Never will I ever forget taking my first Pure Barre class & having my teacher be this beautiful, tiny, little, cute blonde who looked like Polly Pocket, but like a hot, sexy, cool Polly Pocket.
Dressed in a Lululemon baby blue tank & a bright pink neon headband, she KICKED MY ASS. That day I went out & bought a Lululemon baby blue tank & a bright pink neon headband. HA.. She kicked my ass in Pure Barre. Immediately I wanted to a be a teacher because my class after that was with Kim Kelly ( who is now my trainer ). Between the two of them, I fell in love with pure barre, fitness & workout wear.
Fast forward to today, & Charlotte Hobgood is still a friend of mine ( & Kim’s ) & she went on from teaching Pure Barre to Studio Barre to starting her own brand, Tavi Noir.
Tavi Noir creates these amazing grippy socks that are perfect for yoga, pilates, or barre. It provides this grip that’s just essential for getting the most out of your workout. They don’t slip or fall down & I feel they are a total must-have. My favorite ones by far are the knee-highs– you can see me wearing them here:
( LOL, don’t mind the mask! But if you’re curious, you can scope more here. )
Not only is Charlotte an entrepreneur & total badass, she’s also married to professional surfer Damien Hobgood. “He is known for having once held the highest two-wave grand final score in pro surfing by scoring 19.9 out of 20”- no big deal.
Charlotte is a mom of 3 & one of those moms who you see running around town & you think ‘how the fuck does she do it.’ Every time I talk to her I’m incredibly impressed with how she juggles it all, so I asked her to come The Skinny Confidential & get real & tell us the behind the scenes.
One thing I love about Charlotte is she’s a ‘no bullshit’ kinda girl who doesn’t sugar coat anything. In this interview she opens up about everything from the struggle of raising 3 children, eating her Meyer lemons with salt every single day ( you’ll see ), & her favorite drugstore finds.
Without further ado, let’s welcome Charlotte Hobgood of Tavi Noir to the blog. I think you’ll love her.
+ You’re a major entrepreneur- how did you build your business?
I think part of building a business is that as the founder you have to be relatable and to let the people that you hire do their job. It is so easy to want to be part of everything and that really only kills a business, in my opinion. As owners, you hire people that are smarter than you in the position that you hire them for. I think it’s my responsibility to help guide people in their strengths and help them in their weaknesses. At the end of the day, we all make mistakes and it is what we do with those mistakes that define the path we are to pave.When I started Tavi, I started it with the mind frame that every woman is beautiful and that we all have these amazing stories to tell….we just have to be confident in ourselves and know that although there may be stumbles, picking yourself up is half the battle. I know it is silly to say this about socks, but really as a woman, it is the small details that can make you feel more like you…and that is what we are about here.
+ Tell us about mommyhood- you balance it so well.
It all looks good from the outside, right? I call it the perfect love-hate relationship. There is probably more crying and yelling in our house than anything, that’s just the fucking reality of it. You have birthed these mini humans who, in the beginning, just love you and want you, and then they grow up with opinions and personalities and there are times you just want to throat punch them because they make you so mad. Yet at the same time, if anyone hurt them I would fucking kill them. My oldest, Savanna ( 12 ) and I are in the middle of the mother-daughter hate phase. She pushes my buttons so well and it is probably because she is exactly like me. There really is no balance with being a mom. You give so much of yourself to these ungrateful kiddos with the hope that one day they will understand the sacrifice you made. And really, even if they don’t, I wouldn’t know how to do it any other way. It’s thankless and never-ending, but what I have learned to do is laugh a lot and really not take anything too seriously. They are trying to learn this life just as much as you are trying to teach them about it. I do always tell them I love them and I always kiss and hug them, but I also yell at them and punish them……it’s a fine balance.
+ How do you set up a successful morning?
Successful morning……what the fuck is that??? Every morning changes; not to mention I don’t love mornings as it is. Success is getting out the door. I mean what is the real definition of success when you are mom?
+ How do you set up a successful night?
Wine! Seriously though, I don’t think that I’ve ever drank more than I do since having kids. It’s not like I’m getting fucked up every night, but a glass of wine takes the edge off. The word success means so many things to so many different people and really, what makes a successful night to me is that all my kids and husband are home and we have accomplished something that day. We are constantly changing so what I may view as a successful night may change tomorrow night. It’s all about being able to be fluid with the changes.
+ Go-to workouts?
It’s funny, I used to workout 5-6 times a week, sometimes 2 times a day; now I am lucky if I get one or two workouts in a week. I hate it, but I also try to balance my time away from the family ( aka “mom guilt” ). So the 2 workouts that I try to do are at Studio Barre or BodyRok. I also consider my standing desk to be part of my workout….I rarely sit down when I am in the office or at home…..does that count???
+ Favorite workout outfits? Like break it down!
I own so many workout clothes, it’s embarrassing. Even though I rarely workout, it is what I wear almost every day. If I wear real clothes it shocks people. I don’t think that I have a favorite though. I really choose what I am wearing by how I am feeling that morning. I think that this will change soon though as Tavi is launching our own fitness line in 2019 and I can hardly wait to wear it. I tend to not put a lot of thought into what I am wearing.
+ Three beauty products you’re loving?
Kopari rose toner, LipSmart lip gloss & Kopari body oil.
+ Skincare: what’s your routine?
I’m half Mexican and that is my skincare regime! I know Lauryn is a big sunblock advocate, however, I tan easily and never get burnt. But I do make sure to always wash my face at night and I love It Cosmetics CC cream. I think simple is best. Sometimes we get caught up in too many products, but letting my skin rest and keeping things minimal is what works for me.
+ Go-to drugstore makeup product?
I always get drugstore eyeliner ( any kind ), I love L’Oreal lipsticks– the ones in the black tube, and any kind of lip gloss or lip balm.
+ Tips for moms when it comes to wellness?
For kids, I don’t stress out about the little things. When we used to travel a lot, I let my kids crawl around the airport ( two of them sucked their thumbs ), I’d let them sleep on the airplane floor, if their binky dropped, I would just wipe it off and put it back in their mouth. I know many moms are cringing right now, but my kids have never really been sick. Sure they have had colds, but nothing huge. I guess my point is this: let kids be fucking kids. They are gross germ monsters so just let them be….make them wash their hands after they use the bathroom and shit, but remember they just want to play and be gross, so let them; there are bigger things—like making them respectful humans—to worry about and enforce…..pick your battles.For myself, there is nothing specific that I do for my own wellness. Funny story, a few years ago my kids were sick and I finally took them to the doctor ( I try to only take them if it is bad ), and he said that they had the flu of some sort and then he asked to check me out. Turns out I had walking phenounia…..WTF!
+ What’s a quick thing you do every day that makes all the difference?
My daily life is always changing, so there is nothing that I do that is consistent…..I am really a spontaneous person and having a schedule ( other than when my kids were infants ) is hard for me to keep. I think that is because I am constantly thinking about what I want to do next. So maybe that is the answer, I like to learn something new every day, I also like to smile and say hi to people. People think I’m a weirdo ( especially when I am in New York ), but we are fucking people and I hate that we have lost interaction with each other and we are more attached to our phones.
+ What’s a day in the life of food for you- get specific?
OK so, I have to full-on mommy diet…I call it being a seagull. So here it goes…..Every morning I make my kids some kind of egg sandwich or egg burrito because once they are at school they seem to be more worried about talking with their friends and then how fast they can get out on the playground—needless to say I have no idea why I pack their lunches. Back to breakfast though, they never finish it so I eat the leftovers…..so sexy I know. Lunch is my big meal of the day, and what I eat really depends on where I am and what I am feeling. Some go-tos are Pho, Chicken Piccata, or a Chicken Enchilada. At some point I have my lemon with salt, and I’m sure I stuff some amount of Goldfish in there too… Dinner is a shit show- I’ll tell you why. I come home from work and make dinner for the family. As soon as we sit down ( and yes I make us sit down together almost every night…old fashioned, I know ) someone needs salt, or their meat cut, or you name it and I have to get it. By the time I can shove a few bites in my mouth, they are done and the nighttime routine happens. With that said, I don’t really mind as when I eat to much at night my stomach gets crazy. For dinners, I make a meal plan for the week, that way I know what I am making when I get home.
+ Favorite snack?
I don’t know if you would classify this as a snack, but one thing that I eat almost every day is a Meyer lemon with salt. I know, fucking weird, but I have been doing it since I was a little girl and now my girls do it with me.
+ Favorite cocktail?
Tequila on the rocks ( Patron or Don Julio 1942 ).
+Your go-to book, podcast, or resource?
Book?? What’s that??? I wish I had time to read, and what I read really depends on where I am at in my life…..do I need to escape and read trash or am I at a point in my life where I am exploring new opportunities and need to read up on it? But let’s be honest, I get a lot of my information from podcasts……they are easy to listen to on the go, and it seems like I am always moving ( where if you are reading you are sitting for awhile……my biggest problem is that I cannot sit for lengths of time ). So favorite podcast, the obvious one would be TSC HIM & HER followed by The Joe Rogan Experience and Tim Ferriss.I really hope you guys enjoyed that interview with Charlotte. Be sure to follow her on Instagram @chargoods & @tavinoir.
SHOP CHARLOTTE’S FAVES:
Totally relate – my daughter is 4 and already pushes my buttons. I can only imagine what she will be like at 12! Also good to know that I’m not the only one going crazy in the mornings with kids!
Angela at Blush & Pearls
Yes loved this interview, very real and honest. I’m through the child rearing stage, but this interview is a good representation of what it was like!