This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

 

An organic lip care and skincare brand with a Scandinavian twist? That's the goal of Henné Organics, says Laura Xiao, Founder and CEO.

 

"Sweden is a very big part of my life," Laura explains. "Not only is my husband Swedish, but I used to live there pre-COVID...I became very inspired by many aspects of Swedish culture, especially the love and affinity for nature and simplifying things."

 

To that end, Henné products feature a "less is more" design that is Scandinavian inspired. Ingredients are pared down as well.

 

"The time spent in Sweden also helped me become very interested in not just de-cluttering but focusing on very high quality," Laura says.

 

She traces her interest in organic products to her college days, studying broadcast journalism. An assignment to cover a tomato farm taught her the true meaning - and value - of organic products.

 

Her move to Sweden - and then to New Zealand with her husband - caused Laura to focus on quality over quantity. A subsequent move to Las Vegas - and its famously dry climate - introduced the couple to problems with their lips cracking and thus was born the need to create a better lip balm.

 

Henné considered outsourcing the production of products, but visits to possible manufacturers turned out results that weren't up to standard, so Laura and her husband decided to build and staff their facility.

 

"We started hiring, in the beginning, it was just one employee, and then it continued from there," Laura says. "We still don't have a huge team these days because even up until this point, the bulk of our line is lip products. I think people are often kind of shocked at how many units we can produce because I always remind them like one tiny little lip product is far smaller than a giant bottle of body lotion or dish soap."

 

In Part 1, Laura talks about:

 

* Gratitude to her husband for being her "rock" during her career.
* How spending time in Sweden has impacted her design and product ingredients philosophy.
* The journey of creating the brand's first product.
* The dissatisfaction of dealing with outside manufacturers and how that led them to build their facility.

 

Join Ramon Vela and Laura Xiao as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

 

For more on Henné Organics, visit: https://henneorganics.com/ 

 

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As I’m sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again.

 

Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand 

 

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