Genius Steals: Using Nature to Cure, What is sexy?, Hunter-Gatherers Still Exist , WHO KNEW?

Guest curated by Chelsea Bland

Feb 09, 2023

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, CHELSEA BLAND ::

LOCATION: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Hiiii my name is Chelsea! I am a creative and enthusiastic mother of two beautiful children. I love to dream and think about making amazing things happen in my life! I have a fantastic husband who supports me through all of my crazy ideas. I have also been the admin extraordinaire at Genius Steals since July of 2022. YAY! It has been so amazing to work with Rosie, Faris and Ashley and I am so happy to be a part of this group! I believe in the universe and I really think that it’s mostly about mindset. I have lived in Mexico since I was seventeen years old, my original plan was to stay for six months… but I guess that didn’t happen because I have now been here for almost seventeen years. I have lived in Cuernavaca, Mexico State, Mexico City, Bacalar, Tulum, San Miguel de Allende, and Playa del Carmen! I love the food, the culture, and the way of life. I am currently on a health/fitness/recycling/cooking/idk what journey and I am excited about it! I am interested in what feeds my body and trying to eat a wider variety of plants. I know it sounds corny, but 2023 just arrived and it has already been so AMAZING! I am so excited to be apart of this team and what is to come.

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): A huge thanks to our former Coca Cola client Amanda, who emailed us and suggested we talk to her cousin, Chelsea. We were thrilled to meet Chelsea over the phone and online, and pretty much immediately knew she was a great fit. It wasn’t just her skills, but her attitude, her mentality, her approach, her friendliness as well. And it didn’t hurt when we found out she was based in Playa del Carmen, only a couple hours away from my family’s home in Isla Mujeres (fun fact: where we also had a secret wedding!). In November, we finally got to meet up with her and her family and hung out on the beach, playing games and getting to know each other over micheladas. (We only wish Ashley was able to make it as well!) Chelsea, we’re so thankful to have you as part of our team, and look forward to continuing to get to know you!

:: THE LINKS ::

USING NATURE TO CURE

Yesterday a friend of ours arrived to our apartment and as soon as he arrived he saw a big tree outside (mind you this tree has been there forever and I have lived here for almost three years) he saw it and said “WOW you have a Moringa tree”. I looked at the tree and said, “a what?” He went on to talk about the heath benefits of the tree and NOT ONCE in three years had it occurred to me to see what kind of tree it was or if it was edible or not. It turns out that in Malawi (and other countries) they are using this tree to help solve the countries nutritional difficulties. I was shocked, I started reading about it, and of course I tried a seed of the tree which are very bitter at first and then turn very sweet and the sweetness stays in your mouth for a long time. If you drink water after eating the seed even the water tastes sweet. This opened my eyes and I noticed that I need to be more aware of my surroundings. (Devex)

WHAT IS SEXY?

Oh isn’t that the question? As a young girl with older parents it was hard for me to pinpoint it and feel good about my decision. Everyone said that it was about wearing revealing clothing. I was not convinced because when I would put the mini skirt on I did not feel sexy. I felt uncomfortable. I, of course, told no one and continued to put on the stupid mini skirts. Some people said to forget about being or feeling sexy, that it was not important but that did not feel right either… and then in 2013 when Ashton Kutcher said “The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful. And being generous. Everything else is crap! I promise you! It's just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don't buy it. Be smart, be thoughtful, and be generous.” It really meant something to me and I wished that my fourteen year old self had heard that. (YouTube)

HUNGER-GATHERERs STILL EXIST, WHO KNEW?

As I am sure that you have already noticed I am very interested in what plants can do to benefit the body. Until recently, I was not aware at all about the importance of gut health. Then, through the book Fiber Fueled I found out about the Hazda tribe and it turns out that they are still a hunter-gatherer tribe. WHO KNEW? (probably everyone but that is totally besides the point!) Apparently, they are extremely healthy because they do not eat all of the processed food that exists in our culture. Then I started reading about Hazda and I found this article that talks about experiencing this kind of diet first hand and the benefits that it brought. I truly thought that I was being healthy by buying the “healthy” whole wheat bagged bread… apparently that is all just a gimmick. I am not saying that I am going to go out and hunt my food (I would be lying to you if I told you I was up for that), but I am saying that I am going to try to eat less processed foods and incorporate a wider variety of plants into my diet. (CNN Health)

Looking for more from Chelsea Bland? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from her in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Fortnight (just to lose some of those brain cells)

:: City :: Mexico City…because I love the food diversity.

:: Book :: Fiber Fueled by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz … I am currently on a food journey learning about what my body needs and this book has really been an inspiration to me.

:: Podcast :: I really wish I had a favorite podcast, but I don’t, and I want one.

:: Album :: 21 by Adele (if I have to choose a whole album)

::JUST ME & MY HUBBY::

Do what feels right to you and follow your gut and your instinct it is almost always right.

-Chelsea, Admin Extraordinare | GeniusSteals.co

Ps: You can always reach me at chelsea@geniussteals.co if you need anything :)

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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

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