Barb stegemann biography married

Barb Stegemann, founder of The 7 Virtues, talks about her perfume brand, writing a new book and her obsession to end corruption in the world.
Since then, he married Debbie and they now have two children, Grace and Noah.
She met and married her husband Mike Velemirovich, 49, who owns a car dealership.

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How She Carries On with Barb Stegemann

Barb talks about being prepared for things when they go wrong, which they do
How her brand became the No.1 best-selling clean fragrance brand in Sephora
How her natural Perfume company was born out of the struggles in Afghanistan and is the subject of the award-winning documentary Perfume War

Barb Stegemann is the Founder of The 7 Virtues – a socially and environmentally conscious clean beauty brand that meets the lifestyle and performance levels of today’s consumers. She talks to 35 Thousand about navigating her brand through the last couple of years and pursuing her obsession to end corruption in the world.

Describe yourself in 3 words…

Curious, passionate, unstoppable

Tell us about your work…

My best friend got wounded in Afghanistan by the Taliban while serving there. In the hospital, I promised that I’d take on the mission of peace. But I’m not a brave soldier, so I started writing a book called The Seven Virtues Of A Philosophy Queen, which is now the eighth edition, and it’s empowered women to launch companies and run for off

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'My slogan? Make perfume, not war'

By JUDITH WOODS FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

After her best friend was almost killed in Afghanistan, Barb Stegemann decided to help the world’s trouble spots by blending business with blossom

Barb_Stegemann

Most women have a signature scent that expresses an aspect of their character. But imagine, if you can, a fragrance that conveys humanity, compassion, joy and every other fundamental emotion; love, hope and forgiveness, a deep longing for peace, an instinctive compulsion to reach out to those in need. Afghan Orange Blossom is just such a perfume. So too is Vetiver of Haiti; Middle East Peace (which combines grapefruit from Israel and lime from Iran) speaks for itself. These gorgeous scents are made from flower and other essences farmed on land where there is conflict or devastation.

The brand is The 7 Virtues and it’s a uniquely intriguing concept; the story of how they came to be made, by Canadian mother-of-two Barb Stegemann, 44, is no less extraordinary.

In 2006, Barb’s best friend Trevor Greene, a captain in the

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Barbara Stegemann’s 7 Virtues perfumes help farmers in war- or weather-torn countries rebuild. (photo from Barbara Stegemann)

Barbara Stegemann (née Rabinovitch) was born and raised in an Anglophone neighbourhood in Montreal. While her Catholic mother disallowed any practise of Judaism, Stegemann recalled having begged her zaida to take her to synagogue to meet the rabbi.

“My soul felt very Jewish,” Stegemann told the Independent. “As Ben Stiller says, ‘When I look in the mirror, I see a Jew.’ That’s how I feel. My 23andME report came back and said I am 47.7% Ashkenazi Jew – so, science even accepts it.

“Interestingly, this genetic DNA test does not tell you if you’re Christian, Catholic or Muslim, but your DNA tells you that you are Jewish. For me, that is how powerful the connection is to being Jewish. It’s undeniably in our DNA.”

After earning a degree in journalism in 2006, Stegemann moved to British Columbia and settled in Port Moody, where she started a boutique PR firm, providing community economic development and strategy to clients from the City of Coquitlam to