We had the good fortune of connecting with Leara Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leara, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Well I was suffering from alopecia and thyroid disease. With Alopecia, I was developing bald spots and thinning hair. With the thyroid disease, I had Radioactive iodine treatment that dried out my skin, scalp and hair and made my skin sensitive to chemicals. My hair was dry, my skin was dry due to the medication also. I could no longer use soaps, shampoos or lotion that contained chemicals. My doctor recommended a betadine bath or a sits bath for the rest of my life. After about a month, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed a solution to my problem and fast. My co worker at the time, brought me some blacksoap and raw shea butter. I bathed with the blacksoap and moisturized after with the raw shea butter. I had not felt that comfortable in years. I wanted everything I needed to feel like shea butter. I looked for organic soap makers but they often used chemicals and didn’t have exactly what I was looking for so I began making my own soap, body butter, hair products, lip balm & serums. When people started noticing that my hair was growing and my skin was moisturized and glowing, they wanted whatever I was using. They started buying from me and I would get messages and emails about vending opportunities and that’s how it turned into a business.

What should our readers know about your business?
While creating my products, I realized that skin is our largest organ and we should feed our skin just as we feed our other organs. Our skin is the exposed organ that experiences more direct surface damage than other organs. Aside from butter (shea butter), I began adding fruit, vegetables, herbs and grains to my products. I didn’t want to be just another “organic soap” maker. I wanted to make products that actually work for my customers. I wanted them to get the results I got from my products. In fact, I wanted better results for them. I made products for eczema, acne, other forms of dermatitis, psoriasis and even athletes foot. I researched what heals or comforts certain skin ailments & what promotes hair growth. This is what set me apart from the rest. As a result, I have other vendors coming to me asking what do I put in my soap or wanting me to give them my whole recipe. Some people even come up to my table and take pictures of my ingredients list on my products, boldly. I have even had my logo and motto stolen, used by other people. I learned to protect my business by getting my logo and everything patented. I had to get trade secret agreements and other NDA’s so I had to learn to take care of business with my business. I learned the hard way that I really do have something great and I should protect it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would go to all the vegan spots like Green Seed Vegan, Korny Vibes, Trendy Vegan or we can go to Suite5023 where we can listen to a live band, eat great food and have fun. We can also go to the Aquatic Playground to drive on the water or Karaoke and sipping champagne.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ngozi Nwafor has been an inspiration to me for pushing me to the limit and constantly saying, “You should do it!” She has motivated me to trust my ideas and carry them out. Now, I just follow my first mind and create or improve a product or project on my own with confidence.

Website: Https://sheanutorganix.us

Instagram: @sheanutorganix

Linkedin: SheaNut Organix

Facebook: @sheanutorganix

Image Credits
Credits: Leara Brown

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