Right before her 10th birthday, Zandra Cunningham launched Zandra Beauty. After she was told “no” to buying a lip balm at the store, she decided she would make her own at home. She and her mother would experiment with different ingredients and scents until finding formulations they liked. Slowly but surely, their little experiments at home turned into a brand.
Known for her love of beauty products at a young age, she wanted her company to empower other young girls like her. What makes Zandra Beauty unique, is that her products are packed with natural ingredients filled with nutrient-rich, plant-based skincare that promotes healthy skin while improving self-confidence. She targets her passion towards young girls, donating 10% of every purchase made to support the education of young girls across the globe. She also partnered with a non-profit corporation in Buffalo, NY called Girls Education Collaborative (GEC) that also helps young women gain access to education.
Reading about Zandra’s experience and how she flourished in her company is really inspiring. Being 21 years old now and learning more about the industry, she continues to refine and her formulas and inventory. She said something that really stuck with me, “There are so many brands doing similar things, but there’s still so much room to grow,” she says. “Your customers are out there, you just have to find something that’s going to set you apart.” I think this is great advice, the economy is growing every day, what can we find that sets our own business or ideas apart from everyone else?
Jamika Martin, the founder and CEO of “Rosen Skincare”, broke into the beauty market as an entrepreneur when she was studying as a junior at UCLA. The reason she began formulating this product was simply because she dealt with acne and nothing seemed to help. Martin is quoted to say, “At that point in time I was really just trying to figure out what I was going to do about my skin,” ‘Martin shared.’ “I had these breakouts and going back to that acne care aisle at Target was super disappointing. It was the same products I shopped 10 years earlier.” She wanted to create a new product that would solve her problem. So, this idea began as a dorm room venture to solve her own problem, and it turned out to be a successful business that seeks to help all those dealing with acne. She started selling it in a small shop in her hometown in California, then she was chosen as 1 of 10 entrepreneurs to be placed in an accelerated program for their businesses after she completed her undergraduate degree. As this began, she became serious about Rosen Skincare. She began using Instagram as her main marketing platform and that really took off until this product was accepted into Urban Outfitters where it is sold even now. Additionally, it is sold on the online Nordstrom store. Lastly, Jamika Martin explains that the pandemic did not hinder the business but rather helped it grow because her main selling platform is online and because of mask mandates more people were dealing with acne issues which raised her customer profile, as well as, allow her to hire more employees which provided more jobs for people during a hard season.
