Ever since I launched Absolute Collagen two years ago, being recognised by CEW was my benchmark.

They are an amazing organisation that is leading the conversation in the beauty industry, celebrating women in beauty and discussing the victories and challenges of female entrepreneurship.

I was blown away to see Absolute Collagen win the Best New Supplement - Mass and Prestige category at the 2019 CEW Awards. It was such a prestigious award to win, and even months later I’m still so honoured that CEW noticed little old me.

As if it couldn’t get any better, CEW also invited me to speak at a breakfast for all their members, which was an incredible opportunity.

I hosted a ‘How To Build A Blockbuster Beauty Brand’ event alongside the amazing Tash Courtenay-Smith, my digital marketing partner-in-crime.

We discussed how Absolute Collagen started, what I’ve learned from running a beauty brand, how and why we use online marketing to drive sales and some of the challenges of female entrepreneurship.

Check out the highlights in the video below:

The challenges of female entrepreneurship

I’ve had to deal with my fair share of challenges that come with female entrepreneurship. A year ago, we tweaked our formula to add natural sweetener, but the taste went horribly wrong. Instead of getting upset over the complaints, I looked at it as a positive. It was a chance to truly connect with my customer base and reach out.

Nobody is perfect. You’re going to make mistakes, but that’s how we learn. I know I’ve made many mistakes (or ‘missteps’ as I like to call them!) in my life and business, but each has got me to where I am today.

Who would have thought that I’d go from boiling chicken feet and pigs trotters in my kitchen, to winning a CEW award and speaking at a CEW member’s event?

This just goes to show that no matter how many challenges may come with being a female entrepreneur, by learning from your mistakes and owning who you are, anything is possible.