Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Ilustrisimo.
Tanya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Orange County shortly after graduating high school, I moved to Hawaii in 1994 because my best friend was moving there with her family and I had no idea what to do with myself after high school. I worked in retail during high school and did enjoy it however, before I even landed in Hawaii I was offered a job in hospitality at one of the big resorts which of course I accepted and that sparked a 25+ year run in the business of resorts and spas.
After several years on the Island, I moved back to California in 2002 and started a job in Palm Springs opening a Spa at a boutique hotel, becoming a Spa Manager and then eventually a Director of Spa and Wellness. After years of experience,I felt I wanted to get out of the daily operations and expand my creativity so I started my own business as a Spa Consultant. I was fortunate enough to get hired for several different projects including a task force position in Vieques, Puerto Rico in 2010. It was during my time in Vieques in which the concept of creating a product line came to life. I created a Signature Spa treatment called ” Cafe’ con Coco” using a house-made body scrub made with Puerto Rican Coffee and Coconut Oil etc. and it was the best selling treatment. My husband Topper was also working with me in Puerto Rico as a Hair Stylist and he would always hear the guests coming out of their treatment asking if they can purchase the body scrub so he mentioned it to me and said “You really need to start making and selling the body scrub, everyone is asking for it.”
We moved back to California a year later and decided to start our brand! Not long after we moved back home, I was offered another consulting job and I was off to Pennsylvania. Being in Pennsylvania made it difficult to set our plans in motion so we put it on hold. Topper and I were on the phone one day and he had mentioned that he had always wanted to create a Hair Pomade line so I told him to start researching and reaching out to product manufacturers. After being in Pennsylvania for almost 6 months, I was on my way home.
Once I returned home and we immediately started on the Hair Pomade line, Slick Devil Pomade. We launched one pomade in 2012 and we hit the ground running, it was just the two of us and we were crazy busy.
We were fortunate to start at the time the men’s grooming craze was just peaking. We added a couple of different pomades, a beard oil, fragrances, and candles under the Slick Devil line and are still going to this day but I was still working on our original business plan and creating samples for some of my spa industry friends to test out and give me feedback.
Fast forward to present day, we have two brands, Slick Devil Pomade men’s grooming and Modern Luxxe which is apothecary, fragrances and soy candles. Modern Luxxe has been my main focus over the last two years.
I created a few body products on a really tight budget in 2012, sent out samples and even received orders for both wholesale and retail from our website but I didn’t feel 100% confident in what I was putting out. I knew I could do better but not only did I not have the capital, but I also didn’t have a clear vision of the brand’s direction.
After trying to get the products in boutiques, setting up at different pop-up markets, I finally realized that the brand’s destiny was always sitting in front of my face! Duh Tanya, Spas! There are so many amazing handmade, non-toxic, vegan, cruelty-free brands out there and I needed to determine what my strengths were to set Modern Luxxe apart from other brands and it is that I have over 20 years of experience in working in the spa industry. I can not only provide my vendors and potential vendors great products, but I can also help them create an experience for their guests and train their staff if needed. I decided to expand the product offerings to larger professional use sizes, pure essential oil blends, all-natural massage oils, seasonal products and the option to create their own branded collaboration line. All of this has lead to the spas/salons that I currently wholesale to, to purchase professional products to use in their spa treatments and purchase the matching retail components for their apothecary shoppes and bonus it solidifies my residency in their spas by creating special products that are exclusive to them.
I am now 100% confident in what I am putting out and have learned over the many years of selling products that when one door closes, many more open. Oh and I still have my “Cafe con Coco” body scrub although it is called Coffee + Coconut and the formula has changed slightly but it is still one of our best sellers!
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, it has definitely not been a smooth road! With Slick Devil, we sell overseas in Asia and a few years back we found out that someone had submitted an application to register our trademark both wording and logo in Taiwan as their own. It was costly for us as we had to hire an Intellectual Property Attorney out there and oppose their application and once their application was rejected, we then had to register our trademark ourselves in several different territories. With Modern Luxxe, it was more about being able to keep up with orders and having enough raw materials, packaging and labeling that required money that in some instances we did not have.
My advice would be to start small and then scale as your business starts to grow and generate money. Make sure that you have enough capital to cover your basics such as website costs, operational costs, marketing materials and keep really good accounting and if you are not organized and good with numbers, hire someone to take care of that to ensure that you are on a budget. Make sure your business is protected. Even though you may think because it’s a small business, trademarks and patents don’t matter, trust me they do! Oh and when pricing your products or services, do not sell yourself short! Take the time to really think about your experience and expertise, your costs and your time and energy that you put into it.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Modern Luxxe – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I create apothecary products, non-toxic fragrances and candles. Our products are handmade, hand-poured, hand-labeled, hand-packed and we are a husband and wife team. No employees yet but we will be needing to expand soon! Our products are formulated with natural, organic and non-toxic ingredients that are cruelty-free, vegan. We are also mindful of our packaging and use glass bottles and jars. We are also starting a refill, recycle, reuse program with our spas and boutiques.
Who have you been inspired by?
The group of women that I worked with in my hospitality life have greatly inspired me. We were all young, ambitious, strong women and just starting out in our careers in an industry full of Male leaders (at the time). These women supported each other, encouraged each other, taught each other and lifted each other up every day and I was able to learn so much from all of them and believe it has shaped me into the business women I am today. I am so grateful beyond words.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.modernluxxe.com
- Email: info@liquidluxxe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modern_luxxe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernluxxeco/
Image Credit:
Tanya Ilustrisimo
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