Before we share more blogs, stories, and snippets of our lives,
we thought it would be good to fully introduce ourselves.
You know… so you meet the “us” behind the titles Jef & Mindy.

Big question. Our ‘who’ is complex.
And we’ll give it a go.

Here we go:

There is the “Sir” & “Lady” side of us.
Yup! Sir Jeffrey Kippel and Lady Mindy Blackstien.
We were adopted by the Taino tribe in the mountains of Puerto Rico.
Christopher Columbus encountered them back in 1492. It was 2023 for us.

There is also the Minister side of us.
Yup again. Metaphysical Ministers to be exact.
Mentored and ordained by an Oracle of a chance meet.
At one point, we even officiated weddings.
Including our once brother-in-law.

What we are most known for, though, is our fitness side.
It’s where everything started for us.

Jef found joy in tennis, downhill skiing, and kneeboarding on the lake.
Mindy in horseback riding, gymnastics, and all watersports.
She especially loved the air chair… which is what it sounds like, sorta.
But also, not really at all.

Fitness brought us together. It is how we met.
And it had nothing to do with the fact that we worked at the same gym.
We didn’t even know that… until some dates later.
(At which point neither of us were there.)

Nonetheless fitness still became central to our lives.
Bodybuilder Jef and Fitness Model Mindy.
One shone on stage… and the other captivated cameras.
Well, that’s not entirely true.

We’ve both taken the stage and we’ve both been in magazines.
Just not always for fitness.

That’s because there is a coaching side of us.
Along the way, we got certified in most many things.
From Reiki, Thai yoga massage, aromatherapy to…
superfood nutrition, personal training, and non-surgical surgery.

We learned a lot… and are still learning.
In cool news, we like to practice on each other.

We studied mindfulness, human potential, and self empowerment.
That led to us speaking internationally (on stage!), teaching in classrooms,
coaching clients privately, and getting photographed (for magazines).

Then… there is the ‘writer’ side of us.
(Bet you saw that coming!)

For Jef, writing had been a passion since his early teens.
Always writing poems, thought-provoking pieces, short stories, and…

The Ridiculous.

In fact, he often carried the lot around with him…
just in case a publisher walked by.

Along the way he studied creative and screen writing in school.
He then became a reporter for The Excalibur, his university newspaper.
There he became an investigative journalist. Wrote opinion pieces that bit.
Also… the occasional sci-fi comedy news update for the galaxy.

Mindy on the other hand was never into writing.
It landed on her lap when she became the Executive Editor of a magazine.
It was then when she was trained by some greats:
Oxygen Magazine’s Editor in Chief, a technical writer for the Pentagon,
and a ghost writer for clever wellness publications.

This is starting to feels nostalgic… a walk down our memory lane!

The entrepreneurial side?

Well, Mindy launched official fan clubs for 2 WWF stars.
Jef ran the BodyBasics gym for many years.
Then the two of us created FAME… and the BodyPROUD Initiative.
Also the World Natural Sports Organization (WNSO), a sanctioning body.

That brings us to the Producer side of us: events, TV shows, contests.
We produced 100s of natural competitions globally.
Including the largest fitness expo in Canada for years.
Our TV series ranked as TSN’s #1 Rated show.
Yes, TSN… The Sports Network.

Another aspect we share is a ‘Jet-Setter’ side of us.
Often, we’re good to pick up and go. Life has had us traveling a lot.

Also key is the Publisher side in us.
Canada’s first environmental magazine? That was started by Jef.
Recover Magazine: Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Recycle & Recover.
That was its motto.

Together we published The FAME Magazine… in two languages!
We even launched a publishing company for our first two books.
Yes, the Ridiculous ones!

Beneath all those parts is our connection.
A husband wife team. Best friends. Soulmates.
Co-authors. Co-founders. Business partners.

And co-parents.

Yep, Aura Spirit Spirit, a baby we never thought we’d want (a cat!).
That’s thanks to being dog parents before… with 3 at once.

Boskoh, Little Dude, and Stomp must be shocked!

And there ya have it. That’s us. Well parts of us.
Interesting to break it down that way.

Probably be for all of you reading this, too.
Don’t think so? Then give it a go…

Peel back your layers and let us know.

There is something neat in recognizing the various parts of you.
Makes you realize how layered one life truly is.
Also makes you wonder what other parts are left to discover/uncover.