Gifts that Change Lives
EWI Entrepreneur Artist, Brigitta Kral, Reinvents Herself with Natural Body Care Products
By Dienna Howard and Marga Fripp
The natural, luxurious whipped body butter from Briggy’s Bath & Body is just what your dry skin ordered.
And if it’s relaxation you’re looking for, Briggy’s lavender and rosemary blend, aptly named “take a load off sally” is for you! Both of these delicate and deep essential oils are known for promoting sleep and relaxation. (It’s the lavender that you’ll mostly smell; I use the rosemary as a balancer.)
Briggy’s body butter is one of the several products Brigitta’s new bath and body line offers. Many of you have already met Brigitta at various EWI markets, but few really know her story. Allow me to share this with you, and how EWI is helping Brigitta meet her goals.
Brigitta has battled medical issues since she was a baby. Within a few hours of her birth, Brigitta had contracted a staff infection that had the doctors warning her parents she may not survive. By the time Brigitta was 10 years old, she had undergone surgery, lived on a severely restrictive diet for four years, and begun receiving shots of artificial growth hormone six days a week to offset the deficiency in her pituitary gland. Brigitta turned to art at a young age to help her cope with her health issues, which have followed her as an adult. After enduring two surgeries in one year, followed by other severe infections, Brigitta decided that she needed to find a healthy way to deal with her stress and regain balance and strength.
So, Briggy’s Bath & Body line, a division of Brigitta’s jewelry and craft business BrigaBauble, LLC was born.
Brigitta handcrafts natural bath and body goods with custom-blended scents that promote relaxation and help to stimulate and energize the mind and body. Her tagline: Pause. Relax. Indulge is connected to Brigitta’s core market of women, many of whom invest so much time and energy in caring for others that they often neglect to care for themselves.
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| NATURAL Lavender Rosemary BODY BUTTER 4oz |
While Brigitta felt she gained experience selling her own jewelry designs on Etsy.com and at arts and crafts venues, she wanted to make her business a more viable success. Lacking the direction to do such, she was referred by Hispanic Committee of Virginia, an EWI partner organization, to meet with Marga Fripp, Empowered Women International’s founder and art marketing coach.
What was supposed to be a 30-minute brainstorming powwow ended up becoming a two-hour long conversation. It was at that meeting when Brigitta, shared with Marga her feelings of isolation, hopelessness and lack of confidence in herself as a businesswoman.
However, after that session something extraordinary happened. Brigitta instantly felt part of a community of support and gained the confidence and motivation needed to pursue her business and dream. She joined EWI as a member and EWI offered her a scholarship to enroll in the Entrepreneur Training for Success 2010. She was coached and trained by EWI staff and then invited to promote her new bath and body line at EWI’s markets. In a very short period of time, Brigitta became one of EWI’s best emerging entrepreneurs, and the organization is continuing to provide guidance to help Brigitta grow her business.
Brigitta is currently enrolled in the entrepreneur training at EWI and she will graduate with a group of 12 women entrepreneurs on December 11, 2010. Her goals are to gain knowledge to make her business more viable, build the skills to deliver a great sales pitch to retailers, and the develop confidence to become a successful entrepreneur.
We’re proud to report that Brigitta has already accomplished these goals, and she is now working on strategies to grow the business.