#WIB – Q&A With Alisha Ramasar Owner Of SMOOCH
1. Can you please tell us more about your business?
A. My first dab at entrepreneurship was in 2016 when I decided to take the leap from corporate into starting an advertising agency – Hello Alist. The agency did phenomenally well with scoring a Cannes International award in 2019. However, the impact of Covid-19 dissipated a majority of marketing budgets and in turn, we decided to take a break and consider relaunching at a later stage.
I am not exactly the ‘sit and wait’ kinda gal, so I considered a couple of other avenues before settling on Skincare. I launched SMOOCH in Feb 2021, because I felt extremely passionate about filling a gap in the marketplace. Having previously used certain established premium brands, I often internally queried the price points and the difference between various brands. Obviously, with Covid, we all had to rethink our spending patterns, and as such, it sparked a bit of a research bug in me. I decided that there was an opportunity to develop a skincare range that was still premium in its ingredients and its look and feel. Whilst being highly competitive from a pricing perspective.
2. What is your role in the business?
A. My role, at the moment, is classified as “do it all”. I work hand in hand with my team from packing boxes to developing formulas, designing packaging, optimising strategies, marketing, distribution, and business development.
3. Where did you study and what did you study?
A. Having grown up in New Zealand, and completed my high school with a bursary in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Calculus, and Statistics. I naturally headed to the University of Auckland. Where I started studying a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science. My dream at the time (albeit with my limited view on possibilities), was to work on finding a cure for cancer.
However, first semester in, I realised that the pretty lab coat didn’t quite excite me as much as I thought it would. Hence I transitioned into a BSc major in BioPsychology and a minor within Biomed.
Once I graduated, I was desperate to get into the workforce. So much so, I spent my last semester studying remotely whilst working full-time at my first grown-up job. I miraculously got into advertising by taking a chance and applied for a role called “media assistant”. It sounded exceptionally fun and unlike anything I was ever exposed to. It was actually a funny story, I got the job quite quickly and still didn’t really know who I was working for. Purely because the logo at the time was a script font and high illegible. Turns out I scored an amazing opportunity at Ogilvy.
To this day, I reckon that is one of my biggest blessings in life.
4. How did you finance your business?
A. Little by little. I took out my pension fund and took a big risk. I did consider getting a loan, or an investor. However, when those avenues didn’t come to fruition, I decided to push through and take it slowly.
5. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
A. Ok, so my average workday with SMOOCH is usually split with my workday as MOM. It is chaos. I wake up at 5:30, just to have a cuppa coffee in peace. Then it’s the mad school rush. I get into the office at around 8:30 and kick off with my peanut butter bomb smoothie (it’s a game-changer!).
The days are usually split, between store visits (my products are now stocked at ARC stores nationwide), merchandising revamps, creative reviews, and on set for shoots, ensuring orders are being fulfilled and really being extremely hands-on.
Then of course, between these things, I’m doing school pickups and extra murals while still considering what to cook for dinner and getting kids homework done. Then for luck, let’s throw in a play date and a parents’ evening. Just a totally normal day.
Just a totally normal day.
6. What drives you and inspires you?
A. I’m a Virgo, and I have an incessant need to ‘do more’. So naturally, I am quite driven. However, my daughters are my biggest inspiration. I often consider the world they live in and how different it is from the world I lived in at their ages. It’s a challenging time, but it’s also a time for great change and opportunity. I want my girls to grow up knowing anything is possible, so long as they put their heart into it. If they love what they do, they will be successful.
7. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
A. Usually at 2 am when I can’t sleep. I then sit with this ‘great idea’ and wish the rest of the world was awake with me so we can get cracking on it.
8. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?
A. Digital. Specifically social media.
The media landscape has changed and shifted so significantly in the last 10 years. It’s really been an amazing evolution to watch. However, when it comes to building a brand today, the main channel has to be digital.
9. What is next for your business?
A. I have SO much I want to do with SMOOCH. However, at the moment our focus is on expanding our range and then growing our footprint.
10. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?
A. This is my favourite question. I LOVE to encourage women in business. I think so many of us have amazing ideas, however, are often too nervous to take the step. Whilst I don’t sugarcoat the realities of being an entrepreneur. It is tough, to say the least. But if you believe in your idea, if you believe in yourself – honestly don’t hold back. Life really is too short. So be smart. Learn. Grow and most importantly, enjoy!
Short Bio:
Alisha Ramasar is a unique hybrid of a sunshine yellow and cool blue personality. She is an award-winning International Cannes Lion advertising agency recipient. She has the ability to conceptualise, visualise, optimise and quite frankly kick some ass into gear. She is an innovator, a strategist, a fashionable-foodie-fanatic that loves to add something special to simply… “doing”. She is a proud wife and a Mommy of two princess-superhero girls. She aspires to take a break and rest but somehow keeps on agreeing to do more sh*t that gets in the way of her taking a break and resting.
@thirtysomething.sa
@smooch.store