Episode Details

In this episode of Five Rules for the Good Life, I sit down with Aishwarya Iyer, founder of Brightland, to talk about how to find fresh ideas when the creative well runs dry. She shares her Five Rules for Finding Inspiration—ranging from the power of putting your phone down to digging back into past launches, and even borrowing inspiration from perfume bottles for food packaging. It’s a grounded, generous conversation that’s equal parts brand building and soul searching, perfect for anyone trying to make something new in a noisy world.

I love this episode because it’s a reminder that inspiration isn’t just waiting for you in obvious places—it’s hiding in your pantry, your community, even in your closet. Aishwarya’s approach to creativity is about looking sideways, not just forward. Whether it’s revisiting an old family recipe or walking a new aisle at a bookstore, finding new paths to creativity is how we keep growing, making, and evolving. This one gave me a few ideas of my own—and if you’ve been feeling stuck, it just might do the same for you.

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Hello, and welcome to Five Rules for the Good Life. I’m your host, Darin Bresnitz.

Today, I sit down with Aishwarya Iyer, CEO and founder of Brightland, which is some of mine and my family’s favorite olive oil. She’s here today to share her five rules for finding inspiration. She talks about the importance of putting your phone down, keeping your head up and looking out in the world for new inspiration, how her previous products guide future endeavors, and the importance of embracing unconventional sources to find new ideas. It’s a deliciously fun and inspiring conversation with a lot of great takeaways for anyone who is stuck creatively or wants to expand their creative horizons.

So let’s get into the rules.

Aishwarya, welcome to Five Rules for the Good Life. I feel like I see you every day because we always have a bottle of your olive oil in our pantry and on my counter at all times.

That is music to my ears and I am thrilled to be here.

I love that you started your career at L’Oreal in the luxury products division because where you’ve wound up now is this high-end luxury part of the CPG market. How much parallel do you see from your work with both high-end makeup brands and high-end olive oils, honeys, and vinegars?

When I got into it, I didn’t see any parallel, but I created the parallel. If we can talk about blush and serum 500 different ways... then we can talk about these products that come straight from the earth that have so much provenance and terroir and story and history and taste and flavor. We can showcase them in interesting ways. We can photograph them in interesting ways. We can package them in interesting ways. And so I created it.

I’ve always felt that when I’ve traveled or gone to high-end specialty shops for food and pantry items, I’ve always known that there’s the top shelf stuff. And it’s the same way with fashion. And I know that you have looked at designers and different fashion brands for inspiration. What is it about their work in that field that inspires you?

They are looking