Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilham Sifli.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m originally from Morocco but emigrated to Italy with my family when I was nine years old. During high school and college, I was fortunate to study abroad through scholarships in France, Ireland, Dominican Republic, and the United States.
After graduating from college in Bologna, Italy, I moved back to Denver, CO, where I particularly enjoyed downhill skiing. My husband’s job brought us to Houston in 2012. Once we settled in, I decided to start my own business. I happened to burn my forearm, and my grandmother suggested using Argan oil to help the burn heal and prevent scarring. I saw its restorative magic, and I started using it on my face too. I decided to create a product, so I founded this company and did everything, from legal to sourcing argan oil, to finding labs, and to packaging, etc.
Upon launching my product, my biggest challenge was gaining product visibility to earn customers. Houston is the hub for the oil and gas industry, so it can be difficult for people to make the right connections. My go-to joke when I meet new people that work in oil and gas, is to tell them, “I own an oil company” …you should see their faces, then I follow with “…for skin and hair.” It makes for a fun ice breaker 😉
I’m very proud to say that we were featured in a few local magazines. One prominent local magazine featured my product as editor’s choice for travel essentials. A well-respected hair salon also carries my product, and the owner endorsed BIO Collection’s Argan Oil as a top beauty product in Houston.
I believe in my product and my company. My challenge now is reaching the proper distribution channels and finding a way to support the Berber women in Morocco (who through co-ops are the main producers of Argan oil). I also have a few products I would love to develop beyond cosmetics, including accessories and shoes. I am committed to reaching a customer base that will allow me one day to pursue these dreams!
Has it been a smooth road?
Creating a manufacturing company requires orchestrating a lot of moving parts, and sometimes things don’t go as expected. Most of the issues are manageable and are similar to those that many businesses face. For instance, sometimes the contractors might not respect deadlines. Another time, thousands of the bottles that we ordered didn’t match the colors from the agreed-upon samples. As a small start-up company with no outside funding, it has been a challenge to allocate enough resources and time for both production and marketing.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with BIO Collection – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Our brand is BIO Collection – BIO stands for “Beautiful Inside & Out.” We offer premium Moroccan Argan Oil that naturally nourishes skin, softens hair, and strengthens nails. BIO Collection was launched in 2014 after I was inspired by my personal experience with argan oil’s extraordinary restorative properties as a skin treatment for a burn on my forearm.
Authenticity and sustainability are the core values of this brand. I traveled to Morocco to personally meet the family that supplies BIO Collection’s oil to ensure pure, undiluted premium quality. Many products marketed as Agran oil are actually diluted with cheaper oils. Our product is also bottled locally here in Houston, in attractive, high-quality opaque glass bottles to better preserve the oil’s remarkable properties. We preferred not to opt for plastic bottles or clear bottles, which do not preserve oils as well.
At BIO Collection, our social aim is to support a thriving community of Berber women in Morocco who live in the surrounding argan region. Our supplier has worked with public officials in Morocco to help these women organize into cooperatives for higher negotiating power and better returns for their hard work. Harvesting argan nuts is a labor-intensive process since the nuts are individually hand shelled. Today, women’s co-ops are spread out across the southwestern region of Morocco, and Argan oil has provided these women financial security and opportunities they have not had before. For instance, they are now able to contribute to their household income, have a voice in family decisions, and support their children to pursue higher education. The cooperatives often provide onsite schooling to help the women become literate.
The prosperity that has come from argan oil production had also driven successful national and international initiatives to preserve the argan forests which are unique to Morocco. The argan tree is now under UNESCO protection.
In the end, BIO Collection’s customers are having a positive impact on the lives of these women and the environment. Something to smile about 😉
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
In Houston, I love the big gorgeous oak trees and their majestic branches. And a close second is that most Houstonians are so positive and cheerful. The food… just Oh.My.God. Moreover, there is a variety of authentic international cuisine.
I also enjoy going to Buffalo Bayou Park, especially since they fixed it up so nicely! I love going there for early morning walks to hear the birds singing, or to watch the gorgeous sunsets from one of the bridges. During the summer months, I like to nestle at the Dunlavy restaurant working on my company’s to-do list while savoring the rosemary biscuit bathed in honey and butter or the rich gluten-free chocolate cookie. If you visit Houston, I highly recommend renting a bike at the bayou and going for a ride.
I wish Houston offered more outdoor activities, and the roads could be better. I have difficulty acclimating to the summer heat and the air conditioning blasts inside buildings. So I learned to carry a jacket or a scarf in my purse.
Pricing:
- $18
- $39
- $69
Contact Info:
- Website: www.biocollection.com
- Phone: 281.888.6829
- Email: info@biocollection.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biocollection_argan_oil/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIOCOLLECTIONBeauty/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BIO_COLLECTION_
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/biocollection
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