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The Indie Experience
February 4, 2008

A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 9, Issue 4
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1. Meet IBN's New & Renewing Members
2. Indie Tip of the Week: Get Back On The Horse
3. New At the Blog: Keep Your Credit To Yourself, Carol's Daughter and More!
4. Today On Indie Business Radio: Smart Philanthropy For Indie Business Owners
5. Indie Live! Audio Available: Cosmetics Preservatives, Defined and Explained
6. Indie Candy: MaryAnn Dollarhide :: Yeshakem Soap Shoppe :: Montrose, CO
7. New At The Forum: Free Group Coaching!

Indie Beauty Ritual: Coconut Rose Body Whip

1. Meet IBN's New & Renewing Members

Welcome Renewing Members!

Beauty Bliss Cosmetics | Lynn Starner | Washington
* Member since January 2007

Blooming Lotus | Jen Denslow | Missouri
* Member since May 2002; Fresh. Organic. Nourishment. Blooming Lotus creates luscious bodycare products from organic ingredients, gem essences and pure essential oils. We believe in nurturing your whole being inside and out. The quality of your skin is a direct reflection of your inner health, and all those pricey, promising creams won't help if you don't nourish your whole being. Our exquisite collection of holistic spa and bodycare goodies utilize pure plant medicine instead of petrochemicals to yield uncompromising benefits. We encourage you to discover the joys of high vibration bodycare.

Casco Bay Gardens | Ghislaine Berube | Maine

C Naturals | Sahana Barade | New Jersey
* Member since Januay 2007; Beauty products of all kinds.

J&L Handmade | Cae Byng | New York
* Member since November 2007;

Katybugs Healingsense | Katy Buggs | Virginia
* Member since January 2007; High quality therapeutic grade essential oils from around the world. Our pure essential oils and premium teas arrive regularly from the holistic oil and tea merchants having first hand knowledge of the finest botanicals available.

Lunaroma | Leyla Bringas | Vermont
* Member since August 2003; We are a family owned and operated Vermont business. Our products are blended by hand, using the finest, highest quality essential oils and purest botanicals available. We focus on creating high quality aromatherapy and natural body care products which reveal the true art, science and splendor of aromatic blending. Specializing in custom design for spas and individuals, our lines are sold to boutiques, salons, and practitioners; we operate a retail shop and mail order business.

Manor Hall Soap Co. | Susan Mann | Massachusetts
* Member since February 2006; Natural olive oil soaps for sensitive skin, scented only with essential oils, herbs and botanicals. Mostly vegan, all vegetarian, all natural. Fresh, clean and wickedly mean.

Moji Oladejin | MojiO PR | Tennessee
* Member since January 2007; Offering an assortment of services that deliver results-driving, individualized image-building strategies. Creative design, public relations, copywriting and more.

Na Praia | Michelle Gorman | Texas
* Member since January 2006; The only complete line of all-natural and organic herbal products to support the entire process of childbirth and the loss of a baby from pregnancy through labor, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, baby care and beyond.

Natural Selection Bath and Body | Jean Vavra | California
* Member since April 2003; Luxurious handmade soap made with silk fibers. We specialize in silk. Our lotions, lip balm, bath salts and salt scrub are all made with silk. Indulge yourself and your little one. Our line also includes a baby line. Pamper that special little one from the start with our Zen Baby line. Products made with chamomile, comfrey, and rosemary extracts. All natural powder that is talc-free. So much for moms, dads, and babies.

JoAnn Hines | Packaging University | Georgia
* Member since January 2007; Packaging, packaging consulting, packaging coaching, packaging vendors and suppliers, packaging services, packaging expertise, packaging training and education, packaging bootcamp and packaging workbooks.

SandPea Herbal Soap & Botanicals | Sandra Posey | Maryland
* Member since July 2000; Sandpea Herbal Soap's philosophy is that you should spoil yourself, pamper yourself and take the very best care of yourself on a daily basis - not just on special occasions. With your well-being in mind, we have put together a beautifully fragrant assortment of gourmet body soaps, rich, fluffy body mousses, thick and creamy body butters, and much, much more! With the help of our skin-loving bath and body treats you can create your own pampering paradise right in the privacy of your own home!

Shambhala Soaps | Keith Emmons | Texas
* Member since January 2007; At Shambhala Soaps we create natural handmade soaps, lotions, as well as other bath and body products. We use essential oils and herbs gathered from around the world. We work to limit the use of synthetic fragrance oils when ever possible. The oils we choose are naturally sourced whenever possible. We use real imported Dead Sea Salts in our Bath Salts and Sugar Scrubs.

Spoiled Rotten Bath and Body | Kellee Taylor-Smith Mierkiewicz | California
* Member since January 2005; Handmade bath bombs, scrubs and body butters made with the highest quality oils, salts and essential oils. All orders are handmade fresh so you get a fresh product each and every time!

SunRose Aromatics | Rosanne Tartaro | New York
* Member since April 2000; The only complete line of all-natural and organic herbal products to support the entire process of childbirth and the loss of a baby from pregnancy through labor, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, baby care and beyond.

The Box Co-Op | John Green | California
* Member since September 2004; Custom, full color, high gloss printed boxes and header cards at wholesale costs. Retail ready packaging built to your specifications.

Yoli Enterprise | Yvonne Suber | New Jersey
* Member since January 2007; Yoli offers handcrafted lotions, scrubs, body butters and balms to nourish and feed the skin. Our products are made with the best botanical herbs, flowers, natural oils, butters and essentials oils.

Welcome New Members!

Botani Bath | Wendy Stuart | Florida
* Apprentice Indie.

Breathe for Body Soul Spirit Life | Annette Brinker | Colorado
* Apprentice Indie.

Cynthia Elefante | Texes
* Apprentice Indie.

Divine Nature Cosmetics | Rachel Anderson | Colorado
* Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Divine Nature Cosmetics was started by two women with a passion for creating high quality, natural and organic skin care products. We sell a popular line of natural mineral makeup that your skin will love. Our skin care products will delight your senses while leaving your skin looking and feeling great. Visit us today!

Inanna Herbal Remedies | Nancy Eagles | Canada and Virginia
* At Inanna we believe that real beauty starts from within, originating in health in body and in spirit. We love to pamper, indulge and adorn! But we value health too, and will not risk it by using synthetic ingredients. Instead, we reclaim natural beauty secrets that have been enjoyed safely, and with good results, for centuries.

Joan Morias | Joan Morias | California
* Joan Morais teaches classes, workshops and consulting on How to Make Natural Skin and Body Care Products. Lotions, Creams, Body Butters, Cold Process Soap Making, Facial Skin Care Products-milk cleansers, scrubs, masks, serums, toners, eye balm, lip balm, body balm, bath salts, milk baths, bath fizzies, aromatherapy massage oils, natural baby products, lotion bar, essential oil natural scents, soy candles and others. Available from her website, How to Make Lotions and Creams Manual, Natural Baby Products Booklet.

Pure Bliss | Rebecca Dueben | Washington
* Pure Bliss uses organic and natural products, avoiding parabens and artificial preservatives. Our goal is to make the best possible product to support women, the planet and ourselves. Pure Bliss makes donations to the local battered persons’ shelter in an effort to support all people. We use sustainable practices in making and packaging our products. We make lotions, creams, soaps, and lip balms, all made with pure ingredients and no harsh chemicals.

Scandle | Christine White-Stanton | Texas
* Scandle LLC is the creator of The Scandle Body Massage Candle - the first candle that's healthy for the skin & environment. We also specialize in private labeling & wholesale spa products.

She Zen Beauty | Michiyo Steeves | California
* Aromatherapeutic oil treatments for your hair and scalp. Our treatments are available for breakage, damaged hair, dandruff, dry scalp, hair loss, and hot oil for shinier hair.

The Best Hair and Body Products | Tommy Hicks | Texas

The Cottage Rose | Barbara Leyhe | Maryland
* The Cottage Rose, a potpourri of Candles & Gifts! We sell handmade, premium quality candles, candle accessories, refreshing handmade goat milk soap made with shea butter and our own Champion goats' milk and highly scented potpourri, cured over months that include fragrant flowers, real fruits and spices.

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. Indie Tip of the Week: Get Back On The Horse

I published this online newsletter every single week for 8 years. Until last week.

I could tell you all about why I missed last week -- about how my husband went of out town, my kids were out of school, the downstairs (where my home office is) heater was busted and we were "trapped" on the second floor for 2 days, my son got sick, etc. But none of it really matters anyway. What does matter is that I missed my publication deadline.

In hindsight, I'm kind of glad I did, because now I know from experience and for sure why so many people fail at publishing a regular newsletter. The reason is simple: they let one deadline slip.

It's A Slippery Slope

For 8 years, whether I felt like it or not, I published a newsletter every week. No excuses. Even when my daughter was born on a Sunday, I published my newsletter the following Monday (thanks to a pre-scheduling program in the software I use).

Last week, because of the unusual things going on in my household, I didn't feel like publishing my newsletter on Monday morning. I told myself I would publish it on Tuesday morning. The heater broke. I said I'd publish it Tuesday night. Too cold to go down to my office. I told myself I'd publish it on Wednesday. My son got sick. I said I'd do it Thursday. My husband returned home from a business trip. By Friday, it was a done deal. I surrendered to the realization that I would not publish my weekly newsletter for the first time in 8 years.

Get Back On The Horse

My kids go horse back riding most Sundays. When he was barely 3 years old, my son Brooks fell off of his pony. My husband rushed to his side and quickly determined that, while Brooks was terrified, he was not physically injured. After comforting hugging him and wiping away his tears, my husband gently put Brooks back on the pony. At first, I was not in agreement with him, but inside, I knew that if Brooks didn't get back on the pony, he may never ride a horse again. What's more, his ability to persevere a midst of difficulty and fear may have been compromised forever. As I watched my son and his pony walk through the meadow, I knew it was the right thing do to.

Running a business is no different, and the trillion things that you really don't feel like doing simply must be done. Get back on the horse as quickly as you can. Otherwise, you'll probably never get back on again, and if you do, it will be harder than ever to steady yourself. Ask me how I know. If it doesn't become a habit, it will never get done. It only takes a small thing to break the habit but the repercussions can be devastating.

After publishing hundreds of newsletters over an 8-year period, I can honestly say that this is the hardest one I've ever done. I got lots of emails last wee from people wondering where their Indie Experience was. I thank you for your heartfelt interest and concern, and for letting me know that you enjoy my work. Thank you for helping me get back on the horse.

I Can Help You!!

If you are struggling to become consistent at publishing your online newsletter, join me this month for Free Group Coaching where we'll gather together every Thursday night to make sure that your newsletter does not go the way of the dinosaurs. It's open to members and non-members this Thursday, then members only for the rest of the month. Click here to learn more.

3. New At the Blog: Posts of Interest to the Indie Community

Posts of special interest to the Indie Business community:

Create Your Own Economy
New Year's Resolutions, Revisited
The Best Credit Card
Carol's Daughter Hair Care Video Product Review
Why Repetition Is An Indie Business Owner's Best Friend

To have Indie Business Blog entries automatically delivered directly to you through our RSS feed, click here.

4. Today on Indie Business Radio: Smart Philanthropy For Indie Business Owners

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.

Today's Show: Philanthropy expert Maggie Keenan joins me and my Indie co-host Lela Barker, to discuss how Indies can combine business with giving to create philanthropic programs that help others while also reflecting our business mission.

Today's Indie Member Guest Co-Host:

Each edition of the Indie Business Radio Show now features a guest co-host. Today's guest co-host is Indie Lela Barker of Bella Lucce in South Carolina. You can learn more about Lela and her business in her Indie Story.

How To Enjoy the Show: Enjoy Indie Business Radio live at the website. Call your questions in at (800) 773-0355.

"I Love Indie Business Radio!"

"I have listened to all of your shows and I think they are terrific. I just wanted you to know that even though people can't always call in, we are out here listening, and your shows are so valuable. Your questions for the guests are right on. I am amazed at how well spoken they are. After listening to one of the shows focusing on the importance of email newsletters, I decided to send out my first one. I got an order within 2 hours, after not having one for several days! Also, I just started doing business with one of your sponsors as a result of listening to the show. Keep them coming! ~ Julie Ann Price, Beauty With A Cause

Popular shows for you to stream or download, all free!

-- Sponsor --

5. Indie Live! Seminar: Today!: Cosmetics Preservatives, Defined and Explained
Seminar Audio With Expert David Steinberg Now Available!

Ahhh, preservatives. Do I need them? Want them? Love them? Hate them?

For those of you who missed the preservatives seminar last month, the audio stream is now available for purchase. Here's what one attendee said were the most valuable parts of the seminar for her: "Speaking to the various global standards, his take on some of the "myths" and hard core studies that have been done to polarize people about one kind of preservative or another. Regardless of my particular beliefs about preservatives, it is very important to me and my business to have all points of view. I need to know what my potential customers are hearing and seeing on all sides."

Another attendee said that the most valuable part for her was that David: "Spread some common sense [about preservatives]! I agreed with much of what he had to say and it was refreshing to hear it."

To see a listing of topics that were covered and to purchase the 90-minute audio, click here. Member discount applies.

6. Indie Candy: MaryAnn Dollarhide :: Yeshakem Soap Shoppe | Montrose, CO

Forensic anthropologist, botanist, 19th-Century American and Classic British literature specialist, published writer, poet, trained herbalist, candle maker, soap maker, wife, mother and benevolent dictator to two dogs. Are you tired yet? MaryAnn Dollarhide may be a little winded from time to time, but that didn't stopped her from combining all of her passions and knowledge to start Yeshakem Soap Shoppe in 2006. Here is some of her story.

How did you start your business and what was the inspiration for it?

I attended university for quite a few years before having children, studying
forensic anthropology and botany. I'd learned so much about the use of plants
for food and in healing, and the ways many cultures use their natural surroundings to stay healthy, and that always fascinated me. I also worked as a grant writer and fundraiser for numerous charities, and in health food stores, so I guess you could say that Yeshakem Soap Shoppe has been a roundabout, but logical, outgrowth of my years of study and interest in nature.

I have also been a writer, and taught writing online, for quite a few years. I enjoy finding ways to use that passion in whatever I do, whether it's writing articles, writing website text, blogs (one on home schooling) and whatever I have going on. I have a few writing projects in the works that I will eventually pick up again when youngest son is a little older.

I started Yeshakem Soap Shoppe in the fall of 2006. I had been soul searching for about a year, wanting to find some way to use my creative gifts and energy to express how thankful I am to God for blessing me in so many ways and saving my life in the truest sense. It was as if a light bulb went off one day, when I realized I could use one of my hobbies -- soapmaking -- to help raise funds for Gospel ministry in Israel. It was exciting, and fit my life so perfectly. With my husband's and kids' blessings I decided to take a leap of faith and go for it!

Is Yeshakem's Soap Shoppe your full-time job?

No, my full-time job is as a wife and mom. As I mentioned, I am also a writer and writing instructor, with plans to eventually finish several novels-in-progress, but those projects are on the back-burner while I focus on home schooling my boys and building the business.

How do you combine business with family, especially as a home schooling mom of 3 busy boys?

My sons are 2, 10 and 15. It is definitely an adventure, but I love it. I like to joke that while the Army is called 'the toughest job you'll ever love', that it's the stay-at-home mom that's really in the trenches! Our home school days usually start with me hoarding a bit of quiet time from 6:30 until about 8:00, when my two older boys start getting up to do their chores and have breakfast. Studies begin around 8:30, though it can take a bit longer to get the younger one settled in. We use what's called the Charlotte Mason Method, which is not rigidly scheduled or tedious so is well suited to how children naturally learn. We do a lot of reading out of 'living books' with plenty of discussion and sharing. We're usually all done with our organized studies by early afternoon, and can enjoy the rest of the day reading, listening to music, pursuing hobbies or household tasks like gardening and baking. It's really a wonderful learning environment, and we all thrive on how rich but gentle and family-focused it is.

Yeshakem Soap Shoppe is built around our Christian faith, and our desire to have our lives impact the world around us for God. We donate a large percentage of our profits to several Christian ministries in Israel, Asia and in the US military. Our life is so comfortable here in America, and we really don't tend to grasp just how difficult and tenuous life is in most parts of the world. Most people live without the hope that comes from knowing Jesus, and knowing how much they matter to Him, and we want to be a part of changing that in as many lives as we can. So when I say that 'Yeshakem Soap Shoppe is a labor of love', that's what I mean.

How many products are in your line and what are the best sellers?

We have well over a hundred individual products in about a dozen categories. It might even be more with our beeswax candles! Our best selling products are our shea butter soaps, lotions and deodorants. We are also expecting our Dead Sea products to really take off.

Your website says that you and your family live an organic lifestyle. Tell me about that?

I have come to realize over the years how frighteningly processed so much of what we consume and wear is, as well as how expensive it all is. Gardening has become a real passion for me, and I enjoy canning every fall and equipping my pantry to feed this small army we're raising. I think I got it from my Jewish grandparents I truly cherish the wisdom and traditions of my Hebrew ancestors. Anyway, it costs a lot less to turn a free range chicken and some homegrown vegetables into a bunch of delicious stew, than to buy cans of natural soup that you really can't be sure is all that natural. Besides, my husband is Irish, and is thus the living example of 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach! I absolutely love putting natural, yummy goodies into my guys' tummies.

The natural products that I make are a really good fit with our lifestyle, especially since I am able to grow or procure from friends many of the ingredients that make them so personal and special. Our orchards and gardens, and those of our friends and neighbors, are a treasure trove of the best God's creation has to offer. It's absolutely joyful!

What's the "hook" for your products?

I have seen people respond positively to the combination of natural, handmade products and the ministry aspect of our business. I've had many of them tell me that it really touches them to see that the bottom line isn't always the bottom line, you know? That there's love behind it. Plus, these products make them feel so good and so pampered, it's a blessing for everyone, I think.

How do you market your products?

I have been so focused on constructing the website and creating products, that I haven't done as much advertising as perhaps I should. I do use some paid online advertising and a small amount of print advertising like home school publications and newsletters. I also maintain a couple of blogs, and as I mentioned earlier some friends exchange links with me. I am weighing the feasibility of doing some trade shows, but I'm not sure I'm ready to venture into that while my baby is still so little. He's going through some pretty significant separation anxiety right now, and it's just impossible for me to envision adding traveling to my schedule when he's going through that. I am also getting ready to launch an e-newsletter. If anyone would like to get to know us a bit more and read about our daily lives, they can find my blogs on our resource page at the website.

What business tips can you offer to others wishing to start a business of their own?

Only take on a business or ministry if your husband and kids are 100% supportive. They will share the joy of it with you if you don't sacrifice their right to be first in your life. And get product liability insurance! I've heard enough horror stories to alert me that a go-it-alone attitude can cost you--and your posterity--everything. Oh, and consider becoming a limited liability company, that's protection than you need in this litigious world.

Also, I guess it's technically plagiarizing because it's already in the Bible, but remember that, with God all things are possible!

Who helps make your business successful?

My biggest supporters and cheerleaders are definitely my husband and kids. My husband has financed this venture and he smiles patiently on those occasions when I may give away more than I make. He also helps with taxes and shipping, takes the kids bowling or for pizza when mom's brain feels like a can of marbles from juggling home schooling and shipping orders, and graciously allows me to 'test' my products by taking the "umpteenth" bath in a day. Ain't love grand?!

I also have some very special fellow moms who help me out with free or bartered
advertising, or by passing out my business cards and promoting my blogs on their websites and blogs. It really takes a supportive network to build a business and keep our eyes on our goals.

What do you love most about what you do?

Showing people how much I love God, and how much of a gift His creation is to us. I also love being able to teach my children in a tangible way that when you honor Him, He will order your steps. I also love having the ability to create income while I'm at home with my children, and having a meaningful outlet for my artistic personality.

What do you love about being Indie?

I found the Indie Beauty Network while researching product liability insurance. I felt the organization was by far the most professional and credible. As a writer, I can spot unprofessionalism and an overly casual ethic a mile away. Besides, it may sound odd, but I saw your photograph and sensed a nurturing, honest heart in you. I am a pretty good judge of character (it freaks people out, actually), so I let that be the 'clincher'. I feel good about the whole IBN package.

What are your biggest challenges and how do you overcome them?

Just after my oldest son was born, I suffered brain and spinal injuries in a horrible car accident. While I have healed tremendously, I still deal with some frustration over short term memory problems, and pain including migraines. Pain is just part of life on most days. I overcome that (well, most of the time) by looking at my husband and kids, and this cozy, peaceful home he's given us. I can't enjoy a pity party for too long when I realize that God doesn't have to be so good to me, but He is.)

Can you recommend a book that has been helpful to you as you have grown your business?

I recommend Home-based Business for Dummies by Paul and Sarah Edwards. I haven't finished reading it all, so I guess I'm still a dummy. :) What I really gleaned from it almost immediately is the necessity of organization and time management. I'm still learning those!

What can we find you doing when you're not working?

When am I not working? Just kidding. (??) Um, I enjoy reading classic literature and listening to classical music. The hobbies that bring me the most peace and satisfaction, by far, are gardening and bird watching.

This is Indie Candy, so if you were a brand of candy, what would you be and why?

Oh, definitely taffy--most days, I allow myself to be pulled in too many directions!

What are your annual gross revenues?

I am still not quite in profit mode yet, but I'm getting there and hope to reach that point by the end of this year. We saw sales increase threefold in the last half of 2007, so I am hopeful. It's incredibly hard work, but Lord willing, I'm determined.

7. New At The Forum: Free Group Coaching!

New At The Forum

At long last, I am pleased to announce Free Group Coaching for members of the Indie Beauty Network. Coaching takes place Thursday nights and the forum is used to continue coaching discussions. One night a month is open to non-members. This month, we tackle the issue of email newsletter publishing. I've been doing it for 8 years straight so I have a thing or two to share with you.

Do you have an hour a week to invest in your business? I do! Won't you join me? Details here.

Plus, find answers, ask questions, and share your expertise with others on other hot topics of discussion, including:

Check out more forum topics.

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.