Everything I Ate, Tried, and Did At the Dear Media Wellness Event

Dear Media came to Los Angeles today for the the Dear Media Edit: A Live Wellness Experience, and so far it’s been a cavalcade of swag, connection, and wellness wisdom. I got the opportunity to attend the event and connect with some of the amazing attendees. Here’s what stood out so far.

Breakfast of champions

The morning opened with treats from amazing brands—I tried a coconut cold brew macchiato from Malk and Wandering Bear Coffee and a delicious peanut butter chocolate chunk bar from David.

While I was circulating, I noticed Priya’s amazing outfit and had to say hello.

Priya Sharma works for Airbnb and is currently working on an AI program for them. But as a side hustle/passion project, she’s developing a supplement brand, Rare Root, which will hopefully be launching in the next few months. Her favorite wellness hack? “Hydration first thing in the morning.” She also mixes cumin, fennel seeds, and turmeric into a tea to drink in the morning. It’s a natural de-bloating concoction. As for the awesome suit, she got it in India. I was a little sad I couldn’t get my own, but nothing could dampen my spirit today!

Morning movement

After some snacks and schmoozing, it was time for a morning yoga and intention setting session with Obé instructor Alex Scolari. 

While I waited for my first downward dog, I met Ali on the mat next to me.

Ali Markoulis co-runs Wealth Collaborative, a financial management firm for high-level women. “I love the wellness space, and I feel like it’s so connected to financial health,” she says. Ali is also a former yoga instructor, so her favorite wellness hack is exactly what we were doing—maintaining a practice of mindful movement.

The yoga and intention-setting was a great way to start the day. I set an intention of openness, as I was hoping to connect with as many amazing attendees as possible.

After yoga, I hydrated with some electrolytes from Ultima Replenisher. I went with the peach flavor, but they all looked pretty yummy. 

Mental health in the modern world

After yoga, I chatted with Ellie and Kim, who work for the podcast advertising company Red Circle, while waiting for Tay Lautner’s mental health panel to begin. 

They came to the event to make connections in the podcast industry and see what brands would be featured. But most of all, Kim says she came to hear Remi and Alisha. (She’s a Pretty Basic superfan.) 

Kim’s favorite wellness hack is simple: She likes to book an early morning workout class, ideally way in advance, so that she can push herself out of bed in the morning and start the day off right. (She’s a fan of HIIT classes and strength training.) 

Ellie, for her part, has realized that she needs to eat breakfast every morning to optimize her day. “I feel so much better when I actually have breakfast. Either a yogurt bowl or eggs and avocado,” she says. She’s also a fan of the early morning workout and has a membership at a hot pilates studio.

Next, Tay Lautner welcomed Laura Lee and Zac Clark to talk about self-care and mental health when you’re chronically online. 

The piece of advice that stood out to me was the one from Lee about when you’re agonizing over making a choice, be it in your career or some other facet of life. “You can’t actually make the wrong decision,” she says. “You’re going to make a decision, and either way, you’re going to be just fine. It’s going to guide you to where you’re supposed to be. Just pull the trigger, commit, say yes to the challenges that the choice brings you. It will take you somewhere that you’re supposed to be. So don’t even sweat it.”

(This was extremely helpful when I was trying to decide whether to get a hair and skin analysis or a tarot reading.)

This was all before lunch at the Dear Media Edit: Wellness live event. There was still much more to see, including She MD’s Own Your Wellness panel and a chat with Alisha Marie and Remi Cruz from Pretty Basic. 

How I’m bringing Dear Media Wellness home

Of course, the best part of any event is the amazing swag you get to take home afterwards. While a comprehensive inventory would require its own dedicated article, here are three items that have already earned permanent spots in my wellness routine.

Souls Grip Socks

I am a Pure Barre addict (and even work at the front desk as one of my side hustles) so whenever I get to try a new brand of grippy socks, I can’t wait to test them out. I pulled these cute Very Cherry socks from Souls out of my bag and headed straight to a class. 

They’re comfy and cute, but most importantly, they stay in place while you’re in a plank or pulling off the barre on tiptoe. What a great perk!

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara 

The next product I tried was the Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara. I was already a Rare Beauty fan (and a Selena Gomez stan), so I had high hopes for this mascara, and I think it’s pretty nice. I wasn’t going for a full makeup look, just a little enhancement for a casual day. My lashes definitely got a boost and the look stayed long and lush all day with no smudging, even after a workout.

Steen Manuka Honey

The Steen Manuka honey has already become a delicious morning ritual. I’ve been enjoying it drizzled over toast in the morning. I like that it comes in a bottle that’s easy to squeeze, and it doesn’t seem to crystallize like honey sometimes does in a plastic bottle. Next up will be to give myself a Manuka honey facial—stay tuned, I’ll let you know how that goes. 

With all these thoughtful products and wellness insights gathered at the event, I’m definitely embodying the “Inner Peace Outer Glow” vibe that was championed throughout the day. I can’t wait to try more and incorporate new discoveries into my daily routine.

Feeling FOMO? Make sure you follow Dear Media and learn more about our future events here.