Maintaining Wellness While Wearing Multiple Hats: A Dialogue with Angele Miller

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi everyone. My name is Wendy Manganero and I am the host of the Wellness and Wealth podcast. I'm so happy to have you find us and if you could take a moment and hit that subscribe button, I'd really appreciate it. This is the podcast where we believe when you show up better for yourself as a woman business owner, you show up better for your business. So sit back, relax and learn from the practical to the woo-woo how to best take care of you. Have a great day, stay blessed and leave a review when you're done listening to the show. Thanks so much, hi everyone. Today's topic is staying healthy as a multi-business owner. I'm joined by special guest Angel Miller and her company, angel and the Labor from Abundant by Design. I'm going to read her bio and then we'll get right into it. Angel has been working in the natural food and beauty industry for over 20 years and has a strong knowledge and passion for helping new and existing brands succeed. Angel has developed highly successful brands, from idea to distribution and international markets. She has experienced across all facets of business development, from small retail companies to launching brands internationally. She successfully launched one coconut water, which went on to be acquired by Pepsi, and my Magic Mud, which became an internationally known brand and number one selling toothpaste in Canada. Her brokerage, abundant by Design, is one of the most sought after companies in Canada and has been featured in magazines such as Viva, ihr Organic or Canik. Luxury brands were chosen by both the Emmys and Oscars as featured products. Abundant by Design is best kept secret in Canada, working with a very limited number of brands to ensure its partners have the greatest level of success. Welcome to the show, angel.

Speaker 2: 1:53

Thank you so much, thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 1:56

Thank you and I love your bio, by the way, because when I had my agency, I had a social media agency and I worked with a very limited number of brands to ensure partners move the greatest level of success. But we're talking about staying healthy as a multi business owner today, because the show is all about self care of our female entrepreneurs. So I'd love to know what does healthy mean to you, or what does it look like to you?

Speaker 2: 2:22

So staying healthy, for me it's not like as easy or as simple as it seems, because I think it touches many fat sets of our lives. It's not necessarily just eating good food, which is very important, that we make good choices and we choose good food that is possibly more organic or non GMO, we from local farms, or that we can know the source. Especially for me, being in a natural industry, that's something that we do take a lot at heart. But it also means the mental, being in the spiritual, so it touches all of these facets. So for me, when I'm thinking about what it means to be healthy, it means to have a really good, fulfilling, passionate life that we're having and touching all these facets. So you're eating healthy, you're also taking the time to go and breathe fresh air outside. Either it's going for a walk or going for some a workout class, if that's what you like to do or if you like to dance, to incorporate some of that into your life. It really will touch also the mental aspect. To feel healthy and happy and grateful. I think also to take some time for yourself comes into. That will be very nourishing and fulfilling and I think to touch a little bit of all of these facets and to have a good balance with that. So, every day, to make sure you get a bit of that fresh air, you're eating some good, healthy choice in your day that either if you've chosen some vegetables or food but also to make sure you take some time for yourself either it's having a nice bed or it's meditating or doing something. That's also fulfilling. That way, if you're also an entrepreneur and a mom where you have kids, but also making sure you have that balance in your family as well, and I think if you touch a little bit of that, you're going to feel very fulfilling and reaching a lot of great things in your business or in your family life or with your husband or your kids, and I find that it helps as a whole to touch all of those points. So that's what I would say in terms of what it means for me being healthy.

Speaker 1: 4:33

Thank you, and I love that you were talking about all of these different facets, because I'm a true believer that when we take care of ourselves or business starts to grow and be better, and when any of those facets are not and sink with the others, then suddenly you start to realize it and feel it in your business and people around you start to notice too. There's sometimes they notice faster than we do and we're like oh, but I'd love to know from you and this is always key, because I've always loved to hear people's stories have you always sought a healthy lifestyle, or was there a cat or something that was an event that happened that you said oh no, this is enough and I need to get back on the right track here. I'd love to know a little bit more about your background.

Speaker 2: 5:19

Yes, that's a really good question, and as an individual, I've always thought to be healthy, just because I'm also certified nutritionist, so my passion around being healthy has been there. But it hasn't always been easy to maintain that, and there's times I thought I was healthy but really I wasn't. I was eating healthy, but again I was overworking and not having enough good sleep and not taking the time for myself and actually penciling it down in my agenda. Like every day as an entrepreneur, there's always things that come and you always wanna keep taking on these new projects or these new opportunities, but always putting yourself behind with something that I was doing, and so I've learned a hard way with that. There's a point in time in my life where I was so committed to my business and to my work that I wasn't taking the time for that, but my health made me stop to take that time for me. So I started to get dizziness and different things and in terms of my health, I started to see certain things that were not in alignment, and that's where I knew I have to take that time. And for me to take that time, I had to take that time for at least four months to bring my health back on track, and it really made me think what is really success for me? What is it being a woman entrepreneur? How can I balance these things and still be healthy? And that's where I really realized that touching all of these points and facets is so important. And if you don't do that at some point in your life, some way or somehow, our health it will let us know that it's time to stop. And so for me, right now, I really strive for reaching that balance and really looking for those signs to know. So, yeah, but as an individual, I've always been driven to be healthy, and I think, a lot of other women entrepreneurs. We're always striving to do great things and excel in our business but also fulfill being that mom or also that wife, and it's not always easy to juggle all these things all at the same time. But I also think it's very important and it's a skill that we learn the more we practice and we do it, the better we become at it, like anything else that we do.

Speaker 1: 7:37

I like that you call it a skill and although I think most of us have an idea of what healthy looks like, even if you don't come from that background or that you might wanna be, but it is a skill and, interestingly enough, I don't know if everybody has learned that skill. I don't know if we always pass that on to our children. That's the other thing that I've learned is, if I want my children to take care of themselves, I've gotta be the best example of it, otherwise they're going to mirror what I do, and it can be a skill that's not talked about enough, if we're not careful, if we don't have conversations like this, because I think that there are some people who will go, yes, and exactly what you were saying, a little bit as oh, I'm healthy in this one area. I've always been passionate about how I eat and everything, but very easily not looking at the other areas and not realizing that there needs to be balance in all of them. So I like that you talked about that. So, as we're talking about this as a skill and sometimes that we ignore it, as you said, think we're being healthy and then we're sick for four months. And I've had a similar experience. I was working in retail and I was working so many hours that I literally came home for two weeks and I was incapable of walking. I had exhausted myself to that extreme and I was like, no, I can't keep doing this. Working 14 hour days in retail is not opening. So it was exciting at first, but there's only so long that you can keep that up without burning out. So I'd love to know for you that, because we're building this skill, what are the early warning signs for female entrepreneurs that they need to start paying attention to their health, that they think they're healthy but they're really actually could be suffering because we get used to it and we go. This is just how we are and maybe it doesn't have to be like that.

Speaker 2: 9:21

Yes. So that's a really good question and I think it could be different for everybody as well. But, like you said, we will tend to get into a habit and we do things and we normalize what we think is correct when really there are those signs that are trying to show us otherwise. And I think that the over exhaustion and over tired and when you're sleeping and you get up in the morning and you don't feel rested is already a sign that we need to pay attention that something is not in balance. Also, when you start to feel like you're getting really anxious over small things or you're getting irritated over small things, you feel your mood is really shifting. But the thing about getting anxious is one of the early signs for me. I feel that something that would not make me anxious and suddenly I feel like I'm getting really anxious over either even it's a meeting or something that I feel like maybe I cannot handle. Then I know I've over pushed my limit and I need to slow down and put attention to ground me back and bring me back to myself. So those are really signs to look after and I think some people they could come back to reflect on their health, like where they're starting to get headaches or they're starting to feel like they're not really even digesting their food anymore and they're feeling really fluggish that way, that can be something, in a way that you as a particular person or your body is trying to give you a sign, or a warning sign, about that. But I think, depending on the individual, they'll see a little bit of a different side. But overall, feeling rested, energized feeling when you're eating your food, you're feeling great, you're having energy. For me, you're not feeling irritable, it is a good sign that you have a good balance overall. And anything that becomes outside of that, I think, is starting to give you little signs that maybe you should revisit certain things of how you're going about doing certain things in your day, and sometimes just a little shift can make a big difference. Either that it's incorporating in the morning I'm not looking at my phone, I'm not looking at technology, I'm not getting submerged by that, but I'm taking the time for me and I'm meditating. That way it will keep you really strong and grounded all day and you will see a difference too in your things. But even if you feel that suddenly you're noticing that, oh, I'm making some choices in my food habits that are not that great. Maybe then it's a sign that you need to take that time to get that good food in your diet and that will shift a lot of things for you as well. So sometimes just little shifts and little changes can really impact and change things overall in our day or in the way we do things. So, overall, that's what I would say from my end and that I also notice on myself. I can see those things right away and I know that I'm getting off track and I need to take that time and start shifting those things to get me back in balance.

Speaker 1: 12:26

And I like that. It is little shifts. I think it is little shifts, but sometimes in our head when we think we're so busy it's oh, we can't, we don't have time. But really everybody has time for a tiny shift somewhere during their day. One must minute on a phone, one less phone call or email that really could be answered tomorrow. Any of those things would give us back beds, time to be able to take some time for ourselves. I know for me, every once in a while I'll get up late. It's rare and rare these days, but I need an hour before everybody else in the house wakes up. Just that hour of quiet sets my day much better than if I'm getting up five minutes before everybody else, because anytime that happens or somebody else gets up early, I know the difference in my day just because I need that hour quiet in the morning. So for women entrepreneurs who are struggling, what is the first step to get back on track?

Speaker 2: 13:19

Yeah. So if I'd share for me what has made a huge difference and I think can also help a lot of other women entrepreneur, when you get like that is I journal. I do write down certain things in my day. I know it seems like sometimes because we are busy as a serial entrepreneur. I'm a mom, I'm a wife, I have three business. It goes, it never stops. But just to keep writing down those food habits, sometimes you start noticing, oh, I thought I was making good choice or I was doing this right, but I'm not. I can go back and I can see I can correct those things. I think to have a little journal or something to keep track of a few things will help you really see where you're, like needing to adjust a few things. And I also think that to start your day, that at least that 15 minute before where you have you don't engage right away with your phone and all of that and you take that time, can really make a huge difference and shift things in your day to also be more productive and have more of a balance. The gratitude is a big thing too, like for me. I do practice that daily and I find that also helped me shift me back on track with my things. So I find, like for anyone that wants to start making a shift, if you journal and you're right down, you will notice and start making better healthy choices as well and maybe see where those gaps in your eating and what you're doing in your day. And I find that gratitude and also that time when you start in the morning for yourself, those three things will help at least put you back in the right direction with your things and start making a change and a shift in your day. And as you start to see that shift and that change and you feel better, then you're going to start to take other actions that will keep progressing that way. So I find it's a ripple effect. You do that one little shift, that one little change that creates another new change, that creates a new one, and you will keep making those shifts and those change in your day and sometimes it's just one, one little thing at a time that can make a huge difference and for me I would highly recommend applying some of those things in your day, for sure.

Speaker 1: 15:35

Thank you so much for being on the show with us today. It has been fabulous. I'll have links in the show notes, but how can people get in touch with you?

Speaker 2: 15:44

Yeah, so you can come in touch with me, and on our website it's wwwabundantbdcom. There's also an email there in a contact number where you can reach us, and we welcome anyone to reach out to us. If we can help with anything, we're more than happy, and I really thank you for listening to me today. It was a pleasure.

Speaker 1: 16:06

Thank you. If you love what you heard today, please subscribe for more self-care tips going forward, and if you love what Angel shared, please leave a review In the meantime. Have a blessed and abundant week.