A Journey through our Essential Collection with Rebecca Hammel

Our Essentials Collection is the best-selling, subtle gem we’ve never talked about. Until now. Essentials were born in 1984, as the basic collection that would be at the core and foundation of all future generations of Casall clothes. We’re teamed up with Rebecca Hammel to showcase our Essentials collection. Rebecca is an Engineering Consultant by day and Personal Trainer & Writer by night. For Rebecca, it’s an essential lifestyle. Not a seasonal trend. This is what our Essentials are about: A foundation for an essential lifestyle.
 

We interviewed Rebecca to get her story behind the powerful career and lifestyle she’s created for herself. Rebecca shares her experiences on finding balance and incorporating personal passions into essential living:

Let’s start with your background – were exercise, engineering, and writing part of your early childhood?

I’ve been training and working out since I was quite young and it’s a big thanks to my dad. He’s always been running, cross-country skiing, windsurfing, and I followed after him. He never tried to get me into sports, I was the one who wanted to join in!

Meanwhile, he was also working at IBM which meant lots of learning and hearing about programming and the latest in tech. We always had the latest technology around the house, so, naturally enough – IT and sports sort of came together on their own for me.

After things took natural shape of their own, when did you combine the two fields professionally?

The journey to get to where I am today had many stops and layovers. After graduating from a specialized Sports & Technology high-school program, I worked in Norway to save money for higher education. My goal was to pursue a Personal Training program and go on to become a PT.

When I returned home to Sweden, I got the opportunity to work for SATS. At that time, they had this deal with their trainers: first, we had to audition for an official Group Trainer position, if we got it, they would pay half our tuition, with the condition that we would teach 2 classes per week for 1 year. Unfortunately, I missed the audition and got last pick…I got every Saturday and Sunday mornings for 1 whole year. Goodbye weekends…!

That hard year paid off and right after, training became such a huge part of my life. I was working as a PT, writing for a training magazine, working in a nutritional store, and doing everything related to training. And then, something happened. Suddenly, I stopped enjoying training and began to dread everything related to it. I realized that I had worked my interests away. I burned them out through work, and I really didn’t like that feeling.  And that’s where the story of the other big part of my life, engineering, comes in.

I began to study engineering at KTH and without even realizing it, I began to feel energized and passionate about training again. Studying required me to cut out some training and when I did I found something even more important – balance.

Today, I’m an IT consultant for Forefront Consulting, Personal Trainer, Group- and running instructor at Sats and Contributing Writer for the Sats training magazine. 

Training can be tough to integrate into everyday routine, never mind as an entire career. Are there any challenges that come with such a diverse and busy lifestyle? My initial assumption is your social life – is it tougher to balance with everything you have going on?

Not at all, actually. Off the top of my head, I honestly can’t think of any challenges. Especially not socially. I combine my friends with training. They’ll come around to my classes at the gym, or we train together during the week, maybe go for a run before going out. I really don’t see it as challenging, having this multi-task lifestyle. The opposite, actually because I feel more fulfilled and productive, doing these things with my friends.

The only thing I have to pay extra attention to is sleep. I have a really tough sleeping schedule which I always prioritize. But, again, I don’t see that as a compromise, since it improves my health and lifestyle and allows me to keep going. I’m really happy with my lifestyle and any challenge I face, I try to see its benefits. In the end, it’s all about balance and prioritizing.

Touching on this point of balance, our core value at Casall is always about “Life in Balance” and “Holistic Living”. How would you define balance for someone trying to achieve it in their own lives?

Make sure no matter what it is you’re doing, that you’re able to prioritize yourself, and your needs, first. You have to be able to say no to things and put yourself first. Another thing – and I know it’s easier said than done – is: don’t care so much about what people think. I believe this worry alone can un-balance you the most by limiting you. You must find your inner motivation and do what you want to, without worrying about the people around you at the gym, at home, or at work. Balance is just for you.

We’re thrilled to be working with you with our Essentials Collection because we believe you embody the essence and timelessness of the collection. With everything you have going for yourself, it’s inspirational to truly see a Life in Balance.  What’s it like for you to work with Casall?

I really like working with Casall. I discovered the company a few years ago because I had a friend who worked there. I began using the clothing and what I discovered was that it was the only brand that truly thought every detail through, from size and fit to style and function. Casall makes clothes that are actually functional. What I mean is that when I run for 2 hours, I can’t just have something that looks good; I need it to work for me. Clothing is a huge part of people’s thought process before exercising – ‘Will I be comfortable? Warm? Visible in the dark?

I love that the Essentials collection is clean, plain, and specialized for women, for so many years.

The other thing is that I align myself with your values. Casall’s work and beliefs are something I can stand for. I would never partner with someone I didn’t believe in. Several years back, I was asked to be sponsored by a brand. I have never felt personally connected to the brand before, it was a no-brainer. It’s important to do things you believe in, always. This goes back to balance and putting yourself first.

The Essentials Collection mirrors who and what Casall is about. It may be plain in its colour palette but it is anything but basic. We start where others stop and take everyday wear to a premium level. Essentials are essential for your lifestyle, with a classic look to reflect the timelessness of your routine, and the comfort to keep you going throughout.

Rebecca’s life is meant to inspire us in the simple ways. We all have the power and capability to juggle our biggest dreams and passions. We can find this power through balance and shifting focus into bettering ourselves, from the inside-out.

Our Essentials Collection offers basic, simple clothing for your life. It’s a lifestyle, not a trend.

They are timeless classics that evolve overtime, much like the idea of holistic living and training. Over the weeks, we’ll be releasing more articles and guides on tools and training for essential living.

The Essentials Collection mirrors who and what Casall is about. It may be plain in its colour palette but it is anything but basic. We start where others stop and take everyday wear to a premium level. Essentials are essential for your lifestyle, with a classic look to reflect the timelessness of your routine, and the comfort to keep you going throughout.

Rebecca’s life is meant to inspire us in the simple ways. We all have the power and capability to juggle our biggest dreams and passions. We can find this power through balance and shifting focus into bettering ourselves, from the inside-out.

Our Essentials Collection offers basic, simple clothing for your life. It’s a lifestyle, not a trend.

They are timeless classics that evolve overtime, much like the idea of holistic living and training. Over the weeks, we’ll be releasing more articles and guides on tools and training for essential living