In her early twenties, Ruth Elnekave, like a lot of us, didn’t know exactly who she wanted to be or what she wanted to do after university. She found herself caught up in what her friends were pursuing or what she thought was expected of her. She eventually carved a successful path for herself as a corporate finance lawyer at one of Canada’s most prestigious international firms. After seven intense years, Elnekave was overwhelmed with exhaustion and left her firm to pursue an education in Holistic Nutrition.
What started as just a simple reset in hopes of finding alternative methods to combating her health struggles, led Elnekave to not only see significant shift in her own health, but also feel excited about sharing her findings with others. After becoming a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and spending a year formulating her teas and elixirs, Ruth Elnekave launched JOYÀ— a wellness brand centralized around her true passion, “Helping people and bringing them joy.”
Who were you at twenty?
At twenty I was wrapping up my undergraduate degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I felt energized in a ‘ready to take on the world’ kind of way, but at the same time, I was frustrated and a bit worried.
All of my friends seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do next — which of course wasn’t the case, but so it seemed as they were getting ready to continue on to pursue second degrees: medical school, law school, business school, teacher’s college. I, on the other hand, had never known what I wanted to be when I grew up. What I did know at the time was that after 16 straight years of school, I needed a break from that environment to learn by working and experiencing the world, not by sitting in a classroom. I also knew that it didn’t make sense to waste time or money on another degree unless I was sure that it was a degree I truly wanted or needed career-wise. So I took off for a few months of travel through New Zealand and Australia, and then began a career in marketing in the food/CPG industry.
How have you evolved since?
It took about 20 more years, but I finally learned to listen to my heart and my gut, and not always rationalize things. I’ve always been very much in my head, over-analyzing situations and decisions and thinking through everything logically — which funny enough served me quite well during my time practicing law. I’ll always have an analytical side (I’m a Libra, so perhaps there’s something to astrology after all!). But after many years of being almost blindly guided by what I thought was practical and logical, I’ve learned to dig deep and truly listen to how things make me feel.
In my twenties, I had no idea what I wanted to be or do because I got caught up in what my friends were pursuing (professional careers) and what I thought was expected (being an adult is all about having a financially secure career, so find one — lawyer).
Today, if something makes me feel good, I’ll explore that feeling and find ways to experience more of it (for example, the joy I get from feeding people). And if something doesn’t feel right, rather than rationalizing why I should continue doing it, I listen to why it doesn’t feel right and make adjustments or change course. There’s always a better way.
On leaving law behind
It definitely wasn’t an overnight change. When I first started to think about leaving my intense career in private legal practice, I considered transitioning to be an “in-house” lawyer working for a company. But then I realized that I was simply trying to take the easy, logical route (You’re a lawyer? Find a “better” legal career).
I realized that after more than 3 decades of being either in school or in a career that was draining me, this was my chance to take all that I had experienced and funnel it into a completely new adventure that I was truly excited and passionate about. That life was too short and I deserved that!
On studying and then pursuing Holistic Nutrition
My health struggles arose while I was studying Holistic Nutrition, so I was lucky in that I was armed with knowledge about how disease is caused and manifests in the body. I knew that what I was experiencing was deep-rooted and systemic, and not something that could be addressed using conventional medicine. In fact, my complications and symptoms were exactly the kind that we spent a lot of time learning about during the program, so I was excited to put those teachings to the test.
Pursuing a career founded on a holistic approach to well-being was the result of all things finally coming together for me. I was burning to do something entrepreneurial, to create something from scratch. By that point in my life I had also realized that nothing makes me tick more than helping people and bringing them joy, and I believed so deeply in the power of approaching wellness holistically, that I couldn’t ignore the calling to bring these two passions together in the next stage of my career and life.
On launching JOYÀ and her mission
JOYÀ is a wellness brand on a mission to bring people everyday joy through our superfood plant-based products, as well as through educational and experiential initiatives aimed at inspiring and empowering people to find and practice their joy.
Our current product lines include functional adaptogenic elixir blends and herbal teas inspired by the wisdom of traditional medicine (including Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and western Herbal Medicine). Our elixirs and teas are formulated to be deeply nourishing to our hormonal system, helping support the body’s response to stress, and to support a number of other functions including cognition, immunity, digestion, energy and mood. We also have a line of refined sugar-free, single-origin, hand-crafted chocolates. Packed with antioxidants, magnesium and fiber and incredibly decadent, they are what healthy chocolate is all about!
Our core belief is that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice flavor and enjoyment in your pursuit of wellness, and this is why all of our products are formulated and crafted to be as delicious as they are nourishing and effective.
We use only the highest quality certified organic and wild-crafted ingredients sourced from their native growing regions, and all of our functional products are independently lab tested to ensure purity and quality. We’re also deeply driven by the wellness of our planet and committed to responsible sourcing and truly sustainable packaging (such as our reusable glass elixir jars and tea tins and fully compostable refill pouches).
On shifting our idea of a ‘work/life balance’
I don’t like to think of the work and non-work parts of our lives as things we should strive to “balance”, as that implies an ideal split that needs to be maintained, which for most people is not a reality. Instead, what I believe is important is that everything in your life — your work, routine, hobbies, relationships, priorities, aspirations — provides you with an overall sense of fulfillment, notwithstanding the challenges, compromises and sacrifices that are an inevitable part of life (and often drive us to make changes for the better).
During these early days of building the business, work takes up the majority of my waking hours. There are incredible days and difficult days, and sure, I wish I had more time for hobbies. But at the moment, my ‘big picture’ is great because of how rewarding the JOYÀ journey has been. Since my law firm days, I’ve learned to prioritize family time, and to keep my brain and body strong, I won’t compromise on nutrient-dense food and at least a bit of daily movement (I’ve discovered so many great 20 minute online HIIT classes!).
What advice would you give to yourself at twenty?
Life isn’t an obstacle course with predetermined stations to get through, and it’s definitely not a race. No one list of life achievements will make each and every person happy, and sometimes the experiences you have and the lessons you learn when you take the time to explore and figure things out are far more valuable and fulfilling than rushing to achieve a goal with blinders on.
What would you say to a twenty-something year old about finding her place in the world?
It’s ok to push yourself, and in fact, the saying “good things don’t come easy” is true. But also be kind to yourself. It’s ok (and often beneficial in the long run) if it takes you awhile to ‘figure things out’ as you’ll learn so much about yourself along the way: your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, what makes you tick and what inspires you. And don’t try to do it alone. Ask for help, seek out mentors, and surround yourself with positive energy and people who help you grow and succeed, not tear you down.
Learn more about Ruth Elnekave and shop JOYÀ here
Use the code THISISJOYA for 20% off your first order :)