Ogugua Ruth C, the founder of a well known beauty brand called Beautybychinnabel, granted Exquisite Magazine an interview to share success nuggets in running a striving business. Let’s read it up!
Tell Us About Yourself
My beautiful name is Ogugua Ruth C, I am the CEO of the award-winning beauty brand BEAUTYBYCHINNABEL. I’m a graduate of covenant university from Anambra State, born August 16. A Christian by faith, I am a great communicator, pay attention to details, a great team player.
I am a creative and strategic thinker with so much passion for what I do, I’m a bridal and beauty lagos makeup artist, available to travel to different locations And to add a very shy human, please don’t tell anyone.
What does your business do and how it started?
Beautybychinnabel is a beauty brand. The focus is to add beauty to the already existing beauty of every woman.
The main focus is on bridal makeup but the events goers are never left out BBC also trains beginners who want to become makeup artists and also upgrade the ones who are already in the beauty business.
We also do male grooming whenever the need arises, and we do brow threading as well.
How Beautybychiinnabel started is one out of passion just pure passion. Back then in my university days, I was modelling for all these school events and each one, makeup will be done on us the models so I loved that feeling from there I was picked as one of the models for the fundraising event organized for one of the survivors of the sosoliso plane crash Kechi Okwuchi on December 10/2005 and it was amazing how the makeup artist was touching us up after the makeup before going on the runway.
So after school, I worked with Airtel Nigeria and I was still doing my part-time modelling for the House of Tara, hod Lagos, houseofgymt, and the rest but the House of Tara was the one that got me on a different level because I saw the different side of makeup whereby the makeup artist was training the students and all.
So after I left Airtel, I worked with Barazahi, there I had to ask myself what else can I add to my life aside from what I was doing because there, some clients will ask me oh I love your makeup, did you do it and all that, I would say yes but the funny thing then, I was doing it to cover my acne because I had bad acne as then.
So one day like that, I prayed because I was even already tired of working for people, I was settled in my spirit I just started buying makeup products the sweetest part also I had this amazing friend, Ann who was a makeup artist who I go to her studio, she was very good so I will watch her create a look on models and I was still working and she will say to me you can learn this so at least you have time for yourself.
So the whole thing just got the passion on a high level. So I walked into a brand yangabeauty to get brow pencils and I asked if I can come for at least a month to learn and the CEO of the brand agreed so I started though I didn’t have my money complete the sweetest part was she let me and it wasn’t so expensive.
So my boyfriend then encouraged me and gave me the balance for the training. Na so I take start though I was already even practising with some products I got even before then, I don’t think I did up to a month as I had to travel.
That was 2018, and makeup was not as it’s now so after that I kept practising and after I resigned from Barazahi, my brother gave me money I got more products to continue.
And 2019 I became the makeup artist for studio 24 Novare Mall Ajah left the same year after I made my final decision to build my brand
So everything I tell you all out of passion knowing I can put a smile on someone’s face after every beat was something I looked forward to. And winning a competition with Dabota cosmetics gingered me more.
How do you solve your customer’s challenges?
My clients are mostly beautiful, sweet young ladies, young mums and little of the mothers as well.
So relating with them is somehow easy but we know there are different kinds of clients knowledgeable and not, and I’m not perfect though I haven’t had a big challenge like that to the point I can’t handle but it’s normal for misunderstandings as humans.
But whenever there’s a challenge, the first thing I do is apologize to my clients for whatever inconveniences the case may be.
I remembered an incident that happened with a client that was referred by a colleague, after the whole makeup she smudged her eyeliner with her nails, so I saw it and trying to correct that she saw it looking at the mirror and she said oh no why did you do that, this and that, immediately I apologize and I said oh my bad I should have given you mirror when you wanted to scratch your eyes so at least she get conscience to know is her fault without me telling her directly, it’s for me to make sure when she leaves my chair, she’s with a smile on her face, case solved But I tell you it’s not easy.
Who are your ideal customers?
My ideal client or target audience was never defined from when I started, it was more of me making money, I thought I was building my brand but now I can say I wished I defined it earlier.
But now for me, is bride-to-be, brides are my main target and the eventgoers are never left out because we all know lagos na party party city.
Can you describe/outline your typical day?
A typical day in my life is me creating content and sourcing for models that I can create a particular look on that I will later post to get more clients.
Some days going through a client’s face beat that I had already done to see where I need to work on. And editing my client’s pictures and deleting them till I get them.
Then I do workout to keep my body fit because this work no easy, standing and all. Then I do movies on Netflix or primes And whenever I can I read, I also love to cook.
How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Well, I’m not married and for my siblings, nieces and nephews, from time to time I try to go see them. I don’t think being an entrepreneur for now has affected anything and I don’t think in future it will besides it’s not a do-or-die affair as family is important and money also must be made, right?
What motivates you?
You see that little smiles, big smiles on my client’s faces, referrals, reviews, comments, give me all the motivations and more, it says keep going girlll even when I’m faced with a challenge and I’m able to solve it, I say yes you getting better by the day and that’s all that matters.
I keep competing with myself for better so that way I stay motivated
And one thing I have realized in recent time more is how much others who wants to be a makeup artist look up to me
So I keep going I keep telling myself YES it’s getting better
What is your greatest fear?
I understand everyone is afraid of something, but this is one question that hasn’t crossed my mind as an entrepreneur because if I’m being honest it hasn’t been a smooth journey right but the little little growth has kept my mind positive.
Fear And the Bible made me understand he will bless the works of my hand, so to me as long as I don’t quit then is on God to fulfil his word But if I’m to answer the question now by thinking about it I can say fear of failure and not accomplishing my goals in life. I want to give back to the society. Still, I hold on to Romans 9:16 KJV
How do you define success?
Achievement of goals that help others succeed is a success.
There’s something I believe in, no matter how successful a person is and there’s no one person you can say you helped raise, developed or to bring up then I don’t understand how you can say you are successful or you have amount to success.
I will end with this success cannot be complete without a disciple
What advice would you give to people who want to become entrepreneurs?
See this is not a matter of being a Christian or being religious.
First and foremost put God first in that business you want to start.
Ha, my dear because there are days it will be like giving up is the only option, there are days it will be like you going on low cut so you pour water on your head is the only option but hair does not grow in a day
You have to be able to persevere and be resilient
Be a risk taker, define your target customers. In a nutshell, you have to be mentally ready and be strong-willed.
What is your favourite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
The fact that it has helped me grow personally, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and even helped my social life to an extent.
Even with the fact I’m an introvert, being a makeup artist has helped me a lot to go out, well through bookings, the job can be at the beach, club that on a norm I will not carry myself to, I think the first time I ever went to conservative centre it was through my job meanwhile is not even far from me, sad I know.
And that should be the flex and more.
If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Take more risks and go all out, only those who risk win.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
1. Consistency
2. Discipline
3. Financial Intelligence
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
My clients are my greatest aspiration. I have always been a solution provider, from my field of work then to being a makeup artist solving one need or the other is something I have come to be so inspired about and I always feel good each time I’m able to do that for my clients with one beautiful thing to another.
To all my clients out there, thank you for all your bookings, referrals and encouragement.
What business-related book has inspired you the most? Or my favourite books?
From the titles you can agree with me this will be knowledge filled even if there’s a saying “don’t judge a book by its cover “
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Getting things done by David Allen
Never eat alone by Keith Ferrazzi
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Deep work by Cal Newport
If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
This got me at a pause, teary if I can confess well that will be “An irregular me”
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Instagram: beautybychinnabel
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