Allison Nguyen created a nightly self-care newsletter for women
The Snoozeletter is a nightly self-care newsletter for women. We send only the good stuff: picks of tried-and-true products, tips to relax, and interesting reads to get cozy because the last thing you need before bedtime is a news alert reminding you of all the crap going on in the world. Treat yourself through your inbox instead.
How did you come up with your business idea? What inspired you?
The Snoozeletter is how I made peace with my insomnia. With the burnout of a corporate job combined with post-election stress, there’s no surprise that I wasn’t getting much sleep. Fortunately (and unfortunately), neither were my friends – so we filled the void with late night text exchanges of memes and Conan O’Brien YouTube clips to cheer up before starting the grind all over again. Thus, this little ritual inspired The Snoozeletter to help women like ourselves reclaim their nights with uplifting, motivational content and relax enough to finally get some sleep.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur? Is having your own business something you always wanted?
Since I was young, I’ve held a deep-seated passion for making things out of nothing be it a batch of cookies to building a website. In college, this translated into creating a lifestyle blog through which I gained my first taste of how much I enjoyed creating content that’s meaningful to other people. The creative freedom and feeling of making a difference have shadowed my entire corporate career until I tired of building someone else’s dream and left to chase after my own.
Do you have a fixed work routine? Is it important to have one? Any tips for our readers?
Nope! Well, other than starting the day off with coffee. As a true Type B, I go with the flow of what my company needs and even thrive in the chaos of a constantly changing schedule. This helps me stay flexible and ready for any opportunity that pops up as well as keeps things exciting. I believe everyone has a sweet spot for when their best work happens. For some, it’s during the cookie cutter 9-to-5; for others, it’s taking a nap in the middle of the day and picking back up after dinner. Find yours and always take a break when you need to.
If you were a book, which one would it be and why?
Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. Introverts tend to be underestimated, but know that we’re observing and plotting a few tricks up our sleeves. 😉
What do you think is the biggest obstacle for female founders? How can we overcome it?
Confidence is key. Too often during my time in the male-dominated field of cybersecurity have I seen my female colleagues miss opportunities, like projects and promotions, that eventually went to men less knowledgeable but much more vocal. The same can be seen at times among female founders in startups, where uncertainty and reason to doubt your decisions are even more prevalent. What has worked for me to overcome the fear is to know your stuff, don’t overthink, and go for it. Or as Ariana Grande neatly sums it up, “I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it.”