EXTRAordinary People | Tiffany Gilbert

TIFFANY
GILBERT

THIS woman right here is AMAZING!! I'm beyond blessed to call her friend. Tiffany is from Washington, DC and owns and operates an all-natural hair care and bath & body care business called Jungle Portfolio. She is extremely creative, hardworking, encouraging and most certainly an inspiration. There's no doubt she is EXTRAordinary. Ladies and gentlemen...TIFFANY GILBERT!!! 

W&I: What INSPIRED you?

Tiffany: My biggest inspiration to start Jungle Portfolio was health and results. I was shocked when I began to research ingredients that are used in many well-known beauty care products in stores today. Many products contained chemicals and synthetics that are known to cause cancer and have other harmful effects on the body. This is not what I wanted for myself, my family, or anyone else. I wanted a product that was good for me and that did what the front label said it would do, without chemicals, fillers and synthetics. Thus, I developed my own.

W&I: What keeps you WIRED?

Tiffany: Being in business can be very challenging and takes a lot of hard work. When I receive letters and e-mails letting me know how my products have helped my customers who sought results for various beauty issues, it makes those challenging days and sleepless nights well worth it. Ultimately, my motivation comes from seeing the vision God gave me for my business come to fruition right before my eyes; knowing that I have yet to experience the greatness He has set before me and experiencing His grace and favor throughout the process of starting and running my business, keeps me going. I am grateful.

W&I: How do you hope to inspire others?

Tiffany: I hope that those reading this article will be inspired to do something that they’ve always wanted to do but never had the nerve to do. It could be starting a business, going on a trip, joining a club, etc. Do it while you have the opportunity to do so. I further hope to inspire girls and women to know their worth. It was my lack of self-worth that played a major role in me not starting my business when the idea first came to me. I didn’t think I was beautiful or good enough to do anything. My thoughts towards myself hindered me from moving in any direction. I hope that young girls and women will see what I’m doing and will be encouraged to embrace their uniqueness and allow their beauty to blossom.

W&I: Words of wisdom for anyone interested in beauty care and others wanting to start their own business?

Tiffany: If I may offer a few words of wisdom it would be to ask yourself why you want to get into the beauty care business, what are you good at and are you dedicated? I present these as core questions that will help you to determine if this is the business for you. The beauty care industry is a saturated, multi-billion dollar industry, yet, new businesses are popping up at what seems like the speed of light, daily. You must have a strong foundational goal in place (other than getting rich quick) that you can stand on when things get rocky and when challenges arise – getting rich quick rarely sustains the motivation to press on. Determine why it is you want to do what you are seeking to do. 

Now, a few words of encouragement… I encourage patience, research, patience, patience and more patience. When I finally had the guts to make a move towards starting my business, I did nothing but research for two years. I researched the industry, my competitors, marketing, laws, financing options, production costs, etc. Yes, there were many days where I just wanted to jump in and start making products and selling – should I have done this, I would be in BIG trouble today. Having a working knowledge of business practices and industry specific practices and requirements is a MUST before doing anything. I stressed patience, as the research process can seem daunting and never-ending… hold on though, it will pay off! I also encourage you to get connected to small business groups and even seek a business mentor. Having a support system is vital. There were many days where I just didn’t know what to do, many days where I was frustrated and wanted to quit and many days where, even with all my research, I still made mistakes. My support system of mentors and friends in business helped me through, however. 

Lastly, be creative and don’t be afraid to do so! When I told friends about my business ideas, they laughed at me. They told me my ideas were strange and wouldn’t work. Well, it’s the creative ideas God has given me that are causing me to sell out of products. Embrace your uniqueness. I close with this… Take your time through the process of starting your business, learn as much as you can, bring your OWN creativity to the table and enjoy! God bless.

W&I: We want to know more?!!

Tiffany: You can find Jungle Portfolio products at www.jungleportfolio.com. We are on Facebook and will be joining the Youtube community soon! Look for product videos, tutorials and specials. If you want to stay connected, go to the website and subscribe to the mailing list. I hope to hear from you!

W&I: Thanks Tiffany!! You are truly an inspiration. Be sure to check her out folks. I've had the pleasure of sampling a body scrub of hers and it was D-vine :).