Emily Oberg's Daily Rituals That Helped Make Sporty & Rich A Global Success | Forbes Talks Shop

Key Concepts

• Sporty & Rich: Emily Oberg’s athleisure brand, built on personal style and wellness.
• Routine & Ritual: The importance of consistent daily routines for productivity, well-being, and managing stress.
• Delegation & Team Building: The challenges of scaling a business and the necessity of building a strong team.
• Wellness Prioritization: A holistic approach to health encompassing diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management.
• Minimalism & Intentionality: A preference for simplicity in style, routines, and commitments.

Building Sporty & Rich: A Conversation with Emily Oberg

This conversation with Emily Oberg, founder of athleisure brand Sporty & Rich, delves into the products, rituals, and mindset that fuel her success as an entrepreneur navigating the demands of a growing business and a transatlantic lifestyle. The discussion highlights the importance of routine, wellness, and intentionality in maintaining both personal well-being and professional momentum.

Brand Evolution & Future Vision

Oberg describes Sporty & Rich as currently undergoing a phase of expansion, marked by establishing a stronger presence in Paris while simultaneously building a team in Los Angeles. She expresses a desire to avoid burnout by learning to delegate responsibilities, acknowledging that her current “do-everything-myself” approach is unsustainable long-term. Her ultimate vision for the brand isn’t radical departure, but rather a scaled-up version of the current operation: “more retail stores, more collaborations, obviously, more sales, and kind of just more of this.” She emphasizes genuine enjoyment in her work as a core driver, stating, “I feel like I’m living my dream. Like, I do what I love.”

The Power of Morning Routine

Oberg is a proponent of routine, though acknowledges its flexibility. Her ideal morning begins around 7:38 AM and includes a focus on nourishment and sensory experience. This involves consuming Greek yogurt with seasonal fruit, spending time outdoors by the pool with sunlight exposure, and incorporating either a swim or a workout (Pilates or strength training). Notably, she explicitly avoids caffeine, stating a desire to “have as little vices as possible” and avoid reliance on stimulants. The first thing she reaches for in the morning is food, rejecting the current trend of fasting, as she finds it detrimental to her personal well-being.

Workday Strategies & Mindset

Oberg prioritizes maintaining a positive mindset as a key component of a successful workday, particularly when facing inevitable “fire drills and emergencies.” She emphasizes reframing challenges, reminding herself that “it’s never a real emergency” and adopting a problem-solving attitude: “we’ll figure this out.” Her work style is largely independent, often working ahead of her team due to time zone differences. In terms of style, she favors a relaxed aesthetic, often opting for vintage Levi’s, a white t-shirt, a nice watch, and sandals from brands like Chanel or Hermes. Surprisingly, she primarily conducts her work on her phone, finding a computer unnecessary “half the time.” Her desk setup is currently in her kitchen, featuring a standing workspace with a computer, water, supplements, and a commitment to regular breaks involving movement and sunlight.

Travel Wellness & Immune Support

Frequent travel between LA and Paris presents significant wellness challenges. Oberg proactively combats the negative effects of air travel by prioritizing nutrition, hydration, and immune support. She brings “a proper meal” onto the plane, focusing on fruits and avoiding sugar. She supplements with glutathione, vitamin C, zinc, and lysine, and occasionally utilizes IV drips before and after flights. She also emphasizes the importance of sleep, aiming to rest during flights, and prioritizes skincare with consistent moisturizing and LED light therapy (using the TheraFace Pro). She stresses avoiding stress, sugar, and sleep deprivation as crucial for maintaining immune function.

Creativity & Inspiration

Oberg draws inspiration from a diverse range of sources, including movies, music, podcasts, books, magazines, online platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, travel experiences, and observing the style of others. She emphasizes the importance of being open to inspiration from all aspects of life, including vintage shopping.

Stress Management & Nighttime Rituals

Breathwork is Oberg’s primary method for managing stress, focusing on calming the nervous system and reframing perceived crises. She also prioritizes slowing down, being intentional with her time, and declining obligations that contribute to unnecessary stress. Her nighttime routine includes skincare, a red light LED mask (TheraFace Pro), scalp massage, and watching TV with her boyfriend, avoiding phone use for at least an hour before bed. She emphasizes the importance of dim lighting, avoiding late-night eating, and creating a relaxing environment to promote sleep. She prefers a “short and simple” skincare routine and prioritizes face massage with her hands.

This or That – Style & Preferences

The “This or That” segment revealed Oberg’s preferences for Pilates over strength training, unplugged weekends, pen and paper to-do lists, mascara over lipstick, and a classic black dress over a tailored suit. She notably stated she doesn’t wear foundation or tinted moisturizer, preferring a natural aesthetic.

Synthesis & Key Takeaways

Emily Oberg’s approach to building Sporty & Rich and maintaining her well-being centers on intentionality, routine, and a commitment to prioritizing personal needs. Her success isn’t driven by relentless hustle, but by a carefully curated lifestyle that supports both creativity and resilience. The conversation underscores the importance of delegation for sustainable growth, the power of proactive wellness strategies, and the value of finding joy in the process of building a brand aligned with personal values. Her emphasis on simplicity, both in style and routine, offers a compelling model for navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship and modern life.