How I made my first million on Instagram — Debbiebarbie

No. The basic thing is knowing how to handle clients. There are situations where a client would try our product and they might break out initially. I let them understand that when you change your skincare product at times, your skin might purge. That doesn’t mean it is bad; it’s just that your skin is trying to cleanse itself and get used to the new product you are introducing to it. Skin purging doesn’t last for more than three to four weeks. So when you explain, they are patient.

Makeup should not always be the solution because sometimes your skin just needs to breathe. If it doesn’t breathe, you will break out. In this part of the world, we don’t read the ingredients on our products. There are some products that when you use them on your skin, based on the kind of skin you have and the ingredients, you will break out. By reading labels, you become familiar with these things.

Have you ever been at the receiving end of any stereotype?

Are you kidding me? Why would you not put your business on social media, especially Instagram? Trust me, billions of dollars flies on Instagram every day, you just have to know your way around it. I made my first million on Instagram. So, my advice is that people should put their business online, especially with the situation of the world now. Things are changing now and the world is going online. E-commerce is taking over traditional commerce; you just have to maintain a physical store for those who still need to walk in. No one would come from the UK to buy products in Nigeria, but social media changes that. All my international clients got to know me through my social media handles.

I don’t have any other business, this is all I have for now and it pays the bills. We expanded and we now do facials and other skin treatments. We have a spa too. The fun thing about this business is that if you know how to go about it, there is a lot of money on it. Virtually every woman wants to look good. People want to bathe, I sell soap, cream… you can’t run out of business when it comes to beauty.

In business terms, you need to realise that your target clients must be able to afford you. My target clients are working-class ladies. Still, we are quite affordable.

Was this your dream career?

No. The plan was to be an air hostess. But life puts you in situations where your dreams change. I lost my father at some point. I’m grateful for my mum because after my father passed on, she worked hard to put us through university. I never wanted to work for someone else because I knew I could never get the kind of money I want. My mother didn’t like it when I ventured into this, but I explained to her and reminded her that she was able to care for us because she was also in business and not working for someone.