From Nutrition To $1.8M Beauty Empire: Serene Lim's Beauty Market Disruption

In the world of startups, sometimes the most unexpected pivots lead to the most remarkable successes. Such is the story of Serene Lim, who transitioned from a budding career in health science to becoming a beauty industry mogul.

As her academic journey in nutrition science was nearing its end, Serene Lim was brimming with optimism. Yet, her educators hinted at a challenging professional path ahead in Australia. 

"But a few months before graduation, I was told there were no job opportunities in Australia and that I’d need to go overseas if I wanted to find success," Lim told News.com. 

Undeterred by this revelation, she shifted her focus to the world of business. This redirection, although initially met with family apprehension, set her on a transformative path.

An overseas nail sticker innovation caught her eye, prompting her to introduce it to Australian consumers. 

“So when I saw the idea of gel nails in sticker form picking up overseas, I knew I had to bring it to Australia because it truly is a problem-solving product,” she said. 

With a modest $5,000 seed money, she unveiled Gellae in November 2022. The brand's trajectory has been nothing short of impressive, boasting an annual turnover of $1.8 million, about $5,000 every day.

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Before Gellae's inception, Serene had ventured into various small-scale business projects. Yet, the stick-on-nail innovation from abroad truly resonated with her. 

These user-friendly, long-lasting nail stickers provide a salon-like finish from the comfort of one's home. 

Embracing social media, Serene chronicled Gellae's journey, a strategy that significantly amplified the brand's visibility. 

“We definitely saw an increase in sales and traction when our videos started going viral on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube,” she added.

Within mere months post-launch, Gellae was already securing five-figure monthly revenues. Presently, the brand's monthly financials hover around a commendable $150,000 mark. 

For those contemplating a business venture, Serene's counsel is unambiguous: embark on the journey. “My best advice for anyone looking into this kind of thing is to just do it. Take the first steps," she said. 

She underscored the value of experiential learning and the benefits of networking with established entrepreneurs. “You’ll learn on the job. I’m a good example as I didn’t study business or anything really related to it, so I learned along the way," she suggested.

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This story is part of a series of features on the subject of success, Benzinga Inspire.

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: Gellae