Meet Nichole Sando | Founder & CEO of Namaste Naturally & Clean Beauty Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nichole Sando and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nichole, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My business, Namaste Naturally, helps the community by educating them on cleaner brands to use and what harmful ingredients to avoid when selecting personal care products to use on their skin. As well as we create freshly handmade, natural self-care products to help support a positive self-care routine. Namaste Naturally not only helps others feel their best, but it also helps educate others on ingredient topics not spoken enough about within society that can be harmful to their health. When I started my business, I knew the goal of my business was to serve the community, educate them regarding cleaner products, and provide new insight regarding harmful ingredients within the products they currently use. As a busy mom, employee, student, and business owner, I also felt the need to educate others on the importance of self-care. In society these days, we think faster is better, and exhaustion is a way to measure your success. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Slowing down and genuinely experiencing life is more; relaxation helps your creative flow and ambition come to life. Life is all about balance.

What should our readers know about your business?
Namaste Naturally is an all-natural brand that promotes a positive self-care routine while educating others about the cleaner brands available to them and what harmful ingredients to avoid in certain products. What sets us apart from other self-care brands is our willingness to help others and our transparency. We are honest about the ingredients used in our products, and we love to share other clean brands to help the community find cleaner beauty products. We do not state that we are an all-natural and organic brand and then use cheaper harmful ingredients to make more profit. We also share self-care techniques and methods to help others tap into a positive mindset. We’re all about spreading helpful knowledge and collaborating with other small business owners with similar goals or missions to support the local community.

Our business journey has been filled with many lessons and blessings, each serving an important part of where we are today. The journey has not been easy, but it has been worth it. Entrepreneurship is about the journey and learning to take risks as you grow, not about taking the easy way out. We overcame different challenges in the last almost two years by relying on those closest to us. As we have learned along the way, small business owners need more time, resources, money, and creativity. We have learned to rest when we are unmotivated and remain focused when we have a random creative flow. It’s all about being present and letting the message that wants to flow out of you out. Don’t be afraid to be you. Get out of your comfort zone and do the things that scare you the most to have a higher reward.

We want the world to know that Namaste Naturally will positively impact the community one day. While our brand is currently small, one day, it will grow into a health hub that will be a safe space for the community to come in and heal or destress from life. My goal is for the health hub to provide different services to help community members recenter, reground, or do a healing activity that helps them practice self-care. My story started when I was trying to find healthier life alternatives to help lessen the effects of flare-ups from my disease. I have mastered this goal and am currently in remission after a lot of discipline, lifestyle changes, and positive mindset changes. I want others to feel good about themselves and learn healthier ways of living that are not as talked about in society. I want to go against the grain and help others widen their way of thinking about their health; as small of a change as changing your beauty products or cleaning supplies can go a long way. You would be surprised by the effects of inhaling or your skin absorbing a harmful ingredient or chemical can do to your health.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This question made me smile because I am the perfect coordinator for fun activities. I could fit so many fun activities into a week’s long trip. Envision this: we get a massage, an IV drip, and visit a salt cave on Monday. It’s all about recuperating after traveling, so we are ready for the entire week of activities ahead. On Tuesday, we spend a day on the beach eating good food and enjoying the sunny weather and beautiful views, or we rent a boat and visit various well-known hang-out spots on the ocean, like a sandbar or island. The sun is good for your health and soul. Tuesday night, you can find us at a fancy restaurant living in the moment and laughing like crazy.

We would make our way to Brickell City Center on Wednesday and do whatever our hearts desire. We can shop, eat, take a cooking class, or watch the latest movie. We will have a healthy breakfast on Thursday morning and then explore various parks to enjoy nature and have a picnic with amazing views. Thursday night, we would enjoy the Hollywood strip. Axe throwing and a smash it house will be on the night’s list of activities, as well as good, fresh food and dessert. On Friday morning, we have a hearty vegan breakfast and visit a local botanical garden and shop. Friday night, we will go out dancing at my favorite nightclub. On Saturday, we go back to the beach to enjoy beach activities such as jet skiing, bike riding on the boardwalk, and parasailing. On Sunday, we go to yoga, have a healthy lunch, and rest because rest is essential. I am all about having fun and having healthy habits, so all week will include healthy, fresh, and delicious meals, activities outside in nature, rest, and new experiences for my friends to go home with and talk about forever.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I want to thank my dad for supporting me from the very beginning. He encouraged me to do anything I said I wanted to do and offered other tangible ideas at the same time. Second, I want to thank my business coach Marina, Founder of Empowered Confidence, for helping me become confident enough to start and successfully run a business. Marina still inspires and helps me through this journey almost two years later. Third, I want to dedicate my shoutout to my son, Dominick. Without him, I wouldn’t be here; he is why I get up and do great things each day. Dominick is my why and motivation to keep growing and challenging myself and those around me. He motivates me to think outside the box and talk about unconventional topics regarding harmful ingredients found in the products we all use daily. As a person with Crohn’s Disease and a mother trying to prevent the likelihood of her son developing this genetic disease, I have had to become more mindful of the food we eat and the products we use throughout the house.

Website: www.namastenaturally.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/namastenaturally/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/namastenaturally

Image Credits
Maria Herrera