It's always inspiring to hear a story of someone who has not only created their own opportunities, but has won big by doing so. Alicia Scott, CEO and founder of Range Beauty, is an avid researcher and savvy communicator who initially Googled her way into finding a solution to a problem that impacted not only her life, but the lives of other Black women: inclusive yet clean cosmetics. And her efforts took her to business and bankable success, turning $300 into $300,000 within the first three years of business.
The idea turned into a mission when Scott was working in the fashion industry and saw how Black models had to carry their own makeup kits because artists claimed they didn't have the tools to create looks on darker skin tones. "It made me think of the lack of shades available to us. On top of that I was dealing with eczema and acne-prone skin, so I wanted a line that wouldn't irritate my skin," Scott said in an interview with xoNecole.
"That was in 2014, [when] there wasn't as much of a clean beauty trend [around] as there is now. So when I would look for alternatives, a lot of the products that would come up were very fair shades. In doing more research, I found out about the issues with Black women being exposed to twice the amount of toxic beauty products due to the lack of products for our skin tone. Just thinking about how those ingredients were tied to breast cancer and hormone disruption, I just really wanting to create a solution."
Image courtesy of Alicia Scott
"I found out about the issues with Black women being exposed to twice the amount of toxic beauty products due to the lack of products for our skin tone. Just thinking about how those ingredients were tied to breast cancer and hormone disruption, I just really wanting to create a solution."
Google Me, Baby
Fast-forward to 2017. Scott knew she needed to do her research and used one of the best free resources available: the Internet. She was able to connect with a woman-owned manufacturer to help her create what she wanted to offer. "I didn't have the funds to work with a lab, so I skipped that step. I said, 'Well what can I do next?' I found a manufacturer by Googling what I wanted to create and came across a site called Cosmetic Index. It contains everything you'd need to start your brand. I knew I wanted one based solely in the U.S. and narrowed [the list] down to those that had detailed information. I then found her page, went through her website and Googled information about her. I called the number that was listed and went from there."
Scott's manufacturer already had experience in cultivating products for sensitive skin after personally dealing with the issue from a face surgery. "That was perfect because it was such a niche. I was able to speak with her and tell her what I wanted to create and the mission behind my line, and then work with her to get the line started. I was using calendula flower and chamomile extract [for the eczema] as a way to avoid having to use steroids which was recommended by the dermatologist. I want to be sure to keep oil at bay, so what can we use as an alternative. A lot of products that have mattifiers aren't great for our skin and can clog our pores so we talked about using French clay as an alternative. That's how everything started."
A starter kit with Scott's final formulation was sent to her home, and on her living room floor, she was able to create multiple shades of brown foundation. She came up with packaging, registered an LLC, and in 2017, Skinny Dip Cosmetics was finally born. The initial cost for the soft launch: $300. Revenue came in at about $1,000 in the first three months, Scott recalled.
Image courtesy of Alicia Scott
Social Media For the Win
Scott took the next step of building up a social media following, using yet another free resource to build her customer base, further launching Twitter and Instagram accounts for the brand. "One day, I took a picture of the product and posted it on Twitter, and one of the major influencers at the time saw it and reposted it with [the phrase] 'This is what you call Range,' and it just blew up."
She decided to close shop in order to rebrand and officially relaunched as Range Beauty in 2018. After the relaunch, revenues hit $20,000 and then went up to $45,000 by 2019. She was finally able to leave her 9-to-5 working in diversity and inclusion for a tech company, and by the end of 2020 she'd made $300,000 by the end of last year.
How was she able to scale in such a way to see big wins? More research, pitch competitions, and honest feedback. YouTube star Jackie Aina is behind a pivotal moment in Scott's journey to raise funds and continue building revenues. She revealed, "[Years ago,] I was following YouTube mogul Jackie Aina, and she posted that she was doing a grant competition for Black founders. I think the first prize was $5,000, and I was like, 'Okay that's something cool.'"
"That was my first time applying for a grant or even knowing what a pitch competition was. From there, I looked into what I needed to have ready. I was already an avid watcher of Shark Tank, and I went online to search the commonly asked questions. After that, I applied, and I got into the competition. They flew us to L.A. and I pitched on her YouTube channel. I was one of two who won the grant."
After that, Scott said she got so much great feedback, that she kept applying for any grants she could, whether they were targeted to women-owned or Black-owned startups. It was at an event in Atlanta that she received direct feedback that led to a major pivot and more money for her business.
"[I participated] in a pitch competition with what is now called the Fearless Fund, headed by Arian Simone. At the time she was doing these individual pitch competitions. I applied, made it through the first two rounds, and then we went to the headquarters. I remember a judge saying, 'You have a good pitch and great energy, but when it comes down to your product, you're not telling us what sets you apart from your competitors.' At that time, Fenty had just launched, so me coming from this inclusive end saying, 'Oh we have all these shades,' and Rihanna launched with all these shades and had a whole campaign--- it's like, 'Oh, you can't really come from that angle anymore, so now what's next?'"
Switch Up and Level Up
Scott knew she had to shift her approach a bit to remain competitive and continue seeing success in getting capital. She knew she didn't want to get business loans, and she also knew she wanted to be able to sustain her company's growth. After much thought, she finally had a light-bulb moment.
"At the time, I wasn't speaking to the fact that I created this brand with eczema and acne in mind and with skincare benefits. There wasn't anyone doing that with inclusivity at the time. Once I switched the messaging and started applying that, everything started taking off. I joined New Voices [Foundation] family very early on after seeing Melissa Butler speaking on it. They would send emails that [informed subscribers] about different grant and pitch competitions and I'd just apply to all of them. I began tailoring my pitch and my application to the point where I was becoming a finalist. All in all I've received $50,000 in grant money, and I just received my first investment of $200,000 off of a pitch competition."
Range Beauty products can now be bought on the company's Website as well as in Target, a company whose relationship she's proudly maintained and cultivated since 2018.
Image courtesy of Alicia Scott
"At the time, I wasn't speaking to the fact that I created this brand with eczema and acne in mind and with skincare benefits. There wasn't anyone doing that with inclusivity at the time. Once I switched the messaging and started applying that, everything started taking off. All in all I've received $50,000 in grant money, and I just received my first investment of $200,000 off of a pitch competition."
"[By 2019] they saw me at the Essence + Target Holiday Market, and they introduced me to the accelerator team. I applied, and I was accepted for the March 2020 class. Going through the program and just receiving the welcoming I did--- the excitement about what I created---and having them say we want you on Target.com or in store was pretty validating. Even though I knew what I was doing was great for Black women for the community, having such an authoritative figure like Target say this is amazing...it was a huge thing for me."
Also, Scott counts the exposure her company received during the Black Lives Matter movement as a huge catalyst for her business growth. "To see our name pushed to the top of a lot of lists and receiving the exposure and having that followed up with different retailers reaching out, that was again, very validating. I ended 2019 and said, 'I want our sales to be at least 10K per month for 2020,' so ending the year at $300,000 in revenue was like, 'Okay, this is what happens when I put myself behind this full force and full-time.'"
Find more about Range Beauty via their website or on IG @Range_Beauty.
Featured image courtesy of Alicia Scott
Originally published on March 1, 2021
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
___
Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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And honestly, the holiday season isn’t exempt from this. I know from personal experience because, as someone who hasn’t observed any for many years now (without one regret), you’d be amazed by all of the theories that I’ve heard as to why that is the case. SMDH.
Chile, you don’t have the time and I don’t have the space to get into all of that nonsense. For now, I just want to provide a silver lining from my having to endure other people’s yapping by letting those of you who may not be super enthusiastic about the holidays this year (or any year) either that there is nothing wrong with that — or with you.
I’ll break down why and how I’ve come to that conclusion.
Not Being “on-10” Doesn’t Make You a Grinch
GiphyHonestly, I have some pretty solid memories about Christmastime. Because my mother grew up with an alcoholic father (and supreme spiritual hypocrite), she was very emotionally tied to the holiday because it was the only time that she recalled having real peace in her home. And so, we did the Christmas thing, pretty much to the hilt — fresh Christmas trees, baking Christmas-themed desserts, watching holiday movies, going caroling, stringing popcorn…you name it.
It wasn’t until I became an adult and I started doing research on the origin stories of holidays (check out “The History of Christmas” if you don’t already know about it), in general, that I became more and more detached. Plus, as a seventh-day Sabbath observer (Exodus 20:8-11, Hebrews 4, Matthew 28:1) — every Friday sunset through Saturday sunset was like a holiday in certain ways to me, so I never really “lived” for traditional calendar ones.
That doesn’t mean that I am all "Bah humbug" to folks who are totally into the holiday, though. For instance, my godchildren’s father acts like Christmas is a drug for him and so anything Christmas-like that he can think of is his fix. And although the girls (6 and 14) know that I don’t observe, I am good for getting them a “cold weather present” usually around the time the temps drop (in October) instead of an actual Christmas gift. And although I usually pass on hanging out with folks on Christmas Day, I’ll help bake a cookie or two in the days leading up to it.
So yeah, the first thing that folks who are pretty “meh” about Christmas need to be reminded of is that doesn’t automatically or necessarily make you a Grinch. If you recall the Grinch’s story, he did have some trauma and so he took it out on Christmas. Meanwhile, most of us who can take or leave the holidays, we aren’t “mad”…we’re just…for the most part…disinterested. The rest of y’all “do you,” though. And we mean that sincerely.
Not Being Thrilled Doesn’t Mean That You’re Depressed Either
GiphyI’ve shared before that there is someone in my world who gets so excited about Christmas that I almost want to see if there is a disorder linked to it. LOL. I mean from the start of October on, you are going to hear about her Christmas plans, plus, you are going to start seeing holiday décor up in her house — and she’s always been that way.
Because she knows that “I’m good” on Christmas, there have been times when she’s asked me if it’s because my parents divorced when I was young or if it’s because my family lives overseas or if it’s because I am not married and never had children. Shellie, you’re way too excited for your birthday for you to just…not care about Christmas. I think you might be suppressing something.
Good lord, girl. LOL. I’m excited for birthdays because another year of life in my right mind is a blessing. Christmas, personally, doesn’t make a ton of sense to me (especially to be spending a lot of cents) and so, I’ll pass. It’s really not any deeper than that. Besides, it’s not like I’m sitting in the dark somewhere on Christmas Day rocking back and forth in a corner. If anything, I really appreciate how quiet the world seems to be (both online and off) while everyone else is doing their thing. THANK YOU.
So yeah, if Christmas — or the holiday season, period — doesn’t have you jumping up and down, don’t let other people’s enthusiasm gaslight you into thinking that you should see a therapist. That said, for the record, if someone has mentioned depression to you, here are some signs that mental health professionals say are associated with holiday-related depression:
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Trouble sleeping
- Anxiety
- Tension
- Internalized frustration
- Feeling lonely and isolated
- Not doing any of the things that you typically enjoy
Do you see not wanting to go to a holiday party, opting out of Christmas shopping with a bunch of friends or preferring to not have any Christmas decorations up in your house on the list? Yeah, me neither. Moral to the story: Please don’t let people get you down by trying to manipulate you into thinking that if you aren’t like them, something must be wrong with you. During the holiday seasons or otherwise, chile.
Use This Time (Unapologetically) for Yourself
GiphyRemember how I just said that one of the things I damn near adore about Christmas is, since everyone is focused on their own families, I can get some real quality time to myself? Although a lot of things are closed on Christmas Day, you can still order a favorite meal the day before, turn off your phone and sleep in on Christmas Day and, if you want to get out and about — I don’t know about y’all but one of my favorite things is to go to the movies alone and movie theaters are always open on Christmas.
You know, I’ve shared before that I once interviewed a Jewish woman who was married to a Christian man. Together, they observe Chrismukkah and there is something that she said about it that has always stayed with me (paraphrased): “I don’t believe in Christmas but anything that can bring peace, joy and goodwill to humanity, even for a day, that is something that I can get behind.” I agree. And sometimes, what we need to remind ourselves is we need to set aside time to bring peace, joy and goodwill to ourselves. Use the holiday season to do that, if nothing else. You won’t regret it.
Do Private Things More than Public Ones
GiphyEven beyond Christmas, specifically, what if the entire holiday season is something that you’re pretty ho-hum about because things like mall traffic, stressed out relatives and the busyness of it all aren’t your favorite things? My two cents would be to not put your head under the covers and just wait for January 2 to arrive. Instead, opt out of big celebrations and do “calmer and quieter” things with some of your favorite people.
Since pretty much from a couple of days before Christmas until kids go back to school, folks are not on their “usual schedule,” go to brunch with your favorite aunt (or uncle), host a sleepover with a couple of girlfriends and/or Zoom one of your buddies to create vision boards for the new year.
Listen, just because you may not be in the traditional holiday spirit, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of the time that it offers for you to do some quality things with people you care about. Just you and them. No one else.
Create Your Own Traditions
GiphyNot into the 12 Days of Christmas? Pamper yourself for the week leading into the New Year. Don’t want a Christmas tree? Have some roses or poinsettias sent to your house. Couldn’t care less about a ball dropping on New Year’s Eve? Rent out a huge Airbnb New Year’s Eve and enjoy a change of scenery.
Y’all, just because the holiday season comes with its own traditions, there is no written rule which says that you have to follow them — or that you can’t come up with some of your own. Hell, if you put enough thought into this tip, you might look up and realize that you absolutely adore this time of year — just for a totally different set of reasons than most. Beautiful.
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