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 The Good Hippie founder Emily Rose McNabb Butler, who snuggles with her cat every night before turning out the light and believes in the power of "eating that frog" and setting boundaries.
Name: Emily Rose McNabb Butler
Age: 32
City: Austin, Texas
Company: The Good Hippie, a company that hand crafts and sells artisan vegan all-natural skin and home care.
Beyond the role: Dancer, teacher, pit bull mom, activist.
Morning routine:
The moment I get up I make coffee, "eat that frog" and take care of the things I don't want to do. Then I walk my dog before it's too hot and manage my daily schedule.
The first thing I do after work:
Spend time with my husband! He's an essential worker and doesn't work from home, so I miss him a lot during the long days of working from home.
Dinner ritual:
It depends on the day. We usually meal prep since we're both pretty busy, so at the end of the day our meals either just need to be heated up or require minimal work to put together. I personally don't enjoy cooking, but my husband loves to cook. We rarely go out to eat, even before the pandemic. Eating at home helps us save money and maintain a healthy diet.
Nighttime routine:
I love my nightly routine. First, I set my alarms and double check the next day's calendar so I'm prepared.
I then wash, scrub, and oil up my face. I apply my Calm Nourishing Butter all over my hands or feet to help me sleep once I'm in bed. This ritual has done wonders for my physical comfort and mental nighttime transition. I also have a charging station for my phone and apple watch, so all electronics are put away and out of reach. Before falling asleep, my cat will come in the bed, right between us, and snuggle for about 10 minutes. It's adorable and my favorite time to connect with him. That's a little meditation and snuggle time I always look forward to. After we have kitty time, it's light out.
Self-care guilty pleasure:
The game Homescapes on my phone. I get to turn off my brain and solve stress-free puzzles. I pull this out after dinnertime most nights.
Workday self-care hack:
I turn on music and sometimes put on a show for my cat and dog. Their recent favorites are from Hamilton. Sometimes I need to move and shake it out to stay motivated and less anxious. It works wonders.
How do you define self-care?
Setting boundaries when you need to step away or value yourself. When I take care of my mental state and recognize what I need to be comfortable, it comes down to setting boundaries and put myself first, even for a few moments.
I also feel that this kind of self care is present while being active in work. I set boundaries by not being afraid to say no to an opportunity when I don't feel like the money-energy ratio is worth it. Setting these boundaries has become a sacred ritual after being a dancer for several years. Artists are in high demand, but often aren't compensated fairly or are paid in "exposure." I've noticed this practice in my business as well, as I am still considered an artist rather than a business.
Saying "no" takes back my power and proves that I value myself. It took money and time to build this business! When we realize that we have to pay more for high quality goods that are ethically produced and hand-crafted, we recognize the labor disparities in other parts of the world. We can work to fix this issue by spending our money wisely so that we can hold bigger companies to higher standards and adopt better practices.
Favorite childhood toy or hobby:
State of your (email) inbox:
Everything is either marked read or has been flagged. I do not, however, delete old emails, which I know drives some people crazy! Keeping emails available is very helpful since I'm a one-woman show and have a hard time recalling all my conversations.
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Illustration by Megan Behrendt