In Her World: Sophie Collins
IN HER WORLD 04: SOPHIE COLLINS
In a world that promotes being busy as the base line for living, it's refreshing to know someone who does it all with the right intention.
It's in her constant pursuit of "feeling her best" that Sophie keeps up with her incredibly active & healthy life.
That is how she manages to wear many (many!) hats while still being able to prioritize family and self-care.
We just needed to know how she balances it all...
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Tell us a little bit about yourself – your beginnings, what/who shaped who you are today.
I was born in Toronto, grew up as an only child (with lots of cousins) and moved to California at age 16 to be closer to my aunt and cousin (who are basically an extension of my immediate family, I call Adriana my sister cousin). I began acting at age 11, joining a Junior Shakespeare Company in downtown Toronto and eventually went on to get an agent for film/tv. I kept this going through my time at UBC (Theatre major) and it wasn't until my early twenties that I decided acting wasn't the career path I wanted to pursue.
Luckily I still learned a lot (communication, being in tune with my body/breath/emotions). I pivoted to business, launching a catering company with two of my best friends. We quickly realized we had next to zero business acumen and I decided to pursue my MBA. Fast forward almost ten years later, I've been working in Technology, always pursuing my passions as a side hustle and staying busy learning and leaning in to what fills me up!
You are a true busy bee! On top of working a full-time job at Slack, raising your son (soon to be two of them!), you teach pilates, are on the board of BC Women’s Health Foundation, you co-founded One Wednesday, and recently launched a e-cook book. Please tell us your secret, how do you balance it all!?
This isn't a great answer, but I love having a million things going on. It's in my blood! Some people do really well at focusing on one particular venture or passion, but that's never been me.
I think the word for it now is "multi-hyphenate." I love my team at Slack and learn so much from that world, I thrive spending time with my son and family, I'm super passionate about women's health and I'm in the fortunate situation to have time to give back, and I've always wanted to start a business!
One thing I definitely focus on is taking care of myself first and foremost. In order to stay productive and happy, I absolutely need time for myself. I wake up an hour and a half before my son and spend the time meditating, working out, journalling, and then the first hour of the day is dedicated only to him and my husband, no phones allowed. We drink coffee by the fire, go for a walk and just play!
We think having a morning routine is such a great way to start off our day and we know yours includes meditation. Walk us through your routine and tell us how meditating in the morning paves your mindset for the rest of your day?
This is the morning routine lately:
5:30AM: Alarm goes off. Resist checking my phone. Say three things silently that I am grateful for.
5:35AM: Roll out of bed, meditate for 30 minutes, unguided, using Insight Timer.
6:15AM: Pilates or Peloton
6:50AM: Wash my face, quick skincare and makeup routine, and go get Liam from his crib at 7!
I know this will all change when we have another baby in the next few months, so I'm relishing the routine while I can!
What is your favourite, go-to recipe to make?
Definitely my crispy chickpea + greens salad from my ebook. I've been making it for over ten years and it tastes indulgent, is filling, but is super healthy. That's how I want most of my recipes to feel!
You’re currently pregnant with your second babe and due this Spring! Other than the hectic times that come with having a baby, what changes do you foresee within your current personal routine? What inner changes do you think you’ll see in yourself?
EVERYTHING! If I learned anything from having my first child, bringing a baby into this world is a huge shake up. While I have ideas of how I want it to go and how I will handle things, what I know first and foremost is that I can't really dictate how it will unfold. I definitely will whittle down my skincare to 1-2 steps instead of 3-5 (this is still a must for me), I will stop setting my alarm, I will take a few months off of movement, I won't be able to get in 10K steps...to name a few.
I think becoming a mother (whether for the first, second, third time etc). changes you completely, so now more than ever I am open to whatever that looks like, and want to let the pendulum swing the way it must in order for me to fully support my family and this new little babe.
What has brought you comfort within your second pregnancy?
My son, my husband, good books, mini staycations, walking, iced water.
We noticed you just finished reno-ing your garage into an office and gym space! What was the process like? (In terms of design, making sure it would cover your needs, etc.)
This was such a fun project and still isn't done but it was really the first time my husband and I did a project all by ourselves. He has an incredible spatial understanding (something I lack).
It started with a Pinterest board - I knew I wanted light wood floors, large floor to ceiling mirrors, black accents and a place for each of us to work. We knew we needed a storage room and lots of light since there is only one window, and wanted to be realistic with needing space for my husband to do his "garage things" haha. We essentially divided the room into four quadrants - Gym, Storage Room, Office for me, Office/Garage space for him and got going!
Do you have any more exciting plans for your home this year?
Yes! We want to finalize an eating area outside. Originally I wanted gravel but I'm not sure how realistic it is in Vancouver, so now I'm leaning towards some sort of Tuscan looking pavers, lots of lavender and grasses, and eventually a trellis with draping vines and flowers (that part may take us a couple years).
On a constant search for fitness motivation, we love that you share the importance of moving our bodies – what are your motivators?
My motivation, 100% of the time, is feeling my best. My fitness journey started about 10 years ago with the goal of looking better but I realized quickly that honing in on what makes me feel my best is the surefire way to stay motivated and come back to your movement practice time and time again.
Now for an extra fun question! Diving deep into your world, what is something you wouldn’t think we would know about you?
Other than being an actor growing up, which most people don't know (but I already revealed)....I am obsessed with sleep. I always have been. I like to go to bed early, in silence and sleep for at least 8-10 hours. I had postpartum insomnia after having Liam (even though he was sleeping) and have made it a huge priority since then. It's not a fun one but I believe it is the basis of your health and wellness.
Thank you for having me! x
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Sophie wears our Nico Jacket Mylk and Paysanne Dress Ivory.
Follow Sophie on Instagram, explore her website, and get your copy of her 5 Day Reset e-book here.