Life Wellness Co: a business birthed from motherhood

Thirroul's Stephanie Meades, founder of Life Wellness Co, shares the origin story of her business, key challenges and advice for budding entrepreneurs.

When and why did you start Life Wellness Co?

I started Life Wellness Co Pty Ltd when I was about a month into motherhood (a tad shy of 12 years ago). Prior to the birth of my son (and my business), I had worked in corporate health, wellbeing and rehabilitation since graduating from university in 2001, and I had every intention of returning to this work after my maternity leave was over.

I originally planned to take 12 months off, however, I very quickly realised how much I loved my work, and how important it was for me to continue this work whilst I navigated motherhood.

I came to the realisation that I didn’t want to have to choose between my work and my baby. So, I decided to create a way to make my work schedule fit around my ever-changing baby’s needs, by forming my own company.

Initially Life Wellness Co. Pty Ltd was just a small little ‘side’ business, more like a hobby, that kept me sane during the very long days of early motherhood. In the early days, the business was focused on creating wholefood recipe books, educational wholefood workshops at the local food co-op (often for free) and small in-person talks on using food as medicine, particularly for young mothers trying to feed fussy eaters (as my child was!).

It has now grown to encompass corporate wellness programs, private clients, online programs, one-day workshops and weekend wellness retreats. I love the diversity.

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

Perhaps the biggest challenge I have faced in my business was turning it from a ‘small side business’ into a lucrative and viable company with limited time, resources and a lack of female entrepreneur role models that I could relate to as a young mother.

Building a business requires time and commitment, both of which can be limited when you are raising a young family. The key is to accept that your resources are limited and work on the things that will have the biggest impact first.

Don’t sweat the small stuff – and outsource whatever you can that is not in your zone of genius!

What have been your key learnings?

My key learning from all of the years of trial and errors is to follow what feels right for me as my intuition is always on point in guiding me to where I need to go. There have been a number of times over the past 12 years (mostly early on) when I fell into the trap of following someone else’s business plan and compromising on my vision to generate more business, only to find it didn’t work out for me because it wasn’t meant for me.

I have also learnt that there is strength in collaborating with others in the same industry, rather than competing. Running your own business can be lonely, so making an effort to collaborate and join forces with other like-minded businesses can really help to create support and strengthen the services being offered to the community.

Another key learning came about as a result of burnout which hit me about two years into motherhood and my business birth. From this experience, I learnt to embrace my strengths and outsource everything else!

How has your business grown over the years?

My business has evolved considerably over the past 12 years. I have far more lived experience than I had 12 years ago, both as a nutritionist and an entrepreneur, and as such am able to offer a broader range of services with greater depth to these offerings.

Life Wellness Co Pty Ltd now provides a range of services, from free online content to paid online membership courses, educational webinars, live events and weekend immersive women’s retreats. I love the diversity and the ever-changing and expanding nature of the business. It keeps me inspired, creative and engaged in what I do.

Would you do anything differently if you had a chance to do it all over again?

I would trust myself more, be quicker to let go of things that didn’t feel right, embrace failing forward faster and not sweat the small stuff as much next time around.

What advice would you give to a parent who is looking to start their own business?

Surround yourself with people that believe in you and who are doing similar things, so that they can help you see your vision and worth when you doubt yourself. Find a good coach, be prepared to be a perpetual learner and embrace change as it is inevitable in business (and parenthood!).