Ep 010 - A Discussion on the Hustle & Grind of Entrepreneurship with Transient Intellect Jason
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
Release Date: 09/06/2018
Ep 039- The Real Cost of Going Retail: A Founder’s Guide to Big-Box Expansion
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
Want your beauty brand in Walmart or Sephora? Here’s what you need to know first. Taking your beauty brand from direct-to-consumer (DTC) into big-box retail sounds like the dream. Target. Sephora. Walmart. National shelves. Bigger visibility. Bigger orders. But what most founders don’t see is how complex, expensive, and risky that leap can actually be. In this episode of Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship, I break down what really happens when a brand moves from DTC into retail, from the two sometimes competing perspectives that show up (the brand founder and the...
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Ep -38- Get Out of Your Own Way: How Founders Accidentally Stall Growth
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
Why does your business still feel stuck when you’re working nonstop? What if the problem isn’t your team, your market, or your strategy? What if it’s you? In this episode of Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship, I break down one of the most common and uncomfortable growth challenges founders face. Becoming the bottleneck without even realizing it. We get into the three clear signs that you’re slowing your own growth, why control often gets mistaken for quality, and how living in constant reaction mode quietly kills momentum. More importantly, I share a simple,...
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Ep 037- 4 Components That Beauty Manufacturers Use for Pricing
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
Why does one moisturizer cost $15… while another sells for $65? The answer isn’t as simple as it seems. In Episode 37 of Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship, I break down how contract manufacturers actually determine pricing and the behind-the-scenes factors most founders never see. From ingredients and packaging to labor, volume, and logistics, this episode walks you through what really drives cost. If you’re already working with a manufacturer or thinking about launching a beauty brand, this is a must-listen. Clarity here can save you money, time, and a lot of...
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Ep 036- The Comeback Episode:Things No One Tells You Before Starting a Beauty Brand
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
I’m so glad you’re here. After a little break, we’re back with a fresh new chapter of Driving the Business. In this episode, I’m catching you up on the journey, sharing what’s new, and diving straight into the five things every beauty entrepreneur should know before they start. If you’re dreaming about launching a brand, stuck in the planning stage, or trying to figure out if entrepreneurship is really for you, this episode will give you clarity, perspective, and a push to finally get in motion. Thanks for tuning in. Catch the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and...
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Ep 035 - Interview with Jason Mercer: Key Insights from a Venture Capital (VC) Investor for Raising Money
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
As business founders raising money can sometimes feel like a complex mystery with lots of questions. What do investors want to see from a business owner? How do investors evaluate who to invest in? Should owners expect to give away equity when raising money? If yes, how much? Well I managed to book time with a venture capital (VC) investor who reviews and assesses deals for a living. Jason Mercer is a Principal at Cleveland Avenue, a Chicago based firm doing great work for local businesses. I sit with Jason who gives a graduate level walk through on...
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Ep 034 - Interview with Winnie Awa: Why Brad Pitt Should Not Launch in Beauty & The Journey to Data Driven Haircare
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
I love bold people! Winnie Awa is a bold Black woman doing amazing work in the beauty space as the founder of an AI driven platform that is serving curly haired women in the UK. She is also someone who understands what it is like to pivot your professional career to pursue her passion. She also is confident enough to speak her mind when something does not line up and gave her opinion when Brad Pitt launched a skin care brand. I have a full candid conversation with this entrepreneur to talk all of the above as well as what the human journey towards today's greatness has...
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Ep 033 - Interview with Justin Dawkins: Silicon Valley Bank & Its Impact on Beauty
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
Does the Silicon Valley Bank or SVB discussion completely confuse you? This is the podcast episode for you. Do you see the direct impact of how the tech community's turmoil is going to impact beauty and consumer product good investments? This is the podcast episode for you. Would have a simple explanation of what's happening in the financial world help you? This is the podcast episode for you. I snagged time for the very knowledgeable Justin Dawkins who lives inside the investment community as managing partner of Collab Capital who raised an incredible...
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Ep 032 - 8 Incredible Lessons After 8 Years of Entrepreneurship
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
Things rarely turn out exactly like how I think they should when planning big things in life. For me starting a business meant the promise of ultimate freedom, success and tons of money. Managing a whole damn beauty manufacturing company has given me insight and taught me lessons that have been eye opening and incredibly helpful. I'm sharing 8 key insights as a reflect back on the last 96 months. If you're someone thinking of starting a business lean in closely as these are tips that I wish someone had shared with me before starting my own journey. If you're someone who has...
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Ep 031 - Diversity & Racial Inclusion in the Beauty Media Landscape with Claire McCormack
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
Since 2020 I have leaned hard into having conversations about the impact of race in my personal life and business with my non-Black friends and associates. These conversations have been nuanced and complex yet extremely enlightening. I've recognized that my white friends/associates don't get many opportunities to discuss what its like to live as a minority in the US. On this latest episode of the podcast I have an intimate conversation with beauty editor, Claire McCormack, about how race has played out in the beauty industry for me personally and how her organization - Beauty...
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Ep 030 - Why Taking a Non-Traditional Path to Skin Care is Both Insane & Necessary with Jayme & Nick Valo
Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship
I love talking with indie beauty brand start up founders and on this episode I sit and chat with a married couple who are taking a deliberate, disruptive approach to skin care with their line of omni sex products. Jayme and Nick Valo of Valoie Skin Care give an intriguing discussion about the origins of starting a beauty line targeted at the recently coined phrase omnisex. We talk about the meaning of the phrase and how it differs from unisex. Jayme is a serial entrepreneur who has had more than a few failures in launching businesses but she explains why she continues to launch...
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