Joy Ekhator & Theda Vallee – Supernatural Women

On this episode of RadioAMB, Patty has a special guest, Joy Ekhator of Lovinah Skincare! Joy tells her story of life in Africa and how her traditional family medicine and healing were the secret to creating her own skincare line. Joy struggled with hormonal skin conditions and when western products did nothing for her skin she went back to what she knew, her family’s natural remedies passed down through ancient African beauty rituals she grew up with from her father who was a chief in her homeland. Her story is one of family, love of exceptional ingredients, and a passion for pursuing her true purpose and destiny in life.

In the final segment of the show, Patty speaks with Theda Vallee, a returning guest to RadioAMB. Theda has a new book, Stir Until Petrified where her strong Italian family roots serve as a background to intrigue, magic, and strong women. Come learn how she has combined drama and pasta to make a page-turning read.

Listen in today at 11:00am PST as Patty and her guests discuss ancient family traditions of beauty.

Transcript:
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pretty is pretty important in all things
in beauty welcome to radio a and B
designed for those who want to live a
long and vibrant life I’m patty smoker a
licensed cosmetologist who’s been in the
beauty industry for over 40 years
Radio AM B stands for american-made
beauty and it’s where we tell the
secrets behind the making of health and
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today is the American influencer Awards
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Beauty moving you know my show today is
one that speaks to my heart because as
I’ve reported in the past I grew up in
the beauty industry as an aesthetician
and I remember when my daughter was very
small I actually made her baby food and
it was making her pure aided baby food
at home that inspired me to see what it
would be like to take or
anok foods and turn them into products
that I could use at my clients in my
treatment room in my facial room and so
when I found this line and that we’re
going to talk about today and met the
founder Joe joy act art I was really
intrigued and I think you will be too
joy original is originally from Nigeria
Nigeria but emigrated to the United
States over 20 years ago due to her skin
problems back-to-back pregnancy
pregnancies she was driven to find a
skin solution that worked for her and
her family this gave her a platform to
present something near and dear to her
her heart
the ancient African beauty secrets
passed down from many generations still
work in modern times to heal the skin
with potential powers Joy’s background
is actually in computer sciences but she
grew up in a very traditional African
home as her father is a traditional chef
and grandmother an herbalist traditional
doctor bonesetter and traditional
Midwife Joe developed joy developed her
love for plants by watching her
grandmother administer herbs for
different ailments her interest in the
connection between the mind body and
soul brought Levin s users a well
balanced experience and an opportunity
to experience her personal knowledge of
ancient African Buras rituals with
western fusion joy thank you so much for
joining us today thank you very much
Patti for having me yes so Julie tell us
a little bit about I gave a little bit
of a background as far as how you grow
up a traditional African family what is
how does that work and where were a part
of the country were you in Nigeria so I
was born and raised in Nigeria okay as
you mentioned I’m Arab in the United
States for over 20 years okay
tradition my father is a chief and what
that means is we have a king we have
cheese and then you have Prince and
Prince
so in the tradition African home means
we eat at home everybody eat everything
is a ritual we have a baby when people
die for birthdays
everything is celebrated so it’s very
very very reaching our culture I mean
our heritage we take pride in everything
we do
so it was fun growing up around here and
just witnessing the different things in
the different festivals the different
rituals that you know we in that grew up
with and and so what not your father’s
not a chef your father’s a chief he’s a
royalty of they are pretty much the
custodians of our history preserve our
culture our history and make sure our
heritage and culture doesn’t go away
right he reminds me of that every day so
you’re never were your fun this is what
we do when you have a baby there’s some
reaches you do what I mean rituals the
things you should go through I mean you
bring life into this work the special
back you take as a new mother or the
newborn baby the things they do to the
baby to welcome the baby into this world
so I grew up in a very traditional home
where everything was celebrated so all
those things kind of came into my
skincare brand where I want us to
celebrate our sacred self so you look at
Lavina and the color names of our
product is very different we have the
divine line you have the God as well so
we have all the different names that
celebrate each on everyone’s on
individual you know SiC itself for that
organized about and talked a little bit
about I know we’re going to get into the
product itself but talk a little bit
about what does that mean about
celebrating the sacred self celebrating
I believe everybody one of our divine
purpose on work in this life so when you
come into this waters of Pablo there’s a
destiny it’s something that’s already
it’s already been preordained fishy on
earth for a reason um as an individual
we looking at the flesh when I talk
about celebrating the divine self
I’m talking about celebrating your body
might and so when you find the balance
did you know this different three things
so just a bit outside users can get
products to fix a problem and you still
have problems internally doesn’t work
you have to strike a balance between the
internal self and also the outside so
that would mean by celebrating your
Divine self taking sure of your body
your skin from the inside out when you
happy on the inside is going to on the
outside and everything you feel on the
inside is also going to on the outside
so that would mean by celebrating a
design self and it’s so amazing that
when you really get down to looking at
all of the the traditions and the ritual
belief systems around the world there is
this common thread about true beauty
being an inside-out equation yes
absolutely and so tell us about so you
came here to the United States you
originally he started a career in
computer science I understand not just
came in the United States I started a
career as a professional model I was a
mother for about three four years okay
beauty fashion makeup was you know
pretty much the NAM growing up in when I
said tradition Africare home again your
life is pretty much planned for you I
mean wants you to be a medical doctor a
lawyer or engineer to be started off
employment as a med student and I
remember after a couple of years I
realize our cream to it and I change my
major for medicine to computer science
and my friends it is a big journal house
because you already planned it the first
that I was going to be a medical doctor
and the second I was going to be a
lawyer the third is going to be an
engineer so when I came here I was
something with some into computer
science um I was working as a model and
then later on I switched over to
computer science and that took me a lot
in my skin my business mm-hmm and so
when you when you made that decision to
go from Computer Sciences
did you have to go back and have a
conversation with your parents about the
fact that it was time for you to do
something else no
this father is actually think I’ll just
go with what makes me happy okay because
my friends want me to be a medical
doctor so it was okay but my heart and
soul wasn’t into my sister is a doctor
now so I think they have a talk to the
family oh so you did get that one
[Laughter]
computer science I couldn’t see them for
a while and eventually they found out my
um he was thinking why would you want to
do computer science other man’s job so
very much of a traditionalist you know
over 18 years ago our computer
programmer
very few women rating I see and support
myself I was always like the only woman
in there and I love makeup like I told
you earlier I was a model so I’m going
to work you’re gonna see the makeup on
my Lisa red and I’m going to wear my
shoes that there’s a man’s job and I you
see this work communing with the hills
and people had like this misconception
and they were telling issue computer
programmer or it’s your fashion uh
perspective talking and we get down to
it and it gets really technical um so
you know we just kind of accepted after
a long time they got used to it uh-huh
and so what was it that motivated you to
actually go in and actually make a
ginger line what was the what was the
catalyst that made that change happen my
children okay so working in a very
fast-paced environment I was working on
computer program of fun investment dang
I was actually there for twelve years it
was very fast base everything is like
right now you have to do it
long hours um and then um there came a
time I got a phone call from home and
the mother was right you know people
asking me about grandbabies baby
my mind it was time to set it down I had
a boyfriend at the time and we need the
middle part minds to set it on a half
kids and I thought he was going to be a
piece of cake you’re just gonna have
babies just like computer programmers
and we talked about it so you know I
think I want five kids I want to happen
back-to-back and and just yeah I mean I
don’t think it’s going to be a big deal
you just have to put them on a schedule
and there it is it’ll work fine you’re
looking at me and I joy something if you
don’t really know what it’s going to be
like because my life you know what Benny
it was very very oakiness cuz everything
was always on time so the first time
around I got pregnant it was very easy I
mean when I thought I was pregnant to
wonder how the baby was less than an
hour
they wouldn’t deliver the baby it was
very easy so I went ahead and said oh
this is really cool and then three
months later I got pregnant again with
my daughter
oh my goodness I’m not sure so easy
because the first time I was actually in
labor and I didn’t know I was in labor
cannot even feel anything pulling off
about my husband told me all the time
and said you I think you’re in labor
because I said I’m a woman I should know
better and they told me or your five
centimeters dilated and on the average
you wanted to do now certainly because I
wasn’t in any pain and a couple of
minutes later then I still like okay
this pen you know I’ve stopped it
and I accidentally was too late but
between that time was better than thirty
minutes and baby cancer was easy so I
went again the second time went on
debate was just three months old I got
bring all my daughter she was super easy
I didn’t have any problems with you know
home on the problem and then she was
nine months now got pregnant at third
time
and dogs and everything sits in the
hormones kicked and it was up and I mean
is everywhere on my side of breaking out
my skin started changing it was just a
different body at that time I really
severe cystic acne those baby big but
painful ones
and I kept going to defend the
mythologies to walking on the
professional model for a couple of years
about three or four years and then just
watching myself blow up and having all
those acne on my face I didn’t feel I
was pretty enough we’re looking at me
and some people aren’t you asking Joe
happen to you and dodging the cellular
things like in a ton of weather
conversation but guess what points in
one day I actually snot somebody asked
Joe will happen to you I said mother who
happens to me is the most beautiful
thing to embrace that can be a size zero
to I have to be Who I am
so between that and in my case having
skin problems it was just a lot of
medication going on it was just so much
happening at a time
they are the dry skin between my skin
problems and your skin problems he was a
lot going on and I remember the turning
point was my youngest son he was about
two and a half at a time and the doctors
could have put him on steroids and that
was when I pretty much drew the line so
we are putting your son and steroid when
I had series I’m thinking hard drugs or
something crazy African seriously I
didn’t know she was like you know that
something damaged my son so I remember
asking the doctor how long is it gonna
be on steroids for and it’s always going
to be on it for a couple of you know for
some time until these skin problems goes
away and I remember turning it down
so growing up in Nigeria broke my
grandmother shoes or heavily chose
everything and she used to make soap
traditional stuff at home queen and
maybe she made it when you think before
we even go to the doctor
sure he has like something was to drink
you have to drink it first and there was
so much so I called my mom and I said
you know what I don’t want to put my son
on steroids could you send me some of
the things grandma’s used to make so my
mother saying likes fresh shit water
coconut or Punk on it oil and all those
different things we use brayla back home
initially my kids don’t like it Yeah
right
experiment is that playing you know
different formulas I’m adding essential
oils don’t help them feel the skin and
then resin to reach those severe I mean
the exome and all the different things
they had actually went away
I’m interested in skincare I was you
know I’m a die-hard computer program I
like info codes and I’m a very technical
and then myself and I belong to this
mother um like this mothers group
welcome together and talk about kids and
you know family and Currington
um and it’s over why don’t you turn this
into a business
I wasn’t thinking about business at the
time charges kind of shove it to the
side eventually started coming up and
creeping up on me and the next question
was what am I going to name this new
business so I thought home and
coordinate every kid’s an accent so
mommy has a new business what one in
this business all the things that came
up with people photos and you to test
record it to be a lot like sensual right
my daughter came back and she said oh
you like naturist of money why don’t you
just call it lovely natural and I said
the name is too long bloody not respect
I’m this happy and it’s going to take
you know a long time could you guys come
up with another name and she came back
and said la vida and I’m asking her like
what is love you like a mini-grid not
sure that was true select the name our
trademark systems that in dr. Levine
actually started my surgery and my
research and formulation my you know my
products and that’s how it came about
it’s a great story and and so how did
you find a formulator I mean you had an
idea of how to have what kinds of
ingredients you wanted to put together
but how do you go from a homemade remedy
to finding a formulator and a lab that
can turn it into a safe product that you
can market sell to sell to consumers is
that right the hardest part of it mm-hmm
I’m looking for something for dry skin
doll for the kids and they let him back
to me so in 2015 actually went to Africa
I was there for a while of a couple of
weeks about a month or so um and then
during that time I I reflected I thought
that I wouldn’t I won’t love you not
sure who my audience for other people
I’m trying to help and the moment was me
because I’m looking at myself in the
mirror I have cystic acne I had all the
different problems in my skin so the
first thing was what one
Susy just creating a generic product
beyond so many skincare brands and
skincare brothers out there while we’re
looking for something that would fix a
problem in that problem at a time was
fixing acne cystic acne hormonal
breakouts and hyperpigmentation so being
the computer person I am the first
Maajid was to research a lot of
ingredients so they have so many curves
like Asian clans in hands that can do so
many things we don’t know we shouldn’t
just say so how was that for a while and
I actually created a database and what I
did was to scrub different places online
getting all the different Asian
ingredients Asian her getting clinical
studies finding out so much about them
that I have this huge database I mean
that was really reports up so when I go
in and say I’m looking for some people
acne who is putting all the different
hurt stuff
so now I knew what I wanted to do and a
contractor this gem is here in Houston
and as always sat together we met a
couple of times to talk about what I
wanted to do and I came up pocket these
are the things that one these are the
ingredients I want to get to the formula
what I’m looking for something nice
stable safe not just for me but for all
the people that are going to use it so
we sat together what’s on the formula I
took a lot the whole year of 2016 was
pretty much coming up with this
different formulas to make sure it was
stable it was safe and it was efficient
and that’s how it started off you know
and if you’ve actually started over
again in 2017 aha and so when you
originally started and I know we’re
coming close to the end of this
particular segment but tell us today
what is what is the brand and how many
how many products are in the brand
originally was just to iving who’s just
the body butter and the body scrub those
are very basic and then in 2015 we
stopped Lavina we spend the whole year
2016 on researching what I wanted to do
well when it’s go with Lavina and in
2017 we came up with more brands so now
we have a cleanser which is pretty much
about a very simple routine that you can
do every day your plans still in treat
and moisturize so we have about 19
excuse right now because well a lot of
masks
and without serums as well to target
every sensitive focus from every
skincare problems that you have so if
you have something that works to me mean
outlook for you and that’s a mistake
that a lot of people make I mean I’m dry
skin if you have sensitive skin we can
use the same product so for Lavina we
try to find a balance where everybody
not from different everybody so we all
got seven six cues right now in our
serum about five or so in our masks um
and then we have a moisturizer and other
products all talk together and um when
you it all sounds so exciting that you
were able to put that together in just a
couple of seconds tell us what did you
like most about building your brand what
most about beauty brand is actually the
interaction with people so I’ve been
able to leave a computer programmer I’m
always behind the scenes something based
create stuff behind the sin so what is
the watching whisper creating something
as a skincare brand but it was different
not to go out of my shell and talk to
people I’m an introvert I just want to
be like Stallone spent like hours on the
computer looking at the new on British
technology so what I enjoy about beauty
loving I was actually getting out of my
comfort zone having to call people so
the very first time was actually calling
um a retailer and I said okay hop this
brand
would you mind cash best thing ever to
do and she requested for a phone call I
sent an email okay my gonna say like I
just started up these lies well I sent
an email and she responded back you
wanted us to talk about a phone and that
was so it was a scary moment for me so
we’re enjoy most is your the interaction
may be people from different parts of
the war they ask questions they email me
and we talk and I really really enjoyed
it teaching me to come out of my comfort
zone great are cool alright alright well
we’re going to take a break and when we
come back we’ll talk a little bit more
about the unique ingredient that are in
the Lavina brand so stay with us we’ll
be right back
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positive people and radio unites healthy
life dotnet welcome back this is patty
Schmucker you’re listening to radio a
and B on healthy life net I’m here with
the founder of Lavina skincare joy a
guitar and a joy has developed a line
that’s based on bringing the rituals of
the ancient African beauty traditions
and blending that with a Western fusion
so joy tell us a little bit about the
names of the of your products are really
unique and I know there are a lot of
really unique ingredients can you tell
us a little bit about how you put the
ingredient story together
sure absolutely so everything again
comes back to how I was raised
so ours is in a very in the house where
we talked about so much storytelling
history was going in the world and
beautiful beautiful rich African you
know culture we have so much history um
so when I was putting together levira
one thing I wanted to do was to
celebrate everybody like celebrate your
sacred self and we talked about
celebrating and stuff you have to look
at everything from the inside out I was
thinking about goddesses I was thinking
about women the role that we play in a
society as women I felt women we pretty
much bring life into the world
and that was a key decision on my part
to make create a brand that would
embrace you as a woman embrace
everything we do embrace our sacred self
just divine self so that’s prison was
when I was more like a storyline fella
tell a story we side with a black tee so
black tea is actually african black soap
they’ve been using it for so many
generations arm if you go to there are
different types of african black soap
they have the ones from morocco we
should feel much based on on or they
have from guerra they have from nigeria
we use a black super measure
so wanted to make it more interesting
and then I fell researching tea these
are very very very nice for the skinny
popular the big in antioxidant and this
actually help you like your skin out so
we call it black tea because we’re using
fermented black tea which I think that
neither big guarantee about fermentation
and all the differences but this
actually started in Africa so now they
my skincare product is it tell a story
so people can see a different side of
Africa not just what they see on CNN and
others other popular you know you know
there’s a rich story behind this things
they were using this products this
ingredients long before science before
modern science to take care of your skin
so black stuff is being there from the
very beginning supposed to you easily
today so what we did I love you know
what I do that let me and I was to
actually bring it up and then try and
modernize it by adding black tea by
adding I’m adding the order broccoli
acid and other scientific based part of
things I’ve been clinically tested and
know that work you can extend the black
soap and make it more appealing to
everybody we have Dragon’s Blood others
but it’s been in for a long time I was
actually looking for Asian remedies they
use back in the days for acne for to
heal wounds and to exfoliate the skin
and as I came across dragon’s blood
which is actually a tree is a sap from a
tree of the drug ministry and they have
different variation of that they have
Egyptians use the back of the date I
will not ingredient in the embalming
fluid so is a very popular thing right
now it’s becoming trendy but it’s always
been there and also to use back in the
days not your bandage we have an injury
you can put a strap on your hand and
after you forget the paint coat you feel
it you can actually see forming and
touch me in your skin so when I fell
researching that more it was so
wonderful I remember trying to find out
I was looking at a different content and
I wasn’t I realize dragon was from Peru
had more medicinal benefits and I
contacted a friend with a local court
actually insurer and they sent a sample
and I use it on my face and I could see
the difference right away I thought that
what was going to my mind was oh we have
this analyzed working and uses back in
the days
three different skincare problems how
can I make it work for the modern new
woman because no times of faster work is
more polluted you go up now you have
smoke and cigarettes and all the
different things in the air what can we
do twist then to make it even better for
today’s women and I said on like
chemists we came to a drawing board and
decided you know what this is a profit
ingredients we can add other things to
it to make it more effective and as only
each other’s blood another king with is
that we have is moving the moringa is so
good I’m a smoothie person I love green
smoothie we actually have a smoothie
line at Walmart I’m called joy
superfoods and Moringa is like the main
ingredients in that marina has like
powerful antioxidants it has a lot of
amino acid is really really powerful and
when you drink it you actually feel it
and gave it to a Moringa test at home by
taking the seeds and just put them in
like dirty water and you can see it
claims in the water so when I was
thinking about loving and I was thinking
about the modern day woman the things we
do were most stressed out today you’re
working more pollution more everything
and that is how I came about with loving
enough so just everything that they use
back in the day and just pretty much
decided to make them more effective
doesn’t live in Mexico
absolutely so but and you’ve just said a
mouthful means it’s wonderful so joy
it’s really exciting to see how you’ve
taken african black soap combined it
with african tea and glycolic acid so
overall your ingredient story has been
these african beauty rituals and
modernize with Western modern chemistry
is very exciting to see how you put all
of that together yes it is very very it
was a lot of work but it was so
interesting very exciting I’m working on
the project and what gives me the most
joy is when people call me and it saw me
something really work this work for this
camp so when I was formulating loving
and I was in the budgets coming up with
a new skincare brand it was actually
fixing or helping people um you know fix
problems especially we have them on
acting we have hyperpigmentation
but that will organize the bodies to
help you fix this problem instead of
clogging your pores up I’m against it
we’re using so much makeup and contours
everywhere now they put like five six
foundation on the skin if you have a
good skin you don’t have to wear so much
makeup and not go Logan as well right
the modern-day woman review her natural
glow to let you know you’re beautiful no
matter where you look what absolutely
amazing you don’t have to take your
faces for much makeup in Foundation and
others defendants are not makeup but I
don’t write people just kicking up this
all day right you know every day all day
seven days a week right and not trying
to say that you speak the quantum fix
the problem of your skin’s birth they
just can’t greet
right the best foundation while and as I
close out this segment one of the one of
the things that you that you mentioned
is dragon blood which is a sap from an
actual tree and is was is in a
discovered that it actually is a natural
band-aid so just really intriguing
overall what you’ve done with the brand
we’re going to take a break and when we
come back we’ll talk a little bit about
how these ingredients are sourced and
about some of the triumphs that joy is
experiencing with a brand so stay with
us we’ll be right back
[Music]
here’s the thing about beauty it’s
pretty at american-made beauty calm
we’re all about the pretty making it
easy for you to find what makes your
beauty shine we have essentially
everything you need and american-made
beauty calm celebrates brands that were
created right here in the US of A
imagine everything you need from the
best hair skin and nail products to
makeup and even the tools because it’s
all about pretty in american-made beauty
calm
we also think you’re pretty important so
visit american-made beauty calm browse
by learn american-made beauty calm for
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you’re looking for bedding department
store prices can shock you will be
shocked boom or sell state cheap not
cheap state that’s the motto of Anna’s
linens although they don’t sell steak
they
do sell the best bedding bath and home
decor items they strive to provide their
merchandise at extreme value to their
customers and they do it great everyday
prices on everything and military
discounts plus if you visit them online
they have clearance items and internet
specials visit them online now at
healthy life Nets advertiser page radio
your way healthy white men hey thanks
for staying with us this is Patti
Schmucker here at Radio A&B; on healthy
life net I’m here with the founder of
Levana skincare joy a guitar is with us
and we’ve been talking about this
beautiful brand that has been created
utilizing the beauty rituals from the
African tradition and some very cool
interesting ingredients joy you
mentioned to us in the last segment that
you use an ingredient like Dragon’s
Blood which is actually sap from a tree
tell us how you source to these
ingredients and and are able to bring
them into products that you’re making
here in the United States absolutely
that’s the hardest but amazing green is
it okay there’s a beautiful story behind
and so before we put something through
our product we have to be named each
product the name of the main ingredient
and so I want to know about the story
behind the history all the fun stuff
some people actually questions I can
turn this beautiful story for example is
Duggan what they have different variety
of drivers was one of the work I did a
lot of research and I was in my
background as a computer programmer I
really helped me out so I think big data
and the person that did was just sort
they’re from everywhere
I pretty much and I’m getting data like
scruffing they’re from different sauce
sources looking at a chemical started
looking at information out there and
that rock
found out that drazen’s was from Peru
was actually had more medicinal
properties vamos any other drugs that
are not good but the one from Peru
satisfied what I was looking for at a
time so here comes the column under wine
sauce of Imperial good wine zero but I
have a couple of friends in Peru and the
first thing I did was something on
Facebook ok I’m sorry for that so you
use Facebook to source product Facebook
from Facebook small business on forum
and I was talking about using social
media you know to source for different
things I put it all down but it to
someone Imperial and the same restart to
me she actually works with a Corp from
you know that area that region of the
water so why don’t you contact those
people and those have used sources and
other yeah I’ve ever loved a nice buzz
about providing on more and from
especially to women so I work with a lot
of women calls in Africa on and we
reached out to this carpenter and they
contacted me back and actually when I
was looking for so the biggest risk is
actually getting ingredient here and
making sure is like top quality so you
want to make sure you buy from a
reputable source on is tested and then
even when they get here the United
States will to make sure you test them
because sometimes you get anything from
different parts of the world you don’t
know what kind of test it is John even
though this provides you with their
circuits of analysis and all this
paperwork
you see want to do more work so that’s
the hardest part of it all and then you
have to do with cost of is also you
bringing things in the country we just
went to a scary experience where our
product was actually with customers for
over three four weeks and we sold out
and then we couldn’t produce more so we
wanted to the depend on situations all
the time we work with a couple of course
different parts of the world we contact
them you know we’re looking for and we
pretty much two straws over the years is
about finding a reputable supplier and
you guys buttes trust as you go but when
you get your product in you have to
start seeing a lot of things going
through customs you want to make sure
you look at all the paperwork make sure
he’s tested and when you get it before
using a product you also want to do your
own independent tests make sure it’s top
quality we both start
my mother’s sword before and the quality
wasn’t up to par with where we were
going from guru and we couldn’t use it
so the small business that started out
you want to make sure we’ve sorted from
the right source you want to make sure
they have the testing done they provide
all the documentation to you and then
when you get it here you want to make
sure also that you’re testing where you
put it in your product and that’s pretty
much has been over the years for Wow
so I know we’re not going to we’re going
to sort of wrap you up here in the next
four minutes tell us what is your
biggest triumph I know that you have
been coming out of your shell and being
able to talk to people and being able to
put this beautiful beautiful line
together when you think back on this
period of time what is your what’s your
biggest triumph your biggest win the
biggest thing I would say was believe
him a company that I I was working I was
looking at a company for 12 years I was
with them for 12 years the biggest was
actually leaving that company and
knowing I asked something to do that was
that stun in my any sway me to the
company it was beautiful and it just got
to a point he was becoming toxic hmm but
you know some people saved your job and
you think you know I don’t have nowhere
else to go I don’t have nothing else to
do so when I was there was thinking what
do I do and then I was not realized you
know what you have looked again mm-hmm
to make up my mind I left I quit the job
and I went to Africa because I have
family so hard time to reflect on time
to think about what I wanted to do and
when I came back I came back more
powerful I was so happy because I was
able to walk away from a very toxic
situation and then viewed it into
something I really really enjoyed well
before moving on my life started and
ended with computers like this is
everything I that was everything I knew
out of time but when I came back I was
so excited because now I can actually
create a product before using this
product and then I’m getting feedback
from them telling me oh joy this once I
can’t believe it what all my friends are
to the bottle of me and I’m you asking
me questions right joy you really
started for him
I mean we’ve done the individual Expo in
Maine now we’re doing the cosmopolitan
mascot in July and we’re going to do
India again in August and I could have
done none of this you know people
supporting me so everything when I wake
up after something’s up pinch myself
scream to the in DVD Expo we launched
the product or Mother’s Day which is our
goddess collection and we saw that
infinite for hours and it was the
biggest enough effort it gets me
emotional because I’m looking at myself
like a year ago I wasn’t even thinking
about that so you know this little
moment the glue the wings makes me feel
so powerful and you know I’m super super
blessed that’s amazing it is a wonderful
wonderful story and obviously all of the
elements what I love about your story is
that all of the elements of your life
your family traditions the rituals from
your your country of origin your success
as a model early on and falling in love
with makeup and you’re smart being
involved with computer technology you’ve
leveraged all of those to create this
beautiful line congratulations for your
success yeah well thanks for being with
us
tell spell the brand name and tell
everyone how they can find you oh so is
love inna elbow VI and aah and the
website is loved not calm great great
well thank you so much for taking the
time to be with this and tell us your
story we’re excited about having you be
one of our newest american-made beauty
brands thank you so much I appreciate
you thank you very much for your time
all right and the rest of you stay with
us we have Veda Val that is going to be
back with us who’s just released a new
book so stay with us we will be right
back
[Music]
here’s the thing about beauty it’s
pretty at american-made beauty calm
we’re all about the pretty making it
easy for you to find what makes your
beauty shine we have essentially
everything you need and american-made
beauty calm celebrates brands that were
created right here in the US of A
imagine everything you need from the
best hair scan the nail products to
makeup and even the tools because it’s
all about pretty in american-made beauty
calm
we also think you’re pretty important so
visit american-made beauty calm browse
by learn american-made beauty calm when
you’re looking for bedding department
store prices can shock you well be
shocked
no more sell state cheap not cheap State
that’s the motto of Anna’s linens
although they don’t sell state they do
sell the best bedding bath and home
decor items they strive to provide their
merchandise at extreme value to their
customers and they do it great everyday
prices on everything and military
discounts plus if you visit them online
they have clearance items and internet
specials visit them online now at
healthy life Nets advertiser page we’re
looking for a few good American Beauty
manufacturers who want to increase their
brand in an exclusive credentialed
category if you’re an American company
who has conceived designed and bottled
brands that are all about pretty than
we’re pretty sure we’re talking about
you and we’re pretty sure you should be
on american-made beauty calm this beauty
website focuses on entrepreneurs and
beauty startups as well as established
brands if it’s pretty we want to see it
and we want to sell it on american-made
beauty calm to learn how you can be part
of american-made beauty calm visit
american-made beauty calm now oh man it
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positive overcomes negative
[Music]
hi there it’s Patti Schmucker we’re back
here for our last segment of radio AM B
on healthy life net I’m thrilled to have
one of our guests that we’ve had in the
bath in the past theta Valley who is a
author of paranoid paranormal fantasy
fiction and sassy kick-ass girl who
blogs about life and other absurdities I
theta thank you for being with us today
thank you for having me so I understand
that since we will last chatted you have
released your new book will you tell us
about it yeah it came out on Mother’s
Day and it is about a family of Italian
witches you happen to get embroiled in a
paranormal fantasy world the vampires
and fairies and all the supernatural
creatures you can think of and kind of
still on a journey of discovery with
that magic and so what was the
inspiration for the book well I grew up
in a really tight-knit Italian community
and so kind of seeing the magical
realism that it’s still prevalent every
single day with people wearing things to
ward from evil I got me really intrigued
in that and then the way that the family
is so important in the Italian community
and so I really wanted to write
something that embraced you know those
things from my childhood that I loved as
well as my love for everything
paranormal right and so but I also
understand so the paranormal is it
really creates the intriguing at all but
in the in light of everything that’s
happening in the world right now you
have some really powerful female
characters and voices and in the story
tell us a little bit about that yeah it
was really important for me to raise the
kind of women that I
always wished that I saw and with you
know the rise of entertainment bringing
forward women with success of things
like Wonder Woman there’s obviously a
big void that women are asking for that
and so I wanted to make sure that I
wrote women in every single piece of the
spectrum so I have characters in there
that are in their 70s and their 50s and
you know big growth small girls every
shade size and I wanted to be able to
portray women in every bit of spectrum
that they are and that they’re powerful
and strong no matter what they take is
their reality right and so can you tell
us a little bit about the story without
just enough to get us hooked yeah
definitely so we come into the story and
it is we focus on the family of
meat-free our grandmother and her two
granddaughters that she’s raising as
well as her sister and her niece and
their family of witches who cures from
their kitchen but they also go to Mass
on Sunday they’ve known that you know
their their oldest has this power of
which which crushed in her and she’s
kind of hidden it because had some
tragedy in their back life and so people
start going into coma and the town
around them and she becomes a suspect
and the whole family gets pulled in and
roiled into the mystery we have seen
where the grandmothers trying to clean
up a crime scene it really is a full
family adventure with lots of pasta and
lots of that love of family lots of
pasta that’s wonderful that’s wonderful
so came out in May and we are now
sitting in a late June what has been
some of you of the reaction that you’re
getting it is actually overwhelming how
positive it’s been and with people
talking about being able to relate a
female character they can relate to
you know there’s some people are like oh
I’m not sure about the main character
she’s kind of you know broken damaged
person is like yeah she is he’s supposed
to be excellent you’re getting it
exactly how I wrote her you know just
showing that you know women we choose
not to embrace pieces of ourselves a lot
of time because we feel like we’re not
supposed to and it’s for journey to do
that and so it’s just a really great
seeing people connect to that and
understand that and feel empowered by it
but you say something that’s really
interesting and I think that this is one
of the powerful pieces of being able to
channel your work into as an author and
that is that so many women only want to
embrace certain parts of themselves and
leave leave certain parts on the table
to speak to how you are you’re wrapping
your work around that concept and
helping to make a positive message for
women yeah I think we’re as women afraid
of different elements of ourselves that
society says you know aren’t necessarily
feminine or woman like or you know if
you’re going to be a mother you pick
being a mother and you can’t have any of
these other things you can’t be sexy you
can’t be flirty you can’t be you know
professional and they really want to
make sure that as I’m writing these
characters they have those layers of
complexity because I’m hoping that other
woman will see like okay I am allowed to
have all these pieces and components and
I don’t have to leave things out simply
because because this path I had not
pigeon holed into being just this one
thing mm-hmm exactly and is the during
the time that you were writing the book
was some of the various different things
going on in the world relative to the me
to movement and you know all of the
things in society going on to the play a
role in shaping some of the characters
yeah I think it made my my wand at my
will too
to really get that pulled forward even
more because I’m guilty of the same
thing expense so much of my life pushing
down elements of myself because I was
afraid of them because they weren’t you
know female enough but right the world
sense are supposed to be and you know I
really as I’ve seen these things come up
and women are getting a stronger voice
and bonding together wanted to show that
power and coming together and having a
strong group of female people who you
know lift each other up and that’s what
happens in the book is you know it’s
almost all female characters and lifting
each other up and pulling each other
forward you know by sheer willpower of
you know accepting the reality of who
they are and loving each other and I
wanted that to be a really focal point
because it’s important now especially
absolutely and I know that you’ve had a
very interesting journey in terms of
some medical crisis that’s really
propelled you forward and can you share
a little bit about how you keep yourself
motivated and positive in the world yeah
I think one of the biggest things is
that I look for places and spaces where
I can be a service because I think it’s
very easy one of my aunts was actually
going through cancer at the same time I
was and she told me you know you need to
go and do for others because that’s how
you’re going to get out of your own head
and so by finding spaces where I can
help lift up other women and part of a
group called the girls girls club that
is all about fostering you know female
friendship and camaraderie and just
other places like that where my voice
can come in my time and effort can come
and making sure that I’m contributing to
that that really keeps me motivated and
keeps my frame of mind positive
absolutely well data it’s so always
awesome to have a chance to spend a few
minutes it’s never enough time but thank
you for telling taking the time to tell
us a little about it before you leave
remind our audience what is the name of
the book it’s
during till petrified stir until
petrified and if people wanted to reach
out to you on social media how do they
do that
they can find me on Facebook and Seeta
Valley they can find me on Twitter my
website speed of valley.com
and spell spell your first and last name
it is dat da ba ll ve great then thank
you so much for taking some time to be
with us today and for the contribution
that you’re making the world as a woman
I really my hat’s off to you
congratulations thank you so much coming
appreciate it you’re welcome all right
well that will do it for us today two
powerful powerful woman stories today
thanks for taking the time to be with us
and don’t miss us next week because you
think we had two powerful women today
June Olsen is going to be with us next
week and June is a love love love of my
life that has been with me for many many
decades and I’m delighted to bring her
to you and share with you some things
that she’s doing to help bring Beauty to
the masses I’m Patti Schmucker thanks
for listening to radio a and B where we
think pretty is pretty important in all
things in beauty
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
for all your live or pre-recorded
webcasting needs come to earth channel
comm hit your web-based message out to a
select group or the whole world it’s
easy a pioneer in webcasting earth
channel comm provides the best products
and services to big corporations and
government users and now this same
technology is available to you they have
the best earth cast encoders servers and
products to meet your technical needs
but wait don’t want to mess the
technical stress no problem they’ll do
it for you earth channel comm is your
answer you can use webcasting for lots
of things like advertising marketing
customer support training and don’t
forget web radio and TV
in fact you’re listening to a live earth
cast right now so come to earth channel
comm actualize your audio or video
webcasting needs today you can’t feed
the friendly service or the price call
earth channel comm at one eight hundred
eight four nine eight nine seven eight
that’s one 884 915
making it easy for you to find what
makes your beauty shine we have
essentially everything you need and
american-made beauty comm celebrates
brands that were created right here in
the US of A imagine everything you need
from the best hair skin and nail
products to makeup and even the tools
because it’s all about pretty in
american-made beauty calm
we also think you’re pretty important so
visit american-made beauty calm browse
by learn american-made beauty.com
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[Music]
[Music]