About Basic Living - Basic
Co-Founders Jennifer Macha + Nely Ward

About Us

Basic is a lifestyle brand with a focus on health and wellness. Our mission is to Encourage and Inspire people to live Healthy and Active Lives.  We offer a variety of services that range from individual endurance training, to pre-season team fitness coaching, to nutrition coaching/guidance.

Since the launch of Basic, we’ve hosted several fitness camps, a youth running program, pre-season training for several sports teams. We’ve also worked with individual high school athletes to improve their sport-specific skills, trained numerous endurance athletes, and worked with several nutrition based clients. We believe that healthy is happy and work to bring that mentality to our clients and our communities. 

Jennifer Macha-Hebert

Jennifer is a creative thinker, writer, educator, runner,  triathlete, outdoor enthusiast, lover of life, teller of stories and mom to two awesome young dudes. She grew up playing sports, dancing and cheering. She has continued her love of sports by coaching her kids’ soccer team and working with their teammates on pre-season endurance training. In addition, Coach Jennifer is a 4x Ironman, has competed in numerous marathons and half marathons, and spent numerous years producing endurance races that included LSU’s Tiger 10K + The Louisiana Marathon. She is an adjunct professor of communications at LSU and currently teaches beginner yoga classes in her neighborhood.  

  • Marketing/Communication Consultant for various companies including Dell Computers, LSU, ExxonMobil, Chef John Folse & Company 225 Magazine, Country Roads Magazine, InRegister Magazine, and The Louisiana Marathon. August 2005- Present
  • Creative Director/Strategist + Co-Owner for FRESHJUNKIE Racing – an endurance race production company. March 2013 – August 2020
  • Adjunct Professor – Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU. August 2005 – Present
  • Education: Master of Art in Creative Advertising – The University of Texas, May 2003; Bachelor of Art, English Literature, Louisiana State University, May 2000

Nely Ward

Nely is a Louisiana based health and fitness enthusiast with a passion for eating clean food, running, fitness, and everything in between. A community involved athlete, caffeine lover, high-spirited, energetic and fun-loving. She grew up as a swimmer, soccer player, competitive cheerleader and cross country runner. She has continued her love of sports by coaching Cross Country and assisting the teams to State Championships and Runner Up wins. She also personal trains adult athletes to their endurance athletic potential and teaches circuit training strength workouts. Coach Nely is a 3x Ironman, has competed in numerous marathon and half marathon. Nely is certified in integrative nutrition planning. 

  • Director of Athlete Services for FRESHJUNKIE Racing– an endurance race production company. April 2015 – August 2020
  • Cross Country Coach– University Laboratory School at LSU. May 2014 – January 2020
  • Endurance Athlete Coach- From 5k’s to Ironman December 2017- Present
  • Education: Bachelor of Nutrition Sciences Family and Consumer Sciences – Southeastern Louisiana University December 2017; Certified Nutritionist IIN, Institute of Integrative Nutrition, May 2019; Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist (BCHN)
Jennifer Macha Hebert Co- Founder
Nely Ward Co-Founder
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