Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Candace.
Hi Caroline, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Caroline Candace and I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. In the past few years, I ended up falling in love with my American husband, and now I live in Dallas! Growing up, I was always interested in health and fitness – but it wasn’t until went to post-secondary school to specialize in holistic nutrition that I really understood the pillars of wellness. During my time at The Institute of Holistic Nutrition, I was putting out quality content on Instagram, I started a website, offered my services, received a ton of great feedback.
From there, I generated a consistent client base, and it eventually ended up being how my organic personal care brand LOOK Organics, was created. After realizing how many harmful additives were in my current regime (fragrances, parabens, phthalates, etc.), I started to make my own skincare products in my bathroom (with things like coconut oil, olive oil and other raw ingredients). I was consistently asked from my audience on Instagram regarding what skincare products I used and recommend brands I trusted, and to be honest -there weren’t many, and I’d usually recommend mixing their own raw ingredients. It was kind of an “aha” moment for me. Most people aren’t me and don’t want to make their skincare products themselves. This was an in-demand problem/issue, and I was about to solve it. I was going to create an organic, fragrance-free, minimal ingredient, vegan skincare brand.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Things don’t always go as planned. Actually, most things never go as planned. We all get stressed, we all cry, and we all experience downfalls. If you want guarantees in business, you don’t want to own a business.
Every business endeavor requires risk. You’ve got to risk your money, time, energy and ego. I think we can all do our best to take smart risks, predict what’s going to work and what won’t – but more times than not, things won’t go as planned, you can’t take it too personally, and you have to do your best to adapt or pivot.
It’s almost impossible not to have setbacks with a product-based business model because there’s usually so many moving parts. Think about packaging and label solutions, our chemists, our fulfillment center, and after it leaves our warehouse; we deal with the post office before it gets to our customer. No matter how smart, passionate or prepared you are, no matter how many hours you put in or how hard you work, there are no guarantees that it’s all going to pay off.
Here’s an example: When LOOK Organics was one week away from launch in August, I went to check on all of the products at our warehouse in Toronto. If you’ve never experienced Toronto in the summer – it can be very hot and humid. It turns out the labels were applied with slight humidity in the air, the frosted glass bottles I chose did not agree with the labels, and the edges of the labels were peeling off all of the bottles. Finding them like this was a surprise to me. There was absolutely no way I was going to let my products go out to my customers like this. I soon found out there was absolutely no way that the company who applied the labels would remove and re-apply the new labels within the next week.
What did I do? I rushed a new order of labels with stronger adhesive and packed up the whole inventory of LOOK Organics from our warehouse, drove it to my house and removed and re-applied the labels on THOUSANDS of bottles. Luckily, my family helped me and we were able to launch a week later.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about LOOK Organics?
I am the founder of LOOK Organics. At LOOK Organics, we aim to change the way people LOOK at their everyday products and the world. We know that everything is connected, which is why we focus on nourishment in all forms. We want to be as transparent as possible and make it effortless for you to recognize what’s genuinely in our products.
What we leave out of our products is just as important as what we put into them. We do not use synthetic fragrances, colors, or fillers. Our products are certified organic, vegan, and cruelty-free, guaranteeing our commitment to sustainability. Our packaging is 100% recyclable and we use 100% post-consumer resin packaging. We are looking to make the world a better place, and it’s starting with our personal care products. #nourishingourecosystems.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Currently reading 101 essays to change the way you think. 10/10 recommend.
Contact Info:
- Email: caroline@lookorganics.com
- Website: www.lookorganics.com
- Instagram: @carolinetusiuk @lookorganics
