Meet Violet of Skin Gourmet, the superheroine creating edible food for the skin
If you missed the previous post of our interview with Vera of Startright Infant Nutrition then check it out here. She is doing great in the world of child nutrition and I call her the “baby chef”.
“There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.”
― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass
Vera was however kind enough to link us to Violet of Skin Gourmet who is also another lovely lady with a passionate soul making great strides in the natural skin care industry in Ghana and beyond. I googled her website and I was really impressed!!!! (note the number of exclamation marks). The picture quality and design of the website does not just have the local appeal but also a global appeal. As part of OMT’s theme of getting others to be inspired, we reached out to Violet and she willingly and heartily consented.
Enjoy the read!
Q: Who is Violet?
Violet is a Motherland Mogul (SheLeadsAfrica #Squad).
HAHAHAHA That means I am a hustling African Young Woman. I come from a family of good people who raised me to understand that the world is about way more than you. I believe in giving back and helping others. If you are not helping, building or developing people – then what’s the point?
Honesty, generosity, humor, kindness, , empathy, understanding and humility – these are some of my favourite things
Q: Skin Gourmet…it’s an interesting name……. more like skin food. How did you come by this name? It’s usually difficult for entrepreneurs to find the right name for their business and I must confess, I love the name and it’s on point!
Thank you! Well when I decided I would make the most awesome body butter that the world has ever seen; I knew it would be edible both for the skin and your tummy!
So I asked myself … what do you call high quality food? … GOURMET BABY!
Cause Ghana has the best of all the ingredients we use – and that is all we use PREMIUM GHANA GOODNESS!
Q: I read an article about you in the Daily Graphic on 14 November 2017, about your skin product “chemistry” and exploits starting at the age of 4. Did you ever envisage that you would find yourself in this line of business?
NEVER, In all honesty I am surprised I ended up here. I always thought I’d be a Banker forever or a poet. But entrepreneur? Nah, I still have a hard time calling myself that. We make bad ass skin care you can eat – how can anyone imagine that?
Q: Do you still do poetry or it was a just phase in life? I also picked this from the Daily Graphic article.
I used to be able to roll out 4 poems a day … right now, I can write. However, the passion is no longer there. I have not lost it. I actually write MUCH better but it can take me 4 days to write 1 poem. I think it’s because once you are cranking tons of numbers and business figures that fun imagination erodes. Plus, I used to write dark poetry but these days I am so happy all the time that I can hardly stand it! So … perhaps that may explain the lack of Vhim.
Q: Do you believe that your exposure to Uganda and the United States in a way had an impact on what you have achieved now?
Of course I do! Chale… exposure helps. Both experiences helped me to understand who I was, where I was from, and where I wanted to go. They helped understand the beauty of my culture and the destruction that can take place when you follow the West without taking into account mistakes that were made so that you can jump those pitfalls. That is why Skin Gourmet is ALL about sustainability. We believe in recycling, community initiatives, human health and general well-being. These countries helped me to understand that we live in an ecosystem and that everything we do has a consequence. That is why at Skin Gourmet we are concerned with the entire ecosystem and we strive not to harm but to help. That is why our products are harmless, cruelty free, sustainable, give back and yes… EDIBLE!
Q: What were some of the initial challenges you faced? Most Ghanaian start-ups complain of the capital and also the task of getting people to buy into your product. Do you agree with them or you believe that every dream takes time to build?
My initial challenge? People did not believe in me – that was fine because I learned to believe in myself!
I told you guys that I started the business with GHS 145.00 (that’s all the money I had to my name!) My dad does not believe in handing out money to his kids for them to start a business. His philosophy? His dad did not help him – he helped himself. So we need to help ourselves otherwise without learning the difficulty and the struggle it will be difficult to sustain any level of success on my own. Plus, he says hard times will always come so you need to be strong so you can handle them – on your own!
My initial challenge? People did not believe in me – that was fine because I learned to believe in myself!
Violet
Ghanaians saying that it is difficult to start is true. It is difficult to make any real impact on your own – A LOT of people helped me. They gave me links, contacts, some even bought me raw materials to start. Family is key – if they support you (not necessarily financially). Any new upcoming entrepreneur needs a support system. I believe it is difficult in Ghana because most people are not genuine and they don’t really want you succeed. Like I said, my family is all good people, good vibes, good intentions. That so hard to find here. I’m blessed!
Q: How did you manage to start a business with just GHS 145 in 2014? It’s just unbelievable!! ☺
BY THE GRACE OF GOD! Duh! He did the fish and bread trick with GHS 145.00. Faith is the magic ingredient!
Any new upcoming entrepreneur needs a support system.
Violet
Q: What do you do for fun especially when you are not “Skin Gourmeting”?
For fun? SKIN GOURMETING!!!! All day everyday! Its real fun for me. Otherwise I run a Market Called the Special 10. In this Market I partnered with Elle Lokko (Stephania Manfreda) and what we do is we highlight 10 premium food brands and help to give them a good network and support system. We host this every month (it’s fun and quite tasking). Otherwise, I LOVE TO EAT! Eish … please invite me out, drinks and a great meal never hurt anybody hehehe
Q: And finally, what advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs especially for the females (am all out for girl power ☺ ) out there?
My advice? Believe in yourself. There will be a lot of noise make sure you hear yourself!
Q: How do people get in touch if they are interested in buying your products?
Easy, visit our website www.skingourmetgh.com
Our whatsapp is +233 (0) 20 89 79 302
Our Number is +233 (0) 50 145 1317
Be sure to visit her website and start shopping (smiley face 🙂 ), if you have a baby then I would also recommend the coconut oil to prevent constipation after introduction of solids. This is based on feedback from the other mothers on the Startright platform and I would be sure to give feedback after I personally purchase the products and use them. Thanks to Violet once again for granting this interview with her busy schedule and all.
Share your thoughts by commenting and don’t forget to share this great story with others!
Cheers,
OMT
