From Vision to Impact: Insights from 3 Women Business Leaders

In anticipation of International Women’s Day (IWD), we connected with fellow women-owned businesses to gather their insights and advice for young people and anyone stepping into the workforce. These women excel in their fields and prioritize environmental sustainability in their operations, including choosing seed paper. Creating various seed paper products for each company has been an incredible experience that we are excited to share.

As a WBE-certified (Women Business Enterprise) and sustainable business, Botanical PaperWorks strongly connects to this event. We were lucky enough to speak with three business-savvy women, including Jenn Harper from Cheekbone Beauty, Jillian Jackson from Jill + Jack Paper and Candance Alarie from Soap Bath Co. We asked them all questions about their journeys, and we cannot wait to share their inspiring answers with you. 

Jenn Harper, Cheekbone Beauty

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

In January of 2015, I had the most vivid dream of little Indigenous girls covered in lip glosses. That dream is what gave birth to Cheekbone Beauty, the very first Indigenous-owned and founded cosmetics company. I aim to help every Indigenous person see and feel their value in the world while developing sustainable colour cosmetics that won’t end up in a landfill. 

How have you incorporated sustainability into your business?

I continue to be deeply involved in all aspects of Cheekbone Beauty operations, including product innovation with the sustainability experts to reimagine beauty products, starting with raw ingredients all the way to how all products are packaged. As part of its sustainability mission, Cheekbone Beauty is associated with organizations such as Pact Collective, 1% for the Planet, and B.Corp. These partnerships show our brand’s commitment to both people and planet.

What advice would you give your younger self when you were starting your business?

Get rid of the idea of perfect; I believe this prevents so many of us from pursuing our passions. Just go for it.

Candace Alarie, Soak Bath Co.

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

What started as making a handful of soap bars from a humble kitchen counter has now turned into a national brand. Candace left her full-time career of 10 years to start, you guessed it, a handmade soap business in 2019. Fuelled with a dream of starting and building her own business someday, she decided to take a chance on her creative hobby. Always wanting to start a business of her own, but never knowing exactly what that would be, Candace has since built a team of over 7 local employees to help make and ship the SOAK Bath Co product line. 

Candace is a small-town girl through and through. Growing up in rural Manitoba Candace loved to dabble in arts and crafts in her downtime. Years ago, this looked like working with oils and butters from her pantry to create body care products she’d use for over a decade, only ever sharing these creations with friends and family. Who knew these recipes would be the foundation for the SOAK Bath Co brand!

How have you incorporated sustainability into your business?

Part of her mission in building a business was to be mindful of the ingredients going into each product and the packaging used for the product line. It was important to build a product line that was not only beautiful but sustainable. Eventually, Candace came across Botanical Paperworks, a fellow, locally owned business and she just knew she needed to incorporate the seed paper in the product line somehow. The seed paper adds a beautiful texture to a gorgeous soap bar and completes the zero waste concept of the handmade soap bar line.

Beyond the packaging were ways to incorporate sustainable practices in the soap-making process. A few examples of how SOAK Bath Co does this in a really elegant way is in making their Soap Sample Stacks. These are beautiful, assorted stacks of soap samples that are made from soap bars that don’t meet aesthetic standards (maybe they’re a little dinged up) and sliced into a few soap samples for shoppers to experience a variety of soap scents! Another neat way that SOAK Bath Co incorporates sustainability into the making process is with their Stained Glass Soap Bar. The making of this bar includes a bunch of soap sample scraps, cut down into smaller pieces and scattered throughout a soap batch to mimic a mosaic.

What advice would you give your younger self when you were starting your business?

There are so many things Candace has learned and experienced in her entrepreneurial journey. If she could go back and tell her younger self something, there would be a lot to tell. But the biggest thing would be to prepare for a marathon and not a sprint. There are always problems to solve, and things to improve, there will always be a to-do list. Building a business will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life and also quite possibly the most challenging. It’s important to enjoy the journey along the way, the people you meet whether it’s team members or fellow business owners will create more of an impact on your life than you ever realize.

Jillian Jackson, Jill + Jack Paper

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

After many years in a government role that required a lot of international travel, I made the transition to work for myself when I wanted more flexibility to be home with my children when they were young. I always intended to go back to my previous role after a couple of years, but once I got the taste of entrepreneurship, I was hooked. I love the endless possibilities and the creativity my business allows me. I even celebrate paying taxes now… because paying taxes means I made money so I must be doing something right! 

How have you incorporated sustainability into your business?

Sustainability is a top priority for my product based business. It is really important to me not to create MORE waste. My greeting cards are made with Botanical PaperWorks 100% recycled content paper. I use 100% recycled content envelopes and encourage my retail shops to go ‘package free’ when it comes to selling my product in their shops. For retailers who prefer the cards include a sleeve for protection, I use a biodegradable sleeve adorned with a compostable sticker that lets the consumer know the packaging can be composted. As for mailing my orders out to my retailers…I collect and reuse boxes (never use new!) and seal the package with biodegradable kraft paper tape. My motto is, “Leave wildflowers not waste.” 

What advice would you give your younger self when you were starting your business? 

A sustainable, strong business grows slowly (just like wildflowers). Be patient and stay the course, the growth is happening, even if you can’t see it at the moment.