Today is World Vegan Day and the start of World Vegan Month, so we have compiled a list of flavorful options that won’t have you asking “where’s the beef?”—as always, please let us know if you would like to check out any of these items yourself. Tanuki Enjoy Asian fusion vegan-friendly dishes such as the Impossible Tacos ($12) – Impossible “meat”, avocado, salsa verde, and radish, the Vegetable Thai Curry ($22) – Tofu, eggplant, bok choy, red pepper, mushroom, and Thai basil, and the Singapore Noodle ($18) – Tofu, curry, vegetable, rice noodles. You can view their full vegan menu here. Address: 1080 Alton Rd. Miami Beach, FL 33139 Image courtesy of Tanuki Shokudo Miami Starting on November 1st, Shokudo will begin offering 50% off wines during their “Veg Out Monday” special. Every Monday Shokudo Miami offers guests their Veg Out Monday menu specials all day, every Monday. Guests can select a variety of dishes at a set price per dish from both the Entrees ($15) and Sushi ($9) menu options. Entree menu items feature Red Curry – bell peppers, asparagus, eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, bamboo shoots, cilantro, and lime (option to add tofu for +$2); the Fried Rice – carrots, bean sprouts, and scallions (add tofu +$2), and the Ramen – Kale noodles, tomato broth, mixed Japanese sansei vegetables, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and scallions (add tofu +$2). From the Sushi menu choose between the Dragon Roll – tofu tempura, cucumber, scallions, vegan spicy mayo, and topped avocado, or the Rainbow Roll – veggie California, topped with sashimi vegetables. You can view the complete “Veg Out Monday” menu here. The above vegetarian and vegan dishes are also offered daily at regular menu prices. Address: 4740 Northeast 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33137 Images courtesy of Shokudo TUR Kitchen The Mediterranean culinary concept offers guests a selection of vegetarian and vegan options from their lunch and dinner shares, salads, dinner entrees and sides. Vegan menu items include the Cauliflower Steak with tabbouleh and mint; Piquillo Pepper Spread – chickpea, pomegranate, and sumac served with dukkah flatbread; Avocado Tartine – radish, asparagus, and lemon atop sourdough toast; and the Beets & Asparagus Salad – frisee, grapefruit, sunflower seeds, and Aleppo; Organic Mushrooms – garbanzo, preserved lemon, and Aleppo; and Grilled Broccolini with calabrian chili and fennel pollen. View the lunch menu here and dinner menu here. Address: 259 Giralda Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134 Image courtesy of rmstudiocorp Image courtesy of Munch Miami CH’I Located in Miami’s Brickell City Centre, CH’I is a multi-faceted entertainment venue that fuses several immersive concepts – a Garden; Mercado; Lounge; and Main Dining Room – into one dynamic and incomparable experience. The Chino-Latino fusion menu by Executive Chef Rafael Perez Cambana features vegan dishes throughout the Mercado menu and Dinner and Brunch menus in the Dining Room. The dinner menu, includes the Mushroom Ceviche ($15) features a mushroom mix, yuzu juice, and white truffle vinaigrette, topped with Okinawa sweet potato chips, and the Vegetable Summer Rolls ($14) avocado, carrots, Napa cabbage, scallions, rice noodles, served with a honey chili sauce. From the brunch menu, the Avocado Toast ($18) comes with poached eggs (can be removed upon request), sweet and sour sauce, multigrain toast, avocado spread, cotija cheese (can be removed upon request), pickled vegetables, greens, and served with hash brown potatoes. Lastly, from the Mercado menu, select from the Avocado Dip ($12) served with avocado wasabi dip, plantain chips, wonton chips, and daikon salsa; or indulge in the Dim Sum Vegetable Dumplings ($8) vegetable stuffed dumplings, leeks, carrots, bok choy, scallions and yuzu ponzu. View the dinner menu here, the mercado menu here, and the brunch (served Saturdays and Sundays 11 am - 4 pm) menu here. Address: Brickell City Centre - 701 South Miami Avenue #339A/B (3rd floor), Miami, FL 33131 Image courtesy of Michael Pisarri By ML Staff

Some of the most rare supercars will be on display for one-night only for the ‘Together We CAN’ supercar show, auction and cocktail fundraiser benefiting the UF Health Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment (UF Health CAN) which helps individuals and families living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. This fundraiser is open to the public and tickets are $100 each, with all proceeds benefiting UF Health CAN. Celebrities, VIPs and car enthusiasts will enjoy a live auction of luxury sports cars, artwork including an NFT, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences including an eight-person dinner with former Heisman Trophy winner and famous football coach Steve Spurrier at his new restaurant, Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille. In addition, guests will enjoy a rare chance to marvel at supercars curated in vignettes tied to creative storytelling about UF Health CAN’s mission and ASD statistics. The cocktail event will feature omakase stations from Uchi Miami, featuring James Beard Award Winning Chef Tyson Cole’s signature non-traditional take on Japanese food. Guests can mix and mingle between cocktails bars hosted by Whitley Neill handcrafted gin, Zyr Vodka and Mixology Mixer, a unique, made-in-Miami cocktail subscription club. Vintage Liquor & Wine Bar will serve a portfolio of Orin Swift wines by celebrated winemaker David Phinney. Co-sponsors of the event include: Prestige Imports / Lamborghini Miami, Ikonick Motors, Ernst Benz, Vossen Wheels, Maranello Autosports, Climate First Bank, Supercar Rooms Miami, Meldon Law, Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille and Big Comic Art. WHEN: Thursday, November 18, 2021, from 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. WHERE: Supercar Rooms Miami, 2022 NW First Court, Miami, FL, 33127 OTHER: Tickets are $100 per guest and can be purchased online at https://cvent.me/A3P5Va By ML Staff. Photo by Supercar Rooms Miami.

The long awaited, midday lunch break is a repetitious bite for most - but for us, it is a chance to check out some of our favorite Miami staples! Selecting your next lunch destination could be difficult with so many options to choose from, so we’ve narrowed down our go-to spots for you to visit on your next lunch break! CHICA LUNCH STANDOUTS: Widely regarded as a MiMo District restaurant staple, this high-energy Latin and South American hotspot is open for lunch, dinner, late-night and brunch. Crafted by Celebrity Chef Lorena Garcia, CHICA's menu draws inspiration from classic renditions of Latin dishes and offers a unique signature lunch menu consisting of favorites such as: Nikkei Style Tuna Tartar, Asado Negro Arepas, CHICA’s Fresh Juices, Peruvian Churrasco Steak and Embered Anticuchos. AVAILABLE: Monday-Friday | 11:00AM - 4:00PM WHERE: CHICA| 5556 NE 4th Ct, Miami, FL 33137 Images courtesy of Chica ABOUT CHICA Conceptualized by 50 Eggs Hospitality Group in collaboration with celebrity chef partner, Lorena Garcia, CHICA is a celebration of vibrant Latin flavors and culture. CHICA made its initial debut in 2017 inside of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas and followed with a second location outpost in Miami’s historic MiMo District in 2019. The menu features influences from Garcia’s hometown in Venezuela, as well as that of Peru, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, among others. From the hearty wood-grilled steaks to the freshly prepared ceviche and seafood delicacies, Garcia meticulously reimagines each dish in her own distinct global style. CHICA delivers an unparalleled dining experience and is open daily for lunch, dinner, lively weekend brunch, private dining, and late-night on weekends for a unique nightlife and culinary experience, coined CHICA Nights. From daytime into the late hours of the night, CHICA is that lively party - part delicious feast, part Carnaval - that serves as a singular all-in-one dining and entertainment destination. CHICA Miami is located at 5556 NE 4th Court, Miami, FL 33137. For more information, visit: https://chicarestaurant.com/ / Instagram: @ChicaRestaurants /Facebook: /ChicaRestaurants Pura Vida LUNCH STANDOUTS: South Florida’s beloved all-day cafe, Pura Vida, boasts a quality-driven menu catered to help kick-start one’s day. Pura Vida’s menu features an array of fresh juices and superfood smoothies, canned kombucha, artisanal coffees, avocado toast dishes, free-range egg sandwiches, fresh bagels, wraps, and bowls, Raw organic Açaí Bowls, crisp and refreshing salads topped with wild ahi tuna, chicken, salmon, or vegan-lentil based adashah. AVAILABLE: South of Fifth, 7:00AM-10:00PM | Design District, 8:00AM-8:00PM | Edgewater, 8:00AM-8:00PM | West Ave, 8:00AM-4:00PM| Aventura, 8:00AM-8:00PM | West Palm Beach, 8:00AM-8:00PM | Bay Harbor, 8:00AM-4:00PM WHERE: Multiple Locations |South Beach, Miami Design District, Edgewater, West Avenue in Miami Beach, Aventura, West Palm Beach, and Coral Gables at the University of Miami. Opening soon: Brickell and Las Olas Images courtesy of Pura Vida ABOUT PURA VIDA: Pura Vida is South Florida’s go-to wellness eatery and all-day café, offering a balance of nutritious and delectable dishes, sourced using all local and organic ingredients whenever available. Founded in 2012, by husband-and-wife team, Omer and Jennifer Horev, the Miami-based concept provides an extensive menu that showcases an all-day breakfast menu, including a range of raw, organic açai bowls, freshly squeezed juices, superfood smoothies, fresh salads, wraps, bowls and more. What started as a passion project for Omer and Jennifer, has since evolved into a lifestyle brand that has established itself as a genuine neighborhood wellness hub for South Floridians looking for healthy, clean, feel-good eats. Pura Vida has ten locations throughout South Florida, including South Beach, Miami Design District, Edgewater, West Avenue in Miami Beach, Aventura, West Palm Beach, and Coral Gables at the University of Miami. Opening soon: Bay Harbor, Brickell, and Las Olas. Delivery and pick-up are available through the Pura Vida Miami app. For more information, visit: https://www.puravidamiami.com/ / Instagram: @PuraVidaMiami KAORI LUNCH STANDOUTS: Highlighting KAORI’s farm-to-table practices, and the sourcing of local ingredients and quality fresh fish, KAORI’s lunch menu offers an eclectic culinary journey through land and sea. Guests can look forward to signature menu items such as authentic cuts of A5 Japanese Miyazaki Kobe Strip Loin with Shiso Chimichurri, Furikake Chicharron with Yuzu Mojo, Yellowfin Tuna with Charred Avocado and Miso Sweet Potato Puree, home-made Short Rib Dumplings with Manchego Foam, and Kabayaki Glazed Seabass. AVAILABLE: Friday-Sunday | 12:00PM - 4:00PM WHERE: KAORI Miami | 871 South Miami Ave. South Miami, FL 33130 Images courtesy of Kaori ABOUT KAORI MIAMI: KAORI is Miami’s newest Mediterranean-Asian-inspired culinary concept, nestled in the very heart of downtown Brickell. Located at the ground level of SLS LUX Brickell, the all-expansive dining destination brings two levels of unparalleled indulgence and entertainment to the neighborhood. KAORI’s menu exudes an eclectic and sophisticated fusion of flavors that offers a beautiful balance between the two worlds of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. From the delicately warm-toned interior, to the exceptional food and beverage programming, to the synergetic entertainment component, every harmonic extension of KAORI naturally blends to create the signature ‘KAORI’ guest experience. For more information, visit: https://kaorimiami.com/ / Instagram: @KaoriMiami / Facebook: @KAORI-MIAMI Yardbird LUNCH STANDOUTS: There is no surprise that Yardbird has become a genuine favorite among Miami lunch-goers, with a menu that highlights authentic Southern classics such as their Famous Chicken & Waffles, Lobster Mac & Cheese and St. Louis Ribs. This year marks an incredible milestone for the James Beard-nominated and award-winning Miami Beach favorite as it celebrates its tenth year serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to the community with an emphasis on culinary excellence. Stop in and squeeze Yardbird into your next lunch break, you won’t regret it! AVAILABLE: Monday-Friday | 11:00AM - 4:00PM WHERE: CHICA| 5556 NE 4th Ct, Miami, FL 33137 Images courtesy of Yardbird ABOUT YARDBIRD Synonymous with Southern decadence, Yardbird, the James Beard Award-nominated restaurant concept, is the brainchild of 50 Eggs Hospitality Group founder, John Kunkel. Since inception in the heart of Miami Beach in 2011, Yardbird quickly gained fame for its unapologetically indulgent dishes and heady bourbon cocktails. Serving up nationally acclaimed comfort food for over a decade, Yardbird is a tribute to all the craveable American classics that bring people together, where guests can indulge in brunch, lunch, dinner, and a curated cocktail program highlighting a dynamic collection of bourbons. From Los Angeles to Singapore and everywhere in between, Yardbird has spread its wings on a global scale, upholding a current total of six locations, each featuring a menu tailored to reflect the unique tastes of the city it calls home. Outposts include Miami Beach, Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, and Singapore. For more information, visit RunChickenRun.com and follow Yardbird on Instagram @yardbirdrestaurants. Miami Beach | 1600 Lenox Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139 Los Angeles | 8500 Beverly Blvd Suite 112, Los Angeles, CA 90048 Dallas | 2121 N Pearl St Suite #170, Dallas, TX 75201 Washington D.C. | 901 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 Las Vegas | 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109 Singapore | 2 Bayfront Ave B1-07, Singapore 018972 By ML Staff

Four Seasons Private Residences Fort Lauderdale is opening this December. The luxury oceanfront development offering a combination of sophisticated, nautical-inspired design and first-class amenities and services is the first five-star property to debut in Broward County, elevating the city into a global luxury destination. The development featuring 148 hotel rooms and 83 private residences, ranging from one- to four-bedroom homes, was brought to life by a team of global visionaries including Miami-based architect Kobi Karp, lead interior designer Tara Bernerd and Fernando Wong, one of the most influential landscape designers in America. Nearing sell-out at over 85 percent sold, Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale reflects the very best of beachfront living. The residences have been designed by Tara Bernerd as a calming retreat, and feature elegant kitchens with custom European cabinetry and top-of-the-line Miele, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances and well-appointed master baths with European vanities and select branded fixtures. The spaces are fresh and light and offer generous outdoor terraces with unparalleled views of the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway. Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale also plays up its location in the heart of the yachting capital of the world with a full range of services and amenities aimed at providing the most upscale lifestyle on the water. On staff is a designated residential concierge, director of residences and butlers, and there is also yachting services, a spa and a host of pet amenities, including a pet concierge, boutique and on-call veterinarian. For more info visit: https://fort525residences.com/ By ML Staff. Images courtesy of Four Seasons Private Residences Fort Lauderdale

The first thing I noticed when I sat down with Jewel was her beautifully sculpted cheekbones and trademark smile, but I was instantly redirected toward her glow; a warm and welcoming glow emanating from that same place where, no doubt, her poetic music and lyrics originate. I wanted to learn more. It hasn’t been easy for Jewel, the daughter of a single father who experienced post-Vietnam PTSD and self-medicated with alcohol. The impoverished father/daughter duo, knocked around bars in Jewel’s home state of Alaska, crooning to just barely pay the bills. On her own by age of fifteen, to escape an abusive home environment, the multiplatinum, multi-award-winning artist poured her pain, anxiety, depression, and confusion into some of the most lyrically potent and widely listened to music of the past two and a half decades. She became a music icon in the process. Discovered in a Southern California coffee house with little more than her guitar, Jewel would go on to sell more than thirty million albums, and it all started with her breakout 1995 album, Pieces of You, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. Hits like Standing Still, Hands, Who Will Save Your Soul, You Were Meant for Me, and Intuition, reflect Jewel’s evolutionary inward journey and continue to resonate, worldwide, throughout our human culture. It’s no wonder The Voice producer, Mark Burnett, calls Jewel “One of the greatest singer-songwriters in history.” Now, the forty-seven-year-old mother of one has devoted much of her public platform to mental health advocacy and what she gleefully calls her ongoing practice of “being consciously present” with her experiences. Jewel’s Never Broken (an nod to her hit song, Hands and her New York Times bestselling memoir) movement offers free mindfulness and mental health resources and what she calls “actionable exercises,” while her second annual World Mental Health Day Summit and Concert, is taking place, virtually, on Sunday, October 10th at TheWellness-Experience.com. Jewel’s anticipated upcoming album Freewheelin’ Woman, which reflects her personal and musical evolution of “being on this side of life,” as she lovingly calls her current chapter, will be released in Spring 2022. Allison Kugel: Tell me about your name Jewel. Is there a story behind your first name? Jewel: It’s a family name. My grandfather’s name was Jasper Jade Jewel Caroll, my mother’s name was Lenedra Jewel Caroll, and my other grandfather was Yule. The feminine pronunciation of that name was Jewel. It kind of came from both sides. AK: Interesting. Tell me about the three most significant events in your life that shaped who you are today. Jewel: I don’t really think that way, but the interesting thing I find about healing is that our stories can’t change. We can’t go back and change our history, but we can change how we relate to the story. We can change which features we make salient and important to us, and we can change which memories we draw on. A good example would be, growing up as a child I didn’t think I was lovable because my parents didn’t seem to love me or care for me. So, if you had asked me that question many years ago, I would have said a big part of my story was that I felt unlovable. Through time, and through healing, you start to realize it’s not that I was unlovable and it’s not even that my parents didn’t love me. It’s that my parents didn’t know how to love. Again, it’s not how your story changes, but how you relate to the story that changes. Realizing that my parents didn’t know how to love builds empathy. It builds a different sense of self-worth, because it’s not suddenly about me, or from an ego perspective, about my lack of ability to be loved or lovable, and it allows room for a different narrative. AK: At what age did you come to that conclusion? Jewel: I’ve been studying for the last couple of years, sort of a system of misunderstandings, and realizing that a lot of conclusions we draw about ourselves are based on a misunderstanding. It’s about looking through it through fresh eyes and saying, “Is that true?” and challenging that truth. It’s kind of a process I’ve always been interested in but looking at it in terms of misunderstandings and updating misunderstandings has probably been more in the last couple of years. AK: For me, personally, I always say that my parents raised me the best way they knew how, and then when I became an adult, I re-raised myself. Does that resonate with you? Jewel: Yes. I remember at some point thinking wouldn’t it be embarrassing if I spent my whole adulthood getting over my childhood (laugh). At some point, how do you start to transcend your story? You do have to heal and reclaim a lot of that narrative, and then you get to start saying, “Now, what do I want to do with it?” In my book (New York Times bestseller, Never Broken/Penguin Random House), I called it “an archeological dig back to my true self.” My life had a lot of drama and a lot of trauma. My mom left when I was eight. My dad was a Vietnam veteran who was trauma-triggered. He was abusive and an alcoholic. I moved out at [the age of] 15 and was paying rent. I was homeless by 18, because I wouldn’t have sex with my boss. I was living in my car and then my car got stolen. So, I knew, statistically, kids like me ended up repeating the cycle, and I didn’t want to be a statistic. But if your nurture was really bad, how do you get to know your nature? That is what I’ve spent my life dedicated to, is figuring out what causes happiness? Happiness is a side effect of choices. Our choices are usually stimulated by misunderstandings. We have to examine those and rework them so we can go where we want in life. Ak: Did you do that with the help of a therapist, or was it mainly self-work? Jewel: It was an internal process for me. [At the time] I didn’t have access to therapists. When I moved out at 15, I started having panic attacks and didn’t know what they were. I also started getting really sick and I thought it was stress related, so I started studying food as medicine. I started having so many panic attacks, that I was able to experiment while I was having them to see what things worked. And then it was really when I was homeless that I hit a whole new level of being able to understand a lot of my behaviors. I was shop lifting a dress and I looked in the mirror and saw what I looked like, and I looked like a statistic. I hadn’t beat the odds. I turned into a homeless kid who was stealing and going to end up in jail or on drugs. I remembered this quote by Buddha that said, “Happiness doesn’t depend on who you are or what you have. It depends on what you think.” I wanted to see if I could change my life one thought at a time. But I couldn’t perceive what I was thinking in real time, because I was so disassociated, and I couldn’t witness my thoughts happening. So, I decided to come up with this hack where I realized your hands are the servants of your thoughts. If you want to see what you’re thinking, just watch what you’re doing. It’s your thought cooled down, slowed down into action. My big life plan in that moment was to not steal the dress, and to write down everything my hands did for two weeks, I think. I didn’t know what I was looking for. Ak: What your hands were doing… explain that. Jewel: I opened a door, I shut a door. I washed my hands. I wouldn’t shake somebody’s hand. I stole vegetables. Whatever it was, I was looking for a pattern to clue me in about what I was thinking? At the end of the two weeks, I sat down and looked at everything and the pattern definitely showed I quit believing in myself. The much more interesting thing was that my anxiety went away. I didn’t have a panic attack for the whole two weeks. What I had stumbled onto was mindfulness and being present. The word “mindfulness” wasn’t around at that time. It was just through my journaling and going inward that I realized fear is a thief and it robs us of any chance we have to change. My anxiety was me taking my past and projecting it onto my future that hadn’t happened yet. Ak: Tell me how your music connects to all of this. Your lyrics can stand alone as poetry. When you were writing many of your songs that went on to become huge hits, did you first write them as poems? Jewel: My songs came together with lyrics and melody, but writing poems had been my first skill, and my first love was writing. Ak: I can tell. Jewel: I think writing was me developing that relationship with my observer; with that quiet voice that is so easily drowned out, but that is so wise and sees so much. When you sit down to write, whether you’re going to be a writer or not, you’re giving a pen to your authenticity. You’re giving your authenticity a way of communicating to you. It is your soul trying to communicate with you. Poetry, especially so, because it leaves enough room, and it is symbolic. Ak: Let’s talk about your upcoming World Mental Health Day Summit and Concert. This is the second annual event of its kind. How did it come together? And how can people get involved and attend? Jewel: As I mentioned to you, moving out at 15 and having this daunting feeling of, “Oh my gosh! If happiness wasn’t taught in my home, is it a learnable skill? Is it a teachable skill?” Then realizing everything that I needed to learn to be a happy and whole human, and not a human full of holes (laughs). Ak: (laugh) I like that! Jewel: It was an education that I originally lacked, and I wasn’t taught it in school. It had to be this 360-degree thing this very three-dimensional thing. I had to learn about food as medicine. I had to learn about my mind affecting my body. I had to learn that my thoughts can create a dilated or contracted state which then creates physiological reactions, biochemical reactions, vascular reactions, as well as learning things like relationship fitness. I wasn’t raised thinking relationships were great, and, growing up, relationships in my life were never nurturing. I needed to gain a whole new education in all kinds of things. When I became famous, the thing I used my name for was not getting a table at a restaurant, it was to find the best experts. It took a lot of time and a lot of digging to find those special people that looked at their craft from this very holistic standpoint, and to curate that information. This wellness festival is like a culmination of a lifetime of learning and gathering for myself and wanting to democratize that wellness. This will be our second time doing this event on World Mental Health Day. Ak: Is there a website people can visit to find out about the event and attend. And can people attend virtually? Jewel: Yes, it is all virtual, actually and it’s free to attend at www.thewellness-experience.com. The event is eight hours with famous fitness trainers from yoga and other [modalities], there will be talks with musicians, clinics on anxiety, all kinds of stuff. Ak: You and I have this in common because I had also struggled with anxiety and panic attacks from the time I was eight years old. My feeling is that you don’t get “cured,” but, rather, you heal from it. What do you think? Jewel: In my book (Never Broken/Penguin Random House) I write about a really difficult thing that happened with my mom in my thirties, and it really set me back. I was thinking about how to heal again while I was in my thirties, and I had this sort of flash or inspiration come to me, that we are not actually broken. No matter what trauma we suffer, I always came at it like I had to fix myself as if I was broken. That is a really daunting and really depressing way to go about it. I realized that a soul is not a teacup. It can’t be broken. It exists perfectly and whole. A lot of the exercises I developed during that time in my life, that are available on www.jewelneverbroken.com, are the little exercises I used to help distinguish the self and the other. And, yes, it is something you heal from. Anxiety does not have the grip it used to have over me. I hadn’t had an anxiety attack in probably twenty years. But interestingly, a couple of weeks ago I was totally triggered and had a panic attack. It was fascinating. Ak: It is an empowering perspective to, instead of being scared by it, to become curious about it. Jewel: I had the skills to care for myself, and in retrospect realize what triggered me. It was really fascinating what triggered me and I learned a lot. I don’t live in fear that I’m going to keep having panic attacks. The money that we are going to try and raise from this wellness experience all goes to my foundation where we teach these skills to kids that don’t have access to therapy and traditional support groups. Resiliency is just a fancy word for having multiple tools to handle life as it happens. If this tool doesn’t work, try this one. If that tool doesn’t work, try that one. Ak: You and I both have sons. Your son is ten and mine is twelve. I feel like we are pioneers in that we are both raising young men who will eventually be grown men, and we want them to be more in touch with their emotions, and how they relate to their emotions, than previous generations of men. How do you speak to your son about his emotions and how he identifies with them? Jewel: My son is a very emotional child. He is very creative. Something I’ve really been working on with my son is differentiating between a genuine emotion and a reaction. Ak: Good one. Jewel: If you look at things generationally, if you have really strict parents that child will grow up and be really lenient. Uber religious parents sometimes will cause the opposite reaction and the child will become the exact opposite. Ak: Over correction, yes. Jewel: But it’s the same. It’s just a different side of the same coin. Looking at emotionality and how we raise boys, for me it has been going back and really studying masculinity among indigenous cultures; the rites of passage from a male perspective, and not putting my female perspective on it. But instead, learning about masculinity in an indigenous way as well as realizing I would have a tendency to want to over empower my child’s feelings. Learning that you can’t use your feelings as a tactic is really important for a child, especially for a child that has a mom that’s like, “I care about your feelings (laughs),” which I do. But right now, the world isn’t having a lot of authentic feelings, it’s having a lot of reactions. It’s using volatile and highly emotionally charged reactions to bully people into behavior. That’s the role type of being woke now. I find that really interesting, and something I’m thinking about right now with my son is, “How do I implement him learning to self-assess because we don’t want to have a reaction. We want to have a thoughtful and centered response. That’s powerful. That where you’re in your body and in your heart, and you’re forming a response. That’s focused and intentional, versus just a reaction that is highly emotional. It’s a little nuance, but I think it really matters. Ak: Can great art be born out of joy and contentment, or do you feel that art is always the byproduct of trauma, pain, and processing pain? Jewel: Both things are true, and so what do you want your life to be? I know a lot of artists that are stuck on a treadmill of self-imposed hatred, self-hatred, self flagellation, because they believe it’s the only way, they can make art. Or I have friends that just stay high, and they only can write when they’re high. Whatever you believe is true. I personally believe art is much bigger than that. Art is just the mirror of life. A mirror doesn’t stop being a mirror because you’re happy (laugh). It’s a mirror all the time. It’s there to capture the imprint of all life and there is great beauty. There are poems that celebrate sheer joy and ecstatic ecstasy. I definitely would recommend any artist to take themselves off the cross upon which they have nailed themselves, because your art can still be really potent and engaging and healing through beauty as well. Ak: Good point. Do you pray, and if so, who or what do you pray to? Jewel: I do pray. I think prayer is as real an element as fire, water or wind. I don’t have a religious denomination, so I was raised with a lot of Native American culture and influence, and so my culture and my prayers tend to lean more toward that. Ak: You grew up in the Alaskan wilderness with very little. As a teen you were homeless and had nothing, and then suddenly you had a lot. How did you acclimate and what is your relationship with material luxuries today? Jewel: I was lucky to be raised in Alaska with a lot of nature; big, wild, raw country. That was my church. I’m a really experience-based person and I wasn’t raised that way, nor did my personality ever feel hungry for material things in that way. My mom, however, if you read my book (Never Broken), she was very motivated by those things, and those things were very important to her. Money helps. Anybody that says money doesn’t help is full of it. It definitely cannot make you happy, which is why there are so many suicidal rich people, just like there are suicidal poor people, but it can remove a lot of stress. Having money for medical care, for airplane tickets, for food; those things have been such a relief in my life. It has been beyond a blessing. But other than that, I’m just not too motivated that way. Ak: What makes you perfectly imperfect? Jewel: Life is about growth. When you enjoy growth, it means you really have to love your mistakes. I pray every day for the eyes to see how I can grow. That means every day I’m going to see things that I’m not great at. Perfection is really an addiction that we cling to, and we usually get addicted to it quite young, and it’s a system of deserving. When you are in a system of deserving, you become obsessed with performance so that you can earn your way into love. A lot of us are stuck on this hamster wheel of, “If I perform better, if I’m more extraordinary, I will earn my own respect and I will earn the respect of those around me, and earn my way back into heaven, as it were.” Perfection doesn’t exist, and so we’re constantly setting ourselves up for failure and pain. And God forbid you make money doing it, you know (laugh)? God forbid you become a high performing person who has been motivated by perfection and then rewarded for it. Because it’s a reckoning we all have to come to terms with, the fact that nature isn’t perfect, it’s in harmony. Ak: What remains on your bucket list? Jewel: I was lucky to be a person that felt very engaged in my music that was a real passion and purpose. I knew that I was here to help people and my music helped me do that. I thought that if I served my purpose, I would just be fine and I would be taken care of, and it almost killed me. I just wore myself out because I kept thinking well if I’m serving a good purpose, I’ll be healthy. It isn’t actually how that works so I really exhausted myself and wore myself out and worked probably three hundred times harder than I needed to because I didn’t know how to do less at the time. Ak: Do you mean like recording, touring, appearances? Jewel: Yes, I was doing 1,000 shows a year. I was doing five and six shows a day. Ak: Were you ever at home? Jewel: No not for decades (laugh). It was in service of my purpose, and I was like that is noble so somehow, I don’t know I thought God owed me health. I have no idea what I was thinking (laugh). I didn’t even realize it was a thought and so for me as I re-engage and I have a new record and new book coming out, it has been a privilege to get to redo this in a whole new mindset. Not because I have a chip on my shoulder, not because I have to be a slave to my purpose, but because I want to see what I’m capable of when I’m rested and engaging in something in a much healthier way. My native uncles taught me a really beautiful definition of power and it is an act of power benefits both yourself and the community. Ak: Tell me about the new music. Jewel: I have a new album called Freewheeling Woman coming out. This was the first record I’ve written from scratch. Even with my first album I had 100’s of songs already written by the age of eighteen, so I would always just take songs out of my back catalogue, whether it was pop, country, or whatever. I didn’t want to do that for this one even though I have a lot of songs in my back catalog that I love. I wanted this new album to be written from the ground up and reflect who I am now. I think I was forty-five when I was writing it and it was hard! I see now why middle-aged artists do a lot of drugs (laugh). Ak: Oh man (laughs). Jewel: They do it to bypass the work that it takes to get past the domestic architecture that had gotten into me, and to find a new, honest, raw, but different new place creatively. I think I wrote two hundred songs for this album to get the 12 or 14 that I like. It has a more soul feel. Kind of like a Muscles Shoals soul feel. I’m singing very differently than I’ve sung. Singing a lot better than I’ve ever sung and its sort of a celebration. I’m 47 now but it feels fun to be just like on my side of life. I enjoy it (laugh) Ak: Did you ever at a time in your career feel that you ever needed to use substances to reach like that higher level of creativity? Jewel: I never felt that was something I needed to do. I was raised in bars watching people drink and do drugs until they died so I never drank or did drugs. Ak: Last year was the 25th anniversary of “Pieces of You” that is a milestone. How did you celebrate? Jewel: I did a show here where I live in this little theatre. It was during quarantine and I did it live. Which was really fun for me to be home, be with my son. I love doing visual art, so I did this huge 40-foot back drop drew it and painted it. Sang the whole album top to bottom which was so fun. I had never done that. Ak: What do you think you came into this life as Jewel kilcher to learn, and what do you think you came here to teach? Jewel: I think that a lot of us feel this huge obligation to see why we’re here. Something I learned from my Native American uncles is that the purpose of your life is to be happy. It is your birthright to be happy, and if you are not happy, you need to do something about it. Nobody owes you happiness. The obsession with meaning; meaning is a side effect of experience. It’s like the teaching of Buddha, looking at the flower. Flowers don’t go around going, “What is my meaning?” They exist, and existing gives meaning. Ask yourself, “Am I happy? Am I doing things that make me happy?” I think one thing would be to start reframing it and coming back to meaning as a side effect of experience. What is your experience? Are you happy? Great! If you’re not, what would you be willing to change? And are you willing to be accountable to that? AK: Would you ever do a Las Vegas residency? Jewel: I don’t know. If I thought of the right thing to do or the right show. I did a Cirque du Soleil show about my life, as a charity thing, which was really fun, and I thought about doing it as a regular thing, but it’s a lot of work! AK: If you could travel back in time and change or witness any famous historical event, where would go, and what would you attempt to change or bear witness to? Jewel: When I was young, I was very obsessed with philosophy and the dialectic, and I was very influenced by Socrates. I realized I could think, and I didn’t know that before. I was a dyslexic, really poor kid and so the power of learning through questioning something, and the knowing that two people coming together can create something that could be known by a third person was powerful for me. When I realized I could do that to myself, where I realized I could ask myself a question and I would hear an answer that I didn’t even know I knew, that got really exciting to me. I became obsessed with that era, although it wouldn’t have been good to be a woman back than (laugh). Other than that, I’ve never really given much thought to what time period I would go back to in history, because what if, for me, that moment is now? AK: One day, when a movie is made about your life, what is something you hope and pray they get right? Jewel: Something I’ve been surprised about in my own life is that what I thought were my talents didn’t actually help me in my life. The talent that really helped me was my persistence. That’s not a real sexy word. It’s not a word most people aspire to, but when I look back, just not quitting ended up being my best talent. Whenever I was faced with a challenge, just being willing to stand up and be willing to do something different today than I did yesterday and standing up again and trying something different today than I did yesterday. Again, it’s not a very sexy thing, but it’s why I have the life that I have. It’s the quality and the trait that led me to where I am. Everything else was sort of a dressing around it. AK: I think that is a great answer. You want to be remembered for your persistence and your ability to constantly learn and try a new way of doing things until you reach that apex of where you want to be. Jewel: I think that whether it’s music or healing, people don’t get to see behind the curtain very much. It’s not pretty work. You don’t just arrive. It’s kind of a gritty process to get great at writing, to get great at singing, to get healthier and to get happier. I wish that people celebrated grit and not quitting. If you’re in it and you’re slogging it out, you’re doing it. That is the guarantee that you’ll get to the top, because the only guarantee of getting to the top of the mountain is one unbeautiful step at a time. Shop the 25th anniversary deluxe edition of Jewel’s 1995 album, Pieces of You. Join Jewel’s mental health community at JewelNeverBroken.com. Log on to TheWellness-Experience.com to attend Jewel’s World Mental Health Day Summit and Concert Virtual Event this Sunday, October 10, 2021. This virtual event is FREE to attend. Follow Jewel on Instagram @Jewel. Hear the extended interview with Jewel on the Allison Interviews Podcast. Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment journalist and host of the Allison Interviews podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Follow on Instagram @theallisonkugel. Words by Allison Kugel | Images courtesy of Dana Trippe

Tommy Lee has something to say about a lot of things. Iconic drummer for the multi-platinum selling mythical rock band Mötley Crüe, solo artist, master of mayhem … philosopher? To have a conversation with Tommy is to be regaled with tales of a life lived to the extreme, and to bear witness to a dynamically creative imagination. Yes, Tommy has that whole Law of Attraction thing nailed down in spades. He dreams up larger than life adventures and makes them happen, not just for him, but for all of us. Anyone who has ever been to a Mötley Crüe concert and felt their breath escape their body as they watched Tommy drum his heart out, upside down and on a roller coaster, will back me up. Tommy might be more mellow these days, but his imagination is still operating on high octane. Now living his life sober, married to social media star Brittany Furlan and a father to two adult sons, Dylan Jagger Lee and Brandon Thomas Lee (MTV’s The Hills: New Beginnings), the 58-year-old living legend might be more mellow in body, but his spirit remains a livewire, ready to jump at any adrenaline fueled pursuit that will scratch his insatiable itch for feeling alive. Tommy’s latest musical endeavor, his newly released album, ANDRO, boldly crosses musical genres. Fourteen tracks feature a roster of incredibly talented artists, punctuated by both male and female vocals, creating a medley of defiant metal, brazen alternative and progressive pop. Tommy is humble, shockingly down-to-earth and grounded in his love for the music. Our conversation travels through images of his childhood, religious upbringing, the power of hard lessons learned and the purity of rock ‘n’ roll debauchery sans social media. What’s your earliest memory realizing music was going to be your path? Tommy Lee: I remember, and my parents reinforced this, that it started around the age of two or three. You know when you’re in the terrible twos and you’re into the drawers and cabinets. I’m pulling out pots and pans and spoons, anything you can get your hands on, just playing drums like crazy. My poor parents, I drove them nuts. But that’s my earliest recollection. I can see myself on the kitchen floor just wailing on everything [laughs]. Wow! Do you believe in past lives? TL: I go back and forth with that one. Sometimes I think when you die, you’re done. But then there are other times where I have this weird attraction to trees and to birds. Every time I see a bird fly by, I wonder if in my past life I was a bird, because I have this fascination with flying. That’s a wild question. Why? I believe that it is not an accident when children come into this life with certain predilections towards something, whether they are just really interested in something or they have a God-given talent, even if it hasn’t been developed yet. But I believe it comes from somewhere else and your soul carries these things with it, or you make a plan before you come here as to what your purpose is and what you came here to accomplish. TL: That’s wild. I think about that too. My dad tooled around with drums in the marching band when he was in school, but he wasn’t really musical. It’s not like I came from a generational music family or inherited a musical family trait, so I’ll go with that. I was definitely put here to do this, for sure. Nothing else brings me that much joy or makes me feel that amazing. Nothing. Let’s talk about this new album, ANDRO. I really loved how you showcase all of these up-and-coming artists, and I love that you worked with so many women on this album, really talented women. Where did you find them? TL: So much of this record happened organically and authentically. I didn’t set out to make a record that was half male and half female energy. I love the female voice and that energy that it brings. It can make you cry, it can make you feel sexy, so many things. I keep a collaboration list of people that I love, where I think, “One day, I have to do something with this person.” So, in writing for this album, there were moments when I was writing these tracks that needed that female energy on them. I love that kind of music. I mean, I love all kinds of music, but I would be working on a song and be like, Oh my God! I know that Push Push would just kill this song!” And I’ve been following her for years. She was on my list of people to work with. That is really in a nutshell how it happened. The voice would come to me once the music was starting to come together. I would say, “I know exactly who to do this with.” I ended up with just as many male tracks as female tracks, hence the album title, ANDRO. Can you describe your creative process? TL: My process is never the same. I will hear a melody and I will sing a basic melody and put it down as a scratch, so I don’t forget it. Sometimes it will come as a drum beat that I’m hearing, and I’ll just put down the drum, or sometimes a keyboard or a guitar part. It’s never the same. I don’t have a method. It’s always random and I love it because it just comes in spurts from different places. A lot of times a melody will come into my brain and I’ll just grab my phone really quick, so I don’t forget it. There is nothing worse than having these incredible ideas and losing them. I’ve done it so many times where it’s 2 or 3 in the morning and I’m thinking, “Oh my God! This is so good, there is no way I’m going to forget it, and I just go back to bed. And then I forget it! It wasn’t meant to be, I guess. [Laughs] I know exactly what you mean. I keep a notebook and pen next to my bed when I know I’m doing an interview. If I think of a really killer question at 3 in the morning, I have to write it down, because I’m going to forget. TL: Sometimes, on the spot, you’re probably thinking, “I can’t even believe it. I forgot to ask one of the most important questions. What the hell?” I get it. Yes! Especially if you’re a perfectionist and hard on yourself, like me. TL: Yes! Finishing a record, for me, is like letting go or putting a baby up for adoption or something [laughs]. It takes forever for me to finally say that it’s done. At the end of the day, you can continue to keep making something better and better, but I’ve had to work on that and say, “No, this is super rad, Tommy. Let it go.” If I had the chance, I would still be down in my studio. You appear to the outside world as an extrovert and the life of the party, but is there a part of you that is an introvert? Is being alone in your studio your happy place? TL: It’s totally my happy place. When I’m happy or sad, I will immediately head to the piano. It’s one of the most beautiful instruments that gives you immediate gratification when you start playing chords that sound beautiful to you. It always makes me feel better. Yes, you would assume that I’m the crazy guy, and I can be, but I really am introverted in many ways. I got that vibe from you! What is the best advice you’ve ever been given that’s directed your life? TL: I share this with my sons constantly because I see it in so many young people. I always tell them, “Be yourself, everybody else is already taken.” So many people, especially now with social media, they watch other peoples’ lives and try to emulate this or that, and say, “That’s super rad. I need to have that because someone else has that.” This younger generation tries so hard to be somebody or something, and they’re going in the wrong direction. The correct direction is inward. I just always support them in being their authentic selves. That’s my best advice. Be yourself above anything else, because there is only one of you and that one is precious. Just rock what your mama gave you. My sons live in a very different world than when I was their age, and nobody really said those kinds of things to me, so I think that’s cool advice. Speaking of social media, how do you think your entire music career and your life would have played out differently had there been social media back then? TL: [Laughs] Oh man! I tell people this all the time, and it is a fact and it is the truth, that we got away with… when I say murder, I mean everything but the act of physically killing somebody [laughs]. We carried on and we did anything and everything you could possibly imagine, because there wasn’t social media. People were not carrying around a cell phone that had a camera on it all the time. If you were going to take a picture of something you needed to take a picture and get it developed at the one-hour photo place, and even that wasn’t always an hour. Sometimes it was a day. It was a free-for-all before social media. You didn’t have to worry about where you were and Is this going to show up on Instagram in four minutes? A lot of fans that watched the Mötley Crüe movie The Dirt, will ask, “Is that really what it was like back then?” It was absolutely what it was like. And a lot of them feel like they missed out on that in their lifetime and they will never get to experience it. It was crazy back then. And when I say “back then,” it wasn’t that long ago before cell phones, cameras, and social media. As crazy as this is to say to you, it was a more innocent time… as weird as that sounds! TL: [Laughs] Right. You had to do something really terrible to get into trouble. How are people responding to your new album, ANDRO? Some of the music has a metal sound and some of it has a pop sound, which is a departure for you. TL: Everyone that I’ve talked to loves it, and of course, you have your occasional haters who are like, “This is bullshit, man. It doesn’t sound like Mötley.” Well, it’s not Mötley. Of course it doesn’t sound like Mötley. And it’s not like this is some new thing. I’ve been doing this since 2000 with Methods of Mayhem, which was my first solo venture. I’ve been cross-genre-pounding-hybrid making cool shit since 2000. I don’t think it’s a big surprise to many people. The majority of people are digging it, and in Australia the ANDRO album was number six on the Alternative Chart, which is super cool. Alternative and pop are kind of the same to me, and I love pop music. I love good music and I don’t care whether it’s pop or what genre it is. It’s called pop because it’s popular. At the end of the day, I just dig good music. Do you pray? And, if so, who or what do you pray to? TL: I’m not religious. Although, when I was young, I was Greek Orthodox. My mom was very religious, so I do have that experience from when I was younger going to a Greek church. Since then, I’ve moved on to practicing a little Buddhism, and I don’t really pray to anything in particular. I believe in something much bigger than any of us, which is the universe. So, although I am not religious, I am spiritual. Knowing you’re an animal lover, is that what connects you to trees and animals, that holistic feeling of connectedness? TL: Yes, I love all that stuff and that is just another piece of evidence that there is so much beauty out in the world and in the universe that has been provided to all of this. We get to enjoy all of this, and I have nothing but love and respect for animals, plants, and our planet. What is still on your bucket list? I can’t even imagine, but is there something? TL: Are you familiar with what they call “Squirrel Suits [bodysuits used for wingsuit flying that resembles a flying squirrel]?” You see those guys that fly in those suits. They’re like wings when they open up. People put on this suit with wings and a webbed fabric and they fly. I want to try that. I’m going to be a bird one day [laughs]. That is on my list. I’m just kind of waiting for the right time to do that because it’s not like you just go up and jump off the Swiss Alps and go and do it. You have to go through the training, which is incredible. There’s a guy that flies for Red Bull and he offered to help me. I have to do it. You are not a fearful guy. You’re pretty brave. TL: No, I’m all about it. I’m such a thrill seeker, I can’t stand it. I also want to go to this three-day school where you do two days in the classroom and the third day you’re strapped into an alcohol burning funny car, going 320 mph. What is that like, that three seconds of G-force? I’ve already been upside down in a plane. I’ve done a lot of crazy stuff already, but I’ve got some things on my list I still want to do. What do you think you came into this life as Tommy Lee to learn, and what do you think you came here to teach? TL: Obviously, I came here to learn a lot because I have learned a lot and you can’t do that unless you have some years on this planet. It might fall under the musical category, because like I said, at a very early age, earlier than most, I was drumming and playing music. I think I’m here to teach and enforce the power of yourself and to be careful what you wish for. There have been many things that I’ve set out to do and people have told me, “no.” No is not an option for me. I remember sitting on the corner of my bed thinking, “One day, I’m going to play drums upside down, flying around in a roller coaster.” And I’ve done it! When people told me it can’t be done, I said, “That’s bullshit. It can be done.” Anything can be done. I have goosebumps right now [laughs]. I love that. TL: Aww, that’s so cool, and it’s the truth. I can’t even tell you how many people would say, “Dude, you can’t do that,” and my response would be, “Who says we can’t?” Yes, the application is extremely difficult, but I know it can be done. I guess one thing I’m here to teach is not accepting “no,” and to have no not even be an option. That’s what I’m leaving in my wake. It can be done! Love it! That is the most awesome way to end this interview! TL: [Laughs] That is beautiful. “That’s my best advice. Be yourself above anything else, because there is only one of you and that one is precious. Just rock what your mama gave you. My sons live in a very different world than when I was their age, and nobody really said those kinds of things to me, so I think that’s cool advice.” Tommy Lee’s third solo album ANDRO assembles an eclectic collection of rappers and singers, some known and some unknown, to bring his musical creations to life. Follow on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

Sloane Stephens is a powerhouse. The celebrated 28-year-old American professional tennis player, who turned pro in 2009, ranked No. 3 in the world after Wimbledon in 2018; was the 2017 US Open champion; and has won a total of six WTA singles titles. Impressive, right? When Sloane is not on the courts, she is pursuing her other passions. In 2013, Sloane founded the Sloane Stephens Foundation “with a primary goal of enhancing the quality of life for youth, through exposure to tennis as a basis for life-long learning, and healthy lifestyle choices.” The notable foundation supports programs in California and South Florida (Sloane was born in Plantation, Florida). Miami Living Magazine connected with the tennis star, who talked more on her foundation’s work, their partnership with SAP, tennis, and wellness. By Markin Abras. Images courtesy of Women's Tennis Association (WTA) How did the Sloane Stephens Foundation come about? Sloane Stephens: I love kids, like going out to courts and helping coaching them. Becoming a professional tennis player has given me so many opportunities in my life, and I always knew I wanted to find a way to give back. Education is really important in my family, so I wanted to make sure that every child who wants to play tennis can learn, and every child knows that they matter and can succeed in school. There are so many disadvantaged youth across America, how did you decide on serving underprivileged communities in Broward and Miami Dade County with the Sloane Stephens Foundation? SS: Because I grew up playing tennis there. There were so many kids that were good players, great athletes but unfortunately, their parents just couldn’t afford for them to play. They didn’t have enough money for racquets, for lessons, to go to clinics or anything like that. Seeing people that I had grown up with playing tennis that either quit or stopped playing tennis because they didn’t have the financial means or couldn’t afford to travel, became a driving force, especially as I got older. I felt like this is so unfair because those kids could have gone to college, got a scholarship or benefited in other ways. I just felt like it was really important to give underserved kids opportunities to play and see their potential all the way through. And that’s something very small in the grand scheme of things that I could do to help give back to my sport. So it’s been super important for me to be able to give those opportunities back. And so far, so good. What would you say your biggest challenge and biggest accomplishment from the foundation has been? SS: My biggest challenge for myself is that I don’t speak Spanish, so that’s terrible! I’m working on that! A lot of our kids are Hispanic or come from a Hispanic background, and I’m always like, “Man...I wish I could yell at them in Spanish, but I don’t!” Virtually everyone in Miami speaks Spanish, so you are in the perfect place to practice! SS: Yeah, all right, I’m getting some progress. I’m getting to practice and speak some Spanish. Fortunately, a lot of our staff speaks Spanish, so that’s been really nice. And second, our biggest accomplishment is forming three high school tennis teams for the three high schools and for Compton Unified we got a full team playing there. Also, redoing the courts at Centennial High School has been amazing because it brought a lot more kids to the teams. It got a lot of players excited to play. My foundation also supports higher education. Once you graduate from Compton Unified High School, you get two free years of college at Compton College. So getting kids to graduate from high school and then enroll them into a 2-year college program is the coolest thing for us! The Sloane Stephens Foundation recently partnered with SAP. Can you elaborate on this partnership and what are some of the benefits it brings to the foundation? SS: Yeah, definitely. Obviously partnering with a huge company like SAP with the foundation brought us unity because our vision aligns. We are all about uplifting communities’ improvement through tennis and education. It is an awesome partnership and I’m looking forward to all the things we can do together. SAP believes in our mission and it is really nice to have someone or a brand or company who believes in what it is that you’re doing. How did your South Florida upbringing and coaches support your achievements on the court? SS: I still talk and have a relationship with every coach that I’ve ever had in South Florida, including coaches like Nick Saviano and Jesse Smatt. You know if I had a kid, or one of those high performance kids, that needed to work on a forehand, server or whatever, I would 100% not hesitate to recommend one of my previous coaches who helped me with footwork or whatever. They’re like the best thing that ever happened to me. Obviously, I’m where I am today because of the coaches that I’ve worked with. It looks like collaboration is a large part of your success on and off the court. SS: Absolutely! There is no “I” in team and without collaboration with others where people are working together for a common goal, there is no team, there’s no organization, and there’s no group of people that can work towards something alone. So I definitely think that collaboration and collaborating is super important especially with the foundation because we have to put all of our resources together. As a nonprofit organization, everything we do is either a partnership or some type of collaboration. Like I said, the biggest thing is that there is no “I” in team. And how are you feeling about your tennis, your body, your mind during this crazy year? SS: My tennis is okay, it’s getting back to where it should be. My body is good. My mind, I’m working on it. I think through this pandemic and the beginning part of this year, I’ve been through a lot. And I’m definitely not afraid to say that I’ve talked to my therapist multiple times a week to get through this. Working on yourself is really important. Keeping your mind fresh, sharp and ready to go is essential. I’m trying to keep myself above the water in a very crazy ever-changing world; I’m definitely not the only one. What would fans be surprised to find out about you? SS: Oh, that I own a food truck in South Florida! Wow! That is something I would not expect to hear from a tennis player! SS: Yeah, it’s called Gold Soul Barbecue (https://goldsoulbbq.com)! It is super good! The BBQ ribs and cornbread are quite popular. I’m hungry! Quick Facts Career titles: 6 Highest ranking: No. 3 (16 July 2018) Current ranking: No. 49 (22 March 2021) Grand Slam Best Singles Results US Open Winner (2017) French Open Final (2018) Australian Open Semi Finals (2013) Wimbledon Quarter Final (2013) Connect with Sloane www.sloanestephensfoundation.org www.sloanestephens.com www.instagram.com/sloanestephens www.facebook.com/Sloaneposts www.twitter.com/SloaneStephens

Iter Investments, a venture capital firm that deploys capital primarily in businesses operating in and around the burgeoning psychedelic industry, will exhibit at Wonderland: Miami by Microdose from Nov. 8–9, 2021 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. The event is known as “The Largest Psychedelic Medicine Business Event, Ever.” With the recent observance of World Mental Health Day, and as conversations shift into high gear surrounding mental health, the conference serves as a timely platform for those leading in the space. Dustin Robinson, Esq., CPA, managing principal of Iter Investments; and co-founder of Mr. Psychedelic Law, a nonprofit organization focused on psychedelic legal reform, has become a thought leader in the industry and capitalizes on its great potential through his strategic business ventures. Events in which Iter Investments is participating at the conference include: Florida Research and Policy Panel – Tuesday, Nov. 9, 11:30 a.m. Where: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 Details: Dustin Robinson, who has also co-authored recent psychedelic bills and resolutions, will serve as the moderator of and a speaker at this panel. Experts at the interface of policy, research, and business will discuss the implications of the work being done in Florida and how people can get involved. Psychedelic Invest Presents “Wonderland After Dark” Party – Tuesday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.–12 a.m. Where: Melinda’s, 1306 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33136 Details: Iter Investments’ portfolio company, Psychedelic Invest – home of the first psychedelic market index and unparalleled psychedelic investing data and analysis – will host the official closing event for the conference called, “Wonderland After Dark.” At this mixer, guests will enjoy cocktails and have the opportunity to meet with psychedelic venture capital funds, investors, executives, and more. Melinda’s is a casual neighborhood eatery and cocktail lounge located in the heart of Miami’s Omni District, just a short walk from the conference. This free event is open to the public, but will require an RSVP with confirmation, and attendance will be limited by capacity. “Meet the CEOs” Psychedelic Series Panel – Wednesday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. Where: Soho Beach House Miami, 4385 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33140 Details: Iter Investments will host “Meet the CEOs” featuring some of the psychedelic industry’s leading CEOs including Awakn Life Sciences CEO Anthony Tennyson, Clairvoyant Therapeutics CEO Damian Kettlewell, Mind Cure CEO Kelsey Ramsden, and Braxia Scientific CEO Roger McIntyre. This event, part of Robinson’s monthly Psychedelic Series with Soho Beach House, is free, but attendees must be on the guest list, or a member of Soho Beach House, a place for creative thinkers in Miami to socialize, stay and relax. “We at Iter Investments are pleased to showcase at and participate in Wonderland: Miami by Microdose,” said Robinson. “This event puts us at the center of the revolution in the treatment of mental health, addiction and pain challenges.” Iter Investments will have a booth at Wonderland: Miami by Microdose. To register for the event, visit https://microdose.buzz/wonderland/miami/. Use code, ITERWM, for 25% off any ticket options. Robinson is also founding partner of Mr. Cannabis Law, a full service law firm focused on the cannabis and psychedelic industries. By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Unsplash

Britney Spears’ impassioned remarks in court have raised many questions about conservatorships, including when they’re necessary and whether they effectively protect someone’s best interests. When one loses the capacity to make decisions for oneself, the court appoints a guardian, or conservator, to make those decisions. Appointing someone to make decisions about personal and financial matters on another’s behalf has been part of civil society since the ancient Greeks. Today, all jurisdictions in the U.S. have conservatorship laws to protect people who lack the ability to make their own decisions. As a distinguished professor of law at the University of Southern California, and as a person who was diagnosed over four decades ago with chronic schizophrenia, I have a personal and professional interest in issues at the intersection of law, mental health, and ethics. I believe that conservatorships are warranted in certain rare cases, such as someone experiencing severe delusions that put them at financial and bodily risk. But because conservatorships are a serious intrusion into a person’s sense of self, they might not always be the best option. Here are four myths about decision-making capacity, and ways to address them. Myth 1: The inability to make one kind of decision means an inability to make any kind of decision Historically, lack of decision-making capacity was thought of in a global way. That is, the inability to make a single significant decision meant that a person lacked capacity to make all significant decisions. Today, U.S. law tends to view decision-making capacity more granularly. Different kinds of decisions require distinct capacities. For example, whether people are capable of making decisions about their finances is seen as legally separate and distinct from whether they’re capable of making a decision to marry or refuse medical treatment. Not being able to make one kind of decision may reveal little about whether someone lacks the capacity to make other important decisions. Making “bad” decisions, or decisions others do not agree with, is not the same as making incompetent decisions. People, especially those with considerable resources, often have family members and associates who are eager to provide a court with examples of an individual’s poor decision-making that may be irrelevant to determining competence. People sometimes make decisions that others strongly disagree with. That is their prerogative. Myth 2: Once someone loses decision-making capacity, it never returns As someone who lives with schizophrenia, I can say from personal experience that decision-making capacity waxes and wanes. At times, I unquestionably lack the capacity to make certain decisions because I have false beliefs, or delusions, about the world and how it works. Thankfully, those psychotic states are not permanent. With proper treatment, they pass and I soon return to my usual self. Although certain conditions, like severe dementia, can permanently render an individual incapable of making decisions, many conditions do not. Research is increasingly demonstrating that there are ways to help people regain their decision-making capacity sooner, including psychotherapy and medication. Myth 3: People who are declared incompetent are indifferent to having their decision-making abilities taken away As Spears made powerfully clear in court, being deprived of the ability to make important decisions about one’s own life can be one of the most deeply distressing circumstances a person can endure. It leaves one feeling helpless and unheard, and can reinforce and prolong mental illness. Consider what it might feel like to not be able to write a check or use your credit card without asking for permission. Or consider how a parent reacts when an adult child takes away the car keys. In law school I wrote a paper on the use of mechanical restraints in psychiatric hospitals based on my own excruciating experiences as a patient. On reading my paper, a well-known professor in psychiatry unwittingly remarked that “those people” would not experience restraints as he and I would. I’ve always regretted not telling him in that moment that my article was about myself. Stripping people of their decision-making abilities can make them feel helpless and trapped.julymilks/iStock via Getty Images Plus For most people of childbearing potential, the ability to make decisions about reproduction is often an important part of their identity. A state action depriving someone of the ability to reproduce is incredibly intrusive, and the stress this causes may itself exacerbate the conditions that interfere with decision-making capacity. There are other options that ensure a child’s needs are met while respecting the parent’s autonomy. One possibility includes having the parent identify individuals who can care for the child until decision-making capacity returns. Myth 4: Mental illness or involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital indicates lack of decision-making capacity Under the law, neither a mental illness nor involuntary psychiatric commitment renders a person incapable of making decisions. People who suffer from major psychiatric disorders may be perfectly capable of handling their personal and financial matters and would justifiably be outraged if they were declared unable to do so. Those whose ability to make decisions appears to be deteriorating can designate a trusted person to make decisions on their behalf. Supported decision-making allows individuals to choose who they want to help them in decision-making while they retain the final say. Similarly, a pychiatric advance directive documents an individual’s mental health treatment preferences and enlists a proxy decision-maker should decision-making capacity be lost in the future. Respecting autonomy U.S. law honors individual autonomy by presuming that everyone has decision-making competence unless proved otherwise. There are certainly cases when someone’s ability to make decisions is so compromised that others need to step in. Conservatorships are one way to do this. But there are also less restrictive alternatives that take into account the fact that decision-making capacity waxes and wanes. Keeping Britney and others safe does not mean that they cannot be free to make decisions about their own lives. By Elyn Saks, Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences from the University of Southern California. Special thanks to The Conversation

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami is pleased to announce its forthcoming exhibition My Name is Maryan—a monographic presentation of four decades of paintings, sculptures, drawings and film by the iconoclastic, ground-breaking Polish-born artist Maryan. The exhibition opens to the public on November 17, 2021, and will remain on view until March 20, 2022. The exhibition reception will take place on December 2, in conjunction with Miami Art Week. Drawing upon new scholarship and a trove of never-before-exhibited works, My Name is Maryan will be the first retrospective to holistically examine all periods of Maryan’s life and work. Throughout the museum, Maryan’s extraordinary biography and prolific oeuvre represent a deeply moving monument to the perseverance of the human spirit and power of art to work through traumatic loss. Credited as being among the first artist-eyewitnesses to directly depict their experiences of the Shoah, Maryan's unique approach to figurative art strove to solidarity across cultures and generations. Born to Abraham Schindel and Gitla Bursztyn in Nowy Sącz, Poland in 1927, young Pinkas, the artist who came to be known as Maryan grew up in a traditional, working-class Jewish family. In 1939, Pinkas and his family were captured by the Nazis. Under his mother’s maiden name, Bursztyn, he was imprisoned at various forced labor camps and finally at the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. Pinkas Bursztyn, who survived several near-death experiences, was the sole survivor of his family. After the war, Bursztyn recovered from his physical injuries, which necessitated having his leg amputated. In 1947, he immigrated to then-Palestine to begin his artistic training, first in Jerusalem and, beginning in 1950, at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. As an act of radical self-definition, the young artist shed the name under which the Nazis persecuted him, adopting the name Maryan. Living in Paris for over a decade, he exhibited in prominent galleries, forged a distinct style independent from but adjacent to the École de Paris and the CoBrA group. After gaining a following in Paris, Maryan moved to New York City in the early 1960s, just as he developed his notion of the personnage—using the French term for character to title the fictitious figures that dominated his mature oeuvre. These personnages are powerful vehicles for complex narratives and served as a conduit for the formal evolution of his distinctive painterly language. Working in a studio in the famed Chelsea Hotel during the 1970s—which is recreated in an immersive installation in the exhibition’s opening gallery—he expanded upon the personage motif to create works that explore psychosexual tropes and other figures both historical and fictional. Maryan died of a heart attack at the age of fifty in 1977. His last decade was extremely prolific but emotionally and physically turbulent. While he had always refused being called a “Holocaust artist,” the psychological fallout of Maryan’s experiences overwhelmed him in the early ‘70s. Under the care of a psychiatrist, Maryan filled notebooks with drawings and text that provide insights into his biography and recurrent motifs of his art. In his only film, Ecce Homo (1975), Maryan paired a first-person testimonial of his experiences in Nazi prison camps with images of other social-protest movements. My Name Is Maryan inserts this complex oeuvre into a larger narrative of postwar European and American art history. The exhibition takes Maryan’s act of renaming himself as more than a gesture of self-definition; through it, Maryan forges a defiant yet questioning form of humanism that he dubbed “truth-painting” (peinture-vérité). The exhibition restores Maryan’s rightful place in postwar art history—not only chronicling the work of an overlooked artist, but directly linking him to a larger context of his like-minded European and American contemporaries. Throughout the galleries, Maryan’s oeuvre will be juxtaposed with works by artists such as Asger Jorn, Constant, Egill Jacobsen, and other members of the CoBrA group; as well as American artists such as H.C. Westermann, Leon Golub, and June Leaf. The first holistic exploration of Maryan’s inspiring and defiant life and work, My Name Is Maryan seeks to build kinship with Maryan’s story and Miami’s diverse and thriving immigrant community. The exhibition will be accompanied by a robust series of education and public programming in partnership with national organizations such as the Human Rights Watch, and feature additional reflections from the arts and local community: Curator and art historian Dr. Erica Moiah James (University of Miami) and Holocaust scholar Oren Baruch Stier (Florida International University).The exhibition will also be activated throughout Miami Art Week. The exhibition will travel to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in March 2023. MOCA will publish a 250-page full-color catalog that reproduces key works held in the exhibition along with other archival imagery. These will be accompanied by critical essays from exhibition curator Alison M. Gingeras; Noa Rosenberg, curator for Modern and Israeli art at Tel Aviv Museum of Art; Piotr Słodkowski, assistant professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, and guest curator at the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw; and the psychoanalyst and cultural critic Dr. Jamieson Webster. By ML Staff. Images courtesy of MOCA

Better-for-you just got better! Eat Me Guilt Free's full line of brownies leveled up and is tasting better than ever with a brand-new formula. These elevated and irresistible guilt-free treats are now available for purchase. Together with the new formula debut, Eat Me Guilt Free has launched its national “Free Delicious” campaign to educate consumers about a new generation of healthy yet delicious snack alternatives. In development for two years, Eat Me Guilt Free’s new and improved formula has less sugar, is non-GMO and uses modified atmosphere packaging to exclude unnecessary preservatives. It features ingredients sourced in Europe, where regulations against food additives are more stringent than in the U.S. The new formula is packed with 14 grams of protein, and is low-carb, with under 200 calories per serving. While improving the quality of ingredients in its products, Eat Me Guilt Free remains focused on maintaining an unprecedented protein-packed and low-carb ratio. All of Eat Me Guilt Free’s brownies are derived from its Original Chocolate Brownie and Vanilla Blondie. Satisfying those chocolate cravings, the new Original Chocolate Brownie takes the definition of delicious to a whole new level. Eat Me Guilt Free crafted the new recipe perfectly to bring its customers a brownie with the best taste, texture, smell and better-for-you ingredients they’ve ever experienced. Original Chocolate Brownies are sold in a box of 12 for $36. The new Vanilla Blondie is a must-have with improved texture, moisture and taste. This soft vanilla blondie tastes like a buttery poundcake and literally melts in the mouth. Vanilla Blondies are available in a box of 12, priced at $36. Eat Me Guilt Free is dedicated to the enhancement of its existing products and is committed to creating new and improved formulas. The brand is not raising its prices with its new formulas so that it can continue to deliver heavenly treats that are healthier alternatives to traditional snacks. The “Free Delicious” campaign embodies Eat Me Guilt Free’s core belief that freedom should not have limitations. The main message of the “Free Delicious” campaign is that eating better-for-you foods that taste good is a choice consumers should make for themselves. For decades, food companies dictated what delicious was by adding addictive ingredients to products to make them taste good. With its Free Delicious campaign, Eat Me Guilt Free is redefining delicious and surrounding it with better nutrition fact ratios, less sugar, no preservatives and no GMOs. “Consumers are growing increasingly savvy about what goes into the foods they eat. For so long, there were limited options on grocery store shelves, and most didn’t taste good. Now there’s a revolution taking shape in society where consumers have a wider range of better-for-you food options that taste good.” said Cristie Besu, Eat Me Guilt Free’s CEO and founder, and a Miami-based Cuban-American businesswoman. “We have worked hard to solve this issue and help consumers feel less restricted and more open to enjoying the everyday foods they love, without sacrificing taste. We want to make an impact in the food industry through a more creative and relatable lens. Our new formula and the "Free Delicious" campaign align with the DNA and progressive culture of the Eat Me Guilt Free brand.” Eat Me Guilt Free’s consumer base is consistently growing ― from athletes to bariatric patients to everyday consumers who are conscious about what they feed their bodies. And these brownie-lovers are choosing Eat Me Guilt Free for a range of health reasons, beyond just their external appearances. Besu started baking her Eat Me Guilt Free treats straight out of her own kitchen in 2013, while she was working as a registered nurse and certified sports nutritionist. Starting with a team of three, she worked closely with clients to craft nutrition programs, helping them with everything from disease management to improving labs, to just being able to move and feel better about themselves. The company now boasts a team of 30 and continues to create unique products and fun flavors for everyone to enjoy. The company’s product line currently includes brownies, tortilla wraps, protein bread, cakes, and cookies. The products are available for purchase at more than 3,000 independent retailers nationwide, GNC, all locations of The Vitamin Shoppe, as well as through EatMeGuiltFree.com and Amazon.com. Eat Me Guilt Free is always innovating its product line and will be baking more favorites in 2022. Eat Me Guilt Free is grateful for its growth, which has enabled the brand to launch its first huge give back initiative, the “You Glow Girl” grant. This grant pays it forward to female entrepreneurs ready to live out their business dreams. Amanda Sheridan, founder of BagValet, outshined more than 320 applicants and was awarded the 2021 “You Glow Girl” grant. She received $10,000, a Peloton, one-on-one coaching from Besu and more to level-up personally and professionally. Eat Me Guilt Free is an ever-evolving company that is passionate about community, culture, and food. For more information, please visit https://www.eatmeguiltfree.com/. By

‘Tis the season to give back! For nearly 50 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade has been selling Christmas trees to help bring holiday cheer into South Florida homes and to create great futures for area youth. The tradition continues at the Hank Kline Club tree lot that will be open seven days a week, starting Monday, Nov. 22 until trees are sold out. To kick off the 2021 holiday season, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade will host a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. Miami dignitaries, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade board members and representatives, Club members and Santa Claus himself will attend to celebrate a holly jolly holiday season. The trees, gorgeous Fraser firs, hand-selected by President Alex Rodriguez-Roig in North Carolina, stand 5-feet to 14-feet tall with a starting price of $65. Poinsettias are also available starting at $15. Shoppers will have the opportunity to Sponsor-A-Child to help make a positive impact in the life of an area youth. Proceeds from tree sales and Sponsor-A-Child will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s many positive programs, including its after school programs, homework assistance, computer training, social skills, dance, arts and crafts, professional mentoring, and summer and athletic programs, for area youth who need them the most. For more information, please visit www.bgcmia.org. By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Unsplash