5 Ways To Perfect Your Worry-Free Weekly “Reset” Routine
With Monday right around the corner, Sundays can make you feel like a mess. The pressures of
the coming week and the stress of the past are a perfect recipe for anxiety, dread, and overwhelm. Not to mention, the grief! I love weekends so I’m always a little sad come Sunday night. So when I find myself in this headspace, I seek refuge in my “reset routine.”
Setting time aside to replenish my energy and practice self-care helps me transition back into the week with ease. Protecting my energy is something I’ve struggled with in the past, and if that sounds like you here's what I did to achieve a worry-free weekly "reset" routine. The practices I share have helped me prioritize my well-being and joy, and are designed to help you pause and prepare. If that hasn’t been your experience with routines, don't worry. Here are 5 ways to create a realistic and resourcing “reset” routine to start the week right.
1. Cleanse your body
When we move from the brain we tend to forget the body. Physically cleansing is a way to reset the body and refresh your energy for the start of the week. Think of how you can bring extra intention to your cleansing routine. I like to take this time to style my hair the way I like or add a face massage to my skincare regimen.
Another way to “cleanse” your body is through hydration. I track my water intake with my gallon water bottle and complement that with some teas that bring me joy. Hot or cold teas are known to boost your immune system and fight off inflammation, so lately I’ve been enjoying a cup of warm tea with a squeeze of lemon, a spoonful of honey, ginger, and some goji berries.
2. Reset the mind
Between running a YouTube channel, podcast, and an online stationery shop, I'm no stranger to stress and overwhelm. When I struggle with insomnia or lack of motivation, I know it’s my body’s signal to take a step back and slow down. I’ve tried many mindfulness practices, but what works best for me is meditation. Anxiety starts in the mind, so learning to listen and observe my thoughts, as opposed to letting them take over control, has brought me a lot of relief. Meditation helps clear your mind, reset your mental slate and focus on your intentions. Try it for 15 minutes a week and see if it helps you too.
While meditation brings a gentle awareness to racing thoughts, affirmations introduce calming and empowering thoughts to the brain. Repeating statements like “I love myself. I trust myself. I am safe” bring me calm and support. Try a guided meditations when you are ready.
3. Plan the week ahead
Narrowing your focus is key to combating overwhelm and getting more done. Take a look at your upcoming week and take note of the events planned. Start by setting goals for the week and don’t forget to set some self-care ones as well. I like to make a list of three things for each category. This method keeps things achievable and helps me practice prioritizing. The Weekly Reset Planner uses the “list of three” template, which makes planning my week that much easier.
Next, I find reflecting on the past week helps me feel better prepared for the week to come. I take this time to practice gratitude and celebrate growth more regularly. No matter how small the achievement, it deserves to be celebrated. Reminding your nervous system of what you have survived helps relieve anxiety about the future. With time, this kind of practice can rewire your brain towards confidence and positivity instead of fear and self-criticism.
4. Clean your space
Tidying up is not everyone’s cup of tea and I get that. For some, it can feel like an impossible task. If this is the case for you, I have a 10-minute hack. Set a 10-minute timer and do some chores like folding laundry, doing the dishes, or sweeping. You can stop once your timer is up but you might find that once you get started you want to continue cleaning for longer.
This trick helps me combat procrastination and feel a sense of accomplishment. Your brain actually releases dopamine when you achieve goals, no matter how small they are! Also, a clean space promotes a clear mind. Not to mention that a small weekly dose of cleaning will give you less work later, and help you practice a healthy habit that will get easier over time.
5. Relax your body
In a culture that rewards “doing,” slowing down to honor “being” is a challenging task. Being with yourself, feeling into your body, and listening to your senses is vital to your wellbeing. Movement and breathing exercises are a great way to tend to your body and release trapped emotions. Tune inward and ask yourself “what areas hold the most tension in my body?” Stretching, breathing, and tapping are some of my go-to methods to release tension.
Other movement exercises to try are Belly Button Healing, which is a practice that stimulates digestive organs, promotes blood flow, and releases trapped emotions, and yoga is also a great way to slow down and heal your body’s aches and pains. I try to practice movement as much as possible to stay connected and fluid with my body. Above all, remember that the intention is decompression. Listen to the wisdom of your body and let yourself look silly.
About the author: Aileen Xu is a content creator and entrepreneur at Lavendaire, inspiring people around the world to embrace their true potential and create their dream life. Her YouTube channel Lavendaire has over 1.6 million subscribers. Her podcast, The Lavendaire Lifestyle, has over 7 million downloads. Aileen is the creator of the top-selling Artist of Life Workbook, a guided journal to creating your most successful year, which has sold over 25,000 physical copies. Her brand offers an array of stationery products and an online course at The Lavendaire Shop.
We Tapped 3 Foodies for Work-From-Home Meals to Whip Up With Pantry Staples
No sad desk salads here.
Photo: Courtesy of RASA
Working from home makes you miss things like chatting about “White Lotus” over lunch with your coworkers. But just because you’re WFH with no one to discuss the finale with doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take that lunch break. Whip up something delicious with these easy recipes made with ingredients you probably already have at home.
We tapped Mia Rigden of RASA, Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones of Food Heaven, and Gaby Dalkin of What’s Gaby Cooking and asked them to share their go-to work-from-home recipes—and it’s safe to say they did not disappoint. From everything-but-the-kitchen-sink soup to not-so-boring pasta, you’ll be eating well this week.
Kitchen Sink Soup
An excellent way to make the most of unused produced that’s sitting in your crisper drawer, this soup, courtesy of Mia Rigden, a nutritionist and the founder of RASA, is nutritious, flavorful, and a perfect way to reset. Make a big batch and freeze leftovers so you’ll always have a healthy meal on hand.
Instructions:
Heat coconut oil or ghee in a Dutch oven.
Add onions and garlic, stirring until fragrant, then add vegetables and stir for a minute or two longer.
Add broth then enough water to cover the vegetables (about two cups). Let simmer for 20-30 minutes and puree in a high-speed blender (or with a hand blender) until smooth.
Season as desired and serve with a squeeze of lemon, a splash of olive oil, and some sea salt
For a step-by-step tutorial, watch the Ask an Expert Live segment via Create & Cultivate’s Instagram here.
Nutritionist and founder of RASA
Turmeric Vegetable Fried Rice
This recipe puts a colorful spin on traditional fried rice with extra anti-inflammatory power! Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones, registered dietitians, certified diabetes educators, and the founders of Food Heaven, bring us this easy and delicious way to make the most of super-spice turmeric!
When cooking your brown rice, add 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric to the boiling water, and cook as per package instructions. Set aside once done.
In a large pan, heat the sesame oil, and add the onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.
Add in the eggs, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Then add in the mixed vegetables, 2 cups of cooked turmeric rice, and the soy/tamari/aminos.
Cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and mix in the cabbage and sprouts. Add salt, to taste, and top with scallions. Enjoy!
Recipe Note: The vegetables in this recipe are totally flexible and you can use whatever frozen/raw veggies you have stocked in the fridge.
Registered dietitians, certified diabetes educators, and founders of Food Heaven
Calabrian Chili Pasta
Pasta, our fave go-to for easy dining, doesn’t have to be boring! Gaby Dalkin is a trained chef, recipe developer, entrepreneur, and the founder of What’s Gaby Cooking, shows us how to spice up the pasta you are probably eating for the millionth day in a row.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook the Cassarecce according to the package directions. Once al dente, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water for future use and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the lemon zest (saving the lemon juice for later) and sauté for 15 seconds. Add the Calabrian hot pepper paste and stir until everything is evenly incorporated.
Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. If you need to add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to thin it out, go ahead. Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste.
Sprinkle the pecorino over the pasta if desired and toss to coat and serve immediately.
Founder of What’s Gaby Cooking
This story was originally published on April 13, 2020, and has since been updated.
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4 Simple Ways to Live an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle (Even If You're Too Busy)
Let's get green.
Photo: Daria Shevtsova for Pexels
Did you know 8 million metric tons of trash are dumped into the ocean each year?
This trash also kills around one million marine animals and birds every year. Not a day goes by without pollution of some kind. Whether it’s the fumes from cars, the plastic bag holding our PB&J sandwich, the cheap graphic tee you bought last week, or even the plastic water bottle you bought with your salad on your lunch break.
But no matter how busy your days are, everyone can (and should!), find the time to care a little more about this place we call home. It’s time to do our part to reduce this toxic waste and find smarter ways to keep our planet clean and safe. Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips to kick off an eco-friendly lifestyle, even if you’re busy.
Be Mindful of Fast Fashion
Clothing is an essential part of our everyday life. What we pay for clothing, how we feel in it, and how long it lasts are all important factors to keep in mind when purchasing clothes. Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest style trends. This allows companies to create cheaply made clothing that will likely not last long for the consumer—ever wash a shirt once and the thread string comes out, or it shrinks three sizes?.
Sustainable fashion is the process of fostering change to clothing products towards greater ecological integrity. There are several ways to become a trendsetter without giving into fast fashion and its grand marketing scheme. A string of companies are popping up around this sustainable drive offering easy ways to consign fashion and buy used clothing—hint Poshmark, thredUP, The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Depop, and eBay. They are all doing their part to promote sustainable fashion at an affordable, not cheap, price. Buying secondhand and investing in clothing that is high quality and made with organic and durable fibers are the best ways we can support this sustainable clothing initiative. Did you know fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world behind oil? Let’s change that, ladies.
Invest in Sustainable Food Storage Containers
Work life consists of various foods and snacks to get you through your day. This includes plastic containers, plastic zip-top bags, maybe even plastic bags as lunch bags. Look for food containers that have silicone lids instead of plastic. Silicone is long-lasting, free of all estrogen-mimicking chemicals that are usually found in plastics, doesn’t contain petroleum, and is not harmful to the environment.
Stainless steel is another noteworthy material to use for storing food. People often forget that stainless steel is a highly recycled commodity. According to the International Stainless Steel Forum, the rate of stainless steel recycling has increased to 90% while plastic recycling remains at 1% with most remains dumped into a landfill. If you tend to bring a big lunch everyday, you might want to purchase a reusable lunchbox. This gives you the freedom to keep all your food in place and cold, while also reducing plastic bag use.
So, next time you make a Target run, take a peek at the containers section to make your ecological footprint a little less toxic.
Bring Your Learnings Into Your Building
Most office and apartment buildings should be following all recycling rules no matter what, but if you’re in a building where they don’t pay attention, then now is the time to inquire.
Contact the building management company and ask them any questions you may have about how to recycle properly. Make signs, set up bins, and do your part to educate your fellow employees and residents on recycling and how to do it the proper way. Provide lists of resources for people looking to get rid of plastic bags, old toys, clothes, food, or even electronics.
Print out recycling guidelines with handy pictures so people can learn at-a-glance how to appropriately dispose of their trash. Talk to your building manager about implementing these recycling guidelines and ask if you’re able to hold an info session to teach employees or residents about the do’s and don’ts of recycling (once social distancing restrictions are lifted). The more people we educate, the better our quality of life will be.
Reduce Plastic Use Where You Can
We all know plastic is the big criminal here. One of the biggest actions we can take is to stop purchasing plastic water bottles, and particularly, plastic water bottles in mass quantity. Not only does this waste affect our marine life but can also affect public health by spreading diseases and other illnesses as a result of burning waste.
In 2010, Sarah Kauss founded the company S’well with an important mission in mind. Kauss wanted to rid the world of plastic bottles. She molded fashion and function together to create a product that consumers couldn’t resist. The bottles are designed to keep your beverages cold for up to 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. S’well is a woman-owned company with a strong and clear vision to make the world a cleaner place.
Instead of polluting the Earth every day with more plastic water bottles, reuse your own cute and sustainable water bottle that is entirely yours (and you’ll save so much money). You can take it with you pretty much anywhere you go. It’s the easiest way to make the world a cleaner place.
About the Author: Abbey Adams currently works at a digital marketing company while also maintaining her music blog, blondieandthebeat.com, of six years. Throughout her time as a freelance writer for a women’s magazine she’s learned to share every story and empower as many women as possible. You can usually find her writing in bed binging “Sex and the City” (for the 10th time) or at the gym sweating out her anxiety on the stairclimber.
This story was originally published on July 6, 2019, and has since been updated.
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5 Things to Do While Self-Quarantining Without Buying a Single Thing
Your downtime to-do list.
Photo: Alex Gállego for Pexels
During the COVID-19 pandemic, our normal lives have come to a grinding halt. Beyond streaming our go-to TV shows for hours on end, there’s a lot more we can do during this downtime that will help retrain our minds and help us live our life, even beyond this period of quarantine.
So often, when we are looking to grow, change, or shift something in our lives, we are looking outside of ourselves. But, the truth is, everything you need to continue your growth journey is within you—and within arm’s reach. All you need is passion, interest, and a few simple strategies that’ll help you find what works for you.
Here are some simple things you can do to shift your mindset in order to stimulate growth, without spending a dime.
1. Try cooking a new recipe.
This incredible resource allows you to discover new recipes by listing the ingredients you have in your pantry, fridge, or freezer. If you're at a loss of what to make, this is a great way to shop what you already have and try something new, too.
Personally, every morning, I come up with some type of frittata using leftover vegetables, protein, and eggs. You can also use frozen veggies if you are trying to clean out your freezer.
2. Refresh your living space.
Beyond spring cleaning, try changing the layout of your space as well. It sounds simple but reorganizing furniture or décor can provide your brain with a really satisfying sense of change (without spending any money on new pieces.) You would be surprised how much this can act as a refresh during quarantine.
Now that I’m home a lot more, I’ve rearranged three rooms already. It’s been nice to re-think the space I have and make it feel new again. I have also used this time to clean out my pantries, fridge, and my kids’ play areas. I’ve cleaned out so much, I feel like every room is new.
3. Pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read (instead of buying a new one).
Psychologically speaking, we get a rush when making purchases. Buying new things, even when we have something similar at home, gives us temporary satisfaction. We can use this time to work on that, challenging ourselves with a "no buy" mandate (because, well, it's sort of the only option) and getting enjoyment from actually using things up.
Instead of focusing on the next purchase, we can simultaneously produce less waste, reduce clutter, save money, and shift our mindsets. Books take up a lot of space in our rooms as well as storage. We are reading a lot more these days and are finding books we forgot to start or stories we want to read again.
4. Learn a new skill.
I don't suggest putting too much pressure on yourself to be productive during quarantine, but if there's something you've been putting off doing due to a lack of time, now is a good chance to start.
Download Duolingo to work on learning a new language, watch free online videos to help you become more flexible, or bake the bread you've been seeing everyone make on Instagram.
For me, this is improving recipes, testing new ones, and adding twists to ones I use today in order to support immunity.
5. Connect (virtually) with your family and friends.
Throw a happy hour via Zoom. Download Houseparty to connect with your friends. FaceTime with your family during dinner. These circumstances make us truly value the people in our lives.
With Marco Polo, you can leave video messages with friends and family. This allows you to connect face-to-face but asynchronously. I’ve been celebrating birthdays over Zoom and scheduling virtual coffee dates and lunch meet-ups with my friends and family.
About the Author: Nora McCaffrey is the Chief Academic Officer at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She oversees all academic components to IIN’s course offerings. Prior to joining IIN, she trained at the Institute for Culinary Education in culinary arts and ran her own catering business in Brooklyn, NY, providing healthy food options for private events, school events, and meal deliveries.
To support her health focus, she became an IIN health coach and later decided to join the IIN team. In 2017, she obtained a master’s degree in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. Her experience and education help her to continuously improve and innovate course offerings and learning platforms
Nora is from Brooklyn, NY and now lives with her wife, Helen, and two kids in Maplewood, NJ. As a lifelong foodie, Nora supports local farmers and restaurants to feed her family.
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Ask an Expert: How to Design a Work-From-Home Space That Boosts Productivity
The founder and CEO of Parachute shares her tips.
We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!
Photo: Courtesy of Ariel Kaye
Not to state the obvious, but the lines between work-life and home-life have been blurred beyond distinction. Now that we’re all sheltering in place and working from home in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, it’s harder than ever to separate our work lives from our personal lives and, #realtalk, we’re all just trying to make it work.
For tips on creating a work-from-home space that boosts productivity, we virtually sat down with Ariel Kaye, the founder and CEO of Parachute, for our Ask an Expert Instagram Live series. Not only is Kaye at the helm of a cult-favorite home brand, but she also lives in an 800-square-foot bungalow with her husband and 14-month-old-daughter (!), so it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about maximizing space.
Keep scrolling for three key takeaways from our conversation, as told to Create & Cultivate by Kaye, and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to catch the next installment of our Ask an Expert series.
Set Up a Workspace That’s Easy to Walk Away From
Right now, more than anything, set up a work area that easy to step away from to maintain your mental health. I like to take my calls from my bedroom or outside in the yard, and I answer emails from the dining table, and I review content from the couch.
Then, at the end of the day, I like to take a beat by closing my computer and setting down my phone. It’s really about that distinction and having boundaries that establish your work zone and your home zone, which can be difficult now that we’re in the same space.
Clear Clutter to Minimize Distractions
I need a clutter-free space to be productive, so I have a basket with headphones, pens, and everything else I need to have within reach, and then I put away things that I know I won’t be using for a while to clear clutter. Every morning, I’ll fluff the pillows, wipe down surfaces, and clear clutter to get my space ready for the day.
Liven Things Up to Keep Your Space Feeling Fresh
I’m a big believer in grabbing fresh bouquets of flowers at the market every week to keep the house looking and feeling lively and beautiful. If you’re not going to the farmer’s market or grocery store right now, consider picking things that are already overgrown in your neighborhood, like branches of bougainvillea, for example.
I’ve also been shopping my own home and moving things from one room to the next to keep things fresh. I recently moved a piece of art from my bedroom to the living room and it’s changed the whole space. I also love candles. Burning a candle is one of the things I do to transition from day to night at the end of the workday.
I try to remember that we’re all just trying our best and i have to tell myself every day to be kind to myself.
About the Expert: Ariel Kaye is the founder and CEO of Parachute. While it began in Los Angeles in 2014 as a digitally native brand, Parachute has since expanded beyond its roots—premium-quality artisanal bedding—to include essentials for every room in the home. In the last six years, Ariel has evolved Parachute into a beloved home lifestyle brand with numerous brick-and-mortar locations across the country. Under Ariel's leadership, the brand also launched a hospitality collection, created in partnership with the U.S.'s top hoteliers and interior designers. Ariel’s first book, “How to Make a House a Home,” will be released on April 14, 2020. She currently resides with her family in Venice Beach, California.
Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert.
Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!
Even CEOs Need Their 8 Hours a Night—6 Women Share Their Nightstand Must-Haves
These bedside essentials make all the difference.
Photo: Whitney Leigh Morris
What does your evening routine look like? Is it structured or does it change depending on the day?
The good news is, no one will judge you either way, but there is evidence that a bedtime routine will help you get better z’s. “Most of us cannot sleep on command, but routine helps the brain know that it’s preparing for sleep,” Rebecca Scott, research assistant professor of neurology at the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center—Sleep Center told Time. “Our sleep system, along with most other neurophysiological systems, likes predictability and consistency.”
Of course, there is no set regime that suits everyone so it’s up to you to determine what works, but it doesn’t hurt to hear how other women we admire wind down after a long day. Our CEO, Jaclyn Johnson, swears by eight hours of sleep a night to ensure she can perform at her optimum each day. Read on to hear what bedside essentials six women—who all joined us at our Self Care Summit in L.A. last year—have on their nightstand to ensure they get enough sleep and can perform at 100 each day.
Deepika Chopra, Optimism Doctor
1. The Things Are Looking Up Optimism Card Deck
”I pull a card every evening and carry out the holistic and science-based suggestion to increase happiness.”
2. Lavender and Lemon Essential Oils
”I use lavender before bed and lemon just as I wake up.”
3. Glass Carafe of Water.
”Drinking water is so challenging for me, so keeping it right by my bedside is one way to try and work on this.”
4. A children’s book.
”I always have at least one book that my son is super into at the moment. Right now it’s Blueberries For Sal.
Whitney Lee Morris, Founder of the Tiny Canal Cottage
1. Nothing
”The top must-have on my nightstand is actually the absence of something. If I keep my devices nearby I’m likely to wake up and check them and then stay up for the rest of the night. As such, I now keep tech—especially my phone—out of the bedroom.”
2.Books
”It’s important for me to have books by the bed—both for myself and for my child, who often climbs into bed with us overnight. Having books within arm’s reach helps my son stay safely and happily occupied in the early morning while I snag a few precious extra minutes of shut-eye.”
Claire Fountain, Wellness Writer, and Mental Health Advocate, Creator of Trillyoga
1.A Soft Light
”For me, I need to have a peaceful minimal environment and hydration. My nightstand only has a soft light that helps to prepare the body for sleep.
2. Body Butter, Eye Drops, and Lip Balm
”Hydration items (skin, eyes, lips) are essential because night is when the skin heals itself and so it’s a perfect time to let all that moisturized goodness absorb, plus I can’t sleep if I feel anything is dry.”
3. A Silk Eye Mask
”A silk eye mask because it’s the best for delicate face skin, and blocking out lights helps the body get the best, uninterrupted sleep I can.”
Shiva Rose, Founder of the Local Rose & Alchemist creator Shiva Rose Beauty
1.Magnesium Oil
”I love my nightstand since it’s almost like an altar for well being and beauty. For sleeping better I have a bottle of magnesium oil which calms the body, rescue remedy which calms the mind, and some rose quartz crystal for love and harmony.”
2.Books
”I’m currently re-reading Finding God Through Sex.”
3. Venus potion
”I collaborated on this potion with the lovely herbalist wooden spoon. This potion helps enhance our feminine elements.”
4. A landline.
”I have a landline since cell phones can disrupt our sleep and wellbeing.”
Lauren Gores, Co-Founder of Summer Fridays and Lifestyle Content Creator
1. 5 Minute Journal
”I love to have a few minutes of quiet time before bed, and the 5 Minute Journal is the perfect way to escape and reflect on my day.”
2. Slip Sleep Mist
”I love to spray this mist before bed—the chamomile and lavender oils create a super calm and relaxing environment.”
3. Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask
”I love to apply a thick layer of Jet Lag mask under my eyes before bed so I can wake up looking and feeling refreshed.”
4. LANIEGE Sleep Lip Mask
”I love to apply a layer of the LANIEGE lip mask before bed to hydrate and smooth my lips while I sleep.”
5. Slipsilk Sleep Mask
”I always get my best sleep when it is completely dark, so I always keep my Slipsilk Sleep Mask in my nightstand. It is *so* soft and the anti-aging properties are an added bonus.”
Lestraundra Alfred, Host of Balanced Black Girl podcast
1.Lip Balm
”I’m all about being as moisturized as possible, and I find having lip balm on my nightstand reminds me to put it on before bed, keeping my lips soft and moisturized.”
2.5 Minute Journal
”I love using my 5-minute journal to reflect each night before going to bed, and it is a key part of my morning routine as well. Each night I like to take a moment to reflect on the day's highlights and to start jotting down notes for the next day. This helps me end the day with gratitude, and to get any lingering thoughts out of my head for more peaceful rest.”
This story was originally published on July 9, 2019, and has since been updated.
Day in the Life: Shilpa Shah & Karla Gallardo of Cuyana
“Customers craved more, they were tired of expensive low-quality products—we created a brand to fill that need.”
Welcome back to our monthly series, Day in the Life! Through this Q&A series, we’re giving you an inside look at the day-to-day lives of some of the most inspiring women in business. This month, we talked with Shilpa Shah and Karla Gallardo of Cuyana, the lifestyle brand for the modern woman interested in simple functionality.
Below, hear what these co-founders have to say about filling whitespace, what advice they have for for work-life balance, and the habits they’ve developed to be the best versions of themselves.
Tell us a bit about Cuyana. What whitespace did you see in the market? What need did you want to fill?
Karla: Fewer, better things is the philosophy behind all we do. We started Cuyana to inspire consumers to shop intentionally for high-quality pieces crafted with integrity. We saw the need for luxury-made items at an affordable price point - the consumer mindset was shifting, and we had the opportunity to be the better choice within fashion.
Shilpa: She was seeking higher quality products with purpose; logos and overt branding were no longer relevant. Customers craved more, they were tired of expensive low-quality products - we created a brand to fill that need.
Are you a night owl or a morning person? When do you do your most important work and why?
Karla: I’m a night owl but have recently been successful in transitioning to being a morning person. Getting an earlier start to the day enables me to spend more time with my son, Mateo.
Shilpa: I’m a night owl by nature. I’ve tried to become more of a morning person, but I’m still a work in progress!
What does your morning, pre-work routine look like?
Karla: I’m up early to ensure I have breakfast together with my family - with such a busy work schedule, breakfast is more dependable than dinner. The shared time together sets the foundation for my whole day.
Shilpa: I spend my mornings coming up with creative ways to cajole my kids out of bed - they’ve clearly inherited my night owl mentality! The rest of the morning is a wild dash to get everyone to where they are supposed to be and making it happen on time.
What’s your commute like? Do you listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks? Any current faves?
Karla: I spend my commute looking at everything I’m devoting time to, ensuring that each task or meeting has purpose.
Shilpa: I take my time on the train to peruse the New York Times app or listen to podcasts and audiobooks - listening to "Becoming" narrated by Michelle Obama has been a wonderful experience.
Mark Twain said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” What’s the first thing you do when you get into the office/to your desk?
Karla: Grab a cup of coffee - my brain doesn't process information until the first sip of my morning latte. I then head right to an early meeting with my bag and latte in tow - I rarely make it to my desk.
Shilpa: Definitely not eating frogs! I am typically in meetings first thing in the morning. I’m lucky if I even make it to my desk, but always have coffee in-hand.
What are you working on this week?
Karla: Everything from annual internal reviews to our exciting plans to expand retail!
Shilpa: I’ve been focused on exciting collaborations and our seasonal marketing strategies.
What advice do you have for balancing the minutiae of day-to-day tasks with big-picture planning?
Shilpa: Break down the big-picture plans into smaller, discernible milestones. Then you can plan all tasks the same way!
Karla: We plan our annual strategy every January, and it serves as the overarching framework for everything we do. New items pop up every day though, and it is important to constantly review my week to ensure that every meeting and task continues to ladder up to the big picture. I re-prioritize my week on Sundays to make sure I achieve key results by Friday. Also, I am very close to the data. It reveals whether the path we decided to take in January makes sense, and it will sometimes challenge me to make changes in the overarching strategy. I spend 2 hours looking at reports and thinking about the big picture strategy every week. It is my “zen” moment, and it brings back the focus.
What are some work habits that help you stay healthy, productive, and on track to reach your goals?
Karla: I make time each day to do something for the people I care about most. I then get some me time by working out a few days a week at home on our Peloton.
Shilpa: It’s not the quantity of time, but rather the quality way in which you spend it. I make sure that I connect with my husband and kids in ways that also meets their needs. It’s amazing how outsourcing the household tasks opens up more meaningful time together.
What are you reading/watching right now?
Shilpa: Anxiously waiting the last season of GOT!
Karla: Honestly, television is my way to zone out - I love watching laughable and outrageous shows at the end of my night.
When do you go to bed? What’s your “optimal” # of sleep hours?
Shilpa: Between 12-1 am. I would love to have 7 hours of sleep, but I usually end up near 6.
Karla: I get up early now, so I’m in bed by 11!
What’s the most rewarding part of your day?
Karla: The time with my son and husband. Whether our family breakfast in the morning or watching Mateo’s favorite movie, Moana, the moments I spend with my family are the best.
Shilpa: I cherish the time spent with my family. Sometimes, getting in those last few hours of quiet work time at the end of the day can feel rewarding too!
What’s something not a lot of people know about you?
Karla: I already revealed my guilty television pleasures!
Shilpa: I actually wasn’t very organized until I met Karla. It’s been amazing to see how our “fewer, better” philosophy has changed the way I live.
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How to Know Which Vitamin Is Right for You
Don’t bug out in the vitamin aisle.
The vitamin aisle is scary place. Labels and names of ingredients you can pronounce stare back at you. Let’s not even get into the prices.
Your inbox is hard enough to make sense of-- what’s good for your body shouldn’t be.
So with the help from our good pals at OLLY, we’re breaking which vitamin make sense for you. Your body will thank you.
DO YOU NEED A SUPERCHARGE?
If you answered, “nah” to that questions, consider us green with envy. Also green? The L-Theanine in OLLY’s Endless Energy vitamin. L-Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea to help with mental alertness and focus. This vitamin blend also offers B vitamins to work naturally with your body’s chemistry to help convert food into energy. And as an added bonus they have a kick of caffeine-- less than a cup of coffee-- into the vitamin for the aforementioned supercharge.
Get ready to get that inbox down to zero. #hero.
ARE YOU A STRESS CASE?
If the pit of your stomach is in knots. And you’re dizzy at the thought of your day, you need to say Goodbye Stress. That kind of mental and physical tension is not good for anyone. OLLY again expertly blends L-Theanine which in addition to alertness, helps your brain keep its cool. And when blended with GABA, a fast-working active that supports a relaxed state of mind to help combat the acute effects of stress, that are not so ah-cute.
The final ingredient is Lemon Balm, which is not only soothing to day, but is a botanical that has been used for centuries to help quiet the mind. Get ready to #tooblessedtostress.
IS YOUR SKIN A LITTLE SAD?
Don’t let you skin get the blues, or rather the lackluster hues. Your largest organ (yes, that’s your skin) needs some extra attention, especially as you begin to lose collagen as you age. It’s totally natural, so don’t stress (ahem* take Goodbye Stress vitamin if so), it happens to all of us. This Vibrant Skin blend of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and sea buckthorn that will help you maintain and revitalize your glow.
*And yes, you can mix-and-match various OLLY vitamins. They recommended no more than 2-3 types for daily consumption.
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T.G.I.F: Making Room for Leisure
We all combine work and pleasure, and these days our “work lives” can overlap almost entirely with our “social lives," forming one big blur of activity. And that’s okay, if we are willing to make pleasure our business as much as we turn business into pleasure.
We know sometimes it can be all hustle and no flow. Rachel Mae Furman is Create & Cultivate's resident Leisure Expert, founder of Smoke & Honey, and our go-to girl for tips on cocktails, parties, and the art of entertaining. She'll regularly be serving up the best ways to mix and little business with pleasure.
Making Room for Leisure
by Rachel Mae Furman
Like many in the world of Marketing, Events, & PR, I’ve spent the last decade or so building and strategizing brands. My strategy has always been to think of each brand as a personality. What would it wear? What music would it listen to? Where would it hang out after work? From there I can see the entire lifestyle, demographic, and market, and a clear vision begins to take shape. It’s like the brand and I were dating, exploring the city and figuring out our scene together.
We all combine work and pleasure, and these days our “work lives” can overlap almost entirely with our “social lives," forming one big blur of activity. And that’s okay, if we are willing to make pleasure our business as much as we let work into our personal lives.
"be willing to make pleasure your business as much as you let work into your personal life"
Here’s what I mean. In my days of building brands, there was a standard formula we would follow. First, we’d build a "Brand Plan" assessing and defining the brand values and essence. Then, we’d decide on a strategy for the direction we wanted to go in that year. Do we continue to hit the same market? Branch out to a new one? Infiltrate a new scene whilst not alienating the current one?
Next, we’d create programming that aligned with those goals, plot an execution plan, figure out the logistics, and then work on “selling it in” and getting everyone on board.
So that got me thinking: why don't we make “Brand Plans” for our social lives? Let’s be honest, how many times have we sacrificed our personal to-do lists because we were too busy doing our work to-do list? We have made a habit of tossing our pleasure aside for work, and our personal lives suffer because of it. In my opinion, this is not a healthy lifestyle choice.
Now, what I’m suggesting is not that we make our social lives a chore, or forgo work altogether, but a suggestion that we think ahead and plan ahead, making it a priority to kill it at leisure as much as we kill it at business. At the end of the day, we'd probably end up getting better work done as a result of a little more "me" time.
And I think that starts with a Personal Brand Plan, or a “Leisure Strategy,” if you will. Here’s a guide to help you start:
What are your Personal Leisure Values this year?
Career goals aside, what are you into? What are you all about? Are you geeking-out on? A new hobby? Loving the home-body life? Feeling super social? In creative-introverted-hibernation mode? Live music? Nature? Check in with how you're feeling and what's most important to you. It's easy to lose track of.
What is your Leisure Strategy?
Based on the values above, what do you want to do more of? If you’ve been hibernating lately, is this a year of getting out more? If you’ve been a social butterfly, would you like to spend more time relaxing? If you’ve just redecorated your home, do you want to have people over more?
What is your Leisure Programming?
Okay, so you know what direction you want to go in. Now what are some tangible ideas to make that happen? If you want to entertain more, how about a weekly brunch at your place, and a seasonal BBQ in your yard? If you need more R&R, why not commit to a monthly “staycation” or book a day at the spa? A few outdoor music festivals? Trivia Nights at your local bar?
What’s the Leisure Execution Plan?
Now that you know what you want to do: put it in writing. Put it on the calendar. Make the To-Do list. You know you would meticulously plan if it was for a client, so why not do it for your personal life? If you can put some recurring leisure time on the calendar, or invite some friends in on it to hold you accountable, you're far more likely to stick to it.
Sell it in.
Time to get everyone on board and excited about your plans. Make a fun Paperless Post invite, tell friends to Save the Date, and build some anticipation. Or if your plan is less social and more “you time,” announce it on a social network, get excited about it yourself. Whatever the plan, get the word out and it will start feeling real. You might even encourage someone else to do the same.
My whole point is that you need to plan for leisure in order to invite more of it into your life. It's the entire thesis behind my lifestyle business Smoke & Honey, and it's treating me well. Make it a priority, not something to get around to if you can muster up an energy left after tending to work. We all know that your business will flow better if you’re happy, and your work will be on point if your leisure is on point. So, what’s your plan?
Rachel Mae Furman is a self-proclaimed “Leisure Expert" on a quest to elevate moments, create occasions and curate experiences at any given moment. She has spent the last decade traveling the country scouring the back roads and small towns of America for inspiration, then jet-setting from city to city on the corporate dime, building booze brands in the liquor business. Inspired by her Grandmom Doris to be the perfect little hostess, Rachel is known for whipping out a mason jar Old Fashioned from her purse just when you need it. Her blog Smoke & Honey celebrates the art of leisure, from cocktails to entertaining, style to homemaking. Follow her @rachelmaefurman.