Tell us a bit about yourself, your career and what you’re busy with now.
Right now. I am living a beautiful quiet life in Noordhoek myself, and my husband is both surfer and very career driven, so the balance of the two is complimentary.
I have two businesses and consider Kiko Vitals as my purpose brand.
What has been your biggest challenge/lesson in business and life?
Oh gosh. Where do I start?
I have been challenged with all kinds of highs & lows. The first most challenging was figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. I have always been an entrepreneur by heart, but it took me a long time to learn what and where my real skills and passions lay. I was 25 when the direction of my career slowly started taking course.
The second most challenging was once I had made my first success, having my entire business stolen from under my feet and starting again from the ground up.
The lessons I learned along the way are profound; as difficult as these challenges were at the time, I believe they fast-tracked me in many ways. The road will always come with challenges; you learn to look at them objectively and let go of the outcome but take it in your stride.
Who is/was your role model?
I can’t say iv ever had one specific role model, but rather, many mentors that I aspired to be like. I would cross paths with affluent businesswomen and often feel an inner desire to walk that sense of accomplishment one day.
My real drive came from knowing what purpose I wanted to lead and then understanding what I needed to do to get there.
Accomplishment is not necessarily how much money is in the bank. It’s more about “how much freedom do I have with the choices I make, and how impactful am I in this world.”
As an entrepreneur and business owner, what has been the one piece of advice you have received that you would like to pass on to the person reading this right now?
Let the people that doubt your vision and choices be the biggest motivators to your success. Be willing to put in many hard hours of work and learning, but don’t give up!
What are you most proud of?
I am so proud of my Kiko Vitals brand. It was developed through so many years of research and expertise, and seeing how these advanced formulations are changing so many women’s lives makes me so proud to be a part of every woman’s journey to better well-being.
What is the one thing you know now that you would tell your 16-year-old self, and why?
Hmm. Don’t let the pressure get to you. Everyone at every age is reinventing themselves and figuring themselves out. It’s part of living. Keep your heart open, and learn to trust what feels right.
Guilty pleasure?
I never have guilty pleasure; I always have a heart full of pleasure 🙂
Because I am in the ‘female hormonal health’ field, I have learnt deeply what guilt on pleasure does. It shoots up cortisol levels and stores fat.
The things that spark my joy
Seafood pasta & champagne
Dark chocolate, fireplace & movie night
Iced latte and sunshine walks
Where can we get hold of you?
www.kikovitals.com or instagram.com/kikovitals
#WomensMonth