Trademarks and Turmeric: The Recipe for a Healthy Business

When Rose and Mohamed were introduced by their relatives in Canada, it was a match made in heaven. Little did they know that their eventual marriage would lead them to a different sort of partnership—a business partnership.

Rose, born in Uganda, raised in England, developed a passion for healthy living. This passion led her to Ayurveda. Ayurveda, meaning “the science of life” is the holistic health system in India, based on natural cures. She began selling turmeric powders and other ayurvedic products, but she wasn’t happy with just being a distributor.

“I really wanted to do something for myself,” Rose explains. “I’m a bit of a foodie and I wanted to help other people as well.”

Luckily, Rose was married to Mohamed whom she fondly calls her “business guru.” Mohamed worked in investment banking, funding promising start-ups. “I always found the most successful start-ups have been when the person that’s developed the product is most passionate about it. If you believe in what you are doing, then you will ultimately be successful.” 

Mohamed could see that Rose was passionate and he encouraged her to pursue her dream. Together, they started Esme and Sita, a company specializing in ayurvedic organic seed bars and turmeric and moringa powders.

Rose reveals the meaning behind her pretty but unusual name, inspired by two women in her life. The first is her schoolfriend Esmerelda, whose father’s organic farm opened her eyes to organic eating. The second is Sita, a woman she met during her travels in India who taught her about Ayurveda. Rose enjoys the balance in her company name as well as her products, a joining of East and West.

Rose got straight into business, putting her foodie passion into concocting recipes for her healthy bars. She also stands by the value of turmeric and moringa powders. Moringa powder is especially beneficial with over 90 nutrients, and are high in calcium, iron, potassium, amino acids, and antioxidants, all of which go down well in a smoothie. “It has all the vitamins from A to Z, it’s one of the most nutritious things in the world” she says.

For Rose, it was particularly important that all her food be organic. “She wanted no preservatives, she wanted it to be very pure,” Mohamed explains. To come up with a recipe that would have no preservatives yet have an extended shelf life, they needed some advanced help. Rose collaborated with George Brown college for a year to achieve her organic ambition before she brought Esme and Sita to market.

Rose began producing her bars and powders in an industrial kitchen. There she met Angela from Fit Cricket, a Witmart client. “Our business and her business are almost parallel, and we were producing in the same kitchen and collaborating on things like where to market, what distributors to use, and who did your trademark?” Mohamed remembers.

Through word of mouth by Angela’s recommendation, Rose and Mohamed contacted Witmart for professional trademark services, to keep the Esme and Sita brand safe. “The Witmart team was brilliant, they responded so quickly.” Soon enough, Witmart secured the Esme and Sita trademark.

Free to do business without trademark travails looming over their shoulders, Rose is looking for new things to market while Mohamed keeps the books balanced. Based on customer feedback, she is working on an organic vegan bar. As a foodie, Rose is always tweaking her recipes and having fun, creating a product that is both delicious and good for your body.

Of course, Rose has some health advice for us. “I always take a quarter teaspoon of turmeric every night in hot water with a little bit of honey and black pepper or oil to activate it. It’s the best thing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral . . . and it works while you sleep.” Of course, Rose is a constant champion for all things organic.

Rose and Mohamed have some more advice, not just for those looking to improve their physical health, but for couples and entrepreneurs like them who are starting a business.

“Talk to as many people as you can to get as much advice as you can. Find people with expertise in the things you don’t. I was lucky,” Rose says, looking at Mohamed fondly. “I don’t know anything about accounting, and he does, I couldn’t have done it without him guiding me along the way.”

Another important thing is that never-give-up spirit that Rose and Mohamed carry with them. “There are going to be difficult and challenging days, but you need to follow your passion, stay positive, stay focused, and just keep going along, and you’ll get there. Believe that.”

Rose and Mohamed both agree that they complement each other perfectly; and Esme and Sita will continue to grow on a healthy, organic diet: passion, taken daily.

If you’d like to learn more about Esme and Sita, follow the links below:

Website: https://esmeandsita.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esme_and_sita/