A Side of Syrup Podcast - EP016: Finding Room for Daily Gratitude with Sabena Suri
Hitting the pause button to move forward
In today's episode strategist, entrepreneur, and leader to the core Sabena Suri explains not only her career path and how everything's sort of built on another based on her big brain and sort of intuition of where she wanted to go. Wellness-wise, she also talks about the importance of pausing taking a moment sitting still and figuring things out an important lesson for all of us at any stage of life or career or parenthood. Sabena also has really awesome strategies of small ways she incorporates wellness into her life. It's not overwhelming and the habits all built upon each other. I think you'll really find her quick actionable tips to be super smart and easy to implement - which is the way wellness should be.
As promised in the show notes, the formula for Sabena’s daily gratitude practice:
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About our guest:
In 2014, Sabena cofounded BOXFOX, an ecommerce gifting company, with two friends, Chelsea Moore and Jenni Olivero. In her 8 years as Chief Strategy Officer, she defined BOXFOX’s business vision and strategy, helped onboard hundreds of brands to its marketplace, and scaled Concierge, the company’s corporate gifting arm for Fortune 500s and small businesses. In 2021, she was Chief Product Officer at DEUX (a vegan cookie dough company), responsible for manufacturing, fulfillment, and new product strategy. Sabena is currently Head of Curation at Canal, where she oversees a network of 300+ DTC brands and leads a team of matchmakers to create mutually beneficial partnerships to support thematic marketplaces, marketing collabs, and product drops within the network. She has been named to Forbes30Under30 and is a Tory Burch Fellow.
Resources:
Connect with Sabena:
Instagram: @itssabena
Twitter: Sabena Suri
LinkedIn: Sabena Suri
Connect with Shannon:
Website: thisissyrup.com
Instagram: @shannonpfef
Private FB Community: Eating 4 Energy Wellness Community
Facebook: www.facebook.com/syrupcoaching
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/syrupcoaching
Syrup free resources: thisissyrup.com/resource-library
Full episode transcript:
Hi! My name is Shannon Pfeffer. I'm obsessed with understanding the how and the why behind feeling good and translating that knowledge into strategies that help you live better.
Each week we'll dive into conversations about food, fitness, stress, career, and family. We'll learn from each other, feel more connected, and we'll explore ways to design a life you love.
So what are you waiting for? Keep listening for tips, tricks, and fun facts about feeling good, looking good, and living better. And don't forget to bring a snack. This is the A Side of Syrup Podcast.
00:00.00
syrupcoaching
In today's episode strategist to the core Sabena Suri explains not only her career path and how everything's sort of built on another based on her big brain and sort of intuition of where she wanted to go. But. She also talks about the importance of pausing taking a moment sitting still and figuring things out an important lesson for all of us at any stage life career parent so important to to sit and figure out. What to do versus just go go go go go. Ah, besides that Sabena also has really awesome strategies of small ways. She incorporates wellness into her life. So it's not overwhelming. It's just a habit and the habits all built upon each other so she like says. Very balanced, really efficient with her time her energy her space um sort of life. So there's a lot to learn from her today as always with our guests. But I think you'll really find her quick actionable tips to be. Super smart and easy to implement and 1 tip that she does morning and night she set me the formula for so check it out in the show notes after you're done listing to the episode.
00:01.22
Sabena Suri
Hi Shannon.
00:01.23
syrupcoaching
Hi Savena Hi I'm so happy you are here today. Um, it's been forever since we've caught up and we no longer live in the same city. So there's lots of life updates to discuss. But um.
00:16.83
Sabena Suri
Um I see.
00:18.70
syrupcoaching
First and foremost we've known each other for a while our listeners today will love to know who you are where you're at what you do and then we can kind of dive into a bunch of questions.
00:30.50
Sabena Suri
Yeah, absolutely so and I'm Sabena I'm in San Francisco currently so recording this from pack heights neighborhood. Um I we met actually must have been like twelve years ago or something I don't even know. A while ago and that was when I was living in l a we met at ogil v which you know the ad agency. Um and you know loved loved connecting there. That was my first job out of college worked in brand strategy for a few years then started my own company boxbox.
00:47.13
syrupcoaching
Um, a long time ago.
01:06.86
Sabena Suri
Um, that was all in l a an ecommerce gifting company which we can definitely get more into and then now I'm at a company called canal based in San Francisco which is an ecommerce tech startup.
01:21.54
syrupcoaching
That's awesome. Yeah for for those of you guys who don't know Ogilvy is one of the biggest ad agencies in the world and it was really awesome that Sabena and I got to work in the same department and sort of learn and grow from there and. The network that you build at those big companies like never goes away. You know you you just? yeah, you know someone everywhere. Um and you know like like us. We've just stayed in touch. You know and I've followed your career over the past couple years and you've just done the most.
01:38.98
Sabena Suri
Never. Um, wealth.
01:55.90
syrupcoaching
Interesting things. So I I mean I have ah have a funny story that I'm earmarking for later but I do have a question for you of you know Ogil V As many big global companies are pretty corporate.
02:01.93
Sabena Suri
Um I hope but.
02:11.39
Sabena Suri
This here.
02:13.24
syrupcoaching
You know it's a it's a creative agency but pretty corporate. How did you sort of shift out of that and start your own thing like what what was like your mindset you were Also you were so young to be like I'm going to make change.
02:23.29
Sabena Suri
Um, yeah, totally people I think like the fact that I was really young made it a lot easier to be honest, like I think about this often where I'm like. You just have so much less fear at that age like you you look at kids and like they're just so fearless and not that I was a kid but same idea where like you just have this beginners mindset which is awesome. Um, but basically I at ogilvi to your point about meaning amazing people I met my and. Who would become like 1 of my co-founders Chelsea and he became like fast friends at ogil v kind of stayed in touch as I went to a few other agencies. She worked as well in at few agencies and basically one night we were at earth in Santa Monica eating chicken case Diaz. And we sort of were talking about this idea for it was like a bunch of our friends were moving across the country and we um realized like there was no way to kind of like be there for them when we couldn't be there physically and that was sort of like. Such an aha moment of like why is there? No way to send like a beautiful curated gift to friends and like kind of really like that experience that you have of like going to all your favorite stores gathering and like putting something together that feels personal so we just had this like conversation honestly and we're like.
03:41.60
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
03:50.18
Sabena Suri
Think we could do this and we could. We could try and see like where it goes but it was really kind of such a passion project like it was truly like we're excited by this. We Want to do something that is sort of a creative expression of ourselves outside of our careers and so I don't even think it at that. It was a conscious shift from like corporate to creative as much as it was like let's follow something. We're interested in um, and over time it sort of became like okay we're making this shift and we're going all in and all of that. So.
04:16.38
syrupcoaching
Right? for right.
04:26.44
Sabena Suri
Um, that was like early days I would say of foxbox and oh yeah, no I was just well oh sorry.
04:31.71
syrupcoaching
It's it's so awesome I I I just remember you like No no so sorry I'm just doing to cut you up. But I remember like when your Linkedin profile changed and. I I think you were another agency at the time and I saw you did this then like wait wait wait. What is she do you know like I want to know more about this and then I started ordering it once you guys what's a guide launch. Um, but continue on into your story I was just a fanning girl going out.
04:54.27
Sabena Suri
Um I.
04:58.91
Sabena Suri
Um, yeah know no thank you I I um, it's it's a really interesting kind of point because I to your point like I was working at an agency called Deutsch at the time. Loved what I was doing like my dream was always like working for him strategy like. I love consumer insights I love I'm a brand nerd at heart like I just love that stuff and so I I was really feeling like that was where my career was going and that really always excited me I like that there was a path forward because I'm a pretty like type a person. Um and box Fox was like none of those things.
05:34.53
syrupcoaching
Um. Okay.
05:36.31
Sabena Suri
It was like not guaranteed. There was no like structured path didn't know a lot of things but I also am somebody who understands like I love to take like a calculated risk and so it felt like at the time I was going to be um, kind of like doing something that.
05:47.68
syrupcoaching
She says.
05:55.73
Sabena Suri
Felt like at least I understood the market opportunity if that makes sense like I understood that there was like something that needed to be built and that was like the main sort of driver for me was I think this is actually a really really good idea and not like drove me forward? Um, but there was. About from I would say from um, like early 20 or late 2014 to late twenty sixteen I was working um at Deutsch so I was managing both and I was basically it was.
06:24.78
syrupcoaching
Um, I mean.
06:28.60
syrupcoaching
Like I ask.
06:31.11
Sabena Suri
Time at deut and then like nights and weekends with foxbox and it was a lot like that balance was just like insane but to your point I mean I was like 24 to 26 years old and I didn't have like a lot of other responsibilities. You just kind of go with it and it's.
06:40.26
syrupcoaching
Um, mean, um.
06:49.72
Sabena Suri
Fun and you have a lot of energy energy. Yeah, exactly you're like don't eat sleep I don't need like healthy meals eat any of the things you know, um, have a workout routine because you don't need it. It was crazy. Ah I'm like those days. Um.
06:50.15
syrupcoaching
Um, you don't need sleep then yeah.
07:02.98
syrupcoaching
Yep yep.
07:07.62
Sabena Suri
But yeah, so it it just felt like it was a lot but it was also very invigorating and and exciting and then um like the tipping point I guess came for boxbox when it felt like that balance was like way too much and in Boxbox just needed more and more of my time and. I Found myself drawn to thinking about poxbox more and like wanting to to just spend more time there. Yeah.
07:29.53
syrupcoaching
Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, and and it was probably interesting too because you got to like work a different side of your brain and figure out like I feel like in Brand Strategy. It's like figuring out a lot of like the the brands. Yeah. A lot of like aha moments about that brand and figuring out like their roadmap but this was like a totally different realm like you probably like logistics and shipping and a stockroom of products I Can only imagine.
07:53.56
Sabena Suri
Um.
08:03.58
Sabena Suri
Um, yeah, totally yeah, it was definitely a different side of the brain and a different skill set and I think the thing I really loved from going to like more of an advisory type of role which you are as like a strategist sort of like the.
08:14.60
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah.
08:17.89
Sabena Suri
Bird on this one specific area. You become to your point like a generalist which is awesome. But also you can have like you can see the impact of something you do like that same you know or like that same day or that month like you're able to like just launch test.
08:30.83
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah me.
08:37.46
Sabena Suri
Learn iterate um in a way that you know when you're coming in like from the outside you're like this is what you should do and you're right? but to get the client to do that like there's just it's a very different sort of like process as you're well aware.
08:37.78
syrupcoaching
Here just.
08:52.74
syrupcoaching
Totally totally. Yeah and I think that another interesting thing which you in your previous job. You didn't get to do so much because you at an age as you mostly get placed on brands. You know there's here's your expertise and here's a new client that came in or you got to help out the New York office cool but you probably got firsthand like getting to know so many brands that you brought in like how was that too because some of them are smaller. Some of them are bigger like um.
09:08.10
Sabena Suri
Um, is there.
09:27.69
syrupcoaching
Yeah, there's always been an interesting curation of all things like we we love and when we didn't know we should love because it's like our new favorite thing.
09:33.13
Sabena Suri
Um, totally totally no. That was honestly like for me, what was so amazing about the job and like so amazing about what we were building. We. Felt like again like the reason we loved sort of the experience of like going into a local boutique or gift shop like somebody had curated that somebody had said these are the brands and products you should know your friend is going to love this candle. She's going to love this little hand soap or this. Cream or things like that and we felt like there was no one really doing that online for gifting at the time and so um I think exactly your point like getting to curate that experience and make it kind of all the best things under 1 roof and also getting to know the people behind those brands.
10:13.53
syrupcoaching
Right? Flavor me.
10:27.86
Sabena Suri
And so like a lot of the work was connecting with these founders and learning about their story and their mission and their values and figuring out how we could like storytell around their products with like curations that we were doing through the boxes. So It was a lot of like. Honestly, like art and science and like matchmaking and and thinking about like again like what type of story we really wanted to tell which was so rewarding.
10:50.99
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
10:57.90
syrupcoaching
Yeah, it's so awesome. My um, my best friend and I would we had sent a couple boxes back and forth. But now now we have a boxbox mystery box that we filled with our own stuff but we we literally we've hung onto it.
11:07.40
Sabena Suri
Oh what.
11:12.71
syrupcoaching
And then the other person does not know if it's a box Fox or if it's like a mystery box. Um, yeah, yeah, and but it's just it's the company like I know that's not probably not the goal but um, but.
11:20.87
Sabena Suri
Um, but so I love that fun.
11:32.40
syrupcoaching
It started a tradition between friends who don't live in the same city like she lived in l a for a long time. She lives in Seattle now and you know, thoughtful sweet gifts like with a story to them.
11:35.31
Sabena Suri
Um, this name.
11:49.90
syrupcoaching
Have just like kept the friendship going. It's been four years now we've been doing this so um, but you do yeah, you just inspired that and then inspired sort of like that that new behavior between the 2 of us and it's just it's.
11:54.16
Sabena Suri
Um, about.
12:05.51
syrupcoaching
The most like special thing to get that in the mail. So.
12:08.43
Sabena Suri
Ah, that makes me so happy. That's amazing I mean that really really is the goal like I think it's It's interesting because like so there's so much talk about like is gifting your love language and like is that do you like gifts to like you know exactly feel loved and.
12:21.74
syrupcoaching
Um, where.
12:26.20
Sabena Suri
I think for us, it's like it's never about the gifts like we have many box boxes that are like 1 product like it could be like a face mask. That's like $5 or something. It's it's like but it's the idea that like I thought of you there's a message inside like this reminded me of you.
12:28.37
syrupcoaching
Over.
12:34.96
syrupcoaching
Um, leave.
12:45.30
Sabena Suri
And to your point like getting something in the mail. It's just like it really is like an age old art you know and like to be able to like Fuse that into today's world is like awesome.
12:50.44
syrupcoaching
Made. Yeah, yeah I mean think that they're so everyone has felt so lonely the past couple of years and dynamics of friendships and what it means to like be her for someone totally shifted. But I think like the simple act of.
13:09.58
Sabena Suri
Um I.
13:13.36
syrupcoaching
Just because like I'm thinking of you I want to send something your way like it's so meaningful and especially now um it just you The fact that you've come across. Someone's mind and they're thinking about you and want to you know, want you to know that like.
13:31.42
Sabena Suri
Right.
13:33.20
syrupcoaching
It's so special so you know I Just think that it's just it's an idea that worked then in inception but it's such an idea that that continues to to work now.
13:42.24
Sabena Suri
Totally I Love that It's very true.
13:46.90
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah, so then I guess my my curious mind is thinking about like all the products and stuff that you you worked with like were there any like brands that you start using yourself and you're like this is gonna be part of my routine or like.
14:00.13
Sabena Suri
Are.
14:05.48
syrupcoaching
Lighting this candle you know is now part of my routine like any kind of like self-care thing.
14:09.52
Sabena Suri
Yeah, totally um I would say there's a lot. Um, one would be voluspa candles are like 1 of our best selling product like brands and products. So i.
14:21.56
syrupcoaching
Manner.
14:24.56
Sabena Suri
Have 1 in like every room of my house like I just I love I love them. They smell amazing. They do so many like seasonal collections and stuff. So I'm a big candle person just because I think it can like really like elevate a space in a mood and um so I love those I'd say um, way that. Um, Jen Atkins like hair care brand. They also have like a lot of body care and I'm obsessed with like the hand cream and that the body butter as well is amazing I use it I think pretty much every day. Um, so those are a couple There's these face masks called lapco space mask. There's like milk.
14:49.62
syrupcoaching
In this.
15:01.36
syrupcoaching
It read.
15:03.72
Sabena Suri
Honey aqua collagen bunch of different types. So I love those and I'll use them just like if I want like a skin refresh. Um, so those are like 3 off the top of my head. But honestly 1 works is I had access to all these products so I could always be like trying them and um.
15:15.37
syrupcoaching
Um, with.
15:19.59
syrupcoaching
Okay.
15:22.29
Sabena Suri
What I liked and it was. It's just like very fun to be able to discover like new things for your routine.
15:30.51
syrupcoaching
Totally and hey you you gave us some like key knowledge here of like 3 things you you loved and you've loved over time. So I know those work. Um, when I was in college I worked seasonally at Sephora and it was like so not.
15:38.54
Sabena Suri
Well.
15:45.30
Sabena Suri
Place to.
15:48.47
syrupcoaching
Not the same but you know it was like we got all these products if you if you met a sales goal for the day you got to take home something whatever you wanted. So I would come back from college with like bins of things and I'd be like guys take them but like okay here's my recommendation on this fragrance. You know it wears off but wear it at night put on 5 spritzs this ah eyeliner is great. This don't waste your time on this. But if you want to give it to your sister. Go ahead. Um, you know, but I feel like there's so much out there and if like you have that like.
16:11.80
Sabena Suri
Um.
16:16.85
Sabena Suri
Um, yeah, and.
16:22.24
syrupcoaching
Hands on experience trying something or like it's now a stple on your life like it's got to be good.
16:26.77
Sabena Suri
Totally Yes, it's like that you get, There's a lot of noise which is why it's important to like I think the recommendation in the curation piece is like so important whether it's like through a friend or like through a business you trust or whatever it is for sure.
16:41.84
syrupcoaching
Totally totally and then so taking like all you learn from Box Fox Now tell me a little bit more about what you do with canal because you work with brands but in a different way.
16:54.94
Sabena Suri
Yes, absolutely so boxbox was an eight year sort of endeavor and it's still continuing to run doing very well. My co-founders are doing an amazing job for me personally I sort of reached a point post covid as so many people.
17:13.97
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
17:14.79
Sabena Suri
Did you know? Ah, but I felt like covered was really really great for a boxbox the business as you can imagine like people were gifting for the exact reasons we talked about um which was so incredible. But I think for me, it just started to feel like it was.
17:24.66
syrupcoaching
You.
17:34.48
Sabena Suri
A lot honestly and like sort of taking it was like instead of sort of like the idea of it getting a little bit easier over time for me I think I started to just like invest more and more like mental energy and physical energy and it felt.
17:34.87
syrupcoaching
Then.
17:50.88
Sabena Suri
Honestly, like it was reaching a little bit of an unsustainable point and I was just I was ready for it was partly partly burnout. But also I think underneath the burnout. Even if I was working through that I think it was um, realizing that like I was ready for a new challenge and like my growth. Was I was at ah a place you know where I wanted to see new growth and I was ready for a new chapter I just didn't know what that chapter was so that was all sort of last year um around like between like March and July ish that period lot of school searching.
18:24.83
syrupcoaching
Here.
18:29.16
Sabena Suri
Trip to Mexico just trying to like get my head straight. Um and I I was exploring a lot of different things honestly I didn't know like to your point like how I was going to leverage everything I learned as really like wearing every hat.
18:29.34
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
18:42.51
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah, yeah.
18:47.32
Sabena Suri
Right? So it's like I've done the curation piece I pulled the sales team and like built up our corporate gifting business I've done like HR and like operations and just the whole gamut. Um, and so I actually was introduced to the Ceo and founder of Canal Bennett um
18:55.91
syrupcoaching
Um, really.
19:03.80
syrupcoaching
Here.
19:06.77
Sabena Suri
Like last fall and we had a great conversation. Essentially what canal does is it allows brands in um, in its network to like Crossell each other's products. So what that means is like ah a brand can plug into another Brand's store and basically like.
19:17.48
syrupcoaching
Here.
19:26.74
Sabena Suri
Be the inventory within that store. Um, so to use like a great example of like way again like if Wei wanted to have a marketplace and they have all these like amazing like skincare and hair products but they also wanted to sell like healthy snacks that their customer would like.
19:28.71
syrupcoaching
With. See you.
19:45.30
Sabena Suri
They could use canal to do that and basically like stock their shell like healthy snacks. Um, and when I say stock their shelves I should say stock their digital shelves because it's all online. Ah yeah, so so that's kind of like the concept.
19:46.14
syrupcoaching
There.
19:52.50
syrupcoaching
Okay, right? never airing. Yeah.
20:00.83
Sabena Suri
And we also do a lot of stuff with like creators who want to have their own like what we call a storefront. So maybe they have an amazing audience but and a big audience but they don't have like a way to actually sell the products that they're recommending So we allow them to create what we call a storefront and that's.
20:03.28
syrupcoaching
Are there.
20:19.52
Sabena Suri
Completely like owned and managed by them and then they can like add products as they see fit so that's canal and I basically was brought on after like Bennett and I were chatting and.
20:20.12
syrupcoaching
Yes. Um, yeah.
20:32.90
Sabena Suri
He wanted he wanted somebody to basically come in and help them decide like what brands they should be including in their network and like obviously that was like a dream job for me because I was back to the root curation and thinking about what the best brands in every category are and um.
20:41.70
syrupcoaching
Um, you are yeah.
20:51.87
Sabena Suri
So I was like this is amazing because I have so many brands that I know but also I'm I'm always discovering new brands like that's a passion for me. So I think staying connected to like the D to C ecosystem and um, staying connected to founders is really exciting. Um.
20:56.12
syrupcoaching
Leadership.
21:10.57
Sabena Suri
And so that's really the job and then also um with that with building the network matchmaking like those brands that we're bringing in with brands who want to have these marketplaces and who want to start something you know like a storefront. So um.
21:18.79
syrupcoaching
Hit.
21:25.48
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
21:28.50
Sabena Suri
It's really fun I really love it I've been there for few months now like four or five months and teams amazing and I'm just obsessed with the idea. So it's it's really really amazing
21:31.79
syrupcoaching
The.
21:39.28
syrupcoaching
Yeah I mean you said it first when you were talking but I was going to say it too of like your career came full circle like I yeah and a strategist mind like never dies like.
21:46.22
Sabena Suri
Yes.
21:55.49
syrupcoaching
You're always going to be curious. You're always going to want to figure things out and it just like your career story. Just totally makes sense of how you got to be where you where you are now and um, you know I I used to do career coaching.
21:55.75
Sabena Suri
Um.
22:11.64
syrupcoaching
Um, the past couple of years before I really shifted into health and wellness and it's so funny to hear people talk about their old jobs and like you know this is what I did and this is what I did and then talk about where they've landed like somewhere Amazing. You can just hear the shift in your voice. And none that anything was wrong about those other jobs they led you to where you are at now. But it's like this like like ah like a piece. You know you're just like happy and relaxed is where I'm supposed to be like this is this is it. Um, because.
22:31.31
Sabena Suri
Um, when.
22:34.60
Sabena Suri
Totally.
22:41.40
Sabena Suri
Um, is there.
22:49.95
syrupcoaching
That just fulfills you in so many other areas of your life If you've got like that basic day-to-day set. Um I did want to ask a little bit about burnout because I feel especially as women and especially as type a women like we are it happens.
22:57.96
Sabena Suri
Perma.
23:08.85
syrupcoaching
A lot like you mentioned going to Mexico was that a solo trip or what what other things were you doing to try to like get over that burnout feeling and figure stuff out.
23:19.81
Sabena Suri
Yeah I mean that time period I would say I was trying to really connect with like my own intuition and like try to be like Okay, let's let's like take away all the noise of like what you should be doing what like you've been conditioned. Think you want and like what even just like what's coming your way because that can also be like you're reacting to a lot of things that may not be right for you. You know like there's a lot of like noise if that makes sense and so I was really.
23:52.16
syrupcoaching
Um, it.
23:56.17
Sabena Suri
I would say like a lot of Journaling really helped me um, a lot of exercise and movement just as much as possible to like for me that's a grounding and it can can get me out of my head which is really good. Um, a lot of just like confiding in friends and family and in a way that was like. Can you just like hear me out not like can you tell me what it's supposed to do I Think that's a nuance for sure. Um, and yeah I mean those were like the main things that I would say really helped me at that time. But.
24:15.58
syrupcoaching
In here.
24:25.15
syrupcoaching
Um, okay.
24:28.96
Sabena Suri
More than anything. It's like it is a very uncomfortable feeling to not know what's next and to be like almost like for me the hardest part and I remember I actually went to Mexico a couple of times one was tolum. Um, which was more spiritual and that kind of thing and then one was Mexico City which was like more of a fun trip.
24:33.28
syrupcoaching
Okay. Um, yeah, yeah.
24:46.81
syrupcoaching
With.
24:48.33
Sabena Suri
And on that Mexico City I remember journaling about this where I was like oh my gosh like have I just like reached the pinnacle like is this it and like not that like it was even from like an egocentric place like I've done everything it was more like.
24:58.60
syrupcoaching
Um, and yeah.
25:05.74
Sabena Suri
Where do I go from here that like is going to be sort of like a new challenge like do did I Just like do it and now do I Just not do anything you know and I think a lot of women relate to that like sort of like fear of the other side and just like how do you almost like one up what you've done and I think.
25:13.30
syrupcoaching
With yeah.
25:25.62
Sabena Suri
To your point doesn't have to be like a one up like just because like people ask me this like how do you go from being like a co-founder of a business to like working for someone else and like sort of having this like does that feel like a step back or step down or something and. Honestly, for me, you said this as well like I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be because there's so many other things in my life right now that frankly like weren't there when I was starting and and building boxbox like I have a lot of other priorities I have a lot of other things that.
25:59.60
syrupcoaching
Um, if you.
26:04.75
Sabena Suri
I I want to do both within work but also outside of work and I think knowing sort of like where you're supposed to be for different stages of life is also like really powerful. So I think that was a big aha moment and that that opened a lot of other doors for me in a way that. Before I was so like 1 track mine like am I just going to start another company and what is it going to be. You know? So why right? totally.
26:27.17
syrupcoaching
Um, totally totally in that pressure Alone. You know I haven't to come up with another brilliant idea like that's debilitating. Um, yeah. But I I Loved what you did and how you explain all the different facets of what you did because a lot of people when they face Burnout they speed up and they're like I got to get out of that I'm gonna go do extreme cardio and I'm gonna just fight through this I'm enough power through it but like you slow down.
26:50.12
Sabena Suri
Is it.
27:00.55
syrupcoaching
You know you you took some breaths you and you went on the trips like you Journal you really like looked inward to see what you and your body and your mind needed where that's so smart and I think a lot of people are not as in Tune probably and move try to move past.
27:01.29
Sabena Suri
Is ah.
27:10.11
Sabena Suri
The.
27:18.91
syrupcoaching
Versus like let's get centered here and let's make the next move.
27:21.90
Sabena Suri
1 yeah, which I mean to be totally honest like I'm so guilty of too. There's definitely times where I'm like this is really uncomfortable. The only way I think I can get out of it is just like distracting myself and like.
27:33.00
syrupcoaching
Yeah.
27:38.92
Sabena Suri
Running away from it. It's just you know and I think but I guess what I've learned over the years like that doesn't actually get me where I need to go like that's going to It's almost going to put me in a in a state of like lack and making me feel like I'm like I just It's almost like survival mode in a weird way where like that would be a position where then I would take what I can get so to speak and it would just become very like um yeah, exactly that and I I knew that like but in doing that like even if that felt like a good solution in the short term in the long term I would.
28:01.00
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
28:17.84
Sabena Suri
Really end up like regretting not going inward.
28:20.93
syrupcoaching
Yeah, for sure and and like like me like you because of past experience. There's always a job There's always someone saying like you should apply to this or you're starting to look like here's this like you could keep saying yes to all those jobs. But if you don't like take that that beat to be like what's next for me like not just career wise but like Lifewise you know you saw what it was like to be a founder and how an entrepreneur is almost like the loneliest job sometimes because no one quite gets.
28:47.90
Sabena Suri
The.
28:58.71
syrupcoaching
All the hats that you wear. Um, but anyway it's I just I applaud you for like really figuring it out instead of just saying yes to whatever opportunity came or was knocking at your door because you you like I said before you have this like sense of peace and um. You know there's the the vibrncies to your voice like you can just hear it so you are you laid the foundation to get to such an amazing place and we could all take that lesson. Yeah, okay.
29:29.20
Sabena Suri
Was me kill.
29:35.15
syrupcoaching
Um, I do I mean if anyone has followed you on Instagram you are fabulously dressed all the time and it just look like the picture of health so can you spill some secret sauce I see a peloton I see some weights behind you like.
29:44.51
Sabena Suri
Um, was.
29:49.30
Sabena Suri
Are.
29:54.79
syrupcoaching
What is what is your routine and what can we steal from you.
29:59.00
Sabena Suri
Oh thank you? That's that's very nice. Um I I would say like that the secret sauce for me is it's it's like a combo of getting enough sleep I definitely need 8 hours of sleep. No matter what? which I don't have kids so I like. I know that that's that's probably a short. No, that's possible. But for now it's amazing. Why like I'm gonna enjoy it until I can't anymore. But for now. Love 8 hours um and I would say I drink a ton of water so that's like another big like just.
30:19.70
syrupcoaching
Um I Enjoy enjoy it. You.
30:35.50
Sabena Suri
Feeling good um, not snacking as much it like helps like regulate just like appetite and all of that. Um I would say like something that I've been doing in the last like probably gear that I'd really like is I will do I tried meditation for a very long time and.
30:52.81
syrupcoaching
Yes.
30:54.26
Sabena Suri
I Definitely understand that why it's great and like I think my mind can can race and so it's it can be great for that. But I think I am somebody who I realize like I need to process life like through my own filter like if I if I just like live every day and I don't like kind of.
31:00.51
syrupcoaching
With.
31:14.19
Sabena Suri
Take in what things mean to me and like what experiences like how they're affecting me positively negatively things like that I'm like I'll reach a point where I'm I've had this happen multiple times but I'll just be very like confused sort of and they'll feel like ah like. Out of sorts like how did I get here even though nothing may have changed I just feel like life happened and I didn't like process. It. So I've been trying to do on my morning and evening walks which I try to take like at least a little walk with my dog I will write like literally just like simply like.
31:39.92
syrupcoaching
Yep.
31:50.71
Sabena Suri
Couple things I'm grateful for something I'm looking forward to that day something I'll do for myself that day and um, like just like a like a mood word for the day and then an evening I'll do something similar but it's more like reflect on what happened um something I would change. To like change that to be better tomorrow and so that little reflection like for me and then I'll take a like I'll take a photo in the morning just like whatever I'm doing so I just remember it. Um, it's like it's literally 5 minutes in the morning couple minutes at night. It's not crazy, but.
32:20.78
syrupcoaching
Um, if.
32:29.50
Sabena Suri
Um, it really helps me just like again process life which I think is like that's been a game changer for just like I don't know in it if that makes sense. Um, um.
32:37.80
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah, boy and I like that. Ah like as a visual person I just was listening to you and I'm like this is such a smart idea of just you know sets in tension for the day and also like wraps it up at night. So. Let's say something bad happens in the day and you reflected on it and you're able to sleep where if you didn't do that you might just your mind might be racing and like you're losing out on that precious 8 hours of sleep.
33:06.82
Sabena Suri
Like totally totally and you're like you're like processing it in your sleep or something like it I don't even you know So ah yeah, those are those are probably my my big things and in general I think I just I I Personally love.
33:13.58
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
33:21.65
Sabena Suri
Like fashion and dressing as a means to like creatively express myself to I think that's definitely a part of who I am and like I I do think that like if I can feel if I can put on a nice outfit like I'm just going to be in a better mood. Um, and all of that. But you know again covered.
33:35.25
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
33:40.36
Sabena Suri
Covid was tough because it was a lot of sweat pains every day. Um, so it feels good to like at least be out of that a little bit.
33:47.64
syrupcoaching
Um.
33:48.93
syrupcoaching
My gosh you live life in color and I just want I want I want times where I could dress up again and and be inspired to like go out. So thank you for posting great outfits because I love that? Ah okay I Just like.
34:00.94
Sabena Suri
Ah, a.
34:05.81
syrupcoaching
Just like a silly question but like I struggle sometimes with drinking water. How do you do like? do you have like a vessel that like measures things out. Do you have like a timer like do you use flick flavored water like I feel like a lot of people struggle with this and for me right now with 3
34:10.90
Sabena Suri
You say.
34:24.25
syrupcoaching
Incredibly young children I go to coffee so much more than water and it's a bad habit like how how do you drink a lot of water.
34:24.35
Sabena Suri
Yeah, by name.
34:34.80
Sabena Suri
Yeah, um, for me, it's like having something with a straw So I have this like water bottle and has a straw but I I think that's like the biggest. Thing like it just needs to be so easy because if you're like having to dump it into your mouth and like a meeting. You're just not going to do it. This is like much easier. Um, my coworkers are all obsessed with like the Stanley quencher the one with the handle that's like really big. Yeah.
34:51.17
syrupcoaching
The end.
34:58.49
syrupcoaching
The big one. Yeah.
35:03.34
Sabena Suri
Like all swear by it. Um, it's like apparently like a cult product. So I don't I don't know but they're always exactly. They're always sold out. They're like possible to get. But if you can want one. Apparently they're amazing because they're they're big and you can kind of like maybe I think part of it is like filling it up less.
35:06.26
syrupcoaching
Um I love it out. Yeah I.
35:22.72
Sabena Suri
Frequently but having it. There is like really the trick. Um, but yeah I think like if you do struggle with it. A timer would be really good like just on the hour or something you know because for me as long as I can see it I'm probably going to be picking it up but like if if that's not enough I would say like.
35:23.90
syrupcoaching
Um, and you know.
35:32.53
syrupcoaching
Save.
35:42.47
Sabena Suri
Definitely like a timer or something.
35:45.41
syrupcoaching
yeah yeah I think my my watch tells me to get up like once an hour like that it should be like get up and drink water Apple are you listening? Are you listening your new watch is coming out. Um, but yeah, that's helpful because what I've seen around. Ah.
35:47.97
Sabena Suri
Yeah, digital water and.
36:02.97
syrupcoaching
Social media these days is this like insane jug and it's like a motivational jug and like I've actually seen people like carrying it around I'm like how do you carry that it's kind of we like 10 bouts.
36:05.37
Sabena Suri
Um, yes, yeah, this is.
36:15.40
Sabena Suri
My sister and her boyfriend have them and they're like I mean not to be I think they're like so ugly and I'm like if I had to like look at that be like like they're like rainbow colored and I'm like it doesn't I think if it works.
36:28.39
syrupcoaching
That is.
36:32.83
Sabena Suri
And like you feel incentivized to finish it every day and like I guess it's doing its job so it can't really hate. But um, those aren for me. Yeah.
36:39.61
syrupcoaching
Um, I know but I have to laugh on like I think I'd rather have the Stanley the giant Stanley Mug that's probably really heavy versus the motivational.
36:49.71
Sabena Suri
Um, yeah, say the.
36:52.84
syrupcoaching
Or Left group 2 Evils Scar Ah um, so I mean you've done like so much you know sort of soul searchching and he have these amazing habits like what I also trying to do is to teach people like wellness is not. Always this like huge lifestyle change that like it doesn't have to be allcompassing like my first name but my childhood dog name is was candy because we all love Candy I Love sugar I Love um.
37:27.72
Sabena Suri
Um, yeah I Love sugar. Yes.
37:30.61
syrupcoaching
Um, not gonna ever give that up. Ah, but I think that when people think of like wellness or I do and withhelll coaching like they are so freaked out and intimidated because it's like I have to change everything I do or I don't even know where to get into this like I mean. Test out weird things like I'm testing out mouth taping right now. Um yes, really? yes, really helps you breathe and sleep easier. Although the first time I tried to sleep while doing it I had a complete panic attack.
37:54.74
Sabena Suri
Um, are you liking it? oh.
38:08.48
syrupcoaching
And like went down a Google rabbit hole. Um, but it really I I'm doing like a six week tests before I like really report out on it. But I'm so far something? Yes, but yeah, yeah, but.
38:11.59
Sabena Suri
Um, but.
38:13.30
Sabena Suri
Um, yeah, but how okay good to know.
38:24.80
syrupcoaching
I Think people like maybe think like oh I heard this weird article on goop and like that's what wellness is or the mouth taping stuff I'm doing I wouldn't expect someone who's like trying to get rid of like tension headaches to go all the way to mouth taping. You know that's like a huge um.
38:31.45
Sabena Suri
Um, you know.
38:40.80
Sabena Suri
What.
38:45.19
syrupcoaching
A huge thing for them to leap over um, but like in your in your terms in your world like how do you define wellness like what do you think that is in your life out there in like the culture of people today.
38:45.53
Sabena Suri
My.
39:01.10
Sabena Suri
Yeah, um I would say Wellness is ultimately about like feeling good in your own skin I think um and I feel like that for me at least is like I see it as like mind body. Spirit something something like that you know and like I personally I don't know I I think like I try to practice it in the same sort of like framework where I'm like okay that I'm going to do something for each each of those every day and that's. You know that can sound like oh my God like how do you do that. But it can be so small. It's like okay for my body I'm not going to like I want to eat this cuffcake because I love sugar and like that's that looks great, but I'm like okay if I just take a pause I'm like.
39:42.40
syrupcoaching
Um, the.
39:47.00
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
39:54.35
Sabena Suri
Love it. It's going to feel good and then I'm going to feel literally terrible I'm going to get a headache I'm going to then crave sugar 2 hours later it's going to set up set off this whole cycle. So let me just not. You know like. So I mean and it's sometimes that works and then sometimes it definitely doesn't of course like we're all human but I think um things like that where it's like if you sort of just always think like hey what how do I get myself to like actually feel the best and like not. I don't know this was a huge shift for me. It's like okay feeling the best isn't actually always going to be doing what I want in the moment. It's like thinking about how I'm going to feel later on which is definitely really to do. But I think even with a workout you're like maybe I don't want to work out but I know.
40:36.90
syrupcoaching
Um, we had.
40:46.25
Sabena Suri
If I can like think about how I'm going to feel after I'm going to be much more inclined to like want to like just do something you know? Um, so I think it's it's that it's like smaller things but even for like mind I think.
40:46.86
syrupcoaching
Um, in.
40:53.44
syrupcoaching
Hundred percent yeah
41:02.11
Sabena Suri
Doesn't have to be like meditate or even do like a gratitude practice. It can be like weed for 5 minutes before a bed like that's something like I do for like mental wellness and I read like fiction like just something super fun. You know, but I feel good going to bed like just with like a story.
41:12.47
syrupcoaching
It.
41:17.80
syrupcoaching
Train.
41:21.58
Sabena Suri
You know? So I think it's It's just more about like how like leaning deeper into the things that actually make you feel good in like the the long run.
41:34.12
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah, and I think of ah to jump on that too. It's like everybody is different like you have the things that work for you I have the things that were for me and there's a lot of like testing and learning that needs to happen because I too have a very hard time. Meditating? Um, but when I do I feel great doing it but maybe for someone else like that's their thing and they have no idea that that's their thing until they try it. Um and it doesn't have to be like a crazy like 20 minute 30 minute total silence. You know it can be the 5 minutes um
42:01.85
Sabena Suri
By.
42:10.56
Sabena Suri
Um, I this.
42:11.60
syrupcoaching
And it then that makes wellness like much more approachable and less scary and intimidating because you know everything you're doing now to like decrease the stress get rid of burnout to like focus on things. You're really grateful for those add so many. Not just like great moments to your life. But like yours to your life like people can really like take the moment and reflect and like not have this constant like fight or flight with their bodies. Um, those are people who can reduce chronic illness.
42:31.95
Sabena Suri
Was it one.
42:49.51
syrupcoaching
You know symptoms or even them happening or you know just keep the brain healthy. Keep the the breathing health for so much longer. So I love that you have like so many little ways that all add up to like very big you know Lifestyle change for you but like they're all helping in their own way.
43:07.54
Sabena Suri
Talk.
43:08.99
syrupcoaching
And nothing's conflicting with each other. It's just all working together with you. Yeah.
43:15.32
Sabena Suri
Um, and 1 other one other tip I just thought of that like I think has really helped my wellness is um, sort of just like getting rid of like things that I mean it's like Marie Kondo but literally like i. To get rid of things that like sort of like the way I see it is like cloud my wellness because like when I go into my closet for example and I'm like try on a sweater for like the twelfth time that like does not fit well never looks good with any of my pants. It's like that moment of like.
43:43.55
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah.
43:48.00
Sabena Suri
Hate the sweater and then it like spirals into like I hate everything I own I have nothing to wherever I need to go shopping like it's like this whole negative thought pattern um, that's so normal right? Like we all have that but it's like just then get rid of the sweater like you've tried it on 12 times. It doesn't look good. You hate it. So like.
44:00.33
syrupcoaching
Um, a let.
44:05.42
syrupcoaching
Um, yes.
44:07.41
Sabena Suri
You holding you know and I've had to do that with like like makeup and like you know like beauty stuff food like snacks spices like anything that just like is not working in my life I'm like okay maybe at one point I thought this great thing this thing I ordered on Amazon was going to like cure my you know, facial puppyiness or something and I never use it so I'm just going to like get and I've learned that honestly my boyfriend is like a total minimalist and like he hates to like have any clutter and he just like I don't know sometimes I'm like he's a monk he doesn't want things.
44:29.81
syrupcoaching
Yeah. Um, yeah.
44:45.50
Sabena Suri
But like you know I I respect the like it just gives you this clarity of thought that I think is like so important to like being somebody who like has wellness in their life.
44:45.61
syrupcoaching
Um, but.
44:51.22
syrupcoaching
And.
44:57.15
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah, and I and I think that plays into what you said before too of like feeling comfortable in your own Skin. You know why would you have stuff around that makes you uncomfortable or makes you second guess yourself like the.. There's some copy on my website about you know, like feeling good and looking good but it's not like superficial looking good. It's it's to you. You know like I want everybody to feel so good in their own skin because they feel good like in in all aspects like get rid of that. That's.
45:30.10
Sabena Suri
Um.
45:33.39
syrupcoaching
Sweater that like you had with the ex-boyfriend you wore cozy nights out it holds too many triggers and and memories like you know, get in an eating snacking habit that you feel good about because that's gonna make you have the confidence and that's gonna make you shine and look your best. Um. And and get that complete comfortable in the skinness because I think that that is so attractive in so many ways is like you see your really good girlfriend like that and you're just like Wow like what is she? you know like. She is her and and and I appreciate I Love her because she is not trying to be anybody Else. She is like all encompassing her um and in career wise and you know in people were attracted to. You know it's just like.
46:14.40
Sabena Suri
Business.
46:21.86
syrupcoaching
It's the best quality to have someone who's just so comfortable with who they are Yeah yeah, cool. Well I have one last question for you and it's a question that I ask everybody? Ah and.
46:24.75
Sabena Suri
Yeah, totally agree.
46:38.84
syrupcoaching
I Understand that if you have a couple answers for it like that's totally okay, um, but this started in college my college roommate and I would always sit around and be like we had a button to do something. What would it be I mean at that time it was probably like bring pizza um or like make break happen faster.
46:53.21
Sabena Suri
Um, yeah, what.
46:58.85
syrupcoaching
Ah, um, but is something I have like kiddingly said my whole life and when Amazon came out with our buttons I was like that could have been my idea. Um, but anyway, um, if you had a button.
47:09.53
Sabena Suri
Um.
47:15.91
syrupcoaching
And it would do anything in your life bring you anything give anything what would your button. Do.
47:25.57
Sabena Suri
I love this question. This is a really good one. Um I would say okay so I have 2 Um, what seems like more literal and then one is more spiritual I would say but the the literal one is I the button would.
47:30.80
syrupcoaching
Yes.
47:42.28
Sabena Suri
Bring me like a healthy home cooked meal on Demand Um, and that's just because I love I Love to eat healthy. It's like it to go back to wellness. It makes me feel my best but I am busy so a lot of times I'm ordering or just like hacking something together. That's like.
47:44.10
syrupcoaching
2
48:01.61
Sabena Suri
Decently. Okay, um, and so like being able to have have food that like makes me feel good would be amazing and I think also if if I could get that button to deliver like a bunch of meals for my friends and family like I would love to host with like healthy food that's like.
48:01.77
syrupcoaching
This.
48:20.77
Sabena Suri
An ultimate kind of way I see my life is like being able to provide that for my friends and family. So like I don't know there's something about sharing a meal and like how that can really bring people together and I would love that So that's one button and then I think the other would be like.
48:25.46
syrupcoaching
Break.
48:34.89
syrupcoaching
Had.
48:40.23
Sabena Suri
And maybe this is possible through mindfulness or something but I think a button that would help me like stop overthinking and just kind of like be in the moment and like reset I think would be amazing because one of my noath.
48:41.85
syrupcoaching
Um, yeah.
48:54.40
syrupcoaching
Yeah, yeah.
48:57.86
Sabena Suri
Biggest challenges is like I just have a very active mind and I like analyze things a lot and I over Analyze and I you know had there's like Hidden meaning and things that like there isn't really meaning in and I think being able to just like literally reset and be like okay, let's just like experience with. Happening now and like you know, allow myself to like be that brought back down to reality a little bit more would be amazing and obviously like I try to do that in my own practice in my own way but having a button for that would be amazing.
49:19.13
syrupcoaching
Um, here.
49:34.42
syrupcoaching
That's awesome again I think it's a strategy just habit I always look for Hidden Meanings I'm like what does this mean or what is it? You know I was like no nobody else is thinking this it us. Um.
49:41.20
Sabena Suri
Um, know like nothing.
49:48.30
syrupcoaching
Okay I would like to be invited to that dinner because there's nothing more than I love in healthy food and dinner parties. So please sign me up. Um, and I also think I need the reset button So great ideas. Really great button ideas a huge round of applause here. Ah awesome. Well.
49:52.43
Sabena Suri
That woman.
50:04.17
Sabena Suri
Um, they are.
50:07.87
syrupcoaching
It was an absolute pleasure reconnecting today and chatting with you I feel like there is so much to learn from I am going to like relisten to this podcast and like take a bunch of notes of your how tos and have them in the show notes because I think there's just so many. Little things that could add up to big changes for people that we can all just kind of steal from you.
50:29.49
Sabena Suri
Ah, thank you. It was so nice chatting. This was so lovely and you had the best questions. So thank you.
50:35.30
syrupcoaching
Awesome! Yeah, thank you, Thank you? Thank you? Awesome! Okay, cool well have a good rest of your day and we'll chat soon.
50:44.17
Sabena Suri
Okay, you 2 bye.