Last week I confessed my parental faux pas (I’m still embarrassed) but — more importantly — we featured a really fun and interesting interview with Dylan Jawahir, founder and CEO of Battle Balm, a natural plant-based topical pain reliever, and father of two kiddos (get the interview here). Today, as promised, we’re bringing you part two of our chat with him. From his morning and evening routine to his personal mantra, it’s so, so interesting — and funny.
Interview with Dylan Jawahir, Dad and Founder of Battle Balm: Part 2
What’s your morning routine like? My kids and I are early risers, so as soon as the sun is up, so are we. During the week, we’ve got school, so I generally grab a cup of tea and count how many different ways I can tell them to put on their shoes before we leave the house. On the weekend mornings, I’m also drinking tea, but instead of yelling, I get to watch my kids watch other kids on YouTube playing with toys. Yes, that’s a thing.
What’s your evening routine like? The evenings are tough for us as a family with two young children. Homework is being done in one corner, and dinner is cooking in another corner. Play time, family time, story time, and bed time are all blurred together until late in the evening when the wife and I are exhausted enough to explain for the 700th time that bed time is when you lay down, close your mouth, shut your eyes, and breathe slowly until you fall asleep. Once the kids are asleep, I’ll do a second work session until about 10 or 11, or I’ll watch some random documentary on haute couture.
How do you destress and how often do you try to destress? I’m high energy and I tend to operate under pressure often, so I really try to destress in various ways. Some days my body feels like it’s completely knotted up. So, I do yoga. Other days, I need to punch and kick something so I hit my heavy bag. Still other times, I’ll ride my bike or argue with the kids. In any way, I do my best to balance my mental activity with my physical activity. It’s what works best for me.
Do you have a personal mantra that keeps you motivated and sane? I tend to ask myself “What can I do to be a better person?” I’m definitely motivated to be a good human being. I love people and deep connections and that is a driving force in much of what I do. I’m addicted to warm, fuzzy feelings that result from meaningful experiences. In case no one else is around, chocolate has the same effect.
What’s your go-to workout when you don’t have a lot of time? Burpees. No kidding. I love them. They hit every muscle in my body. I haven’t found anything else that works as well in such a short amount of time.
What’s your go-to workout when you don’t have a lot of energy? Yoga. My body type does best with a regular stretching practice. It’s rare that I don’t have a lot of energy, but stretching always boosts my battery for the next day.
What’s your go-to meal when you don’t have a lot of time? I know you’ll hate me for saying this, but I polish off a high-calorie weight gainer shake almost daily. I add chocolate powder, bananas, peanut butter, oatmeal, coconut oil, and a couple drops of awesome. For one minute in the blender, I get a meal that I don’t have to waste time chewing!
What are a few of your favorite on-the-go snacks? I don’t really snack. If I do, it either means I haven’t been getting enough sleep or I’m missing meals. But if I need to, I’ll bring along a macronutrient protein bar or a granola bar for the road.
What’s the one thing you wish you knew about parenting before you became one? I wish I knew how much of an investment proper parenting would take. You mean I have to feed, clothe, and bathe this thing? How many times a week? I barely have time to do that stuff for myself …
What’s the best piece of life advice you’ve ever received? I found the most resonant piece of advice in a self-help book. It read “You are enough.” It was such a stupid statement until after I went through a quarter-life crisis shortly thereafter trying to figure out why my life was not as joyful as I’d wanted it to be. I wasn’t fulfilled then because I was looking for fulfillment outside of myself. Everything you need is inside of you. Except for food. You need food. But other than that … you are enough.
What’s the best piece of life advice you can give? First, trust your gut. Then, check to see if your head agrees. If they don’t agree, then listen to your heart.
What’s your fave kind of indulgence after a long day? I’m a chocoholic. But, I can be a snob about it. There’s really only two types of chocolate I will eat, dark and milk.
A huge thanks to Dylan for the hiliarously real interview. If you want more awesome info from Dylan, be sure to read his guest post over on Fit Bottomed Zen here. It’s not nearly as funny (I legit LOLed at much of the above and bet you did, too), but it’s about your neck and your health and it’s fascinating. —Jenn
The post The Dad-preneur Behind Battle Balm: Part 2 appeared first on Fit Bottomed Mamas.
