The Interview —

Dria Murphy, Founder and CEO of Alise Collective and Co-Founder of the ness

I founded Alise Collective four years ago. I was working in the start-up space and had to experience, as many do, a disappointment when the business didn’t succeed. Creating Alise Collective happened organically—I looked to my incredible mentors around me and really dug deep to figure out what I wanted to do. From there, I began to take on products, people, brands, and places that I truly believe in and would personally use. 

The ness brings an intimate, private, elevated place to sweat. It’s invite-only, really so that we have a touchpoint with you before you walk into the door. Workout classes of only 12 people mean you receive personal training attention while engaging your body and challenging your mind. Plus, we built the space to be our vision of our favorite place, so there’s really nothing like it. The ness offers bounce, a sweaty, beat-based, low-impact trampoline workout with incredible benefits, including increasing lymph flow by up to 15 times. The ness also offers sculpt, a dynamic, beat-based, full-body workout to leave you strong, lean, balanced, and focused. 

I’m always working—365 days a year. Owning my own business and being a co-founder of the ness really means that there’s no off switch. Every day looks different, and that’s why I love it so much. Sometimes I start the day with a breakfast meeting or a workout with an editor or brand, and other days I’m cracking down on emails right away at Spring Place. I like to schedule calls back-to-back, so some days I’m in meeting after meeting, while other days I may be at an incredible event—either one that I helped curate or an outing that I was invited to. I truly love that my schedule is flexible, and no matter what I do, it’s always somehow connected to my career.

Work hard and hustle. Everything I have built I did on my own financially, and I am really proud of that. It hasn’t always been easy, and it still isn’t, but it feels good to know I am in control. I never set out to have my own businesses—it evolved over time with what I loved doing. I would say make sure you really love it, and you’re willing to constantly go the extra mile for it. If you don’t have that drive, a good idea is not enough.

I always find time to sweat. Working out on a trampoline is my form of meditation, and when I discovered this type of workout a few years ago, I got hooked. It allows me to shut off my mind like I never could before. You truly can’t think about anything else on a trampoline, otherwise you are lost in class, so my mind doesn’t wander like it does in some other workouts. 

I try to move my body at least once a day. I’d love to say I make it to a sweat daily, but let’s be honest—sometimes I hit a double at the ness and other times, when things get crazy or I’m traveling, I go a couple of days without being able to make it to a class. I try to make sure I’m getting in some form of movement no matter what. 

My vintage green Chanel bag. It might sound cheesy, but it was the first designer bag I purchased when I moved to NYC, and it will always have a special place in my heart, and I'll probably never sell it. 

La Prairie lip balm, Tata Harper highlighter, Caudalie Beauty Elixir Spray, EltaMD sunscreen, Charlotte Tilbury tinted moisturizer, Jillian Dempsey Lid Tint, and LivOn Labs Glutathione. I swear when I feel good and energized from the inside, I look so much better and less tired. Lots of water, too.

Assuming that I can’t reschedule any meetings or catch up on emails (realistically what I would do), I would say I’d go sweat at the ness, then grab a matcha and walk around the city. I love living in New York because no day ever feels old—there’s always something more to do. I would also spend a few hours at THE WELL, have lunch at the restaurant, stop into the dry sauna, maybe get a treatment, and end with some meditation.

You’ll just have to wait and see. :)