Helene Faussart is the
product of African and European education, having grown up between the two
continents, where she received the multicultural upbringing that shaped her art
and business direction.
With her sister Celia,
she created Les Nubians, a group whose first Afropean Soul record “Princesses
Nubiennes” hit the US Charts in 1999, winning a Lady Of Soul Train 1999 Award,
two NAACP nominations, and a Grammy Award Nomination in 2004.
Independent artist and
cultural entrepreneur, Helene has been CEO of Nubiatik Publishing LLC , Les
Nubians publishing label, since 2001 and CEO of Afrocaravan Inc, Les Nubians
Touring company, since 2007. Her love of art and production led her to curate,
among other special events, the Bordeaux Carnival in 2004 and to produce
ECHOS-Chapter One: Nubian Voyager in 2007, a Book-CD dedicated to Urban Poetry
in French and English, along with Les Nubians latest music releases.
Widely recognized as an
artist and a scholar, Helene has presented at Columbia University, Harvard
University, ASCAP Women, ASALH Convention (Association for the Study of African
American Life and History), Atlanta National Black Arts Festival. She notably
performed at the 2013 South-South UN Awards Ceremony, 2014 TEDx Denver and the
2015 UN Women’s Night, joining Senator Hillary Clinton on the podium.
In 2013, Helene Faussart
launched NÜ ORGANIKS her organic hair & body care line. www.nuorganiks.com
HELENE THE WOMAN
Q: Describe yourself in 1
word and tell us why you chose that word?
A: Truth. Because it's my
path, my experience. Learning with it, knowing better, doing better, seeing
further.
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, your cultural heritage and background,
where you grew up and what brings you to
the work?
A: I
was born from a mixed couple, my father is white caucasian, my mother is from
Cameroon. I was raised with both cultures and on both continent, in France and
in Africa. My mother was a traveler, searching on spirituality, a very holistic
woman, vegetarian since childhood, into Yoga and Krishnamurti, organic food and
for so she was into the natural care of the body. She is the one melting the
raw pungent shea butter imported by my aunts and preparing it for us when we
were kids. I turned away from it when I was a teenager, tempted with TV &
magazines commercials and 'cool' body chemicals care brands, until I got
pregnant with my daughter. 15 years ago, I started producing my own &
friends jars until I decided to share with everyone early 2013.
Q: How
do you take care of yourself and what to you enjoy doing to take time for
yourself outside of work?
A: I changed a lot my diet since I moved in America and prefer a
more vegetarian diet, with lots of raw vegetables and I LOVE juicing ! I also
followed Queen Afua's holistic system © and found myself even more balanced,
spirit and body flowing well ! I start my day with a glass of water with the
juice of a fresh lemon. Then herbal tea and juice ! For my skin care, I use my
own line along with essential oils that I add depending on what I need,
lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, frankincense, niaouli, grapefruit are my
favorite. I take the time 3 times a week to take a long hot bath with Epsom
salts & oils, listening to Indian Raga Music. I like my spa time at home.
BUSINESS + BEAUTY
ON
Q: Tell
us a bit about your company Nu Organiks what do you offer/sell? Why did you
decide to enter into business within this specific market?
A: Nü
Organiks was created to share with people the goodness of Mother Nature. Our
skin is our bigger, greater organ, filtering everything that goes in and out of
our body. What we put on our skin should be as good as what we eat. Which is
not the case nowadays with most of the body & hair cosmetic lines using
petrol derivative products, alcohol, oxides & other salts, too many
chemicals that fix themselves in our bodies creating complications. Mother
Nature gave us all the ingredients, and African Women gave us the savoir-faire
on how to use the plants in their natural and pure form to be used to
moisturize our skin, to protect it, to heal and to prevent. Poison is not a
gift you want to share with your people. You want to share the best because
LOVE rules us all. Nü Organiks is about sharing LOVE. Starting with self-Love.
Q: Tell
us about challenges you face doing business in the diaspora? How have you
overcome these challenges?
A:
Challenges are in my everyday life, as an artist and even more so as an
entrepreneur!
Working
on such a natural product, with no chemical preservatives makes the production,
the shelving life and stocks move fast, so it's not easy to follow the pace of things sometimes.
The
jars are produced in short batches, handmade, no machines, but LOVE and
savoir-faire which makes it a little pricy but super concentrated and
efficient. It's hard sometimes to convince people to invest a little bit more
or few dollars more on their health.
Q: What do you love about
your company? And what do you believe has contributed to the growth of your
business?
A: LOVE ! My friends, my family, supported me from the
start. I love that we take the time to organize private meetings, join markets
and vending locations to meet the consumers, talk with them, and have them try the
NÜ Butters ©. When we talk health, skin, suddenly, the conversation becomes a
little intimate, like in between sisters or friends. This relationship makes
the experience even more fulfilling. People also realize that the same way they
are changing their food habits because of a growing awareness on the subject,
they might as well offer their body a more holistic approach. And we are here
to help and guide them.
Q: You are
also a very popular musician and it’s so lovely to see you transition to the
body care and cosmetics market, how do you balance both?
A: It's
not easy to keep up, but it's essentially possible because of team work !
Q: 10
years from now where do you see Nu Organiks?
A: The
dream would be to have an international market presence, to be in the bathroom shelves
or in the bags of all individuals who love their soul, body and hair ! With the
possibility of getting our own formula of NÜ Butters© created just for you.
Q: Tell us
3 most important characteristics one must have to be successful in your
business ?
A:
Creativity/Discipline/Confidence
LOVE + SISTERHOOD
Q: What
does Sisterhood mean to you and why is it critical to our success as African
women?
A: I have worked with my sister for 20 years ! I also have a strong network of sisters all
around the world. As women,
we are never a strangers to each other, which creates this sisterhood that is
needed for moral support, networking, collaborations and shared success because
ultimately, we share the same goals. We all want a safer planet, peace, respect
and the best place possible for our children, our families and for us to grow
and blossom. We are the creative energy and T.E.A.M work means Together
Everyone Achieves More.
Q:
Please complete the sentence “Women
Change Africa because…?”
A:
Because women mean it.
