The Indie Experience
September 29, 2008
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 9, Issue 36
To subscribe, click here
-- Media Partner --
1. Meet IBN's New & Renewing Members
2.
New At the Blog: What do You Think of My New Blog
Layout??!
3. Today on Indie Business Radio: The Eight Great
4. Indie Candy: Amanda Peters :: Shea & Company ::
Texas
Indie Beauty Ritual: Orchid Flower Body Oil
1. Meet IBN's New & Renewing Members
Welcome Renewing Members!
Beauty With a Cause | Julia Ann Price | New York
* Member since September 2007; Beauty with a Cause
(b-cause) offers safe cosmetic options. Our products are either hand-crafted or
purchased from small independent businesses. Products include mineral makeup,
hair and face care,, and lotions. Products have never been tested on animals.
Wherever possible, b-cause recycles, purchases sustainable products, buys from
fair trade companies, and minimizes packaging and printed matter. B-cause is
also committed to helping women heal. A portion of the profits from sales goes
to support the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Laura's Lucky Stars
(Ovarian Cancer Foundation) and the National Scleroderma Foundation. Fundraising
campaigns available.
Welcome New Members!
Quetziah | Debra Shafer | Tennessee
* Apprentice Indie.
milk and cookeez | Tammy Brodback | Ohio
* A savory bathery that specializes in gourmet bath cookies
cookeez, fizzy milk drops bath bombs with milk, all natural shea whips, frosting
a soft fluffy soap, bath salts, and the newest sensation, bath taffy bath melts
and more.
IndulgeInScents | Renee Sherman | California
* We are a small company that believes in buying local,
fair trade, organics, and wholesome ingredients and creating indulgent products.
Scentsational Stuff | Toni Oseman | Wisconsin
* Seductive Scents is a family business that takes pride in
making our creams and body butters with high quality ingredients.
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. Twindie of the Week: Guess Who I'm Following!!?
Last
week's Twindie of the Week (an exciting person I'm following at Twitter) was IBN member
Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale, an IBN member since _____. Essential
Wholesale is one of my media partners and I am always pleased to tell you about
the great private label work they do, their informative blog and their friendly
customer service. Check out Kayla and Essential Wholesale on Twitter.
I'll be back next week to tell you about another great Twindie!
3. New At the Blog: The Global Twitter Village
Here
are some current new and popular blog posts. Enjoy and feel free to make your
opinion known. And don't forget to leave your blog or website address so we can
learn more about you, your products and your services. Do you have something to
say? Post a comment and join the discussion!
The Fit Indie: fitness is changing my life and my business
Being Oprah Winfrey: 3 things Indies can learn from her journey
Enter to be StartupNation's Home-Based Business of the Year!
Want more great information to help you grow your business? Then click here to get my blog posts automatically delivered directly to you through our RSS feed. If you prefer email, provide your email address at the blog, upper right corner.
4. Indie Business Radio: How to Tell Your Story Effectively to the Media
Today's
Show: The Great Eight!
Richard St. John is a success analyst and the author of Eight to be Great. He says that if we do just 8 things, we'll be great successes at life and business!
Special thanks to WendyY Bailey of Group Mastery for hosting today's show in my absence! Tweet with WendyY at @wendyybailey!
How To Enjoy the Show: Enjoy Indie Business Radio live at the website. Call your questions in at (800) 773-0355.
Enjoy Last Week's Show! Last week's show on telling your story to the media with PR expert Monique Caradine is now available for you to download or stream at Indie Business Radio .com!
-- Media Partner --
5. Indie Candy: Amanda Peters :: Shea & Company :: Texas
I
love meeting new people. That's one of the best things about being Indie and
connecting using social media. I meet so many fun and interesting people, and I
know for sure that I never would have met them were it not for the Internet. It
has enriched my life so much. Recently, I met 30-yer old Amanda Peters. She's from my
favorite town that I've never visited, Austin Texas.
Amanda, a native of Tennessee and a former beauty queen, is a graduate of Carson-Newman College, and holds Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has been a 4th grade teacher. Now living in Austin, Texas and working full-time as the Education Specialist and National Accounts Manager for an educational technology company, Amanda recently launched Shea & Company, a line of "decadent bath and skincare products." Amanda hope to make Shea & Company her full-time career. She lives with her husband of 5 years and their yellow Lab, Whitlee. Here's more.
When did you start your business and what was the inspiration for it?
Shea & Company was born around the 2006 Christmas holiday season. I wanted to do something fun and different for friends and family, so I made peppermint bath salts and a gingersnap scrub. After the holidays, the recipients of the gifts kept calling me to order more of what I made them. I knew I had a business. When I decided I wanted to explore making products for Christmas gifts, I read articles, found advice on the Internet and just started experimenting. It was a lot like cooking without an exact recipe. You know the ingredients but you just have to use trial and error to find out how much should or should not be included.
Does your beauty queen background help you in your business in any way?
I am very proud to say that I was First-Runner up to Miss Tennessee USA and Interview Award Winner. I do believe my background of preparing and competing in such a high level competition aids my business. It has taught me to trust my instinct, be self-confident, set goals and go after those goals.
What's it like to be starting a new business these days?
Exciting! Shea & Company is still in her infancy, and over the last few months, we have experienced word of mouth advertising that has worked very well for us. Currently, we are in a spa in my hometown in Tennessee and several spas and boutiques have requested to carry our products this fall. With the website now officially open and with retailers being added, I look to have explosive growth during the holiday season and carrying into 2009.
What makes your products special? What's your niche?
Our motto and passion is: "Shea & Company’s stylish and sophisticated line of healthy, luxury body care products fulfill that unique experience everyone deserves.”
Shea & Company provides luxury-kissed products for all economic levels. We're made in the popular town of Austin, Texas, and we make all of the products without any parabens or unhealthy ingredients so our customers enjoy safe, decadent bath and skin care products. Our role involves helping people change the way they think about body care.
Expect Luxury. Expect Quality. Expect more for Yourself.
What new and exciting plans to you have for your business?
Recently, we added a new spa in my hometown in East Tennessee, Mineral
Essence Day Spa. It has been
wonderful working with the owner and the professionals at the spa. The spa owner
is serious about making sure that everyone knows the face behind Shea & Company so we have specialized marketing material for her to highlight our partnership.
Last week, we updated our website with our shopping cart features. Now everyone can purchase their decadent Shea & Company products from home and we will ship them to your door!
How do you market your products?
Currently, we are marketing through our website, retailers and word of mouth. We have a specific marketing plan in place for the holidays and for 2009. Our marketing plan includes attending and exhibiting at a couple of trade shows, magazine features and creating our own blog. We want our website to be come full of information for our customers; a place they can visit daily and weekly to find interesting articles, new websites that we enjoy, places we enjoying visiting, etc...
Who helps your business be successful?
I am very blessed! I have a wonderful circle of family and friends. My parents are very supportive and always tell me I can do anything I set my mind too. Their love, sacrifice and influence has made me into the young woman I have become. Also, Shea & Company wouldn’t be here without my husband, Bill. He has been the little voice in my ear of positive energy and encouragement. He has also been a part of the research and development team. When I am working on a new product or a new fragrance, he tests the product before anyone else.
When I need a talented voice to help me with labels, a logo and many other marketing materials and ideas, I turn to my friend and very talented entrepreneur Anna Maxin of Anna Maxin Handcrafted Accessories. Anna has her a line of jewelry, flashy flops and stylish dog collars business. Anna and I work together at our "day jobs". It is so nice to walk down the hall and bounce ideas with her about our businesses and to strategize with someone that is building her business at the same time. I told her to follow you b/c of the great information you provide; not only for skin care companies but for women entrepreneurs in general! As I write these answers, I have on my Vitrail flashy flops. I get so many compliments on them.
What is a good business or professional book you have used lately and how has it been helpful you in your
business?
StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's
Now, Discover Your Strengths, by Tom Rath is one of my favorites! The book is a wonderful tool to
use to find your strengths and make them even stronger. From an early age, we are taught to develop our weaknesses. This book shatters that
concept in favor of maximizing your strengths -- that's the educator and entrepreneur in me!
I am also currently reading Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding
Performance, by Marcus Buckingham. It teaches 6 disciplines to develop your strengths even more, and banish the weaknesses.
What tips can you offer others who are thinking about starting a business?
I recommend becoming involved early on, with groups that support small businesses such as Indie Beauty Network. I found Indie Beauty Network and recently became a member. I wished I had found it earlier. I have also spoken to many entrepreneurs, which has helped me as well. Another tip: grow the business slowly and avoid taking on large amounts of debt. Also, read books and magazines that encourage the business owner. I subscribe to Pink Magazine. This magazine is geared to the business woman; no matter what industry and I love it.
How did you find the Indie Beauty Network and what do you think of it so
far?
I found Indie Beauty Network by visiting websites that had the logo on their home page. I finally “googled” Indie Beauty and found a great group. Since I am a newer member, I am experiencing the benefits. I recently attended my first group coaching conference call. The amount of information I received was tremendous and I learned more about Twitter. Twitter has now opened up a fun group of entrepreneurs for me to connect.
What do you love about being Indie? The lifestyle? The money? Both?
Being an Indie allows me to tap into my creativity and passion. It allows me to have flexibility that a normal job doesn’t allow me to experience.
What is the biggest challenge you face as an Indie and how do you overcome it?
Goal setting. When starting a small business, it is important to have goals. Do not let the unknown keep you from moving forward. I set weekly, monthly and quarterly goals to stay on track. Bill and I have weekly “sit down” meetings. These meetings are our time to discuss the happenings of the past week and the focuses of the upcoming week for the business. They help make sure my priorities are in line and that we are on track to meet our goals.
When you're not working, what can we find you doing?
When I am not working, you will find my husband and me with our friends and family. My family is in Tennessee and Bill’s family is in Ohio so we travel frequently. We love to entertain, especially during football season. I enjoy playing golf, pampering myself at a spa, cooking and relaxing with our dog,
Whitlee.
What do you think of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008?
I appreciate what Donna Maria and others are doing to help stop this act. This law would most definitely wipe out many small businesses and the formation of others in the future. We cannot allow this law to be passed. I look forward to being a voice against the law.
This is Indie Candy, so if you were a brand of candy, what would you be and why?
Godiva chocolate truffles are made with the finest ingredients, luxury focused and can be enjoyed in small quantities. This decadent chocolate treat is true bliss.
7. New At The Forum: FDA Globalization Act of 2008 and More!
We
have collected well close to 3,000 signatures to the Petition opposing the draft
of the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008! You, your
friends, colleagues and customers are to be applauded! Keep them coming!
Watch the video and sign the Petition against this law!
Here's what else is new at the Forum:
How to track site stats on a Wordpress blog
Rare and unopened essential oils and porcelain canisters for sale!
Share your packaging expertise: packaging for oily salt scrubs?
New 23-year old Indie could use your help, encouragement
As always, share your thoughts and questions at the Forum!
Best & Success!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Indie Experience
The Indie Beauty Network | www.indiebeauty.com
Copyright (c) 2000 - 2008 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 this newsletter 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 this newsletter 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, this newesletter 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.
