Daily Inspiration: Meet Tina Browne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Browne. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Natural Products by TMB was born in 2006 when Tina Browne started creating all-natural remedies at home to help give her mother relief from itchy and flaky skin. As these products started working, her mother told friends about them, and soon Natural Products by TMB has regular customers asking to have different products made to help relieve skin problems naturally.

In 2014, after careful consideration and a lifestyle change, we transitioned our product line to 100% vegan ensuring that we work with ingredients that were plant based, grown by us or resourced locally from small businesses. Since our products are made in small batches by hand, we know exactly what goes into each one. Because we put it there ourselves. Each plant based ingredient is carefully chosen to deliver the best results. We lovingly go to great lengths to make sure that our raw ingredients, packaging and processes are as kind to the environment as they are to your skin.

Giving great thought to the Refillery business model, in 2020, just before the world was struck by COVID-19 Pandemic, we took our love for plant based ingredients and created the first Vegan Refill shop in Daytona Beach. We wanted to provide options for our customers to refill everyday products from household to Hair Care to Bath and Beauty products by reusing existing containers to refill these items with. This would give customers the flexibility to shop small but also to teach them how to eliminate waste by shopping for products that could be consumed in a low-waste way. Plastic waste is a huge issue and we want to be the change not the cause of the problem.

Our goal is to work diligently to avoid single use plastics. Provide containers from 100% recycled materials and are recyclable. If customers arrive to our shop without a container, we provide a clean used one for them to refill and ask that they return after use. Any products pre-made, we also encourage our customers to return all glass bottles and containers so that they can be recycled into new products. Our customers are excited to know that they can return any containers for reuse instead of them going into the landfill and oceans. Each product that we make is cruelty free and 100% vegan.

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?
Each day I say to myself, if I didn’t have challenges, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Starting this Refill shop was met with big challenges, COVID-19 came after a week of opening. Stopped me right in my tracks like many others. Next, my husband became seriously ill with Kidney Failure and threw me for a loop. Next, I got COVID and passed it to him. That devastated me. All I could think about is if something happened to him it would be my fault. I was grateful that neither one of us had it severe. In the meantime, I worried how we were going to keep a roof over our heads because now he is unable to work. I wasn’t having success with the shop and didn’t have enough income to pay both our bills. I was totally depressed. What kept me going was remembering what my mom has told me, “Never Give up and Keep your focus”. With a lot of prayers, faith and friends each day I keep my focus and never give up.

I am still struggling, but I keep a smile on my face from my faith and pray that one day people will know that we are out there sharing some amazing products if they just give us a try. I am always grateful for every purchase, every online order and every comment received. Because of that I hear my mom’s words, Never Give up and Keep your focus and that’s exactly what I do.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Natural Products by TMB has been around for 16 years making skincare products, running an animal nonprofit to making vegan granola bars and raw pies at Farmers Markets each week. Today, I have many hats, I am still working in the Education field at a local State College where I help student begin their academic career and running my Vegan Refill shop. I am working diligently to make my Refill shop the top priority because this is my passion. All the products that are made are lovingly made in small batches and by hand. What I don’t have time to make, I use small businesses that have the same mindset of plant based, refillable and returnable containers after use. I am the sole formulator of all products made and specialize in everything plant based. Because of our love for animals and the environment, it is important for me to keep our products cruelty and animal free. We are most known for our Facial Serums and Cleansers; they are our most popular sellers because they are simply made, and they work.

I am most proud of not giving up on this long-time dream of creating products that I absolutely love and that my customers enjoy using. Although, I am slow moving, that works for me because I am a solopreneur and my desire has always been to build my customers, so that everyone can have the opportunity to experience our product line. By introducing to the community, a new way to refill and reuse products without being wasteful is amazing to me and at the same time challenging to reach our community with this valuable information.

When starting this journey, I often asked myself, what would set me apart from others in my field? In the 16 years, I found myself changing the way I want my business to be, however in the end, all I wanted to do was create a place where all our items are 100% vegan. The hardest part in this arena is locating shops that are vegan or vegan friendly. My concept was to create the opposite and create everything vegan and by hand for all people not just some. Most often, we are finding many consumers looking for clean skincare because of one skin problem after another. What I appreciate from my journey is that I create products with the minimal amount of ingredients possible. I don’ believe that you should have 30 ingredients for a face wash. If its plant based, why do you need extra ingredients that you cannot pronounce? I have always believed that my product line represents me Simply Vegan. This is what I believe sets me apart from other businesses.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
When I started this business, I never believed in luck when it comes to my business or life. I believe in faith and prayer and my heavenly father to guide me through whatever obstacles that come in my path. That is what I believe in and my life has been enriched with blessings. It may not be the blessings that most people think that should come when running a business, but my blessings are meaningful, when I meet a customer and they purchase my products and come back to say that they really enjoyed them and continue to purchase. Now, that’s my blessing. I believe that we learn from each other. I follow many wonderful crafters and makers and learn from them each day. We all struggle, some may believe that it’s luck or it’s bad luck that guides them, I believe that we learn and grow from failures and successes. It’s up to me how I grow from the experiences received through this journey.

Contact Info:

• Email: naturalproductsbytmbllc@gmail.com
• Website: naturalproductsbytmb.com
• Instagram: @natural_productsbytmb
• Twitter: @tmbproducts