The Indie Experience
If you are looking for
the August 27, 2007 issue, please click here.
April 16, 2007
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 8, Issue 14
To subscribe, click here
1. Meet IBN's New and Renewing Members
2. Today On Indie Business Radio: To Blog or Not to Blog?
3. Indie Gift of the Month: Positively Pampered Lavender
Collection
4. Indie Live!: Personal Branding 101: How to Create a Personal Brand That
Sells You and Your Products
5. Indie Candy: Diana Olander: Arizona Center for the Healing Arts: Social
Entrepreneurship In Action
6. Indie Calendar: Indies, Indies Everywhere!
7. Indie Beauty Product Review: Nail, Hand and Foot
Balm
Pamper
Yourself This Week: Sweet Eye Makeup Remover
This week's recipe was submitted by reader Stefania.
1. Meet IBN's New and Renewing Members
Welcome Renewing Members!
Pure Peace Products | Cherie Bianco | Illinois
* Member since May 2004; purepeace™ continues the healing
and medicinal powers of the prophets with Medicine of the Prophets, our
homemade line of all natural, organic, blessed body products: shampoo,
conditioner, body creme, body wash, body scrub and olive oil soap. Each is
blessed and prayed over as it’s handmade by Cherie Bianco, purepeace™
owner and founder. All contain a healing oil formulated by Sidi’ al-Jamal
a Sufi Guide Master Healer and Master Herbalist who lives in Jerusalem.
Products come in a variety of natural fragrances to honor and uplift. No
animal testing.
Sinjin & Sage | Peggy Deutsch-Knutson | Iowa
* Member since April 2005; When my love for making soap
became a business, I named my company after my grandchildren. I strive to
infuse my soap with their purity, uniqueness and beauty. Sinjin & Sage
soap contains only the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. Well-crafted
handmade soap is a luxury your body deserves.
From Nature With Love | Kibby Mitra | Connecticut
* Member since July 2000; 1,750 products with no minimum
order requirement. Small & bulk sizes sold wholesale. Our selection
includes ingredients, supplies and accessories for soap making, hair care,
skin care, aromatherapy, toiletries, cosmetics and spa products. Our line
includes butters, vegetable and fixed oils, essential oils, hydrosols,
fragrance oils, cosmetic clays, bath salts, sugars, herbs, muds, color
additives, preservatives, milk powders, exfoliants, melt and pour soap
bases, skin care bases, soap molds, equipment and packaging supplies.
Willow Way Equipment, LLC | Ron Jonas | Indiana
* Member since April 2003; Manufacturers and designers of
Custom Soap Making Equipment for the Handcrafted Soapmaking Industry since
1996. We design and make full production systems from a few hundred bars a
week to thousands. We make Cutters, Molds, Pot Tippers, Oil Heaters, Liquid
Soap Heaters, M&P heaters, Bath Bomb Presses, Soap Stampers, Pot
Whippers, Extruders, and more. We supply Scales, Hoists, Stick Blenders,
Dollies, Drying Systems, Band Heaters and everything to do with Soap &
Body Care. We are constantly adding to our inventory and Web site. Don't
forget we offer consultation and design advice, much of this is free when
you purchase our equipment.
Sunrise Soap | Judy Michaelis | Kansas
* Member since April 2005; Handcrafted soaps and more for
your bath, body and home.
Blended Solutions | Ambre Holly | Arizona
* Member since April 2006; Blended Solutions offers a full
line of custom blended aromatherapy products for personal care, babies and
children, pets, equine, and household cleaning. You can even design a gift
basket from our luxurious handmade creations that can be personalized for
that special someone or grand occasion.
Welcome New Members!
Ocean Mist Cosmetics | Brendel Finlay | Florida
* Ocean Mist Cosmetics offers a full line of handmade cosmetics and
skin care to their customers. High quality, affordable products and great
customer service our are goals. Beauty doesn't have to be expensive!
Tata's Apothecary | Graciela Guzman | Vermont
* Natural beauty products.
Daylily Skincare | Rachel Cucci and Marybeth Qualey
| New Hampshire
Treat your skin right with our natural based skincare products. We don't
use synthetic oils or cheap fillers that can irritate and damage skin. Our
products are handcrafted with carefully chosen oils and butters rich in
vitamins and antioxidants. Indulge your skin with out worry. Pure and
Simple.
Bronx Village Publishers | Mikaeel Abdul-Malik |
New York
* Bronx Village Publishers manufactures and markets Rondayvou
Perfume. This is just the beginning of a whole new concept and line of
products.
BongosOrganica | Cathy Hale | Maryland
* Natural and organic personal care products as well as fair trade
jewelry and gifts from around the world.
Colibri Vibrational Science | Anica Cramm |
California
* Handmade beauty products.
BBM Cosmetics | Paulette Brookshire | South
Carolina
* Cosmetics
Bath Petals | Julie Warnock | California
* Manufacturers of 100% Natural Bath, Body & Spa Products.
Indie Members On the Move!
Dawn Fitch is pleased to announce that she and her company, IBN member
(since April 2005) Pooka, were featured on this past Saturday's Weekend Today Show
on NBC. Despite health difficulties, including chronic fatigue and a recent
multiple sclerosis diagnosis, Dawn and her business partners have been
determined to make it for 7 years. This is what can happen when you stick it
out and don't give up. Check out Dawn's network television debut at
this link. Read the "behind the scenes" story at the Pooka blog.
(To learn more about adding a blog to your website, join me for today's
Indie Business Radio Show. See link #2 below.) And in between all those new
orders Dawn has to fill now, she's going to join us today on Indie
Live! to tell us what it was like to have her products featured
on network television!!
Indies who have registered for the August Indie Business Conference are looking to double up in hotel rooms. If you are looking for another Indie share to a hotel room at the conference, let me know and I'll help match you up!
He's
not an Indie, but my good friend intellectual property attorney Andrew
Sherman is hosting the 2007 Diversity and Business Growth Summit in
Washington, DC on May 3, 2007. Andrew has been a guest on Indie Business
Radio and is known for his unselfish support of small and mid-sized
businesses around the world. He has partnered with Stedman Graham, Michael
Berrera (president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) and others to
champion and advocate the importance of diversity in the business
environment and workplace. For more information and to register, click here.
Learn more about Indie members and their exciting products, services and activities by visiting their websites through our Online Member Directory. You can search for your favorite Indie by state/country, business name, keyword or alphabetical listings.
2. This Week on Indie Business Radio: To Blog or Not to Blog?
Indie Business Radio offers practical advice and workable strategies to achievement-oriented, independent entrepreneurs who are trading in the traditional corporate ladder to enjoy life and business on their own terms. Enjoy downloads and audio streams of recent shows at this link.
This
Week's Show: To Blog or Not to Blog?
Guest:
Ever wondered whether blogging can add to your business? Maybe it could help
you generate new website hits and new customers. On the other hand, it could
be a colossal waste of time. How can you know in advance? Today's guest
is author (and brother of Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart) Jerry
Hart, and he's going to answer those and
other questions.
How to Enjoy the Show: Log onto Global
Talk Radio.com at 1:00pm EST. Click here to stream or download
audio from other 2007 Indie Business Radio shows.
I Love Indie Business Radio! "I've been listening to your show and each time is like a mini-class in itself. I love it! I've been soaking up all the information and just can't get enough. Keep up the good work! I am learning so much from you and your business" Indie Suzanne Gosh, The Washtub, Collins, MS.
Upcoming Indie Business Radio Guests
April 23: Capitalizing on Being Woman Owned
Guest: Author Janet Christy
Topic: How to make being a girl work for your bottom line
3. Indie Gift of the Month: Win a Positive Pampered Lavender Collection!!
Last month, I gave the Positively Pampered Lavender Collection to my college friend
Terri Bynoe. Terri lives in South Carolina with her husband and 3 sons.
She's a "stay at home" mom who is never at home, and when she's
not shuffling her boys to and from sporting events, she's cooking up fancy
meals for everyone or volunteering at the local hospital where her husband
is an emergency room trauma surgeon. I thought my pal of 25 years could use
some relaxing pampering, and she loved it. She said the packaging was
beautiful, the products are decadent and the lavender brought back sweet
memories of her grandmother.
Enter To Win! To enter to win a Positively Pampered Lavender Collection of your own, all you have to do is join today's Indie Business Radio Show (log onto Global Talk Radio.com at 1:00pm EST) and call in your question or comment for today's guest. Monday's guest is an expert on blogging, and will share how you can use the medium to grow your business. If you call in with a question or comment, you will automatically be entered into a drawing to win the Indie Gift of the Month. Your entry gives us your permission to share your name and home state, and tell everyone what you won.
Get Featured! If you're an IBN member with a fantastic product that you'd like to be featured as the Indie Gift of the Month, email me a link to a photo of your gift set and I'll get back to you!
4. Indie Live! Today: How to Create a Personal Brand That Sells You and Your Products
| This Week's Indie Live! | Topic | Presenter |
| Click here for call-in details (member login required) | Personal Branding 101: Creating a Personal Brand That Sells You and Your Products: Learn strategies that successful Indies use to set themselves apart from the crowd, increase brand awareness and get ahead in business. | IBN founder and president, dM |
Indie Live!
is the place where IBN members gather to discuss the hot indie
business topics of the day and enjoy a presentation by an expert guest (see
below for today's guest)! One-on-one coaching from dM, IBN's founder and
president, is available, but in our weekly calls, we enjoy a fantastic group
dynamic where your questions are answered in an encouraging and
inspirational setting. Last week, two FDA attorneys in private practice
shared a great overview of the FDA's and other agency regulation of
cosmetics. This week, there's another great session with our very own
Packaging Diva! Members may feel free to email
any suggestions for future meetings and topic they wish to discuss
5. Indie Candy: Diana Olander: Arizona Center for the Healing Arts: Social Entrepreneurship In Action
"I'm 41 years old, but I feel like I'm 99!"
So says Diana Olander of IBN member Arizona Center for the Healing Arts. Though I'm just a few years her senior, if I had done all of the things in my life that Diana has done in hers, I might feel twice my age too. On the other hand, just a few minutes spent with her reveals that she is very vibrant in body and mind. It's her soul that seems wise beyond its years.
It's Different Here
Diana was raised in Argentina where folk healing is practiced extensively and the healers do not request payment. Her business is an outgrowth of this mentality in that Diana does not see her practice as a business. "Many of my students ask me how to start a 'healing business'. To me it's not a business, it's a way of living." That may be, but like all Indies mixing their passions with the need to support themselves, Diana realizes that unlike in Argentina, practicing your passion in America often involves more than giving your talent away. Unless it's a hobby, things like insurance and other overhead necessities need to be paid for by a business. "When I moved to the US, many people asked me to help and teach them, and they offered to pay for my services. I eventually decided to make it a full time venture and the business was born."
The formalities of Diana's business were naturally added over time. For example, Diana says that when her more business minded American husband learned that she was making and selling natural and herbal bath and body products, he "flipped out" and said she had to get some insurance. True to form, Diana responded that she'd rather move to the Amazon rainforest to make her products and then give them away for free, than to buy insurance just so she could help people. Diana says she kept doing what she was doing until her husband found IBN's insurance program and signed her up. Diana relies on her husband for a lot of business help. He does most of the paperwork so Diana can focus on her practice and making products.
A Social Entrepreneur At Heart
Diana is a perfect example of a social entrepreneur, someone who uses an entrepreneurial venture to encourage social change. While every IBN member has some social entrepreneurship aspects to his or her business, Diana continues to raise the bar and take it to a whole new level. Diana's accomplishments are numerous:
- speaks 5 languages
- is a certified Reiki master
- is certified Master Akashic reader
- is certified in auricular medicine and ear coning
- holds a Bachelor degree in Natural Health Sciences
- holds a Doctorate of Naturopathy from Clayton College of Natural Health
- is currently studying auricular therapy, Medical Chi Kung and Herbal Medicines at the international College of Chinese Medicine in Phoenix.
Diana makes herbal salves using beeswax, raw honey, olive oil, herbs and
natural essences. Some of the most popular varieties are plantain, lavender,
calendula and Herbal Rose (a combination of rose, lavender and jasmine). She
also sells incense, dream pillows, Aroma Body Therapy Mist and other
products that Diana says can complement any person's life.
Are you tired yet? There's more.
In addition to products, you can travel with Diana to any number of countries to enjoy her international healing retreats. You can also enjoy meditation classes, Reiki sessions, different types of spiritual workshops and more. She even teaches Reiki classes especially designed for children between the ages of 5 and 18. is especially created for children who are between the ages of 5-12 and 13-18, and also for moms and their doulas or other people who will be with a new mother during childbirth. During these sessions, people learn hand positions for healing and when and where to use Reiki during labor and childbirth
Diana has studied Reiki with Japanese Masters and lived in a monastery so she could involve herself completely in learning the techniques. She also lived in the Amazon for 3 years and then with Indian tribes in South American where she learned Shamanic healing. Today she is studying iridology and to earn a Master Herbalist certificate. "As soon as I complete these courses, I am looking to learn homeopathy for animals."
Diana says she has 3 amazing children who help her in her practice, and
who also do Reiki and help her in the campaigns to help homeless children around the world.
She also has an animal sanctuary where, at present, she houses 2 goats, 6 hens, 3 chickens, 1 duck, 4
African tortoises, 5 dogs, 1 cat, 2 fish and some birds that are ready to be
released back to nature.
Diana is like many business owners in that she took professional classes
in college (journalism in her case), but found that she was not really cut
out to hold down a traditional job. "It seems that my mission in life
is to help others doing this type of work, and nothing else. I love being independent, because I can work the hours that I want and take time to be with my children and my animals, and I still have time to create natural healing products and candles.
I am always creating new things."
Diana
started a free cancer clinic many years ago, when a friend's friend contacted
her about someone with a brain tumor. "The person needed so many
healings that I figured out that it better be free so she could heal without the burden of
financial worries. That brought the idea of establishing free Reiki for the terminally ill.
The program works because any students who take my Reiki Master training
must be willing to offer the service free of charge to those with cancer.
Diana says that she has personally witnessed lives of terminally ill persons change dramatically as a result of her ability to connect with them personally. "One of them was my father. He woke up from a coma after receiving treatments from me, and was able to be on Earth and communicate for 10 additional days days before he passed on."
Places to Go, People to See
Diana teaches one type of class or another every weekend at her In April, Diana will be teaching folk healing in Arizona. Following that, she'll travel to Mexico to bring aid to an Indian Tribe. Later this year, there are other trips planned both in the US and abroad. (You can see a schedule here.) Diana says she is hoping to travel to Cambodia to help some orphans in September. As if this was not enough to make your head spin, Diana is the first woman in Arizona history to teach meditation in prison facilities.
Diana says that she gets a lot of questions from people of all faiths about the efficacy and appropriateness of her spiritual classes, workshops and other activities. She has collected many of these questions over the years and answers them at her website. At that page, you'll find a history of Reiki in different parts of the world, plus information to help you assess whether Reiki and other modalities Diana teaches and practices fit in with your personal spiritual beliefs and practices.
Oh
Yes, A Quick Reading Suggestion
With all of these classes, products and activities, you might think Diana feels overwhelmed or stressed. You'd be wrong. Diana says doesn't see her work and the business details associated with it as challenges. "I don't feel any challenges. I enjoy what I do and I have fun doing what I do. My workshops are always different so I can also have fun with them." The exception she says is that when she launches a campaign to help homeless children, it's a challenge when the donations don't come as fast as she'd like. When asked about one of her favorite books that can help people be successful in business, Diana recommends The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey.
Loving Indie
"I joined IBN because I was looking for a place with other people who are in the same boat as I am. I also liked the low price and I love IBN's magazine. It is so inspiring to see other people out there making amazing things! I felt proud of everyone's work featured in the magazine." Diana also says that she loves being Indie because she enjoys the independence of practicing her art on her own terms.
Why Diana's Business Works
I wish I could have spent more time with Diana so I could observe more of the business side of her work. Alas, she tells me that her husband is the one who would handle such details and with a weekly publication, there was no time to get to him.
However, I did gain insight into the compassionate side of a woman who just so happens to also own a business. It's the kind of compassion that is not uncommon among Indies whose main goal is to pursue their passion -- some would say "calling" -- in ways that help other people. The business side of it is often just the price paid for doing what you love. Diana feels this, and describes far better than me the motivation in her heart, which in the end makes her business work in ways that tips, strategies and practices never could.
"I believe that diseases don't pick and choose. They hit rich and poor, black and white, Catholic and Protestant. All have a right to be healed, whether they can pay for it or not. Healing the sick and saving lives isn't a business. it's a duty and privilege. I dedicate my work for the benefit of all sentient beings. May they be free from suffering and their causes."
Who could have said it better than that? You can learn more about Diana's services, products and retreats at her website.
6. Indie Calendar: Indies, Indies Everywhere!
As always, IBN members are everywhere doing their share to support and encourage other Indies to maximize success. Check out the chart below for an overview of upcoming events and if you think one in your area is for you, click on our Calendar for more details.
Members, listen up! This weekly feature is just one of the
ways IBN spreads the word about your business. Do you have an event coming
up that you'd like us to publicize? An open house? A special class? A sale
at your physical retail location? Add your event here
and I'll cue it up for the next newsletter!
| Date | Event | Location |
| Today! Click here for call-in details (member login required) | Personal Branding 101: Creating a Personal Brand That Sells You and Your Products: Learn strategies that successful Indies use to set themselves apart from the crowd, increase brand awareness and get ahead in business. | IBN founder and president, dM |
| April 28, 2007 | Alive Expo! An IBN member has the inside scoop on discounted exhibitor tables in the spa area of this Expo. Check your Indie Live! update from April 9 or email IBN for details. | Atlanta, GA |
| May 12, 2007 | Intermediate Level/Big Batch Cold Process Soap Making to help you take your soapmaking to the next level. | San Francisco, CA |
| June 7, 2007 | Packaging Your Invention to Sell! IBN member Jo Ann Hines, the Packaging Diva, will share why it's so important to make packaging your first thought, not your last! | INPEX at the Pittsburgh Expo Mart |
| August 16, 17, 18, 2007 | The Indie Business Conference (pictures from the 2006 conference) | Click here to register |
7. Indie Beauty Product Review: Hand, Foot & Nail Balm
At
Black Pearl Botanicals, it's all about chemical free products. So says
owner Jill Gibbs who uses only pure essential oils for scent and
aromatherapy benefits, and all other ingredients are natural. Everything
is handmade.
Their Nail, Hand & Foot Balm was a constant winter companion in my car during this past winter season. On busy mornings when my husband and I are packing up the kids for school, it's inevitable that something we need is lost in the hustle and bustle. For me, that is usually a much needed application of some kind of cream or lotion for my hands and nails. This product was a constant companion because it is convenient and easy to use, plus it works great.
I love the push up tube, which means no spills and easy application. Even my 3-year old could use it all by himself. It's made with shea butter, emu oil and other natural ingredients that are know to heal dry, cracked skin. I especially like using it on my fingernails and tips because it keeps the supple enough to resist the cracking, tearing and splitting that is so typical in the cold months. Jill says its also good for nail fungus, sunburn, diaper rash, insect stings and even radiation burns. The smell is positively herbal -- a bit of neem mixed with a few essential oils of lavender, patchouli, rose geranium and others.
In addition to products. Black Pearl Botanicals also sells a variety of accessories to complement your bath routine, such as Ayate wash cloths and sponges, reflexology tools, body scrubbers, soap dishes and more.
Get the scoop at the Black Pearl Botanicals website.
Best & Success!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Indie Experience
The Indie Beauty Network | www.indiebeauty.com
Copyright (c) 2000 - 2007 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.
