JustBe Botanicals Founding Vision
As featured in Holyrood Magazine, May 2014 | Interview by William Peakin, Business Correspondent. Published on justbebotanicals.co.uk for the first time.
"I have aspirations for JustBe to be a household name. I'd love to make a difference to others' everyday living and be able to give back in time. I don't know the timescale, it may take five years or ten years, but I certainly don't want it to be a cottage industry for ever."
At the time of this interview, Gail Bryden was working from her kitchen table in Edinburgh, hand-blending a range of aromatherapy products called JustBe Botanicals - available in a growing number of retail outlets, spas and beauty salons, where it formed the basis of tailored treatments by therapists she trained herself.
That same week she was tasting a potential range of dark, milk and white chocolates containing aromatherapy oils and plant extracts: rose oil, lavender, juniper and milk thistle. The range that would go on to win Great Taste Awards and become one of the most distinctive product lines in Scottish independent beauty.
The 'Other' Life - Before JustBe
Before JustBe Botanicals, Gail had a career that most people would have considered enviable. She worked for Kimberly-Clark, the makers of Kleenex and Huggies, Heinz, Scottish & Newcastle and Diageo, in category management and consumer insight roles.
She was good at it. And then her body told her, in no uncertain terms, that it was time to stop.
"I was lucky in that Diageo offered good healthcare. But as I started to experience stress, I was frequently finding myself at the doctors with various ailments. On one occasion, I had pains in my lower back. The doctor suggested it might be pleurisy. I remember him asking if I was stressed at work. Perhaps I was in denial, as I said no. It wasn't until later that I realised that it was the beginning of panic attacks."
Gail ended up being wheeled off a flight back to Scotland.
"Basically, my body began to shut down and I knew I was at a crossroads. It sounds a bit dramatic, but it took a while to regain full strength and learn to walk any distance again. It was literally really small steps back to health, but I knew I had it in me to do that."
Turning Right at the Medical Centre
At her doctor's practice, patients either turned left for conventional medicine or right for alternative. After an initial consultation, Gail turned right.
"I knew that taking medication wasn't the answer for me and in fact it was acupuncture that got me back to full health, after just three sessions."
The acupuncturist ask what I'd always wanted to do, he suggested that this was my opportunity to start again. "I love cooking and gardening," said Gail. "But I'd always wanted to try massage."
Learning holistic massage gave her a profound insight into the connection between mind and body. Years later, whilst working as a holistic therapist on a Mind Detox retreat in Turkey, she noticed that guests, whatever they had come for, were all looking for the same things. To feel loved. To feel happy. To simply be themselves.
The idea of JustBe was born.
Building Something Real
Back in Edinburgh, the business began to take shape. In 2013, Gail was accepted into Entrepreneurial Spark: a business accelerator for early stage and growing ventures and was given a mentor session with Ann Gloag, co-founder of Stagecoach.
In December 2013, she won £15,000 in the Scottish Government's EDGE (Encouraging Dynamic Growth Entrepreneurs) awards programme, which meant that at the beginning of 2014, she was able to develop retail packaging and take on her first employee.
The business was, by any measure, gaining real momentum.
What Makes JustBe Botanicals Different
In a crowded market, Gail had a clear answer to the question of why JustBe would succeed.
"I think there is always space for a brand that offers a real point of difference. The most popular blend is JustBe Happy, which appeals to a universal desire. People like the simplicity of JustBe; they instinctively get it."
The company's philosophy, articulated from the very beginning: rather than emphasising the negative, the notion that we need to de-stress, the JustBe range emphasises the positive: Just be happy, Just be energised, Just be loved, Just be tranquil.
It's a philosophy that has shaped every product, every blend and every collection since.
On Mindfulness, Wellbeing and Working Smarter
A decade before mindfulness became mainstream business language, Gail was already articulating why it mattered.
"On average, we have 100,000 thoughts a day - many of which are negative or limiting, such as 'I can't, I won't, the world is...' Mindfulness is about bringing your mind back to what is actually happening. Children do it naturally; they're great at being in the here and now."
"In the UK, we tend to be working longer hours, weekends and even carrying rather than taking our full holiday entitlement. Working longer doesn't necessarily increase productivity. It's about working smarter: eating well, being hydrated, exercising, rather than relying on caffeine, alcohol and convenience foods. Simple changes can make a big difference."
"We're here for a reason. We all have a purpose. For many, work and the things we enjoy can provide an opportunity to discover what that is. For me, work-life balance is about finding meaning in what I do - whether at work, rest or play."
Why JustBe Botanicals Exists
"I created JustBe to help others simply 'be'. It's about giving yourself permission to be yourself, taking responsibility for your life, making conscious choices, being comfortable not knowing, accepting that your best is good enough and enjoying the journey."
That was 2014. JustBe Botanicals has since gone on to earn 39+ industry awards, reach the semi-finals of the Virgin Media VOOM competition, be featured in Vogue, House & Garden, visited No.10 Downing Street as part of the Small Business Saturday 100 and worked with incredible teams of therapists including The Gin Spa, De Veres and YTL in Pangour Laur and Bali.
The vision of making a difference to others' everyday living? It's happening. One hand-blended batch at a time.
Originally published in Holyrood Magazine, 26 May 2014, pages 69–70. Interview by William Peakin, Business Correspondent. Published here for the first time with gratitude.
With love from the very beginning and for everything still to come, Gail