Sheri Friis

Who is Sheri?

To be honest I am still trying to work this one out - I am finding out new things about myself daily, but what I do know is that I am a lover of life and humans! 

I love people and I love their stories - which is why I am so blessed to be able to do what I love (skincare) and that it involves working with people.

I studied a Bachelor’s Degree in Somatology in South Africa, earning the Dean's Merit award for academic excellence. I am, to this day, so proud of this achievement because it was a course I believed in and wanted to excel at. I learnt that the beauty industry was my passion from the moment I began my studies. I started working from age 19, and now, age 42 I still believe it to be my Dharma. I feel so lucky to be able to do what I love with clients who bring so much into my life with their stories and experiences. 

We emigrated from South Africa to Australia in November 2016. With so many warm and kind people and endless opportunities, we felt ‘at home’ from day one. After a year, I started SKIN WELLNESS, a clinic that focuses on remedial skin therapy.  Over the many years of observing and treating skin, I could see that there were certain ingredients that every single skin responded positively to - and this is how FRII[S]MITH was born. An idea that we no longer needed to ‘find’ what the skin needed, we just have to stop over burdening it and support the skin’s natural and magical abilities! 

Apart from loving skin and people, I am a mother to two incredible girls, Lyla (14 years) and Calla (10 years) who are my biggest cheerleaders in life and who inspire me daily with their takes on life and their ability to stay authentic and just be! 

My husband, Dain, is my absolute HERO - he teaches me daily to continue to pursue my passion in whatever way I feel most comfortable. He is an incredible human and one of the best mentors to me. 

When I am not in treatment (rarely), you can catch me meditating, at a pilates/yoga class  or reading a book (mostly audio nowadays whilst fetching and carrying kids to after school commitments). I also love to bake, cook and entertain. I LOVE a good party and catch up ( if I can dance that is even better)!

What are your passions in life? 

People feeling good about themselves. After experiencing a few traumas growing up, I lost all confidence in my younger years and so it brings so much joy into my life seeing people thrive and become confident within themselves.  Every person has so much to give and contribute to this world.  

What is the lesson in life you live by?

To live life from the inside out rather than the outside in.

Why was the i am radiant community created?

The essence of Friismith has always been (and will always be) about empowering women to feel good about the skin they are in.  But we also felt a responsibility to all the angels that support us, to help support them to live a life of wellness, joy, love and gratitude. Having worked with so many women in my clinic, I have learnt that every single one has a great story to share along with so much insight! I have personally grown so much as a human, listening and learning from my clients experiences. Which is why the i am radiant community has evolved to be such an important part of our brand. Creating awareness around the fact that we have incredible women right on our doorstep, and that we have so much to offer each other, has become a real passion for me. We spend so much time looking for solutions outside of us, but they exist in something that we are already a part of - the people around us, our community!! 

We see this growing into something so powerful - where women support women in all walks of life through sharing, connection and togetherness.

How do you practice self-care / self-love?

There are quite a few things I like to incorporate into my daily life: 

• Meditation - My day starts by turning within - listening to what my mind, body and soul are asking or bringing my attention to
• Gratitude - Living in gratitude for absolutely everything - creating excitement around what each day will bring 
• Eating well and honouring my body with what it needs (most days I love a few sneaky chocolates, wine and coffee) 
• Reiki - Because what I do requires a lot of physical energy, I also love a monthly healing/reiki session to help put back what I need to keep functioning optimally

• Inner self critic - Speaking gently with myself is a lesson of self love I am always reminding myself to do - we are too hard on ourselves most of the time. That sneaky inner voice can wear me down at times

Why do you think self-care is so important?

We are not able to give and be of service if we are not taking good care of ourselves. When we feel good we are able to give so much more and be the very BEST versions of ourselves. When we focus our time and energy inwards, we are able to live more confidently which in turn, allows us to live in joy and this overflows onto those around us - who then share that with those around them - a never ending loop of joyful love!! 

How do you ensure you prioritise the time to focus on your wellness journey?

One thing I can understand and identify with is how busy life can be and that fitting in the things that are so important for our wellbeing can be seriously challenging. I think at the end of the day it's about finding a rhythm that works best for you and that these priorities should not create more overload and stress. Through trial and error, I’ve found the following works for me and my schedule:

1. I wake up 30 minutes before my family to use that time to meditate or centre myself into the day
2. I ensure that I have allocated times during the week for exercise/yoga/pilates 2-3 times a week and once on the weekend. Even if it's a 15 minute workout!! 
3. I was taught by one of our incredible i am radiant community members, Nat McGrath, to prepare meals on Sunday for the week ahead (this was a game changer for me)

Who inspires you the most and why?

I am honestly inspired by the majority of people I meet in one way or another. I have a special group of friends who inspire me daily with how powerful they are in managing their own successful businesses. I also have friends who inspire me with how well they parent their children and manage their daily family commitments and still make time for fun! I have mentors who inspire me in business and in life. I have family who inspire me with how they interpret life and its challenges. Everyday I am sparked or moved in some way by absolutely everyone who I meet and interact with! 

What is your favourite FRII[S]MITH product and why? 

I am so proud of all of them, but I could not live without my skin health set. When it was developed it fundamentally changed my skin and I just wanted to share the products with everyone!! 

What does radiance mean to you?

When we allow ourselves to relax into our own joy and confidence we can see that light shine out - this is true radiance to me!