As part of the Morning Lazziness series about empowering women who encourage and do incredible things with their ideas in society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Roberta Perry.
In 2005, Roberta Perry was 43 years old, but her skin felt two decades older—dry, itchy, and irritated. The turning point came when a droplet of blood fell onto a work document after she had scratched her elbow too hard. That moment sparked a mission to find relief. She discovered exfoliating products and began trying them—about 15 different brands in total. Like Goldilocks testing chairs, beds, and porridge, Roberta explored various options but found none that truly satisfied her. Determined to create a better solution, she began researching botanical oils and exfoliants, experimenting with combinations and testing batch after batch until she finally developed a formula she loved.
In 2006, with the support of her late sister Michelle, Roberta co-founded ScrubzBody Skin Care Products. While the brand sells handmade skincare crafted with skin-loving ingredients, what Roberta cherishes most is how the business empowers people with permission for self-love, self-care, and pampering. ScrubzBody serves loyal retail customers, select wholesale clients, and private-label partners. They also host fun, interactive “Make Your Own Scrub” parties for kids and adults at their store.
A standout moment for the brand was being featured as the highlighted business on the season one finale of Sell It Like Serhant on Bravo TV, hosted by Ryan Serhant of Bravo and Netflix fame.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur in the beauty industry, and what led to the creation of your brand or product line?
It was my journey of dry, cracked skin that had me trying dozens of different types of scrubs. After wincing from a salt scrub that went into a cut, I knew sugar was the way to go. Lots of trial, error, and research later, I had created a sugar scrub that made my skin feel incredibly soft and made my shower experience fun again.
As a woman navigating the beauty business world, what unique challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
When I first started, I had many naysayers, both from people in my world and others in the skincare space, because I did not have a professional esthetician license and had never started a retail/wholesale business before.
I decided to stop listening to everyone else and trust myself. I had experience in sales and some marketing, along with a set of skills that helped me figure things out as they came up. I also had my late sister, Michelle, by my side at sales events, which made the long hours and all the schlepping so much more fun.
The beauty industry can be both competitive and demanding—how do you maintain personal well-being while growing your brand?
I was lucky enough to start this with Michelle, and after she passed, my best friend from growing up, Wendy, came to work with me. By having so much trust in the people I work with, I was and can bounce ideas off without worry. I can vent. I can strategize, all in a safe space. Also, I have an incredible network of women in the space. We lift each other as opposed to being competitive. My business besties understand the demand and help me navigate all the good and the nonsensical. I also make sure to find time off.
Which networking strategies, communities, or collaborations have helped you build meaningful connections in the beauty space?
Indie Business Network is my go-to place for all things skincare/beauty and business. The mentor, Donna Maria, is so smart in her teaching to entrepreneurs like me how to do it better and with more intent. How to build an audience of loyal customers and a community around my brand. I have listened and learned for many years.
My smaller Chignon 7 business bestie group is a tight-knit group of women whom I met in the Indie big group, but we developed meaningful connections and relationships, so it has grown a life of its own.
How do you approach mentorship—both as a mentee and mentor—and how has it influenced your growth as a beauty entrepreneur?
I love both being mentored and mentoring. I am a strong proponent of sharing knowledge, as it only makes us stronger as business people. Because of this, I have given my private label customers information on how to grow a business and market anytime they ask. I even created a class to teach it all.
Being mentored gave me confidence and knowledge, and a chance to bounce ideas off of someone who had been there.
What strategies have worked best for gaining loyal customers and building trust in your beauty brand?
Hands down, the best way for us to gain loyal customers is to offer them the best possible customer service. My team and I go out of our way to make every experience personalized and special.
We listen to what our customers want and do our best to accommodate it. We offer loyalty specials like refills on the most popular products. We customize scents. But the best thing I can say about what we do is that we deliver on our promises and have done so since 2006.
Which marketing techniques (such as social media, influencer partnerships, content marketing, or events) have been most effective for your business, and how do you measure their success?
I tried but stopped using influencer connections, and I like to think of social media as my “hey, how are you, we are here doing this” type of interaction, and not much more. My clientele, overall, is more like 45-60, so I prefer the direct hello of email. I am very consistent and send them at least weekly. I have a series that welcomes people as soon as they sign up. I have a birthday and a loyalty flow. I segment and offer local events to the locals and more.
I donate to various events, wanting to put my product in multiple hands vs any type of digital or printed ad. I do the same thing with small sponsorships, like a yoga event or my local town having movie nights. It’s a perfect way to keep us front of mind more authentically.
Can you share a major setback or turning point in your beauty entrepreneurship journey, and how you navigated through it?
When I lost Michelle, I lost my sister, my best friend, and my business VP all at once. I know I was numb and going through the motions for at least a year, and I was counting on Wendy and my in-place systems to get me through the weeks. I couldn’t stay in the store she and I had built anymore, so I started looking for another space. I wanted and needed a project and a new, fresh start, so getting a new store was going to be it.
Farmingdale was exactly the town I was looking for, and moving here gave me what the business and I both needed. A fresh start and a new beginning. And I know Michelle is smiling at the beautiful party room space we built because the Make Your Own Scrubz Parties were her idea.
What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to women who are just starting their entrepreneurial journey in the beauty industry?
Find your people and cater to them effectively, with great products and/or services, of course, but most importantly, offering the best possible customer service you can muster. Find systems that work for you and continue to use them. Don’t be afraid to pivot. Find others whom you can rely on for good advice. Don’t give up when it’s not fun anymore. Creating is fun. Business is business. Make them work together, and the fun will come back.
Is there a quote, mantra, or philosophy that guides your decision-making and leadership as a beauty entrepreneur?
“Build your business around the life you want” was a quote by my mentor, Donna Maria, and I took it to heart. Small business entrepreneurship, let alone a retail store, can suck the life out of you, but not if you are intentional about taking time off. I have always made plenty of time for family, friends, and my own life, so I found a necessary balance that helped build a brand that keeps me excited.
Here is our signature question: “What Are The 5 Things You Need To Overcome Self-Doubt and Build Confidence?” (If possible, please share a story or example for each one.)
The 5 things are: Not being afraid to ask questions. I found a group of like-minded makers when I joined the Indie Business Network, so right away, I had excellent resources. Self-Love. It’s very easy to doubt yourself, but believing in yourself and your ideas goes a long way. Perseverance. I had an idea and I went with it. I had many detractors, but I just kept moving forward with my idea. Having my sister and Wendy in my corner helped me stay on track! Pride would be my 4th thing. I was then, and am now, very proud of the products we produce. We started with an idea of simple, active ingredients, and we have never strayed from that goal. Finally, Knowledge is the 5th. Learning all you can about your chosen field will serve you well. Don’t have an answer now? Go find it. Dig deep and have the answers to the questions your customers will ask. Remember that you are a professional, most especially when impostor syndrome hits. And it will, so kick it away.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
It’s so simple, but being kind and having a sense of humor is, for me, the answer to most of the chaos in the world. So I would love to see more of that.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
ScrubzBody.com is our website. On FB and YouTube, we are /scrubzbody; on Instagram, we are @scrubzbodyproducts
