Life & Work with Dr. Dionne Robinson of Other

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Dionne Robinson.

Hi Dr. Dionne , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey has been rooted in purpose, passion, and perseverance. I’ve spent over a decade as an educator in special education, working closely with students and families, and during that time, I witnessed firsthand how deeply confidence can be impacted by something as personal as skin health. I saw little boys and girls come into the classroom struggling with eczema—uncomfortable, constantly itching, and at times feeling self-conscious or ashamed of their skin. Watching children navigate that, while trying to focus on simply being kids and learning, stayed with me.

That experience became even more personal when my own daughter suffered from psoriasis. As a mother, seeing your child uncomfortable and searching for products that actually nourished and soothed her skin without harsh ingredients was heartbreaking. That journey became the inspiration behind creating ShakeLuxe Skincare.

The name itself is deeply personal. ShakeLuxe is named in honor of my late grandmother, whom we lovingly called “Shake.” Naming the brand after her felt like a beautiful way to carry her spirit, love, and legacy forward into something meaningful that helps others.

What started as a personal mission to create natural, hydrating, luxurious skincare products that made people feel comfortable and confident in their own skin quickly grew into something much bigger. While balancing my full-time career as an educator, I spent countless late nights formulating products, learning branding and business strategy, packaging orders, and building the company from the ground up.

As a single mother and entrepreneur, building this brand has also been about creating legacy, freedom, and showing my daughter what resilience, faith, and hard work look like. Over time, ShakeLuxe has expanded beyond body butters into body oils, dusting powders, candles, room diffusers, and fragrance-inspired collections designed to turn everyday self-care into a luxury experience.

One of our proudest milestones has been participating in major events like Essence Festival’s BeautyCon, which affirmed that this vision could grow far beyond what started at my kitchen table.

I also own Bella Ladi Sweet Creations, where I express another side of my creativity through baking and event experiences. At my core, I’m a creator, nurturer, and builder.

Today, my mission remains the same: to create products that not only nourish the skin but restore confidence, comfort, and joy—because everyone deserves to feel beautiful in the skin they’re in.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road, but every challenge has been part of the journey and growth of the brand. As a small business owner, I manage almost every aspect of ShakeLuxe Skincare myself—from sourcing ingredients and ordering supplies to formulating products, packaging, marketing, and fulfilling customer orders. I do all of this while juggling a full-time career in education and helping put my daughter through dental school, which has been one of my proudest motivations.

There have been many long nights where I would leave my full-time job, head straight to the shop, and spend hours processing orders, creating products, and preparing shipments. In the beginning, I was simply doing whatever needed to be done each day, but over time, I realized I had to create structure to avoid burnout.

I developed a system that helped me work smarter while still maintaining quality and customer satisfaction. Mondays are dedicated to making products and preparing orders, Tuesdays are for packaging, and Wednesdays are strictly shipping days so customers can receive their packages by Friday. We do not ship after Wednesdays, which helps us maintain consistency and better manage the natural integrity of our products.

One unexpected challenge was learning how to ship natural skincare products during the summer months. Because our products are made with natural ingredients, heat can affect texture—especially whipped body butters. Learning packaging techniques, shipping timelines, temperature considerations, and setting proper customer expectations was a major learning curve, but one that helped us improve the customer experience.

Another challenge has been finding trustworthy people who truly align with the vision of the brand and can help me grow it with the same level of care and passion that I have. When you build something from the ground up, it’s hard to hand parts of it over unless you know it’s in the right hands.

Growing brand awareness has also been a challenge—getting ShakeLuxe in front of more customers and encouraging people, especially men, to prioritize skincare. Many people don’t realize how important skincare is until they experience products that truly nourish and care for their skin. Once men try our products, they often become repeat customers because they see the difference.

Entrepreneurship has required sacrifice, resilience, and a lot of faith. There have absolutely been moments of exhaustion and doubt, but every obstacle has taught me something valuable. Seeing customers love the products, hearing their testimonials, and knowing the brand was created from a deeply personal place makes every challenge worth it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a creative entrepreneur, educator, and founder of ShakeLuxe Skincare, I create luxury natural body care products designed to turn everyday skincare into an experience for everyone. Our products are unisex and thoughtfully created for children, women, and men because skincare and self-care should never be limited by age or gender.

We specialize in hydrating, moisturizing products such as body butters, body oils, dusting powders, candles, room fragrances, and fragrance-inspired body care collections. One of our specialties is creating our own signature scents as well as crafting products inspired by beloved perfume fragrances, giving customers the opportunity to layer, personalize, and enjoy luxurious scent experiences in body care form.

One area I’m especially proud of is teaching myself the art of fragrance formulation. Before starting this business, I had no idea that perfumes were built around top, middle, and base notes or how much creativity and science go into scent creation. What began as curiosity turned into a true passion for learning fragrance composition, blending notes, and developing scents that feel luxurious, memorable, and beautifully balanced.

I’ve also had to learn social media and digital marketing from the ground up, understanding what the fragrance and skincare communities wanted to see and experience. Listening to customers has played a huge role in our growth because many of our ideas come directly from what people are asking for.

What sets ShakeLuxe apart is that we blend skincare with fragrance artistry. Our products don’t just moisturize—they create an experience. Whether someone wants a custom signature scent, a fragrance-inspired body care collection, or natural skincare that feels luxurious, we strive to create products that make them feel confident and cared for.

What I’m most proud of is building this brand from the ground up while balancing a full-time career in education, motherhood, and entrepreneurship. What started from a deeply personal place—wanting to help people feel comfortable in their skin—has grown into a brand that serves families, fragrance lovers, and self-care enthusiasts alike.

At the core, I’m a creator. I love creating scents, experiences, and products that bring comfort, confidence, and a touch of luxury into people’s everyday lives.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
My view on risk has evolved a lot through entrepreneurship. I don’t consider myself someone who takes reckless risks, but I do believe in taking intentional risks when there’s purpose, passion, and a vision behind them. For me, risk is often the bridge between where you are and where you know you’re capable of going.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was starting ShakeLuxe Skincare while working a full-time career in education and managing the responsibilities of motherhood, including helping support my daughter through dental school. Starting a business requires financial investment, time, energy, and faith—especially when there’s no guarantee of immediate success. I was investing in ingredients, packaging, branding, inventory, equipment, and events, all while balancing everyday life responsibilities.

Another major risk was stepping into an industry I knew very little about at the beginning. I wasn’t a trained perfumer or skincare chemist, and before starting this journey, I didn’t even know perfumes were built in layers of fragrance notes. Choosing to learn fragrance formulation, natural skincare development, branding, and social media marketing from the ground up was a huge leap of faith.

Participating in large events like Essence Festival’s BeautyCon was also a significant risk. Events like that require a substantial investment in booth space, inventory, travel, setup, branding materials, and preparation, with no certainty of return. But I saw it as an opportunity to increase visibility, connect with customers face-to-face, and put ShakeLuxe in rooms where growth could happen.

One of the most personal risks was deciding to move the business out of my home and into its own space. My business had grown to the point where it was taking over my home, and while that was a blessing, it also meant additional expenses and responsibilities. Taking that step required faith that the growth would continue.

I think risk is necessary for growth, but I believe in calculated risk—doing your research, trusting your instincts, preparing as much as possible, and then having the courage to move forward anyway. Some risks may not always produce the exact outcome you expected, but they almost always produce lessons, growth, and clarity. Every major step I’ve taken with ShakeLuxe has involved some level of risk, but each one has helped shape the business into what it is today.

Pricing:

• Body Butters: starting at $45+
• Body Oils: starting at $48+
• Dusting Powders: starting at $25+
• Candles: starting at $25+
• Gift Sets / Bundles: starting at $55+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shakeluxe-skincare.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakeluxeskincare?igsh=cHZicXhuNDEzOWs%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GXTWAVZJ2/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shakeluxeskincare?_r=1&_t=ZT-96M1SzI3gxq