An Interview with Lara Morgan, the Owner of Scentered
Earlier in July, I was lucky enough spend some time talking to Lara Morgan, investor in wellness, owner of Scentered and a shareholder in KitBrix and Yogi Bare. We talked about self-care, how to be kind to yourself and Lara’s 100% natural aromatherapy balms and candles.
Before my chat with Lara, I asked clients and friends if there were any questions they’d like me to ask Lara during our interview; not many people responded and those that did weren’t sure what to ask. This got me thinking that people don’t necessarily know how to look after themselves or they realise too late that they need to recharge their batteries only when they become poorly, and by then they are no good to anyone! When we lead such busy lives, we put ourselves at the bottom of the pile. Our family and friends need us to be at the top of the pile, to be the best we can be, and thus make them happy too.
I discovered that Lara has a written self-care routine! She has 10 points that she lives by every day. Yoga in the morning (sometimes only 15 minutes) means she is more productive during her day and, even if she doesn’t feel like it at first, she always feels better afterwards. She believes looking after yourself means you are a better person and therefore more able to cope with looking after your family and cope with the everyday. Other things on her list are picking flowers, they are free (obviously not from someone else’s garden!) Only the day before I spoke to her, she picked up some pinecones and put them around her house. Looking after yourself doesn’t have to cost the Earth - nature has so much to offer. Just rubbing some rosemary between your fingers and smelling them can lift your mood! Looking after yourself can be free and anything that makes you happy gives you that warm glow and a gentle smile. It doesn’t have to cost anything or take a long time.
Lara remarks that even something as simple as putting your keys in the same place everyday helps you in the future. The next time you need to go out to your car, you know exactly where they are. It takes away a tiny bit of stress, but all these things add up. Preparing for the future looks after you. This reminded me of the daily chore of preparing my children’s packed lunches - I always feel better when I have done them the night before. These simple actions all add up to reduce little pockets of stress and just make life easier.
If it’s been a challenging day, it takes less than a minute to apply a Scentered Balm on your temples and pulse points and really feels like you have looked after yourself after applying it. My absolute favourite is ‘Happy’ – the recipe contains Grapefruit, Lemon Myrtle and Spearmint and it really does smell like happiness that you can carry around in your pocket! Lara explains they are like little Pocket Rockets!
There are six Scentered balm and candle fragrances for every mood:
· Love
· Focus
· De-stress
· Happy
· Sleep Well
· Escape
Scentered has a simple mantra when your day turns more challenging than we’d like: Stop; apply your favourite balm to your pulse points; Inhale with a deep powerful breath; and to Reset, exhale. Lara shared “your breath is your most powerful tool!” How often have you taken a deep breath and felt instantly better?
We talked about bedtime routines. We all know what we need to do but I know I am my own worst enemy when it comes to a bedtime routine. Be disciplined and motivated to go to bed early; cleanse, tone and moisturise; take a glass of water to bed; turn off all technology; apply your Sleep Well Scentered Balm; even meditate, if that’s your thing. These all help towards a better night’s sleep which, in turn, helps you to bounce out of bed the next day and make the most of life. Lara says she always endeavours to make the most out of everyday and gets up early so she can start the day with her self-care routine faithfully. You have one engine in life; why would you not want to make the most out of it?
If you’re not sure how to do this, put the kettle on and make a list of all the things that make you smile and give you that warm glow. How many of these can you achieve every day? Some days it might just be one but at least you looked after yourself. Remember to count the small wins.
To focus on Mental Health Awareness week, the May edition of the Scentered newsletter focused on the theme “Are you OK? No, really?” I shared, a friend asked me this exact question a few years ago, and after the “No, really?” I burst into tears. We discussed how important it is to talk to someone. Lara suggested just turning up to a friend’s house for a cuppa, not just for yourself but perhaps your friend too. What’s the worst that can happen? They’ll say they can’t talk right now but at least you can get a date in the diary and talk at a more convenient time.
We came back to the question “What’s the worst that can happen?” I ask my children this all the time, it’s so important for them to understand. I originally read it from a Dale Carnegie book - it really opened up my eyes to the fact that 99% of the time, you will be answering this question in a really positive way! Lara and I asked this question a lot during the interview.
Our conversation then turned to the menopause. This is a very topical subject at the moment and it’s great that we are talking about it. However, Lara said, and quite rightly so, why has it taken so long to talk about it? We should have been talking about it way before the 21st century. We regularly talk about periods, pregnancy and childbirth so why has it taken so long for the conversation to move onto the menopause? Such a natural process in a woman’s life and yet it’s always been a bit of a taboo subject. Lara recalled how she showed her husband a list of the 28 symptoms of the menopause and warned him she may get all of them, so be prepared! To help, she recommended the Love Scentered balm - with ingredients including rose, patchouli and cedarwood, it’s like you’re giving yourself a big hug!
Lara is a strong believer of the saying “Fake it until you make it.” Be brave, be bold, change the world. When I first met Lara at a Red Bull event in London, she came across as a confident businesswoman who was more than comfortable operating in her business environment. Whilst we chatted over Zoom, she recalls how she was very nervous about being interviewed on a panel where she was the oldest person. And yet, to the audience, she didn’t come across as nervous at all. It just goes to show that whatever image is portrayed on the outside doesn’t necessarily reflect what is being felt on the inside. Yet another important reason to take the time to ask yourself about how you are feeling, and to act upon those feelings.
Lara is an investor in KitBrix, which design and manufacture specialised sports bags. She made the investment because she was fed up with taking her children to sports activities with sports bags that weren’t fully waterproof nor parent-friendly. KitBrix is an organised, indestructible sports bag that takes some beating! It has a waterproof base (no soggy bottoms) so is suitable for all surfaces, a muddy rugby pitch, a rainy day whilst watching footie, a hike up a mountain. They really are incredible pieces of kit and a prime example of removing one of the stresses of the day. They are not another sports bag because there are enough of those in the World, they are a parent friendly sports bag for any activity.
Being a strong believer in sustainability and practising yoga regularly, Lara is also an investor in Yogi Bare, who produce and sell a range of eco-sensitive products designed specifically for yoga, their belief being that yoga is for everybody and every body.
Watch this Space for some great offers from Scentered & KitBrix.
What did I learn from our interview? To write, and commit to, a healthier bedtime routine. Whatever you are going through, a ten-minute exercise session or cuppa with a friend will always make you feel better. Fulfil your life with the things you want and that make you happy. Get up early and make the most of each day.
Remember: be brave and be bold. What’s the worse than can happen?
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