Impact
Behind the scenes: 5 things you didn’t know about 10 years Naïf
04 October 2024
Ten years ago, Sjoerd and Jochem started Naïf in a garage - not with a big plan, but with a simple mission: to make personal care simpler and more honest. Lots has happened in those 10 years! Jochem and Sjoerd reveal their favorite and their most embarrassing Naïf moments.
What was your favorite moment in 10 years Naïf? Yes, you have to pick one!
Jochem: That’s a hard one, we shared so many favorite moments the past 10 years! If I have to pick one, it would be the first Negenmaandenbeurs. We were so proud to have a stand and to familiarize all visitors with our product range. At the time it only consisted of 6 products!
Sjoerd: For me it was definitely becoming a certified B Corp! During corona, lots changed and we suddenly had more time, and so we decided to try and get certified. B Corp is a really good fit for our brand and our vision for the future. It still fills me with pride that we’re B Corp and we’ve even recertified with a really great score.
What business mistake has kept you up at night?
S & J: The past years we’ve missed sleep over so many mistakes… You learn from mistakes and we’ve definitely had our fair share. We’ve printed wrong EAN-codes on our products and have ordered printed material that still contained mistakes many times. The most disappointing were marketing investments that never became worthwhile. That’s a bummer!
What’s one Naïf blunder you can’t forget?
S: We launched gift sets where the printing was the wrong way around. That’s tough, just like wrong deliveries and quality problems.
J: Something with musical chairs… It’s too embarrassing to tell more about it.
What was the biggest lesson in 10 years Naïf?
S & J: With every step forward, you often take two steps back. But also: stay persistent, as an entrepreneur you need to make mistakes and keep going. We’ve learned that nothing comes naturally, and that nothing will stay naturally. Running a business is great, but it can also be tough and lonely. We’re glad we have each other.
What Naïf product wasn’t as successful as you thought it would be?
S & J: Bath bombs; because of our strict "black list" we didn’t manage to create a ball at the time. The result was more reminiscent of 6 dishwasher tablets than something to have a fun bath with. Surprisingly, they did pretty well on the website.