A new Chapter

My family has always valued holistic and natural remedies, so it was an easy transition to deliver my same passion while working with biodynamic Australian brand Jurlique, natural niche hair and body care brand Carol’s Daughter, and now as CEO of Dr. Hauschka – USA. At Dr. Hauschka, we foster a culture of care – care for the earth, care for humanity, and care of the future – that presents a unique opportunity to recognize and be responsible for the essential things in life that are beyond profit. With the launch of “The Giving Garden” - an ongoing effort that helps food banks across the US provide fresh, sustainable produce to their communities and neighbors in need, we have created a real-world connection of our brand ethos that touches every team member in our organization.

There has been a powerful shift in what has been traditionally defined as “beauty.” What has been traditionally referred to as the “Beauty Industry” now intersects with “Health & Wellness” as a concept. Driven by the idea of self-care, people are redefining beauty on their own terms and challenging the norms, creating trends, and embracing individuality. There is influence coming from all directions – celebrities, social media personalities, forward-thinking brands – rather than from just one thing.

At Dr. Hauschka, we’ve challenged social norms for over 85 years. We’ve been a leader in natural beauty; we have always been a part of the biodynamic farming movement as well as ‘clean beauty’ both in manufacturing and ingredients. Our fundamental premise of self-care extends to caring for your surroundings. For Dr. Hauschka, this monumental market shift and a new horizon in the industry is like when the moon and the stars align for a bit of magic. It’s an exciting time to be here!

We follow a few guiding principles at Dr. Hauschka. One, “Fit for the Future.” Are we making decisions that are creating an organization that is fit for the future? This is a question that we often pose in one-on-one meetings as well as in larger groups. It moves us out of what I like to call the “me culture” to the “we culture.”

Two, we have a culture based on Dialogical Leadership, which is grounded in the premise of “Acting Independently for the Good of the Whole” as well as developing collective wisdom. Transparency is a core tenet of Dialogical Leadership. Transparency builds the foundation for trust, trust leads to a deeper commitment to the greater good versus individual goals. Transparency and trust create the space to focus and operate without fear. Every micro step builds momentum towards the Macro – the long term vision.

I would say, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, and don’t take yourself so seriously!” Mistakes are not defined as losing. The most powerful and important growth often comes on the other side of mistakes.