Today we’d like to introduce you to Lissette Monzon.
Lissette, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always had a deep admiration and curiosity of nature. I saw it as magical and our original medicine. I was introduced to aromatherapy when I was a teenager. My mother bought me a kit that included a book and some starter oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender. I was immediately hooked! I studied the book more deeply than any class in school. When I mixed the oils and made concoctions, I felt like a cross between a healing shaman and the evil queen from Snow White (yes she was evil, but she sure could make some powerful potions!). I kid, but I really felt like there was something ancient and true when I would make a cold remedy for a friend, beauty oil or perfume for myself or family.
As time went on, I continued using my oils. I really wanted to major in Aromatherapy while in college at Florida State University, but when I asked the counselors about this, they had no idea what I was talking about. Aromatherapy was not a popular subject like it is becoming today. So I majored in Education. I earned two masters degrees in the field including Educational Leadership. I worked in the Miami Dade School System for 13 years. I was a teacher for seven years, a reading coach for three, and a Curriculum Support Specialists writing pacing guides and servicing multiple schools in the lowest 25% of our community for another three years. Within those years I also earned my Certificate as a Clinical Master Aromatherapist just for myself because I couldn’t shake the urge to learn more about plants and oils. I only dreamed of having a business, but certainly did not believe it was really possible.
At this time in 2014, I was pregnant with my second child. The miracle of growing babies and birth is extraordinary. I was simultaneously witnessing my father battle cancer, living in a hospital for months with extensive near-death treatment. All the while, I could hardly visit because of my pregnancy. It was an emotional few months. But I gained a tremendous appreciation of how precious life is. While on maternity leave I was home with my children, my father was in remission and getting healthier everyday. After the allowed leave with benefits of eight weeks was over, going back to my nine to five meant working to pay for daycare and barely seeing my children grow up. This was not what I wanted. My husband and I made the decision to have me stay home and raise our children while he worked full time during the week.
On the weekends I could go out to a Farmer’s Market to try and make a bit of supplemental income. You never know it might work out. Incredibly enough, it was at the Coconut Grove Farmer’s Market that I realized people really loved what I could do. The world wanted organic, nature-based products and I knew how to make them. A series of serendipitous events, a lot of prayers, focus, and faith has allowed me to resign from the school system, complete a brand refresh, gain partnerships with amazing clients like west elm, grown, and other local businesses, and make my dream a reality.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. That would be too easy. To begin with, the idea of leaving a tenured job that I had invested not just 13 years of work in, but also years of studying and tuition, where I established myself into reputable position with salary, benefits, and retirement, was one I struggled with literally everyday.
In the school system, you are given up to one-year parental leave and another year for personal leave… I would fill out the paperwork in increments of three to six months of leave at a time. The system would revisit me at the end of those periods and ask if I was ready to return. Each time I took a leap of faith and filled it out requesting another few months. People questioned my decision. I questioned myself. Family and friends would ask when I was going to return to work?
In reality, I was never working harder. I was loving and enjoying my children at the museum/zoo/parks during the day, making products at night, and selling them at markets on the weekends. It was scary, but I knew I was on to something. I could see how people reacted to my products. I continued opening doors and making opportunities happen. I made the decision to resign at the end of those two years. This meant that Lilly Be officially became my full-time job!
Please tell us about Lilly Be.
My company is Lilly Be. I make organic skincare and aromatherapy products. I have roughly 20 products in my line with a range from facial care, body care, essential oil perfumes, and home and wellness. I only use organic ingredients, or non-GMO variations if applicable, and sundried not chemically altered salts and clays. I never use chemicals, synthetics, or fragrances. Because I work with only organic, nature-based ingredients (nothing lab developed), my products work in synergy with mind and body. My line is not just about skincare, but also about being in touch with the best state of mind we can be.
I am very well known for my Be Youthful anti-aging facial cream. Once people use it, if they love it, they really love it. I will get phone calls to meet them at their work or any named location because they have run out and can’t wait for the weekend market or shipping. I am also known for my essential oil perfumes encased in sustainable glass and bamboo. These are beautiful, unique keepsake bottles. The perfume blends are named after the energy each oil brings to the wearer, Be Your Dream, Be Love, Be Prosperous, and Be Refreshed.
With my recent rebranding, I adapted the names of my products to truly reflect what they bring to not only your skin but the state of being. Aromatherapy works with the mind and body, and I wanted my packaging to reflect this. The Be in Lilly Be is to be at one with nature, to live in the immediate state of being and to be at one with life. It is not always easy to stay in touch with this connected natural state. This is why I made the entire line reflect a Be state-depending on the action of the oils to serve as a reminder to the wearer of the total benefits in using any given Lilly Be product.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I don’t have a specific memory. I am the youngest of four sisters. My parents were always engaging us in activities from ballet, to the piano, fishing, and making commercials. I became a member of Screen Actors Guild by the age of five. I loved acting! Overall, I remember always having fun, going to family gatherings every Sunday, and making people laugh.
Pricing:
- Prices range from $8-$45 in Facial Care
- Majority of our products are between $15-$22
Contact Info:
- Address: 13455 SW 68 Terrace Miami, Fl. 33183
- Website: www.lillybe.com
- Phone: 786-525-6759
- Email: lillybe@lillybe.com
- Instagram: @lillybeorganic
- Facebook: lillybeorganic
Image Credit:
Lynn Parks, Shannon Allen, Luis Perez
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