From flipping through magazines to getting steps closer to what she aspires to be someday. Take a peek at Sam Policios’ journey as a Woman in Progress®️ so far and see the value of taking one conscious step at a time towards your goals.
Tell us something about yourself!
Hello! I'm Samantha but everyone calls me "Sam." I work as a fashion stylist and I'm currently out of town for a tv show. I also run a jewelry brand (@luisajewellery) with my twin sister, Sarah.
Ever since I was young, I've always dreamt of working in the fashion industry. Growing up in Cebu City, I could recall how much I enjoyed browsing through fashion magazines. So when we moved to Manila for college, I felt like I was a step closer to making my dreams come true. I remember getting excited whenever my classes would end since that meant I could spend more time researching for fashion internships via Twitter (since Tiktok & IG didn't exist yet). After a lot of patience and determination, I was able to land several internships - for a retail brand, fashion school, fashion designer & fashion stylist. I was interested in my experience with a fashion stylist the most so I thought of pursuing that field. Since then, I've worked for a styling company & got to work with celebrities and creatives for editorials, tv shows, commercials, music videos, and fashion shows. My main focus right now is styling for tv shows. The best part about it is how I'm learning a lot about the film industry as I aspire to direct fashion films someday.
On the other hand, my experience as an entrepreneur also started out in college when my twin sister & I turned our love for thrift shopping into a business. We enjoyed the process of exploring the city, taking photos & styling pieces we sourced, and selling them both online and offline via bazaars - the best way to meet & interact with our lovely customers who then became friends. Unfortunately, our styling career started at the same time so we were not able to maintain the business. The idea of starting another brand came about in 2018 when we realized the lack of jewelry brands that carried pieces we'd personally use for ourselves as well as for our styling clients. We thought, why not start our own brand? Since then, we’ve sold tens of thousands of pieces to customers all over the world. We've learned so much over the years of running the brand together. To be honest, it hasn't been the easiest but we've been enjoying every minute of it. It sometimes feels surreal knowing that we’re doing what we love and we couldn't be more grateful. And in the next few months, we plan to expand our brand internationally. Exciting times ahead indeed!
Where or which aspect of your life do you want to see progress in?
Staying consistent with my fitness goals and career goals has always been on top of my list! This year, I also hope to achieve a more sustainable way of living. Climate change is real & as stewards of this planet, we really have to be more conscious of our consumption. We need to continuously educate ourselves on how we could help save the planet in our own little ways. Every time I shop for myself, I always ask myself “do I really need this or am I just adding more waste to this planet?”
Share with us your most recent, proudest win (big or small!)
Working in the film industry has definitely changed over the pandemic. These days, we're required to live and work together in a bubble for weeks/ months to avoid the spread of the virus. So I'd say that being away for 45 days & having to survive a lock-in taping would be my most recent & proudest win. Working as a stylist which entails a lot of time shopping in the mall, dealing with a lot of clothes & working with celebrities has always seemed glamorous for some but, to be honest, it really isn't. It's a lot of hard work and coming up with enough clothes for a month or more can get really exhausting. Nonetheless, it’s been a fun experience. I’ve always enjoyed challenges & testing myself to the limit because as they say, “Nothing in life ever comes easy .”
Talk us through your favorite routine (day or night).
Nothing quite like starting a day with a meditation & journaling session followed by a morning cardio workout or a Pilates workout depending on my mood. I then proceed to make my post-workout green smoothie as well as my usual brunch- baked chicken, boiled eggs & sweet potatoes. Once I’ve showered and done my skincare routine, I start doing work for our jewelry brand—@luisajewellery which would usually take up the entire day. Sunsets are my favorite part of the day especially when I’m home since we’re fortunate enough to have an amazing view of it. It’s also the perfect time for me to make content and sometimes, I just love spending time out on the balcony waiting until the sun sets.
I’m honestly still working on being consistent with my routine especially since I’ve been away from home working for a few months. At the end of every day, it’s very important to take some time off to reflect on how your day went & to set goals for the next day.
Get a glimpse of what keeps stylist and store owner, Sam Policios on track for her journey—
Creativity, growth & progress
Read: “Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, "Daily Stoic "by Ryan Holiday, "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" by Mark Manson, and “The 4-hour Workweek" by Tim Ferris
Podcast: On Purpose with Jay Shetty, The Mindset Mentor by Rob Dial, The Daily Stoic, The GaryVee Audio Experience, The School of Greatness, The Tim Ferris Show, and The Business of Fashion. I lean towards topics about self-development, business, fashion & crypto.
Mantra: Instead of asking "Why is this happening to me?", start asking "What is this teaching me?" (I like focusing on things that I can control so turning an adversary into an opportunity to learn is the best way to get through tough days.)
Inspiration: As a true blue Libran, I appreciate beauty in the form of film, photography & fashion. I get inspired by creatives such as photographers @purienne @pierrot @cameronhammond, style icons @sophiaroe @sylviemus @lisaolsson, directors @gvsgvs @danaboulos and entrepreneurs @valentinamuntoni of Rat & Boa, @gildaambrosio & @giorgiatordini of The Attico.
Wellness
Skin: Simply Skin's Ultimate Clear Power Duo + Biore sunscreen + my newest fave— Ayond's Amber Elix
App: Spotify because music is life!
Movement: I’m currently living at a resort for a month which is surrounded by so much greenery. The whole vibe inspires me to jog on my free days. Meanwhile, when I’m back home, my go-to Youtube channels are Pamela Reif for HIIT workouts & Move with Nicole for Pilates.
Unwind: Whenever I feel like de-stressing, it helps to play music from my fave French artists— Polo & Pan, Paradis, Bon Entendeur & L’Imperatrice and just dance, listen to podcasts, read self-help books such as The Daily Stoic & Jay Shetty’s “How to Live Like a Monk” or to watch movies & documentaries on Netflix.
At-home
Snack On-Hand: Dark chocolate, sweet potatoes, boiled eggs & any kind of nuts— these keep me going especially on busy days!
Drink: Cannot live without green tea after every meal and water, of course!
Desk essential: Any notebook where I could scribble my random thoughts or my planner which helps me keep track of my goals, daily meals, expenses, and schedule, or just any notebook I could scribble my random thoughts on.
Art/decor: Nothing makes dressing up more fun than my full-length arc mirror! Also, my beloved disco ball always puts me in a dancing mood!
To you, a Woman in Progress®️ is:
A woman who is on a never-ending quest to become the best version of herself. In a world full of distractions, she practices introspection and focuses on what truly matters in life.
Meet Samantha Policios via @samanthapolicios
Find out more about her treatment of choice and how it could help you in your own story— find out more about the Ultimate Clear Power Duo.