor, a new size, whatever it may be. But so I feel like I went through a couple chapters straight feeling this way, and I think you just need to, one, not let perfection be the enemy of progress. Two, just do it. And what ended up happening when we released this colostrum and it's been a massive hit since we launched it is like, the whole team's fired up.

Everyone's so excited. Our retail partners are so excited. Our consumer base, our community is so excited that I feel like. So I don't want to say regretful, but I feel so regretful that, like, we haven't released more innovation in the last 18 months. Yeah.

Mari Llewelyn
And you're saying it was because maybe you want. We were paralyzed with fear. Okay. Yeah, literally, like, we did not hit the go on any of our good ideas, and now we've hit go on everything. So in the next six months, you're gonna see a lot of new stuff.

Greg Lavakia
But we were so paralyzed with fear to not have, like, this huge hit that we did not release something new for a while. I run into this confidence issue when it comes to hiring. I feel like I have a hard time, like, observing or just, like, having the self value and knowing what I'm doing is big enough to deserve the team size that I need. I struggle with that. And then I also think for a while, we lacked confidence because we were so isolated.

Mari Llewelyn
Like, I think when you self isolate and you don't put yourself out there, you kind of don't even realize, like, what you're doing is having an impact. Do you know what I mean? I know what you mean. And I also think that sometimes you need to call people who are doing what you're hoping to do be like, hey, how does this look for you? Like, what does your team look like?

Greg Lavakia
And call five people and ask that question. Yeah. What does your new product innovation process look like? And call five people and ask that. And that doesn't even need to be somebody in the supplement space.

That could be, like, somebody who. It could be Christian Guzman, who owns alphalete. Not that I've ever spoken to him, but that'd be cool. And so I did. Yeah, I know.

I know. And so, like, ask people who are just in any sort of similar field how they handle that process, and it will bring you a lot of comfort and confidence for you to pursue it. I also feel like something we always tell people is, like, no one's a freaking professional at this. Like, I think a lot of the self doubt comes from, ugh, there are people who are more qualified than me. Like, who am I to start this business?

Mari Llewelyn
Like, who am I to walk away from my corporate job and do something crazy? Like, no one gave me permission. It's like, no one's going to. And no one out there has more qualifications than you. Yeah, no one's any better than you.

Greg Lavakia
And I think that you just need to go all in and, like, sometimes what I tell myself is just build it, and they will come. Right. So we took some really big bets on a few recent moves that we've made, and I just, you know, how would I plan this if I knew it was going to be a huge success? And that's the plan that I've moved forward with, with a few of these things. And so far, whenever I plan it that way, it works out.

When I plan it scared and conservative, it fails. I agree. Like, you have to act as the highest version of yourself, so to speak. As if, you know, it's going disagree. I'm going through that right now, too.

Yeah. In the podcast, like, you guys heard me say I'm hiring. Like, that's scary for me. I don't really love hiring people. Yeah, I think you need to say, like, okay, what is the end goal?

What would this look like? What would I have to build for this end goal to exist? Yeah. And by the way, that's not because I don't love working with people. Like, I do love working on a team.

Mari Llewelyn
I just get scared. It's a commitment, you know? So, I mean, you like working with a team, but that doesn't mean you necessarily want to lead and create a team. No, I hate managing, you know, I really do. It's not my skill set.

I'm the talent. Anyway. When should someone know to call it quits on a business or keep pushing?

That's a tough one to answer.

Greg Lavakia
I think that the e commerce world today gives us a platform and a canvas to do a few pretty major tests before even making a commitment and or start a company on a small scale before needing to dive all the way in all of the time. If I have a new idea, I mean, for this, for this colossal product, we were running Facebook ads for a product that didn't exist just to see if people would click it. Love doing that. You can spend $100 on Facebook ads for a product that doesn't exist and see if people will click it and then just take them to a page that says, hey, this product doesn't exist yet, but if it did, would you be interested in it looking like this? Like this?

Like this, giving these, you know, attributes? So I think just like consumer surveys, lack of a better word, are so easy to take now that they can really lead you in the right direction. Yeah, I love that. I mean, that's kind of what we did with the PDF guides, if you think about it. Like, we accidentally tested out if people would want to buy things from us by making a PDF workout guide.

Mari Llewelyn
Yeah, they did. So we made more stuff. Yeah, I still think PDF workout guides, or, sorry, PDF guides in general are like the best business model. Just like downloadable content or downloadable product. Like, if you're an expert at something, make a PDF and sell it for $5.

Yeah, and make it accessible. Like, people price things too high. Like make it accessible for people. We've always been a fan of that. Yeah.

Like, the wellness and fitness shouldn't be niche. It shouldn't be for the top 1%. Right. Like, if the goal is to make America healthier, should it not be more accessible? Like, that really pisses me off.

Greg Lavakia
I like making a product, whether or not it's for health and fitness. I think I like the business model more that makes a product for millions of people and for mass America than I would want to make a product for, like, a very niche community. I mean, that does sound like a more successful business model, for sure. Well, no, because the niche community, you could charge a lot more, maybe. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You know, they're different. Yeah. Cause, like, Ferrari sells less cars. But, like, I love an eran moment. You know, I used to go there all the time, but something about it really makes me feel icky, you know?

Mari Llewelyn
Like the elitist health community. I think we never fit in those places, you and I. I don't know.

How do you stay so cut and lean and keep all that muscle? Who asked that? Is that my dogs? Next question. Tell us.

Greg Lavakia
No, no, no. What's the secret? I've already gotten into my routine. What do you do? I mean, I weightlift.

I weightlift five to six days a week. I try to get, like, almost 20,000 steps a day. And I eat predominantly animal based. Yep. That's the too long to in read.

Mari Llewelyn
Yup. Greg Wirtz is butt off. He's not saying it, but I watch him all day, and this guy is committed. Thanks. The work ethic is there.

Good to say that. Okay, we should wrap up. How many kids do you want? I. Just as many as the universe is willing to give us.

Greg Lavakia
I don't want to ask for anything more than one right now. I know. That's how I feel, so. But, like, ideal world. How many?

I only know a family of two. Yeah, two kids. Yeah, but I feel like three would be fun. I don't know. What?

Arnold's a lot. It just keeps coming back to Arnold and how much you hate him. Do you have anything to say to the people who think we neglect Lulu? Yo, that's Lulu. You guys don't know about me and Lulu's life.

That isn't on camera. Like, she's nine years old, and when we walk by, people in Austin, they think that she's, like, four. Her breakfast takes me 15 minutes to make every morning. Like, this dog is out here thriving. The vet thought she was three.

That's crazy that a professional thought that. She looks really young and healthy and guys, like. In fact, Lulu. Lulu takes class. Wait, what?

Yeah. Lula takes colostrum every morning. Oh. She drinks goat colostrum, how do you feel about hate and negative comments directed towards Mari? I really hate it.

Like, there's a side of me that, like, hates that you're even on Instagram.

I think that you are. I personally am affected by comments towards you. I'm definitely affected by comments towards me. It's one of the reasons I'm not active on social media. I can't imagine the youth dealing with this.

Mari Llewelyn
Yeah. You seem to have, you know, developed a system to process it, but I don't process it. I know it's not ideal. Yeah. You just don't process it.

Greg Lavakia
I know it's not ideal. I don't think that humankind is meant for this type of feedback. Mm hmm. So it's tough. I really, like.

It really frustrates me. It doesn't really bother me at all. Yeah. And it's like, you and I would never, have never left a negative comment in our lives. So it's just, like, so.

Just so funny to me to think that, like, someone would. No, I know. The only negative comment that ever bothers me is the one about Lulu, which for some reason has caught wildfire. I don't understand. Just, like, people thinking because she's not in all of my content, that we neglect her and because she doesn't like.

Mari Llewelyn
Because she doesn't like to travel. Like, that's. That. No, it's the. That one I actually find funny, because that.

Greg Lavakia
That person clearly just has no idea what's going on. But, like, obviously, Arnold just, like, runs in front of the camera and, like, you know, because he's like a puppy. He's an attention whore. But. Yeah, that's crazy that people live.

Mari Llewelyn
No, but I. It's so funny to me that I truly don't care anymore. That's amazing. It doesn't bother me. Bulletproof.

Greg Lavakia
Bulletproof wifey. How do we resolve, like, a disagreement or an argument?

Mari Llewelyn
I think we've gotten pretty good about that. I don't think we have, like, a strategy, but I would say we try to address it as soon as possible. And I'm talking the day of. Yeah. And I think also speaking from.

Instead of coming from an emotional place and saying, like, you did this. You did this. You use I phrases. That's something my therapist taught me. I feel rejected because of x, y, and z.

That action made me feel this way, because then you're not pointing the finger and saying, you, you, you. It's just like, this was my feeling based on what happened. Yeah. And then if nothing works, tell your significant other that you're gaslighting, that they're gaslighting you, generally that results in a win. Cause they can mean anything.

I do. I do. If Arnold shits on the. On the. On the carpet.

Greg Lavakia
Arnold, you're gaslighting with that shit on the carpet. Why is Arnold such a threat? He must have pissed me off this morning. I don't know. You're so mad at him all the time.

Mari Llewelyn
Men do tend to gaslight, though, you know? No, I don't know. Okay, let's show them right now how we resolve or disagree. Yeah, we used to not be great. Like, I used to be someone that would, like, hang up the phone, and I hate that.

Greg Lavakia
I hate drama in any. Oh, yeah. I was, like, a little bit of a drama queen back in the day, but I really feel so much calmer now. It must be the progesterone. Anyway, top three marriage tips.

Mari Llewelyn
Why don't we both give one? All right. What's yours? Make rituals around quality time so we have some sort of sacred quality time that we don't really sacrifice. Like, we have dinner together almost every night.

No phone at the table. And then we do a weekly date night. And I think those have really kept us strong. Yeah. I think having a hobby together, you know, outside of just downtime, like, I find that it's very easy to fall into, like, oh, we're spending time together.

Greg Lavakia
I'm tired from everything else going on in my. In my life, outside of you. So let's spend any time that we are free together. Let's go sit in front of the tv, or let's just go, you know, veg out. And what's our hobby?

I think it's, like, fitness and taking care of the dogs and planning even a van trip. So I don't think it needs to be, like, we love ceramics. I don't think it needs to be a traditional hobby, but just trying to actually do things together that you enjoy activities outside of just sitting on the couch together. Yeah. I mean, we did a shooting class together, and we loved it.

Freaking awesome. And you came horseback riding with me, and I loved it. Ari's a fantastic gunsman. I am. It might shock some.

Fire. Firesman, gunsmen. Shooter. Shooter. Shooter.

Mari Llewelyn
Better than you. 100%. No question. Third marriage tip. I think, like, try to put yourself in the perspective of the other person.

Like, I think I know you so well now. I don't know. Like, I could never imagine having the level of responsibility that you have every day. So I try to imagine that in the stress. Wow.

You could never imagine being this talented. No.

Greg Lavakia
Yeah. I think just understand that, like, you guys are different people and you don't need to want what I want. Yeah. I think having individual, like, goals and hobbies, like my horseback riding, you running with the boys, or having your cars, or whatever you do, like, you're trying. To slow down right now.

Well, even just, like, travel. Not just work. I'm saying, like, travel and just, like, a chaotic lifestyle. Like, you're trying to tone it down and be less. You're prioritizing wellness and not being stressed and not chaos when trying to get pregnant.

Yeah. And those are your steps to getting there. Mm hmm. And you're embracing it and encouraging it. I'm embracing as a partner.

Mari Llewelyn
Yeah. But I can go be chaotic without you. Yeah. As you do. I look up from the pool the other day.

My husband's driving his van through the brush up back.

Greg Lavakia
All right, let's wrap. Well, thank you for ending the show.

Mari Llewelyn
Usually I do that. Greg, thank you so much for coming on the pursuit of wellness podcast. Please tell us where they can find you, if you would like them to find you. And where can they shop? Bloom.

Greg Lavakia
You can find Bloom on our website. Amazon, target, Walmart, Sam's club, h E b gNc, Meyer, any Kroger affiliated grocery store, Wegmans. There's a couple more that I feel awful that I can't remember. Amazon. I said that.

Mari Llewelyn
Bloomnew.com. Yeah. You can find Greg on Mari's story occasionally. I can't. You don't want them to follow you.

Greg Lavakia
You can find me. I'm. I'm tagged in the story here and there. LinkedIn. Find me on LinkedIn.

Mari Llewelyn
Oh, God. Um, Greg, this was an honor and a privilege. Thank you so much. Gianna's mine. Thank you.

Thanks for joining us on the pursuit of Wellness podcast. To support this show, please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my favourites@marioland.com. it will be linked in the show notes.

This is a wellness out loud production produced by Drake Peterson, Fiona Attics, and Kelly Kyle. This show is edited by Mike Fry and our video is recorded by Luis Vargas. You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Mari Fitness. Love you, power girls and pal boys. See you next time.

The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice. And does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.

Advice From My CEO Husband: Marriage, Career, Discipline, Parenthood & Leadership

Primary Topic

Episode Summary

Main Takeaways

Episode Chapters

1: Introduction

2: Business and Routine

3: Relationship Dynamics

4: Leadership and Parenthood Plans

Actionable Advice

About This Episode

People

Companies

Books

Guest Name(s):

Content Warnings:

Transcript