The Epic Table Podcast - Ep. 14: Autumn Calabrese

Hey, team. On today's episode of the podcast, we have Autumn Calabrese, epic celebrity trainer, who has taught us that it is not a failure, but a redirect. Because she was once wanting to be a professional dancer, and now she's killing it as a celebrity trainer, has her own business, her own brand, and is also on Revenge Body. We also know that, interestingly fun fact, she is a type of broccoli. Check that one out. And make sure you swipe up and listen in to today's episode.

Autumn Calabrese, celebrity trainer and creator of 21 Day Fix. Welcome to the individual podcast.

Hi. I'm so excited to be here.

Well, I know we've actually been chatting. People don't know this. We've been chatting for the past 30 minutes, just about just hanging out. Your brother, everything you've been doing, and of course, the fact that you're currently on, like a, we'll say a press tour a little bit. Your current episode on Revenge Body comes out. Well, now it's already out. Yes. So exciting times.

Very exciting. It was an awesome experience. She had an amazing transformation. So we had a good time. So.

Yeah. But before you. Yeah. Before we get to that, though, let's talk about you, though, because you don't just get to that.

You don't want to dive right in. He's like, talk about you.

Just hang out. Listen, I'm really big on people taking away key learning experiences from someone who's done it. Like you. No matter what, you'll do what you're doing today and go, okay, how do I still do it better? Which we all do. We're our own harshest critic. But you've been through quite a lot, like anyone has. But you started from somewhere and you've gotten to where you are today.

Yes.

So where did you start? Where did Autumn start?

Oh, my gosh.

Your podcast doesn't have enough time for this.

Oh, wow.

I grew up in Cleveland.

Go. Oh, my. I have the most exciting year ahead for you with the Browns. I'm so Mad Patriots fan, but I'm so excited. You got Baker, you got obj. Sorry. This is my full on sport, bro. Coming out. Like, LeBron moves in, comes back. Not that, like, respect for Baker. Like, that's not exactly an equal thing, but it's exciting times in Cleveland for football. Sorry, Massive side hub.

You go all out on the football. I just sit there and nod.

You. And I just did a metaphorical chest bump. It was great. Anyway, so you're born in Cleveland.

Yeah, born and Raised in Cleveland.

Nice. Yes. And what was it that got you into fitness? Was it, like, the fact that Cleveland's the middle of awesomeness and.

Let'S say that you want to do.

No. I was a dancer. I grew up as a dancer. Competitive dancer. Went on to major in it in college. That's all I ever wanted to do. But I ended up with a bulging disc in my lower spine my junior year in college.

So that overuse, like, how did that kind of come about?

It's hard to say. I actually. Looking back, I actually think it's something I've had since I was a kid.

Okay.

But didn't know it. I had a really bad injury when I was a. I had a really bad experience when I was a kid. It wasn't an injury. I woke up one day and couldn't walk.

That's pretty bad.

Yeah. We didn't know why, though.

Okay.

Was in the hospital for, like, two weeks. Couldn't find anything wrong. All the tests. It just kind of got better over time. And then I was. Been really good for a long time. And then when I was in college, probably all of the dancing, all of the ballet, all of the stuff that your body's not really supposed to do, all the repetitiveness of it. Yeah. My disc went out really bad, and the doctor was like, keep dancing eight hours a day and you'll be in back surgery at 20. Or you can dial back and just dance for fun. Couple hours a week and you'll be totally fine.

And what was that like to hear?

Oh, my gosh. That's like soul crushing, right? Yeah. Because that's your whole life. Like, everything I had worked towards my whole life. So I had to find something else that I wanted to do. So it took me a little while, took me time, a little bit of soul searching to figure out what was my next move, what was my next path, because I didn't finish college, because I couldn't.

Were you. Did you not finish college because you were on a scholarship based on dancing?

No, I wasn't on a scholarship, but that's what I was there for. So I had put three and a half years in for my dance degree. And as a. I was a. My major was a bachelor in fine arts with an emphasis in dance. And because of that and the type of school that I was at, I was at a performing arts school. There was a lot of general education classes that I didn't have to take. So once I was gonna have to change my major, I was gonna have to put in several More years to go back and do all the gen ed that I hadn't done. And I didn't know what I wanted to do. So I didn't want to stay in school, spend money with no direction.

That makes complete sense. So before we go into that part, I want to know why dancing? What did you love about dancing?

Everything. There's a joke. My family says I came out of the womb dancing. Like, that's all I've ever done. Like, literally, my mom didn't make it to the delivery room. She had me in the labor room. I was ready. I wanted to come out, and I always was dancing. Always. Favorite movie. Dirty Dancing Girls Just want to have fun.

That's so awesome. You can see it in your spirit as well as someone who's so, like, you're quite eccentric. Yeah. And that's like. Some people can be. How do I put it? Like, bodily eccentric, where they're like. For those playing at home, not watching YouTube right now, I'm giving my best examination of a dance maneuver.

Yes. I loved it.

Yeah. I'm Italian, so I speak with my hands.

Yeah, me too. I'm trying not to flail them.

Exactly. Or you can just be very loud in the way that you chat. But that's really cool. You harness energy in different ways. But to speak of harnessing energy, you got to a point where. How old were you when this incident happened?

19.

19 years old.

20.

So not only are you going through, like, that initial part of being an adult, like a true adult, and getting to that first stage of 21, and particularly in America, which is quite significant, but you've got to this point where for, say, probably 10 years, you focused everything on one thing.

Yep.

One thing. And all sudden, it's taken away from you. And so your life is all sudden. You have to rethink.

Yeah.

What was that moment when the doctor told you that? That feeling of going home or being with your family and friends and going like, did you feel empty?

Yeah, it really was. Like, that's a devastating moment when you're like, this is all I've worked for. This is like, from the time I was probably five or six years old. Like, I remember being five years old, running around the house, Cleveland, saying, I'm gonna move to California. I'm gonna be a dancer. Like, that was it. That was the dream. And then, you know, you sneeze one day, fall to the ground from pain in your back, go to the doctor, and they. They take your dream away. It's. It's a hard, hard pill. To swallow. And it's one of those things where it's like, okay. I knew I didn't have to give up dance completely. He wasn't. The doctor wasn't saying I couldn't ever dance again. He was saying I couldn't dance professionally. Like, I couldn't be in class 6, 7, 8 hours a day anymore. So walking away from it, it was like, okay, I have to walk away from the dance degree, and I have to think about my career choice and what path I'll be on. But that's a lot. You know, at 19, you can barely focus on that as it is. Like, you're just trying to be 19.

Yeah.

So, yeah, it took a little bit.

What's a little bit?

Like, are we talking couple years? Like, I left school, then I was really. Because I was devastated by it. I actually went back to school thinking I was gonna be a physical therapist for injured dancers. Because I was like, if I can't be one, I can help one.

I was back in school, and I just didn't like it. Why not? Because I was in those general education classes learning about the water cycle at 19 years old and feeling like it was a complete waste of my time.

Yep. Yep.

And I was like, nope. And so I left school again. I went to work full time, actually, full time, plus saved money for a year. Like, saved every extra penny I had. And I packed my car up and drove to California.

And what was the intention of Cali?

It was just where I wanted to be. Like, I knew I wanted to be in California. I always. I did not want to be in the Midwest cold anymore. I didn't want to be in the snow anymore. I knew I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. Maybe I could act slash dance. Like, maybe there would be a role that would allow for that. I could do commercials. So that's what I did. So I moved to California.

Good for you. That's awesome for you, though. Like, I think that takes. Like, do you ever look back and still I'm jumping only a couple years ahead now, but do you look back on that and go, I wonder what?

No.

Why not?

Because from a very young age, what I have learned is, one, you have to have thick skin as a dancer. And what is dealt is just what's dealt. And life isn't always going to be fair. Like, you're not always going to get the part, even if you deserve the part. So I've always had an attitude about not looking at things as failures. So I try to, even in the worst scenarios, look at it as redirects. That's what I call them. I didn't call them that back when I was 21 years old. But that's what it is. It's a redirect. So it's life saying, like, I know you think this is your direction, but I actually have something else in store for you. So you're gonna have to just deal with it over here.

Yeah. I mean, it's the best way of looking at it. It's a positive perspective. Right. And no doubt, like, you look at the content you do now, it's very positive, inspiring content. So for you to go through and build that thick skin, obviously, through a personal experience. You're drawing on that personal experience, right?

Oh, yeah.

You're not speaking from a case of like, oh, you guys should be like this. And no one can relate to the fact that you haven't been through it. Oh, no, you have.

I've been through all of it and then some.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I. I look at dancers as a profession. It's a professional sport. I look at you guys as athletes.

Yes.

And I want to be a professional athlete as well at one point in my life. And, you know, what did you want to do? Play rugby.

Okay.

Yeah, I loved it. Like, I just. Since I was six, Just love rugby. Love my. I have two brothers, so it was just unreal. But, yeah, I look at it now. I'm like, I just turned 30, and I look at some of the guys who are still playing professionally. Homage. And some mates, and I go, it's actually really tough. Cause they're starting to get the age now where their bodies are breaking down and they almost have to start their life again in a new profession where for the past 1512 years, they've only been focused on sport, dealing with the athletes that I do with. My other side is now the chef. Like, I see that. And a part of it is helping them cope with that in a way of using food to translate a positive message. But I look back and go, like you would. And I'm like, I am so fortunate to be in the position I am. I love what I do. I wouldn't change a day in my life. But that looking back at that time, when you're making that transition and someone takes something away from you, it's like you want to say thank you. Because you look at that and how hard it can be and. And not to say that obviously you didn't work your butt off to where you are today, because you obviously did. But it's such A like, as you said, everything happens for a reason. And we use that as, like, the reason for why we're going forward and what we can learn from it. So it's just such a positive thing for someone who obviously had such a destined perspective on what they were gonna do for a very long time. And when that's taken away, for you to still jump up and go, you know what? Okay, I'm still gonna go to Cali. I'm gonna do my thing and be in the entertainment industry. Cause fast forward, we're obviously here right now. We are, so.

But it is a hard thing. And so many people, I think they get hung up. They get hung up.

Absolutely.

Like, that's not to say that I didn't have tons of days when I cried. And it was, why? Why is it happening? Why me?

Did you struggle with that?

Like, oh, yeah, for years. I mean, I didn't step foot in a dance class for four years.

What about, like, socially, could you dance socially?

I could go out to a club and still have fun, but I could not between. I went through issues with my ballet master in college anyways. He was super hard on me. Never made me feel like I was good enough, no matter what. And that, you know, so between him sort of crushing the self esteem and then the back injury coming into play. Yeah, there was a lot, like, there was a lot of obstacles to overcome, but you have to push through them. And so many people will get stuck in the obstacle and thinking like, oh, this didn't work out, so everything is over. You know, like you said, when you have a dream and then it's taken away, and you gotta remember that, like, there is still like a whole lifetime ahead. And there are so many more opportunities that can come, but they can only come if you move forward. If you sit and dwell in the negativity and the thing that happened, you're like, never gonna open yourself up to another opportunity.

Absolutely. We're gonna talk about a particular topic that I or a phrase that I always refer to at the end of the episode. But what was it for you that got you through? Like, what is it for you that made you that two year period go, you know, fuck it, I'm going to Cali. I'm doing my thing. I'm not gonna let this get me back.

There's so many people in this position right now who are listening and going, either I'm in a job right now that I don't want to be in, or someone's taken an opportunity, whether it be a raise or like, you know, opportunity to do something and something I really love. And they want to know, how am I gonna get past this? What would you say to them?

I have a feisty, Italian personality and I do not like to be told I can't do something. And it has served well more often than not. I'm not saying 100% of the time, but usually when somebody says you can't, my response is, watch me.

Sure.

And I think that's what it was. It was anger. Like, it was like an angry at the fact that my body wasn't doing what I wanted it to do for me, but I was like, oh, no. Like, no, no, no. Like, this is not the end of the road for me. Like, I'm not stopping. Like, watch me. I'm still going to Cali and I'm still gonna do what I said I was gonna do. I might do it in a different way, but, like, I'm going.

Well, you can definitely tell that person that you're talking to right now that you have.

Yeah.

Which is really cool. Like, you can tell that dance instructor that, you know, like, they may have been hard on you. And to be honest, it's probably potentially a benefit to you because it built you that thick skin.

Yes.

Because in the entertainment industry, it's just as. If not harder.

Yes.

But that helped develop who you are as character, you know, and that's really cool to step back. And I'm sure in the fast paced life that you're a part of, you rarely do have those days. You actually step back and go, yeah, you know what, this is cool. So let's have a moment for a second. Just a two second. Wow, that's pretty cool.

We do that. Very cool. All right, here we are.

So you're in Cali.

Yes.

You made it to Cali.

Made it to Cali.

How did you get from dancer to celebrity trainer? 21 day fix.

It was a long journey. And that's what also I think sometimes people don't realize is, like, they see where you're at now and they just assume like, oh, you just woke up and it was like, boom, there it is. And you know, so well, you're doing so well, and it must have been handed to you on a silver platter. And they forget that it was like an actual, like 12 year journey. And that if at any point I would have given up or if any point if one opportunity that fell through, hadn't fallen through, I wouldn't be where I am.

Can I ask you that, what was a big Moment where you got. Absolutely, absolutely. Just u turned like you've gone, oh, my God. I think it's the end. Did you have a moment like that?

Yeah, yeah. We. I was married. I had just had my son. My husband hated his job, and he applied for a new job and he got it, but it was out of. It was not in California. It was in Texas.

And so those playing at home, Texas and Cali aren't exactly next to each other.

No, they're not exactly next to each other. And.

He, you know, was kind of like, okay, the cost of living, we have a baby, like, Texas is more affordable. At the time my mom was living there. I have a little bit of a tumultuous relationship with my mom. We don't always have the best relationship. And so it was like, okay, we're gonna move to Texas. And we packed up and we moved to Texas. And I knew before we left, standing in my empty apartment with every being of my body, that I wasn't supposed to be leaving. And we left and I cried for five weeks, every day, all day. And my husband came home one day and I was like, I'm going back with her without you. I was like, you can come whenever. You can get transferred. But I was like, I don't belong here. I feel it in my soul. If I do not go back now, I'm gonna lose everything I built. Cause I had built a very successful personal training business. I had a lot of clients. And I was like, I've been gone for five weeks. If I don't get back now, they're all gonna find other trainers. And he was like, okay, I'll get back when I can. I packed the car up with my 7 month old son and I drove my butt back to California where I belonged. And that actually is what really started the takeoff. Because when I got back, I had been back in California for about a week. I came across Brooke Burke's website, modernmom.com and I messaged them and I was like, hey, this is who I am. This is what I do. I had a specialty in pre and postnatal fitness. I was like, if you ever want me to write for your website, I'd be happy to. They messaged me the next day and were like, we'd love for you to write for us. And then three days later, they called me randomly and they're like, brooke's filming workouts at her House for YouTube. Do you want to come film with her? When I went and filmed with Brooke Burke for her YouTube channel for several years. Like, that's where I really learned a lot. Like, watching her, how she interacted with the camera, the stuff that she did. So, yeah, had I not packed my butt up and brought it back to California, I wouldn't be sitting here.

That's amazing. Yeah. That's so cool. I love that. Because some people would, like, look at that and go, that's like an awesomely selfish thing to do. But I look at it and go. In order for her to be who truly she is and be that mother and be that wife and then also be the impact that she wants to, she had to be true. She is.

Right.

And so, like, you know, for you to stand your ground and go, I need to be back where I truly belong and can do this, because right now I'm not that person.

Yeah.

I mean, if you never know, like, you could be with your partner in Texas and all of a sudden you just realize you're becoming someone you're not meant to be.

Exactly.

And that's so true. Like, for you to admit that and understand that and, you know, just be like, this is what's important for me to be me in the right place and put your foot down. Hats off to you.

Thank you.

Obviously, it's paid dividends.

And so you obviously, like, from that moment, you. You learn. Did you start to learn the digital side of it and all that? And like, how did 21 Day Fix come along?

21 Day Fix came along, actually. Still. That was still. What was that? Another.

Two years later?

Sure.

I was working with all of my clients. I was creating a program. I was creating a portion control system. Like, I was watching my clients struggle with weight loss despite the hard work they were putting in in the gym. And we would always have the conversations about food, what are you eating? And everything that they would say would sound right. But you always know that you're not getting the full story. And I took one of my clients, who happened to be one of my good friends, like, we'd very good friends from her being a client. I took her out to lunch one day after a training session, and we both ordered salads. And these salads were enormous. And she ate the whole thing.

What's a. Give us say your best sizing for those just listening.

Oh, my gosh. I mean, literally, it's. I can tell you it's a family size. Like, if you ever saw like a family size serving bowl like that, you would put pasta in. Yeah, this salad fits in.

That pasta's perfect for me. Yeah. Yeah, that's the Kind of like, I'm always the guy that. That makes a salad. Everyone's like, you said, no, that's. That's my salad.

You're like, no, that's my salad.

That's my salad.

You make her own?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you asking? What are you guys having?

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay, cool.

But she ate the whole thing. And I was like, that's. That's the problem. And she was like, it's a salad. I'm like, no, it's not. Because it had croutons in it. It had pasta in it, it had chicken in it. It had cheese in it. It needed enough salad dressing to cover the whole thing. So that sort of kicked off the idea of portion control and the fact that everything is super sized and oversized and family size, and we're eating too much even of the good stuff, although most of us aren't even eating the real good stuff, but it was just too much of everything. So I created a program, a very, very basic version of what my nutrition program is now. It was called Change My Plate. And I launched it on the Hallmark Channel on a show called Home and Family. I happened to have a friend who was a producer, and she brought me on, so I launched it on there.

And I had also passed it on to one of my other clients that was in the entertainment business. And they showed it to a friend. They were trying to nudge their friend to lose weight. They were trying to do it politely. And although he wasn't, he didn't give a. He did not care about it for himself. But he was like, oh, I think I know somebody who might be interested in that. Can I pass it along? And so my clients called me and said, can they pass along? I said, who do they want to pass it along to? And they said, beachbody. And I was like, oh, my God. Yeah, like, pass it along. Okay.

That thing.

That's like the holy grail of fitness. That little thing. Yes. And so they did. They passed it along. And I got a call from Beachbody maybe a day or two later that they wanted to bring me in for a meeting. And that was in November. And I had to wait until after the first of the year because the CEO was traveling for the holidays.

That would have been.

It was torture.

Oh, wow.

It was literally like six weeks of just. What do you think? Is it gonna happen? Is it gonna. Not gonna happen? This is the opportunity I've been waiting for. You know, like, you drive yourself insane.

And then I went in. Yay.

For those playing at home, you are the beautiful little puppy waiting by the phone just over the edge of the counter. Six weeks.

Oh, no, that wasn't even the worst. I knew I had the meeting in six weeks. All right, the worst. So then I had the meeting.

Okay.

The meeting went well. At least I thought it went well. And I was like, okay. And they're like, great. You know, the. Basically the CEO sits across from a very long, like, conference room table.

Intimidating table where you could play a little bit.

Yes.

Yeah. You play like a. Throw a baseball. Yeah, yeah.

And he does this, his spiel, and he's like, you know, why do you want to sell your product to us? And I explained that, like, my passion is helping people. My passion is not the business side of it. Like, I don't want to think about cogs and, like, customer service and all that stuff. Like, I don't want to be the person answering the phone and dealing with shipping labels. Like, that's not. Yeah, I want to be the creative. And he was like, okay, you know, if we decide to buy it, this is what we want. We would want you to stay on as the face and create workouts to go with it, blah, blah. I was like, great, where do I sign? And. And he was like, okay, we'll be in touch. And then that was it. And so two months. Two months it took before I heard anything. What's tough? And, yeah, that was the puppy waiting. Checking the email, checking the email, checking the email. And I thought for sure. I was like, they're just not interested. And I actually had a different opportunity that was being presented. Not as good of one, but it was an opportunity nonetheless. And I had to decide between the two. And so I sent one more email and I was like, hi. Just wanted to check in and see if I'm still being considered. And they're like, this is two months later. This is almost two months later. And they're like, yeah, no, we're thinking about you. Blah, blah. We're working on it. And finally, maybe like three or four days after that, the contract came in at, like 10 o' clock on a Friday night.

Oh, my God.

I was in my apartment, my son was asleep. And I opened the email and I cried my eyes out. And I called my dad crying. And my dad thought, like, something tragic was happening because I called him on a Friday night crying.

He's like, are you. Are you having wine? What are you doing?

No, I called him and I could barely, like, talk. And he was like, what? What's wrong?

Oh, my God, that must have been amazing.

So it was amazing. And then that started the journey. And 21 Day Fix was the first of. We're at eight programs, two cookbooks, a cooking show.

I mean, just a few things.

Just a few. Just a couple.

Wow.

Clothing line with them for two years.

That's incredible.

A few things.

That's absolutely incredible. I just, I love to. I just. I love being the position of trying to be a fly on the wall when those things happen, because I just. Everyone knows those moments of you wanting something.

Yeah.

And, like, you're.

Absolutely in, like, control. Someone else buying if that moment is the step up for you or not.

Yes.

You know, like an opportunity, a new contract, you're waiting on approval.

And it's in any size, shape, or form in life that this happens. So, you know, this is no doubt still going to happen to you many a times with your partnership opportunities, but it's something that we can all relate to. So you. Yeah. Obviously you built your brand, your personal brand, and then obviously this opportunity was like. Like anything when big. I find when big opportunities come, they're usually on a more of a bureaucratic scale. So you generally have a lot more people to sign off on it, which takes even longer.

Yes.

And then eventually the email is like the very fine tipping point.

Yes.

Or it's like the. Hey, we're just checking this. Hey, what about this? And. But for you to, like, actually stick your ground and know your course shows a lot about you. I have so much to talk about, but we're gonna have a little quick break, you know, drink some of that. Amazing.

What you got? Yeah, I've got chai tea.

Chai tea. Lovely. And we'll hear from one of our sponsors.

That's delicious.

All right, so I'm gonna say a dizzle.

A dizzle.

I like a dizzle. So, Autumn, you. You were talking about, you know, how you got to where you are with 21 day fix eventually. Let's go into a little bit about your upbringing and your relationship between your family, particularly when you hear about your mum. But I find that family definitely, in some ways, whether negatively and then into a positively impacts who you are today. So you sound like a very strong, awesome woman that knows what she wants, has gone after it, has been successful in doing so, learn a lot about herself along the way. So, you know, a lot of people, obviously now going through the same things of who they are, surround yourself with the best people around you. How is your relationship with your family?

I have an interesting relationship with my family. First of all, I'll say This. I love my family. My family is crazy. You're Italian, I'm Italian. So there it is. We are crazy.

Past Christmas time.

Crazy. That is the word. That is the word. We are crazy.

I love that.

No, and they're amazing. But, like, you know, I grew up in this huge Italian family in Cleveland, Ohio. We all lived in the little neighborhood. My dad owned the Italian restaurant, like, 22 of us on Sunday was a normal Sunday dinner. Every Sunday. Christmases were bigger.

I was the baby out of my brothers and sisters for a while. My dad raised us. Raised by my dad, not my mom. My mom moved away when I was seven, got remarried, had two more kids. But, like, I grew up in Ohio with my dad and my dad's side of the family. So I think for that it was like. Like, I love them. Like, we're still all super close. In fact, I'm going to Ohio in a week and a half for cousins weekend. We do. Like, now we do. Me, my cousins, and all our kids, we all get together.

That's awesome.

So we all, you know, like, we picked on each other, we beat the crap out of each other, we tease each other, but we're also always there for each other. Love each other, support each other.

So true family.

Yeah.

Yeah, exactly.

My dad is a super strict Italian dad with the best of them. And I think in a lot of ways, how my dad raised me is exactly why I end up where I am. My dad is, like I said, super strict and hard, but also had the side was like, if you do something you love, you'll never work a day in your life. So he always encouraged that. But at the same time, he was also the person who, like, never wanted to let me go anywhere or do anything.

Yeah. How many. How many daughters does he have?

Two.

Okay.

And I was the baby.

Yeah.

So although I got probably to do more than my sister did because she's the oldest.

Okay.

But it was still, like, I always wanted to go. Like, I wanted to go. So as soon as I was old enough to go, went. Yeah. So I actually. When I was 16, when I was a junior, I left Ohio and I went to go live with my mom because I had never lived with my mom. I needed a little freedom that I wasn't getting, so I went to go live with my mom. That's its own dynamic in and of itself. Like I said, my mom and I have had a hard relationship because my mom did remarry and move away and have two more kids and didn't really help raise me. And My brother and sister. And there was always like good and good and hard times mixed in. But when I had my son and became a mom myself, there was certain things that no longer made sense to me.

Like as in, you realize, as in.

Like as in being a mom. I could never move away from my son. And if he ever needed anything.

The shoes off my feet, the clothes off my back, the last dollar in my bank account, or the food that I was about to put in my mouth, it would be his. So there were certain things along the way when my dad needed help and he was struggling and my mom didn't help, that, like, no longer added up. And it just got to a point where we didn't have like an argument or falling out or anything like that. She didn't agree with certain things that I was doing, which was weird because I wasn't really doing anything.

But there's that. And I didn't really understand her choices as a mom. And so we went a really long time. Actually, we went almost eight years without talking. We just started talking again. So we're working through things now.

So what is that like now with you having. How would you. How would you have a beautiful child?

My son is 10.

10 years old. How old you are? A little quarterback. That's good. 10 years old. Yeah. Nice.

He's like a little dude.

Sick. He's a little bro.

He is a bro. He's a dizzy.

Fist bump.

He'll fist bump.

Yeah.

Nice.

Okay. I'll bring him into Charlie street, put him on the line.

He's like a Cali boy. He's a surfer.

Sick.

Now we're talking game. Boarder.

Game. Stand up. Paddling as well.

He would probably do that. But he's like. He's an adrenaline junkie. Okay, so he wants like the adrenaline.

So you stand up, paddle surfing.

He would want to do that. He hasn't learned that yet.

Okay, we'll get him into that as well.

I'm like, stick with the skateboard.

You're like, yay.

No, I just made him get a fresh fade.

A fresh fade.

He's got a fresh fade and then like longer on.

And does he have like the same. I feel like he's like one of the cutest little kids and he's so bored. Does he wear the same kid clothes as your husband?

I'm divorced, actually. Okay, but does he still wear the same.

He's so funny. He's like such a. He just wants. Depending on his sport that he's into will totally determine how he dresses like Last week he decided he liked baseball again. So now all he wants wear are baseball Jersey Dodgers. Yeah, he likes the Dodgers. He also likes the Indians.

Good for him. Wow. Two years ago, it wasn't too bad for you guys. Well, like, I think if I was to. I was going to draw two parallels between your mother and there for a second. Not an insulting way, but actually quite like contrasting. You were in Texas and you said, I'm taking our boy and I'm leaving because I'm doing me, but I'm still taking my boy. There's no way. And like, you know, obviously we don't haven't dived deep. I don't know the actual situation, but your mum did the. Not the opposite, but she did for whatever. And then I can probably see that for whatever reason, when you were going back to Cali, you knew that probably from when you were young, you would never want that to happen. So that's, I guess, an example how you learn something about yourself and what you would not want to do.

That's exactly what I say. Sometimes you learn what you don't want to be, sometimes you learn what you don't want to do. And both are important. However, if you learn who you want to be and you learn who you don't want to be or things you don't want to do.

Which is the learning point, right? Ultimately, speaking of learning what you don't want to do, what are we learning? How did you. Yeah, I am going to put together.

A pretty ball art we're going to learn today.

Actually taste this. So, guys, I'm gonna see if Autumn can off the bat. Know what this tasty. Good.

This is where I need Bobby. That's where I need my brother.

Okay, she's bitten into something green.

That's delicious. Quite leafy, but I don't know which one it is. Is it radicchio?

No.

So, like, is it dandelion?

What does it taste like? Give me a. Give me some. Yeah, describe it.

It's a little bit bitter.

Okay.

It's lemony at the same time, so as you.

As you chew into it gets more lemony.

Right.

So it starts with S and ends in oral.

What has anyone got that starts with.

S and ends in oral? Sorrel.

Sorrel.

Sorrel.

I would have never known that.

Okay. Yeah. So one of the coolest things, and this is for everyone playing at home as well. You pick up a lecture, you pick up this leafy green. It looks like a giant paddle, but in a smaller version. And the stem is Actually where you got. Actually taste that, taste the stem.

Okay.

It's not cilantro related, by the way, is it? You don't get this. Yeah, right.

That's strong.

Yeah. So the stem of any leafy green herb or any or herb is going to be stronger because that's where the attachment to the actual root is, where you get the source of all your nutrients and goodness and the water.

So don't throw the stems away.

Never throw the stems away. The stems are actually more flavorful. The tops are just pretty. Think of this. This is the root of everything here and the stem and then the leaf is where everything is pretty and looks nice. Right. So anyway, we're gonna. I love using sorrel because you add it to like a salad or a bowl and lemon, in my opinion, is the most neglected ingredient on this planet because it is so good and makes things last longer in terms of flavour.

Yes.

So by adding a sorrel, which is full of zesty goodness, to a salad, you're actually using a leafy green and then you get the lemon juice on top. So you're getting a super zesty situation on there.

I like it.

So you're create a little ball around that. But I want to dive into. We haven't talked about why you love health, why you love fitness and why your passion behind it has led to such a successful business for your personal brand. So what is it? And we have, like, we have the obvious answers. What's. What really gets you ticking? What is it that makes Autumn want to do this?

Well, I love to move, first of all, like, I was never the answer that could sit still, ever. I was never gonna be the person that was sitting at a desk. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but for me, like, just not an option. So when I couldn't dance anymore, I had to find something else that still gave me that ability to move. And I love that everything I learned from dance I was able to transfer into fitness. So all of my knowledge about how your body works and how to move your body and how important form is and all of those things, they transferred into being a trainer, working with people, helping people, and it's still one. I can use music, right? Like, I love music. When I work out, I get to put movement with music. It's a little bit different way than dance, but it still motivates me. Like, I do not want to work out without music on. The only time I do it is when I'm filming because I have to.

Oh, that's tough.

Done that before, but then I'm talking, so it's okay. And I've got awesome background people that keep me motivated then, so it's okay. But, like, I get to do all the things I love in one place. I get to motivate people, I get to inspire them. I get to help people change their lives. Even when I was a kid and I wanted to dance and there was a part of me that wanted to do it because I knew the feeling I got when I watched people dance. Like, if I went to the ballet or if I went to see a musical, like. Like, it would move me to tears. Like, even the best. Like, the most fun. Like, I remember I went and saw the Cleveland City Ballet and they were doing a ballet all to Elvis music. Love Elvis. And, like, Jailhouse Rock. It's like a super upbeat song. Like, the dancing was amazing, but, like, I had tears streaming down my face because it was like, to me, it was just like, that cool and that fun and that, like, so much passion that the dancers were putting behind it. So I still get to bring that in a different way with fitness. And I love that because when you can find that and you have that thing to go to, that brings you happiness and it brings you stress relief and it brings you mental clarity. Like, those are really important things to have. It's not. People look at fitness so often as just, like, the number on the scale, or I want shredded abs. And shredded abs are cool, but they don't last forever. Like, no matter where you're at in your life, you'll have days where they're shredded and days where you're bloated, whatever. And it's not always about the number on the scale. It's really about the health of your body. It's about feeling good even as we get older. It's about, you know, really, like, using this body that you have and keeping it right. And for me, it's mental clarity. Oh, my gosh. Like, exercise for me is my therapy. If I'm having a bad day, I'm working it out. If I'm having a good day, I'm working it out. So all of those things, I guess, are what make me motivated to do it.

I just love hearing you chat then. So, like, my therapy for me is like, cooking, right?

Yeah.

So I just almost had, like, two forms of therapy then. Cause I was chopping. And this is why I've got the best job in the world. Cooking whilst talking to people. Right. Like, for me, listening you talk about the world of health as if it is forever is something that I feel today is something we forget about all the time. And for you to be in a position of power of influence and recognize that is so awesome. Particularly when, like, you have a thing called the 21 day fix.

Yeah.

But you know that as much as that's three weeks, you also are impacting for the rest of your life.

Well, and I always explain to people like, it's like, I love the name, and yet at the same time, I always have to explain the name a little bit. Because when I say 21 day fix, it's not a quick fix. It's not like, oh, my God, you're gonna have the body of your dreams necessarily in 21 days. It's that first 21 days is to fix your bad habits and create new healthy ones. That's really what we're fixing. So we're getting you moving every single day. It has my ultimate portion fix nutrition system that comes with it where we're not depriving ourselves. We're not giving up things, any food groups. Unless you've got food sensitivities like me. You can still have wine, right? We're Italian. We like to have our wine. You can still have chocolate and dessert. But we're gonna do it in the right portions. We're not gonna do it every single day. And that's really what the fix is. It's learning.

All these reasons besides the number on the scale, that eating right is good for you and fitness is good for you. Like, my favorite thing is when people message me and they're like, my skin cleared up or I didn't have to take this medication anymore. My doctor said all because I've just started eating right and exercising. Like, the number on the scale, great. But those things like, that is true quality of life.

Absolutely.

When that stuff changes.

And that's so cool. Like, I find that when we do what we do every single day and we do what we love, and as a result of that, it expresses our ultimate parameters of social, physical, mental, potentially spiritual. All those parameters, if you have them quite well organized, you're overall quite happy. And ultimately, happiness is the key to your health. We're gonna jump to a quick break, but we're gonna definitely touch base on this when we come back. And I'm gonna finish this baller grain salad of goodness. Look at the color in this.

Yeah, this is beautiful.

And we're back. So I'm looking at this lovely bowl of the autumn. Yeah, Grain bowl.

You're missing the autumn. Caliber's Broccoli, though.

Ah, we do have to quickly talk about this. Okay, I'm changing. I told you I was gonna ask you a question. Let's go into this first.

I threw you.

You did. Because you asked. You obviously I should know my research on broccoli, but you've obviously for some reason found out that your name. How did you find out your name?

Because you know, you google yourself.

Okay.

And this was like a long time ago, like when I. Because I knew there was an article that had been done in the newspaper about me. So I was like googling the article. Sure. But the article was not the first thing that came up. That article was on like page two.

What was the first thing?

The first thing that came up was this award winning broccoli that's named Autumn Calabrese. And it was like all these articles on this award winning broccoli and I was like, oh, of course I'm healthy food.

Of course I am. One of the best forms of iron and anti inflammatory. Fantastic. How good is that? Love the fact that's how we found out that you.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

That's great. So we're looking at this. We're definitely. I'm actually more ashamed that I didn't know that. That would have been a really good research point on you. Well, the problem is now that you're so famous, if I googled that, it's not coming up.

That's on like page five.

Oh my God. The people of the board of broccoli would be filthy at you right now.

I'm so sorry.

So just a quick recap. We've got two types of grains in here. We've got quinoa wild rice mix. We have a few things you didn't want in there. So I started to add cilantro. Asked you if you think it tastes like soap. You said it does. So I avoided that.

Yes. Thank you.

But you don't want nuts, right?

I would love nuts, but I can't have nuts. I have a food sensitivity to them.

Right. So I love texture. So I kept a sharp apple in there. So just texture on that. We're also going to add chia seeds for texture as well. That's what I mean. So particularly in a salad, you're going to break it up. So we've got apple in there, we've got kale, we've got that sorrel for that zestiness. And then we're also going to add a. Because we're adding like I guess the raw ish kind of flavour of the sorrel from the lemon. We're going to add a cut side of our lemon down and that's actually going to make the lemon juice from that lemon sweeter. Now just pause for a second and experience that lovely sear moment.

Yeah. Get the sound.

Get this into. And as I say that, let's talk about Revenge Body. So firstly, big show.

Yes.

Not a small one. And your episode comes out. It's already out.

It's out.

So what was the experience like? And tell me more about that for those who have not heard of the show.

Yeah, it was a great experience. First of all, I think the name of the show throws people sometimes. Like some people get mad. When I first said I was on the show, they were like, oh my gosh, why would you do a show called Revenge Body? Because they assume that it's like all geared towards, like this negative side of getting revenge. And while the name is very catchy, that's really not what it's about at all. It really is about the person going through a journey and bettering themselves like mind, body and spirit. So really we're like taking on all of their wellness. So I, as the trainer, I'm talking to my client about her fitness. We're working on her fitness, we're working on her nutrition. But Chloe's talking to them about the experiences that sort of brought them to Revenge Body. Obviously the cameras are not with us 247 because we're training for 12 weeks together. So there's a lot of off camera time where I was working with Tara, you know, talking her through everything that had happened in her life. The stuff that had happened with her, her daughter's father, the stuff that had happened with her mom passing away.

You know, because a lot of times.

When somebody is a really strong person and something bad happens to them, it goes one of two ways. You either fall apart or you kind of shove it down and move forward. It's not very often that somebody is like, I really need to sit with this and process this. Right. Because you're trying to survive, of course. And so really it was a lot of working through that because she hadn't processed a lot that had happened to her.

Do you find that, like, do you draw on your own personal experience, experiences?

Oh, yeah. I think one of the biggest reasons that Tara and I were put together is we're both single moms, both from Ohio. We're both from Ohio, both very hard working. So like, they really felt like we were gonna be a great fit. And I think we were like we had a great time together. She crushed it. If you saw the episode. She lost 30 pounds in 12 weeks.

In 12 weeks.

In 12 weeks.

Geez, go you. What a team.

Went to work, man. She did the workouts.

She put the.

She followed the nutrition plan to a T. And she's still doing awesome. Like, she's. She's kept the weight off because it's been a while since we filmed the show. We filmed the show last October.

So when you do a show like that, it's obviously big time. What channel is it on?

For those who didn't know, it's on the E. Network.

It's on the E. Network. Nice. On Sunday night.

On Sunday nights at 10pm Eastern, which.

Makes it 7pm Pacific and 9pm Central. Oh, I'm still learning that. I feel like I nailed it, though. I'm getting.

I think you did. I think you nailed it better than I was.

I was like, okay, the two. Yeah, yeah. Okay, cool. And you essentially take a trainer. Takes someone for 12 weeks through a transformation.

Yes.

Through any form of means. Hosted by Kardashian.

Yes. Hosted by Khloe. The cool thing was one of the biggest reasons I think they wanted me on the show this year especially was because, you know, they have amazing trainers on. They have Harley Pasternak and Gunnar Peterson.

And Gunn is a legend, by the way. Luke, Milton, Ozzy.

Yes.

Must respect Nate. Sorry.

That's okay. You know, they've got great people on there. Of course, so many of those people, they have gyms in Los Angeles. Right. They have books out and they work with a lot of celebrities, but they don't necessarily have out a full workout program on a video or on a. On an app necessarily that somebody would have access to, which you do and I do. And so I think that was one thing that Revenge Body was really excited about was that their viewers could see that Tara went through 80 day obsession, that Tara followed ultimate portion fix and they could do it too. It was like they had the ability now to go, okay, I want to do what she did. And they can do exactly what she did.

Did you? Okay, so like when you were asked to do the show, was it a no brainer or do you have to think about it?

I had to think about it, but not because I questioned the show. I had to think about it just because of time commitment. I was right in the middle of filming my nutrition program, so ultimate portion of the container system has been out for five years, but I just did an in depth nutrition program around it. So I was filming all the videos for that. I had travel coming up for Beachbody, so I had commitments already. So there was definitely some things that I needed to make sure that they were cool with. The fact that, you know, there would be days where I would be entering Tara's home via the television and not always one on one with her. But I think again that that was really cool because not every trainer has that ability to be like, hey, here's pre recorded workouts for you. Like, I'm gonna be on set today.

That's really cool that you actually have that genuine point of difference, but in a communication way.

But I still would, you know, I still would check in on her every day. Did you do your workout? Send me your sweaty selfie. Where are you at with your food today? Have you had all your containers? Did you drink all your water? Sleep was a big one for her. She had a daughter. Her daughter was 18 months at the time, so she wasn't still sleeping through the night always. And you know, we know how important sleep is to help.

Well, that's actually something I can generally relate to as a single mom. I think that's really crucial. Like it's. I'm able to give advice to people from a, you know, young bloke, excuse me, young guy in New York City who's got a girlfriend but has no kids, my baby's my restaurant and everything else. Right.

That's a big baby.

It is a big baby, but still not the same that I'm gonna get up at. Well, sometimes it does. But like, my point is, you're a single mum, right? Your life is no longer about your life, your life is now your life, but also everything you can do for your beautiful 10 year old son.

Yes.

Right. So for you to give advice to someone who's in a similar boat and to many women around this beautiful nation as well, that is something that you single handedly can relate to because you tell someone something and they go, I don't know if I have time. I've got a kid, I'm like, I want to sing. And then you go, some. Well, I can do it. You can do it. You just got to work out the way of doing it. And I think that's really cool because obviously with these kind of things they can help relate it. Quick fire round. Before we finish, Maddie's in the corner putting her hand up going, Dan, yeah, hand signals. She's got like the red flag and then she's got like the send off, you know, so quick fire round. How does Autumn control the Control every single day. Is it, you know, someone like me, you know, I tell people, how do I not have the whole pack of nuts? But when I'm at work, I'm like, well, take the pack of nuts home and put them in portion of that containers. So when you get to work, you only have a small amount of things like that. How do you control the controllable? Every day you talk about dwelling and not to dwell. What do you do?

Yeah, I'm a big believer that being prepared isn't half the battle. It is the battle. So I'm prepared. I know what my schedule is for the week. Most of us have a pretty good idea what our schedule is for the week. So I know when my workouts are taking place, when I go to bed at night, I know what time I'm working out the next day. I grocery shop and meal prep on Sundays. And everybody's got their own idea of what meal prep is. Let me tell you, I am not like cooking full on meals and stocking the refrigerator with everything in pretty little containers. I have fruit on hand, I have vegetables on hand, I have my healthy fats on hand. I have my lean proteins on hand. I'll sometimes cook my lean proteins off like a chicken or a fish or something, so I have it on hand for a day or two. I'll sometimes cook bulk rice or bulk quinoa so that I can mix and match because I don't know what I want for lunch on Wednesday, on Sunday when I'm meal prepping, but I have a general idea of the things I like to eat, so I keep things on hand that allows me to be prepared. I don't overbook my schedule. That was a tough lesson that I've learned over time.

That, that gonna hang out more often than three hours on the podcast.

Yeah. Yeah, more often than not. I don't overbook my schedule because that's a big one. I, I am okay with saying I need time for me. And that's not selfish, it's necessary. And that's something that I think we all need to get a little bit better about saying, like it's okay for me to take an hour for my workout or half hour for my workout. Sure.

Good for you. Being selfish now, like in a good way. It's like you need to be you before you can be helping.

That's right.

Okay, so what's your, what is your morning routine like? I'm big on morning routine. Athletic range, first thing up, you know, gym.

What's yours usually up between 6:30 and 7. Although school's about to start back up, which means I'll be up at 6 for my getting my son to school. I'm up. I brush my teeth. I literally go right to the kitchen. I make my breakfast. Don't talk to me until I've eaten because I am not a nice person. I love that.

That is so cool. That's really nice.

Soon as I have my breakfast, I grab my pre workout, grab my energize, I go right to my gym. I have a gym in my house.

Nice.

Yes, that's helpful. Perks up.

That's a great way to control the. Control.

Yes. Perks of. But you know what, like when I say gym, like. Yes. Over the years, I've accumulated a lot of stuff, but couple pair of dumbbells and I can get the job done no matter what.

Which is what your, I guess, your program's all about.

Sure.

You can do it within a meter yard space.

Exactly. Get my workout in and then from there it's usually just depending on what the day holds. And every once in a while, the workout doesn't happen first thing in the morning. If I've got to be on set early or if I've got meetings early, then I know I have to plan it for the afternoon. And that is brutal.

Yeah, it sucks.

I'm a morning. Like, it needs to be done in the morning and I don't want to think about it.

Yeah, fair. Get it done. Get it out of the way.

Yeah.

I mean, we all know distractions happen throughout the morning in the middle of the day, so that sometimes the afternoon doesn't even get to.

That's right.

All right, I love this question. If you are a food, an ingredient, or a meal, what would Autumn Calabrese be and why?

Oh, my God.

This is. I've heard one of the most asked questions in anything in the world. And I think the Kardashians have been listening in. So, like, they probably put up on Snapchat. I don't know. I'm just saying.

Oh, my God. If I was a food, what would I be?

Okay, I'm good for you.

Oh, my God. This is such a hard question. I'm the Autumn Calbury's broccoli.

I thought you were gonna say that. Why would you deviate? You had your own name for something.

I was like, well, am I broccoli? I don't know. For a second I was like, broccoli, it's crunchy.

You're hard and strong.

Strong.

Yeah.

I like that. I had to try to. Like, I was trying to identify the things and then.

Why would you deviate? Because your name is actually what it is.

That's right. I guess I was supposed to be broccoli.

I think the broccoli is actually named after you.

That's right.

There we go.

I like that.

So it has been a pleasure having you here today. I know I get you out of here because Matty's usually killing me right now, but I just want to say thank you for your time. I really appreciate it, and I think it's. I just want to say thank you for what you do because you inspire many people day in, day out. Particularly, like, you know, you are a living proof that single mom can get to her thing and crush. Not get by, but crush it. Absolutely crush it. I'm excited, obviously, for more people to see the. The episode of Revenge Body and see more that's going out with you. So they want to follow up with you, be just all Autumn calibres on Instagram, everywhere.

Autumn Calabrese on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, website.

Wow. Nice. Yeah.

All the places.

All the places. Well, we're gonna sign off, and as we do that, I'm gonna just hover this beautiful autumn calories grain salad right in front of you. All the colorful things. The only thing it's missing is the autumn calibration.

It's gonna be a signature dish now.

Absolutely.

Autumn.

Thank you.

Thank you so much. So much fun. How beautiful is it?