We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alicia Marie Campbell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alicia Marie, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I honestly have no idea; perhaps it is a higher power. I have endured chronic illness for most of my life, but when Covid struck in 2020, it exacerbated my conditions. I suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases, including Colitis/Crohn’s disease and Ankylosing spondylitis. I initiated San Maris in 2016 and officially launched the brand in 2021 from a hospital bed at UCSF in San Francisco. To this day, I still cannot comprehend how I summoned the energy to accomplish such a feat. It has been three years and counting with no relief from my illnesses, yet every day, I persevere for San Maris and for my health to the best of my ability.
“The challenges life presents can be daunting, but it is during those times that we often unearth our true strength and resilience.”
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As a generalist with a diverse skill set, I’ve cultivated my passion for creativity and craftsmanship throughout my journey. Over a decade, I honed my musical talents as a bass guitarist in Audrye Sessions, a rock band signed to RCA. I pursued makeup artistry and men’s grooming to support my musical endeavors. Following the band’s dissolution in 2010, I transitioned my focus to the beauty industry, relocating to New York City and joining See Management agency. Specializing in men’s grooming, I’ve had the privilege of working with esteemed clientele such as Metallica, Grimes, and MCR. My upbringing, split between NYC and California, instilled a deep appreciation for both cultures. Exploring my roots in NYC, I found inspiration for San Maris, initially conceived as a skincare line but evolved into a fragrance brand. Drawing parallels between fragrance blending and composing music, I embarked on formal fragrance education in California, culminating in the birth of San Maris in 2021. Despite health setbacks, I remain dedicated to expanding the brand, with an upcoming launch of my fifth candle and other exciting ventures.
San Maris is not only a manifestation of my creativity but also a tribute to my LatinX heritage and the resilience of my mother, who serves as its muse.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Education is key; I constantly attend classes, read books, and teach myself new things. There’s always something new to learn to further improve your growth. For instance, even when I was excelling as a makeup artist for elite clientele, I consistently took refresher courses on hair cutting and makeup applications, always eager to learn from others. Similarly, in my music career, I pursued courses to learn new scales and styles of music, continuously refining my craft.
Now, with San Maris, I’ve been taking business courses to understand how to run a business effectively, even returning to college to receive my business certificate. The pursuit of knowledge is ongoing; there’s always something more to learn.
Putting yourself out there can be daunting, especially with imposter syndrome or feelings of inadequacy, which I’ve experienced, particularly on social media. Despite being a creative behind the scenes, taking the leap is essential. My colleague (Felipe D. Karr) and I liken it to an island surrounded by a vast ocean. It’s time to brave the waters and swim towards that beautiful island, which holds countless opportunities. After all, we’d never discover its beauty if we didn’t take that leap.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The one challenge I’ve been facing is my health while running a small business by myself. Honestly, I don’t know how I’ve been able to do it, but when I look back, I think, “Wow, I made it!” I’ve learned to put my health first, which took me a while to understand. If I don’t have my health, I don’t have San Maris or my family and friends. I’ve learned to slow down, surrender, and take the time my body needs on my healing journey. I am gentler with myself and try not to push myself to the limits. I believe it’s what has created the spirit of the brand as well; we work like water, ebbing and flowing. I let things happen when it’s time, without the pressure of deadlines and launch dates. I mean, I set target dates, but I don’t stress. My newest candle launch was supposed to be on May 1st, but now we’re looking at June 1st, and that’s okay. A month isn’t going to change the direction of the brand. I’ve stopped working under pressure and let the universe do its thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.sanmarisbotanicx.com
- Instagram: Sanmarisbotanicx
Image Credits
Andrea Arevalo David Coe Haley O’Rouke
