Written by The Strategy

In Collaboration with Ambari Beauty

It’s time for the world to realize that the future is female. There are so many female entrepreneurs who inspire us and we wanted to know more about how they got their companies off the ground. Welcome to our series: The Future Is Female, where we sit down with inspiring female entrepreneurs and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how their companies operate. 

Getting the coveted Kardashian stamp of approval, having products carried at Bergdorf Goodman, and selling out within three days at Neiman Marcus is quite the achievement, especially for a company that just launched in 2019. The company we’re talking about is Ambari Beauty, the luxury skincare brand that has everyone a-buzz.  Nisha Grewal, an Indo-Candian entrepreneur, launched Ambari Beauty with the goal of bringing luxury skincare to the home – in the middle of a pandemic.

The B.C. native, mother of two turned her passion for medi spas into a multi-million dollar beauty enterprise at record time, and has left us in awe. She’s the epitome of hustle, grit and determination. With three product offerings at the moment, and a Partnership with Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh that will continue throughout the remainder of the year, we can’t wait to see what Nisha Grewal has in store for us next.

What made you start Ambari Beauty?

I noticed a growing consumer demand for products that could deliver professional-level results from home, especially during the height of the pandemic when people weren’t going out much. The timing of our launch aligned with this new surge in demand and people were instantly drawn to our product offering. Ambari was in the right place at the right time to provide a luxurious at-home skin care experience.

However, the inspiration behind Ambari has been forming long before the pandemic. I’d always loved indulging in medi-spa treatments like skin resurfacing, chemical peels, and hydra facials because the results were instant. So many products on the shelves of major retailers promise results, but after weeks of using them you see no real difference in your skin. I wanted to create something that would get you the same instant results as your favourite pedi-spa treatments, but formulated for convenience and ease.

How did you come up with the name and what inspires Ambari the most?

Ambari Beauty’s name comes from the Hindi word ‘Ambari”, the name of a valuable East-Indian hemp plant. Ambari has been heavily inspired by the natural ingredients of my Indian heritage. My mother would often use turmeric paste on her skin, a common adaptogen with anti-inflammatory properties. Adaptogens are ingredients used in many Indian households for everything from cooking to skin and hair treatments. The power of these natural ingredients ultimately inspired me to incorporate adaptogens into Ambari Beauty’s proprietary formula, The Modern Blend. This blend combines smart adaptogens, clinical actives, and broad-spectrum oil to give you glowing, glass-like skin from the very first use. I developed a luxurious skincare formula by taking ancient ingredients and enhancing them with modern innovation.

What did your career look like before Ambari Beauty, and how did you get here today?

Prior to launching Ambari Beauty, I was in the middle of stying for my Chartered Financial Analyst designation while raising my newborn son. Pursuing a CFA designation ended up being very helpful for me in the long run. I learned how to analyze different economies and make calculated decisions that would ultimately impact my success as a CEO and business owner down the line. However, becoming a CFA was not my passion. I knew there was more in-store for me and I wanted to challenge myself. Getting to where I am today wasn’t easy. I spent a lot of time researching and familiarizing myself with the market, networking and pitching investors, collaborating with experts to create and test our formulas, and so much more. People often ask me how I was able to do all this while raising two kids. I’ll tell you – it wasn’t easy, but if you work hard and are determined to achieve your goals, you will get there.

What was the biggest struggle or hurdle when you first started?

Launching Ambari Beauty during a global pandemic was definitely a decision that came with a whole set of risks and challenges. We faced uncertainties from external factors, such as market fluctuations and issues with supply chain management. At this time large brands were also going bankrupt. It was nerve-racking to say the least. But, I believed in my vision and knew from all of my research that the desire for luxury at-home skincare was on the rise. My risk paid off in the end. Our innovative formula resonated with luxury retailers Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, whose buyers sought out our line for distribution shortly after we launched.

Has there been a moment when you’ve realized you were making it?

There have been several moments, but the most notable one was definitely seeing members of the Kardashian family using our products and speaking so highly about them at the recent Poolside with Poosh event, which kicked off Ambari’s four month partnership with Poosh. To have such influential people holding my products and taking pictures with them was a great milestone for me as a business owner. I couldn’t be more grateful for the visibility that Poosh has given to us as a new brand.

Do you have any advice for young entrepreneurs?

To be successful, no matter the industry, you need to be willing to do the brunt work that it takes. That might mean taking on an internship to learn about an industry or business from the bottom-up. The more you can learn about how businesses operate, the more successful you’ll be as a business owner. When I first started my business, I was handling all of our supply chain management, keeping track of our finances, as well as being on calls all day with our legal teams, product chemists and so much more. Having insights into every aspect of my business has allowed me to make more informed, strategic decisions as a leader.

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