mother+ meets… the trio behind wellness brand sisterly

When three women from very different worlds came together, they realised they shared the same frustration: taking care of your health shouldn’t be complicated.

Jennifer O’Connell, a barrister and triathlete; Aoife Matthews, a former investment banker turned nutrition and health coach; and Louise O’Riordan, a luxury brand expert, joined forces to create SISTERLY — a science-backed wellness brand designed to make supplements simple, effective, and enjoyable.

Their flagship product, The Elevator, delivers 23 essential nutrients in a single sachet to support energy, immunity, sleep, hormones, hair, skin, and nails — all without the overwhelm of multiple capsules.

Already endorsed by Olympians Katie Shanahan and Sonia O’Sullivan, actress Victoria Smurfit, model Jade Parfitt, and wellness leaders like Liz Earle, Rosemary Ferguson, and Fearne Cotton — and with multiple industry awards to its name — SISTERLY has quickly become a standout in the wellness space.

In this interview, the three co-founders share how they turned a bold idea into a global brand in under two years, the lessons of building a business from scratch, and how motherhood, friendship, and community shape everything they do.

Tell us a little about you and how SISTERLY came to life.

Aoife: We’re three friends from different backgrounds — I’m a banker, Jenny’s a barrister, and Louise is a brand developer. What brought us together was frustration: looking after our health shouldn’t be so complicated. Most supplements are “one-size-fits-all,” and who wants to take eight capsules a day?

We wanted an easier way to support our health, so we partnered with doctors, scientists and nutritional therapists to create The Elevator. It’s a science-backed, single-sachet solution delivering 23 essential nutrients.

We’re proud of its 5-star customer rating and the awards it has won, but more importantly, we’re committed to supporting women’s health and building a thriving SISTERLY community.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Aoife: I don’t think I can recap a truly “typical” day, and that’s part of what I love about being a founder. The constants are movement, connection and building.

I usually start with my SISTERLY sachet and some form of exercise — a swim, a walk or a dance class. Then it’s straight into calls and meetings with my co-founders and our wider team.

Because we’re spread across different cities, collaboration is everything, whether it’s on product development, events, partnerships or community building. Evenings are for good food, catching up with family or friends, getting lost in a book — or, just as often, a Netflix show that absolutely doesn’t inspire me.

How has your mission shaped the way you run the business?

Jenny: We developed our supplement for our mothers, sisters, friends and ourselves, and that has guided every decision we’ve made. When you’re developing something for the women in your life, you refuse to cut corners or compromise.

We opted for the best quality ingredients, avoided all nasties, chose sustainable packaging and made sure we were absolutely confident about efficacy. The multiple awards we’ve won — and the unsolicited backing of experts — has been proof that this was the right approach.

Proudest moment and biggest “what now?”

Louise: My proudest moment has to be the first time we held one of our community events and saw women showing up for each other, not just for us. It was proof that SISTERLY is bigger than a product — it’s a movement.

The biggest “what now?” moment was when we realised it wasn’t just our friends and family buying The Elevator. Real reviews started coming in from complete strangers, and it hit us: we were making a difference to women’s health. From there, the question became — how do we scale this and help as many women as possible feel their best daily?

How has motherhood shaped how you work, or how you define success?

Jenny: Being a mother means that success has a much broader definition for me. Achieving a financial outcome for the business at the expense of my relationship with my son wouldn’t represent success. I try to balance my priorities in line with what I consider most important — being a mother.

What do you wish people understood about building a business from scratch?

Aoife: You’ll never work harder, but when you’re passionate, it’s worth it. Things are rarely as simple as they appear — that’s where the opportunities are.

Developing The Elevator was far more complex than we imagined; what we thought would be straightforward ended up taking three years. But by working with the right experts and partners, we developed a multi-award-winning formula loved by women worldwide.

Where do you find your energy — and what drains it?

Louise: I get my energy from people, music, travel and nature. A good brainstorm with my co-founders lights me up instantly.

What drains me is overcommitment — saying yes to too much and leaving no space to breathe or think. I’ve learned that protecting white space in my calendar isn’t indulgent, it’s essential. That’s where creativity and problem-solving happen, and it also allows you to be present with loved ones.

One decision that changed everything?

Jenny: Opting to develop a powder multi-nutrient. Capsules or tablets would have been easier, but you can only fit small doses, making them less effective. We wanted a proper science-backed dose of each nutrient.

It took three years, four different manufacturers and a refusal to use artificial sweeteners, but we finally had something clean, palatable, easy to take and effective. It was worth it.

With such busy lives, what does balance mean to you right now?

Louise: Balance isn’t about doing everything perfectly — it’s about alignment, finding joy in the everyday and prioritising what matters. I see it as a rhythm, knowing when to push and when to pause.

Advice for women raising a family and building a business?

Aoife: Prioritise what truly matters and be kind to yourself. Surround yourself with people who support both your family and your dreams. Balance doesn’t mean doing everything at once — it means making space for what matters most.

For more information visit www.sisterlylab.com | Follow @sisterly_lab

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Current bedside book? From Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins.

Go-to podcast or playlist? Mel Robbins.

Favourite place to eat? With kids, China Tang and without kids, Jeremy King’s new restaurant, The Park.

A mantra, quote or reminder? Look up at the stars, it puts everything into perspective.