We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jada Gonzales a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jada , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I am a firm believer in that in order for you to be successful, you need to be willing to fail. No one picks up a skill the very first time they try it. You have to work, have discipline, and stay motivated even when things get hard in order to master something. It’s very easy to not try something you have always wanted to do because you are afraid to fail. In fact, that fear alone stops everyone (even me) from doing something they have always dreamed of doing. If you start a venture, you must be willing to fail fast, and fail often. No journey to the top is ever easy, but the perspective your bring to the table is what makes tough days and long periods of waiting worth it. At the end of the day, if you fail at any step of the way and you just stop, you’ve given up. You must be willing to know that not every step of your process will be perfect, but that is where the magic happens. The moments of uncertainty are what builds resilience, and that resilience is what builds a true, successful leader.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I moved from Honolulu, HI to Dallas, TX four years ago. I am a Certified Advanced Scuba Diver and Underwater Photographer with PADI. After spending so many of my days in the ocean, I became passionate about keeping our gorgeous oceans clean. That is how I came up with the idea of creating my own bar soap – so that way I could make less of an impact with less single use plastic. Over time, my friends and family began to want their own, and that is how Sea Clear Soap Co. was born. Now every year, I give back the profits to either the Ocean Conservatory or Mental Health America of Greater Dallas.
I am most proud of what I have been able to give back to the community from my efforts. Making soap is a therapeutic and creative outlet for me, and I am so proud that the product is natural and benefiting the environment with its use and proceeds after it is sold.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Most of my clients are word of mouth customers that request custom orders for events. Soap is best sold fresh, so this allows for the bars to be sent and used at their peak quality due to their natural ingredients. I keep in tough via social media, and in person events across the DFW area. I make sure that my bars are high quality, and that my customers are happy, so they recommend me to their friends and family for another event.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I initially grew my social media by following other small business owners in my industry in my local area. I think making friends and connecting with other makers is a huge step in gaining support. I also made sure that all the photos of my product were professional, quality, and had good lighting. I also made use of hashtags that had to do with my business, and made sure to engage with other soap makers by liking and commenting on their products on their Instagram account.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seaclearsoapco/, https://www.instagram.com/jadagonzales/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jademgonzales/
Image Credits
These were taken by me and Kelly Cugini