For the past 15 years Abi Weeds has built the organic cosmetics company Odylique from kitchen-table start-up to a multi-national brand. She is a former management consultant and economics researcher with JP Morgan. She holds a Masters degree in Politics & Economics from Sciences-Po and a BA in Economics with German from Nottingham University. She now lives in Kingston, Surrey with her family and enjoys a number of hobbies including running and orienteering – at which she represented England in a friendly international earlier this year. For more on Odylique, please read further.
Each week, What Matters Most interviews a revolutionary leader from the business and activism world about what is most important to them in their life and work. We are deeply inspired by these people and we hope our readers will be too!
When were you happiest in your life?
I'm happiest now. My children are just great fun, and together with my husband we have great family time. I'm also extremely lucky to have such a talented team at Odylique who really believe in our vision.
What's the one thing you wish you knew 20 years ago? If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Life at 40 is actually great, and there's plenty of it left.
What matters the most to you in your work and why?
There are some industries I couldn't work in. I'm really proud to run a business that has a conscience, treads lightly on the planet and actually does some good.
The Story of Odylique:
Abi’s mother Margaret began making skin care from natural ingredients over 30 years ago. ‘Conventional’ cosmetics didn’t suit her eczema-prone skin so, armed with qualifications in herbal medicine and aromatherapy, and a passion for the genius of nature, she set about creating truly effective formulations, based only on organic herbs, plant oils and natural active ingredients. 15 years later (in 2003), Abi and Margaret set up in business together. Today, they are an award winning, family-run company, specialising in the best quality, certified organic skincare, hair care and makeup. Their philosophy is simple, all ingredients must have therapeutic value and our products must be a joy to use.
If you enjoyed this interview, be sure to follow our campaign for new interviews with inspiring leaders every week and hashtag #WhatMattersMost in your posts!