We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Patino. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Maria with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I have to say that I learned all about work ethic from my mother. She always taught me to work hard in life. I watched as she sacrificed and worked hard to provide for her children as a widow. She always made smart choices with her finances and I learned a lot from her. She always made sure she paid the mortgage and the bills. Wants always came last in our house. She always put her kids first and made sure we always had what we needed. First we would take care of business and then we could go play or do activities. That is exactly what I am teaching my children.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
HELLO World! Back in 2013 I learned in cosmetology school that our skin is an organ. I was horrified when I started looking at the ingredients in my products and threw everything away, including my expensive face creams. I couldn’t find ‘clean’ products so I started making my own face serum using essential oils almost 10 years ago and never looked back. It started out as a moisturizing and anti-aging serum for our skin which turned out to also be great for acne.
In 2022 I started giving out samples to friends and family and the rest is history! We’re creating a brand that is changing lives. My husband and son have very sensitive skin and I make them Sandalwood creams and lotions. My teenage daughter and her friends use Ageless Clear Skin to keep acne under control. I no longer have to worry about chemicals in my family’s products because I formulate them myself.
Being an Air Force spouse and homemaker since 2010, I needed something to call my own. I loved making people feel beautiful in cosmetology school but due to my cervical scoliosis I was not able to become a stylist. I can do that once again by sharing my wonderful products! We strive for excellence and create our formulas with the help of chemists and cosmetic scientists that formulate for clients such as The Body Shop, Blistex, Boots to Natural and organic start-ups.
Nature’s Healing Skincare, LLC is a locally owned and operated small family business out of Lincoln, California USA.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think that one of the most important things when starting a small business is not giving up. It’s very easy to feel defeated when things aren’t working out but you have to keep going. I tried making my first face cream and it did not emulsify correctly. I was ready to give up. I watched the episodes by Madame CJ Walker and was absolutely inspired. After watching those, I was going to make a cream no matter what it took. Another thing that I have learned in this journey is that you have to keep putting your business out there. I used to do a lot of networking when I was in college and they used to tell me, keep giving that business card out. Someone out there needs what you’re selling and you have to keep going. I started giving out product samples and that is how people learned about me. Word-of-mouth has been the reason why I’m still here. Not everyone is going to want or need your product and that is ok because a lot of people will still use it.
Last but not least I have learned that it is not easy to have a small business. There is so much work that goes into it and people have no idea. Creating your products, marketing them, working on your website and all that is behind the scenes. You will spend hours upon hours working on your business and it’s still not enough. That is part of the journey of being a business owner. You are constantly thinking of ways to improve your products or market them. I had to learn how to pause my brain when I needed to because it was getting overwhelming. Receiving feedback from my clients has been a game changer. You need that in a business so you can know what’s working and what’s not.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m currently looking for marketing companies and manufacturers to create our products. Our next goal is to sell our products at stores like Whole Foods, Ulta or Sprouts. We are focused on making natural skincare products and want to sell them at stores that align with our goals. Marketing is one of the biggest things for companies and at some point we are going to need professional help.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://natureshealingskincare.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natureshealingskincarellc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085712122618
- Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-patino-nhs
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Natureshealingskincarellc
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@natureshealingskincare
