Profile: Hayden Slater

I’ve known Hayden for as long as I can remember – he’s been my sister Maggie’s best friend since childhood, and in many ways, a surrogate brother. Born and raised in LA, he co-founded Pressed Juicery in 2010 as purely a passion project with two of his oldest friends, Carly de Castro and Hedi Gores, because they all wanted healthier options that were more affordable and accessible. Since that time, Pressed has not only enjoyed incredible and much-deserved success, but also allowed him the opportunity to further his mission of promoting health and healing to everyone, one juice at a time.

Hayden lives in Venice with his girl Finley, a rescued Rottweiler, in a classic industrial artist’s loft, situated right on Abbot Kinney (so fun!). I love everything about what he did with his home – minimalist and eclectic, it’s such a great space, and one I love spending time in when I’m in the neighborhood. I hope you enjoy this look inside. XXJKE

Health

R+T: What do you do to stay healthy and balanced?

Obviously, I drink a lot of juice.

R+T: Do you workout, what do you swear by?

Recently, I’ve picked up boxing, which is by far the hardest workout I’ve ever done.

R+T: What do you do to relax?

I’ll go on a hike or head down to the beach.

Decor

R+T: What is your favorite room in the house?

Living in a loft is kind of like living in one room, which makes it really nice to entertain.

R+T: What are your favorite pieces in your house?

Hmm… I don’t know if I have a favorite. My coffee table came from a flea market for $40, which I think is cool. My Eames chair was my grandfather’s, so it means a lot to me.

R+T: What are your favorite home stores?

Jenni Kayne, Garde, and Marche in San Francisco.

Entertaining

R+T: Do you entertain at home? If so, what are some of your tricks?

I entertain a lot – it comes with living in Venice. Just always have good food and a lot of juice!

R+T: How do you set the scene?

Pandora. Hall & Oates.

R+T: Plated, Buffet, or Family Style for a dinner party?

Buffett all the way!

R+T: What are your favorite flowers and where do you buy them? 

I’m more of a plant guy – I like The Juicy Leaf on Abbott Kinney.

Fashion

R+T: Who are your favorite designers?

James Perse, Steven Alan, Gap.

R+T: What is your uniform?

Lately, it’s been Birkenstocks or Tevas with some RTH pants and a Steven Alan shirt.

Food

R+T: Is there anything about your diet you would like to share with R+T?

I love food and eat just about anything. If I’m gonna eat a lot, then I try to work out a lot too.

R+T: Do you cook?

Yes, a lot.

R+T: What is your favorite recipe? 

Just about anything from Pamela Salzman.

Art

R+T: Who are your favorite artists?

Peter Beard, Baldessari, Ruscha, Chuck Close, Aaron Sandnes, Nate Lowman, Ken Price, Raymond Pettibon are a few.

R+T: What is your favorite piece of art you own?

I love all of my art. I love my Aaron Sandes and my David Kitz.

Neighborhood

R+T: Tell us a bit about what drew you to this neighborhood, and what it is that makes Venice so special…

 I love that Venice is a community. You can walk and ride a bike, the food is amazing, and the beach is literally my backyard – I can’t complain. 

R+T: What does time in and around your home generally consist of?

A lot of friends, dinners, walking to the beach or along Ocean Ave.

R+T: Can you share a few of your local favorites (whether hidden gems or hot spots)?

Food – Gjusta, Shima, Blue Bottle, Superba on Lincoln.

Home – Tortoise, General Store, Merchant.

Shopping & Blogs

R+T: Are you an impulse buyer, or do you wait to commit?

Impulse.

R+T: What are your favorite blogs?

The Chalkboard Mag.

Juicing

R+T: Can you share a bit about your path to healthful living…the changes you made in your life….and the role that juicing played in this transformation?

I grew up in Los Angeles so was always educated about health and wellness, I just never practiced what I knew. After high school, I attended college at NYU and then came back to LA to work in TV production. All the while, I was living off of a diet of fast food and was essentially always in a fog. Inspired by my college yoga teacher, best-selling author and wellness activist, Kris Carr, I took some time off and traveled to Southeast Asia. While I was there I embarked on a juice cleanse and what was meant to be a 5 day cleanse turned into 30 days. I’ve never felt more alive and when I came back to the states, I knew I had to recreate that amazing feeling.

R+T: How and when did Pressed Juicery begin?

When I returned from my travels, I made the decision to make my pursuit of wellness a full-time career. I came together with my childhood friends Hedi Gores and Carly de Castro, both of whom had been positively affected by the benefits of juice, and from there, we founded Pressed Juicery. We convinced a landlord to rent us a 22 square foot broom closet in Brentwood in West LA and replaced the door with a Dutch door as our first location. I stayed up all night juicing in a shared kitchen and Carly would sell juices during the day in the store. The response was dynamic and we were selling out each morning. From there, we went on to expand and create our own juicing facility – today we have over 30 locations and we’re continuing to grow.

R+T: How has Pressed allowed you to realize your personal mission of promoting health and healing?

When we created Pressed Juicery, our goal was for everyone to experience the benefits of cold-pressed juice and to be positively affected the same ways that we were. We aimed to make an affordable, nutrient rich product that was accessible to all.   I realize this is an ambitious goal and believe me, it’s not an easy one. But with every step we take, with every new store we open and new product we launch, I see us getting closer to our goal as we spread our mission through our products.

R+T: Favorite Juice, Milk, H20 or Freeze?

You can’t make me pick just one. I’m a Greens guy, I love starting the day with one of our Greens juices because it helps me set a healthy intention for the day and ensures I’m getting my daily intake of vegetables first thing. I also can’t get enough of Freeze, it’s the perfect snack or dessert, or really anytime meal.

R+T: What’s new and next for Pressed Juicery?

We recently launched shots – 2oz. blends including a wellness shot and a vitality shot, they are the perfect pick me up especially as the seasons change, when you feel a cold coming on or need an extra boost. We are also very excited to be opening our first New York City locations this fall. Having gone to college in the city, I can’t wait to bring Pressed Juicery to the New York community.

R+T: What is the most rewarding part of your work?

For me, looking back and seeing how far we have come in five short years is extremely rewarding. I try to always remind myself to take a step back and appreciate every moment. On the other hand, I know we have also only just scratched the surface and there is so much more in store for us as we continue to promote our mission and bring our goals of providing accessible, affordable nutrition to everyone closer to realities. As we continue to move forward, it’s extremely rewarding for me on a daily basis to watch all different kinds of people enjoy the positive effects of our juices. I love interacting with our customers and watching the wellness movement continue to grow.