Sandy Abrams | Shifting Your Day From Chaos to Calm

Who you know can make up for what you don’t know in business. That personal touch served Sandy Abrams well when she started her company, Moisture Jamzz, in 1993.

Sandy’s idea for moisturizing gloves wasn’t new, but she was convinced she could improve on the existing product. The trouble was, she had no experience in business or the textile industry. 

Undeterred, Sandy hit Los Angeles’s garment district. Taking the time to cultivate personal relationships helped her find a manufacturer who would fulfill her first tiny order. 

With samples in hand, Sandy went in person to stores and trade shows to pitch her product. “Bed, Bath and Beyond was our first big account,” she remembers.

Sandy still believes that strong relationships are essential for doing business. “The better you know a buyer, the more likely they are to work with you when challenges come up,” she says. 

Sandy turned her experience of building a business from scratch into her first book, Your Idea, Inc., published in 2010. The book’s success garnered attention from the business world, and invites to speak at conferences. 

Over the next few years, Sandy witnessed the many benefits new technology like social media brought to businesses. But she also saw her fellow entrepreneurs spending more time working, getting burned out.

Sandy had a strategy for dealing with entrepreneurial-induced stress: she’d been “addicted to yoga” since 1989, becoming an instructor in 1995. It helped her relax and be more productive at work. 

In 2019, Sandy published her second book, Breathe to Succeed, outlining breathing, meditation and yoga techniques to other busy entrepreneurs. 

“I'm a Type A fast-paced person, yet I can find myself meditating in 30 second snippets throughout the day. If I can do it, you can do this.”

👱‍♀️ Name: Sandy Abrams 

⚙️ What she does: Entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and author of 2010’s “Your Idea, Inc.,” a guide to building a business from scratch, and 2019’s “Breathe to Succeed,” advice on using breathing techniques, meditation and yoga to combat burnout and take control in challenging moments.

🎦 Organization: Moisture Jamzz

💎 Words of wisdom: “When you're not taking advantage of technology, I think it's really important to disconnect from it and go inward. Take advantage of nature or connect with your loved ones. If we can learn to balance technology and unplugged time better, we will have a new sense of groundedness, empowerment, compassion and community.”

🔍 Where to find her: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

💡 Starting from scratch: Sandy tells the story of starting Moisture Jamzz, despite having no experience in business or garment manufacturing.

💡 Pick up the phone: Sandy describes how cultivating real relationships with her manufacturers and clients helped her navigate obstacles.

💡 Believe you can: Sandy explains that she wanted her first book, “Your Idea, Inc.,” to show people that if she could do it, they could too. Start small, persevere, and be optimistic. 

💡 Deep breaths: Sandy talks about writing “Breathe to Succeed” in response to the burnout she saw among entrepreneurs.

💡 Less than a minute: Sandy explains how even busy entrepreneurs can fit breathing exercises and meditation into their work days. 

💡 Coping through coronavirus: Sandy gives advice on how to use breathing to cope with uncertainty caused by the coronavirus. Take the opportunity to slow down and reassess. 

💡 Business heroine: Sandy tells us why she admires Oprah Winfrey, and how to find your own business inspiration.

Sandy Abrams:

“It’s still important to pick up the phone or go in person to visit a buyer who's going to be purchasing from you. Realize that not everything is transactional.”

“We all have a different entrepreneurial journey, but there's something in my story that will spark something in someone else to say, ‘Wow, if she could do that, I could do that.’”

“Breath is meditation at the speed of business. Even just three deep breaths and a positive thought is enough to shift your mindset from frustrated to calm or from chaos to patience.”

“What success means to every entrepreneur looks different. Find someone that you can look up to who's been where you want to be.”