#WIB - Q&A With Nkaela Tsela Founder Of HairGoals Organic -

1. Can you please tell us more about your business?

A. Nkaela Tsela Pty (Ltd) is a brand and product development company that manufactures organic hair and personal care products. HairGoals Organic hair care is the company’s first brand, and the Hair Growth Tonic is the brand’s first product offering.

2. When, how and why did you start your business?

A. HairGoals Organic celebrated its second birthday last month. Starting the company wasn’t easy. All I had was an idea, passion, faith, and R1500. The money wasn’t enough, but I was driven by the belief that nature, in its purest form, provides the most beneficial wellness solutions. The company’s aim is to develop organic products based on that belief.

3. What is your role in the business?

A. I’m the Founder and Lady Boss of the business, but I wear many hats. My roles include everything from production and finance to marketing and advertising. I’ll have the pleasure of handing over more tasks this year as I’ll be employing more people in order to focus on developing new products.

4. Where did you study and what did you study?

A. I’m a Copywriting graduate from the AAA School of Advertising, and I’m currently an Entrepreneurial Studies student at the DreamGirls Academy for Women Entrepreneurs.

5. How did you finance your business?

A. After formulating HairGoals Organic’s first product, I used the R1500 to buy sample ingredients for a test batch, which sold out. I repeated that cycle until I was able to buy ingredients in bulk. I was mixing, filling, and labelling manually then, and the manufacturing equipment only came in much later.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

A. No two days are ever the same, but all my tasks are segmented into Factory Days, Goal Days, and School Days. Factory Days are dedicated to manufacturing, processing orders, scheduling deliveries, servicing distributors, and posting ads. Goal Days are for tasks that create brand awareness and ensure the product reaches customers. This includes everything from presenting to distributors, showcasing at exhibitions, promotional interviews, photoshoots, content creation, researching, developing test products, and speaking at entrepreneurship events. On School Days, I attend classes. de That’s where I’m groomed to be a formidable Lady Boss, and equipped with the skills to run a successful business.

7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?

A. My business takes up most of my time, but I operate under what I call the TFE (Time for Everything) system. I work at awkward hours, but I don’t skim on the things that make me function better. Things like prayer, meditation, exercise, family, travelling, music, a good laugh, and blueberry ice cream.

8. What drives you and inspires you?

A. I’m driven by purpose and inspired by love, because love is the only way to a life of purpose.

9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

A. My best ideas usually come when I’m cleaning or doing the dishes. Other times, they’re sparked by a funny comment, a question, a line in a song, a picture, or they creep in when I’m enjoying a good cup of tea in the company of silence.

10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?

A. I advertise where my customers, sales reps, and potential distributors are; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, as well as in newspapers, on the radio, and in-store. The HairGoals Organic YouTube channel goes live next month.

11. What is next for your business?

A. Plenty! I’m launching the full HairGoals Organic range, employing more people to fill out my team, increasing sales reps, and distribution channels. I’m also introducing other organic personal care brands and collaborating with organic farmers to produce my own raw materials. There are many goals to shoot and I believe it will be a fruitful year.

12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?

A. Be crazy enough to do it and brave enough to see it through. Entrepreneurship is extremely challenging, stressful, and lonely, but passion makes it bearable. Never start a business because of the hype around the industry and always do your research. And if you’re not ready to lose a lot of sleep and put in the work, don’t consider it.

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