One of the best ways to be inspired to make yourself and your business the best they can be is to learn from the success of others. That’s why we love to spotlight our members here at the blog. Today, you’ll meet Jacqueline Gibbs Berry, founder of JourneysMother in Teaneck, New Jersey. This collage features a a display of the company's current full product line.
Jacqueline has been a member of the Indie Business Network since April 2011. I asked her to share a bit about her life and her line of products. Here's a little of what she said:
Q1 TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS
JourneysMother was inspired by the frustration of pumping out liquid lotion from plastic bottles, and scraping the bottoms to get the last quarter portion. The constant mess of the kids pumping out too much while rushing to get ready for school and work was a stressful daily routine. One day, it all went bad when one of my kids slipped and fell on spilled lotion in our home. I decided to develop a solid lotion bar with raw, natural skin loving ingredients.
We soon realized that others were making lotion bars, so we created something completely different — our lotion pellets. We began vending and gained exposure on a local radio station. In no time, we were local vendors for the first Whole Foods Market in our area. Our products now grace the shelves in six other New Jersey and New York stores. We have had some nice write-ups by COSMOPOLITAN calling our lotion pellets a “genius product,” and voting us as one of their 2012 Best Earth-friendly Beauty Finds We Love. I founded the business with my 12 year old daughter, Journey, an acoustic guitar playing middle school principal's honor role student and already seasoned entrepreneur.
Q2 WHAT ARE YOUR BEST SELLING PRODUCTS?
Our best selling products are our Lotion Heart Pellets Box, available at select Whole Foods Market stores. Our second best seller is our Travel Mini Pellets (currently sold out). People also like our Simply FABB Face and Body Butter Whipped Creme.
Q3 WHAT SORTS OF THINGS DO YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU'RE NOT WORKING?
Well, I work 24-7, but I manage to merge being profitable in my business with things I love to do, including staying fit as a by teaching Zumba classes about several times oer week. I have always been involved with dance, sports and fitness, so Zumba is a natural additional stream of income for me because it complements my body care line and my life.
I have little discretionary time each day — homework with the two kids, projects, computer graphics and marketing the business, product making, in-store demos and shows, Zumba classes, choreography, dinner, house cleaning — I'm lucky to be able to get a little mindless TV watching in, along with a clean meal and a glass of red wine. Keeping cardio-fit is the key to maintaining your energy, and without energy you can't do much! I also enjoy foot massages, and I love to skate-dance, paint wall designs, watch movies, enjoy the great outdoors, and trips to flea and farmers markets!
Q4 WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING A MEMBER OF THE INDIE BUSINESS NETWORK?
I like that the Indie Business Network provides product liability insurance for my business. I also get coverage for my fitness classes through their broker too. Indie Business Network offers me a wide variety of business success tactics and services, and industry perks. As a member, I work hard to market my products, maintain my website, and create next generation business ideas. Through it all, I know I can always refer to another Indie Business Network member or Indie's online Member Resource area for instant advice and answers, or simply to just get the inspiration I need to keep going.
You can learn more about Indie Business Network membership and the benefits we offer (including affordable product liability insurance, coaching, and mentoring) at this link. Learn more about our entry level Indie Protégé program here.
LEARN MORE ABOUT JOURNEYSMOTHER
