Many brands grow because of the strength of their Founder. But to go global, that strength must live across the entire organisation.
Before the world is ready to welcome our brand, one question matters:
Is the organisation ready to carry that growth without everything continuing to depend on the Founder?
This was one of the key areas we examined during my 1-on-1 session with Datin Eriyca, better known as Madammu, and Datuk Azri Che Noh, the co-founders of NOIR.
Alhamdulillah, NOIR is experiencing strong momentum. In the first eight months of 2026, its performance had already surpassed the achievement recorded throughout the previous year, with growth of more than 30%.
Behind this progress are the courage to experiment, the ability to read the market and Madammu’s energy in building trust and creating demand.
However, when a business begins operating at a higher level, the Founder’s challenge also changes.
The question is no longer simply how to sell more. It is how to turn the Founder’s strength into organisational strength that can produce consistent growth.
I understand that this transition is not easy. When the Founder’s personality and energy have become a major growth engine, letting go of certain responsibilities can feel like a risk.
But to move further, what exists within the Founder must be transferred to the team, systems and leaders who can uphold the same standards.
Recently, NOIR stepped onto a bigger platform as the official sponsor of Women in Export (WiEX) @ MIHAS 2026, a MATRADE initiative advancing women’s participation in international trade.
I am proud to see this involvement because it offers more than brand visibility. The platform creates opportunities to build relationships with international buyers, distributors and strategic partners who can support NOIR’s next phase of expansion.
More importantly, this step carries the aspirations of Malaysian women entrepreneurs onto the international stage.
NOIR is showing that success in the domestic market should never limit the ambition to compete globally.
However, global expansion does not begin when we appear at an international event. It begins when our products, people, processes and leadership are ready to deliver consistent standards, even as markets and challenges change.
NOIR has proven its ability to create demand. The focus now is to build an organisation capable of carrying that demand across borders.
A brand does not become global simply because its Founder is recognised.
It becomes global when the entire organisation can deliver the same promise in every market it enters.
Insha-Allah, we will strengthen it one step at a time and take NOIR into a bigger phase of growth.
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