Rituil is a story of two brothers, founding a company and finding their way through connection and compassion.
James and Michael Gallagher embarked on a journey together to build a brand and community that helps others return to their roots through daily Rituil.
Where it all began
The two are from a family of five raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Born 16 months apart, James and Michael were inseparable best friends growing up.
“We spent our days doing what normal brothers did, teasing our younger sister, scaring our older sister and mom with a chucky doll, even stapling our little brother to the roof,” Michael recounted with a laugh.
However, as they got older, life got in the way and they eventually grew apart.
Michael moved to Chicago, where he’s working as a partner for a recruiting firm, and James went to Minneapolis, eventually becoming a design director for Target. They each took pride in their work, and soon centered their lives around the job titles they had worked so hard for.
“We were successful according to society, yet we were separate,” James said.
James would pass through Chicago’s airport and text Michael, “do you feel my presence?” What was originally a joke, soon became a sense of yearning for each other's company.
After 25+ years of their distant relationship, James invited Michael to Portugal in the summer of 2022. James had been struggling, and Michael, sensing his brother needed him, decided to go on the trip.
The Gallagher brothers spent time with each other at a beautifully converted monastery in Central Portugal. There, they finally talked about their lives, hardships, and why they had drifted apart.
It was during this trip they decided to create something from Portugal together, giving them a reason to connect and revisit this special country.
“We felt a pull to do something bigger,” Michael said. However, they didn’t know what that idea was, and returned to their individual lives in the US.
By April 2023, James had moved on from his corporate job, and developed a deep meditation and movement practice. He spoke to Michael about meditation, self-compassion, yoga, and finding his center.
Michael, inspired by James’ newfound intention and presence, decided to begin a meditation practice himself, which transformed his life. Their personal journeys were intertwined, as they had both helped each other find peace.
The Gallaghers realized they had to connect with themselves in order to reconnect with each other.
About 16 months later (which is also their age difference), they started Rituil, a brand that is founded on the same principles that brought them back together, connection and compassion.
The brothers went from a monthly surface level check-in call to working perfectly side by side again.
“We know each other so well, and have such deep history that there is no faking it, no feeling the need to impress, we can be our authentic selves and are so aligned with Rituil's purpose,” James remarked.
The idea of re-connecting goes far beyond the brothers’ relationship, and extends to all the makers and creators they met in Portugal along the way.
RITUIL
“[Rituil] is all about mindfulness. As we define it, the balance of movement and stillness, of light and dark, nature and nurture, love and fear,” James said. You need to accept both in order to become your true self.
The brand’s goal is to help you live a meaningful life by deepening the relationship you have with yourself and others through finding your center.
“Our three values or ‘why’s’ are intention, connection and union. Daily Rituil is about setting intentions to connect with your interior, which is the discovery of our authentic selves,” Michael explained.
The “I” in Rituil
Setting intentions and achieving union begins and ends with you, the I.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Mahatma Gandhi said. This quote sparked Rituil’s entire journey. It was on the cover of a Vogue magazine the Gallaghers spotted on a coffee table in Portugal.
This idea carries into Rituil, we cannot expect to change others or the world without changing ourselves first.
That change begins with you, and becomes greater when you spend time connecting with yourself through daily renewal and Rituil, the Gallaghers expressed.
Rituils look different for everyone, that is what makes these practices so powerful. There are many types of Rituils, such as restoration, replenishment, reconnection, rest, retreat, etc.
The brand’s goal is to build a community of creators and collaborators that share their experiences and ultimately help shape Rituil and its products together, as one.
Join us on the journey @dailyrituil
