From the drawing board to the salon: the story of Four Reasons Original
I know life can be wonderful, sad, fun, dull, simple and complex all at the same time. Once you reach a certain age, you can’t help but wonder what the purpose of it all is. It happened to me when I turned 20. I asked myself, how do I plan to make my mark on this world?
I decided I couldn’t keep going from one hairstyle to another without any plans or goals; I needed to make something of myself, become the best possible version of myself. I decided to learn more about who I am and start a journey towards a permanent change.
Know what you want.
When you’re looking for a change, it’s important to stay true to where you come from. I’ve had the good fortune of meeting many different people over the years. I have many acquaintances, friends and bosom buddies who like me just the way I am. I’ve always been a bit of a clown, who doesn’t take life too seriously. I guess that makes me quite likable.
When my teenage years were over, I realized it was time to start taking more responsibility; not just for myself but for others as well. Making people smile or even laugh out loud was once enough for me. Now, I wanted more. I started thinking about practical ways of making a difference in this world and in the lives of the people around me.
That’s what got the ball rolling. I assembled the dream team: our product specialist Pia, our chemist Satu and our purchasing agent Eine. Together, we decided that, from now on, only the best ingredients would do. No animal products, nothing but vegan choices. Increasing our use of high-quality ingredients while reducing unnecessary fillers.
We also put a stop to polluting the environment and agreed to only wear recycled materials. We decided not to follow the trends but to march in the front lines, encouraging and inspiring others. Finally, we all agreed that whatever we wanted to do, we would commit to it fully.
You are what you eat.
Change starts from within, as our chemist Satu Kruus and our product developer Pia Nurmi always say. After receiving the layout of our plan, they started working on it right away, brainstorming a better diet for me in cooperation with our ingredient suppliers. Satu and Pia’s criteria were strict: everything had to be vegan, preferably local and, above all else, efficient.
Soon, the Four Reasons studio was full of various mixtures that everyone was smelling and trying out, orchestrated by Pia. The studio was buzzing with people applying, massaging and spraying products in their hair as each hairspray, shampoo, treatment spray and wax had to be practically tried and tested. The thorough process included assessing the consistency, viscosity, scent and lathering qualities of each product, looking for the perfect combination to fall in love with.
Good hair speaks louder than words.
Whoever said looks don’t matter probably didn’t see my style in the 90s. I’m so glad I no longer have to fend for myself when it comes to my appearance! My style gurus, Eine, Pia, Veikko and Mira, understand the power of teamwork.
Purchasing agent Eine Piirainen and Pia Nurmi are in charge of the materials used for my bottles, which are now facing a complete makeover. The original materials will be replaced with a state-of-the-art solution: bio-based, recyclable sugarcane plastic created as a by-product in sugar production. Smaller carbon footprint? Don’t mind if I do!
After being stuck with the same style for a decade, I was desperately longing for a real change. I was helped by designer Pia Thurman from Pentagon Design as well as Veikko Kastemaa and Mira Suurnäkki, who are two of my closest family members. Mira, our typographer, and Veikko, our graphic designer, are just as crazy as I am. They have no problems putting my ideas into words and images. Our shared motto is: “Even my attitude has an attitude”.
Each of us had our own ideas of what I should look like in order to best express my hidden talent and personality. That is why our designer Pia drew dozens of options that we then presented to everyone who knew me and asked for feedback. In the end, however, we decided to simply use our gut instinct when choosing my new style as we ran into a design that made us all think: “This is it.”
After we found the right look, the design work truly began. Different outfits just kept coming and Pia and Veikko tried their best to keep up with the color schemes. One color sample after another arrived from the factory for inspection, until everything about my deliciously charming, brand new appearance had been nailed down.
Work first, then play.
Achieving any sort of change in life requires perseverance and work. Simply thinking about the change or visualizing the result is not enough. We must all be ready to work hard to reach our goals.
I’ve been lucky enough to witness the efforts of gutsy Finns since I was young. Every day, dozens of people work at the ISO 14001-certified factory in Vantaa—my place of birth—to ensure that others like me can be released into the world. There are chemists, laboratory technicians, cleaners, material specialists and production workers who all play an important role in the process.
As with all important goals in life, this change also required smaller intermediate goals and occasional check-ups. Jesse Valkila, one of my friends at the laboratory, helped me stick to my chosen path throughout the project and through continuous tests. He took samples, studied their pH value and viscosity, checked the ingredients and placed me in a temperature cabinet for a microbial inspection. This check-up sounds pretty intense, but you do what you have to to ensure the health and well-being of everyone around you.
Once I felt ready, Osazee Agbonogieva, Joni Kuronen and their colleagues twisted the caps onto me and my siblings and packed us up. We had a ceremonial send-off on a production line operated with 100% renewable energy and, finally, went out into the world. I can honestly say I had never felt more proud of my Finnish roots.
To infinity and beyond!
You know that feeling after a major change of lifestyle when you finally feel whole again and know that you pulled it off? The feeling of knowing that nothing can stop you? That’s when you get to shine the brightest!
After all these years, I feel like I have so much to give to the people around me. I’ve found meaning in my life: I want to make your bad hair days good and the good days even better. I want to make everyday hair routines fun and easy in every home and salon. In achieving this mission, I am spurred on by my family: 48 passionate experts in sales, marketing, training and logistics.
I’d love you welcome you to join us on this journey. Logistics manager Petri Koskinen and I are eagerly waiting at the warehouse to hear from you. Send us a message or call us and I’ll be there for you in no time. I can’t wait to see what adventures we’ll have together and all the things we’ll achieve.
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