By Mary Carpenter • Photos provided

When I met with Marcy Miller, owner of Pure Placid, to learn about her business I expected to hear an interesting, but relatively routine story about a small-town entrepreneurial venture. What I got was so much more!

Miller grew up in Lake Placid, where she faced anxiety and struggled to cope. “I spent a lot of time in the school nurse’s office as a kid,” she shared, “but over time, I found that being in nature helped, and I also discovered the power of scent. Back then, few people knew how beneficial scents could be for both physical and mental health.” Now, Miller is on a mission to help others like herself find natural ways to reduce stress and anxiety.

In pursuit of solutions, Miller left the Adirondacks to study at the University of New Mexico, focusing on massage therapy, essential oils and nursing. Through her studies, she discovered tools that helped her manage her own anxiety. In 2000, she returned to Lake Placid and began crafting products that laid the groundwork for Pure Placid. Her first creation, a Balsam and Clementine lotion, was inspired by her many hikes up Mount Marcy, the mountain she is named after. She began selling her products at local Farmers’ Markets, and soon thereafter, opened a small store on the village’s Main Street.

Here is where Miller’s story takes an amazing turn. It began with an unexpected invitation from a group interested in bringing unique, sustainable products to China. In what she called her “Say yes and figure it out later” period, she presented Pure Placid’s line and hoped for the best. “I figured, ‘How hard could it be to sell to China?’” Her products were a hit, and she was asked back for a second meeting—this time, with none other than Jack Ma, a global leader in e-commerce. Ma expressed his admiration for Pure Placid’s products and philosophy and declared, “I want to sell your products.”

If you don’t know who Jack Ma is, let me tell you a little bit about him. He is a Chinese magnate, business investor and philanthropist. He is a member of the global Board of Directors of the Nature Conservancy and a founder of the environmental organization, Paradise International Foundation, that purchases properties worldwide, works with local artisans to sell their products in China, and then uses the profits to maintain the properties and support local businesses.

Ma is also the co-founder of Alibaba, a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in e-commerce, retail, Internet, and technology, often compared to Amazon. In addition, he is the co-founder of a Chinese private equity firm. He is currently ranked as the 50th wealthiest man in the world and, if that’s not enough for you, in 2017 Ma was ranked second on the annual “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” list by Fortune magazine.

“I was so excited when I met Jack Ma,” Miller recalled. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew this was a pivotal moment in my entrepreneurial journey!” To meet the demands of the opportunity, she needed to scale up quickly. It was clear her kitchen could not handle the increased production and she lacked the expertise necessary to move to the next level. It was then she sought investors and mentors to help her grow. “I sent Ann Gotleib an email sharing my story and asking for help, but I really didn’t expect to hear from her,” Miller offered. (Gotleib, affectionately called “The Nose” has developed top selling fragrances in every segment of the market, including those for Calvin Klein and Carolina Herrera.) She was stunned when Gotleib responded, said, “Yes, let’s do this” and offered her services for free.

With a multimillion-dollar purchase order on the table, Miller had just three days to prepare her “factory” for inspection. At the time, production was still happening in her kitchen, but she was undeterred. She rented a 1,000-square-foot space, outfitted it with steel tables and staged it to look like a fully operational factory, complete with white lab coats for her small team. “It was classic ‘Fake it ‘til you make it,’” Miller recalled, “but we passed inspection and we were in business.”

By 2018, Pure Placid was thriving, and Miller was invited to participate in Alibaba’s Singles Day, a major online shopping event. “It was a test to see if our products would resonate with Chinese consumers, and they did!” she shared. Two hundred fifty thousand samples sold in just 90 minutes.

Her business continued to expand, and then two things happened. COVID swept the U.S. and the world and Jack Ma fell out of favor with the Chinese government. A speech he gave, critical of China’s regulations and banks, may explain his disappearance for nearly two years. But despite the challenges, Pure Placid continued to grow, especially through online sales and at its Lake Placid store, which features a popular scent bar and candle-making experiences.

As our interview came to a close, I asked Miller about her future plans. “I love creating,” she said. “I love building, opening stores, and watching them grow. I want to share what I have learned with others dreaming of doing the same. I am most excited about being in talks with the Paradise Foundation about opening stores in China. Even though we’ve grown significantly, we’ll always keep our manufacturing in Lake Placid. It’s good for us and good for the community.”

Before we wrapped up, I had one final question for Miller, “What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs?” She thought for a moment before replying, “Hard work puts you in a place where good luck can find you.” Words to live by!