Why I’m doing it differently this time around... (just in case you're interested)

If you’ve been around since the early days, you’ll remember the old Oh Natural.

So many brands. New arrivals constantly landing. Endless options. It felt abundant and exciting.

It started slow, but then suddenly grew quickly. Faster than I ever expected.

Sales were strong. We had beautiful suppliers, loyal customers, and so much momentum.

But behind the scenes?

It was a lot.  I also had three kids under five. 

Managing dozens of brands meant managing dozens of margins, restocks, launches, shipping timelines, personalities, expectations. It meant constantly forecasting, constantly juggling, constantly saying yes.

Yes, if I’m honest - I was a yes girl.

Yes to new brands.
Yes to exciting opportunities.
Yes to being everything to everyone.

I never wanted to let suppliers down. I didn’t want to miss out on something amazing. Growth felt like saying yes.

But here’s something I didn’t fully realise at the time.

Running a multi-brand store is surprisingly… safe.

If someone didn’t love a product? That was okay - I didn’t make it.

If something didn’t perform? We had plenty of other options.

If a customer was unsure, I could redirect them to another brand, another formula, another solution.

There was always a buffer.

Creating your own range removes that buffer.

If you don’t love it - that’s on me.
If something needs refining - that’s on me.
If it succeeds - that’s on me too.

And that feels more vulnerable.

When I sold Oh Natural the first time, it wasn’t because I’d fallen out of love with it.

It was because I had three young boys - and the business was taking more of me than I was comfortable giving.

It had grown fast, and I had grown with it, but it was intense. My time felt stretched. My head was always somewhere else.

Selling it was the right decision for my family at that point.

So when I bought it back in March last year, I was very aware of that history.

And I bought it back empty.

No stock. Five years away. Just the name and the intention.

I was fully prepared to rebuild the store from scratch. I had all my favourite brands mapped out. I knew who I’d reach out to first. I was ready to recreate what had worked before.

Then I had to wait.

I was waiting for funds to come through to purchase my stock.

During that time, two things happened.

First, I heard about a business friend selling her brand for genuinely life-changing money.

Second, I was reading Things Will Calm Down Soon by Zoë Foster Blake - a story about a woman starting her own haircare brand.

And yes, I am absolutely unhinged enough to rethink my entire business model because of a fiction book 😉

But it was enough to make me stop.

I realised I was about to rush straight back into rebuilding something that had already once taken more from me than I meant to give.

And I don’t want the business to run me this time.

I want it to work for me.

For my life. For my kids. For my energy.

The first time around, growth was fast. Margins were tight in that growth phase. Competition increased. "Natural" became mainstream, which is wonderful - but also harder to compete in when you’re one of many.

And I realised something very simple.

I don’t actually want to run a massive multi-brand store.

I love skincare.

Not chasing the next big thing.
Not stocking everything.
Skincare.

The ritual. The scent. The texture. The quiet few minutes in the morning or at night that feel like they belong to you.

Building a focused, in-house line felt more purposeful.

Fewer products.
Clearer pricing.
Stronger margins.
Slower launches.
Better foundations.

This time, I’m being more deliberate (or, trying to be at least!)

Deliberate about pricing - so the business is sustainable.

Deliberate about how many products I have - so I’m not managing chaos.

Deliberate about growth - because I want longevity for the brand, not burnout.

And deliberate about my time - because I’ve already learned what happens when that slips.

Will I miss parts of the old Oh Natural? Yes!

I loved discovering new brands. I loved the relationships with suppliers and helping their brands get exposure. I loved the constant stream of newness.

I do sometimes worry that you won’t love this version as much as I do.

And if I’m being completely honest, there’s a whole layer of self-doubt in this too.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m even the “right look” for a skincare founder - whatever that’s supposed to mean!

Which is exactly the kind of thinking this brand is quietly pushing back on.

So yes, there’ll be less variety now. Product development will be slower. There won't be a new “must-try” every week.

But what I have now feels stronger.

Clearer and more aligned.

Oh Natural isn’t trying to be everything anymore.

It’s a focused, New Zealand-made skincare line built around ritual, comfort, and products that support your skin - not correct it.

It's taken longer than I planned, and it definitely hasn't unfolded neatly.

But this time, it has to work for my life as well as for the brand.  And that feels like a much steadier foundation.

- Jenna