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Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, we're back with another episode of Therapy for

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Speaker 1: Black Girls University. I'm your host, doctor Joy Hard and Bradford,

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Speaker 1: and this week we have a very special guest. We'll

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Speaker 1: be back with our conversation right after this break. Alissa Ashley,

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Speaker 1: founder of in Real Life Skin, was raised in a

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Speaker 1: traditional West Indian household where self care was embraced as

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Speaker 1: a holistic lifestyle rather than a simple routine. From a

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Speaker 1: young age, she incorporated natural ingredients like pomegranate extract, magnesium

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Speaker 1: and vitamin E into her diet and skincare, discovering their

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Speaker 1: powerful benefits for both physical and emotional well being. With

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Speaker 1: over a decade of experience in the consumer packaged goods

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Speaker 1: and health and wellness industries, collaborating with brands such as

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Speaker 1: Shamee Moisture and Weight Watchers, Alissa identified a missing link

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Speaker 1: between agriculture, beauty and wellness. This insight led to the

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Speaker 1: creation of in Real Life Skin, a brand rooted in

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Speaker 1: the principles of neurocosmetics and designed to promote skinhealth, emotional balance,

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Speaker 1: and sustainability. Her vision centers on reflecting real life through

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Speaker 1: skincare by offering plant based products and resources that foster

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Speaker 1: healthy habits, emotional wellness, and authentic community connections. In this conversation,

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Speaker 1: Alyssa opens up about the realities of leaving a corporate

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Speaker 1: nine to five job in order to pursue starting your

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Speaker 1: own business. We're talking about self discovery, sacrifice, entrepreneurial affirmations,

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Speaker 1: and understanding how your business is connected to your inner child.

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Speaker 1: So if you've been trying to figure out how to

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Speaker 1: make the jump from employee to employer, are just fascinated

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Speaker 1: by the story behind founders, this one's for you. If

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Speaker 1: something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, please share

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Speaker 1: with us on social media using the hashtag TVG in

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Speaker 1: Session is our conversation. Thank you so much for joining

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Speaker 1: us today, Alyssa, thank.

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Speaker 2: You, Thank you for having me here.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm excited to learn more about you, So tell

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Speaker 1: us for people who may be unfamiliar, a little bit

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Speaker 1: about yourself and your background.

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Speaker 2: Yes, I am a connector and brand representative. I started

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Speaker 2: young at eighteen years old, working for companies like Mountain, Dew, HBO,

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Speaker 2: Amazon and representing their brands in New York City and

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Speaker 2: in college. Now I represent CpG clients up and coming startups,

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Speaker 2: like Flourished by Amray Johnson Junior recently supported Pharrell's Black

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Speaker 2: Ambition and Fortune and fok So everything. Brand, representing and

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Speaker 2: connecting is what I enjoy doing as well as just

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Speaker 2: helping people release stress and take that off their plate.

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Speaker 2: I'm deeply rioted in faith and I was guided to

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Speaker 2: open a neurocosmetic skincare brand that basically accumulates my work

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Speaker 2: in marketing and representing health and wellness brands help and

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Speaker 2: support people and their mental well being through skincare products.

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Speaker 1: Beautiful, So you already have such an incredible resume, right, Like,

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Speaker 1: those are some incredible companies that you have listened and

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Speaker 1: I'm sure a lot of the people listening will wonder, like, well,

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Speaker 1: how do I break into some of these companies? So

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Speaker 1: what suggestions would you have or maybe let's talk a

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Speaker 1: little bit about your journey into working at some of

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Speaker 1: these incredible companies.

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Speaker 2: Yes, brand connection overall, just connecting, following through with people

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Speaker 2: when there's an opportunity, seizing that moment and seeing what

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Speaker 2: people need and really identifying that. I would say a

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Speaker 2: great example, actually I developed a great relationship with Black

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Speaker 2: Excellence Brunch and how I did that was I saw

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Speaker 2: them at an event, I saw that they needed help

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Speaker 2: or something, and I was able to help them with that.

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Speaker 2: And just being in La it's easier. It's almost naturally

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Speaker 2: you're seeing someone that you've seen on Instagram or on

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Speaker 2: social media and just kind of knowing how can I

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Speaker 2: help them and positioning yourself as a resource for them.

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Speaker 1: Hmmm, that's such a great tip. I wonder if they're

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Speaker 1: you know, and you make a great point of being

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Speaker 1: in Italy right, Like, I feel like it is much

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Speaker 1: easier to do something like that. But let's say somebody

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Speaker 1: is in somewhere Illinois, maybe Chicago is even several hours away.

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Speaker 1: What suggestions would you give to people about like how

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Speaker 1: to do some of that networking and like building intentional relationships.

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Speaker 2: I would still say the same the follow through still

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Speaker 2: showing up as yourself to people that you want to

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Speaker 2: help and you know, give your services to. So if

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Speaker 2: you're like in Illinois and you are good at social

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Speaker 2: media and there's a favorite store around you, whether that's

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Speaker 2: a local cults on Prameriy or somewhere, you go into

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Speaker 2: DLA it's a local mom and pop shop, seeing what

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Speaker 2: is a structure in your business that I can help

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Speaker 2: with because you identify the brand already, you already have

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Speaker 2: admiration for the brand, and you should have a skill

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Speaker 2: at that point that you've identified you can sharpen or

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Speaker 2: position differently, and just offering that too. I think a

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Speaker 2: lot of the face to face communications in my field

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Speaker 2: with these brands is most important versus sending a message

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Speaker 2: online or doing some sort of interactive experience through the web,

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Speaker 2: versus in person.

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Speaker 1: So in person is really key, Like if you can

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Speaker 1: get in front of some of these people, that's really

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Speaker 1: what you would suggest, and.

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Speaker 2: Putting yourself out there in any way, putting yourself out there,

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Speaker 2: and even if you can't get in front of them

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Speaker 2: and you kind of are levels away from them, still

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Speaker 2: seeing like what are they doing that I can do

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Speaker 2: for myself and that I want to strengthen within myself

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Speaker 2: and always having a takeaway with anything that you connect

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Speaker 2: with of how you can you know, support that more.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for that. So you mentioned that you have

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Speaker 1: started your brain as a neurocosmetic Is that the correction?

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Speaker 1: Why tell me what that term means. I'm not familiar

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Speaker 1: with that.

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Speaker 2: So connection between this stress of your self and your skin,

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Speaker 2: So really studying how the ingredients that you put on

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Speaker 2: your skin can affect your mood and uplift your mood.

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Speaker 2: And I use myself as a case study for that.

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Speaker 2: I grew up in a traditional West Indian household in

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Speaker 2: New York, where it was a time where natural ingredients

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Speaker 2: worn around us. My parents were both immigrants, and we

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Speaker 2: cannot have any of the juices in the stores. We

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Speaker 2: can only have water. They're very, very strict on what

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Speaker 2: we put in our bodies. And I specifically remember moments

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Speaker 2: of my parents coming home with a pomegranate juice and

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Speaker 2: being like, this is good for you. You can finally

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Speaker 2: have good juice for you. You have to know what

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Speaker 2: you're putting in your body and you also have to

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Speaker 2: know the effects of it for your mental well being.

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Speaker 2: So I really want to shed light on that, the

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Speaker 2: disparency between food and the economics of food as well

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Speaker 2: and ingredients. We're starting with skincare, but the overall brand

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Speaker 2: is on skincare is a lifestyle. It's across all of

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Speaker 2: these different pillars, what you eat, what you think about,

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Speaker 2: who you are, what you consume. And I'm seeing where

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Speaker 2: it goes and it's been a lot of fun so far.

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Speaker 1: So was there a particular moment that made you realize,

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Speaker 1: I am now making the shift into entrepreneurship.

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Speaker 2: I think it naturally happened for me in terms of

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Speaker 2: it was a push, and I saw that this passion

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Speaker 2: I had was growing. I was gaining customers, people were

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Speaker 2: wanting to know more and more about the brand, and

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Speaker 2: it was at a point in my life where I

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Speaker 2: could do this full time and manage the clients that

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Speaker 2: I'm gaining and the partnership opportunities that I have. It

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Speaker 2: coincidentally just happened with like God's plan that as I

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Speaker 2: was trying to hold onto my nearly a decade of

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Speaker 2: experience in PR, he was like, it's time to launch

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Speaker 2: your business, and I did, and then opportunities came along

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Speaker 2: continuously from the work I had already put in to

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Speaker 2: make it successful.

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Speaker 1: So little were you already like creating products for like

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Speaker 1: yourself and your friends? Like, how did you even start

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Speaker 1: with making a product for your skin?

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Speaker 2: Right, that's a really good question. So the magnesium spray

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Speaker 2: is a passed down staple in my family, and outside

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Speaker 2: of that, they're growing up. My mom every time before

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Speaker 2: school would start in the fall, she would make different

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Speaker 2: types of Jesus for us, and I was looking at

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Speaker 2: those ingredients and I was like, can I put these

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Speaker 2: on my skin? And specifically one moment last year. The

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Speaker 2: brand is still about five months old and it's growing incredibly.

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Speaker 2: But last year my mom said to me someone approached

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Speaker 2: her and wanted her to represent their skincare line. And

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Speaker 2: I started telling her all the aspects of being a

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Speaker 2: brand rap from my experience and telling her you better

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Speaker 2: make sure that you get your cut, like you got

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Speaker 2: to make sure that you know the business behind being

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Speaker 2: brand rapped. I was just like, you, you're giving your

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Speaker 2: face away. You need to make sure. And then I

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Speaker 2: was like, wait a minute, how did I not think

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Speaker 2: about this before. Everything she's passed down that's made a

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Speaker 2: difference on my face and on my skin should be shared.

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Speaker 2: And I can really create this based off of our

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Speaker 2: West Indian traditions being so firmly in our Guyanese culture,

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Speaker 2: I could do this with her and I can kind

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Speaker 2: of use her as my inspiration. So that's really that's right.

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Speaker 2: I was like, make sure you know the business beyond it,

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Speaker 2: and then I was like, wait, I can do this.

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Speaker 1: So y'all were really on the whole wave of like

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Speaker 1: magnesium spray. Before it really took off on TikTok, I

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Speaker 1: had not heard of it before, like I saw people

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Speaker 1: sharing it on TikTok, but it was something that has

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Speaker 1: been a part of your life since forever.

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Speaker 2: Yes, the nighttime routine itself is so sacred, and having

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Speaker 2: those moments for yourself, those words of affirmation, preparing yourself

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Speaker 2: for the next day, knowing what you're going into and

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Speaker 2: just having that structure has always been so ingrained and

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Speaker 2: a part of my life. So also those ingredients break

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Speaker 2: before you take and before you go to bed are

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Speaker 2: so important too. So many people know magnesium is something

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Speaker 2: that you just eat and people so popular now everyone's

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Speaker 2: having the magnesium mocktail drinks now, but that has always

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Speaker 2: existed and always been something so important, And the magnesium

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Speaker 2: flakes are very essential to our magnesium spread. But also

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Speaker 2: now topically putting it on your skin and having a

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Speaker 2: soothed skin and going into your nighttime routine feeling soothed

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Speaker 2: and calm is something I want to make sure everyone

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Speaker 2: has access to, knowing those routines that make you break

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Speaker 2: you sometimes going into the next day too. So just

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Speaker 2: helping and preparing a generation of routines for all people

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Speaker 2: to know the importance behind clean and good And yeah.

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Speaker 1: So you talked about like your experience and your background

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Speaker 1: in PR and now you are shifting into a very

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Speaker 1: different world, right, Like, it's a difference between making a

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Speaker 1: small bitch for like maybe yourself and some loved ones

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Speaker 1: to like a product you're actually selling.

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Speaker 2: So tell me how you have picked.

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Speaker 1: Up the knowledge and like maybe been resourceful in connecting

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Speaker 1: with the right people to move into this new area.

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Speaker 2: Yes, first, my manufacturer has been captal to it all.

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Speaker 2: I work with a manufacturer. She has her lab. It's

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Speaker 2: woman owned, and she shares all of her resources of

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Speaker 2: her even creating her own business and having labs. So

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Speaker 2: that partnership was really my first. I launched this independently,

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Speaker 2: going through that process just with the knowledge of the

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Speaker 2: lab and a chemist and working with them on the formula.

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Speaker 2: And then as I grew, I just knew I needed

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Speaker 2: an advisory boarder. I'm such a brainstorm junkie. I love brainstorming,

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Speaker 2: I love ideas. My earliest coworkers would say you're an

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Speaker 2: idea as generator. You just keep coming with these new

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Speaker 2: ideas and learning the importance of copyrighting these ideas and

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Speaker 2: all that goes into owning a business has been by

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Speaker 2: having and reaching out to the available resources. The economics

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Speaker 2: Centers Vermont Sausin has extremely helped me along this journey

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Speaker 2: and just reaching out to small business organizations and others

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Speaker 2: going through the same experience other founders and bringing them

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Speaker 2: in along the journey.

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Speaker 1: So how did you even go about finding a manufacturer?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, everyone cans asking me that, I because I think

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Speaker 2: a lot of people listening will think like, Okay, I

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Speaker 2: have a good idea, but like, where do I even start?

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Speaker 1: How do you just find a manufacturer?

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Speaker 2: I started by googling every single type of question that

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Speaker 2: I had. My question was how do I find a manufacturer?

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Speaker 2: Of googling manufacturers in California, manufacturers in New York. I

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Speaker 2: was looking at other beauty companies that I liked, and

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Speaker 2: I was looking to see where they were manufactured in.

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Speaker 2: I was going to Sephora five times a day, and

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Speaker 2: the people the forest unded knowing me because they were like,

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Speaker 2: are you here for like school? Like why are you here?

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Speaker 2: I was like, I have a project I'm working on,

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Speaker 2: and I would just go through each and every product label, product, packaging,

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Speaker 2: and you just have to really look to see where

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Speaker 2: are the manufacturers. And that's what I.

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Speaker 1: Did got it so lots and lots of research, it

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Speaker 1: sounds like, is what you're saying.

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Speaker 2: No sleep, lots of research, and I did this all

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Speaker 2: managing a nine to five job successfully. I did this

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Speaker 2: basically all after hours, during my lunch breaks. It was

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Speaker 2: a passion at first. So it was every time I

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Speaker 2: had an idea in corporate America that maybe wouldn't breakthrough

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Speaker 2: with a certain client, I saw ways that could break

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Speaker 2: through with my brand.

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Speaker 1: Well. So as a fellow entrepreneur, I do know that

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Speaker 1: there's a lot of like sleepless nights, lots of resilience

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Speaker 1: really required to build the business, especially in the infant stages.

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Speaker 1: What kinds of wellness practices have been really important to

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Speaker 1: you as you get your business off the ground.

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Speaker 2: Grounding myself keeping a journal, journaling all of the good

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Speaker 2: moments and all of the bad moments. I learned throughout

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Speaker 2: this to start recording and video recording kind of experiences

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Speaker 2: that I'm going through as kind of a diary to

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Speaker 2: myself and just really hearing my inner dialogue. Now they

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Speaker 2: saying when you launch a business, that your inner child

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Speaker 2: comes out, and this was completely true throughout this process.

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Speaker 2: I had to really learn to hear myself, is this

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Speaker 2: coming from a place that's good for the brand, or

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Speaker 2: kind of coming from a place that is just what

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Speaker 2: I want to do? And just hearing how I was guided.

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Speaker 2: I relied so heapily on my faith to show me

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Speaker 2: the ways to go, the decisions to make, what to say,

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Speaker 2: what to do, that all of those practices is a

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Speaker 2: part of my wellness journey that helped me throughout this

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Speaker 2: whole process.

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Speaker 1: That sounds like a very true saying, though I've never

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Speaker 1: heard it before, right, But I definitely know that there

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Speaker 1: are parts of yourself that you are introduced to in

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Speaker 1: entrepreneurship that you're like, where did that come from?

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Speaker 2: What have been.

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Speaker 1: Maybe some of the mental health challenges or concerns maybe

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Speaker 1: that have been identified for you as you find yourself

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Speaker 1: building the business.

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Speaker 2: Yes, my staff calls me a perfectionist, and I realize

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Speaker 2: that I am a perfectionist in every aspect of that term,

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Speaker 2: which I maybe used surprive myself on that that was

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Speaker 2: a good thing. I knew and felt confident wherever my

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Speaker 2: name was mentioned that I was mentioned for good, and

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Speaker 2: now I'm letting go kind of It's okay to be good.

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Speaker 2: Sometimes you don't have to be great all the time.

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Speaker 2: The important things matter. I now know more of what

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Speaker 2: important things are. I call them my big rocks, and

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Speaker 2: I know what the things that don't matter are, and

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Speaker 2: if those are still okay, it's okay. So definitely that

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Speaker 2: I have to be a people leader. I have to

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Speaker 2: care about people's mental well being. I am the type

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Speaker 2: of person who I'm so organized. Everything is structured down

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Speaker 2: to the tee and realizing some people aren't like that,

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Speaker 2: but they're still getting work done and they're just not

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Speaker 2: like that. So maybe embracing type B type B lifestyles

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Speaker 2: work too. You can coexist with type B.

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Speaker 1: And is there anybody else in the business now? I

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Speaker 1: know you mentioned like advisory boys, but is there anybody

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Speaker 1: else on payroll besides you?

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Speaker 2: Now? I have a dedicated social media strategist, Binelli, who

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Speaker 2: has been on a team basically since day one. She

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Speaker 2: helped me launch and it happened naturally. She was through

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Speaker 2: an organization. I'm a part of Fortune and Forks, and

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Speaker 2: I reached out to her. We're always sharing resources. If

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Speaker 2: she knows anyone who could help me, and she's so

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Speaker 2: quickly identified with the brand and so having fortune and

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Speaker 2: forks with Manned. Having that community has met everything to me.

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Speaker 2: And now we also onboarded a college ambassador too, so

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Speaker 2: we are using my experience as a college ambassador in

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Speaker 2: real life skin and we are super excited. I'm looking

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Speaker 2: to grow, so I'm open to the doors. There's a

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Speaker 2: lot of opportunities out there, so I'm excited.

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Speaker 1: So what new challenges has that brought forth?

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Speaker 2: Yes, okay, managing people now I get it more. I understand.

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Speaker 2: I understand there's a lot of personalities, but you can

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Speaker 2: have fun with it. There's so many ideas you have

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Speaker 2: to say, focused on the goal. What is the goal?

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Speaker 2: Like just the whole overall business structure needs to be

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Speaker 2: really tied up, the key audience, the key profiles. Knowing

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Speaker 2: why and how you want to break through has been

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Speaker 2: the most important part in the direction. Leading with a

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Speaker 2: clearer directions is everything I go back to. So now

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Speaker 2: I have pillars for different areas that I want to

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Speaker 2: focus on, and as long as it falls in those pillars,

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Speaker 2: we're good. As a good I love it.

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Speaker 1: So tell me more about the connection between skin care

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Speaker 1: and mental health and overwhell wellness because I think that

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Speaker 1: this is a still newer concept right, Like clearly not

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Speaker 1: for you, but I think you know, in terms of

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Speaker 1: like products being sold in like conversations around it, it

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Speaker 1: still feels pretty new. So what kinds of things can

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Speaker 1: we tell about like our mental health based on our skincare,

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Speaker 1: and like what is that greater connection?

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Speaker 2: Yes, so everything that you put on your skin is

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Speaker 2: going into your skin, so all of the nerves are

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Speaker 2: targeting the nerves that are in your skin through these

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Speaker 2: natural ingredients. So yes, it is very new, the connection

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Speaker 2: between your mind and your skin. Many people are understanding

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Speaker 2: more and more mental wellbeing and the importance of that

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Speaker 2: it's not just what you put on your skin, but

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Speaker 2: what goes into your skin. I was raised with that

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Speaker 2: same principle. My mom would always tell me it's not

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Speaker 2: what's on your head, it's what's in your head. So

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Speaker 2: what's in you matters. These are products that are including

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Speaker 2: pomegranate magnesium. These are things that you can actually have

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Speaker 2: the multi benefit and function.

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Speaker 1: More from our conversation after the break, and you also

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Speaker 1: mentioned that you have kind of been building your business

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Speaker 1: alongside like your steady roster of nine to five clients.

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Speaker 1: What has it been like to navigate like both of

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Speaker 1: those because those are both full time jobs, right, so

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Speaker 1: you're basically working two full time jobs. How have you

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Speaker 1: managed that?

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Speaker 2: It's been hard. I would say it's something you have

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Speaker 2: to really be prepared for, and especially having agency experience

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Speaker 2: when I first started in the field. That's incredibly helpful

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Speaker 2: for me. It hasn't been something I thought I would

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Speaker 2: be doing. I did not think I would have multiple

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Speaker 2: clients that I'm managing and supporting, but it just happened.

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Speaker 2: With the network of opportunities I've had, which has been amazing,

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Speaker 2: But even things like health insurance, I'm still figuring things out.

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Speaker 2: I still have no idea on how to be an

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Speaker 2: entrepreneur other than just watching it. I have people that

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Speaker 2: I look up to, like that my Creeds of the

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Speaker 2: world that I like and like, Wow, they did it.

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Speaker 2: I can do it too, but it's still new. We're

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Speaker 2: in an age where anything can happen. Job security is

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Speaker 2: the most important to me. I've always been grounded education, education,

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Speaker 2: got a good job. My parents didn't really prepare for

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Speaker 2: me to have my own business. So the generational breakthrough

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Speaker 2: and that has been incredible.

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Speaker 1: Can you say more about that? As you mentioned kind

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Speaker 1: of being from a West Indian family and you know like, okay,

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Speaker 1: these are your choices in terms of what success looks like, right,

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Speaker 1: and you have chosen something there successful but very different.

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Speaker 1: So what has that been like the conversations with your

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Speaker 1: parents and your family.

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Speaker 2: Yes, so I want to start off by saying, very

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Speaker 2: traditional household, very very very traditional household. And my parents

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Speaker 2: only cared about education number one. Education, so and what

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Speaker 2: you eat, and they really taught me how to be healthy.

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Speaker 2: So growing up, Halloween came around, we couldn't have any

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Speaker 2: of the candy. Anything to drink in the house was water,

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Speaker 2: no juice. This was at a time growing up and

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Speaker 2: the early late nineties, early two thousands, juice wasn't available

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Speaker 2: without additives. So there were immigrants coming to America and

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Speaker 2: they didn't trust American food. They barely trusted the microwave.

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Speaker 2: So this was hard. This is really hard for me.

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Speaker 2: And I was an environment where my peers around me

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Speaker 2: were basically eating and doing what they could do, and

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Speaker 2: I was really structured on what I could eat. And

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Speaker 2: so I remember the moment my dad came in with

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Speaker 2: a pomegranate juice in two thousand and two, and he

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Speaker 2: was like, look, there's juice you can finally have because

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Speaker 2: that was such a joke that we could have juice,

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Speaker 2: and it was Palm wonderful, flap flash war in my

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Speaker 2: last job at Palm wonderful. So I think, just like

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Speaker 2: everything coming full circle has been incredible. But to go

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Speaker 2: back to your question, though, conversations have been very supportive,

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Speaker 2: nothing but support and telling me it will be okay.

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Speaker 2: I've been the one the most fearful out of it all.

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Speaker 2: I've been the one. I need a nine to five job.

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Speaker 2: I'm so worried about not having insurance. It's been my

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Speaker 2: biggest concern. And my parents are like, God has provided

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Speaker 2: an abundance for you that you will be okay. And

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Speaker 2: so just letting go of that fear that I won't

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Speaker 2: be okay because I've been okay this whole time and

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Speaker 2: I will be okay. And more than anything that makes

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Speaker 2: me so happy is that the people who work for me,

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Speaker 2: especially in the earlier stages, are people who are like me,

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Speaker 2: who want jobs. And I'm working with people overseas. Someone

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Speaker 2: from Pakistan who is working remotely, she's going through mental

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Speaker 2: health issues and she was looking for a job. She's

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Speaker 2: all the way in Pakistan, but she has skills at

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Speaker 2: or helping in real life skin and I have other

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Speaker 2: people who are in college who want to help me.

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Speaker 2: So just leaning into that help and support has been

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Speaker 2: new for me. But also everyone's been so encouraging that

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Speaker 2: I'm like, Okay, I have support, keep doing it. Something's

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Speaker 2: gonna happen. And I actually just was ranked top five

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Speaker 2: in a beauty accelerator program this weekend with judges from

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Speaker 2: When Beauty Fantisque and more. So it's been really exciting.

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Speaker 1: Well, congratulations. That little bit of validation is always nice, right,

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Speaker 1: especially in those moments when it feels difficult, like oh

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Speaker 1: do I continue with this? Right? So talk to me

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Speaker 1: more about like some of the sacrifices. So you've already

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Speaker 1: talked about, like the sacrifice of like the stability of Okay,

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Speaker 1: I know this check is coming twice a month, I

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Speaker 1: have health insurance. What are some of the other sacrifices

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Speaker 1: you've been able to identify that you've made an interest

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Speaker 1: in the business.

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Speaker 2: My time with my community. I would say I want

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Speaker 2: to grow so much more and have people around me

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Speaker 2: that support me. Doing this and starting this independently. I

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Speaker 2: had so many nights alone. You're very alone throughout this

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Speaker 2: process that I don't think anyone prepares you for. For me,

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Speaker 2: I was the most alone I've ever been in my life.

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Speaker 2: And then all of these great ideas kept coming in.

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Speaker 2: I almost wanted to share them with everyone, but I

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Speaker 2: didn't do that because I really had to trust my

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Speaker 2: intuition and bring this to life myself as a founder.

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Speaker 2: I needed to make sure I was making and calling

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Speaker 2: those shots for the brand and that I had a

436
00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:22,119
Speaker 2: clear vision. But it was very lonely, and at times

437
00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,800
Speaker 2: when it's really low and things happen that are out

438
00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,399
Speaker 2: of your control, it's like no one can understand how

439
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,520
Speaker 2: you're feeling except for yourself. And then when things are

440
00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,719
Speaker 2: so good, that's why a lot of people show up.

441
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,480
Speaker 2: Sometimes that's when like everyone's celebrating you and feels good.

442
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,960
Speaker 2: But just having kind of those core people who knew

443
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,480
Speaker 2: why I couldn't hang out over the weekends and so

444
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,640
Speaker 2: many nights I had to stay inside. I haven't been

445
00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:53,440
Speaker 2: like outside a really long time. So I'm excited now

446
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:57,440
Speaker 2: to like just allow more fun into my life too.

447
00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,840
Speaker 1: Mm hmm. So do you feel like you found like

448
00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,080
Speaker 1: a supportive community maybe of other entrepreneurs that have been

449
00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:06,320
Speaker 1: able to make you feel a little less lonely.

450
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,560
Speaker 2: Yes, I always go back to Fortune and Forks. Fortune

451
00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,719
Speaker 2: and Forks is a woman of color social group founded

452
00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:16,159
Speaker 2: in New York, now in La Miami, all over the world,

453
00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:20,840
Speaker 2: and they have been the first community I felt completely myself.

454
00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,480
Speaker 2: And Naomi has been a childhood friend of my family

455
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:26,880
Speaker 2: and just having her support. She's one of the first

456
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,480
Speaker 2: people I told I want to start something on my own,

457
00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,520
Speaker 2: and she allowed me the opportunity to work with Fortune

458
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,560
Speaker 2: and Forks right before I launched my business. So having

459
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:39,800
Speaker 2: those girls and that community with me has been everything

460
00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,560
Speaker 2: to me. These are all first generation women of color

461
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:48,000
Speaker 2: who all have succeeded in entertainment across various industries.

462
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:51,199
Speaker 1: And speaking of that, you know, I know that there

463
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,000
Speaker 1: are lots of challenges that are unique to being a

464
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:58,160
Speaker 1: woman of color, and especially in particular young woman of color.

465
00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:00,280
Speaker 1: Can you talk about maybe some of the challenge is

466
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,080
Speaker 1: that you've had with that particular identity.

467
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:07,719
Speaker 2: Overcoming the stereotype of being a pretty black girl. I

468
00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,360
Speaker 2: don't think that many people talk about this. I think

469
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,119
Speaker 2: people talk about being a black woman. I want to

470
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,560
Speaker 2: share that, Like, there's so many aspects of being pretty

471
00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,400
Speaker 2: privileged that people don't talk about. People don't talk about

472
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:24,880
Speaker 2: navigating that at all, and a lot of negatives is like, oh,

473
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,480
Speaker 2: she thinks she can do this or she thinks she

474
00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,840
Speaker 2: can have this, and it's like, I don't think anything

475
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,960
Speaker 2: more of myself than anyone else. So just like reidentifying

476
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,840
Speaker 2: what it means to be a pretty girl, a pretty

477
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,960
Speaker 2: black girl, but issues of being that come with all

478
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,480
Speaker 2: of that too, I think is something that I'm learning

479
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,240
Speaker 2: how to share that narrative, but it's been something I've

480
00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,960
Speaker 2: had to overcome. A lot of rooms that I've been

481
00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,160
Speaker 2: in might just think, oh, she's a pretty girl who

482
00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:55,479
Speaker 2: doesn't have a brain for herself, who doesn't know how

483
00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:59,840
Speaker 2: to do certain things, when I'm actually maybe more of

484
00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:00,640
Speaker 2: an introvert.

485
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:02,520
Speaker 1: And what kinds of things have been helpful to you

486
00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,320
Speaker 1: in navigating some of those challenges.

487
00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:10,640
Speaker 2: Speaking of having a voice, affirming your voice, and knowing

488
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,920
Speaker 2: who you are has been the most important. Knowing at

489
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,120
Speaker 2: the end of the day, who you are you want

490
00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,640
Speaker 2: to be, and having a clear vision of them.

491
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:22,600
Speaker 1: And we talked a little bit about the challenges of

492
00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,280
Speaker 1: managing a team, and so you know, you've gone from

493
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,359
Speaker 1: kind of just this self run thing to now having

494
00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:31,679
Speaker 1: more people, which means that you are now leading, right, Like,

495
00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,480
Speaker 1: So what kinds of lessons about leadership do you feel

496
00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,480
Speaker 1: like you have learned as the business has grown?

497
00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,880
Speaker 2: Hearing the opinions and thoughts of others first and then

498
00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:44,840
Speaker 2: making a decision. So having a collective group kind of

499
00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:49,560
Speaker 2: thinking together, moving together, and then making decisions for the

500
00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,000
Speaker 2: business with that in mind has been really important. It's

501
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,000
Speaker 2: been a shift from doing it alone to now doing

502
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,480
Speaker 2: it with people who are just as invested and just

503
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:03,520
Speaker 2: as involved. So that and managing kind of what could

504
00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:07,159
Speaker 2: work and still leading it has been new territory.

505
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,439
Speaker 1: Can you talk a little bit about the process of

506
00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:11,959
Speaker 1: building your advisory board, Like what kinds of people are

507
00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:12,520
Speaker 1: you looking for?

508
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:16,439
Speaker 2: Yes, So, having gone through the Vermont slaus and Beauty

509
00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:21,320
Speaker 2: and the Biz program and identifying the founders in that program,

510
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,720
Speaker 2: they're about I want to say thirty of us that

511
00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:27,000
Speaker 2: I'm competing to be top five and for opportunity to

512
00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,960
Speaker 2: be in retail. So having those different founders in there,

513
00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,359
Speaker 2: I would identify with new founders the judges behind that

514
00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:39,000
Speaker 2: from Fenti to When Beauty and just really making sure

515
00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,600
Speaker 2: I'm keeping these connections that have been the foundation of

516
00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,320
Speaker 2: the brand. These are some of the first people I've

517
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,400
Speaker 2: shared my thoughts too with the brand from this program,

518
00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,160
Speaker 2: So making sure that there's a follow through in that.

519
00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,520
Speaker 1: And can you talk maybe about like a tough or

520
00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,360
Speaker 1: difficult decision you've had to make already in the life

521
00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,440
Speaker 1: of your business and what you've learned from that.

522
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:04,120
Speaker 2: Oh, my goodnes, Yes, so a tough decision I've had

523
00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:08,040
Speaker 2: to make. I started studying other brands and studying how

524
00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:10,960
Speaker 2: other brands got to where they are, and there was

525
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,040
Speaker 2: always a face behind other brands. When you think of Road,

526
00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:17,920
Speaker 2: you think of Haley Bieber. When you think of even

527
00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,800
Speaker 2: When Beauty, you think of Serena Williams. So I was like,

528
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:23,680
Speaker 2: I don't want to be the face of the brand.

529
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,960
Speaker 2: I don't want to have my face out there. I

530
00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:28,200
Speaker 2: don't want people to know who I am. I would

531
00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,480
Speaker 2: rather create this brand and this product and let that

532
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,560
Speaker 2: speak for itself. And I learned, and especially my social

533
00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:39,280
Speaker 2: media strategists who supported me, and all of these ideas.

534
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,360
Speaker 2: The founder's story is so important and sharing who you

535
00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:46,520
Speaker 2: are and really who you are is so important, and

536
00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:50,200
Speaker 2: sharing the realness behind who you are is really the

537
00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,920
Speaker 2: foundation of the brand. So I had to really get

538
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,200
Speaker 2: used to that. I was very firm and I don't

539
00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,240
Speaker 2: want me out there. I'm very much a private person.

540
00:29:58,280 --> 00:29:59,920
Speaker 2: I did this for a year and a half by

541
00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,920
Speaker 2: myself and then it became this, but it was always

542
00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:07,200
Speaker 2: a passion that I kept privately to myself. So that

543
00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,640
Speaker 2: was a big decision for me because it went against

544
00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,200
Speaker 2: what I had thought for the brand, and now having

545
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,640
Speaker 2: myself associated with the brand and having the founder's story

546
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,440
Speaker 2: really being about my story might passed down through me

547
00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:24,719
Speaker 2: from West Indian tradition is the root of it, so

548
00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,240
Speaker 2: I do have to have involvement in it. And so

549
00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:31,400
Speaker 2: that was definitely a learning lesson and I'm still getting there.

550
00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:35,280
Speaker 2: I'm still I know what I have to perfect about myself.

551
00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,720
Speaker 2: I know that I need to perfect myself in certain

552
00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,720
Speaker 2: ways that I'm creating a brand that I want to

553
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:45,280
Speaker 2: be perfect and now I'm trying to make sure that

554
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,440
Speaker 2: I'm perfecting myself. But really I just have to be myself.

555
00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,760
Speaker 2: So letting myself be with the brand has been the

556
00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:54,400
Speaker 2: biggest learning lesson. I think I just realized that just

557
00:30:54,480 --> 00:31:00,720
Speaker 2: now for you give me that question. I love that.

558
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,640
Speaker 1: I feel like that is another example of the stuff

559
00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:06,000
Speaker 1: we don't know that's hidden that comes out right when

560
00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,400
Speaker 1: we are building a business, Like what was really behind

561
00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:10,960
Speaker 1: the desire to not be the face of the brand?

562
00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:11,400
Speaker 2: Right? Like?

563
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,760
Speaker 1: Is it because you wanted it to stand on its

564
00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:15,720
Speaker 1: own or was there something about you that you know

565
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,600
Speaker 1: was coming out and you not wanting to put it forward?

566
00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:20,040
Speaker 2: Yeah?

567
00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Well thank you for sharing that.

568
00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:23,479
Speaker 2: I appreciate it.

569
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,600
Speaker 1: Has therapy been a part of your story of building

570
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:27,520
Speaker 1: the business?

571
00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,360
Speaker 2: One hundred percent? Therapy was the only person I had

572
00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:36,880
Speaker 2: to tell anything to. So my therapist would be so amazed.

573
00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,560
Speaker 2: I don't have health insurance right now, so I had

574
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,720
Speaker 2: to pause therapy for a bit and actually open up

575
00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:44,800
Speaker 2: to my community. So I'm like, you know what, everything

576
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:48,360
Speaker 2: happens for a reason. But my therapists throughout it all,

577
00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,320
Speaker 2: we were dealing with other issues. We were dealing about

578
00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:55,200
Speaker 2: mental health issues in corporate America. Throughout it all, she

579
00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,800
Speaker 2: was giving me so much guidance, so much like strength,

580
00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,000
Speaker 2: and on the side, she was like, well, what's making

581
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,440
Speaker 2: you happy? Was working in your life? I was like,

582
00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,000
Speaker 2: the business is then everything around the business is going great.

583
00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,560
Speaker 2: Everything about the business is going amazing. She's like, focus

584
00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,280
Speaker 2: on that. Focus on that. I was like, okay, and

585
00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,720
Speaker 2: then every day come crying, hysterically crying to her like

586
00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:17,400
Speaker 2: this is what happened to me, this is what happened.

587
00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:20,080
Speaker 2: And she's like, what was good about today? And I'd

588
00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,360
Speaker 2: say the business, and she'd say, focus on that. She

589
00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,680
Speaker 2: was a faith based therapist, which was the difference of

590
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,960
Speaker 2: a lot of my journey to having a faith based

591
00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:33,640
Speaker 2: therapist who was reading scriptures to me, so I wasn't

592
00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:35,720
Speaker 2: just going based off of what she was saying. She

593
00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:38,760
Speaker 2: was actually seeing my life. She knew our intimate parts

594
00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:42,080
Speaker 2: of my life overcoming a lot of hardship when I

595
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:46,680
Speaker 2: was younger. Having someone like her was so important to me.

596
00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:49,040
Speaker 2: I can't wait to have respients again.

597
00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:54,080
Speaker 1: You know, have you been able to go through like well,

598
00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:57,040
Speaker 1: I don't think it's called Obamacare anymore, right, but like

599
00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:58,880
Speaker 1: the you know, the clearing house and stuff like, is

600
00:32:58,880 --> 00:32:59,640
Speaker 1: that not an option?

601
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:03,680
Speaker 2: I've just been so busy that God, I'm now A

602
00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,680
Speaker 2: part of the prize this weekend was that I'm awarded

603
00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:10,080
Speaker 2: a virtual assistant, So now I can actually have assistance

604
00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,960
Speaker 2: with those things, because, as I'm sure you can imagine,

605
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,440
Speaker 2: the business has overtaken every single part of my life

606
00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,800
Speaker 2: that like the personal side, I need to give more

607
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,160
Speaker 2: care to. But I'm like I did all my yearly

608
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:26,000
Speaker 2: appointments right before I left Corporate America. I very much

609
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:31,240
Speaker 2: prepare myself to be independent, that I'm like a healthy

610
00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:35,720
Speaker 2: young individual. That I was like, Okay, put insurants off.

611
00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,320
Speaker 2: But now I know, I know I'm doing that this week.

612
00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:39,960
Speaker 2: Good good.

613
00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:42,600
Speaker 1: I love this. So it sounds like there was a

614
00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:44,840
Speaker 1: point at which you felt like, Okay, I can no

615
00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:48,720
Speaker 1: longer do both of these things at the same time, right, Like, So,

616
00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:50,560
Speaker 1: was it that you feel like, Okay, I got to

617
00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,920
Speaker 1: put all of my energy now into my business and

618
00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,280
Speaker 1: I don't have time to kind of be full time

619
00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:58,920
Speaker 1: somewhere else. Is that the point at which you decided, okay,

620
00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,840
Speaker 1: I'm leaving corporate. No, my plan was always Corporate America.

621
00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:06,760
Speaker 1: I always had that ingrained. My parents always define success

622
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:08,799
Speaker 1: one is being a doctor. Both of them come from

623
00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,279
Speaker 1: the medical field. So one they're like, you gotta be

624
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:11,720
Speaker 1: a doctor.

625
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,480
Speaker 2: I was like, no, I'll do pr for help them

626
00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:16,600
Speaker 2: mown as brands instead like to talk. I want to

627
00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,280
Speaker 2: yap with the like I want to just napped an hotword.

628
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,040
Speaker 2: I was like, that's what I'm good at. I like

629
00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,440
Speaker 2: to represent brands and help them so they're okay with that.

630
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:27,280
Speaker 2: Nine to five is always a goal. It was always

631
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,880
Speaker 2: the plan for me, and like I said, it was

632
00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:33,799
Speaker 2: a push. Essentially, it was just God aligning things for

633
00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:39,480
Speaker 2: me to be out of certain situations, to timing it

634
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,160
Speaker 2: with the launch of my brand, and then the brand

635
00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:44,800
Speaker 2: blowing up got it Okay.

636
00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:56,680
Speaker 1: More from our conversation after the break, So, what would

637
00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:59,040
Speaker 1: you say has been the most shocking thing that you

638
00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:02,439
Speaker 1: have learned about out business in this journey and maybe

639
00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:05,440
Speaker 1: the most shocking thing you've learned about yourself in this process.

640
00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:09,440
Speaker 2: The most shocking thing I've learned about business is that

641
00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:13,400
Speaker 2: it's so evolving. So you can start creating a business

642
00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:18,360
Speaker 2: plan and structure. I didn't realize that it's always rolling.

643
00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:22,000
Speaker 2: For me. I was like, Okay, buy this certain deadline,

644
00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,879
Speaker 2: I will be done with my business structure and plan.

645
00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:27,080
Speaker 2: That's how I started things. I was like, okay by

646
00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:30,160
Speaker 2: this date, and then a financial advisor said to me,

647
00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,680
Speaker 2: you know that this is always going to be changing.

648
00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,719
Speaker 2: I was like, no, it's going to be done, be

649
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:39,160
Speaker 2: done with it in two weeks and he was like, no,

650
00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:43,800
Speaker 2: it's you're done with it. It's not working. I was like, oh,

651
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,680
Speaker 2: so Thathans something For me, everything is rolling, everything is

652
00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:52,200
Speaker 2: just continuous. So that has been definitely a learning lesson.

653
00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:56,840
Speaker 2: And then personally, I would say everything is working in

654
00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:00,479
Speaker 2: like your favor no matter what I think. The goal

655
00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:03,680
Speaker 2: is in success, The goal is being in your prepared

656
00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:07,399
Speaker 2: place and just riding that wave and when things are down,

657
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,399
Speaker 2: knowing it will it will get up again. Like when

658
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:14,120
Speaker 2: things are up, this is just validation. But don't like

659
00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,480
Speaker 2: glory in the up because I always am prepared for

660
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:20,080
Speaker 2: the worst case scenario that like, even when things are up,

661
00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:25,840
Speaker 2: I'm like, like, don't move only up right now. That

662
00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:29,160
Speaker 2: just realizing that it's always going to go up or down,

663
00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:30,839
Speaker 2: up or down. You kind of want to be in

664
00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:35,239
Speaker 2: that middle balance where nothing that is good elevates you

665
00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:37,319
Speaker 2: and nothing that is bad it brings you down.

666
00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:41,359
Speaker 1: Yeah, So tell me more about the products that are

667
00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:43,560
Speaker 1: actually a part of the line. So there's a spray

668
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,799
Speaker 1: that I think is the magnesium spray, correct, So are

669
00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:48,160
Speaker 1: there other products in the line.

670
00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:52,200
Speaker 2: Yes, we have our jeal and Timeless is my hero product.

671
00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:55,600
Speaker 2: It is a hydrator. It boosts your skins hydration barrier

672
00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:58,960
Speaker 2: by thirty percent after two weeks of consistent use. And

673
00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:01,479
Speaker 2: it is everything that's good for you. Like I said,

674
00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:06,560
Speaker 2: the pomegranate extract, the magnesium sink copper, Tree of Life antioxidants.

675
00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:10,000
Speaker 2: It's all of these plant based antioxidants and a quad

676
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:14,920
Speaker 2: moisture complex that is good for you. So this is

677
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,640
Speaker 2: my education. I want to start educating people on what

678
00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:20,440
Speaker 2: is good for you to put on your skin and

679
00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,960
Speaker 2: in your skin, the connection between stress and your skin,

680
00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:27,120
Speaker 2: and then leading into the ingredients and what is good

681
00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,080
Speaker 2: for you to eat and identifying that. So I see

682
00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:31,960
Speaker 2: it as a skincare lifestyle brand.

683
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,279
Speaker 1: And so do I use this in the morning in

684
00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:37,360
Speaker 1: the evening? Where does it go in the routine?

685
00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,239
Speaker 2: Yes? So, and it's a nighttime routine. This can be

686
00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:42,880
Speaker 2: during the day at night. But it has a natural

687
00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,960
Speaker 2: form of redinoal in it that is greatest and most

688
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,399
Speaker 2: active at night. So if you put it on during

689
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:50,839
Speaker 2: the day, you have to put SPF on. And I'm

690
00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,680
Speaker 2: coming out with more and more innovations basically every day.

691
00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:55,840
Speaker 2: But right now, you put it on right before you

692
00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,480
Speaker 2: go to bed and it's a one step routine. It

693
00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:02,120
Speaker 2: will boost your hydration while you're sleeping all wake up refresh,

694
00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:04,640
Speaker 2: and also before you go to bed and you spray

695
00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:06,960
Speaker 2: the mad Meseum spread on your body, on your feet

696
00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:09,960
Speaker 2: and you're basically floating throughout the night and you feel

697
00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,839
Speaker 2: so good waking up in the morning and you look good.

698
00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,279
Speaker 2: It's all I use on my skin too, that I

699
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:17,880
Speaker 2: feel so confident about it. I don't wear any makeup.

700
00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:21,600
Speaker 2: I only use my products, and it's really making your

701
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,279
Speaker 2: confidence feel better by knowing your mood is being uplifted

702
00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:26,319
Speaker 2: with these products.

703
00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:28,879
Speaker 1: So we just have to stay tuned for the other

704
00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:31,640
Speaker 1: things that will be rolled out as you continue to

705
00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:35,160
Speaker 1: evolve with the brain. It sounds like very very soon,

706
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,560
Speaker 1: So listen. What's something that you would say to your

707
00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:38,480
Speaker 1: eighteen year olds?

708
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:41,480
Speaker 2: Sel I would tell her it's going to be okay.

709
00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:46,360
Speaker 2: Have fun, enjoy life and have fun. It's going to

710
00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:48,560
Speaker 2: be okay. I would just keep telling her over and over,

711
00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,359
Speaker 2: like you're gonna get everything you've wanted. Just keep your

712
00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:56,200
Speaker 2: self focused, work hard, and know that if you put

713
00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:58,680
Speaker 2: the good work in, if you're a good person and

714
00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:01,240
Speaker 2: if you try to help others it will be okay.

715
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,000
Speaker 1: And are there any particular affirmations that you have found

716
00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:08,000
Speaker 1: helpful in your entrepreneurial journey.

717
00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:12,600
Speaker 2: Yes, I have shower affirmations, so I put on my

718
00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:15,239
Speaker 2: shower every single night, and like I said, this brand

719
00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:19,040
Speaker 2: is largely rooted in nighttime routines. I put in affirmations

720
00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:22,240
Speaker 2: of who I am and I know also each month

721
00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:24,439
Speaker 2: I have kind of a goal of who I will

722
00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:28,400
Speaker 2: be that month. So this month I am shutting and accepting.

723
00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:30,760
Speaker 2: Next month I come up with kind of a theme

724
00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:34,359
Speaker 2: hopefully that I will stick to what do I need

725
00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:37,520
Speaker 2: to learn or unlearn about myself in this month? And

726
00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,520
Speaker 2: that has deeply guided me. I have a full focused planner,

727
00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,399
Speaker 2: so every single day I had to write down three

728
00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:47,080
Speaker 2: of my biggest goals for that day. So having those affirmations,

729
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,000
Speaker 2: knowing like what are my goals for this day? Who

730
00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:53,840
Speaker 2: am I going into these goals, and also just giving

731
00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:57,920
Speaker 2: myself the grace most of all to shift in and

732
00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:01,080
Speaker 2: out of those goals and what I'm want to get done.

733
00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:05,960
Speaker 2: I'm very goals orientated, so having that in mind for

734
00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:07,160
Speaker 2: me is really helpful.

735
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,600
Speaker 1: I love it. So where can we stay connected with you? Alyssa,

736
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:14,160
Speaker 1: what is your website as well as any social media

737
00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:15,600
Speaker 1: channels you'd like to share with us.

738
00:40:16,239 --> 00:40:20,400
Speaker 2: Yes, in real life, Skin dot com is our website

739
00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:24,560
Speaker 2: and in real life Skin is our Instagram, So follow

740
00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:28,360
Speaker 2: me on Instagram, on our website, and soon we'll be

741
00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:32,399
Speaker 2: on Amazon and we're also on TikTok as well in

742
00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:32,959
Speaker 2: real life.

743
00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,520
Speaker 1: Again, perfect, Well, thank you so much for spending some

744
00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:37,680
Speaker 1: time with us today, Alyssa, I appreciate it.

745
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:40,400
Speaker 2: Of course, thank you, thank you.

746
00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,480
Speaker 1: I'm so grateful Lisa was able to join us for

747
00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:50,160
Speaker 1: our conversation today and share more about her entrepreneurial journey.

748
00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:53,320
Speaker 1: To learn more about her and in real life skincare,

749
00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:55,600
Speaker 1: be sure to visit the show notes at Therapy for

750
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:59,439
Speaker 1: Blackgirls dot com, slash tvgu and don't forget to text

751
00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:02,440
Speaker 1: this episode to two of your girls right now. Did

752
00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:04,239
Speaker 1: you know you could leave us a voicemail with your

753
00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,319
Speaker 1: questions and feedback for the podcast. If you have a

754
00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:09,680
Speaker 1: movie or a book you'd like to suggest, or even

755
00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:12,279
Speaker 1: a topic you'd like for us to discuss, leave us

756
00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:15,040
Speaker 1: a voice message at Memo dot fm, slash Therapy for

757
00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:17,400
Speaker 1: Black Girls and let us know what's on your mind.

758
00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:20,839
Speaker 1: We just might feature it on the podcast. If you're

759
00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:23,520
Speaker 1: looking for a therapist in your area, visit our therapist

760
00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:28,040
Speaker 1: directory at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com slash directory. This

761
00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:32,200
Speaker 1: episode was produced by Elise Ellis Indichubu and Tyree Rush.

762
00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,920
Speaker 1: Editing was done by Dennison Bradford. Thank y'all so much

763
00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,759
Speaker 1: for joining me for this next episode of TVGU I

764
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:41,879
Speaker 1: look forward to continuing this conversation with you all real soon.

765
00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:43,200
Speaker 2: Take good care,