Marie Forleo, founder of Marie Forleo International, B-School, and MarieTV, brought Mama Gena (Regena Thomashauer), founder of Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts. 

B-School (B as in business) is an 8 week online video-based training program that shows you how to build a unique and profitable brand.

Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts teaches women of all ages to use the power of pleasure to have their way with the world.

In 3 words, describe each other.

Marie: Miraculous. Gorgeous. Empowering.

Gena: Inspiring. Fun. Cray.

Do you remember the first time you met?

G: [To Marie] Oh, yeah. *laughter*

M: Very deeply! A mutual friend invited us over to a dinner party.

G: Yeah, it was a dinner party of a mutual friend that neither of us knew very well. But who gets invited to a dinner party in New York City?

M: It turned out to be only 5 or 6 people. And two of them were an open couple trying to get other people to… you know. So we were pretty taken aback.

G: Yeah, and the other person at the party was a matchmaker, who didn’t really speak to us, because she was on her blackberry finding other matches. It was such a New York night. But through that, we found each other and became friends forever.

What inspires you most about each other?

M: Regena is so incredibly generous and loving and giving. She has great intuition. She will pick up the phone and call at the exact moment I need her. It’s like I send out an emotional signal and she picks it up and my phone rings. I trust her with my life. Sometimes she celebrates my accomplishments more than I would!

G: I feel like we hold the space for each other’s greatness in a really powerful way. And, hold each other’s falling-apartness in an equally powerful way. All spectrums. She loves every side of me and I love every side of her. That is a rare thing. Because if you think about it like a piano, there are 88 keys. You don’t usually get all 88 with one person! But I feel like we have that with each other. We can be totally transparent, especially because we’ve both watched, inspired, and cheerleaded each other through our successes. Sometimes that can be a challenging thing, if people aren’t running at the same speed. So, the fact that we can explosively celebrate our expansion is amazing. Plus, her fiancé is the most fun person on this earth… Wow, I love them both. And P.S., she’s funny as shit. You need people who are funny as shit. I like to be able to relax.

M: We have so much fun socially. We are both so game for anything, but on the off chance we aren’t, there isn’t any guilt about saying, “Let’s just stay home, order in, and not move off the couch for hours.”

G: Truth. One time we went to this big party in the Hamptons and found out about this after-party.

M: So, we are driving around in the woods in the Hamptons, we didn’t even know these people - I had my step-son, my fiance, Regena - we were like this Motley Crue of partiers.

G: So finally we hear this bangin’ music and we stroll up to the house. There’s a pool, and glowsticks, and beer cans everywhere!

M: And I just dove in the pool and Regena had a swig of rum. I don’t know what was happening, but it was SO fun. We stayed for like an hour… And then we left. *laughter*

What is love in the context of your relationship?

M: I think love looks like unconditionally having someone’s back. Like always looking out for what’s best for them and being honest even when it may not be the most comfortable thing. Having friends that want what’s best for you, and only try to serve you and lift you up. I think that love also comes back to that deep sense of trust. There shouldn’t be anything that you have to hide or protect. It should also be fun! If you send a text or you call and say, “I really need you,” then the moment that person can get back to you, they will.

G: I would say, standing fiercly for each other’s raw truth - that’s the spine. And inbetween there is a deep appreciation. I feel Marie’s deep appreciation for every part of me. It’s such a beautiful space to go into.

M: We also have a no-guilt or weird-energy thing. Life can get really busy, but there’s never any drama or BS. It’s all good times.

G: We’ve also pulled each other back from the ledge. Marie: Yes! When the shit hits the fan and you feel like no one else could possibly understand. Even if you have a significant other, there’s still that one friend that you know you can let it all out with. No judgment. They aren’t trying to fix you. They will dive right in with you, swim around in the muck with you, and then it all starts to dissipate after that. It’s really great.

If you two were to plan an adventure, just you two, where would you go?

G: I think it’s time for you to ride horses.

M: Could we go to an island and do it?

G: Yeah, if you want to go somewhere warm. Or we could go to Mongolia.

M: Scary. I think we’d go some place warm.

G: Or… Ireland.

M: That could be fun! Or Miami… There’s always Miami.

G: Why?

M: I just need sunshine. But, you know what we have done before? I took Gena out to L.A. for a fundraising event and made her go an amusement park all day. Things that make everyone else want to vomit. I have to say, in terms of an adventure, we had a girls sleepover in the Hamptons.

G: But I think we should press our edge and go ride horses.  

In what ways do you sync up?

M: I think we sync up in our commitment to empower other women. So, spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially - we want to empower all women to be great! Whatever that looks like to them. I think we sync up in our shared love of really cheesy pop music and karaoke. I think we sync up in our weird dieting habits. [To Gena] Like what are we doing now? Oh, we’re going on the bean diet.

G: [To Marie] I actually haven’t even told you about my newest diet. But also exercise.

M: And our love of good food.

G: Yeah, and we order enough for at least 3 people.

What are your first period stories?

R: I was on the swim team. And my mother explained to me that there was no way— no possible way on earth— that I was going to use a tampon, because I would lose my virginity. So, I had a large sanitary pad that I put inside of what can only be described as “rubber pants” inside my swimsuit. I remember the captain of the team and said, “What’s going on?” Because I had this diaper bulge. And she said, “no no no” and handed me a tampon to work things out. Thank God for her, because otherwise I would’ve been in rubber pants… doing the backstroke.

M: I think I was 13 and I was at home. It was very uneventful. I started and told my mom and that was it.

R: [To Marie] Wow, what a normal, happy childhood.

M: Yeah, my mom celebrated. “Woohoo, you’re a woman!”

Photos: Montse Zamorano

by Team Thinx