As a meditation enthusiast and professional Jenga player at heart, there is no doubt Public Relations and Community Outreach superstar Janice Vega loves the luxury of working at home. State Forty-Eight, the Arizona-inspired apparel company, gives her the ultimate freedom that any other nine-to-five worker begs on their knees for.
After double majoring in Journalism and Communications at Arizona State University, the path her life has led her down was unimaginable. As all the work she does is on the computer, having the ability to change things up and meditate beforehand gives her the chance to step out of routine.
"It really sets the pace for your day," Vega said about her favorite part of the day, those fifteen minutes to herself in the morning.
Born in Douglas and raised in Tucson, she was bound to stay in-state for college, and not just for the advantage of in-state tuition.
Her experience at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism sparked a fire in her to pursue her dream of being able to connect people.
Years after graduation, she still jokes about her first apartment with her college roommate. "If you were above six feet, you couldn't be in our apartment, we would call it the dollhouse."
While at Cronkite, taking her magazine writing class was a definite highlight as she had never been the one to write as if she worked for Vogue.
With Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen as her fashion inspirations, there seems to be a connection between the way they express their lack of care for the status quo and Vega's drive to be different.
"I love that they do their own thing, I don't even dress like them but I dig them," she said.
State-Forty Eight is a company originally founded in Chandler but has recently added a Downtown Phoenix shop about a year ago, located in the Churchill.
Vega believes the Downtown Phoenix community is a hub for local businesses. Bringing
Local apparel to fans and tourists is a great strategy for extending their reach.
Her State Forty-Eight co-workers and longtime friends Stephen Polando and Carolyn Anger have described her as compassionate and full of soul. Anger said she has taught her "...to be more comfortable with who I am and to have fun in the present moment without worrying about the future."
"There is a stigma around hiring your friends, but we have gotten a bang for our buck because of how well she knows our company. It's a different level of consideration or investing yourself in your work.," Polando said.
Early morning yoga and meditation sessions have focused her mind to focus on the day to day gratitudes, and not sweat the little things. According to Anger, Vega always seems like she has her life together.
Her admiration for less known musical artists didn't fall from the tree when it came to focusing on the small aspects of life that mattered. Blind Pilot, a local Phoenix band, was her favorite show she had attended because of how intimate the concert was. Emotionally connecting with the artist from a few feet away will always beat cheering on from the other side of the arena.
Aside from devoting her time to her professional career, she is always looking for the next opportunity to travel. One of her favorite trips was actually traveling to Costa Rica during her time at the university.
"My favorite part about Phoenix is the access to the outdoors and how you can be in the city, yet two hours away from beautiful landscapes."
If she didn't have to oblige to any responsibilities these days, she would spontaneously road trip to Sedona with her boyfriend.
Just like her favorite movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the 2004 American romantic science-fiction comedy-drama cannot be defined as one single genre and she cannot be stuck on one single life track.
Vega's work at State Forty-Eight is only the beginning of her ability to create a welcoming community in the local area. Her kind heart will never stop desiring to make it grow even bigger, as she evidently loves what she does and does what she loves.
