We're big (huge!) fans of Ban.do here at BOXFOX. Not only is the brand also LA based, but each and every one of their products packs a punch through the use of their vibrant color palette and design. Recently, they launched a Wellness Planner (which you can find on Build a BOXFOX!) and this week, our Marketing team had the opportunity to chat with the ladies who made it happen: Partnerships Manager for Ban.do's Art and Design, Alysia Alex and Hannah Soffa, Product Design Manager. Read on to see what these two creative geniuses had to say all about the process. //
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! Please tell the class (blog readers) a little bit about your backgrounds and what brought you to your current positions at Ban.do?
Alysia : I come from a background in the fine arts sector having worked primarily in arts administration, gallery management, and arts programming. I first started working at Ban.do as our Artist Relations Manager and now serve as our Partnerships Manager of Art & Design. In my current role I focus on cultivating and managing our creative relationships and projects with external artists, designers, and brands while working with our internal teams to implement production strategies and oversee various art and design product and brand collaborations. My favorite thing about this role is getting to work with so many different creatives as well as different departments within our office - for example the way Hannah and I got to work so closely on the wellness planner :)
Hannah: I originally come from a background in graphic design and printing making. I started working at ban.do four and a half years ago when there was only 7 of us. I started out in marketing, moved to graphic design and eventually started designing products. Fast forward and here I am with a truly eclectic job that more or less has been made for me. As Product Design Manager, I am responsible for conceptualizing, designing, developing, and managing everything from pool inflatables, bags, homewares and stationary (and everything in between). Also, I still do graphic design, packaging design and surface design too. My favorite thing about my role at ban.do is a tie between working with so many talented, creative people and being valued for my unique combination of skills and interests.
We are so excited to offer this on Build a BOXFOX. Tell us a little about when the process for The Wellness Planner got started and it’s journey to fruition?
Hannah: So excited for the wellness planner to be included on BOXFOX!
I was going through my own journey of personal growth and like a lot of other people I talked to, was really turned off by the singular narrative of what it means to be well— and I guess the whole marketed idea of wellness to begin with. honestly a lot of it felt like a members only club that didn’t allow for personal experience.
Everything sort of aligned and I had this chance to design a wellness product for ban.do. I really saw this as a opportunity to help create an accessible community for those who have felt alienated by the mainstream conversation and to represent a more diverse view of personal growth.
It was super important to me that it felt conversational, focused on individual experience, community— and above all else didn’t tell anyone what to do, but empowered people to figure out what works for them.
I was DMing people that I admire and hoping for the best. It was super organic, but I had this gut feeling that i leaned into.
It was a pretty crazy 3 weeks, but it was something that felt so important that it really didn’t matter how much work we would have to put into it—Alysia was my ride or die during the whole thing. Including 3 AM texts on the weekend that started with “okay, so what are your thoughts on probiotics“ or “do you know about so and so. you need to listen to this podcast”
SO grateful to for all of the contributors and especially for Alysia— that not only trusted me, but were excited to jump in head first and help create something special.
We’re big planner girls over here. We love the 3 ring binder design and the option to add more pages (which you guys offer on Ban.do!). It’s so obvious you thought so thoroughly about everything. What are some of each of your favorite features?
Hannah: Thank you, that truly means a lot. wow, so hard to choose just one, but i am really into the activity tracker. I like that it doesn’t focus on fitness for a physical or weight-driven goal— for me that’s empowering and relieves a lot of the pressure to define my goals with those types of standards.
Alysia: Thank you! That’s so nice. It’s honestly hard to chose but I’m currently diving into the section we created for tracking your feelings. Taking time to check in with myself every day just to ask “how am I feeling?” and then having space to write it down and track the journey has been centering to say the least.
What does wellness mean to each of you?
Hannah: Wellness for me is about personal growth and individual experience. There is no one formula that works for everyone. I think it’s about freeing yourself from the idea of perfection and choosing to focusing on progress rather than failure. Wellness is about trying new things, constantly reassessing, and learning from the process.
Alysia: I think of wellness as anything you need to do to feel good. Whether it’s choosing to stay in and have alone time because it makes you feel happy, going on a long hike to clear your head, or even sitting down and writing out a budget so that you feel less anxious about how much you just spent online shopping - it’s all apart of the wellness journey and I love that it can mean different things for different people. There’s no one way to be well.
What’s your happy place?
Alysia: The dance floor at La Cita - my favorite bar in all of LA.
Hannah: Somewhere in nature or making things with my friends.
Where can our readers find both of you?
Alysia: You can find me on IG at @alysiaalex
Hannah: You can find me on instagram @hannahsoffa or contact me through my website hannahsoffa.com
To shop the Wellness planner, head to build a BOXFOX today and get to gifting!
