Taken from Yakima Valley Business Journal, January 2008, written by Wendy Johns.
Michele Strobel did not strike gold. No, that was her great-great uncle Winfield Scott Stratton, who struck it rich July 4th, 1891. He discovered the Independence Lode near Victor, Colorado, one of the richest gold mines ever located on earth. Not drawing far from her ancestor's roots, Strobel did find her niche in the mineral market-the mineral makeup market. She is the founder and co-owner of Stratton Cosmetics.
Just like her gold-prospecting relative, Strobel didn't just leave it at that. She wanted to perfect her business, providing the best product and best service. With 22 years in the cosmetic industry-many of which were spent at the cosmetic counter at Nordstrom, touting Estee Lauder-she had the tools to begin her transformation to the "Midas of Minerals."
With an inheritance from the estate of her grandmother, Helen Lorraine Stratton Felker, Strobel said she saw an opportunity to finally begin building her own cosmetic line. "I was frustrated with the cosmetic industry and lack of improvement in the products being developed. The results of wearing traditional makeup (thick, unnatural and pore clogging) were ultimately making the user's skin worse, not better. It covered up the problem but certainly did not achieve the goal of improving the condition of ones skin."
The final inspirational kicker was reading the book; "Midas of the Rockies," about her relative, Winfield Stratton and his gold ventures. "Reading that book made me realize we all have opportunities in life," Strobel said. "That book inspired me. Being the person, who likes to give and do things I thought, you know what? I have a huge opportunity to use the talents and gifts I have to help others."
With the assistance of her daughters Natalie, 24, Lauren, 23 and Marquie, 21, Strobel opened up her first store in the Valley Mall.
"I knew Mineral Makeup was the future," she said. "We weren't interested so much in the money, but were interested in having an awesome product. Having three daughters, all partners in the business, it just worked out. But there was a slight problem! When Strobel and her daughters-all of which have sensitive skin-used mineral makeup, their skin became irritated. "Here we had just bought a mineral makeup line and we had to say, "This is not going to work," she said. Like a prospector (for mineral makeup, of course), Strobel began digging for clues to why her skin reacted to the product. She sifted through ingredients and consulted with cosmetic companies. Finally, she uncovered a list of "filler" ingredients many companies put into their products. At the top of that list: bismuth oxychloride. Bismuth is the by-product of lead and copper refining (since it is a by-product, it should be lead free when it reaches the cosmetic facility). It's heavy and chemically resembles arsenic and antimony and is used to make makeup adhere to the skin. The weight of the makeup-which means it must be forced into pores-combined with the crystalline molecular structure which can cause itchiness, made the product hard for many women-including Strobel and her daughters-to wear.
Strobel found a manufacturer to make a new line for her without the filler ingredients that tend to irritate sensitive skin. So far, she said the line has been a major success. "The product is extra beneficial and people just love it," she said. "It is designed for people with problem skin to begin with."
She said as far as she knows, Stratton Mineral Makeup, is the only company in the area with the sensitive-skin formula. The success of the Valley Mall store led Strobel to open her second branch in Selah, Washington. When asked about her future Strobel says," We would be completely amiss not recognize those who have supported us from the beginning, we have considered it such a privilege to have served you! You are the reason why we are where we are! To those who currently purchase our products from us, our indebtedness is also to you, and last to those who will purchase from us in the future, we thank you ahead of time! Ultimately, success is granted from God above and we thank Him for His glorious and matchless love, guidance and direction. Having exceeded daily expectations and committed to serving up exceptional quality, we know we have a winning formula and a bright future."