The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
One of the biggest challenges for me was finding my niche and a product that truly felt right for families. I experimented with a wide range of products, from body butter and lip balms to infused and facial oils, but none of them truly resonated. I wanted to feel excited about what I was creating. While the market is full of beautiful offerings, I found myself searching for something simpler, more nourishing and genuinely practical for everyday family life. That search led me to tallow, a traditional ingredient with a long history, yet one that feels almost forgotten in today’s skincare world. It lit me up again to work with something time-honoured, effective and gentle enough for all ages.
Finding my place online has also been a learning curve. Social media can be unpredictable, and consistency isn’t always easy, but I’ve come to value the slower growth. The people who are drawn to my work are genuinely interested in natural skincare and mindful living, and together we’ve formed a lovely, like-minded community that connects with my work because we share similar values.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own small business?
The pros are that I get to work on something that I love to do every day. I love creating cream and balms. I also really love educating families about how to use essential oils safely. I have many friends and mums from my son’s school come up to me and say that the tallow worked really well, or they loved the blend of oils I made them. I really love the sense of community. My love for natural healing is what has carried me through more challenging moments.
At this stage, the main challenge of running my own business is that I’m a sole trader. Managing every aspect on my own can be demanding at times, but it’s all part of the journey.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I have so many things I want to do! Over the next two years, I’ll be busy with my own study and homeschooling, but I hope to steadily grow my business so more people can experience the benefits of natural skincare. I’d love to see my products in stores, where they can support families and individuals seeking simple, nourishing options for their skin. I’m also hoping to add many more videos to my YouTube channel, showing viewers how to make handcrafted skincare and homecare items at home. The main challenge is finding time!
I also love hosting workshops and educating families in a hands-on way, whether guiding them through blending their own roller bottles or creating body scrubs using herbs and essential oils. I hope to offer local workshops more regularly, as teaching small, intimate groups about the benefits of herbs and essential oils is something I truly love. Seeing people relax, learning and genuinely appreciate the experience brings me so much joy.
Visit the Natura Emporium website to find out more, and connect with them on Instagram and Facebook.
