We purchased a Peloton just a few weeks before we all went into quarantine last March. I must admit I was skeptical. I walk and shoot hoops when I can, but I have never regularly used any sort of exercise machine. The technology is what first piqued my interest in a Peloton. The more I read about the features and the way it worked, the more it appealed to me. I also knew that my Peloton couldn’t be in the garage or somewhere out of sight, it needed to be inside the house where I would pass by it several times a day. It took a little work to persuade my wife that it belonged in the music room, but I eventually prevailed. Our Peloton was delivered during the first week of the pandemic. The delivery people assembled it in our driveway and we had to bring it into the house ourselves. I looked at the Peloton app today, and saw that I have completed 141 workouts in a span of less than 10 months. That’s roughly a workout every other day. After being out of commission for about a month with COVID, I am back in my routine, and completed 5 workouts this week. They were short workouts, only 20 minutes each, but I will need a few weeks to build back up to where I was in early December doing 60-minute workouts. The high-intensity workouts are what I need the most. I recently read that people my age who do at least 3 high-intensity workouts per week have a much lower predisposition for serious illness like a stroke and cardiovascular problems. I think about those things more these days, as I should. Pelotons aren’t cheap, which is why I told Kathy if we get one it has to be in the house because that is the only way I can be certain I will use it. It has definitely been one of the things helping us get through the pandemic. Now I need to cut back on the wine.
There’s been a lot of talk lately about socialism, communism, and democratic socialism—especially in New York City. I recorded something this week because I think we’re losing the ability to talk about these ideas with nuance. We throw labels around to scare or silence people, and it keeps us from having real conversations about affordability, ownership, and what it takes to build a society where people can live with dignity. If you have a moment, I’d appreciate you taking a look and letting me know what you think.
Lately, I’ve been hearing from a lot of people who are frustrated — with work, with the economy, with the state of the world. I get it. I’ve felt that too. But here’s something I’ve always believed: there is nothing more powerful than taking that energy and turning it into success. In this week’s episode of The Latino Brand, I talk about why building wealth isn’t just about money — it’s about agency, dignity, and control...
Jewish summer camps have helped preserve culture, build identity, and create lifelong networks for generations. In this episode, I talk about how Latinos can adapt this model to strengthen our own community and invest in our young people.