We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jasara Ponton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jasara, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Honestly, in the past, occasionally, I would be intimidated by who was in the room that did, or didn’t look like me! Questioning, if I was doing the right thing, if I was doing enough, if I was creative enough, or if I was catching the proper trends! I had to take a hard and heavy look at what I was feeding myself, emotionally and mentally. I came to the realization that the success of my brand is determined by the love, passion, and commitment I have for my products and first and foremost my beautiful customer base, no matter what! With these factors not only being the driving force of my creativity. They are also the determining success of my brand and business.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I fashion myself as a skin care formulator, which means I am ingredient specific, especially when it comes to the different seasons of the year, benefits, specific properties, as well as nutritional details related to the skin. I absolutely adore being creative in the skincare field; knowing there are thousands of plant-based items I could use in any type of formulation. I feel like a kid in a candy store! Being able to pick and choose over such an abundant variety of amazing items, having so many tools that allow me to do a deep dive into their uses, benefits, and background.
Looking into the future, I am excited on building my brand list of beautiful skincare items such as face serum, face washes, body washes, and so much more! just to name a few! Also, I am excited to announce my upcoming participation at the Black Girl Art Show here in my hometown of Philadelphia on Sunday, May 12!
My future vision and goal is to be able to mass produce my products, not having to compromise any ingredient, for ingredients that are inflammatory, highly irritating to the skin, or a harsh chemical!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Some things that were most important in my journey were, and still are the love, commitment, and passion that I have for what I do. These three things are the beginning catalyst of allowing me to be my most creative when I am developing a new product or revamping a product. I’ve also learned starting out not to over complicate things. Starting off small is the best way to not feel overwhelmed or stress yourself out. Keep it simple. It’s not just a catchy phrase. It is very relevant. Knowing that you don’t have to have big fancy expensive equipment allows you to be more at ease and free to do all the things on your list that you are setting out to accomplish. Another piece of advice would be follow groups, and creators that are in your field that show a genuine, love, motivation, and drive for the industry that you are in! This piece of advice is extremely special to me, and I find it to be valuable to anyone thinking about stepping into this arena. In my opinion, finding other like-minded, creatives will definitely help you ease the overwhelmed feeling and know you’re not alone. Knowing there are many people around the world who share a common love for the skincare industry will make your journey that much more at ease.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
I feel that while it’s great to be very well-versed on things you are strong and successful in, It’s also equally important in my opinion to focus on things you know you may need improving on. For example, I feel like I am very fluid in making body butter and scrubs that I enjoy using. However, I also know I absolutely could use improving in making cold processed bar soaps. With something that I started out doing a few years back, but I seem to get away from simply because I didn’t feel that it was easy enough for me to do. Keeping that in mind, I’m also a consumer, and I absolutely love bar soaps! Especially and specifically from skincare entrepreneurs who make clean beauty products. It gives me so much more motivation to dive back in to making something I feel that I absolutely should improve on.
Digging more into areas, I know I need to polish, strengthen, and be more attentive which will allow me more opportunity to learn the process in making the bar soaps, be creative in that area, and develop a great experience throughout the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://handsofjoi.net/
- Instagram: @hands_of_joi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HandsOfJoi/
