I was recently in the back of a cab in Kansas City, getting ready to lead a PR class at Central Soapers Workshop, when I decided to check in on Facebook and noticed this message waiting on me:

“Lela! I’m not allowed to tell anyone yet but I HAVE to share with you, because I’m convinced that your advice has helped get me to a place where this is possible. I won one of the $5000 marketing packages from Intuit! Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you continue to do to help make this business a success. I’m so lucky to have you as one of my most trusted mentors.”

Squee! I was suddenly giddy + giggling like a school girl as I rang the sender to congratulate her. To whom did this major national win belong? Stacia Guzzo of Handcrafted HoneyBee, a California-based creator of DIY bodycare kits.

Stacia and I have been working together for a while now and she’s a beautiful soul inside + out. She’s an alumni of my LBU: Secrets to Wholesale Success program and she’s participated in my GMP program as well. For 2014, Stacia decided to invest + commit to one private consultation with me every other month and I love hearing about all the amazing progress she’s made each time we connect. I adore her enthusiasm + drive and she has big, big dreams for her new company. I asked her to share the experience with my Lucky Break peeps and she graciously agreed… because she is truly lovely like that.

When did you launch Handcrafted Honey Bee and what was your inspiration?
The birth of Handcrafted Honey Bee was sort of a gradual process. I had an established bath and body care business already, and found that one of my favorite aspects of that business was the education of the customer (my background is in teaching and it’s also one of my greatest passions!). I began to offer soap making and lip balm making classes through my bath and body care business and really enjoyed it. My favorite moment was always at the end of the class. Almost every single time, the customer would say something like, “Wow! That was easier than I thought! I could totally do this!”

I began to brainstorm ways that I could provide this experience to a larger customer base. How could I help a customer across the country have the same experience I had provided in my classes? How could I provide someone far away with all of the materials they would need to create a new body care product, provide clear, encouraging instructions, and leave them with that empowering feeling of “Yes, I can do this again and again!”?

The idea of the DIY kits was born from this desire. I test marketed the kits with a few prototypes through my bath and body business, and after four months decided to launch an independent company. Handcrafted Honey Bee officially launched in January of 2014.

What are your “big vision” plans for the company?
I really envision this company as becoming a resource for people -particularly women- who want to craft, customize, and learn about their own body care. I imagine Handcrafted Honey Bee as being able to offer many, many resources beyond just the kits, including free DIY recipes, information about ingredients, DIY tips and tricks, downloadable mini-books and guides about specific topics, free video tutorials and mini-lessons about skin care topics, and online classes. I imagine sending kits all over the world and truly having a global community that begins to love and appreciate the craft of making their body care from absolute scratch.

In my vision, this business will truly be about empowerment and education. I would love for my customer base to be full of women who absolutely love crafting and customizing their skin care to meet the needs of their own families…and in doing so, they are able to learn about the ingredients and the process. This will not only make them better at handcrafting some of their skin care, but it will also make them more educated consumers when they buy skin care products. Finally, I want it to be a fun, unique experience; after all, not everybody gives out handmade lip balms for Christmas gifts!

Why did you enter the Intuit contest? Did you think you had a shot at winning?
Confession time: I never, ever thought I had a shot at winning this competition. I entered it because it seemed like a wonderful dream to consider. Marketing is one of the places where I feel the most insecure; I have no business background and am really learning as I go. I knew I could use all the help I could get…and so I truly entered on a whim one night as my husband was pulling dinner together.

How did you first discover that you had won + what was your first thought upon the announcement?
I got the phone call on a Friday morning. Intuit had already announced about eight of the winners, and I figured that all of the winners had likely been contacted so I had basically written off the idea that I could still win. After I got the phone call, I think I was shaking for a good two hours afterwards! I immediately went to their website and began looking through other applicants; there are so many amazing businesses out there. My initial thought was, “Why me? How could I have stood out when all of these other businesses are also so deserving?” It is pretty astounding to have a company like Intuit affirm the vision that I have for Handcrafted Honey Bee.

We wanna know about the goodies! What’s included in the prize package?
The prize package includes a custom 2-minute video that will be shot and edited by a professional crew that I will be able to use for promotional purposes. It also includes a two hour social media consultation and a customized newsletter template for my email list. All totaled, it’s valued at $5000+!

What advice would you give other young companies with big dreams for their businesses?
Dream big, but make sure that your dreams are supported by concrete steps that can help make those dreams a reality. Surround yourself by a great support system. Find mentors that can help you take those concrete steps, find cheerleaders that will encourage you in the tough times, and find people that you can trust that can give you honest feedback about what is working and what isn’t. Have a good sense of your strengths—devote the majority of your energy to those areas and find resources to help you with the rest. And finally…always find opportunity for joy in your work. If you have big dreams, you’ll probably have to work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life; you’ll get really tired, stretched thin, and at times feel discouraged. Never lose sight of your sense of joy. If your work brings you joy, you’ll have the fuel you need for the journey.

I hope you’ll join me in congratulating Stacia! And keep an eye on this one, because Handcrafted Honeybee is seriously making waves. I invite you to connect with Stacia all around the web:
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter