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Welcome to The Hard Truth Mentor
I'm Cheryl Mitchell — And I'm Just Getting Started
By Cheryl Mitchell | The Hard Truth Mentor | Blog Post #1
Let me tell you something most people in this industry would never admit out loud.
I walked away from everything I built.
After two decades of teaching makers, writing books, running communities, and building brands, I closed it all down. Packed it up. Got quiet. And honestly? I needed to.
My family moved three times in five years. Missouri to Louisiana. Louisiana to Texas. Texas back home to Missouri. Three moves. Five years. A lot of upheaval. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I lost my footing. I trusted the wrong people. I let others affect my lane. I learned the hard way that even a small industry can feel a whole lot like high school — and if you're not careful, you'll shrink yourself trying to fit in, keep the peace, or protect your content from people who want the shortcut without doing the work.
So I stopped. Not because I gave up on you. But because I needed to get my head on straight before I could come back and give you what you actually deserve.
We're home now. Settled for good. I have a huge organic garden growing in our downtown yard. My kids and I make and sell energy leather dragons. I practice Reiki, work with moon phases, grow my own herbs, and finally have a life that feels grounded again.
And with that groundedness came a very clear picture of what was still missing in the maker education space.
The foundations. Nobody teaches the foundations.
So here I am.
Who Is Cheryl Mitchell?
I want to give you the real picture — not a highlight reel, not false modesty. Just the truth about who I am and why I'm qualified to teach you.
I have been in the handmade product world for over twenty years. In that time, I have:
Studied cosmetic product formulation and applied surfactant science through the Center for Professional Advancement. Completed aromatherapy training through the School for Aromatic Studies — anatomy and physiology, aromatic blending dynamics, and aromatherapy for the chakras. Earned essential oil safety certifications through the Tisserand Institute. Studied herbalism at both foundations and intermediate levels. Earned my Bachelor's degree in Business Management. Completed entrepreneur certification programs in accounting and finance, business law, strategic marketing, and leadership and management — all through Missouri Western's Craig School of Business. I am a certified Usui/5 Element Dragon Fire Reiki Master. And beyond all of that, I have spent countless hours in independent research, working alongside PhD chemists, and learning from some of the most respected voices in this field.
I served on the board of directors of the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetics Guild (HSCG). I served on the board of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC). I built and ran a makers' networking community of over 150 people. I taught thousands of students through Miss Doyle's Soapery/Supply and Formula Alchemist — writing books, producing educational magazines, and running classes across every product category you can imagine. I had a YouTube channel with over 7,000 subscribers that was fully monetized before I took it down.
I'm not listing all of that to impress you.
I'm listing it so you know that when I teach you something, it did not come from a Pinterest board. It came from decades of real work, real research, real mistakes, and real results.
And now I'm bringing all of it here — to The Hard Truth Mentor — in a format that is cleaner, more focused, and more useful than anything I've built before.
To Those of You Who Are Returning
If you found me before — through Miss Doyle's Soapery/Supply, Formula Alchemist, Unique Makers, or anywhere else — I want to say something directly to you.
I didn't abandon you. I was just lost for a little while.
The moves, the burnout, the people who took advantage of my trust — it added up. And I decided to step back rather than give you a half-version of myself. You deserved better than that. I knew it then, and I know it now.
I also want to say this: I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid of someone taking my content and turning it into a shortcut. Because in the end, I am me. My knowledge is mine. My twenty-plus years of experience can't be summarized into a quick download. And neither can yours, once you build it properly.
Stay in your lane. Be authentic. Stop shrinking.
That's not just advice I give. That's the lesson I had to learn myself.
What Is The Hard Truth Mentor?
This is an educational space for makers who are ready to stop following recipes and start understanding what they're actually making.
I teach product alchemy. That's what I call it — and I mean it literally. You take raw ingredients, you understand what each one does, why it's there, what happens if you change it — and you transform them into something intentional. Something stable. Something that performs. Something that's genuinely yours.
No fluff. No gatekeeping. No pretending good products come from secret formulas.
The Hard Truth Mentor is built on one core belief: you deserve to understand the why, not just follow the what.
I write the way I talk — plain English, straight to the point, real examples, and zero condescension. Science does not have to be scary. Ingredient lists do not have to be overwhelming. You are smart enough to learn this. I've taught brand-new beginners and experienced makers who'd been at it for years — and both groups walk away understanding things they never did before.
That is the whole point.
What to Expect From This Blog and Newsletter
When you subscribed, you joined the Product Alchemist community. Here's exactly what that means and what's coming your way.
Every email I send becomes a blog post. That means every lesson lives on the website permanently, so you can come back to it, reference it, and share it. Nothing disappears.
We go in layers. I don't dump advanced information on beginners. We build from the ground up — foundations first, then modifications, then advanced applications. Every lesson prepares you for the next one.
I teach functions, not just ingredients. You'll stop asking "what recipe should I use?" and start asking "what function do I need?" That shift is everything.
I will challenge things you think you know. Not to be contrarian — because some of the most repeated advice in the maker community is flat-out wrong. We'll talk about that honestly.
Where We're Starting: Lotion Foundations
Our first series is called Lotion Foundations — and I chose lotions on purpose. Everyone wants to make them. Almost nobody fully understands them. And once you do, the rest of the product-making starts to click in ways it never did before.
Here's the roadmap for this series:
Post 1 — You're here: Welcome to The Hard Truth Mentor. Who I am, what this is, and what's coming.
Post 2 — The 7-Ingredient Foundational Lotion: A complete breakdown of one foundational lotion formula — every ingredient, every function, every what-if. (Grab the free PDF below if you haven't already.)
Post 3 — The Water Phase: What actually lives in the water phase, what you can safely swap in, and why distilled water is non-negotiable.
Post 4 — The Oil Phase: Liquid oils versus solid butters, how they affect skin feel, and how to start making intelligent swaps.
Post 5 — The Emulsifier: What it is, why it can't just be swapped randomly, and how to understand what yours is actually doing.
Post 6 — The Thickener: Stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, and how small changes create big texture differences.
Post 7 — Preservation: The Hard Truth: Why you cannot skip this step, what makes a good preservative system, and how to stop being afraid of the science.
Post 8 — Your First Intelligent Swap: Take the foundation and make it yours — the right way.
By the end of this series, you will understand how to take one foundational lotion and build dozens of variations from it — for different skin types, different skin concerns, different textures and feels.
One foundation. Infinite possibilities.
A Peek at What's Coming After Lotion Foundations
Lotion Foundations is just the beginning. The Product Alchemy Series covers the full world of handmade product making — and each topic gets its own deep-dive series.
Here's where we're headed:
Spray Alchemy — room sprays, body sprays, solubilizers, fragrance systems, and preservation for water-based sprays.
Serum Alchemy — water-based, oil-based, and emulsified serums. Active ingredients. Delivery systems. What makes a serum actually work.
Surfactant Alchemy — body wash, shampoo, bubble bath, and cleansing products. Surfactant systems, foam, mildness, and pH. This one will change how you look at every cleansing product you've ever made.
Deodorant Alchemy — odor science, the skin microbiome, and how to build a deodorant system that actually works.
Comfort Alchemy — magnesium products, arnica formulas, salt soaks, and self-care formulations.
Aroma Alchemy — essential oils, blending science, fragrance design, and safety. This one draws on my aromatherapy training deeply.
Home Alchemy — cleaning products, odor control, and household formulations that work.
Each series follows the same structure: foundations first, ingredient education second, modification third, advanced application last. Always building. Always layered.
This is not a recipe blog. This is a product education ecosystem. And you found it at the very beginning.
Your Free PDF — Grab It If You Haven't Yet
When you signed up, you were sent The 7-Ingredient Lotion Formula Every Maker Needs to Know — a free guide that walks through every ingredient in our foundational lotion, what job it's doing, and what happens if you change it.
If you haven't downloaded it yet, grab it here:HardTruthMentor_7Ingredient_Lotion.pdf
Don't just make the lotion. Read the ingredient breakdowns. That's where your education as a product alchemist actually begins.
Let's Do This
I've been doing this work for a long time. I took a break. I came back with more clarity, more focus, and more to give than ever before.
You showed up at exactly the right time.
Whether you're brand new to making or you've been at it for years and just know there are gaps in your understanding — this is your space. No judgment. No gatekeeping. No dumb questions.
Just real education, plain English, and the honest truth about how this all works.
I'll see you in the next lesson.
— Cheryl The Hard Truth Mentor
thehardtruthmentor.com | cheryl@thehardtruthmentor.com
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