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Name: Beth Meah
Business: Miorae Naturals LLC: Natural Beauty Products
Industry: Health & Beauty
Location: New York City, New York, U.S.
Reason for starting: I’ve been a big fan of 100% natural beauty care products from the moment I realized that most of the beauty care products I was using were neither safe, nor healthy, or affordable. Although I was diagnosed with various atopic dermatitis and respiratory conditions as a child, I did not become actively aware of or take action to solve my sensitivity issues until I was an adult. My decade-plus struggle to find effective alternatives that provided remedy for my multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) symptoms were brought to an end when I began developing products of my own, abstaining from steroid-based and commercially-sold products. I started my business to share these solutions with the more than 45 million people across the United States that live with MCS and the growing number of people reporting skin sensitivity to and low-tolerance for chemicals and synthetics. Our products are also made for health conscious consumers and those who desire to live a healthier lifestyle.
Related: Read about another Health & Beauty entrepreneur here.
How do you define success? Success is when you can make a living by doing what you are truly passionate about, inspire positive action, and provide a solution to a problem that either adds value to what already exists or changes the way people think and live. Success is also standing up for what you believe in; understanding that everything is a learning process, and all life is an experiment.
Biggest Success? There are many notable moments that I would regard as our biggest success, but of these achievements, I believe winning a major citywide business plan and pitch competition marked the passing of a significant milestone. We learned more about business development than we thought possible, investigated product features and raw materials, identified suppliers that share our values, and assembled a team of experts that will aid in the growth of our business. It felt great to have achieved a business idea we love and that others love and are excited for too.
Related: Still Writing That Business Plan? Here’s How to Finish
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? The top challenge is prioritizing tasks and effectively managing time to complete them. As a small start-up with limited resources, we are often racing against deadlines and expectations that, at times, we do not have the capacity to execute or sustain. Also, because our resources are few, it can be a challenge to separate the business from our personal lives. To address these challenges, we’ve instituted the creation of daily agendas, weekly meetings, and established definitive hours of operation.
Who is your most important role model? There are many admirable characteristics that I commend from various people in my life – the inquisitiveness and strength of my sisters, sternness and patience of my mom, and larger-than-life personae of many of my friends. As a company, there are many businesses that we admire: Enfleurage, Floracopeia, and Maroma, to name a few.
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Read about another Beauty & Health entrepreneur here.
Edited by The Story Exchange