Who knew the saying ‘out with the old, and in with the new’ could be so true? Someone once told us real bad girls don’t fear change, and they were absolutely right. With word from our co-founders and a few secret deets on what’s happening behind the scenes, we’re here to give you the inside scoop on the Ornami rebrand.
As an entrepreneur, running a business is a constant battle with trial and error. There may be books and courses to take on how to start a small business from the ground-up, but it is truly something that is perfected as time progresses. And sometimes, how things start isn’t always how they finish. We’re more than excited to say we’re in our rebrand era! Cheers to great rebirths because we’re all in. The new Ornami is fiercer, bolder and more confident all around – just like our amazing community. It would be our pleasure to have you join us on the transition. It’s been quite the ride, besties, and we’re toasting the Belaire as you all see the final results..
The Ornami Story
If you’ve become familiar with Ornami since our inception, you probably already know the story behind the products. For those who may be new here, we’ll give you a little rundown. Ornami Skincare was, simply put, an act of divine intervention. Unexpectedly, Yewande Masi began exploring her interests with skin and bodycare products after a breakup. Masi and her ex-boyfriend had taken a trip to Ghana where they stumbled upon raw shea butter. After finding new ways to adjust the raw shea butter to make the application just a tad bit easier, Yewande began to find herself growing passionate about all things bodycare. Combining this with her nurturing spirit and knack for always helping empower others, this is where passion met purpose.
Yewande began perfecting her craft while formulating Ornami’s mission. It was then that Ariana Aguero came in and began to help take things from good to better internally. The brand was being built and it was becoming clearer and clearer what exactly Ornami was working towards. With a refined vision our look had to catch up too!
Our original brand identity has led us to where we are today, and we could never forget the humble beginnings. We now step on the scene as Ornami, making the mundane a moment with fresh takes on skincare staples all for the skin below the neck. We target key concerns with bodycare products that are clean, science-backed, and certified badass with a neurcosmetic Wellness Blend™ to enhance skin and mood. We are better, badder bodycare.
Yewande Speaks
It was only right that we received some knowledge on what to expect from the woman behind the name. Yewande was more than happy to provide some tea on what’s been brewing within the internal team. Our founder has worked harder than ever to pull off this successful rebrand and is extremely energized by all of the positive feedback! We had the pleasure of personally asking Yewande about a few of the logistics and what to expect from the new and improved Ornami.
Q: What led to wanting to do this rebrand?
Yewande: Honestly, it’s because I did not listen to my initial voice in the beginning. I had a feel of what I wanted Ornami to be, and I was led in different directions based upon the opinions of people who were industry “experts”. Because I didn’t have the experience that I have now, I was more willing to be flexible.
Q: What are you hoping to get out of changing our voice/look and adding new products?
Yewande: I really just wanted to be able to stand confidently in front of the brand where people can really understand what we’re solving and doing. I want people to be able to engage with it, know who we are, and how they can benefit. I want women to feel excited and like they’re anticipating the Ornami experience. It’s just something that’s celestial, magical – a vibe!
Q: When it comes to the woman you want to be using Ornami products, what do you see her as?
Yewande: I see her as someone who prioritizes herself. I think a lot of us these couple years have been shaken up. People are going through different processes where they are looking at everything from head-to-toe. They want to know that their products aren’t just something that they are just putting on their skin. I want her to have a bond with the brand. She doesn’t have to sacrifice anything to get good things! Just because something is good for you doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Our girl is also on the go and we wanted to include things that would make it easy for her to navigate.
Q: What would you say you’re most excited for with this rebrand? The product, the vision?
Yewande: I would say I’m most excited for the experience! It feels right, and I’m excited because the products are dope. Everything that went into it, I was behind every single ingredient – creating the fragrance, testing the fragrance, having the team test the products, traveling to see the chemist. The formulas are fully clean and they work! A lot of time people put Black-owned brands into boxes, thinking that we can’t solve multiple issues at once.
Q: What do you think that stems from? Do you think it’s an unconscious bias because Black-owned brands don’t often have the resources?
Yewande: I think it’s something that people have a new perspective of diversity and not inclusion. I think they conceptualize it as easier to identify and easier to market as Black-owned. We are Black-owned, but we aren’t Black-only. We have capabilities to serve everyone.
Word from Ariana
Yewande gave us just the insight we needed on the vision behind the new look that we love so much. It was essential for us to also receive some perspective from our co-founder and CMO, Ariana. She’s worked endlessly to also bring this vision to life and has provided amazing leadership for our marketing sector. Check out what Ariana has to say as we pick her brain on the creative process and all that the team has been working on.
Q: Firstly, what are you most excited for when it comes to this transition of the brand?
Ariana: I'm honestly excited for so much! I think it's been a great exercise for us, as a brand, to practice what we preach in terms of devoting time to yourself and doing that inner work. That's exactly what we've done with this rebrand. We are clear on who we are, what we value, and what we offer and we can't wait to spread that confidence through our community and our products. I'm also incredibly excited to better reflect the go-getter women we serve now that we're really tuned in to who they are and what they're going through. Also the creative in me loves working on the design aspects of rebranding. New packaging? Sign me up.
Q: That was gonna be my next question! What's some tea you can give us on the design work for this rebrand?
Ariana: We've definitely turned it up a notch. Think more grown and sexy but still keeping it light and fun. There are new colors, new logo, new everything but that same fun take on bodycare because we always gotta stay true to our roots!
Q: I love it. And my last question is what's been the most difficult thing you encountered on this journey?
Ariana: Sometimes the hardest thing is trusting your vision and trusting your timing. It's easy to question the path you're taking, your own creative decisions, or if you're falling behind. Moments like that are when you really appreciate having such a great partner. I feel like Yewande and I are able to reassess things and reassure each other in those moments.
Well, there you have it. We hope after reading this you’re even more excited about Ornami, because we know we are! Running a small business is quite the experience, to say the least. When trial leads to error, we’ve learned that there’s nothing more important to your success than dusting yourself off and trying again. So, here’s to new beginnings. If there’s anything us women know like the back of our hands, it’s the meaning of resilience. We can’t wait for you all to see what Ornami has in store! Be on the lookout, check your emails, and don’t forget to stalk our IG, Twitter, and other social channels.