carly duguid on building the brand of naomi osaka

Hi hi! How’s everyone!? I am on the crazy train after getting back late Sunday from two days with my mom and sister to celebrate my mom’s 70th followed by two days of Austin revelry with my cousin girl gang to celebrate my cousin Sarah’s baby shower. And we leave again tomorrow to go down to San Diego and Balboa Island for Spring Break! Some seasons are just loco, and I am in the midst of one of ‘em. All good things!

I’ve been really excited for this episode to air because Carly is both a personal friend and a really cool person with an amazing story to tell.

Carly Phillips Duguid was a year above me at UNC and we both made our way west after graduation. She lives in LA with her husband and two sons, and her life on the internet looks so completely fabulous that my UNC girlfriend group chat is constantly screenshooting her pics and sending them to each other. “Oh, there’s Carly at a dinner with Kim Kardashian!” “Did you guys see Naomi Osaka holding Carly’s baby at the US Open!?”

Carly and her husband Stu run the business of Naomi Osaka, four-time Grand Slam singles champion. What started as a friendship between Carly and Naomi while Carly’s husband was Naomi’s agent has grown into so much more, and that evolution is a really exciting and fun story.

As you’ll hear from Carly — there’s also been plenty of real life between SKIMS press dinners and Grand Slams, and that’s what makes this episode such an great listen. She’s doing huge things with her career, but she’s also spent the past several years managing her own pregnancies and periods of postpartum anxiety and Naomi’s very public mental health battles, not to mention juggling the labor of the home with her husband who she is building multiple brands with.

I’m really excited for y’all to get to know Carly.

Listen to this episode on your favorite podcast app:

1. This Sancerre that I get from Trader Joe’s. Last time we were there we bought the entire shelf out. Eek!

2. The Cravings Teddy Robe is truly the most comfortable robe of all time. I highly recommend sizing up (mine is a size 16-18) for extra added coziness.

3. Mejuri Ear Cuff. I have the world’s tiniest ear lobes so I can’t wear heavy earrings or really any earrings at all. So I’m really into ear cuffs at the moment since they don’t require piercings. This one from Mejuri is so easy to slip on – I have it in the all gold but I want the silver/gold combo too.

4. Baby Brezza Formula Pro. It’s like a latte machine for babies. Just call me the bottle barista. Highly recommend.

I think one of you needs Carly’s favorite cozy robe (#2 pictured above!) — so let’s do another giveaway!

In this week’s episode, Carly shares how she is so into releasing the expectation that her day is going to be linear and perfectly efficient in the ways that it used to be before becoming a mother. Instead of feeling defeated by the millions of little interruptions, she is accepting and welcoming them as signs of a full life well lived!

To enter, leave a comment and share how motherhood has changed you for the better in the comments. Not a mom? Tell us something you see and admire in your own mother, or in a friend who is a mom! (Must be in the US, must be a paid subscriber).

Last week’s winners of the Merit makeup set are Emilyb and Kari Exter — please email me and we’ll get your orders placed!

Here are my quick highlights — my focus for this trip was hanging with my family versus exploring! But, spoiler alert: I’ll be back in Austin for my book tour! So please tell me what I missed in the comments so that I can go next time I’m there!

1. My sister and I took my mom to Miraval Austin to celebrate her 70th and it was perfect. Miraval is a wellness resort with a focus on nourishing food, relaxation, exercise, mindfulness and an incredible spa. There are 3 to 5 classes per hour to choose from — my favorites were yoga sculpt and line dancing. And all of the food was really great.

2. My cousins Catherine and Sarah planned the entire weekend and I loved that they planned a nice long walk into our morning. It was an official event on the itinerary and it started our Saturday off on such a nice foot (see what I did there?).

3. The vibe and meal at The Peacock in The Proper Hotel were A+. We got lots of dips, skewers and salads and lost our minds over how good every single bite was. The bar was scene-y!

4. Donn’s Depot is a live music institution in Austin. Donn himself was playing the piano and the dance floor was full of the most eclectic group of human beings, from goths with face tattoos to cowboys to…us! It ain’t fancy (like, not even a little bit), but it was really, really fun.

5. The frozen margaritas at Hula Hut. Their frozen margarita was one of the best I’ve ever had because it contains just tequila, lime juice, agave, and a tiny bit of triple sec (this is the real hangover-inducing ingredient in sugary margs). I haven’t had a frozen marg in years because they’re typically way too sweet and full of corn syrup etc. from pre-made margarita mixes, so this was a total delight!

6. Bought this “Sports!” hat on our way for margs at the Hotel San Jose when I saw it through the window and sprinted inside because I had to have it. Post-margarita-fueled-lunch shopping on South Congress is a 10/10 experience.

1. The Way Champs Play by Naomi Osaka. Carly gave me this book for the boys and we have read it about 5,000 times. Such a wonderful message about confidence and good sportsmanship (really nice to read before/after tee ball games!) great illustrations, A+ kid’s book.

2. Harper Wilde Bliss Bralette. I bought this bra in nude and black after I had Calum (3 1/2 years ago…) and wore them to death. I just ordered two new ones, which is a true sign of a great bra! They’re a great tee-shirt/minimizing bra.

3. This extended barrel curling iron. I got a haircut recently and the girl curled my hair in literally three minutes at the end. And I have a LOT of hair. I immediately bought the curling iron she uses and it’s been a total game changer. Today I curled my entire (massive) head of hair in less than five minutes! I have the 1 1/4 inch barrel.

4. Signed copies of my book!!!! Barnes & Noble is selling a limited edition of signed copies of What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking because you guys have already pre-ordered so many copies that they wanted to do something special! I am absurdly flattered to have been asked to sign 1,200 book pages that will be bound into books for this limited run. They’re selling really fast, so if you want a signed copy, jump on it! THANK YOU for your support! Mattis signed five copies and I’m gifting LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTIONS OF WTC to whoever finds them! It’s like Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, but cuter, and more useful!

Thank you to reader Sarah Kebaugh for sharing this poem by Kate Baer on last week’s So Into That post. It made me think of my “year of me” and rediscovering what lights me up after five hardcore years of dreaming myself into a mother (being pregnant/breastfeeding/postpartum/sometimes all three at once).

And thank you all for listening to and/or reading So Into That! I am having so much fun getting to flex a different, non-food-related part of my brain, and I’m thankful you’re here.