Meet Cherika Williamson | Founder and CEO of Knavii Rose

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cherika Williamson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cherika, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
During the pandemic which was in 2020, the normal world as we knew it was completely changed. Years prior I was diagnosed with SLE Lupus and I would have flare ups often. The Lupus Flares would affect my skin a lot, leaving it with dry flaky patches, burning skin, dark spots and some blemishes. I would spend a lot of money buying different skincare products from different companies only for them not to work most of the time. The amount of money I was spending trying different products started to become expensive and became a waste of money. During the pandemic, I noticed how certain areas of my face would flare up but I blamed it on the germs in the air and wearing a face mask often. Since I had more free time, I decided that I would research different ingredients that were often found in some skincare products because I wanted to see what would work best for me. Of course, the specific ingredients that I wanted in skincare products were not all found in one product. I decided to reach out to different companies and manufacturers to see if I could create something with specific ingredients, such as a line of skincare products. I sampled products, spent hours, weeks and days on zoom calls, with manufacturers creating a specific formula. There were some manufacturers that I really wanted to work with but they did not want to give me creative control of the product I wanted to create. This was very discouraging and I felt defeated. There was one manufacturer that I decided to reach out to and I explained to them the ingredients that I wanted in my skincare products. This was the only company that was willing to work with me and allow me to create a skincare formula that I wanted and they would do mass productions fro me. It took well over a year of me sampling the product and making sure it was to my standards. The manufacturers were so patient and so helpful and thesis how Knavii Rose Skincare was created.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Knavii Rose is a skincare brand that currently consists of a five product system The products include, Foaming Face Wash, AHA Toner, Rosehip Face Oil, Daily Facial Moisturizer and a 24K Collagen Eye Mask. Knavii Rose targets women of color that have skin imperfections they want to correct and also for those that want to maintain healthy, hydrated skin with an amazing glow. As a woman that currently has SLE Lupus, I understand first hand how skin issues can affect self confidence and can take a toll on everyday life. I want women that use Knavii Rose feel confident and understand that they can trust their skin to our products. Starting Knavii Rose was far from easy. It took me over 12 months to research ingredients, understand how different ingredients work together and how they can affect certain skin. It took a lot of patience, many sleepless nights, zoom calls and meetings, and finding the right manufacturers that were willing to give me control on the ingredients I wanted to use for my products. During this entire journey I had come to realize that the people that I knew and thought would be some of my biggest supporters were not. I thought some would share a social media post, repost some of my social media posts, comment, like or even just say some encouraging words. My biggest supporters came from complete strangers and other entrepreneurs that have since become friends that continue to support my business and talk about it to others. I want the world to know and understand that Knavii Rose is just getting started and will become a globally recognized successful black woman led business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am from a very small town named Coward. This is a community where people know each other or are very familiar with each other. There is not a lot of happenings in Coward but there are other cities around that are popular such as Florence, SC. Florence has a great deal of shopping and restaurants. My favorite restaurant to go to in Florence is Red Bowl Bistro which has the best Sushi in this area. There are also lots of seasonal festivals and other events that do take place here. I would also recommend a visit to one of the most popular tourists cities, which is Myrtle Beach, SC. Myrtle Beach is approximately an hour drive and there you will find amazing restaurants, activities, amusement parks and beautiful beaches.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to take this time and acknowledge Trishonna Helm, the owner of Mixins Rolled Ice Cream, for so much knowledge and support that she has shown me. Trishonna gave me the encouragement to start my business, even when I was unsure, scared and didn’t feel like this was a direction I wanted to go in. There were late night and early morning zoom calls, live chats, many trainings, emails and those tough and real words that I needed to hear. She gave me the business blueprint on how to structure my business, create a business plan and execute the knowledge that I already had. Also, Raynell Steward, the owner of The Crayon Case, was very influential in my business. She taught me so many business tips and valuable business information that other successful business owners would not. She really motivated me to go after what I wanted and to believe in my ability to do so. I thank both of these women for so much.

Website: https://www.knaviirose.com

Instagram: @knavii_rose

Linkedin: Cherika Williamson

Twitter: @knaviirose

Facebook: Cherika Williamson

Other: Tik Tok: @knaviirose
Digital Products website: www.stan.store/knaviirose

Image Credits
Image Credits: Cherika Williamson