Sandra Lavie
CEO of LUCE Beauty
What inspired you to start your business?
My kids inspired me to start a business from home. I came back to the US from Peru with my 2 kids, 5 and 10 years old at that time. It was almost impossible to think about getting a job and leaving the kids in school until the end of the day, especially for me because I don't have any relatives in this part of the world. After thinking about what type of business I could run from my kitchen table, the idea of opening an e-commerce website came to my head quickly.
What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?
My advice will be to tell them that nothing in life is easy, we need to work hard to get it. Persistence and determination are two key words that help me daily to achieve my goals.
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
As an entrepreneur, wearing different hats is a necessity but can lead you to sleep only 5 hours a day. As your business starts to grow and you deal with new opportunities and tasks learn to delegate. This is one of my weaknesses. Delegating is very important and sadly not enough business owners embrace this. They think they will do their own bookkeeping, or marketing, office cleaning or filing. Why do things which you are not good at or which are well below your skill level? Pass these off and allow yourself to do what you do best and grow your business.
What are the biggest obstacles you see for young female entrepreneurs?
The greatest challenge for new female entrepreneurs is working longer and harder than they ever expected, especially if they have kids that also need their time. But everything can be done if we organize our time. No one will be more determined to see your business succeed than you. You need to be committed to that.
What do you love about being a business owner?
I love seeing the fruits of my harvest. I love to see how ,after long nights, my business little by little is growing up. The satisfaction is indescribable.
What’s the hardest part about being a business owner?
I think the hardest part is probably just achieving a healthy balance between work and your personal life. When you are a business owner, your business takes over and becomes your entire life. But even if you own a business that you feel passionate about, it is important to keep some sort of balance and distance between work and personal time. You need to find a way to combat that tendency, because it is an easy trap to fall into, especially if you run your business from your home. Running a business is always stressful, and even if it is a huge part of your life and you love it, you need to separate it from your down time if you want to be a sane human. Taking breaks from work is so important, and so hard when you don’t get to leave your business in the hands of a boss when you go home at night.
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
I would give every minute to spending extra time with my children.
What’s the best way to start your day?
With a cup of coffee, catching up on the morning news, and of course using my LUCE products
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a boss, and run my own business.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I… take a deep breath, hold my head up high and tell myself I can do this.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… don't sweat the small stuff.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… my children.
By this time next year, I… will be placing my products in more major stores!
To get my creative juices flowing, I… sit back with a cup of coffee and listen to music.
luce beauty
LUCE is committed to creating high quality products for everyone. They believe that everyone should feel confident in their own skin. LUCE is so much more than a brand, it is an opportunity to create a connection with customers. What started as a small project has blossomed into an affordable lifestyle brand creating the best quality facial products and accessories in the market.
