Take a moment with Holzweiler
Holzweiler
Welcome to the Take a Moment podcast, a space to block out the noise and let inspiration flow.Our host, Susanne Holzweiler, is also one of the founders of our company. She’s been there since the early days when Holzweiler first started operating as a small agency in Oslo, and is now at the heart of operations as we transition into a global lifestyle brand. Take a Moment with Holzweiler is a podcast inspired by Susanne’s experience of juggling life with a rapidly expanding business. Back in 2016 Susanne was operating as Holzweiler’s CEO: ‘I had been working so much and so hard, after having the business for 10 years. I had also gotten 2 small kids during that period, and it was just everything at the same time. I was working day and night - every spare second I was spending working.’Susanne developed a bad case of burnout, and the remedy for this was quite literally to take a moment. Susanne shifted her lifestyle to allow for a space for wellness, meditation and rest, and to learn new information from books, podcasts and her peers.Inspired by this, Take a moment with Holzweiler is our new podcast where we delve deep into the stories of the people who inspire us. There’s so much to learn if we take the time to listen to other people’s experiences, and this is what this podcast creates a space to do.As our Holzweiler family continues to grow, we get to know the stories of an ever expanding range of people, from royalty to leaders in the modern wellness movement. Holzweiler sits at the intersection of life and style, therefore we often take our inspiration from the real people living life with the values that align with our own.In the rush of the working week when everyone is dashing from meeting to meeting it’s hard to find the time to let creativity flow. So, we invite you to take a moment and join us for this podcast and see where inspiration from these stories can lead you to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 5, 2025 • 51min
Episode 34: Susanne Holzweiler: Embracing Life Without Alcohol
In a reflective conversation with McKenzie, Holzweiler’s Social Media Manager, Susanne shares her experience of living sober for over a year, highlighting the emotional growth and self-awareness that came with it. Without alcohol, she’s learned to confront life’s challenges directly, finding peace in being more connected to her emotions and spiritual self. This shift has allowed her to experience life more fully and authentically.McKenzie de-centred alcohol from her life long ago, and together with Susanne they discuss how the growing trend of sobriety reflects a desire for deeper, more genuine experiences, and they believe this movement will continue to grow. Sobriety is not about judgment but about personal exploration and growth. This discussion is encouragement for others to try it as an experiment, even if only for a short time.The conversation wraps up with a lighthearted note on enjoying simple, sober activities like game nights, where connection and fun can happen without alcohol. It’s a reminder to embrace life as it is, and to find joy in the present moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 29, 2025 • 51min
Episode 33: Emma Sawko: Building a Purpose-Driven Brand with Wild and the Moon
Emma Sawko, co-founder of Wild and the Moon, transformed Paris’s food scene by introducing healthy, plant-based cuisine that emphasizes sustainability and mindfulness. Inspired by her upbringing, where food and health were deeply connected, Emma launched Wild and the Moon in 2014 to challenge the perception of healthy food as bland and boring, particularly in France. She focused on creating a concept that was not only delicious but also environmentally responsible, with a no-plastic, organic, and vegan approach.Despite the challenges of maintaining these values in the face of industry pressures, Emma’s commitment to sustainability has been unwavering, even if it meant higher costs and struggles. She shares how she balances her life between Paris and Dubai while running her businesses, raising three children, and maintaining her mental and physical well-being through practices like yoga and boxing.Emma’s story exemplifies the importance of following your vision, no matter the obstacles, and staying true to your core values even when the path is tough. Her journey serves as a reminder that creating a business with purpose can not only succeed but can also inspire meaningful change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 22, 2025 • 52min
Episode 32: Iman Meskini: Breaking Barriers Through Representation and Activism
Iman Meskini rose to fame as Sana in Skam, a role that redefined representation and made her an overnight sensation. Drawing from her experiences as a minority in Norway and her childhood in Syria, Iman became an advocate for inclusivity and human rights. Her journey began with personal challenges, such as being told her hijab disqualified her from basketball and her dream of becoming a police officer.After Skam, Iman reset by joining the Norwegian military, rediscovering her identity outside of the character. She has since used her platform to champion representation and speak out on issues like the Palestinian cause, despite facing personal and professional sacrifices.Grounded by her faith, Iman believes life’s challenges have shaped her into the person she is today. Her story is a timely reminder of the importance of resilience, authenticity, and fighting for what’s right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 15, 2025 • 58min
Episode 31: Maria & Hugo: Disconnecting to reconnect as a family
This week’s episode is something of a family reunion. Our Creative Director, Maria Holzweiler joins our podcast for the second time, however this time she’s brought along her son, Hugo. It’s a new year, and how the family spent their festive break is a hot topic of conversation.Maria and her family decided to spend their holiday season together on a holiday to Mexico. The big difference between this holiday and previous family trips was that they made the group decision to spend the two and a half weeks together entirely free of screens and phones. The goal was to ‘disconnect to reconnect’. As Maria noted, family is always ‘available but not actually present’. Even though they are together everyday, they communicate on autopilot. Everyone is more preoccupied with their digital lives to have real and meaningful moments with each other. Before the trip began work had to be finished completely - it couldn’t be looked over on the plane. Cameras had to be filled with fresh memory cards and family and friends’ addresses had to be physically written down so that postcards could be written out. What was to follow was something completely out of the family’s comfort zone, but that’s what made it so worthwhile.Maria and Hugo sit down with Susanne to discuss highlights from their trip, what they learned about both themselves and each other through doing it, and the learnings they’ll take away from it and apply to their everyday lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 25, 2024 • 37min
Episode 30: Susanne & Niko
In this episode, Susanne and Niko reflects on the past year and talks about the future plans for 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 18, 2024 • 44min
Episode 29: Harald Austad & Margie Plus
In this episode, Susanne sits down together with Harald Austad & Margie Plus to talk about their life perspectives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 11, 2024 • 48min
Episode 28: Fredrik Fernando Austad: The transformative power of breathwork
In this week's episode of Take a Moment, Susanne is joined by Fredrik Austad, a breathwork expert who’s been guiding others in tapping into the transformative power of breath for years. Fredrik’s passion for breathwork was ignited after a life-changing experience in Los Angeles, and he’s since made it his mission to bring this practice into the mainstream.As someone who has long integrated breathwork into his daily routine, Fredrik explains the profound effects it has on the body, mind, and nervous system. Whether you’re looking to reduce stress, boost creativity, or improve mental clarity, breathwork offers a simple, effective solution that’s always available to us.Fredrik and Susanne also discuss how breathwork can be a game changer for anyone, whether you’re dealing with anxiety or just need a quick reset. Through various techniques, from diaphragmatic breathing to more active practices, Fredrik highlights how the breath directly influences our state of mind and overall well-being. Together, they explore the physical and emotional benefits of this ancient practice, encouraging listeners to embrace it as part of their everyday lives.This episode is a reminder that sometimes, taking a moment to breathe is all it takes to find balance and focus in the chaos of modern life. And, of course, Susanne is excited to invite the Oslo community to experience Fredrik’s breathwork session this December, giving everyone a chance to pause and recalibrate before the holiday season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 4, 2024 • 54min
Episode 27: Adam Larsen Kwarasey: From the Pitch to the Community
Having played over 200 matches in Norway and also having represented Ghana at an international level, Adam Larsen Kwarasey has certainly left his mark on the world of football. His is a story of pure determination and self-belief, football had been his goal ever since he was a young child. He grew up around it, his family filled with avid fans of the sport and when he released he had a talent for it, it felt like the natural progression to pursue a career in it.Adam’s life passions can be found off the pitch, too. He’s a proud father; he found out about the birth of his first son while participating in the World Cup. Having grown up in Oslo, he’s committed to giving back to the community that raised him, a common goal he shares with Holzweiler. He first became part of our world through a chance encounter with Andreas Holzweiler and his son Hugo, on a flight. The trio discussed their shared passion for football, and after staying in touch they reconnected with FC Oslo, a team that Adam now coaches. Founded in 2017, FC Olso’s mission is to showcase the best of the city by bringing together a diverse range of people and uniting them through football; a mission that Holzweiler wholeheartedly supports.In this episode, Adam takes a moment with Susanne to discuss his early years, career highs and lows, and what brings him joy in life now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 20, 2024 • 35min
Episode 26: Isabella Bukurie Bessières: Skincare & Listening to Your Body
Isabella Bukerie Bessières is the founder Elite Helse Oslo, a skincare practice that fuses the latest developments in both the beauty industry and science. Elite Helse’s mission is to protect and enhance someone’s unique features - it’s about finding the best version of yourself, not about trying to become someone else. Isabella also champions a holistic approach to skincare, meaning a rejection of the popular ‘more is more’ mentality in modern skincare where a 12+ product daily routine is promoted in favour of a more pared back approach. All we really need are a few scientifically-backed products and to simply listen to what our bodies are telling us from within.Susanne is a regular at Skin Helse, which is where she discovered that her and Isabella have more than one thing in common. Not only are they both mothers, they both actively take a mindful approach to life and are female entrepreneurs in industries where importance is placed on outward appearance - and they’ve both figured out how to navigate this in a positive way. Isabella’s business is growing: Elite Helse has its own range of skincare and she’s recently released a book, Skin Intelligence, which she intends to be a manual for everyone as they navigate skincare through all stages of life. Our skin is our biggest organ, and Isabella says the key is to view it as ‘a mirror image of what’s going on inside’. Everything is connected - taking a moment for yourself everyday is as important for your mental health as it is for the health of your skin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 13, 2024 • 42min
Episode 25: Tiril Refsum: Mindfulness & The Success of Oslo Raw
It’s hard to imagine the Oslo’s contemporary culinary scene without Oslo Raw. Established in 2016, it’s developed something of a cult following. Lines snake around the street outside its doors; people are happy to queue to sample its menu, which is a rare sight in Oslo. Oslo Raw’s huge success is down in no small part to Tiril Refsum, its founder and our guest this week on Take a Moment. Tiril and Susanne have a lot in common. Not only are they businesswomen at the helm of their own companies, self care and mindfulness also play a key role in how they both lead both their professional and personal lives. As Tiril herself says, the pair are ‘living their brands’, meaning that Holzweiler and Oslo Raw respectively are representative of their principles and lifestyles. When you’re this passionate about what you do, there’s no way that the quality of the end product won’t be excellent. Oslo Raw recently celebrated its eighth birthday, and Susanne and Tiril discuss growing with your brand. Tiril says that personal growth is integral to the strength of your business because ‘strong branches grow from deep roots.’ Running a business on your own is no small task, and Tiril fills Susanne in on her methods of finding calm amidst the chaos: including breathwork, taking things slower and simply allowing herself to be happy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
