Diary of a Founder: Business of the Beat April Podcast Roundup
This month on #BusinessOfTheBeat, three themes stood out to me: being authentic to yourself, the power of resilience, and the importance of education and knowledge-sharing to promote greater inclusivity, both within the beauty industry and beyond. While our guests are pouring purpose and love into their dreams and visions to move the beauty industry forward, they are also focusing on their self-care and intentionality for 2023 to truly achieve fulfillment on both a business and a personal level.?
If you missed any of these episodes, tune in now! You can catch up on all of them on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Daniel Hodgdon, serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder and CEO of VEGAMOUR—a brand of powerful, purposeful, eco-ethical products directly to people who seek healthier solutions for hair and skin—shares his two words for 2023: Kindness and Love. These words are woven throughout Dan’s journey and how he approaches life, business and relationships. He talks extensively saying “to much is given, much is required” and through his work he is living that in his efforts to give back to communities and help create solutions and opportunities. Daniel shares his efforts to reduce carbon output by 3 - 5 metric tons a year to help save millions of lives. He is committed to creating products that are efficacy rooted in his childhood growing up on a farm, moving from place to place and meeting new people. He credits his success to connecting the dots and being a facilitator.
“It’s important we put love into everything we do.”
This week, Kayla Greaves—beauty expert, award-winning journalist, sought-after speaker, and overall multi-hyphenate in the beauty industry—dives into her career path, the importance of balance and self-care, and the current content creation space. When asked about the growth and exposure for Black founded brands Kayla said, “The fact that I can’t even narrow [Black-founded beauty brands] down is such a good problem to have” — she views growing trends towards inclusivity, sustainable and eco-friendly beauty products as an important step towards greater social and environmental responsibility in the industry.
Kayla also discusses how our relationship with our hair and our appearance is about more than just aesthetics - it's about identity and culture: “When I finally decided to go natural... I started to realize how complex our relationship with our hair is. It’s more than just hair. It’s our roots, it’s where we come from.”
“I can do things on my own (as an independent freelancer) and still be recognized for my work.”
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This week, Jacqueline Carrington—Founder and CEO of People of Color, a non-toxic, vegan, cruelty-free nail polish brand made to “complement the various shades of brown skin as the first thought, not an afterthought”—Jacqueline shares how being an athlete helped her with tenacity, courage, dedication and a never give up mentality that has been instrumental in launching and growing her business.? Jacqueline dives into her intentional pivot from a career in administration and management to entrepreneurship: “I’ve always known that skills are transferable. I’ve always been able to know what I’m good at and how I can apply it to a new space.”
Lastly, Jacqueline highlights how the greatest ideas come from our everyday lives and everyday things, and the important role her daughter plays as an inspiration behind her business and living a purpose FULL life.
“Your dreams and visions are not put inside of you for no reason.”
This week, Jamila Powell, multi-hyphenate attorney, owner of Maggie Rose Salon, founder and CEO of Naturally Drenched, discusses how her daughter was the catalyst to follow her entrepreneurial spirit and the continuous motivation she provides to help her keep pushing forward to grow and scale the company. It was through her experience as a salon owner that Jamila identified a gap in the market for quality natural hair products specifically formulated for people of color and created Naturally Drenched, a vegan and eco-conscious collection of hair products formulated with all hair textures in mind.
As a successful lawyer by weekday, salon owner by weekend, and Natural Hair brand founder by night, Jamila is the epitome of someone that is “never going to slack off on what needs to be done” through working smart and working hard. This year, self-care and grace are Jamila’s themes of 2023 along with “faith over force….there are only so many hours in a day, and if I feel like I can’t get to it, it’s going to be okay.” Beyond her work ethic and faith in herself, Jamila’s authenticity has opened doors for her and the continuous growth of Naturally Drenched.
“If you're a genuine person, it's really not even hard to evolve and build genuine relationships with other people.”
This week, Noelly Michoux—co-founder and CEO of 4.5.6 Skin, customized skincare designed with phototypes IV, V, and VI in mind—discusses her and her co-founders’ journey in creating a skincare brand that is good for both overall skin health and for the planet’s health: “Everything we do, it has to be good for, yes, that condition we're treating, but for the skin health, for the overall health, and then for the planet. And we do not compromise.” She dives into the challenges she and her co-founders faced in starting the company, opening the first Skin Tone Research Lab in France, and approaching product development in a unique way.
Noelly also emphasizes one of our BrainTrust Founders Studio pillars: education. She dives into the importance of knowledge and education in skincare, then shares her excitement for the future of the brand, including plans for retail and expanding their product line. While there is a long way to go for diversity in the beauty industry, Noelly reveals how she is one of those changemakers advancing the industry forward.
"I wake up every day and I'm so excited to just be in this line of work. This is my life mission."
M&A Strategist (ex Rothschild) | Brummell Rising Star 2024 | Founder 100 Allies | Board Executive, British Beauty Council | Entrepreneur & Angel Investor | CA (ex PwC)
1 年I spot with my little eye lots of awesome founders ??
???? Marketer of the United States
1 年Love this!