Episode 35: Cecile's Bath & Body - Jackie Granchamps

Jackie Granchamps is the founder of Cecile's Bath and Body. Jackie's journey began in 2011 when she started making soap as a hobby while unemployed. However, as she began experimenting with different formulas and ingredients, she quickly realized the profit potential of luxury handmade skincare and decided to turn her passion into a business.

Despite starting with only old pots and pans and a small investment of $250, Jackie's dedication and drive helped her business snowball. She spent two years developing her formula, refining her techniques, and creating her brand. She shares her insights and experiences in building a successful business from scratch, including the challenges she faced, the lessons she learned along the way, and the importance of resilience, determination, and staying true to her vision.

Quote from interviewee for callout box:

“I hope at least this gives people a sense of hope that you can start with nothing. $250 is nothing to start a business. But you have to have the passion and the drive and the follow through.”

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• People's passion may not match yours, and it is crucial to have enough skills and confidence to move and make the first step in the business, even if you are scared or doubting yourself.
• Nature has everything that we need and that chemicals are imitations of the real thing.
• Red beans have a natural enzyme that helps to balance melanin production in the skin and also helps with skin damage and aging.

Check Out These Highlights:

• Jackie explains how as women, we are often taught to ask for permission and get community buy-in, but it's important to break that stigma and trust in our skills and abilities. (5:39)
• Jackie shares what was the biggest fear that she had overcome to create her brand (15:12)
• Jackie emphasizes the importance of following your passion and being guided by an ancestral voice and intuition (23:09)

Quotes:

• “I started my business with old pots and pans, stainless steel pots and pans and maybe $250, but it snowballed quickly. But it was good. It's been a good experience.”
• “So as women, we're always taught to ask for permission we're put into this box and being a nice Caribbean girl from a strict family, it's almost like you got to get community buy in, right. And you shouldn't do things alone. It doesn't look right for a woman to do things by herself.”
• “Make the move even if you're scared, even if you're doubting, because three months down the line, guaranteed you're going to be kicking yourself.”