"What are you doing in 20 years?"
This is the question I ask myself every January, a ritual to ground my dreams.

When I close my eyes and meditate on that thought it's vivid, almost like a painting in my mind. I can visualize myself in my garden, tending to my flowers. I see the pride on the faces of estheticians as they witness the transformation of their guests post-treatment. The supported way they feel about the knowledge they hold to care for their clients. I see my business evolving, nurtured in new hands, and expanding beyond my vision. This is the future as I see it, my dream coming to life. Empowering humans, thriving, and reconnecting everyone with nature. We are nature, by way of earth. Botnia has been realized and lives beyond me.

And then I think about 10 years from now, what does that look like? I see myself learning how to write scientific studies on my findings to elevate plants and their use in skincare. I’m teaching other practitioners about skin, being in community with them, and supporting their vision of healing through the tools I’ve found so helpful for my own practice. I’m putting pen to paper and writing my cultivated philosophy. I’m in community with and supporting even more estheticians, extending Botnia to all professionals who want to use it in their practices.

Next, looking at five years from now, I see how important it is to grow my manufacturing operations to support all those partners, both near and far. I’m building a larger lab and moving beyond kitchen equipment. I’m working in my lab, creating solutions for different skin conditions that heal through nature and her brilliance. I’m writing a school curriculum for holistic esthetics and educating other practitioners.

And finally I come to the next one to two years. What steps do I need to take today to achieve my grounded dreams?

My eyes open now, I think about a conversation I had with a friend and fellow manufacturer. I was telling her about my 2024 goals and how in the last few years we have had to say no to so many things I wanted to say yes to and how frustrated I was last year to put my big plans on hold. She reflected back to me that it was just that we weren’t yet ready – we were still laying foundations. It's so true: six years of laying foundations and bricks IS a part of my 20-year goals.

So this year, pen on paper plotting my path, my hope is to abundantly expand Botnia in 2024. Taking on more wholesale partners in new and exciting ways. We have new, fully formed forever products that took years to develop – they’re fucking incredible and ready for your bathrooms. We have a new look for our professional packaging. We have deeper connections to the farmers and the plants we need to make our skincare and sustain our growth. We have a lab that follows GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). We have new ways of educating and onboarding partners so they feel continually connected to their craft alongside foundational education systems that support our partners’ abundant practices. Our shipping department is streamlined and ready for its next evolution. My team at Botnia has a flow we’ve worked hard to cultivate, the kind of company culture that feeds our human experience along with the work we do in the world.

So this year will be about opening our arms and bringing on newness, abundantly. With all my heart, I’m looking forward to everything that we’re going to do in 2024. I’ve learned so much from the last six years, and we are now moving into our lucky number seven year. Mostly, I've learned how to love my business in all its evolving ways and to systematically go for my big dreams.

Every January I pick a theme that carries the spirit of the year like a thread. Our 2023 theme was metamorphosis, as we shape-shifted into our new form – our beautiful new packaging system. Our theme for 2024 is Expanding our family, because we’re bringing on new partners and new products to our assortment. Our back bar is getting a new look, and we’re adding new ways to interact with it. Our excitement can hardly be contained, and my hope is that it's infectious and brings all who use my skincare more of what they love about Botnia in all the expansive ways.

With big fucking dreams,
Justine