We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Hayward and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Katie, how has your work-life balance changed over time? Work life balance in my opinion is different for everyone and it is always a constantly evolving metric. How I looked at work life balance 10 years ago is different from how I look at work life balance today. Prioritizing what is important to me is a major part of my balance and is why it is constantly evolving as I age and my priorities change. I am a true believer in taking care of yourself so that you have more to give to the world. One of my favorite quotes is “never give from the depths of your well but from the overflow.”-Rumi. With that said there are a few major items in my toolbox I do to keep my well full.
Morning Routine: This is something very sacred to me and when I do this consistently it overflows into my day in more ways than one. I start my morning first thing with a glass of lemon water followed by a cup of coffee. I then find my favorite spot in our living room and bring my mind to clarity and calm with some meditation. Once I have set my intentions for the day I journal. Journaling really helps me get all of the clutter and chatter out of my head. I used to be so concerned with what I was writing that I would almost get writers block trying to make it perfect. With the pandemic and quarantine I made it a goal to just write a little everyday even if it didn’t make sense. This helped me process all of the emotions that were going on during the pandemic, including the fact that my work life essentially stopped overnight. Now that I have been doing it consistently since March I actually miss it when I don’t journal. Journaling gives me the tool to organize my thoughts and workout the things I need to and let go of the things that aren’t serving me. Exercise: this has always been a HUGE priority in my life from a very young age. I truly believe when you move your body you change your mind. I get in some form of physical activity every single day whether it be running, HIIT, biking, hiking, yoga, walking with my dog, lifting weights etc. Even on the days that it is tough and I just don’t feel like it, I give it a 10 minute try. Once I start I am always able to finish my workout and I feel so much better afterwards. Keeping it in perspective and being present: I find that when I stay present in my moment each day, I am able to keep things in perspective and not get overwhelmed. Meditation has helped tremendously with this. In my line of work people are scheduling out into the future, always, so I am constantly looking into the future. This can be a challenge when you are trying to stay present. When things start to overwhelm me or if I feel like future events are taking over my mind, I have to put myself in check. Take a few deep breaths and come back to my present. Letting go of perfectionism: I have always been a perfectionist and overachiever. While this is a good quality to have as an entrepreneur and has helped me in so many avenues of my life, it can also be all consuming. I have to constantly look at the things I have no control over and let them go. This is something that has to be done daily and intentionally. Delegating and asking for help: As a business owner this is something I have trouble doing. I always think I can do it all and don’t want to bother anyone. But when I do ask for help or delegate it does alleviate pressure and gives me the chance to focus on other things. This allows me the platform to set more manageable goals for myself, be more efficient with my time, and reminds me not to overcommit. Being fluid, growing with each experience that comes my way, constant reflection and realignment of my intentions and goals for life, all contribute to my work life balance on the daily. What I focus on expands.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I think one of the major qualities that sets me apart from others is the fact that our tours are private, personalized, and completely customizable. When I started my business, shared group tours were the only option for guests in our area. These tours included a cookie cutter schedule. Ten years ago I stepped out offering a unique experience for each group customized to their taste preferences and desires. Our tours can include of course wine tasting, but we are also able to incorporate beer, olive oil, spirits, zip-lining, horseback riding, educational components, food pairings, and much more. As the owner I am also still very hands on. I believe Uncorked has gotten to where it is today with my personal desire to create a company that shares our area with clients. We give our clients superb customer service, clean and well maintained transportation vehicles, and create memories for them that will last a lifetime. I’ve learned that while we are able to make most of our clients happy I can’t make everyone happy, no matter how hard I try. When I first started, if someone wasn’t happy with their experience it would tug at my heart strings for days! But what I have learned over time is to not let one bad apple overshadow all of the fabulous humans I have been blessed to share this area with. I want the world to know that they should absolutely come visit the Central Coast of California, so that we can uncork wine country with them. Our area is absolutely a hidden gem and I feel grateful every day to not only have been born here, but to have created a business that allows me to share it.
Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout? This is actually a fabulous question because our Nephew and Niece-in-law just booked a trip to come visit us in the fall. My husband and I were going over what we thought would be the perfect trip for them when they are here. So here goes….We would start the day off with zip-lining at Margarita Adventures over looking vineyards and a beautiful ranch. Then head out on the wine trail for some wine tasting. Probably hitting up some of our favorite stops including J Dusi, Hope Family, Brecon, and Four Lanterns. Dinner that night would be at one of our favorite restaurants, McPhees grill. The next day we would play a round of golf at the Paso Robles Golf Club followed by drinks and lunch at Deeds Bar and Grill. That evening head over to Sensorio’s field of lights to take in the beautiful light installation by Bruce Munro encompassing 58,000 lights and 15 acres. The next day we would do a tour of Cass winery and vineyards on horseback with Central Coast Trailrides. Followed up by some more wine tasting checking out the east side of wine country, and dinner downtown Paso Robles at La Cosecha. While here we couldn’t go without showing them the coast. On our final day we would head out on a hike in Avila Beach and then make our way up the coast to tour Hearst Castle and check out the elephant seals. Enjoying a stop for lunch at Sebastians with some wine tasting of course, at Hearst Ranch winery. This only touches on a few of the many highlights of our area.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? There are two people in my life that deserve recognition to my story. That is my husband Tyson Hayward and my Momma Karen Hamblin. They are both constantly there to bounce ideas off of, to listen to me, and to just give me a hug when I need it. Especially through this COVID pandemic and having my business for 10 years be shut down completely, some days were just plain HARD. There were many emotions processed over the months we were quarantined and my Mom and Tyson were there to let me process all of the feels. From sadness, grief, anger, confusion and so much more. The two of them are my rock and I feel extremely blessed to have both of them in my life.
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Website: www.uncorkedwinetours.net
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