About this episode

Barb Stegemann returns to discuss the success of her fragrance brand The 7 Virtues and insights into creating viral perfumes.

Barb Stegemann is back to inspire us once more, just in time for Mother’s Day! Also known as the “Philosopher Queen,” Barb is a longtime friend of our show and a complete force to be reckoned with in the beauty business.  Barb launched The 7 Virtues fragrance brand out of her garage in Halifax, Nova Scotia on International Women’s Day back in 2010, after her best friend, Capt. Trevor Greene, was wounded in Afghanistan by the Taliban while serving there. Barb then sowed the seeds of what would become a historic social enterprise and commercial success story, buying fair-trade essential oils from farmers in war-torn regions to make perfumes for peace — and now The 7 Virtues is in 2,000 Sephora stores around the world. Tune in to hear about: What makes a viral moment: why The 7 Virtues “Santal Vanille and “Amber Vanilla” were the clean perfumes to pop off on TikTok Why “Vanilla Woods,” launched in 2018, was years ahead of the gourmand trend, and what makes it the brand’s bestseller to this day What makes a fragrance “clean” anyway? Barb explains fragrance load, organic sugar-cane alcohol and a 24-hour wear test  Why “Strawberry Jam” is the biggest launch in brand history…

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