From a young age, Vancouver-based Lisa Seriosa grew up watching her hard-working parents run their own restaurant. Seeing her parents begin their own business instilled in her a similar entrepreneurial spirit and a strong work ethic.
After attending university, Seriosa followed the well-worn path of pursuing a corporate role, but her dream of becoming an entrepreneur, and her instinct to create, was still very much alive. So, she started designing greeting cards and wedding stationery on the side. But it wasn’t until she had children of her own that she became inspired to take a chance and pursue a different career path.
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The Creative Duo
First, Lisa began designing custom birthday parties along with personalized party favours. But it wasn’t until her daughter Madison (who was in grade two at the time) took a curiosity in her creative endeavors that Periwinkle Designs was born. Together, they created a line of eco-friendly home and kitchen products using sustainable materials like beeswax, all with an eye for style in mind.
Their jumping-off point? When Madison enrolled in an extracurricular entrepreneurial course and had to bring a product to market. “We were introduced to these beeswax food wraps around that same time, and she actually really fell in love with the product,” Lisa says. “She loved the smell of it, and how tactile and sticky it was—all of that. So this is what she took to market in her course.”
So, they started selling beeswax food wraps (along with party favours) at various markets and craft fairs throughout Vancouver. But it soon became apparent that the beeswax products were a crowd favourite.
“At first we just had a little portion of the beeswax food wraps, and then slowly it just kind of overtook the whole table,” she says. “And then we really started to focus and commit to sustainable products.”
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Sustainable Footprint
After learning more about the effects of climate change, extreme weather and the amount of plastic caught in landfills, Lisa and her daughter wanted to do their part to help heal the planet.
“I’m not here to say that we’re at all perfect by any means, but I think it’s about contributing as much as you can, and every little bit helps,” she says. “Every little bit adds up and has this domino effect.”
In addition to having a positive impact in their community and on climate change, Lisa says she was also motivated to go into business with her daughter to show her, together with her son, Cole, that they can forge their own path in the world. As Lisa learned from her own parents, she wanted to empower her children to embody the same entrepreneurial spirit and the passion to create from a young age.
“There are other paths in life than just going to school and getting a corporate job,” she says. “I want [my kids] to know they can do something they love and that they’re passionate about, and hopefully it does make a positive impact for the greater good.”
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Youthful Impact
Lisa says going into business with her daughter has rubbed off on them both in a positive way. Not only is Madison learning about harnessing her own power to make a difference in the world, she’s also picking up valuable life skills that typically wouldn’t be taught in school (from interacting with customers to collecting money from product sales). “I’m super proud of her to have the desire and the foresight to want to do this,” says Lisa.
When Function Meets Style
Periwinkle Designs is all about making functional, sustainable products that will serve a purpose in the home (from beeswax wraps to “unpaper” towel rolls crafted from cotton fabric). But the mother-daughter duo is equally focused on creating items that are pleasing to the eye. Whether your style is colourful and punchy, or more subdued and modern, the designs offer something for everyone.
“We pride ourselves on curating some really amazing products and designs,” Lisa says. This, she confirms, involves a lot of research: browsing catalogues and sourcing designer patterns to ensure every customer will find something they gravitate toward. “Whether it’s a flower or a cartoon character, or something really light and fun and kiddish, there really is something for everybody.”
