Sasha Basso
Connection: Sasha came recommended by Charu (Brands and Bobs) who I profiled a few weeks back. She describes herself as a multi-faceted creative, but even that feels like an understatement. Sasha reminds me of that person who always “knows a guy” or in her case, always “knows a girl”. Based in San Francisco but frequently exploring new places, Sasha takes us on a journey through motherhood, her creative outlets, and a number of women owned businesses we should support.
Name: Sasha Basso
Location: San Francisco, CA
Self-Description: Always laughing, multi-cultural world explorer, creative, mom, fantasy nerd
Profession: Multi-faceted Creative: Interior Designer, Stylist, Angel Investor
Words to live by: Life is too short to take things too seriously. Have fun, be nice to people, do what you love!
On health & wellness
What is something you changed in your life, that changed your life for the better? I gave in and hired a personal trainer. I consider myself lazy athletic - I can hypothetically do all the things and climb all the mountains, but I would very much rather stay home on my butt and read a book. Hiring my girl Jenn to show up at my house twice a week and (semi-gently) force me to use the heavier weight, do the extra rep, crunch that extra crunch has done wonders for my physical and mental health. Bonus points, she's become a great friend and I look forward to every session even if I know I might hurt afterwards.
What advice, inspiration, or motivation can you share to encourage someone to take care of their body, mind, or soul? Self care comes in so many different forms. For some people, it's a week long retreat eating nothing but berries and air. For me, it's committing to slow mornings with a cup of coffee, impromptu lunch dates with my good friends, setting time aside to read whatever nerdy fantasy book I have next on my list (88 books and counting this year!), and getting out of the country so I can read a book on some tropical island armed with an aperol spritz. There's no one way to care for yourself, so find what puts your mind at ease and do that!
What’s your favorite thing to do with your friends? We love having friends over to eat, drink, and be merry. Feeding people is my love language and I love to host and try out new recipes. I even designed my house for good hosting! I also love to travel with friends. From Tahoe to Italy to the Philippines, we've had the most amazing adventures with our friends.
On business
Tell us about your business / role: I'm an interior designer, stylist and angel investor. I started out in fashion, but lately I've felt myself more drawn to interiors and crafting spaces. I recently started my own boutique interior design firm, Capiz Studio, where I've loved collaborating with creative people looking to have their homes reflect their style and personality. We spend time layering textures and pieces to design a home that is warm, personal, and looks as stylish as they are. I know I've won when people visit my client's homes and think "oh wow you're so stylish" and not "oh wow, you hired an interior designer". When it comes to Angel Investing, I focus my investments mostly on underrepresented founders: women, people of color, or people focusing on making impacts in climate. I've really loved working with founders to build and grow companies that I think that can make a difference.
Were you always interested in this line of work or did you fall into it? I always pursued creative projects growing up, but I didn't go to school for any of this, so I'd say I kind of fell into it. I had to pay for my college education myself, so I opted for a traditional degree and when I first graduated I felt like I needed to get a solid 9-to-5 job to pay off my student loans. I did that for a while, and even though I can spreadsheet and make presentations with the best of them, I realized I was happiest when I was involved in the more creative aspects of the work. Luckily I had a supportive partner in my now husband and he encouraged me to pursue the things that made me happy. I honestly don't know if I would have gone down this route without his support and I'm forever grateful to him for pushing me in this direction.
What is your favorite part of your work? I love the variety of experiences and the people I get to work with. Collaborating with other creative people is such a thrill and I enjoy every second of it. Sometimes I wish I was one of those people that hyper specialized rather than dipping my toes into lots of different things, but I don't think my brain operates that way. It's the reason I do so many varying projects, because it keeps me energized and excited. Every project is a different challenge and you work with so many amazing and talented people. I'm such a big proponent of not taking things too seriously - we're creating beautiful things, we should have fun while doing it.
What advice would you give someone who is looking to get into the same industry? Just do it. Start with your friends and see if you can help them for free, then start expanding your network outwards and charging for your work. Find someone to assist and just get into it, meet people. There's no better teacher than jumping straight in.
On motherhood
What advice would you give to a new mom going through it for the first time? Find your village, they're out there. Being a new mom can feel lonely, especially if other people in your friend group don't have kids. I was lucky in that I had a group of friends who all had kids at the same time, so there was always someone to text at 2am when you were up for a feeding. But I also made a ton of new mom friends through parenting apps or play groups who have become some of my and my kid's best friends over the years. No one knows what you're going through like other moms, so try to find your village. There's also no one way to do things. Do what feels right for you, not what feels right for other people. People will tell you that you have to stick to a routine, have to breastfeed, have to sleep train, have to do this, have to do that - you know what you have to do? None of it. As long as you and your baby are fed and happy, there's no one way to get there.
Did motherhood come naturally to you, or did it take time to find your rhythm? I think there are aspects of motherhood that came naturally, but there were definitely some that took time to find my rhythm. Since motherhood is a constantly changing and evolving thing as you hit every life stage, I'm also still working on it. I think motherhood translates differently for different people, and there's no one definition of what that looks like. Like, while I love my child with every fibre of my being, I still don't love all kids. I also don't love imaginary play or crafts, doing homework drives me crazy, and attempting to cook with my child stresses me out. I've realized I'm just not that mom and that's ok, I'm there for him in other ways and I've found other people in our village for the rest. These days, I try not to stress about what the idealized version of motherhood is and just be happy with how we're navigating it as a family.
Is there anything you'd want to say to women who are currently pregnant for the first time? Embrace this journey and every high and low. Let go of your expectations and go with the flow. Don't stress about everything being perfect or planned or right, it'll all happen beautifully in the crazy messy way that life comes together.
What is something you would tell a mom to start doing now to have as a keepsake later? Don't stress about not having a keepsake! I'm not a journal, photo album, keepsake kinda gal, and I used to stress about it, but that stress isn't worth it. If you're not that type of person now, you're not going to magically become one when you have a baby - so don't worry about it. Our phones collect every moment, so just make sure you have that backed up to some cloud, and don't worry about making anything presentation worthy.
The full list of favorable mentions are linked below with a brief description.
What do you never leave the house without? I'm a minimalist and carry a small purse, but I bring my kindle everywhere. I'm constantly reading whenever I get a chance. It's compact and fits perfectly in my small bag. Whenever I can, I'll bring it out instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media (which I still do more than I'd care to admit), but having my kindle around means I have options. What is the best type of gift to give, or a go-to one for you? The best gifts to give or receive are splurges, the little extravagances that you wouldn't buy on a day to day basis. It doesn't have to be crazy expensive - I'm not talking The Row bags - but maybe it's the Brightland olive oil, the Flamingo Estate soap, or the Brucato amaro. Other things I love are Quince silk pajamas, unique jewelry from Mara Paris, and housewares of all kinds from Ferm Living, Sophie Lou Jacobsen or Anastasio Home. Thoughtful gifts are also incredibly special. I'm trying to buy less "new" stuff in general, so for people I know really well, finding a designer steal in their style on TheRealReal or taking time to make them ceramics on my home wheel is how I'd show my love. Artist/Album Recommendation: I've been really into Willow lately. She's matured so much as an artist and her voice is so stunning. Her exploration of different topics is so thoughtful and in depth that they belie how young she is. Her Tiny Desk concert is perfection. Podcast Recommendation: Katie Hintz-Zambrano is the founder of Mother Mag and the Bay Area queen and organizer for all things cool mom. She recently launched an amazing podcast called The Mother podcast where she speaks with a unique and diverse group of women like Cleo Wade, Mara Hoffman, Melody Ehsani, Joanna Ho etc. Katie explores everything from their motherhood journey to their careers, spirituality, creativity and more. She's so skilled at bringing people together and is so warm and welcoming in real life, that this podcast was a natural next step. I love her, you'll love her, it's definitely worth a listen! Book Recommendation: I wish I could say that I read high brow inspiring and motivational books, but I don't. I love escapist, creative, unique fantasy books. If it doesn't have magic, fae, dragons, or some combination of the three, then I'm not interested. Life is stressful enough as it is and I love to read things where I know none of it could actually happen in real life. I've done my time with all the classics - Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time, The Vampire Chronicles - but I've recently discovered a whole host of mainstream and independent female authors writing fantasy with strong female leads, unique magic systems, and as a fun bonus - a bit of spice. I could go on and on about all the amazing authors I've discovered, but I'd say a good entry level book series would be either A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas or Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Start there and then hit me up if you want more, because I've got so many. Wellness Product: My friend Cecile has an amazing wellness company called Hey Freya. I'm normally not a supplements kind of gal but I love their Thrive product. It keeps my energy steady throughout the day and I avoid the 3pm get me a latte fast crash that I normally get. Skincare Product: I am not a skincare expert and thrive off other people's recommendations, but I have to share these two because they were recommended to me and are drain the tube, put it on subscription mode level good. Charu (who was featured here and recommended me for this) recommended Dieux Instant Angel cream and I've been hooked. My other friend Sarah, who runs an amazing substack Retail Diary recommended Summer Fridays Jet Lag Eye Serum and it's hands down the best eye cream I've ever used. Recipe: Athena Calderone's Peach and Burrata Salad with Pickled Shallots is the #1 crowd pleaser at every event I host. It's almost embarrassing how much I make it (and how easy it is), but you really can't go wrong. Even if I make it in large quantities, the serving plates are always scraped clean. I sub out the peaches for nectarines because I prefer it a bit tangier, and always make extras on the pickled shallots to use on other dishes. Baby/Toddler Recommendation: For newborns, baby carriers in every form are essential. I had several in different styles and carried my baby around everywhere. They free up your hands and keep your kiddo close and cozy. It's the one thing I recommend to every mom. Kids Clothing Brand Recommendation: Zara Kids. As a fashion and design person, I really wanted to be that person who only bought luxurious European baby and kids wear like Bobo Choses and Mini Rodini. But the reality is I have a very destructive kiddo who ruins clothes like it's his job. Whether it's holes in the knees or because he still thinks his pants are the best napkin (they eventually grow out of that - right?!), his clothes don't survive long enough for me to justify spending on them. Zara Kids clothes are cute and decently priced so I don't feel too bad when I have to send yet another pair of completely obliterated pants to Ridwell for recycling. Small Business Recommendation: I love to promote all the ridiculously talented women (and moms) that I'm proud to call my friends, it's part of how I show my love. So hang on because I am so lucky to have quite a few: Gold Stories is stunning jewelry designed by the ultra-talented Subikksha. She recently collaborated with my girl and artist Dev Heyrana for a collection inspired by moms and our generational relationships. I wear one of their pendants every day and never take it off! Modern Theory is a line of candles and homewares designed by my incredibly talented, hardworking and overqualified friend Michelle (she has a Ph.d in cell biology). We met one day while co-working at The Wing and I've seen this brand grow from a napkin idea to a successful small business! She's so thoughtful with her scents and designs and I'm her biggest fan. You can usually find several in various places in my home. If you're in the Bay Area, Daybreak Vietnamese Coffee is Michelle's other baby (told you she was talented). You can find it at various stores, restaurants, and even the airport - it's also always in my fridge! It's quite honestly the best and most authentic pre-made Vietnamese coffee I've ever tasted. Margaux Axelrod Floral Design is my go-to florist and creative partner in crime. If you're in the Bay Area, she designs the most stunning arrangements and hosts creative floral design workshops out of her studio in the Mission. Aside from being the best human, she's also incredibly creative and fun to be around so her workshops are a must! Brucato Amaro is an award-winning Amaro brand created by my friend Sierra. Their Brucato Last Word cocktail is a staple at my house. Brucato is opening up a tasting room and restaurant in the Mission soon and I'm so excited to be customer #1! Kubo Home is my go-to for modern Filipino homewares. It was founded by my friend Rumples, who I've known for over 20 years since I was a teen living in Manila. She is now based out of NYC and curates a beautiful assortment of textiles and home goods to bring a touch of texture and warmth to your home. I love their tableware and use it to set the best outdoor tables. Lightly Travel takes the stress out of traveling with small kids by working with hotels to provide deluxe baby essentials, so you don't have to schlep diapers on vacation. It's founded by Dominique Olowolafe and is one of my portfolio companies. I'm so in awe of her drive to build this company while parenting two young kids. I wish this company had been around when my kiddo was little because I would have been a top customer! Lastly, my friends Connie and Machell at Moderne Press run the best boutique PR agency in the Bay Area. They specialize in helping small businesses grow and thrive, and aside from being very good at their job, are also the best people ever.
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