June 19, 2019 • 35 mins
Laura Lemon is the owner and founder of Lemon Laine, one of Nashville’s coolest destinations for natural skincare. This natural beauty brick and mortar has made rise in both Tennessee and Texas as the go to for natural beauty. Their personalized oil bar is a cult favorite, as well as destination for bachelorette parties and GNO’s. Laura talks with Kelly about the benefits of oil in your skincare routine, her can’t live without natural beauty products and how she overcame fear to start her thriving business.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Kelly Henderson and you're listening to the Velvet's
Edge podcast. This week on the podcast, my guest is
Laura Lemon, who is the owner and founder of Lemon Lane,
one of Nashville's coolest destinations for natural skincare. The store
features tons of natural beauty products, plus they have an
oil bar that I should mention serves wine all while
they create a facial oil specific to your skin's exact needs.
(00:23):
Laura is not only the owner, but she is also
a veteran in the natural beauty world and had lots
of insight into what products work and why, as well
as some self care tips for your beauty insides, including
her mantra that helps her overcome self doubt on the
hard days. Here's Laura how to do it. It was
(00:45):
the Nashville like morning show, but it was only fifteen
seconds and they talked like the majority's times was fine
my way. So you thought you talked for fifteen seconds
or the segment was fifteen segments, so it's perfect it. Yeah, well,
this is not live to be so mess ups are allowed. Um,
(01:06):
so I told you earlier I did a podcast with
Living Libations, which you see such a cult following. People
love it. I did not realize the oil business was
such an up and coming thing right now, like the
facial oils, I know, and there's a lot of um
misinformation to unfortunately. It's just I mean, people are selling
(01:29):
another house you know, they're selling it and every added
product out there, even your household cleaner. So you have
to be really um curious about where the sourcing comes
from and who's behind it. And Living Libations is a
perfect example of like you know that that's source really
well right and doing the words so explain Lemon Lane.
I just had the coolest experience here. It's a natural
(01:50):
beauty stores that would Yeah, that's how we describe it,
natural beauty and wellness store. Wellness is kind of the
secret sauce. Um. I feel like you can't have beauty
you without talking about how you're feeling, whether that's your
hormones or your energy levels. So we have products that
support that as well, alongside your skincare routine, um, whether
that's face care products, hair care, bodycare, or makeup. And
(02:13):
then the oil bar, which is what I just did.
I know it. So it's basically this is how I
was describing it to a friend earlier, you have what
five chairs, so this is the perfect idea for like
a bachelorette party or a birthday party with your girlfriends.
But you come in, you guys gave me a card
and I've filled out what my skin issues would be, like,
(02:34):
I want to focus on blackheads personally, so I checked that.
And then and you ask lifestyle questions too, which goes
to what you're saying about what you sell in your store. Yeah,
what we were finding is people really wanted a full
consultation and you know, of course we make you this
amazing oil that you get to take home, but they
had lots of other questions with the routine. So we
really try to support that too and ask you, okay,
(02:56):
what is your current routine look like, what do you
love about it? What do you not like? Um? Also
you know, how are you sleeping at night? Um? You know,
other things that are more wellness driven. So you leave
with this one ounce bottle of custom blended oil and
then also a a profile so to speak, of what
other products would work well with your routine. Right. That
(03:16):
was what was so cool is I was so excited
about the oil and actually just getting to use that.
And then she asked me, well, you said you have
sleep issues, which I've talked about so much on this podcast,
but I do. So she gave me a new product
to try to help that, which is so exciting. Like
if it was it was a full experience. Okay. So
one of the things I think I talked about with
Living Libations, which also we were just speaking about, is
(03:38):
oil to your face. Immediately, my first reaction is I'm
going to break out right, So talk about I grew
up with two We were told I don't know if
it originated at the dermatology office. I'm not sure where
that existed, but um, you know, the fact of the
matter is when oils were first on the marketplace, a
lot of them were petroleum based. So think of silicones. Um,
(03:59):
I'm sure you know. Polium jelly are different by by products,
and those sit on top of the skin and can
really clog your pores and make the situations worse. It might,
you know, feel like it's hydrating, but it's not actually
penetrating and doing um work there that your skin is
really looking for. Like I'm immediately thinking of vasiline when
you say that, yeah, used every day all. Yeah, she
(04:22):
probably had no wrinkles. But um, so you know, now
in the market, there's been tons of you know, new
formulations that have hit that are using more plant based botanicals.
So that can be um, anything from nuts and seeds
or even flower stems, roots, and if you think about it,
(04:43):
like any plant in the world you can make an
oil out of which is remarkable. Um. So there's just
this bursting or industry of these oils. And I find
that your skin often knows what to do with something natural.
So what do you mean, like, what is that? I mean?
This is I may not scientific and saying this, okay,
but I feel like because like a whole bit oil
(05:04):
for instance, it actually mimics the page balance of your skin.
So when you apply it to your skin, you can
immediately tell it just soaks right in and it almost
like assimilates to the skin layer versus a petroleum product
that again just sits on top. Okay, that is true.
Because she gave me the hooba which is spelled jojoba um,
and I put it on the back of my hand
(05:25):
and now I'm thinking about that and it did. My
skin is just soft, right, So that's what an oil
is supposed to feel like. That's what it's supposed to do.
If it's not doing that, then you shouldn't be using
that particular oil. Now there are some um like avocado
oil or cocooing net oil. Those are going to be
heavier in their qualities. So those that would only suggest
(05:45):
for really hydration. Um, you wouldn't put that on someone
that has more like clearing or acne oily prone skin.
Don't people cook with avocado oil? And oil is amazing
for the skin. Let me look at like the Mediterranean.
Oh totally, they used that all over their skin. It
looks amazing. So how did you get into this? Like
what made you go I'm going to get into the
(06:06):
oil business? Like what you know? Or the um? Oh man,
let's see we have a good questions. We have some time, right, UM.
I mean really it started because I had terrible skin.
I grew up in Oklahoma and just um no knock
to Oklahoma but was not around you know, farmers markets
and healthy eating and just had this sad American diet. Um.
(06:30):
And I developed um cystic acne in my teenage years
and is like the big yes it hurts. UM. I
would have loved to have a little pimple so it's
just all over my cheeks, which was really hormonal based,
which I then you know, was able to dig in
further in my journey. But um, you know, I started
(06:50):
off as a makeup artist because I was just looking
for a way to make myself feel better. And I
was going to dermatologists and trying every product under the sun, antibiotics,
um topicals, I mean, you name it, I tried. I
even got to the point where I was doing accutane
and yes, I'm so sad about that that I did it.
Now I know it's it's a love hate thing because
(07:12):
it cleared my acne, which was amazing. Um. But I
I've been uncovering for the last gosh that's been fifteen
years ago. You know, different things throughout through my body
that health issues, a lot of digestive issues, which in
some ways has led me to Lemon Lane. I mean
not in some ways it has because I, um, it
(07:32):
started as a skin issue and then realized it was
a lot deeper than that. Um. And so I just
with the makeup artist thing. I just love the beauty
industry and how it gave you that that confidence that
I wasn't finding in other parts of my life. UM,
So I wanted to give that to other women. And
I did that for a while and through college, and
then I graduated in two thousand and eight, which was
(07:54):
a tricky year to graduate because the job market was
not the best because of the recession. And I got
this incredible opportunity to start as a buyer at Walmart
of all places, in Bentonville, Arkansas. And honestly, that was
my AHA moment because I was linked up with the
beauty buying team and they were getting um. They had
(08:18):
heard a lot about the natural beauty industry and in
some ways, you know, Walmart is ahead of the curve,
whether they react in that way or not, um publicly,
they always you know, they have a lot of resources
and they know what's they have their pulse on what's happening.
So hearing the information, I just kind of avail it
to like, what do you mean natural beauty? I was, honestly,
I'm shook that you're saying Walmart, Yes, in two thousand
(08:40):
and eight. So we when I was there that first year,
we launched in about two thousand stores, Birdsby's alba Avalon
and it was incredibly this it was awesome to be
at that point in time so early on and connected,
like I got to meet with Bird of Birdsby's himself
and like be at the early stages of these brands
that are really trying to grow into like what you
(09:01):
see now. And um just I knew at that point
like okay, wow, here I am learning and having all
these resources on like why natural is important? And why
has no one ever told me this before? Like why
isn't this information out there? And I knew, Okay, I
wanted to stay in the beauty industry, but I wanted
to go about it in a way that felt authentic
(09:23):
to me, and that was the natural beauty world. So
I moved out to California because that's where that yeah,
necessarily Arkansas at that point in time, you never know,
um so. And I lived in San Francisco for about
eight years before moving to Nashville, and there I just
was a sponge. I tried to soak up as much
as I could, um everything. I worked on the marketing
(09:46):
team at Yes two Carrots, which is um in Walgreens
and Walmart, and really got to see it at like
that larger um target demographic level. I mean, it's it's
the masses that you're messaging too there, which was really
interesting um. And then fast forward from there, I was
at Juice Beauty, where I did more product development. So
(10:08):
I've kind of seen like a lot of different sides
to the industry and so much since how you would
start your own business though, because you've seen all the
sides of it, right and I and ultimately I I
missed read like I when I was a makeup artist.
I worked at Saxforth Avenue and I just missed that
in person connection and I felt like it was lacking
UM so much, especially in being able to walk into
(10:29):
a place and trust that what you were buying was
good for me um and also feeling like I felt
too often I'd walk into a beauty store and there
were signs and posters of all these things I needed
to change about myself and miracle creams and just unrealistic
goals that just weren't connecting with me anymore. And I
wanted to just like, Okay, let's take a literally started
(10:52):
on the back of a napkin at a restaurant and
just started dreaming up. Okay, well, what what would I
want the perfect beauty experience to be? So it's more
about embrace saying your beauty and finding Yeah. So I
think that so often the beauty industry you're told what
to do about your skin versus sometimes you really need
to connect with yourself and figure out, Okay, what's going
on with me internally, my stress levels, all these all
(11:16):
this information plays into how your skin looks and feels.
So I wanted to create an environment where you could
feel comfortable having those conversations and having those tools and
then knowing, you know, when I'm buying a product, this
is good for me. I don't have someone's already done
the research on the ingredients because it's it's a lot
of to know. I mean, it's a lot to research. Um,
So just a safe place where you can have quality
(11:39):
products and conversations. I love what you just said about
maybe it's not just about the products that you buy,
but like asking yourself, you know, what your goals would
be or what you need kind of thing. I think
there's such a disconnect lately. This is how this is
what I noticed especially on social media, and everyone's selling
something and this is what you need to feel good.
(11:59):
But it's like beauty is so much more than outward things.
So like, yeah, it's so personal inner beauty and outer
beauty is so connected, but there's such a disconnect totally
right now, and the customers just trained that way unfortunately
because of the marketing. Like you know, the most common
question we get here is well what do you use?
(12:20):
What do you love? And which doesn't matter and yeah,
it may not work for them, So I think it's
it's that's the difficult parts, having to retrain the customer
to think a little differently, well, what products do you use?
What do you love? And I mean I can tell
you all, I can share my whole list, but it's
really about what you need for your skin, and that's
what we're here to do, to support you and empower
(12:42):
you with information so you make the best choice for yourself.
I was just about to ask you what current products
can't you live without? We can share those two, but
I do want to know that because I do feel
like you are such a research person in this industry,
and what I would love to know the ones that
you've tried over andever you said specifically, these are ones
(13:04):
you've used for years, and I do have some tried
and truths. And because I test so many products and
my skin is sensitive, it doesn't like that, and so
I tend to go back to my my regular staples
if my skin is like whoa, this is way too
much um, So for me, I always start with the
mother dirt cleanser. And this was formulated by M. I. T. Scientists,
(13:29):
which is really rare in the natural industry because I
feel like people still have this thought of the natural
being the patruli in hemp days, you know, and it's
very eco. But there's a lot of science coming in
which is really fun to see. And they study the
microbiome layer on this skin, so we have an immune
system on the skin. And whenever we use sul fates
(13:49):
or any product that really studs up and leaves your
skin kind of that squeaky thing feeling, it actually is
removing that microbiome. So that's a sulfate that does that. Yes,
you know, I have sensitivity to sulfate, so like good, yeah,
I know, but like sulfa all of the things that
make me break out because some people don't connect the dots. Really,
(14:09):
I think it's a pretty common sensitivity. Right, it's not
good and it's basically your skin is like whoa, You're
you're stripping a layer of my skin off, Like don't
I didn't realize that. Okay, so um, anyway, they studied, Okay, well,
how can we get a cleanser that foams and removes
makeup and does all the things that's supposed to do,
but doesn't strip your skin. And you hear that term
(14:30):
a lot, like it doesn't leave your skin scrip. But
it literally they've done the research that your microbiome is
still intact um. And it's fifteen dollars. It's like, I mean,
we sell buckets of it. It's just it's something that
every customer just can incorporate into the routine and even
add some people do dual cleansing. So for me, I
have the sensitive dry combination, so I like to follow
(14:53):
it up with a cleansing oil, which is counterintuitive, especially
if you're worried about the oil um because you think
it might leave a film, but it actually just nourishes
your skin and helps kind of pull any debris, especially
even black heads out of the pores, because the oil
kind of draws like out of Okay, so you should cleanse,
(15:15):
and you said, leave a little water on and then
put your oil. We do the Lemon Lane oil. So
my oil I use is the hydrating formula which has
marshmallow roots and that's going to really draw moisture into
the skin. And then I like to add jasmine is
one of my favorite. It's like rose rose um. Jasmine
helps with cellular turnover. And I usually throw in Frankenstance
(15:39):
because I have some scarring unfortunately from my acne days um,
and that really helps with that. Frankenstance is the magic oil.
I hear it's been around. Well, obviously, I isn't that
what Cleopatri used. I'm pretty sure Jesus. Well, if Jesus
does it, But that's it. It's like a little more
expensive as an oil, right, yes, some of them. Um.
(16:01):
It all is about the yield. So even actually rose
is the most expensive. So of course that's the one
I like naturally as a whole, Like a whole rose
bush will make one like ounce of oil. It was
just harder to get, yes, not one ounce, sorry, like
a few drops. I mean it's incredible. Yeah, of course,
I'm like I put rosen everything. I put rose in
(16:23):
my oram pits every day. Shut up poetic pits. Um. Okay,
let's talk about natural makeup that because we were talking
before the podcast, and you have been in that business
a long time. I love that yourself taught. By the way,
so am I as a makeup artist? Yes? How did you?
Because we're both from before YouTube days? Shut up? Yes
(16:44):
with him? Did you see the documentary? Have not seen
it yet. I'm super attached to him as a human
and I've obviously never met him, but he's from Louisiana.
From Louisiana, yes, and he was seemed like such a
kind person from everything I've read. I literally feel like
I know I have them back here somewhere. Actually, yeah,
(17:10):
I know before YouTube. Now I'm jealous. I'm like, damn.
If I would have had that, I would have spent
all my time on you. I would have just been
locked in my room. That's probably why it didn't happen
for me. But so you taught yourself and then you've
worked as a makeup artist and at other natural makeup companies.
We said this, We were like, I still struggle, like
when I'm on set because I talked so much about
(17:33):
natural things, people assume I would use natural makeup, and
I just don't. It doesn't work for me. I know,
I said it earlier. I was like it's not quite there,
especially for the editorial, like if you're doing photo shoots
your wedding day, something to last. Yeah, the pigments exactly,
and even um, the I mean national makeup has a
lot of mineral base, so they are highly reflective. So
(17:56):
a lot of times when you're taking photos, it can
wash you out because of the Yeah. So even though
if you know you have it on its days, it's
just like this other layer of well, it just doesn't
look the same one. Yeah, I just can't ever get
the coverage that I would want. With the foundation, I
can get a really do a pretty finish, but especially
like for photos, it's just not And that's why I say,
(18:16):
like we shouldn't all feel the need to, you know,
live in this perfect bubble of natural I don't believe
it exists. We're in the modern world. Um So if
you're you know, eight seven days or six days out
of the week, you're doing natural beauty for your day
to day and then you're going out at night and
have a photo shoot or you're doing something fun like
embrace it like use you know, the silicon silicon based products,
(18:39):
I mean, they're they're going to stay on a little
longer um and you get that texture that you just
can't find with natural unfortunate right now, and that's what
I say, Like, it's amazing to think about six years
ago the options I had were at Whole Foods and
it was like this chalk makeup that like you wouldn't
want to touch with the pole. At this point, um,
so it's come a long way. There's so many better
(19:01):
formulations and I think I guarantee in like five more
years it's going to be at or above the chemical counterparts.
I can't wait. Do you have any favorites? I love
the Lily Lobo mascara. Okay, that's a great one. Um.
I also love kere Weiss. She's a makeup artist driven
brand and she um uses a lot of like natural oils.
(19:24):
It gives you kind of that dewy effect. Yeah. So
it's really especially for a day to day that's exacting in.
Their cream blushes are amazing, her color pigments were there
was There's a lip crayon by Juice Beauty that I
am obsessed with and it just adds that slight tint
to your lip. But it's so perfect for you know,
going through your days, going to meetings anything like that.
(19:46):
Those are some of my favorites. Let's talk about Lemon
Lane a little more as a business, because I love
that you're a woman in business. Obviously, you know, it's
a fascinating to me about you, and I talked about
this on my podcast with Live Callaway. But you built
a business. You built a brick and mortar, which nowadays
so much as what are you doing? Because honestly, I've
(20:07):
built an online business. So when she was telling me
that in the podcast, I thought, wow, like that is bold, Yeah,
what might want to do that? Well, I felt like
it was missing. Everyone was so focused on this online
landscape and I just wasn't inspiring to me. I feel
like you can't really differentiate yourself online. It's literally it's
literally for retail especially, it's it's the same every website.
(20:30):
It's a white background with product on it and some
words next to it. And it's like I could look
at that all day long, But I still want to
connect with someone in person. I want to hear the
wise and about the brand and how they like to
use it, incorporate it. And also, you know, I was
working a nine to five job on the computer and
Excel spreadsheets, which was so not sexy part of my job,
but that's what I did, and I didn't want to
(20:52):
go at night or on the weekends and spend more
of my precious time online. And I think there's a
need for, especially in the millennial age group, of you know,
getting out and having an experience in person um and
connecting people and building a community that I think can
really only exist physically, which is human. I mean that's
(21:12):
a say in quality. How did you make this a
destination that people would want to come to? Yeah, well, yeah,
it's been um pleasantly surprising. I think, I hope, I
guess with Lemon Lane. You know, we're here to answer
questions and and help guide people and and be um
(21:33):
a resource more than anything, and I think our events
have done that. Which it's funny. It wasn't something that
I was like, you know, you developed this business plan
and you have I should look back on it. I'd
probably laugh because yeah, you think it's going to go.
But it wasn't really about the the education event side
of it. It was more I was thinking about, of course,
(21:55):
about the oil bar and the product selection and the training,
which is all very important UM, but hearing from our
customers and being here every day starting out for the
first like three months, they had so many questions and
people are just hungry for information. A lot of people
are not not feeling well and they have gone through
every other resource and they're like, I need an expert
(22:17):
that well that knows their information and can back it
up and give me more um tools in my toolbox.
So with that, you know, I was kind of the
in between of like, okay, well, I have these amazing
brands and these practitioners that I know and people that
I've referenced in my journey, like, let's bring him in.
Let's bring him into Limon Lane and create a space
(22:38):
where we're asking questions and just sharing this information for free.
And that's why I'm very adamant, like I try to
make all my events free or you know, five or
ten dollars a ticket, because I want to make sure
people can hear this information it's accessible. So what kind
of events do you have? Oh, we We've done a
little bit of everything, everything from like yoga classes to
(22:58):
a hormonal one one class, which every time I We've
done it now a few times, and every time I'm like,
why has no one shared this information with I feel
like I know I was gonna say, I feel like
you said, we've been taught messaging about that before. Hormones
to me, are such an not talked about topic that
need to be talking in every part of every especially
(23:19):
a woman's body. When it's with the food that we
eat these days, it's like everything is so off. I've
never actually met a person who hasn't had some sort
of imbalance without you know, knowing it. And it's complicated,
so it takes time. You have to peel back the
buyers and really devote a lot of um research to it.
But the whole point is like we at least need
to have that baseline of like, well, what are these
hormones actually doing? Like how are they functioning my body?
(23:42):
And so we share that information. It's still been one
of our most attended and requested classes because I swear
they need to teach it in high school. Yeah. Um.
And then we also do things like, you know, an
adapted gen latte making class or um. I mean basically
we asked our customers, you know, like what do you
(24:03):
want to have here? It's an adapted him because I
know people are going to be like, oh, what um okay.
So the best way I explain it, the simple way
is it's it's like a super food but herb. So
there's herbs like dill, basil, rosemary that we use in
culinary cooking every day, which are still great for you
and have good benefits. But then there's another class of
(24:25):
herbs that have proven to give you even more like
a superfood, like even more antioxidants and vitamins. And what
the adaptations do that is a little more unique than
even a super food is that they adapt to what
your body needs. And so that's where it can It's
it's not straightforward for everyone, Like you have to kind
(24:46):
of see what works for you. So something that is
more energizing like rodeola might for you work and like
giving more energy, but for me not because maybe I
have too much energy in my system. And it actually
comes in and kind of like helps you relax and
calm down. Um. So, they it's almost like a thermometer
in that way. If you're hot, it cools you down,
(25:09):
if you're too cool, it warms you up. So you
put them in coffee. I only know about them because
of Moon Juice, which we mentioned earlier. That's a company
I'm obsessed with But they make really good smoothies with them,
and they're in all of their juices. Yeah. Yeah, I
think it's just incorporating them in a way that you
a product that you use every day, whether that's coffee
or if you some people even take them in powder
(25:30):
form and sprinkle them on salads or in their salad dressing,
just whatever you do every day that because that's the thing.
You have to be very consistent with them. Um. I
always say Triumph for two three weeks, go off a week,
and usually that week that you go off of it,
you notice, Wow, I did notice a shift there. I
was doing something because basically their point is to even
at your body so that you just feel normal exactly. Yeah,
(25:54):
particularly with the stress and adrenal system, so anxiety, sleep,
things like that. I'm actually glad you said adrenals too,
because that's a huge part of another natural thing where
there's so many people nowadays. I struggle with this as
adrenal fatigue because we just go go, go, go, go,
go go for our bodies can't keep up and we
pump ourselves. Are we I I'll put it back on me,
(26:16):
pulp myself with coffee to get through the day and
my body can't keep up, so a lot of that
has caused it can cause a lot of skin issues too.
So I found Yeah, and I was just reading the
other day someone this article came out about how and
one day the modern human nowadays is exposed to stressors
(26:39):
that back two years ago, you it would take you
a month to be expiously Yeah, I mean just it's wild.
So no wonder we all need like xan X all
the time, you know, yeah, CBD, like right, so you know,
so much of it to me, and I've been so humbled,
like there aren't enough products in the world. I feel
(27:02):
like it to really see a difference if you're not
giving yourself grace and having some space for you to
do have your me time, and that looks different for everyone.
I throw out meditation, which I would roll my eyes
out before, but now I'm actually really into You are
stuck with it trying and I go back and forth.
(27:23):
It's a thing for me. I hate it, but then
when I do it, I love it. I feels so good,
like five minutes to minutes. But that alone, I feel
like can shift and it doesn't cost anything, you know,
it's it's just you have to prioritize that time. Yeah,
the most I ever got was ten minutes. And I
felt like I had like rull the world that it's
(27:44):
actually read your mantra on another interview, did and you
said everything you want is on the other side of fear.
You still go by that. Oh yeah, that I have
a fear of podcasts. The other Oh my gosh, you're
throw iving. I don't know about that. We'll see how
it goes after this. Um, but I, uh, yeah, I cushed. So.
(28:10):
I mean, you know, I've been dreaming up starting a
business for so long. My parents were entrepreneurs, my grandpa
was It's in my blood. Um. I just was so
had so much self doubt and so much imposter syndrome,
and you know, could I really trust myself to do this?
And I think at some point I was just so
(28:31):
sick of telling myself that I couldn't do it, and
I was like I kind of had to give me
the f you to myself. And I was about to
say the word, but I was like, I just need
to do this. Like I don't do it, someone else will,
And what do I what would I rather live with?
I don't want to live with regret. UM. So that's
and it's easier said than done for sure, UM what did?
(28:54):
What are some things you did? Though? Like to put
one foot in front of the other, I think being vulnerable,
Like that's what it comes down to, is like sharing
my concept with people, telling people what what my vision
was early on, even before I had anything, I didn't
have a lease signed or had any brands on board,
just kind of creating that messaging and that story and
(29:16):
being really authentic with it. Um. I once I was
doing that a little by little over time, it just
kind of became a snowball effect and I was like, Okay,
there's no going back, like I'm doing this, um, and
I think I've been. That's one of my personal proudest
moments is looking back because I never in a million
(29:37):
years I thought I would have the confidence or belief
in myself to kind of put one ft in front
of the other and get this going. So it just
you know, don't doubt yourself, I guess as a message,
and break through that fear if you can, and and
friends and support systems really help with that too. I
just love the idea of thinking everything that you want
is just right on the other side you just have
(29:58):
to walk through. Yeah, you have to be vulnerable, right right. Yeah,
don't they say courage isn't the absence of fear. It's
having the fear and doing it anyway, right or something.
I love that. That's a great one. Yeah. I mean
you have to have those mantras because, UM, just owning
a small business, you can sometimes just go down this
tornado of like negativity and like, oh my god, everything's
(30:20):
going wrong. I don't know what I'm doing. Yeah, like
you know, the fear of competition and you never have
enough money to get you whatever you need to do
or you know, so it's I I try to UM. Actually,
in the last year, UM started doing what I call
the three p's. So I started in my day with
(30:40):
three positives and I just say, I'm out loud to myself.
I start I was going to have a journal, but
I was like that, I just know I just need
to say them out loud. So three positives of your
day or three positive anything, just to like get my
mind to shift to something where I'm not going down
this negative tornado. That's what happens to me is I mean,
there can be so much good around me, but the
(31:00):
negative or the one thing that is just like weighing
on me, It'll start to snowball and then before I
know it, I'm so far down the road. You know,
what does that happened? Because I mean there's a hundred
positives for everyone. I mean it's positives are in and
out like in your in one ear autogether. Yeah, maybe
that's what it is. I don't know, but you can
definitely twist and turn and now look at you. You
(31:22):
have this business. You guys just opened a store in Houston.
I said, where in Houston is that it's in the
Heights neighborhood, which it feels like, um, East Nashville, like homes,
like cute little restaurants and you know your neighbors and
that's kind of Um what's happened in Nashville is was
so organic in some ways, like we really got to
(31:44):
know our neighbors in our community. And I think as
we grow, it's like that's what I'm trying to do
in in more cities. So do you have plans of
any more stores? Yeah? Always, I mean I do, Like
I have a big I'm a big dreamer in that way. Um,
but I think you know, I want to grow sustainably. UM,
I'm not looking to have a thousand stores across the country,
(32:06):
you know, I really want to wherever we go, really
connect with people there and bring in you know, practitioners,
share the products information, UM and have it still be
Lemon Lane, because when we're not then I'm like, well,
why are we doing this right? What would you say
the biggest thing since you open the doors is that
(32:26):
you've learned? Like what is the biggest lesson? UM? Gosh,
the positivity thing one is, hug just just kind of
having this long term outlook, like don't get distracted by
the small bs UM. Especially in the beauty industry and
(32:47):
wellness industry, there's so much competition and so much noise
and so much like you know, you compare yourself to
and I guess really any industry and small bustin owners
struggles with that. It's like oh, I'm never enough or
oh we should have done this, And I think just
having my blinders on, like stay focused on why I started,
why I'm here, what I'm trying to do, who I'm
(33:08):
doing it for, and then let everything else go away.
And I think I've really tried hard to do that
UM in the last year more than anything. And I
find that it just makes me a better business person
and I enjoy my job a lot better too. I
feel like I just went to therapy. Thank you. I
needed all of that today. I talk a big game.
(33:31):
You can text me tomorrow and be like so day
to day in this kind of world. Um, okay, So
where can people find you? Because I know you guys.
You have the store here in Nashville, So if you
guys are visiting Nashville, definitely come visit. It's such a
good destination for groups. We do a lot of bachelorettes,
um and it's something you know. We do complimentary wine
(33:52):
at the oil bar, which is fun, but it's always
fun and you leave with the product too so and
the product is so cute. They have these um labels
that you get to decorate yourself. It's just the whole
customer of the inside. So you guys get to customize outside.
So fun. I love that. And then you're in the
Houston Heights of your in Houston. I'm gonna tell my
mom to go check you guys out. Right now, you
(34:12):
kind of have to be physically in our presence to
experience us. We don't have an online store. Yeah, it's
like a restaurant, I guess, but they can check you
out on Instagram because I actually love following you on Instagram.
Share a lot of information, um and one day I
will put all the information in a blog because I
feel like people need to be able to reference it.
But yeah, it's really fun. We post a lot of
(34:32):
our event recaps, um share new products. We highlight other
women through a feature called feel Good First, where we
asked some questions about their day to day and they
kind of give videos and pictures on what their wellness
routine looks like. So cool. It's fun to see different
walks of live. Yeah, you also have like little cute
little motivations, so yeah, it's a good follow It's at
(34:54):
Lemon Lane right at Lemon Underscore Lane, l A I
n E. Okay, so you guys check out laur uh
and Lemon Lane and come visit her stores in Nashville
and Houston. Thank you for doing this, Thank you good podcast.
Thanks for listening. This is Kelly Henderson and you've been
listening to the Velvet's Edge podcast. I truly believe that
(35:17):
every one of us has a little velvet and a
little edge, So it's so important to remember that to
be strong, you must be soft too. Thank you so
much for sharing in those stories with me. You can
follow velvet's Edge on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, as well
as velvet's Edge dot com. If you haven't yet, go
to Apple Podcast and subscribe, rate and review this podcast.
(35:38):
Join me every Wednesday for more conversations on lifestyle, beauty,
and relationships. Thanks for listening.
This is Kelly Henderson and you're listening to the Velvet's
Edge podcast. This week on the podcast, my guest is
Laura Lemon, who is the owner and founder of Lemon Lane,
one of Nashville's coolest destinations for natural skincare. The store
features tons of natural beauty products, plus they have an
oil bar that I should mention serves wine all while
they create a facial oil specific to your skin's exact needs.
(00:23):
Laura is not only the owner, but she is also
a veteran in the natural beauty world and had lots
of insight into what products work and why, as well
as some self care tips for your beauty insides, including
her mantra that helps her overcome self doubt on the
hard days. Here's Laura how to do it. It was
(00:45):
the Nashville like morning show, but it was only fifteen
seconds and they talked like the majority's times was fine
my way. So you thought you talked for fifteen seconds
or the segment was fifteen segments, so it's perfect it. Yeah, well,
this is not live to be so mess ups are allowed. Um,
(01:06):
so I told you earlier I did a podcast with
Living Libations, which you see such a cult following. People
love it. I did not realize the oil business was
such an up and coming thing right now, like the
facial oils, I know, and there's a lot of um
misinformation to unfortunately. It's just I mean, people are selling
(01:29):
another house you know, they're selling it and every added
product out there, even your household cleaner. So you have
to be really um curious about where the sourcing comes
from and who's behind it. And Living Libations is a
perfect example of like you know that that's source really
well right and doing the words so explain Lemon Lane.
I just had the coolest experience here. It's a natural
(01:50):
beauty stores that would Yeah, that's how we describe it,
natural beauty and wellness store. Wellness is kind of the
secret sauce. Um. I feel like you can't have beauty
you without talking about how you're feeling, whether that's your
hormones or your energy levels. So we have products that
support that as well, alongside your skincare routine, um, whether
that's face care products, hair care, bodycare, or makeup. And
(02:13):
then the oil bar, which is what I just did.
I know it. So it's basically this is how I
was describing it to a friend earlier, you have what
five chairs, so this is the perfect idea for like
a bachelorette party or a birthday party with your girlfriends.
But you come in, you guys gave me a card
and I've filled out what my skin issues would be, like,
(02:34):
I want to focus on blackheads personally, so I checked that.
And then and you ask lifestyle questions too, which goes
to what you're saying about what you sell in your store. Yeah,
what we were finding is people really wanted a full
consultation and you know, of course we make you this
amazing oil that you get to take home, but they
had lots of other questions with the routine. So we
really try to support that too and ask you, okay,
(02:56):
what is your current routine look like, what do you
love about it? What do you not like? Um? Also
you know, how are you sleeping at night? Um? You know,
other things that are more wellness driven. So you leave
with this one ounce bottle of custom blended oil and
then also a a profile so to speak, of what
other products would work well with your routine. Right. That
(03:16):
was what was so cool is I was so excited
about the oil and actually just getting to use that.
And then she asked me, well, you said you have
sleep issues, which I've talked about so much on this podcast,
but I do. So she gave me a new product
to try to help that, which is so exciting. Like
if it was it was a full experience. Okay. So
one of the things I think I talked about with
Living Libations, which also we were just speaking about, is
(03:38):
oil to your face. Immediately, my first reaction is I'm
going to break out right, So talk about I grew
up with two We were told I don't know if
it originated at the dermatology office. I'm not sure where
that existed, but um, you know, the fact of the
matter is when oils were first on the marketplace, a
lot of them were petroleum based. So think of silicones. Um,
(03:59):
I'm sure you know. Polium jelly are different by by products,
and those sit on top of the skin and can
really clog your pores and make the situations worse. It might,
you know, feel like it's hydrating, but it's not actually
penetrating and doing um work there that your skin is
really looking for. Like I'm immediately thinking of vasiline when
you say that, yeah, used every day all. Yeah, she
(04:22):
probably had no wrinkles. But um, so you know, now
in the market, there's been tons of you know, new
formulations that have hit that are using more plant based botanicals.
So that can be um, anything from nuts and seeds
or even flower stems, roots, and if you think about it,
(04:43):
like any plant in the world you can make an
oil out of which is remarkable. Um. So there's just
this bursting or industry of these oils. And I find
that your skin often knows what to do with something natural.
So what do you mean, like, what is that? I mean?
This is I may not scientific and saying this, okay,
but I feel like because like a whole bit oil
(05:04):
for instance, it actually mimics the page balance of your skin.
So when you apply it to your skin, you can
immediately tell it just soaks right in and it almost
like assimilates to the skin layer versus a petroleum product
that again just sits on top. Okay, that is true.
Because she gave me the hooba which is spelled jojoba um,
and I put it on the back of my hand
(05:25):
and now I'm thinking about that and it did. My
skin is just soft, right, So that's what an oil
is supposed to feel like. That's what it's supposed to do.
If it's not doing that, then you shouldn't be using
that particular oil. Now there are some um like avocado
oil or cocooing net oil. Those are going to be
heavier in their qualities. So those that would only suggest
(05:45):
for really hydration. Um, you wouldn't put that on someone
that has more like clearing or acne oily prone skin.
Don't people cook with avocado oil? And oil is amazing
for the skin. Let me look at like the Mediterranean.
Oh totally, they used that all over their skin. It
looks amazing. So how did you get into this? Like
what made you go I'm going to get into the
(06:06):
oil business? Like what you know? Or the um? Oh man,
let's see we have a good questions. We have some time, right, UM.
I mean really it started because I had terrible skin.
I grew up in Oklahoma and just um no knock
to Oklahoma but was not around you know, farmers markets
and healthy eating and just had this sad American diet. Um.
(06:30):
And I developed um cystic acne in my teenage years
and is like the big yes it hurts. UM. I
would have loved to have a little pimple so it's
just all over my cheeks, which was really hormonal based,
which I then you know, was able to dig in
further in my journey. But um, you know, I started
(06:50):
off as a makeup artist because I was just looking
for a way to make myself feel better. And I
was going to dermatologists and trying every product under the sun, antibiotics,
um topicals, I mean, you name it, I tried. I
even got to the point where I was doing accutane
and yes, I'm so sad about that that I did it.
Now I know it's it's a love hate thing because
(07:12):
it cleared my acne, which was amazing. Um. But I
I've been uncovering for the last gosh that's been fifteen
years ago. You know, different things throughout through my body
that health issues, a lot of digestive issues, which in
some ways has led me to Lemon Lane. I mean
not in some ways it has because I, um, it
(07:32):
started as a skin issue and then realized it was
a lot deeper than that. Um. And so I just
with the makeup artist thing. I just love the beauty
industry and how it gave you that that confidence that
I wasn't finding in other parts of my life. UM,
So I wanted to give that to other women. And
I did that for a while and through college, and
then I graduated in two thousand and eight, which was
(07:54):
a tricky year to graduate because the job market was
not the best because of the recession. And I got
this incredible opportunity to start as a buyer at Walmart
of all places, in Bentonville, Arkansas. And honestly, that was
my AHA moment because I was linked up with the
beauty buying team and they were getting um. They had
(08:18):
heard a lot about the natural beauty industry and in
some ways, you know, Walmart is ahead of the curve,
whether they react in that way or not, um publicly,
they always you know, they have a lot of resources
and they know what's they have their pulse on what's happening.
So hearing the information, I just kind of avail it
to like, what do you mean natural beauty? I was, honestly,
I'm shook that you're saying Walmart, Yes, in two thousand
(08:40):
and eight. So we when I was there that first year,
we launched in about two thousand stores, Birdsby's alba Avalon
and it was incredibly this it was awesome to be
at that point in time so early on and connected,
like I got to meet with Bird of Birdsby's himself
and like be at the early stages of these brands
that are really trying to grow into like what you
(09:01):
see now. And um just I knew at that point
like okay, wow, here I am learning and having all
these resources on like why natural is important? And why
has no one ever told me this before? Like why
isn't this information out there? And I knew, Okay, I
wanted to stay in the beauty industry, but I wanted
to go about it in a way that felt authentic
(09:23):
to me, and that was the natural beauty world. So
I moved out to California because that's where that yeah,
necessarily Arkansas at that point in time, you never know,
um so. And I lived in San Francisco for about
eight years before moving to Nashville, and there I just
was a sponge. I tried to soak up as much
as I could, um everything. I worked on the marketing
(09:46):
team at Yes two Carrots, which is um in Walgreens
and Walmart, and really got to see it at like
that larger um target demographic level. I mean, it's it's
the masses that you're messaging too there, which was really
interesting um. And then fast forward from there, I was
at Juice Beauty, where I did more product development. So
(10:08):
I've kind of seen like a lot of different sides
to the industry and so much since how you would
start your own business though, because you've seen all the
sides of it, right and I and ultimately I I
missed read like I when I was a makeup artist.
I worked at Saxforth Avenue and I just missed that
in person connection and I felt like it was lacking
UM so much, especially in being able to walk into
(10:29):
a place and trust that what you were buying was
good for me um and also feeling like I felt
too often I'd walk into a beauty store and there
were signs and posters of all these things I needed
to change about myself and miracle creams and just unrealistic
goals that just weren't connecting with me anymore. And I
wanted to just like, Okay, let's take a literally started
(10:52):
on the back of a napkin at a restaurant and
just started dreaming up. Okay, well, what what would I
want the perfect beauty experience to be? So it's more
about embrace saying your beauty and finding Yeah. So I
think that so often the beauty industry you're told what
to do about your skin versus sometimes you really need
to connect with yourself and figure out, Okay, what's going
on with me internally, my stress levels, all these all
(11:16):
this information plays into how your skin looks and feels.
So I wanted to create an environment where you could
feel comfortable having those conversations and having those tools and
then knowing, you know, when I'm buying a product, this
is good for me. I don't have someone's already done
the research on the ingredients because it's it's a lot
of to know. I mean, it's a lot to research. Um,
So just a safe place where you can have quality
(11:39):
products and conversations. I love what you just said about
maybe it's not just about the products that you buy,
but like asking yourself, you know, what your goals would
be or what you need kind of thing. I think
there's such a disconnect lately. This is how this is
what I noticed especially on social media, and everyone's selling
something and this is what you need to feel good.
(11:59):
But it's like beauty is so much more than outward things.
So like, yeah, it's so personal inner beauty and outer
beauty is so connected, but there's such a disconnect totally
right now, and the customers just trained that way unfortunately
because of the marketing. Like you know, the most common
question we get here is well what do you use?
(12:20):
What do you love? And which doesn't matter and yeah,
it may not work for them, So I think it's
it's that's the difficult parts, having to retrain the customer
to think a little differently, well, what products do you use?
What do you love? And I mean I can tell
you all, I can share my whole list, but it's
really about what you need for your skin, and that's
what we're here to do, to support you and empower
(12:42):
you with information so you make the best choice for yourself.
I was just about to ask you what current products
can't you live without? We can share those two, but
I do want to know that because I do feel
like you are such a research person in this industry,
and what I would love to know the ones that
you've tried over andever you said specifically, these are ones
(13:04):
you've used for years, and I do have some tried
and truths. And because I test so many products and
my skin is sensitive, it doesn't like that, and so
I tend to go back to my my regular staples
if my skin is like whoa, this is way too
much um, So for me, I always start with the
mother dirt cleanser. And this was formulated by M. I. T. Scientists,
(13:29):
which is really rare in the natural industry because I
feel like people still have this thought of the natural
being the patruli in hemp days, you know, and it's
very eco. But there's a lot of science coming in
which is really fun to see. And they study the
microbiome layer on this skin, so we have an immune
system on the skin. And whenever we use sul fates
(13:49):
or any product that really studs up and leaves your
skin kind of that squeaky thing feeling, it actually is
removing that microbiome. So that's a sulfate that does that. Yes,
you know, I have sensitivity to sulfate, so like good, yeah,
I know, but like sulfa all of the things that
make me break out because some people don't connect the dots. Really,
(14:09):
I think it's a pretty common sensitivity. Right, it's not
good and it's basically your skin is like whoa, You're
you're stripping a layer of my skin off, Like don't
I didn't realize that. Okay, so um, anyway, they studied, Okay, well,
how can we get a cleanser that foams and removes
makeup and does all the things that's supposed to do,
but doesn't strip your skin. And you hear that term
(14:30):
a lot, like it doesn't leave your skin scrip. But
it literally they've done the research that your microbiome is
still intact um. And it's fifteen dollars. It's like, I mean,
we sell buckets of it. It's just it's something that
every customer just can incorporate into the routine and even
add some people do dual cleansing. So for me, I
have the sensitive dry combination, so I like to follow
(14:53):
it up with a cleansing oil, which is counterintuitive, especially
if you're worried about the oil um because you think
it might leave a film, but it actually just nourishes
your skin and helps kind of pull any debris, especially
even black heads out of the pores, because the oil
kind of draws like out of Okay, so you should cleanse,
(15:15):
and you said, leave a little water on and then
put your oil. We do the Lemon Lane oil. So
my oil I use is the hydrating formula which has
marshmallow roots and that's going to really draw moisture into
the skin. And then I like to add jasmine is
one of my favorite. It's like rose rose um. Jasmine
helps with cellular turnover. And I usually throw in Frankenstance
(15:39):
because I have some scarring unfortunately from my acne days um,
and that really helps with that. Frankenstance is the magic oil.
I hear it's been around. Well, obviously, I isn't that
what Cleopatri used. I'm pretty sure Jesus. Well, if Jesus
does it, But that's it. It's like a little more
expensive as an oil, right, yes, some of them. Um.
(16:01):
It all is about the yield. So even actually rose
is the most expensive. So of course that's the one
I like naturally as a whole, Like a whole rose
bush will make one like ounce of oil. It was
just harder to get, yes, not one ounce, sorry, like
a few drops. I mean it's incredible. Yeah, of course,
I'm like I put rosen everything. I put rose in
(16:23):
my oram pits every day. Shut up poetic pits. Um. Okay,
let's talk about natural makeup that because we were talking
before the podcast, and you have been in that business
a long time. I love that yourself taught. By the way,
so am I as a makeup artist? Yes? How did you?
Because we're both from before YouTube days? Shut up? Yes
(16:44):
with him? Did you see the documentary? Have not seen
it yet. I'm super attached to him as a human
and I've obviously never met him, but he's from Louisiana.
From Louisiana, yes, and he was seemed like such a
kind person from everything I've read. I literally feel like
I know I have them back here somewhere. Actually, yeah,
(17:10):
I know before YouTube. Now I'm jealous. I'm like, damn.
If I would have had that, I would have spent
all my time on you. I would have just been
locked in my room. That's probably why it didn't happen
for me. But so you taught yourself and then you've
worked as a makeup artist and at other natural makeup companies.
We said this, We were like, I still struggle, like
when I'm on set because I talked so much about
(17:33):
natural things, people assume I would use natural makeup, and
I just don't. It doesn't work for me. I know,
I said it earlier. I was like it's not quite there,
especially for the editorial, like if you're doing photo shoots
your wedding day, something to last. Yeah, the pigments exactly,
and even um, the I mean national makeup has a
lot of mineral base, so they are highly reflective. So
(17:56):
a lot of times when you're taking photos, it can
wash you out because of the Yeah. So even though
if you know you have it on its days, it's
just like this other layer of well, it just doesn't
look the same one. Yeah, I just can't ever get
the coverage that I would want. With the foundation, I
can get a really do a pretty finish, but especially
like for photos, it's just not And that's why I say,
(18:16):
like we shouldn't all feel the need to, you know,
live in this perfect bubble of natural I don't believe
it exists. We're in the modern world. Um So if
you're you know, eight seven days or six days out
of the week, you're doing natural beauty for your day
to day and then you're going out at night and
have a photo shoot or you're doing something fun like
embrace it like use you know, the silicon silicon based products,
(18:39):
I mean, they're they're going to stay on a little
longer um and you get that texture that you just
can't find with natural unfortunate right now, and that's what
I say, Like, it's amazing to think about six years
ago the options I had were at Whole Foods and
it was like this chalk makeup that like you wouldn't
want to touch with the pole. At this point, um,
so it's come a long way. There's so many better
(19:01):
formulations and I think I guarantee in like five more
years it's going to be at or above the chemical counterparts.
I can't wait. Do you have any favorites? I love
the Lily Lobo mascara. Okay, that's a great one. Um.
I also love kere Weiss. She's a makeup artist driven
brand and she um uses a lot of like natural oils.
(19:24):
It gives you kind of that dewy effect. Yeah. So
it's really especially for a day to day that's exacting in.
Their cream blushes are amazing, her color pigments were there
was There's a lip crayon by Juice Beauty that I
am obsessed with and it just adds that slight tint
to your lip. But it's so perfect for you know,
going through your days, going to meetings anything like that.
(19:46):
Those are some of my favorites. Let's talk about Lemon
Lane a little more as a business, because I love
that you're a woman in business. Obviously, you know, it's
a fascinating to me about you, and I talked about
this on my podcast with Live Callaway. But you built
a business. You built a brick and mortar, which nowadays
so much as what are you doing? Because honestly, I've
(20:07):
built an online business. So when she was telling me
that in the podcast, I thought, wow, like that is bold, Yeah,
what might want to do that? Well, I felt like
it was missing. Everyone was so focused on this online
landscape and I just wasn't inspiring to me. I feel
like you can't really differentiate yourself online. It's literally it's
literally for retail especially, it's it's the same every website.
(20:30):
It's a white background with product on it and some
words next to it. And it's like I could look
at that all day long, But I still want to
connect with someone in person. I want to hear the
wise and about the brand and how they like to
use it, incorporate it. And also, you know, I was
working a nine to five job on the computer and
Excel spreadsheets, which was so not sexy part of my job,
but that's what I did, and I didn't want to
(20:52):
go at night or on the weekends and spend more
of my precious time online. And I think there's a
need for, especially in the millennial age group, of you know,
getting out and having an experience in person um and
connecting people and building a community that I think can
really only exist physically, which is human. I mean that's
(21:12):
a say in quality. How did you make this a
destination that people would want to come to? Yeah, well, yeah,
it's been um pleasantly surprising. I think, I hope, I
guess with Lemon Lane. You know, we're here to answer
questions and and help guide people and and be um
(21:33):
a resource more than anything, and I think our events
have done that. Which it's funny. It wasn't something that
I was like, you know, you developed this business plan
and you have I should look back on it. I'd
probably laugh because yeah, you think it's going to go.
But it wasn't really about the the education event side
of it. It was more I was thinking about, of course,
(21:55):
about the oil bar and the product selection and the training,
which is all very important UM, but hearing from our
customers and being here every day starting out for the
first like three months, they had so many questions and
people are just hungry for information. A lot of people
are not not feeling well and they have gone through
every other resource and they're like, I need an expert
(22:17):
that well that knows their information and can back it
up and give me more um tools in my toolbox.
So with that, you know, I was kind of the
in between of like, okay, well, I have these amazing
brands and these practitioners that I know and people that
I've referenced in my journey, like, let's bring him in.
Let's bring him into Limon Lane and create a space
(22:38):
where we're asking questions and just sharing this information for free.
And that's why I'm very adamant, like I try to
make all my events free or you know, five or
ten dollars a ticket, because I want to make sure
people can hear this information it's accessible. So what kind
of events do you have? Oh, we We've done a
little bit of everything, everything from like yoga classes to
(22:58):
a hormonal one one class, which every time I We've
done it now a few times, and every time I'm like,
why has no one shared this information with I feel
like I know I was gonna say, I feel like
you said, we've been taught messaging about that before. Hormones
to me, are such an not talked about topic that
need to be talking in every part of every especially
(23:19):
a woman's body. When it's with the food that we
eat these days, it's like everything is so off. I've
never actually met a person who hasn't had some sort
of imbalance without you know, knowing it. And it's complicated,
so it takes time. You have to peel back the
buyers and really devote a lot of um research to it.
But the whole point is like we at least need
to have that baseline of like, well, what are these
hormones actually doing? Like how are they functioning my body?
(23:42):
And so we share that information. It's still been one
of our most attended and requested classes because I swear
they need to teach it in high school. Yeah. Um.
And then we also do things like, you know, an
adapted gen latte making class or um. I mean basically
we asked our customers, you know, like what do you
(24:03):
want to have here? It's an adapted him because I
know people are going to be like, oh, what um okay.
So the best way I explain it, the simple way
is it's it's like a super food but herb. So
there's herbs like dill, basil, rosemary that we use in
culinary cooking every day, which are still great for you
and have good benefits. But then there's another class of
(24:25):
herbs that have proven to give you even more like
a superfood, like even more antioxidants and vitamins. And what
the adaptations do that is a little more unique than
even a super food is that they adapt to what
your body needs. And so that's where it can It's
it's not straightforward for everyone, Like you have to kind
(24:46):
of see what works for you. So something that is
more energizing like rodeola might for you work and like
giving more energy, but for me not because maybe I
have too much energy in my system. And it actually
comes in and kind of like helps you relax and
calm down. Um. So, they it's almost like a thermometer
in that way. If you're hot, it cools you down,
(25:09):
if you're too cool, it warms you up. So you
put them in coffee. I only know about them because
of Moon Juice, which we mentioned earlier. That's a company
I'm obsessed with But they make really good smoothies with them,
and they're in all of their juices. Yeah. Yeah, I
think it's just incorporating them in a way that you
a product that you use every day, whether that's coffee
or if you some people even take them in powder
(25:30):
form and sprinkle them on salads or in their salad dressing,
just whatever you do every day that because that's the thing.
You have to be very consistent with them. Um. I
always say Triumph for two three weeks, go off a week,
and usually that week that you go off of it,
you notice, Wow, I did notice a shift there. I
was doing something because basically their point is to even
at your body so that you just feel normal exactly. Yeah,
(25:54):
particularly with the stress and adrenal system, so anxiety, sleep,
things like that. I'm actually glad you said adrenals too,
because that's a huge part of another natural thing where
there's so many people nowadays. I struggle with this as
adrenal fatigue because we just go go, go, go, go,
go go for our bodies can't keep up and we
pump ourselves. Are we I I'll put it back on me,
(26:16):
pulp myself with coffee to get through the day and
my body can't keep up, so a lot of that
has caused it can cause a lot of skin issues too.
So I found Yeah, and I was just reading the
other day someone this article came out about how and
one day the modern human nowadays is exposed to stressors
(26:39):
that back two years ago, you it would take you
a month to be expiously Yeah, I mean just it's wild.
So no wonder we all need like xan X all
the time, you know, yeah, CBD, like right, so you know,
so much of it to me, and I've been so humbled,
like there aren't enough products in the world. I feel
(27:02):
like it to really see a difference if you're not
giving yourself grace and having some space for you to
do have your me time, and that looks different for everyone.
I throw out meditation, which I would roll my eyes
out before, but now I'm actually really into You are
stuck with it trying and I go back and forth.
(27:23):
It's a thing for me. I hate it, but then
when I do it, I love it. I feels so good,
like five minutes to minutes. But that alone, I feel
like can shift and it doesn't cost anything, you know,
it's it's just you have to prioritize that time. Yeah,
the most I ever got was ten minutes. And I
felt like I had like rull the world that it's
(27:44):
actually read your mantra on another interview, did and you
said everything you want is on the other side of fear.
You still go by that. Oh yeah, that I have
a fear of podcasts. The other Oh my gosh, you're
throw iving. I don't know about that. We'll see how
it goes after this. Um, but I, uh, yeah, I cushed. So.
(28:10):
I mean, you know, I've been dreaming up starting a
business for so long. My parents were entrepreneurs, my grandpa
was It's in my blood. Um. I just was so
had so much self doubt and so much imposter syndrome,
and you know, could I really trust myself to do this?
And I think at some point I was just so
(28:31):
sick of telling myself that I couldn't do it, and
I was like I kind of had to give me
the f you to myself. And I was about to
say the word, but I was like, I just need
to do this. Like I don't do it, someone else will,
And what do I what would I rather live with?
I don't want to live with regret. UM. So that's
and it's easier said than done for sure, UM what did?
(28:54):
What are some things you did? Though? Like to put
one foot in front of the other, I think being vulnerable,
Like that's what it comes down to, is like sharing
my concept with people, telling people what what my vision
was early on, even before I had anything, I didn't
have a lease signed or had any brands on board,
just kind of creating that messaging and that story and
(29:16):
being really authentic with it. Um. I once I was
doing that a little by little over time, it just
kind of became a snowball effect and I was like, Okay,
there's no going back, like I'm doing this, um, and
I think I've been. That's one of my personal proudest
moments is looking back because I never in a million
(29:37):
years I thought I would have the confidence or belief
in myself to kind of put one ft in front
of the other and get this going. So it just
you know, don't doubt yourself, I guess as a message,
and break through that fear if you can, and and
friends and support systems really help with that too. I
just love the idea of thinking everything that you want
is just right on the other side you just have
(29:58):
to walk through. Yeah, you have to be vulnerable, right right. Yeah,
don't they say courage isn't the absence of fear. It's
having the fear and doing it anyway, right or something.
I love that. That's a great one. Yeah. I mean
you have to have those mantras because, UM, just owning
a small business, you can sometimes just go down this
tornado of like negativity and like, oh my god, everything's
(30:20):
going wrong. I don't know what I'm doing. Yeah, like
you know, the fear of competition and you never have
enough money to get you whatever you need to do
or you know, so it's I I try to UM. Actually,
in the last year, UM started doing what I call
the three p's. So I started in my day with
(30:40):
three positives and I just say, I'm out loud to myself.
I start I was going to have a journal, but
I was like that, I just know I just need
to say them out loud. So three positives of your
day or three positive anything, just to like get my
mind to shift to something where I'm not going down
this negative tornado. That's what happens to me is I mean,
there can be so much good around me, but the
(31:00):
negative or the one thing that is just like weighing
on me, It'll start to snowball and then before I
know it, I'm so far down the road. You know,
what does that happened? Because I mean there's a hundred
positives for everyone. I mean it's positives are in and
out like in your in one ear autogether. Yeah, maybe
that's what it is. I don't know, but you can
definitely twist and turn and now look at you. You
(31:22):
have this business. You guys just opened a store in Houston.
I said, where in Houston is that it's in the
Heights neighborhood, which it feels like, um, East Nashville, like homes,
like cute little restaurants and you know your neighbors and
that's kind of Um what's happened in Nashville is was
so organic in some ways, like we really got to
(31:44):
know our neighbors in our community. And I think as
we grow, it's like that's what I'm trying to do
in in more cities. So do you have plans of
any more stores? Yeah? Always, I mean I do, Like
I have a big I'm a big dreamer in that way. Um,
but I think you know, I want to grow sustainably. UM,
I'm not looking to have a thousand stores across the country,
(32:06):
you know, I really want to wherever we go, really
connect with people there and bring in you know, practitioners,
share the products information, UM and have it still be
Lemon Lane, because when we're not then I'm like, well,
why are we doing this right? What would you say
the biggest thing since you open the doors is that
(32:26):
you've learned? Like what is the biggest lesson? UM? Gosh,
the positivity thing one is, hug just just kind of
having this long term outlook, like don't get distracted by
the small bs UM. Especially in the beauty industry and
(32:47):
wellness industry, there's so much competition and so much noise
and so much like you know, you compare yourself to
and I guess really any industry and small bustin owners
struggles with that. It's like oh, I'm never enough or
oh we should have done this, And I think just
having my blinders on, like stay focused on why I started,
why I'm here, what I'm trying to do, who I'm
(33:08):
doing it for, and then let everything else go away.
And I think I've really tried hard to do that
UM in the last year more than anything. And I
find that it just makes me a better business person
and I enjoy my job a lot better too. I
feel like I just went to therapy. Thank you. I
needed all of that today. I talk a big game.
(33:31):
You can text me tomorrow and be like so day
to day in this kind of world. Um, okay, So
where can people find you? Because I know you guys.
You have the store here in Nashville, So if you
guys are visiting Nashville, definitely come visit. It's such a
good destination for groups. We do a lot of bachelorettes,
um and it's something you know. We do complimentary wine
(33:52):
at the oil bar, which is fun, but it's always
fun and you leave with the product too so and
the product is so cute. They have these um labels
that you get to decorate yourself. It's just the whole
customer of the inside. So you guys get to customize outside.
So fun. I love that. And then you're in the
Houston Heights of your in Houston. I'm gonna tell my
mom to go check you guys out. Right now, you
(34:12):
kind of have to be physically in our presence to
experience us. We don't have an online store. Yeah, it's
like a restaurant, I guess, but they can check you
out on Instagram because I actually love following you on Instagram.
Share a lot of information, um and one day I
will put all the information in a blog because I
feel like people need to be able to reference it.
But yeah, it's really fun. We post a lot of
(34:32):
our event recaps, um share new products. We highlight other
women through a feature called feel Good First, where we
asked some questions about their day to day and they
kind of give videos and pictures on what their wellness
routine looks like. So cool. It's fun to see different
walks of live. Yeah, you also have like little cute
little motivations, so yeah, it's a good follow It's at
(34:54):
Lemon Lane right at Lemon Underscore Lane, l A I
n E. Okay, so you guys check out laur uh
and Lemon Lane and come visit her stores in Nashville
and Houston. Thank you for doing this, Thank you good podcast.
Thanks for listening. This is Kelly Henderson and you've been
listening to the Velvet's Edge podcast. I truly believe that
(35:17):
every one of us has a little velvet and a
little edge, So it's so important to remember that to
be strong, you must be soft too. Thank you so
much for sharing in those stories with me. You can
follow velvet's Edge on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, as well
as velvet's Edge dot com. If you haven't yet, go
to Apple Podcast and subscribe, rate and review this podcast.
(35:38):
Join me every Wednesday for more conversations on lifestyle, beauty,
and relationships. Thanks for listening.
Host
Kelly Henderson
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