Oyéta Kokoroko is the founder of OKOKO Cosmétiques
Dreams and challenges go hand-in-hand: it’s when you learn to embrace the challenges that your dreams blossom. Since I was a young girl, my dream was to become an entrepreneur. After watching the sacrifices my parents made to immigrate to Canada, I was motivated to create a positive impact. Being an immigrant came with many challenges, but eventually, those challenges turned into lessons of resilience, determination, and perseverance. Turns out, sometimes our struggles are the key ingredients we need to make our dreams come true.
For me, being an entrepreneur was about independence and freedom: and also, an opportunity to positively impact people’s lives. When I discovered my passion for formulating natural skin care products, I finally found the path to channel my dreams into to continue the legacy of my parents’ sacrifices.
Beauty is more than skin deep: it’s about everyday self-care and confidence. Seeing testimonials of how we’ve helped people build better self-care habits or achieve clear skin after years of frustrating skin problems, always reminds me why I’m still pushing every day. One of our biggest wins was launching our L’Atelier OKOKO in Vancouver’s Gastown, where people can get a relaxing moment away from the busyness of life and do something good for them. Celebrating your victories can give you so much joy and motivation to continue onwards.
We all have dreams, but sometimes it can feel like you don’t have the support to achieve them. Being a Black female entrepreneur makes me immensely grateful for the opportunities I have, and OKOKO has given back over the years to local charities and championing diversity. Women of colour are underrepresented in the entrepreneurship community, and I want to show them that success is possible for them if they just take the first step. I love receiving notes from aspiring entrepreneurs, saying that my journey has inspired them to pursue their own passions. Uplifting one another helps us cultivate a better community and seeing the positive impact you’ve made is one of the best rewards you can get.
Wherever you may be on your journey, remember that with the right mindset, every challenge is bringing you closer to achieving what you’ve been dreaming of.
