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Hey there, entrepreneurs.
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My name is Su, and welcome to Trip Talks.
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This is the show where I interview successful e-commerce entrepreneurs, business executives, and thought leaders, and ask them questions about their business story, and also dive deep into some of the and tactics that they have used to start and grow their businesses.
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And today I'm really excited to welcome Roberta Very to the show.
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Roberta is the founder and president of Scrubs Body Skincare product.
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Scott's Body is a skincare brand that utilizes a hundred percent active ingredients in its products, and Scott's body sells pampering and sells love.
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It just happens to come in Jonathan Bottles.
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And we're gonna learn more about that in a second.
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Uh, and today I'm gonna ask a few questions about her journey and some of the impacted that she has used to start and grow her business.
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So thank you so much for joining me today at Trip, Robert.
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I
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really appreciate it.
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My pleasure.
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Happy to be here.
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So, yeah.
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Let's start off with the, with your story, with your entrepreneurial story.
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How did you, when did you start this business?
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How did you come, come up with the idea and what really motivated you to create a skincare skincare
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brand?
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So, um, you know, it goes back before that, in that, um, my background from college, et cetera was graphic design.
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So I kind of had that little background.
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Um, and then one of those clients, I started some other business that failed, but I kind of learned how to do a little website and a little marketing.
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And so I was picking up other skills at that point, you know, but everything I could sort of do from.
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And then when my kids were young, I was selling telecom cuz you know, I fell into that through a friend of mine.
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And so I got, you know, some sales skills.
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So all these three things without realizing it was the foundation for when I was sitting in a business meeting and I scouted.
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Just scratched my elbow and all of a sudden my fingers had blood on them and I'm like, had scratched.
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It was so dry that I'm like bleeding on my papers and I was so embarrassed.
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So I left that meeting and I went into a skincare store and I was introduced to something greater than a lotion was a scrub.
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Um, you know, without thinking it was a salt scrub.
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So I brought it home and I'm washing and I'm like, Ooh, that feels pretty good.
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And then it got into my cut and my eyes started tearing because obviously when you get salt in, So I then was on a quest for products that I felt, you know, that I liked on the other parts of me that didn't have cut, but I was like, I knew I needed to stay away from them.
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And at one point I probably had 20 jars around me and I was like, I might as well just create my own.
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So, Started doing that and my late sister, Michelle had had some retail background, so she said, you know, why don't we jar it up and we can sell it at crafts fields and things like that.
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And so all of a sudden the skills that I had had prior was like, oh, well wait a minute.
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I remembered that I could set up a website and wait a minute, I can design my brochures.
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And I'm not afraid to talk to people and pick up the phone.
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And so everything that I had had, you know, and just in my, you know, working by myself, freelance Journey while I was raising my three kids, found their way very perfectly into this sort of entrepreneurial, entrepreneurial, excuse me, journey, um, when I started Scrubs Body.
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So, you know, getting us out there was very much a hands on, you know, Scraping by, you know, winging a prayer at a dime kind of thing.
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But it was also, oh, I recognize you.
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Like I was in Las Vegas in the casino at nine in the morning cuz it was too hot out and it was the owner of a chain of hair salons on Long Island where I lived.
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And you know, he was looking at me and I was like, oh, I saw your picture in, you know, the one in the town near me.
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And by the way, I've got this product that I just said and you know, so it was this really kind of cool synergistic.
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So that brought me there.
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And then I was.
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Demonstrating for them, and I created certain sense for them.
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And then, um, we did something for, um, a fundraiser and I got into the local newspaper that I created, a signature sent that was gonna donate to, um, Komen nyc, you know, breast cancer.
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And so then the sister of the person who wrote the article, Happens to be the buyer of a local chain of stores, wouldn't you?
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And so it, so it was just this really, you know, so it was a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat, a lot of 15 hour days.
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But it was so much love, you know, love and luck and, and, you know, pieces fitting together, mentoring, you know, my big believer in, um, mentors and people giving great advice who've been around.
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Um, so that's it.
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It was still 16 and a half years later.
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I.
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What I thought of business, you know, so that, that was really my journey was, was like, hmm, how can I take it from there?
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I mean, you know, a lot of people say, you know, entrepreneurs are born or, you know, entrepreneurs are made.
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To me it seems like the way you're describing is almost like, you know, you're kind of your own made entrepreneur.
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But then I think, you know, if you were doing freelance, Even before that, and you had a bit of an entrepreneurial, uh, bug in you to begin with, uh, all you had to do was kinda of like, you know, realize that you're, you're, you know, you're an entrepreneur.
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Um, so can you share a little bit about your products, you know, what is unique, uh, about your skin care products and, you know, because skincare, there's like so many products out there.
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How do you, how do you, like, what is the benefit outta uh, people using your product
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to get outta.
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So what started with, um, the scrub, you know, which I have said many times, and I'll say it forever.
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Um, if I'm stranded on a desert island and I can only bring one of my products, it will always be the scrub.
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Um, because what I realize, you know, back, you know, 17 years ago and to this minute when I get in the shower and I still get excited about using it, is that by polishing your skin, you are continually regenerating the skin cells.
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Without going into the science of it, et cetera, it's, it's as simple as that.
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It's like unzipping the dead stuff, stepping out fresh.
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So there's many of those on the market.
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There's chemical peels and res and brushes and buzzy things and you know, all sorts of stuff, but, You know, in all the years I was researching, um, and using products even probably to, to creating this, um, was that sugar?
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It's the, it's stable.
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It won't burn, it won't irritate if you get it in a cut.
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Um, it's, it's a, a humectant which draws water to it.
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When you melt it, it releases traces of glycolic acid, like in the retina.
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So I was.
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So it's not just a cool chemical exfoliate in, its good.
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So put that together with natural bot oils that are similar to skin and all of a sudden in an easy package, like I would say Mother Nature made my recipe, but I was happy enough to put it in a jar.
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Um, You are allowing yourself to, instead of, you know, bubbling up and you know, great soap is still great soap and you can use this once a week, twice a week, you know, is what I recommend.
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You can use it every day, but once or twice a week is perfect.
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On those days when you're regenerating your skin cells, all the other days when you're using other products, they're being put on better.
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So there's, I would, there's no magic here.
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There's no rocket science.
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Exfoliation is the single greatest thing you can do to your skin prior, you know, excuse me.
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In addition to drinking the right amount of water and eating healthy good food, getting them, you know, right amount of sleep, you know, all those things I can't do for anybody.
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I tell them, I'm like, I could give you the products, but I can't do the other stuff.
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You know, stress, relaxation, you know, meditation, all those things.
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Calm you and make everything else work better.
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You know, keeping collage in up, all those other things are absolutely important.
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But when it comes down to just good basic skin care, every product is going to work better on skin that's been polished.
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And so that's sort of the number one on my line.
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Um, and when people do it, and it goes back to the tagline you and I discussed is, you know, a quick shower.
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All right, I'm gonna rush, I'm going.
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I have to.
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But when it's scrub day, you're like, oh, I'm taking an extra minute.
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I'm worth it.
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So it's allowing yourself to pamper your skin, to enjoy that moment in the shower where you can exhale and just love on yourself a little bit more, pamper yourself a little bit more, and then.
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Be, you know, cleansed, polished and moisturized in one step so that it all started with that.
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And then we kind of branched off into, okay, well there's some people that might just want a foot scrub and you know, a hand scrub.
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So we whipped it with shea butter, and then someone like me who goes right back to the computer, Sometimes it was almost too creamy.
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So we created something with our soap maker, um, Angela of likeness soaps.
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Um, we added soap to a scrub and we created scribbles.
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And then a customer came and said, I love your oil spray, but I want more of lotion.
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So we took her advice and you know, like, alright, we do need a lotion and a.
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So most of my products were born from necessity from clients solving their problems.
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Um, most of them are all sort of based around the same principle, and so in some ways you could get everything the, I should say, the benefit almost of every one of our products.
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In two or three products, but some people really do, they want a whole gift set or they want just something very specific.
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So we cater to that need.
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But personally, me, I, I'm the, you know, the face oils that take off my makeup, the scrubs to wash my whole body and the, you know, bye bye bags at night as my underwear face cream.
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You know, I personally.
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You know, two or three products.
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But I, you know, I love that people like everything else, you know, so, so it's, it's, it's really comes down to just, like I said, self love and, and allowing yourself to use a better product, allowing yourself to take an extra five minutes.
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And
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are these products more geared towards women?
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It's, it's, uh, or I mean, I guess men are beginning to use some of these kind of products also.
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I mean, recently I was like, I think I was on TikTok and I saw this ad from with Brad Pit in that.
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I don't know if you came across that, but I
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think he seen, he has his own line of
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speak and, and he was like going through like this ad where he was saying, you know, in the morning I wake up, I do this and that.
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It just, it a little bit weird to me.
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How do you, like, how do you, like, are your, um, is your target market really or do you also see men using
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this kinda.
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You know, that's such a great question.
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Um, because when we first started, you know, like I said, I'm like truly the accidental entrepreneur.
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Um, it was, well, hey, great, everybody has skin.
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Cool.
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Let's market to everybody.
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And, you know, I'm sure you know us doing this many years that fell flat on its face, um, because you have to hone to who you're talking to.
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Niche, niche.
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So what we realized is that when I kind of created my avatar of who is my ideal customer, um, absolutely it is women.
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It is, um, between 45 and 65, you know, college.
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You know what I mean?
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So I kind of have that person I named her, I named her Lisa, actually based on the woman that that, uh, asked me to make the lotion for her.
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However, um, my late sister came up with the idea of Make your own scrubs parties, you know, we do them in our shop and we nail out boxes, you know, filled with all the stuff for people to do well.
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Hello.
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That's hitting a target of, you know, eight.
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To whatever age, and then we created shaves and shaves oils for beards.
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So then we hit the male target.
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Hmm.
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So what's really nice is that I only kind of speak to this amount in my marketing techniques and sort of my language, but they're married or they have boyfriends or you know, partners and they have kids.
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So the spectrum has widen, um, by lamette.
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So my joke, when a guy comes in, And grabs, whether it's our shaves or even just another, like my husband doesn't like the sense of like after shave, he likes the cherry mond or the coconut.
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So he's gonna take the standard scrub and not the men's shaves.
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Cuz the shaves one is more of an after shave kind of a smell.
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So, but they'll come up and they'll.
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So slamming on the counter and I ring them up and they're out of here in 30 seconds to a minute and a half mo, you know?
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And so they're their worst.
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They are my worst first customer.
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Um, because they don't wanna hear it, not leave me alone.
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It's my, you know, But as soon as they recognize the fact that, oh, I don't have razor burn anymore, or Oh my goodness, you know, I was really dry and my hands don't feel, you know, you know, like I just left the the shop anymore because like the hand scrub is unbelievable and getting greasing grime and callous away, but trying to convince them of that.
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So a lot of them, they'll go home, they'll use their partners a little, they'll come in, they'll kind of ask me a question here.
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It's really cute.
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So, um, marketing to men is very subliminal, um, in just that it works.
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And so then they'll use it after they've tried it.
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So, so a hundred percent it's for guys, but it's not who I'm speaking to at all.
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They just get the luck of it after the, like, I'll joke with them, I'm like, you know, especially if a couple comes in, I'm like, you wash my back, I'll wash yours.
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You know, don't forget, you know, like, like I come up with some really silly things, but it kind of makes them recognize the fact that, hello, I guess I have skin too and I can use it, you know, cute.
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So I, I get such a cake
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outta it.
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I mean, it seems like you've got some great, like one-liners.
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I mean, to me it seems like you're like a natural salesperson.
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Thank you.
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Only for this.
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I couldn't sell you an expensive shirt when the one I buy is from, you know, Marshalls or TJ Max.
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You know, you know what I mean?
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It's, I mean, you, you believe in your product then, you know?
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I get that.
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That makes it easy.
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That's what, um, can you take me to, you know, when you started the business and to me it seems like your business.
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Um, came about organically and your products came about kinda organically.
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Can you share, like was there any kind of investment at the beginning and how did you get your first customers and how did you realize that yes, I can create a business out of this product that
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I've created?
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So, um, the beginning, beginning, I really will credit it too.
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I made it for myself and the thought of selling it was, you know, not even, so I give that to my late sister, um, because she, she loved going to craft fairs, so the thought of selling it then for her was just the greatest thing in the world.
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So that's how we got our first customers was, you know, Signing up for whatever table would have us a holiday fair, a school function, you know, really truly anything.
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And we just packed the car and, you know, if it was seven o'clock at night or 12 o'clock in the afternoon, we showed up.
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You know, so that, that's really, I would say that's the number one thing to entrepreneurship showing up.
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You know, you're gonna, you're gonna fall flatter your face.
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Some ideas are gonna completely, you know, be horrific.
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You're gonna spend stupid money depending.
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I keep showing up, so we just kept showing up.
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And, um, also key, you know, which I still to this minute do in my.
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Is emails you have to have, and I don't call it emails, I call it insiders.
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And that's, I treat every emails with love and respect.
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You know, people ask me, oh my God, you wouldn't sell my name?
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I'm like, oh my, this is gold to me.
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You know, I recently, I, I did a fair, an expo recently.
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I haven't done one of those in a long time.
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And I collected a bunch of emails, like 29 I think it was.
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It was, it was amazing.
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And I said, as much as I loved obviously making money that day and meeting new people that for.
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Was the number one aspect of the whole entire day was that I had this opportunity to now speak to them in the future, you know?
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And that kind of.
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Yeah.
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So, so that's, that's, that's really awesome.
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Um, so, um, is your manufacturing, like, have you grown, you shared a little bit about how you, you know, were you creating your products in house and are you still, like, what does your manufacturing look like?
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Have you outsourced some of your manufacturing?
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Do you have like in in-house people who are doing some of your product manufacturing?
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How, how are.
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Creating new product.
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So everything here I can actually, this I can turn my computer a little, if you could see that door right there.
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Yeah.
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Leads to our manufacturing room.
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So, um, absolutely everything that we sell with our brand name on it except the shampoo and conditioner.
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Um, we manufacture.
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Yeah.
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Um, that, you know, I, I didn't sort of wanna go down that path, so I found one that I had been using myself for years that I was purchasing under another label.
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And, you know, it turned out I actually knew who the formulator was.
00:17:59.816 --> 00:18:07.596
Um, but anyway, so that I, I will private label, but everything else we make in house my soap maker, I'll give her my fra.
00:18:08.215 --> 00:18:13.016
She'll make our soap for us, you know, um, so that, that's a leg of soap, you know.
00:18:13.046 --> 00:18:21.205
Um, and then I have my friend Sandy, and so she earns the purple sage and she makes this incredible, it's a course between a bath, bem, and a, and a bubble bath.
00:18:21.566 --> 00:18:23.036
I give her some of my scent.
00:18:23.155 --> 00:18:27.115
She'll create, you know, so like products that I don't wanna create myself.
00:18:27.901 --> 00:18:37.060
I have maker friends that make, so I still get to, um, market and sell products that I am wild for because I use them myself.
00:18:37.060 --> 00:18:37.840
I respect them.
00:18:37.846 --> 00:18:43.780
They're made with amazing ingredients, but I don't have to actually make them myself, you know, things like that.
00:18:44.560 --> 00:18:44.911
So.
00:18:44.911 --> 00:18:45.310
That's cool.
00:18:45.721 --> 00:18:49.151
Oh, Sorry about that.
00:18:49.580 --> 00:18:50.270
It's ok.
00:18:50.270 --> 00:18:54.351
It's, uh, I'm assuming that to thats friend or, uh,
00:18:55.715 --> 00:18:57.596
That's one of my best friend's moms.
00:18:57.806 --> 00:18:58.766
That's really funny.
00:18:59.185 --> 00:19:00.536
She must be in town today.
00:19:01.135 --> 00:19:02.365
So sorry, everyone
00:19:03.746 --> 00:19:18.205
So do you, do you consider, I mean it seems like, you know, when you collect email addresses, like of people who you're interacting with, maybe in, in person, um, is your business now more of like an online business where.
00:19:19.405 --> 00:19:41.576
Uh, most of your focus is like building the list online, or is your focus still on building that community building, you know, meeting people face to face and collecting email addresses and then, and then, you know, of course you're communicating with them later, but do you consider, are you still more very focused on, you know, building a community kind of a business or building an online
00:19:42.306 --> 00:19:42.425
business?
00:19:42.625 --> 00:19:45.296
Um, Both.
00:19:45.296 --> 00:19:45.736
Okay.
00:19:46.256 --> 00:19:49.016
No, it's, it's realizing that I didn't finish the question before.
00:19:49.016 --> 00:19:59.215
So what started with that, with the emails and what my mentors really pushed is that, you know, social media is building your house on someone else's foundation.
00:20:00.066 --> 00:20:00.546
Yeah.
00:20:00.550 --> 00:20:03.625
Um, and so of course I'll, I'll use that somewhat.
00:20:03.685 --> 00:20:13.855
Um, but on the flip side, it's the conversation that I get to have with my audience, um, directly is, is unbelievable.
00:20:13.861 --> 00:20:20.756
You know, here, I dunno if I should turn this, but, um, is, is unbelievable that I can long form conversations.
00:20:20.875 --> 00:20:26.395
I can, they can email me back, I can answer them, I can, you know, um, really create.
00:20:27.621 --> 00:20:36.790
A community online that is equal to the community that I have built, you know, in the, um, you know, here in the store.
00:20:38.096 --> 00:20:39.086
Okay, cool.
00:20:39.806 --> 00:20:42.145
Um, and are you selling right now?
00:20:42.145 --> 00:20:45.625
Is it really just your online storefront that you sell through?
00:20:45.685 --> 00:20:51.895
Have you used like online marketplaces like, you know, XC or eBay or Amazon?
00:20:52.105 --> 00:20:52.855
No.
00:20:52.915 --> 00:20:54.266
Um, can you, can you share a little bit
00:20:54.266 --> 00:20:55.846
about your Yeah.
00:20:55.851 --> 00:21:00.955
Um, I know look, plenty of people have and that they have great success and so I'll never talk down about it.
00:21:02.115 --> 00:21:11.986
Maybe because I started, um, my online close to 17 years ago, some of those didn't even exist and I was piecing it together with what I had learned from the previous business.
00:21:12.435 --> 00:21:18.105
Um, and so that I took, I kind of just always wanted my own real estate, you know, I kept saying that.
00:21:18.111 --> 00:21:22.516
So, because I already had an online presence with my own.
00:21:23.431 --> 00:21:25.020
I kind of never wanted to go there.
00:21:25.441 --> 00:21:27.840
Someone had approached me with the Amazon thing.
00:21:27.840 --> 00:21:33.631
You know, part of me says, should I have, should I have, you know, there's really two school toor that some people love it and want it.
00:21:34.431 --> 00:21:36.090
It wasn't what I was looking for.
00:21:36.090 --> 00:21:40.830
I didn't wanna dilute my, you know, in fact, one person tried at at at at one point.
00:21:40.830 --> 00:21:45.601
This is many, many years ago, and I was really proud of the fact that he.
00:21:46.601 --> 00:21:51.730
You know, because it was more of like he was willing to try and had just like purchased 12 draws and figured he would see.
00:21:52.151 --> 00:21:56.201
He said that every time he kept putting stuff in, he kept getting it back to my website.
00:21:56.201 --> 00:22:00.881
So at that point, my SEO was sort of better that he was willing to spend the money and generate.
00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:03.550
And so I was like, I might as well just keep it on there.
00:22:04.030 --> 00:22:12.401
But for some people, you know, like I'll have a, a cousin who owns a business, um, and he just couldn't believe, you know, he's willing to give up whatever it is, 15%.
00:22:12.881 --> 00:22:16.631
Um, The amount it's generating is, is ridiculous.
00:22:16.691 --> 00:22:20.171
Um, but he sells like, um, uh, marine supply.
00:22:20.621 --> 00:22:35.651
I'm selling tampering, I'm selling, you know, so I kind of don't want it to, mine sort of stands out because I don't want it to be lumped into the other amazing brands out there, but that's how I kind of stand above the frame a little bit more.
00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:35.830
Mm-hmm.
00:22:36.161 --> 00:22:36.701
that kinda thing.
00:22:36.760 --> 00:22:36.961
Yeah.
00:22:37.181 --> 00:22:37.421
Yeah.
00:22:37.721 --> 00:22:39.080
So it seems like, I mean, for.
00:22:39.746 --> 00:23:23.421
A brand like this or a product category like this, uh, where, um, you have, um, um, where, where you, I mean, you're competing with so many other, uh, similar kind of product, you know, trying to achieve, you know, similar, similar results for, for the, um, it, it doesn't really come down to, you know, branding and marketing and really, Um, communi communicating your value proposition or your, uh, vision to the customer directly and, and having them connect with that, um, so that they, they're buying from you rather than buying from, you know, or different, uh, product, which could be similar.
00:23:24.550 --> 00:23:31.570
Um, and to me it seems like you do that better in a, in a, in person one to one scenario and, and building that
00:23:31.570 --> 00:23:32.201
relationship.
00:23:32.621 --> 00:23:43.490
The, the conversation that I try, you know, um, if you read the copy on my website, I try really hard to bring in that same feeling.
00:23:44.175 --> 00:23:52.395
And understanding and, and recognizing that people have problems and, um, I could potentially solve that problem for them.
00:23:52.695 --> 00:24:05.246
So that kind of love and wrap around, I try really hard to convey, but there's nothing like having people you love come into the store, wanna hug, you, wanna kiss, you see, you know what I mean?
00:24:05.246 --> 00:24:09.346
Like that, you know, I, people leave here and I'm like, welcome to the.
00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:16.300
And so that translates to, again, they can't come in, they're ordering online.
00:24:16.661 --> 00:24:18.401
They just came in and bought a few gifts.
00:24:18.611 --> 00:24:20.861
They're sharing it with other people.
00:24:20.951 --> 00:24:22.810
Those people then can buy online.
00:24:23.050 --> 00:24:33.760
So that's why my answer prior was yes, because my ultimate goal is to build an incredibly, you know, wonderful and huge, um, online community.
00:24:34.270 --> 00:24:37.270
But I want each of them to still feel you.
00:24:38.066 --> 00:24:40.855
Pretty much just as special as if they had walked into the store.
00:24:41.905 --> 00:24:45.895
So this store is kinda a storefront where anybody can walk in.
00:24:46.330 --> 00:24:50.830
Look at your products, like their, your products or is it more like an office?
00:24:50.921 --> 00:24:52.601
Somebody has to create an appointment?
00:24:52.961 --> 00:24:53.592
No, no, no, no.
00:24:53.596 --> 00:25:03.280
It's, it's, that's again, you know, door open, you know, it's, it's a full shop in the center of a main street of, of a pretty, really vibrant town on Long Island called Farmingdale.
00:25:03.701 --> 00:25:13.510
Um, what we got lucky in that there's lots of restaurants and bars and, you know, cool places to go, but we are one of only like 10 shopping stores.
00:25:13.941 --> 00:25:15.411
But we're next to the gift store.
00:25:15.411 --> 00:25:17.570
So it's kind of where, like the little shopping area.
00:25:17.570 --> 00:25:22.881
And then they'll go out and, you know, so they'll come here, then they'll go out for dinner, they'll have a party here, then they'll go out for dinner.
00:25:23.151 --> 00:25:26.030
They'll go out for dinner or go out for lunch, come here, shop afterwards.
00:25:26.330 --> 00:25:30.651
So it's, it's, um, there was a main street fair on Saturday.
00:25:31.256 --> 00:25:34.496
You know, they close off the whole main street and it's shopped, you know, vendor.
00:25:34.796 --> 00:25:38.965
So I love the vibrancy of that kind of one-on-one.
00:25:39.355 --> 00:25:45.986
Um, but what's lucky is the way that we split it, so like the door here, um, is all our storage.
00:25:46.125 --> 00:25:49.695
So I've got, you know, extra jars and all of it, you know, so that's that.
00:25:49.756 --> 00:25:52.246
And then manufacturing is behind us.
00:25:52.336 --> 00:25:59.056
So we had this sort of like wide space of full storefront and then this whole back space of all production.
00:25:59.326 --> 00:26:02.056
And we were lucky enough to sort of get it into one space.
00:26:02.746 --> 00:26:03.556
And because we're.
00:26:04.516 --> 00:26:05.346
An active ingredient.
00:26:05.346 --> 00:26:13.955
You know, I don't use water, which means that's why you had mentioned before a hundred percent active ingredients is, um, I don't need preservatives because I am a non-water product.
00:26:13.955 --> 00:26:20.885
So it's just the butters and the oils and the sugar and, you know, um, so I want to make them in smaller batches.
00:26:21.215 --> 00:26:25.086
So I would rather produce product five and six days a.
00:26:25.996 --> 00:26:29.445
Um, than just have, you know, this big, massive, you know, kind of thing.
00:26:29.715 --> 00:26:33.226
So, we'll, we're always, always rolling over smaller batches.
00:26:33.226 --> 00:26:33.465
Yeah.
00:26:33.465 --> 00:26:38.236
So, so the amount of space that we back have back there has luckily, you know, been enough.
00:26:38.326 --> 00:26:38.895
It's been great.
00:26:40.306 --> 00:27:01.256
Um, in terms of your online marketing and customer acquisition, of course, you know, the, the advantage of online is that you can access, you know, markets that are not local and you can, you know, If one is able to communicate the value proposition and the brand properly, I mean, you can attract so many more customers through this, uh, channel.
00:27:01.766 --> 00:27:04.165
How, how are you using online?
00:27:04.736 --> 00:27:09.776
Um, and, uh, to, to bring in more, more customers for your
00:27:09.776 --> 00:27:10.135
business.
00:27:11.395 --> 00:27:24.955
So, um, Again, I u I did so many little things in the beginning that I, I, going back to my accidental entrepreneurship, uh, I didn't really know how to market.
00:27:25.736 --> 00:27:31.865
Shy of, you know, short of, excuse me, that, that one on one and that, that, so I kind of went with my strengths.
00:27:31.871 --> 00:27:34.645
So social, I had absolutely have a social presence.
00:27:35.066 --> 00:27:40.405
You know, my Instagram, my Facebook, I kind of picked, you know, the two that I could work the most.
00:27:40.705 --> 00:27:41.875
You know, I was too old.
00:27:41.875 --> 00:27:47.665
And, and you know, at that point just, I was like not getting into the, and I know people are making a lot of money, all those other stuff.
00:27:48.026 --> 00:27:53.415
So what I did instead is realize, What gives you the most credibility?
00:27:53.836 --> 00:28:01.006
Um, besides putting ads in things and that's being picked up in, in, um, magazines and getting, you know, PR and stuff.
00:28:01.605 --> 00:28:07.965
So I wanna say I, I started it earlier, but I really started getting good at it around 2010.
00:28:08.655 --> 00:28:10.215
Um, help a reporter out.
00:28:10.695 --> 00:28:23.036
Um, And it's a way for you to connect with, um, other writers or journalists that are looking for, um, you know, writer, excuse me, that one, like an answer to their own question.
00:28:23.546 --> 00:28:27.385
And so I've been picked up at this point now over 150 times.
00:28:28.046 --> 00:28:30.625
And so I even wrote a book on how to, you know, get free publicity.
00:28:30.631 --> 00:28:32.365
So getting PR.
00:28:32.810 --> 00:28:34.310
Has been tremendous.
00:28:34.490 --> 00:28:43.490
Another thing that was huge for us, which was really super fun was, and it started from a hero thing, um, was we were on Bravo tv.
00:28:43.881 --> 00:28:50.060
Um, the guy from Million Dollar Listing Ryan Sirhan, they gave him his own chauffeur, um, one season called Salt like Sirhan.
00:28:50.510 --> 00:28:53.211
So we were an episode on Salt Lake Sarhan.
00:28:53.351 --> 00:28:57.221
And so, I mean, That opened us up to an audience.
00:28:57.701 --> 00:28:58.871
It was like, unbelievable.
00:28:58.871 --> 00:29:01.181
I wish they gave me a second season, cuz they would've had repeats then.
00:29:01.661 --> 00:29:05.171
But, so, so we have, we've picked up pockets.
00:29:05.441 --> 00:29:14.800
And so, and what I also chose to do again, har, um, is every, I dunno, four times a week, they put out, um, a gift bag inquiry.
00:29:15.431 --> 00:29:15.520
Mm-hmm.
00:29:15.760 --> 00:29:18.730
So I'll look and see if anyone's, you know, if it's the right fit.
00:29:18.730 --> 00:29:24.641
So, just recently I donated 60 jars to a women's event right here on Long Island.
00:29:25.465 --> 00:29:27.296
Age demographic is perfect.
00:29:27.566 --> 00:29:39.236
You know, if you know my cost was a few hundred dollars for sure, but if I had placed an ad in a paper that's a possible one off that they can't touch, they can't smell, they can't see.
00:29:39.536 --> 00:29:42.205
This is 60 women holding my jar.
00:29:43.391 --> 00:29:46.540
So charitable events, you know, that was a big jar.
00:29:46.631 --> 00:29:52.211
Charitable events we have, I dunno if I have one here, I don't, um, a two ounce size, I'll donate a hundred of those.
00:29:52.721 --> 00:29:59.921
So I found ways of, of, um, getting spreading the name, you know, without.
00:30:00.846 --> 00:30:13.026
You know, again, we tried some ads and things like that, and unless you've got a really obscene amount of money to throw at that kind of thing, skincare is a tough one to have advertisement for.
00:30:13.026 --> 00:30:15.006
Again, I didn't have the money for tv.
00:30:15.276 --> 00:30:17.945
I didn't, you know, um, or that constant push, push, push.
00:30:18.455 --> 00:30:27.635
Um, I didn't, you know, I could have hired, you know, I, I did for a little while, but it was, it just didn't feel as authentic, um, you know, like a team to sort of help.
00:30:28.346 --> 00:30:37.195
I was like, let me do the things that you know, and that's, again, probably one of the pieces of advice I would give is to treat customers the best you can.
00:30:37.286 --> 00:30:38.875
Then they'll bring customers back.
00:30:39.776 --> 00:30:44.125
Do it the way that feels comfortable, because then, then doing, it's easy.
00:30:44.336 --> 00:30:45.895
Like you said, you see my passion.
00:30:46.346 --> 00:30:55.086
I'm in love with my own You know, it's easy to, when I, I get to see people smiling and come in here and I just need their day or you know, oh my God, I got it as a gift.
00:30:55.840 --> 00:31:00.250
You can't put a price on that, but then it's the bill showing up.
00:31:00.310 --> 00:31:15.520
It's the making sure that you know, some people who forget, you get your email once a week, staying top of mind, you know, so there's all these little pockets that you can, um, layer and combine onto loving on people in the first place.
00:31:16.540 --> 00:31:16.840
Yeah.
00:31:16.840 --> 00:31:18.131
And, and you mentioned Har.
00:31:18.340 --> 00:31:21.881
I mean, Harrow is a great resource, uh, help a reporter out.
00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:36.070
I was recently, um, trying to get on there and uh, uh, I think what they have done now is they've put some criteria, like you have to meet, uh, you have to be in like top 300,000 online sites or something like that.
00:31:36.401 --> 00:31:38.921
So, so they definitely made it a little bit difficult.
00:31:38.921 --> 00:31:41.530
But you're saying that you're still working with them?
00:31:42.830 --> 00:31:53.810
Well, I just get, you know, I'm sorry if I'm offending anybody cuz some people pay for it and I think the paid version gets you, um, the, in the query is much quicker.
00:31:53.840 --> 00:32:02.270
You know, cuz there are some that are very tied deadlines and you can stockpile your answers in a, um, you know, there's a form within the hero site.
00:32:02.300 --> 00:32:02.391
Mm-hmm.
00:32:02.830 --> 00:32:04.701
So there was definitely some, for a while I was a paid member.
00:32:04.701 --> 00:32:12.151
Definitely benefits, but it mentally I got so good at, you know, Saving, um, the information anyway.
00:32:12.151 --> 00:32:14.040
Like, I have a folder that's just for har.
00:32:14.490 --> 00:32:20.101
I've got my bio that's, you know, ripe and ready, you know, that I'm always looking at making sure it's tweaked properly.
00:32:20.490 --> 00:32:32.310
Um, other queries that I've done in the past could, but they could have been from three years ago, um, might very suit something and so that I'll, that I'll pick it up and tweak it to make it, you know, Mmm.
00:32:32.401 --> 00:32:33.391
New and fresh.
00:32:34.036 --> 00:32:36.476
but then we submitted so I didn't have to rewrite a whole thing.
00:32:37.016 --> 00:32:39.776
So I got really good at answering them.
00:32:39.776 --> 00:32:44.246
Even if they're, you know, the deadline is two hours from when I'm looking at the email.
00:32:44.246 --> 00:32:45.776
I got really good at answering them.
00:32:46.346 --> 00:32:52.195
And I would say that you kind of find a formula that works for you because like I'll get busy and do something.
00:32:52.195 --> 00:32:55.256
It'll be holiday season and I'm not answering any of them cuz it's just too busy.
00:32:55.306 --> 00:32:55.915
Mm-hmm.
00:32:55.996 --> 00:32:57.355
And then the minute I go back to.
00:32:58.266 --> 00:33:00.131
all of a sudden I'm getting picked up again.
00:33:00.191 --> 00:33:01.931
You know, it might only be one out of 10.
00:33:01.990 --> 00:33:02.560
That's okay.
00:33:02.560 --> 00:33:18.520
There's a lot of people doing this, but you, you know, so what I have found, um, is the best way to, to gain that system, you know, that for lack of a better way to do it, really just answer it properly, is to be authentic, is to answer the question.
00:33:18.520 --> 00:33:23.171
Don't be like, oh, I'll just give them a little taste of it because I don't wanna give too much information.
00:33:23.445 --> 00:33:25.635
No, they don't click delete.
00:33:25.905 --> 00:33:26.596
They don't want that.
00:33:26.925 --> 00:33:31.125
You know, the reporter wants you to speak directly to solve the, it's the same thing I'm doing here.
00:33:31.455 --> 00:33:31.786
Problem.
00:33:31.786 --> 00:33:34.066
You know, customer comes in, they have dried skin.
00:33:34.066 --> 00:33:35.175
I wanna solve their problems.
00:33:35.415 --> 00:33:39.165
So if a reporter has a question that they need answered, I wanna solve their problem.
00:33:39.496 --> 00:33:44.175
So press will look, you know, and, and thank them, you know.
00:33:44.921 --> 00:33:53.861
One of the greatest things that I, I was a Fox News reporter in Dallas when I had this other business, had said to me, he's like, it's amazing how many people came to him looking for publicity.
00:33:54.280 --> 00:33:57.820
But the minute he gave it to them, they like forgot that he existed.
00:33:57.826 --> 00:34:00.250
They forgot to thank him for, for doing Right.
00:34:00.250 --> 00:34:01.361
You know, and stuff like that.
00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:07.961
And so it's, it's thanking them, building relationships, you know, with any customer but with anything.
00:34:08.021 --> 00:34:13.661
And, and then they'll write about your business when they need something to, I recently got an email from someone who.
00:34:14.235 --> 00:34:16.315
It's been three years since the last time she wrote about us.
00:34:16.315 --> 00:34:17.786
She's like, what do you got going on for the holidays?
00:34:18.686 --> 00:34:19.106
Thanks.
00:34:19.135 --> 00:34:31.195
You know, cause it's you, you know, at that point it's an almost guarantee that even if it's a one line in the newspaper that they're writing or the column they're writing for it, they're gonna include you because they like you cuz you showed up for them before.
00:34:31.226 --> 00:34:32.076
Definitely.
00:34:32.076 --> 00:34:38.965
And, and you're able to connect all these, um, uh, all these different opportunities to actual.
00:34:39.985 --> 00:34:45.016
Uh, people visiting your site or coming to your storefront and and buying, you're
00:34:45.016 --> 00:34:45.936
able to, yes.
00:34:45.940 --> 00:34:45.985
Ok.
00:34:46.976 --> 00:35:05.036
And, and what's cool also with newsletter, you know, the excuse me email, um, is I can quantify, I use Clavio, um, you know, there's a bunch of them out there, but I find that the, the analytics in there, I can directly see when an email went out and who clicked and, and who spent money based on that email.
00:35:05.485 --> 00:35:08.545
And so how it's, you know, how it's, uh, resonating with them as.
00:35:09.371 --> 00:35:09.641
Okay.
00:35:10.300 --> 00:35:12.431
What does your team look like right now?
00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:14.621
What does my, what look like, I'm sorry.
00:35:14.860 --> 00:35:15.601
Team, team.
00:35:16.181 --> 00:35:21.960
My team is actually, um, the woman that you saw, well, not, not the one that kissed me, Okay.
00:35:22.150 --> 00:35:25.481
Is when I lost my, um, late sister Michelle.
00:35:25.541 --> 00:35:28.871
My best friend from growing up had always filled in for us.
00:35:29.246 --> 00:35:34.195
Um, during, when we were doing, uh, trade shows or things like that, she would sort of, you know, help us run things.
00:35:34.201 --> 00:35:36.445
So she kind of stepped in and did it.
00:35:36.445 --> 00:35:39.715
So she's now, um, basically vice president in charge of production.
00:35:39.715 --> 00:35:41.005
So she handles all that.
00:35:41.425 --> 00:35:53.396
And then we just have a woman who comes in like 10 hours a week to fill in the blanks, you know, if, if I need to step in and, you know, do a private label order, you know, she was on vacation and, you know, I got three orders that.
00:35:54.715 --> 00:35:55.795
I'm in the one, I'm in the back.
00:35:55.795 --> 00:35:59.425
So right now we are like two full-time and, and a small part-time.
00:35:59.945 --> 00:36:00.436
Okay.
00:36:00.686 --> 00:36:03.206
And I don't necessarily wanna be that much bigger, you know?
00:36:03.565 --> 00:36:03.686
Okay.
00:36:04.226 --> 00:36:04.715
Okay.
00:36:04.715 --> 00:36:05.516
And then that's a personal
00:36:05.516 --> 00:36:08.005
choice, a absolute personal choice?
00:36:08.096 --> 00:36:08.335
Yes.
00:36:08.436 --> 00:36:08.795
Okay.
00:36:08.795 --> 00:36:09.195
Okay.
00:36:09.896 --> 00:36:14.695
Um, I do see on your website, like you have a section, which is private label and wholesale.
00:36:14.695 --> 00:36:16.465
Is that a big part of your business?
00:36:16.465 --> 00:36:18.596
Like do, um, you.
00:36:19.346 --> 00:36:26.005
Instead of selling one to one to customers, like, uh, you're, you're able to get your products to more people.
00:36:26.936 --> 00:36:28.856
Of course with private labeling, it would not be your
00:36:28.856 --> 00:36:29.485
brand anymore.
00:36:29.876 --> 00:36:31.076
That's, but that's okay.
00:36:31.076 --> 00:36:39.266
And I, I actually like it better, you know, the wholesale that we do, um, I'm lucky enough to be in about six stores that I love.
00:36:39.266 --> 00:36:42.115
The owners of the shops, they sell through beautifully.
00:36:42.121 --> 00:36:43.405
They love the product themselves.
00:36:43.411 --> 00:36:43.985
They use it.
00:36:44.831 --> 00:36:47.380
That's the kind of shop I wanna be in a smaller shop.
00:36:47.380 --> 00:36:52.630
Cause at one point we were in Whole Foods and we were in a much larger, you know, I thought that's, I wanted to be that business.
00:36:52.840 --> 00:36:55.420
That's why when I, when you ask me that question, is it by choice?
00:36:55.420 --> 00:36:56.740
It's very much by choice.
00:36:57.070 --> 00:37:09.340
Cause I was on this, this trajectory of just being this big wholesaler and online and when we got our first place and customers like, oh, could I just pick up at the store please.
00:37:09.701 --> 00:37:12.161
Or at the place, you know, at that point it wasn't really a store.
00:37:12.371 --> 00:37:13.690
I don't wanna pay shipping and said, okay.
00:37:14.501 --> 00:37:19.271
And I just realized how much I loved my customers and I really loved one on one.
00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:28.481
I recognized that I am more of a shop keep that happens to have an online business and we manufacture it versus this big brand business.
00:37:28.990 --> 00:37:38.081
So we, we pulled ourselves out of those locations, um, because it was, you know, I would stand there and I would demonstrate, and when I had that relationship it was fine.
00:37:38.081 --> 00:37:39.940
But anyway, so the shops that we're.
00:37:40.570 --> 00:37:45.971
They're small and boutiquey and, and they just understand the brand they sell through.
00:37:45.971 --> 00:37:46.451
It's great.
00:37:46.510 --> 00:37:50.831
But because we're a handmade brand, you know, it's, we've got like a 14 month shelf life.
00:37:50.860 --> 00:37:52.420
You know, sometimes it'll go longer.
00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:53.951
But basically that's roughly it.
00:37:54.490 --> 00:37:59.681
If you've got, if I'm in a ton of stores and I sort of can't keep an eye on, is everything good?
00:37:59.681 --> 00:38:00.400
How are you doing?
00:38:00.701 --> 00:38:06.971
Um, and they're not selling through a customer's gonna pick up something that might be expiring in six months, you know?
00:38:06.971 --> 00:38:09.851
So, um, I'm very particular.
00:38:10.170 --> 00:38:11.161
for the wholesale aspect.
00:38:11.731 --> 00:38:18.630
Private label on the flip side exploded during covid because there was a lot of people home during, um, that where they weren't working.
00:38:18.630 --> 00:38:23.340
And so they were like, would you sell it to me by the gallon two gallons so I could jar it myself?
00:38:23.791 --> 00:38:25.920
And we were like, oh, that's genius.
00:38:25.951 --> 00:38:26.460
Yes.
00:38:26.880 --> 00:38:30.661
And so I mentioned earlier about how mentors were so important to me.
00:38:31.170 --> 00:38:35.460
Um, private label allows me to give back in a way I never dreamed.
00:38:36.215 --> 00:38:41.706
So I was mentored by, you know, this indie business network in particular, Dunmar is incredible.
00:38:41.706 --> 00:38:45.065
And all the people in that group, just, everyone just shares.
00:38:45.065 --> 00:38:48.996
It's so wonderful, you know, this competition, but not in, not in the worst way, in the best way.
00:38:49.001 --> 00:38:52.115
So there's a lot of camaraderie and collaboration, et cetera.
00:38:52.626 --> 00:38:57.005
So because I was mentored that way, I was like, Ooh, who can I help?
00:38:57.936 --> 00:39:01.655
And so private label, they're like, oh, I don't know what I'm doing.
00:39:02.226 --> 00:39:03.365
I wanna start a business.
00:39:04.630 --> 00:39:08.396
So I got to offer them the things that worked for me, things that didn't.
00:39:08.396 --> 00:39:13.976
Here you're gonna still make some of your own mistakes, however, you might not have to make this mistake, that mistake and this mistake.
00:39:14.096 --> 00:39:14.706
Mm-hmm.
00:39:14.791 --> 00:39:25.076
Um, but the best part is that, and I say this respectfully, is that if they succeed, then they are coming back and they're ordering more product.
00:39:25.376 --> 00:39:32.155
So we're both making money, but if they don't succeed, they're not, um, taking my.
00:39:32.860 --> 00:39:34.570
and I'm making it anything less.
00:39:35.291 --> 00:39:35.380
Okay.
00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:41.170
So it private label has just, it's given me this incredible, you know, it's really tripled.
00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:52.541
We get to make money, I get to mentor and it doesn't get to, um, change the reputation of my brand if they're not selling it properly or they're not, you know, doing, you know, what they need to, to market it properly.
00:39:53.306 --> 00:39:55.166
I mean, that's really interesting if, yeah.
00:39:55.166 --> 00:40:10.856
I mean, that's really interesting cause if, if an entrepreneur is a great marketer and they're trying to break into an industry, I guess private labeling is a great way, you know, because, you know, you can take a great products, um, in label products.
00:40:11.306 --> 00:40:20.186
Package them in your own, you know, packaging and, uh, and if you're, if they're a great brand maker and marketer, you know, they can start.
00:40:20.186 --> 00:40:22.436
I mean, they, they don't even have to work with one brand.
00:40:22.436 --> 00:40:26.005
They can work with multiple brand and have like a curated, you know, products.
00:40:26.786 --> 00:40:30.865
And really, I mean, it could be great as a way to the market.
00:40:31.135 --> 00:40:34.585
If it works, then, you know, they can start perhaps manufacturing their own things.
00:40:35.096 --> 00:40:40.885
But, uh, but yeah, I mean, it seems like, uh, an interesting way to, to break into a new market.
00:40:42.356 --> 00:40:43.646
Um, yeah, no, we, we love it.
00:40:44.036 --> 00:40:45.025
I really, really love it.
00:40:45.835 --> 00:41:06.806
Um, in every entrepreneur's journey, there's always, you know, mistakes made, lessons learned, uh, failures, um, you know, since the time that you have been running your business, what, what have been some of your lessons learn or entrepreneurial lessons learn that, uh, other entrepreneurs can benefit from?
00:41:08.655 --> 00:41:10.675
Um, God.
00:41:10.675 --> 00:41:12.416
I mean, again, I made plenty.
00:41:12.536 --> 00:41:15.775
We, if you don't make mistakes, I think you're not doing it right.
00:41:15.956 --> 00:41:31.106
You know, I can't stress that enough because every time you peel yourself off the floor, you know, after crying and screaming and you know, oh my God, um, you recognize, okay, well I'm not gonna do it that way anymore, so I'm gonna do it this way.
00:41:31.436 --> 00:41:35.155
And so, um, it's that, it's really, it's not being afraid to fail.
00:41:35.606 --> 00:41:38.275
It's, I'm having a support system, you know, for.
00:41:39.266 --> 00:41:57.536
I had my sister right away, but we, some of our, um, you know, she was more marketing retail and I was marketing this way, but I almost wish I had someone real, a real business person cuz that was not my strongest point to guide me.
00:41:57.626 --> 00:42:01.525
And so I definitely spent money in the beginning that I didn't, um, need to spend.
00:42:01.945 --> 00:42:08.126
Um, a really good example is that, um, when I trademarked, you know, I was, I was always trademarked cuz I had interstate.
00:42:09.141 --> 00:42:20.960
Um, that's the tm, but to get the registered trademark, you actually have to register with the us um, PTO and my late sister's, um, fiance at the time was a lawyer and he's like, I could do it for you.
00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:25.400
And, you know, we were so grateful and it saved us money, but that wasn't his wheelhouse.
00:42:25.405 --> 00:42:30.981
And so there had been some issues with it and it was rejected and, you know, he never followed up to finish through.
00:42:31.420 --> 00:42:37.960
So cut to, you know, four or five years after that when I was like, okay, I, now I have the money and I gotta do it right.
00:42:37.960 --> 00:42:40.900
And I hired the proper attorney, thank you, Andrea Evans.
00:42:41.320 --> 00:42:50.530
Um, she still there with some problems, but she circumnavigated and figured out the best way, and all of a sudden I had my registered trademark.
00:42:50.951 --> 00:42:52.840
You know, and so finding a.
00:42:53.771 --> 00:42:55.751
Spending the right money doing it right.
00:42:55.811 --> 00:43:05.320
You know, what we did do right in the very beginning is, um, you know, obviously setting up as a business incorporating, you know, you never wanna have personal liability if you can get away with that.
00:43:05.650 --> 00:43:18.521
Um, things that I did that are really cheap to do, but still protective is I must own 20, um, domain names that are similar to scrubs.
00:43:19.346 --> 00:43:19.766
You know what I mean?
00:43:19.766 --> 00:43:31.585
Not just the nets and the.org, but it's just some, the scrubs with the s and that you, so that no one else that comes up with something similar can grab that as a domain name.
00:43:32.306 --> 00:43:37.135
If you type that in, even if you make a mistake, it directs you right back to mine.
00:43:37.675 --> 00:43:40.315
Um, you know, keeping, you know, keeping an eye out.
00:43:40.315 --> 00:43:41.786
I'm always looking and doing searching.
00:43:41.791 --> 00:43:43.735
Is anyone, you know, taking my trademark?
00:43:43.735 --> 00:43:44.576
What are they doing?
00:43:44.581 --> 00:43:45.085
Reaching out?
00:43:45.356 --> 00:43:48.806
You know, so, so that protection is, is really important.
00:43:49.135 --> 00:43:55.135
Um, uh, I said showing up, you know, not being afraid to do the work.
00:43:55.166 --> 00:44:04.885
You know, I, I know that that statement comes up, but, you know, but some days I'm just like, What, whatever happened in my life, you know, I have a, I have an elderly mom and you know, so stuff like that.
00:44:05.456 --> 00:44:07.315
But it's just like, no, okay, I have a list.
00:44:07.376 --> 00:44:08.846
I need to at least get that done.
00:44:08.936 --> 00:44:14.246
And even if it's just so, it's two things and not the 15 things I'm taking success in getting those done.
00:44:14.635 --> 00:44:19.556
Giving yourself a break, like these will go hand in hand with, it's, it's, it's that.
00:44:20.635 --> 00:44:21.416
It's life.
00:44:22.226 --> 00:44:22.735
You know what I mean?
00:44:23.065 --> 00:44:23.726
It's everything.
00:44:23.726 --> 00:44:24.565
It's just a step.
00:44:24.565 --> 00:44:27.505
Sometimes you have to step backwards and then you go 10 steps away.
00:44:27.775 --> 00:44:29.786
And so that's what I've seen the most.
00:44:30.085 --> 00:44:36.445
But the number one thing is treating customers like they are the goal.
00:44:36.445 --> 00:44:40.346
They are, you know, because they have a choice of where to spend their money.
00:44:40.465 --> 00:44:40.865
Mm-hmm.
00:44:40.945 --> 00:44:47.936
And if they're choosing to spend it with you, then you need to remind them every day how grateful you are that they're doing such.
00:44:48.791 --> 00:45:03.490
That, you know, all that other stuff is, is, you know, sort of the, um, I don't know, it's, I guess the dinner, but the dessert and the cherry on the top and all the icing and all the other cool, fun stuff, you know, all the extra calories you're not supposed to have at you want.
00:45:04.030 --> 00:45:04.860
That's customer service.
00:45:05.411 --> 00:45:05.900
Yeah.
00:45:07.181 --> 00:45:08.050
That's great.
00:45:08.110 --> 00:45:12.130
Um, so now we're gonna move on to our rapid fire segment and then the segment.
00:45:12.130 --> 00:45:13.871
I'm gonna ask you a few quick questions.
00:45:14.695 --> 00:45:18.255
You have to answer them maybe in one or two words or a sentence or so.
00:45:18.425 --> 00:45:18.775
Ok.
00:45:18.775 --> 00:45:24.565
So the first one is one book recommendations for entrepreneurs, uh, in 2022.
00:45:24.695 --> 00:45:24.976
And.
00:45:25.630 --> 00:45:33.971
Okay, so, uh, one book was hard, um, but I think professional troublemaker by, um, lovey, I use You Jones, I just absolutely adored.
00:45:34.001 --> 00:45:42.550
It's, it really sets you in that motion of don't be afraid to ruffle a few feathers and, you know, ask the important questions and, and get it done.
00:45:42.550 --> 00:45:44.170
You know, I really enjoy that book a lot.
00:45:45.590 --> 00:45:51.010
An innovative product or idea in the current e-commerce retail or tight landscape that you feel excited about?
00:45:51.880 --> 00:46:07.960
Um, so in the natural space, I would have to say, um, ADE's toilet bombs, which is a super cool way to clean your toilet bowl and the tank around it and diaper pales and stuff in a little ci bomb without having to, you know, use all that chemical gunk.
00:46:08.501 --> 00:46:13.391
And uh, what I mentioned before is, um, my friend Sandy from the Purple Sage makes a bubble.
00:46:14.190 --> 00:46:16.740
That I was not a bath taker for a long time.
00:46:16.740 --> 00:46:20.820
Again, I, you know, I'm on scrub shower all the way and she's like, oh, just try it.
00:46:21.541 --> 00:46:23.521
And she made, she made me a bath taker again.
00:46:23.521 --> 00:46:29.710
So it's, it's a, it's like bubbles on top and bath bomb underneath and just, it's, it's, yeah, it's really good Okay.
00:46:30.481 --> 00:46:35.280
Um, a business or a productivity tool or software that you would recommend or a productivity.
00:46:36.115 --> 00:46:47.786
Oh, Dropbox, hands down, you know, or any, you know, service like that where I can just be anywhere and access files, uh, save it to it, pick it up at home, bring it off my phone.
00:46:47.846 --> 00:46:49.766
Um, not have to have it all on the computer.
00:46:49.766 --> 00:46:53.155
It just Dropbox all the way I use it every day, all day.
00:46:53.545 --> 00:46:54.036
Yeah.
00:46:54.536 --> 00:47:00.956
Cloud services, uh, a startup or business in e-commerce, retailer tech that you think is currently doing great things.
00:47:01.076 --> 00:47:02.096
I know you gave an example.
00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:13.240
Um, yeah, so, uh, I would say I just recently started taking, and I'm really enjoying the whole concept too, is, um, but it's a, it's a long name, so it's funny I spelled it out.
00:47:13.246 --> 00:47:20.590
So it's, uh, KA and pathogenics, so it's K a E m p A t H O G E N.
00:47:21.025 --> 00:47:22.496
I c s.com.
00:47:22.686 --> 00:47:23.295
Mm-hmm.
00:47:23.376 --> 00:47:30.085
um, and it's basically Kana, which is a natural sort of uplifting, um, plant root, a hundred percent natural, zero calories.
00:47:30.085 --> 00:47:36.056
Like I had looked at, you know, the tinctures and I had looked at other things and I came across them on Instagram and I was really impressed.
00:47:36.056 --> 00:47:41.065
And so I started about two weeks ago and I, it's, it's, I just find.
00:47:41.655 --> 00:47:49.126
A little bit of focus, a little bit of it, you know, it's just, it's like a nice, cause I don't, I don't drink coffee, so, um, you know, I don't have that caffeine buzz in the morning.
00:47:49.155 --> 00:47:52.965
And so I'm finding that just like one of the juices, it's really cool in the morning.
00:47:52.965 --> 00:47:54.675
So I've been pretty impressed with them.
00:47:55.425 --> 00:47:58.126
I'm not quite sure when they started, it could be six months, a year.
00:47:58.130 --> 00:48:00.346
I have no idea, but I was like, I was so happy I found them.
00:48:00.976 --> 00:48:01.335
Okay.
00:48:01.996 --> 00:48:07.456
Um, a peer entrepreneur or business person whom you look up to or someone who inspires you?
00:48:09.195 --> 00:48:11.456
Oh God, so many.
00:48:11.545 --> 00:48:11.965
So many.
00:48:11.965 --> 00:48:12.865
So let's see.
00:48:12.925 --> 00:48:16.646
Um, I would say Ashley Amber.
00:48:17.621 --> 00:48:21.460
Um, of the middle finger project, but now she's called the, the vat.
00:48:21.465 --> 00:48:22.150
She changed it.
00:48:22.690 --> 00:48:32.021
Um, her book, the Middle Finger Project, her, um, I took her writing course, which she called, um, um, oh my God, shame on Me.
00:48:32.025 --> 00:48:34.541
I think it was called Meat and Meat and Bread.
00:48:34.751 --> 00:48:38.291
It was basically like the guts and the love, you know, everything put together.
00:48:38.710 --> 00:48:40.030
Um, and.
00:48:40.650 --> 00:48:45.030
It just made me look at writing to my customers in a whole different way.
00:48:45.030 --> 00:48:46.231
How to market, how to things.
00:48:46.231 --> 00:48:50.070
So like everything she says is just pure gold.
00:48:50.070 --> 00:48:53.820
She's got our website also from Costa Rica with Love cuz she lives there six months outta the year.
00:48:54.150 --> 00:48:55.710
I read that religiously.
00:48:55.710 --> 00:49:05.161
You know, I'm planning on like one day going there just to like, um, so I find that she allowed me to, um, make business writing.
00:49:06.201 --> 00:49:11.786
which I always handed to do, and allowed me an opportunity to talk to my customers, like I was mentioning online.
00:49:11.786 --> 00:49:11.876
Mm-hmm.
00:49:12.356 --> 00:49:13.516
in the same language.
00:49:13.626 --> 00:49:14.235
Mm-hmm.
00:49:14.320 --> 00:49:19.496
that I speak to them, you know, cause here I'm a hugger and I'm a this and you know, sometimes the sentences run on.
00:49:19.976 --> 00:49:21.206
Obviously I'm a talker.
00:49:21.536 --> 00:49:28.436
Um, and so she gave me that permission to speak that online language the same way that I speak in the.
00:49:29.201 --> 00:49:33.161
Okay, so it's, I'm assuming it's more like a copywriting.
00:49:33.420 --> 00:49:33.771
Uh,
00:49:33.775 --> 00:49:34.751
she's, yes, yes.
00:49:34.990 --> 00:49:36.521
Someone in, in my own speech.
00:49:36.581 --> 00:49:40.570
Um, I'll give a shout out to Charlene Simon, who owns Bathhouse Puff Carey.
00:49:40.570 --> 00:49:45.940
She has two stores, um, in, uh, Arkansas, and I'm thinking, I think in Missouri's the second.
00:49:45.940 --> 00:49:53.831
But anyway, she's also, she's like the queen of, you know, gorgeous, beautiful marketing and sort of everything she touches looks like gold.
00:49:53.831 --> 00:49:56.081
So she's another one that I really, really, really inspires.
00:49:57.030 --> 00:49:57.521
Okay.
00:49:57.940 --> 00:50:03.371
And final question, best business advice you ever received or you would give to other entrepreneurs?
00:50:04.300 --> 00:50:06.641
Um, treat customers like they're your only customer.
00:50:07.391 --> 00:50:08.981
I'll just go back to customer service.
00:50:09.101 --> 00:50:11.621
It just will always come back to you.
00:50:11.621 --> 00:50:14.260
Always, always, always have to remember that.
00:50:14.710 --> 00:50:18.811
Um, you have no money, you have no business if you have no customers.
00:50:18.811 --> 00:50:19.291
Yeah.
00:50:19.295 --> 00:50:24.731
And so if they're just, um, you know, chips on a, on a, you know, a, a spreadsheet.
00:50:25.451 --> 00:50:28.030
You know, maybe you'll get them once, maybe you'll get them twice.
00:50:28.030 --> 00:50:31.900
But if you want them to come back for the life of your brand, you gotta treat them with.
00:50:32.791 --> 00:50:34.451
So that'ss it, number one.
00:50:34.451 --> 00:50:34.900
Well,
00:50:35.621 --> 00:50:39.641
well, Roberta, that those were all the questions, uh, that I had for you today.
00:50:39.701 --> 00:50:45.550
Uh, thank you again so much for your story, for sharing your entrepreneurial, uh, story.
00:50:45.550 --> 00:50:54.550
And you know, all the different things you'll tried and strategies and you used to start and grow your business, um, watching this interview.
00:50:54.550 --> 00:51:01.331
Wants to get in touch or you want to, wants to buy your product, or, uh, what is the best way they can, uh, connect with your.
00:51:02.166 --> 00:51:05.706
So, um, scrubs with a z scrubs body.com.
00:51:05.916 --> 00:51:09.666
I am back slash scrubs body across all socials.
00:51:09.786 --> 00:51:15.485
And, um, email directly and I'll answer you directly is, um, great skin scrubs body.com.
00:51:16.715 --> 00:51:16.896
Perfect.
00:51:17.195 --> 00:51:17.556
Thank you.
00:51:17.556 --> 00:51:18.576
Thank you again Roberta.
00:51:18.815 --> 00:51:20.335
Really, really appreciate your time today.
00:51:20.436 --> 00:51:21.666
And thank you again for
00:51:21.666 --> 00:51:22.536
joining me today at Triplo.
00:51:22.686 --> 00:51:23.706
My absolute pleasure.
00:51:23.706 --> 00:51:24.576
Thank you for having me.
00:00:40.225 --> 00:00:41.276
Hey there, entrepreneurs.
00:00:41.276 --> 00:00:43.526
My name is Su, and welcome to Trip Talks.
00:00:43.676 --> 00:00:56.095
This is the show where I interview successful e-commerce entrepreneurs, business executives, and thought leaders, and ask them questions about their business story, and also dive deep into some of the and tactics that they have used to start and grow their businesses.
00:00:56.665 --> 00:00:59.845
And today I'm really excited to welcome Roberta Very to the show.
00:01:00.295 --> 00:01:04.316
Roberta is the founder and president of Scrubs Body Skincare product.
00:01:04.960 --> 00:01:14.111
Scott's Body is a skincare brand that utilizes a hundred percent active ingredients in its products, and Scott's body sells pampering and sells love.
00:01:14.471 --> 00:01:16.301
It just happens to come in Jonathan Bottles.
00:01:16.870 --> 00:01:19.180
And we're gonna learn more about that in a second.
00:01:19.721 --> 00:01:27.441
Uh, and today I'm gonna ask a few questions about her journey and some of the impacted that she has used to start and grow her business.
00:01:27.911 --> 00:01:30.971
So thank you so much for joining me today at Trip, Robert.
00:01:30.971 --> 00:01:31.031
I
00:01:31.031 --> 00:01:31.781
really appreciate it.
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My pleasure.
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Happy to be here.
00:01:34.945 --> 00:01:35.876
So, yeah.
00:01:35.881 --> 00:01:39.656
Let's start off with the, with your story, with your entrepreneurial story.
00:01:39.686 --> 00:01:42.236
How did you, when did you start this business?
00:01:42.266 --> 00:01:47.786
How did you come, come up with the idea and what really motivated you to create a skincare skincare
00:01:48.025 --> 00:01:48.585
brand?
00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:57.040
So, um, you know, it goes back before that, in that, um, my background from college, et cetera was graphic design.
00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:58.930
So I kind of had that little background.
00:01:59.381 --> 00:02:07.870
Um, and then one of those clients, I started some other business that failed, but I kind of learned how to do a little website and a little marketing.
00:02:07.870 --> 00:02:11.860
And so I was picking up other skills at that point, you know, but everything I could sort of do from.
00:02:12.461 --> 00:02:17.411
And then when my kids were young, I was selling telecom cuz you know, I fell into that through a friend of mine.
00:02:17.411 --> 00:02:19.781
And so I got, you know, some sales skills.
00:02:19.781 --> 00:02:29.050
So all these three things without realizing it was the foundation for when I was sitting in a business meeting and I scouted.
00:02:29.131 --> 00:02:34.621
Just scratched my elbow and all of a sudden my fingers had blood on them and I'm like, had scratched.
00:02:34.621 --> 00:02:38.371
It was so dry that I'm like bleeding on my papers and I was so embarrassed.
00:02:38.730 --> 00:02:46.411
So I left that meeting and I went into a skincare store and I was introduced to something greater than a lotion was a scrub.
00:02:46.860 --> 00:02:49.230
Um, you know, without thinking it was a salt scrub.
00:02:49.260 --> 00:02:52.411
So I brought it home and I'm washing and I'm like, Ooh, that feels pretty good.
00:02:52.411 --> 00:03:08.531
And then it got into my cut and my eyes started tearing because obviously when you get salt in, So I then was on a quest for products that I felt, you know, that I liked on the other parts of me that didn't have cut, but I was like, I knew I needed to stay away from them.
00:03:08.531 --> 00:03:15.100
And at one point I probably had 20 jars around me and I was like, I might as well just create my own.
00:03:15.640 --> 00:03:26.575
So, Started doing that and my late sister, Michelle had had some retail background, so she said, you know, why don't we jar it up and we can sell it at crafts fields and things like that.
00:03:27.116 --> 00:03:33.205
And so all of a sudden the skills that I had had prior was like, oh, well wait a minute.
00:03:33.211 --> 00:03:38.066
I remembered that I could set up a website and wait a minute, I can design my brochures.
00:03:38.355 --> 00:03:41.086
And I'm not afraid to talk to people and pick up the phone.
00:03:41.086 --> 00:03:57.855
And so everything that I had had, you know, and just in my, you know, working by myself, freelance Journey while I was raising my three kids, found their way very perfectly into this sort of entrepreneurial, entrepreneurial, excuse me, journey, um, when I started Scrubs Body.
00:03:57.855 --> 00:04:07.471
So, you know, getting us out there was very much a hands on, you know, Scraping by, you know, winging a prayer at a dime kind of thing.
00:04:07.920 --> 00:04:11.640
But it was also, oh, I recognize you.
00:04:11.640 --> 00:04:20.750
Like I was in Las Vegas in the casino at nine in the morning cuz it was too hot out and it was the owner of a chain of hair salons on Long Island where I lived.
00:04:21.490 --> 00:04:26.290
And you know, he was looking at me and I was like, oh, I saw your picture in, you know, the one in the town near me.
00:04:26.380 --> 00:04:33.100
And by the way, I've got this product that I just said and you know, so it was this really kind of cool synergistic.
00:04:33.341 --> 00:04:34.781
So that brought me there.
00:04:34.781 --> 00:04:35.680
And then I was.
00:04:36.341 --> 00:04:39.610
Demonstrating for them, and I created certain sense for them.
00:04:39.911 --> 00:04:51.581
And then, um, we did something for, um, a fundraiser and I got into the local newspaper that I created, a signature sent that was gonna donate to, um, Komen nyc, you know, breast cancer.
00:04:52.180 --> 00:04:58.630
And so then the sister of the person who wrote the article, Happens to be the buyer of a local chain of stores, wouldn't you?
00:04:58.630 --> 00:05:05.411
And so it, so it was just this really, you know, so it was a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat, a lot of 15 hour days.
00:05:05.860 --> 00:05:17.290
But it was so much love, you know, love and luck and, and, you know, pieces fitting together, mentoring, you know, my big believer in, um, mentors and people giving great advice who've been around.
00:05:17.651 --> 00:05:19.701
Um, so that's it.
00:05:19.701 --> 00:05:23.050
It was still 16 and a half years later.
00:05:23.050 --> 00:05:23.081
I.
00:05:23.940 --> 00:05:30.850
What I thought of business, you know, so that, that was really my journey was, was like, hmm, how can I take it from there?
00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:36.581
I mean, you know, a lot of people say, you know, entrepreneurs are born or, you know, entrepreneurs are made.
00:05:36.581 --> 00:05:41.560
To me it seems like the way you're describing is almost like, you know, you're kind of your own made entrepreneur.
00:05:41.565 --> 00:05:54.730
But then I think, you know, if you were doing freelance, Even before that, and you had a bit of an entrepreneurial, uh, bug in you to begin with, uh, all you had to do was kinda of like, you know, realize that you're, you're, you know, you're an entrepreneur.
00:05:55.211 --> 00:06:07.420
Um, so can you share a little bit about your products, you know, what is unique, uh, about your skin care products and, you know, because skincare, there's like so many products out there.
00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:12.880
How do you, how do you, like, what is the benefit outta uh, people using your product
00:06:13.091 --> 00:06:13.511
to get outta.
00:06:14.081 --> 00:06:20.980
So what started with, um, the scrub, you know, which I have said many times, and I'll say it forever.
00:06:21.011 --> 00:06:26.800
Um, if I'm stranded on a desert island and I can only bring one of my products, it will always be the scrub.
00:06:27.430 --> 00:06:41.261
Um, because what I realize, you know, back, you know, 17 years ago and to this minute when I get in the shower and I still get excited about using it, is that by polishing your skin, you are continually regenerating the skin cells.
00:06:41.911 --> 00:06:45.781
Without going into the science of it, et cetera, it's, it's as simple as that.
00:06:45.781 --> 00:06:48.721
It's like unzipping the dead stuff, stepping out fresh.
00:06:49.170 --> 00:06:51.630
So there's many of those on the market.
00:06:51.661 --> 00:07:06.591
There's chemical peels and res and brushes and buzzy things and you know, all sorts of stuff, but, You know, in all the years I was researching, um, and using products even probably to, to creating this, um, was that sugar?
00:07:06.920 --> 00:07:08.750
It's the, it's stable.
00:07:08.870 --> 00:07:11.661
It won't burn, it won't irritate if you get it in a cut.
00:07:11.990 --> 00:07:15.560
Um, it's, it's a, a humectant which draws water to it.
00:07:15.891 --> 00:07:19.880
When you melt it, it releases traces of glycolic acid, like in the retina.
00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:20.600
So I was.
00:07:21.505 --> 00:07:23.636
So it's not just a cool chemical exfoliate in, its good.
00:07:24.055 --> 00:07:35.576
So put that together with natural bot oils that are similar to skin and all of a sudden in an easy package, like I would say Mother Nature made my recipe, but I was happy enough to put it in a jar.
00:07:36.086 --> 00:07:46.641
Um, You are allowing yourself to, instead of, you know, bubbling up and you know, great soap is still great soap and you can use this once a week, twice a week, you know, is what I recommend.
00:07:46.730 --> 00:07:49.190
You can use it every day, but once or twice a week is perfect.
00:07:49.610 --> 00:07:57.141
On those days when you're regenerating your skin cells, all the other days when you're using other products, they're being put on better.
00:07:58.165 --> 00:08:00.115
So there's, I would, there's no magic here.
00:08:00.175 --> 00:08:01.105
There's no rocket science.
00:08:01.735 --> 00:08:07.045
Exfoliation is the single greatest thing you can do to your skin prior, you know, excuse me.
00:08:07.255 --> 00:08:15.206
In addition to drinking the right amount of water and eating healthy good food, getting them, you know, right amount of sleep, you know, all those things I can't do for anybody.
00:08:15.211 --> 00:08:18.115
I tell them, I'm like, I could give you the products, but I can't do the other stuff.
00:08:18.536 --> 00:08:22.255
You know, stress, relaxation, you know, meditation, all those things.
00:08:23.440 --> 00:08:25.930
Calm you and make everything else work better.
00:08:25.990 --> 00:08:30.221
You know, keeping collage in up, all those other things are absolutely important.
00:08:30.581 --> 00:08:38.171
But when it comes down to just good basic skin care, every product is going to work better on skin that's been polished.
00:08:38.260 --> 00:08:40.660
And so that's sort of the number one on my line.
00:08:41.171 --> 00:08:48.341
Um, and when people do it, and it goes back to the tagline you and I discussed is, you know, a quick shower.
00:08:48.341 --> 00:08:49.541
All right, I'm gonna rush, I'm going.
00:08:49.541 --> 00:08:49.931
I have to.
00:08:50.875 --> 00:08:54.985
But when it's scrub day, you're like, oh, I'm taking an extra minute.
00:08:55.735 --> 00:08:56.336
I'm worth it.
00:08:56.936 --> 00:09:11.365
So it's allowing yourself to pamper your skin, to enjoy that moment in the shower where you can exhale and just love on yourself a little bit more, pamper yourself a little bit more, and then.
00:09:11.796 --> 00:09:17.975
Be, you know, cleansed, polished and moisturized in one step so that it all started with that.
00:09:18.306 --> 00:09:24.755
And then we kind of branched off into, okay, well there's some people that might just want a foot scrub and you know, a hand scrub.
00:09:25.086 --> 00:09:33.025
So we whipped it with shea butter, and then someone like me who goes right back to the computer, Sometimes it was almost too creamy.
00:09:33.296 --> 00:09:37.135
So we created something with our soap maker, um, Angela of likeness soaps.
00:09:37.495 --> 00:09:40.615
Um, we added soap to a scrub and we created scribbles.
00:09:40.706 --> 00:09:45.416
And then a customer came and said, I love your oil spray, but I want more of lotion.
00:09:45.475 --> 00:09:49.405
So we took her advice and you know, like, alright, we do need a lotion and a.
00:09:49.760 --> 00:09:55.370
So most of my products were born from necessity from clients solving their problems.
00:09:55.791 --> 00:10:06.770
Um, most of them are all sort of based around the same principle, and so in some ways you could get everything the, I should say, the benefit almost of every one of our products.
00:10:07.301 --> 00:10:14.691
In two or three products, but some people really do, they want a whole gift set or they want just something very specific.
00:10:14.696 --> 00:10:16.360
So we cater to that need.
00:10:16.931 --> 00:10:26.980
But personally, me, I, I'm the, you know, the face oils that take off my makeup, the scrubs to wash my whole body and the, you know, bye bye bags at night as my underwear face cream.
00:10:27.250 --> 00:10:28.120
You know, I personally.
00:10:29.115 --> 00:10:30.615
You know, two or three products.
00:10:31.066 --> 00:10:43.846
But I, you know, I love that people like everything else, you know, so, so it's, it's, it's really comes down to just, like I said, self love and, and allowing yourself to use a better product, allowing yourself to take an extra five minutes.
00:10:44.836 --> 00:10:45.015
And
00:10:45.405 --> 00:10:48.015
are these products more geared towards women?
00:10:48.020 --> 00:10:56.171
It's, it's, uh, or I mean, I guess men are beginning to use some of these kind of products also.
00:10:56.171 --> 00:11:03.191
I mean, recently I was like, I think I was on TikTok and I saw this ad from with Brad Pit in that.
00:11:03.916 --> 00:11:05.546
I don't know if you came across that, but I
00:11:05.546 --> 00:11:07.166
think he seen, he has his own line of
00:11:07.245 --> 00:11:13.196
speak and, and he was like going through like this ad where he was saying, you know, in the morning I wake up, I do this and that.
00:11:13.706 --> 00:11:15.806
It just, it a little bit weird to me.
00:11:17.515 --> 00:11:24.446
How do you, like, how do you, like, are your, um, is your target market really or do you also see men using
00:11:24.446 --> 00:11:24.806
this kinda.
00:11:25.885 --> 00:11:27.235
You know, that's such a great question.
00:11:27.296 --> 00:11:33.535
Um, because when we first started, you know, like I said, I'm like truly the accidental entrepreneur.
00:11:34.076 --> 00:11:40.586
Um, it was, well, hey, great, everybody has skin.
00:11:40.591 --> 00:11:41.306
Cool.
00:11:41.456 --> 00:11:43.076
Let's market to everybody.
00:11:43.721 --> 00:11:51.971
And, you know, I'm sure you know us doing this many years that fell flat on its face, um, because you have to hone to who you're talking to.
00:11:52.510 --> 00:11:53.461
Niche, niche.
00:11:53.740 --> 00:12:02.530
So what we realized is that when I kind of created my avatar of who is my ideal customer, um, absolutely it is women.
00:12:02.561 --> 00:12:07.091
It is, um, between 45 and 65, you know, college.
00:12:07.211 --> 00:12:07.980
You know what I mean?
00:12:08.801 --> 00:12:14.831
So I kind of have that person I named her, I named her Lisa, actually based on the woman that that, uh, asked me to make the lotion for her.
00:12:15.100 --> 00:12:26.350
However, um, my late sister came up with the idea of Make your own scrubs parties, you know, we do them in our shop and we nail out boxes, you know, filled with all the stuff for people to do well.
00:12:26.350 --> 00:12:26.681
Hello.
00:12:26.681 --> 00:12:29.051
That's hitting a target of, you know, eight.
00:12:29.160 --> 00:12:34.410
To whatever age, and then we created shaves and shaves oils for beards.
00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:36.211
So then we hit the male target.
00:12:36.721 --> 00:12:36.780
Hmm.
00:12:36.811 --> 00:12:52.081
So what's really nice is that I only kind of speak to this amount in my marketing techniques and sort of my language, but they're married or they have boyfriends or you know, partners and they have kids.
00:12:52.321 --> 00:12:55.380
So the spectrum has widen, um, by lamette.
00:12:55.681 --> 00:13:06.666
So my joke, when a guy comes in, And grabs, whether it's our shaves or even just another, like my husband doesn't like the sense of like after shave, he likes the cherry mond or the coconut.
00:13:06.936 --> 00:13:10.416
So he's gonna take the standard scrub and not the men's shaves.
00:13:10.416 --> 00:13:12.966
Cuz the shaves one is more of an after shave kind of a smell.
00:13:13.505 --> 00:13:15.135
So, but they'll come up and they'll.
00:13:15.311 --> 00:13:22.211
So slamming on the counter and I ring them up and they're out of here in 30 seconds to a minute and a half mo, you know?
00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:24.280
And so they're their worst.
00:13:24.280 --> 00:13:26.561
They are my worst first customer.
00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:29.260
Um, because they don't wanna hear it, not leave me alone.
00:13:29.260 --> 00:13:49.346
It's my, you know, But as soon as they recognize the fact that, oh, I don't have razor burn anymore, or Oh my goodness, you know, I was really dry and my hands don't feel, you know, you know, like I just left the the shop anymore because like the hand scrub is unbelievable and getting greasing grime and callous away, but trying to convince them of that.
00:13:50.650 --> 00:13:56.410
So a lot of them, they'll go home, they'll use their partners a little, they'll come in, they'll kind of ask me a question here.
00:13:56.410 --> 00:13:57.551
It's really cute.
00:13:57.971 --> 00:14:04.870
So, um, marketing to men is very subliminal, um, in just that it works.
00:14:05.471 --> 00:14:09.131
And so then they'll use it after they've tried it.
00:14:09.821 --> 00:14:14.591
So, so a hundred percent it's for guys, but it's not who I'm speaking to at all.
00:14:14.831 --> 00:14:21.581
They just get the luck of it after the, like, I'll joke with them, I'm like, you know, especially if a couple comes in, I'm like, you wash my back, I'll wash yours.
00:14:21.760 --> 00:14:31.360
You know, don't forget, you know, like, like I come up with some really silly things, but it kind of makes them recognize the fact that, hello, I guess I have skin too and I can use it, you know, cute.
00:14:32.441 --> 00:14:33.640
So I, I get such a cake
00:14:33.640 --> 00:14:33.971
outta it.
00:14:35.230 --> 00:14:38.140
I mean, it seems like you've got some great, like one-liners.
00:14:38.140 --> 00:14:41.020
I mean, to me it seems like you're like a natural salesperson.
00:14:41.530 --> 00:14:41.770
Thank you.
00:14:42.671 --> 00:14:43.541
Only for this.
00:14:43.870 --> 00:14:48.730
I couldn't sell you an expensive shirt when the one I buy is from, you know, Marshalls or TJ Max.
00:14:48.735 --> 00:14:49.721
You know, you know what I mean?
00:14:50.270 --> 00:14:54.100
It's, I mean, you, you believe in your product then, you know?
00:14:54.110 --> 00:14:54.880
I get that.
00:14:55.061 --> 00:14:55.660
That makes it easy.
00:14:56.230 --> 00:15:02.640
That's what, um, can you take me to, you know, when you started the business and to me it seems like your business.
00:15:03.791 --> 00:15:08.740
Um, came about organically and your products came about kinda organically.
00:15:09.071 --> 00:15:20.051
Can you share, like was there any kind of investment at the beginning and how did you get your first customers and how did you realize that yes, I can create a business out of this product that
00:15:20.051 --> 00:15:20.591
I've created?
00:15:21.610 --> 00:15:25.600
So, um, the beginning, beginning, I really will credit it too.
00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:39.910
I made it for myself and the thought of selling it was, you know, not even, so I give that to my late sister, um, because she, she loved going to craft fairs, so the thought of selling it then for her was just the greatest thing in the world.
00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:50.980
So that's how we got our first customers was, you know, Signing up for whatever table would have us a holiday fair, a school function, you know, really truly anything.
00:15:51.321 --> 00:15:57.431
And we just packed the car and, you know, if it was seven o'clock at night or 12 o'clock in the afternoon, we showed up.
00:15:57.941 --> 00:16:02.831
You know, so that, that's really, I would say that's the number one thing to entrepreneurship showing up.
00:16:03.280 --> 00:16:05.441
You know, you're gonna, you're gonna fall flatter your face.
00:16:05.441 --> 00:16:08.260
Some ideas are gonna completely, you know, be horrific.
00:16:08.260 --> 00:16:10.421
You're gonna spend stupid money depending.
00:16:11.696 --> 00:16:14.546
I keep showing up, so we just kept showing up.
00:16:14.905 --> 00:16:19.495
And, um, also key, you know, which I still to this minute do in my.
00:16:20.306 --> 00:16:24.956
Is emails you have to have, and I don't call it emails, I call it insiders.
00:16:25.105 --> 00:16:28.855
And that's, I treat every emails with love and respect.
00:16:28.916 --> 00:16:31.015
You know, people ask me, oh my God, you wouldn't sell my name?
00:16:31.015 --> 00:16:33.505
I'm like, oh my, this is gold to me.
00:16:34.046 --> 00:16:36.895
You know, I recently, I, I did a fair, an expo recently.
00:16:36.895 --> 00:16:38.125
I haven't done one of those in a long time.
00:16:38.515 --> 00:16:42.056
And I collected a bunch of emails, like 29 I think it was.
00:16:42.056 --> 00:16:43.436
It was, it was amazing.
00:16:43.885 --> 00:16:48.806
And I said, as much as I loved obviously making money that day and meeting new people that for.
00:16:49.676 --> 00:16:59.186
Was the number one aspect of the whole entire day was that I had this opportunity to now speak to them in the future, you know?
00:16:59.316 --> 00:16:59.796
And that kind of.
00:17:00.610 --> 00:17:00.850
Yeah.
00:17:01.071 --> 00:17:03.370
So, so that's, that's, that's really awesome.
00:17:03.431 --> 00:17:17.891
Um, so, um, is your manufacturing, like, have you grown, you shared a little bit about how you, you know, were you creating your products in house and are you still, like, what does your manufacturing look like?
00:17:17.891 --> 00:17:20.711
Have you outsourced some of your manufacturing?
00:17:20.711 --> 00:17:24.611
Do you have like in in-house people who are doing some of your product manufacturing?
00:17:24.611 --> 00:17:25.121
How, how are.
00:17:25.965 --> 00:17:26.566
Creating new product.
00:17:27.016 --> 00:17:33.705
So everything here I can actually, this I can turn my computer a little, if you could see that door right there.
00:17:33.711 --> 00:17:34.125
Yeah.
00:17:34.395 --> 00:17:36.405
Leads to our manufacturing room.
00:17:36.705 --> 00:17:44.145
So, um, absolutely everything that we sell with our brand name on it except the shampoo and conditioner.
00:17:44.596 --> 00:17:45.945
Um, we manufacture.
00:17:46.826 --> 00:17:47.316
Yeah.
00:17:47.320 --> 00:17:55.826
Um, that, you know, I, I didn't sort of wanna go down that path, so I found one that I had been using myself for years that I was purchasing under another label.
00:17:56.096 --> 00:17:59.395
And, you know, it turned out I actually knew who the formulator was.
00:17:59.816 --> 00:18:07.596
Um, but anyway, so that I, I will private label, but everything else we make in house my soap maker, I'll give her my fra.
00:18:08.215 --> 00:18:13.016
She'll make our soap for us, you know, um, so that, that's a leg of soap, you know.
00:18:13.046 --> 00:18:21.205
Um, and then I have my friend Sandy, and so she earns the purple sage and she makes this incredible, it's a course between a bath, bem, and a, and a bubble bath.
00:18:21.566 --> 00:18:23.036
I give her some of my scent.
00:18:23.155 --> 00:18:27.115
She'll create, you know, so like products that I don't wanna create myself.
00:18:27.901 --> 00:18:37.060
I have maker friends that make, so I still get to, um, market and sell products that I am wild for because I use them myself.
00:18:37.060 --> 00:18:37.840
I respect them.
00:18:37.846 --> 00:18:43.780
They're made with amazing ingredients, but I don't have to actually make them myself, you know, things like that.
00:18:44.560 --> 00:18:44.911
So.
00:18:44.911 --> 00:18:45.310
That's cool.
00:18:45.721 --> 00:18:49.151
Oh, Sorry about that.
00:18:49.580 --> 00:18:50.270
It's ok.
00:18:50.270 --> 00:18:54.351
It's, uh, I'm assuming that to thats friend or, uh,
00:18:55.715 --> 00:18:57.596
That's one of my best friend's moms.
00:18:57.806 --> 00:18:58.766
That's really funny.
00:18:59.185 --> 00:19:00.536
She must be in town today.
00:19:01.135 --> 00:19:02.365
So sorry, everyone
00:19:03.746 --> 00:19:18.205
So do you, do you consider, I mean it seems like, you know, when you collect email addresses, like of people who you're interacting with, maybe in, in person, um, is your business now more of like an online business where.
00:19:19.405 --> 00:19:41.576
Uh, most of your focus is like building the list online, or is your focus still on building that community building, you know, meeting people face to face and collecting email addresses and then, and then, you know, of course you're communicating with them later, but do you consider, are you still more very focused on, you know, building a community kind of a business or building an online
00:19:42.306 --> 00:19:42.425
business?
00:19:42.625 --> 00:19:45.296
Um, Both.
00:19:45.296 --> 00:19:45.736
Okay.
00:19:46.256 --> 00:19:49.016
No, it's, it's realizing that I didn't finish the question before.
00:19:49.016 --> 00:19:59.215
So what started with that, with the emails and what my mentors really pushed is that, you know, social media is building your house on someone else's foundation.
00:20:00.066 --> 00:20:00.546
Yeah.
00:20:00.550 --> 00:20:03.625
Um, and so of course I'll, I'll use that somewhat.
00:20:03.685 --> 00:20:13.855
Um, but on the flip side, it's the conversation that I get to have with my audience, um, directly is, is unbelievable.
00:20:13.861 --> 00:20:20.756
You know, here, I dunno if I should turn this, but, um, is, is unbelievable that I can long form conversations.
00:20:20.875 --> 00:20:26.395
I can, they can email me back, I can answer them, I can, you know, um, really create.
00:20:27.621 --> 00:20:36.790
A community online that is equal to the community that I have built, you know, in the, um, you know, here in the store.
00:20:38.096 --> 00:20:39.086
Okay, cool.
00:20:39.806 --> 00:20:42.145
Um, and are you selling right now?
00:20:42.145 --> 00:20:45.625
Is it really just your online storefront that you sell through?
00:20:45.685 --> 00:20:51.895
Have you used like online marketplaces like, you know, XC or eBay or Amazon?
00:20:52.105 --> 00:20:52.855
No.
00:20:52.915 --> 00:20:54.266
Um, can you, can you share a little bit
00:20:54.266 --> 00:20:55.846
about your Yeah.
00:20:55.851 --> 00:21:00.955
Um, I know look, plenty of people have and that they have great success and so I'll never talk down about it.
00:21:02.115 --> 00:21:11.986
Maybe because I started, um, my online close to 17 years ago, some of those didn't even exist and I was piecing it together with what I had learned from the previous business.
00:21:12.435 --> 00:21:18.105
Um, and so that I took, I kind of just always wanted my own real estate, you know, I kept saying that.
00:21:18.111 --> 00:21:22.516
So, because I already had an online presence with my own.
00:21:23.431 --> 00:21:25.020
I kind of never wanted to go there.
00:21:25.441 --> 00:21:27.840
Someone had approached me with the Amazon thing.
00:21:27.840 --> 00:21:33.631
You know, part of me says, should I have, should I have, you know, there's really two school toor that some people love it and want it.
00:21:34.431 --> 00:21:36.090
It wasn't what I was looking for.
00:21:36.090 --> 00:21:40.830
I didn't wanna dilute my, you know, in fact, one person tried at at at at one point.
00:21:40.830 --> 00:21:45.601
This is many, many years ago, and I was really proud of the fact that he.
00:21:46.601 --> 00:21:51.730
You know, because it was more of like he was willing to try and had just like purchased 12 draws and figured he would see.
00:21:52.151 --> 00:21:56.201
He said that every time he kept putting stuff in, he kept getting it back to my website.
00:21:56.201 --> 00:22:00.881
So at that point, my SEO was sort of better that he was willing to spend the money and generate.
00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:03.550
And so I was like, I might as well just keep it on there.
00:22:04.030 --> 00:22:12.401
But for some people, you know, like I'll have a, a cousin who owns a business, um, and he just couldn't believe, you know, he's willing to give up whatever it is, 15%.
00:22:12.881 --> 00:22:16.631
Um, The amount it's generating is, is ridiculous.
00:22:16.691 --> 00:22:20.171
Um, but he sells like, um, uh, marine supply.
00:22:20.621 --> 00:22:35.651
I'm selling tampering, I'm selling, you know, so I kind of don't want it to, mine sort of stands out because I don't want it to be lumped into the other amazing brands out there, but that's how I kind of stand above the frame a little bit more.
00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:35.830
Mm-hmm.
00:22:36.161 --> 00:22:36.701
that kinda thing.
00:22:36.760 --> 00:22:36.961
Yeah.
00:22:37.181 --> 00:22:37.421
Yeah.
00:22:37.721 --> 00:22:39.080
So it seems like, I mean, for.
00:22:39.746 --> 00:23:23.421
A brand like this or a product category like this, uh, where, um, you have, um, um, where, where you, I mean, you're competing with so many other, uh, similar kind of product, you know, trying to achieve, you know, similar, similar results for, for the, um, it, it doesn't really come down to, you know, branding and marketing and really, Um, communi communicating your value proposition or your, uh, vision to the customer directly and, and having them connect with that, um, so that they, they're buying from you rather than buying from, you know, or different, uh, product, which could be similar.
00:23:24.550 --> 00:23:31.570
Um, and to me it seems like you do that better in a, in a, in person one to one scenario and, and building that
00:23:31.570 --> 00:23:32.201
relationship.
00:23:32.621 --> 00:23:43.490
The, the conversation that I try, you know, um, if you read the copy on my website, I try really hard to bring in that same feeling.
00:23:44.175 --> 00:23:52.395
And understanding and, and recognizing that people have problems and, um, I could potentially solve that problem for them.
00:23:52.695 --> 00:24:05.246
So that kind of love and wrap around, I try really hard to convey, but there's nothing like having people you love come into the store, wanna hug, you, wanna kiss, you see, you know what I mean?
00:24:05.246 --> 00:24:09.346
Like that, you know, I, people leave here and I'm like, welcome to the.
00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:16.300
And so that translates to, again, they can't come in, they're ordering online.
00:24:16.661 --> 00:24:18.401
They just came in and bought a few gifts.
00:24:18.611 --> 00:24:20.861
They're sharing it with other people.
00:24:20.951 --> 00:24:22.810
Those people then can buy online.
00:24:23.050 --> 00:24:33.760
So that's why my answer prior was yes, because my ultimate goal is to build an incredibly, you know, wonderful and huge, um, online community.
00:24:34.270 --> 00:24:37.270
But I want each of them to still feel you.
00:24:38.066 --> 00:24:40.855
Pretty much just as special as if they had walked into the store.
00:24:41.905 --> 00:24:45.895
So this store is kinda a storefront where anybody can walk in.
00:24:46.330 --> 00:24:50.830
Look at your products, like their, your products or is it more like an office?
00:24:50.921 --> 00:24:52.601
Somebody has to create an appointment?
00:24:52.961 --> 00:24:53.592
No, no, no, no.
00:24:53.596 --> 00:25:03.280
It's, it's, that's again, you know, door open, you know, it's, it's a full shop in the center of a main street of, of a pretty, really vibrant town on Long Island called Farmingdale.
00:25:03.701 --> 00:25:13.510
Um, what we got lucky in that there's lots of restaurants and bars and, you know, cool places to go, but we are one of only like 10 shopping stores.
00:25:13.941 --> 00:25:15.411
But we're next to the gift store.
00:25:15.411 --> 00:25:17.570
So it's kind of where, like the little shopping area.
00:25:17.570 --> 00:25:22.881
And then they'll go out and, you know, so they'll come here, then they'll go out for dinner, they'll have a party here, then they'll go out for dinner.
00:25:23.151 --> 00:25:26.030
They'll go out for dinner or go out for lunch, come here, shop afterwards.
00:25:26.330 --> 00:25:30.651
So it's, it's, um, there was a main street fair on Saturday.
00:25:31.256 --> 00:25:34.496
You know, they close off the whole main street and it's shopped, you know, vendor.
00:25:34.796 --> 00:25:38.965
So I love the vibrancy of that kind of one-on-one.
00:25:39.355 --> 00:25:45.986
Um, but what's lucky is the way that we split it, so like the door here, um, is all our storage.
00:25:46.125 --> 00:25:49.695
So I've got, you know, extra jars and all of it, you know, so that's that.
00:25:49.756 --> 00:25:52.246
And then manufacturing is behind us.
00:25:52.336 --> 00:25:59.056
So we had this sort of like wide space of full storefront and then this whole back space of all production.
00:25:59.326 --> 00:26:02.056
And we were lucky enough to sort of get it into one space.
00:26:02.746 --> 00:26:03.556
And because we're.
00:26:04.516 --> 00:26:05.346
An active ingredient.
00:26:05.346 --> 00:26:13.955
You know, I don't use water, which means that's why you had mentioned before a hundred percent active ingredients is, um, I don't need preservatives because I am a non-water product.
00:26:13.955 --> 00:26:20.885
So it's just the butters and the oils and the sugar and, you know, um, so I want to make them in smaller batches.
00:26:21.215 --> 00:26:25.086
So I would rather produce product five and six days a.
00:26:25.996 --> 00:26:29.445
Um, than just have, you know, this big, massive, you know, kind of thing.
00:26:29.715 --> 00:26:33.226
So, we'll, we're always, always rolling over smaller batches.
00:26:33.226 --> 00:26:33.465
Yeah.
00:26:33.465 --> 00:26:38.236
So, so the amount of space that we back have back there has luckily, you know, been enough.
00:26:38.326 --> 00:26:38.895
It's been great.
00:26:40.306 --> 00:27:01.256
Um, in terms of your online marketing and customer acquisition, of course, you know, the, the advantage of online is that you can access, you know, markets that are not local and you can, you know, If one is able to communicate the value proposition and the brand properly, I mean, you can attract so many more customers through this, uh, channel.
00:27:01.766 --> 00:27:04.165
How, how are you using online?
00:27:04.736 --> 00:27:09.776
Um, and, uh, to, to bring in more, more customers for your
00:27:09.776 --> 00:27:10.135
business.
00:27:11.395 --> 00:27:24.955
So, um, Again, I u I did so many little things in the beginning that I, I, going back to my accidental entrepreneurship, uh, I didn't really know how to market.
00:27:25.736 --> 00:27:31.865
Shy of, you know, short of, excuse me, that, that one on one and that, that, so I kind of went with my strengths.
00:27:31.871 --> 00:27:34.645
So social, I had absolutely have a social presence.
00:27:35.066 --> 00:27:40.405
You know, my Instagram, my Facebook, I kind of picked, you know, the two that I could work the most.
00:27:40.705 --> 00:27:41.875
You know, I was too old.
00:27:41.875 --> 00:27:47.665
And, and you know, at that point just, I was like not getting into the, and I know people are making a lot of money, all those other stuff.
00:27:48.026 --> 00:27:53.415
So what I did instead is realize, What gives you the most credibility?
00:27:53.836 --> 00:28:01.006
Um, besides putting ads in things and that's being picked up in, in, um, magazines and getting, you know, PR and stuff.
00:28:01.605 --> 00:28:07.965
So I wanna say I, I started it earlier, but I really started getting good at it around 2010.
00:28:08.655 --> 00:28:10.215
Um, help a reporter out.
00:28:10.695 --> 00:28:23.036
Um, And it's a way for you to connect with, um, other writers or journalists that are looking for, um, you know, writer, excuse me, that one, like an answer to their own question.
00:28:23.546 --> 00:28:27.385
And so I've been picked up at this point now over 150 times.
00:28:28.046 --> 00:28:30.625
And so I even wrote a book on how to, you know, get free publicity.
00:28:30.631 --> 00:28:32.365
So getting PR.
00:28:32.810 --> 00:28:34.310
Has been tremendous.
00:28:34.490 --> 00:28:43.490
Another thing that was huge for us, which was really super fun was, and it started from a hero thing, um, was we were on Bravo tv.
00:28:43.881 --> 00:28:50.060
Um, the guy from Million Dollar Listing Ryan Sirhan, they gave him his own chauffeur, um, one season called Salt like Sirhan.
00:28:50.510 --> 00:28:53.211
So we were an episode on Salt Lake Sarhan.
00:28:53.351 --> 00:28:57.221
And so, I mean, That opened us up to an audience.
00:28:57.701 --> 00:28:58.871
It was like, unbelievable.
00:28:58.871 --> 00:29:01.181
I wish they gave me a second season, cuz they would've had repeats then.
00:29:01.661 --> 00:29:05.171
But, so, so we have, we've picked up pockets.
00:29:05.441 --> 00:29:14.800
And so, and what I also chose to do again, har, um, is every, I dunno, four times a week, they put out, um, a gift bag inquiry.
00:29:15.431 --> 00:29:15.520
Mm-hmm.
00:29:15.760 --> 00:29:18.730
So I'll look and see if anyone's, you know, if it's the right fit.
00:29:18.730 --> 00:29:24.641
So, just recently I donated 60 jars to a women's event right here on Long Island.
00:29:25.465 --> 00:29:27.296
Age demographic is perfect.
00:29:27.566 --> 00:29:39.236
You know, if you know my cost was a few hundred dollars for sure, but if I had placed an ad in a paper that's a possible one off that they can't touch, they can't smell, they can't see.
00:29:39.536 --> 00:29:42.205
This is 60 women holding my jar.
00:29:43.391 --> 00:29:46.540
So charitable events, you know, that was a big jar.
00:29:46.631 --> 00:29:52.211
Charitable events we have, I dunno if I have one here, I don't, um, a two ounce size, I'll donate a hundred of those.
00:29:52.721 --> 00:29:59.921
So I found ways of, of, um, getting spreading the name, you know, without.
00:30:00.846 --> 00:30:13.026
You know, again, we tried some ads and things like that, and unless you've got a really obscene amount of money to throw at that kind of thing, skincare is a tough one to have advertisement for.
00:30:13.026 --> 00:30:15.006
Again, I didn't have the money for tv.
00:30:15.276 --> 00:30:17.945
I didn't, you know, um, or that constant push, push, push.
00:30:18.455 --> 00:30:27.635
Um, I didn't, you know, I could have hired, you know, I, I did for a little while, but it was, it just didn't feel as authentic, um, you know, like a team to sort of help.
00:30:28.346 --> 00:30:37.195
I was like, let me do the things that you know, and that's, again, probably one of the pieces of advice I would give is to treat customers the best you can.
00:30:37.286 --> 00:30:38.875
Then they'll bring customers back.
00:30:39.776 --> 00:30:44.125
Do it the way that feels comfortable, because then, then doing, it's easy.
00:30:44.336 --> 00:30:45.895
Like you said, you see my passion.
00:30:46.346 --> 00:30:55.086
I'm in love with my own You know, it's easy to, when I, I get to see people smiling and come in here and I just need their day or you know, oh my God, I got it as a gift.
00:30:55.840 --> 00:31:00.250
You can't put a price on that, but then it's the bill showing up.
00:31:00.310 --> 00:31:15.520
It's the making sure that you know, some people who forget, you get your email once a week, staying top of mind, you know, so there's all these little pockets that you can, um, layer and combine onto loving on people in the first place.
00:31:16.540 --> 00:31:16.840
Yeah.
00:31:16.840 --> 00:31:18.131
And, and you mentioned Har.
00:31:18.340 --> 00:31:21.881
I mean, Harrow is a great resource, uh, help a reporter out.
00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:36.070
I was recently, um, trying to get on there and uh, uh, I think what they have done now is they've put some criteria, like you have to meet, uh, you have to be in like top 300,000 online sites or something like that.
00:31:36.401 --> 00:31:38.921
So, so they definitely made it a little bit difficult.
00:31:38.921 --> 00:31:41.530
But you're saying that you're still working with them?
00:31:42.830 --> 00:31:53.810
Well, I just get, you know, I'm sorry if I'm offending anybody cuz some people pay for it and I think the paid version gets you, um, the, in the query is much quicker.
00:31:53.840 --> 00:32:02.270
You know, cuz there are some that are very tied deadlines and you can stockpile your answers in a, um, you know, there's a form within the hero site.
00:32:02.300 --> 00:32:02.391
Mm-hmm.
00:32:02.830 --> 00:32:04.701
So there was definitely some, for a while I was a paid member.
00:32:04.701 --> 00:32:12.151
Definitely benefits, but it mentally I got so good at, you know, Saving, um, the information anyway.
00:32:12.151 --> 00:32:14.040
Like, I have a folder that's just for har.
00:32:14.490 --> 00:32:20.101
I've got my bio that's, you know, ripe and ready, you know, that I'm always looking at making sure it's tweaked properly.
00:32:20.490 --> 00:32:32.310
Um, other queries that I've done in the past could, but they could have been from three years ago, um, might very suit something and so that I'll, that I'll pick it up and tweak it to make it, you know, Mmm.
00:32:32.401 --> 00:32:33.391
New and fresh.
00:32:34.036 --> 00:32:36.476
but then we submitted so I didn't have to rewrite a whole thing.
00:32:37.016 --> 00:32:39.776
So I got really good at answering them.
00:32:39.776 --> 00:32:44.246
Even if they're, you know, the deadline is two hours from when I'm looking at the email.
00:32:44.246 --> 00:32:45.776
I got really good at answering them.
00:32:46.346 --> 00:32:52.195
And I would say that you kind of find a formula that works for you because like I'll get busy and do something.
00:32:52.195 --> 00:32:55.256
It'll be holiday season and I'm not answering any of them cuz it's just too busy.
00:32:55.306 --> 00:32:55.915
Mm-hmm.
00:32:55.996 --> 00:32:57.355
And then the minute I go back to.
00:32:58.266 --> 00:33:00.131
all of a sudden I'm getting picked up again.
00:33:00.191 --> 00:33:01.931
You know, it might only be one out of 10.
00:33:01.990 --> 00:33:02.560
That's okay.
00:33:02.560 --> 00:33:18.520
There's a lot of people doing this, but you, you know, so what I have found, um, is the best way to, to gain that system, you know, that for lack of a better way to do it, really just answer it properly, is to be authentic, is to answer the question.
00:33:18.520 --> 00:33:23.171
Don't be like, oh, I'll just give them a little taste of it because I don't wanna give too much information.
00:33:23.445 --> 00:33:25.635
No, they don't click delete.
00:33:25.905 --> 00:33:26.596
They don't want that.
00:33:26.925 --> 00:33:31.125
You know, the reporter wants you to speak directly to solve the, it's the same thing I'm doing here.
00:33:31.455 --> 00:33:31.786
Problem.
00:33:31.786 --> 00:33:34.066
You know, customer comes in, they have dried skin.
00:33:34.066 --> 00:33:35.175
I wanna solve their problems.
00:33:35.415 --> 00:33:39.165
So if a reporter has a question that they need answered, I wanna solve their problem.
00:33:39.496 --> 00:33:44.175
So press will look, you know, and, and thank them, you know.
00:33:44.921 --> 00:33:53.861
One of the greatest things that I, I was a Fox News reporter in Dallas when I had this other business, had said to me, he's like, it's amazing how many people came to him looking for publicity.
00:33:54.280 --> 00:33:57.820
But the minute he gave it to them, they like forgot that he existed.
00:33:57.826 --> 00:34:00.250
They forgot to thank him for, for doing Right.
00:34:00.250 --> 00:34:01.361
You know, and stuff like that.
00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:07.961
And so it's, it's thanking them, building relationships, you know, with any customer but with anything.
00:34:08.021 --> 00:34:13.661
And, and then they'll write about your business when they need something to, I recently got an email from someone who.
00:34:14.235 --> 00:34:16.315
It's been three years since the last time she wrote about us.
00:34:16.315 --> 00:34:17.786
She's like, what do you got going on for the holidays?
00:34:18.686 --> 00:34:19.106
Thanks.
00:34:19.135 --> 00:34:31.195
You know, cause it's you, you know, at that point it's an almost guarantee that even if it's a one line in the newspaper that they're writing or the column they're writing for it, they're gonna include you because they like you cuz you showed up for them before.
00:34:31.226 --> 00:34:32.076
Definitely.
00:34:32.076 --> 00:34:38.965
And, and you're able to connect all these, um, uh, all these different opportunities to actual.
00:34:39.985 --> 00:34:45.016
Uh, people visiting your site or coming to your storefront and and buying, you're
00:34:45.016 --> 00:34:45.936
able to, yes.
00:34:45.940 --> 00:34:45.985
Ok.
00:34:46.976 --> 00:35:05.036
And, and what's cool also with newsletter, you know, the excuse me email, um, is I can quantify, I use Clavio, um, you know, there's a bunch of them out there, but I find that the, the analytics in there, I can directly see when an email went out and who clicked and, and who spent money based on that email.
00:35:05.485 --> 00:35:08.545
And so how it's, you know, how it's, uh, resonating with them as.
00:35:09.371 --> 00:35:09.641
Okay.
00:35:10.300 --> 00:35:12.431
What does your team look like right now?
00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:14.621
What does my, what look like, I'm sorry.
00:35:14.860 --> 00:35:15.601
Team, team.
00:35:16.181 --> 00:35:21.960
My team is actually, um, the woman that you saw, well, not, not the one that kissed me, Okay.
00:35:22.150 --> 00:35:25.481
Is when I lost my, um, late sister Michelle.
00:35:25.541 --> 00:35:28.871
My best friend from growing up had always filled in for us.
00:35:29.246 --> 00:35:34.195
Um, during, when we were doing, uh, trade shows or things like that, she would sort of, you know, help us run things.
00:35:34.201 --> 00:35:36.445
So she kind of stepped in and did it.
00:35:36.445 --> 00:35:39.715
So she's now, um, basically vice president in charge of production.
00:35:39.715 --> 00:35:41.005
So she handles all that.
00:35:41.425 --> 00:35:53.396
And then we just have a woman who comes in like 10 hours a week to fill in the blanks, you know, if, if I need to step in and, you know, do a private label order, you know, she was on vacation and, you know, I got three orders that.
00:35:54.715 --> 00:35:55.795
I'm in the one, I'm in the back.
00:35:55.795 --> 00:35:59.425
So right now we are like two full-time and, and a small part-time.
00:35:59.945 --> 00:36:00.436
Okay.
00:36:00.686 --> 00:36:03.206
And I don't necessarily wanna be that much bigger, you know?
00:36:03.565 --> 00:36:03.686
Okay.
00:36:04.226 --> 00:36:04.715
Okay.
00:36:04.715 --> 00:36:05.516
And then that's a personal
00:36:05.516 --> 00:36:08.005
choice, a absolute personal choice?
00:36:08.096 --> 00:36:08.335
Yes.
00:36:08.436 --> 00:36:08.795
Okay.
00:36:08.795 --> 00:36:09.195
Okay.
00:36:09.896 --> 00:36:14.695
Um, I do see on your website, like you have a section, which is private label and wholesale.
00:36:14.695 --> 00:36:16.465
Is that a big part of your business?
00:36:16.465 --> 00:36:18.596
Like do, um, you.
00:36:19.346 --> 00:36:26.005
Instead of selling one to one to customers, like, uh, you're, you're able to get your products to more people.
00:36:26.936 --> 00:36:28.856
Of course with private labeling, it would not be your
00:36:28.856 --> 00:36:29.485
brand anymore.
00:36:29.876 --> 00:36:31.076
That's, but that's okay.
00:36:31.076 --> 00:36:39.266
And I, I actually like it better, you know, the wholesale that we do, um, I'm lucky enough to be in about six stores that I love.
00:36:39.266 --> 00:36:42.115
The owners of the shops, they sell through beautifully.
00:36:42.121 --> 00:36:43.405
They love the product themselves.
00:36:43.411 --> 00:36:43.985
They use it.
00:36:44.831 --> 00:36:47.380
That's the kind of shop I wanna be in a smaller shop.
00:36:47.380 --> 00:36:52.630
Cause at one point we were in Whole Foods and we were in a much larger, you know, I thought that's, I wanted to be that business.
00:36:52.840 --> 00:36:55.420
That's why when I, when you ask me that question, is it by choice?
00:36:55.420 --> 00:36:56.740
It's very much by choice.
00:36:57.070 --> 00:37:09.340
Cause I was on this, this trajectory of just being this big wholesaler and online and when we got our first place and customers like, oh, could I just pick up at the store please.
00:37:09.701 --> 00:37:12.161
Or at the place, you know, at that point it wasn't really a store.
00:37:12.371 --> 00:37:13.690
I don't wanna pay shipping and said, okay.
00:37:14.501 --> 00:37:19.271
And I just realized how much I loved my customers and I really loved one on one.
00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:28.481
I recognized that I am more of a shop keep that happens to have an online business and we manufacture it versus this big brand business.
00:37:28.990 --> 00:37:38.081
So we, we pulled ourselves out of those locations, um, because it was, you know, I would stand there and I would demonstrate, and when I had that relationship it was fine.
00:37:38.081 --> 00:37:39.940
But anyway, so the shops that we're.
00:37:40.570 --> 00:37:45.971
They're small and boutiquey and, and they just understand the brand they sell through.
00:37:45.971 --> 00:37:46.451
It's great.
00:37:46.510 --> 00:37:50.831
But because we're a handmade brand, you know, it's, we've got like a 14 month shelf life.
00:37:50.860 --> 00:37:52.420
You know, sometimes it'll go longer.
00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:53.951
But basically that's roughly it.
00:37:54.490 --> 00:37:59.681
If you've got, if I'm in a ton of stores and I sort of can't keep an eye on, is everything good?
00:37:59.681 --> 00:38:00.400
How are you doing?
00:38:00.701 --> 00:38:06.971
Um, and they're not selling through a customer's gonna pick up something that might be expiring in six months, you know?
00:38:06.971 --> 00:38:09.851
So, um, I'm very particular.
00:38:10.170 --> 00:38:11.161
for the wholesale aspect.
00:38:11.731 --> 00:38:18.630
Private label on the flip side exploded during covid because there was a lot of people home during, um, that where they weren't working.
00:38:18.630 --> 00:38:23.340
And so they were like, would you sell it to me by the gallon two gallons so I could jar it myself?
00:38:23.791 --> 00:38:25.920
And we were like, oh, that's genius.
00:38:25.951 --> 00:38:26.460
Yes.
00:38:26.880 --> 00:38:30.661
And so I mentioned earlier about how mentors were so important to me.
00:38:31.170 --> 00:38:35.460
Um, private label allows me to give back in a way I never dreamed.
00:38:36.215 --> 00:38:41.706
So I was mentored by, you know, this indie business network in particular, Dunmar is incredible.
00:38:41.706 --> 00:38:45.065
And all the people in that group, just, everyone just shares.
00:38:45.065 --> 00:38:48.996
It's so wonderful, you know, this competition, but not in, not in the worst way, in the best way.
00:38:49.001 --> 00:38:52.115
So there's a lot of camaraderie and collaboration, et cetera.
00:38:52.626 --> 00:38:57.005
So because I was mentored that way, I was like, Ooh, who can I help?
00:38:57.936 --> 00:39:01.655
And so private label, they're like, oh, I don't know what I'm doing.
00:39:02.226 --> 00:39:03.365
I wanna start a business.
00:39:04.630 --> 00:39:08.396
So I got to offer them the things that worked for me, things that didn't.
00:39:08.396 --> 00:39:13.976
Here you're gonna still make some of your own mistakes, however, you might not have to make this mistake, that mistake and this mistake.
00:39:14.096 --> 00:39:14.706
Mm-hmm.
00:39:14.791 --> 00:39:25.076
Um, but the best part is that, and I say this respectfully, is that if they succeed, then they are coming back and they're ordering more product.
00:39:25.376 --> 00:39:32.155
So we're both making money, but if they don't succeed, they're not, um, taking my.
00:39:32.860 --> 00:39:34.570
and I'm making it anything less.
00:39:35.291 --> 00:39:35.380
Okay.
00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:41.170
So it private label has just, it's given me this incredible, you know, it's really tripled.
00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:52.541
We get to make money, I get to mentor and it doesn't get to, um, change the reputation of my brand if they're not selling it properly or they're not, you know, doing, you know, what they need to, to market it properly.
00:39:53.306 --> 00:39:55.166
I mean, that's really interesting if, yeah.
00:39:55.166 --> 00:40:10.856
I mean, that's really interesting cause if, if an entrepreneur is a great marketer and they're trying to break into an industry, I guess private labeling is a great way, you know, because, you know, you can take a great products, um, in label products.
00:40:11.306 --> 00:40:20.186
Package them in your own, you know, packaging and, uh, and if you're, if they're a great brand maker and marketer, you know, they can start.
00:40:20.186 --> 00:40:22.436
I mean, they, they don't even have to work with one brand.
00:40:22.436 --> 00:40:26.005
They can work with multiple brand and have like a curated, you know, products.
00:40:26.786 --> 00:40:30.865
And really, I mean, it could be great as a way to the market.
00:40:31.135 --> 00:40:34.585
If it works, then, you know, they can start perhaps manufacturing their own things.
00:40:35.096 --> 00:40:40.885
But, uh, but yeah, I mean, it seems like, uh, an interesting way to, to break into a new market.
00:40:42.356 --> 00:40:43.646
Um, yeah, no, we, we love it.
00:40:44.036 --> 00:40:45.025
I really, really love it.
00:40:45.835 --> 00:41:06.806
Um, in every entrepreneur's journey, there's always, you know, mistakes made, lessons learned, uh, failures, um, you know, since the time that you have been running your business, what, what have been some of your lessons learn or entrepreneurial lessons learn that, uh, other entrepreneurs can benefit from?
00:41:08.655 --> 00:41:10.675
Um, God.
00:41:10.675 --> 00:41:12.416
I mean, again, I made plenty.
00:41:12.536 --> 00:41:15.775
We, if you don't make mistakes, I think you're not doing it right.
00:41:15.956 --> 00:41:31.106
You know, I can't stress that enough because every time you peel yourself off the floor, you know, after crying and screaming and you know, oh my God, um, you recognize, okay, well I'm not gonna do it that way anymore, so I'm gonna do it this way.
00:41:31.436 --> 00:41:35.155
And so, um, it's that, it's really, it's not being afraid to fail.
00:41:35.606 --> 00:41:38.275
It's, I'm having a support system, you know, for.
00:41:39.266 --> 00:41:57.536
I had my sister right away, but we, some of our, um, you know, she was more marketing retail and I was marketing this way, but I almost wish I had someone real, a real business person cuz that was not my strongest point to guide me.
00:41:57.626 --> 00:42:01.525
And so I definitely spent money in the beginning that I didn't, um, need to spend.
00:42:01.945 --> 00:42:08.126
Um, a really good example is that, um, when I trademarked, you know, I was, I was always trademarked cuz I had interstate.
00:42:09.141 --> 00:42:20.960
Um, that's the tm, but to get the registered trademark, you actually have to register with the us um, PTO and my late sister's, um, fiance at the time was a lawyer and he's like, I could do it for you.
00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:25.400
And, you know, we were so grateful and it saved us money, but that wasn't his wheelhouse.
00:42:25.405 --> 00:42:30.981
And so there had been some issues with it and it was rejected and, you know, he never followed up to finish through.
00:42:31.420 --> 00:42:37.960
So cut to, you know, four or five years after that when I was like, okay, I, now I have the money and I gotta do it right.
00:42:37.960 --> 00:42:40.900
And I hired the proper attorney, thank you, Andrea Evans.
00:42:41.320 --> 00:42:50.530
Um, she still there with some problems, but she circumnavigated and figured out the best way, and all of a sudden I had my registered trademark.
00:42:50.951 --> 00:42:52.840
You know, and so finding a.
00:42:53.771 --> 00:42:55.751
Spending the right money doing it right.
00:42:55.811 --> 00:43:05.320
You know, what we did do right in the very beginning is, um, you know, obviously setting up as a business incorporating, you know, you never wanna have personal liability if you can get away with that.
00:43:05.650 --> 00:43:18.521
Um, things that I did that are really cheap to do, but still protective is I must own 20, um, domain names that are similar to scrubs.
00:43:19.346 --> 00:43:19.766
You know what I mean?
00:43:19.766 --> 00:43:31.585
Not just the nets and the.org, but it's just some, the scrubs with the s and that you, so that no one else that comes up with something similar can grab that as a domain name.
00:43:32.306 --> 00:43:37.135
If you type that in, even if you make a mistake, it directs you right back to mine.
00:43:37.675 --> 00:43:40.315
Um, you know, keeping, you know, keeping an eye out.
00:43:40.315 --> 00:43:41.786
I'm always looking and doing searching.
00:43:41.791 --> 00:43:43.735
Is anyone, you know, taking my trademark?
00:43:43.735 --> 00:43:44.576
What are they doing?
00:43:44.581 --> 00:43:45.085
Reaching out?
00:43:45.356 --> 00:43:48.806
You know, so, so that protection is, is really important.
00:43:49.135 --> 00:43:55.135
Um, uh, I said showing up, you know, not being afraid to do the work.
00:43:55.166 --> 00:44:04.885
You know, I, I know that that statement comes up, but, you know, but some days I'm just like, What, whatever happened in my life, you know, I have a, I have an elderly mom and you know, so stuff like that.
00:44:05.456 --> 00:44:07.315
But it's just like, no, okay, I have a list.
00:44:07.376 --> 00:44:08.846
I need to at least get that done.
00:44:08.936 --> 00:44:14.246
And even if it's just so, it's two things and not the 15 things I'm taking success in getting those done.
00:44:14.635 --> 00:44:19.556
Giving yourself a break, like these will go hand in hand with, it's, it's, it's that.
00:44:20.635 --> 00:44:21.416
It's life.
00:44:22.226 --> 00:44:22.735
You know what I mean?
00:44:23.065 --> 00:44:23.726
It's everything.
00:44:23.726 --> 00:44:24.565
It's just a step.
00:44:24.565 --> 00:44:27.505
Sometimes you have to step backwards and then you go 10 steps away.
00:44:27.775 --> 00:44:29.786
And so that's what I've seen the most.
00:44:30.085 --> 00:44:36.445
But the number one thing is treating customers like they are the goal.
00:44:36.445 --> 00:44:40.346
They are, you know, because they have a choice of where to spend their money.
00:44:40.465 --> 00:44:40.865
Mm-hmm.
00:44:40.945 --> 00:44:47.936
And if they're choosing to spend it with you, then you need to remind them every day how grateful you are that they're doing such.
00:44:48.791 --> 00:45:03.490
That, you know, all that other stuff is, is, you know, sort of the, um, I don't know, it's, I guess the dinner, but the dessert and the cherry on the top and all the icing and all the other cool, fun stuff, you know, all the extra calories you're not supposed to have at you want.
00:45:04.030 --> 00:45:04.860
That's customer service.
00:45:05.411 --> 00:45:05.900
Yeah.
00:45:07.181 --> 00:45:08.050
That's great.
00:45:08.110 --> 00:45:12.130
Um, so now we're gonna move on to our rapid fire segment and then the segment.
00:45:12.130 --> 00:45:13.871
I'm gonna ask you a few quick questions.
00:45:14.695 --> 00:45:18.255
You have to answer them maybe in one or two words or a sentence or so.
00:45:18.425 --> 00:45:18.775
Ok.
00:45:18.775 --> 00:45:24.565
So the first one is one book recommendations for entrepreneurs, uh, in 2022.
00:45:24.695 --> 00:45:24.976
And.
00:45:25.630 --> 00:45:33.971
Okay, so, uh, one book was hard, um, but I think professional troublemaker by, um, lovey, I use You Jones, I just absolutely adored.
00:45:34.001 --> 00:45:42.550
It's, it really sets you in that motion of don't be afraid to ruffle a few feathers and, you know, ask the important questions and, and get it done.
00:45:42.550 --> 00:45:44.170
You know, I really enjoy that book a lot.
00:45:45.590 --> 00:45:51.010
An innovative product or idea in the current e-commerce retail or tight landscape that you feel excited about?
00:45:51.880 --> 00:46:07.960
Um, so in the natural space, I would have to say, um, ADE's toilet bombs, which is a super cool way to clean your toilet bowl and the tank around it and diaper pales and stuff in a little ci bomb without having to, you know, use all that chemical gunk.
00:46:08.501 --> 00:46:13.391
And uh, what I mentioned before is, um, my friend Sandy from the Purple Sage makes a bubble.
00:46:14.190 --> 00:46:16.740
That I was not a bath taker for a long time.
00:46:16.740 --> 00:46:20.820
Again, I, you know, I'm on scrub shower all the way and she's like, oh, just try it.
00:46:21.541 --> 00:46:23.521
And she made, she made me a bath taker again.
00:46:23.521 --> 00:46:29.710
So it's, it's a, it's like bubbles on top and bath bomb underneath and just, it's, it's, yeah, it's really good Okay.
00:46:30.481 --> 00:46:35.280
Um, a business or a productivity tool or software that you would recommend or a productivity.
00:46:36.115 --> 00:46:47.786
Oh, Dropbox, hands down, you know, or any, you know, service like that where I can just be anywhere and access files, uh, save it to it, pick it up at home, bring it off my phone.
00:46:47.846 --> 00:46:49.766
Um, not have to have it all on the computer.
00:46:49.766 --> 00:46:53.155
It just Dropbox all the way I use it every day, all day.
00:46:53.545 --> 00:46:54.036
Yeah.
00:46:54.536 --> 00:47:00.956
Cloud services, uh, a startup or business in e-commerce, retailer tech that you think is currently doing great things.
00:47:01.076 --> 00:47:02.096
I know you gave an example.
00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:13.240
Um, yeah, so, uh, I would say I just recently started taking, and I'm really enjoying the whole concept too, is, um, but it's a, it's a long name, so it's funny I spelled it out.
00:47:13.246 --> 00:47:20.590
So it's, uh, KA and pathogenics, so it's K a E m p A t H O G E N.
00:47:21.025 --> 00:47:22.496
I c s.com.
00:47:22.686 --> 00:47:23.295
Mm-hmm.
00:47:23.376 --> 00:47:30.085
um, and it's basically Kana, which is a natural sort of uplifting, um, plant root, a hundred percent natural, zero calories.
00:47:30.085 --> 00:47:36.056
Like I had looked at, you know, the tinctures and I had looked at other things and I came across them on Instagram and I was really impressed.
00:47:36.056 --> 00:47:41.065
And so I started about two weeks ago and I, it's, it's, I just find.
00:47:41.655 --> 00:47:49.126
A little bit of focus, a little bit of it, you know, it's just, it's like a nice, cause I don't, I don't drink coffee, so, um, you know, I don't have that caffeine buzz in the morning.
00:47:49.155 --> 00:47:52.965
And so I'm finding that just like one of the juices, it's really cool in the morning.
00:47:52.965 --> 00:47:54.675
So I've been pretty impressed with them.
00:47:55.425 --> 00:47:58.126
I'm not quite sure when they started, it could be six months, a year.
00:47:58.130 --> 00:48:00.346
I have no idea, but I was like, I was so happy I found them.
00:48:00.976 --> 00:48:01.335
Okay.
00:48:01.996 --> 00:48:07.456
Um, a peer entrepreneur or business person whom you look up to or someone who inspires you?
00:48:09.195 --> 00:48:11.456
Oh God, so many.
00:48:11.545 --> 00:48:11.965
So many.
00:48:11.965 --> 00:48:12.865
So let's see.
00:48:12.925 --> 00:48:16.646
Um, I would say Ashley Amber.
00:48:17.621 --> 00:48:21.460
Um, of the middle finger project, but now she's called the, the vat.
00:48:21.465 --> 00:48:22.150
She changed it.
00:48:22.690 --> 00:48:32.021
Um, her book, the Middle Finger Project, her, um, I took her writing course, which she called, um, um, oh my God, shame on Me.
00:48:32.025 --> 00:48:34.541
I think it was called Meat and Meat and Bread.
00:48:34.751 --> 00:48:38.291
It was basically like the guts and the love, you know, everything put together.
00:48:38.710 --> 00:48:40.030
Um, and.
00:48:40.650 --> 00:48:45.030
It just made me look at writing to my customers in a whole different way.
00:48:45.030 --> 00:48:46.231
How to market, how to things.
00:48:46.231 --> 00:48:50.070
So like everything she says is just pure gold.
00:48:50.070 --> 00:48:53.820
She's got our website also from Costa Rica with Love cuz she lives there six months outta the year.
00:48:54.150 --> 00:48:55.710
I read that religiously.
00:48:55.710 --> 00:49:05.161
You know, I'm planning on like one day going there just to like, um, so I find that she allowed me to, um, make business writing.
00:49:06.201 --> 00:49:11.786
which I always handed to do, and allowed me an opportunity to talk to my customers, like I was mentioning online.
00:49:11.786 --> 00:49:11.876
Mm-hmm.
00:49:12.356 --> 00:49:13.516
in the same language.
00:49:13.626 --> 00:49:14.235
Mm-hmm.
00:49:14.320 --> 00:49:19.496
that I speak to them, you know, cause here I'm a hugger and I'm a this and you know, sometimes the sentences run on.
00:49:19.976 --> 00:49:21.206
Obviously I'm a talker.
00:49:21.536 --> 00:49:28.436
Um, and so she gave me that permission to speak that online language the same way that I speak in the.
00:49:29.201 --> 00:49:33.161
Okay, so it's, I'm assuming it's more like a copywriting.
00:49:33.420 --> 00:49:33.771
Uh,
00:49:33.775 --> 00:49:34.751
she's, yes, yes.
00:49:34.990 --> 00:49:36.521
Someone in, in my own speech.
00:49:36.581 --> 00:49:40.570
Um, I'll give a shout out to Charlene Simon, who owns Bathhouse Puff Carey.
00:49:40.570 --> 00:49:45.940
She has two stores, um, in, uh, Arkansas, and I'm thinking, I think in Missouri's the second.
00:49:45.940 --> 00:49:53.831
But anyway, she's also, she's like the queen of, you know, gorgeous, beautiful marketing and sort of everything she touches looks like gold.
00:49:53.831 --> 00:49:56.081
So she's another one that I really, really, really inspires.
00:49:57.030 --> 00:49:57.521
Okay.
00:49:57.940 --> 00:50:03.371
And final question, best business advice you ever received or you would give to other entrepreneurs?
00:50:04.300 --> 00:50:06.641
Um, treat customers like they're your only customer.
00:50:07.391 --> 00:50:08.981
I'll just go back to customer service.
00:50:09.101 --> 00:50:11.621
It just will always come back to you.
00:50:11.621 --> 00:50:14.260
Always, always, always have to remember that.
00:50:14.710 --> 00:50:18.811
Um, you have no money, you have no business if you have no customers.
00:50:18.811 --> 00:50:19.291
Yeah.
00:50:19.295 --> 00:50:24.731
And so if they're just, um, you know, chips on a, on a, you know, a, a spreadsheet.
00:50:25.451 --> 00:50:28.030
You know, maybe you'll get them once, maybe you'll get them twice.
00:50:28.030 --> 00:50:31.900
But if you want them to come back for the life of your brand, you gotta treat them with.
00:50:32.791 --> 00:50:34.451
So that'ss it, number one.
00:50:34.451 --> 00:50:34.900
Well,
00:50:35.621 --> 00:50:39.641
well, Roberta, that those were all the questions, uh, that I had for you today.
00:50:39.701 --> 00:50:45.550
Uh, thank you again so much for your story, for sharing your entrepreneurial, uh, story.
00:50:45.550 --> 00:50:54.550
And you know, all the different things you'll tried and strategies and you used to start and grow your business, um, watching this interview.
00:50:54.550 --> 00:51:01.331
Wants to get in touch or you want to, wants to buy your product, or, uh, what is the best way they can, uh, connect with your.
00:51:02.166 --> 00:51:05.706
So, um, scrubs with a z scrubs body.com.
00:51:05.916 --> 00:51:09.666
I am back slash scrubs body across all socials.
00:51:09.786 --> 00:51:15.485
And, um, email directly and I'll answer you directly is, um, great skin scrubs body.com.
00:51:16.715 --> 00:51:16.896
Perfect.
00:51:17.195 --> 00:51:17.556
Thank you.
00:51:17.556 --> 00:51:18.576
Thank you again Roberta.
00:51:18.815 --> 00:51:20.335
Really, really appreciate your time today.
00:51:20.436 --> 00:51:21.666
And thank you again for
00:51:21.666 --> 00:51:22.536
joining me today at Triplo.
00:51:22.686 --> 00:51:23.706
My absolute pleasure.
00:51:23.706 --> 00:51:24.576
Thank you for having me.
