F  L  A  U  N  T

 As much as different people have varying definitions of success, without a doubt, success is something everyone wants to achieve. However, the road to success is not always easy, and only those who persevere through the many challenges will find success.  Merian Odesho is among the few who continue to flourish and solidify her spot in a challenging industry. With a Bachelor of Science Degree and more than ten years of working experience in the industry, Merian is a renowned hair product formulator. As the founder and formulator of [Bounce Curl](http://www.bouncecurl.com), a curly hair products company, her goal is to continue creating more green and eco-friendly hair products. Like any other industry, Merian notes the challenges in the haircare industry. She says along her path to success, she has encountered challenges, failures, and even made mistakes, but that has never stopped her from accomplishing her goals. Merian’s passion and go-getter attitude is what keeps her going.  Here are the three lessons to learn from her success: **Learn to leverage what you have** If you are waiting for opportunities to happen, then you will never achieve growth, says Merian. To achieve success, you must learn to take risks and create opportunities yourself.  With the huge number of users, social media has become an effective way to not only market your product but also boost brand awareness. Merian says social media played a major role in growing her business. By regularly posting on her [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/herbalmmo/) and uploading videos while in the lab, she captured the attention of her audience. In addition, she encourages interaction with her audience, where they are able to ask questions freely. This has helped her establish trust and build long-term relations with her clients. **Be Innovative** Over the years, so many people have turned to entrepreneurship, making it very competitive. To stand out, Merian stresses the importance of being authentic, unique, and innovative. In her words, if you notice a market gap, use that as an opportunity to showcase your skills. After frustrations with different hair products, Merian decided to do something about it. In November 2015, she released her first hair product. Having grown up using simple hair formulas that her grandmother made from natural ingredients, Merian wanted to create hair products that were “clean.” This means products that are formulated with ingredients that have zero or few negative effects. By being innovative, she created her hair care products and established herself in the industry. **Pay attention to trends.** Trends can either impact your business positively or negatively. The trends in the beauty and cosmetic industry are regularly changing, says Merian. To have the upper hand, she ensures she is up to speed with the current trends.  As she expands on her brand and releases new hair products, her work ethic and goal have not changed. In her words, she hopes to continue helping her clients achieve great hair while practicing safe beauty.  All in all, success is not final, and neither is failure. What counts is having an open mindset and the courage to continue.