We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Idio a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
In early 2021, I had been enabling and helping clients achieve their dreams of freedom and become serial entrepreneurs by creating products, cosmetics, and revenue streams for them and their families. They all desire to create something out of nothing and initiate international business through manufacturing and sourcing relationships. The problems they face are quite complex. They do not know much about cost structure, global logistics, distribution, manufacturing; and they risk losing money and clients as they venture into this new journey. Ultimately, I’ve seen a lot of the people who fail in these areas, end up giving up on their dreams and I don’t want this to happen.
As someone who has had 7 years of international business experience in manufacturing and sourcing; physically lived in China and having direct connections to the ecosystem and environment that exists there- I have delivered cost effective solutions helping many clients launch products. Frankly, I have been in their shoes. I have lost and I understand the emotions of entrepreneurship as an entrepreneur.
So what I do for my clients is quite simple. When they decide to engage with me, I take them through a discovery call. I make sure I am aligned on their goals and desires. We then move, with their permission, into research and development. We find a match on a product that they want to distribute. We develop a price structure using my preferred network of providers. We create an approved sample product, produce it, and began distribution.
When we follow this process, we create excellence together and we launch a product. It is less stressful for them to use my process. They gain an understanding of the resources that I use and the journey that I create with them. They gain a trusted partner in me that they can use moving forward; and achieve their dreams of freedom and creating additional sources of revenue for themselves and their families.
Now for me, I love to help people solve problems, remove barriers, and create this freedom. It is also my dream come true to help people in these scenarios.
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?
Hair By Akoni is a product and service company that sources hair extensions and creates natural hair care for texture hair for both men and women. Our services include consulting business that need sourcing and manufacturing from China.
What sets Hair By Akoni apart is that we not only offer hair and beauty products but can also help you start your own hair and beauty company. We speak to the origins of our products. We know where our hair comes from, and continuously meet with our manufacturers. Our herbal hair care is unisex and made in-house with ayurvedic ingredients. Further, we traveled to the source to learn and see the “how-to” of our business, so people end up hiring us because we have done all of the hard work. If one wants something in life, he or she has to go after it, and our brand and leadership embodies that.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
I do manufacture my products. At the time I moved to China, I was able to conveniently visit factories throughout the whole process. My advice to all is to meet your manufacturer. Pre-covid, it would have been best to at least meet your manufacturer first so they know that you are serious and that there was no distance too far for you to check your quality assurance. Post-covid, I would still give the same advice. Yes the internet has opened business even more, out of necessity but you can never be too sure until you shake hands in person. Trust but verify.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Social Media and word of mouth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hairbyakoni.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hairandbeautyconsulting www.instagram.com/ndihairtools
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hairbyakoni
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/stephanieidio
- Twitter: hairbyakonipage
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/hairbyakoni
- Other: tiktok: hairbyakoni2