For sisters Neige and Pippa Blair, the inspiration behind Routine Natural Beauty wasn’t a business idea—it was a personal need. When Neige became a new mom over 15 years ago, she found she couldn’t find a natural deodorant that actually worked. What started as a kitchen experiment shared with friends and family quickly became a word-of-mouth success story—and eventually evolved into an internationally distributed brand.

Today, Routine Natural Beauty products are available in over 3,000 retailers across North America, Europe, and even the UAE. And while their product line has expanded to include shampoos, conditioners, body oils, perfumes, and more—all formulated with clean, effective ingredients—the heart of their company remains grounded in community, sustainability, and connection.

ATB Business Relationship Manager, Eric recently sat down with Pippa on site at her Calgary-based Routine Shop & Refillery Bar. Pippa shared her hopes and dreams and what personalized banking has meant to her and her business, while Eric shared his perspectives on the small business landscape and the challenges and opportunities he sees at present.

Eric: What is your best advice for a business owner starting out?

Pippa: My best advice for any new business owner is to offer something that you truly believe in—something you would use yourself. It has to be a product that’s not just noise in the marketplace, but something the world actually needs. I’m also really interested in what you think is good advice for new business owners.

Eric:  I think it’s to lean on your partners. It can be your spouse, your family, or your friends, anyone you can ask questions to.

Pippa: What are some of the challenges and opportunities you’re seeing for business owners now?

Eric: Some of the challenges I’m seeing with some of my clients are due to inflationary costs in recent years. This is due to employee costs, rent costs, and the cost of goods in general. It’s definitely tightened up the margins a bit. We’ve seen a bit of a decrease in revenue due to reduced discretionary spending. As for opportunities, thanks to current geopolitics and related economics, some of my clients are seeing increased opportunities in inter-provincial trade and in branching out to other provinces.

Eric: What are you most excited about for the future of Routine?

Pippa: We’re creating a sustainable, environmentally and human-friendly business that we can pass on as a legacy to our daughters. Neige and I both have two daughters, two of which already work at Routine, and we hope all four will continue to be leaders within the friendship club we’ve built and continue to grow Routine.

Eric: What do you most enjoy about working with ATB?

Pippa: I love that there’s a person behind every phone call and every email. There was one time when I was at the bank and we’d gone through a name change and they weren’t accepting a cheque that I had written. I literally just phoned you up at 5 pm on a Friday and you picked up the phone and you sorted out the problem right then and there. That meant so much to me because I didn’t have to wait on hold or anything like that.

Honestly, what I love about ATB is that you believed in Neige and I from the beginning. We took our business to several banks but it was ATB that looked us in the eye and said “yes,” we love what you’re doing and we want to lend you money. That is what we built all of our financial business around and you truly believed in us. And that is what has given us the courage to grow.