Business of the Beat Mean Ole Lion Media

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Julee Wilson, the pioneering Beauty Editor-at-Large at Cosmopolitan and the first Black Beauty Director in the magazine's history. Julee shares her journey of breaking barriers, telling diverse stories, and supporting her community. Julee reflects on her career challenges, including overcoming self-doubt and embracing her power. Her career journey underscores the importance of recognizing one's worth, not feeling stuck in a job, and having a supportive network. Throughout the episode, Julee emphasizes the themes of support, empowerment, and resilience. She candidly talks about the struggles and vulnerability behind her achievements, advocating for openness about those struggles to foster community and understanding. Julee’s commitment to service and leadership is showcased through her involvement in various boards and mentoring.
Follow @MissJulee or visit https://www.cosmopolitan.com/author/225442/julee-wilson/
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Jemila Bwanhot, the visionary Founder and CEO of Alimaj Essentials, and winner of the 2024 Earth Day Beauty Award, shares her transformative journey from Nigeria to the U.S., overcoming postpartum hair shedding, and delving into the world of natural hair care. Drawing from her heritage and a passion for holistic beauty, Jemila founded Alimaj Essentials, emphasizing the science behind her award-winning formulations.
Jemila discusses the importance of understanding when to seek external financing while maintaining a focus on reinvesting in her business. She introduces her flagship product, the Herbal Rejuvenating Hair Mix—a zero-waste, biodegradable powder that nourishes hair—along with her Elixir, a blend of seven botanical oils, and her scalp-focused shampoo and conditioner. With a commitment to environmental responsibility and effective hair care, Jemila's products feature mild surfactants and ingredients like green tea and peppermint for a unique sensory experience.
Highlighting her philosophy that "beauty is heart deep," Jemila explores how this belief fosters customer confidence and self-perception. She shares her excitement for Alimaj Essentials' future, aiming to become a top-selling brand in major retailers, and underscores the power of community and collaboration in the beauty industry.
Follow @Alimaj_Essentials or visit https://alimajessentials.com/
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Dr. Shoná Burkes-Henderson, Manager, Product Research Organization and Product Experience Center at Mary Kay Global, shares her inspiring journey from an internship at Mary Kay to a distinguished career in environmental chemistry, and her eventual return to Mary Kay in various leadership roles. Shoná delves into the significance of mentorship, community, and maintaining a work-life balance in achieving success and navigating career pivots.
She highlights Mary Kay's inclusive and empowering environment, with a commitment to diversity in hiring and customer engagement.
Shonáelaborates on her role, focusing on understanding consumer perceptions and needs throughout the product life cycle, and the importance of diverse perspectives in product development. She explores the industry's shift towards greater inclusivity, especially post-George Floyd, and the challenges of ensuring product efficacy across different skin types in various markets. She also shares her excitement about her recent election to the board of directors for the International Society of Biophysics and Imaging of the Skin, reflecting on her growth within the organization and revealing her favorite Mary Kay product, the Timewise 3D Age Fighting Moisturizer, highlighting its aesthetics and effectiveness.
Follow @MaryKayUS or visit https://www.marykay.com/en-us/
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In part two, Ceata E. Lash, Founder of The PuffCuff LLC, discusses the intricate challenges of patent protection, particularly against international copycats and large corporations; ultimately sharing a playbook of when and how to diversify your product offering. To stay competitive, Ceata delves deep into her new diffusion collection, the Cuffet, ensuring the line did not alienate existing loyal customers. This strategic move has successfully placed her products in numerous CVS and HEB stores.
Despite facing obstacles such as high marketing costs and the complexities of retail readiness, Ceata underscores the importance of strategic planning and genuine customer engagement for business sustainability and growth. She explores the nuances of entrepreneurship, focusing on the challenges of innovation and scaling a business. Ceata discusses how imitation, while flattering, underscores the superior quality of the original creator's expertise.
She highlights crucial aspects of financial management and finding the right equity partners to scale her business, aimed at a broad market of curly-haired individuals. Despite setbacks, Ceata remains resilient, fueled by impactful customer stories. Looking ahead, she aspires to support future entrepreneurs by offering guidance without financial burden and emphasizes the value of connections and community support.
Follow @ThePuffCuff or visit https://thepuffcuff.com/
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In this two part series, Ceata E. Lash, Founder of The PuffCuff LLC, shares her inspiring journey, which began unintentionally when she stopped chemically straightening her hair and embraced her natural curls. Facing headaches from conventional styling accessories, she envisioned a new hair tool. Leveraging her engineering connections at her community college job, she developed a prototype.
Ceata recounts how her product, initially a side hustle, evolved into a full-fledged business launched on Amazon in 2014. She delves into the challenges of educating customers about her unique product and the importance of utilizing available resources, such as the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and a supportive patent lawyer.
Throughout the episode, Ceata discusses the value of perseverance, recognizing signs, and the differences in business startup approaches across cultures. Her determination and strategic networking led to retail success, including partnerships with major retailers like Sally Beauty, Target, TJ Maxx, and HSN. Ceata's path to winning the President's Innovation Award from Sally Beauty and the lessons she learned along the way are also highlighted. Stay tuned next week for part 2 of this dynamic conversation.
Follow @ThePuffCuff or visit https://thepuffcuff.com/

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Join us as Rhonda Daniels, Co-Founder and CEO of Natural Radiant Life, shares her inspiring journey from selling pickles as a child to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Rhonda recounts meeting her long-time business partners at Florida A&M University, launching her first beauty business in 2001, and navigating a diverse career in the skincare industry, including roles at Avon and Rodan + Fields.
In 2020, Rhonda co-founded Natural Radiant Life during the pandemic, introducing clean beauty products for women of color. She highlights the importance of continuous learning, community support, and strategic financial management, discussing her financing journey, including securing an angel investor and a crucial grant.
Discover Rhonda's strategies for growth, participation in Amazon's Black Business Accelerator, and her focus on customer retention and wholesale opportunities. Rhonda’s story is a testament to perseverance and data-driven decision-making.
Follow @NaturalRadiantLife or visit https://naturalradiantlife.com/

Tune in to learn more from Rhonda and Kendra!