Episode 308 | Uncovering Beauty Secrets with Nyakio Grieco
Nyakio
Entrepreneurship is a challenging field for women, especially for women of color. From funding to operations, many black women entrepreneurs struggle to get recognition. This fact is especially true in the beauty industry. Beauty secrets and rituals of women who come from different places around the world have often been under-celebrated.
In this episode, Nyakio Grieco shares how her family’s beauty secrets helped her start her brand. She talks about how she continues to overcome the challenges facing women of color in entrepreneurship. Nyakio also emphasizes her passion to help young girls recognize their potential and achieve their dreams.
If you want to know more about Nyakio’s beauty secrets, listen to this episode!
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Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:
Uncover Nyakio’s family and traditional beauty secrets.
Know more about the challenges confronting black and brown women entrepreneurs.
Understand the importance of mentorship in pursuing your passion.
Resources
Official Website—Nyakio: Clean and Green Beauty
Nyakio Skincare by Nyakio on Target.com
Nyakio Beauty by Nyakio on Facebook
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Episode Highlights
Nyakio’s Story
Nyakio is a first-generation American of Kenyan descent.
She grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Oklahoma. At present, she lives in Los Angeles.
Nyakio studied business in college.
She worked in the entertainment industry before she started her skincare business.
How Nyakio Uncovered Her Family’s Beauty Secrets
Nyakio’s first beauty secret is coffee scrub.
Her grandmother, a coffee farmer, taught her how to make an exfoliating scrub from Kenyan coffee beans and sugarcane.
She also gained wisdom from her grandfather, who was a medicine man. He used oil extracts for ceremonies and to treat the skin and other ailments.
Starting Her Own Beauty Business
At the age of 27, Nyakio quit her job in Hollywood. She started creating her grandmother’s coffee scrub.
At that time, Nyakio did not have a lot of money.
She struggled to get funding for her business. She turned to her community, friends, and family.
When Nyakio began her business, she was in charge of everything, from shipping and receiving to customer service.
Nyakio entered the beauty industry at a time when there were very few women of color in it. She hopes that more WOC can be part of the industry soon.
Overcoming the Challenges
When Nyakio started her business, she did not know that only less than 0.2% of black women get funding.
If she knew that information, she would have been discouraged.
She is inspired by young women who enter the business industry, knowing that information.
For Nyakio, it’s more than skincare and beauty. She also wants to help shape the next generation of female leaders.
The Importance of Mentorship
Throughout her life, Nyakio sought out mentors. She loves asking questions and seeking information.
Her teachers and mentors allowed her to grow and realize her power.
Your mentors teach you lessons. Sometimes, they last throughout your lifetime.
Mentorship can make a big difference in pushing someone to pursue his or her passion.
Nyakio sits on the board of Girls Inc. to inspire more young girls to be smart and bold.
On Optimism and Having Faith
There are so many resources right now. It is easier to gather funds.
Many people invest in the businesses of black women as part of their anti-racist initiatives.
Without the dark, there is no light.
Get out of your way, overcome your doubts, and do the work. When we give back to brown and black communities, we are helping to make the playing field even.
Do not be afraid of going out and starting a business as a woman of color.
Clean & Green Skincare Line
Organic ingredients used to be very expensive.
At present, they are more accessible. Clean beauty is easier to make.
Nyakio has been in the clean beauty industry for 18 years. She sees it going in the right direction.
When people take the time and energy to do things right, that’s when we get to see positive shifts in the industry.
Looking Forward
In February, Nyakio launched her brand at Target.com. She believes Target has done a great job of celebrating inclusivity.
The first half of the year has been challenging. However, she hopes that the end of 2020 is about standing in our light.
As a businesswoman, Nyakio believes in telling her family’s story and having faith that people will find her brand.
On Loving Life
Nyakio feels radically loved every morning she wakes up and gets to live another day.
She feels radically loved by God and her angels.
Nyakio radically loves all the parts of her life. She loves being a mother, entrepreneur, Kenyan American, friend, and mentor.
She loves living life, even the hard parts of it.
5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode
“To have those kinds of statistics and still go for it, you have to be a brave soul.”
“Mentorship, I think, can be the real difference between somebody going for it or not. My mentors really helped me to stay the course.”
“I truly believe and have faith and optimism that, you know, without the dark, there is no light.”
“Get out of your own way; get out of your own doubts. Do the work, do the research, because for all of us to do that, and then turn it to our own success, we give back our time or dollars to brown and black communities. What we are doing is evening the playing field.”
“Don’t be afraid about going out and starting a business and doing this as a woman of color, especially as women, because when we come together, we mobilize and change the world.”
About Nyakio
Nyakio Grieco is the founder of Nyakio Beauty, a clean beauty and skincare line. As a first-generation American of Kenyan descent, she started her own business through her family’s beauty secrets. She is a beauty secret curator, formulator, and storyteller. She commits to inspiring young women of color to find and pursue their passion.
Know more about Nyakio and her work by connecting with her through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You may also check her products on her website or at Target.com.
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