Getting to know Bob MacLeod

The inspiration for Kiss My Face, a natural body care product line, was born the day Bob MacLeod stumbled upon a shop with a bin of ugly, green olive oil soap from Greece, he says. Bob and his partner, Steve Byckiewicz, started a business selling that very soap, plus vegetables they grew on their own farm, from the back of their car in New York City. Today, 30 years later, they sell more than 200 bath and beauty products in 19 countries. Recently, the UNB grad returned to his home town of Fredericton to launch a new partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Saltscapes spoke to Bob about growing up in a motel, running an international business from a farm, and tracing his passion for environmental causes back to his Maritime roots.

Q You were born in Moncton. Why did your family move to Fredericton?

A My dad bought the Fort Nashwaak Motel. That’s where I lived. Back then, it was the leading place in town. It was great fun because you got to meet people from all over the world. There were telephone operators and maids—you could pretend you were rich.

Q How did your dad come to own the motel?

A My father immigrated to Canada from Scotland as a kid, worked on a farm outside Moncton. Completely self-made—didn’t have any formal education. He bought the motel, then ended up drowning in the St. John River about a year and a half after.

Q What impact did that have on you?

A I was 12. It was pretty tragic of course. I think it forced me to grow up rather quickly. We stayed on at Fort Nashwaak, so there was work to be done.

Q What about your mom?

A She was madly in love with my father and unfortunately never remarried. Loved Fredericton and loved being there, but eventually the motel became too much for her, so she sold it.

Q You once said, “I identify with every-thing. And I identify with nothing.” What do you make, then, of your Maritime roots?

A I’m trans-border—I feel equal parts American and Canadian. I have a pretty nice balance because I live on a working farm about an hour and a half outside of Manhattan. It reminds me of New Brunswick a bit. We have cattle and chickens and a big garden.

Q Where does your interest in environmentalism come from?

A I’ve lived most of my life in the Maritimes, on an organic farm or travelling, and have witnessed the results of stewardship and non-stewardship. I suppose that’s what contributes to my interest in environmental causes.

Q So creating a green company came naturally?

A It was part of our DNA, coming from the Maritimes. As a kid, there wasn’t any river you couldn’t jump in and swim. When we first started selling vegetables, we didn’t sell them as organic, we sold them as homegrown. We didn’t even put “natural” on our products. The greening thing… we were wired for it.

Q Of all the environmental causes you could support, why the Nature Conservancy?

A They do trans-border like we do. Wildlife migrates back and forth across the 49th parallel. They’re doing such great stuff right now with preserving land—12,700 acres in New Brunswick alone. I’m not sure how the association will evolve, but I’m excited about it.