Loading summary
Mari Llewellyn
This is my husband, Greg.
Greg
Yeah, what's up? I'm Greg.
Mari Llewellyn
Husband, don't marry a loser.
Greg
Define loser.
Mari Llewellyn
Oh, my God. Like, my husband is supposed to be in this with me 24 7. Why doesn't he feel the same way I do?
Greg
My life just quite literally changed less than your life.
Mari Llewellyn
You still come to work every day. You are around the same people, you're having the same conversations. My whole identity just got flipped upside down. Biologically, you are not the same as me.
Greg
We're having two separate journeys. You have, like, this innate calling. Your instincts have kicked in like I've never seen in my life. Your instincts of maternal deliverables for Kai have, like, far exceeded my paternal instinctual calling. When Kai tried to latch on my breast. Hey, maybe I have a different role in this house right now.
Mari Llewellyn
Becoming a mom made me realize, like, I need to leave room for me, Kai and you.
Greg
What's best for Kai. That's really all that the mission is at this point, what is the best for Kai.
Mari Llewellyn
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.
Greg
Hi, babe.
Mari Llewellyn
Welcome.
Greg
Back in the chair.
Mari Llewellyn
Back in the chair.
Greg
These are great chairs.
Mari Llewellyn
I know. It's fun, right?
Greg
No, this is the best. I love. I love how it's kind of the same thing as the studio in la and so I feel like I'm in LA right now.
Mari Llewellyn
Is this what it looked like in la?
Greg
Pretty close. Also. So we're in the Blume headquarters right now. We have. Pursuit Network has a studio here in the headquarters, and this is the best room in the entire headquarters because of how soundproofed you guys made it.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
So, like, if I have, like, if I have someone with a bit of a dirty mouth, this is where I'll hold that meeting.
Mari Llewellyn
Okay. Have you done that?
Greg
Yeah. If I bring in, like, you would know their names. I won't say their names in here for a meeting. And, like, it is not appropriate for some of the Blum employees to hear what's going to be said that. I just know they have a wild mouth. I bring them in here. Cause this room's totally soundproof.
Mari Llewellyn
Glad you're using it for good. Good reason. It's funny. Oh, by the way, guys, this is my husband, Greg.
Greg
Yeah, what's up?
Mari Llewellyn
I'm Greg.
Greg
Husband Greg.
Mari Llewellyn
Go follow him. Greg Lav. What is it? Eglav Reglav. He's been.
Greg
You know how, like, Gary Vee. Gary Vee doesn't use, like, Vaynerchuk.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
I thought I would just create Like a brand. Greg.
Mari Llewellyn
No, I thought that was. And you've always been Greg Lav's life. Remember when you were Greg Lav's life?
Greg
I know. And I hated that handle.
Mari Llewellyn
And you got banned from that.
Greg
People thought it was. No, that was my last handle.
Mari Llewellyn
Live Laugh, Love.
Greg
No, they thought it was Greg's lavish life. I was like, I need to get rid of this immediately.
Mari Llewellyn
I mean, you might as well title your page that at this point.
Greg
Okay, I'm not gonna get into this right now.
Mari Llewellyn
We should talk about it.
Greg
I just document my life.
Mari Llewellyn
So Greg has recently become somewhat of an influencer.
Greg
Well, upon Mari's retirement. Not retirement.
Mari Llewellyn
Okay.
Greg
You're a som.
Mari Llewellyn
I'm figuring out my identity.
Greg
Is your. Your. Your.
Mari Llewellyn
I'm a psalm.
Greg
Psalm. S. Stay at home, Mom.
Mari Llewellyn
Stay at home, Mom.
Greg
S, A, H, M. I don't know what I am. No, no, no. But that's the acronym.
Mari Llewellyn
Right, sure. Yeah.
Greg
All right, so. So with maternity leave, obviously you have stepped away from the same volume of content creation. I won't. The quality is so incredible. But same volume of content creation is down and bloom. You're like, just for some final decisions on. Or for key decisions. Final decisions, you know, new products.
Mari Llewellyn
I want to jump back into the creative calls.
Greg
We're very excited about that, by the way. Are you saying that because things are not looking good?
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. I mean. No, no, no, no, no. Just. I don't like when I see some. You know how I am. Like, if I see something and it's not perfect, I do get upset.
Greg
Yeah, no, you always have, because it's
Mari Llewellyn
a representation of us.
Greg
You're the goat.
Mari Llewellyn
I get upset when I see things on your page that I don't like.
Greg
All right, so now we're going back
Mari Llewellyn
to my page, which is JJ's in the room who runs Greg Social, and he's crushing. JJ is a fantastic content creator and manager and person.
Greg
Honestly, creative director.
Mari Llewellyn
You know him a lot better than me, but he seems amazing. But I'm just. I think I'm, like, highly critical of anything that you and I touch.
Greg
Yes.
Mari Llewellyn
So I just hold us to a
Greg
high standard with your, quote, maternity slowdown.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
I have picked up my personal brand.
Mari Llewellyn
That's not the reason you did.
Greg
It just happened. It hap. I mean, it just happens to have worked that way because, like, it'd be fucking weird if we were both, like, getting content in a scenario.
Mari Llewellyn
I mean, some couples function that way.
Greg
But I don't know how.
Mari Llewellyn
That's not the. That's not the Reason you, what would you say is the reason you started?
Greg
I, I, I would say I felt more pressure to make some founder content because you are making less of it. And I was obviously not going to suggest to you to make content with a baby in your hands. You know what I mean? So I definitely felt some extra pressure to prioritize it more because I know how powerful it is for our community.
Mari Llewellyn
I liked the. Well, first of all, I also think you are very passionate about business and mentorship.
Greg
I'm very passionate about passing down the baton to the youth that I know is probably lost, as a lot of us were.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, yeah. And we didn't really have that type of mentorship when we were starting.
Greg
I don't even think content like this existed when we were starting.
Mari Llewellyn
No, it really didn't.
Greg
We truly had no idea what was going on.
Mari Llewellyn
No, we didn't.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Which looking back, we didn't have AI. We didn't have. We had no guidance, which I think was almost a blessing because we so did it in our own way. And we moved so quickly. Imagine ChatGPT would have been like, take a beat, slow down for a second.
Greg
Would have told us every idea was a good idea.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. Amazing.
Greg
Yeah. Yeah, you should definitely do that.
Mari Llewellyn
And we probably would have had it run customer service. Like, think about it, how different it would have been.
Greg
No, it would have been so different.
Mari Llewellyn
And then we wouldn't have had the experience we had.
Greg
Well, we also like so much of what Bloom is. I'll tell people, like, sometimes you just need to go with your gut. Like, you're not going to be able to get a definitive answer from some sort of AI tool or whatever. They're like, what do you mean, go with your gut? I'm like, wait, has this generation, like, lost that term?
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
Our whole life was just going with our gut.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
Yeah, that, that was our chatbot.
Mari Llewellyn
I would love to, like, be a fly on the wall of us back in the day. Just, like, watching the way we did things. It was a lot of, like, inefficiencies. No, to be fair, it was a lot of, like, whiteboarding, brainstorming. Like, just, like, problem solving. It was a lot of problem solving.
Greg
We were firefighters.
Mari Llewellyn
And a lot of, like, risk taking.
Greg
Yes. But somehow at the same time, you were trying to. You especially were trying to put out the fire while creating content.
Mari Llewellyn
Oh, I loved it.
Greg
But it's two very different things. There could be, like, an intense moment. This is what I'm currently needing to think about. There's an intense moment. Going on. And I'm like, is the camera rolling right? Those are like, what I didn't film, though, that you definitely built Bloom in. In public.
Mari Llewellyn
That's true.
Greg
You had samples. You were, you know, taking photo. You were. You were.
Mari Llewellyn
And if we made a mistake, I
Greg
would address it more than I was comfortable with. Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
I was like, hey, guys. Sorry. The packaging.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Like, we had an. Remember, we had an outline of a
Greg
straw that was so funny coming out.
Mari Llewellyn
And then we had, like, we had a few things where I addressed it online.
Greg
Generally, the mistakes were only packaging. Thanks, God. Thank God.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, thanks God.
Greg
Thank you, God.
Mari Llewellyn
Okay, so you've kind of taken, like, a little bit of a pivot with your career since we last spoke.
Greg
I've. I've added it on. I haven't left anything.
Mari Llewellyn
That's a good point. Yeah, you've added it on.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
And now when we're out in public, like, people are coming up to Greg, which is so cool. We're in, like, in New York, and, like, guys will run up with their products in their hands. Like, I've been waiting to meet you. I want to show you my product. And it's kind of nice for me. I mean, not that I don't like meeting people. I love meeting people. And I ran into a few super sweet girls when we were in New York. But mostly it's like, guys coming up to you.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Which is really nice. I get to take a backseat and
Greg
be like, yeah, yeah. I mean, it's awesome. It's been really nice.
Mari Llewellyn
I feel like I passed on the baton.
Greg
You passed onto my. Me as the. I am the younger generation. More.
Mari Llewellyn
Oh, Greg's, like, a little. Greg's, like, a little younger than me. So that's, like the running joke in our house.
Greg
You pass it on to the younger generation.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, yeah. So what's like, the goal and the plan with the content?
Greg
There is no goal. There is no goal. There is no finish line. We are just documenting the build of bloom, the life of an entrepreneur. You know, I don't really show fatherhood. I don't really show, like, our home life, which you obviously did and do. Currently, it is very much a little bit business entrepreneur on the go. That is the content. I. I omit quite a bit.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
Of my actual life.
Mari Llewellyn
I think that's why. Just a tangent. I think that's why I'm struggling so much with my content right now, because the conversation of, like, showing your child online is very heated, and people have a lot of opinions about it. And it was Something that I think about a lot.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
And it's. It's harder than you expect because when you. It's easy to come up with what you think you're going to do when you don't have a baby, but then when you have the baby and you're. It's your whole world. Kai is my whole world. I'm so proud of him. All I want, he's my whole life. And to not show him is like pretty much me deciding to not show my life. So it's really confusing and hard. So I've kind of come up with like a boundary of like what I'm comfortable with.
Greg
I think that's great.
Mari Llewellyn
And I show him here and there in ways that I think is appropriate. And I also think with babies, we don't fully know what they look like yet. Like, a lot of.
Greg
I mean, like, safety wise.
Mari Llewellyn
Safety wise. A lot of babies look somewhat similar. I think once you get to the age of like two, one and a half, two and they're recognizable is when I would really rethink this. I think a lot of moms go through this, but there is this like, like your brain and I've spoken about this. Just. You just feel so confused. It's like this crazy experience where your identity is different and you care. Like, I've never cared about something as much as I care about Kai, obviously ever. And it's also like a very difficult job. And I think there's like the huge misconception and we are super lucky that we have great help. We don't have family around us, but we do have a nanny who I love and is like a teammate for me.
Greg
That's how you're here right now.
Mari Llewellyn
That's how I'm here right now. But anytime I do have the full day with Kai, it's. He's the best thing ever. He's so much fun and I love it, but it is hard fricking work. It's like physical, it's mental, it's emotional. It's hard to find time to do anything for yourself. It's hard to like eat a meal. It's harder to me than some of our hardest days with Bloom.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
So like respect to the full time stay at home moms, like, it is. It's hard work, dude.
Greg
Shout out to the moms. Do you, do you feel like the day. If you ever. If you have a 24, 7 day with Kai with a lack of help? Because like sometimes I travel for work. Like sometimes you're like, truly, you travel a Lot. I travel a lot. Do you feel like the day flies by or you feel like the day goes slow?
Mari Llewellyn
Slow?
Greg
Because that's how I. When we have, like, when I'm home all Sunday and we have Kai all day and you know that starts at 6:30, depending on when he wakes up.
Mari Llewellyn
5:30?
Greg
Yeah. Some days it's 5:30. I think this last Sunday was 5:30. I checked the clock. I thought it'd be like 4:00pm it was 11:00am and I was like, can I tell?
Mari Llewellyn
Can I tell this? Can I tell the story?
Greg
He's just staring at me like, what's next?
Mari Llewellyn
Greg looked at me and he goes, I can't do this.
Greg
I tapped out.
Mari Llewellyn
He was like, I can't.
Greg
I tapped out.
Mari Llewellyn
I was like, welcome.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
See, it's not so easy.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. I mean, Greg and I think it's good for us to say transparently we're like, still figuring this all out. Like, Kai's only four and a half months and everything's still so new. And Greg is like at the pinnacle of his career right now and super busy and doing all these new things and traveling a lot. And we just had a baby and
Greg
like, we also, like, had to somehow live time, discuss what are our roles in this household? Because keep in mind, for the last 12 years that we've been together, it has been, we're both entrepreneurs. We're stuck to the hip all day. We're just going to continue to grow, bloom, and try to prioritize our relationship. Honestly, maybe second to our careers, although our relationship has always thrived. And now we have two very separate roles in our household. And it's like, but we're. But we're still dabbling in both other sides as well. Right.
Mari Llewellyn
And it's more complicated now than it's ever been.
Greg
It's very complicated.
Mari Llewellyn
We used to be on the same mission every single day. And even if we were like a little bit separate, like, maybe I was more on the content front and I was like, creative front and you were behind the scenes or whatever. It was like, very clear.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Now it's like, it's really hard to separate the thinking.
Greg
Yeah. Cause it's easy to say divide and conquer. But then it's like, but what's best for Kai? Because that's really all that the mission is at this point, what is the best for Kai. But we also still need to, like, work and we have career goals and we have. I would say our fun goals are the last thing on the list right now. It's not like, we're doing that much stuff for, like, personal fun.
Mari Llewellyn
I care about his experience, experiences in life, and he may not remember, like, the trip we're taking him on this summer, but I want to.
Greg
But we're bringing him.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
You know what I mean?
Mari Llewellyn
That's why I'm saying it.
Greg
Right. Well, because, like, that is what just to be with us is probably what's the best for Kai.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. And I want to travel. Like, my goal. I always told myself I wanted to be a parent that traveled a lot because it was one of my favorite things about my childhood was that I saw a lot of different cultures and countries, and I want that for him.
Greg
His first solid food will probably be in Europe.
Mari Llewellyn
No, it won't.
Greg
Yes, it will.
Mari Llewellyn
It will be May 20th. It's on the calendar. You have no idea what's going on. Like, you really don't.
Greg
Okay.
Mari Llewellyn
Greg loves to make these bold statements and just.
Greg
I thought it was at six months.
Mari Llewellyn
That's like, starting solids is, like, a serious thing.
Greg
Yeah. Why not do it where the food is?
Mari Llewellyn
We have to. Allergy tests. We have to make. You know, we can't just, like, throw them an octopus tentacle in Europe.
Greg
Sounds. Sounds pretty.
Mari Llewellyn
We probably will do that, but we got to start at home in a controlled environment.
Greg
No, like, we were talking in his little chair. We were talking about weaning off the pacifier, and I was like, just put some chili peppers on the pacifier.
Mari Llewellyn
People are going to think you're actually clueless and listen to me.
Greg
But I am. And I would imagine most. You have, like, this innate calling. Your instincts have kicked in like, I've never seen in my life. Obviously, similar to entrepreneurship content. We were just talking about. There's so much just, like, motherhood content and books that you've been reading, and you're just consuming motherhood stuff all day. I, I, My time for Kai, for the most part, has just, like, been with Kai. Like, we're on two totally different
Mari Llewellyn
are
Greg
your instincts of maternal deliverables for Kai have, like, far exceeded my paternal instinctual calling of how to raise Kai.
Mari Llewellyn
I think that's normal.
Greg
Yeah. That's what I. And I would imagine everyone listening to us would feel that in their.
Mari Llewellyn
Probably a lot of people are, like, afraid to talk about it. I think, like, there's a lot of, like, I've talked about this in a previous episode. There's a lot of, like, content online about, like, don't marry a loser. Have you seen that?
Greg
No. And it sounds like a great concept.
Mari Llewellyn
I, I don't love it because I
Greg
think, what does it define? Loser.
Mari Llewellyn
There's like a narrative now with girls my age who have babies that like, the dad needs to be basically like a stay at home dad or like very hands on in order to be considered like a good dad.
Greg
I would, some would define that as a second mom.
Mari Llewellyn
Sure, sure, sure.
Greg
That would be a toxic angle of taking that.
Mari Llewellyn
Sure. And I honestly, it got to me and I think it gets to a lot of new moms. Cause you're like, oh my God, like, my husband is supposed to be in this with me 24 7. Like, why doesn't he have the same, like, you do have this, like, kind of resentment at the beginning because you're like, why doesn't he feel the same way I do?
Greg
My life just quite literally changed less than your life.
Mari Llewellyn
Yes. For sure. I feel like it's still. You still come to work every day. You are around the same people, you're having the same conversations, and I'm. My whole identity just got flipped upside down. But I think it's good that we, like, talk about that because biologically you are not the same as me.
Greg
But it took us weeks, if not months to be like, to even get what was going on. Like, hey, why is there odd feelings here? Why is this something that we. What are we, what do we even need to talk about right now? Like, oh, we're having two separate journeys.
Expedia Ad
Expedia and visit Scotland. Invite you to come experience the beauty that awaits in Scotland. The sweep of wild coastlines, quiet lochs and untamed landscapes. Fresh cuisine that feels rooted in the land. Come experience the kind of stillness that stays with you long after you leave. Plan your Scottish escape today@expedia.com VisitScotland so
Greg
good, so good, so good.
Nordstrom Rack Ad
Everything you want for summer is at Nordstrom Rack stores now and up to 60% off. Stock up and save on the brands you love like Vince Sam, Edelman, Frame and Freepeople. People join the Nordy Club to unlock exclusive discounts. Shop new arrivals first and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack.
Mari Llewellyn
I also think thinking about things in a little bit more of a long term frame has helped me a lot. The baby stage is not often a dad's favorite stage or like the most natural stage for a dad. I think the dad really locks in.
Greg
Around two years old, when Kai tried to latch on my breast, I was surprised that Mari didn't just realize this that day right like, hey, maybe I have a different role in this house right now. Um, so, yeah, I was surprised that that wasn't, like, just, like, an immediate.
Mari Llewellyn
What are you talking about?
Greg
Remember when Kai would just try to, like, latch on everything?
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, he still does.
Greg
No, he doesn't try to latch on me anymore. He knows I'm a man.
Mari Llewellyn
Well, okay, now we've gotten to the point where Kai will, like, hear Greg's deep voice and, like, turn and look.
Greg
He also loves dudes. He loves seeing guys around. Cause he's always around women. Because Amari only has women in the house for the most part. Unless there's, like, a handyman there or something. But so, like, when there are guys around, he just gets. So maybe just because he thinks Dad's
Mari Llewellyn
around, I think he, like, admires you.
Greg
Maybe.
Mari Llewellyn
Maybe I'm projecting.
Greg
Also, there's no baby action figures. We need to talk about this. There's just, like, animals. To find him a male play figure that doesn't have a sharp finger that he might put in his eye has been impossible. And he's gonna put it in his mouth. So it has to be natural and organic. I need an organic, natural GI Joe. If anyone can source me that.
Mari Llewellyn
Do you wanna start that business?
Greg
Perhaps?
Mari Llewellyn
Organic.
Greg
Organic. But that's another thing, is there's been a few books that I get to the last page, and I'm like, I fundamentally do not agree with the message in this childhood book.
Mari Llewellyn
I'll give an example. We were reading him the Magic Fish. Isn't that what that book's called? Magic Fish with the Shiny scales?
Greg
So there's one fish in the ocean that's born with, let's say, 100 shiny scales, and none of the other fish have shiny scales.
Mari Llewellyn
She's stunning.
Greg
She's stunning and she is depressed all the time.
Mari Llewellyn
No, no, no, you skipped a whole part.
Greg
What?
Mari Llewellyn
They all hate her because she has shiny scales and they don't have shiny scales.
Greg
Is that what happened?
Mari Llewellyn
Yes. None of the other fish had shiny scales and they all hated her, so she was sad.
Greg
Wow, this was an intense book.
Mari Llewellyn
I know. And we're reading it and we're both
Greg
like, and so what happened?
Mari Llewellyn
So she goes, oh, I guess I'll just, like, remove all my shiny scales.
Greg
I hand one of my scales to each one of the hundred fish so that we each have one shiny scale.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. And at the end, it was like, yay.
Greg
And then at the end, she was like. And then I just swam happily in the ocean because we all had one shiny scale. And I Was like.
Mari Llewellyn
And me and Greg looked at each other and we were like, no, no, no, no, no.
Greg
If you're listening, no one gives Shaquille o' Neal shit for being born seven two. Right. You're just born with what you've got. This fish was born with seven. With 100 shiny scales.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
They're not. You don't need to remove any of the things that you are blessed with or that you're. Everyone has their own set of advantages.
Mari Llewellyn
Don't dull your shine.
Greg
Don't dull your shine. So that book was. We have a wood burning sauna that provided some great fuel that night.
Mari Llewellyn
No, we both looked at each other and we were like. I was expecting another page to be like. And then she realized she should just own it.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
You know, I was waiting for that.
Greg
I like that.
Mari Llewellyn
I like that.
Greg
Because it almost made that you feel like if you're an outcast, you need to become one with the pack.
Blinds.com Ad
Yes.
Mari Llewellyn
Or if you're special.
Greg
Yeah. It made you feel like that you shouldn't embrace being special or told you that you shouldn't.
Mari Llewellyn
Which, by the way, I felt like that.
Greg
Yeah. Also, Kai happens to be massive, so he's gonna be bigger than me when he's 14 years old, which is a whole other conversation. It's one of the reasons why I need to stay in shape so I can kick his ass.
Mari Llewellyn
But by the way, he's also out of his mind.
Greg
Yes. He's crazy.
Mari Llewellyn
Like, day by day, we are screwed.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Like we need a full playground.
Greg
He's become too powerful.
Mari Llewellyn
Like, I'll just be trying to put him down for a nap or feeding him. And he will push himself off my chest and look at me and just
Greg
go, he's getting very strong.
Mari Llewellyn
And lose it and just start trying to eat my nose and grab my hair. He's so active.
Greg
Yeah. And he's very happy.
Mari Llewellyn
He's bonkers. Like, I've. I've never seen such a small baby. Well, he's not small, but like 4 months old.
Greg
Have you gone through another episode trying to crawl? Yeah, he's trying to call it four months old.
Mari Llewellyn
He gets pissed if there's a toy that he can't reach. He's. He's literally pissed.
Greg
Have you gone through, like the.
Mari Llewellyn
Oh, now I'm pissed.
Greg
Have you gotten. Oh, wait, sorry, wait. I wanted to ask you for the loser husband thing. So what's trending? Are they saying are now? Are they saying that you shouldn't have a stay at home dad?
Mari Llewellyn
I see both sides of the Coin. I see.
Greg
This is a debate live time.
Mari Llewellyn
I see both types of content. I see people saying, don't marry a loser. And, like, the husband's, like, changing the diaper and doing the bottle.
Greg
And so they're saying that that's a loser.
Mari Llewellyn
No, no, they're saying that's not a loser.
Greg
Ah, ah, ah.
Mari Llewellyn
Like, in that scenario, you are a loser.
Greg
I change diapers. What do you mean?
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, occasionally.
Greg
Yeah, I change diapers.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, yeah.
Greg
Wait, all right, so then. And then there's another side of the table that's just like, I married a provider.
Mari Llewellyn
Like, the other one is, like, more trad wife energy.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Where, like, the husband goes to work
Greg
and, like, that's his role for the house.
Mari Llewellyn
I, I. There's like, a gray area, guys, you know?
Greg
Well, I'm glad that you have a diverse algorithm. You're seeing both sides.
Mari Llewellyn
Thanks.
Greg
That's cool.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. When I was pregnant, it was all.
Greg
The first one, it was, it was all, dad should be stay at home.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. Which, by the way, gets in your head.
Greg
Dude. I was home for the first month.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, I know.
Greg
The first month, by the way, that was the best. If you are, you were home for two weeks or married to an entrepreneur. That's not true. If you are an entrepreneur, married to an entrepreneur. If you can have the baby around the holidays or around a period that is, you know, when he happens, or he or she happens to be home from work, that was such an insane blessing because I was so concerned about needing to have a paternity leave and wanting a paternity leave during a very active time at Bloom. And since he was born on December 4, I was already home because of Thanksgiving. So a week prior to his birth, I was home through Thanksgiving. And then I just pretty much stayed home, like, for the most part through Christmas and through New Year. So I was like. But I would have never been able to pull that off if it wasn't during December.
Mari Llewellyn
Remember the first week you wanted to come back to the office? I was so scared. Cause I was by myself.
Greg
Oh, that's great. I remember the first time you even drove him by yourself, which is still crazy to me. Like, going back to just, like, solo momming. Like, there's this baby that's crying in the backseat that is so unsafe. Like, it's so distracting. It's so, like, I get so scared when you're driving him by yourself. It's not unsafe to me, but I know all you want to do is soothe him. And so if you're, like, in a Situation where you can't pull off.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, but now I'm a pro. Now I time it perfectly. I know when is a good time to go. Of course I have the camera set up. Like I actually am not nervous anymore.
Greg
You don't get distracted driving I'm so proud of.
Mari Llewellyn
Huh?
Greg
You don't get distracted driving if he's like making noises and stuff. Like you don't want to like constantly check on the camera. Like is he okay?
Mari Llewellyn
I hold the camera up. Yeah. Like I'm looking.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
But I'm also driving really carefully.
Greg
Yeah. Have you gone through like the list of mom gadgets that. That have just saved us? No, because like one of them is obviously just like you have a camera and not just like a mirror.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. The girls have asked for that episode for like baby registry and stuff.
Greg
Obviously Baby brezza. We love for formula for. What's the one that cleans all the
Mari Llewellyn
bottles Also baby breast.
Greg
We don't put the bottles and stuff in a dishwasher. We put them in this like little dishwasher that's on the countertop. Just bottles.
Mari Llewellyn
Spectra pump.
Greg
David's bottles.
Mari Llewellyn
Well, don't forget. No.
Greg
David, what's the bottle with the tube that we use?
Mari Llewellyn
Dr. Brown.
Greg
Dr. Brown. Sorry. Dr. Brown's bottles have been huge for us. The glass bottles.
Mari Llewellyn
Well let's not forget what we used at the beginning. Like everything's changing.
Greg
No, we didn't use Dr. Brown's from the beginning.
Mari Llewellyn
We did but like I was breastfeeding exclusively at the beginning so we didn't have. We didn't use the formula.
Greg
But if you overproduced we would put it in a Dr. Brown's bottle.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, yeah.
Greg
We always use Dr. Brown's bottle whether it was formula or breast milk. What else has been like a life saving gadget?
Mari Llewellyn
When we had the gas, the.
Greg
That wasn't actually that helpful.
Mari Llewellyn
Windpipes. Are you joking?
Greg
I don't think I ever found him. Finding. Getting real. Honestly. We had a colic baby and I say had. Cause he got over it at 10 weeks. There was fucking nothing that helped. We tried everything. Yeah, they produced gas. Like gas came out.
Blinds.com Ad
But he was so furious.
Greg
No, like gas came out of the windy pipe. But he was so furious.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, he was.
Greg
Dude, colic is like out of all the things that we've cured in this world, how have we not figured that the fuck out? Like colic babies, man. Shout out to everyone who has a colic baby at home. Like that was the only reason it makes me feel this way is because he was so uncomfortable.
Mari Llewellyn
I know. It was the saddest thing.
Greg
There was nothing we could do.
Mari Llewellyn
The first night it happened, we almost went to the hospital.
Greg
Yeah. Because he's. He would get so upset. He was sweating red. Sweating.
Mari Llewellyn
Oh, it was so sad.
Greg
I hate thinking about that.
Mari Llewellyn
I know. And that was like. We didn't go out. We would not, but people would know. People were taking their fresh babies out to coffee shops and I was like, how?
Greg
Yeah. We were pretty nervous about germs too, for the first couple weeks. Like you would wait outside a cafe if we went to a cafe.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
But honestly, now that we've done it, like given without the colic part, like
Greg
the new now it's easy.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
It's so much easier.
Greg
I know. Hopefully he feels the same way.
Mari Llewellyn
Like the second baby. I feel like it's gonna be chill.
Greg
Oh, that's a whole other conversation.
Mari Llewellyn
I'll probably eat my words, but I
Greg
was in the middle of downtown Austin at like 5:30 last night. I saw a mom pushing a stroller with three kids and had a dog.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. That's crazy.
Greg
I mean, it is just. I just cannot. I mean, you've been pushing a stroller with Lulu though.
Mari Llewellyn
It is crazy when you become a mom how much you're toler. Tolerance goes up for like, chaos. Chaos.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Because I am not someone that can handle a lot of chaos. And now, like, walking Kai and Lulu, like, at the beginning I was like, so overstimulated. Lulu's like pulling me.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
And I was like, there's no way I can walk them together. And now I do it every single day.
Greg
And I. I think the dogs have kind of like registered what the hell is going on.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
And they're just like, I'm just happy to be on a walk because I know mom will just bring me back if I'm like, putting Kai in an unsafe situation.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. But like, I. I do feel like I'm able to handle a lot more stress and chaos now. I think so I've gotten way more used to it.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
I also wanted to talk about your deep dive into books lately.
Greg
Just like total, like, not parenthood wise
Mari Llewellyn
can be parenthood related, but like philosophical books and like, what have you been loving and what have you. Like, how has it changed your life?
Greg
So every time I do a lap around the year, every time I do a lap around this. What the hell do they say? Like, every time I. I lap around the sun. Yeah. Every time I get a year older.
Mari Llewellyn
Okay.
Greg
Every time I get a year older. So on my birthday is probably what I'm trying to say.
Mari Llewellyn
You are so dramatic. It's crazy.
Greg
Every year on my birthday, you, like,
Mari Llewellyn
look at the camera, like another lap around the sun.
Greg
Yeah, every. Every year on my birthday, which is March 27th, every.
Mari Llewellyn
Thanks for telling us.
Greg
Well, it's relevant. Every year for everyone. You should just know. Every year. Every year, my birthday, which is at the end of March. Every year. Every year on my. On New Year's, right? I try to write it down, like a list of, like, all right, this is what 31 year old Greg looks like. This is what, you know, the Greg in 2026 looks like. And I keep the list down to, like, three, four, five, max, seven things. And it could just be like, Greg is someone who reads. Greg is someone who, you know, looks put together every day that he goes to work. Like, just like, if someone were to explain what I look like from a stranger's point of view or who Greg is from a stranger's point of view, like, what are a couple quick things they would say? And I try to write those things down. And then that's what I try to follow throughout the year or throughout the next few months, depending on the next time I make that list. And hopefully some of those habits stick. And so I did the same thing when Kai was born. And one of the things that I've always been very insecure about is my ability to read. So I have extreme adhd. I'd actually never finished an entire book. I mean, honestly, I probably never even got halfway into a book my entire 30 years on this planet. I would skim things. I just cheated my way through school, and so I had never read a book. And I was very insecure about my ability to read. My ADHD is so bad that if I was trying to read at the time, I would either have to read out loud or literally use my. My fingers along the words to, like, keep my eyes in the right place. And generally after a few sentences, I would just zone out or, like, move on to a different thing. Right? I wanted Kai when he explained his father or thought about me, and hopefully he won't even have to think about this, because it shouldn't be something you need to think about is my dad is someone who reads or knows how to read. Hopefully you won't need to tell somebody, my dad knows how to read.
Mari Llewellyn
And.
Greg
And so when Kai was born, I was home for a month or whatever it was, and I decided, I'm gonna buy some books and try to start reading. And I'VE gotten totally hooked to it. I've gotten totally hooked to the idea of like, especially books where it's people who have been somewhere that I want to be or in a perfect world. There are ideologies that have stood the test of time. So one of my favorite books, for example, would be John D. Rockefeller's. I think it's 36 letters to his Son, which is obviously relevant also with, you know, fatherhood. And there's like so many lessons that apply to the 2026 world. I've loved everything related to Naval. So he's a modern day serial entrepreneur, but also modern day philosopher.
Mari Llewellyn
I also read that.
Greg
Yeah, there's a book that has really summed up all of the content he's produced called the navalmanak which was like very game changing for me. And now I'm reading the Book of Elon which is a similar idea. It's almost an encyclopedia of everything Elon has ever spoke about in terms of, you know, his, his business success, not necessarily like his political views or anything. And yeah, I don't know, I've just gotten like totally hooked on it and I think I wish I picked it up sooner. And it has definitely become a majority of my media consumption.
Mari Llewellyn
Okay.
Greg
I think the, I think the social media was getting a little crazy. I was like what kind of 31 year old father is spending time on, you know, TikTok on Instagram? Like that's probably not like a trait that I am proud of. So I've, I've drastically limited that consumption and I've tried to replace it with literature.
Mari Llewellyn
It's awesome.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
How do you manage how much you
Greg
read a day and, and I guess where I would. But I would conclude that is like now I kind of can read, which is super cool. Like you guys try it if you don't know how. Now I can kind of read and I'm like going chapters in and definitely the books aren't advanced. I find I have to read the same thing three times. But I am sorting a lot.
Mari Llewellyn
There's self help.
Greg
Oh no fiction. I haven't jumped into any fiction. We still watch this.
Mari Llewellyn
You know, I love fiction.
Greg
I feel like my fiction is generally the TV that we watch at night. We'll always watch like 30 minutes of a show at night. And that's enough fiction for me.
Mari Llewellyn
I know. I just love fiction.
Greg
Oh yeah. I'm sure it's awesome. And I'm sure there's like also really cool lessons from like some of the best fiction. Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
And you learn great Vocabulary.
Greg
That's also been cool.
Mari Llewellyn
Reading was, like, a big thing in my house. For some reason. Me and my sister were obsessed. Like, that was what I did for fun. Like, we would put down books.
Greg
Yeah. And I've. You've always. I've always thought that was so cool about you guys.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. Like, on vacation, that's, like, my favorite thing to do is, like, get a really good book.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
Can't wait for the next.
Greg
And honestly, reading and learning some modern philosophies has gotten me into the idea of sharing them through my content. Because, like, you learn, you read these philosophies that are kind of like these, like, laws that have just applied to the earth for hundreds of years. And you're like, oh, I've experienced that law. And, like, here's two stories from my life where I've experienced that law. And I can just tell these stories on my Instagram and YouTube and teach this law to somebody who maybe hasn't picked up this book or hasn't realized how this law could apply to their, you know, adult life.
Mari Llewellyn
Yep, totally. And it's inspired me to be reading more because I'll, like, have spurts of fictional reading and then I stop. But seeing you read a lot has, like, made me want to do the same.
Greg
Yeah. And maybe, I don't know, your show might like this topic. One of the. It started as a very, like, individual, almost selfish thing that I was doing, where I was like, hey, Mar, I'm now home. We have a baby here. I'm going to go sit outside and read for 30 minutes. And it was just like, you know, it was almost as if I was consuming social media outside for 30 minutes, which would be ridiculous, but it was. Mari knew it was a priority of mine, and she totally supported it. But now you'll come sit next to me and you'll read, too. And that's fucking awesome. And I think there's something to be said about spending time together, even if you're not literally engaging with one another. It's been so nice just sitting next to you when I'm reading and it feels like we're doing something together.
Mari Llewellyn
And, yeah, I'm reading a book called the Courage to Be Disliked, so it sounds really badass. And I feel like it was literally like the universe put it in my hands because it is so me. Like, I am the person that needs to read this book. I. I think you would read it and probably actually not gain as much from it as me because. Because you don't care.
Greg
But it seems like Motherhood has been this giant wave of like polarizing ideologies.
Mari Llewellyn
Well, it's like this wake up call, so.
Greg
But it's like whatever you choose, it's going to piss off somebody. Somebody's not going to agree with what you're doing.
Mari Llewellyn
Honestly, it. That's something I've really been struggling with. I feel like I am constantly disappointing people because I'm not as fast to answer texts. I don't say yes to everything because it has to be worth it for me. It has to be very scheduled in advance. Like I can't just like pop over or like do things spontaneously how I used to. And honestly like I, because I wasn't the most social person in my 20s because we were building bloom like at college, I was very social. But that wasn't a good example of what friendship should be. College, you like literally live on top of each other. You do everything together. Like it's not a healthy.
Greg
You both happen to be there kind
Mari Llewellyn
of and you're like drinking 24 7. Like it's not a good example of adult friendship. I never really learned what adult friendship should look like. Right. So when I moved to Austin and I really wanted like a social life, I head first, dove in. Head first, but also like made myself way too available and like invested so much of my time and my energy and like heads up space to other people. And that's something I like like about myself. Cuz I care very much about my friends and like what they're going through and I like being a support and like kind of being a therapy role in a way. But becoming a mom made me realize like I cannot pour so, so so much energy into other people. Like I need to leave room for me, Kai and you.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
And I love being supportive where I can, but it's just not the same as it used to be.
Greg
Yeah, you definitely weren't. You did not embrace the power of saying no perhaps. And now you're throwing lots of no's.
Mari Llewellyn
I know, which is hard for me because I really hate upsetting people. But I also like, I'm really excited to be in a place where I have friendships where it's like we can go two weeks without seeing each other and we're just like back on the same page, you know?
Greg
And the book is, the book is like a Japanese origin. Yeah, I think that's so cool. I've only dove into like Marcus Aurelius and like Roman Empire type of ideologies. If I, if they aren't somebody domestic. And I could imagine Just like Asia history unlocking some crazy stoicism type.
Mari Llewellyn
Well, it's Adler philosophy. It's Adler psychology. It's. It's anti Freudian. I want to say, like, so the conversation in the book is between a student and a philosopher, which makes it really easy to read because it's not just huge chunks of text, it's conversational.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
But the student goes in with this idea that trauma and, like, what happened to you in your childhood shapes the way you are and there's nothing you can do about it. And I've definitely, like, gone down that path a few times.
Greg
You just blame trauma for something.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah. You're like, yeah, I'm that way because this happened in my childhood.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
And I can't. There's nothing I can do about it. And the philosopher is saying, well, actually we all have a choice and you can choose to not. So for the. In this example, the student has no friends and, like, doesn't leave his apartment and whatever. Like, doesn't have the life he wants. And the philosopher's like, it's easier for you to blame your trauma because it gives you a reason of why your life is very.
Greg
Is the easiest option.
Mari Llewellyn
It's basically about. It talks about victim mentality, but it also talks about, like, if you constantly just try to please everyone, you end up living a life that is a lie.
Greg
Yeah.
Mari Llewellyn
And you will never be happy with yourself because you're just caught up in constantly performing for other people.
Greg
I wonder if that hits you extra hard because you are a content creator and there's something to be said about, like, needing to live up to the avatar that you have always portrayed on social media. So I would imagine a lot of burnout from content creators comes from them portraying something they're not. Right. And you've always been incredibly authentic.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
But because of this huge change in your life and you've continued to be authentic, the change was probably what has made it so hard because it's like, this is not why people were originally here. Perhaps.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah.
Greg
Which is also probably why I have not found content creation that hard, even though it's from. In a unique angle, as you've expressed. Because I'm just truly documenting.
Mari Llewellyn
I. When I'm reading this book, I'm like, thinking about my original fitness journey and how that. That was like, my choice of like, well, sure, I had an interesting childhood and witnessed some things I shouldn't have. But, like, I'm choosing to create my own life regardless and, like, move forward. But even in that, I still, like, had a hard time forgiving people. And now I feel like I've found like so much forgiveness because I've recognized that my goal in life is to change the pattern in my family. So in order to do that, I need to forgive them.
Greg
And I think that you can not hold a grudge while still never forgetting something that someone did.
Mari Llewellyn
Yeah, but just like choosing to choosing peace. Yeah, but also yes. With what you said, like the content creation is. I feel like I never was an avatar. Like I was always being fully myself but now I don't know who I am. So it's like a little more challenging. I just, you know, I think just being real.
Greg
We're only four and a half months into two. I know Kai. It feels like it's been forever.
Mari Llewellyn
And so far, by the way, I way prefer myself now.
Greg
I think you're doing great. Um, you're totally crushing it. But it feels like it's been forever. But it's only been four and a half months. So having any type of clarity would be incredible right now, let alone full clarity.
Mari Llewellyn
Just even getting little glimpses of like who I am as a mom and who I like, what choices I make and like maybe the confidence I have in saying no and whatever. Anyway, I think we should wrap this part of the conversation and this can be our part one episode and we can move into our Q and a for part two.
Greg
Hit me with some Q&As.
Expedia Ad
Foreign.
Mari Llewellyn
Thank you for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast to support this show. Please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my favorites@marilewellyn.com it will be linked in the show Notes. This podcast is a Pursuit Network production. Love you Pow girls and PO boys. I will see you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.
Blinds.com Ad
Did you know if your windows are bare, indoor temperatures can go up 20 degrees. Turn the temperature down with blinds.com and get up to 50% off custom window treatments like solar roller shades and more during the Memorial Day Mega Sale. Whether you want to DIY it or have a pro handle everything, we've got you free samples, real design experts and zero pressure. Just help when you need it. Shop up to 50% off site wide and huge savings on Door Busters right now during the Memorial Day Mega sales sale@blinds.com rules and restrictions apply.
Carrington College Ad
Your next chapter in healthcare starts at Carrington College's School of Nursing in Portland. Join us for our open house on Tuesday, January 13th from 4 to 7pm you'll tour our campus, see live demos, meet instructors, and learn about our Associate Degree in Nursing program that prepares you to become a registered nurse. Take the first step toward your nursing career. Save your spot now at Carrington. Edu Events. For information on program outcomes, visit carrington.
Mari Llewellyn
Edu Sci Fi.
Date: April 27, 2026
Host: Mari Llewellyn (with Greg)
In this candid and insightful episode, Mari Llewellyn is joined by her husband Greg for an unfiltered conversation centered on early parenthood, marriage dynamics, the evolving roles within their household, and the impact these shifts have on personal identity. Together, Mari and Greg tackle the challenges of becoming new parents to their son Kai—as well as the pressures, joys, and unexpected realities that come with balancing entrepreneurial careers, content creation, and family responsibilities. They reflect on societal narratives about marriage and parental roles, the emotional complexities of motherhood, and the importance of honest communication and personal growth.
Mari’s transition to motherhood:
Two separate journeys:
Defining roles:
Pressure and boundaries around sharing family life:
Greg’s pivot into content:
Debate on parental roles:
Reconciling changing expectations:
Daily challenges and support systems:
Changing tolerance for chaos:
Greg’s reading journey:
Impact on the couple:
Learning to say no:
Choosing peace, forgiveness, and authenticity:
True to the show’s ethos, Mari and Greg’s conversation is refreshingly raw, relatable, and injected with both vulnerability and humor (“Have you gone through, like, the list of mom gadgets that have just saved us?”). Their openness about struggles, growth, misunderstandings, and adaptability offers listeners validation and inspiration without glossing over difficulties or giving into perfectionist pressures.
This episode of Pursuit of Wellness offers a heartfelt and nuanced look into real-life partnership, shifting family roles, and the messy beauty of becoming parents. Mari and Greg’s willingness to unpack tough feelings, challenge societal scripts, and share their evolving philosophies makes this a must-listen (or read) for anyone navigating relationships or major life transitions. Their honest reflections, practical insights, and warm banter will resonate with both new parents and anyone committed to the ongoing journey of personal growth.