The beauty of inclusion: a founder and retailer's journey
By Marcy Medina | for The SKUpe
A version of this story first appeared in The SKUpe's weekly newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free, here.
Beauty entrepreneur Nyakio Grieco, founder of the Relevant and Nyakio brands and co-founder of inclusive beauty marketplace Thirteen Lune, shares what she’s learned about building trust, saying no and the true meaning of inclusivity.
What’s been the biggest factor in your success as a beauty brand founder and a beauty retailer?
I attribute my growth in all areas to the ability to listen to the consumer and find spaces where you can better serve an underserved consumer with storytelling and cultural relevancy. When I founded my first brand, Nyakio, in 2002, I tapped into family traditions—my grandmother was a coffee farmer and my grandfather was a medicine man and as a first-generation American of Kenyan descent, I saw an opportunity in premium skincare to celebrate ingredients from Africa. Thirteen Lune, the retail platform I co-founded in 2020, was about creating a safe space for other founders to enter retail.
What does your slogan “the beauty of inclusion” mean to you?
We are hyper-focused on serving a consumer and a founder that [have] felt left out for far too long. We were never focused only on Black and brown founders. We also invite brands that may not be Black or brown founded but are inclusive of everyone. We carry so many Latina-founded brands. We’re also debunking the myth that Black and brown founders only make products for themselves. The opportunity is less in words and labels and more in showing our community an amazing trip around the globe through our founders and brands. That’s our special sauce.
As a retailer, how do you build trust and long-term relationships with your customers?
It boils down to doing your best to be transparent and to listen to customers.
What's a lesson you've learned about growing a business that could help other retailers?
The power of saying no. It can be really exciting to want to do all the things, but it can be a detriment to the bottom line. Slow and steady wins the race. Take risks, but make sure to keep profit top of mind and do the research on ROI. Also, open your store where there is consistent foot traffic. Where we are in L.A.’s Larchmont Village, people walk in off the street because they hear cool music and see our eyebrow salon and they want to discover and hang out.
What's one thing you're excited to try in your flagship store?
Later this year we plan to invite founders and community to live-sell in our space to reach customers who can’t visit us in L.A.
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The SKUpe is curated and written by Marcy Medina and edited by Bianca Prieto
