Anna Heinrich tears up reflecting on her Bachelor experience: 'So blessed'

It’s been eight years since Anna Heinrich and Tim Robards fell in love on season one of The Bachelor and shot to fame as the franchise’s first success story.

The couple, who have had a string of reality TV appearances since their time in the mansion, are now happily married and welcomed their daughter Elle into the world in November last year.

In an exclusive chat with Yahoo Lifestyle, Anna opens up about her Bachelor experience and reflects on how one decision changed her life forever.

“I never thought I would go on that show, and it was a friend who actually put me on there,” she admits.

“And if she wasn't there and if she didn't sign me up and do all that, I wouldn't have gone on it and I wouldn't have my little girl today, I wouldn't be happily married, all these things.

“It kind of makes me a bit teary because it’s so nice to think that when you do put yourself out of your comfort zone, good things can really happen.”

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Anna, who reveals that she still watches the dating show years after her own season, says that she feels “so blessed” when looking at her life now with her “incredible” husband and daughter.

“It is actually pretty crazy, and I guess that's one thing I've learned - you have to put yourself out of your comfort zone because a lot of the time good things will happen,” she adds.

“It’s so crazy because if I never went on, I probably still wouldn’t have a boyfriend. So I’m really happy I did!”

Speaking about leaving her comfort zone and trying new things, the SAS Australia star is currently gearing up to launch her new beauty business, Intu Wellness, in 2022.

“It's actually really nerve-wracking because it is my first business ever and I feel like everything's just come all at once,” she remarks with a laugh.

“I don't know if I'm silly for starting a business when I've just become a mum. I think sometimes I'm crazy, but I'm enjoying the process so far. It’s been great.”

While she can’t yet reveal what it is that she’s launching next year, she teases that it’s a product that has to do with health and beauty.

“For what it is, my hope is to improve people's lives,” she says. “It’s about women and businesswomen and it’s about helping people in certain ways. We saw a gap in the market.”

Anna explains that the idea for Intu Wellness first came up when she was pregnant and went on a sleep-deprived walk with her good friend Christie Whitehill, who also shares her passion for health and beauty.

“It's been going on for over a year and a bit now, so it's just been a really long process, but I guess that's like any business and you want it to be right,” she says.

“It's really good that I've got Christie as my business partner because she has an entrepreneurial background. And to be honest, if it was me doing it on my own, I would have no idea where to start.

“I took her advice for a lot of things but then I came in with the creative side and my knowledge of being in the industry and so we kind of married up together.”

While Anna admits that there have been plenty of unexpected challenges along the way, she feels grateful to be working with ANZ to build the base of her brand.

“Originally, it was quite difficult because you have a budget and you've got to stick to it,” she details.

"With ANZ, it's been actually really great because they’ve got a really good ANZ business team that you can discuss, so finances have been pretty good and we've stuck to our budget to a degree, which has been great.”

Anna also says that it’s been extremely important for her to surround herself with a good network of positive and supportive people throughout this process.

“You obviously have the negative people who put it down and say it’s not going to work or do well, and you kind of have to put that out of your mind and just kind of keep going and know that you've got a good thing and you really believe in it,” she adds.

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