Raeesa Sya is an inspiring young entrepreneur from Malaysia whose expertise lies in growth hacking, social media strategy, digital marketing, brand identity, and lean canvas business model. She has had experience in running 3 startups and her latest venture is Orkid Cosmetics: a halal e-commerce cosmetic line targeted toward millennials. Read on to find out more about Raeesa and Orkid Cosmetics:
Can you tell us a bit more about Orkid Cosmetics and what positive impact you hope to achieve especially for women through the brand?
Orkid Cosmetics is a Malaysian-made Halal, Vegan, and Cruelty-Free cosmetic brand based in Kuala Lumpur. We launched online on February 2017 and in November 2017 we retail with Playup Advance in Paradigm Mall, JB, and Fahrenhite88, KL. The brand targets modern Muslim and conscious women who are looking for halal/organic/vegan products. At the moment, we are looking for global distributors / stockists to join us.
We have a tribe of #orkidgals who are females aged 17-34. These girls are witty, sassy, and intelligent. We feel that most cosmetic brands out there support women aged 25 and above / working class / lady boss but they forget about the younger ones: The misfits and the I-have-no-idea-what-i-wanna-do-in-life-yet. So we create a brand to celebrate these girls. Makeup doesn’t have to feel pressured. Not everyone is ready to be a #girlbosses, we just wanna have fun and goof around. Orkidgals are biker girls, musicians, artists, filmmakers, dancers, DJs, medical students, book reviewers, and everyday real girls.
Why were you interested in starting a business related to beauty?ย
To be specific, I saw a market gap in Halal and Vegan industry and as I did more research I feel that there’s a lack of cosmetic brands that represent this segment. Also, I am a conscious consumer that really cares about what I put on my face. Your skin absorbs everything. With Halal beauty, you know that the products are safe and of the highest quality. I wanted to share this with like-minded consumers.
You have already had two other startups. What tips can you give to our entrepreneurial readers?ย
Yes. Apart from beauty I’m also in the digital and tech business.
Tips:
- Do your market research and lean business canvas model. This will help you strategize which industry to be in and how to go about it.
- Being an entrepreneur is tough. So it’s ok if you’re going through a hard time. Perseverance and a support system is key. Rome wasn’t built in a day but remember day by day a brick was laid. It’s gonna take time. HUGSS
- Most importantly, remember the reason why you started, your manifesto. If you don’t know what you or your brand represents, neither will your customers.
Any future ventures we can look forward to?ย
At the moment there are a couple that are not related to beauty but I don’t wanna jinx it. I always have this mentality of don’t just say but show. So when it’s ready, you’ll be the first to know!
What does it mean to you to be a #beautyboss?
Not too sure. I think if boss means leadership, It means regardless of the industry, being a boss just means getting everyone together and making them believe in the company and your leadership. If your employees don’t believe in the culture or company, you will never grow. I always believe you can’t do it alone and you need a team of cool-likeminded-individuals to be a cool-strong company.
At the end of the day, regardless of the industry, as a boss, you’re pretty much doing the same thing” Inspiring the team (managing people) and getting money (liaising with investors).” lol.
I think if boss means leadership, It means regardless of the industry, being a boss just means getting everyone together and making them believe in the company and your leadership.
