‘Soul Essence’ meeting all skin & hair care needs

Jan 16, 2022 News

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Young Entrepreneur On The Move…

“I wanted to create innovative organic beauty products from local resources which could improve all hair and skincare types. It began by experimenting with an endless number of recipes readily available online and then customizing them to create my own unique formulas.”

By Allyiah Allicock
What started out as a hobby became a business empire for mother of one, Jonelle Thornhill. She is now the owner of a popularly known skin and hair care business called ‘Soul Essence’.
Catering for any kind of hair and skin texture with the use of eco-friendly products, today we give you a glimpse at how this business venture all started.

Thornhill, in a recent interview with this newspaper, said that she started making products about two years ago but back then, the idea of a business was never in the picture. It was a hobby, which she enjoyed after learning about her own natural hair and skin type and their needs. Making products for her own personal use and seeing how it benefitted her, gave her the inspiration and motivation to join the business arena where she now has a positive impact in the local beauty industry.
“I wanted to create innovative organic beauty products from local resources which could improve all hair and skincare types. It began by experimenting with an endless number of recipes readily available online and then customizing them to create my own unique formulas,” she explained.
Being an environmentalist by profession, she saw the need to bring awareness to sustainable and eco-friendly products through her business. Her products range from herbal oils to shampoos to deep conditioners, body butters and beard oils.
Thornhill, who in October 2020 launched her business, stated that her brand targets customers ranging from millennials to 60 year olds who find her products interesting and effective.
“However, when I began manufacturing and procuring supplies for the organic products, my first set of customers were my relatives and close acquaintances who eventually became my reliable sources of honest feedback before I was confident to sell those products. They then eventually conveyed to others about the efficacy of my products as I branched out,” she noted.
Following this, her support base increased to include strangers who were willing to try her products and have been satisfied. Continuing with this progress, the 28-year-old entrepreneur shared that her long-term goal is to build awareness about her brand and be able to export her products to both regional and international markets on a large-scale.
In doing so, her ultimate aim is to acquire her own store and invest in quality management and marketing of her products. Taking things one step at a time, Thornhill is confident that all can be accomplished at the right time.
Our featured entrepreneur shared that her biggest challenges since launching her business; those would be balancing growth and quality in addition to increasing her social media presence.

“I’m a very conservative person and therefore had to adjust and find ways to deal with content creating, marketing and building clientele, while creating products which are easily affordable and tend to the needs of the natural hair and skincare community. I had to also constantly be educating the new and potential clients about eco-friendly products and why they should opt for them over chemical laden products on the market,” she pointed out.
In terms of overcoming her challenges, Thornhill disclosed that she collaborated with other small businesses in making her presence known. She also participated in multiple pop-up shops, which allowed her to attain new clients at which she became a member of the Entrepreneurs Association of Sustainable Development in November 2021, which was founded by Ms. Sonia Noel.
“This boosted my confidence and allowed me to understand the marketing scene better,” she mentioned. As for the global pandemic and its impact, the young woman said her business took a hit just couple months back when she started to notice the inflation of prices for materials she needed. Nevertheless, she managed to alleviate some of the challenges with the help of her husband and sister.
Thornhill, who is of the belief that young entrepreneurs are a key contributor to the society, noted that, “Entrepreneurs develop new markets by introducing new and improved products, services, and technology, thus, they help generate new wealth and add more to the national income.”
She noted that by dismantling monopolies, creating new demands, and tackling old problems with new technology, young entrepreneurs prove that they can foster more competitive economies and are “enablers of shared prosperity, while adapting more rapidly to ever more globalised societies.”
In closing, she suggests that collaborating with established entrepreneurs can help boost small businesses in Guyana.
Persons who are interested in making a purchase of Thornhill’s skin and hair care products can contact her on Facebook at Soul Essence Gy, on Instagram at soul.essence_, on WhatsApp using telephone number 680-2791 or shoot her an email at soulessencegy20@gmail.com.

 

 

 

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