Paradigm Shifters is a series of interviews with a select group of women and men from eclectic walks of life. It will highlight unspoken, real-life insights on how they have been able to turn weakness into strength. A naked soul point of view of how their breakdowns were really a preparation for breakthroughs. They are your quintessential paradigm shifters; internal shifts converted into genuine change.
Everything I have ever done has been focused on this underlying theme of shifting the paradigm because, "What we think determines what we feel and what we feel determines what we do." Hence, why Empowered by You takes lingerie, which has traditionally been seen merely as a tool of seduction and redirected that energy as a tool of empowerment.
I hope from these stories you will look at your own situations, struggles and accomplishments through a different lens. At the very least you will be more equipped with real life tools to change your own paradigm. At the end of the day, we are our own Alchemist turning the silver we were born with into the gold we are destined to become.
Jody Levy - Co-Founder & CEO, WTRMLN WTR
You are a classically trained artist. How did you get into business?
I am an artist addicted to business.
I have been painting since I was 8 years old, and I was so lucky to be nurtured to pursue a creative life. I'm trained as an artist and a designer. When I was 22 years old I got involved in my first company, and I have been bringing the world of art and design into business ever since. As far back as I can remember I started going to the office with my dad. I would watch my father work and, in a way, study the kind of business he was doing.
My mom had a retail store and she had me doing manual labor from the time I was very young. Working was part of my life and what my entire family loved to do. So, as I grew into my passion, I started to bring the world of fine art and design into the process of problem solving and storytelling.
I grew into creative directing and producing all kinds of experiences for the largest companies in the world. This was the start of merging the once separate but now totally connected hemispheres of my mind.
So now you apply your passion for business and art to your company within the beverage industry?
Yes. Now I apply this thinking to my own brands and companies. My focus now is on my company WTRMLN WTR (watermelon water). I co-founded WTRMLN WTR in 2013 when my partner Harlan Berger shared this crazy fact: there are millions of pounds of waste watermelons in the United States every year. And not because the fruit is rotten; because the melons are ugly or imperfect. This concept set us on a watermelon-powered rocket ship that is soaring today.
What does 'waste' produce mean?
Growers have a significant amount of crop that they cannot sell at retail because consumers want perfection. These are perfectly good, nutritional, pure and dense watermelons that are sunburned or scarred or odd shapes and sizes. We take the 'ugly fruit' and cold press it into what we call "Liquid Love."
How do you bring your philosophy of art and experience design to WTRMLN WTR?
We have built a brand that captivates and inspires people. My background in creating immersive art that tells stories in experiential ways is applied to everything the company does. We aim to connect to our consumers emotionally.
From the head-turning spandex bodysuits that our 'Babydolls' wear, to our business cards that are filled with plantable watermelon seeds; from our pop up Lovenasium fitness experiences with renowned fitness trainers, to our storytelling style--it all comes from the philosophy of giving back to people and inspiring them to feel.
Captivating the personal, emotional side of the human experience and making people smile goes into every detail and touch point of the brand. This is where my background in experience design and fine art comes in.
Beyoncé recently invested in WTRMLN WTR. What inspired this collaboration?
I believe that Beyoncé and the WTRMLN WTR brand are in agreement about the importance of what our brand is doing and how it's doing it. That is one of the things that brought us together.
Beyoncé is now our partner because she believes in female entrepreneurs and businesses that have a mission.
For many years, people got excited about women in business. But a lot of women were operating in the masculine. There's a paradigm now that's shifting and people are operating in the business from the feminine. It's not just women, it's everybody. There's this new way of doing things and it's rooted in love and collaboration. It's a horizontal structure versus a hierarchy. What is unique about Beyoncé is how collaborative she has always been with her art. It's something we align on.
Beyoncé investing in a startup is shifting the paradigm for celebrities and startups. How do you feel about that?
I think that it has a lot to do with an alignment of brand and mission. Instead of looking at your revenues and projections, now celebrity investors look at your brand, your product and your mission behind it. They want to be able to put their money into something they believe in.And Beyoncé has a history of making investments in causes she believes in. She was very much aligned with the fitness and wellness space, one that the WTRMLN WTR brand has a lot in common with --funny, sweet, sexy and many similar characteristics.
The similar missions behind WTRMLN WTR and the companies Beyonce has backed really make it so that the stage of the company almost becomes irrelevant. I think it's also about using the power of her person and influence to do good. This is true of a lot of celebrities investing in early stage companies. They take an interest in their mission and passion to help to be the bridge to reach more people.
What other companies are you a part of?
I'm also a partner in a mezcal company called GEM&BOLT, which launched in the United States in April of 2016. I help founders of startup companies with strategy and to define their brand.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be about empowering people to be happy and healthy. I believe in the power of education to liberate. In our society, brands and the influencers connected to them have a lot of power. I love to collaborate with different companies to use that power in responsible ways that inspire people to be the best versions of themselves.
In my art, in the experiences I design, and in the businesses that I develop I want to create opportunities for people to thrive. I believe in the power of the tribe to empower each and every single person. And if we can shift one by one to a place of love and magic and connectivity, our world will continue to transform to be a positive and beautiful and inspiring place.
Jody is the epitome of a Paradigm Shifter. She is a force to be reckoned with turning everything she touches into gold. What fascinates me about her is her ability to always bring it back to her true intention and her omnipresent consciousness of tapping into flow. Something tells me this is the first of many paradigms she will be shifting. Wait for it.