Hurdle with Emily Abbate

When we feel like we’re waiting for instructions (gimme a sign!) we can forget our power. That’s just one example of the you-got-this texts that more than 2 million Shine users receive on a daily basis. App co-founders Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi met working at a non-profit just over 8 years ago, and they immediately hit it off. Becoming fast friends, the duo leaned into each other to get through #hurdlemoments like speed bumps in their relationships and hard-to-have conversations at the office. In 2016, they left their jobs to focus on Shine full-time, raised millions of dollars in funding, and began to grow their team. In episode 38, we talk about the challenges they’ve faced as women of color co-founders and they offer-up best-practice tips on how to silence your inner critic.SOCIAL@shinetext@hurdlepodcast@emilyabbateOFFERSAthletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special episode alert! Live from the Tory Burch store on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, I’m sitting down with Nichelle Hines—the chief ride officer at Cycle House—and Sarah Larson Levey, the founder and CEO of Y7 Studio. This conversation is about as real as it gets. Hines shares how the writer’s strike of 2008 turned her life upside down and lead her down a path she never expected, and Sarah dishes on what it was like in the early days of creating her hip-hop yoga empire alongside her husband. In episode 37, talk about everything from our worst days as entrepreneurs (negative Yelp reviews, anyone?) to the best lessons we’ve learned with a side of sweat, sharing a bunch of laughs and a few tears along the way. This is one you don’t want to miss. SOCIAL@hurdlepodcast@sarah_ayako@nichelle@y7studio@cyclehouse@torysportOFFERSTORY SPORT | Head to torysport.com/ and get 20 percent off your purchase using the code “HURDLE20” at checkout.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2013, the now-CEO was working as a consultant — tired, traveling constantly, and 40 pounds overweight. Fitness wasn’t a priority for him because—in his words—it was hard to make it a priority. The catch: he wanted to be healthier. In his #hurdlemoment, Ethan dropped 40 pounds by building the first version of Aaptiv, which brings top-level digital-only, audio-based training sessions with personal trainers right to your headphones. In episode 36, the founder tells me hilarious stories about the early days of Aaptiv, posing as a surveyor at the gym asking strangers for feedback. He offers essential advice for anyone trying to adopt a new fitness routine and gives the lowdown on his 6 a.m. habit that makes him more productive throughout his entire day.SOCIAL@ethanagarwal@aaptiv@hurdlepodcast@emilyabbateOFFERSHeadspace | Head to headspace.com/hurdle to get 30 days of the entire Headspace library for free.Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.Aaptiv | Enter code “HURDLE” at checkout for a 7-day free trial, then 30 percent off an annual Aaptiv membership ($99.99 to $69.99).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever since she was a young girl, Ali Feller had her heart set on working in the publishing industry. Not just any job in publishing, though: Editor-in-chief of a teen dance magazine, perfect for someone who grew up on stage. By 25 (!!) she landed it. Right off the bat, she was working crazy hours, in endless meetings, on set at photoshoot after photoshoot living that New York City grind life that I know oh so well myself. Around that same time, she fell in love with running, tackling her first marathon. But soon, the stress became too much. Battling Crohn’s disease, Ali realized in her #hurdlemoment that she needed to step away from her dream job to get better and rediscover her purpose. In episode 35, we talk all about the transition that lead her to creating the Ali on the Run Show podcast, how Crohn’s has impacted her life, what it’s like to be a new mom to her beautiful babygirl Annie, and commiserate over the self-inflicted pressures (and benefits!) of being your own boss.SOCIAL@aliontherun1@hurdlepodcast@emilyabbateOFFERSAthletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HURDLE! Exactly one year ago today, Hurdle hit iTunes. In this combo anniversary/year-end episode, I’m giddily recapping eight of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from 365 days behind the microphone, including some gems from fan-favorites including Hayden Slater, Kirsty Godso, Robin Arzon, and more. A huge, huge thank you to all of the listeners, guests, and everyone else who helped to make my first year as a podcaster one for the charts (literally).SOCIAL@hurdlepodcast@emilyabbateI mention a ton of past episodes in today’s. Check them out, here:Episode 28: Robin Arzon, VP Fitness Programming & Head Instructor PelotonEpisode 16: Amy Purdy, Snowboarder & Paralympic MedalistEpisode 20: Hayden Slater, Founder Pressed JuiceryEpisode 27: Kirsty Godso, Nike Master TrainerEpisode Three: Fred Santarpia, CDO Conde NastEpisode 14: Deena Kastor, Marathoner & American Record HolderEpisode 7: Liz Plosser, Editor-in-Chief Women’s HealthEpisode 18: Dr. Jason Wersland, Creator TheraGunSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his early 20s, Mark Hunter was known as a thriving photographer nicknamed “The Cobra Snake”. He was a fixture in the New York and L.A. party scenes, traveling all over the country and world to snap everyone from Kings of Leon to Lindsay Lohan. Known for his wacky outfits and great aesthetic, his #hurdlemoment coincided with the rise of Instagram. With social media—as he puts it—everyone’s a photographer in their own right. Mark knew he needed to pivot if he wanted to stay relevant and continue to build his brand. He stopped going to so many parties, began advertising free group hikes on a new Instagram account (@cobrafitnessclub), and now he’s making friends and having fun taking photos with a side of sweat. In episode 33, he shares how hiking Runyon Canyon has changed his life forever, his super approachable, all-inclusive view on fitness, and what it’s like to be good friends with Steve Aoki.SOCIAL@thecobrasnake@cobrafitnessclub@hurdlepodcastOFFERSKaari Foods | Head to kaarifoods.com/ to get 15 percent off your purchase using the code “HURDLE” at checkout.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Flaherty’s got, from my point of view, one of the most awesome jobs in the world. The Senior Director of Performance at Nike spends his days doing everything from crafting content for the Nike Training Club app, editing scripts for Nike’s podcast Trained, programming workouts for big-name athletes including Serena Williams, sitting on the Nike Performance Council, and so much more. It’s crazy that a much younger Ryan never envisioned this for himself. Growing up as an athlete, he had the opportunity to play football professionally when his third ACL injury sidelined him for good. What he learned through the rehab process was that he could’ve prevented what happened if he trained smarter. At that point, a #hurdlemoment for sure, he felt a calling to help other athletes avoid injuries like his. In episode 32, Ryan’s shares essential tips for building a better body, improving speed, and finding career success. We also dive into the importance of saying no and having grit.—SOCIAL@ryanjflaherty@nike@hurdlepodcastOFFERSAthletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Break-ups suck. Arguably, break-ups suck even more when you’re an entrepreneur working tirelessly to launch your own business. Jessy Dover was grinding long days with her two Dagne Dover co-founders, when she returned one night from a trip to the apartment she shared with her then-boyfriend of more than 3 years to see her stuff packed up in the corner and him asking her to leave. It was a #hurdlemoment that rocked her world. Immediately, she moved in with her best friend and leaned into working out, teary-eyed rides at SoulCycle, and eating better to slowly get through the emotional fog. Today, her functional bag company is thriving at just over 5 years old, largely in part because of her indomitable will to push forward when the going gets tough. In episode 31, we swap stories about relationships past, Jessy admits to a time when she was working out too much, and she offers great, actionable advice to anyone hoping to build a brand from scratch."—SOCIAL@jessy_dover@dagnedover@hurdlepodcastOFFERSAthletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($99 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.Dagne Dover | Use code HURDLE20 for 20 percent off your purchase at dagnedover.com through January 31, 2019.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was only a matter of time until Hurdle had a hurdler (of sorts) on the podcast. Colleen Quigley didn’t grow up dreaming of going to the Olympics to compete in the steeple chase. After joining the track team her freshman year of high school and finding her fast, the St. Louis native geared up for a collegiate running career at Florida State University that would eventually lead her to turn pro as a Nike-sponsored athlete. In the year prior to the 2016 Summer Games, Quigley dealt with a major #hurdlemoment—a nasty hamstring injury—that almost derailed her from hitting the track in Rio. In episode 30, I sit down with the Bowerman Babe to chat her ever-evolving dreams, a brief stint in modeling, and how it feels to be a role model for young athletes around the world.—@steeple_squigs@bowermantc@hurdlepodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christmas morning car accident was the #hurdlemoment that changed Andy Puddicombe’s life forever. Looking to process sudden loss, he went to Asia to study as a Buddhist monk. After 10 years of practice, Puddicombe wanted to help others understand the benefits of meditation. That’s when he met co-founder Rich Pierson, and Headspace was born. What once started as an events company, Headspace now has more than 30 million users and 1 million paid subscribers. In episode 30, we dive into the endless benefits of meditation, how to shift our perspective on failure in life, the exciting newly developed Headspace Health programming coming in 2020, and finish things off with an easy, quick meditation perfect for beginners. —@headspace@andypuddicombe@hurdlepodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.