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A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 7, Issue 45
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1. HBN Member Update: Welcome New & Renewing HBN Members!
2. Lifestyle CEO Report: Business Advice For the "Spiritual Entrepreneur"
3. Handmade Beauty Business of the Year: Nominations Are Now Open!
4. Handmade Beauty Business Magazine: An Update
5. Feature Article: What's In Your Rice Bowl?
6. Handmade Beauty Product Review: Candles by Rendezvous
7. Here & There: Calendar of Upcoming Events

Handmade Beauty Recipe of the Week: Creamy Orange Zest Body Scrub

\Life.Style CEO\n. A person who owns and manages a business, not solely for financial gain, but also to enjoy the personal rewards of entrepreneurship, independence, flexibility and fun.

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What's in your rice bowl? If it's not some goodies from Mi SPA, your bowl may be half empty! According to new HBN member Mimie Wong, "mi" is the Chinese word for Rice, and that inspired her to create a whole line of products based on the Asian tradition of using Rice as the foundation of skincare.

It's All About Mi

Mimie, age 38, started her business last December after first having the idea back in the summer of 2005. "I was taking a mental break after years of corporate-working life," says Mimie. "I decided to search for a more balanced lifestyle and started growing my interest in natural healing herbs. I then discovered that rice, the staple food of the Chinese culture culture, was actually a secret ingredient to beauty and glowing skin," she says. According to Mimie, using rice as a pampering beauty treatment dates back centuries in Asia.

Lifestyle Is Key

Before launching Mi SPA with money from her savings, Mimie was a design manager in the apparel industry. "I still work as a freelance designer these days," she says, but has gotten away from the very long hours and endless travel of full-time working days when there was not much time for her or her family. According to the Mi SPA website, lifestyle was one of the main reasons why Mi SPA was born. Mimie's desire to search for a balanced lifestyle between home and work inspired her to create a simple, harmonious blend of pampering spa products for everyday use. Mi SPA is the result.

Mimie is married with a young son. Her hobbies include paper crafts and knitting but she says there's not much time for either now that she's growing a business. "Time management and planning for what's achievable on an independent business level," are her constant challenging companions, but it's worth it since there are so many priceless benefits. "I own my own schedule and priorities," Mimie continues. "I get to spend time with my family and don't have to deal with corporate politics and stress. I love the positive feeling I get when I get good feedback from customers about my products."

Mimie's products are in 10 physical and online boutiques -- pretty good after just 11 months at grindstone!! Mimie is actively looking for more retail locations inside and outside the US, and it's a cinch that her simple packaging and unique approach fit nicely in boutiques offering products to help customers relax and unwind. There are a lot of bath and body products out there today, but Mimie says hers are special because they "use unique and simple natural alternatives, and blend inspiring Asian elements and lifestyle rituals that customers find intriguing."

For example, Mi SPA's Bamboo Charcoal Spa Body Bar (pictured) combines the detoxifying power of charcoal with the aromatherapy benefits of essential oils of patchouli and lemongrass. As do so many Mi SPA products, the Bamboo Charcoal Spa Body Bar also contains a generous dose of rice bran oil of course!

Which Hat Was That?!

Like many start ups, Mimie wears all the hats associated with Mi SPA. "I do everything from make the products to design the packaging and marketing materials," she says. But that's not to say she doesn't have some pretty powerful help. "My husband, also a packaging designer, provides input, and our son is a great supporter and part-time packaging assistant." Mimie knows that one of the keys to making it in business is exposure so she's taken the step of engaging Moji Oladehin from Moji O PR to handle some of her public relations outreach. Mimie also wears a few business hats that have nothing to do with Mi SPA. "My current freelance design business also includes web and print graphic design, and apparel design," she says.

First, You Have To Try

Mimie says that if you want to be successful in this industry, stop sitting around and dreaming about it. "You've got to believe in yourself and find a way to do it," she urges. Mimie says it's not as simple as being "successful" or not. The real point she says is that if you don't try, you'll never find out what wonderful things can happen to you. She also stresses the importance of hitting on a niche to make your business special and stand out in the crowd.

"Opportunity does not come looking for you. You've got to grab something that's worth trying and see where it will take you!" Mimie's rice bowl is overflowing and it's clear she takes her own advice.

You can get some Mi SPA products and let some of Mimie's inspiring business and lifestyle attitudes rub off on you. Perhaps you'd like to start by trying Cafe Mocha Whipped Coffee Butter (with real butter taken from coffee beans!), or maybe you'd be more in the mood for some Sugar Mochi Body Polish (with a Japanese sweet rice flour called "mochi" and turbinado sugar).  Both contain skin loving rice bran oil or course.

My latest wonderful find from an HBN member is a selection of candles made by Erik and Karen Burgess of Rendezvous in Bothell, Washington. If you missed my feature article on the Burgesses, from earlier this month, you can enjoy it here.

Yes, the Burgesses do have an inspiring story of love and entrepreneurship, but enough about the Burgesses. Let's get to their candles! One visit to their website and it's clear that these are not just ounces of scented and melted wax poured into a jar and stuffed in a box. Instead, these candles clearly represent a lifestyle choices as reflected in one of five lines of products reminiscent of some place or time of great meaning. For example, from the "Gathering Places" collection, you can choose scents that remind you of the toasted marshmallows you sniffed at that ski Chalet you stayed in on vacation last winter. Or perhaps you would choose to be reminded of the aroma of the crisp linen at that Victorian Inn you and your sweetie stayed at when you eloped from real life a few weekends ago.

The holidays are upon us, and there is perhaps no better time to enjoy the warmth from the glow of a natural soy candle than during the holidays. Whether you are lighting up your world or buying some glow for a friend, Rendezvous just might help add the right amount of comfort and joy. Get some here.

As always, there's a lot going on at HBN, and our members are very busy. I'll be including this chart in upcoming issues so everyone can stay abreast of the happening here at HBN!