As a serial entrepreneur who has launched and grown multiple beauty and lifestyle brands, Mariya Nurislamova has learned through experience how to successfully juggle multiple business ventures at once.
“Building more than one brand at a time can be challenging unless you start with the ‘why,’” Nurislamova told CO—. “It is important to get clarity for yourself first, then share with the team.”
Nurislamova’s latest venture, Scentbird, was launched in response to the “perfume graveyard” phenomenon she observed among consumers: People purchase countless bottles of expensive designer perfume, only to let them collect dust on the shelf while they struggle to find their perfect signature scent. Thus, her fragrance subscription service was born.
“We help consumers ‘date’ fragrances before marrying them by shipping 30-day supplies of high-end perfume to people’s homes,” Nurislamova explained.
Finding synergy and focus among multiple business ventures
Scentbird fits in well with Nurislamova’s family of other beauty brands, including crowdsourced fragrance brand, Confessions of a Rebel. For entrepreneurs coordinating multiple brands simultaneously, Nurislamova stressed the importance of finding synergies among them.
One action a day that helps you build your business should be the absolute least you start with. Less talking, more doing.
Mariya Nurislamova, entrepreneur and founder of Scentbird
“I think of the different brands that I’m running as an integrated ecosystem, [and] a successful and healthy ecosystem is when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” she said. “I constantly think of how I can build genuine synergies within my portfolio, how we can share resources and how each brand can make the rest stronger.”
However, synergy should not come at the expense of dedicated resources: “There is nothing in business quite as valuable as the power of focus, so having certain team members being dedicated to a particular brand is the best way to ensure success when building a portfolio,” said Nurislamova.
[Read: 10 Key Talents Most Great Entrepreneurs Have]
‘Start small and never give up’
Nurislamova’s first piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with small steps and build them up over time.
“Over the years, I have watched too many people be paralyzed by fear … never going for what they truly want,” Nurislamova noted. “Having an audacious goal and a big dream are important, but nothing matters as much as taking action, ideally daily.”
“One action a day that helps you build your business should be the absolute least you start with. Less talking, more doing.”
Her second piece of advice: Never give up on your dream.
“I notice people who end up failing simply give up too early,” she said. “The darkest hour is right before sunrise, so if the going gets tough, know that you are very, very close to making it.”
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