Exploring Life & Business with Nishan Gugsa of Good + Plenty Naturals™

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nishan Gugsa.

Hi Nishan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
As a heavy sweater, I have always struggled to find a product that worked. I’ve gone from regular antiperspirants to prescription-strength brands and none of them quite did the trick. The struggle was amplified in 2012 when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. We were informed of the toxic ingredients found in conventional antiperspirants and at that time I decided to switch to natural deodorant. From that point on I went through a vicious eight-year cycle of one failed product after another. They either didn’t keep me odor-free, didn’t keep me dry, and/or they stained my clothes.

So, after finally being fed up with being annoyed, anxious, and self-conscious with my deodorant failing me. I decided to create a solution to my own problem and make my own. I then dived into researching and formulating a recipe that I thought would work for me. And through lots of trial and error, I finally got the consistency I desired. After testing it out for a whole week, I couldn’t believe how well it worked. I was still fresh and dry after doing various activities across several days: a 5.5-mile hike in the summer heat one day, one-hour workout another day, and 4 hours of baking in a hot kitchen.

Not only did it keep me odor-free and dry, but it also didn’t leave behind any residue or staining on my clothes. At this point I thought, if this can work so well for me, it should work for others, so I gave out samples. To my surprise, they loved the product so much that they started telling other people about it and before you know it, I had orders rolling in left and right. And from that point on I have had a steady stream of word-of-mouth referral business and repeat customers.

Today, I have a full website where I fulfill orders across the US and to military APOs and will be celebrating my one-year anniversary on July 30th.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, it has been pretty smooth considering none of this was planned to begin with. My biggest challenge has been the supply chain issues due to Covid-19. Other challenges have been figuring out how to further grow my brand awareness online and get new eyes on our products. I’m new to marketing and e-commerce so there has been a bit of a learning curve in those departments.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
One of the most important things I want people to know about my business is that I am my target audience. This is not just a product I make to sell just for the sake of selling something. I am someone who strives to live a cleaner and healthier lifestyle and I wanted a product that suited my needs and since I couldn’t find one in the current marketplace, I decided to make my own.

I have lived all of the pain points that surround natural deodorants not working. I know first hand the frustration and embarrassment of being out and all of sudden you can smell yourself, the anxiousness of having to lift my arms and there being a huge sweat stain or even having to give a warning to those around me, “Hey guys, I’m wearing natural deodorant so if you catch a whiff of something that could be me, sorry in advance.” And because I have experienced these things, I even went the extra step and created a detox mix to help make the transition to natural deodorant easier.

What I am most proud of is the love my customers have for my products. The message of finally finding a deodorant that works for them and often not just them but their children, too. The majority of my customers with pre-teens and teens purchase deodorant for them and the fact that they trust my brand enough to cover their whole household and to continuously share with others makes me feel like I’m doing something right.

Any big plans?
I am looking to continue growing Good + Plenty Naturals™ and expanding our product offerings to provide a full spectrum of natural personal care products for those who are looking to live a cleaner and healthier lifestyle.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.goodplusplenty.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodplusplenty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodplusplenty

Image Credits
Daryl Taylor &  James Prechel.