Paula McGovern founded Wizard & Grace Wellbeing in October 2022, and is on a mission to empower busy individuals to integrate simple, daily wellness practices into their routines. Inspired by everyday magic, the brand crafts premium Irish essential oil candles that are 100% sustainable.
I’m Paula McGovern, founder and owner of Wizard & Grace Wellbeing. My background prior to founding Wizard & Grace was in journalism and then charity communications. I have always worked pretty full-on, stressful jobs and balanced the long hours with lots of holistic hobbies, aromatherapy and training in natural skincare and yoga. When I had my daughter in 2018, I woke up to a lot of things – most relevantly, my sense of smell, which was always sensitive, went into overdrive. I could sniff a synthetic fragrance out a mile away and became intolerant, possibly in general(!), but definitely in relation to perfume and synthetic fragrances.
I’ve always loved burning candles while practicing yoga, so when I went back to my home practice and began to burn what I believed to be high-quality and seemingly natural candles, I realised they were fragranced with synthetic fragrance and not essential oils, which I had assumed. I went into full research mode and realised that the vast majority of candles at that time—and now—were scented with only synthetic fragrances and that fragrance is an unregulated area. There is a great deal of greenwashing in this space.
I looked for alternatives and a truly natural, sustainable candle and couldn’t find one, and so began to make my own with therapeutic-grade essential oils specifically chosen to support wellbeing and intentional living.
The name Wizard & Grace is two-fold. At its most literal, it is named after my dog, retired Guide Dog Wizard and the second name of my daughter. I found watching their natural bond form as she grew from baby to toddler to little girl with her doggy loyally by her side, demonstrated the importance and unconscious bond we have with nature that we lose as we grow up and become seemingly more ‘civilised’.
I also love the two concepts – believing in a bit of sparkle and the unknown as well as surrounding yourself in grounded beauty – and think they are important ways to subtly support your wellbeing. As Roald Dahl said: “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” This philosophy is woven into every Wizard & Grace candle, each designed around specific intentions like Courage, Peace, and Gratitude.
Daily routines
In reality, I’m a bit of a night owl, though I try to get to bed as early as I can. No matter what time I go to bed though, I’m up by 7am. As a business owner, I’m sorry to say the first thing I often do is look at my phone to check emails, but I’ve recently left the phone out of the room in an attempt to stop this habit!
I usually do a few minutes of stretches, two minutes sometimes, 20 minutes if I have the time. I try to get organised before my girl wakes up and the school run begins. I usually drink a home-made immunity shot—a blend of orange, lemon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper and cayenne—so I take this first thing. Occasionally, I do a bit of grounding in the garden with Wizard. Then I prepare breakfast and wake up my girl and get the morning started.
I try not to listen to the news in the morning and sometimes either put on a frequency app or just a bit of pop music for a fun jumpstart to the day. I try to leave my phone and emails until after I come home from school drop-off as I find my head can get drawn into work right away. Sometimes I’ll light our Renew candle during my morning routine to create a sense of calm before the day begins – intentional living starts with these small, mindful moments.
The more centred and calm the morning, the more centred and calm the day. But you know life is life – sometimes socks irritate sensitive toes or something goes awry and it helps to be able to go with the flow too and deal with things as they arise. I have a routine but it’s adaptable. Being present but flexible is something I try to embody in how we design our Wizard & Grace candles and pulse point oils. Each one supports you through different moments or challenges. We are a wellbeing brand for real life.
I would like to do a full yoga session and meditation in the morning, but this would require getting up an hour earlier and maybe an hour earlier to bed. It just doesn’t happen and that’s okay right now!
A day in the life
I try to keep my hours of focused work to the hours my girl is in school, so when I come back from school drop-off, I typically make a list of what to do for the day or check in with the list for the week. I don’t always work by list but I find if I do I get more done and feel less scattered. In terms of what I tackle first – this really depends.
As a one-woman show, I am literally the product development/marketing/IT/admin/sales department all in one, so it depends on what events are coming up, what orders are going out, and what season we are in. I try to apply the ‘eat the frog’ mentality – do the thing I’m dreading first, but sometimes I just dive into what I enjoy first!
I work from home 100%. When I launched in 2022, I worked (including on the production of candles) from the kitchen. I don’t know how anyone stayed sane. In early 2023, I built a studio in the garden and this is my base for production and fulfilment. I could do admin from there also but I mostly do that in the house as it’s right beside the coffee machine!
I love working from home and it is so convenient, but it is nice to meet up with people too, which is why I am very linked in with my local enterprise office in West Cork and also why I joined the Image Business Club. I have a good network of small and medium-sized business owners whom I can link in with throughout the day. It is like having colleagues in a way and it’s great having people who both have your back and who you can support too.
There really is no typical day to be honest, though I’m trying to put a bit more structure on having ‘office days’, ‘studio days’, etc and creating a seasonal calendar. Most mornings, I will pack up orders from the day before, pack up retail orders, respond to emails, and get in touch with the 30 retailers in which Wizard & Grace is stocked to see what extra stock they need. Then I also look at product development, make and create products, analyse what is selling well, what may need to be tweaked, and analyse if I need to add or amend anything. Then of course, there is a lot of admin, financial, website, and IT.
And then there is the marketing – as comms and marketing are my corporate background, you would think this would be easier and in some ways it is, but it can be tricky too when you are so close to it – sometimes you need that external pair of eyes to help. I’m linked in with mentors from LEO and the IMAGE Business Club, so I have time slots for these meetings too. Then, if there are upcoming shows and events, there are a lot of logistics around this – ensuring stock levels, production of stock, display materials, managing my own energy levels and fitness for this. I also do in-person training in stores and activations, so these need to be scheduled in and organised also.
Managing energy levels
New product development is probably my favourite task in many ways. I love having an idea and then going on the journey to see that come to fruition. I love holding a new product in my hand, knowing it started from a dream in my head. Recently, I’ve developed a new range of Pulse Point Oils so that people can take our most favourite bespoke scents on the go and not carry around our candles in their handbags (this happens!). There’s something magical about knowing that each Wizard & Grace product will genuinely support someone’s wellbeing through the power of therapeutic aromatherapy.
On the other end of the spectrum, the admin side can be the trickiest for me. I tend to work from my head a lot, but as the business has grown, this is not that sustainable! I need to have systems in place. I find it hard to get the motivation for admin work but actually do find that once I get started, there is a lovely sense of satisfaction that comes with this work. The motivation for it just doesn’t come naturally!
I really try to check-in with myself to reflect as often as possible when I’m super busy and remember that work is only work – as much as I love what I do. My daughter and family come first.
I can take things super seriously and want to do everything right now, but I have to step back from this urge sometimes. When I launched in 2022, I was literally working into the night getting out orders – 2am-ers were standard. It’s just not sustainable. I recognise now that the business is dependent on me being well and fit – things might not happen as quickly as I would like, but they will happen in time with a more balanced approach.
I also try to reflect on the whole concept of being able to do this work – so rather than seeing my to-do list as a burden, I try to reframe it as ‘wow I get to create my own workday’. I think of my ancestors, my grandparents, my mother, the female lineage of my family, for whom this level of independence was not an option. I think of the patriarchy and misogyny that has kept women suppressed for so many centuries – still the case in countries right now – and I really value being able to grow up as a free, independent woman in Ireland, able to start my own business and live life on my own terms.
Obviously, I may not think all that on my busiest of weeks, but the value of appreciation is an intrinsic part of the values of Wizard & Grace. It’s why our candles are designed around intentional living – helping people pause, reflect, and connect with what truly matters.
Like anyone, a highlight is getting a ‘win’ – getting an order, any order – I appreciate every single one of them – or seeing a project come to fruition. My favourite times of the week are probably Monday morning when I have that lovely feeling of the week stretched out ahead and lots of opportunity, time and things to do, and then of course Friday afternoon when I get to close off on things for weekend fun time. I’ve become better at following a 9-to-5 or at least keeping weekends mostly free where possible.
It’s fundamental for me to be able to switch off. However, it can be really, really hard to do, especially when you’re passionate about your work and business. I managed to fully switch off from work in August this year and pretty much took the month off work. The positive difference in my energy and creativity in September was palpable. You can get stuck in a ‘do do do mode’ when you’re only working or consumed with work – it’s important to switch off and reset. It helps your focus and motivation, too.
Life with silent endometriosis
Last year, I was diagnosed with silent endometriosis, so I have been working with a local naturopath, Louise Buckley, on eating a mostly anti-inflammatory diet as well as with my GP. I say mostly because it’s definitely a balance. I was very strict at first but now I have a few treats and normal food and still have coffee. I always would have eaten relatively healthy – apart from my years in college, where I existed mostly on tuna, sweetcorn and pasta and the odd orange! This priority on nutrition is definitely a value from my mum. We grew up on a farm and grew our own vegetables, our own fresh eggs and she always prioritised quality and nutrition over cost, even when money was tight.
I love food; going out for dinner is one of my favourite things to do in the world! I cook and eat a steady three meals a day at home, mostly around the same time each day. While I enjoy cooking, I don’t really enjoy making dinner every day, but I have to balance that with my daughter’s and my own nutritional needs, so I just do it. I tried to get into batch cooking but it just isn’t for me, so I have quick and handy nutritious staples that I can quickly cook mid-week.
One of my worst habits is sometimes forgetting to have lunch if I’m very busy, but I typically remember about 2.30pm when I get fairly hangry about small things! I’m definitely more suited to regular feedings!
Off the clock routines
We are very lucky in where we live – we have a lovely area in our estate where kids and parents gather to play, so oftentimes it’s a bit of fresh air out there with my daughter or we go to the beach for a walk. We used to bring Wizard for a decent walk but he’s 13 now, so he can’t walk very far. I joined Kinsale Mothers and Others GAA last year, so I do that once a week, which is so much fun as well as great for fitness. I also jog or walk with friends a few times a week.
There is also an amazing soundbath studio beside me here in Kinsale—Cosmic Camino run by Kit Ross—so I sometimes go to that midweek. It’s amazing. I’m very lucky to live in such an area of natural beauty with so many activities available to us.
I am currently trying to help my daughter get back to an earlier bedtime after the wild and free days of summer. Once she is tucked up, I often do a little bit of yoga or I might watch a good comedy show. I don’t watch much TV but I do love really good comedy – I actually did a postgrad diploma in comedy writing during lockdown! If I’m mid-series, I will watch about two episodes, but if not I will try to do a bit of yoga and relaxation and catch up with phone calls and text messages from friends I have missed during the day!
Sometimes I’ll light one of our Wizard & Grace candles during my evening routine – our Rest candle with its soothing lavender and chamomile blend is perfect for winding down, or our Peace candle to let go of the day’s stresses. I try to create little moments of calm connection when I can.
On weekends, I love slow mornings where there’s no rushing or having to be somewhere, but contradictorily from about 10.30 to 11am, I then want to get moving and active! Definitely an activity: a good fast-paced walk by the beach or a cycle somewhere scenic, followed by a late leisurely lunch in a nice family pub or restaurant, followed by a catch-up with friends or family and then a movie night. I’m trying to encourage my daughter to watch some of the more family-friendly comedy shows I like so we can watch them together on these evenings, but oftentimes it’s a Frozen marathon by candlelight, and that’s okay too!
Self-care and beauty routines
My most important self-care ritual is walking every day combined with taking a few moments of reflection time every day – not necessarily the ritual of meditation, just a little moment before reacting to life’s stressors or events.
This element of checking in before reacting to things and giving yourself pauses before responding to things is something each of us can do, and it makes a big difference in how we relate to both ourselves and others.
This ritual of reflection or looking inwards is the main philosophy behind Wizard & Grace’s intentional living approach.
In my 20s, I was super strict about skincare. After coming back from a year in Australia, I had a lot of sun damage from enjoying the beach life a little too much, so I had really regular facials and a full Dermalogica routine. Unfortunately, I’m not as disciplined now, nor do I go for that many treatments, but I still look after my skin with good products. I’m very lucky to know really good skincare people too from linking in at shops and events.
I use a relatively new Irish brand, Doctrine Skincare – their cleanser and Vitamin C serum. They are both amazing. I recently switched cleansers to try a new one and my skin revolted, so I’m back to Doctrine. Other than SPF and a Vichy moisturiser, I make my own creams and oils using organic rosehip oil, jojoba and castor oil, blended with essential oils. Most days, I do a lymphatic routine for both body and face, and inversions in yoga are also really good for charging up your lymphatic system.
Every few months I get facial reflexology and foot reflexology locally here in Kinsale. I have limited time and feel that relaxing my nervous system has more benefits to my beauty routine than invasive treatments right now, but that could change!
Dealing with the daily juggle
The biggest challenge I face in the day-to-day juggle of business and life is having enough time to do everything I would like to do! I have had to really prioritise my workload and be realistic about what I can and can’t do. As women, most of us can multi-task, yes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we should multi-task as it can really deplete our energy. Instead, Wizard & Grace is all about trying to do things mindfully and to a high standard, to create the most natural and authentic experiences possible for our customers. I live and breathe by this myself, but it can be challenging.
This is where intentional living really comes into play – it’s not about perfection, it’s about presence. Whether I’m blending essential oils for our candles or responding to emails, I try to bring that same mindful attention to each task.
In terms of advice from my daily routine that I’d love to share with other women in business, I would say to practice self-compassion as much as possible. You can’t do everything, so prioritise what you can do—realistically—and do those things and celebrate the fact you did them. And if you didn’t get to them? That’s okay too. Give yourself a break.
On that note, recognise your achievements every day, and there is always something to celebrate. As women, we tend to minimise our achievements and overstate our perceived shortcomings. It’s important to celebrate your successes, mini ones count, and have a band of people around you who you can share these with and who are truly happy for you.
Incorporate some time for yourself in every day – this could be a full-blown hour-long yoga practice or it could be five deep breaths in your kitchen between tasks. Create little mini-altars or spaces in your home that are calls to inner connection. Our Wizard & Grace intention candles are perfect for incorporating into little nooks that serve as visual reminders to connect to your inner world.
Don’t compare your life to others – hard to do in the world of the insta-perfect, but we really don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, even the immaculate ones. This is the essence of intentional living – focusing on your own rhythm and creating moments of genuine inner connection to better support yourself, your business, your family, your friends and your wider community.
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