Company founders, parents and partners - the ELIXR founding couple on everyday life between self-employment and family

Jenny and Philipp Rathgeber, known from "The Lion's Den," founded their own beauty brand ELIXR and run the company together. What does everyday life look like between self-employment and family?

The likeable parents talk about major decisions in their lives, how they met, the founding of the company, and how they manage their lives with shared work and family. They also talk about the new addition to the family and how their everyday lives have evolved during the coronavirus pandemic.

1. Dear Jenny and Philipp, you are the founding couple of ELIXR and have launched this company together. You describe your brand as a beauty product that combines "beauty + mind." How did you first come up with this idea and what was your inspiration?

For us, beauty always has an emotional side. If you don't feel beautiful and at peace with yourself, you can't radiate beauty outwardly. Therefore, we place particular emphasis on ensuring that our products contain high-quality nourishing ingredients and also contribute to inner balance. We believe the two belong together. Inner and outer well-being are inseparable and form a unity.

We felt a modern, zeitgeisty concept like this was missing on the market. Most offerings focus on the "beauty" function. Others focus heavily on the "emotion" function, which we considered almost too esoteric and not fresh enough. We quickly developed our own concept, ELIXR. All of our products in our range, from mouthwashes to soaps and essential oils, combine functionality with emotional appeal and a fresh, modern design.

2. How did you meet back then, and how did the moment come when you decided, "Let's start a company together!"? Were you pursuing other jobs at the time?

We met at university and always said, "We'll never start a business together - it just doesn't work in a relationship!" And yet we did it... How it came about: it just happened that way! We started it on the side, actually part-time. It was a lot of fun. At the same time, however, we realized that half measures don't work so well, and so we decided to go all out with "The Lion's Den," which meant taking a certain risk. It could have been that we wouldn't have fared so well on TV or with the Lions. Then the founding might have been over pretty quickly. But thankfully, the opposite was the case - everyone was completely enthusiastic, and today we can be proud that we took this risk.

3. Jenny, you're now a mom and pregnant again. We're so happy for you! How do you balance work and being a mom? What was the biggest challenge, and what were the best moments?

The beginning with a baby and a startup was really relaxed; the little one slept a lot. But now both the startup and the little one have grown and demand an enormous amount of attention. I have to be honest, the coronavirus pandemic and the associated daycare closures are really pushing me to my limits. Balancing both without support is, quite frankly, brutal. I can only hope this will end soon.

At the same time, I enjoy every single second of being a mom. Just looking at my little treasure, I can forgive everything and forget all my worries for a moment. What could be more beautiful in the world than family and motherhood?

4. How are you currently organizing your daily routine during your pregnancy? And how are you feeling about the coronavirus crisis?

The pregnancy has to be a side issue right now... There's no other way we can manage our daily lives during the coronavirus crisis. Unfortunately, working and entertaining the little one while enjoying the pregnancy is simply not possible. The most important thing in such a challenging situation is to have trust and confidence that everything will work out. I usually find inner strength through yoga.

 5. Do you have a specific daily routine that you follow and something that you could never do without?

Of course: My day always starts with oil pulling. If I don't do that in the morning, I don't feel completely comfortable and cared for. I'd rather forget my eye cream than my daily oil ritual! By the way, I recommend PURITY for all pregnant women. The essential oils are safe and provide a real freshness boost.

6. What are you most looking forward to after the Corona crisis and this difficult time?

I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, which isn't interrupted by "I still have to do this and that..." The worst thing right now is that I can only manage both childcare and work halfway. I find it difficult to stay truly focused because my mind is often elsewhere, and so something constantly falls by the wayside. I help myself with essential oils. Lemon is currently my favorite; it always gives me concentration and focus.

7. There are many people out there who have good ideas but aren't confident enough to implement them. Is there any advice or wisdom you'd like to share with these people?

Just get started, make mistakes, and dare to do something. Many things are so difficult to predict that you have to experience them firsthand to be able to judge them. I wouldn't hesitate so long about many things anymore, but would be much more daring.
We also believe that you should always work with only the best. Times are fast-moving, and competition in the beauty industry is extremely fierce. You have to be extremely efficient, and that's only possible with the best and most reliable freelancers and service providers.

8. Jenny, as a mom and mom-to-be, which mara mea product is one of your favorites?

I immediately ordered a stroller net in the beautiful, bright color "peach" for my new baby. It really spruces up my old frame (not second-hand, but now fourth-hand)!

Dear Jenny, dear Philipp, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the interesting and inspiring interview and wish you all the best for your family and your little addition.

For all those who haven’t discovered it yet, here go to the mara mea X ELIXR Instagram competition.