Finding Ferdinand: Josie, first thing’s first. Tell us a little about your personal style.
Josie Brito: Athleisure. It’s my style and my lifestyle. I mean I wear it, and I actually work out! For Vixen Workout, that means a branded tank top, leggings, a flannel shirt tied around my waist, and wedged sneakers. Sometimes I have to dress a little more formally but I’ll “Josie-fy” it. For instance, I might go with a casual top or suit, and thigh high boots.
FF: What about makeup—How does your day-to-day routine keep up with your active lifestyle?
JB: I keep it simple. I use some eyeliner and cover-up, and that’s pretty much it. I’m an instructor at Vixen, and it's a full-on sweat sesh. I’ve discovered that products with tea-tree oil are great. I also stay away from anything that smears too easily.
FF: Tell us more about Vixen Workout! We love that women are encouraged to wear their favorite shade of lipstick to the workouts. What shades are popular?
JB: At Vixen, we go bold! A lot of our girls wear reds. It’s part of our workout to make women feel beautiful and confident. We let them put on a bold lipstick and let go—they don’t need permission to be themselves.
FF: Do you have a go-to shade when you’re not at Vixen?
JB: I usually go for nudes. Just like everything else, I keep that part simple. Keeping it simple has become a big part of my attitude, and I also emphasize it with my life coaching clients.
FF: How did you get started working as a Life & Fitness Coach?
JB: I pretty much tripped and fell into it. I was a psychology major and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do—I knew I wanted to understand and help people, but I wanted to explore and grow more before advancing my education. Dance is also a huge part of my life. I used to do everything! Jazz, ballet, tap. I set dance aside when I was a student, but then I auditioned for Vixen in Miami. I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t into fitness then. I only auditioned because a friend dragged me along with her, and I ended up getting certified!
FF: Kudos to your friend for dragging you along to Vixen! How did starting with Vixen tie into what you wanted to do with psychology?
JB: Getting started at Vixen reawakened my passion for dance and movement. The releasing and letting go feels amazing. It’s not just endorphins, but a mind-body connection that women can use to create a mind-body release. And at the end of class, I like to share something that lets me support the women in a different way. That led me to life coaching. I had clients already asking me to be a life coach before I even knew what it was. So I thought it might be a good idea to look into it more, and now, much much later… I love it! I get to apply everything I’ve learned, from both psychology and dance.
FF: We love that you were able to connect your passions and support your clients in different ways! What else do you do as a life coach?
JB: I have my e-newsletter, “Cup of Jo.” I send out something that can inspire and uplift. The purpose of my newsletter is to elevate people and encourage positive thinking. I want to inspire a radical self-love in my readers.
FF: You’re very supportive specifically of women, and of radical self-love. Can you tell us more about that?
JB: Women are my soft spot, my niche. I know I’m not alone in wanting women to love themselves. We tend to point out imperfections first, and there’s an abundance of women who just choose to hide because that’s easier. Some women don’t speak up, and not just about their bodies and any shame they may feel, but about their passions and what drives them. I want every woman to fall in love with herself every day.
FF: What are some habits that you encourage to help women fall in love with themselves?
JB: It’s not a one-size-fits-all journey to self-love. Maybe it’s meditation or focusing on one part of your body each day and sending it love. We should transform the way we treat ourselves and others, the self-affirmations we have, and our self-care habits.
FF: What habits have you personally adopted that help you stay positive?
JB: If I’m down, or if I have a chicho (a tummy!) I tell it I love it. I say, “sometimes you’re flat and sometimes you’re not, but I love you either way.” Humor is definitely important.
FF: Do you practice any of these habits with your family?
JB: Yes! I think it’s so important, especially with kids. My nephew is 4, and I do affirmations with him in the mirror instead of reprimanding him sometimes. We affirm what’s working instead of shaming what’s not.
FF: What does the tagline in your newsletter, “Sip Slow” mean to you?
JB: Well my newsletter is your Cup of Jo (get it?). So by “sip slow” I mean you should savor it and enjoy it. It’s a simple reminder to take your time, because you deserve it. Keeping things simple and taking one step at a time translates into pretty much every aspect of what I do.
When we created the Overnight Palette, we had adventurous girls on the go like Josie in mind. Josie stopped by before a Vixen Workout class to create her own custom palette and picked out a set of versatile yet daring colors. Check out the video below to find out how Josie uses her palette to create both day and nighttime looks. You can also find her on her site, itsJosieB.com.