Stephanie Tumba

From Homelessness to multi-million-pound success! 

You mentioned when you were seven, you were stealing your mother’s Dutch Wax Block fabrics and making clothes for dolls and selling them to my friends. What other experiences have motivated you to become an entrepreneur?   

The first and most relevant experience that motivated me to become an entrepreneur was when I set up my first real business in fashion with my two sisters. We created a brand called Celest Couture. The idea of the brand was clothes for women made of gold and plated gold ornaments.  

After buying the fabrics, organising the show, and recruiting the models, we ran out of money very quickly and were not able to sustain and supply our retailers. Not only did the experience confirm my motivation for being an entrepreneur but also led me to sign up for International Business Management Degree to learn the ropes of entrepreneurship and business. 

Secondly, my experience at L’Oréal motivated me to be an entrepreneur too.  I was in charge of the marketing development and business management for a variety of brands. It was entrepreneurial as you manage your brands like a small company being solely in charge of its success or failure. 

How did you come to set up Ste Tumba Capital? 

I worked in a family office where I was in charge of investing in luxury goods company. After selling and buying a few investments, I managed to increase the value of her portfolio by 30%. Satisfied by my services, she advised, helped, and motivated me to do the same. This is how my entrepreneurial story started; I invest in companies with a more hands-on approach where we advise and play a big part in the companies we invest in.   

What motivated you to write your book 100 Dates and a Wedding? 

100 Dates and a Wedding started as a blog in French just after my divorce. I wanted to share with the French how it was to date in London from a French perspective. However, while the blog started in French, I ended up writing it in Frenglish and finally in English. I stopped writing for a while; in fact, more than a year and decided it was time to share my story with the world.  

What is in the pipeline for you and your business’?  

For the business, we are rebranding one of our investments called Human Connections, and we are very excited about it. We will have Christmas, New Year Resolution, and Valentine promotions.  

We are in a year where we need to balance our portfolio to diversify the risks. So, we are planning to invest in real estate and more specifically, holiday apartments, resorts, or hotels.   

What is one piece of business advice you would give to aspiring entrepreneurs? 

Follow your dreams, even if they feel unattainable. There’s always a way to make things happen! For this, surrounds yourself with positive people and do not listen to people who have never lived and experienced what you’re aiming for. When you have a toothache, you go to the dentist to have a check, not a butcher nor a masseuse!