In the latest article shining a light on female entrepreneurs, we chat with Maria Bond and Yulia Blower, friends and founders of Conscious Citizen. Founded in 2021 during the pandemic, Conscious Citizen is a sustainable UK-based loungewear brand that has already taken the fashion industry by storm. Maria and Yulia wanted to create high quality, timeless pieces that truly stand the test of time and their unisex, minimalistic collections are kind to the planet without compromising on style and comfort. Here, we talk to them about everything from their idea of success, to the advice that’s kept them on top of their game.
How do you currently measure your success, and how has that changed since you started on this journey?
Yulia: My perspective on success has quite drastically changed in the last few years. Where previously I valued myself on how many tasks I had accomplished that day, how much money I made, being the best in my job, what things I had that give a perception of success, and what people thought of me professionally. I now measure my success purely on how I feel. No amount of any of the above can give you true happiness and fulfilment, and for me, that comes from a completely different place of self-love and feeling overall positivity about what I’m doing no matter how difficult it may be. If it feels good, if I feel good, if I feel at peace and overall happy about something and that I’m making progress, understanding more, learning more that’s how I measure success now.
Maria: I manage my success by checking in with how I feel on a daily basis, what positive impact I am providing through my work and the happiness of my family. Since starting Conscious Citizen, I have learned to be more present in my daily life, truly understand what I want out of life and face the fear that comes with it all. When stepping out of my comfort zone, listening to my intuition, and following my dreams, life has become spectacular.
What words of encouragement can you always remember receiving that you’d like to pass on?
Yulia: It all always works out and for the best. And it really truly does! I always try to remember that.
Maria: When I was 7 my parents decided to get a divorce. Although it was an amicable divorce, it still had a great impact on me at the time. I vividly remember my dad trying to explain why the situation was happening, and some wise words that always reappear are ‘The only thing that never changes is change itself.’ Even at such a young age, these words made so much sense and continue to help guide me through all assets of my life. If we are able to accept change in a positive way, our world will evolve in a positive way.
What three elements of your daily routine are crucial to you?
Yulia: Routine is actually something that I’m working on for myself. I have always struggled with routine, preferring to be flexible to how the day, week, month, year unfolds (Aquarius life) and I made various excuses to myself as to why, sometimes my career has made routine a tricky thing to keep up with. I have always travelled a lot and typically my day-to-day has very rarely looked the same. Recently I have come to understand the importance of routine for me and how much I actually need it to avoid burnout and remain at a consistent level of productivity. So TBC on this, but for now I’ll say morning coffee and walking my dog, even if it’s not at the same time every day, being out in the fresh air gives me a lot of space and mental clarity. Last year I started writing a daily gratitude list before I go to sleep every night. Some days I write 10 things, and some days it’s just one thing. Regardless, finding even the smallest things to be grateful for daily really helps me maintain a positive mindset, particularly during times when I’m not feeling my ‘best self.’ I also like to shower before going to bed to wash the day off. I somehow feel lighter and therefore sleep better.
Maria: OMG, this question is food for my soul! I absolutely love a routine and have to do the following EVERY day. 1. The peloton or some type of workout in the morning. This frees mind space for me and gives my day clarity for anything ahead. 2. Write in my five-minute journal morning & night (best practice out there) 3. Hug and kiss my little girls as much as I can. They are my true pride and joy that have given me the drive to find my purpose.
How to combat feelings of fear, doubt and uncertainty in business?
Yulia: One thing I’ve learned over the years is that everybody gets fear and doubt, no matter who or how successful they are, so knowing I’m not alone helps me massively. Growing up I always thought my dad just knew the right answer to everything, and I was always waiting to get to a certain age and suddenly know the right answer to every question or scenario that came at me. I had a serious internal crisis when I realised that wasn’t coming! Of course, there is so much to be said about age and experience, you learn the best ways to approach things as you go through life experiencing different things it has to give but there is always something new to experience too if you’re growing. Really everything is just one person’s opinion, just because you don’t have the same outlook on something as someone else or someone doesn’t agree with you doesn’t mean you’re wrong or not smart enough, or that the other person is, it just means you have had different experiences and opinions and where we all should get to is trying to understand each other and take the best of both. Ultimately everyone is just making it up as they go along and there is no one right path for everyone, so finding your own and being comfortable with yourself is the key. I’ve been really working on that.
Maria: Fear, doubt and uncertainty will continue to show up in all aspects of life, professionally or personally. I find it extremely helpful to educate myself as much as I can on the topic or situation that is bringing up these emotions and use the practice of positive affirmations for reinforcement of my abilities. When you find confidence in yourself and what you are doing, it creates an unstoppable belief that will bring endless opportunities for your dreams to unravel.
“Ultimately everyone is just making it up as they go along and there is no one right path for everyone, so finding your own and being comfortable with yourself is the key.”
What’s one of the best parts of where you find yourself now, that you weren’t expecting?
Yulia: Having a better understanding and connection with myself, a clear vision of what I want from life, and having my own business that’s growing. I never thought I’d be brave enough and always wanted to do it but thought ‘why would anyone ever be interested in something I’ve created?’ Turns out they are and it’s been the most amazing journey so far! I say ‘thank you’ every day as it’s our community and the positive response we’ve had to the brand which inspires me to give more and do better always. Meeting Maria definitely came at a turning point in my life, one I’m really grateful for as it led to the birth of Conscious Citizen, which could have well still been just an idea without our meeting and an incredible friendship.
Maria: The first is that I am living in England. My husband is English and I am American, however, never did I want nor expect to call England my home. Second, being in the fashion industry. I have always loved fashion and pop culture, however, something about it seemed unreachable to me in my previous industry of healthcare. It is an amazing honour to have co-created a brand that is igniting a positive perspective on the way people consume and view the industry, all while educating ourselves and the world on how we can progress for the better.
“When you find confidence in yourself and what you are doing, it creates an unstoppable belief that will bring endless opportunities for your dreams to unravel.”
What do you feel can sometimes be a stumbling block for would-be entrepreneurs, and how would you advise they avoid/get over it?
Yulia: Life’s responsibilities and fears. Particularly as you get older, you have families, mortgages, bills… life never gets less expensive! The newer generations are quite lucky really, because they are growing up in a world where really endless possibilities are presented to them, entrepreneurship is much more encouraged rather than seemingly unattainable or a pipe dream, creative professions are seen as possible and all ideas are welcome to explore. Whereas we grew up conditioned in a different way. If you feel true passion for something or deep down have that nagging feeling that you should be or want to be doing something different to what you are, that’s your gut; your intuition talking to you. Listen to it and everything will always turn out more than ok. If something doesn’t work out then you’ve learned something and perhaps with that new knowledge, you try a different way. Don’t be scared of getting it wrong, easier said than done I know, but no one ever learned anything by getting it right all the time. There is so much power in trying! If you really believe in something and consistently work to refine it it will always turn out well. You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room, you just need to be the most consistent and the biggest believer. Having the right people in your life is also key to this, be selective with your inner circle.
Maria: A big stumbling block is overthinking. The negative ‘what ifs’ or excuses why something doesn’t make sense can quickly trick your brain into not trying something. The power of trying is magical. If something feels INTUITIVELY right, go for it, take action immediately! If it amounts to something, fantastic, if it fails, fantastic. Either way you have learned something new and gained confidence in yourself to be stronger for the future.
“If you feel true passion for something or deep down have that nagging feeling that you should be or want to be doing something different to what you are, that’s your gut; your intuition talking to you. Listen to it.”
How do you balance self-care, work-life, relationship/family time and downtime?
Yulia: This is a big question. Honestly, it’s hard and I’ll call bullshit on anyone that says it isn’t and they have everything perfectly balanced easily. I really try to listen to myself and what my body and mind are telling me and prioritise what needs more of my attention at a particular time. You can’t give everything 100% all the time at one time, well, I certainly can’t and I’ve had to learn to be ok with that. So for me now it’s about making sure I regularly check in with myself and reflect on which of my cups is looking depleted and then making a plan to refill it.
Maria: It’s a delicate balance, however, it can be done. For me, having a strict routine, setting boundaries and prioritising my daily tasks really allow me to stay grounded. I have a wonderful and loving support system around me, and it’s really important to be comfortable to ask for help or to delegate when/where needed.
What’s the best thing anyone’s ever said about your business?
Yulia: That it has its own energy!!! Maria and I always say this and it was amazing to hear it said back to us, as it shows us that it shines through the business.
Maria: This is a hard one! What stands out is when someone said that Conscious Citizen feels as if it has its own energy. This is something that Yulia and I always say! Conscious Citizen is a true force of life that took the power of her and I to meet to make it happen. It has its own heartbeat, and the fact that someone externally could see this is absolutely breathtaking.
Any hints on what’s next for the business/where you’re putting your attention next?
Yulia: We always try to take our community on the journey with us in the best way we can via social media. We want to find more ways of connecting with our different communities to grow them and bring them together, that’s on our priorities list. We’re really excited about the launch of the basics collection this summer, we’ve been working really hard on that for over a year now. We have some exciting plans for next year to continue building the conscious capsule wardrobe so watch this space.
Maria: If you have a look at our site and socials, you will see where most of our attention has been focused for the past year and continues to go (hint. hint)! We have SO many exciting things transpiring, but what’s amazing about Conscious Citizen is the organic unfolding that happens when we least expect it. So watch this conscious space.
@consciouscitizenworld
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