Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Sarafa.
Tina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was in my 20’s, my mother and I were in Paris on vacation. She would get her hair done twice a week at a salon where they could tease her hair and make it appear fuller. At the Paris salon her stylist said “Madame, you have the worst hair!” My mom knew that as she heard it constantly and he suggested yet another new product. When she went to pay, she asked for the product and was told it was in fact a Swiss hair supplement and you couldn’t buy it in France. This made her feel like it might be really be worth trying as this stylist wasn’t trying to sell something he could profit from. As it was, I was moving to Switzerland so I sent her the product called Homosan at the time, each month. Her friends began to ask if she was wearing hair pieces as her hair got thicker and thicker. When I moved home my mother contacted the company (pre-internet) by writing to the address on the box and befriended the owner. She became a US rep and after their Swiss warehouse flooded and the owner didn’t want to continue, it became my mom’s company. Then she and her best friend started manufacturing in the USA and selling it basically out of their garage as a mom and mom business. I took over and rebranded and repackaged the product and working with a dermatologist added some extra anti-oxidants and biotin to our keratin blend and created Nourage. I was an oncology social worker prior to running our family business. I know firsthand how emotionally difficult hair loss is. It makes me so happy seeing women and men feel better about themselves and their hair, skin and nails taking our product.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Having a social work background and not a business degree, I have had to learn a lot. I feel blessed that we have a great team in place to help with marketing, production and fulfillment. My oldest son is also working in the family business now which I love.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Nourage – what should we know?
We have a unique antioxidant blend which you will not find in other hair, skin and nail supplement. Also, our Cynatine Keratin is a special Keratin blend and comes from the wool of sheep in New Zealand. Many sources of keratin are from China and not so widely regulated. Our supplement is a pristine, high quality product made with integrity.
I also love that we really transform lives. On our website you can see photos of Candace, a young woman, post treatment for breast cancer.
She talks about her struggles losing her breasts and hair and how Nourage helped her regain her confidence. Helping people feel good about themselves is what I enjoy most about our business. I am also so close to my mom and sharing Nourage and helping grow and develop our business has been very, very rewarding.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think where I lacked business experience, my background as a social worker has allowed me to more personally connect with our customers. Having worked with patients who have experienced hair loss and also having friends who because of hormonal changes, stress, or illness have also endured hair loss, I have lots of empathy and compassion for anyone going through this. In addition, my son Matthew, who now work for us too is a fashion designer and influencer. Having a young person who understands social media and uses it in his daily life so successfully has been an invaluable asset and taught me a ton about marketing as well.
Pricing:
- 30 day supply $59.95 on our website Nourage.com
- 90 day supply discounted to $129.95
Contact Info:
- Website: Nourage.com
- Instagram: Nourage Hair
- Facebook: Nourage
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