Megan Wilcox and Emma Olmedo met while living in the Washington, D.C. area in 2011. While Emma works as a General Manager in the Retail field and owns a small business as a Reiki Master, Megan works as a Government Contractor – Technical Writer for the Federal Government. Their passion for wellness, holistic healing and health allowed them to collaborate and ME BOD was created.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
Megan: After years of suffering chronic migraines, I began eliminating all commercial products to reduce my exposure to chemicals, with the hopes to reduce the frequency of my migraines. I eventually began gifting my creations (lotion bars and scrubs) to my friends and family for Christmas. Everyone seemed grateful, but I never received feedback on the items, so I didn’t know if they were being used or not. That was until the year I didn’t gift any products and everyone started to request their favorite lotion bars and/or scrubs. LOL!
Emma: I have always been very passionate about self-care and recharging our spirits with “me” time – something that I learned from The Artist’s Way. While giving Megan a Reiki session, I received a message that she needed to pursue building her gifts, which she was giving out at Christmas, into a business. Megan was hesitant because she claimed that she wasn’t “business minded”. But being a General Manager and having studied Herbology, I have a mind for business and felt connected to her products. So, I offered to become a partner.
Tell us about your business.
ME BOD is an organic, all-natural bath and skincare company that strives to provide quality products while encouraging much deserved and needed ‘me time.’ Whether you are looking to relax after a hectic day, need a ‘pick me up’ to get through the rest of the day, or need a boost of sensuality in the bedroom, we offer a wide range of essential oil combinations and options to meet your needs.
Knowing the importance of reducing our exposure to chemicals, we strive to use quality materials and storage containers. All of our products are stored BPA free containers, such as amber glass, tin, and foil lined kraft paper bags.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Yes! All LadyBossBlogger readers can use following promo codes, at www.etsy.com/shop/MEBOD, when checking out to receive up to 20% off your total purchase.
- Use promo code LadyBoss25 to receive 10% off your purchase of $25 to $49.99.
- Use promo code LadyBoss50 to receive 15% off your purchase of $50 to $74.99.
- Use promo code LadyBoss75 to receive 20% off your purchase of $75 or more.
*Promo codes are valid thru July 31st, 2017.
Where is your business based?
ME BOD is based in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
At first, we started a word of mouth campaign with friends and family. Once we saw that the demand for our products were there, we started our Etsy shop. Now, we are using social media to network, connect and schedule Sip-n-Scrub events (think wine + food + bath and skincare products to test in the comfort of your own home with your girls).
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
- For connecting with people, social media.
- For spreading product awareness, we would have to say our Sip-n-Scrubs events.
The environment for these events is warm and welcoming, which encourages women to ask questions, voice their concerns and issues, and allows them to openly discuss in a judgment free zone. These events truly allow for women from different walks of life to come together, bond, drink, relax and focus on themselves for an evening.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Finding quality ingredients that exceeded our expectations, finding packaging and labels that embodied our business model and acquiring our business license.
How did you overcome these challenges?
A LOT OF RESEARCH. Countless hours were spent Googling, reaching out to contacts for their perspectives and experiences, ordering samples, a lot of trial and error, a lot of persistence; we knew we had quality products to offer and that our determination would pay off in the end.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
We do A LOT of face masks and Girls’ Nights.
But in all seriousness, being best friends has really helped us with ME BOD – we know each others’ short comings and strengths, so it’s easy to pick up where the other falls short. We know that if one of us is struggling, we can ask for help and the feeling of a team really keeps us motivated (lets us know that we are never alone). Building each other up and celebrating the little things has really kept us motivated during the tough times. If we get good news on something that was an impediment, we don’t hesitate to pat each other on the back or grab dinner to celebrate.
We do schedule specific nights to strictly discuss ME BOD, create and test products, restock inventory, and order supplies. So, it helps to not let it take over our day to day lives and friendship.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
Unlike our competitors, we strive to be fully all-natural, if not 100% organic. We do not use any packaging or ingredients that could cause damage to our skin, bodies, or the environment.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
Chill. Everything will come in due time. Keep putting in the hard work, the long nights, the consistent effort, and your season to sow the benefits is coming.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Believe in yourself, your product, know your worth, and your product’s worth. If you don’t, no one else will. Stay hungry and determined.
What are your favorite business tools/resources and why?
Our county’s government center actually has a great online tool for entrepreneurs! We have utilized the resources through the government center numerous times. Also, the Small Business Association (SBA) has been very helpful with their online library of resources. We have attended a few events of our local chapter, and they have been great for networking.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
Since there are two of us and we are both avid readers, we will combine our lists for you:
- “You Are a Badass at Making Money” by Jen Sincero
- “Awaken the Giant Within” by Anthony Robbins
- “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brene Brown
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
We are looking for advice on how to expand into brick and mortar from solely an online presence.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
Our next goal is to become a local household name for the Washington, D.C. area. It’s a large goal, but we are confident that we can achieve it by the year’s end by continuing to network, approaching local brick and mortar establishments, continuing to push forward with our social media presence and by tripling our number of monthly Sip-n-Scrub events.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @mew4118, @emolmedo
Facebook www.facebook.com/lovemebod
Website www.etsy.com/shop/MEBOD
Email lovemebod@gmail.com
Hashtags #lovemebod #mebod #organicskincare #loveyourself #organichaircare
Judy Wilcox says
I love the MEBOD products and the whole premise of the company. It is encouraging to see entrepreneurs concerned about producing healthful,chemical free products, in good for the environment (and us) containers!