Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Miller.
Hi Sara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It’s been a journey! Let’s start with what I would consider the most current iteration of my online presence. More than six years ago now, I started a blog. That blog was called Sara Strives, which I’ve chosen to keep for my Instagram handle even after a rebrand, at least for now. As a tween and teenager, I loved the idea of having an online presence, beginning with my love for some of the early-ish Youtubers like Elle and Blair Fowler, Bubzbeauty, and others. I also greatly enjoyed blogs like CollegeFashion.net, The College Prepster (now Carly the Prepster). It all seemed so fun and creative. I loved the idea of planning out content and creating all the time in a way that was different from my traditional art background. When I started college, I sought out blogging for a creative outlet as well as a community. My struggles with anxiety amplified tenfold when I started college and having that creative project of my blog to focus on was incredibly helpful. But, at some point it went beyond that.
I decided to start sharing about my own struggles with anxiety online. It was something that at the time was not common and somewhat controversial to be so public about. Some of the people in my life questioned the choice, but ultimately, it was right for me. By going public with my struggles, they had less power over me and I was able to be vulnerable and share what helped me. I was able to become a resource for people like me. It did take me some time to focus more exclusively on self care and anxiety. In the first few years of my blog, I wrote about everything, from lifestyle to college to mental health and self care. It was much more of a creative and emotional outlet than anything else. Towards the end of college, I dropped the “college” writing and focused in on mental health and self care, with some lifestyle elements. I started my podcast that summer, formerly called something else entirely, but now called The Self Care Lifestyle.
In 2021, I decided to stop blogging, although I believe you can still navigate to the homepage. I have a little more work to do in redirecting and reformatting old things but right now, I’m focused on moving forward with podcasting and building the business of my dreams where I get to help other women through their own self care journeys.
And that’s where I am now. I’m showing up every week on The Self Care Lifestyle podcast to help women reduce anxiety with the power of effective self care. And! I’m about to open up one on one coaching opportunities. What does effective self care mean? It means self care that works for YOU. That could be bubble baths, that could be mediation, or it could be jamming out to some punk rock in your car. Self care varies drastically for everyone and tuning into your needs is a big piece of the puzzle. I have a great free resource you can walk through to find what type of self care is effective for you. Grab it at theselfcare.life/own-your-self-care.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! Of course not. There are struggles along the way, that’s part of the journey. I ran into technical issues, rude comments from strangers online, and of course deeply rooted mindset struggles and imposter syndrome. That last one is something I’m still working on and I believe is something every business owner has to work through as they build their business from the ground up. But here’s the thing to remember; we literally ALL experience this at some point and it doesn’t mean you’re not a fantastic business owner.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Self Care Lifestyle. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My name is Sara Miller and I am a self care (and coffee) obsessed business owner living in Austin, TX. I’m a mom to two, one human and one fur baby (he’s adopted). And, I’m married to my high school sweetheart.
The Self Care Lifestyle is a podcast and business that I started because of my love for effective self care and my belief that self care is key to feeling nourished and fulfilled in your day to day life. My own self care journey is also deeply rooted in my experiences with generalized anxiety disorder. In my circle, I’m known as the “self care” one, the one who’s always a source of “real talk”, and the one who creates content online.
I believe that self-care is most effective when you’re practicing what works for you. In my content and in my courses, I strive to enable you to practice the self-care that feels right for YOU and not for anyone else. Hint: It’s not about simply mediation and zen versus bubble baths and face masks. It’s about the best selection for YOU. I teach about this and many other concepts around self-care through my free podcast, The Self Care Lifestyle, and through my one on one coaching (launching this April!). If you’d like to stay up to date on when coaching opportunities launch, you can follow along on Instagram @sarastrives and download the Own Your Self Care Starter Kit for free at theselfcare.life/own-your-self-care to get on my email list.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned, and that I keep learning is that it is okay not to know everything and do everything. As a business owner and even a human being who doesn’t own a business, you need to know when to ask for help. That can be hard to be okay with as independent people! But here’s the deal… vulnerability takes more strength than bottling it all up inside.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@theselfcarelifestyle.com
- Website: https://theselfcarelifestyle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarastrives/
- Other: https://theselfcare.life/own-your-self-care/
