This is a continuation of the previous conversation!
Rhieme: Yes! So how have you been able to create a business that delivers so much value?
Tomi: I love that you think SN delivers value, you’re going to make me cry. Thank you
for saying that. It’s just about the intentionality. I’m thinking holistically. Thinking about it as wellness for the entire individual, I want you to leave feeling not just good about your skin
but also wanting people to feel inspired and confident. So thinking about it as a whole experience from the moment you unwrap your box or your bag up to the point where you're using it. I've had some of the guys who use it say they’ve saved so much money on cologne because they smell great just with the products.
Rhieme: Yeah, creating with intention is so important, because I feel like that's a way of having repeat customer. You've left an impression in some way. It's even amazing to know you're also taking into consideration people that are actually doing the work. There are lots of stuff about exploitation in the fashion industry but honestly, everyone should enjoy their experience working with you. Ore Runsewe who owns Arami Essentials, I was at an event and she was talking about how she sees herself as playing a role in the destiny of the person who is working for her. As they're helping her, she's helping them. Even when you make products remembering there are people on the receiving end, because sometimes it can be so easy for someone to jump into something just to make money and not care about how their customers really feel.
Tomi: I think for some people, it's not even intentional. Sometimes you just don't think about that. Some people are focused on the link between them and the customer, and they forget that there are real people on the supply side who are putting energy and labour into producing the things that your company is using/selling. I think with shea butter, it creates so much economic empowerment and value for women...it's literally called women's gold. It's very labour intensive, and people build communities, (which are co-ops) around the production of things like shea butter and cocoa butter. Sometimes when you buy from a middleman, they are taking the bulk of the money.The people who are doing the main production are only getting a percentage. It’s important to try to be vigilant, and take the proper steps to actually find out where things are coming from or how things are happening, and If you don’t like it, how can you change it? I want everyone's experience with SN from the consumer side to supplier side to be pleasant and I try to think intentionally about what that looks like, and how it can be better day by day, week to week, and month to month.
Rhieme: That is so powerful because as you were saying that I was thinking there can actually be no value without intention. Your intention is finding out that gap and value is bridging that gap. And you kind of need to bridge that gap when you've actually seen that like, this is something that needs to be taken into account. I think it's John Maxwell who said people don't care about what you have to say until they know you care about them as people. So you can release products but if people don’t see you care about them beyond wanting them to buy your products, there really isn’t any incentive to buy.
Tomi: Also giving room and grace for yourself knowing you’re not always going to get it right but you forever have an opportunity to correct. Maybe this didn't work out well, but tomorrow I'm going to wake up and try it differently until it makes sense.
Rhieme: Yeah, definitely giving yourself grace because you don't just wake up and get everything right. You may actually not treat someone the way you ideally would have wanted to and that is okay. It's knowing there's next time and if there's any way you can make amends then go for it. But also knowing even you can’t you did the best with what you knew at that time and that is enough.
Rhieme: What advice will you give your younger self when you first launched Simisola Naturals?
Tomi: I think without a doubt, I’d say “it's okay not to have everything figured out”. I like having things in place and having a plan. In the past, I refused to move until I had all variables gamed out. So I think it would be telling myself it's okay to not have everything figured out. Because when you’re running a business, there's so much you don't know, and you don't know what you don't know and you're only going to learn that in practice. It's okay, just take the step and learn as you go. Be proactive as you go. You're not always going to get it perfect, but the fact that you keep waking up to try is all that really matters. God won't let you fail, unless it's absolutely necessary for you to. Hear me because sometimes it is necessary for you to fail to learn something for something else. Basically, don’t freeze yourself in fear or anxiety, breathe and just take the step and learn.
Rhieme: Definitely, just giving yourself grace. Hopefully you're growing as you're building, whatever it is. There are times where you look back and you're like, how did I possibly do this? But knowing , you did the best that you could and that's the whole point.
Tomi: I think in business, everyone needs to know you can iterate.You can change things while you’re in production and until you settle on what makes you happy, don't be afraid to rebrand. Things are supposed to change. Nothing grows, if it's stagnant, so allow yourself the grace to make those changes and grow with your company.
Rhieme: Definitely, and not feeling bad, because things are taking a turn. I felt like that at some point with the blog because we started of talking about finances and now we’re going into wider topics.
Tomi: Honestly, I think if you're ever feeling like this is going all over the place, remind yourself of the human experience. There’s so much that can come out of a single seed and the more you explore, the more relatable your content will be.
Rhieme: I love that, thank you for sharing. Do you have any advice, anything that's been on your mind?
Tomi: Be kind to yourself, I think there's a very fast environment going around now in life, on social media, where it feels like everything has to be a rush, everything has to be excellent immediately. It can really take a toll on your mental health or even how you view yourself. So be kind to yourself, take it easy, realise you don't have to have everything figured out all at once. Extend yourself the same grace, you extend to other people. The only mistake you can really make as a human is deciding to wake up and not try. Every day you wake up, it's an opportunity to try something different, to do something different and grow in some way. It doesn't have to be a big way. Sometimes if you only achieve two things for the day, that's enough, because that’s two more than you would have if you had stayed in bed. Sometimes you stay in bed the whole day and that's also productive because rest is productive. So be kind to yourself and realise you're not a machine. You are a real person with real feelings and experiences. It's okay to not be at 100% 24/7. And when you’re being hard on yourself, ask yourself “would I say that to someone else and feel good about it?” If the answer is no, then stop saying it to yourself.
How did you find this conversation? Any key takeaways? Share below in the comments! Make sure you check out Simisola Naturals and Young Creatives Market and stay tuned for the next conversation.