the bossbabe podcast - 316. Confidence, Motherhood & Building A Successful Brand With Emily DiDonato

Episode Date: August 22, 2023

Want the real + raw scoop on modeling, motherhood, and what it takes to build a really successful brand from the ground up? Today’s episode does not disappoint, because Natalie sat down with Emily Didonato, Co-Founder of the skincare brand Covey, model for brands like Armani, Maybelline New York + Ralph Lauren (just to name a few) and mama of 2, to talk about her career path, building confidence, overcoming imposter syndrome, the season of motherhood, and the BTS scoop on what it’s taken to build Covey into the successful business you see today. HIGHLIGHTS The story behind how Emily’s modeling career started and how it impacted her friendships How to deal with confidence issues and imposter syndrome (+ how becoming a mother changed everything) The real and raw on pregnancy, postpartum + motherhood How Emily’s skincare brand Covey was created and built (+ some of the biggest skills you need to get your business off the ground)  Navigating mom guilt + prioritizing time for yourself while doing “all the things” How to communicate what you need to your team in a really clear + effective way FOLLOW bossbabe: @bossbabe.inc Natalie Ellis: @iamnatalie Emily DiDonato: @emilydidonto

I'm transformed. I don't know who I am and what I want to do. That's terrifying because there are moments where you're like, oh, I don't know who I am anymore. And I wish I did. But then there's also this like beautiful, optimistic version of it where you're like, well, what do I want to do with this new version of like who I am and how I approach things? Because becoming a mother makes you so strong mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. A boss babe is unapologetically ambitious and paves the way for herself and other women to rise, keep going and fighting on. She is on a mission to be her best self in all areas. It's just believing in yourself. Confidently stepping outside her comfort

zone to create her own version of success. Welcome back to the Boss way podcast today's episode is a good one so buckle up i am interviewing emily d donato and when i first chatted with her we had a zoom coffee i knew she needed to come on the podcast because the conversation we had was so real and honest and the kind of conversation that i know i always want to listen into with other people, especially women who on the outside, it looks like they're doing it all, you know, running the companies, having the babies, doing all the things. And I really love it in these conversations when we get real and we get honest and we talk about all the different elements and how we are, you know, balancing it all, if that is even a thing. And so I was really, really excited to sit down with Emily and we go into everything from

her modeling career to her career as an influencer, entrepreneur, and motherhood. We talk all about postpartum, where she is at right now. She is the mother of two. And as of recording this, she was six weeks postpartum. So she was really in it. And I was so grateful that she was willing to be so honest about all of that and not trying to put on a show, really just bringing everyone into her world and sharing what's going on. So Emily started her career as a model. She actually graduated from high school and within a few months was in a television commercial as the face of Maybelline New York. She was then a Victoria's Secret model. She has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She has walked for Chanel, Louis Vuitton. She's appeared

in advertising campaigns for Armani, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren. I mean, you name it, she has done it. She is absolutely incredible. And a few years back, she co-founded the company Covey, which is a skincare brand. And she did that because she recognized, okay, her modeling career was one thing. She then became a digital creator because she knew it would fuel her career and having an audience and seeing gaps in the market she wanted to build something that existed beyond just her brand and it's been amazing to dive in and watch that journey and listen to how she's done it so we really go everywhere in this conversation I think you're gonna love it you're gonna feel like a fly on the wall and I hope it

really supports the journey that you're on right now. Emily, welcome to the Boss Babe Podcast. Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited and I've been doing so much research on you and it feels like every single thing I'm uncovering, I'm like, how are you doing it all? And so we're going to dive into all the things, but what I first would love to do is go back to really early years and understand a little bit about what your childhood was like before you started working, which was very young. Like what was it like before you started working and then how did you get discovered at what age? Yeah. So I grew up in upstate New York.

So about an hour and 45 minutes outside of Manhattan. And, you know, my mom was a stay at home mom. My dad was a New York City firefighter for 25 years. So it was a very kind of normal upbringing. I grew up in kind of a rural area, very outdoorsy. My parents, I always say, were like the original crunchy people. All we did growing up was like hike and fish and camp and mountain bike ride. Like our yearly vacation was camping.

So that's kind of how things started for me. And then I started modeling when I was a junior in high school. I was very active in sports. I played basketball and soccer and lacrosse and all of these things. And then I was discovered in a mall when I was a junior in high school in Connecticut. But I'd say my upbringing was like very normal. And so junior in high school, what age are we talking? I think I was 17 years old.

Like I hadn't gone to prom yet. I know that. So young. And so it sounds like you were probably working before a lot of your friends or at least more of a serious job than your friends right oh yeah definitely I mean I actually did have a job when I started modeling I worked at a pizzeria I was a hostess so that was my first first job but yes all my friends around me everyone was getting their kind of first jobs in high school just to like pay for gas money on the weekends I I mean, you remember when you first started working, you just want to be able to like get pizza and like pay for gas.

So yes, I was definitely the first one. So when I returned to school with like myself in a magazine, I think everyone was kind of like, huh? Like, so you really are a model? And I'm like, I really am. And what was that like? Did it change any of the dynamics you had at school? Did it change the way people looked at you? I think it probably changed the way people looked at me a little bit, but I have to say that my school was kind of like blah, blah, blah about it. Like nobody treated me differently. And I had a very close knit group of friends who didn't really change anything about the way that they taught me. And I feel like, especially at that age, like your very close friendships are very kind of sensitive and extremely important when you're a teenager.

And luckily I had a really great group and I still played sports and all that. So they were just kind of like supportive and great. And I feel like anytime I came back from traveling or working, it was just like back to high school business. It was like, all right, what party are we going to this weekend? What football game is it? Like, it just kind of seamlessly blended together. I don't get how. Yeah. I I'm just thinking back to that. And I just, it feels like things must have happened very quickly for you from getting discovered to your career taking off. What did that look like? Yeah, it did take off really quickly. So when I got discovered, when I was around 17 years old, I remember I went to Manhattan, I met with a couple of agents. And I think within like two to three weeks, I was shooting like a campaign for Ralph Lauren. Like right away, they were like,

we want you to go see like all of these people in New York City. And me and my mom were running around Manhattan, like, what are we doing? I was going to castings. I remember I was like hobbling around in like, the only high heels that I owned in my closet and like my portfolio that had like two pictures in it because I like had never done photo shoots before. And I started working like very shortly after that. And then I remember like my second job ever was an editorial for Glamour Magazine. And then that is what Maybelline saw. And that was like the magazine they had out on the table when I went to go see them for the first time. And they were like, this is how we found you.

So within six months into my modeling career at 17 years old, I also signed a really big cosmetics contract. And I was a global spokesmodel and was for over 13 years. So it really like tumbleweeded really quickly. Luckily, I got very lucky in that sense. And what did that do to you as a person in a sense of what lessons did you have to learn really quickly? How did it change even the way you looked at yourself, the way you looked at the world? I'm sure you went from making minimum wage to wait. I just got an actual paycheck. Like what did that do to you? I mean, I think that I was just so excited to be

working and I was so excited to make money, like any money on my own. You know, I described my upbringing, but I, I, I say this the best way that I can. I didn't grow up with a lot of money. I'll put it that way. So when I gained this financial independence, it was everything to me. And it wasn't like I was, once I started making money, I was like out shopping and buying designer things and going crazy. I was just, I remember I was in high school. I was just so excited that I was like, I'm going to get my subway sandwich and go to the movies. Don't worry. I'll pay for gas. I was just so excited, but I definitely had to learn a lot of lessons, right? Granted,

I was young. I started working very early on and was very busy. And, you know, as a model, you're constantly with new people. There's not a lot of continuity. So I was constantly with new people in foreign places. A lot of times people didn't speak the language. So I think even at 17, you are kind of an adult, but I was felt like I was very much forced to be an adult and kind of like proper and take care of myself and be professional very early on. And that was definitely, you know, it came very quickly. I felt like most of my friends around me were off going to college and learning their own lessons in their own right. But mine just came like in the professional sense up to the surface very quickly.

And has your career really just continued to evolve since then? Has it been thing after thing? Or have you since then taken time to decompress and reflect? What's that look like? Oh, definitely. And that's hard to do. You know, as a model, like I had moments in my career where you were literally going from place to place to place to place. Like I remember there were years and months of my life.

I'd be in Paris and London and Milan and Russia, then New York. Like it was just insanity. And then I would get super burnt out and I would be like, okay, I need to take a break. But the thing is jobs would come in because as a model, you know, your agent calls you and they're like, we have this job. Do you want to do it? Do you want to do it? You have the choice, but that would give me so much anxiety because I didn't feel like

I had the right to say no to things because they were all kind of piling on top of each other. And I was young and I felt like, you know, there is kind of this time sensitivity around being a model because a lot of people, especially when I was younger, they were like, Oh my God, you only have like 10 years. If you're lucky, you better take advantage of it. So I'd always be like, I'm desperate for a break, but I feel like I need to take advantage of this time. So that took me many years to figure out, like, you don't have to say yes to everything, like figure out what you actually want to be working on. Especially when I got to a point where like my career had been plentiful and wonderful and it's like, I don't need to be on that hamster wheel. So yeah, I definitely took moments of rest and then it's definitely evolved because I was a model then, you know, five, six,

seven years ago, I really started focusing on content creation more. And at that time, when I first started doing it, you know, YouTube, Instagram, I remember I would go to work as a model and I'd be shooting like a French Vogue cover and I'd be vlogging it. And people would be like, seriously, like, are you like a vlogger? Are you an influencer? What are you doing? And I was like, I don't know. Like, I just remember seeing bloggers really blowing up and influencers really blowing up. And I was like, I'm on set shooting 12, 14 hour days. I kind of want to do what they're doing and they want to do what I'm doing. So I was like, let me just take a stab at this. And I'm really glad that I did. And then of course things

evolved. And then I started my own business, which I'm sure we'll get into, but I felt like I've taken many different like phases of it. That's what I love about your story. And also Iskra, who we had on the podcast, not that long ago was the two of you, you kind of talk about falling into it, but the intention behind it to have your modeling career and be able to turn that into an influencer content creator career, which I'm sure just catapulted your modeling career even more to then be able to pivot into entrepreneurship, I think is so smart that you knew that back then, or even just had the inkling that it might go somewhere and you put that in and it's turned into what it is now, I think is incredible. How much intention did you have

behind your career, even in the early days? Because I remember, you know, being that age, I remember being in my late teens myself, and I didn't really know what I wanted to be, who I was, I was still finding myself. So how much intentionality could you put into that? And how much were you forced to just kind of go with it and see what happened? I felt like in the beginning, I was felt very forced to just go with it because things just come in and they come in and they come in and I'd be like, okay, sure. I'll do that one more job. I'll do that one more trip. I'll do that one more editorial and then I'll take a break. But then sometimes I would just like never happen. So that's why I really loved content creation. And I loved being an influencer and being able

to do paid partnerships with some of the brands that I was already modeling for, because I was able to be like, okay, I'll shoot that next week. I'll figure out when to do that. I'll hire the person who's going to help me work on that. I just had so much more agency. And that was like mind blowing to me because as a model, you don't have control over your schedule, really your hair, your makeup, how to look, how to act like you are fully molded into something else for the day. You're meant to be this sort of chameleon. So then when it's time for you to like make decisions and when it was time for me to decide what I really wanted after many years of living like that, I was kind of like, I don't know, can someone like tell me where to go and what to do? But then I was really glad that

I kind of took that leap into content creation because that allowed me to learn like, what do I want to do? What do I want to work on? What do I enjoy out of this whole creative process? So it was definitely a journey. And what about your confidence back then too? Because same thing, I'm just putting myself in your shoes. And I feel like those years, especially where things really took off for you.

For me, those were the years where I started to become really self-conscious and look at people around me and compare myself and all the things I think you don't necessarily do when you're younger. But it feels like you were, you know, thrown into the modeling world around the time that you probably were starting to become a bit more conscious. Yes, absolutely. I mean, I think right when I started, it was very much like, you know, at that time when I started in 2008, 2009, all models look the same. They were all like six foot, a double zero blonde hair, blue eyes. And everyone was either from Eastern Europe or Brazil. It was like, that was it. So even me being an American girl who was like a size four was like, Whoa, you were like, whoa, I was like athletic and sporty and American and, you know, like straight teeth. And people were like, wow, like, what is this? But of course, right away, you know, you find out you have an option for a job and, you know, 10 other girls are on option for the exact same job. You can't help but be like, what do they look like? What are they working on? Why'd they get that? And why didn't I get that? And I feel like you're at such a sensitive age, like 17, 18, 19, 20, I would get so down on myself. And I would always be like, how can I be better? How can I do more? Like, what more can I get out of this so I can get the next one, which in one hand is a good thing to want to be better

and to get better. And that self improvement still exists within me. But I think I was just driving myself into the ground and beating myself up so much because I was just comparing myself to like the physical appearance of my peers. And when you think about that and step back, it's like, well, she's a blonde and you're a brunette or she has brown eyes and you have blue eyes or like, you know, there's certain things that you simply cannot change. You're almost like fighting and trying to solve the wrong problem. Was there ever a point where you got to where you kind of realized you couldn't compare yourself to others and you had to learn to become comfortable in your own skin? Or do you feel like it was always like that for you?

No, it was definitely not always like that for me. I definitely had, you know, I compared myself, I beat myself up. I had really bad imposter syndrome, you know, when I would be on set and working with, you know, like I mentioned, I'd be on set with like really big models, like very early on in my career. I remember with Maybelline, I was on set with like Christy Turlington and Adriana Lima, who was two of the most iconic models ever. And I was like, supposed to be modeling side by side with them. And I'm like, do you guys know that I've only been modeling for like four months? Like, what am I doing? So I would be have the horrific imposter syndrome. And honestly, even looking back, I'm like, it was justified. I was like, you were a kid thrown into like a crazy situation. And

people were like, all right, just watch what they do and copy that. And I'd be like, okay. Like, and trying my best to do that, which actually is great advice. It's like, you really fake it. So you make it is great advice. So I definitely feel like it started to shift a little bit. And I'm sure that you feel this way as well, because you've had your baby with age helps that you kind of gain that perspective. And ever since I've had my children, I'm kind of like, I don't have time and energy to even like, look at what other people are doing because I'm like, what do I want? Like, who am I? Like, what am I creating for my children? You're so engulfed in your own world and your children's world that I feel like I found that comparison to really fade away. Yeah. I really resonate with that too. And I feel like, you know, whether you're in a modeling career or entrepreneurship, there's so many similarities.

When you first get started, you're looking around at everyone that's so much further ahead than you. And especially now, you know, we're all on social media, we're all looking at what everyone else is doing. It's so hard, even as content creators ourselves, I think, especially I'll talk for myself. It's so hard not to compare where you are to someone else's highlight reel, even though you know, it's a highlight reel because you're in the industry yourself. And it really, yeah, I would say having my daughter kind of the same thing where it's become very easy to put my blinders on because everything shifts. My priorities shift the way I think about the world shift, the way I think about who I want to be in the world shift.

So it's a gift in so many ways. And it's a shock in so many ways. Complete shock to the system, which I know you and I bonded over the few times we first spoke. Yeah. I really resonated with something that you post on Instagram. We'll kind of pivot into motherhood a little bit. Someone was asking you what was more challenging going from zero to one or one to two. And what you said, even though, you know, I don't have two children, it really resonated with me. And I think probably is the way I'll think you said probably hard.

I was going from zero to one because of the shock. And I've had some people say to me, wait, what were you shocked about? And I cannot even put into words how shocked I was. Can you talk about this? Yeah. I mean, I think it's a combination of like, it is so hard to know how much and what motherhood truly entails because it truly is a 24 seven job. But I think after you give birth, you also have this surge of hormones. I had really, really bad postpartum anxiety with my first. So I just remember, I felt like I was running on. I don't, I was running on empty for sure. I felt so anxious. I wasn't sleeping. Even when she was sleeping, I never slept. I just felt so not myself. And then I had this little tiny human and I had no idea how to take care of her. I didn't grow up around children. I never babysat. So it was my first time really

around a newborn. And I was just like, Oh my God, I have no idea what to do with this tiny little human, but it's so important. So you put so much pressure on yourself because this is the most important and biggest role of my entire life. And I don't know what I'm doing. And it was just really a shock to the system. But I also think, you know, hormones and I was breastfeeding and that really did take a huge toll on me and my mental health. And I know that's not the case for everyone. Some people are like easy peasy, wasn't a big deal for me, Or maybe, you know, motherhood strikes them. They have their challenges and difficulties at a different kind of phase or chapter in their lives. But that chapter for me is first of all, a blur, probably by design. But it was, I do remember that I was very, very unwell. It was very challenging

to me. So yes, going from zero to two, I was like, first of all, I know what I'm doing. I'm already a mom. So there's nothing really that new that's occurring here. I know what to do. I know what's important. I know when he should go to sleep, like, which I didn't know the first time around. And then it was just more of the same. So I had two of little babies running around. So there was more things, but not harder, confusing things that I've never heard of and have no idea how to do or tackle. Let's take a quick pause to talk about my new favorite all-in-one platform, Kajabi. You know, I've been singing their praises lately because they have helped our business run so much smoother and with way less complexity, which I love. Not to mention our team couldn't

be happier because now everything is in one place. So it makes collecting data, creating pages, collecting payment, all the things so much simpler. One of our mottos at Boss Babe is simplify to amplify and Kajabi has really helped us do that this year. So of course I needed to share it here with you. It's the perfect time of year to do a bit of spring cleaning in your business, you know, get rid of the complexity and instead really focus on getting organized and making things as smooth as possible. I definitely recommend Kajabi to all of my clients and students. So if you're listening and haven't checked out Kajabi yet, now is the perfect time to do so because they are offering Boss Babe listeners a 30-day free trial go to kajabi.com slash boss babe to claim your 30-day free trial that's kajabi.com slash boss babe i resonate so

much i remember i was maybe 38 weeks pregnant i was very much on the verge of giving birth and i was washing some of her laundry and i was folding it. And I was just imagining in my head what was to come. And I really had no idea what to expect. And I had this kind of image in my head of just this little baby, just kind of coming with me everywhere I go. And I was imagining having these like long, luxurious bubble baths. And she's just lying in the bouncer beside me and all of these things that I truly thought motherhood was going to be like. And then she arrives into the world and, and it's the same thing. It was just, I was going through so much postpartum, the hormone surge was so intense and I didn't realize they don't just like to lay and

chill. I had no idea. I feel like no one really talks about that, or at least I, I feel like now I'm in more of a bubble because I follow more moms and I have these conversations, but I really wasn't at the time. And so I wasn't hearing these kinds of conversations. I was kind of hearing the motherhood work balance, but I also, and I don't know if you relate, but I told myself a story that it would be different for me. No, I know who I am. No, I'm still gonna, you know, want my career in that way. And I had all of these stories and actually, I think nothing can really prepare you for what it's like and who you're going to be or how you're going to feel. I think everyone is so different and motherhood does change you.

It does. It completely changes you to the point where I don't even really remember who I was before this. And it's really hard even really remember who I was before this. And it's really hard because I remember when I was pregnant and very fresh postpartum, I reached out to so many of my mom friends or pregnant people because I was like, I got to create this village. I need to talk to people. I don't know what's to come, but what's really hard about motherhood. And what I find to be a double-edged sword is you don't want to be that person who's like, oh, just wait or like, watch out for this. Or like, it's going to be like this and make it sound horrible.

But then you also don't want to warn them. Don't want to not warn them at all. And like kind of share the reality of the situation either and make it seem like it's all roses and butterflies. It's hard to win in that sense. So on one hand, I understand why some people even ask my own mother. Sometimes I'm like, do you remember this? Do you remember going through this? She's like, not really. I'm like, Oh my God. But I think

it's by design in one way. And also, every person's experience is so different. And the only way through it is to do it. So true. And I know the balance is so interesting. I always say to people, you know, probably be the best thing that ever happens to you. In fact, I know it will be. And my experience was that it was a little bit of a shock and there was certain things I had to learn and, you know, yours might be different, but just letting you know, you know, expect the unexpected because there's really no way that you can prepare. And I also say to people, cause I have a lot of, you know, really ambitious women or entrepreneurs coming to me saying, you know, I I'm waiting for the right time. I'm waiting to get my business in,

in order and things like that. But then everyone keeps telling me there's not a right time. And I think that one's a really interesting one because I do think, you know, having an established career before having kids does help. And it did help for me. It's not a prerequisite because I also think on the other side of the coin, the motivation that you have after having kids is so much greater than before. So it's like, there's no right time. And almost you can look at so many different parts of this as an advantage or disadvantage, I think. Totally. I completely agree. And I feel like also what's, what's scary and nice about motherhood is you can have all of this history and whenever you choose to do it, you kind of are almost a blank slate

again, after you had, I tell, I felt like I was like, I'm transformed. I don't know who I am and what I want to do. That's terrifying. Cause there are moments where you're like, Oh, I don't know who I am anymore. And I wish I did. But then there's also this like beautiful, optimistic version of it where you're like, well, what do I want to do with this new version of like who I am and how I approach things? Because I'm sure you can relate and agree becoming a mother makes you so strong mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Like sometimes when I'm doing things like it reminded me the other day, I was like in the cold plunge with my husband, we were doing that. And he was like, wow, you're like crushing it. And I'm like, I had a baby. Like this is nothing. Like everything is nothing in comparison to childbirth. Like I am a

beast now. I relate so hard. I got chills when you were saying that. Cause I had a similar experience with the cold plunge where before I would shy away from things like that. I had that story, this story that I don't like doing hard things. And after you have a baby, you're like, it's a cold bath. Put me in it. Who cares? What's the big deal? It's like nothing compares. Nothing's that big a deal anymore. You feel so much more resilient and capable. And I think when we kind of come back to that confidence building in yourself, and I hope, you know, that a lot of mothers, if not all mothers feel this way of like, how can you not be confident and proud of who you are

when you've gone through something like that? Yes, you know, a lot of women do it. And that's how we've all gotten here. But it doesn't minimize the fact that it's such a huge experience to go through and the resilience that creates and it shows you how capable you are. I really hope that is something that women take into the motherhood journey with them. Yes, I completely agree. It's like a strength, a gold medal that you should run with and own and you'll be changed forever, but in the best ways.

So speaking of careers and motherhood, where were you in your career, let's say like a year before you got pregnant and how were you starting to think about pregnancy and babies and things starting to change and evolve for you? So I feel like I was one of those stereotypical stories that you hear where all of a sudden I was kind of like, I want to have a baby like now. And I remember I was talking to my husband about it in like 2020. And I got, I got pregnant in 2021, but I did very much have that moment where I was like, I need to have children. Like I really want to do it now. It was the pandemic, of course. So things were a lot slower, but I also think that I

just got a little more in touch with like who I was and kind of was like, oh my gosh, I really want to have children. So for me, it kind of happened very quickly where I was like, I really, really want to do this. And then my husband and I kind of agreed to wait until 2021. And then shortly after we started trying, I got pregnant and I was very lucky in that department, but that's kind of how I looked at it. It was very like one single focus. Like I am ready to do this and I want to do it. When I say I'm ready to do this, I meant I'm ready to get pregnant, ready to be a mother. I'm still, I'm still not ready. Yeah. Our story is quite similar. I think 2020 had me come to that realization to just being at

home. It's like, this would be way more fun with a baby or things like that started to enter my head and same thing. We agreed. Okay, well, let's start next year. So where were you at in your career? Had you had the idea for Covey? Had you started the brand? Were you still modeling? Where were you at there?

I was still modeling. Obviously, things were a little bit quieter because it was the pandemic and that industry very much shut down in a lot of ways. And then, yes, myself and my business partner, who's also my best friend, Christina, we started working on Covey in 2018. So that was already in the works and the pandemic just happened to happen to all of us. But we were regardless, like we're going to launch this business. We've been working on it and put our blood, sweat and tears into it and had done so much research and diligence and so much effort.

So we were like, it's going to launch. So we launched Covey in March of 2021. And I found out I was pregnant like a week later. So granted, it wasn't like, you know, I didn't know it was going to happen. I know how getting pregnant happens, but I didn't think it was going to happen so quickly. And then I launched my business and I was like, okay, great. And pretty much ever since Covey has been in the universe, I've either been pregnant, nursing or postpartum. And what about your business partner? Is she a mother too? She is. Yes. She got pregnant like three months after me. So we were like, we are in this to win this. And what was really nice was like, I was three months ahead of her for everything. So I'd always be like, oh my God, this is what's happening. And then she'd meet me

three months later and be like, oh my God, you told me about this. It's happening. Like with pregnancy after you have the baby, everything. So I felt like it was kind of perfect because we always understood what the other one was going through. So when she was like, I need you to cover this for me, or I can't do this or vice versa, we were always like, I got you. I get it. Like we truly were on the same page. I think that is so incredibly powerful and it's probably quite rare to have co-founders going through that huge life experience at the same time. Because I know if you are co-founders

and you are going through, one person's going through that experience and the other isn't, I think it can be really challenging for you both to understand each other because it's one of those things, especially pregnancy that, you know, you can't really imagine until you're in pregnancy that, you know, you can't

really imagine until you're in it or postpartum, you can't really empathize until you're in it. So the fact it almost feels like all of this was meant to happen on, on the perfect timing. Yes. I mean, her and I always joke, we're like, we're going to look back on these years, probably in 10, 20 years and be like, what were we doing? Like having kids growing this business, like doing like fundraising, like speaking on panels while we have like little tiny babies. And we're just trying to get our lives together. Like, I just know we're going to look back and I'm sure you will too. And be like, how did I do that? That's what I want to ask. So how did you do that when you were pregnant in postpartum and your business was in its infancy

and probably requiring so much of your time and attention? How were you able to find the energy, first of all, to do it? And yeah, tell me about, tell me about the energy piece. Firstly, the energy piece was hard. Like I said, I mean, I, what was really nice about me and my career. And at that time, I mean, not really nice. It wasn't a nice time because it was the pandemic, but obviously my modeling career was really, really quiet at that time. So I was able to give all of my attention and energy that I did have to Covey and growing that. So it was that really nice inflection point or pivot in my career and perfect timing for that. And, you know, for me and being pregnant, I felt like I had a really

hard time with my mental health while I was pregnant. Of course, energetically, it was really, really difficult, but for me and the business, I always just try to remind myself, what are my strong suits here? Like, what can I really bring to the table? And sometimes it's just like, I was like, I do have to take a nap right now, but does that mean that I can't record something in the morning or I can't shoot an ad in the afternoon? No. So it would always be about like, what are the top three things that I need to get accomplished today? This is pregnancy or not pregnant in general. I think it's just a good school of thought because you're just not going to get everything done on your to-do list. So just take the top three things

and do them. So when I was pregnant, I was like, here's what I can accomplish today. Here's what I can do. And if you don't see me after that, my bad, but like, you know, my part in this business is being a content creator is, you know, working with influencers, getting the product out there, doing the PR element. And I'm going to own the heck out of that piece of it and prioritize those pieces. And then of course, that means that we had to have other parts of the team kind of help out. So it was of course, my co-founder in the beginning, we used a ton of freelancers and even still to this day, we very much rely heavily on really wonderful freelancers and other agency partners who really helped drive the business. When there were moments where I was like, just let me know the top three

things that you need from me. I'll give you that. And then you're on your own. Yeah. I really resonate. It was kind of the same. It's like, okay, I'm doing the needle movers. And if it's going to be anything outside of that, it's a no. When you had your baby, did your motivation or your ambition or the way you were looking at your business change at all? Oh yes. I mean, even after my second baby, it changes, right? Oh, tell me about that. Yeah. Like, I just feel like you're like your energy, actually energetically, I felt much much better much happier and much more sane after my second child but I think you know you have your own business as well like I jumped right back into things like I think three days after I had my son like I was on calls again that was

bad I actually deeply regret that with my second because I got cocky because I was like I've done this before and actually I feel pretty good so I was, I'll join that call and I'll be on that. I think it came back to bite me in the butt, like two or I'm only like 14 weeks postpartum, but I feel even currently right now, if I'm being honest, like very zapped and very tired and like energetically and spiritually. And I'm kind of like, I think it's because I didn't take a beat. And that's where I feel like it just boomeranged back around. And it's like, you do need to rest and you do need to take a moment. And I think that is by design and mother nature probably wants it to be that way. So you can be with your child and kind of really focus on that part of your life. So it's definitely hard. So I have moments where I'm like, am I just really,

really tired or like what's happening to me? And then I have to kind of take a moment. And even over the last week or two, I was telling my co founder, I was like, I'm sorry, I'm just like, doing really, really basic postpartum things like taking my baby out in the stroller and going for a walk and not being like, I gotta rush back. I have to jump on this call. I have to do this thing because I'm like, I just need a little bit of space. And I know that once I take that time, I'll come back and feel so much better. But I felt like I was jamming and jamming and jamming and jamming. And I was like, I'm actually not being productive. And I just feel super anxious. And I need to just take a moment. And what is your relationship with being able to slow down? Because I feel like we're very similar in so many ways of when your career started, it almost just kept going. Yes. And especially the careers you've been in. And I know this is the same with a lot of careers, but modeling it's when the momentum's there, you ride the momentum, content creation, being an influencer, when the momentum's there, you ride the momentum. Early startup, when the momentum's there, you ride that momentum. It's not really the kind of career, or at least doesn't seem to be on either

of those, the career you can start and stop when you feel like it. And so how has that then shaped your relationship with where you're at now? Do you feel like you could take a pause and slow down, or is that a work in progress? It's definitely a work in progress. I think I'm still figuring out like where and what I feel right now. I'm obviously still very heavily involved with the business and like, but I think what I needed to take a step back from, which is really nice. We just recently hired a CEO. We have a couple of full-time staff. I think for me, some people I felt like looked at me as the model and content creator and think that I'm not involved with different facets of the business, but I very much am. But I remember I was talking to my husband and he was like, show me your

calendar. So I would show him and it would be like back-to-back calls. And he's like, which of these do you actually need to join? But as the founder, you're like, all of them, all of them, I need to know everything. And he was like, but do you actually? So then I was like, I guess not. And then when I pulled back, I was like, okay, I only need to really do these few things. So I'm still recalculating or recalibrating like my prioritization and figuring that out. But having a business, it's like a baby too. And you're like, I can't let go. But actually, for everyone's sake, sometimes it's okay to let go of certain elements. Or that's why you hire certain freelancers or certain team members, because you trust them that they can take things over for you. And you can delegate.

Yeah, exactly. I always surprise myself when I stop doing a certain thing or delegate a certain thing, and nothing breaks. It's always a surprise. Wait, I didn't have to be doing that. Oh, wait, we could all take that off our calendar. One thing we did recently is we all went down to a four day work week. And so we're testing it over the summer. We did it for all of July, loved it now into August. And what's really interesting is we're still getting everything done and no one's working extra hours. And it's things like that. I feel like when you rip the bandaid off and you do it and you try it, you realize, wait, I could have actually just be being more productive in the time I had. And especially when you become a mom,

sometimes I look back and I'm like, what did I spend my time on? I don't know. I feel the exact same way. You become so much more productive and like brutal about your time, which is a good thing in the end. Yeah. So true. Okay. Let's talk mom guilt. I hate mom guilt. I really do. I wish it was something that didn't exist. And it's so easy for me to look at other women and tell, like, be like, why on earth would you have guilt? You are setting the best example. You're the best mom, but it's harder when we look at ourselves. I feel like it's so we could sit and pour into each other of all the reasons we should never feel guilty, but it is a lot harder when it comes to yourself. What's your relationship with it?

And especially being 14 weeks postpartum, how are you feeling in that department? I mean, I am not free of it whatsoever. I have it so badly. It's so funny. I was talking to my husband the other day and he, he wanted to plan a trip and I was like, I can't go away. You're insane. Like I have a 14 week old and like, even in three months, I still won't be ready. I have two children. I can't do it. And he was like, you feel guilty no matter what you might as well earn it. And I was like, is that the most profound thing that you've ever said? Cause he was like, you're not even like doing anything. You're always around and you're always with them. And then you take these very small moments and you still feel, still feel guilty. He's like, you don't even earn the guilt. And I was like, Oh my God, leave it to your husband to say something like that. Um, but no, I'm not free of it. I feel like

I always compare myself to other people. Or even when I do take a moment, like the other day on a Sunday, I went and got my nails done because my in-laws were here with my kids and they were having a ball. And I was like, Oh my God, I feel so much better. Like I just like was by myself for a little while. I got my nails done. I went for a walk and then I came home. It was like two hours max. And I was like, I feel bad. I feel bad that that made me feel so good. I was like, there is, how do I win? I was like, I literally can't win. I was like, I took this small sliver of time and I still feel guilty about it. But sometimes I'm like, listen, the guilt in some ways I think can propel you to be an even better person. I try to frame it like that, where I'm like, guilt, sometimes that type of mom guilt, I'm like, is pushing me to be a better mother because I love my kids. I put them first and my brain and my heart is always with them. And that's because

I'm a good mom. So sometimes when it's nagging me like that, I'm like, that's just because like the really good part of my heart and like my being as a mother, it will never leave me, which is a beautiful thing. And I want to prioritize in them and put them first. Can you imagine if you were just running around doing whatever you want and you like, didn't feel that the tie and the draw to your children, that would be insane too. So I'm like, I'm a good mom. I care about my kids. And that's why I have this always nagging and gnawing feeling to be with them all the time. There is a part of that that is mother nature. It doesn't mean that I can't still take the time away. And it's hard to take that time away. What's hard is like when I do take time for myself or I'm

working on my business, it's so difficult to make that choice. Like you're like, should I do this? Or should I like go just go be with my kids and go do that. But you have to make those hard decisions. And then you come out on the other side and you do feel better, but I wish it felt easier to put yourself first sometimes, but it just doesn't. I've never met a mom who's got it figured out. I don't have as much guilt. I will share that. I, I think I'm doing okay on the, on the non guilt side, but I wouldn't say I'm completely free of it, but I think I'm getting better. And I think what helps me the most is I look at so many of the moms, like I look at you and I just, I can't see why you feel guilty because I see how of an incredible mother you are, business owner, all the things. And I try and turn that back on myself. I try and remember, okay,

I can only see it in others because it exists within me. That's nice. And that's something that's really helped. Whenever I get into a spiral, I think of someone that I really look up to and I remember, okay, well, I can only see that in them because somehow somewhere it exists in me. And I would, I think it's helping. And I would also say I'm not 14 weeks postpartum, which I think it's also a lot easier to see things differently with more perspective when you're not so early postpartum. I think mother nature made no mistakes, really knew what she was doing with that postpartum phase. Oh my God. It's so true. Even yesterday I was in the shower and I was talking to my husband and I was like, I just feel like really happy today. And I'm not sure what to do with it. And I was talking to my husband and I was like, I just feel like really happy today. And I'm not sure what to do with it.

And I was like, I feel like I just came out of a cloud. And you look back and you're like, I actually am like, what, who was I? What was I just being like? I don't even know who that was because you know how that happens with postpartum. It's weird. Like, it's like you reach new levels of it and you're like, oh my God, is this what I used to be like? I think I'm normal again.

And then it's six months and you're like, no, this is what I used to be like. Oh my God. And then eight months, I remember I was like, Oh no, this is it. And then I got pregnant again. I know it just gets better and better. I feel like every month I'm like, wait, I thought I was back. No, no. Like, Oh wait, I thought I had my energy back. And it feels like it does just get better and better. And you know, when you then look at moms who are earlier in the postpartum, you're like, I remember, I, and I remember not being able to see it too. I remember thinking everything was fine and I was fine. And there was no, you know, my energy was fine. And I look back and like, wait, I was exhausted. I remember feeling all things. I'm wondering, cause I, this happened to me. Have you ever

had that moment where you're like, why am I even running a business? Should I just like throw it all, throw the towel in and just be a mom and not like just being a mom. I think being a mom is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but I've had that thought so many times. Like, you know what? I really envy my nanny's job. Should I, should I just, yeah, all the time. I'm always like, especially like when I'm really fried on work stuff. And then I'm like, you know what? I'm not even supposed to do this anyway, because it's such a conscious choice to do anything outside of being with your children. Cause like you feel that emotional, physical, spiritual tie with your children. So it's so

easy to almost be like, that's what I'm supposed to do. So I feel like when I choose anything outside of that, it feels almost wrong. Like you're like, is, do I really want to do this? And it's so hard to do that. So of course there are times where I'm like, why am I not just going with like this one thing that I know that I should do 100% of the time. And of course, I think it is beautiful to do that. I envy and also admire women who do that because then I get fried after I spend like one full day and then I'm like, wait, I need time to like do my own thing or be creative or whatever it might be. I'm a better mom for it when I do spend time on my own because I come back refreshed and excited with new perspective and new experiences. But it is a total, it's very

confusing. And I am very fresh postpartum. Yeah, I was going to say that. I actually, and maybe this is hot take, I don't know, but I actually think it would be harder to not be running my business. You know, when a lot of people say, how do you do it? I feel like it would personally be harder for me if I didn't, because I feel like when I'm running my business, I'm getting a break.

I'm getting to be me and do things that light me up for me, not through my baby's eyes. And I look at some moms who are full-time moms. Not that we're not full-time, but you know what I mean? They stay at home with their babies. And I just want to bow down. I'm like, your job is so much harder than mine. Completely agree. All I needed, like I said, is a day, a weekend with both of my kids. And I am just absolutely zapped. I do think it is because it's so all consuming. And like I said earlier,

you care so much and which I think just absolutely tanks your emotional and spiritual energy sometimes because you want to give everything to them. So that's why sometimes doing things outside of it is just going crazy. You know, it's going so viral, people, everyone's talking about it. I want to know more about it. Where did the actual idea come from? And what did you decide to do differently? Yeah. So we started working on it in 2018 and launched in March of 2021. The way that it started was I had come from the school of thought, you know, I had been a model for a long time. My skin was my life and my job, but I had come from the school of thought that more was more when it came to skincare. I used all the things. I was doing a million steps. I was using a lot of actives and my skin was suffering. It was dry. It was flaky. It was red. It was irritated. That was something that myself and my business founder slash best friend really bonded over. We were like,

we're using all the best things, the most expensive things. Why does our skin still look so bad? We're like, there has to be a simpler way to do this. And her and I really grew up, you know, when it was time for us to start taking your skin seriously in the U S at least. And I don't know for you, you went to the clinic counter. Exactly the same. Yes. The three-step clinic routine, or you went and got proactive. If you had acting, there was that three-step routine. And I was like, why is there not this sort of modernized millennial version of the three-step routine that is clean, that is effective, that is ready to go for people who are busy, but really want to take care of their skin, but use really effective, high quality products. I was like, I just want to simplify everything for myself and for everyone else. If I could give

anyone that gift, whether that be someone who works at a business, a stay at home mom to simplify and streamline their morning routine, but also give them that moment for themselves and like allow their skin to be beautiful and healthy and glowing. I was like, this is all I want to do with like my entire life. Because when I simplified my routine and we created these products and these super simple routines, I just felt so much happier. So that's where everything started. And we created these products and these super simple routines. I just felt so much happier. So that's where everything started. And we launched with our original routine, which was our first oil cleanser, our next step vitamin C serum, and our last Penelope's moisturizer, which is still our best-selling set and routine. And people love it because it works,

it's simple, and their skin looks great. And so with that routine, do you use the same thing morning and night? So for the morning, use the original routine. And at nighttime, we have a Bacuchiol serum that you can slot in for your evening active. So Bacuchiol is really amazing. It's a retinol alternative. It has the exact same benefits of retinol without the irritation and flakiness and kind of that purge that your skin goes through when you use a retinol. You know, Christine and I created that because you're not allowed to use a retinol while

you are pregnant. And of course, this entire brand kind of existed during that time for us. And so our dermatologist who also worked with us and formulated all the products was like, you guys need to create a Bakuchiol and you need to be using Bakuchiol. And we were like, what's that? And then we used an amazing formulator to come up with this proprietary formula. It is so beautiful. So for the morning you would use the original routine. And then at night you use the same cleanser, the Bacuchiol and the moisturizer. Yeah. Same thing. I discovered it when I was pregnant too. Listen, I was, I try and be into the products that are as clean as possible, but you could not prize my retinol away from me before I got pregnant. And I remember when I found out I was pregnant, I was doing my routine and I realized, Oh, I actually can't use this anymore. What am I going to do? What's going to happen to

my skin? And my facialist told me the same thing. She's like, wait, do you know there's an alternative? And it's, it's so interesting because I feel like when you do discover clean alternatives, I I'm still breastfeeding. So I've not gone back. I don't plan to go back because when you discover alternatives, my skin just feels like it thanks me. It's not, you know, retinol is rough on the skin. The benefits are great, but it's rough on the skin. So to find an alternative has been really exciting. So how has things been since you've launched it? What have you been learning? Tell me all the things. Oh my gosh. I mean, I've learned so much. I feel like what's interesting is we launched and so much of the business was a lot of the organic work and my network. And our main goal with the business was really to figure out how to expand outside of that network. So in the beginning, you know, Covey, like 70% of sales were from me,

and now it's down all the way to 30%. And as a business owner, and I'm sure you understand this, you're so happy. Yes. Because you want the business to live and evolve and to grow outside of my organic network and my organic following. So that's been really exciting, but I feel like, what have I learned? It's like, what haven't I learned? I feel like I know everything all the way from like email marketing, influencer marketing, but a totally different side of influencer marketing. Cause I've been on the creator side of that, but then the business side of that, PR, meta, Facebook, TikTok ads. I have had my hand, I feel like, in every single element of the business and have learned so much. But I think what I've learned the most is how to work with other people. I feel like a business, you can't do it all. And like I said,

you need freelancers, you need agencies sometimes to help you out with certain things and figuring out how to manage those people, how to be collaborative and how to get what you need out of them has been really valuable because I felt like as a model for many years, I was very go with the flow and I let people tell me what to do. I had to do what they told me. And then I owned a business and I was like, wait, I need to tell these people what I need. And I need to communicate that very clearly. And the beginning with myself and my business partner, I'd be in G chat with her on the side. Like, can you ask them like this question for me? I don't want to say it because I had such bad imposter syndrome. And then I felt like now I have my own voice. I am totally okay

asking the dumbest questions in the room because sometimes those are the best questions. When you ask the most simple question and no one can answer it, that means that it's a necessary question. I'm like, okay, cool. No one can answer that. That means it's extremely important. It's the most simple question ever. So I felt like the confidence that has come from that has been huge. And what was it like to, in the beginning with you and your co-founder from having the idea to things like finding a place to actually manufacture it, being able to put formulations together. I think that is something that stops a lot of people in their tracks to even getting a product to market. The fact that you've got it to market first and foremost is so huge because

I think very few people take their ideas to market when it requires all that. What was it like in the beginning having to kind of learn all this stuff? I mean, I felt like her and I were so green. And I say this not to diminish or make it seem like starting a business is this easy that you just need to Google it. But I can't tell you how many things her and I learned or figured out by ferociously Googling things. Like we were like, where do we find us? Where do we find the right lab? Where do we find the right manufacturer? We need a partner for this being just so ferocious about that. I'm telling you, the internet is a beautiful thing. The

answers are there. And sometimes you're going to be spiraling on YouTube, on Reddit, on Google, like we were everywhere, but eventually we pieced it together. And sometimes we're like, how did we do that? We were just so green, had no idea, no experience. I mean, Christina works at Google and she works in digital marketing. But in terms of creating a physical product, it was a lot of Googling. I remember even the agency who created our branding, which is beautiful and we love, was Googling. I was like, I just want to work with a bunch of women to help me like kind of create the creative side of this business and like what it's going to look like and the name and all those things. And I was just Googling

all female branding firm and I found one and I was like, perfect. Keywords matter. They exist and they're on there. You can find them. I think there's so much power to that. The idea of just being resourceful. One thing that we do at Boss Baby is we bring in a lot of entrepreneurs to teach the thing that they are really great at. And one thing I have always tried to stay away from is teaching those specific steps, like going and getting resourceful and finding those things in the beginning to get things off the ground. And I try to bring in experts to talk about the other things, the confidence, the mindset, the legal, the accounting, you know, the marketing, the email marketing, those tangible things that

once you've got the idea or once you've already started getting resourceful, you can start applying because I do not think you can teach resourcefulness. And I think we all as entrepreneurs have to go through that. I think we have to go through the Googling it phase. I think we have to be able to learn that we can trust ourselves to figure it out because without that, I think it will be very hard to succeed in business. It's so true. And I felt like when we first started, I would compare us or our journey to other peoples. And you're like, I need all of these important people to be full-time on the business. And I need an expert here and this and that. There is a point in the business where you

do get to that. But in the beginning, you need to do all of the jobs to figure out what those jobs entail. And you actually don't need a full-time person. You don't need a CEO just yet. You need to figure out what the business needs first before you can like go and hire a million people. I just think when you start a business, you think it needs to be, or look a lot more official or built up than it actually is. And I feel like sometimes some of the most successful businesses, you look behind the curtain, there's like three people there. And you're like, what? So I always laugh at that. I know there's a book called buy back your time, which I absolutely love. And one thing he talks about in that book, I did a podcast on it is you hire to take things off your plate. You don't hire for rules. And I remember when we were, when we had our zoom conversation and you were talking about using a bunch of freelancers, it really reminded me of that.

And I think it's so smart and I really want people listening to take this away. You don't need to go and hire necessarily a marketing person when you're starting out. Go hire some of the things that you can take off of your plate so you can keep doing you. Because you're probably not going to find a unicorn

that can come into a startup and know exactly how to market it. That's something I think we're going to figure out through resourcefulness and as founders, you know, being able to have an ear to the ground and listening. But if you can hire someone to do that graphic design, or if you can hire someone to take that thing off your plate, you get to keep focusing and keep kind of promoting yourself and promoting your role. And when you were talking about your use of so many different freelancers, I think that is such a powerful learning. Totally. Yeah. It really, I think you're spot on in a sense. It's like, figure out what you're

not good at or how you can optimize things and who can do that one specific thing. Like I remember for us in the beginning, it was like, I'm a content creator, but the editing takes up so much time sometimes. How do we just find someone who can spin up different versions of these videos and different versions of these ads? And I remember Christine and I went on a website, anyone who's listening, ilovecreatives.com. You can find a freelancer for anything. And we found incredible people who took off this huge amount of work and time off of my

plate. And also, by the way, did a way better job than me. And I was like, Whoa, this is way better than what we were doing before. And it just totally sped up the process, which is so important, like early stages of a business. Totally. And I think another benefit of that too, is I think if you hire a team too quickly, especially a full-time team that are building careers, you become a manager very quickly. Totally. And it takes you away from doing the things that you're actually really good at because most entrepreneurs are terrible managers. And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I agree with that.

Yes. And so it means you can spend time, like you said, creating content, doing the things that actually move the needle. You're like, wait, I can do this thing. That's going to generate a sales and help us grow the business. Or you can put me in this other seat and the business ain't going anywhere. Exactly. Completely agree. So what's your vision with Covey? What have you got on your goal board? What's next?

Where are you going? Yeah, my vision for Covey is that we create three-step solutions for different skin types and skin concerns. So right now we have our original routine, our anti-aging routine. For me, that would expand into hyperpigmentation, something more specific for acne. My thing is to truly simplify the skincare experience, no matter where you're at with your skin. You're having a baby, you're suffering with acne. Maybe you have this hyperpigmentation. You just want to focus on fine lines. I want to create three-step solutions for all of that. So that's what I really want for Covey. I mean, of course, my dream is to go into one of the main ginormous

retailers that we've been having conversations with over the last couple of months to expand internationally. And then even bigger than that, my dream is to create three-step solutions for all different types of concerns when it comes to hair, maybe it's cosmetics. I really would love to build just like a giant umbrella of that. But for now, the goal and priority is focusing on skincare and mastering that. And how do you decide when it's time to launch a new three-step? Someone gave me a piece of this advice right when I started, Kavi, and they were like, you should start like six months before you think you should start. Like whether working on a new product, working on a new routine. I'm really glad in the beginning, though, we really focused on our three-step routine and really zeroing in on our digital

marketing and figuring out the processes that work for us. But coming out with another product, it takes a really, really long time. So even though you think you might not be ready or things are going great with your current lineup, it really is like you should start working on it and doing the Googling and being resourceful much earlier on than you think. And how do you find that? Is there kind of a magic to leaving a certain amount of time between launches? How have you found that with communicating with your audience? Yeah, I definitely think that there needs to be a little bit of a beat in between launches. First of all, our main thing is to be minimalistic. So I'm like, I don't want to have a new launch every single day and throwing that in people's faces. And that's just not the foundation

of our business, like relying on kind of these launches in order to, you know, be successful for us, the simplicity and our subscription business is such a huge part of it. And really focusing on those people who are true Covey loyalists and truly serving them. So I'm always like me and Christina, you know, we've spoken so many times. People are like, Oh, you should do this. Like you should create this. Like you should go into color already. And I'm like, we're not there yet. We really need to master where we're at right now. And if we're going to come out with another product, it truly has to be something that everyone can use. It's simple, it's straightforward, and it truly needs to be perfect and something that her and I would use on our skin every single day. So for even for our first three

products to launch them, I think we did almost 15 iterations of each of the products because we would get it. We would send out samples to all of our friends and family. We would do a survey, get people's feedback. My point in saying that is like, if you want to create a really, really great product and you know, many of our products have already won many beauty awards. Like you have to create something that you truly, truly love and would use every single day. So that does take time. So like I said, we're not about just like launching something every month, just to have something to talk about and post about. We are about simplicity and kind of skincare essentials. So we kind of take it step by step because yes, I can't fatigue my audience with constant

Covey content. Sometimes I can't help it because it's such a huge part of my life now, not even outside of like promoting it. It's just like, this is what I'm doing today. This is what I'm working on. But in terms of launches, there's definitely a couple of months in between. I love that. I'm so excited to see where all this goes. What's something that your audience are constantly asking you? What's a question that people are constantly asking you that they want to know that they're curious about? Oh my gosh, that's a really good question.

I think the number one question or category I get questions about is fitness and wellness. Funny enough, because I do talk about it a lot on my platforms and kind of how I feel about it. And, you know, I spoke a lot about body positivity years ago on my YouTube channel, and that seemed to resonate with a lot of people. And of course my background in modeling and all of that. So I get a lot of questions around like weightlifting and what am I eating and what does that look like? And how do I integrate that into my day, especially as a mom and working on a business and travel and all of those things. So I would say that's like the category that gets a lot of like, love for me. And what is the answer to that? How are you? Are you even able to integrate that into life right now? Yeah, I mean,

I think for the first three months, it doesn't like you, you know, and you remember that you're like, kind of really in survival mode, especially if you're nursing, and there's not a lot of schedule and routine there. But of course, now that I'm coming out of really in survival mode, especially if you're nursing and there's not a lot of schedule and routine there. But of course, now that I'm coming out of that postpartum fog as of yesterday, I have someone here that helps me. And that's the only way that I'm able to kind of do that. On the weekends, my husband has to take over

or I work out or take care of myself and whatever I need to do while my baby naps, whatever it might be. But I do really prioritize kind of fitness and working out because it's one of those things that I just know no matter what makes me feel better, makes me feel more productive, makes me happier. So I prioritize that over any other like self-care thing. Do you have any kind of rituals or things that you do that you know, you know, they sound or may be small,

but you know, it contributes to you feeling your best. I know for me, I make sure I take my supplements every day and it feels like, okay, I have a couple of check boxes. I know if I get out on a walk, I take my supplements and I really prioritize foods that balance my blood sugar. I know I'm probably in a pretty good place. You know, I can't always control how much sleep I'm going to get. I can't control so many of those things, but I have a very simple tick box of let me do those things and I'm probably going to feel better.

What are those for you? Do you have any of them? Oh, definitely. For me in the mornings, the key thing for me is not looking at my phone right away. I notice a total downshift in my mood and spirit if I pick up my phone right away. I notice a total downshift in my mood and

spirit if I pick up my phone right away and go straight to social media. And some days I wake up groggier than others and it happens, but I really avoid looking at my phone first thing in the morning, journaling in the morning, getting some sort of movement in. And then of course, eating healthy throughout the day. Like if I don't get those things kind of in order and in line, and I also journal in the morning and in the evening and the morning I do a gratitude journal. And at night I kind of just do a recap in my phone. There's this app called day one. And I love to just put like a couple of photos in there. You can do videos. And I just write a super basic kind of like, whatever happened. It's like, just like, I went to the park. I saw this person. I felt sad about this. I'm happy this happened.

And like, that's it. And I love looking back on that because there's videos and pictures too, and timestamps. And I'm like, oh, I remember that. And look how I felt then. And like, I don't feel that way now. So I really loved having that in my phone, but I find my mornings to be a little bit quieter with journaling, writing, and waking up, getting some sort of movement in first thing in the morning, like critical to me feeling good. I love that so much and so easy to implement. Well, thank you so much for this. It was so, it felt like we were just having coffee and having conversation. It was so much fun. you