The first Official Sunday Brunch Special Interview

My first Sunday interview is with Jill at Bidwell Botanicals.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your indie business.
My name is Jill Jones, and I'm the owner and founder of Bidwell Botanicals. We make botanically based spa, bath and body products, including handmade soap, moisturizers and body scrubs.

2. Where are you located?
We are located just outside of Atlanta about halfway between the city and the North GA Mountains.

3. How did you come up with your business name?
Bidwell is a family name and botanicals is what I love, so it seemed a natural pairing.

4. Where do you sell your products?
Our products are sold world-wide in spas/salons, gift shops and health stores. We also retail our products on our website.

5. Do you belong to any local and/or web groups or affiliations?
Yes, I'm a member of the Switchboards. A fantastic group of women business owners that share ideas and resources. I also belong to Rising Designers, also a group of women who are independent business owners and designers. Both groups have been very inspiring to me.

6. What inspires you?
I have been inspired by many of the women I meet that are taking what they love to do and making it a thriving business. They come from all walks of life and their driving force, as is mine, is their craving for creativity.

7. When you’re not making things, what do you do?
I'm not sure there is a time I'm not making things! In my so-called spare time I read, spend time with my family, garden and cook. Right now I'm passionate about make the perfect scone. Just ask my family how many they've eaten in the past few months.

8. What’s your favorite childhood memory?
I had very long, wildly curly hair as a child and I wasn't very fond of having it brushed. We had a large family (7 children) and my mother always had to rush to get us all ready for school and hair brushing was kind of a torture for both of us. My great-grandmother lived two houses down from us and several times a week she would come over and slowly, gently brush out my crazy hair. She would talk quietly to me about all kinds of things and just sort of lull me into a meditative state. To this day just thinking about that gives me a zen-like calm feeling.

10. What’s the most difficult aspect of running your biz?
Staying organized. Do NOT ask my husband about this! He is constantly reorganizing the havoc I wreak when I'm "creating". I sort of thrive in an atmosphere of utter chaos.

Ok, now these two are mandatory and I have to ask (this being a diner, after all)

1. What is your favorite meal?
Sushi. Love, love, love it!

2. Do you prefer tea or coffee?
Tea. I have to have at least one cup in the morning or I can't wake up. (with milk and sugar thank you!)

a big THANK YOU to Jill at Bidwell Botanicals for my very first official Indie Diner interview!!! {hugs} julie