Dr. Rebecca Lawrence, Head of Editorial for Cru Luv Selections / Education Development Consultant and WSET Educator (Verona, Italy)

Years in the Industry:

I've been in the industry proper since 2017 when I begged my local retailer to take me on whilst I was tackling my WSET exams. Previously I'd worked in a number of seemingly random positions after a career in academia was scuppered by a recession and people being somewhat skeptical of my doctorate in Psychotopography (an incredible niche part of architectural theory!).
I think the thing that drew me to wine was that it was geeky like academia, but also fun and completely varied. No day is the same (at least in my roles) and that has definitely appealed as I'm someone easily bored who needs a lot of projects. When I discovered I could combine my academic background with wine through teaching the WSET qualifications, helping other people develop educational programmes and writing, it all suddenly clicked for me.

My Three Top Challenges to Wellness:
Let's be real, the first is laziness. Creating habits and sticking to them is tough for me and perhaps because I tend to be working on a million different things, rushing around, my mind running all the time. Lazing in bed an extra hour, leaving the yoga mat in the cupboard, ignoring the running shoes, not saying "no" when it's easier to say yes. And of course the excuse of "I've already done XYZ today, so I've earned it.” That's all tied up in laziness, whether actual or just metaphorical.

FOMO! The challenge is real. Five years in the industry makes me a baby, a relative newbie, so it's hard to turn down the dinners, the tastings, the chances to both network and also build my skills and knowledge. It's tough, because I want to see these people, I've missed them! But you have to make a call. Okay, I can do dinner, but not the aperitivo and the after drinks...then you walk home wondering what you're missing.

One of the biggest challenges to my overall wellness is not wanting to turn down work. I have a really hard time saying no to stuff and most weeks I'm balancing three or four jobs. Take this week, I've got my main job with Cru Luv, but then I'm marking papers for WSET students, helping to coach a private client through their diploma, on the event team backstage for wine2wine, and working on my own podcast and prepping for teaching courses next week. I love it all or I wouldn't do it, but it's exhausting and I'm not the kind of person who can shut off my brain, plus of course it impacts the people around me so it's not just my own wellness at risk, but my husband's too.

How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:
I run! I've always wanted to be a runner (I have a tricky relationship with it which you can read more about here) so when my anxiety got too much during lockdown, like so many other people I started hunting for real solutions.

Running was great as it was a legit reason for getting out the house, I could do it safely and I realised it was the first thing I've ever done that truly clears my mind. Firstly because I just couldn't think because all I could focus on was my breathing, then later because I was just so thrilled to be doing it. I became so obsessed I even started a podcast about it! I'm totally evangelical about it, not least because I started from zero. I couldn't run for a minute when I started, now I happily go out for five miles. I really notice now when I haven't been out as the world all gets a bit too close, and I'm reminded to lace up my shoes and get outside. It's body and mind wellness for me.

What Inspires Me:
People who are passionate about what they do. Doesn't matter what. I just truly love watching someone talk about the thing that gives them joy and energy, and it helps to remind me to pursue that myself.

Quotes I Love:
"Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens." -- From Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing

Of course there is also our podcast tagline, "It's important to stay hydrated, so everything in moderation!"

You can connect with Rebecca on Instagram @rosmarinoevino , @runningforthewine and through her websites www.rosmarinoevino.com and www.runningforthewine.com