Hannah From Take It Off
First up, introduce yourself and your business, where are you from, what do you do and why?
I’m Hannah Kinsman, founder of Take It Off. I grew up in Wellington and have spent the last few years living up in Auckland. I’ve always had a love for cosmetics and beauty products but have extremely sensitive skin. Taking my makeup off was something I used to actually dread because everything I tried, either my skin didn’t agree with or it took forever and wasn’t too effective. There was an obvious gap in the market and I wanted to fill it. So in a nutshell, that’s when Take It Off was born!
How did you get started? What was the turning point?
I just knew the product would be received well. I had a very clear vision of starting the business and it going well or ‘taking off’ as I like to say. The goal was pretty much to start converting people from using wipes and lotions to resusable towels. Slowly but surely it is happening.
What did you do prior to your current business?
I’m also a Primary School teacher – which I am equally as passionate about.
What are your future plans? Short or long, which ever you would like to share?
There are some very exciting things in the pipeline at the moment including collaborations and expanding our product line. Overall the plan is to continue growing and increasing awareness of Take It Off. I certainly have plenty of ideas of how I would like to grow the business, but some of the greatest things so far haven’t been planned – I’m just excited to see what the future brings.
Who do you find inspirational or what do you do to find inspiration?
I have an incredibly supportive group of girlfriends and family members. Chatting to them about my ideas, goals and challenges always motivates and inspires me. Its true what they say that surrounding yourself with people who support and believe in your business is just so important.
And to close, what have you learnt on your journey?
How important timelines are – Not just to ensure deadlines are met and goals are achieved but also to help keep plans and goals realistic. Rome wasn’t built a day.. and I have to remind myself of this frequently. I want to do that NOW NOW NOW!
If there was one piece of advice you could give your fellow entrepreneurial ladies, what would it be?
Don’t let road blocks and speed bumps knock you down for too long.. There will be many.. but get back up as quickly as you can. In my experience, something positive often comes from hurdles and challenges (cheesy but true).
Check out Take It Off:
Instagram @takeitoffnz