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

Hi Nneka, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking has played a huge part with the growth of my business. When I think about risk taking, I think about faith, trust and intuition. Before becoming an entrepreneur I wasn’t a risk taker, my plans had to be laid out, organized and make complete logical sense before I made my next move. Entrepreneurship has taught me that risk taking is necessary, it also strengthens your faith and you begin to trust something much deeper than your logic. Every move you make as an entrepreneur will not always make logical sense. Many people will doubt you and a lot of times you may even doubt yourself, but sometimes you have to step out on faith and trust your gut instincts. The last big risk I took was opening my brick and mortar boutique, I had no plan and limited budget to open but I took a bet on myself and I’m grateful that I did. I’m living a dream and it’s one of the best decisions I ever made.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
GreenGold Hair and Body is a marriage of my two passions beauty and botanicals. I believe what sets us apart is our deep desire and passion to make high quality products accessible for everyone. I’m excited about a lot of things but I am most proud about finding and sourcing our organic Argan oil from a women’s co-operative in Ighrem Morocco. My goal is to source most if not all of our ingredients from their indigenous countries and find a way to support the people in those countries. I got where I am today by treating my failures as lessons. In 2007 when I began to sell my first oil, I jumped right in because of how the oil was selling. I was young and created a website and marketing material before I trademarked anything or handled any other legalities, later it derailed my growth but I didn’t let it stop me. The next go round of starting my business I was smarter and wiser because of that experience. It’s so important as entrepreneurs not to let our failures stop us from growing and I understand now that’s it’s just apart of the journey. I want the world to know that this is not just my brand but my passion and calling. I truly and deeply believe in the healing power of nature and using what the earth offers to keep us glowing from the inside out. At GreenGold we believe in cultivating your glow with pure and natural ingredients and in the words of my late grandmother, ‘When you keep it pure and simple, beauty is naturally achieved”.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well most of what I do in Atlanta outside of business involves FOOD. I’m definitely a foodie and “mostly” vegan so I love finding new yummy vegan food and Atlanta’s vegan options has grown so much since I moved to Atlanta in 2006. Here’s a list of a few of my favorite restaurants. Tassili’s Raw Reality ( Her wraps are absolutely amazing! Hands down the best veggie wrap I ever tasted.) The hot food bar At Sevananda Natural Foods Market (Pick up some groceries and my products while your at it!..shameless plug) Dulce Vegan (Where I get all of my yummy vegan baked good and deserts.) Plant Based Pizzeria (The best vegan pizza for All pizza lovers.) Le Petit Marshe (Not vegan but an experience, you will thank me after you visit.) Loving It Live (For all my raw food lovers! The only place where I’ve gotten my sea moss for the last 10 years) Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream (What is life without ice cream and they have great vegan options.) Slutty Vegan (Yes, stand in the line, it’s worth it! ) Apres Diem (It’s my favorite restaurant, it’s not vegan but the food is delicious and it’s a Vibe!) The Avocado Cafe (If you can make your way to Alpharetta you don’t want to miss out on this delicious food.) Revolution Donuts (Some of the best vegan donuts I ever tasted, my personal fav is the Orange Pistachio.)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to give a Shoutout to my husband. When I started my business I was pregnant with our daughter, I chose to be one of the first entrepreneurs in my family having no clue what it would cost in time, money, energy and even relationships. I knew I wanted to be a mother and I assumed starting my business would give me more time with my child…and I was wrong! Choosing someone who shows up as an equal partner in parenting has been by far the best decision I could ever make as a mother and a CEO. I’m so grateful to my husband for how I’m able to show up for our daughter, my business, myself and my community.

Website: https://www.greengoldhairandbody.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/shopgreengold
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nneka-otim-861a8641
Facebook: http://facebook.com/shopgreengold
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/greengold-hair-and-body-sandy-springs?uid=zYoNgAtxsGj110K_i7PB0A&utm_source=ishare
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4morBgOXXOXMbRH0Usl8rw

Image Credits
Regis Lawson Photography www.behance.net/rlaws