Welcome back, Einnim friends! Talk about hitting close to home😅.
This one is for all of our fellow female entrepreneurs out there. Katie, founder + CEO of Aila, has graciously shared her truth about the struggles of staying well while building a wellness start-up.
This is a MUST READ guys!!
Without further ado, meet Katie.
How To Stay Well Yourself When Building A Wellness Start-Up
You might think that becoming a founder in the fitness and wellness space lends itself naturally to self-care and healthy habits - but I’m here to break the news. No matter what the nature of your business or career, there is stress, pressure, some long hours, and sometimes burnout. In addition to building Aila, I’m also a certified trainer, as well as getting my fitness nutrition certification - so the stress-less times can often be few and far between. It sounds counterintuitive, but we’re all human - and taking on a business of your own is a huge undertaking, even if you are a wellness guru!
My mission for my company Aila (an active wellness brand by way of superfood blends for better energy) is to empower as many active and well lifestyles as possible. To stay true to that mission, I’ve incorporated what I believe are some easy, repeatable lifestyle tweaks and hacks to keep myself on track and feeling my best - both physically and mentally.
Meditation: This one took me a WHILE. I have a loud brain, and I often spend most of my time up there rather than in my own body. Starting each day before I look at my phone or email with a light 10-15 minutes of meditation has made a huge difference. I come out of it feeling calmer, more focused, and more capable.
Eat well: This one is easier said than done. Eating well can mean different things for different routines and different people. For me, eating well means eating as much real food as possible. Rather than focusing on calories, carbs, or macros - I keep it simple and try to incorporate a reasonable amount of protein, fruits/veggies, and yes carbs for each meal. I find that the more I used to stress about food, the higher my cortisol levels would rise - which did damage to my energy levels and nutrition. Keeping this basic framework has been key for me - don’t overthink it!
Move: Doing some sort of activity throughout the day (whether it’s a 30 minute HIIT workout, or just a walk) is my favorite way to break up the time in front of my laptop. I’ve been living outside of NYC in Park City, Utah for the last few months, and my favorite mid-day movement lately has been just getting outside for a light run in the scenery. No distance or speed goals - I just pop in my AirPods and run until I can’t run anymore!
Natural light: I do most of my work during the day by a window with natural light. I can feel that it helps keep me more alert and energized.
Shaking negative self-talk: My mind is certainly no stranger to this, and I wouldn’t say I’m great at it yet. But I’ve come up with a system for myself that when I do feel the negativity creeping in - the imposter syndrome if you will - I immediately try to flip the thought to being grateful. For example, if there’s a negative thought around a campaign I want to launch, I change the “ugh, how am I going to do this” to something like “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do this. I created my own career and will encounter these challenges but they are my own, so I can solve them.”
And my favorite way to de-compress? TV + movies - I’m not ashamed of it. I love getting wrapped up in a good show.
I hope these tips were helpful! Follow us along at @meetaila on Instagram for more energizing and wellness care tips. You can also find me at @k.webb.
Don’t forget to follow @einnimlifestyle on IG as well and join our mailing list to take 15% off your first purchase!!