Can you tell us a little bit about your business or the work you do?
I run two and a half businesses and many side projects. One of my businesses is a holistic wellness clinic based in Glen Waverley, Melbourne. We offer a range of health services such as dietetics, psychology, chiropractic, yoga, meditation and Chinese medicine.
My second business, Alg is yet-to- launch. Alg is an artisan seaweed sprinkle that makes your food more delicious and nutritious. We use an Australian hand harvested seaweed paired with unique flavours to create an easy to use condiment that gives you lots of important minerals such as iodine!
The half business of mine is Capturing Yumminess – a food styling, photography and recipe development service. I say this is a half business because it stemmed from my hobby and I would like to keep this part more of a hobby, as my creative outlet.
Besides running the two businesses, I work for Gewurzhaus (the spice store), teach nutrition at the National Theatre Ballet School seasonally and assist in course development at La Trobe University.
What do you do for inspiration?
Travel and listen to podcasts!! I love traveling to different countries and learning about culture through traditional cuisines. I believe authentic foods tell many stories and connect people around the world.
I love listening to podcasts, especially when stuck in traffic and a good podcast makes it so much easier. I love to listen to stories that are shared by other people who’ve gone through hardships and struggles and how they overcome challenges. That always reminds me that success doesn’t come easy and that everyone has a story to tell!
What are you cooking at the moment?
I am cooking a sous vide duck breast as I write this. I first seared the duck breast on a pan, scored the skin and rubbed in Chinese five spice, cinnamon, salt and white pepper then sous vide for 3 hours. I will be having that with some Asian greens and rice noodles tonight!
What was your motivation for establishing your business?
The motivation for establishing my first business is that I knew a 9-5 job wasn’t for me. I love the idea of being able to create my own reality and to arrange my own timetable. I started my business when I was 22 and didn’t have anything to lose if I failed. I always have a ‘take a leap of faith, feel the fear and do it anyway’ mentality and I believe that if you don’t try, you’ll never know!
What do you love about your work?
What I love about being a nutrition consultant and teacher is the positive impact I can make in someone’s life. It is very rewarding to know that you have helped someone to make positive changes towards their health.
I also love to develop something from scratch and Alg gives me just that. Also to create a product that can improve people’s lives, that’s like killing two birds with one stone!
From a lifestyle point of view, I am lucky enough to be able to organise my own time. I am generally a pretty motivated person so most of the time I stay pretty productive.
Tell us about your food philosophy
I am a firm believer that food should not be labelled good nor bad, food is food! While food is important to provide us with nutrient, it’s also important to acknowledge that food is not just to fuel us. Food is also pleasure and one of the most important ways to connect with each other people! Learn how to prepare and cook your own food, choose wholefood when possible, learn where your food comes from, respect food and eat with gratitude.
