I am thrilled to share the story of my friend, mentor, colleague and small business advocacy cohort Donna Maria of Indie Beauty Network. Donna Maria has tirelessly worked to educate, train, advice and advocate for small businesses all over the United States.
Donna Maria is competing in the Oprah Winfrey “Your OWN Show” contest, where some lucky winners will be selected to compete in a reality show for a chance to host a show on OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. Donna Maria’s show pitch is called “The Family Business Road Show.” Feel free to watch her audition video here at my blog, but PLEASE remember to vote for her show and leave a comment at Oprah’s site.
Here is the pitch she included with her submission: “America’s family business champion Donna Maria hits the road cross-country in search of the best inspirational, local and handmade family business stories! Armed with a killer sense of humor, an innovative spirit and a passion for all things handmade, Donna Maria offers a fresh, exciting look at specialty family-run businesses creating one-of-a-kind products that make life fun and more interesting. She’ll show you how these handmade treasures are made, how you can have them delivered to your door — and even how you can start your own business making products like the ones featured on the show! So come along for the ride! Inspiration awaits at the end of every road, but half the fun is getting there — with Donna Maria of course!”
Donna Maria is the best friend a small business could possibly have and that is why I encourage you all to vote for her at this link! Vote now...and don't forget to go back and vote again, and again, and again.
I have always loved beauty products. My father used to take me to the pharmacy every Sunday to buy something. I’ll never forget the smell of the green apple peel-off mask as I applied it to my face with the included paint brush. Then, the sound of it cracking as I peeled it away after it hardened. I was in heaven. My life followed a traditional path for many years. I graduated high school, then attended college, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after that. My parents gave me a choice between getting a job and moving out or going to graduate school. Guess which I chose? So it was off to law school for me, where I majored in telecommunications and new technologies and served on the Law Review.
After practicing law for a decade, most of it in the General Counsel’s office of pre-bankruptcy MCI WorldCom, I was bored and restless. On one of my frequent trips to the Smile Herb Shop outside my hometown of Washington, DC, I purchased a bar of lemon scented soap made by SunFeather Natural Soap Company. When I read on the label that it was handmade, I was curious to know whether I could make soap too.
The next few years of my life were a bubbly blur. I made soap nearly every day. I used everything without a hole as a mild. I put everything in my soap, except the kitchen sink, and only skipped that because it was too big.
I quit my job in 1995 to make and sell soap and beauty products full-time. (That was a big mistake, by the way – but I learned from it!) By 2000, I had returned from living in Johannesburg, South Africa where I taught soapmaking classes and served as a USAID contractor, and resumed my legal career. A few short months later, I could no longer resist the pull of the soap, but I have a problem. My soap was not nearly as nice as the soap made by other people. And other people had a problem. Their soap was nice, but they needed support on the business side.
In January 2000, I launched the Indie Beauty Network, then named Handmade Toiletries Network. Since that time, I have enjoyed being closely connected to my passion for handmade soap and beauty products, while at the same time being able to fulfill my special calling to help people be successful in business. The Indie Beauty Network has nearly 1,000 members nationwide. Through a national broker, we provide affordable products liability insurance for our members. I also provide training webinars to help my members be successful in the areas of marketing, FDA compliance, social media and more.
What aspect of the business are you passionate about?
I am passionate about helping people own and manage profitable businesses doing things they are passionate about. I love immersing myself in conversations with other women business owners. I love coaching clients who start with no idea what to do and then in a few weeks, they have renewed vigor and dedication to make their businesses successful. I love sharing information, so I’m excited about our social networking site where I and over 6,000 health, beauty and lifestyle business leaders connect, share and grow together. I’m naturally curious, so I love hosting my weekly podcast where I interview authors and thought leaders about every imaginable topic on the subject of small business success. I love seeing people succeed, and anything I can do through IBN to make that happen is a blessing and pure joy for me.
What makes your products unique?
My products, meaning the coaching, speaking and training services I provide, are designed to serve small and independent business owners with my own special brand of dynamic, hard-hitting, no holds barred advice. Because I am a trained attorney and business counselor, am debt-free, have never taken out a business loan and am a wife and a mother who started a business on a wing and a prayer, I am uniquely equipped to help other people do the same. I am the only person with my story, and through it, I help people just like me take the bull by the horns, ditch the nay-sayers and fulfill their life’s mission to be personally productive through small business ownership.
Who do you market to?
90% of my market is composed of small and independent women business owners living in the United States and making soap and cosmetics products for retail and wholesale nationwide.
Where can you be found in the social media world?
I have my blog Indie Business Blog, the Indie Beauty Social site, Twitter, Facebook Business, Facebook Personal, YouTube, LinkedIn and American Express Open Forum.
How long have you been in business?
I started the Indie Beauty Network on January 16, 2000, with the publication of my first newsletter. Here’s the link.
If you had it to do all over again in business what would you do differently?
I would have started sooner and I would have planned better. I would not have quit my job without a plan.
What organizations have been helpful to you? How have they been helpful to your business?
Indie Beauty Network, Handcrafted SoapMakers Guild (vendor member), my local chamber of Commerce (find your chamber here), and Mocha Moms
Did you have start-up capital? If not what did you do to make it work?
I had a job in January 2000 when I launched the Indie Beauty Network, but I had burned through all of my savings the year after I quit my job and started a business (like an idiot …) I quit the job I had in November 2000. By then, I had a rudimentary plan to strike while the iron was hot. Here are the top 3 things I did to make my business successful in the early years:
- I embraced technology. I believe nothing kills a start up like refusal to use the free and low-cost technologies to do everything from launch a blog to host a podcast or publish a magazine. Nearly 100% of the clients who ask me for help with a sluggish business are struggling mainly because of a lack of willingness to put technology to work for themselves and their customers.
- I moved quickly. Small companies have a huge advantage over large ones because they can be nimble and flexible and don’t have to cut through masses of red tape to launch a new product. Not only am I small, but I am quick and efficient. I don’t let any grass grow under my feet. When I see a new opportunity that meets certain criteria, I pounce on it.
- I established my personal brand. Since I am not the only person offering products like mine, I knew early on that I had to establish myself as a trusted source for the kinds of products I provide. Everyone needs to do this, no matter what they offer. I am my best asset, and so are you. Invest time building a personal platform for yourself as you grow your business and you will always have more than enough opportunities to fulfill your mission in life – both from a personal and a professional point of view.
Who or what inspires you?
You inspire me, Kayla, you and Dennis. I love how you built your business on a dream, how you work together hand-in-hand, loving each other and loving your customers. I have thought of you often at my lowest points – no money, no energy, no time, etc. You always seem to pull it off and that inspires me to stop whining and get busy. You, Dennis and the entire Essential Wholesale team inspire me every day, and keep me going too. Thank you!
What do you have planned for your company for 2010?
Aha – wouldn’t you like to know. Well, I’m not divulging details, but here’s a sampling: a new print magazine, a virtual conference event and bi-monthly virtual empowerment seminars with cosmetics experts so that my members can continue to knock the ball out of the park.
That's so nice, a business support that's getting the most out of everything from the business itself. And it's great to hear that you're taking advantage of modern technology to make the work easier. Big business usually start small, and with a lot of hard work, I think your business will boom.
Posted by: Jamie Shellman | July 12, 2011 at 05:10 AM
Wow! What an honor to be included at your blog, Kayla and Dennis! Thank you for featuring me and allowing me to share some of my story. I hope it inspires and encourages others!
Posted by: Donna Maria Coles Johnson | June 24, 2010 at 10:40 AM