Essential Excellence

Alexzandra Denis

C O V E R S T O R Y

ofCEO Avalah Beauty

Essential Excellence

A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H E N T R E P R E N E U R , A L E X Z A N D R A D E N I S O F A V A L A H B E A U T Y

The term "Creative" does no justice for this entrepreneur. This Brooklyn, NY based brand has a love for all things beauty, wellness, and self-care. The face behind the brand is Alexzandra Denis, vibrant, vivacious, and with a heart of gold, she is a force to be reckoned with. Her brand, Avalah Beauty, brings together 100% all natural ingredients, essential oils and luxurious scents. Find out which essential products this hardworking boss has been developing:

IMM: So what's your favorite part about your brand, Avalah Beauty? AD: My favorite part about my brand is the connections, networking and friends that I have made along the way. The people that use my products are very invested in the brand and want to see it do well. I love keeping up with my customers and hearing how much they love the product or that they gave the product to a family member during a hard time.

IMM: You also have products for men. How important was it to incorporate co-ed marketing into your business? AD: It is very important. We promote skin and hair care products that are all natural and men need to be a part of that journey. Women are constantly serviced in the realm of beauty, to a point that most men believe they need little to no skin care products. It's time we even the playing field. When I created the brand it was about showing my community that you can have all natural products that are wonderfully scented in lux packaging. Now I am also showing men that they have to take care of their skin and hair as well.

IMM: Describe your style. What advice can you give people working on their own style? AD: I worked in fashion for 10 years for companies such as Perry Ellis, Jones of NY and Calvin Klein so this is a great question! My style I would describe as casual, comfortable, approachable, tonal and basics with bold accessories. I am constantly on the go and I need a style that can keep up with me, and for advice to others, I would tell people to work on a mood board. You can select either a celebrity or a few looks that you are attracted to and then go after items that match that vibe. Don't be afraid to take a few risks and you do not by any means have to follow the trends!

IMM: What beauty products have inspired you along your entrepreneur journey? AD: This is going to sound sappy but the beauty products that inspired Avalah were homemade by my mom.... (continued on Page 15)

My mom is West Indian and growing up she was old school about her products and made her own out of Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Jamaican Castor Oil etc. When I was a kid I remember in the winter time, she would slather shea butter on my face before letting me run to the school bus. She always had an all natural remedy for every skin care issue. When I got older, I wanted to use what everyone else was using so I took my little first paycheck, went to Bed and Bath and bought their products. Needless to say my skin definitely felt the difference. I was ashy faster, the scents were too strong and my skin lost its glow. I went right back to what I knew.

When I created Avalah it was because I wanted the luxury feel of a Jo Malone, with all natural ingredients that I know work and the scents of a grown and sexy spa. I was tired of seeing shea butter bricks melted and put in random jars and containers throughout the house. I wanted to create a product that you can give to your boss as a present and it does not look cheap.

IMM: If you had a chance to have dinner with one celebrity, who would it be and what would you ask them? AD: If I had a chance to have dinner with one celebrity it would be Lisa Price, the owner of Carol’s Daughter. We have many similarities such as we are both from Brooklyn and making skin care was originally a side hustle turned full blown business. I would ask knowing everything you know now, what would you do differently? What was the most important lesson you have learned on your journey? What was the hardest decision you have had to make for your company?

IMM: What important entrepreneur lessons have you learned along the way? AD: There are so many lessons that I have learned on my entrepreneurial journey. Don’t expect everyone to “get it” whether it be your ideas, the way you work, the hours you put in, or the decisions you make. Choose your circle wisely. Create a positive team of mentors that are supportive with your vision and your goals, and most importantly, treat yourself. Your free time is not free but you having a mental breakdown shuts down the entire company.

IMM: What is your advice for those just entering into the beauty industry? AD: My advice for those entering into the beauty industry is to network, be patient and have great customer service. Networking is such a vital skill and is the difference between your next opportunity and your next BIG opportunity. Nobody ever believes that I am an introvert at heart but I put aside my social issues so that everyone I interact with gets the best and most personable version of me.

It is ALSO important to be patient with the industry you want to be a part of. There are so many companies that give incorrect information or sell harmful products. You have to earn your customers trust and that takes time. I find great pride when someone buys a product and sees me in the street or at another pop up and they go out of their way to let me know they loved the item they purchased.

IMM: You’ve been featured in a lot of magazines, including InStyle, Cosmopolitan, and Sheen Magazine so you have a lot of experience telling your story. What do you think makes a compelling story? AD: We are all the main characters in the story of our lives. What makes life compelling is growth. It is the only thing we all have in common and the ability to do. Whether you grew up in the projects or with a silver spoon in your mouth, we can all strive to be better, build something greater and overcome our issues. My story is compelling because I am a Brooklyn girl, who was raised in a single parent household and never wanted to be an entrepreneur.... (continued on Page 15).

I ended up in corporate fashion for 10 years, creating my own small business and hopefully bringing my community up with me. Why do we love Jay-Z, Barack Obama or Oprah so much? They were the underdogs turned big dogs. Every time you feel like you can’t do it, you are making an excuse. You can do it but what are you willing to do to execute your goals? Are you willing to lose friends and family to complete your vision? Are you willing to not be at every party, club or family gathering? Are you willing to be told that you can’t do it and then do it anyway? Can you hear the industry tell you no 30 times and criticize you but keep going? People love a good come up story and we love resilience. You only live once and whether you believe it or not you have nothing to lose. Write your life to be a compelling story.

IMM: What's up next for Avalah Beauty? AD: The first year of Avalah I stayed up at night thinking I was crazy to start a business. In my second year, I was killing myself to work my full time job and work Avalah at the same time, basically two full time jobs. I worked every single day, mostly all day for a year. My third year, a pandemic happened and my business thrived and survived because everyone wanted to support Black Owned and local stores were closed. As I approach year four, I am confident in my business and am enjoying some of the fruits of my labor.

Avalah is always looking for the next opportunity to grow and expand. We are looking into many possibilities such as an official brick and mortar, doing classes on product making and collaborating with larger brands and influencers. I would love to start creating my team of people that help Avalah to grow. Everyone tells me to get into Sephora, Nordstrom or Target but honestly that’s not the route for my brand so I just need to then figure out what is. I'm confident that I will.

And we are confident that you will too! To follow Avalah Beauty, visit www.avalah.com. Soy wax and relax: The perfect present for cold weather.

When Entrepreneurs Connect: Alexzandra with CEOs Jennifer Small (L) and Alyssa J. Francois (M).

Take Your Pick: Avalah Body butters, black soap, and essential oils. Wellness at its best.

E X C L U S I V E

6

Tips

to Host Your First Thanksgiving

Anxiety into hosting your first Thanksgiving is rising. Don't be scared out of your wits. Use these 6 tips to help you navigate Turkey Day with ease!

WRITTEN BY CASSIE O. LOPEZ PHOTOS BY JONAH DENWORTH

Are you a bundle of nerves due to you hosting Thanksgiving for the first time this year? Well, join the club and wipe that sweat off your brow. Hosting and cooking this great American meal is a big milestone for a cook, but it also can be a HUGE moment of some nail-biting anxiety and nerves. Well, our readers have quite a lot of advice for you. We did a poll and asked our readers for their best advice on hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and here are 6 essentials, distilled from the most frequent points we heard, that will suit you the best in preparation. If Thanksgiving seems daunting, these 6 essentials will make it less so. They ’ll show you how to get organized, stay calm, and enjoy Thanksgiving more than ever!

#1. Stick with Tradition

Thanksgiving is not the time to switch things up or try something "new. " Give the people what they want and what they'll expect. That means don't serve tapioca-shrimp pudding or cajun fried rice instead of turkey and stuffing. Make it easy on yourself and stick to the basics, no matter how many Youtube videos you have to watch on basting a turkey.

#2. Create the Right Ambience

Get into the spirit of having a little decor. Create a festive place for people to mingle and eat. Fall leaves or branches, acorns, or cornucopias can be used to decorate your dining room. You can prepare at the start of November or at least in the week before the holiday.

#3. Plan Ahead

Part of the reason hosts get stressed out on Thanksgiving is because they're unprepared and they wait until the last minute. Instead, you should choose your menu about one month before the holiday. Write it out - from cocktails to appetizers to dessert. Determine what ingredients you'll need and plan in advance.

#4. Cook Ahead

Make sure to cook what you can in the days in advance. You can prep the turkey the night before, so that you just have to place it in the oven in the morning. Mashed potatoes can be made ahead of time and heated. And you can set the table and have all the serving dishes out and ready to go the night before.

#5. Call in the Reinforcements

Still feeling like you don't know what you're doing? Moms or grandmothers come in handy at this stage. Also, there might be relatives who will want to actually help you cook. If things get really bad, you can always call the Butterball Thanksgiving hotline at 1-800-BUTTERBALL (yes, this is a real hotline and we aren't just joking). The Butterball Web site also offers online chats that run periodically before Thanksgiving and turkey text messages.

#6. Remember the True Meaning of Thanksgiving

The purpose of the holiday is to show gratitude for the bounty we have in our lives. Ask everyone to share for what they are thankful. Be the first to show your gratitude. You are the host of Thanksgiving, after all! >>