Her Story
About Stephanie
I spent 25 years as a fashion designer in New York City, traveling the world and eventually launching my own high-end women's clothing collection. After having my children, something shifted in me and I started meditating to work through it, which brought some interesting synchronicities that led us to take a month-long mission trip to Africa with our kids. When I came back, I felt there was something bigger going on in life and science, so I pursued a master's in holistic health at Georgian Court. That education took me into the wellness space where I learned about energy medicine, plant medicine, and alternative healing methods. I had a few little businesses making wellness products, blending my creativity with wellness. Around 2020, after COVID, I realized my nightly glass of wine wasn't serving me anymore because it was giving me headaches and making me short-tempered with my family. I started formulating a non-alcoholic wine alternative in my kitchen, creating about 100 recipes. I took my formulas to Rutgers Food Innovation Center, where they did a blind taste test against 5 other brands and one of my blends scored the highest, a 7 out of 10, which they said no one ever achieves. At the same time, I was getting a master's in environmental science because I was worried about the soil and global warming. I wanted to create a product that was good for you and gentle on the planet, with clean ingredients, no preservatives, no chemicals, no added sugars or colors. That's how Seraphim Social Beverage was born. We have two blends: one bright and tart with cinnamon hibiscus, and one smooth and rich with cacao. I started at farmers markets and now we sell across the country. In 2023, one of our blends won the Sophie Award for Best New Product in the non-alcoholic category. We're doing sponsorships and events like Chef Assembly, and the hottest topic is why nobody is drinking anymore, so the timing is perfect. My vision is for Seraphim to be the next San Pellegrino of every restaurant, an elevated mocktail option that can be enjoyed on its own or used in mixed drinks.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Stephanie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I feel like my creativity and bringing that to the world through different products has been key. There's an energy to the products that I make, and I'm trying to bring something good to the world. In fashion it was creativity, but now in the wellness space, I'm trying to bring something good into the world for people to become more present with themselves. I created this out of a need because I had this routine and ritual, and I wanted to keep my ritual and indulge myself, give myself a treat at the end of the day, but have it be good for me. The other part was that when I had a glass of wine or two, I was becoming short-tempered with my family, so I didn't like that aspect of myself. This helped me be a better person. I feel like if you just work on yourself as an individual, that's how everything's going to change, because if everyone has this awareness, things shift. Having this non-alcoholic product as an option helps people feel better and be more present, more clear, and more connected to somebody.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think just trust what you feel in your gut. Trust and stick with the momentum. Don't be afraid, because you potentially have nothing to lose. If you have an idea and you have a strong sense and a strong feeling toward the idea, just give it a shot. Find people that can help you and network a lot. Find people that are in the field and that can give you advice. I had a lot of people along the way that have helped and taught me. Connect with people that you trust and people that are also interested in what you're interested in, and that you can share ideas and help each other.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Balance is really important to me. In fashion, I was always behind the eight ball, always working ahead, and I was always stressed because I'm hard on myself and Type A. Going into this business, I wanted to have more balance. It's definitely a challenge because it's my business and I have to figure out where the money's coming from, plus I work two days a week in fashion to subsidize the business. I always start my day with meditation, and I make sure to step away and go out and breathe the air. I need to nourish myself and nurture myself, because I feel like it resets my energy. Even when I feel like I need to keep sending emails, I know I need to step away and take a walk or even take a bath. Creating products that are good for you and gentle on the planet is also core to who I am. Everything is energy, and if you put something in your body that matches the frequency of your body, you're in balance. If a plant is from the earth and we're from the earth, if you eat what's from the earth, it matches your frequency.
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