Today we’d like to introduce you to Keenia Simmons.
Hi Keenia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the mother of one amazing 6-year-old boy and a wife to a handsome Black king. I have been working in the nonprofit industry as a marketing and development professional for 11 years. I would say working in nonprofit prepared me for the entrepreneurship. I’ve always had a passion for health and natural remedies. I ran a fitness blog (FitwithKeenia) for about seven years. It’s evolved into more of a lifestyle blog now but it definitely started seven years ago!
I started off working on things to correct my damaged skin. I suffered from hyper-pigmentation and I’m, admittedly, a stress picker. As my skin began to improve, I started getting requests from family and friends. Eventually, that led me to take a formulating class where I learned to formulate my own products to achieve the desired results. In June 2020, I officially applied for an LLC and launched Raeskin Essentials in February 2021.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road was rough initially but not for reasons most assume. Most of my struggles came from my own insecurities. I took the formulating class in 2019 so I was equipped. But then I had to come up with formulas that worked and that I would use myself. Next was making sure they were stable and so on. That all took about a year and half. In the process, I lost my mother in May 2019 unexpectedly and I just felt stuck for about a year due to trauma. So I took the first step to apply for the LLC in June 2020. However, it still took me about eight more months to officially launch because I was scared to jump in and invest.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a certified natural skincare formulator and a certified nonprofit professional. In my career, I have served as a leader in marketing and fundraising for many well-known nonprofit organizations. Currently, I am the State Corporate Relations Director for a well-known nonprofit who works with individuals with intellectual disabilities. I mostly work in the fundraising space to obtain high-level sponsorships, grants and create cause marketing campaigns. I’ve been in this field for more than ten years.
I’m most proud of my ability to help the underserved. Years ago when I worked in Houston, I worked with the low-income population in a food bank where I was the program director. It was so rewarding to put on events in the community where it was the most needed. In addition to food, I assisted and connected them with basic needs services mental health, job skills (vocational).
Personally, I don’t think I’m special. Lol. I just go where I’m needed and try to do the most good while I’m still here on earth. If I must answer with what sets me apart…I would say my ethic and passion for helping others and that translates to my work with Raeskin Essentials.
What matters most to you?
Family and time is everything to me. Being present to help my son and spend time with him when he is off during the summer or helping him with his school work and not being too busy working after hours for some company. Having the time to create my own schedule is valuable to me. Although now that I’m an entrepreneur, I’m learning that time management is even more essential! I get so lost in a day sometimes, lol.
Pricing:
- Prices of my products range from $20-150
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: raeskinessentials.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/raeskinessentials
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raeskinessentials
Image Credits
Aston Mejers
