At LOOQAL, we are committed to championing brands that make a difference to the people, planet, and heritage. We believe that behind each purposeful brand is a conscious entrepreneur with a story. In our series, Founder Talks, we get up-close and personal with the founders of your beloved LOOQAL brands to discover what drives them on their journey.

In this episode, our Founder, Joyce, sits down with Joanne of Goodness Gracious, an eco-conscious home and living brand that uses cotton fabric infused with Australian beeswax, organic coconut oil and natural tree resin to make 100% natural and breathable, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, reusable, washable and compostable beeswax wraps.

Being an entrepreneurial mum has its own challenges but Joanne shared with us what keeps her going and what fuels her passion for reducing single-use plastic.

Read along or watch the full video on YouTube.

Joyce Teh:  So, Joanne, perhaps you'd like to tell us a little bit more about you. 

Joanne Cheong: I'm the maker and creator of Goodness Gracious. I started my career in digital marketing. I love food and I love cooking them for my family. But the plastic waste created in the kitchen really bothered me. So then, I went ahead to begin looking for alternatives that I could use in the kitchen until I came across beeswax wraps. One day, I decided to make my own beeswax wrap at home. Since then, it has been a great journey. Goodness Gracious is a sustainable eco-home concept store, offering sustainable plastic-free alternative products that provide functionality, modern designs, and minimalistic styles, to help you easily transit into a plastic-free lifestyle at home.

JT: It's a given why we want to drastically reduce the use of plastics and personally, I've been trying to switch from plastic to non-plastic containers. But I have to say that non-plastics are not so easily available today. I was really very happy to come across Goodness Gracious and find that there are so many functions to beeswax wraps, as opposed to what I initially thought.  And I love the designs! It's quite obvious why you are inspired to create something that reduces the use of single-use plastics but other than the most obvious, is there like a deeper reason behind it?

JC: Yes, not only do beeswax wraps help to reduce plastic in your home, it also helps to keep food fresh for longer which means it is less food wastage. Perhaps you could have the same food for maybe a longer period of time.

JT: You know, there must be many different types of eco and sustainable options. Why did you decide to go ahead and make a business out of beeswax wraps?

JC: I first discovered beeswax wraps many years ago, when I was living in Auckland. I went to a farmer's market where all the local businesses are and that’s where I first encountered beeswax wraps. That was also when I bought my first wrap, and it changed the whole perspective of how I view single-use plastics. It has been an important part of my household since. It has been for the last 10 years , and it will be for a very long time. Beeswax wraps can make a really powerful change in reducing plastic in every household. It is easy to use. It is all natural. It is breathable. And of course, good for the environment. It's also prettier than plastic! We have two collections in Goodness Gracious,  100% cotton and organic cotton.

JT: I do love the fact that it's made from 100% cotton. First, it makes me feel safer for a product that's next to my food, and cotton actually keeps the moisture out, keeping the food fresh, longer. For me, these are two big wins. Maybe one of the first things that caught my attention with Goodness Gracious was really the designs, you know, I really love them. The colours are pop! They're really fun. What is the inspiration behind the designs?

Blu Terrazzo Beeswax Food Wrap

JC: All of our collections are thoughtfully curated and most of them are designed by women illustrators all over the world. They are inspired by the wonders of nature, the allure of art and architecture as well as all the beautiful things that you see in life. We've got the Nature Collection, and the Deep Blue Collection where animals are the focus feature. 

JT: I think it doesn't really matter which collection it is, they're all beautiful in their own way. If you have enough of them, it even allows you to have different themes! I think it's perfect if you were to like, gift your neighbour something you’ve cooked or baked.

JC: Yes, exactly! Especially during the festive season, they make great gift wrapping. Imagine this over a casserole dish, and bringing them along for your friends. 

JT: Two gifts in one!

I know that you are a mummy. Maybe you can tell us about being a mum and also running a business. Tell us about your experience there.

JC: Every day is different. Some days I feel like I've accomplished more and other days where, you know, I feel like I'm just happy trying to get through the day. Starting a small business, it's really challenging for me, at the same time, it is very rewarding. I start my work really early so that I can spend the rest of my afternoon with my children.

JT: Do you get some quiet time? I feel you need quiet time to seek inspiration. At what point do you do that?

JC: I do that first thing in the morning where, you know, I start my day really early before anyone wakes up. So that's the time I have for myself. It is maybe half an hour where I have my coffee, and that's when I jot down my thoughts and what I need to work on.

JT: That's pretty inspiring. I need to do that! Before all the hustle and bustle comes in, and then you start getting the messages, the emails. You know, Joanne, we are talking about our businesses, you know, LOOQAL and also Goodness Gracious, where we are talking about being more purposeful, being more mindful, being more conscious, especially as a consumer, right? To be more conscious in terms of what we choose. So, what does that conscious choice, how do you interpret that? 

How do you actually use beeswax?

JC: So one thing I love about my job path is that it allows me to empower the community to make more conscious choices for their lifestyle. I believe that wellbeing, sustainability, and health are really important parts of our life. I'm passionate about reducing single-use plastic.

JT: That's great! And really, that’s all we need to do, small steps.

JC: Yes, one step at a time.

JT: But collectively, we will make a big difference. We love having brands such as Goodness Gracious on LOOQAL. It's perfect aligned with what we want to achieve.

JC: It's the perfect fit. An ecosystem for purposeful brands. 

JT: I think so too! Let's work together to benefit the conscious consumer and get more people adopting more conscious habits.

JC: Yes, definitely.

JT: Thank you for talking to us, today.

JC: My pleasure!

Explore beautiful plastic-free eco-home items from Goodness Gracious on LOOQAL!

Image 1: Joyce is wearing top from Dino PJ Set by Kaaj Vibhuti.