Venus Williams may be an international tennis star with her seven Grand Slam titles, but she is becoming just as known for her work off the court, too. The athlete recently announced that she as taken an ownership stake in the self-care line Asutra and will also serve as chief brand officer.
“I love their focus on active self care,” Williams told WWD. “Obviously I live and breathe that, and I was able to use their products as a part of actively taking care of myself. I also love that their products work and they use all natural ingredients, so you can use the products for your mind, body and soul. That was a huge appeal for me and just fit right into my lifestyle.”
Launched in 2015, the Chicago-based company specializes in natural and affordable personal care and pain relief products that owner and CEO Stephanie Morimoto says allow users to “amp up their self-care time.”
The 50-plus product line includes everything from a $10.95 Peaceful Lavender Yoga Mat Cleaner to a $20.99 Magnesium Body Butter and is available at Asutra.com, Amazon.com, iherb.com, Walmart.com and CVS stores nationwide.
Williams, who is already an established entrepreneur with her full-service commercial and residential design firm, V Starr, and athletic apparel line, EleVen by Venus Williams, shared that she chose to invest in the woman-owned and run business after being impressed by the products.
“I came to Asutra as a customer … the more I learned about the company, the more intrigued I became,” she shared. “I’ve always been in that [wellness] realm. I grew up that way with my mom. She kind of grew up in California in the ’70s, so you know how that goes. It was all natural and that sort of thing, and even for my own health I do a lot of things that enhance my health to keep inflammation down, the way I eat and all of that.”
While her still thriving tennis career and personal businesses take up a great deal of time, the 38-year-old said that it is important for her to constantly “reinvent” herself and be open to “something different.”
“It’s an opportunity to collaborate with other people as well. I enjoy that,” she said of her new role at Asutra. “Tennis is a solo sport, so in my businesses I’ve found that opportunity to work with other people and to collaborate and share ideas and to push each other and that’s what I really look forward to.”
