Alex Stanford, Co-Founder of Saint Belford, Tells us About Building a Wellness-First Community, Running a Brand & More
Image: Founders of Saint Belford, Alex (left) and Tom (right).
If you’ve ever searched for a planner that goes beyond just to-do lists, you’ve probably come across Curation by Saint Belford.
This cult-favourite planner has become a go-to for wellbeing lovers, stationery nerds, and those trying to break up with hustle culture.
The Everyday I'm Curating! Facebook group boasts almost 5,000 members, where the community share tips and tricks to making the most of their journals and Curation spreads.
Being purpose driven and home grown, Saint Belford has donated a total of $24,500 to Aussie based charities including Beyond Blue, R U OK? and the Bushfire Disaster Appeal.
We sat down with co-founder Alex Stanford to chat about building a purpose-led brand, burnout recovery, and how the community has shaped the evolution of Saint Belford since its launch in 2017.
Our Questions to Alexandria Stanford, Co-Founder of Saint Beldford
Image: Alex Stanford, Co-founder of Saint Belford.
Where did your love for self-care and wellbeing come from? How did that impact the brand?
“Honestly, it wasn’t until I experienced burnout at the age of 25 that I started to create space for self-care.
I had reached a point in my life where I realised if I didn’t start prioritising my wellbeing over work and obligations, my physical and mental health would continue to pay the price.
I used to get stress-induced stomach aches and nausea that would leave me physically unable to move. That was my catalyst for change, and the beginning of a more proactive self-care journey.
Suddenly, I felt like I had some level of control over my wellbeing—purely because I chose to prioritise it.
I knew there were many others in a vicious cycle of burnout, putting themselves last in favour of getting more done. I wanted to create a planner that normalised self-care and healthy habits, and that goal led to the birth of Saint Belford.”
Image: An open Curation planner next to a cup of tea. Credit: Saint Belford
There’s a large selection of journaling tips and guidance for newbies on the site. What’s the number #1 mistake people make when starting off their journey with journaling?
“Adopting the “go big or go home” mentality. I think that’s the #1 mistake people make when they start any new habit.
If you’re looking to make journalling a sustainable habit, start small—5 minutes a day.
Start by using the features you’re most excited about. The easier the habit, the more likely you are to return to it.
Just like you wouldn’t use every single feature on your phone, you don’t need to use every single feature in our planners and journals to reap the benefits.
Bonus tip—keep your journal or planner in a highly visible location, where you would typically use it. Remember, out of sight, out of mind.”
What’s the product that resonates the most with your audience, and why do you think that is?
“Curation is our all-in-one planner that blends self-care, habits, gratitude and goals.
Our customers choose Curation because it eliminates the stress of juggling multiple notebooks, journals and apps.
It allows them to simplify their planning and journalling routine while still keeping their priorities in check.”
Image: An opened Curation planner with notes jotted through the days. Credit: Saint Belford
How does community feedback shape product, resources, and product updates?
“We send out an annual survey to customers before we begin our design process. We take our customer feedback very seriously and most of the changes and ideas we’ve implemented have come from this survey.
Our Facebook group and Instagram community have also been incredibly helpful—we often put up polls to help us decide on colours, cover design and feature updates.”
On the business side of things, when did you know you had something that was going to work?
“I didn’t know if it was going to work out but I took a leap of faith and quit my job shortly after we launched. I had six months worth of savings, so the plan was to reevaluate around the six month mark. Thankfully, six months was enough time to prove to myself we could do this.
It was only after our second year in business when demand for our product grew significantly that we knew we were definitely onto something. By the end of 2018, Tom and I were both working on the business full time.”
Image: Founders of Saint Belford, Tom (left) and Alex (right). Credit: Saint Belford
You’ve mentioned moving away from hustle culture and into self-care being a big driver for the creation of Curation. How have you balanced rest and self-care when running an expanding business?
“Curation keeps me accountable! I schedule in some form of movement every day and track my habits on my weekly spread to keep my intentions top of mind. Of course, there are days and weeks where I feel anything but “balanced”, but that’s just part and parcel of being human.
What matters more in those moments is not “falling off the wagon” but picking yourself up and trying again—making those tiny shifts that make you feel more balanced.
The biggest thing for me has been recognising and accepting the season of life that I’m in and adjusting my schedule and workload accordingly. Surrendering to the season has been a real game changer. When my little one was waking multiple times a night, I made naps an essential part of my daily routine.
I let go of all the “want/nice to-dos” and focused on the bare minimum, knowing it was the best thing I could do for my wellbeing, and my family.”
Image: Alex holding a curation planner. Credit: Saint Belford
Products From Saint Belford We’ve Used in Office & Loved:
Pledge to Stay Well | Mindfulness Journal, $49.95
Described as a safe space—a source of comfort and a vessel for your inner wisdom to flow.
Developed in collaboration with psychologists, certified coaches and mindfulness experts, this guided journal blends 100 self-discovery prompts with practical exercises to deepen self-awareness, cultivate self-love and strengthen your sense of self.
Image: A layout of some of the Pledge to Stay Well Journal pages.
The Curation 2025 Diary Planner, $59.95 is sold out for 2025.
You can still purchase the Curation 365 Undated Planner here.
Includes a list of curated features to help you plan for prioritising self-care, habits, gratitude and goals.
Image: A layout of some of the Curation 365 pages.
Curation 90-Day Undated Planner, $12.95
A taste test. A 90-day planner equipped with 13 undated Pre-Week Planners and Weekly Spreads.
Image: A collection of the Curation 90-Day Undated Planner pages.
Summing up
Founders Alex and Tom share in their about us page “We believe that your wellbeing is your most precious asset, and making it a #1 priority is the best investment you will make.”
This belief trickles through every product, and helps shape their creation of resources and updates of their planners and diaries.
By providing value long after the purchase through guides, podcasts, articles and community, their customer base stays engaged with Saint Belford's wellbeing mission.
