"Do your market research" with Rebekah Jasso Jensen
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Rebekah Jasso Jensen is the founder of Sanara, a plant-based skincare line celebrating indigenous Latin American botanicals. Having lived with Psoriasis since her teens, Rebekah began DIYing her own skincare in her kitchen and eventually sold her dining room furniture so she could turn it into her test lab. It was through this skincare self-discovery that she felt a pull from her ancestors and begin researching ingredients her Latin American ancestors have been using for centuries. It was then she turned her passion for plant-based skincare and turned it into her mission, sharing the beautiful healing botanicals indigenous to Latin America.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Yes! I would love to. I’m Rebekah, the founder of Sanara, a plant-based skincare line that celebrates indigenous Latin American botanicals. I began DIYing my own skincare having lived Psoriasis since my teens. It wasn’t until my 30’s that I began to understand the things I was putting onto my skin wasn’t doing it any favors. I began teaching myself about ingredients that would bring healing and hydration without all those harmful chemicals. As I was going through this skincare journey, I felt a pull from my ancestors to learn about and incorporate indigenous Latin American botanicals into the products I create.
What inspired you to start your business?
Inspiration came from my passion for plant-based skincare, but it really wasn’t until I began learning and incorporating indigenous Latin American botanicals that I turned my passion into my mission. I also noticed a huge gap in the beauty market, I know, hard to believe in such a saturated market but there aren’t many beauty brands representing Latinos. These discoveries I felt it my mission to pull my seat up to the table in the clean, natural, indie-beauty space.
Where is your business based?
30 minutes outside of Austin, TX
How did you start your business?
I started out of my own kitchen literally. Eventually, we sold all our dining room furniture and that became my test lab. I now have a contract manufacturer that manufactures my products, so I get to create and explore at home and then collaborate with my cosmetic chemist to further perfect my products which is what you’ll see in my final product.
What were the first steps you took?
The first step was really educating myself and creating. I began to create products I wanted to see and incorporating ingredients I wanted to use. I am not an influencer or come from the beauty industry. I’m just someone who has a need, saw a need and is creating products to fulfill that need.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
That’s a hard one because I’m constantly trying to raise awareness for Sanara. I’m a completely self-funded solopreneur which requires a lot of learning and just trying different things at an economical price point. I recently was in the myspritu spring box which got me in front of 1500 women all at once, an opportunity I am so grateful for and have already seen an uptake on my website.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
See question 5. Ha! Seriously, branding, creating the product, and manufacturing. All those things have been so much easier (albeit it took me over a year, lots of tears and a whole lot of $$ to figure that piece out) then raising awareness). You’re constantly trying to push that needle. Once you have a solid brand and product you’re just getting started.
How do you stay focused?
Focus can be hard and honestly sometimes I’m all over the place. The biggest thing that has helped me is putting my list in Microsoft To-Do. Having a list and checking them off is so satisfying.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
I’m able to differentiate myself in a lot of ways. For one, by the ingredients that I use. Since I focus on Latin American botanicals, I’ve discovered so many ingredients not widely used or known in beauty. Hello Yerba Maté, a South American tea I use in my bath soak to help with healthy skin cell production and stimulates cells that make skin firmer. Yerba Maté is to South America as Green Tea is to Asia.
People haven’t heard of Yerba Maté in skincare so when I put it in that perspective, people suddenly get it. That is so exciting to me to be able to open people’s eyes to the beauty of Latin America. My story, living with Psoriasis, gives me a perspective not a lot of brand founders have. The empathy it gives me for people with skin sensitivities is invaluable. Sanara comes from the Spanish word sanará which means ‘you will heal’. Sanara isn’t just a brand name but it acts as the beacon to all the products I create.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
It was social media AND tradeshows but currently as of April 7th it’s just social media. I was voted Buyer Favorite at the Indie Beauty Expo in Dallas in 2019 and that gave me validation, acknowledgment, and press that has helped me tremendously to build traction.
Retail/wholesale is down so tradeshows are out, for now, so I’ve really been focusing on connecting with my customers via social media in a real and authentic way. No one wants to be sold to right now, they want inspiration and light-heartedness which if done right creates brand trust.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Do your market research. You know I say that and it’s funny because had I done my market research, I’m not sure I would have picked beauty just from a business standpoint. I once read an article that says it cost 1 million dollars to start a beauty brand and honestly, I’m not that surprised. It’s a saturated and costly market to play in but I am grateful because had I known those things and let them deter me I wouldn’t have created a brand and products that I know are needed so that all of society can be represented in beauty and not just the few. That being said, “Do your market research”.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth a pioneering psychologist. Angela talks about the secret of outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit”. This resonates so much with me not just because it’s something I believe I have and harness my strength from, but that grit was brought down from my family and ancestors who have had to learn to pick themselves up from adversary.
My parents, whose first language was Spanish were migrant workers and my mom while caring for five young girls put herself through college to earn her bachelor’s and then in her late 50’s earned her master’s in social work. I come from a line of people with grit and I’m so proud of that quality and want to build upon my parents’ legacy. So, you see, Sanara is much more than a skincare brand to me.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
I’ve got 2. Canva, hands down has been my most utilized business tool for creating. All my marketing material is created in Canva. Also my CRM, Pipedrive. As I’m reaching out to leads it helps me know every conversation and email we’ve had. It keeps me on track.
Who is your business role model? Why?
You wouldn’t know her, but her name is Blanca Lesmes. I worked for Blanca in my previous life. As a Latina, I’ve not had too many (if any) close Latina business role models and having her give me honest feedback with a business perspective has been invaluable. The creative and people pleaser side comes naturally to me but it’s also the thing if I let it, is what can kill Sanara, I’ve been taken advantage of too many times. Having her as an advisor/mentor has helped me build my thick skin for business.
What is your beauty routine? What are some of your favorite products?
My beauty routine is simple honestly. I wash my face and body with my own bar soap which I hope to launch soon then I hydrate and moisturize with either my Chilean Rosehip Seed Body oil or Cupuacu Seed Body Butter then sunscreen. Exfoliate once or twice a week and that’s about it. I’m all about efficiency and less is more.
How do you balance work and life?
I make sure and listen to my mind and body. There have been days where the thought of walking into my office to start working was dreadful, I was overworking myself. So, I give myself permission to stop what I’m doing and do the thing my body or mind needs whether it is a meditation session, spending time with family and friends or even a good ole nap. I saw a quote once that really resonated with me on work/life balance. “If you listen to your body when it whispers you won’t have to hear it when it screams.”
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
My favorite way to decompress is watching a show or movie in the evenings with my husband and cats with a glass of wine. There is no better feeling than being in that moment.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
Planning is hard right now with COVID-19 but I hope to continue to build my retail/spa relationships that I have cultivated thus far and once this is over you’ll see Sanara’s products being used in spa treatments and in retail. I hope to launch a new body soap bar that I’ve been working on for over a year.
How can our readers connect with you?
Readers can connect via my website at www.sanaraskincare.com and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sanaraskincare/