An Exclusive Interview with Siffat Haider, Co-founder of Arrae
Written by Alanna Moore
At Brand’s Media Group, we’re always on the hunt for brands with powerful mission statements — like Arrae, a wellness company known for its all-natural supplements that have been making waves in the wellness industry. We had the opportunity of getting to sit down with Siffat Haider, the co-founder of Arrae, to discuss everything from how the company started to the biggest challenges she faced starting a company and her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. And now, we’re here to share our talk with you!
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how it led you to start Arrae?
The reason Arrae was founded was that I struggled with my immune system for a very long period of time and hit a breaking point when I ended up fracturing a rib from a chronic cough. And that kind of experience strong-armed me into looking into holistic modalities. When this happened, I went to see my doctor and was like “Ok, what are we doing about this? How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again?” and their answer was: “Here’s some codeine and go home.” That just didn’t feel like a good enough answer for someone who’s in their early twenties. So I looked into the holistic route. I got really into that. I started troubleshooting my immune system. When I had success there, I started troubleshooting all of these other issues like digestion and fatigue.
My husband, who is my co-founder, and I realized there’s a big white space in the wellness arena, whereas skincare is a very well-served market. We felt like wellness was really not served at all, so we decided to launch Arrae, which is a 100% natural supplement line. Our products are targeted so they work in under an hour and they’re really beautiful so you’re excited to use them. And of course, formulated by doctors.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting Arrae?
There are challenges at every stage. At first, it was finding the right doctor. Then, it was finding the right manufacturer that would be able to do the order quantities we were looking for and making sure they had organic ingredients. Then, it was getting it out to people. During COVID-19, it was making sure we weren’t running out of inventory.
What’s your advice for overcoming any challenge that comes your way?
Just know that everything is figure-outable and there’s always a solution. And, make sure you try to think as creatively as possible. And when you’re stuck and can’t find the resources, ask for help. My husband always says “get help.” The concept is we try our hardest to troubleshoot a problem on our own and once we’re at our wits’ end, we go find help.
How is working with your husband as your co-founder? How do you separate your home and work life?
We love working together. I feel like I’m really lucky to have my husband as my co-founder considering I think he’s the smartest person I know. He covers all of my blind spots and vice versa. He’s super analytical and I’m super creative. It’s nice to have a partnership with someone who’s very complimentary to who you are.
In terms of how we divide up home life and work life, it’s just about being intentional about when the work day ends and respecting each other’s boundaries. If ever I’ve had a really rough work day or week and I don’t want to keep talking about work, I’ll vocalize that and vice versa. It’s a test of your communication — it pushes you to be a better communicator because you’re balancing both things.
Can you walk us through your creative process for developing new products?
We have a heavy R and D process when it comes to making new products. A lot of it starts with our customers. If we think we are on the right track with a specific product, we’ll triangulate that with our customers. Oftentimes, our customers tell us what they want, so if we hear it enough times, then we’ll take notice and we’ll start the R and D process for that specific product. That includes working with doctors, testing the product, and creating three different versions if necessary. Our R and D takes a year to a year and a half, so it’s quite an extensive process.
For you personally, what are some of your favourite wellness practices?
The thing I find that makes the biggest difference is walking, so just get outside and walk as much as I can every day. Journaling too, it helps me look inwards and just helps me be a bit more self-aware and helps you deal with any issues you’re going through, It also helps you decide how you want to design your life, so I find that journaling is really impactful. And learning how to eat, making sure I’m nourishing my body with nutrient-dense foods is really important to me. It impacts the way that I show up every day.
What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned along this journey thus far?
Probably that perfection is not a good thing. I feel like people hinder their ability to start cause they’re waiting on the perfect thing. Whereas I feel like the best way to go about starting a business is to launch and then iterate.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Put one foot in front of the other. I think people get really overwhelmed when they think of a business venture or whatever idea they want to pursue. When you’re starting a business, there are a hundred thousand things to do, however, I think it should just be one thing at a time — that makes all the difference.
What’s next for you and the company?
We have a lot of exciting product launches coming, a lot of customer-facing activation, and a lot of exciting things. People should definitely watch out for those by keeping an eye on our Instagram!
Let us know what you learned from the interview in the comments below!
