Welcome to the Personality Spotlight, Pennie! Please
tell us about yourself, and how your interest in taking an
all-natural path began.
Natural
living has always suited me and the influences that are part
of my life have evolved and strengthened with time. Even
when I was little, I was always intrigued by nature, I believe
that is what has driven and lead me to live the lifestyle
which I enjoy so much today.
The foundation for my present career has taken shape
and formed throughout many years and jobs. I began
working in healthcare when I was 27, shortly after being
married. Before that, I worked as a Concierge in an
upscale hotel, a job that carried the responsibility of
catering exclusively to a particular group of clientele, all
staying on what was called the VIP floor, mainly business
executives and their families. A multitude of last
minute favors from housekeepers, bartenders, chefs and other
staff within the hotel were always in need, so it was vitally
important that I retain good relations with everyone.
All that really means is being kind and courteous, in most
instances, you get what you give. Following that job, I
worked at a children’s hospital in human resources, by this
time, my people skills were well polished. Since
relating to people is a big part of what I do now, I feel that
these two positions gave me a good understanding of human
relations and exposed me to an array of diverse personalities.
While working at the children’s hospital, I became
interested in massage therapy, attended and then graduated
from a local school, followed by licensure in 1993.
Shortly after graduating, I attended numerous local herb
courses and completed herbal studies for medicinal botanicals.
This tied in nicely with my beliefs and strengthened my
commitment to natural healing.
Eventually, I had my own private practice and several
years after that I started another business for handmade bath
and body products. It was during this time that I really
delved into the healthful benefits for each of the
ingredients. My findings led me to re-evaluate my bath
and body products business, which I viewed as yet another,
natural progression.
Your company, Ladies Blend, is so special. You really
have such a personal touch with your customers. Please
tell us about your concept for your on-line store, and what
makes it different from the rest.
I am attracted to a
simple, fresh, clean palette and a friendly atmosphere, which
is what I would like to convey through my website. It is
a little tricky doing this online, thus it is always a work in
progress. I sell what I like and what I use and
therefore am closely connected to each product.
My former belief was to have some sort of product for
everyone. That mindset in the long run became a burden,
left me feeling less creative and put me in the category with
the majority of similar businesses. Selling fewer,
unique items that are all used on my sensitive skin gives the
extra time that each product deserves to not only be
evaluated, but also re-evaluated every so often.
I like to use simple formulations, with ingredients
that have meaningful properties. Our products are
packaged to protect the integrity of each one, a solid package
that holds quality ingredients and presents itself well is
important to the product as a whole. We want women and
girls to have a nice container to use that does not have a
label where the ink ends up on their hands. We keep a
consistent look throughout our line, which is appealing and
easy on the eye.
You also have the most tempting products! Which are your
own personal favorites, and which ones are the most popular?
One of the perks
with having this type of business is that I have all the
delicious ingredients at my fingertips. Since the
humidity has dropped, I have been enjoying the Vanilla Bliss
Body Butter Whip almost daily. I made this butter for my
mom, who surprised me last Valentines Day with a new
KitchenAid mixer. She loves body butter, so I spent the
summer breaking in the new mixer and working with assorted
ingredients to obtain the texture and feel that I thought she
would like. Another one of her favorites is the Eye
Elixir, which sells very well and is always good for
re-orders, I use that product on a weekly basis.
Right now, the winter bath soaks are quite popular and
the herbal products consistently sell well. My love of
herbs is quite evident on the Ladies Blend website and I use
them in our products every chance I get. Our herbal
pedicure, manicure, facial and hair teas include fresh,
vibrant, aromatic herbs that are suited for each type of
application. They are gentle, effective and my preferred
form for many beauty care needs. There is just something
so luscious to treating your skin with pure water/steam and
beautiful fragrant organic herbs. Many of our herbal
products contain no essential oils, but their aroma is so
profound that when you open up the jar you would think that
EO’s were added. I very often receive compliments on my
complexion, that strengthens the fact that my regimen works.
Three of our Soy Bliss Candle blends scents turned out
to be such good sellers that we decided to introduce three
massage and body oils in the same matching scents, which
really are quite irresistible. A basic pure body oil is
a must have, there are so many uses for them.
We also have consistent sales with our Beauty Kits that
are designed and packaged in such a way that there is no need
for preservatives to be added. It is pure skin care and
gives each user the chance to become more involved in their
beauty regimen.
You are a massage therapist as well. What insight have you
gained from this profession and the clients that you serve?
Though I am not
practicing at this time, it was my massage therapy clients
that inspired me to make and sell bottles of the massage oil
that I used during their treatments. That was in 1998
and I have been making products ever since then.
I think that most people would be surprised to hear the
amount of pain and its many forms that the average person
endures on a daily basis. Not only was I the massage
therapist, but I was also a confidential soundboard that
learned about the personal lives of what we call ordinary
people. No one is ordinary; I try to remember this when
dealing with less than cordial people. Since one of my pet
peeves is rudeness, it can be taxing at times.
After I started my second business, I decided to take some
time off from my massage therapy practice. I keep my
licensure requirements up to date, so that I may resume at any
time, right now though, I prefer to receive massages.
What are your favorite books on the subject of aromatherapy,
all-natural beauty and health?
I am currently
studying Clinical Aromatherapy & Aromatic Medicine; R.J.
Buckle presents this course. Susan Weed and Jeanne Rose
write the herbal reference books that I use most often.
I also subscribe to Organic Spa Magazine.
What advice would you give to someone that wants to start an
on-line beauty business?
Intuition is a powerful tool, it has allowed me to do things
that were not part of the business plan, but ended up being
very rewarding and in some instances changed my life.
Surround yourself with like-minded people that will support
you and your ideals.
What do you do for fun, besides making your products and
creating and maintaining your beautiful website?
My kind of fun is
really quite basic. I love to garden and each year; I
pick an area of the property to focus on. This year it
was the back porch garden and it absolutely flourished.
Next year, it will most likely be an area out front; I am
imagining some extensive landscaping out there. I do
enjoy cooking and dining al fresco. When time permits, I
like to sew and make things for our home and family. I
like to decorate, design and craft all sorts of things, go to
the spa and play with our three beautiful kitty cats.
Balance is key, I work hard and love my business, but
adequate time off is essential for a clear mind and a
refreshed body and soul.
What would your perfect pampering session consist of?
When I visit the
spa, I always try to make a day of it. Not the entire day at
the spa, but much of the day to lounge around and take care of
my whole self. I have a light breakfast, take a nice
walk outside, and then enjoy a warm bath. When I go to
the spa, I am “spa ready”, no jewelry, comfortable clothes and
in my spa bag is a magazine, water and a lavender eye pillow.
I always have a massage at the spa and at least one or two
other treatments, like a facial steam with hydrosols and
massage, I have never had a chemical facial or peel. I
also like to have basic mani and pedi treatments, which for me
includes the jet baths, massage and natural maintenance, no
polishes or artificial nails, just a light nail buffing to
finish it off. Then I either eat a light lunch at the
spa or return home, have a salad and take a siesta.
After that I’ll sit out on the porch and read a book or just
do whatever I feel like doing, take another bath, rest again,
prepare a healthy fresh dinner and relax. You get the
picture, it does not happen often so I take full advantage of
it and drink several glassfuls of lemon water throughout the
entire day. While I am faced with deadlines on a daily
basis, this is a slice of heaven and something that I really
look forward to.
For those times when going to the spa is not possible,
I just turn my bathroom into a nice quiet retreat, with
beautiful music, candles and a warm bath. Instead of
using prepared products, I’ll make something special ala carte
from essential oils, hydrosols (another one of my very
favorite things), assorted salts, clays and other ingredients.
I’ll prepare an herbal facial steam and maybe one or two other
treatments if I have the time. It is so easy to put
ourselves off, but if we feel refreshed, everyone benefits.
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