happy friday attic readers. please grab a cup of coffee, pen and paper, calculator and a checkbook. i kid you not. i am excited yet nervous to introduce you to my next feature. i was trying to find a way to do this at some point and now is the best time. spring and summer is just around the corner and you know what that means: farmer's markets, festivals, etc.
introducing: Valynne Bernetich currently of:
remember that awesome package i received a few months back. yummy handmade soaps, even one for the hubby and a fabulous lip balm (which i need more of now) - sorry burt's bees - the secret is out, i was cheating on you.
both the hubby and i met valynne at the boetcher mansion here in golden during a fair to see another of my sweet friends. we chatted for a little as the hubster has dabbled in his own homemade soaps a time or two. valynne has this warm, sweet charm about her. she just does. and THEN she moved. far away. but for great reasons - check out what she does now on her blog at:
LONG story short, we became fast online friends. and then i started to meet her friends that are still in colorado - thanks v for introducing me to em and michael. and our friendship continues to blossom.
please enjoy her interview below AND see how MGO can be yours (insert nervous). i want to promote/support MGO fully. i only wish that it could be me. please spread the word. the HARD part is done. what a dream come true this would be for the right person. HUGE thanks to paul for the dare!
my interview with valynne:
1.Tell us the story behind
the name: Mountain Girl Organics
My skin was
sooo dry when I first moved to Colorado from Connecticut; I would slather on
the lotion day and night. Paul took to calling me "Lotion Girl",
which gradually evolved into "Mountain Girl"...
2. Why did you start your
business? A dream come true? Etc…
It was pretty much
on a dare. I told Paul I could make better products than what I
found on the store shelves and that they would be way more natural as
well. So Paul dared me to do it. And I did.
3. What was THE first
product you ever made?
Ummm...can’t recall…I've
been using mainly kitchen ingredients on my skin for some years now.
Once, in my twenties, my skin was so bad that my face began to swell and
blister. I really think it was a reaction to the stress I was under at
the time (my skin is super sensitive).
My friend Erica told
me to try a mask of honey and ground oatmeal. It calmed my skin right
down. That was the turning point; when I truly began to question the
steroid creams and drug cocktails I'd been prescribed over the years.
Thank you, Erica!
As for my first MGO
product, I believe it was a lip balm, inspired by a class I took at Apothecary Tinctura in Cherry Creek
(Denver)…it is all a blur, really…once I got my hands on some recipe books and
started taking classes I turned into a mad scientist woman. If you really want to know I will go
through my old journals…but for now I have a deadline to meet : )
4.What is the ‘hardest’
part of the process of a product?
Waiting for the
soaps to cure! Using the cold process (old fashioned) method means up to
six weeks of cure time. It is definitely worth the wait...makes for a
better bar. I just never seemed to have enough on the shelves; alas.
5. Where do your
ingredients come from?
Everywhere. I
have searched near and far for the purest, most sustainable, fairly traded,
etc. ingredients available. Whenever possible, I support local. Example
- my honey/beeswax is from CO. My unrefined shea butter comes from
Togo, Africa. It is harvested in the same way it has been for
generations and is a huge source of income for the communities involved. I feel equally good about supporting
both enterprises.
6. Where do/did you sell your products?
I have sold my
products at farmers' markets (Evergreen, Conifer, and Frisco), festivals and
farm fairs (Gloamin’ Fest, Kittredge
Canyon Fest, Conifer Mountain Music Festival, Big Chili Cook-Off, Mary Jane’s
Farm Fair…), holiday shows, home parties, open houses (Sotheby’s Luxury Home Tour, Ski Country Antiques, almost all of my
wholesale accounts…), through E-bay and then my website www.MountainGirlOrganics.com, and
via lovely local shops. Oh, and on occasion I would meet a friend with
their order when they could not make a market or the local shops did not have
the product they were looking for.
7. What was the best part of going to
farmer’s markets?
I met the coolest
people; like minded people who shared similar interests and asked interesting
questions. I learned way more
about this way of life (lots of Greenies at the markets!) from fellow vendors
and customers than I ever would have learned otherwise. Oh! And this is where I attained my first wholesale
account. Thank you Jeanie, of Mountain Man Fruit and Nut Co! I will never forget you for that. And for always paying me on time!
8
8. What is ‘your’ favorite product?
Depends on the season.
The only thing that cured my “winter itches” and “dry patches” in Colorado was
my shea whip. Naked for the face, Lavender Lime or Woodland
Flora on the body, and Peppermint and Cocoa on the feet!
I use the soaps always
and go through phases. Lavender Lime is
the top seller at all of the farmers’ markets. The Sea Salt Spa Bar comes in
second and is popular with the guys as well. Autumn
Rainbow was named after one of my favorite girls ever and
has such a beautiful swirl…I love them all, really. Otherwise I wouldn’t make ‘em.
9. What is your favorite story of the
process, business, selling, etc?
Favorite story?
You ask some tough questions!
OK, how about a couple of
favorites? I took Foundations in Herbalism class with
Front Range Herbal Institute in 2007.
During that time, I was contacted by a person that wanted a natural balm
for her friend who had been severely burned in a kitchen fire. I explained to them both that I was a
novice but they were convinced that I could help. The patient had his PhD in chemistry, etc. and understood
that I was no doctor. After going over several recipe ideas
with my class and instructor (Diana Marie), I came up with what I thought would
be the best natural treatment. I
nurtured this recipe more than any other and the end result was
remarkable.
Second
favorite. A lot of my Colorado
friends and customers have children that suffer from eczema and other difficult
skin conditions. Our new neighbor,
Martha, bought some Naked shea whip
in hopes that it would help with her son’s eczema. A few weeks later, I was selling my wares downtown at the Ice House (my friend John Erlandson was
singing. He and I had put together
a MGO Spa Box with one of his CD’s included for the Holiday Season).
Two things happened
that day that I will never forget.
First, a boy came up to me and hiked up his pants, showing me his
leg. I tried not to laugh with my
friends as he looked quite serious but I really had no idea why he was doing
that! Well, it was Martha’s boy…and
he was showing me the spot where the eczema had been, pre shea whip.
A few minutes later,
our friend Michele’s little girl came up to me and let me know that she would
be giving her Daddy soap for his Birthday. I told her I wanted to give her a bar to give to her Daddy
and she said that it was OK, cause she already had it covered, and showed me
the lump in her pocket (clepto).
My friend Cyn and I tried very hard to refrain from laughing as I know she’s
gotta learn to pay for soap…but, once again, this child was so serious about
the whole thing. Michele had a
little talk with her and all was straightened out.
10. Where can your products still be found?
More importantly the lip balm (tee, hee).
I know Mountain Man in downtown Evergreen still
has some soaps. Evergreen Crafters
is sold out of everything. I am waiting to hear back from Luna's Mandala and Le Boudoir and a couple other local shops. Right now is a
good time to buy this business, people…hit the busy season! Rachel, as of press time I am not sure
about the lip balm; however, I do have a few strays here on the Cape and am
sending them your way, dear friend.
11. How long did it take to get your
product perfected? Feel free to focus on one item or the collective.
Oh, there was much
tweaking of the formulas; especially in the beginning. Some formulas
came to me intuitively and proved themselves to be worthy; others I struggled
with for months. Many of my formulas were good; but I needed my friend
Laurie's expertise in order to call them great. She has more experience
than I do and when the two of us get going the ideas are endless. Her
strengths make up for my weaknesses.
12. What gives/gave you the most joy about
having your own business?
Pride in what I
have created...knowing I have done my very best. I always put people and
planet before profit and I'm proud of that. I know that this will
prove to be a big part of MGO’s success
story.
13. If
possible, what would you do all over again?
I always said I
wanted to start from scratch. I
did just that and I would absolutely do it again. I learned SO much
that way…what to pursue and what to back away from. What an amazing
experience it has been.
Invaluable.
14. What advice would you have for others
wanting to do the same?
Believe it and achieve it. Spend your time and energy on people and projects that bring you joy...don't bother with the rest. This business is pure potential.
valynne and em - two of the sweetest beings i've had the pleasure of knowing.
Thank you, Rachel...I love that
you asked me to share some of my MGO story!
AND NOW FOR SOME GOODIES...
All you have to do is comment on this post, then visit Valynne on her blog:
and leave a comment on her post about this feature. This will give you not one, but two chances at winning a $25 gift certificate for Mountain Man Fruit & Nut Co. in Evergreen Colorado...yum...contest starts NOW and ends next Friday (4/16/10)...ready, set, go!"
*ooh, wish i could play. i CAN tell you that the MGO products are fabulous as i am now enjoying them.
Below is the info for the sale of MGO:
rachel be back in denver later today.
cheers to a great weekend!
