Latest / Imagine If with Doone Roisin | Health, Wealth & Wisdom for Women (formerly Female Startup Club Podcast) / Mentored by Bobbi Brown & featured on Beyonce.com, Range Beauty’s Founder Alicia Scott shares her journey of building a cosmetics company

Transcript

Mentored by Bobbi Brown & featured on Beyonce.com, Range Beauty’s Founder Alicia Scott shares her journey of building a cosmetics company · Imagine If with Doone Roisin | Health, Wealth & Wisdom for Women (formerly Female Startup Club Podcast)

• 0:00
  This is Alicia Scott for Female Startup Club.
• 0:12
  Hey everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the Female Startup Club podcast. I'm your host, Doona Rasheen, and joining me on the show today is Alicia Scott, founder of Range Beauty. Range Beauty was created out of a need for more diverse shades and less toxic ingredients in the cosmetics industry. It's a brand that encourages you to express yourself while still allowing your true skin to shine through.
• 0:35
  Range Beauty was formed for people ranging from all shades, skin types, and genders who have felt left out or underrepresented. If you're creating a brand in the beauty space, tune in to learn how she went about making a new foundation formulation from scratch and how she landed an iconic beauty industry mentor.
• 0:54
  And stick around for the end where Alicia shares her advice for anyone who's just starting out. This episode was so much fun and there's plenty of actionable tips packed throughout. So make sure you've got your notepad and pen handy. And hey, while I've got you here, you know the drill. If you're loving these episodes and you know someone who would benefit from listening, please do share it with them. It's how we find new ears. And new ears mean we can keep recording these incredible founder stories and bringing them directly to you.
• 1:23
  And as always, please subscribe and rate and review the show. This is Alicia for Female Startup Club. Alicia, hi and welcome to the Female Startup Club podcast. I'm super excited to learn all about your brand, Range Beauty, and chat how you've been building it. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. You're so welcome. I love to get everyone to start by introducing yourself and what your business is.
• 1:52
  I'm Alicia Scott. I'm the CEO and founder of Range Beauty and we are clean beauty for the forgotten shades and we utilize botanicals in our makeup line specially formulated for eczema and acne prone skin. Sounds like heaven. Can we go back to life before you started Range Beauty and talk about what you're up to and what was driving that desire in you to launch a business in the first place?
• 2:19
  Yes. So life before Range Beauty was very different because I was fashion obsessed. Ever since I was little, I just knew I was going to work in the fashion industry. My parents were so supportive of me designing my own clothes. In high school, I took a fashion design course. And so I went off to Virginia Tech for fashion design and merchandising.
• 2:42
  And after graduation, I moved to New York. My family's from New York and New Jersey. So just an easy transition. Moved to New York and started working immediately in the industry. And I held several different jobs. And each one of those jobs always had me behind the scenes, though, like no matter what I was doing. I was always behind the scenes, seeing how the setup went for like New York Fashion Week, LA Fashion Week, when we had different showroom events or when we would have
• 3:11
  to go to Vegas for events. So,
• 3:13
  I would always see the interaction between the models and like makeup and hair or whomever was behind the scenes. And so that's kind of what started to propel me onto this journey. I noticed a pattern of a lot of the black models coming to set with their own makeup kits. And at first I thought it was just something in the model world because oftentimes they have to bring their own, you know, like a nude colored bra or, you know, something else with them. And so I thought it was just part of their model kit.
• 3:43
  And then I noticed it was specifically just black models that I was seeing bring their own makeup kit. And I asked and a model told me this whole story of how a designer on a previous campaign flat out said to her while she was sitting in the chair, I can't do the look that the designer is requesting because I don't have anything in my kit for your skin tone.
• 4:02
  Oh, God. And yes. And I was so shocked because especially living in New York, you just kind of think that we have everything at our fingertips. And so to hear her say that, it was shocking. And then she felt that she was a problem. She felt like it was her responsibility to now come prepared to shows. And so that's why she started putting together her own kit of whatever she could find across an assortment of products to just have with her to try and avoid having that happen again. Yeah.
• 4:30
  And so that kind of was the first light bulb for me was that we were still seeing this huge lack of shades and products available for black women. And it made me look at my own journey with makeup, which...
• 4:44
  Wasn't really anything. I always just stuck to like eye shadow or eyeliner and mascara because you don't have to worry about anything with those. It's just, you just get one shade and you're good to go. You don't have to worry about your skin tone. And so that was really my collection. And it was because I just didn't want to try to match my skin tone. I would walk down the aisles. I would see, I didn't see anything that was a match. I didn't want to try and buy something and have it match.
• 5:10
  And then on top of that, I have extremely sensitive skin dealing with eczema and acne. A lot of the ingredients in these products were triggers for my skin. So they would inflame my eczema and acne. So I didn't even want to try anything new. And so that's what started me along like, oh, if I could make a dream makeup line, what would I want it to look like? And that's kind of how the concept started. That was back in 2014. Yeah.
• 5:36
  Okay, wow. So really pre-Fenty, pre-like, I guess MAC, has MAC always had different shades of foundation? I think MAC has always been around because I remember a lot of the girls in high school would go to the MAC counter for prom and homecoming. But I think with them, it's always been about their ingredients. So they weren't on the clean spectrum. But I believe MAC always had a nice assortment of shades. Yeah.
• 6:04
  So you have the realization you're working in fashion at that time. What are the first few steps that you took to actually get started and, you know, move from idea light bulb moment in your head to, hey, I'm actually a business owner and I'm like doing shit?
• 6:19
  Yeah, so I always say my first step was speaking about it out loud. So at the time, I had two roommates. We were living in Brooklyn in an apartment, and one of my good friends, her name's Alicia, she at the time was the only person I knew kind of in the entrepreneur world. She was always doing...
• 6:38
  Like she started her own thrifting business and she had a photo shoot for it that I was involved with. And she was she was my first insight into a friend or someone close to me having her own business on the side of her doing her nine to five.
• 6:52
  And so I remember we were sitting in the living room and I was thumbing through a magazine. I think it was like Essence or something. And there was an article in it about the best lipsticks for black women. And it kind of made me like, oh, let me ask Alicia what she would think about this idea I have for this line. And so I said, what do you think about me starting my own makeup line for black women?
• 7:15
  And she was like, really? Oh my gosh, that's so cool. You should do it. What was your dream line? Like, what do you want it to look like? Did it. And so that was really my first step because I feel like when you say it out loud to someone and you actually start thinking out loud with this person and you're kind of like bouncing ideas, it really starts to make it,
• 7:34
  more tangible than when it's just in your head and so I think that was my first step was just having someone in my circle that I could trust and that I could speak to about it that was encouraging and motivating and kind of pulled these different questions out of me that I hadn't started to think about yet like what so she when she asked what would your dream line be what like would it be expensive do you think that you would want it to be like a luxury line or like did it
• 7:58
  I want it to be affordable. I definitely want it to be affordable because I don't spend that much on makeup. And then, oh, well, what do you want it to look like? Is it just going to be this? So just kind of bouncing off these, having a regular conversation and just thinking about what exactly, what were the components of this line that I wanted to make? And so that was my first step, I think. And I kind of took what we're talking,
• 8:22
  about and I became best friends with Google and I started searching I mean because Google you could possibly need and at the time even though YouTube wasn't as big back in 2014 there were still even videos on there like how to make your own lipstick at home or how to make your own lip balm or how to make your own blush at home or whatever and so I'm
• 8:48
  Just kind of using that and whatever else turned up on Google about, oh, here's how you start your own makeup line or what do you need to start to have a startup business or all of that. So I created my own checklist. I started grabbing things and put it together and formulated this checklist of what I wanted for the actual line itself. And then the things that I had to take care of within the business aspect of it, of like a good.
• 9:14
  EIN and LLC, that kind of stuff. And so with the manufacturer and on Google, I typed in what it was I wanted. So I knew that I wanted clean ingredients. I knew that I wanted a US based manufacturer so that I could get to them easily if I needed to.
• 9:31
  And I knew that I needed someone who had a low MOQ, so a minimum order quantity, because a lot of times if you work with companies overseas or even companies in the US, they have a high purchase amount that you have to hit before you can actually receive products. And so for me, I was like, I don't have that much money.
• 9:50
  I'm in New York. I'm living the New York life. I don't have that much money, so I need it to be low. And so I just searched, and there was this site that came up. It was called... I don't know if it's still around, but it was cosmeticsindex.com. And it was this entire index of everything related to cosmetics. Manufacturers for packaging, manufacturers for... If you want to do private label, if you want to do custom, if you want...
• 10:16
  Everything that you could imagine if you wanted to buy ingredients separately was this. Sounds amazing. It was amazing. I was like, oh my gosh. Here's everything I need. Yes. And so that's where I found, that's actually where I found Alyssa Manufacturer's
• 10:31
  that met my needs. And then all I did was I started calling through them. So it was kind of like I started dating these manufacturers. I started going on dates to figure out who was my perfect match. I was playing my own matchmaker. And so I would call them, I would talk to them about the idea that I had, I would see how they received it. I would see about their price, I
• 10:55
  pigments that were deep enough for me to create this deep shade range that I wanted to offer. I would make sure that they had clean ingredients. And then I started thinking about, I don't want it to just be makeup. I want it to be makeup that's good for your skin. And so how do I make that happen? So then I started looking at manufacturers that could incorporate skincare ingredients into the makeup or into the formula. And
• 11:19
  And so that really narrowed down my search. And I think that's the best thing that you can do. And it's so easy to just be like, I want to do a makeup line. But then once you start thinking about precisely what it was, what it is that you want this line, whether it's clothing, makeup, whatever, to be and you get to narrow down your prospects, then you get to find some really great gems. And so I narrowed it down. I think it was like I got it down to the top three or something. And then I found my manufacturer who I still work with today.
• 11:49
  And they hit up all my check marks. And then the bonus is that it's a woman owned manufacturer, which I just loved. And she actually started the company as a solution to a problem she had with makeup. So it was just perfect. It was a perfect match. And that's kind of how everything started. I had all that together. I actually ended up relocating from New York to Atlanta because I
• 12:13
  And the fashion industry is so fast paced. There wasn't really time for me to put aside to start a line with my role at the time. I had heavy traveling. My hours were pretty insane. And then just trying to keep up with New York budget. I knew I wanted to relocate somewhere where I could save and successfully launch. And so I actually looked up best places for entrepreneurs to move to. And Atlanta came up as the best place for Black women to start businesses.
• 12:43
  And so I packed everything up and I moved to Atlanta and I ended up spending my first order with my manufacturer was $150. That was their order minimum. And I received so much, so many products with it. And I sat in my new living room in Atlanta and I created like, it was like 16 or 17 different shades of Brown just in my living room with the sources that I got from them.
• 13:11
  And I realized that a lot of these cosmetic companies just aren't creating for us because they don't care to or see the need to. It's not because it's difficult to or they don't have the resources to. And so that was kind of my third light bulb. I was like, okay.
• 13:28
  have something, we're going to do this. Wow. And so that process of you, you know, having the more, more than the realization, but you've kind of like, you validated it with your friends, that kind of thing. And then you've started the process of finding a manufacturer right through to getting those, that early sample set of products. How long was that development process until you actually got to a place where you were like, I have the finished product and ready to sell? Yeah.
• 13:54
  So it started, concept started 2014. I did a soft launch, like my original launch was in May of 2017. So about three years of research, testing, I tested on myself, I tested on my family and my friends. I had them kind of spreading the word about what I was doing. And at that time, I also started our social media page. So yeah.
• 14:19
  I wanted to have our social media up before the product was there to start to drive some type of awareness and excitement about what it was that I was making. And then I started using it to also comment under people that I would see on social media. So I used social media at the time as another research component. I would see these brands put out lines and there were a lot of black women, women of color who would come in and be like, what is the shade range?
• 14:44
  what like oh my gosh I wish that you would do this I wish that you do that I would comment under there and be like oh my gosh you should check out the at the time it was skinny dip cosmetics was my name and I was like oh my gosh this is for you know especially for black women and I would also take those comments that I would see and use it to apply to the line so it was kind of like my market research tool
• 15:05
  Um, but yeah, so it was about three years before I actually had my website up and running, had a final product, had packaging and was ready for sales. Wow. Okay, cool. And what was the, you know, the, um, initial capital that you needed to put together for kind of your first order, the website, um, the packaging and all that kind of thing to get started? Yeah.
• 15:31
  To be honest, I don't think I spent more than $500. So I did my own website through Squarespace. I got their like $9 plan that came with like, and I think it was like two or three months of a free trial or something like that. I did it myself. At the time, I didn't have like a huge photography campaign or anything happening. So my money didn't go there.
• 15:54
  packaging, I actually found a graphic designer on Instagram, again, using Instagram as my extension of Google. And I was doing hashtag, I don't know if I just did hashtag graphic designer or like packaging designer or something. And I found this girl, Linda.
• 16:12
  who was based in LA and she actually was like an intern at a cosmetics company and helped with their packaging. And so I sourced her to do packaging. And so her cost was like, it's like $150 for me to do three different packaging iterations. I was like, okay. And so I, yes, I, I am someone who is just like, if I don't have to spend a lot in the beginning, I'm not going to. And I think that's a big thing for founders. They think they have to come out of the box with like,
• 16:42
  You're not coming out of the box as CoverGirl. You're not coming out of the box as Fenty. You know, you have to stay true to your voice and your mission. And there's a difference between something being professional and something being perfect. Like perfect is just, it's unattainable. Nothing is perfect. Make sure that it's professional. Make sure it's sellable.
• 17:00
  And I tell people I went through, I've gone through four different rebrands since I first launched. So if I would have put up all this money in the beginning, it would have been such a waste and such a loss. And so I'm always, if you can just figure it out on your own, that's always good.
• 17:16
  the best thing, that's the best way to keep your costs low. If not, try to source someone like how I found, I mean, she wasn't a professional graphic designer, but she was someone who wanted to add to her portfolio. And so that's why her cost was low at the time. So just making sure that you're tapping into resources to keep your costs as low as possible in the beginning.
• 17:35
  especially before you have any sales. So you're already going to be starting off basically with a loss. So you don't want that to be huge. And now you're scrambling to make it up for sales. So I would say I originally started, I think it was like $500. Amazing.
• 17:51
  And I think there's that saying out there, I don't know who said this, I'm pretty sure it was Gary Vee, is like, done is better than perfect. And I think it's so true for entrepreneurs to understand that, especially in that, you know, really early phase of where you just have to be scrappy and you have to just go with what you can and don't get overwhelmed by perfection. I think I'm guilty of that. I'm always like, yeah, but I want it to be perfect.
• 18:15
  I was so guilty. And I think another thing for me was I had, I had a, I have a great circle of friends. And once I started talking about this, they, they were, they became kind of like my accountability partners. So when I would see them and they were like, what's going on with the lion? And I'm like, Oh, you know, I didn't like it. So they're like, well, didn't you say the launch date was going to be next month? And I was like, yeah, I decided to change it. And so they kind of kept me accountable of like, you should just launch. Just
• 18:43
  just set a date and launch. And that's what I had to do. Um, because I had something like, Oh, it's going to be, you know, sometime this summer or I don't know, sometime in June. Like, you know, I was just kind of, I didn't want to like narrow myself down and pay myself down because I was just like, Oh, what if I'm not ready? But once I put a date on it, I was like, I'm not changing the date. So. Okay. So what happens when the date rolls around? It's launch time. How do you start getting customers and getting traffic to your site to, to buy your products? Yes.
• 19:13
  So before I had my site go live, as I mentioned, I was posting on our social media. At the time, I had Twitter and Instagram.
• 19:21
  And I took a picture of the range of shades that we had. And the image actually ended up going viral at the time. One of the big makeup content creators at the time picked it up and retweeted it. And she was like, this is what you call a range. This is what you call a shade range. And again, it was during a time when a lot of brands were coming out with like three deep shades in their whole entire range.
• 19:48
  So it was a very popular problem at the time. So that tweet went viral and it definitely shook up my sales. So I was very fortunate for that.
• 19:59
  And then off of that, it just started building its own rhythm. People were coming to the page, people started posting about it. Our customers started posting about it. My friends and family were getting the word out. I was getting the word out on my personal pages. So it really just organic, word of mouth. But at the time, when I first came up with the concept, I was very specific that I wanted this line to specifically be for
• 20:27
  Brown to deep brown shades, because that's where I saw the largest gap in the market. And so originally my range was only about 16 shades. And I think I had like three, maybe tan shades and the rest was just brown to deep brown.
• 20:44
  I also wasn't speaking about my eczema and my acne and how I started this. I was like, I don't even want anyone to know that I am the one that created this. I kind of wanted this to be a faceless brand. That was another thing. A third thing was I wanted it to be affordable. I wanted it to be kind of like in the elf cover girl category because at the time, clean ingredients were seen as a luxury. And I mean, kind of even now still, I think there's more affordable lines, but at the
• 21:13
  affordable lines having clean ingredients. And so my price range was like, I think at the time, $6 to $12. The foundation was $12. And today my foundation is $21. Wow. And so there were just these different factors when I started the line that it started to form this thing that I was like, this isn't actually where I wanted it to go. Also, like our social media became very girly, which I'm...
• 21:42
  No, that's not how I want it to be. I wanted this to be like a very minimal. I wanted any gender to feel comfortable using it. But it became this very like pink glittery mess.
• 21:53
  And so there was a lot going on. And it seemed that there was an issue with the price. So I was asking for feedback and I received the feedback that it was unbelievable that a small black owned brand could come out with clean ingredients as I was advertising and only charge $12. So for them to think about these masks.
• 22:16
  cosmetic giants were charging $12, but their ingredients weren't clean, how is it possible that you're able to do it? So there wasn't this trust going on. And so I saw a complete slowdown after the viral tweet. There was a complete slowdown in sales.
• 22:32
  I was seeing a lot of feedback about the collection. And I kept seeing people calling it like cute. Oh, skinny dip. It's so cute. Oh, yeah, it's a cute line. And it was just bugging me out. And so I was already going to the drawing board to just say, let's scrap this and start clean.
• 22:51
  And in the midst of that, I received an email to my business account from a brand called Skinny Dip, which is actually based out of London, I believe. And they start off as fashion accessories. And then they branched into makeup, their own makeup line and everything else. And they were selling in like Topshop and stuff in the US. And so they actually emailed me and said that I was infringing on their trademark. And I was like, what? Oh, heck.
• 23:19
  what does this mean? I was like, oh my gosh, I've been in business for like two months. I don't even have any money. What are you talking about? You're worried about me. But it was kind of the cherry on top to me, just going back to the drawing board anyways. I wasn't even trying to fight it. I was like, no worries. I'm dismantling this. And so then it took me another year to just
• 23:42
  figure out what it was I wanted to do with this line. Like, okay, I saw I had some traction, but along with the traction came some criticism, came some feedback. So let's take this and figure out what it is that I wanted to really do. And that's when I rebranded and relaunched in August, 2018, officially as Range Beauty. And that's where we are today.
• 24:03
  Wow. What a learning curve to go through and to have to. It's so true, though, that when you stop and you look back and you reflect and you're like, hang on, this isn't what I want it to be right now. We need to pivot a little and shuffle to a new vibe and a new energy to get to where you want it to be. Yes, exactly.
• 24:26
  And so once you did that, you know, the relaunch and you got into Range Beauty, what was the tipping point from there that you really felt like things started to gain traction and things started to really pick up? So during this entire time, I still had a nine to five. So when I first moved to Atlanta, I moved here without a job. I was here for about maybe a month, two months before I started a full time job. And so during this time, I had my nine to five range skinny dip and then Range Beauty was just basically my side hustle.
• 24:56
  When I rebranded and relaunched as Range, again, I was very fortunate that it got picked up very quickly and started circulating very quickly on social media. I had some immediate press features from Beauty Independent from Birdie. And I launched in August 2018. And in October of 2018, I met with Target buyers. So I was actually DM'd on my personal page by a buyer from Target. No way. Who was...
• 25:25
  And I thought it was spam. I was like, okay. And then the DM asked for my email and I was like, okay. And I gave my, it was my info at range beauty email. It's like, I don't even want to give you my personal email. I don't even know if you're real. So I gave my general info at range beauty email and,
• 25:44
  And the buyer emailed me. It was this formal Target email with a signature and everything. And I was like, no way. And then I looked her up on LinkedIn. And I was like, oh, she really is real. Oh, my God. And so then I was just so excited. I couldn't believe that I was being contacted by Target. That's on my wish list of, oh, maybe five years from now, I'll be contacted. So to have that happen was so amazing. And that was really the tipping point date. Her and her assistant buyer came to Atlanta.
• 26:13
  I met with them at a hotel in Atlanta and presented my line. This is my first official unofficial line review that I didn't even know that's what was happening until I got into retail. But it was a line review and I communicated to them. I was like, I'm so excited. This is amazing. But, you know, I just relaunched like two years or two months ago. And the buyer was like, you did? You did?
• 26:35
  I didn't know you were that new. I was like, oh, that's a huge compliment. But yes, I was like, so I'm not ready. You know, she was being very transparent and laying out all the costs that come associated with retail, what it takes inventory-wise. They were very sweet and very honest about what retail really means, basically. Yeah.
• 26:54
  And, um, I let them know, obviously I'm not ready. I was honored to be contacted and I would love to stay in touch. And so that's what really lit the fire was, oh my gosh, target, a target buyer has seen what I've created and it's an, it's an additional validation to what I'm doing, like a huge validation to what I'm doing to have one of my dream retailers say, we were interested in your brand.
• 27:19
  And that's when I really started hustling to make sure I got the most exposure. That's when I started looking into what can I do for capital? Because that was a huge thing that came up in the conversation, was you have to have the money for inventory, for marketing, for all of this. And so I was like, okay, how do I get money? And so that's when I started looking into grants and pitch competitions. And that's really what lit the fire. And then all of 2019 was basically...
• 27:47
  going crazy, like just, just, just building and building and building and doing more and more pitch competitions. And February of 2019, I went to Target headquarters. They, every February they have a, um, black owned brand fair for black history month. And so they bring on brands that are alumni brands. And then they also bring on brands that they are interested in having in their stores.
• 28:11
  And so I was invited to come and I was able to meet with Melissa Butler from the Lip Bar. I was able to meet with B. Dixon, who's the owner of Honey Pot Co. She's been on the show. I love her. Yes, I love, love, love them. Their conversation was just, they dropped so many gems and they were so welcoming and open with me about what the process looks like and how to find your footing in the industry.
• 28:34
  And so having all of these like little milestones happen really propelled me into, okay, I'm creating something that's more than a side hustle. That's more than a hobby. I'm creating a brand and I want this to be my company and my business. And so at the top of 2019, I said, I'm leaving my nine to five at the end of the year. Like I'm going...
• 28:54
  like 2020 will be full time range. And so all of 2019, I just did pitch competitions, I won a lot of grants, I got a lot of exposure. And in December, I left my nine to five. And
• 29:13
  It was just like the best thing ever. And then this year, even though this year has been so crazy in terms of everything that's occurred, it has been very great business-wise. We were able to be in the Target Takeoff Beauty program in March of this year.
• 29:29
  And then we ended up making a deal with Target. We launched with Target in October of this year. I received my first investment of $100,000 this year. So it's been a really, really epic. We were on Beyonce.com this year. There's been a lot of epicness that happened this year. And so it's been such a journey to get here, but everything has just been such, it's learning, so much learning. So I'm very grateful for it.
• 29:56
  Wow. Well, firstly, congratulations, because that sounds like so many, like so many dream goals for so many people that have all happened this year for you being on Beyonce.com. Crazy. Getting into Target. Crazy. And being able to like go into it full time. Wow. I'm just so excited for you. That's that's so cool. Thank you. Thank you. Where is the brand now? Like what's working for you? How are you continuing to grow? And how do you acquire new customers? Yeah.
• 30:25
  So today we're doing the balance of our DTC. So originally we were completely through our website and then we were also doing like brand activation. So in-person pop-ups, a lot of in-person kind of like touring and shows. Obviously with COVID this year that came to a complete halt. So we had to pivot to only being on dot com.
• 30:45
  And that was also part of our strategy with Target. The question was raised if we wanted to start off in-store and .com this year or just do .com. And so I was just like, let's just do .com. Let me just learn what it looks like to be with a mass retailer. And then we can take that and apply it to in-store. And so I'm still I feel like I'm still in the learning phase because. Yeah.
• 31:07
  It's very different when you bootstrap your brand and you are just a solopreneur kind of floating along doing your own thing. And you're at the same time, you're scaling your brand. So I'm in full on scale mode. And now I'm trying to expand my team. Now I'm looking for investors. Now I'm talking to even more retailers. Now I'm thinking about what more do I want to add on to our line? Now I'm thinking about expanding into skincare. So I'm just trying to think bigger picture.
• 31:36
  thinking about down the line, having a brick and mortar, just trying to see how we can better bring attention to the need of skincare benefits and makeup and how we're basically trying to carve out that we're the leader in that area.
• 31:53
  especially when it comes to inclusive and diverse shade ranges. So that's kind of where I am now, still getting my footing, it feels like, and still trying to come out as the leader in my lane and making it more...
• 32:10
  more of a pertinent issue that, you know, right now there's this trend of like, take care of your skin and use clean ingredients with skincare and get an esthetician and talk to your dermatologist, but then you're going back and using makeup that's for your skin. So I'm really trying to drive the issue that we need to merge these worlds and, and just really try to come out on top of as doing that. And so that's where I am still building up our exposure, building up our
• 32:40
  Yeah, it sounds like there's a really big education piece there. I'd actually never thought of that. And, you know, when you say it, I'm like, yeah, that makes so much sense. But I've never thought of it before. So clearly, you just need to keep on going. You're so on the right track. That sounds amazing. Thank you.
• 32:57
  I read another really cool thing that happened to you this year was that you picked up Bobbi Brown as a mentor, which just sounds so incredible having a beauty industry icon to share her learnings with you. I wanted to know how that came about and what have you been able to learn from her so far?
• 33:17
  Yeah, so it actually came about during the time it was like end of spring, beginning of summer, where we saw the Black Lives Matter resurgence happening. And we saw a lot of brands and influencers trying to figure out how they can help our community and how they can help Black founders, Black beauty founders specifically, even entrepreneurs.
• 33:37
  And Bobbi Brown is someone who has always had her finger to the pulse. She is someone that I remember my aunt and my mother using because she created shades for them. And she is just someone I've always idolized because of her making room for us as a white woman in the makeup industry. And so she actually sent me a DM on our range beauty page.
• 34:04
  And again, I'm like, the DMs, I'm like, you guys got better be on your social media pages. Okay. Oh my gosh. Sent this DM that was just like, I love what you're doing. I'm so happy I came across your line. If there's anything you ever need, like, let me know.
• 34:22
  And, you know, sometimes people will say that, especially with what was happening at the time. It was for you to be very cautious about, like, who's really there to help you and who's kind of trying to hop on what they think is a trend with the Black Lives Matter movement. And so when she did that, I was just like, oh, that's like, I was shocked, obviously. But I was just like, oh, Bobby Brown does not have time to talk to me. Yeah.
• 34:43
  This was very nice of her to send a message. And so I responded back and I was like, oh, my gosh, you know, I've always loved what you've done for us and how you've always made sure that there was room for us. You know, thank you very much. I would I would love to take you up on your offer to talk, blah, blah, blah. And she's like, OK, yeah, call me anytime. And she gave me her cell phone number. That is so cool. Wow. And so she gave me her cell phone number and I actually called my mother because I was like, mom.
• 35:11
  Bobby Brown DMD and gave me herself when it told me to call her. And I was like, oh my gosh. And so I ended up calling her and she was just so wonderful.
• 35:21
  And she was just like, you know, coming across your page and seeing that you're kind of like minimal makeup, you're clean ingredients, that's right up my lane. And we just had this really beautiful conversation. And towards the middle, she was just like, you know, I'm so happy I came across you. I'm glad we talked. If you're interested, I would love to mentor you. And I would love for you to take me on as your mentor. And I was like, what's that?
• 35:45
  And she wasn't lying. I took her on as my mentor and I've called her numerous times. She's reviewed my line. She's talked about my line on her page. We've done lives together. I've called her about advice with retailers. I've called her about advice with investors. And she is just, she's amazing. She's the best, the best, the best. So I am grateful and blessed to have her as my mentor.
• 36:11
  Wow, that is so cool. Sounds incredible. Love that for you. Thank you. What advice do you have for women who have a big idea and want to launch their own business?
• 36:26
  My biggest piece of advice is just do it. Like, as we talked about earlier, just do it. If you've located a problem and you are like, what I'm creating is going to be a great solution for this, then just do it. There is this quote that I came across last year and I always say it to myself or I say it to other people because I'm just like, it's the best thing ever. And it's, you shouldn't fear failure, but you should be terrified of regret. Right.
• 36:52
  So don't think about like, oh, it's so easy for us to just fall into this, this mindset of like, what happens if I launch and it fails? What happens if I launch and I lose money? What happens if I launch and no one buys instead of us pivoting that mindset to like, what if I launch and this is received so well? What if I launch and someone thanks me for solving this problem for them? Like what if I launch and it's so successful? And so I was just like, just do it.
• 37:17
  See what happens, put it out, see how it's received. And then you can go back to the drawing board if needed and kind of revamp and revise. But just put it out. Just do it. Love that. Love it. Okay. We are up to the six quick questions. Part of the episode. Question number one is what's your why? My biggest why is...
• 37:41
  I guess it's just thinking about myself and thinking about my community, especially in this industry. Black women are so overlooked and we hold the highest buying power in beauty. And so one of my
• 37:58
  Otherwise is why aren't people always creating for us? Like, why are we not always in mind with them? And so for me, it's like, they're my why, my community, my sisterhood, doing it for them. That's my biggest purpose is just making sure that I'm creating for self and creating for others. Absolutely. Love that. Question number two is what do you think has been the biggest marketing moment that made your business pop?
• 38:29
  The biggest marketing moment was definitely being featured on Beyonce.com this year. I would say that was so huge for an indie brand to receive. I would say combined with it was the huge push behind Black-owned beauty brands this past spring and summer. That was also very, very big for me exposure-wise. It gave me coverage in...
• 38:52
  Elle gave me coverage and Allure gave me coverage in Teen Vogue. So there were a lot of high hitting press features. But I mean, what tops me on Beyonce.com, honestly? I mean, nothing. That's so cool. Holy moly. Question number three is where do you hang out to get smarter? What are you reading? What do you subscribe to? What are you listening to?
• 39:19
  So I listened to Michelle Obama's podcast that she recently released, Bobby Brown's podcast that she recently released. I read a lot of like blogs. So I kind of steered away from books lately, just looking at a lot of founders have started their own blogs. And so I'm really into that. Seeing them talk about their beginning to now journey has been really cool to see them laying it out.
• 39:46
  And then I kind of have like my think tank, which some people, you know, go on drives or go on walks or whatever. My think tank is the shower. So when I'm in the shower is when my best ideas and like my best thinking happens. This is why my friends are like, why are you in the shower for like 45 minutes, girl? Like, please, please.
• 40:01
  But I'm like, it is my think tank. And it's usually if I read something or I saw something or I heard something, I literally plays in my mind while I don't even know why. While I'm showing him, oh my gosh, this is what I should do. Oh my gosh, this is how I can apply this. Oh my gosh, this is what this new idea for range. And so I think a combination of all of those things, how I really get these like new ideas and fresh resurgence for sure. I love that you're calling it a think tank. Like
• 40:25
  I haven't thought about it like that before, but it's so true. You actually really need to dedicate time for thinking and like uncluttered, non-distracting moments where you can let your things come up. I actually thought of it because I did a pitch competition at Spanx headquarters here in Atlanta. And Sarah Blakely, the founder of Spanx, was speaking to us. And she was kind of going through her...
• 40:51
  how she thinks about ideas and her, and her think tank is her car. So she will just get in her car, even if she has nowhere to go and she'll just drive around and it helps her think of new ideas. It helps her create solutions for problems. And I was like, Oh my gosh, that's what I do in the shower. It's also like, Oh, the shower is my think tank. Okay.
• 41:09
  Mine is running, but I haven't been running in so long. I'm so embarrassed to say, but like, you know, that kind of exercise or walking or something where I'm not looking at my phone and I don't have any sound in and I'm just. Focusing. Actually I can have music. It doesn't actually matter because I'm not focused on the music, but I can't have a podcast. Then I get lost in the podcast. Nightmare. Yes.
• 41:33
  question number four is how do you win the day and that's around your am and pm rituals that keep you feeling happy and motivated and successful
• 41:44
  So in the AM, I have to have to start with prayer and meditation. It's my biggest thing I've seen. If I'm rushing, if I like oversleep and I have to rush to something and I don't start with it, my day is significantly different. Like I just I just feel it. And so I always start off with just doing my meditation, doing my prayer, doing different like mantras that kind of set my day up. Like, you know, I am worthy of my success. I am worthy of everything that's coming to me.
• 42:14
  worthy of being this creator, like all these kinds of things. Just like put myself into a positive mindset before I allow social media and emails and all of that in. And then nighttime, I have to like skin, my skincare routine at night is a huge thing for me too. It's another time where I'm like, I feel like I don't sleep as well if I don't do my skincare routine. Because it's just a moment to just kind of like.
• 42:41
  distress and declutter and you're just kind of like into the emotions and you're taking care of yourself and I don't know it's just like some some additional me time to just soothe myself before I get into the bed so those are my two beginning and ends I totally get that it's like a moment of luxury and it can be the most simple thing but it's that ritual that makes it a luxury
• 43:03
  Yes, exactly. Yeah. Question number five is if you only had $1,000 left in your business bank account, where would you spend it? Ooh, if I only had $1,000 left...
• 43:20
  I would probably still spend it on inventory, to be honest. I would be like, let's get a last round of inventory out and freaking sell that baby like no other. That's probably how I would do it. Nice. Nice. And question number six, last question is how do you deal with failure? And that can be around a personal experience or it can just be a general mindset and approach.
• 43:42
  So my reaction to failure has definitely changed. I think as I've gotten older and as I've progressed as an entrepreneur, it used to completely wear me out. It would just like kind of flatline me. I would dwell on it. I'm a Taurus. So we are natural like overthinkers. And so I would just, I would let it just dwell in my mind for forever. And I think once I started becoming an entrepreneur and doing different things
• 44:12
  I've lost a lot of competitions. I've received a lot of rejection emails saying we were not accepting you. I've spoken to retailers who are like, Oh, you're not a fit for us. Um, and so I think going through that and having a kind of like a pattern of it where it's not just a one off thing where I've seen it and now I've, I've become aware of it. I've accepted it and just like, whatever.
• 44:33
  And just now it's kind of like off the shoulder. And I've had to pivot my mind to whatever is meant for me is for me. And it will come to me when it's intended to. And so anytime something is,
• 44:48
  like kind of taken away from me or not given to me, I'm like, oh, that's because it's not meant for me. And it is what it is. And if it was intended for someone else, if it was because it's being replaced by something even bigger, like you just never know. So I've just had to pivot the mindset of like, that just wasn't meant for me. On to the next thing. Yeah. And build that like, I guess it's like an armor.
• 45:11
  Yeah, kind of thick skin. It doesn't ever get like easy, but it gets easier, I think, too. It does. To manage the, you know, that feeling when something goes wrong and you're able to be like...
• 45:23
  Okay. I can cope with this now. Exactly. Yeah. So I think thick skin and just, and that's another thing with, with founders. Like, I know a lot of founders are like, I didn't want to do it because I don't, I was afraid of what they would say or da, da, da. And I'm like, you need to build up, like, just do it. You don't know if they're going to say yes or no. It's like, what else? They say no. So what? Now, now what? Now what are you going to do? So yeah, it's definitely building up to it and just, okay, that's the next thing. Totally. Totally.
• 45:53
  And what is the next thing? What's coming up? What's the future look like?
• 45:58
  So the future for range is so bright, but as I mentioned, I'm so excited because we received our first investment and I cannot wait to be able to do some really great things for our beauties and really expand with range. Keep on adding more makeup and skincare benefits to our line. As I mentioned, my next venture, I definitely want to do skincare for eczema and acne, fun and skin with clean ingredients.
• 46:23
  I absolutely want to open our first brick and mortar location and create this safe space that I didn't really see growing up and that I don't really see even as late of a place where black women can go and actually be shade matched correctly and actually be spoken to about their skin in a correct way and not feeling ashamed or neglected when they go to shop, making sure we always have their shades and stock kind of just like this oasis for them to shop in.
• 46:50
  that goes beyond makeup. That's also about wellness too. But I think those are the things and hopefully expanding our retail footprint as well. I can't wait to come and visit your oasis one day. That sounds like such a magical place. Thank you so much for making the time today to be on the Female Startup Club podcast. I am just going to be forever cheering you on and love what you're doing.
• 47:16
  Thank you. This was so great. This is like my favorite podcast. This was so great. I loved your questions. Thank you for having me. Oh my God. That's so cool. Thank you for saying that. Yeah, of course. This was so fun.
• 47:32
  Hey, it's June here. Thanks for listening to this amazing episode of the Female Startup Club podcast. If you're a fan of the show and want even more of the good stuff, I'd recommend checking out femalestartupclub.com where you can subscribe to our free newsletter. We send it out weekly covering female founder business news, insights and learnings in D2C, and interesting business resources.
• 47:57
  And if you're a founder building an e-commerce brand, you can join our private network of entrepreneurs called Hype Club at femalestartupclub.com forward slash Hype Club. We have guests from the show joining us for intimate Ask Me Anythings, expert workshops, and a group of totally amazing, like-minded women building the future of D2C brands.
• 48:19
  As always, please do subscribe, rate and review the show and post your favorite episodes to Instagram stories. I am beyond grateful when you do that.
• 48:36
  Hey, it's June here. Thanks for listening to this amazing episode of the Female Startup Club podcast. If you're a fan of the show and want even more of the good stuff, I'd recommend checking out femalestartupclub.com where you can subscribe to our free newsletter. We send it out weekly covering female founder business news, insights and learnings in D2C, and interesting business resources.
• 49:00
  And if you're a founder building an e-commerce brand, you can join our private network of entrepreneurs called Hype Club at femalestartupclub.com forward slash Hype Club. We have guests from the show joining us for intimate Ask Me Anythings, expert workshops, and a group of totally amazing, like-minded women building the future of D2C brands.
• 49:23
  As always, please do subscribe, rate and review the show and post your favorite episodes to Instagram stories. I am beyond grateful when you do that.