A Day in the Life: Ashleigh of The Wellness Refinery
JESSICA LIS, WELLNESS EDITOR
Jessica Lis is the Wellness Editor for The Wellness Refinery’s online blog. She graduated from Temple University with an English Degree and a concentration in Creative Writing. When she’s not writing for the blog you can find her cozied up next to a book or riding her bike around the city.
What’s a typical day like for small business owner, Ashleigh Stewart? I asked the hard hitting questions to get the inside scoop at TWR!
What time do you wake up? Ooo this varies pretty frequently. Sometimes I'm up at 6 am and other days I do not get out of bed until 9 am. I really listen to my body. Sleep is one of the most important restorative practices for me and I am so fortunate that I have such a flexible schedule to allow this.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? What's your optimal number of sleep hours you get in a night? 1000% a morning person. Even on the mornings I sleep in, I try to get up as quickly as I can to still enjoy some of the morning to myself. I always prefer to do my skincare in the morning too. It is just when I feel my best. I always aim for at least 8 hours.
Drop your AM skin care routine! I'm using a skincare regimen recommended by our friends @victoriaroggiobeauty...double cleanse with Reflekt Daily Exfoliating Face Wash, tone with Biologiue Recherche Lotion P50 1970 and finish up with my absolute favorite Golden Hour Recovery Cream from Ursa Major. I'm super simple. I can't get behind a long skincare routine. It's just not my thing.
Breakfast: sweet or salty? SWEET, like always. I very rarely crave salty but mostly because I'm allergic to eggs so my default breakfast items are usually sweet.
Caffeine or caffeine free? Eeek caffeine free has been my lifestyle for as long as I can remember. BUT I do love me some matcha. Our Lioness Matcha is one of my favorites to set me up for a productive day. And I can't lie, I do absolutely love the smell of coffee so I sometimes will give in and grab a latte but I never wind up finishing it.
What do you do to combat the midday slump/post-meal need to nap vibe? I nap! Or go for a walk! Working such a flexible schedule really does allow me to take time for myself in the middle of the day which is so nice. I notice that I only feel the slump when I don't occupy my time though so if I have afternoon meetings, I'm usually pretty energized and ready to tackle them. And don’t get me wrong this wasn’t always my schedule!
What's one thing you never get bored of in your daily routine? Drinking water from a mason jar! Water is truly my favorite and I drink so much of it.
What are some work habits you have that keep you on track of your goals? I’m a big list person! I have lists for everything. Lists for smoothie or latte ideas. Lists for social media content ideas. To do lists too, of course.
Any apps you use daily? Well definitely my Gmail app, my calendar app is always a lifesaver to let me know where I need to be and when and Slack to stay connected with my team when I’m not in store!
What are some things you do to create a healthy work life balance? This is always tough because my work is my life. I truly love working but I can’t lie I do get burnt out from time to time. I’d say I always take my mornings for myself (whenever my schedule allows) so that I can truly reconnect with myself and set myself up for a day of success.
Drop your PM skin care routine! Um…lol just go to bed! But seriously I’m the worst at nighttime skincare! If I have a chill night in and decide I want to do a face mask, I’ll go all out but that doesn’t always happen. What is a big part of my PM routine is a warm cup of tea and my daily journal though.
Dry brush + shower: at night or in the morning? I’m usually a nighttime shower girl BUT I love a morning sauna and I prefer to dry brush before the sauna rather than the shower. So if I’m sauna-ing in the morning, I’ll dry brush then too. But if I’m not doing a sauna that day, I’ll do it at night time before my shower.
Most rewarding part of your day? This is a tough one to answer but I really love laying my head down to rest at night and reflecting on how fortunate I am and how grateful I am to live the life that I live. I am definitely no stranger to hardships and heartaches but I truly can’t help to just be in love with the life I live and the person I am. Laying down at night is such a genuine time for me to remember that as I go through everything that happened through the day and give thanks for everyone and everything in my life. I also typically complete my daily journal at night and there is a prompt to write down three things I’m grateful for so it is always just a good reminder.
What are you working on this week? WOOF, what am I not working on? I just had a strategy & planning team meeting with my full time staff, finalized our October specials with Nona and Erinn and I’m so happy because I literally had no hand in it besides being the final taste tester—it’s so beautiful to watch your team take charge and crush it! I’m also bopping around the city from meeting to meeting.
What advice do you have for aspiring small businesses? If you run your business from your heart and always stay true to who you are, it will show and your clients and customers will feel your genuine desire to serve them.