Meet Cassidy Benadum | Founder & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cassidy Benadum and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cassidy, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I don’t think of work-life balance as something that is achieved; rather, I think of it as an ever-evolving journey. To me, balance is about being able to come back to center – not as much about staying there. I once feared being pulled too far in one direction or another; feared that I would lose the balance altogether. Having kids while working has shown me that it is okay to lean farther in one direction for a period of time, and that it can be both highly rewarding and empowering – especially in periods of growth or transition.

Currently, I run two companies – one focused on connecting, empowering and supporting women; the other is a health and wellness start-up that I co-founded with my partner. At home, I have two young kids, a partner and two dogs, and I am also an ultra-endurance athlete, which means lots of running! Navigating the nonstop daily schedule while carving out some space for my own wellbeing has been a fun challenge to say the least.

Because I work from home, creating work-life synergy has been a non-negotiable. Rather than looking at each day and trying to compartmentalize each aspect of life into 24 hours, I’ve found it easier to create blocks of time throughout the week that are dedicated to specific areas. This consistency has been both stress-reducing and highly effective.
As much as possible, I try to wear just one hat at a time so that when I am working on one project, my mind is focused on the task at hand, or when I am with the kids, I am entirely present with them. I’ll be the first to say that I am a work-in-progress when it comes to finding that balance, but it’s a journey that is well-worth the effort and benefits all areas of life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In the last two and a half years, I’ve founded two companies – GIRLAB and Guru Health. GIRLAB is a platform that connects, empowers and supports women; currently we are focused on women who run, but we are growing to support all aspects of wellbeing for women as a whole. Guru Health is a health and wellness start-up that I co-founded with my partner Blue; Guru guides people to their wellness and performance goals by providing an individualized path, high-touch support and accountability.

There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by without some form of challenge or growth moment, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. If I had wanted an easy path, entrepreneurship would not have been the right choice. The most important thing I’ve learned to do over the last 2.5 years is to keep moving forward, no matter how slow the progress may be. Prior to these companies, I’d dabbled in smaller sole proprietorships and would occasionally hit a roadblock when trying to grow. Rather than continue to push forward, I would pivot too quickly or halt altogether for fear of making the wrong choice. I’ve learned to trust myself and my instincts, to evolve fluidly and to embrace uncertainty.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the incredible people behind GIRLAB and Guru Health. We are just getting started, and I can’t wait to see where we go together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a close friend was visiting for a week, we would start at the beach to dip in the Pacific! We have some great museums here in LA so we’d take a couple of days to visit my favorite spots – The Getty Villa, LACMA, Natural History Museum and Griffith Observatory.  In my opinion, the best way to spend a Saturday is on the beach in Malibu; we would grab take out from Lily’s (they have the best burritos!) and coffee from Cafe De La Plage (both on Point Dume). For dinner, we’d stop by The Sunset; they have good food, amazing views and are just steps away from one of the best beaches around – Westward Beach, which faces directly west for an unparalleled sunset experience. I love hiking and trail running and the Santa Monica Mountains are filled with incredible trails, so naturally, a hike or two would be on the itinerary. Will Rogers State Park has a perfect bite-sized hike – it’s a 2 mile loop with a look-out spot aptly named, Inspiration Point. Further north, Ray Miller State Park always delivers on the epic vistas and cool ocean breezes so we’d make a point to hike that spot one morning. If we had time, we’d make the drive up to Santa Barbara to visit the zoo, grab tacos from Los Agaves and coffee from my favorite coffee shop around, Handlebar Coffee.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the unwavering support of my partner, Blue Benadum. From founding companies together to raising kids (and everything in between), it has been a true team effort. Through it all, Blue has been my champion in whatever I set out to achieve, regardless of how bold it might be. His belief and commitment to helping others reach their potential is unmatched, and he inspires me daily to be a better human. I also want to dedicate this shoutout to Patrick Ip; one of our key advisors at Guru Running, he has been a guiding light and incredible mentor since day one.
Lastly, shoutout to the women of GIRLAB. Prior to this community, I understood very little about the power of women, let alone women united. This space has allowed me to grow into new roles, experiment with and learn the in’s and out’s of brand-building and business, and best of all, has given me a community of women who support me in return.

Beyond the above, there are many special people in my life who have provided guidance and wisdom when the path forward was murky, and have cheered the loudest along the way. Thank you for being there for me, through the good days and the tough ones.

Website: https://www.gururunning.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlab__/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassidy-benadum

Image Credits
First photo (the main one) – photo credit: Jasmine Durhal
Three women of GIRLAB and B&W group GIRLAB in Las Vegas – photo credit: Leslie Chou Kosier.
All others – photo credit: Kyle Miyamoto