Women in Wellness: A Focus on Entrepreneurship
Between childcare, homeschooling and trying to hold a job, COVID’s negative and disproportionate impact on women is well-documented. (This holds true in the US and internationally.) During the pandemic, also, reports like this one indicate that women are more likely to start their own businesses.
In other words, women are more heavily impacted by COVID, yet more women are also starting businesses during COVID.
Hmm.
It sounds like a riddle. A knotty, unwieldy, fascinating riddle where one thread of it is inextricably tied to the other.
This week we’d like to tug at those threads a bit, and take a moment to consider the women who have started businesses this year — specifically women in our industry who have started businesses in the wellness space.
A Balanced Glass was mentioned this week to lead off a SevenFifty Daily article by Rachel Tepper Paley on this trend. (It made me smile to see how Beck is referenced as a veteran wellness entrepreneur in wine, having started ABG in the far-off, halcyon days of 2018, ha! Also featured in the post is Kat Thomas, founder of CORE Body |Mind and ABG Community member.)
Here are three more reasons why learning more about women entrepreneurs in our industry has buoyed my spirits this week.
There’s a bigger play involved here. Sure, there are clear commercial reasons to be involved in the wellness space right now: it’s a $4.2 trillion industry globally and growing fast. But the entrepreneurs we know in the wine and spirits industry share an internal motivation in common. They’re responding to something that matters to them, something they saw out there that lit a spark in here, and inspired action.
They aren’t waiting for permission. How many times have we heard women say they aren’t “ready”? How many times have we noticed that they seem to be waiting for someone else to validate, promote or discover them, or to give them permission to act on an idea? That is not happening with these entrepreneurs, and you can see the impact they’re having.
They’re fighting the fight. These women know that the odds are stacked against them, whether it’s a shortage of time or money or support from their peers. Paley calls these businesses “side gigs” and maybe they are, technically. But the time and dedication it takes to get these impact-driven initiatives off the ground are no small peanuts in the best of conditions, much less during a global pandemic. They’re fighting the fight anyway.
One of the most memorable things anyone’s said to me about my journey as an entrepreneur was, “I like that you’re brave.” I see that in these women too, so let me pay the compliment forward.
Whether you’ve officially started a business, or you’re bringing an entrepreneurial mindset to your work/life circumstances right now, or you’re showing up every day even though THIS IS HARD…
I like that you’re brave.
Namaste,
Cathy
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
Key Takeaways from the Be the Change Diversity Job Fair – Chastity Cooper for SevenFiftyDaily.com
A first of its kind for the drinks industry, the virtual event connected over 700 aspiring professionals with more 900 jobs at leading companies.
To Be Happier and Healthier Ditch these 7 Habits – Karen Yimmo for Medium.com
A helpful list of seven habits to ditch for improved health and happiness.
Yoga For Happy Hips – Wellbeing Magazine.com.au
Do you experience issues with your hips? In this article learn about the hip joint, the emotions and mental qualities associated with hips and try a yin yoga sequence.
Holidays in a Pandemic? Here's What happened in 1918 – The New York Times.com (possible paywall)
The festive season fell between two deadly waves of the deadly influenza outbreak. Families still gathered, often with empty chairs at the table.
This Beloved Atlanta Bar Was on the Brink of Closing. Its Loyal Customers Wouldn't Let That Happen - Cameron Albert Deitch for Inc.com
The pandemic turned what was supposed to be a banner year for Manuel's Tavern, an institution in the city's political scene, into a disaster. Then, something miraculous happened
This Week's Reminder:
Keep these short meditations and inspirations bookmarked for when you need them.
A Guided R.A.I.N Meditation to Cultivate Compassion – Michelle Maldonado for Mindful.org
Meditation teacher Michelle Maldonado guides us through a four-step practice known as RAIN - Recognize, Acknowledge, Investigate, and sit with our Natural awareness to process emotion and cultivate self compassion toward ourselves and others.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our community and profession so dynamic.
Ayca Kilicoglu, Founder, Designer and Illustrator, Mur by Ayca (San Francisco, USA)
Years In Industry:
I was born and raised in Ordu, Turkey, and studied Public Administration at university before moving to Istanbul to work in banking customer service. But I always loved art and design, so in 2010 I moved to the US to join my then boyfriend, now husband, Emrah Kilicoglu to pursue my artistic dreams.
I studied English, and then an extension program at UC Berkeley in Graphic Design, before applying to the Academy of Art in San Francisco. I graduated from the Academy in 2018 with a Masters Degree in Graphic Design and Digital Media, and started working as a freelance and in-house graphic designer, but knew I wanted to create my own vision.
Mur by Ayca was founded in 2019 and is named in honor of my late mother, who was always supportive of my work no matter what I was doing. I am back at UC Berkeley teaching Typography and Illustration, and Emrah and I also own Kitchen Istanbul - a Turkish restaurant in the Inner Richmond. Since the pandemic hit, we are in the process of converting most of the restaurant space into a fine wine store.
My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
Stress is my biggest challenge and has two extreme impacts on me. Either I become completely overwhelmed and cannot create at all, or I pour everything into my art. When the pandemic hit I was so stressed I created more than 60 different patterns in a month, when I would normally make ten. I didn’t want to think about the reality of pandemic so I focused instead on my work and the creative process.
Finally, I can’t resist eating gluten! I eat too much and it makes me tired all the time, but I ignore it because I love it so much.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
Cleaning anything and everything is my daily meditation. I have a place for everything and to feel relaxed, and able to work, I need to have order. Once a space is organized and in order, then I can sit down, clear my head, and create. The canvas has to be blank.
Every morning I take probiotics and prepare a fresh fruit and vegetable juice. My favorite breakfast is a traditional Turkish style with cheese, olives, bread, eggs, mulberry molasses, clotted cream, tahini, and bread. Outside the restaurant I also love to cook and make my own bone broths. We are dealing with the pandemic with juices and bone broth!
When I need to recharge I turn to books on art for inspiration. I learned in art school that everything is inspired by what we had before, reimagined with your own unique vision. I create all the time and I want to share my creativity and design with the world all the time. Every design is a different vision.
You can connect with Ayca on Instagram at @murbyayca Facebook @murbyayca and her website murbyayca.com
You can also purchase Ayca's limited-edition A Balanced Glass "Decanter" mask at the ABG Shop here.
The ABG online Shop is OPEN!
Just in time for the Holiday season, we share the inaugural ABG merchandise shop.
The offerings are a small list of high quality items that we have road-tested and reviewed, and hope they help support your self-care, while staying hydrated, safe, and stylish! Check it out here.
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