Kefir Kommunity

Here at Lifeway HQ, we’re smart enough to realize that even the best-laid plans often go astray. But we’re optimistic enough to insist on still making New Year’s resolutions, in the hopes of inspiring ourselves to live our best lives (Oprah would be so proud!) We also know that letting others in on your goals boosts accountability, so we’ve decided to share our goals with you. Be sure to let us know what YOU’RE resolving to do in 2012, too!

Julie Smolyansky, Lifeway CEO: “My goal is to empower and inspire as many people as I can. To do as many things that force me outside of my comfort zone. To run another marathon and possibly seriously consider a triathlon. To launch our family foundation, dedicated to combating violence against women. To attempt to go tech-free 3 hours a night, 2 times a week.”

Natalie, Community Manager: “My one and only resolution this year is to spend more time volunteering and fundraising for causes I believe in. After my dad passed away last year, I stopped doing a lot of things that used to make me happy. But I’ve found that when I’m spending my time helping other people, it brings me out of the funk I’ve been in. Plus I know how proud it made him when I did fundraising and volunteering, so it makes me feel close to him.”

Marina, Marketing Executive: “I want to improve my cooking skills. My husband already does a lot of cooking; I usually do breakfast or lunch (like salads or sandwiches) and he takes care of dinners (on the weekends). My go-to dinner dishes are shrimp scampi and this Russian dish where you bake potatoes, onions and chicken breast all together with a bit of mayo. It's really good and fast and easy to make. But I'd like to be able to make more than two dishes for my family, including my 23-month-old daughter, Sofia. I love watching Top Chef and the Food Network channel: Everything looks so good but I have no idea where to start when it comes to recreating the dishes!”

Shelley, Central Regional Sales Manager: “I’ve got three: Volunteer more, be more tolerant of annoying people and learn a new sport.” 

Fallon, Trade Marketing Director: “Here are my resolutions: 1) Clean up my desktop on my computer. Organize and file everything that I’ve saved on my desktop through the year. My computer scares me right now. It’s a mess. 2)Call my friends who live in other cities instead of emailing/texting/Facebooking. I’d like to catch up with actual phone conversations once a month, and take the time to talk to my college roommates and best friends. 3)Get back into a workout routine 4-5 times a week. It could be running, yoga, or cardio dance - anything to get moving through the winter. The key to this is keeping my gym bag in the car and working out right after work without stopping at home first. 4) Fewer restaurants and more cooking. I’d like to cook healthy, delicious meals during the week with lots of veggies. Maybe I’ll take a cooking lesson to get on track.

Derek, Director of Digital Marketing: “I want to travel more and use my travel time more productively (everyone hates a plane-sleeper; I'm so ashamed). I also plan on spreading the word about original frozen kefir wherever I go.”