How Honey Became The Secret Behind This Beauty Brand | Ep. 94 [Ayesha Ibrahim]

In this episode of Industry Ignited, Dr. Leeanne Aguilar sits down with Ayesha Ibrahim, CEO of Honey Corn, to explore how one natural ingredient, honey, became the foundation of an award-winning ethical skincare brand. What started as a personal search for relief from postpartum eczema evolved into a global entrepreneurial journey driven by sustainability, innovation, and a passion for creating products that work. Ayesha shares how ancient knowledge, scientific research, and a commitment to natural ingredients inspired Honey Corn's unique approach to skincare while challenging traditional beauty industry norms.

Beyond skincare, this conversation dives into the realities of entrepreneurship, balancing motherhood with business, overcoming obstacles like Brexit, expanding into international markets, and building a purpose-driven company that supports both people and the planet. Whether you're an entrepreneur, skincare enthusiast, or someone passionate about sustainable innovation, this inspiring episode offers valuable lessons on resilience, leadership, and creating a business with lasting impact. Be sure to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more conversations with industry leaders who are shaping the future.

𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 https://industryignited.com/
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/
𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited
𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162
𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671

𝐀𝐲𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚 𝐈𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐦
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayesha-i-4aa74415/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/honey-corn/

#podcast #podcastinterview #podcasts #podcastclips #podcastlife #industryignited #drleeanneaguilar #ayeshibrahim #entrepreneurship #leadership

Transcript

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 0:06

What if the future of skincare isn't just about beauty, but about sustainability, inclusivity, and rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship? Welcome to Industry Ignited. I'm Dr. Leanne Aguilar, and today I'm joined by Aisha Ibrahim, CEO of Honeycorn, an award-winning ethical beauty brand reshaping skincare through sustainability, innovation, and inclusive design. Aisha, welcome to the show. Hello, Leanne.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Thank you so very much for inviting me to be here on Industry Ignited. It's a real pleasure to be here. Thank you.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 0:41

Well, I'm really excited about this conversation today. And I know you're joining us from England, is that right? The UK? Yes, I'm based in England, London. That's correct. Yeah. All right. Well, um, so tell us about how you got started. I know your journey into entrepreneurship is deeply personal. What inspired you to transition from working for others to building honey corn?

SPEAKER_02 1:05

So, um, really for me, the reason for starting honey corn was I really wanted to be my own boss because I realized that working nine to five didn't really fit into my day-to-day um in terms of being a mum to a beautiful baby boy at the time. Um, having to pick him up from nursery, if he had a fever, I'd get a call from work that I had to leave straight away to go and pick him up. This would happen quite often, as what happens with children when they go to school and nursery, they pick up all sorts of germs. And it's also great for their immune system. However, when you're in the middle of your workday and you get called to go and pick up your child from school, I noticed that it wasn't really appreciated by my boss or my peers. People would look at me sideways as if to say, what is she doing? Why is she going at this time? And I think really what I began to realize is that you know, there's 24 hours in a day. We've got the World Wide Web is open 24-7. And when I approached my boss to see if I could work from home or to have more flexible hours, it was pretty much shut down straight away. There was no work working from home back then. It was 9 to 5. Those were your hours, very, very, very rigid. It didn't work for me, um, unfortunately. It gave me um a huge amount of stress, pressure, um, and I wasn't able to be the best mum that I wanted to be, um, and also be the best employee. So um I chose to start my own business, meaning that I could choose my own hours, be my own boss, so I could um take my son to nursery, get home, you know, feed him, do all the things that I needed to do with him. And then when he was asleep, if it was nine o'clock at nine and I needed to work to 12, one, two o'clock in the morning, I was able to. I was able to build those hours around my son and being a mom. It was much more flexible for me.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 3:02

Yeah, no, I very much relate with you. I experienced uh a similar situation when I entered entrepreneurship and started my business, much for the same reasons. I mean, just that flexibility with young children. And um, you know, I had lit three little kids at the time, and but just being able to be there for them, especially when they started school, being able to attend their activities. And but then on the other hand, like you you mentioned as well, staying up late, working on weekends, you know, there's that that trade-off as well, but but that flexibility was was a big motivator. Now, you shared that your business was born both from motherhood and also a personal skin challenge. How did those experiences shape your vision and product philosophy?

SPEAKER_02 3:44

Yeah, so um, when I had my my son, um I suffered with postpartum eczema. And I went to my doctor's, my GP, and one of the things that was prescribed to me was um steroid cream. I was told by my doctor, yes, you can use a steroid cream, but you can only use it for a short amount of time. And also one of the side effects is that it it thins the skin. So being a mom, I really wanted to be using natural products. I didn't want to be using steroid cream on my skin. So I started to research and investigate the properties and the benefits of using honey for skin complaints or skin allergies or for eczema, that sort of thing. And um I found that honey was actually really fantastic. It really soothed the symptoms, it relieved the symptoms, and so I delved so much deeper into it. I thought this was absolutely a super ingredient, you know, that and I really need to research this. And what I found was that, you know, prior to in the first world war, I believe it was, they used to use honey to actually heal wounds, which I thought was absolutely fascinating. This is before the introduction of penicillin. So I went to the British Library, I started looking through all sorts of old documentation, I started researching the Papias Ebers, which is the first medical document and book which was put together by the ancient Egyptians. And I started researching some of their ingredients and some of their formulations, and I was really fascinated by all these different ingredients that had been used since antiquity. And I thought, why don't I try and make this into a business? Well, so while I was temping um at another job, I went back and I started temping, and I thought, you know what? I'm gonna give it a try. I'm gonna start a market stall and see if I can make any sales. It was a risk, it was a sunny day in Notting Hill, the world-famous Notting Hill market. And I discovered that actually people were putting their hands in their pocket and giving me back then cash money. They were spending their hard-earned money on my products. So this really gave me the confidence to really look at honey corn as a business. Of course, just starting very small, but then I went to um a number of trade shows and started to get really, really good feedback on my products. And I started to feel a lot more confident that I have something here and I could actually make a business out of it and uh be an entrepreneur. Right. And so here I am today, still on that journey.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 6:17

So I'm hearing you, I mean, you found something that really worked for you. You did the research, you know, on the ingredients, on the properties, tested the market, you know, started small, like you said, did some testing and found that there really was a demand there. You had interest from customers and it was working for other people as well. And that said, I know the entrepreneurial journey is rarely linear. So, what were some of the defining highs and lows that shaped your resilience in the early years?

SPEAKER_02 6:44

Well, when you start a business, when you're an entrepreneur, um it really is uncharted territory. If you haven't done it before, or if you don't come from a family of entrepreneurs, every day is a learning experience, every day is a stepping stone. So, one of the things for me was I went to my local business hub, who were absolutely fantastic, and they advised and guided me on the best way to protect my business, whether it be trademarks, sexual property, and getting my company registered with Companies House, which we have to do in the UK, making sure that, you know, I had all the legislation, I was adhering to all the legislation in terms of being able to create products legally and to be able to sell them legally. It really was an exploratory journey and it still is. And I would say there's a lot of problem solving that needs to be done when beginning a business because, as I say, it is uncharted territory and it is learning on the job, literally learning on the job, which I found absolutely fascinating and I enjoyed. I remember going to my first trade show again. There, I learned so much. And I think when you're in business, don't expect to know it all. Every day is a learning experience and really is about gaining knowledge, and knowledge is power, really.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 8:05

Yeah. And did you find help from mentors? Did you find the others who are willing to share about their journey and help along the way as well?

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Yeah, I've had some amazing mentors along the way who have really signposted me on my journey of the things I should be doing, the people I should be talking to. So mentors are absolutely amazing and very, very important on the entrepreneurial journey. So I had mentors from the Portobella Business Centre, also from a number of chambers of commerce, the London Chamber of Commerce, the Kinston Chelsea, Westminster Chamber of Commerce. And they've been incredible on this journey, advising me. Um, and also it's been a great opportunity to network as well. Networking is something I really, really enjoy doing.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 8:56

Right. Yeah, yeah, you make some good points there, just like reaching out to the local resources, to business resources. And I mean, having a good mentor can really help prevent, you know, some of the business mistakes that a lot of people make in the early stages. You know, if you don't have to reinvent the wheel, you know, might as well learn from somebody else and avoid those mistakes. And so you have also spoke spoken about starting with a simple natural remedy. At what point did you realize this could evolve into a scalable global brand?

SPEAKER_02 9:24

I think after doing markets, um testing my products at pop-up shops, um in offices. It was when I went to my first trade mission. It was natural organics. It was a natural organics trade show um in London in Excel. And um the feedback that I was getting was absolutely incredible. I also went to meet with a buyer um of Fortnummer Masons when I first started. And they were very, very interested in the brand, in the products. They said it was one for the future. However, I'll never forget the lady. She looked behind her and she said, Um, look at all these skincare products. You know, what is your marketing budget? And we're talking about some of the biggest brands in the world here. So um it was a great in and it just made me realize that I do have something that such a great brand like that would actually have a meeting with me and say that my brand is one for the future. So that really gave me confidence. However, I am still on the journey. It is very, very competitive in the skincare industry. And one of the things that's been a real challenge is investment to get my business to the next stage in terms of real growth. Um, because I do want my brand to be a global brand, you know, whether it be the US, China, Europe. Also, one of the big challenges for my business was Brexit. So that was um a massive hindrance on my business, and again, something that I had to overcome in terms of looking at new markets and new territories to sell my products.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 10:57

Yeah, interesting. So, how how far along were you in the journey when Brexit happened?

SPEAKER_02 11:02

Well, it was about three months before um Brexit actually was introduced. And I went on my first trade mission to the Czech Republic and I managed to secure a distributor, which I was so excited and delighted about. And they worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. And then it was about three to four months after that. I started realizing the impact that Brexit was going to have on my business in terms of legislation, packaging, labelling, everything changed. And I think a lot of the big brands, small, medium, large, were pretty much on a level playing field because it wasn't clear what the new rules were, and it really affected my business in terms of exporting to Europe, which is disappointing because you know Europe is our closest neighbor. Um, and um, it would have been a great opportunity for me to export to um Europe, but there it's still very replicated in terms of tax, um, the value-added tax, all the increase in tax um that are added to products um in in terms of shipping um to Europe. So that's really where I started looking um at the China market. Um, and I did also look at the US market. Geopolitics is a real big problem in terms of now exporting to America. There are tariffs. How is that going to impact my business? How is that going to impact my pricing? And um, it seems like in the geopolitical world, it's changing minute by minute, second by second. Right.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 12:31

So it's battle keeping up. Yeah, yeah, I would think so, especially for a smaller company or a startup, right? Navigating those complicated landscapes of the geopolitical changes.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

Yeah, I mean, especially when you don't have a big team behind you as well. Really having to make it up as you go along, research on the job, as the legislation is changing daily. Um, yeah, it's a struggle, it's a battle, the struggle is real, but um, you know, you just gotta keep going, especially if you really believe in your product and you believe in your business.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 13:02

Yeah. So what I'm hearing is you change strategy then. And you instead of going towards the European market, you shifted and are looking at different markets. Absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

I mean, I did look at the US market, um, but I was pretty much told that I needed to treat each state as its own country because they all have their own laws. Again, that's really quite complicated. Um, so it was in September 2021 that the rules changed in China, where products no longer needed to be tested on animals. And um, this was an absolute game changer for a brand like mine, meaning that I could actually enter the market in an ethical, sustainable, and inclusive way. So, again, going on trade missions, um, working with the Department for Business and Trade, who offered um a meet the buyer event, I was able to match my business with the Chinese business. And um we've launched there this year, actually, which I'm absolutely delighted and excited about.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 14:04

Congratulations, that's super exciting. Thank you. So it sounds like in in that situation, yeah, the when the rules changed, it actually benefited you. It was to your your advantage, it made things easier to get to market. Absolutely, absolutely now. Honey corn stands out with its use of natural honey-based formulations. What makes honey such a powerful and differentiated ingredient in skincare?

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Honey is just incredible. I mean, one of the stories that I read was um there was a jar of honey that was actually found in one of the tombs in Egypt. It had been there for thousands of years. Um, and one when it was opened, it actually hadn't gone off. It's actually one of one of the only foodstuffs that actually doesn't go off if it's treated um and stored correctly. So it's kind of like um a magic ingredient almost. And also, depending on where the bees actually collect their nectar and their pollen, it can actually have different medicinal benefits. And I found this absolutely fascinating. And it's something that I really want to explore more. Like with manuka honey, it has special medicinal benefits. But I would really like to do that with different honeys from around the world. I'd like to explore honey from Africa, honey from America, because depending on the soil, which I like to call the terrawa in a way, it does have different benefits for the skin and also eating it as well.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 15:35

Right. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah, I guess that does make sense, right? I mean, it yeah, it comes down to the what kind of flour, like you mentioned, the the soil where it's produced. I've been to farmers' markets where they sell honey and and have had different flavored honey that's you know derived from the different types of flowers and environments, but I hadn't thought about like the medicinal implications as well.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

Yeah, it's it's it's really amazing. There's a honey that I really want to start exploring. It's called a mad honey, actually, and it comes from the Himalayan mountains, and the bees actually propagate and they pollinate on hallucinogenic plants and flowers, and I really want to explore the scientific side of that, which I think could be quite interesting. So I really want to explore more honeys from around the world. At the moment, I'm sourcing from the UK, but I'd really want to extend and expand that into different honeys from different parts of the world with a different medicinal benefits.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 16:32

Yeah, that's so interesting. Now, you've been a pioneer in gender-neutral skincare, which was actually, I mean, a new concept for me. I hadn't thought about that before. What market insight led you to challenge traditional segmentation in the beauty industry?

SPEAKER_02 16:47

Yeah, um, we're kind of the pioneers in the gender-neutral skincare space, and I feel like the world has actually caught up with our concept. When I was doing my markets, my pop-up shops, and also exhibitions, one of the things that I found speaking to many women was that many of their husbands or boyfriends were actually using their skincare products. And I thought, oh my god, that's that's amazing. So, you know, men and women can use the same skincare products. And I think there's been much more interest from men in maintaining their skin and looking after their skin, either because their girlfriends, their wives or their mothers have spoken to them about it. And I just feel like everybody wants to kind of be like social media ready, whether it's Instagram, TikTok. People want to look after their skin, and it means that if you start young, if you start looking after your skin young, you don't need to have, you know, the Botox, the plastic surgeries. I mean, if that's something that people want to do, that's their individual choice. But it is good to look after skin um when you're when you're young, really, um moisturize every day.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 17:49

Yeah, just maintenance, I think. Yeah, maintenance just for longevity and for appearance and and like um for medical reasons as well. You know, I know for conditions like eczema or for you know rosacea or other skin issues, that's there it's not limited to just women, you know, men experience these things as well.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

So I mean one of the things that I find um working because I do a lot of corporate pop-up shops as well. A lot of men were really intrigued. You know, they really want to be educated about skincare. Um, and so that's kind of why my packaging is very minimalist. Um, and also it can be attractive to men and women. It's not the kind of product that, you know, is just um designed for a woman, it can also be designed for a man as well. And I think the whole thing with the metrosexual man, David Beckham was very famous for, you know, the man bag. And you know, so I think with things like that, I just feel like the world has caught up. And I think that's a great thing.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 18:51

Yeah, right. Yeah, because cosmetics and skincare in general, you're right, have been uh focused or or really have marketed towards females in in general. So men I'm hearing are ready to hear or or be marketed to or taking more of an interest in their skin and maintaining their skincare. Now your products emphasize clean, ethical, and sustainable ingredients, like you mentioned. How do you balance product efficacy, luxury positioning, and sustainability?

SPEAKER_02 19:20

Well, um, I have a wonderful supplier who is um they are sustainable. So whatever they take, they give back. Um, so whether it's um essential oils that I'm using, they're very, very high grade, high-quality essential oils from all around the world. And my suppliers ensure that they also replant as well. They replant any of the flowers, bark, trees, they make sure that they are sustainable in their practices. So that's really, really important to me. We have a beer keeper campaign or an initiative where anybody who buys honeycorn skincare in the UK, they receive native wildflower seeds, which they're able to sow in their gardens, in the local park, in order to help the bee population, because bees are the most endangered species on our planet right now, and if bees go, they're taking us with them, pretty much. So, yeah, that's our our little effort to uh give back what we take from the bees and to kind of improve and increase the bee population, which is really, really important in this day and age.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 20:27

Wow. So do you include seeds then with your products like inside of your packaging? I do that mainly in the UK.

SPEAKER_02 20:33

Yeah, I do that in the UK. I'm not able to do it um internationally yet because I'm not able to send UK native seeds to say like America or Australia. Right. So at the moment it is limited to the UK, but I would love to be able to do that on an international scale with local native seeds from you know, from the country where I'm going to be selling um. So that's something that I'd really like to do in the future.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 20:59

What a unique idea. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 21:02

Thank you.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 21:02

Yeah. So, Aisha, from artisanal beginnings to a growing product line, how have you approached product innovation and expansion while maintaining brand integrity?

SPEAKER_02 21:13

Well, it's it's been a lot of experimenting. Honeycorn skincare is a kitchen table business which has grown. We are able to work with co-manufacturers in the UK to ensure that all our products are to the standard, the UK standard that's required, and also the global standard in order to export. And it's really important to me that I use the finest ingredients in my products. Just to give you an example, we use vanilla in one of our perfume oils, which is sourced from Madagascar, and vanilla is actually more expensive than silver. So we really do try to ensure that we use the finest ingredients and we test the market as well. And we work with a biochemist to ensure that all our products are safe to use and that our um percentages and our mixes. Are safe to use as well. So that really helps in terms of efficacy and ensuring that we're aligning with any legislation that's out there to ensure that our products are safe to use.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 22:12

Right. That's great. Now you've had the opportunity to represent UK businesses internationally and participate in global trade missions. How has that exposure shaped your growth strategy?

SPEAKER_02 22:25

Yeah, it's been pretty amazing to be invited to go onto these trade missions that the government support. They really are on a mission for the UK to export. We are such a tiny island and there's a huge wide world out there. And I do think that there are a lot of countries around the world that see products that come from the UK as luxurious, heritage brands that can really be trusted. So it really is such an honor to have been given the opportunity to fly the flag for great British businesses, small businesses. I've been on trade missions to Dubai. Most recently in China, which was last year, with the Secretary of State, I had the honor of being invited to the Great Hall of the People and to represent my brand and small and medium-sized enterprises alongside some of the biggest brands in the world. So it's a real honor to be recognized and to be given the opportunity to represent my brand and small businesses to export China and the world.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 23:32

Wow. Yeah, what a wonderful honor and opportunity. That sounds fascinating and yeah, so interesting. I'm sure you met a lot of interesting people and learned a lot about, you know, trade and uh international on the international stage. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

And I think it's really important to network. I mean, I think a lot of these opportunities came about from just showing up, really, you know, whether it's um virtual training sessions, which the Department for Business and Trade do quite a lot, to meet the buyer events. And it really is just about showing up. And I think that is the reason why I've been invited to a number of trade missions. Because I was able to network and they see how hard I'm working.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 24:15

And um, yeah, it's a great honor to represent the UK. Yeah, and committed to your your cause and to your your products as well. Absolutely. That's great. And I'm hearing that I mean, like great advice there, like just show up. And I think that I mean, that is key to finding opportunities because that these are opportunities I I would think a lot of small businesses probably don't even know exist. And getting out there and and learning about you know what's out there opens up these opportunities.

SPEAKER_02 24:44

Absolutely. It really is about showing up, and it's great to meet people. And yeah, networking is definitely very, very important in terms of potentially finding new clients, finding new territories, new opportunities. It's something that I've been doing for quite a few years, and it's fun as well. I enjoy meeting people from all walks of life and from all sorts of businesses and learning about their businesses and being able to tell them about my business. I think that's really important.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 25:13

Yeah, definitely. So, Aisha, you've secured partnerships with major global organizations. What has been key to building credibility and trust as a growing brand?

SPEAKER_02 25:22

I think having the right team around me, um, I was able to secure an exclusive partnership with an airline amenities company that provides amenities for first and business class airlines. And I think one of the reasons why they really liked my products was because they are gender neutral. And like I say, we were one of the pioneers at the time in the gender-neutral skincare space. And so they love the concept, they also love the concept of uh the be a keeper. They are very much into sustainability, that's the heart of their business, and there was real alignment in terms of their sustainability practices and also my sustainability practices. It was a long journey, it was a long uh conversation working with lawyers to secure the partnership. But I think at the end of the day, I've created a brand that was in demand and wasn't really in a mass way gender neutral, wasn't really a big thing back in the day like it is now. So yeah, I think I had great lawyers, so they really help in terms of trust. And also just having a great brand concept. I think that was the reason why um they really trusted me and the products were fantastic. Yeah.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 26:36

Yeah. So the partnerships, the right people, the right counsel, that that really makes sense, right? To have that all secured and that enhances the credibility and then people feel more comfortable. And that trust is is built right from that credibility as well.

SPEAKER_02 26:50

Yeah, absolutely. Um, launching in China with the Matro Group um this year, it's it's really is about personal relationships, actually. I think the people buy from people that they like, and that's something that I've always been taught in marketing and sales. I think that's really, really important to build up rapport and relationship with people so that you can build credibility and trust.

unknown 27:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:14

That's really important.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 27:15

Yeah, yeah, very true. And you mentioned sustainability. I know it's it's central to your mission from sourcing to supporting bee populations. How do you embed purpose into every layer of your business model?

SPEAKER_02 27:29

Um, this is something that's really personal to me. My family are from West Africa, they're from Sierra Leone, and I was able to see firsthand the effects that climate change are having on farmers. And my family, they grow a plethora of crops in West Africa and Sierra Leone. And it really hit home when I visited them. This was before I started honey, the dire effect it was having on their livelihoods, um, especially in one of the poorest countries in the world. So there would be situations where their crops would fail. And, you know, in a in a country that is rife of poverty as well, I mean, this is something that was on the doorstep of these farmers. And being quite far away from it in the UK, you know, you go to the local shop and you buy your food, you don't necessarily see the life of the farmer that's actually put that food and harvested that food on your on your plate. And so being so up close and personal with these farmers and hearing their their their problems, their struggles, the fact that climate change was actually having a huge effect on them. Their rains were longer, their crops would be spoiled. And so I think being so personal to me, it really made me kind of put a microscope on you know the responsibility that we have to leave this earth in a in a better place for our children. And so I really do try and be as sustainable as I can um with every part of my business. And I think it's our responsibility and our duty to respect the planet and leave a better planet for our our children.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 29:04

Yeah, I think you're right. I mean, as consumers, we're so removed from like the reality of what it takes to, you know, farm and to create the products that we use. And I think, therefore, I think education also is a big part of um marketing. It's like when you're creating your business and you're creating your products, part of it is is telling the consumer what's happening out there because you're a lot closer to the farmers than the consumer is, perhaps. And so, but it is important because they're their dollars, their choices, and those dollars fund the businesses, you know, that are working with the farmers and so that sustainability aspect and and uh choosing products with people who who care about those things is is important.

SPEAKER_02 29:51

Um, there's 17 sustainable um development goals, and um, there's a target of 2030 to reach those goals. And you know, I do try um as much as I can with each of those goals to um incorporate those ethics into my business. I think that's really important.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 30:07

So you're also a strong advocate for women in business and underrepresented founders. What systematic barriers still exist and what needs to change?

SPEAKER_02 30:16

Yeah, that term underrepresented founders, women, people of color, people from different sexual orientations. I actually like to prefer the term underestimated founders as opposed to underrepresented founders. I actually think they go hand in hand. We're underrepresented and we're underestimated. Considering the fact that, you know, there's pretty much 50-50 men and women on this planet. Um, I think it's absolutely amazing that only 1.8% of women get any kind of venture capital investment in their businesses. And yeah, which is incredible, really. And so I really think that there needs to be much more allyship. I think that, you know, men need to kind of step up for women in business. There are men out there who have daughters, who have wives, who are ambitious. And I'd really like them to take a look at their households and see the disparities in terms of female entrepreneurs and the fact that only 1.8% of women actually get any kind of investment. And I believe the research was done by by Bohurst. And in the UK, because of the lack of investment in female-founded businesses, we're pretty much leaving £296 billion on the table. So I hope that people will be a bit more open-minded and think about investing in female-founded businesses and also underrepresented businesses as well. That's a staggering statistic and a call to women as well.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 31:46

To yeah, to there's a lot of opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 31:49

Absolutely. I mean, there's, you know, pretty much 50% of women and pretty much 50% of men. So why is there this disparity? And I hope that that will change for future generations. I really, really do hope for that.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 32:02

I mean too. Now, for women balancing entrepreneurship, family, and leadership, what mindset shifts or strategies have you have been critical to your success?

SPEAKER_02 32:13

Um, I've been listening to and reading quite a few books about um feminine energy and how women really need to get into their feminine energy in business. I think there's a pressure or maybe just um a status quo to kind of follow the masculine energy in business. And I don't think that's right. I think women need to find their own way of doing business. I think we can be quite hard on ourselves in terms of the way we do business, maybe comparing ourselves to men in the way they do business. And um, I think we need to do business better. What I find with myself is that I make myself feel bad or I feel guilty for not hammering my business all the time, like you know, 100% energy. Yeah. And I think understanding my feminine energy is that sometimes you just you do need to take time, you do need to take a rest from your business because you can become burnt out. Don't feel guilty for that, you know. I don't think we should feel guilty for giving our brain a break, giving our bodies a break, and you know, spending time with our families whilst doing our businesses. I think that's really important. And I think that a lot of women have this thing where we feel guilty all the time for doing X, Y, and Z. And I think we need to be softer on ourselves, and I think we need to embrace our feminine energy and do business like women do, and not necessarily try and compete or emulate how men do business. That's something I'm I'm beginning to realize a lot more.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 33:49

Awesome. I like that. Yeah, so tell me a little bit more about that. So it's really embracing feminine energy. What does that look like exactly? Like what qualities or what actions? So you mentioned taking time, you know, not feeling as pressured. What else does that look like? I mean, for women who are wanting to embrace that?

SPEAKER_02 34:07

Self-care, well-being, one of the things that, you know, comes up a lot is procrastination. And I don't think it is always procrastination. I think sometimes you just need to take time out to let your ideas and let your thoughts brew, but don't feel guilty for not being at your laptop 24-7. I speak a lot to my friend, my very best friend, about business. And, you know, she knows the ups and the downs. You know, it's been a roller coaster journey for me in my business. And one of the things that she highlighted to me is that, you know, it's a cycle. You go through cycles. Women go through cycles. So we do have our ups and we do have our downs. And just embrace that and try not to feel guilty all the time or feel bad all the time. That's something that my my you know, my best friend tells me, and you know, my son's dad tells me. I mean, we're not together, but you know, he's like, you know, why are you feeling guilty for doing that or not doing that? You know, I think women put a lot of pressure on themselves, especially when we're juggling a lot. You know, we're a generation of women who are working for themselves, you know, bringing up children, and we are juggling a lot, actually. We are taking on more than maybe trad wife, you know, maybe in the 1950s, 60s. So it is kind of like a different landscape. Uh-huh. And I think as women, we haven't really been here before. I mean, it is still uncharted territory. So yeah, it is about having a work-life balance. That's something that I I saw a lot during the pandemic. Um, like life seemed to slow down. I think pandemic, it just seems to have sped up again and it seems even faster now. I think life. Yeah. So I think you can beat yourself up about procrastination, but maybe it's not procrastination. Maybe it's just a time to sit, have self-care, take care of your well-being. And maybe procrastination isn't the right word. It's like regeneration instead of regeneration. Exactly. Regeneration. I love that. Yeah.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 36:11

Yeah. No, that's a great perspective. I think that's yeah, it's really good advice for women, right? We don't have to do things the same way, you know, as our male counterparts, and neither one is wrong. You know, it's just we have different needs. We have different needs, we have different biologies, different cycles, different, you know.

SPEAKER_02 36:29

As we have different seasons in a month. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 36:32

Very true.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

And uh yeah, I think it's to recognize the cycles, you know, the ups, the downs, and to realize that, you know, the downs aren't always it's not always going to be a downtime, it's not always gonna be negative. And, you know, to really embrace the positive. And I think another thing as well is to to kind of really celebrate your wins as well. Um, I think being in business as a female, I always feel like I'm running a race, and I was always in a rush to get somewhere, and it's just like you know, there was a time frame to become a success, successful entrepreneur. It really is about pacing yourself, and I think the journey is a marathon. One of the things I didn't realize is that there were so many female entrepreneurs that became successful late in life. So maybe just slow down, don't be so hard on yourself. Yeah, um, celebrate the wins, celebrate the wins as well, and look back at what you've achieved because it's always looking forward or the next job or the next responsibility. And sometimes it's just great just to sit back and look at what you have achieved.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 37:40

Yeah, oh, I love all that. Well, thank you for sharing that. That's very encouraging, I think. So, Aisha, finally, as you look ahead, what is your long-term vision for honeycorn and the broader impact you want to create in the beauty industry?

SPEAKER_02 37:56

The long-term vision is to become um one of the biggest beauty brands in the world. I want my brand to go global, to be in the four corners of the planet, even though it's uh it's round, but you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 38:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:09

Um, and um to to compete with some of the biggest brands in the world. I feel that I have really had to hustle with my business. There are times when it's been like feast and famine in terms of my business. And so it's just, I mean, I'm still on the journey. Um, it can be a struggle sometimes, but just to keep the hustle, keep the faith, and keep positive and just keep keep on moving, I think that's the best thing to do is just to keep on moving and try and not to stagnate in terms of business.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 38:44

Yeah, great advice. I think it is about the journey, it's not about the destination because I don't know that we ever really arrive, right?

SPEAKER_02 38:52

Absolutely. And the journey has been amazing, and I wouldn't change it for the world. The journey has been really wonderful, it's been exciting, it has been a roller coaster ride, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 39:05

Yeah, but that's what keeps it interesting, right? It keeps us growing because if we if it was all predictable, if we knew the outcome, then there would be no growth.

SPEAKER_02 39:14

Absolutely, absolutely agree with that.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 39:17

Well, Aisha, thank you for joining me. And and how can listeners learn more about you and Honeycorn?

SPEAKER_02 39:24

Oh, yeah, well, um you can always go to my website, which is honeycornuk.com, or you can research me at honeycornuk. I'm also a motivational speaker, so I'm signed with a number of agencies as well. So my areas of expertise are sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, luxury business, and yeah, just trying to motivate teams really, um, and motivate females and entrepreneurs.

Dr. Leeanne Aguilar 39:55

So, yes, please look out for honey corn. Well, that makes perfect sense because I feel very motivated right now. So be businesses uh interested in motivational speakers, so definitely give you uh a call. Look you up. That would be wonderful. Yeah. And thank you to our listeners for tuning in today to Industry Ignited. Be sure to subscribe and join us for the next episode. Until next time, stay bold, stay curious, and keep igniting industry.