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Nailed It!: How one woman turned a dream business into a huge success by Jeanette Sklivanou

September 4, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

Building your own business and brand in a competitive market can be intimidating and scary, but entrepreneur and author, Jeanette Sklivanou, has written Nailed It! to give you some solutions. This inspiring book is packed with practical, step-by-step strategies for breaking the cycle of fear and creating a dynamic brand that can compete with the best.


Jeanette Sklivanou, author of Nailed It!, knows from practical experience what it takes to turn an entrepreneurial dream into a big success story. Her business, Safe ‘N’ Beautiful,  created in 2011 was inspired by her experience as a mother and her personal commitment to natural cosmetics and concern for appropriate children’s play products. This led her to launch her flagship product, Snails®, the same year. They are the world’s first Kid’s washable nail polish and No 1 in sales worldwide. As a relatively young company, Safe ‘N’ Beautiful has enjoyed resounding global success. Already the company exports to 79 countries around the world and those export partnerships are poised to grow. Safe ‘N’ Beautiful has also won esteemed industry recognition as Greek Export Award winner in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Today, Safe ‘N’ Beautiful PC is a visionary European cosmetics pioneer manufacturing internationally renowned, innovative and premium cosmetic brands for both children and adults.

Read Nailed It! to:

  • Learn the necessity of research before launching your brand

  • Discover how to build your own empire step-by-step

  • Turn your business idea into a reality

  • Understand the methods used by other business owners to thrive

  • Overcome failure and mould your business into a success

Author Quotes

For anyone who is starting a business, especially women, the obstacles are massive and sometimes appear unsurmountable. Finding a unique selling point and developing a successful brand is a challenge.

I believe any woman can become an entrepreneur if she wants to. I’m writing this book not to brag about my success, but to share my journey with Snails in detail, to reveal how it was done. After all, if I can do it, so can you.

Anything is possible and with hard work and dedication, any dream can come true, however big it is.

About the author

Jeanette Sklivanou is a British-Greek entrepreneur. She launched Safe 'N' Beautiful to produce the first washable children's nail varnish made in Europe. Jeanette had no experience in the cosmetics industry but her drive to design a product her daughters would love enabled her to build her Snails brand to become a global success. Ten years on, it is selling in seventy-nine countries and iconic stores such as Hamleys in London and FAO Schwarz in New York.

www.safe-nails.com


Why LoA loves it…

We all know the phrase, “when life throws you lemons, make lemonade”, but for many women entrepreneurs it’s all too true and in adversity often comes strength and innovation in business. That’s why Jeanette Sklivanou’s story is so powerful, as it shows how it’s possible in the toughest of times to see a gap in the market, create an innovative product offering, and build a truly successful business on the back of it. There are so many learnings in Jeanette’s inspirational and practical book, and it shows just what can be achieved with the right vision, determination, sheer hard work, and a never-give-up attitude. A great read for every woman entrepreneur who wants to realize their business building dreams. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa

In Essential Tags Books
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CELEBRATING 10 YEARS


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Sydelle Willow Smith, a pioneer of solar-powered mobile cinema in Africa
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Babette Kourelos, a passionate artisanal bread-baking business builder
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Thandekile Moloko, an entrepreneur empowering her clients’ financial futures

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Sustainable salt and pepper…At Lionesses of Africa, we are passionate about supporting  sustainable brands, and a great example is Oryx Desert Salt, founded by Samantha Skyring in South Africa. This growing
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Sustainable fashion accessories…We love showcasing women business innovators, so this morning we are featuring the work of sustainable lifestyle brand, Reform Studio, an inspirational eco-focused manufacturing
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Full Bloom Style…Add a touch of summer florals to your wardrobe with one of the beautiful new Bloom handbags from Femi Handbags in Nigeria, founded by Femi Olayebi. With their eclectic pops of colour, there&rsq
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Time for tea…If you love tea, then this Cool Chamomile tea from the Melvins Tea brand, founded by Flora Mutahi in Kenya is just what you need. The brand is part of Melvin Marsh International, the Kenyan-based f
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Vibrant Ghanaian craftsmanship,…We just have to share one of our favourite accessories of the year, this beautiful hand-woven bag created by award-winning designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi and her AAKS brand in Ghana. We lo
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Contemporary South African Chic…Knowing exactly how to spot a gap in the marketplace is key to the success of any fashion brand, and Mapholo Ratau, founder of Ledikana in South Africa, has achieved that goal. For h
Image of the Day / The 1964 Brand

Modern relaxed fashion…Olakunmi Oni is the founder of The 1964 Brand in Nigeria, a fashion business that proudly promotes self-care through minimalist clothing for the modern woman. Loyal patrons of The 1964
Image of the Day / Adèle Dejak

Big bold accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The brand c
Image of the Day / ReelFruit
 
Healthy snack treats…We love showcasing Africa’s women agribusiness builders, and ReelFruit, founded by Affiong Williams, is inspirational - it’s the largest fruit processing, packaging and distributi
Image of the Day / Oryx Desert Salt

Sustainable salt and pepper…At Lionesses of Africa, we are passionate about supporting  sustainable brands, and a great example is Oryx Desert Salt, founded by Samantha Skyring in South Africa. This growing Image of the Day / Reform Studio

Sustainable fashion accessories…We love showcasing women business innovators, so this morning we are featuring the work of sustainable lifestyle brand, Reform Studio, an inspirational eco-focused manufacturing Image of the Day /Femi Handbags

Full Bloom Style…Add a touch of summer florals to your wardrobe with one of the beautiful new Bloom handbags from Femi Handbags in Nigeria, founded by Femi Olayebi. With their eclectic pops of colour, there&rsq Image of the Day / Melvins Teas

Time for tea…If you love tea, then this Cool Chamomile tea from the Melvins Tea brand, founded by Flora Mutahi in Kenya is just what you need. The brand is part of Melvin Marsh International, the Kenyan-based f Image of the Day / Afropian

Storytelling through accessories…Afropian, the Pan-african lifestyle brand founded by Ethiopean entrepreneur Hortense Mbea, is a rare, fully hand-made in Africa brand. It uses traditional know-how in a modern way t Image of the Day / AAKS

Vibrant Ghanaian craftsmanship,…We just have to share one of our favourite accessories of the year, this beautiful hand-woven bag created by award-winning designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi and her AAKS brand in Ghana. We lo Image of the Day / Ledikana

Contemporary South African Chic…Knowing exactly how to spot a gap in the marketplace is key to the success of any fashion brand, and Mapholo Ratau, founder of Ledikana in South Africa, has achieved that goal. For h Image of the Day / The 1964 Brand

Modern relaxed fashion…Olakunmi Oni is the founder of The 1964 Brand in Nigeria, a fashion business that proudly promotes self-care through minimalist clothing for the modern woman. Loyal patrons of The 1964 Image of the Day / Adèle Dejak

Big bold accessories…We are big fans of luxury jewellery and accessories made with love and passion on the African continent, and Adèle Dejak in Kenya is the epitome of handmade luxury. The brand c Image of the Day / ReelFruit
 
Healthy snack treats…We love showcasing Africa’s women agribusiness builders, and ReelFruit, founded by Affiong Williams, is inspirational - it’s the largest fruit processing, packaging and distributi

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