Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in skincare but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Levi Chulick, Co-Founder of Averr Aglow, located in Duluth, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am in the business of self-confidence and giving the best first impressions. One of the ways I am able to do this is through the brand Averr Aglow. At Averr Aglow, we create all-natural skincare products that are focused on helping women with sensitive, problematic skin. However, I am also working on creating a full line of skincare and grooming products just for men. Our customers are those who are battling with problems like sensitive breakout-prone skin, and they haven't been able to find anything that works for them.
Tell us about yourself
From a young age, I have always been fascinated by owning a business. I started my first business when I was 10, then sold the business at 21. I went on to build a couple of other businesses before I started Averr Aglow with my wife. I must say that this business has been the most satisfying one to date to work on. I saw the struggle she went through trying to clear up her skin from breakouts, a problem that plagued her for many years, and when I saw and felt the happiness and joy she had, along with the self-confidence this gave her to go from hiding behind makeup to barely wearing any in public. I knew this was something that could really change people's lives for the better, and I wanted to build something out so we could share it with the world.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is twofold; one is seeing and knowing the products we are creating and producing are truly helping people get results like they have never had before. We get emails, direct messages, and comments in our Facebook group weekly of stories from those we have helped and how much we have changed and saved their lives. The gratitude that is expressed in these notes to us is very humbling and truly drives me to push even more. The second part is the backend or behind-the-scenes of Averr Aglow. We have grown from working in a basement to a 113,000 sq ft facility in just three years. So to build something like this out, providing jobs and career opportunities, and supporting our local community has been an amazing journey.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Playing the mental games and exercises that come with being a business owner. Being a successful business owner is 80% mental and 20% physical. Any business that is not growing can always be connected to the leadership of that company, either thinking or acting the opposite of that rule. Willing to accept that rule and get obsessed with understanding that to grow a business, you must get comfortable with pushing the limits of "your mental threshold of control." You must be willing to look at yourself in the mirror and honestly ask, "What areas in my business make me uncomfortable to think about or talk about?" Then go learn how to develop and lean into those areas fully. Do not allow your mind to trick you by dabbling in it, or the silent self-talk of this doesn't make sense. Why am I even doing this? Instead, study those who are great at the things you're uncomfortable with, then act on those learnings at a massive scale no matter how uncomfortable you feel at the moment doing them.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
When starting a business, fear is generally what holds most people back, fear of failure, fear of being viewed as a fraud, fear of success, and what that might bring. The antidote to fear is action. Don't overcomplicate starting. Ask yourself, what is one simple thing I could do now that would move me closer to the results I want? Then act on it without giving yourself time to think about it. Then rinse and repeat; you will get momentum from the action. Your fear will be gone, and results from the work will start to show.
When running a business, you must first decide if you want to be a business owner or a business operator. There is no wrong answer here, but what I find most of the time is everyone wants to be a business owner but runs the business as if they are after the goal of being a business operator. Business owners focus on finding the best person for each role in the company, and they know their role is that, not the day-to-day task that makes the business run. Business operators love being in the trenches and doing the day-to-day tasks and feel they do it best, and it's really hard to find someone that will do it as well. Again, neither of these is right or wrong; it just depends on the results you want from your business. If you are building a business for more time and money, then you need to focus on being a business owner. If you want something that keeps you busy, makes you a decent income, and you love doing it every day, then you want to focus on being a business operator.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://averraglow.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/averraglow/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levi-chulick-94420117/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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