- 29 June 2021
- Posted by: Canberra Innovation Network
- Category: Women in Innovation
We interview women in our community about innovation and what drives them to make a difference in their industries. This week we spoke to Swan Ricco, Founder of LIFALAB.
What are you working on?
I am the founder of LIFALAB™️ where I created a range of innovative products that offer transparency through design and formulations to encourage people to take natural ingredients and eliminate toxins and chemicals from their daily consumptions, and not only taking charge of their health and wellbeing also helping the carbon footprint reduction to save our planet.
After many years of research, I started LIFA LAB™️ to share the secrets to naturally maintain a healthy body and mind passed on to me from different generations of knowledgeable people in my family with the mission to help and educate people to achieve a healthy lifestyle through all-natural organic ingredients that mother earth provides.
Why is innovation important to you?
I believe where imagination exists, innovation starts. Innovation changes our perspectives, provides us with new pathways to observe and experience life. It challenges us to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, makes us say no to limitations, and moves us to turn something that once was imaginary into a reality. It is important to know innovation is not only providing creative solutions to problems, it’s a journey of advancing and the process that shapes human growth. It changes societies, encourages people to evaluate their capabilities, awakens people’s spirituality to reconnect with their inner source of power. It forces unity with others, brings people together to reach out and join forces to reevaluate, reassess and redirect to find solutions to problems. It’s phenomenal and important to be a part of the journey of advancement and growth.
What drives you to make a difference?
I want my life to mean something to people. I changed my industry from architecture and design to health and wellness to pursue my passion for help, and my calling for change; the urge to help and educate people drives me every day to make a difference. To me, it is heartbreaking to be witness to people suffering from diseases and pains, who left out with no answers. I feel it’s my duty to educate and awaken people about the forgotten knowledge and the facts of human survival through natural organic living.
Now more than ever we need to start looking into the lessons from history, investigate the knowledge and wisdom documented by different nations in relevance to thousands of years of human survival, learn and advance the studies in new ways to create and build a better present and future. We have to stop destroying ourselves and our planet.
Do you have any advice for getting more women into the innovation ecosystem?
- Do not wait! Do it, and do it now! – You don’t need to know everything to start.
- In case someone doubts starting the entrepreneurship journey, think this way; Whether you work for yourself or for someone else, any job comes with responsibilities and challenges. You can choose your battle! Would you rather accept the challenge to build a life around your calling and passion or would you choose to work for someone, go around a circle for years and forget about your passion!?
- Create a clear vision for your life. Know you are an unstoppable and capable force for doing anything. It’s quite amazing to remind ourselves, Women are natural creators, problem solvers, and multi-taskers under severe pressures with the ability to create and nurture another human! Do not limit yourself.
- Find your passion and calling to pursue; Never let anyone tells you what’s right for you! You know yourself better.
- A step forward no matter how small, is a step forward, all progress counts, what really matters is that you take action.
- Do not be afraid of failure or rejection. Know in times, we all will fail and get rejected like other humans. Allow yourself to make mistakes but take ownership of them, look at life as a learning journey, and mistakes as learning lessons; You only master things as you practice, So don’t go hard on yourself. Move on, try different approaches, and never ever give up. Be loyal to yourself. Give it your best shot, you never know what you can do till you try! Worst-case scenario you restart again.
- Remember you are not alone, reach out and ask for support; We are blessed to live in a great country and this amazing city with lots of resources and supports.
What are you proud of right now?
I am so proud and humbled by knowing that I designed and formulated products that are new innovations that help to better people’s wellbeing and protect the environment. However, this has been a long journey of years of studies and researches including many tests and twists, I am so proud that I acted upon my calling and took the risk to start a company that serves people. I get goosebumps every time someone sends me a thank you note sharing their positive feeling about my mission and the products.
Also, I had really bad experiences working in discriminatory workplaces, so I am proud to say I created a safe, secure, and flexible workplace for women to start their careers and joining us to be a part of our life-changing mission, making a difference and help the environment.
I am proud to say with each purchase from our website we plant one tree as part of our company`s commitment and we encourage everyone to take a look at steps forward to save our planet.