Intuitive Wellness with Anna Heinrich

Felicity Cohen: Hello, I’m Felicity Cohen. I’m so excited to introduce you to my Wellness Warriors podcast. For over 20 years, I’ve been a passionate advocate for helping thousands of Australians find solutions to treating obesity and health-related complications through surgical intervention and holistic managed care.

My podcast is dedicated to all the people past, present, and future who have helped shape my journey and continue to inspire me to work consistently to achieve a healthier Australia for both adults and future generations. I hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to the Wellness Warriors podcast today. It’s my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Anna Robard who first became noted, by all of us who were obsessed with watching The Bachelor back in 2013, so we can’t avoid that reference and I know it’s probably something that you are aware for the rest of your life because we all became so well known. Watching you through that process and your journey since then as an ambassador to so many different beauty brands, what an incredible journey. It’s an absolute pleasure, thank you so much for joining me today. 

Anna Heinrich: Thank you. Thanks for having me. I know it’s crazy. It’s been, next year it’s 10 years. So it’s been a very, very long time, and yeah, we’ve got to celebrate our 10 years next year. So looking forward to it. 

Felicity Cohen: That’s incredible. And, you know, you’ve also had an amazing journey just recently choosing to be involved in the SAS program for Australia and competing in that. What an incredibly gutsy decision to make, so bold, so gutsy, and I just think what a thing for other women to see you put yourself out there like that, to take on board that kind of challenge. And I think to prove to any of us that you can do whatever you want, anything is possible. 

How did you feel about going through that journey?

Anna Heinrich: Well, that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to go on it, to prove to myself, what is possible. And I remember watching SAS when it first aired, and I remember saying, I think it was the first episode ever, I was like, “I would never, ever go on that show” like I just said, “no way” and I never thought I would go on it. And I remember the day, I just had, well, 10 months before I had my little girl, we’re at the park, I was with my husband and I remember getting the call being like, “do you want to go on SAS?” and my immediate thoughts were not, no. No, I’ll leave it, and then my face kind of dropped when I looked at my husband, my husband was like, “what?” and I was like, “oh, they’ve just asked me to be on SAS” and he was like, “well, let’s just talk about it, let’s think about it. Why, why you would go on it, why you wouldn’t go on it?” I was like, “okay.” 

So I was speaking to my agent at the time and I said, “look, sleep on it. I’m going to chat to my husband” and we spoke about it, and I’ve been on shows before, but I didn’t feel the need to go on another show, so for me, there had to be sort of a bigger reason why I’d go on this. And it was too, I think I was at a place in my life where I wanted to challenge myself and throughout my whole life I’ve kind of just been on that steady road, I’ve never done things that were really out of my comfort zone. So when this opportunity came up, I knew it was going to be so difficult, it was going to be well out of my comfort zone and it would’ve just been really easy to say no. So that’s what I wanted to say, that was my go-to, I was just like, “no” I can just sort of live life and it’ll be great and easy as well and I just thought, well, after the conversation with my husband, then agreed to do it. More sort of for the personal growth and what I’d gained from that, not so much for being on TV, but it was to push myself beyond what I thought was possible. And I have had a lot of self-doubt in my life where I kind of go into things thinking the worst and hoping for the best.

Everything I’ve done, I remember when I was doing my law degree, every subject I was doing, I was like, “I’m going to fail, I’m going to fail” and then I end up passing. I’m like, “Okay, I passed.” But then it was just that negative mindset, so I wanted to change that. And that’s one thing that I learned about myself that I can do things and I’ve got to be more positive going into things.

So it was an experience I never thought I would do, but I’m so grateful that I did, I feel that I’ve learned so much and I think I’ve helped a lot of other people realise what is possible when all the odds are against you. And I guess just starting back from the first day when I went into it, and I remember looking at everyone going, there is no way I’m going to be able to compete with these people. Half of them are current athletes or they’re ex-Olympians or people who are very, very fit, and I’m fit but I’m not like an Olympian or an athlete. Like, I did sport, I love my sport back at school, but that was kind of the extent I did.

I had my child 10 months ago and we were in the middle of the pandemic, so no gyms were open, all I was doing was pushing the pram to the park at that point. So when I agreed, sorry, it’s a very long story, I’m like when I agreed to sign on, my whole mindset changed from that moment where I was like, “okay, this is like go time” and I remember from the day that I started training to halfway through, and I only had four weeks, I could see the transition mentally and physically and I was just like, “wow, this is amazing.” Like people say they can’t do things, but when you do put your mind to it, it’s true what they say, you can do it. And I was a different person after two weeks of training, let alone, the four weeks before I went in. Sorry, that’s a very long story! I’ve got lots more about it, but that’s yeah. 

Felicity Cohen: It’s a fantastic story and it’s a story of your choice to push beyond boundaries. It’s courageous, it’s bold, and I think the interesting thing is the mental challenge. It’s not so much just the physical challenge, but learning that when you tell yourself you can do something, it’s incredible to see what the body can do. The body will do what the mind tells it to do. So that interaction between the body and the mind, the physical and the mental capacity to exceed all our expectations and achieve is remarkable. And I’m sure that that’s what so many people see in you. 

They don’t just see the glossy media image, they see this person who’s gutsy and pushing boundaries, and it’s such a beautiful message to see, and I think for entrepreneurs too, you know, you go through so many challenges, you have to cross through these barriers every single day of your life and it’s great to be able to think back to when you are crossing those moments in life, what was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done?

And for me, when I think about that, and I’m challenged and I’m thinking, “oh my God, I can’t do something” I always think about the toughest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and for me, that was a B-grade climb of Table Mountain in South Africa, that was ridiculous in where the conditions that were horrendous without visibility, and I think, “Okay if I can do that, I can do anything.”

Anna Heinrich: Exactly. 

Felicity Cohen: So does this help you feel like, I can do anything? 

Anna Heinrich: Oh yeah. And there are days where I don’t even really feel like going for a walk, but it was so true about the mental aspect of it and training for SAS. Yes, there was so much, the physical transformation I needed, however, it was really about that mental transformation and I wanted that more than anything out of it. I knew that it’s easier to get fit, but changing the mental side of things and starting to believe you can do it and telling yourself you can do it means the world’s difference. And I think it’s more probably like 80% mental, 20% physical because physically I didn’t look or even, I don’t even think I was the strongest on there, but somehow each day as I went through and I was doing things that sort of started switching, going, “actually, no, I can do this. I can compete with these people” and I ended up making it to the second last day whereas I thought that if I could just make it through the first couple of days I would be ecstatic.

So every day that went by mentally things started to change. The one thing I couldn’t see, and I remember speaking to someone who had finished the course and what they said to me is that they could visually see themselves at the end of the course. I think one thing that I would’ve loved to work on a bit more was seeing myself at the end, because even going into it, mentally things had changed dramatically for me. But the one thing I couldn’t see was me being at the end, I just could not see that. And I think physically I was depleting and I wasn’t like, I felt like I couldn’t even lift my legs off the bed towards the end, but I think it was that aspect of seeing myself at the end probably was one of the reasons why I ended up leaving, because I was like, I feel like I reached my full capacity and I do feel like I push myself beyond my limits, but it’s sort of the question of whether or not I could have even gone further. But I do feel like I achieved a lot.

But you’ve also got to see yourself succeeding and I think that’s really important. One thing that I’ve been learning throughout my life is that I shouldn’t be thinking negative thoughts or even little things when I go to the shops, I’m like, “I’m not going to find a park. I’m not going to find a park” and I’m like, I’ve got to change that. You’ve got to be like, “I am going to find a park” because even if you don’t, it doesn’t matter, but it’s that mental side of things that you need to be more positive. And it’s something I’m working on, but SAS helped me so much with that.

Felicity Cohen: I think you did an amazing job and you’re an incredible example and absolutely the power of positive thinking and visualisation. And seeing that finish line is important to have that skill. And it’s something that, you know, yes, definitely, we can all do better and work more on that. What a great lesson. 

Anna Heinrich: Yeah. Thank you.

Felicity Cohen: So, you’ve also been on your own wellness journey and we’re going to talk about your incredible new brand and your product shortly. In your journey, you’ve also been on a bit of a transformation, some weight loss and change for you personally. Can you talk us through a little bit about when did that happen and how did that happen? 

Anna Heinrich: So for me, weight, I’m not someone who focuses too much on weight. Like I’ve fluctuated throughout my life for different reasons. And for me now, I’m probably the fittest I’ve ever been even after having a child. And I remember before having a child thinking, “oh, I’m not going to be able to be the fittest person I can be or be the fittest I’ve ever been, or I’m not going to be able to do the things I want to do, because I’ll have a child now” but it was so funny. After all, I feel like that was just so wrong! And when I had my little girl Elle, I feel like it was probably six months to a year after, I’ve done more than I probably ever have and I’ve achieved more than I’ve ever had, I feel as fit as I have ever, like ever had. So with weight and things like that, it has always been a journey, but I don’t think I’ve ever focused too much on it, but my partner, Tim, he is extremely fit, and it’s just like those like little small changes and those lifestyle changes that make a difference. 

And it’s when you stop focusing on food. I’m not someone who likes to diet or anything like that, but, well, I did in the past where I was like, “oh, I’m not going to eat carbs for a certain period” and then I’m like, “that just does nothing.” I think I put on more weight just not eating carbs than now that when I kind of put it out of my mind. I eat a very balanced diet every single day, I don’t think, “oh, I’ve got to eat this amount” I eat what I feel is necessary to fuel my body and I’m not too hard on myself. I eat chocolate every day, but overall I’m eating pretty well and I’ve just learnt to not be so harsh on myself and my body and know that it’s okay. It’s okay depending on how I’m feeling, if I’m feeling good about myself and I feel like I can get up and do everything I want to do in a day, then I know I’m fuelling my body in the right way.

Felicity Cohen: Fuelling your body is so, so critical to performance and to everything that you do in a day. How has being a mom changed your attitude and your approach to wellness? 

Anna Heinrich: I’ve got to be, it’s hard because I feel like I’m doing so much more now that I find it a lot harder to fit in exercise. So I’ve got to prioritise my health more than I ever have because I want to be the best mom I can be. I want to be around my daughter and be able to go out, go to the parks, go and do things with her. I have found it difficult to just go to the gym whenever I feel like it so I’ve got to plan and prioritise that. And despite not having any time, I’ve got to find the time because it is really important. It has changed from going to the gym, maybe four or five times a week to probably fitting it in once or twice a week at most. However, I’m still trying to do things around that. So make sure I get out, do walks and include my daughter in that and my husband. 

So health and fitness are always just going to be a big part of our life and we’re going to just try and be active no matter what it is, whether it’s going to the gym or just getting out in the fresh air and going for a walk to the park. And we always try and walk places if we can and just make those like small adjustments, or if I haven’t gone for a walk in the week, I’ll be like, “Okay, well, I’ll go to the shop and I’ll walk instead of driving.”

Felicity Cohen: Lovely. So your latest venture, INTU Wellness, I love the name it’s really beautiful, and such a great name for the brand. What was the catalyst for you in launching this and how did you get to this point where this was so important for you? 

Anna Heinrich: So just on the name, where we came up with that. Firstly, a lot of things were taken, we were like trying to get it, it was so hard to come up with a name and you feel like it’s kind of holding you back because you’re like, “you need the name to start, you need the name to start” but how we came up with this name was, it was about getting in tune with your body and your intuition and knowing what your body needs. So it was just after a lot of different chats, conversations, and talking with people, we knew that was just the perfect name. And even though it wasn’t our number one name, now it is our number one name because I think it’s so important, everybody is different when it comes to health and wellness and it’s about knowing what you need, not what someone else needs, but what you need. 

And how we started the brand INTU Wellness, and we’ve got one product at the moment, which is a sleep and skin renewal product, and I was speaking to my girlfriend who I’ve known probably known for around seven, eight years now, and I was pregnant, she had two kids, and we were just going for a walk, she was pushing her pram and we’re just talking about what supplements we take. So I was speaking to my health care practitioner, and my obstetrician because I wasn’t sleeping well. I was exhausted, as you are when you’re pregnant, and I was taking magnesium for that and also the various things I was taking for my skin, like collagen, but collagen for me, I was taking every so often if I could remember, even like, and I do my creams and everything like that, but we were just talking about how there was a gap in the market where there was nothing out there that combined both sleep and skin. And I think what was so important when we did create this product was that our number one priority when it comes to even skin is sleep, and I think people forget that because people want to put the creams on, you want to take all these different things for your skin, but if you’re not having a good night’s sleep, your skin is not going to look great. You’re not going to feel great and it basically affects everything you do from the moment you wake up, and there are supplements out there for sleep, yes, and also skin, but there was nothing out there for both sleep and skin. So this is sort of a health and wellness and beauty brand combined.

So it was more than a conversation between friends, what we take, what’s out there, what’s missing and what we would love to see. So that’s sort of where it all came from. And I’ve taken it every single night since getting it and I’m obsessed. 

Felicity Cohen: I love it, it’s got a really interesting blend and mix of ingredients.

So first of all, you know, sleep hygiene is something that we hear more and more discussed and it’s something that I feel like so many people are sleep deprived. It’s not just about new moms who are struggling all of a sudden to fall into a new pattern or new routine, it could be women going through, who are premenopausal, we hear it all the time, or just the fact that we are so busy.

Anna Heinrich: Yeah. 

Felicity Cohen: Juggling the demands of life in general, that sleep tends to kind of be one of those things that we don’t focus on enough. But we need to understand why it’s so important to get enough sleep. And I would say so many Australians don’t get enough sleep and understanding the benefits of what this is going to do for you from a health perspective is so, so critical and how we function so much better when we do sleep better.

Anna Heinrich: Yeah. 

Felicity Cohen: What are some of the things that you notice in yourself when you’re getting a really good night’s sleep? 

Anna Heinrich: I just think everything works better. I’m in a better mood, I can work out better and there’s, I don’t know if you’ve heard of Masterclass, and there’s this sleep expert called Andrew Walker, and he just talks about, his whole masterclass is on sleep, but one thing that stood out was he was saying like, “if you go and do a workout in the day and you do a workout when you’ve had a good night’s sleep versus you do the same workout when you haven’t had a good night’s sleep, your body reacts differently to that workout and it’s not being as efficient as it could if it had a good night’s sleep.” So I think it comes down to absolutely everything, from the moment you wake up, to your mood, to how you work during the day, how you are as a mom, how you are as a partner, it affects everything. So that’s what I notice and I’m not a naturopath, or a nutritionist, and most of us aren’t, but you do just feel the effects of having a bad night’s sleep. So I think everybody knows when they’ve had a bad night’s sleep and it affects absolutely everything. 

Felicity Cohen: One hundred per cent and magnesium of course are also great for things like muscle repair and recovery. If you’re an athlete or you’re exercising regularly, it’s so good for that. Just muscle repair and recovery are such an important part of it. 

Anna Heinrich: If you are deficient in magnesium and you’re not getting enough from your food. So it is important to sort of like, I know when I feel like I haven’t had enough magnesium, like I know like you were saying, your muscles and just everything you feel like really lethargic and you just don’t feel at your optimal. 

Felicity Cohen: I a hundred percent agree. And I also like to put some magnesium in my bathtub too, because you absorb it well through your skin. There are some other fantastic ingredients in your product for sleep and skin. I’m fascinated by the product that you’ve chosen as an antioxidant, and I’m not going to pretend that I can pronounce it perfectly, so I’m going to let you do that! 

Anna Heinrich: Yes, astaxanthin. So it’s an antioxidant which is 65 times stronger than vitamin C, and it’s also an anti-inflammatory. So when we created this product we wanted to focus on the skin, we knew a lot of things had collagen in them, you can get ice cream with collagen in it! We wanted the best collagen you can get, which is what we’ve got. We’ve got Marine collagen and we were talking about this ingredient called astaxanthin, and our formulator was saying it’s just a very underrated ingredient, and he thought it was fantastic. And when he spoke about the benefits and also the things that collagen has, like skin hydration, skin elasticity, all those things… we were like, we have to have it in here. It did take us a very long time to learn how to pronounce the name. so, we struggled a lot with that. So when people don’t know how to say it, I’m like, oh, it took us like months to get it right.

So, yeah. So the collagen and the astaxanthin target skin and all the other ingredients, overall health and well-being as well. That was very important to us as well, but it was the sleep, which is a passion for us as well because that’s traditionally using Western herbal medicine to reduce restlessness and sleeplessness and it’s a TGA-approved product. So all the amounts in there are shown, and proven to work. So we wanted to make sure, my aim for this product, I was like, “I want to create a product that works, that works.” So when we have reviews from customers saying that they’ve never had a better night’s sleep and things like that, that’s why we did it – because we know how important sleep is.

Felicity Cohen: It’s also got zinc in it and we know how important zinc is unfortunately in the world we live in, our soil is so often depleted and the vegetables that we’re eating often don’t have enough zinc in them. So it’s great to see that that’s a component of this product. Was there a specific reason for you wanting to make sure that zinc was in here?

Anna Heinrich: I think for the reasons you said as well, and it was just that overall general health and wellbeing with this product. And it was funny because I was speaking to one of my girlfriends, she is like, “is there zinc in it because I’m deficient in that” I’m like, “yes it is!” And I feel like a lot of people are, so it was one of those ingredients that we felt that we just have to have.

Felicity Cohen: Yeah, I think that’s fantastic. I remember learning from one of my favourite doctors that, you know, we just don’t get zinc from a supermarket-purchased tomato and we should all grow our own hydroponic vegetables, but that’s not our reality. Great that we’ve got such a, it’s such a beautiful combination of really powerful ingredients. So fascinated, and I’m always doing my research into what’s the next best thing, I can’t wait to try it myself. I’ve heard it mentioned already previously, your product was designed for the modern ambitious woman.

Anna Heinrich: Yes! 

Felicity Cohen: So let’s not forget that you are still young and in your thirties. What about, I think it’s a great product for people like me who are, you know, maybe that little bit older, I’m not going to get into age, but it’s such a great combination of ingredients, and, you know, I’m talking to people every day who have not just weight-related issues, but you know, there might be premenopausal or a hormone concern and they’re often the ones who are not getting enough sleep. So I think it’s just such a great combination. 

Anna Heinrich: Yeah, thank you. And that’s another reason why we created this product. I found that when I was taking certain supplements, I found that I either forgot or didn’t know what supplements were okay to be taken together and in what amounts. So with this particular product,, we wanted to make sure that all, obviously all the ingredients that are together that are there can be taken together and they’re the right amounts. And we are formulating another one with our formulator at the moment to make sure that it compliments this one so if we did take the morning one, the night one, and our morning product that that’s okay to take and those amounts are okay to take. So that was definitely in the forefront of our minds when creating this.

Felicity Cohen: Are there other products that you’re planning to evolve out of your product range? Well, what’s next that you’re thinking of developing?

Anna Heinrich: Well, next one, Felicity is sachets, because I feel like a lot of people for that convenience. We wanted to do firstly, just the one tub and not sachets because we knew that it was a sleep product so it’s not like you’re going to be taking this out in your bag during the day and taking it in the day. We were like, you want to put it on your bench and you want to remember every night to take it. But we are going to, I’ll be doing like travel sachets and then we are creating several different other products, so there will be another one for the morning and then we’ve got a few others in the pipelines as well. So we just want to make sure we get it right, that’s important. We want people to come back and say, “this product works” and they can feel or see the difference.

So we just got to work very closely with our formulator and this product before we signed off, and it took about a year and a half, so we’re taking a lot of care and a lot goes into it. So products are coming up, but it’s sort of probably more towards the end of the year. 

Felicity Cohen: Fabulous. I just want to come back to your perspective on wellness. What do you consider to be wellness? What’s your overall, total perspective on what wellness means to you? 

Anna Heinrich: I think it means taking a holistic approach when it comes to wellness. For me, I am not someone who, as mentioned, I’m not someone who follows diets and is very strict with what I eat, I feel like you’ve just got to know what your body needs and know how your body’s feeling. And if it’s not feeling right then you’ve got to work out what’s going on because as I said, everyone is so different when it comes, and what I need is going to be very different from someone else who needs it. And just trying to understand your body, like when I was younger, I did not think the way I think now, like my whole idea, it was kind of like, I didn’t care so much about my body. I was like, I could drink as much as I wanted to drink, eat as much as I want, eat those bad foods and, that’s okay, but now I see my body differently and I see it working differently. 

So I just want to make sure that I am feeling the best I possibly can. So I take a very holistic approach and I don’t feel like there’s one way. It’s just what helps you feel the best and that’s, yeah, there are a lot of different things. 

Felicity Cohen: Are there a few go-to’s for you in your wellness routine? What would be your top three that you literally cannot live without? 

Anna Heinrich: Wellness in terms of exercise or anything? 

Felicity Cohen: Anything, whether it’s physical or spiritual or any aspect of your whole overall wellness routine.

Anna Heinrich: I think it’s taking time for yourself and just kind of like blocking out all the noise and whatever that may be. I love going to my classes, my reformer classes. I also like going for walks, whether that’s with my husband or just on my own, but it’s kind of just moments where you can block out the noise.

I also like having magnesium baths. Normally my little girl is like knocking on the door, so my husband’s taken her and then I can relax. They’re the things, but it’s just taking time out and knowing that’s okay and that’s what you need and I think it is really important that people, and I do think people are prioritising their health more than ever and I think that’s a positive change. Probably since COVID as well, I feel like more people just want to feel the best they possibly can and it’s working ways how to do that. Me just taking time for myself and knowing that’s OK.

Felicity Cohen: Making wellness a priority in our lives I think is something that we do focus on, you know, in a more acute way than we ever did before cOVID. And I love the idea of having a bit of a digital detox, switching off, going for a walk and, you know, finding something where, whether it’s a reformer Pilates class or whatever it is for you, that you can have that time away from that clutter, the noise and all of the digital space that we’re so engaged with consistently daily.

Anna Heinrich: Yeah, I do struggle with that. I’m always trying to be like if I put my phone down and it’s a struggle, and it’s got to turn off because your mind’s just not going to switch off. [00:28:00] Certain things, if I know I’ve got lots on my plate, I try, especially at night, I’ll try and write it all down so I’m not thinking about the things that I have to do. So I just write it down, know that they’re there and I don’t need to think about them anymore. 

Felicity Cohen: So you’ve been a brand ambassador for some incredibly well-known brands. What does it feel like being on the other side of the fence now as an entrepreneur and launching your product range, what are some of the biggest challenges and things that you’ve learned?

Anna Heinrich: Yeah, it’s taken me a very long time to get here because I just mentally didn’t think I was even capable of creating a brand. And I think things aligned when my girlfriend and I came together, she has a very entrepreneurial background, she’s started a lot of businesses, and I always say that it was great that we met because we’ve kind of both needed each other together to build this brand and get it to where it is. And we’re only about five months in, but it’s doing really well. So it was hard, I never thought I would create a business, I was always someone who I thought if I didn’t, even if I didn’t come into the spotlight or the media, I think I would’ve stayed at the same law firm, probably for the rest of my life and I never would’ve ventured out because I was too scared to do something that I didn’t think I was going to be good at. And I think that’s just stemmed from my family. My dad had the same job for most of his life, his dad had the same job for most of his life, and I just didn’t think I could create a brand.

And I also didn’t want to create a brand that I was just doing for the fun of it or just because I want to have a brand. Like I wanted something that I felt very passionate about, that I could talk about and I believed in, and it wasn’t until creating the products, that the best thing about it is when people come and say how it’s helping them and for me, that’s what I wanted in creating something and that’s why for so long, I never did. 

So it has certainly been a journey. There’s been so many ups and downs and I’ve learned so much and I’ve got so much to learn. There is so much to learn when starting a business, and I think it’s expecting the unexpected, things are going to pop up that you didn’t think would even happen. And you can try, I like to be in control and plan everything, and that’s almost impossible. You can do it to an extent, but there are so many different things thrown at you and you’ve just got to be like, “Okay, here’s another hurdle, how do we get over it?” And when things happen, we try not to get angry about it anymore because they’re just going to continue to happen and that is just business. You’ve just got to work out, okay, this has happened now, how do we get past this and move forward? So I think the thing I’ve learned most is just to expect as I said, the unexpected and just deal with the things that come up the best way you possibly can.

Felicity Cohen: There’s going to be problem-solving every single day and no matter what you’re going to have to face it. 

Anna Heinrich: Yeah. 

Felicity Cohen: Do you ever feel like you miss the law or miss having had maybe that safety net, because to me that shows incredible strength, courage and great self-esteem that you feel that you struggled with, but you’re showing everything that demonstrates to us that you are anything but lacking in the self-esteem and, and bold boldness and courage. Is that ever something that you think, oh, what would that life have been like for me? 

Anna Heinrich: Ah, yeah, and I’m so grateful that I’m not there. I’m so grateful that I met my partner who allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and do things that I didn’t think were possible, and I know they are possible. And for me, just back in the day, I just never thought I would ever be considered an entrepreneur, I just did not think that because I was like, not me. Like, I can’t come up with an idea, I can’t do this, I can’t do that. So I’m so grateful I’m not there and law wasn’t for me, it never was for me and I felt like I fell into it because I never knew what I wanted to do.

So now that I’m here, I’m so grateful that I’m here and I get to experience this and do something that I’ve never done before and learn so many different things. So I’m very grateful for where I’m at the moment and you just never know what life holds for you. And I think one thing I’ve also learned is that you’ve got to be open and you take each day as they come and accept opportunities that come in as long as they’re right for you but then allow you to move forward and do other things that like ten years down the track, I don’t know where I’m going to be and I think that’s kind of exciting and I’d prefer that than the life that I was living before. 

Felicity Cohen: It is exciting and I’m quite certain that we’re going to see more and more amazing things from you in the future. Thank Anna. 

Finally, our listeners are all Wellness Warriors and we know that wellness is worth fighting for once you lose your health, you spend the rest of your life fighting to get it back, whether that’s physical or mental or spiritual. And something that’s always inspiring is to learn about how others are going on their wellness journey.

So my last question for you today is can you share with us a time when you were struggling with your wellness and what did you do to fight for it or reclaim it? 

Anna Heinrich: So I think I was struggling probably my whole life when it came to the mental wellness of fighting in the belief like in myself. So I just didn’t believe in myself and I think the one thing that going on SAS did for me and I know not everyone can go on an experience or do an experience like that, it is just putting yourself out of your comfort zone and trying things for the first time and doing things you didn’t think you could do. And I don’t know what that would be, but it’s going to be different for everybody.

But if you feel like you can’t do something, my only advice is to give it a go! I’ve experienced that and I went into that experience saying I can’t do this and even if I didn’t make it to where I was, I made it on the show, I know that like I put myself out of my comfort zone. I would’ve learnt so much, even if I’d lasted two or three days, and I think everybody on that show, no matter where they lasted, learned so much. 

So for me, it was self-doubt. And I struggled with that my whole life and I still do, and I feel like most people do. And you have that imposter syndrome, not good enough, and you’re doing this and are people going to find out that you are not as good as what they thought? So for me, it’s just doing things that you didn’t think you could do, and that probably be one of my tips. But yeah, hopefully, that helps! 

Felicity Cohen: You’re full of surprises. I think I saw a quote that no one expected you to survive beyond day four of SAS, and look what you did! You had to shock the world so well done.

Anna Heinrich: Thank you. 

Felicity Cohen: And congratulations on your beautiful new range. I’m excited to see INTU Wellness, grow and expand. And most of all, thank you so much for joining me on the Wellness Warriors podcast. 

Anna Heinrich: It’s been a pleasure, thank you.