sara franti
co-founder, Do It For The Love; co-founder, Soulshine Bali
Bali, Indonesia
beautiful things
some people just live a beautiful life, and somehow you just know it’s because they have a beautiful soul. (twee, but true!) sometimes those beautiful souls happen to also work really hard, and believe in the greater good really hard, too, and when that happens, well, you get Sara Franti. we caught up with our longtime evolver to see what she and her husband — musician Michael Franti — and cutie son have been up to in the last year. in short? beautiful things, that’s what.
so! what’s changed since we featured you last summer?
“WOW. i just had to re-read my last feature to remember where i have been this past year. last summer, i was fully submerged in building my personal brand and was about to kick off a new website, one-on-one mentoring offerings and kick off a speaking tour. but, in the same month my feature went out, i put a hold on my personal brand launch and jumped full-time into the operations of our hotel Soulshine, located in Ubud, Bali. the hotel industry was hard hit due to COVID, and our family business required my skills and strategy-building experience. it's been wild. on the outside, professionally, it may look like i am doing very different things, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, it’s all the same. plan, strategize, execute and evaluate. so, though my passions remain the same — inspiring others to live a positive and impactful life, fighting injustice, loving up my husband and son — my professional life looks a lot more diverse!”
click here to follow Sara on instagram, here to follow Soulshine Bali on instagram, and here to book with Soulshine Bali!
what’s life like right now for you?
“i’m going to quote a line from my husband's latest song (not yet released): “life is amazing, then it sucks, then it's amazing again!" i’ve had to learn so much about going with the flow, i am choosing to put zero energy into trying to predict the future. i am just focusing on how i want to feel, my wellness and my family's wellness. i am so grateful for every experience i have had, including all the "sucky" moments, and that is the truest example of living with optimism. life is very busy though, we are in the middle of a beautiful expansion at Soulshine, and so Michael and i are making some big decisions — and can’t wait to share it with you all!”
your summer plans, in three words?
“playing. dreaming. connecting.”
something you’re doing this summer you couldn’t last summer?
“i am heading back to Canada, where i grew up. i am finally seeing my parents after 1.5 years! i am especially excited about this -- gosh, my son being reunited with his grandparents!? the best!”
the takeaway from the past year that you will keep with you?
“i felt the positive impact of living optimistically — which does not mean to see the world through rose-colored glasses, but rather the belief that the future will be much better than the past and present. i want to hang on to that optimism as i continue to navigate life, and all its diverse challenges.”
WE’RE MORE THAN HALFWAY THROUGH 2021 (!!). WHAT’S THE SINGLE BEST THING YOU DID, LISTENED TO, SAW, COOKED AND /OR DREAMED UP SO FAR THIS YEAR?
“we did two major things through the second half of 2021. the first is in regards to Do It For The Love, the non-profit my husband and i founded with the mission of sending people who are sick and dying to live concerts. this year we had the opportunity to expand: while wish-granting will remain part of our mission, we are now supporting research along with clinical and community-based music therapy programs. to update our mission is HUGE!
the second thing is we dreamed up a new vision for our hotel Soulshine! so if you have stayed with us or hosted a retreat with us before, come see us again when you can, because you will be blown away when you see where we have taken this beautiful boutique resort. you will experience the joy of wellness through all your senses.”
piece of époque on current rotation?
“i am wearing at least two of your pieces at least twice a week. the first is the easy jumpsuit. the second is the one two crop top and the one high rise fold down bottom, worn as a swimset. i get so many compliments when i wear both to the pool, especially because i always wear the one two crop top as a top with the one high rise fold down bottom underneath whatever else i have on. and, finally, the easy skirt and organic mock neck are the easiest “out for dinner in Bali” look i could possibly pull together (and look super fresh while doing it).”
three random items you can’t live without?
“one, facial serum: any brand... just love oiling my face up. two, my phone: not because of social media, but because i have 20,000 photos on it, and they are mostly of Taj. i love scrolling through and see what i did one year ago today. three, does my husband and child count as an item?!?”
not-so guilty pleasure?
“our chocolate cake at Soulshine. my husband and i have a saying at Soulshine, and it’s “100% healthy, 90% of the time.” so i am never feeling guilty. : )”