Meet: Duckish
Duckish is owned and operated by Carolyn Crewe and Josh Beitel, partners in life and in business. Their goal is to help you avoid weird stuff in your skin care products. While Duckish officially opened for business in October 2015, the story began two years earlier, when Carolyn's sister had a baby.
Starting off with an all-natural diaper cream, Duckish has grown into a line of lotions, bath salts, lip balms and other all natural skin care products like the mint bath salts and unscented lotion stick.
We spoke with Carolyn and Josh, to find out their secret to balancing a young family and a thriving business.
Where did the inspiration to start your company come from? When my (Carolyn) nephew was born in 2013, I was inspired to create a diaper cream for him that didn’t contain any of the chemicals and petroleum by-products that you tend to find in most baby skincare products. At the time, my motivation was just to make something safe and effective for my extended family to use. The result was unique not only in its all-natural recipe, but also in its delivery mechanism: a deodorant-style stick that allows you to cream up your baby’s bum without getting your hands dirty. The feedback was so positive that we made more sticks for more new parents in our circle, and got to work developing other skincare solutions. After the lotion sticks and body butters were equally well received, we realized there was a real need for these products, and Duckish was born.
Tell us about Duckish’s core values. Our motto in business and in life is “Make good decisions.” For Duckish, that means using the best ingredients, working with responsible suppliers and treating our customers with respect.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who are growing their business while raising a young family? Learn how to juggle! Most days probably won’t unfold the way you think they might, so be prepared to roll with the punches. If the baby has to come to a meeting with you, then so be it!
Carolyn and Josh certainly have a lot going on! While raising their young son, they are creating exceptional products, expanding their retail presence across Canada, and growing their operations right here in Nova Scotia.