We had the good fortune of connecting with Eza Borchardt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eza, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always enjoyed caring for myself. The ritual of self-care is a big part of the Brazilian culture, and we’re taught from an early age to do so, specially if you’re a woman. However, it wasn’t until I was working as a model here in the USA, that I understood how important skincare was in my self-care ritual. I believe that it was in 2016 when the idea of starting a skincare line first popped into my head, but I really didn’t know where to start. So, I just put it on the back burnner until 2019.

Doing R&D and testing, during a worldwide pandemic, where the entire logistics chain was impacted for over two years, has definitely been very challenging. But I quickly realized that when the world stopped, it also gave me the gift of time. The pause in almost everything we know, allowed me to be very methodical about each product and the vision for each brand. Which ensured that I would ready to begin selling my products this Christmas season.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Ever since I can remember I’ve created things to sell to people, or worked for companies as a saleswoman. Brazilians are very resourceful people, they’ll create something out of thin air where no one though possible. Because Brazil was considered a “3rd-world country” when I was growing up, I was exposed to conditions that many North Americans haven’t even come close. During my early childhood, until age 11 (when I went to live with my father), life was, by North American standards, pretty bare. Even though I did attend private catholic schools, it took a lot of sacrifice from my single mother to provide me that. We never owned a house, a car, or even a telephone, and we moved quite a bit. But on the flip side, I got to spend a lot of time in the countryside with my maternal grandmother, who lived in a modest house with 10 of her 12 kids nearby! It was during those times that I remember pushing a wheelbarrow with my cousins down the small town streets, and having a blast, selling my grandpa’s vegetables. Maybe that’s where my grit, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit was born.

I don’t think I really acknowledge my accomplishments very often. So, to say “I’m proud of myself” is very foreign to me. Occasionally, I’ll do a happy-dance in my kitchen. The goals I’ve met, the difficulties I’ve faced, to me are just part of life, and I deal with each one as they’re presented to me.

My skincare lines are still in their infancy, and I have still a long way to go. However, I have gotten this far by trusting my gut, praying a lot, and with the support of many people. The support has come in so many ways that some people would ask, how would that benefit an entrepreneur? But it all helps in the end.

Right now, I’m open to a partnership with a co-founder, and possibly some equity investors.

What’s important to let the world know is that both brands were created with a much higher purpose, they’re almost a calling. ReSET is changing the way we care for our skin, by putting the knowledge and control back in the hands of the consumer, while Amazônica Brasil is selling skincare to build a free-of-charge school for underprivileged girls in Brazil.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, I certainly wouldn’t stay in the city (that’s what we locals call SF), it has really degraded in the last few years. Maybe a quick sightseeing, if it’s their first time to the bay. But I’d most likely drive down to Carmel-By-The-Sea (my happy place), bring my dogs along, and stay at La Playa Carmel, which is located a couple blocks from the beach and serves the most amazing Champagne breakfast in town. My favorite restaurants there are Anton & Michel, where I can get a perfect Kir Royale, and PortaBella, where they serve the most delicious pasta dishes! From there, one can head south on Hyw 1 to Big Sur, or north to Pacific Grove on Pebble Beach’s 17-mile drive. If I close my eyes, I can hear the ocean and remember the fresh air!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh gosh, so many people that have supported and partnered with me during this time, that it’s almost unfair to do a shoutout to one person. But here it is, Oscars style: A huge thank you to Robert Drabkin, to my two wonderful boys who cheer me along everyday (and motivate me to tell people about my business), to my mom, who’s my unofficial human guinea pig, to my dad (my “in-house lawyer”), to the labs in Asia, Europe, and Brazil, and to my amazing photographer Saymom Leão, who loved the products and our mission at first sight, and is able to translate that love through his pictures all the way in Brazil. Thank you, AD2M – the amazing marketing team, also in Brazil, and all the freelancers on Fiverr that have done some pretty great work for us; a thank you to Jamie Kern Lima for writing her book Believe It, Chan Kim & Mauborgne for writing Blue Ocean Strategy, and Marty Neumeier for writing, Zag: The Number-one Strategy of High-performance Brands. Thank you, to everyone else in my family for supporting all my entrepreneurial ideas over the years, my friends who kept me going, even from afar (Victoria, Meleina, and Jojo), and last, but actually first, my Heavenly Father, who’s never failed me, even when my faith was not the strongest.

Website: www.amazonicabrasil.com

Instagram: @amazonicabrasil

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezaborchardt

Other: www.reset-skincare.com Instagram feed @resetdermapro

Image Credits
Saymom Leão for Amazônica Brasil and ReSET. Melissa Goettke – personal photo

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