Today we’d like to introduce you to Phyllis Otto.
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
I have scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that can cause tight and dry skin. Keeping the skin moist and well lubricated is important to avoid complications. My skin is dry, I wanted to use something (non-prescriptive) I felt safe enough for my skin, convenient enough to make any time I needed, and affordable enough to continue to make. I find it interesting to concoct recipes using ingredients from my kitchen cabinet and seeing results. It is amazing to know that something as simple as brown sugar and honey is good for exfoliating and moisturizing or baking soda and coconut oil to help with an even skin tone. Another symptom of scleroderma I suffer from are reddish brown patches on my face, as well as very dry hands and cuticles. While nothing will rid me of these issues, mixing baking soda and coconut oil seem to give me a surprisingly even tone, while butters and carrier oils help with dryness. I tried some of my recipes on family and friends and got great feedback. I thought I could earn extra money by selling my product (body scrubs) at events which proved this could turn into a viable business.
My dream is to own a shop filled with nothing but handmade bath and body products for men and women. With the extreme expensive of retail space, I was fortunate enough to get a space in an incubator in DeSoto, Texas made up of retail space and eateries. I am using this time to build a customer base and by the time I retire, I am hoping to open my own brick and mortar.
Products that include natural ingredients such as fruit and herbs are important to me in preserving the overall health of my skin. In addition, I have never been a fan of a heavily made up face but prefer sporting a more natural look. I find regular exfoliating a good skin care regime for removing the barrier of dead skin cells clogging the skin that uncover fresh new cells underneath. This allows moisturizing products to penetrate more deeply, which makes exfoliating more effective. In short, a regular exfoliating routine will leave your skin looking fresh and healthy.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way
Owning a business is very hard work, especially when you are working full time. You are continuously creating ways to improve your product and adding to your product line. You exhaust ideas on how to turn your product or service into a brand. I think my biggest obstacle is realizing there is more to entrepreneurship than perfecting the product or service; there is the creative side and the business side, i.e. marketing and promotion, know your target audience, financials, business plan, being an effective spokesperson, etc.
Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
Eclectics is a small business that hand make bath and body products. We specialize in body scrubs and our target audience are mature women; other products include but are not limited to bath salts, milk baths, foot scrubs, shower bombs and more. We have launched our men’s line which include beard oils and butters.
When you smell the products, I want you to get a since of being in your mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen. Meals our mothers prepared for the family were wholesome and made from scratch. Perhaps your family grew their own garden of fruit, herbs and vegetables, providing healthier not to mention economic advantages for preparing meals. I have adopted the same concept using basil, mint, aloe vera and other garden grown ingredients in my scrubs.
I think what I am most proud of is taking the initiative to put myself out there; you will not know the outcome until you try. Do not let age deter you from your dreams, make it a reality.
What sets Eclectics apart is our focus on mature dry skin; older women and men should embrace any stage in life and take good care of themselves inside and out.
If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
I must admit I wish I had started earlier, who know where I would be at this point. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least about our city?
I love the south; it is something “easy like Sunday morning” about it. Dallas is on the rise of becoming a city of commerce, cultural and diversity. I have lived here all of my life and could not imagine living in any other part of the country. Although a large city, you are only 20 minutes away from rural living south of Dallas. The Dallas landscape is made up of trees and rolling hilled streets of Oak Cliff as well as the flat plains of North Dallas.
What I least like about Dallas are the brutal summers.
Contact Info:
- Address: Grow DeSoto Market Place, Suite 703
324 E Beltline Rd. DeSoto, Texas - Website: https://eclectics83.wixsite.com/eclectics
- Phone: 214-303-0896
- Email: eclectics83@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eclectics83/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eclecticsscrubs
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
