Welcome to Living Well — our bi-weekly spotlight on different women that we admire and find fascinating. Our goal is to share an intimate peek into these women’s lives by asking them the questions that allow them to open up about their imperfect truth, whatever that may be. 

I’ve known Robin for a very long time now and the context of our relationship has changed many times. I2 years ago I knew her as a very talented event-planner when I owned Fiore Beauty, a beauty agency, and we shared many clients. Later she participated in my Entrepreneurial Women’s Groups and I got to know her much better as both a business person and woman in our weekly meetings. Since then, I’ve been lucky to have Robin’s help with many things in design and event production. 

What I think is so special about Robin is her strength alongside her kindness, her deep thoughtfulness and sharp thinking… her resourcefulness and integrity. On top of all those golden traits, she’s equally as creatively-minded as she is details-driven which is a very rare combo.

When she raised her hand to head up events and community for us, I was so incredibly thankful to have her very specific combo of expertise in interiors/hospitality/marketing in making The Well Lived Woman what it is becoming. Robin is at the very center of our community and I have her to thank in all she does to make coming here a special experience for our guests and practitioners alike.  

I am excited to read and share her approach to living well, I know we will all find some inspiration for ourselves in it. 

Enjoy! xx

If you've done the Values Deck exercise, what are your top five values? Tell us how one of them manifests in your life. What is a decision you’ve made using it to guide you?

Creativity, Connection, Freedom, Integrity & Beauty.

I do feel that these values have all manifested in my life and I'm grateful for that. The work that I do allows me to connect and provide beauty and joy for others. Being an entrepreneur gives me the creativity and freedom that I have always needed. And I try to live with integrity everyday and be as authentic and genuine as possible.

What does a life well lived look like to you?

A life lived in harmony with your values. Operating from a place of knowing who you are and what you stand for makes everything clear. What is important to focus on and what is not. A while back I defined my WHY and I try to live by it everyday, which is to live a life of creativity and freedom and leave a legacy of joy and service to others.

My version of success is…

I used to have a very egocentric view of success: I had to know that my accomplishments were because of me alone. I was fiercely self-reliant and had a hard time asking for help. But I see more and more that success is the result of asking for help, being part of something bigger than yourself. Putting ego aside and asking for what you need is so powerful and I think the only way we really move the needle in life.

In what way are you seeking to grow right now?

I’m a raging introvert, and the pandemic didn’t really help me there. Even before those dark years, I had always self isolated and put a barrier around myself during times of struggle or uncertainty. I never wanted to be a burden to others. But in the process, I made life miserable for myself at times. I’ve finally come to the realization that that practice isn’t serving me or allowing me to be my best. So I’ve been saying YES to putting myself out there in new ways.

I joined a group wheel-throwing ceramics class to reconnect to an art form I used to be very passionate about. I have thrown myself into the launch and programming at The Well Lived Woman, which has surrounded me with the most incredible women and helped me find a community that I am so happy to be part of. The power of women in community is truly palpable and I’m so grateful to be a part of this one. I really enjoy meeting new people from the retail customers to the community members who attend Work Day here to the incredible practitioners holding workshops in the space. I feel that I've grown immensely just in the handful of months I've been involved here.

What is one way that you are different today than you were ten years ago?

I learn more and more that trusting myself and my knowing will truly lead me to the answers I seek. I still struggle with doing that sometimes, but 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have trusted in my own voice and my own knowing and my own path as much as I do now. I know that will be a life-long practice and I'm here for it.

Setting aside modesty for a moment, what are you excellent at?

I’m excellent at creating beautiful experiences for others. From a moment to an event to a tablescape to an entire living space. I love to surround people with beauty that captures all the senses. I’m obsessed with the symbiosis of form and function and how both are necessary to making experiences amazing. It's no wonder I've been drawn to events and interiors and why I love to entertain so much.

Whose life perspective and way of moving through the world teaches you something about who + how you want to be?

Honestly, I’m just trying to get back to the fierce little lady who was my younger self. She was assured, confident, steady. She voiced opinions, she took up space. And my adulthood is really just about trying to unlearn all the ways the world tamed that down in me and embrace being fully myself.

Is there a quote or mantra you always come back to?

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." —Aaron Rose To me, it means that there is beauty and wonder all around and if we pause and look and listen, it’s right there for us to enjoy. Beauty lives in everything.

Can you share a book, podcast, or article that changed you in some way?

I'm sure this is on so many lists, but Untamed by Glennon Doyle. I find myself thinking about this book and its illuminations on society's view of women and our view of ourselves, so so often. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker is an exceptional read on the art and science of creating more mindful, purposeful gatherings.

What are you grateful for today?

My health and mobility, my amazing husband and pups who always keep me laughing and make life fun. And I’m always grateful for my freedom. It’s no wonder I became an entrepreneur. I need the freedom to move, to make my own choices, to carve my own path in my own way.

Robin is an event and interior designer for her brands RMBO Collective and Olazko Interiors as well as the director of events and community at The Well Lived Woman. And we can now add fledgling potter to the list!

Get to know her better and explore her work on Instagram @rmbocollective.