The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports that enterprise training increases productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and employee retention. Workers who receive structured learning also tend to earn higher wages and advance more quickly in their careers. (OECD)

In practical terms, international training imports knowledge, not identity.

How global standards bolster local excellence

The most compelling proof of international training is the quality of work it produces. Known to all, global training opens doors to international expert learning that is not always locally accessible.

This is most applicable in food manufacturing, where different cultures and cuisines can intertwine, therefore exposing professionals to a more rigorous understanding of technique, sourcing, quality control, and presentation. Christian Valdes, for example, executive chocolatier of one of the Philippines’s premium chocolate brands, CMV Txokolat, acquired subsequent training in France under acclaimed chocolatier Chloé Doutre which exposed him to the meticulous discipline associated with European chocolate-making. Today, those methods are reflected in premium chocolate products crafted for the Philippine market—granting him a consistent stream of clients, customers, and private bookings. This is how international education can raise local standards in both craftsmanship and branding.

The same pattern can be observed even in a less prominent field, like the beauty industry. Being exposed to different ethnicities, beauty standards, and cosmetic science, professionals who study advanced techniques overseas better appreciate and understand facial anatomy, skin science, color theory, and evolving global trends. Those insights are then adapted to local conditions, including tropical weather, Filipino skin tones, and regional client preferences. In today’s modernity, learning beauty and makeup is exponentially accessible, with the existence of makeup schools and expert online tutorials. But in the past decades, professionally learning makeup techniques was intentionally sought by veteran makeup artists like International Beauty Guru, Dara Plan. Dara is a professional hair and makeup artist (HMUA) who honed expertise through both local and international training. She now shares those techniques through workshops in the Philippines, such as for GlamBox Beauty Studio, Suesh Studio, and the College of Saint Benilde, while also being tapped by corporate partners for seminars—giving aspiring artists and makeup enthusiasts access to world-class instruction without leaving the country.

These examples illustrate the broader economic principle that knowledge acquired abroad becomes more valuable when it is translated into products, services, and educational opportunities that strengthen local industries.

The edge of training over talent

Premier global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company notes that organizations spend roughly 4% of payroll on capability building and an average of 34 formal learning hours per employee each year. These investments are made because skill development directly supports business growth.

In businesses, talent attracts attention, but training creates consistency. W. Edwards Deming famously said, “Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival.” This is often cited as a stark warning that organizations must adapt to changes or risk failing.

Continuous learning is the ultimate prerequisite for enduring success. Markets evolve. Techniques improve. Consumer expectations rise. Professionals who stop learning eventually become obsolete.

The economic ripple effect of international learning

The value of global training extends far beyond individual success. Professionals with internationally acquired skills frequently:

• Raise product and service standards

• Train employees and aspiring entrepreneurs

• Introduce efficient systems

• Strengthen local supply chains

• Inspire consumer trust

The World Bank found that entrepreneurship training can improve sales by 4.7% and profits by 10.1% on average. (World Bank Blogs)

Those percentages may appear modest on paper, but in highly competitive sectors, they separate a struggling enterprise from a thriving one.

Globalization, Localization, and Glocalization

Business leaders tend to frame globalization and localization as opposing strategies. In practice, the most resilient enterprises combine both through the principle of glocalization, a term popularized by Japanese management practices and later adopted in international business studies. Sociologist Roland Robertson described glocalization as the simultaneous presence of universal and particular tendencies in modern life.

Globalization applies foreign systems with minimal adaptation. Localization relies exclusively on domestic methods and traditions. Glocalization occupies the productive middle ground. It absorbs international standards in quality, management, and innovation while adapting them to local culture, climate, consumer behavior, and available resources. It allows entrepreneurs to remain rooted in their communities while operating at a level that meets global expectations.

Jollibee is a familiar example. Jollibee took the sweet and distinct flavor profiles of Filipino food worldwide. In places like the US, the Middle East, and Europe, for example, they add local twists, such as chili-infused chicken or Halo-Halo and Adobo bowls, to maintain global presence while serving as a taste of home for the Filipino.

This is an effective approach for a local product to retain global quality.

Why international learning is especially beneficial in the Philippines

The Philippines has long been recognized as one of the world's leading sources of skilled labor. Millions of Filipinos work abroad (OFWs) and significantly contribute to the national economy through remittances. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, cash remittances from overseas Filipinos regularly exceed US$30 billion annually, supporting household consumption and economic stability.

Yet the country gains even more when expertise is brought home rather than remaining overseas permanently. Knowledge transfer creates businesses, employment, and educational opportunities that multiply economic value locally. This shift produces what development economists call "brain circulation" (as opposed to brain drain), where talent moves across borders but ultimately strengthens domestic industries. Instead of exporting people as the country's primary asset, the Philippines can export premium products, specialized services, and homegrown brands produced by world-class knowledge. Over time, local industries gain the long-term advantage of national competitiveness.

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Arts and Culture in Brand-Building

For years now, consumerism has evolved from functionality to a representation of personality. The products you use have become a point of reference to judge your taste, character, and even political affiliations. In the same way, brands from all over the globe have been steering away from the overtechnical process of selling products and services. Medium marketers have asserted that art, not marketing is the driver of brand building in 2025. Supporting this, Sinclair Communications Executive Angelique Santos once stated, “Arts and culture have emerged as powerful tools for brand differentiation, engagement, and loyalty.”

This is highly observable in Philippine cultural brands. Kultura Filipino, for example, which began as the Philippine Crafts section at the SM Store in Makati before expanding into a standalone store in 2004. Today, it’s one of the most popular shops for Filipino products like Filipiniana, pearls, and indigenous, eco-friendly goods. Most of this merchandise, customized and/or originating from various local sources, combines art and culture in a fashionable, functional sense. This has become the brand’s strength, making it widely recognized as a top-visited, go-to souvenir shop for tourists in the Philippines.

The reason this integration works in brand positioning is because it builds emotional connections and drives differentiation in competitive markets. The very core of its success is in the products themselves—the creativity it takes to make a nice set of Filipiniana and Barong Tagalog, the precision in wood carving decoration, and the culinary heritage preserved in the little packs of local snacks. Art and culture embedded in production attract cultural interest that boosts engagement and increases perceived value.

Food is another take, as actioned by various Filipino restaurants that incorporate creative and surprising twists to traditional dishes. Sinigang, for example, known as one of the Philippines’ top dishes, has been tweaked to taste oddly good, with Manam’s Watermelon Sinigang and Sentro 1771’s Corned Beef Sinigang. These went crazy viral, and eventually, people attempted to make their own at home.

In desserts, CMV Txokolat’s creativity and cultural appreciation rocketed through its proud Filipino-inspired handcrafted chocolates—its signature pralines explicitly built on Filipino flavors, such as Minted Calamansi, Gin Pomelo, Gumamela, Santol, and Binondo; its newer additions integrating savory Filipino dishes, such as Kare-kare, Adobo, and Bibingka.

Read: Chocolate Selections from CMV Txokolat for Gifting

The unique artistic vision of CMV Txokolat, as reflected in its products through the strategy of turning cultural heritage into bite-sized treats, has become its identity as a Filipino brand and has given it stability in business, with loyal clients and customers who have found satisfaction in its initially intriguing flavors.

This is the impact of integrating arts and culture into business. Customers are tapped in a sense that not only are their needs being met, but also their hunger for something deep and fascinating.

Filipino Consumer Behavior Regarding Cultural Products

There is a visible split in Filipino consumers’ behavior, separating those inclined to buy cultural products from those who are not.

For over 400 years, Filipinos have experienced a colonial mentality, the internalized belief that foreign culture, particularly Western culture, is superior to their own. This mindset is a direct result of more than 330 years of Spanish rule (1565–1898), established through its cultural, religious, and political domination. Following this is the nearly 50 years of American Occupation that further ingrained this mentality, promoting English, the American education system, and western standards of beauty as ideals, notes the American Psychological Association.

Because of these, colonial mentality remains prevalent in modern Filipino culture, affecting language preferences, skin color preferences (colorism), and consumer habits favoring imported goods. Unfortunately, this means that Filipinos follow the excessive appreciation of foreign brands, with other factors including advertisement influence or curiosity, product quality and reputation, and needs.

On the bright side, Filipino consumer behavior is also highly relational and emotionally driven. Purchasing decisions are often influenced by personal stories, family recommendations, sentimental associations, and shared cultural references. Aside from this, a product also becomes more memorable when it reflects something familiar, like traditional craftsmanship, regional ingredients. historical narratives, and Filipino humor and language. Think Apo Whang-Od, who has incredible talent in weaving art and culture together through tattoos, making her both nationally and globally acclaimed.

Read: The Better Choice: Handmade Products Over Mass-Produced Items

When a business has culture-based branding and expresses it in a polished and contemporary way that brings genuine connection among the audience, Filipino consumers are predisposed to support and purchase.

Why Integrate Art and Culture in Business

The success of brands like Kultura, CMV Txokolat, Manam, and Sentro 1771 is not based on luck. It’s proof that businesses can raise the perceived value of local products by presenting them with creativity and cultural depth—this is how local brands become competitive.

Many more Filipino brands are emerging in the modern day, not only proving Filipino talent but also advocating for individuality, culture, and racial appreciation. Makeup and skincare brands are supporting skin tone varieties, clothing brands are acknowledging body types, and lifestyle brands are promoting local resources. Filipinos are finally realizing that local products can be on par with foreign brands—some are even already in other countries.

So even with the remnants of xenocentrism still existing, it does not negate the value of culture-based branding. The integration of arts and culture gives businesses a competitive advantage because it turns products into stories and transactions into emotional experiences. Since relationships and shared identity are the influences for consumer behavior in the Philippines, culturally grounded brands establish stronger trust, loyalty, and community support.

How to Build a Brand Based on Art and Culture

Integration alone is easy. It can be done for a limited period of time and reworked in the future in accordance with results. But building a brand based on it can be risky if not done right; it may even turn into total failure.

Building a brand based on art and culture involves transforming creative expression, heritage, or artistic values into a cohesive identity that resonates emotionally with a specific audience. You would want to shift mindsets and strategies from moving beyond product sales to create a narrative that honors tradition, fosters community, or promotes artistic innovation.

Define Your Artistic Foundation

Identify your core story by determining the "why" behind your brand. Are you promoting indigenous traditions, modernizing ancient symbols, or facilitating contemporary art? Once done, narrow it down by defining your cultural lens. State which artistic movement, cultural heritage, or community stories you are drawing from, and then establish your core values to make sure your brand respects and aligns with the cultural values it seeks to represent.

Create a Strong Visual Identity

Building a strong visual identity can be executed from different angles—bold colors, intriguing symbols, iconic typography—pick one that resonates with both your brand’s personality and your target audience.

This can be tricky for an arts-and-culture-based brand because you’d want the arts and culture aspect to show without being too explicit. Today’s consumers tend to be thrown off by messaging, either text or visual, that seems too cheesy and perfect. Content, launch, and business expert Tahryn Bolt observed that “people are more skeptical than ever, and they’re scanning for credibility signals before they even consider buying. Not just with ads – with everything that feels too perfect, too polished, too marketing…People are actively calling out AI-generated content, and that distrust bleeds into buying behaviour.”

Curate and Collaborate

Businesses based in arts and culture are often much deeper and more complicated in nature than typical businesses. You have to make sure that the brand and its outputs, regardless of the form, e.g., woven fashion using traditional textiles, restaurants of regional cuisine, and home décor inspired by Filipino craftsmanship, are authentic and have gone through thorough research. Partner with local artists, artisans, or experts to get insider insights and ensure the work is respectful and genuine. Effective and high-quality production and curation of products and services follow this immediately, attracting customers naturally.

The hard truth is that integrating arts and culture into branding is complicated and risky, but if done right, it’s one of the most effective ways to build a successful business. If you’re exploring delving into this kind of venture, seeking guidance from an expert is extremely helpful.

In the Philippines, marketing experts like Brand Doctor Willy Arcilla mentor businesses to keep their brand afloat through hurdles while remaining fresh and relevant to their consumers. Getting help from the experienced always equates to a few steps in the right direction to advancing your brand.

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Challenges Faced by Entrepreneurial Mothers

A 2022 bibliometric analysis on mompreneurship states that, “Mumpreneurship is considered a form of female entrepreneurship whose motivation, and the process of identifying opportunities, is influenced by maternity.‶ This is defined as the creation of a new business by a woman who identifies as both a mother and a businesswoman, with a primary goal of achieving work-life balance while managing both family and business, often with the home acting as the business hub.

However, despite the flexibility, these entrepreneurs often face significant challenges, such as working long, unconventional hours (early mornings or late nights) and coping with a lack of external financing and high-quality, flexible childcare. They also face the "stigma of motherhood," where feelings of guilt, anxiety, and self-doubt may frequently arise when balancing parenthood with career obligations.

Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

Knowing the struggle of fulfilling the duties of both a mother and an entrepreneur at the same time is most common even to those who are neither moms nor business owners. Even so, it’s rare for them to talk about it, especially on social media, where many share only inspiring stories of success and achievements, rarely of the difficult scenes behind the curtains.

Many mompreneurs set up a business to leave their 9-5 jobs and achieve a better work-life balance. Ironically, this motivation remains unfulfilled. An interviewee in a study on the mompreneurship phenomenon stated the difference between the two: in a regular job, there is a set routine. When you are on your own, you need more discipline and should know how to prioritize.

“Balancing the demands of motherhood and building a nonprofit from the ground up often leaves me feeling torn between two worlds. Despite achieving milestones in both worlds, the nagging sense of not doing enough for my son or my business remains a persistent thought. It’s a daily challenge to balance the demands of nurturing a growing organization and a growing family.” — Jessica Sikora, Founder and CEO of SUPERBANDS

The Identity Crisis

“I was surprised at the identity crisis I went through as I became a new mom. The transition involved reconciling my role as an ambitious entrepreneur with my new responsibilities as a mother.” —Loni Brown, Founder and CEO of Wholesome Nest

Kate Borsato, a mother and mental health therapist, refers to identity loss in motherhood as a common phenomenon. This typically has six causes: prioritizing others’ needs, acting in survival mode, lack of personal time, drifting apart from friendships, self-sacrificing tendencies, and, of course, matrescence. When a mother is an entrepreneur, she intertwines her self-worth entirely with business performance, causing them to lose their sense of self when facing volatility. Along the process, mothers can lose themselves trying to serve others and manage their business at the same time.

Identity can be a complicated topic for most mothers because they tend to feel like it shouldn’t take priority or that it’s not deserving of time and emotional energy. As a result, individuality shaped by hobbies, social life, food, goals, and entertainment is often neglected—leading to burnout or the feeling of grievance for the old self.

Dealing with Moments of Regret

“What has surprised me the most is how often I daydream about not being an entrepreneur. For years, all I wanted was to start a business in the travel space. I still look forward to growing my business every single day. I am immensely happy and fulfilled pursuing my dream. However, as my toddler grows and we expect our second this year, I find myself thinking that it would be nice to have the option to step away from work and just be a mama while my children are small. I wouldn’t walk away from my business in these early years, so all I can do is embrace the challenge and seek balance.” —Kalyn Salinas, Founder of The Citrine Compass

It’s common for flashes of thought like this to come once in a while. The so-called “Mom Guilt” where one may feel bad about doing anything else other than caring for her family, which in this case is achieving dreams of her own. It does not always mean wanting to turn back time to choose not to build the business; it simply means feeling reminiscent of the time when focusing on family matters and participating in leisurely activities did not feel like a luxury.

Another mompreneur stated, “It’s hard not being able to give 100% all the time. My kids are young right now, so I feel tremendous guilt when I’m working and ‘should’ be with them.’ On the flip side, when I’m with them, I feel guilty for not working. A big part of that guilt is I actually enjoy working and love what I do. I’ve realized that it’s okay to want to work and not feel guilty for being away from your kids.” —Kimberly Tara, Tax Strategist at The Tara CPA Firm, LLC

This is highly indicative of how crucial it is to juggle house and business duties as a mompreneur. There is almost no room for mistakes, as it poses a risk of compromising one or the other.

Facing Emotional Consequences

The joint role as both a mother and a businesswoman leaves an overwhelming feeling. It’s not only physically exhausting, but also mentally and financially, eventually taking an emotional toll on mompreneurs as well. For the most part, this stems from a lack of emotional support, especially for single mothers who may barely have anyone to turn to during stressful times.

In the same study on mompreneurship phenomenon, BIBA Apparels Founder, Meena Bindra, expressed thoughts about her entrepreneurial journey, “After the initial guilt trips, I realized that it is something that we, mothers, build up and it can be emotionally very challenging.”

Another cause of this emotional turmoil is the idea of being taken lightly. In environments where men predominate, prejudice and sexism will always be an issue. Mothers are frequently viewed as less ambitious, less focused, and less productive than men. Research conducted by a Ph.D. Full-Time Research Scholar Bhavani N. J. from Alagappa University affirms that mompreneurs often have to establish themselves as women and as parent-entrepreneurs before they are taken seriously. At the 4th Gawad Madiskarte, UN Women Philippines Country Programme Coordinator, Rosalyn Mesina, stated, “Women entrepreneurs must not only be supported, they must be seen, recognized, and protected within the system.”

Tips for Mom Entrepreneurs

Build a Support System

Having a reliable support system in the journey of motherhood and entrepreneurship is not to be underestimated. Studies show that family support increases the probability of being a successful mompreneur in the long run. Your husband or a close-knit member can offer support in taking care of the young children. They can also act as mentors and can provide both emotional and financial support to women. The journey is difficult to take alone.

Reading business stories that emerged during motherhood is a great source of inspiration and realistic advice when facing difficulties. There is no better counselor than one who shares the same experience as you do.

Read: Grace Parazo: The Mom-CEO That Built The Philippines’ First Online Learning Platform for Baking and Cooking

Delegate and Outsource

Many mompreneurs forget that options out there can make their entrepreneurial journey easier. They tend to try to do it all, not only because they feel the need to, but also because they’re afraid of what might happen if they don’t control every little detail. For better management, identify your most critical tasks and outsource or automate the rest (e.g., using virtual assistants) to reduce cognitive load. Find reliable help who can support you and bring in knowledge or experience that you don’t have.

Prioritize Self-Care

This often comes last for most moms. Ironically, having a little me-time can significantly improve your performance. You cannot take good care of either your children or your business if you don't take good care of yourself first. Be strict about taking breaks, doing skincare, and even journaling. Feeling good about yourself is an underrated source of motivation.

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Grace Parazo: CEO of The Bailiwick Academy

It’s only a matter of time before one starts to figure out their life’s puzzle pieces and see the big picture of what they are truly meant to do in life. For Grace Parazo, the CEO of The Bailiwick Academy, it took years of realizations, career experience, and frustration to finally be able to grasp the idea that she was meant for something else.

Before founding The Bailiwick Academy, Marie Grace Parazo worked graveyard shifts in the BPO industry, where she found not only her future husband but also a gap between culinary instructors and students. During this time, Grace got married and had children, eventually discovering baking and cooking as a hobby.

Grace was not only an employee, a wife, a mom, and a hobbyist—she was also a breadwinner to her aging parents. For an extra income, she decided to build a home-based business, called Viriado Cakes & Pastries, which specialized in customized cakes and cupcakes. To enhance her skills, she started attending different culinary classes at Heny Sison Culinary School and International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM).

In an interview with Bilyonaryo News Channel (BNC) in 2025, Grace shared that the trigger for entering entrepreneurship was when her mother was hospitalized, which caused exhaustion financially, mentally, and physically. This was when she thought she was not going to let her kids experience what she went through. “I promised myself I won’t use my kids as a retirement plan,” she shared.

During the same period of their lives, Grace and her husband realized their jobs would not last as long as they lived, refusing to be complacent and dependent on jobs that barely kept them stable.

This was the point when the “puzzle pieces” began to slowly complete themselves—financial struggles, the cooking hobby, and the refusal to be stuck—all led to the birth of The Bailiwick Academy.

The History of The Bailiwick Academy

The Bailiwick Academy is an online learning platform for baking and cooking, where students get to learn culinary skills and techniques from professional chefs all over the globe.

The platform was founded in January 2018, the couple spending all ₱400,000 savings from their bank account and the faith they had in themselves to turn their lives around as capital. Grace entered the industry after realizing the gap between culinary educators and students during her classes at Heny Sison Culinary School and ISCAHM, observing how much the students rushed to arrive on time and the little bit of questions from the lesson they never got to ask because they never saw the instructor again after leaving the room.

To solve this problem was Grace’s target. She wanted to create a space where culinary students and instructors met halfway without any compromise.

While building the website, Grace began cold emailing the chefs she knew from the classes she used to attend. Her pitch was convincing, that both would benefit from the partnership: business growth for Grace and passive income for the instructors.

However, she recalled receiving rejections for four months straight, until one chef, Jimbo de Panadero, finally agreed.

“That first ‘yes’ meant everything,” Grace stated.

Chef Jimbo has worked with top food brands in the Philippines, having more than 30 years of experience in the baking industry. He started teaching in 1997 as a technical baking demonstrator and a technical baking consultant since 2000. You can say that “yes” really was big, because it was from a master chef.

What might seem funny is that this happened way before the operations were ready. On the day of the shoot, Chef Jimbo asked her, “Where’s our studio?” to which she replied, “Nothing,” laughing as she recalled it in the same interview with BNC. From there, other chefs followed and started joining the platform.

Even in post-shoot aspects, Grace and her husband handled it all, sharing that they learned video editing using that one laptop they had years ago just so they could come up with initial outputs.

After a year, Grace earned her first million in revenue. She shared, “That was when I felt, ‘Okay, we’re doing something meaningful. Let’s continue.”
Since then, you could say Grace was successful in solving the gap she saw from a few years back, because flexibility became the strength of The Bailiwick Academy.

What’s Good About The Bailiwick Academy?

By enrolling in a class, you get lifetime access to the prerecorded class and a downloadable workbook containing the recipe. This means that the class is all yours to go back to if you ever miss something.

Another feature of The Bailiwick Academy is that its classes have an assigned forum where enrolled students and the respective instructor can communicate. The forum is open at any time after the class is purchased. This means that they remain guided for as long as they are on the platform.

Users from different social media platforms have happily shared that the chef instructors on the platform are highly accommodative to their questions, unlike free-to-use platforms and even other paid ones.

The platform is also quite friendly to those who want to verify the quality of the classes first before committing to paid ones, as it offers over 30 free culinary classes you can enroll in immediately after signing up. The Bailiwick Academy teaches over 200 classes online. Although specializing in baking and cooking, they offer programs in lifestyle, art, business, and technology as well. Some of them include Basic Flower Arrangement, Excel Essentials, Mobile Food Photography, and more. What makes The Bailiwick Academy superior is that it gathers talented chefs and instructors from around the world, including highly acclaimed individuals with the biggest names in the culinary world, such as Chef Him Uy De Baron, Chef Miko Aspiras, Chef Jimbo de Panadero, and Valeri Valeriano and Christina Ong of Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes.

Grace shared that she was able to gather these chefs as she personally knew some of them from the classes she used to attend. This is a huge plus, having firsthand experience with the people she was onboarding.

Today, the school has grown to have more than 30 instructors, including chefs based abroad. The academy has a dual mission that does not just teach cooking or baking, but also empowers students to build food businesses. Around 40% of students use their training to start side hustles or open full-time bakeries, while others apply it for personal use for their families.

Grace to New Entrepreneurs: Patience.

Looking back, Grace took everything left in their savings, took a leap of faith, and ran with it in hopes that they would find success in what they believed had potential.

Almost nine years later, The Bailiwick Academy stands at over 6,000 students worldwide, holding the title as the Philippines’ first-ever online learning platform for cooking and baking.

In a feature by theAsianParent, Grace stated, "Ako talaga, kung gusto ninyo talaga ‘yung ginagawa ninyo, just go for it. Huwag na kayong magdalawang-isip kasi there's really no perfect timing talaga. Malalaman mo lang na kaya mo kapag na-try mo na,” emphasizing that no one has to start perfect.

She also shared the reason she named the platform “Bailiwick.”

“Bailiwick means expertise. And that’s what we do. We invite experts in the industry to teach on our platform.”

Even several years later, The Bailiwick Academy remains the top school for such an industry despite acquiring multiple competitors over the years. Grace said, “I think what really stood out was [that] we didn’t really leave our students behind.

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The Story of The Body Shop: Founder Anita Roddick

Anita opened the first Body Shop store in 1976 in Brighton, England. During this time, the beauty industry thrived on unattainable standards and unethical sourcing. Under this structure, women felt the need to achieve certain beauty ideals that misalign with their natural charm, using means that go against moral standards.

As a human rights activist and an environmental campaigner, Anita figured that the system needed objection, thus creating a beauty brand that countered the then considered norm. She believed beauty should not come at the expense of animals, exploited workers, or the planet.

The Body Shop carried products that were everything environmentally friendly: nature-inspired, sustainable, and cruelty-free. But most of all, it conveyed messages that rejected perfection and campaigned for embracing real beauty. Anita wanted her brand’s consumers to use its products to enhance what they have and feel good about their skin, not change it to meet the world’s unrealistic standards.

Community Fair Trade and Economic Empowerment

One of the most influential initiatives introduced by The Body Shop was the Community Fair Trade programme.

Launched in 1987, the program allows the company to work directly with farmers, artisans, and producers around the world, purchasing ingredients and materials at fair prices while helping communities earn stable incomes and maintain traditional livelihoods.

In many cases, women are at the center of these supply chains. For instance, partnerships with shea butter producers in Ghana have helped women gain consistent income and improve access to education and healthcare within their communities.

Fighting Animal Testing

The Body Shop’s firm stance against animal testing is another of its defining pillars. The brand has campaigned for decades to end cosmetic animal testing worldwide and pushed governments and regulators to adopt stricter protections for animals used in research.

On 2018 World Animal Day, The Body Shop partnered with Cruelty Free International and took 8.3 million signatures against cosmetic animal testing to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The petition signatures, collected from supporters around the world in just 15 months, call on the countries of the UN to end cosmetic animal testing.

As an application of its advocacy, The Body Shop uses three main testing methods that involve computer data and laboratory-created tissues. All cosmetics companies can adopt these kinds of animal-friendly testing methods.

In the modern world, this past advocacy helped shift consumer awareness and industry practices. It used to be a controversial position that eventually became a global standard many beauty brands now follow.

Sustainability and Responsible Consumption

The Body Shop has also introduced initiatives aimed at reducing waste, such as refill programs and recycling schemes that encourage customers to return empty packaging at participating stores for reuse or responsible processing.

These programs minimize negative environmental impact while encouraging customers to participate in sustainable habits.

Women Entrepreneurship

The story of Anita Roddick can conceive a lot of conclusions. While many of the revolutionary things she did could have been done by any other entrepreneur, most of them could point to the fact that she was a woman.

A theory by Simon Baron-Cohen that there are two broad cognitive tendencies: systemizing, which means thinking in terms of rules, patterns, and how things work, and empathizing, which means recognizing and responding to thoughts, feelings, and social dynamics. According to this framework, males score higher on systemizing measures, whereas females score higher on emphatizing measures.

Entrepreneurship, being a male-dominated field, could be supported by males’ systemizing cognitive tendencies, which allow them to pick up on business ideas and act on them linearly. Women, on the other hand, may think differently.

Anita Roddick did not present herself as a polished executive. She spoke bluntly, she challenged profit-first mentalities, she platformed issues many corporations avoided. The Body Shop’s campaigns addressed domestic violence, indigenous rights, and environmental protection.

Anita’s stores were petitions and activism masked as retail transactions—in a very brilliant way.

Anita is a model for many women entrepreneurs today, encouraging them to stand for something and design supply chains that empower and not exploit, treat customers as the real people they are and not just consumers who equate to sales on the spreadsheet.

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