said, “Hey, you should look into this show.” There was an extensive interview process. HOW “TOUGH” WAS IT? It was tough; it
was no joke. These are long days; the challenges kept coming. You try to perform at your best, and sometimes your best isn’t good enough, or sometimes you aren’t 100% that day. But you still have to perform. That’s not for everyone. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH YOUR TEAMMATES? It reminded me a
lot of the military. You build this camaraderie. We are thrust into a situation that is very stressful, physically and mentally demanding. As teammates, you have to figure out things very quickly to be successful.
“YOU TRY TO PERFORM AT YOUR BEST, AND SOMETIMES YOUR BEST ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH, OR SOMETIMES YOU AREN'T 100% THAT DAY. BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO PERFORM. THAT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE.”
WHAT DO YOUR KIDS THINK ABOUT THEIR MOM BEING ON TV? My kids
are ecstatic about it. One of my friends got shirts made that say, My mommy is Tough As Nails. They wear it proudly. If my son (8) meets new people, he says, “My mom is tough as nails!” My foster daughter (6), she’s proud. It’s nice that she can look up to someone who is doing these challenges and is in a position where she can aspire to be. H OW DO YO U E N C O U R AG E YO U R DAU G H T E R —A N D A L L K I D S —TO DREAM BIG? I talk about my life, coming
up from the Bronx, and in certain ways there were humble beginnings with that. There are a lot of kids now coming up with similar or even worse (backgrounds), but it doesn’t dictate how they’re going to be in life. There may be some opportunities that present themselves that you need to take advantage of.
Top: Aurelie Erikson
NOW THAT FILMING’S DONE, WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON? I’m working on an
autobiography. I’m also training clients and picking up on speaking engagements, motivational and inspirational. We’re looking to adopt our foster daughter and hoping, in five months, that will happen.
Blown Away When the pandemic put the kibosh on parties, Kendra Freed’s balloon business really took flight. She’d started Hip + Hooray just a year earlier, supplying balloons for weddings, baby showers and other gatherings. While those all went poof! during the shutdown, customers still clamored for her over-the-top outdoor balloon installations to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. If they couldn’t gather with friends, the thinking went, at least they could make people smile while driving by the house. Freed’s balloon creations run the gamut from simple 3-foot-long garlands to massive displays that span a front door, porch or entry. She uses professional-grade balloons made of thick, biodegradable latex in sizes from 5 to 36 inches. To create custom colors and stunning matte effects, she stuffs one balloon inside another. Working from her East Sac home, she blows them up with an air compressor, then assembles the display on-site. “It’s an organic process,” she explained. “I use different sizes of balloons, from really big to very small, to create depth and interest.” Starting at $15 per foot, prices range from $45 for a grab-and-go garland to $2,000-plus for a large, complex piece. Many of her designs are just begging to be Instagrammed: For a Disney-obsessed toddler’s second birthday, Freed used more than 200 pink balloons to sculpt a front door arch resembling Minnie Mouse ears, then topped it off with a fuchsia balloon bow. “It felt like Disneyland,” she said. hiphooraycompany.com —Marybeth Bizjak
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