It’s hard work to start a company
Friends Illana Kruger and Kara Cohen both left pretty high-stress jobs at an advertising agency. Close friends, they made their living freelancing, which required a lot of time spent in a lot of different offices. They struggled to have a good cup of coffee without going to a high end coffee shop. Most quick coffee options they encountered were low quality and bad for the environment and the farmers. They created Dripkit, a “portable pour over” product, and have been focused on it for about a year. They are at a point in their business where they are seeking investment to scale, and that can be stressful.
It’s not easy to get a business off the ground, and Cohen has emphasized the importance of wellness at work, especially given the stresses of building a new company.
“From the beginning, we knew we were going to need to implement wellness into our daily routine,” said Cohen.
Cohen and Kruger
“We don't have a lot of time or money to do yoga and fitness classes, but we find that taking 10-15 minutes every day to refresh makes us more clear-headed, energetic and generally focused.”
No matter how early stage your startup is, implementing wellness into your work routine will help you be more motivated, and work more productively. Your mood will be improved, which is especially important on the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship. And it's something you should plan to keep doing as your company grows.
“We stay longer, and work better.”
There are measurable benefits to doing yoga and meditation during the work day. There are easy ways to feel more productive and get back to business. As the founder of an office yoga company, I’ve learned that it’s not only the employees of companies who have budgets for in-office yoga and meditation that need it. People who need workday wellness the most are often those just starting up!
Lauren Coles is the Founder of Daisy Yoga and Office Yoga Teacher Training. She believes in the effectiveness of regular mindfulness and movement during the workday.