We were lucky to catch up with Nautishay Cain recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nautishay, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

It took weeks for me to decide on a name for my brand. Initially I was using my personal brand name, Zerlane, but I figured I’ll separate my skincare line from it. Unfortunately, every name I thought of prior to were taken. There’s beauty in a brand whose name comes from originality. That’s how I’m able to tell if the brand is authentic and creative. One day it dawned on me to create Mocha Skin Cafe. My skin tone tone is mocha. “Skin Cafe” came after more failed attempts of skin care brands that already have “Mocha” within them. I asked a friend if they liked it, they confirmed. That’s when Mocha Skin Cafe was born. Once I got the name, the themes started rushing in. That’s when I knew that this is the one.

Nautishay, 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?

I’m someone who can wear many hats. I’ve been a math tutor and a blogger, but I’ve always been an entrepreneur since middle school. I’m a coder too. I used to be the little girl at the school selling chips, candy, chocolate, and gum. I shouldn’t have but what’s an entrepreneur without taking a risk.

I got into the skincare industry about two years ago. I made body butters for my long-time friend (we call each other sisters) because I wanted to save money. I already had the shea butter and nut oils so I figured why not. She let her mom try it and it slowly began to take off from there. I want my current and future customers to feel powerful in their skin once they leave their doors. The goal is for them to have moisturized, supple skin that others dream to have. Your skin is your biggest organ. You must care for it like you would any other organ. Many overlook that.

I’m most proud of my perseverance. No matter how many times I’ve failed, I continue to get back up and find better solutions. I’ve rebranded from Zerlane Collection to Mocha Skin Cafe so I can have a fresh start and operate a business the correct way. This will provide the opportunity for the growth that’s needed so that I can express myself to the world through my homemade skincare products.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of my favorite stories that illustrate my resilience is being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. After going through the various emotions, I had to accept that I have to relearn my body, my mind, and my soul, continuously. This is different from just shedding your old self. I’ve learned to place barriers up where I once I didn’t have them. My creativity that was once stalled, began to flow. I still have my ups and down due to its unpredictability, but I don’t allow it to consume me. I always remind myself that I am gifted, talented, and I always prevail.

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

I manufacture my own products. It started when I wanted to save money on my skincare products. I was unemployed at the time. I thought to myself, I can pay $10 for a bottle of lotion out of the store when I paid that same price for 1lb of shea butter. I had a variety of oils that can be used on the skin at home already. Why not make my own body butter? It was only supposed to be made for the family to use so I can help them save money too. It turned to something greater. One of the main sources for my research are videos. I’m a visual learner so watching videos help me see what I’m doing wrong or right. I’ve learned that there is no possible way to get it on the right on the first try. I’ve learned to prepare myself for any hiccups. With any product that you manufacture, you have to be sure that you love doing it or it won’t make sense to you at all.

Contact Info:

• Website: mochaskincafe.com
• Instagram: zerlane, mochaskincafe
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mochaskincafe
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nautishaycain