1
00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,480
Speaker 1: What's up? Its way up? But Angela ye, I'm Angela yee.

2
00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:08,440
Speaker 2: And Jasmine from the Jasmine brand is here, and somebody

3
00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:10,720
Speaker 2: who I oh near and did to my heart is.

4
00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:11,200
Speaker 1: With me too.

5
00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,480
Speaker 2: Melissa Butler is here, and you know her from the

6
00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,120
Speaker 2: lip Bar. I feel like she's a celebrity.

7
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,159
Speaker 3: I am not a celebrity. Yes, I'm so excited to

8
00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:19,880
Speaker 3: be here.

9
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:21,439
Speaker 1: Listen, I'm excited to have you.

10
00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:23,959
Speaker 2: She actually is only here for like a day, and

11
00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:25,239
Speaker 2: she was like, hey, I'm in New York. I said,

12
00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:27,680
Speaker 2: you want to stop by the show, and so for sure,

13
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,240
Speaker 2: what's that? So I'm glad that you were able to

14
00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,880
Speaker 2: make it. And I always assume that everybody knows your story,

15
00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,080
Speaker 2: so I know that's not necessarily true. So I just

16
00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:37,519
Speaker 2: want to make sure we give if I asked you

17
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,559
Speaker 2: a couple of questions, just for backstory for anybody that

18
00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,080
Speaker 2: may not know the Melissa Butler story and the lip

19
00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:48,040
Speaker 2: bar story. Because you own the lip bar. When did

20
00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:48,839
Speaker 2: you found a lip bar?

21
00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:50,800
Speaker 3: So? I started the Lipbar.

22
00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,440
Speaker 4: We launched in twenty twelve, me literally making lipstick in

23
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,760
Speaker 4: my kitchen right I was working on Wall Street, which

24
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:01,800
Speaker 4: is it's so wild to say that it felt like

25
00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,600
Speaker 4: a dad end job because everybody is like, this is

26
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,120
Speaker 4: an American dream, and that's what I thought I was living,

27
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,080
Speaker 4: but I just hated it. And I also hated like

28
00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,840
Speaker 4: traditional beauty standards. And that's what made me say, like,

29
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,480
Speaker 4: I'm gonna start making lipstick in my kitchen, knowing I

30
00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:17,600
Speaker 4: didn't know what I was doing.

31
00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,080
Speaker 2: And if people would have told you, or if you

32
00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,119
Speaker 2: would have asked people, they would tell you that it's

33
00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,600
Speaker 2: such an oversaturated market. It's really hard to stand out

34
00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,280
Speaker 2: in that space. What made you think that this could

35
00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:29,440
Speaker 2: actually be something?

36
00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:31,200
Speaker 3: And honestly, it's still true.

37
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,520
Speaker 4: It's still an oversaturated space and it's really hard to

38
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,720
Speaker 4: stand out. But I think that if you can connect

39
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,720
Speaker 4: with your customer, whoever that customer is, there's always room.

40
00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,840
Speaker 4: And so I felt like nobody was actually talking to

41
00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,320
Speaker 4: the customer in the way that I wanted to talk

42
00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,920
Speaker 4: to the customer. So of course, like you know, room

43
00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:52,520
Speaker 4: is going to open up for you. You just have

44
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,400
Speaker 4: to have that confidence. And when you are first starting

45
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,280
Speaker 4: a business, honestly you're stupid, like you don't know anything,

46
00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:03,200
Speaker 4: You're so naive. Yeah, you're willing to try everything, but

47
00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,800
Speaker 4: to that point, I'm so much more risk averse right

48
00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:07,600
Speaker 4: now because I have so much to lose.

49
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,679
Speaker 2: Yes, you have to answer that, like and by the way,

50
00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:12,880
Speaker 2: I mean not to stunt on nobody or nothing. But

51
00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,720
Speaker 2: she has the largest black owned beauty brand and Target.

52
00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,320
Speaker 2: You were telling me that, yeah, which is such a

53
00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:19,720
Speaker 2: huge deal.

54
00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:20,800
Speaker 1: But it also, like you.

55
00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,920
Speaker 2: Said, means that now you're like, man, I gotta be

56
00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:27,360
Speaker 2: kind of cautious because you have this huge brand and

57
00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,560
Speaker 2: your face and name is so attached to it also,

58
00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,000
Speaker 2: and sometimes that's a hard thing. I know, for Jasmine

59
00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,000
Speaker 2: having the Jasmine brand dot com. What's difficult for you

60
00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,920
Speaker 2: to having your name on there. She used to tell me,

61
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:38,960
Speaker 2: if I could have changed the name of it, I

62
00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:39,800
Speaker 2: would I didn't.

63
00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,960
Speaker 1: Know it was going to get if I.

64
00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,959
Speaker 4: Would have changed the lip bar name, like I thought

65
00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,680
Speaker 4: about seven hundred times early on, Like I would have.

66
00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:49,359
Speaker 3: If I could go.

67
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,000
Speaker 4: Back and do that, I absolutely would really and I

68
00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,480
Speaker 4: probably wouldn't be the face same.

69
00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:56,760
Speaker 1: But it's like, listen, I ain't got to pay myself.

70
00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:04,320
Speaker 4: You know, it's hard being the face because like basically

71
00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,560
Speaker 4: it's one of those things where like people want you

72
00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:07,639
Speaker 4: to always be the model.

73
00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:08,560
Speaker 3: Well I can't be the.

74
00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,040
Speaker 4: Model, And like the brains, like brain is made, Like

75
00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,400
Speaker 4: that's overrated, Like I actually should have probably not been

76
00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:18,919
Speaker 4: the face or gotten a partner where I could have

77
00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,240
Speaker 4: been the face. But you know, you don't know anything.

78
00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,000
Speaker 4: Everything hindsight is twenty twenty. So it's like right now,

79
00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,920
Speaker 4: I'm just I'm super grateful for everything that I've been

80
00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,040
Speaker 4: able to achieve. But like when I talk to entrepreneurs,

81
00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,000
Speaker 4: I'm like, okay, choose your own path.

82
00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,080
Speaker 3: But these are some of my mistakes.

83
00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,520
Speaker 1: All right, So yeah, tell us some of them.

84
00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,440
Speaker 4: I mean honestly, like not being focused enough, Like I

85
00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,800
Speaker 4: think that's the number one mistake all entrepreneurs make. It's

86
00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:46,920
Speaker 4: like you want to see the world, you want to

87
00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:48,920
Speaker 4: do it all, but you cannot do it all.

88
00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:49,440
Speaker 3: At one time.

89
00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:50,800
Speaker 5: So that was a mistake that you made.

90
00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:52,960
Speaker 3: Absolutely it's a mistake that I still make.

91
00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,760
Speaker 4: Okay, Like I'm a full plate person, like you know,

92
00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,760
Speaker 4: like when you at like the buffet and you put

93
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,000
Speaker 4: everything on the plate instead of like going back eating

94
00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,080
Speaker 4: what you're gonna eat, going back and getting seconds.

95
00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,520
Speaker 3: No, I feel up that plate to yeah.

96
00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,160
Speaker 4: No one, I'm not gonna eat it all, and no one,

97
00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,280
Speaker 4: I don't have capacity to eat it all. And I

98
00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:13,880
Speaker 4: think that's how I treat my business too.

99
00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,200
Speaker 3: But it's because I'm hungry and I'm eager and I'm

100
00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,200
Speaker 3: excited and I want to do it all. But like

101
00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:18,880
Speaker 3: that's a mistake.

102
00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, and see, because I looked at you as a

103
00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:26,080
Speaker 2: person who the growth seemed like very organic the way

104
00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,440
Speaker 2: that you well, it was because we don't have no money. Yeah,

105
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,080
Speaker 2: you actually have a flagship, flagship store in Detroit.

106
00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,240
Speaker 1: And when I'm in Deytray and we got to go there.

107
00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:35,800
Speaker 2: You know, we just got a building Indy Tray, so

108
00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:37,960
Speaker 2: we're going to be there a lot more as we're

109
00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:38,680
Speaker 2: working on that.

110
00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:39,760
Speaker 3: We're excited about that.

111
00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:40,480
Speaker 1: And I saw that.

112
00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:45,400
Speaker 2: You even had like Michelle Obama and also doctor Joe Biden.

113
00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,160
Speaker 4: Yep, so she came to the store, her and her

114
00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,240
Speaker 4: granddaughter and they like were legit shopping. Like doctor Joe

115
00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,960
Speaker 4: Biden was so sweet. We worked on a partnership to

116
00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:59,000
Speaker 4: register people to vote, and so our number one best

117
00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,160
Speaker 4: seller in the whole company as a real lipstick. It's

118
00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,440
Speaker 4: called Boss Lady, and it's because it works on every

119
00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:07,520
Speaker 4: single complexion. And so her team from when we all vote,

120
00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,280
Speaker 4: they all reached out and was like, we want to

121
00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,560
Speaker 4: change this to boss voter and like we're going to

122
00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,720
Speaker 4: get Michelle to wear it, and it was like it

123
00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:15,360
Speaker 4: was so epic.

124
00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,120
Speaker 3: It's still like one of my favorite memories.

125
00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:19,760
Speaker 2: And the other thing that you did that I love

126
00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:22,040
Speaker 2: these billboards that you guys put.

127
00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,720
Speaker 3: I love those you know you're talking about.

128
00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, because it's right actually right near my house in Detroit.

129
00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,400
Speaker 2: But they was one of this huge billboard and basically

130
00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,800
Speaker 2: Shark Tank told you to quit. Everybody knows this story,

131
00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,720
Speaker 2: mised it wonderful. That made so many people mad. But

132
00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,320
Speaker 2: what I think about that moment from Shark Tank is

133
00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,200
Speaker 2: that it made a lot of people side with you.

134
00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:42,200
Speaker 3: Yes, right.

135
00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,080
Speaker 2: It might have been different if he would have been like,

136
00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,800
Speaker 2: this is great, we want to invest there.

137
00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:48,839
Speaker 3: I agree. We all had a common enemy.

138
00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:52,000
Speaker 4: It was like whoa. It was like you can't talk

139
00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:53,960
Speaker 4: to her like that. People didn't even know me, and

140
00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,440
Speaker 4: they were just like coming out of the woolworks supporting

141
00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,159
Speaker 4: me and showing up. And it is probably the number

142
00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,360
Speaker 4: one thing that people ask me about. So when we

143
00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,240
Speaker 4: turned ten, I was like I want to be a

144
00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,479
Speaker 4: little petty because like being like a ten year old

145
00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,520
Speaker 4: business is a really big deal, like less than twenty

146
00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,599
Speaker 4: percent of all businesses that start make it to ten years,

147
00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,080
Speaker 4: you know, make ten million dollars, and like we had

148
00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,880
Speaker 4: achieved both of those things by the time we were ten,

149
00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:20,279
Speaker 4: and I was like, this.

150
00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:20,800
Speaker 3: Is a big deal.

151
00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,120
Speaker 4: I need to celebrate it and like my community, Like

152
00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,039
Speaker 4: that Shark tank moment made so many people upset.

153
00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,440
Speaker 5: For people that didn't see that shark tape moment, can

154
00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:31,960
Speaker 5: you kind of briefly explain what happened.

155
00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,400
Speaker 4: And how this was early on in the business. I

156
00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,960
Speaker 4: think maybe like twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen. We went on

157
00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,919
Speaker 4: the show really because we wanted to get marketing, but

158
00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:46,320
Speaker 4: they were so cruel to us, like they complimented our dresses,

159
00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,479
Speaker 4: said we shouldn't be in the beauty industry instead, we

160
00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,680
Speaker 4: should like be in fashion, like just kind of really

161
00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,719
Speaker 4: insulting honestly. Then they called us colorful cockroaches, and that's

162
00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:02,200
Speaker 4: when every all, hell, yeah, they were like, no, don't

163
00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,680
Speaker 4: do that. And so we ended up putting a billboard

164
00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,720
Speaker 4: in our top markets, probably like I don't know, like

165
00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,960
Speaker 4: a seventy billboard campaign or something like that, and it

166
00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,960
Speaker 4: said ten years later, ten million units sold or whatever.

167
00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,320
Speaker 4: Is said like thanks mister wonderful.

168
00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:21,120
Speaker 2: Ten years later, two million units. I think it said yeah, yeah, okay.

169
00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,480
Speaker 4: I'm like and it was people loved it, and so

170
00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,160
Speaker 4: everybody thinks that like billboards are like kind of did,

171
00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,680
Speaker 4: but it's like so many people were posting, so it

172
00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:30,840
Speaker 4: was it was such a matter.

173
00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,240
Speaker 2: I am so many people, And you know, when we

174
00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,400
Speaker 2: had missed a wonderful on the Breakfast Club, I definitely

175
00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:38,320
Speaker 2: asked him about it.

176
00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,840
Speaker 3: I saw that what he say did he say?

177
00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:42,800
Speaker 1: Angela? He was just like, you know, congrat what can

178
00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:43,160
Speaker 1: you say?

179
00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,320
Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm messed up, he said, I messed up, But no,

180
00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:48,360
Speaker 5: that's what you could.

181
00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:50,920
Speaker 1: He said, he was happy for your success.

182
00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:51,760
Speaker 3: So here's the thing.

183
00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,560
Speaker 4: My boyfriend actually is around Mark Cuban sometimes, and one

184
00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,160
Speaker 4: day they're together and he just facetimes me with him.

185
00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,920
Speaker 4: I'm looking at like a main I look insane, so ugly,

186
00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,680
Speaker 4: like I probably had on a scarf. I'm like, don't

187
00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,520
Speaker 4: just FaceTime me with Mark Cuban And he's like remember her, And.

188
00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:10,440
Speaker 3: Mark's like, congratulations, I'm proud of you.

189
00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:10,960
Speaker 1: Okay.

190
00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:13,760
Speaker 3: So like it's been like a full circle moment, right, Yeah.

191
00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,880
Speaker 2: But I also feel like that's a great lesson because

192
00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,720
Speaker 2: some people could have been like after that, I'm not

193
00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:19,560
Speaker 2: doing this anymore.

194
00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,760
Speaker 5: You gotta feel defeated after that or not have to.

195
00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,160
Speaker 5: But I feel like a natural feelings.

196
00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,680
Speaker 1: And could do that. But what that did for you

197
00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:27,520
Speaker 1: was really kind of catapult to you more.

198
00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,400
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think I did feel defeated in that moment,

199
00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,160
Speaker 4: But I think it's like what do you do after

200
00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:35,600
Speaker 4: that feeling? Like do you stay in that feeling? Do

201
00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:37,640
Speaker 4: you sulk in it and just be like, oh woe

202
00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,520
Speaker 4: is me? Or do you use that and then keep going?

203
00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,600
Speaker 4: The reality is they actually gave me some good advice

204
00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:44,360
Speaker 4: when I went on shot.

205
00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:45,960
Speaker 2: I was gonna ask you that, do you feel like

206
00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:48,120
Speaker 2: any of the advice that they gave was.

207
00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:51,600
Speaker 4: Yeah, we were there probably recording for let's say, like

208
00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:54,240
Speaker 4: an hour, but you only see like eight or ten

209
00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,080
Speaker 4: minutes on the show. But like Mark Cuban was like,

210
00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,160
Speaker 4: you need to be the face of the brand. At

211
00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,440
Speaker 4: that point, I was not the face of the brand, okay,

212
00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:05,160
Speaker 4: And honestly, it wasn't until I started putting myself out

213
00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,640
Speaker 4: there that the brand really blew up. Okay, So like

214
00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:09,640
Speaker 4: they had some valid points.

215
00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:10,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, so that's good.

216
00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:12,800
Speaker 2: It was useful, And then I think if you would

217
00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:14,080
Speaker 2: have went there, you would have gave up part of

218
00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,199
Speaker 2: the company. Now that's another thing that's hard for people

219
00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,640
Speaker 2: as you're trying to grow and expand your business, Right

220
00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,240
Speaker 2: do you look for investors and then what do you

221
00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:25,240
Speaker 2: give up? So how difficult is something like that when

222
00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:26,880
Speaker 2: it comes to you because this is your baby that

223
00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:28,000
Speaker 2: you started in the kitchen.

224
00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:30,439
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's that's a good question because a lot of

225
00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:34,400
Speaker 4: entrepreneurs are like, I need money, I need investors. So

226
00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,480
Speaker 4: the first thing I'll say is, like, you don't always

227
00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,840
Speaker 4: need money. Money is not the most important thing. You

228
00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:40,840
Speaker 4: have to make sure that you have a sound business

229
00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,600
Speaker 4: that you'll have repeat customers, because like, money isn't charity.

230
00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,400
Speaker 4: So like, if somebody is investing in you, they expect

231
00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:49,360
Speaker 4: a return, So how can you make sure that they're

232
00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,880
Speaker 4: getting a return? So like, I just challenge entrepreneurs to

233
00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:55,520
Speaker 4: think about that first. But then beyond that, it's like

234
00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,320
Speaker 4: within the investment world, like there are two very important things.

235
00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,480
Speaker 4: The first thing is called valuation. The second thing is

236
00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,600
Speaker 4: called multiples. So like what is the value of your company?

237
00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:11,480
Speaker 4: And that is going to depend on whatever multiple they

238
00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,480
Speaker 4: assigned to your business. So that could be a multiple

239
00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,320
Speaker 4: on revenue. Let's say, just for easy math, I make

240
00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,280
Speaker 4: one million dollars this year.

241
00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,200
Speaker 3: They could say, well, the lip bar is worth.

242
00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,040
Speaker 4: Three million dollars, and that means that they're assigning me

243
00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:26,080
Speaker 4: a multiple of three.

244
00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:27,200
Speaker 3: Because you always see.

245
00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,839
Speaker 2: People saying the valuation is, yeah, twenty five million. That

246
00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:31,280
Speaker 2: don't mean you have twenty five.

247
00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,720
Speaker 4: No, and it doesn't mean that you made twenty five

248
00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,440
Speaker 4: million dollars. Valuation could be twenty five million and you've

249
00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,360
Speaker 4: only made five million, but they've assigned you a multiple

250
00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,120
Speaker 4: of five, which means that they think you're going to

251
00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:46,280
Speaker 4: get big growth. So how much you give up, honestly,

252
00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:48,480
Speaker 4: just depends on how much you think that money is

253
00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,480
Speaker 4: going to help you grow. Like, if you take that investment,

254
00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,000
Speaker 4: how do you think that post investment, you'll be able

255
00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,960
Speaker 4: to make sure that your company is worth whatever, you know,

256
00:10:58,080 --> 00:10:59,240
Speaker 4: more than that.

257
00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:00,600
Speaker 3: Multiple that they are assigned you.

258
00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,280
Speaker 4: Okay, Like if they invest five million and I'm giving

259
00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,200
Speaker 4: up twenty percent of my company, Like, how can I

260
00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,880
Speaker 4: make sure that that investment is worthwhile? I need my

261
00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,240
Speaker 4: company post investment to be worth forty million. Because you

262
00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:15,680
Speaker 4: don't want to lose all your equity. You don't like

263
00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:17,200
Speaker 4: equity is key.

264
00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,320
Speaker 2: Your time on Wall Street also really helped you with

265
00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,040
Speaker 2: the business for sure.

266
00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,120
Speaker 4: I mean it, numbers can be scary, and so many

267
00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,439
Speaker 4: people like start business because they they're interested in the

268
00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,760
Speaker 4: marketing or the creative or the product and like that

269
00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:35,440
Speaker 4: is exciting, but ultimately, like either you have to be

270
00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,040
Speaker 4: an operator and you know the numbers, or you have

271
00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:39,760
Speaker 4: to find somebody else to do it right.

272
00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:41,800
Speaker 3: But you can't be afraid of the numbers.

273
00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,640
Speaker 4: So Wall Street gave me confidence in numbers, which was great.

274
00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,120
Speaker 2: You know what's hard to I find this from you know,

275
00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:50,480
Speaker 2: having my own business, asking first.

276
00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,480
Speaker 3: Of all, you have a million businesses you do?

277
00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:54,839
Speaker 1: How many do you have? Four?

278
00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:55,200
Speaker 3: Look?

279
00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,400
Speaker 2: I have coffee uplifts people and then you know the

280
00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:02,480
Speaker 2: shop also then they hair store in Detroit, private label

281
00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:09,800
Speaker 2: drink Fresh juice. Yeah, so' missing something the real estate businesses.

282
00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:11,800
Speaker 2: But one thing that's always been really hard for me,

283
00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,599
Speaker 2: and I've talked to other people too, especially like my

284
00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,040
Speaker 2: other friend she has her own wine company, she's a

285
00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,839
Speaker 2: black woman. Also is also going to people when you're

286
00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,320
Speaker 2: trying to raise money and asking them to invest.

287
00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,520
Speaker 1: That's a really hard and scary thing. How is that

288
00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:27,920
Speaker 1: for you?

289
00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:30,240
Speaker 4: It is hard and scary because you have to be

290
00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:32,880
Speaker 4: vulnerable and you have to be okay with rejection.

291
00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:35,680
Speaker 3: So I think even.

292
00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,080
Speaker 4: If I'm confident, I still get that little drip of

293
00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,000
Speaker 4: sweat at the center of my back because, like, you know,

294
00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:45,000
Speaker 4: you are opening yourself up to criticism, because like, if

295
00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,160
Speaker 4: somebody is gonna invest in you, they're gonna like look

296
00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:50,760
Speaker 4: under the rug, They're gonna peel back the layers and

297
00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,080
Speaker 4: figure out what they're actually investing in, and you kind

298
00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,040
Speaker 4: of it puts you in a position of feeling like

299
00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,240
Speaker 4: you need something from someone.

300
00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:01,559
Speaker 3: But I would challenge.

301
00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,320
Speaker 4: People to try to flip it and say what I

302
00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,480
Speaker 4: am offering is valuable, So like, don't think about it

303
00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,720
Speaker 4: as like this person is doing something for me. Think

304
00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,040
Speaker 4: about it like I'm also going to do something for

305
00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,240
Speaker 4: this person because this is gonna be a viable and

306
00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:18,520
Speaker 4: a valuable.

307
00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:18,960
Speaker 3: Investment for them.

308
00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:20,680
Speaker 4: So it's like if you just go into it with

309
00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,920
Speaker 4: confidence like this is also going to benefit them, I

310
00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,040
Speaker 4: think you will be in a more comfortable city.

311
00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:27,880
Speaker 1: This is a great opportunity for you.

312
00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,440
Speaker 5: Yeah, exactly, turn around who taught to you some of

313
00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,480
Speaker 5: your strategies with you know, in spaces like that.

314
00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,480
Speaker 4: Honestly, I think it's just like watching the white boys,

315
00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,800
Speaker 4: like they go into it so so confident.

316
00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,800
Speaker 3: They're like, look, I wrote this.

317
00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:45,880
Speaker 4: This idea down on this piece of paper, and it's

318
00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:47,160
Speaker 4: gonna be worth a billion dollars.

319
00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:48,800
Speaker 2: And sometimes that's all they have to do. We have

320
00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:50,199
Speaker 2: to put together a whole pitch deck.

321
00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:54,719
Speaker 3: Yeah, put our fu concepts definitely, and.

322
00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:57,760
Speaker 2: They can afford to fail too, because you know that.

323
00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,599
Speaker 2: Sometimes I feel like, you know, like Eminem says, you know,

324
00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:03,679
Speaker 2: you got to you gotta just you get one shot,

325
00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,640
Speaker 2: and that could be it. Because if you put your

326
00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,520
Speaker 2: all into something financially, that's also a scary thing. And

327
00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,000
Speaker 2: some people are able to use other people's money to

328
00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,440
Speaker 2: be able to get their business off the ground. What

329
00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,000
Speaker 2: was that like for you investing in yourself?

330
00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:19,600
Speaker 3: Yeah?

331
00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,240
Speaker 4: I mean because most like people of color don't have

332
00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,520
Speaker 4: like friends and family money, right, you cane just call

333
00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:28,960
Speaker 4: up your mama or your auntie and be like, can.

334
00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:30,880
Speaker 3: I borrow twenty thousand dollars?

335
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:31,120
Speaker 5: Right?

336
00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,520
Speaker 4: Like remember when Trump said like he got a small yes,

337
00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:36,480
Speaker 4: I was like, that's.

338
00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,640
Speaker 2: Life changing, right, And I honestly have people that consult

339
00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,600
Speaker 2: for us and they're white, and they don't understand why

340
00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:43,400
Speaker 2: you can't just like.

341
00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:45,880
Speaker 1: Why would you just call your friend and you know,

342
00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:46,680
Speaker 1: get some money.

343
00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,520
Speaker 5: And well even with us with this investment, you know,

344
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:51,240
Speaker 5: there aren't a lot of friends that you had and

345
00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:53,280
Speaker 5: vice versa that are able.

346
00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:54,640
Speaker 1: To do this investing in this property.

347
00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:56,280
Speaker 2: It wasn't a lot of people I could think of

348
00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:57,960
Speaker 2: that I could be like, hey, I want to get

349
00:14:57,960 --> 00:14:58,520
Speaker 2: this building.

350
00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:00,560
Speaker 1: You know who wants to put up some money?

351
00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:00,920
Speaker 3: Yeah?

352
00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:03,480
Speaker 1: Talking about a few hundred dollars yeah, right.

353
00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:03,840
Speaker 5: Right right?

354
00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,640
Speaker 2: And I invested a lot of months, yeah into it.

355
00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,520
Speaker 2: But for you financially, how were you when you had

356
00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,960
Speaker 2: to invest in yourself? And at what point did you say, Okay,

357
00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:13,720
Speaker 2: now it's time to grow the business.

358
00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:18,240
Speaker 4: So I started the lip bar with my personal savings,

359
00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,040
Speaker 4: Like I just sacrificed. I was like, all right, I'm

360
00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,600
Speaker 4: not doing brunch on the weekends, I'm not shopping at

361
00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:25,600
Speaker 4: Zara like all the things.

362
00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:26,920
Speaker 3: And I saved up.

363
00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,480
Speaker 4: What I thought would be like a year's worth of savings.

364
00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:31,880
Speaker 3: And what was that six months? I think it was

365
00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:33,720
Speaker 3: like thirty thousand dollars.

366
00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,240
Speaker 1: Okay, And it only lasted six months.

367
00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,760
Speaker 4: Lasted six months, And at that point it was like

368
00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:40,840
Speaker 4: and I was living in New York at the time.

369
00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:46,080
Speaker 4: That lasted about a month, right, yeah, and I was

370
00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,920
Speaker 4: just like, Okay, well what do I do? And I

371
00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,400
Speaker 4: think that it put me in such a tough position

372
00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,280
Speaker 4: that I was like, you're just gonna figure it out.

373
00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:55,480
Speaker 3: You have to just you have to.

374
00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:56,960
Speaker 1: Tack against the wall strategy.

375
00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:58,880
Speaker 2: Sometimes you got to put your back against the wall

376
00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:00,000
Speaker 2: so you could fight your way out.

377
00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:03,080
Speaker 4: And I was just like blind emailing people, like when

378
00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,640
Speaker 4: we launched in Target, Like today we're the largest black

379
00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,080
Speaker 4: owned makeup company in Target, but we launched in Target

380
00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,080
Speaker 4: off of a blind email. Oh wow, Like literally me

381
00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,280
Speaker 4: just emailing a buyer. So like, sometimes when your back

382
00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,280
Speaker 4: is against the wall, you get the most creative.

383
00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,240
Speaker 1: Right because they have nothing myself out there.

384
00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:19,400
Speaker 3: Right.

385
00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:21,600
Speaker 1: That's how we actually got in Whole Foods with the coffee.

386
00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,080
Speaker 2: It was through LinkedIn and a blind like you know,

387
00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,000
Speaker 2: message and then sending the product and then they liked

388
00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:29,000
Speaker 2: it and put it in.

389
00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,320
Speaker 3: Yeah, and sometimes it's as simple as that.

390
00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,600
Speaker 4: But like people are so afraid to just take the

391
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:34,800
Speaker 4: risk or take the step.

392
00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,360
Speaker 3: So yeah, I took the risk with the money.

393
00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,800
Speaker 4: And I was like, well, I mean I have a degree,

394
00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:42,480
Speaker 4: what's the worst that can happen if I lose all

395
00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:44,840
Speaker 4: the money, Like, I'm sure I can get another job, right,

396
00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:46,000
Speaker 4: And that was the.

397
00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,040
Speaker 2: Goal, And that's right, that's the worst that can happen.

398
00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,920
Speaker 2: And then you've been expanding. So let's talk about what

399
00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,240
Speaker 2: else you're doing in the space of skincare.

400
00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,440
Speaker 4: Yeah, we just launched skincare, which is kind of crazy

401
00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,200
Speaker 4: because like the company is now eleven years old and

402
00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,600
Speaker 4: like for the first like seven years, we actually only

403
00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,639
Speaker 4: had lipstick and then like we very aggressively expanded to

404
00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:09,400
Speaker 4: like tinted moisturizer.

405
00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:09,400
Speaker 1: Which I love.

406
00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:11,720
Speaker 2: You know, the tinted moisturizer is my daily go to.

407
00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,000
Speaker 2: Like if I don't have to put on makeup like that,

408
00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:16,800
Speaker 2: I just put a little tinted moisturizer on.

409
00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:17,760
Speaker 1: It gives it a nice glow.

410
00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:22,120
Speaker 2: And you guys have the the blesh Yeah no, no, no,

411
00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:23,400
Speaker 2: the glow.

412
00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:24,359
Speaker 3: Oh, the skin glow.

413
00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,240
Speaker 1: I actually have this lip bar, okay.

414
00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,440
Speaker 3: Prom queen, Yeah yeah, yes.

415
00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:34,600
Speaker 1: But even that skin glow that alone.

416
00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,000
Speaker 2: Just putting that with the tinted moisturizer and putting that

417
00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:38,080
Speaker 2: on my face, that's a.

418
00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:40,600
Speaker 4: Unique, right, Yeah, mixing them together and you just look

419
00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,920
Speaker 4: like healthy glow, like you.

420
00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,320
Speaker 3: You just finished running off the beach.

421
00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:50,440
Speaker 4: Yeah, but we we so aggressively expanded.

422
00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,840
Speaker 3: But that goes back to my point of not focusing.

423
00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,000
Speaker 4: I was like, Okay, we only have lip, we need

424
00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:58,760
Speaker 4: to have more. And I launched like one hundred products

425
00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:02,200
Speaker 4: within like two years. Oh that's crazy, that's a lot.

426
00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:03,080
Speaker 3: That's insane.

427
00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,400
Speaker 1: So what ended up happening once you did that?

428
00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:09,280
Speaker 4: I mean it helped, but like you have to do

429
00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:13,640
Speaker 4: like skew rationalization. So if you have a product intensive business,

430
00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,680
Speaker 4: like color cosmetics is so different from skincare because like skincare,

431
00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:19,720
Speaker 4: you can have like four products and that can be

432
00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:23,119
Speaker 4: the whole business. With color cosmetics, you have to have

433
00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:25,840
Speaker 4: all the foundation colors, all the lip colors, all the

434
00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:29,560
Speaker 4: gloss colors. So it put us in a position where

435
00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:31,960
Speaker 4: people could buy more from us, but also it put

436
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:33,080
Speaker 4: us in a position.

437
00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:34,160
Speaker 3: Where we had to buy more inventory.

438
00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:35,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you have to have it available and then

439
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,160
Speaker 2: you have to see what works because.

440
00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,119
Speaker 4: Something and then get rid of stuff over time. And

441
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,200
Speaker 4: so I started being more intentional about like, okay, let's

442
00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,600
Speaker 4: just ask the customers what do they want, like, what

443
00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:47,880
Speaker 4: do they need from us?

444
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:49,800
Speaker 3: And skincare kept coming up.

445
00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:52,959
Speaker 4: They're like we want something that's gentle, that's easy, like

446
00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,080
Speaker 4: that we don't have to think about Cause like a

447
00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,600
Speaker 4: couple of years ago, people were doing these like ten

448
00:18:57,680 --> 00:18:58,960
Speaker 4: step skincare routines.

449
00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,439
Speaker 2: Much who hasn't because I actually have tried to, like

450
00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,120
Speaker 2: buy some kids and I think there's one.

451
00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,240
Speaker 1: I use it one time and I'm like this is too.

452
00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,280
Speaker 2: Much works together with this way to this bubble up,

453
00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:12,560
Speaker 2: and then I'm.

454
00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:14,560
Speaker 5: Like this is too People like us have to remove

455
00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:16,239
Speaker 5: our makeup every day, so we have to take care

456
00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,000
Speaker 5: of our skin and nobody has time and the average

457
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:19,800
Speaker 5: person to have time.

458
00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:23,520
Speaker 3: And do a bunch of steps, yeah na start with money. Yeah.

459
00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,480
Speaker 4: So we were just listening to our customers and it

460
00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:28,720
Speaker 4: really came from like our liquid mats because they stay

461
00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,959
Speaker 4: on all day, and they were like, we want makeup remover,

462
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,680
Speaker 4: We want makeup remover and a face wash, and that's

463
00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,560
Speaker 4: kind of how it started. So we launched for skincare products.

464
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,240
Speaker 4: They're also on Target and on our website, and like

465
00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,480
Speaker 4: people are loving them because it's just like you don't

466
00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:44,560
Speaker 4: have to think about it, right, it's just easy.

467
00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:44,879
Speaker 3: It just works.

468
00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,240
Speaker 2: And that's how the makeup is too. I feel like

469
00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,399
Speaker 2: it's something that like, I like to watch your tutorials

470
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,639
Speaker 2: when you're like doing it, because I really because I

471
00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:54,720
Speaker 2: don't know how to do my own makeup like that either.

472
00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:56,399
Speaker 2: That's why I said, it's so easy for me to

473
00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:58,600
Speaker 2: use atentive moisturizer and mix it with the skin glow

474
00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:00,440
Speaker 2: and then that's it, and then maybe put a little

475
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:01,400
Speaker 2: extra glow right here.

476
00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:05,440
Speaker 4: And I am not a makeup artist, like a lot

477
00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,320
Speaker 4: of makeup brands like, I respect them, I love them,

478
00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:09,560
Speaker 4: I love the artistry.

479
00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,639
Speaker 3: Like brands start because people are makeup artists, yeah they do.

480
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:14,639
Speaker 3: I am not a makeup artist.

481
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,879
Speaker 4: I'm like the everyday girl who wants to spend five

482
00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,399
Speaker 4: minutes on her face, Like I don't have time for that.

483
00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,159
Speaker 4: So I was like, I can evolve this brand for

484
00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,359
Speaker 4: people who are like me, people who are booked and

485
00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,000
Speaker 4: busy and brunching and want to look good but don't

486
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,119
Speaker 4: want to invest so much time because the reality is

487
00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,200
Speaker 4: makeup isn't important like in real life.

488
00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,320
Speaker 3: Like it's fun, it makes you feel good, but it

489
00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:38,320
Speaker 3: makes me feel confident.

490
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, it gives you is When the other day somebody

491
00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:47,080
Speaker 2: they can't take a picture, I was like, uh, makeup, yeah, but.

492
00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:49,760
Speaker 3: You don't want to spend like an hour on your

493
00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:50,679
Speaker 3: makeup why and you.

494
00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:51,960
Speaker 1: Don't want to spend a bunch of money either.

495
00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:53,720
Speaker 3: So we are like.

496
00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:58,280
Speaker 4: Creating like very affordable, easy solutions for like the everyday woman.

497
00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,000
Speaker 2: And it's nice because we all shop entiet so it's

498
00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,200
Speaker 2: nice to go there and see Like and I saw

499
00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:06,560
Speaker 2: you posted the video with the shelves of your products

500
00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:07,920
Speaker 2: inside Target.

501
00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,480
Speaker 1: I mean that's amazing, thank you.

502
00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:16,000
Speaker 4: Like it's I mean, we've never seen like a black

503
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,040
Speaker 4: owned makeup brand take up so much space.

504
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:21,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, Target, because I remember coming up, like when we

505
00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:24,240
Speaker 2: had to buy makeup, it was you know, certain brands

506
00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:25,760
Speaker 2: were all in the stores and that's what.

507
00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,720
Speaker 1: You could get. I'm not gonna yeah, they weren't for us.

508
00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,520
Speaker 3: So we have two brands that are in Target now.

509
00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,720
Speaker 4: So it's it's Thread, which is brand new, it's only

510
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:37,960
Speaker 4: a year old. That one is like very gen z.

511
00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,359
Speaker 4: It's men who make up Girl next door. It's like

512
00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,040
Speaker 4: for the people who are really self expressive with makeup,

513
00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,679
Speaker 4: and then the lip Bar. So between the brands, we

514
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:47,160
Speaker 4: take up like we took up.

515
00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,720
Speaker 3: A lot of space. It's it made me cry as

516
00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:50,399
Speaker 3: some as I saw it.

517
00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:52,360
Speaker 1: That's what I get she's so little, but she take

518
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:53,160
Speaker 1: up a lot of space.

519
00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,119
Speaker 5: Well, I have a question for you. You've been in

520
00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,119
Speaker 5: the business with ten plus years. What's the biggest change

521
00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,920
Speaker 5: you've noticed in turn of this industry since you started

522
00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:06,520
Speaker 5: or has it been a change?

523
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's become more diverse.

524
00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:12,439
Speaker 4: Like I think since twenty twenty, everybody is thinking about,

525
00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,879
Speaker 4: like how do they show up for this multicultural customer,

526
00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:18,840
Speaker 4: how do they get the black dollar.

527
00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:20,640
Speaker 3: Some people did it very like.

528
00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:26,199
Speaker 4: You know performance, Yeah, cormative, which which really sucks, but

529
00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:28,800
Speaker 4: a lot of people like it was it was true

530
00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,679
Speaker 4: like sometimes like you shine a light and people like

531
00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,439
Speaker 4: understand their ways and they're like, okay, we're going to change.

532
00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:36,000
Speaker 4: And then some people are just like, okay, how do

533
00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:36,880
Speaker 4: we not get canceled?

534
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:37,120
Speaker 5: Right?

535
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:39,040
Speaker 3: So you saw you saw a bit of both.

536
00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,200
Speaker 4: I do think that the industry is way more diverse

537
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:45,199
Speaker 4: than it was before.

538
00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,520
Speaker 2: Now, where do you see yourself? This has happened in

539
00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:49,600
Speaker 2: the past, you know, like you said, it's been what

540
00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,359
Speaker 2: eleven years, Where do you see yourself, like, say, in

541
00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:53,360
Speaker 2: five years from now.

542
00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:58,040
Speaker 4: Honestly, in five years, I better be on a beach

543
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,160
Speaker 4: or like in my garden picking avocado off of my trees,

544
00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:04,400
Speaker 4: like I'm moving to the Caribbean.

545
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:07,160
Speaker 3: Okay, ain't gonna see me for you.

546
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,440
Speaker 2: I was like, fine, I was in Saint Martin, right, yes,

547
00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:13,359
Speaker 2: And the owner of lottery firm shut out and he.

548
00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:16,600
Speaker 1: Was like, uh I just love Yes, I was with you.

549
00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:18,760
Speaker 1: Yeah you called her? Right I did.

550
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,080
Speaker 2: And when I tell you like, it doesn't matter where

551
00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,359
Speaker 2: you are, people are like Melissa from the lipbar, we

552
00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:25,680
Speaker 2: want to deal with her. I do think, like you said,

553
00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:27,399
Speaker 2: some of the best advice was for you to be

554
00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:29,879
Speaker 2: the face of your product, because people do connect to

555
00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:31,880
Speaker 2: you and they really they love you.

556
00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,480
Speaker 3: It's it's so sweet, but it was craziest.

557
00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,120
Speaker 4: I'm such a private person, right, so, like I don't

558
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,320
Speaker 4: even post on social media nearly as much as I should.

559
00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:42,880
Speaker 4: I might post like once a month, which is so stupid.

560
00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:46,080
Speaker 3: But I just be in my.

561
00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:49,720
Speaker 4: Little corner of the room and when people notice me, Like,

562
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,280
Speaker 4: I am still so flattered.

563
00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:53,960
Speaker 3: Anytime somebody comes up to me like wait, you're the

564
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:55,480
Speaker 3: lip barker, I'm like, I'm Melissa.

565
00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:56,160
Speaker 1: What's your name?

566
00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,800
Speaker 4: Like flying here today, the flight attendants were like, Melissa,

567
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:01,000
Speaker 4: love your products.

568
00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,000
Speaker 1: I'm like, oh my god.

569
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:04,000
Speaker 2: And they also know your name though, because they see

570
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,680
Speaker 2: it on the day they're like, oh Melissa b Yeah, yeah,

571
00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:08,399
Speaker 2: they do that to you.

572
00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:10,440
Speaker 1: They know you coming girl.

573
00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,480
Speaker 4: So it's it's been like a really incredible journey and

574
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,920
Speaker 4: I wouldn't change it for the world, Like, honestly, I

575
00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,480
Speaker 4: wouldn't change any part of it because like I've learned

576
00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,920
Speaker 4: from it, the entire thing, even like all the mistakes,

577
00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,080
Speaker 4: and it's been a lot of mistakes.

578
00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:25,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, the mistakes is like education.

579
00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,120
Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate you for coming because, like we said, Melissa,

580
00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,920
Speaker 2: is not often that you have any time, and I

581
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,520
Speaker 2: know you're only here for a day, but honestly, like

582
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,880
Speaker 2: when you come up here and grace us with your presence,

583
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:39,800
Speaker 2: it means a lot to me, just because I know

584
00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,280
Speaker 2: there's a lot of entrepreneurs who admire you, look up

585
00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,320
Speaker 2: to you, and are going to see this and also

586
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:45,840
Speaker 2: learn a lot just from the things that you told

587
00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:46,520
Speaker 2: us today.

588
00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:48,119
Speaker 3: I'm always willing to share.

589
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,560
Speaker 4: Like if I had people who were who was educating

590
00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:53,720
Speaker 4: me early, like I would be so much further So

591
00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,560
Speaker 4: like if I if I can ever ever, ever ever

592
00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:58,000
Speaker 4: do anything to help, I'm down.

593
00:24:58,080 --> 00:24:59,240
Speaker 3: So thank you for having me.

594
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,159
Speaker 2: I write you guys, check it out the Red Beauty

595
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,400
Speaker 2: and the lip bar is way up at angela Ye

596
00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:05,280
Speaker 2: Melissa Butler

597
00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:08,080
Speaker 3: Well