Entrepreneurship Zone: 09 July 2020: How this 23-year-old CEO turned her dorm room side hustle into a business bringing in $1 million

[Bulls n Bears]

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My journey as a beauty entrepreneur started in my dorm room at Howard University. When I began college, my plan was to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a surgeon. But I soon discovered I wasn’t as excited about working on organic chemistry homework as I was about mixing up organic DIY skin-care recipes and sharing my creations with my floor mates. 

One night in the fall of my junior year, I made a Twitter thread about my favorite beauty hacks and tips. I didn’t think anything of it, but when I woke up the next morning, it had gotten over 30,000 retweets. I had hundreds of direct messages from girls asking me about which products they could make at home. 

That’s when I realized that my love of makeup wasn’t just a hobby — I could turn it into a business. Today, my vegan, organic, and cruelty-free skin care company, Mary Louise, is on track to generate $1 million dollars this year. 

Like many companies, we were prompted to reevaluate our business model by the effects of Covid-19. We closed our Los Angeles retail location until further notice, for example. But we have successfully been able to pivot. In addition to our collections of serums, body butters and masks, we launched an affordable hand sanitizer and accompanying moisturizing soap, and we have seen our online sales dramatically increase. 

My experience turning my side hustle into a fully fledged brand has helped me steer my company during this moment of uncertainty. If you’re looking to start a business right now, here are some of the lessons I have learned that still help me today.- CNBC.com



Akilah Releford is the founder and CEO of Mary Louise Cosmetics.

Courtesy Akilah Releford

 

 

 

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