We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Elias and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The idea for Personal Fav came out of a realized need for cleaner, better, safer, and efficacious sexual wellness products after a scary UTI experience I had at Burning Man in 2017. We wanted to create beautiful products that help to eliminate the shame and stigma, while empowering people to prioritize their pleasure.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career path has been a bit non-traditional. I started in music and entertainment while I was in school at UMiami. That is what brought me out to Los Angeles initially. That experience in management and events primarily helped me to build a skillset to be an excellent project manager, and incredible critical thinking capabilities. It was very hard work, and I was always on – especially in artist management. I think that has helped me transition into my role as a founder, because you really are always working on your business and a representation of your brand at all times.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in LA are Sunset Tower, Chateau Marmont, The Beverly Hills Hotel, and Hotel Bel Air. I always make a point to take visitors to at least one of these very classic old Hollywood places. I also love to dine in Beverly Hills on Canon – it really is my comfort zone, and you cannot go wrong with Porta Via, La Scala, Il Pastaio, or Wally’s. I also love to go to Venice Beach to hit the boardwalk and watch the skateboarders. Malibu is always a must – either going to Soho House or Nobu Malibu for a sunset session. The country mart for smoothies at Sunlife is also a fav.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I would like to shout out my mother, Roberta Sydney, who is an incredibly smart business person – she set an example of what it takes to succeed in business. She has been an incredible mentor and guide for us on this journey. I also would love to shout out my mentor, Lavinia Errico – she and her brothers founded Equinox. The knowledge that she possesses in the wellness space is truly iconic, and she has been so kind to me throughout this process of building and launching our business.

Website: personalfav.co

Instagram: @personalfavco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanielias/

Twitter: @stephanielias

Image Credits
Beau Roulette (product) Alex Moore (polaroids, and team)

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