Mompreneur: Hillary Tijerina, Founder of Merigold
In this mompreneur feature, we interview Hillary Tijerina, Founder of Merigold, Registered Nurse, Nutritionist, and Natural Food Chef. Hillary started Merigold to empower women to pause, take up space for themselves, emerge refreshed, and reclaim their natural beauty. Merigold is clean, organic skincare. See what Hillary has to share about being a mompreneur...
Mompreneur: Hillary Tijerina
How many children do you have, and what are their ages?
I am the proud mom of three girls! My eldest just turned 6, my middle daughter is 18 months, and our newest little one is 7 weeks (who I am currently wearing) :)!
What is the inspiration behind your brand and product?
I started Merigold to empower women to pause. As a nurse, mother, wife, natural food chef, and nutritionist, I’ve seen firsthand the toll constant striving takes on the body—it’s true, the body does keep the score. I saw so many women that I knew burning out and suffering from the wear and tear on their bodies from pushing through over and over again and never stopping to care for themself. Often (myself included), moms tend to be great at caring for everyone else but forget to pause and care for themself. I grew up with this model, and after becoming a mom, I knew that I didn’t want my daughters to grow up thinking they needed to participate in the incessant hustle to be worthy. I knew I needed to be an example.
As a nurse, I would get off a 12-hour shift, and no matter how exhausted I was, washing my face and doing my little skincare routine was a non-negotiable for me. But as I started to shift to clean products, I realized that a lot of the “clean beauty” focused on looking a certain way vs feeling a certain way! Merigold offers clean, organic skincare, but it is more than just skincare. It is reclaiming our moments from the endless to-dos and distractions. It is nourishing our skin, bodies, and souls with quality ingredients both on and in our bodies and taking up the space for ourselves so we can emerge truly refreshed.
Merigold is a community of women reclaiming our natural beauty and the space to breathe. We offer powdered face mask that gives you 10-15 mins a week where you can stop, do a mask, and check in with yourself. We also have our Revive and Restore Oil Cleanser, which is a daily oil cleanser that replaces your traditional face wash (those often stripe your skin) and actually helps hydrate and cleanse at the same time. As moms, we need products that work, but that also can provide dual purposes. Each of our products is intentional in wanting to help give those small reminders to stop, pause, and do a little check-in with yourself. I am such a big advocate for consistency, and doing a little self-care at a time will add up. If we stop and pause every morning when we put on our Facial Oil every evening when we wash our face with the Oil Cleanser, and when we apply the Night Serum and then have a weekly little dedicated time…that all adds up! I always hear moms say they have no time and are busy, so I created products that fit into what you already do but set intentions behind them.
How have your children shaped your business model?
I started Merigold when I just had my eldest. All three of my girls are adopted, and my youngest two were both surprised. And so I think having a full, lively home life has actually really helped force me to focus and narrow in on what I want and how I want Merigold to be in the world. Kids have helped me learn to value my time and energy more.
What challenges have you faced as a mompreneur, and how have you overcome them?
I would say a pandemic and having kids was definitely an unexpected challenge. Balancing how to have kids at home and also work was fun! Haha! I also think getting surprise calls about my youngest two girls was such a gift, but it also didn’t always let me plan and prepare Merigold for me being out with a newborn. I think with all of that, I am so grateful and blessed to have such an amazing, supportive husband. I have learned the importance of asking for help, and honestly, it’s a constant session and reminder to actually practice what I preach, to take a moment of pause. Both my kids and my business will not do well if I am burnt out, exhausted, and not at my optimal. I don’t have full-time childcare, and my business is fully self-funded, so I feel like I live in the very real world of finding that balance of working hard but not overextending myself. I think you learn that lesson by a lot of trial and error. Haha, which had definitely been the case for me!
Where would you like to see your business in 5 years?
As Merigold grows, I dream of what the next 5 years will have in store. I definitely want to see you continue to grow in our innovation, sustainability, and community-building. We want to be more than just a skincare brand; we want to be a trusted partner in your holistic wellness journey, helping you look and feel your best while nurturing health, mind, and body. I have so many education initiatives that I want to see come to life, product expansion, and honestly so much more. I can’t wait to see where the next five years take us, but I truly want the message “a moment of pause” to be something that we embrace and value within the skincare and beauty industry!
Do you have any advice for new parents contemplating starting a business?
Be patient with yourself and celebrate all the little wins. Owning a business is like owning an old home; so much fun, but there is always a never-ending to-do list. That can feel really overwhelming at times, but if you pause and break things down into bite sizes and celebrate the little wins, I think that makes the whole process a lot more fun! I’d also say, know that just like parenting comes with a million changes so does owning a business. You, as the founder, will change, the business will change, and your family's needs will change, so be patient with yourself and embrace those changes and growth!
What is the best way for people to follow your work?
You can find Merigold at our website https://merigold.co/ and on Instagram at merigold.co. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. I love to hear from our community, so DM/send an email! I see them all and really love connecting with people and other parents especially!
Photos provided by Hillary Tijerina