Running a successful business is one thing, but running a business with your significant other? That's a whole other ball game. But it's one that Irish skincare brand VOYA owners Mark and Kira Walton seem to have mastered.
With VOYA marking 20 triumphant years in business next year, as well as reaching 20 years of marriage, Mark and Kira have figured out the secret of creating that perfect work-life balance.
Chatting to the EVOKE team at the launch of VOYA's brand new Bio-Glow AHA Toner, Mark gave an insight into the back story of one of Ireland's most successful brands, and how it all began from a kitchen table.
VOYA has been in business now for 19 years, providing luxury and organic skincare and lifestyle products to over 55 countries, but in the early days, it all began from a simple conversation.
Mark and Kira met in Dublin, and soon moved back to Mark's hometown of Strand Hill, Co Sligo. After searching for a career for themselves, they found a gap in the market with organic seaweed-based cosmetics.
'And it literally was Kira and I, in a kitchen, with a tub, just messing around. And we knew nothing, absolutely nothing, but we learnt a lot in a very short period of time,' he told us. 'And here we are now, 55 countries in later, all around the world. It's great, and we love what we do'.
VOYA's latest venture is researching the benefits of seaweed for our skin. Self-funding their research, the brand focus is on creating the most enriched skincare products with organic ingredients.
Their newest product, the Bio-Glow Toner, is set to deliver plump skin, give long-lasting hydration, as well as soothe any signs of sensitivity. Formulated with a concentrated 5 per cent fruit acid complex, Bio-Glow harnesses the exfoliating power of naturally derived AHAs to effectively remove dead skin cells, visibly improving skin texture without irritation.
What once started as a small family-run business has now expanded into a huge company that has even reached transatlantic heights. VOYA was exclusively chosen by Emirates to introduce their products onboard for passengers, something which Mark finds is one of the business' greatest achievements.
Pic: Mark Walton/ Instagram
'Just to see VOYA front and centre there, it, it kind of feels like an out of body experience a little bit! Like is this really happening? We're constantly evolving, constantly developing new products, and we have really great colleagues who lift us up,' Mark told EVOKE.
On how the power couple have kept eachother sane while working together, Mark admitted that at first it was really hard finding that work-life balance in the early years of the business. 'We struggled for five years. We didn't know the work-life balance, it's really hard.'
Soon the pair found their groove and created some ground rules for themselves, like stopping the work chat come 6pm. 'We don't talk about work, and when we go on holidays. You will get burnt out, with each other and the job.'
Mark continued: 'You need to work out your routines very quickly, otherwise it will destroy your relationship with each other, it's unfair on the relationship then.'
With 20 years of marriage and a successful company under their belt, Mark left us with this piece of advice, 'More than anything else, we try to allow people to be creative and make mistakes, and be okay with that and just evolve. And that has done us really well so far.'
