Today we’d like to introduce you to Evelyn Ginossi.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Evelyn. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Ten years ago, I was living a different life. I was a business transactional attorney during a real tough time in the economy. Billable hours were scarce, and it was one of those things where everyone told me I was “lucky to have a job” but it didn’t feel that way. I had to make changes.
A year later I moved to London with the thought of qualifying to practice law there and starting from scratch, but life had different plans. I started a small law practice that gave me a lot of flexibility and a little room to travel.
My first trip to the South of France was a big source of inspiration and happiness, so I started going there every summer.
During my summers in France, I’d fill up my suitcase with new body care products I’d find and loved. I thought about starting my own body care line but always brushed it off.
The day that I gave Marine + Vine brain space I was poolside in France thinking about a few new products I had purchased earlier that morning – about three years ago.
None of them were perfect, but all of them were beautiful and felt special. I never noticed anything like them in LA, so the “what if’s” started…
“What if I combined these amazing ingredients with a beautiful fragrance?”
“What if I created a clean bodycare brand inspired by all the things I’ve seen here?”
“What if I made a direct connection between wellness and self-care with everyday activities like putting on moisturizer?”
So I started researching elements I needed to bring the project together. I thought about what I watched some of my clients do during my law career. They brought ideas on paper to life – a huge inspiration.
Then things started clicking, and I saw I was on the right path. It’s really wild when that starts happening. I finally launched my first product, Tahitian Oil at Indie Beauty Expo in LA this past January, and I was blown away by the positive response of so many buyers and customers.
Marine + Vine’s approaching the one-year mark with two amazing products. The growth this year has been unreal and I’ve had opportunities I never would have dreamed ten years ago. It’s pretty cool.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it’s definitely not been a smooth road. There are a new set of challenges every day. Finding the right vendors and collaborators is a big part of it when you’re a small business. Pushing to get things done on time at a lot of different levels is another challenge.
While I’m huge on researching how other companies get things done, solutions are very different when you’re 100% bootstrapped like Marine + Vine vs. having investors. It’s required me to be very hands-on to complete tasks and come up with smarter ways to handle issues.
When people talk about “not being afraid to fail”, it has a totally different meaning when critical decisions need to be made on your own dime. It can be frustrating. Becoming more resilient in the past year than in my first five years of law practice is a positive, but something I never expected! That being said, the rewards definitely outweigh the challenges.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Marine + Vine is travel-inspired, eco-luxe, beautiful body care.
When I created Marine + Vine, I kept going back to the same moments in my head: those hours on vacation between a full day outdoors and getting ready for a night out. The time you take to bathe, moisturize, do makeup and hair, before you put on your most favorite outfit for a night out. Those are some of the most fun and memorable moments I have while I’m away, so I wanted to bottle that feeling and give people that moment wherever, whenever.
Using beautiful bodycare products each day is such a small shift, but changing the way you do one thing in the morning can set your whole tone for the day.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
A lot is happening! First, I just launched our second product, Tahitian Balm, right on time for winter and the holidays. Essentially, it’s the winter sibling of my first product, Tahitian Oil – a light, summer-inspired body oil. Tahitian Balm is a really rich, immersive experience that’s really nourishing for the colder and drier weeks ahead. The response was amazing pre-launch, so in the immediate future, I’m looking forward to sharing this beautiful new creation with everyone!
Longer-term, I’m working on lots of new experiential body care products, including a new fragrance and a new concept I’m not ready to talk about! There’s definitely a new rhythm to life I’m still getting used to but it’s a lot of fun.
Pricing:
- Tahitian Oil – $62
- Tahitian Balm – $55
- Tahitian Oil Mini Deluxe (4ml) – $15
- Tahitian Balm Mini Deluxe (8ml) – $15
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marineandvine.com
- Email: info@marineandvine.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marineandvine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marineandvine/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/marineandvine/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/marineandvine/
Image Credit:
Tatyana Chaiko
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