- Mari Llewellyn, 28, announced her decision to move to Austin, Texas on a podcast last week, blaming Los Angeles for safety issues.
- The content creator is famous for her journey of losing 90 pounds in two years and overcoming depression.
- Her new move comes after an Austin-based company acquired a 20 percent minority stake in a startup co-founded by Llewellyn and her husband.
The glamorous fitness influencer decided to ditch the crime-ridden California city for what she calls a “sanity” environment in Austin, Texas, calling out Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis and safety concerns. .
Mari Llewellyn, 28, who has lived in Los Angeles for the past three years, announced her move to Austin last week on the podcast Pursuit of Health and accused the city of safety.
The content creator, famous for his journey of losing 90 pounds in two years and overcoming depression, expressed a desire to raise his children in a safe and healthy city.
“We want to live in a safe, healthy, family-friendly place where we don’t have constant traffic jams or homeless people throwing bottles at our faces,” she said. .
She also explained on her Instagram Story why she hates Los Angeles, citing “safety, homelessness, lots of money, traffic, and the Hollywood scene.”
“Overall, I knew LA was a great place to grow my team and business, but I didn’t want to start my family here,” she wrote.
“Austin feels more grounded and wholesome. Plus, it’s a great travel center and a hotspot for people in our industry,” she added.
L.A. is certainly overrun with homelessness and violent crime, as the iconic landmark Walk of Fame disappoints visitors with its dirty sidewalks and fends off local residents with violent attacks. There is.
California’s wealthiest residents are also packing up their Los Angeles mansions and flocking to a state where they can earn more money and avoid rampant crime and the Golden State’s homelessness crisis.
Los Angeles County will see a 9% increase in homelessness from 2022 to 2023, with the number of unhoused people now totaling 75,518, according to LAHSA’s latest data.
The reasons behind Mr Llewellyn’s move may go beyond safety concerns. Nutravolt, an Austin-based company that makes energy drinks and supplements, recently acquired a 20 percent minority stake in Bloom Nutrition, a startup co-founded by Ms. Llewellyn and her husband.
The investment represents part of the first $90 million funding round that Bloom has raised since its founding in 2019, according to the Austin Business Journal.
“We are thrilled to partner with Nutravolt to take our company to new heights,” Gregory LaVecchia, Ms. Llewellyn’s husband and CEO of Bloom, said in a statement.
“Their expertise and resources as industry leaders will enable us to effectively scale, drive revenue growth and accelerate innovation.” I couldn’t be more excited to embark on this growth phase with you. ”
Doss Cunningham, chairman of Nutravolt, said there are currently no plans for a beverage or product collaboration between Bloom and Nutravolt, adding: “That’s definitely an area we’re looking forward to exploring with the team at Bloom. ” he added.
The company will have offices in Los Angeles and London, but some employees will spend time in Austin.
Llewellyn embarked on the journey, sharing a video on social media showing her and her husband LaVecchia driving a van from Los Angeles to Austin.
Meanwhile, Llewellyn’s friend and business partner, Fiona Atticus, an executive assistant at Bloom, also plans to move to Austin with her partner.
While chatting with Atticus on the podcast last week, Llewellyn said, “If you’re an Austin or Texas girl, let me know.” Friend requests are being accepted.
“We want to exercise with other girls and have a healthy lunch. We want to take a walk around Ladybird Lake. We want to go boating,” she added. Ta.
As Llewellyn excitedly explained her plans for Austin, social media users criticized her decision, saying she was moving “from one expensive, trendy place to the next expensive, trendy place.” .
One person said, “I feel like she’s bouncing from ‘trendy’ place to ‘trendy’ place. A girl doesn’t really know who she is, she just follows trends, literally and figuratively. ”
Another said: “Between uprooting her entire life to move to a tax haven state and buying a seemingly whimsical 70,000 converted Sprinter van to get there, I’m sure she’ll be fine too.” I have to admit that I was starting to feel like I couldn’t relate anymore.” . ”
“Moving is incredibly stressful for most people, especially 2,500 miles away. Meanwhile, she and Greg are having fun traveling, while others are probably packing for her.” He’s probably getting it together,” the comment reads.