Interview: Charlotte, a successful repatriation story

Published on 2022-01-14 at 07:17 by Nicola Richards

After living abroad for 14 years, Charlotte moves back to Mauritius in 2020. Amidst the crisis, the young woman had no clue what direction her life would take. A year later, she has successfully created her small business and is hopeful as to what the future holds.

Tell us about you, Charlotte

I moved back to Mauritius in early 2020 after 14 years in the aviation industry, not really knowing which direction my career reconversion would take. I decided that it was time for me to be my own boss. Starting a business during a pandemic was a daring move but I'm so glad I did!

You are the creator of Charlotte's Skin Delights, tell us more about it.

Charlotte's Skin Delights mainly consists of artisanal skincare made from natural and organic skin loving ingredients. When I create and design my products the contents as much as the appearance is of equal importance to me. So far I've only been producing small batches of each collection to be able to focus on the quality of my products while still having a variety of scents and choices to offer.

Lots of expats turn their passion into a business here in Mauritius, how did you start to turn your passion into a business?

I took a big leap of faith when I decided to work on my first collection! I simultaneously received an offer to participate in a market which offered high visibility to both locals and expats on the island. I worked for weeks just to prepare for this event and received a very positive and encouraging response on the day.

Tell us what your day looks like, running Charlotte's Skin Delights.

There's no specific pattern to how my days go by and that's another thing I love about what I do. Being a small business and self employed, I currently take care of everything myself. There are days where I'm driving around, others where I'm at my "home office/workshop". One thing that is consistent is that throughout my days I interact with my followers and customers on social media. Market days are my favourite because I get to showcase and sell my products in person. During the festive season running a business from A to Z all by oneself gets pretty overwhelming! On the other hand it's also very satisfying to see what can be achieved when driven by passion.

How do you reach expats as well as locals with your products?

To make myself and my brand known, I've been actively participating in markets organized around the island since the launch of my small business. This has helped a lot to build a rapport with my customers and they get to know the face behind the brand.

What's your favourite part of Mauritius and why?

I have way too many souvenirs and beautiful experiences all over the island to be able to pick one spot. I believe the beauty and charm of Mauritius is something that captures one's heart as a whole.

What are your plans for the future?

I definitely have the ambition to grow my business, but I also want to remain realistic in terms of the current situation we are facing due to the current health crisis. Any decisions related to my business will be made according to how things evolve and we are now living in an uncomfortable time of uncertainty.

Can you give some advice to budding business entrepreneurs on the island?

The only advice I would give to anyone doing business in any field, is to make sure they are truly passionate about it! That's the most important element and customers can feel the difference when we work with passion.