Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
When I launched The Potion Tree three years ago, my family consisted of me, my husband, and our two Turkish Angoras. I generally spend my time between the warehouse for logistics and manufacturing, and my home office for working online and creating products.
In those years, I’ve learned to put healthy boundaries between work and home. It wasn’t easy, but I had a lot of help from my wonderful husband who has always supported and encouraged me.
The fact that he’s blown away by the success of The Potion Tree helps me carry on through the tough times when I doubt everything.
I’m now pregnant, so I will be changing my routine a bit. I sincerely believe that a woman can have it all – she can have a partner or go solo; she can have children or choose not to; she can have a successful professional life, good health, and a serene spiritual life. Everything is about balance: we must compartmentalise each aspect and not let one counteract another. It’s difficult – it takes a lot of meditation and philosophy, but it is possible.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Importing herbs that cannot be found in New Zealand was the biggest challenge. Finding reliable suppliers has been difficult, especially for bringing certain herbs or fruits into New Zealand. The biosecurity is very rigorous and sometimes irregular in its deadlines.
This caused some difficulty in the first year when The Potion Tree was in its very early stages. I had to quickly learn about regulations for customs and biosecurity, and organise the obligatory natural treatments of the herbs so that they could enter the country.
It was very disheartening at times. I could have changed the recipes to avoid the hassle, but I decided I couldn’t possibly compromise the quality of our teas to facilitate logistics. It was a difficult choice, but I don’t regret this decision at all. It is the quality of our teas and the originality of their ingredients that make The Potion Tree so successful.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I understood at a very young age that I had an entrepreneurial mind. I’ve been able to put that into practice in both France and New Zealand.
In high school, the teachers told us that being in business meant interviews and resumes… as if there was nothing more to it! I found this so boring. Creating, experimenting and being free is a priority for me. I’m happy to share the pros and cons of my experience.
The pros:
I never rest on my laurels. That is, I refuse to become complacent in my knowledge; I’m always seeking new ways to learn and grow.
When running your own business, you are constantly being stimulated and having to react quickly, otherwise you fall behind. I developed an unexpected confidence and talent for resolving problems.
Taking ultimate responsibility for my decisions is sometimes a difficult thing, but I see it as a very positive privilege. It allows me to maintain a high standard of ethics.
From a more personal point of view, I appreciate being able to manage my own schedule freely and to make time for myself. Much of my work is digital and in these great modern times, it means I can work almost when I want, where I want. This will definitely be an advantage when the baby is born.
The cons:
Stress, stress and stress. Stress is oxidative and destructive, although it’s a great way to push yourself through things (you see, I look for the positive in almost everything!). It took me a long time to learn how to manage stress.
Starting your business means having a heavy heart, a lump in your stomach, insomnia, fearing a logistical problem… it took experience, a lot of hindsight and meditation for me to learn how to put everything into perspective. It was very difficult the first two years, but I discovered how strong I was and therefore, to be confident in my abilities.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
Herbs, tea and cosmetics are sensory experiences – and The Potion Tree has plans that go well beyond selling online. For now, these plans are written down in a notebook. And I prefer to keep it a secret!
Visit The Potion Tree website for more information and to shop their range of natural teas and cosmetics. You can also join their communities on Facebook and Instagram.
