Irish Business Spotlight: FemFuelz

Tell us about you and your brand
FemFuelz is an Irish female supplement brand that launched in 2020. While studying at the University of Limerick, I had a burning desire to create a female-specific supplement company that provided only the most premium products. For too long, I felt out of my depth when discussing and taking sports nutrition supplements. The topic often caused me to feel like an outsider, which often led me to ignore my nutritional needs. From this, came FemFuelz’ mission; to fuel, inform and empower females on their journey to being the best version of themselves. From 2018-2020, I worked alongside my brother William to execute this vision. With the input of nutritionists, researchers and strength and conditioning coaches, we came up with a product range consisting of everything from protein to pre-workout and gut balance and greens. 

To date, FemFuelz has had over 60,000 online customers, is available to shop in over 350 retailers, has an online following of over 34,000 people and an email marketing database of over 25,000 subscribers.

What is your mission?
Our mission is to fuel, inform and empower females to improve their everyday living and be the best version of themselves. We truly believe we have managed to de-stigmatise the supplement space as for many years, females were not supporting their nutritional needs and this is what we continue to do on a day-to-day basis. 

What kind of items do you stock?
The FemFuelz range is ever-growing and in the last number of months, we have continued to diversify and provide our customers with products tailored to their needs. From our OG blends which span protein, pre-workout, BCAAs, creatine and protein pancakes to our latest supergreens, gut balance, hair, skin and nails vitamins, there is something for everyone.

What new brands or items are on your radar?
We are closely watching the emergence of interest in collagen blends and this could be the next addition to our range. As well as that, we are working on a super convenient protein option which will be available in the coming months (keep your eyes peeled!).

Was money/funding a concern when starting out?
Yes, without a doubt. When setting up a business you can sometimes be oblivious to what type of bills you can rack up. As I mentioned above, we started working on this in 2018 so from that time right up until the summer of 2020, we had used up all of our savings for the costs incurred to that point. We then took out a €30,000 loan from the bank as a 20 and 22-year-old with a personal guarantee for our first production run of pouches and products and since then, we have been self-funded which is something we are very proud of. We tactically managed our growth through our sales channels, starting with our online store to manage MOQs and stock management before taking on retail. By the time retail came around, we had money in the bank from online to fund that journey so it all came full circle! 

Best business advice you’ve gotten
Probably “a pat on the back is never too far from a kick up the arse!”, closely followed by “keep an eye on cash flow”. But in all seriousness, in business, there are many highs and lows and it can be easy to get too high or too low when good/bad things happen. It’s super important to take challenges as they come and just continue to stick to your mission and values as a brand, everything else will take care of itself. And also… cash flow is super important to anyone reading this. Make an effort to understand the numbers and forecasting, it will stand to you in the long run. 

Favourite wellness accounts you follow
@rozannapurcell – the amazing Irish queen of everything wellness-related. From top hike tips to delicious recipes, we love everything Rozanna stands for! 

@thefoodmedic – Dr.Hazel Wallace’s feed is packed with evidence-based wellness advice, I thoroughly enjoy following her.

@trishastransformation – whether it is a recipe that I feel the urge to recreate instantly, a motivating post or inspo to do your sea swim, I love tuning into Trisha’s account!

Other Irish brands you love
The Head Plan – this journal keeps me on the straight and narrow every day. It is super helpful in ensuring we tick off our to-do list but also focus on short, medium and long-term goals 

The Smooth Company – crucial for my gym sessions and days in the office! I cannot go without my smooth stick and it manages to make you look put together in 20 seconds when you don’t have time on your hands! 

Sinead Keary The Label – for staple blazers and garments perfect for both work and weekends! 

Most useful learning since setting up a business
I think it has to be just managing to take one step at a time. We go through stages where I get easily overwhelmed and think the world is on my shoulders but it’s important to remember to control the controllable, enjoy the waves of pressure, down time and just roll with it! 

Proudest moment so far
I think sometimes people expect this to be revenue-driven or related to a certain deal but for us, it has to be watching our community grow – knowing that we are truly making an impact and difference in people’s lives and providing them with a means to be the best version of themselves like no other brand has. We have created our own customer base that have been with us from the very beginning and the brand loyalty that our crew show us is outstanding. 

I want my brand to be remembered for… revolutionising the standard of female supplements and empowering individuals to be the best version of themselves! 

If I could count anyone as a customer, it would be… I don’t often think about this but perhaps Davina McCall. I recently listened to a podcast with Davina and the way in which she empowers females, speaks out about health topics such as menopause and is open and honest with listeners as well as sharing her journey of life and how she managed to turn it around is truly inspirational. 

Imagery courtesy of Kylie O’Donoghue.