Today we’d like to introduce you to Mignon Young.
Hi, Mignon; thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
Naturally Mignon is an online CBD brand I started in 2019 in Round Rock, Texas. I founded the company with all-natural CBD skincare products and tinctures. Today, I not only sell Naturally Mignon CBD products but hemp-derived THC products as well. I have three sons and have always been attentive to ingredients from skin lotion to food. People are far more attentive to what’s in the ingredient list than they used to be. I took that experience to heart when it came time to create products for my naturallymignon.com customers. When I started the company, my three sons were out of the house, and my husband traveled a lot for work. That gave me time to focus on Naturally Mignon and develop and test products. It also allowed me to jumpstart with a new career in my 50s. In my previous life (pre-kids), I was an executive at a staffing company. I loved the job and traveled all over the country, but once my sons were born, I stepped back from a working career to be a full-time mom. I am a female business owner, and I’m proud of that, but I’ve learned when it comes to customers, it’s about trust, product, and delivery. I’ve called Central Texas home for 40 years. The living is good and a great place to start a business!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Naturally Mignon has not been on a smooth road, and like most businesses, it has been struggling. One of the biggest struggles of this one woman business was learning to run the business. Even with a bookkeeper, accounting was a struggle to learn. Developing products, designing, and selling comes naturally to me, but running accounting software does not. Learning all the backend aspects of running a small business took me a while. Learning county taxes, sales taxes, licenses, laws, etc, took a while. As a small business owner, you do everything, from running the website to maintaining the balance sheet. There are other obstacles for cannabis businesses like mine. Many vendors won’t work with cannabis-based companies; they charge a premium if they do. Most credit card processors won’t work with cannabis-based businesses. CBD and hemp products are banned from advertising on the most prominent platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. These obstacles force you to find new tactics and get good at what’s available.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So, as a small business owner, as expected, I wear many hats, and it’s vital to be able to pivot and adapt when the situation calls for it. While I am involved in all aspects of Naturally Mignon, my primary role is sales. Initially, we introduced our products through farmers’ markets, pop-up events, and attending wholesale markets at the Dallas Market Center. It was initially great to start growing our business, and we developed amazing customers (retail and wholesale), but our ultimate goal has always been to be an online store.
We decided to re-evaluate our strategy and introduce other brands to our site. Adding these new brands and vendors has been a game changer for introducing new customers to our Naturally Mignon brand. I am fortunate to have a business partner who is the brains behind our website, creating compelling content and driving visitors. We are also makers and spend much time formulating and packaging our products. My partner and I are constantly analyzing the following product we will introduce. Our newest product, Mignon’s Mad Red Honey, has done spectacularly. One of my favorite products to make is our most unique product, CBD Lotion Candles. They are amazing candles that promote relaxation and double as moisturizers/massage oils.
Much of my time now is spent focusing on how we can grow new customers and expand our wholesale business. We have several unique retailers nationwide and have recently made the next big step by getting our products into an Austin distributor. We look forward to bringing our products to more distributors nationwide very soon.
What makes you happy?
So many things bring me happiness, but personally, first and foremost is my family. My husband Dave and I will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary this fall. As in all marriages, it has its ups and downs, but there is no one I would rather spend all my days with than the one person who gets me and supports all I do. Our sons have brought me so much joy, and I love their differences and the incredible men they have become. Becoming an empty nester would be challenging, but it’s been fantastic. My husband and I have our time together again, but I never knew how much I would enjoy my adult relationships with our sons. Professionally, I get so much fulfillment when what I have to offer is something that helps others. I have had a career in sales, and it has always been about providing solutions or helping others. Our customers’ feedback on how our products impact them makes my day every time!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://naturallymignon.com
- Instagram: naturallymignonpremiumcbd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturallymignon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@naturallymignon
- Other: @migshytx
