Inspiring Female Founder Spotlight: Dr Simoné Laubscher PhD

Dr Simoné Laubscher PhD is a globally-recognised nutritionist, naturopath and wellness expert who has been at the forefront of functional nutrition and wellness for 25 years. She is the founder of Rejuv Wellness which has clinics in both London and the UAE; Dr Simoné also formulates WelleCo’s ingestible beauty-through-wellness collection alongside founder Elle Macpherson. 

Can you tell us a little about your background and the company?

After struggling with my own health issues, I treated myself successfully following my graduation from university with a BSc majoring in nutrition. This fuelled my ambition to continue learning and I went on to complete an M.Sc and PhD in Naturopathy and Nutrition. My approach has always been about using a holistic, scientific and naturopathic approach that involves looking beyond symptoms to find the root cause of health issues, which is the only way to break the cycle of disease and set about long-term healing and restoration. 

I founded Rejuv Wellness on London’s Harley Street 20 years ago, with my husband Dirk Laubscher, and started formulating my own line of whole-food organic supplements 15 years ago due to my frustration with the rise in synthetic vitamins on the market, that were preventing my clients from gaining optimum health. 

In 2012, Elle Macpherson came to see me as a client, suffering from many health issues including inflammation, hormonal imbalances, sugar cravings, weight gain, low energy, poor sleep and digestive issues. Helping Elle with her wellness journey and developing what would become WelleCo’s foundational product The Super Elixir™ is how I became Elle’s business partner, formulating WelleCo’s collection of plant-based ingestible beauty and wellness supplements. 

How did the idea come to you for the company?

Having battled with my own issues including eating disorders, metabolic and thyroid issues and infertility, I am passionate about empowering my clients to break free of their own health challenges and to find their bespoke healing road map through mind-body balance. I believe that the fuel that one eats, coupled with the function of all 11 systems of the body, is the key to creating each client’s custom healing and wellness protocol – and this is what I set out to achieve through Rejuv Wellness. 

How did you achieve awareness?

We simply grew organically and stayed patient-focused. We developed reproducible, reliable results based on research and clinical practice. Our clients shifted into optimum health quite quickly and they told their friends and family – and the business therefore grew fast. We were also blessed to treat many famous clients through word of mouth; this is how Elle was also referred to us. It’s been a wonderful journey helping thousands to get well – and there is no greater joy than to help others shift into vibrant health.

What are the key successes?

We are all identically different, so developing methods that allow us to treat our clients targeted to their bespoke issues has been the cornerstone of our success.  By developing our ‘Seven Pillars of Wellness’ we can look at a client holistically and find their unique healing code. We also view the improved health of each and every one of our clients as a key success. Whether it’s helping Royal Families, celebrities or everyday people like ourselves; we just love helping clients break their cycle of poor health so they can thrive and live a life they love. 

What were/are the challenges and how have you overcome these?

Like all businesses, we need to be flexible and change when the market changes. Being flexible has helped us scale up with each challenge that comes along. For example, when lockdown hit we had to be flexible to shift to online consultations and find ways to improve our shipping methods for clients who needed our supplements more than ever.

Our naturopathic and nutritional sessions were easy to switch to online for I had been treating clients on skype for many years so we just improved our virtual offering. Supporting our client’s Body Balance and Movement pillars were a little trickier, but we thought outside the box and became flexible to support our clients to do basic home maintenance protocols until they could come back into our clinics for physio and body work appointments. If you stay client-focussed and find solutions for clients’ needs, the business will continue to flourish.

What are your plans now/for the future?

Since we now treat clients virtually all over the world, our goal is to make sure we can support them with our Seven Pillars of Wellness, including supplementation. We are opening another clinic in Australia and we are finally revisiting our Rejuv Wellness Retreats. Before the pandemic we ran these retreats three times a year, so are thrilled to be starting back at the end of May, at the beautiful Chewton Glen in the New Forest. 

We will also see further expansion of Rejuv and WelleCo’s beauty-through-collection this year, with some hugely exciting new products that I have formulated with Elle and the team soon coming to market.

What would you like to share with others to encourage them to start their own entrepreneurship journey?

To run your own race and don’t compare. Find your niche and grow your skills so you can help satisfy a need to help improve your client’s lives. I feel if your heart is in it and you love what you do, no obstacle will be too big and you too can build a healthy company to help the nations. 

Can you share your top tips for entrepreneurial success?

Be flexible; be consistent; be your biggest cheerleader; form habits that support you long term-term, for your habits are the hinges of your destiny; be kind; see all things as the glass being half full; embrace gratitude; write your vision and make it clear; have a servant heart; and enjoy the journey, for out of the joy of what you do this will overflow into all areas of your business and ultimately allow you to help more people than you ever dreamed. 

Who are the 5 people who inspire you the most and why?

• Dr Bruce Lipton, the founder of epigenetics who freed us all from becoming victims of our hereditary and instead empowering us to know that we can influence our genes (good or bad) with our lifestyle and thoughts.
• Gandhi and Mother Teresa, for they literally were the change they wanted to see in the world.
• Dr Joe Dispenza for inspiring my husband and I to do another MSc in neuroscience, encouraging us to learn more about the power of our minds so we can then empower our clients to scale up their wellness and mind-body balance.
• Elle Macpherson, for she is not only my dear friend and my business partner but, through her example she inspires me to be the best version of myself in all areas of my life – as a mother, scientist, formulator, entrepreneur and friend.

What are your favourite inspirational /motivational quotes?

1. Be the change that you wish to see in the world ―Mahatma Gandhi
2. The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts and perception about it – Eckhart Tolle 
3. We are not the victims of our hereditary, we are the master of our hereditary for we can change things at a cellular level – Dr Bruce Lipton
4. We cannot create a new future, by holding on to the emotions of the past – Dr Joe Dispenza
5. Turn your mess into a message – Dr Caroline Leaf

What are your Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn social handles and also website links so our readers can connect with you?  

Website

Rejuv Wellness: https://rejuv.co.uk

WelleCo: https://www.welleco.co.uk

Instagram:

Simoné: https://instagram.com/simonelaubscherphd?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Rejuv Wellness: https://instagram.com/rejuv_wellness?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

WelleCo: https://instagram.com/welleco?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

LinkedIn:

Simoné: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-laubscher-phd-b3bba022

Rejuv Wellness: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rejuv-wellness/

WelleCo: https://www.linkedin.com/company/welleco/

Facebook:

Rejuv: https://www.facebook.com/rejuvwellness

welleCo: https://www.facebook.com/welleco/