How I Thrive: TresseNoire Founder Regina Gwynn

How I Thrive: TresseNoire Founder Regina Gwynn

How I Thrive takes an inside look at founders, entrepreneurs and leaders and the behind-the-scenes self-care work they do to in order to live balanced, happy lives. Today's edition is with TresseNoire founder Regina Gwynn, who swears by citrus-scented candles and can't wait to get a massage again. 

Name: Regina Gwynn

Age: 41

City: East Orange, NJ 

Company: TresseNoire, a beauty company that takes the trial and error out of finding the right haircare products for women of color. 

Role: Founder

Beyond the role: Daughter, sister, girlfriend and more! I love to dance, cook, and travel.

Morning routine: 

I wake up and spend some quiet time in prayer and meditation. I am in the bad habit of reading the New York Times before I get out of bed ... but I try to work out for at least 30 to 45 minutes before starting the day. I always have hot ginger tea and water to kick off the day.

The first thing I do after work: 

I wrap up around 7 p.m., start to warm up dinner, call family or friends and move out of my home office and into the other parts of the house.

Dinner ritual: 

I'm cooking more than I've ever cooked before! I'm learning lots of new ways to prep vegetables so they stay interesting. That being said, when I get tired of cooking, I do get takeout. Maybe one to two times per week. 

Nighttime routine: 

I wind down by falling asleep on the couch watching the news ... hah. I try to remember to grab a glass of water and keep it by my bed so I can drink it first thing in the morning. I don't have a TV in my room, so when it's time to go to bed it's time to sleep.

Self-care guilty pleasure: 

Massages! I miss them so much. There's a Korean spa in New Jersey that I can't wait to visit once it's safe to do so. There's a specific masseuse there who is amazing.

Self-care hack during the workday: 

Step away from the computer every two to two-and-a-half hours. Walk around, stretch, grab water, something to break up the sitting down. Also investing in a good office chair is critical and making sure that the environment is as comfortable as possible. Oh, and candles! Citrus candles have a nice scent that provide me with a pick-me-up that helps me get through the day. 

How I define self-care: 

Being intimately aware of your physical, spiritual, and emotional health and doing something about it — on purpose.

Favorite childhood toy or hobby:

I loved the Jem And The Holograms cartoon! She was a fashion designer, and the energy, colors and creativity sparked my love affair with fashion and beauty

State of your (email) inbox: 

Not zero inbox — I wish! I do snooze emails to get them out of sight until I'm ready to work on them. I also mark a few as unread to signal a task. But my full task list is in my personal slack channel.

Want to kick your self-care game up a notch? Subscribe to Silk + Sonder today.

Illustration by Megan Behrendt

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1 comment

I loved Jem too! Thank you for sharing your routine.

Blair Herzig

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