My Subscription Life: Sophia

My Subscription Life is a series designed to help you get to know the MSA team a little bit better. Each profile introduces a different member of the team, showcases their favorite subscriptions, and explores how subscriptions impact their lives. 

In this week's My Subscription Life, we're going to get to know Sophia, a NYC-based writer who joined MSA in October 2021. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to New York several years ago to pursue a master's in journalism. Since graduating, she's worked for a number of magazines. From food and lifestyle to fashion and fitness, Sophia really knows her stuff. Today, she sits down to share a little bit about herself and her background with subscriptions.

My Subscription Life: Sophia

Lindsey: Sophia, hello! Can you start by sharing a little bit about yourself?

Sophia: Fun fact, I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I lived there for over 23 years before I moved to Syracuse, New York to do my master’s in journalism. That was definitely a shock to the system because I had never even experienced real cold at that point. My journalism career actually started off back home as well at a fashion magazine I remember seeing my mom buy since I was a little girl. She would even collect the bridal editions so it was definitely a dream come true and felt like a full circle. I moved to NYC in 2017 after Hurricane Maria where I’ve worked for outlets like Parents, Shape, Rachael Ray Every Day, Woman’s Day, Popsugar, and Cosmopolitan. If I’m not working, I’m either baking some really good banana bread if I do say so myself, attempting to train for the New York City marathon, or simply spending time with my friends. I turn 30 this year so I definitely feel that need to explore and define who I am, so we’re doing it!

L: What does your average Saturday look like? 

S: My typical Saturdays include making myself some coffee first thing in the morning, going for a run with one of my best friends, and finishing it up at a brunch spot. Throw in a few errands like grocery shopping or a quick Target run, and I’m set.

L: Can you describe a memorable birthday?

S: One of my most memorable birthdays was when I was 15 years old, my parents treated me to a cruise. It was the first time I traveled anywhere outside of Puerto Rico and despite probably not seeing it in the moment, it’s one of the moments I hold closest to my heart. 15 years later, I recognize that my parents did everything in their power to make me happy and they did. The runner-ups are when I turned 28 and when I turned 29. My 28th birthday came when the pandemic hit NYC the hardest. It was the summer of 2020 and mentally, I was in a really rough place. But some of my friends showed up for me and they made me feel like the most important person in the world and I’m very appreciative of that. And for my 29th, I actually spent the day celebrating one of my closest friends getting married! It was a black tie wedding so we all got to dress up and look our very best and be there when our friend said I do to the love of her life. She was very kind and selfless and during her reception, she took a moment to wish me happy birthday, present me with my own tiny little cupcake, and had everyone singing for me. I wouldn’t have chosen a better way to celebrate.

L: When and how did you first discover subscription boxes?

S: I first discovered subscriptions during my college years in the 2010s. I had subscribed to ipsy, a makeup-based subscription because I was OBSESSED with makeup (still am). I would be so excited to see what my new bag would bring each month and what new products would become holy grails.

L: What are your current subscriptions?

S: Aside from the usual streaming subscriptions of Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV, I don't really get any monthly boxes. I have, however, been thinking about subscribing to Book Of The Month.

L: I can definitely recommend BoTM! It's one of my personal favorites. I wonder, since you don't currently subscribe to a lot of months boxes, are there any that have been calling your name?

S: I love me a good wine subscription box. Nothing better than needing to unwind from work and picking out a new bottle each week.

L: If you could only subscribe to one box or service, which would it be?

S: It would probably be a wine subscription box because I love to find out information about the different wines, decipher the pairings, and enjoy a good bottle with my friends and family.

L: Describe your perfect subscription. 

S: My perfect subscription is one I can edit each month. I'd love to be able to pick whether I want a book, makeup, or wine/food wine each month. It keeps the subscription feeling new and I won't get bored easily.

L: Do you have a favorite subscription category? 

S: Beauty and food, 100%. These are two of the things I spend my money most in real life - aside from bills and rent - so a subscription that does the work for me is just the best.

L: People gravitate to subscriptions for different reasons. What are your primary reasons for subscribing?

S: My primary reasons for subscribing are definitely trying out new products and gifting myself a little present each month. Who doesn't like getting packages and opening them excitedly to see what's inside? Even when I know what's coming, I get excited.

L: If someone offered you the opportunity to curate your own subscription box, what would you send out to your subscribers?

S: I would most likely do a leisure and self-care box. I know these past few years have been tough for everyone and we all need some feel-good moments at home. If it were up to me, I'd include a new candle each month, along with a new soap and/or body spray, a food to indulge in, and either a movie or book for them to watch depending on what they were interested in.

Thanks so much, Sophia! 

Questions for Sophia? Jump into the comments section below!