Tag Archive for: Women Made

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Get to know: Laura Rubin from AllSwell Creative

We had the intimate pleasure of sitting down with Laura Rubin, Founder of AllSwell Creative – AllSwell started as a passion project launched to encourage creativity in all its forms. It’s the brainchild of Laura Rubin, founder and creative director of the communications agency Left Left Right (LLR) Consulting.

Born from a morning surf check with uninspiring results, Laura decided to sit on the beach and journal instead. “Swell or no swell, all’s well.” As an inveterate scribbler and journal-keeper, she wanted to invite more people, like you, to reap its benefits. It’s known that creativity comes in all forms and we have learned about the incredible benefits of getting our creativity, thoughts, visions on paper as it acts as a powerful outlet – free form creativity at its finest.

We love Laura’s simple, yet powerful stance – Write it down, draw it out. Put pen to paper.

Purchase a notebook and put the words on the page or draw your vision in images. Need help leaping over the mental hurdle that you’re not creative or simply jump-starting the process? Attend one of her workshops and, trust us, that hurdle will fall away and you’ll be on your way to tapping into your innate voice. For the adventure seeker, join her on an AllSwell Excursion and see for yourself what a change of scenery can do for resetting your inspiration and mindset. Make sure follow Laura to stay up-to-date on all the incredible activations that she is spearheading – @lauralrubin.

How do you practice sustainability?

As a consumer I vote with my dollars. That extends to all aspects from clothing, to furniture to wine and food. I try to support small, local businesses and do a weekly shop at my greenmarket as my primary source of groceries. I eat as organically as I can and limit my animal protein intake to trustworthy sources, skipping meat at least 1 day a week. 

As an entrepreneur I chose to lower the carbon footprint of my brand by manufacturing domestically out of thoughtfully chosen materials. 

What are your favorite Eco-Friendly Products? 

I’m trying to take the non-toxic ethos I bring to my bodycare / skincare choices and apply it to my wardrobe. For instance, I usually buy a fresh pair of Vans sneakers each spring to wear with sundresses but this year I discovered Bangs Shoes through a friend and made a switch to a more environmentally friendly option. Similarly, Outerknown – a brand by pro surfer Kelly Slater – recently launched their women’s collection and I snagged a few cozy basics (that perfect cropped white sweatshirt, an oversize white button down to wear as a beach coverup) to brighten up my summer wardrobe. 

The fashion industry is such a massive source of global pollution so making choices that are savvy is important as a consumer. That said, repurposing, choosing vintage and repairing your own wardrobe favorites instead of replacing them is even better than buying more new stuff. 

What does wellness mean to you?

Wellness is balance. As careful as I am about living a supportive lifestyle, I don’t want to live in a bubble. If fall out of alignment, I have the tools to get back on track. I try to have some fun every day, enjoy my life, keep learning and give back.

Any advice for people wanting to make the switch towards a more mindful existence (increased wellness) but who are not sure where to start?

I’m a life-long journaler but it wasn’t until I started AllSwell that I dug into the substantial body of scientific research into the benefits of journaling. It turns out that this practice is mentally, emotionally and physiologically good for you. And it’s incredibly accessible. No mantras, mats or special outfit necessary. You just need a few minutes a day, paper and pen. For someone just starting out I suggest 4 x 4 x 4: try out 4 minutes of free-writing a day, do it 4 times a week and stick with it for 4 weeks straight. 

I also suggest becoming more mindful about your screen time. I don’t think it’s realistic to go full-luddite, but a simple commitment to an analog practice like putting pen to paper helps you unplug and reconnect with your own innate voice.   

What are your go-to daily beauty products and why?

I don’t wear much makeup but I’m a nut about my skincare. I’m prone to breakouts so I use EIR’s charcoal face wash morning and night. It deep cleans without stripping my skin. Before I apply a serum at night sometimes I like to do a deeper clean line Goldfaden’s Doctor’s Scrub. I feel like it helps all the good stuff in the serums penetrate more deeply. 

I just went on a motorcycle trip up the California coast to Carmel (and back). I had to travel extra-light, no space for my usual arsenal of skincare products. All I brought were Goldfaden’s Needle-less line smoothing concentrate, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Glow Drops and Take Care’s Levity mist. Even after 5 long days on the road I still looked fresh, no small feat.   

Why is clean beauty important for you?

The concept of “toxic load” is one I became aware of as a young breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed at 31 and in the process of going through treatment I began investigating the factors I had within my control to prevent a recurrence. We absorb everything we put on our skin, it passes directly into our bloodstream, so it’s a no-brainer to choose non-toxic skin, bath and beauty products. 

There have been thousands of new chemicals invented in the last 100 years. They’re tested singly by the FDA for safety but that’s not how we encounter them. We’re inundating our miraculous immune systems all day long with these new chemicals, taxing our immunity. But we’re not powerless and the more you educate yourself about easy switches you can make, the better you’re likely to feel. Check out Keep A Breast’s Non-Toxic Revolution program or the Environmental Working Group for more information. 

Happily, I’m cured of breast cancer but I’m still vigilant and committed to a healthy lifestyle so I get to fully enjoy my time here. 

How do you de-stress?

When I journal regularly I’m less anxious overall as well as being more creative and productive. So, I journal twice a day. At night in bed I tend to write whatever’s banging around in my head. I jot down whatever I need to remember for the next day and in doing so it helps me get more nourishing rest. In the morning I make myself a matcha latte and journal again, usually a gratitude list and a short free-write. 

My other de-stress go-to tool is time spent in nature. I moved to California from New York in order to spend more time outdoors. I love a good hike or a morning surf session. It completely rewires my mood. 

What is your daily mantra?

“Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I’d like to see you living in better conditions.” – Hafiz 

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Woman Made: featuring Puno, Founder of ilovecreatives and PeopleMap

International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, age, economic or political. It’s a celebration where we unite as a global community to celebrate women, their endless drive, passion, impact and tireless effort in making a difference.

This week in celebration of International Women’s Day and our #GoldfadenMDForHercampaign, a movement to celebrate and support some incredible women doing great things and trailblazing leadership in the industry they are passionate about, we are so excited to be highlighting Puno.

With two companies already under her belt, Puno, founder of ilovecreatives and PeopleMap, knows a thing or two about building brands. When asked about her advice to other women trying to make an impact in their career, she shares, “Don’t get caught up with all the success stories of big companies or celebrities. Their success is an amalgamation of impacts on individual people. Focus on generosity with one person, then scale it to two, then three. As you do this, you’ll actually be able to feel the fulfillment of your generosity compared to how much effort you put in. As an exercise, everyday, write down the times a person was generous to you. What did they do? How did it affect you? Were you happier in the day? Did you have an act of generosity after?” 

What is your favorite part about your job?

Experimenting with new ideas, whenever I want. Being able to dictate what I want to work on, how I want to execute it, and all the little decisions along the way is something I really thrive on. Since our businesses live on the internet, the time from idea to execution is fairly quick (if you choose to be *wink*).

Which women inspire you the most and why?

Erykah Badu! She’s a legend. I love her voice, her music, her compassion for human beings, her playfulness, her timelessness, her creative process, and most of all, her perspective and understanding of herself.

But what I love the most about Erykah Badu is her confidence. Self-reflection and self-awareness is a daily ritual for her. She continues to evolve and will try anything that peaks her interest. Whether it’s jamming with a complete stranger she met on the internet, making jewelry, becoming a doula. That’s right, she’s a doula! This woman has no fear. And she practices that everyday with her creativity.

What’s your advice to women trying to make an impact in their career?

Don’t get caught up with all the success stories of big companies or celebrities. Their success is an amalgamation of impacts on individual people. Focus on  generosity with one person, then scale it to two, then three. As you do this, you’ll actually be able to feel the fulfillment of your generosity compared to how much effort you put in. As an exercise, everyday, right down the times a person was generous to you. What did they do? How did it affect you? Were you happier in the day? Did you have an act of generosity after?

First thing you do when you wake up, is?

Pee? Haha! TMI! Before that, I’ll usually snuggle with my cat until she’s had enough of it.

I just recently started doing this, but I throw cold water on my face. Jerry Seinfeld splashes his face three times with cold water. If I feel oily, I’ll cleanse my face, but otherwise, just add moisturizer. Then, I drink some water.

Last thing you do before you go to sleep, is?

I usually talk to Daniel, my husband, and play with my cat. Sometimes I take a little puff so I can get into that headspace and drift off to sleep.

What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?

I was exposed to the internet in 1996. At that time, we had “one channel” and that was AOL. Ha! It was basically just chat. I didn’t really start creating my digital personality until I figured out how to upload a GIF on Geocities. If you think everything looks the same now, back then… oy vey! Now, everything and everyone is online. The amount of options is overwhelming. Once you find a community, you’re going to be stoked, but be self-aware. Are you getting caught up in it just to fit in? Is there just some part of it you enjoy? Personality, passion, and purpose are complex. It doesn’t have to be so binary. It should be more human. Enjoy a lot of different communities and embrace the parts of it that you want, unsubscribe to the rest.

What are the best decisions that you have made in your career thus far?

Taking the time for education is one of the fastest ways for me to evolve every aspect of my life. I typically do it in two ways: (1) Making time and spending money on side projects that make absolutely no money and (2) teacher-centered education.

Side projects give me the opportunity to learn my own way, collaborate with others, and put what I’ve learned into practice. With teacher-centered education, I can tap into an expert. For certain subjects, I’ll pay the structure of a curriculum and/or classroom. It’s just easier sometimes!

Creating a monthly budget of my time and my money towards education and side projects can give you more structure.

Think about college. Community College is about $3,000 per semester when you include books and supplies. This works out to about $250 per hour of class credit. Since you probably don’t have the time to take a full 12 credit semester, how about just 3 credits?

That’s $750 every 3 months (eg, semesters are usually 12-15 weeks long) you would spend on education or side projects. Typically students spend about 3 hours per credit hour for homework and assignments. So overall, you’ll spend about 1 hour per week over 3 months.

Every month, I give myself permission to spend $250 on books, props, equipment, and courses. And I make sure I spend at least an hour (if not more) every week.

What is your self-care routine?

It starts with exercise! I have a membership at the Los Angeles Athletic Club where I play Squash, run, or do some YouTube exercise video for an hour. Then, my favorite part, is to jump into the hot sauna and do all my self-care. Whether it’s a face massage, exfoliation, hair mask, or just sitting there.

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Woman Made: featuring Ilia Beauty founder, Sasha Plavsic

International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, age, economic or political. It’s a celebration where we unite as a global community to celebrate women, their endless drive, passion, impact and tireless effort in making a difference.

This week in celebration of International Women’s Day and our #GoldfadenMDForHercampaign, a movement to celebrate and support some incredible women doing great things and trailblazing leadership in the industry they are passionate about, we are so excited to be highlighting Sasha Plavsic, founder of one of our favorite all-natural makeup brands, Ilia Beauty.  We have long admired Sasha for what she has developed at Ilia and stand behind everything they stand for – Performance Driven. Effective. Safe. This is the heart of Clean Beauty. Because we love beautiful product that is created with care on the inside and out, and believe you shouldn’t have to compromise on performance, or luxury. Being mindful that not every natural ingredient is good for the skin, nor is every synthetic bad. It’s about finding a balance and falling in love with beauty all over again, so you can feel empowered by a sense of choice.

She has developed some of the most insanely gorgeous products and we are so honored to be able to sit down with her to find out more about her incredibly inspiring journey.

What is your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part about my job is to create products that I hope people will fall in love with and push the boundaries in what is possible for creativity in clean beauty. 

Which women inspire you the most and why?

Cher, because she achieved success in so many areas and truly is authentic in every way. Coco Chanel for her dedication to her craft and creating one of the most iconic brands in fashion. And most recently Emma Gonzalez, from the Parkland shooting and standing up for what she believes in.

What’s your advice to women trying to make an impact in their career?

Trust your gut, don’t give up, and believe in yourself. 

First thing you do when you wake up, is?

Nurse my 6 week old baby! And if I am lucky find my way to the shower with usually both kids. 

Last thing you do before you go to sleep, is?

Make a wish to get at least a 4 hour stretch of sleep (other moms will understand this answer). 

What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?

Ensuring that history doesn’t keep presenting itself. I think it is a very interesting time to be a woman. Some things have come so far over the last half a century while others are starting to regress. I think it’s important to fight for what is fair and right without loosing what has already been won.

What are the best decisions that you have made in your career thus far?

To take a risk and believe I could create something from nothing. From there truly believing that there is a solution to every problem, because in a business there are many, and they constantly need to be solved.

What are the worst?

Listening to too many other people’s opinions and doubting myself. It’s important to work collaboratively, yet if you don’t listen to instinct it will come back with a vengeance.

What is your self-care routine?

A shower everyday, followed by a quick skincare and makeup routine. With a newborn that is a major feat. 

*Please include any social handles if you’d like us to tag.

@iliabeauty

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