"Basic of all, of what I know, it's all about communication. If you don't have good communication with your siblings, husband, children or staff, everything will not go so well. When there's good communication, everything will be on point and run smoothly."
Erni Dekriwati Yuliana or better known as Rita Sosilawati isn’t any ordinary woman. She is a woman of strength and the aura she radiates to those around her is truly one-of-a-kind. Her life was a blanket of trials and tribulations after the demise of her mother, Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya. Despite it all, she braved her way through it where she challenged her own self abilities as she climbed the ladder to succeed in an entrepreneurial world – something that had never crossed her mind before. Let us delve deeper into the life of this lady with many hats.
What's in a name?
Erni Dekritawati Yuliana binti Buhari realised that her name would appear to be a tongue twister to many so she decided to come up with a commercial name, Rita Sosilawati. The name ‘Rita’ comes from her middle name, ‘Dekritawati’ and it was also the pet name given to her by her family and the name she goes by at home. Sosilawati was the name of her late mother; a name remembered and etched within the hearts of dear Malaysians alike and this is how the name Rita Sosilawati came to life.
The Rise of Victoria Sloane
Rita is a mother 4 children; three sons and a daughter. She is an entrepreneur who has taken on the continuation of her late mother’s legacy, Nouvelle Beauty Centre Sdn Bhd. After continuing her mother’s legacy for about 10 years, she jumped onto the bandwagon in establishing her own handbags business, Victoria Sloane. Victoria Sloane has been around for about 4 years in the market. Rita stated that many have assumed the brand, Victoria Sloane to be a brand taken from franchises abroad but that isn’t the case. Victoria Sloane is actually her alter ego name when she was pursuing her studies in the UK.
“Back in the day, my British friend asked me this, “Eh, why don’t you have an alter ego name, eh? I know that you have two different identities for night and day.” And so, I gave in to it. He asked me where I was headed to for the day and I said, “I’m from Victoria Street to Sloane Square”. My friend then suggested me this; “Why don’t you take the name Victoria Sloane?” And that name stuck with me since then. I changed my name on Facebook from my real name to Victoria Sloane and pretty much shocked everyone wondering, “Why the sudden name change,” she said.
It amused her greatly when she was questioned about the name change on her social media platform. She did it for fun and as she studied abroad, she felt that people would search her up and she didn’t want that thus the name change to Victoria Sloane. However, when she returned from pursuing her studies, she changed it back to her real name. She did receive questions as to why she changed her name back to her real one on her social media accounts as people have begun to have grown used to the name ‘Victoria Sloane’ because it was very commercialised.
So, when it came down to her handbags business, she faced contemplations when it came down to naming the brand. Her initial suggestion was to put it under the name ‘Rita’ but she felt that it did not have a commercial or international ring to it and that’s when she decided to bring her long-lost name, Victoria Sloane, back to life.
The Person Behind the Intricate Designs of Handbags
The designs for the gorgeous handbags are done by Rita herself. With an educational background in the field of arts and design, she is adept in design for her Victoria Sloane handbag line. Nothing beats her own personal touch. Many are aware of her educational background in the field of business but they are not aware of her educational background in the field of arts and design from UiTM. It wasn’t easy for her to juggle two different fields during her days as a student; arts and design and business respectively.
Her handbags are sold online via Shopee under ritasosilawati.os as she does not have an outlet for it yet. She has received requests from many to open a shop in shopping malls but it is on hold for now as she would like to dive in deeper into the online market as it’s booming.
A Mother's Love
Rita is the eldest among six children in the family. She has three younger sisters and two younger brothers. All siblings have a hand in their late mother’s business respectively. Some of them cater to marketing while the rest cater to property and human resources. Rita on the other hand is the Managing Director. She handles the decision-making. When it comes to operations, her siblings take charge of it.
Rita and her siblings were really young when they took over their mum’s legacy. Rita was 25 years old. Her siblings were 24, 23, 22, 21 and 12 years old. She recalls her mother being a strict superwoman. As children, they were well aware of their mother’s stress each day she came home after a long busy and tiring day at work and her displeasure in seeing a messy household as she was very particular about tidiness. This was why they always ensured that the house was spick and span before their mother returned or they would have faced dire consequences later.
Despite the good teachings and discipline taught by her mother, Rita and her siblings used to find it pretty hectic to live up to her standards. Rita, being the eldest in the family was always the first among her siblings to face the music from her mother; her siblings not so much and so as a “prevention method” somewhat, she would scold them in advance.
When the tragedy befell unexpectedly, she had just returned from pursuing her Masters’ and it had only been a matter of six months. Her mother somewhat knew about that tragedy that would befall her and so, since Rita’s return from abroad, she had always made it a point to bring her along everywhere she went; from normal business meetings to meetings with clients. It puzzled Rita greatly but could it be that her mother was just preparing her for the worse of outcomes? Deep down, even though she knew, it was too much to take in within such a short time frame and that was when Rita expressed her concerns to her mother that she needed more time to grasp it all. However, her mother said otherwise.
The Next Stage of Life
Rita felt that the six months endured was “jail time”. She couldn’t head out to meet friends. She couldn’t head out to watch a movie. She couldn’t head out for karaoke sessions. She couldn’t do anything. She was young and she desired a social life but sadly, she couldn’t have it.
After the demise of her mother, she felt helpless as she was too focused on the business. She did not meet her circle of good friends within a span of 2 years as her life revolved around work-sleep-repeat. She did not lead a social life as she had too many responsibilities to handle.
When the tragedy happened, Rita was all alone to fend for herself. She had no one to guide her. She was responsible for all decision-making and had to care for her siblings. There were many things that she had to commit to at a tender age of 25. She had to bid farewell to her social life and youth. Many came to offer their condolences to her on the demise of her mother and although she knew that these people genuinely cared for her in times of comfort, she felt lost. Her thoughts took control over her.
“My mind couldn’t think of anything at that time. I knew my mum is no more. How am I going to continue my life after this? How am I to continue? How am I to take care of my siblings? Who is going to take care of the business?”
As the days went by, things did not improve and that was when she decided to tie the knot; but who with, she didn’t know.
Among all her male friends, it was that one male friend of hers (her husband) who approached her for a first date and pretty much stated his “requirements”. He wanted to marry and if her direction wasn’t the same to treat their date as the first and last as he didn’t have time for relationships due to his busy lifestyle. Her husband was a government servant who held a high ranking position at that time. All he wanted was to marry as he was stable and ready to do so. His “requirements” caught her in astonishment. She gave in to it in the end and her relationship was different in comparison to the normal relationships we all know and have experienced.
They hardly met due to their busy schedules. They spent more time conversing on the phone. Dates were done in hidden areas to avoid drama with the paparazzi. It was a tough life. They married after a year of knowing each other and back then all she ever hoped and prayed for was for a man to love and care for her. He need not be wealthy. He just needs to be a good husband.
Taking Over Her Mother's Legacy
Back in the day, she never knew or thought that she would be the next in line to take over her mother’s legacy. Rita says, “Back then, I told my mum that I had no interest in business. I wanted to become a lecturer. I enjoyed studying. I enjoyed teaching. But then my mum refuted me by saying, “Then, who is going to take over the business?” I then told her to carry it forward to my siblings but my mum was hell bent that I take over the business instead and so I told her that I’d think about it one day.”
After pursuing her Diploma and undergraduate degree in the field of arts and design which lasted for about 5 years, her mother persuaded her to pursue business studies for about a year. She was not too keen with the idea but she gave in to it in the end. When she pursued her Masters in International Business at Nottingham Trent University in UK, she used to call her mother every day pleading to let her return to Malaysia as she couldn’t handle the pressure. But, every dark cloud has its silver lining. Her mother supported her through it all.
Rita felt that there was always a reason to it all. If she had no background knowledge in business, it would have been impossible for her to take over the business. She’s thankful for her mother’s guidance and persistence throughout her younger days and for the knowledge and experience gained in the field of business.
Challenges Faced as a Businesswoman
Just like any other entrepreneur or businesswoman, Rita too faced her share of challenges. One to many, in fact. After her mother’s demise in 2010, she went through difficult strides. Her mother’s death was an unexpected tragedy that broke hearts of not only her family but the nation too. Stepping into the entrepreneurial world at the tender age of 25, she was questioned on her abilities.
She had to be rid of all assumptions from the community that she was too young for the position to take over her mother’s legacy. When she took over her mother’s business, people were well aware that her mother was a millionaire and would have assumed that she probably had millions in savings but due to the complicated nature of her mother’s case, all their bank accounts inclusive of the company’s bank account were frozen. The family only managed to retrieve the funds seven years after the demise of their mother.
Rita had to start from scratch once again. She had to open a new bank account and that too wasn’t easy. As her mother was a big shareholder of the company and as her mother’s case was pretty special and complicated at most, she had to meet up with the CEO of the bank in particular. Many banks did not grant her the opportunity to open a new account due to fear and unforeseen circumstances. It was really tough on her and the only bank that helped her out in the end was the Army Bank. It was the only bank that allowed her to open an account as she was the second shareholder of her mother’s company and she was truly thankful for it.
When the tragedy took place, it somewhat brought about free publicity of the brand. She was truly thankful to Malaysians for their support as their sales skyrocketed. There were many who assumed that she had it pretty easy but no one knew the back story.
“No one knew the back story. No one knew that I had to start from zero. I could just feel the money that was left by my mother after seven years.”
It was only after seven years of running the business when the family received access to their savings and could make use of it. Not every property that was bought by her mother was insured by Mortgage Reducing Term Assurance (MRTA). There were a few properties that she had to pay for. She had to cater to utility payments, car loan repayment and so forth.
During the first month when she took over her mother’s business, she faced difficulties when it came to paying salaries to a total of 30 staff. Rita and her siblings had to use their own pocket money to pay their salaries. They had no collateral back then. All they had were savings of their own. Rita was solely concerned for the welfare of her staff before her own as she believed on the philosophy that the success of a company comes from their staff. “If you have good staff, then the company can go far,” she says.
She did not want to lose any of them. The staff are still working with her until date since the initial days led by her mother. They have been in the company for about 15-20 years.
Juggling Career and Family
Rita juggles many responsibilities. She is a wife, a mother, a sister, an entrepreneur, a boss – in the simplest of terms, she wears many hats. She is strict with herself. When it comes to work, she focuses solely on work. She ensures that everything is in order. Work begins at 11:00 AM for her. Before heading out for work, she gets the children ready for school along with their meals for the day.
She prepares the meals for her children by herself. Even though she has three maids to help her around the house, she ensures that her children eat meals prepared by her only. No matter how busy she is for the day, she always prepares meals for her children. She is out for work from 11:00 AM till 5:30 PM. The moment she arrives home, she prioritises her role as a wife and mother. She knows and understands what’s important when she is away at work and at home.
She has set her mind to it. Work is work. Home is home. However, when the pandemic hit, it took some time for her to get used to the new norm of juggling both roles as a boss and as a mother as she worked from home during the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Time Management Matters
When it comes to managing time for work and family, Rita has gotten it all under control. Juggling three businesses at the same time, she sets a timing for each; 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM for Nouvelle Visages, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM is for her handbag line, Victoria Sloane and 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM is for her other businesses. Every issue and nitty-gritty detail that has to be taken into consideration or sorted for each business are done during their respective timings.
After 5:00 PM, she ensures that all business matters are taken cared off for the day as it’s time for her to cater to the family. Her staff are well aware of the timings she set for herself and the business. “My staff are all aware of my timings. They don’t dare to call me after 5:00 PM because if they do, they’d surely get a shelling from me,” she says.
Hello, Social Life!
Her friends pay her a visit after working hours. They usually spend time chatting away in her household. On the other hand, as a mother, she holds her responsibilities at highest. If she had a function to attend to at about 8:00 PM, she ensures that she spends at least three-four hours prior to the event with her children. Her life is surrounded by numerous events; from dinners to fashion shows. So, in the event when she has to attend an event, she makes it a point to return home early before 9:00 PM as that’s when her children head off to bed. If she was a moment late, she wouldn’t be able to spend time with them.
She talks to them about their day and the simplest of topics (how was school, did you make a new friend and etc) just to stay updated on their lives. As a mother, she believes that children deserve attention from their parents as assurance that they care about them. With regards to her husband and understanding that her marriage matters, she makes it a point to engage in friendly banter with her husband which include talking about their day because at the end of the day communication matters most.
Vision For The Future
She hopes to see her mother’s legacy; Nouvelle Visages sustain for more than twenty years from now. Nouvelle Visages is 26 years old at the moment. She ran the business and maintained it well for a decade and thus she hopes to maintain it for another two decades. Apart from that, she hopes for her handbag line Victoria Sloane to be an internationally known brand. As for herself, she just hopes to complete her PhD soonest in time.
Overcoming Grief
"If my mum were still alive, she's probably tell me to be strong and take responsibility as she has always taught me to be responsible since day one."
It was really difficult for Rita to overcome the loss of her mother. She was affected severely emotionally. She needed time to heal and to gain strength to continue her mother’s business and resume work but she couldn’t do so. She had no time for it, in fact. She decided to give herself time but scraped off the idea in the end. “When the tragedy happened, all I could think about was how are my siblings and I going to live. Our bank accounts were frozen. Whether we liked it or not, we had to work or we would not have any source of income or money in general to support ourselves. How are we to cater to the household expenditures and salaries for staff? If my mother was still alive, she would have told me this, “Kakak, go on with your life. I want you to be successful,” she said.
Her mother had always been tough. She was very straight-forward and bold.
Advice For Women in Business
Women in general tend to face discrimination and difficulties when it comes to business. Rita advises for women to do what they like and love and not to follow the trend. For her, if you were to follow the trend, your business would be profitable for a while but then it isn’t something you’re passionate about. It’s different so you’d have to do something that you’re really passionate about.
Rita has always been passionate about designing and that’s when she came up with the idea of designing handbags as not many were in the handbag line of business. “In Malaysia, you can count the number of brands that are doing handbags. So, that is why I’m doing the handbags myself,” she says.
Life for Rita was a blanket of trials and tribulations. Despite every struggles she faced, she braved the way against all odds challenging her own self abilities as she climbed the ladder to success in the entrepreneurial world. A humble and inspirational woman, this bubbly woman with many hats is someone we can all look up to with pride.
