Tanja Schroeder shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Tanja, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I start the day with stillness! I wake up early. At this time of the year, it’s still dark, and I love it. It’s quiet outside, time feels still. I lay out my yoga mat, light some palo santo, play soft music, and meditate, stretch, or write in my journal. My dog joins me by curling up on the corner of my mat. After that, the rest of the day is pretty busy, so it’s really important to me to start the day with some grounding practices.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a local, born-and-raised San Diegan, first gen, with a mission to live a life I won’t burn out from. You first met me when I launched a company called Link- to connect work and wellness. I was (and still do) go to corporate organizations to introduce breathwork and mindful practices to help manage stress and prevent burnout. We can probably guess that I got burnout at some point in my career, but it’s not just me- reports typically share that somewhere over 60% of employees are experiencing burnout. What gets me is that I pushed through burnout for years without considering it wasn’t right to feel that way. So really, how many of us are doing that now and not reporting or recognizing the effects of burnout? Once I realized the stress I was living with and the constant feeling of fatigue I was battling, I knew I had to make some changes in my life.
Throughout this time, I relied heavily on mindful practices, as cliché as it sounds, meditation and breathwork changed my life. It’s wild to me that this isn’t standard in work environments. The benefits it brings to an individual, an organization, outcomes, time management, increased focus, enhanced self-understanding, and the ability to communicate clearly are exactly the soft skills employers should be advocating for. Not to mention, when you have this alignment, you begin to approach work from a more centered place. You take your breaks, manage your time efficiently, end the workday on time, prioritize deadlines, set boundaries, and, ideally, prevent burnout along the way. It’s a win-win for us, it’s a win-win for the company.
So, really quick- I’ll fill you in on what I do after the first 90 minutes of my day. I am a jeweler (side note: I began making jewelry to find a creative outlet for my stress). In March, I opened a jewelry studio and small shop in Barrio Logan called Cielo Nublado. I create wax-cast rings, charms, and earrings, and do the sand casting right inside my shop. Consider this an invite to Barrio Logan if you haven’t been here already! There are so many amazing shops and talented artists in this area, and I feel so lucky to be here.
I also co-founded a company with my friend Erin Shems called The Recess Reset. You might have guessed it- we bring recess to work so employees can disconnect, recharge, and reset. Recess is a play on words; it’s an invitation to return to the nostalgia of hearing the bell ring as a kid and tuning out and playing hard for the whole break. The idea is that after a good recess, you return to work with a clear mind, renewed inspiration, and refreshed energy. The difference is that in this recess, you are an adult and have to learn to play again. It’s incredible to see how uncomfortable an unstructured hour at work can make someone feel- but that is precisely the lesson we all need to relearn as adults. It’s OK to take a break! It’s not only OK; please do, because it’s beneficial to you and everyone around you. During Recess, Erin and I take turns facilitating mindful activities (in addition to having unfacilitated free-play time). The goal is that by the end of your booking, there are one or two tools that impacted you the most, and you’ll apply and integrate them into your workday as often as possible!
If I’m not working on either of those projects, I’m facilitating a yoga class through my Breathwork in the Barrio series, at the climbing gym, or walking my dog, Romeo. That about sums me up, haha.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My Dad. He was such a hard worker. He was a freelancer, consultant, entrepreneur, and inventor for much of my life. I didn’t recognize it growing up, but now that I’m paving my own path, I look back and see the example he laid out for me: To follow my dreams, even if it feels like no one gets it. That is what keeps motivating me every day.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Uff… there is so much. I guess my hardest lesson these last few years has been trying to live in the moment. I’ve spent so much time looking back, and maybe even more imagining what’s in store for the future. It’s hard to rewire the train of thought to be in the here and now. So perhaps I’d tell my younger self to enjoy the journey and to stop trying to predict everything before it happens. I’d say, “It’ll all work out as it’s meant to. Just let it.” Which is precisely what I need to do now!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Me! I am my project at the moment, lol. Starting a small business to sell my own handmade creations, teaching yoga, pitching an outside-of-the-box product to organizations…. It has all unlocked a closet full of skeletons I can’t even process yet. This is the year I said yes to myself. Signing the lease on the shop literally felt like I was diving off a cliff into nowhere. I’m in this alone, and it’s scary and vulnerable, but also, I feel like I’ve finally started to live! So yeah- I’m committed to making this work. I’m facing all my fears, overcoming doubts, and fully stepping out of my comfort zone. No more staying small, no more playing it safe.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I fly to my studio on Monday mornings. I dream all night about melting metal and making more treasures. I have to stop making rings in my size, because it’s not helping my sales! I want to keep everything. And as for Recess, every time I get a chance to facilitate breathwork in a work environment, and I see the softness come over everyone’s faces, I feel a sense of alignment. Like, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else in that moment. I haven’t felt either of these sensations before in my career, and I’ve had some pretty exciting jobs, from working on cruise ships to managing study abroad programs. I think it says a lot!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cielonublado.com www.therecessreset.com
- Instagram: @cielonublado.bytanja @therecessreset
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanja-schroeder/
- Other: Check here for upcoming Breathwork in the Barrio classes (to be added soon!):
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/tanja-schroeder-113766261031
