Daniel & Trasi Judd are absolute loyalists to the yoga program at Dane’s Body Shop. Sure they attend Fusion and Strength classes regularly as well, but both make it a point to come to all three yoga classes each week. So of course the vibes were on point when we headed over to the TacoDeli on Lamar right after the 10:30 am Saturday yoga class concluded on a beautiful November day. Being all too aware of their cuddlesome habits, I positioned myself between them at the outdoor table to ensure that they could focus on giving thoughtful engaging answers rather than just moonily gazing into one another’s eyes. Okay, it was actually them who gave me the middle seat because they are just that kind and welcoming. Either way, my wife and daughter actually showed up halfway through and chimed in as well! Read on to hear vastly different opinions on hand-holding during a workout!
Coach Chad: I guess the most natural place to start an interview with a couple is how’d ya’ll two crazy kids get together? Tell us the origin story.
Trasi Judd: In college I met a girl in my Russian class named Marni and we became good friends-
Where was this?
TJ: At UT. I was working a shit ton and didn’t have a lot of social going on and (Marni) dragged me along to hang out with her friends. Her pile of friends included Daniel and I think we were friends for two years maybe before we started dating-
Okay, so very organic?
TJ: Yes, a very organic meeting through friends.
Did this group of friends have an activity they centered around?
TJ: Drinking beer.
Daniel Judd: And the band too!
TJ: Half of them were in a band called “Banana Blender Surprise” that had a residency at a bar that was back then called “The Black Cat”.
Nice! Daniel, anything to add to that?
DJ: It was nice that it was organic, that we knew each other first.
Ya hear that kids? You don’t have to meet one another on an app! People were still getting together before the iphone was invented! Well you have a daughter in college now, so you’ve had to have been together for some time?
TJ: 30 years together, 27 married.
How many more do you think you have left?
TJ: Um, all of them.
DJ: *Big laughter*
That is a great answer and not surprising. What did you guys study at UT?
TJ: My undergrad was liberal arts with a focus in German and an MBA.
DJ: Economics and an MBA.
Both MBAs- cool! Did you get them at the same time?
TJ: I went first. I was working at a semi-conductor fabrication company in town and I couldn’t be promoted without an MBA, so I worked and got the degree. It was a means to an ends for me. Daniel was looking at my books the whole time fascinated and I told him he was the one that should be getting the MBA!
What do you think is different between your temperaments that made him the more MBA suited person?
DJ: She’s more on the creative side and (the MBA material) is like the opposite of being creative. I’m probably more on the analytical side.
Speaking of Trasi’s creativity, is it true that you painted the Dane’s Body Shop logo at the old Hyde Park location?
TJ: It is!
How’d that come to pass?
TJ: I don’t remember how it came to pass, but Dane was talking about wanting it on the wall and I said I’d do it and he offered to give me a certain number of free classes if I did.
Can we run that back at the new place?
TJ: I’ve offered Dane like 5 times!
Dane has like three dozen children, so it may take a 6th time. Now that I’m on the case, we’ll make it happen! How about you Daniel, any artistic outlets.
DJ: I don’t think so! I sit at a desk all day, so my outlet is more like what can I do to get outside- to get moving. After this we’re going to go on a bike ride and then we’re going to go over to Anna’s (yoga coach Anna Reynal who had a showing in the East Austin Art Tour a couple weeks ago!).
Hence your extreme regularity at the Shop?
DJ: Absolutely!
Nice. So biking- what else do you do? I do have to call out that you two always bike to Tuesday evening yoga at Manor even in the dead of Summer. I love it!
TJ: We love traveling.
Coach Jess wanted to know what are some of the best places you’ve traveled to lately.
TJ: We loved going to Japan- we did that because our kiddo was super into Japan. It wasn’t on either of our bucket lists, but we have been like 5 times and love it. It is delicious, quiet, safe, beautiful; everything you’d want as a visitor somewhere.
How much is the Japanese bureau of tourism paying you to say this?
TJ: Nothing! It is just a perfect adult Disneyland.
DJ: Just to build on that, Trasi and I hadn’t even considered Japan and then Alexa came to us when she was fairly young and said she was interested, so we told her to give us a proposal. She came back with a power point because sadly she knows her parents.
TJ: *Big Laughter*
How old was she when she did this?
DJ: Thirteen? That is how we knew that she was serious about it. She did research and had recommendations. I applauded her for understanding her audience.
That is very cool- that is a special kiddo. Any target for where you are going to go next?
TJ: *diabolically* Oh yes! We just found a killer deal on tickets to New Zealand and are going at the end of February for three weeks and change.
Are you guys Lord of the Rings people? Are you going to hit The Shire?
TJ: Well the Shire is in the North Island and we will be on the South Island primarily, but there are scenes that were filmed in the South that you can visit.
Very good. Okay, we have to touch on snakes-
DJ: Oh boy, get ready!
You mentioned that you got into snakes via your daughter right? How did that start?
TJ: Well, there was a reptile club at the high school and they fell in love with a corn snake there and begged and begged for it. At first I was like hell no– I wanted nothing to do with that. Then I had a little parenting talk with myself and decided I shouldn’t be dictating their experience based on my preferences. So I asked them to jump through these hoops to show they were serious and they did it! So we ended up picking up a corn snake at the end of 2017. Shortly after that, we went to an expo and came home with a ball python. Now we have four ball pythons and a corn snake. At first I didn’t want to get them out of their cage- I didn’t know if they would bite me, I didn’t know anything about them. I started joining facebook groups when there were issues with the snake and learned a vast quantity of stuff and now have my own facebook group.
Oh you host a facebook group?
TJ: I have a facebook group with 45,000 people in it. I have a team of about 23 admin that help me run it and I have a training course to train mentors to work one on one with and I’ve written a book.
Oh wow! Is this a monetized endeavor?
TJ: It is unfortunately not yet.
The book is going to open that door I’m sure. What is it about?
TJ: How to take care of ball pythons because I can’t reach everyone from my facebook group.
That is incredible- I had no idea you were that involved with snakes. You’ve very kindly sent in shedded snake skins for me to hand off to my wife to bring to Thinkery. They are not small skins, how big are your snakes?
TJ: They are all about 3-4 feet.
Okay. Have you ever been bit by one?
TJ: Um, yes.
DJ: You can’t see because the chair is in the way, but there is one right there *Daniel is showing me the live feed of their snake room!
Oh wow! That is an incredibly tastefully decorated snake room! Did the biting hurt?
TJ: I wouldn’t say it hurt, but I have a pretty high pain tolerance. They bleed because there is an anticoagulant in their saliva. So it bleeds, but I wouldn’t say it hurts. They’ve got tiny little needle teeth though, so they can really slice in there!
That is wild! Do you have a target for when the book will be out?
TJ: I’m hoping early next year.
That has to be a super time consuming hobby.
Not really. I change their water every other day, clean their enclosures every 6 weeks, feed them every 3 weeks. In the evening I’ll let any of those that are interested come out. I have exercise centers so for them, like a cat tree and a jungle gym for them to climb on-
So they are like jacked snakes? Daniel, are you also in on the snake thing or do you have a different diversion?
DJ: Different diversion- I support as needed. For me it has really been running and biking. Prior to covid I had been doing half marathons, so that was really my focus- building up to that.
How’d you get into half marathons?
DJ: This is why kids are wonderful and you’ll experience this. One day I woke up and was worried Alexa would want to do a 5k and I wouldn’t be able to do it, so I just started getting on the treadmill and every day was just building up. It was a good example of the importance of good habits.
And you’re also a big soccer fan right?
DJ: I am! We were in Houston last weekend for the Houston Dynamo Salt Lake Real match and that was a blast.
Did you play soccer as a younger person?
DJ: I did, terribly, but yes. I was an excellent defender.
I respect that. That has usually been my lane in any team sport- the guy who tries real hard on defense. So in general were you two athletic as young people?
TJ: Not at all and that is why I think it is actually hilarious that we’re having this interview- I’m not anyone’s idea of an athlete. When we started dating we did a lot of biking- mountain biking and around town. That kind of slowed down when we had our kiddo but then eventually we started putting the kiddo in a trailer and doing evening bike rides. That started a pattern of us just exploring all over on our bikes. Recently I got an e-bike so it kind of allows me to keep up with this guy- when he is on his road bike I can’t even keep up with him on the e-bike.
To what do you ascribe your ungodly bike power Daniel?
DJ: *Big laughter* Joy.
So you’re fueled by joy?
DJ: Now there might be a margarita or a beer involved too.
TJ: We usually have a destination ride where we will ride our bike to somewhere for a drink or a taco or something. He turns into the energizer bunny if you put a margarita in him- just blasting home.
Friends at home, my wife and daughter have entered the chat! Becca, Trasi is writing a book about snakes!
Becca Drew Ramsey: Oh yeah, I heard about that! How is it going?
TG: I’m in the editing phase!
BDR: That is so exciting!
Daniel, you are one of the most blonde people I know-
DJ: Yes, it is out of a bottle.
TJ: *wild laughter*
Wait, what? It is? I had no idea.
TJ: He’s naturally blonde but it is brighter because of that.
I love it. Well I’m going to do this next bit anyway- I want you to react to my favorite blonde joke. This blonde went to the hair salon and got her hair dyed red. She was really excited about it so she went for a nice long drive out in the country with the top down on her convertible. She’s having a great time then she sees a field of sheep. She gets out of the car and is just watching them and then the shepherd comes up to her, smiles slyly, and playing with her says that if she can guess exactly how many there are she can have one. She looks out and guesses 587. His mouth just drops open- he can’t believe it. He’s crestfallen, but he is a man of his word, so he tells her she can pick one out. She walks among them for a while and picks one out and returns. He looks at the one she has chosen and just says “well, that was a helluva guess. Say, if I can guess what color your hair was before you dyed it red, can I have my dog back?”.
DJ: *Wheezing laugh*. Well played!
He laughed! Good! Do you have any favorite blonde jokes Daniel?
DJ: Oh I’m sure I do, but none committed to memory.
TJ: I’ve got a sheep story! We have a friend from Glasgow Scotland and she would work in the summers at the festivals. The festivals would bring in people from the rural parts. She worked in the beer tent and apparently the rural people would often make a pass at her. She said the best line she ever got was when a farmer was getting a beer and then said “honey, if I had a sheep with eyes like yours I’d never leave home”.
*Big laughter all the way around*
We probably don’t want to unpack that one too much! Now, I have had to institute a no hand holding policy with my wife when we are working out-
DJ: Oh are we not supposed to do that?
Oh no no! I love it when other people do it- I just don’t like it. It kills my testosterone.
BDR: But I do it anyway.
Yeah, it is not consensual- I am probably in a problematic relationship. You two hold hands all the time. One of my favorite photos is you two holding hands during a yoga pose. In general you are just very together during class. Does that closeness come from both of you or is one of you a Becca and one of you a Chad?
TJ: *laughing*. I’ll let Daniel answer that!
DJ: It is kind of like breathing- I haven’t really even thought about it. We just do it.
That is beautiful!
TJ: I would say he initiates it, but I am very receptive.
BDR: See it is beautiful!
When they do it! I love it when they do it.
TJ: I would imagine there is heavy eye rolling.
I really don’t think so because it is so organic. Do you two have any gym goals that you’re working on?
TJ: For me, I had a sour taste in my mouth from my previous time (at Dane’s Body Shop). As much as I love Dane, I wasn’t thrilled with some of the early coaches.
We talked about this off mic- when were you originally at The Shop?
TJ: From like 2011-2013?
And he initially opened in 2010, so those were very early days. What was the difference between that experience then and this experience now?
TJ: There were just some coaches at the time that were a lot more aggressive and they pushed me. I was younger and didn’t have enough sense of myself to push back and tell them, “no, I’m good”. I have things I’ve always had to modify and Dane was really good about helping me to avoid triggering problems that I had but some of the coaches would push me to the point that I’d injure myself so that I’d be out for a month. So eventually I was like, you know what I am just going to run and bike. Then (Daniel) started going several years ago-
DJ: Covid. I’m a direct result of covid! I used to workout at the gym in my office and then it shut down.
So covid gave us Daniel? At least that is one good thing!
TJ: He kept telling me that it wasn’t like what it was- that it was a kinder gentler place. It was right around 2 years ago and I enjoy it a lot more so my goal was to make it to class regularly enough that I would miss it when I was away.
Have you achieved that?
TJ: I think so! It bugs me when I miss a class- I try to find another one to put in its place.
DJ: I’m really impressed by the journey that Dane and Dane’s Body Shop has taken. He was really interested in helping people but then some of the people he hired had it verging toward a Crossfit- which I don’t think was what his spirit was. But now it has evolved to have a do what you can do feel which is really neat.
TJ: Yeah, like my doctor said not to do overhead stuff anymore because I have shoulder issues and every single one of the coaches will give me an alternative to how I can work out that muscle group without the same intensity. But the intensity is still there for those who want to go balls to the wall.
That is good to hear! That is definitely the goal. Daniel, can you talk about the difference between working out at a place like your office gym when you’re by yourself and working out at a place like The Shop.
DJ: That is a very good question- particularly after covid. There is a sense of community that you don’t have at a traditional gym. You’re kind of all in it together. There is usually a good crew in each class and you notice when someone isn’t there. The last couple years we have had small groups of people we could hang out with and at Dane’s there is such a vibrant and diverse group of people; you’re getting reintroduced to the idea of being around people.
Absolutely. I think part of the reason I stayed sane during the pandemic is that my job forced me to be around a wide variety of people. Along those lines, you two obviously vibe with one another exceptionally- are there other folks at the gym you vibe with?
TJ: We absolutely adore Coach Mark. He was around in the early days, just working out and eventually became a coach. He is a super genuine human and we love him. I like Jess a ton. I’d done yoga in the past and it was a lot more “capital letter yoga”. Which was fine, but then there were the hyper competitive yoga people-
I can bend better than you!
TJ: What I love about (yoga at The Shop) is that there is a little bit of the woowoo, but not over the top.
The right amount of woowoo?
TJ: The right amount of woowoo combined with flexibility and exercises offsetting what hurts with the body. Jess tailors her program to what people need extra help with. It complements what the other workouts are.
You mentioned having injury considerations, have you found that taking the yoga class has helped you to avoid injury?
TJ: I’ve been going for two years and I haven’t had anything that I would call an exercise preventing injury- sore shoulders occasionally, but nothing because of Dane’s just because I’m old. I haven’t injured myself and I would say it is because of yoga and just the other accommodations in class.
That is great. Daniel, any shout outs for you?
DJ: Joel, Kirsten, Jack- so many good people there.
Absolutely! Okay, I wanted to do a little newly wed game thing here. Basically I’m going to ask you a series of questions and rather than answer for yourself, you’re going to answer for the other person to see how close you can get. What is your favorite book of all time?
TJ: That is difficult. I’ve never heard him really crow about a specific book, but he does avidly read a certain genre- if it is in space, he will read it.
DJ: It’s true! For her, my first thought is she just wrote a book, so that one!
I don’t know, that could make it her least favorite book at the moment.
DJ: It has certainly changed over time. There was probably a time when it was the classics or something in german. But now I would say something about making snake’s lives better.
TJ: There are a lot of different things, but I would say that is the most likely. I have a book that is almost like a text book on reptile medicine and surgery.
Wow- are you qualified to perform snake surgery at this moment?
BDR: *Huge laughter*
TJ: No, but I am qualified to help diagnose when there is a particular issue or whether they should bring it into a vet.
Okay, next question-
BDR: But what about your favorite book?
Becca, this isn’t about me!
BDR: Well you have to say mine though because then I don’t get to play!
TJ & BJ: *Big laughs
This isn’t about you either- this is their interview! Another quick easy one- what is your favorite food?
TJ: Barbecue!
DJ: Correct! Tacos for her- I didn’t want to pick crème brûlée.
TJ: That is my favorite dessert, but I’d say my favorite food is just any kind of fruit.
That is actually good. If the two choices were barbecue and tacos, you’d officially be the most Austin couple of all time- I’m glad we got a curve ball! Okay, so-
BDR: Wait, wait wait! I work with kids and whenever a kid asks me my favorite food, I say brussels sprouts- I love them I really do- but my real favorite food is butter.
TJ: That is valid.
DJ: One of my favorite stories of our daughter Alexa was maybe when she was 5 and it involved a brewery festival on the east side. Fat Tire Brewery had a little bike parade and Alexa was out there on a little tricycle and she ended up at the end because everyone else is on regular bikes and then there were 5 cop cars right behind her just making sure she was safe.
TJ: In her little fairy wings!
That is freaking adorable!
BDR: I have a question! I always take yoga with you two- what is your favorite yoga pose?
DJ: You’re assuming I’ve memorized the names of the poses! I’m guessing child’s pose because it is good for the back.
TJ: You’re close with the back part. I like any of the torso twisting ones- arms out in a T and your legs go to the side. That stretch is extremely restorative to my back. I think he’s the kind of guy that likes the things that are the hardest, so probably something like the gate leg pose-
DJ: Which one is that?
TJ: Basically you have one leg like- *Trasi indicates the pose with gestures
DJ: Oh yeah, that one is fun! That is pretty true. If it is something you do in a five year old tumbling class- it is going to be super fun.
Again, answering for one another, what is your greatest fear?
TJ: *Gasps* Probably the classic dying and leaving his daughter alone.
DJ: I think there is some truth to that. I think you hit a joint fear we have- that we want our daughter to be successful. I’m blessed. My dad just passed away and we all got to come together. I’ve got two sisters and we are all doing well- we all have good relations. They’re with the same guys they have been with forever. I just want (Alexa) to build upon that happiness in her own life. My fear is her not having that. I think that would be similar for your fear.
TJ: Yeah. Basically I feel like I still have a role in helping this child really launch. Yeah, they’re in their own apartment and they can get food for themselves, but there are still the constant touch backs: “My car has a flat tire, what do I do?” all those things. When we grew up the world was a different place. I worked and put myself through college. This generation doesn’t launch as early- the world is different, the financial picture is different. Things that I did, you can’t actually do today! This child came of age to get a job when covid happened and so hasn’t worked a day in their life so it will be interesting to see how that works out! I’m just worried if there were anything to happen that I wouldn’t be here to help guide them through.
So what you’re saying *gesturing toward my 7 month old daughter* is the clock I have in my head of 17 years and 5 months and done to go isn’t accurate-
TJ: It doesn’t work that way. All the expectations you have about the timeline are false. I thought I’d stay at home with her until she goes to kindergarten then go back to work.
Nope! She is out of school at 2:45pm- what am I going to do with her for the rest of the work day? I didn’t go back to work until she was in middle school.
Alas! Lighter question here- who is the celebrity crush?
TJ: I can’t answer this for him because any time I’ve ever asked that he doesn’t have one. He’ll say he only has eyes for me which is goofy because I definitely have two!
BDR: *Huge laughter*
DJ: Sean Connery-
TJ: No!
DJ: And the Star Trek Captain-
TJ: Yes! Jean Luc Picard is one of them and Alton Brown is the other one-
DJ: So I’m set if I ever start losing my hair.
BDR: I was on Alton Brown instagram right before yoga! And I had a Picard poster in my locker in high school. I love Patrick Stewart.
If there was another career path, any career other than the one they currently have, what would it be? No limits.
DJ: Earlier in life, she was definitely going to work for the CIA.
TJ: I was, I wanted to go into military intelligence. But then the (Berlin) wall fell the year I got my degree and they didn’t need that anymore.
Damn you Mr. Gorbachev!
TJ: A “Sliding Doors” path would have been that there was a moment I could have become a linguistics professor- someone who studies the concept of language. Fascinating subject. I would say Daniel would be a political strategist.
DJ: There is some truth to that! The challenge is that it is 100% workish- I would pick something more life affirming. What I’d like to do is have a small business in a small community that could build roots and really be an integral member of that community. The company on Trasi’s shirt-
Mountain Merman?
TJ: Mountain Merman Brewing Company!
DJ: A man and his wife basically quit their big jobs and started a very small brewery in a town with 1800 people. They are hoping in 18 years it is going to be something very successful. They want to raise their family in that community and give back. It is a lot of work, but really affirming.
That isn’t dissimilar from what one Dane Krager set out to do. That is a nice place to wrap up the newly wed game- now you can answer for yourselves. Both of you are now in the hallowed halls of the athlete of the season. You’re in the pantheon- you’re basically gods. What that we have not covered would you like for the peons reading your magnificent words to know?
TJ: If I can go as often as I can go, literally anyone can do it. Just make yourself do it for six months and then it will be a habit and you will miss it when you’re unable to come.
That sounds simple, but it is hard to create a habit like that. Do you have any secrets for creating that habit?
TJ: It helped that (Daniel and I) were accountable to one another. If one of us didn’t want to go the other would be like “get your ass up!”. That helps a ton-
I think that is a huge value to the community- that people notice when you’re not there. You don’t have to be married to your accountability partner, but viewing the community as your partner.
TJ: Yeah! Even finding a partner that goes to class at the same time as you. The other might sound trite, but just talking to yourself and saying “don’t be lazy- just go”. If I’m not feeling it one morning that is fine, but then I ask myself what class are you taking instead? If you don’t want to get up in the morning I get it, but okay you are doing a class in the afternoon or you’re going tomorrow.
That is good! You’re giving yourself some grace, but not letting yourself off the hook completely. I think that is actually very practical. Good words! Tough act to follow Daniel.
DJ: It is! I think Dane’s is an interesting social experiment- the kind of people it attracts.
What have you observed about the kind of people we attract?
DJ: They may be intense about things, but they seem to have that intensity in check. Everyone has a story- they’ve lived an interesting life. Something about what ya’ll have created is it brings this group together. I really appreciate the effort that ya’ll make to get people to break down barriers and not be shy.
TJ: Yeah, it is okay to talk in yoga! That is usually forbidden in yoga.
It sure is, ya’ll get quite chatty in yoga I’ve noticed. Becca- anything to add?
BDR: No, it isn’t my interview!
DJ: Oh!
BDR: Your favorite book is “Team of Rivals”
That is probably my favorite non fiction. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Lincoln’s cabinet. Very good Becca. Very good.
