A Business Built on Hope

Growing up I’d tag along with my dad to visit the family business. Johnson’s General Stores has been around since 1915. My little girl self didn’t understand the business of stopping by one of the convenient stores. All I had my eye on was a Coke Icee. To which my dad would explain, “Brooke, we have to pay for the Icee even though it’s my store.”

My little girl self was more confused by this. Was my dad worried other customers would assume we were stealing? Did he not want them to think we were better than them, just waltzing in and demanding all the Icees a girl could dream of without a care in the world? Whatever the case, I know it was a clear conscious business decision.

As I grew up, people would ask me. “So Brooke, are you planning on working for your dad?” or “Do you think you’ll take over the business someday? Become the VP of Johnson’s?” Laughter ensued pretty quickly from my end of the conversation.

Me, a businesswoman? No, no. You must be mistaken. My contributions to the family business consist of cleaning offices, filing paperwork, and occasionally stocking weird flavors of fad Mt. Dews in a store’s fridge. I’m not a salesperson. I’m not money minded or good with numbers.

Fast forward almost 100 years from when my great-great-grandfather started a Johnson’s Grocery Store, here I am starting a business venture of my own.

Wait, what?

I know, I know. From cleaning offices to starting a small business in sales. You’re confused, right? Me too. I’m not sure what I’m doing either.

Here I am. Me and Beautycounter! A match made in Heaven. Beautycounter is a company committed to leading the way in safer skin care and cleaner cosmetics for all. It’s become a passion of mine to introduce my community to cleaner safer products for them and their family.

It all started a year and a half ago with a foot injury. The nerves in my foot flared up so bad I could barely walk. I guessed it was a running injury but it wasn’t going away. For weeks I felt this tingly sensation in my left foot randomly. It started to snake up the outside of my leg. My mind went crazy! Was this the first sign of Multiple Sclerosis? My mom’s MS had started in a similar way. I did the thing everyone tells you not to do. I searched the internet.

One article after another telling me possible warning signs of MS. One article after another telling me different possible causes of MS. In the end, I wound up right where I started. Not knowing anything concrete. MS uniquely shows signs and develops in such different ways for people. It’s still so mysterious. Many studies have tried to pinpoint its root cause and they can’t. They try to find the magic drug to cure it and they fall very short, ending up with helpful drugs for only certain types of MS. I have no doubt, one day, they’ll get more answers.

In all of this head-spinning research, I had been eyeing my first Beautycounter purchase: The Flawless in Five makeup set. I’d been asking questions to my friend Priscila about the products. I wound up researching the company and their mission to change the beauty industry, which hasn’t truly been revamped since 1938. My first purchase of makeup sent me on a whole new journey of learning about so much more than lipstick.

I started learning more about how the body works: environmental factors, hormone disruptors, hormone cycles, different foods my body needs for fuel, movement that helps my body at different phases of this cycle. How all of this impacts my mind and emotions. The list goes on. All in all, I started learning how to take better care of myself as a whole.

After years of living in trauma and fear, the tides were changing. The trauma of watching a disease steal my mom’s ability to run, walk, talk, cook, bake, and hug her family, it changed me. The fear of always questioning, “Do I have the MS gene lying dormant in me? Will it be triggered by my environment?” Answer: no one knows. Maybe. I might have a debilitating disease diagnosis someday. If I do, I’ve learned from my momma how to still live life with a beautiful smile and laughter. Honestly, I’m done living under those questions.

This business venture may have roots in fear. I know that fear doesn’t have to control me.

Instead, my business was born out of hope. A simple Flawless in Five set doesn’t cure anything.

However, it sent me down a path of action. Action to help my community learn about taking bettercare of themselves and their families. Action to help get safer cleaner products into their homes and hands. Action to be part of a movement working towards better beauty laws in our country. Beautycounter helps me do all of that!

I still might not be the best salesperson, or most numbers minded business savvy woman. I’m not cutthroat and competitive. You won’t find me wearing a T-shirt declaring me a boss lady, boss babe, or girl boss. You just won’t.

However, you will find me learning, growing. I’m daring to brave the world of business because it’s worth it! I’ve learned from my family roots, business is one way to better serve my community. So, if you’ve wondered why I keep talking about Beautycounter. Or why I’m telling you about my skincare regimen when all you did was compliment my glowing skin. Or why I tag Beautycounter in my Instagram story about lipstick bringing compliments on a mundane Monday…you get the picture. I keep talking about Beautycounter because I’ve loved how it helps me take better care of myself. It’s one actionable gift that helps set me free from fear.

If you’re remotely curious about this cleaner living thing people keep talking about, or in the market to make a cleaner safer swap for just one product on your shelf, or maybe you want to help change our country’s beauty industry…

I’d love to help! Let’s talk.

Pics via Johnson’s General Store, Beautycounter, & Bnoelleliving