In 2014 I was looking for a fun item to give away for a speech. Something people could and would use. I also wanted it to be healthy.
I was doing a speech called "Are you a BAD Apple?" I thought it would be a great idea to giveaway chapstick. I used Google to search for Apple flavored chaptistick. I stumbled across the website for Bella Organics. The company produces and sells organic body care products. I placed an order for the chapstick to try it out. I won't lie, the Chapstick is the best chapstick I've ever used. I wrote the company to compliment them on their product. To my surprise the owner wrote me back.
I explained who I was and how I wanted to purchase her chaptsitcks as a giveaway for my upcoming speeches. Alena Bond gave me several ideas of how she could help me and I placed another order. I was pleasantly surprised again when my order showed up with a samples of other products . My order also came packed with dry ice to keep everything from melting in the Arizona summer heat. At that point, Bella Organics has me as a customer.
I continued to talk with Alena about her company and her products. She is a mother of three with one on the way. She is someone who has turned her dream into a reality and I would love to share her story with you this month.
Can you please explain to my readers how and why decided to start your own line of organic body care products?
Skincare products became very personal and important to me when our daughter was born. She had a fairly common skin condition known as eczema. My expectation was that there must be a lot of good products that are safe because this happens to so many newborns in the US. After many trials of various products I noticed that at best they would temporarily moisturize the skin and at worst have absolutely no effect. So that’s when I was forced to turn the products over and take a hard look at the ingredients I was completely shocked by what I saw. It was then that I made the switch to organic skincare, but not all products helped. When I read the ingredients I could see why, cheaper fillers were added that did not do anything to the skin. There would still be alcohol or other preservatives that dried out the skin further. The diaper cream was so ineffective I was forced to use the popular toxic brand. It was at that point that I felt that I wanted something to be done right it was to do it myself.
I had a great resource to turn to for help, my grandfather’s botanical diaries, which he left for the family after years of practice as a holistic doctor. With that information as well as a lot of personal research and formulation school I was able to create my own products and was amazed by the results. The dry skin balm was so effective that with one application her dry skin was completely healed! I didn’t even need to reapply every 2 to 4 hours like with other products. I was astounded that there was nothing on the market similar to what I created. Friends and family began making requests and pretty soon I had orders coming in. Word of mouth sales began growing so quickly we knew we had to do something, as a result Bella Organics was born and we feel Blessed to share the benefits of our Organic and nourishing products with everyone.
I'm sure you could have chosen products that are easier and less healthy to produce. What do you do to stay focused to live your dream of producing healthy organic products?
It all started with my own family and children, which set the bar for the products. Since we personally use every product that we carry, they have to continuously meet the original standard that was set. Yes, the raw materials are much more expensive to source but that is the reason I got into this type of work to begin with. Even though now there are a few more organic beauty products on the market then before, Bella Organics products will continue to top shelf products simply because I will never cut corners. This is the reason I made our products, organic skincare currently on the market did not meet with our expectations. And we wanted to fill that void in the marketplace.
Did you know how to make body care products before you started Bella Organics?
Yes, I made lotions, baby products, lip balm and body scrubs for a few years. I never dreamed of being blessed to produce such a variety of products like we currently offer. Our favorite new product is our deodorants!
How or where did you learn how to do what you do? Did you have a mentor or was it all research?
My personality is the driving force behind my desire for answers. It took years of research and experimentation to be able to get to where I’m at today. In the beginning I worked with a formulator, but I ended up severing that relationship because I had to keep pushing them not to include ingredients I felt were unsafe or not necessary in our products. We did not want to dilute our products with water or cheaper ingredients. We wanted to be the one honest company out there that delivered what it promised.
Finding healthy products can be very difficult and expensive, but you are proof that it can be done. What resources do you recommend for people who are looking for organic products?
There are a number of great Facebook groups that like to share organic tips. I was able to find organic produce and farms locally just by reaching out to my Facebook groups. My favorite Facebook group is “Natural Mother Magazine Fan Forum”. It is a large closed group of moms and some dads who care about safe and natural living. There are always members who live right in your city that you can connect with. It’s a great resource if you are looking for natural reviews on safe products for your family.
When you're having a tough day, what do you do to stay mentally strong and push through the difficult times?
I love nature and when I need to get away I would often times call one of my friends and go for a walk by the beach and all the troubles would just melt away. Other times I would go on hikes and come back rejuvenated and full of energy.
What motivates you?
My motivation is my family. They are everything for me and even though we have three now with another on the way, they are the best thing that could have happened to me. Although challenging at times they are what puts a smile on my face each morning. I want to do all I can to make their world a safer place.
I constantly tell people that living a dream requires honesty. Honesty with others and with themselves. What advice can share with my readers about turning a dream into a reality?
For me my passion is what turned my dream into reality. I think that everyone should pursue their dreams. Not only will it bring personal fulfillment but it will ultimately grow into something much bigger and better because it will come from the heart. I think that in order to be great at anything a person has to love what they do and have a real passion for it and everything else will fall into place.
Alena, I'm proud to say I use your products. It's one thing to say buy a product off of a shelf or from a website, it's something different when you can say you've spoken with and know the owner. Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers about life, leadership and living your dreams?
I’m very thankful to be able to provide safe and effective products to all and I thank God for sending the right people into my life to make Bella Organics possible! If anyone has any questions about a particular product or something is general feel free to email me directly at [email protected] Thank you for taking the time to make this interview it’s always a pleasure to meet likeminded people.
I've enjoyed my conversations with Alena over the phone and by e-mail. I hope to build and develop my relationship with her and her family. I also plan to visit her production facilities in person so I can see where everything is made and meet her family.Please visit www.lovebellaorganics.com to learn more about Bella Organics and sign up for their newsletter.
