Grace Tutsirai Zichawo, certified Beauty, Etiquette & Wellness Consultant
Nov 09, 2021
Tell us about how you got started.
My story stems from me being a culprit of poor habits, constant fatigue, low energy and zero motivation. I used to struggle accomplishing the daily tasks of both business and personal needs until one day I chose to be intentional of how I felt and take care of my own body’s wellness needs and work goals. Starting with setting aside time for self-care and wellness activities, I began to see changes in my productivity, motivation and energy which through constant practice and consistency turned to a passion and from a passion to a business – Grace Beauty Chic.
The pioneer product concept of Grace Beauty Chic is a wellness box; a care package comfort box containing all the wellness and beauty essentials for enabling a self-care day in the comfort of your home (or better yet your bathroom!). Sharing my transformation journey coupled with the growing trend of beauty, wellness and self-care, I successfully managed to launch the business and recently extended it to retailing professional products to spas and salons which they use for administering various treatments to their end clients.
What makes your company unique?
Grace Beauty Chic has grown to be less of a company and more of a community. The relationship and camaraderie we have with our clients makes us unique. We don’t only sell products. We serve, we consult and we walk the journey of beauty and wellness with our clients ensuring that they get their desired results while enjoying their wellness journey!
No business is without setbacks, can you tell us about a time when you faced a significant setback and how you recovered from it?
Everyday has its unique challenges. I always say running a business is not for the faint-hearted; it’s a spiritual, emotional and physically demanding experience. The biggest and most common for many businesses has been the occurrence of the COVID 19 pandemic. Being forced to stop our popular signature wellness experiences for an indefinite period in 2020 pulled us back financially but it gave birth the popularity of our wellness boxes and unique online content which allowed us to still serve clients by advising them on how to embrace wellness in a pandemic and providing the essentials needed to do so.
How do you define success and to what do you attribute your success?
At Grace Beauty Chic success is a referral from a client. Knowing that a client was so satisfied with either our services or retail and made the independent step to share with their circles means a lot to us. It’s an affirmation that we are serving as best as we can, we are giving results and we are trusted. Having said that, I attribute my success to my loyal clients who continue to support us and to bring more clients.
What's next for your business, what will it look like in 5 years?
As our tagline says “My World of Wellness”, in five years’ time my hopes for Grace Beauty Chic will be to have created a one stop shop for all our clients’ wellness needs; be it physical (beauty products & wellness experiences), mental, intellectual or social you name it. We want to be able to give our clients holistic service which will lead to them living enriched healthy and happy lives.
What do you think the future holds for Africa-focused entrepreneurs and advice do you have for entrepreneurs who are just starting out?
The world needs to start enjoying original African products/content on a regular instead of just as a treat. There is great potential for growth in Africa. As a well-travelled global citizen (I have visited 34 countries to date) my plan is to bring that inspiration to Africa and to spice it up with some African concepts. I would advise African-focused entrepreneurs to explore and appreciate other cultures and related international business respective to their field, study their success business blocks and build from that inspiration while adding their own taste of Africa.
Owning a business while balancing a personal life can be challenging; how do you take care of yourself?
My business heavily relies on my ability to maintain my own self-care pursuits since my own transformation story is one of my unique selling points, so self-care is definitely a priority in my life. Once a week I ensure to have a solo day where I sit and journal my feelings, I pray, I go over my goals and I do my gratitude ritual. I am a wellness addict, so this now all comes naturally to me. I ensure to get 3 days of exercise each week, I always do daily reading, I enjoy weekly spa treatments (because why not!) and I am very particular about the food I eat and the hours I sleep.
What is your favorite quote or mantra? What keeps you going?
“Be strong – You never know who you are inspiring” – Knowing that I am building a foundation of inspiration for a younger girl keeps me going. The times when I feel like giving up I am pulled back up by the mere thought of not wanting to let a younger Grace who is watching me down.
What is your favorite app or a business tool that you can't live without
Not an app but a book. No matter the genre (which is normally spiritual or personal development) reading is as eating or drinking water to me. Continuous learning is a priority in my life, special thanks to my mother who made it illegal for to go to sleep before reading when we were growing up.