Ever since Barbara Jacques can remember, holistic healing and natural products have been part of her life. Growing up in a Haitian household, her mother Marie-Gertha Rosan seemed to have a remedy for everything. A bruise, a scrape, a bump or blemish didn’t stand a chance against Barbara’s herbs and naturals-loving mom. Jacques probably didn’t imagine that years later, these remedies and homemade concoctions would be the basis of Jacq’s Organics, the herbal and organic company she founded.

As a matter of fact it was quite recently that Jacques developed a deeper appreciation for things organic. As an expectant mom, she began to educate herself about some of the products she was using, and among her findings was that the majority of personal care products—and alarmingly enough including baby care products on the market—had moisture-stripping and carcinogenic ingredients. Jacques knew the solution to this lay in her making her own bath and body products. Pretty soon, close friends and family members impressed by her self-made products and their effectiveness were requesting her lotions, soaps, and oil. Before Jacques knew it, she had an enthusiastic clientele that expanded far beyond her circle of friends and family members. Jacq’s Organics officially launched in March of 2012, with Jacques educating herself about entrepreneurship by attending workshops, business lectures, and watching video tutorials.

She discussed Jacq’s Organics with Kreyolicious.com.

Q & A

Anything in particular about your background that helped the entrepreneur process along?
Yes. My grandmother and my mother were entrepreneurs. My childhood memories are of me and my sibling help grow and expand my mother’s business. However, I went to school for Communications and worked in retail, but I have always known that I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. In addition to taking courses in small business management, marketing and public relations, I have more than 12 years of customer service and sales experience. In a customer based industry, customer service plays a vital role in any business. My sales, retail and management experience allows me to understanding what customers want and why they are buying. This of course is key to staying relevant and in demand in an ever changing and growing market.

A lot of people have gone cynical in terms of what’s organic or not. Does Jacq’s Organics take special measures to make certain that its products are wholly organic?
We take pride in making sure that our ingredients are sourced utilizing Fair Trade practices, ensuring fair living wages for our farmers. We also take pride in using sustainable oils. By supporting Jacq’s Organics, you are also supporting socially responsible, sustainable agriculture.

Of the products in your line, which has won over the most people?
Honestly, a product that is very popular has to be the Shea Butter Souffle/Moisturizer. It’s formulated with hand-picked essential oils and whipped to a soft velvety texture that is infectiously addictive. It renders amazing results both on the skin and in your hair.

No doubt, you are constantly thinking of new offerings to the product line, not to mention new innovations.
Yes, we are often thinking of new products to produce for our customers. We are currently working on a skin care line that includes face masks, toners, face serums and more. Since we have a lot of customers that have naturally thick curly or kinky hair we are also expanding our hair collection. I am excited and can’t wait to debut the new collection that also includes expanding our baby line as well.

More people would embrace living organically if they could afford it.
My advice to anyone purchasing organic product is to read the labels and know what you are buying. Just because a product is labeled organic or natural does not mean that it is. Not all products are made the same and each essential oil has a purpose. Quality ingredients and quality products may cost but at least you know that you are paying for quality products that are safe.

Aloe juice and shea butter are the base of most of your products. Why?
Aloe vera is a super plant and takes precedent over water mainly because of its amazing healing and moisturizing properties. While Shea Butter is a miracle moisturizer packed with vitamins and contains properties that protects and heals including free radicals, eczema, burns, psoriasis and many skin disorders. Formulating all our products using these base ingredients Shea Butter and Aloe juice ensures that each of our products are made with skin hydrating, moisturizing and nourishing ingredients that every skin needs.

There are probably lots of people out there with ideas from everything to toys to new skin and hair products. As an entrepreneur, what advice do you have for them?
My advice is to plan efficiently and do your homework when it comes to starting a business and research your industry. Creating a business plan is vital but also find a mentor that will guide and lead you in the right direction that has the experience in that field. Finally, be patient but continue to persevere. Nothing happens overnight but the reward is always worth the wait.

Richard Cave, a of now-defunct band Carimi has stepped out with Kai, his new band. He’s doing things big right off the bat, releasing “Malad”, a rad ballad alongside with a music video for the song.

In the lyrics for the track, we have a lovesick narrator who likens his obsessive and overly passionate feelings for a woman to an ailment. He’s forever condemned to the intensive care unit, but he likes it that way! He needs his “siwo”, he insists.

So far, so good. This new band has virtually retained the sound and flavor of Cave’s former band Carimi. Surely, with time, we’ll be able to distinguish a Kai song from a Carimi song.

Check out the song and music video below!

Be sure to share your thoughts on “Malad”, the song and video!

CLICK HERE to follow the Kai band!

Singer Nia Mahotiere-Louis—Nia Pash—has released three introductory singles to launch off her band Pash. Pash is rather appealing as a band, with four dapper male members standing at the singer’s side. According to the band’s official biography, the dapper gents are Dano Eugene Jr., the band’s maestro, Greg Previlon on keyboards, Ricardo “Codo” Anilus on congas, and Sebastian “Seby” Tertullien, a guitarist. Between them, they more than 10 years of experience, and Mahotiere-Louis is a former singer for the classic konpa band Zin.

Pash…

Before I even listened to the tracks, I had to pause and smile. Since starting this little website, and since I became Kreyolicious, I haven’t come across too many female-led groups in the konpa genre…unless I missed something. So, seeing this sassy singer leading two males into a song, well, um, the feeling is indescribable.

Naturally, the novelty of seeing a female leading a Haitian band shouldn’t mean that the band should get a pass of any sorts…

So, as I listened to the tracks, I was relieved to see that this band is quite solid musically. First there’s this song “Ayizan” in which the lead singer vocally struts through the lyrics, her voice raging like a soft-edged machete through some wild forest (not the deforested kind either). Her voice is lush, as if prior to recording the track, she had been going through some mental agony and decided to pour all her feelings and emotions in a one-take version of this song. If these songs are just a preview of this band’s capabilities, I wonder what they’ll emerge when they’re ready to present the public with the Real McCoy—the full-pledged Pash.

“More Than Friends” with that bratty auto tune towards the beginning made me want to click the STOP button, but around the 22 seconds mark, I regained my enthusiasm. I was especially charmed and impressed by the singer’s winsome delivery of the song, as well as her range. I don’t know why, but at some point I felt like this is what Ciara would sound like if she could sing in Creole. But the overall vibe was very Chante Moore, a classic singer from the 90s.

For “C’est Lamour”, the singer croons in French. The track showcases the singer’s ability to go from genre to genre. “C’est Lamour” comes with this French Caribbean aura, and the singer comes across as a tropical Celine Dion.

Pash is adorable, from the dotted “a”, in its name…(ahem that’s called a diacritic sign…I looked it up!), to the pink and black color scheme worn by its members, to its R&B- drenched konpa. This band ain’t half-baked, okay?

Moving forward, the music must be rad and the marketing consistent.

Will Mahotiere-Louis lead a revolution? Will Pash be a catalyst of sorts to bring more women to the forefront? Well, that would be something, wouldn’t it?

Let’s go Pash!

Listen to Pash below…

KEEP UP WITH PASH ON FACEBOOK BY CLICKING HERE!

It’s your girl Kreyolicious signing off this episode of KREYOLICIOUS MUSIC! See ya’ll children next time.