Podcast 261: From kitchen compositions to world success – Flower & Spice’s journey

Starting a brand of beauty is one thing – the escalation of internationally is another challenge. In this episode of beauty conversations, Lorraine Dallmeier – chartered environmentalist, biologist and chief executive of Formula Botanica – is accompanied by Karmen Novak, its founder Flowerwhich shares how she turned her passion for herbal skin care in a thriving world brand.

What started as a kitchen experiment quickly evolved into an international business. Karmen shares how she faced the challenges of distribution, investment and brand, while extending to one of the most competitive beauty markets in the world – China.

If you have ever dreamed of increasing the beauty mark beyond the border, this episode is full of real world strategies by someone who has done it. From overcrowding of rejection to the breakdown of China’s coastal beauty industry, Karmen shares the lessons she learned – and why she now helps other indie beauty entrepreneurs do the same.

“I was so confident that this brand is great and I will make it. Failure was not even in my mind.” – Karmen Novak

In this episode with Karmen Novak, you will hear:

• How the flower and the spice were born. Karmen moved to the Netherlands for love and without a clear career, came out in a natural form of skin care.
• The power of education. Learn how the Formula Botanica study was equipped with Karmen with skills to shape, start and develop a successful beauty business.
• Choosing a contract manufacturer. Karmen shares because she worked with a Swiss lab instead of doing her own products.
• How the flower and spice broke in China. A random conversation led Karmen to her first distributor and Flower and Spice quickly became a bestseller in China.
• The challenges of global expansion and entrepreneurship. From cultural differences to Covid -related disorders, Karmen reveals the greatest challenges it has faced and the lessons he learned along the way.

Basic routes include:

• China is a completely different market. Chinese consumers prioritize high performance preparations in fancy packaging and immediate results are essential.
• Influence marketing is the key to China. The right Kol can sell hundreds of units in hours through live flow shopping.
• Independent beauty and entrepreneurship is a long game. After eight years, Karmen is still facing financial pressure, but strategic growth in China helps the scale of sustainable.
• Lessons. Karmen shares the lessons he learned along the way.

Meet our visitor: Karmen Novak, Founder of Flower and Spice

Karmen Novak is the founder of Flower and Spice Modern ApothecaryA natural brand of skin care that combines the strength of flowers and high performance spices, luxurious skin care. At 35, Karmen was transferred to the Netherlands, uncertain for her next career.

Against the backdrop of marketing and videos, he soon discovered the natural skin care and fell in love with the wording. After being registered with Formula Botanica, she started Flower and Spice.

Now, six years later, 85% of flower and Spice sales come from China, thanks to strategic distribution collaborations and understanding of the Asian beauty market. Karmen now helps other beauty founders indie to browse the Chinese market through its advisory service, Beauty in Chinaand her YouTube channel, Beauty Business with Karmen.

Where to find Karmen & Flower and Spice:

You can also try Karmen’s Sample of flowers and spices here.

Related episodes:

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Podcast Formula Botanica Green Beauty. If you liked to hear, share, register and review this episode Podcasts Apple; Note or YouTube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and log in with us Facebook and Instagram.

Leave us a comment

Lorraine Dallmeier is a biologist, a chartered environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award -winning online school cosmetics school. Read more about Lorraine and Formula Botanica.