Leslie Schrock
Leslie Schrock is an investor and entrepreneur with a decade of experience working at the intersection of health and technology. She helped grow Rock Health, a startup accelerator and venture fund, from an idea to a globally-known firm with over 100 portfolio companies and more than one billion dollars in funding. When she’s not writing (BUMPIN’: THE MODERN GUIDE TO PREGNANCY is her first book), Leslie spends her time with startups improving the way we live. Leslie was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, and her work has been featured in publications including NPR, Time, GQ, Entrepreneur, Wired, and The New York Times. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and son.
Twitter: @lesliejz
Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?
Absolutely–music helps me tune out and focus. The more familiar the piece, the better my focus. But there's a catch. Lyrics are distracting (I like to read what I write out loud during edits and even occasionally as I'm writing), so I mostly listen to classical or soundtracks. Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet is an all-time favorite, and while writing Bumpin', there was a lot of Ramin Djawadi, especially his compositions for Game of Thrones. Definitely channeled a lot of pre-mad queen Khaleesi.
Favorite non-writing activity?
Physical activity is my sanity. When I hit a wall with writing, I try to get outside, even if just for a quick walk to clear my head. Workout-wise, I am a big fan of strength training, Crossfit, and pilates. During my 16 months of three pregnancies before my son entered the world (also while I was writing my book), having a place to put some of that anxiety was especially important.
Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?
Pretty much every day. As a lifelong reader, publishing a book was on my list of eventual goals. But I always thought I would write fiction! Until getting the idea for and then starting my book, writing was mostly essays or editorials, so approaching a full-length book felt daunting at first. Now when I see it on shelves next to things that have been around for 30+ years it's amazing–but I still wonder how it happened.
Vacation preferences
Our ideal is a blend–a few days somewhere beautiful and relaxing and a few getting to know a city. When visiting a new place, we always visit museums to understand its history and culture. That also happens in the form of eating every local dish we can find. From pepper goat in Nigeria to chapulines in Mexico and shirako and fugu in Tokyo, there is little I won't try once. For outdoor vacations, we like to center it around an activity or learning something new–a long hike, train ride, scuba diving, or surfing.
What brings you great joy?
Experiencing the world again with new eyes through my son. Watching him try to make sense of simple things, bath time, and reading together are the best moments of my day.
