Chris and Raheem split time between NYC and Vegas. We caught up with them at their NYC apartment to discuss wellness and how caviar made it into their lives.

Nutrition Wellness

• Drink water.
• Have brunch with champagne, a mimosa, still enjoy usual brunch fare, but keep a balance.
• Using the grill makes the meals more enjoyable: chicken, salmon, and veggies. Use quinoa or brown rice as a base on the plate. 
• Chris is from the Caribbean so there has to be flavor, he makes a lot of homemade sauces and marinades.

Physical

• Start every day with 50 push-ups.
• Class-style bootcamps and the like are social and a workout.
• Love the energy others bring and it makes physical activity part of enjoying everyday life.

• Morning meditation helps get prepared for the day, without it I’m unfocused and all over the place 10-20 min (Calm app).

• Daily journaling for reflection, awareness, and prioritization.

• Sharing experiences with the community we’ve built without fear of judgement about being an immigrant, Black, male, and gay.

• Both signed up for a Pride fair in Vegas to build community and give back to both the Black community and the Gay community.

• The stereotype is that Pride is all about partying and dancing but there’s more to it and we see a shift in the type of activities publicized this year to engage more from a social advocacy standpoint.

Professional

Chris left his corporate job in Feb 2020 to launch a new project, then March came: "I learned you have to keep pushing, you have to find other avenues... I started a business, learned new skills... with my support system, which was key, things are taking off."

Experience with Caviar

Chris grew up in Haiti, his grandmother served caviar on special occasions. She said the caviar was harvested from rivers in northern Haiti in early winter. She knew about culinary arts, was the wife of a diplomat, and wanted her kids to be citizens of the world.

Raheem grew up in New York, perceived caviar as opulent and out of reach, and didn’t have caviar until adulthood. He grew up believing “it wasn’t for us, it’s something outside of our social strata ...once I had it I really enjoyed it but I had to break down a mental wall...it’s just a food but it holds so much meaning socially…”

Chris and Raheem bonded over shared values in eating fresh food, working out, putting effort into their own wellbeing, and spreading these values within their community. They were married in 2019.