Being a female-owned company, we love learning about how other female entrepreneurs get their start and run successful businesses. We had the honor of interviewing Erika Szychowski, one of the founders of the F Project and the founder of better-for-you food company, Good Zebra. The F Project was created to pool strong, like-minded business women together to share knowledge and expertise that helps each other move forward in their businesses. We are in love with her and all of the business moves she has made! We are so happy to have her as our April SOCIAL Babe!

What does a typical day in your life look like?

My day starts bright and early with hot yoga - I work very hard to support an “input before output mentality”. Our minds are the most creative while relaxed and sleeping - but, if we wake and immediately cram new info in, what we literally dreamt up can’t come out. So I work to keep the mind at ease for all that I dreamt to come out - hence YOGA first. Then its fluid - calls, 2 individual email hours, etc - routines are key for me.

How do you balance being in the office, having a fun social life, and having "you" time?

Balance for me is perception, I truly do my best to be present at each part of my life. When I choose something social, I give it my all. When I’m working, I try and not blend into other things. It is all a series of choices. Sometimes the soul needs you to hunker down and work and sometimes the soul needs human interaction on the not-professional level. Choose wisely.

What are some of your passions?

Female founders, mentorship, kindness, learning, and travel. 

Who are your biggest boss babe influences?

My peer group is one i’m very proud of. If you think about it, I am surrounded by boss babes by choosing to be in service to The F Project - there is not one woman I don’t admire, support and look up to. I am in awe of each of them every single day! In addition, I must admit I’m a fan of Moira Forbes, Angela Ahrendts and the QUEEN herself RBG!

What made you want to start your own business?

Pure insanity and a commitment many years ago that I would do it if I ever had a product idea that made sense and had data to back it up - service business wasn’t going to be my leap, but a product I could get behind.

What advice do you have for women that want to start their own company?

Listen, gather a solid group of people that have been there before and find an office - DO NOT WORK FROM HOME! Find a place where you can get your girl on everyday and use that place to build a community of people that expect to see you and notice when you aren’t around, even if its a communal space. This way, you can be held accountable. 

What is your personal motto?

LOVE

What speaks to you most about SOCIAL?

Following a passion through clean, relatable product and using it as a catalyst to gather.