Richard Rza Betts co-founder An Approach to Relaxation and co-founder and CEO of Casa Komos Beverage Group (New York USA)

Years In Industry:
25 years starting as a busboy, then line cook, then sommelier, eventually turning to winemaking and distilling.

My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
As the old song goes: "the good times are killing me." Not really, but they will if you let them. Travel and hospitality are two wonderful parts of our business but left unchecked and without a counterbalance, they can overwhelm anyone.

I can tell I'm overwhelmed when I don't get my workouts in, I'm short of patience, and I'm over tired. This sometimes leads to falling back on comfort foods and an extra glass of wine which only deepen the spiral. The key at this point is to pull the plug on something non-essential and focus on the pieces that matter most: health, relationship, and partnerships.

How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
I make a point to make time for myself. This often takes the form of exercise but it can also be downtime between appointments and dinner, or putting my legs up the wall for 10 minutes, or even an early bedtime when traveling which is not easy to do. I will say it has taken a long time to figure out the balance but once you do, the healthy feeling is addictive.

When traveling I used to be a big runner, but these days I find more peace and great health in both doing yoga and lifting weights. I no longer travel with the running shoes but I do haul around the extra-long Manduka yoga mat which is heavy but it's worth it because it's a commitment and I'm therefore more likely to use it. 

The creating part is the fun part, it's what I love to do and live to do. With that, I make it a priority to create systems and build teams that afford me the time to do this. I also know I am at my best creatively and as a human when I am well rested and feeling fit. Thus, it becomes a positive feedback loop - take care of yourself and the creativity flows which in turn benefits the business and my partners.

One thing I will note is that as an entrepreneur there is a tendency to always be working and, regretfully, some people see that as a badge of honor but in reality it just leads to lower quality work and burnout. It's been said again and again but quality hours of work are so much better than just racking up a bunch of hours that, in the end, are less fruitful and steal from the rest of your life to your detriment. One example of how to fix this: don't work all weekend unless it's truly dire. Get a hobby, you'll be a healthier, better person and thereby a better partner.

You can connect with Richard on Instagram @yobetts Twitter @yobetts and Medium @yobetts or through AnApproachToRelaxation.com and CKBG.com