The beauty industry reported global sales of approximately $483 billion in 2020.

Digging deeper into those demographics, women of color spend 9x as much as others. 

What happens when a 50+ woman decides to break into the beauty industry? Today, I chat with Karen Merritt of Karen’s Essentials. Karen is a 55-year-old entrepreneur who has always loved all things beauty-related! She found there was a huge hole in the space for mature women over 50 and there was even less content for mature black women over 50. 

During this episode, we talk about:

• Karen’s beauty journey (2:24)

• Importance of community and sharing (4:34)

• Karen’s tips for newcomers to the industry (10:44)

• Being authentic (19:01)

• Overcoming fears and insecurities (23:03)

• Exercising your faith in the business journey (27:05)

• Karen’s fall/winter body collection (32:21)

Visit Karen’s Site - https://www.karensessentials.com/

Fall/Winter Coupon Code - “516Collab” to receive 10% off your first order

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Collab with Kiva. Kiva is a certified Director of Operations and Online Business Manager who helps business owners show up as the owners in their business instead of being owned by their business. She helps businesses with systems and standard operating procedures (SOPs)

>> Every good team has a playbook. Does yours? Ready to build out your business playbook to not only take things off of your plate but help your business scale? Book a call with Kiva 

Let’s stay connected!

Join The Collab: A Community for Female Business Owners on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/collabcommunity 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kivaslade/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kivaslade/ 

Website: https://www.the516collaborative.com/ 

Podcast Transcript:

Kiva Slade 0:02
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 biz owner, and now the owner of a service based business. Whether your journey has been a straight line, or follow zigs and zags. Join me and my guest as we share insights, Pope's 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.

Kiva Slade 0:55
Hello, and welcome to Collab with Kiva I am so excited today for you to meet my guest. Today I'm talking with Karen Merritt, Karen is the owner of Karen's Essential a beauty and skincare line. She is a 55 year old and she says I proudly entrepreneur. She's a wife of 33 years, a mom of three adult children and a Mema 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 1:41
hey, I'm so excited to be here to chat with my girl Kiva. I'm so excited. So excited.

Kiva Slade 1:49
I'm so excited that you are here and we are going to talk 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 we have our hair, we have our nails, we want to smell good, we want our skin to feel good. So and love that this is a space that you've chosen occupy. But when some people may look at the numbers, they made us I feel like this space is scattered. So tell us more as to what made you want to take a deep dive into this beauty and skincare.

Karen Merritt 2:24
Well, I've always been a lover of all things beauty hair, makeup skincare for as long as I can remember. But you know, as your wife and a mom, other priorities, other things come up and you kind of lose sight of you. 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 would naturally not permit 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 look 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, they're represented my age that represented my, you know, I as a black woman, and there wasn't a lot of that, you know, someone over 50 That was into beauty or fashion or any of those things, it was like all of the brands seem to kind of 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 40 ish, 50 you know, age range, and I got such a great response. And it was just very important for me to kind of as I learn things to share them and we just became a community. And so that really kind of started everything with that me doing blog posts, reviews, just sharing about things about me personally that I had been through or gone through and just life you know, as you when you get to be 50 Plus, you probably live some things and you've probably gone through some things and just to be able to share that habits face to share. And yeah, that's that's how it all started. That's where it started with the blog

Kiva Slade 4:34
and love that and that the 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 high lashes. Oh boy, there's these sheets these. Oh, okay, tell me more like there was always something that was in your blog. I was like, Okay, I may not get that right now but taking that one away or sharing it with someone else. And just even in your comments, a lot of times on your blog posts, you were to see other women supporting each other in the comments. So I love that their sense of community was created, but that you sound really gap, um, you know, in where the industry was, because let's be honest, typically as women age, we're not considered distinguished, like a gentleman would be, you know, exam. It's like Sean Connery. It's like, oh, my gosh, he's amazing, you know, at, but for us, it's like, oh, no, we're not gonna unexcited over any women that are 40 5060 7080 years old. Right? Yeah, that gap that existed in that space. And the fact that as moms, you know, like, Yeah, we actually still want to be cute, we want to be, we want to be whatever the words, right. And so when we started, you know, delving back into things that, you know, makeup into hair, but wanting it to be reflective of where we are now, and obviously a bit more mature, in the look that we're going for is obviously a lot different than maybe even looked at some of the younger beauty influencers would be seeking to have so you sought to fill that space? And how, 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 doing the business, what are challenges that you have faced along this journey?

Karen Merritt 6:35
Um, the one of the main things I think I face is not having camaraderie, like not seeing people, like it's the community is so important to me. And so to not see someone in the space that looked like me, you know, that's a business owner, and that you can go to someone, you can say, hey, this is kind of what I'm going through this town, what I'm facing, especially in this space, so you've may see, like you and I connected, um, as business women, and we could keep each other accountable, we can encourage each other, and then like, Hey, girl, you know, you got to get going, how is your CEO day going, and you just reminded me of just recently, and so before that, I really had no, I have supportive friends. But unless you're a business owner, you can't necessarily relate to what I'm going through, that's that support is great. But so those are the kind of voids that I saw. And so that's one thing. And then in the beauty space, like, with having, um, what is the, I can't think of the word with having people that you can relate to, that they can mentor you, that was the word I'm looking for mentor, um, where there were business owners, but they weren't business owners that understood the beauty community, or understood, you know, why would want to go into this space. So it was just, it's kind of lonely, you know, I'm in that in that space, where there are people my age that are in this, now I see more of that, and trying to connect with people and people always, you know, 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 kind of the main challenges and not knowing you know what the next step was, so I'm just finding a community, like the modern soap making community, that community has been huge. Now, there are definitely women of color there. And they're, they're all races they're 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 as a beauty entrepreneur with my soaps, and skincare and other things that I'm doing so because I had no idea I make so Okay, let's just start the business knew what it took a while to get there.

Kiva Slade 9:22
Right and love it. You just said oh, I make so boom, we have a business. No, no, no, no. There are so many more steps. There's so many more levels. In that is like having someone who has gone before you in that journey, being able to, you know, turn around, share backwards, 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 about like the modern soapmaking community. Let's talk about that because I know that you are making so and her soaps are absolutely divine when I tell you, they are amazing to the point that we joked earlier, but I was using them. And I was like, oh, when you're looking at that, though, in talking about business and finding that community, let's talk through some of that, and 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 let's break down your that mentor for seven, of becoming a soapmaker, what are some of those things that you would share with them, I would

Karen Merritt 10:44
say, do your research. And, and you know, 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 next 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, you know, from here and there and, and then think that it will work. So knowing that this was an investment for me to be a part of this, this community, now, it has been such a blessing to be a part of that. And other community, 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 to I want people to know that I'm an expert in this field, and that I've gotten, I've gotten the training, I have put the time in and is not just a fly by night, you know, type of thing. And so I would say do your research, and connect with other people that are soapmakers, or whatever it is that you're doing. I think that that's very important and be a part of a community that they can say, You know what, yeah, you know, one Friday, we're going to look at people's social media, we're going to give you feedback. And, and it's great, because people are very honest. And they're encouraging that see that you are doing this and never what I would do I may want to tweak that picture or tweak that photo? Or why is your pricing the way it is? Have you done the research? Not just what you see on Etsy? But do you know that what is gonna cost you for all of your supplies, to pay yourself to make the actual thing that are you paying yourself with your worth? 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 soul for $5? Like, 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 to in order to make some money, you know that they would have to sell hundreds and hundreds of bars of soap. Whereas if you're really scaling it according to your you know, 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 to have all excuse me 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, you know, for a borrower so 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 and we're not, I'm not making product for everybody. I'm making product for that ideal customer. Kiva is my ideal customer. She loves natural things, she loves beauty, she loves the for her skin to feel nice and supple. And she's, you know, she may have a little more disposable income, you know, because of the state she is in like, and so she may not mind that. And so you have to take all those things into place and into into consideration. And I think that what people do, you want to try to, you know, 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 I'm just really passionate about that, you know, 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 15:02
Absolutely no, not a long answer at all. Because we could definitely dig deeper and unpack each of those areas that you mentioned. Because it's so important. And oftentimes places on platforms like Etsy, you can almost feel like a race to the basement in terms of what you are doing to price yourself out just to be competitive. Like you said, though, but 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 don't lose your own brand. Because it's just that feeling of oh, it says $5 bar. So thing, I can get, like, multiples of those $5 bars of soap when I do a search on Etsy, you know, and so when it comes to quality ingredients, when it comes to, you know, things that aren't harmful to the environment and to your skin, you know that you're starting to have that more of a discerning customer who's like, I'm actually reading this labels, I need to understand why this is in here. Or why that's in here are Hey, this doesn't contain any of that. I know I want that. And it smells good. And my skin feels beautiful. And you know I am, we're going to share with you guys later for Fall Winter box. But I chose the expressive theme. And I used to love drinking coffee. And then I had to switch to tea. But I had a laugh one day my husband said is like, it's like, okay, you smell like a whole glass of coffee. And he's like, and I'm just ready to have a drink. I was like I chuckled because without expressive body butter. I hate to have like my feeling of steel having coffee, and I get just literally like, 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. But that's what your products do. You know, and that they evoke such a feeling that it's like, oh, okay, my wife has a tall drink of coffee today. It's like, hey, who doesn't want to hear that? You know, I love that. And just like you said, though, there's so many things that go into being a business owner. And it's, it's important to do that research and to pay yourself and to understand all of the components that go into your pricing. It is not just the talk the number you know, out of a hat and just say, Hey, today, it's going to be this because right what you're feeling, and then you start to be your numbers that month in 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 investment you've made in yourself, and you're like my numbers aren't adding. 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 did you gain that boldness to have these offers as a business owner to put yourself out there on social media because let's be honest, we are both 50 Plus, it's like, this is not necessarily our playground, okay? Your kids playground, but it's not necessarily our space that would like 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 so that they can know like and trust you? What how do you have to what have you had to shift rather, in your own mindset to be able to show up to put out your offers with confidence and to be able to market yourself?

Karen Merritt 19:01
You know, I think that what I found just being a person that loves YouTube for like, natural hair videos and makeup, or just any I mean, you could put anything in YouTube and you can figure out how to do it. Um, so for me, when those people that I saw on YouTube and I followed and then they will share a little bit about themselves, or you will find out things about their family or whatever, there was a connection there. So when that person then years later, whatever came up with a product. I knew that hey, you know, I trust this person. I've trusted them over the years, you know, sharing about different things or products or whatever. And it wasn't just you know, kind of this is what I do, but you don't ever get to see who the person is. So that really um, 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, they're really supporting you because of you. And people want to feel like they are connected in some way. And I know that for me, and even with my blog, I know that, you know, there's a lot of, oh, gosh, totally went out of my head. There's a lot. I had a lot of reviews and things like that. But then I would just honestly say, like, the Lord would lay 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 to be exploitive, it really was to be able to connect and be and let the person know, whomever 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, um, how to connect with people. And for people to feel like that I'm approachable, even that 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. You know, because we've learned that social media is like, the highlight reels, you know, it's really you know, you people aren't going and showing that I had a fight with my husband this morning. My kid left his lunch, and I got to add he missed the bus, you know, people are, it's all the, you know, bells and whistles and all the pretty stuff. But, you know, are you connecting, and I'm not saying that you do it with, you know, without, without really searching to see that's what you should do, or whatever, we're just we're clicks with that, whatever, however you feel lit. I think that that's important. For me, that's how I connect with people on social media. And because of that, I have met friends, or people that never met, but through social, so social media, and, um, it has made a world of difference. And so that's what it is very hard. It's very nerve wracking to get on, especially on camera like, but I'm doing reels, I'm doing different things, or whatever. I've been doing a YouTube channel forever hasn't done. 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 mean, I think you have to put yourself out there in order to be seen, and in order to gain trust of those people that you're trying to sell to whether it's a product or service or whatever. So I just think that that's important.

Kiva Slade 23:03
It really is. And you're like I'm doing real, like, yeah, it's a whole nother set of vocabulary. I think for some of us, it's like, we have to do what? Oh, seriously, Instagram. You're like, okay, here we go. Yeah, anything, like he said is like, we're all nervous about it. And you know, it doesn't matter if you've been doing it in your own camera all the time. Or if you're not like just that vulnerability, basically, yes, seeing yourself out there. You know, I'm gonna do this video. And then of course, we're often our own worst critics. Like we watch it later, like, wow, that hair is completely out of place. Like, that's all we can see. And yeah, for someone else is taken away some massive value, but we're like, there's a hair play,

Karen Merritt 23:56
right? Or listen to my voice. I mean, did I really make that face or whatever, those things? Are you just totally inside of your head, you know? So yeah, it can definitely be, you know, a place of vulnerability. And I think for me, like that has always been very, very hard for me. Because I've always play things close to the chest, and I am. I am a trauma survivor. And so that is my that has always been my mode of operation, self preservation, because, you know, that's just that was my go to because that's what I had to do to survival mode. But then, you know, through years of therapy, and just God just changing things and when I felt that I can be comfortable with myself that I can share that I can when it's when it's necessary, or when it's appropriate or whatever, and not fear of 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, like I took some photos recently for my fall launch. And so I was looking at them. So I did a photoshoot last year, but my hair was way longer. And so we needed to update, you know 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, Now, don't get the pictures. Don't use those pictures when my neck looks fat, like don't and she's like, what? I'm like, Yeah, see, I and she was like, so typical, but I was dead serious. I was like, listen, and she's like, nobody is paying. She's, I don't even know what you're talking about. So it's just those type things that we do to ourselves. It's like, No, I don't don't show that or no, you know, so it's just part of it. And this is now I have to laugh at myself. Because it's like, yeah, yes. Is not on what that?

Kiva Slade 25:57
Yeah, no, I'm with you and trying to find those right angles, like okay, like, make sure there's no double chin. Right, those are really real things for us. Especially as we start to age in it yet. And let's be realistic. We are not 19 year old influencers, you know, right. However, we have that same level of boldness in heck, we actually are better because we are so much more firmly rooted in who we are, knowing who we are, you know, but there still is that level of just aren't what have we want to feel about our appearance, you know, where it's like, Okay, I gotta make sure you know, like, there's there's a reason why springs makes as much money as it does. Okay.

Karen Merritt 26:46
That's right. That's right.

Kiva Slade 26:48
I love that. So let's get ready to wrap it up. But I have another question for you. Sure. Because obviously, we both talked a lot. And I know, you know, obviously, we used to go to church together for those who don't know, but how has your faith impacted your business journey?

Karen Merritt 27:05
Wow, I'm my faith. Oh, my goodness, it's just, you know, God has been so amazing throughout my life, really. But these last few years, like, and you and I have talked about this, whether it be you know, okay, wow, this thing has come up, that's gonna cost $1,200. Or I need a new computer, or whatever the thing may be. And it's just like, I'm 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 gonna stay right here, because I'm too scared to go this word 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. And so I'm a journaler. And so when I can look back journals from 20 years ago, 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 out God, you know, look what he did through that, even though he didn't necessarily change a situation. 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. But almost, I almost have to remind myself regularly that if he's done other in other areas of your life, it's almost like but this business stuff, or that, you know, we talked about making money, you almost feel uncomfortable, you know, which is so crazy. And so it's been a it's been a challenge, but God has challenged me in that I care about every aspect of your life when the smallest things in your life and you can't find your keys and I'm praying, Lord, help me find these keys, or whatever the case may be two huge things regarding my business business decisions, you know, I'm bringing on people to take care of my social media and all nothing, I don't know how I'm gonna do that. It's, you know, it was very expensive, but he has met me where I am every step of the way. 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 I'm praying that you know, that we would be able to encourage other people, other women who are starting businesses, who have like, you know, you're in a next chapter of your life, and that, you know, it's okay to start over. And 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, you know, and so it's just been It's been a whirlwind and but it has so been just sweet, sweet and that time with God as He shows me time and time again, you know. So it is definitely definitely abridged on any any misgivings or any any anxiety that may have about things. I know that God has me no matter what

Kiva Slade 30:22
I love and absolutely, it's interesting, you said that about making money and almost feeling guilty. And I was listening to someone and they were talking about the Proverbs 31 woman, and, you know, let's just be real, there's been some love hate relationship with her. Yeah. And how you read that, whether it was something that they said that that was so interesting was that, you know, she surveys a field and she buys it. She can buy that she had a money, right? She surveyed it, and she purchased it. And so that that fear, we have that 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. Like wherever you knew that, you know, 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 in when we're doing things for not ourselves, but you know, really for growth in the glory of God. So survey in purchase your field and you have no money. Okay, love it. Alright, so now let's talk about this fall winter collection because obviously we're in October leaves, they're changing colors. We're all getting all of our warm cozy stuff out feeling like where's the hot cocoa? And I'm talking about the other thing that a lot of people like to drink because no

Karen Merritt 32:03
we're not going to talk about that

Kiva Slade 32:07
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 yeah can expect to find when we visit Karen parents essentials that

Karen Merritt 32:21
can so the Fall Winter box is a collection of like it's all things warm and cozy. That's what I wanted to evoke I love the fall absolutely love the season sound 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 sets were warm and cozy but that they weren't so let you feel like oh my gosh is so overpowering or whatever you know the case may be it's kind of close to you you know that kind of scent sense um is what I wanted to really express through this box. So you get five soaps and there is cashmere which cashmere is kind of floral get a little sweet but also has like some some woodsy kind of note so they're they're all very very have huge depths of I was gonna say depths of flavor they all have depth as far as the scents are not one note and so that was important to me as well and so again cashmere if you'd like the floral sweet kind of warm sent as well but not grandma floral so don't don't get it to us it's not that we have rekindle which has ginger and turmeric and that has been huge like 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 ingredients turmeric. So if you love ginger, and it's not a sharp ginger, it's kind of sweet and is real ginger essential oils. I mean it's 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 you know, oh gosh, I smell like a guy or a smell like my husband. But it is it does. You know it's very, very warm and woodsy then there is I said let's see three so we can though was the other Oh, um, I'm gonna save the blood smiles. We'll do now espresso, which oh my goodness, if I can tell you I've had so much fun making so I'm making soap almost 10 years. And that has been my favorite thus far, not just because of the set, but just because of all of the components that went into it. So there's it's espresso real espresso real espresso, espresso coffee grounds. There are there is coffee oil who knew there was such a thing there was coffee oil like it is just such a depth is not just coffee you smell almond you smell like burnt sugar. And so those are just is that did I say five?

Kiva Slade 35:23
Yeah, there's another one that anger. Agar wood.

Unknown Speaker 35:27
Yes. Hey, Kiva, Agar wood. That one also warm woodsy leaves a little masculine. I absolutely love that. It is really, really awesome. So you get like birch wood and food and very woodsy, earthy type of sense. But it's again very, very warm. And then you get to choice of body butters. You can either get raw honey self-explanatory Smells like raw money. Then you get or you can get espresso. I'm sorry, it's not espresso. It's the espresso is the body butter and the cafe Noir is the is the soap. And then so you can have that warm vanilla sugar or candied citrus and candy citrus. Is it citrusy is kind of floral, but is also warm. Like you will see that over and over again recurring thing. So and that's Oh, and you get to lip balms more often? No, it's French vanilla, and coconut. And that's what you get. And so and and if you purchase anything $75 or more, you get free shipping, and I also have a cold for key was listeners. And so you get 10% off and that code is 516collab, and you get 10% off on your first order. So yeah, that's that's where we are. Oh,

Kiva Slade 36:59
goodness, I'm so excited. And listen, everyone, I am not a huge sense person. I am not a perfumey person at all. But I absolutely vouch for these, these skincare products. The soaps are just enough that I'm like, okay, they lather up amazingly. And so if you're a big person for ladder, I love bubbles in the sea bass, right, 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 like overpower My nose is what I'm wanting to see every like five seconds. So definitely check out parents essentials calm, 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 others 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 real so if you're afraid or getting on camera, she can serve as an inspiration to you. So thank you and make sure you tune in for the next episode. Thanks, everyone.

Karen Merritt 38:41
Thanks so much for having me.

Kiva Slade 38:45
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Collab with Kiva. I hope you were feeling inspired and motivated to keep being your amazing self. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any future episodes. Also, your reviews on Apple are greatly appreciated. They will help other women knows that their path is unique to them. If you're interested in being or finding a partner for this journey that you can collab with. Join us in the Collab a community of female business owners on Facebook. See you next time.

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.