92. Ashley Tisdale: life after disney, wellness rituals, building a brand & pushing through failure
♪♪
I failed miserably, like huge, but you have to keep going
because if you quit, you'll never get there.
And at that time, there was not a lot of people talking about mental health publicly.
Welcome back to the Wellness Cafe Podcast, your go-to Hawkerwalk podcast.
I'm your host, Tren Tondelier.
Today, I'm here with Ashley Tisdale to talk all things wellness, rituals, and mental health.
We also dive into her past and what life was like for her during her time on Disney,
during her roles with Sweet Life of Zack and Cody and High School Musical.
I think looking at your past is so important and tells a very strong story to the person you are today.
Throughout my own wellness journey, I always relate back to the past to just explain and learn how I got the lifestyle
I live today.
We also talk a lot about her brand, Frenchie and Productline being Frenchie,
how she built the brand, and how to keep pushing through towards your goals even after failure.
It was an absolute pleasure and a dream of mine to be able to sit down with Ashley and record this episode.
I really think that you're going to love our conversation.
During some parts of it, I honestly started laughing because we are the exact same person
and just share a lot of the same and even identical thoughts about how we live our life and our mindsets.
Ashley is also big into magnetism, manifestation, and moving your body to feel good,
which are all key pillars to my wellness journey that I share with you on a daily.
We did have a couple audio cutouts, so bear with us during the episode.
You'll hear a couple of audio glitches, but just go with it.
Okay, and enjoy.
Hi, Ashley. Welcome to the Wellness Cafe.
Thank you.
I am so excited to get into this episode today.
First off, the Wellness Cafe was born after my own personal wellness journey,
and I just really wanted to create a safe place to talk about everything that doesn't really get talked about that much
and just all the lessons that I learned along the way.
And one of the biggest proponents to working on my mental health was my mindset work and a gratitude practice.
And I love to start every episode off on a positive note.
So what is something you're grateful for today?
Oh my gosh.
Man, I am grateful for so many things.
Obviously, like my family, you know, my daughter and my husband,
I wake up every morning just like I do my meditation and then I write my blessing list.
And so they're always the top two.
That is so sweet.
My family is always like my top one as well.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
So we're here to talk about wellness and about your brand Frenchie.
First to understand how it all came to be.
I think it is so important to just know the background and compare.
I love to like compare the past and the present.
Like for me, it was such a big difference before I went on a wellness journey.
I know.
I want to take a brief dive into your past because you have started in some very successful
Disney roles.
I want to ask what that was really like day to day for you during that time.
And can you touch on like a bit of what that was like and walk us through?
What a day.
I can hear you.
Okay.
I was like these little chunks.
So you're seeing a life on set.
Yeah.
Just like a different time place from where you are today.
What a day was like, it doesn't even have to be on set, but during like your busiest time
when you were taking on a lot.
Yeah.
I mean, my day in the life back then, I guess it was like in my early twenties and mid twenties,
it was, you know, I was doing so many different things.
I mean, honestly, so long ago, I can't really remember, but it was just a lot like I was
doing a TV show.
I was doing movies.
I was also recording an album after my day on set.
And so I also had an animation series, Finis and Ferb.
So I was like recording that and when I went on tour, I would record that in different
cities as well.
So I was like always working all the time.
It's not that I wouldn't say it's super like I'm a workaholic.
I love to work.
So I'm constantly doing multiple things and juggling multiple things.
So it's like, yes, back then it was a TV series, a movie series, an animation series, and something
else.
And now I'm like, okay, I have my Frenchie.
I have being Frenchie.
I have Frenchie interiors.
I'm developing something for a TV show.
So it's like I still do a lot of stuff.
It just is a different pace.
And the pace back then was just like when you're younger, you have this energy that you're
like, I can do all this stuff.
And I can just like, I'm nonstop.
And to be honest, people have called me a grandma because I hardly went out and I would
just like, what are we so tired at the end of the day?
So I was just like, I'm out.
I'm going to bed at like 9.30, like even when I was younger.
And I still feel that same way.
I have my daughter as well.
And so it's like, she takes up so much of my time too.
So my energy is a little bit different.
But I don't know.
Like I think that it's just different in, I guess, the pace of it all.
And I like the pace that I'm in now because I think that it's allowed me to be a mom and
to be present with my child, but also do the things that I love to do.
And there's always going to be like those times where it's like, if I really do get
inspired and I end up doing another show.
It's like, yes, that's going to take up a lot of time.
And I'll have to delegate more to my teams in other ways.
But yeah, I think it's just like I feel like back then I was really trying to find out
who I was with everything that I was doing and where I was going, where I feel really
kind of like I know who I am now and I know what I love and I'm passionate about.
And I'm not going to just do things just to do things.
Like, even a couple of years ago, I was like down to do like if there was like some job
on a show.
Oh, cool.
I don't care how big the part is.
Like, I just love to work.
And now I'm just like a little bit more, I think just like I'm going to be taking that
time away from her.
So it's like I just really choose what is really, you know, like what is going to make
me happy.
And it's like for me, I'm more like, okay, if I'm going to do TV, it's going to be like
something that I really want to do versus just being like, oh, sure, I'll do that.
Like, I kind of cut doing that stuff.
And I have so much going on.
So I allows me to be able to have those choices.
Yeah.
The pace I think is just different.
Yeah, I can imagine on the mental health side, I just remember when I was younger, you just
always heard so much in the news about Disney stars and just like the pressure and the beauty
standards and just like the busyness.
Like, did you find that that impacted your mental health when you were younger at all
and the difference that you have today?
I think I was able to handle it.
I never really had a ton of like, I was just like a different, um, it was different for
me because I had gone to school and like regular school and I graduated and I was older than
a lot of kids on Disney.
So I think because of that, I also like worked in clothing stores growing up.
So I had like very much like my time to realize that like what I was doing, I was like so
grateful for it because I was like, I never want to work in retail again.
But I think it just for me because I was older and because I had had all those experiences
already through school, I just didn't feel that pressure.
It's different when you're 14 or 15 and you're like starring on a show and you're like thrown
into the spotlight and you're this like super successful person.
It's different because you're going through like the normal thing that we all go through
but you're doing it in front of everybody.
That's a tough thing to do and I didn't have to do that because I was about, I think I
was like 18 and a half, 19 when I started Sweet Life and then I was in my 20s with high
school musicals.
So I really kind of had gone through that normal, like you know, process and so I never really
felt pressure.
I was also like, and I'm still today like not a huge like drinker in any way.
I've never touched a drug in my life.
So and it's just a choice that I've made.
But I think that because of that, especially when I was younger, I never really drank.
So I really skirted through like, you know, the typical kind of situations.
But yeah, I never really felt a ton of pressure.
When I was younger, I was less aware of people and like less aware of myself.
And I think that because of that, I was like this kind of pure person and I could care less
what other people thought of me.
And I think as I'm older and I've been just in the spotlight for a long time, I probably
care, you know, a little too much of what people, you know, think or care about me.
And so I think it just, you know, it's funny because when I look at my younger self, I'm
like, oh man, like she had no idea.
And she was like, just rocking it with her.
Like, you know, just her outfits, my style and like who I was.
It was just so funny.
And so I don't know.
I think it represents like she that younger self of mine was just like, you know, very
confident and myself.
That's such a good mindset to have because I feel like nowadays that holds so many people
back from pursuing their passion as being scared of what other people think.
Yes.
And I think that you were able to just like go out and do it.
I remember like just how I thought of things.
Like I remember, you know, obviously like this business is like 90% rejection basically.
So of course I didn't get every role that I went out for.
But I never let it bother me.
I was always like, like just brushed off my shoulder.
I was like, who cares?
Like my like sense of worthiness was like really at a all time high.
And it was just like so funny.
And so it's like, you know, I think that's so important.
And it was amazing that I had that back then.
I want to ask then, do you know why or how you had that mindset?
Because on this podcast, I talk a lot about just the idea of not giving up and going for
your goals and honestly just not caring what other people think of you.
Because that personally held me back for so long and I often get asked a lot of how to
not care what others think of you and how to move forward after rejection and not let
that set you back.
Because that fear can be so strong and hold so many people back from pursuing their passion.
Do you know how you just kept pushing through and literally didn't care?
I know.
Well, I think a lot had to do with my mom, she just always taught me to her biggest fear
of her children being in the business was the rejection part.
And so she really never wanted us to feel that way.
And so she kind of always be like, oh, well, you know, the redhead got it.
Like just you didn't get that commercial.
It's okay.
Like she really just made light of it.
And I think that that is where my confidence came from and that it didn't, you know, really
matter on if I got a certain job or not.
And she always told me like never to like it's good to compete with yourself and be
competitive with yourself because you're more driven.
But it's like for me, you know, she taught me not to like compete with like my friends
and my peers because she's like, no one is ever going to take something away from you.
If you're meant to have that job, you will get that job.
If you're not, it's just not meant to be for you.
And I was like, that's so true.
So I do think that yes, there are times where it's like it sucks when you get a no, it sucks
when you don't get that job.
But you have to keep going because if you quit, you'll never get there.
And it's amazing that when you get back up and you keep moving forward that you're just,
you know, like you end up seeing something.
I mean, it's actually the story of Frenchie.
It's truly what I went through with Frenchie because I had a makeup line and I was like,
you know, really trying hard.
I had done a brand deal and I had such visions for this makeup line.
So I ended up like purchasing it and wanting to just create my own company with it and
be a CEO and everybody makes it seem so easy to do that.
And it was so hard.
I had so many red flags telling me not to do it.
I could not find support.
I could not find a team.
I did find an investor.
So I had taken an investment and I was like that put like just so much stress on me because
I was like, I've got to pay this guy back.
And it was so hard and I was struggling so much and my dream was to have a makeup line
and target because I really just love, you know, people being able to just obviously
have an affordable line that's like, you know, still I'm someone who just loves that
stuff as well.
I love target like I'm obsessed with target and so it was just like a dream of my dad,
this line at target and it didn't happen.
And I failed miserably like huge.
And I remember just being like, I've got to shut this down.
This is just not working.
And the stress and anxiety that I'd gone through and like depression I'd gone through
was so crazy.
I met with so many different people.
I thought something was wrong with me and they were like, no, it's just anxiety.
And I just had met with a lot of like holistic practitioners and I was like literally trying
to search for something.
And every single person I met with had just some different, you know, like health, wellness
plan.
And I was like, gosh, I was learning so much.
And so I shut it down.
I definitely cried and I was like, okay, I failed.
And it felt like my first failure really.
And I was just like, okay, you know, I'm done.
I'm just never going to have that.
And about a year later, I had the idea of creating the platform, Frenchie, just based
off of, you know, my mental health journey.
I had done an album called symptoms that I, you know, really talked about my mental health
journey.
But I had met with all of these different people at that time when I was going through
up my biggest stress.
And I was like, you know what, I should, I should like create a platform where I can
share all of these things that I've learned and even have experts come on and talk about,
you know, living a cleaner and healthier lifestyle is just so much better for your mental health
and your body.
And I was just like, had that idea.
And I was so excited because it wasn't going to be something like I was selling something.
There's no pressure on it.
It was just purely to connect with people and to be creative.
And it was just wild that like a couple months later, I'm like sitting in meetings after
Frenchie had launched and talking about creating a wellness line for Target.
And I was just like, and then seeing that journey and like seeing being Frenchie in Target,
I actually have like a reel on my social media.
But I was like, hysterical crying, seeing it in the store because that's the journey
for me.
But that is like, to me, I always want to share that because of how bad I felt and how I felt
like, oh my God, I'll never have that dream come true.
And you literally, if you just get back up, you just never know.
And like, to be honest, being Frenchie is just like so much more in line with what I
was like trying to do for people and what I wanted to communicate.
And so it's like, you just sometimes there might not be the thing that you thought you
wanted.
It might be something else that is actually more right for you.
So I always share that because it is such a like, it's just wild to see.
And you know, it's really just how you get up after, you know, being told now.
Yeah, I completely agree.
I feel like once I put my trust in everything happens for a reason.
Yeah.
And so many times where the worst thing ever that looks like it's like, like you said,
when you had to give up on the makeup brand, it really did happen for a reason to get you
to like Frenchie and where you want it to be.
And I think just putting your trust in that everything happens for a reason and will work
out is one of the best things to just like release that stress and keep going.
I know.
And it's like, I always like to kind of, you know, you might have like a rough day, a rough
night.
And then you just think about, well, tomorrow is a fresh new day.
So it's a big, fresh new energy.
And I think that yes, it's important to feel those feelings of disappointment if something
doesn't work out.
But then it's like, okay, this is just like a little like bump in the road.
Don't think it is like, it's really about your perspective.
And if your perspective is like, this was all it, you know, like if you're putting your
worth in that one thing, you're going to feel worse.
But like your worth shouldn't be coming from something outside of yourself, you know?
So it's like, I always like to tap into like, okay, what's the perspective on this?
You know, like, what am I, why am I feeling this way?
And is it because I like put a lot of my worth into this like project of mine that didn't
work out?
And a lot of it is.
Yeah.
And then I'm like, okay, well, you know, I try to gauge that and be like, well, I am,
I can feed myself my worthiness and see myself, you know, if I want to be seen.
And so it's really about like how we feed ourselves and then like, I feel that stuff
magnetizes to you.
Oh my gosh, there's so many things that I want to like branch off of there.
First off, I want to actually jump back to when you said talked about Frenchie and Target
because I'm actually in Vancouver.
And this past weekend, we drove across the border to go to Target.
I can like completely relate.
It's like going to Disneyland, especially as a Canadian.
I could have spent hours in there, but I felt bad for my boyfriend, but I stopped and saw
your products and it just the branding.
It looked so beautiful on the shelves too.
And it just, it looked so nice.
I had to say that.
So thank you.
I know.
Thank you so much.
I was honestly like the best time developing that line because I was pregnant and you know,
you're in this pandemic and so I really just like spent all my time.
I still spent all my time on that line.
Like we have new things coming out next year and I'm so excited.
But it honestly is like one of those things where I'm so proud of it.
And I love like just yeah, every piece of what we do there is like a piece of me.
Like everything from the events.
Like I'm so wrapped up into that business of mine.
It's just, it's my favorite thing to work on.
And it feels like, I mean, I truly feel like Frenchie and being Frenchie is like the most
purposeful thing I've done because a lot of people always ask me like, we're gonna go
back to acting.
And I'm like, I don't know.
Like when I get really excited about a project probably, but also I'm like, to be honest,
it's like I love acting, but I'm just, you know, playing a character that someone else
wrote and like someone else's vision.
And so to be able to be the vision of being Frenchie and to have it be like a really purposeful
thing of helping people in their wellness, even for myself.
Like I forget to take care of myself sometimes being a mom.
And so being able to have, you know, my like line and being like, oh, I should take a moment
for myself and just like mood boost and just like take care of my body.
It's like I'm just like so proud of it.
You can really tell in the way you speak about it.
And I want to ask is the wellness rituals that you talk about now, is that something
that you started when you were on Disney or is that like when in your life did that kind
of come to be and your introduction to all these rituals?
No, I mean, I, you know, Disney was so long ago.
Disney's like, I feel like another lifetime, I think was 15 years ago.
So it's been a long time since then.
So wellness rituals for me just started to come in when I really faced my mental health,
you know, when I did my album, Simdems, which was I think about four years ago, right before
I did that album.
That is when I was like doing the struggling with the makeup line and having all of these
different symptoms.
Like I was having insomnia, I was having really bad panic attacks.
And I didn't really know that I was having anxiety.
And that's why I was seeing a lot of people.
And I remember a makeup artist, I was on a CBS show and my makeup artist said, you know,
I think you're dealing with a lot of anxiety and like everybody keeps saying that.
But no, it's like I have this like weird feeling in my neck and like all of this stuff.
And she's like, I know, but I think you need to read this book and I have read it.
And she's like, I used to have panic attacks and I haven't had panic attacks in like 14
years.
I was like, oh my God.
It's this old school book called attacking anxiety and depression.
And I'm always one to like love a self-help book.
And so I dug deep into it and I realized that I was suffering from anxiety and depression.
I knew I had anxiety.
I never knew I had depression.
And so that was something that I realized where I was like, oh, it's kind of they're
both intertwined.
Like if you suffer from anxiety, you most likely suffer from depression.
So I was like, okay, I need to like really like now I know I have this and now I need
to like obviously work on it.
And so and at that time, there was not a lot of people talking about mental health publicly
and their mental health issues and stuff.
So I was like, I really want to share that this is what I suffer from.
And so I had written the album symptoms and that's really how I communicated to everyone,
you know, that I've had anxiety for a long time, you know, since I was young.
But like a manageable anxiety, it just had gone to a point where it was like not manageable
anymore.
And so I think at that point was when I realized I needed to create rituals and I needed to
make sure I used meditation in the mornings because when I wasn't meditating, I would
feel definitely anxious in the middle of the day or I'd react differently to things when
I meditate, I'm like less likely to like react.
I'm more likely to kind of just like figure out, you know, the situation.
So that was really four years ago when I started to do the rituals and just trying to see like
what really made me feel good.
And then when the pandemic happened, that would make anybody's anxiety like obviously
flare.
And so being home, I just was never someone who loved to be home a lot.
Like I just out working.
I was on two different TV series right before the pandemic.
I went from like a Netflix show to a CBS show and then the pandemic happened.
So I was like, oh my gosh, like what am I going to do?
Like I've never been home this long.
And so that's when I really started to like really dive into rituals and like making myself
feel good and like what makes me more present and yoga and you know, I would take obviously
my baths and make it like a spa.
I mean, I love whenever a house smells like a spa, it's like my favorite thing.
Like I love just obviously anything like that.
Like I mean, I also huge candle obsessed person.
So I noticed just like even when I'd have like a rough night that like opening a window
and like changing the energy and lighting a candle like changed the energy of my day.
And so that's what really started to kind of, you know, create being Frenchie as a line.
I was like noticing like, oh, there's different like, you know, fragrance sense that was like,
oh, this is definitely making me feel better and there's ways to incorporate that.
And so yeah, that was kind of like where being Frenchie was born.
But I would say I started four years ago.
That's so funny.
I can relate on the sense and making your place a spa.
I always put eucalyptus in my shower and I do.
It changes your shower experience.
So I have different features around the house in little corners and it's like I'll put eucalyptus
in lavender and my husband will walk in and be like, oh my gosh, it smells so good in here.
And I'm like, I love and it's so calming like using essential oils like even for our dogs.
Like our dogs have anxiety and they can get like there's these two little dogs and they
can get super anxious.
And so just having the lavender being diffused, it calms them down.
So it really helps the whole family.
Yeah, I know.
I do like the lavender on my bed before night too.
I feel like not as many people talk about how important and how much of a difference
sense can make.
Yeah, it's so true.
And I love that you touched on going to so many different people and like how you figured
out about the panic attacks because in the past when I was struggling bad too, I literally
took myself to the hospital.
And I was having a panic attack because I didn't know what was going on.
Yeah.
And I thought something was wrong.
And they were like, hey, you're okay.
This is just like a really bad panic attack.
I know, see, I have this thing in my neck that like would just like start to, it wasn't
like I was physically shaking.
It was a sensation.
And it was like, like just a tiny sensation that was not going away.
And I was like, there's something wrong.
Like I got an MRI.
I had like gone to all these different like doctors.
And then I want to start to go to holistic doctors and like something's going on.
And that's yeah, it was like, no, just I have a therapist who's amazing.
She actually does her kind of like what she does is talks about how anxiety, depression
manifests in her body in different ways.
And so it can manifest as pain.
It can manifest as like that weird sensation and to not be scared of it, to kind of acknowledge
usually her body is trying to communicate something to us.
And so then I started to realize, okay, like it actually is anxiety.
And once I started to like communicate to my body and be like, why am I feeling this
way?
Like I understand you're there.
And like it's a weird thing to talk to your body, but like to be honest, I've never felt
it again.
And so I was like, whatever it worked.
Can you go into detail on any of the things that you do now to manage like anxiety and
like in depth of the rituals, everything you do for your mental health?
I love to like focus on mental health in relation to these little habits.
Well, I definitely meditate.
I meditate like every morning.
Sometimes I'll skip morning.
That's not always great.
But I meditate in the morning before my baby wakes up.
So I'm just kind of like really grounded.
And I also, you know, eating is a like my not, I don't like to say diet because it's not
a diet.
It's more just like I started to kind of get into gut health and how certain foods can,
you know, make our obviously like gut and healthy.
And I think that and cause inflammation.
So I realized that sometimes doing like an anti it's called anti inflammatory diet.
I've done that for like a good 30 days and it really helps like everything.
And it helps your mental health because I always feel like the gut brain connection.
It's like whether you're eat something and then like you start to get anxious because
it's a reaction.
And so I've recently got into kind of like foods that are like really good and healing
for your stomach and just all of that.
So that's something I'm like really into right now and I've actually cut coffee in the morning
and I'm now doing matcha lattes, which is so different for me.
But it really sucks.
I'm like, oh my God, why did I not do this before?
I'm like laughing to myself while recording.
Yes, so funny.
No, I mean, I, I love that stuff.
So basically, oh, can you hear me?
I can hear you now.
Okay, cool.
Um, yes, I've recently gone into like gut health and foods.
And then I also love, you know, to take obviously baths are my favorite.
But I also, I'm so funny because I'm also that person.
Like, I always made fun of like the people in movies where they like, you know, lotion
up their hands at night, but I'm like, so that person now.
Um, I just like, it's so important that we give love to our hands.
My grandma taught me that because it's just like one of those things that we all care
about like our face aging, but we always forget about our hands.
And so, um, yeah, I just like have little rituals.
I also love to do like my linen spray on my pillow, the lavender cloud.
I mean, lavender cloud, just like immediately I'm obsessed with it because they're by creating
the ritual that I do and using that scent.
That scent just takes me into like just relaxation.
And the biggest thing for me is getting good sleep because I am a mom.
I'm running all day.
I'm working.
So for me, it's just like all like I love to take showers as well.
And so like I'll either use the body wash.
And then I use the linen messed on the pillow and I really kind of create like a very calming
atmosphere in my bedroom.
Um, I try not to use my phone at night, like a good hour and a half, two hours.
Um, I like to watch TV with my husband at night.
Uh, but I mean, there's just like, I have so many different rituals.
Like if I've had a bad night, I'll do like a ritual and like that.
So there's like a lot of different rituals I could tell you about.
Um, but mainly I just love to hike.
I love to be in nature.
Um, if I'm feeling down, I will definitely do a hike and that makes me feel so much better.
Um, obviously exercise is, is good.
I don't really exercise to, um, back in the day, I used to like exercise to be like,
I want to lose weight and, or like, you know, lean out and now I exercise to feel healthy.
And so it's a different, it's a different like perspective on it, but it feels so good
to move.
Um, but you know, I try to, I love supplements.
I love like, you know, obviously being, making sure I'm taking my vitamins.
But yeah, I think recently, like the biggest thing for me has been getting into, okay,
I know how to make myself feel good physically from outside stuff, but now how can I feel
good inside?
And that's been a lot of the gut healing foods.
Mm hmm.
That is so funny.
I cut you off when you were talking because it just, we are the exact same person.
I just started the no caffeine in the morning.
I will never go back.
I don't know how more people aren't talking about how bad it is to put all the acidic
coffee just first thing in the morning.
It makes such a difference.
It's crazy.
Literally.
And yeah, the gut brain connection for mental health is something I've recently been getting
into now too.
Can you go more into detail about that?
Yes.
A lot of people always ask me for years about like my skin and like, how do I keep my skin
clear?
And years ago, I got into food sensitivities.
I had, I had been having stomach issues for a minute.
I didn't understand what was going on.
And so I did a food sensitivity test and I was like really sensitive to dairy and I was
having dairy like all the time.
I was like having it in my coffees, having it in my like protein shakes.
And so that was the first thing I had to cut out.
And so I cut out dairy.
So I've been dairy free for like seven years.
And then I just like have always been from then on once I learned about food sensitivities,
I realized, oh, okay, when you're sensitive to something, it can cause inflammation.
And you know, obviously like serotonin, I think is like, I mean, I don't know, I'm not like
a doctor.
So don't quote me on this.
But serotonin, obviously is like in the lining of the gut.
So if like something's going on in the gut, it can cause some things to happen in the brain,
like mood wise and just like also, if you're feeling a certain way, it's like, if you get
anxious, then your stomach hurts sometimes.
So there is some connection there.
And so I just feel like if you first find out what you're sensitive to with food, that's
always the best because that'll just help you overall.
A lot of people don't realize like certain foods can cause inflammation and their bodies.
And so that was like my first step.
And then the second step was just really, you know, I dealt with like autoimmune stuff.
So I have like Hashimoto's and I have alopecia when I'm like really stressed.
And so knowing that I have autoimmune stuff, that's when I started to research into autoimmune
anti-inflammatory diets and like seeing like what those foods are.
And if you just do that for like a certain amount of days and then you start to include
the foods back in, you can see what you react to and what your body might not like be,
you know, doing well with at the time.
And it doesn't mean like what I know about the sensitivities and also like the reactions,
it doesn't mean you have to cut them out forever.
Like dairy for me, I did have to cut out and it was a choice that I wanted to make and
I'm still like super happy about it and it was easy.
But sometimes it's just like taking that food out for a couple months and then you're
not so reactionary to it.
But I do think that that has helped tremendously.
And then I got this book called The Gut Healing Protocol and I love it.
I mean, even things like I'm drinking aloe vera, water and like just that is like so good
for our stomach.
I don't know, I love this stuff.
It's just like for me, it's just like I want to feel really good.
And what I noticed that I've been, I mean, I don't want to say diagnosed with PMDD but
I've been told that I was like had PMDD last year.
And I noticed that like when I actually did the anti-inflammatory diet that I had no symptoms
of that.
And so I was just like maybe I really don't know, like I don't know if that's helping
it but I haven't felt any of those, you know, like I was really last year suffering from
like the minute I ovulated to like getting my period really bad symptoms of PMDD.
And I'd never heard about it before and I'd never been diagnosed with it before.
So I was like this is so crazy and I was really trying to find answers.
But yeah, I noticed that when my gut felt better and when I was eating, you know, the
foods that make me feel good, I had no symptoms of that.
So I don't know like obviously what these answers are, I'm not a doctor in any way but
I just feel like I'm intuitive to my body and I think it's important that, you know, people
really kind of just because something works for me doesn't mean it works for you.
But to find and to make yourself matter.
Like I think that's the biggest thing and that's what I really try to communicate on
Frenchie and being Frenchie is that like so much we're like giving love to others and
we don't give love to ourselves.
And like me even doing, you know, the book, attacking anxiety and depression, you know,
a couple of years ago to help myself, that's me making myself important because it matters.
Like you matter to yourself and so it's taking that time.
And I think just obviously learning about yourself and I think it's important to do
that.
I love to hear you talk about that because that is something that I'm just recently starting
to get into as well.
So I always just love to hear anyone willing to talk about gut health and the gut brain
connection.
I'm all for it.
Yeah.
But I know that you're big on manifestation and magnetism as well.
I talk about it all the time.
So I would love to get into that.
It is like my favorite thing ever.
So you can take it away in any way that you would like.
I just love that topic.
I know.
I love it too.
I've always been someone who did vision boards and like I am a huge manifesto.
Everybody is like actually manifested that so quickly.
But I really do feel like when you become focused in what you want that stuff, you're
like it magnetizes to you.
And so I found Lacey Phillips to be magnetic a couple years ago and that really changed
my life because I felt like ever since I did that, everything that I've done since then
in my work has been very authentic to who I am.
And I just feel like I don't know like there's just so many things I learned about with her
because I thought okay yeah like you create your vision board and then you see what you
want and you focus in.
But it's really just about like obviously with her like approach to it is like when
we're children and growing up and like what we think of ourselves or just our circumstances
of actually like healing those things.
So it's actually like a deeper work than just getting what you want or like manifesting
something that you need it.
It's more like a deeper kind of letting go and like clearing of like any type of limiting
beliefs about yourself or traumas.
And so I think that I love that and I think that's just something because I always feel
like anything that we go through can manifest in our bodies and like probably cause diseases
and pain and like I just do feel like there's got to be something there and I feel like
when we start to kind of like let go and clear all of that stuff it probably is just
so freeing and I think also helps with our mental health.
And so I don't know like there is something about you know just doing you know like a
manifestation.
She has this kind of like these de-eyes that are just when you really want to call in
something you just like obviously do this like kind of meditation through it and it's
really helpful and I think it just like keeps you positive and keeps you have like a really
good perspective and yet teaches you about like your worthiness.
And so I just love all of that stuff.
I think it's something that you know I love creating and so I love kind of just focusing
on what I'm trying to create and then like seeing it like come together and being like
wow like that was just one idea like Frenchie like that was just this idea I had and I remember
talking to like a couple of my cast mates on set being like I really want to create this
platform where I talk about my mental health and I had no idea what I was going to call
it.
So I went through like all of these names on GoDaddy and like everything is taken.
I was like there's no way like this thing is and then I was like just on vacation my
mind was like free and like I thought about my last name I married named French and I
was like oh French Frenchie and I was like French Frenchie and I was like oh that's kind
of cool and it was like the only thing that wasn't taken on GoDaddy and so I was like this
is great but it's like just that little idea and then like seeing it come into like you
know fruition is like so amazing and so I think that it's always you know I think it
really is just something that you just need to focus on what you want and really be clear
and then I think that stuff gets magnetized to you.
Like I think especially with dating you know a lot of people always want to like obviously
manifest their guy and what I think probably was not that I like ever manifested my husband
or anything but I think that what manifestation teaches you is that sometimes we are in like
a dog paddling you know kind of thing or like we're just kind of in a spiral like we're
doing the same thing over and over in different ways and if you can look at your life and
be like okay this isn't working out where else is that happening in my life that that's
the same type of reaction same type of like spiral and then you notice oh okay like for
me back in the day I was like always just dated guys that were like not great I was
like okay and like they're not trustworthy and I'm like clearly I have an issue there
because I'm always like dating someone and like getting let down by them and so I started
to kind of be like wait like why why would I allow myself to like be in these relationships
like I'm a great girlfriend like why do I not have a guy that treats me great and it's
when I started to actually realize my worth as a person and who I am in a relationship
that I was like man I deserve better than this like I who are these guys they don't
like love me and like they're not you know this is not how a relationship is supposed
to be and like the minute that I started being like I am not going to get into a relationship
unless like it's like worth it for me and like unless it's someone who's great and my
husband came along and so I think it's like when we start to point out those things that
we are starting to see that you know we keep kind of going towards sometimes just subconsciously
that we start to pick out those things and sometimes it's as easy as writing a list being
like okay I like want someone who is honest I want someone who is you know trustworthy
and like writing down that list just I think even more so narrows in on what you're like
really looking for.
It's so funny the whole entire time you're talking we could not be more alike it's just
the exact same thing I couldn't agree more and when you're doing it you're amazing.
When you're doing your manifestations is that something like you're writing down or is that
just like a meditation what does it actually look like for you?
I think that for me I just like do stuff really like I usually just do like a year thing
like I just kind of sit there being like okay like what do I want to bring in this year
like what am I focused on it's more like kind of seeing what you want to focus on mainly
because I have so many different things and so I really kind of take that time and there
are like meditations that I do but I usually do like a year kind of like okay I renew my
vision board of like what I see what I where I want to go with Frenchie where I want to
go with being Frenchie you know and I put that whole thing together and it's like kind of
more just like yeah it's like discovering what you want to focus on that year.
What does that look like for you right now with Frenchie like what is your day today
what aspects are you working on is there anything like new and exciting coming up?
Yeah I have a team that works out of this office my Frenchie team and so we're dreaming
up we want to do some collabs this year so that's something that we're really excited
about and obviously just like working with more and more experts we're launching something
March 8th I can't say what it is but I'm very excited about it it's not a product it's
just something that we're launching on the platform and then with being Frenchie we have
so many things that that we are you know obviously creating and the new stuff will come out 2023
the beginning of 2023 so we've been working on that and a couple more ideas with being
Frenchie but yeah I mean every day I work on on both those things and yeah I'm just like
excited to see kind of like where we go this year because I felt like last year obviously
we launched the product line and we've been really just like kind of putting you know Frenchie
is still so new the platform but we have so many ideas and exciting things that we want
to do so I think hopefully that'll happen this year.
It really shows how much how passionate you are about both being Frenchie and Frenchie alone
and you can just tell how much work you've put into it and how much it really means it
to you and I think that's always important in any brand is the meaning behind it and I
cannot wait to try out the products I have them on my way.
I know I'm so excited do you want to like go through your favorite ones tell me what
I'll have to do once they arrive I need to know everything.
Oh my god everybody always asks me this it's so hard because it's just like every single
thing is like my favorite and every like different mood is my favorite because like or the scent
it just like depends on what mood I want to be in so but I can tell you what's really
popular is Cashmere Vanilla which is wild it's still so wild that that is the most popular
scent because it's based off of my Trader Joe's Jasmine Rice that I cook so it is such
a unique scent but it's like everybody's obsessed with it and I'm like I cooked yeah
I cooked Jasmine Rice forever it's like one of my favorite things and I love the smell
of it in my kitchen and so that's what we actually we captured that scent and the lab
was able I don't even know how they did it but they like created a bubble around it
and we're able to extract that and so that is basically Cashmere Vanilla and it's like
everyone's favorite but I like I mean citrus amber is like one of my favorite body washes
it's just so refreshing I love it in the morning so just like immediately wakes me up but
it's I mean everything from like the hair linen body mist is so good I also love I mean the
lotions that I mean also what just actually went viral on TikTok was basically the the
body stick has magnesium in it so it relaxes any type of tension because I used to use
magnesium spray because of my neck thing for years that I had that sensation I was like
okay maybe if I put magnesium spray it'll help like relax my muscles around my neck and
my jaw and I have TMJ and so when I was creating the line and we had this body stick I was
like wait we should put magnesium in it because the worst part about magnesium spray is that
it like kind of hurts your hands so you have to like wash your hands after and so I'm like
oh my god with this you don't even have to touch it you just like can literally put it
on anything that like needs any type of like release or relaxation so that's like a favorite
as well but then also like the roll on oils are so good I love my hand lotion I mean I
love every it's hard I can't decide because it's like obviously I created each every single
one of them but I think that what's great is that you just you know try things at yourself
and see what you love and you know create a ritual around it whether it's like a five
minute one or like a good 30 minute ritual and I hope it brings you you know just joy
and and you know just relaxation I am the biggest magnesium girl before bed I love that's
funny you said that I have this spray right now so I cannot wait to try that it just sets
like the mood for going to bed and allows you to get such a better sleep yes I'm so excited
I cannot wait yeah and I even like if I'm in a stressful situation if I'm like really
stressed over something I'll even use it like during the day because then it like keeps
your muscles really good and relax and so I'll use it in the morning just to kind of
like you know kind of do it twice a day and it feels so good okay there is something that
I want to circle back to that I just thought of that you talked about earlier and when
you said that you were a big hiker and you love to focus on working out to feel good
I think that that is so important not enough people talk about working out for your mental
health yeah when I unlocked that it literally changed my life so do you want to touch on
that and kind of how you move your body for your mental health and when you made that
switch I mean I've always loved being outdoors and you know if I'm going for like walking
or hiking I've always been that person I never was like an inside the gym treadmill person
I just don't like it I feel like I'm going nowhere on the treadmill and I'm like I get
bored and I just am like this is just not for me and so anytime I've ever done exercise
I'm like I love exercising outside and I love I love just kind of you know hikes just feel
so good and it's so good to just be obviously in nature nature is so grounding for you and
your mental health and so you know being around trees and like the smell of the trees and I
think it's just such an easy thing to do and so it's like I I don't know like I I love a
good hike I don't just do it to move my body I do it for you know just kind of like I put
some music on I like hike and it's just nice to like look at everything and yeah it feels
so good I know I think moving your body for your mental health it can look different for
so many people and I've honestly never heard someone say hiking so I love that you share
that as like a new way oh yeah you know what it used to do was grind is it called the
Oh my gosh yes that's why I used to go I lived in Vancouver when I was doing a TV show
called held has and I did the grouse grind and I that was the hardest hike I've ever done
in my life yeah I moved here a year ago so I've only done it once and oh my goodness it
burned but honestly it felt so good it did feel so good but I was a quarter of the way
and I was like are we halfway there I was like this is so hard this is not the thing
you see in LA I know but yeah no I that's what I used to do all this that's so funny when
I did that I had people like sprinting past me and I was just so confused like barely walking
on how they were doing that no I don't know how people do it it's so wild okay well is
there any last things that you want to end off and share for if someone let me rephrase
that if someone wants to take like one piece of information away from today's episode what
would you like that to be I hope that they know that they I guess one of the information
like what is it what would I say it would probably be that to give love to yourself you
know to really when you when you love yourself you're able to kind of sit with yourself to
learn about yourself to dig deeper and I know it can be scary obviously when I dug deep
and sat with myself I you know saw that I suffered from depression and and so you know
it's not always like the most beautiful thing but I actually find that to be really beautiful
I think that all of those things make us who we are and I think that it's important to
just give ourselves attention and we're so used to just doing that for others and like
helping others and that's great too but I think it's also important to just be with
yourself and sit with yourself and learn more about yourself I love that that was so beautiful
I just love everything that you shared today and I couldn't really like more to all of
it I just I love it thank you thank you so nice you so much coming on the wellness cafe
of course have a good day yeah you as well
Thank you.