One on One with Larissa Sandoval: 24 Days of Wellness

Larissa Sandoval is a retail store manager for PUMA North America, Inc. in Texas and is on the WIFI Leadership Council. She is also the culture lead of the PUMA Association of Women (PAW), an employee resource group. Recently, she launched a new initiative called “24 Days of Wellness,” a daily self-care tip series shared with more than 250 PUMA employees to help them manage a healthy and successful holiday season. 

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When it comes to her personal and professional goals, Larissa Sandoval lives by a simple but powerful motto: “Self-discipline is self-love." 

For the PUMA retail store manager, that philosophy means intentionally fueling the body, mind, and soul in order to perform at her best, both personally and professionally. After suffering a traumatic brain injury at 16, Larissa was forced to rethink how she approached healing and self-care. Determined to address the lingering effects of the injury, she began exploring holistic recovery methods and discovered practices such as homeopathic healing, massage, nutritious eating, essential oils, exercise, and meditation. 

“I came to the practice of making sure that I don't get lost in the 10,000 things,” Larissa said, describing the mindset that eventually helped her recover from the symptoms of her injury. The core of her philosophy is a focus on the basics: staying hydrated, breathing intentionally, and prioritizing sleep. Having that stable foundation will set you up for success, especially when life gets busy and throws “10,000 other things” your way. 

This disciplined lifestyle has also shaped Larissa’s leadership approach at PUMA. 

“I have become a very different leader since going full force with this,” Larissa said. “I'm leading through empathy. The culture in my store is very positive. I treat people the way I want to be treated.” 

Despite some setbacks over the years, Larissa has stayed committed to her routine. Recognizing how stressful the holiday season can be for those in retail, Larissa decided to share some of her practices more widely with her colleagues through her role as culture lead at the PUMA Association of Women (PAW), an employee resource group. She recently launched “24 Days of Wellness,” a daily email series sent to more than 250 employees in PAW.  

"During the holiday season, we all often forget about the basics,” Larissa said. “I thought, why not have a wellness series to remind everybody to take a step back? You're not going to be able to go on to the next month if you're not taking care of yourself.” 

Each day, recipients get a wellness tip in their inboxes to integrate into their lives that day. Those who engage in the practice get entered in a weekly raffle drawing for a swag bag giveaway. 

The tips have included getting ten minutes of morning sunlight each day, keeping up with daily hydration, taking a digital detox for an hour and committing to 7 to 9 hours of sleep — all practices that Larissa has integrated into her own daily life. 

“I'm just grateful that I have life,” Larissa said, reflecting on her own journey with wellness and discipline. “I live each day to its fullest, and I want to make sure I put that energy out and I don't expect anything in return. It's just an attitude of gratitude.”