4 Inspiring Women, 3 Mega Brands

Jewellery has always been a huge part of my life. Having travelled a lot when I was younger, jewellery was always something I would pick up – either from the local markets or a local boutique. But when I tried to buy something for friends, family or myself back home, it was difficult to find a go-to brand – most were either very expensive or mass produced. The buying experience was also very stale, with products under glass counters and sales staff in black uniforms. I wanted to recreate the feelings from my travels by making cool jewellery that was accessible to everyone – both in terms of service and design, as well as the price point. 

The concept for Astrid & Miyu is based on a tiny local jewellery shop back home in Seoul. I used to visit it all the time – not only because the pieces were beautiful but because the owner was so friendly and knowledgeable. I started the brand nine years ago when I was studying for my MBA degree. I was at a crossroads of either joining a larger organisation or doing my own thing. In the end, the latter seemed like the natural choice.

To run your own business, you need to be thick skinned and have very strong convictions. Many people will want to give you feedback, which isn’t often that helpful, and you need to stay the course. You will also need to figure things out on your own – believe me, you will have so many doubts and doubters along the way – so inner confidence and self-reliance are vital. Lastly, you need a powerful vision and mission all your stakeholders can align with – be it employees, customers or investors.

The biggest challenge has been people – by that I mean hiring the right person at the right time and motivating them to work hard. I made so many unproductive choices, not because the individuals were unskilled or poor at their job, but because I didn’t hire the right people for the right roles at the right time. Even today, it’s still work in progress. But having a defined set of values for the company and a solid strategy have helped alleviate the stress somewhat.

It was demand from my clients that made me launch my own product line. I had one particular client at the time whose skin caused her so much anxiety – it’s really her I credit with my lightbulb moment. I decided to use my background and expertise in chemistry to concoct a product specifically to help her. In the end, she found it so life-changing, we felt like we had little choice but to offer more of them.

Crucially, we identified a real gap in the market. Ten years ago, the idea of plant-based or organic skincare that was multi-tasking and designed specifically to help acne-prone skin was unheard of – simply put, products like ours just didn’t exist. We started by selling that one miracle product in the clinic, using our salons as the main marketing tool, and slowly introduced more until it felt right to launch it as a standalone brand. At that point, I took a few months off from the clinic and reinvested the profits to move everything forward. 

We’re entirely self-funded – but it’s probably something I’d do differently given the chance again. The brand’s growth has been slower than I’d have liked, so a bit of external funding at the beginning – from investors or backers – could have given us a boost. It would also have been useful to have had a partner to take care of the logistical operations – I’m a product person, with plenty of beauty know-how, but it would have been beneficial to have a less emotional person around who knew about scaling the business.

In business, there’s always something new to learn. For example, the screen printing on our boxes was a revelation – we got badly ripped off in the beginning. In truth, there were lots of things we didn’t know enough about, and we trusted people when we should have done more research. If I was to choose the biggest lesson so far, it would be that efficacy of the product is one thing, but an effective marketing strategy is what really counts.

My advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs would be do very through market research and take time to understand your USP. Establish how you want to build your fanbase, too – what are you going to do to get eyes on the brand? Finally, have a great accountant and use them to understand the minutiae of the numbers. Pennies make up the pound – always. 

Being a black woman running your own business is tough. If I’m honest, we still have a long way to go when it comes to having a proper seat at the table. It’s disheartening, but it’s also the reality – we don’t have the same massive budgets as big brands in the beauty space, so it’s about getting the products in front of people and letting them see the results for themselves. 

As working mothers, we need to accept life isn’t perfect. Take your time – if you’ve got a good idea, then be thorough about it. Also, if you can, get yourself a really efficient assistant you can hand over control to if you find yourself juggling too many things. Finally, hire your weaknesses – by that, I mean find people who are good at the things you’re not. 

I would never go back to working for someone else. Even though this job can be challenging, the flexibility and drive it’s given me to make it work has been invaluable. Because I’m a go-getter and like to get on with things, I know that what I put in will ultimately be what I’ll get out. It might demand lots of blood, sweat and tears in the beginning, but everything comes back to you in the end. 

Right now, Antonia Burrell is offering 30-minute facials for £30 at Fenwick Bond Street, which is fully redeemable against product bought on the day – plus, a free gift with purchase. Register online via AntoniaBurrell.com

We decided to start our own business after both of us moved into new homes in London and couldn't find the style of furniture we were looking for – we wanted pieces with character, with texture and often with lots of colour. We've always been huge antiques fans and there wasn't a brand that ticked all the box for us. The idea of being able to design or source something ourselves, and offer it to like-minded people, was hugely exciting. 

Many people don’t realise starting a business means never being able to jump off the hamster wheel. In other jobs, you can finish the day knowing you’ve ticked everything off your to-do list. But when you’re running your own company, there’s always something that can be done better. It’s taken us a while to accept that.

Having a clear vision is what matters most. We knew how we wanted Ceraudo to be perceived, which helped with any marketing and PR strategies. But to this day there are still struggles: for instance, we’re always debating whether we should make our Instagram profile more about the two of us, or just keeping it strictly about the brand. Usually, we find ourselves wanting to focus on our creative output, rather than ourselves, even if the latter might drive more engagement.

We were lucky to launch the brand at the right time. The interest in the industry seems to have peaked in the last few years, so when we launch new designs, we often have an incredible reception. It’s probably far more challenging to succeed in oversaturated markets like fashion, so we're fortunate to have found our niche.