At Home With Our Co-founder Leanne

Can you give us a quick round-up of what you do inside the world of Urban Rituelle?

I am the Co-founder & Creative Director at Urban Rituelle & I have a powerful vision to create a business that makes people feel good. My passion is to create a sustainable business with a philosophy of passion, kindness, care and unsurpassed quality. My role oversees the brand direction, including the look, feel, smell & personality of the brand. I work with all departments in the business, but my main focus is product, people, marketing & finance.

How have you adjusted to the new normal?

As a business we are small, nimble & have the ability to get Sh*t done, quickly. So while others may have been hibernating we were taking action, finding new opportunities & innovating. We moved out of shock mode to opportunity mode, very quickly. We are leading our business with purpose, focusing on our community, our people & our future. We now see this “new normal” as an opportunity to rebuild & improve our business, so we don’t just go back to the old ways of doing business.

Who’s keeping you company during isolation?

I spend a lot of time at home with Scott & my 2 girls Leilani & Malia. My cat Mishka is happy that I am home more & follows me around the house waiting for me to sit down, so she can jump on my lap. I have also been having lots of cocktail hour zoom calls with interstate friends, don’t know why we didn’t do this before!

How do enjoy time together as a family during isolation?

We have been playing lots of different board games, Trivial Pursuit, Game of Life & Smartarse as well as watching The Crown on Netflix & Wes Anderson films. The girls have also been colouring their hair, so that’s taken up lots of time & conversations! I like walking on the beach, but I have to drag the family to come with me.

What are your go-to feel-good rituals during isolation at home?

Daily yoga & meditation is my number #1 feel good ritual, as well as long walks on the beach in the sunshine. In the evening I love lighting my favourite candle, currently Alchemy White Lotus, running a bath, pouring a glass of wine, grabbing my current read, Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton & locking the door!

How do you fuel your creativity when stuck staying home?

The girls & I love to paint at home, I recently painted a beautiful dragonfly with pen & watercolours, I have been told that the dragonfly signifies the beginning of a new era. I also love listening to music & cooking. If I had more time I would get into knitting!

The thing I’m most looking forward to at the moment is…

I am hoping we can travel again soon! Travel is the thing I miss the most, I even love planning to travel. I have a trip booked to WA to swim with the whale sharks in July, that I am desperately clinging on to.

Any words of wisdom you can share to inspire positivity?

I have always had a positive outlook & find a way to see the good in most situations. I surround myself with positive affirmations, I have a pinboard that I look at daily, with my favourite inspiring quotes. I only follow positive feeds on my socials & surround myself with people who also have a positive outlook. When I am feeling down, flat or deflated I go for a long walk, listen to a motivating, thought provoking podcast or talk to a trusted friend. I take charge of my mindset & have trained my mind to see the good in everything.

Leanne’s Self Care Essentials

Alchemy White Hand Cream

I have this Hand Cream next to my bed & every night I make a cup of herbal tea, grab my book, get into bed & apply this hand cream. Each night I marvel at how beautiful this product is, the scent & the formulation! It makes me feel good, because I know we got this product just right plus it makes my hands feel so soft & silky, but never greasy or sticky. 

Equilibrium Hand & Body Wash

With all the extra hand washing required at the moment, I made sure to have my favourite hand & body wash in the kitchen, so that as soon as I walk in the door, I see it & remember to wash my hands! It smells divine, does not dry out my skin & looks good in the kitchen too! 

Hand Sanitiser

I am so proud of what our team were able to achieve in a few weeks, bringing this product to market so quickly. I love this product for a few reasons, it helps keep our community safe, it is a symbol of how quickly we can act & innovate plus it smells better than any other sanitiser I have ever tried, its made with our Flourish lemongrass essential oil blend.