Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Pierre Laurent, Founder of Zamalia Experience, located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My company, Zamalia Experience, is established in Amsterdam and specializes in lifestyle-improving natural products. Our purpose is to bring to our customers the highest quality plant-based products on the market. Our daily lives can sometimes be stressful, slowly pushing our bodies and mind to their limits. We aim to find the right products to fit the needs and lifestyles of our customers in order to improve their day-to-day life. We sell a variety of products, from cosmetics to oils, edibles, pet products, and much more! Our customers include a wide range of individuals, from young university students looking to relax and focus better thanks to our products to retired family members seeking pain relief or better sleep.
Tell us about yourself
My journey started in Peru back in 2014 when I got the chance to spend a few weeks in the Amazon rainforest as part of a conservation mission. I discovered the incredible natural pharmacy that Mother Earth had in store for us and wanted to educate people about the health benefits that reconnecting with the nature around us could bring to our modern society.
I have always strongly believed in the power of plants and made it my personal mission to share with the world their unique potential for a healthier life, a clearer mind, and a better future for our planet. What motivates me the most to keep going is hearing the feedback of our customers telling us how much our products improved their life. It makes me feel like all the effort is paying off and that I am going in the right direction.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think one of my biggest accomplishments as a business owner was surviving the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of established businesses had to shut down permanently, and I had just opened our first shop in the city center of Amsterdam when the pandemic happened, making it really tough financially and mentally to keep afloat, but pulling through the storm gave me even more strength to keep going forward, tackle any obstacles thrown my way, and chase that dream until it becomes a reality.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I would say one of the hardest things as a business owner is having the future of your own business resting on your shoulders. It is very easy sometimes to doubt yourself when you have to take risks, but it is part of the challenge, and the most important thing is to believe in yourself and not be afraid to ask for help or advice from the people you trust.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start small but start now; if you wait for the perfect time, it might never happen.
- Be passionate about what you are doing. If you don't love what you do, it will become harder to motivate yourself to do what needs to be done in order to build and grow your business.
- Don't give up or become frustrated if things don't happen right away. Building a business takes time, but if you pour your heart into it, chances are it will eventually pay off.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://zamalia-experience.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zamalia.experience/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zamalia.experience/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zamalia-experience/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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