Olympic Village Tea, The Butterfly Effect & How We’re Really Doing

A lot of people might think, oh, was Alona mad at me?

No, she's just to the point.

She's gotten what she said, what she needed to say.

And she got out of there.

Alona texted, add that to my calendar.

Who the hell does she think she is? Of course, I'm going to put it on her calendar. I already did.
She needs to be brought down a couple of pegs. And we brought it up to her.
And she was like, no, I said it like, shoo, add that to my calendar too. We were like, oh.
Oh. Oh.
Oh. Oh.
Come on in. Welcome back to House of Mar, a Wave original presented by the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
This is your host, Olivia Marr, creator of Girl Dinner, my manager, and an absolute artist when it comes to a grazing board. Wow, thank you so much.
And this is your host, Adriana Mar, a New York City girl, humanitarian and pimple popping video etiquette police. Okay.
Why would you say that? Read her for filth. I'm your host, Adriana Mar, and that's Ilona Mar, Olympic rugby medalist and chronic rereader of Vampire Academy.
Okay. And it's true.
Good one. I think that's the best book series there is.
You reread that like not once a year, but maybe once every two years. I just read it.
Almost every year, I feel like. That says a lot.
It does. Vampire Academy is in my veins.
Yes. It is.
I'm very passionate about it. I think I should have been in that room when they were creating that movie and the show because I know it.
Like the back of my hand. Anyway, no, don't get me started.
I'm going to get angry thinking about the adaptations. Well, thank you for tuning back in.
Episode two. Very exciting.
If you made it back here from episode one, I just want to say how happy we are to have you and to be welcoming you into our home in this way and opening this up and really giving a closer peek into what we have to say, what goes on in our brains, what we talk about with each other on our group video calls. I think it's going to be really special.
And Alona talks a lot online, but she's got more to say. Keep listening.
We'll change lives here. Our favorite story is Alona texts very direct.
Like she wears where exclamation marks and it's everything, but like no stress if not. Like that we communicate or how we go present in a professional world.
And maybe it's because she's never had a desk job. You've just played sports.
I just say, sounds good. She is.
I used, I had to tell her, I was like, please stop sending emails. Stop sending professional emails.
Like, you don't do it right. I actually cringe when I see it.
You need to like open and like, I hope you're well. Like, I need you.
Free to e-meet you. She would get, she'd get in there and be like okay brb talk about this later period like to a big brand and i'd be like you need to you're cut off actually but she also just texts very direct so a lot of people might think oh was alona mad at me no she's just to the point she's gotten what she said what she needed to say and she got out of there you you the fact that you got a response should be celebrated in the first place so one of our favorite things we were on our sister group chat and uh i was like oh we have this coming up that's crazy like you guys remember make sure to do that and alona texted add that to my calendar and adrian and i were like who the hell does she think she is where does she get off i get that she's getting she's getting out there she's big time now who

does she start talking to me of course i'm gonna put on her calendar i already did but like what the hell man like put that on my calendar i was like we had like a side we're chatting about this we were too i was like we had that to my calendar she needs to be brought down a couple pegs we got to talk to her but actually we brought it up to her and she was like no i said it like Shoo add that to my calendar too!

Yeah!

Because I can't remember it, I wouldn't remember it so we'll make that make sure you add that to my calendar we were like oh you've got to work on your punctuation yeah i was just being funny about it she was being funny but we were like too big for her britches and to this day we now say add that to my calendar too yeah add that to my calendar but that is good though you guys are ready to like not humble me in a way but like bring me down to earth because i think even with all the fame or whatever it is that's happened and all of this i haven't changed too much and i think that's a testament to you guys letting me know who i am you know i'm just your sister i'm just this girl i'm not getting too big for my britches and even and when that does happen because there's moments when it does happen very very rare but they always bring me back you know like remember who you are and you're getting good at it she recently sent an email that I was like did I write that in my sleep did I send an email and I was like Olona did you send this email she was like I did I tried to make it sound like you I literally bodied Olivia I was gonna say sorry for delay uh we can't do this and then like thanks and then i was like wait a second what would olivia write i said hello apologies for delay thank you so much for your interest alona is currently unavailable and i was like goodness you wrote it third like no she wrote it as if it was me or just like in general or maybe this is where i I don't remember. But like I wrote it so well because I was pretending to be Olivia.
I thought I was possessed in my sleep and I must have written. Like I woke up and I was like, I need to chill.
That's crazy. I'm learning a lot from her as well because she, so Olivia, we can get into it more, but was like a personal assistant for a big showrunner in Hollywood.
So she learned so much and she's somebody who you can rely on for everything. And she knows how things are done.
She knows how it's best going to be perceived. So like for me, somebody who's just like, I just want to do it.
I'm an athlete. I do this.
She's like, no, here's the best way to do something. And so it comes across even better to brands, to people, when I have somebody like that using kind of being my voice there.
Absolutely. I run every important email past Olivia.
Like the amount of shared notes that we have together. Because I'm like, can you just take a look at that before I send that? Like I'll run it through Grammarly.
Then I'll run it to Olivia. And then I'll send it.
Many a time our dad, Olivia, will read an email and our dad will be like, that was, that's really good. Yeah, that's good.
That was really nice. He's very complimentative of my professional writing.
Because it's also your writing skill, but it's then like you understand tone really well and how to like convince people. I love that.
No, you got to put that. I was talking about an email.
She's like, you don't have a call to action at the end. And I was like, frick.
Got to have a call to action. I need to work on that.
Yeah. I was like, you're coming across like a little accusatory.
I think we need to like rein that in. But there's a good way to get to that.
Absolutely. We need to.
Yeah. I am them of something that's good you're a great ap lit teacher oh wow wow wow this doesn't work out no yeah this doesn't work out for sure and i mean as we said math isn't my thing but if you want me to compose an email to your boss like a message to an ex i'm i'm here i'm taking clients actually so i'm open so we haven't really lived in the same place for a while adriana lived in has been living in new york city for a couple years i've been living in san diego for the past six years olivia in new york city and then la so we've always been apart but one thing that we always do prioritize is coming together this was your first time living together since childhood in bristol were you worried going into it of how you would live together now as adults and how did go well i spent a lot of time in olivia's place so i knew that she'll cook for me and she for me helped me out and make me coffee so i i wasn't too worried about it like knowing that i have spent so much time with her so we've been doing fine honestly i think we thought we would be getting like uh more visitors we were like what are we gonna do if somebody has a visitor we gotta set up a system i'll put it all should i put a sock on the door what do you think like what sort of system have we got going on across town nothing nothing it's been her and i in there nobody's running through those doors yeah we really like that's gonna be interesting like sister like what are we gonna do as adult women as adult women we lived together for 18 years of our lives growing up and now here we are it's just us it's just then this is the visitor that's our only visitor that's the one there so no we get together we get along really well i mean she's somebody who's also a homemaker she loves to cook and like make people feel really comforted comfortable and and and welcome so it works out for me i come home and she's got pasta for me and i say i want a smash burger and she'll make, you know, a smash burger.
So that's just how she shows love. I think there is times where I do need like a break.
We both need breaks at times, but that's she goes on long walks. I go to practice.
So there's all sorts of moments where we can take that pause. It's also about being more honest with somebody who's like, hey, I need you to get out of my face.
Yeah. And we have that.
I think we've learned over the years, but it has been special. It's been cool to to do and i like taking care of people and making a home but you were quite good at it as well when i want to be but then i'll revert back to being like i'm a child i don't know i don't need to do anything no but you're good when you apply yourself same thing like gift giving she thinks she's a terrible gift giver she's actually unbelievable at it when she applies herself that's stuff where you're like wow how do how did you know? How did you look into my soul like that?

They all say that.

You're a good gift giver.

It's true, though.

But she is also a very good caregiver.

She is a nurse.

Her bedside, your bedside care is impeccable.

I had violent food poisoning recently.

And she was right there with the British form of Gatorade, which is delicious.

The blue one.

I love it.

Look that up.

And taking care of me, making tea, getting for me it was really it was really great good on you thank you i might have talked about this but the um she once gave us the necklace that started our mom giving us all the jewelry you bought at like some boutique in australia when you were there on the sevens tour little plated gold uh a's and o's a o and i little tiny initials that our mom then was like oh because they started tarnishing really quickly um cheap uh no and so our mom got a made in gold and so that started the whole jewelry kind of trend and that was you like you did that you saw them and you thought that was cute she doesn't even remember it she doesn't even remember it to this day like it meant nothing to her unbelievable but we kept joking though like because i do obviously work for her now and we work together that any gift is like an employee like i keep my employee set up to put it's part of my benefits package yeah yeah employee satisfaction end of the year bonus yeah she got me a purse this year which was really really fun because i don't i don't spend money on stuff like that for myself um and so that was kind of a nice like touch to i don't know where we're at what we're building and moving towards yeah what'd she get you she also got me a purse this year but we had decided no presents and then all of a sudden here she comes down the stairs unwrapped because that's alona she'll be my last gift she won't wrap it why would i wrap it No, it's to find it what's the point of that wow just so you're gonna see it or i'll leave it at the cardboard box it came in yeah the amazon but um came downstairs with the thing and it was really wonderful and sweet but then i was like i didn't get her anything she was panicking i was and olivia and i also didn't give each other anything and i was like that's fair no oh no but you've been really wonderful with like supporting my travel like one year i did not use up all my pto days like i still had like a week left and i was like i'm not i have to use these this is you know my um my payment essentially and i was like i'm gonna go to scotland and you're like yeah you go to scotland here's some money get that bus tour and it just made it so much you know easier for me to do so of like okay i was gonna do this bus tour but then i was like okay with flights and then i'll stay in a hostel yada yada like you know i'm very careful with my money and so knowing that the bus tour was covered was really wonderful and allowed me to be like and i can have a sit down dinner tonight you're crazy with a girl i keep a running note um in my phone of if somebody says something even a little bit i'm like oh and i'll write it down it's like a potential idea and then they sometimes come to fruition actually so like when mom came to town i think from two years ago i had written on my notepad for her discovery of witches tour because, because she loves those books and the TV show. And I was like, gosh, we're ever in England together.
I would love to bring her to some of those filming locations. And then I ended up doing that because I'd always had that.
I wrote it down. I saw it.
I would see it occasionally when I would go through this notepad and be like, oh my gosh, we're going to be in England. Let's go see Discovery of Witches places because I know my mom would love that.
So it wasn't a gift. It was just like something we did, but it was nice to do it with her.
So we went to Oxford and we toured some places because I remembered that that would be something to cool, like an idea I had two years ago. She was so giddy.
She loved it. She loved it.
It's the simplest things that can make people so happy, you know, just showing that you notice them. You took it.
Yeah. Yeah.
Take note. What's that thing that's like to be loved is to be known or to be known is to be loved or something to be seen something like that something like that coming up on today's episode of house of mar our tea time we wanted it to have a bit of a theme so we're thinking crossroads alona can give us a peek behind the curtain into what really goes down at the olympics adriana will talk navigating an identity shift and i can talk maybe a bit about my time and what i did before coming to work for Ilona full time.
And then with our wind down, we will receive a special message from one of our favorite people, an unofficial fourth Mar sister. Let's see behind that curtain, Ilona.
What happened at the village that you maybe didn't share online? Because you already put so much on TikTok and you wanted everyone to know. I think the first day in the village, I had a full day off.
So I posted about seven videos a day. Like I knew that this was a way that I could keep getting message out there.
I think it started in Tokyo with like, I knew Olympics is where people are made. You know, Michael Phelps, Moe and Biles, they're made because they're the best in their sport and they're objectively the best, right? Like it's not just subjective.
It's a numbers game where they're the best. I knew that I probably wouldn't be that in a sport like rugby.
I was not just going to be the best. Um, but I knew I had like a personality that was a little different.
So even in Tokyo, I'd kind of decided like, Oh, this app is, you know, social media is really powerful and can really take you places. So I did in Tokyo.
Then I kept doing it after Tokyo because I, we always talk about like sponsorships. Like girls are always like, we want to get more sponsors.
I want to be able to make more money, but there's no clear way to do it. And I saw like, okay, social media is how you do it.
Cause you make yourself, you know, look good to a brand. They want to have a return of investment on you.
So if you can be giving them something that'll help them. And I think, I thought building my profile on social media was just the way to do it.
Is it stressful to have share, share a lot of myself? I think there was a crossroads when it came to like, how much am I willing to share? What's the sort of persona I want to give out there? But I've just found like sharing more and being relatable is what really people connect to. So I think my thing is all about relatability.
Like if I'm having a bad body image day, there's so many other people who are having that same thing. So I've just tried to be relatable.
And I think at the Tokyo Olympics did the same thing. Um, or at the Paris Olympics, I did the same thing, just being relatable and having fun with it too.
Like, I'm not afraid to, you know, have a joke about with myself. Uh, I think the main thing was like being single in the village.
Cause people always talk about, you know, the singleness, the athletes going crazy dating each other. And I just like played on that because I knew people love to see it.
They love watching Love Island. They love watching all these shows where single people are going crazy.
And I just knew there was, there was something to be done there. Did I get any action in the Olympic village? No.
Right. No.
I also, cause at that point everyone was knowing me. So if I talked to even one person i'd people would be like what's happening but i was so focused in the on the village of like kind of making a name for myself in a way and posting these videos and afterwards we were so busy after our games were done i was barely in the village i barely got to meet people but it's like uh it was such an amazing time for me it really changed i guess the trajectory i was going on but i never surprised with the change.
Like I knew that this was what I wanted to do. And everyone always asked me like, oh, was it crazy? Has your life completely changed? I was like, no, this was what I was aiming for for three years now.
Absolutely. And I feel like because you put out that content being like dating, single life, the village, like people then assume like, oh, you're putting it out there.
It must be happening for you. So everyone just expected that you were having all of these dates and these crazy experiences and i remember you being like yeah but these are also like the world's best best athletes are focused on what they're doing yeah there's not really time for that until the end i i imagine that there are for sure people who are you know getting their rocks off i think as it's called having fun in there but also we're here to get a medal yeah like we're not here to really mess around too much we're here to you know compete for our country it's something that we've been dreaming about our whole lives so there is that you know you are are in a village with the hottest people in the world the hottest people in the world of course things like that are going to happen but also some people are still competing some people have just competed they're doing this and that so it's definitely a cool village it's like amazing that all these countries come together.
Some are at war, some people are still competing. Some people have just competed.
They're doing this and that. So it's definitely a cool village.

It's amazing that all these countries come together.

Some are at war.

Some are this.

And yet sport brings us all in under one thing that just unites us.

And it's really a cool time.

I mean, I've met people from all over the world and got pins from all over. I think it's really a special thing because not many people get to experience an Olympic

village.

I mean, only Olympians and coaches and whatnot. But that's something that is really a place where we can all come together.
What was the nichest pin you got, like country? I got, well, I saw a video of a girl who was like, I see y'all trading pins, but I haven't seen my pin from my country, which is Kazakhstan. And so I was like, I'm going to find this pin.
So I found the Kazakhstan pin. But I wasn't on my pin game as much as the others like there are some people who are really loving the pin thing you actually made me personal pins which is like what Simone Biles did it was fun to have you switched with Simone too right I did I traded with Simone but I just didn't realize like I never knew that about pins that a lot of people make personal pins but I think that's so special to do to do like a personal personal pin and to trade with people because people loved it.
And to have that connection between two athletes. Yeah.
To just have that face-to-face. And that's, I can imagine that's so cool.
I got a pin from Coco Gauff, Simone Biles, a couple of pins from like the other rugby teams around. It's a lot of times you don't know, you don't have the same language.
You just kind of go, pin? And then they give you a pin and you, and then you like just kind of connect in that way. It doesn't have to even be through language, through words.
Pins are universal. Pins are universal languages.
That's what I've always said. But you got to let loose a little bit at the very end there, right? It was your birthday.
Like, your birthday struck at, like, midnight during the closing ceremony, right? Yes. Yes, it is.
My birthday is August 12th. I'm a Leo, a classic Leo SJ.
Classic, classic. And that was the closing ceremony started on the evening of the 11th, and then you were there until midnight, so into the 12th.
And we were just, you're not supposed to drink in the village, but we were all getting vodka somehow and bringing it in water bottles because you've just completed the Olympics. You can finally feel like you can relax and reset.
And so I was just in my kit drinking and then I was chatting to everybody and whoever would recognize me, I'd be like, hey, what's up and chat to them. And we got to the closing ceremony.
It was in a big stadium actually that I played and it was crazy to be back there, like knowing what happened and the feelings that had been into it. It struck midnight.
So that was my birthday and I made everybody around me sing. And it was beautiful.
There's a video of it, just like me standing, like listening to everybody. And then they played this song called My Way by Isolde.
And I just remember like listening to it and then fire show. There's also a video of me like watching it.
Like it's about, you know, the song My Way, which I think is Frank Sinatra, but like I did it my way. And I was like, oh, I really did the Olympics my way.
Like my teammates and I did the Olympics our way. Um, and it was about, you know, the song My Way, which I think is Frank Sinatra, but like, I did it my way, and I was like, oh, I really did the Olympics my way.
Like, my teammates and I did the Olympics our way, and it was just a really, like, a special moment. I was super drunk, super drunk, but I still remember it.
You had a good time. But like, and you feel how fun your energy is, like, in those moments, too, but I think the energy I feel in those videos off of everyone around you as well is that, like, release of oh my gosh, no matter how this went, like, like we did this and here we are, we can be together and finally celebrate it.
But you've been kind of on the go since you still haven't been able to like party with your team that you made this historic moment with, right? Because you also haven't even been home to San Diego before, except for like one night, I think you spent there, but you've just been on the go since. How has that been? Like, are you, I imagine sad? no I'm not really sad I just been on the go since how has that been like are you imagine sad no i'm not really sad um i've been on the go since july i think july 14th i went over to france and we're we were there for a week in a in a village before we went to paris and then we were in paris for a week before we played and then i stayed there for two weeks after the olympics then for a week i was kind of like in between.
I say it was at home for a week. And then I came back to San Diego for two nights, had one full day there, but I was packing up because I had to take my ass on up to LA and do Dancing with the Stars.
So I had no time and then haven't been back. I was going to go back before I moved over to England, but it just wasn't matching up.
I was going to here and then going back. And so we decided to go from England to, I mean, from LA, right to England.
So I haven't, it's been more than a half a year since I've been home. And then I think I'm going to get home for maybe less than a week and be on the road again.
I would ask if your plans are dead, but you don't keep plans. I don't keep plans.
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Galaxy AI features by Samsung are free through 2025 and require Samsung account login. So then you made it to LA and you started your Dancing with the Stars journey, which you were a bit hesitant of, but just knowing like that's, you know, nerve wracking.
You're putting even more of yourself out there on TV every single night to be judged, literally, and to do something that you don't do, which is dancing. But like, how did that, how did you come around? Like what, when did the kind of like the clouds part for you? Well, I think it was just having a partner like Alan who knew the power of social media as well.
Like we went into it not knowing like, okay, well I'll post my videos. I don't know how he'll be about it.
Like it'll be okay. Cause I'd never watched the show.
I didn't know what he was like. You made me watch the first episode.
Like I think the night before I met Alan or something like that. And just to get a feel for it.
And I remember watching it like, Oh God, I don't know. And so I met Alan in the first, right after we were done, the cameras were done rolling and we were just kind of like, you know, catching up.
He was like, we got to, we got to shoot TikToks. Like that's how we're going to, you know, make, make the, the fans love us and really connect with them.
And so I was like, Oh, okay. Like this guy actually wants to do it.
And I wasn't sure if he'd want to collab with me or if he was a certain image he was trying to uphold. But what was so great about him is he was so prepared to just be himself.
Like I'm prepared to be myself, whether that's look stupid, look girly, whatever it is, like he'd put on the skirt and do the dance or whatnot too. But he was so secure in himself and the image he was putting so we worked really well together in that way and i mean he was always like we got to make a tiktok today we got to make tiktok today it's the point where i was like shut up um you've pissed me off all training but we've developed like a you know really strong friendship because of that and i think people really loved that connecting with us online and i think they loved seeing alan in that sort of way as well because i think he was always known as very like hard coach a tough coach which he's tough but i also for me i was like you're right i'd be mad at me too for not understanding that i like you've told it to be 50 times and i still can't get this dance so i totally understand and you're used to being coached i'm used to being coached so for him it was actually a really great like the way that he the way that he coached me i was like no you're right i can great, like the way that he, the way that he coached me, I was like, no, you're right.
I can do better. Like he knew I can do better.
And that's how I've always been coaches. Like they, they expect me to do better.
And so like, no, you're so red. I can do better.
It was a relationship like any other. We were, we were building and learning and posting these fun videos and people just love to see, I think two people really get along in just a fun way and interact and show all the emotions.
Like we cried, we were sometimes annoyed at each other. We were this and that, but I think we just kind of were very real in what was going on.
Yeah. What are some of the things that maybe weren't shown in like the package before you danced? Was there a lot more of you being pissed off or him being like, do it again? Or what, what did we miss out on? No, I think like it was a lot of, I just got very silent at times because I didn't know what was going on.
And like or I just couldn't could not get it right. Like it was so out of bounds for me.
And he he knew it as well. It was like something trying to trying to learn how to to get me out of that funk because I could not figure it.
He'd like tell me to do one thing with my hand and I couldn't do it. And then I would like try to do the thing that he was telling me with my foot and I could not I would not link up for me me.
And so I would get sound like, cause like, I always want to be good at things. I've always played sports and I've always been very good at every sport that I've played.
It doesn't matter what sport I pick up. I'm usually pretty good at it.
And so here I am picking up a sport that I just cannot figure out and that I've never been good at. And it's like, you're a team, right? Alan and I are a team, but also he's the coach, I'm the player.
And when we get out there on the dance floor, yes, they're looking at both of us, but I'm the one who doesn't know what the heck she's doing. So I think they could have actually showed more of like the, the us coaching.
Cause I never had a problem with it. I loved him.
Like knowing that I, I did, I, you just did it, do it now, which I was like, you're so right. And I knew I could.
And I think I got silent cause I knew I could do i could do better for him but we had i mean a great relationship we did get those moments where it was like you know we were both a little annoyed but then we would just be making a tic dog afterwards which i think is almost like a brother sister like friend type we're like but then you know the worst person i've ever met do you want to go to the sauna i mean you can you can you were there a lot practices you can kind of describe our relationship but it was very much so, yeah, you would get your silent moments because you're like, you want to do amazing. That's how you work.
And him being like, she can do amazing, but also, is she okay? He was always so cautious with me. Very cautious.
Always want to make sure you're okay. But it was those things that, you know, we talk about that's like, okay, but if Alona's feeling alone, she needs to get herself out of it.
Eventually, you can't do it. But he's very much like, but is she going to be okay? And what do we think? i do like how do i help and he's like texting me and i'm like what are you helping him like king i like i hear you i wish i could also instruct you on how to make her feel better like just she'll come around it's all good like it's all good but he just cared so much you know because he also didn't want to like make you mad but he also wanted the best like you say so it was funny in those moments and being like okay Olivia, like what do we do also do you have a tiktok idea i'm like okay alan him and i still chat a lot i'm really excited to do tour i i i want to do you know some more stops i just think that i want to be back with him we have so much fun together just kind of hanging out even when we're just practicing so i am excited for that because it was such a special moment in time so i hopefully will have a friend for life i don't even know if i can watch next season though i'll be so jealous i'll be like that's my partner that's my partner yeah that's oh my gosh if he says that it's his next partner is his favorite partner i'm i'm blocking him on also that is a warning that's a threat alan she means something else becomes your next favorite partner i'm blocking you you can never say never say it again.
Yeah, right. You know what? I'm just kidding.
She's a really cool, really chill. Really chill girl.
No, very aloof. It's fine.
It's all good. Love you, Alan.
Speaking of crossroads, yours was kind of your transition from traditional work to content creation. What was that like, becoming your own boss outside of Alona? That crossroads for you.
Being a girl boss, right. I went to a really small university, which was great.
Got my education, got out of there, moved to New York City very quickly afterwards because I just knew I wanted, I always knew I wanted to try living in New York City and Los Angeles. I think I was going to love both.
And I did. I loved New York City while I was there.
And I moved to New York City working for, I'm very lucky to have had incredible female mentors throughout my career. I seek out cool, creative, wonderful women and just try to soak up as much as I can from them while helping in any way that I can on their journey because I know that I would learn from that a lot.
So I moved to the city. I worked for an unbelievable creator, actress, author, Roslyn Hart, and I worked on some of her shows and activations around New York City.
She has a show called Never Sleep Alone. It's a lot of fun.
It's like a dating and sex and kind of a story told like through her character and also just like helps people with confidence and getting out there and being who you are. And what a great thing to be a part of at that age.
Yeah. Right.
In a new city. Straight out of school.
Like great for the mental. Absolutely.
It was very fun. It was very cool to see those sides of New York and with her and to learn from her and her creative approach.
And also then being the girl behind some of the social and like the Excel spreadsheets and whatever. So from there, I went and worked on the Apple TV show Dickinson.
And Apple TV was launching at that time when I was in New York City. And they launched with a couple of shows, one of them being Dickinson.
And I worked in post-production there. And I've met some of the most incredible people and editors and producers, some of whom I am still very close to to this day.
And again, learned so much from them, which then led me to the creator and show runner, Elena Smith, who is the next wonderful, powerful, cool, creative woman that I got to learn from and work with. So I got to see like a TV show season get made from the like the very beginning to the bitter end.
It was very cool to be a part of these conversations and listening in on these meetings and the stuff I got to learn. And you worked in all of the rooms, started in post, went to set, like you got to experience everything.
All the way through. It's like I got to be a part of these conversations and literally see how the sausage gets made and to see different approaches to the creative process and to have been in that position for so many years is so special.
Did that for a jaunt before heading over to Los Angeles and I continued doing some development work with Elena Smith. And then the strikes happened in Hollywood.
It was in that window of time that I leaned more into my social media because I had the time to do it and I was always building it. I was always posting what I was doing and getting better at making videos and seeing what I was comfortable saying or showing or my little adventures around New York City.
I think I was also in New York, like in the peak time of like 2018, 2019, where it was like my good friend and I would be like, we should want to have like a Saturday where we go and take fun pictures for Instagram. It's like, absolutely.
That sounds like a dream. Great.
And then we'll go watch, you know, we'll listen to Charlie XCX and have a time about it. Absolutely.
And so I leaned way more into that. I got more and more comfortable over the years.
And it was pretty soon after the strikes had started that I posted my Girl Dinner video. And then, so I was doing my content creation stuff.
It's when I've always worked for Alona and building her brand and helping on the business side of stuff that between Tokyo and Paris, like I was leaning more and more into it. But then once the strikes happened, I put my whole self into it and really, really ran with it.
And we got to build a very solid foundation going into Paris. So to be a part of that and to have taken everything that I've learned from my journey to that point and to help in the everyday and the flow and how this happens and how this works and, oh, we should go about it this way.
And, oh, we're working with brands like this. It's all it's all been for a reason.
My direction was correct. I was putting my energy where I where it felt good women.
And now I get to do what I love. And it's my dream job working here, working with you and, you know, being all together on this gorgeous gorgeous couch and making my content make my silly little videos there's that thing that's like everything happens in your favor but even if you don't know what it is and like the burnt toast theory and the butterfly effect which I think is a big thing we talk about a lot is the butterfly effect and how much it is it changes you're a big believer you're a big believer in the butterfly effect she loves that I think the butterfly butterfly effect.
She loves that. I think the butterfly effect is like that.
Thousands of millions of years ago, the flap of a butterfly's wings could have moved one seed to this place. And this happened here.
And then so it's like the littlest movement can shift the whole world because then you would have had a tree planted there. Then maybe a river would have formed around or whatever it was.
I could be wrong. Somebody could totally.
Let us know. But it's just that like one little change can, you might not realize it completely change the whole trajectory of your life.
Yeah. So I think my butterfly effect was when I decided not to play, stopped playing softball and just went to the local neighboring high school to play rugby and my whole life changed.
Your butterfly effect has been, you know. Jobs that I've decided weren't fit for me and it was tough and it seemed you know unprofessional but i made the hard decision and now here i am but it didn't feel good then but you know it all worked out what was been what's been i was actually thinking about this the other day i don't know why because i've always struggled when alona asks because i'm like well it's always a choice you know and i felt like so much of my life has just been like well that choice I maybe I'm so like realistic about it that I'm like I don't know about the butterfly effect but I think a good one for me is in high school I went on exchange okay um but I was that year prior I was researching so much I so wanted to do it but it's very expensive like it's sixty thousand'm like, we don't, you know, we don't have that money.
And so I was searching everywhere for scholarships for this and that. And the one I'd heard about was Rotary Youth Exchange.
And I remember like, cause I was watching all the YouTube vlogs and I was like, okay, this seems like cost effective. Like I can do this.
And I remember I Googled Rotary Youth Exchange and I think for some reason, like our wifi wasn't't working and so it only loaded like eight clubs in the u.s and it was all in the midwest and i was like oh there's no rotary in like vermont i can't do this and then like a few weeks later i was like let me look at rotary again and i had like full bars and so it completely loaded and i saw that rotary there was clubs there's two clubs in burlington and so i was able to then reach out and if i hadn't looked it up again and just decided hell why not i wouldn't have ever found this option because rotary is the only way i would have ever gone abroad because the other ones are way too expensive and this was in high school this was in high school and like now that leads me live like that year abroad was very life changing. And I think it really altered my sense of the world and like who I was and what I wanted to do.
You know, I always knew I was interested in like, you know, travel and politics. But I was like, no, I want to have a career in this.
And so when I came back, I was a senior in high school. So I was applying for colleges.
And even at that point, I was like, I don't know if I want to go to college. But my dad was like, go to college for one year and then we'll decide.
And I decided to do global studies. And I was like, there's a path forward in this.
And if I maybe I would have found that without like going abroad. But that definitely ensured it.
Well, you were at a crossroads recently. And I think we talked about it, but you just quit your job.
Yes. Which I think was also like, depending on that, how that could probably now change whatever's going to happen and like coming to that decision.
I mean, I'm in the midst of it, so I don't know what it's going to look like. I think the last crossroads I had was going into this job of, I graduated college and just that transition from you know a structured college life to then fully in the workforce working 40 hours a week you know not having the summers off and breaks off like that was a really like hard transition like I remember I'd be like in the middle of the work day and I was like I have to do this tomorrow and I have to do it the day after and then i get two days off but then i'm doing it five days again like and i think a lot of people struggle with that because that is you know it's hard on us as like humans to just be like locked in for that long especially after years of schooling and then like that's you have responsibilities with that but it's a different sort, knowing that you just have to work every day.

That was I eventually got over it because I was like, you have to or else you're going to like constantly struggle with it. I think every young person like have that like come to the light about it as well.
I remember sitting down my first day at the desk job being like, oh, you know, is this it? Yes. Interesting.
And like, I think, you know, that feeling might not have lasted also because, you know, you just have to get over what you used to have and just adjust. And that adjustment period is tough.
But you got to work with some cool people, though, too. Absolutely.
So like when you did get to go in and hang out with them. Yeah, I loved my coworkers.
Like, again, I worked for a women's organization. So it was mostly women who work there.
Women. We're in the business of women.
Olivia tells a quote of like my first day at work. You want to say it? She like her first day on the job.
I like called her. I was like, how was it? Like, how was your big girl job in New York City? And she was like, oh my gosh, it was so good.
I was like, wow. Okay.
Yeah. She was like, no, it was so all women i didn't talk to what wait i only i talked to one man and he was gay like that i was like hell yeah what a place to be i remember i also like cried on my first day too not because it was just women but i was onboarding and i was just like having to learn everything about the organization what it's currently doing what it what it has done.
And so I was just reading all these articles and internal pieces. And I was, I had this moment, I was like, this is what I've studied for.
And like, I'm finally doing it. And that was just, you know, like a dream come true almost of like, just seeing it come to fruition was really amazing.
I will probably be looking at the job boards for sure that feels like still a good step for me to do um just give me like two more weeks please yeah yeah and then I'll be on the job boards dad I promise dad she's gone I swear when I told him I was like dad I'm sending in my resignation he's like all right so it's easier to get a job when you have a job so this week is really important dad thing to say heard not doing that right now i'm so sorry sorry sorry this is your job now appreciate you though so a little bit of that i know we talked about like maybe grad school but that that feels like more of just grad school to do grad school i remember once i was talking with my roommate because she wants to get like her doctorate one day and i was like oh yeah i thought yeah, I thought about that. And she's like, oh, for what? And I was like, I don't know.
It would be really more to call myself a doctor. Which doesn't feel like the reason why you should go to postgrad.
But I also hear it and I don't judge you for that. Because that would be a big reason.
Dr. Marr? Dr.
Marr? One day, guys. Maybe.
That'd be cool. you're one day you think be so real you go back to school honorary honorary that's what i'm waiting for is for people come to ask me to speak at commencements and i'm like only if i get that honorary doctor can you call yourself like dr mar then if it's an honorary one i will be probably not she will but i will be she'll add that to the bio well i always wanted to be a doctor so that's why i'm gonna use it that way yeah put that on your instagram name dr alonamar dr alonamar ollie olympian the only way i'm coming to speak at your graduation that's what means that's what all he means i just figured that out yeah there you go okay i love a good flex and my samsung galaxy s25 ultra it's a power move It's got multiple features that make my life so much easier.
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Google and Gemini are trademarks of Google LLC. You guys, I heard we received a very special message from a friend of Miss Alona's that I think some people at home may wanna hear.
Hello, Mar sisters, Kylie Kelsey here. I am just tapping in to congratulate you guys on the new show.
I cannot wait to tune into House of Mar. I came from a house of only me and my sister.
It's all sisterhood up in there. And now I live in a house of more sisters.
Our two-year-old this morning, I asked her if she was a baby, and she told me, no, I'm a sister. That's beautiful.
We are obviously cheering you on in everything that you do, and I cannot wait to laugh along with you guys because I know that my biggest laughs in my life have probably come with my sister. Cheering you guys on.
Cannot wait to listen and good luck. Thank you so much, Kylie.
Kylie. That's really sweet.
That means the world coming from her podcast to ours. Miss Not Gonna Lie herself.
Miss Not Gonna Lie. She's not gonna lie.
Women supporting women. Yep.
They have a new baby, another girl coming into the house, right? I think so. I think it's now going to be just four daughters.
Four daughters. There's going to be some tough years in there.
Oh, for sure. But it's going to be so beautiful.
No, I think that's awesome. I wonder how we would have done with another sister.
Front, middle, back. I don't feel right knowing that you would have been a middle child i'm a middle child yeah yeah you're a little you're a little baby i think i could have been a middle sister you know i've had like host sisters and like i think also you know younger friends like you guys often just see me in the role as a younger sister but like i'm self-sufficient and i think i could have been a middle sister eldest sister little middle if there was one behind you the little little little little sister which is funny actually because i call what is it that you get mad about when i call alona my little sister yeah i call one of my little sister because she is these are both my little sisters but adriana's like that's my title i'm your little sister it's your middle sister you littlest sister for sure, but Alona is still technically my little sister.
She doesn't like that. Doesn't feel right.
So I think because you're already so territorial about that, I don't think you would do well with another. No, I think maybe it was that you called Alona your baby sister? I think I would have been fine.
Maybe. I think it was the video where I called her my stinky little sister.
You were like, I'm actually your stinky little sister. And i can't see you anything else than an older sister yeah you are built what i'd be doing older sister yeah i don't know it's in your bones maybe if i was a middle sister i'd be like really good at a sport but our parents always say though i mean yeah that's what they're saying our parents always say though like my dad my mom you know gave my our dad three daughters and he was like she wanted another one and he was like you know i think i'm gonna be a great dad to these three girls i just don't know if i can do another one and like he's been just the best to three daughters i think the thing was he never treated us any differently being daughters versus sons like he always told us to be the strongest to pitch it the fastest and then it matters so and i imagine that's gonna be the same with jason to like do the for his daughters.
He's a football player. I hope he knows, you know, like these girls are going to be just as athletic and fun as any sons would be.
And I mean, to my dad who goes, oh, the people go to our dad, you know, oh, you had all daughters. Oh, sucks for him.
He's got an Olympian. He's got amazing daughters anyway.
He's fine. He has daughters who we can chat to.
He gets along with so well. He's's fine no he's okay they'll be good do not worry all those girls being raised by jason and uh kylie what is what a fantastic position for them like the things that they are going to do with the guidance of them i mean and you was that the first time you met them was at the olympics kylie and i like other.
Right. And then we were chatting a little bit over like DMs.
And then she came to the game. And all these people I remember kept being like, oh, my God, what's it like to meet celebrities like Jason? I was like, I don't even I didn't care about him.
Kylie was there. Kylie was there.
I got to meet Kylie. And it was awesome.
She's the one she brought him to us all sorts of games. They went to gymnastics.
They went to rugby. And like for her to be there, they came to, I think it was my Brazil game.
And they came back to our semifinal game as well. So they came for two different days.
They were wearing like they met you guys, wore the jerseys and whatnot. And I had these insane Hawaiian shirts made for the Olympics for us to wear.
And we gifted ours to them. With Alona's face everywhere.

Oh, yeah.

Like it was obnoxious and American in the best way.

We gifted those to them and Jason wore the jersey that you guys gifted him.

Yeah.

That you guys all signed too.

Jersey and the Hawaiian shirt to gymnastics.

Jersey, Hawaiian shirt, and then he wore it to gymnastics

because that's why they weren't at the final.

They had to get to the gymnastics events.

But they brought the rugby spirit with them.

That was fun to meet them as well.