Grand Opening Wednesday, November 14th 5 – 8pm, 271 Greenwich Avenue
How did an engineering major, end up opening a beauty store? Rhonda Sherwood grew up in a super crunchy granola family in the mid-west. “I was embarrassed by not being able to serve junk food to my friends when they came over. In college I rebelled by drinking Tab and eating things I was never allowed to have.”
But Rhonda turned her embarrassment into a passion after she had children. “When my Grandfather died of cancer, it really affected me, and I began to look at the toxins found in the foods we ate.” She developed a cookbook that would educate parents on healthy nontoxic food preparation.
But it was a chance meeting in a cab that really defined Rhonda’s path. “After a conference, I shared a cab and my passion for nontoxic ways, with David Wasserman, who would call me a few weeks later. He introduced me to Dr. Philip Landrigan, a leading pediatrician and asked me to start something big. Rhonda joined the charge to create the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center, a nonprofit organization.
I had young children, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a difference in an area that I was so passionate about. After ten years and millions of dollars raised, I felt it was time for my next venture. “There is a tidal wave of interest in nontoxic beauty products. I want to give people to opportunity to understand that they can choose clean healthy products without compromising on price or performance.” To do that Rhonda knew she had to open a store.
Rhonda learned that many of the founders of the nontoxic beauty lines had created their beauty lines out of a personal need or experience with a disease. VentureMom Indie Lee is a perfect example. “Indie Lee is one of the fantastic lines that I carry. Like so many other founders, she had cancer and went on a quest to build a clean product line.”
Rhonda’s quest to educate the consumer, started with a blog called Sherwood Green Life. Opening a beauty store is her next step in bringing clean beauty to the masses. “I’ve had so much fun learnin
g everything there is to know about opening a bricks and mortar location. It’s not for the faint of heart.” Rhonda has thrown herself into making it happen.
Sherwood Green Beauty will open on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, CT on November 14th. The shop will carry skin care, make up and hair care among other items for living a toxin free life. An ecommerce market will complement the retail shop.
Next up on Rhonda’s agenda, fabrics, home décor and clean architecture. Does this VentureMom ever sleep? “With my children out of the house, it’s a good time for me to give 110% to something I’m so enthralled with.”
VentureMom Tip
Give 110% to something you are extremely passionate about.
