I took the drastic step from a successful trial attorney career to the cosmetics industry. Here’s my short Why and How story.
One of the most frequent questions I get about Noble Body (and Sleek Ink) is how (and why) I went from a successful trial attorney career and made a huge leap into the cosmetics industry.
It’s obviously a long story, but here’s a recent longer thread I did on Twitter to tell some of that tale (@JohnnyNoblebody).
[ https://twitter.com/johnnynoblebody/status/1678097308775518208?s=46&t=kCkFTe4YKumpvoozvUNmKw ]
There’s also part of the story [here] in my Noble Body mission statement. It’s been quite a ride (so far), but I know I belong exactly where I am right now.
I have an intense interest in botanicals, fragrance ingredients and many other compounds that come directly from nature. It’s a fascinating study and my only regret is not starting down this path sooner.
Check it out and thank you all!
Have you ever considered doing something radically different with your Life? Not a minor change, but a complete reboot of who you are, what you’re doing, and WHY. I scuttled my successful trial attorney career for a cosmetics startup.
Here’s my (somewhat) crazy “burning the ships” story.
Some days I wonder how I made it this far. I wasn’t a celebrity with a team and a pile of money to throw at this venture. I’m a regular guy with a solid work ethic, had modest savings, a hunger for change, and apparently, a healthy appetite for risk. I’m not quite sure how I got here, but I know I belong here.
In hindsight, one way I got this far is by starting and just refusing to quit. Find a way every single day and keep going. It’s been like running through a minefield with snowshoes on. Lots of luck, faith and support from people I barely knew, and stubborn persistence got me here.
So WHY did I do it? I had practiced law for ~20 years. I was good at it, but I was just a hired gun fighting over other people’s money in the construction industry.
I was fed up with the liars, charlatans, and an increasingly politicized “justice” system where judges made decisions based on “fairness” or politics and not the facts of the case or the correct interpretation of the law. That was ~10 years ago and it’s all now plain for everyone to see. In short, I’m glad I got out when I did.
I had this nagging feeling I had never created anything I could call my own in this world. I was always working for someone else. I had nothing I could be proud of as a legacy for my two sons and myself. As I got older, it became the itch I could not scratch. I needed to create something and step away from being tied to the world of billable hours every day of my life.
So as dark as it was, the catalyst was getting divorced and having to move. (Which turned into FOUR moves since then for schools, etc. but that’s another story.) That’s when I made up my mind. I’m done with the legal field and I’m doing something completely different.
After much thought and study, I decided on cosmetics and skincare. I suffered from severe eczema growing up and nothing helped. Many dermatologists I saw did not help and sometimes made my condition worse. I was tired of the big-corporate toxic, do-nothing garbage products and doctor-prescribed steroid creams, so I started making my own clean, natural, and healthy skincare formulas.
At first, I had little idea what I was doing. It’s a good thing too, or I probably would have quit early. I began testing, getting feedback from many close people, making adjustments, & doing more batches. I followed this ‘formula’ (ha) and people started asking for more. And then more…
During copious market research, I started having ideas of where to focus: The types of products and the target markets. Then I realized that there was NOT ONE quality men’s face oil product on the market. Not. One. The idea for Noble Body’s “The Original. Face Oil for Men™” was born. [https://noble-body.com/products/face-oil-for-men]
I remember thinking: “This is it. This is an idea that can get me leverage to get rolling.” And I was right. I focused A LOT of time on this product, the formula, quality ingredients, the branding, promotion, etc. (It was a good idea, because although other products are catching up, it’s still Noble Body’s best-selling product.)
So I persisted & launched Noble Body in December 2017. That same month, My wonderful Mom died, I was spending piles of money on launching the company, and I had to move from my rental house with 14 & 13 year old boys. Not a fun time, but it was a time that tested me and my resolve to continue and NEVER QUIT.
Those years between then and now are a blur. But I’M STILL STANDING. Lots of returning, insanely loyal customers, new customers coming aboard every day & I’ve learned the entire manufacturing & fulfillment arenas with lots of experience in advertising & promotion. I have a roster of several new products "itching" to hit the street, but I'm much more careful about that these days.
So where to from here? We shall see. I know this: THERE’s NO TURNING BACK & I have high aspirations for myself & Noble Body®. As one of my “Entrepreneur-Twitter” pals once said: “The only metric that matters is SALES.” Ok then, that’s what I’ll do: Continue to create & sell great products.
I never would have made it this far without many great people that supported and continue to support me, Noble Body, Sleek Ink, and the products I’ve created. It’s been an incredible journey so far and I feel like I’m just getting started. Thank you to everyone that put your faith in me and became a loyal customer, because I'd never be here without you.
Regards and many thanks for reading.
Peace, good health, and Love to everyone.
Johnny Noble, July 2023
support@noble-body.com
