We recently connected with Mfon Ekpe-Dancy and have shared our conversation below.

Mfon, 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?

The process of going from idea to execution was atypical. I didn’t plan to start a business therefore, I had no funding, business acumen, marketing or sales skills. Here’s how my skincare company Ziggy’s Pudding came about. I am a mom of four. When my first was a few weeks old, he started having diaper rashes that wouldn’t completely heal, no matter what I tried. I used the available remedies on the market and even some of the DIY ones like burnt cornstarch to no avail. His diaper rash issues lasted three months. I came up with a concoction and a system to help with his diaper rashes, then he started experiencing eczema. I had to modify this concoction again to help with that. Fast forward to baby number two who had infected eczema patches. I modified my concoction again and eventually his skin recovered. I had been using this remedy for years and sending it to friends and family for their children’s skin health. I am a critical care registered nurse by trade and at the time of making this decision, I just had my 3rd child and was out of work in the nursing field. I wanted to do something different. So I decided that I’d open a dropshipping store on Shopify after watching a few YouTube videos. As I was building the website and trying to figure out how to use Orbelo, I said to myself, “I could just sell my body butter”… then went to my husband and said “What if I sell my own stuff, the pediatrician loves it, why not?” he said “yeah, why not?” and it was decided.

I didn’t have a name, so my husband suggested the name Ziggy’s Pudding after my two sons. My oldest son’s nickname is Ziggy and the second son’s nickname is Pudding. Since I created the product for them, the name was fitting. I immediately started the trademark process on the USPTO website. I did it myself and it was an encouraging experience. Then I asked a friend to help me create the logo, but that didn’t go as planned, so I spent a couple of weeks using MS Word to create the logo. Next was to design the product labels. I used MS Word to create a label. I printed them from my HP office jet printer, cut them to size using sharp scissors,
The next step was to construct the website on Shopify, which I did myself in two weeks using tutorials from YouTube. I took pictures with an old point-and-shoot camera and uploaded them to the website. My husband created my Instagram page and on January 2nd, 2018 the store was open for business. I sent the link to my friends and family and some sales started coming in. My husband was my social media manager, so he promoted hard on IG and more sales came in.

From the day I decided to sell my own product to launch, it took about 3 months to launch

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?

Ziggy’s Pudding® is a vegan, cruelty-free, natural, and clean skincare company, with a focus on children, and people with sensitive and irritated skin. Our approach uses predominately organic oil-based products to restore, protect, and rejuvenate the skin. We source certified organic, organic, and sustainably wild-harvested raw materials to create our skincare products. Our range of nourishing, simple yet potent, skin-friendly, nontoxic products is the perfect solution for those suffering from eczema, babies with diaper rash, cradle cap, dry skin, dermatitis, and sensitive and irritated skin.

Mfon Ekpe-Dancy RN, BSN is a critical care nurse with over 10+ years of caring for patients from children to the elderly. I am also a certified natural skin and hair care formulator and a holistic health coach. I have seen my share of acute and chronic illnesses overwhelm, devastate, and tragically end people’s lives. When my family member experienced a catastrophic illness, it led me to take a deep dive into natural health and holistic healing.

“When our firstborn, Ziggy started experiencing recurrent diaper rashes and eczema, and nothing on the market worked for his skin, I was forced to take my natural health knowledge and use it to create natural products to restore and heal his skin. With subsequent children experiencing eczema, I perfected my formulation and started sharing it with friends and family. Fast forward to now, we have a skincare brand here to serve the needs of those suffering from eczema, diaper rash, dry skin, and irritated and sensitive skin.

I founded this company because, I have a deep conviction that most conditions have a natural, holistic solution. Here at Ziggy’s Pudding, we strive to create products for people with sensitive and irritated skin in mind. When I was looking for a viable alternative for my children’s skin, I could not find it. I know that feeling, and if I can create and provide a solution to you that will bring relief without toxins, then I am fulfilled” -Mfon

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Email marketing. I love it because I can really connect with my customers, and share on a more intimate level than with posts and stories. I also keep in touch with DMs. Some clients initiate the conversation through DMs or vice versa, and we keep it there.

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

When my company was 6 months or so old, I walked into the Erewhon in Calabasas with a sample of my baby body butter for the buyer/store manager. The cashier alerted him to my presence and that I wanted to present my product. When he came out, he angrily said to me “No, no, this is not how it’s done, no… I will not open it,.. if you leave it here, I’ll just give it away… this is not how it’s done…” and I was shocked, embarrassed and devastated. I heard of many people walking up to a store manager with their product to get it on store shelves plenty of times, so naturally, I thought, if I could be brave enough to go in there and present my product, I just might get it on Erewhon’s shelves. That public rejection was tough and almost kept me from continuing my business, but when I got messages from customers asking for more, my courage was renewed.

It’s important to learn that being an entrepreneur will be filled with tests and challenges, if you have a strong enough why and love the people you are serving, you will stay resilient through it all.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ziggyspudding.com
• Instagram: @ziggyspudding
• Facebook: @ziggyspudding
• Youtube: @ziggyspudding