Souad, or Susu as her friends call her, is a passionate and vibrant woman that has found peace and happiness within the world of natural products. What started as day to day small habits, developed into a whole new business idea, now called Shea & Cocoa, a nature-based cosmetic brand offering a holistic approach to skincare.

Susu dedicated 10 years of her life working for a company in Ghana. She was juggling her main job with the cosmetic business but because of lack of time she couldn’t dedicate as much attention to it as she would have liked to. After a while she grew tired from the idea of working for someone, that is when she decided to quit and dedicate herself 100% to her passion and start a completely different life as an entrepreneur. It was really challenging at the beginning but after some time she managed to create more of a stability for herself and now is living her best life.

This whole idea started because of how damaged her hair was. Having moved from Kumasi to Accra, she had to adapt herself to new habits, including alternative ways of taking care of her hair. That is when she started to research about natural products available, shea butter being one of them. She had no clue, all she knew is that she wanted to go natural. All the research led to the idea of developing her own business. The more she got into it, the more joy she experienced.

One day one of her friends sees an ad on Facebook about someone selling a soap kit, and encourages her to buy it. Eventually she buys it and starts researching on soap making, soap now being one of her best selling products.

The idea of developing a natural cosmetic brand and all the research that came with it, opened her to a whole new world which she found fascinating. She started paying more attention to nature and realised the power and beauty it holds. That is when she began planting her own plants and herbs; salvia, basil, rosemary, lemon, turkey berry, amongst many others! Most of the ingredients you find in her products come directly from her garden, and this is not only applied in her business but also in her daily life. When cooking, she comes out to her garden to find inspiration in what ingredients she can use. They come direct from the source onto her plate.

“I always go by one motto: if you can’t eat it, don’t use it”

Just by changing her habits and integrating more natural products and living a more sustainable life, Susu saw a huge improvement in her overall health; glowing skin, non damaged hair, no more chronic pains, even weight loss. All this led to a boost in her confidence and an overall state of happiness which is directly transmitted as soon as you talk to her.

When you take the plunge and start your own business idea you have no clue that you just bought yourself a ticket to a rollercoaster ride full of ups and downs. However, it is really important we support and respect small business owners and entrepreneurs like Susu so she can keep growing and inspiring people to also take that small step into a more happier and healthier life.