USA
Grace Robinson November 9, 2020
With the pure mission of bringing peace to the nations that needed it most, Barbara Stegemann dove head first into starting her clean fragrance brand. Throughout her journey, she has harnessed the power of her business to help support the communities of war-torn areas, while inspiring other large businesses to do the same. How can we create a more equitable world? Barbara tells us “we need to inspire more social entrepreneurs to work with women in nations rebuilding and create products for North American women to harness our buying power to make change for others.” By employing farmers spanning from Rwanda to Haiti, The 7 Virtues is stabilizing incomes for the growth of these developing communities.
The fragrances that resulted are hypoallergenic, organic, cruelty-free, and sustainably sourced. Free from the toxins of sulfates, parabens, and phthalates, The 7 Virtues does not compromise their product in the process of building social change. In a society where only 4% of CEOs are women, Barbara inspires women to break through the glass ceiling. This women-designed clean beauty brand empowers us to think about others, think sustainably, and think equitably.
Mood of Living: Where is your hometown?
Barb Stegemann: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Rwanda
MoL: Where did you go to school? What did you study?
BRS: I went to the University of Dalhousie/King’s College for my undergraduate degree. My second degree was at the University of King’s College for my journalism degree.
MoL: What was your occupation prior to starting The 7 Virtues?
BRS: I had a small boutique PR firm in British Columbia.
MoL: In what ways did you utilize skills from your past career when creating this brand?
BRS: I learned to take risks and be braver. I got to work closely with some of the Titans of business, Chip Wilson and his wife Shannon who founded Lululemon were the most memorable. They set the bar high for themselves and those around them and you wanted to exceed that. It helped me to realize I could do this for myself.
MoL: What was your inspiration in creating The 7 Virtues? What is your mission?
BRS: My best friend was severely wounded serving in the army in Afghanistan. I promised him in the hospital I could carry on his mission of peace. I realized I didn’t have a way to, so I created a new way. I wrote a book to empower women to launch companies, end bullying and run for office. I brought the thesis to life when I read about farmers in Afghanistan growing legal crops of orange blossom and rose instead of the illegal poppy crop. And I knew this was my way of carrying on my best friend’s mission of peace as a woman.
MoL: How is The 7 Virtues creating a positive change for the farmers and economies of war-torn areas? What countries are you currently working with?
BRS: We work with Rwanda, Afghanistan, India, Madagascar, Haiti, and the Middle East. Our farmers in Rwanda earn 3 times the income over the next crop of coffee. Our farmers in Afghanistan earn twice the income over the illegal poppy crop (which accounts for 90% of the heroin in the world). Providing farmers with a better income and legal crops so they can build homes and buy school uniforms for their children is so inspiring. Sitting in their homes in Rwanda and seeing how our purchases made a difference showed me we need to do more in our world to lift our neighbors.
Rwanda
MoL: What did you learn upon visiting the different countries you source from, and how did this knowledge help form your business? How did you build relationships with the farmers in these countries?
BRS: I learned that we as citizens can’t make our military and government do all of the heavy lifting when it comes to building peace. We need our business community to create innovative ways to create jobs and build relationships with our global neighbors to share what we have. I am on a mission to ignite a business cavalry to come and do trade with nations rebuilding. We need to inspire more social entrepreneurs to work with women in nations rebuilding and create products for North American women to harness our buying power to make change for others. With the clean beauty movement, there is no shortage of natural resources out there.
MoL: What other social-environmental initiatives are you implementing into your business model that are helping in the positive transformation of our world?
BRS: We use FSC certified recycled/recyclable secondary packaging. We don’t use plastic for our primary packaging and are committed to never using cellophane going forward on any products. Phasing cello out is very important to us.
MoL: Where do you manufacture your products? How is your manufacturing process compliant with your sustainable initiatives?
BRS: We manufacture in New York. Our co-packer follows the highest standards in the USA and the manager, Daryl is often asked to speak on this very subject. Also, our blends are designed in London, UK and we adhere to the strict EU standards for beauty and are fully compliant. This is very important to us to list what is in our product on the packaging.
MoL: How has The 7 Virtues grown since its start in 2010? Which countries do you hope to work with in the future?
BRS: We launched out of my garage on my visa card in 2010 because the banks wouldn’t give me a loan. Even though I owned my own house and had a perfect credit rating score. Fast forward and our clean beauty brand is in Sephora USA and Canada. It’s very exciting. We go wherever we are asked. It’s very organic. Countries come to us.
Afghanistan
MoL: What challenges did you encounter while creating this company? What challenges do you continue to face?
BRS: When we began, beauty was such an old broken model, very patriarchal with air brushed imagery that was not realistic or helpful for my daughter or myself. Less than 4% of the CEOs for beauty companies were women! So it was hard to break in. I really found my stride when I participated in the Sephora Accelerate program where I was mentored to rebuild my company with the supports I didn’t have when I started. It gave me the confidence to brand my clean beauty perfume line in the way I feel women want to be communicated with. My best selling book that empowers women to launch companies, end bullying and run for office is being made available with our Vanilla Woods hero sku at Sephora this holiday online! This is the first time a book will be available at Sephora. This is really, really groundbreaking and exciting! So change is happening and for the better. But we have to be the change we wish to say as the powerful quote by Gandhi goes.
MoL: What have you learned about the beauty industry since creating these products?
BRS: Women want beauty created by women, for women. Female founders are crucial, telling our stories of overcoming hardship and empowering our sisters. That’s more meaningful and life altering than the false imagery of the old broken beauty model that didn’t lift us up, but made us feel less than worthy. Beauty today, designed by women like The 7 Virtues focuses on self-care, clean beauty ingredients, sustainably sourced natural oils, and aromatherapy and empowerment and education. That’s what makes the difference. We were the first to create perfumes back in 2010 without phthalates or parabens. I felt so alone back then. We didn’t even have a word for social enterprise, rebuilding nations after war or strife. We were doing it before it was cool. It was simply the right thing to do. Now, we’re finally cool. I am no longer alone. That feels really good.
MoL: Being named one of “Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women”, what advice would you give to women looking to become entrepreneurs?
BRS: Do it! If you are waiting for permission to become an entrepreneur, no one is going to give that to you but you! Write your business plan. Do your homework. Research. Make the cold calls. Don’t get upset by setbacks. Sometimes sales need 5 calls, 5 communications. Stay at it. If you don’t do it, someone half as talented as you is out there doing it. If you can do it better, do it. Don’t be a wannabe talking about it. Take action. Live The 7 Virtues. Be in a state of WONDER (instead of judgement) get rid of all the voices in your head that said you couldn’t do it. Don’t judge yourself. Why not you? Live all 7 Virtues Wonder, Balance, Truth, Courage, Justice, Wisdom, and Beauty.
Barb Stegemann
MoL: Since creating the company, how has your lifestyle changed? Do you find yourself shopping and living more sustainably/consciously? If so, how?
BRS: I was raised in humble roots below poverty by a single mom in Rural Canada. So my life has always been sustainable. Out of necessity. And that never changed. I made all of my children’s baby food from scratch, used cloth diapers and washed them myself. I choose not to drive a car. I drive my bicycle. I walk. I carpool with my family if I need to go anywhere. I grow my own herbs. We don’t eat meat. We recycle and compost. This all adds up for our planet.
MoL: What other projects have you worked on since creating this brand? What projects do you anticipate for the future?
BRS: We filmed a documentary on our story called PERFUME WAR. It won many awards across the USA and Canada. It won best humanitarian film at the Sedona International Film Festival. The film has changed so many lives. If you subscribe to my personal website you will receive the free movie as my thanks so you don’t have to purchase it.
The website will soon offer motivational programming to empower women to reach their goals. The stronger you are, the stronger I am.
Photography courtesy of The 7 Virtues
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