Hidden Gems: Meet Shari Austin of Honey Scrubbed

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shari Austin.

Hi Shari, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Honey Scrubbed started as Christmas gifts for family. With low funds for gifts, I decided to make my own! Once my family shared how much they enjoyed the scrubs and that I should sell them, I started doing just that! It started with me making favors for weddings and baby/bridal showers, to friends and family ordering directly from me, to now having an established LLC and being in stores across the United States, and soon in the UK!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The challenges I face as a small business owner is probably similar to any other business: how much time and effort you put in is what you will receive. As a wife, mom, and full-time employee, I do not always have the time to update social media or create promotions to push for online sales. But once my team was established, which consists of my husband, daughter, and family members, I found myself less overwhelmed as some of the tasks were now being delegated across the team!

We’ve been impressed with Honey Scrubbed LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Honey Scrubbed is a Black owned, small business that handcrafts face and body scrubs, as well as bath salts. The name came about as it describes how your skin will feel as smooth and silky as honey once you use our product. We have many amazing fragrances, specifically some fan favorites such as Coco Lime Twist, Citrus Splash, Peppermint Patty and Lavender Blush!

What sets us apart from other body scrub companies is that our products are handmade to order and includes very few ingredients. As a person with eczema, it is important for me to be able to interpret the ingredients in products being used on my skin, and I can choose what is right for me. Our scrubs have varying items included, such as coconut oil, coffee grounds, real honey, and activated charcoal. These ingredients, along with the essential oils used, provides needed relief for your skin.

In the future, we will be partnering with those who are having parties and events and will work with them on creating favors that include a unique label produced by our in-house graphic designer, Anthony LaMothe with Form and Flux. These favors will enhance any party, and your guests will thank you for it!

Our business has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 2014. I was uncertain about obtaining my LLC as I thought I was not ready and that I would not be able to put in the work to grow the business, but since then, and with the help of my team, great things have been happening, and I could not be more proud of the progress made, especially during a global pandemic.

My team consists of my husband, Cornelio Austin; my daughter, Victoria Edwards; and my siblings, Rob J. Thrash IV, Nicole Stelly, Tania Malone, and Vanden Stelly. My parents, uncle, nephew, and friends are always there to jump in when I need extra help to complete big orders. Without all of these amazing individuals, Honey Scrubbed would not be the company it is today!

How do you define success?
I would define success as reaching a set goal or target. I can say that Honey Scrubbed LLC is successful because we continue to meet our goals. We have started off small and do not set unobtainable targets, but rather SMART goals. Once we meet the goal, we continue to set new, higher targets! We have our ultimate plan and goals in mind, and step-by-step, we will get there!

Pricing:

• Face and Body Scrubs start at $20
• Bath Salts start at $15 per bag
• Sample Scrub Gift Boxes start at $45

Contact Info:

• Email: info@honeyscrubbed.com
• Website: www.honeyscrubbed.com
• Instagram: @honeyscrubbed
• Facebook: @honeyscrubbed
• Twitter: @honeyscrubbed

Image Credits:
Megan Kelley Ghamal Gaines Victoria Edwards