New Jersey is home to many ambitious and talented women who juggle family, career, and home. A select few of these women are also extremely busy building their own companies to help better manage the balance of work and family. At NJMOM, we want to highlight these extraordinary women building New Jersey businesses, and learn the secret to their success.
Founder of BexLife.com & NJMOMpreneur:
Rebekah Borucki
Rebekah Borucki is a television host, health and fitness expert, meditation coach, yoga instructor, and YouTube personality – oh, and this year she added “author” to that list! This mother of five is also the founder of BexLife.com, a health and wellness lifestyle brand that makes self-healing and meditation accessible to women in all walks of life. The success of Rebekah’s self-meditation and self-hypnosis tutorials stem from 23 years of daily practice, and her brand’s skyrocketing popularity is the result of Rebekah’s organic approach to wellness and ability to develop meaningful connections with her thousands of followers (her YouTube channel has over 185,000 subscribers!) After starring in her own television show, Got Zen? for the Z Living network, Rebekah has gone on to develop her brand from the ground up, resulting in a collective of BexLife resources including Blissed Nutrition, an interactive social media community, and her recently published book, You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life.
NJMOM had the honor of learning about Rebekah’s story, how her brand happened “accidentally,” what went into building a DIY business, and her favorite things to do in New Jersey with her husband and five children.
(All photos courtesy of Justin Borucki, borucki.com)
NJMOM: What do you offer to your clients and how is it different than other professionals in your field
Rebekah: I’m in the business of making natural health and spiritual wellness accessible to women from all walks of life. The holistic wellness industry can be very exclusive and the practices touted by its gurus can be out of reach for everyday people. Workshops and classes can cost a small fortune, and the advice can feel esoteric and out of touch with reality.
I offer simple solutions to eating clean and feeding your family well on a budget. My meditation method is one that can be practiced in only 4 minutes.
I’m just a regular mom-of-five from South Jersey, trying to manage the everyday stress of raising a family and a business. My philosophy is that your wellness practice should work for you and fit into your schedule. If you’re spending all your time trying to get fit or enlightened, you’re missing the point of living.
NJMOM: What inspired you to come up with the idea for your business?
Rebekah: My business was something that happened completely accidentally at first. I was simply sharing my wellness story online, in search of community, and my following grew and grew. Feedback from YouTube viewers drove all my early content, and I still create from a place of inspiration from my audience. They express a need, and I try my best to fill it.
NJMOM: What is your favorite part about your business?
Rebekah: My online community means everything to me, and I love connecting with them everyday through social media. No matter what kind of day I’m having, I always feel instantly better after a live Facebook broadcast or spending some time reading and answering YouTube comments. I ask my followers to make a pact of co-inspiration with me. We show up every day, motivating each other to do and be better.
NJMOM: What is your background in your business expertise?
Rebekah: I’ve been practicing meditation daily for 23 years—since I was 15 years old. I started teaching meditation professionally after completing my yoga teacher training with Tara Stiles in 2010, and I brought my practice to my online audience in 2012 while shooting episodes for Got Zen?, my show for the Z Living television network.
NJMOM: What are you most proud of in your career?
Rebekah: I wouldn’t suggest that women take a completely DIY approach to their businesses, but I’m proud that I was able to create my entire online presence completely from scratch. I started blogging online before it was called blogging, learning how to code in HTML, teaching myself Photoshop, and figuring out how to edit and publish videos with almost no resources. It was years before I even spent money on my business. In fact, my first real camera equipment was awarded to me when I won a YouTube Next Trainer spot in 2011.
It’s important to me to know and understand every aspect of my business, from graphic design to handling my email client. And even though I hire out a lot of my daily tasks now, I’m never lost when I have to create or fix something on my own. My social media following was built solely from creating good content. I’ve earned every email signup and every like, without spending a dollar or placing an ad. I’m proud to be self-taught.
NJMOM: What is something few people know about you?
Rebekah: I’m practically unemployable. I’ve never held a nine to five job for more than two months, and the only professional situations I thrive in are ones that I create myself. I hate working on other people’s schedules and not being able to be totally creatively free. I’ve been starting and running my own businesses since I was a pre-teen. Some of my first ventures involved scrubbing concrete stoops in my old neighborhood and painting duck decoys, as well as the usual lawn service and babysitting jobs. I graduated to a tee shirt business before buying my own pizzeria in Staten Island at age 21 with the help of a Small Business Association loan. The last job I had before creating BexLife was as a real estate agent (I still have my license!), which I held for about five years.
NJMOM: What can we expect from you in 2017?
Rebekah: I was thrilled to announce the birth of my first book baby, You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life (Hay House, 2017), in February, and a lot of 2017 will be about expanding the work I started in its pages. My YouTube channel will feature more original meditations, and I’ll continue my live broadcasts every weekday on Facebook. I’m also working hard to expand my Blissed Nutrition team as the line of products we’re offering grows to include natural skincare solutions and more supplements for the whole family.
NJMOM: What charities are you are most passionate about?
Rebekah: A portion of all BexLife proceeds goes to various charities benefitting people, animals, and the environment. My favorite charities service victims of domestic violence and local animal rescues. Most of my farm pets are rescue animals, including my adopted barn cats, goats, pigs, and ducks.
NJMOM: Who is your role model?
Rebekah: I’m a true believer that every person you come across has the potential to be a great teacher in your life (even the people you don’t like so much.) There have been so many amazing mentors that I’ve worked with and admired throughout my career, but I can truly say that there would be no BexLife without Kris Carr, cancer thriver and creator of the Crazy Sexy brand. Her personal strength and professional savvy have inspired me more than any other person, and having her write the forward to my book was a dream come true.
NJMOM: What’s the best piece of advice a role model ever gave to you?
Rebekah: My mother always told me that I was created for a purpose and loved as is, and this gave me the confidence to always express myself without fear of criticism. I never hesitate to share a new idea or start a new project. The worst that can happen is that I fail and get to try something else. No big deal!
Kris Carr reinforced this practice by telling a whole audience of admirers and me to “live like you mean it” at a Hay House Writers Workshop in 2013. I carry those words with me as a reminder to always seize the moment and to soak up every bit of this gift of life.
NJMOM: Do you have a favorite quote you live by?
Rebekah: My favorite quote of all time, that’s been on my refrigerator for close to two decades, is…
My father did not teach me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it.
This spirit of this quote has not only guided the way I parent, but also the way I show up for my online followers. It compels me to show up with integrity, to share my truth in practice, and to lead by example.
NJMOM: What are your favorite things to do in New Jersey with your family?
Rebekah: There’s no place like the Jersey Shore, and the more “Jersey Shore” I can get the better. My favorite shore spots are Wildwood and Cape May, and I’ve been visiting them since my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bob would take me down every summer to spend time at their shore house. Now I spend time there with my kids, and we never leave without a ride on the Tram Car and the giant Ferris Wheel, a taste of some handmade fudge and salt-water taffy, and a stop in Cape May to collect “diamonds” off the beach.
Another favorite “vacation” spot is Wharton State Forest in the Pine Barrens. It offers wilderness camping and is usually quiet outside of the busy holiday and summer weekends. We’ve made a lot of special memories “roughing it” in the Pine Barrens. And it always adds an extra layer of adventure knowing that the Jersey Devil can pop up at any moment. For local fun, we visit local CSA farms or U-pick farms like Emery’s Berry Farm in New Egypt, or we take family treasure-hunting trips to Columbus Farmers Market and search for bargains in the “used” section of the flea market. We never leave without picking up a legendary slice of Pete’s Pizza and some fudge from the Amish shop.
When we want a quiet outing that’s appropriate for all ages and that’s educational, we visit the NJ State Museum in Trenton and take in a show at the planetarium. Our youngest three (ages 13, 5, and 2) always get a kick out of the dinosaur and space travel shows.
NJMOM: What is the best part about being a mom for you?
Rebekah: Getting to observe five tiny people form their personalities and learn about their world is the greatest gift. There’s nothing more gratifying than watching my older children go off to college, grow into adults, and start making decisions about their lives. I’m proud of the responsible, confident, and expressive people they’re becoming. All the kids make me laugh every day. I’m grateful for my noisy house, big family dinners, and the busyness that comes with raising a large family. It keeps me young.
NJMOM: What are your favorite businesses in New Jersey?
Rebekah: My favorite places for unique gifts and shopping for myself are the antique shops in Historic Bordentown, Burlington, and Mount Holly, all close to where I grew up in Roebling Village, New Jersey. Shoppe 202 in Bordentown, the Antiques and Art Emporium in Burlington, and Endless Treasures in Mount Holly are always sure hits for finding something special.
I’m not a fan of “fancy” when it comes to eating out; classic Jersey diners are where my husband and I usually like to catch a sit-down meal. Mastoris Diner and Wisdom Diner (both in Bordentown) are at the top of our list. For a bit of whimsy and hearty German food, I love Sebastian’s Schnitzelhaus in Wrightstown. When I’m a meeting girlfriend for lunch, I go to Robin’s Nest in Mount Holly. The Lambertville Inn is my favorite for lunch and dinner before I take the walk across the bridge to New Hope, PA.
NJMOM: Where do you reside in New Jersey?
Rebekah: I live on 8 acres in a small rural community called New Egypt in Central New Jersey. It’s a quiet community with friendly businesses and one of the best spots to spend a warm weekend day, Laurita Winery. My husband and I go to a lot of festivals on the vineyard property, which is open to the public for tours and just visiting for an intimate picnic on the lawn. The Food Trucks & Fire Pits weekend festivals that they hold several times a year are fun for our whole family.
To learn more about Rebekah and BexLife.com, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
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