We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Revello. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.

Jennifer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I grew up in Uruguay in a hard working family so for a long time success for me was defined by reaching as high as possible on the corporate ladder. I was taught to work hard and follow the rules, to strive for the security and the comfort of working in the corporate world and all the benefits that come with that. I never thought I would become an entrepreneur.

In 2007 I met the father of my child and he saw something in me that I didn’t even know existed and he encouraged me to start my own business. He saw how hard I was working in my corporate position and gave me that extra push I needed to see myself as an entrepreneur. His family works in the soap business in the Farmers Markets of Provence in the South of France and during one of our trips there, I got to meet them, learn more about the soap business, and understand the difference between mass manufactured soap and French triple milled soap. I also got to experience the scents and flavors of Provence. There was something so magical about the fields of lavender and the triple milled soaps that were using the same production process from centuries ago.

I knew I wanted to bring that experience back to the US with me and introduce it to everyone here. I also knew there would be a lot of work involved so I started by doing a lot of research to see what my audience would be and where they were buying their soaps and beauty supplies. It was very important for me to bring the same concept of what I saw in South of France to the US and I felt the markets in New York City were the perfect setup to replicate the experience of the markets in the South of France.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Averal was created with the goal of bringing the amazing scents of the South of France to the US in the form of triple milled French soaps. The Averal soaps are made using the finest ingredients in the tradition of triple milled Marseille soaps, which means that the soaps are passed through the mill three times to eliminate as much water as possible and leave the purest form of soap that keeps its smell longer and lasts a lot longer than a standard soap. Olive oil and shea butter are two of the main ingredients in every soap, allowing for a moisturizing and hydrating experience with every bath and the classic aromas such as lavender, honey, or lemon verbena and the unique fragrances like Monoi, a unique blend of coconut oil and the natural essence of tiare flowers from Tahiti, make the Averal soaps the perfect way to start every day or decompress at night.

I didn’t know a lot about the soap business when the idea of starting a company first sparked with me, but I knew there was something worth looking into. So I visited the factories in Marseille, I learned why triple milled soaps are so different from mass produced ones. As part of my research into the potential audience, I went to work for an entire season for someone else at the New York markets. This allowed me not only to save money and meet potential clients, but also to learn how the market worked from the inside from people who had been participating in it for years.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There is a book called “Changing Reality” by Serge Kahili King that has helped me in both my personal and professional life. While my life has been filled with ups and downs, one thing I learned from this book is that it is within my power to reframe my reality and turn every single negative into a positive learning experience. Knowing that I have that ability to reframe every “bad” thing from my life, change my reality, and even start over when needed, has been a complete game changer.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I was quite naive and trusting going into starting a business. Plus I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on the initial start-up costs so I ended up hiring a web designer from Craigslist to build my website. He asked me for a $300 cash deposit, which I happily paid, then he completely vanished. I was incredibly hurt and disappointed, so I decided not only to learn how to build a website myself, but also to build my circle of trust, to make sure that I pick the best people to work with, who can advise me when I need it and whom I can trust to always be fair and upfront with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.averalprovence.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/averalprovence/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/averalprovenceusa/

Image Credits
Head Shot : Wioleta Bublik Product: Karin Topolanski