Student and entrepreneur, Clara Gaudefroy tells us
Clara Gaudefroy is a second year Luxury Brand Marketing and International Management MBA student at Sup de Luxe, but also a full-time entrepreneur!
She is launching Sens cosmétiques, a brand of cosmetics inspired by alternative medicine, made in France. She tells us about her career as a student entrepreneur.
Why did you choose Sup de Luxe and the MBA Luxury brand marketing and International Management?
I chose Sup de Luxe for its professional approach: I needed to make my own experiences and the prospect of having evening classes in second year allowed me to do what I wanted to do, namely work full-time on my project, Sens Cosmétiques.
What was your motivation for starting your own business during your studies?
I hesitated a lot at the beginning, out of fear, because I felt too young, because many people told me that I had to have some experience in a company before starting. In order to weigh up the pros and cons, I did the simplest thing: ask those who had done it. I approached entrepreneurs/students to ask for their feedback, but also older entrepreneurs. It was important for me to make sure that the project was financially feasible, but also to have the support of my family and friends, which is essential for me in the success of my project.
I already had some experiences on my CV, I did my best to get a nice internship in a nice house in my first year at Sup de Luxe, then I started the project during my second year at Sup de Luxe.
In my opinion, there is no "right time", you can never be ready enough, the project will never be completed and that's not a big deal: the important thing is to live your dreams even if it's scary.
Tell us about Sens cosmétiques, from its creation to its current events, through its concept and its ambitions.
I always knew that I would one day launch my own cosmetics brand. The idea of Sens Cosmetics came to me during a trip to Bali where I went alone for two and a half weeks. During this trip I wrote, did yoga, ate healthy, meditated, explored. As the days went by I felt better and better. It really changed my life and my perspective on it: I understood that my physical and mental well-being were linked and that one could play on the other.
It was then that I wanted to transmit this discovery through my passion for facial care and prove that taking care of yourself and your well-being was important.
Alternative medicines are in vogue at the moment and are the symbol of this holistic message (treating the whole human being). I wanted to promote well-being through this type of medicine through cosmetics.
Sens Cosmétiques is the first brand of cosmetics inspired by alternative medicine, made in France, natural, cruelty free.
In the short term, my goal is to create several ranges of care each on the theme of an alternative medicine (Phytotherapy, Ayurveda, Lithotherapy ...).
More than a brand, Sens wants to be federative and create a community, among others through social networks, podcasts, and newsletters... Testimonials from alternative medicine practitioners will be sources of information on the field, organizing live breathing classes, meditation, yoga, etc...
In the long term I plan to propose a spa where Sens products would be available and where conferences (on the theme of alternative medicine, mind/body reconnection, etc...), yoga and meditation classes would be organized. I would like to propose a massage card elaborated as the treatment ranges will be.
Two months ago the Sens Cosmétiques project became more concrete: I launched the social networks which quickly exploded: I now have 1200 subscribers. I share a lot about alternative medicine thanks to the networks but also the podcast and the newsletter through interviews with practitioners, beauty and well-being tips. At the same time, I am actively working on the creation of the first serum inspired by phytotherapy, which will be released (I hope) in 2021.
Tell us about your choice of DMP (Design Management Project, a team project required for the MBA) and how it can respond to a problem in your company.
For our Design Management Project, we started with the question: "What should Sens, a new holistic cosmetics brand, bring as an experience to its target customers in order to educate them on the concept of the brand and to build loyalty? ». We chose to work on Sens because the members of the group kindly suggested it to me: they wanted to position themselves on something concrete and bring their stones to this project. This DMP already brings a lot to Sens: more opinions about the brand (both good and bad), more challenge, more theory and a retro planning on a Scope that I hadn't experienced before: the concrete customer experience that Sens will bring to its customers once the product is launched, normally in September.
What can we wish you for the rest of your career?
One could think of "success" but in the end this is not my primary goal. I just want to enjoy my project, and even if I wish with all my heart that it works, I know that no matter what the outcome, I will be proud to have launched myself and to have learned from this experience. I am already extremely grateful for what is happening and the turning point Sens is taking just two months after its launch.
Tell us your vision of luxury in one sentence.
Luxury for me is being able to choose what you want to do with your life: a supportive environment, time, security and love.
To find out more about Sens cosmétiques: https://www.senscosmetiques.com/