Today is one of my favorite days of the month because we host our monthly member coaching call this afternoon! I love expert authors and gurus, but peer-to-peer mentoring is the best because you get insights and advice from people who are doing what you are doing. They GET you, so they know how to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. Plus, there is no better place to stretch yourself than in a group of other supportive Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs.
This month, our Head Coach, Christine Laureano (left) will be joined by our Guest Member Coach Roberta Perry of Scrubz Body Scrub in New York. These ladies will join forces to answer our members' toughest and most pressing life and business questions that are happening in their lives right NOW. No question or topic is off limits. Christine and Roberta are ready for everything, from how to decrease shipping costs to how to set up your production systems to how to encourage friends and family members to support your business (or get our of your way)! If you have a question, join ask it today!! (And if you're not a member, what are you waiting for? Join here NOW!)
About This Month's Coaches
Roberta Perry
Your Guest Member Coach for April 2015 is Roberta Perry. She was born and raised on Long Island and is happy to raise her family and her business there, too. She has been married for 30+ years. Her 3 kids and daughter-in -law, 2 cats and a dog, are the joy in her life and the gray hairs on her head.
Roberta found that the skin care products on the market were not satisfying her addiction to soft, smooth skin. Deciding to make some for herself, she tried various formulations, testing them all on her friends & her sister, Michelle Tucker. She did extensive research into natural plant oils and how truly beneficial they are for your skin.
One day, Michelle, having just recently sampled the latest formula, burst in the room announcing, “you have to sell this stuff…it's amazing!” 2 days later, Michelle called Roberta and announced she had the perfect name, so in July of 2006, Scrubz Natural Sugar Body Scrub was born. The website was set up a week later and the first sale of Scrubz was initiated. (To Roberta’s cousin, but hey, it was an internet sale). Local parties and store sales followed next.
Michelle joined the business, and with her help, the product line has grown to include 11 other products, all still lovingly made by hand.
In 2011, having grown out of the small compounding studio in Roberta's garage, the business moved to a small retail/production space, and then again moved in April of 2014 to a larger space at 328 Broadway in Bethpage. The business grew to include “Make your own Scrubz parties” and professional therapist treatments.
Accolades include: Green Business of the year by Best of Long Island 2012, Bethpage – Best of Bethpage 2013 / 2014- Skin Treatments, NAPW – National Association of Professional Woman of the Year Award – 2013-2014, Nassau County Small Business -Woman in Manufacturing Award – 2011, Newsday Panel speaker for online business.
Roberta's interests are varied and include playing the drums, inline skating, photography, travel, hiking and music. She was lucky enough to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in July of '09 with her brother Lee and sister Michelle and then hit the top of the Inca Trail on the way to Machu Picchu in the summer of 2012.
Learn more about Roberta here.
Christine Laureano
Christine is a certified professional coach and the Founder and Chief Formulator at Ba6Botanicals in Hampton Bays, New York. She is a contributing co-author to Embracing Your Authentic Self, an Amazon International Happiness Bestseller. Christine draws on successes and tragic disappointments, both personal and professional, to help women be successful in their lives and in their businesses.
Learn more about Christine here.
Especially For Our Members … (and you should be one!)
Our Q+A Access Coaching Calls are included in IBN's member benefits, which there are lots of. You can check them all out and join here. You'll find tons of member testimonials at the bottom of that page, so you can see first-hand how fun and beneficial the IBN experience is.
Best and success,
