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

Hi Yoky, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve spent my career making technology that helps people live happier, healthier lives. As an endowed professor at Carnegie Mellon and then at The University of Washington, I worked in robotics and neuroscience with a focus on making devices to restore the body’s capabilities for sensation and movement. When Silicon Valley came knocking, I helped co-found Google X to turn moonshot ideas into innovations that would improve everyday life. Then as CTO at Nest, I helped develop the Nest thermostat to help families save energy. This approach to human-centric design has always inspired and driven me, but recently my mission became more personal.

Like every parent, I experienced the pandemic’s impacts first-hand. I was raising my four kids in remote school, holding work meetings over Zoom, managing the household chores, and caring for my aging parents who were more than 6,000 miles away. I’ve always been a juggler, and have dropped a ball here and there. But in the pandemic, I found myself staring up at the sky at my responsibilities as a mom, executive, coworker, wife, daughter, and friend – and watched as those balls began to finally fall down around me. I had to step back from roles I’d worked hard to achieve to focus on the emergency in front of me.

I felt like I was failing. But the more I talked to other working moms, the more I realized I wasn’t alone. Then I started thinking about how I could help. That led me to create Yohana. We match families with a team of specialists who help take on the to-do list so the can get back time in their day to focus on what matters most. It’s all managed through our app and website, where families can chat with their Yohana specialists in real time. We piloted in Seattle, then expanded to LA in June 2021, and just launched nationwide in October. We’ve saved some families up to 10 hours a week on household tasks, which tells me we’re on the right track to lighten the mental load parents carry from having to juggle it all.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career has spanned neuroscience and robotics to health tech and consumer products. What I am most proud of is how I’ve been able to pursue career and family. I always knew I wanted a career and kids. I knew I would have to get creative to manage both. This meant going to work at 3am some days so I could leave in time to drive the kids home from school or attend games and practices. As a professor, it meant wearing a baby while teaching a class (and feeding in-between them). With my kids older now as teenagers, I work with my husband to make sure we’re getting it all done together, so neither one of us shoulders the larger load.

Of course, with this crazy balancing act, you’re almost guaranteed to miss something and make mistakes. I once read the top CEO’s of major companies make about 60-70% of their decisions right and the rest are wrong. I often think about this as an executive, but also as a mom. Think about the enormous mental load parents carry, and the guilt they feel when they can’t get it all done. I want parents to know that if you’re getting it right 60% of the time, you’re doing a great job. But I also want them to know it’s ok to ask for help.

Our mission for Yohana is to empower families to delegate. The village we know it takes to raise a family is not the same as it once was, and yet the modern expectations families face are even more unrealistic. How can we expect parents to juggle it all – and without help? At Yohana, we match people with a team of trusted specialists who become and extension of their family and share the load so parents can get time back to be more present and prioritize their well-being.

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.
One of my favorite aspects about LA is the vast culture, the distinct neighborhoods, and so many areas to explore. While it’s not directly in LA, Santa Barbara and Montecito hold a special place in my heart. I attended school there when I came to the states as a teenager. The landscape is absolutely gorgeous and there are so many hikes, dog friendly beaches, and interesting little art galleries to explore. In LA proper, The Getty Museum and Frank Gehry museum are two of my favorites. I make frequent trips to Orange County for my kids’ sports, and I jump on any moment to squeeze in the sand between my toes and to capture an LA sunset, that is what I long for.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my husband who has been an incredible partner on this journey. When we first met, I wanted a big family and to have at least six kids. He didn’t want any so we compromised and had four. I could not do what I do without the support of my family.

Eckhart Tolle has also had a huge impact on my success. ​A New Earth is my all time favorite book. It taught me how to be focused on the present. Not the past. Not the future. This takes practice and dedication but is transformative work.

Brene Brown has also been influential. ​I often revisit her quote “I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness — it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” — her work on vulnerability, parenting, and just being human is where I keep going back to for inspiration.

Website: www.yohana.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoky-matsuoka-a2341155/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yokymatsuoka?s=20

Other: https://www.instagram.com/yokymatsuoka/

Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Yohana

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