Gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped episode 371 To your guns.
Speaker:And don't let anyone dash your dreams.
Speaker:Attention gifters bakers,
Speaker:crafters, and makers pursuing your dream can be fun.
Speaker:Whether you have an established business or looking to start one.
Speaker:Now you are in the right place.
Speaker:This is gift to biz unwrapped,
Speaker:helping you turn your skill into a flourishing business.
Speaker:Join us for an episode packed full of invaluable guidance,
Speaker:resources, and the support you need to grow.
Speaker:Your gift biz.
Speaker:Here is your host gift biz gal Sue moon Heights.
Speaker:Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue and thanks for joining me here today.
Speaker:By now,
Speaker:you're probably familiar with my new bash parties.
Speaker:If not go back in the lineup and listen to one
Speaker:of the podcasts that has bash in the title.
Speaker:I've just added new dates for the program they happen at
Speaker:all different times,
Speaker:weekends, evenings,
Speaker:and day slot,
Speaker:so that I can commentate everyone's schedule.
Speaker:Who's interested in being part of a bash.
Speaker:It's completely free to get new eyes on your business.
Speaker:What you're always striving for,
Speaker:right? To see the schedule and sign up for a bash
Speaker:go-to gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped.com forward slash bash.
Speaker:And if one date has already been filled up,
Speaker:go try for another.
Speaker:They're becoming really popular.
Speaker:Last time.
Speaker:There was only one open spot left,
Speaker:super exciting.
Speaker:Our guest today is Gloria Brown inside the breeze.
Speaker:We've done a website review for Gloria,
Speaker:and she's a regular contributor to all the conversations and activities
Speaker:in this handmade product maker.
Speaker:Wonderland. I invited Gloria to share her story on the podcast.
Speaker:For two reasons,
Speaker:her journey is a perfect illustration of how a business evolves.
Speaker:We'll get into all the goodness about that directly from her
Speaker:in a few minutes,
Speaker:Gloria has also been an early adapter to the world of
Speaker:collaboration in her case,
Speaker:finding a partner and creating wellness events.
Speaker:In-person craft type shows.
Speaker:If you will,
Speaker:I'm thinking it might spark an idea for you to Gloria.
Speaker:It's time to share your story Today.
Speaker:It is my pleasure to introduce you to Gloria Brown.
Speaker:Gloria is the owner of our land woman herbals.
Speaker:The name was inspired by her Caribbean roots,
Speaker:and it's also representative of the all natural organic ingredients used
Speaker:in her handcrafted skincare products.
Speaker:They will have you saying,
Speaker:ah, when you use them,
Speaker:her products made from organic skincare oils are free from harsh
Speaker:chemicals, with a special focus on products for mature,
Speaker:sensitive, or troubled skin.
Speaker:Gloria received her herbal certification from Trinity college of natural healing.
Speaker:Her herbal medicine certification from crest Chestnut school of herbal medicine
Speaker:and her aroma therapist certification from the Pacific Institute of aroma
Speaker:therapy. I'd say she definitely has the training to back up
Speaker:her product expertise.
Speaker:Gloria, welcome to the gift biz on wrapped podcast.
Speaker:Hi Sue,
Speaker:thanks so much for having me today.
Speaker:I am so excited to hear your story,
Speaker:but before we go there,
Speaker:we are doing a motivational candle,
Speaker:which is something that's become a tradition here on the show.
Speaker:I like to get an inside peek as to who you
Speaker:are through your description of a perfect motivational candle that suits
Speaker:you. So Gloria by color,
Speaker:and a quote,
Speaker:would you describe for us what your motivational candle would look
Speaker:like? Well,
Speaker:my candle would be bright red with gold swirls and it
Speaker:would smell like a rose to me,
Speaker:the color red evokes passion and energy.
Speaker:In fact,
Speaker:I painted the inside of my front door in this color.
Speaker:It lifts me and inspires me every time I see it.
Speaker:In fact,
Speaker:I have peace and blessings written in Japanese,
Speaker:in gold leaf on the door panels.
Speaker:This is my nod to functional way.
Speaker:I love it.
Speaker:So literally the inside of your front door of your house
Speaker:is bright red with the gold on it.
Speaker:Yes. Wow.
Speaker:That's cool.
Speaker:I love that.
Speaker:Are those words also written then on your candle or do
Speaker:you have additional words?
Speaker:Well, I think my candle would say catch the spark.
Speaker:That would be the quote with a subtitle,
Speaker:live your dreams to the fullest.
Speaker:Sometimes our idea that comes from what we see around us
Speaker:and what we dream.
Speaker:And so that's why I keep a little pad by my
Speaker:bedside table so that when I wake up in the morning,
Speaker:I can jot down ideas that occurred to me during the
Speaker:evening as well.
Speaker:I would tell people,
Speaker:stick to your guns and don't let anyone dash your dreams,
Speaker:Both of those things.
Speaker:So important,
Speaker:man. I can't tell you.
Speaker:And I do this to this day to still I'll have
Speaker:a good idea and I'll be like,
Speaker:okay, I'm not getting up.
Speaker:It's such a good idea.
Speaker:I know I'll remember it.
Speaker:Then what happens gone As the day goes on?
Speaker:You forget it.
Speaker:Yeah, just totally gone.
Speaker:So like,
Speaker:I need to remember the words that you're saying,
Speaker:because I just need to do it that way because it's
Speaker:so sad.
Speaker:It's fleeting and maybe it'll come back to you again,
Speaker:but maybe it won't.
Speaker:Yes. Like you just don't know.
Speaker:And I agree with you also on your dreams,
Speaker:like my gosh,
Speaker:we're going through this life.
Speaker:Why don't we capture those dreams?
Speaker:You don't want to be at the end and say,
Speaker:I wonder what would've happened if I would have tried this
Speaker:or that or whatever.
Speaker:Right. Well,
Speaker:Yeah. So anyone who's listening here,
Speaker:take it from Gloria.
Speaker:Don't do that.
Speaker:Let's just get started.
Speaker:Go after your dream.
Speaker:Tell us about you going after your dream.
Speaker:I think that's a good place to start.
Speaker:Well, Sue is a kind of a long story.
Speaker:And so I was part of the corporate America for about
Speaker:30 years.
Speaker:I started as a temp at Western electric and I worked
Speaker:my way up to district manager in loosen technologies.
Speaker:By the time I retired,
Speaker:however, I always said to myself that I didn't belong in
Speaker:that kind of environment.
Speaker:I think it was the networking at the business conferences and
Speaker:friendships that I had developed over the years that got me
Speaker:through. However,
Speaker:they offered a package.
Speaker:I couldn't refuse and I left and I'm so glad that
Speaker:I did.
Speaker:But before I left the company three friends and I from
Speaker:at and T formed a business,
Speaker:we decided as each of us retired,
Speaker:we would enter the business full time.
Speaker:I was the first one out and did a lot of
Speaker:the grunt work.
Speaker:Initially the focus of the business was to bring wellness services
Speaker:to corporate women.
Speaker:It's centered around stress relief,
Speaker:healthy eating exercise and spa and massage services.
Speaker:So it was services where you would come in and be
Speaker:pampered, massage,
Speaker:do soaks that type of thing.
Speaker:Right? Actually we intended to take them to a spa where
Speaker:we brought these outside services to them.
Speaker:So in our first event,
Speaker:we invited a naturopath to come and speak about the wellness.
Speaker:We brought in a chef for the day to prepare healthy
Speaker:meals for them.
Speaker:And then they could sign up for various spa treatments for
Speaker:the rest of the day.
Speaker:We were off to a good start and we were so
Speaker:excited about this new adventure,
Speaker:but then nine 11 happened.
Speaker:Actually I believe this event took place one month before nine
Speaker:11. It was,
Speaker:this was your first event.
Speaker:This was our first event.
Speaker:And unfortunately our last event,
Speaker:women were rethinking their roles in corporate America.
Speaker:They were concerned about working long hours,
Speaker:not having healthy diets,
Speaker:not making self-care a priority in their lives,
Speaker:but with nine 11 times change families started cocoon thing.
Speaker:Women were staying home and taking better care of themselves and
Speaker:their families and were more concerned about their disposable cash.
Speaker:Unfortunately, slowly,
Speaker:my friends also dropped out of the business one by one
Speaker:opportunity lost,
Speaker:Ah, but something tells me that's not the end of that
Speaker:story. So I set aside some time to do some thinking
Speaker:about my next steps.
Speaker:I had always envisioned opening a bookstore because reading is my
Speaker:passion, but let me be clear that loving to read and
Speaker:owning a bookstore are not the same that I did discover.
Speaker:Okay. That's a good point that we didn't plan to bring
Speaker:up, but I want to press pause for a second here
Speaker:because I think this often happens too within our maker businesses,
Speaker:right? Making soaps is not the same as having a soap
Speaker:business or designing jewelry is not always the same as having
Speaker:a jewelry business.
Speaker:So tell us,
Speaker:broaden out a little bit more about this.
Speaker:So having a bookstore is not the same as enjoying reading
Speaker:books. Talk a little bit more about what that means.
Speaker:It is not.
Speaker:In fact,
Speaker:you don't even get time to read a book just starting
Speaker:out. You may not have the funds in order to bring
Speaker:on an employee.
Speaker:So you're at the store,
Speaker:maybe nine o'clock in the morning.
Speaker:You're there opening up the door,
Speaker:getting the cash register,
Speaker:ready, straightening up the store dusting.
Speaker:If you have to making sure that this displays are in
Speaker:order, et cetera,
Speaker:et cetera,
Speaker:you're also the bookkeeper.
Speaker:And if you have classes like I did,
Speaker:sometimes I was there till 11 30,
Speaker:12 o'clock at night because after the class is over,
Speaker:you've got to tidy up and make sure everything is straight
Speaker:for the next day.
Speaker:I was also the bookkeeper.
Speaker:So I did the books,
Speaker:but I also had experience in finances.
Speaker:So that was not a big deal for me,
Speaker:but it was just something else that I had to do.
Speaker:Cause you were wearing all the hats at that point,
Speaker:Every hat you're ordering inventory,
Speaker:you're dealing with publishers,
Speaker:you're going to conferences.
Speaker:If you have the time in somebody to replace you.
Speaker:So it becomes a little stale after awhile.
Speaker:You have to make it interesting.
Speaker:Okay. So where did that lead you?
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:you probably liked it in the beginning,
Speaker:right? Oh,
Speaker:I absolutely did.
Speaker:And then was it just,
Speaker:it got to be too much over time or like what
Speaker:happened? Well,
Speaker:I think in the beginning that it was really,
Speaker:really good,
Speaker:but okay.
Speaker:I had an SBA loan.
Speaker:I also did a home equity line of credit in order
Speaker:to build out the lease of the store and get things
Speaker:up and running.
Speaker:So those were pressing on me.
Speaker:I was also in a lease that bumped up my rent
Speaker:5% every year.
Speaker:So there were a bunch of things working against me.
Speaker:I think I was bringing in good money at the time.
Speaker:However, I was not getting the benefits of that.
Speaker:Yeah. Because your overhead costs you and do going straight into
Speaker:brick and mortar.
Speaker:Your overhead costs were a lot.
Speaker:So, but I would say what you've described already is true
Speaker:of any business,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:we start and do all the things,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you've got all the plates that are running in the air
Speaker:life, right.
Speaker:Accounting and shipping and production and everything.
Speaker:And then you added on top of that having extra financial
Speaker:responsibilities. Absolutely.
Speaker:Which some people do.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:it's no problem,
Speaker:but so it became very heavy for you.
Speaker:It sounds like It did.
Speaker:It was unfortunate.
Speaker:Even the customers that I see today in the street.
Speaker:Oh, are you going to open up your store again?
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:they really loved it and it's unfortunate that I could not
Speaker:continue it,
Speaker:But you know what?
Speaker:It just wasn't for you then.
Speaker:Right? Like that version of the business,
Speaker:just wasn't the way you wanted to go.
Speaker:Yes. Okay.
Speaker:Is that a good summary?
Speaker:I don't want to put words in your mouth.
Speaker:No, no,
Speaker:it absolutely is a good summary.
Speaker:Okay. I had done all the planning.
Speaker:I joined a professional organization,
Speaker:the ABA,
Speaker:the American booksellers association.
Speaker:I got assistance putting together a business plan and a book
Speaker:budget. And at those conferences I met folks who were creating
Speaker:similar businesses,
Speaker:who I am still in touch with today.
Speaker:But each one of us kind of went our own separate
Speaker:ways as far as our businesses were concerned.
Speaker:But when I look now back at the budget that I
Speaker:had set up for the store,
Speaker:I did not come close.
Speaker:People don't understand.
Speaker:I think that when you do a budget,
Speaker:it needs to be realistic.
Speaker:And if that number is telling you something,
Speaker:you really need to take pause and really listen to it.
Speaker:I think it was like $400,000
Speaker:in order to get started.
Speaker:I didn't have anything near that.
Speaker:However, I took the plunge.
Speaker:I was going after my dream and I enjoyed it for
Speaker:six and a half years.
Speaker:I was there and created good partnerships with the other businesses.
Speaker:In fact,
Speaker:some stores and we banded together so that when a new
Speaker:book came out,
Speaker:we would work with the publishing house to coordinate book signings.
Speaker:And so we had a network from Virginia to New Hampshire.
Speaker:And so we would book an author.
Speaker:They would start in Virginia and they would move their way
Speaker:through the different stores,
Speaker:coming to New Jersey where my store was and then onto
Speaker:New Hampshire where other students were.
Speaker:And so it was a great collaboration.
Speaker:It worked for us,
Speaker:it worked for the authors and I think it was a
Speaker:really good collaboration.
Speaker:Hundreds of books were sold that way.
Speaker:And the authors and the publishing houses,
Speaker:they just loved us.
Speaker:Well, and you had a system set up.
Speaker:So when a new book came out,
Speaker:they knew that they could just roll through a system that
Speaker:was already established and tested.
Speaker:Yeah. Okay.
Speaker:So then let's keep going from there.
Speaker:So you had the bookstore six years and then you take
Speaker:it away.
Speaker:Part of my dream was bringing together a love of books,
Speaker:educational services and programs in the area of alternative help.
Speaker:And my goal was to help improve the health and wellbeing
Speaker:of the people in the community.
Speaker:So while I was growing the business,
Speaker:which was a bookstore and I called it a wellness center,
Speaker:I met so many interesting customers and spiritual teachers,
Speaker:which reawakened my desire to continue my own spiritual journey through
Speaker:herbs and hands-on healing.
Speaker:Got it.
Speaker:So the bookstore kind of a jumping ground for you for
Speaker:what you're doing now,
Speaker:Right. Okay.
Speaker:I'm with you now.
Speaker:So this desire to create an herbal product line and to
Speaker:teach and inspire others,
Speaker:to take care of their health by building their own apothecaries
Speaker:and learning about the different oils and herbs and how it
Speaker:can improve their health led me to launch all in women
Speaker:herbals. Okay.
Speaker:So I just want to say here that this is a
Speaker:perfect example of keeping your end goal in mind with you.
Speaker:It was making sure people were informed and using wellness in
Speaker:terms of products and knowledge and all of that.
Speaker:Okay. The bookstore worked for a while and then you saw
Speaker:that it wasn't going to work instead of changing your end
Speaker:goal. You just started changing how you were going to get
Speaker:there. And I think that's a good example for anyone who's
Speaker:listening. Who's struggling a little bit.
Speaker:It doesn't mean that your end goal,
Speaker:your initial idea.
Speaker:Isn't right.
Speaker:It's just,
Speaker:you might need to find another path to get there.
Speaker:And it sounds Gloria back to your story,
Speaker:that lots of connections,
Speaker:lots of learning was done in the bookstore.
Speaker:So you built upon that as you transitioned into something different.
Speaker:Absolutely. We did classes and yoga and sat down healing,
Speaker:astrology and tarot numerology.
Speaker:We brought in psychics chair,
Speaker:massage meditation.
Speaker:And so I met so many wonderful people doing this.
Speaker:And so now in this business,
Speaker:I've also created a fair,
Speaker:which we can talk about a little later that brings together
Speaker:some of these topics and subjects as well as the crafters
Speaker:and the makers in the community.
Speaker:Okay. So you closed down the bookstore and instead of taking,
Speaker:what was the name of the bookstore And what's called avant
Speaker:inspirations. Divine inspirations,
Speaker:Correct. Okay.
Speaker:Beautiful. And so why didn't you keep that name and instead
Speaker:elected to create something totally new.
Speaker:What was your thinking behind that?
Speaker:I guess it didn't think about keeping the name.
Speaker:I wanted something new.
Speaker:Okay. So you wanted to start fresh,
Speaker:Right? I wanted something new.
Speaker:Okay. All right.
Speaker:So for people who are just starting,
Speaker:like, what were the first things that you did to establish
Speaker:this business?
Speaker:Well, I think the most challenging thing was transitioning from running
Speaker:a brick and mortar to an online business,
Speaker:selling herbs and products.
Speaker:And what was important was okay,
Speaker:what was going to be my niche,
Speaker:who was I going to serve?
Speaker:What skills were going to be needed to pursue an herbal
Speaker:product making business.
Speaker:And frankly,
Speaker:I had to go back to school.
Speaker:Not only was I pursuing a new journey,
Speaker:but I had to make sure that I was qualified and
Speaker:knew exactly what I was doing.
Speaker:Even though these areas are not regulated in the U S
Speaker:for me,
Speaker:that that meant finding an international school because their regulations around
Speaker:products were more stringent than here in the U S and
Speaker:I wanted to make sure that my products would pass their
Speaker:testing requirements if I wanted to sell internationally.
Speaker:Oh, so this was a strategic move for you,
Speaker:right? In the beginning,
Speaker:It was,
Speaker:I needed to know what I needed to know.
Speaker:And sometimes until you start studying,
Speaker:you don't know what you don't know.
Speaker:And I thought that that was important.
Speaker:I thought that it's also lends itself to credibility in the
Speaker:topic that you're discussing with your customers and other folks,
Speaker:other herbalists.
Speaker:Well, absolutely.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:you heard what I said in the intro that you definitely
Speaker:have the training and the knowledge and the expertise to be
Speaker:talking with huge credibility about the products that you offer.
Speaker:And I felt that that was really,
Speaker:really important.
Speaker:So a hundred percent agree because it sets you apart from
Speaker:other people who are using herbs or doing some type of
Speaker:aroma therapy who might not have that degree.
Speaker:So this does make you different and sets you apart.
Speaker:But along with that back then,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:like when you were just starting comes the investment.
Speaker:Yes. And you really think about that before you do it.
Speaker:But I felt that at finding the best in the business
Speaker:and learning from the best what's important to me.
Speaker:And so I set aside some monies,
Speaker:I did as much research as I could to find the
Speaker:schools that were the best ones for me at the time.
Speaker:Got it.
Speaker:Okay. So you did a period of learning and during that
Speaker:period of learning,
Speaker:where you also starting to set up the business or were
Speaker:they separate phases disconnected,
Speaker:like first the learning then setting up the business.
Speaker:Yeah. At first the learning and then setting up the business.
Speaker:So you were so focused,
Speaker:so you have three certifications,
Speaker:if not more Well,
Speaker:so diplomas or what have you.
Speaker:And the word certification is a little misleading in order to
Speaker:be certified,
Speaker:you have to go to a recognized school.
Speaker:And so most of them are diplomas or certifications,
Speaker:but I cannot really call myself a certified herbalist unless I'm
Speaker:doing clinical work,
Speaker:which are not Got it.
Speaker:Okay. But you are certified in the different topics,
Speaker:meaning you have a heightened level of knowledge than someone who's
Speaker:just coming out and doing this without a certification.
Speaker:Correct. Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So you got your knowledge,
Speaker:love that now you're moving into the business,
Speaker:right? Okay.
Speaker:So I'm curious,
Speaker:so our land woman herbals,
Speaker:first off,
Speaker:I love that.
Speaker:You're just defining who it's going to be for right away
Speaker:women. Right.
Speaker:But that doesn't mean that we don't serve men as well.
Speaker:No, of course not.
Speaker:And like,
Speaker:I think that's also important,
Speaker:like when you niche down,
Speaker:because that's the big thing people talk about now,
Speaker:it doesn't mean that there won't be outliers.
Speaker:If you will,
Speaker:who aren't going to also want your product,
Speaker:but you're talking to a specific group of people who are
Speaker:your core customers.
Speaker:And of course,
Speaker:you're not,
Speaker:you're not going to say,
Speaker:oh, you're a man.
Speaker:I'm sorry.
Speaker:I won't sell to you.
Speaker:No, never,
Speaker:But, so tell me about the name as it relates to
Speaker:your Caribbean roots.
Speaker:Well, my dad was Jamaican and my mom's family was from
Speaker:Trinidad and Bermuda.
Speaker:So in the household,
Speaker:even though she was a nurse,
Speaker:we didn't necessarily ascribe to the conventional medications.
Speaker:I'll put it that way.
Speaker:There were other things,
Speaker:Bush tea or something like that,
Speaker:that mom would prepare for us that would keep us as
Speaker:healthy as possible.
Speaker:I found out about this just recently when I was on
Speaker:a trip to Brazil,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you often hear like there's so much medicine available in nature,
Speaker:and yet I heard it,
Speaker:I heard it,
Speaker:but what have I grown up with here in America?
Speaker:Always just all the medicines that you get at Walgreens or
Speaker:wherever. Right.
Speaker:And then we went out into the jungles,
Speaker:the Bush,
Speaker:like, I don't know what you call it in Brazil with
Speaker:a gentleman whose mom was a medical doctor,
Speaker:but also used only medicines from nature.
Speaker:And I was like eyeopening,
Speaker:understanding what these different things did much better than a lot
Speaker:of our man-made medicines too.
Speaker:So when you're talking about this,
Speaker:I totally understand it better now from my experience than if
Speaker:I was listening to your words before I had that experience,
Speaker:which I guess is why I decided to pipe in here
Speaker:saying that because I really didn't understand like the value and
Speaker:the intensity of healing that natural products can provide.
Speaker:I think that's the best way for me to say that.
Speaker:And springtime is a good season because,
Speaker:well, I keep my yard and my garden as pristine as
Speaker:I can,
Speaker:but I allow things to grow.
Speaker:I don't use pesticides or anything like that.
Speaker:So I have growing garlic mustard.
Speaker:I have mug wards.
Speaker:I have dandelions other assorted herbs that I use in my
Speaker:medicines as well.
Speaker:Right now,
Speaker:the dandelions are coming up.
Speaker:And so I am preserving them in extra Virgin olive oil.
Speaker:And in six weeks I will make a dandelion oil.
Speaker:I have some forsythia that came up.
Speaker:They're all gone now.
Speaker:So you have to catch them in the season Unless you
Speaker:come here to Chicago,
Speaker:we still have for Cynthia right now.
Speaker:I'll really,
Speaker:They're just blooming.
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker:Come visit.
Speaker:I have lung ward growing.
Speaker:I have later on in the season Manardo,
Speaker:which has bee balm.
Speaker:I have also holy Bazell and some others as well as
Speaker:I have a vegetable garden.
Speaker:So, so I use what grows in the garden to supplement
Speaker:some of the products that I have and giving people an
Speaker:education as well.
Speaker:I've created a series called glorious backyard where I take people
Speaker:in roam around the garden and give them little tidbits of
Speaker:information about each one of the plants there.
Speaker:You started doing this.
Speaker:Was it last fall?
Speaker:Yes. I remember that.
Speaker:Remember I was doing that blog series.
Speaker:Yes. Was that when it was,
Speaker:and that's when we became acquainted and you were showing,
Speaker:or was it a video challenge?
Speaker:I forget which,
Speaker:and you started doing that.
Speaker:And so what did you do during the winter?
Speaker:Were you still doing that?
Speaker:No, I kind of took a hiatus because it's Cold.
Speaker:Well, unless it's growing to probably less as growing.
Speaker:Right. So in the winter time it would be about the
Speaker:barks, the big areas and things like that.
Speaker:None of which are growing here in my yard.
Speaker:So I kind of took a hiatus on that.
Speaker:And are you seeing that you're growing your following from some
Speaker:of these videos that you're doing?
Speaker:Yes, I am.
Speaker:I post them on Instagram as well as on my website
Speaker:and Facebook.
Speaker:And so people are following along right now.
Speaker:I'm creating a series spring into wellness.
Speaker:I call it where I'm discussing some of these same plants
Speaker:and inviting people to learn along with me as far as
Speaker:what good,
Speaker:therefore, the body systems that they work on.
Speaker:And at the end,
Speaker:I also give them a few recipes that they can follow,
Speaker:like a,
Speaker:make a tea or a tincture or a SAB or something
Speaker:like that out of them and the properties that they have
Speaker:and you know,
Speaker:how it will make you feel once you've done that.
Speaker:Okay. All right.
Speaker:Wonderful. And everyone who's listening,
Speaker:consult the show notes.
Speaker:We'll have all the links to Gloria's various sites there,
Speaker:so you can pick and choose,
Speaker:which is your favorite and go and follow her and see
Speaker:what she's up to with all of that.
Speaker:So we're still developing the business.
Speaker:You have the name.
Speaker:How did you decide,
Speaker:which were the first products that you were going to offer?
Speaker:Hm, I think that it came from some of the lessons
Speaker:that I learned in the various courses that I took.
Speaker:I'm probably from the Chestnut school of herbal medicine making during
Speaker:that, I don't know how many hundreds of hours that was.
Speaker:We had various products and projects that we had to do
Speaker:and final evaluations,
Speaker:et cetera.
Speaker:So I probably started off with something very basic and very
Speaker:simple, which was probably a SAB.
Speaker:I had also attended some classes in New York at the
Speaker:open center with some famous herbalists from this area where I
Speaker:learned or supplemented my learning from the schools that I attended.
Speaker:So that was really interesting.
Speaker:And I think we started off with tinctures,
Speaker:which are made with alcohol.
Speaker:I don't ingest alcohol.
Speaker:So my tinctures were made with raw apple cider vinegar,
Speaker:which will draw out similar properties as the alcohol,
Speaker:but not all of the properties as the alcohol.
Speaker:And so that was really interesting.
Speaker:So we spent a couple of weeks with that particular teacher
Speaker:and that's how I supplement my learning conferences,
Speaker:et cetera,
Speaker:as well as reading.
Speaker:Yeah. Which also keeps you updated in the field also to
Speaker:keep the credibility because your brand is linked with your knowledge,
Speaker:your certifications,
Speaker:as we talked about before and continuing credibility,
Speaker:staying updated with everything,
Speaker:right? What are your full range of offerings?
Speaker:We'll continue on with Gloria's story right after a quick break
Speaker:to hear from our sponsor.
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Speaker:Well, I range from SAS and lotions and scrubs and spray
Speaker:room sprays,
Speaker:bug sprays.
Speaker:There are also some skincare products,
Speaker:butters beard oil for men.
Speaker:At one time,
Speaker:I had a shaving cream for men.
Speaker:I kind of discontinued that,
Speaker:but we'll probably pick that up again.
Speaker:At one time I had baby products as well that I've
Speaker:also discontinued,
Speaker:but we'll pick up in the future.
Speaker:I wanted to just kind of hone in on just some
Speaker:basics and like foot scrubs and soaks.
Speaker:So all pampering products,
Speaker:but the overlying theme is organic.
Speaker:Everything, organic,
Speaker:everything, natural instilling,
Speaker:all the knowledge that you have in terms of your ingredient,
Speaker:selection, into the products that you offer.
Speaker:I think that's absolutely important.
Speaker:And to understand the difference between a pure oil and an
Speaker:essential oil,
Speaker:a carrier oil,
Speaker:and which ones work best for different types of skin,
Speaker:et cetera.
Speaker:Okay. So that just brings up a curiosity in me.
Speaker:How would I know that if I'm going to the website
Speaker:and looking at all your products,
Speaker:Well, some of them will be marked and some of them
Speaker:will tell you this particular product is for itches Or Rashes
Speaker:or diaper rash,
Speaker:or I have one plantation and Juul,
Speaker:weed SAB,
Speaker:which is really good for poison Ivy.
Speaker:So if you read the description,
Speaker:it should tell you what you like to know,
Speaker:but they can always pick up the phone and give me
Speaker:a call.
Speaker:Oh, there you go.
Speaker:Personal touch Gloria.
Speaker:I love it.
Speaker:So it's more use case,
Speaker:like what's the advantage and why would you use it versus
Speaker:you telling everybody about the carriers and all the stuff behind
Speaker:it? Because then I wouldn't understand all of that.
Speaker:Anyway, the science wasn't one of my best topics.
Speaker:I'll tell you that.
Speaker:Okay. And now how are you selling?
Speaker:Let's move into that.
Speaker:How do you sell today?
Speaker:I'm selling strictly online.
Speaker:I also sell through various vendor fairs.
Speaker:In fact,
Speaker:I have a couple coming up in the next couple of
Speaker:weeks. I'll be selling at my own fair.
Speaker:And then two weeks after that,
Speaker:I'll be selling it to others.
Speaker:Okay. So,
Speaker:and this leads us into what sparked my ears right away
Speaker:without knowing all of this good news,
Speaker:Gloria, that you've already just told us,
Speaker:because I told you,
Speaker:I don't want to know.
Speaker:I want to hear it on the show,
Speaker:but like,
Speaker:what really sparked me was when you started talking about some
Speaker:of the collaborations that you're doing,
Speaker:and I think that leads into your own vendor fair.
Speaker:Right? If I've got the story,
Speaker:right. So let's talk about that some now.
Speaker:Well, the word that I chose for my vision board this
Speaker:year was collaboration.
Speaker:Even though I've been doing bits and pieces of that,
Speaker:I wanted to really delve more into collaborating with other folks
Speaker:with other kinds of businesses.
Speaker:So I've created a partnership with a fellow herbalist.
Speaker:She was also a,
Speaker:she got Sue instructor who worked at my store.
Speaker:And so we got to be pretty friendly.
Speaker:We would travel to conferences either in the state or out
Speaker:of the state together,
Speaker:attend different classes together.
Speaker:And so we got to know each other pretty well.
Speaker:So we created what we call a wellness fair.
Speaker:And this year will be our third year and the fairs
Speaker:were a regular part of my bookstore business.
Speaker:And so I would hold them at least once a quarter.
Speaker:And I thought that this might be a good addition to
Speaker:my online business.
Speaker:We offer rental space to local craft businesses and wellness businesses,
Speaker:and my partner and I,
Speaker:we split up the duties.
Speaker:One of us handles ensuring that there isn't too much duplication
Speaker:in the kinds of vendors that we bring on board.
Speaker:The other one handles the finances.
Speaker:One of us handles the correspondence and the application process.
Speaker:And we both handle social media and getting the word out
Speaker:as well as we ask our vendors to help out here
Speaker:as well,
Speaker:by sending out the notices and whatnot through their own networks.
Speaker:And at the end of the event,
Speaker:we pay the venue and we split the profits so far.
Speaker:The business has been great.
Speaker:We get to meet so many interesting entrepreneurs this way and
Speaker:uncovered unique products.
Speaker:So how many fears have you put on up to this
Speaker:point? This won't be your third wall,
Speaker:Your third one.
Speaker:And where are you located?
Speaker:I don't think we ever talked about that.
Speaker:So if someone wanted to come or find out about your
Speaker:fairs, where are you and where can they find out more?
Speaker:I'm the instant Bloomfield,
Speaker:but the fair this year is going to be in Nutley,
Speaker:New Jersey.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So you guys got that.
Speaker:And then I can thinking on the website,
Speaker:you have all the information when events are coming near,
Speaker:Right? So let's talk about this a little bit,
Speaker:because lots of people could put on events.
Speaker:We limit ourselves to events that other people are putting on
Speaker:that we'll have to pay for,
Speaker:to become involved in why not take a leadership role and
Speaker:collaborate with somebody else and do just what Gloria is doing
Speaker:put on an event.
Speaker:What do you think Gloria?
Speaker:I think sometimes it's a lot of work.
Speaker:Yeah. But is it worth it?
Speaker:Like give us some direction here?
Speaker:I think it is very worth it.
Speaker:I think that it affords you an opportunity to meet other
Speaker:people. It affords you the opportunity to talk directly to your
Speaker:customers, whether they be new or continuing customers,
Speaker:they get to ask questions of you.
Speaker:They get to know you face to face.
Speaker:They get to trust you.
Speaker:A lot of them are they'll come up and quiz you
Speaker:sometimes to see just how much you know,
Speaker:which is fine.
Speaker:And I think that the backend,
Speaker:the fourth is healthy.
Speaker:It gives us a genuine focus for our business,
Speaker:increases our visibility,
Speaker:and it helps to grow our email list,
Speaker:which I think is extremely important.
Speaker:And you being the originator of the event,
Speaker:you got access to all of those emails.
Speaker:Absolutely. We pop publishes Facebook and Instagram on our personal networks.
Speaker:We put it in patch and barista net,
Speaker:and you know,
Speaker:other places where people will look for events for the weekend.
Speaker:Gotcha. Maybe something to think about Gloria is just saying,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:get a ticket and exchange to be able to attend the
Speaker:event. And some places do charge $5,
Speaker:$10. I'm not even saying you have to charge,
Speaker:just get the email.
Speaker:They're more established.
Speaker:They bring in larger numbers of folks as well as larger
Speaker:number of vendors,
Speaker:Mostly in this area.
Speaker:Most of the fairs are free.
Speaker:Is it very clear that you and your collaborator,
Speaker:what's her name,
Speaker:ADI. Okay.
Speaker:That you and ADI are the ones who are running the
Speaker:event. Yeah.
Speaker:So that gives you an elevated level of expertise to,
Speaker:and credibility putting on the event.
Speaker:So another benefit to doing all the work that you're talking
Speaker:about, you know,
Speaker:putting in the time and doing the work.
Speaker:So would you say that now that this is your third
Speaker:event, it's getting easier because you've done this now several times.
Speaker:Yes. Finding the venue,
Speaker:creating this space is really,
Speaker:really easy.
Speaker:We have now established a running list of vendors that have
Speaker:come to previous events.
Speaker:We blitzed them first to let them know what's going on.
Speaker:Then we send out notices and Facebook and Instagram to let
Speaker:other people know here's an event coming up.
Speaker:These are the kinds of vendors that we're looking for.
Speaker:If you're interested,
Speaker:go to this email and someone will interview you because we
Speaker:want to make sure that there's not too much duplication and
Speaker:product, And it's the right products,
Speaker:right. It's got to stay in line with what the theme
Speaker:of the event is.
Speaker:Absolutely. So this is the first year that we're opening it
Speaker:up to craft businesses,
Speaker:as well as wellness vendors.
Speaker:ADI wanted to take a stab at that.
Speaker:We're going to see how that works for us.
Speaker:Do You still do the overlay of natural?
Speaker:Yes. Got it.
Speaker:Interesting. I'll be curious to hear how that goes.
Speaker:I'll let you know.
Speaker:Okay. And so people have to be approved to be in
Speaker:the show.
Speaker:And then how did you establish in the beginning,
Speaker:what the costs were going to be to exhibit it?
Speaker:How did you figure out,
Speaker:like obviously,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:what the cost of the venue is going to be and
Speaker:like, but all of that and how many people,
Speaker:I guess the venue would hold maybe.
Speaker:Is that how you approach it?
Speaker:Yes. In this particular case,
Speaker:we're having it outside.
Speaker:And so what we did was kind of cordoned off on
Speaker:a chart.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:how many vendors we can have there as well as looking
Speaker:at the cost of the venue and then figuring out how
Speaker:many tables we would have to sell in order to pay
Speaker:for the building.
Speaker:And then once that's done everything beyond that is gravy.
Speaker:Right. Well,
Speaker:and you also have additional costs.
Speaker:I'm sure.
Speaker:Like I'm guessing there may be some insurance costs,
Speaker:maybe security depending.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:there's different things I think.
Speaker:And I don't know if this is like this for you,
Speaker:Gloria, but I know here,
Speaker:if you are selling outside of your established area,
Speaker:you need to get a city permit and license.
Speaker:Even if it's just for like a short weekend,
Speaker:even people who are doing like a sidewalk sale,
Speaker:you don't need to get permission.
Speaker:Yeah. I think it all depends on who you're working with.
Speaker:And because this is a lodges parking lot.
Speaker:We don't have to go through that.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:Cause it's private property,
Speaker:I Guess.
Speaker:Right. But something to think about,
Speaker:I'm just thinking,
Speaker:I'm considering people who are listening,
Speaker:who are like,
Speaker:ah, ha,
Speaker:here's an idea.
Speaker:What we try to stress with our vendors is that they
Speaker:make sure that they have their own sales license at that
Speaker:they carry their own insurance as well.
Speaker:I think that's really important in case something happens because we
Speaker:are not liable.
Speaker:And we have them when they sign up,
Speaker:sign a waiver that says we are not liable and that
Speaker:the location is not liable,
Speaker:if anything should happen to them.
Speaker:And I think that's also a cutoff point of an established
Speaker:professional business,
Speaker:especially in your category to someone who's just starting might not
Speaker:have all of that,
Speaker:but when they're getting serious,
Speaker:they absolutely should have all of that.
Speaker:Right. That's a nice way to filter out people who aren't
Speaker:quite ready yet.
Speaker:They will be,
Speaker:but they just might not be ready at that point.
Speaker:What other types of things,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:we're not going to go into,
Speaker:how do you run a show because there's,
Speaker:I'm sure a lot there and a lot that you could
Speaker:share, but that's not for this show,
Speaker:but what are a couple of things that you recall that
Speaker:you wish you would've done differently?
Speaker:Like things that were clunky in the beginning or you didn't
Speaker:know about are any tips for someone who might consider this,
Speaker:just to give them a little bit of initial guidance,
Speaker:Right? I think it's understanding your limitations.
Speaker:What are your strengths?
Speaker:What are your weaknesses?
Speaker:And if you're going to collaborate with somebody,
Speaker:do they enhance what you have,
Speaker:make sure that it's somebody that you can deal with on
Speaker:a regular basis.
Speaker:Sometimes things do not go according to plan.
Speaker:And so you should also have a backup plan.
Speaker:If it rains,
Speaker:what are you going to do?
Speaker:Are you going to have a rain date or not?
Speaker:If you need to set your cutoff dates,
Speaker:if you're going to have it in may,
Speaker:when do you start planning for it?
Speaker:You're going to have to visit various venues to see if
Speaker:the work for you.
Speaker:Will people work with you?
Speaker:Do they want a fare on their property or not?
Speaker:I think those are some of the key issues that we
Speaker:ran into.
Speaker:So there was,
Speaker:there's a lot of legwork associated with it.
Speaker:And now because of COVID,
Speaker:there are also different guidelines that buildings might have about the
Speaker:number of people that can be there.
Speaker:Are they mask or not mask in this case,
Speaker:we're having it outside.
Speaker:So it's not that big of an issue,
Speaker:but always look into those possibilities.
Speaker:Things that can interfere with how well your particular event will
Speaker:go off,
Speaker:But it's not a reason to not do it either.
Speaker:You're like,
Speaker:you've never done it before.
Speaker:You don't know what to do.
Speaker:Well, of course,
Speaker:nobody who starts does,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you get better as you go.
Speaker:Right? And I think also like,
Speaker:it definitely helps to attend some different shows with the idea
Speaker:of putting your own on in mind,
Speaker:either as an exhibitor or just watching how they manage shows
Speaker:so that it gives you different ideas of best practices.
Speaker:What sat well with you?
Speaker:What didn't,
Speaker:what would you have done differently?
Speaker:That kind of a thing.
Speaker:But I love the idea of Gloria,
Speaker:of not doing it alone.
Speaker:So partnering up with somebody else,
Speaker:maybe even two other people,
Speaker:and then seeing what you can put together for yourself,
Speaker:be the leader.
Speaker:Absolutely. I think that is always important to stretch yourself.
Speaker:If you have an idea,
Speaker:sometimes you can't always find someone who will collaborate with you.
Speaker:So why not try it yourself,
Speaker:start out small and see what happens.
Speaker:Then I think,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:maybe someone who attends the fair,
Speaker:whereas an exhibitor at the fair will also come in and
Speaker:speak to you about,
Speaker:Hey, this is something that I'd like to do in the
Speaker:future. Perhaps we can do something together.
Speaker:That's a great idea.
Speaker:I've also seen not as much at consumer,
Speaker:but maybe,
Speaker:and maybe more specialized,
Speaker:like how you are,
Speaker:where you're theming a show.
Speaker:But I see often at more of the wholesale shows like
Speaker:I do the trade shows that a lot of my support
Speaker:and actually people who become my customers or other vendors,
Speaker:there's so much time before a show opens.
Speaker:And also after a show,
Speaker:or if you do any planning meetings for them to get
Speaker:together and get to know each other.
Speaker:Also, I think they're a wonderful resource,
Speaker:All sorts of opportunities there.
Speaker:And it sounds like you're liking the shows.
Speaker:So for the time being,
Speaker:they will continue their in your plan,
Speaker:Right? We like to do them at least twice a year.
Speaker:So probably in the fall around October or early November,
Speaker:if it's not too cold,
Speaker:we'll have another one.
Speaker:And you know,
Speaker:perhaps by then it'll be okay to be inside and that
Speaker:it will afford us.
Speaker:I think more space,
Speaker:the venue that we use,
Speaker:it's really nice,
Speaker:really welcoming and people enjoyed it the last time.
Speaker:Wonderful. That's very exciting.
Speaker:Like I said,
Speaker:I'm anxious to hear how this continues to evolve.
Speaker:What else do you see as you look out into the
Speaker:future for your business?
Speaker:What other things are on the radar there for you?
Speaker:Well, I think,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:just growing my business,
Speaker:I don't want to create too many products.
Speaker:So I want to have a set number.
Speaker:I do bring in products now.
Speaker:And then I do a lot of collaboration with some of
Speaker:my customers as well.
Speaker:I love to do special orders.
Speaker:I'm flexible in my product making.
Speaker:And so I'm open to making changes.
Speaker:And so sometimes people will come to me and say,
Speaker:Hey, I'd like to have this kind of product because I'm
Speaker:experiencing this kind of issue.
Speaker:And so I will work with them and because I'm familiar
Speaker:with the oils for different skin types and the herbal properties
Speaker:that I'll come up with a good product for them.
Speaker:I have a customer who regularly gives my products to her
Speaker:friends who turn around and buy them from me as well
Speaker:as gift them to their friends and their families.
Speaker:So, and in fact,
Speaker:I also put a sample of the product on my website
Speaker:and kind of trial it out.
Speaker:And if it works and people buy it and they like
Speaker:it and they ask for more than I will add it
Speaker:permanently to my lineup.
Speaker:And that's what I do at a vendor fairs.
Speaker:And even online when somebody purchases a product,
Speaker:I'll put in a couple of samples of other things in
Speaker:a similar vein for them to try out,
Speaker:Oh, that's smart.
Speaker:Do you see that then people will purchase after they've sampled
Speaker:more of your products?
Speaker:Yes, they will.
Speaker:Ooh, good strategy Gloria.
Speaker:Well, that's in the end.
Speaker:That's what it is.
Speaker:Right. Being willing to try might work.
Speaker:It might not.
Speaker:And then if it doesn't work,
Speaker:you try something else,
Speaker:that's it.
Speaker:And then I say limited edition.
Speaker:And if it doesn't work and then it comes off,
Speaker:This has been amazing.
Speaker:Gloria. I love the whole story about collaboration.
Speaker:The ideas of dwell,
Speaker:just the concept and the idea of taking a leadership role
Speaker:and trying something like a show for yourself.
Speaker:And your whole story is really inspiring because it's also like
Speaker:you've taken from your corporate life to your brick and mortar
Speaker:shop to what you're doing today.
Speaker:You've just built one on top of another to get to
Speaker:where you are very inspiring,
Speaker:one place online.
Speaker:Where would you direct people to go to know more about
Speaker:you and your products?
Speaker:Well, that would be all in woman,
Speaker:herbals.com. Perfect.
Speaker:And again,
Speaker:all the links are on the show notes page.
Speaker:You guys.
Speaker:So just go and check that out there.
Speaker:Your next show is coming up.
Speaker:So on behalf of all of us,
Speaker:Gloria, I want to wish good luck with that show.
Speaker:And thank you so much for sharing everything today.
Speaker:Thank you for having me.
Speaker:This was a lot of fun and I appreciate you inviting
Speaker:me on,
Speaker:I love your podcasts.
Speaker:I listened to them regularly and I learned so much and
Speaker:it's so helpful how you help and assist small businesses.
Speaker:Well, and you know how I do that is by having
Speaker:people like you share your experiences.
Speaker:So mutual respect,
Speaker:Gloria, As you have just heard,
Speaker:there is absolutely no need for you to abandon the idea
Speaker:of participating in a local craft show.
Speaker:If there isn't one in your area,
Speaker:I already know,
Speaker:since you listened to this podcast,
Speaker:that you're an action taker.
Speaker:Why not start a craft show yourself like Gloria has with
Speaker:her wellness events,
Speaker:grab a partner,
Speaker:create an event.
Speaker:Remember you are in control of your potential,
Speaker:but you don't have to go it alone before you move
Speaker:on to your next activity today,
Speaker:make sure to get your name on the list for at
Speaker:least one gift biz bash.
Speaker:You can see dates for the upcoming sessions and get signed
Speaker:up over at gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped.com forward slash bash.
Speaker:And if you're enjoying the podcast and would like to show
Speaker:support a rating and review is always fabulous because it helps
Speaker:get the show seen by more makers.
Speaker:It's a great way to pay it forward.
Speaker:And there's another way where you can get something tangible in
Speaker:return for your support to visit my merch shop for a
Speaker:wide variety of inspirational items like mugs,
Speaker:journals, water battles,
Speaker:and more featuring logos images and quotes to inspire you throughout
Speaker:your day makes a great gift to,
Speaker:and we've just added some new products for the season to
Speaker:the shop.
Speaker:Turnaround is quick and the quality is top notch,
Speaker:not thing,
Speaker:but the best for you.
Speaker:Take a look at all the options at gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped.com forward slash shop.
Speaker:All proceeds from these purchases helps go to offset the cost
Speaker:of producing the show and now be safe and well.
Speaker:And I'll see you again.
Speaker:Next time on the gift biz unwrapped podcast.
Speaker:I want to make sure you're familiar with my free Facebook
Speaker:group called gift is free.
Speaker:It's a place where we all gather and are a community
Speaker:to support each other.
Speaker:Got a really fun post in there.
Speaker:That's my favorite of the week.
Speaker:I have to say where I invite all of you to
Speaker:share what you're doing to show pictures of your product,
Speaker:to show what you're working on for the week to get
Speaker:reaction from other people and just for fun,
Speaker:because we all get to see the wonderful products that everybody
Speaker:in the community is making my favorite post every single week,
Speaker:without doubt.
Speaker:Wait, what,
Speaker:aren't you part of the group already,
Speaker:if not make sure to jump over to Facebook and search
Speaker:for the group gift biz breeze don't delay.