30 Years of Arden's Garden, 60 Years of Leslie: Advice from our CEO

In honor of our CEO Leslie Zinn’s 60th birthday and 30 years of Arden’s Garden, we’re celebrating the woman who built a wellness brand with heart, hustle, and a lot of green smoothies.

 

If you’ve ever met Leslie, you already know she’s full of wisdom and never shy to share advice. Whether it’s her favorite plant-based rituals, what recovery taught her about leadership, or why every hard conversation needs kindness, she shows up with honesty, humor, and heart.

 

So we asked her: What have you, Leslie Zinn, learned in your 60 years on this planet? We kept it simple: big questions, small ones, and a few in between. What we got in return was something better than a list. It’s a life, rich with lessons, stories, mantras, mistakes, and a whole lot of meaning.

 

So grab a smoothie, find a cozy spot, and enjoy: 60 life lessons from 60 years of Leslie Zinn.

If Her Life Were a Book...

Epigraph? “The universe takes care of everything.”

Chapter 60? “Suit up and show up, no matter what. Everything goes better with a smile.”

Reminder on every page? “Sometimes, you have to trudge the road to your happy destiny. It’s not all fun and games.”

Career + Leadership Lessons

When we asked Leslie what she’s learned from three decades of leading Arden’s Garden, she didn’t talk about strategy decks or business school lessons; she said:

 

“I didn’t always know what I was doing, but I always showed up.”

 

That consistency is what built the brand. And here’s what she’s learned while doing it:

Best career move? Do what you love.

Worst? Chasing the highest paycheck. (Spoiler: it never brings happiness.)

If success had a recipe: “Honesty, hard work, and love.”

How to have hard conversations: “Be direct. Be concise. Be kind.”

Staying Sharp, Staying True

Leslie is a lifelong learner. When we asked how she keeps growing, her answer was simple:

“I read. I join peer groups. I ask for help. My way isn’t always the right way.”

 

Growth lives in the gray areas: You don’t need all the answers. You just need to stay open.

Being a Woman in Business? (Spoiler: Leslie LOVES it) “The myth that we’re at a disadvantage? That’s ridiculous. I love being a woman.”

Her advice to young women in business: Always do your best. You don’t need to shrink to succeed. Stand up.  Stand tall, and speak your truth.

The pep talk she would give her younger self: “Don’t be afraid. No one knows more than you.”

To anyone struggling with self-doubt: “I believe in you, even if you don’t.”

Family, Values & Time

When we asked Leslie who her biggest influences were, here’s what she shared and what they taught her:

 

Her mom taught her to lead with love.

Her dad instilled hard work and integrity.

Her husband taught her that she was lovable.

Her kids taught her what unconditional love was.

 

Leslie has built a business, a community, and a family, but when it comes to what matters most, she keeps it beautifully simple: “Lead with love and show up when it counts.”

 

Her golden rule? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
It’s not just a family value, it’s the foundation of her leadership and life.

On Parenting

 

“I’ve never been a perfect parent, but I’ve always been a present one, and I think that is being a good parent.”

 

But that journey wasn’t always smooth. Leslie had her first child only two years after becoming CEO of Arden’s Garden

 

“I was a single Mom. It was a VERY trying time in my life because I never thought that I would be a single Mom, and I was embarrassed, even ashamed.  However, as soon as she was born and placed into my arms, the FIRST thought that I had was, “I cannot believe that I didn’t enjoy every single second that this child was growing inside of me.” 

 

From that point forward, Delaney and I had a love affair with each other, and she changed my life in the most drastic way ever.  She needed me, and I needed her.  For 5 years, my focus was 100% on being her Mom first and the CEO second.”

Self-Care That Sticks

 

“Discipline is just another word for taking care of yourself.”

 

Non-negotiables:

Daily exercise

No eating after 7 PM (Fun fact: She even brushes her teeth at 7 to lock it in.)

Walks with her husband and dogs

Netflix nights with her youngest baby, Rapha

Biggest shift?

“I used to eat in the middle of the night for 30 years. Quitting that changed everything.”
 It didn’t just improve her sleep, it gave her mornings (and her energy) back.

Health & Wellness

Mantra: “Food is medicine.”

On junk food:

“I used to think it made me feel bad because I felt guilty. But no—it actually made me feel physically bad.”

Her Favorite Wellness Hacks

Green/Cruciferous smoothies: Cabbage, kale, Spinach, Cucumber, Celery… all the good stuff!

 

The Grand Slam: 1 shot of wheatgrass, ginger, lemon, and cranberry.

Her Vegan Journey

 

“The seed was planted with my mom. It took root with Forks Over Knives. Now it’s part of who I am.”

 

Leslie was raised on wellness, but her commitment to plant-based living really kicked in around 2011, after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives and realizing just how powerful plants could be.

 

Since then, she’s become a walking testament to plant-based life: glowing skin, boundless energy, and a deep sense of purpose.

Books that changed her life

How Not To Die by Dr. Michael Greger

Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Resilience & Recovery

Leslie’s strength didn’t come from never falling down. It came from learning how to get back up, again and again, with grace, grit, and the willingness to grow.

 

“I got clean and sober in 1986. I’ve lived the 12 steps for 39 years. It has shaped everything in my life.”

 

Recovery wasn’t just a turning point—it became the foundation of how Leslie lives, leads, and loves. She doesn’t sugarcoat it. The road was hard. But it’s also where she learned her most lasting truths.

When life gets hard:

“I pause. I reflect. I ask for help.”
Strength, she says, isn’t pushing through blindly, it’s knowing when to reach out.

How she defines failure now:

“Not achieving what I set out to do, but if I learn from it? It’s a win.”

The mantra that anchors her through every messy, magical, or uncertain moment:

“You don’t have to do it all. Just do the next right thing.”

Money & Mindset

Leslie’s relationship with money started in childhood, and like everything else, it taught her to stay grounded.

 

“I was raised around financial instability. It made me cautious and taught me to never spend more than I had.”

 

But that caution served her well in business. It taught her how to grow with intention, invest with care, and never put profit above purpose.

A Few Final Favorites

Go-to mantra: “One day at a time. Stay in today.”

Whether she’s facing a hard decision or just trying to make it through a busy Tuesday, this is the reminder she returns to most.

 

Biggest vice? “Sugar.”
She’s not proud of it. But she’s not hiding it either.

 

Biggest virtue? “You can count on me.”
Enough said.

 

Something she’s ready to let go of: “Judgment.” 

Of herself. Of others. Of how things “should” be.

Here’s to 60 More

Leslie Zinn’s story isn’t just about building a healthy food brand. It’s about showing up with heart. About learning, unlearning, and starting again. About leading with intuition, loving without condition, and trusting that if you do the next right thing, the rest will follow.

 

Her lessons aren’t just words. They’re lived truths. Carried in green smoothies, tough conversations, wins and losses, early mornings, and late-night reflections. And she keeps Arden’s Garden grounded with this mandate:  “I make sure the culture still reflects my mom’s dream: Good Health for ALL.” Leslie is proof that you don’t need to have it all figured out. You just have to have the courage to keep showing up.

 

So here’s to the woman behind the juice. The lessons. The love.

 

Happy 60th, Leslie. We raise our bottles to you!