Hurdle with Emily Abbate

Break-ups suck. Arguably, break-ups suck even more when you’re an entrepreneur working tirelessly to launch your own business. Jessy Dover was grinding long days with her two Dagne Dover co-founders, when she returned one night from a trip to the apartment she shared with her then-boyfriend of more than 3 years to see her stuff packed up in the corner and him asking her to leave. It was a #hurdlem...

It was only a matter of time until Hurdle had a hurdler (of sorts) on the podcast. Colleen Quigley didn’t grow up dreaming of going to the Olympics to compete in the steeple chase. After joining the track team her freshman year of high school and finding her fast, the St. Louis native geared up for a collegiate running career at Florida State University that would eventually lead her to turn pro a...

A Christmas morning car accident was the #hurdlemoment that changed Andy Puddicombe’s life forever. Looking to process sudden loss, he went to Asia to study as a Buddhist monk. After 10 years of practice, Puddicombe wanted to help others understand the benefits of meditation. That’s when he met co-founder Rich Pierson, and Headspace was born. What once started as an events company, Headspace now h...

Take a quick peak at Robin Arzon’s Instagram, @robinnyc. It’s hard to imagine a time when activity wasn’t a part of her everyday life. After a near-death experience at age 20 when Arzon was held hostage at gunpoint in New York City’s East Village, she leaned into movement and running for the first time to help her process the trauma. Soon enough, the then-lawyer turned away from her conventional 9...

Listening to Kirsty Godso talk will ignite something awesome in you. Appropriate, since the Nike Master Trainer calls herself (and others who are willing to work hard to elevate the energy of everyone around them) a “pyro girl.” In episode 27 we talk about the #hurdlemoments she’s faced building her personal brand, including having to leave behind a major fitness project she created with Les Mills...

In just 8 years since their debut in 2010, On Running has become one of the fastest growing running shoe brands, now featured in more than 5,000 running specialty shops across the globe. In episode 26, live from Paragon Sports in New York City, co-founder Caspar Coppetti and I talk about the pressures that come with building an athletic company from the ground up, and how the brand’s cloud technol...

Former Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick made the first version of the popular suspension trainer, TRX, during a deployment in 1997. The veteran went on to perfect his design, conquer Stanford business school, and eventually pile his savings into launching the company. But he faced a huge #hurdlemoment in 2010, when counterfeiters started to sell a rip-off of his product on Amazon. In episode 25, we talk ab...

Neha Gandhi has quite the impressive resume. With editorial jobs at Seventeen, Harper’s Bazaar, and Refinery 29 under her belt, she was excited when the opportunity came her way to join the Girlboss team in mid-2017. The new COO/Editor-in-Chief title brought about a lot of change in her life, including a cross-country move to Los Angeles with her husband. In episode 24, Gandhi talks about how she...

I sit down with past Hurdle guests Dr. Jason Wersland, Michael Chernow, and Dan Churchill for the second-ever Hurdle Live. We chat about everything from how to keep your health in mind when on the road to best practices for implementing mediation and recovery into your regular routine (plus, have a few laughs along the way). Huge thank you to Hub Seventeen for hosting us, as well as the 11+ brands...

Joey Gonzalez has what he likes to call a “CEO Cinderella story.” At first intimidated to walk through the doors of Barry’s Bootcamp soon after opening in the late 1990s, he was instantly hooked to how the popular boutique fitness class made him feel. Fast forward to the company’s 20-year anniversary this week, and the once-student-turned-instructor now sits in the CEO seat, grateful for all of th...

Having “co-founder of SoulCycle and Flywheel Sports” on your resume is kind of a big deal. This week, I sit down with Ruth Zukerman, Creative Director of boutique cycling favorite FlyWheel Sports. After her 1996 divorce, the former dancer and aerobics instructor felt lost and took to the Spin bike. Soon, she became an instructor and was approached by a rider about starting a company of their own—S...

Before Hayden Slater started cult-favorite Pressed Juicery in the back of a small cupcake shop in West Los Angeles, he was a recent NYU graduate eating fast food all the time and felt totally drained by his 9 to 5. Cue a #hurdlemoment-worthy trip to Southeast Asia, complete with a 30-day juice cleanse, that ignited his passion for health and wellness, helped him lose 60 pounds, and inspired him to...

Nicole Winhoffer’s helped A-listers like Stella McCartney and Madonna get in top shape. But she wasn’t always a personal trainer. As a teenager, Winhoffer was dancing on Broadway, living a life many only dream of. In episode 19, we talk about the #hurdlemoment that lead the Bronx native to a major career pivot. The NW Method creator shares where she draws her inspiration from, the must-hear advice...

You’ve seen basketballer Kyrie Irving reach for it courtside and CrossFit’s ‘Fittest Man on Earth’ Mathew Fraser use it in the gym. In episode 18, I sit down with TheraGun creator Dr. Jason Wersland, D.C., the creator of the crazy-looking tool made for muscle activation, recovery, and pain management. He shares with me the story behind his invention and his #hurdlemoment, a 2007 motorcycle acciden...

Khloe Kardashian. Jennifer Lopez. Sofia Vergara. As personal trainers go, Gunnar Peterson has a mega impressive roster of celebrity clientele—past and present. Also the Director of Strength and Endurance for the Los Angeles Lakers, Peterson knows a thing or two about hard work, time management, and the human body. In episode 17, I catch up with him while he’s visiting New York for Propel’s Co:Labs...

“You can be anything you want to be, whenever you want to be it,” Paralympic medalist and snowboard champ Amy Purdy told me last month in Colorado. A strong message coming from the double-leg amputee, who was given a 2 percent chance of living by doctors after contracting bacterial meningitis in 1999. Although the incident did cost her her legs, it certainly didn’t make her lose sight of her poten...

Some people hate spending time on the treadmill. And at one point, David Siik was one of them. But when the former college track athlete didn’t make the cut as a professional runner, he turned his passion into his career in an unexpected way by giving the hamster wheel a second thought. Soon enough, the Michigan native was pitching fitness giant Equinox a treadmill-based running program. And today...

When champion marathoner and New York Times best-selling author Deena Kastor arrived in China for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, she was ready to crush the competition. But 3 miles into her race, the pro felt something snap in her right foot, causing her to fall to the ground and drop out. In episode 14, I travel to London to catch up with the American female record holder for the marathon and half...

The second you meet Liz Plosser, you'll likely strategize exactly how to be her best friend. The editor-in-chief of Women's Health Magazine has got a can-do attitude that's contagious, exemplified by her early morning workouts (often found on her Instagram story) and outstanding career accomplishments alike. In episode 13, Plosser shares how a difficult time conceiving made her realize how importa...

Dan Churchill’s got an impressive resume: chef for Under Armour, published author, TV star, and founder of a soon-to-open New York City restaurant, Charley St. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the Australian-born foodie. In episode 12, Churchill spills what happened during his #hurdlemoment—when his first full-time gig in the states didn’t work out—and how leaning into mindfulness medi...

Candice Huffine has been breaking down barriers for years in the modeling industry. Landing magazine covers from Italian Vogue to Elle, the body positivity advocate never let fear or doubt stop her in her career. When her husband dared her to run a half-marathon at the end of 2015, she was forced to face a different type of challenge, embrace something she absolutely despised, and step outside her...

Golden Harper grew up around running. Working at the running store his father opened in the Utah mountains from a young age, the track athlete and marathon fanatic was able to share his passion for the sport with customers of all experience levels. He also saw his fair share of clientele with severe foot problems. After years of studying body mechanics and exercise science in college, the entrepre...

Almost 10 years ago, Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise were both at their own self-described rock bottoms. Tingle, beside herself dealing with persistent cystic acne. DuBoise, in the hospital after years of yo-yo dieting finally caught up with her. The solution to both of their #hurdlemoments? Founding Sakara Life—a wellness company rooted in the belief that food is medicine, favorited by A-list...

Chinae Alexander isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Something that could be a little unnerving when 138,000+ people are following her every move on social media. The self-proclaimed entrepreneur and undeniable female badass had a #hurdlemoment of her own after losing 70 pounds, realizing that weight loss didn’t guarantee happiness. In episode eight, she talks about the power of looking within, how sh...

This year, Barre3—a studio exercise program that blends ballet with yoga and pilates—celebrates its 10-year anniversary. In 2008, Sadie Lincoln, the CEO and founder, was immersed in the fitness industry, teaching step and cardio kickboxing classes, when she experienced her own #hurdlemoment. Reevaluating everything she thought she knew about wellness, the mother of two left her established job in...