Jessica Perez is a passionate, sustainable, skincare developer with more than seven years of experience in the beauty industry. In 2012, she graduated from Lakeside School of massage, obtained her LMT license, and practiced for the next two years. Shortly after, she started researching and developing her own bath and body products that will later lead her to her current sustainable and clean beauty/skincare brand, LoYo Body.

What inspired you to start your business? 

Growing up with a mother that was a natural entrepreneur, she was working as a tailor for school uniforms then moved to make wedding cakes; I was always passionate about business life.  After graduating from the school of massage, I started shifting my passion from creating and making others feel good, to developing a curiosity about natural and homemade skincare. While creating my personal formulas and doing ingredient research, I quickly learned about all of the toxic ingredients in our daily regimen that are used by large companies to make our daily skincare products.  

Where is your business based?

We originated our business - LoveYourself Handmade Bath and Body - in Wisconsin, but we rebranded our new sustainable LoYo Body brand in our current location, Charlotte, NC.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

After learning about all of the harmful ingredients used by big companies to make our skincare products and with my knowledge as an LMT in how we absorbed those ingredients, I decided to research and formulate my own skincare products.  I took advantage of entrepreneur seminars and tools to learn about branding and creating a business. When I was ready, I created my first business plan and soon enough I found myself selling my products to multiple local businesses, such as Whole Foods.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

To be able to raise awareness of my business, I needed to put all my trust in what I do and have a clear goal.  Honesty with your audience is also very important.  People nowadays are more open to brands where the owner is involved with the audience.  Whether it’s newsletters, Facebook lives, and doing Instagram lives, you need to put your face out there. I also think that partnering with other small businesses has helped me in reaching more customers.  You would be surprised as to how many entrepreneurs are open to help you elevate your business.  

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was when I decided to move from Wisconsin to North Carolina.  I knew that moving to a new location would basically demand a business start-up. Redesigning my previous brand, looking for new places to sell, finding out that I could no longer sell at Whole Foods WI, trying to find a way to rebrand with a low budget, and not having a support system with me was very hard.  Many times, I suffered from imposter syndrome and thought about quitting. I pushed forward and the rebrand took me nearly two years. When I was ready to relaunch the brand, I became affected by Covid-19 and lost my full-time job.

Losing my full-time job was a very difficult reality to take in. As they say,  “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”, that’s exactly what I did.  Without a full-time job, I’ve had the opportunity to devote my time to my brand.  

How do you stay focused?

One day at a time. Yes, I have to have a long term business plan, but the only way to stay focused is to take one step at a time.  Trying to accomplish too many things at the same time will put you in an overwhelming stage. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

Demand for more sustainable brands is making news every day. I know that there are a lot of brands with sustainable household products and some eco-friendly bath care, but I have not seen a brand like mine.  LoYo Body brings clean beauty that is presented in a luxurious, yet still affordable way while offering an eco-friendly approach with recycling options.  We created a rewards program for our customers so they can recycle our LoYo jars directly with us while receiving an incentive. We are currently working on bringing the same approach to local stores including Whole Foods in North Carolina. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

I started by identifying my competitors, finding my brand pitch, and defining what makes my brand different from others.  With those two components, I started a strong campaign that is clear for my target customers. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Take the time to make a business plan, find resources for new entrepreneurs, and don’t be afraid to make bold moves.     

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

I love PicMonkey. It's basically my everyday go-to to create brand content. 

Blog - I love listening to the FollowThatFear podcast on Instagram! Carmen keeps me focused and motivated with her pep talks.

My favorite book is LeapFrog.  This book is a compilation of hacks to help you advance the business world. 

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I love Skillshare. They host hundreds of mentors and real entrepreneurs that are sharing business hacks and seminars 24/7. They cover everything and anything. 

Who is your business role model?

I love Skin Food - SkinFood has a huge impact on the Whole Foods community and Etsy. This brand was my inspiration to partner with Whole Foods! The owner is a superwoman!

The second one is Lady Suite. I love the aesthetics and her unique approach to present her products. 

What are some of your favorite products? 

I love my own products! In the shower, I use my half-moon shaped Blue Tansy Soap and I wash my face with my Rose Glow Coconut Cleanser.  After that, I nourish my body with the Blue Luv Body Oil,  apply a few drops of Benevolent Oil on my face followed by a coat with Pink Succulent. 

 How do you balance work and life? 

I am trying to eat healthily and walk every morning. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

Call my mom and sisters and watch Netflix with my kids! 

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

After the rebrand, I’ve submitted my products to over 25 retail stores around the US and received product verification requests from two of them.  My goal is to be able to start selling in at least four retail stores.  

How can our readers connect with you?

Website Loyobody.com

Email hello@loyobody.com

Instagram loyo_body

Facebook LoveYourself Body