Today we’d like to introduce you to Francisca Francois.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a Haitian Entrepreneur, Cosmetologist & Beauty Enthusiast. I am the SHE.E.O & Founder of Aeva Beauty, a beauty brand creating the diversity we want to see, one beauty product at a time. We create quality, cruelty-free, vegan multi-purpose products that are inclusive of all hues and skin complexions.
I launched Aeva Beauty in 2018 due to seeing the lack of representation in the beauty industry and being met with a limited product range for not only myself but all People of Color. Never being able to find my perfect match led me to start experimenting with a product that I personally connected with. A highlighter. The highlighter was created to perfectly match the hue of my complexion. This resulted in extending the range of shades to suit all complexions and becoming a part of the change I wanted to see in the beauty industry.
As a child, I’ve always envisioned so much more for myself, While in high school I also attended Cosmetology school and worked part-time, to then being promoted at several of my jobs due to my work ethic and of course diving more into the beauty industry which revealed my ultimate passion for Makeup.
I now pursue my passion Full time as an Entrepreneur expanding and growing my business, as a content creator, and helping others elevate their business as well with my SHE.E.O Platform.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been an easy road, especially being not only an indie business but a black woman-owned business and being a woman of color with a deeper complexion, we definitely have more challenges against us in the world of Entrerepenruship and being business owners. There’s a lack of resources, a lack of funding but I don’t allow these challenges to stop me from my overall brand mission, instead, I use them to fuel me.
Although I have worked super hard the past 4 years to build a name for my business, I still feel as if I don’t do enough because, with these struggles, I have to do 10 times more than the average person just to get the same recognition or any results for that matter.
Being an indie business means we are 100% funded by our amazing customers & myself, which limits us to how far we truly want to go, but we are scaling to continue to receive more capital, grants, and resources that are out there.
We’ve been impressed with AEVA BEAUTY, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart from others is my business. I didn’t walk into something I totally had no knowledge about, I had knowledge about my industry previously which inspired me to create my business, not only that I am a professional Cosmetologist with 10 years of professional experience. At a young age, I always loved beauty, everything hair, and makeup. I didn’t know years forwarded that I would have my own business but as a kid, I always told myself that I wanted to do something that I was proud of, something that aligned with my passion and a mission to advocate for others who looked like me. As a kid, I always got teased for being the darker black girl and called many names for my complexion. I struggled a lot with this growing up, but as I grew I fell more in love with myself and what made me unique and that allowed me to transform those years of hate from others into building something beautiful, my brand Aeva Beauty.
My Friends and mutuals know me as their SHE.E.O Boss Babe, which simply means a female CEO and the name for my product/service business where I help other Entrepreneurs, Business Owners & Content Creators elevate their business.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Since the pandemic the number 1 lesson that I learned was, to do it scared. Being in a timeframe where the whole world was in shambles, I decided to take 100 steps forward and pursue my brand Full Time. Covid-19 truly taught me to go all in, we live in such unknown times, and one thing I want to remember for as long as I live and take with me is, If I didn’t do anything else, that I took a chance on myself and my business and went all the way.
So far anyone out there, that’s waiting on the right time to take a change on themselves, there will never be a perfect time, do it scared, do it now.
Pricing:
- $15 – $50 average prices for my products
- $125 for my consulting services
Contact Info:
- Website: WWW.AEVABEAUTY.COM
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciscabeauty/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFVSlVLFJQ6X-G6OyoMWzQ/about
- Other: WWW.SHEEOUNFILTERED.COM
Image Credits
2nd photo Brand Director @CiscabeautyDirector @samiisocialShot By @mkwportraitsMUA @marvelousmelaninbeauty Models ✨ @lexingtonsupreme @shestiarra @tiff.growing
