If you start making a list of things humans use which cause some kind of damage to us, you will run out ink. Cosmetic products have been around for decades now but we still struggle with their side-effects. Awareness around the unwanted effects is now growing and people are going for products that are more in tune with the nature.
An alarmed mom
When Jessica Iclisoy was pregnant, she wanted to be prepared for her baby and was looking at some popular baby products. She happened to read the label of a baby product and, as a layman, could not understand its ingredients. Out of curiosity, she brought a chemical dictionary from the library and started researching about the ingredients that were used in the baby products.
She was shocked to see that each and every baby product available in the market could risk her baby’s health. Moreover, manufacturers also add synthetic fragrance to intensify the product’s smell. These additional chemicals can easily affect hair, skin and health of the child. It was surprising to her how so many mothers in the world were silently bearing with this.
If there wasn’t a better, natural substitute, Jessica decided to create one.
Being the change
At that very moment, Jessica decided to stop using those products and started thinking of building a better substitute, not only for her but for every other concerned parent. She wanted to create a product which would not have any harmful chemicals. After a lot of research, she started making organic shampoo in her house and succeeded after several attempts. Jessica began telling people about her product and the response was always positive.
By now, Jessica had realized that need of the hour was to launch her products at a larger scale, and not just her neighbours and friends. She knew that tens of thousands of parents were looking for good quality, organic products for their kids. She, then, started going to shopkeepers to tell them about her product. This was a slow process and demanded a lot of hard work from her.
Hard work and money problems
I had to work as a demo girl for the initial eight years. I had to tell people not just about my products but also meaning of the word organic.
By 1995, her hard work began to pay off. To take her products to a higher level and reach out to more number of people, she decided to start her own company. However, she did not have enough funds to shape up her idea. She approached her mom but she wasn’t convinced her daughter’s idea could fly. After various attempts, her mother gave her $ 2,000 to start her firm California Baby.
No looking back
Jessica entered the market with a single product, a chemical-free baby shampoo. Since then, there has been no looking back for her. Today, her company makes around 100 different organic products that are sold in more than 10,000 stores in America, including big stores like Walmart, Target, Whole Foods etc.
It took five long years for Jessica to return the money to her mother. But now the numbers speak for themselves. Her firm clocked a revenue of $80 million, in 2016. Jessica owns 100 percent of the company and is worth Rs 1,674 crore ($260 million) herself!
Fifty-one-year-old Jessica’s story from borrowing $2000 to becoming one of the world’s richest self-made women is not just a tale of achievements but also an example of vision and hard work. If you look closely, you will find many opportunities in life.
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