The Jen Z Podcast

I'm back! It's been too long but here we are. My hubby Jay and I co-host this episode (and hopefully more soon) discussing the glamour of gym ownership. We own and run a Martial Arts school together in Takoma Park, Maryland called Capital MMA & Elite Fitness - Team Takoma, and really hope you'll stop by for a roll some time!   In this episode, we shed some light on what gym ownership is really lik...

So much fun having my cousin Lea Bacci on the podcast! Like many of us, Covid sparked a need for Lea to do more to help others, so she started an Instagram account called @just_a_girl1978 where she started sharing insights and ideas about the everyday struggles we all face to balance family, job, personal growth and just getting through life on the daily.   Lea wears many hats, but she is a careta...

It was a pleasure to have Takoma Park's very own Seth Cook on the podcast. He's co-owner of Takoma Bev Co song with his cousin Chris Brown, and is the man behind the wine menu for Zinnia and Motorkat. He's a world traveler who loves how a great beverage or cocktail brings people together. Amazingly enough, Seth is also principal Tuba/Cimbasso of the Kennedy Center Opera House.  He's all about grea...

The first Ladies Jiu Jitsu Jam was awesome, with more than 80 amazing females on the mat! That wouldn't have been possible without my friend and perfect training partner, Maia Matalon. She's definitely someone I want you to get to know on a deeper level: She is a mom, stepmom, badass BJJ black belt and helps run High Noon BJJ in Virginia with her partner Tim Dawson. Maia also worked for several ye...

This past year, our school had a big influx of college students from the University of Maryland. One of them, Chris Giuditta, is also the owner of Ono Bowls Food Truck. Chris has been great to train with on the mats, but as he graduates and moves onto a career in finance, I had to interview him about becoming an entrepreneur at the age of 17. Learn all about how he and his friend started an acai f...

My dear friend Mary Lou Costabile, aka Miscellaneous Magic, is back on the podcast. This time she is interviewing me!!! As Mary Lou is making some shifts in her career, she wanted to ask me how I did it when I made the transition from full time beauty to fitness, wellness & BJJ. This was so much fun and great to take a hosting break. Hope you enjoy hearing about my journey. Great job Mary Lou! Mar...

My friend and fellow Capital MMA teammate, BJ Ketchem, joins me to share how he made the decision to give up $27,000 a year in pursuit of his own happiness. Is money really worth it if it costs you your quality of life? We have a great conversation reflecting on his choice, talking about life, health, mindset & jiu jitsu of course. BJ is a teacher but is also an amazing strength & conditioning coa...

One of the most common questions my clients ask me or one of their biggest struggles is that they just don't have time for themselves. With work, family, life and all the hustle, they come last. In this episode I give you some of my tips and tricks to fit in that self-care time baby! Check out my new Patreon channel for my content @allthingsjenz.    This episode is brought to you by my fabulous sp...

I am really excited to have my friends Lena Blitstein & Samantha Shapiro on this week's episode. They are the business-owner fashionista sisters of Enaz Boutiques, located throughout the Illinois Northshore. Missing from the episode but completing the fabulous sister trio is Melinda Kaplan. Enaz began when their mom, Susan Lurie, started creating custom pieces in a tiny downtown Highland Park, IL...

This one is a solo episode with me! I figured it would be great to come on and fill you in about all the exciting new things happening in the Jen Z World and give you updates on new services I am offering. My mission is always to help you become Energized & Empowered to live YOUR best life! Follow me on IG @allthingsjenz to stay in the loop! And if you are new to my page drop me a line to introduc...

Dr. Veronica Kacherova is amazing! I've always wanted to have an Optometrist on my podcast, and no, not just because I'm obsessed with frames;) Eye health is so important, especially with the amount of time we spend on screen these days. Dr. V gave so many great tips from what supplements to use for better eye health, the 20/20/20 rule to give your eyes a break during extended screen time to how o...

If you are a stepmom, you need to be listening to The Radical Stepmoms Podcast and following @radicalstepmomspodcast on IG. It was absolutely a pleasure having host Christina on the podcast. She provides ". . . a safe space to talk about the good, bad and really ugly moments of raising a child you didn't create." She uses her tools as a licensed clinical Social Worker and personal experience as a...

The wonderful Julie Schiffman joins me for a second time, first time was episode #23, to share her expertise in tapping. Julie is an EFT expert, Emotional Freedom Techniques, which can help relieve stress, anxiety, depression, health issues, pain etc. The list goes on! It is a simple tool you can utilize on your own to become aware of the emotion in your body that may be causing negative symptoms...

Super excited to finally have my dear friend Mary Lou Costabile on the podcast. Mary Lou is a Hair Stylist, Intuitive Reader, Reiki Master and Certified Life Coach. She shares all the magical vibes coming our way in 2023! We also chat about our friendship and how we both started on our spiritual paths. Mary Lou is incredibly talented and an amazing soul. Be sure to follow her on IG @miscellaneous_...

Starting out the New Year with a podcast episode featuring my hubby Jay Ferrai (aka Jonathan). After so much holiday fun and family time, we definitely needed a self-care weekend to relax and decompress. We wanted to share with you guys some of the things we love to do! Whether it's with your partner or solo, self-care should be an essential part of your schedule, even if it's just 15 minutes of Y...

Celebrity make-up artist Tay Rivera joins me to talk about his almost 20 year career working in the make-up industry. From retail to Hollywood glam, Tay has gained tons of artistic experience over the years along with learning the hustle of the business. He shares some of his must-have products and talks about current trends. You definitely want to listen! Tay and I go way back as I was his manage...

I had the pleasure of catching up with Kathy Hart! You may know her best from her amazing radio career, as she was on Chicago's The Mix as co-host of The Eric & Kathy Show for 21 years. After leaving radio, Kathy trusted her gut and moved to Montana, where she has been able to use her skills and life experience to help others heal and get healthy. She suffered from mold exposure and all three of h...

I am fangirling out with Chicago-based author Kelly Kay! She is like a contemporary Danielle Steel, but cooler and sexier! Kelly's books definitely hit the steamy romance spot like nobody else. Her writing sucks you right in. You fall in love with the characters, the settings, and, oh yeah, the sex! They are almost too much fun to read, but read them you should. Grab some wine, throw on your favor...

Rachel Melville has been defying gravity for almost 20 years. This amazing woman, a pro climber and environmental engineer, was my guide at the recent Hips & Grips camp in Las Vegas, and we connected right away. She's one of the most authentic, badass people I've ever met. As our instructor she made me feel not only safe but confident about the challenge of rock-climbing, something I had never att...

Ewa Pasek's passion for photography is easy to see. Her artistic eye helps create images that have beautiful immediate impact, and are hard to forget. It's impressive work that has earned gallery showings in her current hometown of Highland Park, Illinois, and participation in a Paris studio showcase. She is a true artist! Her latest collection reflects her unique ability to blend different images...

I swear everyone knows Coach Danny Chacon! And they all say what an amazing guy he is with an awesome energy! You can tell how passionate he is about helping others become their best and how positive and grateful he is to be doing what he loves! Danny shares his story of living as an illegal immigrant, coming to the US from Argentina when he was a child, and how he started his journey in martials...

Who doesn't love a good mystery? Lucky enough one of our members happens to be the author of one of the best mystery novels out there. Stephen Spotswood is a novelist, award-winning playwright and journalist. He also trains Muay Thai & jiu-Jitsu, so that makes him even cooler. Learn about his journey on becoming a writer to the present day where he is awaiting the launch of his third book in Decem...

Not only did I have the honor of competing against Rachel Morrision Casias at Masters Worlds 2022, but I also had the pleasure of having her as a guest on my podcast. We could have talked for hours. She is so down to earth and absolutely hilarious!! Rachel is a second degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and, along with her husband Ray Casias, owner of Tennessee Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She is curren...

I love sharing stories of strong women that are truly inspiring and motivating to others. This episode is no exception. Iman Casteneda, Capital MMA Black Belt, has a life story that could have given her tons of excuses to not succeed, but she did quite the opposite! Leaving her home in Morocco to escape an arranged marriage to being homeless to her career as a pro MMA fighter and now her proudest...

That's the title of the new book coming out by our dear friend DJ Stephens. DJ is the owner of CDK Self-Defense Systems in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He is a Krav Maga 2nd Degree Black Belt, TaeKwonDo Black Belt and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt. Through his book, DJ is able to share his perspective on self-defense and his own personal story of growing up training several martial arts. This was a grea...