As a mother of two working two side hustles, Shanaaz Ramdharee still finds time to complete her studies towards a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Digital Marketing by working hard to find the perfect balance between running a family and following her dreams.
Shanaaz, or ‘Shenz’ to close friends and family, was born and raised in Ladysmith, where she founded her own Faire Belle in August 2017.
“With the cost of living on a continuous rise and having two children in school, I knew that I had to start doing something. So I used my love for makeup, which has fascinated me from the age of 10 and has always been very interesting to me. As I got older, I started experimenting with all the different products and then gradually, I became the go-to makeup artist amongst my family and friends,” she told The Ladysmith Herald.
However, since this was not enough, Shanaaz then started her second hustle – Sparkle Creative ZA.
“It’s my own brand of creativity, a rhinestone custom sneakers and apparel brand that I have created because I love creating beautiful things for every special life event.”
Shanaaz said that when she started her business, she had recognised a gap in the market but apart from that, she felt that since everything is mass produced these days, she wanted to create something fresh and different within the industry.
Between her makeup artist work and creating the next fashionable shoe, Shanaaz is currently pursuing a degree in Digital Marketing. “I have just successfully completed my second year,” she told The Ladysmith Herald, adding that she hopes to pursue a post-graduate qualification in Digital Analytics after completing this degree.
When there is a little down time, Shanaaz enjoys spending time with her family and, of course, eating good food. “Free time is a myth for small business owners,” smiled Shanaaz during her interview.
She said that she has been happily married for the last 10 years and her two children – as well as her husband – are her greatest loves.
“It is my daughter who inspires me and is always ready to share the next trend among the younger generations in shoes and makeup,” she said, adding that her motivation comes from the possibility of growth and the opportunity to always learn and do better.
Shanaaz said that she would like to see herself as well-established in the next five years in order to make her biggest dream come true and believes that the secret to successfully running her small businesses is that she is a woman.
“My biggest goal is to be successful enough to help and inspire other women – both young and old – to make their dreams come true. I do think that any woman in any field will tell you that our load is heavier because we are expected to juggle a lot at one time.”
She said that her biggest achievement thus far is being a mom to two amazing kids. “Career wise, it was obtaining international accreditation as a professional airbrush makeup artist,” she added.
Shanaaz said that her success is thanks to continuous support from her husband and children. “Sometimes even the craziest idea is worth it, so never think that it can’t be done,” she concluded.
