April 3, 2025 • 55 mins
Margaret Clark and Ashley Skarin share the inspiring journey of building The Body Deli, a locally-made natural skincare brand that has become a Coachella Valley success story. Through determination and innovative thinking, they've grown from kitchen experiments to owning two retail locations while maintaining their commitment to quality and sustainability.
• Margaret's entrepreneurial spirit emerged at age 8, selling grapefruit and rocks from roadside stands
• Chemical allergies from cosmetology work led Margaret to research and create natural healing balms
• The business started after a wealthy client found relief from skin issues and ordered 50 gift baskets
• Business partner David Parker helped transform Blue Lotus into The Body Deli with a "food for your skin" concept
• They operate two distinct stores - a local-friendly shop on Highway 111 and a luxury boutique on El Paseo
• All products are manufactured locally in the Coachella Valley, creating jobs and supporting the local economy
• Free skin consultations and samples ensure customers find products that work before making purchases
• Customer relationships are prioritized with phone support and personalized service
• Their Vital C Repair Serum uses special imported Robosome C to address sun damage and stimulate collagen
• The company maintains long-term employees, with some team members working there for 15-30 years
Visit thebodydeli.com to explore their complete line of fresh, natural skincare products made right in the Coachella Valley.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What is up everyone?
I'm Robert Mraz and I'm FinaMraz, and this is CV Hustle, the
podcast dedicated to supportingand promoting entrepreneurship
here in our Coachella Valley.
And it's our goal on this show,guys, you know, to bring in the
top entrepreneurs here in theValley.
And today we've got a realspecial, two special guests
actually, and you know we'vetalked to doctors, we've talked
(00:21):
to lawyers, but we've neverreally hit the retail side.
So today we're going to kind ofspeak to some entrepreneurs
that are at the top of the gameon the retail side.
Ladies, you guys know who thisproduct is.
Today's special guest is theBody Deli, with Ashley Skarin
and Margaret Clark.
Thanks for coming in, guys.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Thanks for having us, we're excited to be here
Awesome awesome.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
So I want to tell everybody how we all met Awesome
, awesome.
Yeah, he's harmless, he wassuper nice.
But I don't know a lot aboutyour backstory.
You and I want to get to you,obviously, but where did you
(01:11):
grow up?
How did you get to California?
Are you a native here?
Tell me your story.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
I've been in the Coachella Valley for 65 years.
Oh wow, You're a native.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Oh you're local local .
Speaker 4 (01:22):
I was born and raised here Born and raised, wow.
And I lived in Indian Wellsbefore it was called Indian
Wells, what it was calledsomething else, it was just like
annexed, you know, like county.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Like Bermuda Dunes, unincorporated, yeah,
unincorporated.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Unincorporated, and then it just slowly turned into
Indian Wells and became its owncity.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
What high school did you go to?
Indio, Ooh.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Raja.
Yeah, at that time it was only.
Palm Springs and Indio and CVand CV.
Yeah, but we were a little bittoo far from them.
Yeah, that's true.
We were the closest to Indio ohwow, I'm a Raja too, stinky
Raja.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Anyway, let's move on from that.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
I used to ride up and down Fairway and Highway 111,
and you wouldn't see a car Onour bikes.
We'd ride our bikes, yeah, andI used to have a Schwinn bike
with a big basket on it and Iwas always making something.
I mean even from a child.
And I was always makingsomething.
I mean even from a child.
I was just naturally anentrepreneur.
(02:29):
I set up my first stand and wasselling grapefruit.
I was a rock hound.
I'd find crystals and rocks andselling rocks and this was like
at eight years old.
They got pictures of me outthere, you know, with lemonade,
grapefruit, rocks, whatever Icould sell.
I was already doing it as achild.
I just was born and raised todo it.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I guess Was there anybody like in your family that
was an entrepreneur?
Did you have some sort ofmentor that you modeled, or how
did that all work?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Not really my family's in construction in
construction and my dad did alot of the high end homes here
in the valley and so I just grewup in the construction industry
, basically.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
But definitely with a lot of people that were doers.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, yeah, everybody had a very strong work ethic
Exactly.
Yeah, so then.
So then, after high school,then what happens?
Did you go to college or didyou just immediately went into
the workforce?
Speaker 4 (03:30):
How did that all Well , I graduated, or had enough
credits, in high school tograduate, a year early, and then
they at that time had ROPprograms and I got my beauty
license in the 12th grade.
So instead of going to 12thgrade school, I went to the
beauty school and you had to do1600 hours, which just takes a
(03:51):
whole year to do, to get yourcosmetology license.
And I love the cosmetologyindustry because it was so
creative.
I'm very creative and love tobe making things and I love the.
You know, at that time, youknow, back in the days when you
had a doctor, your family doctordid everything Like if you had
(04:12):
an earache, he'd look at yourear, or if you have a toe ache,
whatever.
Right Now you have to go to aspecialist.
You have to go to the eardoctor and the toe doctor and
all the different things, such apain in the ass.
yeah, well that's how it was incosmetology when we were, you
know, back in 1978, you had todo everything.
You had to do the facials, themanicures, the—.
Oh, you did it all —perms, thecolors, eyebrows.
(04:34):
You had to do everything.
You know you were like thedoctor that did everything.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
That's kind of good, though right, Because it
probably taught you a lot.
You know how to do everything.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
That's why it took a whole year to learn everything,
for sure.
But what happened is my handswere in all those chemicals with
the perm solution and the dyes,that's true.
And they'd say, well, whydidn't you wear gloves?
Well, the problem is, when youtry to wash somebody's hair with
those latex gloves, they stickin the hair and they pull the
(05:02):
hair and the people.
They're not happy about it and,plus, you can't really just get
in there and do a nice massageand scrub the scalp with the
gloves on.
But I eventually became allergicto the latex and then couldn't
wear the gloves and then I hadjust severe, severe allergies to
all the uh Chemicals, yeah, andbecame I couldn't use my hands
(05:30):
actually for about six months.
They were just, they wereclawed up like claws and they
looked like I had dipped them inacid.
They were just like the skinwas off and I was on cortisone
shots and cortisone cream andevery time I tried to put the
cream on it would literally makeme sick because of the pain,
like a burn victim.
It was so intense and so, um,it was my grandma that said well
(05:51):
, you used to make utter balm,you know, for the cows.
Maybe you could put some kindof healing balm on your hands.
And then I went to the libraryand, uh, got books and we didn't
have the internet back.
You had to really go and doyour own research at that time.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Well, encyclopedia, I said encyclobotanical the other
day.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Everybody was like what.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
I have the set.
I was so excited to have it.
So you had to do real researchwith real books and I just loved
it right away.
But I love cooking and I wasjust like oh, this is like
making mayonnaise.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Do you like mixing stuff?
You're like a mix all day.
You might be a bartender.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Right, or making great sauces and dressings.
She's great for her sauces, soshe knows how to mix things well
.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I love doing that Emulsion specialist.
So then you started making theutter butter.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Well, salves.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Of course.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Okay and I put those on my hands and it immediately
felt so good and I finally gotthe use of my hands back and the
doctor just said you're justgoing to have to get out of the
industry or lose the use of yourhands.
It was bad.
So I had to get out of thatindustry, unfortunately, and I
(07:11):
went to.
At that time I had gottenmarried to Ashley's father and
we had a landscape constructioncompany and we had a sod farm
and so I was again just lovinglandscape design.
(07:32):
Again.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
I could design something yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
And so I had a blast and we had some really great
clients that had a lot of moneyevery time I'd go to some place.
And what's your budget, youknow?
And I mean we did a lot ofthings like in Coachella, where
you have an $800 budget and youhave to only put in three valves
for irrigation and five littlebushes and two trees, you know,
(07:57):
and a little bit of grass seed,and you have a really restricted
budget.
But when you go into a projectthat's, you know, like vintage
country club or el doradocountry club, and they don't
have a budget, I'm like what doyou mean?
There's no budget.
There's no budget, do whateveryou want.
I'm like, yes, it's likedisneyland, bring in the semis,
the cranes, the big giant treesI don't have a blast.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
these two have great creative minds, so they're like
okay.
I'll show you the good stuff.
I've seen the tile.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
It's like yes, get that top shelf going yeah
exactly, so I really love that.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
And then I did that for 20 years and then I just got
tired, basically, of beingoutside with 20 Hispanic men and
the heat and the heat.
Yeah, oh, I couldn't do it andI was still making my own
lotions and soaps and creams andthings.
(08:57):
Oh, so you were still doingthat.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, oh.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
In the kitchen.
In the kitchen, oh, did you saywhen?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Okay, she would make her own lotion and fill in
bottles, and it started to takeover the kitchen In the kitchen.
Oh, they say it works.
Okay, she would make her ownlotion and fill in bottles.
And it started to take over thekitchen space.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Actually, yeah, I was all the way down the hall to
the front door and I got a40-foot hall and a huge kitchen.
And one year I made baskets forChristmas and I just used kind
of like canning jars, like ifyou're going to get some
homemade jelly.
But I'd fancy them up and putribbons and little stones and
make them look really uh, cuteyeah yeah, cute christmas.
(09:31):
And I gave a basket to this ladythat lived way out in pj west
and uh, she, I didn't let meback this up I gave it to a
friend that had a friend thatlived in PGA West.
I didn't know the lady, but shehad super bad skin issues and
(09:52):
was very wealthy and had gone tomany places to try to fix her
her skin, and she wasn't havingany luck.
And her friend said why don'tyou try some of this lotion and
the salve and just see if itworks for you?
And so she gave her part of herbasket to this lady and the
(10:12):
lady says oh my gosh, it's thefirst thing I've ever used.
It's helped, helped.
And then she called me up andintroduced herself and said that
she wanted me to make her 50baskets for christmas.
And I started laughing to go,50 baskets, I go, I'm not, I'm
just, I go.
50 baskets, I go, I'm not, I'mjust making this in my blender
and putting it in mayonnaisejars.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Wow, that's a step up .
Speaker 4 (10:32):
I'm not making this to move or sell or anything and
she goes.
Oh, everybody in town has tohave it.
And so we went to Pier 1,imports and that other place
called World Market Yep, and gotlittle jars and little things,
fancier things.
So you said yes, I said yes.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
I knew it, she's so open-minded.
She's always been like yeah,let's do it.
Yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
And so I made 50 baskets for her.
Yeah, right, and so I made 50baskets for her, and then I just
started going to like littleplaces, you know, like the
churches would have what theycall fall.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
A Christmas show where they had the booths and
stuff.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Yeah, the booths and the fall season and they'd have
Easter seasons and the schoolswould have it.
So I just set up little tablesand booths there and it just
kind of snowballed andsnowballed.
And then I got this old housein indio that used to be al
capone's attorney's house.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Oh my god, where's that?
Speaker 4 (11:34):
at well, it's torn down draperies, if anyone so do
you know where neil's lounge is?
Yes, so it.
So you'd go down 111 in Indioand you'd make a left at Madison
Street.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
And there's Stater Brothers and the Young's Nursery
right there.
No, it's by Stater.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Brothers.
Yes across from Stater BrothersNow it's a dirt lot, I think.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
In front is Neil's and then there's a gas station,
yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
And there's a gas station, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
And then Stater Brothers is across the street.
That street right there isMadison.
So you'd make a left on Madison, coming from Palm Desert going
to Indio and then right behindthat Circle K you'd turn in
right there and that was a huge,huge estate and it had tennis
gardens.
It had this beautiful,beautiful pool Right.
And it had like a pool houseand what they had done is all
(12:28):
the rooms in the house werereally big and they had divided
it up and rented areas out.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
And after it was no longer a home and the pool was
empty they kind of divided it upinto little retail spots that
you could rent.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Oh, really, yeah, Wow .
And there was a lady there likegot the first part of it maybe,
where the kitchen and diningroom and that kind of stuff was
she had was selling plants, andthen the middle part was
gertrude's draperies and he wasmaking a homemade drapery for
everybody.
And then the last part was bluelotus, which I would use to be
(13:02):
Blue Lotus organics, and I hadthe bedroom in the mat, the
master, it was kind of like agarden room where they call it a
sunroom.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Oh, yeah, yeah, and and we also had actually had
beautiful lighting, a lot ofwindows, and so it had beautiful
light where she could make allof her products and a huge
bathroom, the master bathroom,with this huge tiled tub.
Yes, oh my gosh, it was prettyfunny, the tub was bigger than
this area that we're sitting at.
Yes, it was huge, and it wasall these little tiles.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Art deco tiles, art deco tiles, black and burgundy
tiles, even in the window sealsoh my gosh.
The entire ceiling.
Everything was done in blackand burgundy deco tiles.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
You would have liked it.
I would have liked it.
Yeah, you would have said Ilove this.
It was in great condition too,the bathroom, so okay.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
What year is this?
I'm curious about what year?
Is this like what year?
What roundabout years are these?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
That's probably in Late 90s, late 90s.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Wow yeah, 98 maybe I want to go back because I'm nosy
.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
I want to know how did you know how to sell those,
what to sell those baskets for?
I'm assuming right you had tofigure out what your costs were
and stuff like that.
So you sold them right and Ihope you made a killing.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
I just looked up Gucci.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
There was no, looking up.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
No, there was no looking up she just added up her
receipts, you know, and came upwith a fair price probably.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
I just did kind of like fair market what everybody
else was selling things for.
Basically, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
She's always priced things very fairly.
I think, yeah, yeah, oh, andalways things very fairly, yeah,
always.
You know, looking at the facts,like what are the cost of
things and things like that, soshe's always been very fair
priced, I believe.
Okay, do you have?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
any questions.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
I'm just, I'm still thinking about that Al Capone
lawyer's house.
Well, supposedly he would getin that bathtub.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
I bet he did Because it had seating all the way
around the edges.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
I mean, I'm an Indian native and I didn't even ever
heard of that before.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
That's freaking awesome, and you know the other
side, where there's that tire,pep boys and tire guys.
Have you ever seen thatmanufacturing?
It's old, old, old buildingthat's set behind it.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Okay, they used to make all the fruit cakes.
So they dry all the fruit withthe dates and they dry all the
different kinds of fruits likepeaches and apricots and
everything that goes into thefruitcakes.
And they actually had thecontract back in the war times,
like I don't know if it wasWorld War I or World War II, I
(15:37):
don't have that information, butI know that they were making
the rations for the soldiers, oh, wow, and because those
fruitcakes would last a longtime so they would get like
jerky.
And these fruitcakes that weredehydrated, oh, okay, it was a
cake but it had the dehydratedfruit in it, right, right.
(15:57):
And so when they came back fromwar they didn't want anything
to do with those.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
The sales immediately tanked after the war.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
But that's a, really's a but the valley has
had a lot of different thingsgoing on that people didn't even
realize absolutely that wasgoing on back there in that
little area wow, I mean, she'shistory lesson right here.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Only on cv hustle, you get this instant all right,
so let's go from.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
You had the retail store in Indio and you started.
It obviously startedsnowballing right as you said.
And then what happened?
Did you name it the body now?
No, you named it blue.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Now enter David, david here.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Yes enter David.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Yeah, so, david, my business partner now is David
Parker, and he came into theshop, so I used to be on the
Patty Patane show.
I don't know if you've everheard of that I have, but I
can't like place it right now.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
This is old time.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
And kind of like what you're doing right here, yeah
local business entrepreneurs, ohreally.
And she was so funny because Iwould be making things and I'd
say, well, you know it's alledible, and she was so kind of
like a force to be reckoned with.
You know this energy.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
And so I'm making this stuff and she goes it's
edible, huh.
And she takes the spoon and shepushes it down into this big
thing of cream I'm making andshe goes eat it and I'm like,
okay, calm down.
So I take a little bite of itand then I made the comment,
like when Lucille Ball has takenthat Vita Veg of Vegemint and
(17:44):
it's delicious too, and she goesstop doing that and she got all
mad about it.
But it was funny.
Anyway, the product's like the,the enzyme peel.
It's the honey, manuka honey,enzyme peel.
That's a complete food.
If you were starving to deathand you didn't have any food,
(18:05):
you could eat that.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
It's delicious on toast I wouldn't even know where
to find that it's the body deli.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
All right, hello basically, she was focusing more
on body care at this time shehadn't moved on to facial care
and and David saw her on TV andthat she was making these
products from healthy, usinghealthy stuff, taking it back to
natural, you know, and usingthings you eat this whole
(18:34):
concept.
And he drove down to find herbecause he wanted to make facial
care products like that.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
And he had gone to LA and he couldn't find anybody
that would do that they allwanted to be chemicals, yes, and
he was like I don't want that,I want something natural.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
And so they came together and two total different
people, and they just both hadthis love and this vision for
making products food for yourskin, basically, and that's one
of our taglines.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
That's how the Body Deli kind of came about.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
They came together and said, hey, let's evolve this
, you know, to face and body.
And that was the birth of theBody Deli food for your skin.
Oh my gosh, that's so cool andtaking that kind of that basis
of using products you normallywould cook with or eat, you know
, taking that clean concept.
So a lot of healthyformulations, the scents, pure
(19:25):
essential oils, plant-basedthings like that.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
So, like what was your when you started this and
it was only body at the time.
What were some of your stapleproducts?
Speaker 4 (19:38):
We had a really nice salt scrub.
That was with the cocoa butter,so it was really creamy.
You know I love me some cocoabutter.
You have it.
And lotion oil Definitely thelotion and bars of soap.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
Yeah, that was pretty limited actually.
I mean now we have so manyproducts a lot of products.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Right Because you just keep adding.
Right Because there's alwayslike a new, like scent, or
there's a new whatever.
I don't know Because you guyswere kind of like organic before
.
Organic was like a thing.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
It's so true because when we went to go try to find
somebody to help us make thesethings, they were all like, well
, what you know.
We only have to know how to dothese, these companies that
makes laboratories, the big labs.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
If you want something made manufacturers, you know
you go to a formulation that'salready been made.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
They're so chemical laden, of course, so they had to
just make it themselves wecouldn't find anybody that would
help us, so we just startedmaking it ourselves.
I mean, I was already making itmyself, so I didn't care.
Right, I just help us.
So we just started making itourselves.
I mean, I was already making itmyself, so I didn't care.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Right, so it was no big deal to you.
I just had to expand it.
Want more blenders?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yeah, basically Bring in the Hobart Wow.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
For real and we just set it up a cosmetic kitchen
basically, or just like arestaurant where we have big
mixers and blenders and allkinds of just looks like a
kitchen.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
At the place where we met.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah, oh okay, that little place behind your old
office.
Wow, that's pretty impressive,Pretty impressive.
So David came in and how didthat change the business?
Did it kind of explode fromthere like to what we know now,
or how long did it kind of takeyou guys to become the
juggernaut that?
Speaker 4 (21:25):
we relocated to palm desert and, uh, you know, david
helped.
I went to a we.
We knew that we wanted tochange the name because I was we
wanted.
At that time we were thinkingabout franchising and there was
a lot of blue lotus chineserestaurants in los angeles and
so, although it's a differentindustry, there was a lot of
Blue Lotus Chinese restaurantsin Los Angeles and so, although
it's a different industry, therewas still consumer confusion.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Right.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
And so we said we're going to have to think of
something else.
And I went to one of mygirlfriend's house and she lives
in San Diego and we hung outand we got a bottle of wine and
we ate pizza and we just keptbrainstorming and all these
different names and the BodyDeli.
I kind of narrowed it down tothree names.
(22:09):
It was like the Body Bistro,the Body Deli, all these
different, a couple other names.
And then I came back with thenames, with David, and then
David's so artistic and he wasgreat with the computer to to
make labels and branding.
He's a he's like brandinggenius.
He is a branding genius, he isfabulous, and he would take the
(22:33):
different names that I was camewith, you know, to talk to him
about, and he would get on thecomputer and he was like, well,
this one's having trouble withthis one, you know, and he would
keep messing with it and he'dcome in and and I have like a
perfectionist eye to I know whatyou call it to a fault.
It's like oh yeah it's.
It's too.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
I'm like it's a blessing and a curse.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
It is, and so I can see when something's off and
I'll say that needs to move overjust a hair, okay, no, it's
perfect and so.
But he never complained aboutmoving anything over in here.
He just go and move.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
He wants it to be perfect he wants it to be
perfect too, so so how old areyou at this time, when this
started going down?
Speaker 2 (23:14):
I first met david probably when I was about, I
want to say 10 years old or soso he's been in my life since
then and he definitely made abig impact because I had never
met someone like him before.
It was like someone coming fromout of town I don't know how to
explain it, but an out oftowner.
Like who's this guy?
And they're both my mentors mymom and David and they both have
(23:38):
such unique aspects and I getthe benefit of seeing how they
both work and learning from themand, yeah, just following their
lead and picking it up.
So you basically grew up seeingyour mom do this In Blue Lotus.
I was there helping her mixthose salt scrubs and the lotion
(23:59):
in the kitchen before BlueLotus.
I've been her little sidekickand I have have a younger sister
, so when she came into the mixshe's she was there too and
she's well you used to take asalad shooter do you remember
the old commercial salad shooter, and they put stuff in there.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Well, I was putting soap in there and shredding the
soap and then soaking it in inwater and then making balls with
it soap balls.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
The leftover soap when you cut bars, yeah, you
have some extra pieces, so wewould put that in the salad
shooter and then those littleshreds make soap balls.
Oh, perfect.
And so us kids.
That was kind of our—.
Speaker 4 (24:32):
I had pictures of them.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
That was their job.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
Anna's only two years old and here she is, a little
tiny two-year-old making a soapball.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
That's awesome and nothing went to waste.
Sounds like it was a familyaffair.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Definitely.
Yeah, we had grown up in thebusiness you grew up in the
business?
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Was that always the plan to come in and kind of step
in and be the heir apparent?
Was that something that youwere just born into?
It?
You're going to continue thelegacy, or is that something
that kind of?
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I think it just happened naturally and I have a
love for it, a passion for it.
I don't have any children, sothis is kind of like my baby as
well.
So it's got a couple mothers.
It's got a couple mothers.
So, yes, I guess because I'vejust grown up with it, it's just
kind of like an energy that'spart of my family.
(25:20):
Like when I come into the shopI say good morning, I love you,
when I leave, you know, yeah, I.
Um, hey, you're putting it outthere.
Yeah, I go in when it's likenot my day.
I.
I go in the morning.
Sometimes six am like I wasthere this morning.
Um, I love it.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Yeah, it's like my baby sometimes, before we leave
it at night, we have some sageand I don't necessarily light it
, but I take it and I go.
Protection, protection.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
What do?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
you two get along.
Oh yeah, we do all that weirdstuff.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Sage is everything I'm like.
What is that smell in the house?
I'm like nothing, okay, so tellme, when did the first?
The first body, deli, is theone on 111, correct?
And you know what their flooris?
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yeah, black and white Shameless plug right here At El
.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Paseo, oh, at El Paseo, yeah, okay, okay, you
need to change the other onethen.
Oh for sure.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
No, definitely, fina, for sure.
But you know, bringing back tothe history aspect, the floor
that's at Highway 111 store.
It's over 23 years old now, 24years old that we've been there
that floor, David and herhand-painted.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
So it was just like a raw cement floor really rugged.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
They couldn't afford tile flooring at the time so
they hand-painted a squarepattern on there.
It's still there to this day.
We polish it and keep it asbeautifully as we can.
It certainly needs new tiles,but it's also kind of nostalgic,
yeah you can't do that Icouldn't tell you tile it's part
of the history.
You know and I remember themlike, literally, hands and knees
.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
You know, faux painting, this thing We'll go up
the walls.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Back then everything was like real popular to faux
paint.
I don't know if you rememberthat sponging colors on
everything.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
But el paseo, she definitely had to go for the,
the flooring upgrade.
Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful, oh,it's so cool yeah, so okay.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
So then you got that space and then like where, where
are you finding your clientsand how, what are you doing for
advertising and marketing andall that I mean?
Speaker 4 (27:20):
you said david did that, so how did you originally,
other than being on pattypatine didn't really have a lot
of and creating an email list,an email sign-up list when
people would come in.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Uh, do you want to sign up to our email list?
Speaker 1 (27:41):
and that early adapters, early adapters to that
.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Email.
That's one of our strongestsales channels, I would say.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
And you're doing that early on, then huh yeah you
don't do it too often, though,right.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Well, we do a couple emails a week at least.
Oh, okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
And it's that whole thing like that drip marketing
right.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
It's like just be on top of mind when they need it
and they run out or they'rethinking about skin care, it's
like, oh, it didn't used to bethat way, but it's evolved to
that, yes, and yeah, it'sevolved to that, okay.
So I have another question,because I have another location
in palm springs, but you haveanother location on the other,
on the next block.
So why did you do that?
And and was it?
I think it's cool because Ifeel like you're obviously
serving two different markets,and I think you're, but I want
to hear from you why you didthat.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
You want me to go?
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Yeah, serving two different markets.
So our Highway 111 location theoriginal.
It's so great for locals, theparking is so convenient, you
can just pull right in there,that's true.
Get your skin care location theoriginal.
It's so great for locals, theparking is so convenient, you
can just pull right in there.
Get your skincare, get yourhealthy dog treats at Bones and
Scones.
It's really accessible.
But a lot of times when someonecomes on vacation they're not
from here.
The hotel concierge says go toEl Paseo, go to El Paseo.
(28:57):
That's true.
So we're trying to cover bothof our bases here.
We've got our local spot.
If you can't find parking at ElPaseo, you don't want to do the
walk, you can just pull rightup and come into the local shop
111, and get your stuff easy.
Or if you want to have aleisurely day, take your family
shopping.
Someone's coming into town, youwant to give them the El Paseo.
You know walking aroundexperience.
We're there too, oh my gosh, andthe spot that we have, which
(29:21):
she's had her eye on, wanting aspot there for a long time, and
when the opportunity came, she Idid.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
I looked at that spot for probably at least 10 years,
so it's kind of like you'recreating that reality.
Oh for sure, I kept seeingmyself there and seeing myself
there, and the same lady wasthere, and then they just they
stayed there until they retired.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
I was going to say are you?
Speaker 4 (29:44):
going to go in there.
Are you leaving anytime soon?
And then she contacted me andsaid that she was leaving and
would I be interested in takingover her lease.
And I'm like, yes, I would,yeah, yeah, and it's right
across from Tiffany's and LouisVuitton and Gucci, so it's a
great location, great location,yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton and Gucci, so it's a
great location, great location,oh my gosh, that's so cool.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
And that's what we call that, our fancy store,
because we have like 111 store.
We call that one our hippiestore, right next to Lorraine's
Like brownhound painted floorand orange walls.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
It's kind of more eclectic.
And then you go to El Paseo andit's got the black and white
marble tile floor.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
So you've got two different vibes and the deli
case is more of a deli vibewhite and black, they have an
actual deli Deli case.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Deli case, that's awesome Fresh face masks and
skin care.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
I can kind of see the breakup of your clientele base.
By just the way you'reexplaining it, though, right,
locals go to your original OGshop.
Yeah, your original OG shop.
Yeah, then you're, you'retrying to lure the tourists
through El Paseo, so does thatlead to like?
So, now that we're in the ageof kind of you know online and
Amazon, are you guys?
You have a presence online aswell.
Is that like kind of the nextstep for the?
Speaker 4 (30:54):
We have the most beautiful website on the
internet.
I would go on anybody'scompetition and say that Mostly
Ashley and David.
My business partner, davidParker, built the website and
it's absolutely gorgeous and itwould compete with anybody out
(31:17):
there.
If you go on that website, it'sfabulous, it's really beautiful
.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Yeah, it almost eliminates the need to expand to
different stores with theinternet right, because you guys
can sell all over the countryat that point.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
And through COVID.
That really impacted retail.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
You know you had to really rely on online.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
So we kind of said, well, online we can reach a lot
of people.
Oh, yeah, that way.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
And then the people that are down here just like
tourism and they come to elpaseo and they get their things
they have still have a piece ofus when they go back home with.
They can come in with theinternet and order and restock
themselves.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
They learn about us, like, let's say, they're walking
on el paseo.
They learn about us there andthen they get to take a few,
maybe small things home and thenthey come, they reorder online
and we have really been blessedwith customers that have been
with us for years.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
We go in the back and you can see how many times
they've ordered.
And they have ordered,sometimes hundreds of times.
The customer loyalty is sogreat when you think about what
kind of product that youpersonally have ordered.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
We love our customers .
We develop relationships,friendships.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
Yeah, sure they just keep ordering and ordering.
We're very blessed.
We're very grateful for that.
Yeah, that they just keepordering and ordering, we're
very blessed, we're verygrateful for that.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Yeah, that's pretty rare in retail these days.
You guys know when yourcustomers the way you do.
You know because a lot of timesretail is just a click on the
phone.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
We still do phone help too, so we have a lot of
customers that like to placetheir order on the phone.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
That's one thing is, I get frustrated when I want to
buy something and I can't talkto customer service.
You have to email them, yeah,and then there's still nobody to
talk to.
It's just back and forth andit's some kind of generic
response.
I'm like what?
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Yeah, it's a stall tactic kind of thing.
Well, that's why his businesshas thrived, because you call
like Paychex or one of the otherbig box stores and you just get
like.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Get a call center in India.
Speaker 4 (33:13):
You know, there's outsourcing everything, so our
strength is just you getsomebody on the phone and you'll
get your account rip on thephone, the person actually doing
your payroll.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Actually somebody that knows something about your
account.
So that's where we win, that'swhere we beat the big guys.
I mean, we're not going to beatthem all the time.
Yeah but we can beat them there.
So if that's something that'simportant to the clients, then
that's where we win.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
And I think that's true with us too Because they
can't get that from the bigbrands.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
No, absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
We like to build relationships.
They come in and a lot of timeswe know about their family and
what's going on in their livesand we love building that
relationship with them.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
That's awesome, Well it seems like you guys, I mean,
I think the story here, though,too, is the product right.
I mean, the product standsalone.
I think that's like the core ofthe business, right Is that you
have an excellent product, youknow, and you guys have figured
out how to kind of build anempire on that product, because
a lot of times, there'll bepeople we hear stories all the
time of people that are good atthings, like maybe like good at
(34:08):
doing, you know, making cookiesor something like that but how
do you turn that into a business?
And I think you guys kind ofmastered that and turning it
into a, you know, a greatproduct, but it's also a
thriving business.
You know that's not the easiestthing to do well.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
I think it's really taken a huge amount of effort on
on everybody's part.
I mean everybody that works atthe body daily.
I I call it our Body Dailyfamily, and they don't work for
us, they work with us.
We all work together, everybody.
We're so blessed becauseeverybody's such hard workers
(34:41):
and, you know, very professionaland stay focused on their job
and taking care of things.
And I think that's not goingthrough the employees.
We have an employee that'sworked for us for 30 years,
another one for 18, another onefor 15, another one for 12.
So we don't really go throughthe employees.
(35:03):
We take care of them.
They're part of our family.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Oh, it speaks to you as a business and a business
owner, and how well you treatthem.
And yeah that's awesome because, man, you know, building a
business like you have, justlike consistency is key, I think
, you know, and reputation andall of that goes into it.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
And making products that feel it feels good to be a
part of.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
Sure, I have a question so like do you have a
bestseller?
Because you know I'm in, youknow I just always won't think
about stuff like that.
Do you have, like, or a couplebest sellers?
We brought you a couple, okay.
Well, I have that, let's getinto it.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Yeah, so those of you on youtube you can see um the
products on the on the tablehere, um, for those of you
listening on the podcast, needto watch it on youtube.
So, but we'll try and be asdescriptive as possible our
vital c serum, the products onthe table here.
For those of you listening onthe podcast, you need to watch
it on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
But we'll try and be as descriptive as possible.
Our Vital C Serum Can you reacha Vital C Serum?
Speaker 1 (35:58):
in front of the magazine.
It's in front of the book.
No, it's a small little one,this good.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Yes, okay, so this is a superstar product.
It's our Vital C Repair Serum.
It has a special form ofvitamin C called Robosome C.
It's an encapsulated form ofvitamin C.
It's an expensive form ofvitamin C so there's hardly any
formulations that use it.
There's only two people in theUnited States and it's specially
(36:24):
imported from Germany.
Anyway, this type of vitamin C,it's encapsulated, so that
means it stays stable in theformula and it opens up once it
hits your skin barrier and ithelps with helping repair for
radical damage like sunspots andthings of… Large pores, yeah,
things like that.
And it also helps stimulatecollagen.
(36:46):
So smoothing the skin, givingthat bounce and elasticity to it
, and sunspot control is reallythe big winner.
Down here in the desert, I knowjust being out and active we
get a lot of sun damage, so that, I would say, is a really.
I love that one.
What's your, that's my.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
I would say I would say Cremdell.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Rose is probably her or maybe something else.
Speaker 4 (37:07):
I like Cremdell Rose and I also like mixing that with
a light facial emulsion.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Oh yes, Her facial cocktail.
Speaker 4 (37:14):
That's what she calls it.
It's made with all the ionicminerals, so when you put these
vitamins mixed with the minerals, your skin just sucks it up and
it gets everything it needs.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
I love that Do you guys sell to people that do
facials?
Oh yeah, definitely, Because wehave a whole cell division that
services, spas and medicalcenters, estheticians, massage
therapists.
Because?
So tell them about your sister,Because that would be, I think
that would be kind of.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Oh, the sister's a what's it.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Naturopathic, oh, of course, in Arizona though.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Organic, organic organic.
So that's her main thing, yeahwe'll have to definitely touch
base and show you guys some ofyour products.
I mean, these products havebeen tried and true, right, yes,
and they're all made here inthe.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Valley.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Really.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
They're all made here in the Valley.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Yes, well, I know, I know it's made here he's like
literally Literally all of thishas been made here.
So it's pretty cool to actually, you know, buy stuff.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
Wow, Donald Trump's going to love that you know USA
all the way man.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Just local, anybody, just anybody who wants to
support their local community.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
That's awesome.
I did not know that that'ssomething that see more valuable
information here.
These are tried and true.
So people are manufacturingthese in the valley and then
you're selling them in thevalley.
Yeah, so you're creating jobson both ends.
That's great.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
Okay, I have another funny question.
So if I walked into your placelike do you guys go?
Oh, your face is jacked up, youneed this.
You know what I?
Speaker 1 (38:51):
mean Can you diagnose somebody's?
Speaker 4 (38:54):
ugly face.
We don't say it to your face,but we turn like this, we turn
like this and it's like sheneeds.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
She needs some vitamin c serum bad we analyze
you.
Speaker 4 (39:05):
Okay, you know, without letting you know that
we're analyzing you, we, but westudy your skin if you ask for a
consult, first of all, let'sfree, that's right.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
We offer free samples .
So with a consultation, so welike to say if you're looking
for skin care before just likeselling you some expensive
lineup that you don't knowwhat's going to work, we like to
first say what do you need,what are your concerns?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
see, I'd say, I don't know what I need okay, well, we
, well, we can talk about it.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
And we can send you with some samples that you would
test out and see.
Like we have five differentfacial cleansers.
Let's make sure we get theright one for you.
Are you feeling dry?
Are you feeling sensitive?
Do you have redness and rosacea?
Do you need some exfoliation?
Speaker 4 (39:47):
So we need to you know, when you're oily and acne,
we need to talk before we justlike, just shove some products
to you.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
We want to talk about it.
And that's also, I think, whywe have a lot of longtime
customers, because the firsttime they come in we're not
trying to sell them.
Sometimes I'm giving them freesamples.
They're like do I need to payyou for these?
I'm like no, just test them outfirst.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
And then what you resonate with, what your skin
loves.
You know you're going to comeback to us and absolutely yeah.
And the other thing is is thatI would rather them test things
out than or even buy a smallerone, because we hand make this.
So it's kind of like me handmaking apple pie and then
because you have a 30-day returnpolicy at the Body Deli, so if
(40:37):
I made you a handmade apple pieand then you took one bite of it
and then you came back and saidI don't like it, well, I have
to throw that apple pie in thetrash because you've taken a
bite out of it.
Right, and that's what happenswith the products.
So I'm more.
It's, it's all business, it'supsets me because I handmade
that and now you want me tothrow it in the trash.
(40:58):
So to me it's like personal sothen?
Speaker 3 (41:01):
so I would rather well, well, no I want.
Speaker 4 (41:04):
I want them to be happy and to zero it in, but
that's just why we do thesampling of We'd rather also for
the environment.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Like, for example, instead of if you don't know
about the smell of this lotion,I'd rather let you smell it
first, make you a small amountor try it out.
Smell it first, right, then tryto force you to buy this and
then you pump one out.
You don't like it, I hate it.
All this has to go in the trashcan and it's so bad for the
environment.
And unfortunately we're kind ofused to the Amazon stuff which
(41:33):
is like order and if I don'tlike it I don't even think about
where it goes.
Well, all of that stuff isgoing somewhere and we're
getting a little bit toocomfortable as a society just
like throwing things away andordering things, ordering things
, ordering things.
So one way we're trying to helpour business but also be
environmentally conscious islet's let you test something out
(41:53):
small.
Make sure you really like itbefore you invest in a big
bottle like this, so that wedon't have to be throwing
something away unnecessarily.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
Right, oh wow, I didn't know you had to throw
things away.
Give them to me.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Or you know skin care .
Why don't you guys just do?
Speaker 3 (42:08):
50%.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Like okay, if you get 50% back%.
No, you don't want a skincareproduct that somebody returned
yeah, because we don't know whatthey did to it why?
Speaker 1 (42:15):
not, no, no no, I'll test it out first.
You can't vouch that it'sorganic anymore.
Speaker 4 (42:22):
Yeah, we can't do that we can't do that.
Touched by a human Not pure.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
It's not pure.
Well, this is all really goodinformation.
It seems like you guys alsohave kind of an ethos about the
environment which kind of goeshand in hand with your product,
so that's really cool.
We always like to ask ourentrepreneurs you know what
advice they would give tosomebody.
Like maybe they have a goodproduct you know, but don't
(42:48):
really know how to start abusiness.
But don't really know how tostart a business.
If they wanted to kind of maybeget into the retail business,
what advice would you kind ofgive somebody?
Speaker 4 (42:57):
I have run across people who have made business
names for themselves and theyhave made cards up and signs and
everything and they never didthe research to see if somebody
else owned the trademark.
If somebody else owned acorporation, owned something or
already has a website, becausenow you're in violation of that
(43:21):
and you have to take all thatdown because you can get in a
lawsuit.
Oh yeah, and you can't also addyour name to somebody else's
name, like Robert's McDonald'sor Robert's Big Boys or whatever
it is.
You just can't put your name infront of somebody else's name.
(43:43):
So you really need to do, firstof all, find out is it
trademarked?
Is there a corporation?
Is there somebody else alreadyusing that name on the internet?
Is there a website available?
These are all things that youneed to make sure, because how
are you going to move forward ifyou can't even move forward
with your own name?
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
That's the first step .
Speaker 4 (44:05):
That's the first step , that's the first step and
people don't realize that theyreally don't.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
They're completely missing that piece of pie, that
wedge.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
Yeah, we had that happen with one of our guests
who was going after a restaurantand the restaurant was like all
the way in florida or somethingatlanta and he was gonna get
sued and so he ended up havingto change the name.
Speaker 3 (44:25):
But it's like, oh my gosh, and it was copyrighted.
So I think you know that's abig issue, was it was a big,
yeah, big learning curve.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
So you have to copyright yourself, which you
write it down or print it outand send it to yourself through
the mail, and then you go to thetrademark office and you
trademark.
And if you do it yourself, youknow it's a little bit
complicated, but you can do itfor $350.
If you have somebody else do itfor you it's going to be a
(44:54):
little bit more, maybe doublethat.
And then try to get the websitegoing and then also try to get
your business license forwherever you're going to be
doing business in at the cityyou're doing.
So you want to get all thoselegality things.
(45:14):
Yeah, for sure, and you alsowant to see if somebody else is
already doing what you're doing,who's succeeding and what can
you learn from them?
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Yeah, absolutely Do your research, people Do your
research, like when I was doinglandscape construction.
Speaker 4 (45:29):
When I first started out, I did, uh like a interview
of three other top landscape uhconstruction people to my house
and asked them what they woulddo to see how they handled me,
to see how they interacted withme.
Oh my gosh, you sneaky littledevils.
And I was picking their brains,but they didn't know.
(45:52):
They just thought they werebidding on a project, right, and
so I took all the informationfrom all three of them and I put
it together and made one solidone that covered all the bases.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
You know what?
That's kind of what I did withmy showroom.
We went and looked at a coupleof different showrooms and I was
like I don't like the way thatlooks, or I really love the way
that looks, and, of course, didmy own thing with that right
Because.
I'm not going to try to copyanybody, but that's that was.
That's great, because it doesgive you a lot of insight as to
what what's out there and whatpeople are seeing.
Speaker 4 (46:24):
So and what's working , what's working already and
what's working, what's workingalready and what's missing.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
Yeah and what's missing.
Yeah, definitely do yourresearch.
It's amazing to me what'sonline now.
You can find business plansonline.
Speaker 4 (46:38):
You know anything online.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
So do your research people.
Ashley, any advice for somebodythat's maybe thinking about
getting into the retail gamemanufacturing game.
Anything stand out to you thatyou would give?
A younger, maybe somebodycoming up thinking I have a good
question too, though.
Well, go ahead.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
Just, I guess just consistency and believing in
yourself.
I guess just consistency andbelieving in yourself.
I do think you have to be yourown biggest cheerleader and you
can't be scared to put your ideaout there for lack of
validation or celebration fromother people Sometimes.
(47:24):
Yeah, you have to be your owncheerleader, you can't be scared
to go out there and sometimespeople that don't know you will
be your biggest supporters.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
Absolutely.
You know, sometimes your familymembers and friends are the
last ones to support you.
Speaker 2 (47:38):
Sometimes because they know, you know like, oh,
you're just so-and-so, You'rejust like you know in your
family, and so you can't letthat limit your vision of
yourself.
You know, however you seeyourself, put it out there to
the world, because there mightbe a lot of people that resonate
with your message that youdon't even know about, Like what
you guys are doing here.
Speaker 3 (48:01):
CB Hustle.
Okay, so I do have a question,because Bobby's always talking
about how, because he doespayroll right, so he works with
over 350 small local businesseshere in our valley and so he
sees a lot of family memberstaking over the business.
Speaker 1 (48:19):
The kids taking over and or working together.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
So how does that work with you guys?
Is it just always a seamlessflow, or do you guys like ar.
Speaker 2 (48:30):
Aromatherapy.
Is that the sage?
Get me two, get me two.
No really we're lucky, we allget along pretty well.
But, like she said, she is aperfectionist and she has very
high standards, and she alwayshas, and so I Now she's not
really bothered by it becauseshe just grew up in it.
Speaker 4 (48:51):
I grew up with that and she's never been.
I would say Doesn't deter me.
Instead of the mother tellingthe kids that they're not doing
something right, it's the kidstelling the mother.
Like Mom, you can't do that.
Mom, don't say that to thatwoman.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
I know, but that's what I love about you.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
So sometimes I'm too truthful and I have to hold my
tongue back or I have to gobehind the.
We have a curtain from thefront and the back, and I don't.
As I get older, I have lesspatience for ridiculousness, and
there's a lot of ridiculousnessout there, and I just had to
take a deep breath and think,hmm, this could be on YouTube
(49:38):
right now.
Here's a woman that went nutsat body telling.
Speaker 3 (49:45):
She's strangling the customer.
Well, you know what Sales?
It is hard it is hard.
Speaker 4 (49:50):
It's hard.
Sometimes the people are rudeand disrespectful and I don't
like it when they'redisrespectful to the employees
or to my kids, my daughters andyou know you might have issues.
Sometimes they have issues.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
She's very protective , I am very protective.
So I tell her don't worry aboutit, mom, I just go in the back.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
I'll go.
Ash, you're gonna have to go upfront because I'm like this
with that woman and I I don'twant to do that to her.
So please, ashley will go upthere.
She's really.
She is the nicest person.
And there was a lady just likemaybe two weeks ago that was a
horrible thing to our one of ourother sales people and then she
was calling up and she was justhaving a terrible time, but she
was taking it.
She was having a terrible timein her life and she was taking
(50:35):
it out on us and ashley talkedto her and told her to come in
and when she came in, ashleygave her a hug nice, she did,
well she was.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
it turned out just Well, she was it turned out that
and she just melted, she cried,she was going through a lot, aw
, and one little incidenthappened and she just kind of
festered on it, yeah, and shehad a hard holiday and it just
you never know what people aregoing through, it's true, you
never know, you don't.
So I said let's not let thissmall item, you know, be such a
big issue.
(51:05):
Let's come on in, we'll figureit out.
Yeah, come on in, let's notworry about it.
Speaker 4 (51:10):
She's so great with that she's.
She's awesome with thecustomers.
The aromatherapy helps yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
That's some customer service right there, yeah,
absolutely Free hugs as wellSomebody listening to this maybe
once that hasn't heard or seenyour product.
Where can, where can they kindof check you guys out and kind
of get more information aboutsome of the goodies you sell
here?
Speaker 4 (51:30):
We'll definitely go to thebodydelicom and you're
going to see an amazing website.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
Fresh food for your skin.
That's right.
Yeah, I love that.
Such a great tagline.
Speaker 4 (51:41):
I love it, and everything's just made in small
batches, so it really is fresh.
Speaker 1 (51:51):
It doesn't need to be .
That is remarkable that that'sall made here in the coachella
valley.
So anybody buying skin products, you better support your local,
your local company and look atthat beautiful label it is it's
gorgeous.
No, it's beautiful, like Idon't.
I don't know what it is, but itlooks.
It looks beautiful, that's anorganic hand and body lotion,
that's lotion Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (52:09):
But seriously, thank you for coming on.
I really appreciate your time.
I've always loved you and we'vealways gotten along really well
and I love your store and Ilove that you guys used to or
still make this stuff behindwhere I started my tile business
, and so it's really great thatyou're here and I appreciate
your time so much.
Speaker 4 (52:28):
Thank you both, and you're going to have to come and
see your tile.
I sent you some videos, alittle bit of video at the house
.
Sometime I'd love to.
Speaker 3 (52:35):
Yeah, yeah, bruce, and hey, look at this, he's
awesome.
Speaker 4 (52:38):
I love it.
Your home is beautiful.
Well, thank you Absolutely.
It's full of Venus tile.
Speaker 1 (52:49):
My, they're super loyal see, I love them.
Thank you for your business toowell.
Thank you guys for coming in.
You're truly a legend here inthe Coachella Valley.
Speaker 2 (52:55):
Ashley, you're on your way to becoming one as well
.
Thank you learning from thebest over here.
Speaker 1 (53:00):
Thanks for coming in, guys if you found some value
today in this discussion.
You know the routine subscribe,like and follow, and we'll see
you guys next time.
Speaker 4 (53:10):
Thank you, thank you.
What is up everyone?
I'm Robert Mraz and I'm FinaMraz, and this is CV Hustle, the
podcast dedicated to supportingand promoting entrepreneurship
here in our Coachella Valley.
And it's our goal on this show,guys, you know, to bring in the
top entrepreneurs here in theValley.
And today we've got a realspecial, two special guests
actually, and you know we'vetalked to doctors, we've talked
(00:21):
to lawyers, but we've neverreally hit the retail side.
So today we're going to kind ofspeak to some entrepreneurs
that are at the top of the gameon the retail side.
Ladies, you guys know who thisproduct is.
Today's special guest is theBody Deli, with Ashley Skarin
and Margaret Clark.
Thanks for coming in, guys.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Thanks for having us, we're excited to be here
Awesome awesome.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
So I want to tell everybody how we all met Awesome
, awesome.
Yeah, he's harmless, he wassuper nice.
But I don't know a lot aboutyour backstory.
You and I want to get to you,obviously, but where did you
(01:11):
grow up?
How did you get to California?
Are you a native here?
Tell me your story.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
I've been in the Coachella Valley for 65 years.
Oh wow, You're a native.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Oh you're local local .
Speaker 4 (01:22):
I was born and raised here Born and raised, wow.
And I lived in Indian Wellsbefore it was called Indian
Wells, what it was calledsomething else, it was just like
annexed, you know, like county.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Like Bermuda Dunes, unincorporated, yeah,
unincorporated.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Unincorporated, and then it just slowly turned into
Indian Wells and became its owncity.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
What high school did you go to?
Indio, Ooh.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Raja.
Yeah, at that time it was only.
Palm Springs and Indio and CVand CV.
Yeah, but we were a little bittoo far from them.
Yeah, that's true.
We were the closest to Indio ohwow, I'm a Raja too, stinky
Raja.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Anyway, let's move on from that.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
I used to ride up and down Fairway and Highway 111,
and you wouldn't see a car Onour bikes.
We'd ride our bikes, yeah, andI used to have a Schwinn bike
with a big basket on it and Iwas always making something.
I mean even from a child.
And I was always makingsomething.
I mean even from a child.
I was just naturally anentrepreneur.
(02:29):
I set up my first stand and wasselling grapefruit.
I was a rock hound.
I'd find crystals and rocks andselling rocks and this was like
at eight years old.
They got pictures of me outthere, you know, with lemonade,
grapefruit, rocks, whatever Icould sell.
I was already doing it as achild.
I just was born and raised todo it.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I guess Was there anybody like in your family that
was an entrepreneur?
Did you have some sort ofmentor that you modeled, or how
did that all work?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Not really my family's in construction in
construction and my dad did alot of the high end homes here
in the valley and so I just grewup in the construction industry
, basically.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
But definitely with a lot of people that were doers.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, yeah, everybody had a very strong work ethic
Exactly.
Yeah, so then.
So then, after high school,then what happens?
Did you go to college or didyou just immediately went into
the workforce?
Speaker 4 (03:30):
How did that all Well , I graduated, or had enough
credits, in high school tograduate, a year early, and then
they at that time had ROPprograms and I got my beauty
license in the 12th grade.
So instead of going to 12thgrade school, I went to the
beauty school and you had to do1600 hours, which just takes a
(03:51):
whole year to do, to get yourcosmetology license.
And I love the cosmetologyindustry because it was so
creative.
I'm very creative and love tobe making things and I love the.
You know, at that time, youknow, back in the days when you
had a doctor, your family doctordid everything Like if you had
(04:12):
an earache, he'd look at yourear, or if you have a toe ache,
whatever.
Right Now you have to go to aspecialist.
You have to go to the eardoctor and the toe doctor and
all the different things, such apain in the ass.
yeah, well that's how it was incosmetology when we were, you
know, back in 1978, you had todo everything.
You had to do the facials, themanicures, the—.
Oh, you did it all —perms, thecolors, eyebrows.
(04:34):
You had to do everything.
You know you were like thedoctor that did everything.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
That's kind of good, though right, Because it
probably taught you a lot.
You know how to do everything.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
That's why it took a whole year to learn everything,
for sure.
But what happened is my handswere in all those chemicals with
the perm solution and the dyes,that's true.
And they'd say, well, whydidn't you wear gloves?
Well, the problem is, when youtry to wash somebody's hair with
those latex gloves, they stickin the hair and they pull the
(05:02):
hair and the people.
They're not happy about it and,plus, you can't really just get
in there and do a nice massageand scrub the scalp with the
gloves on.
But I eventually became allergicto the latex and then couldn't
wear the gloves and then I hadjust severe, severe allergies to
all the uh Chemicals, yeah, andbecame I couldn't use my hands
(05:30):
actually for about six months.
They were just, they wereclawed up like claws and they
looked like I had dipped them inacid.
They were just like the skinwas off and I was on cortisone
shots and cortisone cream andevery time I tried to put the
cream on it would literally makeme sick because of the pain,
like a burn victim.
It was so intense and so, um,it was my grandma that said well
(05:51):
, you used to make utter balm,you know, for the cows.
Maybe you could put some kindof healing balm on your hands.
And then I went to the libraryand, uh, got books and we didn't
have the internet back.
You had to really go and doyour own research at that time.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Well, encyclopedia, I said encyclobotanical the other
day.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Everybody was like what.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
I have the set.
I was so excited to have it.
So you had to do real researchwith real books and I just loved
it right away.
But I love cooking and I wasjust like oh, this is like
making mayonnaise.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Do you like mixing stuff?
You're like a mix all day.
You might be a bartender.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Right, or making great sauces and dressings.
She's great for her sauces, soshe knows how to mix things well
.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I love doing that Emulsion specialist.
So then you started making theutter butter.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Well, salves.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Of course.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Okay and I put those on my hands and it immediately
felt so good and I finally gotthe use of my hands back and the
doctor just said you're justgoing to have to get out of the
industry or lose the use of yourhands.
It was bad.
So I had to get out of thatindustry, unfortunately, and I
(07:11):
went to.
At that time I had gottenmarried to Ashley's father and
we had a landscape constructioncompany and we had a sod farm
and so I was again just lovinglandscape design.
(07:32):
Again.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
I could design something yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
And so I had a blast and we had some really great
clients that had a lot of moneyevery time I'd go to some place.
And what's your budget, youknow?
And I mean we did a lot ofthings like in Coachella, where
you have an $800 budget and youhave to only put in three valves
for irrigation and five littlebushes and two trees, you know,
(07:57):
and a little bit of grass seed,and you have a really restricted
budget.
But when you go into a projectthat's, you know, like vintage
country club or el doradocountry club, and they don't
have a budget, I'm like what doyou mean?
There's no budget.
There's no budget, do whateveryou want.
I'm like, yes, it's likedisneyland, bring in the semis,
the cranes, the big giant treesI don't have a blast.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
these two have great creative minds, so they're like
okay.
I'll show you the good stuff.
I've seen the tile.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
It's like yes, get that top shelf going yeah
exactly, so I really love that.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
And then I did that for 20 years and then I just got
tired, basically, of beingoutside with 20 Hispanic men and
the heat and the heat.
Yeah, oh, I couldn't do it andI was still making my own
lotions and soaps and creams andthings.
(08:57):
Oh, so you were still doingthat.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, oh.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
In the kitchen.
In the kitchen, oh, did you saywhen?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Okay, she would make her own lotion and fill in
bottles, and it started to takeover the kitchen In the kitchen.
Oh, they say it works.
Okay, she would make her ownlotion and fill in bottles.
And it started to take over thekitchen space.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Actually, yeah, I was all the way down the hall to
the front door and I got a40-foot hall and a huge kitchen.
And one year I made baskets forChristmas and I just used kind
of like canning jars, like ifyou're going to get some
homemade jelly.
But I'd fancy them up and putribbons and little stones and
make them look really uh, cuteyeah yeah, cute christmas.
(09:31):
And I gave a basket to this ladythat lived way out in pj west
and uh, she, I didn't let meback this up I gave it to a
friend that had a friend thatlived in PGA West.
I didn't know the lady, but shehad super bad skin issues and
(09:52):
was very wealthy and had gone tomany places to try to fix her
her skin, and she wasn't havingany luck.
And her friend said why don'tyou try some of this lotion and
the salve and just see if itworks for you?
And so she gave her part of herbasket to this lady and the
(10:12):
lady says oh my gosh, it's thefirst thing I've ever used.
It's helped, helped.
And then she called me up andintroduced herself and said that
she wanted me to make her 50baskets for christmas.
And I started laughing to go,50 baskets, I go, I'm not, I'm
just, I go.
50 baskets, I go, I'm not, I'mjust making this in my blender
and putting it in mayonnaisejars.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Wow, that's a step up .
Speaker 4 (10:32):
I'm not making this to move or sell or anything and
she goes.
Oh, everybody in town has tohave it.
And so we went to Pier 1,imports and that other place
called World Market Yep, and gotlittle jars and little things,
fancier things.
So you said yes, I said yes.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
I knew it, she's so open-minded.
She's always been like yeah,let's do it.
Yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
And so I made 50 baskets for her.
Yeah, right, and so I made 50baskets for her, and then I just
started going to like littleplaces, you know, like the
churches would have what theycall fall.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
A Christmas show where they had the booths and
stuff.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Yeah, the booths and the fall season and they'd have
Easter seasons and the schoolswould have it.
So I just set up little tablesand booths there and it just
kind of snowballed andsnowballed.
And then I got this old housein indio that used to be al
capone's attorney's house.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Oh my god, where's that?
Speaker 4 (11:34):
at well, it's torn down draperies, if anyone so do
you know where neil's lounge is?
Yes, so it.
So you'd go down 111 in Indioand you'd make a left at Madison
Street.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
And there's Stater Brothers and the Young's Nursery
right there.
No, it's by Stater.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Brothers.
Yes across from Stater BrothersNow it's a dirt lot, I think.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
In front is Neil's and then there's a gas station,
yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
And there's a gas station, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
And then Stater Brothers is across the street.
That street right there isMadison.
So you'd make a left on Madison, coming from Palm Desert going
to Indio and then right behindthat Circle K you'd turn in
right there and that was a huge,huge estate and it had tennis
gardens.
It had this beautiful,beautiful pool Right.
And it had like a pool houseand what they had done is all
(12:28):
the rooms in the house werereally big and they had divided
it up and rented areas out.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
And after it was no longer a home and the pool was
empty they kind of divided it upinto little retail spots that
you could rent.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Oh, really, yeah, Wow .
And there was a lady there likegot the first part of it maybe,
where the kitchen and diningroom and that kind of stuff was
she had was selling plants, andthen the middle part was
gertrude's draperies and he wasmaking a homemade drapery for
everybody.
And then the last part was bluelotus, which I would use to be
(13:02):
Blue Lotus organics, and I hadthe bedroom in the mat, the
master, it was kind of like agarden room where they call it a
sunroom.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Oh, yeah, yeah, and and we also had actually had
beautiful lighting, a lot ofwindows, and so it had beautiful
light where she could make allof her products and a huge
bathroom, the master bathroom,with this huge tiled tub.
Yes, oh my gosh, it was prettyfunny, the tub was bigger than
this area that we're sitting at.
Yes, it was huge, and it wasall these little tiles.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Art deco tiles, art deco tiles, black and burgundy
tiles, even in the window sealsoh my gosh.
The entire ceiling.
Everything was done in blackand burgundy deco tiles.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
You would have liked it.
I would have liked it.
Yeah, you would have said Ilove this.
It was in great condition too,the bathroom, so okay.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
What year is this?
I'm curious about what year?
Is this like what year?
What roundabout years are these?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
That's probably in Late 90s, late 90s.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Wow yeah, 98 maybe I want to go back because I'm nosy
.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
I want to know how did you know how to sell those,
what to sell those baskets for?
I'm assuming right you had tofigure out what your costs were
and stuff like that.
So you sold them right and Ihope you made a killing.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
I just looked up Gucci.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
There was no, looking up.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
No, there was no looking up she just added up her
receipts, you know, and came upwith a fair price probably.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
I just did kind of like fair market what everybody
else was selling things for.
Basically, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
She's always priced things very fairly.
I think, yeah, yeah, oh, andalways things very fairly, yeah,
always.
You know, looking at the facts,like what are the cost of
things and things like that, soshe's always been very fair
priced, I believe.
Okay, do you have?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
any questions.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
I'm just, I'm still thinking about that Al Capone
lawyer's house.
Well, supposedly he would getin that bathtub.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
I bet he did Because it had seating all the way
around the edges.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
I mean, I'm an Indian native and I didn't even ever
heard of that before.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
That's freaking awesome, and you know the other
side, where there's that tire,pep boys and tire guys.
Have you ever seen thatmanufacturing?
It's old, old, old buildingthat's set behind it.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Okay, they used to make all the fruit cakes.
So they dry all the fruit withthe dates and they dry all the
different kinds of fruits likepeaches and apricots and
everything that goes into thefruitcakes.
And they actually had thecontract back in the war times,
like I don't know if it wasWorld War I or World War II, I
(15:37):
don't have that information, butI know that they were making
the rations for the soldiers, oh, wow, and because those
fruitcakes would last a longtime so they would get like
jerky.
And these fruitcakes that weredehydrated, oh, okay, it was a
cake but it had the dehydratedfruit in it, right, right.
(15:57):
And so when they came back fromwar they didn't want anything
to do with those.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
The sales immediately tanked after the war.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
But that's a, really's a but the valley has
had a lot of different thingsgoing on that people didn't even
realize absolutely that wasgoing on back there in that
little area wow, I mean, she'shistory lesson right here.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Only on cv hustle, you get this instant all right,
so let's go from.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
You had the retail store in Indio and you started.
It obviously startedsnowballing right as you said.
And then what happened?
Did you name it the body now?
No, you named it blue.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Now enter David, david here.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Yes enter David.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Yeah, so, david, my business partner now is David
Parker, and he came into theshop, so I used to be on the
Patty Patane show.
I don't know if you've everheard of that I have, but I
can't like place it right now.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
This is old time.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
And kind of like what you're doing right here, yeah
local business entrepreneurs, ohreally.
And she was so funny because Iwould be making things and I'd
say, well, you know it's alledible, and she was so kind of
like a force to be reckoned with.
You know this energy.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
And so I'm making this stuff and she goes it's
edible, huh.
And she takes the spoon and shepushes it down into this big
thing of cream I'm making andshe goes eat it and I'm like,
okay, calm down.
So I take a little bite of itand then I made the comment,
like when Lucille Ball has takenthat Vita Veg of Vegemint and
(17:44):
it's delicious too, and she goesstop doing that and she got all
mad about it.
But it was funny.
Anyway, the product's like the,the enzyme peel.
It's the honey, manuka honey,enzyme peel.
That's a complete food.
If you were starving to deathand you didn't have any food,
(18:05):
you could eat that.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
It's delicious on toast I wouldn't even know where
to find that it's the body deli.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
All right, hello basically, she was focusing more
on body care at this time shehadn't moved on to facial care
and and David saw her on TV andthat she was making these
products from healthy, usinghealthy stuff, taking it back to
natural, you know, and usingthings you eat this whole
(18:34):
concept.
And he drove down to find herbecause he wanted to make facial
care products like that.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
And he had gone to LA and he couldn't find anybody
that would do that they allwanted to be chemicals, yes, and
he was like I don't want that,I want something natural.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
And so they came together and two total different
people, and they just both hadthis love and this vision for
making products food for yourskin, basically, and that's one
of our taglines.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
That's how the Body Deli kind of came about.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
They came together and said, hey, let's evolve this
, you know, to face and body.
And that was the birth of theBody Deli food for your skin.
Oh my gosh, that's so cool andtaking that kind of that basis
of using products you normallywould cook with or eat, you know
, taking that clean concept.
So a lot of healthyformulations, the scents, pure
(19:25):
essential oils, plant-basedthings like that.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
So, like what was your when you started this and
it was only body at the time.
What were some of your stapleproducts?
Speaker 4 (19:38):
We had a really nice salt scrub.
That was with the cocoa butter,so it was really creamy.
You know I love me some cocoabutter.
You have it.
And lotion oil Definitely thelotion and bars of soap.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
Yeah, that was pretty limited actually.
I mean now we have so manyproducts a lot of products.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Right Because you just keep adding.
Right Because there's alwayslike a new, like scent, or
there's a new whatever.
I don't know Because you guyswere kind of like organic before
.
Organic was like a thing.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
It's so true because when we went to go try to find
somebody to help us make thesethings, they were all like, well
, what you know.
We only have to know how to dothese, these companies that
makes laboratories, the big labs.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
If you want something made manufacturers, you know
you go to a formulation that'salready been made.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
They're so chemical laden, of course, so they had to
just make it themselves wecouldn't find anybody that would
help us, so we just startedmaking it ourselves.
I mean, I was already making itmyself, so I didn't care.
Right, I just help us.
So we just started making itourselves.
I mean, I was already making itmyself, so I didn't care.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Right, so it was no big deal to you.
I just had to expand it.
Want more blenders?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yeah, basically Bring in the Hobart Wow.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
For real and we just set it up a cosmetic kitchen
basically, or just like arestaurant where we have big
mixers and blenders and allkinds of just looks like a
kitchen.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
At the place where we met.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah, oh okay, that little place behind your old
office.
Wow, that's pretty impressive,Pretty impressive.
So David came in and how didthat change the business?
Did it kind of explode fromthere like to what we know now,
or how long did it kind of takeyou guys to become the
juggernaut that?
Speaker 4 (21:25):
we relocated to palm desert and, uh, you know, david
helped.
I went to a we.
We knew that we wanted tochange the name because I was we
wanted.
At that time we were thinkingabout franchising and there was
a lot of blue lotus chineserestaurants in los angeles and
so, although it's a differentindustry, there was a lot of
Blue Lotus Chinese restaurantsin Los Angeles and so, although
it's a different industry, therewas still consumer confusion.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Right.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
And so we said we're going to have to think of
something else.
And I went to one of mygirlfriend's house and she lives
in San Diego and we hung outand we got a bottle of wine and
we ate pizza and we just keptbrainstorming and all these
different names and the BodyDeli.
I kind of narrowed it down tothree names.
(22:09):
It was like the Body Bistro,the Body Deli, all these
different, a couple other names.
And then I came back with thenames, with David, and then
David's so artistic and he wasgreat with the computer to to
make labels and branding.
He's a he's like brandinggenius.
He is a branding genius, he isfabulous, and he would take the
(22:33):
different names that I was camewith, you know, to talk to him
about, and he would get on thecomputer and he was like, well,
this one's having trouble withthis one, you know, and he would
keep messing with it and he'dcome in and and I have like a
perfectionist eye to I know whatyou call it to a fault.
It's like oh yeah it's.
It's too.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
I'm like it's a blessing and a curse.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
It is, and so I can see when something's off and
I'll say that needs to move overjust a hair, okay, no, it's
perfect and so.
But he never complained aboutmoving anything over in here.
He just go and move.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
He wants it to be perfect he wants it to be
perfect too, so so how old areyou at this time, when this
started going down?
Speaker 2 (23:14):
I first met david probably when I was about, I
want to say 10 years old or soso he's been in my life since
then and he definitely made abig impact because I had never
met someone like him before.
It was like someone coming fromout of town I don't know how to
explain it, but an out oftowner.
Like who's this guy?
And they're both my mentors mymom and David and they both have
(23:38):
such unique aspects and I getthe benefit of seeing how they
both work and learning from themand, yeah, just following their
lead and picking it up.
So you basically grew up seeingyour mom do this In Blue Lotus.
I was there helping her mixthose salt scrubs and the lotion
(23:59):
in the kitchen before BlueLotus.
I've been her little sidekickand I have have a younger sister
, so when she came into the mixshe's she was there too and
she's well you used to take asalad shooter do you remember
the old commercial salad shooter, and they put stuff in there.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
Well, I was putting soap in there and shredding the
soap and then soaking it in inwater and then making balls with
it soap balls.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
The leftover soap when you cut bars, yeah, you
have some extra pieces, so wewould put that in the salad
shooter and then those littleshreds make soap balls.
Oh, perfect.
And so us kids.
That was kind of our—.
Speaker 4 (24:32):
I had pictures of them.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
That was their job.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
Anna's only two years old and here she is, a little
tiny two-year-old making a soapball.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
That's awesome and nothing went to waste.
Sounds like it was a familyaffair.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Definitely.
Yeah, we had grown up in thebusiness you grew up in the
business?
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Was that always the plan to come in and kind of step
in and be the heir apparent?
Was that something that youwere just born into?
It?
You're going to continue thelegacy, or is that something
that kind of?
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I think it just happened naturally and I have a
love for it, a passion for it.
I don't have any children, sothis is kind of like my baby as
well.
So it's got a couple mothers.
It's got a couple mothers.
So, yes, I guess because I'vejust grown up with it, it's just
kind of like an energy that'spart of my family.
(25:20):
Like when I come into the shopI say good morning, I love you,
when I leave, you know, yeah, I.
Um, hey, you're putting it outthere.
Yeah, I go in when it's likenot my day.
I.
I go in the morning.
Sometimes six am like I wasthere this morning.
Um, I love it.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Yeah, it's like my baby sometimes, before we leave
it at night, we have some sageand I don't necessarily light it
, but I take it and I go.
Protection, protection.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
What do?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
you two get along.
Oh yeah, we do all that weirdstuff.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Sage is everything I'm like.
What is that smell in the house?
I'm like nothing, okay, so tellme, when did the first?
The first body, deli, is theone on 111, correct?
And you know what their flooris?
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yeah, black and white Shameless plug right here At El
.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Paseo, oh, at El Paseo, yeah, okay, okay, you
need to change the other onethen.
Oh for sure.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
No, definitely, fina, for sure.
But you know, bringing back tothe history aspect, the floor
that's at Highway 111 store.
It's over 23 years old now, 24years old that we've been there
that floor, David and herhand-painted.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
So it was just like a raw cement floor really rugged.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
They couldn't afford tile flooring at the time so
they hand-painted a squarepattern on there.
It's still there to this day.
We polish it and keep it asbeautifully as we can.
It certainly needs new tiles,but it's also kind of nostalgic,
yeah you can't do that Icouldn't tell you tile it's part
of the history.
You know and I remember themlike, literally, hands and knees
.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
You know, faux painting, this thing We'll go up
the walls.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Back then everything was like real popular to faux
paint.
I don't know if you rememberthat sponging colors on
everything.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
But el paseo, she definitely had to go for the,
the flooring upgrade.
Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful, oh,it's so cool yeah, so okay.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
So then you got that space and then like where, where
are you finding your clientsand how, what are you doing for
advertising and marketing andall that I mean?
Speaker 4 (27:20):
you said david did that, so how did you originally,
other than being on pattypatine didn't really have a lot
of and creating an email list,an email sign-up list when
people would come in.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Uh, do you want to sign up to our email list?
Speaker 1 (27:41):
and that early adapters, early adapters to that
.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Email.
That's one of our strongestsales channels, I would say.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
And you're doing that early on, then huh yeah you
don't do it too often, though,right.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Well, we do a couple emails a week at least.
Oh, okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
And it's that whole thing like that drip marketing
right.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
It's like just be on top of mind when they need it
and they run out or they'rethinking about skin care, it's
like, oh, it didn't used to bethat way, but it's evolved to
that, yes, and yeah, it'sevolved to that, okay.
So I have another question,because I have another location
in palm springs, but you haveanother location on the other,
on the next block.
So why did you do that?
And and was it?
I think it's cool because Ifeel like you're obviously
serving two different markets,and I think you're, but I want
to hear from you why you didthat.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
You want me to go?
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Yeah, serving two different markets.
So our Highway 111 location theoriginal.
It's so great for locals, theparking is so convenient, you
can just pull right in there,that's true.
Get your skin care location theoriginal.
It's so great for locals, theparking is so convenient, you
can just pull right in there.
Get your skincare, get yourhealthy dog treats at Bones and
Scones.
It's really accessible.
But a lot of times when someonecomes on vacation they're not
from here.
The hotel concierge says go toEl Paseo, go to El Paseo.
(28:57):
That's true.
So we're trying to cover bothof our bases here.
We've got our local spot.
If you can't find parking at ElPaseo, you don't want to do the
walk, you can just pull rightup and come into the local shop
111, and get your stuff easy.
Or if you want to have aleisurely day, take your family
shopping.
Someone's coming into town, youwant to give them the El Paseo.
You know walking aroundexperience.
We're there too, oh my gosh, andthe spot that we have, which
(29:21):
she's had her eye on, wanting aspot there for a long time, and
when the opportunity came, she Idid.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
I looked at that spot for probably at least 10 years,
so it's kind of like you'recreating that reality.
Oh for sure, I kept seeingmyself there and seeing myself
there, and the same lady wasthere, and then they just they
stayed there until they retired.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
I was going to say are you?
Speaker 4 (29:44):
going to go in there.
Are you leaving anytime soon?
And then she contacted me andsaid that she was leaving and
would I be interested in takingover her lease.
And I'm like, yes, I would,yeah, yeah, and it's right
across from Tiffany's and LouisVuitton and Gucci, so it's a
great location, great location,yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton and Gucci, so it's a
great location, great location,oh my gosh, that's so cool.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
And that's what we call that, our fancy store,
because we have like 111 store.
We call that one our hippiestore, right next to Lorraine's
Like brownhound painted floorand orange walls.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
It's kind of more eclectic.
And then you go to El Paseo andit's got the black and white
marble tile floor.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
So you've got two different vibes and the deli
case is more of a deli vibewhite and black, they have an
actual deli Deli case.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Deli case, that's awesome Fresh face masks and
skin care.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
I can kind of see the breakup of your clientele base.
By just the way you'reexplaining it, though, right,
locals go to your original OGshop.
Yeah, your original OG shop.
Yeah, then you're, you'retrying to lure the tourists
through El Paseo, so does thatlead to like?
So, now that we're in the ageof kind of you know online and
Amazon, are you guys?
You have a presence online aswell.
Is that like kind of the nextstep for the?
Speaker 4 (30:54):
We have the most beautiful website on the
internet.
I would go on anybody'scompetition and say that Mostly
Ashley and David.
My business partner, davidParker, built the website and
it's absolutely gorgeous and itwould compete with anybody out
(31:17):
there.
If you go on that website, it'sfabulous, it's really beautiful
.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Yeah, it almost eliminates the need to expand to
different stores with theinternet right, because you guys
can sell all over the countryat that point.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
And through COVID.
That really impacted retail.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
You know you had to really rely on online.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
So we kind of said, well, online we can reach a lot
of people.
Oh, yeah, that way.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
And then the people that are down here just like
tourism and they come to elpaseo and they get their things
they have still have a piece ofus when they go back home with.
They can come in with theinternet and order and restock
themselves.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
They learn about us, like, let's say, they're walking
on el paseo.
They learn about us there andthen they get to take a few,
maybe small things home and thenthey come, they reorder online
and we have really been blessedwith customers that have been
with us for years.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
We go in the back and you can see how many times
they've ordered.
And they have ordered,sometimes hundreds of times.
The customer loyalty is sogreat when you think about what
kind of product that youpersonally have ordered.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
We love our customers .
We develop relationships,friendships.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
Yeah, sure they just keep ordering and ordering.
We're very blessed.
We're very grateful for that.
Yeah, that they just keepordering and ordering, we're
very blessed, we're verygrateful for that.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Yeah, that's pretty rare in retail these days.
You guys know when yourcustomers the way you do.
You know because a lot of timesretail is just a click on the
phone.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
We still do phone help too, so we have a lot of
customers that like to placetheir order on the phone.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
That's one thing is, I get frustrated when I want to
buy something and I can't talkto customer service.
You have to email them, yeah,and then there's still nobody to
talk to.
It's just back and forth andit's some kind of generic
response.
I'm like what?
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Yeah, it's a stall tactic kind of thing.
Well, that's why his businesshas thrived, because you call
like Paychex or one of the otherbig box stores and you just get
like.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Get a call center in India.
Speaker 4 (33:13):
You know, there's outsourcing everything, so our
strength is just you getsomebody on the phone and you'll
get your account rip on thephone, the person actually doing
your payroll.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Actually somebody that knows something about your
account.
So that's where we win, that'swhere we beat the big guys.
I mean, we're not going to beatthem all the time.
Yeah but we can beat them there.
So if that's something that'simportant to the clients, then
that's where we win.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
And I think that's true with us too Because they
can't get that from the bigbrands.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
No, absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
We like to build relationships.
They come in and a lot of timeswe know about their family and
what's going on in their livesand we love building that
relationship with them.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
That's awesome, Well it seems like you guys, I mean,
I think the story here, though,too, is the product right.
I mean, the product standsalone.
I think that's like the core ofthe business, right Is that you
have an excellent product, youknow, and you guys have figured
out how to kind of build anempire on that product, because
a lot of times, there'll bepeople we hear stories all the
time of people that are good atthings, like maybe like good at
(34:08):
doing, you know, making cookiesor something like that but how
do you turn that into a business?
And I think you guys kind ofmastered that and turning it
into a, you know, a greatproduct, but it's also a
thriving business.
You know that's not the easiestthing to do well.
Speaker 4 (34:21):
I think it's really taken a huge amount of effort on
on everybody's part.
I mean everybody that works atthe body daily.
I I call it our Body Dailyfamily, and they don't work for
us, they work with us.
We all work together, everybody.
We're so blessed becauseeverybody's such hard workers
(34:41):
and, you know, very professionaland stay focused on their job
and taking care of things.
And I think that's not goingthrough the employees.
We have an employee that'sworked for us for 30 years,
another one for 18, another onefor 15, another one for 12.
So we don't really go throughthe employees.
(35:03):
We take care of them.
They're part of our family.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Oh, it speaks to you as a business and a business
owner, and how well you treatthem.
And yeah that's awesome because, man, you know, building a
business like you have, justlike consistency is key, I think
, you know, and reputation andall of that goes into it.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
And making products that feel it feels good to be a
part of.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
Sure, I have a question so like do you have a
bestseller?
Because you know I'm in, youknow I just always won't think
about stuff like that.
Do you have, like, or a couplebest sellers?
We brought you a couple, okay.
Well, I have that, let's getinto it.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Yeah, so those of you on youtube you can see um the
products on the on the tablehere, um, for those of you
listening on the podcast, needto watch it on youtube.
So, but we'll try and be asdescriptive as possible our
vital c serum, the products onthe table here.
For those of you listening onthe podcast, you need to watch
it on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
But we'll try and be as descriptive as possible.
Our Vital C Serum Can you reacha Vital C Serum?
Speaker 1 (35:58):
in front of the magazine.
It's in front of the book.
No, it's a small little one,this good.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Yes, okay, so this is a superstar product.
It's our Vital C Repair Serum.
It has a special form ofvitamin C called Robosome C.
It's an encapsulated form ofvitamin C.
It's an expensive form ofvitamin C so there's hardly any
formulations that use it.
There's only two people in theUnited States and it's specially
(36:24):
imported from Germany.
Anyway, this type of vitamin C,it's encapsulated, so that
means it stays stable in theformula and it opens up once it
hits your skin barrier and ithelps with helping repair for
radical damage like sunspots andthings of… Large pores, yeah,
things like that.
And it also helps stimulatecollagen.
(36:46):
So smoothing the skin, givingthat bounce and elasticity to it
, and sunspot control is reallythe big winner.
Down here in the desert, I knowjust being out and active we
get a lot of sun damage, so that, I would say, is a really.
I love that one.
What's your, that's my.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
I would say I would say Cremdell.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Rose is probably her or maybe something else.
Speaker 4 (37:07):
I like Cremdell Rose and I also like mixing that with
a light facial emulsion.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Oh yes, Her facial cocktail.
Speaker 4 (37:14):
That's what she calls it.
It's made with all the ionicminerals, so when you put these
vitamins mixed with the minerals, your skin just sucks it up and
it gets everything it needs.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
I love that Do you guys sell to people that do
facials?
Oh yeah, definitely, Because wehave a whole cell division that
services, spas and medicalcenters, estheticians, massage
therapists.
Because?
So tell them about your sister,Because that would be, I think
that would be kind of.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Oh, the sister's a what's it.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Naturopathic, oh, of course, in Arizona though.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Organic, organic organic.
So that's her main thing, yeahwe'll have to definitely touch
base and show you guys some ofyour products.
I mean, these products havebeen tried and true, right, yes,
and they're all made here inthe.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Valley.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Really.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
They're all made here in the Valley.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Yes, well, I know, I know it's made here he's like
literally Literally all of thishas been made here.
So it's pretty cool to actually, you know, buy stuff.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
Wow, Donald Trump's going to love that you know USA
all the way man.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Just local, anybody, just anybody who wants to
support their local community.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
That's awesome.
I did not know that that'ssomething that see more valuable
information here.
These are tried and true.
So people are manufacturingthese in the valley and then
you're selling them in thevalley.
Yeah, so you're creating jobson both ends.
That's great.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
Okay, I have another funny question.
So if I walked into your placelike do you guys go?
Oh, your face is jacked up, youneed this.
You know what I?
Speaker 1 (38:51):
mean Can you diagnose somebody's?
Speaker 4 (38:54):
ugly face.
We don't say it to your face,but we turn like this, we turn
like this and it's like sheneeds.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
She needs some vitamin c serum bad we analyze
you.
Speaker 4 (39:05):
Okay, you know, without letting you know that
we're analyzing you, we, but westudy your skin if you ask for a
consult, first of all, let'sfree, that's right.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
We offer free samples .
So with a consultation, so welike to say if you're looking
for skin care before just likeselling you some expensive
lineup that you don't knowwhat's going to work, we like to
first say what do you need,what are your concerns?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
see, I'd say, I don't know what I need okay, well, we
, well, we can talk about it.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
And we can send you with some samples that you would
test out and see.
Like we have five differentfacial cleansers.
Let's make sure we get theright one for you.
Are you feeling dry?
Are you feeling sensitive?
Do you have redness and rosacea?
Do you need some exfoliation?
Speaker 4 (39:47):
So we need to you know, when you're oily and acne,
we need to talk before we justlike, just shove some products
to you.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
We want to talk about it.
And that's also, I think, whywe have a lot of longtime
customers, because the firsttime they come in we're not
trying to sell them.
Sometimes I'm giving them freesamples.
They're like do I need to payyou for these?
I'm like no, just test them outfirst.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
And then what you resonate with, what your skin
loves.
You know you're going to comeback to us and absolutely yeah.
And the other thing is is thatI would rather them test things
out than or even buy a smallerone, because we hand make this.
So it's kind of like me handmaking apple pie and then
because you have a 30-day returnpolicy at the Body Deli, so if
(40:37):
I made you a handmade apple pieand then you took one bite of it
and then you came back and saidI don't like it, well, I have
to throw that apple pie in thetrash because you've taken a
bite out of it.
Right, and that's what happenswith the products.
So I'm more.
It's, it's all business, it'supsets me because I handmade
that and now you want me tothrow it in the trash.
(40:58):
So to me it's like personal sothen?
Speaker 3 (41:01):
so I would rather well, well, no I want.
Speaker 4 (41:04):
I want them to be happy and to zero it in, but
that's just why we do thesampling of We'd rather also for
the environment.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Like, for example, instead of if you don't know
about the smell of this lotion,I'd rather let you smell it
first, make you a small amountor try it out.
Smell it first, right, then tryto force you to buy this and
then you pump one out.
You don't like it, I hate it.
All this has to go in the trashcan and it's so bad for the
environment.
And unfortunately we're kind ofused to the Amazon stuff which
(41:33):
is like order and if I don'tlike it I don't even think about
where it goes.
Well, all of that stuff isgoing somewhere and we're
getting a little bit toocomfortable as a society just
like throwing things away andordering things, ordering things
, ordering things.
So one way we're trying to helpour business but also be
environmentally conscious islet's let you test something out
(41:53):
small.
Make sure you really like itbefore you invest in a big
bottle like this, so that wedon't have to be throwing
something away unnecessarily.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
Right, oh wow, I didn't know you had to throw
things away.
Give them to me.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Or you know skin care .
Why don't you guys just do?
Speaker 3 (42:08):
50%.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Like okay, if you get 50% back%.
No, you don't want a skincareproduct that somebody returned
yeah, because we don't know whatthey did to it why?
Speaker 1 (42:15):
not, no, no no, I'll test it out first.
You can't vouch that it'sorganic anymore.
Speaker 4 (42:22):
Yeah, we can't do that we can't do that.
Touched by a human Not pure.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
It's not pure.
Well, this is all really goodinformation.
It seems like you guys alsohave kind of an ethos about the
environment which kind of goeshand in hand with your product,
so that's really cool.
We always like to ask ourentrepreneurs you know what
advice they would give tosomebody.
Like maybe they have a goodproduct you know, but don't
(42:48):
really know how to start abusiness.
But don't really know how tostart a business.
If they wanted to kind of maybeget into the retail business,
what advice would you kind ofgive somebody?
Speaker 4 (42:57):
I have run across people who have made business
names for themselves and theyhave made cards up and signs and
everything and they never didthe research to see if somebody
else owned the trademark.
If somebody else owned acorporation, owned something or
already has a website, becausenow you're in violation of that
(43:21):
and you have to take all thatdown because you can get in a
lawsuit.
Oh yeah, and you can't also addyour name to somebody else's
name, like Robert's McDonald'sor Robert's Big Boys or whatever
it is.
You just can't put your name infront of somebody else's name.
(43:43):
So you really need to do, firstof all, find out is it
trademarked?
Is there a corporation?
Is there somebody else alreadyusing that name on the internet?
Is there a website available?
These are all things that youneed to make sure, because how
are you going to move forward ifyou can't even move forward
with your own name?
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
That's the first step .
Speaker 4 (44:05):
That's the first step , that's the first step and
people don't realize that theyreally don't.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
They're completely missing that piece of pie, that
wedge.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
Yeah, we had that happen with one of our guests
who was going after a restaurantand the restaurant was like all
the way in florida or somethingatlanta and he was gonna get
sued and so he ended up havingto change the name.
Speaker 3 (44:25):
But it's like, oh my gosh, and it was copyrighted.
So I think you know that's abig issue, was it was a big,
yeah, big learning curve.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
So you have to copyright yourself, which you
write it down or print it outand send it to yourself through
the mail, and then you go to thetrademark office and you
trademark.
And if you do it yourself, youknow it's a little bit
complicated, but you can do itfor $350.
If you have somebody else do itfor you it's going to be a
(44:54):
little bit more, maybe doublethat.
And then try to get the websitegoing and then also try to get
your business license forwherever you're going to be
doing business in at the cityyou're doing.
So you want to get all thoselegality things.
(45:14):
Yeah, for sure, and you alsowant to see if somebody else is
already doing what you're doing,who's succeeding and what can
you learn from them?
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Yeah, absolutely Do your research, people Do your
research, like when I was doinglandscape construction.
Speaker 4 (45:29):
When I first started out, I did, uh like a interview
of three other top landscape uhconstruction people to my house
and asked them what they woulddo to see how they handled me,
to see how they interacted withme.
Oh my gosh, you sneaky littledevils.
And I was picking their brains,but they didn't know.
(45:52):
They just thought they werebidding on a project, right, and
so I took all the informationfrom all three of them and I put
it together and made one solidone that covered all the bases.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
You know what?
That's kind of what I did withmy showroom.
We went and looked at a coupleof different showrooms and I was
like I don't like the way thatlooks, or I really love the way
that looks, and, of course, didmy own thing with that right
Because.
I'm not going to try to copyanybody, but that's that was.
That's great, because it doesgive you a lot of insight as to
what what's out there and whatpeople are seeing.
Speaker 4 (46:24):
So and what's working , what's working already and
what's working, what's workingalready and what's missing.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
Yeah and what's missing.
Yeah, definitely do yourresearch.
It's amazing to me what'sonline now.
You can find business plansonline.
Speaker 4 (46:38):
You know anything online.
Speaker 1 (46:40):
So do your research people.
Ashley, any advice for somebodythat's maybe thinking about
getting into the retail gamemanufacturing game.
Anything stand out to you thatyou would give?
A younger, maybe somebodycoming up thinking I have a good
question too, though.
Well, go ahead.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
Just, I guess just consistency and believing in
yourself.
I guess just consistency andbelieving in yourself.
I do think you have to be yourown biggest cheerleader and you
can't be scared to put your ideaout there for lack of
validation or celebration fromother people Sometimes.
(47:24):
Yeah, you have to be your owncheerleader, you can't be scared
to go out there and sometimespeople that don't know you will
be your biggest supporters.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
Absolutely.
You know, sometimes your familymembers and friends are the
last ones to support you.
Speaker 2 (47:38):
Sometimes because they know, you know like, oh,
you're just so-and-so, You'rejust like you know in your
family, and so you can't letthat limit your vision of
yourself.
You know, however you seeyourself, put it out there to
the world, because there mightbe a lot of people that resonate
with your message that youdon't even know about, Like what
you guys are doing here.
Speaker 3 (48:01):
CB Hustle.
Okay, so I do have a question,because Bobby's always talking
about how, because he doespayroll right, so he works with
over 350 small local businesseshere in our valley and so he
sees a lot of family memberstaking over the business.
Speaker 1 (48:19):
The kids taking over and or working together.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
So how does that work with you guys?
Is it just always a seamlessflow, or do you guys like ar.
Speaker 2 (48:30):
Aromatherapy.
Is that the sage?
Get me two, get me two.
No really we're lucky, we allget along pretty well.
But, like she said, she is aperfectionist and she has very
high standards, and she alwayshas, and so I Now she's not
really bothered by it becauseshe just grew up in it.
Speaker 4 (48:51):
I grew up with that and she's never been.
I would say Doesn't deter me.
Instead of the mother tellingthe kids that they're not doing
something right, it's the kidstelling the mother.
Like Mom, you can't do that.
Mom, don't say that to thatwoman.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
I know, but that's what I love about you.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
So sometimes I'm too truthful and I have to hold my
tongue back or I have to gobehind the.
We have a curtain from thefront and the back, and I don't.
As I get older, I have lesspatience for ridiculousness, and
there's a lot of ridiculousnessout there, and I just had to
take a deep breath and think,hmm, this could be on YouTube
(49:38):
right now.
Here's a woman that went nutsat body telling.
Speaker 3 (49:45):
She's strangling the customer.
Well, you know what Sales?
It is hard it is hard.
Speaker 4 (49:50):
It's hard.
Sometimes the people are rudeand disrespectful and I don't
like it when they'redisrespectful to the employees
or to my kids, my daughters andyou know you might have issues.
Sometimes they have issues.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
She's very protective , I am very protective.
So I tell her don't worry aboutit, mom, I just go in the back.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
I'll go.
Ash, you're gonna have to go upfront because I'm like this
with that woman and I I don'twant to do that to her.
So please, ashley will go upthere.
She's really.
She is the nicest person.
And there was a lady just likemaybe two weeks ago that was a
horrible thing to our one of ourother sales people and then she
was calling up and she was justhaving a terrible time, but she
was taking it.
She was having a terrible timein her life and she was taking
(50:35):
it out on us and ashley talkedto her and told her to come in
and when she came in, ashleygave her a hug nice, she did,
well she was.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
it turned out just Well, she was it turned out that
and she just melted, she cried,she was going through a lot, aw
, and one little incidenthappened and she just kind of
festered on it, yeah, and shehad a hard holiday and it just
you never know what people aregoing through, it's true, you
never know, you don't.
So I said let's not let thissmall item, you know, be such a
big issue.
(51:05):
Let's come on in, we'll figureit out.
Yeah, come on in, let's notworry about it.
Speaker 4 (51:10):
She's so great with that she's.
She's awesome with thecustomers.
The aromatherapy helps yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
That's some customer service right there, yeah,
absolutely Free hugs as wellSomebody listening to this maybe
once that hasn't heard or seenyour product.
Where can, where can they kindof check you guys out and kind
of get more information aboutsome of the goodies you sell
here?
Speaker 4 (51:30):
We'll definitely go to thebodydelicom and you're
going to see an amazing website.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
Fresh food for your skin.
That's right.
Yeah, I love that.
Such a great tagline.
Speaker 4 (51:41):
I love it, and everything's just made in small
batches, so it really is fresh.
Speaker 1 (51:51):
It doesn't need to be .
That is remarkable that that'sall made here in the coachella
valley.
So anybody buying skin products, you better support your local,
your local company and look atthat beautiful label it is it's
gorgeous.
No, it's beautiful, like Idon't.
I don't know what it is, but itlooks.
It looks beautiful, that's anorganic hand and body lotion,
that's lotion Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (52:09):
But seriously, thank you for coming on.
I really appreciate your time.
I've always loved you and we'vealways gotten along really well
and I love your store and Ilove that you guys used to or
still make this stuff behindwhere I started my tile business
, and so it's really great thatyou're here and I appreciate
your time so much.
Speaker 4 (52:28):
Thank you both, and you're going to have to come and
see your tile.
I sent you some videos, alittle bit of video at the house
.
Sometime I'd love to.
Speaker 3 (52:35):
Yeah, yeah, bruce, and hey, look at this, he's
awesome.
Speaker 4 (52:38):
I love it.
Your home is beautiful.
Well, thank you Absolutely.
It's full of Venus tile.
Speaker 1 (52:49):
My, they're super loyal see, I love them.
Thank you for your business toowell.
Thank you guys for coming in.
You're truly a legend here inthe Coachella Valley.
Speaker 2 (52:55):
Ashley, you're on your way to becoming one as well
.
Thank you learning from thebest over here.
Speaker 1 (53:00):
Thanks for coming in, guys if you found some value
today in this discussion.
You know the routine subscribe,like and follow, and we'll see
you guys next time.
Speaker 4 (53:10):
Thank you, thank you.
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