5. Growing an African Heritage Beauty Brand

Hello and welcome to the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. To find out more about our award winning online organic cosmetic science school, check us out over@formulabotanica.com My name is Gemma and I'm the business and relationship manager at Formula Botanica. And this week we're talking to Helen and Maria from Daughter of the Soil, a fabulous African heritage brand based here in the uk. We chat to them all about natural formulating, how they got into the industry and their appearance on Dragon's Den. I hope you enjoy. Just as a side note, unfortunately, during the recording of this interview, Helen's audio stopped working, so you can't hear her responses, but you can hear everything that you need to know from Maria. I hope you enjoy.

Hello, Helen and Maria, welcome to the Formula Botanica podcast.

Thank you, thanks for having us.

Oh, it's a pleasure. So you're both from the skincare brand, Daughter of the Soil. We would like to chat to you a bit more about your brand. So if you could tell us what you're about, what products you sell, how you got started, that would be great.

Sure. So Daughter of the Soil is a premium natural skin care brand. We're a British blended African heritage natural skincare brand created for all skin types. And what's really amazing about our brand is that we only use natural or naturally derived ingredients, but we are powered by African botanical oils, which are superfoods for the skin. So we're really all about promoting skin health with our premium gorgeous creations and really excited that we can share our heritage and the love of these treasured ingredients.

So how did the brand start? What brought you and Helen together? And how did you, how did you come up with the name? How did you come up with the concept? Like how did it all, how was it born?

Okay, yeah. So the inspiration for creating Daughter of the Soil came from my great grandmother. Her name was Onyang and she believed in the benefits of nature. She believed that natural was best, which is a philosophy that we've continued to incorporate in Daughter of the Soil skin care. She had a love for the botanical ingredients within her environment and she used these in her products. So she had sheer based products because she had sheer trees all around her. So she is the original Daughter of the Soil. And both Helen and I thought this was a great legacy to continue. One, it's a continuation of heritage, but also because these time tested ingredients are proven to be amazing for the skin and we really wanted to bring something within the premium space that was good ingredients, good natural ingredients, but also something that was celebrating, you know, African heritage in a really positive way. And both Helen and myself, although we've lived in the UK for most of our lives, we also have a connection to our roots. So that was one thing. In terms of the name, the name came from my dad. He used to call my sisters and I daughters of the soil. He used to talk about being a daughter of the soil in a really positive way. So it was one of those things where, because I've always lived outside of Uganda, where I'm originally from by descent, he used to talk about the landscape in terms of, you know, the traditions and really giving us a bit of an identity to connect with. So as much as I connect with, you know, my Britishness, I had a connection to, you know, the roots and the culture. So it felt really fitting for the brand because we also embracing the goodness of the soil within our skincare. So it's kind of paying. Honoring my dad, but also really, you know, fitting for a natural skincare brand. It says what it is on the tin, you know, and as women in business, we see ourselves as daughters of the soil. A daughter of the soil doesn't necessarily have to mean somebody who is of African heritage, but it's that community of people who identify in the goodness of the soil, but also in terms of the global citizen who connects with different cultures and really wants to embrace new things. So it's something for all of us. And also, as a daughter of the soil, you feel really empowered. We feel very empowered to be doing what we're doing. But also, if we link back to my great grandmother Anyang, she felt empowered to create her own products. And you know, she unfortunately was widowed at a very young age, but she continued to provide for her kids. So she really inspires me as a woman of, you know, a hard working woman, a woman of integrity, and it's something that we can all learn from. So I think there's something in there for everybody to identify as being a daughter of the soil.

Yeah. Oh, it's such a lovely story. And I think, like you say, I think everyone can identify with that and particularly women. The idea that you had a woman who was widowed and was still able to, you know, stand up and provide for all her kids, that's a pretty inspirational story. So how did you and Helen meet? How did you start working together?

Okay, yeah, I've known Helen for a long time. We've been friends forever. You know, her family has been really, really like, they've supported my family, you know, in so many different ways. When we first moved to Berkshire from London, we always hung out with Helen. She's like a big sister, but she's also got a very strong background, a commercial background, full of great ideas. And so she was the person who I had my eyes on in terms of working with for a very long time. So when I decided to create Daughter of the Soil, I asked Helen to come on this journey with me. We share a lot of the same values, we have a similar work ethic. So I basically asked the question over a coffee and I first sort of asked her what she thought about the idea and she thought it was really good. She gave me some great ideas and a bit of direction and then a few months later expressed an interest in joining me on this journey. So, yeah, so it's our journey. Helen's a co founder and so we decided that we were going to do this together. While I lead on the product side, she leads on the commercial side of things. And she's also helping to shape our social strategy, you know, helping marginalized women farmers in Africa. So it's a partnership. We believe in our products, we believe in the vision, and it's nice to be doing this with somebody else. So we're really good friends, but we have a similar work ethic and it makes work so much more fun. Having somebody on the journey with you.

Yeah, that kind of collaboration. Yeah. It's really nice that there's two of you. I mean, I know that. I mean, you know, our formula Botanica. Lorraine and I have known each other as well since we were 10.

Oh, wow.

And yeah, having, like you say, having someone, another woman to go through it with is, you know, it's that level of support I think is great. Especially if you've worked in other industries that might not be as supportive.

Yeah, absolutely. You know, coming from two different backgrounds, I mean, we both worked in the city, but she's done a lot of work in the financial area and done a lot of project management, change management. It's a good. It's a good combination of skills and it's nice to be able to sometimes see things in different ways and then come together and work out. Okay, what is the best thing for Daughter of the Soil? So, yeah, not just having one point of view, but having, you know, two heads are better than one kind of attitude to get, you know, get the best outcome.

Yeah.

Okay. So talking about finances, we saw you both recently on Dragon's Den. I guess, you know, for a lot of skincare brands, what they're trying to do is raise Money so that they can participate in the industry on a bigger scale, expand their business, etc. So Dragon's Den is one option. We're going to have an upcoming podcast on crowdfunding as well, because that's been. A few people have had that journey with crowdfunding. So let's talk about Dragons Den. So why did you decide to go on? Why did you decide at that that would be an option to raise funds, the best option for you?

Well, you know, the skincare market is very saturated and so you need to find ways to, you know, get noticed. And with those big brands out there, it's a bit of a David and Goliath mission for us, you know, us being David. So we thought going on Dragons Den would really help to increase awareness of our brand. It was free advertising, it was a grueling process, but it was a way to reach millions of people fast. We went on Dragon's Den when our brand was just about six months old, so it was a bit of a daring thing to do because one of the things that you need to secure an investment is, you know, a good sales track record. Yeah. And being, you know, being new on the market, there was so much to do in that first six months. You know, getting. Getting to launch was a big, amazing milestone. But, you know, getting the sales is really hard because people don't know about you. And when you're online, people haven't tried it before they buy it. So it's. It's about. It takes time. And so that was one of the things that we had against us. But we were hopeful. There is a lot of potential in our brand. We'd had great feedback from our existing customers, although our sales weren't high. But we have very loyal customers who keep coming back for more. And we were at that point where we had already secured a couple of independent premium brick and mortar retailers and a few online ones. So we thought that we would be going in there with a good pipeline to talk about. I think the difficult thing was the Dragons seemed to want to have that proven track record. And although now we're a year old, our sales have grown massively since we went on Dragon's Den. I think what we had hoped for was to get an investor who believed in our vision, but could also help us with their network to accelerate our listings in retailers. So at that time on Dragon's Den, we had already been in discussions with several retailers, but the reality is that the listing process takes time. So it was one of those things where we hoped that we could give them a picture of what that landscape looked like over the year ahead. To reach our target. We had a very clear sales strategy that still stands and that is working where we were going to obviously grow our own platform organically, but look at listing with mid tier retailers, so independents. So if we could secure about five to 10 within the first year and then secure a big national account that has, you know, hundreds of stores, that would help us to achieve our forecast. So it wasn't ridiculous in terms of our goals. It was just a matter of timing. Yeah, yeah. So we did benefit from, you know, the feedback, particularly with Deborah. I think, you know, she really loved the product. She did say that she thought that our target market tended to want organic. And we, although we have some organic ingredients, we aren't entirely organic, we're not certified organic because when we developed the product, we thought natural, just using natural, naturally derived ingredients would be good enough for us because we knew our unit costs were going to be extremely high because we couldn't afford to produce huge volumes. So it's one of those things where, when you were taking a big hit to enter the market, but we knew that we'd recover in year two, so it wasn't all bad because I think one, we've had so much support post Dragon's Den, our website, we had, was it 15,000 hits on our website that night as well as we've seen a massive spike in sales, we've seen a lot of interest from social media, we've had a couple of private investors contact us, we're still in discussions with them. But another thing is that we're still going strong even without that investment. We know that we can still make it because one, we believe in our product, we believe in the ingredients that we've got in our product. We learn. So there are things that we might not have known because we're growing, but we are very flexible and we learn from any mistakes that we've made. So I think it's just having that experience, to speak to experienced business people like the Dragons has really helped us to, to validate our strategy, to fine tune it, but also the realization that we can actually go on this journey alone if need be. It just means that we're probably going to take a bit longer to get to where we need to, but we're definitely moving forward every single day, one step at a time.

Yeah, I mean, I know that you.

Said the process was grueling and obviously you didn't secure funding in the end from the Dragons, so. And I know that you commented on your Facebook page. It was quite heavily edited.

Yeah.

So did they. Did they give you more input than was shown on the actual show?

Yeah, yeah. So we were in there for quite a while. We're in there for over an hour. So we were able to explain, you know, some of the questions that they pushed back on us. We were able to explain our thinking behind or our strategy behind doing what we're doing. So, for example, in terms of our sales strategy, we were able to explain who we'd been talking to and the progress that we'd made with the listing and what it would need for us to get there, which was not put in there. I think with the trademark piece, we actually were looking at multiple markets, not just the uk. So it was a bit dramatic the way it came across. And then there were other positives that they actually put forward in terms of the product ingredients. I mean, one person who didn't seem to get, you know, the natural skincare side of things was Peter Jones. But that's okay, that's fine.

Yes.

Yeah, that's fine.

Lorraine was Lorraine. Me and Lorraine were watching it and she was messaging me and she was like, oh, why is he being so horrible to them? Why can't he just speak nicely? Why doesn't he understand? It was quite a, you know, he. It seemed obviously the way it was edited, it did seem like he was kind of, you know, quite.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, from the minute we walked into the room though, he just didn't seem very interested. We were filmed at the end of the day.

Okay, yeah.

Another thing was the whole Dubai thing. So we did explain that, you know, we're going to follow where the demand is. So we had been fortunate to have received interest from Dubai. So we were like, okay, we're going to follow it. It's not like we're looking to get across the world from day one. Obviously, the UK is our core strategic market. However, we need to follow where the demand is. So if there's an opportunity, we'll look into it. So I think we are being smart about what we're doing. I think we need to consider all options. But the UK is our core market and will always be and we are pushing forward in terms of trying list with retailers, but we're also considering a few more channels. So it's forced us to think a bit outside the box. We're looking at dots at home. So at home selling to really increase awareness of our brand, our products are suitable for a variety of other sectors like hotels, Gyms. So we are really going out there and tapping into multiple markets. But also we did talk about increasing awareness via PR and tapping into bloggers. So we've sent samples to several bloggers who've actually written about us. And now that we're working with a PR agency, they have the relationships within the beauty industry to get us noticed. We're doing all these things, it just takes a bit of time. But over the years since we've been on Dragon's Den, we've been working our strategy and every day we're getting closer to sort of getting to where we need to be. Be.

I mean, it sounds like it's been such an immense journey and I just remember watching at the end of Dragon's Den, they had this really, like, touching kind of moment of you and Helen in the lift together, you know, and you feeling obviously really emotional and Helen going, you know, just keep.

You know, it'll be fine, we'll make.

It, we'll make it.

And Lorraine and I were like, oh, that's so lovely. I get emotional and I think about it now and it was such a.

I don't know, I think it. I think the whole story and the story that you've told is quite inspirational to other skincare brands because, like you say, the market is saturated. It can be a challenge. You're going to have your setbacks.

And one of the things that we.

Keep saying is that all the setbacks can prove useful. And I think you've said that as well. You know, you might not have got the funding from Dragon's Den, but you got input, you got awareness. People, you know, were looking at you, you got yourselves out there. You, you know, like you said, it made you think outside the box.

Yeah, absolutely. I think every experience just helps you to get better lessons. We're both good problem solvers. To get to launch our product on our own without an investment was a very expensive ordeal for us, but we found ways to get there and I think might be our background in terms of the experience that we have from our careers, but it's. If something is not working, then we find a new way of doing it. So as long as we're clear about our vision, and our vision is really to put Daughter of the Soil on the map, you know, a household brand that is sitting alongside some of those other lovely natural beauty brands within the premium space, there's a. Definitely a gap in the market for an African heritage brand.

Definitely.

I often shop in John Lewis or, you know, House of Fraser. You go to the Beauty section, and there isn't anything like us there. Other brands might use our ingredients, but I think the connection to our heritage, the legacy, the story, really celebrating our identity, there isn't anything out there that does that. And also overcoming some of these other barriers. We've had loads of questions from different people. I mean, our products are suitable for all skin types, but there's a misconception from all races, so black people, white people, Asian people, that there has to be a specific thing for a specific skin tone. And I totally agree that that's relevant to certain things like makeup and things that have color. But we are delivering simple but good quality, healthy skin care. And it's suitable for all skin types. So it would be lovely. Our dream is to be able to break some of those barriers within the beauty industry and really have something that is owned by women of color, but for everybody. And really just seeing all of us, all skin as beautiful and just celebrating that. So we're really excited. We know that we are quite ambitious in terms of what we're trying to achieve, because people who try our product, they all seem to like it. There's some great stuff that's also going to be coming out soon. So we're launching a set of pure oils. We're obsessed with oil. So some pure botanical oils, such as baobab oil, marula oil, oils that are really light and dry that you can apply on your face before as your primer, before you put on your makeup, that will nourish your skin. And then we're looking at producing some serums early on in the new year. So there's more stuff coming, which we're really excited about. I personally love the whole bringing products to market and what's going to go in there. And so that's where my love and passion is. I guess I can't wait until the day that we have that complete set of products that covers you from head to toe, every regime. And I think the key thing about all our products will be about being effective, having performance at the forefront of what the product delivers. But a natural product that has a nice texture. There are many natural products that are really good for you that feel quite sticky, you know, so working out the best ingredients to give you that luxurious feel, that, you know, lovely feel, but also deliver the goodness and quality.

What about hair care? Have you ever thought of branching into hair care?

Eventually, I think that will come after we've done the skincare. So there's still a lot that we want to do, you know, in the beauty Space. But yeah, definitely something. But again, because as a brand, we want to cover, you know, we want our brand to be for all.

Yeah.

I think we need to think about how we deliver that because all hair textures are quite different. So, you know, would have to go by hair type, you know.

Yeah.

From 1A, 1B, 1C to 4A.

Yes. To 4C.

Yeah. So let's do it that way. But that will come probably in a few years time.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's definitely a gap in the market for that at the moment.

Yes.

Serena and I are always telling people.

You need to get on that one.

I want to get on your course. Yes, yes.

We'll talk about that after the podcast. So what advice do you have for other entrepreneurs, other skincare entrepreneurs that are desperate to get advice from people who are going through it? What would be your top? Maybe three tips?

Sure. So the first one would be, you know, have a clear vision for what you want to achieve, keep it very focused, and then once you've got that focused vision, then, you know, turn it into a strategy and a plan and work towards that plan. You've got to believe in your vision from day one, but you've got to also be flexible to adjust things. If you find out that something isn't working, then, you know, be flexible so that you can keep moving forward. I received this very valuable piece, advice from the founder of Naturismo. We're on their platform. She's a friend of mine as well, and she said to me, when we're going through the development stage of our products, you're saying to me, maria, you know, you just need to do what's right for today. You know, sometimes you. You want things that you don't have the resources for. So she said to me, you know, just work with what is right for today. Tomorrow you'll work on what is right for then. So that really gave me peace of mind because I think sometimes you want the world, but you have to limit your scope so that it's achievable. So your vision has to be achievable, your plan has to be achievable, and you have to pace yourself according to the resources that you have. I think having that belief that you can do it always helps. That's one thing that we've never doubted. Despite the obstacles, we've had challenges, We've been disappointed. Like Dragon's Den, at the end of it, I was pretty emotional because I guess it was exhausting, but also because we're so passionate about what we do. But you take the positives and you take the learnings and. And you have to be resilient. So all those things, I think, help entrepreneurs to survive and keep going. I think all the great entrepreneurs that we know of, like Richard Branson, for example, you know, they talk about the ride not being smooth and easy, but finding a way, always making a way, and always believing in what you've set out to achieve.

That's great, great advice. Great advice. So let's finish off with telling people where they can find you. What's your website?

Sure. So our website is daughterofthesoil.co.uk.

Yeah.

We're also on some other online platforms. You can find us on notonthehighstreet.com you can find us on naturismo.com you can find us on mybeautymatches.com and we're also on lovelula.com fabulous.

What about Facebook?

Oh, yes. So social media, Facebook, authorofthesoil, and for Instagram and Twitter, we are on daughterofsoil. And then we are in Fenwick in Brent Cross, and in John Bellancroydon Royal Pharmacy in London and locally in Marlow Pharmacy in Berkshire.

Oh, wow. Lots, lots of places. There might be another podcast due to talk to you about how to work.

With retailers, as you seem to be quite successful.

Okay, thanks so much for joining us. I'm sorry that we didn't get Helen's input. Unfortunately she had a problem with her audio. But we heard from the lovely Maria and thank you so much for joining us. It's just really interesting to hear your story and it's so different to some of the other ones we've heard. So thank you for agreeing to come on.

Thank you for having us.

It's a pleasure.

Thank you so much for listening and I really hope you enjoyed hearing from Daughters of the Soil. I found it very interesting and informative myself. If you want to find out more about Formula Botanica, you can go onto our website, formulabotanica.com or you can check us out on social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Formula Botanica, if you want to weigh in on the conversation, come over to our online form forum on Facebook, the Skincare entrepreneur Mastermind. If you want to drop us an email, ping us a message@helloormulabotanica.com and as usual, if you have any feedback, comments or inquiries, just get in touch with us. Thank you so much.