Today we will introduce you to Katarzyna Travinska. She is a beautiful, young and ambitious woman, the founder of the Polish brand Prouvé, which is so famous in our country. For many years, she worked for various entrepreneurs and finally realized that it was time to create her own brand that would fully meet her requirements. At the beginning, she encountered many difficulties, which, however, did not break her, but on the contrary – made her ambitious to continue and prove, that it can. During the Covid pandemic, it is precisely her Bulgarian partners who give her hope that they will cope with every challenge. And they succeed. The products are one of the most sought after in Bulgaria and in Europe, and the work becomes a hobby for many. The company proves that you can make money while you’re on vacation, that you can be young and drive the latest car and be successful.
How did the idea to create Prouvé come about?
Before I started my own brand, I spent several years managing a team that launched products in various markets. Eventually, however, I realized that I wanted to be self-employed and make full use of my potential and experience. I wanted to create a brand that would 100% reflect my passion for beautiful fragrances and the values that are important to me. I have devoted almost my entire professional life to network marketing – here I have been successful, so it was natural to establish my own brand in this very branch.
Why did you decide to expand in Bulgaria?
I always set ambitious goals for myself, so when I created Prouvé I knew I would be looking to expand into other markets. We have everything we need to do that – great products, a proven business model and know-how. I also know that people – regardless of the country they live in – need opportunities to develop their entrepreneurship. An additional argument for expanding in Bulgaria was the fact that it is a member of the European Union, and this opens up additional business opportunities.
What difficulties did you encounter while conquering the peaks?
When setting up the company, I had to impose a huge pace of work, because many partners wanted to start working with us as soon as possible. This required a lot of elements to come together and was stressful. Developing business in foreign markets was also a challenge, which involved going through complicated and time-consuming processes. Another difficult moment was the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced a rapid change in the way we operated and a revision of our plans – fortunately, we quickly and efficiently adapted to the new realities.
Prouvé’s 4th birthday in Bulgaria is coming up. Are you planning a spectacular event?
Yes, our business partners are holding a gala event in the beautiful city of Plovdiv. This will not only be a time to sum up our achievements, award the most active Partners and have inspiring talks, but also an opportunity to gain new competencies and skills. Together we will celebrate these years of successful cooperation. I am very proud of our Bulgarian Ambassadors and Partners that together we have reached this moment. I am convinced that this is just the beginning and we have many more such anniversaries ahead of us.
How is the Prouvé brand distinguished from other similar brands?
We work with perfumers from Grasse – the capital of the world’s perfumery, and together we create fragrance compositions from French oils, which we encapsulate in perfume flacons, cosmetics and interior cleaners. We market unique, high-quality, beautifully scented products that help take care of the body and senses and make everyday household chores easier and more pleasant.
In the formulations of our products, we rely on extraordinary ingredients with unique properties. We also conduct additional usability tests for products to confirm their multifunctionality and effectiveness. Aesthetics are also of great importance to us. That’s why our packaging is simple, elegant and minimalistic, yet very practical. On the business side, we are definitely distinguished by our career plan, which is designed to benefit our partners as much as possible from cooperation and enable them to achieve their business goals.
It was in Bulgaria that you managed to develop one of the strongest teams. What do you think is the reason for this?
Business is always built with people. There were amazing people in your country with whom this was possible. Their commitment and determination were extremely important and inspiring to me. I set myself the goal to create the best possible conditions for the development of the Bulgarian market, and as you can see, it was a very good decision. Prouvé has been in Bulgaria for 4 years. We already have a wide distribution network and great leaders here and our products are popular. I know that this country has a lot of potential, so we don’t rest on our laurels but continue to work to achieve a leadership position in the MLM sector here.
Were there moments when you wanted to give up and what gave you the strength to keep going?
Yes, because even despite good preparation, planning and management, difficult situations always arise. Sometimes running your own business means that you can’t sleep peacefully at night, because your head is busy analyzing the problem and looking for the best solution. And sometimes there actually come times when you feel like running away from it. But I know from experience that if you have a close-knit and trusted team of professionals behind you, any crisis can be resolved. I also get strength from our leaders and partners who trust us. I know that I cannot let them down.
What would you advise those who don’t believe that work can give both enjoyment and a lot of money?
That they should change their attitude. For years there has been such a belief that only with hard work, usually not rewarding, can you achieve big money. And I know from my experience and that of our leaders that it is possible to combine job satisfaction and good earnings. It requires changing one’s attitude on the subject. But it is worth believing in it. And find the right career path for yourself.
Share especially for us, what else is coming up? Are new products expected on the market?
We plan to open up to new markets and are working on this. We already operate in dozens, and I know that we have a proven business model and a competitive enough offering to expand the list of countries where we operate. We will also be expanding our lines with more products and introducing new series. Already in September there will be a launch of our new products, including perfumes. We are also expanding our Good Life Labs supplement line, which is very popular in many countries. This series already includes Drinking Fish Collagen, which, along with our Active Anti-Age Serum with Plant Collagen, have very quickly become bestsellers. We are also in the process of implementing changes and new solutions for our partners to provide them with even better tools for their work and development.
Sibila Kuseva
