10 minutes with.... Shoned Owen

Founder & CEO of Tanya Whitebits. The first sunless tan brand to come from Wales. Contains organic ingredients, is odour free vegan friendly and not tested on animals.

What gets you out of bed on a Monday morning?

My cockapoo dog and 14 year old twin girls initially. Then the drive to fulfil orders and enquiries and tackle my never ending to do list. It’s relentless but addictive at the same time.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Personally I am so proud of my daughters and career wise Tanya Whitebits is the best thing I’ve come up with to date.

Tea or Coffee?

Coffee every time but not cheap coffee.

What is the one thing you would tell your 16 year old self?

You may not be top of the class in School but you can still succeed in life. Hang on in there and throw yourself into what you love and you’ll become an expert in just that! Success isn’t always measured in academic ability- remember that!

How do you like to spend your spare time?

With my husband, daughters, the dog, family and close friends. I love the outdoors, I’m a coastal girl and could never live far from the sea. I like short break luxury getaways.

What is your favourite thing about running your own business?

How you start something from nothing, look how far you’ve come and believing the best is yet to come. That feeling is the biggest reward of all along with customer testimonials Which always make my day.

What’s one quality you think an entrepreneur needs to possess?

Never give up, where there’s a will there’s a way.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Customer feedback helps me steer the direction of the business and I gain inspiration from social media and articles and studies.

What are your top tips for a winning business pitch?

Be honest, look for collaborations, show don’t tell, specialise don’t generalise, do your research and homework.

What’s your favourite TV show/podcast and why?

Hardly watch TV anymore, I tend to watch a series like Breaking Bad and Love Island was my guilty pleasure.

Big night out or quiet night in?

Quiet night in!