Today we’d like to introduce you to Anja B
Hi Anja, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi there, my name is Anja. I started Nyli Beauty in 2019 due to my daughter at the time had a bad case of eczema. I was born and raised in the island of Barbados and we have a lot of at home remedies and use natural plants and bush there for medicinal purposes. I wanted to create something natural for my baby girl’s skin as I did not care for all the ointments and medicines that were prescribed for her, so I decided to make her a body butter made with shea butter and mango butter. I started using these butters on her skin daily to help keep her skin moisturized and from getting dry and flakey as that made her itch really badly. I then gave some of my products to my family members and friends to try and it became a product that people demanded. I was given the idea to then start selling it. As I continued to use the product on my daughter’s skin started to improve. I started doing some research as the demands for different products and that is where I birthed Nyli Beauty. The name Nyli is very sentimental to me because it is a mix of 2 of my children’s names at the time. I have a son named Eli and 1 daughter Nyah.
Now in 2025, I have added an array of products to my brand. All of our products are handmade by myself and sometimes with the help of my kids. I have a 5 year old now who is very interested and involved in skincare and helping make products. I am proud of the feedback that we do receive as it gives me an opportunity to improve on my products.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Running a small business like Nyli Beauty has come with its challenges, from people not taking my pricing seriously to others underestimating the legitimacy of my business. Because my products are handmade with high-quality ingredients, I price them accordingly.
At first finding the right market to target has been a journey of trial and error, ensuring I reach customers who truly appreciate and invest in holistic skincare. I have customers who have been with me since 2019. Despite these obstacles, I remain committed to growing my brand and educating people on the quality and purpose behind Nyli Beauty.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, I am a Leasing Agent. I am also a Certified Medical Biller/Coder. I am a full time mother of 3 and I am most proud of my children and my accomplishments since coming to America. I came here when I was 16 years old. I had a lot of challenges with one of my parents when I moved here and it made it extremely hard to want to stay in America. I moved away from that parent and started my own life, had my kids, put myself through school and started my business. I am most proud of the fact that I was able to achieve a lot on my own.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
As the founder of Nyli Beauty, taking risk has been a crucial part of my journey. One of the biggest risks I took was launching my business in the first place – investing ingredients, packaging, a lot of money, packaging, and branding without knowing how people would respond. I believe in my products, but it was still a leap of faith.
I have also opened 2 Nyli Beauty stores here in Jacksonville, however, those did not work as planned but I still continued to push through.
Pricing has also been a challenge. Some people don’t always care for pricing, but I had to stand firm, knowing my products, knowing the quality I provide as they are high quality and made with premium ingredients. My ingredients are sourced from Africa. I was very lucky to find a supplier who sources the raw ingredients especially for my body butters from Africa and I pride myself in those ingredients.
Each risk I’ve taken has come with lessons, and while some didn’t work as planned, they’ve all helped me grow as an entrepreneur. I’ve learned that taking calculated risk is necessary for success – sometimes, you just have to trust yourself and go for it!
Pricing:
- Turmeric Cleansers – $5 – $21
- Whipped Body Butters – $10 – $15
- Sugar Scrubs – $15
- Body Oils – $8 – $15
- Beard Care – $15 – $30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nylibeauty.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nylibeauty
