A recent gathering in Surry Hills, Sydney welcomed a group of founders in the beauty retail and eCommerce space to share knowledge and insights. The Beauty Founders’ Coffee Club meetup provided attendees with a platform to connect and foster community in an industry that has seen numerous new businesses emerge in recent years. With more meetups planned, The Beauty Founders’ Coffee Club offers an excellent opportunity for beauty entrepreneurs to build connections and share knowledge to drive innovation and growth in the industry.
Although the beauty industry is a $6 billion market in Australia, there are no established communities specifically for founders in this niche. The meetup allowed attendees to share ideas, collaborate on common goals, and bring pressing questions that the group could collaboratively address or connect them with someone who might have the answer. With the beauty industry constantly evolving with new opportunities and challenges arising, collaboration and knowledge-sharing holds immense power.
What is interesting to note is how many new entrepreneurs started their ventures during lockdown and are now eagerly looking to build their business networks as their businesses continue to scale and grow, post-pandemic.
The attendees were equally passionate about building their businesses and improving the industry. The meetup welcomed inspiring attendees, including Gabriella Singh, Founder of The Rosedale Group and Belle Tallow, Hilda Liu and Chloe Zhang, Founders of SoyClay, and event organiser Effie Asafu-Adjaye, Founder of Beautiful Sparks.
The Rosedale Group helps APAC brands grow in the US market, while Belle Tallow is a range that helps heal eczema, psoriasis, acne, keratosis pilaris, and more.
Complex distribution channels, marketing saturation, and high cost of business can make market entry into the US daunting. The Rosedale Group helps Australian brands overcome these obstacles to achieve long-term growth. Gabriella says, “The US revenue potential is a no-brainer, and having lived in California working for brands like Bondi Sands and Treasury Wine Estates I had the boots-on-the-ground experience and became passionate about helping other brands navigate these waters.”
On a different front, Gabriella’s own all-natural skincare brand, Belle Tallow, was specifically designed to help those who prefer to use only natural products for their skin conditions, and will exclusively remain an e-commerce brand.
Hilda Liu and Chloe Zhang, Founders of SoyClay
SoyClay vegan nail polish is an artisanal brand that blends aesthetics, intention, and sustainability. SoyClay draws inspiration from the cashmere-soft shades and art philosophy of renowned painter Giorgio Morandi. Chloe says, “We curated a line of eight-free, vegan, and cruelty-free nail polishes that celebrate the raw beauty of Australian nature. Our products offer a unique aesthetic while providing a sustainable and nourishing solution to traditional polishes. They’re free from eight toxic chemicals, and infused with multiple oils and botanical extracts to promote general nail health.” Hilda says, “We also take our commitment to the planet seriously and use compostable timber caps, eco-friendly packaging, and Soy ink in our printing”.
Effie Asafu-Adjaye, Founder of Beautiful Sparks
Beautiful Sparks helps beauty brands grow their tribe of super fans by elevating their brand positioning strategy and digital storytelling. Many beauty brand founders in their early years struggle with defining their position in the market and articulating their brand story. Beautiful Sparks helps beauty brands to sharpen their brand story and create more meaningful digital content that cuts through. Effie says, “We’ve seen how brands with a cohesive brand positioning, story and presence have the upper hand when it comes to growing their customer base online, presenting powerful retailer pitches and securing more top-tier press coverage that helps move the needle”.
More eager founders, from skincare brand owners to creative specialists and beauty tech entrepreneurs, have expressed interest in joining the next Beauty Founders’ Coffee Club meetup tentatively scheduled for June. The meetups will be held in Sydney, but founders from other cities are also invited to register their interest for future virtual events that may be hosted.
Click here to register your interest: https://subscribepage.io/coffeeclub
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