WMW #22: Cayla Johnson Esteban, biblical naturopathic doctor and mum of 2 under 2
"I have 2 under 2 and I don't drink caffeine!"
Hi there,
How has your week been? Mine has been jam-packed, and I am feeling like an octopus of sorts, but a very happy one that is eagerly exploring so many avenues!
A few interesting things are brewing on my end. It’s amazing to see what new beginnings can bring into your life. More on that later.
Meanwhile, I continue my journalism on the side, something I hope to do more of as move into doing my own work.
My latest story is on corporate climate action. As the UAE gears up towards hosting the global climate change conference COP28 in Dubai, my attention towards the climate action dialogue is heightened. I feel super lucky to live here and perhaps attend COP28 this year!
My article talks about how a minor financial investment from the private sector - only 1.5% of their profits - would be a massive step towards achieving the transformational change required to hit global climate action targets. If this interests you, you can read the story here.
Also, my son “graduated” from nursery. He will be going to big school next term. How are my children growing so fast?!
I was so emotional but my son was not interested at all. It seems they had been bribed with promised cupcakes and lollipops so that they wear the outfit and be good in the ceremony, so once it was done, that’s all he cared for! I can’t blame him I guess :)
Anyway! On to my interview for this week.
Working Mum Wisdom (WMW) issue #22
I connected with Cayla about a year ago via the Smart Passive Income Academy, of which we both are members.
Cayla is also on the path to build her work around her life and passions, so we naturally connected in the community. She also signed up to my free email course, something I launched last year on how to make your first dollar online, and gave me detailed feedback on the value of the course and how I could make it better, which I am so grateful for.
Cayla is a holistic naturopathic doctor who works with women and especially mums to assist them in living healthy lives. We often put aside our own well-being when we have children, however the truth is, if we are not healthy, our children are unlikely to be.
This community is full of really amazing and supportive mums, I feel so grateful to have connected with all of you!
Meet Cayla Johnson Esteban, biblical naturopathic doctor and mum of 2 under 2!
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself (work, family and personal interests/hobbies)
I am a biblical naturopathic doctor, which means that I look for the root cause of health issues that could be originating in the body, mind, or spirit, and I use both science-based and faith-based methods to help my clients heal.
I have an amazing husband who works very hard in his family's Filipino store (check out Chaaste Family Market for anyone in the Los Angeles area!) so I'm also the one who takes care of our children the majority of the time.
We have a daughter who is turning 2 next month and a son who is 2 months old. So we have 2 under 2 and that's been a big adjustment, but going well so far!
It doesn't leave a lot of free time for hobbies at the moment, but I usually like to read historical fiction novels and holistic health books and watch Dry Bar comedians on YouTube.
My first love before holistic health was music and I still like to sing and play guitar.
Q. How did you get started on your own business journey?
In 2017 I got really sick and even though it seemed very sudden, I realized later that it had been building up over my whole life and that's when it became too much for my body to handle.
Healing myself put me on a journey of removing toxins from my food and environment, changing my lifestyle, taking the right health protocols to put my body back together. It opened my eyes to the toxic environment most people don't realize they are living in until it is too late. It made me passionate about helping people heal and even prevent getting sick in the first place.
Then in 2020 I got pregnant and went even deeper into women and children's health. Moms play a huge role in the health of their children, even before they are born, and I want to support moms in helping the next generation live their best and healthiest life.
Q. What inspired the launch of your newsletter?
When I realized social media wasn't really the best place to try to build a community haha.
It took me too long to learn that there are so many reasons why someone chooses to follow you on social media and not always are they interested in your message at all.
I would rather put my energy into serving moms who have the same values as me and are genuinely interested in helping their families become healthier.
Q. What is your best advice to mums looking to achieve their full potential as professionals as well as mums?
It's a cliche, but put your own oxygen mask on first. When you take care of yourself and your health, you become more energized, positive, creative, motivated, both at work and at home. It's hard to concentrate and be productive at work, or be patient with your kids at home when you're exhausted, depleted, and sick.
Q. What are the challenges you face yourself as a mum and business owner?
Mom guilt! Haha if I could split myself in two and be devoted and present with my children all day long while simultaneously spend all day working, I would do it. I feel a daily tug-of-war in my heart between my two passions, my children and my business, and it's a challenge to find a balance between them. I'm still working on that.
Q. What do you do to overcome them? What role does nutrition play in overcoming your day-to-day challenges?
I try to make sure I spend time with my children first and see to their needs before work tasks, or work while they're sleeping as much as possible. But taking care of my health and eating right helps me make sure I have enough energy and focus for both.
One thing moms often need is adrenal and thyroid support to handle the daily stress, and I try to take the right food and supplements to sustain those systems.
Some people might be surprised to hear I have 2 under 2 and I don't drink caffeine! But that's a longer story, send me a message if you want to know how I do that!
Q. Staying on top of your health, nutrition and well-being is not an easy task, especially when you are a mum with full-time work. What are your top tips to make this easier for mums?
The first thing is to make changes at a speed that doesn't feel overwhelming to you and don't compare yourself to others. A lot of people find the 80/20 rule helpful, being healthy 80% of the time and then allow yourself moments to relax and enjoy yourself 20% of the time. There's no health police to come after you if you have a few cookies!
The next thing is to keep it simple and efficient as much as possible. I batch create meals and even keep spare meals in the freezer so I make sure we eat healthy without needing to cook every day.
Exercise can be as simple as chasing your kids around the park and pushing them on the swings. Being healthy doesn't need to be fancy or exciting, it just needs to work for you. No one is winning any awards!
Q. How can mums access any information you have to share?
Everything can be found in my Linktree, and I have free information on my newsletter, my website's blog and my Youtube channel. I am also on Instagram and Facebook, although forgive me for any inconsistent posting while I'm in the fourth trimester!
I have a free holistic health questionnaire that is a very comprehensive evaluation of where your health is at. Although I can't legally offer it to diagnose anything, it will show if there are red flags in your health that need further investigation and it's something someone can take with them to discuss with their healthcare provider (or I would be happy to go over it with you too!).
I haven't yet restarted doing 1:1 health consultations, but I have a waitlist going for anyone who wants to send me an email and I will keep you updated.
And if anyone is currently or planning to be pregnant, I have a pregnancy nutrition course that will help you make the most of a healthy and comfortable pregnancy for you, as well as building a foundation of good health for your baby before they are born!
Instagram: @SOZOHHP
Facebook: Cayla Johnson Esteban
Q. Is there anything new you are working on?
Yes! I have an idea for a group coaching program for moms who generally know what they're supposed to be doing to keep their families healthy, but are having challenges with needing motivation and accountability.
Each person would pick their own goal to work on that month (for example, to start having more fruit and veggies instead of packaged snacks or spend 10 minutes a day meditating) and get support, accountability, and help with troubleshooting, both from myself and from the other moms in the group (like maybe another mom has already had a similar experience and can give advice).
I would ideally like to start in June with 6 months of beta testing. I'm looking for 12 moms who are willing to commit to meeting once a month during those 6 months and provide feedback on the program in exchange for free coaching to help improve the health of their families and the option to be first in line to join when it becomes a paid program.
(*Send Cayla an email on cejohnson@sozoholistic.com if anyone is interested in this!)
Q. How do you manage your time?
I try to focus more on building a routine with habit stacking (see James Clear if you want more details about this) instead of trying to keep to a schedule. If I tried to do things at a specific time every day it would just be a huge mess!
I keep a list of about 5-7 tasks/errands that I want to get done that day, some personal like laundry and some professional like writing a blog post. Then I try to fit them into the spaces between the daily tasks like prepping meals, changing diapers, etc.
At the beginning of each week I start writing my to-do list so things get spread out more evenly over the week, and I write everything down as soon as I think about it because otherwise I will never remember later.
Q. What is the ultimate goal with your business?
To help as many people as possible find healing and the new life that comes with it, but doing it in a way that aligns with the life I want to have and the time I want to spend with my children.
I love working with people 1:1 and I'm still doing that part time, but I'm trying to focus more on passive income right now that will give me more time to focus on my kids while they are young.
Q. How has motherhood changed your ambitions, if at all?
So much! I was interested in having my own business for years and even played around with a few ideas, but as soon as I found out I was pregnant with my first, I knew I wanted to be home with her and would do anything to make that happen. Wanting the best and healthiest for my children has also helped me become even healthier myself.
And it's crazy but health-wise, pregnancy and breastfeeding have their own rules for what is healthy that isn't the same as a non-pregnant or breastfeeding person. Dosage and safety for herbs in children also have their own rules.
Despite all my education, it was a huge learning process to figure out. And it was important to me to learn too because I think a lot of other moms want gentle and natural solutions to their children's health as much as possible, especially for babies.
Pharmaceuticals can have so many side effects and a lot of them aren't thoroughly tested for safety in children. I want to help other moms as much as myself.
Q. Where do you get your inspiration?
From so many places, too many to count! I get more ideas for products or services than I have time to create them! Some methods in my practice are definitely divinely inspired and I have to give the credit to God for giving them to me.
Q. What keeps you motivated?
My family is a huge motivator. It's hard to sleep in or get lost in binging a TV show when you have small children. And somehow getting up and being with them gives me the momentum to continue being productive at work. My husband is also my best soundboard and support. He gives great feedback and helps keep me accountable when I drift.
Q. What is your best productivity hack?
I heard someone say something years ago that has always stuck with me. She said she exercises 6 days a week, first thing in the morning, and she said, "When I wake up, I never ask myself whether or not I'm going to exercise. I just do it."
I feel like it's so easy to let things slide once they become open for debate in our minds. Like, "should I get up and do the dishes, or watch one more episode of this TV show?" I think most of us would stay on the couch if we gave ourselves the option. If we set our mind to do something and stick to it without stopping to give ourselves an out, it's more likely to actually happen.
Q. What is your best parenting hack?
Stopping to consider my child's perspective when a behaviour is frustrating me. Many times as parents I think we take our child's tantrums personally, like an attack on us, but usually it's rooted in the child having their own difficult time.
My toddler doesn't often have tantrums, but when she does it's usually because I haven't been paying as much attention to her as she needs, or she's very tired or hungry. As soon as I figure out what she's trying to communicate to me and correct my mistake, the behaviour stops. I think the basic principle is true for children of all ages though (and even husbands haha).
Q. What do you do in your 'me-time' and how does it help you?
My “me-time” is mostly just taking care of my own health, like doing exercise or spending time in prayer, both of which help me de-stress. I also have a morning routine that helps me wake up and feel centered before I start the day (and why I don't need coffee!).
Q. Favourite tool that makes your life / business easier?
My K'Tan baby wearing carrier. It keeps my newborn calm and safe from my toddler while I get things done, whether that's cooking dinner or working on my computer.
Q. Favourite quote
"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd druther not." - Mark Twain
Q. Best thing you have read or watched lately
I read a book a few months ago that I would recommend to everyone to become a better human. It's called Invisible Acts of Power by Caroline Myss. It's kind of on the esoteric/mystical side but it's all about how we bring more grace and blessing into our lives when we are generous and loving with others around us.
I hope you found that as interesting as I did. Cayla is super open and so helpful, feel free to connect with her directly if you have any questions or want to explore anything with her. You can also leave a comment here and I will make sure she gets it.
That’s all for now. Happy weekend!