One on One with Fit Girl Cassey Ho
With over 3 million subscribers Cassey Ho is the number one female fitness YouTuber and creator of POP Pilates, which is the official Pilates of all 24 Hour Fitness nationwide making her one of the Top 25 Health & Fitness Influencers in the World by Greatist, and an award-winning fitness instructor. She has made working out fun, drawing in a huge number of fans and showing them that being fit does not mean being skinny. Love your body, love your curves, and treat them right. Being a business savvy entrepreneur and a fitness expert, we had to interview her for The Fit Girl. So let’s get to know more about Miss Blogilates.
What is strength to you and where do you find this strength?
Strength isn’t about looking a certain way or lifting a certain amount of weight. To me, it comes from the inside, and no one can accurately judge that. We all have our own story; we all have our own strengths. I find my strength through happiness. Working out makes me FEEL good because I get excited about it. There’s this inner satisfaction that reminds me of pure joy – and to me, that’s being strong.
Do you feel that because of social media there is this unreal image of what women should be? And what do you do on your own platform to break down those walls?
Absolutely! Social media tells women that they should have tiny waists, big booties and big boobs. Yes, some women may look that way, and that’s great. But there should NOT be pressure to have a particular body type. Blogilates is about embracing your own body – not matter what it looks like. I don’t design workouts for you to look a certain way. I design workouts to make you feel amazing, get stronger and reach your full potential as a person. It’s not about vanity.
Out of all the different fitness methods why did you choose Pilates? What about it appealed to?
I first got into Pilates when I was 16 and entered a pageant. I wanted to tone up quickly so I started doing Mari Winsor Pilates DVDs and I got hooked instantly! The results were awesome, and it just made me happy! Throughout college, Pilates became my rock. It was what I looked forward to every day. I love that it’s a functional way to exercise. You literally don’t need any equipment to get an incredible workout in. I eventually developed my own spin on Pilates, and created POP Pilates. It’s Pilates but choreographed to Top 40 music. It’s more upbeat, and kind of like a crazy workout party! But, don’t be fooled, it’s still intense and very effective.
You have a very beautiful active wear line called POPflex, who or what is the inspiration and intent behind the pieces and where do you see the brand going in the next 5 years?
My goal with POPFLEX was to create a gorgeous line of high quality activewear at a reasonable price point that doesn’t barricade women from enjoying top notch, high-tech fabrics and artistic designs. I spent over a year traveling, studying, and sourcing every single thread, trim and piece of fabric to make this clothing line a success! Right now I have two collections, Peony and Mermaid. The Peony collection is inspired by ballet dancers, femininity, pointe shoes, and of course, peonies. My latest collection, Mermaid; is inspired by the ocean, sea glass, seashells, succulents, and mermaid tails. Over the next 5 years I will continue to listen to my fans’ feedback and continue to give them what they want.
Where do you like to eat on your YOLO days and what’s your go to food to order?
I could YOLO on all sorts of Dim Sum.
We know you travel a lot for work, which country/city is your favorite and why?
I love living in LA because my friends are there, the Blogifam is there, and the Blogilates HQ is there too. It’s home. But my favorite place that I’ve visited so far has been Hawaii! Nice people, nice food, nice landscape.
How do you stay grounded being in such a big spotlight? With so many people watching you, it must be hard to be yourself unapologetically.
The number of followers I have on Instagram or YouTube doesn’t change who I am as a person. I’m here to serve to my community and help as many people as I can become the best versions of themselves. And that’s exactly who I am and what I’m meant to do. I make sure to surround myself with positive people who ground me and have the same intentions and mindset that I do.
People have the misconception that being skinny means being fit, what does being fit mean to you?
You cannot simply look at someone and decide if they are fit or not. Being fit comes from the inside. If you do things that make you healthy and happy, then you’re fit. If you feel good about yourself and your body, and if you work harder each day to be a better person, then you have succeeded.
Did you look up to anybody as you were growing up that maybe shaped the person that you are today?
I’ve never had just one specific idol. I look up to many different people for various reasons and inspirations. But, I always look up to people who serve to give. I’ve found that having an attitude of giving will lead you to great experiences.
You seem to be a well balanced person in mind and body, is there any part of your life that you still struggle with that your audience may not know about?
I work really hard to keep my life balanced, although the one thing that I still struggle with is being able to “turn off” from work sometimes. It’s a huge part of my life. I love what I do – it’s my passion. But sometimes I find myself working all hours of the night, and that’s not good or healthy. Everyone needs time to relax, and be away from work. This is something that I’m still working on, but I have definitely gotten better at over the years.
