Femmze Files
Q&A with Carla Oates
Name: Carla Oates
Occupation: Founder, CEO & Creative Director of The Beauty Chef
Social handle: @thebeautychef
Femmze life
WHEN DID YOU LAST FEEL HAPPIEST?
When my son Otis arrived home from his European tour with his band Royel Otis.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SOUND?
Heavy rain, a crackling fire, the sound of my children’s guttural laughter. And of course my son’s band Royel Otis.
WHAT IS IT THAT MOST ATTRACTS YOU TO SOMEONE?
Their kindness.
WHEN DO YOU MOST FEEL YOUR SENSE OF POWER IN BEING A WOMAN?
When I lean into my emotional intelligence, intuition and strength.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT AGEING?
I’ve learned to embrace the ageing process. I truly believe that there is more than one definition of ‘beautiful’ and I love that the obsession with perfection and glamour and one type of beauty is now being replaced with the idea that we should all embrace our individual beauty, focusing on health and beauty from the inside out - at all stages of life. I think it’s also important that as women, we should focus less on the concept of ‘anti-ageing’ and more on feeling healthy and looking great for our age—because women are beautiful at every age.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE MARKING ON YOUR BODY?
My breasts have changed since I was younger. They used to be pert and lovely and now they look very loved. I breastfed my babies for five years and while they are not as perfect as they once were, they nourished my two children and so that is the positive light that I see them in.
“It’s so important to follow your passion and listen to your gut instinct and give it a go.”
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU BELIEVED TO BE TRUE AS A GIRL ABOUT BEING A FEMALE THAT YOU HAVE FOUND TO BE TRUE WITH AGE?
That when women are emotional, many men see this as being weak or irrational. I have heard people say (mostly men) many times in my career - “you can’t be emotional about business”. But emotions and passion fuel many creative and successful businesses. I see tapping into this and expressing it in a positive and constructive way as a great strength. I observe eyes glazing over when I express my feelings in meetings with men in suits. And while you can’t put numbers to your feelings or gut instinct in business - every time I don’t listen to my gut instinct - it generally doesn’t work.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT PROVED TO BE UNTRUE?
When I started my brand, the idea of an inner beauty product that was full of probiotics for gut and skin health was a completely new concept—I was told it was too left of field and wouldn’t work. It was tough to ignore the naysayers while also convincing manufacturers to make below the minimum runs while I was getting the business off the ground.
Coming up with a marketing and sales plan for a completely new concept in the market place with no marketing spend was also very challenging. Doing this while working as a freelance writer to support my family financially was by far the hardest challenge. But I was and still am so passionate about the business and this has made it easier to ride the challenges.
Fast forward to today and The Beauty Chef is a thriving business. It’s so important to follow your passion and listen to your gut instinct and give it a go.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE?
I’ve always suffered with painful and heavy periods since a teenager, including menstrual cramping, headaches and breast tenderness. When I was younger, I sometimes even fainted. Looking after my gut health over the years has definitely helped with this. I am very in sync with my cycle - I can feel when I am ovulating and I feel more amorous towards my husband at this time of my cycle. He observes this too and will say - “you’re ovulating” - and he is usually right. It is quite funny actually. I often find I am also creatively at my peak at this time. When I get my period, I see it as a time to slow down and relax and have time out. There is something about this rhythm that I really enjoy.
My personal experience with PMS was really the inspiration behind one of our latest SUPERGENES™ products, PMS Support, as I have been looking for a product that would provide relief yet wasn’t filled with questionable ingredients.
Share this post
WE GROW AND EVOLVE AS HUMANS, BUT THERE IS USUALLY ONE VIRTUE THAT IS INDIVIDUAL TO US. WHAT IS YOURS?
Kindness and empathy. When I was little, we always had ants in our bathroom and in our bath. I felt very sad when we would put the shower or bath on and they would stream down the drain. I would spend hours picking each one individually out of the bath. It was a lot of work but I was determined to save them. Perhaps that’s why I do what I do - I like helping others and feel an innate responsibility to do so.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION TO EARTH?
My connection to the earth is very strong. Being immersed in nature is balancing, grounding and inspiring. For me, it’s important to get up and out of the house every morning and spend time in nature. I love walking along Bondi Beach at sunrise, which is quite close to my house, or through Centennial Park, which is a more meditative route. I describe walking as a natural filing system for my brain—it provides mental clarity, gives me energy and helps to set me up for the day.
IF A GIRL FOUND YOUR NAME ON THE INTERNET 100 YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE SAID ABOUT YOU?
That I pioneered the inner beauty and wellness industry and was passionate about helping people understand the connection between their diet and lifestyle, gut microbiome, skin health and wellbeing.
← Back to the blog
