We recently connected with Aja Walker-Rice and have shared our conversation below.
Aja, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
If someone says, “being an entrepreneur is a piece of cake” they’re lying! But, of course, I knew nothing about that in the beginning.
Only two years in to my entrepreneurial journey, I was blessed to bring my oldest son into this world via a natural, home birth. Less than 90 days later, I resigned from a promising career with the federal government to become a full-time, stay-at-home-mom, and soon-to-be mompreneur .
As beautiful and exciting as it all was, it added a different type of struggle to my world, and flipped it upside-down.
I recall breastfeeding my son, while teaching myself everything from product photography, to creating standard operating procedures so that AJA Naturals could thrive on a daily basis.
I felt like I was working around the clock. Updating my, then, Etsy site and communicating with customers in between feedings & diaper changes. There was absolutely nothing glamorous about it, but I was determined to make it work.
Risk taking does not come naturally to me; especially when there’s so many moving parts. But, I knew that I wanted to be a hands on mother who didn’t miss any of my baby’s firsts. I also knew that in order to comfortably stay home with him, I’d need to make my small business my new career.
A lot of long nights and tons of dedication has made AJA Naturals what it is today.
Now, that same baby who I left my career behind, and financial security, to care for now works side-by-side with me; helping to pack order and cut soaps.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Aja, and I’m the Owner & Lead Artisan at AJA Naturals.
I’m a hippie at heart, and I believe it is that spirit that has lead me on this journey.
A few personal series of events lead me to the world of entrepreneurship and natural skincare.
The catalyst being a health scare that helped me to become more conscious about what I put into and on-to my body.
At the age of 18, I was scheduled to have surgery to remove multiple cysts from both breasts. I was terrified and had no idea how this could happen to me – especially at such a young age.
Thankfully, the cysts were benign and removed without complications.
I was also fortunate to have a surgeon that emphasized education. Conversations with her about my daily routines, more specifically the personal care products I used and the food I ate, brought to light just how naïve I was about products and their ingredients.
This is what sparked my “Natural State of Mind”, and sent me on a journey to Self Care.
I attended the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and set out to major in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on Tissue Engineering- so my passion for the human body, and the way it works, has always been there.
I spent all of college figuring out what personal care products worked for me, and what I needed to avoid. This experimentation lit my interest in formulations, and what it takes to make an effective product that’s also gentle.
As my interest began to shift, so did my major; I graduated with a B.S. in Business, and hopes of someday running my own.
I had secured a position working for the Department of Defense before even graduating. A few weeks after crossing the stage, I began my career while pursuing my passion project on the side.
My science background combined with a little business savvy, and my natural artistic gifts made it almost effortless for me to dive deeper into formulations.
A few books, and countless internet searches later, I began making soap, and as crazy as it may sound it changed my life.
I now had everything I needed to make my skin feel and look amazing, without the dryness and irritation experienced by bigger brands.
The pride of making everything with my own hands, and knowing exactly what went into each product – had me officially hooked!
It started as just a few bath & body products shared with friends & family. Then, almost out of nowhere, turned into a real business.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I officially started this business I was a new, full time, stay-at-home mom. Therefore I was learning two major jobs at once.
It took me almost two years before I was making just $100 a day. There were many times that I wanted to give up.
To be completely transparent, even with my business doing much better, I still experience moments like that.
But, the keyword here is ‘moments’.
I make it my business to not allow those negative feelings to linger too long. I love what I do, and My children think I’m a real life super hero for having my own business. This journey is not for the faint of heart, and It’s nothing like the entertaining, highly edited reels you see on social media. That’s when it’s more important than ever to have faith, and trust that you’re on the right path.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Let’s I’m face it. Social media is no walk in the park. Understanding the wants, needs and expectations of your customers, curating an aesthetically pleasing and comprehensive Page, not to mention ensuring that each post is shared at just the right time so that a higher percentage of your audience can Interact with it. My audiences on social media are not large by far, yet I have learned them, and formed bonds with many of them.
When trying to grow organically I still haven’t found the perfect formula, but I have learned that regardless of how many followers you have you must continue to show up regularly, and present the best assets you have.
As the old saying goes, there’s always someone watching. That’s especially true for social media. Keep an eye on your insights, take advantage of the new tools rolled out by each platform, and most importantly put yourself in your customers’ shoes. More than likely, if a post/topic wouldn’t make you want to visit a page or website to learn more, then it probably won’t make your audience want to go that route either.
I make it a weekly practice to poll my followers on their likes and dislikes. This tactic alone has helped me to make a stronger connection to my potential customers, and bring to the forefront what they’re most interested in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ajanaturals.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajanaturals/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/AJANaturals/
Image Credits
Aja Walker-Rice