MY PASSION FOR LEARNING IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND ELEMIS

NOELLA GABRIEL, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT ELEMIS, TALKS TURNING 60 AND CRACKING THE GLASS CEILING WITH HER HEELS TO BEAUTY DIRECTOR, JO GB

WE TALK TO NOELLA GABRIEL, MD OF ELEMIS

NOELLA GREW UP IN BANDON, COUNTY CORK, ONE OF FIVE CHILDREN WHOSE FATHER WORKED FOR THE FORD CAR FACTORY. SHE DESCRIBES HERSELF AS A “FREE SPIRIT” AND HAS NEVER MARRIED BUT HAS ONE DAUGHTER KATE, NOW AGED 18. SHE CO-FOUNDED ELEMIS IN 1990.

I JUST adore WHAT I DO. PASSION IS, AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN, MY KEY DRIVER. YOU COULDN’T WORK IN A MORE INTERESTING BUSINESS: BECAUSE IT’S EVOLVING ALL THE TIME

AND BECAUSE WE WOMEN ARE AMAZING – GROWING AND GETTING MORE CONFIDENT.

I THINK YOU NEED TO BE AMBITIOUS IN

LIFE, BUT SOME WOMEN WANT SUCCESS

AND FULFILMENT SO MUCH THAT IT GETS IN

THE WAY. I THINK WANTING IT AND BEING PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING YOU’RE DOING ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. MY DRIVER HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO LEARN, TO EXPERIENCE AND TO MEET PEOPLE – AND IT STILL IS.

A WORK/LIFE BALANCE IS KEY. I AM EXCESSIVE BY NATURE, SO A BALANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFICULT, BUT I THINK IT’S DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN IN GENERAL IN BUSINESS BECAUSE WE ALWAYS FEEL WE NEED TO OVERCOMPENSATE. THROUGHOUT THE 60S AND 70S I TRAVELLED THE WORLD AND ALTHOUGH MY BUSINESS WAS ABOUT BEAUTY AND WOMEN, THE IRONY IS THAT THOSE AT THE TOP ARE STILL, PRETTY MUCH, MEN. SO I NEVER FELT I COULD SAY, “I CAN’T DO THAT”. BUT I THINK TODAY THAT’S CHANGING. THERE IS A PERMISSION TO TALK

ABOUT YOUR LIMITATION WITHOUT IT DESTROYING YOUR OPPORTUNITY. I WELCOME THAT

CHANGE FOR WOMEN WITH OPEN ARMS.

I NEVER WANT TO STOP LEARNING. AGED 60, I’VE JUST GOT A YOUNG GIRL IN THE OFFICE TO GIVE ME AN HOUR OF SOCIAL MEDIA MENTORING ONCE A WEEK! AS WE GET OLDER AND HAVE THESE BIG ROLES, WE THINK WE’RE EXPECTED TO KNOW everything BUT WE’RE LEARNING ALL THE TIME.

THE GREATEST PIECE OF ADVICE I EVER HAD IS “GIVE IT TIME”. WE ALL THINK WE NEED

THE ANSWER NOW! I DRIVE THE TEAM MAD SOMETIMES AND SAY, “I’LL COME BACK TO YOU.” TIME IS MONEY, SO ALL THAT PRESSURE TO MAKE DECISIONS COULD MEAN BEING RUSHED, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO SAY, “NO, I NEED A LITTLE SPACE”. I’LL SLEEP ON IT AND COME BACK WITH A FRESH SOLUTION.

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A PASSION AND CURIOSITY ABOUT SKIN. I SHARED A HEALTH SHOP IN CORK WITH MY SISTER FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. I WAS SELLING LECITHIN AND WHEATGERM 40 YEARS AGO – WAY BEFORE THE CURRENT TREND. LOTS OF WOMEN WOULD TALK ABOUT THEIR SKIN AND THERE WAS THIS PARALLEL WITH GOOD HEALTH.

THE BEST RECIPE FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE IS THE PHRASE “NOW GO LIVE LIFE EASILY”, WHICH WAS RECENTLY SAID TO ME AT THE END OF A MINDFULNESS TRAINING COURSE. IT’S ABOUT WAKING UP IN THE MORNING AND TRYING NOT TO GIVE INTO THE ANGST. THE VALUE OF THAT TO ME PERSONALLY HAS BEEN IMMENSE; BUT ALSO IN BUSINESS WE’RE BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO BRING WELLNESS INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES. THAT’S ALWAYS BEEN THE ELEMIS WAY – WE WERE VERY HOLISTIC FROM THE EARLY

90S, BUT NOW IT FEELS LESS COMPLICATED.

Growing up

I WAS A CLASSICAL MEZZO-SOPRANO GROWING UP. I WAS SINGING SOLO AT 13 AND WON A MUSICAL SCHOLARSHIP AT 15, WHICH DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTED TO MY CONFIDENCE BUILDING AND LOVE OF “THE BREATH”. I STILL HAVE A LOVE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC TODAY.

MY MAJOR TURNING POINT IN LIFE WAS WHEN I WAS 21 AND LOST BOTH MY PARENTS QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY: THEY DIED 3-4 MONTHS APART: MY FATHER FROM A HEART ATTACK, MY MOTHER FROM BREAST CANCER. SUDDENLY, I WAS AT A CROSSROADS AND I THOUGHT “DO I REALLY WANT TO BE A SINGER?” I HAD IT ALL AT MY FEET BUT DECIDED “NO”. I DIDN’T LIKE THE FACT THAT MY WHOLE LIFE WAS MAPPED OUT FOR ME. MY PASSION FOR BREATHING AND WHAT SHAPES THE BODY LED ME TO STUDY NUTRITION AND TRAIN AS A BEAUTY THERAPIST.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO. I’VE BEEN IN PSYCHOTHERAPY ALL MY

LIFE. SOME PEOPLE SAY “WHY WOULD YOU WANT THAT?” BUT IT’S MY ME-TIME. FOR ME, AS A SINGLE PARENT, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HAVE THAT WHILE MY DAUGHTER KATE, NOW 18, WAS GROWING UP, SO THAT I DIDN’T OFFLOAD ONTO HER. THAT’S BEEN VERY HEALTHY FOR ME AND MY MIND.

Inner self

HOW WE MANIFEST OUR LIFESTYLE CHOICES IS VITAL, FROM THE MINUTE YOU GET UP OUT OF BED, HOW YOU BREATHE AND HOW YOU “ATTACK” YOUR DAY. SOME PEOPLE REALLY DO ATTACK IT, WITH A FORCE THAT RESOUNDS THROUGH THEIR BODY LIKE A DOMINO EFFECT. BUT IT’S

ALSO HOW YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR, HOW YOU HOLD YOUR FACE, HOW YOU PICK UP YOUR HANDBAG, HOW YOU ENGAGE EVERY DAY. I HAVE A REAL PASSION FOR THAT ENQUIRY; IT’S BEEN THE WAVE BEHIND EVERYTHING I DO WITH ELEMIS.

I’M A WISE OLD OWL. MY INNER WISDOM TELLS ME THAT IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HAVE A BALANCE. I DON’T THINK ANYONE BENEFITS IF YOU ARE WORKING 24/7 BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT GETTING THE BEST OF YOU. I THINK BEING IN WEEKLY THERAPY HAS HELPED ME KEEP THAT BALANCE.

I’VE HAD MY UPS AND DOWNS IN LIFE. THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF LOSS – MY PARENTS, KATE’S FATHER, BEING A SINGLE PARENT – BUT THERE HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE MOMENTS OF RICHNESS TOO. I’VE MADE SURE MY EYES HAVE BEEN OPEN ENOUGH TO SEE THEM, AND THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. I THINK SOME PEOPLE HAVE MOMENTS OF RICHNESS BUT THEY MISS IT.

I GARDEN MORE NOW AS I’VE GROWN OLDER.

I NEVER THOUGHT I HAD GREEN FINGERS BEFORE, YET NOW EVERYTHING I PUT DOWN COMES ALIVE! I’VE OPENED MY EYES, AND IT’S AS IF MY GARDEN IS MIRRORING BACK TO ME HOW I’VE FLOURISHED IN MYSELF AND HOW I’VE GROWN.

THE WORST THING FOR ME IS TO LOSE A CLIENT. MY THERAPISTS KNOW THAT EACH CONSULTATION IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. THIS CLIENT IS LETTING US INTO HER INNERMOST SECRETS, SO WE HAVE TO VALUE THAT, INTERPRET WHAT’S THERE, TO DELIVER THE BEST TREATMENT EVERY TIME.

I’M NOT SURE IF 60 REALLY IS THE NEW 50. IT’S ABOUT SELF-ACCEPTANCE WHATEVER YOUR AGE. I’VE NEVER DONE BOTOX AND I NEVER WILL. I SERIOUSLY BELIEVE A WOMAN CAN GROW OLD GRACEFULLY: WE OWE IT OURSELVES.