"I faced many financial obstacles in the beginning. Banks do not provide unsecured capital, and at the time I had nothing and no one believed in my business. I bought materials to make only five liters of product, because that's all I could afford. I sold one liter to pay for gas money, and the rest of product I shared as samples. There was no process of finding funds. I worked to support myself, from Monday to Monday, working until dawn. I was working out of my kitchen. Then I got a factory to outsource production, but that was still minimal. I put an ad with my own photo in a big circulation magazine. I was everything: secretary, financier, saleswoman, and model. I failed sometimes, but I managed to realize my dream, because I never gave up." — Inocencia Manoel, CEO and founder of INOAR
Image Source: Courtesy Inocencia Manoel