Liron Fendell is the CEO of Nutritional Growth Solutions, an Israeli pediatric supplement that specialises in scientific supplement formulas for children of a smaller stature.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
Growing up in sunny Tel Aviv, I always had a keen interest in sports and nutrition from a very young age. After four years serving in the military as a lieutenant in the Israeli navy, I pursued a career as a corporate attorney in one of Tel Aviv’s biggest law firms.
When I became a mother to a beautiful but stubborn picky eater, I realized there weren’t many options for nutrition-minded moms looking for healthy food choices to feed their children.
I then met two expert pediatricians at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center, Prof. Phillip and Prof. Shamir who had just completed the development of the Healthy Height formula and joined them at NGS shortly after its inception to lead the business development of the company. In 2017, I became the CEO.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
My day usually starts at 6:30am as I get my kids ready for school. At 8:30am I’ll be at the office spending the morning meeting with the China team and speaking with stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region.
If I don’t have a meeting that morning, I’ll sneak in a yoga practice for a more energetic day. After lunch I usually have some time to go over emails and review documents, and starting at 5pm, I start my meetings with the US team until later in the evening.
Prior to COVID I used to travel often, spending about 25% of my time abroad. These days, I’m only seeing the Golden Gate Bridge on other people’s Zoom backgrounds.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
It does, however I am more comfortable working from the office as I like the separation of work and home. Home to me is about spending time with my family, whereas in the office, I like to get properly stuck into work.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
I love my job and enjoy coming to work. In addition, I make sure I have enough time on my calendar to get enough exercise (yoga/running) and spend time with my family. I set up specific times in my calendar for everything which is the only way I get to it all.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
I have not been looking to change my life, and even during a pandemic, I have tried and managed to keep my routine constant. To me, it’s the best way to stay positive and keep my mental health in state even throughout a stressful period of time.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
If I can’t find the time to read, I enjoy audiobooks in my free time. I listened to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman recently. A podcast I like to listen to day-to-day is The Investor’s Podcast.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
I don’t know what I would do without my AirPods! I’m connected to them 24/7. They’ve really made my life so much easier.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. She is both an inspiring leader and family-oriented woman which I admire.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
I think work-life balance differs individually. As long as you are doing what you love and enjoy – you know you are in the right place. For me – working long hours for a business I passionately believe in is very satisfying, whilst keeping time for the activities I enjoy.
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