Meet the beauty millionaire Work-From-Home Millionaire Mum, VALERIE PEDRO. In this exclusive interview with www.thepenvoiceblog.com, she talks about her entrepreneurial journey from the scratch to being a growing millionaire as an independent beauty consultant with a Swedish cosmetics company. Excerpts….
TPB: Why did you decide to go into beauty business at your PhD level?
I decided to go into my line of business because being a first time mum I wanted to work from home so I could be a part of my son’s life. I wanted to be able to spend time with my family while earning considerable income from the comfort of my home. This is a big challenge for so many women in our society today. They don’t get to spend time with their families even though they are earning enough from their jobs. While some are not even earning so much and that’s why I consider what I do as a blessing.
TPB: As a woman, how can other women be financially empowered through your kind of business?
As a woman myself, my passion is to help other women fulfill their dreams and live up to their God-given potential; to live a life of impact while achieving time and financial freedom.
TPB: What have you achieved so far in this business?
In just less than two years of joining this company, Oriflame Cosmetics, I’m a top leader and top earner in my company. I’m also a brand ambassador for my company. I’ve travelled within and outside Nigeria, all expenses paid. Also I’m not the same person I was before I joined in the area of self and leadership development.
TPB: How did the journey begin?
I was a Master’s degree holder studying for my PhD with no job and a new born. I knew I had to do more with my life. There was no sense of purpose or fulfillment and that’s when i came across this opportunity. Since then, there has been no going back. It has been an awesome experience and I won’t change it for anything.
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TPB: What are the major challenges?
The major challenge is that there are some many misconceptions around network marketing and these make lots of people shy away from it. Some people have this idea that it involves chasing family and friends and bothering them or going all about hawking products. Some people also mistake it for pyramid schemes or ponzi schemes.
TPB: Why the work-from-home mum niche you carved for yourself?
A lot of people don’t believe that you can actually earn 6-7 figures working from home. I don’t call myself a stay-at-home mum anymore because what I do is actually work. Some offices or businesses don’t even generate the kind of revenue that my team generates in a month. So to me, it’s a profession on its own just like being a banker or a doctor.
TPB: What can you say about the beauty industry in Africa?
The beauty industry is a multi-billion industry in Africa and so many people are already leveraging on it. The beauty industry has been around for decades and it’s not going anywhere. Did you know that the beauty industry in Nigeria is worth 178 Billion Naira? Did you know that cosmetics are the first thing you use before you eat daily and that everyone wants to look good regardless of race, tribe, religion or social status? It’s time that more people start looking at these numbers.
TPB: How do you balance your business and family?
It’s so easy to balance business and family because I set my own hours. I choose when and where I work. My business runs on auto pilot so it doesn’t necessarily require my physical presence to function effectively. So I can help my son with homework, play games with him, take care of his sibling and spend time with hubby or plan something for the weekend.
TPB: How does Valerie Pedro find fulfilment in this business?
The fulfillment that this business gives me is what I love most about it even almost more than the money. Meeting amazing people everyday and being a part of their success story is something I treasure a lot and I’m grateful to God for giving me that opportunity.
TPB: How have you been able to empower and inspire other women in the business?
I’ve been able to inspire other women by showing them that they can be and do more. We as women are created to lead a life of impact and this opportunity helps me and so many women do that.
TPB: What advice do you have for other African women across the world?
My advice for other women across the world is to look into entrepreneurship. We are no longer in the industrial age. One of our major responsibilities as women is to take care of our families. You can still run a home based business and create a life of impact and fulfillment.
