Skin in The Game, Growing A Skincare Line

Hey guys, I'm so excited to have on this episode Renee Bartos. She's the owner of Pure and Coco, a skincare line that is vegan and natural and all the good stuff, right? So on this episode, we talk a little bit about how she started her business, why she started it, and, um, the things that she's doing now to grow her skincare line. We talk about how to get out of ruts, as well as different things you need to do in order to get your products and services into boutiques and big box stores. Some really cool things, a really simple idea that I love that you want to stay tuned for. So if you have any questions, you guys, be sure to leave them in the comments or reach out to me at info@craftwiththethrive.com. But in the meantime, let me know what you think about this episode. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive. I'm your host, Nikita Williams, and this show is for all the ladies who are making and creating things that they love. You will hear conversations about the real everyday struggles of juggling life and business while trying to maintain passion and harmony. As women, we have the skill of getting things done, but sometimes we get in our own way. It's here where you'll see that you're not alone. You'll discover that success does not mean perfection. Fear and negative thoughts Thoughts and challenges are all a part of the journey. And on this podcast, you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to have a life and business that thrives. You guys, Renee is on with us to share a little bit of her magic, I like to say, because she does amazing work, as I talked about in the intro. Thank you so much, girl, for being on the show. I'm so excited to have you.

Thank you for having me.

Yeah. So before we jump in, because the last couple of episodes we've kind of just started having a conversation and everyone's like, okay, can you give us a little bit more information? Information about who's on. So can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?

So I am Renee Bartosz. I'm owner and developer of Pure and Coco. I make skincare products because my skin used to crack and bleed on my hands and just snowballed from there.

Well, that's hard. Yeah. So I've met a few people where their skin is like that. Is that a condition or is it like— what is it that you suffer with?

So my condition, I didn't have diagnosed, but it does run in the family, is eczema. My grandmother, she was diagnosed with eczema in her 80s. And then I've suffered with severely dry skin on my hands ever since I can remember. I wear like lotion and gloves going to bed at night. That never really helped. So about 6 years ago, I developed a product. I joined forces with my husband. He has his degree in environmental studies. So we came up with a solution. Wow.

Okay, so I'm gonna ask you about the environmental studies in a second. So this product, like so many people I've had on the show, was developed because you couldn't find anything on the market that would actually help you.

Yes.

So what made you think, well, I can't find anything, so I need to make it myself? Like, what, what, like, what connected those dots for you?

So it was, it was a combination of things, but the real trigger point for me was my husband came home from class, college, college class that day, and he had said that he— in their class, they were talking about makeup and there's a lot of toxins in them and they're really bad for your skin. So he said, make the switch to natural products, which that is not my husband to say. So I kind of had a trigger or a lightbulb moment and I said, huh, I wonder if what I'm using on my skin is making things worse. And so I was miserable at my day job. So I started researching different ideas. I knew coconut oil was good for the skin, but I didn't know a whole lot about it. So I started researching it and then I started trying it straight on my, my skin. I just didn't like the way it felt. It was just too oily to make me feel greasy. I use it on my face, but it would get my eyes and my eyes would get irritated. And so the research is where it led me to the Exfoliating Factor, and that's been a real game changer. So adding the exfoliation to the coconut oil it broke past that barrier of dead skin cells, which is what was going on for me. So that's been a lifesaver ever since.

So with your husband having like an environmental thingamajiggy, like whatever you just called it. Yeah. I'm like, you said it and I'm like, I don't know, whatever that is. It's kind of like when I talk about my husband's work, I'm like, he's a tech guy that does some kind of thingamajiggy. I don't know. So what does that— how does his degree and his experience help you in your business? What is the marriage to that?

So the exfoliation, it's like a scrub. So at the time, this was 6 years ago, microbeads was really popular in skincare products. So microbeads are the little plastic beads that like Bath and Body Works would use in their—

They're plastic?

Yeah. And so they were supposed— Yeah, they were, they were supposed to break down in the water, but they weren't. They're teeny tiny little plastic to eat. They're supposed to break down and they didn't so they would go down into the waterway and the fish would eat it and you know people are eating fish I'm eating fish—

Whoa whoa time out! Time out! Wait a minute wait a minute is this like public knowledge or am I just completely been under a rock? Like has that always been like a thing?

Yeah well yeah because they ended up banning it not too long after this was 2013 when I became aware of it and started using the product myself And then I think it was 2014, 2015, in that range, they finally banned them.

Wow.

So kind of known, but not as well known as it could be.

I'm always thinking about the turtles and the fish, and I try to use paper straws. Yeah, I'm also the person who like cuts the little can plastic things. If we get cans, I cut those little things before I put them in the trash can, but I did not know about The plastic in the scrubber.

Yeah.

Oh my goodness. No wonder we're all dying. Okay. Anyway, go on with your story. I'm sorry. Oh no. Yeah.

So that was, that was why I decided to, one of the reasons why I decided to use sugar. The other reason was it's very gentle on the skin and because I had cracks, the back of my hands would crack. Sugar didn't irritate it. If I had used like a salt, it would have stung horribly bad. Yeah. And it was just— I could use it every day. So I just started playing around with ingredients. And then once I got it to consistency that I liked, I stuck with it for like a good month. I started using it on my hands every single day because I was like, I need to try this. So after a month, one of my coworkers actually noticed my hands and said something. She said, hey, your hands look better. I never thought that. Yeah, you notice? So I was like, here, if I bring some stuff in, will you guys tell me what you think? Like, I want all the feedback, good, bad, you know, just tell me what you think. But also during that time, I started testing like, how else can I use this product? Because I want it to do all the things. So I did. I just tested out like, can I wash my face? Yeah, I can wash my face and I can take my makeup off and I can take off waterproof mascara. And then once the sugar melts down, I can shave with it. So it covers a multitude of different uses.

Wow.

That's something that I wanted it to do.

So your hubby, his environmental studies helps with what?

He was the one that was the inspiration for using the sugar.

Gotcha.

To use it because that way it's more environmentally friendly. And originally we started using glass jars. I use a recyclable jar now, but in the beginning it was like, it was Mason jars.

I'll be real.

And then we got jars with labels on it, but that was also like an environmental factor for us is like, if I could use glass jars, then I would. So, but mainly it was just the sugar and then him telling me that you need to be aware of what you're putting on your skin because there's a lot of bad stuff out there.

There are, there are so many things. You know, when I was younger, I never had issues with my skin. I like my— maybe because, I mean, my parents, my mom, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother all use Mary Kay products. So that's what I grew up on. Like, that's all I used. And then when I got married, a lot of things changed in my body. And I started— I, to this day, every year, every month, I feel like I get a new sensitivity to certain products or smells or things. And then you start researching like all of these things, like why did that? And you're like, well, your body had— it started to build up like this so-called like intolerance for this stuff. I mean, it's the same thing with our food. There's things that should be fine. Like if you go to Europe, you can eat bread. You can't eat the bread here in the United States because it's really processed. So it's kind of like The same thing with products that are like out there, like, like you were just saying about the plastic. I had no idea there was plastic in— there used to be plastic in, in, you know, scrubs, you know, so you think you're buying something that says, oh, it's help you with your skin. And you're like, yeah, and you're killing a fish along the way, but it's really not helping your skin because it's plastic and that can't be good for your body. Like, you know, anyway, so the point is over the last few years I've started like stripping down to like avoiding things like bleach and different cleaners and even like different skincare products myself because I have become really sensitive. My skin is really sensitive. The fibromyalgia and my endometriosis have completely changed the chemistry of my body. So I have to be careful. I'm going through this conversation part of the talk because I was like looking for a scrub and I'm like, I need a scrub. And this is kind of how I came across you. And I was like, I like what she's talking about. You're always talking about your scrubs. You're showing how you're like making them and what's in it. And I'm like, okay, okay. And then I'm like, I should try it because I was starting to have really bad issues with my hands. Like my hands would get dry, but it wasn't necessarily dry, like crackly dry, but they're drier than I'm used to. And I go through like every year, my husband calls it the Nikita scale removal. I like start shedding skin. Like it's crazy.

It's like weird.

It's the weirdest thing. And I can't believe I'm saying this online on a podcast, but I start like shedding like around this time of year. I get really, really daily in a sense. So I have to like exfoliate like constantly in order for me not to be walking around like a flake fish or something. So I also get these little rashes. They're not really rashes. My dermatologist say they're like little beads. I don't know. They're kind of like irritations, kind of like an eczema. It's not as bad as like extreme eczema, but I do get it on my skin. So I tried the salt scrubs and oh my gosh, you're so right. They burn. They burn unless it's like mixed with a particular type of oil. I've used one that's used with olive oil and coconut oil, um, and that one didn't hurt so much, but still most of them are really bad. So coming across your company that has sugar, I find that a lot of the sugar scrubs out there are infused with a lot of artificial smells, like things that are not like, they're not aromatherapy. They're like just like things that they made in some kind of chemical lab, but it's natural, so they say, and it irritates my skin. So anyway, your products aren't like that, right? 'Cause I tried them and they don't feel like that at all. I read, I can read what's on your labels and I know what they are. Yeah, so that's part of the reason why I like your stuff. I use it a little bit. For me, the scrub is great. It's, I have to get used to using it because it's not like a scrub from commercial scrubs. 'Cause commercial scrubs are like way different than your scrubs. I don't understand how different, I don't understand it. But the point is it works and that's all that matters. Okay. So you go through a development process like often because on Instagram and Facebook, mostly Instagram, I'm watching you like test all these different things. So a lot of the listeners are makers and creators and they're coming up into the new year. They're probably thinking about like, how do they get ready to start trying new products? What products? So what is your method to your madness when you are starting to think about new products? Because you have more than just a scrub. You have like chapsticks, you have lotions, you have misty sprays, you have all kinds of cool things. So tell us how you kind of started that development process.

So for the creams, there's a story behind the creams. I need to hear it. I developed those for my grandmother. She was 91 at the time. She's the one that had the eczema. I was talking to her and she said she buys this lotion from— it's not Walmart, but it's a little bit— same idea. Nothing gets warmer. But I was like, Grandma, I know I can make you something that will help you and that will be good for your skin. So I made it like my mission, basically. I was like, I'm gonna figure this out. I'm gonna, I'm gonna make something and I'm gonna help her. So I did. I, again, just nose to the grind or whatever. I just started researching a whole bunch. And then in my research, so I kind of knew about like cocoa butter and shea butter. I used shea cocoa butter when I was pregnant, but I wasn't that impressed with it. I just Not my, not my cup of tea. So I was just researching everything and I kept seeing mango butter, mango butter, mango butter. It's really good for eczema skin. Um, so I was like, okay. So I started researching some more mango butter and I liked what I was reading about. It's full of like really good fat for the skin and, um, it's very emollient and it actually repels water. So I was like, okay, I'm gonna try this. And it took me a good 2 years to get this, the consistency down right. For the cream. It's just, it's a whole other ball of wax to be working with, but it's super good for the skin. So I developed it, I sent it off to her and I was like, just again, just let me know what you think. So she heard because she was 91, her skin was paper thin. She couldn't use the exfoliator, but she could use the cream. And then the cream was helping her to the point where she was able to stop wearing her gloves because she used to wear gloves because she was embarrassed how her hands looked. And that was within a few months, but her hands looked really good for her age. Um, so it helped her. So I just kept sending it to her and I was like, just keep, keep using it. This is the whole point. And then I ended up needing something extra also, just because my skin is so dry, especially in the winter months. So I, um, use it after the exfoliator to seal in the moisture. And then the mist, I was thinking something like non-toxic that you could spray on your skin to moisturize., and you can spray on your clothes. And then the lip balms, I developed those for my other grandmother. She needed something, um, because she'd always get dry lips, so those were developed for her. But I, I try to cut— I try to look at the market and see like, okay, so green products is really popular right now, but I'm not— and you kind of talked about it, like the greenwashing aspect, like they're claiming something's clean for you or whatnot. I just want— that's like my mission is to make clean products. So I know I'm getting ready to work on like body wash. I know that there's a lot of body washes that claim to be clean or whatnot. So I just ask people, I have an idea. And then I asked, I sent out a newsletter a while back and I said, do you want— what kind of body wash do you want? Are you interested in it? And so I sent out a poll where they just answer yes, no, what kind of body wash they're interested in. And so I got good results on that. And so I just asked again later on Facebook. I would ask them like, hey, this is an idea, then ask again on Instagram, hey, this is an idea. And then I also watch and see who's answering, if it's my ideal customer, because you don't, you know, you don't want to cater to just anybody. You want to cater to your ideal customer. So I just, just ask them and they'll tell you. People love to give their opinion. So that's, that's the best way to go about it because otherwise you're just kind of throwing darts and hoping you land on the target, basically.

So yeah, that is so true. Um, I love that, that point that you just brought out that it's important to when you're doing the polls and you're like reaching out your ideal client, that you are paying attention who it is who's saying yes, they want it and who is saying they don't want it. I have a— I had a client who felt that their product wasn't good enough because they always asked the opinion of people that weren't their ideal client. And I was like, well, they don't ever purchase from you. Or just anything like this. They don't even purchase this in their everyday life. So how can you make decisions based on that person or persons? And they're like, well, that's all I have. I'm like, well, you have past clients, so ask your past clients. Those are obviously somewhat of your ideal client, so ask them. And that makes a big difference.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, they're the ones that are paying the bills, so we need to cater to what they want and anticipate what they need.

So how long do you take to research what you're going to put on the market? I know it's a little bit different for you because you're like the science machine person in the kitchen trying to figure out this and that. So it probably takes a lot longer, but how long does it usually take you?

On average, a few months. The exfoliator, it took a few months. I don't, yeah, it took a few months to get that one down. The creams, it took a good 2 years to get that down to the right consistency. So on average, a few months. The body wash, I've been playing with that off and on for the last few years. It's been something I've been wanting to launch for many years. I just haven't done it yet. Yeah, but I'm finally getting to the spot where I can and I know that people are ready for it. Yeah.

So would you say that the first product, which was your scrub, was obviously something that you tested for yourself and then you gave it to your friends? Did you give it to your friends and family for free? To try, or did they, did they pay you?

No, no, I admire people that charge. I know I gave it to them for free. I just said, I just, one condition, I was like, just, I want honest feedback. What do you like? What don't you like? How did you use it? I still ask that to this day. If people come back and say, I see them and they're like, oh, I love your product, I always ask them, how do you use it? Because sometimes you can learn something that you didn't know about your own product like they have an idea that you can teach others.

So that is really good. You know, I'm soaking all this up right now because, you know, for me, I'm starting a shop, but it's not like, it's not necessarily like, it's not for your body. It's like for like little things like, you know, prints and canvas bags and journals and mugs. And so that is a good question because, you know, some people use mugs for their pens, like they don't use it to drink out of, or yeah, they use notebooks to like sketch or whatever, or whatever they're using it, you know. So that's a really good point to keep in mind, like asking people, well, what do you use it for? Like, how do you use it? I love that. That's a really great question to ask. Okay. So now that we've talked about that, you have been in Whole Foods before, like your products have been in Whole Foods. How did you do that? Like, how did that happen?

That, yeah, that was awesome. So networking and my husband was working with me at the time. We were at a pop-up shop, basically, or show, I should say, um, in Seattle. And so we met this other couple, um, they headed off with my husband, they were chatting with him, and then, um, we kept in contact after the show, um, and evidently they were in a pipeline for upcoming events. They had applied to like Shark Tank before. So once you— once the way they explained is once you apply to something like that, then you kind of have it in the feather happening. If you will. So they got an email saying that Whole Foods was having a local makers fair. They wanted to meet the makers because they're getting ready to open a new store. So, you know, come up, send in your RSVP, and then you can come in and you can pitch a product. So that's what we did. So we signed up because these people sent that link to us. We signed up for it. We went, pitched the product. We told them our story. And they picked us right up right then and there. Um, so they put us in one store, and then 4 years in, they put us into another store. So I was in 2 Whole Foods stores, and then for a while there, I was going up and doing demos also just to educate people on the product so that they know about it, how to use it, what does it do, why it's special. Yeah, yeah.

So you probably learned a lot too during that process, like the wholesale process or however, you know, the ordering, and then like also getting the feedback from like strangers? Like how did that really help your business? I think it helped.

It gave us credibility.

Gotcha.

Being able to say we're in Whole Foods. But it was nice to get that one-on-one real-time interaction with people and then helping them. Like they come up and say, I have dry skin, what should I do for that? And then I said, you need to try this. And then I go from there, like what scent do you like? You know, that way I could kind of cater it to them. But it was, it was a good learning curve. Um, it was a good experience.

So did that help you get into other like local markets, like local boutiques and stuff like that?

Kind of, but not necessarily.

Gotcha.

How did that go about with boutiques? I would just, um, I would email them, or some of them I would call them, a cold call.

Um, oh girl, you was cold calling?

Yeah, there's one called— and it's actually, that one is one of my best stores. Oh wow. It's a health market. Another one, it just boils down to networking, honestly. Another one I reached out to, it was a makeup artist at the time. And unbeknownst to me, she worked at a boutique. So she's— I sent her some product to just be like, hey, try it out, see what you think. Maybe just to kind of collaborate. And then she said, I like these, I'm going to give them to my boss, the owner of this boutique. And so the owner picked it up.

Wow.

So it's just networking and you never know who you're talking to, who they know or who they are.

Right. Yeah. And I'm sure you just gave— I always tell people, and Jasmine Star, y'all always know I'm talking about Jasmine Star. But she always talks about the power of one. And I, before her, I always thought that too, because I was in network marketing, Mary Kay, like a long time ago for— because that was my family. That was my mom, my grandma. That was always part of me. And that was something that they actually taught us, that it only takes really one person to make a big difference in your business. And it only takes 1% of your efforts to come back to you to make a big difference 100-fold later down the road. So it's the one that you're looking for. And so you found multiple ones. You maybe went through a lot of yes, a lot of nos, but you got several yeses that were amazing, right? So that's really cool. I love that you shared that because I feel like we get caught up in the nos, like all the nos. I'm sure, because I mean, it's body care. I'm like, that's one of the huge, like makeup and body care for women, that's like one of the biggest competition-ish kind of thing in retail, right?

Yeah, yeah, it's a huge market. I mean, but that shouldn't stop somebody from pursuing what they love. Because that's another thing that I love Jasmine Starr too. She says you can't— nobody can replicate you. You are what makes it special. So no matter what it is, what industry you're in, just go for it. That you're passionate about it, it will show.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And what— you never know what that one person can do, what kind of impact they can have on your business.

Exactly.

It just— it snowballs. Yeah, they tell a friend, they tell more.

Networking is amazing, and I love it, and it's a big part of why I started the podcast, because it it extends your, your reach and it helps you connect in a different way. Um, and you get opportunities you never would have had. You get, it's kind of like having a sales force without having to pay them. You know what I'm saying? It's like, hey guys, you love me. Tell everybody else. Thank you.

So it's like how I, how I met you was through Krystal and Alquin.

Yeah, I know. Cause she posted about it on Instagram and I was looking for a scrub. See, this is what I'm saying. Like free advertising.

Yeah. And it's that word of mouth too. Word of mouth is so powerful.

Yes. Yes. Because you're not, you know, I know we have like this big world of like influencers and they have their place. Like I'm not going to knock anybody who's an influencer because I think they do have their place and they are them. Like they're selling themselves or selling like what they do, who they are. Um, and then their influence. But I think every business is an influencer. Like every business, every person you talk to is in one way or another an influencer. We're influencing other people to make decisions. All the time based on what we say, on what we do. And that's why word of mouth is like the biggest and will always be the number one way of having real authentic connection with people because you can't fake one-on-one. You can't fake word. You can't fake it. If I tell you, "Girl, I love them shoes," I'm going to go find out where those shoes are because I heard you, I saw them, I feel you. And it's the same thing with anything that we do in our business. Yes. Okay, so to the nitty-gritty, have you experienced any fears dealing with starting this business that you've had to overcome?

I still deal with them. Like, what if a product doesn't sell well? My sales aren't where I want them to be. It's just grabbing the bull by the horns and just taking it on. I mean, you have nothing to fear but fear itself. So just if I'm feeling fearful, just acknowledge it for a second. Like, I see you, but that's not going to stop me. I'm going to keep moving forward because that means I'm moving in the right direction.

Yeah.

And I'm just recently going through that. Like, I'm like, okay, no, it'll be fine. I'm just going to keep moving forward because if I let that, I could let that stop me and I don't want to do that. So just keep pushing forward. Yeah.

Yeah, because you're doing great. Like your business is doing great and I love what you're doing and you're fulfilling a need where so many people may have been looking for something like this and they didn't have it. And now there's you and more people need to know about what you're creating, what you're making. And it's not always easy, but it's definitely worth, worth trying and seeing where it goes at least instead of letting fear stop you. Fear is, fear is one of those things that I'm learning throughout this just life in general, but also through the podcast more and more through different women. Last, the episode that is coming out that you guys are probably going to hear before this episode is Christy Cross. She's a photographer and she had the fear, like she got to the end of her business basically. And like she was like, she's so sweet. She's like, I was lazy. I wasn't really being an entrepreneur. I was just like hoping on a whim basically for business to come my way. She wasn't like really working her business. And so it got to the point where she's like, my bank account is almost empty and my husband's looking at me like I need to get a job job. And I was like, oh my gosh, I don't want to do that. I've been doing this for 10 years. I don't want to lose my business. That was a fear and that fear lit her booty and now she's like, you know, doing amazing things. She's training, she's teaching classes, she's doing all these things and her business is thriving better than ever before. And that was fear that lit that fire under her butt. So fear isn't always a bad thing. It's, you know, we think about fear as like, oh, it's a horrible thing, but it's the thing that keeps you motivated. Hopefully, hopefully it's the fear Fear is the thing that keeps you going despite what you might want to do. Like if you quit, then fear wins. If you don't quit, it fuels you, you know?

Yeah, for sure. And then earlier this year, I mean, I'll be real, real with you. I, we did our yearly tax. So I pay quarterly taxes. I take care of all of that. But then like my year-end taxes, it was a blow. Like, I, yeah, I was like, what am I doing? What, what am I doing? Should I keep doing this? Like I had a real moment of like, I don't know if I should keep doing this. But then the other side of me was like, but all the people that are going to be disappointed, like I've already helped and I want to keep helping more people. And so I was like, I'm not— no, I need to, like Christy said, I need to get my gears going and really push forward, not just sit there and be lazy. That's a real thing.

I think it's that we just get comfortable. We get— if things are going okay and we feel like things are going decent, we get complacent, we get comfortable.

Yes.

Jasmine talks about this in one of her podcast episodes actually that just came out this week about she uses, if she's not afraid, then she's not doing something right. And there is something to that. I don't completely agree with that all the way, but I do agree with that. If you are not inspired, if you are not feeling like you're making enough waves in your business, then maybe something isn't fueling your fire enough to get you going. You know what I'm saying? If you are like, struggling with income, then it's like, okay, where's another way I can make income to keep this going, to make this work? And it works with what I'm doing. And I think we sometimes allow the fear of this one thing not working to stop us. Or the fact that this year is not as great as we wanted it to be to stop us. And I think that's really important for us to just be like, okay, well, I need to make some adjustments. So what did you do to be like, okay, you're going to keep going?

I had to, I had to do some serious soul searching. I, this is my baby.

Yeah.

And I, I love what I do. I love helping other people. I want to help other people and educate them. Like, there are other ways that you can help your skin without using steroid creams, for example. Um, so I was like, I can't, I, I have to keep doing this. I cannot not do this. Um, So I was like, I just need to put my nose down to the stone and get— just keep pushing forward. And then after I got out of that little dark place, if you will, I actually sent a newsletter to my subscribers because I was like, I need to be honest. This is weighing on my heart. I need to let them know what happened. Not like in drastic detail, but I did tell them. I was like, this is what happened, but I'm going to keep moving forward. I just wanted to let you guys know this is where I'm at. I was at and the amount of positive support I got back, like the feedback was incredible. It just really encouraged me and I was like, okay, I'm doing the right thing. Like I shouldn't let fear sit there and say, why are you doing this? Why are you taking all this time away from your family and whatnot? So I just pushed forward and this is what I was created for basically. So I got to just keep pushing forward.

Well, I really appreciate you sharing your story with us. I have a couple of questions. One question is like way more lighthearted. So in this journey of things, what has been one thing that to this day you still crack up about? Like you think back like, oh my gosh, that maybe not at the time was funny, but now you look back and you're like, oh my gosh, that was crazy. Is there a moment of that in your business where you're like, oh my gosh, that was crazy?

I'm trying to think. Well, there are times where I think back like our Mason jars, it kind of cracks me up. But we were doing what we had to do and then I was repurposing spoons when we would go to like sit out in front of the farmers market, just trying to create awareness from like the ice cream shop, things like that. And then like—

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, what do you mean you were repurposing spoons?

For the samples, we would have samples out. And then I'd have like, you know, like those frozen yogurt places, they have those colorful spoons. Yeah. I'd have a few extra. And so I was like, oh, look at these French! So that was kind of funny. I didn't do that very long, thankfully. But, um, uh, just looking at different table setups, uh, like I said earlier, we had like a long French name, which looking back, I'm like, oh, what were we thinking? But, you know, live and learn.

I just think it's funny. I started asking that question in the other, like, the last couple episodes because I just think in the moment it feels like, like when you're in your business and you're like, oh my gosh, like you're so stressed out and you're like trying to make all these decisions and then—

Exactly.

And you're like, how am I going to make this work? And all this other stuff. And you're like trying, you know, recycling spoons, like all this kind of stuff. You look back later and you're like, oh my gosh, that was hilarious. But here we are today and we made it, you know, it's just, it's just funny.

Yeah. Yeah. The things you do to get going, I guess, you know, but it worked. Yeah.

Yeah. It's funny. I am going through a similar process right now. I'm trying to design a journal and big, big fear is here.

Go away.

Yeah, it's here and it's been rearing its head. And if people are following me on Instagram and stuff, I've been talking a lot about it because for me talking about it makes me more accountable to like, I can't quit. Like I can't be saying, oh, I'm working on this thing and then I just don't do it. Like, okay, well what happened? So I was in Hobby Lobby yesterday and I was like looking at different journals and stuff like that and taking pictures and like playing with paper and learning about weights and all this other stuff. And this person came up next to me and they're like, what are you doing? I had like my phone and I had like 4 journals in my hand and I had them like trying to take like a video and a picture. And they're looking at me like, what is wrong with you?

And I'm like, you don't understand.

Like, so these are like moments that later on I'll be laughing at, even though I went there initially because I was like, if I don't look at a journal, I'm going to go crazy. You know, just crazy stuff like that.

But you have to figure it out though, so that way you can make it a part of you.

Yeah, exactly.

Part of the process.

Exactly. So what are some tools that you are using in your business right now that you can't live without? If someone is starting a business like yours, what are some of the things that have helped you along the way?

If you can afford it, Get your labels outsourced. That was one of the first things, and I'm so glad I did it. I, I started out with the mason jars, but it was only until I got my labeled jars in. So I researched— I want— I knew I wanted it to be like in the US, so that was just my preference. So I looked online and I found a company that provides my jars, the lids, the labels. They print the labels, they put it on, all that stuff. So anytime you can outsource something, especially something tedious like that, Do it. It's worth the money. And then just get your social media going, you know, add your friends, tell your friends about it, tell your parents, tell your family, and then they'll tell their friends and family. And then if you have samples of whatever the product is that you're, you're developing or making, or course or whatnot, just get people, get feedback whenever you can, because that feedback is invaluable, especially just to get going. I think those are the main things is just if you can outsource certain things, because that made a huge difference too. It's just, it just made the— I felt it gave us a more professional look.

Yeah.

Having it done.

Well, thank you so much for being on the show. This was fun. I loved hearing about your, your method behind your madness, and I'm sure it helped a lot of people. And I learned so much. Like, I learned about plastic balls. I learned about, like, toxic things like sugars, like different types of sugars. I learned a lot of little things about this this business of yours and you and like getting started and how you go about doing it. So I really appreciate you sharing.

I appreciate you having me on. This is fun.

So tell us how we can find you online.

You can find me on Facebook, Instagram at Pure and Coco. Or yeah, Pure and Coco. I'm over on LinkedIn at Pure and Coco also. Or email info@pureandcoco.com.

Sweet. Any cool things happening upcoming in your business that you want to share?

Oh, let's see. The body wash. That's the big happening next. I'm excited about that. So I'm working on the consistency of that. So far it's marshmallow goo, but I'll get it there. But that's the big— that's the next big thing happening.

Sweet.

Around here. Yeah.

Sweet. Sweet. All right. So you guys know where you need to go. Pure and Coco. If you're looking for stuff to help your dry skin or just looking for real natural stuff for your body.

Yes.

All right. Well, thank you so much.

Thank you.

All right, ladies, that's a wrap for this episode of She's Crafted to Thrive. Thank you so much for joining me. Please share with your friends and be sure to like and subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. In the meantime, check us out at sheescrafted.com to check out the show notes for all the goodies and things that we talked about. And there'll be links there for you guys. So in the meantime, just remember, you are crafted to thrive.