Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ada Polla, CEO of Alchimie Forever, located in Washington, DC, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Alchimie Forever really traces its start back to the 1980s, when my father, Dr. Luigi L. Polla, was looking for a calming product to heal the skin of the children with Port Wine Stains and hemangiomas that he was treating using laser technology. Not being able to find the right product, he worked with a compounding pharmacy to create a product (now known as our Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask) and gave his patients little-drammed lab samples of this magic cream. The parents of my father's patients would apply the mask to their own skin to encourage their children to try it, and they (the parents) absolutely loved the texture, the soothing factor, and most importantly, the results. They began asking my father to create more and more batches of the mask — as well as other products — and that was the true start of Alchimie Forever.

In 2004, after writing my business school thesis on bringing my family's skincare line from Switzerland, I turned the thesis into a reality with the official launch of Alchimie Forever. Now, over 15 years later, here we are, with 17 SKUs across the skin and body care (and more in development!), incredible partners (amazon, Dermstore, Pharmaca, Walgreens) as well as select spas (Heyday) and beauty boutiques.

Our customer is in her early to mid to late thirties to late sixties, well educated, optimistic, curious, and responsible. She (or he - we certainly have our fair share of male clients) likes to "buy outside the box" and wants products she or he can feel good about using but also products that will help both prevent and correct signs of aging.

Tell us about yourself

We believe that "Looking good means feeling good, means doing good." What motivates me every day is the opportunity to help people have their best skin and thus feel better about themselves. It is amazing how much skin health and how your skin looks impact how you present yourself to the world. That is the mission that gets me up every morning (usually before 5 am!).

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am the most proud of creating jobs and never having missed a payroll. Because of Alchimie Forever, I am directly participating in the ability of others to pay their rents or mortgages; I am actively participating in our economy - and that is a huge accomplishment.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

As a business owner, I find it challenging to "turn it off." Even if I am not in meetings or at the office, I am always thinking about my brand. What could I be doing better? What should I stop doing? How can I get the product in the hands of more people? I often even wake up in the middle of the night with those questions in my head... that's the nature of business ownership!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Start. As you say, turn your "one day" into "day one." Nothing can happen before you start.
  2. Stay the course. Some days will be hard; growing a business takes time and perseverance.
  3. Think about your exit strategy at the beginning. What is your end goal? This will help you define the right strategy from the ground up.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I will be happy to send samples to anyone who would like to try my brand! Please email customerservice@alchimie-forever.com if you are interested.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.alchimie-forever.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlchimieForever/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alchimieforever/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alchimieforever
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alchimie-forever/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.