Behind The Scenes with CHILL BY WILL Founders

C and C Power Factory

photo credit: Carbon38

Though Christina Powter and Corrina Wall started out as simple acquaintances, they’re now linked at the veritable hip. The duo run the chic athleisure line CHILLBYWILL, and their ruched-waist leggings and apparel are worn by fitness fanatics everywhere. Separately, they’re powerhouses running their business with the same endless energy with which they wrangle their children and personal lives. Together, they’re focused on building their empire with keen attention to detail (like including the edgy mesh and awesome patterns customers love), a passion for lifestyle and an eye on the wider wellness world. SBS listened in on a candid chat as the pair mused on how they compliment each other (even to the point of finishing each others’ sentences), working on clothes they love to wear and why laughter is a part of their winning equation.

SBS: How did you come together for CHILLBYWILL?

Christina Powter: I was a personal trainer and spin instructor in Philadelphia. Fitness has always been a part of my life. I moved to LA and continued in that field, working at Burn 60. I met Corrina, and she loved my style. We joked about doing an activewear line…and then we said, let’s actually try it. She has the experience in apparel…
Corrina Wall: Right. I was a dancer my entire life, and I’ve worn workout clothes throughout. Christina and I have a very similar energy and vibe, and we live in our gear from the gym to the street to dance to picking up our kids. When I stopped pursuing my dance career, I had a jewelry and then silk dress company: I knew how to create a line. But I wanted to make what I lived and breathed in: my workout clothes. And that’s the same for Christina. I knew we would be a good team

CP: We’re a little bit of street…
CW: …with style and flavor
CP: And look: By chance, today, we are both wearing bright yellow pants, sneakers and a leather jacket.

SBS: What’s it like to run a company as a team?

CP: There’s no manual to navigate life as a mother and run your own business. But having a partner, a sounding board, someone who understands the difficulties that you can relate to, is invaluable. She jumps up and down when we succeed, and it’s exciting to have that someone
CW: For whatever reason, it felt right from the beginning, and that’s because we compliment one another. We ebb and flow. I’m older than Christina, but I see so many similarities. We both are particular: I can see that she likes things done in a certain way with her kids, home and style, and I see that about myself. With my age it has softened a bit. And maybe that’s why it works so well.

SBS: Even with such a great partnership, what are the challenges?

CW: As much as I hate to say this, when I work, I have an ego. I have a lot of ideas of how I like to do things, as Christina does. That can be tricky. But, I would probably say, women in business must have some ego. It can be tricky, when you’re working side by side, keeping that in check
CP: For me, it’s a great compliment. I say purple, she says blue, and then I say, what about purple and blue there? I would never have thought of certain things without her.
CW: We laugh and say, if Corrina is in there going all Kumbaya, then Christina will throw down a bit.

SBS: How do you make it all work at once?

CW: Isn’t that the million-dollar question! I’m a single mom, and I think it’s about determination. At times it’s overwhelming and stressful, and I want to freak out. But I always put one foot in front of each other. Taking care of myself first before I can do anything else is my key: eating properly, exercising, meditating and prayer.
CP: I agree, and we are, in a positive way, selfish. If I don’t take care of me first, nobody is going to. If I don’t have my breathing mask on first, then we will all go down. Plus, we love that we are showing our kids: You can be an entrepreneur and have a family.

SBS: What workouts keep you in shape during your hectic day?

CW: I still take one or two dance classes a week, and that feeds my soul. We take a SoulCycle class from Angela Davis, and since I’m over 40, I like to weight train two days a week in the gym. Then, we do the stairs in Santa Monica.
CP: I’ve been boxing daily for about a year now at Gloveworx in Santa Monica. I spin once a week, and since I’ve been a trainer for a bazillion years, I stay away from weights!

SBS: What’s happening in the fitness apparel world that you love?

CP: The trend of “athleisure” is great. Someone asked me the other day about making yoga pants, and I answered that they’re not yoga pants! They were yoga pants 15 years ago when they were that boring black pant. Now, the trend is that athlesiure is all-day wear. I’m wearing a leather jacket with sneaker and leggings, and I may or may not have worked out. Any body type can wear it, and it looks chic and current. We can live in the pieces we love, it looks fresh and fashionable—and it works everywhere. 

CHILLBYWILL Tidbits:

-The name of the company refers to “the choice to do as you may: your own free will. #bewilling to be free and love yourself.”

Favorite Restaurants: Sugarfish, Sushi Park and Cafe Vida

Favorite Splurge Foods: Peanut M&Ms, frosting shots from Sprinkles Cupcakes and ice cream 

Favorite Peaceful Place: The Beach!

Favorite sneakers for an athleisure look: Nike Air Max 360: Combined, we probably own 75 pairs?! 

Be free is our favorite mantra, for the ability to live life as carefree as possible and do whatever is best for you.