Handmade Beauty Connection
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network 1. IBN Member Update: Welcome New & Renewing IBN Members! Handmade Beauty Recipe of the Week: Super Easy Body Scrub Patti's
Potions | Patti Eder | Wisconsin
Welcome New Members! Evo
Solutions | Gigi Targe and Ronda Rider | Colorado
Kettle
Care | Lynn Wallingford | Montana
The
Shanti Project | Jessica Gulati | California
IBN Members On The Move!
Cae Byng of J & L Handmade Toiletries
(member since August 2005) invited you to join them as they make life a
little sweeter on October 21 at 4W Circle of Art and Enterprise in Brooklyn.
Join them for free samples, demonstrations and more. For more info, cal
(718) 636-9326 or (718) 875-6500.
Learn
more about our members and their exciting activities by visiting their Web
sites through IBN's Online
Member Directory, now with 4 ways to search: (1) by
state/country; (2) by member business name; (3) by keyword search; or (4)
using our new alphabetical listings. Design Your Business Your Way!! Is your business achieving at the level
you know it could? Do you sense that something is holding you back, but just
don't know how to spot it? Today's guest Linda Feinholz joins me to show you
how to get the kinks out and get going with taking your business to the next
level! To join me and Linda live, log onto Global
Talk Radio.com at 1:00pm EST and click on "Listen Live!" You
can call your questions in live on the show! And visit the Lifestyle CEO website book
page to get the scoop on my The Lifestyle CEO Book, featuring several
members of the Indie Beauty Network who are the ultimate examples of
successful Lifestyle CEOs! Last Week's Answer:
October
16,
2006
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 7, Issue 43
To subscribe, click here
-- Sponsor --
2. Lifestyle CEO Report: Design Your Business Your Way!
3. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: win something wonderful!
4. Blueberry Bath Fizzie Muffin by Lutzy's Lather
5. Feature Article: The Candle Couple
6. Here & There: Calendar of Upcoming Events
1. IBN Member Update: Welcome New & Renewing IBN Members!
Welcome
Renewing Members!
* Member
since April 2005; Patti's Potions is your reliable source for
natural, handcrafted, environmentally friendly soaps, lotions, balms, and
home fragrance products. This is a woman-owned and family-run business.
* All natural, synthetic-free, massage and body lotions, bath salts, and
massage lotion holsters.
* Certified organic by the State of Montana, Kettle Care is the only certified
body care laboratory in the state. We produce organic cosmetic herbs on our farm, process them into extracts for our 100% natural body care line. Kettle Care specializes in a full range of body care products, from shampoos and conditioners to foot cremes. The extensive facial care line covers cleansers, toners, exfoliants, day and night moisturizers. Our apothecary line ranges from mineral soaks, muscle rub and joint pain relief, and we specialize in eczema relief.
Extensive selection of fragrance and essential oils. Retail, wholesale, bulk
and private label.
2. Lifestyle CEO Report: Design Your Business Your Way!
\Life.Style CEO\n. A person who owns and manages a business, not
solely for financial gain, but also to enjoy the personal rewards of
entrepreneurship, independence, flexibility and fun.
3. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: last week's winner was
Yvonne Brunot of Takoma Park, MD. Yvonne won a delicious bar of handmade
soap, courtesy of BloomWorks
Natural Soap Co., an IBN member since January 2006!
Last Week's Question: I have been called the flower of the Incas.
While I have no known essential oil to speak of and don't even really have a
scent, there are millions of bottles containing fragrant liquid bearing my
name. It is said that I sprang forth from the limbs of a beautiful Greek
water nymph who died of heartbreak when the object of her affections cast
his affections toward another. What am I?
This Week's Question: A substance produced by bees, in combination with the sticky buds and leaves they come into contact with, is used in hives to seal holes and cracks. This substance, also known as "bee glue" is said to have a variety of helpful applications in skin care as well as when taken internally. It is also added to incense for its warm, honey-like fragrance. What is it?
Be the first to answer and win something delicious!
Please read the contest rules here
before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the
subject line or your answer will not be considered. While time does not
permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner's name will be
announced in the next newsletter!
4. Handmade Beauty Product Review: Blueberry Bath Fizzie Muffin by Lutzy's Lather
Blueberry
Bath Fizzie Muffin
1 muffin | $7.00
These muffins looks JUST like a real muffins! Break a muffin into chunks and drop it into your bath. The fizz releases oils, minerals and fragrance into your bath. Your skin absorbs all this goodness as you soak - feeling moisturized and smelling great!
Bath fizzies are just plain fun. It's interesting how just a few years ago, you could buy them in just about any color or fragrance, but they all seemed to be round. They could be big or small, but they were still round. Well, those days are gone as companies become more and more creative about mixing together citric acid and a few other ingredients that combine to make a little explosion in your tub. One such company is Lutzy's Lather.
Kim Lutz-Isenhour says that her muffins look just like the real thing -- and it's true. They come in a plastic pastry container, just like the kind you get treats from at the corner bakery. And the colorful berries look juicy enough to eat, and the fragrance is a dead ringer for the scent of warm muffins fresh from the oven. And of course they fizz up just like they're supposed to in the tub. They are loaded with coconut oil so they leave my skin feeling moisturized -- no need for lotion after a bath! They do leave the tub a bit slippery so be careful not to fall. I was especially aware of this when I used one in my 5-year old daughter's bath.
Get your own Bath Fizzie Muffins (blueberry or raspberry) at the Lutzy's Lather website, and tell Kim you heard about them from the Indie Beauty Network! And while you're there, why not check out the fudge brownie soap and the chocolate bon bon fizzies.
5. Feature Article: The Candle Couple: Rendezvous Soy Candles
by dM
A man, a woman, busy kids -- what would make the picture even more
perfect? A family business of course!! It all started innocently enough when
Karen and Erik met and married 5 years ago. One day Karen was
cleaning the home and she took a clock off the wall and noticed that the
wall was blackened behind the clock. Karen was not a smoker so she could not
imagine what could have been the source of the black sooty substance.
Fast forward a bit when the couple went on a trip to Canada and discovered a little boutique selling candles made from soy wax. As they learned about how candles made from paraffin, a petroleum by-product, Karen discovered that the black substance on the wall behind the clock must have been from paraffin candles. Encouraged by the idea of being able to burn candles without the negative side effects, Karen purchased some candles and made an light- hearted comment to her husband that perhaps they could make some candles of their own.
Don't you just love life's little offhand comments?! As time passed, it became clear that Karen's idea was not that far fetched. After all, each of them had run successful businesses before they married . Erik, who earned a marketing degree after serving in Desert Storm, had owned a string of adult family care homes and Karen was part of a partnership that imported furniture from Indonesia. They played around with making soy candles on their own and it wasn't long before they realized they were onto something. After taking some soy candle classes to learn more about the process, the couple decided to practice more -- this time with the goal of starting their own candle business. Rendezvous was born.
A Rendezvous Purpose
Karen says that they chose "Rendezvous" as their business name because of its meaning. "A rendezvous is a popular gathering place," says Karen. "It also means to bring or come together." But Karen and Erik, who married in 2001, see themselves as more than just candle-making entrepreneurs with a catchy business name. "We feel that our company is providing light in a world of darkness, and not just in a physical sense. "The company was birthed out of our love and our father and we believe that God gave us this company to be a light in the world and to have fruit in our lives," she says. "We want to make a difference and to encourage people that they can have an amazing light. There's so much darkness and evil in the world and we want to share that there's also hope." They chose their website domain name "it's soy.com" because those were the words they used to tell people about their candles. People asked what made their candles special and they said, "It's soy!"
Karen
a
Growing Pains
Since launching Rendezvous in 2003, Karen and Erik have strived to make the best candles available, packaged in unique boxes that make a spiritual statement -- all while growing debt free. Says Erik, "We have had some huge potential accounts approach us but we've had to turn them down so far because we cannot meet their huge production requirements." From a home they converted from one of the family care centers Erik previously owned, the Candle Couple does everything themselves. Because their house was at one time a 4,000 square foot care facility, it has 7 bedrooms. Of the 7 rooms, Karen and Erik share one, their two elementary school aged children each have their own and the remaining 4 bedrooms serve as "studios" for a particular function. One is the shipping room, another the body care room. They once had a retail store with manufacturing room, but they have since moved to their garage, which serves as their main manufacturing hub.
Business and Your Beloved
It sure sounds wonderful to work all day in a family business with your spouse, but let's face it, it's not for everyone. Karen and Erik though say they have a special chemistry and devotion which makes it easy for them. "The dynamics between Karen and I are really unique," says Erik. We spend every day all day working together, yet we maintain specific separation in terms of our duties and responsibilities." Erik knows that this kind of lifestyle is not for everyone, particularly couples who need their space during the workday. "We are pretty much joined at the hip," says Karen, and so far, it seems to be working well for them.
Karen and Erik have learned a lot about being in business with your spouse, and they have a lot of timely advice to offer to anyone who may be considering it. "First, define your unique gifts," says Karen. "Once you find your strengths, you can then define your responsibilities in the business." Karen cautions that if in identifying your gifts you discover that they do not lend themselves to definition of responsibilities, you may be setting yourself up for failure." She cautions that the fact that you may be good at a lot of things does not mean that you should do all of those things. Says Karen, "Erik is extremely gifted in many ways, but he can't do and be the head of everything. I often find myself telling him that he needs to take a break. Just because we can pour candles at 10:00 at night doesn't mean that's what we should be doing. Yes, love what you do. Be passionate about what you do, but
remember that sometimes, you just need to walk away and go and love and be with your family."Karen and Erik start each day with a morning "pow wow" after the kids catch the school bus at around 8:15. During the pow wow, they spend about 30 minutes reviewing the priorities for the day and coming to agreement about what needs to be done, when and by whom. "I find that starting off the day in agreement binds you together for the entire day," says Karen. The pow wows are also a time to air any issues that might fester and later explode if not brought to the surface quickly. "We do have some great debates," laughs Karen. "We also leave a lot of room for love and forgiveness as we start each day and see what God has planned for us."
Organic Growth
When
Rendezvous launched in 2003, candles were the only product in the line.
Recently, they launched a line of body care products. Each is scented with
Karen's unique blend and they all send a particular message. For example,
their line of "Fruit of the Spirit" candles are adapted
from a book in the New Testament of the Bible (Galatians, chapter 5).
One of their best sellers is the "Joy" fruit of the spirit, a
candle made with a combination of the aromas of strawberries and rose
geranium leaves, which also doubles as their signature scent. Another
popular candle scent is "Tiki Hut," a blend of grapefruit drizzled
in oranges. This time of year, the "Pumpkin Souffle" is popular
scent. Of course, their signature scent of . Pumpkin souffle butter pumpkin.
Karen is inspired by many things, food and wine magazines in particular.
They also launched a line of "Travelesque" candles, reminiscent of beautiful places in the world such as Bombay (frankincense and myrrh scent), Cape Town (water aroma), Morocco (saffron and cedar scent) and The North Pole (Christmas tree scent) The candles are of course their signature product, but earlier this year, they launched body care products and roll-on perfumes.
Oh! The Freedom of It All!
"We usually have about 6 uninterrupted hours during the day to work our business," says Karen. "The kids get home from school around 3:00, and from then until around 6:30, we all move through a mixture of business and family life before enjoying dinner and putting the kids to bed."
"I love being here when my kids get home from school, Karen says. "We can spend a few hours having lunch out or stop the candle pouring to play tennis in the middle of the afternoon if we want to. We may have to work later into the night, but I love the freedom of being able to work inside my home. I like eating lunch in my own kitchen whenever I want to," she adds.
Favorite Business Book
New Stuff
At this time, Karen and Erik are excited about getting into custom printing. They are targeting real estate agents who are looking for unique gifts to give clients to celebrate the closing on a new home. They plan to offer gift assortments with the agents photograph on them as a way to co-brand their products and create a lasting positive impression of the agent in the mind of the new homeowner. "We're not trying to sell a million candles to everyone across the US," says Erik. "We really want to have a personal relationship with our customers. We prefer to have a core group of customers who support our company because we offer personal things that big companies are too big to do."
Karen and Erik also shared their excitement at being able to take advantage of IBN's new products liability insurance program, which covers candles, to help them expand their business into the future with confidence.
Buy Some Now!!
Karen and Erik envision that the future of their business lies in wholesale. They plan to add a new website design soon and branch out to more markets. In addition to the Rendezvous website, you can experience their products at the Seattle Gift Center and also at select boutiques on the west coast, including Romanzagifts (Seattle) and Paris in Portland ((503) 620-4930).
6. Here & There: Calendar of Upcoming IBN Sponsored Events
As always, there's a lot going on at IBN, and our members are very busy. I'll be including this chart in upcoming issues so everyone can stay abreast of the happening here at IBN!
| Date | Event | Location & Registration |
| October 19-22, 2006 | 4-Day Soap, Bath and Body Product Making Intensive at The Nova Studio -- check our Events Calendar for all of The Nova Studio's upcoming classes! | The Nova Studio, San Francisco, CA |
| November 18, 2006 | Introduction to Essential Oils at Aromahead Institute. Check our Events Calendar for all of Aromahead's upcoming aromatherapy education classes! | Aromahead Institute, Sarasota, FL |
| December 5, 2006 | How to Make Organic Body Care Products with The Organic Beauty Expert, Andrea Kane! Check our Events Calendar for all of Adrea's upcoming classes! | The Learning Annex, San Diego, CA |
| Spring 2007 | The Lifestyle CEO & Handmade Beauty Network Conference (pictures from 2006 conference) | Charlotte, North Carolina registration to be announced |
Best & Success!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Handmade Beauty Connection
The Indie Beauty Network | www.handmadebeauty.com
Copyright (c) 2000 - 2006 by The Indie Beauty Network (IBN) and Donna Maria. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction is prohibited. IBN does not necessarily endorse any product, event or ideology featured in The Handmade Beauty Connection (HBC) or on IBN's website. All information is provided on an "as is" basis and no express or implied warranties are given. Any use of the information contained in the HBC or on IBN's web site, including recipes, is solely at your own risk. IBN and Donna Maria disclaim any liability in connection with the use of all recipes, products reviewed and other information. Except for sponsorships, HBC refuses compensation from companies to feature or mention their names or products. Opinions expressed in any Product Review are personally those of the reviewer and do not represent the views of IBN, Donna Maria (unless she is the reviewer) or any other person or company.
