Transitioning from reality TV to social media sensation to entrepreneur has been a difficult one for Samuel Levi but a valuable learning experience.  Now over a year since the launch of his own brand, Levi is set to host his very own interview show talking to budding entrepreneurs about the challenges they face.

Kiwi-born, but now based in Australia, Samuel Levi first became popular when he starred in  New Zealand’s very-own edition of Married at First Sight (MAFS) in 2018. His stint on the  show opened the doors for Levi who quickly became a social media sensation.

As someone with an entrepreneur mindset, Levi couldn’t stop at just social media.

“I always had that kind of mindset that was never shown unfortunately, because obviously let’s just say when it comes to TV and reality TV, they have their own narrative for you,” reveals Levi.

Nearly 18 months ago, Levi decided to use his mindset to start his very own beauty business, LuxeSticks.

The beauty genre is already an oversaturated industry that often sees new product releases every week, so Levi took it upon himself to disrupt what already exists with an innovative new way.

“I’ve gone and taken [clay masks] and I’ve gone and innovated it and created it into a form of a stick formula,” he says.

“The whole ethos around it is I wanted to take away the mess and fuss of clay masks…to create  something that was different and unique.”

Looking at the start of his journey with LuxeSticks, Levi knew that creating a business in the beauty industry he had to stand out within the crowd of hundreds of beauty companies and try and make something different.

Passionate about skincare and starting his own venture, Levi worked hard to ensure that LuxeSticks would become successful by focusing on being different.

Prior to starring in MAFS, Levi had a background in PR and marketing and knew exactly how the industry worked and what it took to be successful.

“If I wanted to come out with something, it had to be different and basically, disrupt the industry,” says Levi.

And being a male in an industry that traditionally caters to females is what Levi is using to his advantage. By being the face of the brand, LuxeSticks is immediately different to the rest.

Levi thought that being a male who could bring a new perspective on the table is what sets LuxeSticks apart from the rest.

But being different comes with its own challenges like fighting the reality TV stigma that has followed him, five years since being on the show.

Read more: The woman in the room – Frankie Layton of Dirt

“Even though people love the show and they might love you or whatever, to have that show possibly attached to your brand can possibly actually not be a good thing,” he says.

“I’ve had to really work hard to separate that and really make people take me serious in a business and entrepreneurial mindset, which has worked but it’s been bloody hard work.”

Since his launch 18 months ago, LuxeSticks went viral and has since continued to progress even further up. But keeping up with the momentum has been hard work as he attempts to be more than just a one hit wonder.

Coming up with disruptive products is hard work and has led him to go from five products to a range of 21.

Looking back at the infancy of LuxeSticks, Levi says that if there is one piece of advice he could give his younger self, it would be to not be scared to take on risks.

“I know that sounds a bit cliché, but not to(?) be scared to take on risks with moving forward with certain aspects of the business to try and make it grow,” Levi adds.

Now, Levi is in a position to further grow his business, taking on the challenge of bringing his brand into global markets outside of Australia and New Zealand. He adds that his specific goal over the next 12 months would be looking at breaking into the US and UK markets.

But his entrepreneurial journey doesn’t just end there.

Levi is also set to host a new show with Ticker News that delves into the successes and heartbreaks that come with entrepreneurship and innovators.

For Levi, he says he jumped on board to bring his own successful experience to audiences but also to share other success stories by other entrepreneurs.

“Take Your Shot” on Ticker News hosted by Levi is set to be available on multiple streaming services across the world.