Happy International Women’s Day! To celebrate on our end, we spoke to some of our favorite female founders to find out what wellness means to them. Read on to find the small to big practices these founders incorporate in their everyday routines to maximize their minds and bodies, embrace womanhood, and define self-care in our bustling world.
The Big Bath
“My wellness hack is a sneaky weekday bath! Of course, this only works if you're home during the day but I've found it's a great way for me to insert a little bit of relaxation into my daily routine and I can do it even if I only have 20 or 30 minutes to spare. I think we generally think that baths have to be a big ordeal and involve a lot of preparation but you can just as easily run the water while you're doing another task and take a nice quick dip for 20ish minutes. You'll come out feeling totally refreshed and renewed—and your colleagues are none the wiser!” -Shannon Davenport, Founder of Esker Beauty
Skin-first!
“Self-care is important to me as I am going on 8 months pregnant and already have a toddler running around. Every night I make it a habit to write in my gratitude journal 3 things I am grateful for in the present and 3 things I am grateful for in the future. It's almost like I am manifesting at the same time. Going with my nighttime routine, I like to follow my 6-step skincare routine to keep my skin glazed and clear. Some of my current favorite products are C-esta Face Serum from Jan Marini and SkinCeuticals daily moisturizer.” -Samii Ryan, Founder of Samii Ryan
Press pause.
“Wellness for me is taking the time to pause on work and spend time with friends. Even just a 20-minute walk around the block or one glass of wine on a Sunday afternoon lifts my spirits and is an essential part of my self-care. Learning how to balance socializing with work and family time is hard. But I have also learned that women (especially me!) need the support of other women, and a simple catch-up helps me stay the best version of me. In turn I’m a better mom, wife, and designer.” -Jamie Banks, Founder of Change of Scenery
Move it!
“Integrating movement into my life is one of my favorite forms of self-care. Movement not only contributes to me physically feeling good—higher energy and better sleep—but it has an incredible impact on my mental wellness. I especially enjoy cycling and try to prioritize getting on my bike and riding outside as often as possible. I do some of my best thinking and reflecting while riding and have found that carving out this type of time for myself is critical to my overall wellbeing.” -Ariela Safira, Founder of Real
Bodywork.
“I get a massage every Tuesday night, for two hours. It's not only a deep reset for my body but also for my mind.” -Chelsea N. Nassib, Founder of Tappan Collective
Playtime.
“Living in New York City with 5 kids and a crazy (but fun) job does not allow much time for wellness. I realized about a year ago that I needed to prioritize this and committed to three hours of tennis a week. I love that time. I play with some of my best friends and we challenge each other and laugh until we cry. Our coach helps us push ourselves and find that competitive spirit that I loved so much as a kid. For me, there is no better way to start the day than with my rockstar tennis crew.” -Jocelyn Moore Gailliot, Founder of Tuckernuck
Routine, routine, routine.
“My wellness routine has evolved tremendously over time. In my 30's I've worked to introduce more discipline and routine around exercising and my daily habits. This routine has been incredibly helpful in starting my day off right. As soon as I wake up, I brush my teeth, get my coffee ready, and walk my dog Rose. Then I clean up my inbox, finances, and get my day ready to work before I even start working which helps me start the day feeling organized and under control. This part of my routine never changes, and then throughout the week I ebb and flow between other wellness practices like journaling, meditation, different forms of exercise, and try to impose discipline while also listening to my body as it changes throughout the phases of the month. The one thing that has helped me over the years is tracking my period so I don't try to battle my body during different points in my menstrual cycle. This has allowed me to be kinder, more compassionate, and supportive with myself. I've really found that wellness for me means knowing when I can push myself mentally and physically and when I need to step back and take care of myself. I am able to keep track of how I'm doing through a personal support system that I've built by doing things like journaling, period monitoring, meditation, talking to friends, and different forms of therapy. The one thing that I know about my personal wellness habits is that they're complicated, integrated, and changing, so staying in touch with myself, tracking trends over time, and adjusting what makes me feel best has been core to supporting myself in good times and bad.” -Lauren Singer, Founder of Package Free
Listen.
“Wellness to me is respecting my body as I allow it to function as the miracle it is. Prioritizing the things that bring balance and healing like sunlight, water, movement and breath. Allowing the body to show symptoms and not shut them down. Listening carefully so I can shift and change in response. How we live is our medicine.” -Joy Harari, Founder of Shore Magic
Time management.
"Personally and professionally, wellness is about balance and finding happiness. Just as it is important to prioritize movement, greens and hydrating, it is also important to make time for dinner with friends, having the french fries and sleeping in. -Dria Murphy, Founder of Alise Collective and by dria.
