An Aussie mother who sold her house to fund her beauty brand has revealed her difficult journey to climb the ladder of success, and how believing in her vision made her a multi-millionaire.
Emily Hamilton has lived away from home for 13 years in order to get her Coco & Eve off the ground, and her sacrifice has ensured a bright future for the brand.
Coco & Eve turned over $6million in its first year, and the brand is now making ten times as much in annual sales having just crossed the $60million mark.
Fans cannot get enough of the brand, with one bottle of its best-selling Sunny Honey fake tan sold every 20 seconds.
The Antioxidant Face Tanning Micromist is also a best-seller, having sold 120,000 units in just four months, single-handedly making more than $5.4million in sales since January 2023.
Coco & Eve turned over $6million dollars their first year, and the brand is now making ten times as much in annual sales
Emily Hamilton has lived away from home for 13 years in order to get her Coco & Eve off the ground – and her sacrifice has ensured a bright future for the brand
The brand’s vegan and cruelty-free hair, tan and body products are inspired by Bali beauty and tropical ingredients.
Coco & Eve can be found online worldwide, and at Sephora, Ulta, and Boots.
Emily has been living with her husband and children in Singapore for the last 13 years.
The entrepreneur was tugged in two directions between having a home she called her own back in Australia and building a brand, and she chose to pursue the more volatile option and took a chance on herself.
The brand’s vegan and cruelty-free hair, tan and body products are inspired by Bali beauty and tropical ingredients
Emily sold her childhood home for funds to kickstart her brand – which still remains 100 per cent privately owned.
‘I just needed to invest in myself and my idea and focus on the brand,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘I come from a family of entrepreneurs so while I knew I had their support, the pressure to succeed was still high.
‘There was a long while where I doubted myself and what I put on the line – but that is just part of building a business.
‘You’re constantly thrown in situations you can’t control and new environments. But the more you put yourself out there, the less afraid you become.’
Emily revealed being an entrepreneur was like honing a skill: ‘You have to keep practicing, and then you have to trust yourself and your decisions.’
Thousands cannot get enough of the brand – with one bottle of its best-selling Sunny Honey fake tan sold every 20 seconds
Emily revealed being an entrepreneur was like honing a skill: ‘You have to keep practicing, and then you have to trust yourself and your decisions’
The mum admitted that the worst part about being her own boss was the lack of work/life balance.
‘Honestly – there’s just absolutely no balance, I’m always working,’ she said.
‘I try my best to work early in the mornings or after my children have gone to bed in order to spend time with them – but it’s really hard.’
The mum said that her family supporting her and getting excited every time they saw a Coco & Eve product at a store kept her going.
‘It’s really hard not to burn out and take everything too seriously,’ she said.
‘But my children love the products – they love to try them out and tell me what they like and what they don’t,’ the mum added.
Emily had been working in the beauty industry for seven years before launching Coco & Eve.
‘When I started looking into what would eventually become Coco & Eve, the vegan and cruelty movement was just finding its legs,’ Emily recalled. ‘It meant a lot to me because I was so conscious about consumption.’
Emily sold her childhood home for funds to kickstart her brand – which still remains 100 per cent privately owned
She saw an opportunity to build something new and exciting at a time where popular demand intersected with her personal strategy and ran with the chance.
‘There was – and still is – a lot of brilliant hair care in the market,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘But I wanted to occupy a space between supermarket and salon-certified products. Coco & Eve works to directly connect with the consumer and ensure they’re taken care of spectacularly.’
The brand’s first product – and still their best-selling – is their nourishing hair mask.
‘I was travelling a lot at the time, and flying between Singapore and Melbourne,’ Emily recalled.
‘Your hair goes through a lot when you’re out and about – the chlorine, the sea water, the different kinds of products you’re using on the go can all cause damage.
‘Which is why I wanted to create the most perfect hair mask,’ Emily said. ‘It was an instant hit with our fans and is still one of the top sellers.’
The Antioxidant Face Tanning Micromist is also a major best-seller, having sold 120,000 units in just four months, single-handedly making more than $5.4million in sales since January 2023
One of Emily’s missions was to tell a story with every product, and all of Coco & Eve’s releases have been crafted around a narrative.
‘We’re really focused on packaging and ingredients,’ she said. I really think what we’re doing is completely unique to everyone else in the market.’
Emily’s advice to new entrepreneurs would be to know what they’re getting into before starting their own business.
‘Building a brand is very hard,’ she said. ‘There are a lot of sleepless nights and a hoard of stress that comes along with it.’
‘But if you’re excited about an idea, you should test the waters as soon as possible,’ Emily advised.
‘I started working on Coco & Eve part-time at the beginning and only dove head-first when we started getting a lot of traction.’
She added, ‘You need to contextualise that if you’re starting your own business, it’s a long game. It’s your own and you’re in it forever – that’s what you’re committing to.’
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