For most of my career, I have worked in Demand and Supply Planning. What is that? Well basically, it is stock management, we are the ones who are responsible for making sure supermarkets are stocked with the right amount of inventory. If we order too much and incur wastage it is our fault, we under order and go out of stock, the buck lies with us. A thankless job, but for some reason I enjoyed it. I have worked in food manufacturing, drinks manufacturing and cosmetics.
In 2018, after working with a well known cosmetics brand, I was made redundant and I guess God sent me on this new path. Shortly after finishing up there, I went on a girls trip to Ghana. While at the market one day, my cousin convinced me to buy a block of shea butter. I as a bit dubious about buying it given that this solid butter as good as I knew it was on the skin, was quite a tough material for the harsh British weather. My cousin said not to worry as she would whip it for me and it was a lot cheaper than the now £30 small pot of lotion I would have to spend on lotions now that I wasn’t getting my discount.
Well, we got home, and life got in the way, my cousin has a family, a job, school etc.., as much as I love her, she just didn’t have the time to whip this for me, and I am not mad at her as I learned how to do this myself. So, on my return to the UK, I found myself contracting for a while, (I did take on a permanent role late 2018 but we don’t talk about that), and in between that researching around Shea Butter whipping.
As fate would have it, one day they were offering a free business planning course at my local library. The facilitator, was a lovely lady, but very forceful and put me on the spot for a business idea. For whatever reason I blurted out “a Shea butter business”. Long story short, she pushed me to go for it, I gave her a sample, she loved the product and I made a sale. Frimpomaa Beauty Products was born.
Since then, it has been a real labour of love. I realised the formula I had in the winter months was not conducive in the summer months, so it’s taken a lot of time, research and adjustments but I am loving the process.
Initially I was going to concentrate on products around Shea Butter, and skincare, however, after my next trip to Ghana I discovered a world of natural products that is taken for granted but has so many health benefits that I can share. Frimpomaa Beauty evolved to Frimpomaa Naturals. So here we are, I am no expert but I am enjoying this learning experience, the journey and most importantly I hope that you enjoy my products too.
So that’s the short version of where I was to where I am today. I hope to have more stories for you soon.
Until the next time,
Efia x