Mornings with Sana Javeri Kadri

We had a coffee with Sana, CEO of Diaspora Co. and learned about how her mornings have changed since quarantine and took a tour of her sprout garden :) 

What does a typical morning look like for Sana? How have your mornings changed since COVID? What are a few of your morning rituals and routines?

I'm starting work later than usual, and trying to work less, honestly! I used to start working at 6 am but in quarantine I want my mornings to be about brightening my day and feeling connected - so I do my therapeutic pilates exercises, I aggressively clean the house, I FaceTime my parents and baby brother in their corners of the world, I make chai and stash it in the fridge as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, I fill up a pitcher of lemon water for my desk and I eat a hearty brunch (usually some kind of rice bowl - Indian, Korean, or Burmese-ish depending on what leftovers we have from the night before!). So nowadays I'm getting to work only around 11:00 am but I'm so much happier for it, and get so much more done the rest of the day because I've taken good care of myself beforehand! Then a few days a week at 6 pm on the dot, my girlfriend wrangles our puppy and me out the door, kicking and screaming, and we go on a socially distanced sunset hike to wash all the anxiety and stress away! 

Do you have any tips or tricks for staying focused and getting shit done?

Make a list of three key things you want to accomplish with your day, that’s it. And then start with the toughest one. And set aside email power hours so you’re not getting sucked into your inbox throughout the day! This is a big struggle for me! 

How do you take your coffee?

With coconut sugar, lots of ice, and heavy cream. Sometimes a crushed cardamom pod or a dollop of ghee in there too!  I’m a thick and sweet kinda girl ;)

 What’s your favorite Indian dish to cook? 

When I have the time - a yogurt-based okra curry, or a jackfruit biryani. But in the day to day - we subsist of dal (spiced lentils) and rice with a little bit of spicy garlic achaar (pickle) on top. 

What is the most rewarding thing about getting to be the founder of Diaspora Co?

I get to spend half my year in India and be close to my family (my parents and close family are all in India, so I’m the only one in the USA) and I get to work with incredible organic farmers across the country. I basically invented my dream job - and whilst it’s tough as hell, I wouldn’t trade it for a damn thing. 


Tell me about your #sproutgarden! What are you most excited about? I just harvested my first radishes of the season and it was one of the best days of the week by far.

It’s my first garden since I worked on farms through college! I’m honestly thrilled to have planted way more Koginut squashes than I’m going to be able to eat, and all the cherry tomatoes that I will definitely eat. I’m usually away from home for more than half the year so the realization that I’m actually going to be right here and at home, all summer is wild to me. I’m glad I’ve invested in my future summer by planting this garden now!