IT’S A FAMILY affair for one of Ireland’s quickest growing supplement brands.
Limerick lady Kylie O’Donoghue co-founded FemFuelz – a supplement brand specially targeted towards women – alongside her brother, four time All-Ireland winning hurler William O’Donoghue.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, Kylie said that it was William’s help and advice around nutrition that sparked the idea for FemFuelz.
“The idea came about as a result of William constantly trying to educate me on what supplements I should be taking before, during, and after the gym. William played hurling from a young age so was always well versed on everything exercise and nutrition related,” Kylie said.
“For me, as a general gym goer, I never felt that there was a brand I could happily stand by or relate to, or a brand that I felt catered for females just like me. It was at that point that we started researching how we could create premium products specifically designed for females.”
“We looked at different elements such as increasing the protein content, adding digestive enzymes to our blends to reduce bloating and digestive discomfort typically experienced by females when consuming whey products.”
Kylie said that they wanted to create a product that women would feel comfortable with, something away from the “macho” side of supplements.
“Everything within the fitness space with regards to supplements has always been quiet ‘macho’, whether that is packaging, marketing, branding, the list goes on. We think it is crucial that females feel heard, catered for, and feel like they understand what they take and why they take it,” Kylie said.
Both Kylie and William studied business at the University of Limerick, setting up FemFuelz when Kylie was in the third year of her studies in 2020. By January 2021, both had quit their full time jobs to work on the brand.
While working with family may not be the easiest at times, Kylie says that, despite the odd argument, there is no one she’d rather build a company with.
“If it was not for William’s advice and education around what I should and should not be doing with regards to the gym, we might never have gotten to where we are today with FemFuelz. It may not have ever even transpired.”
“Although we most certainly have the odd screaming match from time to time, there is no one else I could ever see myself doing this with,” she said.
“FemFuelz turns three this October and I think we are more excited about the future than we ever have been before. We launched into 156 Aldi Stores last Thursday (May 25) with limited edition products, plus we are already stocked in another 130+ retail stores to date.”
“We do have a keen focus on breaking into new markets over the coming months. Ultimately we are here to revolutionise the standard of female supplements and we don’t plan to stop until we do just that,” Kylie concluded.
