This Entrepreneur is Creating Natural and Safe Beauty Products for Adults and Children

MEET MARIA LEE-DRIVER:   Building a strong foundation is a key to this beauty professional’s mounting success. Another key to her success is the fact that she is committed to making hair and skin beauty products that make her clients look and feel good.  As the president and founder of Oria’s O’shay, Incorporated, Maria Lee-Driver has years of experience working in the beauty industry. Her life-long dedication to her profession has guided her to create her own line of products – products that are natural and safe, even for the youngest client. Whether working at her salon or selling her own products Maria has always had a strong vision and even stronger desire to provide alternative solutions to mainstream chemical products. For this successful small business owner, there is no turning around.  You can find Maria, the entrepreneur with the “can-do” attitude, online at http://www.oriasoshay.com. 

We ship products all over the world.  There are almost 400 Whole Foods.  It’s amazing that I started in a kitchen when I see where I am now.

WMI:     When you were a young girl, what did you dream of becoming when you grew up? 

MLD:      As a young girl I dreamed of becoming a millionaire.

WMI:   Where did you work, and what were you doing, before you launched Oria’s O’Shay, Inc.?

MLD:   Before I launched Oria’s O’Shay I owned and operated a salon in Gloucester, Virginia for 18 years. The name of the salon was Re-Ons Designing Impressions. I also owned and managed a cosmetology/barbering school for four years. The school was located across from the salon, giving us 2,500 square feet of space to service clients in.

WMI:   Are you the first person in your family to own and operate a business?  If not, tell us about two to three of your relatives who owned and managed companies? 

MLD:   I’m the first person in my family to own a business in the cosmetology field, owning a salon and school. That said, as the youngest of 11 children, I’m not certain if I’m the only person in my family to ever own a business.

WMI:   When did you launch Oria’s O’Shay, Incorporated and what inspired you to start the company? 

MLD:   I launched Oria’s O’Shay in 2010. It was the time when I decided to move my business forward in new and innovative ways. For example, I secured a deal with a large grocery store chain in the United States. I’ve also started attending larger industry specific events like the Bronner Brothers Show.

WMI:   Why did you decide to create all-natural hair and skin products, especially when there are so many beauty products already on the market? 

MLD:   After I opened a children’s salon in Philadelphia I started looking for all natural products to use on my clients. Unable to find all natural products, I created my own. The creation of my hair and skin products came about as a result of my filling a need.

WMI:   What was the greatest challenge you faced as you put on the helmet of business owner?

MLD:   The greatest challenge for me was finding good help, qualified, talented and dedicated workers.

WMI:   Your products were recently picked up by Whole Foods. I’m told that the process of getting items picked up by store chains is very competitive. Please tell us what the process of getting Oria’s O’Shay picked up by Whole Foods was like? 

MLD:   Believe it or not, the process proved to be very simple. I simply contacted Whole Foods and asked them to carry my beauty products. People often find it hard to believe that getting my products on the shelves at Whole Foods was this simple, but it was.

WMI:   Do you currently have or plan to open shops and sell your beauty products direct to consumers? Why? 

MLD:   We are preparing to open a kiosk at a Virginia mall.  I’m from Virginia.  I grew up in the area where our kiosk is located.  It’s wonderful when I look back and think about the fact that I started my business in my kitchen. For me, it’s about building a foundation. I worked long hours when I started Oria’s O’Shay.  My hard work, foundation building, is reaping a bountiful harvest, which I appreciate.

WMI:   Tell us about some of the skin and hair products you offer customers at Oria’s O’Shay, Inc.

MLD:   We have Oria’s Natural Lip Gloss which is available at our website (http://www.oriasoshay.com). We also have tree oil, olive oil, Aloe Vera, Avocado oil and mango oil.  Additionally, we have a product, a body butter all natural cream product that can be used from head to toe. It’s called Oria’s O’Shea Pure Nature Secret. Using this product will yield you benefits such as diminishing scars and stretch marks. It also helps to relieve dry itchy skin. Four doctors have endorsed Oria’s O’Shea Pure Nature Secret which, again, can be found at http://www.oriasoshay.com. It comes in scented and unscented form. Testimonials we’ve received about our products reveal that our products help customers with psoriasis, helping to heal skin lesions. Customers also tell us that our products help with skin conditions associated with eczema, lupus, diabetes, and cancer.

WMI:   How have you managed to continue to grow your business during one of the country’s more challenging economic times?

MLD:   I fill a need in the business-to-consumer market. People continue to enjoy looking their best. My products help them to achieve this in natural and safe ways. Oria’s O’Shay products also help some customers to repair and treat skin conditions. By filling the needs of my market, my business continues to grow and expand.

WMI:   What three to four key online and offline marketing strategies do you use to spread the word about Oria’s O’Shay?

MLD:   I am active on social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Ola Jackson’s Onyx Woman Network. My publicist works with companies to get our products on store shelves.  I also attend industry networking events, do radio and television interviews and speak publicly to grow Oria’s O’Shay customer base.

WMI:   If you were speaking to a group of teenagers who dreamed of one day owning and operating their own businesses, what top three tips or key bits of advice would you share with them?

MLD:   I’d advise teenagers who want to start their own business, regardless of the industry they want to start a company in, to be patient. It’s the same advice I give my own children. As I tell my grown children, I tell others to dream, plan, plant (take action on your dreams) and wait for the results of their efforts to manifest. Lay a good foundation and be patient when wanting to see results.

WMI:   How do you keep yourself motivated as an entrepreneur when sales are sluggish?

MLD:   When sales are sluggish, I make a point to think outside the box. For example, I ask myself questions such as – “Where can I go to introduce Oria’s O’shay?” “ Who hasn’t heard of Oria’s O’shay?” and “What other opportunities can we create with Oria’s O’shay?” Brainstorming for new ideas and insights is how I motivate myself and discover new ways to increase customer sales.

WMI:   What’s next for Maria Lee Driver and Oria’s O’Shay? Where do you see yourself and the company two to three years from now?

MLD:   Currently we ship our products throughout the world, including to celebrities. That said, my goal is to get Oria’s O’Shay products into every household.

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