84. From Hobby to Business: How to Start a Natural Skin Care Line

Alana Rivera stumbled into the world of natural body care while working a job that left her feeling lost. At a time when she was unsure about what direction to take, she found brewing up apothecary products in her kitchen gave her purpose. Batch after batch, inspiration came from her other passion: food. Lavender shortbread became Lavender Soap. Coffee with fresh mint became Cold Brew Mint Coffee Scrub. Cardamom Old Fashioned became Grapefruit Cardamom Body Oil. After leaping into the journey of experimentation, research, and a whole lot of product testing (including much-needed trips to local bakeries and cocktail bars), she launched Etta + Billie in 2009. Her focus on food has given her the opportunity to work with influential makers like Craftsman and Wolves and Ritual Coffee Roasters on special collaborative projects, allowing her an inside look at their creation process. She's traveled across the country, talking to people about great food, sustainability, and purposeful skin care and, ultimately, she discovered how to blend her love of good food with her belief in the attitude changing power of an amazing shower. In this episode, we discuss the journey she took to figure out what she wanted to do professionally, why she had a 9 to 5 job the first five years of her business, and what she did to position the brand to get noticed. Show notes and links:nachesnow.com/84