HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA | CANADA B3H 4R2 | +1 (902) 494-2211
Barb Stegemann
BA Sociology & Social Anthropology, 1991
“Any one of us could have been pimped out as easily as we were mentored,” says Barb Stegemann, founder and CEO of company, The 7 Virtues.
“It’s a matter of who looks into your eyes first.”
Raised in humble roots, Stegemann, BA’91, credits her success to education and the mentorship she received at Dalhousie. The fragrance line, which currently features two scents, uses essential oils from Afghanistan. Stegemann became focused on Afghanistan after a close friend was wounded in the line of duty. A hearing impairment keeps her off the front line, but she contributes to the mission with her words and her product.
Through her perfume line and book, both named after her personal philosophy of empowerment, she seeks to provide options through opportunities for literacy and education to children of war and disaster-stricken countries around the world.
Barb Stegemann, founder of "The 7 Virtues"
Working with a supplier, Stegemann pays above market value for rose and orange blossom oils, which she hopes will encourage farmers to pursue these crops instead of the poppy crop which is used in the opium trade.
On February 9, viewers saw her bring this concept to the venture capitalists of CBC’s The Dragon’s Den.
As she said on the show, perfumehas one of the highest mark-ups of any product. While she pays above market value for the oil, she still turns a profit, as do the stores and outlets which sell her product.
It gives farmers a choice.
“It isn’t charity,” she says of her company. “It’s empowerment.”
And with that, she became the first woman in Atlantic Canada to secure a deal – $75,000 for 15 per cent of her company.
Stegemann began at Dalhousie in International Development Studies but switched to Sociology and Social Anthropology (SOSA) after deciding that she had to fix the problems in her own backyard before taking on the world.
This background has proven paramount to her operation, she says – it gives her insights into trends and how people operate.
“Sociology is the foundation of business.”
A theatre elective taken in her first year, she says, helped with her confidence and public speaking in interviews promoting her product and on the Dragon’s Den. But her success has been more than confidence: “I do my homework.”
A well-rounded education and top-notch research skills have been integral to working with potential investors and international suppliers. In addition to her BA, Stegemann also has a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of King’s College.
She says every interaction is an opportunity to learn and so approached classes, volunteer opportunities and part-time jobs with wonder. “Education happens all the time,” she says.
She is thrilled to be working with “Dragon” and mentor Brett Wilson to promote her line and says his expertise and mentorship will push her to achieve faster and better than before. With a recent trip to California, she is looking to branch into international markets.
A third fragrance – one which features the “warm, musky scent” of vetiver oil from Haiti – will be launched in the fall.
Stegemann’s rise from rural Nova Scotian girl to successful entrepreneur may sound exceptional to some, but she doesn’t think so. She says education and strong social networks gave her license and tools to explore and question, opportunities to build new models and a fearlessness with regard to process.
“Why do people always wait for permission?” she challenges.
“I’m not asking permission.”
As of March 15, Stegemann’s perfume line is available at 91 stores across Canada, including “The Bay.” It retails at $70 for 50mL.
To learn more or to see a clip of her Dragon’s Den performance, visit www.the7virtues.com