Kate Westad is a woman who has her hand in plenty of different things. She's a personal injury lawyer who has helped many people as they go through such litigation in difficult times. She's also an entrepreneur who founded Palette by Pak, home of the Palette The Original High Fiver. The product serves as a great way to store beauty products for whatever your needs may be- whether it's travel or something else- while helping improve the environment. Westad is also a mom of four kids between 17 to 10 years old. To say that she's busy is an understatement.
We were quite fortunate to interview Westad recently. In this exclusive interview, Westad discussed her law career, Palette By Pak, and how she juggles everything while being a mother of four.
Moms.com (M): Could you please provide some background on yourself?
Kate Westad (KW): I'm an only parent of four funny and adventurous kids with huge personalities: Chloe, 17; Claire, 15; Carter, 13; and Camden, 10. They keep me on my toes! We love to travel and have adventures as a family.
Professionally, I've spent the majority of my attorney career as a litigator primarily helping injured people. I have spent the last seven or so years of my attorney's life mostly handling vaccine adverse reaction claims in the Court of Federal Claims in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in Washington D.C. I've loved helping people, and my attorney career has been very rewarding. But since I was a child, I've thought of different product ideas and inventions. Several years ago, I became obsessed with the idea of The Original High Fiver and decided to take the leap to use that inventive and creative side of myself. I also wanted to be President of the United States at one point!
M: What inspired you to become a lawyer?
KW: From a young age, I was fascinated with politics and how our different branches of government worked. Despite being highly creative and interested in fashion, art, design, and creative writing from a young age, political science and law also drew my attention.
M: Why did you decide to specialize in personal injury law?
KW: I have to admit I didn't enjoy law school. But then I clerked at several different law firms during that time, and that really made me realize I had a true passion for practicing law. I loved being an advocate for people and I loved being a problem solver. When I landed a clerkship with a personal injury law firm, it really spoke to me. Being able to help people during a time of devastation in their life really made it feel like I had something to offer my clients beyond just legal skills. I also had a pinnacle moment in a pro bono clinic in law school, where we assisted a single mom in holding her non-complying landlord accountable for safely and timely repairing her rental home. As a student lawyer, I won a hearing in housing court for her, and the gallery burst into applause- which I later found out is very unusual. I nearly cried! Seeing how much relief I brought to my client and her family made me knew that helping people through law was my calling.
M: Why did you start Palette?
KW: For years, I made lists of inventions and ideas; a “wish list” of dreams of sorts. Some day, I would tell myself. But after a devastating loss in our family, I realized how short life is and that someday was now. Then while preparing for a solo trip to Paris, I found myself last-minute late-night packing while the kids slept, staring at all my favorite beauty and cosmetic items that I wanted to pack. There was just no way it was going to fit. I felt so frustrated because I just wanted to take my favorite products with me! I was so tired of having to hodgepodge together a system let alone trying to figure out how to recycle all the minis, samples and tiny travel bottles. I knew there had to be a better way! Thus, Palette The Original High Fiver was born. I could see it so clearly in my mind- the design, the colors, the materials, and even the name. And so began my journey of bringing Palette The Original High Fiver to market over the course of the next several years.
M: What makes your products unique from others on the market?
KW: As a culture, we use reusable water bottles, reusable coffee mugs- but what about beauty reusables? I knew there was a gap in the market and that my invention could help people and the planet. And now, Palette The Original High Fiver is first to market as an innovative beauty reusable and we have patents around the globe and many more pending.
During our research and development, I found out that so many people were not using the beauty products they loved and already had at home. They were buying single-use minis and travel size products for the beach, the gym, or for travel. They were also buying products they didn’t love, but simply what they could easily find last minute- which meant they were disrupting their skincare routine and wreaking havoc on their skin. We also found out so many people were actually not washing and reusing their low-cost hard to clean traditional travel bottles and containers and were instead throwing them away. A lightbulb went on. So many people were trying to do their part, but it just wasn’t working. I knew I was on to something, and that The Original High Fiver could be a huge problem-solver on many levels.
With the High Fiver, our quality beauty + travel tool is an all in one kit with medical-grade material for your best goops, glops, and glam. It can be easily emptied so that you can get every last drop of your precious product out and easily wash and reuse it over and over. Our innovative system means no more leaky bottles, and that your products are all in one place. No more searching for that hodgepodge of samples and make-shift containers in your bag with its purposeful all-in-one design.
The High Fiver is really resounding with our customers. People write to us all the time telling us that this is the product they never knew they needed, and how this one genius product has entirely transformed how they pack their beauty. I mean it's simple. Use what you have, use what you love. Fill, wash, reuse over and over! It truly is such an easy swap for your minis and travel-size. You'll always be ready to leave the house- no matter if you're going on a weekend trip, a road trip or just a trip to the store. You're always packed, and you won’t have to search for or buy travel size again.
M: How does Palette reuse plastic in its products?
KW: Right now, we use 30 percent recycled plastic in our white base- and our goal is to get to 100 percent! Because of how our product is manufactured and because of our medical grade material, we have to be careful. Right now, Palette is entirely self-funded. My goal is to obtain more capital for further research and innovation to get to 100 percent recycled plastic in each unit. During our development stage, so many people kept asking me, “Why are you so insistent about recycled plastic?” That's because it would be so much easier and cheaper to use virgin plastic and why so many companies continue to do so. But it was so important to me to be thoughtful about sustainability with Palette from the front to the back, and do what I could on my own to reuse materials during the development of Palette. They said the same to me about domestic manufacturing in the USA; we're 100 percent made in the U.S.A from our product to our packaging to our shipping envelopes. But as an independent brand founder, you get to put your vision and standards above all else.
M: Do you believe that Palette’s products benefit the environment?
KW: The statistics coming out about the possible high percentage of plastic not actually getting recycled are concerning, even though so many of us are trying to do our part and are recycling. An unknown fact is that those cute minis and tiny travel bottles are likely not getting recycled at all. In fact, most tiny plastics smaller than a credit card will head to the landfill after use. Millions of minis and tiny travel single-use plastics are produced each year. If we can skip the tiny travel bottles and use a beauty reusable like the High Fiver instead, an entire category of single-use plastics will be kept out of the landfill. I truly believe that refill is the new recycle.
M: How do you juggle being a mom, attorney, and businesswoman so well?
KW: Actually, my big thing is having grace for yourself as you try to chase your dreams- acknowledging that maybe your laundry will wait, your closets aren't organized right now, maybe you 're having take out tonight? You can have it all- but the reality is maybe you sleep a lot less and stay home on the weekends to work on your start-up after working all week and caring for your children full-time by yourself. Maybe you need to ask friends and family for a little help? I think being nice to yourself is so so so important; along with learning to unashamedly ask for and accept help when you need it.
I also am a big believer in taking stock of where you spend your time and shifting your priorities accordingly. For me, I haven’t really watched TV in the last few years, so I spend my “free” time working on Palette. I take those “found” hours and try to use them to create the life I want instead of making my dream wish list like I used to. In the end, I know I'm showing my kids that you can achieve anything and that anything is possible. That's such a gift to me as a mom.
M: Do you have any advice for working moms who struggle with work-life balance?
KW: Oh, that word “balance!” My advice is to avoid focusing on that concept. Because sometimes- okay, a lot of the time- frankly life is anything but “balanced.” It makes us feel like we're failing at it all as moms if your life is not meeting that elusive goal. We all have times in our lives where we need to simply push through completely unbalanced. Sometimes your family or a specific child needs more attention than anything else. Sometimes your family is in crisis. Or like right now while the world is in crisis. Other times, it's your business or career or your personal growth and health as the parent that needs attentio- or even temporary top billing. We have to live the life we're presented within those moments. And it's during those times of uncomfortable imbalance, shifts, and change that I've experienced the most growth as a person and a mom. So for that, I find gratitude. Being truly present in my life versus striving for some elusive idea of balance has brought me the most comfort, ease, and contentment.
Thank you so much for speaking with us! You can check out Palette by Pak by visiting their website. You can also check out their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.