The reason I taught myself how to own and operate a cosmetic line was that I was already working on social media marketing and growth, and knew that in order for me to grow as an entrepreneur, I needed to learn and study something new. I owned and managed a network of large Instagram accounts totaling over 10 million followers, and was selling promotional posts to advertisers every day. I had a desire to own my own company, especially since I was working with advertisers all day every day who were apart of big companies. I had so many friends in the makeup industry already, and I constantly heard them complaining to me about these big brands, so I decided to take what they said and turn it into a cosmetic line that addressed all of the problems these people had with other cosmetic lines.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first started researching and had absolutely NO idea what I was doing, I thought in order to make lipsticks and other colored cosmetic products, I needed to hire a personal chemist to create it all for me. Not only is that ridiculously expensive, but there are so many labs with plenty of chemists who will make your dream products for you as long as you tell them details of what you’re looking for.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
This one is hard…it is really really hard to pick just one thing when there are so many different things that have gotten me where I am today. What’s kept my company and myself from burning out is purely my passion and stubbornness, and believe I have in not only my company but also in myself.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Nothing makes me happier than getting positive reviews and photos from customers who are super happy and excited to get their new makeup from my line. I made the packaging for Emley Cosmetics as beautiful as I could and put a lot of details and thought into it. When I hear people showing their appreciation every day, it makes me so happy to know I put a smile on their face, and that is all I could ever ask for.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
This might sound cheesy, but Walt Disney is a huge inspiration for me. His quote, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” is something that I still remind myself every single day. I believe if I wanted to do anything in the world, I could. And once you believe that, the stars are the limit.
Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the beauty industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?
Of course! No matter how saturated the beauty industry is, there are still so many products and ideas that are completely untouched. My team and I have so many exciting products we are developing and creating that is unique and never previously done before!
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the beauty industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
The beauty industry is one of the fastest growing industries out there, making it a $445 billion dollar (sales) industry and rising every year. The beauty industry lacks the most important thing of all; integrity. The beauty industry is causing women and men feel insecure and inadequate, and the only solution is to buy an overpriced product to make it better.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
One of my biggest goals is to have my company’s legacy not just be created by me but by each and every one of my customers and supporters. I value everyone’s opinions and ideas, and I believe that if I listen to them instead of listening to what sells, we will take over the industry together.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
My personal Instagram page is @emleycatherine and my cosmetic line is @emleycosmetics 🙂