Meet Keri Bougie | Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Keri Bougie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keri, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process in starting my own business was that skincare was a subject that I had become very passionate about, especially as I entered my 40’s . . . Eek! In doing quite a bit of research, I discovered and fell in love with the culture behind Asian skincare, specifically Korean skincare. The Asian culture upholds that it is pertinent to care for your skin, and to do so from an early age. Thinking about my own skin and this philosophy, this is something that I wish I had done a better job of myself, or that I had had more information when I was younger. I realized I couldn’t undo the hands of time . . . but I could potentially change this for my kids and for others, starting at an earlier age.

Through discovering the importance of caring for your skin at an earlier age, I began to seek out “clean” products for my children. Such products would need to be first and foremost safe, and “clean” (non GMO, paraben free, phthalate free, non-toxic, free of artificial parfums, etc.), but that were also effective and luxurious feeling. I found that there was a large market gap and that there were very few products that I liked and that my children wanted to use.

This lead to an exploration of opportunity . . . Was this a business I could create? Could I, along with my family, create products and a brand that cultivate an increased awareness and overall use of such products? The more I explored the idea and possible opportunity of it all, I became altogether excited about the actual endeavor, and thus began to dream and develop the concept, branding, and products themselves.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I do believe that what sets SoChok Skinlove apart from others is that the products were truly developed for children and tweens/teens, especially those that are just starting out using skincare. The purpose of the company is to cultivate healthy skincare and self-care routines that will grow with children, as they age. Additionally, given the many challenges both my husband and I have personally faced, I believe that what sets our company apart is that we donate a portion of our sales to support children and family mental health organizations. This altogether ties closely to our product line . . . Products that help to guide self-care from a younger age. Both my husband and I have life experiences with trauma and hardship and therefore believe in treating the whole individual – body and mind. We believe in self-care and the earlier the better.

I arrived at founding SoChok Skinlove through a very long and winding journey. Starting out with a background in business, I was able to apply my marketing and finance educational background to my corporate positions, which further exposed me to understanding business in the real world. This combined education and work experience enabled me to accept the position of taking over my late-husband’s restaurant company, operating it from a high-level operational, strategic, and financial position. Through being at the helm of the company, I worked on growing the company into another location, as well as into other areas – namely, retail products.

The aforementioned experience enabled me to effectively research and develop the SoChok Skinlove brand and product line. My life experience with my children and my life-long passion/love of health and beauty, altogether combined with my educational, creative, and career experience, gave life to a company that I had the skill set and passion to create.

Although the journey of founding SoChok Skinlove has certainly not been easy, I have tried to overcome the challenges step by step, with a lot of frustration, worry, excitement, and celebrations along the way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To see the best of San Diego, I would take friends to The Hotel Del and walk around the inside of the hotel. We could stop into the gift shop and take a look at the black and white photos that show the Hotel Del through history, including Hollywood star and presidential visits. We would grab some appetizers and drinks on the outside patio of the Hotel Del, overlooking the ocean. Once done, I would suggest walking along the beach there, enjoying the beautiful, powdery soft white sand and deep blue ocean.

I would also suggest visiting Balboa Park. This park is larger than life, with its’ beautiful gray and white stone architecture and archways. We could stop into several of the many museums and walk around each to enjoy a variety of history, art, and cultural exhibits. We could stop into the botanical gardens there at the park as well and soak in the lush green succulence, tropical plants, flowers, and trees.

Going to the San Diego Zoo is also listed on the itinerary. This zoo is world renowned for its’ size and exhibits. It would certainly take a full day to explore the zoo . . . Visiting the lemurs, aviaries, pandas, giraffes, lions, guerrillas, polar bears, reptiles, and huge variety of other animals (all representatives of countries around the world).

Seaport Village would be yet another stop along the way. There we could grab a bite to eat outside in the courtyard. We could walk along the ocean, with the ocean on one side of us and the cute village of shops on the other side. We would be able to peruse the many boutiques that make-up Seaport Village, stopping to buy little trinkets along the way.

Dinner down in Little Italy is a must! We could go there on a Sunday, to see the elaborate Farmer’s Market . . . Visiting the street vendors to shop all of the offerings – food, art, clothing, etc. For a meal, we would select a restaurant, of those many that are along Kettner and India street. We could either choose an outdoor street seat to enjoy the food and people watching, or we could sit in one of the restaurants to enjoy the particular ambiance specially created inside. Afterward, we could walk up and down the street to people watch, stop for a coffee/cappuccino, and enjoy a little gelato.

One other stop that I would want to do would be to stop into Old Town. Here we would walk into the feeling of a Mexican village, with its’ intricate Mexican pottery, colorful paintings, artwork created by hand, and bright colored clothing. We could take a break at one of the Cantina’s and enjoy a margarita and some chips and salsa, or some other delicious Mexican dishes (if we are extra hungry). During our time here, we would enjoy the feeling of Mexican culture.

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 my husband, my children, and my brother.

My husband has continued to believe in me, encourage me, and support me in all of my endeavors. He has had endless patience with my over-exuberance, as well as with my frustrations and times of worry. He continues to be an incredible listener and always provides constructive, honest feedback.

My children have been patient with me as I have had them try a multitude of products and asked for their opinions, shooting question after question at them. All of my children have happily given their honest thoughts and opinions, despite any disagreement I may have had with their perspective or not. They have celebrated in the successes along the way, as well as been hopeful and truly excited.

My brother has also always been willing to listen to my ideas, no matter how crazy they are, and has been supportive of me. He has been able to see my vision and has helped immensely along the way . . . Helping to make the possibility of the company, come to life. He continues to be supportive and encouraging.

I would never have started and moved forward with SoChok Skinlove and its’ many challenges, without the love and support of my husband, my children, and my brother.

Website: https://sochokskinlove.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sochokskinlove/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sochokskinlove

Facebook: Sochokskinlove

Image Credits
Napier J Photography