Annutri co-founder and award-winning businesswoman Anita Donoghue on the power of a positive mindset

Anita Donoghue is the co-founder of ANNUTRI, an Irish company that specialise in formulating supplements and skincare products that enhance the appearance and well-being of hair and skin. Derived from the Latin word for “nourish yourself”, their belief is that beauty can be enhanced from within by harnessing the power of nature and science to naturally nourish the body, skin, hair, and mind.

Launched in 2020, ANNUTRI has grown from strength to strength over the intervening years, and even picked up the title of Beauty Brand of the Year at last year’s IMAGE Business of Beauty Awards. Anita Donoghue’s story, however, began far earlier, and though life’s tumbles may have knocked her off course here and there, her determination and passion brought her to where she is today.

“I started my career as a beauty therapist,” Anita says. “I’ve always been passionate about making people feel good and that’s what led me into the industry I loved so much. Then, 20 years ago, my first son, Ben, was born and two years later, through unfortunate circumstances, I became a single mum. I didn’t know what I was going to do, and times were really tough.” Plagued by panic and lost in daydreams of being rescued from her circumstances, Anita came to the realisation one day that only she could rescue herself. “It dawned on me that Ben was my “why”, and that I needed to soldier on and figure things out.”

Wandering down the well-worn paths of the self-help aisle at her local bookshop, she picked up The Secret, and was introduced to the power of mindset and self-belief. Vowing to step into the driver’s seat and take control of her own life, Anita began taking evening classes in business management while holding down her job as a full-time beauty therapist and raising her son.

“When I finished college, I landed a job managing a hair and beauty salon, where I met my now husband and business partner,” Anita explains. “Then in 2009, after the last recession hit, that chain of salons closed. Luckily, the owner had a business contact who owned a couple of fitness studios and a supplement company and he took me on, so I diversified into the fitness and supplement industry and fell in love with it.

“It was a world where I would be part of a business that helped people feel good, but this time, from the inside out. Through training in supplements and nutrition, I witnessed first-hand the transformative impact they could have on people’s lives. I worked my way up and became a business manager and area manager within the industry and did that for seven years before getting an opportunity to return to beauty to work as a business manager at The Buff Day Spa.”

It was around this time that Anita joined Network Ireland. Casting aside her nerves and imposter syndrome, she stepped into this room filled with successful businesswomen who welcomed her with open arms. “They took me under their wing and when I didn’t believe in myself, they all believed in me,” she recalls. “Once again, I was reminded that the only thing holding me back was my own mindset. While working as a business development manager at The Buff Day Spa, I won a Network Ireland Women in Business Award. That led to another mind shift where I finally felt like I had reached a certain level in my career, that I belonged. Later, I attended the IMAGE Businesswoman of the Year Awards and was looking around at all of these entrepreneurs thinking, ‘This is what I want to do’.”

In 2016, with newfound confidence, Anita joined her partner, hairstylist Steve Kucsera, in opening the Hair Café Salon. Then in 2018, she attended a hair event and got to talking with a motivational speaker. “Our conversation ignited a fire within me and I suddenly realised that, within our industry, we’re always masking a problem – we’re not actually dealing with the problem from within.

“I began conducting extensive research, driven by the vision of creating something meaningful. At a mastermind group in 2019, I met my now business partner, Kevin Connolly, who had over 20 years’ experience in the supplement industry. I shared my plans with him over coffee and he agreed to go into business with me and that’s when ANNUTRI was born.”

ANNUTRI is built on three pillars: efficacy, accessibility, and integrity. “We believe in beauty from the inside out, using the synergy of nature and science to naturally nourish the body, skin, hair, and mind. Our products are vegan-friendly and free from fillers because we understand that true beauty begins with nourishing oneself from within.”

Launching in 2020 with the Grow It supplements, meticulously crafted to foster robust and resilient hair growth, the range has since expanded to include an Ayurvedic-inspired scalp oil, and the beauty-enhancing skincare supplement Glow It, complemented by a nourishing and restorative facial oil. With more products in the pipeline for 2024 and a goal of going global, the brand is on track for a remarkable journey ahead. Stay tuned!

Find out more about ANNUTRI through their website.