Today we’d like to introduce you to Taleiah Todd-Hill, founder of the California Love Company.
Taleiah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I actually started out with a desire to make natural hair care products. I watched all the YouTube videos and used all the products and very little of what I tried actually worked for my hair. I was even that person using food ingredients as hair conditioner, like yogurt and eggs (just a note, don’t use raw eggs while heat conditioning your hair unless you want scrambled eggs in your hair).
At the same time that I was experimenting with some wild hair care routines, I was on the hunt for a body lotion for my skin. I had stopped using my tried and true lotion after reading the ingredients list and realizing that it contained some not-so-great stuff. So, I’d go into my local natural foods store sure to find something that would work. OMG…everything I picked up was so drying to my skin. But the ingredients looked all right, so I couldn’t understand why they were so bad. So I started making my own body butters with ingredients that were easy to find and mix together. I haven’t bought a lotion or body moisturizer from a store since because I found something that worked. Then, a friend suggested to me that I sell my products. And so The California Love Company was born.
I’ve since expanded my product line beyond butters to include bath salts, body and massage oils, and most recently sanitizer sprays. I source my ingredients organic and fair trade as much as possible, and I focus on easily accessible ingredients to keep prices affordable so that everyone can have access to healthful organic body care products.
I mentioned my interest in hair care, and that hasn’t gone away. But I have learned that creating hair care products is so much harder than creating body care. So, I still do a lot of experimenting and testing where hair care is concerned, and I also write a blog focused on low porosity natural hair, where I talk about the things I’ve learned since I went natural 13 years ago (yikes, that’s a long time!). The best part is getting to talk to those who have subscribed to the blog and listening to their concerns and helping to guide them in the right direction for their own hair care needs.
For my business, I think that communication is the most important part of what I do. My die hard followers follow me because they know I’m listening. I respond to their emails, I listen to their feedback, and I try to make products that fit their needs.
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.
This road has been anything but smooth. For one, when you decide to start a business, there’s no perfectly laid-out how-to manual. I’m pretty sure that a lot of solopreneurs like myself accidentally start businesses…not quite according to state and local requirements…and then realize that there are laws and rules and regulations you have to follow. And those rules vary by state, county, city, and the product/service being sold. It’s a lot.
And then there’s learning about branding, social media, product photography, SEO, setting up websites, taxes…
And that’s just some of the backend stuff.
There’s a massive learning curve to understanding your target customers and what they actually want/need. And not every customer is super communicative and ready to tell you outright what they want. All the same, I really feel that communication is super important, so I give a LOT of weight to the folks I do hear from.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the CaLoveCo. story. Tell us more about the business.
CaLoveCo. currently specializes in natural and organic body care products. Ingredients are sourced fair trade and organic as much as possible, and there’s a focus on ingredients that are easily accessible and not too exotic to keep prices affordable. I believe that healthful skincare, haircare, and body care should be accessible to everyone. Everyone should have access to products that are good for their bodies. CaLoveCo. is a solopreneur operation, a black-owned business, and a woman-owned business making good-for-you products available to everyone.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not sure luck has played a role at all. I read an article recently about how one of the defining characteristics of the Millennial generation and Gen Z is our ability to research and gather information. That’s what I do. I gather as much information on a topic as possible. I ask questions and look for resources until I find what I’m looking for. Since CaloveCo. has been alive, research and experimentation have been fundamental. I may not know how to darn a hole in a piece of clothing or cut a piece of wood to the correct measurement, but I can research like nobody’s business. I also try to be open, honest, and communicative with my peeps, which isn’t always easy since I’m an introvert. But I’m not afraid to try something and fail at it. The object is to get better every day.
Pricing:
- Body Butters: $8 – $30
- Bath Salts: $11 – $33
- Body & Massage Oils: $8 – $14
- Sanitizer Sprays: $8 – $14
Contact Info:
- Address: 4067 Hardwick St.
Suite 118
Lakewood, CA 90712 - Website: https://caloveco.com
- Phone: 562 348 7930
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caloveco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaLoveCo
Image Credit:
The image of the body butter on the white background is my own. I took it myself. All other images came from shutterstock.
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