NO LAY DOWN SALLY
SALLY OBERMEDER
Sally Obermeder is someone who not only seizes the day but also gives it a great big, shake.
Life has not always been kind to the 50-year-old who encapsulates glossy glamour, as the co-founder of leading Australian wellness brand, Swiish.
Sally’s story is one of resilience, positivity, and taking a leap of faith, which is inspiring for anyone looking to start their own business.
Sally Obermeder is someone who not only seizes the day but also gives it a great big, shake.
Life has not always been kind to the 50-year-old who encapsulates glossy glamour, as the co-founder of leading Australian wellness brand, Swiish.
The former television host and cast member of The Real Housewives of Sydney, was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer the day before she gave birth to her long-awaited daughter, Annabelle with her husband, Marcus. That was 12 years ago.
Strong and dynamic, she took on the disease, as the notoriously fickle media world rallied around her, lifting her up. It was a sign of the respect she’s garnered throughout her career with the Seven Network.
Throughout her bouts of ‘chemo’ and radiotherapy, Obermeder occasionally turned up to glittering events, proudly displaying her nude head and spreading the message about being vigilant about cancer. She was never cast in the role of victim. It was all about resilience and celebrating each moment
We love fashion … we value wellness, we wanted to concentrate our energies on feel good solutions and make a huge difference to the way that people look after themselves.
Finally declared cancer free, the family welcomed youngest daughter, Alyssa, born to a USA surrogate six years ago.
Another one of life’s turning points was founding Swiish with her sister, Maha Corbett in 2012. Originally a lifestyle brand with a capsule collection of fashion, accessories and jewellery, the site gradually pivoted to wellness with the addition of Supergreen Superfood Powder. This followed the launch of the duo’s best-selling book, Super Green Smoothies in 2014 (Allen & Unwin).
“We love fashion but really, the reason that Maha and I get up and do what we do is because we value wellness,” Obermeder tells Australian Life at the start of another typically action-packed day. “We wanted to concentrate our energies on feel good solutions and make a huge di erence to the way that people look after themselves.
The reason why Supergreen Superfood Powder is one of the best green powders on the market is because our whole
philosophy is built around high performance … It not only
works and tastes good but it has 40 different ingredients
including vegetables, fruits and probiotics. It’s actually one of the most potent combinations on the market
Of course, she now had a vested interest in this area, propelled by her own health challenges. So, the pair set out to create supplements brimming with goodness. Imbibing emerald coloured shakes would be just the beginning. Swiish now offers everything from energy enhancers to anti-ageing elixirs.
“The reason why Supergreen Superfood Powder is one of the best green powders on the market is because our whole philosophy is built around high performance,” Obermeder explains. “It not only works and tastes good but it has 40 different ingredients including vegetables, fruits and probiotics. It’s actually one of the most potent combinations on the market. I call it ‘all thriller, no filler’.
She’s also a devotee of the brand’s Body Blitz Meal Replacements, in Berry Blast and Choc Twist, which she takes to maintain a 20 plus kilo weight loss. Her weight loss journey started during the COVID-19 lockdown when she finally had the time to prioritise her own wellbeing.
“I used the meal replacements, took all the supplements, I walked and I just looked after myself,” she says. “It’s about being consistent. I still lean on my supplements, they’re absolutely the salvation of my day.
Each Australian-made Swiish product is passed by a panel of experts to ensure they meet Australia’s rigorous Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) requirements.
Sold online and also through the Priceline chain, Swiish is very much a family brand with Marcus Obermeder onboard as the Head of Wellness and Product Development.
“Marcus has a great interest in genetics and a science background, so he’s the reason we’ve been able to create so many new first-to-market products,” Obermeder explains. Among them is NRC + Resveratrol – “an anti-ageing longevity powerhouse” containing the much lauded chemical found in red grapes.
Critical to the success of Swiish, is the strong community that the sisters have built up around them.
“We’re strategic about how we market Swiish,” Obermeder explains. “Our biggest thing is reaching out to our community face-to-face. So, we have events, activations and pop ups. We like to get as close to our customer as we can, and we like her to feel
that she’s close to us.
“Last year, we did around 20 to 25 events. We’ve done pilates classes, Swiish clinics and we’ve brought in a nutritionist to do
consultations.”
They also receive “hundreds of emails” each week from customers
When we launched NRC + Resveratrol last year, it was a real first and we had to do substantial work to get it up and running. So, there’s sacrifices that have to be made by us but for now we’re happy.
“They may have had insomnia for years but now they’re taking Sleep Superfood Powder and actually getting some rest,” Obermeder says. “Or they’ve been struggling through menopause and now they’re taking Peri & Meno Relief and not feeling so much like a wild, angry person. Some of the messages move us to tears.
It’s also this positive feedback loop that helps to negate any stress that I might be feeling in running a business and a family.
They also believe in traditional forms of promotion with a Swiish billboard up on Sydney’s Broadway, as well as the occasional radio ads on the controversial radio Kyle & Jackie O Show.
Obermeder points out that it requires a leap of faith to make these decisions on expenditure with no guarantees that it will result in extra sales.
“We’re doing it by our bootstraps because every dollar that we spend comes out of our own pockets,” she explains, “so we’re always wondering whether we should have been doing something else with that money?”
Swish doesn’t have any investors and that’s the way they like it.
“We don’t report to anyone,” says Obermeder. “So, it’s on us whether we increase or decrease the pace. We can do whatever we see fit.”
This approach certainly has its own challenges when it comes to funding costly research and development.
“When we launched NRC + Resveratrol last year, it was a real first and we had to do substantial work to get it up and running.
So, there’s sacrifices that have to be made by us but for now we’re happy,” she says, adding that they may have to look at investment the future.
“We’re seven years in now but even as we expand and our revenue increases, so does our expenditure. I think you need to keep a sharp eye on how are you running the machine and whether you’re running the engine as e ciently as possible. You’ve always got to find ways of doing it better,” she says.
In the meantime, there’s many goals to celebrate. Sally Obermeder is currently 11 years cancer free and no longer has to go for regular check-ups.
“I’m like everyone else now,” she says. “I just focus on keeping my mind as strong as I can and not to worry about what every little twinge might mean. My mission is to live a big life and not to live in fear because that’s just a waste of time.”
In the meantime, Swiish will keep forging a path ahead, which is also her advice to anyone else contemplating a start-up.
“Just do it and don’t overthink it,” she says. “Most people doubt themselves and think they need a 10-year-plan but my advice is just to start. You won’t have all the answers you need but you can work it out as you go.”
Swiish is now contemplating a move into the lucrative UK market and researching the best retail partnership, similar to the one they have in Australia with Priceline.
“We’re just in the early stages of looking around,” she says but it’s definitely one direction we’d like to go in.”
It could all just happen in a swish.
