Wildly Inspiring: Interview With Sophie Jaffe Of Philosophie Superfoods

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Sophie Jaffe

Wildly Inspiring is a series of interviews with women and men who found what makes them feel alive, and turned it into a career, inspiring thousands of others along the way.

In this interview, get to know my soul sister Sophie Jaffe–mother, yogi, wellness entrepreneur (she founded my favorite Philosophie Superfoods). Find out how she finds balance in being a working mom, tips on turning passion into a career, ways to decompress and always look fabulous, and the thing that helped her connect with her inner goddess.

Tell me about your wellness journey. What does healthy mean to you, and how did you turn it into a career?

Wow, it’s such an honor to share my story and let you into my world! It was such a wonderfully serendipitous meeting for us, and it’s been so fun being bicoastal friends!

My wellness journey began at a young age. My mom is a holistic nurse practitioner, and I grew up appreciating and taking homeopathic medicines, flower essences, essential oils, and other natural forms of healing before western approaches were taken (I didn’t step into a hospital or see a “real” doctor until I had my first son at 26 years old). This was how my journey was impacted, in every part of who I was from a very young age.

To me, healthy is a state of mind. It’s being connected to your best self, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Health is something that starts within your body, mind, and spirit, and then the outside glows from within.

After graduating from UCLA with a degree in health psychology, I was working part-time at a raw food juice bar (one of the first of their kind!) in Hollywood. I then became a manager working 60-70 hours a week, closely training with the owner who was a celebrity personal trainer. I then decided to continue what I was doing at the juice bar (creating custom cleanse programs) on my own. That’s when Philosophie was born!

I was making raw food-based cleanses out of my own kitchen and delivering them all over Los Angeles to just about anyone and everyone, from the toppest of the top celebrities (ahem, Gerard Butler) to my own neighbors, clients, and friends. This continued for a few years until I got so big that I needed a commercial kitchen. I was making salads and pre-made smoothies and foods for Erewhon market (before they had any other pre-made foods) and was a private chef for Stacy Kiebler and George Clooney.

I was honestly doing way too much, spreading myself too thin, and at that point, pregnant with my second child, Leo. Adi and I decided that it was best for me to stop running all over the city and to ultimately help more people by creating a product line. Thus, the superfoods were born.

 

Now, I run Philosophie’s day-to-day business and have a team of over 15 people who help this beast of an operation come to life and continue to spread the love through their hard work and dedication. I am a living, breathing example of what it means to be healthy from the inside out. I eat very clean while still allowing wiggle room for fun and indulging in what makes me happy. I work hard to balance work and love and family life with self-care. That’s what health is to me.

Do you have non-negotiable daily rituals?

Sweating in some form or another. If I don’t have time for a proper workout at a studio or the gym, I make sure to go for a long walk with my dog, do some yoga in my living room, or hit the steam room for 10 minutes. To sweat really changes my day and acts as a reset button. Sophie Jaffe Another non-negotiable is either a green smoothie/nana ice cream or green juice. Must happen! I put so many nutrients in that one meal, and it makes me feel “complete”. I also talk to a close girlfriend every single day, even if it’s just a momma friend for 10 minutes while we are also talking to our children. I’m a very intimate kind of friend and NEED to connect to my soul sisters to feel connected to my best self. What do you love the most about being a mother? I love the way the kids echo everything I do, from the good to the bad and everything in between. It helps act as a mirror for me. It helps me every single day to be a better person, and I learn so many lessons from them on the daily. Sophie Jaffe What’s the biggest challenge you have being a working mom? I can’t do everything I want to do. I have to cancel dinner meetings all the time because I’m just too tired or one of the kids is freaking out or sick or a babysitter cancels last minute. I have to say no to a lot of opportunities which is frustrating and challenging.

How do you find the balance between being a mom, a wife, and an entrepreneur? It’s honestly incredibly hard. Here’s a Youtube “journal” article I made where I share my secrets to balancing it all:

What are your favorite things to do with your kids? I love going to the beach with the kiddos or on a hike. It honestly takes a ton of prep time for me to pack all the things for such an adventure, but it’s SO beyond worth it once we get there!   The kids are in their element and couldn’t be happier. They don’t fight at all, and we aren’t distracted by silly things in the house like iPads or an abundance of toys. After being in appreciation mode, we come home feeling satisfied and grateful. Sophie Jaffe Kids beach What helps you come back to your inner peace when the house seems to be upside down? Ugh, I honestly panic most of the time for a minute and yell at the kids and want to cry when everything seems to be upside down. After I take a minute to be insane—I blast music and shake the wiggles out, drop into some yoga flow for a second or two, and then get moving to pull everything back together again.   I make the kids go into the backyard (their energy drains me when I’m not centered), and I clean/organize/work on the house for 20-30 minutes. Yoga and music always brings me back to my peaceful place. If the kiddos are sleeping I will take a detox soak in the bathtub for as long as possible with some tea and a good book. The next day I wake up feeling ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

What are some of your favorite things to do when you get an hour on your own? A day on your own? When I get an hour to myself WITHOUT CHILDREN or work, I usually get a Thai massage. It’s so relaxing and makes me feel like I’m in Thailand again, traveling and free. I will also go to a yoga class, on a hike, or journal in my backyard, naked. On my days off without kids (usually it’s Wednesday or Thursdays), I go to Venice. I have so many beautiful soul sisters who live there. I take a yoga class, go to Cafe Gratitude, visit the beach or just hang at one of their houses to connect and feel like a “normal” free, 31 year old :)

You always look so fabulous. What style advice would you give to a working mother?

I get a blowout once a month which seriously changes my life! I highly suggest it. I don’t wash my hair for about a week, but it stays wonderful for the full 7 days! For the first three days I wear it down, the next few days I use dry shampoo and do cute styling,  and then days 7 and 8 are for a cute messy bun or braid.

If you make them last awhile, take cute photos, and go to social functions while it’s blown out, you feel like a goddess!  (I CANNOT style my own hair so this is why this especially feels so luxurious!)

What role has social media played in your life and growth of Philosophie? Social media has been INCREDIBLE for Philosophie. I can truly be myself there and share my perspectives, lessons, trials, and struggles with so many people at once. It’s helped to get the word out not just about who I am, but what Philosophie stands for and what makes it unique. Without social media, it would be predominantly word-of-mouth since we aren’t in thousands of stores and can’t afford traditional advertising. What advice do you have for someone just starting out a business out of their passion?  It’s so important to remember your goals and plans and to stay firmly on track, despite the demands and possibilities that seem to tug your sleeve every minute. It’s these little pulls and temptations that force companies to go under, to go out of business, to die. A beautiful and viable idea can sink under the weight of the chaos that surfaces when we lose sight of the central goal and the clear, defined path to that goal. One moment we thought we were running this ship, and the next we’re feeling tossed by the waves and wishing for rescue. You have to remember who’s in charge, and stay your course.   Sophie Jaffe Free People If we’ve got the right path out of passion, we know how to walk it—one step and then the next. Take time to determine your path.  Don’t change course at every fork. See your vision through. If you are heading off track, you will find out quickly, and then you can adjust your approach.  But if you have developed a focused goal and a clear, concise plan of action to obtain it, just keep going.

“Keep going. Inspire all of us with your passion, dedication, clarity of purpose, and your great success.”

What has inspired you recently? I’ve been taking a course about the moon the past six months, learning all about how we connect in our bodies to the moon and tides. I’ve always felt affected by the moon, but I never fully understood why. The course has allowed me to connect to my inner goddess, remembering once again how important it is to journal, remind myself of what makes me unique and beautiful, and focus on these facts as often as possible.

Words you live by?

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

Favorite snack?  

Raw truffles, always! I also love Justin’s Vanilla Almond Butter all day, every day—bonus to eat it with figs, apple slices, or anything sweet, really!

What’s your favorite breakfast? 

My favorite brunch/weekend recipe for breakfast is shakshouka! It’s an Israeli breakfast that rocks my world. It’s actually really clean, just tons of veggies and eggs! Super delicious. The kids even like it because we dip pita or challah bread inside so it’s messy, fun, and yummy!

Shakshouka

S H A K S O U K A

(makes 4 servings) 

{ GATHER } 

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 2 t ground cumin
  • 1 clove, crushed
  • 1 t smoked paprika
  • 1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 2 jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes (including the juice)
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1/4 C cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
  • 1/4 C parsley leaves, chopped for garnish
  • 1 t Green Dream Powder

{ DO THIS }

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion and cook until softened, 5-8 min.
  2. Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly, about 2 min. Stir in cumin, garlic, paprika, and cayenne and cook for about 30 sec. Add red peppers and tomatoes with juice. Simmer about 2 min and add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Using the back of a spoon, make 8 indentations in the tomato sauce and crack 1 egg into each. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until egg whites are set but yolks are still soft, about 5 min. (cook about 7 min if you want the yolks to set)
  4. Sprinkle with Green Dream, cilantro and parsley to garnish.
  5. Share your pretty picture on IG or twitter tagging @philosophiemama!
Connect with Sophie: thephilosophie.com (use code “breakfastcriminals” for a sweet discount on Philosophie superfoods!), @Sophie.Jaffe on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.