Our names are: Dr. Ranella Hirsch, Meghan Maupin and Sid Salvi.
We’re known as:
Dr. Ranella Hirsch: Board-certified dermatologist, CSO and co-founder of Atolla.
Meghan Maupin: CEO and co-founder of Atolla.
Sid Salvi: COO and co-founder of Atolla
Our expertise is in:
RJH: Cosmetic dermatology, skincare and laser surgery.
MM: Experience design, mass customization and sustainability.
SS: Data science, analytics and operations.
We stay physically healthy with:
RJH: Well, with a house full of small children, constant movement is a given. But, for a more organized approach, I am devoted to my Mirror, which allows you to stream exercise classes on demand. I try to give my mind an equal workout by reading multiple newspapers each day, as well as finding time (even if a stolen 10 minutes before bed) to read something new. And, perhaps most surprising to people from a derm, for great skin, I know that less is so much more!
MM: Rock climbing on the weekends, boxing and yoga during the week and following a low FODMAP diet (with a lot of meal prepping!). It’s always helpful for me to have a goal that I’m working and training towards. Right now, I’m training for a trip I’m taking to Chamonix/Mont Blanc.
On the topic of skin health specifically, I’ve started skin detoxing on the weekends, giving my face a break from makeup. It’s not only helped my skin by giving it a break, but also has made me feel more confident about going makeup-free.
SS: Working out (HIIT, weightlifting, yoga) and meditation are important parts of my routine. This year, I am eating mostly vegetarian, which has helped me feel much lighter.
We keep our emotions balanced with:
RJH: Being lucky enough to be married to an extraordinary partner with whom I can share ideas, worries and dreams.
MM: I’m a huge advocate of the 80/20 rule—working hard for 80% of my time and disconnecting and recharging for the other 20%. Managing my caffeine intake and having a bedtime routine has helped me get higher-quality sleep during the week and, overall, feel less stressed.
SS: Meditation helps me stay centered and clearheaded. On days when I don’t do my meditation, I feel fuzzy. When I feel my emotions are running high, I bring my attention to my breath for a short bit, then shift it to observe the emotion.
I’m intellectually stimulated by:
RJH: Reading all sorts of sources to expand my perspective, as well as the many different types of people I encounter while wearing my assorted hats: thought-leaders in medicine, industry colleagues, journalists and my wonderful patients.
MM: My favorite podcasts include 99PI, Invisibilia and How I Built This. I’m also currently inspired by a book I’m reading called, New Power, about how movement and ideas spread in our connected society. Specifically, the idea that new power lies in the hands of individuals, which aligns with our mission at Atolla.
SS: I am intellectually stimulated by understanding how people and groups make decisions and what are the circumstances for and ways we can each individually, and as a society, make better choices. I actively read the Farnam Street Blog, listen to the Ezra Klein Show and On Being and a recent favorite book was Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.
We were recently transformed by:
RJH: My family has travel in their DNA (have been to all seven continents), and we are just back from our first large-scale international family trip with all of the children. Spending time watching them experience the world and appreciating their perspective was utterly magical and transformative.
MM: A four-day backpacking trip to the Tetons, which really put things into perspective—to be a tiny speck at the foot of a huge mountain range. I see a lot of carryover from climbing and mountaineering to entrepreneurship.
SS: About every six months, I do a four- to five-day silent meditation retreat that feels like deep cleanse for my mind and soul. I come out lighter, rejuvenated and centered.
In the last six months, the ritual that has become so important for me is:
RJH: Keeping a journal with each of my children individually, where they write their entry and then I write an entry. It is the most incredible record of our experiences as they are happening, and one I am so excited to revisit in years to come.
MM: I’ve recently been doing weekly acupuncture and cupping to help with my jaw, neck and back! At home, I use my nightly skincare routine as a time to do a facial massage and help relieve any jaw tension.
SS: Since my skin gets dry and irritated easily, I have honed my morning routine to prevent eczema flare-ups. Immediately after showering, I apply my Atolla serum on my face, put coconut/almond oil on the rest of my body and, then, quickly apply moisturizing cream to lock it all in.
Here’s how you can do it too:
RJH: If you don’t have the time to sit down and write, something I have done with the kids from their birth is creating an email account for them. One day, I was nursing while trying to complete an FDA submission and looked at my constantly jammed inbox. That was when I thought, “Wow, I write so many emails each day. I can be writing to the littles. It wouldn’t take any time at all.” So, each day, there are little moments or pictures or funny things they say, and I send them that or just what I am feeling for them in that moment. So, in effect, they have this timed, living, breathing record of their childhood for when they get older.
MM: When I apply my Atolla serum, I use a couple drops for each quadrant of my face. I take special care to gently massage the area around my jaw and cheeks, down to the lymph nodes on my neck.
It helps me live my process because:
RJH: It is the perfect way to recall the little moments that so often get subsumed into the big parts of each day and guarantees joy.
MM: In this moment, I feel very connected to my body and also to our product by having the same tactile experience our customer has of using a personalized serum that was designed based on my skin and preferences.
SS: If I don’t think about my skin or itch, I am more likely to be in the present moment. Otherwise, my mind is partially distracted. Rejuvenating and protecting my skin for the day with my Atolla serum and moisturizing routine helps be 100% in the moment and execute our vision.
Take a “Moment” to learn more about the Atolla co-founders’ journey here.