EP157. From bootstrapping to award-winning beauty brand

I interview a lot of fabulous beauty entrepreneurs on this podcast, but the interviews I enjoy the most are those where I get the opportunity to introduce you, my listener, to some of the incredible graduates who have come out of Formula Botanica's online organic, award winning formulation and business programs. And although I've been doing this for over a decade now, it continues to delight and amaze and surprise and yes, humble me to hear the life changing process that our graduates have gone through. And do I have a treat in store for you today when I said to my team I want to interview another graduate on the podcast, who should we invite? Everyone unanimously voted for Rochanne Dorset of the Glossary. Now I've known Roshan for years and I couldn't think of anyone better to join me today. And you are going to want to listen to this entire podcast because not only do you get to hear about the transformation that Roshan went through in starting her gorgeous and multi award winning beauty brand which but she's also going to drop some mindset bombs that you need to hear. So grab a cup of tea, plug in your earbuds and settle in for another fantastic episode. Welcome to Green Beauty Conversations, the podcast that challenges you to think about how you buy, use, make or sell your green beauty formulations. In my weekly episodes I explore the sustainability of the beauty industry and encourage you to join me in changing the industry for the better. I your host Lorraine Dallmeyer. I'm a chartered environmentalist, biologist and the CEO of award winning online organic cosmetic formulation school Formula Botanica. We have thousands and thousands of students in over 180 countries around the world who study with us to become organic beauty formulators and entrepreneurs. Visit our website@formulabotanica.com to try our free online formulation course. And if you want to be the first person to know what's happening in green beauty, make sure you subscribe to this podcast in your favorite podcast app. So in today's episode I'm joined by Rochanne Dorsett, Formula Botanica Graduate, Founder and CEO of the Glocery, a superfood natural and sustainable skincare brand inspired by Rochanne's plant based lifestyle. The Glocerie uses upcycled and cold pressed fruit and vegetable ingredients to create nutritious skincare products that are rich in the vital vitamins your skin needs to look and feel healthy, balanced and glowing. Rochanne's gorgeous brand has been featured all over the media and has won award after award for her amazing formulations. Hi Roshan. Welcome to the podcast how are you doing today?

Hi Lorraine. I'm doing really well, thank you for having me.

Oh, I'm thrilled that you're here. I'm really looking forward to this and when we, yeah, it's going to be brilliant. When I talked about this with the team, I said, which graduate should I interview on the podcast next? And everyone was like, rochanne, the Glossary, get her on, she's amazing. So, yeah, thrilled you're here. So let's start with introductions. Can you please introduce you and your brand to us and tell us about what you do?

Yeah. So hello everyone. I'm Roshan, the founder of the Glossary, which is a vegan superfood and cruelty skincare brand that's inspired by my plant based lifestyle at the Glocerie. All products are made using cold pressed and upcycled fruit and veg ingredients that would otherwise be discarded by the juice industry to make a range of nutritious skincare products that are filled with the vital vitamins your skin needs to look and feel healthy, balanced and going, oh.

What a lovely synopsis. And I'm sure everyone's sitting there at the moment going, what an amazing name for your brand. But let's, let's dive into that a little bit. Why the Glossary? Why did you choose that name?

Yeah, so the glossary came about because I had just gone vegan. So about four years ago now I'd switched to plant based and I actually had to change my name because I received, I had a previous company but I received a cease and desist letter. So yeah, anyone who's received those, they are quite scary. It was from a big beauty conglomerate as well. So I had to change the name. There was no other way for me to continue using that previous name. So I knew I always wanted Glow in the names because for me glow signified like healthy, glowing skin. But I don't know, the ones that I was coming up with just weren't. They just didn't feel right. And I remember at the time when I was going through this process of trying to come up with a name, where I live there's quite a lot of outdoor fruit and veg markets and I remember driving past the row of shops and I was just a big sign and it said the Green Grocery or something like that. And I don't know, I think it was just divine intervention. It just clicked and I was just like the, to me this is perfect. I've got the, you know, the glowing skin analogy and then I've got the link between Fruit and veg ingredients. So it was a hard time getting to, from, you know, the season assist changing to the glossary. But I feel like it was meant to happen because now when I say the name, everyone really loves it and it just really resonates.

No, that's beautiful. And I'm sure everyone does. Who's listening is also going, what an incredibly clever name. And I've certainly seen. I know you've been featured in a lot of articles and I always see them go, what a clever name. That's such a good concept. And it really ties in so beautifully with the ingredients you use. And, well, let's talk a little bit more about you and your brand. So why did you get started?

I initially got started. I've always been a hobbyist, so I've always been interested in making natural and organic skincare. But prior to joining with Formula Botanica, I was just following, like, recipes. So I didn't really know how to do it safely, legally, scientifically. So once I enrolled, that then gave me the skills then to kind of like, pursue my dream. And I've always been interested in beauty as a consumer, but I think over the. Prior to starting the Closer, I just got a bit frustrated with the current market. Like, there was a lot of. There is still a lot, but there was a lot of green washing back then. I was experiencing a lot of allergic reactions to some of the natural and organic beauty products that I was buying from the beauty stores. And I was just like, why am I spending my money with these companies when I've got the passion? I've now got the skills to create something that I would enjoy using and I believe others would enjoy using as well. So that was kind of like the catalyst, starting the Glossary.

And what's your big mission with the brand now?

My big mission is definitely to grow our footing in the uk and I hope to do that with, like, strategic partnerships, retail partnerships, like pop up and events, and then to take it abroad. I definitely see the Glossary expanding into a more like a lifestyle brand, so incorporating different products. I'm really interested in incorporating services to the brand as well, like facial treatments and facial massages. So, yeah, I really do see it as an umbrella brand. That company encompasses everything that your skin needs to look and feel healthy. You know, it's not just topical products. You need to look after the inside of you. So your diet, your lifestyle, whether you take time to meditate, you know, work out, there's everything that comes into it. So I really see the Glossary growing into that in the future and I.

Have no doubt that it will do.

Thanks, Lara.

So, just so our listeners can build up a bit more of a picture of, of what type of products you make, can you tell us a bit more about the formulations that you sell through the glossary and what you've made?

So I initially launched with an oil based serum called Clean Green Superfood Serum. It's a serum, all basic main ingredients is cold pressed hemp seed oil and it helps with hyperpigmentation, acne, dark marks. And a lot of our customers have said that it helps like restore your skin's natural glow. So that was our first product and that's done extremely well. It's one best facial oil of 2020 by Women's Health magazine. It's been featured in a lot of press, Vogue, Stylist, ITV this morning. I've also form related lip care products. I've got Sweet Orange Superfood Lip Balm which again was shortlisted for best lip care product by stylists in 2022. I know, yeah. And then we'll get into it. But it's this journey's just really crazy, to be honest. It's very, very surreal from where I started. And then we have Coconut Crumble which is a dual action lip scrub using coconut oil and coconut sugar. And then our most recent launches have been an ultimate cleanser called Blue Ju Fruit Enzyme Cleanser which uses papaya and pineapple enzymes to gently exfoliate the skin. And again that won an award best cleanser of 2021 in the Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards. I was shocked when we received that award because I had no idea that we had even been submitted, let alone to win it. And then I formulated Tomato Tonic which is a fragrance free oil based serum. I formulate that for my sister because she has sensitive skin. And then the main ingredients that add tomato seed oil. And then we have a body oil, Golden Nectar which uses olive oil and strawberry seed oil. A Body Whipped Body Butter which uses Amazonian Akuba butter, which I learned about informing Botanicas while I was on the program. Then I formulated a candle which is just like an add on to kind of like the lifestyle element of the brand which uses coconut wax and essential oils. It's called recharge and customers have said it reminds them of like an at home spa when they're using it. So that's been received really well as well.

Lovely. Well, first of all, congratulations on your immense success.

Thanks.

That is incredible. And I've got clean greens here in my office. In fact, I Mean, obviously our listeners can't see this, but it stood behind me at the moment and it is absolutely phenomenal. And I hope to try many more of your products because I know that they are superb. So just so our listeners can understand, how long have you been going now?

It will be our third birthday in March this year. So yeah, we launched on the 11th of March, 2020, literally before lockdown, which was, yeah, trying time. But I'm glad I done it because had I not and we had gone into lockdown, I think I, the fear would have got to me and I don't think I would have launched. I would have tried to wait it out. But as you know, the two weeks turned into two years. So it was when it worked out that I launched it, when I did.

So just for context, which courses did you take with Formula Botanica?

I done the International Natural and Organic Entrepreneur Program.

Brilliant. Okay, that's perfect. That gives us a bit of context. That's the whole suite of programs as well. And by the time, yeah, by the time this episode comes out, we're about to open up enrollment for that again as well. So if any of our listeners are interested, the link will be with this podcast. So thank you. So tell me a bit about, you know, where you are now with your business because obviously you started, you didn't have a brand, you didn't know what was going to happen, you've won all these awards. How does it feel to have gone through this crazy roller coaster over the last three years?

I can't lie, somewhat it does feel surreal. Like I don't really, I suppose any entrepreneur has been guilty of not really taking the time to take stock of the achievements. But I think having just gone into a new year, I did actually sit back and reflect on everything that the Glossary has achieved in such a short space of time. And it is, feels like magical and surreal all wrapped into one. Because when I started the Glossary, I didn't have prior to logging in, enrolling with Formula Botanica, I didn't have formulator skills. So now it's surreal to me that not only have I created products that I love enjoying that also, I mean a wide range of customers like enjoying and then repurchasing and then having these renowned magazines and like beauty awards like also say, yeah, these products are incredible. It's just, yeah, sometimes it's like an out of body experience. Is this really happening to me? But it has been incredible. It's been challenging being like a solo entrepreneur and having to kind of, I suppose you're like an octopus at the beginning of your journey. You've got so many plates that you have to keep spinning. So that has been a bit challenging. But overall, I just feel really happy that I've found my passion and found, like, what I'm good at, because it did take. Prior to the glows, it took a lot of, I suppose, don't call them failures, but a lot of challenges to get to where I am now. So I'm just really enjoying it.

That's amazing. What would you say have been the biggest highlights other than obviously, all the awards and the recognition and everything else around it? What would you say is your biggest achievement so far?

Yeah, I suppose. Yeah, of course, the awards and, you know, the recognition really are big achievement. But I think as a beauty customer coming in, wanted to kind of find a solution to a lot of skin problems that I was facing. It's really comforting. It really feels me a lot of joy to know that my products also help others achieve them kind of skincare goals as well. Like, we've had a lot of customers that have used our products and they've been going to dermatologists for many years and not being able to, you know, solve the issues that the Glossary products have been able to solve in a shorter amount of time. So I think that really is one of the highlights being helping people to achieve, like, their healthiest glowing state after years of, like, being on medication or having to go to a specialist skincare dermatologist. So, yeah, that's really, really, really a highlight.

Yeah. And humbling as well, I'm sure. And huge. Congratulations. I mean, everything you're telling me here is so incredibly exciting. What's. What's a typical day like for you at the Glossary now?

A typical day? Oh, it changes from day to day. It could be like shooting content or responding to emails. I still pack and formulate the product. So from, yeah, from a day to day, it could change for me. Packing orders, customer service, filming content, or I like to network. So, like going to events within London, like meeting other female founders and like beauty entrepreneurs. So it really changes from a day to day. Got a lot easier now. At the beginning I was kind of like, there's so much stuff to do, like, what do I focus on first? But now I know what I'm doing and I was just steadily working towards, towards the end goal.

You still feel like that octopus. And believe me, I still feel like that octopus as well. I've been running my own company for over a decade.

That's Comforted to know. That's comforted to know.

I would encourage everyone listening also to follow Roshan on TikTok and Instagram because she looks at amazing content. Sometimes she puts up videos that just have us all in stitches. In Team Formula Botanica, there was a great one recently of her sort of dancing in the bedroom. It was fantastic. But the other thing I really admire about you Roshan, is the way that you do that networking and I think a lot of beauty entrepreneurs can learn from, from you because I see what you do on LinkedIn. Obviously we're connected there and I see the, the comments you leave for others and then the events you go to and the way that you tap into a community. It's amazing to see how you use that. So based on all the networking you're doing and everything around the brand, what have been your biggest learning so far in the last three years?

Oof. My biggest learning definitely take stock up is when some I met another female entrepreneur and she told me that your network is your net worth. And at first I didn't really understand the point that she was making. But having since connected with like a range of entrepreneurs, it doesn't even have to be beauty but a range of entrepreneurs, female founders. I now understand how for example a warm introduction could be more is much more beneficial than trying to pitch to a buyer cold or having someone refer you if they've had a beauty service, if they've had a positive experience from you really adds weight to something. That's something that I definitely take stock of really kind of not going into these networking events transactionally, genuinely trying to build long term like friendships, foundations. Because you know, I intend to do the glossary for years to come and if someone's had a negative experience of me, that's not going to be fruitful for the brand going forward because a personal brand also speaks volumes as well. So yeah, I'll just say your network is your net worth.

Yeah, that is gold. I've never heard that before. I've written it down while you were talking. That's really spot on actually. And I hope everyone listening is paying attention to that as well because I often see beauty entrepreneurs sort of hide themselves and they'd rather sit in the back room formulating rather than putting themselves out there. But you're quite right, you know, that network is priceless.

I did kind of hide myself at the beginning. I thought, I naively thought that I could run a skincare brand and no one would know who I was. I think I was just very introverted but having launched during lockdown, it did really force me to make myself visible. So I was doing a lot of Instagram lives. I was showing up a lot, and I think that kind of broke through the fear of wanting to be the face of it. So I would say to any formulators or any students on Formula Botanica now that are really struggling with putting their selves out there at the early stages, you are your brand's champion. So, you know, if you want to, you know, I mean, grow it to an internationally successful brand or even just a successful brand in its own right, you have to be willing to put yourself out there and the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

That's totally true. I saw some of the first videos I made again the other day and I cringed. But we get better as we go through the years, don't we?

Yeah, exactly that.

So let's talk a little bit about where you were before you started, because obviously you were working. I think you were working full time, part time. How was that in launching a brand alongside a job? Because a lot of people think, I can't do this. It's too much for commitment. How on earth would I juggle full time work or study or care or family while starting a brand? How would you do that?

I think you have to just be conscious and know what your end goal is like. For me, I knew I wanted to start a skincare brand and I knew part of that did involve some making a few timely sacrifices. Like, I was working, I believe I was working full time. I think at that time I was working full time. So I was coming home in the evenings and then spending my weekends formulating. It is tough. I'm not gonna lie. There is times when I was just like, oh, my goodness, I'm tired. I've got a formula, or I've got to continue studying. But I just thought, what would future Rashan do? What would future Rashan, with her beauty brand be saying to her? Now, if you say, you know, I mean, log on and start doing your program. So it was tough, but I, I, how I'd done it, it was just little and often, like, I didn't beat myself up. If I, if I came home of an evening and I didn't want to study, I would just know that I would just continue. Just, yeah, take it in little chunks. And that, that's especially with the entrepreneur program because there's so many courses in there. I just set like, monthly goals and then slowly chipped away at that. Not trying to cram so Much in like a weekend or an evening. So little and often and you'll. Yeah. The more that progress through the course, the more you'll feel excited because you know, your entrepreneur skills, your formulated skills are picking up, your knowledge is picking up and that excitement kind of carries you through.

Amazing. And I have to say, you know, I love what you just said about what would future Roshan do again? I've never heard anyone say that but that is so forward thinking and it drives you forward, I suppose, when you think that way.

Yeah, exactly that, exactly that. She would do the studying. So I done the studying.

So how did you get to where you were able to launch? What sort of steps did you have to go through?

So I had to go through with the formulations, I had to go through, you know, the safety testing, making sure all the products fit the EU regulations, getting my product packaging, stock of ingredients and packaging as well. And then I just worked on the website. I'd done the website myself. I'd done it on Shopify, still use Shopify now. And that was quite easy for me to do because I saw a lot of brands say that they spent a lot of money on website customization and at that point I. The Glo. The glossary was bootstrapped so I didn't have the money to set that up. So once I had that set up, I had, yeah, I was ready to go. I do remember though that I launched and my mom was just like, you can't send the boxes like that, where's the tape? And I forgot to order the tape. It's like everything else was sorted, the package boxes, everything was. But how are you going to ship them if you can't tape them? So I had quickly had to order some sustainable tape to use. But yeah, everything worked out in the end.

Amazing. I love it. These little details.

Exactly.

So in one interview that I think I did with you before, you talked a little bit about how you bootstrapped the business as well. Actually I'd quite like to just go back to that because I think I seem to remember you saying you, you spent, is it £2,000 launching the company.

Yeah, I think just. Yeah, just about.

Incredible.

Yeah.

Because like a lot of people think you have to spend tens if not hundreds of thousands. I've even heard people say you need millions to launch your beauty brand. But that's just not true, is it?

No, I supp. It just depends what capital you have. I didn't have that, so I had to make use of what I had. I remember at the time I had, yeah, saved for my full time job. I think I had then left my job and then I was working various part time jobs. I worked as like a barmaid. I then worked in Amazon for a bit. So every, every job I was saving towards this and I just, I suppose when you don't have big capital like the thousands of the millions, you just get really creative. I think the most amount I spent was on my designer and then on professional photos. So the things that kind of really mattered I did have to invest in. But everything else I either looked on YouTube to how to, you know, customize a Shopify website or I learned how to, yeah, learn how to do it myself. But yeah, you don't need, you don't need that amount of money. I don't know if what I would even do if I had that amount of money. I'd probably spend it on useless stuff at the beginning because what, yeah, at the beginning I just knew I needed. Because I, you were wanted to work with the pr. I knew I needed the professional photography. I know I needed the safety testing and the design to look really, really great. So yeah, that was, that was the cost.

You are an inspiration to all of us and you know, incredible what you've done and I love that because you, you hustle a bit more in the beginning.

Yeah.

And to be honest, those skills that you invested in learning how to make your own website, learning how to do all the other things, they will pay off dividends for years to come because once you start to hire people, which I believe is the stage you're at now, is that right?

That's correct. Looking for a social media manager, which is exciting.

It is, it is. And I think once you start to hire people, you'll be able to explain how to do the job as well rather than having to rely on others to tell you. So this is really exciting. How does it feel to be in the position to hire your first team member?

It's really exciting. I can't wait. I can't wait to bring on someone that really loves the social media side because I've learned as a FAF solo founder you can only go so far trying to spin all these plates on your own. You have to find people that you know, I mean, a specialist in those areas to help you fulfill the future goals of the brand. So I'm really excited. I'm really, really excited.

Oh, I hope you find a great first team member. This is a really big milestone for your business. So what does the glossary mean to you? Like how has it changed your life?

Oh, Lorraine, that's a great question. I think it has. I hear a lot about founders saying that you grow with your business and the Glossary has definitely allowed. Enabled me to do that. Prior to, as I said, prior to like launching the Glossary, I was very, I want to say introverted. I would feel very, I get it now, but not as much. The imposter syndrome would keep me from achieving what I wanted to achieve. So I would kind of self sabotage in a way. I wouldn't feel comfortable about expressing my achievements for fear of people would think that I'm gloating or people would feel that who does she think she is? You know, that's something that Glossary has really now enabled me to just take stock of the achievements and how great it is that I've been able to do this and flourish and keep going considering the horrendous years that everyone has been through. So I would think on a personal note, it has allowed me to grow and really take stock of who I am. I've definitely become more self aware of everything that I'm good at, everything that I'm not good at and feeling comfortable with, like the term failing. But yeah, feeling comfortable with failing and the challenges that come with that and how you learn and how you adapt and how you. Okay, if something bowed. There's been instances with the Glossary where, you know, things have come unexpected. There's been unexpected costs that I've had to pay like before that would probably send me into a downward spiral world like, oh my God, this is the worst thing that's ever happened. How am I ever going to come out of this? But now I'm like, oh, okay, Vishaan, maybe you shouldn't have done that. But that's a lesson, you know, now going forward that in order not to get to that, these are the steps that you need to have in place first. So yeah, it has really helped me grow and really understand about more about who I am, which is, you know, just a life lesson in itself really. And there's so many more lessons to come.

There are, but that was beautiful. And I think I can see you, you know, continuing for many years with the Glow 3 and probably also coaching and mentoring many other entrepreneurs with their mindset because I think they need some of your mindset in their lives life, to be honest.

Thank you.

So what's Next for the Glow 3?

Well, yes, we are hiring social media manager and then I'm working on two new products which is really exciting. We're Bringing trying to kind of add more of a complete set to our skincare range. So working on a toner and a ceramide moisturizer which I'm really, really excited about.

Yeah, does sound exciting. I can't wait to see them. Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today. It's been just so lovely having you here and really inspiring to hear all about, you know, everything you've been doing and the brand and you and as I said, you're an inspiration. So where can people learn more about you and about the Glossary if people.

Would like to learn more? I'm very active on Instagram so he Glossary shop and it's the same for TikTok where you'll see me dancing and LinkedIn as well. But I show more my professional side. So yeah, my LinkedIn is just my name, Rochanne Dorset. You're feel free to connect with me there if you have any questions about, you know, form botanical or entrepreneurship. I'm my DMs are always open so please shoot me over any questions that you may have and I'll get back to you.

Brilliant. Thank you so much. We'll include all of those links for the show Notes Rajan thank you so much for coming on the podcast. It's been fab talking to you.

Thank you so much and to Das Formula Botanica team for having me. Thank you. I've had. I've really enjoyed this.

Me too. I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Are you feeling inspired? Because I am. Roshan is amazing. Go and buy her products and please do come and leave us a comment on our social channels and tell me how you feel after listening to this episode. As both the Formula Botanica team and I love hearing from you. Thank you for joining Rosanne and I for this latest episode of Green Beauty Conversations. I really hope you enjoyed it and if you did, please do leave me a five star review so that other people can enjoy these conversations too. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or whatever your favorite podcast app is and stay tuned for the next episode. Follow formula botanica at FormulaBotanica on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter or LinkedIn. And come and follow me too at Lorraine Dahlmeier as I always share the latest from the podcast and share my thoughts on green and sustainable beauty on Instagram. Visit our website@formulabotanica.com and sign up for our free online formulation course today.

Sam.