Meet Symmadar Swanston | Slow Living & Holistic Wellness Advocate

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

Hi Symmadar, what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by the opportunity to connect with people and build an authentic community. I’m very community-driven and believe that if more like-minded people were able to connect, communicate, share, and build with one another, there would be no limits to our potential as individuals and as a collective.

I think most people are too afraid to reach out for help, to be vulnerable, to express that they don’t know. We often pour from empty cups and it’s not until we’re on our last drop that we reach out for support. I want to hold space for people to pour into themselves. I want to be able to facilitate those spaces both online and in-person.

We are parents, spouses, children, and siblings. From slow baths and alone-time journaling to spa days and vacations, we deserve to have our needs met. We need to start normalizing self-care and diminishing the “hustle culture” narrative. It has no place here.

That, I’m most inspired by.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My brand, I Am Woke + Well, takes the physical form of art as I handcraft soap, jewels, and home decor for the soul.

Spiritually, it’s:
A soulful awakening
A reminder to slow down
An intentional thought
An ode to self-care
A commitment to holistic wellness
A testament of triumph
An affirmation of character

I Am Woke + Well is your self-affirmation. It’s your reminder to see past the bullsh*t and to take ownership of your wellness journey—inclusive of body, mind, and spirit. It denounces the status quo of beauty and wellness empowering you to redefine for yourself what’s previously been defined for you.

What brings me the most joy about my brand is the ability to offer handmade products that advocate the message behind the brand and most importantly, inspires my community to take care of themselves in the most intimate of ways.

One of the reasons I’m so proud of I Am Woke + Well is because I’ve struggled to connect the dots for myself and for my community for years. I thought I wanted to just do an e-commerce business when I started Sparkle & Spice Bars back in 2015. While it was successful, it wasn’t as fulfilling as I had hoped. I realized I was missing the heart and soul of the brand. It wasn’t about soap at all. It was always about self-care. Pouring into yourself. Spending time alone. Washing away the negativity. Rinsing off the fears. Ridding oneself of the things that don’t lend themselves to our well-being.

I Am Woke + Well connects all of those dots and at the heart, is meant to be a community for us to learn, build, and connect with one another, Though it’s taken years to get here, it’s allowed me time to perfect my crafts and tap in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Don’t get me started! Firstly, fly into Oakland, that’s where it’s at—not SFO!

Sunday: First stop off the plane, we’re headed to Brenda’s Oakland where we’re going to get our Brunch on! You NEED to order the cream biscuit and them shrimp and grits. Hit yourself with one of them Boozie mimosas while you’re at it and order some beignets to go!

Monday – Wednesday: Next, we’re headed to Napa for a few weekdays—not the weekend because we don’t want to be there with the weekend tourists! We’re booking a mini getaway because we have a few stops to make and at the end, you’re not going to want to take that drive (or pay for that Uber) back.

We’re staying at the Solage Resort Calistoga and we’re booking ourselves a spa day there. We’re going to spend the day enjoying the amenities and basking in the ambiance of the multiple pools and saunas as we wait for our massage time. We’re booking the massage for the evening so we spend the day at the pools and after our massages, we’ll be nice and relaxed, ready for an exquisite meal. For the first night, we’re eating at their restaurant, Solbar.

Tuesday, we’re going wine tasting at the castle called Castello di Amorosa. It will be the most illustrious wine-tasting you’ve ever had with top-notch sommeliers guiding your experience.

Afterward, we’re going to eat and hang out at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch where you can see the farm-fresh ingredients they grow on their land and enjoy more wine tasting (see why you didn’t want to drive back?)!

Wednesday, we’re checking out and going Hot Air Ballooning before heading back to the spot to relax. Plus, you’ll need a day to go through all the pics and decide which ones are making it to IG! If you’re smart, you got some footage for video, too!

Thursday: By now, you’re in love and are ready to move here, right? Right! Soooo, we’re spending a day with my husband, Justin—the East Bay realtor and we’re seeing beautiful homes up in the hills of the East Bay. The places they don’t tell you about on TV. The Bay’s best kept secrets!

Friday – We’re taking a day trip down to Carmel By the Sea. We’re going to hang out on Pebble Beach and enjoy some of the clearest water the states have to offer and then we’re going to get some fresh seafood from Dametra Cafe (don’t believe me, check the Yelp reviews).

Saturday – I know we just did a lot so you need to take a day to just relax and take it all in.

Sunday – Thanks for visiting! Safe flight back!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my husband, Justin, and my two sons, Cairo and Zion. Without them, I would have never received this vision and felt the calling to do the work I’m doing now. They’ve helped me find purpose and passion and have been teachers and mentors to me along this journey and what a ride it has been.

Thank you, Kings, for showing me the way.

Website: iamwokeandwell.com

Instagram: instagram.com/symmadar and instagram.com/iamwokeandwell

Image Credits
instagram.com/letbshootyou letbshootyou.com