Smash Magazine

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NFL | ALEX KRAHLING 6 DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER OF GIRL SKATE NETWORK | STEPHANIE ARMSTRONG 8 SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER | AMANDA VON LOHRMAN 10 CHAMPIONSHIP BOXER | CARO RODRIGUEZ 12 ART DIRECTOR OF THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS | MICHELLE SHEEHAN

CREATIVE DIRECTORof the NFL - Alex KrahlingHave you ever wondered Wewhat life was like behind the askedscenes of your favorite NFL her toteam? Where do all the come to Smashphotos come from? Who magazine so we couldedits them? Who thinks figure out what the hellof all the crazy ideas was behind that smile. Whatand who executes we learned from the verythe campaigns? beginning was that she wasMeet Alex Krahling, an extremely busy woman!a creative director She had zero time for us,of one of the but she still decided to showmost recognized up and we were extremelycompanies in the grateful. The first questionworld, the NFL. we asked her was, “Are youShe’s a strong starstuck with all the powerfulchick behind a individuals you come in contactstrong brand. with on a dialy basis?” And she first responded with a little giggle.4 She continued to say, “You know, I love football, so I guess you could say I get a little excited every time I come in contact with someone important and powerful. I’m like that with everything in my life though, excited. I hope to never lose that. My mother is the same way, and she continues to have that spark as she grows older so I’m assuming I’m going to be the extra, super excited girl for the rest of my life.”

What does Alex get the most excited 5about? We decided to ask. Shesaid, “Honstly, it’s usually thelittle things! Like the first biteof food when you’re superhungry, haha.”We then asked her aboutwhat it is like working forthe NFL. She responded,“It’s actually pretty funnybecause a lot of people wehire to work in the creativeside of the sporting industryaren’t really into sports! They’remore into the job. We workreally hard and have a lot ofdeadlines we need to meeton a constant basis. We don’treally have time to fool around,let me tell you that! You haveto stay focused in this industry.Especially for my job becauseI’m in charge of so many people,clients, and projects. I basically getto (well, have to) see everything thatthe creative team is looking to put outinto the world. It’s a process. Ideasget killed on an hourly basis. Wealways have to push ourselves tobe different than everyone elseand come up with the best ideasthat are out there so we don’tget left behind in the advertisingindustry. Another part of my job isto hire amazing talent. I get to lookat creative’s portfolios dailyand it’s really awesometo see all the youngtalent that is aboutto approach ourindustry.”

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What advice would you give to kids who really want to get involved butdon’t know how?Work hard. Really hard. Don’t stop. Go to college and grad school if you can.Find your “thing,” whether it be photography, sales, filming, etc. Be influenced,but be original about your output. Try new shit. Fail. Work more. Stop emailingpeople on Facebook who have “made it” asking for a jobs if you have nothingto offer. The easy way sucks. Earn it. If no one offers you something, get betterat it. When you are good and unique, it’s undeniable. If still no one offers you ajob, do it yourself. Start a blog and put yourself out there or whatever and it’lllead to good things. Don’t be afraid to move to California. You might have to.There are only so many job openings at Zoo York, CCS, 5Boro or whatever local“industry” you might have. You may move and blow all your money, lose yourgirlfriend, fail and have to move back home to start over again. So what? Don’tbe a pussy about it; otherwise you don’t want it bad enough. Pay attention tothe other people doing what you do or want to do. Learn from their mistakesand successes as well as your own. Don’t coast. Ever. Don’t be afraid to ask forhelp or advice. You might be surprised how many people believe in you. Beprepared to hate skateboarding at times or be really disappointed by your idolsand favorite companies, but don’t forget that you started this because you loveskateboarding. There will be challenges and let downs, but at the end of the dayit’s a way better life than what most people do.Some people say the skateboard industry is like highschool. Would youagree or disagree with that?High school is one of many microcosms representative of society as a whole. Youcould go to the offices of Apple or Starbucks or an accounting firm and it’ll belike just like high school. You’ll never escape it while you have a job in corporateAmerica. And skateboarding IS corporate America. Everything has a dark side.There’s always some dipshit making money off what you love who doesn’trespect it or that you (the collective whole of skaters in the world) are whatprovides a job for them, pays their bills and lines their pockets. Some assholeis always going to screw you over to get ahead. But the rewards outweigh thenegative. Skate life is a great life and I have some amazing friends and havehad amazing experiences out here. I ain’t leaving it until they kick me out. 7

You’ve built your brand around the con- How often do you workcept of achieving a bikini body. How do out to achieve the bodyyou respond to people who say there’s we see on Instagram?no such thing as a bikini body? I only do real work-If there’s one thing I regret, it’s namingmy guides “Bikini Body.” I wish I’d made outs three or fourit more clear that any body can wear days a week, whena bikini and that a “bikini body” isn’t I use my summermy body, it’s feeling comfortable and Body Guides work-strong and fit and great about yourselfwhen you wear the least amount of outs. Otherwise,clothing you can wear in public. I’m active on most“Bra and underwear body” days, even if thator “naked body” didn’t means taking myseem to work. Ofcourse any body dogs on a walkcan wear a for 40 min-bikini. Just utes or sprintput it Have training for 15on. you always had minutes on amazing abs, treadmill. One or is there a before day a week, and after photo of you I completely that we’re not seeing? rest, and one There is a before photo, but I’ll day a week, I’ll never post it because I don’t want spend an hour stretch- to make my account about me and my ing with a foam roller journey. My body isn’t relatable and I’m not and stretch bandsrelatable: I live in Australia. If all I post is photos because I’m veryof myself eating dragon fruit acai bowls in Glenelg, inflexible.South Australia, women from New York or another What interestedplace where dragon fruit isn’t readily available will be you in fitness in like, “I can’t get that here, I don’t want to follow her.” the first place?8 I’ve always been into it because I’ve played basketball my whole life. But I was underweight and unhealthy as a kid, and I was ultimately diagnosed with endometriosis. I had to get surgery — it’s why my belly button is weird! — but even afterward, the illness was slowing me . How has your fame changed things for you? I feel like I don’t have very many friends now. I have my boyfriend and my two dogs and girls at the office, but it’s hard to keep people in my life without intimidating them. Pretends to play a sad song on an air violin and laughs.

I only do real workouts Amanda Von Lohrmanthree or four days aweek, when I use my Social Media Influencersummer Body Guidesworkouts. Otherwise, Amanda hasI’m active on most days, 3,632 pictureseven if that means 2,800 videostaking my dogs ona walk for 40 & 6 millionminutes or sprint followers intraining for her instagram15 minutes ontreadmill. account. 9

Caro Rodriguez Caro Rodriguez was in high school when she decided Championship Boxer to become the best female fighter in the whole world. When she discovered boxing at 17, she gave up her social life, scrapped her plans of becom- ing a model, and invested all her time and focus in a sport that she says changed her life. By the time women’s boxing became an offi- cial Olympic sport in 2012, she was poised to be one of the best fighters in the country. Today she is a two-time national champion, the no. 1 ranked female boxer in the U.S. in the 108-pound weight division, and a top contender for the 2016 Olympic Games.10

How i became a championship BoxerI grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, which everyone does.and moved to The United States You’re not always winning;at the age of 13. I became a the money isn’t always roll-little bit of a rebellious teenager ing in. There are those timesbecause of that. I had a really you have to just keep going,tough time in high school. I was keep believing in your journeyhaving trouble adapting to a new no matter what. That’s whatculture, new people, and making separates somebody who endsnew friends. I often got into a lot up accomplishing her goals fromof fights with other girls in my P.E somebody who doesn’t.classes. I would always end up Being an athlete and training forin detention for that. I got to the the Olympics isn’t like any otherpoint where I did not want to go sport. There is no backup plan.to that school anymore. I knew I The competition in this worldwas better than this. I wanted to doesn’t allow for that. You sacri-do something positive. So I start- fice everything else in the worlded with picking up a new sport. to chase the Olympic dream.I started off competing in small The chances, let’s be real, areclub shows at local boxing gyms, slim. It happens to a small per-and then worked my way up to centage of us. It takes a strong,national championships. dedicated person to shape theThere have definitely been times dream. This is what I do. I trainwhen I’ve doubted my journey, for this. I want to fight. I want to win. 11

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WHO?. . . IS THIS GIRL?A writer, creative, an ambidextrous, an athlete, and an Art Director.Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, this girl learned a thing or twoabout the imporatnace of gaining ice time. When she’s not creatingawesome content for the Blackhawks you can find her enjoyingthe game as one of the fans or around the corner at Johnny’s Ice House playing left wing. WHAT? . . . IS SHE DOING HERE? “We [the Chicago Blackhawks] focus so much more than just creating pretty pictures of these guys. In a town like Chicago where the fan base isso deepyly ingrained into the team, we really have to find out innovative waysto engage the community in everything we do. Whether it be working wothJoey the Junior Reporter or digging into all the great fan created work.”WHERE & WHEN? . . . OH REALLY?“Miami Ad School. After working my ass off fresh out of college at a job that Ididnt like, in a foreign town I didnt like, I knew it was time for a major change.I packed my bags and jet set off to school so that I had the skills I needed tosecure myself not just a job but a career anywhere I wanted to go so thatmy lack of real life experince would no longer hold me back and my real life WHY?work could speak for itself. . . . THE BIG ONE. .? My dream job was always to work for the Chicago Blackhawks. Working for the city I love, for the sport I love, with the team I love. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or when it would happen, but that I would be my own kind of hometown hero by working for the most beloved team Chicago has to offer.Besides who wouldnt want to work for a dynasty?

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