We caught up with the brilliant and insightful OKSANA TARATULA a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

OKSANA , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

After my first child was born, I had to find a way to replace his daily intake of animal proteins (meat, fish) as he naturally refused to eat it. I discovered that extracting oils from nuts and seeds can be a great source of plant proteins, as long as it is produced correctly without applying heat, adding additives, preservatives and using raw produce organically sourced as the most potent material the nature gave us.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a joyful mother of two amazing children, a beloved wife, and the proud owner of a business that has become my passion, my hobby, and my mission to benefit humanity. I produce oils using the safest and most natural method, ensuring that they carry health and value in it. With these oils, I have created my own line of skin care products and plant protein powders, using the cake from the seeds and nuts after the oils are pressed. I take pride in the fact that, in addition to my active volunteer work as the founder and President of the nonprofit Ukrainian Women’s Association of America (UWAA), which aims to help children in Ukraine, I am also able to contribute to people’s well-being by providing them with exceptional quality oils, flours and skin care. Live Oil by Lesna is a family owned and operated food craft plant of exclusive organic food grade oils from nuts and seeds. Our oils are 100% natural, raw cold derived and carefully pressed by hand in unique wooden press barrels. Our barrels are designed to avoid contact with metal at all stages of the extraction process.

Thanks to our unique oil extraction method, our premium oils are never bitter and always maintain their high-level nutritional value – each and every time. We never apply heat and always press at room temperature. No chemicals, preservatives or additives are used. We supply you and those you love with the purest products our bodies deserve. At Live Oil By Lesna we never crush our seeds or nuts but press them whole and raw. That’s why we proudly call our oils LIVE!

Having introduced an all natural skin care line in 2020, our products are crafted using our pure Live Oils manufactured at our family run mill. They’re used in their original state to ensure all active nutrients and ingredients remain, setting our skin care products apart from the rest. Let your skin be nourished naturally and balanced by using Live Skin Care. Using Live Oils NOT the conventional ones (for lipid sufficiency) and hydrosols (for hydration) will fulfill your skin without ever disappointing.
The Live Oils method of extraction completely eliminates contact with any metal surface at all stages of production. Using traditional metallic presses to produce oil can cause oxidation, destroying the nutritional value of natural oils and giving them an incredibly bitter taste! At Live Oil we use a wooden press-barrel process that prevents oxidation and rancidity of the oils. We do not crush or grind our nuts and seeds before pressing but squeeze them whole and raw to avoid breaking their live structure on a molecular level.

Equally important, we ensure that our customers consume only natural, fresh and live products, we never use or add heat. Our products are free of chemicals, preservatives or additives which respectively allows us to completely preserve the active vitamin and mineral complex in our oils. As a result of our unique method of extraction, we proudly branded our exclusive oils as “Live Oils.”

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

Our primary focus in selling our products is to establish a direct connection with customers, enabling us to deliver the freshest oils available. Selling our products through our website, Etsy, Amazon, Nature Hub etc allows us to reach a wider audience and sell directly to customers. By utilizing these platforms, we can effectively showcase your products, highlight their unique qualities, and provide detailed information about their relatively short shelf life due to the absence of preservatives. Additionally, you can leverage social media and online marketing strategies to drive traffic to our website and increase visibility. Finding a skilled team (professional) for each platform is the primary obstacle to achieving effective sales. Additionally, for beginners, the cost of hiring professionals can be the most daunting challenge.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I want to share how fortunate I am to have an exceptional business partner – my husband. He not only supported my idea of opening a business I dreamed of, but also played a crucial role in its success. Specifically, he designed and built the oil pressing system for us, which is now available for purchase. Additionally, he is passionate about teaching others how to use it, enabling them to create a beneficial and essential product for their families and maintain good health. I want to highlight the importance supporting those people around you and emphasize the value of surrounding yourself with people who uplift and encourage. I strongly believe that investing in relationships that empower both the individual and their business is crucial.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://liveoilbylesna.com/product-category/oil/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/live_oilbylesna.official/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveoilbylesna
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LIVEOILBYLESNA

Image Credits
IMAGE CREDIT TO PETER KOUTUN https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008504655575 CHICAGO UA https://www.facebook.com/Chicago.UA MAKSYM PROKOPIV https://www.facebook.com/maksym.prokopiv