Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in skincare but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anne Nguyen Oliver, founder, and CEO of House of M Beauty, located in Tustin, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Our business: We harness the power of saffron into multitasking skincare formulas featuring the rarest, most high-quality form of saffron— Super Negin. These formulas tap into the nourishing powers of this miracle ingredient to deliver calming, brightening, and protective benefits directly to your complexion.

Who are our customers: We think your skincare routine should be an art form. Our skincare works to transform your routine into an elevated form of elegance and enjoyment. Our customers are people who value their skincare routine as a necessary part of self-care - and we work to make sure our formulas bring a range of benefits in as little steps as possible!

Tell us about yourself

My name is Anne Oliver; I am a 26 years old Vietnamese immigrant. My interest in beauty began at an early age; I spent hours watching tutorials on YouTube. I started following Michelle Phan when I was 12 years old, living in Vietnam. Since then, I've been in love with anything related to makeup and skincare. Though beauty has been a lifelong passion for me, I never thought I'd step into the industry as a founder. However, my experience with postpartum depression and pregnancy-induced skincare concerns opened my eyes to new possibilities. I turned to saffron—an ingredient known for its mood-boosting benefits—to improve her mental health. After incorporating it into my routine, I also found out the skincare benefits of saffron. I was motivated to introduce this amazing beauty ingredient to the beauty market. Beauty is my passion, so that is my biggest motivation, as well as my children's.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being able to create products that the market and consumers need and seeing the reaction of the customers who love our products.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Dealing with the "No's" and dealing with the self-doubts is probably one of the toughest hurdles to overcome and deal with as a business owner.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Drop the perfectionist mindset: I almost called it quits before launching our first product, Saffron Miracle Serum because I ran out of funds. I wanted to create a custom bottle and did not want to use the stock bottle design from the manufacturer. I decided to pull through, follow my instincts, and launch anyway because I had already invested so much into it.
  2. Just start: It goes along with #1. You just have to start; you cannot wait for things to be perfect because nothing ever will. Just start where you are and with what you have.
  3. Hire people that are better than you are: So opposite to yourself, and be okay admitting and identifying tasks you are not good at in order to grow the business with a successful team.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

The journey will be wild: There will be some good days, some horrible, and some "if you don't do it right now, you're done" days. You have to mentally be prepared, and you have to work on yourself to grow that muscle because you can only grow your company if you grow yourself.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://houseofmbeauty.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/houseofmbeauty/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseofmbeauty/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/house-of-m-beauty/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.