We caught up with Dria Murphy, founder of Alise Collective, a creative brand building company and co-founder of a bounce + wellness studio, the ness. She chats with us about staying calm while running two businesses and how those two things don’t always align.
What does a typical day in the life look like for you?
Typically, no day looks the same. Some days I work with my team from Spring Place, other days I'm running around the city all day from meeting to meeting. But I do always try to fit in a trampoline bounce at the ness. It's the one workout I've found that really shuts off my mind and acts as a meditation.
This WFH has been pretty hard to adjust to in my West Village apartment. I am trying to appreciate small rituals like making a matcha latte, lighting a candle, journaling etc. I am trying to keep my fitness routine with the ness digital now available. I even got a trampoline for my apt and rearranged my living room to accommodate that! I always end my days by going on isolated walks along the water. Seeing the water calms me and it's a great way to end the day.
Why did you start using CBD?
As a female founder, my work never really ends. My personal and business lives blend into one, and my to-do list is always running on my mind. CBD is a great destresser and has really helped me sleep better.
Social Stigma or Socially Acceptable?
Socially Acceptable of course. I always have my finger on the pulse of new up and coming trends and CBD is no different. I think we're moving in that direction with everything.
Tip for starting not one but two businesses:
Lean on your network and mentors for support and above all, listen to your gut. Playing the long game is not easy but doing what your gut tells you is right is really the only way to create a sustainable business.
What inspired you to start Alise Collective?
I founded Alise Collective five years ago. I was working in the start-up space and had to experience, as many do, a disappointment when the business didn’t succeed. Creating Alise Collective happened organically - I looked to my incredible mentors around me and really dug deep to figure out what I wanted to do. From there, I began to take on products, people, brands, and places that I truly believe in and would personally use.
What inspired you to start the ness?
This happened really organically as well. I fell in love with the bounce method and met my co-founders through that. We wanted other people to be able to experience the magic of the ness, so our inspiration for the space was our vision of our favorite place. There’s really nothing like it.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned through the process of bringing Alise Collective and the ness to life?
Playing the long game is one of the hardest parts of the business, but it's the only way to do it.
What does unwinding look like for you?
I sometimes struggle to disconnect but I have to force myself in order to unwind. I'm always working on it but right now it looks like putting my phone away, lighting a candle, putting on a cozy robe, doing a facemask and, of course, some CBD.
How are you staying calm + balanced and getting things done while working from home?
I'm so lucky to be able to have a trampoline at home right now. I've been taking the ness digital classes to get my regular movement in. Isolated walks have also been helping. It's important to schedule designated work time vs. at home time during WFH, too. I try to move my “desk” around so I have some newness in my environment even if that means just across the room.
Biggest challenge working from home?
Putting on real clothes. I know it makes me feel better but I can just sit in leggings all day.
Mantra of the moment:
Mindset is everything
What does wellness mean to you?
To me, wellness is not just one thing. It's doing whatever makes you feel balanced and at peace, but that changes every day. People think you find your "wellness routine" and you're set for life. That's not how it works. What you need to be well is always shifting so it's about learning to listen to your mind and body.
Lifestyle summed up in one sentence:
Nonstop but that's the way I like it.
Mindful tip during this stressful time?
Breathe. I've been taking this time to work on my breathwork. It's not easy but it helps me tap into my body.
Favorite way to relax:
Watching some guilty pleasure, aka Bravo, TV with a glass of wine and yummy snacks!
What are some of your hobbies?
My businesses take up so much of my life but I'd say that fitness is probably my biggest hobby. I recently started surfing last summer and can’t get enough!
Launching a company and a calm, quiet mind usually don’t go hand in hand. What were your go-to tips to handle stress?
I couldn't agree more. We all have to learn to deal with stress in our own ways, but I always say that therapy is so important. It's such a privilege and anyone who is able to invest in it definitely should.
Best piece of advice you ever received?
Don’t be so hard on yourself.
CBD Queen or CBD Newbie?
CBD Queen. I've really tried it all.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me means happiness. If you are truly happy with yourself, success follows.
Currently inspired by:
All the incredible healthcare workers who are risking their lives for us. Especially my dear friend Marisa Greechan.
Brand you love:
Sunday Forever. They make my space feel like an oasis, especially while being isolated at home.
Life hack of all life hacks:
Google calendars and Evernote. I’d be lost without it.
If you were an inanimate object, what would it be?
A trampoline lol
Most played song right now:
"Take It Easy" by Surfaces
Favorite current read:
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb Natural
Brand you can’t live without:
If you could grab lunch with one person, who would it be?
Oprah
Favorite Sweet Reason flavor:
The ness is an intimate oasis where fit [ness] meets your [ness]. The workout method is anything but ordinary. offering bounce, a beat based trampoline class that will challenge you both mentally and physically and sculpt, the perfect complement to bounce that will leave you strong, lean, balanced and focused.
Alise Collective specializes in decisive partnerships and innovative strategies to remain au courant in a changing, social landscape.