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Meet the Flip Fam: Meghan Asha

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Meet the Flip Fam: Meghan Asha

Happy Flip Fam Friday! On Fridays, we profile members of our community who artfully build the spirit of serendipity into their daily lives.

This week, we’ll meet Meghan Asha, the visionary behind FounderMade: a platform that makes it possible for breakthrough new brands in the beauty, wellness and food space to grow and get connected to big retailers.

Her passion for adventure — both her own and others — has helped others build businesses that change people's lives.

Get to know her — and check out the next generation of consumer brand unicorns at the FounderMade Discovery Show in Los Angeles on October 16!

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Your favorite nickname: I have so many....my dad calls me Macaroni, my sisters call me Meggles...and my husband calls me Masha

Where were you born? San Jose, CA

Where do you live now? Soho, Manhattan

What’s your profession or calling? I help others build...

What’s a secret power that you have (that may surprise us!): I’m the most spirited in the room! I think it comes from my days in high school as a cheerleader.

What’s your go-to local zen spot? Santa Monica — I love the ocean and running on the beach.

What’s your most beloved travel destination? Paris! I ran the Paris Marathon last year...it was phenomenal.

Why is adventure important to you and what do you do to infuse that into your daily life? We’re in the business of new product discovery! Every day our team gets sent new product innovations from around the world. Adventure comes from learning about these brands and the inspirational entrepreneurs behind them.

What's your mantra for getting through challenges or tough times? Winning and learning, never losing

What's your go-to 'thing' to get unstuck? Jumping high and cheering at the gym, I realize if I physically get unstuck...my brain usually follows.

Follow Meghan’s adventures: @meghanasha and @foundermade.

 

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Meet the Flip Fam: Jen Glantz

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Meet the Flip Fam: Jen Glantz

Happy Flip Fam Friday! On Fridays, we profile members of our community who artfully build the spirit of serendipity into their daily lives.

This week, we’ll meet Jen Glantz, author, creator of Bridesmaid for Hire, and founder of the podcast You’re Not Getting Any Younger.

Her adventurous spirit has sparked an experiment to live in a different city every month. Check out how Jen infuses discovery into her daily life, the power of pizza, and why adventure is good for romance.

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Your favorite nickname: Jenny

Where were you born? Deerfield Beach, Florida

Where do you live now? In a new city every month!

What’s your profession or calling? The founder of the viral business, Bridesmaid for Hire, the creator of the blog, The Things I Learned From, the voice of the podcast, You're Not Getting Any Younger, and the author of the Amazon-bestselling books, All My Friends are Engaged, &  Always a Bridesmaid for Hire, published by Simon and Schuster. 

What’s your go-to local zen spot? The nearest pizza place. I like to head take myself out for a slice, put some good music in my ears, and take some soothing breaths.

What’s your most beloved travel destination? Venice Beach, CA.

Why is adventure important to you and what do you do to infuse that into your daily life? Long walks with no destination in mind. I try to head outside for 45 minutes and see where my feet take me.

What's your mantra for getting through challenges or tough times? Never give up. I repeat it again and again! When I went to publish my second book, it was denied 20-something times before a publisher finally said yes. I just keep pushing forward and not giving up!

What's your go-to 'thing' to get unstuck? Loud music and dancing around my apartment.

What's an experience in your life that changed who you thought you were? Last August, I sold 90% of my belongings and began living in a new city every month. I only travel with one suitcase. This adventure has changed who I thought I was and made me more of a down to earth and "go with the flow" kind of person!

Has Serenflipity played a role in your life? It's the greatest thing to do for date night. I've been dating my boyfriend for 2.5 years and Serenflipity helps keep our time together fresh and fun.  

Follow Jen’s adventures: @jenglantz

 

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Meet the Flip Fam: Janette Valenzo

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Meet the Flip Fam: Janette Valenzo

Happy Flip Fam Friday! On Fridays, we profile members of our community who artfully build the spirit of serendipity into their daily lives.

This week, we’ll meet Janette Valenzo an adventurer extraordinaire in Los Angeles. Check out how Janette infuses discovery into her daily life, how she tackles tough emotions, and why adventure makes life worth living.... 

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Name: Janette Valenzo

Your favorite nickname: Jan or JanJan the Peanut Butter Man

Where were you born? Los Angeles

Where do you live now? Rancho Cucamonga

What’s your profession or calling? Actor/Teaching Artist

What’s a secret power that you have (that may surprise us!): I have as close as possible to a photographic memory without actually having a photographic memory, so I guess just a really good memory, especially with faces.

I tell people my memory isn't that good only because this secret power gets me in awkward situations when I remember people, but they don't remember me... oh well!

What’s your go-to local zen spot? James Turrell's "Skyspace" in Claremont, while drinking a matcha latte from this local coffee shop called, "Sanctuary Coffee" coincidentally.

What’s your most beloved travel destination? There was something about Belgium that I loved. From walking around until my feet could not take another step to eating waffles for every meal, I would drop everything to go back. I loved it and felt truly alive there with no one knowing me and me knowing nothing.

Why is adventure important to you and what do you do to infuse that into your daily life? Since I can remember finding a way to make my life almost movie-like has kept me interested in life. As someone who has depression, adventure has been the only way I can get myself going. It can be small by checking out a new restaurant nearby or taking a new path to walk in the evenings. I try to give myself little adventures to tackle, because it makes my life worth living.

What's your mantra for getting through challenges or tough times? "It's okay to not be okay." I don't know who told me that, or where I heard it, but the minute I did, it gave me the permission to stop trying to be perfect all the time and to accept when things seem impossible. When my father passed, I did my best to hold everything in (as the oldest child, I had to majorly step up). I didn't allow myself to be anything but perfect, and then one day, about two months later, I was on my bathroom floor and couldn't move. I had been smoking cigarettes and feeling super guilty (my father died from cancer), and I had been telling my sister that it was okay for HER to not be okay. Hypocrisy at its finest. I started crying and crying, until I fell asleep (no worries! the cigarette was out!). I woke up and accepted that I was only human and grieving was a part of that experience. It's okay to not be okay.

What's your go-to 'thing' to get unstuck? I travel. Whether it is one hour away or in a different time zone, I get moving. I force myself to get lost. Being physically lost gets my mind working again.

Has Serenflipity played a role in your life? So, being that travel is my go-to thing to get unstuck, I couldn't get unstuck for some of the summer since work kept me near home for the majority of the month of July. I had bought the game for my birthday a while back, but was saving it for a time that I needed some shaking up.

Despite most folks thinking I am an extrovert, I am pretty quiet and shy when it comes to speaking to people. Some of the cards had me asking people about their likes, the beliefs, and really I felt like nothing was off limits. I even went to Disneyland alone! I had always wanted to do that, but also felt it would be weird and I would just be on my phone the whole time. Thankfully, halfway through, my family showed up!

Still, to be at Disneyland for at least seven hours alone and not losing myself in my phone but actually speaking to strangers? Well, that was amazing to conquer. I also learned to how embrace my awkwardness and give myself a bit of love in the process. 

Follow Janette’s adventures on Instagram: @janettevalenzo, and check out her 30 days of getting out of her comfort zone!  

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Meet the Flip Fam: Sean Elliott

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Meet the Flip Fam: Sean Elliott

Happy Flip Fam Friday! On Fridays, we profile members of our community who artfully build the spirit of serendipity into their daily lives.

This week, we’ll meet Sean Elliott of @moohahvanadventures, a talent manager, vanlifer and Dad extraordinaire based in Los Angeles. Check out how Sean and his daughters infuse creativity and discovery into their quests on the open road and raise the stakes on adventure.... 

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Name: Sean Elliott

Your favorite nickname: Well lately, I am loving when my daughters think it is sooo, SO hilarious to call me “Sean" instead of “Dad”.  Lots of mileage out of that one, and it is zero funny.

Where were you born? St. Cloud, MN

Where do you live now? Pacific Palisades, CA

What’s your profession or calling? I represent actors, celebrities, and creators. I run the West Coast office of Authentic Talent Management.  

What’s a secret power that you have (that may surprise us!): I can hold my nose and blow air out of my tear duct. Pretty sweet. 

What’s your go-to local zen spot? I paddleboard, way out there. I point my SUP towards the open ocean. And also do simple yoga and stretches while pretending I am the only human on the planet.  

What’s your most beloved travel destination? My daughters and I are designing a 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter together.  We will be making memories every weekend in Southern California, and beyond.  Already, the creativity of the design process has been so rewarding as they are really making it their own (including naming her MOOHAH). I’m just kind of there to facilitate things and keep it all moving along (and also pay for it).

Why is adventure important to you and what do you do to infuse that into your daily life? I have an old 1970 LIFE magazine cover in my office featuring skier, Billy The Kid with the words “ON THE ICY EDGE OF WIN AND LOSE”.  I think that sums it up.  The unknown, the uncomfortable, and the unknowable all are important ways of getting unstuck and truly being open to new experiences.

What's your mantra for getting through challenges or tough times? The Kundalini yoga chant Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.  I don’t know Kundalini or yoga well at all.  I think I like it because it is not in English and I have no clue what it means.  My brain doesn’t try to out-think the meaning of it or over-evaluate it.  

What's your go-to 'thing' to get unstuck? My move is to ghost out of the office and go for a 10-15 minute walk.  

How do you (and your kiddos) Serenflip? Well, the Sprinter Van design + build with my daughters is way outside of my comfort zone, but I love every second of it.  We are creating a one-of-a-kind adventure van, plus a lifetime of memories. I love how they are taking control of the project, and I love what crazy and creative ideas they come up with — it’s non-stop.  

I pictured something much more rugged and masculine, but it’s becoming so light and beachy, boho cool - and it’s really all them. So far, Paige’s favorite adventure idea for Moohah is to drive in the direction that Quinn says for 30 minutes or so, and then I ask Quinn where to go next and essentially just listen to her and go where she says!

And when I think about one instance watching my girls Serenflip, it has to be when Paige and Quinn picked cards to conquer their fears one day. I saw Paige coaxing Quinn to jump off rocks to overcome her fear of heights. It was so organic, and quite sweet and inspiring for me to witness. The ease of it just being a simple, straight-forward card spelling out exactly what to do made it effortless for them. They just picked the deck up and went with it.

What do you think about adventure potentially being the next meditation (and what could the benefits be)? Meditation is about going into the stillness of your inner space. Adventure is about the unpredictable unknown. When we allow ourselves to go into the unknown, into the world of instability, we truly open ourselves to becoming unstuck.  There can be a lot of unknowns and realizations in meditation, but there is never the fear of embarrassment, ridicule, bodily injury, etc. Adventure raises the stakes in both the psychological and the physical realms.

 

Follow my girls and me as we create our adventure van + our own adventures!

IG: @moohahvanadventures


 

 

 

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Meet the Flip Fam: Ashley Sumner

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Meet the Flip Fam: Ashley Sumner

Welcome to our Flip Fam blog series, where we interview members of our community who artfully build the spirit of adventure and serendipity into their daily lives!

This week, we’ll meet Ashley Sumner, an entrepreneur and femme-empowered connector based in Los Angeles, and gather inspiration around how she infuses intuition and fresh ideas into the every day.

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Name: Ashley Sumner

Your favorite nickname: Smashster

Where were you born? The Poconos, Pennsylvania

Where do you live now? Los Angeles, California 

What’s your profession or calling? Co-Founder of Quilt (*Read more below!)

What’s a secret power that you have? Intuitive connector

What’s your go-to local zen spot? The Raven Spa in Santa Monica. Massage therapist, Da Da is life changing!

What is your most beloved travel destination? Florence, Italy. I had the opportunity to live there in my early twenties and I felt the most at home. I now understand what nostalgia feels like and what it is to seek beauty in every moment.

Why is adventure important to you and what do you do to blend that into your daily life? My greatest ideas have come from taking adventures. Breaking free from my comfort zone, learning about different cultures and meeting people I wouldn’t otherwise meet are all high on my list for ways to be creatively inspired. On a daily basis, I try not to get stuck in too much routine. Even if it’s just walking a different direction...or fighting Waze to take a more scenic route (and turning the volume off so I don’t go crazy).

What's your mantra for getting through challenges or tough times? I remind myself of what I’ve already been through and very simply remember that I’m still here and doing great, better than great. Something has weight only if we allow it to.

What's your go-to 'thing' to get unstuck? I'm a cliché yoga-fiend. And I recently learned primordial sound (mantra-based meditation) with the lovely Megan Monahan.

How has Serenflipity played a role in your life? I remember flipping a card randomly when I was at Cara’s house. It was “do something nice for the oldest person you see today” (or something very similar). I picked up the tab of a woman nearby at lunch and left without saying anything. I gave that card to my friend, who gave it to another friend in NYC on her travels...and that same card found its way back to me a month later! It’s now off in the wild yet again - let’s see what happens:)

What do you think about adventure potentially being the next meditation (and what could the benefits be)? In my meditation I’ve learned to be more light-hearted and less judgmental. In my Serenflipity adventures I often walk away feeling just that way. With adventure, I think it’s about having a new perspective and realizing you’re just a small, measly dot on a large spinning blue and green globe and no matter what… you’ll get through it, whatever it is. 

 

Be sure to trail Ashley's adventures here!

IG: ashleyjsumner + we_quilt 

 

*And what is Quilt, you ask?

QUILT is the evolution of what was once One Roof US. After two years running co-working space out of homes, Ashley and her partner, Gianna Wurzl figured out a way to make it more flexible and accessible for all of their entrepreneurial lady peers.

Quilt is an online platform that empowers women to open their homes to other women for co-working, and get paid for it.

Hosts can list their homes on a daily basis to no more than 15 women for co-working sessions. Guests then have the opportunity to book on-the-go for $20. It's a wonderful way to build your network in a safe and intimate setting where you can truly connect with one another.

Quilt is launching July 24, 2017 on the westside of LA! Head here to sign up.

#unlockwomanmade

 

 

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Meet the Flip Fam: Gregorio Braga

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Meet the Flip Fam: Gregorio Braga

Welcome to our Flip Fam blog series, where we interview members of our community who artfully build the spirit of adventure and serendipity into their everyday lives!

This week, we’ll meet Gregorio Santiago Braga, an entrepreneur and mentor based in Topanga Canyon, CA and gather inspiration around how he infuses adventure, dancing and lots of smiles into the every day.

 

Your favorite nickname: G

Secret super-power (that may surprise us!): I can blind taste wines and guess their varietal with high accuracy.

Why is adventure important to you and what do you do to bring that into your daily life? Adventure is part of living. If I don’t go on adventures, then I find my life is missing a sense of connection. Funny enough, I keep the first Serenflipity card I was given with me and use it to spark a bit of adventure every so often. The card reads: Keep a smile on yourself all day long. Surprisingly, that simple act of keeping a smile on even when you don't feel happy or joyful creates a better environment. That environment allows people to be more open and inviting.

 What's your mantra for getting through challenges or tough times? Sometimes, when I embrace people, I will take three breaths and repeat to myself: I see you for you, I thank you for you, I’m glad you are you.

 What's your go-to 'thing' to get unstuck? Fasting and/or dancing usually do the trick.

How do you Serenflip? I’m a regular at the Serenflipity brunches here in LA. People really get out of their comfort zones...it’s a refreshing place to spend a Saturday.

What’s your local go-to zen spot? One of my go-to Zen spots is the Torrey Pine Gliderport in San Diego. Even though it isn't local, it's one of my favorite places to catch the sunset.

What’s your most beloved travel destination? Florianopolis, BR and Ubud, Bali. There is something about these island cities that make them so magical to me.

 

Be sure to follow Gregorio’s adventures here!

FB: facebook.com/gregorio.braga

IG: @gs_braga

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