Everyday Endorphins Stella Stephanopoulos

There's nothing more calming than the feeling of a big bear hug or cuddling with your favorite blanket, and there's a science behind that. This week I had the chance to sit down with Marina Khidekel, founder of Hugimals World, which is a collection of weighted stuffed animals to help you live with less stress and more joy. Marina previously had a career as a health and wellness journalist, and formerly worked at Thrive Global as the Chief Content Officer. In this episode, Marina shares her perspective on how the coverage of mental health / wellness in the media landscape has evolved over the past few years, her inspiration for starting Hugimals, the benefits behind weighted pressure, and how she navigates the challenges of the entrepreneurial lifestyle.


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Are you #cannabiscurious? Check out this episode with co-founders of Flyers Cocktail Co, the world's most awarded sparkling non-alcoholic CBD cocktails, to learn more about the benefits of CBD as it pertains to health and wellness. In this interview, Miles and Lewie share their inspiration for starting Flyers, how they predict the functional beverage industry will grow over the next 2-5 years, and what brings them joy, happiness, and endorphins in daily living.

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This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stella-stephanopoulos/support

This week I sat down with Tyra Gittens, Olympian representing Trinidad and Tobago, on how to stay true to yourself when in a competitive and demanding sport, and other mental health challenges that come with being a professional athlete. With great recognition as an Olympian comes great challenges, and in this episode, Tyra chats about her experience feeling burnt out by athletics, what she does now to take care of her mental health, and the importance of taking the time to form an identity outside of your sport when competing at an elite level.

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This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stella-stephanopoulos/support

This week I am thrilled to have writer, editor, and thought leader Julia Bainbridge, onto the podcast. Julia is the author of Good Drinks, a book that celebrates innovation in the non-alcohol space, and is also a recipient of the Research Society on Alcoholism's Media Award (2021). She was featured as one of Food & Wine magazine's 25 first-ever “Game Changers” for being "a pivotal voice in normalizing not drinking alcohol" and hosts a podcast called The Lonely Hour to explore social disconnection and other forms of loneliness. In this episode, Julia and I chat about the non-alcohol space, social connection, and making loneliness less taboo as it pertains to our health / wellbeing / and happiness. 


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This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stella-stephanopoulos/support

What is an alcohol-free discovery platform, and how can we slowly begin to re-evaluate our own relationship to alcohol? Check out this week's interview with Brianda Gonzalez, founder of The New Bar, to learn more about how The New Bar is creating the space for alcohol-free exploration. In this episode, Brianda and I discuss her inspiration to start The New Bar, the biggest challenges she's faced in the non-alcohol space, how she defines health / wellness, and what brings her endorphins.


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This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stella-stephanopoulos/support

This week I'm thrilled to have celebrity fitness trainer, Isaac Boots, onto the podcast to discuss all things related to happiness, overcoming hardship, and building a fitness empire. Isaac is the founder of Torch'd, which is a vigorous flow of body resistance, dance conditioning and intense targeted repetition to fire up and transform your body. In this episode, Isaac and I chat about his inspiration to develop Torch'd, the relationship between exercise and endorphins, how he overcame challenges during childhood, the importance of staying true to yourself, and ultimately, what brings him endorphins.


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This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stella-stephanopoulos/support