Facts
Who: Roberta Perry, ScrubzBody Skin Care Products
What: Skin care products, including sugar scrubs
Format: Physical product · United States, Canada, English
Started: June 2006
Audience: About 6,900 active email subscribers; in-store foot traffic isn't tracked
Payers: 2,000 customers, online and in-store
Income: Yes, main income
Status: Active and growing
Channels: Your own newsletter, communities & forums, word of mouth & offline, collabs & shoutouts, social media
The short version
What worked: A weekly email newsletter since day one, paired with in-person events and free press – podcasts, national media, and a Bravo TV feature – rather than paid ads
The result: 2,000 customers, a store and “Make Your Own Scrubz Parties” that turned it into a destination, features in 100+ outlets
The catch: Years of wholesale, including 22 Whole Foods stores, never became the real growth path – she pivoted back to retail and direct customer relationships
Background
I call myself an accidental entrepreneur because this business found me. My own skin was suffering, and when I went looking for effective skincare – a body scrub in particular – that wouldn't break my budget, I was unhappy with what I was finding, so I made my own. My late sister, Michelle, had retail experience and lots of "let's do this" energy, so I started packing up jars of the sugar scrub I had created, and we started to sell.
I found a business group, Indie Business Network, that was pivotal to learning how to market and build a sustainable business around my life and lifestyle.
Starting point
At the beginning of my business, I did many demonstrations at craft shows, holiday boutiques, and local stores and salons. I always collected emails from customers and potential customers at every event – the number one thing that business group had taught me. This way, I was building my list one customer at a time, with people who really wanted to be on it.
What worked
I tried different advertisements and different placements in local flyers and coupon books. I tried working with a broker in the natural product space. It did not work out well, and it turned me off from the process altogether – the return was never worth it.
Since the beginning of my business, I have sent out weekly emails, and that has been my number one marketing tool. I use social media because I feel a presence there is important, but email is my way of speaking directly with my customers. I also have a store, so the one-on-one relationships are key and the best way we create lifetime customers.
We were lucky enough to be the final episode on a Bravo show called Sell It Like Serhant – that was a tremendous boost for our business. I have also appeared on many podcasts and been published in over 100 pieces online. I love free publicity, and I believe it adds substance to our business.
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What didn’t work
I offered wholesale for years, having our product in 22 Whole Foods stores (before Amazon bought them) and quite a few other stores. For a while, I thought wholesale was the way to grow. But the more I met with customers one-on-one, the more I knew that retail was our future, so I pivoted from what didn't work and concentrated on what did.
The turning point
Our turning point was when we opened our store and then added Make Your Own Scrubz Parties. We became a destination as well as a retail store for our skincare and other unique products.
Audience
Our main customer base is women 40 to 65, and that's who we market to most, but we also have a younger group because of the Girl Scout and birthday parties we host, and an older group thanks to our ladies' group luncheons.
Looking ahead
I hope for organic growth, and basically a "rinse and repeat" of our business practices and how we treat our customers. As so many businesses get larger, we believe in staying smaller and more personal, so we can offer the best products and give the best service.
Practical takeaways
Collect emails at every in-person touchpoint from day one – it builds a list of people who already want to hear from you, not cold contacts.
A dedicated channel like weekly email can outperform paid ads and broker relationships – test paid placements small before committing real budget to them.
If a channel isn't building the relationships that drive repeat business, it's fine to pivot away from it, even after investing years in it.
ScrubzBody
Dry? Sensitive? Stressed? Your Skin Has Needs. We've Got You Covered from Head to Toe.
Links
Website: scrubzbody.com
Instagram: scrubzbodyproducts
Blog: scrubzbody
Youtube: @scrubzbody