At WE-Elevate, our biggest investment is a woman. And when her growth becomes visible, measurable, and impossible to ignore, we pause, smile, and celebrate.
This is one of those stories.
Before the engagement metrics, the online sales, and the renewed confidence, there was simply a woman who had built a beautiful brand but needed the right support to scale it digitally. For six years, Degutu Beauty, founded by Ijeoma Egutu, had been quietly doing the work, creating high-quality beauty products that celebrate diverse skin tones and help women feel seen.
With over 50 products ranging from matte lipsticks in 17 shades to beauty blenders, lip glosses, and eyeliners, the brand had loyal customers and strong word-of-mouth traction. What was missing was not quality or vision. It was the systems and skills needed to fully unlock online growth.
When Skill Meets Opportunity
Scaling digitally had become a pressing challenge. Social media was active, but sales were inconsistent. The website existed, but conversions were low. Like many women entrepreneurs, Ijeoma knew her business had potential. She just needed the right tools and guidance to make it work online.
That was when WE-Elevate entered the picture.
Designed to equip women entrepreneurs with hands-on business skills, mentorship, and practical digital marketing knowledge, WE-Elevate was not about theory. It was about clarity, execution, and confidence.
Through the program, Ijeoma learned how to properly run Meta ads, understanding the difference between boosting posts and building intentional ad campaigns that convert. For the first time, she could confidently manage her own ads and make data-informed decisions about where her money was going.
Results That Spoke Loudly
The impact was immediate.
Degutu Beauty’s Instagram community grew beyond its 4,500 engagement and follower target. More importantly, the website, which had previously underperformed, began to convert. Over 15 to 20 documented online sales came in, marking a major shift from minimal digital revenue to consistent transactions.
With the guidance of her mentor, Ijeoma took things further. She rebuilt the Degutu Beauty website using the Bumper platform, transforming it from a simple storefront into a structured sales system. Product photos were improved. Descriptions were optimized. Invoicing and profit-tracking tools were integrated.
The business could now accept international payments, run email marketing campaigns, and execute bulk SMS promotions, all systems that positioned Degutu Beauty for long-term and sustainable growth.
More Than a Program, It Was a Community
Beyond the tools and training, WE-Elevate gave Ijeoma something just as powerful, community and confidence.
She was surrounded by women navigating similar challenges, asking the same questions, and pushing toward growth with intention. In that environment, learning felt safe, progress felt possible, and ambition felt supported.
Ijeoma did not just gain skills. She gained belief in her ability to scale strategically.
Proof That Access Changes Outcomes
Today, Degutu Beauty is thriving online with stronger visibility, better systems, and a founder who understands how to turn digital presence into revenue. Ijeoma’s journey is a reminder that many women entrepreneurs do not lack passion or talent. What they often lack is access to the right knowledge, mentorship, and support at the right time.
At WE-Elevate, this is exactly the gap we exist to fill.
Through programs like WE-Elevate, business loans, mentorship, and capacity-building initiatives, we ensure that women-led businesses are not just surviving, but growing with structure and confidence.
This Is What Empowerment Looks Like
Degutu Beauty’s transformation is more than a success story. It is evidence of what happens when women are equipped, supported, and trusted to build.
We are proud to have walked this journey with Ijeoma, and even prouder to keep showing up for the next woman who just needs access to take her business further.
At WE-Elevate, we believe in women building real businesses.
We believe in skills as power.
And we believe that when women rise, entire ecosystems grow.
This is what happens when we invest in women.
