Keeping It Cool With Steve Berra
Pro Tips From a Pro Skateboarder
As part of our mission to keep underarms irritation free, we asked specialists to contribute their unique expertise to the Dove Men+Care Deodorant “The Guide to Complete Underarm Care” publication. This article comes from Professional Skateboarder, Steve Berra.
These days I’m more than a professional skateboarder. I’m a dad, business owner, writer, director, and magazine editor. With so many responsibilities, I’ve gotten pretty good at juggling it all. And I’ve learned that there’s no reason to sweat the small stuff.
I’ve been using Dove Men+Care Antiperspirant for years. No lie, I’ve handed it out to friends for Christmas presents. So I’m pumped to team up with Dove Men+Care and share techniques that might help you check your stress — and sweat — at the door, giving you a chance to live life with as little distraction from your goals as possible.
How to Pursue Your Passions
As a mix of artistry and athleticism, skateboarding is super different from other sports — and skateboarders are very passionate about it. Like art, there are no stats, points, or rules; like traditional sports, it takes incredible physical talent to do what skateboarders do. Here are some things I’ve learned over the last 30 years in this unique culture.
Every skater knows, when you skate, you have to feel right. From your clothes to your shoes, to your board, to the way your body feels.
1. Get out there and make it happen: Technology has made it easier to live a sedentary life, but fulfillment for me comes from going out into the real world. Whether it’s skateboarding, yoga, or walks, I push myself a little bit more each day.
During activities, the last thing I want to think about are my armpits, for real. If my armpits are burning, then the things I do for fun and the things I do for other people become almost impossible to accomplish with any sort of joy. So I use Dove Men+Care Antiperspirant to avoid irritation because it’s mild on my skin.
2. Be you: Skateboarders think they’re the coolest people on earth. I might be biased, but I agree. Skateboarding makes me feel like me; it makes me feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. Embrace your personal style and feel like yourself, and the world won’t seem insurmountable at all.
3. Try something new: There have been times, because of injury or overwhelming business demands, when I’ve been less active. But when I saw my happiness and production drop, I started making time for yoga and the gym, even when my schedule said it was impossible. This not only allowed me to heal faster, I also worked and eventually skated better. So get active, and stay active.
How to Balance Your Work
I’ve always been career focused: I didn’t just want to be a successful skateboarder, I wanted to push the industry forward. I wanted to help grow our culture so that skateboarders could have a chance to support themselves doing the thing they love.
I don’t let small irritations get in my way.
1. Stay calm and focused: The small stuff doesn’t get to me anymore. I focus on the bigger picture, always. Thankfully, the last thing I have to think about is burning armpits, because I use antiperspirant that’s made with a non-irritant formula — like Dove Men+Care.
2. Do what you love: Pick projects that mean something. If you do, jumping over all the obstacles will be worth the effort — and after you succeed, you’ll look back on them with fondness.
3. Be prepared: There is nothing more in the world I would rather do than what I’m doing now, so I’m always prepared to try harder and do better. This preparation includes the way I smell. You wouldn’t believe how many antiperspirants and deodorants I had to go through until I found one that works. The others weren’t necessarily bad, but they didn’t feel right.
How to Balance Being a Parent
I had my daughter when I was 19 and my son at 38. I’ve been a dad for over half of my life! When I was younger, my friends and I set the standards for being active and energetic. Today, it takes a little more work.
The most important thing is caring for myself so I can care for my kids.
1. Stay healthy: I exercise every morning, and I take care of my body holistically. I think people forget that underarm health is important — but it is. When you’re healthy you have more energy. I want to be able to teach my son to skateboard, so I’m putting in the effort now to ensure that happens.
2. Get your routine down: Every morning I wake up, drink water with lemon, shower, and I put on my antiperspirant. Four swipes on the left, four on the right. Ready for the day.
3. Never stop playing: Lately my son has discovered superheroes, so we run a lot, jump a lot, climb a lot, and spin webs a lot. He’s usually too tired to walk home from the park, so I carry him — and I can get pretty sweaty, particularly in hot Chicago summers. I’m glad that my son won’t look back on his childhood and remember how bad his dad smelled. That, my friends, is not going to happen.
Once I discovered Dove Men+Care Antiperspirant, I stocked my house with it. I don’t have burning armpits anymore. Because I finally found a product that keeps up with me.
Figuring out how to manage everything in my life has been challenging. I’m continually discovering what works for me and my body, and I hope you can use these tips to help find what works for you.
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