I started working at Gucci right after leaving university and this lead me to a 12-year career in the industry working mostly in PR but also a stint in magazines on the editorial side at Glamour. My last role was one of the PR directors at world-renowned fashion agency, Karla Otto.
It was while at Karla Otto that the burn out that comes from a high-paced career took its toll on me and I suffered health issues. Not finding the answers I needed from standard medical practice, I sought the help of a naturopathic doctor who was quite nutritionally focused. He put me on the road to health. It really inspired me to want to learn about naturopathic alternatives to health and that’s when I began a 3-year diploma in nutritional therapy.
It was incredibly tough studying and having a full time career. It involved lots of long hours and working on weekends and while travelling for work but it never felt like a burden. My social life took a bit of a nosedive though, I have to admit, but I found the experience exceptionally rewarding. At the time I didn’t actually think I wanted to be a practitioner but upon completing my 3 years, I felt a distinct pull and here I am two years on…
I never intended to go into fashion PR but I have to say, it was the most invaluable training. I learnt so much that I have definitely brought into my nutritional therapy, which I think is what makes my approach entirely unique. The main thing in what I do now is being able to inspire my clients to make changes so having a background in communication has been an amazing asset for me. I also work with lots of fashion brands and companies now on exciting projects and corporate wellness programmes. It’s a nice marriage of both careers.
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Interning were crucial to understanding where I wanted to be and what I wanted to be doing in the industry and I was able to intern with someone incredibly talented people. Elizabeth Walker, who was at Marie Claire for many years, was like a matriarch to so many young women in the industry. I would say to any interns now to be prepared to work hard and roll your sleeves up. Never say no to anything. You’ll always learn something. Put yourself forward as much as possible and get a broad range of experience.
I think deep down I always wanted to work for myself so turning this into a full time career honestly just felt right. I can’t explain it but I just knew it was the right thing to do.
The first six months of launching my business was a little odd. I kept waiting for the BlackBerry to flash every five seconds so there was definitely a winding down process. I was doing more on the wellness PR side so there was some familiarity there while building my nutritional therapy practice. I think I was just blessed that everyone in my previous career really wished me well and gave me a helping hand where I needed it.
I’m putting in a lot of hours now but I don’t mind, as I really get excited about everything I’m doing. I make sure to find time to have at least two training sessions per week with my amazing friend and personal trainer Fabio. And I practice yoga at least 3-4 times per week. It keeps me focused and sane!
We all have stress in our work environments and I certainly have experienced that over the years but it’s how you deal with it that really matters. Often we let minor things affect us way more than they should so my advice would be to really thinking about a situation before you react. Having just five minutes reflective time before responding can make a huge amount of difference.
Two years in, and everything is truly fantastic. I’m now practicing at SP&Co in Chelsea and Wakeman Road clinic in Kensal Rise and recently launched nutritional therapy services with Planet Organic. I’ll be doing some workshops at their stores, so keep an eye out for dates! The next focus is going to be my supper clubs and pop ups as I get a lot of really positive feedback on my food so thats going to be the next big push for me.
Being able to call the shots at every turn and really see how much the business has developed has been the most rewarding thing. I really feel like if you are passionate about what you do then you will succeed.
If I could tell my 20 year-old self anything it would be to never give up and always strive for what you believe in. The best piece of advice I’ve received was probably from my grandmother who said, you are only as young as you feel. She really lived life to the fullest.