Over the last few weeks we've discussed topics that contribute to who we're becoming holistically. Navigating life from a place of wholeness is so important. So many of us want to enter different industries but are unsure of where to start. This week I'm joined by my guest Tomi Sodimu who has been a great example of what it means to navigate the beauty industry with wholeness in mind. She creates beauty products with intention in mind and is a great example of what it means to constantly have your customers in mind.
Tomi Simisola Sodimu is an entrepreneur, wellness enthusiast, and an advocate for clean beauty and natural products. She is the Founder and CEO of an all-natural skincare company Simisola Naturals which popularly produces all-natural body butters, and empowers West African women by sourcing its main ingredients (shea and cocoa butter) exclusively from women run co-ops and businesses. She is also the founder of the Young Creatives Market a youth-run hub designed to highlight and support the businesses, projects and careers of young Nigerian creatives and entrepreneurs. Tomi is a self-proclaimed lover of God, life, travel, wellness, fun and food, and she shares some of her experiences on her instagram page.
Our conversation was so wholesome. We discussed topics ranging from distinguishing yourself in the beauty industry, to learning to start again. I hope this serves as encouragement to anyone looking to enter into any industry, you can do it.
Rhieme: Hi Tomi, thank you so much for joining us today. Can you please tell us about yourself?
Tomi: Thank you for having me. I am an entrepreneur but I'm also a public relations specialist. Freelancing currently, but usually in agency. I own Simisola Naturals, which is a skincare and wellness brand, based both in Lagos and Washington, DC, which is where I am currently. I also run The Young Creatives market page, which is an online directory, hub and centre for all things for Nigerian creatives and entrepreneurs. We spotlight businesses, projects, media, anything relevant.
Rhieme: Thank you so much for sharing. So the conversations are taking a turn and we’re focusing on businesses. I've seen everything you've done so far with Simisola Naturals and it’s amazing. Can you please share the process of creating the vision for Simisola Naturals ?
Tomi: I think it’s a process of becoming. I feel like vision changes and pivots a little bit depending on how much you grow. For me, SN was very much driven because of other people's desire for what I was doing for myself. I started it while I was in university, George Washington University is where I went. I have very sensitive skin so I started mixing my own body butters, and my skin started to improve. My classmates and friends started to notice. Then it became a skincare Sunday, where I would make products in my room and people would ask if they could have some. As I began to sit down and think about what I wanted the company to be, that's when I started setting out the vision - what feeling do we want people to experience when they experience our products? What do we want that to look like? I also think it was influenced by the things I was doing and what I was inspired by at the time. I used to run an NGO with my mum, called the Alicemay Hope Foundation. It still exists, but I don't head it anymore. It basically provides classes and quality education for women and girls who haven't been able to finish their education. I think Alicemay Hope and SN linked in that I wanted to make sure as I was empowering women in my supply chain. At SN, we source our main ingredients from women-owned businesses and co-op. So all the shea butter, cocoa butter, black soap, etc., is all sourced from West African women. I genuinely believe in putting money into real people's pockets. So trying to create value from the beginning to the end of the supply chain was crucial. All these pieces came together as I started to think more about what I wanted the company to be and what I wanted it to stand for and represent.
Rhieme: Wow, that's amazing. I love what you said about the vision changing over time. I can definitely resonate with that. I mean with my blog, where it is now, I never saw it going this way at all. It literally started off with a job I have and then I was trying to show people my age why they should care about their finances. I was meant to market a student plan so I was thinking , I don't want to go on Instagram beginning people to sign up. I was thinking, what can be of value? The message still remains the same in terms of trying to support young people in pursuing vision, but it expands as you grow. I love the values your company has, trying to help actual people, it’s so important because it then creates such an authentic relationship with you and your audience. With us knowing what we’re paying for goes beyond us, it’s involved with someone else.
Tomi: Definitely. It 100% changes as you go and l need more people to embrace that. I think some people get stuck and feel like it was supposed to be this thing that it's not anymore and wonder “where do I go from here?” Let it change! The person you were last month isn't who you are today. If that's you at a base level, you have to expect that your company or your business or vision for your business/project is going to change as well. I definitely love that you're embracing that on your own with your platform.
Rhieme: Yeah, that's something I got used to, because it's almost felt like there was another side to myself I was discovering so why suppress it? Sometimes it feels so chaotic because we’re talking about so many different things, but I know the message I'm trying to pass across. Over time as you stay consistent, people will understand what you're trying to say and even when they don’t just keep going. You can't limit yourself because you don’t want people’s perception of what they know you for to change.
Tomi: Very well said, and very on the note, love that.
Rhieme: Thank you, how have you been able to remain consistent with the vision of Simisola Naturals?
Tomi: I think what I said before about allowing space for change, but also realising the purpose of the company is constant, but the way it’s put forth, changes. You know how people say, “purpose is the same, assignment changes”. I think of my company in the same way. I understand the vision is to make people feel great about their skin, give them natural alternatives to dealing with certain skin issues, but also making sure we are being socially conscious about our ingredient sourcing and environmentally friendly. The products we decide to put out or not all come after. I think the consistency comes from recognising that at the core of it, this is my vision, and it's okay for it to evolve. I also think understanding the company is bigger than me and features so many real people. We refer to people who buy our products as being part of the SN family and that's always been our ethos - you're not just another number to us, we genuinely care. We know everyone's name, we try to personalise things as much as possible. Sometimes, if I get an order, based on what I'm looking at, I might give someone a sample of something I think they would like based on what they've chosen. That kind of attention to detail and making everyone feel as though they're part of this bigger community is also very key. I think that also helps you stay consistent, knowing it doesn't just affect you, it affects other individual people who are either deriving value or sharing and spreading that value as well. How can you best empower them with the bit you do? I feel like everyone has a small, medium, or big role to play in everyone's everyday life. I won't lie, there have been times I’ve wanted to quit. If every entrepreneur is being honest with themselves, they’ll tell you they’ve wanted to close up at some point. God sometimes sends me bits of encouragement, right when I need it.
I could be having a conversation with my mum in the morning saying I’m not doing this anymore and then someone will send us a paragraph long story about how the product really impacted them. I had someone send a message saying they had bought these new pyjamas and had a really bad reaction, and then our products came in the mail and they literally gave her relief from the itchiness. It seems so little, but the fact that she took the time to reach out and tell me that is a reminder that this is bigger than you, it's not about how you personally feel this morning or today. It's about the value you're putting in other people's lives and how important it is to make them feel good about what they're using. Trying to get them to see themselves the way God sees them by adding a bit of encouragement and affirmation. Also staying aligned to that vision and understanding that we have a role to play in people's lives and sometimes certain things are dependent on me getting up every day to do this thing.
Rhieme: That was so good. I love what you said about thinking beyond you. It’s much easier to quit something when other people aren't involved.
Tomi: If it was up to me and just me, I probably would have quit a long time ago.
But it sounds crazy, because I love it so much. There are some times where it feels impossible.
Rhieme: Yeah, definitely and I think that's when you know what you're doing is worth it when it goes beyond you. For example, the lady who sent you a message. Sometimes we downplay our role in other people's lives based on what has been placed in our hands. So someone may want to start a business in the beauty industry and they're what could this possibly do in someone's life? But it can do so much you don't know if that person using your products would cause them to gain confidence needed for them to enter the next level in some way. There are some days where you’re just like, I’m not really sure, should I keep going? But it's knowing a lot of the things that God places in our hands, He won't give you something that wouldn't reach at least one person. I always tell myself I need to try to get to a place where I'm not trying to always piece everything together. So sometimes I try to analyse everything but it’s more of staying focused on the vision and knowing there are people to be reached on a daily basis. I love how people motivate you in staying consistent, because it's also shows you value your clients. One of my friends owns a jewellery business and I was telling from what I've noticed, community is so important because there are other beauty products, beauty brands. One I’m obsessed with is Mohini Beauty.I have almost everything and one reason why I keep buying is because of the community feel to it. It's just obvious that it's not just about buying products. I noticed on your page sometimes you put up encouraging messages for women and that shows you care. Even what you do with Young Creatives Market is amazing. I think there are some people who naturally like to encourage others and sometimes you might wonder where this is going? Is this really helping? It’s knowing not everyone is wired that way, that’s more of a reason why it's good to keep on going. But I definitely agree with what you said about thinking beyond yourself. You will grow along the way with what you’re doing but it's bigger than you.
Tomi: I'm kind of guilty of that, too. I feel like I minimise impact a lot because I think I’m just doing this small thing, how much could it possibly mean? But there are people who are relying on you to fulfil your destiny, because it's going to spark something in them. God is very intentional and he uses people, so it's never just about you. There's always a bigger picture and people you're impacting. Like what you said about makeup, Omoehi could be selling makeup and someone might not think that's important, but what if her client getting that lip gloss on that day made her feel confident ahead of a job interview for example, and that extra confidence then helps her land the job. It seems so small, but I find that the world works in that interconnected way. So understanding that in whatever position you find yourself you have to work to the best of your ability and do your best and serve your best there. I know there's a Bible verse that says, work not as if you're working for people, but as if you’re working for God. The reason for that is because how you move, how you operate, how you interact with people, has direct effects on things in their life as well. So, if you are working at maximum capacity, or giving your best or being intentional, or being genuinely compassionate, the after-effects on people you interact with that day could genuinely change the trajectory of their day or their lives.
Rhieme: Yeah, even just to add to what we were saying about Mohini Beauty products, there was a particular day where I just woke up, and I suddenly wanted to buy lip gloss. I think I was travelling a few days away and I was like God if I get this now, what if it doesn’t come on time? And he was like, just get it and it came exactly when I needed it. It just reminded me of God's faithfulness in the smallest of things and someone else might be like, oh what does buying lip gloss do? To each their own but it just reminded me of how God will always show up for you I remember the note that was attached to it as well really cheered me up. It's just knowing as you said, it's in the little things and knowing God will never ask you to do something, if He knows it's not going to have a ripple effect. This week like two days ago, something to basically, there was someone that kept on coming to mind and I wasn’t sure why, then God started speaking about them and gave me a specific time to text them and tell them what He had said. Once I sent the message, the person was actually crying at that point in time and I got the word 30 minutes before she had started feeling the way she did. That day taught me the importance of obedience/ I remember I was working I had quite a number of things I was doing but I just said to myself, at the end of the day what I’m doing is for God. Sometimes it can be hard when you don’t understand what you're doing and you don’t necessarily have like the bigger picture yet.
Tomi: You’re left with this question mark about how you're going to get from here to here. Or you get the next step, and not the bigger vision. So each one requires faith.
Rhieme: Exactly, each one requires faith. Sometimes people reply my story asking how have you been doing this for so long? The truth is, I'm only doing it for this long because of God. I don't know how every single week, I always have content. I was thinking the other day this is my way of showing people how consistent God is. I definitely know there's one person every week she always speaks about how the conversations have helped her one way or the other. It’s not easy but it's worth it because God is very consistent with us and I think it's just our way of showing that.
Tomi: Thank you so much for sharing.
Rhieme: Running your business is certainly not easy. How do you keep going on difficult days?
Tomi: I don't know why people shy away from saying this, but sometimes I cry. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed, I don't even have the words and journaling doesn’t help in that moment, so I have to sit and just cry. At the end of that cry, I'll literally tell God “you know me better than I know myself, you know exactly what that prayer was. So I'm going to get up off this floor, I'm going to push forward” and that's it. Sometimes you actually have to let it out. I think trying to pretend like everything is okay, or trying to pretend like you're not stressed out, doesn’t help.
I'm a very creative person in a very structured way and I think sometimes it's easy to get frustrated when you're feeling blocked or feeling like things aren't working. Sometimes all it takes is me getting up from the desk and going to do something completely unrelated. Feeling refreshed and connected to God is very important. I would also say the reminders God sends through people are key. There was a point where I literally closed SN down for a year. I was only taking orders from close friends and family. I spent a year going back and forth actually asking God if this was really what I was meant to be doing. God had given me the vision but it felt like there was this big crack in the earth between where I was then and where that vision was, and I didn't know how to bridge that gap and I didn't see anything that was going to help me do that. I remember I came back to America in November, on a random night I was like “I’m going to do a small restock”. I put all the information on the website and I made it live knowing that because it's been out of stock for so long, no one's going to be on the website. At like, five in the morning, my phone started buzzing, it was an influx of orders, it was the craziest thing. Luvvie Ajayi, she came to my university - her and Yvonne Orji - and I remember making them gift packs. Apparently, she’d had it for like two years but only found it when she was moving, and started using them consistently from that point. So that night she randomly went online after a shower, and basically raved about how amazing the body butters are and people naturally started shopping for them. A ton of people I had never encountered before. And if we just walk it back, how crazy is it, that I was just having that crossroads moment. The fact that I had put things on the website as being in stock the night before is also crazy. Imagine if everything was still out of stock and all those people had gone on the site, chances are they wouldn’t come back to look again. But the fact that everything was set up at the right moment...I felt like God was saying “I’m reminding you there's value here so you have to keep pushing”. Last thing I do that's really random is sometimes when I feel good about things, I write a letter to myself specifically for the times that I don’t feel good about things. I literally place that in my notes right next to what the vision and mission are. On days where I feel really drained or on the verge of quitting, I can go back and read, feel inspired, and move forward from that point.
Rhieme: Thank you so much for your response. So you spoke about crying, that is me.Even today before this, I was trying to do some of my uni work and I could see myself almost starting to cry. One thing God always tells me is, make sure you're doing everything from a place of ease, you're not meant to be struggling.
Tomi: One more time for the people at the back! I need to write that down on my forehead because I need to learn it too.
Rhieme: It's hard, but it's worth it. The truth is when you're relying on the Holy Spirit's to direct you on everything, there's no need to stress. God can literally tell you the answer,. One thing I've learnt is when we rely on our strength, we’re actually slow and we get frustrated, but when you leave everything to God, and you say you can’t actually do this, but with God I can you'll receive so much strength.All of that to add to what you said about taking a break and trusting God. Even what you mentioned about the huge influx of orders that came, God will always tell you just at the right time when you least expect it, alignment is everything.
Tomi: It will always be shocking in the best way, God is actually so funny.
Rhieme: I think one thing that is good about your story is that you hadn't completely given up on it, you still held on to the vision even though you weren't 100% sure if it was something you were meant to continue in the next season. I think the sudden influx of orders that came was basically God's way of rewarding you. Some of the biggest things take the most time and it could also be that period of time when you weren't doing other things it was him almost giving you the rest and clarity you needed for when things were suddenly going to boom. One thing I always tell myself is if God hasn't told me to stop doing something, I'm not going to stop because I didn't start it.
Tomi: Like what you said, if he didn't tell you specifically to stop it, all you do is at every interval check in like, “God is this what I'm supposed to be doing?” I remember Pastor Mike Todd, sharing about how he wrote the book Relationship Goals. Every day before they started the meeting, he would say “God, is this what I'm supposed to be doing? If it's not, let me know.” Imagine doing that already so deep into writing the book.
Rhieme: I can definitely relate to that because I've always wanted to practice Law but I wasn't really sure of which areas and the areas he's highlighted I feel the least qualified. But I've learnt that the things you think you can't do or are beyond you, once you have him anything's possible
Tomi: He loves an unqualified person. Sometimes I’m like God, I have zero idea if I’m qualified for this, but you’ve given me this opportunity so go ahead and do your thing. Doing things from that place of ease, makes everything feel so much better.
Rhieme: It really does. How have you been able to distinguish yourself in the beauty industry?
Tomi: I would say, authenticity and accessibility. So authenticity in the sense that we develop community. I try to make sure that translates through the packaging, customer service, the way the page looks, the way the website looks, and all of that. I guess intentionality is really, really where it's at. Understanding I can't be anyone but myself and SN can't be anything than what it is. The right people will gravitate towards it so far as we're doing things authentically. The beauty industry is really huge and I think that's something that also discourages people from doing things. But, our story of evolution is distinct, the way God wants to use us is distinct. So leaning into that and not putting pressure on myself to be different. Sometimes you have ideas that are similar to other people, and that's fine but the way you do it, and the way you present it might be different. That's why I always say skincare and wellness, because while I'm sure we're going to expand, I already know in my head, it’s going to go past skincare. Like you mentioned how our most recent instagram post had great affirmations, that’s important to me as well, and our tone is consistent with our thank you cards for example. I'm going to read one to you to give you perspective. The card says, “hello there, we'd like to say a huge thank you to you for buying our products, we hope this will be the beginning of a beautiful journey for you and your skin. Please remember that you are loved, valued and cherished beautifully and uniquely made. Again, we thank you, and we're sure your skin will thank you too.” So that's our brand. We speak to our customers like we’re their sister, friend, or somebody in their life that loves them. We want people to associate that feeling with our products. It's not necessarily just focused on “what does this product do for you”, it's a 360 experience.
Rhieme: I love that, especially what you said about how people can be called to do similar things, but then will never be the same. That's the truth. Let’s use the beauty industry as an example, quite a lot of people find themselves in it, and see I see it as God trying to get more people to work together in a very different way. Not seeing the next person as competition but someone you can actually learn from and look at their ideas. Maybe God wants to use something they're doing to speak to you, but knowing that no two people will ever do the same thing the same way because there are so many expressions of God .I know I'm not the only person with a blog, but what he's doing with me will not look like the next He also takes into account our talents and our interests. I feel like some people think once they involve God it’s just going to become so bland and boring, but that’s the opposite.
Tomi: I love how he communicates with us in different ways. I feel like I almost have a split personality where I have a shy, more introverted side and then I have an extroverted side and sometimes the Holy Spirit literally talks to me with the extroverted side. It sounds like me but I know it’s not. And I’m like alright God! It is so funny. Unless you have a relationship with God, I don't think you can fully understand the dynamic character and personality that he has. I feel like sometimes doing creative things with God can be so fun. You can be thinking of this thing and say “you know, God, I'm thinking about this thing. I don't really know how to breathe life into it.” Sometimes he will tell you and you’re like “yes this makes so much sense” and you also bring in your ideas. It's almost like he is breathing life into you as you communicate with him on the same level.
Rhieme: Yeah, definitely. God is so fun. As you said, He speaks to us in different ways. For example the spotlight segment on the blog. So it's crazy, because I've just always had a thing for wanting to help people and showcase others. I was thinking about it one day and he just started speaking and said, why don't you introduce this segment to your blog and everything. The way he even phrased it, spotting his light in people. You don't have to own a business; it’s about giving space to people and who they are. Sometimes people feel they can only be featured maybe if they get an award or something. So he was just trying to deconstruct that whole thing and shed light on different people and stuff. But yeah God speaking in different ways it’s something else and it's fun.
Tomi: I think it's so funny that you said spotlight because we're having a segment that is going to come up, we're going to q&a specific customers about random things. So when you said spotlight, I was like that’s a very similar thought process which I love.
Rhieme: Yeah I also realised you never know what that does for people. There’ve been times where people say, I want to feature you on something and it gives you a boost of confidence, especially when it comes when you haven't necessarily been out there.
Tomi: This is such a great conversation!
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