Meet Felicia Smart-Babb | Founder & Managing Director, ODAGECO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Felicia Smart-Babb and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Felicia, what principle do you value most?
Integrity. Founded in my personal beliefs as a Christian is an importance of doing right even when there is no one around. I did not grow up in a religious household or anything like that but I became a Christian about 18 years ago and my beliefs inform the way I choose to live my life. For me, whether publicly or privately, I try to do the right thing. Being human means that I am far from perfect and I do fall short at times, however, I really try to not make doing wrong by biblical standards, a habit.

But, even beyond that, in today’s world of social media, it is easy to create an image or the perception of a lifestyle and be one person online and another offline and for me, I’m not a fan of that kind of behavior….I believe in being true to who you are and the right people will find you and love you for you.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In my professional career I am a compliance professional. I love my job and I have grown in my field over the years,

In developing this business, I brought in my ability to do research and my passion for policy compliance and standards. In so doing, I wanted to ensure that the products are made in compliance with FDA requirements, follow good manufacturing practices and are tested for non-toxicity, microbiological and effectiveness. The beauty industry is not heavily regulated to the extent that there are new beauty brands being launched daily using diy recipes etc and the fact that the powers that be took the time to highlight specific requirements….that stood out to me. I felt that there must be some importance placed on the quality of ingredients, the science behind the ingredient mix and the type of results customers should expect. Because I am not a cosmetic chemist, I outsourced my formulation to cosmetic chemists with almost thirty years in skincare cosmetic formulation and worked closely with them to ensure product quality and efficacy as I simply want my customers to have the best experience with ODAGECO.

ODAGECO is designed specifically for all skin types and focuses on skin concerns such as melasma, dehydrated skin, and sensitive skin. With so many rumours of the harmful effects of ingredients in products we consume, clean beauty is more than a buzzword for me. ODAGECO is vegan friendly, cruelty-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free, and phthalate-free and some products are even gluten-free. Developing a brand with so many self-imposed requirements was not easy and there were times I felt like expanding the self-imposed boundaries to get to market faster but I had to remind myself I want ODAGECO to provide spa like results at home and to be guilt free and I kept on pushing and finally, we are here today.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In Miami, I like the zoo. It’s amazing to me that animals such as lions are not caged and while I believe that they will not attack, it is still very thrilling to be so close to such powerful animals. I would definitely include a trip to the zoo. I also like that some of the birds are not caged and that you can literally interact with them. It’s such an immersive experience and there is something about being in nature that soothes you and takes you away from the racing thoughts of everyday life.

In addition to nature, I love a good meal. Funny enough, it does not have to be gourmet…a well-seasoned meal is all I need. Based on my friend’s preference, let’s say they like Chinese food, I would want to take them to the best Chinese restaurant or say they like Italian…I would want to take them to the best Italian restaurant I know. When it comes to food, If I were to choose, I would definitely take my friend to two places, the cheesecake factory and johnny rockets….I enjoy their food everytime.

I also like attending services at King Jesus Ministry and I would definitely want my friend to experience the conferences there. They really do have some amazing teachers and really good books in their bookstore that we can check out.

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?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to two people. Firstly, my husband Kern. I started this business while pregnant and on bed rest and I had loads of time to work on the planning etc. When I actually had the baby and had to return to work, I had no idea how difficult balancing a full-time job, a start-up, and a family would be. My husband has been so helpful in keeping me sane and taking on additional tasks at home to allow me the space and time to keep pushing toward this dream of creating a successful business. He has been a sounding board, investor, unpaid intern (lol) and so much more and I really would have given up by now if not for his support.

Secondly, my business coach and mentor Risha Ferdinand. When I hired Risha to provide guidance and coaching for my business, I was sure I needed help but not sure what to really expect. She has been and continues to provide support and guidance that I have not been able to find elsewhere and really gives me the nudge in the right direction. I’m super thankful for her helping me grow my business and see some results from the work that I have been putting in.

Website: www.odageco.com

Instagram: instagram.com/odageco_beauty_skincare

Facebook: facebook.com/odageco

Other: Pinterest.com/odagecoskin TikTok.com/odageco_beauty_skincare