Celebrating the first birthday of their website and National Women’s Entrepreneur Day, it was the perfect time to chat with Chennille Williams, founder and owner of the gorgeous online beauty shop Above & Beyond Everything.
Hi Chennille, it’s so nice to see you. Would you like to tell us about yourself and your journey to launching Above & Beyond Everything?
Before launching Above and Beyond Everything, I realised that life never seemed the same after the pandemic. Shopping for beauty products had lost its life and excitement. There was nothing on the market that had luxury packaging that you looked forward to opening every time you got a delivery. So, one day, I realised the market needed beauty products that would take makeup to the next level. This was how Above and Beyond Everything was born!
That’s a wonderful origin story. The pandemic changed so much. How are things going now?
So far, it has been going great, and I have met so many different people since starting a business. I have also had some opportunities I never thought I would have so soon. Recently, Above and Beyond Everything was chosen to have a pop-up shop at the UK Beauty Awards! I was so shocked when I got the email with this opportunity; I still don’t think it’s sunk in yet!
That’s brilliant news; congratulations! We love to hear what you are up to. What did you learn most about running your own business?
I have learnt so much from running my own business, and I realised that it requires a lot of patience, time, and perseverance. Without those three things, you cannot expect your business to be a success. I think many people don’t realise that sometimes you have to put a lot of time and effort into building a brand. So, you have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of time when building a business and, most importantly, listen to what the customer wants and needs. This is how you will acquire new customers and have returning customers, and providing good customer service builds trust for your brand.
Those three things are crucial, aren’t they? We find that ourselves at Adventure. Has anything surprised you?
I am surprised at how quickly the brand has gained so much attention on social media. Seeing good customer feedback is always good. Also, I love seeing videos of customers using the Above and Beyond Everything products!
That’s so lovely. Social media is a great way to gauge a business’s growth. It must feel so rewarding to see customers’ videos. What has worked well for you?
My organisation has allowed me to gather information more quickly to develop the brand. Doing customer polls on social media has also allowed me to figure out what the customer wants and needs to ensure I am bringing the right products to the market.
You really are one of the most organised clients we have met. You’re amazing! It’s great that you have found such an accessible way of understanding your customers’ wants and needs. What has been more difficult?
I think it has been difficult trying to stay on top of tasks that need to be done and it can become overwhelming. It has also been difficult when there have been supplier issues and trying to resolve these issues in a short time as possible has been challenging. But where there’s a will there’s a way!
I’m the same. The to-do list sometimes feels so overwhelming that it’s important to take a step back and do each task one by one. As I said, we have always been so impressed with your organisation and attention to detail. What was important to you when you were developing your new brand and website?
I think the most important thing when developing a brand is to understand what the consumer is looking for and offer something different and unique. I wanted customers to be able to look good and feel good about themselves, and by giving them good-quality products with luxury packaging, I have been able to achieve this.
Customer experience is important in order to make a brand succeed, and you want your customers to feel that they can return to purchase something time and time again. Therefore, developing a good website is key. You want to make the customer experience as easy as possible. An easy-to-navigate website with good photography keeps the customer interested and shows what you have to offer as a brand.
Hopefully, we helped with the latter, haha! Your products are so gorgeous—what was important to you about them?
The most important thing about the products I wanted to create is good quality, products that customers are going to love. I wanted to give a luxury packaging experience as this represents the brand and differentiates the brand from its competitors. Good packaging also makes your products easy to gift around holiday periods such as Christmas time without customers worrying about what to buy for their friends or family.
We were so happy when you chose to work with us because we wanted to work with you so much, too. Why did you choose to start with a professional design and website company when we know there are many other things to spend your money on?
I decided to start with a professional design and website company because I wanted to build a brand that customers could trust. I also wanted a good website design because this is a representation of the brand.
Your website is just 1 year old (practically exactly)! You have achieved so much and I love your social presence and all your posts. Business owners do say to us they find it difficult to find the time that socials need. Do you have any advice for them to help them?
I think planning your social posts in advance always helps, and always come up with creative ideas to keep your customers interested and engaged. You can do this by posting about upcoming events/sales or services you offer.
You should be so proud! What are you hoping to achieve next year?
In the next year I want Above and Beyond Everything to grow and extend its product range in order to have more products for customers and continue to grow the brands presence.
We have no doubt you’ll do both! And lastly, before we take up more of your time, just a few quick fire questions:
- Chocolate or Crisps?– Chocolate
- Wine or Beer?– I don’t really drink so maybe a nice glass of Fanta Lemon
- Walking or cycling?– Neither
- Dogs or Cats?– Cats
- Tea or Coffee? – Tea
- Summer or Winter?– Summer but I love winter evenings in front of the fire
- Red sauce or Brown?– Red Sauce
- Emailer or brochure?– Both
- Driving holidays or flying?– Flying
- Active holidays or beach holidays?– I think relaxing holidays are the best
- Cosy nights in or wild nights out?– Cosy nights in
- City or Countryside?– Definitely, a city girl
- Passenger or Driver?– Passenger
- Soaps or Box sets?– Box Set
- Star Wars or Star Trek? – Star Wars
- and one for you Chennille – Lashes or Glitter?! Both as they work well together!
Thanks so much, Chenille, and if you’d like to see all of Chenille’s hard work, please visit Above & Beyond Everything. They really are perfect for Christmas presents (and Christmas parties!).
