She’s a TED Talk speaker, former Division I volleyball player, mental health and body-positivity advocate, and podcast host—her “Real Pod with Victoria Garrick” has more than 1.5 million downloads—but that doesn’t mean Victoria Garrick Browne doesn’t make time for some fun. Last week, she went to the “life-changing” Taylor Swift “The Eras Tour” and filled us in on everything from her post-concert feelings to what fitness looks like for a former college athlete.
You posted on social media that you were at the Taylor Swift Concert this week. How was it?
It was absolutely amazing! I was counting down the days since she announced the tour and it was so surreal actually being there. I’d seen snippets of the concerts on TikTok, but I also didn’t want too many spoilers…I’ll never forget it. I wish I could relive it all over again.
Your makeup looked like it stood up. What products held up during the excitement of the show?
That’s a great question. I was so fortunate because ColourPop cosmetics reached out and told me that they would treat me to my glam. I thought that was perfect, because Taylor Swift is always full of so much color, and I knew I was going to do this bright blue outfit. We’re did a blue cat-eye because of her song Vigilante Shit that says, “Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man.” I definitely wanted the cat eye, and then we added blue to it, and then I did the signature Taylor Swift red lip. And, on my eyes, we used the ColourPop Shadow Stix.
Beauty-wise, is there anything else you’re loving right now?
Definitely. I love dermaplaning. I was very scared to try it at first, but then I did and I used The Skinny Confidential face shaver and shaving cream and I love it. I only do it once a month, but it’s my favorite, because I just feel like I’m cleaning my face. Then, I do my skin-care routine right after. I feel like with my skin being super fresh, the products just absorb right into my cheeks and my skin, and I love the feeling. I just did that last night, and it brought me lots of joy!
I also love Kiehl’s Truly Targeted Acne-Clearing Solution ($30). It becomes like a liquid patch and you put it over a pimple. I am lucky enough to only break out every once in a while, but when I do, it’s like one monstrous pimple. Figuring out a way to manage that has been a journey for me because, usually, I just like to pop and pick at my skin—but I’ve been trying not to. This liquid patch has been great, because I just put it right on top of the pimple.
I know a big part of your job and your livelihood is interviewing people. Who is someone you’d like to talk to on you podcast?
I would love to interview Simone Biles. She’s incredible, and I know she’s planning a very inspiring return to gymnastics right now. I can’t wait to see what she does, and I always wanted to sit down and have a conversation with her.
Obviously, sports are a huge part of your life. What do you do for fitness now? Is volleyball still a big part of it?
It has definitely taken me a while to find my routine. When you come from collegiate athletics, someone else is making your schedule for you and they’re telling you how to work out…they’re really holding your hand through it. Getting into the real world and having to carve out the time yourself and figure out what you’re going to do is different…you don’t have an accountability person or a team to hold you accountable. It took me four years to get into a good routine but, fortunately, I’ve found a really great rhythm of working out about three times a week.
I love going to Barry’s and I also love going to F-45. I’ll try to do at least two, hopefully, three of those classes a week. I also love to go on walks. I think any movement is great for your body. I’ve also had to make that mental adjustment too that I don’t need to judge the workout if it’s not super long or super intense, but the fact that I could just find a way to move my body is a win.
Mental health is a big part of your whole conversation. Do you think it’s gotten a little bit easier to talk about?
It’s been really cool to see how much the conversation about mental health has grown in just a few years. When I gave my TED Talk in 2017, there were hardly any conversations about athlete mental health, specifically. Now, if you Google those three words—athlete and mental health—you’ll find hundreds of thousands of articles and stories. It is amazing, because I think the stigma is what really keeps people from reaching out and seeking help and talking about it.
The more that we are open and honest about our struggles, I think the more comforted others are and the less shame they’ll feel. I certainly think that the pandemic experience was a time where we knew no one was O.K., and that was O.K. I think that time did help normalize and unify people.
