Wowie!
The natural cosmetic and body care business has been an exciting ride so far!
It has come a long way from just making a few products for myself to now having its now eCommerce website!
The new business page is here: Lucky Lizard Naturals
I am encouraged and supremely excited by the amount of business and growth, thank you all for your comments, suggestions, FaceBook "shares" and "likes". You have helped make the business what it is and you keep me stretching and growing!!
Blessings and Love,
Liz
Friday, February 28, 2014
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Welcoming the Change
Wow!
When I look back over the last few months it is amazing the changes and happenings within the company!
I am in the process of writing the mission statement, and on one hand feel so young in business and on the other, so much wiser from the trials and changes already experienced. I have been forced to grow and forced to look for new avenues to grow through. It is very challenging!
Within the last week the product count on Amazon has grown to 46 items! WOOHOO!
I have at least 35 more to add and weekly have new ideas to keep track of for research and development days.
I have been reading Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership, and listening to Mindset:The Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, Ph.D. Both books are fascinating and are helping the business and I to grow.
I highly recommend both books, even if you are not in a business or have to manage anything other than yourself.
Thank you again to Lucky Lizard Naturals customers, supporters and encouragers; by your actions and words we are growing and improving and for that I am eternally thankful.
When I look back over the last few months it is amazing the changes and happenings within the company!
I am in the process of writing the mission statement, and on one hand feel so young in business and on the other, so much wiser from the trials and changes already experienced. I have been forced to grow and forced to look for new avenues to grow through. It is very challenging!
Within the last week the product count on Amazon has grown to 46 items! WOOHOO!
I have at least 35 more to add and weekly have new ideas to keep track of for research and development days.
I have been reading Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership, and listening to Mindset:The Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, Ph.D. Both books are fascinating and are helping the business and I to grow.
I highly recommend both books, even if you are not in a business or have to manage anything other than yourself.
Thank you again to Lucky Lizard Naturals customers, supporters and encouragers; by your actions and words we are growing and improving and for that I am eternally thankful.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
What's up Lizard?
This is the way one of our kids typically greets me, and as they are each so unique, his way of greeting me is truly his own! So, what is up?
First, I will repost here what my self-described intro is:
I will be changing the format and the name of this blog (my, how it has evolved!), to represent the Lucky Lizard Naturals business, though my personal journey will still be interwoven. (For anyone interested in that journey, I will leave all older blog posts up for your perusal).
I had some large obstacles with the Amazon site, for at least a month, but those have been resolved and there is a watershed of additional products listed (more to come!), check it out here:
Lucky Lizard Naturals Amazon Store
My work off the farm (as an RN) has been a roller coaster ride this summer, mainly because I opted out of a responsibility change because my bosses were unable or unwilling to answer/address my concerns and questions. When I was informed that in order to keep my full time position I had to push my employees off the schedule, I opted to work per diem. I mistakenly believed that my work experience and dedication to the culture of the company would ensure ample hours across several facilities. This proved not to be the case as previously hidden agendas and gross abuse of power by others became apparent. I was crushed by having my rose colored glasses ripped off! I began working for SG more consistently and I started employment with another free standing establishment. I hoped to attain and worked toward full time employment with all of the entities I was employed by, to no avail. The more I tried to push, the more I was thwarted. Roller coaster indeed.
Though painful, stressful, and frustrating as hell all of these actions/reactions and sequelae did serve a great purpose. The last three months have seen Lucky Lizard Naturals grow, become a more accessible online entity, become more professional and the business has been a light in a very dark tunnel. I could not have survived with my sanity intact without my family and friends and the business as a beacon on the horizon.
The acceptance into HMI's program has come at the perfect time (sigh, all things do, if we wait for it!).
Their goal is to empower farmers to make sound decisions in every aspect of the farm, to grow their farms to be sustainable and to teach sound business skills. These are all principles that will be applied to the farm, Lucky Lizard Naturals, our personal time, and our lives. I am very excited about it and about the future for us!!
Thank you to every single person that has ever placed an order, every single family that has signed up for shares and especially to my beloved family and friends for all the support and encouragement they give, sometimes without their knowledge. I love you, and I thank you for being a part of this journey!
Now, go buy some of the best cosmetics in the world--and tell a friend!!! ;-)
THE BEST, MOST NATURAL COSMETICS EVER!
First, I will repost here what my self-described intro is:
This, as a basis for a personal description is true, though will be refined into personal and business mission statements. I am reading EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey, and have already learned quite a bit about refocusing and refining my personal/business goals and my leadership style. Another great help is my acceptance into the Holistic Management International program Beginning Women Farmers, Texas. HMI Pre-reading the material we are to cover has proven to be one "lightbulb" after another. We do not have to be reactive to the weather, to shares fluctuating, to finances fluctuating, and they are going to teach me the skills to bring home to employ for a truly whole-istic farm/family/business lifestyle. I am very excited about learning new skills for decision making, problem solving and (as gleaned from all the participant letters), having a more grounded, "rich" and realistic family life that the entire farm benefits from.I am an RN, BSN, a Texas Master Gardener and we live on a small farm in SE Texas. I love to be outdoors with the animals (dairy cows, chickens, dogs, cats), gardening, volunteering or just doing farm things...all of it keeps me grounded to the natural world.The natural world stays with me in the form of all natural cosmetic and beauty products.I started out making a things for myself, and then a few to share with friends. As it turned out, they liked them as much as I do! Their friends wanted some too, and what do you know?Me, a former died-in-the-wool-no-makeup-tomboy discovered I love makeup and beauty products that feel natural and nourish every part of my body and my face.It is my hope that you enjoy them too, naturally!
I will be changing the format and the name of this blog (my, how it has evolved!), to represent the Lucky Lizard Naturals business, though my personal journey will still be interwoven. (For anyone interested in that journey, I will leave all older blog posts up for your perusal).
I had some large obstacles with the Amazon site, for at least a month, but those have been resolved and there is a watershed of additional products listed (more to come!), check it out here:
Lucky Lizard Naturals Amazon Store
My work off the farm (as an RN) has been a roller coaster ride this summer, mainly because I opted out of a responsibility change because my bosses were unable or unwilling to answer/address my concerns and questions. When I was informed that in order to keep my full time position I had to push my employees off the schedule, I opted to work per diem. I mistakenly believed that my work experience and dedication to the culture of the company would ensure ample hours across several facilities. This proved not to be the case as previously hidden agendas and gross abuse of power by others became apparent. I was crushed by having my rose colored glasses ripped off! I began working for SG more consistently and I started employment with another free standing establishment. I hoped to attain and worked toward full time employment with all of the entities I was employed by, to no avail. The more I tried to push, the more I was thwarted. Roller coaster indeed.
Though painful, stressful, and frustrating as hell all of these actions/reactions and sequelae did serve a great purpose. The last three months have seen Lucky Lizard Naturals grow, become a more accessible online entity, become more professional and the business has been a light in a very dark tunnel. I could not have survived with my sanity intact without my family and friends and the business as a beacon on the horizon.
The acceptance into HMI's program has come at the perfect time (sigh, all things do, if we wait for it!).
Their goal is to empower farmers to make sound decisions in every aspect of the farm, to grow their farms to be sustainable and to teach sound business skills. These are all principles that will be applied to the farm, Lucky Lizard Naturals, our personal time, and our lives. I am very excited about it and about the future for us!!
Thank you to every single person that has ever placed an order, every single family that has signed up for shares and especially to my beloved family and friends for all the support and encouragement they give, sometimes without their knowledge. I love you, and I thank you for being a part of this journey!
Now, go buy some of the best cosmetics in the world--and tell a friend!!! ;-)
THE BEST, MOST NATURAL COSMETICS EVER!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Change, Change, Change......!
Change is the theme for June!
I received a letter on Etsy from another user that threatened to sue me for Trademark infringement. Their trademarked name was close to Garden Girl Cosmetics, so after looking at their reputation online and consulting legal counsel, I decided not to be associated with them in any way or stir up that crazy hot mess and just change the name.
New name = Lucky Lizard Naturals
New eCommerce site = Amazon!!!!!
http://lucky-lizard-naturals.hostedbywebstore.com
The new name is the DBA and is being trademarked, lesson learned.
The transition to Amazon is not a snap, it has required setting up SKU and UPC codes for every product, getting a tax ID and in essence, raising the professionalism bar quite a bit.
I am glad for it. I feel like rather than selling in a sea of home crafters, our products can reach a broader group and because of the SKU/UPC requirement we now have a better inventory tracking system.
I hope you can stop by the new site, and at the least let me know your thoughts, any issues, and any future products you would like to see developed.
Thank you to everyone that has been a supporter, some of you steadfast rocks have literally kept me going. Love you all.
I received a letter on Etsy from another user that threatened to sue me for Trademark infringement. Their trademarked name was close to Garden Girl Cosmetics, so after looking at their reputation online and consulting legal counsel, I decided not to be associated with them in any way or stir up that crazy hot mess and just change the name.
New name = Lucky Lizard Naturals
New eCommerce site = Amazon!!!!!
http://lucky-lizard-naturals.hostedbywebstore.com
The new name is the DBA and is being trademarked, lesson learned.
The transition to Amazon is not a snap, it has required setting up SKU and UPC codes for every product, getting a tax ID and in essence, raising the professionalism bar quite a bit.
I am glad for it. I feel like rather than selling in a sea of home crafters, our products can reach a broader group and because of the SKU/UPC requirement we now have a better inventory tracking system.
I hope you can stop by the new site, and at the least let me know your thoughts, any issues, and any future products you would like to see developed.
Thank you to everyone that has been a supporter, some of you steadfast rocks have literally kept me going. Love you all.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
New Products!
There are now 16 products listed on the Etsy store--WOOHOO!
Most recently: 2 mascara colors, Lush Lash eyelash conditioner and sample sizes!
Most recently: 2 mascara colors, Lush Lash eyelash conditioner and sample sizes!
What's coming:
- Fine tuning is in progress for several products including a high shine lip gloss and an under-eye concealer.
- Several eyeshadow colors are in the works, look for pics of those in the coming week.
- Hair Products! Conditioner/De-tangler Spray, Hair Spray and Styling Gel are all in the final stages of production and testing.
Exciting times!!!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
And Away We Go!
(Happy Feet!!!!!)
Garden Girl Cosmetics on Etsy!
The Etsy store launched on March 15th, on March 22nd I received the first order, March 23rd that first order shipped! Yay!
Thank you to everyone that has looked at the store and favorited, followed or liked it!
The products are gradually being made for photos and Etsy Listing (currently 14!), definitely an exciting time.
Hmm, never mind the patchwork of many-colored sticky notes I have everywhere right now. It's all right, I have them dewey-decimaled in my brain!
I appreciate the support, encouragement and assistance from our friends and family, your belief in this venture is awesome!
Until next time.......
Garden Girl Cosmetics on Etsy!
The Etsy store launched on March 15th, on March 22nd I received the first order, March 23rd that first order shipped! Yay!
Thank you to everyone that has looked at the store and favorited, followed or liked it!
The products are gradually being made for photos and Etsy Listing (currently 14!), definitely an exciting time.
Hmm, never mind the patchwork of many-colored sticky notes I have everywhere right now. It's all right, I have them dewey-decimaled in my brain!
I appreciate the support, encouragement and assistance from our friends and family, your belief in this venture is awesome!
Until next time.......
Thursday, March 7, 2013
New Directions for Garden Girl!
Wowie!
So, you all know about the weight loss, my love for good nutrition and that I have dabbled with making my own mineral makeup and cosmetics....
Well, I have officially gone beyond "dabbler"!
I received my DBA this week (Garden Girl Cosmetics), and have started to get feedback from the product testers, which has been overwhelmingly supportive, enthusiastic and helpful!
As of now, I have a tentative product list of 35 items (not accounting for color and scent choices), and have set up an Etsy store. The only delay is waiting for more supplies to arrive so I can make product, take pics and open for business!
Garden Girl Cosmetics is about no harmful, overtly synthetic product use such as parabens, pathalates, siloxanes, methicones, synthetic parfum, triclosan or any of the other ingredients on David Suzuki Foundation's Dirty Dozen .
What you will get includes beeswax, coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, avacado oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, the best essential oils I can find, home made herbal essences and homemade herbal oils.
With every product you will receive a list of ingredients, and the option if you would like to re-order the same product to return the container and I will refill it at a discount. (Thank you for recycling!) Containers will be thoroughly sanitized before being refilled.
Anyone that sends in a photo of themselves highlighting a product that is selected for use on FB, Etsy or the blog will receive 10% off their next order (photo credits also of course).
Stay tuned here for the Etsy address in the near future and feel free to follow or like GGC on FB!
Garden Girl Cosmetics on FB
I appreciate the support, encouragement and love from the fans and look forward to earning many more in the near future!
Have a great day!
Liz
So, you all know about the weight loss, my love for good nutrition and that I have dabbled with making my own mineral makeup and cosmetics....
Well, I have officially gone beyond "dabbler"!
I received my DBA this week (Garden Girl Cosmetics), and have started to get feedback from the product testers, which has been overwhelmingly supportive, enthusiastic and helpful!
As of now, I have a tentative product list of 35 items (not accounting for color and scent choices), and have set up an Etsy store. The only delay is waiting for more supplies to arrive so I can make product, take pics and open for business!
Garden Girl Cosmetics is about no harmful, overtly synthetic product use such as parabens, pathalates, siloxanes, methicones, synthetic parfum, triclosan or any of the other ingredients on David Suzuki Foundation's Dirty Dozen .
What you will get includes beeswax, coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, avacado oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, the best essential oils I can find, home made herbal essences and homemade herbal oils.
With every product you will receive a list of ingredients, and the option if you would like to re-order the same product to return the container and I will refill it at a discount. (Thank you for recycling!) Containers will be thoroughly sanitized before being refilled.
Anyone that sends in a photo of themselves highlighting a product that is selected for use on FB, Etsy or the blog will receive 10% off their next order (photo credits also of course).
Stay tuned here for the Etsy address in the near future and feel free to follow or like GGC on FB!
Garden Girl Cosmetics on FB
I appreciate the support, encouragement and love from the fans and look forward to earning many more in the near future!
Have a great day!
Liz
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