Today we’d like to introduce you to Ndiya Onuoha.
Ndiya, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started sheahoNey when I felt that I was facing skin problems that I never experienced before. I was battling breakouts and they weren’t major or super noticeable but It was during my sophomore year of college and getting breakouts during this point of my life was strange to me because I didn’t experience that problem when I was younger. I don’t wear makeup and I always stuck to my face regimen which I did every morning and night faithfully. I went to three dermatologists all within two months and finally, I went to one dermatologist and she explained to me why my skin was breaking out and prescribed me some cleansers and cream that were supposed to help.
I picked up my products but I used it for about a week and realized that there were so many things in the product I couldn’t even pronounce and I felt that my skin did not like all these different harsh chemical products. So I decided to stop using the products and look into different natural products, I come from a Nigerian background and I would always my family talking about how great raw shea butter and black soap were. So I decided to try it for my self, the black soap and shea butter were directly shipped to my home here in Atlanta and I used it faithfully for a month, every morning and night. After I used the shea butter and black soap, I realized that it was the best switch I’ve ever made.
My skin was clearing up and felt more moisturized; the breakouts were going away and my skin no longer felt irritated. Having your skin clear up is one of the biggest weights off your shoulder and I knew I wanted to share that experience with other people. So I had a bulk of shea butter and black soap delivered to my house and decided to share some with my friends and family. I got a lot of good feedback and felt this was something I was passionate about: showing people a natural way of taking care of their skin.
I decided to start selling raw black soap and shea butter to help people who may be facing the same issue I had or people who just wanted to have smooth skin without having to use harsh chemical products. I want people to feel comfortable and confident in their skin so I wanted to introduce sheahoNey products to help with that.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This was not a smooth road, I found myself stuck when it came to the company. I began by knowing that I wanted to sell raw black soap and shea butter but I had to figure out how I wanted to market my company. I was able to physically get everything I needed to start creating the products such as packaging and labeling but I wasn’t sure how I would get the products to people outside of my family and friends. So I decided to create and Instagram page and the actual website.
One of my major struggles with sheahoNey was the website, I had someone help me build the website but I was never able to get it to my actually liking so I could publish it. I left the website on hold for months and decided to use Instagram and my main marketing platform, so I gained some followers and sold products through my DMs and in the Atlanta area. I began to start thinking of re-branding the company after selling my products for several months. So I put sheahoNey on hold and began thinking of new products and ideas, I did that for almost five months and I began to feel like I was neglecting my own company.
So I decided to get back on track and not delay any further, I struggled because I wanted everything perfect which almost led me to not finish my own plans for my company. I had to tell myself everything for the company will not be perfect but instead a working progress, I told myself that all I can do is continue to improve and not worry about having the perfect company because nothing is perfect and that led me to completely re-brand and love the way it turned out! I would advise other women to not expect everything to be perfect when you are starting your own company, but to always remember that yes, you will fail sometimes and feel like your doubting yourself but that’s perfectly fine! That doubt and fear you have should drive you to keep doing better and building yourself and your company.
Please tell us about sheahoNey.
sheahoNey is a natural skincare line, sheahoNey’s goal is to promote natural products to customers to help with skin, lip and hair care. I take pride in the fact that all the shea butter and black soap is raw and comes directly from different countries in Africa, such as Nigeria and Ghana. My main goal is to educate customers on skin, lip, and hair care.
It is important for anyone who shops at sheahoney to understand how to develop a skin regimen and stick to it and also learn about their skin. So to educate sheahoNey’s customers, I decided to create blogs and talk about how to do that. The blogs have different topics about hair, skin, and lip care so that customers can get on the site and read about how to incorporate the products into their everyday regimens and to educate them on what the benefits of using the products are.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Yes, definitely, at a young age, I learned that when you’re passionate about something, do whatever it takes to pursue your passion. So, when I started sheahoNey, I would keep that thought in the back of my head. I’ve always learned at a young age to finish what I start. This is something that really helped to shape who I am now because if I start something, I will always finish it. I think this was the most important thing I learned growing up because it taught me patience, and this patience is what helped to start sheahoNey and to continue to build and grow the company even though at times it can get tough.
Contact Info:
- Website: sheahoney.com
- Email: sheahoneyafrica@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sheahoney/
Image Credit:
All the photographs of the models were taken by Bernita Nana, Instagram: bernzz19
The pictures of the products were taken by myself Ndiya Onuoha, Instagram: _ndiya
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