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This article first appeared in our spring ’18 issue of MyGreenPod Magazine, The Conscious Revolution, distributed with the Guardian on 04 May 2018. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox
Behind many natural brands there’s a highly individual company philosophy, and that’s certainly the case with green beauty pioneer Weleda. When it comes to being green, ethical and sustainable, Weleda has shown true commitment over nine decades.
First founded in Switzerland in 1921, Weleda arrived in the UK in 1925. Its original range included several products that are still going strong today, such as the iconic Arnica Massage Balm.
One of Weleda’s founders, scientist and philosopher Rudolph Steiner, was ahead of his time; he established biodynamic agriculture and is credited with contributing significantly to the modern organic farming movement.
Biodynamics and a respect for people and the environment underpin Weleda; today the company still uses its original mission statement – ‘in harmony with nature and the human being’ – and the ethos resonates with today’s customers as much as it did in the 1920s.
Sustainable, genuinely natural and top-quality ingredients are at the heart of Weleda and the products it makes, providing a strong sense of identity and direction for the company.
The brand’s success is testament to the fact that it’s getting things right: Weleda now operates in over 50 countries and is represented on five continents, manufacturing in eight regions including the UK. As the world’s leading brand in natural, organic, holistic bodycare and medicines, Weleda employs over 2,400 people and sustains more than 50 fair trade partnerships around the world.
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The name ‘Weleda’ originates from the ancient title of distinction given to wise women who advised their Celtic tribes about family and community matters. They were healers, offering physical and spiritual support, and had great knowledge of plants and natural remedies – rather like an early apothecary or herbalist.
All Weleda’s Wellbeing Advisors are ‘Weledas’; the company has built a wonderful network of wise women and men to advise and support people in their local community, sharing their know-how to introduce them to a more natural path to health and beauty.
‘It’s great to be part of this Weleda network of women – and now men! To share experiences and thoughts with them is so helpful. The collective wealth of knowledge in the group seems endless. It triggers changes throughout your whole life. For me it’s crucial to work with a company you completely trust. Weleda products are created to be meaningful healthcare products and I can completely embrace the brand because the whole essence is about holistic healing.’
SARAH GUISE
Weleda Wellbeing Advisor, Buxton
Weleda’s Wellbeing Advisor Programme draws on the vast experience accumulated over almost a century of respecting the power of plants and understanding the human body’s natural impulse to heal itself – with a little help from the natural bounty all around us. If you want to help drive the shift to clean beauty and natural health, this programme would be perfect for you.
Weleda has a growing team of advisors all over the UK, who recommend and sell Weleda’s range to customers in their area. Whether at home, online or out and about at events, fairs, festivals or clubs in their region, Weleda Wellbeing Advisors offer one-to-one client consultations or group fundraisers, at a time and frequency that suits them.
In time there’s also the potential to become part of the Supporter Team, helping other advisors to develop in the same way and enabling you to grow your business further.
‘Being a wellbeing advisor is a gentle way back into working life, especially if you have not worked in a professional capacity for a number of years. It’s flexible enough to fit in with a young family and the only commitment you have to make is time for training. Not earning commission on recruitment really sets us apart from other beauty programmes. A Weleda advisor will inform and educate, we are trained to advise not to sell. We don’t work competitively, we’re much more collaborative. We want to support as many people as we can to find a more natural way to feel better.’
NAOMI SMITH
Weleda Wellbeing Advisor, Cornwall
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You don’t need to have any experience or existing skills, other than the ability to use a computer as a basic business tool. All that’s required to become an advisor is a passion for natural and organic products. Being able to talk to people easily is a very useful skill, but Weleda isn’t looking for pushy sales people. In fact, quite the opposite.
The focus for a Weleda Wellbeing Advisor is not really selling products; it’s a way of sharing knowledge and experience of natural health, beauty and wellbeing. You wouldn’t be set individual sales targets; you can take things at your own pace and sell as much or as little as you like so – just like Weleda’s products – the job will work in harmony with you and your life.
Being part of a nurturing and supportive network means prior experience doesn’t matter, either – if you have a genuine passion for natural and organic living you’ll be taught and guided through everything you need. There’s plenty of business support too if you decide you want to set your own goals and grow your networks.
Working as a Wellbeing Advisor can also help you to grow a new or existing business by expanding your skill set and knowledge. For example, you might be a natural health practitioner who is looking to extend the service you offer clients with a top-quality range of skincare for the common problems you see in the clinic.
As well as dovetailing with your existing work, becoming an advisor can also support and underpin it with further training, product knowledge, a business framework and a knowledgeable support network. It can also help you build your network by reaching a new type of client. The additional revenue from Weleda sales could help you expand your business, update equipment, open a salon – the possibilities are endless.
Weleda’s ethos of balancing mind, body and emotions is synergistic with many natural therapies. If you work in homeopathy, practice massage therapy, yoga or another form of complementary medicine, this may resonate with you.
Advisors with additional skills such as beauty therapists, makeup artists, holistic therapists, naturopaths and homeopaths might have the chance to work at Weleda projects or press events around the UK, where they’re paid for their time.
‘Being a Wellbeing advisor fits in perfectly with what I do as a holistic therapist and yoga teacher because it adds value to what I offer my clients. What I bring in through being a Weleda advisor simply takes the pressure off my other work, which in turn has given me value in time, so I can maintain my enthusiasm and energy for my clients.’
KATE IRVING
Weleda Wellbeing Advisor, Sheffield
Weleda’s products speak for themselves so your clients don’t necessarily need to share the company’s holistic approach to health and wellbeing or its interest in organic ingredients. The products work because of the top-quality ingredients used; they may contain more active ingredients than other similar products, so they are extremely effective. They also smell amazing; the products’ fragrances really set Weleda apart from other cosmetics brands on the market.
Weleda is a proud member of the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT); very few health and beauty brands meet these high standards for sourcing ingredients. Its entire range of natural and organic cosmetics is, without exception, NATRUE-certified – meaning customers are reassured that every single product is authentically natural and free from artificial additives of any kind. So there’s absolutely no greenwashing. If clients feel disappointed with their purchase, you will be able to offer them a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Staying true to what you believe in and making money don’t always go hand in hand, but being a Weleda Wellbeing Advisor is no ordinary role. It’s a position that invites you to learn more about natural health and organic beauty, and connects you with new and interesting people. It inspires you to inform and engage others, learn new skills, discover new experiences and earn money at a pace that suits you.
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