About Seble
Founder of Lal - The Honey Company, started in 2016/17 to promote the amazing qualities of Ethiopian Honey
Seble is a Pharmacist who practiced for >10 years in the US, before returning to her home country, Ethiopia in 2011
She was inspired by her family’s farming background and her journey of engaging with beekeepers across different regions got her interested in starting Lal. Her goal is not just to bring high-quality Ethiopian honey to market, but also to share the Ethiopian honey history with communities across the globe
Key takeaways that made us go ‘a-ha’
Realising that you have an idea can be accidental, but what matters is how you react to the idea and realise the potential in it. Always be aware of how you feel, and if others may feel the same
“It was more of - is it just me who is surprised by the diversity of this honey, or is it also someone else…I realised that actually even we as Ethiopians didn’t know our potential”
Always test your market first in the simplest of ways, it will inform your next step
“The next step was attending farmers markets at our kids’ schools and having people taste the different honeys we brought along. The curioisity amongst customers was very encouraging, and that was what gave us the push to get a business license and take it to the next level”
Your goal as a business needs to be wider than just your business results, it needs to include something bigger than that, to drive organic growth. It’s about people buying into your idea or vision, and not the product itself
“Our growth is very organic, it is from being directly in front of customers. The vision continues to evolve and now it has become a project wider than just selling honey. The more people bought into the idea that we were here with a big vision not just for our company but the nation, the faster we grew. The goal is not to sell, but for people to understand the value of beekeeping in Ethiopia”
Challenges are always present in entrepreneurial journeys, especially if you are working in a less-developed industry. Instead of ruminating on challenges, focus on using all the resources around you to resolve them
“I try not to hold on to the challenges…I am quite solution oriented, I move on very quickly to how do I solve this challenge. Celebrating growth is ery important, and understanding setbacks is also key.
“You really should not underestimate the power of your cheerleaders. I feel that especially within the Ethiopian honey sector, things keep moving. Tapping into every resource that is available to you does help”
Seble’s advice to women who want to start businesses on their own terms
“If you are really passionate about the business you want to start, don’t be discouraged by setbacks….Building your network of support ecosystem within your business is very important, it could be friends, family or perfect strangers. Encouragement is sometimes the driving force behind whether you will take another step.
Ask for help too! I drive home the message that my company is beyond the company, but it is for Ethiopia. So, communicate your vision clearly!”
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