“By the beginning of 2015, I had hit every milestone I had ever dreamed of: a great career, husband, kids, a home. And yet, I was lost, unhappy, and disconnected from my true, authentic self due to a profound lack of self love and self care. I desperately needed a bold, beautiful daily reminder to choose, honor and remember myself. So I created one. This is how the very first Self Love Pinky Ring came to be. I never set out to start a business. I set out to change my own life. Since this was the biggest commitment of my lifetime, I wanted it to be to as significant in style as an engagement ring. I wore it on a finger I had never worn a ring on before, my pinky, because I wanted this ring to make a bold statement that was instantly recognizable.
Within a month, I felt myself and my life transforming. Each day, my Self Love Pinky Ring inspired me to engage in self discovery, to spend time nurturing my mind, body and soul, and to learn how to truly love all parts of myself. I thought to myself, “If this worked for me, maybe it can work for other women as well.” And so I created Fred and Far, a brand where every detail is imbued with my heart and passion for empowering women.
Why is the inverted triangle our emblem you may ask? Because it is an ancient symbol of the divine feminine (look down and you’ll understand why). As women, we each carry this energy within us, and the Self Love Pinky Ring not only symbolizes it, but is a tool for harnessing its power.
I invite you to join our Self Love Movement and experience the magic that choosing yourself will bring to your life, and into the lives of everyone around you, because self love fuels all love. Whether you are married, single, or at any point in between or beyond, you belong here.” – Melody
Read on to glimpse into the sweet life of this movement’s founder:
‘What is your morning routine? evening?
I usually have two glasses of water by my bed each night, one to get me through the night, and one to drink first thing in the morning. I’ve found that if I’m not hydrated enough I can barely get my eyes open! From there, in the morning I wash my face with Cleansing Milk, and follow that with Moisturizer with SPF. Aside from my beauty routine, I try to spend at least a few minutes connecting with my daughters because they make me glow more than any makeup could. In the evening, I use Simple Micellar Water to take off my makeup and cleanse my face.
What 3 tips or tricks can you share for feeling and looking your best?
– Feel your feelings and express them.
– Practice self love and self care on a daily basis.
– Schedule your self care rituals on your calendar and honor those appointments like you would an obligation to your work.
What’s your favorite part about running Fred and Far?
The best part of running Fred and Far is connecting with the women of our tribe. I email every single customer personally and ask them to share their stories and instagram handles with me so I can support and follow them. Every day I get to witness and celebrate extraordinary women from around the world who have come together in self love and sisterhood. When I see them choosing themselves and transforming their lives, all the work that goes into managing Fred and Far is instantly validated.
What’s a trend in the wellness/ “good for you” lifestyle industry you’d like to see grow?
The current focus on self love and self care is something I am so proud to be part of, and something I would absolutely like to see grow in 2018. Women are claiming their worth and wholeness in a way that is unprecedented, and future generations of women are being raised in a completely new way. I’m excited to see the impact of this trend on every aspect of our lives, from how women engage in home life, at work, in social settings, politics, and beyond. It definitely feels like 2018 is going to be a year of transformation as a result of the work done by women to choose themselves in 2017.
What wellness or lifestyle trend would you like to see disappear?
There are so many, where to begin. Any wellness or lifestyle trend that isn’t actually healthy needs to go. Juice cleanses are a good example, as is diet tea. I’m also weary of any trend that requires you to completely cut certain things out of your diet, like carbs or sugar or processed foods. I believe in moderation, not elimination, because being healthy doesn’t require being extreme: it requires being in balance.
Of the products you make, which is your favorite?
We launched Fred and Far in 2016 with one product, The Original Self Love Pinky Ring, and asked women to make a pinky promise to choose, honor and remember themselves daily. Since then, we’ve expanded our self love jewelry collection and also developed enamel pins, apparel and greeting cards so that everyone can participate in our movement in a way that makes sense for them. That being said, I’m still partial to the Original Self Love Pinky Ring, because it is the cornerstone of our self love movement and will always symbolize what we’re trying to accomplish as a brand.
What sets Fred and Far apart from other lines on the market today?
We are a movement that is powered by jewelry, rather than a jewelry company with a mission. While there are other companies that have very strong missions, for us, promoting self love and self care, and inspiring women to choose themselves daily, is about more than just the products we sell. We invest in creating a community and resources that allow our tribe to practice what we stand for. We’re creating and sharing original content on a daily basis to fuel the commitment we ask our tribe members to make.
We all know healthy beauty starts with what we put in our bodies. What 3 tips can you share about beauty from the inside out? (think superfoods, supplements, teas, elixirs and the like)
The first thing you can do to improve the health of your body is to feel, express and address your feelings. Unfelt feelings manifest themselves physically, and take a toll on your body inside and out. Meditation, a good therapist, and journaling are great ways to work on your mind body connection. I’m also a big fan of probiotics, especially the Bio K Probiotic at Whole Foods. You take it once and immediately feel transformed. The third tip is to carry a Hydro Flask filled with ice and water with you at all times. The Hydro Flask keeps water cold, doesn’t impair the taste in any way, and seriously gets you to drink more water. I was very skeptical about water bottles until I tried this one.
Serious stuff. Which ingredients do you avoid at all costs?
Aspartame and other artificial sugars. There was a time when Diet Coke was my preferred liquid of choice. Since i cut it, I’ve lost weight, gained energy, and feel better overall.
What do you do to stay active and why?
Staying active is my biggest personal challenge. My work requires that I spend most of my time at a desk, so I wear a Spire (wearable tech device) to remind me to breathe and get moving. My favorite way to stay active is to take a hip hop dance class. The combination of loud music, a room full of engaged energetic people, and choreographed dance moves does something for me that no other workout does. I’ve also learned from my husband to try to take calls while I’m on a walk instead of sitting at my desk. This is a great way to not only move my body but also get some fresh air.
Do you have a favorite beauty boosting meal you’d like to share a recipe for?
Not so much a meal, but a drink I swear by: mix lemon juice, grated ginger root, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, honey, and a little bit of apple juice. Drinking this in the morning boosts your glow, your digestion and your immune system.
Do you have a hero? If so, who and why?
My parents. They escaped their home country to give me a better life in America shortly after I was born when they were barely adults themselves. They’ve proven that love and commitment are real ( married 37 years and counting, and still having fun together) and are proof that the human spirit is unbreakable. What they’ve overcome and accomplished personally and professionally in their lives is inspiring to me on a daily basis.
What’s the hardest or most important life lesson you’ve learned?
When I was a pre-teen, I set out on a very clear and predetermined path: go to school, do well, go to college, do well, go to law school, do well, get a job, do well, get married, do well… etc. Once I finally hit all the fleshed out milestones that had governed my life path, I realized how disconnected I felt from my authentic myself. While I was busy pursuing milestones, I had forgotten to check in with myself to see if I was actually on the right path for me. While a career in law was a safe and reasonable choice, it wasn’t the right choice for someone who thrives on creativity and collaboration (both highly frowned upon in litigation). It was a very hard lesson to learn, as honoring myself meant leaving a “dream” job in big law, but it was the most important thing I ever did.
Launching Fred and Far was how I reclaimed my identity and started making decisions that resonated with my needs. Growing a business from the ground up hasn’t been easy, but I never feel out of place in my own life.
Check out the Fred and Far feature in our December Box here: https://joingoodbeing.com/december-2017-goodbeing-boxes/
Learn more and shop Fred and Far here: fredandfar.com