Dear reader,
Hello and my name is Sheikha but you can call me Shay. I am the founder of Shay Beauty Cosmetics, a small Arab-owned cosmetics brand from Singapore. Like many young women, I am passionate about many things and I have always wanted a blog of my own to voice out my thoughts and add value to the lives of others by sharing some of my experiences.
However, before I jump right into it, allow me to introduce more about myself. I started my entrepreneurial journey when I was 18 when I was just a diploma student in retail management. At first, it was just a way of earning some income to support my single parent household but it grew to be a passion of mine and something that I truly love. As societal standards dictated that, as an older sibling in my family, the responsibility automatically fell onto me.
Those were the hardest months and years of my life. I didn’t have many friends or even a figure to look up to or footsteps to follow and coming from a low income family, I didn’t have much to fund my business except for all my savings and most of my income from part-time jobs I worked after school and even small investments from my mom. Many discouraged me by saying how the beauty industry is a very saturated market and that I wouldn’t be able to last long here.
Without any prior knowledge on anything beauty and, shit, I had no clue as to how to even apply a simple eyeliner or even blush and contour but I knew how these tools would help me feel better about myself and feel more confident. It wasn’t just because of societies standards, it felt more like a calling.
If anyone told you that it is easy, they can go to hell cos they’re full of shit. This will not be easy at all! Starting a business will really take a huge toll on you. It will even reveal to you who your real friends are. You will find that most of your customers or clients hardly come from your circle of friends or hell even your own family. If you have a friend with a small or local business, click here to find out FREE and easy ways on how to support them in pursuing their dreams and passion.
Fast forward 4 years later, to this very moment, my brand has survived and even grew and the products my brand offered has changed the routine of many women locally. Not only my business, but the advancements of technology like social media has given me a voice and a platform to share with people who were once like me and inspire future business owners to do what they love doing.
I even got the honor to partner with a coaching academy, Financial Coaching Academy (FCA) to share with others about my journey and experiences as well as how I overcome the challenges I face. Hence, I created this very blog for a one-stop experience for basically anyone who needs some help, guidance and even inspiration to start or to grow your own businesses ranging from business, finance and social media strategies that I believe in, has helped me, and that I have adopted.
Thank you so much for staying with me this far and for reading my story and taking the time to get to know me. Leave a comment down below to introduce yourself, I sincerely hope that this platform will allow me to get to know you better too ❤️
Shay Bamadhaj 