For International Women's Day, and we asked some of the incredible women behind the brands we stock at Faerly one simple question: What's some great advice you've ever received from another woman?
For International Women's Day, and we asked some of the incredible women behind the brands we stock at Faerly one simple question: What's some great advice you've ever received from another woman?
This year's IWD theme is "Give To Gain", and that's exactly what came through in their answers. Every piece of advice here was something freely given by one woman to another, and it stuck.
Knowing these women as we do, it's no surprise that the women in their lives give amazing advice. Every single answer that came back felt like something worth passing on, so here they are.
"Explode into rooms. Don't make yourself small to fit in. Make them see how you shine!"
Feebee Foran, Forager
Feebee is a herbalist, forager, and the founder of Forager, an award-winning natural Irish skincare brand made with foraged native wild herbs. You might also recognise her as the resident forager on Ireland AM.
If you've ever met Feebee, you'll know this couldn't be more fitting. She's the queen of big smiles, big hugs, and infectious energy. She doesn't just talk the talk on this one.
"Trust in the season you're in."
Laura Dempsey, Pickled PomPom
Laura is the founder of Pickled PomPom, a colourful, feel-good brand of greeting cards and prints, all designed and made in Ireland. She's also the artist behind our Saoirse print for Palestine.
Laura picked up this gem through Going for Growth, the mentorship programme for Irish female entrepreneurs, where she was mentored by Chupi Sweetman. Two things stuck with her.
The first: trust in the seasons of your life. There will be periods where you're all go, motivated, energised, ideas flying. And then life shifts, your children need more of you, and that becomes your priority for a while. "It doesn't mean you have to park your dreams," says Laura. "Sometimes you just have to trust in the season that you're in and go with it." You can't always be a mother, a business owner, an innovator, and someone constantly coming up with newness, all at once. And that's okay.
The second: "If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough."
Between the two, there's something really grounding. Permission to breathe, and a nudge not to play it too safe. Not a bad combination for any woman in business.
"Give yourself permission to get a cleaner."
Joanna, Irish Socksciety
Joanna, along with her co-founder Alex, runs Irish Socksciety, the Galway-based brand designing colourful, quirky socks inspired by all things Ireland.
This one might sound practical, but it goes deeper than that.
It was Joanna's third pregnancy after two traumatic labours. She had a toddler at home, and as two self-employed parents, the question of how to manage it all and still be present for the good parts never went away.
"I'm in a loving, equal partnership," she says, "but the sense of pride, or obligation, was constantly present within me." When her husband suggested hiring cleaners, she resisted. Until she didn't.
One day, instead of frantically cleaning before visitors arrived, she found herself sitting on the floor playing with her kids. She burst into tears. Not from stress, but from the peace of being present.
The lesson, as Joanna sees it, is simple: ask for help. "We'd been so used to doing everything ourselves that we were exhausted. But it really does take a village. And letting people support you can change everything."
Three women, three truths
Lisa, Anna & Emma, Nibbed Cacao
Lisa and Anna are the aunt-and-niece duo behind Nibbed, a women-led organic cacao brand handcrafted in Co. Wicklow. They're joined by marketing manager Emma, making them a mighty team of three. We asked, and all three delivered.
Emma: "Feel the fear and do it anyway."
Lisa: "You will never be finished. There is never an end to the list! So don't try to."
Anna: "You can have it all, but not all at the same time." Anna credits Emma Grede with this one, and says she has to keep reminding herself of it.
Three different women, three different angles, all pointing at the same thing: give yourself a break, keep going, and stop trying to do it all at once.
"Business can be fun, conducted with love, and a powerful force for good."
Alix Mulholland, Field Day
Alix is the founder of Field Day, the Co. Down home fragrance brand that's been capturing and bottling the scents of the Irish countryside since 2002. Think wildflowers, peat fires, and freshly cut grass, all hand-poured in their converted mushroom factory near Saintfield.
Alix drew her inspiration from someone many of us will remember fondly: Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop.
"When I was starting Field Day, I was hugely inspired by Anita Roddick. I spent countless happy Saturday afternoons in the 1980s in The Body Shop in Lisburn, County Antrim, obsessing over White Musk and Dewberry, buying cute bath pearls, all under the badge of cruelty free. She was such a pioneer and the inspiration to so many entrepreneurs like myself."
Alix loved Roddick's book Business as Unusual, which she borrowed from her local library in Finaghy. "She had so much wisdom. I just loved her whole business ethos and that there was a different way for business to operate. It struck such a chord with me."
The advice that stayed with her? Anita's passionate belief that business can be fun, conducted with love, and a powerful force for good. "At the heart of her vision was love, kindness, respect and responsibility."
We've never articulated it as well as this, but it sums up what we want to do at Faerly too. Sometimes with the busy-ness that comes with running a business we lose sight of it, so this is a wonderful reminder.
"Trust the process."
Amy Cahill, Oxmantown Skincare
Amy is the founder of Oxmantown Skincare, a natural and ethical skincare range handmade in small batches from her studio in Stoneybatter, Dublin. Her background in aromatherapy and holistic therapies shaped her philosophy of using only the finest organic botanical ingredients.
A friend shared those three words with Amy, and they really stuck.
"It shifted my perspective on balance and self-compassion. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when you're juggling a lot. The reminder that it's okay to take things one step at a time, and that imperfection is part of growth, has been really helpful."
"In business and life in general, I now try to focus on consistent effort and actions within my control rather than stressing over immediate results or outcomes."
One of our core values at Faerly is progress over perfection, so this one really resonates with us.
"You do you."
Elaine Kennedy, Hawthorn Handmade Skincare
Elaine is the founder and maker behind Hawthorn Handmade Skincare, crafting 100% natural skincare in small batches from her family farm in Co. Mayo, on the shores of Lough Carra.
Simple advice from her friend Melissa Moore, host of The Retail Tea Break podcast. Both Elaine and Melissa are active in their local branch of Network Ireland, the women-only professional networking organisation, so it feels very fitting for today. It's advice Elaine carries with her every day:
"Be authentic, don't be afraid to be yourself, and don't be afraid to speak up for yourself."
"Don't be so hard on yourself."
Aisling Walsh, Bodhi Blends
Aisling is the founder of Bodhi Blends, creating handcrafted aromatherapy and botanical skincare in small batches in Ireland.
The most impactful advice Aisling gets comes on a regular basis, from her mum. Some version of "don't be so hard on yourself" or "give yourself a break" or simply "enough of that!"
As a self-described chronic overthinker and perfectionist, Aisling can really get stuck in the weeds. "Anyone who has ever asked me a simple question about a product and has received an essay response instead of a 'buy this, it will help' will vouch for this!"
The cosmetics industry is full of wild claims and greenwashing, and Aisling's desire to be transparent and honest means she can struggle to market her products without over-explaining. "So it's great to have such a stable, supportive, strong female presence in my daily life to remind me to believe in myself, that I am doing my best, and to trust that it shows in what I make and do. And just to shut up sometimes!" She's working on it.
"No one has it all figured out. No one."
Kylie Maher, Be Kind Incense
Kylie co-founded Be Kind Industries in Co. Wicklow, creating luxury hand-rolled incense and essential oil blends, with each fragrance thoughtfully paired with a sacred site or landmark from Ireland.
"It really helped me let go of perfection and just get started, trusting that things unfold as you go. I still battle with the perfectionism thing at times, no doubt every human does, so it helps to remember this!"
"A rising tide lifts all boats."
Janni Sjostrand, Janni Bars
Janni is the founder of Janni Bars, handmaking natural, plastic-free shampoo bars, conditioner bars and soaps from her base in Co. Longford. Originally from Sweden, Janni settled in Ireland and started making bars in 2018, first for horses (yes, really) and then for the rest of us.
"A rising tide lifts all boats, and I think it's so true. Lifting others up helps everyone and everything."
Short and spot on. And very fitting for International Women's Day.
Happy International Women's Day
To every woman building a business, raising a family, caregiving, leading, creating, studying, surviving, resting, starting over, or simply getting through the day: this is for you.
Ask for help. Explode into rooms. Feel the fear. And remember: you can have it all, just maybe not all at the same time.
To the makers and creators behind the brands at Faerly, thank you for sharing your words with us.
Mnásome, every one of you.