Q&A with Graduate START UP Niré Beauty

Erin Graybill founded Niré Beauty in 2015 after graduating from Newcastle University with an MSc in International Economics and Finance in 2010. With early support and grant funding from START UP, Erin found her first team members through NCL Internships and has since developed her business and grown into the global market. 

Niré Beauty supplies high-quality, cruelty-free beauty products and accessories with award-winning designs to over 50 countries worldwide. Their latest venture, the ‘Pamper Hamper’ is a collaborative gift box of their own products and items from other North East small businesses. 

With a Headquarters in Newcastle, Niré Beauty are currently a diverse team of 9, and almost half of the roles are filled by Newcastle University alumni. Erin initially hired Madalina Gologan (MA in International Communications 2017) and Nikki Ellis (MA in Media and PR 2019) as interns and both have progressed to full-time roles. They tell us about their experience together so far… 

How did NCL Internships help you? 

Erin: When I first started Niré I never expected to have a full-time team at all, but then I signed up to the Careers Service Internship scheme and was so impressed with the candidates, I hired three interns! Since then, I’ve seen my team grow more than I ever expected. It’s really exciting and rewarding to see interns join the team and share a great passion that I used to think would just be my own. 

Madalina: I really wanted to prove I’m employable, find an internship and work hard to get hired. As an immigrant with very limited experience and none in the UK, I didn’t expect I’d get this right with the first try, but I did thanks to the help of the Careers Service. I’m very grateful to the advisors who helped me prepare my CV and improve the skills I needed to be better at my job.  

What’s it like working for a Start-up? 

Nikki: The best thing about working for a Start-up is that you can grow alongside the business. Because the business is young and the team is small, you’re given so many opportunities to try a huge variety of different things which means you build up a wider skill portfolio and keeps your job interesting. In a large corporation you may be confined to just your role, but with a Start-up you can dip your toe into so many different things and find out that you may love certain things you never even considered. 

Madalina: Working for a Start-up is amazing. It is challenging, but in a great way as you learn so much and get the idea of “responsibility” very fast. If you work hard and give your best, you know you can have a big contribution in growing the company. I love this! Erin has been incredibly supportive, taught me so much and got me involved in so many aspects of the business. I got to develop a product with her at the end of the internship, which meant so much for me. I felt very lucky and extremely grateful for the opportunity [to stay on full-time]! 

How does being a part of the growing Niré Beauty team make you feel? 

Nikki: The team is very small but also very friendly, so I felt comfortable almost straight away. Because the team is small, I was given important tasks to do and lots of responsibility right away. It was a bit scary at first, but it was great to know that they trusted me to produce content that would actually be seen by the world. I feel really blessed to work with such a funny and kind team where everyone supports each other. 

Erin: As an entrepreneur, building a team can be challenging, especially at the start but it will become the most rewarding part of what you do. Imagine the passion you have for the business being replicated and carried forward by a supportive team! Each of the interns I have hired has brought their own set of skills and creative flair to the company which has helped us to grow in so many ways. It really is the best feeling - finding like-minded people who all share the same goal: to make our customers happy and exceed all expectations. I’m incredibly proud! 

Find Niré Beauty on Facebook and Instagram @nirebeauty or visit www.nirebeauty.com. 

If you’re a student looking for a paid internship, search our listings on MyCareer.