BWOTW: ‘I can also plan and worry and overthink like I’m training for the gold medal in cerebral gymnastics.’ How Dionne used magnesium to change her life and build a business
This week’s Bizwoman of the Week is Dionne!
She shared some of her journey and goals as a woman in business in our community this month, telling us how spaces like She Owns It has supported her personal and professional growth.
Introducing Dionne
Hi! I’m Dionne from Salt & Oil, up in Whangārei, where I make natural magnesium oils and soaks, and it’s my turn to let you know a wee bit about me, my business, and my love for getting transdermal magnesium onto as many people as possible.
I was meant to start this yesterday but it turns out today is the perfect day instead!
Does anyone else have a brain that can’t focus until the deadline is nearly upon you? That’s me! So, with 5 minutes’ notice, let’s go!
Even at school I’d procrastinate for most of the evening then finally start homework about 11pm. Into bed at 1am then up at 6 to get my siblings ready for school.
And yet, I can also plan and worry and overthink like I’m training for the gold medal in cerebral gymnastics.
Which is why, when I discovered magnesium oil and Epsom salt baths, and how they calmed my brain and body, I was hooked.
Salt & Oil exists because it makes me joyful to get such benefits out to other Kiwis, without the high price tag that can often feature with natural wellbeing products.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you more about my life within the business.
Keep an eye out for my daily posts this week because my love for magnesium means one of you will be receiving a year’s supply of magnesium oil!
For now, I’d love to know – do you already use magnesium oil or soaks as a way to sleep better, stress less, and ease aches and pains?
Five things about me as a woman in biz you should know:
1 – It was all accidental! Truly, it was an accident that led me to where I am now. About 10 years ago my husband broke his toe and couldn’t go offshore to work. Which led him to buying a float pod to run as a business. Then he went back overseas to work and left me running the float centre!
The float pod needed 500kg of Epsom salt. We didn’t want the normal factory-made stuff that you get in the shops, so we sourced Natural Epsom salt and started supplying this to other float centres across the country.
One of these float centres had a link to the All Blacks strength and conditioning coach, who was looking for a supply of one player-one pouch-one bath recovery bath soaks. At the exact time I’d been playing with the idea of offering such a thing. So I went for it! Because …
2 – As I mentioned yesterday, I’m a planner and an overthinker, but also love saying yes to things on the spur of the moment if they sound right. Which is why being in business for myself works well for me. I do love an organised day and a list. And the satisfaction of scoring through the done things.
But I also love being able to say yes to last minute invites, walks and coffees. And knowing that most deadlines are of my own making so, if I can’t get the work done till later that night, it doesn’t matter.
3 – I love to travel and explore. Exploring places on foot especially. Which is why having plantar fasciitis in both feet for 15 years has been a big struggle for me. I’ve tried so many ways to treat it. Some had no effect, some lasted for a wee while.
These days I know how to self-manage to keep on top of it. Things like foot strengthening work, stretching, and certain shoes styles. Magnesium oil sprayed on my feet every night is non-negotiable. As are regular Epsom salt baths and foot soaks.
Magnesium relaxes your muscles and calms your nervous system. Because, oh yes, I also have quite a lot of anxiety going on, which doesn’t help when you have long-term pain!
4 – If I can’t explore and travel myself, I’ll do it vicariously by reading books. Nothing too high brow! Most years I check out over 100 books from our local library. But I confess I’m a speedy reader and maybe don’t take in all the info well – ask me the main character’s name a week later and I likely won’t know! Which does mean that I’ve occasionally taken the same book out twice and got halfway through before realising! But it’s downtime that calms me and distracts my mind from its racing tendencies.
5 – When I’m making products I’ll also be listening to a book. It used to be podcasts (Diary of a CEO, Feel Better Live More, The Resetter Podcast etc) but they gave me information overload and frazzled my brain, so now it’s feelgood audiobooks like the Seven Sisters series. I love feeling happy when creating because I want only good vibes heading out to my lovely customers.
That sometimes requires a burst of 80s and 90s hits and a fair bit of boogeying while weighing and mixing. Luckily I’m now of the age that, if the courier sees me busting my moves, I don’t care!
If you’ve got any interesting, upbeat podcasts you’d recommend, I’d love to know!
3 tough lessons I have learnt:
3 tough lessons I’ve learned:
1 – It’s ok to ask for help/advice. In fact it’s great, because you often find the helping goes both ways and you build a great relationship. I discovered She Owns It soon after I started Salt & Oil and some of the more established business owners in the group were amazingly generous and helpful with their advice. As were the other newbies! The feelings of acceptance and support made such a difference to the long days on my own.
At first I was reluctant to ask for help – ‘they’ll know I don’t know what I’m doing’, ‘I’ll seem needy and desperate’ were finally able to change to ‘The more we all know, the better we can all be’ and ‘No question is stupid, someone will always answer with kindness’
2 – Don’t try to please everyone. You simply can’t, and you’ll possibly break yourself trying. I used to want every order to ship as soon as it came in. I would say yes to all the requests for freebies. These days I’m happy being more protective of my boundaries. In all aspects of life. Which, as is the weird way of the world, means I’m probably actually giving more goodness to people than before.
3 – Rest and recovery time aren’t important. They’re essential. I’m not just saying that because magnesium oils and soaks are all about rest and recovery! This is similar to #2 except the person I’ve had to learn to say no to is myself! No Dionne, you don’t have to attend 2 networking events this week. No Dionne, a shop saying their order is urgent doesn’t mean you have to make products till 10pm. Yes Dionne, a book in the bath and an early night will help you focus better tomorrow!
Are you good with boundaries? I’d love to know!
3 Wins I’m Proud Of:
1 – Overcoming my shyness and lack of self-belief (sort of, it’s still a work in progress). The trophy in the photo was awarded to me just over a year ago, by our local Chamber of Commerce, for Membership Excellence.
I had no idea that such an award existed. I was sat at the table listening to the spiel, thinking ‘gosh that person sounds similar to me, I wonder what they did to deserve this award’ when they called my name. I was totally stunned, beamed bright red and when they handed me the trophy I muttered something along the lines of ‘I don’t really prefer dogs to humans’. Apparently I won it because I’d made a commitment at the start of the year to embrace networking, learning and all the things the Chamber offered.
And I did it. It was lovely that someone else noticed that about me. We’re not often great at acknowledging the good things about ourselves.
2 – This win also had to be pointed out to me. Both my boys have just left for uni which I guess makes me an empty nester. Maybe in a bid to give me a boost rather than dwelling on it, many of my friends have told me to take that as a win.
I helped my boys get to this point in their lives without too many dramas! With sacrifices, late nights working because I’d spent the day on a school trip, parenting half of most years by myself while my husband was away. And without my family support, as they’re all still in Scotland.
I’m now excited that, with a bit of saving and extra work before December, I’m getting to take them on a visit back home to spend time with their Scottish rellies. I’ll take it as a win that they still want to spend time with me!
3 - Every time I receive a Google review, or product review on the website, I feel over the moon that someone has taken the time to do this for me. And if the review mentions a particular problem that the product has helped solve, I can’t help but feel a bit proud. And grateful that the product got into the right hands. Here are some examples that left me a bit emotional:
“I had a sore neck and shoulder which had been giving me pain on and off for months and after many osteo and acupuncture appointments with no success.
I had one bath with So relaxing and woke up the next morning and it was gone, had an amazing sleep!! MAGIC!
Thanks so much! Love it ” – Claire W
“I love using this magnesium spray to get a good night sleep and to help me with my endo fatigue and pain. It’s vital for me to get rest and I find that if I forget a spray, I don't sleep well. Dionne is lovely and certainly goes out of her way to support customers. This was super helpful during my endo flares and periods (I have stage 4 endo that hasn't been removed yet). Love the travel one too!” – Veema L
“As a Tinnitus sufferer Getting to sleep has been very difficult, But since using SO Mg Magnesium Oil Spray my sleeping has been Better...Thank you.” Carol Y
“Magnesium Oil, Holy grail of oils
On the verge of serious burnout, not being able to sleep, waking up constantly in flight or fight mode. I was so desperate to find a natural product to help me. Prescription meds was my next stop UNTIL I found your product and for the first time in a year I have slept so well, I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle another day. Thank you Salt and Oil! Regained my sanity ” – Lauren R
If you’ve used my products and haven’t left a review, please consider it. Thanks heaps!
Let me share about how I can support you:
Our magnesium oil and soaks support you to sleep better, stress less, and ease aches and pains!
Dionne x
PS – Don’t forget to use your code SOI if you place an order, to get your 20% discount.
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