At the age of 32, Reika Roberts found herself being a single parent to twin baby boys following her marriage breakdown.
As she was dealing with her divorce, the Sydney woman was juggling the demands of motherhood and her booming skincare brand dermaviduals.
Working long hours in her garage before she converted a bedroom into a makeshift office in her family home, the mother-of-two flicked through the Yellow Pages to call up local businesses to promote her products.
Fast forward nearly two decades, the now-49-year-old self-made entrepreneur has transformed her humble brand into a multi-million dollar skincare empire.
Self-made entrepreneur Reika Roberts (pictured) has revealed how she transformed her humble brand into a multi-million dollar skincare empire
‘My business started back in the days of the Yellow Pages,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I remember the enthusiasm talk to people [over the phone] about my brand. There were knock backs but I wasn’t upset. It’s about resilience and creating what was in front of us. It took about two to three years to lift the business off the ground.’
The idea to launch her own brand came to mind when the career-driven woman wanted a balance between running her own business and juggling her family.
‘The idea stems back to when I was pregnant with twins. I knew that the corporate world wasn’t for me. I was working in a very demanding recruiting role with long hours,’ she said.
‘Shortly after the twins were born, I realised I needed a framework for business where I could have the flexibility to be able to run a business and inject time to being a mum raising children.
‘A turning point for me was balancing out work and life. I started looking at what business I could start successfully, and I came across skincare.’
At the age of 32, Reika Roberts found herself being a single parent to twin baby boys following her marriage breakdown
From humble beginnings: The products were first delivered on the back of a ute
As she was dealing with her divorce, the Sydney woman was juggling the demands of motherhood and her booming skincare brand
She started working on her humble brand from home.
‘We were working from home for three years until everyone had enough. We initially converted the garage into an office, before we turned a bedroom into an office.
‘We had two staff members, and we’d all come into the bedroom and worked. The products were stored on shelves in the garage.’
As her booming business took off, Ms Roberts said she was dealing with divorce – but she was determined to give her twin boys and herself the life they always dreamed of.
‘When it comes to separation, you realise you go from two incomes to one,’ she said.
‘The divorce took place during my fourth year of trading. There were lots of changes within my world, and it made me valuate my purpose. I knew I had a lot more to offer. I was just putting my energy into too many different places.
‘It was a realisation for me to chase my dreams and work hard, successfully growing a business where nothing could stop me.
‘I divided my attention equally between my world and my work. It was challenging but I always made sure there was time for my children.’
As her business took off, the office space started to expand over the years
From the family’s garage to her very own warehouse: Shortly after her divorce, Ms Roberts turned over a multi-million dollar business
By sharing her story, the entrepreneur (pictured with her long-term friend and business partner Simone Vescio) wants to empower other women in pre, during and post-divorce to reach their full potential
And shortly after her divorce, Ms Roberts turned over a multi-million dollar business.
‘The fifth year of trading was the start of the multi million turnover – so my divorce was pivotal in the growth strategy,’ she said.
‘It was a pinch me moment seeing the figures. But it was more than figures, it was seeing people change their lives through their skin and self-esteem issues.
‘Since my divorce, our turnover has doubled. I have taken the business from a small company mentality to a visionary, award winning SME. And with it my pride, determination, confidence and knowledge has soared.
‘There is life and success after divorce and I want to support and inspire other women in my situation to take the leap if they are being too compromised of their potential.’
Ms Roberts now has a team of 24 staff members, a warehouse and an official office
By sharing her story, the entrepreneur wants to empower other women in pre, during and post-divorce to reach their full potential.
‘In the face of adversity, opportunities had to be made,’ she said.
‘I knew that if I kept on my existing pathway, I could not create the dreams I had for myself, or my children. It was all down to me and things had to change.
‘After being told I was a bad mother, fat, and only ever thought about work, and that nothing else mattered in my life, my self-esteem and confidence were virtually non-existent. I had to gain back my life and my passion.
‘Find your passion and something that you love. Look at how you can develop and enhance something into a business. There’s no stopping when you love what you do.
‘Take a risk and go for it, invest in yourself and don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough.’