On Taking Risks, Hitting Rock Bottom and Listening to Your Gut
+ an astonishingly good giveaway.
Last spring, a friend gave me a jar of fancy cream.
This might not sound like a big deal — though I’ve rarely met a candle or body care product I didn’t like, they’re not exactly groundbreaking gifts — but this cream was unlike any other. It was astoundingly thick and rich, like butter, but didn’t leave an oil slick in its wake. The scent was like an actual rose petal, not cloying or fussy the way florals can be. Even the jar was amazing — the black glass looked chic on my dresser, and it opened and closed with a satisfying clink. The only bad thing about this gift was from that point forward, all other body creams would never measure up.
I share this story for two reasons: 1) I’d never want to keep a magical product to myself, and 2) so you’ll understand my excitement when I tell you that today’s interview is with the woman behind the cream, Allison Audrey Weldon, founder and CEO of botanical body care line Sangre de Fruta. I’m equally thrilled to report that she is lovely — warm, smart, kind, and refreshingly honest (excellent qualities for an interview subject, or a friend).
I hope you’ll enjoy this peek into her story, including taking risks, hitting rock bottom, learning to trust yourself, and the true meaning of beauty.
What was your early career like, and how did it set the stage for what was to come?
I went to university for fashion — I loved it as a form of art, creativity, and personal expression, but quickly got disillusioned with the industry. When I graduated, I had a degree but not much else. I’d fallen in love with this company called The Future Laboratory, in Melbourne, and decided I wanted to move there and work for them. I applied for an internship and heard, “Thanks for your application, bye.” But I continued to read their magazine and follow their work, and proactively sent them a project. The founder responded and said, “This is amazing, would you like to come back in?” I spent three years there.
My family kept telling me it wasn’t going to work, but I kept making it work. I lived in a dodgy Craigslist apartment, in a warehouse by myself. I did whatever I had to — I got coffee, I ran errands, I took on any role. That tenacity got me an education in something that was dreamy and hard to get, and gave me the confidence to go for things, even if I didn’t have connections or couldn’t afford fancy schools.
How did you find your way to entrepreneurship?
After my time in Melbourne, I did a bunch of different things. Eventually, I moved to Vancouver and opened a yoga studio with my then-boyfriend, which I ran for a number of years. Then things took a turn. The relationship ended, and the business crashed. I came very close to declaring personal bankruptcy. But it was a call to process and figure out what came next. After some questioning, I went to work in costumes for film, which helped me earn money and build myself back up. And on the side, I slowly built my business.
Was there a moment when you knew what you wanted to do, or was the path more organic?
When I was running the yoga studio, I met a woman named Elena and we became fast friends. She knew all about essential oils and had an apothecary years before, and she made these beautiful creams. People would always ask for them but she was tired of making them, so she said, “Maybe I should teach you.” She taught me in her kitchen. For about three years, we’d get together every few months and make batches of creams for friends and family. I sold them in the yoga studio, just for fun.
When the yoga business crashed and I hit rock bottom, Elena helped me get back on my feet. She showed me a new approach to life — how someone can alchemize different experiences, embracing both the good and bad — which felt revolutionary to me. It wasn’t sunny and bright, but raw and deep and human and real — but beautiful, too. The creams became a symbol of that. That felt interesting and worth pursuing.
How did you start Sangre de Fruta?
In the beginning, I worked on it part-time while I was working in film. Designed the labels, the website, formulated the products. Did it all myself, slowly. I launched with a handful of products, made in my apartment. I was never looking to create a “wellness” product or something that lived in the beauty section. I just saw that so many things were mass produced, and I felt that true luxury was different — handmade, focused on the sensual experience of putting it on.
The name Sangre de Fruta (which means “blood of fruit” in Spanish) comes from a Pablo Neruda poem, and is also a nod to Elena, who is Chilean.
How did it feel to strike out on your own?
At first, it felt like both a risk and an adventure. I wasn’t investing a lot of money up front because I didn’t have it. Surviving the spiral of a company closing made me realize that the risk wasn’t that bad. I had already hit rock bottom. In a way, it felt like I had nothing to lose.
Any venture comes with its fair share of challenges (and naysayers). How did you find the resolve to believe in yourself and keep going?
A lot of people told me — over and over again — that I was doing the wrong thing, that I would fail. But I knew I had something great, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. And do it my way.
That might sound narrow-minded, but the context is that I grew up with a severe stutter and for much of my life, expressing myself was difficult. Following my own direction and pursuing something that the people around me didn’t believe I could do was important to me. I wanted to prove I could stand on my own two feet — not by conforming, but with my stutter, vulnerability and all.
What do you like most about running your own business?
I love the creative aspect. I like taking creative risks. When you’re hired by someone else to be creative, you don’t get the same autonomy. I do the brand and social media myself, and that’s my playground.
My introverted side also likes that I can work alone a lot. And I love that I get to stick to my values and create a business that operates in a way I feel good about.
…And what do you like the least?
I wasn’t prepared for the challenges of being a leader — to lead a team, be the spokesperson, be direct and clear, navigate hard decisions. I never set out to be the leader of a company, but I’ve had to learn to embrace that role, because it won’t work otherwise.
You’re a mother to two young children. I'd love to know what you want to instill in them, particularly when it comes to capital-B Beauty.
One thing I try to instill is that I want them to think for themselves. It sounds simple, but I think it’s hard. With all the advice and the noise, it can be a challenge to practice listening to yourself, trusting yourself, not being pushed around. They’re so impressionable, so I don’t comment on looks. We don’t have any mirrors in the house. My son is two and doesn’t care about clothes yet, but my daughter dresses herself, and I welcome whatever she wants to wear.
How about your own approach to beauty?
There’s so much attention paid to having perfect skin or makeup, and it doesn’t matter that much! I love aesthetics, but we waste a lot of energy trying to feel good by looking good. We’re all so self-critical. And we’ll never be perfect! It doesn’t exist, it’s a hamster wheel. For me, it’s not the person with perfect skin who I think is winning at life. It’s the person who’s smiling and feels deeply connected to their community, their children, their work — whatever matters to them.
What wisdom would you share with anyone who dreams of launching their own business, or pursuing a new direction in life?
I’d be like, “Yeah! Do it!” And then I’d say, “F them! Listen to your gut.”
I once went to a marketing workshop and spoke to all these advisors, and they looked at the brand and said, “Oh. This is luxury? Let me show you Chanel’s website. Maybe you should add some gold.” I was upset. The dynamic was that I had no experience, therefore they knew better. But when it came to my brand, I did know.
You know. Go with your gut, with what you believe in. Yes, it can be wise to take advice from someone who knows more, but remember that you can take what’s helpful for you and ignore the rest. A lot of forging your own path is sticking to it and doing what you believe is right.
Thank you so much, Allison.
I’m excited to share that today’s issue includes a giveaway!
Allison is generously giving one lucky subscriber a package of my personal, tried-and-true favorites. The winner will get these five luxury botanical products (a $450 value):
Botanical Hand Wash + Hand & Body Lotion in Garden of Earthly Delights
Shampoo + Conditioner in Neroli Noir
Botanical Body Serum (the most luxurious experience) in Mille Fleurs