EP43. The Mindset of a Skincare Entrepreneur

If you're dreaming of launching an indie beauty brand you may wonder if you have the mindset to become a successful skincare entrepreneur. Even just a decade ago, we would tend to use the word entrepreneur to describe the personalities driving big conglomerates and reserve the epithet for figures like Richard Branson.

Now though, entrepreneurs are just as likely to be individual makers and creatives launching businesses from kitchen tables. This wider use of the label entrepreneur can still be daunting for the small indie beauty brand founder. We may fall into comparisonitis and doubt ourselves capable of executing our plans and following through on our dreams.

Our guest in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations removes the mystery of beauty entrepreneurship by taking us on her own business journey. Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao, founder of Malée Natural Science, says that the mindset of a beauty entrepreneur can most certainly be learned and is not something we are born with. Zeze's story is one of a young African woman in the UK who had to become entrepreneurial after a move to South Africa where she faced a period of unemployment.

Creating an ethical, luxury fragrance, bath and body care range was furthest from Zeze's mind when she started her working life. Having gained two degrees at just age 24, Zeze was aiming for a corporate consulting career when life changed and set her on her entrepreneurial path.

Zeze is a woman who discovered by chance almost her passion for the people, natural beauty and healing rituals of her home continent. She went on to harness those to create a brand that could change her life and others’ for the better. Her motto to any would-be beauty entrepreneur is to stay true to your beliefs even in times of failure:

"My biggest successes have come when I was focused on my beliefs. It doesn’t matter if you fail, but don’t let your fears rule you. Focus on the people you want to solve problems for. That becomes more enriching. How you approach your journey is the most important point."

In this episode on the mindset of a skincare entrepreneur, you'll hear about:

• The four types of entrepreneur around today and how the indie beautypreneur is likely to be a blend of all four;
• Why knowing your purpose - the reason why you started out - is the most important guiding factor in your journey;
• Why running an ethical business that is founded on beliefs will give you more joy and be able to sustain your passion for business;
• How not only adopting the mindset of a beauty entrepreneur but becoming a sustainable, successful business takes time; remember, Amazon took 19 years to become profitable! Be patient and give things time to work

Key take-outs include:

• Setting business goals is fine, but what you really need to focus on is the purpose of those goals and understand them thoroughly. Your overriding goal should to be the best you can at what you do and what you offer.
• Every rejection or failure has its reason. For example, if a retailer turns your brand down then realise that it's probably not the right time in your business journey to be stocked with them. See the rejection or failure as a way to sharpen your tools and get back out there with a better offer, mindset and approach.
• Remember that work-life balance is not some idealised vision or version of your life. Just work on your own terms and own that balance, making it individual to your needs and lifestyle.
• Work smarter not harder. Document what you do and when so you can see where time is wasted on non-priority actions. Time is the only finite in our lives as entrepreneurs, so don't squander it.

Find out more about Malée Natural Science and Zeze's story:

Malée website.
Malée on Instagram.
Malée on Facebook
Malée on Twitter.

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