We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shakira and Robert James. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shakira and Robert below.

Hi Shakira and Robert, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Our journey began with a truly unique inspiration. During my college days, I embarked on a life-changing adventure studying abroad in Senegal, West Africa, all while pursuing a pre-med track. One particular day, we ventured to a natural medical hospital in a small town, and the experience was nothing short of transformative. The sight of countless glass jars filled with herbs and the captivating stories from the herbalists working there left a lasting impression.

I vividly remember that evening, penning about five pages in my journal, expressing my deep determination to somehow build a career related to herbs and medicine, even though I wasn’t entirely sure what form it would take.

Life led me to become a science teacher, and during this time, I discovered a new interest in crafting body butters and skincare products. I firmly believed that what we put on the outside of our bodies is just as important as what we consume internally. This conviction propelled me to experiment with making soaps and share them at my baby shower. That was the moment when Tropical Organicz was born.

Tropical Organicz became the perfect canvas to merge my scientific background in formulation with my love for natural ingredients. We soon realized that our passion and products had the potential to make a significant impact. It was then that we decided to delve into researching herbs used in our family for various ailments, drawing inspiration from the Caribbean, my experiences in West Africa, and Robert’s time spent in China.

What excited us the most was the realization that we were addressing problems that others in the industry weren’t tackling. While there were other companies offering natural skincare products, none were focusing on herbs. We felt this was a missing component in the industry, as herbs and nature provide all the solutions we need for various skincare concerns and ailments.

Our unique approach quickly caught the attention of people from around the world, drawn to our products and our stories. A year after launching Tropical Organicz, I remember having a dream about the business and quickly waking up to tell my husband and mom; I knew it was time for the next step. I took a bold step, leaving my teaching job to become a full-time entrepreneur, and my husband, Robert, soon followed suit, quitting his job right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and 9 months pregnant with our second child. Our family quickly joined us on this exciting journey, providing the support and enthusiasm needed to take Tropic to new heights. With our savings and working side jobs, we funded everything into the growth of the company.

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?

We are a premium natural skincare manufacturer specializing in holistic wellness through the use of herbs and extracts inspired by our Caribbean culture. No matter where you are in the world, our mission is to bring Paradise to you! What makes us unique is that over 85% of the plants used in our products are grown, harvested, cleaned and prepared for infusion by our Tropical Team, no middle man! Welcome to the home of the #1 Herbal Infusions! We provide products to stockists for their retail stores and help other businesses start their own unique custom brands through private labeling. We make it our mission to provide top-tier selections across all product lines and supplies, ensuring all ingredients are ethically sourced, dye free, paraben free, toxic free and nourishing to the largest organ, our SKIN! Nurturing the earth and gaining inspiration from nature is essential and interwoven into all facets of our brand. Eco-friendliness, ingredient transparency, and pure formulations are a must. Our customer testimonials motivate us each day to grow our business to its fullest potential.

Our mission is to inspire and educate our community about nature’s powerful resources to combat different internal and external skin and health concerns to boost their overall confidence within themselves. Growing up in Caribbean households, we were exposed to many natural herbs and supplements to combat any ailment. We were introduced to growing aloe vera, neem and moringa to name a few and learned how to use these ingredients to formulate products. Robert and I take pride in being accessible to our customers known as the ‘Tropic Fam’, where we connect via Live broadcastings, direct messages and more. We have formed so many new connections with people through the love of herbs, skincare and good conversation. One characteristic about Robert and I that our customers would stand behind is that we are extremely disciplined and work very hard to bring quality products to our customers. Through our products, we help the Tropic fam feel more confident in the products that they use and glow even brighter.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Certainly! Building our social media audience was a journey of dedication and learning. We started by posting consistently, even as frequently as three times a day on Instagram. We wanted to showcase our commitment to our business and gain the trust of potential supporters. We used relevant hashtags, engaged with other accounts, and promptly responded to messages and comments. Being inviting on social media is so important. If someone takes the time to comment on your post, take the time to comment back. Proactively engaging with other accounts also helped us expand our clientele.

Our authenticity played a significant role. We shared our journey as a married couple building a family-owned legacy. Our audience resonated with our hard work and determination, even when we posted or went live at unconventional hours, showing that we were always committed to our business. Some nights, my posts were even filled with tears and stress, but we kept going and our audience helped us get through the hurdles.

Quality content was a priority, although it required extra effort. We understood that high-quality content provides value and connects with our audience. We learned that growing an audience could also come from networking events, referrals, pop-up shops, and more, not just from social media.

Building a social media audience takes time, patience, and dedication. Staying true to your brand and consistently showcasing your commitment will naturally attract an engaged audience.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

Absolutely, in today’s economy, diversifying income streams is crucial. In the early stages of our business, we made the mistake of not having contingency plans for slow seasons, and we learned that lesson the hard way. Now, we have several income streams for financial stability.

We operate both a retail website and a wholesale website. In addition to our own platforms, we feature our products on other websites like Faire and Walmart, expanding our reach and customer base.

We’ve also ventured into the world of digital products and courses, offering vendor lists, planners, checklists, and sales guides. This not only provides valuable knowledge but also brings in income without the hassle of managing inventory or shipping, which can eat into our profits.

Leveraging my background as an educator, I’ve found joy in teaching others how to grow their businesses, and this directly correlates with increased revenue for our wholesale products.

Looking ahead, we’re exploring partnerships with retailers such as barbershops and spas to carry our products, further expanding our presence and income sources. It’s all about adaptability and ensuring financial stability in an ever-changing business landscape.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tropicalorganicz.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/tropicalorganicz
• Facebook: facebook.com/tropicalorganicz
• Other: www.tropicwholesaleessentials.com