The irony of running a self-care brand while having panic attacks in my sister’s basement wasn’t lost on me. It was 2 AM, I was 24, surrounded by inventory boxes of homemade face masks, and wondering if I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.
Today, “Pure & Present” is a lifestyle brand valued at over $2 million, featured in Vogue and shipped to 23 countries. But two years ago, I was just Emma, a burned-out marketing executive who couldn’t remember the last time she felt truly alive.
The Breaking Point
“You look terrible,” my sister Kate said one Sunday morning, as I dragged myself to her kitchen for coffee. She wasn’t wrong. Seventy-hour work weeks had left me with stress acne, dark circles, and a constant feeling of emptiness.
That morning, instead of my usual scroll through work emails, I found myself watching my 6-year-old niece make “potions” in the bathroom – mixing her mom’s lotions with water and flower petals.
“It’s magic,” she whispered, applying her concoction to my tired face. “It makes sad people happy.”
Something clicked.
The Awakening
I’d always been the “DIY spa day” girl among my friends, creating natural face masks and bath soaks to cope with stress. My apartment bathroom looked more like an herbal apothecary than a corporate worker’s space.
That night, I did something crazy. I wrote my resignation letter, cashed out my savings, and asked Kate if I could move into her basement to start a business.
“You’re insane,” she said. Then smiled. “The basement’s yours.”
The Beginning
I started with what I knew – natural skincare. But not just products; I wanted to sell a lifestyle I desperately needed myself. Each product would come with a mini-meditation. Every face mask included a reminder to breathe.
My first batch of “Mindful Mud Masks” was created in Kate’s kitchen. I studied herbalism at night, formulation during lunch breaks, and spent weekends at farmers’ markets doing live demonstrations.
The first month, I made $157.
The second month: $342.
The third month, something magical happened.
The Viral Moment
A TikTok influencer with stress-induced acne tried my “Breathe & Bloom” mask. She filmed her nighttime ritual using it, including the three-minute meditation I’d written on the package.
The video got 2.7 million views.
My phone crashed from notifications. Kate and her husband stayed up all night helping me pack orders. My niece became the official “meditation card sticker,” placing my handwritten affirmations on each package.
The Lifestyle Revolution
But it wasn’t just about skincare anymore. Customers began sharing how these small rituals were changing their lives. They weren’t just buying face masks; they were buying permission to slow down.
I started the “Present Moments” podcast, recording episodes cross-legged on my basement floor. Topics ranged from mindful entrepreneurship to finding peace in chaos. The community grew, not because I was an expert, but because I was on the journey with them.
The Transformation
As the business grew, so did I. Morning meditation became non-negotiable. Lunch breaks meant actual breaks. I learned that success doesn’t have to mean sacrifice.
The basement became too small. We moved to a warehouse, but kept the soul of the basement days. Every product still includes a handwritten note. Team meetings start with breathing exercises. Our office has a meditation room.
The Reality Check
“How do you do it all?” people often ask. The truth? I don’t. Some days are still chaos. Sometimes inventory gets delayed, formulas need reformulating, or social media algorithms change.
But now, instead of panic, these challenges bring peace. Because success isn’t about perfection – it’s about presence.
Today’s Joy
This morning, I walked into our new office – a converted Victorian house with a garden where we grow some of our ingredients. Our team of fifteen women (all former corporate escapees) was doing their morning sun salutations in the meditation garden.
In the formulation lab, Kate (now our COO) was teaching my niece about essential oil blending. “It’s still magic,” my niece whispered, now 8 and our unofficial “Chief Joy Officer.”
The Future
We just launched “Present Spaces,” offering office wellness consultations to the same corporate world I left. Last week, I walked into my former company – not as an employee, but as their wellness consultant.
My old boss smiled. “You look different,” she said.
“I am different,” I replied. “I’m finally present.”
P.S. That first batch of basement-made face masks? We recreated the formula for our “Back to Roots” collection. Each pot comes with a reminder: “Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is begin.” And yes, my niece still helps stick on the meditation cards – though now she gets paid in both hugs and company shares.
