There are two slayers, slashers and superpowers taking the fitness world by storm and that’s Kela Walker and Robert Brace. And no...this is not another fitness craze . This is a movement. A movement to teach people how to start loving themselves and not just parts of themselves but all of themselves. All of themselves and all of the time — physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. But, this isn’t always easy to do and we know this mannnnnnn in our Chris Tucker Smokey voice. There’s the stomach we don’t like, the clothes that don’t fit right, the arms we hate and that excess weight – but despite the things that we think aren’t great – we can still love us, we can still slay and with the help of Slay For Life we can live our best lives starting today.
Slay For Life is a collection of workouts, videos and events powered by reporter, producer and Emmy nominated TV host Kela Walker and celebrity fitness trainer, former ballet dancer and the star of Food Network’s Fat Chef Robert Brace. More information can be found by visiting slayforlife.com and in the meantime — check out my recent interview with this belle and beau below.
On Saturday, July 29, 2017 I caught up with Kela Walker and Robert Brace in a small, makeshift space behind the health and fitness stage of the 2017 National Urban League convening. Kela and Robert were dressed in matching blue, black and white fitness gear and they were smiling from ear to ear. You could literally feel their energy radiating. For 15-minutes we talked about everything from passion and purpose to chicken wings and we even talked about different ways to save our cities.
Keisha Mabry: Let me first start by thanking both of you for meeting with me today. I know you just got off the plane so again — thank you. With the theme of today’s conference being save our cities, I’m going to start off with kind of a hard question...what do you all think it’s going to take to save our cities?
Kela Walker: Ooh that is a hard question...get right into it. It takes a lot right but most importantly at the base of it – it takes initiative and the mindset to want to save our cities. People have to be involved in small ways whether it’s in your home or your community and people have to be consciously aware. Stay woke as what’s trending right now. You have to stay woke, you have to stay aware, you have to be conscious of what’s happening and figure out ways to get involved to save our cities. I think a lot of people think of it as this big undertaking but when you do your part and when we collectively come together that is saving our cities.
Robert Brace: I think one of the most important things is to find ways to engage. I think it’s so easy to hear a message out there and feel disconnected to it. But when you find out how it affects your life, your community and the lives of the people around you – you can then have conversation around whatever your sphere of influence is. And once decided you can inject your own pieces of wisdom to help save our cities and help people save themselves.
Keisha Mabry: And both of you are already saving our cities in your own ways. Kela when I think of you, two S’s immediately come to mind – slay and slash. But how are you able to slay and slash in a world that says you have to pick one thing? How is that possible?
Kela Walker: It is possible. It’s kind of like what Robert was saying. First you have to find and identify what you need in your life. For me, Slay for Life started out with me working out, wanting to be better for myself and in turn it inspired a mass of people who also wanted to slay. So again that goes back to identifying within myself what was going on, engaging others and sharing my journey so now we can all slay for life.
And to be a slasher you just do what you can do and do it well. For me, I’m not just a slayer...I’m a slasher in that I do television production, I’m a blogger, I’m an influencer - if you will - so there’s a slash in everything that I do. You don’t have to limit yourself to one thing. You can expose yourself to all things and be the best you that you can be in all of those things. When you do, you will automatically become a slasher and then hopefully you’ll be slaying as well (insert two snaps and a circle here please).
Keisha Mabry: Robert when I think about you what comes to mind are your 28-day challenges...why 28-days when research shows it only takes 21 to form a habit?
Robert Brace: 21-days to form a habit but as we all know...many people fall off during those 21-days so 7-days is an extra grace period. And also, in terms of what happens physically, that’s the time it takes the body to mold itself effectively to get dramatic results. And spiritually, I used to be a pastor, so the 28-days allows you to change habits and change the way you think to set your life on a new course.
Kela Walker: Also...the 28-days is really eight weeks. 28-days is the lure but when you break it down we are working out four times a week for seven weeks.
Robert Brace: Yes. There’s two ways you can engage. You can do seven times a week for four weeks. Or for most women, who don’t have as much testosterone as men (Kela gives a side-eye and so do I), you can do four times a week for seven weeks which equals 28 calendar days and 28 workouts.
Keisha Mabry: And to do everything that you all do I can imagine that it takes passion, but what exactly is passion? If you could put passion in a bottle and sell it – what would be in that bottle?
Robert Brace: For me, passion is something that moves you at your core. Passion is belief and conviction that moves you to action. You can’t help but speak and you can’t help but act. So, if you see things that can help save our cities or help save lives or help people take care of their health – act. Act with compassion and empathy because that’s passion and that’s what will come out in the expression.
Kela Walker: I have to agree with that. A good friend of mine, who is on the panel today (Jovian Zayne), has the On Purpose Movement and a lot of times we associate passion with purpose. And again we think of it as this huge undertaking like what is my purposeand what is my passion and while I think of it as all of that...I also think of it as simply being your best. Be your best in everything that you do, small, big, no matter the size. Apply your best and be passionate about what you’re doing and that is living on purpose. For me, that spans the range from what I do in media to what I’m doing in the fitness realm to just living my best life. I’m living on purpose and with that I have passion in all that I do.
Keisha Mabry: So speaking of living your best life...right now What the Health is on everyone’s mind so how do you all feel about the current vegan movement?
Kela Walker: I’ve not seen it.
Robert Brace: What the Health basically talks about meat, how it’s best to have a plant-based diet and how meat is connected to diabetes and all of that. So to be quite honest — I think it is the best way to go. I still love my ribs and my chicken, I can’t lie, but at the end of the day when you look at the research plants are better for our health. Even my 13-year-old daughter is a vegetarian and I know that one day I am going to be a vegetarian because I think the evidence that supports the lifestyle is out there.
Kela Walker: It’s funny because we were just talking about this in the studio the other day. I want to try it but I’m going to start with a pescetarian diet first. Like Robert, I too have no problems with a good buffalo wing and some cheese. Like those are my weaknesses!!! But I do think it is the healthier way of life. I’ve been having this discussion with my girlfriends – like fibroids weren’t a thing 20-years ago and on top of that everyone is gluten free now.
No one was talking about gluten 10, 20, 30-years ago and so I do think there is something to the vegan lifestyle. Whether I will succeed in it is a whole other discussion, but I am going to try it because I do think it is the healthier way to go. I’ve seen it work for people and I’ve seen their health and bodies change drastically so I’m going to try it in August...I’m going to give myself a month-long challenge. I’m not sure if I’m going to succeed but I’m going to try.
Keisha Mabry: With Black Panther coming out soon I have to ask the two of you...if you were a superhero who would you be and what would be your superpower?
Kela Waker: I think Robert thinks about this all the time (we all laugh)!
Robert Brace: I think my power would be the power to read minds because by knowing what people are thinking you can really get in there and help them when you need to help them.
Kela Walker: Yes. Robert would totally use his superpower for good. And me as a black woman...I am wanting to say...ok so as a black woman we are already fly so I don’t need the power to fly (flips hair). BUT, I would definitely want the power to teleport because I’m always late. And I would teleport everywhere. That way I could do more with the time I would save getting there, so yes I would teleport and be much more efficient with my time.
Keisha Mabry: Ok. Last question. I have a platform called heyFRIEND and it’s all about teaching people how to build genuine, authentic relationships by hearing the stories of humans...hence my heyFRIEND shirt (points to shirt). What’s your story as I like to say and I ask this question every time I meet someone for the first time to get to know who they are versus what they do. So...you can’t talk about what you do when answering this last question, only who you are, so what’s your story? Who are you beyond what you do?
Kela Walker: My gosh.
Robert Brace: You want to start?
Kela Walker: No...I’m going to let you start.
Robert Brace: You look like you are right there though...there’s something out there. You sure you don’t want to start (Kela shakes head no)? Alright. Who am I? I am someone who’s deeply connected to spiritual things. I am an immigrant, a father, a husband. I want to see change happen and I’m passionate about the arts (Robert thinks for a few more seconds then says...). I don’t know – this is hard.
Kela Walker: Mine kind of goes in that same vein. I am someone’s sister, I am a friend, I am a loyalist. I am a woman who wants to live her best life and who moves in a way to make life better for others. I am someone who lives on purpose and with passion. I am (Kela ponders a little more then says...) wow that is a hard question.
Off Record: At the end of the interview, Robert takes another stab at the question and we all conclude that knowing our whos is hard because so many of us define ourselves in dos – and it’s true. BUT, I encourage all of you reading to get to know who you are beyond what you do because we are much more than what we do. We are much more than the 9 to 5s we work just to stay alive. So...who are you? Do you know? If so, you can share your who statement at keishamabry.com/contact. And in the meantime...slay with purpose, slay with passion, slay with personality, slay with potential, slay with a plant-based diet if it’s your thing, slay with physical fitness and slay for the people in your community to help save our cities.
Thanks for reading!
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About Keisha Mabry: Keisha Mabry is an author, speaker and social entrepreneur on a mission to change the world one connection at a time by changing trajectories and changing minds. Her new book Hey Friend: 100 Ways to Connect with 100 People in 100 Days is a movement to make the world friendly again or at the very least friendlier than it’s ever been. It’s a must-read, a fun read and the ultimate guide to meeting new peeps. Keisha believes that by connecting people to people and people to resources she can increase movements, access, communication and progress to get the right people in the right seats to end inequality. Learn more about this fearlessly free human being at www.keishamabry.com. #heyFRIEND
