Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to BRUNA VALENTE. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, BRUNA thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

When I launched Terrain, I had recently been through the most intense last two years when I was healing from a breast cancer diagnosis. I was going through chemotherapy and surgeries, all while caring for my newborn, Henry. During that time, I felt the love and support from those around me so deeply, so tangibly. There was an army of family, friends, and strangers not measuring efforts in loving me in so many ways and without expectations. They simply chose to be part of my life with all its beauty and pain. I was touched by that. That sense of “caring deeply” was built into every aspect of my new brand. So when we launched Terrain in November of 2022, I wanted to acknowledge those who again, chose to be part of something different with me. Each of our first 100 customers received an additional full size product with their order. It came with a card titled “Bold Gratitude”. It is a big deal to have people who support you especially when you’re beginning, even when things aren’t perfect. And I am boldly grateful for each and every one of those (now repeating) customers and new ones to come.

BRUNA, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was diagnosed with an aggressive type of cancer while in my thirties and pregnant with my second son. That was tough. And also beautiful. It first taught me how to survive, then to live, then to thrive in uncertainty. It also taught me to connect with body, mind, and spirit in a way I didn’t know was possible. As I was healing, I actively pursued wellness. I started learning about plant-based nutrition and ancient medicine I started running, meditating. I started talking to God. And being quiet enough to listen to Him. I left my career in corporate without knowing what was next. At the same time, I also became interested in things that were truly good in nourishing our largest organ – the skin. I was so intrigued by what I found (and what I didn’t find in the market). I joined a natural skincare formulation school, and started formulating products for myself. First using common ingredients, to learn the different formulations and techniques. And later with ingredients from my home country, Brazil, specifically oils from the Amazon Rainforest. Then I visited the Amazon Rainforest for the first time. Spending time with the natives, navigating through the rivers, and becoming familiar with the trees where these unique ingredients came from felt special. And wild. It wasn’t something I should keep to myself only. I felt called to share these raw, potent oils with more people. This wild approach to wellness that makes us feel more nourished, and alive.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I make all Terrain products by hand in Maple Grove, MN, where I’ve lived with my family for the last six years. There’s something about the specific and repetitive process of sanitizing equipment, measuring ingredients, bottling and labeling each oil, pouring each lotion bar – all by hand – that feels personal and special, to me and our customers. I love that this industry allows for that. To make products that are safe and effective, even outside the typical manufacturing environment.

I knew that contracting with an outside manufacturer right from the start may mean having to change product formulation ingredients or procedures to fit in their processes, and adding financial burdens and risks that most new businesses cannot afford like high minimum order quantities and long-term contracts. I spent over ten years in corporate working in Product Development before I started Terrain. Back then, I worked closely with engineering, sourcing, product manufacturing, and quality teams.

While I feel fortunate to have had exposure and experience to manufacturing, when I was doing it on my own and building it all from scratch, it was different. I consulted with the internet – a lot. And also went to formulation school, leaned into mentors, reached out to other founders, read industry books and articles, listened to podcasts. It took researching International and FDA standards and best industry practices, establishing supplier relationships in three countries, forecasting demand and figuring out how much and when to order each ingredient – especially the ones coming directly from the Amazon Rainforest. It took talking to many packaging suppliers, setting up workshop equipment, and when formulations turned out less than perfect, documenting failures to keep changing and improving. All that months before Terrain was launched. It’s all been a humbling process. And it has also made me more confident to now be developing new products, and one day pass on these activities to future employees, knowing the ins and outs of each ingredient and method.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I told my former boss I was leaving my corporate job, he told me this story of how each of us have our superpower, and the superpower he saw on me was resilience. Most people cheered me on as I exited, but did not understand why I would leave my role as a Global Product Manager in a growing business without knowing what was next. I realize that is not a common path, but from a young age, I had some practice with “not knowing”.

I came to the US fifteen years ago as a first generation immigrant. International students don’t get government assistance or financing. For years while in college, I paid my way through it on a $600/month student job salary that could barely cover tuition. I lived off of noodles, rides to school, borrowed books – and beds. When I graduated, with a Bachelor in Business and all the accolades, needing work visa sponsorship was a big barrier to finding a job. I applied for over seventy jobs before getting an internship where I commuted 1.5h every day and for months, driving a car with no heater during Wisconsin winter. Then years later, while pregnant in my thirties, I got diagnosed with cancer. And if that hadn’t awakened me to how uncertain – and precious – this life is, I don’t know what would. After that, I simply wanted to do things that made me feel alive. And there was no time to waste.

I did not choose to start a business, I felt called to do it. Being an entrepreneur is the pinnacle of uncertainty. Every entrepreneur could write books filled with stories of resilience. The truth is that through my healing, I had experienced this wild side of wellness, of feeling truly connected. I saw this overcrowded space of brands that were either clean or authentic, that had either planet-friendly packaging or clean ingredients. More founders need to fill the white space with products that are not “either or” but “both and” wildly pure, effective, authentic, with compostable packaging, and conscious sourcing, so I thought why not me. Even if it took me to the depths of the rainforest to source Amazon ingredients, and rural parts of Brazil to partner with golden grass artisans. It has all been worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: terrainbrazil.com
• Instagram: @terrain.brazil
• Facebook: facebook.com/terrainbrazil
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/terrain-brazilian-botanicals/

Image Credits
Belén Fleming – https://www.beluphotography.com