When the founder and CEO of Ruuby app Venetia Archer says that her “tribe has been critical to my growth as a founder and a leader”, we know she’s talking about her sisterhood. It’s this sisterhood that gets us out of bed each day – it’s our “why” for AllBright. And we love sharing the stories of women who are case in point – like Archer - that when women come together, tremendous things happen. It’s also one of the reason’s why we wanted her to front our new ‘The Sisterhood Works Project’ campaign (more on that below). 

Archer launched Ruuby - London's first digital beauty concierge – back in 2015, after noticing there was nothing like it in the market. She saw a problem in the market and wanted to solve it. She watched as time-poor women would call countless salons searching unsuccessfully for an appointment. “At the same time, London was experiencing the emergence of on-demand and it became clear to me that the beauty services industry was ripe for change. Consumers needed a way to bring much needed beauty services into their lives seamlessly, and so Ruuby was born,” she says. In other words, whether it’s a Dr. Barbara Sturm facial, ear piercing with Tada & Toy, a blowdry, a deep tissue massage or a gel manicure, you can order it to your own home within just one hour. Ruuby now has a network of over 600 professionally vetted, experienced beauty providers.  

Last year, Archer navigated a pandemic and lockdown, and also welcomed her daughter Penelope to the world last November. Let’s find out more about this dynamic and inspiring CEO…

Venetia Archer (far left), photographed by Helene Sandberg for The Sisterhood Works Project

@venetia_

@venetia_

As the founder of beauty bookings platform Ruuby – talk to me about the ‘why’ behind Ruuby?

I launched Ruuby back in 2015 when nothing like it existed. We lived in a world where calling a handful of salons (unsuccessfully) for a beauty appointment was common. At the same time, London was experiencing the emergence of on-demand… and it became clear to me that the beauty services industry was ripe for change. Consumers needed a way to bring much needed beauty services into their lives seamlessly, and so Ruuby was born. 

Some people see beauty as trivial – but grooming and beauty plays a big part in our lives. What have you learnt about our relationship with beauty?

I have learned that beauty (and wellness) are fundamental ingredients in supporting our health, confidence and happiness. As you say, it can seem trivial, but when women are under increasing pressure to perform in all aspects of their lives, the little touches can have a profoundly positive effect. I feel so much better and more together when I have my hair and nails done before a big event, however trivial that may sound to some! For others, it might be something different, and we all just have to work out what works for us. 

AllBright is passionate about sisterhood – how have women helped you in your career?

My tribe has been critical to my growth as a founder and a leader. I have very open conversations with my friends who are in similar positions to me, and this non-judgemental space helps me make the best decisions. Separately, I am so grateful to the women who have taken time to support me - Whitney Bromberg Hawkings of FLOWERBX and Anna Teal of Aromatherapy Associates are great advocates and friends.

You worked as a journalist in East Africa – can you share your most vivid memories of this time?

This time was the most adventurous of my life, and I loved every moment. My most vivid moment would be touching down in Mogadishu for the first time, ready to report on Somali pirates. It was a war zone at the time, and we were staying out in the city, rather than within the safer airport compound. We went out and interviewed amazing people every day. One older man was reminiscing about the beauty of Mogadishu in the fifties, talking about the beach restaurants and vibrant music scene. He said it was the Paris of East Africa. A wishful and sad reminder of how quickly things can change. 

@venetia_

@venetia_

Both your parents are entrepreneurs – what did they teach you about running your own company growing up?

Everything they taught me was by example. Both my parents have an incredible work ethic, and they have always worked for themselves. As a result, by osmosis this feels normal for me. 

You don’t have a background in tech – what advice do you have to others about venturing into an industry they’re not familiar with?

It doesn't matter if you don’t have a background in tech, but at some point in the company’s growth trajectory you will need someone who can support with this knowledge. In the early days, my recommendation would be to absorb as much information as you can, and connect with those who know about the space so that you can sense check. Then, network effectively - both with those at the same stage as yourself, and those more experienced. 

You applied for a Virgin Startup loan – how did this loan help you get off the ground?

Totally! This went towards the build of the first version of the app, and some interns who helped me sign up salons (we were originally split between salon and at home). 

You went on to pitch for fundraising – new to the world of investing, was it nerve-wracking? How did you approach these pitches?

Not initially. The idea was SO of the moment, and no one was doing this. We had fantastic early traction, and I received really positive feedback. This, however, was with Angel investors. VCs and institutional investors are different, and now when I pitch, it is much more rigorous. I approach them like an exam. Study every figure and metric. I can tell the big picture story in my sleep, but knowing the numbers generates respect from the financially motivated. 

What are some of the most memorable moments you have from those pitches?

Some just flow. You get on well with the investor, they understand your concept, and the conversation is fun. I love the thrill of the win too - securing an amazing investor to join us on our wild journey. 

You secured investment from the likes of Francesco Trapani – what happens to a business after investment is secured?

Then, it's time to make some serious decisions around spend. For us, the focus was team building, and I had to ask myself where our skill gap lay and build there. The great news is that post fundraise, all your attention reverts to what you do best - building your business, and you have the resources to do exactly what you’d dreamed of! 

Throughout our lives, we get a lot of nos. They’re hard to take. How do you overcome the nos?

Some are harder than others, but I think that over time you build a resilience to no’s. I am a big believer that if something isn’t right, or it’s not the right time, it can’t be forced. That said, after five years of running Ruuby, I have learned that if you keep pushing forward, growing, and working hard, you can often turn those decisions around in time. 

You’ve said that if you could have done anything differently in your career, you’d have moved on faster from things I didn’t like – talk to me about the things you didn’t like? And why do so many of us stay doing things we don’t like?

There are two elements to this question. Sometimes, it can feel easier (and it might actually BE easier, short term) to keep something in place even if you know it’s not necessarily right (and this might be a team member, or a new initiative, for example). While this might make sense if you are overly burdened, and need to deal with it when you have the space and the business can cope with the change, I have learned that I cannot park the decision for too long. The other element here is to trust your instinct. Experience has allowed me more trust in my instinct, and so I have been able to be more agile in big decision making. This is still a work in progress for me. 

Success is so different for so many people – for some it’s financial. For some, it’s freedom. What does success look like for you?

For me, it is the freedom to be creative, strategic, and focus on what I enjoy - professionally, and personally. 

Tough times are part of being an entrepreneur – how do you not let them get you down and keep a positive mindset?

It is challenging for sure, but in my experience, the darkest days really do come before dawn. Entrepreneurs have the best days right alongside the worst days, and so it's definitely a bumpy ride. I think all entrepreneurs have doubts at times, but weighting towards a deep-rooted confidence in your end goal is what I think sets successful entrepreneurs apart from their counterparts. 

COVID-19 came out of nowhere and it hit fast – businesses around the world went into crisis mode. Take us back to what work looked like for you when Covid hit?

It was a challenging time, and initially my focus was on trying to grasp the big picture, and work out how to ensure resilience and the company’s future, whilst also making big decisions about our cost structure.  The pandemic resulted in us becoming more agile, and making some good, longer-term commercial decisions. 

During this time, what did you learn about your leadership style?

I learned that I am a good “wartime CEO”. I thrive in crisis, and can make decisions quickly. Everyone in the team aligned towards one common goal, and I felt we, as an organisation, had this new edge about us. 

As a mother now, how has this changed the way you work?

I have always wanted to live by example, and even before having a child (Penelope, who was born during the pandemic), I knew that I wouldn’t want to hide it from the world. There is a systemic pressure in many industries for mothers to understate their family life or responsibilities, so that they receive the same opportunities as men. I want to show that women can have children and run businesses - well! Naturally, it is harder. You have competing interests and less time. It is REALLY HARD. However, it is absolutely possible, as so many of my peers have shown me. I now work different hours - I used to wake up at 5am and start working to get a head start on the day. Now that time shifts till later, and I also rely on my team more - they have risen to the challenge. It has taught me a lot about delegating!

What has been the most challenging part of being a working mother?

 Competing priorities, and absence of down time. 

Day to day what are your time management tips – how do you get it all done?

I think it's important to monitor one’s productivity. I know that I work in cycles - some days I have incredible drive and productivity, and I make the most of this by pushing projects forward and working on more complex strategy. I have now learnt not too much myself on the days I am less energised. I focus my mind on creative, or spend time talking to team members and working through issues. It's really important to understand your own work ethic and make it work for you.  

Venetia Archer (far left). Photographed by Helene Sandberg

About The Sisterhood Works Project

To celebrate the #TheSisterhoodWorksProject ⁠- our global mission to connect 100,000 women up through our digital platform, so we can unite you all, wherever you are, and whatever your passion is - we've interviewed these incredible founders about the brand’s backstory, and what advice they would give to friends thinking of going into business together.

Find out more about The Sisterhood Works Project here. We'll be running an unmissable line-up of free networking events, industry-specific networking opportunities, inspiring interviews, IRL meet-ups and much more. ⁠Join the sisterhood. Share with your friends. Let’s tackle the gender network gap together.