We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Schufford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

So the story behind Surviving MJ is unique in that I didn’t intend to start a business. Truthfully, my life felt like it was falling apart, financially, mentally, emotionally, and physically and making candles out of my son’s baby food jars was somehow what came to mind to fix it all. I know it sounds crazy, so let me give you the backstory.

My husband and I were so excited when we found out we were pregnant with our first child, MJ (Marshall Jr.), What we didn’t expect was how hard the pregnancy would be. I suffered from hyperemesis which is essentially morning sickness, but for the entire duration of my pregnancy, not just the first trimester. For 8 months I couldn’t work because I was so sick. I battled daily struggles with dehydration, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and a host of other issues that come from not being able to eat. It got so bad, I ultimately had an in-home nurse and a catheter inserted into my stomach.

To say that it was the most challenging 8 months of my life would be an understatement. When I finally gave birth to MJ after 32 hours in labor and an emergency C-Section, I remember thinking “I did it, The hardest part is over.” Oh how naive I was. For the next two years, I suffered from postpartum depression and struggled to make up for the financial deficit my pregnancy had caused. When MJ was about 6 months old, I couldn’t even pay our mortgage. I started making candles out of his baby food jars and selling them for $5 just hoping to keep our home. Not only did they sell, but I sold out. Women resonated with my story and wanted to support.

I thought, “Wow, I’m not the only one feeling this way. Other women are struggling too.” I knew then that I wanted to inspire other moms with my story. I wanted them to know they weren’t alone. And that’s how Surviving MJ was founded. After two years, Surviving MJ has grown from those baby food jars to a full line of Self-Care products all to help busy moms incorporate Self-Care into their daily routine.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hello! My name is Ashley Schufford and I am the CEO and founder of Surviving MJ Self-Care Essentials. And for those asking, yes MJ is my son. Most people laugh when I tell them the name of my company, but come to tears when I tell them the story behind it.

As a young mother who suffered from postpartum depression, I knew that I wanted to use my story to encourage, inspire, and uplift other moms. I know how hard it can be to take time for yourself when you’re carrying the weight of so many other responsibilities. We are mothers, wives, business owners, coworkers, daughters, and so much more. On the long list of all those we care for, I’ve found that we place ourselves at the bottom.

However, through my struggle with postpartum, I’ve learned Self-Care is essential to our well-being and to the flourishing of all our relationships. So we are here to remind women that Self-Care has to be a fundamental part of our daily lives because we are our best when we’re at our best.

At Surviving MJ we offer a variety of products that are designed to help busy moms relax, recharge, and rejuvenate. From luxurious body creams and soothing candles to indulgent sugar scrubs, we have everything to incorporate some much needed “Me Time” into your hectic day.

All our products are easily incorporated into your busy routine. Use our decadent sugar scrubs while you’re in the shower, our spa headbands and facial cleanser when you’re washing your face, our body creams and oils when you’re getting ready, and our whipped cream candles when you’re settling in for the night.

It was important to me that Surviving MJ be a brand that truly encouraged and uplifted women not just another bath and body store. That’s why we offer bi-annual FREE Self-Care retreats for women in our local community. At these events, we provide food, drinks, activities, and giveaways as well as a Self-Care curriculum educating women about the importance of Self-Care and the impact it has on our day-to-day lives. We also offer a FREE Self-Care Ebook to all women comprised of Self-Care tips and tricks, daily activities, resources, and tools they can refer to when they’re feeling overwhelmed.

I have also had the pleasure of sharing my story at women’s conferences, local churches, Non-Profit organizations, and to millions of women through our online platforms. I believe this is because women resonate with a brand that offers transparency, authenticity, and honesty. In only our second year of business, Surviving MJ more than doubled our annual sales and continues to grow exponentially. We are excited for the opportunity to serve such beautiful women and mothers daily!

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Thank you so much for asking. So, right now Surviving MJ’s products are all handcrafted with our own proprietary recipes and blends. When I started Surviving MJ, I truthfully didn’t know anything about formulations and beauty products. I first learned how to make candles. Through much research, books, and online courses and communities, I started making my signature whipped cream candles. These are still one of our bestsellers.

Over time, women who wanted to support Surviving MJ asked if we made any other products and that’s when I started researching beauty formulations. It was important to me that we use sustainable ingredients that were as natural as possible. I worked for nearly two years formulating before we finally launched our bath and body products. Now we create our body creams, sugar scrubs, body wash, and soaps with the best ingredients you can buy. Our formulations incorporate fresh rose and calendula botanicals, raw African shea, mango, and cocoa butter, coconut and jojoba oil, aloe vera and so much more. In addition, all our candles are 100% soy wax, clean burning, and Non-Toxic.

As a women-owned business, I enjoy having the opportunity to support other women owned enterprises. so we purchase many of our raw ingredients from them. As we have grown, it has been hard to keep up with demand, so I have employed the help of my family and friends which has given me much joy. We are also excited that our products are now sold in local boutiques, stores, and farmers’ markets in Texas.

Surviving MJ has taught me so much about manufacturing products, supply chains, and working with local vendors. Most importantly, testing, testing, testing. Trail and error are two of the best teachers when it comes to manufacturing and working with local vendors who are educated about their products are certainly two of the best lessons I’ve learned about manufacturing our products. In the end, releasing the perfect formulation and getting the reviews from our customers certainly makes it worth it!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Surviving MJ is one of the few bath and body brands that focuses on Self-Care and authenticity and I think this has really resonated with our customers and the women of our community. We have dedicated ourselves to creating products that encourage women to take time for themselves and to prioritize their overall well-being.

Surviving MJ is a brand literally birthed from my personal struggle with postpartum depression. Our products, mission, vision, and strengths are all meant to inspire women through transparency.

What differentiates Surviving MJ from its competitors is the emphasis on the value of our customers, reminding them they are worthy instead of making them feel like using our products will make them worthy.
Because of this, we have been able to develop a strong brand identity and mission that resonates with women.

I think that women see a brand that aligns with their values and struggles and that’s transparent about it and this has allowed us to foster a loyal following. The majority of our sales and interactions have actually come through word of mouth, recommendations, and women who spread the word because they genuinely resonate with our story and struggle and want to share our brand with other women. The trust of our customers is by far Surviving MJ’s biggest achievement,

Contact Info:

• Website: SurvivingMJ.com
• Instagram: @SurvivingMJSelfCare
• Facebook: @SurvivingMJSelfCare
• Youtube: @SurvivingMJSelfCare
• Other: Tik Tok @SurvivingMJSelfCare