We were lucky to catch up with Marcia Allen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marcia, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I have always been creative, refinishing furniture, painting, or designing graphics. However, delving into making products for more than just my family and me was a new direction I hadn’t thought much about pursuing. With a family of people with sensitive skin, I was always looking into better skin care options on the market and would make products when I couldn’t find what I was looking for. Eventually, I wondered if I could pursue this as a business venture. However, I didn’t want to be like everyone else by “just” making products with nothing unique.

It took six months to work on product formulations and develop storylines for each fragrance before we could launch the business. I had decided to use my cultural background to inspire my brand; each product story and name has a direct tie to my background. Born and raised in the Caribbean, it is important for me to highlight my roots; everything we make is inspired by the islands of St. Vincent and The Grenadines.

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

My brand HiRuna Designs, promises to bring you certified cruelty-free, vegan-friendly, handcrafted skincare products made lovingly with the utmost care for your skin—and your senses.

The bath and body products we prepare are inspired by our native home Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, an island nation in the Caribbean.

In Saint Vincent, so much is made by hand using available materials, and our food is more often plucked from the ocean or a tree than from the supermarket. You share with your family or buy from your neighbor, with unique craftsmanship appreciated for its character and imperfections. The custom products we make are an extension of that culture. Each product and fragrance line has a story, one that is deeply rooted in Caribbean culture, colors, and scents.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson I had to learn and am still learning is that I cannot do it all. I can do a lot, but attempting to do everything myself leads to burnout.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

We make all of our products ourselves. I knew how to make everything we carry, and the manufacturing complexity came into play after the final formulations; how do I scale production? Making 8 bars of soap is fine, but how do you go from 8 to 1000; what does that look like, and what production processes need to change? I have learned that so many lessons are taught through trial and error, and you have to be ready for surprises; no matter how many times you’ve made that same bar of soap, expect it to act up once in a while and not work correctly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hirunadesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hirunasoaps
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hirunaislandsoaps
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hirunadesigns/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hirunasoaps