Creator of Titok Naturals, Eva Claiborne

"The most important thing, love what you do, be there for other people. We need each other." It was always my focus to be an aesthetician. And so it was my dream to be something different, create something special and which is good for everyone. It's just interesting to see how many men are really tapping into this. You can't build a house without foundation. You need to build step by step, create healthy results and beautiful skin.

Eva Claybornne, welcome to the Pathway to Peak Performance. You are definitely a peak performance individual and it's an absolute pleasure to have you here today. I'm so excited to have this moment with you. So welcome to the show.

"Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate that and I be I am to be here."

No, it's my pleasure. First, before we get started, as you know, each episode has a charity that you select and we take all the profit from the episode and we send it to that charity. So I believe you have selected a charity that you feel is important to you, and I think it's important to us all. So what is it?

"I would like to support women and I would like to donate all of the charity for the breast cancer society." We are already working with a couple of oncologists who send us cancer patients and we're taking care of their skin with the TTO Natural treatments and they are very, very happy and I would like to continue this charity and help women to feel more beautiful. Their skin is sensitive, fragile, and they need a lot of soothing, calming, and loving care. So, the Susan G. Komen foundation.

Fantastic. Yes. Fantastic. That's great.

Well, let's talk about your credentials. So, just to set the stage for everything that we're going to talk about today, you're a master esthetician, right?

"Yes, I'm a master esthetician."

What does that mean? Help people understand because that's many people might not understand exactly what that really means is a big deal.

"I studied five years before I could say about myself, 'I'm a master esthetician' and the first two years we studied all of the basic skincare and body therapy. And I created, I learned how to create the skincare line. And because Hungary used to be a communist country, we did not have any skincare companies and we have to we had to create the product our product line from the pharmacies. And I like to experience a little more and I did fresh fruit and vegetable mask from the farmers market."

So you really started to create your own product early, early on. You've been doing that now for many, many years.

"Many years."

Now there are a couple of other things that are important to mention about your qualifications. There are two things I'd like you to cover. The other is a preoperative aesthetic specialist.

"I worked many years in a plastic surgeon office and my background part of my study was manual lymphatic drainage, which is a technique from the 1930s. Dr. Wood discovered and created this lymphatic drainage to help the body to detoxify and soothe the body. The blood circulation center is the heart. The lymph doesn't have a center to circulate the lymph system. Either you exercise or you move it manually." And this is a very important and very beautiful part of my career to do post-operative care. It's very rewarding and it's not only really know how the lymph system works and which direction we should move it, but also be there for the patient after surgeries and supporting them emotionally. That's a very beautiful part of my life.

Yeah, it's very important for people to understand that post-operatively in that that period of time, there's some very specific things that you should be doing in order to achieve the optimal result and so addressing the skin, also addressing the lymph system and as you said, there isn't like one central the heart's pumping the blood the lymph is all over the body. So it's very, it's very important. So what's the next thing that we should talk about?

"Well, also I'm an innovator and I love to create skincare products and that's one of my passion and very rewarding as well."

So you have a very interesting origin story, my friend. Let's go all the way back: childhood, Hungary.

"Yes, I was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. And Hungary sits in the Carpathian basin and has a lot of mineral springs. And for this reason, they have over 130 medicinal mineral waters. Coming from that background and regularly visiting with my mother, my grandmother, my sister, these baths once or twice a week and taking the reading ritual, very early on I realized the skincare and the healthcare, the the wellness is very connected. And when you sit in this wonderful mineral waters after you you feel good not only just feel good, but the skin feel wonderful. It's smooth and it's just a very relaxing experience."

Yeah. So you start your life as a young person in a communist-controlled country, which must have been a very... I was discussing this with a doctor who was from Lithuania recently, and she was saying that, you know, anybody that was smart or, you know, exhibited any kind of threat to the to the powers that be within the Soviet Union, they were giving them shock therapy and all these types of things. It must have been a very difficult experience in many ways to be in that sort of environment.

"Yeah, it was difficult. But because I grew up, I did not know any different. I only started to learn about another life when I left and became very different and free and more creative. But to to being when you are as a little child and and born there, you did not know any any other thing. So my parents taught me to be quiet about certain things. Like we cannot go to church, we cannot pray. We could not have any more money than the neighbor because otherwise the neighbor would be reporting us and take my mom and dad away. So we lived in fear and so that was our life. We live very quietly and not to be different from others. Just got to fit in."

We just needed to fit in. Yes. Yeah.

Well, what's really interesting is the story that you have shared with me over the years about how you started to create your own. Obviously, you have this interest in skin and we're going to get way into that. We're going to go really deep into it, but you you're in this environment and you start to formulate your own sort of products at a very early age, which is, you know, sort of like very creative, but you had to actually make these products because they didn't exist. So tell tell us about that.

"Yes. Um because Hungary used to be a communist country, we did not have any skincare companies. So part of my study it was creating my own product line. I have a master degree in skincare and because I was very connected with the mineral baths, we eat well. We we regularly visited the baths and did the bathing ritual. It was always my focus to be an aesthetician. It was my dream since I was a little girl. I always wanted to help people create beautiful skin and empower people because I wasn't. And so it was my dream to to be something different, create something special and which is good for everyone."

So how do you start doing that? I mean like you start when you say I'm going to formulate these products. Take us through that process like I mean I remember you say that you're formulating, cooking, processing things even in your kitchen at some point in time.

"After high school, I decided I would like to go for a skincare school and go all the way to the master degree, not everyone has that special program. And the first two years we learned the basic skin care and body care. And then we used to cook. I took a chemistry class and we used to create our own product line with from the pharmacy. And also I was very advanced and I like to create my own mask from fruit and vegetable. And I went to the farmers market and bought the seasonal vegetables or fruits and I created the mask for each client every time when I did the facial. So it was very, very special. It was a completely personalized and made the client's skin beautiful."

I love this notion of highly customized because there's so much of this one-size-fits-all and yet we're all N of one unique in so that ability to see so you have to understand this the skin that ability to see and know what someone actually needs really powerful. So you start creating these things and people start responding to them.

"Yes, people were very happy and it made me also very special and create special connection with my clients. So I was very busy in my practice."

And you're starting to find this this success. Is this while is are we still in a communist situation? And are we still are we are we past 1991?

"Oh yeah, we did. We did. And Hungary is booming now. It's free and it's it's beautiful and developed. It's very exciting to go back. I'm very proud."

We're going to take a trip.

"Yes, we are going to take a trip. And I would you have to experience the bath. Yeah. And last time we were with my husband. Normally we stay in a week in this spa and the doctor prescribed the treatments depends how is your your health and how you move and also we took 21 treatments in a week. 21 body treatments to heal our body and normally I do this twice a year January and in the summertime to keep our health and wellness."

"After when I came to United State, I decided I would like to live in United States. So first I lived in Germany in Munich and then I finally I was able to come at 1989 to arrive to Los Angeles and the very first time I did not know how am I going to create skincare line because I did not have connection with the pharmacy. I only had fruit and vegetable mask and I heard about skincare shows. And I went to the skincare shows and I was mesmerized how many skincare companies are in in the show and how much in the market. That was so new for me. And I remember four bags I carried bags and bags samples and tried everything at home and try to figure it out what is that how am I going to start my career in United States while I was waiting to take my American examination. And because even if I had master degree from Europe, they did not know what was that. This was like over 37 years ago and they said, 'We don't know what is master degree but come and take a test.' And I and but I I had an interpreter and we said, 'She doesn't speak English.' And they said, 'No problem bring an interpreter just not who is in the business.' So an interpreter that was not in the healthcare or skincare business. Yes."

"And then after I I researched how should I which direction I should go and I walked in the skincare show. Someone spoke Hungarian behind me and I turned around and they were the German Capuchini distributors who were Hungarian and I was so relieved because we became immediately friends. I only spoke Hungarian those days and they taught me, 'This is a good line. I would like to you to start here and then you can go and do your regular treatments.' So I was working with them over 28 years."

Wow.

"And I became an international trainer. I went eight times to Barcelona, did all of the classes, all of the education which which is they are fantastic company. And then after they retired, I was a west coast international director and educator for Dr. Babore company. So I went to Bad Ahen and studied about Dr. Babbor company and skincare line and worked with them for many years."

We're talking about two premier skincare lines that are on the high, high end.

"High, high end. Yes. And then in 2016, when I went back to Hungary and I have a friend in the spa industry and ask, 'Have you heard about Omorovitza?' And because I would like to introduce to the creator. And I met him and fall in love with the Hungarian skincare line. I was excited. He's it's making in Hungary and Ommorarovitza now it's very well known company. And I did all of the training, all of the education with them and the global trainer is one of my best friend and so this inspired me to create our TTO naturals because they all was were a little bit high-end natural something different. My line is TTO Naturals is I think is my best creation through the 45 years because I love the simplicity. I love the active ingredients and I love the result what my clients experiencing and seeing."

"My daughter was five and a half when I decided I would like to come to United States and we we went to the 7 days visa to Germany and we stayed there. I had we had $100 in our pocket and two luggages and I was walking on Marian plots and I heard again Hungarian angels to speaking to each other Hungarian and I turn around and I said, 'I would like to stay here. How can I do that?' And it was a wonderful couple who who've been through the same same situation. They took me to the police station. We gave the passport and we started the process. And then because I had my little girl, I went to the Hungarian church and I signed her up for a Girl Scout and I asked the minister, 'Can you please help me to find a job?' And and the lady who was at the same time over there, she said, 'I am looking someone who would like to help me have a dietician cook for my husband because he had some stomach problem.' And I said, 'I am here. I would like to start.' And so she hired me and I was working with her 18 months while I was in Germany. And my daughter Eva, she went to school. She lived in a regular life. She went to kindergarten and first grade over there. We learned a little German and I was able to work for this wonderful family and able to save enough money to come to United States and I never ever had to go to Medicare or social service. We just came here. I just came here with those days like 37 years ago over with $5,000 and I was able to rent an apartment and start my life."

Did you feel like you were always destined to come to the United States or was that...

"I think my soul is here. I mean like it's divided. I born there there and I have passion to be a Hungarian and I I love my country but I also love United States because it's it's the freedom. I cannot explain what is that mean after if you are depressed and to be free and look up on the sky and it's beautiful, the clouds are different and also you like estate is huge. So when I fly and I look down on the plane and see that uncarable big land and and I can spread my wings, it's just a wonderful feeling. Not nothing you you can change it for."

"It's a beautiful country. Yeah. And I'm very proud to be a citizen and but also I don't want to forget where I am coming from and I am very also proud to be Hungarian."

Well, so we're going to fast forward, I guess, a little bit. You wind up after being in Los Angeles, coming to Tiburon, California, where we are now. You have this beautiful treatment center clinic on a historic portion of Main Street in Tiburon. Actually, I think it's technically where you are is I think that's technically Belvadier.

"Yes. Tibberon. Belvadier. Yes. Belvadier. Tibberon. Yes."

You're on Ark Row. You see all of these patients, you're all, you're always slammed busy taking care of people who are just actually complete devotees to you. You're there and you've been there for how many years now?

"30 years. Yes. First I was in Point Tiburon Plaza and then the last 20 years I am on Ark Row, a historic Ark Row. I always wanted to be there and it's very special part of Tiburon and 30 years ago, the first time when I came to Tiburon, I used to live in Los Angeles and I was visited here and went to the restaurant used to call used to be called Gimma's restaurant very long time ago and I sat in the patio looked around and I said, 'I never want to leave.' So I went back to Los Angeles. I used to live in Agora Hills, sold my business and moved up to Tiburon and I never ever left."

So, um let's talk about the skin as an organ because in Hungary, people really view that differently than they do in the United States. In the United States, skin, yeah, we have dermatologists and they're certainly it's more of like a reactive, oh, you have this spot, but in Hungary, skincare is more proactive.

"Yes. It's going back for a very old history. First, the Romans developed body therapies like they used to have a bath, Roman bath you probably heard about. And then the Turkish people in the 15th century, they developed more in Hungary when they were stationed 150 years in Hungary they developed the Hammams. And then going and have a good source of mineral water. Hungary has over 130 mineral baths around the country and and majority some of them very famous is in Budapest. So people early on and through the centuries they they believed and they recognized how the water and the and the bathing rituals and the sauna and the massages how they affect the well-being. Skincare is began in the 17th century with Dr. Jako in France when he developed the pinching technique for facial massage. And he discovered when they speed up the circulation, it's the blood circulation warm up the muscle and the muscle start to regenerate and today when I studied they teach this m his philosophy as a massage technique. That's why many people ask why is Hungarian facial massage massage because it's it's coming from the 17th century and French was the first nation who who developed skin care but then the second nation was Hungary. Hungarian facial massage is is very, very special and I have patent on that. Not the Hungarian facial massage but how to improve skin appearance and how how do I which direction what what movement I create and how how lift and tight and rejuvenate the skin."

"My other specialty beside skincare is lymphatic drainage. The manual lymphatic drainage, which is also connected with the health. We regularly have lymphatic drainage massage in in Hungary and it's help to detoxify, deeply relax the body, remove all of the toxin which is create a healthy glow and so it's very, very connected the skincare, the body care and the and the treatment. It's really interesting to see also now how many guys, gentlemen, want to where before I don't think they it was a different generation or a different time. It's very important for men and women and finally we get to that point. Man is not afraid of to come here, come to the skincare place and say, 'I would like to clean my pores. I would like to look feel better. I would like to hydrate my skin.' I remember when we met your skin were very red, sensitive and you try to use many other different products, nothing worked. But simplicity, teaching people how to taking care of the skin with a simple way, not to use every single product, what they what you can read about on the internet or what you go to Sephora and purchase or what the department store trying to sell you. Don't overuse the product. So I think skincare consultation which is one of my favorite thing to do to sit down with my clients and ask them to bring all of the product what they are using and then I choose them which one is good which one is not good and explain to them what is that what I would like to recommend and why. It's like an education. You need to know why you are using the product not just putting done."

"I am still formulating because I'm coming out with new we have new research and and new areas. But it started like I started in 2014. So came out 2016-17. I also has a patent which is the layering. It's layering technology. How to layer each product together to have the best result. And that's a pattern. Yes. It's a pattern. I got that pattern with the chemist who I used to work with."

So there's a very specific way that you want to use these these products to produce results where it feels like I don't know I'm not a skincare expert but it feels like many of the other folks were just sort of like hey just do whatever.

"Yes, it's very important to do step by step. You can't build a house without foundation. So if the skin is not ready for it, it just doesn't work. You need to build step by step, create healthy result and beautiful skin."

Well, my friend, are there any parting words that you want to to share with the world about building a business, chasing your dreams, anything that comes to mind?

"I think the most important thing, love what you do, have passion about and just be there. Be there for other people. We need each other. We want to care for each other as a community. We are so much stronger."

Great to have you on. Thank you very much.

"Thank you for coming. It's my greatest pleasure."