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443: From Hobby to Skincare Empire: Bethany McDaniel of Primally Pure on Ancestral Living, Clean Beauty, and Growing a Thriving E-Commerce Business
00:52:39
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- [00:00]
Natalie
Welcome back to the Boss Baby podcast. I am excited about today's episode because I am interviewing the founder of a brand I have really fallen in love with. So I want to introduce you to Bethany McDaniel of Primally Pure. So when Bethany's family spontaneously started Primal Pastures, which is a regenerative and organic livestock farm in Southern California, she discovered the power of eating real food. Her eyes were opened to a whole new world of wellness. So Bethany purged her bathroom cabinets of anything with toxic ingredients and got to work formulating her own replacements with ingredients straight from the farm. I think they were one of the first to really popularize using tallow as moisturizer and have really grown from strength to strength. I think Bethany was sharing on the episode. They have over 100 employees, so we not only get into all of the health and wellness, but the nitty gritty behind the scenes of building a business. We go everywhere in this episode, and I'm really excited for you to hear about it. Let's dive in. Welcome to the podcast. I'm so excited. I'm literally the biggest fan of Primalie. P.S.
- [01:16]
Bethany McDaniel
You'Re so sweet. Thank you so much for having me on. I am so excited to be chatting with you.
- [01:20]
Natalie
I would love to begin with the idea of it and the brand story. So can you take me back to that concept phase?
- [01:27]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah. I mean, I always kind of phrase it like, I almost started this business by accident. I started it as a hobby. I was just really into natural skin care solutions. I had always struggled with my skin, and I went the conventional route. I saw a dermatologist. I used conventional medications. I always kind of knew there had to be more to it than that, but I just hit a dead end every time I tried to kind of figure that out. This was, you know, back when I was in. In high school, that I was really in the thick of it, and that was like, I graduated in 2007. So there just wasn't as much information out there back then. And I remember asking my dermatologist, even, like, is there anything else I can be doing to help my skin? Because I was struggling with acne, and she was just like, no, this is genetic. Like, the only thing, your only options are to take these medications. So that's what I did for several years. I was on antibiotics on and off for several years. Lots of harsh topical creams. And then eventually I was put on birth control for my acne. And that worked, but it was, of course, a band aid. And so several years later, I met my now husband and his family was starting a regenerative livestock farm at the time. And so that really opened my eyes to the power of eating real food. I decided to change my diet. I had grown up eating pretty much a standard American diet. And so I switched out a lot of the foods that I was eating for real. Whole Foods noticed that I felt a lot better, my skin was looking better, so I was kind of like, okay, what else can I be doing differently? And I started looking into products, and deodorant was one that really stood out to me. When I started researching conventional deodorant and the problems, the toxins that conventional deodorant has. And I was like, man, I wonder. I wonder what the alternative would be. Is there something else I could try? And so just through research online, I found that baking soda and coconut oil was something that people recommended. And I had those ingredients in my house already. And so I started just, like, rubbing that on my underarms. And I wanted my husband to do the same thing. And he was like, no, that's weird. So I was like, okay, I have to figure out how to make this in a stick form. So this was just, like, I spent countless hours figuring out how to make deodorant in stick form. It was just us. Like, we were married at the time. We didn't have kids, so I had extra time. You know, I had a job and everything, but outside of my job, I was figuring out, like, how to make a natural deodorant that worked. And eventually I had a formula that I was pretty happy with. I started sharing it with friends and family and then, like, getting their feedback, making additional tweaks. And then eventually I started selling it on my family farm's website. The customers really loved it, and that just motivated me to create more products. And, yeah, it just kind of happened very organically. I didn't really set out with, like, a business plan or a goal necessarily, but I was really fueled by my own passion for it. And then the feedback I was getting from other people really motivated me to. To keep going and make the products more widely available.
- [04:29]
Natalie
Also, I can so hard relate to having acne and throwing everything at it, but on a surface level, yeah, no one thought to tell me, maybe you've got a hormone imbalance. Maybe your blood sugar is not great. Like, no one thought to tell me there was maybe a deeper issue. And it was only when I started doing all the research and uncovering so much about what I was putting in my body, on my body, that it started to all make Sense, which is so fascinating that you have to do so much of your own research. I mean, especially back then, we didn't have podcasts, it wasn't talked about so much on social media. It was just we probably grew up in the era of like, clear. What is it?
- [05:06]
Bethany McDaniel
Clean and clear.
- [05:07]
Natalie
Yeah, clean and clear. Oh my goodness.
- [05:09]
Bethany McDaniel
I have to go through so many of those oil blotting pads. From clean and Clear. It would be like clear pad after clear pads and you blot them, then the oil, like, makes it like transparent.
- [05:19]
Natalie
Yeah. And then something that would dry out your skin and dry out your acne and then it come back with a vengeance. It was just.
- [05:25]
Bethany McDaniel
Yes, that was me.
- [05:26]
Natalie
It was crazy. And so you started with a natural deodorant. When did you start to move into the tallow for face products and body products and all of that stuff?
- [05:37]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, I was just researching, like, I was really frustrated with the status quo and kind of like, for all the reasons you just mentioned. Also, why are we not as a society, like, getting to the root of things? Like, why are we just accepting the products on store shelves and the personal care products, the skincare products, and also, like, the food on store shelves? Like, why? We're all just operating under the assumption that if it's sold in a store, it's totally safe. And as I was like, uncovering more of this, I'm just like, this is nuts. Like, we are operating under this false assumption that everything is safe that's sold in a store and we're all worse off for it. So I just started looking into more ancestral ways of living, ways of doing things. And that's when I found out about tallow in my research, discovered that this is like an ingredient that our ancestors have used for generations and generations. And it's only recently that it's kind of been demonized and plant based ingredients have been deemed as the better alternative. And so, yeah, it was kind of like part of this whole process of, like, how did people used to do things and what are we doing now and like, which one is better? And so I was kind of like just into ancestral living in a lot of different capacities, and tallow was a part of that. And since my family farm was doing regenerative livestock and we had access to tallow, I was like, huh, this makes sense. Like, it's rich in nutrients. I, as an omnivore, omnivorous person, I eat plants and animals in my diet. Like, it also makes sense to put plant based and animal based ingredients on my skin. So I thought, okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna try this. And so I started rendering tallow, using tallow from my family farm or using beef fat from my family. And I was like, wow, this stuff is amazing. Like, my skin feels more nourished than it ever has. And I just personally felt like it made such a difference in the health of my skin. And you mentioned earlier, like, all these stripping products that were kind of ingrained in us to use for those of us who grew up in like the early 2000s, that was the thing. And the problem with that is that it strips your skin of its natural moisture and then causes your skin to like overproduce oil, and then it just exacerbates the problem. And so tallow is just an ingredient that's incredibly nourishing and balancing to the skin. It has a really impressive fatty acid profile, rich in vitamins A, D, E and K. Just things that plant based ingredients don't have. And so I just started loving it. I kind of fell in love with it. And then I started putting it in our deodorant also, because our deodorant is baking soda based, that's like the ingredient that makes it work to control odor, but that can also be kind of like an abrasive ingredient for some people. Some people are really sensitive to it. And so I think the tallow in deodorant kind of balances that out and provides extra nourishment to prevent that from. From happening as much for sensitive individuals.
- [08:34]
Natalie
I so relate to that, the ancestral way of living. Like, I really try and think about what was their diet, what did they use? Because the trend lines are very obvious. We are sicker than ever as a society and we have more chemicals in our diet, on our skin, skin than ever. And especially when I was pregnant, I feel like I just cleared out my entire cupboards of everything with chemicals in. Because I was just thinking the amount of chemicals I'm probably putting on my skin that is just seeping into my body makes me feel so uncomfortable. I used the Tallow body cream on my stomach the whole time I was pregnant. It's so luxurious as a product. I absolutely love it.
- [09:14]
Bethany McDaniel
So good for preventing stretch marks.
- [09:16]
Natalie
It's so good. I genetically am predisposed. Is that the word? To stretch marks? I got so some, but I think nowhere near as many as I would have had if I didn't. Like every night I was like slathering it on. I use the tallow on my face, the toner, I mean, all of it. I really, really loved I used the one with, like, a red hue. So my husband would be like, what are you wearing?
- [09:35]
Bethany McDaniel
To be the plumping serum? Yeah.
- [09:38]
Natalie
He's like, what are you wearing to bed? I'm like, listen, I'm gonna wake up looking so much better. But I. I absolutely love it because what I've seen definitely in the past few years is a huge resurgence of people looking for regenerative foods, like, knowing where they're sourcing things from, wanting to be more conscious about what they're putting on their skin. You guys were really early into it, and then did you see there was a huge boom there? How has that looked?
- [10:02]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah. So I remember in the beginning even being like, gosh, like, are we. Am I putting my company at a disadvantage by using tallow? Like, are people going to get this? And so I was kind of back and forth, even wrestling with it. Like, I want people to use clean products, and I love tallow, but, like, is that going to be a big turnoff for a lot of people? Eventually I just decided to use it anyway because I liked it and I believed in it. And now it's been crazy to see, like, how popular tallow has become. Like, is totally trending now. I never would have predicted that. I'm happy it is. And I think it's just part of this, like, larger awakening where people are realizing that what we've been doing is not working. Like you said, like, our health is rapidly declining in America. Infertility is skyrocketing, Cancer rates are skyrocketing. Like, things are not looking well. So I think it's time for people to be like, okay, maybe we should consider, like, living differently and not kind of going with all of these conventional norms that we've grown up with, like, maybe there's a better way. And I think people are realizing that.
- [11:04]
Natalie
I agree. And I've seen this huge. The virality of tallow has been incredible. But I've also then seen reels go viral saying, tallow blocks your pores. It's not great for your skin. What is your response to that?
- [11:16]
Bethany McDaniel
I think if someone has, like, severe acne, it's probably not going to be, like, the best choice. Like my assistant, Grace, we have been walking through this journey with her. She had. Well, when I. When she started working for me, her skin was clear, but she was on several prescriptions that she had been on and off and rotating through different ones for the last decade, which I didn't know. And then she kind of came to me and was like, hey, I want to get off of all these meds, like, what do you think? And I was like, yeah, I mean, you can try it. Like, let's swap your skincare to primly pure. So she did and it got really bad. And her skin was just like, her body was, I think, just freaking out. Like, her gut was imbalanced. There was a lot going on. And so we were, like, into this experiment that we were doing. We had also started changing her diet. We had, like, incorporated all these different things and it just, like, wasn't working. And at that point, we brought in one of my friends, Taylor Dukes, who's a functional medicine nurse practitioner, had her run some tests on Grace and found that she had a lot of gut disruption from just the years of being on and off antibiotics for her acne. So the treatment that she was prescribed for her acne was actually just totally wrecking her gut and making the acne like, worse long term. And so anyways, all that to say I didn't have her on tallow during that time, and we may introduce that into her skincare routine later on, but she was using our serums a lot during that time. Still is using our just really like, serums as moisturizers. And so I think for someone with really bad acne, it maybe isn't the best option. But also, I don't fully agree with the notion that you shouldn't use that tallow is inherently pore clogging. I think that when we look at the comedogenic rating of a product, like, we have to look at all of the ingredients in the product. And like, sure, we have tallow in a lot of our creams, but we also have a lot of other oils in the creams. So you kind of have to look at the overall percentage of, like, comedogenic ingredients in a product and also how we're applying it. So with all of our products, we recommend using a mist before and after using the product, because our products don't have oil and water in them together. But oil and water are still really important to use separately in your skincare routine. The reason we don't put them in the same product is because that would mean that we would have to use, like, harsh preservatives. Anytime you introduce water to a product, you have to preserve it really well. And so we didn't want to use a lot of these, like, harsh preservative and emulsifiers that a lot of products have. And so keeping oil and water products separate allows us to not have to use those chemical ingredients in Our skincare products. But oil really moisturizes the skin well and then the water just allows that moisture to penetrate deeper into the skin and like absorb better into the skin. So I think with tallow based products especially, you want to use water with them like a mist. We recommend using one of our complexion mist, just spritzing it onto the skin and then applying like a thin layer of one of our creams and that'll allow it to absorb better and not just like sit onto the surface of the skin.
- [14:16]
Natalie
That makes sense. And do you put the spray on again afterwards?
- [14:19]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah. You would?
- [14:19]
Natalie
Yeah, yeah.
- [14:20]
Bethany McDaniel
Ideally like before, apply the thin layer of the cream and then after. And also you get more out of the products that way too because you don't need very much. You just need a little bit and then the oil or the water will really like allow that little bit to just like penetrate and do it. Supposed to do.
- [14:33]
Natalie
Yeah. I personally haven't found that it clogs my pores at all. But I also, I have had such a history of really bad acne that I have to be so mindful of my diet. Stress, you know, all those things. I know if my guts off, if my hormones off, that's going to cause me to break out and if I'm using chemicals, that's going to cause me to break out more. So it's, it's so interesting. I feel like you really do have to try yourself and just see like check all the boxes.
- [15:00]
Bethany McDaniel
Exactly.
- [15:01]
Natalie
Like I feel like your skin is trying to show you something.
- [15:05]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [15:05]
Natalie
And I really, really believe that. So I don't just think you can blame what you're putting on your skin. I think it has to come from within.
- [15:11]
Bethany McDaniel
I totally agree. Yeah. I mean I'm still prone to acne as well. And so if I notice like a breakout or a pimple, it's usually, I can usually trace it back to something like stress or a lack of sleep or something I ate or like where I'm at in my cycle. And I think it's really cool actually that our skin is such a signifier because we can learn so much about our body from like what our skin is telling us. And I think sadly, a lot of like modern dermatology tells us to like suppress every symptom when it's like, no, no, no, we want, we want to like see what's happening so that we can like do deeper healing.
- [15:50]
Natalie
I completely agree. So going back to your business journey, when was it that you really started to see growth? I mean, with an E Comm company. When was it that you started to see orders starting to come in and you're like, where did this come from? Oh, my goodness. And see that really pick up. Do you remember that time?
- [16:09]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah. I mean, honestly, like, pretty early on I felt that way just because I wasn't expecting much.
- [16:13]
Natalie
Yeah.
- [16:13]
Bethany McDaniel
And so I remember early on just like, wow. Like, this is. This is kind of taking off. This is crazy. And this is also back in the day where you could reach out to an influencer and offer to send them products and they would post about it and everyone that followed them would see it and then they would start following you. It's just like, so easy to spread a message and a product back then. I started the company in 2015, so that was kind of crazy. And then I noticed that that kind of, like, didn't work as well, like, once they. The algorithm was implemented and, you know, influencers started working off of paid posts and things like that. And so we implemented an affiliate program pretty early on, and that was really successful. I don't think a lot of, like, skincare brands maybe were doing affiliate marketing back then. I think it was more of it was happening in fashion, it was happening in, like, online courses, but I don't know. I. And I also think we were also like, very niche in our area of like, clean skin care. Like, it wasn't as much of a trend back then. So the affiliate program really helped to grow the business. That was like our main source of marketing and getting new customers for the first, I don't know, three, four years maybe. And then at that point we were just kind of, like, wanting to expand more, started doing paid ads, online ads. And then that kind of like, really took off. Both of those affiliate marketing and our. Our paid ads are still kind of our two main, like, channels today. And we're not in stores. We're only sold on our website. We may do stores eventually, but I really love direct consumer sales. Education is a big part of our brand. Like, we've always really prioritized that with our blog and now with a podcast that we've recently started, because I think that products are important, but also, like, lifestyle is so important when. When it comes to skincare and wellness. And so, like, we're not trying to just push products on people. Like, we want people to have a comprehensive, like, holistic health for their. Their whole being. Like, the health of your skin can't be separated from, like, your overall health. They're one in the same. And so that's always been a really big Part of the brand. And I feel like being a direct to consumer company allows us to really connect with customers in that way and like walk alongside them for every step in the journey versus, like being in a store shelf. It feels kind of like disconnected. And not to say we'll never go there, but I just like, have always wanted to really max out the direct to consumer space before we even consider that.
- [18:40]
Natalie
Yeah, that makes sense. So how did you in those early days know what to focus on? Were you kind of seeing where the traction came from? Like, okay, influencers working? Right now I'm going to focus here. Now I'm going to move to affiliates focus here and master that. Now I'm going to move to paid ads. Was it that kind of strategic? How did you think about it?
- [18:57]
Bethany McDaniel
Kind of. And I wouldn't say it was even. It wasn't really a plan. It was kind of like flying by the seat of my pants and someone would like, mention. Have you tried this? Like, no, let's try it. Like, kind of just trying new things and trying to like, be smart about it too. And I've never had the mindset of like, oh, this one thing, like, we have to put all our eggs in this basket because that's going to be like our break and that's going to make us blow up. Like, I've always had the mindset of kind of like growing slow and steady in like a smart, conservative way. But also, also like trying things, not being afraid to. To take chances on things and seeing like, what works and what doesn't work. But just. Yeah, I think that's been a really balanced. Or it's allowed us to grow in like a really balanced way.
- [19:41]
Natalie
And then you recently did a rebrand. Was that this year or last year?
- [19:45]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, that was earlier this year.
- [19:46]
Natalie
Earlier this year.
- [19:47]
Bethany McDaniel
Well, August we launched it.
- [19:48]
Natalie
And what led to the rebrand? It's phenomenal, by the way.
- [19:50]
Bethany McDaniel
Thank you. Thanks. So early on, like, Primal Leafir started so diy. And I mean, I had a friend create labels for us who had a little bit of graphic design experience. I was like, hey, I'll trade you products to create labels. I was like, then I was printing the labels out and then I would take them to or I would get them printed from like FedEx Kinkos on like sticky paper. I would take them home, I would cut, like hand cut them with a paper cutter and then apply them to bottles like myself. Like, it was so diy. And then to stuff boxes. I would drive around to coffee shops and hair salons. Like Grab old newspapers and magazines, and that's what I would use to, like, fill the boxes with as padding. So that was the beginning. And then as we have grown. So the branding before our big rebrand wasn't even our initial branding. We had branding before that. But then about a year in was like, the branding was when we created the branding that we've had for the last eight years or whatever, since eight and a half years since we rebranded in August. And I just felt like it was time for a refresh. Like, so much has changed since those early days. And I wanted packaging that kind of reflected, like an elevated aesthetic of the brand and also with a focus on sustainability. With some of the packaging that we've implemented. We did pulp packaging for, like, pulp kind of boxes to house the products in. That's biodegradable. And glass bottles still, like, glass has always been a big priority for us. It was funny because when we rebranded, people thought it was plastic. It's like colored glass now. But there's this big uproar. Like, I can't believe you guys switched to plastic. Like, it just went wild. Like in the comments. When we launched the rebrand, it was crazy. And so we posted this video. Our. Our photographer did this video of her, like, with a hammer, like, hammering the product and it shatters. And you can like see it's very obviously glass. The caption was like shattering any expectations that we would put our products in plastic. And I think people are like, okay, fair enough.
- [21:48]
Natalie
Did you notice with the rebrand, a big uptick in sales and growth?
- [21:52]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, we actually did see a big increase in sales and website visits and everything. But we also did a big out of home billboard campaign around that time.
- [22:00]
Natalie
I seen it. You had a really big one in Aust. Yeah, yeah. South Congress.
- [22:04]
Bethany McDaniel
Yes. Yeah, we had four in. In Austin, a bunch of the Domain, a few different ones downtown. I actually did a trip out here with my girls to like, go around and see them in September, which was really fun. So that launched at the same time. We also had billboards in New York, in la, in Dallas. So that was all kind of right around the same time as the rebrand. And then we launched a podcast right around the same time. So I think it's just like a lot of things, a lot of good things hitting at once.
- [22:29]
Natalie
And I think that's such a great way to do it as well. If you've got something coming, make a moment out of it.
- [22:34]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [22:35]
Natalie
Don't just do the one thing and then drip it. Like, how can you make a moment and get so much momentum because I think that just adds so much fuel to the brand. It brings the traffic, the word of mouth. I think the rebrand was so smart and it just, it completely elevated the brand. It's so beautiful.
- [22:50]
Bethany McDaniel
Thank you. Thank you so much.
- [22:52]
Natalie
And so as the business has grown, how has team structure and the way you run it and everything changed?
- [22:58]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, it's changed a lot. I mean, it was a one woman show in the beginning. I was like primarily pure, had taken over our little house. We lived in a farmhouse at the time on our farm. And it was, I mean, it was just me and my husband there in the beginning. And then I got pregnant with our oldest daughter like six months into starting the company. Yeah, I was like making products in the kitchen. I was shipping products in what later became my daughter's room. I was like labeling them in the living room. It was insane. And I was reluctant to hire on any help. I think as a lot of entrepreneurs are, in the beginning, you think like, there's no one that can do X, Y or Z better than you can. And my husband, it took my husband saying like, okay, like this is kind of crazy. Like you need, you need some help. And so I reluctantly like hired on my first part time employee. And then once I was close to the due date of my daughter, I was like, okay, my business is still in my house. Like, I need to figure this out. I'm either going to put things on pause so I can have like some space and enjoy a maternity leave, or I'm gonna have to like take a leap of faith and rent like an office warehouse space, hire someone on full time, train them to do everything that I've been doing, and allow the business to continue to run while I take a maternity leave. So it's either like pause or go big. And I chose to go big. And so that was kind of risky at the time because we didn't necessarily like have, I mean, we did. The money was, you know, it was there, but it was kind of, it was tight. It was tight to do all that, to rent the space and hire the full time person. But I'm so glad I did because it showed me what was possible. And from there I started looking at it more as a business and started being a little bit more proactive about making hires. Like before it was like absolutely necessary just to get someone.
- [24:42]
Natalie
You may have heard that I recently co founded a brand new company, Glossy, which is a skin routine you can drink. And I wanted to tell you a little bit more about it. It is incredible. It's this powdered supplement that you drink at least once a day. I'm personally a morning and afternoon kind of person and it is so good for your skin and your gut. One of the ingredients that I want to call out is probiotic D111. So it helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome. It supports digestion and skin barrier function. It's also really good for helping to reduce any discomfort in your stomach and bloating. I swear, glossy, that's just one of the key ingredients. We also have vitamin C, magnesium, hyaluronic acid, coconut water powder, sea salt, zinc. It really comes from all angles to support you inside out. I love it. In a morning, I drop in and hydrogen tablet just to really boost things. And then in the afternoon I normally add some B vitamins. It makes me feel absolutely amazing and I really feel the difference in my gut. Specifically, I'm more regular, I'm less bloated. I just really feel a difference. So if you're interested, go to get glossy.com, that's G L O C I.com and use the code boss babe and you'll get a huge discount off your.
- [26:00]
Bethany McDaniel
Order in place and kind of keep things running smooth. So in the beginning, like I was the CEO, I was, I was hiring everyone. I was kind of trying as much as I could. I didn't have any prior business experience, but I was starting to get into like podcasts and business books and just learn about like how to manage people, how to build a team. And I was trying and it was hard, like learning how to manage people, like that whole thing is so hard. And I would just like, that was like the hardest part of the business for me. And it would take so much brain power and just I wanted to do it so well and, and. But I had never done it before, so it was a challenge. But that was the beginning and I was working like very closely with everyone. And then I feel like every time I've had a child, it's forced me to like, let go of things in some capacity. And so it was kind of like a slow progression. It was me hiring everyone, all of that. And then I think around the time I was pregnant with my second daughter or no, a little before that, my husband's best friend came on board and him and I, well, he kind of started as a consultant role. And then maybe about when I was pregnant, we became like co CEOs. So when I was pregnant for the second time, we became like co CEOs. And at that point we had already worked together for a few years, like the trust was established and he was able to do a lot like in my absence, like when I went on maternity leave and I was able to have a much more like restful maternity leave. And then I came back. I think we were like still co CEOs for another couple years and I was like, how would you feel about like becoming CEO and I'll step into more of a founder role. And he was like, great. Yeah, that's perfect. And so that's the way it's been ever since. And it's been great. Like I, I'm able to really focus on and we have a hundred and one hundred and twelve employees now. And so it's awesome for me because I don't have to be the one doing like performance reviews and doing that kind of thing. And I can focus more on product development and brand education and like consumer facing content, which is what I really love. And there's employees that I work very closely with, but I'm not the one like directly managing them, which is kind of like my sweet spot. So I think that it can look different for everyone. But that's like, that's the role that I've kind of gotten into and I'm really happy there.
- [28:14]
Natalie
I think most founders want to be in that role where they can be creative and not have to manage people.
- [28:18]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, yeah, sure.
- [28:20]
Natalie
So that's so interesting that really essentially since you've had your business, you've also been a mom.
- [28:26]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [28:26]
Natalie
Like you only had say what, six to 12 months of doing it without having kids. How has that been for you? Did that change your perspective on running your business at all and how has it been?
- [28:36]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, it's, it's definitely taught me a lot. I mean, both have taught me a lot about the other. So starting a business, that was the first time I had really just fully poured myself into something and gone gung ho to make something work. And so I feel like that kind of trained that muscle for me of how to push through hard situations, how to persevere, how to find solutions for different challenges that would come up. So I think my business taught me that. And then when I, when I became a mom, you know, I wasn't able to go as like, as hard at my business anymore. But I had this new journey and this new thing that I wanted to like pour everything into. And it has since been this like, it's so hard. I mean, you know, it's hard. It's so hard. It's like been this thing that I'm constantly trying to. There's never gonna be a perfect balance, but like constantly trying to find the best balance that I can with. And I think the thing that I really like, try to do is always like, take a step back in different seasons and think like, okay, how does this feel? Like, how does the amount of work I'm doing feel right now? How does the amount of time I'm spending with my kids feel and making like, changes based on that? So there's been seasons where I like really pour into family. Like we've gone on a two month family road trip for the past two summers and that's been an amazing time to really just like be present as a family, spend like undistracted time with my kids. And that's not to say I'm not working at all during those times, but it's kind of been a time where I put an away message on and I'm like, I can't be counted on for much right now. I'll like, do what I can to keep things going. And then there's also been times where I like schedule too much on my calendar and I go through that season and I stop at the end of it and think like, okay, that was probably a little too much. I need to be more selective about what I'm doing and also like, make sure that I'm not overextending myself and just kind of leaving the leftovers for my kids and my family. But also it's like, it's so fun to bring them into my work. Like, they love Primally Pure. Like, they are the first testers of every new product. They come with me to like work events sometimes. Like they, they love Primally Pure and like, my oldest daughter wants to take it over someday. So it's like, yeah, it's really sweet too. And I think it's cool for them to see because I see like what it does for their imaginations and their mindsets and their confidence seeing like, to them it's like, it's just so, like anything is so possible to them because they just, it's so normal that like, oh, my mom has a company and you know, my husband had a company too that he sold. So it's just kind of like, why would I not just like start a business? My oldest already, her and her cousin are planning on starting a bakery and they're like, want to like, start it like after 8th grade we're just going to start this bakery and it's just kind of like, yeah, this is just what you do. And so I kind of love that also for them to be able to just, like, see it and emulate, like, take away what they want to take away from it and implement that into their own lives.
- [31:28]
Natalie
Yeah. I loved when we came in, when you were talking about. You asked your daughter if she wanted to come to.
- [31:33]
Bethany McDaniel
And I just said no, she wanted to be with her grandparents, which is fun.
- [31:37]
Natalie
But I do think. I mean, what I tell myself is I feel like I'm setting a good example of being present with my daughter, but also showing her that I get a lot of happiness from work. And my hope is, you know, if she chooses to have kids, she's not constantly in her head thinking, well, can I do both? Does it make me a bad mom to be super ambitious? Because I do think, especially for our generation, that is a big, common theme.
- [32:02]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [32:03]
Natalie
I don't see men facing this, but a lot of women that I speak to, this is such a common theme. Like, I don't know that I can do both. I don't know how I'm gonna do both. You know, I'm worried about xyz. What are some of the things like, that you've had to work through with. With being in business, on being a mother?
- [32:18]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, I think there's a lot of guilt, like, on both sides. Like, sometimes I remember this a lot. In the beginning especially, I'd be like. I'd be spending time because I wanted to. I wanted to just, like, fully do both in the beginning. So we didn't really have help or anything. I was kind of, like, with my daughter during the day. And then I was sacrificing so much sleep to get things done, to get all my work done. Like, when she was during naps or when she was sleeping. And it worked for the beginning, like, baby sleep so much.
- [32:44]
Natalie
Right.
- [32:44]
Bethany McDaniel
And so it was like, okay. And then it just got really, really exhausting. And then I remember, like, bringing in a babysitter and feeling like, okay, this feels good. But then sometimes, like, when I was working for several hours and hadn't seen her, I'd feel guilty. So days I was off and spending time with her, I'm like, oh, my gosh, things are building up. Things are building up. Like, I'm really stressed out. So it was, like, so hard managing, like, the guilt on both. Both sides. And then I think, like, once I was able to kind of make the decision of when I am working, like, I'm gonna put my all into it. I'm going to really, like, focus on being diligent and effective in what's on my plate for the day and, like, doing what I can. And if I don't finish something, like, that's okay. I'm gonna do the best I can. I'm not gonna, like, feel bad while I'm working. And then when I was with my daughter, like, I'm going to be present with my daughter. I'm not like, yes, there's things piling up, but, like, it's just kind of like making the decision to do your best wherever you're at at that moment and, like, kind of not like, giving weight to these, like, feelings of guilt for, like, not doing things that maybe you. You feel like you should be doing in that moment, but, like, being present where you're at and letting yourself be okay with that and then zooming out big picture sometimes and thinking like, okay, like, is this good? Is this. Does this feel good for everyone? And then making changes based on that too.
- [34:10]
Natalie
I really relate to that. And I. I think the more I can be present in whatever I'm doing, the better I'm gonna feel.
- [34:17]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [34:17]
Natalie
But whenever I'm trying to pull myself in two different directions, I feel exhausted, probably my brain is burning so many calories, and I just feel guilty. For me, it's been such a beautiful practice of being able to push back and have my own boundaries, especially as a founder, you know, we need XYZ from you. And I'm like, well, I can give you this today. And being okay with that. And the people pleaser in me just.
- [34:39]
Bethany McDaniel
Same hated that so hard.
- [34:41]
Natalie
But it's been a really good practice and I think actually it supported me in so many areas of my life because before I had kids, I kind of would just say yes to everything.
- [34:49]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, totally. I know. I same. Yeah. I think, like, motherhood has forced me to press the. The brakes on a lot of things that I normally would have just like, like, done, no questions asked.
- [35:01]
Natalie
So, speaking of ancestral ways of living, I want to talk to you a little bit about diet and your kind of principles there. How do you think about the way that we eat and current American diet and the big topic of conversation?
- [35:15]
Bethany McDaniel
Totally. Yeah. I think, like, I'm so glad to see it getting more attention. The standard American diet is. Is so terrible.
- [35:23]
Natalie
It's shocking as someone that didn't grow up here. It shocks me.
- [35:26]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I bet. Such a big difference compared to the same product that's sold in America versus Europe and a lot of other countries too. And so I'm really happy to see it getting more attention. Like, just the charts are not headed in a good direction for our health. And I think a lot of things need to change. Like, I think companies need to have better standards for, like, what their products consist of. I think there needs to be more government regulation with ingredients in our food. And I also think, like, we just need to take more personal responsibility and, like, just make the decision that just because, like, everyone's eating Cheetos, like, doesn't mean I have to. Like, I can make a different choice for myself and my family. Even if it feels, like, weird or not normal, like, that's okay. And that's something that I try to teach to my kids because we are careful about what we eat. We just try to eat whole foods, like, nothing crazy. Like, we don't follow necessarily a specific diet. I guess how we eat is maybe closest to, like, what a paleo diet would consist of. But I also, like, if we're on vacation, like, I'll let my kids have ice cream. I don't let them have ice cream with, like, food dyes. But, you know, we make some concessions. But anyways, also, like, they just kind of know that there's certain things, like, we just don't touch. And I think some people would look at that and think, like, well, you're depriving your kids. Like, they might feel left out. And my response to that is like, yeah, that's okay with me. Like, I want to teach my kids that it's okay to live differently in, like, all facets of life. Like, we can't live the same as everyone else is living and expect a different outcome. That's just not realistic. And so why not start with food and, like, live differently in regards to food? Like, and I'm modeling that for them, too. So I'm not expecting them to, like, no, you can't have this and this and this. But. But I'm gonna eat it. You know, I. This is kind of just like a family standard that we have set. And we've done it from the get go. So it's, like, easier, I think, when you do it from the get go, rather than introducing this when the kids are, you know, six years old or whatever. But that is kind of, like, how we approach it.
- [37:28]
Natalie
Yeah, I agree. I'm fine to deprive her if it means keeping out. Yeah, I'm kind of fine with that. It's interesting growing up in the UK and Europe, coming over here and seeing the big difference, but even going back, like, when growing up, I used to love eating Kellogg's Special K. Just loved it. Oh, yeah. And then I remember opening the box over here and it's a completely product. It's a different color. It's, it's. Everything's different about it. It's not even remotely close to the same product. And I remember just being so shocked. It's so much sweeter, all of that. Whenever I go back, I feel so much less guilt about the food that I eat there because I'm like, wait, I can understand all of these ingredients. You come over here and it's just like all these numbers and words and you're like, what does this mean? And why do we need to have completely different products over here? It doesn't make sense to me.
- [38:16]
Bethany McDaniel
Crazy.
- [38:17]
Natalie
Like, was special. Cannot selling well enough.
- [38:19]
Bethany McDaniel
I know, I know.
- [38:19]
Natalie
It has to be different.
- [38:20]
Bethany McDaniel
Is it? Yeah. Like, I wonder how much money they are actually saving by using these cheap filler ingredients. And I guess they use a lot of these things to make the food more addictive. And so maybe it is having a big impact on their bottom line. But I'm also like, okay, Kellogg's is getting so much backlash right now. Like, is it still worth it? Because they haven't responded to any of it.
- [38:39]
Natalie
Yeah. Why have they not responded?
- [38:40]
Bethany McDaniel
I don't know. Like, is it still worth it for them to use these crappy, like, food, like, substances? I can't even call it food in their products. Are they really still getting that much out of it that they're not willing to, like, make any changes, even though people are demanding it?
- [38:55]
Natalie
And how do they sleep at night? That's my question. I don't understand.
- [38:59]
Bethany McDaniel
I mean, it's such a blatant difference.
- [39:01]
Natalie
I really commend everyone that's coming forward and speaking about that. To me, it's actually insane that this is a political issue. That campaigning for chemicals to be taken out of food, out of children's food somehow is a political issue I think is absolutely bonkers.
- [39:18]
Bethany McDaniel
It should be something that we can all get behind.
- [39:20]
Natalie
Isn't that insane? It blows mine. But especially when I think having kids as well makes you so much more angry about this stuff. It's like, I don't want my kids to grow up eating that kind of food and having to deal with hormone issues, gut issues, you know, the whole spectrum.
- [39:37]
Bethany McDaniel
Right.
- [39:38]
Natalie
What do you think about raw milk?
- [39:39]
Bethany McDaniel
I love raw milk.
- [39:39]
Natalie
I love raw milk. I love the resurgence of the raw milk, of people wanting to know where their food sourced, of just going back to Basics. But it's so funny that this is so controversial.
- [39:50]
Bethany McDaniel
I know, I know. We started, we got on the raw milk bandwagon maybe a year ago now, and we're never going back.
- [39:58]
Natalie
Never going back.
- [39:59]
Bethany McDaniel
Like, I feel like my kids have been so much healthier. Like, they all notice their friends or cousins or people that they interact with, like, like sick. And it'll kind of pass through them as well. But they're not, like, taken down by things like they used to be. I feel like it's, like, had a big benefit for their guts and their overall health.
- [40:15]
Natalie
And when you look into the research of these things, that so much of it does go back to. How did our ancestors live?
- [40:21]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [40:21]
Natalie
They were just a lot healthier without everything being taken out of the food or everything added into the food. Yeah.
- [40:28]
Bethany McDaniel
Hundreds of years ago, raw milk wasn't raw milk. It was just milk.
- [40:30]
Natalie
It was just milk.
- [40:31]
Bethany McDaniel
And now it's like this crazy thing like, raw milk. Oh, my gosh. This is what people have been doing since the beginning of time.
- [40:36]
Natalie
You drink raw milk. Do you have a tinfoil hat on? I was like, I don't understand. It's crazy to me.
- [40:42]
Bethany McDaniel
So silly.
- [40:43]
Natalie
So walk me through a typical day in your life because there must be so many elements of your day. I'm so curious what it looks like.
- [40:51]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah. Okay. So, I mean, no day is typical, but I'll give you, like, the most typical. Write down. So my kids do homeschool pods. We live in California, and they're a part of these kind of, like, homeschool pod system. So it's a 9 to 5, Monday through Thursday school program. Or not 9 to 5? Sorry, 9 to 2. 9 to 2. So I love that it has a later start because, like, mornings are really important for me to spend with my kids. And so I kind of, like, I used to be the person that I would get up like 5am, have a whole routine, like, wouldn't deviate from the routine. And once I had maybe my second, maybe my third kid, I can't remember, I was just like, this doesn't work. Like, I feel like this routine has too much of a hold on me and a hold on my life. And it's not, like, working for me anymore. It's like draining me and making me feel like I can't face whatever comes up that day if I don't do every step in my routine. So I've gotten so much more flexible with that. I just kind of wake up when. When I wake up, when my kids wake up. So we all kind of wake up together and do breakfast together. Oftentimes I wake up, I do wake up before them though still. So if I do wake up before them, I'll sneak in.
- [41:58]
Natalie
How are you waking up up before your two year old? My two year old is up at like 5am on a good day.
- [42:03]
Bethany McDaniel
Really? 5am what time, what time did she go to sleep?
- [42:06]
Natalie
Well, she was going to sleep at 7. Now I put her to bed at 6 because I'm like, I need to, I need to get to bed early. She is an early riser.
- [42:13]
Bethany McDaniel
Wow. Okay, so we go to bed later. So long story short, we are living in our guest house right now while we're remodeling our main house. And it's small, it's 700 square feet. So it's kind of like we're all like going to bed and waking up around the same time because we have three kids. And so my youngest, my two year old like has major FOMO if he has to go to bed before his sisters. And since we're in such a small space, we're like, they all kind of go to bed around like eight maybe.
- [42:38]
Natalie
That's. So it's a little later. So you go, so you guys go to bed, you wake up before your kids. What are you guys eating for breakfast?
- [42:45]
Bethany McDaniel
So we'll do a few different things in rotation. Like sometimes it's like eggs and gluten free sourdough. Sometimes it's like meat. From our family farm. They have a breakfast sausage, breakfast beef sausage that we eat a lot with like maybe yogurt and blueberries or sometimes I'll just do a smoothie morning and make them smoothies. Sometimes they'll do cereal but we do like lovebird cereal if you tried that.
- [43:07]
Natalie
Yeah.
- [43:07]
Bethany McDaniel
With raw milk. So that's like my lazy morning breakfast for them. But yeah, and nothing too fancy, just normally like some kind of protein. Like we always prioritize protein. So if they have a smoothie it's like they're getting whey protein in it. Paleo valley whey protein. And then for the cereal it's not.
- [43:22]
Natalie
Much protein but the milk and the raw milk.
- [43:24]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [43:25]
Natalie
So you do that. You get the mother door for school. Are they all three in school right now?
- [43:29]
Bethany McDaniel
Just the older two.
- [43:30]
Natalie
Okay.
- [43:30]
Bethany McDaniel
And then we have a babysitter for the youngest that comes over. So I normally make breakfast. My husband does lunches for them and then he normally does the school drop off. So he'll take them to school. Sitter will come for my youngest and then that's kind of like the start to my day after they're all kind of off to the races. And at that point I'll. If I didn't get a walk in, because if I do wake up before my family, I'll take a walk by myself. So if I didn't get that in, then I'll do that. I'll start my day with a walk with like a weighted vest and ankle weights. Like this whole thing. Yeah, it's been a new thing that I'm like obsessed with. So I'll start my day with that and then I'll kind of get into work. Sometimes I'll work from home. Sometimes I'll go to a coffee shop and work for a bit. Sometimes I'll go to the office. And then if I'm home, something I'm trying to do a lot now is like working outside and taking calls outside. So kind of just like trying to be outdoors as much as possible throughout the day. And I have this like little lap desk thing that I got from Amazon. It kind of has like fold out stands and it's, it's like low to the ground. So you sit and then you have the lap desk. And then I'll like take that in my backyard just so I can be grounded. I'm really, I've become really aware of like EMFs and the positive charge that it gives your body and then the negative charge that you get from like being connected to the earth. So I'm just trying to be really aware of like balancing out that electric charge with time outdoors and with grounding. So I'll try to be outdoors as much as possible during my work day. And then, and then lunch.
- [44:58]
Natalie
What are we doing for lunch?
- [44:59]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, lunch. So there's a local place called Artisan's Palette and they have like really good grab and go lunches. So oftentimes I'll like, like I'll either go in there and just grab something and eat or I'll like take it in with me. I kind of like to switch spots also. So like, if I'm at the coffee shop in the morning, then I'll like go to Artisan's Palette for lunch and then like go to the office for the afternoon or if I'm at home in the morning, you know, I just.
- [45:21]
Natalie
Kind of like so good for the energy.
- [45:22]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah, it kind of like keeps me from burning out and gives me like a break between tasks. Yeah, I used to kind of just hard charge like hour after hour after hour of like work that just doesn't work for me anymore. Like, I have to have kind of, like, pauses in. In that workload for the day. And so, yeah, I'll kind of break up where I'm at. And then in the afternoon, I might, like, finish out my day with, like, going in the sauna or something like that. We have a sauna and a cold plunge at home. And I used to kind of, like, try to do all these things in the morning, like, before everyone woke up. And now I just kind of, like, try to have, like, the flexibility in my schedule. And it doesn't all happen all the time, but I'll try to, like, kind of incorporate some kind of a health practice in whether that's sauna or another, like, maybe a quick dumbbell workout with a cold plunge after or maybe if I have time, like a hyperbaric chamber session. We have a hyperbaric chamber at home. So some kind of a wellness practice. And then I'll head home. And like, this last season of life, we've had kids in soccer, so we've had soccer practices three nights a week. So that's kind of like, taken up a lot of our evenings. But yeah, it's just like, dinner time, kind of hanging out, cleaning up, starting bedtime and baths. That can take a while with three kids and then, like, getting them to bed. And then that's when I'll. I'll do my. My whole skincare routine that consists of facial massage and using our.
- [46:47]
Natalie
Talk me through the details of your skincare.
- [46:49]
Bethany McDaniel
So cleansing oil, like the oil cleansing method. I love the oil cleansing method. That totally transformed my skin. And it's also just a nice evening ritual. It's really relaxing, and it's just an opportunity to kind of like. And for anyone who isn't familiar with the oil cleansing method, it's this premise that, like, dissolves like, so you're using oil to dissolve, like, the bacteria and grime and buildup in your skin. And, you know, rather than like, stripping your skin with a harsh cleanser, so you're using oil to dissolve that oil, and then you're massaging it into your skin. That's where I encourage people to really just enjoy that process of like. Like, take some deep breaths, let it be a relaxing r caring for yourself and, like, giving your facial muscles some release and just bringing circulation to kind of the tension. We can carry a lot of tension in our faces. And so I just. I love that practice in the evening. And our cleansing oil is so nice. It smells so good too. It's such a relaxing ritual. And then you kind of like wipe that away gently with a wet, warm washcloth. And then I will use our everything spray. I just dab it onto an organic cotton round and I'll use that as my toner. And then I rotate between our different, like, serums and creams for a moisturizer. So right now I'm using our plumping serum and I'll finish it with like, some baby balm and a few spritzes of our. Our plumping mist. But that's always kind of like changing and rotating. And then I'll also a lot of times incorporate like gua sha or facial cupping into the massage as well. But that'll be when I put my serum on. I'll. I'll do like the. The facial cupping or the gua sha.
- [48:21]
Natalie
Oh, so you facial cup with. With the serum and then you moisturize after the serum.
- [48:26]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [48:26]
Natalie
Okay. Yeah, I love that.
- [48:28]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [48:28]
Natalie
So for someone that's new to the brand, if they want to start with a couple products, what would you say are the best ones to try?
- [48:34]
Bethany McDaniel
So our deodorant for sure. I always encourage people, like, if they are going to make one swap, let it be deodorant. It's just such an important product to use clean because deodorant is in such a sensitive area. It's near breast tissue and multiple lymph nodes. So deodorant for sure. And then our plumping serum is really incredible. It has astaxanthin, which is a really potent antioxidant found in red algae. It's 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C as an antioxidant. And then it also has bakuchiol, which is a natural retinol alternative. So that people love our plumping serum. It's a good one. Our cleansing oil is great too. Our dry shampoo. Yeah, those are kind of like, like I would say, like the basics that, that everyone. Everyone should try.
- [49:18]
Natalie
I love it. And should we do a code for the audience?
- [49:20]
Bethany McDaniel
Yes, let's do it.
- [49:21]
Natalie
Okay. Can we use code boss babe?
- [49:23]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah.
- [49:23]
Natalie
Okay. Amazing. Let's do it. I'll put all of that below in the show. Notes for everyone. Perfect. Well, thank you so much for being here. This was amazing.
- [49:29]
Bethany McDaniel
Thank you so much.
- [49:30]
Natalie
Natalie, where can everyone find you on the brand?
- [49:33]
Bethany McDaniel
Yeah. So my brand, Primally Pure is at Primly Pure on instagram, and then primlypure.com and then my personal Instagram is just Bethany J. McDaniel.
- [49:41]
Natalie
And the new podcast.
- [49:42]
Bethany McDaniel
The new podcast is Grounded Wellness, and that's on Apple Spotify and video on YouTube. And Spotify.
- [49:49]
Natalie
Amazing. Thank you. Thank you.
- [49:56]
Unknown
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- [50:52]
Natalie
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