Jason Scott

DRIA MURPHY, WELLNESS CURATOR, FOUNDER OF ALISE COLLECTIVE

WHY DID YOU START YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND WHAT DREW YOU TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLIENTS?

I started Alise Collective because I wanted to take a 360 approach to building brands that I wholeheartedly stand behind, most of which are in the wellness, sustainability and lifestyle space. My clients produce things I actually use, wear, visit, take, etc. However, the industry has become very saturated — so a traditional PR approach is simply not enough. We provide everything from brand partnerships and events to digital content creation, social media management, analytics tracking, etc.

I’ve been passionate about wellness, before it was the trend, because taking care of yourself physically and mentally everyday of the week was always and still is so important to me. I love trying new products, experiencing new treatments, talking to experts and learning everyday. I also love to bring like minded brands together so they can collaborate and share success. It's important that I am only working with brands I feel some sort of connection with, so I can authentically help them grow and get to the next step.

HOW ARE YOU APPROACHING SELF CARE AS WE ENTER A NEW YEAR?

I think self care comes from the inside first. Everything else is just frosting. This past year I’ve done a lot of work on myself and that growth was painful at times but also so rewarding. A mantra I love is “mindset is everything.” It is so simple and true but oftentimes hard to grasp when you are consumed by whatever is going on. I try to remind myself that I have the power to change my mindset to reflect positivity. 

The city runs 24/7, and I have to actively remind myself to slow down. That was one of the silver linings of when covid originally hit. I have made more of an active effort to stay in and recharge. So much of my job is social – morning breakfast meetings, calls all day, and then events or dinners at night. I can spend the entire week giving my energy if I am not careful.

Something I started during the beginning of quarantine that I continue to use today is the idea of a "sanity walk". No matter what, I take at least one per day. Sometimes it is only 5 minutes, others 20, but just using it as a time to get fresh air and move helps me reset.

how you found yourself in NYC, and when DID YOU DECIDE to make the West Village your home?

how you found yourself in NYC, and when DID YOU DECIDE to make the West Village your home?

While still in college, I got internships at Giorgio Armani and Bottega Veneta, and spent the summer in NYC to see how I liked it. I clearly fell in love and decided I wanted to live there after college. I immediately felt at home in the West Village because it gave me a sense of calm and excitement at the same time. You can’t beat the blocks of brownstone architecture with coffee shops and restaurants steps away, and the energy was infectious.My first apartment was between the West Village and Soho so I was able to explore and see what felt most like home. In my younger years, location was much more important than space so I made it work in a studio, then moved into a small one bedroom apartment. When I was finally ready to buy, my space priorities changed but the location stayed the same. 

Follow Dria on social @driamurphy