Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to LaShonda Franklin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, LaShonda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I have been a nurse for 14 years and have always been passionate about women’s health. All but 1 year of my nursing career has been in Labor and Delivery. Although that has been my career, I also had other interests and desires that I enjoyed. In April 2020 during the pandemic, I launched a press on nail line, Diva Pressed Nails. I had been doing nails as a hobby and I considered myself as a self-taught nail artist. I used my skills to create works of art in the form of press on nails and cuticle oil. I made my business official a couple months later and Fab Diva Nails LLC was created.

In January 2023, I expanded my business and External Reflections was birthed. A lot of life experiences helped motivate me to step out on faith and create hygiene and personal care products for women and men. My main focus was developing a feminine hygiene soap, which is named, The Power Bar. It is specifically formulated to help women stay and feel fresh. To help balance their pH and control odor so they feel fresh. I make bar soap, body oil, and cuticle oil.

My motto and desire for my business is, “Externally reflect the beauty that resides within.” My goal is for customers to feel good about themselves on the outside and my hope is that my products help them do that! Not only did I want to create products that work, I wanted my brand to be one that promotes self love, and encourages my customers to feel good about themselves.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a 37 year old black woman who wears many hats. I am a faith filled believer of Jesus Christ first and foremost. I am a mother, a nurse, a nail artist and a visionary. I am a small business owner with big dreams to one day have my products be a household necessity. I initially started out making custom press on nails, and that grew into me making personal care items for both women and men. I plan on expanding the products I make and sell as I continue to grow in business. I am very passionate about women’s health and External Reflections was birthed out of my own battles and issues with feminine hygiene. I wanted to create a product that would not only help me, but the many other women who are looking for something to help balance their pH and help keep them fresh and clean. From there, things have expanded and I have created other products. The men’s hygiene bar is named “The Strength Bar” and the women’s bar is “The Power Bar”.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new customers for me has been going to events as a vendor where I am able to interact directly with customers and answer questions on the spot about my products. They are able to smell the products and see them. This helps them make their decisions and purchase. From here, it creates a relationship between the customer and myself and I notice that those same customers become repeat customers online. I do have a website for online purchasing. The customers I meet at events also aide in being promoters for me because word of mouth and suggestion is a powerful tool in business. If someone likes my products and tells their friends and family about it, it creates more sales for my business.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think as a small business owner, it is important to never give up. There may be slow days and months, but it is important to continue to plan, grow and build even when business may be slow. I have noticed that not everyone you know and are close to will be part of your customer base. It is important to create thick skin and not take things personally in regard to that. Make goals and try to stick to those goals to continue to grow your business and be successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: yourexternalreflections.com
• Instagram: External Reflections
• Facebook: External Reflections
• Other: fb: Diva Pressed Nails ig: Diva Pressed Nails