what divorce has taught me about business

It's funny how you can go about your daily life, constantly trying and convincing yourself you can make it all work, no matter what. I've been doing that for (gulp) 11 years, and recently just admitted it. I've had a huge realization the past 6 months that while you certainly can do this, you also have the power to make changes to create a better, more fulfilling and joyful life.

It can be downright amazing the opportunities that unfold around you when you break down those walls and face change head on.

I got married a year before I started The Grapeseed Company. I was in my mid 20s, fresh off a year+ adventure sailing a small boat from Boston to the Caribbean with my future husband. I figured if we could make it for almost 2 years on a 30ft sailboat in high stress, life threatening situations, we could definitely make it as partners for life! We had a common goal on that boat, and we both used our strengths and assets to make it the best experience it could be. We had amazing adventures, went to some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and met wonderful people I will never forget. It was really a time of living life to its fullest and also is one of the biggest accomplishments and most positive memories in my entire life. I'm so happy I shared that with Pete.

We built a great life in Santa Barbara after we sold the sailboat and decided to move back to the USA and get married. Pete started grad school at UCSB. I started teaching and pursuing my passion for making products, and launched The Grapeseed Co. selling scrubs and lip balms at the Sunday Arts & Crafts Beach Show. I had no idea 10 years ago that Grapeseed would turn into what it has today.  
Passion is an extremely powerful thing. It's the secret sauce in keeping the drive going, which is essential in successful businesses, and relationships. As I built Grapeseed, each little victory and success became fuel for that passion, and drive to do even more. But Pete did not share that with me; it took a long time to realize and admit that. I'd be on cloud nine about a new deal, and he'd be looking up in the clouds. It was a very different feeling and experience then our sailing adventure, but just as exciting and wonderful (for me, at least, minus the pain of not having someone share in that joy!)

After a very long time trying to make things work and see the possibilities this was opening for us, we realized it was a losing battle. We had been on different paths, pursing different passions for a very long time. There was a lack of support; someone having your back and sharing your dreams or at least appreciating them... It just was not there, no matter how hard we tried.

When you are an entrepreneur, and especially a maker, you need to have a solid relationship with your business in order to be successful. You have to be in love with it! The passion and drive you convey are what make buyers stop and notice you amongst a sea of others... much like finding that certain someone. Relationships are not easy though, and can strain you and those around you at times. You have to give first to that relationship in order to get. You need to be committed, devoted, passionate and constantly working on making it succeed. Every. Single. Day. It can be exhausting, but you do it because you love and believe in it. You can't just have the pretty picture on the outside, it has to resound within, to truly be authentic and thrive.

Many entrepreneurs talk about having a supportive partner as a key to their success. I think this is another secret and deeper ingredient in that sauce... When a partner is bringing you down, or making you doubt yourself instead of believing in you and lifting you up, it can be debilitating. I've realized through the process of divorce that my business is so much stronger and incredible opportunities keep opening up because that cloud of negativity is now clear in my world. I've grown as a leader in all aspects of life through divorce.

So many great new things have blossomed this summer and our team is stoked-- they believe it will happen, there are not dark clouds and negativity around us. It's not a "$#*!, how are we going to make this work?" kind of vibe, but a "Wow we did that! On to next big thing!" There's hope, joy, growth and dreams to reach for, every single day. I'm thankful that has resulted in part from my personal journey, and honestly, it's quite unexpected. I keep telling friends, "it's downright amazing what can happen all around you when you take action to remove negativity from your world."

While change is hard, and sometimes can be difficult to see when it needs to happen, the most important thing to remember is that you (yes, YOU!) are ultimately in control of it. You just have to realize that first and foremost, and sometimes make tough and painful decisions to move forward and create a better life.

Here's to appreciating that there is always a silver lining, and valuable learning experiences through challenging times. It's how we grow and become even better versions of ourselves. It's how we change. I'm excited for what the future holds, and pursuing it with unbridled passion!

     cheers,

Fresh Perspective from Paris: What's on Your Love List?

This week I'm posting from Paris, France on a real vacation! When I highlight the word "real", it's because for the past decade, about 90% of my travel that has not had to do with family obligations has been Grapeseed Co. related.

It's so wonderful to get a fresh perspective and not try to squeeze a few hours of rest or fun in at the end of an intense business meeting, speaking engagement or grapeseed pickup on a vineyard!

Grapeseed has brought me to some amazing places around the globe and presented me with wonderful travel opportunities, but this week has reminded me how important and healthy it is to take time for myself away from The Grapeseed Co. I am very thankful to have family that came to vacation in Santa Barbara and take care of our home and pup while we're away, and a wonderful team that I can rely on to run Grapeseed while I take a much needed time-out.

I still don't manage to completely unplug on vacation, but my strict one hour of necessary work a day (be it checking in with our team via email or making a skype call to seal a deal) has been extremely refreshing. It's made me focus on my own personal health and well-being which, like many entrepreneurs, can sometimes take a backseat to the growth of the business. It's also made me realize Grapeseed can run just fine without me being a part of it 24/7... imagine that :)

Some of this personal reflection has not been easy, and it's hard to admit to yourself when things need to change. I've grown more this week than I have in a long time, and also gained a deeper understanding of who I am at this point in my life, how lucky I am to do what I love, and how refreshing a non-grapeseed vacation can be for ideas to bloom!

gorgeous and abundant blooms at the open air markets

Women tend to take care of everyone before themselves. I believe this is especially true for women who are entrepreneurs and running growing businesses. It's OK to stop and take time for yourself! It's healthy.  It's a GOOD thing, and it can make you an even better leader, and person!

The most important thing this vacation has taught me is that whatever your stressors may be, no one else will make "you time" unless you make a point to prioritize it for yourself. So here I'll share with you how I plan to continue this revelation in the crazy, beautiful and hectic life I lead growing Grapeseed back in Santa Barbara...

Make a list of what you LOVE to do. It can be anything, and it doesn't have to cost any money, so no excuses! It just has be things you love that bring you joy.

Some examples from my list are:
1. make a delicious meal
2. go for a hike
3. garden, pick or buy flowers
4. walk on the beach
5. catch up with an old friend
6. go surfing!
7. snuggle with my dog

cuddling up with my French lab friends that live right below the apartment we are staying in

 When I return home, I'm going to make a point to do at least one thing on my LOVE LIST per day. It's easy to say we don't have time, funds, or make other lame excuses, but it can also be simple to make what you love a priority, if you let it.

We are all the masters of our own destiny, so I encourage everyone to make their own LOVE LIST. Make it a priority and in turn, it will reward you with being healthier, happier and (dare I say) more successful :)

So... what's on your love list?

cheers,
Kristin

The Beauty of Balance

We live in a busy, fast paced, ever changing world. Everyone wants a piece of you and so many of us feel spread too thin, constantly.

Balance is something that seems to be a hot topic amongst my friends and acquaintances. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I can't think of another friend (entrepreneur or not) who hasn't verbalized struggling to balance family, career... just life in general lately.

Lately, I've been examining people I perceive to be happy and asking myself "Why?" (I have a degree in anthropology, so this stuff is fascinating to me!)

One thing I have found to be true:
Some of the the happiest, most enthusiastic and fulfilled people I know are entrepreneurs, in control of their own destiny.

On the flip side, some of the most down and out, distraught, stressed people I know are  also, entrepreneurs.

Bottom line: Entrepreneurship is HARD.

It is stressful to not know where your next paycheck is coming from. Once you grow past "wearing all the hats in your business" and build up to having a team of employees, rent for your business location, insurance, the taxes that come along with employees, property and everything else, the stakes become even higher.

You have to bring in the deals to pay these people and bills-- it's not just your paycheck at stake. It can most certainly be overwhelming at times. I've been there; I know the feeling first hand and it isn't pleasant.

One thing I also know... those happy, fulfilled entrepreneurs I mentioned earlier? They have something the others don't. Their secret? Balance.

Balance is personal; it does not have the same definition for everyone. It can look different, and that's OK! For my husband (our CFO at The Grapeseed Co.), balance means waking at 5AM to surf Rincon before work. Ahem, here's my post on facebook after an early wake up call this morning...

5AM. No alarm goes off... First (enthusiastic) words, "Wanna go surfing? It's going to be epic today!" I've been happily waking at the crack of dawn the greater portion of my life, but plunging in icy winter water in the dark will never be fun to me. And off he goes with a huge smile; have fun Pete! Maybe if we were in warm Caribbean waters I'd be in."

This is how he warms up after- filling gallons of hot water to rinse with before work. I think it's nuts, but am all for whatever makes ya happy!

 For me, it means the freedom to work when passion and ideas strike, and to follow my drive and excitement. Sometimes that leads me to working at odd hours, which actually prompted this post today. My morning walk ended up leading me to Grapeseed at 6:30AM to work on an awesome new project for a major retailer. It was quiet, nice to be there totally alone, and amazingly productive. I blasted music, danced around and got a sh*t load done! All is good since this doesn't even feel like work to me, and without being an entrepreneur I probably wouldn't have this kind freedom. It's so liberating! It is my balance, and I am so thankful to do what I love.

One of my loves at Grapeseed... concocting new fragrance blends at our Scent Bar!

When we moved to our new location in downtown Santa Barbara this past fall, I wanted to bring the spirit of balance into our workspace and store. We often get comments from customers, people that come in to interview for a job and even delivery folks that there are "good vibes" in our store, and it just feels like a place you want to be...
These words frame our entryway:

And to follow this concept, I'm going to be doing more of what I love, and launching a new business! Nothing brings me more joy and excitement then having a great idea, creating something and bringing it to fruition. Teaching has always been my first love, was the root of my first company, and is where my formal education background is. This culminates in launching Cultivate Your Niche on a broader scale this spring. I will be introducing online programs based on my 1:1 consulting to teach you how to build the business of your dreams!

Believe it or not, this is part of my master plan to bring more balance to my life, and zone in on doing even more of what I love. Everyone deserves and can have more balance and peace in their life. Everyone can be an entrepreneur.

So... What do you love? What do you want to do? What's your balance look like?

May you all work towards your beautiful balance (whatever that looks like) each and every day!

cheers,
Kristin

P.S. You can follow the launch on our CYN facebook page here. Our dream team will be releasing programs on the website this spring and I will also be taking on a few more 1:1 consulting clients this summer... stay tuned :)

How I Did It...The Story Behind Starting The Grapeseed Co.

I was incredibly honored to be asked to tell my "How I Did It" story on 
Maria Shriver's inspiring website, Architects of Change. I'm republishing the article here on Green Skincare Blog with my sincerest thanks to my amazing sister, Anna Fraser, who edited my life story down to 900 words when I couldn't seem to cut anything out! Here's the raw and honest truth on How I Did It...

I became an accidental entrepreneur at 14. Competitive swimming was my life at that time, and what started as a confirmation service project teaching an eight year old girl with Down Syndrome how to swim ballooned into a real business.

Across the local community, people asked me to teach their children, so I started a swim school in my parents’ backyard the following summer. With the help of my father (an attorney), mother and sister (also swimmers), we developed an entirely word-of-mouth business that grew to over 200 families each summer.

The swim school taught me valuable lessons at a young age: how to teach effectively, manage time, manage challenging personalities, and run a business with family members. I made good money and was able to save, a lot. I hung up my swim goggles after college and moved back to Boston for graduate school and began my career in education (also the first time I wasn’t working for myself).

I hadn’t thought much of the significance of not working for myself until meeting my future husband, Peter, who shared with me his dream to fix up his boat and sail to the Caribbean. Excited to join this adventure, I quickly and unequivocally said “yes!” Dating changed from restaurants to trips to West Marine, emptying our wallets as we learned to outfit a sailboat for cruising.

Our tiny ship Harmony, right before selling it in the Caribbean

We wired electric systems to run off of solar panels, sewed sail covers and installed our own head (read: toilet), and countless other dirty work to prepare for life at sea. It was challenging, but we loved it -- working for ourselves and building our dream. Less than a year later, we quit our jobs and set sail from Salem, MA to the Caribbean.

What first seemed like hitting pause on my career proved to be my greatest adventure and foundation for future entrepreneurial endeavors. Our two year voyage on the tiny sailboat deepened my understanding of our impact on the earth -- we conserved energy, water, and resources every moment of every day. I became acutely aware of how much water we consumed, how much trash we made, the energy needed to run our systems, and what a luxury fresh food was.

Problem-solving was part of our every day and sailors are much like entrepreneurs-- savvy, creative and welcoming to other like-minded birds. Through chats at docks and boatie bars, and research whenever we got near an internet cafe, we found solutions that were very green and DIY.

THE SEED THAT STARTED GRAPESEED CO.
Stores weren’t commonplace among the remote islands we sailed to, so I started making skin care products from cooking oils we had aboard and native fruits and plants. Thus began my fascination, research and formulation of natural ingredients, personal care products and ultimately, The Grapeseed Company.

We landed in Santa Barbara after our sailing adventure, and began to appreciate wine and the age-old process of creating it. We saw winemakers throwing away grapeseeds after crush each fall.

I started researching benefits of red wine grapeseeds and thought, “How about creating skin care from the wine maker’s byproduct?” We set out to turn trash into treasure.

NEGOTIATING MY WAY
With $2,000 left from my swim school savings, I started Grapeseed Company with just three hand-made products -- scrub, massage oil and lip balm. It evolved from personal use and gifts to selling at local artisan fairs.

During that time, I negotiated a deal with my employer to start working part-time. I first went down to 80%, then 50% over three years from my career in elementary Special Education. Juggling my day job and dream job made me a “part-time entrepreneur” and I was getting half-assed results. I’d have a taste of success at Grapeseed, then have to abandon it to go back to my day job.

NO ROOM FOR FAILURE
Fear of failure, financial hardship and stress kept me from going all in with Grapeseed. And I was unhappy in my day job, feeling like there was nowhere to grow or go.

Not unlike the last time I’d stepped out of my career and onto the sailboat, I knew I had to leave for a new adventure...and that I was probably a little crazy to do so.

But the stakes were even higher -- I gave up my tenured job and steady salary just after we’d purchased our first home and the economy tanked in 2008. There wasn’t much room for failure, which was exactly the fire I needed to succeed.

I started working from home full time and hired our first employee in 2009. Within a year, we negotiated free sublet space from a business that had and an extra office and kitchen, but six months later, they needed that space back.

So in July 2010, I signed the lease on our first store in Santa Barbara. A year later, we opened a second store and new manufacturing facility in Carpinteria, CA and have been honored as the fastest growing company of the year by Savor the Success, participated in celebrity gifting with The Artisan Group at the Oscars GBK Gift Lounge, released 16 new products, formulated a spa line for a new Orient Express resort and launched over 40 products in Whole Foods Markets.

manufacturing and packing our first 6-figure wholesale order at the new warehouse

LESSONS FOR SUCCESS
I am most proud of the amazing team we built (now seven strong!) and that we’ve continued to self-fund growth through multiple revenue streams.

The Grapeseed Co. Team (minus CFO Pete) Summer 2013

I’m a DIY girl, so one of the most important things I’ve learned is that no one can do it alone; it takes a solid team to build a stellar company.

Empower your employees to be as excellent as the brand you’ve built. If they feel invested and empowered in your company’s growth, the sky is the limit!

Another important lesson is to view everything as a learning experience. Successes, failures -- it doesn’t matter; there is an important learning opportunity and sometimes it takes someone else to help you realize that.

Nourish and appreciate relationships that give you solid, helpful, constructive feedback. Building a business from the ground up is extremely hard work; be realistic about what you can handle and embrace learning something new every day.

I’ve learned so many amazing lessons (the hard way) building Grapeseed and am excited to launch a new business this summer, Cultivate Your Niche. This is my passion project; teaching others the lessons we’ve learned the hard way to develop niche, artisan products and create, launch and grow the business of your dreams!

***************** 
Kristin Fraser Cotte is the founder and CEO at The Grapeseed Company, creating botanical beauty from wine made fresh in Santa Barbara, California. The Grapeseed Company's niche products and unique business model have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Health, The LA Times, Shape, Women's Health, Edible Magazine and more. This summer Kristin is launching Cultivate Your Niche to teach others how to create, launch and grow the business of your dreams.

An important life lesson through entrepreneurship

Happy. Refreshed. Renewed.... ready to roll and tackle the world!

These are just a few feelings I've been pleasantly and unexpectedly overcome with in the past week. Entrepreneurship aint as grand as many perceive sometimes... it's super tough. It pushes you to limits you never imagined. It beats you down, but ultimately makes you stronger. It involves an extreme amount of risk, trust, and positive thinking, even when you want to crawl under the covers and never come out. To be honest, I was in this place a few weeks ago. After a tough bought of working around the clock for a few months to open another store, hiring an employee who was toxic to our business, going through a rough firing, and having another key employee dramatically resign without any notice, I was totally beaten down. We'd just opened our second store and I did not even have enough staff to keep both up and running!

I had quite a few mornings where I did not want to come out from under the covers. I almost canceled the first "real vacation" I've taken in 2 years because I didn't know how I'd possibly keep my business going and leave California. After a momentary lapse of feeling totally screwed, sorry for myself and in shock, I got out of bed and dealt with it. Some amazing friends and family were my first line of defense; they helped pull me through this tough time by covering shifts at the stores, sending me positive messages, giving advice and lifting my spirits. They reminded me of all I had accomplished and helped push me out of the dark place I was in. Once I was ready to address things, I turned to my entrepreneurial support systems. My advisers had my back; they sympathized with my situation, recounting their own journeys along the way. I even had the fortunate chance to speak with a few in person on this East coast trip. My business coach, Melody Stevens of Time Millionaire, was on the phone within an hour of sending a "holy sh*t, what do I do?!" email. She helped me come up with a plan to get on that plane, refine my systems, train and trust my new team so that I could get away and spend time with my family. My Savor the Success sisters listened on a mastermind call and gave ideas and inspiration. I realized I could leave The Grapeseed Co., that not everyone was out to screw me, and what I needed more than anything was to take that vacation! I am truly grateful to have all of these brilliant minds collaborating, because no matter how strong you think you are, you cannot do it alone. One of my sister-in-law's favorite sayings is, "it takes a village..." These people help make up my village and I am grateful for their support.

 Her other favorite saying is, "we're so blessed" which I truly feel right now. I've spent the past week on my parents catamaran sailing the Maine coast with my husband, mom, dad, their cuddly dog Jorbi, and my dad's old friend from graduate school he recently reconnected with after multiple decades. We've sailed to a different port with a gorgeous, unique lighthouse every night, seen amazing natural beauty, ate delicious meals, laughed and recounted what it was like when Pete and I lived the simple life aboard a sailboat! On one of our stops along the way, I reconnected with a wonderful friend from grad school I had not seen in over 5 years and met her new husband. Seeing her so happy in such a beautiful place with a great partner brought me joy. There are those people you can go years without speaking to, then when you get together it's like you haven't missed a beat! It's fun that my dad and I both had the chance to experience this in the past week.

 Given the situation with Grapeseed, this could not be an "unplugged" vacation, so I've been working remotely a few hours each day while my new and improved team has handled the stores, shipping orders and manufacturing beautifully in my absence.  It's been reassuring to see we have developed solid systems, and can find competent help to step in and take over if needed. I even took a bit of time to chat on the phone and advise another entrepreneur friend who is on the cusp of something great, which felt nice to be helpful. I've read books for pleasure (not business) and taken moments to nap, stare at the sea and do nothing at all but smile. These are the important things in life that bring true happiness; not fretting or feeling sorry for the current pickle you happen to be in.

So many times, we don't "live out loud" when times get tough. We don't ask for the support we need or tell people what we are going through. It's easy to share our success stories, our victories, our accomplishments, but difficult to mention the extreme emotional drain and hardships along the way. As we wrap up this trip, my biggest take away is to take time to treasure the simple but important things in life, even when you think you can't or don't have time to. I haven't spent a full week of 24/7 with my parents in a while and have realized it's really fun and I need to do it more often! Crap is going to happen; that's life. There are so many things that are beyond your control, but mindset is something we all have complete control over. I'm heading back to California with the best possible gifts I could receive right now, empowerment, great new ideas, and a renewed sense of spirit. Sometimes it's the tough stuff teaches you the most!

heard it through the grapevine . . . The Grapeseed Co. is opening STORE #2

We are giddy with excitement (and maybe lack of sleep) about opening our second brick and mortar location in Carpinteria, California! A little less than 2 years ago, we opened our flagship store in downtown Santa Barbara...

You may remember this time, it was the summer of 2010 and the economy was tough (to say the least.) Brick & mortar stores were closing left and right, especially in downtown SB. I listened to countless people (from my nearest and dearest to total strangers) tell me I was crazy, I was making a mistake and I would fail. I'll be totally honest; I got really bummed out at times. I even broke down and cried on a few occasions because I was so sick of hearing "why on earth did you open a retail store?" or "good luck" with a sarcastic tone daily from some random person off the street. After a few months I bucked up, developed some thick(er) skin and pushed full speed ahead with my entrepreneurial headlights beaming. What's that saying about what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger?

I'm happy to say 22 months later the SB store is proving those passer-by's wrong and we are weeks away from opening our second store in the adorable beach town of Carpinteria, CA!

We have a new warehouse space on the beach side of Carpinteria Ave. right before you hit downtown. It's a pleasant spot with some great neighboring businesses like Chocolats du Cali Bressan, Carpinteria Wine Co. and Upright Paddle Sports. We moved our production to Carp in April and have increased our manufacturing capabilities in the new, much larger space.

We are thrilled to be in a spot where we can build-out a second store as well! It's in the works, but I'll give you a peek inside. Here's what we moved into...

 First order of business was getting the production kitchen up and running so we could continue to fill orders. The new space has allowed us to up our manufacturing capabilities big time! Here's what we can now produce in a day...

We've been able to turn around much larger wholesale orders, and are so excited that Grapeseed goodness is reaching many more of you around the globe!

We're smack in the midst of the build-out, but have designed a great set up where you will be able to watch us creating grapeseed goodies through these large french doors that join the store to our manufacturing area.

Those of you that have visited our SB store know that we love to show our creative side through store design. We're bringing that same love to the new Carpinteria store, and are spending this weekend refinishing upcycled furniture and building displays in our own green, grapeseed style.

 We hope you'll stop by and visit in June... you can find us by these great lime green chairs that will be outside 4193 Carpinteria Ave #9!

Remember, don't let the turkeys get ya down. Amazing things can happen when you stay true to your roots, take risk and truly believe in success. Everything else is a good learning experience; it's all in how you look at things!

xoxo,

logic, lead, lipstick and legislation

In December 2011, the FDA published an updated report on lead levels in over 400 brands of lipstick and found the average concentration to be 1.11ppm (parts per million), just a mere .04ppm higher than the study conducted in 2009 where the average was reported at 1.07ppm. These results weren't exactly newsworthy, given they are essentially the same. Right before Valentine's Day, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) and Environmental Working Group (EWG) started riling up the media with scary headlines about the danger of lead levels in lipstick. I must give props to the CSC PR team, who resurfaced and twisted the FDA report on a timely date when people may be focusing a bit more on their pucker, but where's the logic here?

who's dodging a bullet?

I'm taking a moment to step away from the science behind what's going on lately in the cosmetics industry and the media to examine the logical side of it. While earning my Master of Science degree, I learned the process of collecting, examining, interpreting data and drawing conclusions in both qualitative and quantitative methods. It was my single best take away from my previous profession because it has endless applications. Logically, I do not understand how the CSC has twisted the new data on lead in lipstick so drastically and the media has jumped right in and turned it into a fear-mongering frenzy.

The data does not show anything new...
Yes, there are trace amounts of lead in lipstick.
And your drinking water.
And the soil we grow food in.
And the air we breathe.

I've been thinking a lot about the multiple previous attempts to pass safe cosmetics legislation and how this ties in to product labeling, and the latest media scare around lead. One of the main provisions the CSC and EWG are pushing for is stricter guidelines around labeling to show trace amounts of substances that make up an ingredient. We do not even have this type of labeling scrutiny in place for the food we eat, which we all know (both scientifically and logically) is entering our bodies by ingestion. Forget skin absorption from cosmetics, folks! Why is our government being tied up with scrutinizing lipstick in the name of "health" and "safety"? Bottom line, life is full of choices, and wearing lipstick is a choice, not a necessity.

Eating, drinking, and breathing on the other hand are not choices. We must fuel and hydrate our bodies and breathe to continue to be alive. Let's gain some logic, perspective and focus as we move forward with what is legally considered safe and healthy in personal care and cosmetics. If there is so much concern about what you are choosing to apply externally to your body, shouldn't we be examining the sources we need to ingest internally to sustain life first?

These folks have covered both the scientific and the rational sides of the "lead in lipstick issue" if you're interested in reading more:
Dene Godfrey, Trever Butterworth, Robert Tisserand, John Hurson, PCPC via Skin Inc and there are more I'm missing so please add your links. As always, I recommend www.PersonalCareTruth.com as a great balanced, science based resource on legislative issues too.

Looking back on how The Grapeseed Co. began...

It's hard to believe that 11 years ago I moved onto a 30 foot sailboat and left for a 2 year adventure sailing the Atlantic & Caribbean. Also, when I started making and studying natural skin care! Time flies....
I've been reflecting quite a bit on where that voyage has led us, and found the perfect post to revisit. Here's how The Grapeseed Co. turned from a dream during star lit night passages at sea to reality.

LIVING GREEN part 2 in ENTREPRENEURSHIP + LIVING GREEN + CREATIVITY = THE GRAPESEED COMPANY

product testing inside the boat

Long before GREEN was hip, cool and happenin' it was a part of my life. One that I actually resisted at times as a child. My mother and her earth-loving friends had a food co-op that operated out of our barn. They would place orders directly with farms and vendors, and a delivery truck would pull around our gravel driveway and unload the goods in our barn. Co-op members would drop by to pick-up their orders. I wondered why we couldn't just get stuff from the grocery store like normal people? and yuck, why did I have to eat whole wheat cake with cream cheese frosting for my birthday? Today, I greatly appreciate growing up with a healthy diet and learning the importance of green choices.

LIVING GREEN
I deepened my understanding of our impact on the earth during the two year voyage with Peter in our small sailboat on the open ocean. I became acutely aware of how much water I was consuming, how much trash I was creating, the energy that was needed to run our systems, and what a luxury fresh food from the garden was! For food, we stocked the boat with dry goods, fished with spears and traditional lines, dove for conch and lobster, and grew sprouts on the deck. Boat systems run off of batteries, and the batteries are usually charged by running your engine. Given that we did not have a "real" engine, and just a 15 hp outboard on our tiny ship, this clearly was not going to work for us. Sailors are much like entrepreneurs, savvy, creative and welcoming to other like-minded birds. Through the Internet, books and chats at the dock and boatie bars, we found solutions. Solutions that were very green, and DIY. We fixed our electricity and fresh water deficits by installing solar panels, solar spare water tanks that ran off a gravity system and water catchment systems. We conserved, energy, water, and resources every moment of every day on that sailboat.
Harmony Under Sail
I've mentioned how small our boat was, and will never forget the look on my mom's face when she first saw the good ship Harmony and envisioned her daughter out on the open ocean! Well, due to the Harmony's limited size, she could only hold about 50 gallons of water. We sometimes had to make that stretch past a week! To put things in perspective, the average American family uses around 70 gallons of water a day. Not only were we strictly conserving our fresh water supply, but on extremely remote islands, we ran into some eye opening situations. We actually would spend the entire day lowering buckets into the town well and filling our tanks with jugs and funnels the old fashioned way! It was amazing to see and experience first hand how people lived like this. Yes, I'd say we became hyper aware of our use of resources and impact on the earth.

I caught myself thinking twice about choices I was making, things I was buying, gifts I was giving and what I was consuming and putting on my body. I had done some research and knew there were going to be times we'd have to bathe in the ocean due to our 50 gallon limitations. It's called a salt water wash, fresh water rinse and is practiced by many who live the cruising lifestyle. Sailors have a great affinity for liquid lemon joy- and seem to think it's the cure-all from washing your hair to swabbing the deck and of course, dishes. Something in my gut told me it was not cool to be using this bright yellow stuff on my bod in the ocean. Thus began my fascination, research and formulation of natural skin and personal care products and ultimately, The Grapeseed Company.

This is part 2 in a 3 part series. Check out Part 1: A Lifelong Entrepreneur and Part 3: Creativity if you liked our sailing story.

Support Small Innovative Green Cosmetics by Opposing the Safe Cosmetics Act 2011

Please support your favorite small, eco friendly cosmetics businesses and sign the petition to oppose SCA 2011 HR#2359. Do not be fooled by the name of this proposed bill. We all want our cosmetics to be safe, but the unfortunate way this bill was drafted will only make it impossible for the small, eco friendly companies who paved the way and innovated natural and organic personal products to survive under the new proposed regulations.

I invite you to read more at PersonalCareTruth.com from a wide variety of well known experts in the industry about the specific implications of this unnecessary bill.
The Impact of The Safe Cosmetics Act 2011 on Small Businesses by Kayla Fioravanti, formulator, aromatherpaist and owner of Essential Wholesale
Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Support SCA 2011 by Robert Tisserand, world renowned aromatherapist and author of numerous books on aromatherapy
Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 by Cindy Jones, microbiologist, farmer and small cosmetics manufacturer who grows herbs she uses in her formulations
Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011: cover-table-of-contents-and-sec-611-definitions by Kayla Fioravanti

We all want safe cosmetics, but this bill (as worded) is only based on propaganda. Do not make everyone from consumers to innovative natural companies pay for the fear mongering generalizations the highly funded special interest group, The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics & the EWG, have backed.

Thanks for your support in keeping your favorite small eco friendly brands around!

what I've learned about business ethics this past week

Sometimes I blog about being an entrepreneur here at Green Skin Care Blog. There are fabulous and not so grand things that come with that title. I usually share the exciting, energetic, hard working, wonderful side of it, because that's how I roll. I'm a "think positively," "what can you learn from this situation" type of person. Today I'm going to share 2 rather difficult situations that were quite a learning experience.

"Business ethics" are two words I've pondered a few too many times in the past week...
One evening, I logged into hootsuite, a great tool for posting and tracking the impact of your social media accounts all in one place. I scrolled through my columns and spotted a fellow member of the Indie Beauty Network (IBN), @bellalucce, commenting someone had copied text verbatim from her website with links to her page and the copied page. I clicked on the link and was surprised to find someone I knew on the other end, another IBN member. I clicked on  the "wholesale" tab of the site to find an exact copy of The Grapeseed Company intro wholesale page...

I was a bit astounded; as members of the IBN trade network, we sign a membership statement specifically saying we will adhere to a certain code of ethics. This got to me on another level, because I have personally answered quite a few helpful questions for this member on where to get equipment and supplies. The member was contacted and the situations was dealt with; the copied text was removed in a matter of days.

What a powerful reminder that social media is not only a great communication tool, it can be an incredible business ethics tool. By tweeting and other IBN members re-tweeting the copied text, those involved were contacted and other members voiced their support. The problem was solved quickly and efficiently. Not to mention it was quite an effective reminder that you always have to watch your back as a small biz owner, no matter what.

I strolled into work Tues. to find another situation that left me dumbfounded and seriously questioning business ethics. Overnight, our next door neighbors in the small plaza we're located in closed up shop, stripped their restaurant and vanished in the middle of the night. Our joint places use to be one large unit, and the combined areas still share power, water & gas utilities. We had been paying the restaurant the beginning of each month our portion of the utilities for the month ahead since the meter needed to be assigned to one of our businesses and as a restaurant, they used more. Upon calling the electric company, I came to find out our neighbors had pocketed our money leaving bills unpaid. When I asked to transfer the account to my name since I was worried the power would be shut off, the rep I spoke with was trying to hold me liable since we shared the same meter number! Finally I got a manager who listened to our saga and went through the account notes, looked at my forwarded emails and reviewed our history to help me resolve the bum situation I had blindly been put in. Thankfully I had good notes and copies of everything in writing! I will be following up with our property management company since this is a situation our business never should have been put in in the first place. It's OK and human nature to get upset when things like this happen, but as an entrepreneur, you need to focus on the end goal of solving the problem, treat people with respect, and keep a written record for everything. Thank goodness for Evernote!

I have learned so much from other entrepreneurs who have shared their ups and downs. I hope these stories help others. I love being an entrepreneur. I like to see the good in people. Sometimes when weeks like this happen, it's hard to, but writing about it helps to focus on what I've learned from the experience and hopefully others can learn from it as well. I will always stick to the golden rule when it comes to business ethics; Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Why Do Emulsions Need Preservatives?

In our current green focused marketplace, many consumers are looking for the most natural and organic personal care products they can find. Since opening The Grapeseed Co. flagship store last fall, I've become even more aware of the many misconceptions and misunderstanding consumers have around natural and organic products and the use of preservatives. Santa Barbara is a very consciously green community filled with people and businesses that are leaders in making policy change to support eco-friendly initiatives. I love this about Santa Barbara, but it also means we get very specific questions since our store attracts a lot of eco-conscious people who read ingredient labels before purchasing. They do not just buy a skin care product because it smells fabulous or feels wonderful! Our staff is constantly asked, "Why do you use preservatives in some of your products but not in others?" or "Why don't you use the 'natural' preservatives in everything you make?" 

Operating a retail store gives us the opportunity to interact and educate consumers face to face daily; I like to refer to these situations as "teachable moments". I very quickly realized we needed to train our staff to use these teachable moments to help clear up confusion and educate our consumers on using preservatives in botanical products and why they are so important to use in emulsion formulas.

Let's start with the basics... What exactly is an emulsion?  

Emulsions are fairly simple to understand; they are formulas that combine water and oil. Preservatives must be used in any formula that contains water, juice (like aloe or local grape that we use) or a distillate (like green tea, white tea, lavender or chamomile) to ensure the formula is safe to apply to the skin and does not go rancid within a few weeks after being manufactured. Bacteria becomes a breading ground in emulsions. It grows when formulas that contain a water, juice or distillates and oils are mixed without the use of a preservative. Any emulsion formula like a lotion, shampoo or body wash needs a preservative to be stable and have a decent shelf life. 

In most emulsion formulas, the preservative is a very small percentage of the overall formulation-- we're talking under 1% to 2% of the total formula. If you look at an ingredient deck, you will usually see the preservative listed as one of the last ingredients in the formula. Proper FDA labeling requires personal care product manufacturers to list the ingredients by the percentage they are used, with the exception of anything under 1% which does not need to be listed in the order of percentage of total formulation. For example, an ingredient that is 0.5% of the total formulation could be listed in the ingredient deck before an ingredient that is 0.8% of the total formulation. Any emulsion you see that does not use a preservative is much more dangerous to apply to your body than an emulsion that's been preserved properly and probably either has one of a few things going on: 

~It has a very short shelf life (we're talking weeks to a few months)

~The manufacturer is not including the under 1% preservative being used in the ingredient deck, or listing it as something other than it's INCI name 

~The product needs to be refrigerated

 Products that are not properly preserved can lead to bacteria and fungus growth and other nasty stuff that (in my opinion) is much more dangerous than the 1% of preservative added to a natural or organic formula. Personal care product manufacturers are required by the FDA under GMP (good manufacturing practice) to test every batch they make for micro-organisms that can lead to bacteria, yeast, mold and fungus growth before bringing the product to market.

The only way to safely use natural preservatives (such as citric acid, rosemary oleoresin, vitamin E or certain essential oils like tea tree) and have a decent shelf life on a product is with a formula that has NO water, distillate or juice components. Many of our products that are not emulsions do not contain anything but natural preservatives since there is no juice or distillate in the formula, which explains why we use under 1% of synthetic preservatives in some products in our line and not in others.

Please visit the other website I co-founded with Lisa Rodgers, PersonalCareTruth.com for current, truthful, science backed info on ingredients used in the personal care industry. There is a lot of misinformation out there, especially on the internet, concerning cosmetic and ingredient safety. Personal Care Truth is dedicated to bringing readers science backed info on ingredients from the experts in the industry. Below are links to posts on different types of preservatives if you would like to learn more about specific common (and not so common) preservatives used in personal care products: 

Potassium Sorbate

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate 

EDTA

Phenoxyethanol 

Japanese Honeysuckle Extract

and Dene Godfrey's extensive series: Parabens in Perspective

Introduction

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Part IX

Part X

who's day can you make today?

To say it delicately, I haven't had the best Monday. I won't bore you with the details, but it makes what comes next even more special...

I left to pick up Surf, my large black lab who you've probably met if you've been to our store. He also graces the presence of our Dirty Dog Organics labels. Surf always makes me smile, so I went home for lunch to bring the happy lab back to the shop. When I arrived back, there was a postcard from Bulgaria on my desk.

Bulgaria?? Here's what it said:

Dear Kristin,

Hello, this is April D. I helped out in your class at El Camino Elementary and I asked you to write me a recommendation for the Peace Corps and you did, thank you so much for doing that! I've been serving since May of last year here in Bulgaria. I can't thank you enough! I found your company's website and will send this to your work address. Looks like your company is doing great! That is so awesome. Best of luck! You've helped me pursue my dream and It's awesome to see you are doing well with yours!
April
"hello" is "drasti" "how are you is "kakcee"

April only worked with me for a few months in 2008. I was in my last year of transitioning to working full time for Grapeseed Co. and building enough of a salary base so that I could make the leap (and my house payments, since we decided to make the big plunge into home ownership in Santa Barbara the very same year). It was a stressful time to say the least. I was also in a job share and only teaching 2 days a week, so my time with April's help in my combo 3/4th grade class was even more limited. Even though she only came in while I was there a few times, I will never forget her smile and the help she provided! The kids loved her. She was a fabulous America Reads tutor in my combo class, where I had multiple English as a second language students and kids still struggling to learn to read. I will never forget April, and am so glad that I've had a small positive impact in her life.

Thank you so much for making my day April! Your postcard is the first thing going up on our huge cork board wall we're working on finishing up at the store :)

Who's day can you make today?

Thankful Thursday

Being an entrepreneur brings many challenges and rewards. One of the difficulties of growing a small business from the ground up is finding the right players to be on your team. Not everyone that "tries out" is a fit, and sometimes people that join your team aren't always a match either. When you're wearing many entrepreneurial hats, managing people is another hefty cap to add to the stack, and not one you're always eager to wear. Finding flexible, hard working people who are invested in the growth of the company and share your values is a challenge, to say the least. Especially when you can't always offer the monetary rewards you'd like to show your team just how much you value them.

 Last night I ran across a great post by Mike Michalowicz (of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur) on the American Express OPEN Forum: 51 Ways To Reward Employees Without Money. Things have been crazy lately, and I'm so thankful for our Grapeseed team right now! It was such a great reminder that little gestures and telling someone how you appreciate them are an incredible, effective and easy things you can work into the juggling act of being an entrepreneur. There were some fabulous ideas that I'm ready to put into action today... my Thankful Thursday :)

Check it out, it's worth the read! And I'd love to hear ways you show gratitude to those you are thankful for...

snow... Santa Barbara style

 That means you can see it, but not have to deal with it.
My favorite kind of snow!

We enjoyed a wonderful day off from the grapeseed grind in the beautiful Santa Ynez valley yesterday... so gorgeously green from all the rain complete with pretty snow capped mountain tops.

 It was great to relax surrounded by lovely scenery, crisp, clear weather and (of course) some fun wine tasting! We haven't been spending much time in our "home wine country" lately; this was the perfect reminder that we are so lucky to live in such an amazing place. We enjoyed a pleasant picnic at RiverBench complete with a great tasting of just chardonnays and pinots. They do both extremely well and I'm kicking myself for not picking up a bottle of their delicious '08 pinot.

Surf (AKA Mr. Dirty Dog Organics) joined in on the fun. He enjoyed lounging in the sunshine on the lawn in front of RiverBench, followed by being fed multiple treats by the nice ladies behind the bar in the tasting room at Carina Cellars in Los Olivos. It was a wonderful afternoon and great to remember we're just 40 minutes from another world. We love relaxing in Santa Barbara's wine country, and that so many of the tasting rooms and wineries are pet friendly!

What a difference a year can make!

2010 was an amazing year of change for us, with so many exciting turn of events it's hard to believe looking back on things that it all happened in just one year... 
(which might explain why I keep asking people where 2010 went!)

At exactly this time last year, we were over the moon thrilled to be moving The Grapeseed Co. into a "real" office building. We could not have done this without the incredible team at Rightscale, a cloud computing company who let us sublet some unused space and set up a production kitchen and office in their new office building.

Just shy of six months later, we signed on the dotted line to open the first Grapeseed Co. store in downtown Santa Barbara. My handy hubby spent his summer break (he's a high school teacher) helping me plaster, build, paint and create the lovely oasis that is both our current storefront and manufacturing facility. It's been 4 months since we've opened our retail doors and it still brings a smile to my face each morning when I walk in. (Maybe I'm smiling just a bit because I know we will not be moving the business twice in 2011 like we did in 2010!)

We added some incredible members to The Grapeseed Co. team. We are so thankful to be working with such talented, kind, smart, eco-conscious people each day.

I joined forces with Lisa Rodgers of Cactus and Ivy to launch Personal Care Truth (PCT)- a cosmetic information portal based on science backed info, not scare tactics. In 7 months we've added 12 experts in various facets of the cosmetics industry from all over the USA to Europe & Australia. We've taken the approach that sharing scientific info and discussing it is not only a huge positive for those in our industry, but for everyone who uses personal care products. Consumers can ask the experts in the industry questions and get real answers about what they are putting on their skin rather than sifting through the false marketing claims and misinformation that is plaguing the internet and other forms of media lately.

We launched Baby g, Whipped Grapeseed Body Butters, Body Washes and additions to our Mojito Man, Wine Bar Organic Soap and Vinotherapy Skin Care lines, all because so many of you contacted us and asked to do so! In addition, I set up my little dream- a self scent bar in the store where you can create and customize your own natural skin care products. I also started teaching classes on making natural skin care and all its fabulous benefits.

Most of all, I am incredibly thankful to all of you for loving our products and spreading the word about us. None of these milestones would have been achievable without you. May 2011 bring you all you wish for along with peace, health & happiness.

 cheers,

weekend in wine country

We're in the midst of a fun weekend with a few of my siblings on an 80 acre working vineyard in the middle of Paso Robles wine country. I'm not much of a photographer, but captured a few shots from our walks through the vineyard where we're staying.

 

This has been a wonderful place for our family from San Francisco and Santa Barbara to meet up for the weekend. It's a much needed getaway for all of us who've been working long hours and juggling over-filled plates to take a break together and enjoy some of the finer things in life...
good food, wine & family while surrounded by green beauty. What more could you ask for?

5 things I've learned opening a retail store

1. People respond in two ways when you tell them you're opening a retail store.
scenario #1 "Are you crazy in this economy? Stores have been closing left and right!"
scenario #2 "You've 'made it'! Congratulations!"
Funny thing is, I don't think scenario #1 or #2 applies to us. Here's why...

2. Opening a retail store isn't crazy, nor is it our definition of "making it". For us, it was a strategic move to continue to self-fund our expansion. The addition of retail to our existing wholesale, online and private label business has allowed us to grow our production space and crank out larger orders. It's given us a beautiful showroom and an opportunity to teach the community about the benefits of natural skincare made by hand, with local ingredients. Adding the retail component or "the icing on the cake" (as I've been referring to it) has helped pay for that expansion, without outside investors or loans.

3. I get face to face interaction with customers daily. This is invaluable. I can spend hours on twitter, facebook posts, our e-newsletter or this blog, but nothing takes the place of face to face interaction when someone is touching, smelling and experiencing your product. Conversation and feedback right at your fingertips daily-- that's priceless.

4. Everything is a learning experience. This isn't something new I've learned, but it has been a fabulous reminder (as if being an entrepreneur isn't) that there is something positive to take away from every situation. If something doesn't go as planned, I look at how, why, and what can I learn from this? Focusing on that helps frustration, disappointment or dare I say anger (I was there today :) get the better of me.

5. Multiple revenue streams are a key to success. Examining those streams and where the money is coming from help determine focus, therefore making me more productive.

I could keep going, but these are the most prominent in my mind after being open for 6 weeks. I'm sure I will continue to learn a million more things as we roll into the holiday season!