celebrities Shaheizy Sam and Syatilla Melvin won the Celebrity Entrepreneur Couple of The Year 2022 at the Northern Edition: SME and Entrepreneurs Business Awards 2022 (SEBA). With prominent careers in the entertainment industry and serving as some of Malaysia’s most cherished actors, Shaheizy Sam and Syatilla Melvin have made their names as top entrepreneurs as well.
When asked what initiated him to become a businessman and focus more on his business, Sam said acting and becoming a businessman are within the same wavelength; when he is acting, he is selling himself, when he is in business, he is selling his brand and his product.
He also mentioned how acting was considered seasonal for him as he would find himself out of work after completing each project. Establishing his business, however, is a more continuous process and always keeps him on his feet.
Syatilla Melvin also made a name for herself when she launched Kekasih by The Melvins – a beauty line where she introduced her first range of products which included cream and matte foundations. Melvin started by taking marketing and business classes that resulted in her selling around 180,000 units in just a couple of months.
Sam has hit many milestones throughout his career in the film and entertainment industry, however, when it comes to business, he said, “I think at this point there is still a long way to go for me to reach a milestone because I am still learning and still testing the waters.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and Malaysia had to undergo a lockdown, Sam explained how he learned a lot about online businesses and how to market his business online. Prior to the pandemic, he was not a fan of online shopping but due to the pandemic causing shops to close down, he had no choice but to shop online and that was the time he learned and grew fond of the online business community. Hence, with the help of his wife who had the knowledge of dealing with an online business, he managed to bring his business online and bring up his name to the community.
With their brands progressively dominating the industry in Malaysia, going international is a no-brainer for Sam and Melvin for their future plans. Their goal is to make Malaysia proud whether it would be as actors or entrepreneurs and create a bigger pond for local entrepreneurs to inspire them to become industry players and represent Malaysia.
