Wow, even just typing the words "7 years" in this post feels quite surreal. I started this company back in 2016 in my 800 square foot condo in northwest Portland. I had a dream to bring clean, modern, and minimal skincare to the market — and frankly had no idea what I was doing. I think there's something special about being naive before you jump in and start a company: if I would have seen into the future the past 7 years and all the high highs and low lows, I'm not sure I would have actually jumped.
If you follow us on social media, you probably see a lot of our highlight reel: drinking iced matchas, working from coffee shops, and traveling for events to epic locations. We often hear phrases like "do you guys actually work?" and "I wanna work for you, take me with you!!!" And while we love all the fun parts, there's a lot of hustle behind the scenes that doesn't make the gram: filling and packaging thousands of jars and bottles, shipping hundreds of orders per month, navigating interpersonal work relationships, sweating in 100 degree heat prepping for events, filling our SUV's with product from the warehouse and taking it to the HQ — and at the end of the day, hoping to have enough energy to give our all to our families.
And while we're getting vulnerable, it is really freaking hard being the one who runs the show: leading a team, keeping the energy high, and having people dependent on you to write their paychecks...that last one is a responsibility I don't take lightly, and being a bootstrapped company is no joke. But I truly wouldn't trade it for anything else. Because with the pressure also comes freedom to build something that I really believe in. I get to make products that are life changing for our customers and I get to build a work culture that I wish existed in my previous career. Do I have it all figured out after 7 years? Far from it. But am I learning, moving forward, and becoming a better version of myself? Yes, I am. And that's all we can hope for in any personal development journey, right? Oh and yes, starting and building a business is for sure a personal development journey.
I want to thank all of our loyal customers and retail partners who buy from us over and over again: we wouldn't be here without your support. Thank you for spreading the word to your family and friends about how much our products have changed your life. Thank you for rooting for us, for coming out to our events, for sharing about us on social media, and for being true super fans. We love you guys.
What does this next year have in store for us? Well, we have some exciting product launches in the works: our hand cream, a gua sha tool, and some really beautiful sets (including minis, eek!). We also have some more masterclasses on the books, so be on the lookout for a class near you! Beyond that, we are continuing to take things one day at a time, trying to practice rest as a lifestyle and enjoy the process.
Cheers to the good things ahead!
Monica Watson
Founder / CEO
