How I Thrive takes an inside look at founders, entrepreneurs and leaders and the behind-the-scenes self-care work they do to in order to live balanced, happy lives. Today's edition is with Sweet Loren's founder Loren Brill, who has the world's most luxurious bath routine and loves a good cup of tea.
Name: Loren Brill
Age: 35
City: Los Angeles, CA
Company: Sweet Loren's, a clean food company transforming what it means to be convenient and delicious. Sweet Loren's is the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the U.S., and one of the fastest growing privately held companies.
Role: Founder & CEO
Beyond the role: Fiancée a sister, daughter, auntie, mentor and friend. I love cooking and baking, working out, being in nature, health and wellness, dinner parties, and travel.
Morning routine:
When I wake up, the first thing I do is check my phone. I mentally prepare for the day by looking at my calendar so I know what I need to dress for/prepare for, and skim my emails to see what now takes priority. If something urgent has come up, I send out emails or texts to make sure our team is on it.
Even if I get up at six a.m. in LA, I am already behind and can expect emails from our NYC office. Most of the time, I jump out of bed with an excitement for the day. If I feel like meditating, I will for five minutes, otherwise we put on some good music. I wash my face and leave the soap on while I brush my teeth.
I have a whole skin care routine I do in the morning that makes me happy and helps me feel healthy: I either take a quick shower or apply my favorite face oils and SPF moisturizer. I then do my hair, put on my Native deodorant, get dressed, and go to the kitchen. I pour a big glass of filtered water with some lemon and take my supplements. I find that if I drink enough water in the morning, I sometimes don't even need coffee and I definitely have a lot more energy to take on the day.
The first thing I do after work:
Normally, this is my favorite time of the day: ME time. I usually choose to get my workout in then, and I try to mix it up with either a run on the beach, cycle, weights, or power yoga class. If I worked out in the morning, then I call my family or a friend to check in, or go for a walk in the sunshine to get fresh air. Nothing makes me happier then seeing and talking to my nephews on FaceTime. Dinner is my favorite part of the day; I just love making a delicious, easy dinner or going out. I love finding a reason to celebrate life.
Dinner ritual:
Nighttime routine:
Self-care guilty pleasure:
Workday self-care hack:
How I define self-care:
I define self-care as tuning into your own mind and body and unapologetically listening to what you need in the moment. We each find joy in different things, so it's important to find what makes you happy and nourishes you. Nothing is more important than self-care and not feeling any guilt for taking it. Daily, if your cup isn't full, you won't feel your best, you won't be promoting health and wellness, and you can't give to others — which is normally what makes us the most happy.
Favorite childhood toy or hobby:
I used to have a desk in my childhood room and, no joke, would put on a blonde wig, line up my stuffed animals around me, and pretend I was running a business with their help. I think I always looked up to my mom who was an entrepreneur and business owner. I liked emulating her and I loved the feeling of being inspired or put up to a challenge to get things done. My mom inspired me a lot, as did my grandmother (her mother).
My grandmother Sylvia was a mother to four kids, and after the kids left home, she went to Paris to attend Le Corden Bleu cooking school. That was a big deal in the '60s! She never had the chance to pursue a career because her job was to take care of the family. I feel incredibly lucky I was born in a time when I could do whatever I wanted, and that I started a business before I had the responsibility of a partner and kids.
State of your (email) inbox:
I never have zero inbox, but I try each day to absolutely prioritize and get the most important things done first. The other things can wait.
Illustration by Megan Behrendt