Where are you from?
I’m a border town girl from El Paso, TX and my first language is Spanish. Que, Que? Yup, that’s right! I’m a first generation Mexican- American and still speak Spanish with my parents and “try” to with my kids. Apparently raising bi-lingual kids is really tough! Let me know if you have tips!
Where did you go to school, what did you study?
I went to undergrad at the University of Texas at El Paso & b-school at the University of Rochester! I studied Finance for both my Bachelor’s & MBA! I worked for Wal-Mart, Target, & Best Buy during my corporate years….so all around retail know-it-all! That experience was key to starting my own retail business with MaZi Dance Fitness.
What kind of dance do you do?
I was a professional ballet dancer since the age of 12! The way I define it is that I got PAID to dance at that age. I continued dancing and performing professionally until about age 23. With my dancing career I got to travel to Brussels, San Francisco, Austin, Pittsburgh and many other cities to study or perform at. This started at about age 12 and that’s when the travel bug hit me!
What’s your dream moment in Fashion?
It was definitely getting to host New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020 for Fashion News Lifestyle Network. I will never forget it as long as I live. Not only because it was one of my favorite seasons at fashion weeks but had the opportunity to interview many amazing people such as Dr. Ruth, Nigel Barker, Rudy Giuliani, Zhang Toi, and many other great characters.
What is having a fitness business like?
It’s the hardest, most rewarding thing I’ve ever done along with being a ballet dancer and a mom! Just like those to former things, having your own business is freaking hard! As they say, if it were easy, everyone would do it. 🙂 My favorite part about having a fitness business is that I see women (and some men) transform! Like butterflies :). They get fit, strong, learn how to move their bodies via dance and literally change who they are from the inside out for better.
Where did you meet your husband?
I met him in business school, and we are polar opposites. He’s a border-town guy also, expect his border was Canada vs Mexico! I fell in love with him because he made me laugh so hard and was brutally honest from the start. In hindsight, he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen but took me a while to see it. Ha!
How did you know you were ready to have kids?
I didn’t. When I turned 34, I knew that I wanted kids more than I didn’t want them. I explain my feelings about being a working mom here. It’s complicated. In short, if you are on the fence and you don’t have kids, you won’t really miss being a mom much and you’ll have a great life. But if you’re on the fence and have them, you’ll realize how special it is….and you’ll have a great life. In other words, you can’t go that wrong.
Why did you start a blog?
I LOVE FASHION & WRITING. I also love dancing. But I can only dance for so long. 🙂 While I still spend many of my days and some nights dancing, I wanted to start this creative outlet. One day, I’ll wake up and find that I can’t jump, hop and spin like I do and I’ll have this. Thank you God for the blog!
How do you edit your pictures, who takes them?
My husband and mom take most of them! I do use a handful of photographers and love to collaborate when I’m traveling. I mostly use Samir Abraham. I always edit my own since I like them to look a certain way. I started out using Snapseed & VSCO but love the control of Mobile Lightroom.
10 Quick Fun Facts:
1. I LOVE COFFEE & WINE – Your basic mama 🙂
2. The kitchen & closet are my favorite rooms in my house!
3. I have younger sister who I joke is the supermodel, optimized version of me. You will spot her in many of my pictures.
4. I named my first boy Matteo, as a nod to my Mexican and my husband’s Italian heritage. My second boy Henrick, is named as a nod to my Irish and my husband’s Scottish/German heritage. In short, our kids our mutts!
5. As a Vogue magazine hoarder from age 8, my favorite fashion house growing up was Chanel. I had a fake Chanel sweatshirt that made me feel like a million bucks! You can see my favorite looks here! It was a dream come true to host New York Fashion Week for Fashion News Lifestyle Network.
6. I can’t ride a bike. I spent my entire childhood in a ballet studio. Next lifetime, it ain’t happen’ now!
7. I have never loved musical theater but now my house is a musical. My boys (including my hubby) start singing as soon as they wake up. It’s pure comedy and showmanship around here 24/7.
8. I am a voracious reader, please let me know of any book recommendations!
9. The last movie I saw was Amy Schumer’s I Feel Pretty. I laughed and cried out loud. Body Love is a huge part of my mission!
10. I believe the most problems can be forgotten by having dinner with your family and friends!