We recently connected with Dana Ellis and have shared our conversation below.

Dana, 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?

Success in today’s society requires a strong foundation, starting with the right mindset. I was fortunate to grow up in an environment where I was constantly encouraged to push myself and work diligently towards my goals. From an early age, I embraced the mindset of an entrepreneur, focusing on independence, collaboration, time management, and the ability to create and follow my own schedule. Most importantly, I learned that success is a journey, not an instant achievement. Patience is crucial, a quality I had to cultivate early on, and one that I continue to develop.
To achieve success, it’s essential to build a well-thought-out plan and visualize your long-term goals. Nothing worthwhile happens overnight, and the determination to reach your objectives is key to transforming them into accomplishments.
When I first launched my business, I found myself overwhelmed by the multitude of ideas I wanted to implement immediately. However, I quickly realized that rushing through the process would only lead to mistakes or missed opportunities for improvement. I learned that speed should never come at the cost of quality, and that a measured, thoughtful approach is crucial for long-term success.

Dana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Growing up with parents who created, owned, and operated a construction company, allowed me to develop an interest as an entrepreneur in engineering. In my spare time, I enjoy working on my entrepreneur skills by creating styles as a hair professional, developing skin care products, and studying engineering concepts. The unpleasant lifestyle caused by the pandemic was the perfect opportunity for me to address my personal struggles of having eczema. When I was younger, I was very insecure about my skin and always wanted to hide it. Frustration would overwhelm me because it was making my skin look infected. On a regular basis I would hear, “What happened to your hands?” or what happened to your arms? From research, online classes, multiple trials with samples and feedback, my business was finally ready to launch in November 2020. The business name was created using my middle name, Winter. “Winters Touch” is my signature shea butter. From this, “A Touch of Winter” was created. We have developed 4 scents using natural shea butter and essential oils.
For the upcoming holiday in 2020, I gifted samples of my shea butter line to family and mystery potential customers. The feedback was so overwhelming that I brought more products, professional labels, launched my website and started booking events to highlight and sell my products. Our products now include body wash with the same scent as the shea butter, hand sanitizer, candles, gift boxes, and lip balm. As of today, we have customers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia and District of Columbia.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

To demonstrate loyalty and maintain strong relationships with my clients, I regularly offer targeted discounts as a way to provide ongoing value and encourage continued support for my brand. I typically introduce seasonal promotions around holidays and during transitional periods between seasons. These discounts serve as a token of appreciation, allowing my clients to feel recognized and valued, while also incentivizing them to stay engaged with my business.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My support system has been instrumental in helping me establish a strong reputation within my market. The foundation of this support comes from my family, who not only encouraged me to launch my business but also became my first clients—and to this day, they remain loyal, returning customers. Their continued support has been invaluable, as they actively promote my brand, expanding its reach and introducing it to a diverse audience beyond just my immediate demographic. This has played a significant role in broadening my client base and increasing the visibility of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://atouchofwinter.com
• Instagram: atouchofwinter
• Other: Facebook- Dana Ellis

Image Credits

All credit to ATOUCHOFWINTER. Client’s names remain anonymous,