We’ve been speaking to Emma Harvey of Emika Collective recently, she treated us to the inside info about her new business venture. Emma is one of those people that you want to be friends with because her drive and determination is infectious, and we think she’s capable of turning her small wellness brand into a world famous go-to brand for all things health and wellbeing.

You own an Australian health and wellness brand Emika Collective, tell us about your journey to launch your business…

I’ve always wanted to have my own business, somewhere where I had the freedom to create and work on my own terms.

I love working in a team, helping and encouraging people, and building a place where people want to come every day, so I knew this was the path I needed to take. Like many out there, the pandemic gave me the time I needed to slow down and really think about what I wanted to do with my time and future. Only money drove me to my job, and I had always lived under the impression that I was supposed to choose a career that would provide for my life rather than following my passion. I decided to feed my newfound entrepreneurial drive.. Weekends full of movies and late nights turned into study and blasting music, while driving to work turned into listening to inspirational podcasts and how to’s. Going down this road of personal development opened up a creative side that I never knew I had.

Throughout the years, I’ve suffered from gut issues and was always looking to advance my health and wellness. I undertook the journey of my research, working with a Health Coach and Personal trainers. I turned to protein powders and supplements to assist me with the transition to a plant-based diet. I honed my love of nutrition, wellness, fashion and lifestyle and after many years of searching for the perfect supplements, suddenly it sparked in me that there was a gap in the market for a gorgeous brand of supplements that would give you not only the nutritional benefits that you need but also one that looks good, so you don’t want to hide it away and forget about them!

I set out to create an all-natural, vegan, gluten free, dairy free with organic ingredients where possible that are sustainable, stylish, thoughtfully formulated and suitable for home and busy lifestyles. With my knowledge and experience, I started developing the formula. I then entrusted some of the finest experts in nutrition to expertly create our range that focuses not only on nutrition but also beauty, gut health and overall wellbeing.

What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it?

One of our non-negotiables was to have our product manufactured in our home country – Australia. As a start-up business, it was very hard to find the perfect Australian based manufacturer that 1, had the capacity to allow for a new business and 2, was happy to accept a small Minimum Order Quantity. After months of communication and emails back and forth we finally found the right fit that aligned with our values of sustainable, all-natural, vegan supplements with an innovative design.

Emika Collective

If you were to describe your business mantra in three words, what would they be?

Empower, Connect, Inspire!

What advice would you offer anyone interested in venturing into the world of natural supplements?

Make sure to do your research and surround yourself with experts who want to help you strive to continually improve and formulate a truly innovative product.

Speaking of natural supplements, do you recommend taking one single supplement for overall health and wellbeing or would you suggest taking a number of supplements for different reasons?

It depends on your circumstances as everyone is unique and should speak with their health care professional. It is also so important to do your research on what the supplements can do for your body and the effects they might have. I think it’s really important to know why and how you can take supplements too. In particular, we want you to forget the misconception that only bodybuilders can have all-natural protein powder supplements. I would recommend looking for supplements that help you with more than one thing. For example, if you are someone like myself, who struggles with digestive issues you might like to look for an all-natural supplement that will give you not only the benefit of added “protein” but may also contain ingredients that assist with gut health and wellbeing too.

Personally, as someone who primarily follows a plant-based lifestyle combined with a busy schedule, I use a protein powder almost every day on top of my whole foods. I love to whip up a delicious morning smoothie – my go-to is banana, almond milk, protein powder and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Are there any specific supplements that you wish you had started taking in your teens or early twenties?

A probiotic with antioxidants. For a long time, I suffered from digestive health challenges, such as bloating, irritable bowel and skin conditions to name a few. Had I discovered this information sooner, I truly believe it would have helped my overall wellbeing. In this busy modern world we live in, there’s never been a more important time to look after our health and wellbeing, and a good place to start is looking at our gut health.

Talk us through an average business day in your life…

Currently, I am still working my day job and starting Emika Collective, so it is quite the juggling act at the moment. During the week, I’m awake at 5 am to work on average an 11hr day. So on my way to and from work, I listen to podcasts, then after work, I go to the gym, work 1-2hrs on Emika Collective and repeat. I’ve recently dedicated one day on the weekend purely to Emika Collective. On these days before I start work, I like getting out in nature for a walk or training in the gym then enjoying breakfast with a morning coffee. Having this time for myself before starting work really sets my intentions for the day. Once I’m in the office, I always check my to-do list and prioritise important items for the day. I like to check socials, engage with my audience and community, communicate with manufacturers, research, create content, and so much more that is involved with being a new business owner. I like to end my day with a warm cup of tea and 5 minutes of stretching to wind down.

Emika Collective

Business can be an upward struggle at times, what do you do to stay positive?

I find a lot of my inspiration to stay positive by listening to podcasts – listening to other business owners who are also going through the same journey and what they have done to overcome hurdles and stay consistent. Or for a full reset, I’ll completely log off, get outside and go for a long walk to refresh my mind and remind myself Just keep going, no matter how hard or impossible it may seem right now!

What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?

It is so important to embrace what you have now, never forget who you are or where you came from because that’s how you got to where you are now and why you have this opportunity to build the life you want. Growth is uncomfortable, but that’s how we grow – “Get comfortable being uncomfortable”.

“Be thankful for what you have and fearless for what you want”

How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?

Social media has played a huge role so far. In only 3 months here we are, having an interview with a beautiful magazine halfway around the world. You can reach so many beautiful people on social media, and I would never have imagined reaching other countries around the world so soon without it.

How do you want people to feel when they first take your supplements?

Their first taste will not be the last. We want you to feel the same love we do for our supplements. With our innovative formula that has been thoughtfully created we have achieved an outstanding first premium product to launch with. Being an all-natural supplement in such a competitive industry it can be extremely difficult, however with endless hard work, we are so proud of what we have achieved and can’t wait to get this out to the world!

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

Of course, with COVID at the moment unfortunately I don’t see us jumping over to the Maldives anytime soon – however that’s definitely at the top of my bucket list. But for now, I’d love to head up to beautiful North Queensland and enjoy our beautiful white sandy beaches and coral reefs with a margarita or two.

What’s next for Emika Collective?

Right now we’re working towards launching our very first product – Emika’s Premium Plant Protein Powder available in Vanilla and Cocoa. We have so much instore for Emika Collective and there will definitely be more flavours, new products, guides and accessories. We’re always asking our community what they would like to see, so keep an eye on our socials and let us know what you want to see next!

Where can people find out about everything to do with Emika Collective?

You can find us through our socials for daily motivation, recipes and a supportive community.

Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube – @emikaco and Facebook – @emikacollective

Our website is to be revealed soon so sign up to be the first to know at www.emikacollective.com We can’t wait to see you join our community!

Author

A veteran in global travel, Rachel also loves to explore hidden gems on home turf. She’s a writing connoisseur of Britain’s best hotels, luxury beauty products, and UK food and drink launches.

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