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

Hi Ericka, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Being in business for myself wasn’t something i just always wanted. When i was younger i always thought i would be in law enforcement or a professional athlete. Once i got into the corporate industry i was very displeased with how so many companies treat their employees or even who these companies have in higher positions. They don’t give you much room to grow or become better. So when i went into business for myself it was a relief. Nobody constantly looking over my shoulder, or treating me as less than because their title was bigger than mine. I don’t have any employees so sometimes it can become very hard and overwhelming trying to figure it out for yourself. Especially if you start like i did with no connections in the industry. I didn’t know any heavy hitters to sponsor or mentor me to get me going. I had to research and figure it out on my own. Some times i do want to throw the towel in because I’m exhausted. Or not getting the results i want at the time i want to see them. But then i get reviews from customers and the returning customers and i say to myself “this is why i do it”. I believe in myself and my products and they work.

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 started my business during the pandemic. I wasn’t worried about not having income i still had a steady job that i worked for. But how i got started was i was diagnosed with a skin disorder that is similar to eczema. So my skin was very dry and scaly. The products that dermatologist prescribed for me was so expensive that even with insurance it was about $300 or more out of pocket with no generic version for cheaper. On top of that it was a huge supply for the product. I love holistic healing, and so i turned to remedies to help subside the flares and clear my skin. After doing my research on plants and oils and butters i found something that worked for me. And ultimately gave me my confidence back. Then i sat and thought well how many more people have these issues with other skin disorders. And what is the ultimate root of causing this? So i did my research and decided to test it first and then sell it. Much cheaper than doctor prescribed medications. And is naturally good for all skin types as well as safe for babies. Once people use my products they instantly fall in love that gives me the motivation to keep going. And i also allow input to what are some things they would like to see or need help with. I speak directly to my customers. Making them feel apart of the business because they are. I can’t win without them. And all i want to do is make everyone feel comfortable in their skin.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media was absolutely one of the things i dreaded having to do alone. It’s a lot more than just posting things. You have to post at right time and figure out how to get people involved. Create something that will draw their attention in. I had so much to learn about social media and how to gain my audiences that way. What i started doing was making little interaction videos online with my products. Making them fun but informative so they knew what they were looking at. I would go live to show my face. To show them I’m just as human and regular as they are. Introducing myself and being one with them. Asking my followers how they would like to see my brand presented and listening and implementing those things as much as i can. When i did that then i gained the following. And the support.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When i originally came out i overwhelmed myself with too many products at once and i was so disorganized. It got to the point where i had to pull back on some of the products until i could create an audience first and then pivot to where i want to be. Removing items altogether even took place. Noticing that i was all over the place and when you don’t have a steady following yet to just be all over the place confuses the audience and they ultimately move away from the company because it’s not showing a consistency of why they should care or pay attention. So i had to go back to the drawing board. What has everyone’s attention right now? Okay let’s start with that and upsell that. I focused on two products for months gaining reviews and feedback and customers before adding additional products to the line.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.cleosbodyessentials.com
• Instagram: Cleos_bodyessentials
• Facebook: Cleo’s Body Essentials