Oct 3, 2017
You don't need us to tell you that true beauty comes from far below the surface. With this week's podcast guest, we're seeing that old adage played out in business with a family-owned beauty brand whose entire structure is set up to deliver organic and eco-friendly products to consumers while fighting poverty, providing stable sources of income to rural farming communities, winning numerous eco awards and distinctions and changing the way global consumers think about what it means to be made in the Philippines.
When Camille and her sister, Anna, realized that many of the eco-friendly and organic cosmetic and personal care products found at U.S. retailers were either made using ingredients sourced from their native Philippines or could be grown there, they saw more than a business opportunity. They saw a chance to continue and support the work of their father, Tony Meloto, founder of the Gawad Kalinga poverty-alleviating and nation-building movement that seeks to create change in the poorest Filipino communities. By partnering with farmers living in Gawad Kalinga communities in the Philippines for their ingredients, committing to paying fair wages and providing stable employment where employees work without the threat of being fired (which, it turns out, are pretty revolutionary employment practices in their home country), Camille and her founding team have grown the company from three people to nearly 450 today. Along with 34 retail stores across the Philippines, their award-winning products are available internationally from Singapore to Canada - and they're currently setting their sights on the U.S. market.
How Human Nature has built a business that is not only environmentally friendly, but also able to contribute to a more positive and inclusive take on beauty while giving sustainable employment opportunities to impoverished communities. Oh and one more thing: the company also helps lift up other startup brands by giving them retail space in their stores.
If Camille's story of how Human Nature went from a three-person team to a socially responsible global brand with hundreds of employees in less than a decade doesn't make your inner entrepreneur a little giddy, then nothing will.
Ever heard of a "no firing" policy? Seriously. Like no one who works for Human Nature gets fired. Ever. Find out how that works out for Human Nature.
Viber: A simple communication app that a whole company, like Human Nature, can run on.
Website: humanheartnature.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humannatureusa
Instagram: @humannatureus
Twitter: @humanheartnature
Human Nature Co-founder Dylan Wilk's story
Natural Products Association of America