AFRICAN FOUNDERS BEAUTY EDITION
The African beauty industry has experienced tremendous growth in the past three years. Huge expansion of brands and export of products has been recorded. Our cover girl Valerie shared how she has sustained and managed her business over the years during our interview with her in page 32 as she has recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of R&R Luxury. Other interesting topics on Finance, Development, Career and Achievements you won't want to miss. Special thanks to our guest contributor Ubong of Kobo Accountant and Adedayo of CVM Career. Do not miss their columns on page 7 and 47 respectively, Every entrepreneur needs to read them.
The African beauty industry has experienced tremendous growth in the past three years. Huge expansion of brands and export of products has been recorded.
Our cover girl Valerie shared how she has sustained and managed her business over the years during our interview with her in page 32 as she has recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of R&R Luxury.
Other interesting topics on Finance, Development, Career and Achievements you won't want to miss.
Special thanks to our guest contributor Ubong of Kobo Accountant and Adedayo of CVM Career. Do not miss their columns on page 7 and 47 respectively, Every entrepreneur needs to read them.
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35| AFRICAN FOUNDERS | COVER STORY | JAN 2021
What was the most challenging moment you faced as a Start Up?
I think the most challenging thing for me was venturing into a realm of the unknown.
My background was in marketing, not in manufacturing or cosmetic formulation, so I
had to start from scratch and learn as I went along. You learn from experience and are
able to develop the skills necessary to deal with new challenges that come along.
Fast forward 10 years later and I'm still learning something new each and every day.
No two days are the same for me as the CEO of a skincare brand, one day I may be
on the factory floor with my production team and another day I may be in the R&R
shop, at the office or travelling across the Atlantic for a trade show. The variety can be
challenging to keep up with, but it is also interesting and exciting to do (and learn)
something new every day.
Have you faced any challenge that threatened the existence of your brand?
Well apart from the obvious challenge that most businesses faced in 2020 which was
the global pandemic that we all faced called Covid-19, there hasn't been a time when
I've thought, “ok this is it, this could be the end for R&R”. As a brand owner, I feel
that this journey of a thousand miles began with one step and every day we just put
one foot in front of the other, stepping out in faith and trusting that the purpose of
this brand will come to full fruition. The pandemic definitely shook us, but it also
opened our eyes and minds to a how to pivot and be innovative in times such as this
and thankfully although our physical retail took a huge hit, the ecommerce platforms
we had set up prior to the pandemic were able to carry us through the hardest times.
What were some of the mistakes you made in the early stage of your business?
Starting up, I did most roles in the business myself, as many entrepreneurs do. If I was
to start again, I would probably try seeking advice from consultants before making
decisions in regard to certain areas of the business, such as packaging and
compliance. Although these services may come with a high cost, I think it is worth
investing in them from the start so that you are not inconvenienced later.
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