We were lucky to catch up with Joy McCarthy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

We officially launched Hello Joyous in April 2023, but it was over a decade in the making.

About 10 years earlier, I started experimenting with making my own lip balm and sunblock in my kitchen after taking some DIY courses with a friend named Kathrin. I was immediately inspired and began sharing my creations with my Joyous Health community (which is my personal brand—I’m also a Holistic Nutritionist).

As I shared more, people kept asking if they could buy the products because they were looking for truly clean, plant-powered skincare that was safe for both their families and the planet. That’s when we began selling our organic body butter, made with zero fillers. The response was incredible—people were using it to soothe eczema on their babies, nourish dry skin, and as an all-around amazing moisturizer.

At the time, it was very grassroots—truly a passion project that lived alongside everything else I was doing under the Joyous Health umbrella, including writing cookbooks. But one day, (around 2022) my husband Walker said, “Joy, we need to take these products to the next level. Let’s make this the thing, not just a side project.”

That’s when Hello Joyous was born. We made the bold decision to branch off from Joyous Health and pour our energy, creativity, and resources into building a clean beauty brand. It was scary, yes—but absolutely the right move. As the saying goes, “Energy flows where attention goes.”

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I launched Joyous Health back in 2009 as a space to share my love for nutrition, clean beauty, and joyful living. Like many others, I got into the wellness industry because of my own health issues. After years dealing with digestive issues, hormonal imbalance and not getting anywhere with Western medicine, I decided to try a different path and that’s when my life transformed and I was able to heal my body. Since I launched Joyous Health, I’ve written 3 bestselling cookbooks and it’s grown into a Taste Canada award–winning blog and a global wellness community where I share nourishing recipes, well-being inspiration, and tips for living a more natural, toxin-free life.

Fast forward years later, even though I had addressed those health issues, a couple of years after having my daughter, I developed extremely sensitive skin and was diagnosed with rosacea. When we decided that we were going to take our products and make them more official and launch Hello Joyous, I knew that clean, effective and gentle skincare had to be part of that lineup. If I couldn’t find something to work for my sensitive skin, then I would create it.

Once we had our formulations, after 6 weeks using the Hello Joyous Skincare (along with other holistic practices I had in place), my skin immediately calmed down. And had an enormous amount of excitement to launch our skincare, along with our body butter and dry shampoo. All of which we officially launched in 2023.

What sets Hello Joyous apart is our less-is-more philosophy—also known as skinimalism. We believe your skin needs far less than you think to be healthy and radiant.

All of our products are organic, but what truly makes them different is that they’re waterless and made from concentrated botanicals—nothing diluted, nothing unnecessary. By supporting the skin’s natural microbiome and giving it exactly what it needs (and nothing it doesn’t), we help your skin thrive in the most natural way possible.

That’s the Hello Joyous difference. Simple, effective, and rooted in nature.

What I’m most proud of is that our products are helping our customers experience amazing results – healthy skin and hair, naturally.

How’d you meet your business partner?

My co-founder and business partner is also my husband, Walker—but we didn’t always work together.

We first met when he owned a personal training studio and I was a nutritionist offering coaching to his clients. A few years later, he made a big career shift into sales, while I continued building my nutrition practice and creating content for JoyousHealth.com. Even though we were on different paths, Walker was always supporting me behind the scenes. Back when I was selling ebooks and online programs, he was the one helping me set everything up from the ground up.

Honestly, without his support, Joyous Health wouldn’t have grown the way it did—and Hello Joyous might never have been born.

In 2013, we made a huge decision: if I was going to keep growing the business, he needed to leave his job and join me full-time. It was a scary leap, financially and emotionally. Our friends warned us—”You shouldn’t work with your spouse!”—but we made a promise to each other: if working together ever put strain on our relationship, we’d step back and choose us first.

Twelve years later, we’re still going strong—both in business and in life—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Any advice for managing a team?

We’re a small but mighty team of seven. Three of us work across both businesses—Joyous Health and Hello Joyous—while the rest of the team is dedicated solely to growing Hello Joyous, our product-based business.

Team morale is incredibly important to us, and we feel so fortunate to have a group of people who are not only talented but truly essential to our growth. One of the biggest contributors to high morale is strong communication. Every Monday morning, we kick off the week with a team status meeting to review current projects, align on goals, and go over our email marketing strategy. This keeps everyone in sync and moving in the same direction.

Another key pillar is respect for work-life balance. I never email or text the team after hours, nor do I expect anyone to work on weekends. Time off is sacred—and I believe that honoring people’s time is one of the most powerful ways to show appreciation and build trust.

We also prioritize in-person connection. A few times a year, we bring the team together outside of the office—like the BBQ we’re hosting in a couple of weeks—so we can relax, laugh, and simply enjoy each other’s company.

Most importantly, I make it a priority to ensure every team member knows how deeply appreciated they are. A thriving team culture doesn’t just happen—it’s something we nurture with intention and heart.

And finally, I know our team loves working with us because we are creating something that brings goodness into people’s lives, is planet-friendly and sustainable.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.joyoushealth.com www.hellojoyous.com
• Instagram: @joyoushealth @hellojoyous_

Image Credits

All photography: Walker Jordan