Hiiiii angels,
You're probably reading this while I'm traveling to NYC, my favorite city in the world, to be honest. I swear I come alive in New York—the energy, the people, the hustle—it just makes me giddy! I'm off for some press meetings and will be sure to squeeze in my usual: pilates @terastudionyc and a facial @stallestudios if I can find the time.
You're probably reading this while I'm traveling to NYC, my favorite city in the world, to be honest. I swear I come alive in New York—the energy, the people, the hustle—it just makes me giddy! I'm off for some press meetings and will be sure to squeeze in my usual: pilates @terastudionyc and a facial @stallestudios if I can find the time.
We're currently elbows deep in product development! We have a new launch coming this fall (eeeekkk!), and we're simultaneously working on products for the next two years. Speaking of which, we recently launched a Retail Partner Advisory Panel (invite-only at the moment) and a Community Advisory Panel (open to all — dm us @anfisaskin to join!). We want to have what feels like a continuous group chat about what you guys want to see from ANFISA, how we can improve, and take your voice directly to the R&D team.
As a bootstrapped brand, we have to be super strategic with our launches and intentional with everything we do. It's vital to me that we take our community on this journey with us. We've always taken your feedback from emails, DMs, comments, and texts, but let's be real, nothing beats a FaceTime call! Truly, nothing is more exciting than bringing products that you guys want to life.
As a bootstrapped brand, we have to be super strategic with our launches and intentional with everything we do. It's vital to me that we take our community on this journey with us. We've always taken your feedback from emails, DMs, comments, and texts, but let's be real, nothing beats a FaceTime call! Truly, nothing is more exciting than bringing products that you guys want to life.
My Latest Read: The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest
Okay, so I just finished reading The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest, and seriously, it's one of those books that makes you go, "Whoa, she's talking right to me!" Here's what really hit home for me:
You Are the Mountain, No Kidding! The biggest "aha!" moment for me was right there in the title: The Mountain Is You. Brianna isn't talking about some giant hill you need to climb out in the world. Nope, the mountain is all the stuff inside us—our fears, our insecurities, those annoying ways we trip ourselves up. It's like, I always thought if I could just fix my external circumstances, everything would be great. But she's saying true progress starts when you finally face off with your own internal roadblocks. And honestly? She's so right.
Get Uncomfortable and Embrace the Mess: Another huge takeaway for me was about embracing discomfort and imperfection. Let's be real, who likes being uncomfortable? But Brianna really drives home the point that growth doesn't happen when you're chilling on the couch. You gotta be willing to step out of your cozy little bubble and get a little messy. It's okay to not be perfect; in fact, she says it's essential for learning and growing.
Sometimes, You Just Gotta Go All In: This book also talks about the power of radical change. If you're genuinely unhappy with something, sometimes a little tweak just isn't enough. You might need to just blow it all up (figuratively, of course!) and start fresh. It's scary to let go of what's familiar, even if it's not serving you, but the idea that you have to make space for something better really resonated with me.
Level Up Your EQ: Finally, Brianna emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and a growth mindset. It's all about understanding your feelings and knowing that you can always get better at things with effort. For me, connecting with my emotions and believing that I can always learn and evolve is super empowering.
Overall, The Mountain Is You felt like a kick in the pants in the best way possible. It made me realize that I have a lot more control over my own happiness and progress than I thought, and it's all about looking inward first.
Podcast Wisdom: The Koe Cast by Dan Koe
I also just listened to The Koe Cast by Dan Koe—specifically the episode "How to Build a Better Personal Brand than 99% of People." My key takeaways were:
A Personal Brand is a Trust & Traffic Source: Shift your perspective. Your brand isn't the business itself; it's the engine that builds trust and drives attention, which you can then direct toward any product or service.
- Embrace The Trust Matrix: A powerful personal brand is built on three pillars:
- Growth: Learn to package your ideas in proven, engaging formats.
- Authenticity: Weave your personal story and core values into your content to build a loyal following.
- Authority: Frame your expertise around universal desires and pain points to make people care.
Now I have to just stop consuming and get to creating!
Lastly, how are you guys doing? I sure hope your summer is off to a gorgeous start! Here are some things I'm loving this summer I literally can't live without right now:
- Make Up For Ever Endless Cacao: The perfect shade!
- Beaubble Freckle Pen: My ride-or-die year-round, but I'm reaching for touch-ups constantly during the summer months!
- A.Emery Kinto Flip Flop in Walnut: I live in these. So chic, easy to wear with anything.
- The Eterne Halter Top: I have this in every color and reach for it multiple times a week. So chic, cute, and easy to style and wear!
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BioEffect Facial Cleanser: Elizabeth at ställe studios introduced me to this cleanser a few weeks ago and I love it so much. Perfect for summertime skin!
- ÂN-DEW 10% Azelaic Acid + PHA Serum: I currently don't use a retinol so have transitioned to using 2-3 pumps of ÂN-DEW both AM + PM, always taking it down my neck too obvs and let me tell you my skin has never looked better?! Tone and clarity are immaculate rn, its wild.
Thanks for chatting! It's so nice to catch up between the craziness and busy schedules. What's making your summer amazing so far? Lmk! As always you can find me @alykorchemniy.
All my love,
xx Aly