Meet Diana Marcelin: Soap Maker

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

Hi Diana, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
Wow! Tough question to answer especially with just having one kid so far, but I’ll try my best. It’s probably is fostering a loving relationship where I am consistently connecting with my little one. Before my daughter was born, I tried my best to take care of my body with the proper nutrition and exercise. During that time, I also continued to do activities that made my heart feel joy, like my dance classes, so that my daughter could feel those same feelings before the pregnancy. Now that she’s here, it’s important for me and her father to spend quality time together with her. We’ll dance, sing, play on the mat with her toys, read books, and constantly give her hugs while speaking the reasons why we love her so much. It’s always a great feeling when I look at my child and see her excitement when she discovers new joys with the interactions that my husband and I have with her.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I began my soaping company because I was not satisfied with the products that were out there in the marketplace and decided to make my own. Through hard work, determination, and a lot of creativity I’ve been able to create a skin care company that values our customers making sure that they are getting the best ingredients for their skin. We have luxurious products that makes you feel like a million dollars because you’re worth it. It has not been easy to get to that point. Striving to get an excellent product takes a lot of time and effort especially because I want the Martous Naturals experience to be something you’ve never felt before. I would not release something until I felt it was absolutely right for a great experience. For that, I had to have a lot of patience because greatness takes time and I’ll put in the efforts to make sure people are getting that from Martous Naturals.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The great thing about the Atlanta area is that there is so much to do for so many different types of people. I’d give them a taste of restaurants and places that are off the beaten path and then mix in some regular tourist attractions that I’d think would be great to visit. My list is below: For things to do I would definitely include hiking Kennesaw Mountain, visiting the MLK center, and partaking in a couple of the festivals that happen throughout the city. Atlanta on any given weekend can have a number of festivals occurring and attending one of them is a must. Also, I would stop off at the Ponce City Market. Two of the eateries I recommend are there and there is also an entrance to the belt line where we can walk off all the goodies that we’ve eaten and catch some of the Atlanta vibes. There is so much good food in Atlanta. Below is a list of some of the spots I would plan for us to visit:

Food (Vegan or Raw): Lov’n It Live (East Point) – Rawist restaurant with electrifying dishes; Faux Real Burger – Great vegan food off the grill

Meat Eaters: Holeman & Finch – Some of the best burgers; Pit Boss BBQ (East Point) – Smoked BBQ that is cured for hours; La Carreta (Marietta) – Mexican food and their smashed plantains is the best I’ve had in Greater

Atlanta Dessert: Vegan Dream Doughnuts (West End) – Some of the best doughnuts in Atlanta (in my opinion); Cookie Junkie ATL – Amazing vegan sweets; Five Daughter’s Bakery

Remember to please eat responsibly. Sharing dishes that your friend has not ordered is a must.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I’m a big believer in family. There’s my husband and daughter who are the loves of my life. Then there are my parents and brothers and sisters whom I try to stay connected with as much as possible. Growing up with them built my roots and has kept me on a solid foundation through good and bad times. I will always value the love I have for all of them. Next up are my friends, going through this thing call life, I’ve been fortunate enough to have friends in my life that have supported my dreams and I theirs. I can’t thank them enough for their friendship. One of those friends is Tashia Zeigler who was the first person to suggest me starting my soap company and here I am today as a business owner. I thank her greatly for believing in me.