IN Conversation WITH...

Tell us about your journey. How did you get here?

It’s a strange feeling, as if it was only yesterday that we registered our business, unsure if it would succeed, and yet at the same time, as if it happened in a different lifetime! The brand we have today is a curious product of chance and innovation.

Before the crisis hit in 2011, we had another family business in real estate, and everything was going smoothly – until it wasn’t. Suddenly the value of the properties we were dealing with dropped dramatically, leaving us out of work and out of income.

Around that same time, my daughters were at that age when they started playing around with my makeup, and I noticed that the ingredients were far from child-friendly. And Europe didn’t have alternatives that were safe and sustainable.

Putting two and two together, I decided:

I would start a business making and selling beauty products that are safe for children. At the time, I didn’t know it would take off so well, but I had tremendous faith, perseverance and love for the idea, not to mention that we were all driven since our previous family business was no longer operational. Fast-forward to 2023, and we have a beauty empire on our hands, still true to our core family values and still innovating as much as possible. Perhaps the crisis of 2011 wasn’t what any of us wanted, but it was, apparently, what some of us needed to build something new.

What makes you proud?

My family, most of all. Starting a business in the middle of economic turmoil in any country and with children to think of is no easy way to live a life, raise kids, build a marriage. The bonds we’ve

> forged during this time in our family remind me that it was all worth it, all the ups and downs. create safe products for kids (definitely something you don’t learn in school!), all the way to navigating the murky waters of business relationships. I had to learn how to get in touch with distributors, retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, and settle on the whole supply chain. I didn’t know how to determine the pricing for our products. We had no idea how to market and advertise. We had to figure out the funding. We had to find qualified people to hire for our team after a while – a tremendous challenge. I’m sure I’m forgetting about a hundred additional things, too, but this sums it up nicely.

What’s been your most successful marketing strategy?

We’ve done a number of different things over the years that have pushed our products to the forefront of the industry. Since we depended on selling through other retailers at first, we had to use a B2B model at first, turning to trustworthy distributors to get our products in front of the buyers – which was a great success. Add to that, given the amount of noise in the industry, working with celebrities and influencers that share your values is a beautiful way to reach customers directly and, at the same time, grow your brand’s credibility. One of our greatest moments was when Ralph Lauren decided to use Snails products at their Milan show in 2013 – a huge hit we never saw coming! So, perhaps the best marketing you can do is to build a brand people you admire will be happy to endorse even without you having to ask them.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There is absolutely nothing typical about any of my days, but that’s what makes my life so wonderful and exciting. As any other mompreneur can confirm, there is never a dull moment when you have kids and a business to attend to! Slow days are a rarity, but my responsibilities do vary a lot. I spend a lot of time responding to emails and communicating with my core team, but I am also very involved with our network of distributors and partners. Always on the front lines. Sometimes I need to resolve an inventory mishap with a supplier that takes hours, but then I go home early to spend quality time with my lovely daughters and husband. Sometimes, nothing big happens, and I can focus on writing, thinking up new product ideas, and planning for the future.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I don’t have too many hobbies, but I do love reading, even though that is more likely to happen in short sprints given my lifestyle and spending time with my daughters – they’re growing up so fast; I feel thankful for every activity we get to share and every adventure we go on as a team.

Who or what inspires you?

Every roadblock I’ve ever encountered has become a huge source of inspiration and motivation for me – I’ve done my best to harness the power of those challenges to grow and ditch my comfort zone. As for people, I’d have to say my daughters inspire me more than I could have ever imagined possible. They are the reason Snails exist, as I wanted a safer world for them to play in and explore. Every decision we’ve made over the years was defined by answering the question: “What would be the best, healthiest option for my own daughters? What would they be happy with?” I see the two of them turning into two wonderful human beings, and I feel inspired to build and leave them a legacy they will be proud of. ■

Jeanette Sklivanou www.safe-nails.com www.naileditbook.com

Find Jeanette’s book at all the major book outlets