Exquisitely British - The British Entrepreneur Club for Luxury Brands 

 

Tell us about yourself Emma.

 

I live in Kent with my three boys and husband Andrew. Hobbies are classes at my local gym up to 3 times weekly  (on a good week) and in quiet moments I love to bake and cook new recipes at home, which I find very cathartic. My husband and I have a meal out once a month  to catch up properly,  and I am also learning to ensure I take time out for myself using meditation. 

 

How did the idea for Inner-Soul Organics begin?

 

I worked first as a nurse then as an aromatherapist when my children were small, and started out making natural body and face products for my clients. These bespoke products grew in popularity and I decided to launch a small range of skincare for face, body and maternity in 2012. The Inner-Soul bespoke products then launched in 2013, giving a wider audience the opportunity to have something made exclusively for them and their skin to take time, effort and money out of deciding on which skin products to use.

 

It is important to me that all Inner-Soul products are not only 100% natural but also organic, because these are things which I look for in my own skincare and I wished to create ranges which offer safety, supreme quality, plus powerful benefits to our customers.

 

Who do you create your products for?

 

A woman who looks at the ingredients list on both her food and skincare packaging! I put a lot of thought into every single ingredient included in our products, analysing what specific benefit to body and mind each will bring. Similarly, our clients tend to care about what goes in and onto their bodies because they understand how this impacts their overall wellbeing. Most women I connect with today have this approach, and men too, which is why we have recently launched a men’s skincare page on our website.

 

What has been your most challenging experience so far?

 

Getting started and launching the brand was very hard, as I was completely new to the retail world so there were countless steep learning curves and some difficult decisions! Today, if I’m completely honest I expect anything new that the brand does to be challenging – and it usually is! However I’m very much a solutions person and refuse to get stuck in the issue itself, so if a problem arises my mind sparks into life trying to solve it.

 

And your biggest highlight?

 

I have been so lucky because Inner-Soul Organics skincare has won several awards in a short space of time, including accolades from the Beauty Shortlist, Free From and Green Parent Awards. It is always an honour to have your hard work recognised in this way. I have also had the good fortune to meet some truly inspiring people, including the very knowledgeable Liberty London MD, Ed Burstell, and Katie Piper, an incredibly strong woman. Inner-Soul Organics donates £1 per product sold to Katie’s charity, the Katie Piper Foundation.

 

What or who are you inspired by?

 

My children inspire me every day with their energy and happiness, and I am constantly amazed and inspired by the people I meet and friends and family around me who have a positive outlook, however difficult life gets.

 

Do you have any favourite British brands? 

 

I love many of the old English brands, such as Harris Tweed and Burberry, something with heritage and a story behind them. I also loved the Kinky Knickers brand launched by Mary Portas. Her product is both practical and beautiful plus she rekindled the use of English lace.

 

What do you think is important in developing a successful British brand?

 

Staying true to your roots and offering something which emphasises the heritage in the brand, as I think consumers today are really buying into that and becoming more patriotic, which is wonderful. I find words beautiful so in our case, we celebrate and embody literature into the products by putting a quotation on each label, giving them something extra special and a little stamp of Britishness.

 

How do you manage the work/life balance?

 

So that I can have proper family time, my work often spills over into night times and weekends but I absolutely love my job and although I do get tired, working at these times means there are fewer distractions, so it doesn’t bother me. My husband also works from home, so we grab lunch together whenever we can and it’s important for me to spend quality time with extended family and friends too, so get-togethers are regular occurrences at home.

 

Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?

 

Focus on the positives - self belief and perseverance will get you a long way. I also quote the words: “fail to plan, plan to fail” to myself a lot. If you can afford it, invest in great publicity – every industry needs it today.

 

What are your plans for the future? 

 

I have just discovered I am going to get a mention in the Natural Beauty Yearbook Top 25 for the second year running, which is really exciting. Our new complete facial skincare gift set, moisturiser, serum, cleanser and eye balm will be available to buy from early November 2015 via www.inner-soul.co.uk and I am also hoping to expand our men’s skincare ranges. I am formulating some bespoke oils for the Katie piper Foundation beneficiary party goodie bags this December. Finally we will be launching a Nordic Collection Gift Set, our first anti-aging moisturiser plus two new body scrubs in 2016.

 

Find out more at www.inner-soul.co.uk