Reflecting on 2025 at Niyama Wellness, as Founder
As 2025 comes to a close, I have been sitting with a mix of emotions. Pride. Gratitude. Fatigue. Awe. And a deep sense of humility.
January, 2026 will mark seven years of Niyama Wellness, which somehow feels like both forever and a blink. Seven years of building, learning, stumbling, starting again, and staying rooted in a vision that began with a simple belief: women deserve better support for their health, strength, and wellbeing. Wellness habits should be easier and more enjoyable to create and sustain.
So, before we step into a new year, I wanted to pause and reflect honestly on what this past year held. The wins that made my heart swell. The challenges that stretched me in ways I did not expect. And the gratitude I feel for simply still being here, building, growing, and serving a community that means everything to me.
The Wins That Carried Us
2025 brought moments that felt surreal, especially as a self-funded Canadian wellness brand.
One of the biggest highlights was Glow & Flow winning Best Beauty Supplement at The Beauty Awards, recognized by Fashion, Hello Canada, and Chatelaine. To see a product we poured so much care into acknowledged on that level felt incredibly affirming.
After an 18-month journey with Health Canada, manufacturing delays, and raw material challenges, we finally launched Bloaty, our anti-bloat capsule that so many of you had been waiting patiently for. That launch was a lesson in perseverance and trust. Sometimes the things that take the longest carry the deepest meaning.
We also introduced Strong Like a Woman, our creatine formulated for women, by a woman. Available in unflavoured and Hibiscus Berry, with added vitamin D3 and electrolytes, this product represents so much of what Niyama stands for: supporting women’s strength, vitality, and confidence at every stage of life.
Co-hosting the Strong Like a Woman launch event at Sweat & Tonic at The Well was another unforgettable moment. Meeting media, creators, and long-time Niyama customers in person reminded me why community is at the heart of everything we do. We continued to build our community at events like Planted Expo, CHFA East and West, and The National Menopause Show.
This year, we continued our 1% for the Planet commitment, supporting Environmental Defence and Water First, two Canadian organizations doing vital work for climate action and safe water in Indigenous communities. Giving back is not an afterthought for us. It is a responsibility.
On a more personal note, I made a change that mattered deeply. For the first time in six years, I began taking most weekends off, aside from shows and events. That space to rest, reflect, and simply be human again changed more than I expected.
We collaborated with inspiring Canadian women-owned brands like Hello Joyous, Lake & Oak, Routine, Everist, The Livy Method, Revolution Her and many others. We joined Indie Beauty Collective and By the North, becoming part of communities that truly support Canadian founders.
Niyama was welcomed into over 50 new retailers across Canada, health food stores that nourish their communities and genuinely care about helping people live well. We also celebrated The Detox Market’s 15th anniversary, one of our very first retail partners. Being included in their milestone celebrations felt full circle in the most beautiful way.
Our community continued to grow, especially as more Canadians made a conscious choice to support local, small businesses. Feeling that support during an uncertain time meant more than I can put into words.
And one milestone I want to share honestly: I paid myself a salary while remaining profitable. It was still very modest, but doing so in 2024 and again in 2025 was a personal and professional turning point. It marked sustainability, not just survival.
The Challenges That Tested Us
Alongside the wins, there were challenges that weighed heavily.
2025 was meant to be the year we softly entered the US market. However, navigating that market in the current climate would have been even more complex and stressful than in prior times so I could not take that on. I’m grateful we only lost opportunity, as many Canadian brands lost half their revenue to the new realities of trade with the US.
Health Canada uncertainty remains an ongoing reality for Canadian wellness brands, with labeling requirement changes in flux, and the threat of “cost recovery” looming; costs that are very difficult for small brands to absorb.
As a self-funded business, growth and cash flow management are constant balancing acts. Every decision carries opportunity cost. Inventory requires significant upfront capital, often long before products ever reach your hands. Each new launch ties up resources that could otherwise go toward paying our small team, our freelancers, our agency partners, or investing more deeply in content and education.
Raising capital is something I continue to wrestle with. Debt, angel investment, or giving up equity are all real considerations, each with long-term implications for Niyama’s values and independence. I’m weighing the options but nothing feels truly aligned.
Costs increased across nearly everything this year from ingredients to manufacturing to shipping, compressing margins in ways that are challenging but unavoidable.
There were also moments of overwhelm, of feeling like the work never truly stops. Being constantly available, rarely fully offline, takes a toll. I am learning, slowly, how to create more boundaries without losing momentum.
And then there was Canada Post uncertainty again. While we do not rely on Canada Post heavily, delays impacted orders going to PO boxes and remote locations. Some of you waited far too long for orders, and some packages were lost. Even when things are beyond my control, it still hurts deeply to feel like we disappointed you. Your patience and kindness during that time will stay with me.
Gratitude, Above All
The truth is that the majority of small businesses do not make it to year seven. The odds are not in our favour. And yet, here we are.
Still learning. Still growing. Still choosing values over shortcuts. Still believing that wellness should be thoughtful, ethical, and rooted in care.
If you have ever purchased from Niyama, shared a post, sent a message, attended an event, stocked our products, or simply cheered us on quietly from afar, please know this: you are part of why we are here.
As we step into 2026 and approach seven years of Niyama Wellness, I feel both grounded and hopeful. There is so much more I want to build, and I am deeply grateful to be doing it alongside this community.
Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for supporting Canadian wellness. And thank you for being part of this journey.
With so much gratitude,
Jillian
Founder, Niyama Wellness
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