Wildly Well with Sola Onitir

Wildly Well is a series of fun Friday chats with the experts (entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators in the culinary, wellness, fitness, and medical spaces) on how to create and live your most wildly healthy and joyful life. People who have wholeheartedly leaned into their wellness journeys to help you enhance your relationship with food, movement, self-care, and holistic well-being so you can live the most joyful life you want. We hope you enjoy our conversations with these amazing people and brands. We know they are going to enrich your lives.

We’re super excited to bring Holistic Self-Care Coach, certified energy worker, and entrepreneur, Sola Onitiri, to our stage! Sola empowers you to become your own ICON through her coaching at Now Let’s Get Going and nurture your mind, body, and soul through her tea + mediations shop Ayoka Apothecary. Joy and authenticity are cornerstones of her well-being and purpose, and I am continually inspired by Sola’s dedication to helping you get moving, get to know yourself, and deeply love yourself. Follow along as we learn more about Sola’s journey.

How did you get started on your self-care journey? Was there a pivotal moment that made you want to change?

I think like many people, I started my self-care journey after hitting the proverbial rock bottom. It wasn’t a super dramatic tail spin, if anything it was pretty ordinary. I was burnt out, exiting a romantic entanglement that went belly up, feeling and feeling immensely stuck and unpassionate. I remember waking up one morning and realizing that the pace I had set for myself was unhealthy and unsustainable.

What is your backstory? How did you get into food/restaurants? 

I come from a family of pretty intense food enthusiasts. My grandmother used to run and cook at a southern style diner in the 60s. I have a cousin who’s a personal chef over in LA to some pretty big celebrities, and I have an uncle who’s a retired executive chef. So the industry is definitely a theme in my family. 

I learned from my dad who’s an incredible cook. My mom is also a fantastic cook too but she doesn’t enjoy finding new recipes and cooking as much as my dad. But, they’re both pretty adventurous eaters and passed that gene down to my sister and I. 

In terms of getting into the industry myself, I will gladly say that I’m an industry cliche! I was a freelance photographer and writer for a while, but that was wildly unstable. So I got a job as a host and have worked every FOH position since. 

You’ve also worked in the restaurant industry for years. How do you think we can better bring a culture of wellness into the industry? 

Oh boy, I could do a TedTalk on this one! When we talk about wellness in the restaurant industry, it should start by examining how much we’re all working and also how this work is not easy on the mind and body. 

Working four, back-to-back, 12 hour shifts is rough. But let's also factor in how the majority of the people who work that much don’t have access to healthcare, parental leave, or PTO. That’s a problem. And even for those who do have benefits, oftentimes they are too busy to actually use them - or it’s frowned upon. 

I love helping people set wellness routines and when I do that I always stress being honest and practical. In terms of the industry, it’s honest and practical to admit that no amount of routine setting and/or wellness techniques can overcome genuinely being overworked. 

What does your website name/IG handle Now Let’s Get Going represent?

It represents movement! It’s all about going after new things with confidence. 

I read on your website that part of your journey was rekindling your love of cooking. Tell us more about this. How did you fall back in love with cooking? How has it changed you? What does cooking for yourself bring to your life?

I fell back in love with cooking when I started to make it an event. I tell people this all the time, but I wine and dine myself regularly. I think of a fancy recipe, I go shopping, I usually buy some flowers, sometimes wine, and when I get home to cook I play music or listen to podcasts. It’s a production and that makes me happy. 

What is your philosophy on food and eating now? Why is this so important? 

My philosophy is to eat gratitude, balance, and intention. Be grateful for the food you have, be grateful for yourself for deciding to feed yourself! And eat food that will make you feel good both physically and mentally. Sometimes that’s a salad with berries and other times it’s french fries. 

You say self-love is self-preservation. Self-care is POWER. I fully agree. Can you elaborate on this more? How can people lean into loving themselves? Why is this so important? 

There’s about a million ways we’re socialized to feel inferior or to put others' needs before our own. Deciding to care for ourselves first is radical and scary and powerful. It’s the first step of cultivating self worth and when you have that you say no to more things and more people. And at the end of the day, that’s true power. 

What does wellness mean to you?

Wellness to me is the purest form of love. If you really love something, you dedicate yourself to taking care of it and making sure it’s happy and doing well. That’s what we need to do for ourselves. 

What advice do you have for others on how they can get started on their journey to live wildly well and make wellness a part of their everyday life?

Just start! And start small. Spend ten minutes everyday by yourself, doing something for yourself. Cooking, walking, skincare, tidying up, meditating. Pick one thing and add it to your morning or evening routine. 

As an entrepreneur, can you tell us why you started your holistic wellness business? 

I wanted to start a company where I could approach working differently and extend that to my customers. This is an oversimplification but we all need to slow down and relax!

You recently opened a new online shop, Ayoka, where you sell teas and wellness meditations. What inspired this tea and meditation pairing? The name, Ayoka, comes from your grandmother. Can you share a little of her spirit?

In Yoruba (an ethnic group, religion, and language in Nigeria), Ayoka means ‘One who brings joy’ or ‘One who causes joy all around’. That was my grandmother. She had the biggest heart; happy and willing to help anyone in need. She was a proud business owner and (much like my whole family) an avid tea drinker. 

Tea is such a beautiful nourishing beverage. There’s something about holding it in your hands then drinking it that just instantly calms you. The practices that I pair with the teas take advantage of that calming moment but also the tea making process in general. 

What is your mission/purpose statement?

Rest and abundance with joy and ease. I want to inspire everyone to take on that mantra. 

What is a typical day like for you? 

I start the day with a personal mantra practice, get dressed and put some makeup on. Looking and feeling confident is really important to my energy. After breakfast (usually a kale & fruit smoothie with chia seeds), I make my way through a to-do list that I wrote the night before. Depending on how I feel I might stop midday to meditate or take a nap. Then I hop back to work and end the day with a work out, some journaling/meditating and lastly cooking a fun dinner.  

I love that you acknowledge that wellness does not mean it’s always sunshine and rainbows. How do you unstuck yourself on days that just feel defeating? 

I physically and mentally slow down and ask myself where the stuck feeling is coming from. I affirm that I’m worthy even on my darker days. I’m also learning that movement is really important for me on those stuck days, so I go for a walk or do a fun dance workout. 

Authenticity is clearly one of your main values. I love seeing you show up just as you are. How can others tap into their truest selves so they don’t mold themselves to exist in the same world as everyone else?

This one takes practice! I swear I talk to myself all the time. I’m constantly checking in on myself by asking questions like “Where’s this doubt coming from?” “How can I slow down more?” “Is this what I really want?” Be curious about yourself. 

Are there any initiatives that you are passionate about and want to make a difference?

I’m very passionate about food sovereignty and mutual aid. I think providing everyone with good, fresh food, affordable housing, reliable transportation , and other important resources. 

What are you excited about for the next year? 

I’m excited to collaborate with more local makers, holistic wellness practitioners, and just new people with different experiences. 

What’s your biggest vice?

I’m a sucker for ice cream. There’s literal magic in the Tonight Dough Ben & Jerry’s flavor. 

What do you want to leave our readers with today? Feel free to add anything else you want readers to know or that I may have missed. 

The first step is deciding to save yourself. It’s deciding to be your own hero. It’s believing that you are your own hero. So save yourself. 

Where can people find you to learn more? 

They can find me on all socials @nowletsgetgoing for holistic self care inspiration, routine building tips, food and drink recipes. And over at @ayoka.apothecary for joyfully crafted loose tea, body care, and home decor. 

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