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Julia Veer of Clay and Glow: 'Marketing products I want to use, rather than have to use'

The company was founded in her college dorm, the products are made on Dutch soil and the packages are shipped worldwide. Julia Veer started the beauty brand Clay and Glow with her partner Randy Feliz three years ago at the age of 21. A brand based on only natural products that in a short time is sold in 300 Ici Paris XL stores in the Benelux and is a hit on social media. Julia breathes young entrepreneurship, but who gave Julia the tips and tricks for entrepreneurship?Text: Mical Joseph
Image: Clay and Glow

What was your very first job?

"My first side job was as a shelf stacker at one of the Hoogvliet supermarkets. As an adolescent I always really wanted to work, but I had to be fourteen years old. As soon as I hit that age, I applied immediately and started working. My dream job at the time was to advance to cashier. That never materialized."

How did you end up in your current job? 

"From the age of eighteen I was already doing business and I set up small webshops. In these shops I sold other people's stuff and at one point I wanted to market my own product, a product that was really mine. To be honest, I had no idea which product that would be, but when I developed acne and had a huge allergic reaction from a product I was using to reduce my acne, I knew. I started developing skincare that was as natural as possible.

I noticed that within the natural skincare brands there was a lot of boring green packaging and a 'silly' image attached to it. I decided to do my own research and market products that I want to use, rather than that I have to!"

You run the business together with your partner. How do you bring out the strongest in each other?

"From the very first moment, we have been doing business together. Randy, my partner, was immediately behind the idea and also wanted to go for it one hundred percent. We bring out the strongest in each other by keeping motivating each other and visualizing which goals we all want to achieve. The law of attraction is very important to us.

Randy is very practical: when I come up with another idea, he puts both feet on the ground and keeps me focused on the things that really matter. He also lets me be the "leader," so Randy strengthens my management skills. I like to take charge and like to be in control, he is very relaxed about this. Strengthening my part in Randy? By letting him enjoy being himself."

Social media is a big facet of Clay and Glow. Can you talk a little bit about the strategy?

"Social media is very important to Clay and Glow. This is because it is key to have direct contact with the customer, as it makes it much easier for her to pass on feedback. Even before we launched the products, we had built up a large online following through social media. We informed them about the launches and so Clay and Glow actually got support right away.

In addition, we mainly use Instagram to ask customers what they are missing from our product range. This way we know what the customer wants to see from us and what product we should launch. Clay and Glow is a 'community focused brand,' so for us the socials are very important and we cannot do without them."

A few weeks ago, you won a great prize. Talk!

"True! Clay and Glow won third prize at the Dutch Beauty Awards in the 'Made in NL' category. The biggest beauty brands participate in this competition, so it's cool that we could receive this award. All the products are made and produced in the Netherlands, so it is nice that this fact is rewarded in this way. But... next year we will go for the first prize of course."

Who was your wheelbarrow?

"I can't really single anyone out specifically, but I think it was a combination of different people we gathered around us. Randy and I were not at home in the beauty world ourselves and have several experts around us who know exactly how it works and who had Clay and Glow's best interests at heart."

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

"I think it's super cool to see the brand grow. You have to imagine that we started the company from my student studio three years ago and are already working with the biggest brands, retailers and celebrities. My drive and passion are fueled every day by Clay and Glow.

I also get a lot of energy from the beautiful reactions and messages we receive daily from customers. Bad skin can make someone so insecure and when we then receive messages that our products make someone confident again and finally acne-free, I find that beautiful to read. It gives more strength to persevere."

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

"Every time I learn something new and try to develop myself. Because before, I was really someone who wanted to do everything myself. Randy and I only hired someone after a year to take over certain tasks. Before that I was really up to my ears in work and thought that only I could do the work. It is not realistic to do everything myself and certainly not if I want our company to continue to grow. That period was a good learning moment for me.

We also don't want to hire too many people too quickly, because that can be risky for your business. Especially since we have no investors, we think carefully about all the expenses we make. Sometimes, of course, you have to take certain risks for the next step and in order to grow."

What advice would you give your younger self? 

"I would advise myself not to worry so much and let go of certain things. I can be a control freak which causes me to overthink a lot and fear it will all fall apart. It will all work out, as long as I never give up and keep pushing forward, I don't have to worry."

Have you been a wheelbarrow for anyone?

"I hope so, because I get a lot of personal messages via Instagram or LinkedIn from women who say they want to be entrepreneurs too. I really enjoy giving advice and giving them a motivation boost that way.

Inspiring and motivating people to be entrepreneurs is something I enjoy immensely. Being an entrepreneur is of course an enormous amount of work and not for everyone, but if you do it with a lot of passion and pleasure, it doesn't feel like work and it only pays off in a good way. You make people happy every day with your products and the accompanying service."