Meet Erica Strickland: Natural Products Specialist (Body Care)

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

Hi Erica, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting a business can be terrifying. Weighing the pros and cons, the risks, and other considerations can be overwhelming. I never intended on starting a body care business – I simply grew a love for clean products. I spent time researching natural ingredients that were beneficial to dry skin. I developed my own body butters and noticed a difference in my skin. I struggled with eczema and dry skin for years and my confidence grew once I noticed my scars began to fade. Nothing is more beautiful than having healthy, glowing skin. I want my customers to have that same experience and confidence in their skin too! I continued exploring more ideas and developed my luminous (shimmer) body butters and my friends and family loved it. That’s when I knew that Skin Kizzed needed to be shared with the world! With Skin Kizzed customers can be assured they are getting a quality product that is safe and free of harsh chemicals, stabilizers, and synthetic fragrances.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I currently work as a full time employee in management. I am grateful for my job because it allows me to invest in my dreams. Starting and growing a successful business is very difficult. My passion for building my brand encourages me to remain consistent and focused on my goals. Offering a product that provides value to people will always be my main goal. Many competitors don’t ship body butters during warmer seasons. This is because body butters are sensitive to heat. Stabilizers and chemicals are also used in major companies to prevent body butters from melting. I developed special packaging for shipping that prevents our body butters from melting in warmer seasons. It makes me proud to know that my customers can order our products year round and receive the same great quality without harmful ingredients. Also, our luminous (shimmer) body butters are very unique in the market. Our most popular item is our 24K Gold Body Butter. This product will hydrate your skin while giving you a natural shimmer glow. I’m excited and grateful for any opportunities God chooses to bless me with to make my brand more visible to the world. I want more people in the world to become more aware of why it’s so important to be intentional about the products they use on their body. FDA allows chemicals known to cause cancer to be used in products we use on ourselves and our families each day. The very product that is intended to “clean” or “beautify” can make you toxic and actually harm your health. I personally believe in using clean ingredients as it is the very best way to prevent skin irritation and skin barrier damages. That is why I am so passionate about investing in my company. I want to provide my current and future customers with products that will be beneficial to their bodies. As Skin Kizzed continues to grow, the quality will always remain the same.

Challenges:

As I mentioned earlier, I am still a full time employee. My management experience has helped me develop hard skills that I use to build success in my business. My current role has helped me learn the importance of networking and developing healthy relationships with peers. I try to use those same skills to maintain and build new relationships with peers within the community. One of my challenges is establishing a good marketing strategy to reach more people across the world. This is a challenge that I am still trying to overcome. It’s not easy but I know that my hard work and dedication is worth it every time I hear about the great experiences Skin Kizzed has given to my customers.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When people come to Chattanooga I want them to have a good time. We are a smaller city but we are growing with more places to go. In Chattanooga we are most known for our beautiful natural surroundings. This is a great place for hiking and bike trails. I would definitely take my friends to the Walnut Bridge, Ruby Falls, North Chick Blue Hole, and Lookout Mountain Incline Railway.

Places for food:

State of Confusion (Great drinks! Aesthetics and atmosphere is a total vibe)
The Feed Table and Tavern (Food and drinks are on point!)
Flaming Rooster (Great fried chicken and Fish)
Lil Mama’s Chicago Style Hoagy (Beautiful place!)
FoodWorks (The food is great and you can’t beat their $1 mimosas!)

For night life I would take my friends to the Chattanooga Cigar Lounge or South Side Social. The cigar lounge is a great vibe if you enjoy cigars and hookah. They have a good music playlist as well. You can definitely have a good time for a girls/guys night out.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank my current and future customers for supporting my small business! Every follow, like, share, and purchase is always appreciated. I thank God for giving me this vision and courage to step out on faith in following my dreams. Whenever I feel defeated and discouraged God has continued to open doors for us and I am very grateful for this journey. My family and friends have also been a great support in helping me to the best of their abilities. It feels good to know they believe in me and the future of Skin Kizzed.

Website: WWW.SKINKIZZED.COM

Instagram: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/SKINKIZZED

Facebook: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SKINKIZZED

Image Credits
Kris_Hackermedias Xperiment5 Layra Navarro