Muses #2: Funke Braithwaite

On mastery, making wellness simple and building with purpose

This week’s Muse is

Funke Braithwaite

, founder of

Eudaimonia Wellness

—a brand dedicated to demystifying wellness for Africans and the diaspora. She recently launched her own newsletter, exploring Afrocentric wellness, style, travel and everything in between that moves her.

Funke is someone I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with over the past few years and even working with. I first came across Eudaimonia in 2020 and found the content so refreshing—especially as I was just getting into wellness myself but noticed how much the space (at least in mainstream media) was dominated by Western culture. From obsessing over the brand’s Instagram to eventually connecting, I ended up working with her for a bit to help build out her vision—an experience that was truly fundamental for me. I learned so much from her—not just about creativity but also about the sheer dedication it takes to ensure a vision meets a standard of excellence.

Though I eventually left EW, Funke and I have stayed in touch, and I knew she had to be a guest for this series. I want to dig deeper into how she shaped Eudaimonia’s vision, what it takes to sustain a platform like this and of course, get to know more about her journey along the way. So let’s dive in!

What recent musings have you had?

Something I’ve been thinking a lot about is mastery, I feel like because of the advancement of AI, edutainment and just the general informational overload - it feels like we all know a little about everything but not enough about one thing to really have a fresh perspective, understand problems that we can solve or even just have a proper appreciation for things. I feel like our ancestors stuck to one thing and mastered it so well that they were able to pass it down from generation to generation - I ask myself will I know enough about something/or have mastered anything to pass on to my future generation?

Something you recently consumed that left an impression? (Could be digital media, book, article, show, podcast or even food!)

I’m currently reading Let them by Mel Robbins! It's so simple but so powerful, it's helping me to reclaim my power by accepting what I cannot change and being proactive about what I can influence. It's a must read! 

When you have ideas - who are your go-tos to share with and get feedback? 

Hmm God and my mum.

It’s 2020, lockdown has everyone indoors. What was going through your mind that led to the official launch of Eudaimonia?

I have a lot of broken relationships. I'm realizing lots of areas that I need to work on and heal like my self confidence, my eating habits, my skincare routine and how to optimize my life for the goals I have. I found myself researching on Google and being led to amazing publications like Goop and Poosh. Although helpful, after a few reads of their content, I noticed that they weren’t fully applicable as the archetype this was written for was probably white, blond and super rich. I couldn’t find any resources for my lived experience - black, African, young professional - that spoke on the topics that I needed help with. From there, the idea for Eudaimonia was born - a community that would share content around wellness topics from an African perspective. 

What’s your vision for Eudaimonia, and where do you see it evolving?

I see Eudaimonia as a global lifestyle brand that takes many forms, a platform for refreshing content around wellness from a global African lens, a product brand to cater to the needs and lived experiences of Africans in the diaspora, a community that hosts impactful and life shaping events, activations and experiences around wellness and more! 

Eudaimonia’s Instagram being shut down was a huge challenge (It’s down again! Sigh). How do you stay encouraged when faced with setbacks like that?

We just experienced our 3rd shut down, the first two were panic inducing and honestly traumatic as almost 5 years of work flashed before my eyes. But this last one was different. What helped was my new desire to “Let them” lol as Mel is teaching me. Let instagram take down my account… but also “Let me”... as Mel says! Let me reflect on how this platform affects my work and how I can take the power back into my own hands. Although we got the page recovered, I had a huge perspective shift that has ultimately changed the way we create. I’m learning that in the midst of setbacks you must leave what you can’t control aka “let them” and learn from, and respond to what you can aka“let me”.

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Your personal style and preferences are so distinct. How do they influence the way you create and present Eudaimonia?

I feel like the more I move the direction of what feels good, I am happier with the outcome - for me good design, style, expression is an innate feeling. I try to bring that to Eudaimonia, as a team our ethos for creating is centred around what, an idea, topic or design evokes and if it feels right for the team - we do that. The better we feel about it, usually the better it performs or translates to our audience. 

What’s a natural skill you have that plays a big role in your creative process?

Connected to the last response, I'm a huge empath and I feel things deeply. For a long time I hated being the “deep” friend who made everything into a think piece, now I love that as it informs how I create.

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Where do you find inspiration?

Everywhere! But ultimately I would say my biggest inspiration comes from my creator, God Almighty. I hold strongly to this scripture Phil 2:5-8 and I live with the belief that I house the mind of the most creative being that is and is to come, so imagine how insane my creative capabilities must be lol! 

@funkebraithwaite on ig :)

How do you view creative evolution? Have you seen shifts in your own process since starting Eudaimonia?

Eudaimonia and I are closely linked so as I continue to evolve as an individual and learn more, it definitely shapes the output. It has also helped me as a founder as I’ve become more daring and committed to my ideas and the more and more I uncover my authenticity, the richer Eudaimonia’s direction becomes. 

Your approach to storytelling and communication feels so effortless, but I’m sure there’s a lot that goes into it. What’s your process?

Thank you! I think it's just an overflow of what I consume, be it scripture, rhema (the spoken word of God), books, articles, art, music, films and TV. I wouldn’t say I have a process but I’m learning to be selective about what I consume as it directly correlates to what I put out. I try to stick to original ideas, find the source and learn from there, rather than from regurgitated or replicated ideas.

Every brand (at least good ones) creates a culture that people connect with. What kind of culture are you building with Eudaimonia?

Eudaimonia’s culture is centered around contemporary Afrocentric wellness, blending tradition with modernity in an elevated and intentional way. It embodies the essence of luxury, where community, storytelling and authenticity take priority.

What’s a simple yet impactful wellness tip you swear by?

Lol the answer is in the question.. Keep things simple. Narrow down - don’t let social media tell you what you need, figure that out based on your careful assessment of yourself and respond to that by researching and finding what works for you. 

The wellness industry is booming, but it also comes with unrealistic expectations and is predominately westernized. What are some narratives you think need to be challenged?

Generally western society is one that is very individualistic, it doesn’t encourage sharing and passing things down if not for gain (clicks, views, likes etc) and I think that has trickled down into the wellness industry where it's more product focused, not to say that some of these products aren't revolutionary and necessary. But sometimes a new serum or health tracker  isn’t what you need, it might be more effective to talk to someone in your community or interact with more people that could help solve your problem or help you realise that you don’t actually even have one. I think African societies have had communal living at the forefront of culture and society and that’ something that we should reclaim in wellness.

What’s something you’re really proud of yourself for?

Doing a lot of the things that I talked myself out of.

Is there a recent habit you’ve been practicing that’s made a difference in your daily life?

Not recent but very impactful - make your bed! An instant win to get you going for the day. 

We’re all on a journey of self-discovery. What’s something you’ve learned about yourself that you didn’t expect?

I am a deep introvert and I recharge by being alone - I always felt my discomfort with constantly being in social settings was a product of social awkwardness. Until I realised that when rested and recharged I actually thrive socially. 

 You’re clearly a tennis girl. Why that sport in particular? Have you always been into athletics?

I am! I’ve been on school teams for other sports but never tennis. I needed a hobby that would get me outdoors and it felt like the quickest and easiest one to pick up, little did I know I would fall madly in love with it! The culture, the fashion, the health benefits, the players' mindset, the community I've formed around it and the game itself and how much it has taught me about discipline, self confidence, centering myself / self talk and so much more. Tennis is such a powerful sport.

What’s a part of building Eudaimonia that you love—and one aspect that challenges you?

The same thing that I love about it is what challenges me… I love who its for and what it does for people, but that comes with the responsibility to constantly evolve and grow for the sake even when change feels scary and staying as we were would be more comfortable.

Who are your top three creators right now?

I kinda almost don’t want to share this lol! My go to creators are like a cheat meal that I like to indulge in, in private.

But I will share one person I absolutely love to follow on IG @puthbrook , 3 words - Her. Taste. Level! 

And one person on YouTube: Michelle Choi, she’s so comforting and wholesome to me.

Any exciting projects in the works that you can tease? 👀

I’m currently working on my very own Substack newsletter! (She’s hereeee) It will be housing all my thoughts on wellness, personal style, tennis and travel. And maybe something physical…..

How does life feel for you right now?

Busy, challenging, rewarding.

What’s a personal intention or desire you have for 2025?

To go confidently in the direction of my dreams, to do what I already do even better and to work on mastering what I already love.