Overcoming Setbacks: How Plantmade Founder Ama Omo-Agyei Turned Her Personal Challenges Into Creating A Multi-Million-Pound Brand Ama Omo-Agyei's journey in becoming the founder of Plantmade, a UK based company on a mission to get to the root causes of hair and beard woes, started simply from trying solving her own hair issues– today her venture is a multi-million pound beauty brand that was built from scratch.

In this interview, Ama talks to BIZ Experiences UK about navigating setbacks, bootstrapping her way to success, and the relentless drive that keeps her going.

What inspired you to start your business?

It was inspired by solving my own hair issues and seeing there weren't a lot of options for thinning hair that were drug free and natural so I decided to solve the problem myself. Once trialling out the first samples of my flagship product Inches I had a lot of interest from friends and acquaintances and realised a lot of people were suffering in silence.

Inspired by the lack of effective options on the market, I launched Plantmade to spotlight powerful ingredients from around the world that have been used for centuries to heal, strengthen, and nourish hair. My goal was to highlight these traditional solutions and provide natural, effective treatments for hair and beard issues.

What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

One of our biggest challenges came when we received a cease and desist order 12 months after starting the business. We had attempted to trademark our old name "Planted" which alerted a business with the same name and we had to shut down for 3 months to rebrand and restructure the business. I knew nothing about intellectual property laws when I started, and this mistake became one of my biggest regrets because it slowed down momentum.

It was tough at the time since I was new to the business, but we knew we wouldn't give up without a fight. We re- launched the businesses, resulting in 50% lower sales, but kept pushing with promotions and social media to build our community again.

How did you secure your initial funding?

We've had zero institutional funding. My first funding round was £50 from my brother, which we used to buy ingredients—he wanted to grow his beard, and I wanted to grow my hair.

We've since bootstrapped this business to £11 million. It has not been easy being bootstrapped, especially in a market like Beauty, but we are pushing through.

Related: What I Wish I Knew Before Bootstrapping My Startup

How do you handle failure or setbacks?

You have to handle setbacks head on. Setbacks and failures leave you with lessons to learn which mature you in business overtime. I am certainly not the person I was when I first started running a business and it was through trials that helped me understand how things really work. The best approach is to learn from successful businesses that have come before us to avoid making similar mistakes.

What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?

Look at a dull market which solves people's problems with massive potential that is desperate for innovation. The biggest opportunities come from disrupting existing markets that haven't changed for decades.

I would use social media to showcase how you'll transform the industry. The fastest growing brands in the last few years have all harnessed social media to create content, build community, and generate demand for their products.

How do you stay motivated during tough times?

Motivation is acting in spite of how you feel. No matter how low or high you feel you need to commit to putting in the work daily to achieve your goals.

I don't have to give 100% every single day. Sometimes I might only have 50% or even 25% to give, but staying consistent is key to building something great.

I think about the chance I have to create a business that's a household name and changes millions of lives. Even when it's tough, I remember my immigrant parents and all they did to bring our family to the UK for a better life. Their sacrifices drive me to keep going and make them proud.