The Indie Experience
June 11, 2007
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 8, Issue 22
To subscribe, click here
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1. Meet IBN's New and Renewing Members
2. This Week On Indie Business Radio: The Business of Blogging
3. Indie Live!: Your Best Trade Show Now!
4. Indie Candy: Rhonda King: bareFaced Mineral Cosmetics: Go Barefaced!
Indie Beauty Ritual: Aloe Skin Soother. Spending some time at the pool or beach this week? Here's a perfectly easy, natural treat made with the juice from your aloe plant to soothe your skin after sun exposure. Don't forget the sunscreen!
1. Meet IBN's New Members
Welcome
Renewing Members!
Bramble Berry, Inc. | Anne-Marie Faiola |
Washington
* Member Since June 2001; Bramble Berry Inc. supplies
fully-tested fragrance oils (suitable for both candles and all types of
soap), as well as a wide range of colorants. We also sell a large variety of
molds and unscented toiletry bases. Bramble Berry Inc. stocks numerous
bottles (including hard-to-find items), as well as a unique innovative
flavor oil line. We have a Monthly Specials page on our web site, so be sure
to check our web site often!
Sheer Miracle, LLC | Chris and Jane Pitte | Arizona
* Member Since May 2005; Handcrafted mineral makeup at
discount prices, including foundations, blushes and eye shadow.
Welcome New Members!
Essence Tree Holistic Life | Charmaine Gibbs-West
| Tennessee
* Founded in 2003, Essencetree Holistic Life provides handmade,
holistic products for body and spirit. Our philosophy is that the natural
universe is our most powerful healer. As such, our products cultivate bliss,
health and rejuvenation using pure materials. The Essencetree specialty skin
care line includes beneficial body butters and massage balms, therapeutic
body oils, herbal bath salts and exfoliating scrubs. Each Essencetree
creation is a masterpiece, blending the finest organic ingredients and
healing intent.
Jamayam Gecko Herbals, LLC | Barbara Korando
| Washington
* Jamayma Gecko Herbals was founded in 1999 by Barbara Korando, a formally
trained herbalist, to bring truly natural products to truly discriminating
people. We use only the highest quality ingredients--cold pressed organic
oils, organic, ecologically harvested or ethically wildcrafted herbs rich
with live plant energies and pure essential oils. Superior ingredients
create superior products and you most certainly deserve the best. We infuse
love and positive energy into each product we send you way!
Rinse Bath and Body | Heather Swanepoel | Georgia
* Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare was vreated to fill a void in the tattoo
industry. Our full line of all natural products uses only the finest oils,
scents, herbs, and botanicals available from nature to make products to heal
your new tattoo quickly and successfully. Now in 600+ stores worldwide and
growing! Developed by Tattoo Artists and a licensed Esthetician.
Cassia's Garden | Andrea Denner | Illinois
* Cassia's Garden is in business selling handmade natural skin care
products, resale of natural skin care products, natural produce bags and
organic produce wash. Baby care products to be introduced late in 2007.
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: The Business of Blogging
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: The Business of Blogging
Guest:
Debbie Weil, author of "The Corporate Blogging Book," shares her
insights on how blogging can increase sales and expand the reach of you and
your company worldwide.
Note: due to the continued illness of my
father, today's show is an encore. I expect to return live on June 25 as I
know my dad wants the Indie beat to go on! In the meantime, please visit the
show Archives
to enjoy shows from the past 3 years.
"I Love Indie Business Radio! "
3. Indie Live! Today: Your Best Trade Show Now!
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.
We are on hiatus, but will return on June 18 with Aubin Wilson (pictured left), the group show manager for GLM Shows, which hosts trade shows around the country. Aubin is responsible for coordinating shows around the country and is the past manager of Extracts New York. You won't want to miss this presentation, where Aubin will share her best trade show tips.
Until then, members can enjoy the audio from all previous Indie Live! sessions here. (Login required.)
-- Sponsor --
4. Indie Candy: Rhonda King: bareFaced Mineral Cosmetics: Go Barefaced!
It's
not often that you meet an Indie who launched a business and was able to
quit her traditional job after just 3 months. Rhonda King of bareFaced
Mineral Cosmetics in Venice, Florida did it by combing her knack for
efficiency with the good fortune of timing her venture with the rise in
popularity of a new makeup form. Here's a bit of her story. er, Vivian, and I reside in Venice, FL.
How and when did you start your business and what was the inspiration for it?
bareFaced Mineral Cosmetics was launched in May of 2004 following my
unsuccessful search for makeup that would last all day in the kitchen (I was a professional "foodie" in my prior life), without sliding off my face. After trying the famous name-brand (s), I decided to have a try at making my own, without bismuth
oxychloride, an ingredient which can cause itching and breakouts, especially
when one sweats or becomes overheated.
How did you choose bareFaced Mineral Cosmetics as a business name?
I wanted a name that was catchy and offered some insight into what we're about. bareFaced seemed to fit perfectly!
Tell me about your life as a "foodie" before life as a mineral makeup manufacturer.
My chosen career path was healthcare foodservice. With a degree in Food and Nutrition and
a certification as a Dietary Manager and Food Protection Professional, I worked as
a Director of Nutritional Services for 17 years, areas ranging from longer
term care nursing homes and hospitals. When I began formulating mineral makeup, my very first "test faces" were the girls who worked with me and for me in the kitchen at Healthsouth Rehab Hospital in Sarasota, FL. My clinical dietitian, Pam Gladyz, was my very first guinea pig! After wearing my minerals for a few weeks, she suggested I sell it. After developing a very small website, I quit my fulltime job after 3 months.
This is my full time gig now, though I still conduct Safety and Sanitation Training and Inspections for some local
restaurants when I can fit it in to my schedule.
Tell me more about your products. What are the most popular ones?
Our Velvet Plush Foundation is our most popular product. With research and development taking almost 2 years, it has been well-received in the year it's been available. It's creamy, smooth, and gives a flawless finish to any face. A wide range of shades give an opportunity to women of all nationalities to look great with very little effort! A close second in popularity are our Lippie Styx. Highly pigmented lip balms in a slimline tube, and flavored with Tangerine Essential Oil and Cocoa Absolute. Yummy!
What are your personal favorites?
That's a tough one, as they are all my babies and I love every one of them! I am quite fond of anything purple, and Elaine Multi-purpose powder is probably one of my faves to wear, along with Velvet Plush.
How do you choose colors to add to your line?
We try to keep up on current trends and offer our clients a wide range of choices. Sometimes our clients will request something special for themselves, and of course, it always ends up in the product line somewhere.
Do you mix everything yourself?
Yes. Everything is handcrafted by me. The only thing we outsource is our handmade soaps. I have an associate who uses my essential oils for creating our handmade soaps. I am not a
saponifier!
How do you choose the names for the colors? This is one of the most difficult tasks I have. In the beginning, everything was named after someone I knew. (Sallie, Pam) After while, it sort of evolved to popular trendy names (Shoreline Tan, Undeniable) My husband, Bob, named the Sonoran Collection for me, based on his time spent in
Arizona.
What's hot for summer?
Definitely glimmers! We keep expanding our Delightful Glimmer collection. We just recently added 9 new shades that are very popular. Most are nude | neutral | understated shades, that come alive with vibrancy when foiled.
Do you wholesale or retail or both? Which do you prefer?
bareFaced Minerals caters to retail, wholesale and private label clients worldwide. When we began this venture, most of our sales were from retail clients. In the past year, the focus has shifted more to wholesale and private label. I really can't say I like one more than the other. It's all in a day's work. All of our clients are important to us, and we strive to treat each of them as if they are the only one we have. We do, however, spend a great deal of time assisting new clients with getting their new business off the ground. We cater to a lot of day spas and salons worldwide. Offering our own printing services has really helped us build this client base.
Who helps you in your business?
For the most part, it's me, myself, and I! My husband, Bob, does all the postal runs, which is a huge help. His mother, Vivian, assists with labeling. Working in foodservice for so many years taught me to be efficient and I have mastered the art of proper work flow. So when we moved into our warehouse space, it was important to me that the flow was such that I could handle the process alone. It's important to me to be able to offer high quality products and service to my clients. It's difficult to instill the passion for your work and your products in others so I mostly work alone. It's very rewarding for me. Delegation comes easy for me when it's time to label containers and carry packages to the post office!
What is so special about mineral makeup -- and then what's special about yours?
What's your niche? Mineral makeup is a fabulous opportunity for clients (both men and women) to look wonderful, feel good about themselves, and not worry that they are using something harmful on their skin. It's great for people on the go as it only takes a few minutes to have a complete face. And it lasts all day (sometimes longer). In today's society, we are always in a hurry, and searching for products that are more healthy for us. Mineral makeup is definitely for active people, and it offers a healthy alternative to the harsh chemical-laden products in today's marketplace. What's special about ours? We use very few ingredients, no dyes or other irritants. With 85 shades of foundation, offered in 3 formulas, we have something for all skin tones. And we custom blend if our clients can't find a shade that works for them. Our niche? Great products and impeccable customer service. We strive daily to treat people the way we want to be treated.
As a wife and family woman, how to you juggle working from home with your job as home manager?
I have two sons, Marvin and Marty, from a previous marriage; both grown. Marvin lives nearby, and Marty is
not too far away in North Carolina. I have a 5 year old granddaughter who spends some time with us a few times a year, which is always fun! She and Bob hit every playground in Sarasota County! Sometimes it's a challenge to make it all work, but somehow, it
does. I'm off to work very early, sometimes in the middle of the night. Bob is my greatest fan, and gives encouragement when it's most
needed. Vivian keeps the household running and does all the cooking, for which I am eternally grateful as I don't want to be in the kitchen
anymore. Ingrid, our Doberman, completes our household. Bob and I try to set aside a few hours each week for fun time, such as relaxing in the pool or
traipsing off to Disney for the day. It doesn't always happen, but we try!
What are the best things about doing what you do?
I love being able to work for myself, watch the business grow and help others look great and feel good about themselves. Assisting new clients with growing their dreams is very rewarding to me.
What are the biggest challenges of being Indie and how do you overcome them?
Managing my time from my inbox, to printing services, to filling orders, and answering phone calls. I don't sleep much (never have). My foodservice years taught me to multi-task, so I do that quite
well. And I'm an organizational nut, so that helps as well. So I may be answering emails in the middle of the night, or go to the warehouse at
2:00AM to begin my day. I am at my best early in the day. I have learned to accept that over the years, and use it to my advantage. I usually work on printing services late in the evening when I'm winding down.
What keeps me going? My family and my overwhelming drive to be successful at my endeavors.
Why do you love being Indie?
Indie Beauty has been a constant for us almost from day one. It is an invaluable resource tool that I encourage every business owner to take advantage of. We have continued to acquire new clients through IBN. When I need to source a supplier, I look to Indie and Mango Butter first. The content, reliability and genuine encouragement for all business owners is unique to Indie. It's like no other network I've ever been involved in. Caring people, giving sound advice. I encourage everyone to use the resources available, such as insurance and advertising. It will grow your business! Be an Indie!
When you're not working bareFaced Minerals, what are you doing? Any interesting hobbies?
I enjoy relaxing at the pool and spending time with my Doberman. I love to sing and play piano. My dad was
a Baptist Minister who taught singing schools from the time I was old enough to talk. I learned to sing at an early age, learned piano as I grew older, and enjoy it immensely. It's very relaxing for me. I'm a computer junkie and love to visit the beauty forums such as
Mineral Makeup Mania during my of hours as well.
What business book have you enjoyed lately that has helped you in business and why?
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by
Steve Krug. It's an easy read; a few hours tops. It's helped me look at my web design differently and make small changes that have made big differences.
What's on the horizon for bareFaced Mineral Cosmetics?
We are doubling our business space during the next 60 days. We started on our kitchen counter, advanced to the pantry space, and outgrew that rapidly. We have now outgrown our 2000 sq ft lab and warehouse space, as well as office space a block away for the printing services. We'll be fully operational in nearly 4000 square
feet very soon!
If you could spend an hour with a well known person, who would it be and why?
Walt Disney. His motto "If You Can Dream It You Can Do It" has been an inspiration for me.
I spent 3 years working at Disney
World and it's the most fascinating place I've ever known. He truly was a genius and an incredible businessman.
This is Indie Candy, so if you were a candy, what would you be and why?
M&M's. Cuz everybody luvs M&M's!
You can learn more about how you can Go Bare Faced! at Rhonda's 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.
