Growing a Business Rooted in Family, Purpose, and Connection: Meet the Women Behind D&A Naturals
In this edition of The Tea, we’re sharing a Tea Time conversation with Agata Grazulyte and her daughter, Justina. The women are TeaCup members and owners of D&A Natural. Guided by Stephanie Pellish, this feature explores what it means to build a business around shared values, a passion for natural skincare, and a vision for the future.
Building a business with someone you love can be an incredible opportunity, but it also requires communication, trust, and a shared understanding of what you're working toward.
For Agata and Justina, those things have always been part of their relationship. As the mother-daughter duo behind D&A Naturals, they've turned a family passion for natural living into a growing skincare business, combining generations of knowledge with new ideas and ambitious plans for the future.
During their conversation with TeaCup Entrepreneurs founder Stephanie Pellish, they shared how their business began, what it's like working together as mother and daughter, and why the relationships we build are just as important as the businesses themselves.
A Business That Started With a Personal Need
D&A Naturals began with Agata's own experience.
After the birth of her third child in 2014, Agata struggled with significant skin concerns. Despite investing in expensive skincare products, she wasn't finding what she needed. That frustration led her to begin researching how to make her own products using natural ingredients.
What started as a personal solution quickly became a passion for learning about herbs, oils, and skincare formulations.
Growing up in Lithuania, Agata was familiar with using herbs and natural ingredients as part of everyday life. Her upbringing shaped the way she approached wellness, and she carried those traditions into her own family.
Although other family business responsibilities eventually required her to put D&A Naturals on hold, the idea never disappeared.
Years later, her daughter Justina was ready to bring it back.
After graduating high school a year early, Justina decided to spend time exploring entrepreneurship rather than immediately following a traditional college path. Having grown up surrounded by family businesses and natural living practices, she saw an opportunity to combine her interests with something her mother had already started.
Together, they relaunched D&A Naturals with a renewed vision for what the business could become.
Combining Generations of Knowledge With New Ideas
One of the most interesting parts of Agata and Justina's partnership is how their different experiences complement one another.
Agata brings years of personal research, hands-on experience, and knowledge of traditional herbal practices. She even maintains a large garden where she grows herbs that are incorporated into some of their skincare products.
Justina brings a fresh perspective on marketing, customer education, and the future of the business. She's currently pursuing a marketing degree and hopes to continue her education by becoming a licensed esthetician.
Together, they're developing products with a particular focus on customers seeking skincare options for dry and mature skin.
But their vision goes well beyond selling skincare.
Justina hopes to eventually open natural skincare spas where customers can experience facials using the company's products, learn more about ingredients, and explore the family's approach to natural living.
It's an ambitious goal, but one they're approaching through education, research, and a commitment to their shared vision.
Their story is a reminder that building a business doesn't always mean following the expected path. Sometimes it means recognizing the strengths already around you and finding a way to bring them together.
Listening to Customers and Building With Intention
Throughout the conversation, Agata and Justina returned to an important part of their business: listening to the people they serve.
Rather than developing products simply because something is popular, they pay attention to the questions and concerns customers bring to them at trade shows, craft fairs, and through everyday conversations.
Those conversations often inspire further research and new product ideas.
Education is also a major part of their approach. Through social media, videos, and their website, they share information about their ingredients, product development, and how customers can incorporate their skincare products into their routines.
For Agata and Justina, transparency is central to the business they're building. They want customers to understand what's in their products and why they've chosen those ingredients.
That commitment reflects something many established business owners eventually recognize: A strong business isn't just about what you sell. It's about the values, decisions, and relationships behind what you create.
As businesses grow, staying connected to those values can help guide decisions about new products, opportunities, partnerships, and the direction of the business itself.
What It's Really Like to Run a Business With Your Mom
Of course, working with family brings an entirely different dynamic to entrepreneurship.
When Steph asked what it's like to make business decisions together, Justina laughed about the fact that Agata is still her mom, even when they're working as business partners.
But both women agreed that their close relationship makes the partnership feel natural.
They've always had an open, trusting relationship, and that foundation has carried into the way they work together. Justina emphasized the importance of communicating clearly, especially when they're deciding how to approach a challenge or move forward with an idea.
One of the funniest parts of their experience? How surprised other people are that they genuinely enjoy spending so much time together.
Whether they're working on the business, attending events, or spending time with friends, the two are often together. People regularly assume they're sisters or friends before learning they're mother and daughter.
Their relationship offers an interesting perspective on business partnerships in general.
Shared values and a common vision matter, but so does being able to communicate honestly, work through differences, and trust the person you're building alongside.
Those qualities aren't exclusive to family businesses. They're valuable in any business relationship, from partnerships and collaborations to the communities we choose to be part of.
The Importance of Finding Your People and Building Real Relationships
One of the most meaningful parts of the conversation came when Steph asked Agata and Justina about the strong support system they've built around their family.
Moving from Lithuania to the United States wasn't always easy for Agata, but maintaining close family relationships and developing genuine friendships became an important part of building a life in a new country.
For their family, community isn't simply about knowing a lot of people. It's about having relationships built on shared values, trust, and a willingness to show up for one another.
Agata explained that the people in her circle are willing to help even when it isn't necessarily convenient, and she makes the same commitment to them.
Justina also shared an important reminder about finding those relationships: you have to be willing to put yourself in new environments.
Meeting people who align with your values often requires stepping outside your usual routine, exploring new groups, and being open to conversations with people you haven't met before.
It's a message that connects closely to what we're building at TeaCup Entrepreneurs.
The right community isn't defined by how many people you know. It's defined by the depth of your relationships and the value you bring to one another.
For women building real businesses, those relationships can become an important source of perspective, collaboration, and support as responsibilities grow and decisions become more complex.
Sometimes the most valuable thing you gain from being in a room isn't an immediate opportunity. It's a relationship that continues to grow long after the conversation ends.
Building a Business That Reflects What Matters Most
What makes Agata and Justina's story so interesting isn't simply that they're a mother and daughter running a skincare company together.
It's the intention behind what they're creating.
Their business reflects Agata's upbringing, the values they've shared as a family, Justina's interest in entrepreneurship, and a vision they're continuing to develop together.
They're learning as they go, listening to customers, investing in education, and making decisions with their long-term goals in mind.
And while their business is rooted in natural skincare, the lessons from their journey apply to entrepreneurs across industries.
Building something meaningful requires more than a good product or service. It requires knowing what matters to you, surrounding yourself with people who share your values, and being willing to learn and adapt as your business grows.
At TeaCup Entrepreneurs, we believe those conversations deserve space. When women share their experiences, challenges, and ambitions openly, they create opportunities for everyone around the table to think differently about their own businesses.
Agata and Justina are a wonderful example of how shared knowledge, strong relationships, and a clear sense of purpose can shape the business you're building.
And we're excited to see where their vision takes them next.
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