Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiya Joshi.
Hi Tiya, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The desire to do something of my own was something that was always there. I wasn’t always a soapmaker and body care product formulator, In my past life (as I say), my education puts me as a Chartered Accountant that was working on business process, ERP, Risk, Security & Controls Manager & implementer. Though, creating things has always been my happy place, they were just hobbies at that point, never mainstream. A friend rekindled that by re-introducing me to soapmaking, something that I hadn’t done in a long time. Being someone sensitive to a lot of artificial things, like fragrances & various colors, I have always been someone who couldn’t stick to any particular body care products for a long time since that just caused allergies from overexposure.
So, I started formulating natural soaps & shampoos for myself and my spouse. And we started noticing remarkable differences in how our skin & hair behaved. From there I delved into the world of formulating lotions, lotion bars, body scrubs & lip balms, all natural. During this journey, at some point, the thought occurred, that there might be others like me who need these and thus Térrã Butter was born.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Challenges are always there for any business, and for a small business it just multiplies manifold in today’s world. Just like any small business I started with capital from my own savings.
This brings about its own set of issues, marketing to get your brand’s name out there being the biggest of it. There are very few marketing options out there for small (actually small) businesses that can fit their budget. You can make good products all you want, but unless you are able to get your brand in front of the consumers constantly, you are not going to sell.
I am not the greatest at social media either, so in today’s quick visual consumption world, I am definitely not at an advantage.
Being a one person army, doing your own accounts, marketing, manufacturing, sales, website designing, photographer & all that has its own occasional burnouts.
Running a business comes with its own set of other challenges too, both personal & in the business, but in the end, being able to do something of your own and knowing that you are providing a clean product to another person, has its own satisfaction.
We’ve been impressed with Terra Butter LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Térrã Butter is all about Handmade natural & palm-free soaps, shampoo bars, lotions, lip balms and body scrubs to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. Our products have an earthy essence, seeking to keep you grounded and connected to Mother Earth. Everything is as natural as it gets, no artificial colors or fragrances, no toxic parabens or phthalates.
We make our products from botanicals & essential oils and beneficial oils, butters & waxes, from scratch, and each product is formulated with intention & utmost care. Our soaps & shampoos are cured for a minimum of 4-6 weeks, so that they are at their best for you to use and last long as well. Térrã Butter also offers custom formulations for our range of products as well as take orders for wedding/shower/return gift favors. We never use pre-formulated bases that can be store bought, there are quite a few things in those that you do not want on you. No surfactants or SLS or any other detergents in our products either.
You can catch us at our online store & the various makers markets around Denver, Centennial, Littleton, Castle Rock, Aurora during the market season.
You can always find us at Local Goods Colorado at Lafayette and at other local shops as we stock up.
(Check out our Instagram to see where we are at- https://www.instagram.com/terrabutterco )
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
When I need to disconnect, music and reading is always a go to. I love the works of J.R.R Tolkien, not just The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, but the Book of Lost Tales, The Silmarillion, and books compiled from his noted by his son. That world is something so easy to slip into. I recently finished The Fall of Gondolin compiled by Christopher Tolkien & realized Legolas might be older than Elrond!
Contact Info:
- Email: terrabutterco@gmail.com
- Website: www.terrabutter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrabutterco
Image Credits
Stalin Periasamy Tiya Joshi
