Keeping it Non-Toxic with Prim and Pure Creator Kelli Jackson

www.primandpure.co

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (from Greenly Guide)

1)    Like a lot of moms, I know you mentioned becoming very aware of toxins and chemicals after you had children - what was it that finally inspired you to take action to create Prim and Pure? 

After dealing with my own endocrine health issues and working with some other natural product companies, I started blogging and working with some groups in my community. Over the past few years, the amount of growth in the industry has been astonishing and I’ve loved watching so many new products and companies come to the market giving consumers more choices. There are so many great green beauty brands now, however; I struggled to find clean products at reasonable price points for parents and children, so that’s when I set the wheels in motion to start my own line.

2)    Having just launched in November 2016, can you share a little about Prim and Pure as a company and what someone can expect from your products?

When I decided to start my own line, I laid out what was most important to me. Those things ended up being safety, affordability and social impact. There are many products I could push to market but the quality or integrity of ingredients aren’t there. There are other products I would love to offer but right now, I can’t source them at affordable enough prices I’d want for my customers. Lastly, I want to make an impact….. that’s why I work as hard as I do. If I wanted to make more money, I’d take my MBA and go back to my corporate 9-5 job….. but now what’s more important to me is my kids and following my passion, and Prim and Pure has been that outlet to help spread awareness and offer safer alternatives.  

  

3)    Do you have a favorite product in the line?  What was the first product you created?

Great question. Funny enough the first product I worked on was the one that actually tested my patience and aggravated me the most! Nail Polish is a tricky product. There are dozens of companies now making 5 Free, 7 Free, etc. type polishes which leads consumers to assume it must be a safe product and stop looking further to see what else is really in the polish besides just what it’s free of – when you take out something, you have to replace it with something else. I was determined to offer a water-based polish that also didn’t require the use of polish removers which are also known to contain many harmful chemicals.

Water based polishes consist of 75% or more of water, and trying to get a water base to act like a paint and form a hard film that’s going to last for a period of time on top of a porous nail surface can be challenging. Hence, not many main stream companies are attempting these formulas because it’s expensive and they don’t perform as long as their conventional counterparts. Nitrocellulose resins are the most commonly used because they are really cheap to formulate with. Prim and Pure polishes are 5 Free and also without nitrocellulose, glycol ethers, biphenyl A, acetates, acetone, alcohol, FD&C colors….. and instead we use a water and fruit and veggie base. They truly are odorless, and if you have a polish that gives off odor – you need to ask yourself what ingredient that might be!

That being said, the manufacturing process for the polishes ended up delaying my launch and frustrated the heck out of me because I was so excited to get going, but I’m so glad I waited because they came out beautiful! I’m excited to offer more colors as the business grows and I can invest in more inventory.

  

4)    Are there any items that you think Moms would want to borrow from their daughter's stash of Prim and Pure products?

Yes! I’ve had many moms coming back to purchase lip glosses, perfumes and eye shadows for themselves! The lip glosses for sure right now have been a huge hit! The shades are really beautiful and they wear very well while also being very nourishing for your lips! Hard to find many green beauty products under $10 with clean ingredients, but like I said that was one of my goals!

5)    How do you stay motivated as a mom and a business owner?

Pure and simple…. Passion! Sure some days are hard, and I get frustrated when my kids are storming through my office while I’m packing orders, but I’ve been getting better about finding the balance that works for all of us as a family. My motivation comes from my kids, my customers, and the constant feedback I get about how much I’ve helped a person or their family get their health back just by creating awareness about our surroundings. When you know you’re making a difference, even just the smallest bit….. that’s all the motivation you need to keep going, no matter how hard it gets or how high that stack of bills grow.

6)    What are your favorite ways to relax after a long day?

My guilty pleasure is wine! No shame, it keeps me sane! I find my balance through healthy and clean eating J

7)    I loved reading on your website about your passion for giving back - for every sale made, Prim and Pure donates to various children's causes - can you talk a little about some of these organizations that you have worked with so far?

Right now, I’ve been working with a lot of local events and causes – whether its donating product for various events or raising money for a specific cause or sick child in need. My customer base has been mostly local, but as the brand grows and the business becomes profitable, I am looking forward to working with larger organizations and programs to make an even bigger impact while also continuing to support my local community as well.

8)    What has been the best part about your journey to open Prim and Pure? What has been the hardest?

The best part is making a difference and seeing the delight on all the kids faces playing with and enjoying my products. When customers send me their photos of their little ones, my heart melts inside each time – seeing all the fun they are having and also knowing they aren’t burdening their bodies with harmful chemicals.

The hardest has definitely been the back end…. as with any entrepreneur the ideas come easy for me, but the expense and execution have proven challenging. My husband sold something very important to him to raise enough funds for me to purchase my first batch of inventory to get launched, and it was scary for me to take that risk and leap. I hope to pay him back one day…… I have the passion to succeed so I will keep grinding!

9)    Can you share with us any exciting future plans for your brand?

I have so many great ideas, I just need to continue to grow the brand so that I can continue to execute future lines and products. The process to just get one product ready from start the finish is a lot more challenging than it seems. Prim and Pure was never intended to be a lines just for girls or moms….. but that was what I launched with. I have plans to create fun products for boys as well! Stay tuned and follow us for future exciting updates!

We’re Sharing the Love This Valentine’s Day

Have you entered our “Share the Love” contest yet? If you want the chance at a $100 gift certificate for Valentine’s dinner, your time is running out.

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We had such a great time doing our “12 Days of Christmas” contest that we decided to do something fun for our clients for Valentine’s Day as well. It’s a contest called “Share the Love” and the winners will go out to Valentine’s Day dinner on us.

From now until February 10th, we are inviting you to enter our contest for a chance to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants on Valentine’s Day. We will give away five gift certificates worth $100 each to five great restaurants in the area. We already have your reservations set.

All you have to do to enter is visit our Facebook page.

All you have to do to enter is visit our Facebook page, then like, tag three friends, and share the post that contains the video above in it. Make sure you like our page while you’re at it so you can keep up to date with other contest and giveaways we will have coming up in the future.

If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. Good luck, and may the best couple win!

A Discussion With Local Entrepreneur Tim Vogel

This is our first in a series of videos highlighting local entrepreneurs. First up is Tim Vogel of Scenthound Plus Grooming.

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Meet the Vogels, Owners of Scenthound

Website     Facebook

Bio

In 2005 Tim Vogel, formerly of Flexcar in Washington DC, relocated to South Florida to turn his passion for dogs into a business.

Vogel founded Pet Groomerie as a mobile dog grooming business and then expanded with grooming salons. Over 11 years, Pet Groomerie has grown to be recognized as one of the foremost pet businesses in Palm Beach County. After several years caring for all sorts of dogs, he began to realize that 80% of dogs people own do not need haircuts. This is when Vogel had his ah-ha moment and realized that because 80% of dogs do not need regular haircuts they were most likely not getting the routine care they need in order to stay comfortable and healthy.

Vogel passionately believes every dog needs essential care like bathing, ear cleaning, nail trimming, and dental care, and too many dogs out there are not getting the care that they need because dog parents either don’t know they need it or don’t know an easy and affordable way to get it. Thus, Scenthound was born.

In 2013, Vogel founded Scenthound to offer an alternative to traditional grooming. The “SCENT” in the name “Scenthound” comes from the five main areas Scenthound focuses on for dogs: skin, coat, ears, nails and teeth. Scenthound does everything but haircuts, which means they can care for your pet while you wait and for a fraction of the cost. In 2015 the first Scenthound was opened in Boynton Beach and Vogel then converted existing Pet Groomerie locations to Scenthound Plus. Vogel is committed to bringing preventative maintenance to every dog.

Scenthound’s signature service, the “Essential Care Pack," includes a conditioning bath, ear cleaning, nail trimming, and teeth brushing as a while-you-wait service. This critical monthly maintenance is offered at three membership levels in Scenthound’s Monthly Care Club, plus discounts on additional services. With regular preventive care, every dog is more comfortable, healthier, and happier.

They can give dogs all the care they need in 15 minutes.

Vogel’s Scenthound is a new concept in regular dog care and maintenance that is revolutionizing the dog care industry and is poised to be the wave of the future in this billion dollar space.

Interview

1. Explain your business/product/service.

We are a monthly dog care club that offers routine care and maintenance…things like bathing, ear cleaning, nail trimming, and teeth brushing. Our mission at Scenthound is to help all dogs get the essential care they need to stay clean and healthy. Our vision is to change how dog parents care for their dogs by making monthly maintenance the norm. We opened our business doors in 2005 in Jupiter with a mobile grooming van. We now have four mobile units in addition to retail locations in Jupiter, WPB, Boynton Beach and soon-to-be Wellington.

2. What ignited the spark in you to start a new business venture? How did the idea for your business come about?

Initially the decision was about freedom and quality of life. I wanted the ability to blaze my own path instead walking one that someone else created. The idea for the business came from researching business that combined my experience and my passions. We were new dog parents when I started the mobile grooming business and my love for our dog, Aggie, inspired me.

3. How do you find people to bring into your organization that truly care about the organization the way you do?

It starts with our value system. At Scenthound, we have been very deliberate about crafting a set of core values that inform our decision making and guide our culture. We hire based on how well candidates align with those values.

4. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?

Our most successful marketing is our involvement in the community. One example is a program we created for Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. It’s called “A Clean Start,” and we provide every dog adopted from the League with information on routine care for their new dog as well as free services to start them off on the right track.

5. Why will people buy your product/service (and not something else)?

Trust is a significant part of a dog parent’s decision making, and we work very hard to be worthy of that trust. At Scenthound, we are all animal advocates and dog lovers and we put an emphasis on continuous learning so that we stay at the top of our game.

6. What were/are some of the main challenges you faced at the beginning of your venture?

There are always challenges when starting a new business. A big one for us was being able to attract the right employees when our business was young. Cashflow was also a challenge — having enough time and money to get the business off the ground was difficult in the early stages. Staying open and being adaptable are critical with a new business — no matter how smart you think you are, you must stay open to new ideas and to the possibility of changing course.

7. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

a. Optimism
b. A Growth Mindset
c. Perseverance
8. What are your goals?

To continue to grow our business and ultimately make monthly maintenance the new norm for dog parents everywhere.

9. Does your company help the community?

Yes! Our community involvement is a very important part of our business. Educating dog parents about the importance of routine care and maintenance is one of our key initiatives and we partner with many organizations that share our goals and values.

10. If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be? 

I would say that, to thrive in business, you must have a growth mindset. The one thing that is certain is change, and in order to stay relevant, you must be constantly learning. A great way to do that is to surround yourself with people who share the perspective that if you’re not learning, you’re not growing.

Thanks to Tim for joining us today for this first episode. We are looking forward to sitting down with other local business leaders and entrepreneurs in the area next time. If you have any questions for us or know someone who should be on our next video, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.