Invest IN Yourself!

Hello, LinkedIn! 

As an investor, founder and mother, I am a firm believer in investing in yourself.  Be it your career, your health, or your personal or professional relationships, investing in yourself is KEY to your success and overall long-term happiness. I would love to share with you a series of newsletters based on my own personal journey on the power of INVESTING IN YOURSELF and how this translates to a successful and prosperous career and happy life.

Let’s first kick it off with talking about the most important investment that you can make in yourself: YOUR HEALTH!

As an investor in health and wellness, a four-season athlete turned health advocate, a mother who went through fertility issues, a supporter of keeping kids in sports, a parent dealing with with family mental health challenges, and someone healing from past abuse, I am a firm believer in putting our mental, physical, and emotional health first. Doing so will help you stay grounded, focused, and committed to your career success and overall happiness. I have experienced this firsthand and would love to share my journey experience with you! 

Before I get started and if we haven’t met before, you can learn more about me, my path, and the work I have done, here. 

Let’s talk about the Power of Health. Investing in your health translates positively into your everyday life, but most people don’t know that consistently prioritizing your health also helps you to achieve big career success! 

In my twenties, working 12 hours a day in investment banking, I would do my daily workouts at 10:00 PM after work.  But as I shifted into parenthood and early motherhood, I started doing my workouts in the early mornings.  I remember getting the “ok” from my OBGYN after my second baby (a C-section). I would get up to feed my newborn at 4:00AM, put my son back to sleep, then head to the Lifetime Fitness 5:00 AM spin class.  I was determined to get my pre-pregnancy body back and I referred to this time as “ME TIME!” 

Since then, my workouts have changed and the time I fit them in have changed. I now focus on efficiency and making sure I incorporate cardio and weights, as well as adding in meditation, accessing nature, and alone-time - focused on introspection and eating clean! Fun fact: I’ve been featured in Fitness Magazine TWICE, where I talk about how important my workouts are to me! You can check them out here and here!

I’m a multitasking woman; a mother, an entrepreneur, an athlete, a speaker and an investor… and this leaves minimal time in my day.  I know many of you are busy too, especially if you are mothers! When you are managing everything at home, at work, and in your personal life, it can seem like there isn’t enough time in the day to prioritize your health! Things can fall by the wayside, and most of the time they are the very things that nourish our body, mind, and soul. These acts of self care - exercise, meditation, healthy meals - are integral to our wellbeing, but also impact our career success and overall happiness. 76% of CEOs make time to exercise every day, and most of them do it in the morning! 

I invest in my health with the same energy and dedication that I invest in venture capital. I believe in leading by example, and I want to show you how you can implement a life-changing morning routine that will change your life for the better!

“The first wealth is health” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Get inspired

Some of the world’s most successful people swear by a morning routine. Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour wakes up between 4:00 and 5:30 AM to read British and American News, followed by an early morning tennis match before her coffee and breakfast. Jesse Itzler, friend, entrepreneur, husband to Sara Blakely, and one of my mentors (he doesn't know that, but he is!), not only invests in his health with eating clean and daily exercising, he also challenges himself by signing up for marathons and half marathons -  and he encourages others to do the same! (He was a big part of what I signed up (and completed) the NYC Marathon this past November!)  More importantly, Jesse believes that by signing up for these types of challenges, we have the opportunity to meet like-minded people who can encourage us and with whom we can bond and learn from. Jesse recently launched All Day Running, a startup that offers community and inspiration along with half marathon challenges around the country. I can’t wait for the next one!  

Why morning is better

Some of you night owls may be wondering why self care in the morning is better. While I encourage self-care at all hours of the day, there are some real advantages to making time for yourself first thing in the morning. And don’t take my word for it; research has repeatedly shown the power of a morning routine. Our brain’s peak time for cognitive work tends to be in the late morning, and a morning routine can help you build momentum to that critical time by increasing your energy and productivity.

I start every day with a workout. We all know that exercise is important to both your physical and mental health, but there are real benefits to morning exercise. Exercise increases production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, which enhances the body’s ability to deal with stressors and creates a post-workout feeling of bliss. Research shows that you are more creative and productive for the two hours following exercise, making a compelling case for skipping the snooze button. Other common morning routine elements, like listening to music, exposure to early morning sunlight, or making time for a healthy breakfast all have similar effects on productivity and wellbeing. 

Researchers have also shown that people who exercise regularly are less stressed at work and more able to maintain work-life balance. When your endorphins are activated at the start of your day or when you take that midday mental break to meditate or go for a walk in nature, you eat healthier, handle stress better, and start looking and feeling healthier. This changes your attitude and how productive and happy you are on a daily basis. You will then start seeing positive career effects and create positive relationships that enter your life both personally AND professionally! This is because your attitude and energy shift; you draw in positive people and positive career opportunities! 

Creating your own routine

Most routines consist of some kind of combination of physical movement, mental engagement, and healthy nourishment. When done together, these three pillars of self care can be game-changers for your life at work and at home. When starting your own routine, it's important to reflect on the activities that will sustain you. If you’re someone who hates jogging, don’t pick marathon training for your movement! Try weight lifting, yoga, or a 30 minute walk to start your day. If you’re someone who tends to doomscroll, stay away from reading the news like Anna Wintour, and consider something that suits you more, like meditation or journaling. You may be saying, “duh, Renata,” but you’d be surprised how many people set themselves up to fail by not acknowledging what really empowers them.

Starting my day at 5:00 AM makes all the difference in the world for me, but I’ll acknowledge that it isn’t always easy. My early alarm course requires an early bedtime, often before my teenage children go to sleep!  As a single mom, this can be tough. I get it. When this challenge seems tough, remind yourself who you’re investing in: not only yourself, but the people in your life. My kids know that health and sleep are my priority as a mom, a woman, a business professional and as a parent.  

At first, your morning routine may feel like a baby step, but those add up over time. At the end of the first week, first month, or first year, you’ll be able to look back and see how far you’ve come. Invest in your health with the same dedication you invest in your business and finances, and you’ll see your career and life grow! 

What steps are you taking to invest in your health?  Comment below and commit to one step per day! Soon you will see the results and keep adding to INVESTING IN YOUR HEALTH!

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