When it comes to health and wellness, there are several brands on the market, and they pretty much all offer similar products. Tulua Sun Wellness, however, is switching up the game.
Kim, the founder of Tulua Sun, has not only created a brand which sells products to help you be your most radiant self – but also offers yoga classes and integrative wellness packages. As Kim says:
We are not just about products and selling. We are genuinely here to lift the joy in this world. To give access to tools to our community that will help them to be the best version of themselves.
Kim
We spoke to Kim about her journey creating Tulua Sun thus far, and much more, read all about it below.
Hello Kim! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and how you got into the wellness game?
Hello, Hey Boo fam. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact point, but I think that’s the beauty of life, the journey is windy and bendy and you are not quite sure what’s around the next corner, but, if you trust the timing and the road, you will always be exactly where you should be, and every moment in your path will end you to your great purpose. And I think that’s what happened to me. I was destined for corporate life, maths and accounting was my thing – but when I finished University I knew there was so much to be explored, I was so young and really didn’t know my “purpose” or “calling” so I set out to go find it, or in other terms – I set off to go and find myself.
That journey presented 8 wonderful years of travelling, from working a Ski Season in Colorado, to teaching English in Vietnam and lastly finding myself as a stewardess on the super yachts – the ocean was calling. It was throughout this path that I fell in love with feeling good in my own skin, I fell in love with wellness. I gently realised that how I felt was deeply impacted by the things I would think, what I ate that day, the exercise I did, the people I surrounded myself with, and the things I did in my spare time – I realised that everything I had known about health (which was eat your greens and exercise) just exploded into a million pieces because health is so much more about what you eat and how far you run. So, naturally, I wanted to study further about holistic wellness – and this path lead me to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition based in New York, I felt like the last piece of the puzzle fell into place, I was learning about things that I was excited to wake up to.
I was still on the boats at this time, so I’d wake up early before my shift, use my breaks, and pull all-nighters to make sure I prioritised my passions. It was a magical time in my life. Now, I was inspired and ready to teach others to feel good too, so the next step was yoga. I flew to Bali to do my teacher training and again, I was reminded just how much health is not just one thing, it is everything together.
I came back to South Africa and we landed straight back into stage 5 lockdown, this was a beautiful time for me and my partner, Matt, we slowed down and studied further. I channelled my energy into gut health. As soon as I had the opportunity, I was teaching yoga and running holistic wellness courses at a Sports Centre in Cape Town. It was through this next step in my journey that it became very evident that people wanted something more, they wanted a community of like-minded individuals, people they called to talk to, relate to, and do things that made them the best version of themselves, and so: Tulua Sun bloomed into what she is today.
You run the brand Tulua Sun Wellness; what does the brand encompass and what sets it apart from others?
Tulua Sun is a lifestyle movement, so we aim to rise above being just a brand and products and showcase that there is a “Tulua Sun way of life” – a life full of joy and peace.
Tulua Sun goes beyond what we’re just putting into our bodies, because we believe holistic wellness, and seeing the whole self, is the gateway to true health. What sets us apart is:
1: Our passion for the environment, and every single decision we make has revolved around our planet’s well-being and our consumer’s well-being. We are a part of 1% for the planet and we give 1% of every order to feed back into our earth – if we take resources, we must give back. It’s that simple!
2. Our procedures for product development are above any other. We have worked so closely with SAHPRA and have every single certificate for every single ingredient. Making sure it’s farmed sustainably, it’s passed every single check and test, it’s vegan – THE WORKS, you name it, we’ve done it. It takes a long time for us to formulate a product and an even longer time to source the ingredients. Absolutely everything we do here is done gently and kindly and with so, so much love.
3. We are not just about products and selling. We are genuinely here to lift the joy in this world. To give access to tools to our community that will help them to be the best version of themselves. This ties in with our holistic wellness – movement, journalling, breathing, relationships – all of these play a part in our health, and we want to be the guide on the side to get our community into their happiest, healthiest, truest state of being.
Running a business is no easy task. How have you found the process thus far?
You are so right, it’s not an easy task. It takes courage, hope and love to pursue your dreams – and the road is definitely not smooth, it is a bumpy ride. There are days when I wish there was someone there to tell me what to do or guide me, like a boss or a manager, but that’s me – I’m the boss and the manager, I’m the one who needs to problem-solve and figure out the next steps. And it can be lonely, and it can be disheartening. But it’s in those moments where I come back to my WHY, why I am doing this? And then just like that, I feel the fire in my heart and the motivation and determination are reignited.
I am very blessed to have the most amazing person in my life, who is constantly lifting me up, he is always there telling me I can when I think I can’t, being my shoulder to cry on when I need to let it out – and he helps me to be brave. Having a strong support system is important, it is very important to surround yourself with people who love and support you no matter what – because the speed bumps are enviable, so it’s about finding the strength and encouragement to greet through them, and in this case – your community is everything! I absolutely love love love doing what I’m doing, I wake up every day with a full heart and am so unbelievably grateful, and gratitude will always outweigh the tough times.
Do you have any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs out there?
Do it. Type the email. Google the manufacturer. Just start. Start where you are, because that’s how things start blooming. It just takes one enquiry, on a day when you are feeling brave and motivated, and send the email. Before you know it, you will realise with a little hard work, and a lot of love – your dream is completely, and totally achievable.
I know that it’s scary, especially because we don’t have the luxury of leaving our day jobs, we’ve gotta eat right? But, that should not stop you, if you feel like there is that one thing you are constantly thinking about, those “I wish” moments, follow that feeling, do the thing. That’s your intuition guiding you into your purpose. And even if it starts as a teeny side hustle, at the end of the day, you’ve started – and it’ll only go up from there.
Be brave, be courageous, and be so unbelievably you that the world won’t even know what to do with you. At the end of the day, that’s your USP (unique selling point), you are the only you there is, so use it.
Getting to know Kim:
- If I had to choose one person, alive or dead, as my inspiration, it would be… Oh my gosh, this is so tough. I think I’d like to sit next to Bob Marley for a day, he had such a gentle way with life, and I think we have so much to learn from him.
- My favourite product from Tulua Sun is… Aaah, another tough one. Hmm, I’d have to go Hormone because I don’t think I could cope without it if I’m quite honest!
- My daily mantra is… I am strong. I am capable. I am enough. Now, live and let be.
Thank you, Kim! Follow her journey below:
