Imagine high heels that are actually comfortable. Thanks to a solution that Barbara Jude Frerichs developed, it’s become a reality. Her goal to make high heels more comfortable to wear turned into the launch of a new online wellness and aromatherapy company just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Frerichs’s business, Relief Brands LLC, started with High Heel Hero, a CBD pain cream specifically made to reduce the swelling and pinch pain that can occur while wearing high-heel shoes. “It’s a good product,” she said, but it had limited demand when the pandemic began, and fewer people were wearing flashy shoes for work, special events and nights out.
That’s when she made the transition to selling a range of personal wellness, aromatherapy, pet shampoos, conditioners and cleaning products made with natural, plant-based ingredients. They’re sold under the Well Life brand via an e-commerce site. “Well Life products are made to bolster the lives of our pets, ourselves and our planet,” she said.
Her focus on expanding Well Life product sales came as many people, while spending more time at home, focused on wellness and buying products that are good for them and the environment. At the same time, shopping online at e-commerce sites increased dramatically. Even with those advantages, however, bringing attention to the new brand and products represented a challenge.