tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm a displaced (Gulf Coast) Texan living in Northern Wisconsin with 3 fab kids (6, 8 & 12 yrs old) and a PhD chemist husband who's kind enough to help me formulate and solve problems when they come up with. We started making liquid hand wash because our kids have sensitive skin and I have high standards about products we use including concerns about their impact on the environment. Sometimes, we'd give family and friends products as gifts and soon they were asking to buy them. Eventually, I caved, LOL! . I also added traditional bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, and bath bombs to my line-up. This month, I'm adding my "Organics" line to my Etsy store.
Getting used to the snow and cold, pretending to be a stay at home mom and running a more than full time business have recently made me realize that I need to take more time to appreciate what I have, what I do, and all the gifts in my life. My goal is to find balance and not be stressed, stretched and overwhelmed. To enjoy my life.
What is your motto/theme
My background (and degree) is in environmental resource management, and I've always been driven to a wise steward of our planet. So my aim for my etsy store (and products) is simple but ambitious; make products that are safe, simple and luxurious. No small feat, to be sure!
where did you get your name
My company is Just Specialty Products, LLC. My website is TrustJust.com - so that's what I named my etsy store (TrustJust), and it's my name at Facebook too.I'm the "Ju" and my husband is the "st" (of Just). Together we're Julie & Steve. "Just" not only means "what you see is what you get"... but also Honorable and Fair. Those concepts are very important to me. The word "Just" simply rings true for me on many levels. Our product are Just Plain Clean, Just Foaming Clean, Just Clean Fun, Just Bar Soap.... you get the idea.
tell us about your most favorite item
I'm most proud of my foaming face wash. http://www.etsy.com/listing/64313120/neroli-face-wash-biodegradable
It's truly a fantastic product that balances biodegradable ingredients with great quality. Neroli, rose geranium, and palmarosa, along with aloe, allantoin, avocado oil and hydrolyzed oats are a part of what makes your skin feel so good after washing. My face doesn't appreciate soap. I need a gentler product for the skin on my face - and formulated the face wash specifically to spoil my skin.
why did you choose to be on a team
Being a sole business owner/employee can be lonely. Bouncing ideas of my walls... results mainly in the same ideas coming back unchanged. I find a group of like minded colleagues to be a great place to stay motivated and be inspired - even challenged. The friendships and camaraderie are also a huge draw for me. This group, in particular, has such a warm heart and is full of experienced soapmakers with diverse backgrounds. Who wouldn't want to be part of such synergy and dynamics?! Truly, these members are inspirational. As part of this group, I feel I'm a better soapmaker, business-person - and a better human too.
You can find Julies products in her Etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/TrustJust
and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TrustJust
