She left Big Tech, coached girls’ basketball, launched a nonprofit, and then built a bootstrapped brand that made it onto Barnes & Noble shelves. This is Sarah Habib’s reinvention and the scrappy, values-first playbook behind Calm Caterpillar.

Sarah started on a prestige path (Nielsen leadership program, product in Big Tech) before choosing purpose over pedigree. Coaching showed her what kids actually need; Mission to Move proved the model; Calm Caterpillar turned it into a product and a company. From pallets and tariffs to turning off ads and growing through community, she breaks down the unglamorous moves that actually work.

Why watch

• Decide when it’s time to leave a “safe” career
• Turn hands-on service into product-market fit
• The realities of working with a national retail chain
• Grow on mission and still make money
• Build a small, resilient team you love

Links:

• The Calm Caterpillar: https://thecalmcaterpillar.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorI0VdLPCsjz4Gx5lRyi_U-DKMjX8-NETAYjjfieWOsS1x6q9QK
• The Calm Caterpillar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecalmcaterpillar/?hl=en
• Mission to Move: https://www.mission2move.org/
• Sarah Habib: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahfhabib/
• The Best Job I've Ever Had: bestjobever.org