With one million Instagram followers subscribing to her perfectly curated social media feed, a lucrative modelling career that has seen her grace the covers of Vogue Mexico, Harper’s Bazaar, Instyle and Cosmopolitan magazines, and a style that has allowed her to walk the runway for the world’s most prestigious fashion houses including Dior, Givenchy, Kenzo and Louis Vuitton, it would be easy to write off Valentina Ferrer as just another pretty face. However, there is so much more to the gorgeous glamazon than meets the eye. Here, she shares her thoughts on women entrepreneurs, wellness and how she achieves that elusive work-life balance
Cover girl, catwalk queen and being crowned Miss Argentina
Former Miss Argentina, Valentina underwent a transformative journey when she received a diagnosis of celiac disease. The autoimmune condition that propelled her toward a deeper exploration of holistic wellness. “Getting diagnosed with celiac disease inspired me to help others, and I want to show others how to celebrate food and live a healthy life,” says Valentina, who sought an approach focused on “making health and wellness a daily habit that can be sustained for the long term.”
However, Valentina’s journey to wellness entrepreneurship began with her childhood love for sports and nature. Her upbringing instilling in her a profound understanding of the importance of health and wellness. This interest blossomed into a passion that guided her through her academic pursuits in Physical Education at the University of Cordoba.
Fuelled by her personal journey towards wellness and a mission to inspire others, Valentina went on to co-found Kapowder – a health and wellness brand which creates products that, “transcend conventional beauty standards to prioritse inner health and vitality”.
According to Valentina, “Kapowder offers a range of vegan supplements designed to enhance skin health, gut health, energy levels, and immunity. We created it to redefine the way we nourish our bodies by supplementing essential vitamins and minerals. Our aim is to make it an enjoyable product that everyone can easily implement into their daily routine at an affordable price point. We believe it’s important to nourish our bodies from the inside out and that strict diets and regimens are not necessary to feel and look your best.”
The dream team
Alongside Valentina stands (or more likely, lightly jogs!) Sara Davey, the Co-Founder and CEO of Kapowder, who manages its Australian operations. And whose journey into wellness entrepreneurship was sparked by her own commitment to veganism. As well as a mission to create clean, nutrient-dense supplements that not only nourish the body but also honour ethical and environmental principles.
“As a company, we’re incredibly mindful of reducing our environmental impact so we operate in solar-powered facilities with energy saving features and have made our packaging recyclable and reusable,” says Valentina, before adding, “Ultimately we listen to our customer. Ideally companies want to be worldwide and this takes time … so having a good strategy and timeline is vital to achieve this long term.”
Putting wellness into personal practice
Given her involvement in the wellness space, we wanted in on the personal practices that Valentina prioritises in her daily life. Which fortunately she was happy to share
“A typical day for me has me getting outside and making sure I move my body daily. Living in NYC, I’ll go for walks with my son Rio and I also love weightlifting and Pilates,” says Valentina.
Acknowledging that maintaining a healthy work-life balance amidst a busy schedule can be challenging, Valentina admits she can only “do my best to stay organised and use my time wisely.” Before adding, “It’s very important to take time for yourself to be your best self at work and in all other aspects of your life. I try to be fully present in each moment and make the most of the time I give to each commitment.”
Ultimately, Valentina, encourages women to “ take risks and go after what [you] want,” citing a killer combination to self-confidence and and a strong work ethic that rewarded her risks.
“There is never going to be a perfect time to start so begin making small steps each day toward your goals. Make sure your product is something you truly believe in and don’t compromise. You have to put in the hard work to build your career whether it be modelling or entrepreneurship. So believe in yourself and showcase what makes you unique.”
