Ayesha Curry: Marriage, Motherhood & My Identity

Join Alex in the studio for an interview with Ayesha Curry. Ayesha opens up about navigating her early 20’s, how becoming a mother impacted her identity, and how to adapt when your timeline changes. She also discusses her relationship with Steph, how she’s handled public scrutiny, and finding her passion as a business owner. Enjoy!

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Alex Cooper?

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• 1:31Alex Cooper?

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• 2:15Alex Cooper?

  What is up, daddy gang? It is your Father Alex Cooper with Call Her Daddy.

• 2:24Alex Cooper?

  Ayesha Curry, welcome to Call Her Daddy.

• 2:26Speaker 03

  Thank you for having me.

• 2:27Alex Cooper?

  I am so excited to meet you. How are you doing today?

• 2:30Speaker 03

  I'm hanging in there right now. I'm really nervous to be here.

• 2:34Alex Cooper?

  Wait, why?

• 2:35Speaker 03

  I'm so excited.

• 2:37Alex Cooper?

  Oh, my God.

• 2:37Speaker 03

  Um, yeah, so I'm just grateful. I'm excited, hoping I don't get in trouble for the things that I say.

• 2:43Alex Cooper?

  I feel like we're gonna have good girl talk.

• 2:46Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 2:46Alex Cooper?

  I'm not gonna put, you're not in the hot seat.

• 2:48Speaker 03

  Like, you. Yeah, I know. I know.

• 2:50Alex Cooper?

  Is it good that I'm catching you in the offseason or?

• 2:54Speaker 03

  Okay, good. It's great.

• 2:55Alex Cooper?

  So you're more chill during the offseason?

• 2:56Speaker 03

  Super chill. Yeah. I mean, it's still chaotic. It's always chaotic, but we're like learning to live in that.

• 3:01Alex Cooper?

  What do you guys usually do during this time of year? Are you traveling? Are you staying at home?

• 3:06Speaker 03

  Well, right now, um, because it's July, it's always the most chaotic of the year, actually, of the whole calendar year, because three of our kids' birthdays are in July.

• 3:21Speaker 03

  Our anniversary is at the end of July. And it's like, if you do, if you play well, like for my husband, if you play well, you play until June.

• 3:30Alex Cooper?

  And he usually plays well.

• 3:31Speaker 03

  He usually plays well. This year, we had a little bit more time, which was nice, but usually it's just two months and that's it.

• 3:38Alex Cooper?

  Okay, four kids. Did you always knew you wanted a big family?

• 3:42Speaker 03

  No. So I, I didn't want kids. I, I didn't want to get married. I thought I was gonna be career girl and that's it. And I had my eyes set on my goals. And I was never the little girl that like dreamt about the wedding dress and all of that. And then it happened so early in my life. So it's, it's one of those things like you don't, you don't know what you, you actually don't know what you want.

• 4:13Alex Cooper?

  Well, it's so interesting you say that because I want to talk a lot about that today because I relate to you in that way. Like, I really, really never thought I was gonna get married. I'm like, there is actually no way that's ever gonna happen. And then it happens and you're like, maybe I didn't know myself that well. And it's like, no, you knew yourself when you were young. And then life happens and then you grow up and then you have different wants and needs and that's okay to change your mind.

• 4:34Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 4:35Alex Cooper?

  But it's still shocking.

• 4:36Speaker 03

  It's still shocking.

• 4:38Alex Cooper?

  Okay, wait, quickly back to parenting. I'm gonna ask you a couple of random, like, parenting manual questions. Okay, what is a time one of your kids embarrassed you in public?

• 4:48Speaker 03

  My daughter, Ryan, we were in a very public place. I'm trying to remember where I'm blanking because I think this just like overshadowed the whole thing. But she yelled out like, mommy, do you have weaves? Is that a weaves? Like with an S. Do you have weaves in your hair?

• 5:10Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 5:12Alex Cooper?

  You're like, Ryan, thank you so much. Mommy loves you. Kids will humble you every fucking day. Okay, what's a bribe you used recently to get your kids to do something?

• 5:23Speaker 03

  Oh, I paid my daughter, my thirteen, thirteen year old Riley and my niece Ava, I paid them $20 to clean up the kitchen and the living room.

• 5:36Speaker 03

  Back in my day, I wouldn't have had that opportunity. I would have just had to do it.

• 5:42Alex Cooper?

  Okay, what is the weirdest thing you found in your kid's backpack or pocket?

• 5:49Speaker 03

  I just found, okay, I found my nipple covers in my son's pocket. He, he, he must have found them in my purse or out the counter. And he's like, you can always tell, like, what he's like. And then he walked in and he goes, mommy, do you know what's under here? And I, I had forgotten that fast that he had put them in his pocket. He's like, do you know what's under here? And I'm like, no, Kenan, what are you doing? And he goes, I said, take them off. And he's just like smiling ear to ear. He thinks it's hysterical. Oh, my God.

• 6:23Alex Cooper?

  That is, that is actually, though, hysterical.

• 6:26Speaker 03

  Definitely to leave the room, like.

• 6:28Alex Cooper?

  This is not happening.

• 6:29Speaker 03

  You don't want to laugh too hard because then they'll just keep doing it. He was like.

• 6:34Alex Cooper?

  Steph is like, I am leaving. You're like mortified.

• 6:38Speaker 03

  It's so bad.

• 6:55Alex Cooper?

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• 8:22Alex Cooper?

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• 9:46Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 9:46Alex Cooper?

  to move to LA to start your acting career.

• 9:49Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 9:50Alex Cooper?

  Tell me about like coming out to LA. What early ambitions did you have for yourself and like, what did you want?

• 9:58Speaker 03

  It's interesting because I don't ever, I think, get the opportunity to kind of talk about my life before my life now. And so, yeah, I graduated high school a year early. At the time, I was living in North Carolina. And I'd been in the industry since I was three years old. I was always working. I, commercial, print, like doing TV stuff, always. So other kids were at like soccer, doing the extracurriculars and I was on a set, working. And so it was second nature for me and quite honestly, growing up, the only thing that I thought I could do. And so I would enter all of these competitions.

• 10:43Speaker 03

  I entered this one in North Carolina and they were like, hey, move to LA.

• 10:48Speaker 03

  And I grew up, I think it's really important to preface, I grew up in like these most strict environment, like didn't get to go to high school football games, didn't get to really hang out with my friends. Damn sure couldn't like walk around the mall by myself. But when these people were like, hey, you want to move to LA? They were like, yeah, go.

• 11:12Alex Cooper?

  Your parents were like, have fun, honey. You're like,

• 11:14Speaker 03

  Go. Like, you're gonna do it. And I, I appreciate it because I, that means they believed in me so much. But at the same time, our entire family was like, this is crazy. Like, you can't even carpool.

• 11:25Alex Cooper?

  Okay, wait, you, starting at three, did, was it because like your mom just saw something in you? Like,

• 11:32Speaker 03

  We, we, the story is, because obviously I have no recollection. We were in a grocery store and a talent agent said, oh, she should be in commercials. And so it started from there and then kept going and.

• 11:47Alex Cooper?

  And when you started working that young and then kind of became aware of it, like, did you love it?

• 11:53Speaker 03

  Like, I loved it. I, I loved it. Eat, sleep, breathe.

• 11:58Alex Cooper?

  Okay, so you come from the Strick family, then you get on a plane after graduating high school early. So you're what, 17?

• 12:05Speaker 03

  Yeah, I was 17. My dad set me up for like a month. I got an apartment ridiculously expensive. So I was shocked, had to pick up three jobs. I worked at a frozen yogurt shop. I worked at Abercrombie and Fitch. Farmer's market on the weekends. So like, just to be able to make that happen.

• 12:31Alex Cooper?

  And I feel like when you have the dream of LA and acting or modeling or getting into this industry, like, naturally rejection comes with that.

• 12:42Speaker 03

  Oh, God.

• 12:43Alex Cooper?

  When you came out to LA, what was your self-confidence like before you started like really getting maybe some no's?

• 12:50Speaker 03

  I think because I came from the small town, I was like, oh, I got this. And then I got out, I got out here. And I remember the first couple of like cattle call auditions being like, Every single person in here looks exactly like me. Like these are like we're carbon copies of each other. Like what's going to set you apart? And so I think early on I was like, wow, I've got to diversify my portfolio a little bit.

• 13:21Alex Cooper?

  Right. Cause in North Carolina, you're like, there's like three of us in theater that are crushing. And then you get to LA and they're like, bitch. This is your first audition. Like this is my 900th. Like get in the back of the line. You're like, dad.

• 13:33Speaker 03

  And I'm walking in and I'm like, hello. And they're all like, why is this girl talking to us?

• 13:39Alex Cooper?

  Okay. But like Aisha, you have like a huge flex. Um, I found out that you were on an episode of Hannah Montana.

• 13:45Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 13:46Alex Cooper?

  Girl, that was my favorite show growing up. So you know what? I would put that if I was you, I would put that on my resume. I would put that as my Instagram.

• 13:56Speaker 03

  It should be the Instagram bio.

• 13:58Alex Cooper?

  I was on Hannah Montana, you fuckers.

• 14:01Speaker 03

  Actually, I have a good story. I have a good story about that. Hopefully you find this funny.

• 14:06Alex Cooper?

  Okay, okay.

• 14:07Speaker 03

  I'm dead. The one little episode, I was so excited. I remember calling Steph and like, I got it. I got it. He was so excited for me. I remember going to set and there was this lovely girl who was like in some of the scenes with me. And Billy Ray walks up and he's like, we're like, oh, hello, sir. Like so nice to meet you. And he's like, you know, you guys, it was actually so sweet. He was like, you know, you guys can really do this. You can really do this. And we're just looking at him like, do what? And he's like, Miley puts her pants on the same way you do every day. And but it stuck with me.

• 14:46Alex Cooper?

  It's kind of true. You're like, I could be Hannah Montana.

• 14:50Speaker 03

  He's right. He's right. You know?

• 14:53Alex Cooper?

  You're literally like, what are you talking about, sir? Then you're like, oh, you're talking big picture here. I got it.

• 14:58Speaker 03

  Big picture.

• 14:59Alex Cooper?

  This is like a little metaphor. I see where you're going with this Billy Ray. So during that time, you and Steph were already dating with the Hannah Montana.

• 15:04Speaker 03

  We were dating. Yeah.

• 15:06Alex Cooper?

  Let's go back. Let's talk about how you met Mr. Steph Curry. You

• 15:10Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 15:11Alex Cooper?

  met him in high school?

• 15:12Speaker 03

  Yeah. So. I'm Canadian.

• 15:14Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 15:15Speaker 03

  So I grew up in Markham, Ontario, um, and I moved to the States at fourteen to North Carolina. And that's actually where we met. He's one of the first people that I met in the States, but we just friends. Obviously, we were fourteen.

• 15:34Speaker 03

  Went to the same church, shared the same friend groups um, at church. And then when I moved to LA, he Facebooked me.

• 15:44Alex Cooper?

  Did he write on your wall or it was like a private message?

• 15:46Speaker 03

  It was a private message, but he was like, hey, do you still live in LA?

• 15:52Speaker 03

  That's a lie. The first message was, I was in this music video and he was like, hey, who is that in the, in the music video in the picture that you're in? And I'm like, oh, it's Young Berg. And he goes, oh, I should have known. He always has all the sexy ladies. And I was like, what is happening right now?

• 16:11Alex Cooper?

  You're like, Steph, I knew you said you're fourteen. I was fifteen. What are you trying to do right now?

• 16:15Speaker 03

  At this time, so at this time now, we're nineteen.

• 16:19Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 16:20Speaker 03

  Eighteen, nineteen. And so he goes, do you still live in LA? I'm here uh, for a camp. Do you want to hang out? And I'm like freaking out because this guy, he was like the guy at church. Like all the girls loved him.

• 16:36Alex Cooper?

  I thought you were going to say like in high school, like on the court, you're like, at church, he was the guy. Was he the basketball guy in high school or no?

• 16:43Speaker 03

  I, apparently he was, but I, I didn't, I genuinely didn't pay attention to that. Cause I, I grew up in such an arts-driven family that sports outside of like Doug Flutie playing for the Buffalo Bills, like wasn't a, it just wasn't a thing in my, in my house. And so,

• 17:03Speaker 03

  he said, so we made plans to hang out. And then I said, where are you staying? And he said Anaheim. And I was like,

• 17:13Alex Cooper?

  You're like, so you're coming to me because I'm not.

• 17:16Speaker 03

  At this way, I still have the other jobs, like trying to pay the rent. Gas is expensive. So I was like, I'm sorry, I can't this time, but if you're ever back, let me know and we'll go hang out. And he's like, oh, I'm back in two weeks. And I'm like, Oh my God.

• 17:33Alex Cooper?

  You still in Anaheim?

• 17:34Speaker 03

  So, no, this time he was in Hollywood. So he stuck with it. He hit me up two weeks later. We hung out and we've literally been together since that day.

• 17:43Alex Cooper?

  Okay, hold on. You go and you hang out with him. What is your headspace? Are you seeing him in like a could this be something kind of way? Or are you like, no?

• 17:54Speaker 03

  No, I was, and this is like my first real date. So I was just nervous.

• 18:03Speaker 03

  I was nervous. It was like years of having a crush and then years, like I just never thought that he would like someone like me. I just didn't think it was gonna be a thing. I thought we would be friends. Yeah.

• 18:18Alex Cooper?

  Did you ever have anything in high school at all or was legit just friends?

• 18:23Speaker 03

  No, just friends. Just friends. Yeah.

• 18:27Alex Cooper?

  I get what you're saying of like you never saw him as something, but I'm like, when you look back, is there any memory that you're like, maybe there was something or no?

• 18:34Speaker 03

  No, never. I, I had a friend over who had a crush on his brother at the time. And she decided to call him and they were giggling and then they put, we're maybe like 15 at this time. And they put Stefan on the phone and somebody said something about Canada. And so I was like, oh, I'm Canadian. And he's like, oh, do you like Canadian candy? And I'm like, I love Canadian candy. And so my aunt was coming into town from Canada. And so she brought some for me. And so I was like, oh, I'll bring you a bag to church. The next time we're at church.

• 19:13Alex Cooper?

  See, it was meant to be. It was meant to be.

• 19:15Speaker 03

  I bring the bag and I literally, everybody's watching. I hand it to him and I don't say anything to him. I just like shove it and walk away. Like that's how shy.

• 19:26Alex Cooper?

  Aisha.

• 19:27Speaker 03

  I was.

• 19:29Alex Cooper?

  And did you like him at all, like in your heart? You're like, oh, I wish I could.

• 19:32Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 19:32Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, it just wasn't, it was high school.

• 19:35Speaker 03

  I thought he was so cute.

• 19:37Alex Cooper?

  Okay, so fast forward, you go on this first date.

• 19:41Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 19:41Alex Cooper?

  What are the vibes?

• 19:44Speaker 03

  It was the, it was one of the best days of my life. Honestly, it was so innocent and young and like, I wish I could relive that. Or at least watch it from like a bird's eye view. It was so cute. We did Hollywood Boulevard, put our, put our hands in the, in the Maryland hands and like, uh, got chai, chai lattes. We went over to the Grove and like walked around and they were filming some Eddie Murphy movie that we, like, I don't think it ever ended up coming out.

• 20:17Speaker 03

  And just had, checking cop cars to see if they had donuts, like, just like real young love. I don't know. I remember it like it was yesterday.

• 20:27Alex Cooper?

  I feel like when you have one of those first dates though, like I feel that way about my husband. I always say that to him, I'm like, oh my God, what I would give to relive that night. Or at least I say the same thing, just watch it. Like, I wish I could just.

• 20:39Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 20:40Alex Cooper?

  Cause it's so romantic and cute to know then what comes from that story. So that's really cute, cause it is so innocent. You would have no idea what it was gonna lead to.

• 20:49Speaker 03

  And nobody could predict like what the future.

• 20:52Alex Cooper?

  No.

• 20:53Speaker 03

  Held, holds.

• 20:54Alex Cooper?

  Did you guys kiss first date?

• 20:56Speaker 03

  No.

• 20:57Alex Cooper?

  Did he try?

• 20:58Speaker 03

  No, he tried. So shortly after that, I got a really bad bout of laryngitis.

• 21:04Alex Cooper?

  Stop, this is so random.

• 21:07Speaker 03

  My throat was so swollen, it was like, and I panicked and I was like, mom, dad, I wanna come home. And so I went home and he was like, I'm home. And so.

• 21:18Alex Cooper?

  You're laid up with laryngitis?

• 21:20Speaker 03

  And so I got a little bit better and then we like continued dating from there, obviously. And like, I wanna say it was maybe like the fourth date. He came like, I was mid-sentence and he like came flying at my face and I, I turned to the side. I'm still nervous at this point. Like I, you, it's like butterflies. And he's like, oh, oh. And I just look at him and I'm like, I didn't know that's what we were doing. Like I, I didn't know you liked me like that.

• 21:51Alex Cooper?

  Are you sure?

• 21:52Speaker 03

  He was like, yeah, I've just been coming over to your house for the past two weeks to play video games with your brothers.

• 21:59Alex Cooper?

  You're like, oh.

• 22:00Speaker 03

  Try again, try again, try it again.

• 22:01Alex Cooper?

  One more time. Wait, and so did he try again?

• 22:04Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 22:05Alex Cooper?

  Oh, you, okay. So you did. Okay. Cute, cute, cute. I'm like, this poor man gets rejected.

• 22:08Speaker 03

  No, no, it was fine. It was like a split second.

• 22:10Alex Cooper?

  But it's cute too, cause like in that moment, you're still the girl with the candy, like handing it to him and running away. And meanwhile, he's like, I like you. Can you sit there and like accept it for a second? That's really, really cute. Okay. So when you're living in LA, you guys reconnect, he didn't live in LA at the time, right?

• 22:25Speaker 03

  No.

• 22:26Alex Cooper?

  So this is like a light, long distance situation.

• 22:29Speaker 03

  It's a light long distance. Yeah. He still had a year of college left, so it was pretty long distance.

• 22:35Alex Cooper?

  When you were in that beginning stage, did you have interest in a long distance? Like, how did you think this was even gonna work?

• 22:43Speaker 03

  Ironically, I don't even think I was thinking of how it could work. We were just going through the motions really.

• 22:51Speaker 03

  And it seemed like the people around us too, like our families were into it. And so they were like a really good support system through it. I, I don't know. It sucked. Now that I'm thinking about it, um, I remember I drove back to LA. After he started his junior year of college and the season had started for him. But I had to go back for something. I don't remember what it was for. And at the time you could get like his college games on the radio. And so, and it was a big game. And so I'm like listening, sobbing, like I'm not there to support.

• 23:34Alex Cooper?

  You're literally driving home like the classic girl looking out the window, like so sad. You're like, fuck my life. Oh my God. But then it obviously ended up working out. Tell me about the moment that he gets drafted to the Golden State Warriors. Cause now he's coming full-time West Coast.

• 23:49Speaker 03

  Yeah, yeah.

• 23:51Speaker 03

  So he had like a big decision to make because he had a year left. He had a senior year left. So it was like, do I stay? Do I go? And like, I think what a lot of people don't know is he really like, he really thought about like, it was like a torment for him. He called me like crying behind a tree. Like, I don't know what to do. And I, and I'll stand like 10 toes down on this. Like, I don't, I'm not, it's not a secret. I was like, stay in school.

• 24:21Alex Cooper?

  Wait, and why? Because then he was going to be far away from you still, right?

• 24:24Speaker 03

  So the why is I didn't grow up surrounded by people who went to college. That for me was like, wow, what a blessing. Like you, you get to go to college. You get to have an education. Like, why would you leave? So, and then not coming from that sports background and understanding how like rare the opportunity he had was, I was like, yeah, stay in school.

• 24:51Alex Cooper?

  Like, college is so much cooler than the NBA.

• 24:53Speaker 03

  But I'm glad.

• 24:54Alex Cooper?

  Wait, wait.

• 24:55Speaker 03

  That was really the sentiment.

• 24:56Alex Cooper?

  Kind of love that for you.

• 24:57Speaker 03

  But I'm glad, I'm glad he, I'm glad he decided to leave. And then he ended up finishing anyway and has gone on to do tremendous, incredible, cool shit that we never thought would happen. So it's great.

• 25:11Alex Cooper?

  So he comes to the West Coast and at this point, when he gets like drafted, like, are you guys like official boyfriend, girlfriend?

• 25:20Speaker 03

  Oh, yeah.

• 25:21Alex Cooper?

  Who said, I love you first?

• 25:22Speaker 03

  Me.

• 25:23Alex Cooper?

  What? Tell me, tell me everything.

• 25:25Speaker 03

  I a hundred percent said, I love you first.

• 25:30Speaker 03

  I was visiting him at school and getting ready to leave to go back to my mom's house. And I said it. And he didn't say it back. And he just stared at me. And I, my eyes started to well up. And he was like, can I please explain? And I'm like, okay.

• 25:53Alex Cooper?

  Oh, wait, okay. I immediately now know what you're like in those moments. You literally go stone cold. Just like, okay. Let me know.

• 26:02Speaker 03

  He's like, I.

• 26:05Speaker 03

  Said, he's, he's like, I said, I love you to somebody in the past and I didn't mean it. He's like, and I regret it. And he's like, I just want to be sure that when I say it again, you know that it's, that I mean it. And in the moment, I was like, bullshit. But now, obviously, I realized he was serious. And a few, a few, like, a month later, we're sitting, watching Seven Pounds. And when they say like, the human heart, Seven Pounds, he literally, my whole family's in the room, by the way, sitting, watching this movie. He leans over in my ear and he's like, I love you. And I'm like, happy, but I'm also like, what?

• 26:47Alex Cooper?

  What are you doing?

• 26:48Speaker 03

  Sitting next to my uncle.

• 26:53Alex Cooper?

  No.

• 26:53Speaker 03

  What's happening?

• 26:54Alex Cooper?

  Not step in that moment, thinking like, this is gonna be so romantic. And you're literally like,

• 26:59Speaker 03

  I mean, if he's gonna do one thing, he's gonna make it memorable.

• 27:02Alex Cooper?

  So then you did just not talk the rest of the fucking movie?

• 27:06Speaker 03

  I had to get up and take a lap. Yeah.

• 27:09Alex Cooper?

  Did he follow you?

• 27:10Speaker 03

  Um, no. And then after the movie was over, we like went in my uncle's elevator and we're like making out in there. It was great.

• 27:19Alex Cooper?

  That's what needed to happen. Picturing him whispering that to you and you just like,

• 27:24Alex Cooper?

  you're like, Uncle Jerry, just close your ears. What?

• 27:28Speaker 03

  I do have an Uncle Jerry. It wasn't Uncle Jerry.

• 27:32Alex Cooper?

  Which uncle was it?

• 27:33Speaker 03

  My Uncle Carl.

• 27:34Alex Cooper?

  Uncle Carl?

• 27:35Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 27:35Alex Cooper?

  Jerry and Carl. Good names for uncles, right?

• 27:39Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 27:39Alex Cooper?

  Classic. You end up moving to the Bay Area with Seth. Talk to me about, for you, what went into that decision?

• 27:49Speaker 03

  It was exciting. Uh, I think initially, when they called his name, we were like, kicking each other under the table because nobody really knew where that was.

• 28:04Speaker 03

  Um, but then the next morning, we um, we got on the plane to fly out to the bay and have never looked back and the vibes, the vibes in the bay are high. Yes, it's so good. Everybody's so creative. The culture is like rich.

• 28:26Alex Cooper?

  Pausing on you guys as a couple, now let's talk about you as an individual though, because you had the dream and did you feel like in moving with him, did you feel like you had to pick between your career and your relationship at that point?

• 28:41Speaker 03

  Yes, um, to an extent. That was never presented in front of me that way. It just kind of had to be that way. And because when we, after we got married, we found out we were pregnant with our daughters so quickly. It, I didn't even have time to think about what I wanted anymore. It's so interesting. I spent my entire life like trying to work towards something and then it kind of just disappeared and I didn't think twice about it. But after my daughter turned one, I remember there being a shift and being like, ah, I have goals for myself. Like this doesn't feel right.

• 29:25Speaker 03

  I love being a mom, but I love doing other things too. And I need to get my shit together and figure out what that looks like for myself now.

• 29:35Alex Cooper?

  Okay, rewind two steps.

• 29:37Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 29:38Alex Cooper?

  Married at 22.

• 29:40Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 29:41Alex Cooper?

  How did you know you were ready for that?

• 29:43Speaker 03

  I didn't. I just knew that I loved him and

• 29:49Speaker 03

  I'd never like experienced anything else. I'd never felt any differently than like, this is who I want to spend the rest of my life with. And so we kind of just dove in and.

• 30:03Alex Cooper?

  Did anyone or any you or Steph or anyone have any hesitations about like, oh, we're getting married in our early twenties or no?

• 30:10Speaker 03

  No, and I say this all the time to our family. I'm like, you guys, like 22. I'm like, you guys. I'm like, not one, not a single parent. Nobody was like, hey, guys.

• 30:25Speaker 03

  Are you sure? Everybody was like, no, this is what's happening and we love you and we love you and it's gonna be great. It's just like, wow. Like when I really look at it.

• 30:35Alex Cooper?

  Well, and again, because there are so many people that may watch this that are like, oh, 22 for them. Whether it's because like they watched their parents get married young or whatever, it was normal. But you in the beginning of this interview started by being like, girl, I didn't even think I wanted to get married.

• 30:48Speaker 03

  Yes, exactly.

• 30:50Alex Cooper?

  So it is a big deal that at 22 it was.

• 30:53Speaker 03

  It's a mixture of that and a mixture of like, there are levels to 22. Like there's different styles of 22 year olds, but I was like the naive, like very young.

• 31:07Speaker 03

  Unpolished.

• 31:10Speaker 03

  22 year old. Like I didn't have very much life experience. And so it's just interesting.

• 31:16Alex Cooper?

  It is, but it's. Again, I think like why I'm I was excited to talk to you is because as women, there's just like so many things that happen in our life that we want to plan for. And then obviously life just doesn't go as planned. And to hear you at a young age, getting married, I think like, and knowing it was such a success, but it doesn't mean the whole ride was easy. Like that's what I'm excited to get into.

• 31:40Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 31:40Alex Cooper?

  So what, like a few months after getting married, you just said.

• 31:44Speaker 03

  Three months.

• 31:46Alex Cooper?

  Okay. What was going through your head when you found out that news?

• 31:49Speaker 03

  I was confused because.

• 31:51Alex Cooper?

  How are you confused?

• 31:53Speaker 03

  Because.

• 31:56Speaker 03

  My OB said expected to take up to a year. And so I'm like, oh, if in my head, I heard at least a year.

• 32:05Speaker 03

  I was thinking we were gonna be like bar hopping like it's like it's like nope. You're pregnant and you're gonna be very, very sick, but I'm so grateful. I wouldn't change a thing.

• 32:15Alex Cooper?

  Of course.

• 32:16Speaker 03

  But um. Yeah, it was not on my bingo card.

• 32:22Alex Cooper?

  And when all this went down, like. I guess now looking back, what advice would you give to someone listening who of like how to embrace when your timeline suddenly changes?

• 32:34Speaker 03

  Oh, there's no such thing as a timeline, I think is the bottom line.

• 32:41Speaker 03

  Things are gonna shift, like life is ebbs and flows and you just kind of have to roll with the punches. Sometimes stuff's gonna suck like. But you can always recover and I think it's important also, like sometimes you can feel like you're in your own bubble or like. Feel isolated or like you're the only person experiencing that thing, but there's always like a resource. Or there's always a community of people who are experiencing similar things.

• 33:09Alex Cooper?

  Did you have like any friends who were in similar life stages to you at that point?

• 33:14Speaker 03

  No.

• 33:14Alex Cooper?

  They're like, babe, we're at one oak.

• 33:16Speaker 03

  No.

• 33:17Alex Cooper?

  What are you doing?

• 33:18Speaker 03

  No, actually, all of our friends are like just now having babies like the past four or five years. So we were the. Trailblazers.

• 33:28Alex Cooper?

  What was the hardest part of being a young mom?

• 33:31Speaker 03

  I think my identity. So uh. Because I have such an entrepreneurial spirit, not being able to call the shots all the time for myself was freaking weird. And and then learning how to kind of reset myself to make it all work while still having a family was weird too.

• 33:57Speaker 03

  But it's made me really resilient and like a little gritty. So I'm grateful for it.

• 34:03Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, like even thinking about how you said earlier, like, once my daughter turned about one, I was kind of looking around like, I love being a mom.

• 34:11Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 34:12Alex Cooper?

  But I also have this other side of me that I can feel kind of wanting to come back up. And I think a lot of times, women can experience like, or so I've read, because I'm obviously not a mother yet, hopefully. Um, but like, women can experience this like mom guilt of like, if I have a career and I'm not home, like, did you experience that?

• 34:35Speaker 03

  I still experience that. I still experience that. I'm almost like, I'm always in therapy, talking about this. Um, but I, what I realized is like, if you lose, if you lose, like for me, being married and like with my husband, if you lose all of those things that

• 34:59Speaker 03

  were interesting about you, even for yourself, like even the things that made me feel confident and cool, then what like, what are you doing? And so for me, it's always been important. I, I mean, I'm a little, I'm a little ADHD. So like, I'm, I have a million and five ideas. I have a million interests. I'm very creative. I, and I like to explore those sides of me. And I think it keeps me who I am to like my family and the people that I love. But it also keeps, allows me to have a certain level of confidence that I don't think I would have otherwise.

• 35:35Alex Cooper?

  Right. It's like you grew up, like we've talked about, like having this thing that you were so passionate about. And to lose that creative side of yourself would just mean that you're almost like doing a disservice to yourself. And then therefore to your kids and to your husband and to your relationships. Like, that's who you are.

• 35:51Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 35:52Alex Cooper?

  And you don't have to be, as women were always told, like, or at least it feels like people just try to have us be one dimensional. And you can do more. Not that it's easy.

• 36:01Speaker 03

  No.

• 36:02Alex Cooper?

  But it's an option.

• 36:03Speaker 03

  It's an option. Like I say all the time. I'm like, when men do it, they're like, oh my God, you're so multifaceted. Wow.

• 36:13Alex Cooper?

  So talented.

• 36:14Speaker 03

  What a renaissance man. And I'm like, what, why can't women do the same thing? Like, what is, what is giving you the ick so bad that you feel like I can't do these separate things, be good at them, or at least try to? Like, what, like, what is the problem?

• 36:32Alex Cooper?

  It is really frustrating. And then I think thankfully, I feel like there's just been an uptick of people being like, you know what? I don't care anymore. I'm just gonna do it, even if it pisses all of you off so much and it makes you uncomfortable to see a woman succeeding. Deal with that.

• 36:45Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 36:45Alex Cooper?

  On your own side, because I'm gonna keep fucking pushing.

• 37:04Alex Cooper?

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• 38:29Alex Cooper?

  There are a lot of people in sports that don't obviously have to go through as much of the conversation around like fame and spotlight as you and your husband have had to. How did being in the spotlight impact your relationship in the early days? Cause you guys didn't know how to handle it.

• 38:50Speaker 03

  It's a double edged sword because parts of it have afforded me doors to be open. I obviously have to walk through them and then put in the work to stay in the room. But that I think would be the elephant in the room is like, I'm grateful for that side of things. But on the flip side, I, I, in the beginning, hated it so much. I like did not sign up for that. I also always thought like, I didn't know that he was gonna end up playing basketball. Like I, he said he wanted to be a high school basketball coach.

• 39:30Speaker 03

  Like I thought, I, I thought I was gonna be like the girl out there getting it. So I didn't know. And so it, it just like, it was weird and sports fans are so different than like maybe entertainment world fans. And oftentimes it's like very ruthless. And so I think I wasn't expecting that either. I remember like one time, right after my first was born, she was whiny. So I was like, let me just nurse her in the backseat. And Stefan was putting a bike or something in the trunk and this woman like opens the car door and she sticks her head in and she's like, I just wanted to see the baby. And

• 40:13Speaker 03

  I'm like, oh, oh, excuse me. And she looks me dead in my face and goes, oh, honey, you know what you signed up for. And then like shuts the door on me. And I was just crying because I was like postpartum. I was just bawling my eyes out. And I'm like, what? Like, is this what it's gonna be like?

• 40:30Alex Cooper?

  Wow.

• 40:31Speaker 03

  And so that the beginnings phases were kind of scary for me.

• 40:37Alex Cooper?

  And as a woman, like, did you ever experience? Any type of like direct scrutiny over just like you or what you looked like or how you were acting?

• 40:48Speaker 03

  Oh, all the time. I feel like I still do and that's okay, but.

• 40:53Alex Cooper?

  How did that impact you though? Early on when you were like, I, I'm still not equipped to handle this because now you're like seasoned. Yes, it affects you, but you now have the tools of like, I've been here before. I know exactly how to handle this moment.

• 41:03Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 41:04Alex Cooper?

  Doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt.

• 41:05Speaker 03

  It was so depressing and also it was during that time when this like social media thing was just ramping up. And so people were going buck wild.

• 41:17Speaker 03

  And just spewing opinions on things that didn't warrant opinions. And so I, I think for a while. Yeah, I was very critical of myself because of the things that I was seeing.

• 41:31Alex Cooper?

  It's so hard also to be the woman in a situation where you're like, men just don't get as much scrutiny. Like they can maybe tell him like, your fucking shots suck tonight, but like the looks and all of that is just like not a factor of conversation as much.

• 41:48Speaker 03

  No.

• 41:49Alex Cooper?

  Did you talk to Steph about it like, or did you kind of keep it within yourself? So it didn't?

• 41:56Speaker 03

  I have, I do not have a bone in my body that can keep anything to myself. So if it comes to mind, it's coming out. Um, and he, he's so gracious, like he tries to resonate with me. But he just can't. And he also comes from a place of like, it's effing stupid. Like it's not true. So why? And I'm like, but wait, like, listen to how it makes me feel. And he's like, but why does it make you feel like that? It's not real.

• 42:32Alex Cooper?

  I mean, that's so men where you're like, no, wait, but I want to talk about it for four more hours. You just sit down and they're like, you want me to solve it for you? It's not real. We both know it's not real. Blah, blah.

• 42:42Speaker 03

  He's like, no.

• 42:43Alex Cooper?

  Go to bed. Go to sleep. You're like in the bathroom brushing your teeth. You're like, another thing. You like pop out. He's like.

• 42:49Speaker 03

  Quite literally.

• 42:50Alex Cooper?

  Can you share like something that was said about you in the early days to just like paint the picture? No one knows.

• 42:58Speaker 03

  On the spot. Okay. This one's kind of funny.

• 43:02Alex Cooper?

  Now it's funny.

• 43:03Speaker 03

  This one's kind of funny because at a certain point, like I do have a round face.

• 43:07Alex Cooper?

  Oh my god.

• 43:08Speaker 03

  So like at a certain point, this was true because I was a little weightier. But there was this thing going around that said, there's two things. It was like that I look like SpongeBob's mom. Just look it up after.

• 43:19Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 43:20Speaker 03

  I, I, I felt that way. So then seeing it, I was like, damn.

• 43:26Alex Cooper?

  Damn. No.

• 43:28Speaker 03

  What else? Um.

• 43:32Speaker 03

  I think because he's like known for shooting threes, people will say something all the time like, oh, he shoots threes on and off the court. And I'm like, come on.

• 43:40Alex Cooper?

  Well, first of all.

• 43:42Alex Cooper?

  Three plus like a million, like you were like so fucking stunning and gorgeous.

• 43:47Speaker 03

  Very sweet.

• 43:48Alex Cooper?

  I don't need to say that too, but I have to say it because it's also like, the people that are writing it are probably threes, but not you. Um, but also I feel like it's funny to see any athlete's wife. Everyone just first goes for their looks and, and they compare.

• 44:04Speaker 03

  It's strange.

• 44:05Alex Cooper?

  Crazy.

• 44:05Speaker 03

  It's so strange.

• 44:07Alex Cooper?

  That online conversation is so tired. Like immediately just judging a wife of like a man that is well-known and famous. Doesn't even have to be sports. It can be entertainment, actors, whatever it be. It's always at the looks and it's like. Aren't we tired?

• 44:23Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 44:23Alex Cooper?

  Just a little bit?

• 44:24Speaker 03

  I've also gotten the like, and I've gotten this in person a lot. Is the like, the stigma of being a wife of somebody that plays professional sports or girlfriend, whatever, whatever. Oh, how does it feel to be said person's wife and also work? And I'm like, huh, huh, what? So I think there's a stigma out there that people don't do, these women aren't doing anything. That's not true. There's so many women doing incredible things. A lot, just like they do it under their radar, which is great. Like.

• 45:02Alex Cooper?

  No, it's so misogynistic.

• 45:04Speaker 03

  It's so crazy.

• 45:05Alex Cooper?

  Well, your husband makes so much fucking money. Like, why would you ever want to work? And it's like, God forbid, I also have individual interests and needs and wants and goals in my fucking life.

• 45:13Speaker 03

  Crazy.

• 45:15Alex Cooper?

  It's all projection.

• 45:16Speaker 03

  Mm hmm.

• 45:17Alex Cooper?

  Okay, wait, I want to play a game then between you and Steph of who is more likely to. Okay. Who is more likely to take a work call during date night?

• 45:26Speaker 03

  Stefan.

• 45:30Alex Cooper?

  Do you guys have boundaries of like, no, we're done with work, food?

• 45:33Speaker 03

  I do. Where is the game?

• 45:37Alex Cooper?

  You're like, do not disturb, motherfucker. Okay, who is more likely to call a family meeting?

• 45:44Speaker 03

  Me.

• 45:46Alex Cooper?

  What was the topic of the most recent, like, curry family meeting?

• 45:50Speaker 03

  Um, these days, and I'm sorry, you guys, is this the camera I look at? I'm sorry, you guys, it's just true. These days, it's calling meetings about our parents to discuss our parents.

• 46:04Alex Cooper?

  When you become an adult and then you realize like, oh, my parents, how did I get through an airport when I was younger? Like, how did you get me through to Terminal B? Like, you start looking at your parents, like, I love you more than life, like, hello?

• 46:20Speaker 03

  What is going on?

• 46:22Alex Cooper?

  Who is more likely to splurge on a big purchase?

• 46:26Speaker 03

  Me. That is not even a conversation.

• 46:30Alex Cooper?

  Good for you.

• 46:31Speaker 03

  He's gonna be so proud of me for being honest, too.

• 46:34Alex Cooper?

  He's gonna be watching this like, yes, babe, thank you for taking accountability. What is like one of your splurges that you're like, I'm really actually proud of that one?

• 46:43Speaker 03

  Actually, my ring. So I, I reset my ring.

• 46:46Alex Cooper?

  I've been staring at it. So that's a good answer.

• 46:51Speaker 03

  But I feel like I'll have it forever.

• 46:53Alex Cooper?

  Let's talk about your business now, because I really wanted to get to individually driven at a young age, you meet Steph, you have this like, oh, my gosh, we didn't anticipate we were gonna fall in love and then have babies and all the things. And then one day you woke up pretty quickly into having a kid being like, wait, wait, wait, I gotta get myself back on track. Steph has his career, I want my career to get back on track. What was the hardest part, early days of like, really trying to start your business?

• 47:20Speaker 03

  I think early days, it was just starting. So I, I basically started.

• 47:26Speaker 03

  So I figured I wasn't gonna transition back into acting yet. Um, I was gonna try to figure out something for myself where I could kinda stay in one place. Um, I've loved food my entire life. Like I've, I've cooked for my family since I was 11 years old. Um, and people would often ask me for recipes and things like that. And so because we were the only people at the time in our family on the west coast, everybody's on the east coast. I was like, oh, I'll start like for the family. Like I'm just gonna launch a blog. Blogs were the thing at the time. And Stefan's actually the one that encouraged it because I would start and stop, start and stop. He was like, just do it. So I did it.

• 48:11Speaker 03

  Other people took notice and then someone said, hey, people like to see these things, like make a video. And so I started making videos. And from there, it just, it grew and I went to San Francisco Cooking School for a little bit. And then the, the, the station that broadcasts the Warriors games at the time. They reached out and they were like, hey, we really like your videos. Like what if we gave you a 30 minute slot before every game locally? And we did a cooking segment. And I was like, yeah. And so that was like my first TV cooking direct to camera.

• 48:55Speaker 03

  And then from there it grew to the book and then the book to Food Network. And so it was like, I had this

• 49:02Speaker 03

  robust, like food television career very quickly. Um, that happened pretty organically and I, I've like enjoyed every minute of it.

• 49:14Alex Cooper?

  What has been, do you think, the hardest situation that you've had to navigate as a female business owner?

• 49:22Speaker 03

  Um.

• 49:25Speaker 03

  I

• 49:26Alex Cooper?

  Why are you laughing?

• 49:27Speaker 03

  Sorry, I, cause I don't know if I can say this, but I'll just say it anyway. Um, the, the hardest, there's two. The, the first is, was hearing the nose as a woman in food. So I didn't realize how many barriers at the time. Now it's very different. There were, I was either too young or too young of a woman, or there was nobody that looked like me. So instead of being like, you don't have a demographic here, let's create one. It was like, no, you don't have a demographic here. And so I think that was shocking to me. Getting people to take me seriously, cause at the time I think I was now 24 or 25.

• 50:07Speaker 03

  And so getting people to see me and realize that I, I had talent outside of what people were assuming, I think has been really difficult.

• 50:20Alex Cooper?

  I think also you, what you were kind of alluding to when you were saying that, you know, people were looking to see if you actually had talent outside of maybe what people were expecting you to be known for. And kind of what we were talking about with the money thing earlier. It's like, yes, I think there's a lot of people that would be like, you're Steph Curry's wife. Like, go sit in the stands and like, he makes so much money, just be happy. And so there's the one, why are you working question? And then there's the two, now that you're bringing up of like, people maybe assuming, oh, is she getting what she's getting just because she is this guy's wife? How does that make you feel when you hear those comments?

• 50:56Speaker 03

  It feels crazy. And actually what you just said, like, I recall, like, sitting there, you said, in the stands. A reporter actually literally said on live television, she needs to sit there and look pretty like other people. I think people just don't realize that there is a life outside of where we are now in our adulthood. I think.

• 51:21Speaker 03

  People can't see past like the surface one sheet.

• 51:26Alex Cooper?

  Yep. Or you know what? They don't want to.

• 51:29Speaker 03

  They don't want to. They don't want to.

• 51:32Alex Cooper?

  Which sucks.

• 51:33Speaker 03

  It sucks so bad. Um, but I'm gonna keep trying.

• 51:37Alex Cooper?

  Yeah, we're gonna keep going.

• 51:38Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 51:39Alex Cooper?

  Even if you guys don't like it.

• 51:40Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 51:41Alex Cooper?

  Women are just gonna keep on coming and they're gonna be like, oh my God, here they come again. Um, throughout your career.

• 51:47Speaker 03

  I'm sorry. That's crazy.

• 51:48Alex Cooper?

  Well, we may also come again. Hopefully if you can make us. If not, we'll do it ourselves. Okay, here we go. Um, talking about, you know, the, these industries that you were trying to break into. Having people look at you being like, we haven't seen someone like you do it before, or also you being too young, all these things. A lot of these industries that you were trying to break into were heavily male dominated.

• 52:10Speaker 03

  Very male dominated.

• 52:11Alex Cooper?

  Also probably controlled by white men. Like, how did you get the confidence in moments to advocate for yourself?

• 52:21Speaker 03

  I didn't. I didn't at the time. I, I, I didn't have that. I kinda was just going where I was told.

• 52:31Speaker 03

  But I, it took for somebody to advocate for me. So it took somebody at the network who was a woman who just so happened to have their first child to be like, no, she's not too young and I see it and we're gonna do it. And I'm like forever grateful. Um, but I think now in my 30s, I'm, I've gotten pretty good at advocating for myself. Or like just living in that vulnerability of what that means. So like, even if it's not well received, at least I'm satisfied and I know that I've spoken up for myself because I've, I have in the past

• 53:12Speaker 03

  tended to be very timid and shy and reserved for the most part. So.

• 53:17Alex Cooper?

  You saying that a woman kind of like paid it forward to you and was like, no, let's give this girl a chance. That. Makes me so hopeful because I feel like even you saying that it the fact that there's she was probably the only woman in the room and then she saw something in you. I think it's a great message to there's so many women that will be listening to this and it's like I know sometimes it can feel like as the only woman just be like grateful that you are at least a woman in the room. But like to lift other women up with you is how we're gonna stop feeling so isolated and alone in those rooms with men. So like what a beautiful moment for you. Now you

• 54:00Alex Cooper?

  being kind of maybe more in the position of power. Yeah. How have you been able to uplift and kind of advocate for more women in your industry?

• 54:12Speaker 03

  So through all of this, um, through my culinary background and hospitality and all of that, we've really like realized the power of storytelling. And so we had Sweet July Magazine for a while. We have Sweet July Productions and Sweet July Books now. And so the way that I feel like I pay it forward is by finding badass women in all of those spaces and giving them the platform to tell their stories. It's so much more rewarding. I think it's like what you're doing. It's so much more rewarding than trying to go around for yourself, you know, it's, it's

• 54:51Speaker 03

  when you lock arms with strong, creative, outspoken women, it just, it's so much more powerful than doing it alone.

• 55:01Alex Cooper?

  You know, it like changes everything. Like you're like, oh my God. And I, and we all usually start alone. Yeah. Like that's the thing that's so, it's so exciting and eye opening when you start to work with more women who are like minded and you're like, oh my God, why was it this hard to get to this place where I finally get to work with women? Cause a lot of times it takes you being in a position of privilege to then create that around of environment around you in a work setting. And it's incredible that you are doing that. Um, your foundation that you have with Steph, Eat, Learn, Play. Can you talk about like, what is the most rewarding part of being able to do that together?

• 55:44Speaker 03

  I think the single most important thing will We'll do in our careers for sure is Eat, Learn, Play. So basically, we provide access to quality nutrition, quality education, and safe places to play for kids in the Oakland Unified School District.

• 56:05Speaker 03

  The statistics are devastating when you look at how kids are learning within the school system. But then when you pan out and you look from a bird's eye view why that is, and you realize it's those three simple things, like it's heartbreaking. And no child should have to be without that. And so we partnered with the school district and founded Eat, Learn, Play like right before the pandemic started.

• 56:36Speaker 03

  And have been able to make some pretty impactful change so far. There's literally so much more to do. But I think it's so important to us because it's, we're gonna start to see a shift for the future generations. And if we lay the foundation now, it'll be smooth sailing down the road. And like a lot of people ask us why we're so siphoned into just Oakland. And it's because you gotta crawl before you walk. And if we can solve the problems there and create a really robust, foolproof model for other communities to take it and run with it. We don't have to be attached to it. That's not why we're doing it. And so if they can just take the model and implement it there,

• 57:19Speaker 03

  I feel like that's how we'll see the most impactful change.

• 57:23Alex Cooper?

  I mean, it's incredible to even hear you talk about it more because you can tell how passionate you are about it. But also, it's like, yeah, it doesn't, I love that you're saying like, the goal isn't for Steph and I to have our faces on this. Like, it's literally like, we're trying to use what we have to make change. It's incredible you're doing that. Okay, you obviously, we were earlier talking about Sweet July and how you've had all of these moments, but now you have Sweet July Skin.

• 57:52Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 57:53Alex Cooper?

  Talk to me about, well, first of all, talk to me about where did that name come from?

• 57:56Speaker 03

  So Sweet July started because I realized that a lot of the like, high endorphin, excitement, happy moments in my life happened at one time, and that was in July because of the kids being born, our anniversary. Having my man home in the off season. And I realized like after the gratefulness would kind of taper off. Like there was this like heightened gratefulness during that's like, I'm so grateful. Thank you, God. And then it would kind of, I'm just being honest, it would taper off. And I was like, no, no, no, that's not okay. Like you can find so much joy in like the smallest of things.

• 58:40Speaker 03

  Like I'm sure you get joy when you drink your unwell.

• 58:43Alex Cooper?

  I do.

• 58:43Speaker 03

  Right. It's like a cup of coffee, putting on a lip gloss. Like, what are those small things that you can just pause for a second and be like, no, I can have gratitude in this moment and just appreciate it a little bit more and find the beauty in the small things. And so it came about that way. But yeah, we launched Sweet July Skin. We just celebrated our second birthday. And thank you.

• 59:09Alex Cooper?

  And what made you want to get into the skincare industry?

• 59:12Speaker 03

  Well, I struggle and to obviously to this day with my skin. I always have.

• 59:21Speaker 03

  Like my mom and my grandma do not. So I must've got the other side of the genetics. It's fine. But I really, I started to remember all of these like traditional island remedies that they would speak to, to help them with their skin. And so I started to do some research and it was really science backed. And so, and I'm just a skincare junkie, honestly. So we started working with a lab and a chemist and formulating Sweet July Skin based off of these like Caribbean superfoods, backed by science. And so that's kind of how it was born. It's so ironic though, there's like things you can control, can control. And there's things you just can't.

• 1:00:02Speaker 03

  So like even right now, like I'm having this crazy hormonal breakout. And so the confidence of being like, I own a skincare brand. And this being out of my control right now is crazy. I know there's so many women dealing with like PCOS and like different things. And there's just some things that you cannot control. And I think what's been so great about these products is they're clean.

• 1:00:29Speaker 03

  Vegan for the most part and you don't, these aren't products that you're gonna use on your skin and it's, it's gonna add to the problem. It's gonna help keep them at bay. It's, it's anti-inflammatory. It's not gonna irritate you. And so I think I love it for that reason. And I'm, I'm kinda like a walking spokesperson right now, cause my skin ebbs and flows and that's okay.

• 1:00:54Alex Cooper?

  I really think it's incredible though, that you're just saying it how it is because let's be real, like so much goes into marketing of certain quote unquote celebrity brands, whether it's makeup or skincare or clothing or whatever. And like, my frustration in the skincare industry, especially with celebrities is like, girl, some of us don't have the most perfect skin. And so to act like you got that skin from this line, even though I've seen your skin has been perfect forever, like being real, but I'm not saying you're never gonna break out, cause that's just your body.

• 1:01:29Speaker 03

  That'd be a lie. Yeah.

• 1:01:47Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Ross. Fall is about finding pieces you love, making them your own and creating looks and spaces just right for the season. Whether you're updating a small apartment or a spacious home, drawn to timeless neutrals or bold seasonal touches, Ross makes it easy to imagine what's next and bring your fall vision to life. Ross makes fashion accessible to all with up to 20 to 60% off other retailers' prices on the brands you love. Find your nearest Ross at rossstores.com. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Shopify. I feel like it's that time of the year where everyone starts to slow down a little bit, where reflecting on this past year, maybe

• 1:02:30Alex Cooper?

  even, you know, we're writing down a few goals for next year. And if you're starting a business and that is something that's on your list, Thankfully, the internet has made it easier than ever to do. No matter what stage you're at, Shopify is the best place to start and grow a business. Personally, I have loved how their shop pay feature streamlines the entire checkout process. With the holidays coming up, my online shopping addiction is obviously it's at its peak right now. And so I always get excited when I see that little purple shop pay button at checkout. It makes buying something so fast and easy. Instead of digging through and finding my credit card and typing everything in, you can just check out in one click. Yes, I want those sweatpants.

• 1:03:14Alex Cooper?

  Yes, another pair of sweatpants. And for businesses, that also means fewer carts abandoned and more sales. I also love that Shopify lets me run my entire business straight from my phone. So I can upload new merch, check on orders and see what you guys are loving from literally anywhere. It does save me so much time and it lets me actually enjoy the season while growing the business. So are you ready to add entrepreneur to your list of accomplishments? Head to Shopify.com/daddy. That's Shopify.com/daddy. What do you want your kids to take away from watching you and Steph achieve so much together?

• 1:03:54Speaker 03

  Hmm.

• 1:03:58Speaker 03

  And I think I can speak on both of our behalf when I say, I think we would want them to see all of the successes and failures, triumphs, tribulations. But see, one, that the most important thing was still family. And then two, see that we were better in all of it, regardless of which one of us it was doing it together.

• 1:04:26Alex Cooper?

  What do you hope your personal legacy is?

• 1:04:30Speaker 03

  So I'm big on like impact over legacy. And so I think, you know, like at the end of the day, I guess it doesn't matter what anybody has to think or say. Like, what did I do while I was here? And so as long as what I've done and what I've offered to the world or things that I've tried to change have been impactful, then that will be good enough for me. And as long as my kids are nice people, when I could care less what they do. For a living when they get older, or what path they choose to take. If they're, if they're nice people who care about their neighbor, like I will feel like I've done a great job.

• 1:05:10Alex Cooper?

  I am so happy I got to sit down with you because you have such a warm, kind energy.

• 1:05:17Speaker 03

  Oh, thank you.

• 1:05:18Alex Cooper?

  To get to know you as a woman, sitting here today, also getting to know you more as an individual, hearing about your businesses, hearing about you as a mother, hearing about you just as Ayesha, not the mother, but the business entrepreneur, someone who took something that she was passionate about and turned it into this like incredible empire that young you probably would have been like, girl, pinch yourself, like, look at your life. Um, it's incredible what you've built for yourself.

• 1:05:47Speaker 03

  Thank you.

• 1:05:48Alex Cooper?

  And thank you for just like taking the time. That wasn't that scary, right?

• 1:05:51Speaker 03

  Thank you. No, I mean, it was at first.

• 1:05:53Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 1:05:54Speaker 03

  And then it wasn't.

• 1:05:56Alex Cooper?

  We're done. No, you're amazing. Thank you so much for coming on Call Her Daddy.

• 1:06:00Speaker 03

  Thank you.

• 1:06:00Alex Cooper?

  It was truly amazing.

• 1:06:01Speaker 03

  I had so much fun.

• 1:06:17Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Ross. Fall is about finding pieces you love, making them your own and creating looks and spaces just right for the season. Whether you're updating a small apartment or a spacious home, drawn to timeless neutrals, or bold seasonal touches, Ross makes it easy to imagine what's next and bring your fall vision to life. Ross makes fashion accessible to all with up to 20 to 60% off other retailers' prices on the brands you love. Find your nearest Ross at rossstores.com. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by American Eagle. Holiday outfits just got way easier. American Eagle's new arrivals are basically everything you need right now. Super soft

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• 1:07:42Alex Cooper?

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