“I Kept Plucking Away”: Shea Terra Organics Founder Tammie Umbel Persevered To Reach Profitability

For Tammie Umbel, founder of Shea Terra Organics, mother of 14 children and a devout Muslim, the road to growth was lined with good intentions—and paved with perseverance. Founded in 2000 under the banner African Shea Butter Company, an overhaul three years later inaugurated the name Shea Terra Organics, and emphasized the brand’s embrace of a wide range of ingredients such as marula and mongongo oils.

Shea Terra Organics depended on the earnings from its hero shea butter product to survive before finally turning a profit a dozen years after it began. In 2017, its sales surpassed $1.7 million, according to an article in the Washington Post. Today, Shea Terra has 300 stockkeeping units, ten employees, distribution in more than 800 spas, boutiques and vitamin stores, and a mission to help Ugundan abductees through support of the organization Village of Hope.

Its newest line, Wild Beauty, offers products linked to wildlife conservation projects. Beauty Independent caught up with Umbel to discuss the importance of online sales, advantage of in-house manufacturing, power of Birchbox and joy of customer appreciation.

How much money did it take you to launch your brand, and how long did it take you to develop it?

I started with $1,500. I didn’t start my company focused on shea butter. I started with a focus on developing as many beauty trade routes offering as many effective ingredients as possible. What I found most people wanted was my highly affordable shea butter. Since our shea butter made up the bulk of our sales, that’s why I decided to brand my company into a shea butter company.

There probably would never have been a Shea Terra without our first web store. We have a very strong online presence. My brand has been a pioneer for many green brands and set a lot of standards in the industry. Our site continues to educate consumers.

What is your brand’s hero product, and how did it come to be?

Back in the day, my PR team asked me what our star product was. I winced and said, “I really think it has to be the Rose Hips Black Soap Face Wash.” See, at the time, it was weird. People putting black stuff on their face? And, on top of that, it didn’t even smell very good. But we all knew that the stuff transformed skin better than anything else on the market.

One of my dear friends kept insisting I should sell African black soap like a paste that he sold. I didn’t believe in it. I thought it was just hype. In fact, I wouldn’t even put it on my skin. After several months of his insistence, I finally asked him if it really worked. He shrieked, “Does it really work? It gets rid of dark spots and keeps African men’s skin from getting ingrown hairs after shaving.” So, I reluctantly tried it. I was amazed! But how was I going to sell this black, clay-like blob in a product that I could market to Americans? It doesn’t come in a hard bar. This was not going to be easy.

I finally decided to make it into a wash. After giving 100,000 samples of it to Birchbox, demand for the wash exploded. Online reviews were fantastic with people claiming it’s the first product that got rid of their life-long skin problems. Since then, people have started using charcoal to imitate the African black soap, but nothing will ever be as effective as the real thing.

Besides yourself, who is key to making your brand work?

I have two people who have my back when it comes to management and a stellar, loyal staff. I also have an amazing designer who will stay awake to exchange emails with me at 1 in the morning. But, as far as research, development, marketing, writing, etc., it’s just all me. I have been told over and again that companies have huge teams to accomplish what I do. That makes me smile, but doesn’t do much to improve sales.

For other entrepreneurs in your boat, what suggestion do you give them on how to pull through the tough times?

My customers got me through the tough times. Either you have something or you don’t. And maybe you have something, but are simply not marketing it the right way. Listen to your customers. Be ready to make changes. If people really rave about your products, then you know you might just have what it takes. I kept plucking away rejection after rejection because my customers would tell me amazing things about my products. I knew they had to be good, and that gave me the faith I needed to keep it up for years with no profit.

Are your kids or husband involved in the business?

When I first started the company, my kids did help me. I used it as part of their education. It was a fascinating journey. As a homeschool mom, it opened new learning opportunities. They got to travel with me, go to business meetings, expositions, etc. As of late, I don’t really have my kids helping anymore. They are busy doing their studies and running the farm. However, my one son is a marketing genius and so, in between doing cybersecurity and remodeling homes for resell, he does help with marketing. My husband has always handled the banking. It was our deal when I started the company. I am not really a money person. In fact, for the first years, I ran my company like a charity, but I am now very focused on the bottom line.

What key functions do you outsource versus keep in-house?

We handle everything in-house except for PR. We have a great PR team who gets Shea Terra lots of buzz, so I wouldn’t want to change that. But we manufacture all of our products in-house because I could not trust anyone with the quality. Some manufacturers will take your ingredients and keep them for themselves. We also do all of our fulfillment because no one is going to treat our customers as good as we do. I like to pamper my customers, make them know they are important to us. So, when people order from Shea Terra, they get access to a stellar staff.

How often do you take vacation?

I don’t do vacations. I like to mix business with pleasure. I use a travel opportunity to do business. Instead of visiting Malaysia, a place I would like to visit one day, I make a trip to Africa in search of exotic ingredients. I love going to Africa, so it is quite a treat. I am fulfilling a childhood dream.

What’s the first thing you would do with a big cash infusion?

My vision from the beginning was to one day have a large farm with my factory on it so I can walk to work. This would have been particularly nice when my children were infants. I wanted to make small homes for my employees and create a farming community. If someone handed me a large amount of money, this is what I would do. Simultaneously, I would build water wells in multiple places throughout Africa. This would be a life changer for so many young girls who are usually the ones that have to walk for miles each day to bring home water.

What sacrifice have you made to be an entrepreneur?

I wouldn’t say that I have made any sacrifices. This has been a beautiful journey. I would not have been able to do all of the phenomenal things that I have done if it were not for my company. My company has given me purpose. It has allowed me to use my creative energy in meaningful ways. My children have benefited so much from having a mother who is passionate in pursuing her ambitions.

What percentage of your business is direct versus wholesale?

Our direct sales and wholesale are about 50%. The wholesale side is growing substantially each year.

What have you found works for you on social media?

I am not a social media person, but I do love to tell stories that are informative. I haven’t worked as much on my blog because I have been so busy trying to perfect my brand. I do use Facebook as a tool of education.

What’s a dream retailer for your brand?

Whole Foods and Ulta are currently my dream retailers because I think their customers appreciate quality products. I wasn’t so sure about Ulta until I took a recent trip and saw that they worked on telling the brand story. I am really into brand stories. Each of my ingredients has a very important story to tell. I can appreciate any retailer that gives value to products rather than simply hustling products. For me, it is not so much about the sale as it is brand loyalty. Shea Terra has a lot of loyalists, and I am always appreciative when someone can understand and get behind the work I have been doing for nearly two decades.

What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far about what it takes to make it as a beauty entrepreneur?  

The biggest lesson has been perseverance. You just have to keep plucking away at it. Do you really believe in what you are doing? If so, why give up on yourself?

How do you embody your brand when you’re out in public?

I am very particular about my skin. I use only my products. Most people think I am in my late 20s although I am 45. That is often sleep-dependent and, in the case of lack of sleep, I’ll look 30. So, I try to get a good rest when I know I have to present myself as the founder of Shea Terra. I am also known for my southern charm and big smile. Lots of warm jokes later, I think people eventually look past my Islamic attire.

What is your proudest moment as an entrepreneur?

My proudest moment as an entrepreneur was probably getting into a chain of over 700 stores. Or was it my feature in one of the world’s biggest newspapers? Not sure, but for all of my failures these two accomplishments made me feel as though I am not such a loser after all.

Where do you see Shea Terra in ten years?

Pray to God, I see my company as a household name in ten years. I intend to be in far more chain retailers, ones that value high-quality products. I hope to have a lot more media to educate the public on the sourcing of our ingredients, and how their purchases truly make an impact on wildlife conservation and cultural preservation.