Any narrative that begins with two SA women putting their heads together to create something that they’re passionate about, and ends with them completely kicking arse, makes us SUPER happy. The story behind new plant-based supplement brand Lovewell, is exactly that. Christiane Duigan and Teresa Palmer have created their new products “Blossom” and “Grow” to benefit busy mums, and to help them to find the time to nourish themselves and their littlies. We had a chat to these two Inspirational Adeladies to find out a little bit more about how they’ve built themselves a brand!
Firstly… a little bit of backstory!
Christiane Duigan is a celebrated wellness entrepreneur and trailblazer in the online retail space. Christiane established herself as an industry leader in her former role as co-founder director of global health company, Bodyism. With clients such as Hugh Grant, Rita Ora and Pippa Middleton, Bodyism, under Christiane’s guidance, changed the shape of the wellness landscape across the world. Returning her focus to her family, Christiane relocated home from London to Adelaide in 2017 where she now lives with her husband, James, and their three children. Christiane continues to be an active advocate and figurehead in the international health and wellness community.
Teresa Palmer is a conscious parenting blogger, writer, film producer and international actress, best known for her roles in Warm Bodies, Berlin Syndrome and Hacksaw Ridge. Teresa’s passion for wellness spurred from her time in Hollywood, where she had access to the world’s leading nutritionists, holistic therapists and health experts. This led to the launch of her online platforms, Your Zen Life and Your Zen Mama, which are heralded as an online mecca for holistic living. Now living bi-coastal between LA and Adelaide, Teresa, and her husband, Mark, have just welcomed the arrival of her third child, Poet.
1. What’s your daily mantra, or what’s a saying that you repeat to yourself to pick yourself up?
C – It’s less about a daily mantra and more about taking time out in the day to make sure that I do the things I love and that energise me. I love going for beach walks and listening to podcasts about mothering children, or inspiring stories of business success stories.
T – I don’t have a daily mantra per se, but I cherish a life filled with love, children, adventure, exploration, compassion, consciousness, wellness and philanthropy. When I really focus on these key aspects of my life, I feel most aligned and reenergised.
2. What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given?
C – To listen and consider the advice that people give you, but remember that no one knows better than you. Always follow your intuition!
T – In the early days of my career I was so fixated on people’s judgements of me, I wanted to be accepted and took all criticisms personally. Someone once told me that as long as I’m happy within myself and being as authentic as I can be, that’s all that matters. I’ve held on to that.
3. Who is the person that you look up to the most?
C – I look up to many different people for different reasons. I’m constantly inspired by my mum for the joy she finds in simple things and my dad, for having the patience of a saint! But it’s my husband James that I most admire and constantly learn from. He always brings out the best in me.
T – Since becoming a mother I am constantly inspired by mothers around the world, who give themselves every day and try to strike a balance between all the busy aspects of their lives. Particularly, my own selfless mother, with her generous heart, and my Nanna who raised 8 children and continued to have such a vibrant and connective life, whilst being the most trustworthy, loyal friend and a great mentor to so many. I also look up to the helpers out there, the people offering care and being of service to those in need, and the dreamers; carving out their dream lives and rewriting their stories with their hearts full of passion, hope and drive.
4. What’s your favourite place in SA?
C – I’ve been back from London for a year now and am loving Adelaide so much. I especially love South Australian beaches. The long, white stretches of sand with no one else in sight are perfect for lazy days with family and friends. February and March are my favourite, with the Fringe and WOMAD – we were there almost every day!
T – I have such fond memories from my adolescence of Semaphore beach in the summer. Now that I live in Adelaide again, it’s such a treat to be able to take my kids there to experience what I loved as a child. Watching breathtaking sunsets, reading on the soft sand, taking the kids for a swim on hot evenings – it is just a beautiful, dreamy family beach.
5. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
C – The tooth fairy – I guess I have accomplished that!
T – I have always loved animals and as a kid, wanted to work rescuing animals.
6. We love to celebrate the little wins – what was one of your most celebrated moments in your business?
C – We have been so overwhelmed and thankful for all the support we’ve received at Lovewell. It’s only a few weeks old but we have already sold out within a few weeks of pre-launch – that’s a win for sure!
T – I agree, we are so delighted that Lovewell has been so well received and it’s incredible that it has sold out on the first run. A wonderful personal and professional moment was when my son, Forest, taste tested GROW for the first time – he was the first kid to try it and he absolutely loved it, it was such a beautiful moment for us and such a win as a Mum to see him enjoy something so good for him!
7. When you got your first pay check EVER, what’s the first thing you bought?
C – I had lots of little jobs growing up, like delivering the Messenger and doing some modelling. I’m sure I would spend some of it buying chocolate, but I did save most of my earnings and, when I was old enough, I bought an ‘around the world’ ticket and went travelling.
T – When I was 19, I used my first acting pay check to buy my mum a house. But, with my first EVER pay check, I bought a $40 subwoofer from Cash Converters, so I could blast “Dr Dre” from my bright yellow Hyundai Accent car – I was very cool!
