Welcome to Episode 70 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today's Maker Story introduces you to Marissa Bethoney of Precious Skin Elixirs in Boxford, Massachusetts. Marissa left a decade-long career as a jeweler to create a business that allowed her to feel better about simultaneously leading a business and being a mother.
As you'll enjoy learning in this episode, Marissa's business is more about how she wants to live her life and positively impact women than it is about selling beauty products. Enjoy my interview with Marissa NOW!
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Episode Show Notes
Here are the topics discussed in this episode, with time stamps to help you find the information that most interests you:
- Marissa shares about the intrigue of “elixirs,” and how she transitioned from jewelry maker to beautypreneur. (starting at 2:22)
- How working with the energy and power of gemstones informs Marissa's brand. (starting at 4:45)
- How Marissa started Precious Skin Elixirs. (starting at 5:45)
- How Marissa combines entrepreneurship and motherhood. (starting at 9:58)
- Why Marissa is glad she was not on social media, including Instagram, when she started her business (starting at 15:04)
- Marissa's favorite ways to use Instagram, and the importance of discipline when it comes to using it. (starting at 17:44)
- How Marissa sells her products wholesale and retail, using a combination of word-of-mouth, a newsletter, and social media. (starting at 23:09)
- How Marissa uses Instagram TV specifically to sell her products. (starting at 26:00)
- The most challenging part of leading a business, according to Marissa, and how she overcomes it (starting at 32:16)
- Marissa discusses her (current) best selling product, and how her product lines are identified by skin rhythms in conjunction with natural elements (starting at 39:55)
- Marissa shares her approach to business as a lifestyle. (starting at 46:04)
Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode
In this episode, Marissa and I mentioned the following resources.
A few of the entrepreneurial points Marissa and I discussed in this episode
- Making the patchwork quilt work.
Marissa talked about how she pieces things together behind the scenes in her business so her life can work as it should. This is a great encouragement for other mom business owners out there who may be thinking that the lack of “neatness” is somehow not normal. It is normal, especially when you have children, and Marissa reminds us that that is OK. - Using Instagram video to connect with buyers.
Marissa said that she jumped into Instagram TV because she wanted to connect more closely with her customers. She generates ales simply by being herself in her bathroom, on a video, showing people how to use her products. People go from watching her and getting her live recommendations to her website to make their purchases based on her advice. This is a great example of how to combine high tech and high touch to produce sales results. - Go small.
Marissa pointed out that not every business has to be big, and that she prefers to stay small. I love her her approach because it is a super reminder that you can grow as an entrepreneur, and your business can grow too, but you don't have to build out a mammoth empire to be personally fulfilled and financially rewarded as an entrepreneur.
You may enjoy more about this mindset in my blog post Six Keys to Going Big in Business Without Growing Big in Business.
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