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A Day in the Life

Bonberi's Nicole Berrie

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Meet Nicole Berrie—founder of the hit wellness destination Bonberi and the accompanying Bonberi Mart, a clean-eating bogeda of sorts in Tribeca, New York. She's another in our long line of women who, like the Veronicas, made the career pivot to chase after her passions. "Before Bonberi, I worked in magazines on the editorial teams. While there I was always interested in seeking out alternative health approaches and wondered why there wasn't a place that married a curated eye with holistic content," she says of the initial inspiration. "The name was a play off my name but really doesn't mean anything!"

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Here, Berrie takes us through a day in her life, from morning rituals with the kids to pre-bed Kirtan Kriya meditations—plus, she shares some entrepreneurial advice for those looking to make the career switch. And recipes. So many great recipes.

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In the Morning

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What's your morning ritual?
Wake up and meditate. I love Gabby Bernstein's guided meditations or Kirtan Kriya, which Organically Jamie turned me onto. Then I get the kids up and out for school! We do a green juice for the whole family, I feed them breakfast, then it's off to school/Zoom school. I'll then grab a coffee at Bonberi Mart, usually iced espresso with our house-made nut mylk. I then do my daily morning workout, usually Tracy Anderson at home. If I have time I'll hop in my infrared blanket, shower, then hit the shop for work.

Go-to breakfast?
Green juice or the Bonberi Green Smoothie with lots of fruit!

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During the Day

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What's a typical day at work like?
Ever-changing! Some days I have calls/meetings all day long, other days I'll be at Bonberi Mart all afternoon! Sometimes I'm shooting content, working with my team at the shop, or recipe testing.

Go-to lunch?
I'm usually raw most of the day with juices, smoothies and fruit (pre-dinner consists of a huge raw salad then a big abundant dinner, Mexican or pasta is usually my weeknight go-to). For a late lunch, I'm usually testing the new specials at Bonberi Mart (@bonberimart). Current fave is our massaged kale salad with carrot ginger soup.

When you need an afternoon pick-me-up…
I try to go with genmaicha toasted brown rice green tea, but if I'm really craving a coffee I'll go with iced espresso and a splash of nut mylk, sweetened with a little stevia!

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In the Evening

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Favorite nighttime eats?
This is where my creativity and abundance really comes through! I love to eat a big raw salad with kraut or kimchi added for probiotics, and always try to add in something "fun," i.e. olives, pickles, tortilla chips, or my favorite raw goat cheese. For dinner, I'll go with what I'm craving! I like to work off of a theme, so if I'm craving something warming, I'll make a brothy soup with grounding veg and starches or a GF pasta dish, or if I'm not in the mood to cook, I'll order from one of my favorite restaurants here in the city! It's especially important to me to continue supporting our restaurants in any way possible!

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Bedtime rituals?
I'm a bit of a late-nighter so after the kids are down, my husband and I will eat dinner together and wind down watching a show. I like to try to put my phone away 30 minutes before bed, but that's a work in progress! I recently switched to doing the Kirtan Kriya meditation before bed with a little journal writing and reading a book and it's really shifted my nighttime routine to something more calming. Highly recommend it.

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Secret weapons to getting it all done?
Meditating. I learned from my dear friend Gabby Bernstein that there's always time to meditate. In fact, it will give you MORE time in your day. It clears my thoughts and gives me the space to go about my day in a more organized, grounded manner. It revitalizes and energizes me, allowing me to prioritize what needs to get done, and helps me let go of the anxiety that can come with not finishing each and every thing. There will be more time for that project that you didn't get to today!

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And what gets you motivated to start it all over the next day?
Loving, breathing, eating and sleeping what I do. I truly love what I do and feel so lucky to be able to call my passion also my career. It didn't happen overnight but believing in the work, in myself, got me here and I never take that for granted. Also two little kids that wouldn't have it any other way ;)

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Q&A

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What inspired you to do the career pivot?
It was gradual. I was still freelancing as a writer for many years while running the website. It was only until we had an opportunity to open a pop-up shop two years ago that I began to focus on Bonberi as a business. It's been overwhelming and the feedback from customers so encouraging, so we knew we had to make it work. We want to continue to provide a nourishing space for the community through the availability of amazing food/juice and plant-based products.

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Words of wisdom for those looking to do make the switch, like you did, but are hesitating?
Since my switch was so gradual, it kind of happened without me realizing it! So my advice would be to focus on what you love and what makes you feel your best. The more good you feel, the more you'll be drawn to being in the right place at the right time. I don't believe it's necessary to "quit your day job"— just keep following your passion bit by bit and the universe will open doors you may never have imagined.

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Last but not least—what are your essential clean-eating hacks?
It's hard to narrow down nourishing yourself to "hacks" as everyone is so different; however, I do think everyone can benefit by eating abundant fruits and vegetables, whole foods, less processed acidic foods and more greens!

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“I truly love what I do and feel so lucky to be able to call my passion also my career. It didn't happen overnight but believing in the work, in myself, got me here and I never take that for granted.”

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Recipes

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Bonberi Green Smoothie

Makes 32 ounces

Ingredients

1 cup of chopped very ripe bananas frozen (must have the spots!)
1 firmly packed cup of chopped kale or baby kale
1 firmly packed cup of baby spinach
2 cups of raw coconut water (Harmless Harvest)
1 Fuji apple, cored, not peeled
2 large stalks celery
1 cup of chopped frozen mango
1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves

Directions

Blend on high until creamy consistency. Enjoy right away!

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Bonberi Bagel

Ingredients

Everything bagel.
Scallion cream cheese
1 avocado sliced
Slabs of juicy tomato
A mountain of sprouts
Hawthorne Valley turmeric kraut
Sea salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

Directions

Toast bagel. Stack ingredients, sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper, then drizzled with olive oil.

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Creamy Curried Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets, can chop core too to use!
1 heaping tsp curry powder
2-3 tbsp avocado oil
Sea salt/pepper to taste
2 heaping tbsp of vegan mayo
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.
Sprinkle curry powder, salt and pepper onto cauliflower.
Massage oil into cauliflower florets and chopped core.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until browned and edges crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool.
Transfer to a bowl and add vegan mayo and toss well.
Add cilantro leaves and toss again.
Serve with raw greens.

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