Caitlin Rozario, Co-founder, interlude
I was born and raised in South London. I attended Queens' College at the University of Cambridge to read English, but in my first term had an allergic reaction which led to temporary blindness and long-term visual impairment.
After graduating, I spent some time moving through jobs that didn't really inspire me. I took a year out to study at UCL for my MA in Early Modern Studies. After that, I worked in a marketing agency, where I found my feet working in content. I was made redundant during the pandemic, which led to a great role at a PropTech company and gave me the time to work on a business with my partner.
interlude was born out of the idea that productivity is powered by breaks, which we all know but few of us enact. So, our mission is simply to make work better. I am also currently studying for an MBA, as I wanted to learn as much as I could about business – diving in terrifies me!
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
It sounds basic, but Instagram! I have learned so much from incredible people there (and I get a lot of my recipes from there, too). I love seeing how brands work on IG as well. However, I'm also very aware of its impact on my mental health, as I am very susceptible to comparison – the thief of all joy – so I tend to delete it for a few weeks at a time.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
Currently, I have two roles: co-founder of interlude and senior brand and communications manager at a PropTech company. They actually complement each other much more than I could have ever imagined! I love my day job and the team I work with, and I get to write a lot which is really lovely. But working on interlude has felt like coming home; I now know that the reason I was never satisfied in other roles is that I needed something of my own.
There's a level of creativity that only comes when you're building something from scratch, and in this case, with my partner, which makes it even more enjoyable. My role in interlude is more on the people side; the platform is essentially a library of content to help people take breaks, and I'm the one who finds the creators, organises the filming days, goes out to events to meet people, talks to HR professionals etc., whilst my partner handles a lot of the more technical things. So, it's a really complementary way of working that we've fallen into really naturally. It's bloody hard work juggling two massive responsibilities, but I love them both.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
interlude is about breaks and productivity, but it's so much more than that. We call it true productivity – getting work done and feeling great while doing it. We're not trying to make people into workhorses, and we're trying to help people get through their lists and their workdays without succumbing to burnout, stress or a lack of motivation. What comes with taking breaks is a whole host of wonderful things: creativity, divergent thinking, improved mental and physical wellbeing – the list goes on.
And what's so exciting is that this is supported by research. I have such a burning desire to just help people feel better at work, help them be their best, and help them take better care of themselves. We spend a shocking amount of our time on this planet working, and we shouldn't spend it being miserable.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
My mum always told me, all you have is your integrity. So, I've always carried that with me: all you can ever do is be straight with people, be honest and take responsibility for what comes.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
We started interlude for two reasons, one external and one personal. First, we want to help people feel better at work and change the anti-break working culture that's stifling true productivity and creativity. But we both also want to be our own bosses: we are creating something our way, to hopefully put our mark on the world positively.
We want to build a truly wonderful place for people to work when we eventually have our own office. We also want to travel, work from the beach, the mountains, or wherever! Whenever I feel low, I just think of the life I want, the agency I want to have over my own experiences that never fails to propel me forward.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
I mentioned that I had a freak allergic reaction at university that left me visually impaired. I'm proud that I pushed through that. I had a lot of support, but I also wanted to just quit university altogether quite a few times. Graduating was a really big deal for me because I really wasn't sure if I'd make it to the end.
Living with an invisible illness has also made me more compassionate: you truly never know what someone else is struggling with.
My visual impairment also taught me the power of taking breaks, as I physically couldn't work the way I used to; my eyes would go blurry, and I'd get migraines, so I'd have to lie down. Without that, I probably wouldn't evangelise breaks the way I do now!
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
In-person! I'm a member at Allbright, and I absolutely love going to their events and meeting people, learning about their experiences and having conversations I never thought I'd be having. I'm a real extrovert, and I just love being around people. I'm so chatty I could talk to a mop, so being able to meet people in real life again has just been so fantastic.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I think I'm pretty empathetic, which I think is a key quality for a leader. I'm also quite resilient, though I'm learning that poor mental health can knock things sideways sometimes and that it's ok to ask for help when that happens.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
I'm not sure who said it first, but I heard this from the marvellous Professor Damien Hughes on The High-Performance Podcast – you can do anything, but you can't do everything.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
So many people – I try to learn from a really broad range of thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs, so I'm not limiting my scope. At the moment, I'm really enjoying learning from Adam Grant and Bruce Daisley's podcasts, and I'm reading Dr Grace Lordan's book. I also love learning from people like Grace Beverley on IG, as she's more relatable to me than some of the CEOs you'd usually think of.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I am an almost obsessive consumer of information and knowledge, which pertains to most of my hobbies – I love reading, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries and going to museums, talks and exhibitions.
I love travelling and have used the pandemic as an opportunity to see places in the UK I hadn't before, although I can't wait to be able to go further afield again. And the best thing about travelling is, of course, the food. I love food so much. I love talking about food, writing about food, thinking about food, reading about food – but most of all, eating great food. I just love it! I'm a lifelong vegetarian, and it's great to see vegan and vegetarian food being taken seriously by top chefs and restaurants these days.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
I wouldn't have a business without the pandemic! This hasn't come without challenges, though. We were meant to launch in April, which ended up being pushed back to winter because lockdown upon lockdown meant we couldn't film safely, and team members getting sick pushed back deadlines. But we're all ok now, and that's what matters!
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I've worked with an absolutely wonderful mentor called Marina Mchedlidze through Sonya Barlow's Like Minded Females mentoring scheme. Marina dedicated more time to our mentoring than she had to because she's just that type of person. We also are lucky enough to have a family friend who has been the most incredible sounding board throughout the process. She's a true North Star, and we couldn't be more lucky or grateful to have her.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Read as much as you can, and talk to as many people as you can about your area of interest. Knowledge is power, but you have to learn how to wield it; otherwise, it's just useless information.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Two reasons: they may not have the support they need, and their motivations may not be deeply held. If you just want to have a business to make loads of money, it's really hard to keep going. Some people succeed this way for sure, but I think you need something deeper when the going gets really tough.
And I really don't know how anyone does this alone. I've co-founded with my partner, who has meant absolute trust and care are the foundation of everything we do. You need people who can prop you up when you need to slump a little.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
Two that really relate to each other and resonate with me:
"How you do anything is how you do everything" - Jess Sims.
And the concept of "world-class basics" - Ian McGeechan.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
I'm a huge fan of what Heights are doing, both in terms of the product and the marketing. Brain care is really important, and they're doing such a great job of sending that message and carving out a category for themselves.
I'm also in awe of all the small, female-run businesses that I'm coming across: I'm a member of an absolutely brilliant group called WeAreRadikl and everyone there is doing amazing things. The two founders, Sarah King and Claire Dunn, are absolute superheroes and have started a campaign called #OverBeingUnderFunded to help level the playing field when it comes to funding for women.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
To be honest, I haven't quite figured this one out for myself yet, but I do know it's really important that I do; otherwise, the goalposts will always be out of my reach. If an interlude can help people, that will definitely feel like success for the business. But for myself, personally, I'm still working on defining that.