RABÔT FEMALE PORTRAIT SERIES. MEET SAMANTHA AND MARISSA
We’re celebrating female creatives based in Los Angeles who are inspiring to us at RABÔT.
Meet Samantha Weiner and Marissa Eisele, photographed on film in our Los Angeles studio.
Samantha Weiner has been passionate about health, wellness, and nutrition for as long as she can remember. After suffering an injury in high school, Samantha realized firsthand the impact of the foods she ate and how she felt, both mentally and physically. She grew interested in more natural ways of healing and managing her mental health.
Throughout her academic years, Samantha deepened her knowledge in psychology, health, wellness, and nutrition. She completed a master’s degree in clinical psychology specializing in anxiety and depression in teens and young adults and became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Samantha practiced counseling for many years and grew increasingly more interested in nutritional psychology – how food impacts moods and behaviors.
However, her time spent in the mental health field highlighted the absence of education and conversation around nutrition in correlation to mental health. She grew emblazoned in learning more about nutrition, which prompted her to study “Food Therapy” at The Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. It was there that she learned all about ways to transform the kitchen into a pharmacy & about the power of adaptogens!
When the pandemic started, like the rest of the world, Samatha’s clinical practice turned virtual and she was able to pursue some different creative outlets. She began teaching healthy cooking classes online and had more time to experiment in the kitchen making her own creative & healthy recipes. One day, she was experimenting in the kitchen and made a batch of gluten-free, vegan, and adaptogenic chocolate chunk cookies to bring to her friend’s house for a dinner party. The entire party was drooling over her healthy creations and kept asking if they could buy the cookies!
With that reaction, Samantha decided to take a leap of faith. Without any real plan or strategy, just a mission to create healthy and healing treats that taste good and are good for you, she went to her instagram “Wellness By Samantha” (WBS for short) and posted about her new venture: healthy cookies. After some incredible sales, reviews, and interest, 6 months later she was approached by Erewhon Market.
Samantha moved from her home kitchen to an industrial commercial kitchen in Van Nuys and her operation began to grow as demand went through the roof. She has been in all Erewhon markets since October 2021 and has consistently been ranked in their top 10 products in their category of “Cookies and Baked Goods” (against other big CPG competitors).
Samantha did not have any experience in running a business and really had to learn everything as she went. Luckily she had some amazing mentors who helped her navigate the complexities of the consumer product goods industry.
Samantha started this company because of her strong desire to educate people about the power and impact of their food on their mood and general wellbeing. Samantha truly believes that food is medicine and is the backbone of good health. Samantha wanted to create something that could be both a vessel for teaching and for making healthier habits. With WBS cookies, she is able to do just that.
She is committed to educating her customers about the importance of what they eat and how certain ingredients can make them feel. She makes products with ingredients people can pronounce and recognize, and refuses to use any preservatives, additives, or chemicals.
Her collection has grown to include a variety of flavors including chocolate chunk, lemon poppy seed, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate fudge, and carrot cake, and she is now sold in over 30 stores!
Samantha is currently focused on scaling her business so that she can bring WBS cookies into the hands (and mouths) of more people! Additionally, she would like to write a cookbook and bring more better-for-you products to life!
Over the past 14 years, Marissa Eisele has pursued job opportunities that place her at the epicenter of culture and entertainment, two worlds where she thrives. She built her career on the solid foundation of the VIP and business relationships she forged while at CAA as a new college grad, rising in the ranks from the mailroom to a partner’s desk. Marissa cultivated her understanding of content, and how it relates to entertainment and brands while at Vanity Fair as a Features Associate, casting talent and working on all West Coast owned events and productions, including the famed Oscar Party. She crossed over to digital and produced content for VF.com and Vanity Fair’s social and Youtube channels. Marissa refined her brand strategy and experiential expertise at the L.A. discovery agency, The dFm. She then blended her holistic knowledge of talent relations, experiential and digital brand strategy while leading North America Marketing for AllSaints. Marissa went on to become Director of Special Projects and Brand Partnerships at the bi-coastal PR agency, Wetherly Group, before opening up her own boutique creative marketing agency, MCE., in March of 2019. There, she specializes in digital brand strategy, brand partnerships, experiential and talent relations for luxury and culture-defining brands. Past clients range from Parsley Health to AllSaints, Dogpound, Ubisoft, Spring Hill Entertainment (CBS) and Apostrophe Reps. As the founder of MCE, Marissa enjoys not only creating strategies for a service or product, but also advising and positioning the founder at the nexus of the important growth phases for their brands. Recent lifestyle and design companies Marissa has enjoyed working with include the female-founded ORCA, Olivia Muniak, Loria Stern (Eat Your Flowers) and Kirsten Balzek (A 1000 X Better).
Beyond the traditional landscape of culture and entertainment, Marissa is a tastemaker who always thinks outside the box. She brings a life and energy to experiences and creative content that go beyond the expected. She’s a connector, a native Angelino bred with an insatiable curiosity, who strives to create the most unique and thoughtful strategy for each brand and every client.
Q: How has living in Los Angeles fostered your career?
Samantha - "As a born and raised Angeleno, I am incredibly grateful and passionate about my city. I truly believe LA has influenced and shaped a lot of my interests, habits, passions, and healing journey.
After suffering from an injury in high school and managing an autoimmune issue, I’ve experienced firsthand the power of nutrition and its positive impact on my body and my mind. Having access to healthy foods has been both instrumental to my own healing journey and incredibly inspirational to my career.
LA is not a city but rather a lifestyle. It's a place that prioritizes and encourages a healthy and happy mindset, and a place where juice stores and salad shops can be found on almost every corner. It's a place where Erewhon Market is as popular a place to dine as Dan Tanas.
To be approached by an institution like Erewhon Market is a true Angeleno’s dream. Seeing my products in stores I personally frequent and enjoy has been a really wild and exciting experience.
I am constantly motivated and inspired by my neighbors on the shelves in these stores I love, as well as my neighbors in LA who are building other CPG brands that I respect and love."
Marissa - "I feel like living in Los Angeles IS my career. Growing up in the heart of the city, and into a family in entertainment and the arts, has not only inspired me, but also provided the foundation for many of the relationships I cherish in my personal and work life. Being exposed to so many different cultures and types of people and experiences has given me the ability to bring these creative elements and individuals into my projects. Los Angeles’s vital pulse, and many landscapes, serve as both a reference point and an inspiration. And I’m always grateful for the sustenance of the ocean, desert and mountains, which are as much a part of my Los Angeles as the city itself."
Q: What inspires you about each other?
Samantha - "Marissa is the ultimate girl boss. Our relationship originally developed from a work relationship after we were connected through a mutual friend who knew Marissa was looking for a food vendor for an event she was producing for Parsley Health. Marissa hired me and I got to see firsthand her unbelievable work ethic, creative execution, and marketing brilliance!
Marissa executed such an incredible event and I felt so appreciative to be included in one of her productions. After that, Marissa hired me for a few more events where I continued to see her creativity shine!
Marissa is a marketing genius and production wizard. She has such unique ideas when it comes to brand building and development, and she knows how to bring her visions to life. Marissa has built an incredible business filled with brands that she truly believes in. I think that is what is so unique about Marissa; she really only takes on projects that she cares about. Her authenticity shines through in both her business and personal life.
What I love most about Marissa is how incredibly thoughtful and supportive she is. Marissa is someone who says your name in a room full of opportunities because she genuinely wants the people around her to succeed. When I had the idea of starting a healthy cookie company, Marissa was one of the first people I called. Her enthusiasm for me and support of my brand and vision really propelled me forward.
Our work relationship grew into a friendship and now Marissa is truly one of my bestest friends. I look forward to our daily calls discussing both work and life. She continues to lend her ear and shoulder no matter the topic and offers incredible ideas and solutions when I ask for feedback. Marissa shows up no matter what and I just feel so grateful to call her a business consultant and friend. I am so excited to see what this year has in store for Marissa and MCE!"
Marissa - "Sam’s one of the funniest people I know. Her ability to laugh and cherish life’s little moments always remind me of the importance of being grateful and present as a daily practice. Her career has blossomed because of her love of people, and her commitment to bring healthy and wholesome food to everyone. And watching Sam grow her business from her heart, from her true passion, is so inspiring to watch!"
