Entrepreneurial and Brilliant: Venetia Archer
“What I love about being an entrepreneur - huge variety, and constant shifts and surprises!”
Venetia Archer is a London-based Australian entrepreneur. Founder of Ruuby, she’s responsible for bringing personalized luxury beauty treatments to Londoners in their homes. Recognized worldwide for her entrepreneurial success, she’s been named as Forbes 30 under 30 and is regularly featured in prestigious publications. Beautiful and smart, she embodies the brilliant and bold multifaceted woman. When she isn’t busy at work, travelling the world and meeting inspiring people, Venetia loves to make time for herself, by booking massages and beauty treatments from the comfort of her home… using Ruuby of course. In these more difficult times, she is staying positive and using her time at home to think creatively about the future of Ruuby and the beauty industry.
What does a day in your life look like?
I tend to wake up at around 7:30 with the lure of matcha getting me out of bed. If I am feeling energetic, I will do a spin on the Peloton, which I love because I can pick a 20 minute class, so there is [almost] no excuse. Now that the world has opened up a little bit, I am back in the office (I am the only one here, but I like the routine of getting out of the house). I'll walk there, regardless of the current pandemic, as I love getting my steps in. At the moment, I have been doing a lot of planning and preparation around the relaunch, as we had to pause services for a few months, which involves speaking regularly with industry bodies and our broader professional team. I am also spending quite a bit of time during this quieter period on product; we have launched a new version of our app and an e-store, which has been really exciting. Once I lose my steam, I will aim to meet a friend for a walk in the park and, then, head home to spend time with my boyfriend. All very simple and easy, and a very different answer to what I would have given pre-lockdown!
What do you value most in your friends?
I value humour and honesty. I count on my friends very closely as sounding boards, and also have huge amounts of fun with them. I am lucky that I think my girlfriends are the funniest people in the world.
How do you create elegance in all different scenarios in your life?
I think elegance is both about what you wear and how you wear it, but also how you handle yourself in situations. I think subtlety is key - that goes for an incredibly well fitting dress or tuxedo jacket (I still wear pieces from my mother's wardrobe, which have a timeless elegance), understated yet impeccably crafted jewellery (like a pair of 64Facets diamond studs), or a great pair of shoes. I also think space breeds elegance - waiting to respond to situations until you have processed the information, and can do so clearly, and succinctly.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Never give up!
What inspires you?
Other female entrepreneurs inspire me. I love seeing what my peers are building and accomplishing - it galvanises me to do more, think creatively, and continue to question my status quo. Sometimes entrepreneurship can feel isolating, but it does not have to if you invest in building relationships with others in similar situations.
During this time of staying at home, adjustment and uncertainty, what strengths have you found within yourself?
This has definitely proved a challenging time, as all external references that create a day-to-day structure have disappeared, and this definitely left me a little rudderless at the beginning of lockdown. What I have really benefited from has been the time and space for introspection, allowing me to understand more about what inspires me, and I have committed to acting on the lessons I have learned during this time period to change certain ways of living.
Follow Venetia on Instagram @Venetia_ and @ruubyapp
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