Huda Kattan On The Women That Inspire Her, How To Build A Successful Brand And Being A Businesswoman In The UAE
“There was a year where I didn’t take salary, because we needed to pay our employees”
This year’s Beauty Pop panel saw inspirational talks from beauty entrepreneurs Jen Atkin, Nurse Jamie, Mona and Huda Kattan. The influencers-turned-celebrities shared their top tips for building a brand, how important social media is to their growth and their secrets for success. Ahead, some of our favourite quotes from former Bazaar cover star and award-winning business woman Huda Kattan.
“Our brand started as a blog. It was really challenging at the beginning because when you start a brand all you have is a belief and passion and passion for something – you don’t actually know if that ‘something’ will materialise into anything.”
“People assume if you need a specific product for something, it’s already out there, instead of creating something yourself from the ground up. If you have a great idea and don’t try and create something from it then I really believe you’re doing the world a disservice. If it fails, what’s the worst that can happen? You might have wasted a little time but you’re going to learn a lot.”
“We started our business with no funding, or had any outside investors. Our sister was our first investor! There was a year where I didn’t take salary, because we needed to pay our employees.”
“I find inspiration in people everywhere. There are some make-up artists that have done so much and are so inspirational that you learn really amazing tips from them. But for me it’s important that you have people to look up to who aren’t in your industry. I’ve always loved Steve Jobs – he was an innovator. I also love Oprah, Beyonce and Rihanna – they broke the stereotype.”
“When I first started the business I felt a lot of frustration. Being a women in this region was challenging. People were treating us like our brand was just hobby. One of my favourite pieces of advice I’ve been given is just to be patient. There’s an Arabic phrase that means ‘with every delay there is a blessing’ – words to live by!”
See you next year, Beauty Pop!