GoGirlMgz November 2019

Volume 1 • Issue 6

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November 2019

NOVEMBER 2019

SPECIAL FEATURES

COVER STORIES

38 Cara Alwill Layba

12 Cassandra Martin

House flipper turned workout warrior, Cassandra Martin is in the business of building bodies and brands. She proves that getting results in and out of the gym is all about hard work — and she looks amazing doing it. Check out the unassuming journey of the latest fit-chick-to-follow.

24 Alisa Beyer

GoGirl and Perspire Sauna Studio Pull Out the Pink Carpet and Turn Up the Heat in the OC. The Bluffs premier shopping and restaurant destination was the hot spot in the OC on a cool, mid-fall Friday night.

54 Getting Her Fix

How Stitch Fix Founder Katrina Lake Took Her Brand from Start-up to Success and Built a $2 Billion Dollar Empire

62 Beating to Her Own Drum

Meet the Young, Up-and-Coming Musician and Vocalist Who Opened a Much-needed Music School in Her Community.

70 Lunar Ladies

46 Subway to Broadway

44 Perspire Sauna Studio

A proven entrepreneur who has created and sold five companies, Alisa Fogelman Beyer’s career has been grounded in the fast-moving beauty business, but she jumped from “lipstick to liquor” after meeting Karen Haines, founder of Spa Girl Cocktails.

How this Fervent Fashionista and Lucrative Life Coach Put a Devilishly Stylish, Sassy Spin on Self-help

A story of one woman’s indomitable, unbroken spirit and her fortitude to forge ahead and rise from the ashes.

NASA rescheduled an unprecedented event — an all-woman spacewalk mission. No men required — the long-awaited “ladies only” version!

76 Baby Liberty Update

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We’re catching up with our littlest, globetrotting GoGirl, Liberty Weeks. So, here’s what’s been happening in the lands of Liberty.

FITNESS/WELLNESS

32 Keeping Track

Three-time world champion, two-time Olympic silver medalist, and 12-time gold medalist, Allyson Felix has had quite a busy year.

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Hi All My GoGirls and GoGuys Too! Wow, I can’t believe this is already our sixth issue of GoGirl Worldwide Magazine! It truly has been a dream in the making for a long time.

And now it’s a dream that has come true and continues to come true every month!

At this moment in time I’m feeling extremely thankful. I’m thankful for you for reading our pages. I’m thankful to our advertisers and sponsors.

And I’m over-the-moon thankful for my publisher/partner Rachel and our entire GoGirl team. Each individual goes above and beyond each month to help bring you truly inspirational stories.

Sometimes in life we tend to focus on the glass being half empty, or fixated on the goals we set that haven’t happened yet. But I think we need to constantly remind ourselves to take a time-out, take a good look at the things we actually have accomplished, and give ourselves some credit. In fact, I think there should be more celebration of small (and large) victories in our lives.

If you think about how loudly fans cheer every time the ball gets that much closer to scoring, it’s interesting to think that the cheers and support being given to the athletes helps to provide that much more confidence and fuels them for their next touchdown or point.

I think we need to be our own cheerleaders or fans in life. When we have a plan to attain our goals, dreams and desires, we have an idea of what it will mean if we attain them. When we make a positive step toward something that is truly meaningful to us, we should celebrate and rejoice.

This will help us continue to move forward with the goal in mind, while enjoying the journey and ride with a feeling of satisfaction along the way.

This past month I’ve been too busy to have time to create my weekly funny YouTube videos. I was feeling really down about it. I started with some internal, negative self-talk. And then I thought, no! I’m not going to beat myself up over not having time for something I love to do because I’m busy with a newer business. Instead, I'm going to remind myself of how much my team and I have accomplished in such a short time.

I know that we need to make time for important things. And I’m not completely letting myself off the hook on this. I will find a way to get back into the rhythm on my YouTube channel. But when I took a step back and thought about the fact that we just launched our sixth edition of our magazine I decided to embrace my thankfulness and gratitude for that, and stop beating myself up about the areas where I felt I was falling short.

The next time you get down on yourself, take a look at all of the things you ARE making happen, and set a plan for carving out time or shifting your schedule to help you get to where you want to be. But be kind to yourself in this process! Rome wasn’t built in a day. Enjoy every stone you are setting, even the small ones.

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Jennifer Murphy This month we celebrate Thanksgiving. This is the time of year when we gather our family and friends, celebrate life and give thanks for many blessings. Let’s take some time to think about all of the people, memories and opportunities in life that we are grateful for. But let’s keep that mentality going year-round. I know that I need to personally work on that, and I will!

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving Month!

I hope you all love our magazine, and please share it with those you know who would also gain inspiration from reading our pages.

Love you all, Jennifer Murphy “GoGirl” Founder/CEO - GoGirl Worldwide Magazine

Jen’s GoGirl Tips:

• Write a list of what you are thankful for.

• Write a list of the people who have helped you in life.

• Write a list of some of the challenges and struggles you’ve been through, but then add what you are thankful you learned from each challenge.

• Take time to celebrate your victories.

Follow Jen on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. She makes funny and empowering videos every Wednesday! @JenniferMurphyGoGirl

Founders Jennifer Murphy | Rachel Medina

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“Women Empowering Women through Events | Magazines | Products | & Giving�

The GoGirl Brand is built by women, for women, and specializes in creating content and experiential opportunities for empowered woman, to empower others across the country with their story and GoGirl mission. GoGirl Magazine, LLC. is not affiliated with any other publishing company and is a digital community complimenting the family of GoGirl events, products, services and its foundation.

Copy Right GoGirl Magazine, L.L.C., 2019

The team at GoGirl Worldwide Magazine browse the web and social media for ordinary women doing extraordinary things in their lives, communities, and careers. We then spotlight these women each month and bring forward images and content shared by these women online and on their social media accounts. GoGirl Worldwide Magazine takes no credit for images and/or content shared by these women in their public domains and makes every attempt to publish the source of the images used on our website GoGirlMgz.com, our social media accounts and in our monthly magazine. If a photo has been published by GoGirl Worldwide Magazine that has inaccurate photo credits, please contact us immediately with the proper credits at editorial@gogirlmgz.com. If we have shined our bright pink spotlight on you this issue or in a past issue, thank you for being a GoGirl who inspires us all.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE: AGAINST ALL ODDS It seems that a success story isn’t as impactful or inspiring as one that begins with loss, struggle, hopelessness and ultimately a sense of overcoming something that may have appeared to be impossible.

That moment you make it to the other side of your fear, when you can look in the mirror and say I DID IT, that moment is the best feeling ever!

But the moment right before that, the one that made you feel that it was all for nothing, or that it just isn’t possible, or it’s too hard to overcome... that’s the part that everyone can relate to. That’s the moment that you can look back on, and share with others knowing that you are a reflection of where they can be if they just keep moving forward despite how they may feel at this moment.

The women we feature each month have broken through and propelled themselves forward in such awesome ways, that we are blessed to be able to share their journey from the dark and into light so that you may be empowered to know... you can too.

Rachel Medina Rachel Medina is a 20-year media and publishing veteran, GoGirl Worldwide Magazine Co-Founder, Public Speaker, and a serial Entrepreneur. She is also the host of a new Podcast and YouTube show called Rachel Unpacked “Unpacking Life’s Baggage Together” where she shares the life lessons and tools for success that she has learned as a parent, wife, business owner, and woman... along the way.

Click to Watch Podcast

In this issue, you’ll meet a women who sang her way from homelessness to the Broadway stage, and many more courageous, determined women like her.

May this issue inspire and motivate you as it has us here at GoGirl Worldwide Magazine Rachel Medina Co-Creator & Publisher

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SOCIAL MEDIA: @rachelmedina101 Online: RachelMedina.com

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wrkethicsupps.com

House flipper turned workout warrior, Cassandra Martin, is in the business of building bodies and brands. She proves getting results in and out of the gym are all about hard work — and she looks amazing doing it. Check out the unassuming journey of the latest fitchick-to-follow.

wrkethicsupps.com

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ith 2.1 million followers and counting, fitness blogger, rising social media sensation, and entrepreneur Cass Martin offers a rather unique story to her on-going journey from female construction worker to bodybuilder to brand innovator. Unlike her famous fellow fitness models, her Instagram posts aren’t stocked with gratuitous, click-bait, cleavage-clad snaps or Sephora shopping hauls. What you’ll find is a heavily followed feed filled with fitness-focused photos, like eye-popping pics of her bulging biceps and sculpted stems, food hauls, healthy diet tips, 14

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motivational quotes, and workout videos.

Not a bikini pic in sight. None of the fluff — and all of the fitness. It’s all class with Cass.

Getting Cut and Staying Curvy The 30 year-old fitness fiend who stands at 5’5’ is famous for her bodybuilder bod, rigorous work ethic inside and outside the gym, and daily dose of inspiration and motivation for women wanting to build a badass body and healthy lifestyle of their very own. Inspired by female bodybuilding icon Jamie Eason after spotting her seriously sculpted image on the cover of

a popular fitness magazine, Cass became instantly intrigued with carving own cover-worthy physique and building the body of her dreams. With the help of her bodybuilding enthusiast boyfriend (now husband) Hunter, adopting a squeaky-clean diet, and hitting the heavy weights six days a week, Cass was able to get shredded, build more muscle mass, and still retain her curvy feminine figure, all within a year. Her dedication to uncompromising consistency, hard work, and steadfast determination of her fitness goals, Cass was finally ready to showcase her newfound aesthetics. After following other fitness stars via social media for years and admiring their head-to-toe toned figures, Cass felt confident to start her own Instagram account in the beginning of 2016. Sweating it up doing construction work by day and training by night, Cass captured all the highlights of her gym-bound journey and posted them to her Instagram stories in hopes of empowering other females who wanted to get fit and fab but were unsure how or where to start. She sprinkled in some of her best-kept secrets for sculpting success, and by the end of 2016, she had amassed nearly one million followers on the ‘Gram — and growing.

A Bodybuilder Who Means Business The Colorado-native and sculpted stunner began working in the male-dominated construction biz with her boyfriend-turnedhusband-turned-personal trainer following cosmetology school. An improbable profession for a female cosmetology school graduate, Martin admits she wasn’t exactly a “girly-girl” growing up and didn’t gravitate towards many of the things most girls usually do. So, lifting heavy weights and building a sexy, sculpted physique seemed like the natural progression for the destined social star. Currently, Cass lifts heavy weights six days a week and consumes up to six small meals a day to keep her fit and fueled and her metabolism humming and hawing.

instagram.com

instagram.com

wrkethicsupps.com

Her WRKETHIC self-made supplement line was launched last year and is based on the simple premise that hard work always prevails and supersedes bouts of self-doubt, unforeseen obstacles, and selfdefeating negativity. If you implement an imperturbable work ethic and stick to attaining your goals, you’ll see results. It may take time, but it will happen if you keep your eye on the prize. Her featured products include HARD WORK, a pre-workout to invigorate and fuel the muscles; BREAK THE MOLD, a supplement loaded with BCAAs to be consumed during or post-workout; a premium-blend chocolate-flavored shake perfect to add to a morning smoothie or for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up; a thermogenic endurance formula for when you’re super

setting your sweat sesh; and a stimulantfree, advanced formula pre-workout for the ultimate bodybuilding buff. Cass has even launched some must-have merch like tanks, tees, and a shaker cup that reflects the brand’s logo. A woman of unwavering integrity, Cass elected to pass on a number of sponsorship opportunities from some of the biggest brands in the bodybuilding biz. On starting WRKETHIC, Cass declares, “Believe in yourself and never waiver on who you are. I was very fortunate to be approached by many companies in this industry, which I am thankful for, however, one thing was very apparent; it was not at all what I thought it would be. I wanted to create a company that was driven by substance and truth, rather than dollar signs.”

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wrkethicsupps.com

Her most recent creation that’s got the ‘Gram going wild is her leopard print water gallon cover to keep water cool and crisp-tasting while on-thego. The innovative, super cute cover from her other brand Gallon Gear also features functional pockets to keep your keys, phone, and other belongings safe and secure all in one place. Hydrating never looked so fashionable and functional! The Gallon Gear cover is also available in half-gallon sizes and in a variety of prints for gym GoGuys on-the-go.

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instagram.com

wrkethicsupps.com

Best in Cass You can follow the fierce fitness fanatic with a flair for fashion on the ‘Gram @cassmartin, @wrkethicsupps, and @liftwithcass, which is the official profile page to her eponymous fitness app by the same name. For an annual or monthly fee, Cass will personally guide you to help reach your fitness, weight loss, diet, and health goals, through customized meal plans and a variety of fun workouts specifically tailored to fit your needs and objectives.

Now, that’s a story fit for a queen.

VIEW VIDEO!! youtube.com

Rapid Fire Q&A

GG: your social media boasts an impressive 2 million followers on instagram alone. Is there a strategy you followed to get your first 100k followers?

There was no strategy at all. I honestly never had any social media platforms before instagram. We went to the 2015 olympics and i had a few people ask me what my instagram was. At that time, i didn’t even know what it was so when we got back home, i looked into the app and created an account and started following people for motivation. I did not post anything for a few months. Then one day, hunter and i talked and decided to post a video of a lift that i was strong at and that is how it all started. At first, it was really slow and i really was not trying to gain followers, i just thought it was fun to film and post things. But then, it all kind of happened at once and things took off! The biggest thing i can say that might have helped my page grow was posting consistently and always being active to anyone who commented from day one. I never dreamed of two million followers one day and it still seems so surreal.

GG: what was the moment you knew you could turn your interest in fitness, into a business?

gallongear.com

GG: at what age did you start incorporating fitness into your life?

I started to get into fitness when i met my husband, hunter, about 10 years ago, but before that, i never was involved in any kind of sport.

GG: who or what inspired you to become fit?

Hunter had fitness magazines laying around that i would look through and i always saw these really fit women and thought to myself, “i want to look like that!� So, we started going to the gym six days a week consistently and trained together. I absolutely fell in love with the whole process of training and eating healthy. It was then that i was hooked and knew right away that i wanted to incorporate being fit and healthy for the rest of my life.

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I think it was around about 120k followers. That is around the time my page was growing 8-10k a day and businesses starting reaching out asking if i was interested in working with them. At the time, i had zero experience as to how people made money online or what it was liking working for companies. I asked around a little to try and gain some knowledge of how things work and what to expect, but i realized that i personally love to create and work for myself so i ended up passing on almost every deal that came to me. That is when my husband i decided to create wrkethic supplements.

GG: what is it about wrkethic supplements that you love and believe in most?

I just love the fact that i know exactly what is in each and every product. I created them every step of the way from the ingredients to the flavoring. I even created all the labeling and branding. I know exactly what i am putting in my body and that is just a refreshing feeling. I would not want to sell someone something i would not use every day.

GG: what challenges have you faced, if any, in trying to breakthrough the male dominated industry of bodybuilding?

It has been a really huge learning experience for me in so many ways from business to personal growth. As a female, it is hard to stand out in this industry without showing skin and sexualizing things. I have no issues with anybody doing that themselves, but that just was never me or why i got into fitness. I want to be respected for my hard work and who i am rather than showing skin. I wanted to show other girls that you can be yourself, work hard, and get respect!

and social media has changed our lives so much that we never thought we would be in the position we are in. To be honest, i just feel so happy we got to experience everything together. He actually does all of the filming and pictures you see on my page, so it has been really fun learning so many new things together!

GG: what are three tips you can give anyone who is looking to build a brand that they can monetize?

1.

Stay true to yourself- i have always made decisions based on being true to myself, and one thing i stand by is that if it does not make me happy, i will not do it, regardless of any money.

2.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes- you have to take risks, even if it seems scary and you have to believe in yourself and your decisions! You can overcome anything, as long as you put in the work and never give in. There is always a way to get it done. So, don’t take no for an answer!

3.

Be patient- being successful is about making mistakes and learning from them. Nothing happens overnight in business or your fitness goals.

GG: since food is such a big part of living a fit life, what type of meal plan do you live by? (Such as keto?

Vegan? Etc.) I really just eat a well-balanced diet of greens, proteins and fats. I have lived a very active life working construction and training so i probably eat more carbs than your average person because my body needs them for my goals. I eat your typical egg whites, chicken and broccoli and steak and potatoes. Balance is key in your diet. Being perfect 100% of the time is just unrealistic. I always say just keep everything in moderation and if it’s possible to plan your meals out or prep them first it will keep you on track longer. But it is ok to have some indulgence every now and then.

GG: we recently saw your funny video on ig where you cry over curly fries, tell us what your cheat meal consists of and how often do you treat yourself to that?

(Such as, do you cheat 1x a month, etc.)

My favorite cheat meal right now is probably ice cream.

I love ben & jerry’s! Hamburgers are also something i could eat every day. I probably have a pint of ice cream once a month, lol, but what i have learned is that it's better to have a little unhealthy snack to curve your cravings rather than going out and splurging on something large. At my house, i always keep mini-sized chocolates or candies around, so that when i feel like i need something sweet, it's a small controlled amount rather than a full size.

GG: as a married woman, how has social media and your rise to fame impacted your marriage? (If at all) It has made us stronger! We are best friends and have worked literally every day together for the last 9 years flipping homes. We have a special relationship together

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I could write so many more, but most importantly just be true to yourself, love what you do, do it for the right reasons, and do your best to always be kind and respectful to people.

GG: what advice would you give to your 14-year-old self? (This could be anything from body image to life in general) This is a tough question. Maybe i would say, you can’t please everyone. You might not be what everyone is looking for or liking, but don’t lose track of the people who are supporting you and are in your corner. Social media has taught me that my worth isn't simply likes or money, but more about happiness and impacting or helping anyone i can. I never thought i would be where i am at today and yet i still cry at every show because of how grateful i am for the people who show up to support me. I love you guys!!

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Newport Bluffs Shopping Center 949.717.7588 I 1308 Bison Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92660 PERSPIRESAUNASTUDIO.COM

A proven entrepreneur who has created and sold five companies, Alisa Fogelman Beyer’s career has been grounded in the fast-moving beauty business, where for many years she helped both large and emerging beauty brands create iconic, award-winning products that women love. But in early 2019, she jumped from “lipstick to liquor” after meeting Karen Haines, founder of Spa Girl Cocktails at an event in Hollywood, California.

it that my great, great grandmother, Estella Houston Fogelman, bottled her own booze on that farm, and shared with family and friends, neighbors and fellow church goers.

To me, my family history is one that many of us share, the embodiment of the American spirit; a family of immigrants coming to this country, working hard, building businesses, and making some booze.”

W

hen Alisa sets out to do something, whether that’s leading innovative strategies for some of the world’s biggest companies to uprooting three teenager-ish children halfway around the world to taking the reins as one of the only female CEOs of a liquor company, she does so with humor, grit and the Good Old American spirit that she comes by honestly.

“I always wanted to get into the liquor business. So, when Karen offered me the opportunity to take over Spa Girl Cocktails, I jumped at the chance to take the brand and fully tap into its potential as the CEO. Growing up, my dad would tell me stories about our family: a fascinating group of “bootleggers and bathtub gin makers” that arrived in the US before the Revolutionary War and ultimately settled on a big farm in Pennsdale, Pennsylvania in 1896. Rumor has 26

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California based Spa Girl Cocktails, an awardwinning supplier of premium craft spirits and “pop and pour” cocktails is known for its clean ingredients, innovative flavors, and infusions, and is Alisa’s first foray into running a company that she herself didn’t start. “I chose to enter this industry because even though women account for nearly half of the alcohol category’s total consumer base—women are still an underrepresented consumer within the overall alcoholic beverage marketplace. I wanted to build a brand that had a product ethos that represented the future, not the past, of the alcoholic beverage industry.

It’s time for women to make their mark in premium spirits.”

Unlike the beauty space, where innovation and speed of research and development are the names of the game, the alcohol industry is still strongly defined by how things have always been done. For Beyer, that approach needs to make room for a large consumer base that is seeking new products and offerings that reflect the lifestyle they lead now, which is to say clean, healthy, and modern.

“When I worked in beauty, I learned very, very quickly that status-quo is actually the death knell for a brand. Beauty consumers were among the first to demand clean products: clean ingredients, clean formulas, eco-certified packaging, cruelty-free…yet in alcohol, few brands are talking about clean or better-for-you products. Women today count calories, worry about sugar content and want to know the origin of ingredients, and they need an alcohol beverage that reflects this need.”

With Spa Girl Cocktails, “at-your-service” and “better-for-you” product innovation are the ethos of the company. Becoming the market leader in defining the ‘clean’, ready-todrink cocktail category, Spa Girl is creating the cocktail of tomorrow.

Every Spa Girl Cocktail is low calorie, low sugar, low carb, gluten-free, vegan, and free of artificial sweeteners and colors. Flavors are handcrafted (selected, and tested) by the all-female team, and made in delicious flavors like Cucumber, Pear, and Peach.

and gin joints made cocktails like the martini fashionable as a way to hide the taste of homemade moonshine and bathtub gin, which weren’t known for their easy-drinking qualities. In fact, they tasted so bad, people started mixing everything from fruit juice to soda to bitters into their moonshine to help offset the bad taste and voila, our cocktail culture was born.”

Thankfully, today’s premium spirits are a far cry from the clumsy homemade attempts of the 19th century, and Spa Girl Cocktails is at the forefront of this evolution. “I love sharing the heritage and character of liquor with people and helping them create their own passion for the products.”

“As wild as this sounds, we can all thank Prohibition for the cocktails we drink today,” continued Beyer, “Underground speakeasies 27

In keeping with their dedication to crafting innovative cocktails, next year, the company will launch a first-of-its-kind spirit: An Organic Vodka infused with Hemp. “I am so excited by the launch of our infused spirits,” gushed Ms. Beyer, “not only will we have the single spirit that can be used in modern cocktail recipes, we will also be offering our Organic Lavender Vodka as a ready-to-drink cocktail for consumers who’d rather just ‘pop and pour’ their Spa Girl Cocktail, or don’t have time to shake-up a cocktail. We are working with hundreds of women consumers and craft bartenders to help determine the final flavor profile and infusions.”

Industry excitement for Spa Girl Cocktails is also high. “The time is right for a woman-led liquor company like Spa Girl Cocktails. With their clean, 'pop and pour' formulas, the brand is right on-trend for consumers who want great tasting, better for you products,” said Craig Collar, Managing Director of Threadstone Advisors, a leading advisory firm in consumer and retail sectors.

“Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits is excited to be the exclusive distributor for Spa Girl Cocktails, not just because it is a great product, but because we believe the industry is stronger with more women driving change and growth 28

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for us all.” Barkley J. Stuart, Executive Vice President.

"We are thrilled to have the brand represented by Southern Glazer's, as they are proud supporters of women-owned and led brands," stated Bill Beyer, Board of Directors at Spa Girl Cocktails. "Alisa and her proven all-woman leadership team are ready to bring a real disruptive spirit to the market by combining innovative and clean products with a well-crafted lifestyle brand for women of all ages."

That the future is bright for Spa Girl Cocktails is an understatement. This month, the company is closing on a funding formation round and will soon share a list of initial investors including a partner in a private equity firm, an artist management agency, and several well-known female athletes and musicians, and Alisa Beyer couldn’t be

more focused. “Spa Girl is on track to sell 40,000 cases of our premium spirits and cocktails next year, and I really think that is because we’ve applied everything my amazing team learned about innovation and product development in beauty to the slowchanging nature of the alcohol business. Spa Girl Cocktails was founded by a pioneering

woman, is run by an all-woman team, and will soon be a women-certified business. The company is dead set on creating a powerful, female-led business that is going to shake up the traditionally male-dominated liquor industry. You could say Spa Girl Cocktails are the bootleggers of today’s generation.

Glazer’s Wine and “Southern Spirits is excited to be the exclusive distributor for Spa Girl Cocktails, not just because it is a great product, but because we believe the industry is stronger with more women driving change and growth for us all.

”

Barkley J. Stuart, Executive Vice President

An award-winning spirit that brings you all of the pleasure and none of the guilt.

California-based Spa Girl Cocktails is an award-winning supplier of premium crafted spirits and “pop and pour” cocktails, and it is known for its clean ingredients, innovative flavors and infusions.

Spa Girls Cocktails offers the lowest-calorie, lowest-sugar, lowest-carb, and highest-proof ready-to-drink cocktails on the market today, and they have no artificial sweeteners or colors and use only natural flavors.

We believe harmful or unhealthy ingredients should not be in our bodies—or in our cocktails. Out with the old, in with clean cocktails that are better for both you and the planet.

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The Purest Tasting Water On Earth â„¢

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Star Sprinter Allyson Felix Gives Birth, Then Breaks Male Runner Usain Bolt’s Long-standing Record

Three-time world champion, two-time Olympic silver medalist, and 12-time gold medalist, Allyson Felix has had quite a busy year. From breaking water to breaking records to breaking glass ceilings, the unstoppable sprinter is making strides way past the finish line.

With decorated gymnast Simone Biles making history twice in a single weekend last summer as the only female to successfully attempt — and nail — the tricky “triple-double” on the mat, and last month seasoned sprinter Allyson Felix also scoring double duty, record-breaking history, we’re feeling pretty confident about Team USA in Tokyo next summer.

hypebeast.com

At the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar early October, Felix ran the second leg of the event’s first-ever, mixed-gender 4x400 meter relay race. Not only did it win the coveted gold for team Red, White, and Blue by smashing record time, but made fierce Felix the only athlete ever to secure 12 gold medals at the World Championships, instantly shattering the record she once shared with rival running sensation Usain Bolt. Like superstar athlete Serena Williams, Felix proves women can be mothers as well as world-class gold-getters!

Between giving birth to daughter Camryn prematurely last November via a complicated 34

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c-section and undergoing contentious renegotiations with her contract with athletic behemoth brand Nike, the past ten months has been both physically and emotionally trying for the renowned runner. The legendary athletic brand refused to contractually agree that Felix would NOT be financially penalized should she fail to perform up to par following her challenging childbirth. Reportedly, Nike wanted to pay Felix a staggering 70% less once she had gotten pregnant. Since Felix’s record-breaking victory this fall, Nike has since justifiably revised its antiquated and unfair maternity policies and promises to offer better maternity benefits to sponsored athletes.

Not to mention, Felix has been a staunch

and outspoken proponent against Nike’s discriminatory policies regarding athletes who have children, having exposed a number of high-profile apparel companies for covertly deducting pay to new athlete-moms who have been under a contractual agreement.

Subsequently, Nike and Felix ended their 17year partnership and Felix has since signed with athletic apparel giant Athleta, becoming its very first sponsored athlete.

The historic, pulsating relay race started with Felix handing off the blazing baton with the U. S. A. in second place. Unprecedentedly, the Polish team set their male runners in the first two legs, as opposed to the first and last legs, as what the other teams chose to do. With Felix’s strong 400 followed by a steady turn by teammate Courtney Okolo and a whiplashing anchor by Michael Cherry, history was made. This same, mixed-gender style 4x400 relay race is expected to be contested again at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next summer, so be on stand-by for more heartstopping strategies, unforeseen finishes, and unprecedented victories. “It was really special,” Felix expressed to NBC Sports postrace. “It’s been a crazy year for me, so just to

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be here, to be running with this great team, I just feel so blessed.”

After competing in five straight Summer Olympics and procuring an illustrious collection of 12 glistening gold medals, the 33-year-old track and field champion confirmed late October the upcoming 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo will be her final one.

“This is it,” Felix told PEOPLE Magazine, “I feel good with it because I feel like I’m just really happy with the place I’m at right now in life.

I don’t think I ever would’ve thought that I would have had a child or been in the sport this long in general. I feel like I just want to go out really strong, at my best.”

We’ll see you at the finish line next summer!

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How this Fervent Fashionista and Lucrative Life Coach Put a Devilishly Stylish, Sassy Spin on Self-help

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Care for a glass of Champagne with your midday meditation? Then, we’ve got the GoGirl for you.

Diet, long before launching herself as a bestselling author, motivational speaker, podcast host, and master life coach for women and girls. “I knew I wanted an edgy, fashion-forward brand that was rooted in personal development. I wanted to connect with a girl who sipped champagne while she meditated and wasn’t afraid to wear Chanel to a self-help seminar. I didn’t see that anywhere, so I created it.” – Cara Alwill Leyba.

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f you were to put self-help superstar Tony Robbins, legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel, and cult heel and handbag enthusiast Jimmy Choo all into a blender, with a glass full of Champagne for good measure, you’d get Cara Alwill Leyba. And, each succulent sip would be more delicious than the last. While working full-time at MTV as a digital advertising director, NYC-based Cara Alwill Leyba built her booming brand and obsession-worthy blog, The Champagne 40

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Leyba is a creative entrepreneur who encourages, motivates, and mentors women and girls to live their most purpose-driven lives while learning to love themselves unconditionally and making happiness an everyday priority. Over six million devoted listeners tune in to her no-holds-barred Style Your Mind podcast for a weekly dose of inspiration, motivation, powerful conversations, hard-hitting interviews, and tips and tricks to help fulfill their dreams of personal and professional success. Leyba also discusses successful goal-setting strategies for “dummies,” time management skills for the “clock-challenged,” and learning how to build personal confidence and high self-esteem that will set you up for success.

The launch of her latest self-help handiwork, Girl on Fire, hits virtual and traditional shelves

November 11th and is expected to be just as unabashed, illuminating, insightful, fun, and arguably fashionable as its bestselling predecessors.

Her eight bestselling books, including Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur - Inc. Magazine’s number one must-read for all would-be women business owners - have collectively inspired women everywhere to tap into their feminine power to ultimately fulfill their fullest potential and life purpose.

Leyba’s books have been translated into Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Mongolian, and Vietnamese, transcending cultures while breaking barriers for women globally. Featured in Forbes, Glamour,

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Shape, Entrepreneur Magazine, Success, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire, just to name a few, Leyba’s witty, super stylish, and irreverently edgy approach to personal development and unorthodox life coaching has attracted thousands of women to attend facebook.com

her events and workshops. A breakthrough social media influence, Leyba motivates her hundreds of thousands of followers with daily doses of lifestyle tips, poignant quotes, and innovative brand-building strategies – all with a bottle of bubbly, a pair of red-soled pumps, and a bubblegum pink pout to boot. She has also collaborated with Macy’s, Kate Spade, SoulCycle, and other prestigious brands.

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Her professional life-coaching certifications include 2012-2013 ICF and accredited World Coach International, encompassing CPC (Certified Professional Coach), CWC (Certified Wellness Coach), and CMC (Certified Coach Master Class). The 38-yearold platinum-blonde bombshell boasts 131K followers on her uber-chic, female-forward, and positively pastel Instagram profile.

She and husband Ryan Leyba reside in Manhattan.

Your confidence will make some people uncomfortable.

Those are not your people.

— Cara Alwill Leyba TheChampagneDiet.com

Cracking the Girl Code: Cara’s Top Tips for Creating the Life, Livelihood, and Love of Your Dreams If you’ve been having reveries of a total life renovation, then you’ll want to tap into some of Cara’s top tips and tricks to help get you started. Then, be sure to pick up a copy of Girl on Fire and subscribe to her weekly podcast Style Your Mind for the hottest selfhelp on the airwaves.

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• Be willing to hustle – HARD. Sometimes, that means grinding on your passion projects way after you’ve clocked out of your 9-to-5 gig for the day.

• Have creative solutions. Be prepared to hear “no’s” and have an execution plan for creative detours.

A “no” isn’t the end of the world, it’s just having to take another path to reach your goals.

• Ask yourself what you really want. Be specific. Know what you want down to the most minute detail.

Be prepared for some heartfelt soul-searching.

• Visualize your future — then write it down in a journal or on a whiteboard. Imagine what your life looks like from the minute you wake up to the moment your head hits the pillow at night. Imagine you’re already living your dream life, doing your dream job, and loving your dream guy.

• Do what consumes you. Work on what you cannot stop thinking, dreaming, or obsessing about. This is what you’re meant to do. This is your purpose. “Think about what you’re dying to work on. The audience will come when you are true to yourself.” Ask yourself what you can create that will devour you in the best, most positive ways possible.

Stay calm and grind, GoGirls!

(And, don’t forget to flash your fashionably functional Louboutins in the process.)

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to sign up for the sizzling GoGirl-sponsored 30-day Challenge using Perspire’s state-ofthe-art, full-spectrum infrared sauna and cutting-edge chromotherapy technology.

A $99 entry fee included 10 infrared sauna sessions to be used within 30 days at Perspire Sauna Studio. Once the ten sessions are completed, participants become eligible for an exclusive lifetime GoGirl discounted membership at Perspire Sauna Studio’s convenient Newport Bluffs location in Newport Beach, California.

The Bluffs premier shopping and restaurant destination was the hot spot in the OC on a cool, mid-fall Friday night.

The beautiful people of Newport Beach came primped, pumped, and party-ready for the highly anticipated Pink Carpet event of the season. Perspire Sauna Studio teamed up with GoGirl Worldwide Magazine and Spa Girl Cocktails to celebrate their one-year anniversary and to kick-off their official GoGirl-sponsored 30-day Infrared Sauna Challenge. It was bubbly, balloons, booze, beauties, and bags overflowing with the hottest swag from legendary toymaker F.A.O. Schwartz, Sharper Image, fashion-forward functional gear from hipS-sister, and $100 gift certificates from the upscale, posh facilities of Newport Beach MedSpa. The swank Friday night soiree started at 6:30 PM at Perspire Sauna Studio’s coastal locale in the heart of the Newport Bluffs shopping mecca with guests mingling and mixing to tunes spun by a private deejay, while munching on soul-satisfying, palate-pleasing, organic finger fare from the venue’s next-door neighbor, The Flower Child Restaurant. Body-conscious, low-cal cocktails were aptly provided by the female-founded, -owned, and -operated Spa Girl Cocktails, while glammed-up attendees slipped off their high heels to step foot inside the luxurious Perspire Sauna Studio amenities. Not only was Perspire celebrating their one-year anniversary, but guests also got

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Participants and guests also got to prance, parade, and pose on the famous GoGirl Pink Carpet, while being photographed and interviewed by bubbly beauty and GoGirl CEO, Founder and commander-inchief, Jennifer Murphy. The talented GoGirl Worldwide Magazine team was in full attendance, as well as Spa Girl CEO and serial entrepreneur, Alisa Beyer, and Perspire Sauna Studio Owner, Mark Rutledge. Be sure to check out Alisa’s interview with Jennifer on the GoGirl site, as well as her feature right here on these very pages of GoGirl. Her full story about breaking barriers in the maledominated spirits sector — and succeeding — is inspiring and rather refreshing. It was lights, camera, cocktails, and schmoozing in the OC way into the crisp October 18th evening with guests sipping on chilled glasses of Spa Girl invigorating infusions and leaving with high-end swag and infrared sauna sign-ups.

To learn more about the hottest spot in Newport Beach and how breaking a sweat with infrared sauna can benefit your body, soothe your soul, and save your skin, be sure to visit perspiresaunastudio.com.

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GoGirl and Perspire Sauna Studio Pull Out the Pink Carpet and Turn Up the Heat in the OC

THE SOPRANO SUBWAY SINGER WHO CAPTURED THE EARS — AND HEARTS — OF EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE GETS A NEW LEASE ON LIFE

A story of one woman’s indomitable, unbroken spirit and her fortitude to forge ahead and rise from the ashes, and another’s selfless act of unbridled benevolence.

You’ll want to tune in to the feel-good story of the year.

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“I achieved

something finally that I was looking for...to become a professional singer...I am overwhelmed and ready to be a working artist.”

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f there was ever a modern-day fairytale that evoked hope, happiness, optimism, and a flurry of “feels” amid one of our country’s most tumultuous times, then this is that tale. Just when you thought your faith in humanity was precariously teetering on the brink of no return, let this story be music to your ears.

Homeless, but Never Hopeless Russian immigrant Emily Zamourka came to America 30 years ago to embark on the American Dream. But, like many, her dreams of fame and fortune began to ferment after an unfortunate series of life’s mishaps that eventually left her homeless in Hollywood, 48

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along the iconic Boulevard of Broken Dreams, ironically. Like so many talented Hollywood hopefuls who vie for the same slice of the stardom pie and pound the sun-soaked pavement for years upon years, Zamourka unsuspectingly found herself dwelling in Los Angeles’ sometimes seedy subway station for nearly two years with just a cardboard mattress, blanket, and some shopping bags containing her personal belongings. She is a nameless, familiar face to many who routinely travel the city’s underground rail system day in and day out, night after night. She became the mysterious woman with the flaxen mane and evocative vocals, who’d feverishly serenade the City of Angels’ endless streams

of commuters, tourists, and passersby with her acapella, angelic voice.

Until her stunning soprano melodies stopped one Los Angeles police officer in his tracks.

LAPD officer Frazier was so beguiled by the beauty of Zamourka’s unforgettable, operatic vocals, he began surreptitiously recording the Russian singer whenever he heard her familiar, soprano sounds while on duty in the subway. Frazier’s entire precinct was captivated by the enchanting singer’s haunting voice, that they tweeted the video taken by Frazier and the video instantly went viral, which eventually led to Zamourka being identified by name. The viral social media post’s accompanying caption read, “Four million people call LA home. Four million stories. Four million voices…Sometimes, you

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just have to stop and listen to one, to hear something beautiful.” Now, she’s on her way to possibly sign a dream-come-true record deal with a Grammy-nominated producer, and even caught the attention of veteran Broadway superstar Kristen Chenoweth, who sent her a message imploring, “I just wanna say to you, you better continue on!”

The singing 52-year-old Russian immigrant who is classically trained in piano and violin would play her violin on the streets of Los Angeles for cash until her $10,000 cherished instrument was stolen on the street a few years back. Since then, it’s been Giacomo Puccini's “O mio babbino caro” in acapella all the way. Although the soprano singer has a deep affection for opera and some gospel, she is willing to record any style of music.

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Being at the Right Place at the Right Time “I actually wrote a deal memo to her [Zamourka] and I don’t even know her,” admits Grammy-nominated producer and CEO/president of Silver Blue Records Joel Diamond. “I’ve never done that my entire life…It’s crazy,” he gushed to Good Morning America. Diamond is planning to produce an unprecedented combo of classical with a crossover of electronic dance music (EDM), and wants to fittingly title the soon-tobe tune, “Paradise.” He claimed to have two tracks that have been patiently sitting 50

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around, waiting for its perfect vocalist. “I didn’t have an artist, so that’s like the perfect fit.” Talk about being at the right place at the right time, even if that “right place” took on the undesirable setting of a subway system for a home.

When asked what the city could do to help, Zamourka, without hesitation, replied, “I want to thank Officer Frazier for taking THAT video.” And, just like all fairytales, her wish was granted. Zamourka was reunited with her singing savior on a midweek evening in early October. The two embraced in a long, heartwarming hug that also was captured

on video and went viral. “We saw with our brains, but listened with our hearts,” discloses Officer Frazier.

Let Your Heart Sing Since Zamourka’s viral voice moment, an outpouring of support led to nearly $100K in donations via two GoFundMe accounts, including singing gigs all over the city. With this generous windfall, Zamourka hopes to procure long-term housing, pay off mounting medical bills, and purchase a new violin so she can resume making music to survive.

Her now-famous face and voice elicit hugs, well wishes, and selfie requests from people on the street who stop and want to hear

her story. Hollywood is the legendary land where dreams can come true. So, if you’ve got something to say – or sing – let the world hear it. Because you never know who’s listening and you never know where your big break is going to come from. Like Emily’s surreal, Cinderella-esque story, it can be from the unlikeliest of sources.

“I achieved something finally that I was looking for… to become a professional singer…I am overwhelmed and ready to be a working artist,” says Zamourka.

And, on that note, how’s that for a deliriously happy ending?

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How Stitch Fix Founder Katrina Lake Took Her Brand from Start-up to Success and Built a $2 Billion Dollar Empire

Though embroiled in scandals, tumultuous employee relations, and other start-up struggles, this unlikely businesswoman grew her Harvard Business School project into a booming, billiondollar, e-commerce company, becoming the youngest female founder to take her corporation public.

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onning a bold, burgundy shift dress, the perfect pair of pumps, and a rather rare, peculiar accessory hugging her hip — her fourteen-month-old baby boy — 35 year-old Katrina Lake stood in front of the podium at the Nasdaq Market Site in Times Square, NYC, and formally declared, “Our dreams for Stitch Fix are big and bold…And, we’re just getting started.”

And, naturally, the Twitterverse went wild.

The San Francisco-based start-up-turnedbillion-dollar-enterprise is the unexpected result of a business school project seven years in the making. The fashion-conscious concept was simple – a customized, “one56

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stop-shop” box of clothes sent to your door. Fast forward to 2019. E-commerce fashionista obsession Stitch Fix has manifested into a Silicon Valley power player valued at more than two billion big ones, employing nearly 5,800 workers with several fulfillment facilities nationwide. An “entrepreneur to watch,” according to Forbes Magazine and two-time honoree on Fortune Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list, Lake wasn’t supposed to become one of the Internet’s most successful moguls. Convincing predominately male venture capitalists that Stitch Fix was a “personal stylist service” women actually wanted was an onerous task at times. And, with the recent and

very public resignation of Blue Apron’s CEO, another “stuff-in-a-box” subscription start-up, would-be investors were less than willing to fund the burgeoning fashion brand.

Furthermore, with Stitch Fix share prices dropping from $16.90 to $15.15 on its opening day, it seemed the start-up would soon be falling apart at the seams.

Making the Switch: From Stitches to Stitch Fix “I’m not somebody that people looked at and thought, ‘Oh, she’s going to be a CEO someday,’” admits Lake. The once-aspiring pre-med Stanford student never intended to start a company. Her lifelong career goals were to follow in her father's medical footsteps, donning scrubs instead of selling stilettos. But, it turned out the furtive fashionista was more drawn to economics than biology. With a penchant for digital technology and an unbridled affinity for fashion, Lake always secretly dreamed of starting a “Netflix for designer handbags.”

Following college graduation, Lake worked for a consulting firm with a focus on retail and hospitality, two prominent industries with proven stability and exponential growth that had yet to join the digital playing field. The challenge, Lake quickly realized, was, “How can we marry the ease of online shopping with what people want in clothes, which is ultimately about fit and style.” When Lake unsuccessfully failed to find companies willing to implement such market disruption, she staunchly decided to create it herself.

That’s when she enrolled in Harvard Business School and conceptualized an innovative company that would uniquely combine personal styling tips with a Netflix-like e-commerce subscription model. For a small fee, customers would receive semi-regular shipments of clothing based on their size and personal style/tastes. What they wanted to keep, they purchased; what they didn’t, they’d send back. Simple, right? Her Harvard professors were less than enthused, citing, “This is an inventory nightmare.”

Styling Her Squad But, Lake forged forward and found who would become her co-founder, Erin Morrison Flynn, a former merchandiser at mammoth fashion retailer J. Crew. “When you are doing something that no one else is doing, you’re either the smartest person in the room or the dumbest. For years, I didn’t know which one I was,” laughs Lake. Eventually, the dynamic designer

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duo moved their start-up to California’s Bay Area, where they would soon acquire Mike Smith, former manager of operations at Walmart.com. Shortly thereafter, Lake effectively convinced the analytics adviser of Netflix, Eric Colson, to jump ship at the mega monthly entertainment subscription service and permanently hop on board with Stitch Fix. Enamored with Stitch Fix’s stellar analytic data and extraordinary financials, Colson’s career move was an easy one.

Rounding out her star-studded executive team, Lake then procured Lululemon Athletica’s, Margo Wheeler.

Weathering the Start-up Storm From sexual misconduct allegations against one of the venture capitalist principals to an on-going dispute with Flynn over Flynn’s stake in the start-up to a disparaging Glassdoor company review from a former employee, which referred to the company’s problematic culture as “a mean girl’s club,” Stitch Fix found itself doing damage control more than anything else. Yet, ironically, customer loyalty and retention were stronger than ever, with impressive numbers to prove it.

With a game-changing investment from leading firm Benchmark and Lake’s robust 58

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leadership skills coupled with her mindblowing numbers, the young, hardworking, and resilient entrepreneur was finally convinced to take her company public, albeit the volatile economic climate at the time.

However, the glaring spotlight placed on the attention-grabbing “female CEO” label left Lake feeling irresolute about it all, as she felt she duly deserved to occupy a space of success irrespective of her gender. After all, she had toiled tirelessly throughout her entire pregnancy and had grown comfortable playing the ever-changing role of CEO, wife, mother, sister, and friend, respectively. “The thing is, we need it…we need for founder CEOs who are successful women to be in the

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public eye. We need diversity on boards and management teams, in decision-makers and venture investors. All of those things have to change in order to create an environment where diversity and inclusion are celebrated,” she concludes.

And, sew, there you have it, GoGirls!

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Give the gift of MAGIC with FAO Schwarz® .

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MEET THE YOUNG, UP-AND-COMING MUSICIAN AND VOCALIST WHO OPENED A MUCH-NEEDED MUSIC SCHOOL IN HER COMMUNITY

New York-based, multitalented musician-turnedentrepreneur Ashley Keiko Chambers believes her life’s mission is to provide the disenfranchised youth of her community the access to the prestigious musical education that she didn’t have while growing up.

So, she opened the first music academy in the heart of Queens Village, New York.

Ashley Keiko Chambers has ashleykeiko.com been very, ahem, instrumental in cultivating art, history, linguistics, community, and multi-cultural influence in her urban hometown of New York. Chambers may only be 25, but with her illustrious resume, one would think this talented pianist, saxophonist, and vocalist has already lived a lifetime.

Having earned her master’s in Music and Music Education at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, the founder, president, and faculty member of Keiko Studios Music Academy also studied abroad at The Arts College at Xiamen University in China, 64

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where she gained indispensable knowledge of the myriad of ways arts, culture, and language interconnect in a multicultural/ trans-cultural world. The busy student and professional performer also managed to find the time to earn her bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Her illustrious background includes performing New York-based, multi-talented musicianat the historic Apollo Theater, Wollongong turned-entrepreneur Ashley Keiko UniversityChambers in Australia, and for host Steve believes her life’s mission is to Harvey onprovide the long-running game show, the disenfranchised youth of her Family Feud. community the access to the prestigious musical education that she didn’t have So, she opened the first music academy in the heart of Queens As the lead saxophonist for Minton’s Village, New York.

Playingwhile it Forward growing up.

Playhouse in Harlem, Chambers continues to perform, educate, innovate, and advocate.

Through hard work and fundraising, she unveiled Keiko Studios Music Academy in January 2018 in Queens Village, New York for both adults and children as a way of exposing music, culture, and artistic expression to a community where musical education had been disproportionately limited. And, the digs are pretty stellar. Her studio boasts state-of-the-art equipment and sophisticated technology, with a diverse curriculum of classes in all instruments, including strings, piano, guitar, percussion, brass, and even vocals. Comprehensive courses also encompass requisite lessons in music history, music theory, sight-reading, and creative composing, including staged recitals and other exciting performance opportunities at the semester’s end. Group and private

classes are offered for all ages, including unprecedented piano lessons for the visuallyimpaired that are taught exclusively by a classically-trained, visually-impaired pianist.

Room rentals are offered for local bands and solo performing artists. The extensive staff of select, skilled instructors includes Chambers herself. Students of all levels can even sign up for private, one-on-one lessons with Chambers. With the help of Kickstarter.com, supporters have pledged

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for additional rental rooms, equipment, instruments, renovations, staff, classes, and more. Chambers’ goal is to establish a “onestop-shop� musical academy, facilitating the learning and development of all musicians of all ages, levels, and on all instruments.

Tooting Her Horn Chambers has been immersed in the music scene since childhood, where she started

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studying classical piano-playing at the age of 10 and the alto saxophone by the age of 15.

The accomplished musical maven maintains the beauty of music not only exposes one to different cultures and traditions but can be truly transformative and ultimately, lifesaving. On opening her musical academy, “It is such an important cause, because when I was young, music pulled me through

some tough times…Music was, and still is, my number one outlet to express myself and be creative in ways that no other activity allows me to be.” She is resolutely intent on inspiring the youth in her community – and beyond – to turn to the power of music to heal, to grow, to express, and to empower.

Now, that’s music to our ears.

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Your City, ST www.pedego.com

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Take two! Last year, NASA had scheduled an unprecedented event — an all-woman spacewalk mission right before Women's History Month.

No men required. But, due to an unforeseen spacesuit sizing snafu, the otherworldly event failed to launch, at least a long-awaited “ladies only” version.

Until this past October.

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nfortunately, the highly anticipated all-woman NASA spacewalk was postponed last spring after the startling realization the crew was ill-equipped with properly fitting spacesuits for all the women on board. The women required a size medium and the suits were previously sized and designed for their larger male counterparts. Former First Lady Hillary Clinton aptly tweeted, “Then, make another suit.” Apparently, when it comes to soaring into space, size really does matter.

And, We Have Liftoff, Ladies!

Jessica Meir and Kristina Koch set out for the first-in-over-50 years, ladies-only endeavor just outside the International Space Station on Friday, October 18th, 2019. Their mission was to install lithiumion batteries that would effectively serve the station’s demanding power supply, while also replacing a power controller. This all72

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female, six-hour launch went off without a hitch and will be the fourth of ten scheduled spacewalks over the next three months. According to NASA, upon the conclusion of the ten scheduled missions, it will have set a record pace of complex spacewalks since the space station’s completion in 2011. With a barrage of celebratory tweets and social media posts from celebs and self-professed space cadets, including a personal congratulatory call from President Trump, the ladies successfully womanned the first all-female mission in over 5 decades, becoming only two of 65 women who’ve launched into space. To date, there have been more than 560 people to travel into space from all around the world.

“I think it’s important because of the

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historical nature of what we’re doing, and in the past, women haven’t always been at the table,” Koch tells NASA TV. “And, it’s wonderful to be contributing to the human spaceflight program at a time when all contributions are being accepted.”

Koch and Meir were members of the 2013 astronaut class and were both chosen from more than 6,000 applicants – half being women and a first for NASA. Currently, NASA lists 38 active astronauts on their official website, of which only 12 are women.

Galactic GoGirls and Out-of-this-World Fun Facts Koch arrived at the station in March prepared for the initially scheduled mission and is currently on her way to break the record of Peggy Whitson by embarking on the longest spaceflight performed by a woman. Up until now, Whitson was the first American female with the most time spent amongst the stars.

Koch is scheduled to remain in orbit until February, which will dutifully provide researchers ample time to study and record the woes and (hopefully) wonders a significant spaceflight duration can have on a woman’s body. For instance, the monthly bodily function of menstruation, stress, and even sweating haven’t been previously observed up until now, so the outcomes will surely open the door to these otherwise taboo, once-forbidden subjects. Interestingly, a 1960s report raised “understandable concerns” for women and space travel. It boldly stated, “a temperamental psychophysiological human”

(a normal, hormonal woman) together with a “complicated machine” (spacecraft) might increase the likelihood of “retrograde menstruation” (reversal of blood flow). As it turned out, the presumptuous report failed to offer conclusive evidence. The irony is that women are actually better suited for space travel due to their smaller/lighter size, body composition, consumption of fewer resources, and better handling of stress, according to a series of experiments conducted by Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace II where he ran a group of female pilots through the same tests he ran the male Mercury astronauts. The key findings of this latest ladies-only mission will help NASA determine the prerequisites of femaleforward future space flights to both Mars and the moon.

On being a historical part of this ladies-only operation, Ms. Meir modestly asserts, “It’s just a mission. We’re part of a team.”

We love this to the moon and back. A giant leap for womankind, GoGirls!

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What’s On Your Bucket List?

We’ve been traveling the world together for over a decade, now. Together, we’ve explored 160 countries and counting. Journey with us, here, on the adventure of a life time. Learn how you, too, can become a travel junkie.

Discover the best places to see and grab inspiration from our Insider Guides regarding amazingly cool things to do.

GET YOUR INSIDER TRAVEL GUIDE TODAY

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Start making your own bucket list. Here we go. . .

Keeping Up With

Baby Liberty

Our Go-Globetrotting Tot Turns One!

ay

Happy Birthd

!

Baby Liberty

Welcome back, GoGirls and GoGuys! Wherever you are, we hope you’re falling in love with the crisp, cool autumn weather and all the comfort, fun, and festivities the preholiday season brings. As promised, we’re checking in on the latest and greatest globetrotting travels of our very first GoBaby, Liberty Weeks, to find which inspiring, exciting, culturally rich places she’s been able to cross off her bucket list. So, here is the latest straight from the lands of Liberty…

Liberty ended her first exhilarating summer by making her first trans-Atlantic trip via the new family plane, attended a red-carpet event in the Big Apple, met the princess from Monaco, and handed out much-needed supplies and toiletries to those devastated by the ravages of hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. After kicking back with her cousins in the States to go pumpkin picking, Liberty jet-setted to Turks and Caicos to visit her dad’s friends. Then, she kicked off her busy birthday month by soaking up the sun, sand, and surf on the many tranquil, tropical isles of the Caribbean.

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Her island-hopping ventures included sailing off to the sundrenched shores of Anguilla, St. Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Martinique, Dominican Republic, and Guadeloupe — just to name a few! Incidentally, Anguilla was host to the breathtaking butterfly season, where Liberty got to frolic amidst hundreds of fluttering, beautiful butterflies on the white, warm sands. Then, Liberty commemorated a major milestone on the luscious beaches of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She rang in her first birthday munching on yummy cupcakes topped with sweet icing, all while being surrounded by a bevy of big, bouncy balloons and adoring friends. It was pure party perfection! In lieu of birthday gifts, she asked her fervent followers and friends to kindly donate to her charitable campaign, Liberty’s Lemonade, to assist in her on-going, assiduous efforts to help eradicate global malnutrition and adversity amongst impoverished children. Anyone is welcome to contribute to Liberty’s compassionate cause by visiting gofundme.com/f/ libertys-lemonade. Then, Liberty got to dress up as a whimsical unicorn for her very first Halloween, while also discovering treats are so much more fun than those all those tricks!

Finally, Liberty began Turkey month by helping her mom Stephanie prepare fun-filled Christmas gift boxes for disadvantaged children all around the world through non-profit Samaritan Purse. Every child deserves to have a memorable and magical holiday season, so Liberty and Stephanie picked out toys, coloring books, crayons, and other fun stuff to pack and send off to those special kids everywhere. It was Liberty’s official Christmas Child Project and it was a success! Samaritan Purse is a long-standing, non-profit organization that provides international relief and aid to those facing hardship and indigence. To participate in their annual Christmas Box project, please visit sampur.se/ChristmasGifts.

As always, don’t forget to check back for the latest on Liberty’s whereabouts in next month’s GoGirl Worldwide issue. And, in the meantime, have a safe, happy, and joyous Thanksgiving!