Dunedin businesswoman Sandra Clair leads a busy life.
As well as being research and development director and founder of natural health company Artemis, she is working on a PhD project linking the traditional use of medicinal plants to clinical and scientific research.
Without the use of the products she has developed from medicinal plants, she was convinced she would not be able to handle her workload.
''We all lead busy lives with family, work and interests. If we just allow ourselves throughout the day to have these little moments of sanity, when we look after ourselves, then we manage to do that workload. When we don't look after ourselves, that's when things can come unhinged,'' she said.
Ms Clair, a registered medical herbalist, founded Artemis in 1998, creating a range of natural, certified organic herbal tea, body care and health remedies.
In 2012, the company was named fastest-growing manufacturer in Otago and the lower South Island in the Deloitte Fast 50.
This year has been another big year for the company.
It made the top 10 nationwide in the Westpac Business Growth Grant programme and landed a nationwide core range distribution deal through Green Cross Health, which includes Unichem and Life Pharmacy outlets.
Leigh Kite was also appointed general manager, freeing up Ms Clair to pursue her passion of education and product development.
Mrs Kite has a long-standing involvement in the health and beauty industry, most recently for nine years at Comvita, where she was general manager of the personal care business unit.
Artemis had been growing quickly this year and there was a desire from the board to have another ''quantum change'' in revenue, she said.
Living in Tauranga and commuting to Dunedin worked well for Mrs Kite, as she was close to Auckland, where there were many stakeholders.
While Ms Clair and Artemis were well-known in Otago, the challenge was to make the brand just as well known throughout the country.
Doing that required a visible presence in Auckland, she said.
Mrs Kite, who secured the job from 105 applicants, was part of some ''quite rapid growth'' at Comvita and could see the same potential in Artemis, which has 12 employees as well as several contractors.
She was enthusiastic about the future of the business, saying it had a good foundation, strategy, board and team.
''And we have fun,'' added Ms Clair.
Export was ''still going in the right direction'' although they wanted to ensure growth in the domestic market was very solid.
Health and organic stores had been the ''vision holders'' and the company's staunchest supporters.
The drive into pharmacies had been a big goal and, by the end of the year, Artemis was expected to be stocked in about 400 pharmacies, including some independent ones.
There was interest from Asia, particularly China, the first order went to Japan this week and Australia was another prospect, but they needed to make sure they could produce and deliver.
Mrs Kite said they spent the first half of this year addressing the ''huge potential'' in the domestic market and there was still more work to be done in that market.
''What I've discovered is there's a real love affair with Artemis. People either don't know about it or they do, and then they do love it. It's about making the product more accessible to people through New Zealand.''
The other thing to ensure was that the supply chain was working well. It was one thing to have growth and demand, but Artemis also had to be able to feed the market.
Supply was the biggest challenge.
The industry was growing and there was ''huge'' demand for quality New Zealand products.
Being certified organic and also requiring medicinal grade materials, Artemis could ''not just accept any old quality'', Ms Clair said.
''I have, as founder, made a strong commitment to our customers I will never compromise quality.''
Ms Clair, who moved to New Zealand from Switzerland in 1995, said the growth of Artemis had greatly exceeded her expectations.
''It has been quite a ride for me. It has been a wonderful journey to see the demand.''
Her big vision was always to make natural plant medicine available to as many people as possible.
Pharmaceutical medicine was for the ''serious stuff'', when people were really ill, and they did not have to rely on it for all non-life threatening ailments.
It was also about fortifying themselves, to ensure they did not get sick, and help them have a better quality of life.
''We only have one body to live in - that's our one and only house we will have. We need to look after it,'' Ms Clair said.
The brand was both product and knowledge and she encouraged people to look after themselves.
Society needed people who were healthy, she said.
She wanted people to have access to high-quality plant medicines ''that actually have grunt'' and that they could feel a difference immediately.
People were often very conscious about looking good on the ''outside'' but tended to forget about inner-cleansing and strengthening.
It was estimated about 5.6 billion of the world's 7.3 billion people used plant medication for primary healthcare, including 86% of the population of Switzerland.
Plant medication could also be obtained by prescription in Switzerland.
Providing tools for people to look after themselves better was an exciting space to be in.
''I couldn't think of a better job. I know every time I go to work ... I do something that's meaningful for my community,'' she said.
Ms Clair said she still loved getting away from her computer and gathering herbs in Central Otago.
''Just being able to be in nature, having my hands in the soil again ... it just makes my heart sing,'' she said.
