Today we’d like to introduce you to Shakira and Robert James.
Hi Shakira and Robert, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Absolutely! My husband and I started Tropical Organicz in 2019 from our first apartment in South Florida. Our goal has always been to help our community transition into a holistic lifestyle of toxic-free, natural, and quality products. Likewise, no matter where you are in the world, we want to bring the Tropics to you through our custom scent blends and selection of herbs.
Our mission is to inspire and educate our community about nature’s powerful resources to combat different internal and external skin and health concerns, boosting their overall confidence. Growing up in Caribbean households, we were well-acquainted with natural herbs and supplements to combat various ailments. We learned to cultivate herbs like aloe vera, neem, eucalyptus, and moringa and use them in our products.
Our unique approach addressed problems often overlooked by the industry. While other companies offered natural skincare products, none focused on herbs. We believed this was a missing component, as herbs and nature provide solutions for various skincare concerns and ailments. My experience running a science department with a focus on STEM education and Robert’s background in architecture with an emphasis on mathematics allowed us to merge our backgrounds with our love for natural ingredients and formulation. We saw the potential of our products to make a significant impact worldwide.
Our distinctive approach quickly gained attention from a global audience. A year after launching Tropical Organicz, I left my teaching job to become a full-time entrepreneur. My husband, Robert, soon followed suit, quitting his job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic while I was nine months pregnant with our second child. Our family played a crucial role in supporting our journey, and with dedication and savings, we invested in the company’s growth.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our journey to success has been far from smooth, and the challenges of being a business owner often remain hidden behind the polished facade of social media. As entrepreneurs, we’ve faced numerous obstacles and have learned to become problem solvers daily.
One of the struggles we had to overcome was securing the necessary funding for our business while also managing our finances. Balancing these financial aspects was a delicate act that required careful planning and resource management which oftentimes is a new concept for business owners because this information isn’t taught in school.
Learning the proper techniques for creating product labels and efficiently handling order shipments presented another set of challenges. These operational aspects demanded our time and dedication to master. Today, we have operational meetings every week to strengthen our systems as we continue to learn new techniques. This has helped with increasing customer satisfaction and brand trust.
Finding trustworthy employees proved to be a complex endeavor, as it can be more of a liability than an asset if not executed correctly. Hiring and building a reliable team was a process filled with trials and can be very costly. Balancing a work schedule with our personal lives was yet another challenge. As a family-owned business, we faced the unique task of integrating our personal and professional lives seamlessly. It was a journey to strike the right balance and is still a continuous work-in-progress.
Allowing ourselves the room to grow, learn, and make mistakes was an essential part of finding our unique path. In the unforgiving world of business, small businesses are not always given the opportunity to make mistakes or struggle. So, we had to learn to navigate the bumpy ride and keep our heads held high. Our path to success has been marked by various challenges, but our determination, adaptability, and continuous learning have enabled us to overcome these obstacles and thrive in the world of entrepreneurship.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tropical Organicz?
Tropical Organicz is a premium natural skincare manufacturing company specializing in holistic wellness through the use of herbs and extracts inspired by our Caribbean culture. No matter where you are in the world, our mission is to bring Paradise to you! What makes us unique is that our team grows, harvest, and infuse our products with herbs, providing our clientele with farm-to-product service. We are the home of the #1 Herbal Infusions! Additionally, we provide our products to stockists for their retail stores and help other businesses start their unique custom brands through private labeling. Our products can also be found on Walmart’s website.
Our mission is to inspire and educate our community about nature’s powerful resources to combat different internal and external skin and health concerns to boost their overall confidence within themselves. Our products are natural, organic, plant-based, cruelty-free, dye-free, and paraben-free. We also have a selection of vegan products! Some of our best-selling collections are Turmeric Takeover, Yoni Intimate, Ultimate Healing, and Sea Moss. These collections feature a variety of herbal-infused shower gels, bar soaps, foaming scrubs, and body oils.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Something fun and surprising about us that our brand followers might not know is that we’re outdoor enthusiasts. We love beach days and also fishing! We’re also total foodies, always up for trying new and exotic dishes. Family is incredibly important to us, and we cherish moments spent with loved ones. Looking ahead, we’re excited about more travel escapades and creating wonderful memories with our family.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tropicalorganicz.
com - Instagram: instagram.com/
tropicalorganicz - Facebook: facebook.com/
tropicalorganicz - Other: tropicwholesaleessentia
ls.com
