Super plants that are good for your skin and the environment – are the key ingredients to the skincare products of Thrive Natural Care, says Alex McIntosh, co-founder and CEO.
“It’s not only the plant ingredients themselves, and not only the special way we grow them, but those things combined help people look better and have a beautiful business model because all the places we’re working, the land is coming back to life intentionally and the farmers’ lives are being boosted both the livelihoods and the health of the farmers,” Alex says. “I’m not arrogant enough to say it’s my business model or even Thrive’s business model, but it’s this idea that we can design products intentionally that have this impact, and it applies to many, many other sectors, whether it’s mining or agriculture or fisheries or timber.”
Alex says the spark for Thrive came from two inspirations. First, he had long suffered from sensitive skin and wasn’t satisfied with available skincare products. Second, his career with a large CPG company, where his role as a sustainability director led him to believe businesses needed to aim higher in protecting the environment.
“I’m not the one who invented regenerative business or regenerative agriculture, but we were the first to intentionally build an entire business, at least in our segment in beauty and personal care, which is a huge global industry, the first ones that intentionally started this way,” Alex says.
Being on the front lines of pulling together investors with Thrive’s mission has been “fun,” Alex says.
“There were times where I didn’t throw in the towel, but I was looking to see where it was in case I needed to throw in the towel and kind of grab it and say, that’s it,” he says. “But fortunately, because of a lot of hard work and sacrifice by the folks on my team and others, it has come together, and it all makes sense now, which is the cool part about it.”
In Part 1, Alex talks about:
* Gratitude to two team members and a Costa Rican farmer who formed a bond that became the seed of his whole business.
* Why the production of the plants is as important as the ingredients they contain.
* His inspiration for Thrive.
* The larger-than-imagined challenge to pull together the brand’s vision.
Join Ramon Vela and Alex McIntosh as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.
For more on Thrive Natural Care, visit: https://thrivecare.co/
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