A Moment With Nancy Bachmann

A Moment With Nancy Bachmann

Nancy Bachmann wants us all to recognize the beauty in each moment.

Growing up behind the Berlin Wall, the natural-born explorer was curious about what lay beyond. That experience—combined with an innate wanderlust—motivated her eventually to leave the corporate world to run, Smart Travelling, an online travel resource with curated tips for over 50 cities worldwide.

It was while producing a travel book about San Francisco that Bachmann discovered her love for California. She felt instantly at home. And—after she returned for a three-month wellness cleanse and her sister, Cindy, visited—they realized that, at the very least, they could no longer live without the juice they’d discovered.

In 2014, the sisters founded Los Angeles Cold Press, bringing fresh juice (energized with Cindy’s mantras) to Berlin. The venture was so successful that they’ve since begun developing an entire conscious lifestyle brand, aiming to link what they see as two sister cities.

Here, Nancy Bachmann (who now lives in LA full-time) explains why she is moved to spread positivity across the world:

Live The Process: How did your interests in health, wellness and travel develop?

Nancy Bachmann: I grew up in the East part of Germany and spent my childhood and teen years behind the Wall, where traveling was only possible in one direction: East. This limited my access and exposure to outside influences, but did not prevent me from developing an early curiosity for the unknown.

Traditional German cuisine is typically very heavy, which encouraged me to rebel and go on the search for healthy alternatives. Luckily, I was able to create an opportunity to pursue this desire and make my passion my profession: I left a corporate job to develop Smart Travelling, a travel guide platform with curated premium travel tips and a book series.

Though I believe that all of my collective experiences have led me to pursue a healthy and conscious lifestyle, I can vividly remember sitting in a cab with my business partner in New York City at 10 am, after several days of eating our way through the best restaurants. My stomach was uncomfortably full from an early morning feast, which we tried to remedy with an inappropriately timed grappa. Needless to say, I knew this was not a sustainable lifestyle. As much as I tried to embody healthy living on a personal level, my professional pursuit pushed me often to consume in excess and overindulge. Eventually, this even led to a health condition, and I decided to go on a cleanse in Koh Samui. That was a profound experience that allowed me to reconnect with my earlier health-conscious self.

LTP: How did visiting California change your life?

NB: I first came to California in 2011 to produce the travel guide book, A perfect weekend in San Francisco. After the production, I spent two nights at the Chateau Marmont, bought a vintage Mercedes with my friend and drove across country to Upstate New York in seven days. Those two days and nights in Los Angeles unexpectedly stuck with me. There was something in the air in L.A.—a strong connection with my soul that I had never felt before; I knew that this was the place where I wanted to live and settle down.

I returned for three months over the winter and got really into Kundalini yoga through a 40-day challenge, cold-pressed juices and the healthy Californian lifestyle. I felt so at home and understood, I was inspired by the freedom, the space and the creativity. I was attracted to the idea that everything is possible and, if you fail, you can always start again.

I finally moved to Los Angeles this summer, but I will continue to bring the best of the healthy LA lifestyle to Berlin and beyond by offering  products, juices and holistic lifestyle tools at our Berlin juice bar, LA Cold Press. I see myself as an ambassador for the sister cities, Berlin and LA, and as a link and connector for projects in both cities. I want to “import” and “export” the best that each city has to offer, and LA Cold Press is one of the vehicles to achieve this. I am always looking to explore and am currently working on producing a TV series for higher conscious traveling based on personal experiences.

LTP: When did you open LA Cold Press and how is it unique from other juice destinations?

NB: In 2012, on her way to Panama to harvest coffee, my sister, Cindy, stopped in LA to visit me and join my ritual of practicing daily yoga, drinking juice and doing cleanses. For six months, we hopped from juice bar to juice bar, falling in love with the flavors of the very best juices. We then created the Los Angeles Cold Press concept in 2013 when we discovered that we couldn’t live in Berlin without bringing the LA experience of transformation with us. Life just was not the same without our daily juice. We started with a juice bar pop up in 2014 and just grew from there; Vogue Germany and Harper’s Bazaar rated us among Germany's top five juices companies.

We consider our juices bottled sunshine made with love. I believe that what differentiates LA Cold Press from other juice companies is our aim to bottle the spirit and experience my sister and I shared during our time in LA. My sister produces the juices daily and combines her background as a Kundalini yoga teacher and mantras to infuse each juice with good energy and high vibrations. Our handcrafted, nourishing juices are made with certified organic ingredients, which are mostly locally sourced and sustainably farmed. As two true foodies, we aim to create recipes and unique formulas that not only provide the most health benefits, but also taste great and memorable.

Moving forward, we hope to expand and touch more lives with our concept. We are currently working on our own superfood line and creating a platform for health-conscious living. Our vision is to connect people and worlds by developing Los Angeles Cold Press as a conscious lifestyle brand and community through various platforms. So far we have organized yoga retreats, participated in talks on new food movements and encouraged the spreading of holistic lifestyle tools.

LTP: What are your personal wellness rituals?

NB: I strongly believe in exploring to discover your own individual approach to finding balance in life. Coming from two extremes, I appreciate the value of a balanced life. A strong Kundalini yoga practice keeps me grounded and allows me to set my intention for the day. I meditate every morning, write “Morning Pages” to clear my mind and try to go hiking every day to appreciate the beauty that nature offers.

On a physical level, I eat clean—always organic, mostly vegan or vegetarian—drink a lot of juices, indulge in raw cacao and love experimenting with transformational foods and herbs.

LTP: What does happiness look like to you?

NB: California sun, palm trees, green juice, rose flowers, farmers markets, traveling, road trips, meeting new people, dinner with friends. All these things represent happiness and freedom for me and allow me to feel connected. I also think happiness is being open, recognizing the continuous growth and impermanence of all things.

LTP: What does it means to you to “Live The Process” and how can we all do that more each day?

NB: “Live The Process” for me means living in the moment, making conscious decisions and, most importantly, being graceful and kind.

The world is as beautiful as you want it to be. I am a positive mind, and I try to focus on the beauty and elegance in each and every moment.

I hope that by bringing together two cultures, others will have the opportunity to be exposed to the unknown, inspired to pursue their true callings and live a lifestyle they believe in without fear. I especially believe that, as women, we share a collective responsibility to support and empower each other in our daily lives.

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