Lazada and She Talks Asia showcase stories of trailblazing women entrepreneurs

Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez (Happy Skin and BLK Cosmetics) and Evan Marie Maderazo (Sundals) share their inspiring journey as women in business.

Lazada is more than a leading e-commerce platform, it’s a community that supports homegrown businesses and empowers individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. In collaboration with She Talks Asia in time for Women’s Month this March,  inspiring stories of female entrepreneurs are in the spotlight to celebrate their success stories and encourage more women to follow their passions.

To encourage aspiring entrepreneurs, founders of proudly Pinay brands: Happy Skin, BLK Cosmetics, and Sundals share their stories of vision, perseverance, and success as women entrepreneurs. Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez, founder of Happy Skin and BLK Cosmetics, has had a thriving partnership with Lazada since 2017. Both of her brands are regular bestsellers on the e-commerce platform, with Happy Skin winning ‘Best in Local Beauty’ at the 2023 LazBeauty Awards. Evan Marie Maderazo, the founder of Sundals, had the honor of being nominated for the 2022 Lazada Forward Woman of the Year Award. Here, she gained recognition as a runner-up for the Inspiring Award Category.

Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez, Happy Skin and BLK Cosmetics

Jacqe saw a gap in the beauty market ten years ago. Filipinas wanted beauty products suited to their skin and weather, but big global brands didn’t cater to them. She wanted to create a local brand, but people didn’t believe it would be successful. Back then, consumers discriminated against locally-made products. Jacque tells She Talks Asia in an interview, “Totoo, I feel offended when they say, “Panget ‘yung formula,” or “Panget ‘yung packaging.”. “Ten years ago, it was crazy bad. Talagang merong global mentality. If it’s a local brand, it’s cheap.”

Wanting to change the notion that local beauty brands were inferior, Jacqe launched Happy Skin and eventually BLK Cosmetics. Her brands changed the market, and this success opened up the possibility for other entrepreneurs to start their own local beauty brands.

Evan Marie Maderazo, Sundals

At only 18 years old, Evan founded Sundals, a brand that specializes in locally handcrafted footwear made of eco-friendly and indigenous material. She sold her products online and her business was a success, but Evan soon faced tough times when she became a single mom and lost both her parents within two years. Seeking stability, she entered the corporate world for 8 years. But Evan decided to switch things up when she decided to set up her shop on Lazada.

Before the advent of e-commerce platforms, Evan had to create a website from scratch. Evan shares with She Talks Asia, “To be able to create your website, mahal siya and sobrang tedious niya. And if you’re not that tech savvy, matatagalan ka. Hindi ka na makaka-focus on what you want to do, which is to sell and develop a product.”

Lazada was a turning point for Evan. The platform offered her valuable resources, such as Lazada University’s comprehensive seller training portal, to help her thrive in the online marketplace.  Evan also shares her Localpreneurs platform and community where she aims to empower small businesses while keeping local communities in mind. Championing local products is an advocacy she holds dear given her brand’s roots in Filipino craftsmanship. This new leaf provided stability for her business but also enabled a healthy work-life balance, allowing her to thrive as both a businesswoman and a mother.

Picturing Success

When describing success, Jacqe shares, “Success means you’re happy. At the end of the day, you’re happy, you’re giving back to the community, you have a sense of purpose. Being able to provide for more people, and being able to give back and make Filipinas proud.” 

For Evan, she’s learned that it’s important to embrace the journey, and, most of all, to not let other people define what success is for you. “At this point, I’m so happy I get to be intentional in what I do. It’s not all about the numbers. At the end of the day it’s how you feel about yourself and about the impact that you make on others.” she shares. 

Jacqe and Evan have different journeys but a similar trajectory. Both are successful and have defined success in their own terms. For them, the real success lies in one’s happiness and the positive impact one creates on others. 

To read more about the transformative journeys of the featured Lazada sellers, check out She Talks Asia’s online platforms: shetalksasia.com and Instagram.

Support female-owned businesses and shop Happy Skin, BLK Cosmetics, and Sundals on Lazada!

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