Interview with Kelley Maddison, Licensed Esthetician and Owner/Formulator of PRIIA Cosmetics

Tell us about your business:
PRIIA™ Cosmetics, located in Northeastern Pennsylvania, offers a complete line of exclusive handcrafted mineral makeup and natural skin care made with the highest artisan quality to compliment different ethnicities, lifestyles and age groups. Our target consumers are women who are looking for a natural and healthy alternative to traditional, chemical-laden cosmetics.  PRIIA’s cruelty-free cosmetic products will work on all skin types, but are especially beneficial to those dealing with mild to moderate acne and other problematic skin challenges such as rosacea.
Please tell us what being a business owner means to you and why you became an entrepreneur in the first place? Being a business owner is the greatest gift I could have ever given myself and my family.  It means having the freedom to come and go as I please and work my business around MY life instead of the other way around.  It’s an amazing outlet to let my creativity flow and let the ‘control freak’ in me have her way!  I became an entrepreneur because I was tired of Corporate America dictating my life.  I felt confined and knew I needed to make a drastic change.  Opening my business was a risky proposition but I have never looked back; I only forge ahead and keep setting new goals for my business.

What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why? 
The greatest influence in business has been my business coach, Donna Maria Coles Johnson, President of the Indie Beauty Network.  Donna Maria encouraged me to follow my dreams and even more importantly helped me create a rock-solid plan for accomplishing them.  Her wisdom and guidance have been indispensable!   She helped me find the confidence to pursue my goals and gave me the direction I needed to be successful.

What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date? 
My greatest professional accomplishment to date was obtaining my esthetics license.  It was really hard because I was working full-time plus I’m a wife and mother.  There were moments I didn’t think I could handle everything.  Finding balance was really difficult at times.  However, I knew what I wanted.  I kept my ‘eyes on the prize’.  I graduated and then went on to open a successful skin care practice which eventually led me to opening PRIIA Cosmetics.

What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers? 
The best advice I have ever received in business is to keep working on your business even when times are tough and you feel like throwing in the towel.  If I had given into any ‘stinkin’ thinkin’ thoughts I had, I’d never be where I am today. 

What one thing have you learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years? 
As a small business owner, the one thing that has served me well is giving the customer MORE than they expected and going above and beyond ordinary customer service.  My businesses all have been built on ‘word of mouth’ marketing.  It’s priceless- no ad or marketing campaign can ever compete with that.
 
Are there any resources or tools you’d like to share with other small business owners that have helped you succeed? 
One of the best tools I feel ALL small business owners should have is a blog.  My business coach, Donna Maria, encouraged me start my blog BEFORE my business was even launched!  I’m so glad I listened to her.  I had customers WAITING in line to buy products when I launched because of all the pre-marketing I did through my blog.  Another important tool for small businesses is the vast sources for social media.  My three favorites are Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn. 

What is Number One Business Goal you plan to accomplish over the next year? 
My number one business goal to accomplish over the next year is to triple my sales!  It’s a lofty goal but it’s definitely do-able because I say it is!  Where there’s a will…there’s a way!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? 
For anyone considering starting a business, I highly recommend getting a business coach.  They really help small business owners set, and more importantly, achieve their goals.  I really attribute a lot of my success in business to having a coach.

How can our readers find you online? 

http://www.priia.com – web site

http://www.priia.typepad.com – blog

http://www.twitter.com/priiacosmetics Twitter

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/kelley/maddison ~ LinkedIn

http://tinyurl.com/qphnps FaceBook