North Bay Woman

F A L L 2 0 1 7 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 53 every moment and everything moves so fast. We had to look at everything such as ingredient profiles, competition, packaging and developing the products and I hadn't saved any of my files." The upside was that "we had the four legs of our table," she says. "Alissa was in the lab helping to develop products, Nathalie was doing sales, Mark was in charge of finances, operations and marketing and I worked on the creative vision, the branding and the packaging." The team faced a massive deadline, though. They wanted to launch at Expo West, the world's largest natural products event, though it was only months away. They miraculously snagged the last booth and the rush was on. "We had to get all the formulas right, in the bottles and in the cartons," Stacey Kelly Egide recalls. Simultaneously, they had to make a single — but major — presentation to all 11 regions of Whole Foods. Fortunately, Whole Foods was sold on the products and Andalou Naturals was welcome in any of its stores. Soon Andalou Naturals would also find its way onto the shelves of 1,100 other stores across the country, in Asia, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Today, it ranks "as the No. 1 skincare line in the natural products industry," Stacey Kelly Egide says proudly, edging out a long list of competitors, including products the couple once created for their former company. And, just as she hoped, the net profits from the Path of Light Hand Creams support women and girls' education, equality and empowerment projects. The company's top-seller is the Resveratrol Co Q10 Night Cream, followed by the Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum and the 1000 Roses Cleansing Foam. They're among her favorites, too, but on her countertop at home she rotates between them and the new products being developed in the laboratory. "I'm one of our test bunnies," she chuckles. "Starting Andalou Naturals was a crazy and exhilarating time, but there are so many silver linings to starting this business," she says. "I get to walk in the door every morning and spend the day with people I love, doing what I love. I can't think of anything better." n > ANDALOU from page 47 "Your Green Resource for Moving & Packing Supplies" 24 Bellam Blvd. • San Rafael 415-454-1983 • www.bellamstorage.com OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Monday-Saturday: 7am-7pm • Sunday: 10am-6pm Eco-Friendly Moving Boxes Dish, Glassware & Wine Inserts Bubble, Peanuts, Cushion Foam, Stretch Film, Corrugated Paper & Packing Paper Picture & Mirror Boxes Furniture & Mattress Care TV, Computer, & Stereo Post Office Boxes Cedar Care Products BEST PRICES IN TOWN! Woman Owned Business 100% Solar Powered J READERS' CHOICE AWARDS 2017 WINNER Join us this upcoming semester! Fusion Academy is an accredited private school for grades 6-12. We provide a comprehensive learning solution for students of all ages, on their terms, fit to their schedule, and crafted to support their unique learning style. We offer academic tutoring, enrichment, and classes for credit - all just one teacher and one student per classroom. FusionMarin.com

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