It’s A Woman’s World: Justine Bassani – Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist, Author, Artist, + Bartender

Mama’s Boy. Peaches. Gates. Probably a few others I’ve omitted. And currently, Tequila Mockingbird in New Canaan.

Yeah. There’s a chance you’ve sat at one of Justine Bassani’s bars somewhere in Fairfield County.

An acclaimed bartender that’s won competitions and has had her fair share of limelight in magazine articles, Justine is pretty open about her own struggles with alcohol—she’s been sober for a while now—and although she’s still in the bartending game, she’s been pretty busy outside of the industry.

Justine is also a certified personal trainer, a nutritionist, an artist, and she has recently self-published three books: Eating Lessons: A Transformative Guide for the Body and Mind, Notes to Self: Shadow Work Manifestation Journal Volume 1, and Notes to Self Coloring Edition: Shadow Work Manifestation Journal Volume 2.

I recently caught up with Justine, who I’ve known for a bit, when I took some portraits for her, and she had a lot to say about getting sober and what she’s been up to these past bunch of years, to which I immediately said to her, “Hey, you should really be in our Woman’s World column.”

One of the first things we talked about when I was shooting photos for you was YOU getting sober. Take us through that. Give us the unfiltered reason or reasons WHY, and also how difficult is it to be a bartender and not have a drink?

I am very Intune with my emotions, using my genuine empathy towards my bar guests has been an effortless way to cultivate the incredible relationships I have with my guests, but those emotions were only worsening when I drank. The lifestyle of a bartender is traditionally laden with alcohol consumption, as a maker must know his or her craft, but it is a slippery slope for some to not get too caught up in. Alcohol slowly though, started worsening my anxiety, depression, motivation and sense of self. This late-night lifestyle caught up with me to the point where I was truly starting to feel like the sadness and loss of sense of self was just who I had become. This didn't sit well with me, but the alcohol was taking over.

But then, one day as I was looking at an image I had saved- it was in my vision board on Pinterest. I realized that I felt angry. On the scale of emotions, anger is much more powerful than helplessness, which was where I had been plateauing for months. The picture wouldn't have provoked that feeling to anyone else who saw it—it was of a woman sitting on a beach with a crochet bikini, a golden tan and salt sprayed waves in her hair. Why did this anger me? It was in my vision board and I felt so completely displaced from any timeline that this "vision" could be me in that I felt the dissonance, I felt like I was unworthy of a life like what I imagined this woman expressed. As I stood there, I said to myself, "What are you doing at all in your life right now that is advancing you towards this? and how can you be upset if you're not doing anything about it?" I immediately heard my own response peek out from my self-doubt and say, the only common denominator from now to the last time I felt like myself was when I was sober from alcohol. I realized that the only way to tell if I was truly as worthless as I had been feeling was to take out the alcohol and start to embrace everything that I didn't think I was good at, had always wanted to try, or hobbies I had given up on.

I began showering myself with patience, self-love and understanding, knowing that the only way out of this was through it. I put all of my energy into the gym and rewired my brain chemistry to that of a clear minded energetic person I was before the booze had its way with me. The act of drinking is a ritual, a habit, a self-medication—it was something that needed to be replaced with a more profound set of habits. To embrace who I truly was and capable of, and to realize the opportunities I was self-sabotaging myself out of weren't just granted to everyone. The level of my cocktail making never suffered after I quit, I continue to create original craft cocktails and mocktails. In my years of experience, I was taught the science of creating craft cocktails and it has become second nature. Also, funny but true, my sense of smell heightened so much after I quit drinking that I can smell if a cocktail is balanced. I never taste, I was never tempted to drink after I quit, there were a few times when I was instinctively drawn to the idea of a drink when something stressful happened once or twice early on but I immediately reminded myself to acknowledge my feelings and that the solution wasn't at the bottom of the glass. I do remember what Don Julio 1942 tastes like. That one will be missed, but life is full of experiences and I prefer mine without the influence of alcohol.

You also obtained your personal training certification. What was that like? And might you be available if say someone wanted you to train them?

When I joined the gym, I immediately signed up with a trainer. It was a no-brainer for me, my only gym experience was cardio and abs and a myriad of online workout videos that I used to rotate, but I knew if I went in there without the knowledge of how to lift weights my time would be wasted. Once I started working with a trainer I never felt better in my life. I was researching into kettle bells after I was exposed to them at the gym, and then the TRX bands were really fun and challenging so I created a whole routine and did it religiously every day. The more exercises and equipment I learned how to use with my trainer, the more I would research more advanced exercises, I began riding my bike again but with a new veracity, and I began using the gym to train for my bike rides. After just three short months I had lost more weight than I realized I needed to lose and I had abs for the first time in my life. My new body was rebounding well after the "demise of the drink" and I decided that I wanted to become a trainer and stop paying one. It was as if the picture on Pinterest had become a clear attainable goal to me, and I was all in.  I found that the National Academy of Sports Medicine has the most esteem of the certifications and they also had a nutrition program. To endorse my commitment to myself and my new life I signed on the dotted line. As Covid Era was in full swing, I spent all of my extra hours studying courses and taking practice exams for months, while easing my anxiety with sometimes twice daily workouts. I refused to let the ominous state of the world during Covid send me astern.

In addition, you’re also a certified nutritionist! Same question for that.

My mother is a huge influence on my position on nutrition. As she went vegetarian at 7, I went vegan at 14. My first job was at a health food store and my dive into healthy eating only expanded from there, but my body was never in the right shape, I didn't have all of the pieces of the puzzle yet and my weight would go up and down on the scale as though I had no control over it. But the story doesn't end there because I kept seeking the truth, and the missing pieces of the puzzle. My mother had very progressive opinions about the food system, and I was lucky enough to have learned to decipher media versus truth when it comes to the root of nutrition. We learn how to eat when we are children and often never revisit the ideals about what we put into our bodies until our body starts to react, as many people eat for flavor and "protein" thinking that is all that matters from meal to meal. Although my heart was in the right place with my diet, I didn't understand yet the impact of dieting albeit mostly negative, as I yo-yoed from many calorie depriving diets in my teens and 20s in pursuit of a skinny body when what I really needed to learn was how to build a strong body. A body that was naturally balanced with the right levels and the musculature of someone who enjoys living in their skin. Getting my nutrition certification was a pleasure to take and I elected a specialization in plant-based eating.  After years of watching every documentary on diet and food and reading dozens of books on diet and wellness I realized that my life-long independent research paired with a solid certification that also teaches you the psychological aspects on training people to start to make changes, these certifications validated my philosophies while giving me the ability to share what I knew with the masses.

 I still work four days a week at Tequila Mockingbird in New Canaan, so I have limited availability for training and coaching, but there are packages available on my website for a few spots of zoom coaching, and I will be adding clients to a workout app for workout planning on an individual basis. I will gladly work with as many people as I can, and since my schedule is limited at the moment, I have to take advantage of online training platforms and will be able to use a nutrition app to work with clients that are interested in meal tracking and planning under my watchful eye.

You’ve written some books, too! What was that process like and what inspired you?

I have always been a renaissance girl, and writing has been a helpful platform for me in the past in many fictional and poetic pursuits, but Eating Lessons was my first non-fiction endeavor. I had spoken to so many people after I got certified that had the same misinformation about fasting, fad diets, meal timing and habits to change, that I naturally started taking notes on topics that I found I was often reiterating during these conversations. It was a two-year journey and many times I felt the futility of the project. I needed to write down everything that I had discovered and uncovered in my years of research and constant questioning of the "norm.” It wasn't enough to just help my family and friends and customers with their health and diet questions, I needed a louder voice. I designed the cover and began my self-publishing journey. As soon as the first book was uploaded and available for purchase, I began using my background in fine art to cultivate a series of shadow work journals called Notes to Self. Emotional change is the greatest assurance of long-term positive change, and in the beginning of any life changing program it is important to be your best friend and your own lifeline to stay on track when you don't have established accountability with a trainer etc. Self-support creates the changes that we seek and we can truly only help others when our cup is full. Doing shadow work puts you on the fast track to reaching your goals and healing your past while designing your future. I hope to create many more tools and incarnations of books that can help people achieve the best version of themselves.

Shameless plug time. How can we find and buy your books and what’s the best way for people to follow this journey you’re on?

My books are available on Amazon right now!

Here are the links:

Eating Lessons

Notes to Self

Notes to Self Coloring Edition

I recently appeared on the Simply Fit Podcast with Elliot Hasoon, which was a fun episode if you want to hear a bit more about my philosophies and a bit more about the books.

 I am hoping to start my own podcast in the next few weeks and will be releasing more information about everything that will always be updated first on my Instagram @justinebassani. My website is http://www.weallglowedup.com where I have a blog, my top recommended Amazon links, and the ability to book private coaching! Sign up for the newsletter to enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Eating Lessons!