Insider Insight: Emilie Maret, co-founder of The Serious Gut

Emilie Maret is the co-founder of The Serious Gut, a French biotech company that develops personalised microbiome therapies to address chronic pathologies.

What is your morning routine?

I’ve tried but eventually realised morning routines aren’t for me. I try to follow the energy and mood of the day.

Some days, that means waking up bright and early, time for a podcast and a workout, but sometimes it means 15 snoozes and waking up a bit late to get the right amount of sleep.

I used to feel guilty about that, but I noticed it makes my days so much more fulfilling and productive.

Which technology could you not live without?

Headphones! I love listening to music or podcasts through the day, it helps me focus and channel my concentration.

How do you relax?

This depends on the season. In the summer it’s all about being out of doors as much as possible. In the heart of winter, I love to cook, read, have long dinners with friends or take the train. 

Which quote resonates with you?

“Everything is cyclical”. It pops up in my head quite often, as a reminder that ups and downs are natural, especially when it comes to running a business.

Anything that doesn’t have ups and downs, is maintained artificially, and cannot last.

I find it more useful to build resilience to better handle the lows and grow from them, than attempt to avoid them altogether.

• What is the best thing about your job?

Doing so many different types of tasks, that solicit various parts of my brain. I always like to take inspiration from one task/field and apply it to another. Untimely, it’s about creativity I guess.

What keeps you motivated?

The idea that we are building something useful, which is helping people manage their health on a daily basis that didn’t exist before and for which there is no good alternative.

What is the most important lesson you have learned on your start-up journey?

I finally made gained insight into a phrase I had been hearing for a long time: “from constraint comes creativity.”

When you can really see the benefits of having little resources /time it makes it possible to imagine that with more resources + the right mindset, you could truly have a great impact. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

There is a French saying “Ne pas confondre vitesse et precipitation” – “don’t confuse speed with haste”.

I always had a tendency to want to execute quickly, but some things require more care and nurturing. 

What is something you wish you could experience again for the first time? 

Moving abroad on my own for the first time, and experiencing the rush of discovering the impact of immersing yourself in a brand-new culture, language, habits.

When the norms around us change, we are so fast to adapt. I really hope we will be able to do this by spreading microbiome science and contributing to making it more mainstream. 

What is your greatest achievement since establishing your company?

Introducing some people to the concept of the microbiome who had never heard of it before, and seeing that they now make it a part of their daily reflections on what to eat and forming new lifestyle habits.

They have been customers, of course, but also collaborators, friends, family. I’ve been so amazed – and surprised at times – by the impact it can have.