Supernatural Botanicals

A big thank you to EcoBold for not only supporting eco-minded people and businesses, but for also featuring Supernatural Botanicals today.  The following article is courtsey of EcoBold.  Visit their site to learn more about the great work they are doing…then let it inspire you!

The founder of Supernatural Botanicals, Robin Feltner has a chemistry background and she just knows what ingredients should or shouldn’t be inside skincare products. This line is completely paraben-free and phthalate-free. Learn more with the interview below:

Tell us a little bit about the background and story of Supernatural Botanicals.
Supernatural Botanicals is an eco-chic bath & body company specializing in skincare that follows Green practices and principals, and formulates its products with intent and purpose.

At the inception of Supernatural Botanicals, we knew we wanted to create a company that knows its demographic. Growing increasingly disappointed with mainstream bath & body stores catering to teenagers, Supernatural Botanicals wanted to target the grown sexy woman demographic. We also wanted to focus on being Green and creating products that not only feel and smell amazing, but products that are highly beneficial for the skin.

We created products formulated without Parabens or Phthalates. Green products come from natural and organic ingredients, and that’s exactly how we formulate our products…with intent and purpose, and as natural as we can. After literally hundreds and hundreds of prototypes, we formulated perfection, bringing to you natural products that smell as incredible as they perform.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? 
I’ve always had “entrepreneur” in my genetic makeup. I was selling homemade cards to neighborhood ladies at the age of 4. I wanted to grow up and have a double major as a fashion designer and interior designer. That dream never materialized. In hindsight, I wish I would have had a mentor to help me prepare, telling me which art and business classes I should have taken.

What’s wrong with standard skincare products and why do you think such ingredients are allowed? 
I believe lack of quality ingredients poses a huge threat. Not only has quality fallen by the wayside, but we also should be concerned with the toxins in the products we are using every day. Many common ingredients have been proven by scientists to be harmful, yet manufacturers continue to use them because they are inexpensive, thus allowing for more profit.

How did you choose your ingredients and what to put in each product? 
Extensive research! Having a chemistry/pharmacy background, I’m always extremely cognizant about using quality, natural ingredients.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned while starting Supernatural Botanicals? 
I’ve literally learned a wealth of knowledge in forming my company. I’ve learned that customers sincerely do appreciate companies that are going the extra effort to keep them healthy. I, too, have learned how many mainstream companies use cheap fillers in order to make profits. 

If you could choose just one of your products, which one would it be? 
Extremely hard to narrow that down as I love all of the products. I do favor our Beach Body Spray. Not only does it smell absolutely amazing and I get numerous compliments on it every time I wear it, but it’s a multitasker. It works great in your hair, giving your hair extra volume and beautiful scent. I even use it as a linen spray on my bed sheets. It’s also our best seller.

Describe a typical day in your life.
I’m an early riser. I tend to get a tremendous amount accomplished in the early hours. I work on the business end of the business from 5-8…networking, emails, following up on orders, PR, social media, etc. From 8-6 I’m in our workshop, formulating skincare products and filling orders. The day flies by, and I’m always hungry for more hours at the end of the day. In the past, it would be very common to find me in my workshop until as late as 11 p.m. I’ve luckily learned time management, and the importance of accomplishing that task.

What’s one thing we could do to have an awesome skin, naturally? 
Check your labels. Use products that do not contain parabens. Don’t be fooled by companies that splash the name of an all natural ingredient, only to flip the label over and realize that they natural product they are promoting only has trace elements within it, and is filled with other harmful fillers. 

If there is one thing/thought/idea that you could pass on to the next generation, what would it be? 
One huge concern I have for our next generation is the condition of our planet. Global warming and eco concerns will certainly be a problem in which they inherit. My hope is that we can educate the masses enough to get everyone on board with being green and eco-responsible. 

What’s your # 1 green tip? 
Recycling is an easy way to start being green. Every human being on the planet creates waste. There’s absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be more responsible for the garbage we create. This is also something that even children can learn and be a part of. If we start them early, it will become second-nature to them.

If there’s one thing Ivanka Trump knows, it’s business.  Ivanka’s book, The Trump Card, is far more than stories from a spoiled little rich girl.  Her parents have groomed her into the successful businesswoman she is today.

Surprisingly far more than a story of nepotism at its finest, Ivanka is a credentialed and intelligent woman following in her father, Donald Trump’s, footsteps.

Ivanka, a former runway model, also has an eye for stunning business attire as well.  She is a perfect balance of business meets femininity.  If you want to emulate a businesswoman with fabulous style…Ivanka’s your girl.

Find out what all the talk is about over at SmartTalk.  SmartTalk is about sharing life stories, networking, and feeling connected. 

The SmartTalk season will kick off January 31, 2011 with Sigourney Weaver.  Click over to SmartTalk to get your tickets now, and to get more information on the entire lineup this year.

  Since 1974, when she became the first female reporter to cover the White House on a fulltime basis, Ann Compton has traveled the world in the company of six presidents. From her award-winning coverage of 9/11 to her induction into the Journalism Hall of Fame, she has balanced her professional obligations with those of her own “first” family of four children. For unique insight into the Capitol stories behind the headlines, join the dynamic Ann Compton in Cincinnati on 02/25/2010. 

Click here more information about Smart Talk Connected Conversations.

Quote:  “I used to focus only on what was going wrong, like the fact that I was still working at the same dead-end job and could barely pay my bills.  But in the past couple of years, I’ve shifted my energies to creating the life I want.  I wrote a business plan, found some investors, and was able to start my own record label.  Now if something doesn’t go well, I come up with ways I can solve the problem.”   …..Lunden De’Leon, Founder and CEO of Dirrty Records, Los Angeles, on success. 

Recently, I received a comment from a reader in regard to a prior blog post on Thoughts on Business Casual.   She asked what the big deal was with dressing for success?  She stated that as long as your clothes are clean and ironed, we really shouldn’t fuss about what we wear to work. 

Au contraire, reasons of which will be displayed below.  Dressing for success is more than your appearance, it’s a mind-set.  When you are in appropriate business dress, it changes your demeanor; it changes the way in which you carry yourself.  The way in which you carry yourself can project how people perceive you.  If you radiate confidence and professionalism, it shows, and you’ll earn the respect of colleagues.  And if you are dressed inappropriate or look like a slouch, you’ll project that, too. 

Business dress is implemented for a reason…we need guidelines.   The following are pictures of women in their “business attire.”  It becomes blatantly obvious that we need guidelines as to what is appropriate…and what is not.  While these clothes are clean and pressed, they are completely inappropriate for the business world. 

However, another post followed the first post.  Our same reader wants to know why it’s unacceptable to wear Crocs to work.  She also wants to know why it’s inappropriate to wear open-toe heels to work.  …..I’ll be glad to explain.  Most corporate employers have very strict attire guidelines for the office.  That is the first and foremost reason one should look professional and appropriate at work.  However, lets gather some visuals to further drive the point home, shall we?  We don’t want open-toe shoes, essentially because everyone does not have the same hygiene standards.  Below are some examples of why you don’t want to see one’s feet in the workplace, i.e., dry, cracked heels, dirty soles of feet, blisters, corns, dirty toenails, long toenails, chipped nail polish, etc.  Do you want to see that…..do you?  It makes you re-think the whole foot exposure in the office, yes?   

Lets look at another example of inappropriate shoe-wear in the office.  Perhaps visuals will help to clarify how overtly wrong Crocs are for an office and professional setting.  As Bill Maher once said….“Crocs are for pre-schoolers and mental patients.”   

I do hope this clears up any confusion as to why we need guidelines on business attire in an office/corporate setting.  If this does not bring clarity, however …you’ll need to contact Stacy London, stat, for a fashion intervention. 

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments……Jim Rohn on success.

In an economic time when most magazines are packing their bags and calling it a day, Organic Beauty magazine comes along.  Organic Beauty magazine is a new, eco-conscious magazine not exclusively focused on beauty products.  Organic Beauty is, in many ways, a complete lifestyle magazine, well-rounded with articles on style, health, fitness, parenting and business—but always with its lens on beauty.  I love the idea of an eco-chic magazine!  It’s truly the wave of the future, so get in touch, get in tune, and find out what eco-friendly is all about.  Organic Beauty is on newsstands now.

   I love this man!  His name is Peter Ishkhans and he has a new show on the Style Network, Peter Perfect,  at 9:00 p.m. Saturdays.   The gist of the show is that he takes a failing business and gives not only the business a makeover, but also the business owners.  In almost every episode, the business owner fights him all the way to the end….and then they are floored with Peter’s genius. 

Peter knows design, he knows retail, he knows branding a company.  He has his own amazing hair salon in Beverly Hills with a client roster that includes Eva Mendes, Eva Longoria, Alyssa Milano, and the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, to name a few.  His own personal style is flamboyant and over the top, but the style he brings to these failing businesses are pure genius.  He’s part stylist, part business CEO, and part therapist.  He weaves even the toughest customer into his web. 

Make sure to add Peter Perfect to your Tivo lineup.   He’s my newest addiction!   You can read about him here and link to the message boards.  http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/peterperfect/index.jsp   You’ll love his amazing transformations.