Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Daisy Betance, Founder of Little Buddha, located in Chattanooga, TN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

At Little Buddha, we are a woman-owned company that is committed to creating clean, ethically sourced, premium quality skincare products with eco-friendly packaging. Our products are fragranced with pure essential oils and plant-based ingredients— free of unwanted chemicals and synthetic fragrances. We believe a clean and healthy lifestyle begins with what you use on your skin on a daily basis. All our packaging and labeling went through a big rebrand, and they are now recyclable, compostable, and bio-degradable. Our products are not only good for you but good for the earth.

All our products are made in small batches to ensure the highest quality and are made with love and care, and are reiki infused. Our products are handcrafted for those who are looking for clean, natural, and eco-friendly products they can trust and feel comfortable using on themselves and their families.

Tell us about yourself

I worked in finance for 14 years before starting my own business; I started as a teller and worked my way up to become an assistant manager of several different branches and eventually transitioned to Wealth Management. Throughout my life, my Dad always told me to start my own business, and I never understood why he would tell me to do that.

The security of a job and a paycheck seemed more secure and stable. Fast forward, I went to a farmers market one day and met a woman who owned her own jewelry company and was so captivated by her story. She traveled all around the world and brought back jewelry from local makers, and she started her own business by selling the jewelry. I remember telling my friends that I wanted to be like her. I knew I had to find something I was passionate about. Eventually, I started to research what was in our food, and that eventually brought me to researching the ingredients in products that we use for ourselves every day. I was blown away when I found out that all the products we use are packed with artificial additives and harmful chemicals that are detrimental to our skin.

These are substances that come directly into contact with our sensitive skin. The exact materials that were advertised to assist our bodies through a process of revitalization and health were actually causing the exact opposite to occur. I decided to take a soap and candle-making class, and that's where the love of making my own products began. I started Little Buddha less than three months later and left my corporate career six months after that.

What keeps me motivated is I truly love and believe in all the products I make, and I love hearing how they have helped people's skin, self-care routines, and overall just be a staple in their clean lifestyle. And to be able to create a life I truly want for myself, with being able to move to the mountains, have a morning routine that is surrounded by nature, get to do what I love on a daily basis, and have a better work/life balance. Also, being able to meet all the other business owners I have been able to cross paths with. Such a strong, inspirational and supportive community!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been to pivot during the pandemic and move from working 5-7 markets a week to being able to grow my business online and hire a dream time. I was also asked to be a "Shark Tank" judge for my Alma Mater and their accelerator program for students wanting to start their own businesses and was chosen as the business they did their senior capstone project. They are creating a five-year marketing plan for us during their capstone project. I moved my business from Chicago to Chattanooga, TN, and was interviewed twice on their local news channel. I was a co-author for a book, and it was a best seller in the US in 4 different categories as well as an international best seller, on how I became invisible no more and stepped into the spotlight.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things is to balance out all the highs and lows, learning from the expensive mistakes, the stress, and the unknown. Creating a community of other business owners who are there to help guide you when you need it, be the extra cheerleader you need, or sometimes just a shoulder to cry on makes all the difference.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Follow your heart! Do what makes you excited; there are a lot of people who still try to instill their own fears and insecurities onto you when you first start your business. Don't listen to it; follow your intuition and follow your dreams!! If you fail, at least you tried it; get back up, dust yourself off, and try again! Life is too short not to go for what you want.
  2. Don't be afraid to ask for help. As a business owner, you have to wear ALL the hats, but in order to grow, you have to learn when it's time to ask for help and delegate. Let go and trust. Ask family, friends, and anyone who you have around you as a support system. Even just a few hours a week can make a world of difference. Or reach out to local colleges to see if they have any internship programs for students who are looking to learn.
  3. HIRE A COACH!! I have worked with personal life coaches, spiritual coaches, and business coaches. They help keep you accountable, they provide ideas that maybe you didn't think of, stop you from making expensive mistakes, and are also just a helpful guide when you get stuck on things. As well as be a cheerleader when you need it! They have pushed me, guided me, and helped me grow more than I ever imagined.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Continue to keep growing and working on yourself as a person. The more you work on daily habits, remove things from your life that no longer serve you and become more clear on your goals, you will see how that truly not only benefits you and your personal life and help your business to continue to grow and thrive as well.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://littlebuddhabydaisy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebuddhabydaisy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebuddhabydaisy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisy-betance-55a61875/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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