How Yasmin Gharib Wade Is Embracing the Unexpected World of Entrepreneurship in Her 50s
Yasmin Gharib Wade was in her late forties when she started creating her popular skin salve, Yassi’s Butta. But the thought of making a brand was far from her mind at the time. She was just in her kitchen, off from her full-time job as a casting director, melting down shea butter, coconut oil, and calendula to help her little girl's eczema. She was a mom on a mission.
That was over seven years ago. Now, that golden concoction is in boutiques and sold online. Much to Yasmin's surprise, total strangers love Yassi's Butta, her all-natural "everyone-everything" salve that turns unruly hair and skin that feels like the Sahara into quenched glossiness.
Today, Yasmin is 55 and in full-on growth mode. She's found a lab to make her butter ("It was just getting too much for me, from making it to labeling it and selling at pop-ups to casting," she says.) and is working on embracing the unexpected: that more and more people are buying her creation. Yet, at heart, Yasmin, who founded her casting business Jane Doe Casting in 2004, is still learning to embrace being the face of her brand. "It’s very ‘Stranger Things.’ I'm on both ends of the spectrum," she says about commercial casting for products and founding one of her own.
That reluctance is taking a back seat to all the joys, she admits. This new phase has given her an unexpected education in building, creating, and getting scrappy, which she shares with us below. “I also say to have patience,” she says. “You will always get there if you have patience.”
It's fun to see that I can do other things I enjoy and love. And that is mine. That's the one thing about the butter. It's all mine. I can make it how I want it and not have to ask anybody."
Chatting with Yasmin Gharib Wade
So, you never meant to start a skin salve company? Has this all organically happened?
I grew up in a family that created our own salves. Our grandma would slap something on you if you had a cough. Then my West Indian cousin moved in with us for a while, and she was creating a salve for her skin and hair, and I thought, I think I can make one for my daughter's skin and situation. I googled everything, put it in a pot, melted it down, then slathered it on my daughter—and it totally worked. I was super happy because I thought this was just something I was doing for her. But then I started jarring it because I'd make a big pot and I would give it away at bridal shower parties, and I'd put them in gift bags.
Then, the owner of the first store that started selling it, H+E Goods, got it from the neighbor across the street somehow. She called me and said, 'I'm opening a store, and I love this butter; can I carry it?' And I said, 'Yeah!' I thought, I got this. But then I scrambled to create better labels and everything. I felt the momentum, but I was scared. I thought, What if it doesn't sell? That was seven years ago.
It sounds like you naturally allowed the brand to evolve. Did any of it feel like a risk?
It didn't feel risky. Luckily, I work in casting, so I always had that going. This really was a fun hobby and a let's-see-where-this-goes. But then, when I put it in stores, I got nervous. What if no one buys it? What if no one likes it? What if no one reorders it? But I've still been in the same first store to this day. And then I started getting into other stores. It was all word of mouth.
Are you still working in commercial casting?
I am! It pays the bills! I am, I am.
That is fascinating because, in casting, you've been shedding light on others and their talents. Now, you're reversing this with your brand. What's that like?
It's a weird reality. Even for our Instagram, I'm shooting my own commercials, in a way. They're snippets. But I know this work because this is what I do for my business. One career is branding, selling products, and getting the right talent behind them. And now, in my other career, I'm becoming the brand. So, I've always been behind the scenes. Take my Instagram: Initially, it was just pictures of the product and a few of my daughter. I didn't want to be in front of the camera at all. I'm older and don't know Instagram well, so I was improvising and doing my little funny spin. But then, just this year, I got someone to help me with my Instagram, and she said, 'We need to put your face to it. Everyone wants to see the woman behind the business.'
I remember watching the Spanx Masterclass, and I thought, I did that. I did that. Alright, I'm on the right path! But the only thing that I noticed was that she was the face of her brand. And so I had to get over being a deer in headlights and not feeling comfortable in front of a camera. I can just have fun with it. I just need to show people that this is my butter.
Did someone model a work gumption and drive for you?
I learned that from my mom. We all moved to the States from Iran in the late 1970s after the Revolution. She was a mother of four, and she started over from being an at-home mom to needing to work. I saw her take many jobs, and she became a preschool teacher. This all happened in her late forties and early fifties. She adapted, she made changes, and I got to watch her. So she was a good teacher. And now I'm doing it. I'm 55, and I'm excited for this new adventure.
It is inspiring and cool for fellow midlife women to see another midlife woman moving into a new lane, per se, especially since the world seems to want us women to stay in our lanes.
I don't even know why anyone ever thought that. Every girlfriend, mom, or woman I know has multiple things going on in their lives, whether they have cool hobbies, are immersed in their kids' schools, are raising funds, or have another career. We're always busy. We all wake up with a laundry list of things to do.
What would you say to the woman who wants to step into something new, whatever that may be, and she feels scared or unworthy?
The most important thing is: Don't feel like you have to rush it. People get stuck thinking it must happen in a year or six months, and then they get overwhelmed. Whenever I talk to someone, they feel pressed for things to happen. For me, I never felt that pressure with this. This may be because I had [casting]. But the brand is organically growing on its own because I'm allowing it to grow. Like any business, it does take about five years. But it's okay. If you love what you're doing, allow that time for it to grow.
That's what I do with my to-do lists. I always break it out throughout the week, like today, I'm going to do these things, and tomorrow, I'll add these two things, and before you know it, I'll get my list done in a week. I don't do the whole list in one day.
Also, have patience. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to have it all done or to get it immediately. This happened with my casting job. I came to LA with no idea what I wanted to do. I drove out here with a bunch of friends and was winging it. I was a waitress and bartender, and I did a bunch of weird jobs. Then, I became a receptionist at a production company, and I learned someone needed a casting assistant. I was like, 'Oh, I can do that!' I did that for years, and then one day, I thought, I've been doing this for a long time; maybe I could be my own casting director. Again, it didn't happen overnight. But when I finally put it out there and put the work in to be on my own, people started hiring me.
So again, be patient and don't give up. That is the key because it's so easy to give up. It can be overwhelming sometimes. But be patient.
To learn more about Yasmin and Yassi’s Butta visit yassibutta.com. Interview by Stacey Lindsay, conducted exclusively for Liberty Road.