Navigating the Beauty Industry After 50: Insights and Strength from Entrepreneur Karen Merritt

I’m so excited to share this Throwback Thursday episode with my friend Karen.

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Podcast Transcript:

Kiva Slade: [00:00:01]

Hello, and welcome to Collab With Kiva. I'm your host, Kiva Slade. From the marbled halls of the US Congress to my racing-themed office chair, I've learned that there is no perfect path to the life of your dreams. My journey over the past 20 years has included being a legislative director for a member of Congress, policy director for a nonprofit, stay-at-home mom, homeschooling mom, jewelry business owner, and now the owner of a service-based business. Whether your journey has been a straight line or full of zigs and zags, join me and my guest as we share insights, hope, and lessons learned from our female entrepreneurship journeys. May the collaborative sharing of our stories be the tide that lifts your boat. Let's dive in.

[00:00:55]

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Collab With Kiva. I am your host, Kiva Slade. Today we are taking it back for Throwback Thursday and we're going to one of the first episodes that I released. It's the episode with my friend Karen Merritt, and she is the owner of Karen's Essentials. We talk about life over 50 as women, in addition to what that looks like being a woman in business and in spaces that are not always feeling like there's open to us as others. So, you'll find out Karen is in the beauty industry. I will say that since this episode aired in November, my dear friend Karen has lost her husband.

[00:01:56]

She has amazed me with her strength, her grace, and her grit, as she has continued to balance grief and also happiness, holding on to memories and continuing to move forward in life with a lot of unknowns having been married for so many years. So, I encourage you to take a listen, and glean some lessons, especially for those of us who are over 50 and coming up on our best years. And also, if you're in need of some products that she offers, make sure to visit her website at karensessentials.com, which is where you can also find her on the interwebs. Her products are luxurious and lovely. And right now her spring-summer line is out, but she is prepping her fall-winter line.

[00:03:06]

We had lunch last week and she gifted me one of my favorite things, which is her Espresso body butter. It smells divine. It is heavenly. And it just makes my skin sing. So, take notes. Maybe come away with some takeaways as it relates to being a woman in business and navigating the different struggles that life throws our way. Thanks for listening.

[00:03:40]

Hello and welcome to Collab With Kiva. I am so excited today for you to meet my guests. Today I am talking with Karen Barrett. Karen is the owner of Karen's Essentials, a beauty, and skincare line. She is a 55-year-old (and she says that proudly) entrepreneur. She's a wife of 33 years, a mom of three adult children, and a mee-maw to four amazing grandchildren. Most importantly, she is a believer and a child of the king. I am lucky enough to know Karen personally, as we are prayer and business accountability partners. And this is going to be a great conversation, so sit down, get comfortable, and listen in. So, welcome to the show, Karen.

Karen Merritt: [00:04:26]

Hey, I'm so excited to be here to chat with my girl Kiva. I'm so excited, so excited.

Kiva Slade: [00:04:35]

I am so excited that you are here. And we are going to talk about all things beauty. We're going to talk about what is literally if we look at the numbers, I think they say in terms of African American women, in particular, we spend a lot of money on beauty supply products. We have our hair; we have our nails. We want to smell good. We want our skin to feel good. So, I love that this is a space that you've chosen to occupy. But when some people might look at the numbers, they might also feel like the space is crowded. So, tell us more as to what made you want to take a deep dive into this beauty and skincare line.

Karen Merritt: [00:05:10]

Well, I've always been a lover of all things beauty, hair, makeup, and skincare, for as long as I can remember. But as you're a wife and a mom, other priorities, other things come up, and you lose sight of yourself. And so, I guess around the age 40 ish, maybe a little over 40, I started wearing makeup again, I started doing things that I had always done but kind of backed off of. And I went natural, stop perming my hair, did the whole thing. And after a while, as I started looking at things online in the space, whether it be YouTube videos, blogs, I never saw people that looked like me. If they didn't look like me in the beauty space, they were very young. And so, it was just important to me to see people that look like me, that represented my age, that represented a black woman. And there wasn't a lot of that ... someone over 50 that was into beauty or fashion or any of those things.

[00:06:20]

It was like all of the brands seemed to focus on the very young and certainly not women of color. So, I started a blog about five years ago to specifically target women of color and women in the 40-ish, 50 age range. And I got such a great response. And it was just very important for me as I learned things, to share them. And we just became a community. And so, that really started everything with that, me doing blog posts, reviews, just sharing things about me personally that I had been through or gone through and just life. When you get to be 50 plus, you've probably lived some things and you've probably gone through some things. And just to be able to share that, have a space to share, that's how it all started. That's where it started with the blog.

Kiva Slade: [00:07:21]

I love that and that sense of community that came from that as well. Because I know that as a follower of your blog and just things that you would share and it was like, "Oh, okay, so I'm not the only one experiencing hot flashes? Oh, wait, there are these sheets? Oh, okay. Tell me more." There was always something that was in your blog that I was like, "Okay, I may not need that right now, but I'm tucking that one away or I'm sharing it with someone else." And just even in your comments a lot of times in your blog posts, you would see other women supporting each other in the comment. So, I love that that sense of community was created, but that you saw really a gap in where the industry was. Because let's be honest, typically as women age, we're not considered distinguished like a gentleman would be. So, it's like Sean Connery, and it's like, oh my gosh, he's amazing. And he'd be 80. But for us, it's like, no, we're not getting too excited over any women that are 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 years old, right?

Karen Merritt: [00:08:27]

Absolutely.

Kiva Slade: [00:08:28]

Yes. A gap that existed in that space. And the fact that as moms, yes, we actually still want to be cute. We want to be hot. We want to be whatever the words are that people use. And so, when we start delving back into things like makeup, into hair, but wanting it to be reflective of where we are now, obviously a bit more mature, and the look that we're going for is obviously a lot different than maybe the look that some of the younger beauty influencers would be seeking to have. So, you sought that space. What were some of the challenges, though, that you were running into? Because let's be honest, you're a woman. You're a black woman. You're over 50 and doing a business. What are the challenges that you have faced along this journey?

Karen Merritt: [00:09:23]

One of the main things I think I face is not having camaraderie, not seeing people ... Community is so important to me, and so to not see someone in the space that looks like me, that's a business owner, and that you can go to someone and you can say, "Hey, this is what I'm going through, this what I'm facing, especially in this space." So you may see ... You and I connected as businesswomen and we could keep each other accountable. We can encourage each other and be like, "Hey, girl, you got to get going. How is your CEO day going that you just reminded me of just recently?"

[00:10:05]

And so, before that, I had supportive friends, but unless you're a business owner, you can't necessarily relate to what I'm going through. That support is great, but ... So, those are the kinds of voids that I saw. And so that's one thing. And then in the beauty space, having people that you could relate to that can mentor you, where there were business owners, but they weren't business owners that understood the beauty community or understood why I would want to go into this space. So, it's kind of lonely in that space where there are people my age that are in this.

[00:11:04]

Now I see more of that and trying to connect with people. And people are always super encouraging when I am able to connect with other women, other black women, mature women in the beauty space. And so, I would say that was the main challenge, and not knowing what the next step was. So, just finding a community like the modern soap-making community. That community has been huge. Now there are definitely women of color there and there are all races that are in there, but it's so inclusive that I feel right at home. And that has really given me the building blocks to start my business as a beauty entrepreneur with my soaps and skincare and the other things that I'm doing. Because I had no idea. "I make soap, okay, let's just start the business." No, it took a while to get there.

Kiva Slade: [00:12:08]

I love that you just said, "Oh, I make soap. Boom! We have a business." No, no, no, no, no. There are so many more steps. There are so many more levels. And having someone who has gone before you in that journey, being able to turn around and share backward what that journey has been like. So, maybe it's to avoid missteps, maybe it's just to provide some words of encouragement. But whatever that is, that sense of community is definitely important. And you just mentioned the Modern soap-making community. Let's talk about that. Because I know that you were making soaps ... And her soaps are absolutely divine. I tell you; they are amazing. To the point that we joked earlier, my husband was using them and I was like, "Wait, are you using my soap?" So, when you're looking at that, though, ii talking about business and finding that community, let's talk through some of that of what it was like to scale your business. Because you were making soaps, but they were on a much smaller scale. So, talk us through that process that I know you went through of not only changing recipes, but understanding what some of those changes bring about in a business. So, right now, you're that mentor for some up-and-coming soap maker. What are Some of those things that you would share with them?

Karen Merritt: [00:13:29]

I would say do your research. And sometimes you can go on and people will tell you, "Oh, you can just go on YouTube and you can learn it. You don't have to ... And that's free." But if this is something that you want to do, you have to be willing to invest in that. And then really being able to put money aside and say, "You know what, this person has gone before me, and so I want to reverse engineer, I want to see how I can get to that point." And you can't do that to me, trying to piecemeal things from here and there, and then think that it will work. So, knowing that this was an investment for me to be a part of this community. Now, it has been such a blessing to be a part of that and other communities. I'm all about education. And if this is something that I'm interested in, if this is something that I want to do, I want people to know that I'm an expert in this field and that I've gotten the training, I have put the time in, and it's not just a fly by night type of thing. And so, I would say, do your research, connect with other people that are soap makers or whatever it is that you're doing. I think that that's very, very important. And be a part of a community where they can say, "You know what? On Friday we're going to look at people's social media and we will give you feedback."

[00:15:02]

And it's great because people are very honest and they're encouraging. They'll say, "I see that you are doing this and that. But what I would do, is I may want to tweak that picture or tweak that photo. Why is your pricing the way it is? Have you done the research, not just what you see on Etsy, but do you know what it's going to cost you for all of your supplies, to pay yourself to make the actual thing? Are you paying yourself with your worth? Are you putting all those things into your pricing, the shipping, the packaging, all of those things that you take for granted?" And you see, "Wow, there's someone on Etsy, they're selling their soap for $5. How do you do that?" Well, they can do that, but they have to do so much and make so much soap or make so much product in order to make some money, that they would have to sell hundreds and hundreds of bars of soap.

[00:16:00]

Whereas if you're really scaling it according to your ingredients and all of those things that go into it, then you will see that you just can't pull that out of the air. You have all of those things in place in order to really pay yourself what you're worth and put your products out there and not be worried that, "Oh, that's $10 or that's $12 for a bar of soap." Well, if someone thinks it's too much, then that's not your target market, that's not your audience, and that's okay. Everybody is not going to like it. And I'm not making products for everybody. I'm making products for the ideal customer. Kiva is my ideal customer. She loves natural things. She loves beauty. She loves for her skin to feel nice and supple. And she may have a little more disposable income because of the state she is in life and so she may not mind that.

[00:17:04]

And so, you have to take all of those things into place and into consideration. And I think that what people do, you want to try to sell to everybody and you end up selling to nobody because it's so broad. And you have to be able to narrow that down. So, I know it was a really long answer, but I'm just really passionate about that, to just make sure that you understand what you're doing. And that's going to help you make much better decisions along the way when you understand what it is that you're doing, what you should be pricing, who you should get your training from, and then be willing to invest in yourself.

Kiva Slade: [00:17:49]

Absolutely. No, not a long answer at all, because we could definitely dig deeper and unpack each of those layers that you've mentioned, because it's so important. And oftentimes platforms like Etsy can almost feel like a race to the basement in terms of what you are going to price yourself at just to be competitive. And like you said, though, when you do that, you not only dilute ... I think you dilute the marketplace in general as it relates to handcrafted soap making, if we just stayed with that. But in addition to that, you dilute your own brand because it's just that feeling of, "Oh, it's a $5 bar of soap thing. I can get multiples of those $5 bars when I do a search on Etsy." And so when it comes to quality ingredients, when it comes to things that aren't harmful to the environment and to your skin, you're starting to have that more of a discerning customer who is like, "I'm actually reading these labels. I need to understand why this is in here or why that's in here." Or "Hey, this doesn't contain any of that. I know I want that. And it smells good. And my skin feels beautiful." And we're going to share with you guys later her fall-winter box.

[00:19:10]

But I chose the Expresso theme. And I used to love drinking coffee and then I had to switch to tea. But I had to laugh one day, my husband said, "Okay, you smell like a whole glass of coffee. I'm just ready to have a drink." And I chuckled because, with that Espresso body butter, I get to have my feeling of still having coffee. And I get just literally ... Sometimes you see me, I might be like this trying to smell myself because I'm like, I smell good. I smell good. And then if you feel my skin, it's really nice and soft and supple. So, I appreciate that ... that's what your products do. And that they are such a feeling that it's like, "Oh, okay, my wife is a tall drink of coffee today." It's like, hey, who doesn't want to hear that?

Karen Merritt: [00:20:07]

Absolutely.

Kiva Slade: [00:20:07]

I love that. And just like you said, there are so many things that go into being a business owner. And it's important to do that research, to pay yourself, and to understand all of the components that go into your pricing. It is not just tossing a number out of a hat and just saying, "Hey, today it's going to be this" because that's what you are feeling, and then you start to be your numbers at months then and you're wondering why you're frustrated with this beautiful product you're putting out, and all this stuff that you've done, and the investments you've made in yourself, and you're like, "My numbers aren't adding up." And it's typically because you're undercharging in some area of that business that something isn't being accounted for. So, I love that. I love that, I love that. So, let's dig a little deeper into how you gain that boldness to have these offers as a business owner, to put yourself out there on social media.

[00:21:07]

Because let's be honest, we're both 50 plus, this is not necessarily our playground. It's our kids' playground, but it's not necessarily our space. It is not natural to us, I'll say that. But you're finding yourself, obviously, marketing to a more discerning customer who wants to also know you as an owner, and what you're like and what you're about in order for them to know, like, and trust you. What have you had to shift in your own mindset to be able to show up, put out your offers with confidence, and to be able to market yourself?

Karen Merritt: [00:21:48]

I think that what I've found just being a person that loves YouTube for natural hair videos and makeup, you could put anything in YouTube and you can figure out how to do it. So, for me, when those people that I saw on YouTube, and then I followed, and then they would share a little bit about themselves or you would find out things about their family or whatever, there was a connection there. So, when that person, then years later or whatever, came out with a product, I knew that hey, I trust this person. I've trusted them over the years sharing about different things or products or whatever. And it wasn't just this is what I do, but you don't ever get to see who the person is. So, that really connected with me. It made sense that those things go hand in hand. As a business owner, people don't want to buy your product per se, they're really supporting you because of you. And people want to feel like they are connecting in some way. And I know that's for me.

[00:23:04]

And even with my blog, I know that there's a lot of ... Oh, gosh, it totally went out of my head. I had a lot of reviews and things like that. But then I would just honestly say, the Lord relayed something on my heart and I would be like, "No, I don't think I want to do that. I don't think I want to share that." And I would. And because I want it to be obedient. But I'm telling you, each time that I shared something, even something small or something really big or really, really personal ... And it wasn't to be exploitative. It really was to be able to connect and be and let the person know whoever may be reading that or seeing that post or seeing whatever it is that I shared, that you're not alone, that you're not the only one who has been through this or whatever. And so, I had to learn very quickly through my blog how to connect with people for people to feel that I'm approachable.

[00:24:11]

Even though I definitely feel that I am, but I think sometimes you see things on a blog or you see things on Pinterest and it's like, Oh my gosh, they are so perfect. Because we learned that social media is like highlight reels. People aren't going and showing that "Oh, I had a fight with my husband this morning. My kid left his lunch, and he missed the bus." It's all the bells and whistles and all the pretty stuff. But are you connecting? And I'm not saying that you do it without really searching to see that's what you should do or whatever, or just for clicks. However you feel led, I think that that's important. For me, that's how I connect with people on social media.

[00:25:01]

And because of that, I have met friends or people that I've never met except through social media, and it has made a world of difference. And it is very hard, it's very nerve-wracking, especially to get on camera. But I'm doing reals, I'm doing different things or whatever. I've been doing a YouTube channel forever ... I haven't done it yet. But you know, but it's coming. And I know that that's important. And that's the next step for businesses. I think you have to put yourself out there in order to be seen and in order to gain the trust of those people that you're trying to sell to, whether the product or service or whatever. So, I just think that that's important.

Kiva Slade: [00:25:50]

It really is. I love it. You're like, "I'm doing reals." Yes, it's a whole nother set of vocabulary. I think for some of us, it's like, "We have to do what now? Oh, seriously, Instagram?" But you're like, "Okay, here we go." And I think the funny thing like you said, we're all nervous about it. It doesn't matter if you've been doing it in your own camera all the time or if you're not, just that vulnerability basically, seeing yourself out there ... I'm going to do this video. Then, of course, we're often our own worst critics and we watch it later like, "Wow, that hair is completely out of place." That's all we can see and focus on, where someone else is taking away some massive value, but we're like, "There's a hair out place."

Karen Merritt: [00:26:43]

Right. Or "Listen to my voice. Did I really make that face?" Or whatever those things. And you're just totally inside of your head? So, yes, it can definitely be a place of vulnerability. And I think for me, that has always been very, very hard for me because I've always played things close to the chest. And I am a trauma survivor, and so that has always been my mode of operation, self-preservation. Because that was my go-to, that's what I had to do, survival mode. But then through years of therapy and God just changing things to where I felt that I can be comfortable with myself, that I can share when it is necessary or when it is appropriate or whatever, and not fear what others are going to think. And that's still hard for me, not even on a deep level, but just looking like, oh my gosh ...

[00:27:51]

I took some photos recently for my fall launch, and so I was looking at them. I did a photo shoot last year, but my hair was way longer, and so we needed to update what I look like now. And so, I was talking to my social media manager, we were talking about the pictures and stuff, and I said, "Don't use those pictures where my neck looks fat.". And she's like, "What?" I'm like, "Yeah, see ..." And she was so tickled. But I was dead serious. I was like, "Listen." And she's like, "Nobody is paying ... I don't even know what you're talking about." So, it's just those types of things that we do to ourselves. It's like, "No, don't show that." So, it's just part of it. And now I have to laugh at myself because it's like, "Yeah .., Yes, sis ... I don't want that."

Kiva Slade: [00:28:43]

Yes, I'm with you. Trying to find those right angles like, okay, make sure there's no double chin or something. So, really real things for us. And especially as we start to age. Let's be realistic, we are not 19-year-old influencers, however, we have that same level of boldness. And heck, we actually are better because we are so much more firmly rooted in who we are and knowing who we are. But there still is that level of how we want to feel about our appearance, where it's like, okay, I got to make sure. There's a reason why Spanx makes as much money as it does. We have to make sure that everything is supposed to be.

Karen Merritt: [00:29:29]

That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right.

Kiva Slade: [00:29:34]

I love that. So, let's get ready to wrap it up. But I have another question for you.

Karen Merritt: [00:29:38]

Sure.

Kiva Slade: [00:29:39]

Obviously, we both talked a lot, and obviously, we used to go to church together for those who don't know. How has your faith impacted your business?

Karen Merritt: [00:29:50]

Wow! My faith. Oh, my goodness. It's just God has been so amazing throughout my life, really. But these last few years ... and you and I have talked about this, whether it be, okay, wow, this thing has come up and that's going to cost 1200 dollars or I need a new computer or whatever the thing may be. And it's just praying and knowing that, God, I know that you're setting me on this path and I may not know every answer along the way. And that's where the faith comes in. Because it's like, Oh, I'm just going to stay right here because I'm too scared to go this way or that way. But when you feel that nudging and you and you feel him, you know that he hasn't led you astray one way or the other. He's always had your best interests at heart. I'm a journaler and so when I can look back at journals from 20 years ago or whatever, and I can go through those things and I can see, oh my gosh, I remember when I was going through that and look how God ... Look what he did through that, even though he didn't necessarily change the situation.

[00:31:06]

But he changed me. He encouraged me. And I saw that I can get through it. And so, with business, it's the same exact thing. I almost have to remind myself regularly that if he's done other in other areas of your life ... It's almost like but that's business stuff or that's ... We're talking about making money. You almost feel uncomfortable. Which is so crazy. And so, it's been a challenge. But God has challenged me in that I care about every aspect of your life from the smallest things in your life. Because if you can't find your keys, I'm praying, Lord, help me find these keys or whatever the case may be, to huge things regarding my business, business decisions. I'm bringing on people to take care of my social media and all I'm thinking is I don't know how I'm going to do that. It's very expensive. But he has met me where I am every step of the way.

[00:32:06]

And so, it's like you have these conversations ... like last night I was in the shower and I was like, Lord, I was praying for our time today and praying that we would be able to encourage other people, other women who are starting businesses, who have ... You're in the next chapter of your life, and that it's okay to start over at any age. And so, that is all God. And so, I can only say that my faith has been increased. I have been challenged, I have been convicted when I'm feeling like, yeah, but is that going to really happen for me? And so, it's just been a whirlwind, but it has been just sweet, sweet in that time with God, as he shows me time and time again. So, it is definitely, definitely abridged any misgivings or any anxiety that I may have about things. I know that God has me no matter what.

Kiva Slade: [00:33:08]

I love that. Absolutely. It's interesting you said that about making money and almost feeling guilty. I was listening to someone and they were talking about the Proverbs 31 woman. And let's just be real, there's been some love-hate relationship with her [crosstalk 00:33:25] journey, right? You know, and how you read that. But it was something that they said that I thought was so interesting which was that she surveys a field and she buys it. She couldn't buy that if she ain't had her money. That's right. So, she surveyed it and purchased it. And so, that that fear we have, that the feeling of dirtiness of like, "Oh, I'm making money in my business and now I can do X, Y, and Z." Girls go out there and purchase your fields. You've done your research, which was her survey, go out there and purchase those fields. Because that purchase of those fields, those are the things that as women we can create I feel just seismic shifts in our world, just the way that we function when we have money and when we're doing things for not ourselves, but really for growth in the glory of God. So, survey and purchase your field. And you can't purchase it if you don't have any money.

Karen Merritt: [00:34:28]

Love it.

Kiva Slade: [00:34:30]

All right. So, now let's talk about this fall-winter collection.

Karen Merritt: [00:34:34]

All right.

Kiva Slade: [00:34:36]

Obviously, we're in October, leaves are changing colors. We're all getting all of our warm, cozy stuff out, feeling like, where's the hot cocoa? And I'm not even going to talk about the other thing that a lot of people like to drink because ...

Karen Merritt: [00:34:48]

No, we're not going to talk about that.

Kiva Slade: [00:34:51]

[crosstalk 00:34:51]. So, tell us what's in the fall-winter collection that's now available. Tell us more about it. I understand there might be some free shipping. So, talk about what expect to find when we visit karensessentials.com.

Karen Merritt: [00:35:08]

So, the fall-winter box is a collection of all things warm and cozy. That's what I wanted to evoke. I love the fall. Absolutely love the season. Time to put on sweaters and be cozy. And so, it's like a lot of warm scents. And so, that was important to me that the scents were warm and cozy, but that they weren't so that you would feel like, oh my gosh, it's so overpowering or whatever the case may be. It's kind of close to ... That kind of scent is what I wanted to really express to this box. So, you get five soaps. There is Cashmere. Cashmere is kind of floral, yet a little sweet, but also has some woodsy kind of notes.

[00:36:00]

So, they're all very, very ... have huge depth of (I was going to say the depth of flavor). They all have depth as far as the scents. They're not one note. And so, that was important to me as well. And so, again, Cashmere, if you like the floral sweet kind of warm scent as well. But not grandma floral, so don't get it twisted. It's not that. And then there is Rekindle, which has ginger and turmeric. And that has been huge. People have been asking, when are you going to do something with turmeric? And so, this one is pretty straightforward. It smells like ginger, but it also has the skin-loving ingredient of turmeric.

[00:37:04]

So, if you love ginger ... And it's not a sharp ginger. It's kind of sweet. And its real ginger, essential oils. It's great. I love it. Then we have Frank, which is short for frankincense and myrrh. And if you're familiar with that smell, again, it's very warm. It's kind of woodsy. It leans a little masculine, but not so much that you feel like, Oh, gosh, I smell like a guy or I smell like my husband. It's very, very warm and woodsy. Then there is Espresso. Oh my goodness, if I can tell you I've had so much fun making that soap. I've been making soaps for almost ten years and that has been my favorite thus far, not just because of the scent, but just because of all of the components that went into it. So, there's Espresso, real Espresso coffee grounds. There is coffee oil. Who knew there was such a thing? There was coffee oil. And it's just such a depth. It's not just coffee. You smell almond, you smell burnt sugar. And so, those are just ... Did I say five?

Kiva Slade: [00:38:27]

Yeah, there's another one. The Agar...

Karen Merritt: [00:38:30]

Agarwood. Yes. Thank you Kiva. Agarwood. That one is also warm, woodsy, and leans a little masculine. I absolutely love that. So, you've got like Birchwood and oud, and very woodsy, earthy type of scents. But it's again, very, very warm. And then you get your choice of body butters. You can either get raw honey, self-explanatory, smells like raw honey. Or you can get Espresso. I'm sorry, it's not Espresso. The Espresso is the body butter and the Cafe Noir is the soap. And so you can have that, Warm Vanilla Sugar or Candy Citrus. And Candy Citrus is it's citrusy, it's kind of floral but is also warm. You will see that over and over again recurring thing. And you get to lip balms more. French Vanilla and Coconut. That's what you get. And if you purchase anything for $75 or more, you get free shipping. And I also have a code for Kiva's listeners. And so, you get 10% off. And that code is 516COLLAB and you get 10% off on your first order. So, yes, that's where we are.

Kiva Slade: [00:40:02]

Oh goodness. I'm so excited. And listen, everyone, I am not a huge scents person, and I am not a perfume person at all, but I absolutely vouch for these skin care products. The soaps are just enough that I'm like, okay. They lather up amazingly. So, if you're a big person for lather, I love bubbles [unintelligible 00:40:26].

Karen Merritt: [00:40:27]

That right.

Kiva Slade: [00:40:27]

These soaps will definitely give you that. But then also it's literally just enough scent for me where I'm like, okay, this smells good, but I don't feel overpowered, my nose is not wanting to sneeze every 5 seconds. So, definitely check out karensessentials.com. We will make sure to include not only the website but also the discount code in the show notes. And make sure to visit. Check it out. You will not be disappointed with any of the products. So, I just want to say thank you, Karen, for sharing with our listeners today just some of the challenges that we face as women, as women over 50 embarking upon these new ventures, but really also reminding each and every one of us that it might be hard, but hey, it is so definitely worth it to pursue those passions, to pursue those dreams, and really to make other’s lives better in the process. So, I want to thank you for sharing today with everyone. And once again, check out the show notes for additional details on how you can connect with Karen. You can also follow her on Instagram and check out her reel. So, if you're afraid of getting on camera, she can serve as some inspiration to you. So, thank you, and make sure to tune in for the next episode. Thanks, everyone.

Karen Merritt: [00:41:45]

Thanks so much for having me.

Kiva Slade: [00:41:48]

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Collab With Kiva. Each of us has a different path. And I hope that this episode gave you some takeaway that has left you inspired and motivated to keep pressing forward on your unique path. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss out on any future episodes. And of course, your reviews on Apple are greatly appreciated. If you're a small business owner ready to start making data-driven decisions in your business, and you know that without the data, you're really just guessing, make sure to visit my website, the516collaborative.com, and let's schedule a time to talk to make sure that you can harness the power of data in your business. I'll see you next time. Bye.

Meet Kiva Slade - the Founder and CEO of The 516 Collaborative. With a unique background in high-power politics on Capitol Hill and sixteen years as a homeschooling mama, Kiva found her calling in the online business world as a trusted guide for entrepreneurs looking to build the business of their dreams.

Kiva's work began behind the scenes, orchestrating the back end of businesses and managing teams. But her inner data diva couldn't help but notice that small businesses needed help harnessing the power of data for growth. So she and her team set out to uncover and tidy up the data required to enable clients to grow their businesses confidently and easily.