Perfume maker extols empowerment
7 VIRTUES: Family-finance documentary chronicles her fight to build a brand while helping the poor
Barb Stegemann created The 7 Virtues fragrance line almost seven years ago and won a venture capital deal on CBC’s Dragon Den. Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the company sources essential oils from nations like Haiti, Afghanistan and Rwanda — that are struggling to rebuild their economies and political systems — in an effort to foster piece through prosperity.
Stegemann’s journey of creating the fragrance brand had been documented in the film Perfume War, which she also co-wrote with director Michael Melski.
Q: How did you come to be involved with making the documentary Perfume War?
A: We had several documentary companies approach me after we won a venture capital deal on Dragons’ Den, but they wanted the rights to my life story and book so we passed. Then my husband sold his business and partially funded the documentary with award-winning Canadian filmmaker Michael Melski as director. He gave Michael full directorial control. There was an amazing respect and chemistry between us all.
How does the other person featured in the film fit into your story and your brand’s story?
Captain Trevor Greene, who lives in Nanaimo with his wife, Debbie, and their two children, is my best friend and inspiration, and he was my first mentor. He believed in me when I showed up at the University of King’s College. We were poor growing up ... and to have this super athlete, A student believe in me — I just wanted to rise up to meet his expectations.
When Trevor was axed in the head in Afghanistan — while discussing how to bring clean drinking water and heath care to a village — and survived, I promised ... I would take on his mission of peace while he healed. I then realized I didn’t have a way to touch peace in this patriarchy . ... So I created a new way, sourcing legal rose and orange blossom oils from farmers in Afghanistan so they would not have to grow the illegal poppy crop — which is 90 per cent of the world’s heroin supply. What do you hope the effect of the film will have?
Perfume War’s audience choice awards really sum it up: The attendees of Perfume War leave with hope. We live in a world that seems cluttered with angry political messaging and citizens need a break. People need to know that regardless of our differences we can work together. Citizens need to be reminded that regardless of your resources, if you have a disability or challenge, that if you have the passion, and the love, together we can find a way and take our dignity and power back.
This film may be a beautiful story of friendship conquering the odds, but it’s more about the audience leaving empowered to conquer anything they face. I think that’s why they leap out of their chairs at the end and ask for hugs.
Did you have any control in how your story would be portrayed in the final cut?
The only control I had was writing parts ... . The final edits and changes were all up to the director, Michael Melski, and the editor, Graeme Pass.
Can you explain the process of making the film?
It took two years. We filmed everywhere, from Rwanda to Vancouver and England, Toronto, and San Francisco. It was a long process, but during the process we learned more about how to build peace. Interviews with Fariba Nawa, author of Opium Nation, reminded us that we have to do trade with nations rebuilding or the oppressors, like the Taliban, will take poppy farmers’ children as opium brides. The process helped us to learn more about why doing trade with nations rebuilding after war or strife is crucial to ending the cycle of war and poverty.
Have you found that improving the economics of a region has eased or eliminated conflicts?
It’s still a complex formula. You can’t put the military in without economic empowerment, then pull the troops out and think private economic trade will fix it. It really has to be a collaborate approach with business, government and non-profits working together. I have yet to see that proper model in place. Which is really surprising given we know this it the only way to reverse war and poverty. In the meantime, yes, despite the increased violence in Afghanistan since the troops pulled out, our supplier in Afghanistan has doubled the size of his distillery.
What is happening with 7 Virtues now? Are there plans for expansion into other regions for sourcing?
We have expanded from Afghanistan to Haiti, Israel and Iran, Rwanda, and India, and now we are working with the Minister of Housing for the Palestinian Authority. We will continue to go where people ask us to support them. It’s been as organic as our oils, we just naturally support those who reach out and can provide fair wages and security for their farmers and their families. We just launched our new scent with Jasmine from India at every Hudson’s Bay store across Canada. The oils we purchase support blind perfumery students. We got to meet them in India and thank them for their great work.
What is your role in the Sephora business competition?
I was volunteering in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew last November and learned of Sephora’s social enterprise program. Less than four per cent of the CEOs of major beauty companies are women. They want to support women who run social enterprises. Ten of us were chosen from around the world after a rigorous interviewing process to be mentored for six months.
We are flown into San Francisco to live in a mansion for a week and literally get a Sephora business makeover. Experts in packaging design, financial, forecasting, distribution and more guide you through and mentor you afterwards.
Then you pitch to investors and could end up with investment and possibly get distribution at Sephora. It’s just like Dragons’ Den for me again. I will give it my best. I think this is one of the most exciting opportunities of my entire professional career, and I am going for gold.
This interview has been edited and condensed.