10 women Illuminating wellness
Briohny Smyth
Aligned Yoga
Candy Calderon
Glow Wellness Tour
Remi Ishizuka
RRAYYME and HomeBodies
Francheska Medina
The Friend Zone
Meagan Kong
Kong Fit Club
Dr. Jessica Clemons MD
Board-Certified Psychiatrist
Lauren Ash
Black Girl in Om
Elyse Fox
Sad Girls Club
Faith Hunter
Spiritually Fly
Kelly Roberts
Badass Lady Gang
In an increasingly complicated world that never stops moving, finding time for self-care may seem like an impossible task. But what if we could improve our well-being without disrupting our routine?
Lincoln believes in finding sanctuary wherever you are. That’s why it crafts vehicles and experiences designed to relieve the pressures of everyday travel — so you can end each journey feeling re-energized and ready to make the most of every moment.
We’ve partnered with Lincoln to highlight some of the women who are redefining wellness for a new generation. Whether they specialize in fitness, meditation, or mental health, these women were inspired by their own extraordinary experiences to create real-world wellness solutions for people everywhere.
Read on to meet the 10 women who are illuminating wellness in 2020.
Aligned Yoga
Briohny Smyth
Photo credit: Drishti Studio
Transitioned from a pop star into a wellness entrepreneur
An internationally acclaimed wellness expert, Briohny Smyth found yoga after years of wrestling with the pressures of being a child pop star in Asia. Though Briohny now enjoys success both on camera and on the yoga mat, she never dreamed that the importance of self-care would lead to a new career. Now, with over 10 years of experience building online content, teacher training programs, festivals, and retreats, Briohny enjoys serving the global wellness community.
Known for her dedication, from teaching strong foundations to advanced inversions, Briohny loves helping yoga practitioners discover the range of their abilities. Beyond the physical practice, she teaches integration of the mind-body connection into daily life. She prides herself on her teacher training program, which she created out of necessity while traveling with her kids. She also credits an injury she sustained in a skiing accident—a full ACL tear—with turning her into a stronger, more empathic teacher.
“Creating the format I did required confidence and focus that I
could overcome that by believing in what I wanted to do and spreading my message in a way where people could hear instead of judging it,” she says. “It made my body stronger and more flexible, and it changed my approach to self-care, making it a priority in life instead of leaving it at the bottom of my to do list.”
Briohny shares her philosophy as a contributing writer for numerous publications. In addition to her past as an onstage performer, she also credits her appearances in viral Equinox videos and over 200 commercials with giving her the on-camera confidence to bring her authentic self to the world. With this voice, she’s created a loyal Instagram following, where aspiring yogis come to discover guidance toward physical and spiritual alignment.
Briohny’s favorite moments are in helping people find and blend their true values into their practice. Her biggest hope is that we can all do what we love, while always remembering to love what we do.
“Creating the format I did required confidence and focus that I could overcome that, by believing in what I wanted to do...”
Aligned Yoga
Briohny Smyth
Photo credit: Drishti Studio
Transitioned from a pop star into a wellness entrepreneur
An internationally acclaimed wellness expert, Briohny Smyth found yoga after years of wrestling with the pressures of being a child pop star in Asia. Though Briohny now enjoys success both on camera and on the yoga mat, she never dreamed that the importance of self-care would lead to a new career. Now, with over 10 years of experience building online content, teacher training programs, festivals, and retreats, Briohny enjoys serving the global wellness community.
Known for her dedication, from teaching strong foundations to advanced inversions, Briohny loves helping yoga practitioners discover the range of their abilities. Beyond the physical practice, she teaches integration of the mind-body connection into daily life. She prides herself on her teacher training program, which she created out of necessity while traveling with her kids. She also credits an injury she sustained in a skiing accident—a full ACL tear—with turning her into a stronger, more empathic teacher.
“Creating the format I did required confidence and focus that I could overcome that by believing in what I wanted to do and spreading my message in a way where people could hear instead of judging it,” she says. “It made my body stronger and more flexible, and it changed my approach to self-care, making it a priority in life instead of leaving it at the bottom of my to do list.”
Briohny shares her philosophy as a contributing writer for numerous publications. In addition to her past as an onstage performer, she also credits her appearances in viral Equinox videos and over 200 commercials with giving her the on-camera confidence to bring her authentic self to the world. With this voice, she’s created a loyal Instagram following, where aspiring yogis come to discover guidance toward physical and spiritual alignment.
Briohny’s favorite moments are in helping people find and blend their true values into their practice. Her biggest hope is that we can all do what we love, while always remembering to love what we do.
“Creating the format I did required confidence and focus that I could overcome that, by believing in what I wanted to do...”
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seal this gap. Let me bring in a woman of color in here to fill this void,’” Calderon says.
Her events are currently virtual because of the pandemic, but she hopes the trend of inclusivity for communities of color and unrepresented communities expands to include audiences that aren’t as niche, but as targeted. “It’s been an amazing journey helping brands that come to me develop creative projects and campaigns so they can better interact, engage, and bring value to women of color,” she says.
One of her most important messages — beauty on the outside isn’t always an indication of health — is something she learned on her journey to get certified as a holistic health coach after her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. “You can have … a six-pack, or think you are your ‘ideal’ weight, and still be acidic inside,” she says. “You can change your health legacy, and your family’s as well.”
As a Dominican woman, Candy Calderon knows from experience that communities of color usually only think about their health when they’re already sick. And as she looked around at the wellness space, she noticed a serious lack of inclusion and diversity. But that didn’t deter her; she took the initiative and created her own way to reach this audience. In 2017, she launched the Glow Wellness Tour to connect with other BIPOC women in a way that felt culturally relevant and authentic.
Though Calderon now coaches women around the world as a program leader and speaker on illness prevention and healthy living, providing essential and often life-saving information to women of color, finding a way to carve out a niche in a world that catered to a white demographic wasn’t easy. She frequently felt like she was invited as an afterthought to signify BIPOC representation. “You could really tell when it was like, ‘Let me
Created a platform to advocate for BIPOC women’s wellness
Photo credit: Claudia Gomez
Glow Wellness Tour
Candy Calderon
“You can change your health legacy, and your family’s as well.”
Photo credit: Claudia Gomez
Glow Wellness Tour
Candy Calderon
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As a Dominican woman, Candy Calderon knows from experience that communities of color usually only think about their health when they’re already sick. And as she looked around at the wellness space, she noticed a serious lack of inclusion and diversity. But that didn’t deter her; she took the initiative and created her own way to reach this audience. In 2017, she launched the Glow Wellness Tour to connect with other BIPOC women in a way that felt culturally relevant and authentic.
Though Calderon now coaches women around the world as a program leader and speaker on illness prevention and healthy living, providing essential and often life-saving information to women of color, finding a way to carve out a niche in a world that catered to a white demographic wasn’t easy. She frequently felt like she was invited as an afterthought to signify BIPOC representation. “You could really tell when it was like, ‘Let me seal this gap. Let me bring in a woman of color in here to fill this void,’” Calderon says.
Her events are currently virtual because of the pandemic, but she hopes the trend of inclusivity for communities of color and unrepresented communities expands to include audiences that aren’t as niche, but as targeted. “It’s been an amazing journey helping brands that come to me develop creative projects and campaigns so they can better interact, engage, and bring value to women of color,” she says.
One of her most important messages — beauty on the outside isn’t always an indication of health — is something she learned on her journey to get certified as a holistic health coach after her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. “You can have … a six-pack, or think you are your ‘ideal’ weight, and still be acidic inside,” she says. “You can change your health legacy, and your family’s as well.”
Created a platform to advocate for BIPOC women’s wellness
“You can change your health legacy, and your family’s as well.”
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“Sharing my successes, struggles, and how I’ve stayed mentally and physically at the top of my game for 10 years was cathartic for me and relatable for others”
step up and own what I put out there as 100% mine, whether it’s good or bad.”
But it wasn’t until she created Kong Fit Club that she was able to bridge the gap between her virtual followers and a real-life audience. “The club began with me guiding LA locals to the trainers, hikes, and boutique fitness studios I deemed #KFC approved,” Kong says.
By being curious instead of headstrong, Kong earned herself magazine features and recently completed a four-year stint as an ambassador for Adidas, where her responsibilities included campaigns and hosting events — she even developed a shoe.
“The wellness world is a black hole of information. You don’t know who to trust or try,” Kong says. “Me and Kong Fit Club are that guide. I will not put a workout in front of my club that I don’t already do and love.”
Meagan Kong, founder of Kong Fit Club, is out to change minds and bodies though untraditional workouts. Her IG videos — soundtracked to tunes by Travis Scott and Cardi B – are visual proof of her strong dancer’s physique, as well as booty-shaking fuel for even the most uncoordinated.
Her career as a professional backup dancer — feeding off the rush of performing for crowds, as well as anticipating the needs of casting directors, choreographers, and social-media followers — was a boost to her ego but she realized that none of what she was doing was hers. “I had more to offer but didn’t know what or how,” Kong says.
She started by using social media to purposefully create the world she wanted to live in, one post at a time. “Sharing my successes, struggles, and how I’ve stayed mentally and physically at the top of my game for 10 years was cathartic for me and relatable for others,” Kong says. “I’ve had to learn to
Created a fitness program based on how she stays at the top of her game, both physically and mentally
Photo credit: Nikki Dalonzo
Kong Fit Club
Meagan Kong
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“Depression is something I felt I’ve always had, but I’ve never been able to put into words”
advice on how to be more open with their friend groups and families,” Fox says. Her efforts have already paid off in big ways as her community grows by attracting those eager to connect over shared experiences.
Fox first spoke publicly about her experience with depression and healing in a seven-minute documentary she produced in 2016. “Depression is something I felt I’ve always had, but I’ve never been able to put into words,” she says. “I just thought I would get sad occasionally, and go through these periods of stress and anxiety, and thought everyone went through it, like it’s nothing. And then it hit me.”
She’s proud of her most recent accomplishments, which include a virtual group counseling program during the COVID-19 pandemic. She even hosted an Instagram live session on World Mental Health Day for women to chat about their body-image epiphanies throughout the pandemic.
Elyse Fox has made a name for herself being very public and vocal about a topic that is often so very private. As the founder of Sad Girls Club and Produced by Girls, a creative collective, Fox provides a safe space for BIPOC Gen Z and millennial women to speak openly and unapologetically about their mental health. And she’s extending her reach and influence beyond those forums, consulting for Maybelline’s mental-health program and serving on Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty Council
Like many others, Fox was inspired by personal experience. In December 2015, she was hospitalized after trying to take her life, and in the year of healing that followed she learned the value of friendship and the creativity that comes from honesty and connection. Recognizing the power of community, she realized that she had the power to make a difference — and so SGC was born.
“I received comments from a wave of girls who just wanted
Broke taboos around mental health and depression, especially for BIPOC women
Sad Girls Club
Elyse Fox
Photo credit: Jocko Graves
“Depression is something I felt I’ve always had, but I’ve never been able to put into words”
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Elyse Fox has made a name for herself being very public and vocal about a topic that is often so very private. As the founder of Sad Girls Club and Produced by Girls, a creative collective, Fox provides a safe space for BIPOC Gen Z and millennial women to speak openly and unapologetically about their mental health. And she’s extending her reach and influence beyond those forums, consulting for Maybelline’s mental-health program and serving on Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty Council.
Like many others, Fox was inspired by personal experience. In December 2015, she was hospitalized after trying to take her life, and in the year of healing that followed she learned the value of friendship and the creativity that comes from honesty and connection. Recognizing the power of community, she realized that she had the power to make a difference — and so SGC was born.
“I received comments from a wave of girls who just wanted advice on how to be more open with their friend groups and families,” Fox says. Her efforts have already paid off in big ways as her community grows by attracting those eager to connect over shared experiences.
Fox first spoke publicly about her experience with depression and healing in a seven-minute documentary she produced in 2016. “Depression is something I felt I’ve always had, but I’ve never been able to put into words,” she says. “I just thought I would get sad occasionally, and go through these periods of stress and anxiety, and thought everyone went through it, like it’s nothing. And then it hit me.”
She’s proud of her most recent accomplishments, which include a virtual group counseling program during the COVID-19 pandemic. She even hosted an Instagram live session on World Mental Health Day for women to chat about their body-image epiphanies throughout the pandemic.
Broke taboos around mental health and depression, especially for BIPOC women
Sad Girls Club
Elyse Fox
Photo credit: Jocko Graves
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“My passion is to make vital information accessible and meet people where they are.”
Seeing him make a full recovery encouraged her to deepen her study of psychiatry during her residency training at New York University, which required a focus and commitment to her profession even as she faced challenges related to gender and race.
“Pursuing a medical degree is challenging. I was met with people who did not believe I could become a doctor,” she says. “Luckily, I was determined and focused, and had an unshakeable vision that others could not take away from me.”
She’s working on her first book, as well as the second installment of “Be Well”— a conversation with other mental-health change makers who use their social-media platforms to speak about mental-health issues in a positive way.
“My passion is to make vital information accessible and meet people where they are,” Clemons says. “I encourage safe spaces to talk about issues that affect us all.”
Known nationally as “Dr. Jess” (and as @askdrjess on Instagram and Twitter), Jessica Clemons connects with thousands of followers through both platforms to erase the stigma associated with mental health. That’s probably why “Fast Company” recently called her "the Internet’s favorite psychiatrist.” She hosted the first live televised therapy session on VH1, aptly titled "In Session Live with Dr. Jess, in which she held a therapy session with Charlamagne tha God in an effort to demystify therapy. The two explored his work in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and raising Black daughters.
Although she knew she was destined to be a doctor since she was a little girl — a passion her parents supported and nurtured — she didn’t realize she wanted to be a psychiatrist until she attended medical school at Cornell University.
“I found myself drawn to psychiatry because I saw the impact mental illness has on the entire person,” Clemons says, adding that she successfully treated someone with such severe depression it affected his movement and speech.
Brought mental health awareness to the masses — including celebrities
Photo credit: Isaac Campbell
Board-Certified Psychiatrist
Dr. Jessica Clemons, MD
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“To watch what was once a thought bubble blossom into a full-fledged reality — and then impact so many people — was affirming, empowering, and a huge motivation.”
my overall health,” Medina says. “That changed everything for me — from my diet, to the products I was using on my skin and hair, even what content I was allowing myself to consume on a daily basis.”
She’s also founded The Activation Tour – a collective of thought leaders, creatives, and artists dedicated to community-building and inspiring impactful collaboration.
“The tour is my favorite accomplishment to date because I created it from scratch with a very small team,” she says. “And to watch what was once a thought bubble blossom into a full-fledged reality — and then impact so many people — was affirming, empowering, and a huge motivation to keep learning and being of service to my community.”
For many people, embracing a healthier life isn’t a question of motivation; it’s accessibility. For the past eight years, Francheska Medina has introduced a whole new audience to the world of healthy living through HeyFranHey, a site that offers an accessible, affordable, and comprehensive list of holistic living resources, including DIY recipes for healthy hair and skin, as well as introspective journal prompts.
She’s also expanded to host a companion YouTube channel for the site and for the past five years she’s hosted "The Friend Zone," a weekly discussion of mental-health issues, spiritual challenges, and emotional hurdles.
Her interest in wellness was, in her words, “a hard pivot” after she graduated from college. “I was suffering from kidney disease, and had never focused any of my time or energy into
Built a platform advocating for affordable, accessible holistic living
The Friend Zone
Francheska Medina
Photo credit: Ben Searles/ header image: Milan Gino
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“My passion is to make vital information accessible and meet people where they are.”
Known nationally as “Dr. Jess” (and as @askdrjess on Instagram and Twitter), Jessica Clemons connects with thousands of followers through both platforms to erase the stigma associated with mental health. That’s probably why “Fast Company” recently called her "the Internet’s favorite psychiatrist.” She hosted the first live televised therapy session on VH1, aptly titled "In Session Live with Dr. Jess, in which she held a therapy session with Charlamagne tha God in an effort to demystify therapy. The two explored his work in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and raising Black daughters.
Although she knew she was destined to be a doctor since she was a little girl — a passion her parents supported and nurtured — she didn’t realize she wanted to be a psychiatrist until she attended medical school at Cornell University.
“I found myself drawn to psychiatry because I saw the impact mental illness has on the entire person,” Clemons says, adding that she successfully treated someone with such severe depression it affected his movement and speech.
Seeing him make a full recovery encouraged her to deepen her study of psychiatry during her residency training at New York University, which required a focus and commitment to her profession even as she faced challenges related to gender and race.
“Pursuing a medical degree is challenging. I was met with people who did not believe I could become a doctor,” she says. “Luckily, I was determined and focused, and had an unshakeable vision that others could not take away from me.”
She’s working on her first book, as well as the second installment of “Be Well”— a conversation with other mental-health change makers who use their social-media platforms to speak about mental-health issues in a positive way.
“My passion is to make vital information accessible and meet people where they are,” Clemons says. “I encourage safe spaces to talk about issues that affect us all.”
Brought mental health awareness to the masses — including celebrities
Photo credit: Isaac Campbell
Board-Certified Psychiatrist
Dr. Jessica Clemons, MD
“To watch what was once a thought bubble blossom into a full-fledged reality — and then impact so many people — was affirming, empowering, and a huge motivation.”
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For many people, embracing a healthier life isn’t a question of motivation; it’s accessibility. For the past eight years, Francheska Medina has introduced a whole new audience to the world of healthy living through HeyFranHey, a site that offers an accessible, affordable, and comprehensive list of holistic living resources, including DIY recipes for healthy hair and skin, as well as introspective journal prompts.
She’s also expanded to host a companion YouTube channel for the site and for the past five years she’s hosted "The Friend Zone," a weekly discussion of mental-health issues, spiritual challenges, and emotional hurdles.
Her interest in wellness was, in her words, “a hard pivot” after she graduated from college. “I was suffering from kidney disease, and had never focused any of my time or energy into my overall health,” Medina says. “That changed everything for me — from my diet, to the products I was using on my skin and hair, even what content I was allowing myself to consume on a daily basis.”
She’s also founded The Activation Tour – a collective of thought leaders, creatives, and artists dedicated to community-building and inspiring impactful collaboration.
“The tour is my favorite accomplishment to date because I created it from scratch with a very small team,” she says. “And to watch what was once a thought bubble blossom into a full-fledged reality — and then impact so many people — was affirming, empowering, and a huge motivation to keep learning and being of service to my community.”
Built a platform advocating for affordable, accessible holistic living
The Friend Zone
Francheska Medina
Photo credit: Milan Gino
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“For once in my professional life, I felt like I was aligned with my calling”
to school for her interior design degree in the evenings didn’t help.
Tired of working just to be able to pay the bills, and feeling lethargic, tired, and uncomfortable in her own skin, Ishizuka decided to make small changes each day for two years. These included waking up early to work out, learning to cook healthy meals (chia seed pudding is her favorite), or doing muscle-building workouts and posting the results on Instagram.
For many people, that would’ve been enough — but not for Ishizuka, who was inspired by the feedback she got from friends and family. She decided to launch her blog and never looked back. “For once in my professional life, I felt like I was aligned with my calling,” Ishizuka says.
The results from her followers continue to drive both of her businesses — many have canceled their gym memberships and inspire each other through body-positive selfies and self-talk.
“I show up on my platform as myself,” she says. “I’m just like so many others who need a little push to get moving.
Built a social empire by sharing her passion for healthy living
Photo credit: Nathan Pontious
RRAYYME and
HomeBodies
Remi Ishizuka
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“Curiosity in my love of yoga led me to start teacher training outside of my time at work, and that was everything I needed to connect the dots between all of my passions: wellness, community and Black culture.”
expanding the consciousness of Black women and other women of color.
Growing up in Minnesota gave her an “energy of Midwest humility” that proved useful after she moved to Chicago, where she gave the 9-to-5 routine a shot by working as a communications and events coordinator. But a traditional career wasn’t enough.
“Curiosity in my love of yoga led me to start teacher training outside of my time at work, and that was everything I needed to connect the dots between all of my passions: wellness, community, and Black culture,” Ash says.
Ash recently launched the Circle, a digital membership platform of over 800 women aimed at supporting each other on their wellness journey. Her next goal is continuing to grow BGIO through the Annual, a curated yearly experience of digital workshops and conversations with BIPOC women leading conversations in ways that matter.
“There’s so much more to come,” she says. “I’m grateful for the windy, unpredictable journey I’ve been led on.”
Lauren Ash has always had a desire to really connect with people and make a difference. But she probably never imagined that “Black Girl in Om,” the podcast she started in 2014 out of a friend’s apartment, would eventually reach millions of people, mostly Black women, and be recognized in “The New York Times,” “Essence,” the OWN Network, and more.
Ash says that the name for the podcast, which “exists to hold and heal Black women and women of color around the world on their unique wellness journeys, mending us from the inside out,” just came to her during yoga practice one day.
“My interest in wellness was always there,” she says, “but it intensified when racist incidents in my college years impressed upon me the importance of community healing, and when the deep isolation I experienced during my first year in graduate school showed me how I must prioritize myself for my own mental well-being.”
Since then she has established herself as a wellness visionary, yoga and meditation guide, and a leader in transforming and
Started a podcast to bring women of color together to share self-care, beauty, and health intel
Black Girl in Om
Lauren Ash
Photo credit: Bobby Rogers
If you’re in a rut in the kitchen or with your workout routine, Remi Ishizuka gets you. She knows what it’s like to be really unhealthy, though you’d never know that from her fitness and wellness blog, RRAYYME, which features healthy eating, cooking videos, and workout tips, and has been featured in “Vanity Fair,” “Cosmopolitan,” and “Women’s Health.”
And she shows no sign of slowing down: She and her boyfriend, Nate, recently launched the daily workout community HomeBodies, featuring dumbbell-friendly workouts that can be done from home. The pair received the Shorty Award, as well as the Create & Cultivate 100 award in the health-and-fitness category. “We’re working to expand HomeBodies to be more than a workout program,” Ishizuka says.
Ishikuza’s approach to wellness and fitness is rooted in her past. Raised as a first-generation Japanese American in Los Angeles, she came from a family of healthy eaters, which is exactly why she found herself rebelling in college, overeating until she became “skinny fat.” Working a 9-to-5 corporate job while going
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“I was convinced that because I wasn’t skinny, I wasn’t beautiful or worthy of love.”
and so painful that I didn’t have the brain space to think about anything other than making it home in one piece,” she says.
Though it started out as a blog that covered running in a humorous way, BALG has expanded to include virtual and guided runs, monthly and annual team-based training plans, empowering merchandise, and satellite “lady gangs” in 18 cities. Her podcast, "Run, Selfie, Repeat," features recorded workouts and down-to-earth motivational chats, like the running companion you always wanted to have.
Her latest achievement is the #SportsBraSquad, a body-positive movement dedicated to inclusivity and celebrating strength at any size.
“The Badass Lady Gang is home to thousands of women who run, walk, and move because they can,” Roberts says, “not because they feel like they have to in order to lose weight.”
As the loud, raucous leader of the Badass Lady Gang — a running community for women — and host of the “Run, Selfie, Repeat” podcast, Kelly Roberts has made it her mission to ditch the prevailing diet and exercise culture. In addition to starting the BALG empire, she recently launched a free, eight-week interactive program with her co-leader, Kayla, on how to practice self-love as an antidote to dieting.
That’s a far cry from the girl she was in high school, the version of herself who hated running and working out so much that she skipped 70 days of gym class her senior year. And like many young women, she drank the poison punch of “thin equals healthy” for way too long, forcing herself to diet as early as middle school. “The amount of time I wasted obsessing over my weight is devastating,” Roberts says. “I was convinced that because I wasn’t skinny, I wasn’t beautiful or worthy of love.”
She turned to running during a time in her life when she felt depressed, lost, and unsure of herself. “Running was so hard
Created an online running community for women that promotes feeling good vs. looking good
Photo credit: Fred Goris
Badass Lady Gang
Kelly Roberts
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“I’ve had to be brave enough to release fears, self-doubt, cultural oppression, and societal norms of who and what I am.”
At first she considered that her calling, and chose to work in the HIV-nonprofit arena while she was a grad and post-grad student. But after moving to New York and becoming certified as a yoga instructor, she experienced a spiritual and mental reset that took her career in an entirely new direction. That led to the opening of two studios, including the one she owns and operates, Embrace Yoga DC. Her teachings have also made her a favorite at mass yoga classes held at notable locations, such as the Cherry Blossom Festival and the White House Easter Egg Roll during the Obama administration.
“Diving off the cliff of life and switching careers to become a yoga teacher, especially when I had no idea what I would do next, is one of the career accomplishments I’m most proud of,” Hunter says. “I’ve had to be brave enough to release fears, self-doubt, cultural oppression, and societal norms of who and what I am,” she says. “In the end I’ve had to say yes to what feels right in my heart.”
Faith Hunter isn’t just a yoga and meditation instructor. She’s a full-fledged wellness philanthropist, healing guide, and movement creator. Through Spiritually Fly, she offers a life philosophy that uses breath, movement, sound, and stillness to inspire devotees to live an epic life.
“I have the ability to create a space (in-person or online), where people feel seen, heard, and honored for who they are and where they are in their personal journey,” Hunter says. “The experiences I create open a portal for personal healing, and the energetics in those moments provide freedom and spiritual connection.”
Though she’s always considered movement an integral part of her life, it took a family tragedy to help her embrace wellness. “It was sparked by watching my older brother suffer and later die from complications related to HIV/AIDS in the '90s,” she says.
Found healing in yoga after the tragic loss of her brother
Spiritually Fly
Faith Hunter
Photo credit: Spencer Bentley
Wellness is more than a practice; it’s a lifestyle. Lincoln’s passion for well-being extends to the experiences it provides, the luminaries it champions, and the vehicles it creates. The all-new 2020 Lincoln Corsair was crafted to be your own personal sanctuary with features like a whisper-quiet cabin outfitted with plush suedes, soothing horizontal lines, and leather wrapped, 24-way Perfect Position Massaging Front Seats. The Corsair also offers Initiative tech that seamlessly removes pressure points at every turn like adaptive cruise control to take the stress out of stop-and-go traffic, active park assist to effortlessly guide you into tough spots, or Lincoln Phone As A Key which allows you to unlock, start and even drive your vehicle using just your smartphone. Oh, and Lincoln owners also enjoy a complimentary year-long membership to Calm, including daily meditations for better sleep, lower stress and less anxiety.
discover more
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“For once in my professional life, I felt like I was aligned with my calling”
If you’re in a rut in the kitchen or with your workout routine, Remi Ishizuka gets you. She knows what it’s like to be really unhealthy, though you’d never know that from her fitness and wellness blog, RRAYYME, which features healthy eating, cooking videos, and workout tips, and has been featured in “Vanity Fair,” “Cosmopolitan,” and “Women’s Health.”
And she shows no sign of slowing down: She and her boyfriend, Nate, recently launched the daily workout community HomeBodies, featuring dumbbell-friendly workouts that can be done from home. The pair received the Shorty Award, as well as the Create & Cultivate 100 award in the health-and-fitness category. “We’re working to expand HomeBodies to be more than a workout program,” Ishizuka says.
Ishikuza’s approach to wellness and fitness is rooted in her past. Raised as a first-generation Japanese American in Los Angeles, she came from a family of healthy eaters, which is exactly why she found herself rebelling in college, overeating until she became “skinny fat.” Working a 9-to-5 corporate job while going to school for her interior design degree in the evenings didn’t help.
Tired of working just to be able to pay the bills, and feeling lethargic, tired, and uncomfortable in her own skin, Ishizuka decided to make small changes each day for two years. These included waking up early to work out, learning to cook healthy meals (chia seed pudding is her favorite), or doing muscle-building workouts and posting the results on Instagram.
For many people, that would’ve been enough — but not for Ishizuka, who was inspired by the feedback she got from friends and family. She decided to launch her blog and never looked back. “For once in my professional life, I felt like I was aligned with my calling,” Ishizuka says.
The results from her followers continue to drive both of her businesses — many have canceled their gym memberships and inspire each other through body-positive selfies and self-talk.
“I show up on my platform as myself,” she says. “I’m just like so many others who need a little push to get moving.
Built a social empire by sharing her passion for healthy living
Photo credit: Nathan Pontious
RRAYYME and HomeBodies
Remi Ishizuka
“Curiosity in my love of yoga led me to start teacher training outside of my time at work, and that was everything I needed to connect the dots between all of my passions: wellness, community and Black culture.”
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Lauren Ash has always had a desire to really connect with people and make a difference. But she probably never imagined that “Black Girl in Om,” the podcast she started in 2014 out of a friend’s apartment, would eventually reach millions of people, mostly Black women, and be recognized in “The New York Times,” “Essence,” the OWN Network, and more.
Ash says that the name for the podcast, which “exists to hold and heal Black women and women of color around the world on their unique wellness journeys, mending us from the inside out,” just came to her during yoga practice one day.
“My interest in wellness was always there,” she says, “but it intensified when racist incidents in my college years impressed upon me the importance of community healing, and when the deep isolation I experienced during my first year in graduate school showed me how I must prioritize myself for my own mental well-being.”
Since then she has established herself as a wellness visionary, yoga and meditation guide, and a leader in transforming and expanding the consciousness of Black women and other women of color.
Growing up in Minnesota gave her an “energy of Midwest humility” that proved useful after she moved to Chicago, where she gave the 9-to-5 routine a shot by working as a communications and events coordinator. But a traditional career wasn’t enough.
“Curiosity in my love of yoga led me to start teacher training outside of my time at work, and that was everything I needed to connect the dots between all of my passions: wellness, community, and Black culture,” Ash says.
Ash recently launched the Circle, a digital membership platform of over 800 women aimed at supporting each other on their wellness journey. Her next goal is continuing to grow BGIO through the Annual, a curated yearly experience of digital workshops and conversations with BIPOC women leading conversations in ways that matter.
“There’s so much more to come,” she says. “I’m grateful for the windy, unpredictable journey I’ve been led on.”
Started a podcast to bring women of color together to share self-care, beauty, and health intel
Black Girl in Om
Lauren Ash
Photo credit: Bobby Rogers
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“I was convinced that because I wasn’t skinny, I wasn’t beautiful or worthy of love.”
As the loud, raucous leader of the Badass Lady Gang — a running community for women — and host of the “Run, Selfie, Repeat” podcast, Kelly Roberts has made it her mission to ditch the prevailing diet and exercise culture. In addition to starting the BALG empire, she recently launched a free, eight-week interactive program with her co-leader, Kayla, on how to practice self-love as an antidote to dieting.
That’s a far cry from the girl she was in high school, the version of herself who hated running and working out so much that she skipped 70 days of gym class her senior year. And like many young women, she drank the poison punch of “thin equals healthy” for way too long, forcing herself to diet as early as middle school. “The amount of time I wasted obsessing over my weight is devastating,” Roberts says. “I was convinced that because I wasn’t skinny, I wasn’t beautiful or worthy of love.”
She turned to running during a time in her life when she felt depressed, lost, and unsure of herself. “Running was so hard and so painful that I didn’t have the brain space to think about anything other than making it home in one piece,” she says.
Though it started out as a blog that covered running in a humorous way, BALG has expanded to include virtual and guided runs, monthly and annual team-based training plans, empowering merchandise, and satellite “lady gangs” in 18 cities. Her podcast, "Run, Selfie, Repeat," features recorded workouts and down-to-earth motivational chats, like the running companion you always wanted to have.
Her latest achievement is the #SportsBraSquad, a body-positive movement dedicated to inclusivity and celebrating strength at any size.
“The Badass Lady Gang is home to thousands of women who run, walk, and move because they can,” Roberts says, “not because they feel like they have to in order to lose weight.”
Created an online running community for women that promotes feeling good vs. looking good
Photo credit: Fred Goris
Badass Lady Gang
Kelly Roberts
“I’ve had to be brave enough to release fears, self-doubt, cultural oppression, and societal norms of who and what I am.”
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Faith Hunter isn’t just a yoga and meditation instructor. She’s a full-fledged wellness philanthropist, healing guide, and movement creator. Through Spiritually Fly, she offers a life philosophy that uses breath, movement, sound, and stillness to inspire devotees to live an epic life.
“I have the ability to create a space (in-person or online), where people feel seen, heard, and honored for who they are and where they are in their personal journey,” Hunter says. “The experiences I create open a portal for personal healing, and the energetics in those moments provide freedom and spiritual connection.”
Though she’s always considered movement an integral part of her life, it took a family tragedy to help her embrace wellness. “It was sparked by watching my older brother suffer and later die from complications related to HIV/AIDS in the '90s,” she says.
At first she considered that her calling, and chose to work in the HIV-nonprofit arena while she was a grad and post-grad student. But after moving to New York and becoming certified as a yoga instructor, she experienced a spiritual and mental reset that took her career in an entirely new direction. That led to the opening of two studios, including the one she owns and operates, Embrace Yoga DC. Her teachings have also made her a favorite at mass yoga classes held at notable locations, such as the Cherry Blossom Festival and the White House Easter Egg Roll during the Obama administration.
“Diving off the cliff of life and switching careers to become a yoga teacher, especially when I had no idea what I would do next, is one of the career accomplishments I’m most proud of,” Hunter says. “I’ve had to be brave enough to release fears, self-doubt, cultural oppression, and societal norms of who and what I am,” she says. “In the end I’ve had to say yes to what feels right in my heart.”
Found healing in yoga after the tragic loss of her brother
Spiritually Fly
Faith Hunter
Photo credit: Spencer Bentley
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This post is sponsored by Lincoln Ford Motor Company
Sponsor content is produced in collaboration with
advertisers by Insider Studios, the branded content
team at Insider Inc. Business Insider's editorial staff
is not involved in the creation of this content.
Copyright © 2020 Insider Inc. All rights reserved.
Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Cookies Policy.
Site Map | Disclaimer | Commerce Policy | CA Privacy Rights Coupons | Made in NYC | Jobs
CREATED BY