When you look up the word motivated, Irene Falcone really needs to be listed. 

The dynamic business woman found a passion and turned it into an empire for healthy living. After suffering from physical symptoms Irene looked at her beauty products and discovered a trove of toxins. Horrified and shocked, Irene started looking for products that DIDN’T contain toxins…it proved to be difficult. The journey began to source products that adhered to a strict code and it only seemed right to share this with the world. Fast forward, and Nourished Life has become one of the most successful online Australian businesses, a unicorn in an industry so very toxic.

1) How hard has it been with an emerging competitive eco-market to stay in your lane focused and energised? You really started a platform and opportunity – a unicorn, so now this landscape is changing is it an effort to stay in front mentally and strategically?

Honestly if I ever get stuck, for whatever reason, whether it’s wondering if I should stock a certain product or how I should improve my website, I actually just ask my customers. I have always asked for their opinions and listened because at the end of the day, that’s why I do what I do. I don’t always have the answer or know which direction to go, so I just ask.

2) Did you ever have a gulp moment, and get scared about putting yourself out there, even though you knew it would be successful? If so, how did you move past it and get on with it?

Before I left my corporate job to concentrate on Nourished Life full-time, I was definitely worried about making the leap because it was all such a huge unknown. But at the same time, I knew I was making the right choice. People were following my Facebook page, they were genuinely interested, engaged and wanted more, and I knew I was really onto something. I had a gut feeling and just followed it and never looked back.

3) Do you get excited as technology, nature and science emerge to make personal products more active?

Absolutely, and my goodness, there is some incredibly exciting stuff happening now. There are brands who have literally created their own extraction methods to basically take a plant and put it straight into a bottle, so it’s still full of all the plant’s nutrients. Not only that but there are also massive innovations happening in packaging – compostable and biodegradable packaging, and now we can recycle any other plastic bottles, tubes, almost anything through Terracycle so that they can actually be made into new products like benches, tables and even playground equipment.

4) Is it getting difficult to research companies, and sustainability for natural product – production? Agricultural strain can be an issue with demand, how do you future proof?

Sustainability is incredibly important so I look for products with sustainably and ethically sourced ingredients or materials, usually backed up by certifications and transparent practices. There are some well-established brands who have actually used their own organic plantations and biodynamic farms to grow their ingredients for a long time – they have set an amazing example for the entire natural health and beauty industry, and hopefully even more brands will be able to follow in their footsteps in future.

6) Do you have a quirky habit?

I wake up in the middle of the night and have to get up to check that I’ve turned the oven off… even if I haven’t used it!

7) If you could sum up authenticity in a sentence what would it be?

To me, authenticity is not caring about what everyone else is doing but forging your own path instead.

8) As a kid, what was your favorite play time activity?

Riding my BMX!

9) Do you follow a spiritual practise?

No but I do try to meditate when I remember – it’s a really great way for me to relax, refocus and just be mindful.

10) What is the most important aspect of a Nourished Life team member?

I have a pretty good handle on people’s energy. It’s hard to describe, but I get a gut feeling and I can tell when someone is a perfect fit. I can see their commitment, their passion and their determination and I just know they’re truly dedicated to natural health and beauty.

Irene continues to grow Nourished Life, you can listen to her podcast Talking Clean With Irene  and check out the dynamic platform taking the country by storm and setting the standard for companies Nourished Life. 

We acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nation, on whose unceded sovereign land we work. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.