Brett Chody on Social Media Success, Healing Her Relationship with Food & Protecting Her Mental Health

The following podcast is a deer media production. Welcome to RealPod. It's your host Victoria Garrick Brown and this is the podcast where we hold nothing back. Oh, so we're getting deep, huh? I really cried for 12 days straight. Why do I want to be perfect? There's nothing in my life that is perfect. Every week I'll bring you honest, unfiltered and eye-opening conversations to help uncover the real in all of us. I crave the type of content that you're talking about. I actually felt insecure. Oh, my God, am I going to cry? Let me just unload everything. New episodes every Wednesday leave those filters at the door because it's time to get real. Hello, everybody and welcome back to RealPod. Joining us today is a fan favorite on Instagram and TikTok. Her videos are so fun, so down to earth. She's your favorite marathon runner. You could spend days just watching her Instagram story. She's so entertaining, informative, insightful, and just kind of like your internet BFF. She's amassed hundreds of thousands of followers online. It is Brett Chotey. You may know her online as Brett Spites. She graduated from USC. She happens to also be best friends with Jake Shane. And she's really one of the most fun, authentic content creators out there right now. So if you're not already following Brett Spites, make sure you check her out and throw her a follow. Today, we're going to be talking all about her transition from college grad to influencer. How she's navigated all her newfound career success. The body image and food issues that she navigated in college while being a competitive runner and athlete, and she's going to tell us all about her three year relationship and her plans to move in with her boyfriend. That's always a big decision. I think it's so great to hear from someone how they knew when they were ready. And without further ado, let's dive into this episode with Brett Chotey. Brett, welcome. Welcome. Thanks. Not to say too much because there's so much to you up about. I know. I'm so happy that you're finally here. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for having me. Yay. Wait, so what is our age difference? I was a little older than you, right? You were a senior when I was a freshman. Okay. Yeah, that's a lot. It's a lot. Like actually met because like I rushed that like second semester. It was the first year of that. I 100% though remember like your name popping up. That was the only rush I was ever a part of because of volleyball. I got to get excused from everything. Right. Because we were in the same story, which was Kappa, but I don't, I'm curious about you. I really was like a shitty member because I wasn't a part of things and I got excused. So I went to like some great invites, but I only my senior year finally didn't have an excuse because volleyball was over to be a part of the rush. And I remember yeah, like your name coming up and I'm like, she's the coolest. Yes. Red Jody. Yeah. Yeah. I definitely like loved it. I definitely was probably more involved just because like I wasn't an athlete. And so I did like chapter council and stuff, but then I was in school during COVID. So all of junior year was like online, obviously. And so because of that, like I feel like the entire college experience just was much different. Like it wasn't as important as it like may have been in like all the years because we didn't have school for a whole year. Wow. And then your senior year, do that feel normal at all? Senior year was back to normal and that we were back on campus for classes, which was wonderful. And we had like some game days and stuff. So it felt like as normal as I could have. I feel like, especially at USC, it's not like a high school, but a lot of people run in similar circles and everyone lives kind of in the same place 100%. Yeah. So when we were just saying that even a former campus has been did the set design for TheraPost in Manchester studio. So it's funny, especially still living in LA, everyone's here. Yeah. And it's so funny. One Aubrey like started posting on TikTok and whatever. She rushed me first round at Kappa and like I got I think that was my only really interaction with her. But I was like, oh my god. Like I love her. So funny. She's never told me that. Yeah. She probably doesn't remember. But like of course I do because it was my first round at Kappa and I was like, shitting my feet. I remember everyone who rushed me too. Yeah. Actually, someone who rushed me was Perry Matt Feld, who's now in the show with Glenn Powell. Oh, no way. She's the love and trust in John Powers. And we were like rush crushes, but she was also a senior and I was a freshman. So it's like, love that. You fall in love and then they leave and you're like, oh wait, I'm in the house and you're not here. Yeah. Literally. And what was your major? I was a journalist a major. Me too. Yeah. Okay. What did you think you were going to do with that? So that's like I was super involved in a TVN. I did like the anchoring two different times. I took the production class and I really like wanted to be on air. But then I learned how you have to kind of go live in, you know, an ideal place and make up it to a end. Yeah. And I was like, I don't know if that's for me. Yeah. So I kind of pivoted knowing I wasn't going to take that traditional route, but I have always known that like I would love for, you know, this career to kind of circle back and it be a full circle thing and be able to do something like on air at some point. Yeah. But yeah, that was kind of my goal when I went in. It's cool though, because there's overlap. I know you're going to be moderating something with Demi Lovato, which is incredible. And so that is journalism. Yes. You know, it is. Modern journalism. No, like it really is. And I do believe that the major really did equip me with good skills for what I'm doing now. When it comes to just like writing scripts for brand deals or like just like editing and stuff like that, I'll never forget. I got a coffee with Lindsey Theory, who was a sports journalist for the LA Times at the time. And I was in college and she knew Max from football. So she like took the coffee with me. And I was, you know, at the time similar, I was like, Oh, this is what I want to do with sports journalism. And I was asking her about her job. And I just remember her just going on like, like at their six hours before the game. And then I introduced myself to all these people. And then I watched the game. And back and forth between the stats. And then after the game ends, I go into the field and I do these interviews. And then I go back and I write the story and I submit it, and I was like, I don't want to do that. Yeah. It's so much for me. It's so much respect. So much respect. All the journalists. Yes. Especially the women in sports journalism. Like I mean, those sideline reporters, the grind and the so few positions, the most respect. Beyond. Yeah. It's unbelievable. So now that you are a full-time influencer, yes. Yes. And I do so work for my family's company doing our social media. But like if you see a Garrett popcorn paid ad and listened to the voice over, like it's my voice. Really? Well, now you're even more primed. You're such an expert. They'd be like, we're never going to get better than Brett. Yeah. Yeah. Is that a lot to juggle? It is. And I am finding that it's getting like more difficult just as things progress in my social media career. But I obviously just have so much love for the family business. And it's been so amazing to get to work for it. I never anticipated working for Garrett quite frankly. But then it kind of just happened and then obviously I love it because I have a vested interest in the company. We have so much history with it. Like I grew up with Garrett, obviously. So it's a lot, but like I kind of have like my time box figured out at this point. So I'm kind of just taking it like day by day week by week and just like making sure that I'm not getting burnt out in any which way. That's good. What was it like growing up with Garrett popcorn being the family business? Was it just like, I want caramel corn. I want butter popcorn. It's all there. It's so funny. We would sometimes have it in the house, but it was not like all the time. Like I didn't grow up like eating it 24/7, but I just kind of always like had it in the background. And people kind of like knew that like my family owned it or like whatever. But I also was just so young. So when like my dad was traveling and my mom was doing these like different engagements for it, it kind of just was there. And then now that I get to work for it, I obviously know so much more and all the work that goes into it on all these different cylinders. So it's really cool. Right. You're like, it's not just enjoying popcorn. Yeah. But there's a lot that goes into like all of it. And when did you make the transition to I want to create content? I know in the beginning, you were in Jake's videos. And then I'm sure people were like, wait, we love you. We want to know more. Yeah. So it's actually a common misconception, but I've been making content since high school. Oh, period. So it period. Prej. So Jake copied you. No, Jake didn't copy. But like I have been doing this for a really long time and it obviously was a cherry on top that my best friend became this massive sensation and he's absolutely killing it. And that obviously positively affected my own influencing career. But I was like that girl in high school. That was like, I want to be an influencer. Like I started breath fights in high school my junior year, the Instagram. And then I kind of posted like on and off through my first years of college, then in COVID, I revamped it. And at first, it was very much only about like healthy food because I was like a runner and I was so into that stuff and honestly like, too into it. Like it was a little bit like obsessive how like healthy stuff I was into and that had kind of changed by the time COVID came around. So then I revamped it to being about my entire life. And I kept posting consistently all through college. I had like only a couple thousand followers, but I did it because I loved it. And I always knew in the back of my mind, I was like, I want to make this a career like I want this to happen for me. And so I just stayed at it. And yeah, like I said, like when Jake blew up, like that was so exciting and it's been really cool to, you know, see him rise and like star on all these different platforms. And again, that's obviously helped mine. But I also have been like at this and knowing kind of what I'm building towards like for a really long time. That's amazing. Because then you really are appreciating the success on the send right now because of the years you spent doing this and it wasn't like a quick overnight thing. Yeah. It's so fascinating to think about. We just have a like three year school difference, but how you knew that this was a career path. And I didn't as much like it's crazy how much that has changed and now today's middle schoolers could be saying, oh my 10-year plan is I want to be a content creator. And obviously we do that. So we know it's a real career and we enjoy and we love it. But it is in wild at least for me to think about because that wasn't part of the professions that you could think of. Yeah. And so much just changed in the three-year gap. Yeah, absolutely. And I feel like it was that junior year of high school for me. So about 2017 influencers really started becoming more of a thing. I didn't know about the monetization of it all and like how it could be a full-time thing. I just knew that it could be like because all of these like women that I was following were doing brand deals and stuff. But it was still very young and it's infancy. But I knew I was like, I want to do that. Yeah. Oh, that's amazing. I'm so happy then. Thank you. And set the record straight out there. Yeah. It would have been totally fine if I started after Jake blew up, of course. But I do like people to know that I've been at this for a really long time because like I take a lot of pride in what I do and like what I'm building. So it's important to me. I think that's important and you're so good at it. That's the other thing. There's a lot of friends of creators who can't just like create a platform holding audience and have high engagement. It takes skill and that makes a lot of sense. You were at it for many years. Yeah. This episode is brought to you by Premiere Protein and I love Premiere Protein so much. I feel like I don't go a day anymore without having a protein drink because it's just so hard to ensure that we're getting enough protein and the amount that we need every single day. And sometimes I'm super busy. I just like can't think about that in every single meal. And I don't like to hyper fixate on it, right? So that's where Premiere Protein is the solution. It's easy and delicious and a protein packed way to power your day. There's so many incredible flavors. I like to keep mine in the fridge because I always like my protein drinks cold. They have so many delicious flavors. I love the chocolate and the coffee flavor and the coffee flavor even has caffeine. So if you want your yummy coffee latte that's going to give you that boost. It's also giving you 20 to 30 grams of protein, which is incredible. There's also flavors like strawberry, cinnamon roll, peaches and cream, caramel or cookie dough. So they have a flavor for every vibe. I also love the caramel one and of course the classic chocolate. But there's so many amazing flavors like strawberry, vanilla, etc. So find your favorite flavor at premierprotein.com. That's premier P-R-E-M-I-E-R protein.com or at Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers. It's so yummy. Max, I love Premier Protein. We've got like honestly 40 bottles of Premier Protein in our fridge and pantry downstairs. So you can find your favorite flavor at premierprotein.com. That's P-R-E-M-I-E-R protein. Premierprotein.com or at Amazon, Walmart or any other major retailers. And keep your eyes out for the cafe latte flavor. That is my favorite. Real POT is brought to you by CozyEarth. And if you follow my Instagram, you saw that Max and I were just on our van trip and we are back from the van. And please, like obviously I made our van bed with CozyEarth sheets and pillow covers. I was like, I love CozyEarth so much. If we are sleeping in a van for two and a half weeks, I want to make sure that we are as comfortable as possible. And that's why I brought our CozyEarth bamboo sheet set into the van and our yummy CozyEarth pillowcases. They are just the best. Max and I each have two pillows we sleep with that night. Both of them in CozyEarth pillow covers. If you have not yet tried something from CozyEarth or just gone to their website, seriously, what are you waiting for? If you need new towels, if you need new sheets, if you need new bedding, if you need a new PJ set, if you need a new robe, look no further than CozyEarth. I seriously love their stuff so, so much. You can discover how care in every detail transforms simple routines into moments of true comfort and ease. And who wouldn't want a discount? So head to CozyEarth.com and use my code RealPod for up to 20% off. And if you get a post-purchase survey, obviously be sure to mention you heard about CozyEarth right here, experience the craft behind the comfort and make every day feel intentional. RealPod is brought to you by Viori. I love Viori so much. I just could go on and on. I actually just got the cutest yellow zip up from Viori that I'm so excited to wear as we enter these warmer months. I just think it's going to look so cute. My little yellow zip up. I can wear it with jeans. I can wear it working out. I can wear it with leggings. I can wear it all the time. And Viori has so many amazing pieces like that that are great for stretching, lounging, stylish for everyday wear. Also great to support you during a workout. They're known for their dream knit fabric, which is truly the softest premium stretch fabric ever. It's just unbelievable. They don't call them the softest joggers on the planet for nothing. Okay. And Viori is just not your average athletic gear. It's a new perspective on performance apparel inspired by an active California lifestyle. And the pieces transitioned so effortlessly from a workout to a social setting. So it's all really designed to look great beyond the gym. Viori is an investment in your happiness for realPod listeners. They're giving 20% off your first purchase. Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet at viori.com/realpod. That's viori v-a-u-o-r-i.com/realpod. Exclusion supply. So visit the website for full terms and conditions. Head to viori.com/realpod today and treat yourself to something yummy, comfortable. That looks real cute. 20% off for your first purchase. Viori.com/realpod. I'm curious. You said Brett's bites when you were doing it pre-COVID was maybe a little bit too intense. And I struggled with an e-mess ordering college. And I definitely like through my athletic years. I mean, I had days where I was like, I'm planning out my next four days. And this is what I can eat. And this is the calories. And this is that like what was your experience like? And then how did it change to feel a bit more well-rounded? Yeah. So in high school, I was obviously a long distance runner. And like running is just such a sport that's like primed for girls to have issues with food. And it was my software year of high school. And I had this like random intent stomach surgery out of nowhere. It was like a emergency surgery. And I couldn't eat for a week. So that caused me to lose like a bunch of weight, obviously. And then that's kind of what started my disorder kneading because I liked how small it wasn't by the way, I was already a very small like still pre-pubescent girl. But that's what started my like disordered thoughts because I wanted to like keep myself at that size. And then I proceeded to have one of the best track seasons of my career, actually the best track season in my career when I was still at a lower weight. And so many runners think that smaller equates faster because of like the mass and everything. And so I kind of got into that mindset. And so that's when I really started hyperfixating on like everything needs to be so healthy. And I can eat that much. And I'm having like a protein bar for lunch because like I am doing a big workout later. And I don't want to have so much in my system. And it got to a point where it was too much. And then I started overtraining. And then I got my first stress fracture, my first of three. That would like ultimately like very much contribute to my burnout. And like the end of my career because just dealing with injuries as a runner is no fine. But that is kind of like how I got to that cycle. And then I've talked about this sometimes. But then I went to the other end of the spectrum or where it's like, okay, I'm restriction so much food the day. So then at night, I'm like eating so much of foods that I deem okay. So like granola. And like my mom's cooking is like, you know, and then it goes that was a box of fiber one bar. No seriously. I'm like literally maybe just have a scoop of ice cream. And it will be fine. And then once I quit running like those habits, I still dealt with them because like they're still going to be there. So COVID is what I really decided to like, you know, go to therapy for a talk about it. Like remove all good and bad labels. And it did take a while for me to really like get to a place where my relationship with food was much healthier. But it definitely helped to like remove it as like a setter piece of my account and kind of just make my account about like everything. And I still very much share a lot of food, but it's just like in a very different way. Yeah, that's amazing. I'm so happy for you that you were able to like recognize, oh wow, my body is now actually physically having side effects. I don't think that this is the healthiest thing for me. And then being able to seek the help and work through it and be at this place now. And bites is such a cool word. It could be your take on pop culture. It could be your, you know what I mean? Yeah, that's what I've kind of like set. Now it's like my bio is all the different bites of my life. That's kind of what I say. And people are like, oh, would you ever change it to brecchoti? And I was like, honestly, at this point, I think bites is like too ingrained in my overall presence and like brand as a creator. So like it's staying. Yeah, I love that. That's special and it's important. Thank you. Thanks for sharing that. I know there's so many people who I think go through a similar struggle. It's just so common. Like 80% of women will experience disorder dating in their life. And this whole late night thing, it's like, I want ice cream, but I'm allowed to have it. So I'm going to have granola. What are those? When I was in college, these were popular, the rice cakes. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Like an apple, peanut, but you eat all these things and then it's like the tub of ice cream versus if I just allowed myself to yummy scoops with some sprinkles, you'd be done. Yeah, exactly. And that's exactly what it all with. I have shared about it a few different times. And something that I really strive for is to create content that like the younger version of myself would have wanted to see. Like had I seen a girl that I thought was like really cool and doing all these things, like saying that she also struggled with this like binge and restrict cycle. I would have felt so seen. And so that's why I think it is important to like talk about and so many girls do deal with it. So yeah, definitely. I think that's so important. I love the trend right now that's like, I want to be an influencer, influence you to take care of yourself with your best life, yes, to adventure. Yeah. What have you felt like are the biggest changes in the past, maybe like two years? Since your platform has really taken off compared to when you were creating before with less eyes. I think that for the most part, I try to keep like what I'm doing on a day-to-day basis. Very much the same and that I share a lot of like Instagram stories, just like funny thoughts and stuff. But I have boundaries within myself, like in my mind that I know that I just like those topics are off limits. And that has been really helpful because, you know, maybe three years ago, I would have posted about one of those things, but like now it's just with so many eyes. Once you put something out there, even if it's just like a blip, like someone might pick up on it. Remember, and like there are just certain things that I just know are better to keep private. And so kind of creating those for myself. Can you share any of those categories or no? It's okay if you don't want to. Mostly just like personal matters, I would say. Just stuff with like my family and friends. Yeah. And then also when I first started dating my boyfriend, this was over two years ago. And even then I was like, it's also his privacy and then like he's out there. And again, I didn't even have 10,000 followers on Instagram when I started dating him. But I still was like very meticulous on like when I was deciding to share that. Because yeah, once you post, you can't really get it back. Yeah, that makes total sense. And then I guess the only other thing is everyone deals with like negative comments and stuff. But as you grow, you get more, but it's still such a small percent of the comments. But I'm sure you know, like there are always those people out there. So just kind of learning how to deal with that and accepting that it's like part of the gig. Mm hmm. It's so funny. Aubrey and I were on the phone like yesterday and I was joking about how my mind goes so negative. Like I was looking at my DM request, which whenever I do, I check myself and like, what am I looking for? Right. Yeah. And I should I be looking at this before bed? No. But I saw this message that was like, you spent two weeks in a van. I did a fan trip and it was dot, dot, dot, so I couldn't see more. And my brain was like, and made it your whole personality. I'm so over this and unfollowing you. And then I click on it. And it's like, and I can tell you're glowing and so happy. And then Aubrey was like, I'm the same. We saw a comment that said, this isn't funny. But then we read it again. And it said, I wish I was this funny. And so it's, our brain looks for the negative. No, seriously. It's like we get like scarred from those experiences of reading those bad comments. But yeah, it's important to remind ourselves. Like my boyfriend always says, like the negative comments are loud, but they're very few. And so you, you have to look for all the positive ones that you get. And remember that like that's the bulk of it. Yeah. I actually didn't think about this until now, but I feel like socially, we have some similarities in that like my two best friends Aubrey and then corporate Natalie are like pre social. Yet now we're all these creators and we have like a genuine friendship. And I'm so grateful for that because I do have friends in this industry who I love and are incredible people. It's just a different when you lay the foundation down prior and you have that with a handful of people who are also creators. So what is that like for you like stability wise and trust wise? Yeah, I think it's honestly like really great. Like my sister's also a creator. So like that's another example of it, but it's just nice. Like you said, to kind of have like the foundation laid. And then now that we're all in this industry, like having people to bounce things off of or talk to about something that someone else might not get. And especially with Jake, like I get all the time, like what's it like being like his best friends of like this, like super famous, like whatever. And of course, he's super famous and he's killing it, but it's like I still think of him as the Jake I thought of him in college, you know, like we met literally move in day. And so I don't really have an answer. I'm like, yeah, I think I've gotten used to the celebrities at my house for courting his podcast, but like he's still the same like Jake to me and same with my sister and stuff. And it's really wonderful that like a friendship like preceded, you know, the social of it all because I feel the same about like industry friends, like they're wonderful, but it's just like a different type of friendship, because you're obviously meeting them through, you know, the job. Yeah. Real pot is brought to you by element, Max and I love elements so much. We are an element household. It helps everyone stay hydrated without any of the dodgy ingredients found in other popular electrolytes and sports drinks and electrolyte deficiency or imbalance can cause headaches, cramps, fatigue, brain fog and weakness. And a lot of us don't know, but we are depleting our electrolytes more often than we think, especially now that I've been lifting consistently and working out more when I sweat, I lose electrolytes and drinking water alone, can't replenish all of those lost electrolytes. And so that's why I turned to element. They have so many amazing flavors and it's so easy. You just open the stick pack, you pour it in your water bottle, you shake it up, you drink it and you are good to go. And I feel like those first few sips of element always just revived me. I love the raspberry flavor, I love the citrus, I also love the lemonade flavor. That's one of their newest ones and it's so good and Max loves the watermelon. And guess what? If you want to try eight of the element flavors for free, element is offering a free eight count sample pack of their most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase. So this is a great way to find your favorite element flavor or share with a friend. It's also totally risk free. So if you don't like it, they will refund your order. No questions asked and they have a very low return rate and a very high reorder rate. Just get yours at drink element dot com sash real pod. This deal is only available through my links. You must go to DRI and K element E dot com sash real pod. Enjoy. Peloton just came out with their brand new Peloton cross training tread plus. It is truly amazing. It is not just your average treadmill. It is the Peloton cross training tread plus and it's powered by Peloton IQ. So it's Peloton's most elevated equipment with a real time guidance and endless ways to move. It's cross training reimagined with features designed to help you reach your goals effortlessly. And you can either work out alone or of course with your favorite Peloton instructors. They have the most beloved fun amazing instructors. So I always choose to work with an instructor. Peloton IQ is so amazing because it provides real time strength coaching. So there's features like goal setting and also movement tracking through their movement tracking camera, which allows Peloton IQ to count your reps and correct your form in real time. That takes the guesswork out of your workout. So you can train safer, lift smarter and make every rep count. So go on a 45 minute run on the tread plus or a five minute stretch off of it with one smooth spin of the swivel screen. It offers endless ways to train for a well-rounded routine no matter how busy you are. And with the Peloton IQ features like goal setting, you are always making new progress. So let yourself run, lift, scope, push, and go. Explore the new Peloton cross training tread plus at one peloton dot com. That's one peloton o ne p l o t o n dot com one peloton dot com. Have you guys had to navigate like the newfound startup? I think for everyone like have there been moments where someone's had to like check someone. I feel like with Jake like, even though his success was very much like overnight, like he went from like 70 K to like a million followers within a week. So he very much had one of those like skyrocket moments. Even so though, it still has been like a slower like evolution into like where he is now. So things kind of happened in chunks. So it of course was like crazy, but like we still lived in our like tiny West Hollywood apartment when he blew up and we lived there for like six more months. And then we moved to where we are now. And so like I don't remember any moment where like that really had to happen. Like I of course was like, I wonder if this will change our friendship or anything. And I can say now like three years in that it absolutely hasn't. So I think that that's really wonderful. Yeah. Obviously like his life has changed enormously by like there were a lot of unknowns when everything sort of happening specifically for him. And I'm like, we're happy to say that, you know, our friendship is like rock solid still and that speaks volumes to everyone. You know what I mean? Yeah. Like that you stay the same person about the celebrities just coming over all the time for the pod. Obviously like the top a listers in their time of relevance are going on therapist. That's crazy, which is part of where you live. Are you like numb to it now? Like kind of. I mean, I obviously think it's insane. Like when like he had lured on, she like came into the house after and like and was sitting on our couch and I was like, this is so insane. So I definitely do like pinch myself, but I'm definitely numb to it in some ways. I'm like, oh yeah, like just Nick Jonas, like at the house, like whatever. One time I like looked at the ring and like it was Lizzo and I was like, no, that's hilarious. It's even people might be listening like, wait, that's crazy. How like anything in life, everyone gets to sensitized. Yeah. And also when you're in this industry, you can't be getting excited and fangirling when someone shows up because the energy has to be your savior. We know you're a human. You shit, sleep, wake up like me exactly. And also there has to be a little bit not a cockiness, but like, yeah, you should be on this podcast, you know, we're not like you did as a favor. We know exactly, exactly. It's all about like that perception. Also, I think just. being in L.A. for so long, like I think anyone who even just lives here would get desensitized to like seeing celebrity stuff so I saw Orlando Bloom having a coffee with his son the other day and I was like, that's crazy. Yeah, I didn't like have any of this role response. I was like, I don't know. Yeah. Okay, so you told me you're moving in with your boyfriend. Yes. That's super fun and such a big decision. So tell me how you know the time is right. Honestly, I think for us, it was more so I'm on a yearly lease that ends in the summer. So it was kind of like last summer, I was like, okay, like I'm going to recite and we kind of just knew that the next time like that came up, it would be the time to move in together. There was never even like a distinct conversation that was like we're doing this. It was kind of just like, should we do this now? And so just given, you know, the lease being up and we've been together for three years now, it just feels like the right time. Like I feel like I wouldn't want to put it off for another year. And so it's definitely crazy. Like I am really sad to be closing the chapter of living with friends, like living with Jake because I've just loved it so much. But at the same time, I'm really excited to kind of like get a new place with Max, like make it our own. Yeah, Max. They really are no seriously. And kind of just like start that chapter together. Good. Have you guys had any? Well, it sounds like because it seemed very intuitive, probably not, but are you going to have any conversations about like, this is how we're going to do the house chores or I'm sure you spent so much time having sleepovers anyways that you know how each other lives. Yeah, we haven't like had specific conversations yet. But I think it'll just be kind of like, you know, natural. He's obviously neater than I am. So like I'm probably going to be the one that asked to like clean up like my clothes a little bit more and stuff like that. But I think that when we do move in, like we'll have the conversation of like, okay, like this is like your job and this is mine. But yeah, we obviously know one another's like living styles from just like being together for so long. And yeah, that also evolves too. I mean, the way that like I am now living in a home versus how I was two years ago, four years ago, six years ago is different. And so I think as we get older, also when we go in phases, like I went through this decluttering phase and like a minimalist living, like through everything out. And then there's less stuff to put away. And then I'll get back to my messy phases when I'm out of town and then back in town. There's just not enough time, you know, yeah, yeah, absolutely. And like something like I took over one of our old roommates rooms when she moved. And now that I have like another space for my stuff, because like, I just have so much stuff like and I did and I do constantly get rid of stuff. But that's why I'm messy, because not everything has a place to go. So now that I've learned that, I'm trying to like edit my closet more often and donate clothes more often. So that like I'm able to keep it clean. And like that has been like a game changer for me. So I'm definitely gonna need some like extra space in the place that we get together to like, you know, keep that up. No, you need like a whole PR cabinet. Yeah, I have three closets. Yeah, my cousin was over the other day visiting and like, so this one's fine. This one's fine. This one's fine. And this is Max's. Yeah. Yeah. And that's exactly how it's going to be for us to totally it works. You mentioned in the beginning something about taking care of your mental health and making sure you have enough space between both jobs. I'm curious. What are those routines or boundaries you set with yourself to make your life, which is now your job and then the phone, which is always there, sustainable. I definitely like time block, like I said, for my job with Garrett and I work like central hours technically because everyone else is in Chicago. So I get like a lot of Garrett work done like first thing in the morning, because I'm an early bird. So I'm up like first thing like on my computer normally around like 7 a.m. Wow. And so a lot of my meetings are like in those morning hours and then that's kind of time like for Garrett obviously. And I think what's cool about like how I personally approach being content creator is like I very much like don't really plan out content. So like if I've in random TikTok video idea that's just talking to the camera, I'll record that and then post it and then like that'll be done for whatever how many hours and then I'll go back to work. But I honestly like it's actually something I'm trying to get better at this year is setting more boundaries like with my phone because my screen time is just diabolical and I'm like totally aware of it. But it's just like how can it be low when like this is work, but at the same time I know that I scroll all the time when I don't need to be. So that's something I actually want to get better at that I think will improve my anxiety just because I know being on my phone does like, you know, make me a little bit more anxious when I'm just like doom scrolling. But other things I do is like I really try to like read. I like to go in the sauna because I can't have my phone in there. So I'm just like let me go either read in the sauna or like be alone with my thoughts. And so those are kind of things I do on a day-to-day basis to just, you know, make sure I'm like protecting my own peace and like mindfulness. And then obviously like I run. And so I'm not on my phone when I'm running. And it's so funny. The craziest thing about me doing a marathon is that I'm not on my phone for three hours. Like the craziest part of it is me. Like not even that I'm doing a marathon. The fact that I'm off my phone. But yeah, so that's another way for me to like decompress obviously working out and stuff. Speaking of the running, I mean, what would you recommend to someone me who is curious about getting into running? How do we even start? So I always tell someone who like wants to get into it and doesn't really know is to start with run walk intervals. So literally start by running for one minute. That's it. And then walk for two. And then do that for let's say like 20 minutes or something. And then slowly increase the amount that you're running to walking. Because a lot of people are like, okay, I want to start running. I'm going to go out for a two mile run. And obviously, they're going to feel horrible and hate it and never want to do that again. Because it's hard to run two miles if you've never, if you haven't run in months or years or whatever. And so I really like and the biggest run walk interval proponent. Like I even do that myself as a like runner who's been running for a long time when I'm getting back into it. So that's like my number one tip. And then also just like making sure you're in the right shoes because if you run in, you know, not good running shoes are old shoes. Like that's when like the shins went problem come up where like maybe your hips are going to hurt. So what do you choose? What did you just run the Tokyo marathon in? So I have different shoes that I race in versus training that are a little bit lighter and like bounce year. But I train in Nike Vomero 18s or new balance 1080s. Like those are my two that I recommend like across the board for any level runner. And then I race in Nike Alpha flies. But again, it's like I don't train in those because they're specific for races. Bring out the racing shoes. Yeah. I know it's serious. That's amazing. Okay. I love this idea about the running walking intervals because I love to go on a walk. And it's like, okay, why can't I just say let me run the next two blocks and then walk and then I'll run from where I am to that car down the street. Yeah. And not even need to be like obsessive over how many minutes did I run? But just getting my body used to it. Yeah. Absolutely. And like I a lot of people are like, oh, how do you know the time and stuff like that? And so if that intimates you or if running outside intimates you, I'm like, I'm the biggest fan of the treadmill. Like I feel like I get such a bad rap. Obviously it can be boring and stuff. But for the run walking intervals, it's great because you can see the time right there. You can put on your favorite music. Like if you have access to one, like that's a great option for kind of getting into it. Yeah. Okay. I'm going to have to do that and I'll let you know. Yeah. Please do. It's so good for your body to be running even they say like especially as you get older and once you pass the age of 30, like just running is so healthy and so I need to force myself to do it. But thank you so much for coming on. This was so fun. I feel like it flew by. I know seriously. Yeah. I love learning more about you and your whole story. And I'm sure that all run into you somewhere soon. Yeah. Whether it's on San Vicente or someplace in Brentwood. 100%. Yeah. Okay. Great. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of RealPod. If this hit home or helped you in some way, send it to a friend, a teammate, Rumi, share the love, share the realness. New episodes of RealPod come out every single Wednesday. So make sure you are subscribed to this podcast so you never miss an episode to leave a rating or review of the show. Head to iTunes and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you. Not to mention you can stay connected with RealPod throughout the week seeing behind the scenes info and sneak previews of upcoming guests by following the @RealPod account on Instagram. All information about today's show and guests will be linked in the description of this episode. Thanks again for listening. I love you guys so so much. Let's go dominate the day and as always, keep it real. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode. Hi, I'm Lobas worth the tally and I'm so excited because I'm the first time mom. Over the last decade, I've felt wellness products for millions of women at my company love wellness, but nothing has rocked my world quite like having our miracle baby. Not even close. Tell me I'm a good mom is my new podcast about navigating motherhood in real time in a culture where we obsessively document our kids but quietly sideline mothers. Motherhood comes with endless advice but very few honest conversations about how it actually feels to be a mom. so that's what we're going to talk about because we deserve more than parenting tips. We know we're not bad moms if our kid cries while we take a shower. Frankly, we deserve a rebrand. We deserve context, language and a place in the culture. This is Tell Me I'm a Good Mom.