Women Wednesdays Series | Megan Berube + Nicole Anagnos
Our Women Wednesdays series features women in business, non-profit, or volunteer positions. These women hale from diverse backgrounds and industries, but all have one thing in common, they are shining, helping others, and following their dreams! The goal of this Women Wednesdays series is to encourage, honor, and promote these women and the notable work they are doing!
Our June 2020 spotlight is on Megan Berube and Nicole Anagnos, Founders of Klō Organic Beauty.
Two sisters, one amazing skincare line -that’s Klō. Comprised of natural, handmade products that were developed in 2015 out of necessity for sisters Nicole and Megan’s own skin challenges, these cleansers and serums bring balance and clarity while clearing up stubborn skin troubles. Chronic skin frustrations sound familiar? If you’ve been facing skin issues that seem to have no end in sight, their perfectly potioned mixes may be the solution you’ve been seeking!
Product Photography by LACE Photo Media
Tell us about what you do, who you serve, and your favorite part of it all.
We make and sell organic anti-aging skin care designed for the minimalist. We want women to feel comfortable with their natural beauty, so we've designed products that improve skin and give a glow so women feel free to go barefaced. Our favorite part of this business is connecting with customers and hearing from new users who are blown away at how good their skin looks. Getting those emails is the best!
“Our favorite part of this business is connecting with customers and hearing from new users who are blown away at how good their skin looks.”
What started you on your business journey?
We had heard about oil cleansing and really wanted to try it. We started learning about the different properties of oils and understanding the complexity of why one will work on one skin type but not another. We also studied the construct of specific oils and learned how high or low amounts of different fatty acids in a particular oil can affect the skin. We have different skin types so we made two formulas. They worked so well that we created a serum to complete our skin care routine.
The duo, Megan and Nicole, created their ‘duo for acne-prone skin’ and ‘duo for normal-dry skin’ to clear their own skin. Necessity is the mother of invention and that old adage shown true once again as the Klō formulations emerged. Megan, then in FL, was suffering from major acne while Nicole, up in MA, just couldn’t shake her dry skin. They’d both exhausted their skincare go-to’s to no avail and found their skincare regimens growing while not seeing any real results -still dealing with acne and dry skin.
We wanted to minimize the amount of products we were using and have something we loved says Megan. We’d both attended The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, both interested in non toxic products, both made our own deodorant, tinctures and remedies, so it only made sense to formulate our own skincare that worked for our specific skin.
“Together, the duo changed our skin and we knew we had something to share.”
And that they did. The two got to work creating and testing until they hit that sweet spot. Nicole’s dry skin disappeared while Megan’s acne cleared - both through the same ‘simple and effective’ Klō ethos.
Especially being the one with acne, says Megan, products would strip my face and then I needed tons of products to restore moisture and then a couple of hours later, my face would be so oily. I literally went from using 30 products to two (Klō’s cleanser and serum for acne prone skin) - I didn’t realize I had so much space in my bathroom!
The sisters got to reclaim their vanities and their skin -and with two winning formulas, began to share their creations. With no intention of starting a business, they began to share with those close to them who had similar skin needs. Once our friends and family members would use them, they couldn’t stop raving about it -they were like this is so amazing! And that got us thinking, we need to share this with everyone like us who has tried so many ‘solutions’ with no real change. We officially kicked off Klō as a business in 2016!
Product Photography by LACE Photo Media
How did you come up with your company name?
Klō is really an acronym, says Nicole, for kitchen lab organics. We developed these products in our kitchen from ingredients sourced from organic suppliers in our home state of Massachusetts.
Tell us about your amazing products and the future of Klō.
Our products are still handmade -literally made by hand, by us, in our kitchen. As our volume has increased, our machinery has gotten more advanced and better and we still do it ourselves. We’ve looked at scaling up and don’t see in the future where we’re not doing it ourselves. We do see in the future possibly hiring more employees besides our husbands. We love being completely in control of our products and knowing what’s in them and that we can stand behind it. We’re proud of every ingredient and effort that goes into our skincare. Ultimately, we want to make sure we want to and love to use our products. The answer is and we believe always will be a resounding ‘Yes!’
How long have you been in business and what have you learned along the way?
We've been in business just over 4 years. Hard work and perseverance does pay off. There is a lot of patience involved in starting a business and you just have to keep looking forward.
“Hard work and perseverance does pay off. There is a lot of patience involved in starting a business and you just have to keep looking forward.”
What are your current business and branding goals?
Our business goal is to grow our customer base on our website and keep growing. As far as branding, we are on the verge of a possible brand refresh at the moment. Same great products, slightly new look.
What is your ultimate business goal?
Continuing to grow our customer base while keeping the personal connection with our users and the quality of our products. Whether it's hand making our batches of product, or directly communicating with customers, we hope to continue that personal connection.
What has been your biggest business hurdle and what did you learn/how did you grow from it? Our biggest hurdle is probably mastering social media. We've been able to do everything ourselves up to this point, but that may be the thing we need to outsource.
What has been the most rewarding part of your business?
When a new customer buys our products and let’s us know how much their skin has been helped. It’s the best feeling when we get emails and texts and testimonials from people who say, ‘This is so amazing!’
“Personal connection is where we get our satisfaction out of - knowing that we’re helping people.”
What would be your biggest tip/takeaway/piece of advice to anyone starting their own business?
Stay the path. It's going to take awhile.
Stellar advice and skincare from two sisters whose supple skin tells their story. Find more on Klō below…
Are you a beauty minimalist looking for organic skin care?
Find Klō Organic Beauty here:
Website: klobeauty.com
Instagram: @klo_beauty
Facebook: @KloOrganicBeauty
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