Launching a startup without any business experience can be daunting.
But that didn’t stop Chrisanti Indiana, who was only 24 years old when she co-founded Social Bella.
“You have nothing to lose, that’s actually the benefit of starting young,” Indiana, now 31, told CNBC Make It.
The Indonesian personal care and beauty retailer has raised around $225 million since 2018 and has put together an impressive list of investors including East Ventures, Jungle Ventures and Temasek.
The business started as an e-commerce platform called Sociolla in 2015, but has since expanded to 48 stores in Indonesia and 13 stores in Vietnam.
Indiana tells CNBC Make It how she transformed her startup into a multi-million dollar beauty company.
1. Be nimble
When running a business, adapting to change is paramount, Indiana said, especially when you least expect it.
Like all companies around the world, Indiana had to navigate the Covid pandemic, which coincided with his company’s fifth anniversary, he said.
“We were very excited in 2020… we planned a lot of campaigns and events, and then the pandemic hit. It was pretty shocking,” Indiana added.
“There was a lockdown and the mood was very different. Not only for the customers, but also for the team.”
“You have nothing to lose, that’s really the benefit of starting young,” said Chrisanti Indiana, who launched her startup Social Bella when she was 24.
As chief marketing officer, Indiana quickly led a change of direction during “a very confusing time,” moving to online events and shifting her focus from makeup to at-home personal care.
“It was a steep learning curve because you also need to manage the team, make sure everyone is okay and let them know that we can get through this together,” Indiana said.
“It’s about making sure you’re nimble enough to go through dynamic changes.”
2. Do the right thing
Sociolla’s idea came about in 2015, when Indiana discovered the proliferation of counterfeit makeup products online in Indonesia.
Those products were sometimes sold for “a fraction” of the original price, he said.
The e-commerce platform was Indiana’s solution to the problem: through it, consumers can obtain products that are safe, authentic and certified by the Indonesian authorities.
“Since we started… we make sure we only work with authorized dealers or only brand owners.”
When you have a business, you want it to be successful. But at the same time, you also want to make sure you’re doing the right thing.
indiana chrysanthemum
Co-founder and CMO, Social Bella
But that approach wasn’t easy, especially when awareness of the authenticity of beauty products was low at the time, Indiana said.
“When you have a business, you want it to be successful. But at the same time, you also want to make sure you’re doing the right thing,” he added.
“It was a challenge to really educate consumers that cheap doesn’t always mean better.”
But that strategy appears to have paid off. Social Bella now has more than 30 million users across all of its business units, according to Indiana, selling an inventory of 12,000 products from 400 brands worldwide.
Social Bella started out as an e-commerce platform called Sociolla. Since then, it has expanded to 47 stores in Indonesia and 16 stores in Vietnam.
The deal also caught the attention of investors: Its latest fundraising round raised $56 million, led by US private equity firm L Catterton.
“It’s been a long journey, but I’m very proud that we chose to do the right thing from day one to today.”
3. Choose the right leaders
While being a young businesswoman never stopped her, Indiana acknowledged that there were “a lot of things” she didn’t know about running a business.
That’s why Indiana attributes some of Social Bella’s success to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of its co-founders.
Indiana, who has a background in the creative industry, leads branding and marketing, while his brother and president, Christopher Madiam, who studied computer science, brings technical expertise.
John Rasjid, CEO of Social Bella, has a background in finance.
Social Bella was founded in 2015 by Chrisanti Indiana, his brother and Chairman Christopher Madiam (left), and CEO John Rasjid (right).
beautiful social
“Having my two co-founders has been really important to me, we support each other and we have a really great dynamic.”
His brother Madiam, who has been a role model for Indiana since he was young, has been a particular source of strength, he said.
“He constantly pushes me to grow, learn and accept challenges with an open mind and a positive attitude,” she said.
“It’s easier to tell people nice things they want to hear, but Chris has always been honest with me. And that’s something I’m very grateful for.”
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