Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Gott.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started with our little son Abraham. We had some leftover baby food jars and my husband, Shem, wanted to repurpose them into candles for friends. If he was going to make something, we decided it needed to be of the best materials and quality, so from the beginning, our candles have been 100% soy wax and scented with only 100% essential oils.
Low and behold, friends loved the candles. In fact, they loved them so much they encouraged us to start selling them. We said “ok”. We had zero business knowledge or experience, but we had excitement and the support of our friends and family so we went for it. We started selling candles on the weekends at farmers markets. Then, Shem went down to part-time at his job and he started doing some farmers markets during the week. And after a bit, we made the big leap. He quit his job and we pursued this thing full time. Our passion for natural plant-based products grew, and we added soaps, deodorant, facial misters, and aromatherapy-roll on to our goods. And where does the name Mr. B’s come from you ask? Our son’s nickname was Buster, which eventually got shortened to Mr. B. And since this whole thing wouldn’t exist without his empty baby food jars lying around, we figured naming the brand after he seemed perfect.
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?
Smooth? Nope. Stretching, challenging, crazy, adventurous, difficult, fun, life-changing? Yep. Our struggles have been many, but we are the better for it. We started Mr. B’s with nothing, no plan, no capital, no experience. So, we’ve had to learn as we go. We’ve had to wear a lot of hats: production manager, art director, website designer, photographer, blogger, bookkeeper, copywriter, graphic designer, shipping manager, and the list goes on.
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made, a few times over, is trying to do too much, trying to create too many different products, jumping on creative whims that led us down rabbit holes, wasting time and money with no return. We’ve learned to keep it simple, just do what we do and do it well.
Another mistake is trying to be and sound bigger than we were. We felt like that is what we needed to do: fluff up our feathers and strut our stuff. But what people always resonate with time and time again is us, when we are just being us. When I send out e-mails to our Mr. B’s community, the only ones that ever get a response back are when I’m being real, sharing about our life, about losses and joys and everything in between.
If I could sit down over a cup of coffee with a young woman just starting out I’d say “You don’t have everything figured out, and you never will, and that’s good. Learning is an incredible thing, and when you allow people to join you in the process, that’s good, really good. Be you, do the best you can, and hold onto what you are doing lightly. And don’t forget self-care. You won’t benefit yourself or your business in the long run if you are up late trying to burn the midnight oil. Get to bed early, take walks, just sit and be still, eat well, stay engaged in life-giving relationships.”
What should we know about Mr. B’s Necessities? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Mr. B’s Necessities is all about simple, plant-based bath and body products that people love. We’re committed to high-quality ingredients, and we don’t make anything we don’t absolutely love ourselves and use on a daily basis. We never want our business to fuel consumerism or materialism. We are just here to help meet a need, and we do that well.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
My dad always taught me about following through and doing things well. He taught me to take care of the things that I have. He taught me the importance of being at peace with people. If you made a mistake, make it right. My mom is a crazy hard-worker. She put herself through school while working full time when we were little. She showed me an example of going after a goal and seeing it through, even if it takes a lot of hard, long years. My parents also divorced when I was really young and shard custody my whole childhood. This taught me adaptability.
In high school, I started going to church and learned the truth about the gospel and became a follower of Jesus. This is the very core of who I am and drives my life and shapes my values more than anything else.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1834 S. Coast Highway
Oceanside, CA 92054 - Website: www.mrbsnecessities.com
- Phone: 858-461-9699
- Email: hello@mrbsnecessities.com
- Instagram: @mrbsnecessities
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrbsnecessities/
Image Credit:
Christal Angelique, Corey Villicana
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