Klara CoetzeeROBYN SMITH
Robyn Smith – the queen of wellness and founder of the much loved Faithful-To-Nature – talks to MYHRU about her incredible journey in business, motherhood, spirituality, and disco dancing…
1. First of all, congratulations on Faithful-to-Nature turning 12 and its phenomenal success! It must be quite surreal… how do you feel?
Surreal sums it up. When I hear my staff tell me that it’s a quiet day and only 600 orders are going out, I feel stunned. That’s 600 hundred homes we have reached, and that’s a quiet day. On busy days we send out 1000 orders… it’s difficult to believe actually. But of course I feel pride too. And joy.
2. How did the idea of an online wellness platform come about? Obviously it must have been fuelled by your personal passion for clean health?
The concept of a feel-good ethical shopping platform came about when I returned from a few years abroad and struggled to fulfil my own ethical shopping needs. The gap seemed so clear to me. However, it was still very early days for the conscious consumption market in SA, and so a lot of education was required in the first few years.
3. What aspects of your company are you most proud of?
The two most profound drivers are and always have been our incredible staff and customers. Truly – this business has attracted the most special people, from those we serve to those that help us serve. I feel so honoured to be dealing on a daily basis with such beautiful people. The team at Faithful to Nature is really where the magic happens and I get told on a weekly basis by someone – either a supplier or customer – who pop into our warehouse how amazing the energy and the vibe is. So many customers report such a good feeling when they open their orders from us and all that credit goes to my staff who put so much love, care and passion into their work. So yes, I am so proud to have attracted such an amazing workforce, and also to have genuinely touched as many peoples’ lives through our work, as is fed back to us daily by our customers.
4. If you had to choose, what are some of your favourite products categories that you stock?
I am personally so passionate and driven by the zero-waste lifestyle. I have a long way to go in completely eliminating any waste from our household but all those items that have supported us in completely ditching single use plastic and reducing our waste are amongst my most loved products. If I had to pick three items from this amazing array, I would choose:
– The Goddess Cup. This has been an absolute game changer in terms of embracing my monthly meantime and I’d highly recommend it to all females. – The Eco Egg. This is an incredibly efficient and cost effective option to laundry detergent that has totally simplified and amplified our laundry efforts. – Produce Bags. These bags make plastic-free shopping a breeze when buying perishables like fruit, veg and breads.
5. You’re an unstoppable and inspiring entrepreneur. What advice can you give to other driven individuals who would like to follow their dreams?
I have seen first hand and believe with all my heart that the universe rewards and responds so positively to bravery. So if you can dream it, then you can create it. And once you start manifesting your dreams, don’t give up on them. I often wonder if the only thing that separates my success from the countless other eco entrepreneurs that I have watched come and go in the industry over the past 12 years, is the fact that I did not give up. 6. Your Instagram posts are incredibly and beautifully candid about your family life. What does motherhood mean to you? Thank you. Wow, this is a tough one to try and answer with words, as being a mother is just everything to me. It has been the most “indescribingly” beauty-full, joy-full, wonder-full and challenging aspect of my life so far. I just cannot imagine that I would be the person today without the experience of being a mother. I am so very grateful for every split-second that I get to call myself “mama” to my two gorgeous little teachers. 7. You’re also very passionate about spirituality. Why is it important to you to keep nurturing that part of yourself and how does it influence your everyday life? We are not just our bodies and in order to reach our full potential and truly live our very best lives possible we need to nurture and balance all aspects of our being, which of course, includes our heart and souls. Getting to know myself better as I have delved deeper into my spirituality has been such a rewarding and joyful endeavour and the results are just so more-ish. As I watch the incredible healing and transformation within myself, I only hunger for more. 8. We all live fast-paced and often stressful lives. What are your (3) favourite ways to destress and become more present? 1. Time with my family. With phone switched off. Usually outside and barefoot. 2. Bare foot wonders in nature. Fortunately I live on the beach and so this is as easy as stepping out of my front door. 3. Meditation, workshops, dancing, ceremonies and rituals that are all about healing and discovering more about my self. This drives my potential to be more present, balanced and joyful in all the other aspects of my life, including the first two points
9. Can you spill the beans on some surprising facts we don’t know about you, yet?
I have just recently become a Life Activation Practitioner to help others bring more light into their bodies and therefore reach more of their own potential. I am going to start offering the treatments alongside my work in the ‘corporate’ world in 2019, so if you are interested in knowing more about this, follow me on Instagram (@robyn_on_earth). I love to dance. All the time. I even did disco dancing as a tot and spent many weekends dressed up in sequinned leotards at disco dancing competitions. I paint as a hobby. I am a total book worm and love to be left alone with some fantasy reading. My favourite author at the moment is Sarah J Maas. I am also a total treasure hunter and will usually walk with my eyes pealed to the ground searching for crystals. I find them everywhere from school yards, to popular hiking trails, my back garden, the beach…. I absolutely adore crystals and I love finding these little treasures along my “path.”
10. You are full of surprises! Okay, since you’re very passionate about nutritious clean food, we cannot let you go without picking your brains about your favourite go-to’s!
Edamame beans are my go-to. I just can’t get enough of them. I also love making my own pineapple and spinach smoothies or cream free ice-cream. Just blend coconut milk. pineapple and spinach and you are good to go!
11. Final question: how would you describe Christmas at your house?
Very relaxed. We are quite untraditional and the day is just about being together, usually outside, barefoot and on the beach. Think large salads, lots of home brewed kombucha, the smell of (organic) sunscreen and quite possibly lazy afternoon naps.