For decades, Suzanne Duckett was at the heart of the wellness industry—editing glossy magazines, curating luxury spa guides, and consulting for global brands. But behind the scenes, she saw the industry’s cracks: wellness repackaged as just another product to sell. In this episode, Suzanne shares how she went from reporting on beauty and self-care to cutting through the noise and finding what truly works. She talks about the moment she realized meditation wasn’t just another wellness trend—it was the real deal. We dive into her journey from media insider to meditation advocate, the rise (and fall) of corporate wellness, and why true well-being has nothing to do with gold-leaf facials in Monaco.
About Suzanne Duckett
Suzanne Duckett has been shaping the wellness and beauty conversation for nearly three decades. As the former Beauty Director of Cosmopolitan and Editor of the Tatler Spa Guide, she’s been at the forefront of the industry—watching wellness evolve from a niche pursuit to a trillion-dollar business. A regular contributor to The Telegraph and The Times, she’s also the author of Bathe: The Art of Finding Rest, Relaxation, and Rejuvenation in a Busy World. Now, she’s the founder of Onolla.com, an online marketplace and pop-up concept store that curates natural, sustainable, and effective beauty and wellness products. Suzanne learned Vedic meditation in 2017, and it became the foundation of her well-being.
Key Topics Covered
• The commercialization of wellness—what’s real and what’s marketing spin
• Suzanne’s shift from reporting on wellness to leading conversations about it
• How meditation became her foundation for true well-being
• The challenges of editorial integrity in a corporate-driven industry
• The weirdest (and most transformative) wellness treatments she’s experienced
• Why meditation works when so many wellness trends fall short
Notable Quotes
💬 “I was so tired of being tired. Meditation gave me the deep rest I’d been searching for.”
💬 “You can put a Buddha statue in the corner, but that doesn’t make it a spiritual experience.”
💬 “The wellness industry grabbed the land, but meditation is the real foundation.”
💬 “People don’t need more wellness trends—they need something that actually works.”
Links & Resources
• Suzanne’s website: Onolla.com
• Suzanne’s book: Bathe: The Art of Finding Rest, Relaxation, and Rejuvenation
• Suzanne’s podcast – The Duckett List: Listen here
• Follow Suzanne on Instagram: @duckettlist
• Learn Vedic Meditation with Michael & Jillian: LondonMeditationCentre.com
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction to Suzanne Duckett and her career in wellness journalism
02:00 – How Suzanne met Deepak Chopra and her early insights into holistic health
06:00 – The evolution of the wellness industry—what’s changed in the last 30 years
12:00 – Beauty as a gateway to deeper well-being
16:00 – The rise of corporate wellness (and what’s missing)
24:00 – The strangest wellness treatments Suzanne has tried
29:00 – Discovering Vedic Meditation and how it transformed her life
35:00 – Why meditation is different from other wellness trends
42:00 – The importance of curating real, effective wellness experiences
47:00 – Final thoughts on the future of well-being and personal transformation