While beauty and tech entrepreneur Louisa Kinoshi was visiting Nigeria, she lost her favorite foundation and was shocked to learn that there was no place in Lagos – one of the largest cities in the world – to replace it at an affordable price. “Many of my friends and associates had similar experiences and the idea for BeautyRevNG was born,” said Kinoshi. BeautyRevNG is an e-commerce site and online community for African makeup artists, beauty bloggers, and makeup enthusiasts.
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“I was tired of seeing our version of beauty omitted from mainstream and social media. I wanted to build a company that highlights our beauty story. I want girls all over the world, from Berlin to Shanghai, to look at our African makeup style with our bright gels, beads, and bold lips and think ‘Wow, that’s dope!'” said Kinoshi.
Beyond e-commerce, BeautyRevNG provides visitors access to tutorials and advice from Africa’s top beauty influencers while spotlighting young African female entrepreneurs in beauty. Prior to founding BeautyRevNG, Kinoshi worked in corporate and consumer public relations and marketing for more than seven years for various clients, including Clean Line Energy, Starbucks, PepsiCo, Pfizer, and others. Using her corporate experience and passion for writing, she created BeautyRevNG.
BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the young trailblazer to learn more about her journey and the lessons she learned along the way.
BlackEnterprise.com:Â What is your greatest achievement personally and professionally?
Kinoshi:Â The greatest achievement for me is being able to inspire the other young women in my family. After watching me launch BeautyRevNG, my sister, a senior at Carnegie Mellon,
What do you wish you had known during your startup phase that you know now?
I wish I knew how much logistics plays a part in the success of a business in Africa. Managing the logistics of getting the products from the website to the hands of the customer is especially challenging – due to bad roads, extreme traffic conditions, and more. However, thanks to our relationships with our delivery partners, we are able to overcome that challenge, and most of our deliveries now take place within 24 hours.
List the top three resources you use to manage your business.
The top three resources my business could not live without are: Instagram, Shopify, and my mentor.
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What, in your opinion, is a huge myth about entrepreneurship?
A huge myth is that failure is a bad thing. The most successful entrepreneurs have failed at some point in their life. My motto is: Mistakes are not failures but specially prepared lesson plans to help you succeed in your next journey.
What qualities have helped you succeed thus far?
Tenacity. To succeed in business you have to be determined and persistent. Every time a door closes, you have to pry open another one. You also have to know when to give up on a bad idea. The only way to balance tenacity with patience is by surrounding yourself with mentors whom you respect, and [who] have walked the same path.
What tips or advice can you give to an aspiring beauty entrepreneur?
Your goal is to make sure that every woman who comes into your store or visits your website feels beautiful and appreciated. That is how you get repeat customers.
Considering the lack of diversity within the industry, how do you stay motivated to keep running a business?
I am energized and inspired by the thousands of women who participate in our online and social communities. Whenever I need a bit of cheer, I post something funny or inspiring on social media. It’s amazing how there is someone going through the same thing somewhere else around the world. The great thing about having an approachable brand voice is that we can connect to our followers one-on-one.