Formulated by a nutritional therapist and mum, Nature’s Mineral magnesium oils are an all-natural solution to your family’s sleep issues, anxiety, growing pains, mineral deficiency and energy support. Their transdermal magnesium oil spray is an active ingredient that absorbs through the skin. It’s a safe and highly effective method suitable for everyone, including those as young as 12 months old, making it an essential and healthy way to incorporate this vital mineral into your daily routine. Here, co-founder Hannah Macey talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Nature’s Mineral, their biggest breakthrough, the pros and cons of running their own business, and their hopes and dreams for the future.
The Passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I’ve always wanted to be a business owner who specialises in health, and it was just a matter of finding the right idea to spark it off.
Over the years, I made many business plans, but during one late-night breastfeeding session with my daughter, I was struggling to fall back asleep. I’ve always had an issue with my sleep, so I thought, “As a nutritional therapist, what would I advise a client to do in this situation?”. The first thing that came to mind was magnesium. Once I did some research into finding a good product, I found there was not one that was high quality, all-natural and something I would feel comfortable putting on my body or my daughter’s. That’s when I started building the business plan and the product.
A few years later, I met Claire while working for a small start-up and explained my idea. She was quickly on board, and from there, we started to build Nature’s Mineral.
The Launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
We decided to go for a business loan from the government, which required filling out a detailed business plan. This was a great way to really plan what we wanted to do with the business and what our goals were.
One of the great things about getting one of these loans is that you get a mentor for five sessions, and mine was incredible and hugely helpful! I would recommend this to anyone starting a business.
While this was all going through, Claire and I got busy writing, designing and planning for the website, product design, setting up social platforms and everything that comes with it. We didn’t have a big launch; it was certainly a very exciting day, and my garage has never looked the same since! We hope to have a proper launch when our lotions come out in the near future.
The Innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Our biggest breakthrough has been working with stores and getting customer feedback face-to-face. Not much happens face-to-face anymore, so we found that getting into health shops, refillable shops and boutiques was a valuable experience.
Not only did we get to hear customer feedback, but we also got to know the store owners and staff, which helped us understand what customers want from our products. For example, due to customer and store owner feedback, we have changed our trigger sprays.
We also found it hard to gain traction on social media, but I work with an organisation called ‘Buy Women Built’. Through this, I’ve met amazing women entrepreneurs and done joint competitions, which have really helped build our following. I would highly recommend any business owner join ‘Buy Women Built’.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
This is the company’s biggest challenge! Claire and I both work for other companies during the week and have young children under five, so getting this balance right is very tricky. We try to do all our work when the children are in bed or when we have spare moments at the weekend. We also commit to putting in a certain amount of time every morning or evening.
But we also make sure to leave plenty of space for our own health and well-being. Phones go away when the children are home, and we devote our time to them and are present when we are with them. We use spreadsheets to keep track of notes and set ourselves small, attainable goals each week. Small to-do lists with one or two tasks per day are manageable. We do this for our children and in the hope that we can run the business as our full-time jobs one day. For us, we know the commitment is worth it, but yes, the juggle is real and sometimes overwhelming!
