Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Parry.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Elizabeth. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My first profession and educational background is Interior Design. I’m a second-generation designer. Growing up in the business, it just comes naturally. I’ve owned my firm Elizabeth Parry Designs (formerly Elizabeth Koval Designs) since 2002.
I launched another business, Parry Botanicals natural skincare and beauty, in 2015. It was a long time in the making. I have significant allergies and autoimmune issues so when I couldn’t find a natural, non-toxic, anti-aging product that worked, I created my own.
I became increasingly passionate about my cause when giving birth to our son at 40. I began evaluating everything I put in and on my body. It was then, I realized just how many potentially dangerous ingredients were lurking in my cabinets. It was truly shocking!
I began researching a lot. I’ve lost friends and family members to cancer and it seems every week someone I know or someone they’re related to receives a diagnosis. We can’t avoid chemicals, but we can make better choices to reduce harmful toxins from our lives. The perfume in most mainstream products isn’t from flowers. They are lab created chemicals. When you keep adding chemical upon chemical, your toxic burden becomes very high. That is what happened to me. I got sick, I changed all aspects of my life, started questioning EVERY product and I started getting better.
I recall early on, many people would open a product and smell it. Then say ‘but it has no smell, you should add fragrance’. I refused and still do because I personally have adverse reactions to most scented products. If I walk behind someone who’s wearing perfume, strong hairspray, smoking or if their clothes have been washed in a product such as Tide, my body begins an allergic reaction. I know I am not the only one with chemical sensitivities. This is a serious condition that is life-threatening for some, so I wanted to make a product the nearly anyone could use, even babies.
My design business has been built by word of mouth and the Houston community has been amazing. As for my product line, Houstonian’s love to hear about one of their own having a valuable product. We’ve been fortunate to have amazing retailers and repeat customers world-wide.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, there have been plenty of days I’ve questioned, BUT then I receive little love notes from our customers about helping a 5-year-old going through radiation for cancer, a burn victim, a baby with severe eczema, an adult with autoimmune problem skin so severe they are on chemotherapy drugs, people with allergy issues like me or just someone thankful for a safer, healthier way to prevent aging, then it’s all worth it!
There are always struggles, I call those ‘learning experiences’. When you start something new, there are often kinks along the way. I’ve learned a lot from freight companies, printers, etc.
My advice it that if you are truly passionate about something, go for it! Do at least one thing every single day to move in the direction you want to go. Live your life purposefully, authentically and with intention. There will be really great days and really hard days. Ask questions, look and listen for the answers. You can make a difference if you set your mind to it. Keep learning, always.
We’d love to hear more about Parry Botanicals all natural beauty and skincare.
I’ve has always had a love of quality beauty products. In early two thousand, my passion flourished when I created my first product in my very own kitchen with my KitchenAid mixer. It was a sugar body scrub. I thought, ‘hey, I can make that’. Years later, I decided to make a difference when I was diagnosed with significant allergies. It was at this time, I began working with chemists to develop a product line made from the highest quality ingredients that were so pure and healthy, even infants could use them.
My company’s mission is to offer products that make you feel good inside and out. Parry Botanicals is about healthy skin and body care you can trust. All our products are fragrance and dye free with no parabens, and no animal testing. We use only recyclable products that are environmentally friendly. In our skincare, you will find the purest forms of vitamin E and vitamin A that fight free radicals, natural shea butter for superior moisture along with a long list of beneficial ingredients. We pride ourselves on delivering the healthiest healing skincare on the market. Once you try it, you’ll see and feel the Parry difference.
Our products are made with ZERO synthetic chemicals, dyes, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, fragrance, mineral oil or fillers of any kind. Additionally, we use NO artificial preservatives.
We offer everyday skincare for all skin types. By using the highest concentration of pure botanical extracts, Parry Botanicals anti-aging products give superior results. We are chemotherapy and radiation safe, allergy safe, and offer quick relief for eczema and dermatitis. I am especially proud of helping others.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I personally feel women can do anything they set their minds to!
One of my favorite books is Women Don’t Ask. There are plenty of opportunities IF you seize them. I think women, in particular, are very good at juggling a lot of things at once. Many successful women manage families in addition to successful careers. In general, I think women give great attention to detail.
Personally, I don’t tolerate the ‘I can’ts’ very well. If you want something, go for it. If you don’t like the direction your headed, go in another direction.
I’m a private person, but I’d like to share a little personal background on why I feel so strongly about this.
I have a parent who has battled the disease of alcoholism for years. I had a difficult upbringing, but it also gave me many valuable tools I’ve used in my life and for that I am very grateful. In high school, my parents told me if I wanted to go to college, I should ‘join the military to put myself through school or find a way on my own’, so I did. I worked for 2-1/2 years at a minimum wage job until I saved enough. I went to school on loans and grants. I worked full time during my entire education while attending school at full-time status.
During college, my friends laughed at my ‘orange apron’ job at the end of my sophomore year. A family member suggested I get a job at Home Depot in the kitchen department because they would let me design instead of stocking samples in a designer’s resource room. This was great advice because they did let me design, meet with customers, get real experience. It also afforded me health insurance as well as stock options.
Though it was a good fit, after some time I took a paid internship with a small firm to get more valuable hands-on experience. When I felt there wasn’t much more I could learn from the position, I went back to my old employer and asked for a job. I will never forget this day or the man who was my boss. As we sat in his office, I told him how valuable I could be to him if I came back to work for him. I clearly remember him pausing for a moment, leaning back in his chair, kicking his feet up crossed on his desk with his hands behind his head saying, ‘now why would I pay you that, what you’re asking for is more than what that department manager makes’. My reply was, now I have more experience, more knowledge, more education, I am president of three design organizations at my college and founder of one plus I can start once I give my two weeks’ notice and you don’t have to train me. Guess what, I walked out with that job for exactly the amount I asked for.
Upon graduating, I worked for a prestigious firm for two years, exactly the amount of time needed to qualify for my licensing exam. When that employer did not feel I was worth the raise I asked for, I resigned. That is when I started my first official business. It was 2002, right after the unfortunate disaster of 911. My parents said I was crazy, that it was a terrible time to start a business. I did it anyway and never looked back. I set business goals and my accountant was shocked when I tripled my earnings the first month.
My point in all of this is if you want something bad enough, you can do it IF you work for it. If you have enough drive and determination, you can do anything! It does not matter if you are a man or woman or anything other than seizing the opportunity of your choosing. Know your worth, respect yourself, empower yourself and others.
Pricing:
- 2 oz. Restorative Cream $45
- 4 oz. Body Lotion $32
- 8 oz. Pure Botanical Lotion $36
- 6 oz. Botanical Cleanser $35
- 4 oz. Hydrostorative Face Cream with plumping hyaluronic acid $60
- 2 oz. Vitamin C Serum with hyaluronic acid $65
- Mineral Lipgloss $28
- Mineral Lipstick $28
- Vitamin E stick $28
- Lip Pumice $28
- Organic Lip Balm $4
- 3-Piece Gift Set in teal and gold tassel makeup pouch (full-size product) $100
- 7-Piece Gift Set in box (best value-full size product) $250
Contact Info:
- Website: www.parrybotanicals.com
- Phone: 713-443-3953
- Email: info@parrybotanicals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parrybotanicals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Parrybotanicals/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/parrybotanicals
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHbPx3KCVl5dwY1RPVCM8Q
Image Credit:
Kerry Kirk Photography, Victoria Garcia Photography
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