Meet The Maker: IAMMI
Introducing one of our newer additions to our beauty range: IAMMI. Founder Mimi Gilmour is inspiring from head to toe. Innovative, creative, clever & kind. She recently launched a well being brand that is more than just skincare - its turning everyday routines into powerful practices of self care.
We caught up with her to learn a little more about her work and the inspiration behind IAMMI.
01 - First off, tell us a little about yourself and the journey behind where you are today?
My name is Mimi Gilmour Buckley, and I am the founder of the new wellbeing brand, IAMMI, which we are beyond honoured to be selling through A&C Homestore. IAMMI's goal is to help you feel confident and capable in just five minutes a day. We’re kind of like a skincare and mental health solution all in one. We make products and platforms, designed to be used together to make you feel good - on the inside and out! We currently offer results-driven, affordable-luxury skincare products which are powered by our native botanicals, and an app that gives you a daily wellbeing practice to complete as you use our products to do your skincare routine.
02 - Can you tell us a bit about what self care means to you and how Iammi came to be?
IAMMI's journey is anchored in the notion of self-care. Six years ago, when my beautiful daughter, Olympia (who is now thriving at the age of 6), was born with a severe brain injury, I really dug deep into turning my skincare routine into a self-care moment. As I grieved for the healthy life I had imagined for my daughter and learnt our new normal, this daily routine became my moment not only to care for my skin but also to remind myself to let go of what I couldn't control and focus only on what I could. Through this practice, I became more resilient. As I studied the brain to learn about Olympia's condition, I discovered the science of repetition and why this practice was having such a powerful impact. I shared this concept - repurposing your skincare routine into a moment of true self-care - with friends going through tough times, and they too reported its positive impact.
03 - Tell us a about your IAMMI platform and your inspiration behind this?
The IAMMI platform is a free app that transforms your daily skincare routine into a five-minute well-being practice. It comprises three key areas:
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My Story: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-inspired process that helps you identify your current feelings, set intentions for how you want to feel, and determine which areas of life you want to gain more control over.
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My Daily Practice: This involves listening to the IAMMI Intention (a series of daily affirmations) followed by a Life Bite. Life Bites are lessons, stories, wisdom, and advice from inspiring people, kind of like the best nuggets of a podcast. Each Life Bite is about 2 - 4 minutes long, perfect for listening to during your skincare routine.
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My Skin: After listening to your Life Bite, you're encouraged to log your skin health; My Skin allows you to snap, note, and compare pictures to track your skin's progress. It also provides Skinsights, which are expert-penned recommendations and insights which you’re served based on what’s going on with your skin.
04 - We love that part of your business model is built to support charities, can you tell us a bit about your work with Starship so far?
I have always been a huge fan of the Starship Foundation and the remarkable work they do. However, my journey with Olympia has given me the incredible opportunity to form an even deeper respect and relationship. It’s our honor to donate $1 from our hero product, Olympia Glow Nourishing Serum, to the Starship Foundation. One of our key business goals is to raise one million dollars for Starship in this way.
05 Any exciting products/projects in the pipeline?
We have so many products in the pipeline! We worked on IAMMI for several years before launch, collaborating with our incredible skincare advisor, Christine Hayes, and our lab technicians, and let’s just say there are a lot of really remarkable results-driven formulas waiting in the wings.
We have a strong philosophy when it comes to creating physical and digital products: F.E.V. The world is overflowing with things and we only want to add to them if we’re doing so in a meaningful way. F.E.V. stands for Feeling (it needs to make you feel good), Effectiveness (it needs to work) and Value (it needs to be accessibly priced and also add value and a positive impact - to your life and others).
All of our physical products are luxurious and made in New Zealand, tapping into the best of science and the latest innovations in green technology. One of the products I'm most excited about isn't strictly skincare, but I won't give too much away just yet. Let's just say it's very sexy!