Three-year growth 41,146%
Everybody nose Pura. The smart home fragrance company is a multi-million dollar brand that is raising eyebrows (and nostrils) with its fast growth and premium partnerships. (Disney. Anthropologie. Tommy bahama. Kenneth cole. The list goes on and long.) “There’s a momentum and energy at our company right now,” says troy gulbrandsen, president. “It’s crazy, but it’s not chaotic. We’re in this together. We push each other to keep upping our game.” Pura’s power — with a three-year growth of 41,164% (!!) — is most certainly in the air. If only our magazine was scratch and sniff …
Our vision for Pura is to be the leader in fragrance experiences. We won’t just be in people’s homes, but in all parts of their life — work, travel, you name it. Fragrance is so much more than “my house smells nice.” It’s a feeling. It uplifts. Life is better when it smells good.
There are a lot of words we use for our culture. Committed. Problem solvers. Collaborative. That last one might be my favorite. Collaboration is everything. Also, how boring are egos? There’s no time for them here.
We innovate. We move fast. Part of our culture is thriving in the change. If you want a slow-moving, everything-stays-the-same work environment, Pura is not for you.
A year ago we were facing supply chain issues. We ran into so many global challenges. But the stress that was brought into the business was met with energy, enthusiasm and optimism. The team worked miracles. Seriously. How did we go so long without inventory and yet continue to grow the business? It didn’t add up. The only explanation was that our team found new, creative ways to deliver.
The challenging times are the fun times. What makes work and life fun is the ability to get through hard things — to stay the course and fight for that reward.
But no matter what challenges we may face, we know our team can sit down together and find a solution. It’s why we take hiring so seriously. When you’re in the trenches, you need team members you can rely on. Hiring is too important to take lightly.
The most important thing for your culture is to make sure your leadership is committed to it. Know your company values, but remember that your values are not your culture. They are the foundation of your culture. Stay committed to them, and then figure out how to have the culture grow with you when you go from 30 employees to 60 employees and beyond.
Growing fast is no joke. Fifty percent of our company has joined in the last year. Thirty percent joined in the last six months. It’s taken alignment, communication and constant refinement to make sure we are all on the same page and same path. We have not been perfect at it, but we have been committed to it.
We love being headquartered in Utah Valley. The access to both Salt Lake and Utah counties is an incredible tool, and it’s given us the opportunity to hire from an amazing, diverse talent pool.
In five to 10 years, I hope no one will be doing the same job. We’ve got big growth, big plans, and big ideas ahead. We’re going to shift and pivot and find new, exciting ways of meeting our market. That said, I do know we’ll all still be innovating and solving problems together. That’s never going to change.
It’s hokey, but it’s true,” says Mara Dumski, chief fragrance experience officer. “We really like each other. We support each other. We trust each other. And that gives us the freedom and liberation to create, disrupt and trailblaze.