We had the good fortune of connecting with Nandita Bhagwandin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nandita, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
For me personally, my business has taught me how to be patient and communicate. Being strictly online, it was a lot harder to reach out to people and grow my brand. Getting only one or two orders a month was considered a lot for me, and still is, but it was very discouraging. I just kept a positive mindset about getting more orders by consistently posting on Instagram or introducing some of my friends to my brand. Luckily, I was able to attend pop-up shops in person when conditioned allowed. Seeing people interested in natural lip and some skin care and actually try and love my products is such a rewarding experience. I have fallen so in love with the concept of physically talking to complete strangers about my brand and why it’s worth a try!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I handmake and sell natural lip care products including lipgloss, lip scrubs, lip oils, and other products! I started my business to help incorporate my culture and my love for makeup into one business. All of my products represent my West Indian culture, from the actual names of the products to the flavor names. I just thought having some representation for all of the other West Indians to relate to would be a great way to bring our community together and to spread our culture to those who don’t know what it is! It was definitely not easy to get where I am today. There were many months with no orders or losing more than 10 followers in the span of 3 days. Keeping a positive mindset and constantly putting in work to your business makes a world of difference. I try to dedicate at least 2 hours to my business everyday so I can keep seeing growth. Learning to be patient was the biggest lesson learned. Knowing that your product is NOT for everyone is a concept that takes a while to grasp, but once it’s understood, you really focus on the audience YOU want to represent your brand. I want the world to know that Indo-Caribbean Lotus Beauty is a brand that is here to rep the West Indians all over the world! To spread and share our culture! I want the world to know that affordable lip care doesn’t have to be made with cheap and toxic ingredients. It can be made from natural ingredients and still get the job done!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Definitely a huge thank you to my family. My parents allow me to stay home and do school full time, but also let me start and grow my business in the little office space we have.

Website: https://indocaribbeanlotusbeauty.bigcartel.com/

Instagram: @i.c._lotus_beauty

Other: Tiktok: @i.c.lotusbeauty Pinterest: Indo-Caribbean Lotus Beauty

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