Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and beauty but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shannon Smyth, CEO of A Girl's Gotta Spa!, located in Hamlin, PA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

A Girl's Gotta Spa! is a cruelty-free indie beauty brand with an emphasis on encouraging and empowering women. We believe in kindness - to oneself, animals, and the planet. Made in small batches in the US, we focus on quality over quantity.

Our ingredients are always vegan, and we're Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free. And we've taken it a step further by becoming rePurpose Global plastic neutral certified. For the plastic we put out in the world in our packaging and shipping, we match the removal of plastic from the ocean - pound for pound.

Our core customers have been women 40+ who aren't distracted by trendy ingredients and media hype to "make" a product. Their focus is on the quality of the ingredients versus which influencer or celebrity is peddling the next big thing.

Tell us about yourself

Initially, a mental health professional with a B.A. in Psychology helping children; once I became a mother, I shifted my focus to the needs of women. The mental weight of balancing motherhood is very real. Moms are expected to do and take on so much, physically and mentally - and social media sets that expectation even higher.

I started blogging in 2005 when there were only a handful of beauty bloggers at the time. I wanted to connect and encourage. Through this time, and after working for a public relations agency where the CEO had planted the seed years earlier that I should launch my own line, it finally just hit me (in the shower, of course) that this is what I was meant to do.

I'm motivated each day by the feedback and stories from customers. I've had orders placed for my perfumes - like Arise - and sent to a loved one in rehab to show support. I've had customers tell me about how my body care has been a game-changer for years-long skin issues they've had. Others, who are just inspired by the names of the perfumes like Resilient and Persevere, and tell me stories about struggles they have overcome. It feels good to make a difference in this way.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is honestly taking things as far as I have on my own. I really put in the work to learn as many skills as necessary to sustain my brand. From website design to SEO to social media marketing to label design and ingredient knowledge, I'm really proud of my capacity to learn and put it into action.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Being in the growth phase but not yet being able to have employees. Thank goodness for my local Small Business Administration for helping me to find interns!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Having a good support system is key. I know that not everyone has a family they can lean on, so finding other start-up and seasoned business owners that you can network and chat with is vital so that you don't feel alone on those days where you feel burnt out.
  2. You don't know everything, even if you feel like you do. Keep learning and growing, and your business will progress as you do.
  3. Create a schedule where you have set time off. This is going to be so important so that you don't run yourself into the ground. Having your own business is 24/7, but you don't have to work it that way. Unplugging and doing things for your own mental and physical well-being is equally as important as the other aspects of running a successful business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://agirlsgottaspa.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspabrand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agirlsgottaspabrand/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/agirlsgottaspa
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agirlsgottaspa/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.