My Interview With Annie Beatson- Founder of Luxemore London
What inspired you to take the path of entrepreneurship? Everybody has a story, what is your story?
I’ve been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. In school I would burn music CDs then sell them to my friends so I was always in the business of business – if that makes sense! Lol
I had my first taste of real business in 2011, with my first company Treasured Tresses. Treasured Tresses was a platform for girls and women, promoting natural beauty whilst educating on dangerous hair ingredients. I was 23, I’d left my corporate job and used £25,000 of my savings to start the business with my best friend, as we were both natural hair enthusiasts.
Luxemore London was later built out of frustration at the lack of safe, natural products for Afro-Caribbeans consumers. As a brand, we cater to all hair types, however, we focus on curly, coily, afro-textured hair as those hair types are usually under-represented, mis-represented and offered subpar products.
In 2018, I launched Luxemore London and my dream was to host the launch event in Ghana, where my family roots are – which I did! I’ve always expressed that Luxemore London is a brand with an African heart, so it’s important to me to honour my homeland and my community.
What advice will you give your younger self?
As cliché as it may sound, I would tell her to trust the process and enjoy it. There’s no need to rush, things can wait and it’s okay to say no!
Have you ever raised funds for your business? If yes? How did you raise funds? Where did you seek funds? What is the most amount you’ve ever raised?
I’ve bootstrapped my business from the beginning so I’ve not raised outside funds for my business thus far.
Relationship building – Let’s talk about this! How important is relationship building for you and how did it help your business?
Relationship building is so so so important! It’s necessary to have a network of people to tap into and also to help them. I say this because you learn a lot from assisting others and exploring how they want to achieve their goals. For me, I love speaking with people and seeing where I can be of value – it’s probably in my DNA from being the eldest child. It’s helped my business as I have a community of like-minded people, rooting for me in whichever direction I take my business.
Do you take risks? What risk did you take? Was it a good or bad risk? What would you do differently?
I do take risks and on reflection, I’m a big risktaker. I left the security of a secure job several times to focus on my business.
My biggest risk was starting Luxemore London, it was daunting but I’m a big believer of ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. I would most definitely say it was a good risk because it meant that my business is now thriving and my products are helping my customers’ hair flourish.
Was there a time you felt like giving up? What inspired you to keep going?
I’ve never really felt like giving up however, I’ve at times felt unmotivated. I keep going because I know my purpose is bigger than just me. My products are beneficial to those that buy it and my business pays it forward by donating to unprivileged communities and for that, I will not give up!
What do you do for personal growth & development?
I see personal growth as expanding my mind and horizons as opposed to only reading self-help books. With that being said, I loved reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. I also meditate, journal and I listen to a lot of audio books and podcasts such as Blessed + Bossed Up by Tatum Temia, How I Built This with Guy Raz and NPR Ted Radio Hour – all good recommendations for personal and professional development.
How do you self care?
This is a department is a work in progress for me. Only in Q4 of 2021, did I really take some time to do as little work as possible and honestly it was great.
Self care to me is less about manicures, pedicures and more about doing what I want, when I want. That flexibility allows my mind to be a little more at ease and keeps my anxiety at bay. However, I also do try to schedule massages and spa breaks when possible lol
What advice would you give to anyone who is about to embark on the entrepreneurship journey?
Entrepreneurship is not a decision to be made lightly. I know there are many motivational posts that say ‘just start’, however, you have to be prepared for this. It’s a journey like no other, it can be extremely difficult, however, extremely rewarding – often at the same time! My word of advice is to prepare and stay ready for anything this business life can throw at you.
My other pieces of advice is:
Celebrate your victories.
Take calculated risks.
Own your power and don’t dim your light.
Are you open to mentorship? How can you be reached? What are your social handles?
Yes I am, I think mentorship is extremely important. I can be reached on Instagram: @luxemorelondon, TikTok @itsannie.b and email: [email protected]
Make sure you visit Annie’s company website to purchase her premium organic hair & skin care products. Show some love to Luxemore London Located in London, UK.