#LifeLessons - The Biggest Life Learnings Of Iryna Nestsiarovich

NAME: Iryna Nestsiarovich

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @scoopwholefoods_ae

JOB TITLE: CEO and Co-Founder of Scoop Wholefoods UAE  

When Iryna Nestsiarovich first moved to Dubai, she spent over a year searching for a store like Scoop Wholefoods - somewhere she could shop consciously, find truly high-quality food for her family, and trust what she was bringing home. Instead, Iryna found herself bouncing between shops and apps, juggling ingredients she couldn’t pronounce and packaging that made her cringe. As a mum and someone who cares deeply about health, it wasn’t just inconvenient - it felt broken.

Today, Iryna is the Co-Founder and CEO of Scoop Wholefoods UAE - a conscious retail space that’s changing the way people shop, eat, and live. Iryna oversees everything from her team and operations to partnerships and growth. But more than anything, she wants to make sustainable, nourishing living feel easy and joyful. With over 17 years in the F&B world, Iryna always believes food should empower us, not confuse us.

What started as a personal need became something so much bigger. Together with her amazing business partner Viktoria, they've built a space where people can shop with clarity, reduce waste, and reconnect with what matters. Iryna doesn't just run the business - she lives by it, feeling lucky every day to lead with heart and purpose.

Today Iryna shares her biggest life learnings with us:

#LIFELESSON - 1: Resilience is a choice, not a trait

People often think resilience is something you're either born with or you're not. But I've learned it's a muscle - one you strengthen through lived experience. Mine was built through the unpredictability of multiple country relocations, the humbling journey of motherhood, the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and one of the biggest pivots of my life: walking away from a successful corporate career without a clear "next step."

After relocating yet again, I found myself in a new country with no job title to lean on, no roadmap - just a gut feeling that I was meant to create something of my own. I had two choices: freeze or rise. I chose to rise.

Resilience isn't about avoiding failure or discomfort. It's about falling, pausing, listening, learning, and getting back up - a little softer, a little wiser, and a lot stronger. Whether it's navigating supply chain chaos, adapting to evolving customer needs, or juggling business and family life, every challenge reminds me that resilience flows from purpose. If you're deeply connected to your why, you'll always find your how.

#LIFELESSON - 2: You don't need balance, you need alignment

I used to chase the idea of balance. The perfect split between work, family, rest, social life... the elusive balance that never quite existed. It just left me feeling exhausted. What I've come to understand is that alignment is what we're really after. When the way you live reflects what you value - that's when life starts to feel good again. That's when things click.

I'm a CEO, a wife, a mother, a woman with big dreams and a lot of plates spinning. Balance makes it feel like I'm constantly dropping something. But alignment? That's where the magic happens. When my business supports my lifestyle, when my schedule reflects my priorities, when my team, my home, and my energy all stem from the same values - that's when I feel calm, focused, fulfilled.

I don't have perfect days. But I have meaningful ones. Because now, everything I do feeds who I am - and I no longer need to apologise for putting purpose, peace, and presence at the top of the list.

#LIFELESSON - 3: Surrender is strength, not weakness

How do you even begin to thank yourself for the year that changed everything? This past year was a lot - wild, confronting, humbling, expansive, and expensive. It stretched me in ways I wasn't ready for, cracked open parts of me I thought I'd outgrown, and asked me to let go of the illusion of control. I faced fears I used to avoid. I grew in ways I didn't plan. And through all of it, I chose to love myself - not in spite of the chaos, but because of it.

The biggest shift? Learning to surrender. I stopped forcing timelines. I stopped trying to control everything. I started trusting the universe had a better plan than the one I'd scribbled on my to-do list. And in that letting go, I found peace - not because everything was perfect, but because I stopped needing it to be.

I thank myself for staying. For rising. For showing up when it was hard and softening when I wanted to fight. I've let go of the chase and leaned into presence - into pouring from a full cup and leading from a place of peace. I'm proud of the woman I'm becoming - and more than anything, I'm excited for what's next.