Interview with Erika Stankevičiūtė, Founder of BEŽA FAMILIA and Expert in Japanese Wellness & Longevity

What inspired you, as a woman with a degree in economics, to believe that a ritual-based Japanese philosophy could take root in Lithuania?

It all began quite unexpectedly. We became close friends with people from China, which sparked our interest in Eastern culture, and soon afterward we found ourselves in Japan. Something very unusual happened there—I felt that the culture was not foreign to me at all. On the contrary, there was something deeply familiar about it.

I have always been a person who needs to experience something new. It is not always easy to live that way because curiosity never truly rests. Yet in Japan, for the first time, I discovered that novelty does not have to be loud. It can be quiet.

There is another story that still moves me today. More than forty years ago, my mother established a beauty and cosmetology center. A renowned sculptor was commissioned to create a sculpture symbolizing beauty. My mother had no idea what it would look like—it was meant to be a surprise. When the sculpture arrived, everyone was astonished: it was a geisha. At that time, it seemed completely unexpected. Today, that same geisha still stands in our Japanese clinic, BEŽA. We even joke that she speaks Japanese and has a soul of her own. We have tried to move her several times, but it always felt as though she was saying, “No, my place is here—to welcome people and bid them farewell.” That is why I truly believe it was not a business plan but fate gently placing a hand on our shoulder.

It is also deeply symbolic that this has always been a family business. Today, my husband, Professor Rimantas Stankūnas, an expert in competitive economics, advises me daily on strategic matters, while our younger son, Justinas Skrolis, is developing our e-commerce direction between Europe, America, and Japan. It means a great deal to me that a business born within a family has once again become a family business.

What were the greatest barriers you encountered among consumers in the beginning? Was it difficult to convince Lithuanian women that a five-step ritual was not a waste of time but a necessary investment?

When I started this business more than twenty-five years ago, it was a completely different era. People felt as though anything was possible. They were curious, courageous, and eager to experiment. Because of that, I did not feel significant resistance. Yes, the prices were sometimes high for Lithuanian consumers because Japan has always represented exceptional quality and high standards. However, the idea itself fascinated people because they wanted to discover the world.

Today, I often think that I might not repeat the same journey a second time. Working with Japan has become far more complex. It requires immense expertise, certifications, partnerships, and trust. I often say that I spent those twenty-five years preparing for the business I have today—both professionally and personally.

At the same time, Lithuanian women have changed tremendously. Beauty was once associated with covering imperfections. Today, more and more women embrace the opposite philosophy: less makeup, healthier skin. Less performance, more authenticity.

When did you feel the turning point—the moment BEŽA evolved from a niche business into an authority on Japanese beauty culture in Lithuania? Was it changing consumer awareness or your consistency that made the difference?

Today, I can confidently say that I am an ambassador of Japanese longevity culture in Lithuania. I am a member of the Japanese Glycemic Resistance Association, a certified trainer in Japanese placenta-based cosmetics, and together with Professor Yoshikazu Yonei, we developed the formulas for Matrix Premium Shots supplements and Hokkaido Premium collagen.

None of this happened overnight. Equally important is the fact that Japan itself became more accessible. Twenty years ago, information about Japan was scarce. Travel opportunities were limited, and understanding the culture and philosophy was far more difficult. Today, Japan actively invites the world to discover it.

Japanese business culture is built on harmony (Wa) and the concept of “reading the air.” How have these principles transformed your leadership style and your relationship with customers?

In Japan, business often unfolds over long dinners and five- or six-hour conversations. Sometimes the most important topic is never discussed directly, yet people sense your energy, your mindset, and your intentions. Often, they answer questions you have not even asked.

In the past, I felt somewhat uncomfortable talking about such things. As an economist, I am naturally rational. Speaking about energy and intuition seemed almost inappropriate. Today, however, I know that Japan is about much more than business.

The most important lesson the Japanese taught me is never to lie to your customers. You can be an excellent salesperson and master every business technique, but clients will always “read the air.” They will sense the truth. That is why you must never mislead either the customer or compromise the quality of your products.

Today, the greatest compliment I can receive is hearing someone say: “I’ve heard you have good cosmetics.” Not luxurious. Not trendy. Simply good. That means twenty-five years of honest work were worth it.

You have mentioned that one careless remark in Japan can cost a successful deal. What is the most important lesson you learned from the Japanese business world?

There is one story I will remember for the rest of my life. The owner of a Japanese company, Dr. K. Komatsu, a pharmaceutical scientist, works with an interpreter who is now over eighty years old. He learned Russian decades ago but rarely uses it anymore. Negotiations can sometimes be challenging because his hearing is weaker, and misunderstandings occasionally occur.

Once I asked why the company did not simply replace him with a younger interpreter. The answer I received was profound:

“If a president does not show loyalty to a person who has spent thirty years alongside the company, there will come a day when no one will remain loyal to him either.”

It was one of the most powerful business lessons I have ever learned.

In Japan, business should not only be comfortable for customers or executives—it must remain humane for everyone, including those who have grown older, become tired, or can no longer perform as they once did.

Today, everyone talks about longevity, yet you were speaking about it long before it became fashionable. How did you maintain relevance and avoid becoming a passing trend?

I am certainly not a saint. There were many temptations to chase short-lived trends. In the beginning, I wanted quick results. It seemed that people wanted miracles overnight. But my Japanese partners consistently guided me away from that mindset. They would say, “This is not how human beings work.”

The Japanese are masters of microdosing. Rather than fighting time aggressively, they teach us to slow it down gently—through small doses, carefully balanced ingredients, and gradual, natural changes.

Today, I am grateful that they prevented me from making mistakes. Longevity is not a sprint. It is a calm and steady marathon.

You regularly return to Japan to deepen your knowledge. What continues to surprise you there today?

After twenty-five years, I feel that Japan has finally begun to accept me. The relationship is no longer simply transactional. It has become something deeper.

Whenever I return from Japan, I carry a sense of calm with me for weeks. My thoughts seem to fall naturally into place. The inner noise disappears.

One morning in Tokyo remains vivid in my memory. People were quietly walking to work, the scent of tea drifted through the air, and no one seemed eager to live loudly. In that moment, I realized how carefully the Japanese protect inner silence. Perhaps that is one of the true secrets of their longevity.

Today, I am no longer searching for a single miracle product. I am interested in the whole picture: how a person sleeps, eats, feels within their body, cultivates inner peace, cares for their skin, and learns to slow time not out of fear of aging, but out of respect for themselves.

How has your customer changed over the past twenty years? Does the Lithuanian consumer now understand this “reverse logic”—less makeup, healthier skin?

We have all changed—both our clients and ourselves. Today, we seek more comfort and less performance. Less aggressive beauty. Less excess. People are beginning to understand that longevity is not a luxury reserved for a select few. It is the result of everyday choices.

Women today are interested in much more than a cream. They care about sleep, nutrition, routines, emotional well-being, and prevention. It is beautiful to witness a more mature relationship with self-care emerging in Lithuania.

Japanese products are becoming a form of intelligent luxury—something accessible beyond an elite few. Our goal has always been to select quality products that every Lithuanian woman can experience and enjoy.

Your name has become inseparable from the BEŽA beauty houses. Is Erika Stankevičiūtė today more of a businesswoman or a teacher carrying a broader life mission?

Today, I feel that I am gradually evolving from a businesswoman into a teacher and an ambassador of Japanese longevity culture. It has happened naturally, without force.

I can see how my own life has begun to align with Japanese philosophy. I have become calmer. I no longer feel the need to prove everything immediately or fight for every inch of ground.

In the past, I wanted quick results. Today, I want a long life accompanied by good health and well-being. For that, I am deeply grateful—to fate, to my family, to Japan, and to the clients who have been walking alongside us from one generation to the next.