Five questions with Apinke Efiong, founder of EKÓ Botanicals

Every week, Ambition A.M. passes the pen (or keyboard) to a founder eager to share the unfiltered stories fuelling Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit.

This week, we spotlight Apinke Efiong, founder and chief executive of EKÓ Botanicals, the clean, multitasking, sustainable wellness brand for hormonal changing needs. 

A former city executive turned natural skincare expert, Efiong tells us she used a minority mentoring programme, Virgin Startup Empower 100, to help her kickstart her entrepreneurial journey. 

But why skincare? Struggling to find the right product, she set out to make her own, launching EKÓ Botanicals in 2022. Now, she tells us a little bit about what she’s learned so far.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I am a natural risk taker, I spent the first 12 years of my career in finance, working in fast-moving markets in trading, sales and fixed income. 

I took some time out to nurture a young family and that’s when the idea for my first business came. It was a floristry business which I ran for 10 years. When I closed the floristry business, it was just before Covid and I had relocated a few years before.

I launched EKÓ Botanicals in 2022, to fill a gap in the market for high-performing wellness and skincare solutions for hormonal changes and melanin-rich skin from my own personal journey of turning 40 and grappling with a new set of skin and health concerns.

What does your typical workday look like?

My days are quite varied now. I always start early with some exercise and meditation. My workday typically starts at 9:30 am, I go through emails and respond to calls. I take time to go for a 30 min walk in nature at lunch time, unless the weather is particularly bad. I usually schedule meetings in the afternoon and catch-up with social media and news.

How do you manage your work-life balance?

This is hard when you just start out and I totally underestimated how much of a toll on your mental, physical and emotional health a new business can have. 

I intentionally separate working hours and switch off in the evenings and weekends. EKÓ Botanicals is all about promoting holistic wellness, body, mind and spirit. I incorporate spending time in nature every day, schedule regular exercise and weight training, and try to eat a healthy and varied diet that promotes gut health.

What are your values and ideals?

My values are based on integrity and wholeness. I want to build a brand that stands the test of time and that people enjoy and derive value from. Beauty and wellness is a very busy space at the moment, but I started EKÓ Botanicals because I knew there were gaps for authentic, nutrient-dense and high-performing solutions in the aged 40+ market.

Also, much of the rhetoric I had grown up with and is common within the mainstream beauty industry is around “anti-ageing” which suggested an avoidance culture. We are trying to change this with well-ageing and acceptance.

How do you deal with self-doubt and doubt from others?

All entrepreneurs face this dilemma. It’s been more accentuated at the start when I didn’t have much traction. 

One thing that helps me is to view the process as a journey, a marathon not a sprint. There are good seasons and tough seasons, but getting through the tough seasons and focusing on what you can control paves way for the good seasons. 

It’s also so important to surround yourself with positive role models and a community that encourages you to keep being and doing your best.