Yellowstone Bees Create a Buzz... In Modern Skin Care

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For those who are following these inspiring stories of women-entrepreneurs, Kim Lewis is a true gem.

After leaving a corporate culture, she took on developing and marketing eco-friendly, clean and green skin care products to women. Her company Yellowstone Bees is one of the leaders on the market that celebrates its growth on the daily basis.

Kim shares her product ideas and qualities, plus how Yellowstone Bees skin care products benefit our health, with us all today.

*****

CelebrateWoman (CW) Who is the primary target for your Yellowstone Bees product?


Kim Lewis (Kim) Women!  Of all demographics, any age, any nationality! 

CW What is the #1 reason someone should buy Yellowstone Bees product?


Kim For your own natural beauty! Healthy, healthy, healthy skin with truly natural body care products like ours!

CW How is the Yellowstone Bees product different than your #1 competitor?

 Kim 
Our #1 competitor in the natural personal care industry is Burt’s Bees. They are a good company and we have nothing bad to say about them. Some of our ingredients and certainly many of our beliefs and philosophies are similar.

Their positioning is very different from ours though. They were recently bought by Chlorox and now with that large corporation’s distribution channels you can find Burt’s Bees “everywhere”.  This isn’t always a positive as they are becoming “common.”

Our products are still unique and special, and we do well in independent boutique types of stores – health food stores and gift shops especially…where customers, particularly women-buyers, are looking for something new, something special.

We also tend to use a lot more aromatherapy types of ingredients that are known for good skin care than Burt’s Bees. Our packaging is more geared towards a feminine appeal.

CW What benefits will a person receive when using Yellowstone Bees product regularly?


 

Kim Smooth skin, wonderful aromas, without any harmful side affects. Many of our products offer customers a “delicious” experience…especially our bath and spa products like the Sunshine Body Polish and our aromatherapy bath oils. 

Some products are targeted for healing, the natural way of course, such as our foot balms, lip balms, and cuticle crème.


CW How does the price of the Yellowstone Bees product compare to others in your category?


Kim Most of our products are what we call an “affordable luxury.” We are not the cheapest on the market but that is deliberate and is related to the high quality of our ingredients. 

Some products like lip balms are priced exactly the same as our main competitors.  Others such as our bath and spa products are a little pricier but definitely worth the investment, according to the customers that love these products.


CW Everyone is talking these days about being green. To me, that includes being Fair Trade, being sustainable, and organic. It might even include using alternative energy, or buying energy offsets. How does your company, your product, measure-up on these important issues?



Kim See our listing on www.sustainlane.com and www.gengreenlife.com – two reputable sites that review and list vendors with good green policies. We also were just accepted by The Green Bride Guide. 

We minimize our packaging, and where possible use recyclable paper and containers.  Some of our ingredients are organic such as those in our soaps and all other ingredients are sourced from reputable suppliers that often have their own green policies – Mountain Rose Herbs, New Directions, to name a few.

CW When someone reads the ingredients from the label on Yellowstone Bees product, what would you like them to notice?

 

Kim Notice how simple, recognizable and easy to pronounce all of our ingredients are.  That’s because they are recognizable as “real ingredients”, often ingredients that you would even find in your food.  Everyone knows sunflower oil, olive oil, lavender, peppermint, dead sea salts, cocoa butter, etc. 

CW When someone looks at the packaging of your product, what do you want them
to see?


Kim How “clean and simple” it looks!  Most people don’t realize that more than 60% of what they are paying for when they buy personal care and cosmetic products is completely and totally related to only the packaging. 

We put most of our money into what’s inside the jar because that’s what’s going onto someone’s body.  We do strive for a clean feminine look in our packaging. We also try to keep the packaging recyclable (in some cases like the creams, it’s necessary to use a bit stronger container to preserve the product).

CW Is it Certified: Organic, Kosher, or Halal, or have any other special dietary certifications?

 
Here are campaigns and certifications we either pursue or have already established:
• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. 
• Leaping Bunny (in process) [FYI: Leaping Bunny logo is provided to the companies that show No Animal Testing in independent audits. This logo is considered to be high standards in cosmetics. The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics promotes ban on animal testing and Leaping Bunny logo.]
• USDA Certified Organic soaps.

CW Where can my readers find Yellowstone Bees product to buy it?

Kim 
Our products are most often sold in natural food stores, gift stores, pharmacies and other specialty retail stores.  We are growing nationwide but not yet located everywhere.

Online 24/7 your readers can buy Yellowstone Bees products at www.amazon.com and at our own website www.yellowstonebees.com or just call us toll free at 888-530-5601. 

CW Where can my readers go to learn more about Yellowstone Bees product?


Kim Go to www.yellowstonebees.com and check out our Natural Ingredients Library.  Every product listed on the website has a complete ingredients listing linked to the library.  Each product also has a “scent guide.”  Or call us and we’ll send out a hard copy of our product guide and scent guide. 

We also just launched our Facebook fan page and within one week have over 100 fans!  We’re very excited to have this great community of fans and encourage anyone new to Yellowstone Bees to sign up on Facebook and learn about us from other fans and have access to special offers and natural skincare tips and advice on our Facebook site.

***** 

Kim has an inspirational way to live her life and lift other women to their soaring height. All done with a natural power of her eco-friendly lotions, soaps, air freshners. Smells do evoke our memories, spirits, energy to go forward and enjoy every step of labor of love. 

What is your labor of love? Share your dreams and beautiful thoughts with us. Liberate yourself by taking action.

Celebrate your openness today. With Kim's Yellowstone Bees lotions!

If you'd like to know more about Kim Lewis' Energy for Life and Business, read here:

Out of American Express by the Power of Love...

The Secret Is Inside the Kitchen Cupboard
Aromatherapy in the Bottle: Healthy Recipe for Kids

PS: If you have any questions to Kim, please leave them in the comments below. She will definitely read and answer them.
PPS: If you know a woman-entrepreneur who has created healthy product(s), please let me know, so we could spread the word about her and her contribution to this planet.

Disclosure: I only review products I believe in. I am not compensated for my opinions.

Founder, CelebrateLifeNutrition.com
Curb Your Appetite – Stop Your Cravings
VP Programs Development, ScaleDown for Life
VP Education, GoZonkers Inc.
©2010 Laura Gontchar. All Rights Reserved.

Biggest Surprise In Natural Skin Care

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Recap: Kim Lewis who left the corporate culture of American Express to pursue her passion in natural skin care, developed a clean line of natural products for women – Yellowstone Bees.

CelebrateWoman (CW) Is there anything that was a surprise to you that you did not expect on your way creating Yellowstone Bees products?


Kim Lewis (Kim) I did not originally create Yellowstone Bees but instead have taken it to a whole new level and have created several new products along the way and significantly expanded the distribution of the product.

Kim What has surprised me the most is how much women love the products I’ve created. It is so rewarding to have such loyal customers. And I’m very pleased that my company’s products are mostly valued by women.

CW How do you see your creation/invention/product will effect your life in the future?


Kim The natural skincare products that we provide for women are life-changing for our customers.

When women find out how bad and dangerous some of the ingredients in mass-marketed personal care products are, they change their buying habits. I find this especially true of women with young children and teen-age girls.

I think that Yellowstone Bees will change my life in terms of how I donate and contribute my time and money in the future. I am really focused on helping women and would love to get involved in some projects in the future that work with young women (teenagers or early 20’s) with their careers, especially those that want to start their own business.


CW What is the #1 Thing you would like your customers to know about your Yellowstone Bees product?

Kim 
Our products are truly natural, safe and healthy…we don’t have any secret ingredients and we never use ingredients that are known carcinogens or other potentially dangerous substances.

The ingredients in our body care products are those that we know are safe to use but also in many cases have a long history of effectiveness in skin care…often going back centuries to use by ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Greeks or parts of Asia especially China.

CW If we talked to all of your family and friends imagine them in one room at the same time what would you tell them about what you do? What would they tell me about your involvement with your company?


Kim They would say to you exactly what they say to me – they are proud of me! They admire this company, and what we are trying to do. They love our products.

CW What keeps you going day after day?

Kim My employees, my dog, my vision and hope for the future.

CW How do you celebrate: your achievements; mistakes and miscalculations; and even failures?

Kim 
I celebrate important milestones in life – events that changed my life. Every year I celebrate the date that I bought Yellowstone Bees – November 15th. I celebrate the date that I bought my home in Montana. Both of those dates changed my life.

I believe birthdays are especially important. Everyone’s birthday is his or her own special day. I celebrate not only my own birthday but those of all my friends, my family, my employees, even my dog Nikita’s birthday (July 15th). One of the employee benefits I give is paid day off on your birthday (that’s an unusual but highly appreciated benefit!).

When it comes to “mistakes” or “failures,” I see these differently perhaps. I don’t see them as negatives but neither do I see them as so important as to celebrate or remember. I remember what I learn from them but not the details of the event. I move on very quickly from anything bad that happens and I always focus on the good and the future.


CW After a long day, when you close your eyes and reflect on the day, just before you go to sleep, what goes through your heart and mind?


Kim I’m grateful. I think about all the good things in my life – my beautiful home, my business and wonderful team of employees, my family and friends, the path my life has taken. And every night, right before I go to sleep I kiss my dog Nikita goodnight and tell her I love her. I never forget this little ritual of ours.

*****

What strikes me about Kim is her gentle approach to life, to people, animals, business. Maybe that's the reason – "biggest surprise" – why her products are so much embraced by us, women of all ages and cultures.

What's Next:

Want to know what Yellowstone Bees has to offer?

More on Kim Lewis:

Out of American Express by the Power of Love...
Yellowstone Bees Create a Buzz... In Modern Skin Care 
Aromatherapy in the Bottle: Healthy Recipe for Kids

PS: If you have any questions to Kim Lewis, please leave them in the comments below. She will definitely read and answer them.
PPS: If you know a woman-entrepreneur who has created healthy product(s), please let me know, so we could spread the word about her and her contribution to this planet.

Disclosure: I only review products I believe in. I am not compensated for my opinions. 

Founder, CelebrateLifeNutrition.com
Curb Your Appetite – Stop Your Cravings
VP Programs Development, ScaleDown for Life
VP Education, GoZonkers Inc.
©2010 Laura Gontchar. All Rights Reserved.

Out of American Express by the Power of Love...

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(Yes, she was driven out of the corporate environment by the power of love for everything natural, green, organic, sustainable, living.)

Would you guess that American Express – yes, the one that has that credit card you use for Costco membership – has produced some of the best women-entrepreneurs in the skin care industry?

If you care about your health, you do care what kind of personal care products you buy for yourself and your family. Organic and natural ingredients always take preference when you glance at the ingredients list, don’t they?

Remarkable people are always behind amazing products, trends, concepts. They pour their soul, their heart, their labor of love into the products that are truly amazing.


Such people leave a lasting, long-life impression on us. Usually, such creative souls develop a product, and even create a product category, out of personal or social need.

Let me introduce you to Kim Lewis who was the product of a corporate culture, the American Express company, and who raised up to the occasion to create a huge market with one great need for natural skin care.

*****

CelebrateWoman (CW) What got you started on the path of developing Yellowstone Bees products?

Kim Lewis (Kim) 
I cannot take credit for starting Yellowstone Bees. A woman named Lorinda Brewer started this company. I met her in 2006. I think we were probably soul-mates destined to meet in life, and Yellowstone Bees was the vehicle to arrange that meeting. We are still friends to this day. I admire her greatly.

The reason I bought Yellowstone Bees is because I fell in love with the products. And I wanted to have my own business where I could produce something good for people. It was a nice fit at the right time of my life.

CW What was your life before you started this company ... and after ...?


Kim I worked for three large corporations, but most of my career spent with American Express (AmEx) in a variety of management positions and geographic locations, eventually ended up as one of top women at Amex in a Senior Vice President position.

Lived and worked abroad a large part of my career – including Japan, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe (lived in London UK and Frankfurt Germany).

“Retired” from the corporate world in 2005 and bought Yellowstone Bees in 2006. Best decision I ever made at that time of my life!

Before I bought YellowstoneBees, I spent most of my time on airplanes, staying in hotels, sitting in meetings, managing the work of thousands of others. Given the seniority of my position, my life was highly structured by work pressures and very stressful. I had little or no free time and rarely took vacations or holidays off.

Because I traveled so frequently, it was not possible to have any pets. My traveling did provide a lot of wonderful life experiences and until 9/11 travel was a pleasant experience. Also I usually traveled first class and that helped make the experience good.

The first thing I did when I left American Express and moved to Montana was get a German shepherd puppy. I grew up with German shepherd dogs. Her name is Nikita, and she is 6 years old now.

After I bought Yellowstone Bees my life got very busy again but in a wonderful way. I felt very useful but not stressed out the way it was before when I worked in the corporate world. I still work a lot of hours but it feels quite different, since it’s for my own business and because I choose my own schedule.

I rarely need to travel for business. When I do travel, I try to drive so I can take Nikita with me. She even gets to go to work with me every day … she leads a charmed life!

Managing one’s own company, especially when you love your products and your customers the way I do, is extremely rewarding! The economic situation makes it tough, but I would not ever want to go back to working for someone else.

CW Who are those remarkable people that influenced your creative, professional, and personal life that lead you to starting and sustaining this company?


Kim So many wonderful inspirational people have had a strong positive influence on my life that it is hard to know who to even focus on.

I would have to start with my parents though. My parents were entrepreneurs, running their own companies for many years. My Dad had a strong influence on my professional life in terms of the values it takes to be successful in business.  My Mom encouraged and supported my creative side – music lessons (clarinet, French horn, piano), dance, choir. She taught me the joy of reading.

Both of my parents believed in the value of education and taught me core values that I still live by today – loyalty, hard work, independence, dependability.

I was very lucky to have several wonderful mentors mostly from my days at American Express. I can think of two in particular – Hector Cuellar and Richard Stouffer. Very wise older men who took a special interest in my career and with whom I am still in touch with even today.

CW Has your involvement with your Yellowstone Bees products and the company changed your self-image, and your relationships with family, friends, romantic involvement?

Kim I certainly have a very different view about the types of products I use in all aspects of my life now. I read labels on everything now and am much more careful about what I choose to buy and use…from personal care products to cleaning products, what I use in my laundry, on my lawn, for example.

Through what I’ve learned about natural skin care I’ve been able to influence many of my friends and family to switch to healthier and safer products as well.

As for my self-image that has always been strong and positive. I can thank my parents for that most likely. Managing my own business just gives me even more confidence and self-worth.

CW If you had to do it all over again, would you? And why?


Kim There is not a single thing I would change or do over again!

Every experience, good or bad, positive or not, has made me who I am today. I think it’s really important for us to live in the here and now, dream about our future, and remember only the pleasant memories from our past.

*****

With a passion for natural health products for women, Kim endeavored onto the path of healthy, green living. She does it day in, day out. That's of the power of love. And of a joyful soul.

What's Next: Biggest Surprise That Has Ever Happened to Kim Lewis

Want to know more about Kim Lewis and Her Success? Read Here:
The Secret Is Inside the Kitchen Cupboard
Yellowstone Bees Create a Buzz... In Modern Skin Care
Aromatherapy in the Bottle: Healthy Recipe for Kids

PS: If you have any questions to Kim, please leave them in the comments below. She will definitely read and answer them.
PPS: If you know a woman-entrepreneur who has created healthy product(s), please let me know, so we could spread the word about her and her contribution to this planet.

Disclosure: I only review products I believe in. I am not compensated for my opinions. 

Founder, CelebrateLifeNutrition.com
Curb Your Appetite – Stop Your Cravings
VP Programs Development, ScaleDown for Life
VP Education, GoZonkers Inc.
©2010 Laura Gontchar. All Rights Reserved.