Welcome to the Ladies of Leisure series on the Leaves of Leisure blog! This series is dedicated to featuring inspiring women and their stories of success, wellness and leisure. Through these interviews, we hope to gain insight into the lives of these amazing women and the tips and tricks they use to live a balanced and fulfilling life. We'll also look at their morning routines, advice they have for other female entrepreneurs, and their favorite way to spend leisure time. We're honored to introduce you to some of the leading ladies in their fields and hope you find their stories as inspiring as we do.
Meet Marnie, the CEO & Founder of Rumbly.
After a longstanding career working in both corporate and startup ventures, Marnie is currently focused on building rumbly, the world’s first e-comm brand designed to help women prioritize themselves in pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood. With four kids under the age of seven, and previous entrepreneurial work in hospitality, food, drink, and product development, Marnie is on pace to becoming recognized as a next change leader, particularly regarding her impact on how women experience the transition to motherhood.
What is your company and what do you do?
Rumbly is the world’s first pregnancy gift and subscription box brand to put the woman first! It helps women prioritize themselves in pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood (particularly when no one else is), while further tapping into the excitement of the whole journey.
While supporting women through not just the physical transition to motherhood, but also the emotional and spiritual transition, rumbly is offering women a new way to experience pregnancy - one that brings her to the forefront of the narrative. Half of the items in every rumbly box are for the woman she is, the other half are for the mom she’s becoming.
As the passionate founder & CEO of rumbly, I am heavily involved in every part of the business, from the day-to-day operations (including packing boxes!) to strategy and innovation building.
How do you start your morning? Give us a play by play-- time you get up, 3-5 things you do to start your day.
Luckily my husband is an early morning riser, as I often wake when I hear him getting ready for the day. This is usually around 6:15 am. I'll typically lie in bed for about 5 min to let my brain and body fully wake in a calm, relaxed state.Next I get washed, dressed and drink a glass or two of warm water. I usually try to get in about 30 min of exercise before assisting my kids in getting ready for school or programs for that day. This helps clear my mind, reduce stress and gives me more energy for the day ahead. I find that 30 min is just enough time to receive those benefits, in a way that actually impacts my day.
Next up is full mom mode: getting the kids dressed, ready, fed, lunches packed, hugs/kisses and out the door. Once all the kids are at school and/or settled into their daily routines, I hit the kitchen and make a large, hearty breakfast with an even larger pot of tea. This usually takes much longer than I would like, as I'm typically listening to a podcast while prepping everything and get easily distracted by it :)
I eat breakfast at my desk, in front of my computer, while I start chipping away at the least brain intensive work / follow ups first. I actually enjoy eating breakfast in front of my computer, as I find anticipating the "start of my work day" is more anxiety triggering for me if I were to eat away from it, like at my kitchen table.
What advice do you have for other female entrepreneurs looking to create healthier and invigorating morning routines and habits?
Start small! Pick one thing each week you want to try incorporating (or eliminating) and do just that. Then do it again the next week and the following week until it becomes habit - to the point where if you stop doing it for even one day, you really notice the change in how you feel that day. Follow that pattern for anything else you want to incorporate into your morning routine. And if it doesn't feel good, don't do it! Just because something works for someone else, doesn't mean it is good for you.
What are some of your favorite leisure activities?
Listening to podcasts, doing yoga and barre, walking barefoot in the sand, streaming a new TV series and watching a movie - - in bed!
Share a favorite affirmation that other female entrepreneurs could benefit from.
I have everything I need.