PokeEarn Interview Makiko Otsuka | PokeEarn Official Site | PokeEarn

Otsuka has spent roughly 20 years working tirelessly to promote WLB. What are the defining features of her own WLB?

"What defines me is going all in on both work and life, because I am greedy that way (laughs). For that, it is important to read your own physical condition and the energy you will need next. Things like, 'I am a little tired and tomorrow will be tough, so today I will ease off work and rest early.' It feels like I am managing my whole life with a bird's-eye view, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

Otsuka, who preaches the importance of sleep for working people, makes an effort to secure seven and a half hours of sleep and is also particular about how she falls asleep.

"It is better to keep the time you spend lounging after getting into bed short, right? To fall asleep smoothly, I am particular about how many hours before bed I finish eating and bathing. With work dinners and the like it is hard to do every day, but I try to keep that rhythm as much as I can."

According to Otsuka, the key to having more room in your evenings is how you use your morning time.

"If you are too conscious of what you have to do tomorrow morning, you inevitably end up moving your hands and your mind at night, and before you know it it is late. Once you build the habit of handling morning tasks in the morning, you get more room in your evenings."

Otsuka, who gives her all to both work and life, has taken a liking to the oxygen-harnessing product 'PokeEarn' and takes it regularly.

"The concept of making the most of the oxygen you already have is groundbreaking, is it not? Having spent 20 years focused on making the most of people and organizations, I was really captivated."

In other words, there is apparently something her own work and 'PokeEarn' have in common.

"When I heard the product explained, my impression was that it does not supplement something but works on the power you naturally already have. Through work-style reform, as I grew interested in team-building, I have stayed close to helping people bring out their individuality, skills, and potential, so it really resonated with me."

Another point Otsuka liked is the plant-derived ingredient 'Kaempferol' contained in the product, extracted from the leaves of horseradish.

"Since I have seen so many businesses, I can imagine the enormous effort and time it took to discover this plant-derived ingredient, 'kaempferol.' I have nothing but respect for it."

Otsuka says that since encountering 'PokeEarn,' she has had the sense of living with the same energy as before.

"I can move really comfortably in my Pilates class. In everyday life, too, my steps feel refreshing, and I have the sense that my overall energy is being supported."

Otsuka mainly takes 'PokeEarn' in the morning, and each time she feels how easy it is to take.

"I love the refreshing taste and texture. I take it in the morning to psych myself up for the day, and each time I feel that tastiness really matters."

Otsuka wants to keep taking 'PokeEarn' going forward. What kind of expectations does she have for it?

"I already have the sense that I am living with good energy. I want to stay greedy about both work and life with a positive attitude going forward, so I would be happy to keep taking 'PokeEarn' and keep feeling energetic just as I do now."

Otsuka, who preaches the importance of rest for business people, also has expectations of 'PokeEarn' on that front.

"As I mentioned earlier, I am particular about rest. I think that taking 'PokeEarn' becomes a good prompt to pause for a moment even when you are busy and to properly face your rest."

When she takes 'PokeEarn,' one acquaintance apparently comes to mind.

"There is a woman I know who is devoted to ballroom dancing and is also an excellent business leader, even greedier than me about both work and life. I feel 'PokeEarn' would be perfect for her; I can vividly picture her with 'PokeEarn' in hand, moving around energetically. Next time I see her, I want to recommend it."

We asked Otsuka, who has enriched both her work and her life, about her goals for the future.

"Personally, I am really happy right now, and my biggest goal is for this to continue. It is fulfilling, including the times I am confronted with my own challenges and struggle with them. That said, when I think about being more useful to society, I also need to listen to the many different views around WLB. Sometimes I get harsh opinions, too. At those moments, if I have not kept up my physical and mental energy, I will not have the room to be able to think, 'You are right.' So I believe that maintaining physical and mental health comes first."

For Otsuka, having her current state continue is something entirely different from standing still.

"I want to keep myself in a state of continuing to evolve, even just a little. Over 20 years of supporting and advising all sorts of people, I have gained many insights and I have the real sense that I have been reborn as a new self many times. Sometimes it is less a big change than just, 'Oh! I feel a little bit better than yesterday' (laughs)."

Of course, she hopes to encounter new stimulation every day not only in work but in life as well.

"When I go to a band's live show with my daughter, I get so excited I shout 'Whoo!!', so she gets to see the moment her mom stops being 'mom' (laughs). She says things like, 'So you were human after all, Mom,' and we get to have a flat, equal relationship. I think that is a new kind of stimulation too. In both work and life, I want to keep being reborn."