From Idea to Sephora: How Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye Built Ami Colé Into a Cult-Favorite Beauty Brand

Summary

Podcast Summary: "From Idea to Sephora: How Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye Built Ami Colé Into a Cult-Favorite Beauty Brand"

Podcast Information:

• Title: She's So Lucky
• Host/Author: Les Alfred
• Description: She’s So Lucky is a chart-topping weekly podcast dedicated to women who create their own luck against all odds. Host Les Alfred engages in compelling conversations with successful women, exploring their wins, losses, and lessons to inspire listeners to live life on their terms. The podcast covers a diverse range of guests, including entrepreneurs, creatives, and wellness experts, aiming to help women uncover new ways to create their own luck and harness their inherent magic.
• Episode Title: From Idea to Sephora: How Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye Built Ami Colé Into a Cult-Favorite Beauty Brand
• Release Date: May 20, 2025

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1. Introduction

Les Alfred kicks off the episode by introducing Jada and Jai, the founder and CEO of Ami Colé—a beauty brand that has garnered a cult following and secured a coveted spot on Sephora shelves. Les shares her personal appreciation for Ami Colé products, emphasizing their quality and her admiration for Jada's persistence and determination in the beauty industry.

Notable Quote:

Les (00:01): "I have several Ami Kohlle lip oils in every purse that I own, because it's just that good."

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2. Serendipitous Connection and Early Conversations

Les recounts how she and Jada first met by chance at a New York City dinner, highlighting the perfect timing of their encounter despite initial hesitations. Jai, another co-host, mentions having admired Jada from a previous panel discussion, reinforcing the meaningful nature of their meeting.

Notable Quote:

Jai (01:40): "I think the panel was related around motherhood and being a founder, and I think that you were pregnant."

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3. Early Life and Influences

Jada delves into her upbringing as a first-generation Senegalese-American in Harlem. Her mother's hair salon served as a hub of community and creativity, fostering Jada's early interest in beauty and self-expression. The salon environment exposed her to various beauty trends and the powerful role of beauty as a language among women.

Notable Quote:

Jada (03:17): "I would watch people reapply their lip glosses and lipsticks. I was so hyper curious about how women use beauty products and beauty as a language." [03:17]

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4. Career Path Before Ami Colé

Jada discusses her professional journey in the beauty industry, including roles at Vibe Magazine, l’Oreal, and Glossier. These experiences provided her with invaluable insights into product development, marketing, and the global beauty market, ultimately shaping her vision for Ami Colé.

Notable Quote:

Jada (15:24): "I was in the seedling phase of my entrepreneurial journey, constantly ideating and seeking the right moment to launch my own brand." [15:24]

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5. Inspiration and Founding Ami Colé

The discussion shifts to the inception of Ami Colé. In 2014, inspired by her time in the editorial world and her passion for clean, inclusive beauty products, Jada began conceptualizing her brand. A solo trip to Thailand in 2019 served as a pivotal moment for introspection and decision-making, solidifying her commitment to launching Ami Colé.

Notable Quote:

Jada (26:04): "I decided to take the leap and launch Ami Colé after realizing the unique gap in the market for clean, inclusive beauty products tailored to women of color." [26:04]

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6. Building the Brand

Jada outlines the foundational steps in creating Ami Colé, emphasizing the importance of understanding her target audience through extensive research and community engagement. She highlights the strategic selection of initial products—skin tint, lip treatment oil, and highlighter—that align with her brand's ethos of simplicity, effectiveness, and inclusivity.

Notable Quote:

Jada (36:56): "We launched with three curated products that were fuss-free and catered to the nuanced needs of our community." [36:56]

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7. Achieving Sephora Distribution

A significant milestone discussed is Ami Colé's entry into Sephora. Jada shares the challenges she faced during the pitching process, including technical difficulties and initial hesitations from Sephora's team. However, a serendipitous meeting while she was pregnant led to a breakthrough, culminating in Ami Colé securing a spot on Sephora shelves—a moment of immense validation and achievement.

Notable Quote:

Jada (50:14): "Walking into Sephora and seeing Ami Colé on shelves was surreal. It felt like a dream come true." [50:14]

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8. Balancing Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) and Retail Channels

Jada discusses the dynamics between her D2C platform and retail partnerships. While D2C offers higher margins and direct customer engagement, retail channels like Sephora provide broader visibility and marketing leverage. She emphasizes the strategic use of platforms like TikTok for brand discovery and the challenges of maintaining brand authenticity amidst scaling.

Notable Quote:

Jada (55:57): "Balancing our D2C and Sephora presence requires a delicate strategy to ensure we maintain our brand's authenticity while expanding our reach." [55:57]

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9. Founder’s Focus and Growth Strategy

As Ami Colé grows, Jada reflects on the importance of focusing on high-impact areas. Hiring key personnel like a COO/CFO has allowed her to delegate operational tasks and concentrate on strategic initiatives such as retailer relationships and long-term growth planning. She underscores the necessity of prioritizing actions that drive the business forward.

Notable Quote:

Jada (61:14): "Hiring smart early on was essential. Bringing in a COO/CFO allowed me to focus on what truly drives our business forward." [61:14]

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10. The Evolving Role of the Founder

The conversation explores the increasing expectation for founders to be the public face of their brands. Jada acknowledges the challenges of maintaining authenticity and personal boundaries while engaging with customers and stakeholders through various digital platforms. She emphasizes the importance of building trust and connection with consumers in a saturated market.

Notable Quote:

Jada (64:55): "People want to know who is behind the brand—to trust that you're putting your blood, sweat, and tears into something meaningful." [64:55]

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11. Conclusion and Future Outlook

Les wraps up the episode by summarizing Jada's journey from a curious child in Harlem to a successful entrepreneur with a beloved beauty brand. Jada shares her optimism for the future, expressing gratitude for her community and outlining her commitment to continuous growth and authenticity.

Notable Quote:

Jada (67:29): "I'm excited to see where the universe takes Ami Colé next. Our journey is evolving, and I'm grateful for every step." [67:29]

Supporting Resources:

• Follow Ami Colé on Instagram: @amicoleAMICOLE
• Ami Colé Website: amicole.com

Key Takeaways:

• Community and Early Influences: Jada's Harlem upbringing and her mother's hair salon played a pivotal role in shaping her passion for beauty and community.
• Strategic Brand Building: Extensive research, community engagement, and a data-centric approach were crucial in developing Ami Colé's product line and brand ethos.
• Overcoming Challenges: Persistent efforts and strategic networking were essential in securing a partnership with Sephora, transforming Ami Colé into a recognized beauty brand.
• Balancing Growth and Authenticity: Managing D2C and retail channels requires a nuanced strategy to maintain brand integrity while expanding reach.
• Founder’s Role: The evolving expectations of founders to be brand ambassadors necessitate a balance between personal authenticity and business responsibilities.

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Additional Notes:

• This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive discussion between Les Alfred and Jada N’Diaye-Mbaye.
• Notable quotes are included with speaker attribution and timestamps to highlight key moments in the conversation.

Transcript

[Less]

The following podcast is a Dear Media production. Welcome back to she's so Lucky. If we haven't met yet, my name is Less. And this show is all about getting into the minds of successful women. You sharing the stories that shaped them and habits that helped them create their own luck. Today I'm joined by Jada and Jai, the founder and CEO of cult favorite beauty brand Ami Kohlle. I know. I have several Ami Kohlle lip oils in every purse that I own, because it's just that good. From working at Sephora in college to building a brand that's truly become a Sephora darling, Giada's persistence and determination are the building blocks of creating luck. So. So whether you're entrepreneurial or you're a beauty lover and you want to support your favorite women owned brands, today's episode will leave you feeling inspired. Chada, welcome to the show.

[Jada]

Oh, my God. Thank you for having me.

[Jai]

I have actually wanted to have you on the show for a long time.

[Jada]

That is insane, because we literally ran into each other at like, what, like a random New York City dinner.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jada]

And I was like, I know.

[Jai]

She is.

[Jada]

Let me not. Let me be cool. Hey, cool girl.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jada]

As soon as I left it, I'm like, we got to be on the body.

[Jai]

Yes. Well, I had just gotten to New York. This is at the very end of 2023, and I remember hearing you speak on a panel at Female Founder World.

[Jada]

Yes.

[Jai]

And I think the panel was related around motherhood and being a founder, and I think that you were pregnant. It was my second child, but I loved the panel and loved so much of what you shared. So I was like, okay, note to self. We'll get her on the podcast. At that time, you were, like, pregnant. It wasn't the right time, but I was like, it'll work out when it's meant to work out. Us sitting next to each other at that dinner was perfect.

[Jada]

Yes. And whatever is supposed to happen truly will happen. And you find your people doing this journey, so it's always exciting. And thank God you didn't email me, because I'm crazy. I probably would have took the call.

[Jai]

Totally get it. I know. But I feel like it all worked out perfectly.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jai]

So I'm so excited to talk to you about just who you are, your career trajectory, this amazing company that I.

[Less]

Think a lot of our listeners are probably familiar with. Ami Kole.

[Jai]

We all have some of your makeup. Thank you. Our makeup bags right now.

[Jada]

Dream come true.

[Jai]

It's amazing what you're building.

[Jada]

Thank you. I really. I receive it. I'm like. I still am like, wait, what? Because I'm such a product junkie that I just selfishly want it, and then I get to share it with my friends. And it's crazy how much the Internet makes everyone your friend. It's weird. We'll talk about it today, though.

[Jai]

Yeah, for sure.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jai]

So before we get into you launching the brand, I mean, your career, even before you started, the brand was iconic. Like, the resume is fantastic. Everything from Teen Vogue, l' Oreal Glossier. Like, you worked at some very incredible companies.

[Jada]

I did.

[Jai]

I'd love to go back a little bit further and learn more about where the seed of loving beauty was planted for you.

[Jada]

Oh, my God.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jada]

So I am first generation sunny leaves American. So my mom came here in, like, late 80s. I named the brand after her because she's just a timeless classic. She doesn't want fuss. She wants it to be easy and wants to be the best version of self. And I remember just growing up in the hair salon. She had a hair salon in Harlem, and she was that girl. She was, you know, she was hiring, she was setting the tone. She was the hostess with the mostest. And she would be the type to, like, in post Covid this change, obviously, but, like, when it was time for lunch, she would buy Senegalese dishes and invite everyone to come eat. Everyone in the hair salon. Getting your hair braided or braiding hair. Come eat. So she always had that sense of community and that sense of selflessness that really inspired me. But I think the funnest part ever is, like, this was the hair salon. So everything came in there from, like, hair trends, makeup, what's in your bag? I would be like this. I'm so hyper curious. I'd be watching people, like, reapply their lip glosses and lipsticks. I'm like, oh, I can't wait till the day I can afford a lipstick. So I think I've always been curious about how women use beauty products and beauty as a language. So that's always been the soundtrack of my life, even when I didn't know it. So my love for beauty started very early. But specifically, love for, like, black beauty and how we show up and all the dimensions of us. I realized when I left the bubble of Harlem that that wasn't the case. I was like, wait, y' all don't know about what's going on back home? So I think that I've always been in love.

[Less]

Always.

[Jai]

I think what's so beautiful about Harlem is that for all of its existence probably has been the center of so much innovation when it comes to art, when it comes to style, when it comes to business. It just is such a nucleus of so much of that.

[Jada]

So wild. It's a couple blocks, but you have, I mean, the poetry of it all. You have, you know, graffiti. You have, I mean, come on, so much fashion. But then you have the Apollo Theater right there, right? Like, James Brown, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, Jennifer. Anybody is coming through that space. And it's just like, oh, my God, like, it's right across the street. And I was, like, even thinking, growing up in Harlem, I think, because I'm like, now that I have kids, I can't imagine raising kids in the city. But the Schomburg, you know, that was a major Harlem institution that I would go every Saturday, I believe we had, like, a Saturday program. It was deeply rooted in arts. Arts was just a part of our language. Right. But I realized after watching, I think, something that Chadwick Boseman was one of my teachers, and I was like, wait a minute. What a privilege, you know, to have such talented humans, you know, teaching and giving back in Harlem. He was a very strict teacher, very serious about, you know, acting and using and just exercising different versions of expression. So, like, we drew, we painted, we, you know, community gardens. And, you know, you always got someone on the stoop telling you, like, all the historical things that happened. But I think Harlem is interesting, too, because you have these microcosms of, you know, different cultures. You know, you have East Harlem is, you know, boricua central. You know, you have your parade, you know, Puerto Rican celebration in Cuban, and then you have, you know, Senegal, little Senegal within, like, two blocks. Everyone knows each other, but those are your little, like, worlds. So it was just really interesting being a kid in Harlem. There was a freedom. There was always art. There was always creation. There's definitely a hustle in Harlem that you can't find probably anywhere. So, like, everyone's hustling. So I love that, you know, growing up.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jai]

And it sounds like a lot of that is still seen and reflected in so much of what you do today.

[Jada]

Yes, yes. So it's. So it's an honor, really, because, you know, sometimes you try to run away from the hustle, but I can't help myself. I'm a New Yorker. I'm from Harlem.

[Jai]

It's in you, it's in me.

[Jada]

Ingrained.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jada]

Yes, for sure.

[Jai]

And I'm sure having kind of a front row seat to your mom's entrepreneurship.

[Less]

Probably sparked an interest in entrepreneurship for you.

[Jada]

You know what? My mom. For sure. Like, my mom was the boss, right? I mean, mothers, all. All mothers are.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jada]

But it was my dad. My dad is like, I've never seen someone so willing to fail and almost irresponsible. I'm like, you cannot put all of your eggs in one basket. Like, he'll wake up one day. He's like, I'm getting into the trucking business. I am going to, you know, start a travel agency. I am going to do money exchange. And in wherever there was opportunity, my dad would at least knock, and he would at least try to figure out, like, how to get in the door, how to figure it out. I had to ask my dad. I'm like, first of all, life is hard. Like, I cannot believe you guys did this. I'm like, how did you get your visa? Like, what made you come here? You didn't speak English. He hadn't graduated. Like, I think he stopped middle school, you know, and he hadn't. He wasn't even, like, of collegiate ascent. And I'm like, how did you do it? And he's like, listen, like, came to New York in the 80s, and, you know, I kept hearing some whispers that if I go to Miami, you know, I could get a visa if I worked on a farm for long enough. And I got to the farm. He went. I got to the farm in Florida, and I realized I didn't want to be a farmer. So I tricked the guy into letting me work in the office, and I became the translator for all the people that were moving and migrating from New York City to Florida. And I became the middleman and the boss, essentially. So my dad would be the type to get in there and then figure out, like, where's my place here and how can I thrive? And before he left, the. Not only did he has his visa and his paperwork, but the guy was trying to hire him and trying to get more people to come and do agriculture at the time. And then he's like, nope, I'm good. I'm going back to New York City. I got what I need. Now what do I need to do to get my wife here and my kids here? My older sister lived in Senegal for a very long time, and he really figured it out, and I'm always in awe of that. And I think that his audaciousness, even though sometimes it was really wild and sometimes irresponsible, it gave me the vision to dream because he's a big dreamer. My mom is a little bit more, like, steady, like, I don't want to take any risks. Like, it took a very long time for her to even accept that I was an entrepreneur. She's like, why would you do that to yourself? Like, why would you not stay at l' Oreal with your benefits and your salary? Like, you could have ascended through that rank or that route. So sometimes she's not as happy with me, but my dad really is like the North Star when it comes to entrepreneurship.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jai]

What amazing qualities that he has that I think are essential for anybody who is either interested in entrepreneurship or who just wants to carve their own path in any way. It's like you can't be afraid to try things and fail.

[Jada]

He's just like, why not me? I'm like, oh, that's a good point of view. Like, why not?

[Jai]

Yeah.

[Jada]

And he's like, do you know how many billionaires or millionaires have didn't go to college? I'm like. He's like, but you need to go to college.

[Less]

Still do it.

[Jada]

Still do it. Yeah. He definitely put a lot of pressure on me to do it the right way, but only to have the tools to be able to have a little bit more freedom and flexibility. But whenever I said, I'm quitting and I'm doing this, it's like, great, so when do we start? What do we got to do? I'm like, oh, wow.

[Less]

Yeah, it's really beautiful.

[Jada]

Thank you.

[Less]

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[Jai]

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[Jai]

Can we talk a little bit more about that transition for you? Because I've heard you mention in interviews and other things before that you had the idea for your own beauty brand a while before you started it. I heard you mention 2014 was around the time where you were like, I.

[Less]

Think that's something that I want to do.

[Jai]

And the actual like launch date of Ami Kohl being in the world was in May of 2021. So can we talk about just that span of time?

[Less]

Wow.

[Jai]

What was happening for you and what helped you be able to take the.

[Less]

Leap to put it out there in the world?

[Jada]

Oh my God. It's insane, right? But it's like people, especially with the Internet, think that things happen like overnight and you know, the level of intention that it actually took to put it in the world. And you just get on a treadmill and then you can't stop and you don't have that moment to nurture and have some time with it. But man, for me, again, being a beauty Junkie. Whenever I could go to cvs, whenever I could walk with my mom to buy fashion fair, I would. And very early on, I knew that they were like, oh, darling, you don't need makeup. Your skin's so beautiful. Your skin is so this. So I wasn't even a part of the makeup conversation. And I'm like, but I. I like makeup. I like applying it. I like to see how my skin does this and that, and, you know, I can achieve this look. So 2014, to paint the picture, I was freshly from the editorial world. It was crazy. Vibe magazine was way too much fun. I literally had to quit because I was having too much fun. I'm like, this cannot be sustainable or scalable. I'm gonna get out of here. And I went back to beauty. So my first boss at Rebecca Minkoff, we kept in contact. Even though I got laid off in that job, I was devastated. But he's like, you know what? Hang in there. If I see anything, I'll let you know. But, you know, people say that to be nice. I'm like, this is why it's good not to curse anyone out on your way.

[Jai]

Yep.

[Jada]

So he found me this job. He's like, you know, it's a brand, but you could be hands on with the. I'm like, oh, my God. So Temp 2 was a brand, and I knew of the brand before because even in college, I was working at Sephora. It was the first Sephora ever to open in Syracuse. So I was training and I knew of the brand. So fast forward, this is 202012 to 2014. I'm now in the seat, and I'm close to the products, and I'm close to the product developer, and I'm close to the founder, and I'm close to the CFO, and, like, the team is like, 10 and you do it all. So at the time, it was crazy. They were doing QVC Sephora pro makeup artist shows. So pro makeup artists were coming. It's just like flat iron. They were coming in and they had feedback on the shades. I'm like, this is magic. Like, this is what I'm looking for. I'm like, oh, wouldn't it be cool if I did this thing? I'm like, girl, you know, like, what are you talking about? Like, you don't have an office on 17th Street. Like, you're not funded or ready for this. But I always be, like, doodling. I always be talking to, like, the head of pd, who's now the head of PD at Amicole, literally all these years later, we were just like, oh, my God, wouldn't it be cool if you did this and did that? I'm like, oh, it would be a dream to be doing this for myself. I would do a little bit of this. I would take Senegal. I would do that. So I remember, I'm like, where do I start? You know? And I remember, I don't know what website I went on, because I was also close to the designer. I forget her name, but I reached out to this random guy in Italy. I'm like, like, could you help me design my brand? I want it to be this. I had a whole deck pulled together. I just wanted him to do the logo. He's like, okay, you need to wire me money. And I was googling, like, if I wire money, what are the chances of me losing my money? If this is not a real person, Alessandro, I will never forget. And I sent him maybe $700 at the time, $1,000. And he just gave me iterations of the logo. I'm like. And when I got it, I was like, oh, my God, this is real. This could be real. And this is exactly what I what I'm envisioning. It's sophisticated, it's elevated, but it' so African and rooted in Harlem and all dimensions there. But I just put it away. And then I got hired to go to l' Oreal, and I think this interesting layers of all of life because always so much. So many things going on at the same time. Glossier was starting, and I had been a huge Insta Gloss fan. Like, I was always on the website. Every article that dropped, I like Emily Ferber. I just, like, she was my best friend in my mind. And I had been reaching out to them. I'm like, hey, I want to do a top shelfie. You think I have content to be able to do an article In 2013, they were doing top shelfies with me as the communications assistant at TEM2. Fast forward 2014. Emily or Emily Ferber, not Emily Weiss, reached out like, hey, we're doing this secret project. I think we're gonna make products. I'm like, what? So now I'm being, you know, invited to these secret meetings in Lafayette Canal street, where everyone's wearing the glossier, you know, sweatshirts, and I'm walking up this dingy, you know, hallway, and after work, you know, sitting there with Emily Weiss and Emily Ferber and I think, Kelly Wilbur, all these amazing people, and they're like, we're up creating products. And I just got even more Excited. I'm like, oh, my God. Like, this is. This is cool. But I kept putting it away. Not for a bad reason. I just knew I had a lot more to learn about the business of it all. So I needed to get some chops. I went to l' Oreal to kind of grow up in the marketing space.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jai]

I think it's so great to be able to share those aspects of the story because kind of like you were saying earlier, people think that everything happens really quickly. Oh, I've kind of done this too, in some ways, that if you have an idea, you have to execute on it right away or fully see it through right away. And I think that there is something to taking action in some ways. And learning is also a form of taking action. Like understanding the space, learning what you're doing, learning how things run is another form of taking action, as opposed to fully putting something out there and having, like, no idea what you're doing.

[Jada]

That I love, I love, I love, I love. Because I think that suddenly our culture has become so extroverted that you have to be sharing. And there's something about the reclusiveness or the incubation of it all. You're going into the darkness, you're going into the stillness. And the goal is to absorb. I'm so grateful I did. I mean, all the things that you have, the tools in your toolbox. So that's a great point. That learning is action. Yes.

[Less]

Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

[Jai]

And so we fast forward a little bit.

[Less]

We.

[Jai]

We go. We're past the 2014 mark, where you, like, had the initial idea. You got some logo markups. You're now at L' Oreal. Let's move towards maybe, like the 2019, 2020 mark.

[Jada]

Okay.

[Jai]

That was probably where it was like rubber was starting to hit the road.

[Jada]

Yes.

[Jai]

What was happening around then?

[Jada]

Wow. So 2019, you know, again, from 2020, it's been five years. And by then I'd done the corporate world. That was l' Oreal. I worked on a very interesting brand. L' Oreal Paris is like the flagship of l' Oreal entities, I would say. So we work very closely with Paris. And I think that I've learned in that space how to move ideas across continents. They're not going to be the same language or playbook sometimes. And it gave me global perspective finally. And then I quit because I was. I don't know if now that I've been burnt out, I don't think burnt out was the thing, because we have to title it correctly. I don't think burnt out was it. I was frustrated by the speed of go to market or the agility to be able to incite change. I remember when I was at l' Oreal Fenty launched, and I remember having the same conversations about inclusivity and, like, the needing to offer these products for her. But it was so hard to implement change, right? It would come, like, years later. I'm like, I can't do this. And then I went to Glossier and worked there, you know, now as an employee and learned a lot, but also too quickly. I was overwhelmed. I was drowned. I was, you know, burnt out because this was like Pinnacle Paint the town pink Glossier.

[Jai]

At that time, that was peak glossier.

[Jada]

Peak glossier. They moved offices to Soho, had these fancy designers and like birch, you know, florals in the bathrooms and birado candles. It was wild. But then change was happening, especially now. I appreciate this more with Teen and they were trying to grow up into a corporate space, so people were coming in from Estee and l' Oreal. And the magic that I fell in love with in 2014 was different. You know, we weren't like just folded our legs on a Friday over, you know, some drinks and, you know, figuring out product. We were trying to figure out, go to market, rinse and repeat scalability, et cetera. So, long story short, I essentially was laid off of that gig. And it broke my heart because I loved the franchise. I really believed in it, and I knew that there was an opportunity. And this is what I told Emily in my interview. I'm here to help build bridge the gap between Glossier and women of color. There's a lot of work to be done here. There was Glossier brown, which was amazing with Devin's work. But from a product side, let's work together. But I don't know if they had the tools and the systems for that. So my team was very young. I think my manager at the time was like 25. A lot of egos, unfortunately. And then when we bought in the big shots, it was just so bureaucratic that it was hard to do the work. So I never shared that before, but it is the truth. I left and then, you know, I had a nice severance and I was like, you know what? Pause. You did it. You did the l' Oreals. You know what the story is there. You did the now biggest, fastest growing startup world, like Giada. What's next for you? I just kept thinking about that logo. I was like, wow. Like, wouldn't it be crazy if I did this thing. But I also was a little bit more audacious. By 2019, I knew what it was to be in the room. I knew what it was to go to CosmoProf and talk to a vendor, create a brief, talk to scientists and chemists that are completely different communicators from, like, your marketing folks, et cetera. So I learned a lot still, but I was still aching for what I knew was true beauty that was complex, but still simple and timeless and catered to women of color and clean and all these promises that I still felt was a need. So I booked a solo trip to Thailand. And I. I think 10 or 12 days solo tripping is so important because you have to listen to yourself. You have to trust yourself. And I think I've done some solo sprints before, but being in Thailand where everything was different, like, in Paris, you still hear a little bit of English, and I speak French. So this was, like, brand new me. And I just kept asking myself, how, why, how, why? And I remember, like, it was so dramatic. I was listening to, like, Nipsey Hussle and, like, the hustle of it all.

[Jai]

Sometimes you gotta lock in, you guys.

[Jada]

I was locked in. I was like, nipsey Hussle, Erykah Badu. So all the feng shui, and I came back. I'm like, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna launch this thing. I remember walking from some meeting, going to the west side highway for a party, and I was just turned on my camera. I'm like, guys, would you be on this ride with me if I started a company? And do you want me to share? Do you want me to wait until it's done? Like, what do you want from me? Because I know I'm gonna need help, and I know I'm gonna need community. So, like, I'm just putting it out there. What do you think?

[Jai]

Think.

[Jada]

Didn't think much of it. Went to the party, had a good old time, and I came back. DMs flooded. Oh, my God. We've been waiting for this. Like, please do it. We. I'm like, I'm an aspiring entrepreneur. I don't know where to start. Like, please do something. And let's see. I was like, okay, so 2019 is summertime. I am hungry. I'm burnt. I'm burnt out. I'm recharged now because I'm back from Thailand. But I'm also heartbroken because my dream job didn't work out. I'm like, God, what are you trying to Tell me like, you know, a little bit of imposter syndrome. Because I saw it. It up close, like, how much money and how much team and all the things that you needed to succeed. So I had an imposter syndrome, maybe, but really just scared. Really scared. But I operate in fear. So, yeah, that was my 2019 in Brooklyn.

[Jai]

What a, like, amazing way to alchemize.

[Less]

A tough situation to turn into the.

[Jai]

Launching pad of something else.

[Jada]

Yeah. Similar to learning, right? It's like, what do I take in and what is my desired output? I could have easily been, like, miserable and, like, churning and turning to things that were not an outlet and just bottling it up a little bit. But at its core, I'm just. I'm really a creative, and I like to create and I like to ideate. I love to dream. So I knew I could not. I tried to without therapy. I tried to understand, like, hey, guy, what are you trying to tell me here? I'm ready to receive it. And I told God, I will listen to the signs. I will listen to the signs, and I will action on them. So if you want me to post, I post. If you want me to, you know, go to CosmoProf, because my credit card limit, you know, increased miraculously. I'm like, okay, go into CosmoProf. And then things started to, like, open up a little bit, a little bit with ease to allow me to incubate. And I was like, that was a blessing. Like, thinking back in those years, I was like. I was like, in my element. I loved it.

[Jai]

Love that you were able to find a groove.

[Jada]

Yes, a groove. And also learn how to trust myself. Trust myself. Because I knew. I knew product. I knew that I, you know, could create products that my girlfriends would love because I was always a girl. I was like, girl, what soap do I use for this? I'm like, oh, you're gonna do this, this, this and that. So I developed a level, and then again, looking at my mom, I always knew that in some capacity, I would be of servitude to black women. I would hold space for black women always. So I trusted that kind of light, and I stood in it, which takes courage. But I was ready for that.

[Less]

I love that so much.

[Jai]

So at that point, when you decided.

[Less]

Okay, I'm gonna move forward with this brand that has been put on my.

[Jai]

Heart to create, what was the next step? What felt like the first real step towards getting started?

[Jada]

Yes, I think the first real step was one of which I'm like, whatever, because, you know, when you start a business, whenever you're talking to a business minded person, they're like, oh, but what's your business plan? I have thoughts on that. Because as you can see, like TikTok shops was not a thing in 2019. Right. Things move so rapidly. I think what I needed to understand and I knew what the next steps were, is that, like, what does this look like? What does it feel like? What emotions do I want to emote or, you know, evoke? And you'll see this constant mood board of mine that I, you know, always share with people because it was my home base. Like, whenever I would rear off a little bit, I'll come back, I'm like, no, this is home for me. I want soft armor. I want, you know, saturated colors. I want skin forward. I don't want, like hot yellow, you know, glosses. I want it to be understated and a little bit of muted because I want to allude to a sense of confidence. Like, I think of Phylicia Rashad. Like, I've never seen her in a bright yellow lip, and that's okay. And that's my version of excellence. Right. I wanted to think about what timeless meant for me, and I had to reimagine a lot of it because, let's be real, we haven't been trained to think about that from a black beauty, African beauty perspective. When you think of les affaires and easygoing, you think of French Paris girl. Oh my gosh, she just woke up like this. But we never really had permission to do so. And I thought that was really interesting. So I had to unwire a lot of my messaging and positioning. But I knew I had to get the DNA right. I had to dream up scenarios like, okay, what's the best thing that could happen to me? Like a random Brooklyn day. And imagine a world where like five people from across the room are like, taking out their lip treatment oil and together we're in unison. And that has happened, you know, building community to be able to kind of pass that, you know, wand and be able to listen to each other and other brands that I would want to sit on a shelf with. I really needed to better understand that. So that summer specifically, I spent a lot of time surveying. So I would be doing crazy things like, I will meet you at your house. They're like, girl, I'm tired. I'm like, no, no, just let me come over. I'll cook for you. I would go over and I just ask questions like, so what are you using? How do you use it? What Shade in this. And okay, what don't you like about it? What do you like about it? And it kind of grew as my curiosity grew. I'm like, okay, I got my friend who is a no makeup, makeup girl. I've got the makeup girlies, I've got my influencer friends now. Cause this is my background, I've got my editor friends now. What are the commonalities there? And the thesis really was that I've been hacking my way to the top. I mix a little bit of this, I do a little bit of that. But I haven't found a home brand for me. And especially coming from the world of glossier, I'm always thinking like, okay, if I, if I were to wear a sweatshirt of a brand, would I want to be a makeup brand that I love? Like that. And I knew that I didn't have that, you know, so community, like what I would want this party to look like? If I were to host a party, who would I want in this space with us? What kind of products to start with? You know, at least having a footing on like, okay, what, what would be the first introduction of this brand? And just visual like, I remember I lived in a Brooklyn like loft style with beautiful neighbors. And my sister will ask you, she didn't tell you, she was my roommate during this time. But like two o' clock in the morning, you just hear crimpling in the, in the living room. I got like mood boards in my bedroom. My, my cabinet in the bathrooms are all samples. It was everything. I woke up every day and I. And I lived it and I dreamt it and I felt it and it was madness, but it was also so beautiful. And I lived it and I dreamt it and I felt it and it was madness, but it was also so beautiful. But every time I walk out that apartment, if I went to a pitch meeting, I knew exactly who I was talking to. I knew exactly what I wanted to launch, I knew exactly data insights, you know, foreseeing, I guess you could say, and then a product offering. So I already knew it. So it gave me a sense of confidence. But I needed to start with knowing what am I doing, why and for who.

[Jai]

So key. So key for anybody who wants to start a business or brand.

[Jada]

Yeah.

[Jai]

So, so helpful.

[Jada]

Loved it.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jai]

And you do such a good job of having such a great pulse on both the data and the creative. I think sometimes we can wanna sell ourselves short to put ourselves in one box or another and be like, oh, I'm a data girl, girl. Or oh, I'm a creative girl, but we can embrace both. And I think, especially if you're entrepreneurial, you have to. You have to learn 1,000%.

[Jada]

I mean, there's so many case studies now. I was just listening to a podcast on, you know, just the State of Pat McGrath and Artistry and how do you commoditize art, right? Which is a very difficult thing, especially if you're a true artist, where you don't want to touch the money, you just want to give, give, give. But you're like, wait a minute, I want a nice house. Data centricity has always been a part of my DNA. You know, I'm a Virgo moon, so, you know, I'm always looking for the why. My Sagittarius, though, is the dreamer. I'm like, I'll go, whatever, let's go to Peru today. No problem. So the spontaneity comes there. But I think specifically in the spot that I sat in 2019, I believe there were only 20 black women that raised over a million dollars, which is insane. Obviously, we've made strides this year. Last year, a little different. We made strides for its progress. But I knew that if I wanted to protect this dream of mine, I had to insulate it with data. I had to root it with hard facts of how to scale this. I had to showcase. Unfortunately, this audience that they never had access to, they have no idea the questions that I've heard. It was so crazy. I'm like, there was already a Fenty, so why would you need to exist? I'm like, like what? How many cars do you own, let alone drive, let alone, like, there's just, I mean, Adidas and Nike. So many tales of why we need optionality. And you'd be surprised, especially when you're raising capital, how much you have to teach them. So I had to teach them the market opportunity, of course, the total adjustable market. I had to teach them the stats, the staggering stats of like, like two things. Overall black women's health, like the products we were using, the level of toxins and the level. And when you find out to change that course of action, possibly in your 30s and 40s, when you're probably thinking about fertility, family planning, and just living healthier, I had to share those staggering stats. I believe 1 in 12 beauty products are considered toxic or catered to us. And more studies, especially when it comes to hair care. And then also I had to share just the real, the context of growing up in Harlem. Like, these women are not unicorn. They are real. They purchase, they Are loyal. They just haven't had the brand to talk to them. They haven't built trust. This industry has often left them out of it. You can't just suddenly turn on the lights and they're just like, oh, okay, I want to party here. Because they have their habits and routines. So takes a level of patience to get her to walk into a Sephora or into an Ulta when she might have been used to a beauty supply store and now has Amazon. She doesn't have to, you know, be worried with someone not shade matching her correctly. So a lot of it is teaching as well, which I didn't know, but that is always data centric.

[Less]

Absolutely.

[Jai]

Yeah. And when you launched in 2021, how.

[Less]

Many products did you launch with?

[Jada]

We launched with three. Yeah. So we had the skin tint, it was the lip treatment oil and it was the highlighter. Beautiful. All very fuss free. Didn't need to have an expert to come teach you very purposely because we launched on.com and I know how hard it is to shop for. It's like trying to find the perfect pair of jeans online on first go. It's very big pressure. So the skin tint offered that flexibility, the lip treatment oil offered, you know, everything that we love about a lip gloss because we know, we love lip gloss, but also the care of it, you know, the lasting, the hydration, the sheen, all of the lovely things of the lip treatment oil now. And the highlighter, which I selfishly always wanted, but I used to be a brunch girly. I just remember stumbling at a brunch and like, you know, always like, oh my God, there goes the light. I would have my selfie and like, you know, doing stories. I'm like, oh, everyone getting a picture. The lighting is perfect. So I created this like highlighter that really catches the light and you really are feeling yourself as a girl or a guy and those were things that were just important. So we started off with a very, very curated assortment before moving into other categories.

[Jai]

And how did you know when it was time to expand into other categories? Was it things that you were already planning to do? Was it feedback from customers of what they wanted to see next?

[Jada]

I think the original process was quite slow because everyone was just so excited. Listen, at this time, 2021, 2019, I've been talking about this. So let's talk about time again. The girl's like, girl, is this coming or not? Like I am tiny talking about this make believe brand.

[Jai]

But it takes a long time to develop and formulate.

[Less]

That takes Time the Internet doesn't know.

[Jada]

You'd be very surprised how much you have to teach. So that's why I was so transparent. Because people were growing like Ruth. Like Ruth.

[Jai]

The girl actually thinks for years actually it's good. Like thank you.

[Jada]

I was working. Yeah, I was treating like a full time job even though I wasn't getting paid. So other categories is actually interesting question because when it comes to data and the beauty industry, mascara is the place you don't touch. People know and love their mascara. They're not moving away from that. And there was just so many great options on the market and super accessible. You can walk into any duane read to pick up a l' Oreal Infallible or Great Lash by Maybelline. The classic bottles like don't touch that. I'm like, nope, gonna touch mascara. And that I had aspirations for, but I was being agile with COVID People were now home and now wearing masks. So it didn't make sense to offer a face or lip. And I just wanted to be a part of her routine. And I know personally, I was doing mask and mascara. Mask and mascara. I'm like, I might do a mascara next. So I sought out to just find the cleanest mascara to give me volume, to give me separation, to also be like an inky, inky black. Because I've noticed with my skin tone, sometimes I wear mascara and you can't even tell because the color was a little bit of an ashy black and not like an inky jet black. So it doesn't show up on camera. So whenever I would go on camera, I would have to wear falsies. I'm like, but what if I had a mascara that could do all these things to hold it but also be able to kind of live with her. I'm always thinking about her and her journey and I didn't know when the masks were going away. So I'm like, if you're gonna do it is either brows or, you know, mascara. And I found a really great, like base, you know, kind of formula to play around with. I'm like, I think we're going to do mascara. And people advise me not to. But the people that love the mascara love the mascara. I'm like, you're my people. But that was driven by life, honestly, and innovation. But then later we started to get like some muscle memory from our audience and they were very vocal about what they wanted next. And then we were kind of able to fill out her basket in her like makeup routine, which was very fun.

[Jai]

Yeah, it is it's been also really fun to watch.

[Jada]

Yeah.

[Less]

On the sidelines. Starting something new, whether it's a podcast, a product, or your own business, can be so exciting and so overwhelming. When I've launched new things, there were moments where I truly felt like I was doing 10 jobs at once. You have to figure out everything from your branding to payments to how people are even going to find you. And it's a lot. That is why I love Shopify. It's the platform that makes turning your business idea into something that feels doable. You don't need to be a tech expert and you definitely don't have to do it all alone. Shopify powers 10% of all E commerce in the US and it's behind huge names like Mattel and Gymshark, but also to ton of creators and small brands like yours. You can build a beautiful storefront using one of their ready to go templates, keep track of inventory, manage orders, and promote your business all from one dashboard. Plus, their marketing tools are so helpful. Shopify helps you run email campaigns, grow your audience on social, and actually convert visitors into customers. And of course, there's that iconic purple shoppaid button that makes checkout crazy easy. It's the reason Shopify has the highest converting checkout on the planet. Turn your big business idea into With Shopify on your side, sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/blackgirl go to shopify.com/black girl shopify.com/blackgirl heart health is a really personal topic for me. My grandmother passed away from heart disease a few years ago, and that experience really shaped how I think about wellness illness, especially for women in my family these days. It's something my mom and I are more intentional about. We make space to talk about our health and to check in with one another often, but that's not always the norm. And that's why I really appreciate what Medtronic, a pioneer in healthcare technology, is doing. Through their Letter to My Mother campaign, they're raising awareness around women's heart health because it's a conversation that so many of us aren't having. So you might be wondering, why now? Because heart disease is the deadliest disease that women aren't talking about, and symptoms for common conditions like hypertension, valve disease, or even heart attacks often go undiagnosed. Despite more than 60 million women in the US living with some form of heart disease, women tend to discuss sensitive topics like the birds and the bees and body image. But heart health is often left out of conversations at the doctor's office and at the dinner table, so it's really important that we all start talking to one another about it. Heart disease also disproportionately impacts women of color, making conversations around heart health more important than ever. Sometimes all it takes is a simple check in, like a message or yes, even a letter to spark that connection in conversation. For more information and to take the pledge to talk to your mother or a woman in your life about heart health, visit A letter to my mother.com mom I have been back in therapy for over a year and can't emphasize how much it's helped me in all areas of my life. Finding the right mental health care should be simple and affordable, but for many it's not. Long wait times, high costs and difficulty finding the right provider can make getting help feel overwhelming. That's where Rula comes in. Rula connects you with in network licensed therapists that accept major insurance. Their users typically have a copay of 50 $15 per person, making therapy more accessible than ever. With a network of 15,000 licensed providers across 100 plus specialties, Rula also ensures you get care tailored to your needs. You can also see a therapist in as little as 24 hours so you get the support you need without the financial stress. More than making therapy accessible and affordable for you, Rula stays with you through your journey, ensuring you're matched with the right provider and making real progress. Yes, every therapist is carefully vetted so you're in expert hands. Join thousands who have already turned to Rula for support on their journey to better mental health and well being. Getting started is easy. Just visit rula.com Lucky today when you sign up. They'll ask you how you heard about them. Please support our show and let them know that we sent you. It's a simple way to help us while you take the first step towards the care you deserve. Go to r u l a.com Lucky now and Connect with a licensed therapist who truly cares your mental health matters.

[Jai]

I'd also love to talk about Sephora and Kolay entering Sephora and your relationship. First of all, I think it's also a really cool full circle moment that you worked at Sephora in college and that you now have this brand that is truly like a Sephora darling. It's just been really cool to see the brand's expansion in Sephora has been just really beautiful to see.

[Jada]

Thank you.

[Jai]

So from going from.com selling on your own website to transitioning to also having presence in Sephora. What was that like?

[Jada]

Scary. Even when we were on shelf, I didn't believe it. I'm like, wait a minute, what do you mean it left the warehouse? A couple of things. Yeah. Like, I'm. I am a beauty junkie, I must say. So Sephora was always home for me. Like, I am the annoying friend. I'm like, let's go to Sephora. Like, you know, like, girl, can we just go to our destination? I would be like, zigzagging, you know, discovering, exploring. So truly, when I launched the brand, even as I was like kind of creating it, I knew the ideal retailer that I wanted. Didn't know how, but I just knew that Sephora was definitely on my wish list. And it's like still insane to walk into Sephora and to see the brand on shelf. So the experience getting into Sephora was like the ultimate high. That's like spurts because first you have your logistics, so the planning of, like, when to get things into the warehouse and so forth. And then you have the go to market. Like, what are you gonna do to let people know that you're in Sephora? And I mean, the way the community was just so proud, it filled my cup. And I think even if the journey ended there, I'm like, for those who are not beauty junkies, for those who are just entrepreneurs, for those who are first generation. And that's a major milestone to be a brand at this age, at this stage, to be able to create something sure enough, trusted enough to gain shelf space. And at the time, I think I wasn't a part of the Accelerate program. They have like, accelerate program. So I had just missed the mark. And for me, just like a funny tale, I had an investor that introduced me at the time to the Sephora team and I just happened to be traveling and the service was. Was crappy and I lost signal in the middle of my presentation and I could not get back on the phone even to tell them that my signal had gone out. So they have no idea. So I was like crying. I was like, they're never gonna take me. This is my one chance again. What's for you is for you. And I just like stopped even talk. They didn't even resp afterwards. They're like, okay, well send us the products and we'll test it out and we'll give you feedback on the brand. I'm like, no, girl, I'm trying to be on the show. So I waited a couple of months before, I kid you not, that that call happened in July. And then I started talking to another retailer because, you know, you want to go where they want you and they were really excited to carry the brand. And I was like, I was doing it, but I don't. I know that it wasn't like my first choice because I knew. And the reason why, again, being a Sephora girly, of course, but also brand building is very important to me and I wanted to find a partner that would be able to really stretch me in ways that I felt, felt comfortable with. And I know Sephora could do that. So fast forward as fate would have it, it's now December. I am pregnant with my first child. And I'm like waddling down to Rockefeller center because we had won brand of the year award or entrepreneur of the year award in wwd. Now this is a very big, high profile breakfast that happens every year. All the who's who win an award and it was a very big milestone for the company and the brand. I'm in this room accepting the award and guess who's in the, in the audience. Sephora. So Allison Hahn is like, didn't we have a call or something? I'm like, yes, we did. But I, you know, I dropped the call because I was in Senegal and literally the electricity went out. She's like, what? I'm like, yes. And she's like, I've been trying to get in contact with the team, but, you know, they haven't been too receptive, so we've been moving on to another retailer. She's like, no, let's have the conversation. Even if you don't go with Sephora, which I think you should with your branding, I think you should just at least ask for the world because you, you're gonna need that. I'm like, okay. So I just told her, you know, my margins and all this stuff. She's like, you know what, I'll write you an offer right now for it to take the brand. I'm like, what? After like seven months of crying and grinding and trying to get the connect. And just so happened that December. And listen, it was one of those like pregnancy. I was like eight months pregnant, waddling, like, face not even recognizable. I'm like, I gotta go to this event. And lo and behold, Allison Hahn and Artemis were both there and they're like, we love your brand. Fate has it. And then we signed the contract in like four weeks.

[Less]

Wow.

[Jada]

And we launched in like, oh, no, we took our time because I think they wanted us to launch like yesterday. I'm like, no, no, no. We got a place like pos and things. And we launched that year, the next year.

[Jai]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jada]

Yeah.

[Less]

Fate. Yeah.

[Jada]

That's why you gotta stay ready.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jada]

You never know.

[Less]

What's for you is for you.

[Jada]

What's for you is for you. And I think I've been now been able to kind of move through that because you cannot tell me five years ago that I would have had a brand, that it would've been a Sephora, that my mom would even be proud. My mom's a very tough cookie to like, you know, get her happy. So you have to trust the universe, but you also have to do the work. You know, the work got me into that room, the work got me the connections, the work got me the product, et cetera, et cetera. So I think that entrepreneurship has been a major lesson for me.

[Jai]

Yeah, yeah, I want to talk more about that. But actually, with us talking about Sephora, there's something else that I would love to ask. I think that there's been a lot of conversation right now about the best way to support our favorite brands, particularly if they're women owned brands or black owned brands or black women owned brands. We've seen that conversation happen a lot with the situation happening with Target and some of the ways that the brands that they carry have been hit hard. So when we want to support our favorite brands like yours, what is like the best way for us to go buy our product? Is it to support directly from your website? Is it to walk into Sephora? Is it to order from sephora.com? does it matter? Is there one that helps more than another?

[Jada]

Yes. What a great question. I always feel so confused by it because I'm going to walk you through the science of it. Okay, yeah, so we get the most money as a brand from our dot com. Those margins are super healthy. So you can get, you know, two things, which is very rich data. You know, I know exactly who came to order what and how, and I can give her the experience. You know, the packaging, the unwrapping, the tissue paper, the stickers, all of that I can give you. The issue though is like shelf space is like a ticking time bomb. And if you're not productive, they can give you the boot. No matter how great your D2C is. Now, if your D2C is healthy enough that you can afford to leave Sephora, by all means. There are certain brands, I think Nutrafol is an example where Sephora is icing on the cake. That's just cherry on top. Most of their business is Amazon, I believe if I'm not mistaken. Amazon and D2C. And that's a powerful place to be when you're an indie brand and Sephora, quote unquote, takes a chance on you. They want to see that you can be able to be productive. So it's a tough, tough question because you want her to walk into Sephora to say, hey, I have your vote of confidence, but by the time the dollar gets to us, it's a little like, not too much to be able to funnel the rest of your marketing and all this stuff. So typically for a business, every dollar in is more money that you have to play with marketing to get even more customers. In many a way, Sephora could be a marketing touch point for you because you're going and you're getting shade match if you're trusting the VA in that experience of it all. But when it comes to the life cycle of a company, if you're closer to the end of your life cycle, you probably need every cash and every dollar in the door to then be able to drive more momentum. What's been happening to get really geeky about marketing is that TikTok has become the new discovery tool school. She's going to TikTok. I'll give a classic example. Jackie Aina posted about amicole on TikTok and I was expecting a direct hit to sales on our D2C. Instead, I saw a huge halo effect on Sephora. So Sephora stores. So we waited a whole week. I'm like, wow, I'm surprised that didn't do as much. And then we got those results. I'm like, whoa, okay. She's driving sales. So it's interesting to watch the consumer journey because what you really need and what I would encourage, which is actually free, is to talk about the brand on the most, like, discovery channels, which is TikTok. You discover the brand, you love the brand. This is a TikTok. They're available, all these places go and purchase. The woman probably going or man going to Sephora has points, you know, that they want to rack up. They have other things in their bag that they want to buy and, you know, now they can try on the color. The person going to Amazon's like, actually, I got an event tomorrow. Convenience is really important for her. The person going to amicole.com wants to learn more. She wants to understand what is the brand, what is the company, which one should I get? Maybe I saw Jackie post about the pink one, but maybe I want the brown one. So you can control the experience a Little bit more. But what I can control is the use cases of each of those channels. And what I can do is like funnel in as many people as possible to talk on TikTok. Hence why we have like influencer strategies, seeding strategies. The goal is to get her at least sparked to then to convert somewhere else. So it's a very, very tough question. And it really depends on the brand because some brands don't even touch their dc. They're all Sephora. When they're all banking on that person walking into Sephora, keep asking those founders, like, where are you? How can I support? But really it's like kind of thinking about that chamber of commerce that's now happening, that's brand new, where a lot of it is coming in through discovery platforms like TikTok and micro influencers and Macro, of course. Jackie the queen.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jai]

It is so interesting to see customer behavior and user behavior in that sense. Because then you know from that example that you gave, you could say, okay, then Jackie's audience is one that is heavily Sephora shoppers. That's the habit that they already have. So they took her recommendation, applied their habit to it, and. And then you saw that spike in sales coming from Sephora. It's just super interesting.

[Jada]

It's interesting and it's dizzying because it's evolving all the time. I mean, like past year, like, is TikTok gonna stay? Is it gonna go? I've had friends that have had massive success. I think one brand friend has made like $7 million a month on TikTok. Wow.

[Less]

Through TikTok.

[Jada]

TikTok shop sales. Through TikTok shop sales. And that, you know, determines your hiring habit, your marketing habit. Like. Like, are you live all day and it works for them. But what happens if that turns off? I think where I struggle a little bit more as a creative is that Ami Cole took some time. There's a level of intentionality that I struggle. And if you can see, even on my Instagram, I'm not great. I mean, at TikTok, I'm not great on TikTok because I have so much to say not to like drag it on, but I do think the way that the thumbs are moving, like you got two seconds and that's it. And I think a lot of brands are getting lost in that kind of churn. Number one, the scalability of it is very, very tough. It's a machine. Like, it's like a money jack machine. You put in a couple dollars and you get rich. You can stay at that slot machine. For a very long time. If you don't have the resources and capital, your other channels are expense to that. Because I think Amazon's actually a huge opportunity, especially for us. And then there's always the behind the scenes beef of like, like Sephora's like, no, I want the launch first and this person, like I want the launch person. This person, like I need. We want you off of Amazon, we want you only on Sephora. So there's a lot of contention that happens on like what is the right channel. To my point earlier, I'm worried about brands that are not trend led and trend driven. If I think of Amicole as a feeling, it's like it's literally the best friend next door that you always want to go and hang out with after school. Like that's your home and comfort. It's like a comfort food. How do you take that and put it into a machine to have it be still intentional and have it be as authentic as possible. Not saying it's impossible, but even in the possibility of it. I've talked to some agencies where like, okay, we can totally do this. I think it's so easy. We're gonna give these talking points and this and that and we're gonna see 20,000 creators a month. I'm like, wait, what? You want me to do what? So I think my team and I have been struggling on how to get that going because the goal of TikTok honestly is to become viral. And like thank God we've had some viral products, but that's because someone loved it and talked about it on TikTok. Not really machined or manufactured from organic. Often when that happens, a lot of our traffic is still organic. Which is frustrating for investors because they're like, what is the lever that we turn on to get more? I'm like, love. And they're like, no girl. So it's tough. It's tough for me, honestly.

[Less]

Yeah.

[Jai]

I appreciate you sharing that though because I think people may see bits and pieces of like a brand raised this much money or brand is now in every Sephora shelf and think like, okay, everything is gravy and those are incredible achievements to make. And when you get to those levels, then there's new complexities and new puzzles to solve at every level that you reach.

[Jada]

Absolutely. The pressure continues. The pressure chamber continues to rise. And again it depends because some founders are like, listen, I got five years in and out, give me on the next venture. And I guess that really wasn't my thing. I was like, okay, we'll do this, you know, seven to 10 years, and it'll be global. I'm a little naive, but I think that. And I'm talking even luxury brands. I have a couple of friends that have, like, luxury oils that, you know, are costing anyway from like, 185 to $200. But. But the whole company ethos is that we don't have 25,000 SKUs. We have one SKU. And it works really well for you. But the reason why it works well also because it's a great product. And these grapes and the ingredients in this actual product takes time to harvest. And people are like, what? I can't get this in New Jersey for $2 and cheaper. So sometimes the machine and the art gets a little contentious because I do think that I'm very intentional about what I want to build and for why. Like, for who, rather. And it can be some tough conversations on the inside from retailers. Honestly, too, you know, if it were up to them, we'd be sold out and available again back in stock. But give an example. Skin stick, you know, that was like, a big bet for us. Foundation is always a very big and very risky business to go into, because if you think about it, you have one shelf. If 16 of those holes are complexion sticks, then, whoa. You need to make sure every single complexion stick is being sold at the same velocity. And if you think about it, which is very ironic, the deeper skin tones, actually, for me, sell slower at Sephora. They're data people only. They're like, we don't want any more of your deeper shades. We want all of your lighter shades. I'm like, we don't represent that as a brand.

[Jai]

So now we're going to go against your whole ethos. I really appreciate you sharing that because I think it shows how much being a founder, working in this space, creating something new, it's like a puzzle that you're constantly solving for with so many different levers all at once for you. How do you decide what to focus on at any given time? And what does focus mean to you?

[Jada]

That's a very excellent question, because I had trouble with that. I was thinking about this too. Like, oh, someone asked me, did you know that the brand would be here? I'm like, no, I was just trying to get it off the paper and off my mind and out of my heart. Heart. And create the products. And when I saw the tube, I was like, okay, I'm done. It's like, this is the tube that I. Okay, I'm done. But there's always so much to do. You always feel like you're understaffed. You always feel like if you're not prioritizing correctly. And I had to hire a COO cfo. She, you know, has both titles, thank God, because she's able to tell me based off the business impact, I need you to focus here year to be able to drive this and that's like unlocked for me. I'm like, oh, great. So I know to focus on Sephora relationship, to focus on hiring, focus on firing. Unfortunately, you know, a lot of my job, unfortunately, no shade, but investor facing, you know, I'm taking monthly meetings, you know, keeping things warm, networking and all that stuff. That's time. I'm not at my computer, but I'm an operator. Like, I get the things done. You know, I didn't have a head of PD until after I launched my products. Like I was going to Italy to go and make these things. So when you are coming from operating that way, it's hard to shift that gear. Like, girl, you cannot be in the pd, call marketing call with the agency on daily CAC spends. Like, you cannot be in the nitty gritties. But also expect to have seismic strategic change for this establishment. Like, I need to be always thinking year one, two, three. And that can be challenging, especially when to be transparent. You don't have maybe the team to be able to trust to do that because you're still finding yourself to be needing to be in certain meetings or to get, you know, certain things done. Which taught me a lot about hiring. You know, I think that hiring smart and efficiently early is very important. And I think I was operating in a space of scarcity. Sometimes where I'm like, like, you want to work here? Wow. Like, oh my God, I'm so grateful. Like, I was not paying them. I made a market value, but I was operating in a space of scarcity. And I just, I still can't believe I have a company, a brand. Whereas now I'm like, wow, look what happens when you have a head of growth that's able to kind of flex up and down and go into Sephora and think about 360channel allocations and challenge me on like, no, we're not doing TikTok because do you actually know that we need to see 20,000 influencers and do you know what that means from a unit economics perspective? I'm like, like, okay, before, you know, not so much. So I think right now I focus my attention on what's going to drive the business forward or what's going to answer the question that I'm looking for, you know, what is the fate of Ami Cole? You know, what retailer makes the sense, what channels make the most sense? So I spend all of my energy there, and I'm not good at this, but I'm trying to get better at content. I was talking to you this about dinner. Like, you're doing all the operations. You're like, wait, I got to change and look decent because I gotta go and talk to the audience. You know, I still haven't had time for that just yet, but I think that the goal will be to be able to talk to the people that I started this company for.

[Jai]

I do think that that's something that's really interesting that has shifted over the past couple of years where consumers really want to know who is behind this, and they kind of expect the founder of the brand to be kind of the OG influencer for what's happening. And that almost now is a norm where a few years ago that wasn't necessarily the case. We didn't always know who the founder was behind something. And now. Or sometimes we did, sometimes we didn't. And the founder could kind of choose if they wanted to play that role. And now it's like more of an expectation.

[Jada]

Absolutely. I think that before it was a cherry on top, like, oh, wow, that's a. That seems like a decent human being. But now it's like, no. And I think it's because there's so many options that they want to understand, who do I trust with this dollar that I have? Right. People are people. They tend to feel more empathetic towards someone who's actually putting her blood, sweat and tears into something. They want to know that I'm a working mom. They want to know that, you know, I got married and I. And I did all these things. And I don't blame them. Even though it's. It can be taxing as a founder. But I have my boundaries too. I understand. Because the market is so saturated that you needed to. To kind of gain that trust. Trust in the age of like, forward facing camera ready, TikTok, Instagram Reels, stories like, people need to be able to connect with you. And I don't blame them.

[Less]

Yeah, it is one of those things.

[Jai]

That it's just kind of the nature of it.

[Jada]

Yeah.

[Jai]

Like, my version of that is I started this podcast in 2018. In 2018, there were no video. There was no video. I was recording in my bedroom closet. I started a podcast because I didn't want to be on camera. Come 2020, 2021. It's like, you have to. If you want your podcast to continue.

[Less]

To, like, grow, evolve, reach new people.

[Jai]

It'S got to be on YouTube. People don't listen to podcasts anymore. They watch them. So I had to be like, okay, if you want to keep doing this, you don't have to get your butt in front of a camera. It's not 2018 anymore. So you can complain about it or you can have a shift where. This is the industry I'm in. If I'm going to stay in it, Yep, I'm going to evolve with it. And now I don't complain about it anymore, but for a minute, I was real salty.

[Jada]

I understand and empathize with that. Like, of course, have your boundaries. I've learned now to take care of myself, but you just have to be prepared to do the job sometimes. And for a lot of founders, even for myself, sometimes it's to have a bad day, but still turn your camera on and say, hi. You know, I'm here to talk about Ami Kole and all those things, but I empathize with celebrities a little bit more because I'm like, damn, you can't even get a sandwich outside you just being bombarded by the paparazzi. I kind of. I feel bad. I feel bad, but I'm blessed. This is. This is our work.

[D]

Yeah.

[Jada]

Yeah.

[Less]

And it's amazing work.

[Jada]

Thank you, Shada.

[Less]

Thank you so much for joining me.

[Jada]

Thank you.

[Jai]

I feel like we need, like, a part two or something, because I have, like, a thousand more questions.

[Jada]

So many questions. And you know what? This journey is evolving. So, you know, let's see where the universe takes us. I'm happy that we connected, and that's why I'm like, oh, we're gonna connect. And literally. Right.

[Jai]

We were sat right next to each other. Yes.

[Jada]

Yes.

[Jai]

So where can our listeners find you.

[Less]

Keep in touch with you, support you?

[Jada]

So we have. I guess my Instagram handle is so embarrassing, but it's just D I A R R H A X O. Obviously, this is a very long time. I'm like, girl, hugs and kisses. Okay. Before I was an entrepreneur, but. Ami Cole. So by B Y amicole A M I C O L E on all channels. I believe we're mostly active on Instagram, but definitely getting TikTok up and running. And I'm always there, always, always emailing and DMing people. I love communities. I'm always talking back whenever I can because inspiration comes from everywhere, which is so lovely.

[Less]

But, yeah, amazing. We'll make sure that we have you.

[Jai]

Linked in the Show Notes that we.

[Less]

Link to all things on in the Show Notes. And thank you again for being here.

[Jada]

Thank you so much for having me. Foreign.

[Less]

Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of she's so Lucky. If you're ready to create your own luck, hit that subscribe button wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube so you don't miss an episode and head to the Show Notes for resources, links and discount codes. And if you are really feeling lucky, we would appreciate your rating and your review. It really helps us be able to improve the show take get great guests and to understand what you want to hear more of. Thank you for tuning in and I'll see you next week.

[D]

Hey guys, I am Briony Deary, host of beyond the Mat and founder of Pilates by Briony. Through my Pilates journey, I have had access to some of the most amazing individuals in their field, including celebrities, experts, athletes. Here I am going to bring you these intimate conversations from the MAT to deeper, meaningful and raw discussions. You can catch new episodes every Thursday. Please don't forget to follow, rate and review. See you on and beyond the Mat.

[Jada]

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a.

[Jai]

Direct or indirect financial interest in products.

[Jada]

Or services referred to in this episode.