Involved in the Saje business since childhood, Kiara LeBlanc (Creative Director of Saje Natural Wellness) has inspired and assisted in the design, development and production of most Saje products that are on the shelves today. Leading the creative and product development teams, Kiara heads the innovation, supplier relation and design departments within the Saje Creative Office in downtown Vancouver.

We caught up with Kiara to find out more about her day-to-day life and the true essence behind Saje products.

What does a typical day look like for you, from waking up to going to bed?

Part of why I love my job so much is that no two days look the same for me. I travel for work about 60% of the time: Toronto, Alberta, New York, California, Hong Kong and Bangkok are all visited at least twice annually. My favourite days are in LA (the Abbott Kinney area specifically). This day typically looks like a morning rollerblade on the beach, a breakfast/work sesh at Kreation Organic Kafe, a walk down Abbott Kinney to gather new creative inspiration, ending up at Toms Flagship location where they offer amazing coffee, WiFi, and an inspiring place sit and get some work done. Here I will have calls with my awesome team back home, and I work the afternoon away. The evening will likely start with dinner at Feed Body & Soul Restaurant, a must-do for any visit to Abbott Kinney, followed by either an evening stroll by the water or checking out a movie in Santa Monica.

You have a day off to do whatever your heart desires! Where do you eat? Shop? Stroll? Workout?

Let’s begin with a delicious brunch, somewhere that serves up an amazing gluten-free veggie benny, Lucy’s on Main St. in Vancouver is a favourite of mine. Next, to make up for the Hollandaise, a spin class at Vancouver’s Spin Society is one of the rare workouts that I really enjoy. Followed by Gastown’s very best coffee at Revolver. My favourite way to spend the rest of the afternoon is home décor shopping; destinations will include The Cross, West Elm and Anthropologie. The perfect way to end my dream day off is by the outdoor fire with friends at Vancouver’s best cocktail spot, The Keefer.

How do you define success for yourself?

Two words: Job. Love. This is what gets me out of bed in the morning: I love my job. I work with some of the best people on this planet. They light up my life, and I can honestly say that I love them. Equally as important to me, I want everyone on our team to have it. Nothing makes me feel happier and more successful than hearing one of our team members tell me they love their job.

What’s the inspiration behind Saje Natural Wellness?

They say that necessity is the motherhood of invention, and I feel that encapsulates the inspiration behind Saje perfectly. When well-meaning doctors failed to help our Co-Founder Jean-Pierre recover after a few too many car accidents, he needed another solution, one that didn’t involve morphine or Prozac. Once the solution of tapping into the healing power of plants (i.e., essential oils) was found, it was only natural that he wanted to share it with as many people as possible. Combine that with our Co-Founder Kate’s dream of a retail destination with outrageous customer service and you have a retail chain with two pillars: 100% natural products and 100% outrageous customer service. That is Saje.

What’s your favourite Saje product and why?

My favourite Saje product is Peppermint Halo. I like to call it the duct tape of Saje. It really makes everything better! Originally formulated for headaches, it also takes care of a slew of other ailments. Tight shoulders, pulled muscles, hangovers, low energy, I could go on! Besides versatility, I love how instant the relief is. When I want to feel better, I want to feel better now!

What do you love most about your industry?

Making a difference. Nothing is more heart warming than reading a testimonial from someone that has gotten off of sleeping pills with Sleep Well, calmed their anxiety with Stress Release or can eat better because Eater’s Digest cured their stomach aches. Couple that with how uncharted the waters are; compared to many industries out there, there are relatively few people doing what we do. Innovation is important to me. When we launch something, I love knowing that we’re introducing our communities to something they couldn’t easily find elsewhere – it’s not just another one.

What aspect of the business do you find the most challenging?

The understanding of 100% natural. There is a lot of marketing material out there using terms like “all natural” or “contains natural ingredients.” This usually means a very small percent of ingredients are actually natural. I find this challenging as this is our differentiating factor and what we are most passionate about. Once past the hurdle of understanding that we are 100% natural, there is caring why natural matters. Most of our population was raised with synthetics all around us – from hand soap to shampoo. Petrochemicals are more common and harmful than we realize. These products hurt the body, slowly but surely, until we end up with new and bizarre conditions we have never heard of. Contrast that with something 100% natural, something that has ‘side benefits’ instead of ’side effects.’ You don’t just get the function of the cleaning hand soap – you also feel uplifted, focused or balanced as well.

If you could try a different career for a bit, what would it be?

With underlying the point of “for a bit,” I would be a Criminal Lawyer. There’s something exciting and fun sounding about the idea of being in court and arguing a case. Having passion about what you do every day matters, and this is something I could imagine having passion for.