Valerie Obaze is an award-winning beauty entrepreneur. She has been hailed as an ‘African skincare trailblazer’ by Forbes magazine, her beauty brand has been featured in a plethora of publications such as Elle magazine and not only is she a savvy businesswoman, Valerie is also the founder of the Mumpreneurs network, founded in 2015. Her company, R&R Luxury, is the perfect combination of authentic products and the answer to many skincare issues.
Her passion for natural skincare products and PR, Valerie has created a significant brand that has been recognized all over the world. Expanding her brand from Africa, the US to now the UK this is an exciting time for the brand.
What are you working on at the moment?
Right now, like most people, I am navigating through these unusual times and trying to be creative with how we adapt and operate through the uncertainty. As a brand, we are continuing to expand our online and digital operations to ensure that customers can easily access our products from the comfort of their homes.
I am also finalising plans for R&R Chapter 10 – it’s the brand’s 10 year anniversary in October and I am working on a series of activations to ensure that we celebrate and mark the occasion in the right way! I might also be working on developing one or two new products too – so stay tuned!
2. Why did you decide to work in your current career field?
I pivoted from being an entrepreneur within the PR industry to creating my own skincare brand after a personal need arose, which I found a solution for and thought that other people would also benefit from. As I was becoming a mother for the first time, I wanted to use only natural products on my newborn baby’s skin and looked for a solution that was available to me locally, living in Nigeria at the time. Shea Butter was the perfect answer to that especially in its new iteration as a liquid, answering many of my problems and leading to the creation of my brand, R&R Luxury.
3. Which entrepreneur inspires you?
I am inspired by so many entrepreneurs, but especially those in my industry who have created multi-million-dollar brands out of a personal need.
4. The secret to your success?
Hard work. There is no secret for me, it all comes down to dedication and effort! It has been 10 years of hard work and I still haven’t reached the point I want to be at, but I continue to strive harder each and every day. Challenges may arise daily, but we always find a way to overcome them and as goals are ticked off the list, new targets are always added on.
5. 1 word to sum up your career trajectory?
Promising!
