Tahera's first business, Encore Presentation, Inc., is a non-profit focused on supporting women in homeless shelters and halfway houses. The organization works in shelters to help women build their self-esteem and their future.
This non-profit was created after Tahera found herself in an abusive relationship that she says literally altered her destiny and changed the rest of her life. "I found that through my journey for self-esteem and self-worth, I had the tools and experience to help other women who were finding themselves and their purpose."
Once the pandemic hit, Tahera was unable to continue the work she was doing with Encore because it was service-focused and required going into shelters and halfways homes. "Once the pandemic hit, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place," Tahera said. "I still had a need to help people." Tahera lives for empowering others. "When you love yourself, you can actually love your neighbor and I'm all about love." So, she got to work.
The first product she made in March 2020 was a smudge spray, a "smokeless way of cleansing the energy," she explains. She put the spray, made of lavender, sage and witch hazel, along with hand sanitizer, on Etsy. "My business exploded and I quickly started making everything from soaps and lotions to bath bombs."
A steep learning curve
"It was a huge learning curve," Tahera said from her Southern California home about Love Amour Propre, an e-commerce business that sells everything natural from body oils to brown sugar scrubs to bath bombs and leave-in conditioners.
"I had to figure out what formulas to create, what mixes to blend and what not to blend together. I learned quickly how to create a product that was safe, natural, effective and organic."
"Getting our name out there became my challenge every single day," she explained. Not only was Tahera doing the marketing, she was labeling, designing and making everything from scratch.
Products that resonate with women and men
Tahera's garage quickly became her office space where she could experiment with different types of distilled water, rose water, different types of oils, dried fruit, herbs, butters and all sorts of textures. "I have coconut oil for days," she laughs. A mom of four kids, Tahera does it all herself except for the occasional help from her kids.
Her top sellers? Yoni oil and body butter called Glow, which has turmeric and mango oil. "They’re great for the summertime and make your skin glow."
Tahera’s products are not only for women. Her men's line is growing from body wash to hand and body lotion. She interjects some humor using clever names for some of her products like the men’s lotion called "Don’t Be Crusty."
Love Amour Propre was started on March 3, 2020 with $100. "Within my first two months of business, I was able to generate $20,000, which is pretty much unheard of."
Legal made simple
"Rocket Lawyer has been a godsend," Tahera said about her Rocket Lawyer membership. A Rocket Lawyer customer for over 6 years, she has used her membership for a variety of legal needs.
From consulting with an attorney, to starting her non-profit 501(c)(3) in 2013, to her latest venture, to drafting up a Will, Tahera likes knowing that all of her information is encrypted and secure.
"RocketSign makes signing a document super easy," she said about Rocket Lawyer’s next-generation digital signature. "I just click and it populates a signature for me." Almost all of the documents that Tahera has signed for Love Amour Propre have been signed with RocketSign. She’s able to Work Confidently® knowing that Rocket Lawyer and its network of On Call attorneys are looking out for her, which frees Tahera up to focus on her venture.
"I'm running two small businesses. I'm a wife, a mom, I’m busy. I don’t have time for a lot. The fact I can go to Rocket Lawyer and do everything I need to is great. It’s smooth, easy, quick, and I know I have an arsenal of people behind me to check and re-check to make sure I’ve done everything correctly."
This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. The law is complex and changes often. For legal advice, please ask a lawyer.
