From Customer Retention to Mental Wellness: Key Takeaways from Beauty Connect 2024

Beauty Connect 2024, an intimate round table for beauty business operators, was a gathering of beauty professionals, wellness experts, and industry leaders.

Organised by WithSplice in partnership with L’Oreal, Sterling Bank, The Business Hub, and Beauty Hut, Beauty Connect was held on September 9, 2024, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The one-day event brought together around 150 attendees to network, share insights, and explore new opportunities for growth.

Layo Ogunbanwo, founder/CEO of WithSplice, kicked the day off with an introduction to Beauty Connect, sharing the mission of empowering beauty business providers with a safe space in which they can build lasting and beneficial relationships.

She also introduced the attendees to the Splice software, an all-in-one business management tool that helps beauty services get booked, get paid, and grow their revenue.

The first expert session was on customer retention by Joycee Awosika, CEO of Oriki Group. The session covered tested and proven techniques that have helped her business build lasting relationships and transform one-time buyers into lifelong advocates. She shared a lot of hard-earned wisdom, highlighting the importance of a tool like Splice to the retention of beauty clients and shared that;

whether in beauty, wellness, financial services, or any other industry, the ability to keep clients coming back is a cornerstone of sustainable success.”

The day continued with lively panel discussions, including “Secrets to Success: Growth and Expansion for Beauty Businesses,” featuring a stellar lineup of panellists like Abi Akerele, Fola Fash, Uju Rapu, and Omozo Ogunrobi. During this panel session, the speakers shared their journeys, challenges, and victories, effectively giving attendees a roadmap for long-term business growth.

The next panel was “Money Matters: Staying Profitable and Managing Finances for Long-Term Success,” featuring remarkable panellists like Tayo Alakija, CEO of Tayo Cutz; Itunu Umar-Lawal, CEO of Dermaspace; and Bolanle Tyson, Head, SME Product – Sterling Bank.

The panel covered actionable tips and strategies for managing beauty business finances for profitability in today’s economic climate, helping attendees set themselves up for long-term financial success.

One of the standout moments was the Marketing and Branding masterclass by Oluremi Martins, CEO & Co-Founder of Texture Science Labs. The masterclass by the marketing professional turned beauty founder covered how to build a powerful and recognisable brand that resonates with your target audience. A timeless gem from her session was that,

over the years, I’ve seen tools and platforms evolve, but the core principles remain unchanged: understand your audience, deliver consistent value, and build lasting relationships.

Interestingly, wellness is an essential aspect of the beauty industry, but oftentimes beauty service providers neglect their own wellness and mental health. To address this, Beauty Connect featured an engaging and interactive mental health session, led by Funmto Ogunbanwo, a clinical mental health therapist from Ibi Ayo.

During her impactful session, she noted that “being a wellness service provider means you have to lead by example” and strongly encouraged attendees to prioritize their own mental and physical health, even as they work hard for their business growth.

Beauty Connect 2024 was filled with network-building, deep learning, and a free exchange of ideas that will enhance the relationship between beauty and wellness providers in Nigeria.

Several attendees expressed how much they enjoyed the session, how overdue the gathering was for beauty service providers, how necessary a tool like Splice is for their businesses, and how much they look forward to the next Beauty Connect event.