Get to know us!

We sat down together recently and asked some fun questions! here we go!

Mara, If you were stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life, what 3 foods would you want to have?

M: Avocado. Sprouted bread. Watermelon.

F: I’ve thought about this question for years! And my answer hasn’t changed!! Cheese, bread and wine. (Yes, wine counts.)

Franny, do you have a pet?
F: My Rescue Greyhound Frida. She’s quirky, weird and I adore her beyond words. Do you even like animals, Mara?

M: My cat Brownie. I don’t even really like cats. Just my cat Brownie. 

Mara, Reader or Movie Goer?

M: I love self-help books (lol) and yoga books. The last book I read was The Handmaids Tale and I loved it. Although James and the Giant Peach might be my favorite – in fact, anything by Ronald Dahl. He speaks my language.  But I’d have to say TV; I guess I’ll say I’m a series girl. I loved Breaking Bad; Dexter, The Good Place, The Handmaids Tale. And now my new favorite - High Maintenance :) *Insider scoop, Mara is featured in an upcoming episode!!

F: I’m a reader; I would sit and read all day if I had my way. Current favorites: for fiction, Haruki Murakami’s latest, Killing Commendatore; Non-fiction Lori Gottlieb’s Maybe You Should Talk to Someone; and I’m a huge Tim Ferriss fan and just re-read Tools of Titans. Everyone should read this book, it’s super inspiring.

Hm, this is something I don’t know about you Mara. What’s your everyday bag?

M: I love my sparkly backpack. I love anything that looks like a 12 year-old would wear.

F: I love totes; I have many and I only wear totebags, easy to get into and easy to deal with. Currently I’m wearing WNYC tote bag.

Franny, what’s your sport?

F: Anyone who knows me knows I talk way too much about Crossfit, bodyweight and strength training. Check out me on my amazing coaches’ podcast The Beta Way, episode 4 where I talk all about my fitness journey!

 M: Yoga. Hands down.

Mara, morning ritual?

M: Coffee first and foremost with my Chemex. Prepare lunches, feed Brownie, make smoothies, then prepare dinner for the evening. Afterwards, I do a 40-minute yoga class at home if I cannot get to the studio.  

F: I wake up with Andrew at 6am these days. I always have a pot of Chaiwalla tea. Then I wake my kids, help them prepare their lunches and get the family out for the day. I have a few hours on my own before my noon CrossFit class. First, I take Frida for a short morning walk. Then I sit down at the computer, answer emails, gather my thoughts and tasks for the day. All of my writings take place in these hours. No doubt my mind is at its’ best in the mornings.

Evening Ritual?

M: I pour myself a glass of wine, always. It signifies my work is done. I spend time with my kids, organize the house, place oil in all the diffusers and respond to emails! 

F: I pour myself a glass of wine too! Then I cook dinner with Andrew. Before we sit down to a family dinner I always go through my house and tidy up. It makes sitting down at the dinner table, which is in the very center of our space, so much more calming and enjoyable. These days, I end my night watching The Rachel Maddow Show. She’s just so smart.

Minimalist or Maximalist?

M: Minimalist, definitely.

F: Minimalist, definitely.

Franny, what’s your guilty pleasure?

F: Good chocolate. I’m currently obsessed with Fine & Raw’s ginger bar. Oh, and books. Always books.

M: Tortilla chips. Cooking shows. 

Mara, who or what inspires you?

M: My yoga teachers and always, my kids. 

F: For me it's books, plants, and people full of intensity and discipline. 

Okay, last question Mara: Name one of your favorite things about growing up in a family of nine children.

M: Gosh, so many things….the smell of crayons in the family room or the smell of Shalimar in our Mother’s room.

F: I loved it when we used to hold ‘garage sales’ in our bedrooms and swap our stuffed animals, even though, as one of the youngest, I always seemed to get the short end of the stick!