Introduce yourself and your business.
Hi there! My name is Kristin and I am the creator behind Earth Realm Co, a small company that creates handcrafted all natural skincare and beauty products with a focus on sustainable, fuss free beauty.
How did you launch your business & what made you want to start a small business?
To be honest, although I am very creative, I am 100% NOT a business woman by nature. I used to enjoy making my own simple formulations & I always had a passion for science and simple DIY beauty products. It was my husband who encouraged me to start a business, though I was very reluctant at first, I'm so glad he did!
What are some struggles you had starting your business and how did you over come them?
My biggest struggle has always been managing day to day (or the more mundane/routine) tasks of running a business. I naturally am creative, entrepreneurial and I enjoy being the visionary behind Earth Realm. I also enjoy the technical side of creating formulations, researching ingredients and methods and experimenting to create new formulas. Handling orders, shipping, bookkeeping, etc. though is definitely extremely difficult for me. One of my top goals is to be able to hire a business manager within the next year or so. There will always be some aspects of running a business that you are strong at, and some others that you are not. I have learned a lot simply by researching how to run a business, reading books on business management, etc and I can say I have improved, however I definitely still dream of the day I can hand the manager reigns to someone else so I can focus on the areas I am stronger at.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I draw a lot of inspiration surprisingly from music. Music tends to get my creative side going in all areas of my life.
What motivates you as a maker?
My ultimate goal is to start up a non-profit within the next few years using my own business resources to fund the majority of it and so any time I feel discouraged, I try to remember that that's where I'm heading.
What is a goal you set for yourself as a maker/artist and how did you achieve it?
A goal I have is to never get so over-worked or income driven that I stop enjoying the making process. I achieve this by trying to maintain a slow process work ethic and by taking time to remove myself from the work environment when I feel I am getting too overworked.
What is your favorite part of being a maker?
Simply the joy of creation, from inception to final product.
Do you have any tips for new makers/ small business owners?
Don't rush. Take time to really figure out a realistic business plan and model that makes sense, is doable (without sacrificing your own happiness/health) and that is likely to stand out in an often over-saturated market. Find what makes you unique, who your target customers are and run with that!
What are some hobbies or interests you have outside of your small business?
I love to hike although I don't do it nearly as much as I would like to. I also love writing and making music, I play piano, bass guitar and drums...making music is like soul medicine.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I hold my pen really funny when writing and usually get one or two odd looks when people see me writing.
.png)
Post a Comment