love lisaThe Studio (MDR)’s owner and CEO, Lisa Hirsch, on the importance of remembering the little ways we take care of ourselves even when life feels overwhelming.

When I tell people that on most mornings, I wake up around 5 a.m. in order to eat breakfast, get ready, do some work from home and then get to The Studio (MDR), they look at me like I’m crazy. I get it. In my past life in the music business, my roll-into-the-office-at-9 a.m. self wouldn’t believe that one day I’d be up before the sun on a regular basis. But this early-morning time has become my favorite part of the day. Everything is quiet. Los Angeles is still asleep. And special little moments happen in that space.

Take this morning. As I was walking Willie Meatball Nelson and Mabel around the neighborhood, I saw a dad ride by on his bike with his little boy strapped into a bike seat on the front. As they rolled by, I heard the dad say, “This is the best part of my day—riding with you, lil’ fella.” My heart melted and an easy smile washed over me. What a prime example of how the littlest things in this life are the ones you often appreciate most, whether it’s a bike ride with a loved one, a walk with your dogs, or catching a few quiet moments to yourself before another hectic day begins.

One thing I know to be so true is that the more hectic your days feel, the more important it is to carve out just a little time to yourself. I can speak from personal experience here, because we are at the brink of yet another exciting chapter in our shared Studio (MDR) history! The team is razor-focused and working so hard on our expansion of (MDR) East, getting new, state-of-the-art beds that you are going to love, and expanding our retail line to include summer brights and amazing new workout gear. There’s a palpable feeling of growth and an amazing, “LET’S DO THIS!” attitude among everyone at The Studio (MDR). Of course, the flip side to all of this amazingness is that it doesn’t just happen. There’s a whole lot of blood (OK, maybe not), sweat (literally!), and tears (or more like laughter!) going into bringing you an even more amazing place to transform, and that means a series of seriously hectic days.

Am I psyched and ready to be working my tail off? Heck yeah! But I also know I need to accomplish my goals in a smart, focused manner without working myself into the ground. So I’ve been trying to find the magic in more little moments in each day that feed my soul and help me stay grounded. Walks on the beach and cooking dinner with my love. A call with an old friend I haven’t spoken to in a while. Reveling in the kind of quiet you can only find at 5 a.m. in Los Angeles. And finding joy in what could be considered the mundane—like that dad on his bike with his boy expressed.

So this month, as the busyness of summer approaches and you’re all moving through your own hectic days and big transformations, my hope for you is that you’re able to find more little moments that make you smile. Do something nice for someone else. Do something nice for yourself. I know for sure it’ll make us all more productive and more importantly, happier, in the long run.

Big hug,

Lisa