ORGANIC BUSINESS
Mother and daughter: Aleksandra Paczkowska-Borkowska and Marta Wróbel from Poznan have bet on nature and organic cosmetics.
“I am a pharmacist by profession,” says Aleksandra. ”For over a quarter of a century I worked as a director in pharmaceutical corporations. A long time ago I promised myself that when I turned 50, I would start my own company. And I’ve kept that promise! I slowly put money aside and wondered what I could do in the future. My daughter was already an adult, so I had time to make my dreams come true. “When I visited India, I discovered natural cosmetics. I took part in a series of treatments with plant ingredients and oils. When I came home, I looked 10 years younger. Earlier, while taking care of my skin, I had lost a lot of money investing in costly cosmetics. Unfortunately, the older I was, the more expensive they became…”
“Mom was inspired by a philosophy of naturalness. One day she said she is going to start a company producing cosmetics without chemicals and preservatives,” adds Marta. “Instead they were to be based on plant extracts and nutritious oils. Although I am usually cautions towards her revolutionary ideas, I supported that one right away,” tells Marta. “Being eco is currently very trendy. People become more aware and eager to choose healthy products, so natural cosmetics are the future. I couldn’t immediately get involved in her idea. I’d just had a baby and I wanted to dedicate my first months entirely to motherhood. Though I watched my mother preparing for her venture for a year – looking for a factory, developing cosmetics recipes,” says Marta.”When Marta asked me if she could join ‘Be Organic,’ I was very happy. I wanted it from the beginning, but I was waiting for her to make her own decision. I know how hard it is to get back to work when two kids are waiting at home,” adds Marta’s mother.
“I am a visionary by nature, I act impulsively, and Marta is more reserved and perfect for crisis situations. I, with my corporate habits, would hire a lot of people, and Marta would say: Wait, let’s think about it, let’s count everything first,” recalls Alexandra. ”Mum, on the other hand, brings experience, enthusiasm and persistence,” adds her daughter. “But we make all the most important decisions together. There are no official meetings, we see each other at the company, at home when we come to mum’s for dinner or in the sandbox when we play with my children. We spend a lot of time together, but we don’t have enough of each other,” laughs Marta.
“There is no division into mum-daughter in the company. We are partners. While she is often selling our products on the go when travelling, I am staying in the office, strategising marketing and looking for new ideas,” says Marta. “My daughter has had a huge influence on how the packaging of our cosmetics looks like. We wanted them to be made of natural, biodegradable materials. And so they are. Apart from the cream we put a seed sachet in them. You can insert some soil, plant seeds and the home herbarium ready. In turn, body peeling and coconut oil can be used in the kitchen to… eat,” explains Marta. “Since we started working together, our relationship has strengthened, we are closer to each other than ever before,” says Marta.
