We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diamond Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Diamond thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission is to provide quality skincare that is safe and effective. Not only do I have sensitive skin, but I myself have fallen prey to skincare products with fancy packaging that promise results, but don’t deliver. After several years of searching, I made a huge decision- to not only make skincare products using pure, natural ingredients, but to make them accessible to everyone.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As I mentioned previously, ROU (which means “raw” in Afrikaans) came about because I think that everyone should have access to inclusive and affordable skincare. I make all-natural soap, exfoliators, masks and moisturizers. I provide a wide variety, so that my customers can choose what works best for them and the skin they’re in. The ingredients used in these products address skin conditions like acne, eczema, dullness, dryness and more.

What sets ROU apart is the attention to detail, the combination of art and skincare as well as having something for everyone. I am most proud of being able to not only turn my love for aromatherapy and the psychology of color into a business, but to be able to support other locals in the process.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn is “One person can do it alone.” Before I got started, I’d convinced myself that I could formulate recipes, make the products, handle finances, manage social media, man booths at markets and whatever else was required. I’ve since realized that alone you go faster, but with the help of others you go further.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

My favorite sales story to date is when I vended at my first Farmer’s Market. It was April 9th, 2022. The Black Farmer’s Market was being held in Durham and I was so incredibly nervous. I’d packed as much as I could carry, but was only making soap then. I was sure that no one would be interested in what I had to offer and sales would be horrible.

To my surprise, I sold just under $1000 worth of soap that day and my youngest sister was the one who helped me do it. From then on, I decided not to doubt myself or my business, because I clearly had something people wanted.

Contact Info:

• Website: Rousoap.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/rousoap
• Facebook: Facebook.com/rousoapandskincare
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@rousoap?_t=8chBYJQNp3S&_r=1