Living a healthy lifestyle that many of us need to get into, but not many can afford. Not because it’s not accessible, but mainly because we do not have enough education about it — what we need and what we have to do. And then, there are people who live passionately by it, with a stronger force than most, helping them help us mere folk to realise that we need to take care of our well-being more.

In this interview, we focus the spotlight on Pauliina Salmenhaara, founder and owner of R.A.W.Inside Out. As far as healthy living is concerned, this is one woman who surely knows what she’s talking about.

1. You are very passionate about your advocacies. Can you please share with us exactly what it is you do?

In my personal life, this is what I do: I eat. I drink. I move. I listen to spirit. I indulge in body care. In short, I nourish myself on a physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual level, inside out and outside in.

These personal habits have become the foundation of my work, which is to empower women to attain a healthier and happier life.

How? Through a series of steps, which I jokingly call “Get Your S*** Together”. All the steps begin with the letter “S”: Savour, Surrender, Sweat, Scrub, Self-love and Sleep.

For those short of time, you can choose from a crash course of ½ a day, outlining these elements. A 4-month programme is also available, with monthly meet-ups, group support and daily to weekly motivations. But most often, a programme is customized for individual needs and the time frame can be adjusted to personal requirements. The purpose of these is to educate you about the whys, hows, whats and wheres of healthier living. Tips, instructions and recipes are given out and monthly goals set.

For the practical side, which involves learning the preparation of high raw – fusion foods, you can choose to come yourself or to send your helper. In fact, I highly recommend the helper classes, as I have noticed that the best way to get a routine of healthy meals and snacks is to educate the one who is really the one preparing all the meals at home.

2. What is R.A.W. Inside Out’s story? How did you start it and why?

The story is a long one, as it started way back in my childhood when I had gastric problems. Add on to that mood swings, an eating disorder and depression as a teen and young adult, bad skin, chronic upper respiratory tract infection and mild asthma in my late 20s, low immunity, and 30s crises, and I suddenly withdrew for 6 months and gave my life a good thinking through.

I started meditation, got certified in various modalities of alternative healing, and then went for raw food chef training. These were all motivated by my desire to get healthier and happier, and for my children to enjoy the best foods and therapies to help them heal and keep them strong.

With each passing week, I noticed I was positively touching more lives, and I understood my purpose in life was to facilitate people’s healing. Not to be a healer, but allow others to experience their own healing as their own empowered journey. That was the time I was doing alternative therapy work only, and I particularly saw my mission to be through gentle, loving touch.

Later on, when I included raw food in my work, I saw the potential to start a business. I continued working from a space of “just wanting to help”, but added an element of  “and make money whilst doing it”. And so, I went online and set up R.A.W. Inside Out as a sole-proprietorship. If I was spending all this time doing this work, I might as well do it for a living. I guess it’s what is fashionably called a passion-based and –driven business.

3. What is your stance on organic, raw, and healthy living? Why do people need to jump on this wagon?

This is a controversial question. Words such as “organic”, “healthy” and “raw” are often thrown about as marketing tools, and I am cautious of their use. I encourage people to read labels and question what they read.  Do not automatically equate “fresh” or “natural” or even “healthy” itself with actual “healthy”. Food manufacturers will have us believe anything, so always aim for the food to be as close to its original state as possible.

This situation makes it difficult for even me to use these “clean words turned dirty”. Although I have the best intentions when using those words, they are so overused that they have lost meaning.

Asking me why people need to jump on this wagon is also a question as controversial as personal. This is because health is controversial and personal. We all have our own opinions, based on Google, family, friends, medical professionals, nutritionists, and the media. We should only jump on a wagon when we know where we are now and where we want to go. Only then can we choose a wagon that takes us to a place of health and happiness, and discover for ourselves how, with what, with whom, and in what timeframe.

If you pull my arm for a “why?”, it is so that we can fulfill ourselves and be of service in the happiest, most enjoyable and healthiest state of being.

4. What does your company stand for? What are its mission and vision? 

My company stands for enjoyment, for living a life that is enriching to you and to others, for the fulfillment of the body, mind and soul. That may sound abstract, but when looking at life from the perspective of what you savour, how much you sweat, in what ways you surrender, and what your body care routine is, as well as how much love and sleep you enjoy, you can find your own personal balance that leads to a life that is healthy according to your own standards and expectations.

I am bothered by statements of a “healthy” life, because this really is a personal experience, which is constantly changing, depending on whether it’s a work day, an off day, a holiday, a happy day, and so on. It also changes with age, circumstance and environment. Everyone should find their own State of Happy (and therefore health), tune into their body, and live accordingly.

My mission is to help you find that happy state and give you guidelines, tools and tips to get you from where you are to where you want to be. I envision one day to provide a network of holistic services and products which caters to, serves and empowers communities to lead happy, healthy, fulfilled lives full of possibilities.

5. Starting a business can be tough. What were the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

The easiest thing for me is generating ideas and content, having creative conversations, and getting enthusiastic about all the possibilities. The hardest thing is implementing ideas, getting leads from content, turning conversations into action, and staying enthusiastic about Idea 1 when Idea 2 pops up. I get stuck on matters pertaining to paperwork and accounting. I also wish to build a team, but am scared to because of all the horror stories related to employment.

I am learning how to overcome jumping from idea to idea by narrowing down one idea, then narrowing it down even more, setting a specific goal to it, and then sticking to that, not taking on new projects in between, unless they are really interesting or clear financial wins. This is what I did when in summer of 2014, I decided to focus on creating a R.A.W. Inside Out Cleanse programme for women.

In autumn 2014, I created the content for a cleanse manual and had it edited by Amanda Blum. In winter 2014-15, I sent the text over for creative design by Brew Creative. In spring 2015, finished manual in hand, I implemented and fine-tuned it in action, adding to, taking from, and creating individual packages. By summer 2015, I had had enough clients to assess the pros and cons, asking for reviews from clients as well, and happily enjoyed my best income month right before starting my annual holiday to Europe.

Now, still in the summer, I am deciding how to provide better service to more people with more flow.

6. What lessons have you learned along the way that you would like to share with soon-to-be entrepreneurs?

Have faith. Stick to your guns. Listen to what others say (yes, even your spouse and mother), review it, and see what’s applicable to you without giving up on your vision. Get an accountant right away. If you don’t “do” numbers, say so and get help. Accept that there will be bumps along the way and embrace them with an attitude of learning and growing. Remember you are human. Behave that way, and instead of pretending to be something you’re not, be who you are.

7. What’s cooking? Share to our readers what you have lined up! 

Personal development is a passion of mine. As an ex-course junkie, I naturally gravitate towards situations of learning and picking up new skills as well as expanding on existing ones. Not only is this great for my own stimulation and confidence, but it means I have more to offer you. Wouldn’t you rather buy a service or product from someone who you know is on top of their game in terms of latest developments and skills, and someone who is picking up new abilities to enrich your experience of their product or service?

After my one-month holiday to Europe with my family this June to July, I have a week before heading off for the Matthew Kenney Raw Food Training in Huahin, Thailand. Doing a MK Academy course on-site has long been a dream of mine, and my motivation to go is to upgrade my culinary skills and observe how they are teaching in order to assess and improve my own teaching. I also am hugely excited to learn more about plating and presentation of food as well as Asian-inspired dishes. These are bound to affect the recipes I will share and create, as well as how they are presented. I know my 4 weeks there will cause an influx of new oohs and aahs, and I will most likely be adding new elements to current services.

Straight after I come back from Huahin, I will start the KPI programme. This is entirely meant to create a business brain for myself. Then, in September, I plan to do a 3-week course in shamanism in Bali, something which will also shape the way I work and do business, as spirituality is more a part of my tool kit.

In short, by the end of September, I will return to Singapore with spiritual knife skills. Then, 9 months thereafter, with KPI completed, those skills should be rounded off with biz whizz. I imagine that in 2016, you and I will connect in many healthy, happy ways.

I am designing a 2016 Spring Bali Retreat. This retreat is for women by women. Let me know what an ideal retreat in Bali would be like for you below!

Visit the R.A.W. Inside Out page to find out more about Pauliina's work.

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