We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stacey & Danielle Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Stacey & Danielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

Sometimes I sit and think “what if I started the business sooner would it be further along?” I was an insurance broker until covid. I loved the environment and all of the different people that I could potentially help. One day my mother and I were talking about me starting business for her so she could use lotion. (She is allergic to anything with nuts) Laughing, I did not really think it was possible. Now here we are three and half years later and I can not stop asking my self what if we started this sooner. First of all, I do not think that I would have even had the time but that has not stopped the wondering. Seeing how I am not a genie and I try not to dwell on the past we will continue on and have fun.

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

My sister and I grew up in Dallas enjoying the luxury of convenience, as well as cool places to shop. We trusted large corporations foods and skin care products to be healthy as they claimed and not made with toxic ingredients. Around 2020, our mom started to have increasing allergic reactions despite working with an allergist. In an effort to help her identify food, as well as skin and hair care products that would not cause a reaction, we began researching ingredients listed on those labels. This turned out to be a wakeup call. You should be able to consume or use products without damaging your cells, causing cancer or other lifelong health issues. We also discovered petroleum-based candles and some fragrances, are toxic to birds. Therefore, we set out to start a business with the purpose to create simply healthier bath, body and candle products. Here at Michelle Marie Unboxed, we dedicate ourselves to hand crafting our products in small batches with ingredients that are ethically sourced. Creating in small batches allows us to ensure the quality of our products. We have been in business for 3 years and continue to learn and expand.

We create products that are helpful and beneficial to those wanting a non-toxic environment. We also help create solutions for those with sensitive skin and those just wanting a healthier option. What sets us apart is the combination of small batch quality, non-toxic ingredients, at an affordable price. Here are examples from two of our shoppers. One buyer coughs and sneezes while using candles and wax melts from large companies, they do not have this problem with our products. We choose plant based wax, lead and zinc free wicks, and our fragrances and essential oils are free of phthalates or carcinogens, as well as other toxins. The result is a less harmful way to enjoy burnables. Another example is a loyal customer that has eczema has been able to use our unscented salve regularly. She has not been able to use most other brands due to the irritation it causes her skin. Our products are 100% nut free, tree nut free, non-toxic and made in a nut free facility. Lastly, the ingredients are ethically sourced, organic, and hand-made in the great state of Texas.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Speaking with people face to face. Many of our return customers we met from doing markets and festivals. They were either able to come and enjoy the many different fragrances to smell or the education behind all of the toxic chemicals you find today in many of the every day products. At Michelle Marie we are organic, hand made, nut free, and non toxic.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Yes we hand make everything at Michelle Marie Unboxed. Our facility is dedicated to being nut free, gluten free, and allergen free. All of our ingredients are certified USDA Organic, and ethically sourced. Upon starting this business I did not realize the difficulty it would be to build formulations 100% Nut free. There are not as many options. Anything from natural preservatives to pre made bases either has nuts and or other ingredients that we as a company do not use. Things such as petroleum, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, mineral oils are just a few of the things that are widely used today in skin care products. So we did our research on many different companies that provide the ingredients we can use and got started. This has been fun and very interesting to learn. The biggest lesson that I have learned is, do your research and buy the proper equipment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://michellemarieunboxed.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemarieunboxed/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552501312211