AUGUST HEROINE ENTREPRENEUR....LAQUITA

Isis

 Heroine - 1. A woman noted for courage and daring action.



2. A woman noted for special achievement in a particular field. (from freedictionary.com)

Introducing August Heroine Entrepreneur.....

                           ......Laquita of Bobeam Natural Hair Products

1. Tell us about your business, products, services and what makes it special or unique.


Under the Bobeam Natural Hair Products I sell shampoo bars, hair teas, conditioners, moisturizers and accessories. Little to my surprise, I guess outside of the natural hair care world not everyone knows about shampoo bars so many first-time buyers consider them to be very unique. The shampoo bars contain no SLS or SLES, detergents, surfactants, or sulfates. They are all-natural, 100% vegetable soap, non-comedogenic, hypo-allergenic and biodegradable.

Also the hair teas – are unique as well because they way they are package in actual tea bags.


2. How was it birthed? What sparked the development of it?

Bobeam Products came about by way of me trying to create a shampoo bar that wasn’t drying or felt like it totally stripped my hair after washing. I started playing around with mixing oils like Shea Butter and Olive Oil in the shampoo bases and after many trials came across a formula that worked well for me. I started making them for myself then giving them away as gifts for my family and friends. My mother suggested that I start charging people who kept coming back for more.


3. How did you begin?

I decided to start selling the shampoo bars online. My stepfather, who is from Ghana came up with the name ‘Bobeam’ it is from the Ghanaian language Twi – and means 'the way it was created' and it characterizes all of the shop items - they are all handmade. I decided to start by setting up and Etsy.com shop to see how the shampoo bars would sell. Once they started to do well, I added the hair teas and other items.

I still liked the idea of giving the bars as gifts – there are so many people who would like to incorporate natural products into their routine but can’t afford the high prices – of course, I realize in order to keep the business going and me from bankruptcy I have to charge something for the items, but I try to keep the prices as low as possible. Also I use proceeds of the sales to go to various charities as well as a way to give back to those in need.

With the new accessory line, I plan to give at least 50% or more of all proceeds to charities. The proceeds from the sale of the Bobeam flower clips will go to the 1 in 8 Foundation.org (via KimzWimz Cancer Awareness Blogtalk Radio Show titled 'Detection Detectives')- to aid in the fight against cancer.


4. Have you always been in this particular field? Do you have a history in this area?

My mother has been in every type of own-your-own business venture there is from Mary Kay to Organic foods, being surrounded by all types of products and observing my mother's 'one women show' and hearing her repeatedly say "Be your own boss" inevitably led me to start my own business venture, and since I am a fanatic about all things natural hair, and love researching, and experimenting with essential oils, butters and herbs natural hair products is a business I will never get tired of.


5. How much support did you receive when you first started out?

I got lots of support from my family and friends – who pretty much all said the same phrase “it’s about time!” when I told them I would start selling products.


6. Is there anything that you wish you would have done or handled differently?

The main thing that I would have handled differently is actually ‘starting’ the business. I talked about selling the shampoo bars for years before I sat down and set up the site which took only minutes to do.


7. What was your biggest hurdle in developing your business?

The biggest hurdle was me – I didn’t think I would have the money to start a business, i.e. for packaging, supplies, labels etc… But once I got started I saw that it didn’t require much at all to get started.


8. How did you stay motivated or what kept you motivated whenever you hit a bump/pothole in the road or a difficult time? Or what is keeping you motivated?

My main motivators are the customers. I have been getting so much feedback and it is very helpful. I love all feedback whether from people who say they love everything and from those who say something doesn’t work well from them. I love tweaking the products/ingredients – being a ‘kitchen chemist’.


9. There are quite a few women who are seeking to do what you’ve done. What advice would you give them?

The main advice would be to do your research – check out other people who are doing what you want to do or similar to what you want to do, especially those who are succeeding. If possible check out what their customers are saying – find out where there is a need and fulfill it.


The next thing I would say to those seeking to start a natural hair products business or any business venture is to – (borrowing Nike’s tagline) – “Just Do It!” Again, I talked for years about starting a business and it just took minutes to do so.


10. Is there anything new & exciting that we can expect from your business in the future?

I have just started testing new scents for the Bobeam Shea Moisturizer (which is my first ‘fragrance scented’ product. I also plan to add more hair accessories. A Bobeam frequent buyer/referral program is in the works. And I will be adding more charities with opportunities to donate by purchasing items.


Needless to say, I had to encourage Laquita to share all of the other numerous things that she does. Some of you may be more familiar with her following resume points. So go ahead and share, Missy. =)


Aside from making natural hair products, I work full time as a transcript editor (editing financial earnings calls from oil, textile, fashion, medical and the food industry as well as CNN/MSN/Bloomberg news captions). But I am trying to break into the freelance writing business, I would love to use my Journalism degree and combine it with my 'obsession' with natural hair and turn writing natural hair articles into a business.


To build up my 'freelance' resume, I write for and contribute to several online publications. Most know I write natural hair articles for Clutch Magazine, but aside from Clutch below is the list of others.


Clutch Magazine - latest article - interview with T’Keyah Crystal Keymah
http://clutchmagonline.com/newsgossipinfo/spotlight-natural-hair-celebrity-tkeyah-crystal-keymah/


I'm the DC Natural Hair Examiner for Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-9837-DC-Natural-Hair-Examiner


I contribute to Afro Glitz online Magazine/Societal Networking site
http://afroglitzmag.com/beauty/hair-beauty-2/the-natural-hair-waves-natural-hair-then-and-now/


Kinnks.com - Monthly Guest Blogger - I will be writing about the business of natural hair
http://www.kinnks.com/blog/index.php/site/C10/


ebraiding.net/eNaturlas.net - where I'm an Advisory Board Member and newsletter contributor (I’ll also be contributing to its upcoming International Sanata (natural/braid) Magazine that will be launched in December)

Sign up for the free newsletter and customer discount card here - http://www.ebraiding.net/index.php


I also have a couple of blogs, All Naptural Blog and Naptural Hair Story, which is a work-in-progress novel I'm writing centered around natural hair.


**A note for Laquita**
You are one of my  SHE-ro's!! Thanks so much for taking time out to do this interview. You have and continue to be one of the kindest and most supportive women that I've met in the blogosphere. I am truly fortunate to have made your aquaintance. May God continue to bless you, your family, your business and many ventures. Sending much love and positive energy your way.
{{Hugs}},
ChocolateOrchid

Post Title → AUGUST HEROINE ENTREPRENEUR....LAQUITA

JULY HEROINE ENTREPRENEUR - SCARLETT of WONDERCURL

Major Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost In A Shell anime')
by Mynwbckgrnd

Heroine - 1. A woman noted for courage and daring action.


2. A woman noted for special achievement in a particular field. (freedictionary.com)

Introducing July's Heroine Entrepreneur.......

Scarlett of Wonder Curl products

1. Tell us about your business, products, services and what makes it special or unique.


Wonder Curl is a family of products designed specifically for the unique needs of curly-haired individuals. The most unique part of Wonder Curl is the simplicity in the products and how easy they are to use. Most curlies know that it usually takes 3 or 4 (sometimes more) products to get the look you desire. With our flagship product, Get Set Hair Jelly, that's all you need and for extra moisture you can use Get Slick Hair Smoothie. Either can be used alone or together. The Get Slick Hair Smoothie can also be used to refresh your curls and spot de-frizz sections.



2. How was it birthed?

Simply, I wanted to create hair products that I loved and wanted to use.



3. What sparked the development of your business? How did you begin?

Wonder Curl first began as a resource for other curly girls to learn about their hair through my own experiences. It turned into a business when I created Get Set Hair Jelly because I found myself mixing four different products in my hair and spending over an hour applying those products. I spoke to friends who had similar dilemmas. So, I began researching ingredients and testing different formulations on myself until I found the perfect formulation.When it was ready for market, I set up an eCrater account which is a free marketplace. I set up a Facebook account, Twitter account and spent hours studying the different blogs and youtube videos that catered to curly hair.



4. Have you always been in this particular field? Do you have a history in this area?

I worked for a start-up technology company for several years, that exposure has helped me tremendously in starting my own business, especially as a person with a marketing background. I am also a girlie girl who loves products and packaging. Creating Wonder Curl has been a natural fit for me because curly hair is my passion. I can talk to anyone about my hair, my woes and triumphs all day for days! I also tell people that all Curly haired people by default are chemists.



5. How much support did/have you receive(d) when you first started out?

I just launched Wonder Curl this February and the response has been overwhelmingly great. So far everyone I've told about Wonder Curl are genuinely impressed and ask me more questions about the business and product. My family have been particularly supportive and they've been spreading the word to everyone they know.



6. Is there anything that you wish you would have done or handled differently?

Since I'm still pretty new, I haven't had time to make too many mistakes. The few that I've made I learn from to not repeat them. My biggest struggle is to stay fully stocked and keeping track so I can reorder what I need on time.



7. What was your biggest hurdle in developing your business?

Creating the formulation for Get Set Hair Jelly. I wanted to make sure this was absolutely perfect before going to market. I've tested so many versions on myself and used friends as my testers also. When I got my first "I love it" review, I knew it was ready. Finances are also a hurdle and having to decide on what I really need as opposed to what I want for the business. Creating a budget and having the right accounting software to track everything is key.



8. How do you stay motivated or what keeps you motivated whenever you hit a bump/pothole in the road or a difficult time?

I believe that Wonder Curl is now bigger than me and I have no other option but to keep it going and make it happen for my customers. I appreciate the repeat business and the reviews people send me when they love a product. To discontinue these amazing products would be cruel ;-)



9. There are quite a few women who are seeking to do what you’ve done. What advice would you give them?

My advice to anyone looking to do this is "to do it", ask lots of questions, find others who have done it and latch onto them for as long as possible. You get the best information from others who have run their own businesses. The Internet is your best friend. I spend hours online researching vendors, software, blogsites, everything that can be relevant to my business. Have a streamlined business model and implement them early to save you from headaches later on. Lastly, be prepared to have several titles. I am the Creator, President, VP of Marketing, COO, CFO and Administrative Assistant of Wonder Curl!



10. Is there anything new & exciting that we can expect from your business in the future?

Get Slick Hair Smoothie is the latest product that I'm crazy about. The next product I'm working on will be an "Everyday Spray" something that you can use before/after and anytime. I prefer products with multi-uses and plays well with others. You will also be able to see me on youtube with a set of How-to videos and "Curls just Wanna Have Fun" series where curly girls discuss their hair.



I'd like to do a promotion for your readers when you post the interview:


Buy a 16oz Get Set Hair Jelly, get 4oz Get Slick Hair Smoothie Free


Buy an 8oz Get Set Hair Jelly, get 2oz Get Slick Hair Smoothie Free


Buy an 8oz Get Slick Hair Smoothie, get 2oz Get Set Hair Jelly Free


All they would have to do is type 'Chocolate Orchid sent me' in the ordering instructions and the free product will automatically be included made with the same scent.

**A note for Scarlett**
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and what you've learned along the way with everyone.  It's always exciting to watch entrepreneurs blossom! I wish you much success with your product line, your business and in life.
Peace and Blessings,
ChocolateOrchid
 
 
You can check out and purchase Wonder Curl products at WonderCurl.com
You can find Scarlett at her blog Wonder Curl.

Post Title → JULY HEROINE ENTREPRENEUR - SCARLETT of WONDERCURL

DECEMBER HEROINE ENTREPRENEUR -- VALANA MINERALS

Heroine
1. A woman noted for courage and daring action. 2. A woman noted for special achievement in a particular field.

Here to encourage, motivate and/or give you insight into what it takes to go after your vision, your love, your baby and make it work for you is the lovely Valerie Reed of Valana Minerals.



1) Please tell us about Valana Minerals and what makes it so special and unique.

Well, when it comes to natural cosmetics, there really aren't many companies that target women of color. And so, its unique that way. And to the best of my knowledge, its the only company that has the specialty of "all-natural and vegan" with the target of women of color. There's not another company that does that at all. So there's some (companies) that are mostly natural, or vegan but with some synthetics, or a combination of things. I think that's one of the things that make it very unique.

And our foundation colors are really diverse. So we have a very good selection of shades that I consider to be very realistic. Meaning that they are not too orange or that they don't turn orange on you after you've had them on a few hours. That's a common complaint. And they really are formulated so that they can cross ethnic barriers. So that people of Asian descent can find a number of selections that will work for them. People who are of African descent can find a bunch of colors. Latinas have choices. We have a lot of customers who are from India. Pacific Islanders. And so its very unique in that sense as well.

2) How was Valana Minerals birthed?

Well, I had trouble finding makeup for myself. and several years ago, I had a bad reaction... Actually it was an allergic reaction to antibiotics. And I was ill. As it turned out, I also had Selenium toxicity. And I went through quite the educational process to learn what Selenium was. Where it came from. And how your body uses it and needs it. And how you can end up with toxic levels of it . And that is what got me to look at my cosmetics. It was my acupuncturist who helped me figure out that that's what the problem was. And then we went through all my cosmetics and found that its in some brands of shampoo. And so, I didn't realize at that time that I was getting it in my diet in multi-vitamins and that it was a possibility that it could be absorbed through your skin. I had no idea. So that's when I started learning more about natural cosmetic ingredients. I would make things for myself like moisturizers, lotions, cleansers and things.

But I never really wanted to make anything to sell. That wasn't my goal. It was just kind of something for me. And I wanted to use makeup but I had trouble because every time I would look for colored cosmetics either they didn't have the color that would match or I'd find something that was kind of a close match but then it would make me break out. And so, I went for years and never wore makeup. And then I complained about it for years and years and then finally said, "If its going to get done then I need to do it myself." So I started the company.

3) In the development of your business, your company, where there any courses that you took or was it a learning process that you did on you own?

Well, when I decide that I'm gonna do something I can be very focused. And so, once I made the decision to do it I was kind of full-forced. So I found two mentors that really helped me tremendously. And a lot of what they did was just motivating me and helping me realize that I could do it. And that I didn't have to constantly compare myself to the "big boys". That it was something doable and manageable. That was really beneficial.

I think that mentors are crucial. And I think that we need several mentors for whatever it is we're doing because every professional has their own specialty. Each has something unique to offer. So when people say thing like, "I have A mentor." I'm like, "No, you need more than A mentor." You need several. I think my mentors are instrumental in helping me see the possibilities in what I could do. I'd bounce ideas off of them and things like that.

And when it came to money I had some that I had socked away from a refinance. I had refinanced my condominium. And I just put the money away rather than spending it on frivolous things cause I knew that I'd probably use it for something eventually. And I ended up using it as the seed money to get started.

4) How long has Valana Minerals been in existence?

Almost 3 years now.

5) Did you receive a lot of support when you first started out?

Well, from friends and family. And I still do. And of course there are those folks who are kind of negative. I actually lost a couple of friends in the process of starting the business because they weren't happy with the way things were going. They stopped talking to me. So that was kind of painful but for the most part everybody has been really supportive. My parents helped me a lot. I'm not married. I don't have any kids so I didn't have to negotiate anything with a husband.(laugh)
My parents have been really helpful and supportive. My little brother is instrumental in keeping everything going and that sort of thing.

6) Looking back, is there anything you wish you had done or handled differently?

*Thinks for a moment* I think I probably would have set up a bookkeeping system from the start. I think that would've been a smarter thing to do. I mean, I kept good records but it was good for me and what I was doing at the time. And in a number of ways, I built the company with the intent for growth. But I didn't do that with the financial record keeping part. When I first got started my goal was to eventually be able to sell to major market retailers. So when I chose the jars that the makeup was going to be in, even though initially, I wasn't selling a lot of it, I wanted to make sure that my jars would look good on a shelf at a department store. So I tried to do that sort of thing from the beginning as best as I could. And then adapt as I grew. And I think it would've been better to do that with the money and record keeping first.

Like I didn't even buy Quickbooks until I had already been in business for a year and a half, or two years. I just did everything manually. And then when I did finally invest in Quickbooks I had to switch everything over and input all the data. And that was just a pain. So it would've been smart to do that from the start.

7) Speaking of bookkeeping, are you still managing that yourself? Or do you have an accountant?

No, I have a tax attorney. A tax consultant. And then I have a regular attorney. A business attorney, one that deals with trademark and copyright and all that stuff. Um , but mostly my tax attorney and the tax consultant. They do everything. I just give them the documents and they just roll their eyes and say, "Okay. I'll go take care of it." *laughing*

8) How have you stayed motivated? Or what has kept you motivated whenever you may have hit a difficult time in your business?

Well, my customers. And my helpers really help a lot. I really do have amazing customers. And sometimes when I feel like I don't want to do this . Like I'm really tired. Like if someone offered me enough money I'd sell the business tomorrow. When I feel like that way, I really think about my customers and the fact that a lot of them depend on me cause there is nobody else doing this. And when I have a customer who says something like, "I haven't worn makeup in 30 years cause I never had anything that really matched my skin tone. Then I say, "Okay, if I stop now then she's in trouble." So I think that's a big motivator. Also, I do feel like its really making a difference. I really have had customers who've said things like, "I've never had makeup that matched me." And its not anything. It's makeup. Its not like its anything extraordinary, life-saving or anything like that. But its something that's ordinary that women of color really can't have in the mass market. And as ordinary as it seems, when you don't have it, it becomes extraordinary. And so a lot of women who have deep brown skin don't have a lot of choices.

9) There are quite a few women seeking to do what you have done. What advice would you give them?

Well, I really think its important to figure out what you do well. And accept the fact that you can't do everything well. And allow other people to help you with that. That's really important. And its okay to ask for help but know that there are limits because you don't want to burn other people out when you're asking for help. And know your niche and be really clear about it and focus on that. Like I always have customers who call and say things like, "You know your customer service is great. And I love your products but when are you gonna do skincare?" That's a long-term goal. That really isn't my focus. That's not my specialty. And so, there a lot of other company's doing that. And I'm sure that they have fabulous products. And when I do decide that I'm ready to expand into skincare, it'll be great. But that's not it right now.

I'm carving out a niche in one area. I'm branding in one area. And that's my specialty. I think sometimes we lose focus. And we start to think we can be everything to everybody. And when we try to do that, you're no good to anybody. Cause you can't do everything. Just can't. So I think those are some things that are really important.

And learn from other people who have done it. support organizations that help support women like Make Mine A Million $ Business. It's an organization that helps women entrepreneurs who want to take their business to the multi-million dollar level. They have competitions. They teach you how to pitch if you want investors. And things like that. I'm not ready for that yet. But I'm registered with them so when I am ready, I'm already there. They have newsletters. They have a website. You can watch some of the video clips. Some of the presentations that other entrepreneurs have given that talk about how you can do that. And learn from these people. They've already made all the mistakes so they can tell you what they did wrong so that you don't have to repeat it. And that's where mentors are, too.

And when you wanna know how to do something, there are tons and tons of books where people are literally telling you what they did. People, in general, like to talk about themselves. And so..listen to em. Rich people always tell you how they made their money. They write books about it.

10) Is there anything new and exciting that we can expect from Valana Minerals in the future?

*chuckles* We're actually making a lot of changes. I haven't sent out the newsletter recently because I've been so... just running around like crazy with some of the new changes. But we're introducing some new eye colors and cheek colors. We are changing all of our eye shadow jars. We did a survey a few months ago and a lot of our customers asked for new jars. They wanted a bigger lid for their eye shadows. So we were able to do that.

I also have a big announcement but I'm not ready yet. I can't say anything yet. I don't have permission from the folks that I'm partnering with.

11) Is there anything you wanna add? Just off the cuff. Anything?

Hmm... don't give up. Failure is an opportunity to start something different. And know when to quit. There are times when you try something out and you keep plugging along putting your effort into it. Year after year after year. You have to also keep in mind that maybe this isn't a good idea and you just need to try something else. Know when to quit. It's not always a bad thing to say, "This isn't working. Let me try something different now." I don't think that equates to failure. I think that's a pretty smart thing to do. I think a lot of people think quitting equates to failure and it doesn't always.

**********************************************************************************
This concludes my heroine entrepreneur interview with Valerie Reed of Valana Minerals. I hope that this has inspired, encouraged and/or enlightened you in some way.

I want to sincerely thank Valerie for taking the time out to allow me to interview her. I am grateful for the input and knowledge that you shared. I wish you continued and great success your future and in the future of Valana Minerals.

**The big announcement is that Valana Minerals will be carried in Whole Foods Market, beginning in Sugarland, TX. Go Valerie! Congrats to you and Valana Minerals!
It really warms my heart to see these heroines doing great things!**

You can purchase this 100% all-natural and vegan makeup at Valana Minerals.

**Picture of animated heroine "Shihouin Yoruichi" from the anime series Bleach.

Post Title → DECEMBER HEROINE ENTREPRENEUR -- VALANA MINERALS