My name is: Dria Murphy.

I’m known for being:

A wellness curator and expert, founder of marketing company, Alise Collective.

I’m talking about:

by dria, my new curated shoppable lifestyle site where I share my tried and trusted products across wellness and lifestyle!

The key differentiators here: curated and trusted. I created this platform to use my expertise of vetting trends from fads with a constant pulse on where the industry is going next to become a dependable source for recommendations of quality products and services.

You can find it at: bydria.com.

Before I started this work, I was:

I have always loved wellness and decided to make it part of my work life when I started my creative marketing company, Alise Collective. We take a 360-degree approach to building like-minded wellness brands from brand development to programming to brand collaborations. All of our clients touch a niche, elevated and female-founded space. I also curate wellness collections for notable retailers and hand-select in-room amenities for luxury hotels. 

My interest was sparked when: 

It was through this process of working in the industry for ten-plus years and trying so many products and services that enter the wellness space that I discovered that more does not equal better. I have always shared my discoveries with friends and started to share my recommendations and finds on Instagram a long time ago, but the industry has become so saturated with things that don’t meet the values that many consumers hold, like quality, clean ingredients. So, for me, what was missing was a place to cut through the noise—an outlet to share my unique POV as a form of self-expression and to house all of this in one place so people could go back and reference it.

The idea behind it is:

I am always authentic and intentional with what I curate. For example, I don’t recommend ten serums; I recommend the one that I am actually using and have been for months, years etc. There is so much out there and when you’re looking for better wellness practices, it’s hard to know where to begin. My goal is to pass on anything valuable I have learned to my audience.

My favorite lesser-known detail is:

I am on the board of Commit2Change. The non-profit provides education in the classroom and beyond for the next generation of female leaders in India, so that they can break the chains of oppression and close the gender gap that many young girls face.

I recently got to meet two graduates in real life after only communicating digitally for years. These two women were born with the odds against them, to say the very least, and have both succeeded in unimaginable ways. They continue to inspire me every day and have shown me another level of selflessness for which I am so grateful.

Please take a minute to follow Commit2Change and share with someone.

It’s so important to focus on learning more about yourself rather than always changing because:

Over the years, I have been really committed to doing the work. What I mean by this is looking inward at myself, learning how to be the best version and, more specifically, how to shift my mindset around the relationship with myself. I’ve gotten really clear about what makes me happy, how I want to feel and, as simple as it sounds, putting those things first above all. Prioritizing working on the relationship you have with you is most important but can also be the most challenging. It’s uncomfortable and hard, which is why a lot of people shy away from it. 

I started a series on my instagram called #deardria to share the inspiration I look to to get through tougher days. I share words that have stuck with me in hopes that they might connect with others when needed. #deardria is a look inside those moments of realization.

Constant exploration and evolution is so essential because:

I can confidently say it’s the most rewarding work I’ve ever done, which is why I continue to do it. It feels so damn good to value what you deserve and feel strong in that. This doesn’t mean I still don’t struggle or get triggered at times by any means, but the growing respect I have for my relationship with myself has allowed me to be more content with the journey ahead. 

It can help you become:

Confident in you.

The words I live by are:

Mindset is everything. 

I’ve said this from time to time, but I think only now do I really truly believe this mantra to its core. Leaning into yourself is hard to do. Having confidence with where you are at in your life is also hard. Over the years, I have been making some small internal shifts to make more of this my reality. I am so proud to say that these internal shifts are showing up in my day-to-day more and more. I have leaned into my narrative of wanting to be present, setting clear boundaries for myself, embracing what life throws at me and feeling overall secure and motivated.

One truth that is so important, but people don’t always realize is:

Struggling with mental health can be such a lonely place, but so many others deal with similar feelings. It’s so helpful to know you aren’t alone. It can be debilitating. It can be frustrating. It can be hopeless. But all I know is that it’s never permanent and, as much as it can feel embarrassing or shameful to talk about, it’s not. Know that it’s not. Know that it will get better even if all of your tools aren’t working. Even if you are meditating, moving, journaling, eating healthy and drinking all the water and you’re still struggling; it will get better. You have to remind yourself deep down that you aren’t alone and accept the love from those who understand and those who don’t. Don’t push it away even though that may feel easier.