Beyond Service Awards: Finalist Spotlight
Belinda Byrnes is a naturopath, a mum of two, a defence spouse and the owner of Ritual Herb Bar & Naturopathic Clinic in Brisbane.
Belinda Byrnes spent years working towards opening her own naturopathic business and she wasn’t going to let a pandemic get in the way.
The 43-year-old is the owner of Ritual Herb Bar & Naturopathic Clinic in Brisbane, which opened at the end of 2020.
“That probably seemed a bit silly because at the time no one was allowed to actually see anyone, but there were a lot of (commercial) places available,” she said.
“I was assuming that it was all going to pass, and it just worked out.”
The business focuses on natural medicine and naturopathy, something Mrs Byrnes is exceptionally passionate about.
“I have two sides of my business,” she said.
“I have a clinic where I run my naturopathic sessions (in person or via Zoom).
“Then I also have the product-based side of the business where I handmake herbal blends.”
Mrs Byrnes is the wife of a serving soldier and mother to two young boys who are eight and six.
After experiencing firsthand the benefits of visiting a naturopath, she studied nutritional medicine and naturopathy around working as a personal trainer, defence life and raising children.
“I had different health issues for a long time that I had seen so many different people for and never got any relief,” she said.
“Then I went to a naturopath and within the month everything was fixed.
“I thought, what is this? I need to be part of this.”
After completing her studies, Mrs Byrnes waited several years to realise her dream of working fulltime as a naturopath.
“I had my kids with me all the time … so my hands were tied as far as being able to work,” she said.
“So I spent a year and a half just setting up the business for when I was ready to do it … and with a few clients here and there.”
Mrs Byrnes created a work Instagram account, built a website and planned out how to run her small business.
“It was all stuff I could do at night,” she said.
“The year after we got to this (Brisbane) posting my eldest son went to school and I had my hands untied a little bit and it was time to get out of my house.
“And it just so happened that not far from our house, a space was available.
“Originally the business started with consultations and then it went into the product side as well for a couple of reasons.
“One is because the naturopathic side of it, the one-on-one consultations, can be very draining emotionally.
“And the other part is I have a need to create, so I make the herbal blends and the labels and such.
“I enjoy both equally, so it works well to be able to do a bit of both.”
Mrs Byrnes said the most frustrating part of being a business owner was how long it took to gain traction.
“That’s the struggle, the slow pace of it,” she said.
“But I think that’s probably the one thing that makes small business is that if you don’t love what you do, if you don’t enjoy the process, you can’t push past all that slow going.”
And while juggling being a business owner and the wife of a soldier can be hard, Mrs Byrnes said it wasn’t one of her biggest struggles.
“I’ve completely let go of my need to have control over it,” she said.
“I don’t try and fit things around what he’s doing because I don’t know what he’s going to be doing.
“What I do know is that I have from 9.15am to 1.45pm while my kids are at school.
“It’s not long enough, but that’s what I have.”
Mrs Byrnes said she considered feedback from her clients to be her measure of success and with that in mind, Ritual Herb Bar & Naturopathic Clinic was doing well.
“Those individual bits of feedback where you think, okay I’ve actually helped people, those are my main motivator to continue,” she said.
“I could easily go work for someone else and get paid but it’s not about the money.
“It’s about my intentions for the business and what I want to do for people.”
Now the business is running smoothly, Ms Byrnes is focusing on attracting more clients.
“This next phase will be more of a growth and exposure phase,” she said.
Mrs Byrnes said being a finalist in Prince’s Trust Australia’s Beyond Service Awards had been a great opportunity to network with other business owners within the defence community.
“For me personally, it feels like recognition that my business is here,” she said.
“And it’s exciting to feel like I’m doing a good job.”
Visit Belinda’s business: https://www.ritualherbbar.com/
With thanks to freelance copywriter and ADF partner Courtney Snowden. Find Courtney on LinkedIn.
Beyond Service Awards
An initiative of the Prince’s Trust Australia Enterprise programme, the Beyond Service Awards are designed to celebrate the entrepreneurial achievements of Australia’s veteran and family business community.
The Awards are an opportunity to recognise the depth and breadth of skills and experience veterans and Defence Force families bring to Australia’s small business landscape.
The 2022 Beyond Service Awards are proudly sponsored by Gold Sponsor Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Silver Sponsors PwC Australia and BAE Systems Australia.
For a full list of the Beyond Service Awards finalists, visit here.
