Five Questions for Nicole Rechelbacher, IN Co-Owner
We caught up with our fearless leader & daughter of Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Intelligent Nutrients and Aveda.
Q: How was your childhood different from others?
A: How wasn’t it? My friends thought my dad looked like John Lennon. He was flying all over the world, cooking clove shampoo in our sink, inviting Tibetan monks and Native elders over, and telling us to eat organic instead of OREOS. We didn’t have a picket fence, we had a mandala.
Q: How did growing with an entrepreneur change your worldview?
A: Creativity was a way of life for us—but so was hustle. I was cutting hair in high school. I was schlepping to shows and assisting him onstage. I was doing makeup backstage at hair shows and photo shoots. All while my friends were working jobs as lifeguards or retail. Dad was never impressed by who people said they were. He was impressed by what you did. And that instilled a big work ethic in me.
Q: How has it shaped your views on health?
A: We grew up on organic food when it came from one little co-op across town. Toxic chemicals, environmental danger, climate change — we talked about those things at dinner like other people might say “How was your day?” So I’ve always eaten very clean, been aware of my impact and really the responsibility we all have to this planet. Because if we don’t have a planet to live on, the rest of it doesn’t matter. It literally won’t exist. And it’s scary how close we’re getting.
Q: What’s the most striking change in beauty to you?
A: There are so many, but the most exciting one is probably the acceptance of all types of people and all types of “beauty.” To me, beauty is not about looking one way. It’s about feeling great about how you are and who you are. It’s so refreshing to see that out in the world now. The other big difference is the technology. There was a time we couldn’t make organic products that worked as well as conventional. But now we can. We can do plant stem cells — other breakthroughs that deliver results but again, are much better for the earth. And that’s exciting to me.
Q: Where do you see IN going?
A: The IN mission has always been “Everything we put in and on our bodies must be nutritious and safe.” That was a semi-revolutionary idea when Dad first had it. Now it’s commonplace. Millennials grew up fully aware of dangerous ingredients and demanding transparency. And that’s wonderful. It what we’ve all been working toward. But one thing is missing: The ENVIRONMENT. Again, our own health is tied completely to the health of the water we drink, the air we breathe, the soil, the ecosystem. At IN we’re working to bring that conversation back. It’s so needed and with how Gen Z is activating, we think there’s a whole new generation who will be ready to engage and make it their own.