“We have to give ourselves time to develop” –Koya Webb

 

I had another amazing opportunity to sit down and chat with Aeshia Devore Branch about wellness and success. Aeshia and I are close friends and have so many topics we love to talk about together, so it was a no-brainer to have her on this segment of my Lifestyle Design Podcast. I like to call her and her beautiful family ‘’wellbeing in a box’’ and I wanted insight into how she balances it all. Balance is a key component if you are striving to be successful while also ensuring you’re nurturing your wellbeing. 

 

 

Aeshia didn’t hesitate to remind me that balancing isn’t easy when you’re working with so many moving parts and wearing so many different hats. That’s where prioritization comes in. When was the last time you actually scheduled your self-care? Or, have you been going through life and just taking those moments when the chaos seems to calm down? Can we all agree to normalize adding our ‘’me time’’ to our calendars?! It may seem trivial to some, but when life gets busy, many of us focus on the calendar and the to-do list. When we’re not scheduling time for ourselves, we may miss our time to hold space for ourselves. Aeshia and I share the same scheduling practice of no meetings for Mondays and Fridays. 

 

Here is how Aeshia spends her days:

 

Mondays are catch up days from the weekend and Fridays are for fun. This is a great practice, especially for those in business and with families, to give yourself a buffer around all that happens throughout the week. Aeshia likes to handle her accounting on Friday mornings and take the rest of the day for family, travel, and anything else on the agenda outside of business. 

Are you a morning person? 

 

Aeshia discussed how important it is for her to wake up in the mornings before everyone else in the house. This way she can have her ‘’me time’’ prior to being needed by her family, helping her avoid the risk of not being able to dedicate that much-needed space and time to herself. I couldn’t agree more.50% of my community are mothers so I understand that ‘’if mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy’’ and that you can feel guilty for taking care of yourself when there are members of your household that need you all the time. Aeshia gave a great tip for balancing motherhood and self-care: set boundaries with your family to let them know you are working during a blocked time and will be free afterwards to avoid any feelings of guilt that may arise while you’re handling your tasks.

 

Once you get into a routine, your body begins to regulate naturally within the boundaries you’ve set for rest. Aeshia talked about being a night owl but waking up at 6:00AM to get her children ready for school and how the bathroom is her sacred place where she’s left alone. know many mothers who can relate! Both Aeshia and I have social media platforms to maintain, but prior to jumping into the busyness of the day, she dedicates some time to learn something new. Right now she’s learning Spanish by completing between 3-5 lessons and sometimes 10 per day! From there she takes her vitamins, hydrates by drinking a glass of water, and reads. I personally like audiobooks while doing chores around the house because I am completing duties that need to be done while being poured into. I shared a gem that I often tell people: match something you don’t like to do with something you do like to do. Aeshia went on to say that she meditates for at least five minutes each day to set an intention for the day and calm herself down. From there, she meets a friend at the gym for a fitness activity and sauna if she has time. For entrepreneurs, Aeshia mentioned something to be aware of: when you set your own hours, try not to be focused on one activity all day, because the day can get away from you.

 

Before we get into my routine, I want to emphasize that your practices don’t have to be perfect. There are plenty of times when I need to shift and change my schedule because self-care looks different at different stages of our lives. Aeshia touched on how she meditates for one minute or five, depending on the time she has. While our routines may look good on paper, it’s good to take whatever time you can for yourself, and get comfortable with prioritizing what that looks like for you.

 

For me, I am in the season of balancing my relationship with my love and honoring our time together. As a unit, we try to bathe together once or twice a week. At the time of this podcast airing, we could only get in one hot yoga class together due to our different schedules. Even our relationships need us to schedule things in to balance our solo activities, so be gentle with yourself while changing your schedule. 

I heard a quote from Lisa Nichols that says, “fill from your cup and give from your overflow.” As women, we are constantly taking care of others, but we equally need to take care of ourselves, prioritizing the time to do so allows everyone to experience the best versions of ourselves.

 

I asked Aeshia how she managed self-care when her children were young because I understand there are young mothers on the journey currently who could use some helpful suggestions. She recalls it being difficult to juggle her daily tasks, including work, and being resentful that her husband had the freedom for self-care.

 

 

Here’s some of the ways she managed:

• Be open to help if possible, whether that’s family, friends, and/or hired assistance
• Communicate and express what you’re feeling with your partner
• Be creative when it comes to taking a shower, even if that means a baby in the bathroom

 

I spoke about being in the wellness industry and the importance of not sacrificing your wellbeing for your success because you will eventually take a hit. Seeing my sister who was a single mother be resilient inspired me to never give up. In my opinion, being resilient is a key component in being successful and having longevity. 

 

As Aeshia has been successful for a many years, I asked her what has helped her maintain her success:

• Organization and Time Management
• Streamlining workflow
• Avoiding burnout by duplicating initial efforts with technology
• Scheduling regular healthcare visits
• Regularly scheduled check-ins with close relationships and friendships
• Ensuring your partner feels valued in spite of your other commitments

 

Aeshia and I are both on-the-go so much and she asked how I balance my schedule with all that I do. Here’s what I shared:

• Be intentional for 30 minutes with the activities that I love to do
• Allow my fitness and wellness to be what it is especially when I’m traveling
• Daily 100s to keep a base level of strength
• Incorporate family into fitness and mindfulness
• Wellness doesn’t have to look one way 

 

From there, we focused on the value of teaching children new skills like cooking, which sometimes may take some negotiation. This gives them exposure to new things so when they grow up they don’t automatically dislike something that they’ve never tried. This was the perfect Segway into a topic Aeshia has helped me understand: the pressure our youth are experiencing in school and sports.

Aeshia provided some food for thought for those who may have student athletes and haven’t considered their emotional or mental wellbeing:

• Children in sports are balancing the need for good grades to be an athlete
• Finding friend groups that are sometimes inescapable
• As parents, understand if our children have bad grades, it may be because they’re busy, distracted, or not understanding 
• Travel and performance pressure
• Allow children to be open and let them express when they’re ready
• Find time to have conversations that may be difficult
• Consider all factors and empathize with why a child might be internalizing, not performing as usual, or when they’re working through injuries
• Have patience and advocate for their mental health
• Find the right sport for your child so they can gain the experience needed to grow and build confidence
• Help your child find their balance outside of TikTok

 

I chimed in with my experiences playing basketball, running track and field, and working with different coaches who put me in a box:

“Sometimes if someone is a late bloomer or a late starter you think, ‘oh, they’re not good,’ but have you given them the opportunity to develop?” –Koya Webb

 

To me, this relates strongly to being successful. We have to give ourselves the opportunity to develop and make mistakes… even with our wellbeing. Living in the world we do now, we often crave immediate gratification for everything. What I’ve come to understand is that it takes time to be successful and this applies to everything and everyone. The book “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell talks about how it takes 10,000 hours to be successful at something [*As a correction from what was mentioned in the Podcast, the 10,000 Hours Theory was a part of the “Outliers” also by Malcolm Gladwell]. It was pivotal for me to understand that we have to put time and effort into developmental periods as entrepreneurs. If you don’t, you are cheating yourself out of those priceless experiences. 

 

I am a huge fan of nighttime rituals because of their sleep benefits. I asked Aeshia what her nighttime rituals look like and, while she’s not super keen on them, this is what she had to share:

• Taking a second shower, especially if she’s worked out during the day
• Having a skincare routine, no matter how simple
• Watching an episode of a series she’s enjoying to wind down
• Drinking tea or red wine, depending on how the day has gone of course!

I, however, am a romantic and love a good nighttime routine! I shared how I like to intentionally end my night:

• Lighting candles
• Love vibes playlist with my favorite love songs by Sade or Maxwell
• Bubble baths or showering 
• Full body lather or full body massage
• Sometimes cleaning while listening to a podcast or audiobook

 

We laughed about our pajama choices. I love either lingerie or to be nude to wind down for sleeping. If I have work activities I have to finish up, I will throw on some sweats or find my favorite silky robe. As Aeshia put it, it’s Valentine’s Day every day at my house! For Aeshia, she sometimes wears something comfortable like a tank top and shorts in case she gets cold during the night. I will put on clothes if I am with my family, but if it’s just me and my partner, minimal clothes work just fine in my house!

We ended the podcast with a game of Rapid Fire and these are our responses:

 

Koya: ‘’Good Morning or Grand Rising?”

Aeshia: “Good Morning.“ 

Koya: “Your Favorite Playlist?“ 

Aeshia: “My Feel Good Playlist. 100 + songs that remind me of my childhood, my parents, every single emotion that I had when I was younger.“

Koya: “If you could only do one ritual a day, what would it be?“

Aeshia: “Exercising with my friends.“

 

Aeshia: “Who’s one person you turned to for advice when you were younger?“

Koya: “God. I really went within and I think that’s what guided me to a path that’s completely different than what I grew up in.”

Aeshia: “What is one thing that you have not done yet that you want to do before you leave this earth?“ 

Koya: “I want to star in Woman-King. I am so mesmerized and love everything about that film and would love to be a part of it, whether in a big or small way“.

 

EYEBROW RAISER 

Aeshia: “We know you’re a vegan, but if there was one piece of meat you could eat what would it be?“

Koya: “I will never eat an animal for the rest of my life, but vegan baby back ribs“.

 

Before we officially ended the segment, we got into a bit of vegan controversy highlighting how creative Creators have become converting different foods into plant-friendly choices. I’ve mentioned before that I am a vegan foodie and I enjoy flavors that remind me of my childhood because they’re nostalgic for me. Aeshia asked for my take on the negative comments some write on social media posts when seeing Creators replicate meat products in a plant-based way. I feel that just because I am vegan doesn’t mean I don’t want to eat what others are eating, but in my preference so I can still enjoy experiencing those flavors. The biggest thing to note, whether plant-based or not, is monitoring your intake of overly processed foods.

This conversation is so important because we all have times when we feel we cannot make time for ourselves, when other tasks in our lives ‘’should’’ be the priority. This is a myth we have to become comfortable releasing. Life is happening all the time and we all have something on our minds or to-do lists to take care of. Without the prioritization of our self-care and mental wellbeing, life can deteriorate around us to the point where we can’t show up for ourselves, our families, or our businesses. We hope you’ve enjoyed this segment of Holistic Hustle and that you will connect with us either on social media or within our community to share any takeaways on the themes that resonated with you. You can check out this full episode along with other episodes of our Lifestyle Design Podcast by clicking the media above or with the link below. Please share with us one thing you will be adding into your self-care routine that works for you, your schedule, and your lifestyle.

 

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