We recently connected with Tamera Alexandra Nesmith and have shared our conversation below.

Tamera Alexandra, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

“Earth Tone Beauty” was a name birthed from the development of my identity throughout my late teens and early 20s. Realizing my natural beauty comes from deep within personal reflection, I created the name: “Earth” which is a cultivated sphere of various elements, “Tone” referring to the atmosphere of respectability or class, and “Beauty” which promotes attractiveness.

Tamera Alexandra, 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?

Tamera Nesmith is a 2020 graduate of Southeastern Esthetics Institute located in Columbia, SC. “During my time at school, I learned a plethora of skill sets such as facial/body massage techniques, aromatherapy, product/ingredient knowledge, waxing, eyebrow sculpting, sanitation, and more.”

I have over 8+ years of customer service experience, working in the healthcare field. I plan to incorporate my knowledge of servicing others, attentiveness to detail, passion for technical training, and love of natural beauty aesthetics within my business venture.

5-year plan: Own and operate a luxury spa establishment focusing on facials, body treatments, and waxing in North Augusta, SC.

EarthTone Beauty is a luxury spa that primarily focuses on facials and body treatments to refresh the skin. Using organic skincare products and safe technology practices to achieve professional results of even-toned, balanced skin for everyone.

I believe beautiful skin and a relaxed body can enhance a natural confidence to perform at an optimal level in every aspect of their life.

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

I began my business selling homemade whipped body shea butter skincare products to create consistent revenue for myself. I enjoyed selecting the containers, and natural ingredients to create the signature body butter, including the necessary supplies such as labels, shipping boxes, and mixing equipment. I found reputable resources for vendors through an ebook guide that I purchased for inspiration.

Social media can be a useful tool to find vendors and design inspiration for your brand/ business. It is key to find themes that relate to your logo or description of your business.

I knew that I did not want to overwhelm myself with a variety of scents for my body butter so initially I began with two: Essence (Bergamot Essential Oil) and Comfort (Lavender Essential Oil). I wanted to create clean refreshing scents that embodied my brand.

I experimented with additional body butter scents such as Coconut, Vanilla, and Grapefruit Essential Oil, however, I was quickly discouraged from expanding because I allowed other people’s opinions to interfere with my business. I discontinued selling items for a short period.

Always do what makes you happy when selling a homemade product, never be discouraged from criticism or doubt yourself. Stay focused on the goal that you have for your business and create a long term plan to achieve success!!

I did outsource a private label manufacturing company for my soap bars, I knew that I did not have enough time to learn the skill of homemaking soap but it was a product that I wanted to offer. The company gave in-depth knowledge of the ingredients used, all I needed to do was package and sell the product.

I spent thousands of dollars to purchase all my containers, products, and ingredients. I researched many articles with hopes of gathering funding information that would supply my business with enough capital to purchase everything needed to continue selling products throughout the year. However, in this particular industry of skincare, source funding is limited. My solution to that problem is selling an item such as digital products or considering a business loan. I would encourage everyone to network with your local chamber of commerce and Small Business social groups that can connect you with opportunities for financial growth.

Private label manufacturers take a lot of the guesswork out of trying to figure out what products and ingredients you want to sell under your business. If you are looking for a quick source of income and have a successful marketing strategy, then you can choose a manufacturer, research their products, and create labels to sell the goods.

I enjoy making my products from scratch because I feel intentional about selling the products that I choose to create. No one can create the way that I do, so for me it is bigger than making money. I will continue to make small batches of my body butter and enjoy the process from start to finish because my hard work will create dedication and longevity for my business.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In a recent Tiktok video from @NotWildin, he posed the following question: What are the immutable parts of yourself? As I listened to the question and explanation, I began to reflect on the last 5 years of my life as I grew more mature into adulthood. I think that we can all agree that since 2020, life has been maybe not the most kind to us, we have faced a lot of violent trauma or extreme sadness to the point where people felt like there was no escape.

As a current healthcare worker, I listen to a lot of stories of people who experience poor physical health and their mindset can be so disheartening. It is daily that I thank God for grace and may he grant those who silently suffer a time of peace.

We have seen the worst parts of humanity come to light and the one characteristic I will say about myself is that I won’t give up.
The part of me that will never change is my curiosity, “What if this actually works out for me in the end?”
I remain teachable and allow for failures because I learn from my mistakes. I remind myself daily that I am still here, alive and breathing for a purpose, a purpose beyond my skincare business. It wasn’t until this year, that I realized my actual purpose in life as a human being.

I encourage everyone reading this to break away from the social trends and find your gift, love yourself with every fiber of your being, and connect with people who will challenge you to see a different point of view. Owning a business as a service provider is more than supply and demand, it is about service to someone who is in need, and as you give, you will receive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stan.store/EarthToneBeauty
• Instagram: Earthtone.beauty
• Facebook: EarthTone Beauty

Image Credits
TakeN Photography