Happy International Women’s Day from Julie and Natalie!
What does the International Women’s Day 2021 theme “#CHOOSETOCHALLENGE - Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” mean to each of you?
Natalie: I love the goal of achieving an equal future. As incredibly challenging as this pandemic has been, I’m grateful for the opportunity to pause, reflect and speak up for the issues that need critical addressing in our communities - gender inequality being one of them. I’m hopeful that this has presented as an important time for rethinking and rebuilding processes with equality on the forefront - both for women and all minorities.
Julie: As a new mom, the theme of “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future..” is close to my heart. COVID-19 has unearthed so many social inequities that are affecting women the hardest. Many women have had to make a difficult choice between supporting their family or their career. I know women who have had to step away from the workforce and put their careers on hold for the moment. I hope for a brighter future, with more support for women across the globe.
As female partners of Province Apothecary, how do you support each other and do you have any advice for how women can uplift each other?
Natalie: Julie and I constantly learn from each other. When we joined forces, we had very different backgrounds, experiences and skillsets. My background is in business management - operations, sales and finance and I had very limited knowledge of herbalism. I’ve loved learning from Julie about the amazing power of the ingredients we use in our products and the incredible benefits they have for our skin. Complementing and learning from each other's respective skill sets is a way we uplift one another and as a result, support the business.
Julie: We support and trust each other. We have different strengths that allow our partnership to be so successful and have helped build PA to what it is today. I think it's so important to recognize the strengths of your business partner, colleagues, employees and give them space to succeed, try new things, run with their ideas, and make mistakes. We are all learning together and supporting each other along the way.
What advice would you give to your younger selves?
Natalie: Take more risks and be gentle with yourself.
Julie: You have no idea what will happen, so enjoy the moment, live in the present and celebrate the small ( and big) wins!
As women leaders, how do you continue to source inspiration for Province Apothecary?
Natalie: I get a tremendous amount of inspiration from our amazing team! They have incredible ideas, work ethic and drive. I’m always so impressed and inspired by the creativity within our collaborations. I also get inspired by our retail partners and other brands in the community. It’s an incredibly vibrant and exciting time to be involved in clean beauty.
Julie: I 100% agree with Natalie - our team and our brand partners are constantly a source of inspiration and it is so fun to work together on what's coming up next. I am also inspired by living sustainably and minimizing our waste and carbon footprint, as a family and as a company.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?
Natalie: You can do it! Follow your passion and believe in yourself. With hard work, you can be leaders, owners and innovators.
Julie: 100% you can do it! Stay focused on your goal. If you want to start a company, don’t wait until everything is perfect to launch it. Get it out there.
We’ll be donating 5% of our sales today to charities that are close to our hearts and help to support women.
Native Women's Resource Centre of Toronto