A chat with mini mioche's Alyssa Kerbel - a kindness kindred spirit

I've said it before and I'll say it again - one of the most rewarding things about the entrepreneurial journey is the chance to connect with other amazing women in business with aligned values and experience to share. Speaking of...I've had the pleasure of getting to know the amazing Alyssa Kerbel, founder of mini mioche, over the past year.

mini mioche makes organic baby and kids clothes here in Canada and since its doors opened over a decade ago, has become the brand to have for timeless, stylish and quality looks for your littles. Yes, the clothes are incredible, but it's the values behind them (that Alyssa has been so clear on from the outset) that sets her apart. Since day 1, Alyssa knew that her business decisions had to align with her personal values. That meant making everything in a transparent and ethical way and with as little impact to the environment as possible. Kind, right?

Fast forward 11 years, and Alyssa's underlying core value of kindness and belief in the power of a positive mindset continue to inform what she does at work and at home as a parent, and have helped lead to her success. 

"My own journey of building this business hasn't been easy" Alyssa shared. "And meditation and a mindfulness practice has helped me navigate this, helped me become more present, more clear, and more aware of what I want and why I want it. And how I feel when I feel an alignment with that. Showing up in a way that has impact and that feels good has become an important part of my journey, especially in the past few years."

When it comes to the power of a positive mindset: "It's so important and foundational for kids - and adults - to know that you get to choose how you show up in the world. You get to choose to be positive over pessimistic. And how you choose to feel and show up is going to define how you live and operate. These are things that you can teach a kid. I'm learning all of these things as an adult in my 40s, they weren't things we were taught or our kids necessarily have access to and yet it's so important. You can't teach or instil something in your children that you don't practice yourself.  So I always try and have this awareness of how I want to act and show up in the world, so my kids understand the power of these practices from an early age and start to practice it themselves, build resilience and confidence."

On the power of kindness: "I've been reading more and more on the actual impact that kindness and mindfulness have on our overall happiness and wellbeing. It's scientifically proven that doing a kind act for someone else has the most impact on your own happiness, that it feels as good to do it as it does to the other person, it has a ripple effect."

And for those entrepreneurs in the group, who I know are reading through all the way to the end, here are Alyssa's tips to set her day up for success and survive - and thrive - as an entrepreneur for over 10 years. "I've incorporated the 5 second rule from Mel Robbins in the morning... I am creeping my way upwards so I have more morning time to myself before people get up. I plug my phone in on the opposite side of the room, so when my alarm goes off I have to get up. I do a power hour every morning where I do some burpees first, then ideally a mindfulness meditation, I write in the 5 Minute Journal, and then listen to something that is inspirational and motivational (a podcast or motivational video). If I do that to start the day, that really sets me up and makes a real difference to my day."

Thanks for sharing and inspiring, Alyssa!