Paume is an award-winning hand sanitizer that nourishes as it protects, packaged in design-forward dispensers for at-home and on-the-go.
It’s the brainchild of Amy Welsman, who as a time-strapped new Mom couldn’t find a hand sanitizer that left her hands nourished, versus stripped.
We quickly fell in love with Paume’s premium plant-based formula and sustainable packaging, which is refillable and made from previously recycled materials.
To celebrate our first female-founder collab, we virtually sat down with Amy and asked her about her journey.
What sparked your interest in becoming an entrepreneur?
I had an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. While working as an account exec at an advertising agency in my early twenties, I started a pre-owned luxury handbag resale business as a side hustle. I have always been someone who has wanted things, and in the beginning, I was entrepreneurial for purely practical reasons - I needed the extra cash. After a few years in advertising, I left my corporate job to join a women's intimates startup called Knix, and it was there where I fell in love with brand building, marketing and sales. To this day, I love the hustle of building a brand from the ground up - the highs and the lows. Nothing is more rewarding and satisfying than having an idea or vision and bringing it to life.
Once you had the idea for your brand, how did you mobilize it?
I'm a very visual person, so the first thing I did was hire a designer to help me develop the look and feel of the brand. It was important for me to craft our logo, packaging aesthetic, colour palette and overall personality out of the gate. Simultaneously, I set out to find a manufacturing partner who could take my idea for the formula and actually create it. Once I incorporated and raised some seed capital, I jumped in the deep end and embarked on the one year process of bringing the product to market.
We love that Paume is carry-on friendly! Where is the first place you want to travel to once we get the green light?
My husband and I are planning a four-day escape to London this Fall, pandemic permitting. We did an exchange there during University together, and we want to experience that incredible city again. Having a two-year-old limits your time and scope when planning travel, so we thought a short getaway to a familiar place was a good place to start! We’re already counting down the days.
What is the best skincare tip you've ever received?
While I sadly got this advice a little later in life, I think the best tip I have received recently is if you put anything on your face at all, make it SPF. It's now a part of my daily routine, and I automatically feel protected when I go out the door. I wish I could tell my sun-loving 20-year-old self the same advice. ;)
“To this day, I love the hustle of building a brand from the ground up - the highs and the lows. Nothing is more rewarding and satisfying than having an idea or vision and bringing it to life.”
Last one - what's something you purchased from a small business recently that you loved?
As an entrepreneur, you meet so many amazing business owners and brands that you want to support. I admit, I find myself constantly buying new things I discover on a daily basis. I would say a recent and cherished purchase is a cardigan by Sidia, founded by Erin Kleinberg. She launched this beautiful line of everyday basics - lounge suits and caftans that suit all shapes. The fabrics wash beautifully, and are incredibly soft.
