Running a business can’t be as tough as losing both your parents before the age of 18 years and taking on the care of one of your younger sisters. Shaleah Lawrence has faced the toughest of times and says that although she expects challenges on her journey to creating a successful business, she has the mental toughness to go all the way.
Her drive is to financially provide for her two younger sisters, to buy them a house and then finally have the freedom to enjoy some of the things most young adults take for granted, such as “going to a music festival”. Shaleah’s journey to business success is now well underway after unanimously impressing the three judges at the second annual Innovate Hawke’s Bay (a business accelerator programme), along with potential investors and business mentors, with her brand of natural skincare products, Earthwoven, inspired by her own skin conditions. The mature 23-year-old has had the most unconventional and tragic upbringing.
She lost her father to a brain tumor when she was three years old and in her teens, she and her two siblings were taken out of the care of their mother, who was suffering from postpartum depression following the birth of a sister, which tragically spiralled into her taking her own life.
“I watched my mum’s life spiral downhill. She had been unwell for a long time and it wasn’t unexpected (her passing) but it was still a shock.
“I then lived with a family friend for a little while before a very nice couple gave me the chance to rent a house, where I was then able to look after my youngest sister.”
First published by The Profit. Click here to read the full article.