Hi! 👋 I’m Serena.
Are you wondering how old I am?
If so, I will put your mind at ease.
I was born in 2007, so I am currently 17.
Pretty young age to start a business!
I have definitely had my share of blocked avenues due to age (banks and legal people have a hard time with me 🤭), but it has been well worth it.
So, why did I start a business?
Well, I guess I should tell you my story. Ready?
Ok! Read on. ↓
I was 15 when I first tried tallow.
At first, I was opposed to using tallow, but we had suet from our grass-fed cows and it needed to be used. My mom learned that tallow could be used in skincare (she is a doctor, as is my dad, so I guess she knows a thing or two).
At first, I was like, “Mom, there is no way I am using tallow as skincare! That comes from an animal!”
But mother knows best, and nothing goes to waste on a farm, so I ended up using it. I had been using the tallow moisturizer for 2-3 days when I first noticed a difference.
I was in my Spanish lesson when I absentmindedly reached up and touched my face. I was shocked by what the tallow moisturizer had done. My skin was stronger than ever! I probably should have been paying attention, but I spent the rest of the lesson touching my skin and enjoying the new feeling. 😂
That day, my love for tallow was born, and I have never looked back.
How My Business Got Started
I knew I wanted to start a business, but didn’t know what kind.
The summer of 2024, I started a class called the Startup Venture Challenge, that was being put on by the Catholic University of America.
It seems like whenever you need an idea the most, you can’t think of one. Here I was in a class where I was supposed to start a business and I had no idea what kind of business I wanted to start!
Then my mom suggested that I start a tallow business. “Yes!” I thought, “That is exactly what I want to do!” And so, Areté Tallow was born. I spent most of that summer working on my business, learning about tallow, and experimenting with tallow.
Since that summer, I have been off to the races. Making tallow, selling tallow, learning about tallow. The list never ends. I have been able to serve hundreds of customers in Central Texas and beyond.
Why did my skin react like that?
Here are a few of the reasons my skin experienced healing with tallow (and why yours will too 😁):
1. Tallow comes from an animal. Think of how much more similar you are to a cow than a coconut. The chemical makeup of tallow is similar to our skin oils, so our skin accepts it and responds to it positively.
2. Tallow contains fat-soluble vitamins. Compared to tallow, plant-based oils do not have as many (if any) fat-soluble vitamins. The fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, E, D, and K. These are all fabulous for our skin. Particularly vitamin A. It is a retinoid. Retinoids promote collagen production. You tracking?
3. Tallow contains omega fatty acids. They are anti-inflammatory and can support the skin barrier (this is one of the big reasons my skin felt so strong).
It makes sense that several synthetic chemicals made into ‘skincare’ are no match for God’s creation.
The why behind “I want to start a business.”
When I said “I knew I wanted to start a business,” I never said why.
Well, here you go.
The summer before I started my business, I was working in a typical teenage job that brought in some nice money but lacked all passion.
“Is this really how I want to spend my life?” I thought.
I thought, “No, no I want to do something more meaningful. I want to love my work every day!”
And so, I took a leap of faith.
It was scary setting out into the unknown and starting a business. None of my friends were doing it. I didn’t know of anyone else who was doing it.
I can confidently say now that it was worth it.
The world of tallow is being rediscovered.
The world of tallow is just breaking the surface and we are on the edge of it. People are realizing that the skincare they have been using their whole lives is not what their skin needs.
And tallow has been the answer for thousands.
Tallow is helping people heal; from toxic chemicals to skin issues. Eczema, psoriasis, acne, thin skin, wrinkles, you name it—tallow can help.
That is why it is my mission to reach as many people as fast as possible with the good news of tallow—starting with you! I cannot wait for you (and thousands of others) to join me on the journey of tallow.
Best,
Serena
P.P.S. If you want to follow my journey in real-time, then follow me on Instagram!