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Authenticity, Motherhood and A First Look at Yummy Tummy with Tika Sumpter · Skin Anarchy

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Hey guys, welcome back to Skin Anarchy.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: We have such an amazing guest with us today.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: I am such a fan of hers and a lot of you might recognize her from her wonderful roles in some very, very blockbuster um films and just as you know in general as an actor, a producer, and also a podcast creator and now a newfound entrepreneur in the beauty space and the wellness space.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: So without further ado, please welcome Tika Sumter.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome Tika, I'm so honored to host you.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh, I'm so happy to be here.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for hosting me.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I'm really excited to have the chance to talk to you and learn about the brand.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited you have a brand that you're launching, and you know, it looks so fantastic.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: But I I want to start with really your career, you know, like you've worn so many creative hats, right, over the years.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: And and that's so fascinating to me because that's very hard to do, you know, uh being able to do that.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: So looking back, I mean, what were some of the moments and experiences that you think, you know, really defined your creative insight and perspective as obviously like a storyteller, but just somebody who is in this creative space all the time?
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: Oh man, it's so crazy because in the beginning of my career, you know, I thought I only had, I only could be one thing, right?
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like I'm an actor, you know.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: I remember, you know, hearing, you know, actors don't do commercials, actors don't do, you know, real actors don't do this and da-da-da-da-da.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: And it was so, it was almost like putting people in a box, right?
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Because nobody's just one thing, you know.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, well, at least I'm not.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a Gemini and I'm all over the place.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: So, and so all of my creative forces of just growing up around, you know, people with just, you know, my mom could sing, my sister could, my, my, my brother, you know, was a, he's a, he, he would do coding.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like, there's so many amazing forces that were always around me growing up.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, of course, you know, you pull from every which way.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, my my I don't only go as far creatively, create creatively as an actress, but also as a creator.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: I think I'm more of a creator in general, whether it's writing books or, you know, uh creating yummy tummy or you see me on the screen acting.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: I I think I've just I've just always been that person who was never just interested in only doing one thing.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I think that's like always, I mean, that's the fascinating part I think about um, you know, when I look into your career, because I think it's very difficult to bring creativity out in so many different ways, you know what I mean?
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I think like uh a lot of times people don't really kind of pause to think about how much that it how much that takes out of somebody to be able to do that, you know.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: So that's that's really huge.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's you're it's a lot of work, yeah.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's a lot of work, I'm sure.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: No, I'm sure.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, I you know, I ask you that because the over, you know, I've reviewed so many brands, right?
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: And like it's always the founders that can do it's not even multitasking, it's exactly what we were talking about here, where it's like the creativity just like pours out of you in all of these ways.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, and those are the people who end up creating brands that you're like, oh my god, I didn't even know I needed this, and I do, you know, like that kind of thing.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's very nice.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: I'm the girl who stays up at who that up at night who's like, oh my gosh, my brain is on and I have to write it down.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so yeah, I'm that girl as well.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I I can I can definitely imagine.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: No, I want to talk about because you've played in so many wonderful roles, right?
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: In your in your acting careers, and it's really spanned um different genres, different audiences.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I, you know, I'm a huge believer in really trying to understand like how people perceive beauty.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think it's different for everybody.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I'd love to learn, you know, what do you think really influenced, you know, especially from the acting career side, like what do you think really influenced your view of what true beauty means and like what true confidence means, you know, when it comes to like the entertainment industry, especially, you know.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: So my true intro to beauty was within my own household.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like my mom is still like she can go in a thrift store and let me tell you something, you would think she was and Gucci because the way she puts outfits together, you're like, wait, what did you find?
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: What?
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: And my sisters were always ahead of the curve with like just their look and trends, and so I was always looking to them like, whoa, you guys are first of all, not only just cool, but you're also beautiful.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like they were trendsetters within our own community, right?
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so that was beauty to me.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so when I came into the industry and I saw who were the ingenuity or who were picked for whatever parts that were the leading parts, it was like it never bothered me.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it just made me feel like, oh, I I I'm that too.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: It was never a sense of they shouldn't have it.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: It was, oh yeah, no, I'm additive too.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: I'm also, I also can be that.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: So my my and and and there's there's room for it.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so my intro to beauty was something that I saw within my own household and that I held sacred from the beginning.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: And then when I saw what, you know, the world of entertainment saw as, oh, this is beautiful, these are the leads, these are these are who we, you know, think are beautiful.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, oh, okay.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so when they also chose me for certain roles, I was like, yeah, that too is also beautiful, right?
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so the the entertainment industry never dictated to me what was beautiful.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: From I already knew what was beautiful and what was additive.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: And then I was like, okay, great.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: So we we can all be beautiful together.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: So what for me it wasn't it wasn't one thing, like, oh, I saw her on TV and I was like, that's gorgeous.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because Claire Huxtable to me with like her hair, her skin, everything, I was like, oh my God, you know, that could be my second mom.
• 6:20
  unknown: Yeah.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: No, that makes a lot of sense, actually.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad you said that because I think a lot of times, I mean, I see this a lot with you know, being a millennial myself, and then now looking at Gen Z, it's become so easy to look towards or look outwards, right?
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Towards other people and then internalize that, you know, and then be like, okay, now your perception of beauty gets twisted, you know, and and you don't know where you are anymore, and you're where your grounding energy is anymore.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why I asked you that, because it's like, you know, where like I mean, I just want maybe you could offer some insight into that component of it because I would I would love for people to understand, like, you know, why this is important, where it's like you do have to stay grounded in who you are when you look at beauty.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: So you hear it?
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, yeah.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: So oh gosh, I wish people knew the beauty, and in in in the entertainment, when you see the person, right, and you think, wow, they are perfection.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of work goes into perfection, right?
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um that it's not just waking up and being like, oh, I'm amazing today, right?
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's sometimes it's what they eat, it's what they, you know, the things that they can afford might be more than what you can afford.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, some of the things, you know, the beauty products that they use to enhance their their beauty is different from you.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes the filters, right?
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's all, it's a bunch of things.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I always say, you know, social media really is the highlight reel a lot of the times because you're seeing the end result and you're not seeing the process really.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know, sometimes you get to see some people show, like, sometimes I'll be like, I just woke up and I look at hot mess, whatever.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_01: But like some of the products that I use, you know, might be something that you don't have access to.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: So I think when we hold ourselves to these standards of what beauty actually is, it's not really the standard either, because there's so much that goes into making that person what they are, what you think they are, right?
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: They they can be beautiful, but all the things that contribute to that beauty, you might not be seeing everything.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: So I hope and I pray that people are they they they they take a second take to say, wait a second now, let me ground myself in reality.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: Because what happens in entertainment isn't always reality.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right, exactly.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: And that's so that see, that's the powerful part about it is that that we believe whatever we're seeing on screen is reality.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's that's what it is.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: And you know what's really interesting to me, and I'd I'd love for you to speak on this, because I feel like any woman of color has this immense burden put on her, especially when you're in the limelight, right?
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: When you're on the screen and you're you're in front of the audiences and and people look at you know, you as a person and you know, they think, okay, well, she needs to represent beauty, you know, for everybody and put the standard out there.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, what are your thoughts around that?
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: That and that expectation, I guess, that's placed.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like this unfair expectation kind of thing, you know?
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think there's a lot of expectations.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: There's an expectation to always look as young as you were when you started, you know, there's always an expectation that your skin's always gonna be perfect, uh, or that everything is going to sit just right.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: So that, you know.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and what what I'm I'm grateful for about nowadays is people are allowing other people to not be that.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like they're they're saying let your hair down, you know, and people are trying to be more honest about where they are.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I think, I think for me, for me, honestly, I have come to a place in my life, and I don't know if it comes with age, but I just want to be healthy.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: And if I'm healthy, not only am I gonna shine from my insides, but my outsides are just gonna glow no matter what, right?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_01: Like if I'm taking care of myself, I have, I have set aside the burden of this industry of feeling like I'm gonna ever keep up.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: Because listen, at a certain age, it's just like, hey, that you're you're no longer that thing that you were, right?
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: But you become something else.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's almost like the caterpillar who turns into the butterfly.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like you are becoming constantly other things, right?
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: That are also beautiful and valuable.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so for me, I don't allow myself to have that burden of, oh my God, I gotta, I gotta show what beauty is for a group of people.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: I just gotta show it.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: I gotta be, I really gotta be me.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I tell my daughter, be the best you that you could be.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: Because I can't, I can't put when you put that backpack on of bricks, it will literally drag you.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: And so I have spoken to myself in a way of I can't keep up.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not gonna keep up with anybody.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: All I can do is keep up with me.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's so that's so important and so powerful because I think a lot of times the burden does fall, you know what I mean, on like a specific group of people.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I've seen this happen so many times.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: And um, for me, I've always felt it to be unfair, you know, because it's like you can't, it's like what you said, like you have to be able to just say, This is who I am, you know.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so if you look at me and you find yourself in me, right, and you see a reflection, that's beautiful and that's wonderful, but then you at the same time you can't expect that person to then mold so that you feel comfortable, you know what I mean?
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: That kind of thing.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: So exactly, and I am grateful for, I mean, the amount of people who have said, Oh my gosh, I've seen you and this and that, and you made me like myself even more, or think that I'm beautiful, and I'm like, I am so grateful that I can be that beacon for a lot of people because that's also important, but I also think people see the honesty of who I am, and that too is also important, so that they can be honest with themselves, right?
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: And just be free to be themselves.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so, yeah, I love being a beacon, but I also love being just exactly who I am and where I'm supposed to be.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I hear you.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: I really hear you there.
• 12:53
  unknown: Um, I love that.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, no, I want to talk about motherhood.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: You brought up your daughter, and you know, clearly that's really influenced your work, right?
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: The journey of motherhood.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I would love for you to speak on this, you know, in terms of how did becoming a mom really change your relationship with your self-image, your self-care routine, all of those kind of things.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, I always say there's a before Ella and then there's an after Ella, right?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: And uh before Ella, I was just my, you know, I I can all I had to think about was myself, right?
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: And feeding myself and not thinking about anybody but me.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: And then there's an after Ella where it connected.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: So when I when I when I got pregnant, you know, it was it was a surprise.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_01: And also it was a beautiful surprise, but I didn't realize I was going about it as if, oh, okay, because you know, everybody was talking about caring was really hard.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, the carrying part was amazing.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: It was the having her, which was I have three climpsia, and that was hard.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: And that yeah, so that was really tough for me.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: And and then afterward, you know, I didn't realize it was almost like a punch in the face, how exhausted you become.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I literally felt like, who the heck am I?
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: And it felt like Brownhog's Day, and it felt like if I don't get back to work soon, I am going to jump out of the window.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: That's literally what I felt like.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: And and I didn't realize that I didn't give myself time to I at that moment, at that time, and at that time when I had my child, I didn't realize like how much grace mothers don't give themselves, especially first-time moms.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we just don't.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: We think we're supposed to jump right back into where we were.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: And you're just, you literally, your body transitions to a different person.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Whether it's stuff popping up on your skin, whether it's the texture of your skin, whether it's your exhaustion, whether it's your body literally changed like weight and it's harder to get off, whether it's your breast, whether it's your nipples cracking, whether it's the baby just like always needing you all the time, which amen, thank you that they do, but you don't realize the how much it kind of like takes you under and you don't know who you are.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I say to people who are having babies or just starting to have babies, please give yourself at least a year or two to just acclimate, just acclimate because I wish I would have known that, that I could have at least prepared my mind, but it was more like a holy crap.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: And then it just took time to get back to not who I was, but some essence of oh, oh, Tika, yeah, y'all, you know what I mean?
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like, love my baby, love my baby, would do anything, would walk through fire for my child.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: And also, I would walk through fire for myself, and I had to remember I'm still me, I'm still me, plus plus one, right?
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: So, and I think moms, um, we we just naturally a lot of the times a lot of us pour ourselves into our kids and until we realize, wait a second, we're we we left ourselves behind, right?
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: And so um, I just think I wish mothers would give themselves more grace to grow into the newer, even better humans that they they become.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I really I'm so glad you you said this because I feel like I've definitely had some very close girlfriends of mine.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not a I'm not a mom and you know, uh myself, but I've had some very close friends that literally like after they had their child, like the very early phases, right?
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like it was like the first few months after, even like that year time frame that you're talking about.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's like you watch this this human being that you've known for so long, you know, completely not only change, but like everything about them changes, you know, like obviously a priority shift and like you know, your what you're focused on shifts, but then it's like they forget that they're even alive, you know?
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a them, you know, it's not just the baby, like it's like they take on the personality of whatever that child needs, you know, and then like as a person looking in as a friend, you're just like, God, I wish you would go take a spa day, you know?
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: Well, go take a bath, just take a bath, yeah, go take a bath.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, go take a bath.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: Have something for yourself, right?
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and it's so true.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: We leave ourselves behind so much.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why for me, even with my company Fort Sumter, you know, obviously it's creative and in a product-driven company that I found it to bring the peace, to bring the joy, and to bring real support to women and especially moms, through the stories and the things that actually really do work.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like that is my core, that is that that is at our core, you know, and we want women to feel seen, whether you have a baby or not, right?
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: But and we want we want the products that truly care for you and not just to market to you.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what this industry needs more of, to be honest with you.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I'll keep it real with with everybody listening and you know, any brands out there.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, you know, stop making products people don't need.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like, please stop, you know, like our our shelves are cluttered, you know what I mean, as is.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like I feel like that's where I really love um the kind of brand that you're kind of, you know, you're bringing out and you're standing behind because with yummy tummy, it's like there's a real need, you know, there needs to be something that speaks to moms, that speaks to women in general, you know, and says, Listen, like here's a product or a set of products that you can just grab and then this is gonna work for you for these, like the things that they're going through without like realizing they're going through it, you know?
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's yeah, because like you said, like no one's pausing, like in that period and that time frame of motherhood, you don't pause enough and you don't think about like what can I do for myself, you know, like how can I help myself during all this?
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about that.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about yummy tummy.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: What made you really like where was that moment when you realized like I'm going to launch a motherhood-based brand?
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, one, when I became a mom and I just saw not only just the need to speak to women in general for stories, but also this is something that I wish I had, you know, during during my time in, I always say in the wilderness.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um and, you know, I I wanted to take decision making off the minds of mom.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like I wanted to take decision making off the minds of mom in terms of, okay, what can I use not only for me, but for my baby, where I don't have to have a bunch of products a set for you and a set for me.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: I can grab this and I can use it for me and I can use it for you, right?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: And that is strong enough for mama and but gentle enough for baby.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's what I created.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: And it's, you know, it's a nurture oil, like there's a nurture oil, which it's for, you know, the stretching skin, the scars, the dry patches.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: I wanted to make sure the ingredients were plant-based and that has grapeseed oil and vitamin E and rose hip oil and avocado oil, but also something that you can use for your child.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_01: And it can also be a bonding moment, not only just for, you know, if you need a moment for yourself, but also, hey, let me grab this for my kid.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: Let me throw it in my diaper bag.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then the right.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so, and then the cream is for dryness and tightness and post-pregnancy and skin recovery, but also a deep moisturizer for, you know, for the kid too, right?
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: It's you can use it on the legs of the baby, the dry patches, the belly, the breast.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it has things like squalene in it, which mimics skin's natural oils um for barrier protect for uh for lasting hydration.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: And again, grapeseed oil and rosef oil.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: But then the nurture bomb, right?
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: It soothes and protects your nipples, but also could be used.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, I need something for my lips right now because we dry.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: Or my skin, my skin has a rough, rough patch right here, right?
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's for cracking or soreness or dryness, right?
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: And it has, you know, uh lanolin and castor seed oil and shea butter and sunflower seed and beeswax, something easy you can throw in.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think for me, I wanted multi-use products for mom and baby and beyond.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_01: And if you want to continue to use it afterwards, after postpartum, whatever that looks like, keep using it because it works.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: I use it every day.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: My daughter used the oil, she had sunburn recently, and she was like, Mom, and I was like, Go grab the oil.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: And she was like, This stuff actually works.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, Yeah, I know.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I just wanted it to be easier.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: That's it, easier for mom and feel harder.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: feel safe to put it on her skin and her baby skin.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I think, you know, for me, like this conversation is just so it runs so deep, I think, because, you know, and we don't really hear much about it, you know, in social media or like, you know, out there in terms of like what moms go through with the whole idea of like, you know, when you start getting stretch marks, right?
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like no one really talks about this stuff in a way that's like not shameful.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like I feel like we've put this veil of shame on stretch marks.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, what are you doing?
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what are you talking about?
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: And so like I I want to talk about that a little bit with you is this idea of like you know embracing the stretch marks embracing like what's going on and also like understanding you know that these are natural changes.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like what are your thoughts on all of that?
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: It's like area protection for your body it's amazing what it does for you, right?
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: And the fact that it stretches and you held, you know, whether you held a baby or not, whatever you've gone through, it has lasted you, it has covered you, it has protected you.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I would hope that this is almost a a quick ritual for you to even say thank you.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, skin.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like I've been waking up every morning just saying thank you body for working right and I think so many times we dismiss the very thing that protects us every day right and that has kept us strong every day.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_01: And so I I I think stretch marks and scars and moments of patches, these are like battle scars and these are bad your body has has worked for you right and and and and in in the way that it it can and I just hope that these these products will contribute to helping you heal and helping you take yourself in and nurture you and your baby or just you and and and realize like hey I I have something in my life that is there not to fight me but to embrace me and to love me so that I can go out in the world and be fully me.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah you know what's crazy is I've seen like like certain women you know when they're always like applying some sort of moisturizer or something right to like aid with like while they're pregnant like aid with the development of the I love seeing that because I'm like yes you're doing something that's going to help you you know what I mean in the and that's a beautiful thing.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like we just as society for some reason we don't really like you know what I mean like talk about this like even when you go see an OB or like you know just go get routine care.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like stuff like this should be discussed you know that you should talk about like okay you know you're gonna these are the things that are gonna happen to your body.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yes you know and these are the ingredients that help and this is the kind of stuff you should look for.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean those conversations even behind closed doors are not being had and so I think like you know when I see a brand like yours I'm just like this is like a big like taking a megaphone almost you know and saying like listen this is needed.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_01: We need this you know and so I I have yeah yeah I think I I think you're right about that where we don't talk about sometimes textures change sometimes you know even on my skin you know I did a video of like the change of you know I was getting like these marks under my chin yeah and I honestly because I don't I I'm not I don't believe in putting product out that I don't use or that I don't it doesn't really do anything.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so I did this kind of video throughout the months of you know I would get these like blemishes on the bottom of my chin because you know things change and I did a video and they literally dissipated within months of me consistently using this oil that I always use.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: And so because I was like let me just be let me let me be consistent on this just to see you know it working and and it did.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: And and again like I it's important for moms to feel safe.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_01: So I I I made sure that there's no parabens and paraffins and phthalates or harsh chemicals in it so that you know they can feel not only good about themselves but anybody else that in their family to use it.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: I love that and you know I want to talk a little bit about building the brand because I feel like right now especially and I see this I mean I literally see it every day where like there are new brands popping up whether it's yes or wellness every day and I mean don't even get me started on like longevity and that whole space because that's wild right now.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: But like I mean it's it's an everyday phenomenon you know and so like from that perspective like what was I guess the most challenging or like the most eye-opening part of launching a beauty brand here right and launching something like this like what was what was something um that stood out to you girl I will never pick up a product again and not say I can't believe it got here girl launching a brand first of all launching a brand and then launching a product is insane.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: The amount of back end from getting insurance for the product from um packaging from first of all making sure the product works right making sure the the ingredients are amazing but then there's you know not only like your Shopify but like how are people gonna know about your product and then the marketing and then the you know just all the bits of well what what exactly is in your product for FDA?
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like does it you know what I mean like all there's just literally so much that goes into the product even getting on the e com shelves right like that space and building your website and then like answering it's just question after question after question after question needing to be answered and answered and you're like oh my goodness I never knew the bits that went into not only create for like creating the product right then you know testing the product and then what is it gonna look like how how are you gonna ship the product who's gonna ship the product who's gonna do like there are so many aspects into getting a product even pressing buy on Amazon in order to even press back like what does that page look like what where is it coming from is it at the Amazon like place or is it from a 3PL like I never knew the amount of work that goes into a simple product I will that's why I won't ever bash people who actually get it done because I didn't realize the amount of work and labor it takes to and and the amount of people nobody can do this by themselves.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: Not one person.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: No one so when people you know even when people are like they built this company it was literally they because it was not one person.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_01: Right like what do you mean you built this company like ma'am absolutely not and and just the amount of I mean even just like the the branding of it right the the the the logo the what like all of the things you're just like oh my gosh you know and so yeah it's a lot of work it's a lot of work but it's for me it's it's I don't know if this is my producing hat because that's kind of what it feels like like always putting out fires or okay here here's here's the answer to this you know it's really gathering every part of the body to bring together one one product you know it's it's all the pieces bringing them together to make sure it's ready for a launch August 25th.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah it's a lot of work but it's for me it's been a lot of fun.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: It's like another child basically I am birthing another child.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: No well I mean you know thank you for being so honest about it because I think that's where you know we do we don't hear that honesty about being an entrepreneur and what it takes and like you know it's such a funny time we're living in because every day there's a new brand and I see this on TikTok especially a lot.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: You know I'm on there all the time for market research you know I'm not really much of a social media person but I I'm always scrolling you know and I'm like oh god like you know you know these young women and they're like my dream is to have a brand and I'm like you go girl but you need to know like this is that's a big yeah you know to get care of something.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah like putting together the the colors and stuff are nice but there's way more to I mean and you got to make sure the numbers work and you know it's just it's a lot there are a lot of percentages and all I mean it's it's definitely not something you want to just lightly think about I want everybody to follow their dream but it is a lot that goes into actually making and then you got to sell the product right like then have to actually sell right because you don't you put money into it and you put your resources into it.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: So now you got to sell it.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_01: So it's you know while it's fun and and nice to say I built a brand or you know I want to do products you just want to make sure that you're in it for the right reason.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I say the same thing when people want to be actors or whatever they want to become because I'm like fame you can get fame probably faster than you can get an acting job.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_01: So just make sure you know which one you actually want.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah yeah that's I think that's very very critical what you just said because and you know this actually is a big question I have for you and you know I am very curious about this because I have I I think I have a different perspective than a lot of people on this.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: And this is the idea of celebrity brands.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's a lot of individuals and consumers out there that think celebrities don't pour in as much into their brand as somebody XYZ right living in some random part of the world would.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't agree with that because exactly what you just shared with me, right?
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_00: Where it's like you're involved in every part of the process.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's literally like a baby you're building this thing out.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_00: So what is your like I mean I I want you to speak about that component in terms of maybe was there extra pressure on you or what you know what what was that whole process like for you knowing like you're coming from this space of like you're in the limelight and then when you come out with a brand people are going to obviously criticize it right they're gonna criticize you because that's just what people love to do.
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_00: So how what is your what are your thoughts on all of that?
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like celebrity brands and how they're perceived again while I say it's fun it's scary as heck you know like it's really scary because you know you've I've been successful in you know certain spaces and you're just like I would also want this to work because I also really believe in the product and who it's for and the person I've built this stuff for right um but you know you're gonna be criticized no matter what uh and all you can do again it goes back to the grounding of where I came from I I don't do it for the people who are going to criticize me.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_01: I do it for those who actually need the help and are looking for answers.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think it takes I mean I don't know I mean look I'm sure some celebrities get in certain uh equity situations for just their name right and they're like they have people behind them who are gonna build it whatever but I think I think a lot of celebrities who do do this um I mean you you have to talk about it right like if you don't believe in it you're gonna people are gonna see that and so I never wanna take away this idea that a celebrity just because they do have the resources or somebody comes to them with the resources to say hey you want to be part of this doesn't mean that they're not working hard because most people in this industry who are trying to do this it is it they can make money faster in other ways right like they just could like this is not necessarily the quickest way to the bag right it takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of effort and yeah you see them out there with their friends or whatever pushing it but to get that product on the shelf or on e commerce that is not an easy feat for anybody and I and I understand there are different levels to it because if you do have resources it helps but that doesn't mean the process is not the process.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know the process is still you still have to go through all the things and then you got to go and talk about it.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_01: So I think I don't necessarily agree that they are not hard workers.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: I look I think some people do have look I'm gonna attach my name to this and this is what it is which is hey more power to you if that's you just want equity safe for them to use your name.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_01: But then I think I think a lot of the people who are pushing you know the products that they believe in are working hard because again I said I never knew how much work went into the back end of all of this.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_00: Right right no I mean I can imagine and also like I I love what you said.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's like you really do have to believe in what you're building and I think that comes through you know for for me as a consumer I have a lot of celebrity brands you know on my shelf and I love them.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: Like I think they're beautiful brands and you know I use them daily and they work for me.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I I just don't think it's fair for consumers to look out and see somebody who might have this you know their career is part of their career is being in the limelight and you might know about them, you know, because they're an actor or something and then you judge them because that's not fair in my opinion.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know I just don't think that we should have that outlook as consumers.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_00: I think you know for me especially as a scientist I look always try to look at things like is this gonna work or not?
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_00: That kind of thing so and that's that's I think that's the end all for me.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_01: Does it work?
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: Does it work right like if it worked fantastic I have nothing to say to you just give me more you know what I mean and that's for me where I land I think it's I know it works and I am confident in the product and you just got to try it and be consistently using it.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel very confident that you will be happy.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's does it work?
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_01: That's it.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely no absolutely I love that I love that and you know I want to actually you know ask you about this because I think this is um I heard this perspective you know um from somebody I really you know I really respect her and her content and she made a very very powerful statement and she was talking about um especially like black founded about black founded brands you know and um the the idea was brought up that you know as somebody who is creating a brand as you know as a black beauty founder or a founder in general building something for yourself is more important than listening to the masses you know that's what she was saying.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_00: And so that really for me hit home because I was like I mean I my whole life I've been immersed with somehow the black community you know what I mean they've always embraced me when I came to America the first friends I had were young black women you know what I mean they embraced me and so I'm very like like my heart is tied up in that culture you know and so when I hear somebody speak about it in that way I I have my own curiosities and I would want to learn more.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: So like what are your thoughts on that in terms of being a black founder creating something for yourself from a place of meaning and true value and like what does that mean for you and what is your messaging around that I think my messaging is I just wanted to build something that I wish I had when I was pregnant or in my pre-pregnancy stage or you know in my postpartum.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I want to build something that women in general can feel not only seen but something that actually works.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_01: So whether you are black white Asian Indian Middle Eastern whatever whatever you look like you are welcome in the circle of something that I poured my heart into and my resources into right and I think you know I I I'm a person who embraces who whoever wants whoever wants to come and try come try because I feel like the tribe of women in general like I think we are sometimes so at each other's throats of like you know whatever we're going through I think for me I want to be the peacemaker.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_01: Blessed are the peacemakers right like and I'm like just let's come in here if if this is something that works for you fantastic.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_01: If you don't like it fantastic you know um but as a founder and as a black founder I'm I'm literally just like every other founder who wants to not only create product but I want it to be successful right and I want it to work and I want to help people heal their bodies and so that's how I see it.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_01: I don't see it as and and I built something that I wish I I had right and so hopefully that will speak to women who are either in that spot or know others who are in that spot or even if you don't have a kid like I'm not pregnant anymore but I still use it right and I'm my whole family uses it.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_01: My my husband uses the nipple nurture bomb for his lips.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_01: So so you know I as a founder I just see myself as a person who wants to thrive and who wants their product to reach far beyond myself even when I'm not here.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_00: I love that I really I can't tell you how much I love that because I feel like people put themselves in boxes and we put people in boxes.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like every see every time you see a black owned brand we're like shouting from the rooftops make sure you support it because the black owned brand I'm here for that I'm here for supporting minority you know like groups and stuff like that.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_00: I am a minority group you know but at the same time like I hate that we take away from like the true like like creativity of something by doing that.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know it's like instead of like just saying this is a great freaking brand you know like this is something that really works and it's amazing and it's like you know I I think you should try it.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_00: No matter who you are we keep putting it in a box.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: And then that makes this you know what I mean like it makes this per like perception in society of like well only this kind of people can use this stuff.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_01: You know yeah and no I I I totally understand what you're saying.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I think I think if it's great, you know I think and what I have a lot of you know founders you know black owned founders stuff but I just if I if I think it's great I'm gonna say go buy this right like and I have posted things like that like please go go support this because it's amazing and it's not because of this just and just like you know for well what the thing is like white every other founder doesn't have to put that in front of their their product right and I'm and I and I understand it's complicated and all that but I feel like a lot of these products work from black founders as well.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_01: But they don't you know you I'm just gonna say oh my goodness make sure you go and get this because it works and it's amazing.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_00: So um yeah I mean I hope I'm not put in a box and I hope people give it a try because if you have skin then you're part of my program you know but um yeah so I'll be I'll be the first to say it I mean you're I literally use the uh the nurture cream everywhere I've been using it for two days straight I feel like I just keep applying it everywhere like it's it's a really great product.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_00: I love it you know I think thank you it's just genuinely you've created a beautiful line it's so freaking awesome and it feels like you're really genuinely nurturing for lack of a better word you know not to be cheesy but you feel nurtured skin feels nurtured when you use it it's it's a beautiful beautiful line I am a huge fan and I can't wait to see what you do next.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_00: I mean what can you share with us anything that's coming up next for the brand like any new releases or anything like that.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_01: Girl I am just trying to I'm I'm launching August 25th so my head is down and you know getting everything prepared and ready to go and just really really excited that um I'm gonna have you know I'm gonna not only be an actor and a producer but a founder of a company and I think that's a huge I've never pat myself on the back ever but I will pat myself on the back for this one to for getting this actually done and uh figuring it out and and and having an amazing team surrounding me to help get this to the world.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm super super excited about it.
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_00: I love that well congratulations and you've done such a fantastic job Tika this is such a beautiful line and for everybody listening you guys gotta you gotta check it out.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's a beautiful beautiful line like the cream I was talking about like you can anybody can use this by the way it's a anybody anybody anybody so I'm super nice like for like anything like even like your legs and you can put it anywhere like literally right out the shower you know so anywhere.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah I love it.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_00: I love it so much.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_00: I love I love what you're doing and I just I am here to support you and I just feel like we need to see more really great products come out in the space.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's what can I say you know what I mean like we thank you this kind of stuff.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah no thank you um this was such a fun recording yeah always this was such a fun interview thank you so much and for everyone listening you guys I will be linking everything about Yummy Tummy in the uh notes for this episode so please scroll down go check it out and let us know what your thoughts are on the products on the conversation I'd love to hear from you.
• 45:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you thank you so much.
• 45:19
  SPEAKER_00: Hey guys so I hope you love that episode please make sure to hit subscribe if you're tuning in to us on any podcast platform.
• 45:26
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• 45:51
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• 45:58
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• 46:04
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• 46:14
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• 46:21
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• 46:26
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.