*We aim to aspire to inspire as we chat to others, picking their brains, exploring their passions. All posts are raw & unedited because f**k none of us are perfect & it is time to celebrate that - I'm here for the honest & real, you?
Enjoy.
Who is Aja?
An average girl, who wants to be a mermaid.
What are your current dreams and aspirations? What are you manifesting?
I am always planning and creating new ventures and ideas, but honestly, the last year has been quite flat with the current situation we find ourselves in. I feel like I’m just waiting for something to change so I can move forward, which is totally the wrong approach. I've decided that we can’t go on wishing and waiting for the world to change because our dreams are not dependent on a liberated society, a liberated society is us living our dreams and when that takes place, we will see the change in which we wish to see in this world. So this year
for me is all about making my dreams manifest. I want to create my own retreat here in Byron, I’ve also got an exciting product range I’ve been working on and I am so passionate about natural medicine and Ayurveda that I want to study and be more informed.
In regards to business, what was the journey like owning a surf, yoga & wellness retreat in Sri Lanka? How did you land this opportunity? What were your early business experiences like?
Honestly, it wasn’t ever really about business, until it was a business. All I did was what I loved and was determined to share that feeling with others. It never was driven by money or some idea of being a successful businesswoman. Naturally, things just fall into place when you have the right integrity. We really do have the immense inner power to create the life we desire and manifest our dreams.
I fell in love with Sri Lanka, the raw culture, genuine people, amazing food and all of its hidden beauty. I went back three years in a row to live for about 3 to 6 months at a time.
Then In 2019, myself and a friend, that I met in Bali leased a beautiful property and made our dream come alive. The whole idea was to share our passions. We renovated a beautiful old jungle house, in a real local community, the fact that we were two young female girls starting a business in a poor, male-dominated community made it a bit of a struggle, nonetheless, lots of life lessons learnt.
We did day retreats involving surfing, yoga, nutrition, cooking classes and self-love workshops.
Molly studied international development, so part of the retreat was about giving back to the local community. We ran events for the local kids. She taught them yoga and meditation, I taught surfing, swimming and ocean awareness. We hoped that through the retreat we could help the local people benefit from the tourism industry like we were.
When covid happened I packed up my life and retreat in Sri Lanka, I knew it was time to come home to Australia. Traveling and living all over the world was amazing but there was a part of me that craved a sense of community and stability. I came to Byron, and everything fell into place within months of being here. I had a catering business without even planning it. I think by using the challenges and adversities in life as opportunities to grow and learn, something positive can come out of almost any difficult situation.
Did your past experiences and lifestyle choices create a natural transition into sharing wellness via your plant-based food catering?
Definitely, I’ve always overlooked the mainstream lifestyle, making the most of life has always seemed so right to me and my intense determination to do just that, led me to live all over the world. I started in Europe at 19, I lived in a village In Spain for three months, then I left to work
in a surf resort on the beach in Sri Lanka. After that, I landed an absolute dream job on a tiny island in the Maldives where I got paid to take people surfing. I lived in Indonesia for a bit too. I wanted to go everywhere I could and experience as many different cultures as possible. The freedom and beauty of travel, and opening my mind to horizons beyond my hometown reality. After that was established, everything and anything felt possible.
In regards to early experience, at 16 years old, my mother and I ran a yoga retreat together. She taught yoga and I did the catering and did a raw food demonstration. We also created workshops and today retreats together. I remember being so blown away by the feeling of inspiring people to live their best life and from then on I was certain that was what I wanted to do.
Aja is much more than a catering business, you share nutritional knowledge, recipes and workshops. How did you turn your passion into your full-time job?
I think this question needs to be answered with one of my favourite quotes.
“ If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you to your purpose.”
What sets your soul on fire?
Passion for life, nature, the ocean and human connection.