Park Perfection
Stefanie Parks, CEO
Headquarters: Columbus, OH
Founded: 2019

As a family endeavor, what is the day-to-day like?

I run most of the day-to-day operations for the business, making sure all the orders are going out, customers are happy, and working with all of our vendors. I often consult with my dad regarding customer questions and we spend a lot of time discussing new formulas and ideas for the brand. His practice is located right next door to our office, so we’re always running back and forth, even if it’s just for a quick hello! My brother is the marketing guru of the family, so he handles everything website-, advertising- and digital-related. This brand wouldn’t have been able to begin to grow without the work he does! My mom has always been the glue to hold our whole family together and she’s always ready to help out whenever and wherever she’s needed. She does a little bit of everything for all of us. My husband and sister-in-law listen to all of us talk endlessly about ideas, new products, issues we’re facing, and they always provide the best feedback and support—and they’re great product testers as well! Our family sees each other daily and we talk multiple times throughout the day and we wouldn’t have it any other way! I went to college out of state and lived in various cities for about 10 years after that. The business is what brought me back, and I couldn’t be more grateful that I’m here and get to have this experience with my family. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else or doing anything else!

What demands do you have for efficacy?

There have been some products on the market similar to Instant Eye Lift in that you can instantly see the eye area tightening and lifting after use. The issue with those products, however, is that they’re so drying, they actually damage the skin in the long term. This is what we made sure to focus on with Instant Eye Lift. We didn’t want a product that helped in the short term, but damaged skin in the long term. We focused on creating a formula that had that great instant effect, but actually improved the skin over time as well. Instant Eye Lift contains a proprietary blend of minerals that tighten and lift...we’ve combined these with hydrating and rejuvenating ingredients, such as purified algae extract rich in vitamin B12 and C, and hydration compounds plus retinols. This gives you the lifting and rejuvenation without the dryness. 

What are the biggest challenges being an indie?

One has been finding great vendors to work with and coordinating all the moving pieces when it comes to launching a new product. Once you have a formula you’re ready to run with, there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered in terms of packaging, sampling and all of the logistics. There is a ton of coordination involved and arranging all of these moving pieces that are all linked together can slow down the process, which is frustrating when you have a product you’re so excited to launch! Another big challenge is that launching just a single product can be extremely costly, especially when you’re using high concentrations of really great active ingredients. Then you think about the cost of putting together an entire line and it’s a lot, especially for a smaller business just starting out. 

What’s next?

The long-term goal is to create an entire line of scientifically developed formulas that use concentrations of ingredients that are meaningful and give real results. We have five new products on the way that are expected to launch by the end of Q2. Next is an eyelash enhancing serum that we’re extremely excited about! Our goal is to grow online and also expand into retail within the next year. Most of all, we want to continue having meaningful discussions with our patients about the products they’ve always wanted but have never been able to find and develop formulas that will help meet these needs.

INDIE TO INDIE    Devon Fanfair, CEO of Just Wipes, asks: How has the pandemic changed or scaled your product and/or your approach to success? “Our business has always been primarily online, so in that regard, the pandemic didn’t change much in the way of our distribution or marketing channels. We were able to increase our online advertising for the brand and we saw growth due to the increase in online shopping across the board. Working with our vendors became slightly more difficult and time-consuming because so many of them were dealing with shutdowns, delays and less staff. We also had a few months where a lot of our staff was working from home, which was certainly a challenge. During the pandemic was the time I most felt the family business aspect of our brand come into play. It was really all hands-on deck. My mom was making boxes, my dad and husband were packing orders, my brother was fielding phone calls. It was pretty amazing to see us all come together during this time, even more so than usual.” —Stefanie Parks