How Lack Of Creativity Almost Frustrated My Perfume Brand– Lustre By Zy CEO

Hyeladzira Mshelia, Programs Associate and the Chief Executive Officer of Lustre by Zy, a perfume startup based in Abuja has revealed how failure to be creative almost jeopardised her business at the early stage.

The CEO said this while sharing her business story during a programme orgnised by SKDC Global Links Ltd on Tuesday.

When Mshelia founded the perfume brand in 2017 she was focused on creating wealth from the lucrative business which was valued around $39bn back in 2017.

In 2021, the global perfume industry has grown to over $46bn, thanks to the influx of startups like Lustre by Zy.

The entrepreneur narrated how making money was her biggest drive when she ventured into perfume making. But she was almost frustrated trying so many wrong business decisions to make money.

“It is good for you to love money, but that shouldn’t be your drive, to be honest. Make sure you are passionate about something that you’re doing, so that even if the money doesn’t come, even if Nigeria wants to frustrate you, you will find a reason to keep going,” said Lustre by Zy founder.

Mshelia, who described starting business in Nigeria as a ‘bitter sweet’ adventure, admitted that when she started, she battled a huge supply deficit for bottles to package her product.

She narrated how she resorted to importing bottles from China and paid N100,000 to DHL to clear the bottles.

She also disclosed how she was duped of N40,000 at the popular Abuja UTC Market when she tried buying bottles from the local market.

But the CEO had a bigger challenge which she described as the lack ‘creativity’ in her newly found startup.

She said, “There are a lot of factors that are working against you (Nigerian business owners). It’s frustrating if you’re trying to make earn meet and then everything in Nigeria is working against you.

“Financially, you will say that there are financial constraints when it comes to businesses, especially as a small business owner. We don’t have flexible loan facilities in this country to be honest.

“For me as an entrepreneur as a perfumer, my biggest challenge has been lack of creativity. The biggest killer for an entrepreneur is when you don’t have that innovative idea.

“For me, I’ll keep saying the lack of creativity, because there are deadly consequences that happen when you’re not creative, to be honest.

“When you’re not creative, you cannot be innovative. That’s the simple truth. Three things that would happen, you have to either steal somebody’s idea, buy the idea or you just fake relevance.

“The latter is not the best because business is highly competitive. You always have to be on your toes. You cannot be on your back and say I’m good.”

She said lack of creativity has denied many Nigerian entrepreneurs the funding needed to expand their startups.

“Without creativity, you will fail to sell and exploit opportunities,” Lustre by Zy CEO added.

She linked her lack of creativity in the business to her effort to balance her entrepreneurial ambition and her career.

Shelia said “It’s difficult to juggle both roles to be honest. I’m trying to make ends meet at the office and I have perfumes to attend to.

“So realistically, it’s very hard for you to be an entrepreneur as a career person, especially. You know, so challenges go as far back as you trying to see clients and some of them are trying to talk to you inappropriately.

“It’s just the whole, is just a whole lot. You try to balance your work life, your career life.”