We were lucky to catch up with Jay Bowman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, thanks for joining us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

The biggest trend I see in my industry is pretty, colorful, glittery skincare products. I love glittery pretty things, but I have found that the pretty glittery products are just that, ‘PRETTY AND GLITTERY’ with no added benefits. They don’t offer any real moisture, the ingredients are trash and the product does absolutely nothing for the skin.

I am a product junky and that’s probably how I ended up making products, so yes I purchase alot of them from various companies. Well I purchased a scrub from a company that was yellow with glitter and it smelled absolutely amazing. When I received the product, I was sooo let down. It was hard, too abrasive on the skin and contained mineral oil in it which is a major no no for me. The moral of the story is, it can be pretty and glittery, just make sure it benefits your skin at the same time. Read your ingredient labels instead of being so hung up on glitter and pretty colors.

Jay, 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?

My name is Jay, Body Butter Barista and Selfcare Advocate. I am the owner of Jays Body Cafe. I make nourishing vegan skin and bath goodies that are inspired by sweet treats. My goal is to keep you moisturized and feeling amazing so that you can conquer your day! I help enhance how women feel about themselves, because when their skin feels good, they feel good, and I absolutely love that!!

The fact that my products are inspired by delicious desserts adds a delightful and unique dimension to self-care routines, making them more enjoyable and indulgent. I have had a knack for selfcare and body products since I was a little girl. I used to mix different lotions and powders to get a desired feel and smell. I had no idea what I was doing at 5 years old but I knew I loved it and I’ve been doing it ever since.

I feel like the aspect that sets my brand apart from others is that
1. My products are all handmade with love by me
2. I don’t make a pretty product and just toss it into the market, I research and make sure that the ingredients I’m using are going to give my customers skin the best nourishment ever because again when your skin feels good, your whole mindset it different and you are destined to have a good day.
Think about it, women wear makeup, get their hair and nails done because it makes them feel good. I’ve seen women suffer from depression due to skin, or scalp problems. When those problems don’t exist a womans whole mindset and self esteem is enhanced and that’s’ what my products bring to the market. I’m doing what I love while also being a part of elevating a womans day to day life. Thats an amazing feeling for me.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience… that’s a powerful word when it comes to entrepreneurship. Businesses are on the brink of failing everyday and that’s where resilience comes into play. Being able to bounce back and pick yourself up shows character and strength and I feel every entrepreneur has to have that in order to succeed. There was a time where I knew that if I didn’t change how things were going and put certain systems in place, my business would not have succeeded. So I took a moment, evaluated my business, recognized my strengths and weaknesses, and rearranged how I did things. My business is most definitely better for it, and even still has more room for growth, but as long as I stay resilient I see nothing but success in my future.

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

My reputation was built by consistency. I consistently showed up on social media, and that built trust. Then I consistently showed up at vending events and that built brand awareness. Something that I feel really helped build my reputation was word of mouth. When a person vouches for your brand, that means a lot to the person that’s never used your product because they are trusting the word of the person they know. It’s all about trust, when people trust you, it’s on from there!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jaysbodycafe.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaysbodycafe
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jaysbodycafe

Image Credits
www.instagram.com/brandonmckell Brandon