Tamara Arbib is the founder of healthy snacking brand Rebel Kitchen. She launched Rebel Kitchen in January 2014 to make tasty, nourishing snacks available to all.
Rebel Kitchen specialises in healthy dairy-free coconut “mylk” drinks, made simply with coconut milk, Somerset spring water and organic date nectar– no refined sugar, additives or preservatives. Rebel Kitchen “mylk” drinks are available in Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods, Daylesford, Selfridges and other independent stores.
I Am Driven By | I believe that we are very lucky to be alive and so I’m driven to be the best person I can be while I’m here. That means on a small level, doing whatever I can to be a beacon of light for myself and for those around me, which eventually leads to contributing to society as a whole in whatever capacity is available to me.
My Highlights | Highlights of my life…It makes it sound like they have been and gone but all the things that I am excited and proud of are ongoing! Firstly, I’m honoured to be a mother. I think as a female it is extremely magical and incredible thing to be able to carry life. Then when they are born we help to raise, nurture and support them in their own journeys. Being a mum is a special role that I am proud to be a part of. Secondly, the journey that I’m on at the moment with creating an exciting health food brand is electrifying. My story goes to show people that you can really do anything that you put your mind to. This life is yours for the making. I am a strong believer of positive energy. You have to believe in your dream and you will make it a reality. The only one in your way is you! There is no room for fear or doubt. Just do it! I had no prior knowledge of the FMCG space and it’s been a steep learning curve. I’m not saying it doesn’t have its ups and downs either but we are here and creating it!
The Difference Between Good And Great | Passion, perseverance, energy and agility. You absolutely need to be passionate to succeed. Passion is what gives you the great ideas and what gets you up in the morning. When intense work is rest because when you are in it, you are in your element and you don’t want to be anywhere else and you are in the moment practicing being, that is when you can bring your most to something and where you create magic. It’s also what enables you to do the late nights, early starts and working on the move. Perseverance is the grit you need to continue on through the days/weeks/months when the universe just isn’t working with you. Lots of people are good at what they do but never truly excel because they give up or compromise on the quality of output when the going gets tough. I try to embrace the hard times and face them head on. If you do, you value the good times so much more and the tough times are often where you learn the most anyway. Energy is a total necessity because when you are truly creating, you need a lot of energy! And lastly, agility because often plans don’t go as foreseen and instead of turning around and going back, you need to be open and flexible to shifting your plans and steering around the obstacle.
A Key Talent | I’m not scared of doing things differently and I trust my own gut instincts regardless of what the ‘normal’ procedure is. I also acknowledge my own areas of expertise and the areas where I have knowledge gaps. If I don’t know something I try to learn.
Principles I Live By | Be authentic, be present, trust in life and don’t let fear be your motivator and most importantly realize that your life and your happiness is within you and not external. The external world is what you make of it. Make it awesome!
Dealing With Doubt | I hate public speaking! I’m not someone who craves the limelight as a person anyway so to get up and talk in front of a large group of people does not come naturally to me. As a founder of Rebel Kitchen I get asked to speak on a number of occasions and I obviously have a lot to say on the matter of nutrition and healthy living so I can’t turn these opportunities down due to fear. In the beginning I got really nervous beforehand (think sweaty palms, butterfly farm in my stomach, the works!) and I really did not enjoy the actual speaking part. I gradually got better at it and therefore less nervous through really preparing what I was going to say and planning out how I was going to say it. My passion for the subject also makes my nerves fade a bit into the background once I get going. Mostly importantly I say to myself, I cannot let fear get in the way of the important messages I have to share if given the platform!
Performing At My Peak | I try to lead as healthy a lifestyle as possible and as consistently as possible. By that I don’t just mean what foods and drinks I put into my body. I work really hard on being mindful and present in the moment so if I’m at work I give it my all and when I’m at home with my kids I’m engaging with them fully. I try to incorporate some kind of movement as much as I can, daily if possible and some weeks I achieve that and some weeks I don’t!
Advice On Building Wealth | Examine what your motivation is for wanting to be wealthy. Are you looking for financial stability so that you can take care of you and yours? I think most people have that need and that’s valid. But beyond a certain level of financial comfort, what is it for? I think if wealth is the main motivator than when will enough be enough? There is always more to gain, more to achieve in the material sense. Wanting things isn’t bad and there is a whole world of things out there that you might want…but to put your happiness in the outside world and thinking “ok, when I get this wealthy then I’ll be happy” is a never-ending game where you end up being the loser. Being happy in whatever financial level you are at is what’s important. Then you can progress to wherever you end up, but living in the now, finding peace and happiness in every moment, that should be the focus.
On Inspiring Others | I think we’ve been lucky enough to get people in this job that all realize what we are working towards and know that collectively we are creating something that is far greater than the individual. We are all very connected in that goal. I think it’s crucial to live by what we preach and so our working environment is fun, energetic and empowering – I think that’s a big draw for people and makes them enjoy being a part of the team. Each team member operates to the best of their ability and there is a platform for them to grow and develop themselves.
I Am Inspired By | I try to find inspiration from everyone I come into contact with. We all have a lot to bring to the table. I think humans are capable of extraordinary things. I’m inspired by kindness, by the incredible power of the brain and how it can be used to make this world a better place. I think we all have a lot to learn from each other if we pool together.
