152. She pitched investors 38 weeks pregnant — Sam Rayner
Sam Rayner spent over a decade climbing the corporate marketing ladder — AG Hair, Lululemon, an MBA, a job offer from a massive global conglomerate she turned down on gut instinct alone.
Then life did what life does: both her parents died of cancer within a short window of each other and she went through multiple failed rounds of IVF.
Somewhere along the way, her mom’s words became her mantra — “you need to live life harder”, which led Sam to build Better Basics and now her new brand, Maris Dae, a marine-hydration skincare line built around a proprietary seaweed extract sourced and processed entirely in BC.
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro
(03:48) Corporate girly Sam — her marketing career
(05:44) Turning down a massive global job offer on gut instinct alone
(09:37) "My break will be maternity leave" — and when that plan didn't pan out
(13:53) Her mom's dying words: "you need to live life harder"
(15:50) How she was able to have her two kids
(20:03) Losing both parents to cancer — and what that taught her about control
(20:55) Where the idea for Better Basics came from
(25:14) Growing Better Basics for three years
(25:53) "We were basically bleeding cash"
(26:44) Investor pitches, and doing it all in her third trimester
(30:13) Calling it a pause — and selling out in 30 days
(31:54) Teaching product design and brand strategy at SFU
(36:26) The 35 customer interviews that led to Maris Dae
(38:27) Finding a seaweed farmer and building the Maris Element
(44:57) Inside the body wash + body serum
(50:57) What's next: gut-health supplements and a gentler kids' formula
(54:04) Competitors, community, and why she's not trying to own the whole shelf
(58:00) Her advice for living life harder
(1:01:05) Where to find Maris Dae
KEY TAKEAWAY
Closing something isn't the same as failing at it. Sam built Better Basics with everything she had, and when it stopped making sense, she shared with her community, gave herself a deadline and called it a pause instead of an ending. And her fertility journey took some extra love as well. A failure means the book is closed, but a pause means the door stays cracked open ready for a different path life will take.
About Sam Rayner
Samantha Rayner is the Founder and CEO of Maris Dae, a science-backed skin and gut health brand powered by BC sea algae. After two decades in beauty and wellness brand leadership, she partnered with a biochemist and naturopathic doctor to develop the Maris Element, an exclusive extract of Mazzaella Japonica and bull kelp sourced from Vancouver Island. Maris Dae's debut body care line launched in May 2026 and sold out twice. Rayner is a second-time founder, Business in Vancouver 40 Under 40 honoree, and Techstars alum who previously founded Better Basics and led teams at Saje, lululemon, and AG Care.
Connect with Sam
Website |https://marisdae.com/
Instagram |https://www.instagram.com/maris.dae/
