Valerie Gerard Matsuura, Vice President of Operations, Sopexa New York, (USA)

Years in the Industry:
I’ve been in the food and wine industry since 2003. I joined Sopexa, a marketing agency specialized in food and wine, in Tokyo, Japan, then transferred to the New York office in 2006. I planned to stay in the U.S. for 4 years but never left!
I have never really experienced any other industry, and I love the food and beverage sphere because of the people we meet. Sopexa has a strong focus on wine regions/councils, so behind each campaign we work with many producers rather than representing a single brand. That means that I get to interact with players from every part the three-tier system—since moving to New York over 10 years ago, I’ve worked on campaigns of every size that touched on all the facets of the U.S. beverage industry. That is what I love.

My Biggest Challenge to Wellness:
My biggest challenge to wellness is to find time for myself without feeling guilty that I’ll miss anything at work or at home. I am a working mother with a husband who is constantly on the road and teenagers who are very independent but still need their mom every day! I love to work and am not afraid to put in long hours. Being raised by an entrepreneur, and then living for eight years in Japan, where the work culture is very intense, I learned always to put work first.

In 2012 I started to feel overwhelmed and made the major decision to train for my first marathon. I had always been a recreational runner but never ran long distance, so it took me 2 years to get up to speed, as it were. I knew that running would get me into better shape, but I underestimated how much impact it would have on me mentally. It helped me find better balance in my life and simply function better.

How I Keep It To Together To Stay Well:
Since discovering the incredible impact of long-distance running I’ve maintained a program of one or two races annually (the last 3 years I’ve actually done triathlons), which gives me a goal to focus on. I have a routine that keeps me active, of course, but also soothes my mind.
1. Getting to “the green”: The Japanese swear by the “Shinrin-yoku” or forest bath—being outside in “the green” and connecting with nature makes such a difference. I try to bike to work as often as possible–riding down along the Hudson river for 30 minutes is quite a refresh. On the weekend I go to the park for a run or stroll, or I bike to the Palisades in New Jersey. Being outside even for one hour brings so much clarity to my mind.
2. Early mornings: It took me a long time to realize that quality was more important than quantity because, let’s face it, at 47 I will never be an athlete. Now I make a point of dedicating more small moments to being active rather than having an aggressive training plan for my races. I wake up 6 am to exercise. A couple of times a week I go for a swim, and other days I do Class Pass to Go; they have an amazing selection of classes covering many different disciplines, ranging from just 5 minutes to 30 minutes or more, and you simply follow from your phone.
3. A touch of spirituality: In 2017 I went on a kundalini & chakra learning yoga retreat that takes you back to “true life.” You can never recreate the same intensity or experience that you have during a program like that, but I do listen to many guided meditation and spiritual podcasts on Spotify.
4. Be inspired: Over the last year I have curated a good list of inspiring people whom I follow on Instagram. It is lovely to see the positive effect of reading an inspiring quote or seeing someone talk about her active life. It brings ideas and inspiration.
5. Being gentle to myself: I think the biggest pressure I had was the one I was putting on myself; and once I realized that, I was already halfway to solving the problem. Life will always be challenging, but taking it one step at a time, shifting gears as necessary, and accepting that it will not always be perfect or go as planned is actually okay.

All of these are things that help me keep it together… and then, of course, I often end the day with a glass of wine to toast to all of it!