Solutions to problems are what create excellent business opportunities.
Meet Sheena Smith
Sheena is the founder and owner of Nari Belize.
All her life, Sheena dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. But until she found the right fit, she dedicated her days to helping to advocate for human and sexual rights.
When her daughter was born with a mild skin condition, which resulted in some red spots on her body, she bought every cream in the pharmacy to try and rid her body of the redness. Nothing worked.
Frustrated and not knowing what to do next, Sheena reluctantly followed the advice of her grandmother.
She lathered her baby's skin with coconut oil, which according to grandma, was a natural healing oil.
To her surprise, her baby's skin began to improve.
So Sheena dove deep into research to learn more about this oil. She was determined to learn everything about it.
She forgot about it after some time, but when life and work started taking a toll on her mental and physical health, she found herself creeping her way back to the natural remedies.
Skincare Sundays
Sheena started making body scrubs and carving out some 'me time' into her busy week every Sunday. She created these scrubs on the knowledge she gained when she went deep into research because of her baby's situation before.
As skincare Sundays became essential, things started to look bright again, for more than her skin.
That's when she realized this was her calling. She knew that if a few minutes every Sunday could drag her out of a never-ending rut, it could do wonders for people everywhere.
And that was how it all started.
A Bumpy Beginning
Like many small businesses, Nari was off to a bumpy start. With a full-time job, a young family, and now a new business, Sheena had to be intentional with her time.
But just as business started to take off, the world went into lockdown. Nobody could leave their houses, and Sheena couldn't get her products to her customers.
As people began losing their jobs, she decided to close her doors. Sheena was sure that skincare products would be the least important thing on people's lists when they no longer have an income.
To her surprise, it was the opposite. People were stressed, worried, and trying to hold on to life as they knew it before. They kept asking for her products, and just like that, one month later, she was up and running again.
This situation reminded her why she started and the benefits of having some 'me time.' every week. It also guided her to the 3 pillars that are now the foundation of her business.
The 3 Pillars of Nari Belize
Mental Wellness
Sheena knows the importance of mental wellness in our daily lives. Living in a fast-paced society with immediate gratification at its core; mental health suffers the most.
And while it used to be taboo to talk about it, Nari Belize is working hard to change that. Sheena hopes to start the conversation and advocate for self-growth, confidence, better relationships, and stronger mental and physical health. She wants to make it easier to keep the conversation going and to help others understand that they are not alone.
She wants to change the negative connotations associated with talking about feelings of depression and burnout. She wants to empower her customers to share and speak up.
A scrub, a facial, and some 'me time' are just the start.
Sustainability
Sheena is deeply passionate about caring for the earth. This love for mother earth has guided her to make sustainability a driving force behind every product of Nari Belize. She focuses on reducing waste and only using healthy ingredients for the Earth and your body.
Quality Products
Unlike the commercial brands that graze the shelf of every beauty store, Nari's products are made in small batches. Doing it in small batches at a time ensures that quality is maintained across all of its products. You end up with consistently good quality products across all her lines.
It is important to her that products are not flooded with toxins or chemicals to preserve shelf life. This ensures that you aren't damaging your body every time you use them.
Sheena's Advice to Entrepreneurs
Be Patient on Your Journey
Patience is an essential skill you must learn as an entrepreneur. Just because you start a business that fulfills a need doesn't mean it will be an immediate hit. Have the patience and conviction to stick to it even when it seems like it's not going how you envisioned it.
Be Consistent with your Actions and Words
Then be consistent. Put yourself out there. Message people. Sell, sell, sell. Be confident in what you stand for. Make sure you are always consistent with your messaging. Being consistent will help to build trust.
And just as important, ensure your actions align with your words.
Be Resilient
You have to know how to bounce back. Learn how to handle bad experiences, trials, and hits to your reputation. It is the only way you will continue to move forward. Every time you do it, you will prove to yourself how strong you are. It will make it easier to keep going.
Be open to learning
Remember that you don't know everything. And not knowing everything is good because it means you can learn from others. So always be hungry to learn and never stop trying to be a better version of yourself. Remember that when you reach one goal, there is always another one.
You have to find your Tribe
This journey is not one for the faint of heart. It can get lonely sometimes. You need to find your tribe. Connect with people that are willing to support you and will genuinely cheer for you.
Remember that you don't need to do this alone.
How to purchase Nari's Products
The next time you want to have some 'me time' without having to worry about destroying the Earth or your skin with dangerous chemicals and toxins, check out Nari Belize on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at nari.bz.
Support, start and keep the mental health conversations going.
And Remember to shoot Sheena some words of encouragement and thank you for creating products with you in mind.
The Challenge
Dedicate at least 10 minutes this week to taking care of your body and mind. Do a scrub, a facial or take some time to meditate and calm your mind. Then try to make it a weekly habit.
About GiggedBz
Being an entrepreneur or managing a household can be very stressful. Somedays you really just need some help. And I'm sure we can agree that good help is hard to find. This is why we made, Gigged.bz.
