African chic with Samantha Gwatidzo
From financier to luxury beauty brand, Samantha Gwatidzo is living her passions.
From financier to luxury beauty brand, Samantha Gwatidzo is living her passions.
One of the reasons we partnered with Mark Sham and the Small Business Showcase was because we wanted to help give businesses who had been impacted by the pandemic some much-needed exposure. What we didn’t expect was how many of the entrepreneurs we would feature this year launched their businesses in the middle of a global pandemic.
South Africa’s passion, resilience and ability to make a plan continues to inspire. Samantha Gwatidzo, founder of Laini Creations, is one such entrepreneur. Laini Creations is a beauty platform designed to offer a superior product that combines luxury with being protective and comfortable.
Samantha’s background is in finance and her entrepreneurial journey has been one of personal discovery – particularly because she is following her passion. No two days are alike, she is combining creativity with finance and, most importantly, she is constantly thinking about her customers and what they need – and why something that doesn’t appear to be a necessity product holds so much relevance right now.
“The psychology of self and how you feel about yourself really matters – especially now,” she says. Entrepreneurs need to feel confident in their solutions, which begins with an alignment in values, passion and the solution on offer.
For Samantha, the ability to make people feel better about themselves gives her purpose. “It’s so important to look after yourself and to steal as much joy as you can, and that’s what I hope Laini brings to my customers,” she says.
It’s an inspiring story, but Samantha also has some great start-up lessons to share:
Carve out a niche: In a world that is flooded with choice, it’s important to stand out and add value. Rather be very, very good at one thing than a generalist.
Offer real quality: Most people want beauty and quality in their lives. You can sell luxury and deliver a superior product without pricing yourself out of the market.
Work with amazing people: When your values align, you’re willing to work hard and you can give others a great opportunity, don’t hold back – the more entrepreneurs we have, the more employers we are adding to South Africa.
Stay authentic: Be yourself and you’ll love what you do while offering ral value to people who share your passions.
You can support Samantha’s business by:
Watch the full video here:
