"I have an amazing circle of friends – the kind of women who continuously inspire me."

On International Women's Day, GP Nutrition founder Gabriela Peacock shares the lessons she’s learned, the women who inspire her, and why balance is everything.

How and why did you start GP Nutrition?
After studying nutrition for 9 years at university, I went on to work at an amazing holistic clinic, but what I found was that supplements were still slightly frowned upon. In those days, you only took a supplement when you had something like terrible digestive issues, or when you're just feeling really horrible. I love supplements because they're a quick alteration of the body's biochemistry, and I thought there was a huge gap in the market to make them cool.

Supplements should be an addition to your daily lifestyle, so convenience and on-the-go formats like sachets were my biggest drivers. Then, when I started looking at the formulations themselves, I wanted to focus on the bioavailability, which is how much of the nutrients your body actually absorbs, plus the potency – how much you actually put in each dose. 

These were my three major criteria, but ultimately I wanted to make supplements which felt like an easy and effective part of anyone’s daily wellness routine. 

"I think it's really important for everyone to have close female friendships because we support each other so much – with work and with personal life."

Who are the inspirational women in your life?
Obviously my mother and my grandmothers were very inspirational to me. They're all incredibly hardworking and my grandmothers came from communist Czech Republic, which was a pretty tough life in those days.

I also have an amazing circle of friends. The kind of women who continuously inspire me in so many different ways. I think it's really important for everyone to have close female friendships because we support each other so much – with work and with personal life. So for me, friendships are incredibly important.

"Creating a start-up and learning as you go was a bit crazy!"

What is the biggest lesson you've learnt so far?
So, the biggest lesson I've learned so far, was starting a business without actually having any knowledge of business, (laughs). That was pretty hard. Obviously I'm a good nutritionist, but I'm a terrible business person, so, I think creating a start-up and kind of learning as you go, that was a bit crazy! 

What is your biggest achievement or proudest moment to date?
I think there are different things from different stages of my life. I’m so proud of my books, both Sunday Times bestsellers, it's great. I love the Hello! Don't Judge Me magazine series, which launched this year as well. And of course GP Nutrition and the way it's going is one of my greatest achievements as well. 

"As a mother, you constantly feel guilty for not spending enough time with your children, and then guilty for not spending enough time on your work."

What has having children taught you?
I had to learn how to juggle motherhood and the business, and how to manage my time. As a mother you constantly feel guilty for not spending enough time with your children and then guilty for not spending enough time on your work. I think finding balance and making peace with whatever you decide works for you and for your family, is really important. 

For me, I need to have both in my life. I absolutely love what I do, and obviously I love my children, so it's all about the balance you find when you focus on your inner peace.