Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My inspiration is helping men and women regain their confidence when they look in the mirror at their hair and/or beards through my handcrafted, plant-derived hair products. You can be the best-dressed person in the room and still feel your worst if you don’t like how your hair looks. When customers send me messages about their progress, it gives me a “Super Mario coin” boost that keeps me going.

How do you stay motivated?

I am passionate about creating body, hair and home products using clean plant-derived ingredients. Knowing I can offer products that are safe for babies and adults, motivates me deeply. Seeing the powerful results that come from the synergy of my herbal combinations and processing techniques motivates me to keep innovating and serving my customers.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would invest it in launching several new products that I already make and use for my family. I would also hire professional support in key areas of the business, as my husband and I currently manage everything ourselves and growth requires additional expertise. I would invest in storage space to purchase materials in bulk, allowing me to reduce costs and increase margins while keeping unit costs to my customers affordable through economies of scale and also scale the business sustainably.