I had a moment of clarity a few years ago that set me on a new path. I have to admit, my daily lifestyle lacked equilibrium, and so finding the right balance between entrepreneurship and motherhood felt like being pulled in two opposing directions. Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten about my own wellbeing and had let the small luxuries and little rituals slide to the detriment of my own happiness. So, I decided to go on a journey to be a better version of myself.
My goal wasn’t just to make my present better but also to energize my future and ensure that I can continue to develop KaterinaPerez.com for many years to come. I was determined to add myself back into the work-family and personal happiness equation and find a sustainable route away from burnout. As it’s my birthday, I wanted to share something personal and highlight some of the things I have learned along the way. Today, I would like to share how I navigate the pace of life and meet the demands of work, travel, sleep, personal time, exercise, diet, and family life… it’s not easy, but I feel confident that I have made big improvements that maybe can inspire you to do the same if there is a need for it.
To give, we must be a full vessel…
Only in recent years have I truly understood what it means to love yourself and prioritize self-care, not for selfish reasons but to fill my metaphorical vessel. What do I mean by this? To give love and happiness to the people who matter most, you must be full of those things first. Recognizing when your own reserves of happiness, joy, confidence, and inspiration are low is important, not only for yourself but for those around you, too. From a business perspective, I need to feel energized, creative, and inspired to get the most out of my team and explore new opportunities, so I need to keep this battery charged in myself! I set about rediscovering and finding new ways to fill my vessel, whether that was as simple as prioritizing more sleep, exercising, eating better, going on a solo cinema trip, or having a massage. My milestone moments in 2023 were sweeter because I was in a position to truly enjoy them.
Find things that bring you consistency and joy…
Read any book about entrepreneurship or casually scroll through social media, and you’ll see that much of the focus is on making money fast. I have written extensively about making money as a blogger and the revenue streams that sustain my business. However, my wellbeing journey has taught me that a successful business is built on what you spend too, and how you prioritize your own comfort, mental health, and ingenuity through consistent pleasures. For me, this has blossomed through regular exercise – something that I used to hate! I discovered a new online trainer who focuses on mobility and strength. He guides me through exercises that don’t leave me feeling depleted for the week ahead, which is what I need to make this a sustainable and consistent part of my life. Now, two years into my regimen, I can feel the results, balance my stress levels, and support my mental health in a way that suits me. Although sports were never something that interested me, I am now addicted to this type of regular workout. It’s all about finding what brings you joy.
Don’t be ashamed of the little rituals…
Being in business is all about confidence, and that can be fueled by small things. My approach to personal wellbeing, such as having regular relaxing massages and facials, may sound trivial to some, but it has given me a big boost of self-esteem that benefits my professional life, too. Similarly, making commitments to business class travel and nice hotels isn’t just about enjoying the nicer things in life; it’s about ensuring I am comfortable, well-rested and ready to step onto an exhibition floor full of fire for a day of meetings, interviews, and photoshoots! Perhaps I may have apologized for these things previously, but now I understand their value for my business.
Learn to live guilt-free…
Make peace with the fact that spending time on your own and doing things purely for your own benefit from time to time is a good thing. I think many women, especially mothers, struggle with this, as they fear that the time they spend on self-care or travelling for work (and especially pleasure) is selfish or detrimental to their families. Of course, this doesn’t have to be the case. Self-love is a powerful tool for getting what you want, both personally and professionally. Again, it all comes back to filling your vessel and ensuring that you are well enough to take care of others and empower them to reach their potential.
Know that small changes can be significant…
We all put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make big changes and make grand gestures, but the small things can be just as beneficial. In my business life, we make small tweaks all the time to articles, workflows, and images, so it was a natural leap for me to attempt this in my personal life, too. I started with food and discovered what made my body feel sluggish after COVID. I was amazed to discover that I have some food intolerances, and was lactose intolerant and have since been able to shift my daily diet to enhance myself for the better. The famous quote by Steve Jobs comes to mind: “Eat your food as your medicine. Otherwise, you have to eat medicine as your food.” My journey to becoming a better version of myself hasn’t been full of huge sweeping changes… just something as simple as rethinking ice cream!
Accept the qualities that make you unique…
An enormous part of being ‘Katerina Perez’ is being in the public eye and being photographed. In the past, I have written about why you perhaps don’t want to be me because it’s not as glamorous as many people presume. Before my wellbeing journey, I was struggling to balance being a public person and a natural introvert who enjoys her own company. Now, I embrace this as a dichotomy that makes me unique rather than something that needs to be ‘fixed’. To make the world of KaterinaPerez.com sustainable, I have learned to lean into what makes me ME, emphasize the qualities that I have, and surround myself with people who provide great balance. This leads nicely to my next point…
Surround yourself with passionate people…
If I didn’t have my team around me, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love. There are so many processes involved in running social media, understanding the algorithm, and managing the website that it would simply be impossible for one person to do that alone. Crucially, I believe it is not just about hiring people who can do a specific job but finding individuals who share your passions and values. Curate a team that is excited to come to work and do their best to deliver high-quality results, freeing your mind to focus on strategic goals and the ‘bigger picture’. Recently, for example, I have welcomed a PA who has really helped me to approach my week in an organised way.
Find tools that make life easier…
It’s not just about finding people who can support your goals but using technology to do the same. At KaterinaPerez.com, we use tools like Monday.com to structure our work and Iconosquare to schedule content more easily. It’s a fallacy that a great business owner should simply be able to juggle all the difficult tasks that come their way, which is something I have really come to appreciate on my wellbeing journey. Working 24 hours a day isn’t sustainable, but capitalizing upon tools that help you work smarter, not harder, is the sign of someone who wants their business to thrive.
Remember your mission statement…
Finally, my advice to anyone trying to fuse the worlds of personal growth, wellbeing and business success is to remember your core mission. It is important to ask yourself, ‘What makes me happy?’ and ‘Why am I working this hard?’. For me, my mission is to popularize jewellery, inspire women to fall in love with jewellery, and appreciate its artistry, cultural significance, and beauty. It has been this way from the start, and it’s what continues to drive me no matter how challenging life can get. Now, my goal is to future-proof this goal and continue to make an impact on people’s lives. There is no better reward than hearing how my approach to Instagram has inspired someone to return to the classroom to learn about gemstones or encouraged a designer to forge ahead with a new idea. The feedback we receive is so incredibly heart-warming, and we are proud to play our part in inspiring the next generations of jewellery professionals and jewellery lovers.
I hope this behind-the-scenes look at my personal journey over the last few years has demonstrated that periods of self-reflection are sometimes necessary and valuable. I hope you can find similar fulfilment, whether that’s in jewellery or another specialism that gets your heart racing.
