Episode 44: Sheryl O'Loughlin A REBBL With a Cause

"What we need to understand is the ups and downs so we can kind of hack our way through the branches of the dark to stay in the light" Sheryl O'Loughlin What a privilege and pleasure to talk with Sheryl O'Loughlin. A candid interview where Sheryl shares both her highlights and the struggles. We begin talking about her history with Clif Bar and the winding journey that brought her to her current position as the CEO of REBBL. We talk about the factors that led Sheryl hit a wall. At a time when everything should have been thriving, two new companies between her and her husband, suddenly everything crashed and they were about to lose everything. When everything else was spinning out of control  Sheryl reveals that the only thing she could control were her numbers - the miles run and the numbers on the scale and so her journey into anorexia began. Slowly bit by bit, she dug herself out of this place. In her book Killing It! she shares both her struggles and the her life lessons. As with most lessons it was in the dark times where she realized that she had to slow down, reflect and begin to live in a way that allowed her to be at her thriving best, and through her book, also help others do the same Sheryl talks about what it takes to get started in a new business and how to cultivate the skills and mindset to survive as we thrive. Sheryl talks about believing in leadership skills that are heart centered, and how she found the courage to bring her full self to the brands that she now works with. She reveals her strategies on how to stay afloat during the dark times and we discuss that when we finally let go of striving to be perfect, we are able to find and live in our truth and uncover our best selves. Sheryl candidly shares her experience of being judged by some of her "best" friends around her parenting skills and we talk about shame. An important conversation about how as women we often shame ourselves when we feel separate to others. It is a lovely and revealing part of the conversation as we talk about how we all have moments when we compare ourselves to those around us and all have parts of ourselves where we feel less than - this is the human condition. I love when Sheryl talks about purpose. She invites us all to keep our eyes on our purpose and to use our purpose as our guiding light. Below are some of Sheryl's guiding principles. These can be used in leadership, life and in love: Connect to your tribe and share what is real Protect your self worth Bring love into everything that you do Have bold humility REBBL: Sheryl shares the backstory to REBBL and how the are contributing to help eradicate human trafficking. It is began as a cause looking for a company. Do something good for your body and for the world. 2.5% of net sales go to causes that help stop human trafficking More About Sheryl As a child, Sheryl O'Loughlin was best known for rushing everywhere and being too impatient to pour milk into a glass before drinking it. As an adult, Sheryl is no less eager. She served as the CEO of Clif Bar, where she introduced the world to Luna bars; she was the cofounder and CEO of Plum Organics; and she is currently CEO of REBBL super herb beverages. One of her favorite roles was mentoring budding entrepreneurs when she was the executive director at the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. With her book, Sheryl is able to share her advice with a wider group of current and aspiring entrepreneurs all at once, which delights her because, well, it's faster. And that means more time for drinking wine at her Santa Rosa home, and hanging out with her husband and two sons.