Welcome to Steep & Tell, our interview series steeping the stories of women founders we admire. Over a cup of tea, we ask about slow mornings, hard seasons, the rituals that keep them grounded, and the honest truths no one warns you about in business. Pour something warm and settle in.
This week we're sitting down with Urvi Shah, a certified coach and spiritual healer and the founder of Inner Serenity Life Coaching. After her own postpartum journey, Urvi shifted her work toward supporting postpartum moms. You can find her at @innerserenitylc.
What does a slow morning look like for you, and how do you protect it?
Waking up and moving with intention. It looks different now as a mom of a toddler, but more often than not I have to practice mindfulness, sit in nature or stare out into nature, and have a few moments away from any sort of media or technology. Fully grounding myself. I protect it by being disciplined but flexible. Every day looks different, but through my awareness I know what I need to feel connected.
What is your non-negotiable ritual that keeps you grounded?
Meditation or breathing in the morning, and grounding my feet in nature. These help me work from my soul and not from my head. Oftentimes fear and doubt are the loudest in the morning for me, and these allow me to step out of it and focus on what I have to do for the day.
What is something about running your business that no one warned you about?
You are the boss, but also the doer until you can hire someone to help you. A lot of hard decisions need to be made, and you really have to think practically, without emotion, most of the time.
Tell us about a hard season or a failure that ended up shaping you or your brand.
Postpartum. I had postpartum depression and anxiety, and it was really bad, to the point where I had very dark intrusive thoughts of taking my life. This period isn't talked about a lot. It's kind of a black box that no one discusses. I started to shift my brand to help postpartum moms because of my own journey.
When you are overwhelmed, what actually helps? The real thing, not the advice you are supposed to give.
It depends on the overwhelm, but 9 out of 10 times it's going into a quiet spot (for me, it's my walk-in closet) and sitting and taking deep breaths until I start to feel safe in my nervous system. This really helps remove me from fight or flight, and I can think with clarity.
What do you wish more people understood about what you do?
As a healer, people always assume I am doing something, or they may have their own reservations because the trust isn't built there yet. I am not doing anything in the healing sessions. I am just a conduit of Spirit, who I channel, and that light is what heals. I also always say that I am the bridge. I am only here to help you bridge the relationship, or the gap, between yourself and Spirit/God/Universe.
A small luxury or habit that has been worth every penny?
Understanding what pleasure means for you and starting to enjoy those things. For me, I really enjoy candles and nice-smelling things like perfume, so I will splurge on the best ones to use for healing on myself.
If your brand were a cup of tea, what flavor would it be and why?
Lavender chai: calmness with a little touch of spice.
Anything you have coming up that you would like us to spotlight?
I would love to spotlight my book, Soul Full Womb. You can find it and everything else I do on my Linktree.
Lavender chai, calm with a little touch of spice, might be the most perfect description of Urvi we could have written ourselves. If that's the kind of cup you're craving, our Autumn Breeze comes close: tulsi for calm, with cinnamon and ginger for the spice.
Follow Urvi at @innerserenitylc, explore her coaching and healing work at innerserenitylifecoaching.com, and listen to her podcast.
If you're struggling during pregnancy or after having a baby, you're not alone, and help is available. Call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), or call or text 988 any time.
