Sarah Polansky is the founder of wellness brand, Prismatic Plants, which provides bespoke plant formulations with hemp & adaptogens for stress relief.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
My career has definitely been more of a zig-zag than a straight line. I started out as a professional photographer for almost 10 years then went back to school, got an MBA with a focus in design-thinking and innovation, became a consultant at a top-tier design agency, eventually leaving to start Prismatic Plants.
Today, I run everything that happens at the company from creative direction, to marketing campaigns, to new product formulation, to growth initiatives, to sales and outreach.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
I’m a new mom of a one year old so it’s way more fluid depending upon the day than prior to his birth. Days start early around 6 or 6:30am. The first couple of hours are a mix of play, breakfast, and getting ready for the day.
A few days a week I’m able to get a full straight 9-5 work day when grandma comes to help, and other days I work only during naps – about half a work day. I generally work on the weekends too to finish off that week’s to-do list.
I love my work but it’s also about finding a balance of appreciating and valuing the time with my son knowing life happens fast!
Overall my workday follows these sections:
- First part of the work day is focused on correspondence, outreach and smaller to-do’s
- Second part of the work day is heads down on various deliverables, creative, content, service updates. This is the more time-intensive aspect of work that requires deep, uninterrupted thinking.
- Last part of the work day is more correspondence, setting up meetings, and order fulfillment
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
As founder of Prismatic Plants, my work is completely flexible and I can work remotely from wherever I am, sounds pretty good right?
The downside is that as a small business owner the momentum and growth of the company is on my shoulders– it’s a beast that is never full, and always needs more of my time.
Because of this, I often work evenings and weekends when I can. The upside is with my schedule being flexible, it does allow me to fit in more time for my son because I can work around his nap/sleep schedule.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
I’m very passionate about the work I do, it brings me a great sense of purpose and fulfillment. But, on the other hand, I am a social animal who loves fam & friends time.
It’s been a conscious effort to shut off “work brain” in favor of slowing down, being present, and connecting with IRL conversation. Going through the last year + of COVID while simultaneously having a new baby, made my world very small.
I’m definitely coming out of the cocoon this summer and opening my world back up. Work will always be there, but the next few months are about enjoying some well-deserved time off, even if that means things slow down a bit with the biz, I’m ok with that. I started a company aimed at helping people balance stress and I need to live that as well!
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
One of my favorite daily practices that has helped me feel energized and refreshed throughout the day is lemon water upon waking, then no caffeine or breakfast until 10am or 11am.
I’ve been trying intermittent fasting (12-16hrs before eating) to help heal chronic issues and fatigue and found it to work really well for my situation. And of course, my other go-to is our Good Day tincture throughout the day to keep me even-keeled, in the zone, and stress-free.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
For creating that work life balance, I look for content that is outside of my work world. And for me, music and comedy truly enrich my life and make it a little bit sweeter.
Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam – I’m a music nerd and love learning about what happens behind the scenes with various albums and artist’s careers. The thought power that Rick Rubin and Gladwell bring to diving deep into music on this show takes it to another level. One of my favorites is the interview between Rubin and Questlove, a must listen!
Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls 1 Keith – Comedy keeps life light. Laughter does wonders for your health and mental outlook. This podcast has me absolutely rolling at times. Totally inappropriate but in the most clever comedic way possible.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
Is it ok to say my laptop? Ha! I think Slack is a pretty invaluable tool for collaborating on projects with other team members. The communication is nimble, easy to follow, and you can share assets/documents quickly.
I use it with certain partners where we created different channels for the topics that we are working through like marketing and social initiatives. No more searching through your inbox wondering where that response was, such a time saver.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Dr. Aviva Romm. She is a herbalist, midwife, and MD. Her career path is just astounding and she really goes to show that no matter what stage of life you are in, there is more to achieve and better health to be had.
She’s one of the best advocates we have for women’s health and chronic illness. Love her work and curious how she balances being a prominent advocate for health, mom of 4, and a practicing doctor!
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Work life balance might not be even on a daily level or even a weekly but can also be seasonal. Just keep tabs on what’s right for you, your balance will probably look very different than the person next to you. Make sure that whatever it is you’re doing, is adding to your fulfillment “buckets” (i.e. love, work, family, adventure, creativity, etc.).
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