We had the good fortune of connecting with MARLA ECHOLS and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi MARLA, what do you want your legacy to be?
Loving fervently, laughing out loud- a lot, and living life on purpose. These are a few of the things that I hope to be known for. I hope to leave a legacy of spreading joy and impacting all the lives around me to do the same. Finding and living a life where JOY is the constant and even though things could be worse, understanding that when you have JOY, you intentionally look for joy factors and finding the “rainbow” in things.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Not only am I an educator of military connected children, I am founder and curator of a natural ingredient skincare line, Body Batter by ME. Body Batter by ME personally curates multipurpose natural ingredient skincare products that are an affordable solution to nourish dehydrated, irritated, and other atopic dermatitis skin conditions. Our signature product, which is referred to as batter, contains unrefined Shea butter sourced from a women’s co-op in the Northern region of Ghana, organic cold pressed olive oil from a family owned mill in Zahara de la Sierra, Spain and other wholesome natural ingredients that envelope the body with love while nourishing the essence of ones skin and soul. All products are created in hopes of, with consistency, revitalization and hydration to the body. Other products include exfoliants, and body oils.

Our products, created with 7 ingredients or less, are curated with the whole family in mind as that’s where our journey began. Our dry skin kiddo needed an alternative to what was being prescribed to him; so we came up with a solution. As parents, we try to problem solve; so that’s what we did. I began playing with different combinations of moisturizers using unrefined shea butter and accompanying oils. This was the beginning of the Body Batter journey. Later I was introduced to the power and smells of essential oils, by a good friend, which led to another experimental phase.

I began sharing my creations with friends and family. My awe-inspiring sister came to visit us in Spain and fell in love with the batter. She loved it so much that she said I needed to make and sell it for others to enjoy as well. At the time, I wasn’t ready for that; but enjoyed sharing with family and friends. So that’s what I continued to do. Fast forward a few years later…while on a ladies’ trip to Portugal, some friends tried my body batter. They too said the same thing my family had been telling me about sharing with the world (confirmation usually comes in 3s for me). On that day, (April 7, 2019) after consulting with my husband (because he would definitely need to be on board), a decision was made. The curation of Body Batter by ME became reality.

Body Batter by ME was inspired by our dry skinned kiddo and encouragement from family and friends, to share a product that nourishes the skin and soul. We provide products that swaddles skin with a velvety fondness to revive the essence of ones being.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
All things lead to photography. I believe that you find beauty in all things, no matter the location. We would go on an excursion with our cameras. We wouldn’t have a set agenda and just let our hearts guide the way. It’s fun to get lost on adventures with little plans.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family, blessed to have by blood, love, or circumstance, are the ones who I owe credit to. They continue to encourage me and push me beyond what I expect of myself. They are my driving force to continue sharing my light and showing love to everyone. They are the ones who consistently show me love and energize me to share my love.

Website: www.bodybatterbyme.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bodybatterby_me

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BodyBatterbyME

Youtube: https://youtu.be/bosIjyeZOFA

Other: anchor.fm/meyouconnect Podcast

Image Credits
1. Stephen Bond Photography 2. Janie LeAnn

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