One of my favorite parts of working with Women Who WOW sponsors is seeing the PASSION they have behind solving just ONE problem. Like Paige Bowser who created a lip balm that won’t melt in the car… or Ajah Hales who decided that the products we put on our skin SHOULD (and COULD) be made a lot healthier. Or Factor Five putting science into natural skin care… or the creativity of Azizi Marshall which led her to create stress relief products that double as something as common as “putty,” giving you something to play with during those angst-producing moments ALL entrepreneurs are familiar with. Their passion and their tenacity is as impressive as their products. Read about them below and take a moment to visit their online stores.
Paige Bowser, of No Melt Lip Balm, became passionate about ingredients in 2007, and started making soap. From there, she learned to make other things like lip balm, which is something she has always loved. Paige says,”Getting those jumbo lip balms in my Christmas stocking as a kid is one of my favorite memories. But them melting when left in the car, or anywhere else was the ultimate disappointment, so I set out to solve that problem.”
The biggest lesson in business that Paige Bowser has learned is, if you are passionate and dedicated, it will happen. It might not be the way you planned, but success is out there, you just have to keep going. She says, “I’m on my way I think”
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Almost a decade ago, Ajah Hales learned that sixty percent of anything you put on your skin ends up in your bloodstream. She was disgusted to learn how many dangerous synthetics we all were using on a daily basis, and how many of these ingredients had been linked to diseases like breast cancer, dementia, liver damage, and even acne. She started researching what ancient and indigenous peoples had been using for beautification before mega-corporations and big box stores came along. After a few years of experimenting with scientifically proven effective natural ingredients, Ajah started Golden Goddess Products in 2012 to prove to her friends and family that all natural products that were actually good for our hair, our skin and our planet could work just as well or better than their synthetic, chemical-laden competitors.
As time went on, Hales’ mission to make natural products that provided incredible results expanded to reflect her values of human dignity and planet empathy. It seemed hypocritical to worry about the health and safety of women in the United States while exploiting the majority female producers in other countries. In 2015, she started paying more attention to where her raw ingredients came from and started building relationships with local, sustainable, and equitable farms that fairly compensated producers. By 2016, Ajah began to look more critically at her packaging and how they could reduce their carbon footprint and provide their customers with an even cleaner, greener final product. She set a goal to move to 100% recycled or recyclable packaging by January 2019. Hales is proud to say they met that goal in June of 2018!
Now, their mission is to change the culture of cosmetics by making products that are good for our hair, our skin and our planet the New Gold Standard in beauty.
Ajah says, “When you think you’ve done everything you can, you’ve really only done everything you know how to do.
There have been so many times over the past six years that I have hit a wall and wanted to throw in the towel as an entrepreneur. Without the incredible mentors I have been blessed to find, Golden Goddess would have closed up shop years ago. I can’t stress enough the importance of building relationships with people who have already been where you’re going.”
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The FactorFive is on a mission to re-introduce human stem cells to the world. These powerful, though sometimes misunderstood cells hold within them the potential to completely change the personal care landscape, through targeted natural therapies. At FactorFive, they unleash the power of human adipose derived stem cells to help their users fight the five signs of aging, all while continuing to develop and improve upon the microscopic physicians of the future, ethically sourced human stem cells.
FactorFive says, “Passionate belief brings success. Our unwavering commitment to creating safe, natural, and most importantly, effective products drives us and though we had hoped that great science would be enough to propel us to success, we have found that equal parts marketing, user engagement, and communication of our vision is required.”
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The seed of Artful Wellness came about through Azizi Marshall’s mother’s advocacy work for domestic violence survivors. Her mother was a catalyst for change as an Executive Director for the Iowa Domestic Violence Shelter, championed policy changes, advocated for new laws, and was an avid supporter of domestic violence survivors and their families.As her daughter, Azizi was impassioned by the impact of the arts as a creative outlet for the children and families her mother supported, and was inspired to build a business model that hinges on giving back to these families.
Some facts about Artful Wellness:
- Their products reflect our love for Mothers in Need as well as Mother Earth.
- Each stress relieving purchase comes with all natural and ethically grown ingredients, carefully blended to create the perfect wellness experience.
- All of their products use 100% natural colors & fragrances, eco-friendly glitter (yes there is such a thing), and are chemical free, non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free.
- They sell nature inspired stress relief in beautifully designed, eco-friendly packaging. Thanks to this, they are able to give survivors of domestic abuse and their children art supplies to express their creativity.
Azizi Marshall says, “Perfection is the enemy of done. As I write the answers to these questions, I am covered in a fine dust of glitter from our warehouse (aka my kitchen), syrup from my 5-year-old daughter’s hands during a goodbye hug as I went into the office, and pen scribbles on my hand as I slept, trying not to forget what I needed to do the next day. I have a “To Do” list that goes on for 3 pages, with additional “To Dos” attached to the other “To Dos”.
Life as an entrepreneur is messy, literally and figuratively. You never know what will happen minute to minute, let alone what you may be covered in. Having a plan and being able to deviate from that plan in order to push your business forward is important. You’ve got to roll with the punches, because if you wait to jump into your dreams for that “just right” moment, it will never come. I have failed so many times trying to get things perfect, because perfection does not exist. It’s just you and a dream, so go ahead and make it a reality.”
