A glamorous fitness influencer called out the homeless crisis and safety concerns in Los Angeles as she decided to ditch the crime-ridden California city for what she describes as a ‘wholesome’ environment in Austin, Texas.
Having lived in LA for the past three years, Mari Llewellyn, 28, slammed the city for safety issues as she announced the move to Austin on her Pursuit of Wellness Podcast last week.
The content creator, renowned for her journey of losing 90 pounds in two years and overcoming depression, expressed her desire to raise children in a secure and wholesome city.
‘We want to live somewhere safe, wholesome, and family-friendly. A place where traffic isn’t a constant hassle, and you don’t encounter homeless people throwing bottles in your face,’ she said.
Mari Llewellyn, 28, called out the homeless crisis and safety concerns in Los Angeles as she decided to ditch the crime-ridden California city for what she describes as a ‘wholesome’ environment in Austin, Texas
Having lived in LA for the past three years, the fitness influencer slammed the city for safety issues as she announced the move to Austin on her Pursuit of Wellness Podcast last week
‘We want to live somewhere safe, wholesome, and family-friendly. A place where traffic isn’t a constant hassle, and you don’t encounter homeless people throwing bottles in your face,’ she said
The content creator, renowned for her journey of losing 90 pounds in two years and overcoming depression, expressed her desire to raise children in a secure and wholesome city. And she chose Austin, Texas
She also outlined the reasons that she dislikes LA on her Instagram Stories, listing ‘safety, the homelessness issue, the amount of land for the money, traffic, and the Hollywood scene.
‘Overall we knew LA would be an amazing place to grow our team and business but we never wanted to start our family here,’ she wrote.
‘Austin feels much more grounded and wholesome PLUS an amazing travel hub and a hot spot for people in our industry,’ she added.
LA has indeed become overrun with homelessness and violent crime, as the iconic landmark Walk of Fame has disappointed visitors with its dirty sidewalks and repulsed locals who have experienced violent attacks.
California’s richest residents are also packing up their LA mansions and flocking to states where you can get more bang for your buck and avoid rampant crime and the Golden State’s homelessness crisis.
There was a 9 percent rise in homelessness in Los Angeles County between 2022 and 2023, with the unhoused population now totaling 75,518 people, according to the latest data from the LAHSA.
The reasons behind Llewellyn’s move may extend beyond safety concerns. Nutrabolt, an Austin-based company producing energy drinks and supplements, recently acquired a 20 percent minority stake in the startup Bloom Nutrition, co-founded by Llewellyn and her husband.
She also outlined the reasons that she dislikes LA on her Instagram story, listing: ‘safety, the homelessness issue, the amount of land for the money, traffic, and the Hollywood scene
The reasons behind Llewellyn’s move may extend beyond safety concerns. Nutrabolt, an Austin-based company producing energy drinks and supplements, recently acquired a 20 percent minority stake in the startup Bloom Nutrition, co-founded by Llewellyn and her husband
‘We’re thrilled to partner with Nutrabolt in taking our company to new heights,’ Llewellyn’s husband and CEO of Bloom Gregory LaVecchia (pictured left) said in a statement
The investment represents a portion of the initial $90 million funding round raised by Bloom since its establishment in 2019, according to the Austin Business Journal
The investment represents a portion of the initial $90 million funding round raised by Bloom since its establishment in 2019, according to the Austin Business Journal.
‘We’re thrilled to partner with Nutrabolt in taking our company to new heights,’ Llewellyn’s husband and CEO of Bloom, Gregory LaVecchia, said in a statement.
‘Their expertise and resources as industry leaders will enable us to scale effectively, fuel sales growth, and accelerate innovation. This is a significant leap forward, and we could not be more excited to embark on this next phase of growth together.’
There are currently no plans for drink or product collaborations between Bloom and Nutrabolt, Doss Cunningham, the chairman of Nutrabolt, said, adding, ‘it is definitely a territory that we look forward to exploring with the Bloom team.
The start-up will keep its offices in LA and London, but some employees will spend time in Austin.
Llewellyn has embarked on her journey, sharing videos on social media that depict her and her husband, LaVecchia, driving a van with their two dogs from LA all the way to Austin.
Meanwhile, Llwellyn’s friend and business partner Fiona Attix, executive assistant of Bloom, is also moving to Austin with her partner.
Llewellyn has embarked on her journey, sharing videos on social media that depict her and her husband, LaVecchia, driving a van with their two dogs from LA all the way to Austin
As Llewellyn excitedly lays out her plans in Austin, social media users slammed her decision, saying she’s moving from an ‘expensive trendy place to the next expensive trendy place’
Chatting with Attix on the podcast last week, Llwellyn said, ‘If you are an Austin or a Texas girly, let us know. We are currently taking applications for friends.’
‘We want to work out with other girls, we want to get healthy lunches. We want to go on walks around ladybird Lake. We want to go boating,’ she added.
As Llewellyn excitedly lays out her plans in Austin, social media users slammed her decision, saying she’s moving from an ‘expensive trendy place to the next expensive trendy place.’
One person wrote: ‘I feel she bounces from “trendy” place to “trendy” place. Girl really doesn’t know who she is, she just follows trends literally and figuratively.’
Another person said: ‘I have to admit, between uprooting her entire life to move to a tax haven state and buying a 70k converted sprinter van seemingly on a whim to get there, I was starting to feel like she wasn’t relatable anymore too.’
‘For most people, moving houses is incredibly stressful especially 1500miles away. Meanwhile her and Greg are making a fun trip out of it while other people are likely packing up her stuff for her,’ a comment reads.