In Her Words: Sophie Collins, Co-Founder of One Wednesday
On trusting your inner voice, designing a life around flow, and building something beautiful—one Wednesday at a time.
Welcome to the first edition of In Her Words—a new interview series where I sit down with inspiring creatives, founders, mothers, and makers to explore how they carve out space—for themselves, their work, and the lives they’re building with intention.
I’m thrilled to begin with Sophie Collins, cofounder of One Wednesday, a thoughtfully curated lifestyle brand, and a trusted voice in the wellness space online. We first met over appetizers and wine in San Francisco nearly a decade ago, after following each other online for years. Back when I was editor-in-chief at Rue magazine, we featured her on Rue Daily, and she’s been a generous source of inspiration and support ever since.
What I admire most about Sophie is her grounded honesty. She shares her journey with clarity and compassion—making the aspirational feel accessible, and the everyday feel meaningful. I’m so excited to share her voice with you.
A Room of Her Own is about the spaces—literal and metaphorical—where women can create, reflect, or simply be. What does a room of your own look like in your life right now?
SC: Thank you for having me! Well, as a fellow mom of three young kids, you know that no room is really my own right now. Sometimes it means a moment to reflect in the morning if I’m lucky enough to wake up before the kids. Or it might be in our home gym that we transformed during COVID from an old garage port into our sanctuary. Oftentimes, it’s on a hilly walk at the park near my home, getting my steps in. It’s rare that I’m alone, but it’s so important for me to show up for my family. All that said, my favorite room is our kitchen when I’m cooking for my boys—ideally, my husband holding the baby so I can talk to him and look at Teddy (7 mo), with Charlie (4) and Liam (7) playing and laughing downstairs. (This happens approx. 0.1% of the time.)
It’s such a vivid image—how space becomes a moment, not just a room. And yet, in the middle of that, you’ve built something beautiful. Can we rewind a bit? How did One Wednesday come to life—and what has guided it from the start?
SC: We started One Wednesday almost six years ago with the desire to make any “one Wednesday” as beautiful as your “one life.” My cofounder, Joni and I would meet every Wednesday before my tech job and dream up ideas for how we could create a brand that elevated everyday moments. We started with our first product, The Universal Throw, because we wanted a throw that could do more than one thing—we wanted women to toss it in their stroller, wear it on the plane, wrap their baby up in it, and be able to wash it at the end of the day. From there, we grew with our customers, listening and iterating based on what they wanted to see alongside what we wanted to create. It’s unfolded completely organically, and I couldn’t imagine another way for us.


That origin story is so grounded and personal—I love how it started with Wednesdays before work. Leaving your job to pursue that dream must’ve taken courage. What’s a risk you took that changed everything?
SC: I worked in tech for ten years after getting my MBA. I’m generally quite risk-averse and wanted to have a certain level of savings and ability to support myself before diving headfirst into entrepreneurship. But a few years ago, I knew I was ready to leave the corporate world behind and work for myself. I’ve never looked back. I trusted myself and my inner wisdom to know that I could do it.
That kind of inner knowing is everything. What have you learned to trust most in yourself since making that leap?
SC: I’ve learned to trust myself. Period. I think this comes with experience and age and motherhood (and therapy!!). You are the only person truly on this journey with yourself. It’s up to you to make the changes you desire. Up to you to build your dream life. So if you can’t trust yourself, how on earth are you supposed to go down your own unique path? Getting quiet and listening to your inner guidance is a gift that I never take for granted.
Yes to that deep listening. And of course, we’re never done learning. What’s something you're still working through these days?
SC: What am I not learning? I make mistakes, fail, and disappoint myself every day. And then I get back up. Your bounce-back rate will be what separates you from others. It’s easy to get dragged down by the state of the world, setbacks, failures, etc. But it’s worth it to learn how to work through it—to get to the other side. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning. If I had to narrow it down to one thing, though, it would be to take care of myself—mentally and physically—above all else. You cannot show up for others when you’re pouring from an empty cup.


That’s such an important reminder, especially in seasons that are extra full. How do you protect that peace in your everyday life?
SC: I’m religious about spending time working on myself first thing. My alarm is set for 5:20am most mornings and I will either work out, sauna, journal, or meditate before the day gets going. It’s an absolute necessity to me.
There’s so much power in starting the day on your own terms. Speaking of which, is there anything you’ve let go of recently—and something you’re calling in more of?
SC: I’m letting go of the need to feel like every day has to be 100% productive. The reason I chose to work for myself was to design my day to suit my life. I fell into the trap of feeling as though I needed to follow a corporate schedule still. I’m really working through what it looks like to pull back the throttle without losing momentum (btw—this is possible). I’m calling in my higher self in every moment these days. I want my frequency to be aligned with joy, ease, abundance, love, and health. When I don’t feel that way, I work at getting myself to a state to receive that level of life. It’s a practice.
That sounds like such a beautiful recalibration. With that in mind, how would you define success for yourself right now?
SC: A day spent in flow. Spending time alone first thing, sipping my coffee. Dropping the kids off and being present with them. A hard workout. Creative time. Cooking dinner with a glass of wine in hand. It doesn’t have to be a mansion on the sea for it to feel like my dream life. My version of success is a collection of moments that may seem small to others but mean everything to me.
Small, sacred moments—that’s so beautifully said. To close us out, what’s one piece of advice you find yourself returning to again and again?
SC: Keep going.


Five Fast Favorites
What scent are you wearing these days?
SC: I’m obsessed with The 7 Virtues natural fragrances. I rotate and layer Clementine Dream, Santal Vanille, and Coconut Sun.
How do you take your coffee?
SC: From the coffee pot—strong—with organic grass-fed half and half, in my very special Ginori mug.
Is there a skincare product or treatment you swear by?
SC: I’m a die-hard May Lindstrom fan, but I also absolutely love red light therapy (I use HigherDOSE) and regular facials at my dermatologist’s office in Vancouver, Project Skin.
Which One Wednesday piece do you find yourself recommending most?
SC: The Waffle Knit Robe. It’s been our best-seller since we released it five years ago—it speaks for itself.
What’s something you bought recently that you really loved?
SC: A few bottles of French white wine—my favorite. The simple things!
Thank you, Sophie, for sharing your story with such openness and heart.
If you enjoyed this conversation, you can explore Sophie’s world at @sophieccollins and @one_wednesday_shop or visit One Wednesday.
x Crystal
You can find me on Instagram here. And my archives here.
Thank you so much Crystal for having me. I truly loved working on this with you!