I’m so grateful to be a part of such a supportive network, and I am especially grateful for the knowledge and inspiration that is openly shared. What I love about the indie community is that a win for one indie is a win for all of us. Sure the market is competitive, but, in the big scheme of things, it’s indie brands fighting for share in a corporate world. I see the success of another indie entrepreneur as a leap for the whole community.

The indie beauty community has allowed me to meet some of the most inspiring and innovative people. This is a forum where I receive valuable advice and feedback as we share ideas and work on problem solving. The opinions and information that I gather from these incredible people is something I hold in very high regard. Meeting other brand founders has given me the most amazing new group of friends that are now family.

I’m grateful to simply be a part of the indie beauty community. I love hearing from all the new voices and am constantly inspired by the creativity and innovation. Our community graciously provides me the latitude to be myself in this industry that sometimes values the idea of perfection over individuality. This acceptance fuels my effort to encourage other assertive beauties to stand in their power and go Full Unicorn. I’m grateful that different perspectives are welcome and valued. After all, there is plenty of room for all of us.

We are thankful for the warm and welcoming spirit of the indie beauty community. As a small startup, it can be intimidating to be surrounded by so many pillars of the beauty industry, amazing brands and influencers who have paved the way for us, and who we respect and admire. So to meet them and receive the support and encouragement, we have felt has been appreciated immeasurably. It is a true reflection of the the indie beauty community’s passion toward helping others.

I am so grateful to be a part of this growing movement of people taking control of their health and wellness. We care about what we put in and on our bodies, the intentions of our thoughts and words. It is all impactful and relevant. [We] work together to create a balanced system. Our mindfulness in these areas sends a powerful message that we have the voice and the numbers to take a positive stand for our wellness at the most personal level.

I am most grateful for the sense of solidarity. The indie beauty community is full of amazingly strong, supportive women who share experiences and resources without the competition you so often see between small businesses. Whether it's making professional connections, shedding light on a formulation issue or simply sharing in the emotional ups and downs, the women I've met have been wonderfully open and kind. While I've been incredibly lucky to meet, know and grow with women who've taken their visions from ideas to businesses,  I've been even more lucky to celebrate their successes with them along the way.

Everyone is genuinely rooting for each other. There is an unspoken knowledge that when one of us succeeds we all take a step closer to success as a whole. We are all striving for the same goals: to have cleaner and healthier alternatives and options in our beauty products and food. By working to make these goals a reality, we lift each other up and bring awareness to ourselves and each other. It’s apparent that we are all grateful for a place to showcase our ideas to a community that is striving for real, positive change.

The indie beauty community is about transparency, collaboration, passion, authenticity, wellness, growth, out-of-the-box creativity merged with innovation, attention to detail and love. The interactions, encouragements and support from this group have given so much to each and every member of this distinguished community. I am deeply grateful and very excited to be a part of that which shares my passion for positive healthy beauty as well as all that this community represents. I’m inspired by the motivated, resilient women and professionals whom I’ve connected with that are respectful and appreciative of each other’s work, even in competition.  I am also grateful for our mindful consumers. They are passionately driven by a desire for clean, safe and effective ingredients inspiring us to come up with deliciously novel ideas to create environmentally- and socially-responsible products.

The indie beauty community is genuinely supportive, and I value the relationships I’ve formed with other like-minded entrepreneurs. I also enjoy the creative freedom of running a niche skincare line and the collaboration that exists between myself, my business partner Laura Woods, our marketing and design teams. We exchange ideas and inspirations freely. One of my greatest joys is sharing our brand story with others. It is very rewarding to create a brand that can have a positive impact on others and the world around you.

The personal care industry needs a massive wakeup call on the amount of toxic chemicals they use to make and package their products. I'm so grateful to connect with fearless emerging leaders changing the beauty industry inside and out by focusing on clean ingredients and green packaging. As a lifelong ocean advocate, it gives me hope for the future of our blue planet.

Every idea we have and the knowledge we learn we like sharing with the consumer.  This is why the true beauty community is composed of people who believe that beauty is not just products, but the sharing of ideas and a commitment to a lifestyle that makes the indie beauty community so unique.

In a very short period of time, thousands of beauty entrepreneurs and those who support them came together to create a brand new community, one that isn’t fractured anymore. It’s a community that supports one another, shares and is enthusiastic about helping one another grow.  It’s the true meaning of community, and that is what indie beauty is all about.