On this week’s edition of The Founder, we feature Stephanie de Silva. Stephanie is a young entrepreneur from the United States, and she moved to Sri Lanka, three years ago with her husband, Heshan de Silva. An alumnus of Assumption University, Massachusetts, USA, Stephanie holds a BA (Hons) in International Business and a Masters degree in Business. Upon graduating from university, Stephanie worked in the packaging industry at Rand-Whitney; a large corrugated manufacturer. Her role started in Marketing, and subsequently, transformed into Sales; this enabled Stephanie to win the ‘Salesperson of the Year’ award in 2016. She was the youngest person in the company’s history and one of only two women to ever win the award. At present, Stephanie heads the marketing arm of Alliance Agencies Limited, Sri Lanka, where she works alongside her husband, Heshan and her sister-in-law Serana, to develop new business opportunities for the group. The trio have recently launched, Alliance Autocare (PVT) Ltd. and will also be shortly launching a new clothing and lifestyle brand. In 2021, amidst the global pandemic and the subsequent multiple lockdowns in Sri Lanka, Stephanie decided to launch her own company, Luxey, retailing American skincare and beauty products in Sri Lanka. Stephanie is also a member of the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC), Sri Lanka. 

What inspired you to start LUXEY, and what separates it from its competitors?

I was inspired to start Luxey out of my own frustrations when trying to find products in Sri Lanka. Being from the United States, I grew up with the luxury of having almost instant access to any product available. Coming to Sri Lanka, I blindly assumed this same privilege would be here as well. After speaking to many women in Sri Lanka about the lack of availability for certain products, especially women-centric products, I was inspired to start my own business selling American products in Sri Lanka. What differentiates Luxey from other retailers selling foreign products are two things, immediate availability and confidence in customer service. Everything I sell and advertise is in stock and ready to go out for immediate delivery. There is no waiting time for your products and therefore, no unexpected price changes with taxes or delivery fees. The second differentiator is I sell products with the confidence that they are coming from someone who actually knows the brands and products. I only promote products which I am fully confident about, meaning I have personally used them before, or I know someone who has used them. No matter where you are it is extremely difficult to purchase personal products online without having tried them before, especially cosmetics or skincare. Hence, to solve this I try to create a connection with all my customers and really find a product that will work for them, their unique body, and at a price point they are comfortable with. 

Why did you decide to enter this industry?

Luxey has always been more than just selling makeup and skincare for me, it is a way to help other women feel like their most confident self. I believe what makes a woman so strong and powerful is in her confidence. For some women, feeling good about yourself includes the way you feel about your appearance. It isn’t the only factor of course, but personally I feel more confident when I feel good about the way I look on the outside too. I wanted to give women in Sri Lanka this same confidence by selling products that are high quality and at a variety of price points. 
As an area of personal interest, I have always been very passionate about women empowerment and helping lift other women up, both in business and life. Before coming to Sri Lanka, I worked in a male dominated career field and constantly battled up against the pressures of being a woman in business. I was extremely fortunate to have a boss who always advocated for my personal and career development. It is from this experience of having a business mentor that I developed the confidence to be a strong, independent woman in business. Unfortunately, I know this doesn’t happen for all women in business, and especially less so in Sri Lanka. Having been very fortunate to know the strong impact a mentor can make, I feel I have the opportunity now to help be a mentor for other women so they can grow and develop, both personally and professionally. 

What was the journey like, from the start to building the business up to where it is right now?

For Alliance Agencies, I handle the marketing, digital and social media. Within the group there are several different companies, all of whom operate in very different industries ranging from industrial printing equipment, agriculture, real estate, freight forwarding, consumer goods, and now, auto care. To handle the marketing for such a diverse group of companies has been a challenging role but one which I have enjoyed thoroughly. In order for this to be successful, we have created unique marketing plans for each company based on the target audience we are trying to reach. For example, social media marketing using organic and paid campaigns has been very successful for our consumer brands, but not necessarily the strategy we use for our real estate or freight forwarding divisions. My experience working in the United States has also helped as I handled similar marketing related projects while working there, like our corporate rebranding. The rebranding here took about six months and included new logos, websites, marketing materials and brand guidelines. It has been really encouraging to measure the results and impact of our marketing efforts here in Sri Lanka. Likewise, with Alliance Autocare, our newest company, it has been really exciting and fun to start a new brand from scratch. Creating the brand identity, identifying markets, building brand awareness campaigns, all of it from the very beginning. 

Being an entrepreneur, what was it like facing the global pandemic? How did it affect the business?

There isn’t a person, business or industry who hasn’t been impacted by the pandemic. Whether it be staffing, logistics issues, shutdowns, delayed project timelines, you name it, anyone in business has now dealt with it, and had to overcome the issues. With us now going into year three of the pandemic, I try not to reminisce about the old ways of business, and instead think about how we can capitalize on the current business climate. This attitude of always looking forward for new ideas and opportunities is what has made Alliance Agencies remain successful, and even grow during the pandemic.   

What has been the most frustrating thing about being a start up?

The most frustrating part about being a startup is the initial few months! When you have this great idea and are so excited about getting it going but don’t have enough time in the day to get it started soon enough! I love the adventure and refreshed energy that a new project brings, plus having the opportunity to learn about a whole new industry or product. It is within these initial few months that you really get your passion going for your new project and that passion is what translates into success. 

Explain a few marketing strategies you have implemented, and what makes them successful?

Some of the latest marketing strategies I have implemented have been initiatives related to internal employee engagements and internal company branding. While this may not seem directly related to marketing, it is so important and connected! Every employee of your company, from the President to an Executive to a Cleaner, represents your brand to the world every single day. It is vital that every employee understands the company’s mission, brand, values and how they personally add to the company’s success. Positive internal messaging and branding then turns into positive interactions with your current and potential customers. 

What motivates you to wake up in the morning and do what you do on daily basis?

I am motivated by knowing I am doing something positive for the day and making an impact, be it small, on the world around me. This is for both personal life and work life. For work my impact can be increased social media engagement on a new campaign, or having a really positive interaction with a customer online resulting in increased brand awareness or sales. I enjoy having these small positive interactions throughout the day and then reflecting about them in the evening. 

What is your definition of the word - success?

Success to me is waking up every day with a smile on your face and knowing that you are truly happy in your life. You don’t need to be a Founder or an Entrepreneur to be successful. A               stay-at-home mother who manages a household can be successful the same way a business executive can. Success to me is a mindset based on how happy and fulfilled you personally are by yourself and those around you. I believe in the power of a positive mindset and attracting the positive energy you want in your life, and this will breed the success you want for yourself.

Who are your role models?

My role model is my former boss whom I had whilst working in the United States, Jim Bauchiero. He has made a great impact in my life and has made me into the person I am today. He took me under his wing from the day I started at the company and gave me opportunities to progress in any direction I was passionate about; be it marketing, sales, operations, management, new business acquisitions, the list is endless. Having someone who so firmly believed in me gave me the confidence to be successful, at work and in my personal life. My goal is to be this same person for others because I know the hugely positive impact it can make.

Was your family supportive of your new venture?

My immediate family was very supportive of my move to Sri Lanka and starting to work here. Being given such a unique life opportunity to move across the world has been such a positive experience. Of course, I miss my family and friends back home, but with all the technology available I am able to Facetime and communicate with everyone routinely. Plus, when I do go home, I appreciate the time I do get to spend with my family even more because it is limited. 

Have you tried and failed with anything in the past?

I wouldn’t say I have failed at anything, but I have definitely spent time evaluating a few business opportunities and have eventually come to find out they wouldn’t be possible or successful in this market. One in particular, we spent a good amount of time doing a market research study, overseas trips, business plans and ultimately determined it wouldn’t be a good fit for our company or the market. Even though we spent time and resources on this, I wouldn’t say it is a failure, but more of preventing a failure. When you do your due diligence properly and go in with not only excitement, but also realism, you are able to set yourself up for success.

What is your end goal?

My end goal is to continue growing Alliance Agencies and Luxey. The opportunities for business in Sri Lanka are wide open and we hope to continue being a part of the growing economy here for many years to come. I am excited about the new ventures we are looking at for 2022 and hope to share them with you in the future! In the meantime please check us out at www.Alliance.lk and keep an eye out for our new retail brand launching shortly.

What advice would you give other start-ups?

The advice I would give to new startups is to find something you love and to not lose your passion! If you love what you’re doing your passion will keep you going when you hit a hurdle. It will keep you motivated to keep looking for the doors that will open and to help you keep your head up when things don’t go smoothly. Passion is what makes someone hungry for success and motivates you to keep going forward every day.