We were lucky to catch up with Kristin Hecox recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

One of the most defining lessons of my life came during deployment, when I served as the Production Control NCOIC.

In that role, I quickly learned that decisions are never isolated. Every choice carried weight – not just for me, but for the entire mission. Timelines mattered. Details mattered. Accountability mattered. Each month, critical reports were due. There was no room for excuses, and no tolerance for “almost.” Deadlines weren’t suggestions- they were commitments.

What shaped me most, however, was the responsibility to stand by my decisions. If something was right, I owned it. If something was wrong, I owned that too. And if I saw something that needed to be addressed, it was my duty to speak up – regardless of rank. Leadership wasn’t about position; it was about stewardship.

That season taught me discipline, integrity, and the courage to act when something matters.

Today, as a business owner, I carry that same standard into everything I do. Every formula, every batch, every label, every customer interaction – it all carries weight. There are no shortcuts. No “good enough.” When something isn’t right, I fix it. When a promise is made, I honor it.

Because whether in uniform or in business, the mission remains the same: serve well, lead with integrity, and never compromise on what matters

Kristin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Cure La Vie was created from both conviction and necessity.

After serving in the military, where precision and accountability were non-negotiable, I carried that same standard into every area of my life – including what I put on my skin. As I began paying closer attention to ingredient labels, I realized how many “clean” products still contained fillers, synthetic stabilizers, and unnecessary additives. I saw a clear need for something simpler. More honest. More nourishing.

That search led me back to traditional skincare – specifically grass-fed, grass-finished suet tallow. Tallow is remarkably compatible with our skin’s natural structure, making it deeply restorative and bioavailable. From there, I thoughtfully incorporate herbal infusions and organic essential oils chosen for function, not trend. Every ingredient must serve a purpose. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t belong.

Cure La Vie is small-batch and intentionally crafted. Each formula is concentrated, without dilution or filler, and produced with the same discipline I learned in uniform. What sets us apart isn’t just that we use tallow – it’s the standard behind how we source, render, and formulate.

We serve women and families who are tired of complicated routines and products that overpromise and underdeliver. Our approach is rooted in simplicity that works – restoring dry, reactive, or depleted skin with ingredients the body recognizes.

I am most proud of the integrity behind the brand. Cure La Vie is proudly woman veteran-owned, based in Kansas City, and built on the belief that excellence matters – in formulation, in service, and in follow-through.

At its heart, Cure La Vie is a return to what works – thoughtfully crafted skincare designed to truly nourish.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

We sell directly through our website, which is built on the Shopify platform.

From the beginning, it was important that Cure La Vie have its own digital home – a space that reflects our aesthetic, our values, and the experience we want our customers to have. Shopify has allowed us to scale thoughtfully as we’ve grown. It’s reliable, adaptable, and gives us the flexibility to maintain our brand integrity without being boxed into a marketplace template.

One of the biggest advantages of selling through our own site is the direct relationship it creates with our customers. We’re able to control the education around our ingredients, share our story fully, and provide a more intentional shopping experience. That connection matters to us.

Of course, there are trade-offs. Running an independent ecommerce site requires more hands-on oversight. To keep the site complaint, optimized, and relevant, we often integrate additional apps and tools – which can come with added monthly fees. But in my view, that investment is part of building something sustainable and elevated.

For us, owning our platform aligns with how we approach everything else: intentional, disciplined, and built for longevity – not just convenience.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Yes – we manufacture our products ourselves, in small batches.

When we started Cure La Vie, I didn’t come from a cosmetic manufacturing background. What I did bring was a deep respect for standards, systems, and accountability. I knew that if I was going to create something people trusted on their skin, it had to be done with precision and integrity.

There was definitely a learning curve. I invested significant time studying traditional rendering methods, ingredient safety, formulation balance, and small-batch production practices. I tested extensively, refined repeatedly, and documented everything. Excellence requires discipline.

I did explore working with outside manufacturers, but I couldn’t find one willing to meet our sourcing standards – particularly for grass-fed, grass-finished suet tallow and our carefully prepared herbal infusions. Compromise wasn’t an option.

So we built our own process.

Manufacturing in-house allows us to maintain full control over every ingredient quality, batch consistency, and formulation integrity. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that growth should never outpace standards. Small-batch production may take more effort, but it protects the trust our customers place in us.

For us, staying hands-on is not just about production – it’s about stewardship.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://curelavie.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curelavie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558057925285
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cure.la.vie1

Image Credits

Kristin Hecox