Here’s a sneak peek at our new line at Supernatural Botanicals, Farmers Market Collection. Our new Farmers Market Collection soaps and lotions will be introduced this week on the website. Featured: Sun-Ripened Strawberry, Savannah Peach, The Irishman (for our new men’s line), Raspberry Lemonade, and Yuzu. They are so yummy! Stay tuned…you’ll love this!
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.”
Some of her favorite blog posts include:
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.”
Visit Cincy Chic for the article.
PHOTO CREDITS
Photographer: Neysa Ruhl
Model: Robin Feltner
Location: Lofts@4120
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.
The following is from the SoapboxMedia website.
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
There’s no hiding Tony Bourdain’s dislike (or disgust) for Sandra Lee. The Semi-Homemade queen does not rank highly amongst chefs or even the foodies of the world. A particular episode of Sandra’s that made Tony’s eye twitch was the Kwanzaa cake episode. In fact, he was so sure we’d agree with his thoughts that he told us to go home and You Tube Sandra Lee’s Kwanzaa cake. Watch for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
Tony’s near sold-out F-bomb laiden show in Cincinnati had all of us in stitches all night. He received as many laughs as a comedian. Tony is an incredible story-teller and one who isn’t afraid to share his thoughts on Food Network personalities, i.e., he thinks Guy Fieri, at the age of 45, needs to take the glasses off the back of his head and thinks Giada has an abnormally large head.
The audience in Cincinnati was filled with some of our most prominent chefs, foodies, bloggers and all-around interesting people in Cincinnati. Tony opened the floor to questions, and it was amazing to see so many well-traveled Cincinnatians all in one place.
Tony is welcome to our city any day…even if he made fun of our cinnamon-laced chili. I have a feeling Cincinnatian’s would welcome him with open arms and another sold out venue.
Delicious herbs from our Supernatural Garden. Fresh chives, Rosemary, Dill and peppers. They are so easy to grow, and there is always an abundance of fresh herbs from the garden. Not only are they fab for adding kick to your meals, but there are multiple at home spa recipes you can try to even use more of your herbs. Brilliant!
Today is the last day to sign up for free tickets to see Tony Bourdain in Cincinnati on June 27th. For your chance to win, ENTER HERE! Good luck!
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.
Have serious love for Tony Bourdain? …of course you do, we all do! He’s the epitome of cool, yet hot! You know this boy has some stories to tell..and I want to hear them.
So, I promised you a chance to win tickets, and here’s your chance. Just leave a comment (see comment section below) and let me know what you love about Tony. A commenter will be chosen at random to win two tickets to An Evening with Tony Bourdain in Cincinnati, June 27th at the Aronoff. Good luck!
UPDATE: Congratulations to Loki of Cincy Voices. You won!
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No Reservations: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain
Aronoff Center • Sunday, June 27th • 7:30pm
- Bourdain’s new book Medium Raw to be released June 8th -
Anthony Bourdain, the internationally acclaimed chef, author, and host of Travel Channel’s “No Reservations,” has been dubbed “the bad boy of cuisine” for his rock star looks and blunt observations about the world of restaurants, chefs, and cooking. He will be appearing at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall on Sunday, June 27th at 7:30pm. Tickets are $36.50 and $46.50 and can be purchased at the Aronoff Center Ticket Office, by phone at (513) 621-ARTS or online at CincinnatiArts.org. A limited
number of VIP tickets have sold-out. Tickets are on-sale now. Bourdain, the executive chef at New York’s famed bistro Les Halles, is the author of the bestselling Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, a candid, hysterical and sometimes shocking portrait of his life in restaurant kitchens that has been translated into over 28 languages. His new book, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, will be released on June 8th. Medium Raw pulls back the curtain on all of the big-time personalities of the modern gastronomical revolution – as only Bourdain can. A contributing authority for Food Arts magazine, his work as appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and Gourmet. He has shared his insights about team building and crisis management with the Harvard Business Review. “No Reservations,” nominated for an Emmy Award and widely popular all over the world, is currently in its fifth season, Bourdain continues to travel to the farthest reaches of the globe, exploring destinations from rural Laos to New Orleans.
For photos, interviews, & additional information, contact Justin at 518.884.2960 or justin@millsentertainment.com.
So it’s May here in Cincinnati, otherwise known as zone 6, and everything in my garden and yard is starting to bloom. It’s such a beautiful time of the year when plants are such a beautiful spring-green. The rain has been good this season, thus far. Here’s what’s happening in my yard. Having luck in your yard this year?
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Cilantro. This gorgeous cilantro has taken root and is spreading quickly. Good thing, because I’ll need at least a cup of this cilantro this evening for a homemade salsa I’m making. It makes salsa and Pico de Gallo come to life with freshness.
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Parsley. I haven’t had a chance to plant this outside yet as I’ve only had it a few days, but it looks great sitting in my kitchen windowsill. I’d let it grow there all season, but I want it to expand. I’m going to need a lot more than this to make Italian dishes all summer long.
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Annabelle Hydrangeas. These will definitely be the sweetheart of my yard when they are in bloom. They produce enormous white flowers that are between 8-12″ wide! They also produce lots of flowers. Perfect if you like having vases of flowers around your house (like I do.)
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Backyard. The perfect place to be. I love it here. I don’t like that all the grass is worn off under the tire swing, but you try keeping 17 neighbor kids out of your yard. I surrendered. They have fun, so what’s a little rough spot in your lawn at the end of the day? There are bigger fish to fry than that.
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Flowering Cherry Blossom Tree. I planted this about a month ago. It accepted its chosen location very well, but I am concerned about some of the leaves…note the top right leaf has tiny holes in it, which appears to be from pests. I will spray it with organic pest killer this weekend.
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Dwarf Anjou Pear Tree. Another freshly planted tree, about a month into the ground. I cannot wait for fresh fruit!
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Dwarf Granny Smith Apple Tree. Planted about a month ago, it’s doing a great job of getting rooted in place. The fruit trees will be treated organically, of course.
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Dwarf Granny Smith Apple Tree. Up until about four days ago, I thought this tree was dead. It has been in the ground for over a month without even a sign of life. Luckily, I waited before I decided to pull it out of the ground. Four days ago, I noticed these little stubs. It’s a beautiful thing!
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Inside of composter. Okay, brace yourself on this one. This is the inside of my composter. You’ll find things like a huge tree root system, coffee grounds, celery, salad, leaves, etc. This will take almost a year to break down and turn into soil. But think of the organic material I’ll have for next year, and all the garbage I’ll be saving from the landfills.
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Earth Machine Composter. This is the what the composter looks like, tucked back into the corner of my yard. It blends right in behind a pine tree. Best of all, I’m helping save the Earth. Love that!
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Bartlett Pear Tree. It won’t produce fruit this year, but when it does…yum! Nothing like eating fruit right from the tree when it’s still warm from the sun.
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Rows of lettuces. This is new this year, a raised vegetable bed. These were all planted this past Saturday from seed, and I took these pictures on Thursday evening. Less than seven days, and they are sprouting already.
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Raised vegetable bed. I’m so excited to add this bed to my yard this year. Because my yard is filled with bunnies and squirrels, growing veggies on the ground in the traditional method is pure hassle. A raised bed is a great way to keep out pests , to assure your soil is completely organic, and it spares your back when bending over when gardening. I have rows of designer lettuces, spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes in this bed.
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Stargazer lilies. These were planted as bulbs, and have been in the ground for about five weeks now. These will produce sensational Stargazer lilies throughout the summer. Perfect for cutting and putting in vases around the house. Gorgeous in bouquets. Each stem will produce at least a half dozen huge flowers.
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Rosemary. Rosemary just screams “put me on some roasted potatoes!” This herb will spread out and become a wonderful addition to my Mediterranean meals I make this summer.
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Garden Salsa Peppers. The first peppers are emerging from the baby flower pods. Last year my garden salsa pepper plant produced tons of peppers. If they keep on producing abundantly, I have no problems making salsa every weekend! Bring it!
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Dill. Okay, so she’s not prettiest girl at the dance. Dill is not a very attractive herb. It grows eratically and in awkward shapes. But, there’s nothing like fresh dill. It’s superb in dips, in salads, on seafood, and on my infamous cucumber sandwiches. Delicious when you mix it with lettuces in your salad.
