Amy Storer-Scalia, founder of Cincy Chic (Cincinnati’s online pubication for women) and her team graciously featured Supernatural Botanicals in their publication. Cincy Chic is one of my favorite go-to resources for everything Cincinnati! This is what Amy and her team had to say about Supernatural Botanicals!
The Most Beautiful Blog in Town
She makes healthy beauty products for a living, and for fun, she discusses “all things girly” on her blog. Read all about it and see how you can join in on the fun.
Two years ago, Robin Feltner launched both her blog and her all-natural bath and body company, Supernatural Botanicals. The blog was intended to be an extension of the business, but in many ways, her business is now an extension of the blog.
“I started the blog to keep women, primarily, informed and up to date on the latest trends and information in beauty [and] health,” Feltner says. “But soon thereafter, [it] took on a life of its own.”
Since its launch, the blog has opened doors to new customers, business opportunities and higher search engine rankings. More recently, it’s given Feltner the chance to meet several big stars like Diane Keaton, Valerie Bertinelli, Patricia Heaton, Ann Compton, Helen Hunt and Tony Bourdain.
The blog initially served as an open forum for people to share their insights on her products, ideas and the emerging eco-friendly industry. The blog helps Feltner gain candid insight from customers and readers that she didn’t have access to otherwise, she says. “Anonymous comments can be brutally harsh at times, but it’s exactly what I was looking for,” she says. “I wanted an open dialog where they could express and/or request anything they wanted.”
The blog’s tag-line is “Discussions on All Things Girly,” which offers Feltner — and her readers — a wondrously wide range of topics from which to choose. Typically, you’ll find blog posts with beauty, fitness and eco-living topics, but occasionally you’ll find something else that strikes Feltner’s fancy.
“I’m passionate about being ‘green,’ so that crosses over into my writing quite a bit,” she says. “Beauty and fitness is a given on a girly blog, but interior design and events in Cincinnati have certainly had their share of time in the spotlight on my blog as well.”
These popular topics drew a crowd, and even attracted the attention of the Smart Talk series organizers. They contacted Feltner two seasons ago to represent Cincinnati as their ambassador for their Connected Conversations series. “It’s been amazing,” she says. “And I have met some of the most incredible people in the process” — Keaton, Bertinelli, Heaton, Compton and Hunt, just to name a few.
But the star power didn’t stop there. Another group found Feltner’s blog and asked her to represent Cincinnati bloggers at the recent Tony Bourdain speaking engagement.
But the big question: Has the blog beefed up her bottom line? The answer is yes, Feltner says. “The blog has helped me reach a greater customer base,” she says. “If you are doing a random search on eco bath and body in Cincinnati, you’ll most certainly find my blog amongst the top Google searches.” A successful, updated blog is a powerful PR tool and her blog is a big reason why Google goes ga-ga for her business, she says.
The blog also helps to add value to her current customers because it invites readers into her life. “I have found that readers enjoy the experience of stepping into my workshop or kitchen to see what I’m doing via pictures I post on my blog,” she says. “I find blogging a unique way to get personal with my customers and readers. It’s important for me to interact with the readers so I can be specific about giving them exactly what they want.”
She doesn’t just interact on her own blog, though. Feltner is a self-proclaimed advocate for reading others’ blogs, too. “Being ultra-connected to each other is an advantage that we’ve never had in the past, and is especially beneficial for business owners,” she says. “Although my personal interests span from green global issues to lipsticks, I do tend to visit particular blogs regularly.”
She says she adores SavortheSuccess.com, a Web site for women entrepreneurs that offers insight into what’s working (and not working) for other women in business. Another favorite of hers is Pink Magazine, which provides inspiration and tools for women in business. She also gives props to her friend Julia’s blog, Hooked On Houses, which covers her love of houses and interiors.
In addition, Feltner belongs to a local group called Cincinnati Women Bloggers. “We are a successful group of women bloggers in the Cincinnati area, and that Web site is an incredible resource to find blogs on all things local, as blog topics vary vastly,” she says.
Last but not least (at least we don’t think so), Feltner shows some chic love. “When I want to know what’s going on in the city, Cincy Chic is positively my first stop,” she says. “I have always found that if it’s worth being known, Cincy Chic knows about it and I’ve attended many local events after learning about them on Cincy Chic.”
Soapbox Cincinnati is an online magazine that I read regularly, so I was pleased as punch when they decided to feature Supernatural Botanicals as a Featured Growth Company. A huge THANK YOU to the folks over at Soapbox Cincinnati and especially to Alyce Vilines for writing such a great article.
A self-proclaimed “girly-girl,” Supernatural Botanicals CEO Robin Feltner makes no apologies. If anything, she considers her feminine nature at the very center of her company’s success. In early 2008, after a lifetime of creating her own personal skincare products at home, and gifting family and friends with the same, Feltner launched Supernatural Botanicals, an eco-chic bath and body company, located in Delhi.
A combination of her passion for beauty products and her disillusionment with what was available on the market (“I didn’t want to smell like bubblegum,” she said) prompted Feltner to begin mixing her own formulas. A former pharmacy major at the University of Cincinnati, Feltner has a healthy knowledge of what is beneficial, as well as what is potentially harmful, to the skin.
“Ninety-five percent of what we put on our skin is absorbed by the body,” said Feltner, who sees no reason to use unnecessary chemicals and preservatives “with the array of organic ingredients available to us in nature.”
Feltner relies on centuries-old recipes to create her products, using pure essential oils, vitamins, high-quality beeswaxes, botanical extracts, and pure cocoa butters to produce her extensive skincare line and prides herself on adhering to green practices and principles in their manufacture.
Feltner also speaks passionately about her target market. Though the Supernatural Botanicals line has shown universal appeal, Feltner defines her targeted customer as the 25-and-older “grown, sexy woman.”
Offering a wide selection of organic body lotions, spa soaps, linen sprays, a botanical skincare system and more, the Supernatural Botanicals company has garnered popular national attention in its two short years in business. The company was recently contacted by “Everyday with Rachael Ray” magazine for a feature in an upcoming issue because of the many favorable web posts they’ve received about Supernatural Botanicals. Consumer demand in their east-coast-to-west coast distribution has spawned the development of a soon-to-be-released hair-care line, as well as a line of men’s skincare formulas.
With business booming, the company is also quickly outgrowing its home base and they are already anticipating the need for additional employees to deal with the busy holiday season ahead.
Those are impressive problems to have for a company born in the midst of a recession. Feltner sees the economic climate as a blessing. “I wasn’t looking for instant success. In this economy, I have had to work for it and I feel a great deal of pride in that.” It seems beauty, after all, is more than skin deep.
Writer: Alyce Vilines
Source: Supernatural Botanicals CEO Robin Feltner
A Penn State University study found that when men cry, they are often viewed as sensitive and caring, while when women cry, they are frequently seen as incompetent.
People who get inadequate sleep are more vulnerable to infection than those who are well rested. In one study, researchers injected healthy volunteers with a cold virus. Those who slept less than 7 hours a night for the previous week were 3 times more likely to develop symptoms than those who got 8 hours or more. In another study, people who got only 4 hours sleep for several nights in a row had a weaker immune response to the flu vaccine than those who slept between 7.5 and 8.5 hours.
Don’t skimp on your sleep. It’s only going to de-rail you down the line. People seem to wear sleeping to little or working too hard as a badge of honor. It’s not. It’s a sign of being unbalanced. In actuality, it’s a sign of not handling your life properly. So the next time you hear someone bragging about how much they work and how little they sleep, let them know they are setting themselves up for failure. Buy them a box of tissues, because they’ll be needing it for the cold they are about to get.
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago at 9:50 am. Add a comment
Cincinnati had the pleasure of hosting Helen Hunt to close out the Smart Talk series for 2010. What an amazing season this was! The season started out with Valerie Bertinelli, who was a bubbly ray of light, Ann Compton, whom I think was my favorite because she was so personable and friendly behind the scenes, Patricia Heaton, who was as funny in person as she is on TV, Lee Woodruff, one of the strongest super-women you could have the pleasure of knowing, and Helen Hunt, who was excellent at public speaking, but was far more shy that I could have ever imagined.
I suppose that you don’t expect shyness from a celebrity who is ultra-exposed. However, shy she was. When Helen spoke of her gorgeous little red-headed daughter, she bubbled over with pride. Helen seems to gravitate towards roles now that are about motherhood, or the angst of not being able to conceive.
One trait of Helen’s that I now want to adopt in my own life is the ability to ignore gossip. Helen says “When someone says to me…I really shouldn’t be telling you this”, Helen replies with “Then don’t.” Or when someone says “Don’t say you’ve heard this from me, but…”, and Helen replies with “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to hear it!” I found that to stick with me, and again, I want to adopt that way of thinking for myself.
Helen says that she has been working as an actor since she was a child. Fortunately, that has helped her to take periodic breaks from acting in order to do the things she wants…like conceive a child, be an everyday mommy, and write screenplays. The money she had made as a younger person helps fuel her happiness as a more mature person, or, as Helen’s fertility doctor once called her “less young.”
Of all the Smart Talk speakers this season, Helen was the most surprising to me. Painfully shy and extremely introverted, to the point she barely murmured a word backstage. But Helen shined onstage. Her speech was intriguing, funny and engaging.
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 5:25 am. Add a comment
The phrase, “tough cookie” comes to mind when thinking of Lee Woodruff. After meeting Lee, there’s no denying her fighter spirit. Lee Woodruff was in Cincinnati with Smart Talk Connected Conversations to talk about her experiences over the last few years, and needless to say, this girl has had her fair share of hard knocks.
Lee’s life turned upside down when she received a call in 2006 that her news reporter husband, Bob Woodruff, (the one with the dreamy blue eyes) had been injured while covering the war while in Iraq. And we’re not just talking “injured”, Bob was thisclose to losing his life.
While her Bob lay in critical condition for days upon days, months, in fact, Lee watched in horror as her beautiful husband’s head swelled to the size of a rugby ball. She had no idea if he’d wake up again. Even then, she had no idea if he’d remember her or their children after he did wake up. Fighting back a tsunami of tears and emotion, Lee asked Bob’s doctor “will he still love me when he wakes up?” His doctor assured her “yes, he will!”
Through a long and grueling healing process, Bob Woodruff slowly reemerged to nearly 100% of his former glory. Physically, he looks unscathed. Bob is back on the news and looks as gorgeous as he once did. Lee says his only residual issues remain with word-finding abilities (for instance, he referred to a breast augmentation as a breast explosion.)
To endure what Bob did and to come back so strong was surely a gift from God, one that Lee clearly acknowledges. Lee’s faith is what helped carry her through. And really, when things are catastrophically bad, faith is all you have to cling on to. And cling she did.
To fully delve into Lee’s horrific turned joyous experiences, you can read her book, Perfectly Imperfect. Lee is not only an amazing speaker, but she’s also knows her way around the literary world. She also has an amazingly fun side to her as well. I promised her I’d include Flannel Nightgown video (see below.) The flannel nightgown stems from an incident one night when Bob threw her flannel nightgown over the balcony into the street! In no uncertain terms, Mr. Woodruff let it be known that he’s not on board with the comfy flannel look.
To read more about Lee, her work and her life’s experiences, visit her website at www.LeeWoodfuff.com
How do you survive when life as you know it changes in an instant? Lee Woodruff is singularly equipped to tell you. Author, journalist and contributing editor for Good Morning America, Lee’s life took a dramatic turn when her husband suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq. Suddenly, her field of expertise – home and family – expanded to include brain injury awareness and advocacy for families coping with this affliction. Be dazzled by courage – in an instant! Visit speaker’s site.
Lee will be in Cincinnati on April 29 at the Aronoff with Smart Talk Connected Conversations. If you’ve never been to a Smart Talk lecture series, it’s a must see. This is the second to last show of the season (Helen Hunt is next month.) Smart Talk does a wonderful job in bringing the most spectacular personalities to town so we can get a piece of their story…in real time.
Tickets are still available at Smart Talk’s website. Again, time is running out to experience a Connected Conversation in Cincinnati for this season. You’ll absolutely love it. Go buy your tickets and I’ll see you there!
When I’m asked if I’m having as much fun as it looks like I’m having at the Smart Talk events in Cincinnati…the answer is an astounding, yes! Last night Smart Talk brought the brilliant and hilarious Patricia Heaton to Cincinnati for their Smart Talk Connected Conversations series.
Patricia was bubbly and so interesting. She’s definitely a girl’s girl. She feels like one of your girlfriends. Best of all, she’s from Ohio! (No wonder she’s so sweet!)
She’s not a fussy diva actress. In fact, she was forthright about the “work” she’s had done to her body, some of which are, collagen fillers, Botox, veneers on her teeth, tummy tuck, breast lift, fake nails, fake eyelashes, amongst many other treatments. Hey, she is in Hollywood after all. Of course she feels the pressure to be beautiful. She even jokingly talks of the new hairs that are growing on her face now that she’s hit menopause. …see, I told you she was open to sharing everything!
She’s been married …to the same man, gasp…for almost 20 years! She has four sons that seem to make her world go around. After an incredible successful run as the wife/mother on Everybody Loves Raymond, she’s now on The Middle, which is also enjoying it’s share of newfound success.
She shared with us the trials and tribulations of Hollywood and Motherhood. For instance, at a casting call, a director pulled her aside and said, “look, honey, I want to be honest with you, we are looking for an extremely attractive actress.” Ouch! It takes some thick skin to endure that type of torture. She also speaks about Hollywood’s beautiful people “starving themselves.” She said when she was broke and had no money, her refrigerator only had yogurt and Grape Nuts. Now that she’s a successful actress…her refrigerator only has yogurt and Grape Nuts. Actresses have to starve themselves to remain viable in Hollywood. Hunger would definitely be a downside of fame.
One of the most endearing things I love about Patricia was that she’s deeply spiritual. She “gets” the mind/body/soul connection. She attends church regularly. She has gone on missions to help those less fortunate.
Here’s a new concept for you…Extreme Self Care. Cheryl Richardson, a New York Times best-selling author of books like Take Time For Your Life, Life Makeovers, Stand Up For Your Life, etc., (perhaps you recognize her from her numerous Oprah visits), is challenging us to a new concept, and it’s Extreme Self Care.
The trappings many of us fall into, especially women, is the caring and nurturing of everyone around us while we tend to let ourselves fall apart from lack of care. Cheryl’s book, The Art of Extreme Self Care is a guide that helps you transform your life one month at a time. In essence, it pulls you out of your own body and forces you to look at yourself from 1000 feet.
A chapter that hit home with me was the Absolute No List. See if you can relate….here are a few of Cheryl’s Absolute Nos from her list:
MY ABSOLUTE NO LIST: I NO LONGER:
*Jump out of bed in the morning. I give myself the time and space I need to start the day in a serene and relaxed state.
* Keep anything in my home that I don’t love or need.
* Tolerate or participate in gossip.
* Go to work when I’m sick.
* Invest time in relationships that aren’t aligned with who I am and who I want to be.
* Keep clothes I hope to fit into “someday.”
* Throw away anything that can be recycled.
* Get caught up in other people’s drama.
* Eat when I’m not hungry.
It’s statements like these that get your mind moving in the right direction. Decide what’s on your ABSOLUTE NOlist and stick to it. Not only is it empowering, but it brings an ultra-sense of calm and relaxation to your mind.
Posted 4 months, 4 weeks ago at 6:54 am. 3 comments
Seriously, how much fun can you have in one night? Smart Talk Connected Conversations brought Ann Compton to town last night and she nailed it! Literally, from the opening paragraph into her speech, I was captivated…we were all captivated. Ann has so many interesting stories, you could just talk to her for hours. And you can see by the pictures, she’s completely down to earth and sincere.
Ann has covered seven presidents for ABC News in a career that has taken her to the White House and Capital Hill. She is the national correspondent for ABC News Radio, based in Washington, D.C.
It’s overtly obvious that she’s an excellent speaker. She’s dynamic and she captures the audience instantly. Below are some notes I took during her speech. Everything she said was so interesting, I could barely take notes fast enough.
* She was the only broadcast reporter allowed to remain on board Air Force One during the dramatic hours when President Bush was unable to return to Washington.
* The Dalai Lama told President Obama that we needed for female leaders! (ed. note: Team Dalai Lama!)
* President Bush emailed her yesterday. He’s working on a book.
* Thanks to Google Map, she learned Bill Ayres …yes, this Bill Ayres, lives in her childhood home in Chicago.
* On Air Force One, everything, everything, has the Presidential Seal, from the seat belts, the drinking glasses to the razors in the bathroom.
* On 09/11, Air Force One landed in Louisiana …because they were out of gas, and only for that reason.
* The infamous potatoe/potato blunder made by Dan Quayle was, in part, not his fault. It was an error made by a teacher on a flash card that he was reading.
* The biggest news source right now…it’s YouTube, believe it or not.
* Ann’s only lukewarm on the notion of social media. She thinks it’s the dumbing-down of news, and at times, grossly inaccurate.
* On August 6, 1990, president George H. W. Bush sent her an apology note (on presidential stationary) saying he was sorry for being too snippy with her in an interview. He signed it with a smiley face!
* “Social media is fraught with error and bad judgement.”
* One of her favorite websites is the DrudgeReport.com.
* Ann still sees the good in on the spot reporting, however. For instance, reporters were not allowed to view Saddam Hussein being put to death. The reason we saw those images thereafter was due to camera phones of those who witnessed it.
* Ronald Regan threw great cocktail parties for the press.
* Ronald Regan called Ann in the hospital the day her daughter was born to send warm wishes. (Wow!)
* The speech writer for Obama is (surprisingly) only 27 years old.
* Ann goes directly to the White House every day for work, not ABC offices.
* Ann was offered a job her senior year of college. She says she has never applied for a job in her life.
* Jimmy Carter once referred to Ann as “the reporter with the large diamond ring.”
* Ann is married to Dr. William Hughes, and has four kids.
* Her children are the following: A doctor, a lawyer, a software designer, and a budding media exec.
* She was with president bush at the elementary school when 09/11 went down.
* She first sat down and cried about 09/11 when she got back and checked her email. The first email was from her son, stating his fraternity brother was on the 93rd floor of the World Trade Center.
Ann is truly an inspiration to all career girls, and women in general. She’s a fearless female leader who has earned her place at the top.
