We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamra Collins and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Tamra, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Best Life Beauti is a thoughtful brand. I spend many hours researching the benefits of every single ingredient that I use in my handcrafted products. The simple yet effective formulas are the star of the show and what has been the key to Best Life Beauti’s success. My goal has always been to create products that are multi purpose, accessible, safe, and effective on varying skin types. Gaining and maintaining my current and potential customers trust has also been crucial for my brand. I literally started with a dollar and a dream and the hope that a few people would take a chance on my products. Although I know that the skin care products that I create are high quality, some people are understandably cautious. I take pride in being transparent about the production, sourcing, and ingredients used in my line.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets my brand apart from others is my determination to give my customers an outstanding experience. I don’t want to just sell you a product, I want to solve a problem. I handcraft non toxic, vegan skincare products. Our line is free from dyes, fragrance oils and is sensitive skin friendly. I want to educate about wellness from the inside out. I want to help advocate for your self care. Skin care is one of the easiest forms of self care and I want everyone to have access to that. I have such a loyal group of customers turned friends that have consistently supported Best Life Beauti and that brings me the greatest joy. You trust me with your skin? What an honor. The tight knit group of business owners in Richmond, VA has been instrumental in my confidence and success as well. I participate in many vendor events around the city and love putting my brand front and center. Also social media has been a game changer. I have made the most connections from being active and engaging on social media. You have the potential to reach millions without even leaving your home. It’s still amazing to me. Nothing about being an entrepreneur is easy but if you truly want it you’ll work hard for it. I have had months where I made thousands and months when I barely made one hundred dollars but my I always try to stay grateful. An optimistic outlook can take you far and manifesting your dreams really work. I am a success because I belive I am. My family is rooting for me. I am rooting for me. Being a business owner wasn’t always my dream but when I think about the things that I’ve always desired it came full circle. Now it’s not just a dream, it’s my reality and I am forever grateful. My brand is so much bigger than me. I will create jobs. I will continue to give back and fight for social, racial, and economic justice. I hope to inspire others to use their gifts to do the same.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Richmond, VA has a ton of great spots to visit but the first stop would definitely be Carytown. Its about a mile of restaurants and specialty boutiques, most small and locally owned. There is always a great crowd of diverse and eclectic shoppers. Richmond has become quite the foodie town as well. I eat a plant based diet but the rest of my family are omnivores so finding a restaurant where we can all have a great meal is crucial. A few of my favorites are Sen Organic, Carytown Gyro, Harrison Street Cafe, Nile Ethiopian, Cava, and Urban Hang Suite just to name a few. For an outdoorsy adventure we could go bike riding at Belle Isle and hang out on the “rocks” at the James River or head over to Maymont Park to tour the lush gardens, beautiful waterfall, and Koi pond. At night Kabana serves as the tallest open air rooftop bar and lounge in the city. If you’re a history buff now is an exciting time to visit the Lee monument. It has been named the most influential work of protest art since WWII, per New York Times Style magazine. The space has been reclaimed and now serves as a memorial for the many black lives lost due to police brutality around the country.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband Isaiah has been my biggest support system and cheerleader from day one. He encourages and motivates me daily. We are opposites in so many ways and his energetic personality is the perfect compliment to my laid back approach. I have been saying “Yes!” to so many things that I would have dreaded just a year ago because of his confidence in me and my company. He is also the muscle behind many events, helping me with set up, breakdown and even answering customer questions in between. I am forever grateful for him as my partner and I am excited to help him build his brand that he just started as well. I also have to shout out my amazing two children. My youngest child is 6 and he loves telling anyone that will listen about his “mommy’s Best Life Beauti business”. He loves pretending to be a customer at events and sampling everything that I make. My oldest child is 14 and she actually inspired the very first product, the Foaming Black Soap. She was having a tough time with her skin at an early age and I wanted a safe, gentle cleanser that she could use on her skin. She now helps at events and has even started a lip gloss line of her own.
Website: www.etsy.com/shop/bestlifebeauti
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bestlifebeauti
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bestlifebeautirva