Meet the Founder: Adeline Yeak, Zove Beauty
Adeline Yeak (Atto Accelerator 2019) launched Zove Beauty with the mission statement - confidence breeds beauty. Ever since she left the accelerator program, Adeline’s Jade Rollers and Gua Sha tools have been relieving the stress and improving the skin of women all over Australia. It was good to catch-up with Adeline, find out what she’s been up to and hear more about Zove Beauty’s success.
Tell me more about where the idea for Zove Beauty came from.
My family has been in the beauty industry for over 20 years and so my parents were always educating me on how to take care of my skin. In fact, my fondest beauty memory is when girls would crowd around me at boarding school in Perth and watch me do my nighttime skincare routine. As a timid young girl, being able to help my girlfriends take care of their skin helped me grow my own confidence and, without knowing it, support theirs, too.
What area of the industry are your parents in?
My extended family founded a chain of hair and beauty spas in Malaysia and Singapore. This meant that I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs where long car rides mainly consisted of us kids listening to the business calls our parents would be on. Safe to say, I picked up on a few tips here and there. 😉 I've always loved that my parents genuinely enjoyed what they did for a living, and have wanted that for myself since I was a young girl.
So, what was it about Jade Rollers and Gua Sha that appealed to you?
Everything that comes to life at Zove has to serve a purpose and I wanted the experience of a Zove product to bring a sense of calm and relaxation to every customer. I also knew that I wanted to create products that help relieve people of their stress while also building internal confidence in those who might not have had a great experience with their skin. Jade Roller and Gua Sha tools do both of these things - they’re amazing for releasing jaw tension (so common for busy go-getters) and are fantastic for the skin. I thought they would be the perfect product to introduce Zove Beauty to our customers.
Was being a startup founder always part of the career plan?
Yep! 😂
What was the first thing you did to get Zove Beauty up and running?
We started our Instagram page 2 months before launching the brand. Social media has been game-changing for Zove because, when we started, we didn't have a marketing budget and so everything had to be organic! It’s a strategy that worked for us and we reached 7 countries within our first 100 days with no paid advertising. We’ve now got followers in over 22 countries.
What were you doing prior to starting Zove? Did you start the company as a side-hustle or were you all in from the get-go?
It was a side-hustle whilst I was in a business development role for another company, which meant I was able to fund Zove with my regular income. After about a year I decided to take the leap into running Zove full-time.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from founding your own business?
Don’t be too shy (or proud) to ask for help. Build genuine relationships, try to stress less and enjoy the journey.
What would be the one piece of advice you’d give to other female founders looking to launch in the beauty space?
Surround yourself with people that will cheer you on, no matter how tough it gets. Be realistic with finances, make sure you save enough to get the ball rolling and always have a buffer, just in case. Read books, listen to podcasts, there are so many free resources out there to get you started. Find a niche, and stay true to your vision from day one. Most importantly, learn to be kind to the people you meet and enjoy the experience – the business will mean nothing if it's just about profits and numbers.
What does 2021 (and beyond) have in store for you as a founder?
I love that I still have so much to learn and I’m super excited to continue growing as both a founder and as a business. We’ll be expanding our range to include skincare later this year – manufacturing in Australia is a challenge but we’re loving the learnings that have come from it. Keep your eyes peeled and subscribe to our VIP list to be the first to hear when it drops!
After being part of Atto Accelerator 2019, and going on to have such success with Zove, how do you think the accelerator program helped you?
So, so much. For me, it was the bite-sized, weekly learnings that really propelled the business forward. It got me incorporating things in the business that I didn’t even realise we needed – game-changing.