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Inspiring Tales of Startups , Growth & Overcoming Hardships sEriNa aNd coMPaNy :
Solving Problems One Idea at a Time by KElly HEitz
LIZ SOLARES n Founder and designer , Serina and Company AromaTherapy Jewelry , Orange , California ( With her daughter , Serina at their first ever ISPA Conference & Expo .)
Call it advice . Call it a mantra . Whatever you call it , the Shark Tank host ’ s words should be on the minds of every entrepreneur ( and those with entrepreneurial spirit ) in the spa industry . Solving the problems of our customers is the only way any of us gets any business . If you think of what you do as problem-solving above all else , your creativity and passion will take your business to the next level .
For Liz Solares , founder and designer of Serina and Company AromaTherapy Jewelry , all it took was a family emergency to jumpstart her enterprising mind .
The Story While at the spa , Solares picked up a bottle of lavender essential oil because the aroma gave her a sense of calming and relaxation . The following week her sister began to experience anxiety due to life changes .
“ I drove to her house and gave her the lavender essential oil I had purchased to help ease her anxiety ,” remembers Solares . “ A few days later , she had an anxiety episode , and I noticed that she was anxiously looking through her bag for the
essential oil bottle . She needed immediate relief , but couldn ’ t find the bottle . I thought , ‘ There must be a simpler solution to this .’”
The following day , Solares ’ wheels were already turning . As she was driving home , she asked her mother to place a few drops of lavender essential oil onto the bracelet her daughter , Serina , had made for her . While driving and experiencing the aroma on the bracelet , that ’ s
solares ’ designs have taken off in a very short time thanks to her relationships with spas . when it hit her : AromaTherapy Jewelry could be instantly accessible to you wherever you are , at your convenience .
“ If my daughter hadn ’ t made me that bracelet , the idea never would have never struck ,” Solares recalls . “ Just a few hours later I started making jewelry prototypes out of various materials . Fastforward a few years and now , I design my own pieces to have them manufactured so everyone else can benefit from the easy access to essential oils .”
From there , Solares ’ entrepreneurial instincts kicked in . She began to test the market to see how people would respond to the concept of aroma therapy jewelry . Essentially , she needed to know if the problem was big enough to need solving . At first , she sold handmade pieces on Etsy and Facebook , which drew a loyal following of customers who thought the idea was brilliant .
She then began donating her aroma therapy jewelry to the Ronald McDonald House in Orange County , California . “ At the Ronald McDonald House , I met Amy ,” recalls Solares . “ Amy had been extremely nauseous from her chemotherapy treatments , so I gave her a necklace with peppermint essential oil to help and sure enough it did ! I was certain this would be an asset to a larger
62 PULSE ■ March / April 2018