We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Daly recently and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha, appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

At Explicit Essentials, we pride ourselves on our ability to challenge conventional industry standards and infuse authenticity into our brand. One distinctive departure from the norm is our deliberate use of foul language in our packaging designs. Sure, we could call our lavender mint product line “Relax and Unwind” but it packs a much bigger punch with a label that reads “Bitch Relax”.

Early on we discovered through our product reviews, while quite a few customers were loving the products for their own self care, they were largely buying our products as gifts for friends and family, our customers were very vocal about how much the recipients enjoyed the product and had a great laugh at the label as well.

Knowing that we contribute to these moments of happiness fills us with pride and reaffirms our commitment to crafting products that go beyond self care functionality and we’re doubling down on the foul language labels that bring our customers and gift recipients a moment of joy.

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.

Explicit Essentials came to be in my basement in Queens, NY (so cliche right?) I was trying to find a witty self-care gift for a friend, but nothing quite hit the mark. I decided to just make something for her myself, and made her a sugar scrub that said “Bad A*s Bitch” on the label and it all just snowballed from there.

I’m incredibly proud of how far Explicit Essentials has come since its small beginnings without ever needing to sacrifice quality or enact any censorship. But more than anything, I’m grateful for the incredible response we’ve received from our customers. Knowing that our products have resonated with so many people is why we keep hustling.

For potential clients, followers, and fans, I want you to know that Explicit Essentials is more than just a brand—we’re women owned and operated, we make these products with good intentions and we actually care about you. We want you to have a laugh at the label and want you to return because you were impressed with the quality of what was inside the package.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Explicit Essentials went from a small side hustle that was a creative outlet to a full blown business in a very short span. We found our initial success on Etsy, it was Christmas time and things went from 10 sales a week to 100s of sales a week very fast. It was the best problem to have, but a problem none the less. Keeping up with things had me going 17 hours a day, but eventually I was able to level back out and I was able to learn from that experience.

From there I learned all about inventory management, how to hire employees and everything in between. I’ve made some mistakes along the way, but I would do it again, that exact same way every time. I love to learn amidst chaos and the ability to keep rolling with the punches was very crucial in keeping Explicit Essentials from rolling off the tracks.

Any advice for managing a team?

“‘Treat others as you wish to be treated’—it’s sound advice, but there’s depth beyond that simplicity. I’ve done every single job there is to do in the office and warehouse. This hands-on experience provides invaluable insight into the daily experiences of each team member. Armed with this understanding, I’m better equipped to lead and collaborate effectively with my colleagues.

Even further than that, embracing my team’s ideas and welcoming their feedback creates a vibrant space of creativity in our office. It also enables me to support to their needs, enhancing their effectiveness in their roles and driving overall productivity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.explicitessentials.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/explicitessentials

Image Credits
Megan Crist