“Not only is the new third
company growing quickly,
the partners’ other two
companies have each also
gained new customers from
association with the
reputation of the other.”
company growing quickly, the partners’
other two companies have each also
gained new customers from association
with the reputation of the other.
“We are finding that so many of our
prospective clients know our companies,
and that leads to having trust. That trust
helps with securing the sale, and building
a bridge with the client, so they know we
can do exactly what we say, and in a
timely manner,” said Brown, adding that
the only thing she’d do differently would
be to act sooner.
Judith Compton, founder and creator
of Mala and Mantra, is also involved in a
new, successful strategic partnership, with
Body Bliss.
Mala and Mantra creates “mindful”
mala bead jewelry designed to “empower
the world through wellness.” Each piece is
handcrafted by women artisans in the
Philippines, using sustainable wood
beads, semi-precious gemstones, and
other natural materials. The brand is
available online, as well as in more than
200 luxury resorts around the world,
including Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton,
and Waldorf Astoria.
Compton said that although the
company has partnered with a number of
non-profit organizations over the years as
part of its Crafted for a Cause program,
the Body Bliss partnership is “the first
creative collaboration we’ve done with a
fellow spa-industry vendor.”
The partnership idea came to
Compton when she designed the new
Lava Mala line: “I came up with the idea
for our Lava Mala collection more than a
year ago. However, I didn’t know how to
approach the essential oil component,
because essential oils aren’t a product we
have experience with or are looking to
manufacture ourselves.
“Instead of finding an essential oil
company that would create a private-label
blend for our collection, I decided to
partner with a well-known brand in the
spa industry that has the reputation of
being an expert in essential oils.
“I’m a huge fan of Body Bliss, so it
was the first company that came to mind
as a potential partner. Fortunately, they
were thrilled to partner with us for this
collection, and it’s been an incredible
partnership from the beginning. Our
teams have worked really well together,
and I greatly appreciate the fact that they
have the same commitment to quality and
attention to detail that Mala and Mantra
does,” said Compton.
Her team is in touch with Body Bliss
at least once a week, and sometimes two
to three times. Compton said the majority
of the communication is by email, but
either partner is quick to jump on a call
when something critical or complicated
needs to be discussed.
“We’ve been extremely fortunate that
Body Bliss has been so easy to work with.
Everyone on their team is very profes-
sional and always provides us with
excellent customer service. I was
uncertain what it would be like to accom-
modate the processes and procedures of
another company, but I was pleasantly
surprised at how similar our operations
are. That has made this collaboration run
really smoothly,” Compton said.
She echoed Brown, in saying she
would increase the startup period to
accommodate unexpected issues and
deadlines.
January/February 2019
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