TANIT - Portrait "In love at home and in business"

For Valentine's Day, we've chosen to celebrate love, yes, but not like the one in the movies. The one in reality. And it's even more incredible, you'll see!

Through a series of portraits, we introduce you to companies as you're not used to seeing them. We're going to talk about love and business, subjects sometimes perceived as difficult to combine, and yet, they brilliantly prove us wrong 🥰

Photo: Tanit

Here is our third portrait: TANIT

TANIT

is a Montreal-based company founded by a couple of engineers. Through a series of travels and discoveries, as well as a simple philosophy of life, Zohra (industrial engineer) and Mehdi (chemical engineer) have managed to forge a strong and unique bond with nature. In 2018, they decided to create a line of eco-conscious, science-based everyday products.

Within the TANIT laboratories, the team of scientific engineers combines expertise and know-how to design sustainable solutions and original combinations of plants and microalgae. With the aim of helping the world realize that the answer lies in nature.

Photo: Zohra and Mehdi

The little love story ❤️

Our relationship was born from love at first sight in the corridors of Polytechnique Montréal during our engineering studies 💫😁 . Over time and through our experiences together, we decided to combine our passion for scientific research with our love of nature. We had a common desire: to put everything we had the chance to learn at the service of the planet. Redesigning everyday products in this way was for us an effective way to have a significant positive impact on the environment and general well-being. So we founded TANIT alongside our studies, and we said YES 2 years later!

What do you think is the secret ingredient to making a business and romantic relationship last?

(Zohra) I would say trust above all! If two people manage to bond in love and business rather naturally and to create solid foundations, it is above all because they complement each other. In both cases, it is a marriage of strengths and weaknesses. ☺ It is therefore essential to know how to count on each other, not to step on each other's toes, to remember that each has their skills and their own field of action. This avoids double decision-making, but also the risk of conflicts and unnecessary ruminations which can be very energy-consuming and toxic in the long term.

(Mehdi) I believe that the foundations of a good business and love relationship are authenticity and communication. Authenticity allows you to demonstrate to the other person that the relationship is taken seriously and to create a "safe space" for mutual expression and listening. Communication is essential to ensure a common understanding of things and to maintain good dynamics. For me, it is by combining these two elements that we are able to build a lasting business and love relationship based on trust.

Do you have a rule about not talking about work once you get home?

(Zohra) Oh dear, that famous rule! We've tried to respect it quite a few times, but honestly, it's always been a fail 😂 . We've realized that it frustrates us more than anything else. Most of our best ideas have come to us in the evening, when we're not focused on another work-related task. Also, some "home" activities can stimulate our creativity differently (example: a documentary) and it's a shame to deprive ourselves of a value-added discussion when we have the energy and time to do it. On the other hand, we have a non-negotiable pact: not to force it if one of us says they're tired or need to disconnect!

(Mehdi) We try to respect the times when the other person wants to disconnect from work. We try to be flexible but we really go with the flow and above all, we communicate a lot. We usually take a break from work quite naturally from 9 p.m. I would say that the rule is to stop when one of the people feels the need, but we still try to take it upon ourselves to conclude or reschedule discussions. Another rule is not to speak at the same time during meetings. If we have different opinions, we consult privately to find a consensus so as not to impact the team. We do our best to respect these rules but nothing and no one is perfect 😊

Photo: Zohra and Mehdi

We would like to thank Zohra and Mehdi for agreeing to give us some time and answer our questions. Thank you also for proving to us that love in business is possible ❤

👉 To learn more about TANIT : see the website

👉To discover our selection: see the section on Simplitude