Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Moore.
Hi Laura, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In starting Silk by Laura, I never had a direct plan. I was in the middle of completing my M.A. and just found myself creating a product that I never thought would be so successful. I really wanted to make my own natural body butter and through trial and error, came up with the perfect mix of ingredients. Silk by Laura was first launched in October of 2020 and I was operating to my best ability as a one-woman team with the occasional help from close friends. After a small and necessary hiatus, Silk was relaunched in September of 2021 with a completely different and consistent look that is beautiful and still makes clients feel special when their package arrives.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I think anyone with a business would love to say it has been a smooth road! But progress is not linear, and I have had my share of ups and downs. Days of celebration and days where I question why I put in the hard work and time. In my business, I produce my whipped shea butter, jar it, tag it, box it, and ship it. I create and launch all the marketing while keeping up with sales, inventory, and bookkeeping – it’s a lot for one woman. I initially had to find my groove, while offering the best service to all my clients. I operated using systems I was familiar with – CashApp, Google Forms, Venmo, etc. No website existed and I was making sales by sampling, networking, and social media marketing. For years, I have offered my services as a henna artist but soon realized that offering a service would move and look differently than offering a tangible product. In the early stage, my whipped shea butter took off at a pace that was difficult to keep up with especially with it being a popular product in the winter months. I came across so many obstacles, such as the jars I ordered being consistently sold out, the labor behind tagging, and completing the look of the jar itself. It was time-consuming, and I constantly sold out. I promised myself to make it through holiday season sales and then come up with a plan of action. To my luck, no one saw the struggle I had behind the scenes. Everyone was content with something I had created on my own. As soon as 2021 arrived, Silk by Laura was put completely on hold at face front. I took the time to focus on making it to graduation that upcoming May and my clients thought I was finished after the season. Little did everyone know, I was working behind the scenes making Silk by Laura an official LLC with the State, ordering and purchasing custom jars with my official logo, creating a website, and purchasing quality ingredients for a bigger relaunch. As the owner and creator, I must fund my business, which, is NOT easy, but I realize it is an investment in myself and the vision I have for Silk. My goal was to cut down labor and manage financially while keeping the same beautiful and quality product I had been offering. I have a fully operating website and social media page. My sales and checkout process has been consolidated and I am able to work with a system that allows me to easily keep track of inventory and sales.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As far as my professional life and career, I am currently the Program Manager in the Office of Diversity Affairs for the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Along with running Silk, I truly enjoy my job, which includes managing a diverse caseload of undergraduate students, event planning, and running their peer-to-peer mentoring program. I received my B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Multicultural Leadership Studies from CU Boulder in 2015 as a Daniels Fund Scholar. After graduation, I continued my employment with corporate Dave and Busters Denver where I worked for the Deposits and Accounting team and served as their Special Events Representative. After a 3-year break, I continued my studies at CU Denver, receiving my M.A. in Counseling with an emphasis in Higher Education and Student Affairs. During that time, I was employed as the Lead Youth Specialist for Aurora Mental Health Center’s youth prevention programming. I have made it a point to focus my academic and community work around access, diversity, equity, and inclusion, understanding that opportunity comes differently for BIPOC individuals. My goal is to be able to act as an indirect mentor and advocate for youth and adults from all backgrounds in order to achieve personal and academic success.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
As far as an industry for Silk by Laura, I believe that there will always be a market for skincare, especially when you have a great product. I know there is a demand for an all-natural, moisturizing body butter in Colorado, particularly in the winter months when the climate is cold and dry. I would like to and am starting to see a national audience for my shea butter because it can be used universally and is great for everyone. With the vision I have for Silk, I want to make sure that I execute a good business plan to maintain a market for my line.
In my professional work, there will always be a demand in higher education. I began to have some doubts when the pandemic began, but currently, there is an increase of enrollments in higher education. I have always excelled in school and so I don’t find it surprising to find myself going down this career path. I believe that there will be an increase in diversity in all schools, and so there will be students that will need additional support and guidance through the higher education process. I am considering going into academia and going for my Ph.D., but I would like to get more experience and groundwork done in my field first.
Pricing:
- Silk by Laura’s Original Butter Box – $26
- Silk by Laura’s Big Butter – $12
Contact Info:
- Email: info@shopsilkbylaura.com
- Website: www.shopsilkbylaura.com
- Instagram: @silk_bylaura
Image Credits
Brooke Moore
Laura Moore
