🏁NKO Club | Vol. 5 We've Hit Turbulence!

***Thank you for your patience!!!! Long story short, it was a bit of a nightmare of a travel day on Friday. Flight through Chicago was delayed after we boarded and de-boarded after our poor flight attendant had a medical emergency. We then got rebooked on a later flight with a layover in Charlotte before our final destination for less than 28 hour sin Cincinnati for a wedding. Needless to say, flying and travel can be stressful but sometimes we have to give ourselves grace and do the best we can HENCE this delayed edition of NKO Club. We will be back on track for THIS FRIDAY, hence welcome to double the NKO Club love!

01 Wellness Spotlight

Dopamine by DOING IT?

No, not like THAT. Get your head out of the gutter! I am talking about the euphoric high created when working hard for a shared goal alongside people you mutually respect and seeing that result through to the finish.

This past weekend I got to work on a very special install in NYC with Galey Alix one of my best-friends , entrepreneurial badass , wonderful soul and co-host of our podcast Wholeheartedly w/ Kendall & Galey. We stayed up overnight and worked to create a stunning Manhattan apartment for the hilarious and lovely Taryn Delanie-Smith. To my surprise, even after a long week personally prepping my nyc-area home to rent with my Mom, I was both invigorated and energized to work incredibly hard alongside Galey to achieve this shared goal: a beautiful space for Taryn.

The experience reminded me of the film sets I grew up on as a kid actor in LA (yes, likely where I accrued the majority of my personal trauma but also fell in love with hard work and the craft of storytelling); where creating and finishing the TV/Film project feels absolutely impossible and yet, through consistent hard work, allocating tasks and everyone focusing on their area of expertise…the project ends up completed.

There is a science behind working as a team for a shared goal: “A study was published May 2 in the Journal of Neuroscience and was performed by a team of Vanderbilt scientists including postdoctoral student Michael Treadway and Professor of Psychology David Zald.

Using a brain mapping technique called positron emission tomography (PET scan), the researchers found that “go-getters” who are willing to work hard for rewards had higher release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in areas of the brain known to play an important role in reward and motivation, the striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.” (Vanderbilt University) In fact, being in the presence of “go-getters” can help create more dopamine within yourself as often human’s mirror each other’s behavior. While dopamine itself may not be literally infectious, participating in mirroring behaviors of those who possess higher dopamine levels will help signal your body to create more.

I can attest that even through the exhaustion, the paint fumes and the struggle to make a straight line or match a pattern at 3 am, it is incredible what working alongside a true “go-getter” will do to IMPROVE your mental health (even if on occasion at a slight toll to your physical health or sleep patterns).

The lesson: SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS YOU CAN WITH PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE YOU, WHO WORK HARD AND WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN. If you want to hear our dopamine-fueled podcast episode WATCH HERE and share with your favorite go-getter!

GRATITUDE IN COLLECTIVE:

This past week we’ve partnered up with the Never Knocked Out Crew to give you a challenge we can complete together: a downloadable gratitude worksheet. “I didn’t realize just how much better the day became when I made it a habit to be grateful in the morning & evening” - NKO Club member.

Seeing how each of you has saved and filled out this document daily is not only inspiration but empowering for all of us to do the same, especially on the rough days. Check out our @nkoclub instragram highlights for some of the many favorite entries and share the file below with your friends and family to always have on hand.

03 Nutrition

Everyday Tropical Dairy-Free Smoothie

I make this DAILY without fail whether alongside some classic scrambled eggs and nitrate-free bacon in the morning OR as a post-workout replenisher (to grow & keep muscle you must FEED them). Using a Plant-Based protein powder or a Whey Protein ISOLATE (this protein does come from dairy but usually the isolate ensures it works for sensitive stomachs— follow what works best for you)

EVERYDAY TROPICAL DAIRY-FREE SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

6-7 oz. Vanilla Almond Milk (can sub for coconut or Dairy-Free alt)

2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Isolate (try Optimum Nutrition’s Plant-Based protein for a complete DF option!)

1/4 cup Frozen Pineapple

1/4 cup Frozen Mango

*opt 1/2 Banana

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth. Link to all tools and protein powders is here! I also love adding a daily fiber powder like Biome and/or take with a probiotic supplement to ensure any potential bloating from the protein powder/drinking the smoothie is mitigated. Check out links for my favorite add-ins and protein powders here.

04 Shopping
Sharing some of my travel staples including my favorite fall transitional capsule styles that work whether I am in Austin, Los Angeles, Cincinnati or anywhere in between! Supplements are a must have when I am stacked in a plane for hours on end as well as some travel must haves (my favorite carry on) that save the day on chaotic travels days.

Shop my LTK site for more.

05 Workout: Bodyweight Track Workout

06 NKO CLUB SPOTLIGHT

Mandy Reilly is a FORCE to be reckoned with. When negativity finds its way to Mandy, she not only smashes it to smithereens but converts that energy like alchemy to advocating for both herself and her family & community around her. If brands aren’t actively making steps towards size-inclusivity or are poorly made for curiver bodies, Mandy will advocate with weekly sometimes daily polite but POWERFUL action to see steps and changes are made. If content or community outreach is not up to standards to support those who rely on those services, she will personally see to it that conversations are started and action is taken.

Her world changed and her passion became even more fervent when not only was her husband Blake diagnosed with cancer but her lovely teenage son was the target to merciless bullying at school. Mandy did what she does best: activate her community (many of whom are Never Knocked Out Crew members) and advocate for both Blake’s support & recovery as well as shining a light and sharing the vulnerabilities of having her world invert seemingly overnight. Yet through it all, Mandy is a giving, loving and smiling soul, someone who wears her heart on her sleeve and stands boldly against negativity and adversity when it finds itself in her path. In short, she’s a BADASS, a true “Broad” in the old hollywood sense: opinionated, powerful, stead-fast and determined but with a kind heart she’s the kind of woman the late-great Katherine Hepburn’s & Joan River’s would’ve absolutely loved.

She is currently raising money for the American Lung Association and will be climbing 30 flights of stairs in March 2025 in honor of her mother whom she lost to COPD in 2019. Please follow Mandy, support her and Blake on their post-cancer journey as a family and consider donating to her climb- LINK HERE!

Thank you Mandy for being a beacon of light for so many and body and beautifully YOU. xo

WANT TO NOMINATE SOMEONE FOR THE SPOTLIGHT?

Follow @NKOclub on IG and send us a DM or inform us of your pick from our “nominate” highlight reel to share your “Never Knocked Out” Story as well as a picture. You are also welcome to nominate someone who you think has a journey that can inspire, connect and bring joy to this community. We are in this fight together, so let’s honor each other along the way. xx