Life & Work with Sylvia Jimenez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sylvia Jimenez.

Hi Sylvia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Whew! It has been a long journey consisting of endless rabbit holes. In 2007 my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer. At the time, I worked as a server and manager in training. My parents, daughter and me decided to move in together. I became my Mother’s care-giver and chaperone for all her doctor’s appointments.

I quickly realized that I would need to cut my working hours back in order to attend the doctor’s visits and take care of my daughter after school. The doctor visits included 8hr chemo days, a nutritionist, radiation therapy, and a gastroenterologist just to name a few. It was scary. Chemo and radiation was not only aiding in my Mother’s healing it was also making her sick and weak. Out of the plethora of doctor visits, I enjoyed seeing the nutritionist most. It was the one appointment I truly understood the information being given to us. It made the most sense. The nutritionist not only provided us facts on healing foods but also on hair and skincare products. Seeing the nutritionist felt like class, each week we would learn something new or discuss my Mother’s side effects of her treatment. The appointment that pushed me towards my current adventure was about reading product and food labels. Oof! The amount of ingredients I was unable to pronounce was terrifying. I would look those ingredients up and quickly learn how gross it was to eat or use the product. Naturally, I began researching more information about those mystery ingredients and their harmful side effects. This led me to researching household products such as laundry detergents. With my workload scaled back, I had to fill my time doing something, so why not research this awful disease that my Mother was battling and how I could help? Upon researching, I found myself falling into one rabbit hole after another. One of those rabbit holes landed me on WordPress, a blogging site. This is where I found a tutorial on how to make your own laundry detergent.

Immediately I went out to purchase the ingredients and made my first batch. I can recall being completely in shock at the total amount of laundry detergent such few ingredients produced. Not to mention the abundance of remaining leftover ingredients. It was insane. Of course, I washed my first load of laundry and I was satisfied but not impressed. I went back to the kitchen and made another batch with some modifications, and I continued to do this until I finally found my perfect combination. When I finally got out of the mad scientist role, I realized I had several gallons of powder and liquid detergent surrounding me. I have never been one to waste things, if I know I will not be able to repurpose something I will give it away to a friend or neighbor. Luckily for my neighbors, I had a huge assortment of detergents to gift them. I felt so grateful when they expressed their gratitude, especially knowing I provided them with a natural and skin-friendly product. My next curiosity was, what else can I make in abundance? How can I continue to help my Mother heal and share it with my friends? The nutritionist instructed me to move away from the Crisco oil that my Mother had cooked with all her life and look into healthy fatty oils. Again I found myself in rabbit holes except this time it was about oils. I had no idea the variety of oils that were readily available to me. Growing up, I ate a lot of canned and boxed meals. When it wasn’t hamburger helper and canned green beans, it would be fried chicken and canned corn. So, the need for any other oil except Crisco wasn’t essential. As I learned how to cook with fresh ingredients and healthy oils, I was also learning the amazing skin benefits of using oils on your skin and hair.

As I was researching the benefits of oils as a topical I discovered body butters. The rabbit hole continued for several years through occupational transitions plus moving to an entirely new city. Once I moved to Austin, my primary focus was finding a job. I eventually landed my permanent job as the tasting room manager for Hye Rum. The more I researched and utilized YouTube tutorial videos for products such as moisturizers and lip balms my curiosity grew. I experimented making different body products and continued to share them with family and friends. My biggest goal for my products is to use a minimal amount of quality ingredients and eliminate mystery ingredients. My lip balm was instantly a hit. I couldn’t believe it. My friends were offering to purchase my lip balm for their family and friends. Among the friends I gifted my lip balm to was also my boss. To my complete surprise she was interested in purchasing a bulk quantity for resale in our gift shop. Let me be real, I was ecstatic to have my product being sold in the gift shop. My lip balm would be going to complete strangers, not family members or friends. This would allow me to communicate directly with customers regarding my products. I was eager to gain customer feedback. We sold out of lip balm within a few weeks. With my boss’s encouragement, I brought in more of my products for resale. My lip balm, sugar scrub and aftershave have been most popular. I’ve recently created a silky body moisturizer that I believe will be my signature product. I’m looking forward to putting this one on the shelves in the gift shop.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course, it hasn’t been a smooth road. Come on now, I started this journey in 2007 and it’s currently 2021. Money has been one of the biggest struggles. I have been a single mom to 2 amazing daughters most of my adult life. I moved myself and two daughters from DFW to Austin and created a new chapter. Moving expenses in addition to maintaining the financial aspect of my products proved extremely difficult. I kept my hustle game going though and the popularity of my products continued to grow amongst friends. The demand for my products has been both amazing and stressful. I am solely responsible for all aspects of my products. This means the making of the product, packaging, mailing, marketing, advertising and finances. It can sometimes feel overwhelming. To expedite my process for product turn-around I have dwindled down the advertising of my products. I redefined my best-selling products and focused on marketing these items. Going from an array of home, health and beauty products to 3 solid products. This has allowed me to gain returning customers plus the ability to make custom products for my valued clients.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am known for using five active natural ingredients in my products. However, there are times when more than five ingredients are required to achieve the quality that I am striving for. The goal is to use the purest ingredients possible when making my products. I have been extremely proud of the quality I produce. I continue to research topical oils and experiment in making new products. I have always believed that the best referral is word of mouth. When someone loves a product they will talk about it with the people they know. This means more to me than if someone made a blind purchase off a social media influencer’s sell. I believe my products are gifts of hydration and love. I pride myself in knowing that everything I make is with pure intention for the particular purchaser. Therefore, every time I make a product it is made to order.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Yes, while I believe in the word of mouth referral, a website is the best way to stay in production during a pandemic. Also, always keep back stock of all supplies. I have been waiting over three months for packaging materials. Never stop working and never be afraid to ask for help. Just like many of us, I have been battling with the lack of social interactions. Especially since no one is out living normal lives, the word of mouth referrals have dwindled down. This has caused me to be very depressed at times. I’ve found myself feeling hopeless with getting my business off the ground. I’ve had to push through that feeling of depression to continue growing my business. Just like many entrepreneurs, I have to keep my head high and focus on the positive. While the Covid-19 crisis has been brutal, I have also learned a great deal on a start-up business. I am eager to put the lessons learned into action and move forward with a knowledgeable plan.

Pricing:

• Lip Balm $3.50
• Creme de Lux moisturize $36
• Whipped Sugar Scrub $22
• Aftershave $24
• Bath Salt $18

Contact Info:

• Email: simplysylproducts@gmail.com
• Instagram: @thesimplesyl

Image Credits:
Products:  Leo Aguirre
Headshot: Stephanie Houston