Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship with Anthony Standifer
35 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsATTENTION all beauty brand owners, employees, entrepreneurs, suppliers, influencers or anyone interested in understanding the true BUSINESS of beauty welcome to Driving the Business: Beauty Brands & Entrepreneurship podcast. We're providing the inside tips, secrets and advice needed to move your brand or idea forward in a complex but lucrative industry. We tackle marketing, sales, manufacturing along with the joys and perils of entrepreneurship.
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Episodes
Ep 035 - Interview with Jason Mercer: Key Insights from a Venture Capital (VC) Investor for Raising Money
July 26, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 88 MBAs 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 gre...
Ep 034 - Interview with Winnie Awa: Why Brad Pitt Should Not Launch in Beauty & The Journey to Data Driven Haircare
June 24, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 86.6 MBI 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 entr...
Ep 033 - Interview with Justin Dawkins: Silicon Valley Bank & Its Impact on Beauty
March 24, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 94.7 MBDoes 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 li...
Ep 032 - 8 Incredible Lessons After 8 Years of Entrepreneurship
February 21, 2023 10:00 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MBThings 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 ...
Ep 031 - Diversity & Racial Inclusion in the Beauty Media Landscape with Claire McCormack
September 28, 2022 09:00 - 47 minutes - 66.5 MBSince 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 ra...
Ep 030 - Why Taking a Non-Traditional Path to Skin Care is Both Insane & Necessary with Jayme & Nick Valo
September 14, 2022 10:00 - 53 minutes - 74.9 MBI 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 h...
Ep 029 - How Leveraging a Sales Management Firm Increases Your Chances of Success in Retail Distribution with Demar Roberts
August 30, 2022 10:00 - 53 minutes - 75 MBSomebody hand me my soap box cause I need it right now. Going into formal retail chains without being prepared is the kiss of death or some very painful, expensive lessons! 20+ years of doing business with most every retail chain that sells beauty products and I have seen first hand how this game operates. One of the secret weapons that indie beauty founders may enlist are the services of a sales management firm. In today's episode of the podcast I sit down and chat w...
Ep 028 - Therapy for Entrepreneurs When Friendship Is Not Enough
August 17, 2022 10:00 - 56 minutes - 78.9 MBWe are getting extra cozy and familiar for this episode. I've recognized in my own journey as a Black man living in America with abundant blessings all around me that everything is not ok. While things in my business have been thriving and we've been shattering ceilings with fundraising and hitting revenue targets, on the other side I have had to stand and face some issues that go back to my childhood. Enter daddy issues and the long impact that my connection with my own father h...
Ep 027 - Launching Your Beauty Brand's Minimal Viable Product (MVP)
August 03, 2022 10:00 - 35 minutes - 50.2 MBBy far the biggest business challenge I hear from entrepreneurs entering the space or thinking of launching products is they don't have enough money to execute on their vision. After hearing this statement no less than 200x's a year I have given some thought on how to translate the concept of a minimal viable product (MVP) from the tech world into the beauty product space. Making it happen is totally doable and something I have seen crafty, resource strapped business owners do su...
Ep 026 - How I Realigned My Purpose for this Podcast
August 02, 2022 10:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBI'M BACK! But I don't want to do things exactly like we were doing them before. This includes how I show up for one of my passions which is this podcast. The last 2 years have changed me. I just do not feel like "business as usual". It took some time to really identify what was different and how I wanted to show up in the world. For me it means still offering incredible value for those that are connected with the beauty industry or with product based entrepreneurship. I'm...
Ep 025 - How a Virtual Assistant Changed the Game for Me & My Hiring Process
September 17, 2021 09:00 - 39 minutes - 54.5 MBI admit at first I was admittedly against the idea of hiring a virtual assistant. I did not see how their could be value in having an assistant that I would never see. And then the great ponderosa hit aka COVID-19. In today's episode hear about how wrong I was in my initial assumption and how having a virtual assistant has been a game changer for me and my business. I do this in a direct conversation with my own VA, Paula Heitzman. If you are a start up entrepreneur, ...
Ep 024 - 5 Tips for Pricing Your Products with Profit in Mind
August 27, 2021 13:29 - 35 minutes - 49 MBAs a beauty product manufacturer and brand consultant I have worked with more than 200 brand owners over the last 7 years the topic of pricing and I've come to a huge conclusion. Pricing products is an emotional process for brand owners that leads to all the questions. What if you over price your products and no one buys? What it you under price your products and miss out on additional dollars you could have made? There is a common thread amongst those brands who set their prices and...
Ep 023 - Interview with Christian Maxwell: Insider Tips on Social Media Influencers & Content Creators
April 13, 2021 03:15 - 1 hour - 101 MBCalling all social media influencers & those who engage them. This is the content you need. The concept of brands paying content creators and social media influencers is a cumbersome, ambiguous process and both side need help. Influencers are trying to figure out how to attract and scale their reach so they attract brands to pay them. Beauty brands (particularly the indie brand owners) are trying to develop budgets and a structure that allows influencers to grow sal...
Ep 022 - 6 Questions to Answer Before Speaking with a Manufacturer
March 23, 2021 10:00 - 33 minutes - 46.1 MBWorking with a manufacturer can seem like an overwhelming, daunting project. But it does not have to be. After 6 1/2 years and literally more than 1000+ discussions with potential customers I have compiled a cheat sheet that will quickly move you to front of line with any private label or contract manufacturer you're considering. 6 questions that once answered will give you the confidence to engage not just me but ANY manufacturer. This is one of those episodes you may need...
Ep 021 - 2020: A Sh*t Show & An Opportunity
March 16, 2021 09:00 - 43 minutes - 60.3 MBWe are coming up on the 1 year anniversary of COVID-19 shutting down the world and it's been almost a year since my last episode. We've got a lot to catch up on. I don't want to act like it's "business as usual" which is why I'm getting raw and vulnerable about the last year of my own life. It's been a hybrid of the CRAZY & AMAZING! We also talk about what a tremendous opportunity right now is for anyone in the beauty space or anyone thinking about launching a product or service. ...
Ep 020 - Interview with Shawn Tollerson & Teneya Gholston: Thriving as an Employee Inside a Beauty Company
April 03, 2020 01:27 - 1 hour - 112 MBNot everybody should become an entrepreneur today! Many are best served working inside a beauty company. Navigating your career can be tricky so I assembled two of my most favorite people to help bring you the kind of sage advice you need to thrive! I spent 14 years of my own career working for multiple companies and it was the BEST training guide I needed to prepare for my current place in life. Shawn Tollerson has been my boss in two of those companies. She brings 25 years of...
Ep 019 - Interview with Stephanie Scott-Bradshaw CEO First and Last PR on Public Relations in the Beauty Industry
March 18, 2020 17:16 - 1 hour - 87.3 MBUnderstanding the role of public relations as part of a beauty brand's marketing mix is a tough and sometimes confusing topic. What is PR? How is it different than other forms of advertising? What should I expect when I hire a PR agent or team? Well I've got a veteran in the space who is here to answer these questions and how beauty brands can successfully approach PR. Stephanie Scott-Bradshaw is an agency owner with more than a decade of experience supporting both large and indie beauty bra...
Ep 18: 8 Quick Tips for Managing Customer Complaints
February 28, 2020 19:04 - 20 minutes - 29.1 MBAs part of every beauty brand experience you are going to receive customer complaints about your product. As an owner or someone who works in customer service you should get ahead of the issue by having a process for handling the issues as they come in. Don't let someone else's concern or anger set you up to be sued and manipulated out of money. I'm shelling out 8 quick tips that can be implemented today to save you $ and peace of mind. Enjoy!
Ep 017 - Kiley Russell Big Girl Cosmetics & The Untold Story of Department Store Distribution
October 11, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBWhat would you do if Oprah Winfrey funded the start of your business? Well find out what one woman with an idea, passion and the guts to take multiple leaps of faith did in this new episode of Driving the Business. It's rare to find entrepreneurs that will get real and raw with you. But Kiley Russell did both during this candid interview sharing intimate details of her highest successes as founder of Big Girl Cosmetics who went from batching body butters in her kitchen, to winning a c...
Ep 016 - Interview: Kim Roxie of LAMIK Beauty - What She is Doing When Black Women Founders Only Get .002% of Venture Funding
August 20, 2019 10:00 - 43 minutes - 60.3 MBThe REALITY is that Black women founders are getting a dismal 0.002% of all venture funding. Hear what beauty brand founder Kim Roxie decided to do when she found out this startling statistic while also working to pivot her own color cosmetics line - LAMIK Beauty. We get REAL and talk about what it was like for Kim to shut down her store in order to pivot. Her quest for education and participation in multiple accelerators has given Kim a new level of confidence and fire to not only fuel h...
Ep 015 - Interview with Craig Brimm: Ad Agency Owner, Beauty Brand Content Creator & OG Entrepreneur
June 20, 2019 19:00 - 1 hour - 87.4 MBI sat down with Craig Brimm who has successfully managed a creative career spanning two decades in the advertising world. Craig has created content for many titans in the industry like McDonald's and Toyota while also curating TV and ad campaigns for many of the largest beauty brands. We talk how the role of the ad agency has shifted, how he has managed moving in and out of full-time entrepreneurship, what it’s like having his wife as a business partner and how he manages the chaos of life.
Ep 014 - Nugget: Nobody's Coming to Save You
June 20, 2019 18:30 - 21 minutes - 29.3 MBThis is a new episode formatting I'm trying out. Life reflections that may or may not be directly related to the beauty business or entrepreneurship but are reflections that have proven immensely valuable for me in navigating this thing called adulting. In this episode I'm reflecting on how I have handled the big problems of life and embracing that there is no easy way out, no cheat sheet and no savior that's ever coming to "save" me. It’s a hard pill to swallow but there is complete magic ...
Ep 013 - Interview with Pekela Riley: Celebrity Hair Stylist & Ulta Beauty Pro Team Member
May 24, 2019 07:58 - 1 hour - 112 MBGet ready to have the FIRE brought to you in this one. I talked my way into an interview with one of the industry's busiest, most celebrated hair stylist and salon owners - Pekela Riley. She is teaching a MASTER CLASS in this discussion on her journey in the beauty industry. We get insight into the curvy road that's led to her success and how hard work combined with humility have been her secret weapon. Hearing the strategy she took from turning her salon Salon Pk from a booth rent enviro...
Ep 012: Your Guide to Executing Trade Shows
May 10, 2019 07:05 - 48 minutes - 67.3 MB19 years of selling beauty products at live events and trade shows and I have the inside cheat sheet for you. This episode is filled with tangible tactics that you can execute and realize the kind of long term revenue that you should get from investing in a trade show. See how products sales, discounts and free giveaways play into your success. There is a real soap box moment here on why I HATE giving away free samples at trade shows. Hear why. Finally I lay out your email marketing strategy...
Ep 011 - Let's Catch Up
April 25, 2019 04:30 - 34 minutes - 48.1 MBIt's been way too long! But I'm back in the studio and ready to help you drive the business. First thing...let's catch up on life and what's been happening with me the last few months. In this catch up episode I talk about the insanity of running my own small, growing business; how celebrating small customer victories keeps me AMPED UP; and how the song Baby Shark saved my life last weekend. Plus, no matter where you are in your beauty journey I share why right now is the PERFECT time to sta...
Ep 010 - A Discussion on the Hustle & Grind of Entrepreneurship with Transient Intellect Jason
September 06, 2018 01:03 - 36 minutes - 50.4 MBSurround yourself with smart, ambitious people. The team that helps me produce this show - the transient intellects - are a talented group of people that truly embody driving the business. While working through a technical challenge my audio engineer, Jason, and I get into a thoughtful conversation about the hustle and grind of entrepreneurship. It get REAL as we both share the experience of our journeys. You. Don't. Want. To. Miss. This. After you listen to this episode email me and ...
Ep 009 - Facing Disappointing Nos & Cosmoprof 2018 Review
August 21, 2018 02:17 - 36 minutes - 50.8 MBAfter watching a young man's response to a disappointing professional set back I'm reminded how important perspective is in life. I share a hard no I received in my career and what my response was after the initial shock and disappointment. Check out the video from Zakeel Gordon on LinkedIn - here - to see for yourself and prepare to be moved! Next up, I share my review on Cosmprof 2018 in Las Vegas and how beauty brand owners (small and large) can best navigate such a large show with ...
Ep 008 - Instagram's IGTV & How Email Marketing Can Change Your Beauty Business
July 16, 2018 03:51 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MBI'm baaaack and excited to be back in front of the mic and sharing with you. In this episode I share whats been happening with me the last few weeks...and its happens to EVERY entrepreneur. I then highlight one of Instagram newest launches with IGTV and what it means for consumers and advertisers. Finally we dive deep into the details of how email marketing is your best, low cost tool for new customer acquisition and customer retention. We cover the 4 best email marketing platforms I recomme...
Ep 007 - Karonda Cook: Is Your Beauty Brand Ready for Retail Distribution
June 13, 2018 17:02 - 44 minutes - 60.9 MBY'all this episode is pure FIRE. I'm bringing you the inside track on what retail buyers are looking for when assessing new brands. Karonda Cook is the former Director of Merchandising for Sally Beauty who successfully grew her beauty categories double digit while sitting in the driver's seat. She is teaching a full Master Class for FREE here. We talk brand owner misconceptions about retail distribution and what you can do NOW to make sure you are ready to sit before a retail buyer. Get your...
Ep 006 - Industry Shows & Why Every Entrepreneur MUST Have a Tribe of Advisers
June 07, 2018 13:56 - 39 minutes - 55.1 MBToday's episode is more of a rant that the typical structure of other episodes. I tackle upcoming industry shows you should attend and why. Then I deep dive into why EVERY entrepreneur should have a tribe of advisers and how you can build yours without having Oprah on speed dial. Get ready because this episode could be a game changer for you.
Ep 005 - How to Engage a Manufacturer to Get Your Beauty Products Made
June 01, 2018 22:39 - 45 minutes - 63.2 MBMy thoughts on Revlon's new first female CEO, Debra Perelman. I then dive deep and provide the cheat sheet for engaging with a private label or contract manufacturer in the beauty space. Before a manufacturer can answer the question of "how much does it costs to do business with you," be prepared to answer three key questions around formula, packaging and order quantity. Learn the terminology and know what to expect so you get what you want. Follow me on social media @mSEEDAnthony for more ...
Eps 004: Gerilyn Hayes - NaturallyCurly.com Senior Copywriter on Career & How to Engage Media Platforms
May 18, 2018 20:48 - 42 minutes - 59 MBGerilyn Hayes is a professional writer. She hosts CurlTalk TV and is the Senior Copywriter for NaturallyCurly, a large online media beauty platform that is focused specifically on the needs of the curly hair consumer. Gerilyn shares how she transferred her childhood love of words and reading into a career that has spanned throughout multiple industries leading her to beauty and fashion. We talk about how the role of copywriter and content creator translates beyond the written word and...
Eps 003 - From Cosmetic Chemist to CEO: The Journey Towards Launching mSEED group
May 07, 2018 21:26 - 49 minutes - 22.9 MBOur first podcast could be no one else other than my business partner, Erica Douglas. On this episode we talk about Erica's journey from cosmetic chemist to CEO of mSEED group. We dive deep into how the idea for the company's unique business model, as both a contract manufacturer and marketing agency, came as rejection from a grad school project. Hear details on how Erica found her co-partner (me) and the path that led to her quitting her job to pursue her passion. This is a great episode f...
Eps 002: How to Build Your Marketing Plan & J Lo's Cosmetic Line
April 26, 2018 07:00 - 35 minutes - 16.8 MBIf you have ever wondered what goes into a marketing plan that allows you move quickly and efficiently in the market with your idea then this episode is for you! I outline why its a must that you have a plan followed by the basic elements that need to be included. If you are an existing brand owner who's been out there a while or just starting there is some value here for you. I start off ranting about J Lo's new cosmetic line and why most celebrity branded lines fail. SHOW NOTES: 5...
Eps 001: Who The Hell Am I & Why You Need This Podcast
April 23, 2018 06:48 - 17 minutes - 8.45 MBIntroductory episode for Driving the Business podcast. Find out who is Anthony Standifer and why this a MUST podcast if you are a beauty brand owner, entrepreneur, employee or someone connected with the beauty industry.