Connie Lo & Laura Thompson’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

We recently had the chance to connect with Connie Lo & Laura Thompson and have shared our conversation below.

Connie & Laura, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Connie: I recently got back into scrapbooking, a childhood hobby I had completely forgotten about, and it’s been such a fun and relaxing activity. It’s a meditative practice that lets me shut off my brain that usually goes a hundred miles a minute at work. I love putting together pages that let me visually reflect on special moments and trips from the year.

Laura: Something outside of work that’s been bringing me a lot of joy recently is football. A lot of people don’t know this about me, but I’m actually a big NFL fan. I recently had the chance to take my dad to his very first Dallas Cowboys home game. Sharing that experience with him was so special — he’s the one who first introduced me to football when I was little, and it’s always been our thing. Being able to create those memories together reminded me how important it is to carve out time with family, especially as life gets busier. Those moments of connection are what really fill me up and give me perspective outside of running the business.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Connie: Three Ships is a natural skincare brand on a mission to make clean beauty accessible to everyone. We started the company at the age of 23 with $4,000 because we were frustrated with how confusing, overpriced, and greenwashed the beauty industry had become. At Three Ships, we’re proud to create products that are 100% plant- or mineral-derived, backed by science, and actually work – all at a price point that doesn’t feel out of reach. What makes us unique is our obsession with transparency – for example, we share every single ingredient, its source, and why it’s there. Right now, we’re especially excited about launching a new product that’s been two years in the making, and we can’t wait to share it with the world!

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Connie: My parents taught me so much about the importance of hard work. My dad came to Canada with $2,000, studying and working tirelessly through his summers to save enough to bring the rest of his family over. Growing up, I saw firsthand the sacrifices he made and the grit it took to provide for us. He also introduced me to entrepreneurship – I still remember tagging along on his business trips as a kid and being completely enthralled with the idea of running my own company one day.

On the other hand, my mom showed me the heart side of work. She always emphasized putting care into everything you do, never cutting corners, and always striving for quality. From both of them, I learned resilience, the value of outworking others, and the importance of taking pride in what you create.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Laura: Suffering taught me lessons that success alone never could. When I was diagnosed with a brain tumour at 26 years old – this was in the early days of building Three Ships. In that moment, it didn’t matter how fast the business was growing or what milestones we had lined up. What mattered most was my health, my relationships, and being present in life. That experience gave me perspective that I carry with me every day: that resilience isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about knowing what truly matters and giving yourself permission to slow down when you need to. Life isn’t promised to any of us and if you forget to stop and appreciate the small moments in life you miss most of what it’s all about.

Success feels great, but it can sometimes trick you into thinking the next achievement is what will finally make you happy. Suffering stripped all of that away and taught me gratitude, empathy, and the importance of balance. Those lessons have shaped not just how I lead, but how I live.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
Connie: When Laura and I met years ago, we bonded over how we were brought up with similar values. These four values became Three Ships’ company values: hustle, integrity, curiosity and compassion. These truths aren’t just personal to us – they’re the heartbeat of our company, and our entire team lives them every single day.

The one that stands out most to me is integrity. To us, it means doing the right thing, especially when no one’s watching. It’s also one of the biggest reasons I believe Three Ships has earned so much trust in the beauty industry. We’ve never cut corners, and we’ve always been transparent, even when that means admitting our mistakes. That commitment to integrity has helped us build not only a loyal customer base, but also a reputation as a brand people can truly rely on.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Laura: One thing I understand deeply that most people don’t is that success and fulfillment are not the same thing. A lot of people chase titles, revenue numbers, or external recognition thinking that once they ‘arrive,’ they’ll finally feel content. But from both my experience building Three Ships and going through a serious health scare, I’ve learned that fulfillment comes from the small, everyday choices – like creating products that genuinely help people feel confident in their own skin, or making time to sit with my family over dinner.

The truth is, external wins are fleeting. What sustains you is clarity on your values, connection with people you love, and doing work that feels meaningful. I think many people only realize that later in life, going through what I did taught me that lesson much earlier.