Running your own business is no easy feat. It takes a healthy dose of passion, discipline, and commitment. Ever wondered what a day in the life of a business owner and founder is like? We’re here to give you a glimpse! In honor of International Women’s Day (March 8), we have featured a female entrepreneur every week this entire month — giving you an exclusive, first-hand look into 24 hours of their day. 

This last day of March, we’re getting up close and personal with entrepreneur and Ivana T. Lowchareonkul who founded Ivana Designs, and created the Alpha Pillow. Read on to see how she spends her day running her crowdfunded business in Bay Area, California. Then scroll down for a brief Q&A to get to know her better and get inspired!

5 A.M. After the cold shower and the bulletproof coffee, my day has begun. 

6 A.M. It is time to reflect. Yin-Yang Yoga is part of my daily routine, followed by Wim Hof’s deep breathing session and mindfulness meditation. 

7 A.M. Having a light breakfast and fresh juice with my husband. As we both are founders of our own entities, we like to exchange ideas and thoughts, go over our plans, and things we can both improve on. He is my biggest support and critic.

8 A.M. It is time to hit the road and go into the office. 

9 A.M. Having a morning meeting with my team, where we review deadlines, create productive plans, and resolve any issues that we come across. We like to call it the empowering meeting. 

10 A.M. Looking over my schedule, I make necessary adjustments and catch up on my inbox. 

11 A.M. I have a meeting with my marketing team.

12 P.M. I enjoy a small meal, and take a break to catch up with my family and friends in Europe and all over the world. Technology keeps us connected. The smiles of my loved ones are my daily strength. 

1 P.M. The quality of our products is very important to me and my team. On a daily basis, I like to work closely with them, and make sure the quality always meets the highest standards. 

2 P.M. It is time to get creative. I like being in a creative bubble where I can take my imagination a step closer to reality. 

3 P.M. Design time.

5 P.M. I have a revision to go over with my design team, and I share our daily progress. 

6 P.M. I work on more design revisions. I reply to any remaining emails, and I leave the office. 

7 P.M. This is a great time to start unwinding down for the day. I love cooking dinner with my husband, or simply going out for a date night. 

8 P.M. We take our puppy for a walk in our quiet neighborhood. 

9 P.M.  We enjoy our family time for the rest of the night, like reading. We love reading together.

11 P.M. Time to test our Alpha sleep products. Sweet dreams! 

Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse of what her day is like, get more inspiration in our exclusive Q&A with Ivana below!

INDIEGOGO: How did you become an entrepreneur? 

IVANA LOWCHAREONKUL: I’ve always had a dream to create something that will benefit humanity. My passion for Industrial Design and Entrepreneurship ignited when I moved to San Francisco. My education here was an ideal combination of art, science, and business. The belief, support, and love I received from my family helped me to believe in myself. They gave me the small steps to start living my dreams. 

IGG: What makes your business unique?

IVANA: Ivana Designs, LLC is a San Francisco medical textiles company. Based on an early initiative to design alternative sleep solutions, the company has grown into an accomplished international sleep and health brand. Ivana Designs today offers a full Alpha line of weighted blanket, silver sheets, ergonomic pillow, and silver socks. From our headquarters in Silicon Valley, California, we develop new additions to our expanding collection and managed our worldwide distribution. We are inspired by both science and alternative medicine. We merge scientifically proven methods with innovative technologies to create understated and considered medical solutions made to last.

IGG: What’s your best advice for women entrepreneurs?

IVANA: When the mind can imagine, creativity follows. It is very human to have self doubt, but there is no courage without fear. Every dream can be realized if we have enough courage to pursue them. Each day, more females are taking the entrepreneurial path, and tomorrow that can be you. Ignite your ambition, confidence and dreams — nothing can stop you. I strongly believe success is not based on gender or race. We all have opportunities for a successful career, and it all depends on how much we want to invest in ourselves. When men and women work together ,we can complement each other, and achieve huge success. 

IGG: Any tools you recommend to anyone starting their own business? 

IVANA: Reading is part of my daily education, inspiration, and empowerment. The books that I would recommend to anyone starting their own business are Aspire by Kevin Hall, Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler, and Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelly. One podcast that I would recommend is The School Of Greatness by Lewis Howes. Interviews that can be very empowering are “The 5 Second Rule to Change Your Life with Mel Robbins” and “Kobe Bryant: Mamba Mentality, NBA Championships, and Oscars.” Lastly, we live in world full of technology, and software is a very powerful tool. Every time you learn how to use new tool, it opens a door to new opportunities.

IGG: What’s your favorite Indiegogo campaign? 

IVANA: Every campaign has so much beauty. As a creator, I understand how much energy, hard work, and sleepless nights go into completing a project. Therefore, I admire all creators that give [crowdfunding] a fair shot. Alpha Pillow is our first campaign on Indiegogo, and we absolutely love the interface, support, and the contributors. We highly recommend every creator to collaborate with the platform and the Indiegogo Team, because the experience is amazing. 

To support Alpha Pillow check out their Indiegogo campaign page. To learn more about Ivana’s other projects and work, follow on Instagram.