Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Allison Evans. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Allison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My aunt, Marilee, and best friend, Kelly, and I started Branch Basics in 2009 because we wanted desperately to help people remove toxins from their homes and experience what we call “the power of pure”. It all started when Kelly and I moved out to the Hill Country of Texas to live with Marilee in the summer of 2009 – upon graduating from college – because I was having unexplained symptoms that most closely resembled MS. I was on painkillers, muscle relaxers, antidepressants and sleeping pills. Kelly was my best friend who just wanted to learn more about healthy living, never thinking this summer would change her life as well. We spent 8 weeks living in a home free of all synthetic fragrances, pesticides, perfumes… drank organic veggie juice… walked barefoot in the grass… and cooked and ate REAL food. My chronic symptoms lifted and Kelly’s “normal” symptoms of PMS, dry skin, itchy eyes, etc. were gone. We couldn’t believe the difference that living clean could make and wanted to share this information with the world. We wanted to put Marilee’s brain on the internet! Our products are simply a vehicle for our greater mission of educating people on the importance of making clean choices when ti comes to what. we put in, on and around our bodies. The three of us each have witnessed drastic shifts in our health after toxic chemicals were removed from our diets and homes, and we want to empower others to do the same!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I was a PR major in college, but I could have never imagined using the skills I learned within the context of my own company! I never wanted to be an entrepreneur. As mentioned earlier, unexpected and drastic symptoms (most closely resembling MS) hit me in college and derailed my career plans. I spent the summer of 2009 living with my Aunt Marilee, soaking in everything she had learned about using Food as Medicine and the power of creating a home and diet free of toxic chemicals. I experienced such a dramatic shift in my health – essentially all symptoms lifting – that I wanted to join forces with my best friend, Kelly, and Marilee, and tell the world about it! We started a blog and online store, offering an array of healthy-home related items like organic mattresses, air purifiers, infrared saunas, etc., but found that people kept coming back to the non-toxic, multi-purpose cleaning soap concentrate. We realized this product alone – by replacing virtually all toxic cleaners in the home – could significantly reduce the amount of daily toxins people were exposed to. The problem was, we private-labeled it, and wanted to own our own formula that was just as effective and safe. (Having clean ingredients is one thing… but having a safe product that actually CLEANS is another!). In 2016, with the help of amazing chemists and manufacturers, we created our current soap concentrate. Along with the Oxygen Boost, this formula has revolutionized the non-toxic cleaning industry. Unlike most nontoxic cleaning products, Branch Basics contains NO synthetic fragrances and perservatives, and passes the most stringent 3rd party certification safety tests. We sell the concentrate alongside empty bottles (all-purpose, bathroom, streak-free, laundry, hand soap), which allow for easy diluting and usage… and significantly reduces plastic waste. I am so proud of what we have created, mainly because it allows for people to step into our mission of creating truly healthy homes by removing toxic products, and experiencing the health benefits of clean living.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In 2016, when we were still private-labeling a concentrate we didn’t own, we found out that our formulator was not honest about the details of a few of the ingredients. While we had third-party safety testing proving that the formula was still safe and non-toxic, we didn’t feel comfortable selling it without full disclosure, which she was unwilling to give. We shut down the business, forcing us to let our amazing employees go, and not knowing if we’d ever re-open. For the next 18 months, we worked with formulators, chemists and manufacturers trying to create our own formula (we have ZERO knowledge/background in chemistry), and many said we couldn’t do it. Our ingredient standards were too stringent for what we wanted – it was impossible. Over 100 iterations later, we created our current formula! We are so thankful we persevered and we’d never be where we are today had we not done what we knew was right .
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
The word “authentic” is overused, however there isn’t a better word to describe why I believe we have been successful in this crazy world of social media. We never set out to sell products – we were always on a mission to educate people – and facebook and instagram were the easiest (and cheapest!) way to get the word out on the power of clean living. We used this platform to share our health journeys, tips on identifying toxic cleaners in your home, favorite recipes, alternatives to conventional pesticides, etc. The most we focus on selling product, the less we sell. The more we can stay true to our mission of educating people by putting out relevent content on healthy living, the more we sell.
My advice is to go after your passion, and to share as much of your journey, your “why”, yourSELF, with your audience. Be real, show the messes and the struggles and the background behind your product/service. People want to feel connected and as if they can relate. Share information that helps people be better versions of themselves, if possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.branchbasics.com
- Instagram: @branchbasics
Image Credits
Kristen Kilpatrick